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The season kicked off May 7th with a trip to Brighton Speedway. Glenn Styres captured the twenty lap main event over Bob Crawford while twenty-one cars made an appearance for the ice breaker.
Next up would be the scheduled season opener at Styres’ Ohsweken Speedway May 19th however wet conditions and persistent rain forced the first of three rain-outs for the series in 2006. On down the road on May 22nd, the Southern Ontario Sprints made their way to Humberstone Speedway near Port Colborne for their first of three appearances. Under cold and
dreary conditions, thirty-eight sprints filed into the completely
transformed, Pete and Linda Cosco owned facility where “the Joyceville Jet” Rick Wilson thrilled the crowd to capture his first series victory on the season over Kyle Patrick and Craig Downie.
A season high forty three entries swelled the pits when the series returned to Ohsweken Speedway June 9th to find ideal conditions. Chuck Hebing took the win over Warren Mahoney and defending series champion Adam West when the checkered flag fell. Completing the weekend double header the next night, Brighton Speedway played host to twenty-eight winged warriors
with Rick Wilson picking up win number two on the season at his home track. Styres and Warren Mahoney followed Wilson to the stripe but it was the rookies claiming five of the top twelve spots in the feature event lead by Brad Malloy.
Back at Humberstone Speedway on June 18th, rookie contender Kevin Job stunned the thirty-three car field to capture his first ever sprint car win. Jimmy Davies and another rookie, Joey Middlemiss chased Job to the checkers.
July 8th it was back to Brighton Speedway where twenty-four cars entered the mid summer event in front of a huge crowd. Veteran Tim Phillips of Grand Island, New York took a popular win over a persistent Rick Wilson and Joey Middlemiss while Ken Swan and John Watson turned in stellar performances.
As the series entered South Buxton Raceway on July 15th for the first of two visits in 2006, the series was crossing the half way point in the championship chase. It was interesting to note that point leader Glenn Styres with one feature win was the only driver in the top five with a victory. He was leading Bob Crawford by thirty-one points while Warren Mahoney trailed by fifty-eight. The battle for “Rookie of the Year” honors was also scorching as Joey Middlemiss held a slim ten point lead over Kevin Job who had already scored his first win on the circuit. With twenty-three cars signed in, veteran John Riegling from nearby Chatham, Ontario scored his first win of the season while passing his one hundredth start mark in SOS competition. Chasing the wiley veteran across the stripe was another rookie being heard from as Bob McDonald in the Ray Ballentyne prepared ride out-dueled both Warren Mahoney and Bob Crawford ahead of fifth place Garry Evans while Styres came in seventh.
Thirty-one cars returned to Ohsweken Speedway in July 29th where Fred Cade broke into the win column, taking his first ever feature event in a sprint car. Bob Crawford, Joey Middlemiss, Kevin Job, and Styres followed Cade across the line.
Thirty-five cars filed into the pit at Ohsweken when they returned on August 11th. John Riegling again showed the fans that he still had what it takes to win as he held off Rick Wilson, Kevin Job, Warren Mahoney and Bob Crawford to take the win. Styres had to settle for a twenty-second place finish on the score sheet and relinquished the point lead to Mahoney while
slipping to third behind Crawford as a result. Seventeen teams were all that were able to make the tow to Brighton Speedway the following night. Rick Wilson turned in a strong performance holding off Glenn Styres for his third in of the season. Kevin Job, Warren Mahoney, and Joey Middlemiss rounded out the top five while Bob Crawford came home sixth.
A return to Humberstone Speedway for the final time in 2006 on
August 20th found Ken Swan taking his first ever sprint car feature win besting the thirty-eight car field signed in. Rookie Jim Price challenged Swan lap after lap but Swan was not to be denied his place in the SOS history pages. Following Price to the checkers was Tom Huppunen, Craig Downie, and John Riegling.
When the series returned to South Buxton Raceway on August 26th, twenty-eight cars signed in to due battle. The ageless Dick Mahoney turned in his best drive of the year and with the help of long time friend Jack Hewitt, dominated the field taking the win ahead of Adam West and rookie John Burbridge.
Labour Day weekend at Brighton Speedway was set-up to be a pivotal point in the championship chase as the two day show at the eastern Ontario oval played host to the annual classic.
Unfortunately someone forgot to tell Mother Nature as the tail end of a hurricane blanketed the entire area all weekend long, cancelling the entire
program.
With the Championship Invitational set for Ohsweken Speedway on September 8th, twenty-nine of the eligible thirty-five cars converged on the super fast facility for the final duel of 2006. Warren Mahoney held a thirty point lead over Crawford for the championship while Joey Middlemiss led Kevin Job by a mere five points in the battle for “Rookie of the Year” honours. Defending Champion Adam West took his only feature win of the season as the final checkered flag flew with Joey Middlemiss and Rick Wilson trailing. Crawford came in fourth but a ninth place finish by Warren Mahoney was good enough to secure his second Southern Ontario Sprint Championship by nineteen points. Styres recorded a sixth place finish and locked down third place while with his second place feature finish, Joey Middlemiss was crowned the 2006 “Rookie of the Year” over Kevin Job by twenty-six points. Another rookie, Brad Malloy finished sixth in the year end point tally while Ken Swan, Dick Mahoney, John Riegling, and Craig Downie rounded out the top ten.
As the teams gathered at the Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel on November 11th in Niagara Falls to witness the crowning of the 2006 point champion, the future looked bright for the sprint car series.
by
Ken Pelkie
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