WATSON TAKES HIS FIRST NASCAR LATE MODEL FEATURE AT DELAWARE!
May 21, 2010 (London, Ontario) After getting knocked out of last week's NASCAR Late Model feature race, Mark Watson led early on and didn't let go to take his career first feature win. Watson was in familiar territory from a week prior with Jesse Kennedy and Steve Robblee hot on his tail.
A spin-out by Marc Jacobs in turn four at lap 27 gave last week's winner Ron Sheridan opportunity to close the gap between his 52 and Steve Robblee, in third spot.
The restart was messy on the back end as David Elliot took heavy damage on his #37's left front at turn one after his brakes failed and he crashed into the cement wall. Elliot was unhurt. A third caution at the 27th lap was also caused by an apparent mechanical failure of Jamie Ramsay's #22.
With five laps to go, at fifth position, Ron Sheridan made a hard run for the top three but had to settle for fourth place. Watson held on for the win, followed by Kennedy and Robblee.
Jamie Ramsay came back from last week's flat tire problems and took the first NASCAR Late Model heat race. The second heat was very tight with Jesse Kennedy hugging the back bumper of leader Steve Robblee and Ron Sheridan, Mark Watson and Matt Pritko stacked up behind. Robblee won the heat.
Defending champ Jamie Cox won the first POWERADE Modified feature of the 2010 season.
Tyler Hendricks led off the green flag before Cox overtook him at lap 5. The caution flag dropped at lap 19 as Paul Shipway spun out in turn 2. Cox stayed ahead through another caution, still on 19, with a bit of contact on turn 3 and John Saunders' spin-out. Cox's win was followed by Hendricks in second and David McCullough of Glencoe in third.
A caution very early on in POWERADE Modified heat race #1 flattened a tire of John Saunders and put Darrell Limon's car on the hook. Barry Newman took the heat.
Paul Shipway, coming off a third place finish in '09, won the second heat.
Jordan Dupuis lead the first few laps in the Demar Aggregate Trucks 25-lapper until he struck a wall and was overtaken by defending champ Paul Fothergill on the 4th lap. A caution was thrown a lap later as Sid McDonald Junior spun out, giving Dupuis-at this point two laps down- the lucky dog pass.
With Fothergill in a commanding lead, the fight was on for second and third as Steve McCaw made a run for Jeff Showler in second. Debris on the track caused a caution at lap 15, erasing Fothergill's gap - but not for long. Fothergill kept the lead through a caution at lap 18 after McCaw stopped on the front stretch and Fothergill took the win. Jeff Showler was second and Michelle Koricina, third.
Koricina had taken the first Truck division heat, winning by almost a 3-second gap over Shawn Johns.
In the second truck heat, the left rear tire of the 88 of Sid McDonald flew off, but everyone behind managed to avoid it. Paul Fothergill won the heat.
Racing continues at Delaware Speedway this Victoria Day weekend. The Saturday afternoon line-up includes Transmission Direct Enduros and Chaos Cars. Racing starts at 2 pm.
By Lisa Brandt