(Montreal, Ontario) – Kenny Forth and his Midnight Sun Tanning Salon / Parkinson Tours / CHAM 820 ‘The Legend’ Ford Taurus were back in action Saturday June fourth at Autodrome Ste. Eustache for the Whelen 200. Forth was coming off a career best Delaware Speedway finish in the season opener and looking forward to the Series’ return to the flat Montreal-area oval for the first time since 2003.
The afternoon started with an hour-long practice session, and Forth turned the 24th-fastest lap session ripping off a time of 18.747 seconds. “We’re not fast enough yet,” explained Kenny. “But, this is only the second time I’ve ever been here in a Series car, and the first time we only got 12 laps in. We did pick up about half a second through the practice session, and really worked on running a good line.”
Time trials were next and Forth picked up another 2/10ths of a second, tripping the lights with a circuit of 18.572 seconds, good enough for 19th-spot on the grid.
The green came under the lights, but Forth got in an early disagreement over some real estate in turn three, on lap three, and buckled the hood. He came to pit road to the attention of his crew who removed the hood. “Everyone was checking up, and I got into the back of someone.”
Forth returned to action at the back of the pack, but he was running strong, and worked his way to 19th when the races third yellow flew on lap 60. Forth used the yellow to come to pit road and take right side tires, but CASCAR penalized him for speeding on pit road.
Forth came to the pits again to serve the penalty, but lost a lap in the process. After a few more yellows, Kenny had worked his way forward, past the other lapped cars and lined up on the inside of the front row for a lap 114 restart. Forth beat the leader through turns one and two, and found himself in front of a few of the toughest drivers in CASCAR.
Kerry Micks, David Whitlock, and Don Thomson Jr., lined up behind Forth, and tried to put him down a lap again. Finally Micks got a fender alongside Kenny, and put Kenny back down a lap. “I got a great restart, and was able to clear Dave, and Kerry came through, but I held him off for a number of laps. I was driving the wheels off it, and if we could’ve got a caution we would have been back on the lead lap. Finally, Kerry got a good run on me, and just passed me back, but it was still really neat to race with those guys up front. I know I learned a lot.”
After getting lapped again, a number of cars got by and Forth tucked into line, but was tapped by Tara MacLeod exiting turn two, and spun out. A couple of cars made contact with Forth while he was sliding, and when he got the car rolling again, he came straight to pit lane.
The crew quickly realized that the radiator had a hole in it, and immediately sprang into action, attempting to fix the car, but after taking a second look at it, and noticing a bracket for the rad was broken as well, the night was finished for the team. “We really ran well tonight, especially when you consider we only had 12 laps around this place a couple of years ago. I gained a lot of experience racing with those guys up front, and I’m so proud of my guys. They were all ready to put a new rad in and get us back out there, until they found out the bracket was broken. They wanted us to finish, and not take a DNF. They didn’t quit.”
The next event for Kenny and the Forth Racing Team will be June 18-19 on the challenging Mosport road course as the Super Series races during part of the Father’s Day 500 weekend. Forth is looking forward to another trip through the hills just north of Bowmanville, and less then an hour away from Toronto. “So far this year, we had our career best finish at Delaware, and ran strong at Ste. Eustache. We’ve been to Mosport a few times now, and I’m getting better at road course, so we’re optimistic we can have a good weekend and bring our car home with a solid finish.”
The weekend will feature Saturday qualifying, the season opener for the Power Water CASCAR Sportsman Series on during a Saturday night shootout at the Mosport oval, and Sunday’s feature for the Super Series.
For more information on Kenny Forth, Forth Racing, CASCAR, Autodrome Ste. Eustache, or Mosport, please visit www.forthracing.ca, www.cascar.ca, www.autodrome-st-eustache.com, or www.mosport.com. Or contact Maudsley Motorsports
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