SAUBLE BEACH, ON – Dan Delisle won the season-opening Shouldice ALSTAR Series race on Sunday night at Steelback Sauble Speedway. It was the first career ALSTAR victory for the veteran stock car racer, but it was well worth the wait. The KFC / Morton Industrial Chevy driver earned $5,000 for winning the Q-Stone 100.
For most of the 100-lap chase, it looked as though the checkered flag and the big cheque would go to Waterloo, ON racer Tim Ellis. The D.R. Neeb & Assoc. Dodge driver took the lead from the first lap and was dominant throughout the first 82 laps, until he was caught up in a wreck involving two slower cars. Ellis’ misfortune opened the door for Delisle, and he took full advantage of the opportunity.
From there, Delisle – who hails from Lasalle, ON – held the top spot through a handful of late-race restarts and a final onslaught by former series champ Robbie Thompson, to take the win.
After the race, Delisle was overjoyed to have won, but couldn’t help expressing some sympathy for Ellis’ plight. “We kind of got lucky a few times. The next thing you know, I couldn’t believe it when the poor #2 [Ellis] got into trouble over there. I was looking forward to racing against him at the end.”
Robbie Thompson put on a spectacular show by putting himself into contention for the win. The #9 Shear Metal Products / Thistletown Motor Freight Dodge driver had to come from the back of the field twice during the 100-lap feature chase, and came up just one position short. The first trek through the pack was necessitated by a flat tire, while the second was mandated when the Southampton, ON resident was deemed to have been involved in a lap 54 incident that caught up several cars. Thompson was running second at the time.
“I’m mad but I’ve gotta thank my guys. Awesome racecar,” said Thompson, who was frustrated at having been sent to the tail end of the field on lap 54. “We used up our stuff coming from the back and we used up our tires.”
The final podium spot went to Allenford, ON driver Rob MacDonnell. The Chevy racer started near the front of the 20-car field and kept his nose clean throughout the entire chase, to reach the podium.
“I just tried to keep my position,” said MacDonnell, after the race. “This MacDonnell Fuels / Ledgerock car was fast tonight. We’ve got things to tweak on. I’d like to thank my family for letting me do this.”
Reigning Shouldice ALSTAR Series champ Kirk Hooker started on the pole in the Q-Stone 100 – longest race in ALSTAR history – and was running as high as second for the first two-thirds of the race before being tagged by another racer which caused the handling to go away on his Country View Golf Course Chevy. The Chatham, ON racer fell to eighth in the final results.
The starting order for the ALSTAR opener was determined on Saturday at Steelback Sauble Speedway. Robbie Thompson was quickest during time trials, while victories in the 50-lap qualifying heat races went to Kirk Hooker and Tim Ellis. Hooker’s heat win came courtesy of a tangle between front-runners Robbie Thompson and Dan Delisle, which handed the top spot to the then third-place-running Hooker. Ellis won his heat in dominant fashion.
The next Shouldice ALTAR Series race takes place Aug. 5 & 6 at Steelback Sauble Speedway.
SHOULDICE ALSTAR RACE NOTES: Last year’s top ALSTAR Rookie, Kyle Donaldson, suffered an engine failure prior to the feature race and did not take the green flag for the feature race… The total purse for Race #1 was $24,800. Over $100,000 in cash and prizes is on the line during the three-race series…
Shouldice ALSTAR Late Model Series
RESULTS: Q-Stone 100
Race #1 // Steelback Sauble Speedway // Sauble Beach, ON // May 21, 2006 // 100 Laps
FIN. ST. # DRIVER (HOMETOWN) SPONSOR / MAKE LAPS
1 8 1 Dan Delisle (LaSalle, ON) KFC / Morton Industrial / Russell A. Farrow / Charterhouse Printing Chevrolet 100
2 7 9 Robbie Thompson (Southampton, ON) Shear Metal Prod. / Thistletown Motor Freight / A.P. Engines / McColl Dodge 100
3 4 72 Rob MacDonnell (Allenford, ON) MacDonnell Fuels / Siegrist Trucking / Ledgerock Tech. Chevrolet 100
4 6 67 Steve Tiemersma (Newmarket, ON) Aurora Automotive / High Perf. Engines / Pennzoil 10 Min. Pontiac 100
5 15 4 Craig Zurbrigg (Listowel, ON) Benshaw Motor Controls / Knapp’s Clothing / Trinity Village Health Care Ford 100
6 13 82 Jason Shaw (Guelph, ON) Spira Fire Protection / Del Metals / National Fire Equipment Ford 100
7 18 76 Tyler Williams (Chesley, ON) B&L Farm Services / Hank’s Auto Wreckers / Walkerton Collision Ford 100
8 1 38 Kirk Hooker (Chatham, ON) Country View Golf Course / McColl’s / Leitch Perf. Engines / ARP Chevrolet 100
9 9 57 Brett Murray (Minesing, ON) Videoflicks / Cardwell Signs / BOC Gas Ford 100
10 12 30 Jim Molenhuis (Churchill, ON) R.E.V. Mobile Audio / Performance Chevrolet 100
11 3 7 Derrick Tiemersma (Newmarket, ON) Wayfreight / Gates / Speedy Auto Machine / Bosch / Castrol / Wix Chevrolet 100
12 11 28 Roy Wilkie (Paisley, ON) R.D. Wilkie Custom Builder / Hawk Collision Ford Thunderbird 100
13 19 8 Paul Gresel (Sauble Falls, ON) Sauble Fall’s Tent & Trailer Park / H&H Patio Encl. / Acton Door Chevrolet 100
14 17 23 Steve Thompson (Drayton, ON) Conway Furniture / Priebe Engineering / Ontrack Door Systems Chevrolet 100
15 14 3 Ken Naves (Wiarton, ON) Tim-Br Mart / Golden Eagle Cottages / New Orleans Pizza Chevrolet 100
16 10 75 Jeff Cassidy (Cambridge, ON) Highway Sterling – Western Star / Chief’s Truck Collision Ford 88
17 2 2 Tim Ellis (Waterloo, ON) D.R. Neeb & Assoc. / JE Trim / The Waterloo Networking Co. Dodge 82
18 5 98 Michael Almand (Alton, ON) ARP Stock Car Bodies / Alliston Transmission / Awesome R.W. Chevrolet 82
19 16 95 Kevin Benish (Milton, ON) R FFX Emergency Expedited / Can-Alignment / Walker Racing Chevy 45
20 21 53 Kyle Donaldson (Queensville, ON) Wheely Downtown Rug Co. / Plante Recovery Custom Steering Gear Ford DNS
21 20 71 Doug Wilson (Owen Sound, ON) Owen Sound Ledgerock / Barnard’s Trucks / Wellington Motors Dodge DNS
R after the hometown denotes Rookie contender.
TIME OF RACE: 1 hour and 10 minutes // CAUTIONS: 8 // LAP LEADERS: #2 Tim Ellis (1-81), #1 Dan Delisle (82-100) // HEAT WINS: #38 Kirk Hooker, #2 Tim Ellis // MOST LAPS LED: #2 Tim Ellis // SPIRA HARD CHARGER AWARD: #76 Tyler Williams (19th to 7th) // INSIDE TRACK MYSTERY POSITION AWARD: #75 Jeff Cassidy // WAYFRIEGHT FAST TIME AWARD: #9 Robbie Thompson (15.048 seconds / Track Record) // HOOSIER TIRE AWARD: #30 Jim Molenhuis // LEITCH PERFORMANCE AWARD: #67 Steve Tiemersma // MCCOLL AWARD (TOP 3): 1. #1 Dan Delisle, 2. #9 Robbie Thompson, 3. #72 Rob MacDonnell // SAUBLE FALLS TENT & TRAILER LONG DISTANCE HARD LUCK: #53 Kyle Donaldson // RAIN-X VISION CLEAR MOVE AWARD: #57 Brett Murray
Contact ALSTAR at (519) 371-7588 or visit www.alstarseries.com
Prepared by Inside Track Communications. // Contact: Greg MacPherson (416) 561-2320 (cell).
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