Post by Jeff Kempton on Sept 26, 2010 22:26:17 GMT -4
SHOWDOWN AT GREENFIELD!!
STOCK/SUPER STOCK CHALLENGE RACE #3,
Presented By Chipper's Auto Services & Performance, Belmont, NS
On September 25th our 3rd and final race of the 2010 Stock/Super Stock Challenge Series was held at Greenfield Dragway where it all began, and we couldn't have asked for a more exciting finale for our first season. I'll do my best to recap all the details here for you, so settle in and read on!
Friday's persistant drizzle prevented any time trials that evening, so most people spent their time socializing and congratulating Jack Kierstead on his recent successes at Epping. Greg Nickerson was among those relaxing, but only after he and his son Daniel had pulled and reinstalled the transmission in his Firebird in order to swap the converter. This was the first of two times that the transmission was out of his car this weekend; but he kept smiling through it all, and didn't even miss a single call to the lanes! That's dedication.
Saturday morning arrived with a wet track, high humidity, and overcast skies. The weatherman promised that it would clear up; but with no sun and little wind to help dry the track it was well after 1PM before racing began. Many racers were sceptical that there would be enough daylight left to fit everything in, but the Greenfield Dragway staff did their usual excellent job, and all the final rounds were completed well before dusk.
Of the fifteen racers that showed up this weekend to race in our Challenge, six of them still had a chance to claim the season championship with a good showing. The stage was set for an exciting conclusion to our inaugural season, and our racers did not disappoint, putting on a terrific show for spectators and fellow racers alike.
The first qualifying session took place with less than ideal air (before the round it was 2500' DA, 29.38 barometric pressure, 75.8 deg F, and 73% RH), but most of the racers still managed a good pass. John Armstrong and Fred Thibeault proved that the track had the teeth to handle high horsepower from both the big and small tired cars, when they grabbed the top two spots at -1.216 and -1.091 respectively. Conditions improved slightly for the second qualifying pass but John and Fred kept their grips on the top two spots, improving their times slightly while others also picked up.
Final Qualifying Order For Race #3:
1. - John Armstrong, Melvern Square, NS - SS/BA 1969 Corvette 8.93445 / 10.20 index (-1.26555)
2. - Fred Thibeault, Wilmot, NS - B/SA 1969 Camaro 10.38587 / 11.55 index (-1.16413)
3. - Chris Howes, Rothesay, NB - B/SA 1970 Challenger 10.51287 / 11.55 index (-1.03713)
4. - Bruce Riley, Lake Echo, NS - SS/EA 1971 Chevelle SS 9.61933 / 10.65 index (-1.03067)
5. - Jody Noble, Middle Sackville, NS - K/S 1965 Malibu SS 11.91085 / 12.85 index (-0.93915)
6. - Blair MacDonald, Sackville, NB - GT/CA 1986 Camaro 10.27777 / 11.20 index (-0.92223)
7. - Malcolm London, Saint John, NB - L/SA 1980 Malibu Classic 12.20410 / 13.00 index (-0.79590)
8. - Jack Kierstead, Onslow Mtn, NS - K/SA 1978 Nova 12.18030 / 12.95 index (-0.76970)
9. - Kelly MacKay, Mineville, NS - G/SA 1972 Demon 11.62754 / 12.30 index (-0.67246)
10. - Scott Underhill, Bedford, NS - F/SA 1971 Pontiac T-37 11.49862 / 12.15 index (-0.65138)
11. - Greg Nickerson, Lower Sackville, NS - B/FIA 1996 Firebird 10.94179 / 11.55 index (-0.60821)
12. - Wayne Deveau, Middleton, NS - GT/CA 1980 Olds Starfire 10.41778 / 10.70 index (-0.28222)
13. - Ray Ingram, Middle Sackville, NS - H/CM 1969 Chevelle conv. 11.70324 / 11.95 index (-0.24676)
14. - Bill Sheppard, Lakeview, NS - H/SA 1973 Duster 12.41019 on a 12.45 index (-003981)
15. - Mark Howes, Rothesay, NB - GT/HA 1971 Duster 11.11863 / 11.10 index (+0.01863)
With qualifying complete and several hours to make up due to the late start, we headed into the first round as quickly as the schedule could accomodate us. As before, I've shown the round results in a format similar to those used on other racing forums, listing the reaction time, then the ET, and then the dial.
Round 1:
John Armstrong .01207 RT, 9.11953 (10.20) defeated - BYE
Bill Sheppard .03833 RT, 12.41266 (12.40) defeated Malcolm London -.02827 RT, 12.28785 (12.20)
Jody Noble .06150 RT, 12.00616 (11.95) defeated Wayne Deveau .45674 RT, 10.32784 (10.45)
Bruce Riley .03247 RT, 9.62410 (9.61) defeated Greg Nickerson .05250 RT, 10.90321 (10.92)
Blair MacDonald .01523 RT, 10.29206 (10.28) defeated Ray Ingram .02833 RT, 11.71727 (11.70)
Chris Howes .07828 RT, 10.51164 (10.53) defeated Scott Underhill .08077 RT, 11.45612 (11.49)
Jack Kierstead .07397 RT, 12.20242 (12.15) defeated Mark Howes .17286 RT, 11.12565 (11.10)
Fred Thibeault .02364 RT, 10.42000 (10.49) defeated Kelly MacKay -.01215 RT, 11.59607 (11.59)
With Points Leader Malcolm London on the sidelines after the first round and four of his five chasers still in, all he could do is cross his fingers and watch. Fred Thibeault and Jody Noble; winners of the two previous races, were still in. Chris Howes; runner-up at our first race, and Bill Sheppard; always a threat to win, were also in a position to step up and steal the title away. The second round; however, gave Malcolm a bit of breathing room when it narrowed the contenders down to one.
Round 2:
Bill Sheppard .01339 RT, 12.38851 (12.40) defeated Fred Thibeault -.00665 RT, 10.33559 (10.39)
Bruce Riley .05373 RT, 9.61090 (9.59) defeated Jody Noble -.03556 RT, 11.86260 (11.95)
John Armstrong .00153 RT, 8.91855 (8.91) defeated Jack Kierstead .06481 RT, 12.14040 (12.18)
Blair MacDonald .03173 RT, 10.27405 (10.28) defeated Chris Howes .06507 RT, 10.45580 (10.51)
Red lights dashed Fred Thibeault's and Jody Noble's championship hopes, while Chris Howes lost a double breakout race with Blair MacDonald to see his day end early. Chris nearly got an unexpected single however; when just before the call to the lanes Blair discovered a flat tire on his race car. A very quick removal and repair job along with a display of good sportsmanship from Chris gave Blair just enough time to get to the lanes. No shortage of drama!
Now Bill Sheppard was the sole surviving racer with championship hopes, and he would need to defeat Blair in the next round to keep his chances alive.
Round 3:
Blair MacDonald -.05576 RT, 10.34229 (10.28) defeated Bill Sheppard -.00926 RT, 12.39869 (12.38)
John Armstrong .03992 RT, 8.90133 (8.90) defeated Bruce Riley .07361 RT, 9.56002 (9.60)
With Bill's loss to Blair, Malcolm could finally breathe a sigh of relief and let himself acknowledge that he was now our first series champion. While the championship may have been decided, the action was still hot and heavy on the track. The other semifinal pair was a spectator's delight; with the big block powered Super Stockers of John Armstrong and Bruce Riley hiking the front wheels high out of the gate. In the end John's better light forced Bruce into a breakout loss.
The final round promised to be another great show. John had so far swept the table; qualifying #1 with the fastest times in both sessions, winning the Portatree practise tree with the best reaction time of Round 1 (.012), and then winning the Best Package award with his incredible .009 total package in the 2nd round! On paper, Blair looked like the underdog, but they don't race them on paper! The two racers posted nearly identical reaction times, and John took a sliver too much at the stripe, costing him the win when he broke out by a mere .003 seconds. Blair wrapped up his stellar day with a safe .02 over pass.
Final Round:
Blair MacDonald .02830 RT, 10.30123 (10.28) defeated John Armstrong .02743 RT, 8.87704 (8.88)
STOCK/SUPER STOCK CHALLENGE RACE #3 WINNER - BLAIR MACDONALD !!
Stock/Super Stock Challenge Race 3 Payouts
Event Winner: ($450)
Blair MacDonald
Event Runner-Up: ($300)
John Armstrong
Event Semi-Finalists: ($100/person)
Bill Sheppard
Bruce Riley
Event Quarter-Finalists: ($50/person)
Jack Kierstead
Jody Noble
Fred Thibeault
Chris Howes
The following special awards were also presented:
Top Qualifier (Sponsored by A&J Automotive):
John Armstrong $100
(8.93445 on a 10.20 index (-1.26555))
Best Package In Eliminations (Sponsored by Whynot Performance & Mechanical):
John Armstrong $50
(.001 RT + .008 over the dial = .009 package in the 2nd round)
Best Light In The 1st Round (Prize donated by Portatree):
John Armstrong - Portatree Pocket Pal practice tree
www.portatree.com/item--Pocket-Pal--pocketpal_racer.html
(Had a .01207 reaction time)
Also, NAPA provided a battery charger and a pair of mechanic's gloves as giveaways; we drew qualifying numbers out of a hat, and the winners were:
John Armstrong - battery charger
Bill Sheppard - mechanic's gloves
Stock/Super Stock Challenge Race Top 5 Points Earners
1st Place - Malcolm London - 182 points
2nd place - Fred Thibeault - 165 points
3rd place - Bill Sheppard - 160 points
4th place (tie) - Jody Noble - 145 points
4th place (tie) - Blair MacDonald - 145 points
Once again a big thanks is due to all the racers, track personnel, fans, and sponsors that helped to make our series a success. Thank You All!
Hope to see you again in 2011!