Big Bang Theroy Is Auto Clearing Motor Speedway Saturday

Racing Top Stories

There was a number of records set Saturday at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in the Dakota Dunes Series final, but they were not records to be proud of. 15 cautions, 86 caution laps, over an hour and 42 minutes
to run the race. It was treacherous and grueling to say the least.
And that was being a fan.

The lead up to the WSSL 150, the Dakota Dunes final race, was the best
anyone could hope for. Saskatoon’s Jim Gaunt and Montana’s Ryan Wells
were tied in the championship points chase.

Gaunt’s car was on and off throughout the day. The best he could muster in the first morning practice session was a fourth place lap of 14.439 seconds, while Wells topped the board at 14.220 seconds. Gaunt was on top in the second practice at 14.137 seconds. Wells opted to not even hit the track.

Things started to unravel for Jim Gaunt in the time trials. Up first he put what would normally be considered a respectable 14.378 up on the board. Jason Gervais was up next and beat Jim, putting up 14.334 seconds. Greg Funk, Clint Habart and Ryan Wells would all show better times, leaving Gaunt with his lowest finish of the year, in fifth, allowing Wells to pick up four important points on him.

Gaunt and Wells would end up in the same Heat race, which had a finishing order of Gaunt in first and Wells in second, giving a point back to Gaunt. That’s all Jim needed as it would mean if both finished the feature in the top five, one position over Wells would be enough to capture the championship.

In the second Heat, Clint Habart would finish ahead of Dave Bone and Dusty O’Connell, putting him on the front row of the feature, before the dice roll inversion.

As the top two time trial qualifiers, Ryan Wells and Clint Habart were faced with a decision. For every Dakota Dunes race the Saskatoon Stock Car Club puts up an extra $500 bonus if the top qualifiers win the race, but they have to start from the back. In the three previous Dakota Dunes races it was always Wells and Gaunt and they always chose to move to the back row. One of those two won the race each time and received the bonus.

This being Habarts first run on the Saskatoon track and the championship on the line for Wells, both were hesitant and didn’t look to be moving back. In steps LaRonge Family Taxi and issues a challenge to the Club.
Up the anti to $750 and they would match it. Race officials pooled together and did better, throwing in an extra $125, pushing the bonus prize to $1625. Performance Plus then threw another $200 on the table.

A bonus $1825, putting the first place prize to $2825 for these two cars was just a little to tempting and both cars agreed to start from the back of the back. The dice roll came up with a four row inversion, handing pole position for the WSSL Auto Parts 150 to Nick Jewel.

The race started out clean enough and Jewel piloted the #51 to a quick lead for the first handful of laps. The #72 of Blair Snow brought out the first caution in lap seven when he spun on his own accord. Back under green Jewel continued to lead through lap 14, when his car fell off the pace and the #2 of Greg Funk took over leading the pack around the oval.

Funk was still in the lead when caution flew again in lap 28 as Jared Reddekopp spun out in the #97. Clay Wagner in the #95, running his first super late model race was awarded the Lucky Bastard, allowing him to pull around the pace car and gain back a lap he had lost.

Funk was still in the lead when #0 of Tony Lambert fell off the pace bringing out the third caution, and again in lap 48 when Wagner spun the
#95 around. On the ensuing green flag lap the caution was brought out again when a front tie rod end broke on Redekopp’s car.

Funk was still in the lead when cautions six and seven flew in lap 58 as the #5X came down on Wells, cutting a tire.

Dusty O’Connell in the #99 took over the lead a couple of laps later and was still leading as caution flew again in lap 74 when Mike Czaja turned it around on his own. Gaunt had been noticeably off the pace, falling back to 11th, and took advantage of the caution to hit his pit. His crew went under the hood for some work. They had Gaunt back on the track before the green flag, but the news was not good. Gaunt’s engine had apparently dropped one cylinder, possibly two.

It was caution yet again in lap 91 when the #4 of Keegan Michaud came down on the #24 of Ryan Purdy, ending Purdy’s night. Caution again on the green flag as it was ruled the #09 of Clint Habart jumped the start.
When the green flew again it was pretty clear the big open engine of the #09 simply out-powered O’Connell’s crate engine and Habart took over the lead.

It was caution again in lap 94 as Jarod Reddekopp once again spun in the #97, ending his night under the three caution rule. Just a couple of laps later is was game over for the #5 of Ryan Wells as he had a trailing arm break bringing out the caution once again.

Things got really ugly as the number 5X checked up on the green flag lap, causing a chain reaction collection of cars on the front straight involving the #51 of Nick Jewel, the #44 of Trevor Hannay, #88 Jason Gervais, #3 Barry Schingar, #38 Dave Bone and #55 of Jim Gaunt.

Seeing this the team of Ryan Wells jumped to work on the #5. You could see welding sparks flying and before the mess on the front straight was cleaned up the #5 was off the jack stands and rolling down pit lane.

The crash ended the night for #88 Jason Gervais, but the other cars involved all showed varying degrees of damage, including Jim Gaunt’s #55.

Seeing the #5 of Ryan Wells come back out on the track probably changed Gaunt’s strategy, as his car was hurting, but he would have to stay on the track as long as he could in the hope #5 couldn’t finish the race.

Habart continued to lead in the #09 when caution came out once again in lap 115. Habart’s open engine power caused him to spin his tires on green, which took a lot of life out of them. You could see the #09 slowly fading until O’Connell once again took over the lead with the #99 in lap 138. Meanwhile Ryan Wells had worked his way up from the back again and found himself in second place when the caution came out once again with six laps remaining, as the #44 of Trevor Hannay looped around by himself.

It would be a six lap shootout with Dusty O’Connell and Ryan Wells on the front row. O’Connell got the better start and pulled away from Wells, leading him around the final six times. In the end #99 Dusty O’Connell would win the WSSL Auto Parts Plus 1.65 seconds ahead of #5
Ryan Wells. Greg Funk was third in the #2. Jim Gaunt had to settle
for sixth. There was no bonus payout.

Jim Gaunt did manage to hang on for second place in the Dakota Dunes Championship, finishing 17 points behind Ryan Wells. Dusty O’Connell finished the year in third.

In the Kreepy Kritters Pest Control Mini Stocks, #95 Robin Boomsma picked up the championship with a feature win, getting to the line ahead of the #41 of Jamie Tataryn and #92 Brennan Kirton. Jamie Tataryn won the mini stock heat, with Boomsma won the qualifier.

The #36 of Darryl Potts picked up the win in the Brock Salvage Street Stock feature, while #22 Ryan Fredrickson took the heat and #44 Craig Katelnikoff took the qualifier. The overall season championship was handily won by the #44 of Craig Katelnikoff.

#12 Matthew Shirley took home the Mid West Combustion Sportsman championship trophy, taking wins in the sportsman heat and both feature races. #41 Travis Deforest took the qualifier.

Next week wraps up the season for Auto Clearing Motor Speedway with racing action both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will see the Earth Works Equipment Sask Legends Series wrap up their season, along with the Bandoleros. Saturday also sees the Always Towing Windchill 100, a race that will see street stocks, sportsman cars, pro trucks and super trucks pitted against each other in a 100 lap feature, with $5,000.00 on the line for the winner.

The final event is Sunday, with the annual Ellenn Plastics Enduro and demolition derby. Racing both days is at 2:00 p.m., with the front gates open at 12:30 p.m.
Complete Results
Saturday, September 20, 2014

Kreepy Kritterz Pest Control Mini Stock Division

Heat Race:
1. #41 Jamie Tataryn
2. #25 Tanner Reimer
3. #92 Brennan Kirton
4. #95 Robin Boomsma
5. #1 Scott Barrand
6. #88 Tom Smith
7. #23 Cole Nixey
8. #4 Shawn Magee

Qualifier Race:
1. #95 Robin Boomsma
2. #92 Brennan Kirton
3. #41 Jamie Tataryn
4. #25 Tanner Reimer
5. #88 Tom Smith
6. #23 Cole Nixey
7. #1 Scott Barrand
8. #4 Shawn Magee

Kreepy Kritterz Pest Control Mini Stock Division Feature:
1. #95 Robin Boomsma
2. #41 Jamie Tataryn
3. #92 Brennan Kirton
4. #25 Tanner Reimer
5. #23 Cole Nixey
6. #1 Scott Barrand
7. #4 Shawn Magee
8. #88 Tom Smith
Brock Salvage Street Stock Division

Heat Race:
1. #22 Ryan Fredrickson
2. #81 Curtis Houben
3. #36 Darryl Potts
4. #44 Craig Katelnikoff
5. #42 Nicole Sheetka
6. #15 Todd Pluhator
7. #3 Kevin MacLaggin
8. #18 Mike Rea

Qualifier Race:
1. #44 Craig Katelnikoff
2. #15 Todd Pluhator
3. #3 Kevin MacLaggin
4. #36 Darryl Potts
5. #22 Ryan Fredrickson
6. #18 Mike Rea
7. #42 Nicole Sheetka
8. #81 Curtis Houben

Brock Salvage Street Stock Division Feature:
1. #36 Darryl Potts
2. #15 Todd Pluhator
3. #42 Nicole Sheetka
4. #3 Kevin MacLaggin
5. #22 Ryan Fredrickson
6. #81 Curtis Houben
7. #18 Mike Rea
8. #44 Craig Katelnikoff
Mid West Combustion Sportsman Division

Heat Race:
1. #12 Matthew Shirley
2. #46 Dan Shirley
3. #04 Tim Kammer
4. #94 Jason Hankewich
5. #07 Casey Randall
6. #21 Nick Allen
7. #41 Travis Deforest
8. #27 Rick Schuurmans
9. #15 Dave McIntosh
10. #5 Kirk Senger
11. #57 Dennis Laforce

Qualifier Race:
1. #41 Travis Deforest
2. #21 Nick Allen
3. #07 Casey Randall
4. #46 Dan Shirley
5. #12 Matthew Shirley
6. #04 Tim Kammer
7. #94 Jason Hankewich
8. #77 Shane James
9. #27 Rick Schuurmans
10. #15 Dave McIntosh

Mid West Combustion Sportsman Feature A:
1. #12 Matthew Shirley
2. #21 Nick Allen
3. #04 Tim Kammer
4. #94 Jason Hankewich
5. #77 Shane James
6. #46 Dan Shirley
7. #27 Rick Schuurmans
8. #5 Kirk Senger
9. #41 Travis Deforest
10. #15 Dave McIntosh
11. #07 Casey Randall

Mid West Combustion Sportsman Feature B:
1. #12 Matthew Shirley
2. #94 Jason Hankewich
3. #46 Dan Shirley
4. #07 Casey Randall
5. #57 Dennis Laforce
6. #77 Shane James
7. #21 Nick Allen
8. #5 Kirk Senger
9. #15 Dave McIntosh
10. #27 Rick Schuurmans
11. #41 Travis Deforest
12. #04 Tim Kammer
Dakota Dunes Casino Western Canada Super Late Model Championship Series

Time Trials (seconds):
1. #5 Ryan Wells, 14.143
2. #09 Clint Habart, 14.151
3. #2 Greg Funk, 14.330
4. #88 Jason Gervais, 14.334
5. #55 Jim Gaunt, 14.378
6. #17 Rob Janzen, 14.410
7. #51 Nicholas Jewel, 14.440
8. #99 Dusty O’Connell, 14.450
9. #5X Mike Czaja, 14.484
10. #38 Dave Bone, 14.509
11. #0 Tony Lambert, 14.529
12. #72 Blair Snow, 14.615
13. #97 Jared Reddekopp, 14.677
14. #3 Barry Schingar, 14.719
15. #44 Trevor Hannay, 14.726
16. #24 Ryan Purdy, 14.926
17. #4 Keegan Michaud, 14.989
18. #95, Clay Wagner, 15.283
19. #22 Doug Bienia, 15.537

Heat A:
1. #55 Jim Gaunt
2. #5 Ryan Wells
3. #44 Trevor Hannay
4. #2 Greg Funk
5. #5X Mike Czaja
6. #51 Nicholas Jewel
7. #0 Tony Lambert
8. #4 Keegan Michaud
9. #97 Jared Reddekopp

Heat B:
1. #09 Clint Habart
2. #38 Dave Bone
3. #99 Dusty O’Connell
4. #88 Jason Gervais
5. #72 Blair Snow
6. #22 Doug Bienia
7. #24 Ryan Purdy
8. #3 Barry Schingar
9. #95 Clay Wagner
10. #17 Rob Janzen

WSSL 150 Main Feature Race:
1. #99 Dusty O’Connell
2. #5 Ryan Wells
3. #2 Greg Funk
4. #09 Clint Habart
5. #51 Nicholas Jewel
6. #55 Jim Gaunt
7. #5X Mike Czaja
8. #3 Barry Schingar
9. #44 Trevor Hannay
10. #95 Clay Wagner
11. #38 Dave Bone
12. #0 Tony Lambert
13. #88 Jason Gervais
14. #4 Keegan Michaud
15. #24 Ryan Purdy
16. #97 Jared Reddekopp
17. #22 Doug Bienia
18. #72 Blair Snow

Race Stats:

18 cars started the race
12 cars on track at end of race
9 cars on lead lap at end of race
Race time – on track: 1 hour, 42 minutes, 01 seconds Four Race Leaders – 51, 2, 99 and 09 Five Lead Changes – #51 led laps 1-14, #2 led laps 14-59, #99 led laps
92-137 and 138-150, #09 led laps 92-137
15 cautions in laps 7, 28, 32, 48, 48, 58, 58, 74, 91, 91, 94, 97, 97,
115 and 144
0 Caution laps counted, 86 not counted
LB Recipients: #95 Clay Wagner, #0 Tony Lambert, #38 Dave Bone

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