6 minute read
Canada 200
(Above) Korbin Thomas’ win at the 2022 Canada 200, will be the last for a driver at Western Speedway (above), which is closing its doors this year.
CANADA 200 AT WESTERN SPEEDWAY
Korbin Thomas Wins 44th Edition at Western Speedway
Story by Robert K. Rooney
Western Speedway opened in 1954. In 1972, the Vancouver Island oval held the first Canada 200 – a race that would become one of the most prestigious late model stock car events in the Pacific North West. On September 4, Korbin Thomas won the 44th Canada 200, the last to be held on the historic Victoria-area track.
The 2022 Shockwave Seats Reg Midgley Memorial Canada 200 was a good one. According to Thomas, organizers made every effort to make it a memorable show.
“A lot of people put a lot of effort into it. They put a lot of money up to win and they really tried to make it something that was a good farewell and send-off. A lot of guys bought cars for that race.”
The result was one of the largest 200 fields in many years, with 34 cars qualifying. Timing-in quickest was 2020 winner Brandon Carlson, who bettered second-fastest Mark Stuart by 1/1,000ths of a second. The top 25 qualifiers were within a second of each other.
Although Korbin qualified third, he wasn’t satisfied.
“The car was fast, but it wasn’t where we needed to be. Sunday morning, we made changes and felt it was in the right direction and left it like that for the race.”
Just to remind everyone that it was the Island, rain on Sunday morning shortened the time available for practice.
A ten-car inversion for the start put twotime 200 winner Rory Smith of Metchosin on the pole with three-time winner Dave Hemrich of Vancouver outside. WESCAR regular Trevor Adelman was the best of the Interior racers in third and track promoter and two-time 200 winner Darrell Midgley took the green in fourth.
As was to be expected, Smith seized control of the race right from the start and held on until the halfway break. Behind him, Midgley and Thomas fought over second and were soon joined by Carlson, up from tenth and Mike Haslam, who started 17th. Although the very busy conditions led to a number of spins, especially in Turn 1, Hemrich was the only one of the frontrunners who didn’t make it to halfway.
“You try and run as fast as you can without beating on stuff,” Thomas said. “You’ve got 200 laps and you keep yourself out of trouble and try and keep the fenders on it. Bent racecars don’t win races.”
After refuelling and making adjustments, but still on the same Hoosier tires, the restart order was Smith and Carlson up front, trailed by Midgley and Haslam and then Thomas and local driver Kyle Cottam. Thomas was soon on Smith’s back bumper and was still there when a spin brought out the yellow on lap 116. As Smith and Thomas dove into turn one on the lap 122 restart, they both went around with the right rear of Smith’s No. 16 climbing up and over the nose of Thomas’s No. 5. A number of other cars piled in, as well.
“We went side by side into the corner and the next thing I knew we were both spinning out,” Korbin explained. “I don’t know if we got close enough that our tires jumped over one another. It was an odd thing, not part of the plan.”
After stopping for some bodywork, almost everyone was able to continue but Adelman could not.
Carlson and Haslam led on the restart, but tangled after a couple of laps and
(Above) 2022 East Coast International Pro Stock Tour Champion Craig
Slaunwhite. Photos Courtesy of Western Speedway and the East Coast International Pro Stock Tour
brought out the yellow again. It was Cottam and Midgley leading to the green next time and Cottam took the lead and held onto it through restart after restart. Midgley kept his No. 81 NPP Dodge in the hunt but was increasingly challenged by WESCAR racer Jarrett Bonn of Quesnel. With 30 laps to go, Carlson, too, was back in the top five as were the battered machines of Thomas and Smith.
With ten to go, Cottam still led from Thomas, Bonn and Carlson. Spencer Carlson was part of the lead pack now and Smith was still there, as well. Smith’s day ended on the Lap 191 restart when he was tapped and turned off turn four. A short run under green ended on Lap 198 with Cottam still up front and Thomas second, setting the scene for a green-white-checkered finish.
Thomas made an excellent start from the outside, and had edged past Cottam with one to go. His Key Welding/Finishline Racing Products Chevy crossed the stripe less than half a tenth ahead of Cottam’s No. 4. Bonn’s No. 51 was third with Midgely fourth and Duane Zeinstra of Black Creek fifth. Ten cars finished on the lead lap.
“Kyle drove a really smart race,” Korbin noted. “I don’t know that I could have got him without that restart. There wasn’t much more than tape holding our front end together. This was a hard race to win. Nobody came to finish second.”
Owning the second-most Canada 200 wins with four, just one shy of Victoria racing legend Roy Haslam’s five, felt good to Thomas but is overshadowed by the fate of the speedway.
“It’s just sad,” he says. “There was so much history here. It’s definitely the end of an era. Hopefully, it won’t take too long before we get a 2.0 on the go and start all over again.” IT
Story Courtesy of East Coast International Pro Stock Tour
Cole Butcher (Hantsport, NS) won the East Coast International Pro Stock Tour season-ending Tirecraft 200 tonight at Scotia Speedworld. The win is the second of the season for Butcher. Ashton Tucker (Lyttleton, NB) was in the hunt all day and found himself second when the checkered flag flew. Craig Slaunwhite (Terence Bay, NS) found himself on the podium yet again with a third-place finish. Lonnie Sommerville (Barnesville, NB) and Nicholas Naugle (Dartmouth, NS) completed the top five in Round 12.
Slaunwhite clinched the 2022 championship at Scotia Speedworld by starting the Tirecraft 200. It is the first time since John Flemming (Halifax, NS) that the Series has seen a back-to-back champions after Slaunwhite won the crown for the first time in 2021. The champion receives $10,000 from the East Coast International Point Fund and a championship ring commissioned by Inglis Jewelers.
Ryan Van Oirschot (Antigonish, NS) won the Lucas Oil Rookie of the Year. Van Oirschot had a strong freshman year, finishing fourth in the overall championship standings. The No. 25 team finished the year with a 12th place finish in the Tirecraft 200 at Scotia Speedworld.
Donald Chisholm (Antigonish, NS), Slaunwhite and Matt Vaughan (Bedford, NS) won their Atlantic Tiltload heat races, which set the field for the Tirecraft 200. Flemming took home the Kenny U Pull Hard Charger award. Cole Butcher won the R&D Performance Centre Most Laps Led Award. Matt Vaughan took home the Fleet Brake Atlantic Lucky Dog Award. IT
