SUN VALLEY: Summary & Full Results

Kennington sweeps CASCAR's Super Series western swing with a win at Sun Valley

VERNON, BC – CASCAR wrapped up its two-race swing through western Canada on Saturday night at Sun Valley Speedway in Vernon, British Columbia. Less than a week after winning his first Super Series race in almost two years, at Calgary’s Race City Motorsport Park, Castrol Dodge Charger driver DJ Kennington returned to victory lane with a victory at Sun Valley.

It was a dream trip west for the St. Thomas, Ontario racer who started on the pole for the Sun Valley 300 and led a total of 50 laps of the Vernon feature en route to the two-race sweep. The veteran racer also collected a win in his 100-lap qualifying sprint race on Friday night at Vernon.

And while Kennington was thrilled with the accomplishment, second-place finisher Brad Graham was frustrated not to win his first-ever Super Series main event. The Challenger / Logel’s Dodge Charger driver led late in the Sun Valley 300 but saw first place slip away when Kennington made the winning move with just three laps to go in the race.

Kennington’s power trip through western Canada was enough to blast him into third-place in the overall standings as the Super Series returns to Ontario’s Mosport Speedway, next weekend, for Race #8 of the 12-event schedule. Before heading westward, Kennington was 10th in the points.

Home Hardware Chevy driver Don Thomson Jr. claimed the final podium position at Vernon to maintain his hold on first place in the standings as he drives for his fifth consecutive Super Series National championship. Thomson led for much of the race but his final two-tire change, late in the event, didn’t produce the handling conditions he needed for the final run to the checkered flag and took him out of contention for the win.

Canadian Tire Chevy driver Peter Gibbons was the fourth and final competitor to finish on the lead lap in the Sun Valley 300, which was good enough to maintain third-place in the National points. MOPAR Dodge Charger driver Ron Beauchamp Jr. completed the top five finishers at Vernon, one lap down to the leaders.

Multi-time CASCAR Western Series champion Kevin Dowler was once again the top finishing Western regular in the race, which doubled as a full points event for the Western Series. The Edmonton, ON racer brought his EMCO Ford Taurus across the line in ninth-place.

During qualifying for the Sun Valley 300 on Friday evening, DJ Kennington posted the fastest lap to secure the sixth pole of his career. Following time trials, the St. Thomas, ON racer went on to win the first 100 lap qualifying sprint race. In the second 100 lapper, Super Series sophomore racer J.R. Fitzpatrick led the entire race distance en route to collecting his first-ever checkered flag on CASCAR’s top circuit.

The next CASCAR Super Series event takes place on August 6 at the Mosport Speedway oval.

POINT STANDINGS: After 7 events. Unofficial as of July 30, 2005: 1. #4 Don Thomson Jr. (1413 pts.); 2. #1 Peter Gibbons (1352); 3. #17 DJ Kennington (1312); 4. #02 Kerry Micks (1291); 5. #9 Mark Dilley (1289); 6. #39 Dave Whitlock (1275); 7. #19 Brad Graham (1257); 8. #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (1253); 9. #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (1230); 10. #88 Dave Jacombs (1168)

® Denotes Rookie of the Year.

CASCAR Super Series
RESULTS: SUN VALLEY 300
Round 7 of 12 // July 30, 2005 // Sun Valley Speedway
Vernon, British Columbia // 300 Laps // ½-mile, tri-oval


FIN. ST. # DRIVER (HOMETOWN) SPONSOR(S) / MAKE LAPS
1 1 17 DJ Kennington (St. Thomas, ON) Castrol Canada Dodge Charger 300
2 3 19 Brad Graham (Glencoe, ON) Challenger Motor Frt. / Logel’s Dodge Charger 300
3 5 4 Don Thomson Jr. (Hamilton, ON) Home Hardware Chevrolet Monte Carlo 300
4 4 1 Peter Gibbons (Stouffville, ON) Canadian Tire Corporation Chevrolet Monte Carlo 300
5 17 60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Windsor, ON) MOPAR Parts / Exide / Mobil 1 Dodge Charger 299
6 7 39 Dave Whitlock (Wyoming, ON) Avenue Motor Works / NMT Dodge Charger 299
7 14 10 Doug Brown (Brantford, ON) NAPA / Autopro Chevrolet Monte Carlo 299
8 2 84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON) Cambridge Rigging Chevrolet Monte Carlo 299
9 9 35 Kevin Dowler (Sherwood Park, AB) EMCO Ford Taurus 298
10 11 11 Ron VanEs (Smithville, ON) Star Van Systems / All Cover Chevrolet Monte Carlo 298
11 10 79 Wade Lee (Calgary, AB) James Western Star / Sun Valley Speedway Chevrolet M.C. 298
12 15 88 Dave Jacombs (Mt. Hope, ON) Lou’s BBQ Ford Taurus 298
13 18 22 Scott Steckly (Milverton, ON) Alltruck Int’l / ERB Group Pontiac Grand Prix 297
14 20 9 Mark Dilley (Barrie, ON) Dodge / PowerWater / Mobil 1 / Exide Dodge Charger 296
15 25 37 Tara MacLeod (Innisfil, ON) R Central Merchant Services Ford Taurus 295
16 22 21 Jason White (Kamloops, BC) Zimmer Wheaton GM Chevrolet Monte Carlo 295
17 24 68 Shane Charlton (Kelowna, BC) Ford Taurus 295
18 19 87 James Ward (Kelowna, BC) Lordco Auto Parts Ford Taurus 294
19 21 3 Stu Robinson Jr. (Holland Landing, ON) Snap-On Tools Dodge 293
20 27 69 Randy Kozek (Kelowna, BC) Chevrolet Monte Carlo 284
21 8 12 Ron Larson (Quesnel, BC) Pinnacle Pallet Inc. Dodge 276
22 23 26 Shaun Polack (Stony Plain, AB) Unifirst Chevrolet Monte Carlo 264
23 16 36 Jim White (Kamloops, BC) MOPAR Dodge Charger 261
24 13 02 Kerry Micks (Mt. Albert, ON) PowerWater Ford Taurus 232
25 12 30 Derek Polack (Stony Plain, AB) Bulldog Box Liners Chevrolet Monte Carlo 215
26 6 6 Todd Nichol (St. Albert, AB) Pennzoil / Rocky Mountain Sales Chevrolet Monte Carlo 138
27 26 31 Sean Maltman (Vernon, BC) G.R.S. Salvage / Dunbar Automotive Pontiac Grand Prix 85
28 28 15 Mike Browne (Calgary, AB) Bartin Pipe / Waste Management Dodge 76

R after the hometown denotes Rookie contender.

POLESITTER: #17 DJ Kennington // TIME OF RACE: 2 hours, 7 minutes and 13.144 seconds // AVERAGE SPEED: 53.058 mph // MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.371 seconds // CAUTIONS: 5 for a total of 53 laps // LAP LEADERS: #17 DJ Kennington (1-25), #4 Don Thomson Jr. (26-91), #1 Peter Gibbons (92-100), #17 Kennington (101-125), #4 Thomson Jr. (126-237), #19 Brad Graham (238-297), #17 Kennington (298-300) // GOODYEAR BELTS & HOSES FASTEST LAP: #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (19.061 seconds on lap 4)


Contact CASCAR at (519) 641-1214 or visit www.cascar.ca
Prepared by Inside Track Communications. // Contact: Greg MacPherson (416) 561-2320 (cell).
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