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Dilley spanks ‘em at Barrie CARQUEST Auto Parts 100
Home-town hero is class of the field
Photo by Joe Hamilton
Barrie, ON – Aug 07 04: It
was a warm summer night, a packed grandstand, one hundred invited guests of
Avenue Motor Works and a checkered flag that made this a very special
evening for Mark Dilley. The Barrie resident that races regularly on the
CASCAR Super Series national tour never gets a chance to race in front of
his local fans, but they sure were happy to see him.
Although Dilley was fastest in practice sessions he
qualified second. Brad Graham of Glencoe was fastest qualifier setting a new
track record. After the track was finally cleared of anxious fans enjoying
the on-track autograph session, the green flag flew. Dilley had said in
pre-race interviews that he had no choice but to go hard on the outside -
right from the get-go, since veteran Steve Robblee, from his inside second
row starting position, would not be leaving any room behind the leader.
Graham and Dilley duked it out side-by-side for several
laps until Dilley took control of the point on lap three. From there, he
started his domination march that at the 50-lap, halfway point, netted him a
half-lap lead over Graham and Robblee, and left only nine of the eighteen
starters on the lead lap. As the checker flag flew at lap 100, only five
remained on the lead lap.
The race was caution free and was completed in just 25
minutes.
"That was pretty special" said Dilley after completing
his backwards victory lap and several infield donuts with the flag waving
proudly. "With my driving school here, I do get to drive around here a lot.
But as everyone could see, this Avenue / Unitane Dodge was a rocket tonight.
And that’s only because the guys at Whitlock Motorsports know how to do it.
This was a brand new car they just built this week and we had probably 20
laps practice tonight – that’s it. Thanks to CARQUEST and all the fans and
the Avenue people here – it’s been great."
Dave Whitlock commented that when they returned to the
shop on Monday am (after their 1-2 finish with Dilley in Calgary Sat night),
this car was a bare chassis on the floor. His staff of four took a deep
breath, put their heads down and just got at ‘er. It was not done until late
Friday night, dashing their intentions to even test Friday afternoon.
"After two weeks on the road, it was tough to face this
task. But back in the winter, we had made the commitment to Avenue to be
here, and just last week, the opportunity to help Unitec with their Unitane
Premium Propane brand came together. So here we are, mission accomplished –
and in victory lane for everyone to celebrate. Mark did an awesome job
tonight and he’s got the bar pretty high for me next time out."
This #39 Avenue / Unitane Dodge will run also in the
final CARQUEST event during the Championship Showdown weekend at Cayuga on
Sep 18, 19. During that Saturday evening event, Whitlock will do the
driving, while both he and Dilley will take to the Super Series final on
Sunday in their own respective cars.
Next event for the CASCAR Super Series is at Mosport
Speedway on August 21 04.
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Pre-Race
Whitlock, Dilley to share new CARQUEST Sportsman entry
Dilley goes first this Saturday at Barrie Speedway
Wyoming, ON – Aug 05 04: Fresh off their one-two finish at the Mopar 300 in
Calgary last weekend, Whitlock Motorsports will debut their Avenue / Unitane
#39 Dodge this weekend at the fast quarter mile high banks of Barrie
Speedway. And since this is the home track for Mark Dilley, he will take the
wheel for the CARQUEST Auto Parts 100.
"I’ve put a lot of laps in at this place" said Dilley who
also teaches hundreds of students there at his Mark Dilley Driving
Experience. "The Sporstman Series is where most of the Super Series drivers
come from and those guys really dig. They’re used to running 35-lap features
at their home tracks and when they get to these longer races, they’re really
hungry for a win. You can always count on lots of action. It’ll be a great
show, and we hope to have our new Dodge right in the thick of things."
Barrie Speedway is just north of Toronto and since it is
a tight 1/4-mile speedway similar in configuration to the Martinsville
NASCAR facility, it produces some of the most exciting stock car racing in
Ontario. All Saturday night features are televised and they feature a state
of the art lighting system, heated grandstands for those chilly evenings,
give-aways and door prizes every week, and a beer garden with a great view
of the track. "Avenue Auto Parts is the primary sponsor of my CASCAR
Super Series Dodge and they are on board with us here too" said Dave
Whitlock, who has two victories this year and is in contention for an
unprecedented fourth National Championship. "Mark will show the way this
weekend and I’ll take over the wheel during our other Sportsman event at
Cayuga for the Championship Showdown on Sep 18, 19. I want to welcome and
thank Richard Stangl and his staff from Unitane Premium Propane for helping
make this possible."
Unitane is the private brand of propane developed by
Unitec specifically for forklift trucks. After extensive in-field tests,
conclusions prove that Unitane makes propane lift trucks run cleaner with
much lower emissions and generates more volume per hour than conventional
propane. For over 35 years, the family-run business has grown into the
largest supplier in the Greater Toronto Area.
The Barrie event marks round #5 of the CARQUEST Sportsman
Series. Time-trials will set the grid for the 100-lap feature. After that
it's a full set of heats and features for the Simcoe Energy Late Models and
Snow Valley Mini-Storage Pure Stocks, including a 35-lap main for the Late
Models. There will be an autograph session with the Sportsman drivers right
before their 100-lap feature. Other notable drivers expected to attend will
be Steve Robblee as well as former ACT series, OSLR series, Super Late model
driver and now Kawartha Speedway promoter Derek Lynch who is scheduled to
drive the #8 CASCAR Sportsmen, subbing in for the injured Michael Wagner.
The spectator gates open at 5:30, with racing getting underway at 7pm. |
