Haskell Wins First Career Feature Race in Saturday’s South Buxton Action
Gregg Haskell recovered from a first-lap spin to win his first career feature race on Saturday night.
Haskell, who started in the second row of the Glencoe Auto Recyclers UMP Late Models feature, brought out the first of five cautions when he spun between turns three and four on the first lap.
The Chatham driver took the lead from Brad Authier on lap six and led the final 14 circuits to earn the first feature race of his career.
“It’s amazing, to finally actually get one, to know that I can do this,” an excited Haskell said.
“You know you’re racing against the best out here.”
Ridgetown’s Dale Glassford, the feature winner in the first two weeks, finished second. Chatham drivers Jim Jones, Authier and Norm Bechard rounded out the top five. Authier won the heat and dash.
Merlin’s Eren Vanderiviere took the same route as Haskell to win the Windride Transportation Sport Stocks feature for the second straight week. Vanderiviere, who started on the pole, spun on the same spot on the track as Haskell. But a series of early cautions allowed Vanderiviere to quickly move up in the field as he regained the lead on lap seven and led the final 13 trips around the ‘D’ for his second straight trip to the Winner’s Circle.
Wallaceburg rookie driver Willy Vyse finished second, with Essex’s Doris Lajeunesse and Chatham’s Jason Fox the last two cars on the lead lap. Fox won the crack-the-while while Grande Point’s Tyler Lozon won a heat race for the third straight week and Windsor’s West Bertozzi won the other heat.
Leamington area drivers continued and ended feature win streaks. Joel Dick, of Leamington, took the original green in the third row, but three caution flags before a lap was completed allowed him to restart on the pole. And for the second straight week, Dick led all 20 laps to win the Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modified feature race. And for the second straight, Jim Dale Jr. finished second.
It was the third straight one-two finish for Dick and Dale Jr. this year, as the Shrewsbury driver won on Opening Night. Dale Jr. – like Haskell and Vanderiviere – spun in third-and-four on the first lap and had to restart at the back, but thanks to some great outside passes and a rash of cautions, he quickly resumed his place at the front of the field.
Merlin’s Joe Brosseau, Louisville’s Jim Fletcher and Chatham’s Brian Speelman rounded out the top five.
Dale Jr. won his heat and dash while Chatham’s Louis Clements won the other heat.
Cottam’s Denis DeSerrano led all 15 laps to win the Tirecraft Comp 4 feature race, ending the two-week reign by Blenheim’s Shawn Jones. Jones was running in second but his car stopped on the track while under caution with two laps to go. A broken transmission spoiled his chance of extending his feature win streak.
DeSerrano, who finished second to Jones in the first two weeks, extended the pair’s dominance to 18 combined feature wins since the start of the 2011 season – 12 for Jones and six for DeSerrano.
Tilbury’s Ryan Beaulieu finished second but was later disqualified in post-race inspection, where his car was found to be 25 pounds underweight.
Blenheim’s Brett Hope was elevated to a second-place finish, with Ryan’s brother James Beaulieu upgraded to third, Belle River’s Dave Bacon to fourth and Ridgetown’s Jerry Ramaut fifth. DeSerrano finished second to Ryan Beaulieu in his heat but was declared the winner, while Hope won the other heat and Jones the dash.
The four feature races had a combined 21 caution flags – 18 of those from incidents between turns three and four.