Glassford Remains Perfect

Dale Glassford remains perfect for the 2015 season, and he had to drive a near-perfect race to keep his win streak in tact.

The Ridgetown driver held off Chatham’s Gregg Haskell for all 20 laps to win his third straight Westside Performance Plus UMP Late Model feature race of the season on Saturday at South Buxton Raceway.

“That was one of the most fun races I’ve had in a long time,” Glassford said of their side-by-side battle.

Haskell agreed.

“It was definitely fun, probably the best race I ever had,” Haskell said.

“I’m sure the fans loved it,” he added.

The two traded the lead eight times until Glassford pulled out front to stay with three laps to go.

“There were a number of times I thought he had me,” Glassford said.

“I’d be ahead him for a lap or two then I’d be behind him for a lap or two.”

Glassford said running on the bottom of the track was the difference.

“I think maybe the lower line held a little better by the end of the night,” Glassford said.

“Gregg was driving on the outside and he was on the edge the whole time. I think he used up the track just a little bit and I was able to stay consistent on the bottom.”

Haskell said he considered going to the bottom “but my car was working so well up top.

“I think burned up the right rear tire off, that and a little bit of fatigue … I’ve never been that tired at the end of a race before,” Haskell said.

The two drivers, who have combined to win five of the last six Late Model points championships, congratulated each other in the pits following their close battle.

“I’m really good friends with Gregg, he’s a good driver and we were both equal tonight,” Glassford said.

“That was just a ton of fun, side-by-side racing and no one was giving up.”

Haskell said it was the best second-place finish of his career.

“There’s not many guys you can race side-by-side like that with and never touch … we didn’t touch one time,” he said.

Chatham drivers Brad Authier, Jim Jones and Patrick Haskell rounded out the top five.

Glassford, who has won five straight features dating back to last September, also won his heat race, giving him five checkereds in six total races this season.

While Glassford extended his tremendous start, his son Nick’s run of good luck came to a sudden halt in the Autotech Bombers.

Nick Glassford, 15, could not get his car started for his heat race and had to scratch for the night, ending his two feature-win streak.

Kingsville’s James Kelly, who ran second to Glassford the first two weeks, won his first career feature.

Chatham’s Chris Ellerbeck and Chris Rock finished second and third, with Merlin’s Bill Featherstone fourth.

Picton’s Chris Jones passed Cory Turner, of Caistor Centre, with three laps to go to win the Southern Ontario Sprints feature.

Turner led from the drop of the green until Jones made an inside pass between turns three and four on lap 22.

Ridgetown’s Adam West, who finished second in his heat race, was knocked out early in the feature with a broken wing after getting caught up in a three-car collision.

Pain Court’s Tyler Hendricks finished 10th in the feature and sixth in his heat.

Tilbury’s Kyle Patrick, who won the August feature last year, raced in Freemont, Ohio on Saturday.

A total of 21 cars were on hand, South Buxton’s biggest sprint field in several years.

Leamington’s Joel Dick won his second straight feature in the Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modified, a class that had 29 entries.

Merlin’s Brad McLeod, Belle River’s Mario Toniolo, Shrewsbury’s Jim Dale Jr. and Clayton Smith, of Taylor, Mich., rounded out the top five.

Kingsville’s Rob Young passed Merlin’s Steve Shaw coming out of turn four on the first lap and led the rest of the way for his first Tirecraft Sport Stocks win of the season.

Wallaceburg’s Willy Vyse was third while brothers Eric and Eren Vanderiviere of Chatham – who won their heat races – finishing fourth and fifth.

Cottam’s Rob Quick won the Tirecraft Mini-Mods feature, passing Essex’s Tom Reimer on lap nine.

Blenheim’s Kyle Hope, a heat-race winner, was third followed by Merlin drivers Steve Shaw Jr. and Jody Mason.