Benson & Can-Am S/SS Tours Touch Down At GBM
By: Bruce Biegler
Grand Bend Motorplex played host to a premium event last weekend which featured action from both the Can-Am Stock/Super Stock Series as well as the Benson Auto Parts “Show Me The Money” Tour .
The Saturday and Sunday racing schedule featured race #3 and #4 for the Can-Am cars and saw Super Stock Camaro drivers Vince Giglio and Rob Carpenter emerge on top.
Saturday’s Can-Am race had a field of 24 cars and after much close racing, Giglio’s Kitchener-based 1982 GT Camaro defeated Doug Box’s B/SA ’69 Camaro in a double break-out final. Giglio ran a winning 10.33 secs at 125.55 mph to beat Box who ran 10.63 secs at 122.56 mph.
On Sunday, Rob Carpenter’s win came over 20 other opponents.
In the 5th and final round Carpenter’s GT/EA Camaro held off the 150 mph charge of Gene Emes newly acquired SS/AS Camaro. Rob hit a right-on-the-dial 10.020 at 125.22 mph while Emes ran a losing 9.120 secs (9.11 dial in) at 149.80 mph.
With that win Rob Carpenter (who is from St. Catherines) took over the early season lead in the Can-Am S/SS Series points chase.
Rob Carpenter
Grand Bend Motorplex hosted the first Benson Auto Parts Tour of the season. Tom Orr, Russ Adams, and Marc Sauvé scored what was arguably the biggest wins of their careers so far.
Tom Orr who is from Shawville PQ, took his nitrous injected former NHRA Pro Stock Dodge to the winner’s podium in Top Sportsman beating a great field of some of the best cars in Southern Ontario. The Orr Team showed there best stuff while earning the the win.
Racing on a 1/8 mile basis due to safety reasons (see below), Orr ran a final round 4.665 secs at 138.67 mph to defeat local driver Ben Grevers who ran a 5.023 secs at 135.19 mph driving his Chevy Camaro.
Luskville Dragway regulars Russ Adams and Marc Sauve also earned titles on Sunday. Adams beat James Hewitt for the Super Pro title recording a winning 4.842 secs at 140.77 mph and Sauve beat Steve Doornbusch for the Semi-Pro title with a 7.454 secs 91.17 mph recording.
- Tom Orr’s Dodge Stratus
The event did include a very ugly situation on Sunday when #1 qualifier in Top Sportsman Mike Wagg crashed the Dodge Daytona which he races in conjunction with partner Dave Bell.
It appeared that water or oil got under his tires causing the car to make a volent left turn into the cement retaining wall. The car vaulted into the air after pushing back the retaining wall a signficant distance in what was one of the most violent crashes ever seen at the facility.
After being checked out at hospital, thankfully Mike was back in the pits Sunday evening. It does appear however that his machine was a total loss.
