Cayuga Sportsman Racing Highlights

Both the TNT Super Series and DSE Sportsman Series held feature Sportsman racing events last weekend at Cayuga Dragway Toronto Motorsports Park….

The Joe’s Transmission TNT Super Series took to the Cayuga Dragway quarter mile for the Dilts Piston / ATI Performance weekend June 7-8.  Saturday saw West Seneca, New York’s Tom Coonly best the 25 car field and moved himself up to second in the championship points chase.  Sunday got first round complete before rain ended the day and forced The Sister Act Band SHOOT-OUT to be post-poned.

Saturday June 7 – RACE 3 Results

After two qualifying sessions, Steve McCarrick qualified on the pole with a 10.902.   In round one, Coonly killed the tree with an .011 against Kevin Orr.  Then it was two-time series champ JJ Jablonski in round two uncharacteristically rolling the beams, advancing Coonly to the quarter-final bye run. The semi’s saw Coonly take out Harris Phelps with a .026 starting line advantage and setting him up to face Marc Vezina in the final.  Vezina got there with help from his pit crew, grandson Owen Underhill.

Almost dead even at the tree (Coonly .021 to Vezina .018), Coonly let him go at the stripe to win in a double breakout 10.892 vs 10.883.

“Got to thank Jeff Gregoire and Jamie & Heather Stoneman,” said Coonly.  “And Phil’s Quality Auto Service and Autos Direct Buffalo.com for all their help.”
He went on to thank Mike Janis at Jan-Cen Racing Engines.  “We had trouble at Empire two weeks back and had to sleeve the block.  Mike got it turned around real quick so we were able to make this race.  And it ran awesome!”

Tom Coonly won the TNT Super Series event at Cayuga last weekend

“Thanks to Joe Boniferro and Ted Barnes for an awesome series.  And to Dilts Piston / ATI Performance for sponsoring the weekend,” he added.  “We wouldn’t have a series at this level without all their help.”

Specialty Awards – June 7
• Hoosier Tire Canada $100 certificate – Number One Qualifier
◦ Steve McCarrick (Phelps, NY) with a 10.902
• J&S Collision $50 – Closest to the Index (1st Round Loser)
◦ Sam LoVetro Jr (Webster, NY) with a 10.902

Sunday June 8 – RACE 4 Results

One round of qualifying and one round of eliminations was as far as they got on Sunday before Mother Nature ended the weekend.   Both qualifying and first round points were awarded and money split for RACE #4.

Specialty Awards – June 8
• Hoosier Tire Canada $100 certificate – Number One Qualifier
◦ Sam LoVetro Jr (Webster, NY) with a 10.911
• J&S Collision $50 – Closest to the Index (1st Round Loser)
◦ Jamie Stoneman (Clarence, NY) with a 10.909

Sister Act Band SHOOT-OUT Results
Saturday’s win gave Tom Coonly the #1 qualifying spot and Sam LoVetro Jr took #2 with his 10.902 first round loss.  Sunday’s first round produced Jamie Stoneman with a 10.909 loss, getting him into the SHOOT-OUT.  That leaves one more opening that will be filled with the event winner at the next TNTSS event on Friday July 18 in Lancaster, NY.  The SHOOT-OUT has been re-scheduled for Saturday July 19 at Empire Dragway in Leicester, NY.
Next up on the 2014 TNTSS schedule is a New York double on July 18-19.

Visit www.tntsuperseries.com for all the latest news on the most popular sportsman drag racing series in the country.

Posted by: Lewis Robinson

DSE Sportsman Series Kicks off!

Saturday’s opening round of competition saw DSE competitors take to the legendary quarter mile drag strip under blue skies and warm mid 70’s conditions which in turn helped produce a fantastic racing surface that even the Paton Family Top Fuel Dragster team took advantage of to get some pre-national event testing in before Epping.
HeadsUpRacer.com Quick 16 presented by Lowdown Hot Rods hit the track for their first Championship Points season with Dragster driver Tom Bene taking both the number one qualifier with a 7.15 E.T and eventual event win over Top Sportsman competitor Steve Corriveau and his low 7 second Chevy II. As low qualifier, Bene also took home a case of Renegade Race Fuels and Lubricants Oil for his efforts on Saturday.

Tom Bene (far lane) beat Steve Corriveau in the HeadsUpRacer.com Quick 16 Final

Ian Hill Racing/ATI Performance Products Modified saw 39 first round competitors square off on Saturday, with Craig Wilson and Gary McDonald racing into the final round. In that final round, Wilson used his reaction time advantage to push McDonald into a double breakout where Wilson would take the win by a narrow .007 of a second.

DSEAutomotive.ca Super Bike/Sled found two bikes in the final round for the first time in many races with Ray Philp taking on former DSE winner Lyle Elliot. Both racers left very little on the starting line with Elliot launching with a .021 light to Philp’s .023, however it was Philp who was able to get to the finish line first with a 9.96 ET on his 9.91 dial in for the victory.

Performance Improvements Street Eliminator saw newcomer Scott Cline and Street Eliminator veteran Brian Hampson in the Saturday Final Round. Cline used a great .045 and 14.54 on his 14.49 dial in to get around Hampson’s package and claim his first Street Eliminator win as well as the points lead.

The Corriveau Concrete forming supplies Jr Dragster Category saw defending Jr dragster Points Champion Emily Ramundo make her way into her first final round of 2014 to match up against young Jack Barnes. Following in the footsteps of his multi time Championship winning father Ted Barnes, Jack used a big starting line advantage to hold off Emily’s hard charging 7.90 dialed Jr for his first win in his new Dragster.

Renegade Race Fuels Super Pro category saw two very familiar faces to the DSE electronics class in the final round on Saturday, as 2012 Super Pro Champion Steve Ferstl in his S&W Dragster faced off against Andrew Stirk and his Super Gas 1963 corvette Roadster. Both competitors ran their dial ins to within 3 one thousandths of a second, however it was Stirks .015 reaction time advantage that made the difference and allowed him to take the early win and points lead.

The Final class run on Saturday was the Box/No Box Combo race, which takes place after round two of the main event and is open to any competitor wishing to enter. The final of the combo saw Box ET racer Brad Redford take on Super Stock and No/Box racer Chuck Nagy square off. Redford took a .012 reaction time advantage at the line and used that to help force a double breakout race at the finshline, winning by a mere .005.

Unfortunately Sundays racing action came to a grinding halt shortly after Modified Eliminators first round of competition was complete due to a large Rain system that had quickly moved in, forcing TMP and DSE officials to cancel the rest of Sundays Scheduled racing activities.

The next event in the $23,500 DSE Automotive Sportsman Racing Series is the 3rd Annual Joe’s Transmission Services Canada Day Spectacular June 27-29th 2014 at Toronto Motorsports Park featuring both the NHRA “King of the Track” Wally race on Saturday and the NHRA Jr Drag Racing League Challenge both Saturday and Sunday for the Jr Dragster Racers.

More information on the DSE Sportsman Racing Series can be found at www.sportsmanracingseries.ca

About the DSE Automotive Sportsman Racing Series:

The DSE Sportsman Racing series was created at the end of the 2011 racing season as a way to promote grassroots level sportsman drag racing in Southern Ontario. The series will run 12 events with six Championship Sportsman classes ranging from Super/Pro and Modified, to Super/Bike & Sled, Street Eliminator, Jr. Dragster and the newly added Quick 16 Program.

Sponsored by DSE Automotive LTD which is managed by David and Andrew Stirk in Brampton Ontario, DSE Sportsman Racing Series is dedicated to creating a competitive series for sportsman level drag racers to participate in which is fun and cost effective, while still providing an excellent racing program for fans and spectators to enjoy.

Visit www.sportsmanracingseries.ca for more series information.

Posted by: Andrew Stirk
Photos by: Stacee Kenington