Cayuga Hosts Final Canadian TNT Events

Cayuga Dragway at Toronto Motorsports Park hosted the Joes Transmission TNT Super Series final Canadian events this past Labour Day weekend….. 

With perfect weather and great track conditions for the Bieda’s Powersports event, it was Ted Barnes on Saturday and Jon Jablonski on Sunday coming out victors.  In the Performance Improvements Race of Champions, Jamie Stoneman came out of retirement and marched through the field to win the prestigious event.

Saturday September 1

After a season filled with bizarre challenges, CaistorvilleOntario’s Ted Barnes returned to the winner’s circle in his 1972 Datsun 510 catapulting him into sixth place in TNTSS points chase.

Ted’s charge through the field saw him defeat Roy Lister by overcoming a starting line disadvantage (.033 to .020) in round one.  Then he posted a near perfect .001 reaction time against Kirk Parry and advanced to face Paul Young.  Ted’s .017 light was no match for the former series champ’s uncharacteristically late .074 and Ted drove through to a 10.920.

Going into the semi’s, Ted faced last year’s Rookie of the Year, Harry Phelps and again overcame a starting line disadvantage (.010 for Harry, .020 for Ted) and pushed Harry under to a 10.864 with his 10.912.

In the money round, Ted met up with Cheektowaga, New York’s Gary Kerl.  Off the line, Ted had the advantage with his .019 overGary’s .066 and he never looked back, taking the stripe and the win with a 10.923 toGary’s 10.901.

Saturday TNT Series Winner Ted Barnes

Specialty Awards – Sept 1

• Hoosier Tire Canada $100 certificate– Number One Qualifier
  • Andrew Stirk (Brampton,Ontario) with a 10.904
• J&S Collision $50 – Closest to the Index (1st Round Loser)
  • Joe Passero (Stevensville,Ontario) with a 10.914

Sunday September 2nd

Coming into the weekend in a tie for first place, Jon (JJ) Jablonski fromWest Seneca,NYwas determined not to let it end that way.  And that’s exactly what he did by winning Sunday’s race and taking a commanding lead in the points chase.

JJ started off by taking out Saturday’s winner, Ted Barnes, in round one with a near perfect .001 light and a 10.924 to Ted’s losing 10.906.  Round two had him up against Al Hodgson.  Very close on the tree (JJ .008 to Al’s .018), they both went too fast with JJ taking the double-breakout win.

Then Steve McCarrick put up a good fight with almost identical reaction times but JJ took the win by a mere .002 seconds at the stripe.  In the semi’s, Kevin Orr tree’d JJ with an .013 to an .019 but JJ was able to come around him running closer to the index at 10.937 to Kevin’s losing 10.955.

In the final, JJ faced Marc Vezina ofStraffordville,Ontariowho was driving a borrowed car for the weekend.  The race was over when the tree came down as Marc went red, handing JJ his fourth win in TNTSS regular competition.

Specialty Awards – Sept 2

• Hoosier Tire Canada $100 certificate– Number One Qualifier
  • Andrew Stirk (Brampton,Ontario) with a 10.903
• J&S Collision $50 – Closest to the Index (1st Round Loser)
  • George Mayer (Niagara Falls,Ontario) with a 10.905

Race of Champions

The specialty race of the weekend was Saturday night’s Performance Improvements TNTSS Race of Champions.  With 16 drivers entered into this no entry fee, no qualifying, once a year event… the competition was intense.  Every one of these drivers have won at least one regular TNTSS event since the series began.

After a two year absence, Jamie Stoneman of Clarence,NY returned in the familiar S10 pickup and took home the highly sought after title of TNTSS Race of Champions winner.

In round one, he took out Chris VanBaalen by pushing him under the index.  He tree’d Harry Phelps in round two and then benefited from Paul Young’s red light in the semi-finals.

In the final round, Jamie faced Tom Coonly, also from western New York.  Jamie was set on kill cutting an .009 light and running a 10.887.  Turned out he didn’t need to be as Tom went red by a mere .001, handing the victory to Jamie.

American racers John Tooney and Jamie Stoneman faced off in the Race of Champions Final

The next stop in the 2012 Joe’s Transmission TNT Super Series is the final weekend for the season where the 2012 Series Champion will be crowned.  It’s a western New York double header – Dunn Tire RacewayPark on Friday September 7 and Empire Dragway on Saturday September 8.

Visit www.tntsuperseries.com for details 

2012 Joe’s Transmission TNTSS Points Standings (TOP 10) – After 11 of 13 – Adjusted for waivers

Posted by:  Lewis Robinson

Photos by: Stacee Kenington