Defending Canyon champions top Winter Challenge Series features
PEORIA, Ariz. (Feb. 5-6) – Both IMCA Modified drivers who won championships at Canyon Speedway Park in 2010 won their first features of 2011 there over the weekend.
Defending track champion Tim Ward raced to the checkers in Saturday’s Winter Challenge Series main event while defending series champ Dylan Smith was fastest in the Sunday show. Both features paid $1,000 to win.
The current point leader, Ward started fifth and tussled early in the lower lane with Smith while Ricky Thornton Jr. ran higher up.
A re-start sent Ward to the top. He inherited the lead after Thornton pulled off with a right rear flat and led to the end of the 25-lapper.
Matt Brack, Smith, Justen Yeager and D.J. Wood followed at the finish.
“I’ve had a dry spell so it’s awesome to get the win, especially because it paid $1,000,” said Ward, who’d made his most recent visit to victory lane at Canyon last June. “It seems like we came close a lot of times so it feels really good to finally get another win.”
Smith drew the outside front row start for the Super Bowl Sunday show, jumped out to a big lead in what played out to be a caution free contest, then got hung up by lapped traffic.
Thornton got inside on the final circuit and the front two made contact, but Smith was able to right the ship and take the win by a car length.
“The car was very, very good. Everything went good for us today and I’m glad we were able to hold on there at the end,” Smith said, after collecting his 58th career win in the class. “We were part of that big wreck on the opening weekend but we’ve had real good luck ever since.”
Jason Noll, Yeager and Cory Sample rounded out the top five.
With his win, Ward is new to the ballot for the 2011 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. Smith was already vote eligible as the 2010 Allstar Performance Nebraska State champion.
The series at Peoria continues with Feb. 12 and 13 dates before concluding with a Feb. 19-20 doubleheader.
Feature Results
Feb. 5 – 1. Tim Ward; 2. Matt Brack; 3. Dylan Smith; 4. Justen Yeager; 5. D.J. Wood; 6. Cory Sample; 7. Terry Belcher Jr.; 8. Marlyn Seidler; 9. Guy Norton; 10. Jason Noll; 11. J.J. Harpole; 12. Mark Stewart; 13. Phil Penney; 14. Dave Baker; 15. Joe Mullins; 16. George Fronsman; 17. Jeff Anderson; 18. Steve Stultz; 19. Jeff Conner; 20. Will Brack; 21. Matt Martinez; 22. Ricky Thornton Jr.; 23. Terry Belcher Sr.
Feb. 6 – 1. Smith; 2. Thornton; 3. Noll; 4. Yeager; 5. Sample; 6. Wood; 7. Will Brack; 8. Matt Brack; 9. Harpole; 10. Terry Belcher Jr.; 11. Ward; 12. Norton; 13. Stewart; 14. Penney; 15. Mullins; 16. Seidler; 17. Fronsman; 18. Conner; 19. Baker; 20. Martinez.