  1st Place: #52 - Garnet Grimard | |
 2nd Place: #27 - Arnie Kunka |
 3rd Place: #23 - Peter Ernst |
WESCAR OKTIRE Challenge Series - OK Tire 100 Results:
September 24, 2005,
Goldpan Speedway - Quesnel, B.C.
The fast qualifier position was captured by Williams lake driver Garnet Grimard in his NAPA Autoparts #52 Chevy with a 15.278 second lap-time. This was fast enough to top the record set by Korbin Thomas in 2003 with a 15.340. Two other drivers also surpassed the record , they were Prince George driver Brett Young in his Chieftan Autoparts Fountain Tire Leavitt Machinery #0 Monte Carlo with a 15.295 second lap-time and #27 Arnie Kunka in his Paint Depot Chev Monte Carlo of Williams Lake with a 15.339. Arnie entered the event sitting first in the points with a 10 point lead over #52 Grimard. An interesting evening was developing with 5 drivers capable of winning the WESCAR Kumho Tire OKTIRE Challenge Series championship. Notably, the last race winner in Prince George, Sheldon Mayert in the #6 Brandt Tractor Chev, qualified fourth.
The WESCAR wheel was spun prior to the main and displayed an 70% inversion. Bob Williams in the #5 Turtle Wax Monte Carlo had qualified 7th so this put him on the pole for the 100 lap main, this did not help him with the points situation as you earn points for passing cars ahead of you. #73 Wayne French in the Competition Automotive Dodge started beside the #5 on the outside of the front row. A challenge had been made to the drivers prior to the race. If the race ran without a caution or a red flag the 3rd place finisher would take home an extra $100 on top of his winnings. The drivers all laughed at the challenge, however, deep inside it may have been taken seriously after the last race that saw 2 red flags and 8 cautions.
The cars entered the track just before 6pm on this fall afternoon. They trailed behind the pace car as the crowd watched the crew of the #27 Kunka car frantically work under the hood. Earlier in the heat race Arnie dropped out with an engine problem. The crew had changed the distributor, they thought that had solved the problem. Now, as the cars were on the parade lap doing the customary 3-wide salute to the crowd, Arnie was still on pit lane. Tension was in the air as the pace car made its last pass under the starters position. The lights went out on the pace car, Arnie was still on pit lane. The crowd cheered as the hood dropped, hood-pins locked in , Arnie rolled out on to the track to join the cars but it was so late an entrance the race director told his crew he will start from the back instead of on the inside of the third row in 5th. The green flag waved with all cars roaring to full power.
As the race developed Bob Thomas in the #38 Lucas Oils Pontiac brushed the wall on lap 17 breaking a steering part ending his day but he was able to limp into the pit area. Debris on the track was swept aside as the air rush swept it off turn 1 a few laps later. #5 Williams led until his brakes went away about 39 laps in and was passed by #52 Grimard. On lap 49 #27 Kunka fought his way into 2nd spot but Garnet pulled away by a tenth of a second each lap. Coming off turn 4 #0 Brett Young slipped high and sideways and was clipped by #6 Sheldon Mayert but they both drove on, still no caution flags.
As the leader #52 caught lap traffic it slowed him, however, he had developed over a 9 second lead over Kunka. Ron Larson in the #12 Regency Chrysler Dodge Intrepid let the leader #52 by as he held to the high side of turn 1. Ahead was a pack of cars slowing the #52 Grimard, Arnie was closing but on lap 96 Grimard passed the #6 Mayert and stayed there to win the WESCAR Kumho Tire OKTIRE 100. Garnet had now won the first and last race of the series on two different tracks. Arnie had run out of laps to catch the leader and finished a satisfying second and Peter Ernst in the #23 Fountain Tire Car captured 3rd and was presented with the $100, made as the no caution challenge was successfully achieved.
Arnie Kunka in the #27 Paint Depot garnered enough points to earn the 2005 WESCAR Kumho Tire OKTIRE Challenge Series top spot. Arnie and all the others will receive the awards at the annual awards banquet to be held at the Prince George Ramada Inn on October 22. Contact series president Bob Williams for details. The WESCAR annual general meeting will be held earlier in the afternoon on the same day at the same location.
Wescar drivers and officials thanks all of the sponsors of the series and especially the fans for supporting the 2005 series and look forward to an even more exciting WESCAR Kumho Tire OKTIRE Challenge Series season in 2006. From myself, Douglas Waller, announcer and media representative, thanks to all who support stockcar racing in northern B.C.
1. #52 Garnet Grimard, Williams Lake, NAPA Auto Parts, 100
2. #27 Arnie Kunka, Williams Lake, Paint Depot, 100
3. #23 Peter Ernst, Quesnel, Fountain Tire, 100
4. #5 Bob Williams, Prince George, Turtle Wax, 100
5. #6 Sheldon Mayert, Prince George, Brandt Tractor, 99
6. #12 Ron Larson, Quesnel, OK Tire, 99
7. #0 Brett Young, Prince George, Leavitt Machinery, 99
8. #72 Dennis Adelman, Quesnel, Tre' Spa, 92
9. #73 Wayne French, Prince George, Competition Automotive, 36
10 #38 Bob Thomas, Fort St. John, Lucas Oils/Cloverdale Paint, 17
// Fast Qualifier: #52 Garnet Grimard, 15.278 seconds
// Margin of victory, 5.818 seconds
// Race Running Time: 27:02
// Fastest Lap: #52 Garnet Grimard - 15.586 seconds
// Average Speed: 55.45mph
Qualifying: (Top 5 qualifiers separated by 0.132 seconds)
1. #52 Garnet Grimard – 15.278 (New Track Record)
2. #0 Brett Young – 15.295
3. #27 Arnie Kunka – 15.339
4. #6 Sheldon Mayert - 15.403
5. #23 Peter Ernst – 15.410
6. #73 Wayne French - 15.418
7. #5 Bob Williams - 15.545
8. #38 Bob Thomas – 15.560
9. #12 Ron Larson – 15.621
10 #72 Dennis Adelman – 15.930
Dash results
B 12 5 72 73 38
A 23 27 52 0 6
Heat results
A 5 0 23 12 6 73 52 72 38 27
WESCAR OK Tire Challenge Series Announcer/media rep.