ST: Gord Shepherd scores Autumn Colors Classic Pro Late Model 114 victory

Late in the feature event, Gord Shepherd would take advantage of a restart controversy to score the victory in the Autumn Colors Classic Pro Late Model 114.

The feature started off with Ryan Kimball on pole ahead of Dan McHattie, Mat Box, Bryan Mercer, Jamie Cox, Mike Bentley, Craig Graham, Gord Shepherd, Lane Zardo, Mark Watson, Brittney Gresel, Chris Mitchell, Craig Ferguson, Tyler Liscum, Kent Nuhn, Nick Goetz and Gary Elliott.

Kimball would jump out ahead of the field on the initial start in his Sean Grosman-owned No. 29 Landing Strip/For Your Eyes Only Late Model to the lead. Stretching his lead out a little, the 2014 Peterborough Speedway Champion would work at knocking laps off the board with each trip around the speedway. Fellow Peterborough Speedway regulars McHattie and Mercer ran second and third, also letting the laps click away as they knew that they’d need their equipment to be strong for the second half of the long feature. They’d get 46 laps on the board before the first caution would spin for Goetz going for a spin on the backstretch. With 68 laps to go, Kimball would lead McHattie, Mercer, Cox, Watson, Shepherd, Bentley, Zardo, Graham, Nuhn, Goetz, Quarrie, Elliott, Liscum, Gresel and Ferguson. Liscum, Elliott, Goetz, Mitchell, and Box all used the caution as an opportunity to head down pit road, while Gresel would stall under caution, requiring a push from the push truck.

Once back to green, Kimball got himself out in front of the field once again, though was met by another caution at lap 54 when McHattie went around on the backstretch. Quarrie would go around after the caution went out, but was able to regain his position. McHattie would head down pit road under yellow, followed by Box.

The caution would fly for the third time 10 laps later when Box and Gresel would get together coming off out of turn four. Liscum, McHattie, Quarrie, Ferguson and Box all used the caution as an opportunity to head down pit road for adjustments. The lap 64 caution would bring forth the race’s competition yellow, which allowed everybody to come down pit road for adjustments without losing their positions. With 50 laps to go, Kimball led Shepherd, Mercer, Zardo Watson, Bentley, Cox, Nuhn, Graham, Goetz and Box. Mitchell ran as the first car a lap down in 12^th, ahead of Liscum, Gresel, Elliott, Quarrie and Ferguson. Following the break, Mitchell would have electrical issues as he was unable to get back out, while Gresel would be done for the day.

Kimball would get a good restart to keep the lead ahead of the field, once again, while Watson was able to move up through the field to move into second. Watson would begin to close the gap between himself and Kimball, while Shepherd solidly held down third ahead of Mercer and Bentley. Watson would get to be alongside Kimball as the caution would fly at lap 103 for Liscum blowing a tire heading into turn four while Nuhn blew a motor. With 11 laps to go, Kimball led Watson, Shepherd, Mercer, Bentley, Cox.

The restart brought forth the fifth caution as Zardo would have a flat tire in turn four.

With the race reaching it’s time limit, the officials would begin to count caution laps. The second attempt at a restart would come with 10 laps to go, and it’d be the moment that changed the whole race complexion. Down the backstretch, Watson positioned his car about a car length or two behind Kimball as they came towards turn three and four for the green. At the same point that he had all day long to date, Kimball hit the gas pedal and took off, with Watson hitting the gas pedal shortly thereafter. The officials would fly the caution flag, deeming it as a “false restart” with Kimball called on jumping. Autumn Colors Classic rules state that “any driver who jumps a restart will be put back to the second row, with the driver in the second row moving up to the first row”. As a result, Kimball was placed back to third with Shepherd moving into the lead while Watson stayed second.

Gord Shepherd would then lead the final 10 laps en route to scoring the feature victory. Ryan Kimball got by Mark Watson to take home the second spot, well Bryan Mercer and Dan McHattie rounded out the top-five. Jamie Cox finished sixth, followed by Mat Box, Craig Graham and Nick Goetz.