MILLGROVE, Ontario --- With the 2022 campaign in the books, Flamboro Speedway is getting ready for their next big event, which is the 2021 / 2022 Banquet. Held Rockton Agricultural Society @ the Rockton Fairgrounds (812 Old Highway 8, Rockton, ON L0R 1X0), the event will celebrate the accomplishments of Flamboro Speedway’s drivers from both the 2021 season and 2022 season.
The night will feature laughs, jokes, award presentations, and a dinner beginning at 5:30 pm sharp with cocktails at 4pm. Those looking to attend the event are welcome to contact John Casale at 905-659-3042 to purchase your tickets.
As we prepare for the banquet, let’s take a glance back at the success our drivers have had the past two seasons in each of our divisions, beginning with the Pure Stocks.
11. Dale Lucas
A veteran of the division, Dale Lucas put together a consistent season racing against his son Kyle Lucas. Although he was unable to reach victory lane as he would’ve hoped, he scored seven top-10 finishes, including a season-best fifth on August 21, 2021.
10. Alex Stewart
A rookie in the division, Alex Stewart showed he was very capable of becoming a contender in season’s to come. He showed improvement on a weekly basis despite battling some issues, ultimately scoring a pair of top-10’s with a season-best ninth on August 7, 2021.
9. Spencer Riddell
Another newer face in the division, Spencer Riddell struggled the first couple weeks, but was able to find his groove and move up the running order as the year went on. He scored seven top-10’s, including a season-best sixth on two occasions.
8. Rick VanKleef
With family racing, it only made sense for Rick VanKleef to join them behind the wheel – but it did not start out as he would have hoped. After scoring nine straight finishes outside of the top-10 to kick off 2021, he turned it around with three top-10’s including a fourth on August 21.
7. Megan Mitchell / Chase Mitchell
The Mitchell siblings decided to follow in their family’s footsteps, and take a shot of racing of their own by sharing an entry for their debut season. Megan showed a lot of progress throughout the year with three top-10’s, including her own moment of glory on July 31. Starting on the pole, she led all 30 laps en route to scoring her first career feature victory. Chase, meanwhile, showed speed of his own with six top-10’s, including a fourth on July 3.
6. Leo Labarbera / Mark Thorne
Both Leo Labarbera and Mark Thorne are no strangers to the Pure Stock division, and that showed in 2021 when they shared a ride together in impressive style. Labarbera backed up his previous division title with eight top-10’s, including a pair of top-five’s. Thorne equaled those numbers in the events he competed in, with seven top-10’s, including three top-five’s.
5. Kyle Lucas
A threat to win races on a weekly basis, Kyle Lucas ran up front on a weekly basis for an average finish of 5.88235. Although unable to reach victory lane, he scored 10 top-five’s and 17 top-10’s in 2021.
4. Scott Tonelli
A newer face to racing, Scott Tonelli proved he could get the job done despite being surrounded by years of experience on-track. He also failed to reach victory lane, but should not hang his head on the year put together with four top-five’s and 15 top-10’s.
3. Matt Langford / Kris Lawrence
Whenever a BT Racing member pulls into a race track, you immediately have to consider them a threat for victory. That was no different when everyone saw Matt Langford and Kris Lawrence competing in 2021. Lawrence found himself climbing the fence on two occasions with a pair of victories, alongside six top-five’s and seven top-10’s for an average finish of 4.5. Langford held his own, scoring five top-five’s and seven top-10’s.
2. Reece Bourgeois
After her racing career started with a significant accident, Reece Bourgeois has not slowed down ever since, putting together a breakout campaign in 2021 that put everyone on notice for seasons to come. She led the field throughout the feature on July 31 for her first career feature victory, followed by another on September 18. Alongside five top-five’s and 12 top-10’s, she’s one of the fastest females in the province.
1. Bobby Mercer
A long time competitor at Flamboro Speedway with experience across a variety of divisions, Bobby Mercer relied on every ounce of that throughout the 2021 campaign. Although he never held a checkered flag, consistency with six top-five’s and 16 top-10’s for an average finish of eighth led him to the 2021 Pure Stock Championship.
Other Numbers To Think About: - 2.2 was the best average finish, set by James Houghton, across five races - 3 feature victories for Phil Givens led all drivers this season - 10 feature top-five’s for Lucas led all drivers this season - 11 drivers scored a feature victory - 13 drivers scored an average finish of fifth or better - 17 feature top-10’s for Lucas led all drivers this season - 19 features were ran this season - 28 drivers scored an average finish of 10th or better - 29 drivers scored a feature top-five finish - 38 drivers scored a feature top-10 finish - 60 different drivers partook in a Pure Stock event
Be sure to keep up with the latest by checking out Flamboro Speedway’s website at http://www.flamborospeedway.ca. You can also keep up via your favorite social networking website by following the speedway on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FlamboroSpdwy and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/flamborospeedway. Fans are encouraged to like the speedway’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Flamboro-Speedway-Authorized-Page-102328664646735/.
By: Ashley McCubbin
