2019 Jukasa Motor Speedway - OSCAAR Hot Rod Series

The Ontario Stock Car Association of Asphalt Racers (OSCAAR) was formed in 1990 and has been responsible for sanctioning many divisions. The newest race group is the Hot Rod category, which was introduced in 2017. The Hot Rod division was created to have a sportsmanlike racing environment.

The Hot Rod series competes on oval tracks throughout southern Ontario. In 2019, the season kicks off in May with a double-header at Sunset Speedway and ends at Peterborough Speedway on Thanksgiving Weekend. In between these dates, there are events at Jukasa Motor Speedway, Brighton Speedway and Flamboro Speedway. The title chase is scheduled to include a total of sixteen race events.

The cars competing in the championship are constructed to specifications and rules common to most stock car series. What makes the Hot Rod division unique are the bodies. The cars must be North American, steel body and have been in production between 1949 and 1974. No pickup trucks, convertibles or front-wheel-drive vehicles can participate in this series. The Hot Rods must have a stock roof, grill, tail and the rest of the body panels can be fabricated from 22-gauge sheet steel but must retain a stock appearance. Many of the other rules governing this class are for safety and to keep the costs down.

This was the Knightworks Hot Rod series second 2019 visit to Juskasa Motor Speedway. The race was scheduled to be a thirty-lap event but a delay caused by a big accident forced officials to reduce the contest by five laps.

Starting on the pole and second in the standings was Steve Book in the Beach Road Steel Sales sponsored Studebaker Hawk. Sharing the front row with Book was the winner of the Hot Rod series first visit to Jukasa Motor Speedway, Jerry Broom. Broom drove the No. 93 Chevrolet Camaro with backing from Roote’s Gas Bar. Behind Book and Broom are Paul Senior in a Ford Maverick and the Biscayne of Dave Bailey.

The oldest car in the field was the No. 47 Studebaker Hawk driven by Steve Book. The Hawk was produced by Studebaker from 1957 to 1959. This car is entered as a 1956 - obviously an error but resembles the 1959 model. Book started on the pole and after the red flag restart, he was challenged by the Chevelle of Jesse Kennedy and Nick Clarke in a Mustang. Book was able to hold them off and score the victory.

A major incident on the lap-20 restart eliminated many of the front-runners which ‘opened the door’ for Jesse Kennedy in the 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle. Kennedy was performing double duty this weekend not only participating in the Knightworks Hot Rod event but also the Super Stock contest on Sunday. With five laps to go, he found himself in a battle with Steve Book and Nick Clark and held on for a runner-up finish.

Another beneficiary of the lap-20 restart was Nick Clarke. Clarke driving the No. 86 PW Auto Sales sponsored Ford Mustang was gridded in the eighth position for the start. He was able to avoid the seven-car incident that stopped the race and found himself in the third position with just five-laps remaining in the contest. Clarke fought with the Steve Book and Jesse Kennedy for the top spot but finished in third place.

On lap-20, Leroy Robinson spun his 1970 Chevrolet Camaro necessitating a full course yellow. On the restart, the leaders, Jerry Broom and Paul Senior had contact going into turn three and blocked most of the track. With very little room to pass the incident, several other cars also became involved and were eliminated from the race – Robinson, Dalen Martin, Bob Parsons, Dave Bailey and the series point’s leader, Tyler Hawn.

The defending Hot Rod series champion and current points leader, Tyler Hawn had a difficult weekend at Jukasa Motor Speedway. As officials were lining up the cars for the race, he discovered a problem with the right front suspension of his 1967 Beaumont. The team repaired the car, but Hawn had to start from the rear of the field. Unfortunately, he was involved in the restart melee and eliminated from the contest.

The No. 8 Ford Maverick of Paul Senior started third. Senior stayed with the leaders and was contending for first place when he and the Camaro of Jerry Broom had contact entering corner three. Senior returned to the pits where his crew checked the damage to the Maverick and made repairs which allowed him to return to the race. Senior was able to remain on the lead lap and was in sixth place at the checkered flag.

At Jukasa Motor Speedway it was ‘from hero to zero’ for Jerry Broom. In the series first visit to the track, Broom started seventh in his 1969 Chevrolet Camaro and drove through the field to capture his first Knightworks Hot Rod series victory. He started round-ten on the outside of the front row and was in contention for another win until the restart incident. The Camaro was severely damaged and Broom retired in eighth place.

The top-three finishers for round-ten of the Knightworks Hot Rod series. In the center is the winner, Steve Book. It appeared that Jukasa Motor Speedway agrees with Book as he finished third in the June event and closed the championship points gap on Tyler Hawn. To Book’s right is the runner-up, Jesse Kennedy who would also participate in the Super Stock race the following day. Rounding out the top-three is Nick Clarke.

FINISH	START	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	1	Steve Book	1956 Studebaker Hawk	25	-
2	7	Jesse Kennedy	1969 Chevrolet Chevelle	25	-
3	8	Nick Clarke	1969 Ford Mustang	25	-
4	9	Jerry McLean	1968 Chevrolet Chevelle	25	-
5	12	Brandon Robertson	1970 Chevrolet Camaro	25	-
6	3	Paul Senior	1974 Ford Maverick	25	-
7	15	Ray Cowan	1969 Chevrolet Camaro	24	-
8	2	Jerry Broom	1969 Chevrolet Camaro	20	Accident
9	5	Dalen Martin	1971 Ford Mustang	20	Accident
10	11	Bob Parsons	1966 Plymouth Valiant	20	Accident
11	17	Tyler Hawn	1967 Beaumont	20	Accident
12	4	Dave Bailey	1961 Chevrolet Biscayne	20	Accident
13	10	Leroy Robinson	1970 Chevrolet Camaro	19	Accident
14	6	Douglas Fischer	1971 Chevrolet Nova SS	18	Did Not Finish
15	14	Ed Bowlby	1969 Chevrolet Camaro	7	Did Not Finish
16	16	Steve Mayhew	Chevrolet Nova	4	Did Not Finish
17	13	Brian McLean	Chevrolet Nova	0	Did Not Finish