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Now in its thirty-first season, the Ontario Stock Car Association of Asphalt Racers (OSCAAR)
is responsible for sanctioning two divisions: Modified and Hot Rod.
The Modified division, which receives backing from Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC, draws many competitors and features some exciting races. The 2021 season was scheduled to kick off in May with an event at Sunset Speedway. However, as the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus continued, adjustments would have to be made to the racing calendar. The 2021 OSCAAR Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC Modified season begins in late July at Sunset Speedway with the first of three visits to this track. A week later, the teams travel to Peterborough Speedway. In early August, the Modifieds will return to Sunset, followed by a stop at Sauble Speedway. In September, the series makes its final visit to Sunset. Round six is conducted at Delaware Speedway. The penultimate event is at Flamboro Speedway, with the finale taking place at Peterborough on the Thanksgiving Weekend. The cars competing in this class are purpose-built open-wheel vehicles. The Modifieds use a steel tube frame chassis, which is no less than 1-3/4-inch outside diameter with 0.095-inch wall thickness. Bodies are made of sheet metal with the driver’s compartment and engine bay covered. The cars may be any make or model, but they tend to have little to no resemblance to their road-going counterparts. The engine option selected by the car owner determines the weight of the vehicle. A Modified using 350-horsepower Crate Engine is the lightest at 2,600-pounds and 2,775-pounds is required for a car powered by a Built Motor. Weight may be added or removed depending on the choice of transmission. Many of the other rules governing the OSCAAR Modified class are for driver safety and to keep costs down. Round one of the 2021 OSCAAR Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC Modified was held at Sunset Speedway. After six heat races, drivers would compete in a forty-lap feature on the 0.333-mile banked paved oval.
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Twenty-one OSCAAR Modified competitors line up on Sunset Speedways back straight for round one of the 2021 Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC Modified race presented by Just Foam It. On the pole is the No. 11 Family Funland sponsored Modified driven by Norman Newman, who won the first heat race. Beside Newman is the winner of the fourth qualifier Steven Lyons in the No. 9 Nitro 54 Variety Modified. |
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Despite starting at the rear of the field, AJ Emms won the opening round of the 2021 OSCAAR Modified series. Emms, who was married the day before the event, was unable to participate in the heat races and enlisted the services of Taylor Holdaway to shake down the car. Contact between the leaders late in the event set the stage for the final restart. Emms started second and jumped into the lead and held on for the victory. |
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Another driver to benefit from the late-race incident between the frontrunners, Dale Reinhart and TJ Edwards, was Kelly Balson. Balson, driving the No. 10B London Recreation Racing Modified, finished second in the first heat race and was gridded in the fourth spot for the forty-lap feature. He maintained contact with the leaders during the race and a late pass on Steve Lyons netted him a runner-up result. |
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Steve Lyons in the No. 9 Nitro 54 Variety / Ackland Insurance Modified started on the outside of the front row for the feature. Earlier in the day, Lyons was victorious in the fourth heat race. He bounced around the top three during the first half of the final contest and was in fifth-place when the first and second place had their incident. On the final restart, Lyons chased AJ Emms and Kelly Balson to a third-place finish. |
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Starting in the third position for the feature was Dale Reinhart. Reinhart’s results in the qualifiers included a runner-up result and a victory. He would grab the lead and would exchange the top spot with Steve Lyons. But by the halfway point, it was a battle between himself and TJ Edwards. As the contest was nearing its conclusion, contact between Reinhart and Edwards caused Reinhart to spin and finish ninth. |
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Another heat winner was TJ Edwards driving the No. 34 Candue Homes sponsored Modified. Edwards was gridded in sixth-place for the start of the main event but wasted no time moving to the front. By lap-13, he was in second place and closing on the leader, Dale Reinhart. The two pulled away from the field until lap-38, when there was contact causing Reinhart to spin. Edwards would finish in the fourteenth position. |
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Norman Newman collected a win in the first qualifier driving the No. 11 Family Funland sponsored Modified. With the grid set for the forty-lap feature, he found himself starting on the pole. Unfortunately, he exited the event after only one lap. On the second restart, Newman made contact with the front straightaway wall and retired on the spot. He was classified with a twentieth-place finish. |
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The top three finishers for round one of the 2021 OSCAAR Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC Modified championship held at Sunset Speedway. In the center delivering a terrific drive from the rear of the field is the winner, AJ Emms. On the left is the runner-up from London Recreational Racing, Kelly Balson. Rounding out the top three is Steve Lyons, the driver of the No. 9 Nitro 54 Variety Modified. |
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| FINISH | DRIVER | CLASS / SPONSOR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AJ Emms | Modified / BAE Environmental / FMR Scrap Buyers | 40 | - |
| 2 | Kelly Balson | Modified / London Recreational Racing | 40 | - |
| 3 | Steve Lyons | Modified / Nitro 54 Variety | 40 | - |
| 4 | Jason Keen | Modified / Oakville Auto and Diesel | 40 | - |
| 5 | Coltin Evernham | Modified / Have1.com | 40 | - |
| 6 | Marshall Schrenk | Modified / Exacon | 45 | - |
| 7 | Mike Hearty | Modified / Surplus Furniture & Mattress | 40 | - |
| 8 | Chris Milwain | Modified / Lawn Care Property Maintenance | 39 | - |
| 9 | Dale Reinhart | Modified / SGR Plumbing | 39 | - |
| 10 | Brent McLean | Modified / McLean Express | 39 | - |
| 11 | Paul Townsend | Modified / Paul Townsend Tools | 38 | - |
| 12 | Wally Wilson | Modified / The Fyre Place | 38 | - |
| 13 | Jase Cornell | Modified / Tryton Sales and Service | 30 | - |
| 14 | T.J. Edwards | Modified / Candue Homes | 29 | - |
| 15 | Jake Watson | Modified / Curt's Coolers | 20 | Did Not Finish |
| 16 | T.J. Marshall | Modified / Creative Edge | 18 | Did Not Finish |
| 17 | Tommy Robb | Modified / Caldecott Millwright Services | 16 | Did Not Finish |
| 18 | Chad Strawn | Modified / Eibach Springs | 4 | Did Not Finish |
| 19 | Ryan Dick | Modified / QA1/PFC Brakes | 4 | Did Not Finish |
| 20 | Norman Newman | Modified / Family Funland | 1 | Did Not Finish |
| 21 | Luke Gignac | Modified / Port's Cooling & Heating | 0 | Did Not Finish |
| - | Jeff Walt | Modified / RCP Dyno & Tuning | - | Did Not Start |
| - | Andy Kamrath | Modified / London Recreational Racing | - | Did Not Start |
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