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In 2023 Sunset Speedway introduced a new division for Hot Rods with backing from Let US Drive U Home (LUDUH).
The cars competing in the Let US Drive U Home championship are constructed to specifications and rules common to most stock car series. What makes the Hot Rod division unique are the makes and models that compete in the division. The cars must be North American, have a steel body and have been produced 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, and tail, while the rest of the body panels can be fabricated from 22-gauge sheet steel but must retain a stock appearance. Many other rules governing this class are for safety and to keep the costs down. The points season begins on the Victoria Day weekend and ends September 16th at the Fall Velocity.
Round six of the ten-race season for the Let US Drive U Home (LUDUH) Hot Rod series was held at Sunset Speedway during the Fan Appreciation event. Drivers would compete in two heat races and a thirty-lap feature around the 0.333-mile banked asphalt oval.
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The pace lap and twelve (LUDUH) Hot Rod competitors enter corner one for round six of the championship at Sunset Speedway. Modified driver Luke Gignac is starting on the pole in the No. 20 1964 Dodge Polara. Beside Gignac is the No. 36 1969 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Jamie Cairns. Row two is occupied by Thomas Dunn in the No. 63 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 and the No. 88 1974 Dodge Dart driven by Herb Walters. |
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Just two laps into the contest, there was a significant accident involving most of the leaders in corner one. There was contact between the No. 88 1974 Dodge Dart of Herb Walters, No. 16 1974 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Amanda Balson and Dalen Martin in the 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1. Also included was Jamie Cairns driving the No. 36 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. Except for Walters, all those involved lined up for the restart. |
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John Gaunt made his second-season appearance at Fan Appreciation Night. Gaunt is a former CASCAR and NASCAR competitor. In his first race of 2023, the driver of No. 96 Gaunt Collision sponsored 1966 Chevrolet Chevy II finished second. He started the feature in the eighth position but avoided the lap-2 incident and moved into the lead. Despite challenges from Tom Walters and Dalen Martin, Gaunt grabbed the win. |
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Before round six of the 2023 Let US Drive U Home Hot Rod series, Dalen Martin was a regular in the OSCAAR Hot Rod championship. Martin drives the No. 26 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 with backing from Martin Automotive Restoration. He competed in heat one and claimed the victory. Martin was gridded seventh in the feature but was involved in the lap-2 accident. Damage was minimal, he continued and finished second. |
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Heading into race six of the 2023 Let US Drive U Home Hot Rod series, Amanda Balson trailed the points leader, Tom Walters, by three markers. She would grab the win in the second heat and start the finale in fifth. In the No. 16 1974 Chevrolet Camaro, Balson was one of the drivers involved in the Corner One incident. She suffered body damage and continued to a third-place finish, which moved her to first in the standings. |
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Four top-three results in five features, of which two were victories, gave Tom Walters the championship lead. Walters drove the No. 47 1965 Rambler Ambassador. He finished third in heat race one. Walters started the finale in the sixth position and missed the lap-2 turn-one calamity. On the restart, he chased eventual winner John Gaunt. However, Walters lost spots to Dalen Martin and Amanda Balson to finish fourth. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | John Gaunt | 1966 Chevrolet Chevy II | 30 | - |
| 2 | 7 | Dalen Martin | 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 | 30 | - |
| 3 | 5 | Amanda Balson | 1974 Chevrolet Camaro | 30 | - |
| 4 | 6 | Tom Walters | 1965 Rambler Ambassador | 30 | - |
| 5 | 3 | Thomas Dunn | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 | 30 | - |
| 6 | 10 | Paul Bogensberer Jr | 1967 Dodge Dart Swinger | 29 | - |
| 7 | 12 | Matt Spry | 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle | 29 | - |
| 8 | 2 | Jamie Carins | 1969 Chevrolet Camaro | 29 | - |
| 9 | 9 | Dan Rothwell | 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo | 28 | - |
| 10 | 1 | Luke Gignac | 1964 Dodge Polara | 25 | Did Not Finish |
| 11 | 11 | Keenan Belzile | 1957 Ford Fairlane | 12 | Did Not Finish |
| 12 | 4 | Herb Walters | 1974 Dodge Dart | 2 | Did Not Finish |
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