2004 Season off to a Flying Start
May 9th, 2004
Fredericton, NB - Kevin Moore, Michael Banks, and Peter Gaddess started the 2004 season on the right foot with victories in each of their respective divisions in front of a crowd of over 2,000 fans. On a bright sunny day, perfect for racing, the Riverview Ford Lincoln Season Opener featured some outstanding racing even with several rookies in each field. Car counts were very good in all divisions.
In a field of 17 pro stocks, Fredericton�s Kevin Moore took the lead in the CARQUEST Pro Stock feature after a caution on lap 17 and led the rest of the 40-lap feature to take his #88 Corey�s Renovations Monte Carlo into the Capital City Roofing Victory Lane. As the race wound down, Moore was challenged on several times by a triumvirate of Glenn Rasmussen in the #81 Norfolk Motel Dodge Intrepid, Leon Christie in the #9 A.L.Gullison Ford Taurus and Larry Gulliver in the #51 Coast Tire Monte Carlo. Rasmussen was involved in an early caution that threw him to the back of the pack, but he managed to recover and make a return to the front for second place. Christie, who has a new car this year, was in or near the front of the pack most of the race except when he was involved in a caution in the first half of the race that also put him to the back. However, Christie flexed the muscle of the new car and was able to use the outside lane to get near the front again. Christie was satisfied with a third place finish and a new home on the outside groove. Gulliver was thrown off the pace on the last lap to finish 8th despite a good run.
In the Martin�s Home Heating Division, Fredericton�s Michael Banks took the lead from Harvey�s Bradley Logan on lap 15 after Logan got tangled with a lapped car. Banks then put the #1 Donnelly Farms Grand Prix on rails and coasted to victory in the 30-lap feature with Burton�s Glyn Nott taking second in his #12 Jardine Auctioneers Monte Carlo after a strong run. St.George�s Wade Harris in the #5 Arnold Hatt Construction Grand Prix barely nipped Fredericton Junction�s Myles Harris (no relation) at the line to take third. Twenty-three sportsman cars answered the bell for the season opener, one of the strongest opening day starts in several years.
The Coast Tire Street Stock Division featured several new rookies, but the feature was won by one of the division�s strongest cars as Minto�s Peter Gaddess took his #20 Minto Machine and Welding Ford to checkers to signal that this could be his championship year. Gaddess has been runner up to the points champion two year running and is ready to break that pattern with a championship. Second place went to fan favourite Smokin� Joe Albert in his bright orange Mowat�s Well Drilling entry � same famous colour, new car. Albert will again be a contender in the division, if not the most colourful driver in the division. Last year�s division rookie of the year Mike Francis rounded out the top three in his #23 King�s County Courier Buick. |
