Blenheim’s Shawn Jones and Ridgetown’s Dale Glassford both captured their second straight feature wins to open the 2012 stock car racing season at South Buxton Raceway.

For the second week in a row, Jones held off a stiff challenge from Cottam’s Denis DeSerrano to win the Tirecraft Comp 4 feature.

Glassford inherited the lead in a wild fashion as he was running third after a restart on lap 14 in the Glencoe Auto Recyclers UMP Late Model feature.

But the leaders - Chatham’s Brad Authier and Charing Cross’ Chris Ross - collided going into turn three, knocking both cars out of the race as Glassford led the final six laps for back-to-back feature checkereds.

Merlin’s Eren Vanderiviere put on a dominating performance to win the Windride Transport Sport Stocks feature.

Leamington’s Joel Dick led all 20 laps to win a caution-plagued Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modified feature.

Dick finished second in last week’s feature to Shrewsbury’s Jim Dale Jr., who in turn was the runner-up this week.

(Photos by James MacDonald, ApexOne Photo; click on photos for larger views)

Trevor Jones keeps winning All In The Family

Trevor Jones will have an interesting show-and-tell story for his classmates at Harwich-Raleigh Public School this week.

The Blenheim native collected his first checkered flag in just his second night of stock car racing on Saturday night at South Buxton Raceway.

Trevor Jones, in the 27T on the top of the track, holds off older brother Shawn Jones (27) and Cottam's Rob Quick for his first career checkered flag in the Tirecraft Comp 4 heat race.

But the 14-year-old may not tell his classmates the whole story.

“I was so revved up after it was over, I ran into the back of the trailer,” he said sheepishly.

“There was no damage, luckily, but I was really excited.”

Jones won the second heat race in the Tirecraft Comp 4 class, beating his 19-year-old brother Shawn to the finish line.

The younger Jones led from the drop of the green and held off the veteran Rob Quick for the first four laps until Shawn passed the Comber driver for second place.

A lengthy red flag caused a 15-minute delay but after the race resumed, Trevor led Shawn for the final two laps to collect his first checkered.

“He would have won that race even if I wasn’t in it,” Shawn answered, when asked if he was driving to protect his brother’s lead.

“I wanted to get in front of Rob, but Trevor ran a great race.

“I told him afterwards, ‘great job, you deserved it,’ ” said Shawn, the two-time defending series champion.

Trevor was naturally ecstatic winning a race so early in his career.

“I wasn’t expecting to do anything this soon,” he said.

He admitted the long red flag made him a little nervous, wondering how he was going to be able to hold off big brother for the final two laps.

“I was just sitting there, wishing it was already over,” he said.

By comparison, it took Shawn until mid-August to win his first checkered flag as a rookie in 2008.

Shawn Jones raises the feature checkered flag for the second week in a row and 15th time in the Tirecraft Comp 4s.

During the intermission, the Jones boys were interviewed by track announcer Dean Outhouse, who asked Shawn if he was bothered finishing second to Trevor.

“Nah, he can have the heats … I want the features!” he exclaimed.

And about an hour later, Shawn was back in the Winner’s Circle after his second straight feature win to start the 2012 season.

His second-place finish to little brother allowed Shawn to start on the front row, and with the exception of one mid-race bobble, led all 15 laps for his 15^th career feature win.

“I got a little bit loose a couple of times and he got by me,” Shawn said of Cottam driver Denis DeSerrano, who was the runner-up for the second straight week.

But shortly after taking the lead, DeSerrano drifted high in turn two allowing Jones to get back underneath for the lead.

DeSerrano battled hard on the double-file restarts, getting good runs on the outside but couldn’t complete the pass heading onto the straightaway.

“The car was working really good, there was good traction on the bottom,” Jones said.

The two drivers dominated the class in 2011, with Jones winning 10 straight features while DeSerrano won the first two and last three, including the season championship.

They finished one-two in seven of the 15 features last year, with Jones coming out on top in six of those finishes.

The Beaulieu brothers from Tilbury - Ryan and James - finished third and fourth while Quick was fifth.

Trevor Jones finished sixth, recovering from an early-race incident when he had to restart at the back after contact with James Beaulieu while running in the top five.

“I was really happy to finish sixth,” said Trevor, who finished eighth in his debut feature a week earlier.

DeSerrano won the other heat race while Ridgetown’s Jerry Ramault won the crack-the-whip.

Vanderiviere gives new car a dominating ride

Merlin’s Eren Vanderiviere put on a dominating performance to win the Windride Transport Sport Stocks feature.

He was running second behind last week’s feature winner Steve Clements before taking the lead after a restart.

From that point, the race was for second as Vanderiviere wasn’t challenged as the defending series champion built a half-track lead through a long green-flag run before a rash of late cautions tightened the field.

But no one could take advantage of the new double-file restarts.

Defending series champion Eren Vanderiviere wins his first Windride Transportation Sport Stocks feature of the season.

“The car was really working, I just stayed on the bottom and I could tell I was pulling away after every one,” he said of the restarts.

Vanderiviere has a new car this year, as his championship car from 2011 is still up for sale.

“We’re really happy the way things have gone so far,” said Vanderiviere, who has a first and second in features and three checkered flags in the first two weeks of the season. He had two features and four checkered flags total en route to his ‘11 championship.

“I want that championship race,” he said of this year’s goal, “it still kind of stings how last year’s (championship race) went down.”

Essex’s Patrick Lajeunesse survived a last-corner incident to finish second, with rookie Willy Vyse of Wallaceburg third and Chatham’s Jason Fox fourth, the last car on the lead lap.

Vanderiviere and Grande Pointe’s Tyler Lozon won the heats and Kingsville’s Rob Young took the crack-the-whip checkered.

Feature win caps another checkered night for Dick

The season points race means little to Joel Dick.

He simply wants to win every race he runs all season.

The Leamington driver is making his point early in the 2012 season as he has already won three races and finished second in his other three.

His third checkered flag of the young season was the latest chapter of the ‘J & J Show.’

Dick led all 20 laps of the caution-plague Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modified feature race in another classic with Shrewsbury’s Jim Dale Jr.

Joel Dick waves the feature checkered flag as he has three wins and three second-place finishes in his first six Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modified races of the season.

And with the new ‘race forward’ format, fans can expect even more head-to-head battles between the two drivers who dominated the 2011 season.

They finished one-two in the dash to earn front row starts in the feature.

“It’s like déjà vu,” Dick said.

“He’s a good racer,” he said of Dale Jr., as Saturday’s finish was a reversal of the opening night feature.

But Dick was glad to win the pole, allowing him to start on the inside. He also chose the bottom for the nine restarts that denied the fans of seeing any long runs.

“There was a lot bite on the bottom,” Dick said. “There wasn’t a lot of cushion up top so he (Dale Jr.) really couldn’t much of a run,” Dick said.

While he was frustrated at the numerous cautions, Dick said there was one benefit to the flurry of yellow flags.

“It kept us out of fighting with the lap cars,” he said. “With 20 cars on the track, the closing rate is so fast, and the fact we were so strong on restarts, maybe it was a good thing there were so many cautions,” he declared.

But it was such a long race, Dick could be seen tapping his wrist a couple of times going by the flag man under caution.

“I was wondering if they were going to put a time limit on it,” he laughed.

Dale Jr. stayed with leader until the last couple of laps when he to concern himself with a hard-charging Brad McLeod.

Dale Jr. beat the Merlin driver to the line by a bumper to hang on to a second-place finish.

Chatham drivers Jeff Daniels and Louis Clements and Merlin’s Joe Brosseau rebounded from an early multi-car crash to finish fourth through sixth.

Louisville’s Jim Fletcher and Daniels won the heat races while Dick won the dash.

Glassford avoids mayhem to win second straight feature

Ask any driver, and they’ll tell you they want to lead every lap of every race.

But for one race, Dale Glassford was quite content to be running third.

His patience led to a second straight trip to the Winner’s Circle with the feature checkered flag in the Glencoe Auto Recyclers UMP Late Models.

The Ridgetown driver followed Chatham’s Brad Authier in the early laps of Saturday’s feature when a couple of quick yellow flags led to a couple of black flags - and eventually the checkered flag for Glassford.

Dale Glassford parks his No. 60 in the Winner's Circle for the second straight Saturday night in the Glencoe Auto Recyclers UMP Late Models.

“The first restart, I got cut off and lost a spot, so when the caution came out, I was happy to be back in third,” Glassford said.

Charing Cross’ Chris Ross and Authier started on the front row of the restart on lap 14. There was contact at the drop of the green, through the corner and onto the straightaway before both cars wound up into the wall in turn three.

Both Ross and Authier were black flagged for the incident, leaving just three cars on the lead lap for the final six laps.

“You knew something was going to happen, I was happy just to sit back and watch it all in front of me,” said Glassford.

“I watched them bang each other, but never expected them both to get the black.”

Glassford knew it was going to be a long race at the drop of the green when he and Authier made contact going into turn one.

“You kind of knew the 1A was going for it tonight,” he said of Authier.

That early contact led to problems late in the race for Glassford.

“Both front corners were folded under and it was rubbing on the tire,” he said.

“I was okay on the straightaway but I couldn’t turn the car at all in the corners.
“I was pretty fortunate to pull off the win tonight,” he admitted.

Chatham drivers Gregg Haskell and Don Gordon were the only other cars on the lead lap when the race resumed but Haskell exited just before the white flag later with issues.

Gordon, taking a break from his racing on the ALMS circuit in the United States, finished second.

Haskell still completed enough laps to finish third while Chatham’s Norm Bechard and Clinton Emery rounded out the top five.

Authier won his heat and the dash while Louisville’s Jim Fletcher, driving a second Gordon car, took the other heat.

Pit Notes

• Prior to the races, Best Appearing Car Awards, as voted by the fans, were presented to Goderich’s Mark Glassford in the Late Models, Chatham’s Darryl Hoekstra in the Modifieds, Chatham’s Jason Fox in the Sport Stocks and DeSerrano in the Comp 4s.
• Denis DeSerrano may have finished second in his feature but he and wife Sandra left the track $720 richer as winners of the 50-50 draw, conducted by the Chatham-Kent Minor Midget Cyclones ‘AAA’ hockey team.
• There were 20 Modifieds on hand, the maximum for a feature race. Nineteen Comp 4s, 12 Sport Stocks and 11 Late Models.
• There were a total of 24 cautions in the four features. The Sport Stocks, who went caution-free on opening night, had the fewest on Saturday with four and the longest green-flag run with 11 laps between the first two yellows.
• Racing resumes on Saturday, May 19 at 7 p.m.

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Denis DeSerrano, No. 69 in the Tirecraft Comp 4s.

Darryl Hokestra, No. 36 in the Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modifieds.

Mark Glassford, No. 90 in the Glencoe Auto Recyclers UMP Late Models.

Jason Fox, No. 93F in the Windride Transportation Sport Stocks.

Includes car number in brackets and driver’s hometown.

Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modifieds

Feature (20 laps)

1. Joel Dick (09D) Leamington

2. Jim Dale Jr. (00) Shrewsbury

3. Brad McLeod (43) Merlin

4. Jeff Daniels (20D) Chatham

5. Louis Clements (3C) Chatham

6. Joe Brosseau (47B) Merlin

7. Dan McIntyre (77) Windsor

8. Drew Smith (86) Wallaceburg

9. Emerson McIntyre (71) Windsor

10. Brandon Coles (33) Chatham

11. Don Raes (21R) Chatham

12. Brian Speelman (22S) Chatham

13. Mario Toniolo (14) Belle River

14. Mark Goggin (66) Amherstburg

15. Brad Simpson (53) Rodney

16. Gerald Martin (5) Essex

17. Eric Vanderiviere (1A) Chatham

18. Jim Fletcher (36F) Louisville

19. Jody Mason (4) Merlin

20. Darryl Hoekstra (36) Chatham

First Heat

1. Daniels

2. Dick

3. Speelman

4. Martin

5. Hoekstra

6. Raes

7. Coles

8. D. McIntyre

9. Mason

10. Vanderiviere

Second Heat

1. Fletcher

2. Brosseau

3. Dale Jr.

4. Clements

5. Simpson

6. Smith

7. McLeod

8. Toniolo

9. E. McIntyre

10. Goggin

Dash

1. Dick

2. Dale Jr.

3. Daniels

4. Brosseau

5. Speelman

Glencoe Auto Recyclers UMP Late Models

Feature (20 laps)

1. Dale Glassford (60) Ridgetown

2. Don Gordon (33) Chatham

3. Gregg Haskell (RH21) Chatham

4. Norm Bechard (18B) Chatham

5. Clinton Emery (22) Chatham

6. Mike Dale (00) Chatham

7. Mark Glassford (90) Goderich

8. Jim Fletcher (33F) Louisville

Black Flag - Brad Authier (1A) Chatham

Black Flag - Chris Ross (18R) Charing Cross

DNS - Jim Jones (34) Chatham

First Heat

1. Authier

2. D. Glassford

3. M. Glassford

4. Jones

5. Bechard

6. Ross

Second Heat

1. Fletcher

2. Dale

3. Gordon

4. Emery

5. Haskell

Dash

1. Authier

2. D. Glassford

3. M. Glassford

4. Fletcher

5. Gordon

Windride Transportation Sport Stocks

Feature (20 laps)

1. Eren Vanderiviere (29) Merlin

2. Patrick Lajeunesse (98P) Essex

3. Willy Vyse (2) Wallaceburg

4. Jason Fox (93F) Chatham

5. Rob Young (23) Kingsville

6. Steve Clements (3C) Chatham

7. Paul Gossman (92G) Leamington

8. Ron Atkinson (10) Merlin

9. West Bertozzi (46) Windsor

10. Tyler Lozon (66) Grande Pointe

11. Doris Lajeunesse (380 Essex

DNS - Tiffany Ellis (88) Kingsville

First Heat

1. Lozon

2. Gossman

3. Bertozzi

4. P. Lajeunesse

5. Fox

6. Ellis

Second Heat

1. Vanderiviere

2. Clements

3. Young

4. D. Lajeunesse

5. Vyse

6. Atkinson

Crack-The-Whip

1. Young

2. P. Lajeunesse

3. D. Lajeunesse

4. Bertozzi

5. Fox

6. Vyse

7. Atkinson

Tirecraft Comp 4s

Feature (15 laps)

1. Shawn Jones (27) Blenheim

2. Denis DeSerrano (69) Cottam

3. Ryan Beaulieu (747) Tilbury

4. James Beaulieu (09) Tilbury

5. Rob Quick (18) Cottam

6. Trevor Jones (27T) Blenheim

7. Jim Arnel (43J) Chatham

8. Norm DeSerrano (96) Kingsville

9. Shane Fryer (95) Chatham

10. Brad Nolan (18N) Cottam

11. Rick Balasin (21) Chatham

12. Jerry Ramault (91) Ridgetown

13. David Bacon (29) Belle River

14. Todd Shaw (34) Chatham

15. Jerry Rivait (71) Tilbury

16. Jamie St. Pierre (22S) Chatham

17. Randy McKinlay (26) Chatham

18. Joel Desjardins (23D) Chatham

DNS - Jeremy Shoemaker (07) Chatham

First Heat

1. D. DeSerrano

2. R. Beaulieu

3. Ramault

4. Nolan

5. N. DeSerrano

6. Rivait

7. Fryer

8. Shaw

Second Heat

1. T. Jones

2. S. Jones

3. Quick

4. St. Pierre

5. J. Beaulieu

6. Bacon

7. Shoemaker

8. McKinlay

9. Balasin

Crack-The-Whip

1. Ramault

2. J. Beaulieu

3. St. Pierre

4. Rivait

5. N. DeSerrano

6. Fryer

7. Nolan

8. Quick

Driver Information Sheet

The South Buxton Raceway site is undergoing minor alterations. We appreciate your patience.

The 2012 season opened under a Super Moon, which rises over turn 3.

South Buxton Raceway is privileged to have James MacDonald, of ApexOne Photo, back again this season as the official track photographer.
James captured some great images of Opening Night, both on and off the track.
Here are just some of his Opening Night photos.
For more of James pictures from Saturday night, as well as every race night since he began shooting at South Buxton Raceway, click on the Multimedia icon to get to his ApexOne site, and click on the race night you choose to view.

Dan McIntyre's crew go under the hood prior to the races to get the No. 77 Mod ready for action.

David Bacon gets some help as he gets his No. 29 Comp 4 race-ready.

14-year-old Trevor Jones looks like a season-veteran behind the wheel of his No. 27T Comp 4 prior to his stock car racing debut.

The first race of the 2012 season didn't complete a lap as West Bertozzi (46) crashes into the new second-corner wall in a three-car collision with Ron Atkinson (10) and Tiffany Ellis (88).

Darryl Hoekstra (36) and Mario Toniolo (14) battle door-to-door in a Modified heat race as the sun sets in the west.

14-year-old Julie Saunders completes some laps during the intermission to promote the new Bomber class. She was in a class by herself as the lone Bomber on Opening Night.

A super-size pickup truck from the night's sponsor Carrier Centers leads the cars around the track before the start of the four features.

And a shiny 2012 Dodge Charger from new corporate sponsor Chatham Chysler/Chatham Mazda also served as a pace vehicle.

Steve Clements made an auspicious return to South Buxton Raceway by winning the Windride Transportation Sport Stocks feature in Saturday's Opening Night program, presented by Carrier Centers' general manager Gary Van Ryswyk..

Updated Version

Three drivers who combined for 21 feature wins in 2011 returned to the Winner’s Circle on Saturday in South Buxton Raceway’s season opening night.

But their victories took a back seat to a first-time winner.

Steve Clements celebrated his return to racing by leading all 20 laps to win the Windride Transportation Sport Stocks feature.

The Chatham driver, who hadn’t been behind the wheel of a race car since 2001, took the lead at the drop of the green from his inside pole starting position and never trailed.

The other three feature races were all the renewal of rivalries left off at the end of the 2011 season.

Shrewsbury’s Jim Dale Jr. took the lead from Leamington’s Joel Dick with six laps to go to win the Schinkel’s Gourmet Meats UMP Modified 20-lap feature. The two drivers combined for 11 feature wins and 31 checkered flags in 2011.

Ridgetown’s Dale Glassford won the Glencoe Auto Wreckers UMP Late Model feature with Chatham’s Brad Authier finishing second - a reversal of last year’s season championship race finish.

Blenheim’s Shawn Jones, the two-time defending Tirecraft Comp 4 points champion, took the lead from Cottam’s Denis DeSerrano with four laps to go and went on to win the opening-night 15-lap feature. The two drivers won all 15 features in the 2011, 10 by Jones.

Photos by James MacDonald ApexOne; click on photos for larger view

Clements makes victorious return to racing

“I’m still waiting for someone to pinch me,” Steve Clements said after his improbable opening night feature win.

It was also the first career checkered flag of his career.

The 39-year-old Chatham native raced on a part-time basis in the late 1990s and last raced in 2001.

“That was back in the old Street Stocks when they were like Econos,” Clements looked back.

Work, finances and family commitments forced Clements to quit driving, although he did stay involved in racing by working on his older brother Louis Clements’ race team.

When Louis moved up to the Modifieds last year, he put his Sport Stock up for sale.

The younger Clements decided to buy the car and get back into driving.

“I’m in a better financial situation with work (Comber Tool & Mold) and the kids are older now so I can spend time in the garage and not have to worry about them,” Clements said.

“Louis kept telling me it’s a good car, that I’d just have to drive it and feel it out,” he said, as Louis drove this No. 3C car to back-to-back points titles and championship races in 2008-09.

Steve Clements (3C) takes the Windride Transportation Sport Stocks feature checkered flag just ahead of second-place Eren Vanderiviere (29).

Clements admitted making some mistakes in the heat race, which he finished second behind Kingsville’s Rob Young.

“He (Louis) gave me some pointers, and when I went in the feature, I tried to correct them,” said Clements, who felt he

was letting off the throttle too soon and wasn’t letting the car roll through the corners.

“I was pushing pretty bad through (turns) three and four in the feature because of my angle going in,” he explained.

“When I came off the track, Louis said that I did a good job of compensating for that by changing my line.

“It’s all a learning curve,” he smiled.

Chatham’s Tyler Lozon provided an early challenge in the caution-free 20-lapper before going off with a tire going down late in the race. Lozon would finish sixth.

Defending series points champion Eren Vanderiviere took up the chase with five laps to go and although he closed the gap to less than a car length on the white-flag lap, he could not reel in the leader.

“I knew he was coming,” Clements said of Vanderiviere. “I could tell he was gaining on me and it may have even got in my head a little bit because I almost slowed down.

“Hopefully next time I won’t make that mistake.”

Chatham’s Jason Fox finished third with Young fourth and Toronto’s Brian Simard fifth.

Lozon and Young won the heats while Vanderiviere took the crack-the-whip race.

Eight of the 10 Sport Stocks on hand for Opening Night took the green for the feature after six cars were involved in wrecks in each heat race.

Windsor’s West Bertozzi, Merlin’s Ron Atkinson and Kingsville’s Tiffany Ellis collided on the first lap of the first heat race, ending the night for the latter two. Bertozzi’s car appeared to suffer the most damage as he was pushed nose-first into the newly constructed corner-two wall but his crew made repairs to get out for the feature, where he finished seventh.

Dale Jr. avoids co-workers’ ‘wrath’ by winning feature

The 2012 season picked up right where the 2011 campaign ended, as once again it was the ‘J & J Show’ in the Schinkel’s Gourmet Meats UMP Modifieds.

Jim Dale Jr. took advantage of the new double-file restarts to make the winning pass on Leamington’s Joel Dick and led the final six laps to capture the feature.

It was an especially gratifying win for Dale Jr. as Opening Night was sponsored by his employer Carrier Centers.

Carrier Center general manager Gary Van Ryswyk presented Dale Jr. with his feature win plaque.

“I had to win or else I never would have heard the end of it on Monday morning,” said Dale Jr., whose win came in front of 125 Carrier Center co-workers.

Dale Jr. started in the sixth row but worked his way into the top five by the fifth lap.

Dick, who started on the outside pole, led laps one to five and 10 to 14, with pole winner Jim Fletcher of Thamesville leading in between.

Jim Dale Jr. waves the checkered flag in the Winner's Circle, where he is joined by his boss Gary Van Ryswyk, GM of the night's sponsor Carrier Centers.

Dale Jr. used the high side to get around Fletcher for second before back-to-back cautions put the new double-file restart into play.

On the first restart, Dick chose the bottom and beat Dale Jr. into the first turn but a quick caution negated his lead.

Dale Jr. learned his lesson for the next restart.

“He got a jump on me the first restart, so the second time I kind of knew when he was going to go, so we went together and I beat him to the corner,” Dale Jr. said of his winning pass.

The yellow flew quickly again forcing another restart, this time with Dale Jr. choosing the bottom as he easily won the drag race to the corner.

“It’s a new car and it worked everywhere, but it was better on the bottom,” Dale Jr. said.

“But it was dying about the last six laps going by the (flag) stand. I don’t know what it was, it felt like it was out of gas.

“Thank God there were no more yellows,” he said.

Dick finished second, followed by Merlin’s Joe Brosseau, Chatham’s Jeff Daniels and Fletcher to round out the top-five.

Dick and Bourassa won the heats and Fletcher the dash.

Dick and Dale Jr. finished one-two in four features in 2011, which Dick winning three of the head-to-head battles including the season championship race.

Dale. Jr., whose points championship was the seventh of his career, won six features and15 checkereds while Dick had five feature wins and 16 checkereds.

Glassford takes checkered in rivalry renewal with Authier

Dale Glassford and Brad Authier have enjoyed an intense, yet respectful rivalry over the last few years, so it was only fitting they opened the 2012 season right where they left off last fall.

But this time, it was Glassford making the left turn into the Winner’s Circle with Authier the runner-up, the reversal of last year’s championship race which led to fireworks on the track and verbal jousting afterwards.

But the two patched up their differences over the off-season.

“We respect each other,” Glassford said.

“You know what you’re going to get when you race Brad. You’re going to have to be at the top of your game because there’s no let up in him.”

The two drivers finished one-two on four occasions in 2011, each winning twice. Authier won four of the five one-two finishes in 2010 when the two drivers tied for the points championship.

Glassford, who started in the second row beside his brother Mark, ran second behind Chatham’s Gregg Haskell for the first six laps, with Authier moving into third from his shotgun start by lap four.

Dale Glassford (60) goes to the bottom of the track to take the lead from Gregg Haskell (RH21) in the Glencoe Auto Recyclers Late Model feature.

Glassford and Authier both got by Haskell in turns three and four on lap seven and raced one-two for the final 13 laps.

The race was slowed by only one caution but Authier couldn’t take advantage of the double-file restart as Glassford rode his No. 60 on a rail along the bottom of the track through the first corner and entered the straightaway in the lead.

Goderich’s Mark Glassford finished third while Haskell and Chatham’s Jim Jones rounded out the top five in the seven-car field.

Dale Glassford admitted he didn’t know what to expect on Opening Night after suffering engine damage a week earlier at Attica Speedway in Ohio.

“We went down there to shake things up and get the bugs out - and we shook it up pretty good, we wrecked the motor right off the bat,” he smiled.

“We just got it back from AP the other night and really didn’t get a chance to work on the car,” Glassford said.

“I didn’t know how we’d do (tonight).

“I said I’d be happy if we just drove it back to the trailer.”

Glassford does not expect the small car count to be a sign of things to come in 2012 in the Late Model class.

“I thought we’d have more cars tonight but some guys just aren’t ready,” he said. “Chris (Ross) was planning on being here but he wrecked his car at Attica and I know some of the others will be out.”

A new champion is guaranteed with Chatham’s Kirk Hooker not returning.

But Glassford isn’t sure if he’s going challenge for a third career points title.

“There maybe a couple of weeks where I’ll be away with this guy,” he pointed to his 12-year-old son Matt.

“He’s going to be racing go-carts in Tilbury on Saturday afternoons and there may be a couple of weekends where we go away to the States for doubleheaders.

“But I don’t want anyone to think that if I do go away, that I’m not supporting the track,” he pointed out.

“I’ll do every thing I can to support South Buxton and all of the fans and sponsors to keep this class going.

“This is going to be a fun year,” he said.

Jones uses late pass after restart to outduel DeSerrano

Blenheim’s Shawn Jones and Cottam’s Denis DeSerrano followed the J & J and the Brad ‘N Dale Shows by continuing their own domination from last year into Saturday’s feature.

Jones won 10 straight features in 2011 while DeSerrano won the first two and the last three, including the season champion.

And they finished one-two in seven features, six of those won by Jones.

They started Saturday’s feature side-by-side in the second row, following their heat wins earlier in the night.

Cottam’s Rob Quick led the first two laps from the pole before Jones took the lead on lap three.

Shawn Jones (27) just gets his nose ahead of Denis DeSerrano as they get by a lapped-car at the start-finish line late in the Tirecraft Comp 4 feature.

DeSerrano used the high side to drive around Jones to take the point for laps six to 10.

But after a restart, Jones regained the lead and led the four laps to take the checkered.

“I was just trying to finish second but he kind of went high so I went under him,” the 19-year-old Jones said.

“I didn’t see halfway so I didn’t know how many laps we had left.

“And then all of a sudden I saw white and knew it was mine,” said Jones.

The two-time champion said he was pretty well resigned to a second-place finish until his car came to life once he got out in front.

“The car wasn’t working right, when I ran on the low line, I had to keep it revved or else it would bog out,” he said.

Tilbury’s James Beaulieu finished third followed by Blenheim’s Brett Hope and Chatham’s Jamie St. Pierre.

Hope took the crack-the-whip checkered.

And as happy as he was with his 15^th career feature win, Jones seemed even more pleased with his brother Trevor’s stock car racing debut.

The 14-year-old Trevor Jones finished ninth in the feature after a third in the crack-the-whip and sixth in his heat.

Trevor waited on the track at the entrance of the Winner’s Circle to give his winning brother a high-five through their drivers’ windows.

“He’s going to win one pretty soon,” Shawn answered when asked how long before Trevor wins a flag.

“We race go-carts and he’s beaten me a few times.”

Pit Notes

• Saturday marked the first time in at least five years that Opening Night ran on its original date. A larger than expected crowd was on hand, bolstered by the large contingent from Carrier Centers.
• However, it was well past 8 p.m. before racing really got rolling as the start was delayed by excess water on the apron followed by two lengthy cautions in the Sport Stocks heat races.
• Fans were treated to major changes in the racing format. All features will have double-file restarts until the final five laps, where the first four cars restart single file. The Modifieds and Late Models will have a pill draw for their heat races. The top three in each heat advance to a four-lap dash to determine their starting positions for the feature, with the dash winner on the pole. In the Sport Stocks and Comp 4s, the heats will be lined up by inverted points. The top two finishers in each heat advance directly to the feature, with second-place finishers on the front row and the winners in row two. The third- through seventh-place heat finishers will determine their feature starting positions by their finishes in the crack-the-whip.
• Dale Jr., Glassford and Jones won feature races on the same night twice in 2011 including mid-season championship night.
• Louis Clements, who watched his brother Steve’s Sport Stocks feature win from the pits, sat out after suffering engine damage a night earlier at Ohsweken Speedway’s practice night.
• Larry Hughson of Dutton won $740 in the Kool Stuff ladies slo-pitch team 50-50 draw. One of the night’s door prize winners was Terry Bennett from Cornerbrook, Nfld., who is working in Ontario this summer. He won a hat donated by West Bertozzi’s No. 46 race team.
• Winners of the fan-voted Best Appearing Cars awards will be announced prior to this Saturday’s racing program. The grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m.

Includes car number in brackets and driver’s hometown.

Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modifieds

Carrier Centers Feature (20 laps)

1. Jim Dale Jr. (00) Shrewsbury

2. Joel Dick (09) Leamington

3. Joe Brosseau (47B) Merlin

4. Jeff Daniels (20D) Chatham

5. Jim Fletcher (36F) Thamesville

6. Dan McIntyre (77) Windsor

7. Brad McLeod (43) Merlin

8. Drew Smith (86) Chatham

9. Gerald Martin (5) Essex

10. Emerson McIntyre (71) Windsor

11. Don Raes (21R) Chatham

12. Jody Mason (4) Merlin

13. Brad Simpson (53) Mt. Elgin

14. Mark Goggin (66) Amherstburg

15. Darryl Hoekstra (36) Chatham

DNS - Eric Vanderiviere (1A) Chatham

DNS - Mario Toniolo (14) Belle River

First Heat

1. Dick

2. Fletcher

3. McLeod

4. Goggin

5. Martin

6. Dale Jr.

7. Vanderiviere

8. D. McIntyre

9. Smith

Second Heat

1. Brosseau

2. Simpson

3. Daniels

4. Hoekstra

5. Raes

6. Toniolo

7. Mason

8. E. McIntyre

Dash

1. Fletcher

2. Dick

3. Daniels

4. McLeod

5. Brosseau

6. Simpson

Glencoe Auto Recyclers UMP Late Models

Carrier Centers Feature (20 laps)

1. Dale Glassford (60) Ridgetown

2. Brad Authier (1A) Chatham

3. Mark Glassford (90) Goderich

4. Gregg Haskell (RH21) Chatham

5. Jim Jones (34) Chatham

6. Norm Bechard (18B) Chatham

7. Mike Dale (00) Chatham

Heat

1. M. Glassford

2. D. Glassford

3. Jones

4. Haskell

5. Bechard

6. Dale

7. Authier

Dash

1. Jones

2. Haskell

3. D. Glassford

4. M. Glassford

5. Bechard

Windride Transportation Sport Stocks

Carrier Centers Feature (20 laps)

1. Steve Clements (3C) Chatham

2. Eren Vanderiviere (29) Merlin

3. James Fox (93F) Chatham

4. Rob Young (23) Kingsville

5. Brian Simard (50) Toronto

6. Tyler Lozon (66) Chatham

7. West Bertozzi (46) Windsor

8. Willy Vyse (2) Wallaceburg

DNS - Ron Atkinson (10) Merlin

DNS - Tiffany Ellis (88) Kingsville

First Heat

1. Lozon

2. Simard

3. Ellis

4. Atkinson

5. Bertozzi

Second Heat

1. Young

2. Clements

3. Vanderiviere

4. Fox

5. Vyse

Crack-The-Whip

1. Vanderiviere

2. Young

Tirecraft Comp 4s

Carrier Centers Feature (15 laps)

1. Shawn Jones (27) Blenheim

2. Denis DeSerrano (69) Cottam

3. James Beaulieu (09) Tilbury

4. Brett Hope (49) Blenheim

5. Brian St. Pierre (22S) Chatham

6. Norm DeSerrano (96) Kingsville

7. David Bacon (29) Belle River

8. Joel Desjardins (23D) Chatham

9. Trevor Jones (27T) Blenheim

10. Ryan Beaulieu (747) Tilbury

11. Gerry Ramault (91) Chatham

12. Rob Quick (18) Cottam

13. Jerry Rivait (17) Tilbury

14. Randy McKinlay (26) Chatham

15. Todd Shaw (34) Chatham

DNS - Rick Balasin (21) Chatham

First Heat

1. D. DeSerrano

2. J. Beaulieu

3. Hope

4. R. Beaulieu

5. Balasin

6. T. Jones

7. Rivait

8. McKinlay

Second Heat

1. S. Jones

2. Quick

3. Desjardins

4. Ramault

5. St. Pierre

6. Bacon

7. N. DeSerrano

Crack-The-Whip

1. Hope

2. St. Pierre

3. T. Jones

4. Desjardins

5. R. Beaulieu

6. Rivait

7. N. DeSerrano

8. Bacon

9. Ramault

The 2011 season point champions are, from left: Kirk Hooker, Windride Transportation UMP Late Models; Jim Dale Jr., Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modifieds; Eren Vanderiviere, Sport Stocks; Shawn Jones, Tirecraft Comp 4s.

One new champion is guaranteed this season at South Buxton Raceway.

Kirk Hooker will abdicate his crown as the reigning Glencoe Auto Recyclers UMP Late Models points champion.

The veteran Chatham driver will not return to defend his title, as the 2012 season opens this Saturday.

The grandstand gates open at 5:30 p.m., with hot laps at 6 p.m. in preparation for the green flag at 7 p.m.

Hooker won his third career South Buxton points title last season, but said throughout the year he would not return as a car owner in 2012.

He had hinted he could possibly return as a driver for another car owner but never seriously pursued an opportunity.

“I’ve got too much going on to dedicate myself full time to racing, and like I said last fall, it’s time to get out,” Hooker said.

He said will spend more time with his son Jake’s go-cart racing on Saturday afternoons in Tilbury and his daughter Taylor’s volleyball commitments.

Hooker said he will run his asphalt car at Delaware Speedway and could possibly return to South Buxton periodically with his dirt car.

“I might be back for Don Hendricks (memorial race),” he looked ahead to the July 28 event.

Chatham’s Brad Authier won the Late Model season championship race last fall.

The veteran Authier had two wins and finished in the top-four in all 10 features he ran in 2011 after missing the first three weeks with motor issues.

The 2011 Late Models were dominated by Hooker (six features and 12 checkered flags) and Ridgetown’s Dale Glassford (five features and 14 checkered flags).

Glassford, who won the 2009 championship race, finished second to Hooker in 2010 and Authier last year.

South Buxton’s other three division champions will be back to defend their titles.

Jim Dale Jr. of Shrewsbury will be looking for an eighth career points title after winning the Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modified crown last year.

The Modified class was a two-car battle between Dale Jr. and Leamington’s Joel Dick as they combined for 11 of the 14 feature race victories.

Dale Jr. had six feature wins and 10 top-five finishes to go along with his 15 checkereds.

Dick, however, won the season championship race and four other features to go along with 10 top-fives and 16 checkered flags.

Merlin’s Brad McLeod’s eight point championships are the most in track history, one more than Dale Jr. and Authier.

The Modified class is expected to have more than 20 registered drivers this season.

Blenheim’s Shawn Jones will be looking for his third straight points championship in the Tirecraft Comp 4 class.

The 19-year-old Jones enjoyed a record season in 2011, winning an unprecedented 10 straight feature races from late May until mid-August.

The only other driver to win a feature race in the Comps last season was Kingsville’s Denis DeSerrano, who won the first two and the last three features, including the division championship race.

Jones led all drivers with 23 checkered flags in 2011 as he won at least one checkered flag on 16 of the 17 race nights.  He had 12 top-five finishes in 15 features.

DeSerrano had nine checkereds 13 top-five finishes in 15 features.

Merlin’s Eren Vanderiviere will be trying the keep the Windride Transportation Sport Stocks points championship in the family for a third straight year.

Vanderiviere won his first career points title in 2011, one year after older brother Eric won his first in 2010.

Last year’s points battle went right down to the championship race as Vanderiviere held a slim five-point lead over Essex’s Gerald Martin.

An incident between the two drivers with eight laps to go led to a black flag for Martin, allowing Vanderiviere to win the points title.

Merlin’s Steve Shaw won his sixth career season championship race, with Vanderiviere finishing second. It was Shaw’s 100^th career feature win as he led the class with five features and 20 total flags.

Merlin’s Gary Johns will begin the season behind the No. 17 car that Shaw pilots and is owned by Merlin’s Colin Sherrah.

Johns won three straight Sport Stocks points championships from 2005-07 but has not raced since.

Opening Night is this Saturday for the 41st season of exciting dirt track stock car racing at South Buxton Raceway.

The green flag waves at 7 p.m. The main grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to get to the track early, not only to get the best seats, but the cars will be on the track for Hot Laps beginning at 6 p.m.

And there will be a pre-race parade to give fans a good look at all of the cars to help them vote for The Best Appearing Cars. The winners will be announced before next Saturday night’s racing action.

More than 80 cars have already registered for the four traditional divisions of competition and the new Bomber class.

The Schinkel’s Gourmet Meats UMP Modifieds and Tirecraft Comp 4s both have more than 20 entries - with more expected on Opening Night.

The car count has also increased for the Windride Transportation Sport Stocks class over last year while the Glencoe Auto Recyclers UMP Late Models is about the same.

The new Bombers class are compact stock cars which will run on a new, smaller course. The Bombers will enter the infield in turn two, race on the ‘tractor pull strip,’ re-enter the main racing surface near turn four and go around the front stretch back to turn two.

Changes On And Off The Track

Fans - and drivers - will notice two major enhancements on the racing surface.

More banking has been added into both corners, which is expected to increase the speeds as the cars head onto the straightaway out of Turn 2 and a big shot of momentum out of Turn 4 as they approach the ‘D.’

And a cement wall has been installed in the second corner, extending from the pit wall in Turn 3 to the main grandstand all in Turn 4.

Off the track, there will be more room in the pits - but a little less on the main grandstand side.

The grass strip along the north side of the grandstand parking lot will not be accessible for parking and campers. A new area will be designated for campers and motor homes.

Season Highlights

Saturday is the first night of a 22-date schedule which will feature visits by four touring series over five race nights.

The Northern Summer Nationals Sprint Series returns for a second year.

South Buxton Raceway and Ohsweken Speedway are again teaming up to host the second NSN -  featuring the Southern Ontario Sprints, Patriot Sprint Tour and Ohsweken’s Corr-Pak series - back-to-back dates over two weekends.

The first weekend is Friday, June 22 (Ohsweken) and Saturday, June 23 (South Buxton).

The second dates are Friday, Aug. 17 (Ohsweken) and Saturday, Aug. 18 (South Buxton).

Drivers will be racing for big feature purses each night as well as crowning an overall champion for the four-race series.

Last year’s inaugural NSN series was reduced to just two races as each track suffered a rain-out - Ohsweken in June and South Buxton in August.

A second sprint series - the Topless Sprints out of the Michigan-Ohio-Indiana region - will be here  on July 21.

Two Modified Lite series will visit South Buxton this summer.

The Modified Lites Stars International Championship Tour will return for a second season on June 30.

The TUSAC Mod Lites will make their debut at South Buxton on Sept. 22.

The season will be climaxed by the eighth annual Canadian Fall Shootout, featuring UMP Late Models and Modifieds, on Sept. 29.

Double Championship Nights

The most noticeable change to the 2012 schedule is the Season Championships will be held over two race nights.

The Windride Transportation Sport Stocks and Tirecraft Comp 4s will hold their championship night on Sept. 8 while the Glencoe Auto Recyclers Late Models and Schinkel’s Gourmet Meats Modifieds’ season title races take place on Sept. 22.

The rain date for championship nights will be Oct. 6.

Other Key Dates

The first of five memorial nights takes place June 2 with the Brian Outhouse Modifieds, followed by Cory Schives Comp 4s on June 16, Don Hendricks Late Models on July 28, Len Bryden Sport Stocks on Aug. 25 and Rick Haskell Late Models on Sept. 1.

Mid-Season Championship Night is slated for July 14.

Two other key dates are Family Night on June 9 and the Junior Fan Club Party on Aug. 11.

And the Southwestern Ontario Tractor Pullers Association will return with their fourth annual South Buxton Raceway Tractor Pull on Friday, Aug. 3.

Admission Prices

Admission prices on regular race nights remain unchanged - $12 adults, $10 senior-teens and $5 children (kids 5 and under are free)

Family Night admission prices on June 9 are $10 for ages 16 and up; $5 for ages 6-15.

Special Event admission prices are $20 adults, $15 seniors-teens and $8 ages 6-12.

50-50 Draw Regulations

South Buxton Raceway management has issued regulations for this summer’s 50-50 draws, which will be conducted by several charities.

1. Only one number per night will be drawn. The number will be broadcast and posted in the grandstand and pits.

2. If a prize is not claimed, the ticket number will be placed on the web site for 30 days. If the prize isn’t claimed after 30 days, a new ticket will be drawn. On nights when a prize is not claimed, fans are encouraged to hang on to their tickets in case a new number is drawn.

3. Any questions or problems with the 50/50 should be addressed with the charities, as South Buxton Raceway has nothing to do with the draws.

4. There will be a 50/50 schedule posted in the main concession and in the pits at Tech Lane.