DRAPER BROS DOMINATE THE FALL NATIONALS
It’s that time of year again, Super Dirt Week is over , and the traditional ‘week after’ event , The Fall Nationals , takes place at the Brockville Ontario Speedway .
It was just a two day show, starting on Friday the 18th of October. In the past I’ve stayed in the Brockville area for the weekend, but these days I prefer to drive home between the shows. It’s only about an hours drive.
Before Friday arrived, I chilled out around the home and caught up with stuff that I’d neglected over the last few busy weeks .
On Thursday afternoon I took a drive over to the Cornwall Motor Speedway to chat with my buddy Ron Morin.
He was working on the track following the previous weeks races. Although the season is over for the year, prep for 2025 was already taking place , digging up the clay and removing the rocks, that work their way to the top over the course of time.
The next day I was off to the B.O.S for day one of the Fall Nationals.
The program for the openening night consisted of the final points for the domestic Ogilvee Series for the Modifieds and Sportsman divisions , as well as Street Stocks and Vintage Modifieds.
For once, Mother Nature was being kind to the Fall Nationals , with a dry and sunny day. It got chilly once the sun went down, but that’s what you expect for late October.
I was there in the afternoon taking advantage of the good weather so hung out with my media buddy, Jim Clarke.
Making his debut in the Modifieds , was my friend James Marshal McDowell, the co-owner of the 124 J car of Luke Whitteker .
Luke had prior arrangements for the weekend so James was taking the car out for a few laps.
The first of the feature races was for the Street Stocks.
This was won by Dakota Sharp after fending off a determined challenge from Tyler French.
The Big race of the night, the Modified Feature was up next.
The 50 lapper that would decide the winner of the 2024 Ogilvee Series.
Going into the race it could go either way, to track champion, Ryan Arbuthnot or challenger, Steve Bernier.
When the green flag fell it was Lance Willix and Kalen Draper who were duking it out at the front. This went on for most of the race until Willix started to pull away.
He looked all set for the win, when a late caution put him and Draper side by side for the restart.
Draper got the better at the re-start and went on to steal the checkers.
Meanwhile Steve Bernier’s good placing was enough to clinch the Series.
The Sportsman Feature followed this.
Earlier in the day, during my pit walk about , I was chatting with Carrie Moore. She’s the mother of Sportsman pilots Brennan and Dylan Moore.
She told me to watch out as her husband Adam a former 358 Modified driver would be back behind the wheel of Brennan’s car that night.
Here he is, side by side , next to Dylan.
As for the race, it was very predictable.
It was just a matter of time before track champion , Bobby Herrington passed Dylan Kirkland , got to the front and stayed there until the checkers.
As well as the race win , he also secured the Ogilvee Series.
It was 11-00 pm by the time Victory Lane ceremonies were over, so with just the Vintage feature left to run, I made my exit.
By the time I got home it was half past midnight. I didn’t stay up late editing, as I had to be back at the BOS by 1-00 pm the next day .
I left home around mid day and was at the track before just after 1-00pm
Once again my buddy Jim Clarke was there early too, so we both did a pit wander.
The Saturday show comprised of DirtCar Series races for 358 Modifieds and Sportsman so there were a lot more cars in the pits, that had come from far afield.
Once such driver was Noah Walker from North Tonawanda near to Niagara Falls NY.
We had a long chat with Noah who was making his first visit to the B.O.S .
The Vintage Modifieds were once again on the program , who were joined by the Mini Stocks and replacing the Street Stocks.
For the hot laps, I tried some where a bit different to shoot from . On the outside of turn four.
In over 20 years of taking pictures at the B.O.S I’ve never shot from there, as I’ve always considered it too dangerous. Recently other photographers have been shooting there for hot laps, so thought I’d give it a go.
I still think it’s a bit dangerous but I’m pleased I gave it a try.
After the Vintage and the Modifieds had done there hot laps, I shot the Sportsman and Mini-stocks from a different spot.
It was really nice to see so many visiting drivers and new faces at the B.O.S for the series races.
It was just like old times.
After the heat races and Last Chance Qualifiers, it was the intermission , redraw and track prep time.
Once the redraw was over, a special presentation on the front stretch was made to promoters Paul and Cheryl Kirkland.
On behalf of staff and officials , long time flagman Gary Vandermeer presented them with a momento in recognition of their 30 years service to the track.
It was now feature time and the first one up was for the Vintage Mods.
As usual they had two different winners, for the two classes that run together.
Christopher Wilson was the 50’s and 60’s winner and Matt Barbour won the 70’s and 80’s.
It was now time for the big one, the DirtCar 358 Modified Series .
For the driver introductions , a new back drop had been erected, and even my photographer buddy Alex Bruce made a grand entrance 🙂
The Pole sitter for the big race was Tim Fuller but it was Tristan Draper, the older brother of Kalen, the Friday night winner, that grabbed the early lead.
Fuller tried in vein to be a match for Draper’s pace.
When the checkers came out , Fuller was still a few car lengths behind and contending with the challenging Mat Williamson.
Williamson went on to take third and complete the podium.
This also happened to be the final points night of the 358 DirtCar Series, so after the race, Quebec’s Felix Roy who was crowned champion.
Once the presentations were over it was time for the Sportsman main event.
This was also a final points night for their 2024 Championship.
The race turned out to be another clear win for Bobby Herrington, making it a another double, just like he’d done the previous weekend at Cornwall.
Following him across the line were, Shane Stearns and Gavin Eisele.
Cody McPherson who was leading the points going into the race, took the championship.
The Mini Stock feature brought this years Fall Nationals to a close with Antoine Dumouchel taking the honors .
So that was it for this years edition of the Fall Nationals.
With my race season rapidly coming to a close, I have just a few more events to attend