Charlie Menard Wins the Canada 200 Cayuga (ON) Speedway Park
By Bram • Jul 2nd, 2007 • Category: ASA
Charlie Menard gets it done in Canada; Wins the Canada 200 Presented by Sicard Holiday Campers at the Cayuga (ON) Speedway Park.
Hagersville, Ontario (Canada) (07/01/2007): The Seventh Race of the Fifth Anniversary 2007 Racing Season for the ASA Late Model Series Presented by GM Performance Parts is now complete. The historic Cayuga (ON) Speedway Park located West of Buffalo, New York and Southeast of Brantford in Hagersville, Ontario/Canada served as gracious hosts for "America's Premiere Short Track Series'" first ever International event.
The ASALMS first ever event held outside of the United States was the running of the Canada 200 Presented by Sicard Holiday Campers at one of the most historic and storied tracks in all of Canada, the Cayuga Speedway Park.
As for the Canada 200 Presented by Sicard Holiday Campers, Eau Claire, Wisconsin veteran, Charlie Menard took the lead from 21-year-old Michael Annett on Lap 126 and from there, Menard steered his Menards Home Improvement/Ford Fusion to a dominating victory, his first since October 7, 2005 at his home track of the LaCrosse (WI) Fairgrounds Speedway during the prestigious Oktoberfest Weekend.
Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year Points Leader, Derek Thorn and Michael Annett were the front row. Originally, Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame Driver, Butch Miller was to start on the outside of the front row, but problems even before the ASALMS Wave Lap force Miller to pit and the Coopersville, Michigan veteran would have to start at the back of the field.
So it would be Thorn and Annett leading the 23-car field to guest Chief Starter from Hamilton, Ontario, 30-year veteran, Chip Shunaman's green flag to begin the 200-lap Feature and it was Thorn who would edge out Annett heading into the first corner to take the early lead.
Thorn set a torrid pace in the early going as he jumped out to over a full straight away lead over Annett and the rest of the field. The first of only three cautions thrown all evening was displayed on Lap 30 when Colt James suddenly slowed in Turn One. On the restart, Thorn again pulled away from Annett and began lapping fellow competitors at a rapid rate.
As lapped traffic became heavy at times, Thorn would carefully negotiate around the lapped cars. On Lap 91 and after five laps of trying to pass the potential lapped car of Alec Carll, Thorn got into the back of the 17-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan turning him around. ASALMS Officials sent Thorn to the rear of the field giving the lead to Annett.
Annett himself would then take off from the rest of the field when on Lap 99, Peter Cozzolino and Charlie Menard collided coming down the front stretch sending Menard around and into the infield grass. With the Lap 100 ½ way break coming on the next lap, the teams took the crossed flags and Yellow Flag to end the first half.
Menard was awarded his spot back in Fourth as Cozzolino was sent to the rear of the field to begin the second half of the Canada 200 Presented by Sicard Holiday Campers. Annett led the field to the green to begin the second half with a the hard charging Travis Dassow, the current ASALMS Challenge Division Points Leader who earlier in the afternoon won the ARP Bodies/Aluminum Racing Products Fast Qualifier Award and 18-year-old Keeton Hanks.
Menard began his charge to the front and quickly made short work of Hanks and later Dassow. He then set his sights on Annett and finally on Lap 126, Menard made the pass coming out of Turn Four to take the lead.
From there, Menard would set another torrid pace rivaling that of Thorn's earlier run and would proceed to continue Thorn's work by putting cars laps down. Overall, Menard lapped everyone all the way up to the Fifth Place car during the caution free second half.
