Press Release
Mark Hitchcock won the 30-lap feature at Cornwall Motor Speedway for the 1st time in 10 years. The win didn't come easy for the Kingston driver, as he had to hold off both O'Brien brothers (Danny and Pat), also from Kingston, to grab the checkered flag. Hitchcock took advantage of his good starting position (4th) to quickly work his way into the lead. Hitchcock grabbed the top spot with a good move coming out of turn 2 down the backstretch. Then it was just a matter of holding on for the other 28 laps. Pat O'Brien, who started 14th, jumped into 2nd spot just over the half way mark of the race. Danny O'Brien was right behind the front runners in 3rd.
Hitchcock must have been nervous when the caution flag dropped with 1 lap to go, forcing the field to tighten up and line up single file for the restart. By this time, Danny O'Brien had worked the high side of the track to force his 17D into 2nd just ahead of his older brother Pat. But Hitchcock was flawless on the restart on his way to the winner's circle.
Hitchcock's last feature win at Cornwall came the same year he won the track championship, 1989.
Rounding out the top 5 were Smiths Falls, Ontario's Dave "The Slip" Heaslip and Graham Gorman from Embrun. For Gorman, it was the 2nd straight 5th place finish at Ron Morin's quarter mile oval.
Eric Gauvreau, from Chelsea, Quebec, returned to the winner's circle after a two-week absence in the Late Model class. Gauvreau had to hold off a strong field that included Lee Ladouceur from Alexandria (2nd), Cornwall driver Dave Renauld (3rd), Randy Earl (4th) and another Alexandria driver, Dave Bissonette (5th). The win makes Gauvreau the 1st 5-time winner, in any class, at Cornwall this season.
In the Duke Stock feature, Ingleside, Ontario native Steve Johnston picked up his 2nd win of the season at Cornwall while the Kees Van Winden followed suit with his 2nd Rookie Stock feature victory.
The big block Modifieds come to Cornwall Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 11th for the Miller Lite International Super DIRT Modified Series. Drivers, including Brett "The Jet" Hearn, Kenny Tremont, A.J Johnson and Tim McCreadie will be going after two things. One would be the winner's share of the $40,000 purse and the other would be a spot in the season ending championship race in Syracuse, New York. The Late Model class will run a regular 20-lap feature while the Duke Stocks will take part in a special 25-lap feature. The Rookies will have the night off. The rain date for the event is Wednesday, July 14th.?