Cornwall Motor Speedway
Mantha rises to top for $2,000 Cornwall victory
Peter Mantha Jr. in Cornwall's victory lane. (imagefactor.ca)
CORNWALL, Ontario (July 25) — Peter Mantha Jr. of Gatineau, Quebec, took the lead amid traffic late in the 35-lap feature at Cornwall Motor Speedway on Sunday and raced to his first career Late Model victory. The fifth-starting Mantha, who drives a Chub-Frank prepared car that’s a lookalike to the World of Outlaws driver’s machine, earned $2,000 on the Ontario Dirt Late Models circuit.
Reigning ODLM champion Greg Oakes of Franklinville, N.Y., was second followed by David Scott of Garland, Pa., who won Saturday’s ODLM event at Brockville (Ontario) Speedway. Kirk Hooker of Chatham, Ontario, and Greg Belyea of Frankford, Ontario, rounded out the top five. Polesitter Andrew Reaume of Blenheim, Ontario, ran up front early but settled for sixth.
Midway through the race, it appeared Chad Valone of Warren, Pa., Oakes and Scott would settle the results among themselves. But Valone got too high in turn four and lost control on lap 23, drawing a yellow flag and handing the lead to Oakes.
Oakes and Scott then battled it out up front, swapping the lead through slower cars as Mantha chased them in third. Mantha stalked the frontrunners and worked his way to the front, leading the final laps for the victory.
Several cautions slowed the action, the most serious for a lap-three yellow after a tangle on the frontstretch that included 14 of 25 starters.
ODLM @ Cornwall: (1) Peter Mantha Jr., (2) Greg Oakes, (3) David Scott, (4) Kirk Hooker, (5) Greg Belyea, (6) Andrew Reaume, (7) Greg Haskell, (8) Adam West, (9) Jeff Dayman, (10) Chad Valone, (11) Charlie Sandercock, (12) Phil Potts, (13) Caley Weese, (14) Jim Jones, (15) Jason McCrory, (16) Brett Reaume, (17) Don Gordon, (18) Jeff Mutton, (19) Mike Lewis, (20) Beau Brown, (21) Jim Mason, (22) Rob Perry, (23) Keith Cameron, (24) Jason Haskell, (25) Dale Glassford. Heat race winners (among 25 cars): Reaume, Mantha, Valone.
