2012 ARCA OK Tire Sportsman Series Race 1 Lordco 100 – Motoplex
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| Trevor Seibert Wins Lorco 100 |
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| Dave Hemrich - Second Place |
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| Ian Graham - Third
A beautiful summer day in the Okanagan valley was the backdrop to a great ARCA OK Tire Sportsman Series race. 21 drivers were prepping cars and polishing driving after the long cold winter. NASCAR Canadian Tire driver Trevor Seibert was out in the number 69 car, marking the second only father-son combination to compete since the Mike and Peter Ernst duo years ago. Ryley Seibert was pumped to race against his dad, and as 2010 ARCA rookie of the year, he was fully qualified to take him on. In an interesting twist, Mike Ernst was the crew-chief for the 69. A great looking field of cars practiced hard on the ½ mile D shaped oval, unfortunately for returning racer Ray Campbell, something failed in the motor and left him sidelined for the night. Qualifying order was set by last practice times and both previous ARCA/WCSS champions Mark Berriau and Matt Stephenson were one and two respectively. Not to be left out was Ian Graham, current track record holder posting the third quickest practice time. When qualifying concluded, Berriau was number one with an 18.695. A hot slick track left Graham’s record in-tact. Heat races were fast and furious with Bobby Mear winning the B heat taking home the 5 gallon can of VP Racing fuel. Unfortunately the night ended early for Dan Ursel in the 74 Lordco machine as the engine let go early in the heat. 2011 ARCA rookie of the year, Sarah Cornett-Ching was unchallenged in her number 99 Cadillac, bringing a flag to flag victory home in the A heat.
The long anticipated feature event had the weather cooling and crews scrambling to adjust. The 22 Ford of Chris Babcock took the field to the field to the green with Logan Jewel on the outside pole. Jewel, running hard lead the first lap and settled in. An early caution for a spinning Bobby Mear reset the field and set up a long green run. Jewel lead with Cornett-Ching, Rob Angus, Trevor Seibert and Chris Babcock in chase. As cars sorted out, Berriau, Stephenson, Ryley Seibert, Loudoun, and Dave Hemrich worked through traffic. The yellow flag flew at lap 40 for a spinning Matt Stephenson and Sarah Cornett-Ching off of turn 4. Stephenson stayed off inside wall, but Cornett-Ching made contact, doing minor suspension damage. She was able to return, but the car was slowed by the damage. Jewel brought the field to the green with Seibert now pressuring in second, Graham and Hemrich take advantage of the restart and slid into third and fourth spots. Caution again for the spinning 71 of Dave Olson. A transmission popping out of gear cost the young driver 5th spot. Lap 57 Seibert mounted the pass for the lead on the high side. Jewel fought back, but Seibert took the lead. The 92 of jewel, pinched tight down low, slid to fourth as Hemrich and Graham gained spots. Pacing his way through the field, at lap 76, Mark Berriau entered the fray, passing Ian Graham for fourth spot as Ryley Seibert entered the mix. Lap 91 slowed the field to yellow for contact sending 96 of Don Nickel around. Nine laps to go, the battle between Hemrich and Trevor Seibert heated up. You couldn’t fit a piece of paper between the two cars. Five to go had Berriau sliding by Hemrich to second, setting his sights on Seibert. Jewel, Ryley Seibert, and Graham lay in wait. White flag and Berriau set up the pass. Off of two, Berriau pressured hard. Something in the diff lets go, turning the car sideways. Berriau saves the car, but Seibert and Graham react, one on each side. Trevor Seibert wins the Lordco 100. Hemrich into second, Graham third, Ryley Seibert fourth, Mark Berriau holds Fifth. Jewel a solid run in sixth, Loudoun seventh, Trevor Adelman brings his new car to eighth, Bobby Mear recovers after his spin to ninth spot. Stephenson after a tough night rounds the top ten. Babcock eleventh. Dave Olson manages a twelfth spot. Mike Soppit with a solid in lucky number thirteen. Don nickel fourteen, ARCA rookie Jeff Cameron fifteenth, Cornett-Ching survives the night with a sixteenth. Rookie contender Cass Walker finished a good run in seventeenth, A cut tire sends Rob Angus back to eighteenth, Rookie Barry Clayton rounds out the nineteenth spot. Thanks to all of the sportsman racers, teams and fans for a great night of racing. See you all in Williams Lake for Race 2 of the ARCA OK Tire Sportsman Series.
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