SOUTHERN ONTARIO SPRINTS OPENER IN BRIGHTON ALMOST A FAMILY AFFAIR FOR THE WILSON FAMILY

For Immediate Release:

Dave Cook-SOS Media

Brighton Ontario: Joyceville, Ontario’s Rick Wilson lived up to his nickname The Joyceville Jet Saturday when he drove from a seventh place starting position to take the victory in the Brighton Garden Market IGA sponsored Southern Ontario Sprints (SOS) feature race.

The opening day at Brighton Speedway, sponsored annually by Trenton, Ontario’s CJTN Radio 1270, also kicked off the SOS 2002 Championship Tour and the first of a five race series at Brighton which will be sponsored by Garden Market IGA.

Wilson, who fielded a second car for his 17- year old son, Kyle, who was making his sprint car racing debut, had a lot to smile about following the race. Kyle, who started fifth, was challenging the SOS defending champion Warren Mahoney for second place for much of the 20-lap run.

“I am really happy tonight. I wanted to put Kyle in my second car to give him a feel for a sprint car. He really did well tonight finishing third behind Mahoney. This is he first time in a sprint car and he did a super job,” said Wilson.

Wilson, who bought out his car owner over the winter is embarking on this season as an owner-driver and expects to be running much of the SOS 2002 Championship Tour.

Tim Phillips of Grand Island, N.Y. led the starting field to the green and managed keep control until the half-way point when the Joyceville Jet and Mahoney both slipped past. By lap 14 the younger Wilson then moved Phillips back to fourth place. The leaders ran in that order for the balance of the night.

Two cautions were thrown during the night, the first on lap eight when pole sitter Jim Porter of Grand Island, N.Y. came to a stop and the second on lap 13 when Curt Sherwood of  Sanborn, N.Y. rolled to a stop.

Wheatfield, N.Y. driver, Bill Krull, who enters the series as a rookie, elected to start the race from last position showed well in his debut to bring his mount home in fifth position ahead of veteran Dick Mahoney of Newmarket, Ontario. Two other rookies in the starting field, Ken Bayliss of Hamilton, Ontario finished tenth while Paul Ballantyne of Brantford, Ontario, finished 13^th.

Only two drivers among the 17 on hand failed to make the feature race. 2001 SOS champion Keith Dempster suffered engine failure in hot laps and loaded his car on the trailer to end his night. The 1997 SOS Champion, John Reigling of Chatham, Ontario, encountered mechanical gremlins and failed to take the green flag for the feature.

Results: May 4,2002 Brighton Speedway

Brighton Garden Market IGA Feature Race: 1.Rick Wilson, Joyceville, Ont.; 2.Warren Mahoney, Lefroy, Ont.; 3.Kyle Wilson, Joyceville, Ont.; 4.Tim Phillips, Grand Island, NY; 5.Bill Krull, Wheatfield, N.Y.;  6. Dick Mahoney, Newmarket, Ont.; 7. Jim Porter, Grand Island, N.Y.; 8.Garry Evans, London,Ont.; 9. Adam West,  Ridgetown,Ont.; 10. Ken Bayliss, Hamilton, Ont.; 11. Glenn Styers, Ohsweken, Ont.; 12. Curt Sherwood, Sanborn, N.Y.; 13.Paul Ballantyne, Brantford, Ont.; 14. Dean St, Denis, Windsor, Ont.; 15. Bob Mesmer, Grand Island, N.Y. DNF: John Reigling, Chatham, Ontario

Heat One: 1. W. Mahoney; 2.Sherwood; 3. Phillips; 4. K. Wilson; 5.Mesmer;               

     6. D. Mahoney

Heat Two: 1.R. Wilson; 2.Krull; 3.Porter; 4.St. Denis; 5.West; 6.Styers; 7.Ballantyne;       

                  8. John Riegling, Chatham, Ont.

Cooper-Standard Automotive Dash: 1. R.Wilson; 2.W. Mahoney; 3.Sherwood; 4.Krull

Contingency Awards for the event:

Extreme Racewear certificates to top four feature finishers

Signet Tools certificates to heat winners

Pioneer Petroleum certificates to all participants

FAST Fresh Air Systems Technologies certificates to heat winners

Series Award from: Brighton Speedway, Price Paving, Wiseco Pistons and Pennzoil  

Next Race-May 17 at Ohsweken Speedway, Ohsweken, Ontario