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Cory Turner Wins Again at Brighton

Photos by Rod Henderson/CanadianRacer.com

By Clayton Johns

BRIGHTON, Ont. (July 6, 2019) – Cory Turner took full advantage of his front row starting position and took the lead with a move in the outside lane on the opening lap, and then marched through lapped traffic in impressive fashion to claim his second win of the season with the Southern Ontario Sprints at Brighton Speedway on Saturday, July 6.

“It rained last race (at Brighton) and tonight it was really slick. I have to thank Junior French for giving us a great track,� Turner said in Victory Lane. “It was slick to a curb and our car was just a Cadillac. This is our third win of the season, so it’s by far our best season in a Sprint Car.�

Paul Pekkonen paced the field to the green flag with Turner to his outside. Turner grabbed the lead on the opening lap while third-starting Aaron Turkey raced past Pekkonen for second on lap two. Before lap four could be complete though, Turkey got over the cushion in turn four while running second and spun to a rest against the outside wall. His night ended as a result despite no obvious damage to the car as he was towed off.

On the ensuing restart with three laps complete, Turner had his brother Ryan Turner restart on his tail tank with Pekkonen in third, Shawn Sliter fourth and seventh-starting Mitch Brown in fifth. Cory Turner was strong on the restart and opened a sizeable half-straightaway lead over Ryan Turner while Sliter worked past Pekkonen for third.

Cory Turner continued to build his lead up front while Sliter had reeled in Ryan Turner for second by lap 10. The two raced side-by-side, with Sliter up on the top for two laps before Sliter completed the pass on lap 12.

At the halfway mark, Cory Turner had worked his way into slower traffic but held nearly a half lap lead over Sliter and Ryan Turner, who continued to contest the second spot. Two laps later after Sliter got over the cushion, Mitch Brown worked past him for third with 10 laps to go.

“I ran the top until about 10 to go and then guys were on the top, so we had to go to the bottom and the car was good down there too,� Cory said. “I just picked whatever lane was free the rest of the race. I can’t get over how nice that thing is to drive.�

The top three stayed constant while working through the slower traffic until two laps to go when Mitch Brown got past Ryan Turner for second in turn two. On the final lap, Sliter and Jake Brown were able to get past Jamie Turner for fourth and fifth to round out the field.

Mitch Brown’s drive from seventh to second on a very slick racetrack was impressive for the Brantford, Ont. driver who earned his first podium finish of the season.

“The redraw can make or break you here, but it was a great track. It was wide and racy,� Mitch Brown said following the race. “I just sort of waited for the track to slow down up top and the middle came in the last five laps or so.�

Cory Turner, Ryan Turner and Aaron Turkey claimed heat race wins, while Holly Porter won the Dash for Cash presented by Naylor Dock Systems, Docks Are Us, and Four Points Sheraton Hotels.

NOTES:
-Feature winner Cory Turner drew the number 20 after the race, awarding a brand new American Racer tire from Grisdale Racing Products to 20th place finisher Tyler Rand. Two more winners will be drawn at SOS races this season, with previous recipients ineligible to win again.

-The Southern Ontario Sprints will return to action on Saturday, July 27 at Brighton Speedway for round six of the 2019 season. Race time is 7:00pm. For additional event information, visit www.BrightonSpeedway.ca

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SOUTHERN ONTARIO SPRINTS RACE REPORT
SATURDAY, JULY 6, 2019
BRIGHTON SPEEDWAY
BRIGHTON, ONTARIO, CANADA

Entry List
1 Holly Porter – Delhi, Ontario
10 Mitch Brown – Brantford, Ontario
11 Jamie Turner – Caistor Centre, Ontario
11j Chris Jones – Picton, Ontario
13 Cory Turner – Caistor Centre, Ontario
15 Mike Ferrell – London, Ontario
21 Kyle Phillips – Grand Island, New York
22 Shawn Sliter – Port Colborne, Ontario
22x Al Gilleta Jr. – St. Catharines, Ontario
25 Warren Mahoney – Lefroy, Ontario
42w Rick Wilson – Joyceville, Ontario
46 Kevin Pauls – Canfield, Ontario
66 Frank Baranowski – Mount Hope, Ontario
68 Aaron Turkey – Ohsweken, Ontario
71s Dillon Sliter – Port Colborne, Ontario
84 Tyler Rand – Picton, Ontario
90 Travis Cunningham – Grimsby, Ontario
91 Ryan Turner – Caistor Centre, Ontario
98 Paul Pekkonen – Brockville, Ontario
1-10 Jake Brown – Brantford, Ontario

Heat Race 1 (Started) 8 laps – 1:48.442

1. 13 Cory Turner (2), 2. 11 Jamie Turner (3), 3. 98 Paul Pekkonen (1), / 4. 90 Travis Cunningham (7), 5. 42w Rick Wilson (5), 6. 22jr Al Gilleta Jr (4), 7. 46 Kevin Pauls (6)

Heat Race 2 (Started) 8 laps – 2:04.923

1. 91 Ryan Turner (3), 2. 11j Chris Jones (1), 3. 1-10 Jake Brown (5), / 4. 1 Holly Porter (4), 5. 25 Warren Mahoney (6), 6. DNF 84 Tyler Rand (2), DNS. 71 Dillon Sliter

Heat Race 3 (Started) 8 laps – 1:53.941

1. 68 Aaron Turkey (1), 2. 10 Jake Brown (6), 3. 22 Shawn Sliter (5), 4. 21 Kyle Phillips (3), 5. 66 Frank Baranowski (4), 6. 15 Mike Ferrell (2)

Dash For Cash (Started) 4 laps – 1:17.671
Presented by Naylor Dock Systems, Docks Are Us, and Four Points Sheraton Hotels
(Cash Only, No Lineup Implications)

1. 1 Holly Porter (2), 2. 42w Rick Wilson (4), 3. 90 Travis Cunningham (1), 4. 21 Kyle Phillips (3), 5. 66 Frank Branowski (5), 6. 71s Dillon Sliter (6)

A-Feature (Started) 25 laps – NT

1. 13 Cory Turner (2)
2. 10 Mitch Brown (7)
3. 91 Ryan Turner (5)
4. 22 Shawn Sliter (4)
5. 1-10 Jake Brown (6)
6. 11 Jamie Turner (8)
7. 42w Rick Wilson (13)
8. 11j Chris Jones (9)
9. 1 Holly Porter (11)
10. 90 Travis Cunningham (10)
11. 98 Paul Pekkonen (1)
12. 71s Dillon Sliter (20)
13. 21 Kyle Phillips (12)
14. 25 Warren Mahoney (14)
15. 66 Frank Baranowski (15)
16. 46 Kevin Pauls (19)
17. 22jr Al Gilleta Jr. (16)
18. DNF 68 Aaron Turkey (3)
19. DNF 15 Mike Ferrell (18)
20. DNF 84 Tyler Rand (17)
    A-Feature Lap Leaders – Cory Turner 1-25
    Margin of Victory – 4.199 seconds
    Hard Charger – Dillon Sliter +8 (20th to 12th)
    Grisdale Racing Products Tire Draw Winner – Tyler Rand

Up Next:
Brighton Speedway – Brighton, Ontario – Saturday, July 27, 2019

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2019 SOUTHERN ONTARIO SPRINTS SCHEDULE

1. April 20 – Merrittville Speedway (Thorold, Ont.) – RAINED OUT (Spring Sizzler)
2. May 18 – Brighton Speedway (Brighton, Ont.) – POSTPONED
3. May 25 – Brighton Speedway (Brighton, Ont.) – RAINED OUT (rescheduled from May 18)
4. June 15 – Brighton Speedway (Brighton, Ont.) – WINNER: CORY TURNER
5. June 22 – Merrittville Speedway (Thorold, Ont.) – WINNER: DYLAN WESTBROOK (Gary Cunningham Memorial)
6. July 6 – Brighton Speedway (Brighton, Ont.) – WINNER: CORY TURNER
7. July 27 – Brighton Speedway (Brighton, Ont.) –
8. August 16 – Ohsweken Speedway (Ohsweken, Ont.) –
9. August 31 – Brighton Speedway (Brighton, Ont.) – (Labour Day Classic Weekend)
10. September 1 – Brighton Speedway (Brighton, Ont.) – (Labour Day Classic Weekend)
11. September 7 – Merrittville Speedway (Thorold, Ont.) – (SOS Championship)
    NP. September 13 – Ohsweken Speedway (Ohsweken, Ont.) – (Night Before the Nationals)
    NP. September 14 – Ohsweken Speedway (Ohsweken, Ont.) – (Canadian Sprint Car Nationals)

About the Southern Ontario Sprints: Founded in 1996, the Southern Ontario Sprints series is a traveling winged 360 Sprint Car tour based in Ontario, Canada. 2019 marks the 24th year of operation for the Southern Ontario Sprints tour. The 2019 schedule consists of 12 events at three different race tracks in Ontario; each SOS tour event pays a minimum of $1,200-to-win and $240-to-start. Visit www.SouthernOntarioSprints.ca for more information.

Website: www.SouthernOntarioSprints.com
Twitter: @SOSsprints
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/SouthernOntarioSprints
Instagram: @southernontariosprints
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/user/SOSsprints

The Southern Ontario Sprints would like to thank their 2019 partners, including Brighton Speedway, Merrittville Speedway, Ohsweken Speedway, the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, www.ImageFactor.ca, and Grisdale Racing Products.
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