Niagara Raceway Results - July 29, 2000
Canadian National Speedway Championship

By Duncan Luke
luke99@idirect.com

The retirement of Chris Hesmer, following last week's accident, and injuries to Andy Harris and Casey Franic resulted in a smaller than usual field of riders for this event. However those on hand provided an excellent night's entertainment for the large crowd who enjoyed plenty of exciting race action.

Referee Mike Fair's decision to move the pipe outwards during practice provided a wider race groove than usual but the small amount of dirt on the outside quickly dried out and prevented the development of a good outside race line. As a result most of the overtaking took place on the inside particularly on the home straight. Nonetheless the wider groove played it's part in creating a race track on which riders were able to challenge and overtake and had a large part to play in the fact that not a single rider fell during the entire program.

First Place, John Kehoe

The first heat set the tempo for the night. Although there was no overtaking Bogden Muszynski pressed John Kehoe hard for all four laps while behind them John Dmytrow and Ryan Rainville had their own close contest. The next race was even better. Fred Legault beat Jeff Orosz to the first turn and withstood non stop efforts to pass him until Orosz just got under him going into the first turn of the last lap and got through for a very hard earned win. Veteran Greg Comstock zipped from the gate and showed lots of pace to relegate the speedy Nick Fafard to second place in the final race of the first round.

Kehoe and Orosz met at the start of the second round but it was Bogden Muszynski who took off from the gate and powered along in front. Orosz was slow from the gate but got past Kehoe and John Mercier before the end of the first lap. However he could not close on Muszynski who had the race in hand until he pulled off at the beginning of the last lap with a flat tire. No points was a poor return for a fine effort by Bobby. Nick Fafard and Legault won the remaining heats in the round and Greg Comstock came from behind to snare a second place and keep his challenge alive.

Muszynski provided more thrills in his next outing but had to settle for second behind Orosz with Nick Fafard well back in third place. Kehoe and Legault had comfortable wins to keep their challenges on song.

The next race featured three potential finalists. As it turned out the race to turn one was critical as despite a tight race there was no passing and Nick Fafard finished in front of Legault and Comstock. Bobby M's hopes of earning a berth in the final died in the next heat. He was in second place behind Orosz when his bike threw its chain at the final turn and he could only watch helplessly as he was relegated to fourth as he coasted home.

With one round left the question was could Joe Heye catch Comstock for the last place in the final. It was not to be as Heye could do no better than fourth place in his heat while Comstock took a third in his much tougher final race. It was good to see veteran Guy Fafard win the final qualifying heat. This was his first outing on a fast circuit since his very bad accident more than a year ago at Trois Rivieres. He improved steadily throughout the meeting and looked like his old self by the end of the night.

It was fitting in a night of fine racing that the final should have a dramatic finish. Expectations of an Orosz-Kehoe battle were stymied when Orosz missed the gate and was back in fourth place coming out of the second turn. Kehoe was in front followed by Legault and Nick Fafard. Legault kept the pressure on the leader and made several determined efforts to come inside him but each time Kehoe met the challenge. Meanwhile Orosz got past Fafard on the third lap and closed up on Legault. With a dramatic surge around the final two turns he came inside Legault as he came out of the last corner, rocketed past him and almost caught Kehoe in the run to the finish but was a bike-length short as they crossed the line.

With this win, his third in four meetings, John Kehoe has all but clinched the National Title for this year. Only Jeff Orosz has a mathematical chance to catch him but a finish in next week's final is all it will take to clinch it for Kehoe.

This was a meeting in which the veterans sparkled. Of the finalists only Nick Fafard can be classed as a youngster. It was good to see veterans Fred Legault, Greg Comstock and Guy Fafard show that they still have what it takes to compete at the top level.

Second Place, Jeff Orosz

Third Place, Fred Legault

Fourth Place, Nick Fafard

Fifth Place, Greg Comstock