Delaware round ten preview

The CASCAR Super Series heads to Delaware Speedway for the APC 300 Great Canadian Race Weekend

LONDON, ON - This weekend, the CASCAR Super Series returns to Delaware Speedway for one of the biggest events on the annual Canadian stock car calendar. Sunday afternoon's APC 300 is the centerpiece of the 'Great Canadian Race Weekend', a racing tradition that goes back more than two decades. The list of past winners of the event reads like a 'who's who' of Canadian stock car racing. Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductee and former Super Series racer Earl Ross won the inaugural Labour Day 300-lap event at the London-area, half-mile oval back in 1982. Tracy Leslie has three APC 300 wins to his credit, while Sean Dupuis, Dan Shirtliff and Steve Robblee have won it twice. Wayne Keeling, Alex Nagy, Brad Jacques, Al Turner, Kerry Micks and several others have also tasted victory in this prestigious event.

But in recent years, the 'Great Canadian Race' has been dominated by one man. Peter Gibbons stands above the crowd with five career victories, including memorable wins in the last two APC 300s. Last year's victory by the Canadian Tire Chevy driver surprised everyone, including Gibbons.

Relegated to the back of the 35-car field for the start of the race by a ride-height infraction after time trials, the usually up-beat Gibbons was dejected during the pre-race autograph session. But what followed was nothing short of incredible. The Stouffville, ON racer put on an astounding 'back-to-front' charge that added to the legend of the APC 300. The performance overshadowed Gibbons' achievement in the 2003 edition of the APC 300 when he won from the 16th starting position.

But all of that is in the past. Gibbons will have to have a similar result in this Sunday's feature race if he plans to have a chance at winning his third career CASCAR Super Series National championship. Heading into the weekend, Home Hardware Chevy driver Don Thomson has amassed a comfortable 91-point lead over Gibbons in the overall standings. Thomson is focused on earning his fifth straight National title.

Lurking in third-place in the points, after nine of 12 events, is Castrol Dodge driver DJ Kennington of nearby St. Thomas, Ontario. Kennington has been on a tear in the second-half of the Super Series season and has thrown himself into the heat of the points chase after a tough start to the campaign.

The Great Canadian Race Weekend is a three-day stock car extravaganza. On Friday evening, Delaware Speedway will host 'Triple 50s' for its regular Late Model division as well as its Truck class and the popular 'King of the Hill' spectator races. Saturday's program will feature time trials by the Super Series teams that will set the grid for Sunday's APC 300. The Modified and Street Stock classes will also be in action on Saturday night.

After that, it will be time for the main event. Delaware will open its gates on 11 a.m. on Sunday morning. The Super Series driver autograph session and several other pre-race festivities will set the stage for the start of the APC 300 at 2 p.m.

DELAWARE NOTES: Don Thomson sat on the pole for last year's APC 300 after lapping the Delaware half-mile oval in 19.470 seconds-- Ron Beauchamp won the MOPAR 250 at Delaware on the May long weekend--

CASCAR ON TV: Watch a CASCAR double-header on SPORTSNET this weekend. The network is airing both the Mosport Speedway 200 and the Logel's AutoParts 200 from Peterborough Speedway.

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