Column By: MARTY CZEKALA / RPW – CANANDAIGUA, NY – Jimmy Grant made an incredible charge from 9th position to the lead in lapped traffic, overtaking Adam Depuy with three to go in the Street Stock feature as part of the Ovens Memorial.
Sportsman racer Grant, the 2021 Street Stock champion, brought out his SS in a one-off for Stewart and Brad Ovens, respectively, former Land of Legends racer and TV producer. Both passed away during the offseason.
“This is for Stu and Brad. For me to win on this night, being so close to that family, this is for those two,” Grant exclaimed to RPW.
It wasn’t an easy challenge as he had to fight Adam Depuy, who took the lead on lap four inside of Carl Johnson off turn two. During the race, Grant made passes on the second groove from the bottom, a line that minimal drivers were running. But the #36 made it work. Grant caught up to Depuy just past the halfway point of the 20-lap feature. Coming to six to go, Grant took a chance on the high side of Depuy, but the latter got a better drive off on the corner exit. Lapped traffic looked to have slowed down Grant and ended his chances for a win if not for a yellow, but then Depuy caught a big wad to allow Grant to close in. The leaders would go four wide in the second set of corners with lapped traffic coming to three to go. Grant would get away with the lead as a lapped car in Ely Mangiarelli crowded Depuy off four. A red flag would then fly for a Big One in turn three as Jason Quigley, and Josh Pangrazio slowed. John Burritt checked up spinning while Jeff Hand, Brad Steinruck Jr., and Nick Dandino had nowhere to go.
Depuy had nothing for Grant on the final restart as the #36 returned to victory lane in Canandaigua.
“That was the most fun I’ve had in a racecar in years. Close racing, he’s (Depuy) a hell of a driver. You can’t take anything away from him. I know he’d run me clean if I got out front. Unfortunately, he got caught up in lapped traffic. I don’t think it would’ve made a difference in clean air because I was rolling the center really good. I’m happy for the team,” Grant stated.
Grant confirmed he as well actually won with a hobby stock motor.
“Shoutout to Jeff Hand. We tore this motor apart in my shop three days ago. It was a hobby stock motor. We won with a hobby stock motor tonight.”
In the Hobby Stocks for race two of the Ovens Memorial, Wayne Ellison was the class of the field to go 2-2 this season at Land of Legends.
Ellison started from fifth in the feature and wasted no time getting to second on lap two, making it three wide on Nate Peckham and Jaren Israel. Before he had a chance to take the lead on Frank Burnell, a yellow flew for Daniel Kerrick.
Burnell got tight in three and four on the restart lap, allowing Ellison to capitalize on the inside line to take the lead away and hold it off. Burnell would maintain a constant gap of a second before an extended yellow with two to go for Kerrick as he was leaking fluid.
“Please don’t drive through whatever that oil**** was. Stay away from it,” Ellison told himself after the best car had to deal with a late race restart.
Luckily, Ellison could drive away from Burnell to take his 2nd win of the season.
“I started seeing the [Ovens] family at Super Dirt Week, Djing, etc. No matter where you go, they seem to be around. I think they’ve been in all kinds of races themselves. Always willing to help,” Ellison told RPW thinking of the Ovens family. “I knew he wasn’t gonna get off the bottom. I was hoping he would slide up, which he did. I tried to get a run around the outside, and it worked good. “Bubba” is really good on the bottom.”
99 cars checked in tonight, including 22 Street Stocks and 17 Hobby Stocks.
For more content with Jimmy Grant, Wayne Ellison, and Josh Pangrazio, like the RSN Trackside Facebook page.
Street Stock Ovens Memorial (20 Laps)
36 Jimmy Grant (28:20.717), 2. 99 Adam Depuy (0.727s), 3. 5c Rick Crego (1.767s), 4. 00 Mike Welch (2.359s), 5. 9 Aksel Jensen (3.599s), 6. 87 Carl Johnson (4.014s), 7. 93 Jared Hill (4.318s), 8. 24j Marcus Springer (5.122s), 9. 12s Dakohta Sharpe (5.785s), 10. 25b Marc Minutolo (-1L), 11. 3 Pat Hobbs (-1L), 12. 93x Ely Manglarelli (-1L), 13. 34q Jason Quigley (-1L), 14. 74 Ron Metcalf (-1L), 15. 63 Mike Fellows (-1L), 16. 57j Nick Dandino (-3L), 17. 510 Brad Steinruck Jr. (-3L), 18. 122 Chris Beyea (-3L), 19. 55p Parker Smith (-3L), 20. 7 Josh Pangrazio (-4L), 21. 36w Jeff Hand (-4L), 22. 12 John Burritt (-4L)
Heat Winners: 87 Johnson, 57j Dandino, 7 Pangrazio
Fastest Lap: 36 Grant 22.376s (Lap 18)
Hobby Stock Ovens Memorial (15 Laps)
18 Wayne Ellison (21:34.919), 2. 57b Frank Burnell (1.073s), 3. 90 Nate Peckham (1.806s), 4. 25j Justin Eldredge (2.219s), 5. 57J Tyler Burnell (2.734s), 6. 13b Brian Lloyd (3.352s), 7. 10 Jaren Israel (3.727s), 8. 25b Marc Minutolo (3.931s), 9. 55d Chris Dziomba (5.176s), 10. 17jr Jamie Eldredge Jr. (5.931s), 11. 42 Shawn Lloyd (6.415s), 12. 17a Jon Allmenkinder (7.022s), 13. 126 Chuck Cala (7.591s), 14. 97 Kenny Hunt (10.761s), 15. 61 Daniel Kerrick (-3L), 16. 88 Justin Jaocby (-3L), 17. 85x Alex Dykes (-11L)
Heat Winners: 18 Ellison, 90 Peckham
Fastest Lap: 18 Ellison 23.048s (Lap 7)