By: Clayton Johns/57 Racing
September 29 2016
Trenton, Ontario – Charlie Sandercock repeated his greatest career accomplishment with a win in the $6,000-to-win Great Crate Race for the Go Nuclear Late Model Series at Brighton Speedway on Saturday night. The victory was Sandercock’s fourth with the tour in 2016, fifth at Brighton and seventh overall. The Trenton, Ont. driver becomes the second driver in the six-year history of the race to win in two consecutive seasons.
“It surprised me the first time. The second-time around it’s the same feeling because I’m glad my team’s hard work and dedication showed off at a big race and event like that. It makes it much more rewarding for the crew,” Sandercock explained.
Sandercock wasted little time jumping to second after starting in the third-spot as he broke away from the rest of the field with leader Kyle Sopaz. Initially, Sandercock focused on maintaining his track position while conserving his equipment for the end of the 65-lap race.
“We took our time at the beginning of the race and made sure we didn’t burn off our tires for when the opportunity arose. The restart on lap 51 was when I figured it was time to go,” Sandercock said.
He took the lead from Sopaz in the top lane and then anchored his Bellevue Fabricating/Deerhaven/Newham Enterprise No.57 down to the bottom lane until a caution with five laps to go.
“I knew those guys were only rolling the bottom, so once I cleared them on the outside I just dropped back to the bottom and played defense. If they wanted to pass me back they were going to have to go around me,” explained Sandercock.
The lead nearly disappeared on the final restart of the race when Sandercock restarted in the outside lane and Bryce Davis made contact from behind, allowing Sopaz to get a jump.
“I went to turn the car to pick up the gas and as I did that Bryce Davis got underneath the back of me. It picked up my rear tires so when I fired the car didn’t go anywhere,” Sandercock said. “Kyle was able to get a run up the inside. As I saw that I knew I had to do the same thing I did to get the lead to get it back.”
Sandercock successfully retook the lead on the outside and led the final three laps to secure the victory and $6,000 winner’s pay.
Prior to Saturday’ race, Sandercock finished second in the final Vanderlaan Pro Late Model point race of the season at Brighton. Phil Potts claimed the win and the championship as Sandercock settled for the runner-up spot on both accounts after a long and hard fought battle.
“It was a good race and we knew we had a good car from the word go. We got out front early and just kind of put it on cruise control,” Sandercock said. “Unfortunately a couple of lapped cars go in to the mix of things over the final few laps and got us tangled up and we weren’t able to hold on for the win.”
Potts and Sandercock have become friendly rivals over their time in Brighton’s Pro Late Model division since the class was re-introduced in 2010.
“A big congratulations to those guys. They’ve worked hard all year long and for the past six years as this class has grown at Brighton Speedway,” Sandercock said. “He was one of the originals and they’ve been at it a long time. Their hard word really paid off.”
Sandercock will now get set for his final trip south of the border on Friday, September 30 when the Go Nuclear Late Model Series visits Fulton (NY) Speedway for the Pit Stop Convenience Stores 50 presnted by Gillee’s NAPA Auto Parts. It will be Sandercock’s first start at Fulton this season.
“We’re really itching to get a win down there. I’ve been travelling to Fulton Speedway since 2007 almost every year to race. I’ve yet to come home with a victory so I really want to get one,” Sandercock stated.
Event information is available at www.fultonspeedway.com and www.gonuclearlatemodelseries.com.
SEASON STATS
Charlie Sandercock 2016 Crate Late Model Season: 28 Starts – 7 Wins, 21 Top-5s, 26 Top-10s
Charlie Sandercock 2016 360 Sprint Car Season: 2 Starts – 0 Wins, 2 Top-5, 2 Top-10
UP NEXT
September 30 – Go Nuclear Late Model Series at Fulton Speedway (NY)
FOLLOW CHARLIE SANDERCOCK
Website: www.charliesandercock.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CharlieSandercockRacing
Twitter: @57Sandercock
Charlie Sandercock’s 2016 season is proudly supported by the following corporate sponsors: Bellevue Fabricating, Deerhaven Farm and Garden, Newham Enterprise, Image Landscape Contracting, Excel Tower Service, Jeff Harrison Farms, Eibach Springs, MCR, Bullet Signs and Graphics, Victory Motorcycles, CCS Industrial Supply, C Smith Automotive Machine Shop, Klotz Sythetic Lubricants Canada, KD Transmission, Stampkrete Contracting, Auto Add-Ons Belleville and Image Factor.ca Motorsports Designs.