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Charlie Smith Returns to Sunset Speedway Victory Lane

INNISFIL, Ontario — After a long hiatus, Charlie Smith got to hold the black and white checkered flag once again, scoring the victory on Saturday night at Sunset Speedway.

Will Gibbons won the first heat ahead of Matt Boyes, Cameron McGlashan, Connor Maltese, Peter Wakeling, Chandler Bos, and Kyle D’Antimo.

Josh Bullen scored the victory in the second qualifier ahead of Charlie Smith, Paul Bogensberger Jr., Jeff LaFlamme, Bob Phinnemore, Curtis Stewart, Jeff Richard, Dylan Bowman, and Kris Inglis.

Matt Boyes won the third heat ahead of Gibbons, Phinnemore, Maltese, Wakeling, and D’Antimo.

The fourth qualifier featured a quick yellow flag with Bogensberger Jr. and Bowman going around in turn two. Jeff Laflamme scored the victory ahead of Smith, Bullen, Stewart, Richard, Bogensberger Jr., Bowman, and Phinnemore.

Come feature time, Paul Maltese started pole ahead of Cameron McGlashan, Jeff Laflamme, Charlie Smith, Josh Bullen, Will Gibbons, Matt Boyes, Paul Bogensberger Jr., Chandler Bos, Curtis Stewart, Peter Wakeling, Jeff Richard, Bob Phinnemore, Dylan Bowman, Kyle D’Antimo, and Kris Inglis.

The drop of the green flag would see Laflamme take McGlashan and Maltese three-wide coming to take the green flag, resulting in Maltese getting split through the field like a hot dog flying out of a bun. Laflamme grabbed the early advantage, with Gibbons and Smith taking McGlashan three-wide for second just before the yellow flag waved.

Laflamme got a good restart with Gibbons and Smith side-by-side for second, as Boyes and McGlashan battled for fourth. The battle was shortly lived, though, with the caution coming out on Lap 3 for Maltese stopping in turn two.

The restart would immediately see a yellow flag, with Boyes going up in smoke through turns three and four. Bowman would make his way down pit road with a flat tire.

Laflamme got another good restart as the battle for second resumed between Smith and Gibbons. Gibbons got the spot on Lap 4 ahead of Smith, McGlashan, and Bullen.

Bullen would get alongside McGlashan for third when the caution came out for an incident off of turn two. Inglis got loose off the corner, hitting Maltese underneath him, before coming up the track and collecting Bowman, before the pair hit the outside turn four wall.

The restart would see a battle for the lead between Laflamme and Gibbons, with Gibbons grabbing the top spot on Lap 6 ahead of Laflamme, Smith, and Bullen, as McGlashan and Bogensberger Jr. battled for fifth. Bogensberger Jr. got by McGlashan for the spot, with Stewart snagging sixth on Lap 11. McGlashan now ran seventh ahead of Booth, Richard, Phinnemore, Maltese, Wakeling, Bowman, and D’Antimo.

Will Gibbons would drive away from the field through the second half of the event, picking up the checkered flag ahead of Jeff Laflamme. The pair would be disqualified in post-race technical inspection.

As a result, Charlie Smith picked up the win ahead of Josh Bullen, Paul Bogensberger Jr., Curtis Stewart, and Cameron McGlashan. Curtis Stewart placed sixth, followed by Jeff Richard, Connor Maltese, Bob Phinnemore, and Peter Wakeling, Dylan Bowman finished 11th , followed by Kyle D’Antimo, Kris Inglis, and Matt Boyes.

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