Mario Clair has won everything there is to win at Cornwall Motor Speedway. But a Super DIRTcar Series win was still missing.
The St-Edmond, QC driver finally checked that off his resume Sunday night, holding off Dalton Slack in traffic to win the O’Canada 100. He also earned a guaranteed starting spot at Super DIRT Week 53.
“It was a super race,” Clair said. “The momentum in this car was really good.”
Clair and Slack led the field to the green in the 100-lap Feature, with Clair nosing out ahead as they completed Lap 1. However, Clair couldn’t get away from the No. 3RS as the first yellow flag came out on Lap 3 for Tim Sears Jr.
On the restart, Clair nosed ahead of Slack again but had another challenger trying to wrestle the lead away. David Hebert tried to pass Clair and Slack on the outside of Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 7 but drove over the cushion in Turn 4, dropping back to 14th.
That allowed Slack to keep pace with Clair as the Welland, ON driver took his first swing at the lead on Lap 9, trying to pass Clair’s No. 124 on the inside. Slack didn’t have enough momentum to get by but had another chance when Clair reached lap traffic.
Slack chased Clair but couldn’t get by him before the race’s second caution came out on Lap 23 for 10-time Series champion Matt Sheppard.
Clair gained the advantage again over Slack when the green came back out, as Alex Payne and Mat Williamson traded third behind the top two.
After another yellow flag on Lap 46, Payne thundered around Williamson for third again and set his sights on Slack for second. The Hopewell, NY driver had his best chance to pass Slack as he pulled even with him down the backstretch, making contact as they battled on Lap 70. As the two raced into Turns 3 and 4, Payne pulled ahead, sliding in front of Slack as they raced into the corner.
That’s when Slack crossed over, entered Turn 4, and slid up the banking, where he made contact with the No. 70A, sending Payne into the implement tires at the exit of Turn 4, causing another yellow.
When the race resumed, Slack had his best shot at Clair, diving underneath him as they entered Turn 3 on Lap 75 and taking the lead in between Turns 3 and 4. But Clair was ready for it, storming to the bottom of the track to reclaim the top spot as they crossed the start/finish line. Clair drove away after getting the lead back, with Slack seeing his chances at a win starting to slip away.
Luckily for Slack, Clair caught traffic in the final five laps of the race, giving him one more chance at the $10,000 prize. Slack inched around the bottom, hoping to find enough momentum to get by. But just as he got within two car lengths, Clair switched lanes on the final lap, taking away Slack’s opportunity.
That move was all Clair needed, holding on to win his first career Super DIRTcar Series Feature, one that punched his ticket to Super DIRT Week 53.
“I was good in traffic,” Clair said. “I took things one lap at a time. [Slack] is a great competitor. This was the best win.”
Slack settled for second after a hard-fought run, earning his best career Series finish. The Canadian driver said he tried everything to get by Clair but didn’t have enough.
“Mario is really good here,” Slack said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to get by him. He was really good off the cushion, and I was just so, so, super tight. I could hold it up there, but I was kind of fighting the racecar.
“That late restart there, I just kind of got a decent run on the bottom. And I said I was just going to throw it in there. So, I threw that slide job, and it kind of panned out. He was just better with his race knowledge and just crossed me up.”
When asked about the incident with Payne on Lap 70, Slack described what happened as the two cars exited Turn 2.
“I give 100 percent credit to Alex Payne,” Slack said. “He is bad fast all the time. He just came down the back straightaway, and I screwed up a little bit coming out of (Turn) 2, and he got a run on me. But I held my line, and I wasn’t doing anything to him, and he just ran me up off the backstretch. I just braked it, and I thought I could clear him, and I guess it didn’t.
“It was unfortunate for one of the two, but some stuff you just don’t forget.”
Payne, who finished 17th, said he had a different view of the incident.
“I came down the backstretch next to him, and I made a pass and thought everything was good,” Payne said. “And next thing I know, I was looking at the grandstands. I just plain got dumped there.”
Defending Series champion Mat Williamson crossed the line third, rounding out an all-Canadian podium in the O’Canada 100.
The defending Series champion said he was chasing the car for most of the night.
“I didn’t really feel like I had a car that could win until I got to lap traffic,” Williamson said. “When I got to lap traffic, I felt like if I made the right moves, I could’ve won.
“What a great racetrack. It was a little heavy on the top, but when you got to lap cars, they were running the top, and you could race all over.”
By finishing third and earning five bonus points in his Heat Race, Williamson gained three points in the battle for the Series championship against Alex Yankowski, who finished fourth. He leaves Cornwall 21 points behind “Kid Rocket.”
Hebert rebounded from his early mistake to finish fifth.
UP NEXT: The Super DIRTcar Series returns to action on Monday, June 30, for a trip to Mohawk International Raceway for the Summer Shootout 75 on Monday, June 30.
If you can’t make it to a Super DIRTcar Series event, watch all the action live on DIRTVision, either online or with the DIRTVision app.
O’Canada 100 (100 Laps): 1. 124-Mario Clair[1]; 2. 3RS-Dalton Slack[2]; 3. 88-Mat Williamson[4]; 4. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[12]; 5. ONE-David Hebert[5]; 6. 41-Samuel Charland[21]; 7. 35-Mike Mahaney[6]; 8. 25-Erick Rudolph[16]; 9. 44-Stewart Friesen[9]; 10. 44F-Johnathon Ferguson[8]; 11. 12-Darren Smith[22]; 12. 6-Matt Stangle[13]; 13. 9S-Matt Sheppard[10]; 14. 91-Felix Roy[17]; 15. 4-Anthony Perrego[18]; 16. 47S-Corey Wheeler[20]; 17. 70A-Alex Payne[7]; 18. 98H-Jimmy Phelps[14]; 19. 60-Jackson Gill[19]; 20. 21A-Peter Britten[23]; 21. 15B-Brianna Ladouceur[28]; 22. 23L-Joey Ladouceur[24]; 23. (DNF) 77E-Ryan Stabler[3]; 24. (DNF) 66X-Carey Terrance[29]; 25. (DNF) 2-Jack Lehner[25]; 26. (DNF) 15X-Justin Stone[27]; 27. (DNF) 94-Gabriel Cyr[15]; 28. (DNF) 25P-Michael Parent[11]; 29. (DNF) 83X-Tim Sears Jr[26]
Contingency Awards:
JAM Performance Fastest Hot Lap Award: Ryan Stabler ($100)
Billy Whittaker Cars Quick Time Award: Matt Stangle ($100)
VP Racing Fuels Award: Erick Rudolph ($50)
ARP Bolts Award: Alex Yankowski ($50)
ASI Racewear Award: Darren Smith ($50)
Behrent’s Performance Warehouse Award: Mario Clair ($50)
Cometic Gasket Award: Matt Stangle ($50)
Comp Cams Award: Darren Smith ($50)
DIG Racing Products: Erick Rudolph ($50)
Fox Factory Award: N/A ($50)
MSD Award: David Heber ($50)
Swift Springs Award: Mike Mahaney ($50)
Weld Racing Wheels Award: Dalton Slack ($50)
Hoosier Racing Tire Award: Alex Yankowski (Free Tire)
SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Pole Award: Mario Clair ($100)
Post-Race Tech: Locker Rear Ends, Torque Arms, and Titanium were checked
