HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-08-11, Page 21THIS WUK IN Srorrs
Exeter Royals finish season on a roll but
settle for 'B' title. Page 21
Centennials tie, Fury flustered and ollivier
heps to it. Page 22
Page 20
Racing for it
Wednesday, August 11, 1999
I,: ,I
Exeter Strikeforce U-19 girl's soccer team goalkeeper Ashley Rasenberg, right, tries to outrun the North
Middlesex forward to the ba in front of the Exeter net during last week's game at Exeter Community
Park.The Strikeforce lost 7-1 Crelene Duck and Megan Darling scored Exeter's goals. Coach Rochelle
Geoffrey btuded Rasenberg, Kelt ;Stephens and Kim Toonk for having excellent games and gave a special
thanks to Kristin Hefley for ung an excellent job of flagging,the ftnes.Th_eStrikeforce next travel to
Strathroy on Aug. 12.
7
S cPrs Tire
Contact Sports Editor Craig Bradford
Tel: (519) 235-1336 ext. 113
Fax: (519) 235-0766
E-mail: sports@SoutbH o.cn
4 _
Exeter Times -Advocate
Express head to playoff
with optimism after loss
EXETER -- The Exeter
Express senior men's
hardball team may of lost
their last regular season
game but they are head-
ing to the playoffs with
enthusiasm.
Manager Doug
Fairbairn said the 4-2
home Loss to Strathroy on
Aug. 3 was "a real posi-
tive game for us."
Nate Burns started his
first game of the season
on the mound and put in
a strong performance,
striking out seven, walk-
ing three and giving up
four earned runs on five
singles and three doubles
in six innings of work.
"It seems all year long
any news about our pitch-
ing has been bad, but not
this game," Fairbairn
said. "(B_urns) pitched
well enough to- et the
in
wbut we came fiat
F�
offensively."
Rick Boon led the way
at'the plate with two sin-
gles while Vic Oliveira hit
a home run and Dave,
Russell had a double.
The Express finished
with a 5-15 regular sea-
son record, good for sixth
and last place in the
league, the same record
Exeter had Last season.
Despite the cellar status,
Fairbairn is upbeat head-
ing into the playoffs, com-
menting his squad has
played well over the last
five games.
In the playoffs, Exeter
will play one game each
at Strathroy and
Lakeside, game dates not
available till Strathroy
and Lakeside finish their
OBA series. The Express
will then host Tillsonburg
on Aug. 15 at 1 p.m.
The top four teams after
the three game playoff
round :head to a one' clay
wrap-up tournament on
Aug. 21 at a yet to be
determined site.
Tillsonburg finished on
top of the league stand-
ings: at 13.7 with
Strathroy and Lakeside in
second and third.
By Craig Bradford .: s
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
GRAND BEND — If the
Grand Bend Motorplex
wasn't on the drag racing.
map before, it . certainly is
• now:
Motorplex offlctals
announced it had reached
a multi-year agreement
with Mopar Performance
Parts, a DaimlerChrysler
Corp. division, to sponsor
the International Hot Rod_
Association (IHRA)
Canadian Nationals event
set to thrill race fans June
2-4, 2000. The race will
feature an $800,000
purse over 14 elimination
brackets.
The announcement was
made at the Motorplex on
Friday. General manager
Bob Fuller and the rest of
the Motorplex staff hosted
officials from the IHRA
and Mopar as well as sev-
eral southwestern Ontario
media representatives at
a press conference and
barbecue.
The IHRA originally
announced the Motorplex
was awarded a national
event on Jan. 20, 1999,
Fuller expects between
15,000-20,000 fans to
attend the event which
could generate as much
as $10 million for the
local economy. An aver-
age race fan alone is
expected to drop $350 in
the area on accommoda-
tions, food, beverages and
other expenses.
Fuller admitted winning
the national race is a
"dream come true" and
compared It to'_
having a pro sports testa:
"It's huge," Fuller said
of the race, "The biggest
racing event in Canada is
the F1 race -fn Quebec.
Then it's the Toronto
Indy, then the Vancouver
Indy. Next is us."
The IHRA, Mopar and
the Motorplex have
agreeirto a five-year con-
tract for the Motorplex . to
hold the event.
The IHRA will run the
actual .race while
Motorplex staff wilt- have
to handle everything: else.
"We have to look after
the four Ts," Fuller said.
"Traffic, tickets, toilets
and trash."
Fuller said there's lots
of improvements to come
before the •big race.
Shortly after Labour Day
work will start on more
than $1 million worth of
capital upgrades that
include: lengthening the
track to 3,800 feet to
accommodate 300 mph
top fuel cars; additional
guardrails; repaving; five
metre sound walls to
reduce noise; a new
tower building with three
air conditioned VIP suites;
a permanent roofed con-
cert stage; an expansion
to the pits and paved
roadways to accommo-
date 600-700 cars for a
single event; more pit
lighting and speakers;
new racer washroom
bunting; south side
bleaciter replacementto
bring the total seating
capacity to over 10,000
(8,200 is the current
Bringing the big event. Representatives from the groups that are bringing an IHRA national drag racing
event to Grand Bend Motorplex gathered at the drag strip for a press conference and barbecue on Friday.
Shown here are Mopar racebeam operations manager Ray Richard, left, Competition IHRA vice-president Len
Imbrogno, Motorplex general manager Bob Fuller,West Lorne drag racer Doug Weaver and Motorpl
manager Ron Biekx.The group are standing in front of where dragsters take off down the track
capacity); and additional
security fencing.
The current owners of
the track, London's Andy
Spriet, Thedford's Allen
Stubbs and Grand Bend's
Doug Jennison, have
already spent over $4 mil-
lion in improvements
since taking over in '95.
IHRA: president/general
manager Bill Bader said
the Grand Bend
Motorplex deserves the
event.
"The owners and staff
at Grand Bend have made
the commitment and
investment needed to host
Canada's only national
drag racing event," he
said. "The proximity of 14
million people in Detroit
and Toronto markets
make it an attractive
expansion market."
Competitfon IHRA vice-
president Len Imbrognoq
said other sites are bein
considered for expansion
and the IHRA is concen•
-
trating on the eastern
U.S. and Ontario.
"Drag racing in Canada,
especially up here in
See MOTORPLEX page 21