Photo by Dale Calnan/www.imagefactor.ca
By Tommy Goudge
PORT COLBORNE, Ont. (October 1, 2021) – Jordan Poirier’s dominance of Humberstone Speedway continued on Friday night as the Quebec driver won the Pinty’s Knights of Thunder 360 Sprint Car series A-Main on night one of The Fall Classic.
Ryan Turner and Jim Huppunen entered the final weekend of the 2021 season as Poirier’s closest challengers for the 2021 championship. Turner and Huppunen drew front row starting positions for the 25 lap A-Main, while Poirier started in row four. Turner took the early lead, while Poirier made a beeline to the front.
Only one lap was completed before DJ Christie spun in turn three; Turner kept the lead on the restart, while Poirier restarted fourth behind Huppunen and Jamie Turner. Ryan Turner opened a gap when the race restarted, but Poirier began to eat into that advantage after moving to second on lap five. Row ten starter Cory Turner was also advancing through the field early in the race, and moved past Huppunen for the fifth spot on lap nine.
Poirier caught Turner just before the halfway point of the race as both began to encounter traffic. A spirited joust ensued as the two championship contenders traded the lead several times in heavy traffic. Poirier eventually prevailed and went on to claim his seventh win of the season and fourth at Humberstone.
Ryan Turner had trouble getting around some of the lapped cars and settled for the runner-up spot. Cory Turner finished third, followed by Jamie Turner, Josh Hansen, Liam Martin, Travis Cunningham, Jim Huppunen, DJ Christie, and Mikey Kruchka. Heat race wins were claimed by Liam Martin, DJ Christie, and Aaron Turkey, each earning $100 from the Friday Night Thunder TV crew.
The Pinty’s Knights of Thunder series will next be in action on Friday, October 2 at Humberstone Speedway. Visit www.knightsofthunder.com for more information.
Pinty’s Knights of Thunder 360 Sprint Car Series
Race Report – Friday, October 1, 2021
Humberstone Speedway
Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada
Roster
0 Jim Huppunen – Fenwick, Ontario
01K Mikey Kruchka – Hamilton, Ontario
1 Holly Porter – Dorchester, Ontario
5 DJ Christie – Beachville, Ontario
9 Liam Martin – Binbrook, Ontario
9B Scott Burk – Charing Cross, Ontario
11 Jamie Turner – Caistor Centre, Ontario
11J Chris Jones – Picton, Ontario
13 Cory Turner – Caistor Centre, Ontario
15 Dan Nanticoke – Ohsweken, Ontario
18 Mike Thorne – Caledonia, Ontario
27 Paul Ballantyne – Brantford, Ontario
28 Jordan Poirier – Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, Quebec
68 Aaron Turkey – Ohsweken, Ontario
70 Baily Heard – Niagara Falls, Ontario
84 Tyler Rand – Picton, Ontario
87X Shone Evans – Scotland, Ontario
88H Josh Hansen – Beamsville, Ontario
90 Travis Cunningham – Grimsby, Ontario
91 Ryan Turner – Dunnville, Ontario
Heat Race 1 [Started] 8 laps – NT
1. 5-DJ Christie[5]; 2. 11-Jamie Turner[3]; 3. 88H-Josh Hansen[6]; 4. 9B-Scott Burk[1]; 5. 90-Travis Cunningham[2]; 6. 70-Baily Heard[4]; 7. 27-Paul Ballantyne[7]
Heat Race 2 [Started] 8 laps – 1:57.240
1. 9-Liam Martin[3]; 2. 0-Jim Huppunen[1]; 3. 91-Ryan Turner[4]; 4. 01K-Mikey Kruchka[5]; 5. 11J-Chris Jones[2]; 6. (DNF) 18-Mike Thorne[6]; 7. (DNS) 84-Tyler Rand
Heat Race 3 [Started] 8 laps – 1:58.329
1. 68-Aaron Turkey[1]; 2. 28-Jordan Poirier[4]; 3. 13-Cory Turner[3]; 4. 15-Dan Nanticoke[2]; 5. 87X-Shone Evans[5]; 6. 1-Holly Porter[6]
A-Main [Started] 25 laps – NT
1. 28-Jordan Poirier[8]; 2. 91-Ryan Turner[1]; 3. 13-Cory Turner[9]; 4. 11-Jamie Turner[7]; 5. 88H-Josh Hansen[6]; 6. 9-Liam Martin[5]; 7. 90-Travis Cunningham[14]; 8. 0-Jim Huppunen[2]; 9. 5-DJ Christie[3]; 10. 01K-Mikey Kruchka[10]; 11. 68-Aaron Turkey[4]; 12. 9B-Scott Burk[12]; 13. 87X-Shone Evans[13]; 14. 15-Dan Nanticoke[11]; 15. 84-Tyler Rand[20]; 16. 11J-Chris Jones[15]; 17. 70-Baily Heard[17]; 18. 1-Holly Porter[16]; 19. 27-Paul Ballantyne[18]; 20. (DNF) 18-Mike Thorne[19]
A-Main Lap Leaders – Ryan Turner 1-13, 15; Jordan Poirier 14, 16-25
Margin of Victory – 4.273 seconds
Hard Charger – Jordan Poirier +7
Up Next:
Saturday, October 2, 2021 – Humberstone Speedway – Port Colborne, Ontario
KNIGHTS OF THUNDER MEDIA
Website: www.knightsofthunder.com
Twitter: @KoTSprints
Facebook: KnightsofThunderSprintCars
Instagram: @knightsofthunder
YouTube: GForceTV
About the Pinty’s Knights of Thunder Sprint Car Series: Founded in 2021, the Knights of Thunder series is a traveling winged 360 Sprint Car tour based in Ontario, Canada. Each points-paying event on the 2021 schedule will pay a minimum of $2,000-to-win and $250-to-start, and selected events will be broadcast live on GForceTV. The championship winner will be rewarded with $5,000 and a Pinty’s VIP package for the 2022 Bristol Dirt Race, while 10th place in the championship standings will pay $1,000. The 2021 Knights of Thunder Sprint Car Series is made possible with the support of Pinty’s Delicious Foods, Corr/Pak Merchandising, Stoneridge Specialty Insurance, Hoosier Tire Canada, Burger Barn, Nitro 54 Variety, Strickland’s Brantford Chevrolet, and EPIC Racewear. Visit www.knightsofthunder.com for more information.