Paris Speedway
Paris Fairgrounds
Paris Ontario, Canada

Canadian National Championship Final Round
September 6, 1998 Paris Speedway

Results by Kim Gregory

Chris Hesmer wins the Championship and Sobec Muszynski wins the Main.

See the Results from Round One July 25 at Niagara Speedway.

For photos, see 1998 Paris Photos.

Excellent conditions, big crowd of near 1000 people, and a lot of talented riders from as far away as Quebec and Tennessee!

The hot sunny day demanded constantly watering the track before the event, making the first two heats slippery. Patrick Ahlund fell in his lap to the start, and in his second lap. Tim Ford also spun out a half lap later, crossing onto the center green, but was given the points for second as he r-entered the track where he had left it. Only Sobec made it look easy!

The second heat saw Andy Dilomat break the tapes, and was put back for the restart. Bobby lead from start to finish, getting out of control only a little on one corner. The forth heat made the event! Jeff and Bruce Nelson battling side by side for several laps, with Jeff just making the checkered flag.

In heat 9 Jeff was leading with David Oakden hot on his tire in turn three, David caught Jeff's tire, and did a spectacular high side crash. He restarted using his dad's bike.

Fred had some engine troubles in heat 8, and was making up for it in the second semi-final. Bobby had the gate and lead for three laps, followed by Jeff and Fred. Fred was on Jeff's rear tire for several laps, and passed him with in the last turn, hit the front straight fence and crossed the finsh line tumbling. He was just a bit shaken, but his bike was demolished. We found his clutch lever imbedded in the fence four feet off the ground. That is kind of tricky as the lever is on the left handlebar, and the fence was on Fred's right! This put Jeff, the current Canadian Champion, out of the final, as only the top two transferred.

The laugh of the day was from Bruce hooking his front wheel over Patrick Ahlund's laydown, stepping off, and watching his bike continue around the track with Patrick! The leaders in heat 15 had slowed forcing Bruce to go off his inside line around the outside of Patrick, fully crossed up. Bruce found some traction, lifting his front wheel, and driving him in over Patrick! Patrick's laydown frame was damaged and threw off the chain. He continued on the restart on his backup bike.

The heartbreak of the day was Bobby Muszynski's engine failure in the last semi-final. After a flawless three heats, and clearly the fastest rider on the track, he was taken out of the running by a loose wire, that his father (and mechanic) had assured him was taken care of. Bobby made room for Nick Fafard to get into the final event.

The Paris Speedway will run ONE MORE EVENT in 1998: Saturday September 19th !!!

Points were awarded 3 for 1st, 2 for 2nd, and 1 for third. The top point riders were moved into two semi-fianls, and the top two finishers from each semi moved to the final.

Text version of above table:
Rider          Heats  |1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7| T |S1|S2| Final| 
 15 Sobec Muszynski   |1| | | | | |1| | | | | | |1| | | | 9 | 1|  |   1  |
 18 Bobby Muszynski   | |1| | | | | |1| | | | | | | | |1| 9 |  | E|      |
  1 Jeff Orosz        | | | | | |1| | |1| | | | | | |1| | 9 | 3|  |      |
  6 Nick Fafard       | | |1| | | |1| | | | | | | |1| | | 9 |  | 2|   3  |

 11 Chris Hesmer      | | | | |1| | |2| | | | | |2| | | | 7 |  | 1|   2  |
 68 Fred Legault      | | |2| | | | |4| | | |2| | |2| | | 6 | 2|  |   4  |
 19 Andy Harris       | | | |2| | |4| | | | |1| |3| | | | 6 | 4|  |      |
  4 Andy Dilomat      |3| | | | | | | | |1| | | | | | |2| 6 |  |  |      |

 37 Gary Hesmer       | | | |1| | | | |2| | | | | | | |4| 5 |  |  |      |
 12 Patrick Reynolds  | |2| | | | |3| | | | | | | | | |2| 5 |  | 3|      |
 42 Tim Ford          |2| | | | | | | |4| | | |2| | | | | 4 |  |  |      |
  2 Rick Sinyardi     | | | | |4| | | | | |3| |1| | |4| | 4 |  |  |      |

 23 Guy Fafard        | | | | | |3| | | | |1| | | | |4| | 4 |  |  |      |
 51 Gaetan Carignan   | | | |3| | | | | | |2| | | | | |3| 4 |  |  |      |
    Bruce Nelson      | | | | | |2| |3| | | | | | |3| | | 4 |  |  |      |
 50 Howie Oakden      | | | | |3| | | | |3| |3| | | | | | 3 |  |  |      |

327 David Oakden      | | | | | |2| | |3| | | | |4| | | | 3 |  |  |      |
 66 Patrick Ahlund    |F| | | | | | | | |2| | | | |4| | | 2 |  |  |      |
 44 Matt Otto         | | |3| | | | | | |F| | |3| | | | | 2 |  |  |      |