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, - 22- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, November 12, 1996 SPORT By Jeff Mitchell Port Perry Star Ask Blackstock racer Dale Leask where he wants to be next season, and he gives you a simple answer: "Well -- hope- fully, up closer to the front." Makes sense, and that's what he and his crew -- brother Duane, and friend Dan Hope -- will be keeping in mind this winter, as they spend more hours rebuilding and fine-tun- ing the '81 Chev Malibu Dale ran in the street stock class at Mosport this past summer. It was the first summer on the track for Dale, a 28-year- old Greenbank native who's a graduate of Port Perry High School. He ran a number of races at Mosport and a couple of invitationals over in Peterborough, his first tun in competition behind the wheel since his go-karting days, long ago. Since then, he's just watched NASCAR on TV, dreaming about being among the pack, rubbing fenders and waiting for a glimpse of daylight. Finally, one winter, he couldn't take being on the sidelines any longer. "] was watching Daytona and I said, to heck with it. Let's do it." Dale, Duane and Dan found the Malibu, formerly a Thunder Car, and went to work on it in the garage at Dale's Blackstock house. Duane's an automotive machinist, and Dan's a stone mason with plenty of auto mechanics experience. They rebuilt the car, from the driver's cockpit on out. For the first year on the track the boys installed a 350 Chev engine with a Holly two- barrel racing car and a two- speed automatic transmission. They spent day and night work- ing to construct a new tube chassis, then wrap a body back around the car and paint it. "It took us basically one summer to do it," said Dale. "We got it in February. and we just made the last race of the summer." That was the summer before last, when Dale and his buddies rolled the car out of the garage on a Saturday, and entered a 50-lap event at Mosport the next day. Dale finished eighth. Then it was back to the shop for more fine-tuning over the winter, and the team was ready to launch into their first full season of racing this sumer. Dale did pretty well, finishing" 15th in the standings. : Over the summer the local driver made the transition from hesitant rookie to serious racer. "I was pretty nervous at the start of the year," he said. "But gradually you get used to it; you build confidence. : "We've seen a big difference from when we started in the spring and the end of the sea- son. And a lot of the credit for that goes to the crew. Duane and Dan are in the pits and on duty for each trip to Mosport, helping Dale get ready and through two heats and a fea- ture. In between races they're listening to his comments on how the car's running, and making the adjustments nec- essary to keep him in the run- ning. They're aiming to make adjustments for maximum per- formance, and safety. Away from the track it's back to the garage, where there's always something that needs to be done. "The three of us spend a lot They notch a win and a tie Port Atoms shock Lightning Sports Atom B team were slaughtered on home ice by the Millbrook team 11-1. game with two goals and Pineridge Sports was able to come back with the only goal scored by the team that game. The goal was scored by Tyson Savage and assisted by Matt Tuesday night brought a two all tie for Port Perry's Atom B team, Pineridge Mariposa Lightning. Matt Kamminga started off the scoring in the second period with a goal for Pine- Sports against ridge Sports to put them up 1-0. Then Mariposa fought back with two of their own. Late in: the third Jessie scored one off a pass from Matt Kam- minga. Good effort from Cassidy Weber and Chris Milligan on forward and John Daruwala and Nelson Langmaid on de- fense. good goal keeping by Alex Nico- laou and Mark Carnaghan. On Thursday night the Pineridge Mischian Millbrook started off the Kamminga. played their usual ski. Millbrook scored another nine goals before the end of the game. Good effort by Ryan Hnatco dy Tyler Weisflock. John Daruwala and Nelson Langmaid good game on de- fence. Good playing Soft Tomche- PORT PERRY Dp PORT PERRY STAR 4 Dale Leask (right), with brother Duane and fi year of stock car racing at Mosport, and looks and his crew are constantly fine-tuning the car of time working on the car through the week," said Dan. "Sometimes you go without sleep." But that's what it takes, the rookie. ¢ boys agree. and now, with the The' way I look summer's racing behind them, better for Dale to h they're ready to make some out with what he did more adjustments, and crank he said. up the heat on the competition a little bit more. Duane's getting ready to build a couple of engines, to replace the 350 the Malibu's powered by right now. He's aiming for more horsepower, of They'll also be u some parts, and squeeze more perfo of the car. It's at this p sponsors come in, and th is quick to acknowledge Ko) Dale get th In Port Perry on Nov. 8 Malmont Farms hosted Port Hope. The wisitors caught us napping as they scored on the opening rush. Port Perry scram- bled to play catch up hock- ey as Jordan Froats and Chet Martin had many chances just missing the mark. Matt Roth made a neat pass to Jeff Talmey in the slot. Jeff popped it in to tie it. The other assist went to Kevin Robbins. Our guys seemed to fight the boune-