After winning the championship last season, Luke Gignac overcame adversity in 2018 to place seventh in the year-end OSCAAR Modified standings.
Starting off the campaign at Sunset Speedway, Gignac won his qualifying heat and looked strong in the feature, challenging for the sixth position at the halfway mark of the event. Unfortunately, there would be contact, causing Gignac to make heavy contact with the frontstretch wall. The incident caused Gignac to break his thumb, missing the next three races.
ADAMS Motorsports would elect to put Darryl St. Onge in the car for the third of those races – the return to Sunset Speedway on Canada Day weekend.
“We had a few decision to make and as a team, we wanted a driver that fit our style of racing,” ADAMS Motorsports co-owner Allen Adams said. “We have been friends with Darryl for years he is an awesome wheel man and a lot of fun to be around and work with so he will be a good fit.”
Making his OSCAAR debut, St. Onge was quick right from the start of the night, leading seven laps in his qualifying race before being passed on the final lap for a runner-up finish. He then backed it up with a fourth-place finish in his second heat. Despite going around for a spin with 20 laps to go while running in the top-five, he rebounded for a ninth-place finish.
Gignac would return behind the wheel for the series’ second trip of the year to Kawartha Speedway. It looked as though he hadn’t missed a single beat, placing second in his qualifying heat before running in the top-five throughout the feature to finish fifth. He then backed it up with another fifth a couple weeks later at Flamboro Speedway. Beginning August at Peterborough Speedway, he ran in the top-five throughout the event before fading in the final stages to finish sixth.
The mid-summer trip to the beach worked out well. He then backed it up with a heat win and second at Sauble Speedway, before making his way to the front and stalking Gary Elliott for the lead, but unable to complete the pass, placing second. He then returned to Sauble a month later, finishing fifth in the feature.
Kicking off the short track playoffs at Sunset Speedway, Gignac battled hard in the top-10 throughout the 50-lap feature, crossing the finish line in sixth. He then backed it up with a fifth-place finish at Flamboro Speedway despite being spun with nine laps to go.
The season finale would see Gignac overcome an incident at the halfway mark to end the year with a sixth-place finish.
While it was not the season the ADAMS Motorsports team initially envisioned, they proved they are still one of the front runners in terms of speed, and can overcome adversity if necessary.
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