Tim's Corner - August 3rd, 2010
Atlantic CAT 250 Weekend Preview
Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s 250 time at Scotia Speedworld!
The best Pro Stock drivers in the North East will ascend on our tight 3/10-mile oval this weekend to battle it out for the 11th annual Atlantic CAT 250 trophy! This event is also apart of the Triple Crown of Maritime Pro Stock Racing and is the second of three races in the series. Crapaud, Prince Edward Island’s Kent Vincent took the win in the first Triple Crown event at Riverside International just under one month ago and now it is time for the second event to go green. For a preview of the big dance, feel free to check out my Tim’s Corner at MaritimeProStockTour.com, which should be live on Thursday.
Now, let’s talk Sportsman racing. All indications point towards us having thirty or more cars at the Speedworld on Friday in an attempt to qualify for the Sportsman 100. Just a few short weeks ago we had twenty-eight cars on track for a 30-lap main feature. On that night it was rookie Russell Smith Jr. of Lakeside taking his first Sportsman win in his first Sportsman start. Smith, the point leader in the Tirecraft Lightning division is expected to make his second start of his Sportsman career this weekend. Did we mention the car he is driving finished second in this race last season with Terence Bay’s Troy Slaunwhite at the helm?
On top of those thirty cars we expect at least three “big race” drivers to make their way to the oval this weekend.
of Berwick is a former Sportsman champ at the track and scored big last year when he topped Ken Schrader and the rest of the Sportsman field during a 50-lap main on Ken Schrader Night. You can be sure the #28 Howard Little Excavating team will be ready to go this weekend!
Ron Lane of Salisbury, New Brunswick is set to make his first start at the Speedworld this weekend after coming off his second big win of the season last weekend at the Centre for Speed outside of Shediac, New Brunswick. The team is optimistic about heading to the Enfield track after Lane grew up racing at Riverglade Speedway and with a couple of adjustments to the #46 Maritime Cash Limited Chevrolet they could be a threat for the Sportsman 100 crown!
Another driver who has won big already this season that is expected to vie for the title of Sportsman 100 champ is Scott Allen. The Antigonish based driver piloted his #32 Highland Home Building Center ride to the win in the NAPA 100 on IWK 250 weekend at Riverside Speedway. Allen will be one to watch as he is one of those drivers who know how to make their way to the front of a big race field when the checkered flag is on the line!
Thirty Sportsman drivers have already ran laps at Scotia Speedworld this season and a majority of those are expected to take the green this weekend – led by rookie Mike Alexander. Alexander finished seventh last week during the Mid Season Showdown which was good enough for the 2008 Hobby Stock titlist to take the point lead in the division. The Cole Harbour driver has yet to win a main feature in his #75 Chebucto Ford/R&R Kinsman Auto Salvage Ford Fusion this season but that could very well change over one hundred laps on Saturday night!
Steve Ross had led the division point standings up to the last event. Ross suffered mechanical problems on his #24 Speedy Auto Center Tacoma Drive Chevrolet Impala. The Waverley driver is now two points behind in the standings with ’09 champ Jeff Dillman just in front of the former Late Model champ. Dillman looked stout last week in his #08 Absolute Traffic Services Dodge en route to a fifth place finish in the feature. Still looking for his first feature win of the season, Dillman will be hungry for the Sportsman 100 checkered flag this weekend!
Porter’s Lake driver Aaron Boutilier made a strong statement last week by dominating the main feature. The #4 Boutilier Auto Body/Baltas Automotive Ford will be a driver to watch this weekend along with fellow 2010 feature winner Kyle Butler, who posted a top five run last week. The Lake Egmont driver has had a breakout season in the Sportsman class and could put an even bigger exclamation point on this season with the big trophy this weekend!
Last season’s Sportsman 100 winner Darren Wallage has established himself as a big race winner in the past season and a half. In that time frame, he’s won three big events including two at Riverside International Speedway – one of those coming back in June. The Oakfield driver slipped to eleventh in the standings after a blown head gasket sidelined the #3 Blair’s Custom Metals Chevrolet last weekend. His podium mate from the 2009 Sportsman 100 will also be racing this weekend as Sheldon Pemberton will look to defend his third place run from one year ago. The #62 Double Z Automotive/R&S Sign Design Chevrolet has two starts this season at the Speedworld.
If the Speedworld oval is looking to produce a first time winner in its biggest race – look no further than Colby Smith. The long haul driver from Cape Sable Island won a big Sportsman event at his home track of Lake Doucette Motor Speedway last October and has come close to winning at the Enfield track so many times in the past three seasons. Consistency has rewarded Smith with a fourth place point position which puts him right in the thick of things when it comes to big picture racing. He won’t be the only driver making the long haul from the Southern part of our beautiful province as Carmen Comeau and his #92 Wedgeport Lobster Chevrolet is expected to be a part of the big field of cars.
Noel Road’s Harry Ross White made a mad dash to the front of last week’s feature and gave Aaron Boutiler a run for his money on the late restarts. HOSS is among many Speedworld veterans looking to take away the big race Saturday night. Some of those include 2008 champ Terry Roma of West Chezzetcook, Halifax’s Tony Leonard and Brian Jollimore, Larry Fisher of Porter’s Lake, Nine Mile River’s Tony Mason, Lantz’s Kirk Ryan, Milton’s Craig Doggett and Antrim’s Marie Brown.
Jordan Veinotte (Porter’s Lake), Chris Dingle (Elmsdale) and Fred Schofield (Windsor) are among those who have won heat races in the past few races leading up to this weekend. They’ll look to tack on an extra ninety laps to the heat race distance and put together a Sportsman 100 victory on Saturday. Expected to join them in the lineup include Windsor Junction’s Bryan Watson, New Glasgow’s Joey Livingston, 2008 Tirecraft Lightning champ Andrew Starks from Truro, Kingston’s Bronson Shanessy, Williamswood’s Scott Thibodeau, Wilmot’s Mike Banks and rookies Owen Barkhouse and Wade Slauenwhite (both of Beaverbank).
Add to those drivers a possible surprise entry or two from the Maritime Sportsman ranks and you have the ingredients for a barn-burner on the Speedworld oval! Combine that with the best Pro Stock drivers in the North East and you have an event you cannot miss this weekend!
SIBLEY LAYS DOWN CHALLENGE FOR MEDIA RACE
This weekend may be the biggest stock car weekend at Scotia Speedworld, but the biggest Friday night show of the season is just around the corner! On August 20th, the “Best Four Cylinder Drivers in Atlantic Canada” hand over the reins of their Tirecraft Thunder cars to the best media personalities in the Halifax Regional Municipality as the Media Race will take center stage. Though the racing may be a couple of weeks away, the smack talk and challenges have begun!
During last Friday’s Weekly Racing Show at the Speedworld, Denyse Sibley of the FX 101.9 Morning Show had the chance to preview some of the racing action. “It’s been so long since the last time I was on the track,” said Sibley. “In fact, I don’t even remember what I drove. You think they’d let me do this in heels?”
Sibley, along with members of the 89.9 HAL FM racing team have one goal in mind on August 20th – and that is to top the Q104 contingent on the track. “They don’t even stand a chance against us!”
To find out who comes out on top of the various members of print, radio and television media, be at Scotia Speedworld on August 20th for the Media Races. It’s all apart of the Weekly Racing Series at the Speedworld!
SPEEDWORLD DRIVERS SWEEP TOP THREE POSITIONS AT CENTRE FOR SPEED
Sackville’s Scott Williams, Kennetcook’s Dave Matthews and Shubenacadie’s Stevie Lively showed, once again why we have “the Best Four Cylinder Drivers in Atlantic Canada” racing at Scotia Speedworld as they took the first three positions in a fifty lap event at the Centre for Speed outside of Shediac, New Brunswick last Sunday. Williams, who finished fourth on Mid Season Showdown Night last week piloted his Performance Edge/Little Jo’s Pizza/Cobb Co. Sign Design Honda Civic to the win over a dozen other four cylinder cars from around the Maritime provinces. Hammonds Plains Kyle MacMillan was also in attendance, completing a four pack of drivers from Scotia Speedworld.
Until Friday night, keep the hammer down and we’ll see you at the track!
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