Tim's Corner - June 23rd, 2010
NEWS AND NOTES – WEEKLY RACING SERIES EVENT THREE
LIGHTNING ROOKIE BATTLE TIGHTENS AFTER THREE EVENTS
Let’s peer into the past for a moment for a brief history lesson.
Dan Michaud Jr., Andrew Starks and Russell Smith Jr., what do these three drivers have in common? Answer, they all won the Rookie of the Year Award in the Tirecraft Lightning and went on to win the championship in that division. In the case of Michaud and Starks, they won the big trophy in their sophomore season. The 2006 Rookie of the Year Smith was the overall champion in the same year.
Back to 2010, four freshmen have the opportunity to win the coveted honor this season and after three events the rookies are tight. Last week it was Stewiacke’s Mike Umlah leading the rookie battle but following an 18th place finish last Friday night, Umlah fell to second in the rookie chase. Jonathan Conrad in the #187 NAPA Dartmouth ride now has a four point advantage over Umlah and Elmsdale’s Tyler Hallahan. Hallahan, who sports one of the biggest cheering sections of the four rookies has his #180 Total Pest Elimination Service Pontiac only ten markers back of Conrad and only six behind the tenth place overall driver of Umlah.
Rounding out the ’10 rookie class is Beaverbank’s B.J. Nicholson. Nicholson, who only sits thirty points out of the rookie lead was featured last week on the Driver Profiles segment of ScotiaSpeedworld.ca.
Who will etch their name in history as the winner of the prestigious Tirecraft Lightning Rookie of the Year Award? We get one step closer to the answer of that question this Friday night!
GAMMON CLOSES CHAPTER ON THUNDER WITH SECOND PLACE RUN
One of the top drivers in recent years in the Tirecraft Thunder division says he is moving on.
Word had been sweeping the pit area on Friday that the third Weekly Racing Series event of the summer may be the last planned in the Thunder class for Gammon this season. After climbing from his #98 Hella’s Diner/Diamond Water Civic, the Middle Sackville driver confirmed the fact.
“Not sure what the plan is from here but the car is sold,” said Gammon following his second place finish last Friday. “I need to thank John from Hella’s and everyone else involved in this; it’s been a great ride!”
The current rumor in the Speedworld garage is that Gammon has purchased a Sportsman car – stay tuned to ScotiaSpeedworld.ca for more information on this developing story throughout the summer.
CASEY, WALLAGE SCORE WINS ON SATURDAY
The Sportsman division of Scotia Speedworld was off this past weekend so some could prepare for a 50-lap event at Riverside International Speedway, apart of the under card for the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour. Oh, and prepare they did! In the caution free main feature it was an all Speedworld podium as Oakfield’s Darren Wallage got the best of the twenty-eight cars in attendance in his #3 Blair’s Custom Metals/The Cat Shack Chevrolet. Speedworld point leader Steve Ross (Waverly) brought his #24 Speedy Auto Centre Tacoma Drive Chevrolet home in second with the #0 Halifax Glass and Mirror Chevrolet of Frankie Fraser (Shubenacadie) completing the top three. The cars and stars of the Sportsman division are back at Scotia this Friday as apart of Kiddie Rides.
Also on the Saturday night was Military Appreciation Night at Speedway 660 in the Geary woods. This season is the first for a New Brunswick track to host a Bandolero division and is the second of two races in which D.J. Casey put his #8 into Victory Lane at that track. Casey, from Prospect Road topped the field of eight Bandoleros to take the victory in New Brunswick’s Capital Region on Saturday evening. He will return to the Speedworld for Friday as he attempts to chase point leader Emily Meehan apart of Kiddie Rides night!
SPORTSMAN RETURN FOR KIDDIE RIDES NIGHT
Steve Ross, fresh off a second place run at Riverside last Saturday will return to his home track where he owns the point lead and two wins in two starts this season. Ross has opened a seventeen point advantage over the next full season driver Mike Alexander (Cole Harbour). Alexander is one of three Sportsman rookies this season and has a thirty seven point advantage over nearest rival Owen Barkhouse (Beaverbank).
Behind Alexander the battle is tight in the overall picture. The next six drivers sit within twenty points of the #75 and include defending division champ Jeff Dillman (Musquodoboit), Kyle Butler (Lake Egmont), Colby Smith (Cape Sable Island), Harry Ross White (Noel Road), Aaron Boutilier (Porter’s Lake) and winner at Riverside last weekend Darren Wallage (Oakfield).
The only way to find out who will end up on top after their 30-lap feature is to be at Scotia Speedworld on Friday night!
RITCHIES LEAD TRUCK CLASS THREE RACES IN
The new Truck class at Scotia Speedworld has seen three different drivers take the checkered flag in the main feature in as many races. Last week it was Church Point’s JP Arsenault joining Curtis Lindsay (Enfield) and Gordon Ritchie (Antrim) as a winner in the Trucks but still sits third in the standings behind the Ritchie brothers. Last season’s Hobby champ leads his brother Wayne (Stewiacke) by ten points. Wayne has yet to win a feature and could become the fourth different winner the class has seen this season. JP is a single point out of second overall with Lindsay, Antrim’s Vernon Brown and Lower Sackville’s Dan Smith rounding out the field.
Will we be four for four on different winners or will JP, Gordon or Curtis pull off their second of the season? Make plans now to be at the Speedworld on Friday to find out who pulls into victory lane!
Until Friday, keep the hammer down and we’ll see you at the track!
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