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There is only one word to describe it. AWESOME !!!. I'm talking about last Sunday's NASCAR race at Talladega Speedway. It had everything from high speeds in excess of 205 mph, three and four wide racing, more leaders than I've seen in a very long time, long green flag runs, and of course the "big one" right at the end.
The "big one" seems to be expected at Taladega and it never seems to disappoint. It speaks volumns on the safety of these cars as invariably, the drivers walk away unhurt. A rare exception to this occurred Saturday in the Nationwide series race when Dario Francitti suffered a broken ankle in their version of the "big one."
The biggest disappointment on the day was Dale Earnhardt's failure to win for the 71st straight race. He had a fast car and was the odds on favourite but the "big one" ended all hopes of that. Tony Stewart dominated proceedings to bring home victory on Saturday, but 2 altercations kept him out of the winners' circle on Sunday.
Kyle Busch continues to impress everyone with his "devil may care" style of racing as he brought home another victory despite being a lap down in the middle of the race. The kid may take a lot of chances but who can argue with his tremendous results.
The Hendricks duo of Gordon and Johnson struggled again for the best part of the race but both made strong runs near the end. Neither was able to close the deal however and finished back in the pack again. Looks like parity has arrived with the COT (car of tomorrow-today).
On the home front, the Pro Stock Tour is gearing up for their opening event at Scotia Speedworld Saturday May 24th. Defending champion Shawn Tucker will be there as will the "Oval Outlaw" Wayne Smith,who took the tour to court last year before settling out of court.
Noticibly absent will be the 97 of John Flemming, who decided to turn his full time attention to the PASS (Pro All Stars Series)race series in the New England states. He has however, decided to enter the IWK 250 at Riverside and perhaps a couple of others. He will also be at the Atlantic Cat in August, as this is a PASS sanctioned event.
PEI driver Chris Hughes is planning to make an impact on the Pro Stock Tour this year in his brand new Toyota machine. Hughes and his organization put a lot of time and effort into this project and I expect him to be a contender at every event.
The old fella, Rollie MacDonald, is putting away his "rockin' chair" for one more shot at the title. MacDonald, who has retired several times, can't get the racing bug out of his veins. The Canadian Motorsports Hall of Famer last won the title back in 2005 and wants to finish with one more championship on his wall. Don't bet that he won't do it either !!!
The grandstands at Scotia Speedworld are getting a face lift this spring with the centre section being totally rebuilt. This should add to the comfort and enjoyment at the Halifax area facility.
The NASCAR driver who is making a second appearance at Riverside this year, Reagan Smith, had a good day at Talladega last Sunday, finishing 22nd after running in the top 20 most of the day. The likeable driver will be a strong contender to win the IWK 250 after last year's third place finish in the same event.
Another week has come and gone and with short track action this week at Richmond on Saturday night, I'll be glued to the TV, with the remote in my hand so that I can keep up with the Canadiens. Gentlemen (and Ladies), Start Your Engines.
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