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There is only one word to describe it. AWESOME !!!. I'm talking about last Sunday's NASCAR race at Richmond Speedway. It had everything from high speeds in excess of 100 mph, three and even four wide racing, long green flag runs, and a surprise winner at the end.
Despite an incredible performance by "home town boy" Denny Hamlin, the man in the Winners' Circle was Clint Boyer. Hamlin led all but a handfull of laps and was home free until a tire failure forced him into a "green flag" stop late in the race, and a loss of three laps. Boyer held off Earnhardt and Kyle Busch over the final two laps to secure the victory.
The "big one" seems to be expected at Taladega but not at Richmond. This one was an exception however with 10 cars involved in the carnage. It speaks volumns on the safety of these cars as invariably, the drivers walk away unhurt.
The biggest disappointment on the day was Dale Earnhardt's failure to win for the 72nd straight race. He had a fast car and was the odds on favourite but a late race crash with Kyle Busch settled the issue. For Busch, it was simply "another day, another wreck." When is NASCAR going to step up and put an end to the Busch demolition derby?
The Hendricks duo of Gordon and Johnson had another rough day but at least Gordon rallied from a lap down to finish ninth
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 !!!
Things are not looking good for the "only" Cumberland County competitor, Sandy Livingston Jr, as no one has come forward with any sponsorship interest. It's a shame that we might lose him this year.
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. Smith followed that up with a 21st place showing in RichmondThe 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 Darlington, the "Lady in Black" on Saturday night, I'll be glued to the TV, with the remote in my hand so that I can keep up with the Penguins. My Habs are now on the golf course witrh the Leafs, so I gotta cheer for someone.
Till next week, Gentlemen (and Ladies), Start Your Engines.
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