|
Another week is in the books in the saga of the battle between Mother Nature and the Carquest Pro Stock Tour with this week’s contest going to the “Tour”. The race was scrapped for Saturday but as the Tour staff said “We’re gonna stay here until we get it done.” Sunday went like clockwork despite some threatening skies in the distance and Shawn Tucker from Fredericton emerged victorious for the second time this season.
It was close though, with a mere 0.018 seconds between Tucker and John Flemming at the finish line. That’s little more than a couple coats of paint but as the Tour uses transponders on the cars, the issue was never in doubt. Defending champion Wayne Smith, the “Oval Outlaw”, rallied for a third place finish.
The race ran in under an hour with a 67 lap green flag run to the finish. Local racer, Sandy Livingston Jr., hung in there all the way, bringing the car home in one piece and in 20th position. Sandy now sits in 23rd position overall in his battle to gain a top twenty season finish, despite his power issues.
Next up for the Pro Stock Tour is the big one, the IWK 250 at Riverside. This one will be tough with competition coming from NASCAR as well as the PASS tour for this one. Both David Reutermann and Reagan Smith, the defending champion, are making their way from NASCAR ranks, as well as Kirk Thibideau and Travis Benjamin Jr. from the PASS Tour. A couple of others are contemplating submitting entries as well, but nothing has been announced as yet.
This Saturday night at Speedway 660, the second, and final race of the “Best of the Best” pro stock series, hits the asphalt. The first one was a barn-burner with local hero, Matt Harris winning, assuring himself of a starting position in the Peterbilt 250 on Labour Day. Carquest Pro Stock Tour front runners Lonnie Sommerville and Halifax winner Shawn Tucker are both entered in this one and several PASS drivers are expected to make the trek over the border as well.
Along with this one, the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman 100 will be on the grid as well. This class has been extremely exciting all season with many close finishes and some surprises as well. John Rankin, for several years a mid-pack finisher, has emerged from the shadows to become a “Big” force to contend with in 2009. Rankin already has two feature wins to his credit this year and was banging hard on the door in the others. Speaking of surprises, there is a couple more in the Pro Stock division in Geary. Kevin Moore, who hasn’t won a race for at least two seasons, dominated things last week in the Pro Stock feature. He was fast, real fast, and this could spell trouble for the rest of the competitors for the balance of the season. The other surprise is Chris Duncan. Duncan won the first ever Pro Stock title years ago at Speedway 660 and was a strong competitor for a few years. Duncan then migrated to the Pro Stock Tour and things went downhill after that. Duncan has reemerged as a legitimate contender this year at Speedway 660 and appears ready for a major breakthrough.
The Southeast Challenge, a combined effort of Centre for Speed and River Glade Speedway, switches venues for this weekend to the River Glade facility. Racing will take place in all four divisions, with Buzz Saw” Danny Bourque set to erase the memories of his last trip to River Glade when he literally tore his car apart.
When the smoke clears from this action, the power boys take to the oval for the annual Atlantic Burnouts. More smoke, burning rubber and howling tires will fill the air in this one than you could imagine. The River Glade facility will be packed to the gunnels for this one.
All in all, it should be quite a weekend. Come on out and join us for a thrill a minute entertainment at a track near you.
|
