CHICKENBURGER RACE WRAP

August 19, FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT

DARTMOUTH DODGE SPORTSMAN – SMITH FILLS HAND WITH FIFTH WIN

Just as it looked like Jeff Dillman (Middle Musquodoboit) was going to inch closer to his second Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman Series championship, Russell Smith Jr (Lakeside) reminded him that he had some stiff competition to contend with. Smith took home his fifth win in nine series races by making a late pass on the 2009 champion in the 30-lap event. Aaron Boutilier (Porter’s Lake) kept his second place point number in tact by coming home in third during the feature while Kirk Ryan (Enfield) and Jordan Veinotte (Porter’s Lake) continued their fantastic seasons by coming home with top five finishes.

Rookie Brentley Pirri (Three Fathom Harbour) scored his first career heat win in a Sportsman car Friday night while Boutilier scored the win in the second heat. Nineteen cars started the feature, including the brother-sister combo of Vernon and Marie Brown (Antrim). Marie came home in seventh place while Vernon brought home the #93 car in the thirteenth position. The Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman Series are back in action Friday for Kiddies Night.

COCO BEACH LEGENDS – BLENKHORN DOUBLES DOWN, TAKES POINT LEAD

Dylan Blenkhorn (Truro) made a statement on Friday night by taking the win in the Coco Beach Legends main feature. The younger Blenkhorn wrestled his #67 The Cat Shack Legend through traffic and held off 2010 Rookie of the Year Derek MacCallum (Lower Sackville) for the win. “The Legend” Cy Harvey (Elmsdale) brought his car home in third with Shelby Baker (Fall River) and ’10 Canadian and Track champion Paul Blenkhorn (Truro) completing the top five.

The event saw leading 2011 rookie Dan Michaud Jr (Cole Harbour) run many laps out in front of the field before a spin off Turn Two relegated the former Lumbermart Lightning champion to thirteenth place. Steve Pye also had tough luck as the driver from Lantz entered the night with the point lead but an altercation in Turn Four put the #6 car out of action before the checkers flew. Pye now finds himself 15 points in the rearview of Dylan Blenkhorn. Blenkhorn started the night by picking up 10 points in his heat race while MacCallum scored the win in the other qualifying race.

HYDRAULICS PLUS BANDOLERO – BUTCHER BACK IN VICTORY LANE

The Butcher brothers from Porter’s Lake battled for the top spot when it came down to the wire in the 15-lap Hydraulics Plus Bandolero feature on Friday night and though 2010 champion Cole gave his brother Jarrett a run for the top spot, it wasn’t enough to un-seed the #3 from the win. Jarrett held off Cole, completing the double down for the night, which included the heat win for the #3 Top Construction Bandolero. Third place belonged to point leader Cole Tanner (Shubenacadie) while a hard charging Luke Ettinger (Kennetcook) had to settle for fourth. Rounding off the top five was Adam Meehan (Rawdon).

LUMBERMART THUNDER – THREE FOR LIVELY

Stevie Lively (Shubenacadie) kept his hopes alive for a back-to-back championship performance in 2011 by winning his third Lumbermart Thunder main feature of the summer – the most of any driver in the class! Lively piloted his #32 Hubley Auto Sales Civic to the win over Matthew Warren (White’s Lake), who closed to within one point of point leader Dave Matthews (Kennetcook), who finished sixth. Tylor Hawes (Sheet Harbour) came home in third and is now within four points of his first Thunder car title. Andrew Cluett (Kennetcook) recorded his best finish of the season with a fourth place run on Friday night while ’10 top rookie Andrew Warren (White’s Lake) finished in fifth.

Two-time Thunder champ Tim Webster (Beaverbank), Jordan Pirri (West Chezzetcook) and Lively scored heat wins to kick off the night in the 25-car field. The Lumbermart Thunder class completes its season on September 2nd with the coveted Lumbermart 50 on Finale Friday!

LUMBERMART LIGHTNING – SMITH INCHES CLOSER TO TITLE WITH VICTORY

Jorden Smith took a big step forward in clinching the Lumbermart Lightning championship Friday night by taking the win in the 20-lap main feature. Smith, of Lakeside had to hold off John Poan of Hantsport for the victory. Finishing behind Poan was Cody Singer (Kennetcook), 2010 top freshman BJ Nicholson (Beaverbank) and “Crazy” Craig Cordeau (Windsor).

Nick Hurshman (Lakeside), “The Pit Liazard” Jamie Creamer (Spryfield) and Poan took home 10-lap heat race victories. Smith now leads by 79 points and will virtually only need to start the next two features to take home the Lumbermart Lightning car championship.