Race Wrap

Weekly Racing Series Season Opener

HYDRAULICS PLUS BANDOLEROS – BUTCHER BROTHERS BATTLE TO THE CHECKERS

2010 Hydraulics Plus Bandolero champion Cole Butcher just may need another shelf to house his first place trophies.

Butcher, driving his #5 Atlantic Tiltload/Hope for Wildlife Bandolero passed his brother Jarrett in the late laps to win his tenth main feature since his championship season. Butcher was quick to thank his fellow drivers, including his brother in victory lane. “These guys are great to race with,” said the winner after climbing from the race car.

Adam Meehan (Rawdon) came home in third after his first Hydraulics Plus Bandolero race. Meehan and Braden Langille (Shubenacadie) swapped paint out of Turn Four, which sent Langille hard into the front straightaway wall. Langille would be credited with the fifth place position in the feature, behind heat race winner Cole Tanner (Shubenacadie). Nine “young guns” started the fifteen lap feature.

Cole will have a one point lead on his brother Jarrett with Tanner, Langille and Meehan not too far behind as they head to AMP Energy Night.

LUMBERMART LIGHTNING - #144 CONTINUES TO REIGN SUPREME

Though Russell Smith Jr. has moved on to the Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman division, his championship number remains atop the division with his younger brother Jorden at the wheel. Smith (Lakeside), driving the #144 DaBest Construction Neon drove to victory lane in the twenty lap Lumbermart Lightning car feature on Sunday afternoon, leading Cody Singer (Kennetcook) across the line at the finish. Singer and his #151 Leo J Beazley Neon was closing in on Smith but ran out of laps to catch the eventual winner. Jamie Dillman (Carrolls Corner) and his #158 Scotia Auto Salvage Cavalier completed the podium with Mike “The Outlaw” Umlah (Stewiacke) and John Poan (Hantsport) rounding out the top five.

Three qualifying heats were ran prior to the feature and were won by Singer, Smith and Marc MacMillan (Glenholme), who battled most of the feature for the fifth place spot. Twenty-three drivers took the green flag in the main event.

LUMBERMART THUNDER – MATTHEWS LEADS FLAG-TO-FLAG ON OPENING DAY

Dave Matthews sent a statement to the rest of his peers in the Lumbermart Thunder class on Opening Day. The Kennetcook native dominated the twenty-lap affair in the Honda class by doubling down and leading every lap in his heat race and the main feature. Matthews topped Kyle Gammon (Middle Sackville) in the main feature after Gammon charged through the field and was closing in on Matthews in the late stages. Not far behind the returning Gammon was 2010 runner up Tylor Hawes (Sheet Harbour) while Joey Lawson (Porters Lake) and Matthew Warren (Whites Lake) completed the top five. Warren stormed to the front after he missed his heat race with a blown head gasket in his #31 Markland Associates Honda.

Heat races were won by Matthews and Lawson. Matthews, who is currently looking for sponsors for his #99 Honda Civic, will be shown as the point leader as “the BEST Four Cylinder Drivers in Atlantic Canada” head into AMP Energy Night on June 3rd.

TRUCKS – SMITH CONTINUES ROLL, WINS ON OPENING DAY

It took him nearly eight months but Dan Smith has finally scored a consecutive hat trick of wins in the Truck class at Scotia Speedworld. Smith of Beaverbank doubled down on Opening Day after winning the final two features of the Speedworld season in September 2010. “It’s an awesome feeling to pick up where we left off last year,” exclaimed an excited Smith after climbing from his #39 Truck. “Racing with these guys is great. We have a lot of respect for each other and we raced each other clean. Hats off to them!”

Finishing on the tailgate of Smith was 2010 champ Gordon Ritchie (Antrim) and JP Arsenault (Church Point). Eastern Passage’s Jason Fenton was credited with fourth place while Dana Isenor of Enfield was fifth at the finish in the eight truck field.

COCO BEACH LEGENDS – PYE HOLDS OFF BLENKHORN TO DOUBLE DOWN

After finishing the ’10 Coco Beach Legends division season in the pit area awaiting their championship fates, Lantz’s Steve Pye and Truro’s Paul Blenkhorn started 2011 by battling it out for the first win in the Weekly Legends series. The two heat race winners dueled it out with Pye edging out Blenkhorn at the line for the victory. Pye was quick to thank his sponsors, including the new title sponsor of the division. “I need to thank one big sponsor who came on board this season,” said Pye and with a tap of the roof pointed to the Coco Beach decal. “We’ve been without a sponsor for this class for a long time. Thanks to them. If you need to get dark for the season, make sure to go to Coco Beach!”

Directly behind Pye and Blenkhorn was Matt Moore (Falmouth) and Derek MacCallum (Lower Sackville). The two picked up where they left off the week before and once again finished nose-to-tail after a failed passed on the outside by MacCallum in the closing laps. The top four distanced themselves from the rest of the field at the end of the twenty-five lap race with rookie Dylan Blenkhorn getting the final top five spot after getting past “The Legend” Cy Harvey in the late stages.

The Coco Beach Legends will enjoy a week off before returning to action on Friday, June 17th.

DARTMOUTH DODGE SPORTSMAN – SMITH SAILS ON OUTSIDE LINE TO VICTORY

Multiple late race restarts set up a five lap dash between Aaron Boutilier of Porters Lake and Colby Smith of Cape Sable Island for the win in the Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman class. Boutilier had led the most laps of the race, including the first twenty consecutive green until a caution set up the first of a quartet of restarts in the final ten circuits. Smith started on the outside of Boutilier on the final green flag and held off the #4 Boutilier Auto Body Ford Fusion for the win.

“The outside was the place to be on the starts,” commented the 2010 Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman champ after the race. “Aaron had a great run and raced us clean at the end.”

Kyle Butler raced his way to third after Russell Smith Jr. (Lakeside), Mike Alexander (Cole Harbour) and Terry Roma (West Chezzetcook) occupied the position within the final ten laps. The Lake Egmont driver topped Porters Lake’s Jordan Veinotte and Wilmot’s Mike Banks in the top five. Victorious in the heat races were Boutilier and Alexander. Eighteen drivers started the main feature!

Next up for the Weekly Racing Series is AMP Energy Night on June 3rd at 7pm.

Until then, keep the hammer down and we’ll see you at the track!