Weekly Racing Series
Race Wrap & Full Results

July 26th: 19 Annual Shriner's Classic

DARTMOUTH DODGE SPORTSMAN
Darren Wallage (Oakfield) has won many big races in the Sportsman class in the province of Nova Scotia and now one of the most accomplished active Sportsman drivers in the region can call himself a Shriner’s Classic champion.

Wallage captured the 19th Annual Shriner’s Classic on Friday night by building and maintaining a half straightaway lead over a 30 plus lap green flag run to the finish of the event. Wallage had to weave his way through heavy lapped traffic at the end but kept his lead over Russell Smith Jr. of Lakeside, who was making his third start of the season at the Speedworld. Defending series champion Aaron Boutilier (Porter’s Lake), who has been chasing the Shriner’s Classic title since his Street Stock days, had to hold off a hard charging Harry Ross White (Noel Road), who has won the Classic twice, for the third place spot. Three time Classic winner Jeff Dillman (Middle Musquodoboit) returned to the track for the first time in a Sportsman since late last season to capture fifth place in the 20 car field.

Heat wins went to Wade Slauenwhite (Beaverbank) and Dillman, who had to hold off a very impressive run by rookie Travis Roma (West Chezzetcook) to take the first heat race of the night.

Wallage now extends his point lead to eight leading into this Friday night’s 38-lap feature.

STRICTLY HYDRAULICS LEGENDS
It’s been a while, but Matt Moore (Falmouth) is finally back in victory lane in the Strictly Hydraulics Legends division!

Moore made his move in the opening stages of the race and kept his #1 car up front for the win. Moore finished a couple of lengths in front of Danny Harvey (Lantz) and Jeff Cruickshank (Hantsport), each of whom have recorded a feature win already this season at the Speedworld. A battle amongst two of the rising talents of our sport was in the spotlight for the fourth place spot with “Miss Rawdon Rocket” Emily Meehan edging out last season’s Strictly Hydraulics Legend champ Cole Butcher of Porter’s Lake.

Heat races were pocketed by Moore and Shelburne’s Paul Goulden, who was driving a new race car after a wild crash damaged his primary car a week prior at Riverside Speedway. The cars and stars of the Legends division will duel again on Friday during Canadian National Autism Foundation Night.

COORS LIGHT TRUCKS
After a dismal start to the 2013 season, Vernon Brown (Antrim) has found his way back to victory lane at Scotia Speedworld.

Following a start which Brown’s best feature finish was a fourth place run in early June, the #80 Wilson Excavation Chevrolet took home a convincing win on Shriner’s Classic Night. Brown built a lead and held off Jason Fenton (Eastern Passage) in the closing laps. Fenton, who won the heat race, was involved in an early incident with Robbie Watts (Lucasville) and got up on the wheel to work his way back up to the front and worked to the outside of Brown but ran out of time in the 20 lap feature. Defending class champion Dan Smith (Lower Sackville) made the late race battle for the win an exciting three truck battle but had to settle for third behind Brown and Fenton. Completing the top five were Ryan Goldsmith (Bridgewater) and Larry Vaughan (Lake Fletcher).

With the tight point battle in the class, it is now Smith up front by a trio of points over Goldsmith heading into Friday’s action. Fenton is set to make this a three way dance for the lead with just six points between he and Smith after five races.

ACE LUMBERMART THUNDER
After what began as a flashback battle to 2012 - the ACE Lumbermart Thunder class is now getting a flashback from 2011 as Dave Matthews (Kennetcook) and Matthew Warren (White’s Lake) have taken the reigns atop the division.

Matthews scored his first feature win of the season in the Thunder class by holding off a hard charging Warren, who was looking for his second win of the season and who had to pass a strong Kyle Gammon (Middle Sackville) late in the event. Gammon came home with third, followed by Drew MacEachern (Dartmouth), who drove his car back up to fourth in a spirited charge after an early race four wheel drift. The top five on the night was completed by Tim Webster (Beaverbank).

When asked about his thoughts on the points situation, Matthews quickly responded with, “I’m thinking 31,” after he and Warren battled down to the wire for the 2011 championship with Matthews winning the championship by a single point. The #99 Matthews Racing Civic now leads Warren’s Multi-Tech Automotive Honda by four points heading into the Atlantic CAT 250 weekend, when the Thunder cars will be on the card for Friday night.

HYDRAULICS PLUS BANDOLEROS
Last lap fireworks between two of the top drivers this season in the class ultimately led to Braden Langille (Shubenacadie) edging out his first victory of the season.

Langille inherited the lead on the white flag lap after then leader Craig MacDonald (Waverley) and point leader Adam Meehan (Rawdon) were battling hard for the lead heading into Turn Three on the final lap. The two hooked bumpers and spun in the final corner and with the caution called instead of the checkers, the field was realigned for a green-white-checker finish. Langille was kept on his toes though as Cole Tanner (Shubenacadie) gave him all he could handle in the closing two laps. Tanner scored a season high second place run at his home track while rookie Wyatt McCulloch (Stewiacke) put up a career night by finishing a very strong third place run, the first podium run of his career. Nicholas Naugle (Halifax) was fourth while Meehan picked up four spots on the two lap dash to come home in fifth.

Langille and McCulloch came home with heat race wins.

With the double down, Langille moves to within 17 points of Meehan for the lead and Tanner will put his #33 car back into third in the standings heading into Canadian Autism Foundation Night.