Weekly Racing Series
Race Wrap & Full Results

July 1st - Canada Day Shriner's Classic

22nd ANNUAL SHRINER'S CLASSIC FOR AFFORDABLE FUELS SPORTSMAN
For the second straight season, it was Russell Smith Jr (Lakeside) winning the Shriner's Classic but it was far from easy to take his second consecutive win in the prestigious event.

Kirk Ryan (Lantz) led the early stages of the 50-lap feature but Pete Miller (Kennetcook) would solve the Robert Hage owned car prior to the 20th circuit in the race. Ryan would find himself swapping paint with last week’s second place finisher Brentley Pirri (Three Fathom Harbour) before Pirri’s exit from the race on Lap 39 following a hard hit on the back straightaway after what they believed was a lower ball joint failure.

One of the drivers who was making their first start of the season was Smith Jr. He started near the back of the running order and took the lead for the first time at lap 29 from Miller. The two battled for the lead for the final 20-laps over numerous restarts with Miller shadowing Smith through most of the late laps.

On a late race restart, Smith got the best of Miller while Miller had the field behind him grip down on the #92 Superior Power Products Chevrolet at the finish. Travis Roma (West Chezzetcook), who had spent most of the race running around the top five, charged late and edged Miller by inches at the line for the second place spot. Miller was third, followed by last week’s winner Matt Moore (Falmouth) and two time Affordable Fuels Sportsman champion Darren Wallage (Oakfield).

Roma and Cory Leonard (Goodwood) won qualifying heat races for the event. A season high 19 cars started the race, which also included the return of Wallage, Mike Banks (Wilmot), Leonard and Dale Richardson (Stellarton) to Scotia Speedworld.

The race marked the first time this season that Jordan Veinotte (Porter’s Lake) did not finish on the podium in a main feature. His eighth place finish will see his championship lead shrink to five points over Miller. Aaron Boutilier (Porter’s Lake) and Moore have closed to within 15 points of Veinotte as the division heads into competition during $20 Carload Admission Night.


TOURSEC THUNDER
For the second time this season, the Toursec Thunder division has a first time winner.
Merle Corbin (Sackville) has shown speed all season long in his #1 G&R Kelly Civic but has not been able to crack the podium. While the third year driver had three top five finishes, a top three had eluded him.

That is until July 1st, when the #1 was #1 for the first time in the Toursec Thunder class.

 Corbin took the lead from Chris Hatcher (Beaver Bank) in the second half of the feature. Like Corbin, Hatcher was looking for his first feature win after a third place finish the week prior. When it appeared the top two were destined to duke it out on their own for a feature win, the caution came out with five laps to go. The caution allowed point leaders Stevie Lively (Shubenacadie) and Dave Matthews (Kennetcook) to catch up to the leaders and while they would get by Hatcher, they could not solve Corbin in five laps which led to Corbin’s first victory.

Matthews would get the best of Lively for second in the feature and would in turn take the point lead by a single point after their feature. Hatcher would hang on to fourth place ahead of JR Lawson (Shubenacadie). Both Hatcher and Lawson won heat races to set the tone for the 25-lap main for the Toursec Thunder class.


TOURSEC LIGHTNING
Canada Day was huge for “Rational” Richard Drake (Halifax) as he waved two flags in the Toursec Lightning division. While most paraded red and white flags, his two were black and white.

Drake took both ends of the double features for the four cylinder division. Both features had the same three podium finishers, though the second feature saw a shuffle late in the race for it to end up that way.

In the make up feature for May 22nd, Drake started fourth and while Deven Smith (Lakeside) led the most laps and had a big lead built, it was a pair of restarts that put Drake in the game as he made the move around the defending champion to take the win. Smith was second in the first main of the evening while Scott Thibodeau (Williamswood) made a late race move on Marc MacMillan (Glenholme) for third. Tom Stewart (Stewiacke) nailed down a top five finish by finishing fifth in the opening act on July 1st.

The second feature appeared to be Jamie Dillman’s (Carroll’s Corner) race to lose. Dillman set sail early and looked to be on his way to his first win of 2016 before two restarts in the second half of the 25-lap event changed those plans. Within ten laps to go, Drake battled Dillman on the high side to ultimately take the lead. Drake led the field on a final restart with four laps to go while a scramble ensued behind. Jorden Smith (Lakeside) broke and Dillman, who restarted second, slid back to fourth in the fracas while Thibodeau and Deven Smith snuck in to join Drake on the podium. Stewart once again got a top five finish by finishing fifth in his #171 car, decked out with a Canadian flag on his hood for the holiday.

Heats for the Toursec Lightning division were won by Deven Smith and “Big Daddy” Kenny Hopper (Enfield).

Deven Smith continues to lead the division in the standings with Drake moving to third after his big week.


COORS LIGHT TRUCKS
After an up and down start to the season, the roller coaster ride for Matt Vaughan (Fletcher’s Lake) has swung up after his first Coors Light Truck feature win of the season.

Vaughan started on the outside pole position and drove his #08 All East Refrigeration Chevrolet to victory lane, but it wasn’t without a fight. A late race restart bunched up the field and put Kevin Clark Jr (Goodwood) and four-time champion Dan Smith (Lower Sackville) at Vaughan’s tailgate at the end. The two battled it out for second, allowing Vaughan to build a small lead and held it until the checkered flag. In a dead heat to the line, scoring officials gave Smith second and Clark third in the 25-lap feature. Megan Parrott (Beaver Bank), who waged an incredible battle with Jason Fenton (Eastern Passage) that saw multiple cross over moves, finished fourth with “The Pit Lizzard” Jamie Creamer (Spryfield) in fifth.

Clark Jr took the heat win. Smith holds a nine point lead over the #17 after five races this season.


HYDRAULICS PLUS BANDOLEROS
Nathan Blackburn (Timberlea) is the second Hydraulics Plus Bandolero driver to bring home two overall wins in the combined Outlaw and Bandit features this season.

After Sam Rogers (Lower Onslow) pulled the feat in the first two races of the season, Blackburn and his #44 McFetridge Piping Systems Bandolero won the last two straight races in the class. Josh Langille (Coldbrook) would take his fourth straight runner-up finish in the class with a second place run in the 15-lap feature, ahead of Rogers. Michael Cormier (Grand-Barachois, NB), who led the most laps in the feature and was on the hunt for his first feature win at Scotia Speedworld, wound up fourth overall.

Nathan Langille (Coldbrook) returned to the top of his age group by winning the Bandit portion of the feature. Langille has been the top driver aged 8-12 in the combined feature three of the four races contested this season. Behind Langille was Owen Mahar (Hubley) who took second in class ahead of last week’s Bandit feature winner Colton Noble (Upper Nine Mile River).

Tyler Hutchinson (Onslow) won his second Beginner Bandolero division feature of the season going away over Malcolm Jollimore (Terence Bay), who owns the other three races contested on the year. Dylan MacMillan (Glenholme) took his third podium finish of the year with a third place run.

Hutchinson takes a two point lead in the Beginner Bandit class heading into their off-week over Jollimore. Nathan Langille has an eight point lead in the Bandit division while his brother Josh Langille only has a single point advantage on Blackburn. The Hydraulics Plus Bandoleros return on July 16th during the Toursec Twin 50s Night.