Summer Stretch in Full Swing

After an exciting Toursec Twin 50s last Friday night at Scotia Speedworld, we will get back to a full card of racing this evening with the Canadian National Autism Foundation KidsRace.

 Now, if you want a preview of the Affordable Fuels Sportsman and the double features for the Strictly Hydraulics Legends class, I’ll direct you back two weeks to the preview for the $20 Carload Admission Night that we lost due to weather. Those two divisions did not race last weekend, so their point picture and situation remains unchanged heading into tonight’s competition.

I will put out a mention at the top of this article for Brian Northrup and his newly formed team. Cole Tanner will be driving a black and white #3 in the second Legends feature on Friday night. The team has been put together over the last week or so and the team will drive at the end of the season to raise awareness for Mental Illness and Chronic Pain, a cause that Northrup has gone through over the past couple years. You can read more on the program in a feature on TimsCorner.ca.

The Toursec Thunder class once again put on an exciting show for their longest race of the season. While a number of good race car stumbled to keep up to the summer heat and the pace up front with mechanical failures, Stevie Lively stayed steady to pick up his third feature of the season and the point lead by one point over third place finisher Dave Matthews. When it came to comebacks, Merle Corbin went from the rear of the field late after having to pit for fuel to rally to fifth at the checkered flag. Andrew Lively also found himself in the top five at the end and he and Corbin find themselves third and fourth in the standings with just six markers between them.

Great stories throughout the field as well including the first heat win for Nic Baker in his third season of competition. Chantel Ackles flirted with the top five at the end of the race and even Greg McKay showed great improvement in his rookie season. He and his teammate Justin Rowe find themselves only five points out of the Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year lead, held by Mitchell Hopkins in tenth overall.

The Toursec Thunder cars will put on a show in their feature on Friday and so will the Coors Light Truck drivers. The defending series champion Dan Smith once again reminded us why he is a four time titlist by winning his second feature of the season by pulling away from Jason Fenton and Megan Parrott late in the feature. I keep saying it week in and week out that Kevin Clark is due for a feature win but with the field being so tight, it will be a tough sled for the second place point driver. The Trucks typically show up to put on a show on Canadian National Autism Foundation Night - remember a couple years ago between Jeff Campbell and Cy Harvey?!

The Hydraulics Plus Bandolero Outlaw and Bandit feature got a bit crazy at the end of last week’s main event. While Austin MacDonald led out of Turn Four on the final lap, he was credited with third after eventual winner Sam Rogers got by and Nathan Blackburn slid by on the inside. Blackburn and MacDonald were a bit upset and I think Rogers was more relieved than anything in his victory lane interview.

The first driver to watch that fracas in front of him was point leader and makeup feature winner Josh Langille. Langille still has a slim three point lead over Blackburn and Rogers and by the way they are racing you cannot count out MacDonald for that championship. These kids can put on a show and I’m excited to see it again tonight.

Colton Noble has been on a tear over the past few races after rolling his Bandolero a month ago. Two more feature wins have been tacked on after last Friday night and they are now seven points out of the point lead held by Nathan Langille. Oh, and by the way, Owen Mahar has quietly gone about his business, picking up podium finishes and is tied with Noble for second in points. Watch for Mahar to run to the front tonight, this could be his breakout season in a Bandolero car if he can get up on the wheel in the second half of the year.

Tyler Hutchinson and Malcolm Jollimore continue to go back and fourth in the Beginner Bandit class. While Hutchinson only has two feature wins to Jollimore’s four, his consistency has put him two points up on “Superman” in the #48 car. Brooke Dowe, Morgan Mosher, Dylan MacMillan and Chase MacKay continue to improve, further cementing the point that our future is bright. Oh, and by the way, not to mention the Beginner Bandits put on one of the cleanest shows of the card last week.

This is going to be a fun night of racing and I cannot wait to get this thing fired up. Be sure to support the Canadian National Autism Foundation and come out and enjoy some great stock car racing at the same time!

Until later this evening, keep the hammer down and we’ll see you at the track!