Weekly Racing Series
Race Wrap & Full Results

July 22nd - Canadian National Autism Foundation Night

Strictly Hydraulics Legends
The championship landscape in the Strictly Hydraulics Legends division has changed dramatically following two features for the class on Canadian National Autism Foundation Night.

In the first feature of the evening, it appeared that Cory Hall (Jolicure, NB) would kick off the evening in victory lane but after his car shut off from the lead position after 13 of the 25 laps, it would put him at the rear of the field.

When it looked like Nicholas Naugle (Dartmouth) was going to go to victory lane in his #88 Brycon Construction Legend, a spin took him from the top three to the back of the pack following Hall’s misfortune.

Enter reigning champion Jarrett Butcher (Porter’s Lake).

Butcher would go on to win the first feature, leading a young podium featuring Adam Meehan (Rawdon Gold Mines) and Craig MacDonald (Waverley). For MacDonald, the leading Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie, it was his first podium finish in the class. Masters competitors Paul Goulden (Shelburne) and Jeff Cruickshank (Hantsport) completed the top five.

Butcher was also a factor in the second feature of the evening, but it was Hall rebounding nicely to take his third win of the season. Hall went from the back of the field to the front to hold off Butcher for the win. Goulden looked poised for a feature win but had to settle for third ahead of a hard charge from Naugle, who was fourth at the end of the race. “Miss Rawdon Rocket” Emily Meehan recovered from a crash in the first feature to come home fifth.

Cruickshank, who led a number of laps early in the second feature, and Hall took home heat race victories for the second feature on the night.

What was a two point deficit for Butcher in the standings has turned into a whopping 25 point advantage on the field as the division heads into the Nitro Circus Pre-Party on Friday.

Affordable Fuels Sportsman
Aaron Boutilier  (Porter’s Lake) worked his way from the back of the field to the front to capture his third Affordable Fuels Sportsman feature of the season and first under the CARSTAR marketing banner for the Scotia Speedworld Weekly Racing Series.

Boutilier, who has been working on his car to get it better since early in the season, took the lead from Pete Miller (Kennetcook) on a restart with eight laps to go. Another restart four laps later would pose Boutilier with another challenge for the top spot but would hold off Miller for the lead and the win in the 38 lap affair. Miller, who took the lead from Brentley Pirri (Three Fathom Harbour) on Lap 16, had to settle for second while brother Wayne Miller (Kennetcook) was on his back bumper. Wayne Miller would take third in the race for his first podium finish of the season. Alex Johnson (Enfield) and Mike Banks (Wilmot) would finish in the top five in a frantic three laps to the finish of the race.

Richard Salter (Centre Burlington) and Johnson would win heat races for the class.

Jordan Veinotte (Porter’s Lake) entered as the point leader but with a sixth place finish in the feature combined with a last place performance in the heat, it has put him to third in the standings behind Miller and Boutilier heading into Friday night. The top four, which also includes Matt Moore (Falmouth), only have 18 points between them after seven races.

Toursec Thunder
Chris Hatcher (Beaver Bank) is finally a winner in the Toursec Thunder division.

After trying to burst into victory lane with a strong car all season long, everything finally came together and Hatcher and his #11 RD MacDougall Enterprises/Novus Glass Honda team was parked in victory lane Friday after 25 laps. The win was the first in his racing career at Scotia Speedworld.

The win was textbook. Hatcher pulled out into the lead by the end of the first lap over pole sitter Nic Baker (Middle Sackville) and set sail up front, gapping the field by a wide margin over 25 caution free laps en route to victory lane.

Behind Hatcher was a completely different story. Up to eight drivers battled nose to tail and side by side as they slugged it out for the runner-up spot before halfway. Andrew Lively (Middle Sackville) was able to untangle himself from the battle first and able to make in roads on Hatcher but it wasn’t enough to steal the top spot from the #11. Lively was second with Dave Matthews (Kennetcook) coming home in third over a close battle for the spot which included championship contender Stevie Lively (Shubenacadie) and Merle Corbin (Sackville), who completed the top five.

Hatcher and Andrew Lively won the qualifying heat races.

With his win, Hatcher becomes the six different winner in eight races with Stevie Lively being the only repeat winner. Matthews, who has yet to win this season, is tied with the #32 car for the top spot in the standings heading into AMP Energy Night on August 5th.

Coors Light Trucks
Jason Fenton (Eastern Passage) turned in his division leading third Coors Light Truck victory on Friday night.

In a race that featured a handful of caution periods, including one that set up a three lap dash to the finish, Fenton stayed strong up front after taking the lead from Tony Leonard (Goodwood) in the first five laps of the event. Dan Smith (Lower Sackville), four-time and defending division champion, kept Fenton honest at the end and came home with second place. Leonard rallied for third after getting into it with Matt Vaughan (Fletchers Lake) late in the race. Vaughan was fifth on the night, behind Cory Leonard (Goodwood) in fourth, who was substituting for Kevin Clark Jr (Goodwood).

Adam Carter (Lantz) was convincing in his heat race victory to kick off the night but his feature was cut short after coming together with Megan Parrott (Beaver Bank) early in the feature.
Fenton moves to second in the standings with his win on Friday, 20 points in the rearview of Smith, heading into the Nitro Circus Pre Party.

Hydraulics Plus Bandoleros
Compared to the week previous, the Hydraulics Plus Bandolero division was quite calm during the Canadian National Autism Foundation Kidsrace.

The wildest finish came behind Tyler Hutchinson (Onslow) in the Beginner Bandit division. While the youngster came to the line for his third feature win of the season, behind him the action heated up. When it appeared Malcolm Jollimore (Terence Bay) and Dawson Noble (Upper Nine Mile River), who was making his racing debut, were going to finish second and third following Morgan Mosher (Mahone Bay) slowing on the last lap, the two made contact on the last lap. The contact allowed Brooke Dowe (Bedford) to squeeze by for second while Jollimore was credited with third. Mosher and Dylan MacMillan (Glenholme), both scored one lap down, finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Sam Rogers (Lower Onslow) took the lead early in the Hydraulics Plus Bandolero combined Outlaw and Bandit feature and unlike the week before that featured calamity coming out of the final corner, it was Rogers crossing the line first (and in the right direction) over Nathan Blackburn (Timberlea) and Austin MacDonald (Pictou). Colton Noble (Upper Nine Mile River) was fifth overall and the first place Bandit, over point leader Nathan Langille (Coldbrook) and Owen Mahar (Hubley).

Heat races were won by Hutchinson (Beginner Bandit), Singer (Bandit) and MacDonald (Outlaw).

While Nathan Langille and Hutchinson continue to lead their respective class, Rogers moves into the Outlaw point lead by two over Josh Langille (Coldbrook) and three over Blackburn.
The Hydraulics Plus Bandoleros return during the Nitro Circus Pre-Party on Friday.