Down to Crunch Time

I’m still buzzing following the Toromont Cat 250 weekend!

For a race fan, that was a near perfect weekend of racing. Sure, you’d like to have photo finishes in each race like David and Mike Jollimore did on the first heat race of the weekend, and you’d like to have a few less cautions than 18 in the big show, but overall the racing action from flag to flag was excellent. The weather was absolutely ideal, we saw some familiar faces we haven’t seen all season and we had good crowds both nights. Overall, it was a great weekend for racing.

On the other side though, the big event of our season is now over and it is the middle of August. There are only five weeks left to this season and it is really time to start looking at point championships and those final checkered flags of the 2018 season.

The Legends and Bandoleros are centre stage this Friday night with INEX Night. The Legend drivers will be racing for provisional starting spots in INEX Asphalt Nationals at the Bullring at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 27th along with International points for their “National Qualifier.” In addition to track points towards their Strictly Hydraulics Legends championship, they get extra laps with a 50-lap feature set for Friday.

Emily Meehan and Shelby Baker have really been the story in Legend racing throughout the region and that includes the Maritime League of Legends Tour. The pair have been back and forth at Scotia Speedworld with Meehan at the head of the class while Baker has the advantage on the Maritime League of Legends Tour while Craig MacDonald has lit the lamp thrice on the touring side of things.

I’ve said this a few times over the last number of races but the downfall for Meehan if there is one is her qualifying efforts. Our heat races pay points, ten to win and one point back per position (2nd gets 9 points, third gets 8, etc.). Of her 816 points, Meehan has gained 46 of those through heat racing. Baker, on the other hand, has 55 points through heat races. That nine points might not seem like much, but when the overall margin is just a three point difference, those heat races have kept Baker in the game. Meehan has had Baker’s number in feature competition, finishing ahead of Baker in six of the eight races so far.

With four races to go for the Legends, you cannot discount Paul Goulden or Andrew Lively from the championship chase. One small misstep from either of the top two will pull these two into the championship discussion. Tylor Hawes reminded us last Friday night why we shouldn’t count him out, though he has a long climb with 48 points between he and Meehan for the top spot.

Either way, there is a lot on the line Friday night for the Strictly Hydraulics Legends division. Expect a good field to come out and race for the checkered flag and the perks that go with it.
The Hydraulics Plus Bandoleros are back and are scheduled for each of the five race cards from here to Finale Friday. Starting at the top, Danny Chisholm has won the last two Outlaw/Bandit combined feature events and after a trip to Charlotte for Bandolero Nationals, Chisholm is looking to get back on the victory train. With an off-week behind them, drivers like Josh Langille, Sam Rogers and point leader Colton Noble are looking to upend the win streak of the No. 87. Currently, this is the only scheduled Bandolero Qualifier in the Maritimes, which means there is only room for one winner and with a number of these drivers, including Rogers and Chisholm, chasing National points, this win is big.

With Owen Mahar at Canadian Karting Nationals in Bowmanville, Ontario, it opens the door for Austin Hiscock to have an opportunity to run at Scotia Speedworld. To keep up with track championship points, Mahar needed a Bandit driver to slide into his race car. There are not many of those around, but they have found a great driver in the Freshwater, Newfoundland driver. Hiscock is a second year driver, racing at Eastbound Park and Thunder Valley Speedway in Newfoundland and is the reigning TCM Most Popular Driver Award. He’ll be racing in his second INEX Qualifier of the year and looking to top Brooke Dowe and Morgan Mosher for the Bandit victory on Friday.

The last time the Hydraulics Plus Beginner Bandoleros were on the track, we had a very exciting finish(es) to say the least. Gage Gilby was within feet of taking the checkered flag before race control displayed the caution flag that triggered three Green-White-Checkered finishes. I thought the race was done, my co-host Rational Richard thought the race was done but we clearly didn’t see the caution flag instead of the checkered flag displayed when young Gilby crossed the stripe.

After he and Chase MacKay collided after racing hard for the lead, it opened the door for Emma MacMillan to score her first win. I think it is safe to say everyone was a bit surprised, including Emma herself, but it is always great to see a first time winner on what ended up being a historic night with three female winners on the evening. Emily Chisholm finished second that night and with two trophies in the last two races and the way she has progressed as a driver, it will not surprise me if she lights the lamp at least once in these last five races. You’d also have to believe Dawson Noble and Chase MacKay are ready to win a race. With five races to go, there is plenty of time and with five extra laps on Friday night, we’ll see who can go the distance to win their longest race of the year.

Coming off an exciting Affordable Fuels 100, the Affordable Fuels Sportsman are back in action Friday night. The last time we ran a regular distance point paying feature, it was Megan Parrott going to victory lane for her first Late Model victory. Not only do we have a battle at the front between Jordan Veinotte, Aaron Boutilier and Matt Vaughan for the championship, Parrott and Deven Smith are putting on a show for the Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year Award with just four points between them. Not only that, but they’re battling for fifth in the overall standings. It wouldn’t shock me to see Smith drive to victory lane in one of the next four races and move himself a bit further than fifth overall in the standings.

We have a driver change this week in the No. 14 CARSTAR Ford. With Alex Johnson away for the weekend, Travis Roma will step into the car that sits fourth in the standings. While they will be looking to keep the car within the top five in the standings, Roma has something to prove to as he is looking for his first win of the season.

With eight races under our belts, we have seen six different Sportsman winners. Could we see a seventh different winner? Find out Friday!

Steve Matthews extended his point advantage with his third win of the Toursec Lightning season during Toromont Cat 250 weekend. He hasn’t gone without competition though. Marshall Bezanson has been quick, Scott Thibodeau is a contender when he shows up, Rational Richard has speed, so does Travis Keefe, rookie Matthew Barkhouse and the story of the year in Chevy MacDonald. In seven races, there have been five different winners within the class – will our sixth come Friday night?!

It will be a great night of racing at Scotia Speedworld, our competition within our CARSTAR Weekly Racing Series has been some of the best around Atlantic Canada. If you haven’t been out to the track yet this year, this is a good night to head out.

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