CARSTAR Weekly Racing Series
Race Wrap & Full Results

June 7th: Toursec Twin 50s

TOURSEC THUNDER
On paper, Darren Flemming (Shubenacadie) stayed perfect on the 2019 season and picked up his first Toursec Thunder on the Hill win Friday night at Scotia Speedworld.

Paper sometimes lies though, as Flemming had to be on his toes to clinch his second straight feature win on the 3/10-mile oval.

While the race featured a lower than usual car count with only eight cars answering the call to the green for 50-laps, the action was fast paced and furious from the first lap. As green flag laps began to click off, it appeared that Dave Matthews (Kennetcook) was on a pace that would easily put him in victory lane. That is, until he drove the wheel off it. Literally.

Matthews lost a right front wheel just past the halfway point in the 50-lap feature, shearing the center out of the rim. Matthews was forced to pit road where his team put another wheel on, getting the No. 99 Endurance Roofing Civic out on track in time for the restart.
That restart also would be a break for Jesse Deveau (Greenwood), who would race his way back onto the lead lap after an early spin. When Matthews broke from the lead, it allowed Deveau to move around him and earn his lap back.

The restart with half of the race to go would be led to green by Flemming, who won the heat race earlier in the night in the No. 22 CJ Drywall/Hirtle’s Auto Civic. Flemming would take control and appear to be en route to an easy victory until a caution flew for a stalled Jason Pickles (Meagher’s Grant).

A three lap dash between Flemming, Matthews and Deveau would decide the Thunder on the Hill title. The restart would also close in the field, letting them have a short run shot at glory. Flemming was able to take advantage on the restart, holding on for his first 50-lap win at his home track. Matthews settled in behind Flemming to take second with Deveau being edged out by Neil Miousse (Kentville) on the last lap for the final podium spot. New Glasgow’s Taylor McLean was fifth.

Combined with his sweep on Opening Day, Flemming leads the points with the maximum 220 points over two weeks of the 2019 Toursec Thunder season.

TOURSEC LIGHTNING
The Hellkitty was able to pace the field to the checkered flag on Friday night during the Toursec Lightning on the Hill race.

Matthew Barkhouse (Halifax), in his first attempt at a Toursec Twin 50 event, drove to victory lane Friday for his first win of 2019. Barkhouse had to hold off all challengers on a final restart with seven laps to go. “Rational” Richard Drake (Halifax), who had won the previous two features on the season, finished second after making his way through the accident that set up the final restart. Marshall Bezanson (Oldham), who returned in his car after a crash on Opening Day, slid his way to a third place finish. Chevy MacDonald (Stewiacke) barely missed out on a podium finish with a fourth place run, followed by Travis Keefe (Timberlea). 

Bezanson and Bruce Larter (Halifax) scored heat race victories in the 19-car field.

STRICTLY HYDRAULICS LEGENDS
In one of the most exciting finishes so far in the INEX season at Scotia Speedworld, Emily Meehan (Rawdon) was first to the flag on Friday to pick up her first win of the season.

Meehan made the winning move on Wyatt McCulloch (Stewiacke) with seven laps remaining and held off a frantic charge from Braden Langille (Shubenacadie) to lock down the win. Langille made two inside attempts in the closing laps to take the lead from the No. 75 Strongco Legend, including one in the final set of corners coming to the checkered flag. The final attempt resulted in a spin from the No. 51 Velocity Machining and Welding Legend as the two raced hard for the win.

Nathan Blackburn (Timberlea) would race to second around McCulloch and was hopeful to get the win after the accident in front of him. McCulloch was third at the end of 25-laps, followed by two-time and defending champion Paul Goulden (Shelburne) and Andrew Lively (Middle Sackville).

Heat races were won by McCulloch and Blackburn.

HYDRAULICS PLUS BANDOLEROS - BEGINNER
Miles MacKenzie (Porter’s Lake) brought home a second victory to his No. 64 Mackenzie Auto Sales Bandolero team with his feature win on Toursec Night, but it was a restart within the final half of the 15-lap feature that would be the aid.

For the second straight race, a restart would be the undoing for Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie Brett Pashkoski. Pashkoski lined up on the pole position after a spin from former leader in the race Emma MacMillan (Noel) put the field under caution with six laps to go. MacKenzie took the lead from the outside and was able to hold the lead for his second trip to victory lane. Pashkoski was able to hold off Emily Chisholm (Antigonish) for his second podium finish of 2019. Caden Tufts and MacMillan completed the top five in the eight car field.

MacKenzie, who will enter FanFest with a 15 point lead, also won the heat race.

HYDRAULICS PLUS BANDOLERO - BANDIT
Gage Gilby (Enfield) passed the most cars over the 15-lap Hydraulics Plus Bandolero Bandit feature en route to his second win of 2019.

Gilby spun his No. 25 Happy Harry’s Bandolero early in the race but without the aid of a caution, he found himself one lap down. A caution allowed Gilby to restart second and drive past then leader Chase MacKay (Bear Cove) to get his lap back. A second caution at the completion of seven laps would allow Gilby to catch the back of the pack and begin his second march to pass the leader.

Three laps later, a tangle between Brooke Dowe (Bedford) and Ayden Christensen (Windsor Junction) as the pair raced for third, brought out a caution. In those laps, Gilby was able to claw his way to second. Gilby would sail his car in on the high side of MacKay on that restart and take the lead off Turn Two, one he would not relinquish. MacKay would finish second after leading the middle stage of the race, followed by Dowe, who rebounded nicely to third. Morgan Mosher (Mahone Bay) led laps early and would wind up fourth, ahead of Dawson Noble (Upper Nine Mile River) and Christensen.

Noble took home the heat race win.

HYDRAULICS PLUS BANDOLERO - OUTLAW
It has been a year long struggle to get their new car dialed in, but Nathan Langille (Coldbrook) was finally able to put it together for a big feature win.

Langille started fifth and battled for the lead with Nathan Singer (Kennetcook) in the middle of the 15-lap feature. Langille and the No. 3 Kings of Nova Scotia Bandolero took the lead for good with six laps to go and pulled away to a stable four to five car length gap as he raced to the win in the caution free affair. Singer locked down second while Colton Noble (Upper Nine Mile River) was able to take the final podium spot as he battled with Owen Mahar (Hubley) for most of the second half of the race. Danny Chisholm (Canning) was fifth in the feature.

The heat race was won by Mahar.