2019 OPENER PREVIEW

If you’re like me, you cannot wait to see race cars on the track Sunday to open the 2019 CARSTAR Weekly Racing Series!

There are storylines abound heading into this weekend, from rookie drivers looking to make their marks to all five champions from last year returning to defend their crowns full time in 2019 and everything in between. Every division has storylines heading into Sunday and we’ll cover those as the season works its way through.

Entering the season I think the most intriguing storylines lie within our Strictly Hydraulics Legend division.

Let’s start with the biggest news from last season that will finally make its competitive debut here on Sunday. The Yamaha FZ09 motor was rolled out from US Legend Cars International in 2018 and with the mid-season roll out, the motors did not make their way up here until the end of the season. Cory Hall put some test laps down at Scotia Speedworld with his FZ09 after our season ended and he, along with Emily Meehan ran the combination at INEX Asphalt Nationals at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (NV) last October. It is a three cylinder, liquid cooled motor and the motor stacked up well at national events like the one at Vegas, INEX Winter Nationals and the Spring Battle at Lil Texas Motor Speedway.

Three drivers had the FZ09 in their cars last Sunday during Test n Tune. Meehan, reigning track champion Paul Goulden and Braden Langille each had the motor at the practice. This kind of flows into my next storyline for this season. You have (at least) three championship contenders running the new motor package. Goulden is in search of his third consecutive track championship, Meehan led the division in wins at Scotia Speedworld last year and was involved in the championship hunt all season. Langille is focusing on winning a Legend car championship at Scotia Speedworld in 2019 and after the strong run he had at Lil Texas Motor Speedway last month, I would put him near the top of the list when it comes to favorites to upend Goulden’s threepeat.

The best thing about this division is you have several championship contenders on paper heading into this season. Andrew Lively quietly went about his business last year but was third in the standings when the dust settled, a similar consistency that was shown by Goulden on his run to the top. Tylor Hawes was a pleasant surprise last year, lighting the lamp on numerous occasions and will be fast again this year. Shelby Baker won the Maritime League of Legends Tour title in 2018 and jockeyed with Meehan for most of the season at Scotia Speedworld for the Strictly Hydraulics Legends title. Throw Nathan Blackburn in there as a title contender too. The team had some bad luck early last year but had incredible speed on several occasions last year. If they can keep momentum going in the right direction, Blackburn will be there come September.

Then there is the Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year battle. This one is easy, you’ve got three drivers with either a zero, a two, or both in their number. Matthew Rushton, Devin Wadden and Tanner Spinney are the three that you’ll want to keep your eyes on. All three have different backgrounds, with the only real similarity being Rushton and Wadden come to us from the Hydraulics Plus Bandolero division. Wadden has some karting experience and has roots in racing at Atlantic Motorsports Park. Rushton lit it up big in his first year of racing in our Beginner Bandolero division and enters 2019 in the Overall Experience No. 2 Legend car. Tanner Spinney won the Valley Raceway Four Cylinder championship in his rookie year and now takes his talents to our pavement in a Legend car. His family has experience at our track though with Hobby Stocks and Late Models, so he has plenty of experience to lean on when it comes to asphalt racing.

These three are talented, they are young, have many years of racing ahead of them and will put on an excellent show for the Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year Award. I’m just as excited for this battle as I am any other in the CARSTAR Weekly Racing Series, but there is so much to look forward to it is a difficult call as a fan.

With running the Maritime League of Legends Tour over the past couple of seasons, I don’t think Josh Langille qualifies for Rookie of the Year status, but regardless, this will be his first full season at Scotia Speedworld in something other than a Bandolero. Langille is in a car formerly campaigned by Farrell’s Racing. With his talent and a great race car, Langille should be set up to do well this season.

You’ve got about a dozen others that will be looking for the checkered flag throughout the season. Our reigning Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year Nicole Richard is back, Jeff Cruickshank is always a threat to win when he pulls up the hill in Turn Three, Dylan Sutherland continues to show speed every time out, Robin Lowthers is looking to improve on where he left off in 2018, and Arnie Spinney always gives the orange No. 17 a good run. Wyatt McCulloch will enter Sunday as the most recent winner at Scotia Speedworld in Legend competition. I’m sure we’ll see the likes of Nicholas Naugle, Cory Hall, Kody Quinn, Adam Meehan and Craig MacDonald drop in throughout the season.

That’s just the Strictly Hydraulics Legend division. There are storylines abound in the Sportsman, Toursec Thunder and Lightning and the Hydraulics Plus Bandolero divisions. We’ll do our best on Sunday, and throughout the season in this space, to keep you up to date. If you want to take in some pre-season content, head to the Scotia Speedworld Facebook page, where we have some video content from the Atlantic Outdoor Sports and RV Show in April and some TCM Shop Stops with Harry Ross White, Megan Parrott, Owen Mahar and Dave Matthews.

I’ll be joined in the booth on Sunday by Kyle Gammon and Dylan Langille. Kyle Gammon has been through several opening days and has driven about everything from a Sportsman to a Four Cylinder. His insight will be something you’ll want to hear for yourself. Dylan’s home track of Valley Raceway had their opener moved to next Sunday, so I’m excited to have Dylan with us working a microphone and a camera along with Dale Holman.

Speaking of the Scotia Speedworld team, you may have heard we have a new Race Director. Jason Morash told me last week he didn’t want any big stories or media releases, but he let me release it on social media following the Test n Tune. Jason has done a little bit of everything over the years, from driving in the Thunder division in the No. 30 car, to technical inspection, to race control on the East Coast Mini Stock Tour and he even flagged a race last year for us at Scotia Speedworld. Mark Wilson is stepping back a bit to spend time with his family and his kids and we wish him all the best. I think Jason is a great fit, he’s a great guy and easy to get along with. He’ll do a great job!

Hopefully you can join us on Sunday for the 32nd Season Opener at Scotia Speedworld, it will be a great time!

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