Maritime Auto Glass
Beginner Bandolero

Heat Race 1: 12 92 99 47 44 17 43 2

Shelby Chisholm (Antigonish) had a Finale Friday to remember as the driver of the No. 12 Nova Construction Bandolero picked up her first career feature victory.

Chisholm started on the pole of the feature after winning the heat race and showed the way for the first 11 and a quarter laps before the first caution of the race flew on the final lap. The spin by Addison Veinotte (Porters Lake) set up a green white checkered, which also set up two cautions following and led to a final attempt at a green flag finish to the race.

 On the final restart, Chisholm was able to hold off Bristol Matthews (Nine Mile River) for her first win of the season. The two were able to pull away from Emma MacMillan (Maitland), who scored her fifth consecutive third place feature finish on the year. Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookies Brayden Wood (Enfield) and Ryder Smith (Wellington) completed the top five in the feature. For Wood, it was his best finish of the year while it was Smith’s best finish since the season opener in May!

The last caution dashed the championship hopes for McKenna Little (Williamswood), who went tumbling down the back straight after getting a piece of a spinning Irelyn Rose (Halifax). Both drivers were okay but both cars could not finish the feature contest. Little trails Matthews by 18 points with Matthews only having to start the Halifax 300 on Saturday to clinch the 2023 Maritime Auto Glass Beginner Bandolero Championship.

Maritime Auto Glass
Bandolero Outlaw

Heat Race 1: 45 19 27 13 97 14 5 2 85

Like their Beginner counterparts, the Maritime Auto Glass Bandoleros appeared that they were going to go caution free - until the last lap tripped them up!

The action was thrilling as five cars had a chance to win the final feature of the season coming down to the finish of the race. Ethan Hicken (New Glasgow) and Brett Pashkoski (Beaver Bank) battled tooth and nail but their side by side adventures closed in Hailey Bland (Lakeview), Avery DeCoste (Antigonish) and point leader Daniel Vandenburg (Lower Onslow) within the final two laps. Bland made a three wide move around Pashkoski and a lapped car to take the lead on Lap 14, but contact out of Turn Two slowed both cars up enough to enter Hicken back into the battle. Going into the final corner, the Nos. 5 and 45 cars made contact, sending them and Bland around and all to the back of the field for the ensuing restart.

The ensuing restart saw more contact as Bland and Landon Pierce (Blockhouse) got turned around in Turn Two, collecting Hicken and Pashkoski. The final restart saw Vandenburg pull away from DeCoste to pick up his fifth feature victory of the year. DeCoste was second, matching his best finish of the season from the Season Opener in May with Samantha MacDonald in third. Bland rallied for fourth with Hicken racing back to fifth at the checkered.

Pashkoski picked up the heat win.

The gap from Vandenburg to Pierce in points is 39 as the field will complete their season with a 50-lap feature go on Saturday during the Halifax 300.

Toursec Mini Stock

Heat Race 1: 80 87 17 68 20 34 06 05 38-5
Heat Race 2: 8 45 13 58 84 47 92 11

A season of struggles was ended off on a high note as Kenny Hopper (Enfield) took home his first Toursec Mini Stock feature of the season!

After winning a trio of races in 2022, Hopper struggled to get his Mazda to work around his home track but was able to hold off fellow Mazda driver Mitchell Hopkins (Beaver Bank) for the victory. The duo were joined in the late laps by Aaron Boutilier (Porters Lake), who used his brakes up getting to the pair and had to settle for third at the finish. Chris McMullin (Stewiacke) took home fourth place in the 25-lap feature with Travis Keefe (Chester) in fifth.

Boutilier and Chevy MacDonald (Stewiacke) took home heat wins.

Ross Moore (Lake Egmont) finished tenth in the final Friday night feature of the season and heads into the Halifax 300 with a 35 point lead on Chad Sinton (Truro).

Strictly Hydraulics
& Industrial Supply Legends

Heat Race 1: 13 07 94 71 14 87 73-8
Heat Race 2: 9 0 81 19 20 00 39
Heat Race 3: 8 71m 24 25 18 66

When it looked like it may have been a first time winner taking home the Strictly Hydraulics Legends feature, it was three familiar drivers finishing up front on Friday evening.

While Campbell Delaney (Halifax) won his heat, led the most laps and looked poised for his first Legend car feature win, it was Josh Langille (Coldbrook) who ended up holding the checkered flag. After several cautions in the first half of the feature, the field ran the final 11 laps caution free to the finish. Delaney led the final restart to green and was challenged by Nate Singer (Kennetcook) before Langille was able to get by the No. 81 with seven to go. Langille pressured Delaney for the lead, getting by with three to go and bringing Gage Gilby (Enfield) and Ayden Christensen (Windsor Junction) with him. Gilby would challenge Langille on the last lap, but the No. 18 was not to be denied for his third feature win on the CARSTAR Weekly Series in 2023.

Langille was chased to the line by Gilby and Christensen with Delaney and Tanton Wooldridge (Summerside, PE) completing the top five. Along with Delaney, Aiden MacDonald (York, PE) and Dawson Noble (Upper Nine Mile River) each took home heat wins.

Gilby has an 11 point lead on the championship and must start Saturday’s Halifax 300 to take home the Strictly Hydraulics Legends title.

Bay Equipment Rentals
Sportsman

Heat Race 1: 18 99 56 66 47 54 88 68-2
Heat Race 2: 74 96 01 85 37 27 15 62
Heat Race 3: 25 51 92 14 51x 3 31 44

In a long and tumultuous 38-lap Friday night finale for the Bay Equipment Rentals Late Model Sportsman division, it was Alex Johnson (Enfield) showing the way to victory lane. The No. 14 Celtic Air Services Chevrolet held off a hard charging Pete Miller (Kennetcook) in the final four laps to take home his second victory of the season. Scott O’Neill (Enfield) would race to third with Dylan Blenkhorn (Truro, NS) finishing fourth. Jesse Deveau (Greenwood, NS) would finish fifth when the checkered flag flew.

The Sportsman feature on Finale Friday took one hour, 17 minutes to complete.

Heat wins in the 24-car field went to Harry Ross White (Noel Road), Cory Leonard (Goodwood) and Andrew Lively (Middle Sackville).

Deveau exits the feature and heads to the Halifax 300 with a five point lead over Johnson and eight over Miller. Deveau will have to start this weekend’s 136-lap feature to claim the season long title.