Kronstein, Sibley among Big Names in Media Race Friday

Ron Kronstein is returning to the Maritimes for one reason: to win the annual Media Race at Scotia Speedworld Friday night.

Okay, maybe it’s not exactly like that but Kronstein will be one of the combatants this Friday as media personalities from all across the Halifax Regional Municipality will take to the track in four cylinder cars. The popular news anchor returned to the region he worked in for over twenty years earlier this month. He joins the Global Maritimes news team after recently serving this country with the Canadian Forces as he helped oversee communication strategy for the military as an Army public affairs officer. He will attempt to move up the podium two positions higher than Ray Bradshaw, who set the bar at third place last season.

Speaking of handing over the reigns, Ted Hyland from KOOL FM, who finished runner-up in last years Media Race will be stepping out of the seat to let Caroline Parker run the 2011 edition of the race. Parker will not be the only morning radio show personality in the event as Denyse Sibley of FX101.9 headlines a trio of returnees, which includes Geoff Walsh (HAL FM) and Pat Healey (Weekly Press).

The wild card in this field could very well be Nick Storey. The former driver at Miramichi City Speedway (NB) hosts the Energy Hour on 95.7 The Wolf in Fredericton. Though based in New Brunswick the show focuses on Maritime racing, including the goings on at Scotia Speedworld and on the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour. During the winter, Storey had interviewed Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman champ Colby Smith and yours truly has been a guest on the show throughout the last season and a half.

Representatives from Q104 and the Chronicle Herald are being finalized for the race among others. Last season it was the Herald’s Matt Bubbers who ran away with the Media Race at Scotia Speedworld, lapping all but himself and Hyland at the end of the race.

Joining the Media Race will be five divisions of racing on Friday night, including the Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman, Coco Beach Legends, Lumbermart Lightning, Trucks and Hydraulics Plus Bandoleros. Action gets underway at 7pm!

NICHOLSON COMPETES IN FEATURE AFTER HEAT WRECK

At the completion of his Lumbermart Lightning heat, BJ Nicholson had limped his car to a stop at the end of the back straightaway. A late race altercation had disabled the #140 Seagull Trucking Neon and left the ’10 Rookie of the Year with a wounded left front corner on his Dodge. Like we’ve seen many times before though, the team, along with some help from those around them got that car back out for the feature.

“It wasn’t much,” said Cody Smith, crew chief of the #140 car on Sunday afternoon. “It ended up being the spindle, axel, ball joint and tire on that left front corner. If it wasn’t for Smith Brothers Racing though, we likely would have not got back out on track. They helped us greatly!”

Nicholson finished fifteenth in the twenty-seven car feature field and is fifteenth in points after two races.

PREVIEW – MEDIA NIGHT

SMITH, ARSENAULT, FENTON TIGHT AT THE TOP OF TRUCKS

After two races, Dan Smith holds the top spot in the Truck class but he has some close company behind him. Consistency has positioned JP Arsenault in second, just three points back of Smith while this past Friday’s winner Jason Fenton is third, five markers out of the lead. Gordon Ritchie sits a dozen points out of the top spot with Ryan Goldsmith, Dana Isenor, Vernon Brown and Matthew Scott completing the Truck field.

PYE, BLENKHORN TIED FOR COCO BEACH LEGENDS LEAD

Haven’t we seen this scenario play out before?

After recording his feature win of the season, 2010 Coco Beach Legends champion Paul Blenkhorn has vaulted into a tie for the top spot in the division. Steve Pye has met him at the top after Pye rebounded from an early caution last Friday to finish third in the feature. Matt Moore finds his #1 car eight points back from the lead duo.

Fourth through eighth is tight as only nine points is the difference between leading rookie Dylan Blenkhorn and sophomore Derek MacCallum. Between them sit “The Legend” Cy Harvey, Jeff Cruickshank and rookie Shelby Baker – who impressed with a second place run last week.

As we’ve seen before in this division, the win every week is wide open for the taking. Don’t be surprised if the points tighten up even more as this season goes on!

SMITH EXTENDING LEAD EARLY IN LIGHTNING

The #144 Neon from Lakeside pulling out to an early lead in the Lumbermart Lightning class? Again, we’ve seen this before.

Last year, it was Jorden’s brother Russell taking a strong performance on Opening Day and manufacturing a season long championship. The beat goes on with Jorden at helm in 2011 as the #144 DaBest Construction Neon has built up a thirteen point lead after two races. Jamie Dillman has his GM product currently second in the standings but he is surrounded by Neons. In fact, out of the top nine he is the only non-Neon! He has four points on Windsor’s “Crazy” Craig Cordeau with Mike “The Outlaw” Umlah and Cody Singer not too far behind in the top five.

The Lightning class saw a record setting number last week as twenty-seven cars pulled through the pit gate with twenty-six answering the call to the green in the Main Feature. If this division continues to grow, we could be looking at “B” Features sooner rather than later!

BOUTILIER, SMITH TO CONTINUE RIVALRY FRIDAY

Call it what you want but Aaron Boutilier and Colby Smith had an incredible battle on Opening Day 2011!

The two swapped the lead back and forth on multiple late race restarts before Smith took the advantage for good on the outside. With their heat race performances though, it was Boutilier and Smith pulling even point wise after one race. Is it too early to talk points? When you have a season as long as ours and competition as tight as this, I don’t think so!

The opening race for the Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman Series featured eighteen cars, a number that is expected to grow as drivers continue to ready their chariots for a season of racing. Who will take the #1 spot on Friday?!

“YOUNG GUNS” HAVE CLOSEST BATTLE AFTER TWO RACES

Six drivers, eleven points. So far, after two events the Hydraulics Plus Bandoleros hold the distinction of having the tightest point battle at the Speedworld.

At the top it is the defending champion and the rookie. Cole Butcher kicked the door wide open when he could not finish his heat race last Friday. The champion rebounded to win the feature but it cost him sole possession of the point lead. Cole Tanner has himself a share of the top spot as the two are tied at 209 points. Another freshman in Adam Meehan is third, just three points back of the top spot. Jarrett Butcher, Luke Ettinger and Braden Langille all sit within striking distance after two races and will look to upend the feature winning streak of Cole Butcher this Friday night.

The action gets under way Friday night at 7pm and it will be a night of racing you will not want to miss!

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