06 CARQUEST Tour Champ Will be Crowned Saturday at Riverside

Halifax, NS (September 13, 2006) – Saturday's Pioneer Coal 100 at Riverside Speedway in James River is the last race of the 11 event CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour. At the conclusion of the race, we'll know who the 2006 CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour champion will be.

Will John Flemming, Halifax, be able to hold on to the points lead and claim his third CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour Championship? Will the Oval Outlaw, Wayne Smith, Timberlea, be able to wrestle the championship away from Flemming, who most believe only needs to avoid a major problem to win. Smith, a former champion, sits 67 points back of Flemming.

Brad Mann, Glen Livet, NB was running in second place in the standings before a disastrous outing at the Parts For Trucks 200 at Scotia Speedworld last Saturday saw him slip to third place, 71 points behind Flemming, but only 4 points behind Smith. Mann, in his sophomore season on the Tour, had quietly raced his way to the second place standing. He will be one to watch Saturday night as he works his way around the high-banked oval at Riverside Speedway. Rounding out the top five in points are Gordie Ryan, Wellington, NS in fourth and former champion Shawn Tucker, Fredericton, NS in a brand new car that he debuted on the Tour last week.

Positions six through 10 are closely packed and sure to change after Saturday’s Pioneer Coal 100. Dan MacKay, Halifax, NS sits in sixth spot with 1804 points after his best season on the Tour. MacKay has strung strong finishes together to get himself on the doorstep and knocking on the top five. Crapaud, PE’s Kent Vincent is in seventh place with 1798 points, three points ahead of Shawn Turple, Enfield, NS, last year’s Rookie of the Year. Stacey Clements, Five Island Lake, NS holds down ninth place with 1786 points, just 18 points ahead of Chris Hughes, Winsloe, PE in the tenth spot.

Action for the coveted EIT Rookie of the Year award is just as close as the top 10 in points. Russell Smith, Lakeside, NS leads the first year drivers, holding a 98-point lead over Mike Stevens, Riverview, NB. Stevens has jumped a few spots in the rookie race with some strong runs in the last half of the season. Sandy Livingston, Springhill, NS is third among the rookies, just two points ahead of Bobby Nielsen, Vernon River, PE. Roger Crane, Montague, PE holds the fifth spot in the rookie standings. These five drivers have waged a tough battle among themselves for the EIT Race Radio Rookie of the Year honour. Smith has been the EIT Race Radio Rookie of the Race five times this season, while Nielsen and Livingston have each grabbed the distinction twice. Graham Spinney, Lower Argyle, NS was the other rookie of the race winner.

The Riverside Speedway grandstands will open at 3 PM, time trials go at 5:10 PM, with racing at 6 PM. Riverside Speedway is located at Exit 30, Highway 104 in James River, NS, just outside of Antigonish.