Twenty-seven Ready for Action

Halifax, NS (August 15, 2007) – Twenty-seven teams have ordered tires for The Antigonish Mall 100 at Riverside Speedway in James River, NS on Saturday, August 18th.

A pair of Shawn’s are at the top of the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour championship point’s standings. Shawn Turple of Enfield, NS continues to lead the championship point’s standings with a 35-point lead over Shawn Tucker of Fredericton, NB. Kent Vincent of Crapaud, PE sits in third place, 35 points back of Tucker. Wayne Smith of Timberlea, NS and Chris Hughes of Winsloe, PE round out the top five in points.

The remaining top ten is made up of Lonnie Sommerville of Saint John, NB, Bobby White of Kennetcook, NB, Brad Mann of Glen Livet, NB, Dale Holmes, West Covehead, PE, and Greg Proude, North Wiltshire, PE.

A number of drivers who are not running fulltime on the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour in 2007 will be on hand and have the potential to make an impact. George Koszkulics of New Glasgow, NS finished third in the Parts For Trucks 100, the last race at Riverside Speedway, while Rollie MacDonald of Pictou, NS was fourth. Donald Chisholm of Antigonish, NS is the hometown favourite with Riverside Speedway located just outside Antigonish. Chisholm is always strong on the high banks. John Flemming of Halifax, NS will be on hand, trying to right a season fraught with car problems. Flemming hasn’t run many races in 2007 and when he has, he has suffered with car woes.

The EIT Race Rookie of the Year race has seen Sommerville with a comfortable lead over Darren MacKinnon of Winsloe, PE, who lost ground when he hit the wall in Atlantic Tiltload Time Trials and couldn’t continue his day. Gary Bursey of Moncton, NB is a rookie driver and has more points than MacKinnon, but Bursey had vacated the driver’s seat for an experienced driver, thus forfeiting rookie points for those races.

The Atlantic Tiltload Time Trials have seen six different drivers set the fastest qualifying time at the seven races run to date. Turple is the only driver to accomplish the feat more than once. Other fast times were set by Flemming, Sommerville, Vincent, Hughes and MacDonald. This coveted award sets the tone for race day and ensures the top eight drivers of a good starting position in the Antigonish Mall 100.

The Urquhart MacDonald Associates B Feature is a last chance race for those drivers who fail to qualify for the feature through the dash and heats. It is always a hotly contested contest. Previous races have seen wins go to Daryl Mahar of Hubley, NS, MacKinnon, Holmes, Frank Fraser of Shubenacadie, NS. and Stacey Clements of Five Island Lake, NS.

Mike MacKenzie of Dartmouth, NS and Shawn Pierce of Bridgewater, NS are unsure of their participation Saturday night. Mackenzie has suffered with a crew shortage this year and Pierce has an engine problem.

The long distance award continues to go to Darren MacInnes of Kansas. MacInnes, who is originally from Whycocomagh, NS flies back and forth for the races. An option made available by his brother, who has assumed responsibility for preparing the car.

The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour visits four different race tracks in the three Maritime Provinces on the east coast of Canada: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Facilities are required to meet specific criteria for the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour events; ensuring quality shows for the audience and the competitors.