CARQUEST Tour Makes Final '08 Stop in NB This Sunday

SHEDIAC, NB (July 30, 2008) - The cars and stars of the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour make their final appearance of the 2008 season in New Brunswick this Sunday for the Lucas Oil 150 at Centre For Speed (CFS).

Thirty of the top stock car racing teams in the Maritimes are expected to enter the event to will see a starting grid of 26 cars for the 150-lap feature race - which will be run in two segments to allow race teams to pit in a caution-controlled environment - to make adjustments to their cars that may be required to complete the extra 50 laps over and above the series regular 100-lap features.

The expected entry list includes both Wayne Smith (Halifax, NS) and Rollie MacDonald (Pictou, NS) who are not only former series champions but the two racers who picked up wins when the series last ran at CFS in 2006.

The wide "swooping" corners at CFS are a favourite of both Smith and MacDonald along with many others in the series including rookie contender Craig Slaunwhite (Terence Bay, NS) - who picked up his first pro stock win at the track last year in an open event, driving only his third race for SFR - literally while still auditioning for the full-time ride in the car for '08 - for which winning clinched the deal.

Slaunwhite is currently second in the EIT Race Radio Rookie of the Year standings, just 20 behind Jonathan Hicken (Brudenell, PE).

Local favourites for the Lucas Oil 150 will include Mike Stevens (Riverview) and Dave O'Blenis (Boundary Creek).

With this event being round eight of 11 in the series chase for the championship, Smith has garnered a slim 23-point advantage in the point standings over Lonnie Sommerville (Saint John), whose win last weekend at Speedway 660 vaulted him from fourth to second in the standings - a tight three point advantage over Shawn Turple (Enfield, NS) - the only two-time winner on the series this season. Defending and two-time series champ Shawn Tucker (Fredericton) is fourth and Kent Vincent (Crapaud, PEI) is fifth.

Only 55 markers separate the top five contenders. With just four races remaining to decide the champion, every lap and finishing position won - or lost - will set the stage to determine the '08 champion - who not only gets all the accolades that go with the title - but a cheque for $10,000.

Two rounds of qualifying will set the 26-car starting field for Sunday's Lucas Oil 150. Atlantic Tiltload Time Trials start at 2:10 p.m.; racing starts with pro stock heat races at 3 p.m.

EXPECTED PRO STOCK ENTRY LIST - LUCAS OIL 150 - SUNDAY AUGUST 3, 2008
No. - Name - Sponsor - Make - Hometown - Prov.
01 Robbie MacLean(R) Charlottetown Bottle & Metal Monte Carlo Winsloe PEI
0 Shawn Turple Dexter Construction Impala Enfield NS
5 Jonathan Hicken(R) Reynolds Well Drilling Impala Brudnell PEI
6 Lowell Affleck(R) Barter Centre Used Vehicles Monte Carlo Summerside PEI
8 Kent Vincent Atlantic Turbines Charger Crapaud PEI
13 Rollie MacDonald King Freight Lines Fusion Pictou NS
18 Darren MacKinnon Shaws Towing; MacKinnon Bros Svce Ctr. Monte Carlo Milton PEI
19V Darren Vanderaa Chappell Construction Monte Carlo Milton PEI
21 Shawn Pierce Steve's Iron Works Monte Carlo Bridgewater NS
23 Lonnie Sommerville A.E. MacKay Builders Impala Saint John NB
23S Craig Slaunwhite(R) Mountain Wild Blueberries; Atlantic CAT Monte Carlo White's Lake NS
24 Scott Livingstone Dalziels Auto Body Impala Charlottetown PEI
26 Mike Stevens R. Stevens Mechanicals Monte Carlo Riverview NB
29 Greg Proude Challenger Farm Equipment Charger North Wiltshire PEI
32 Chris Hughes Pauley Equipment Camry Brackley PEI
35 Brad Mann Subway Monte Carlo Glen Levit NB
37 Kris Fournier Totally Tile Charger Charlottetown PEI
39 Sandy Livingston Keybase Financial Group Monte Carlo Springhill NS
44 Wayne Smith ICI Paints/Color Your World Bayers Lake Monte Carlo Halifax NS
48 Dave O'Blenis Burger King Camry Boundary Creek NB
52 Shawn Tucker Rockico Truck & Trailer Impala Fredericton NB
66 Daryl Mahar Inglis Jewellers/ A1 Towing & Recovery Impala Hubley NS
77 Gerry Curtis Highway 101 Racing Monte Carlo Fredericton NB
80 Roger Miller Stan's Garage Monte Carlo North Noel Road NS
87 Matt Harris Harris & Son Trucking NB
88 George Koszkulics Pioneer Coal Impala New Glasgow NS
88M Kevin Moore Santucci Tiles Monte Carlo Fredericton NB
89 Donald Chisholm Nova Construction Impala Antigonish NS
92 Pete Miller(R) A.C.L. Construction Monte Carlo Kennetcook NS
95 Mike Banks(R) Valley Auto Monte Carlo Berwick NS

Expected entry list is subject to change without notice.