Season Finale Double-Header This Weekend at Scotia Speedworld

HALIFAX, NS (September 10, 2008) - Never before in the 21-year history of Scotia Speedworld has the facility seen a weekend like the one looming upon us - with eight division championships on the line after thousands of competitive laps over the '08 season - on which the checkered flag falls this Saturday. In fact, there is so much on the line this weekend the promoters have planned a special season finale double-header weekend, complete with a special savings two-day ticket for fans wanting to get their final "fix" while watching eight division championships decided; five on Friday and three on Saturday.

Miller Tire Night is the headline for Friday's Lockhart Truck Centre Weekly Racing Show and will feature final 2008 racing action on the 3/10-mile asphalt oval for the Sojourn Signs Bandoleros, the Legends Cars, the Wallace Equipment Hobby Stock and the Miller Tire BFGoodrich Thunder and Lightning divisions. Since Miller Tire is the event sponsor, along with being the longtime sponsor of the Thunder and Lightning divisions - each of those two classes will see special extended length 50-lap feature races to wrap their season - perhaps throwing a twist into what might be expected since wear and tear will play into the equation as the fast four cylinders fight to the finish.

Current point leaders for the Thunder and Lightning Cars are Derek MacCallum and Andrew Starks, respectively - each with comfortable leads, but since neither has mathematically clinched their titles anything could happen - and usually does at season finales. Both drivers will need to be playing defence against all the rest of the competitors looking to increase their final position, both on the night and the season.

Mike Alexander has been the guy to beat of late in the Hobby Stocks and also has a comfortable lead in his division - but the third-generation racer knows better to take anything for granted so will be poised to do what it takes to win his first title.

The Legends division is a tight two-man race for the title with only 16 markers separating the top two contenders, the current leader Ian Mollins and second-place Justin MacNeill. Mollins is looking for his first Scotia Speedworld title while MacNeill is a former Legends champ at the track.

The closest chase for a championship Friday night falls in the youngest league, the Sojourn Signs Bandoleros, where only a dozen points separate first-place Dylan Blenkhorn and second-place Brandon Niles, who holds a slim eight-point advantage over third - with an amazing three-way tie for that spot between D.J. Casey, Shelby Baker and Brad Eddy. With only 20 points separating these top five contenders any of them could win the '08 division title.

Besides championship racing action Friday night fans can enjoy a Harley Davidson Show'N'Shine at Scotia Speedworld - to be held in the main parking lot between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. - with the participants also included in opening ceremonies. The Harley-fest at Scotia Speedworld is being organized by the Hog Owners of Canada; anyone interested in registering their bike should call Earl at 830.4196.

Friday night's show starts at 7 p.m. with Bandoleros heat races followed by the rest of the race card at 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday Scotia Speedworld hosts the season finale for the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour, the Maritime Legends Tour and its weekly C&R Auto Supply Sportsman division - each of which will also see season champions decided.

Wayne Smith's win in the last two CARQUEST Tour races has allowed him to stretch his series point lead to a 33-point margin over second-place Lonnie Sommerville. With as many as 20 bonus points up for grabs Saturday, Sommerville could overtake the lead, hence the title, by finishing as few as seven spots ahead of Smith in the Parts for Trucks 200 - a feature race that is double the length of a "normal" series event, thus throwing extra elements of strategy into the mix.

Third-place Shawn Turple sits 59 points out of first so while he's not mathematically eliminated would need both Smith and Sommerville to have irreparable problems early in the race - but being a former sportsman division champ at Scotia Speedworld, as well as a CARQUEST Tour winner at the track - gives Turple a "home track" advantage as he tries to move past Sommerville to second. Two-time series champ Shawn Tucker sits fourth and rookie contender Craig Slaunwhite is fifth (link to series standings follows expected entry list).

While Smith is hoping to clinch his second series title, he is effectively on a "Drive for Five" - as this title would be his fifth touring series championship overall - including his three MASCAR titles, which will tie him with maritime motorsports legend Greg Sewart for most maritime touring series championships, a significant accomplishment indeed.

Thirty of the top stock car racers in the Maritimes are expected to enter the Parts for Trucks 200 - many looking to join the elite series winners club for '08, currently consisting of Smith (three wins), Turple (two wins) and Sommerville, Tucker, Kent Vincent, Slaunwhite and NASCAR's Regan Smith (one win each).

Slaunwhite, who led the most laps in the '07 edition of the Parts for Trucks 200, will not only be looking for his second win on the series this season - but to clinch the series EIT Race Radio Rookie of the Year title. Mike MacKenzie, a part-time veteran competitor on the series, is the race defending champion and is expected to be on hand Saturday to defend his race title.

Three rounds of qualifying will set the 26-car starting grid for the Parts for Trucks 200: Atlantic Tiltload Time Trials (starting at 3:10 p.m.), qualifying heat races and a B-feature. A 10-minute halftime break on or about lap 100 will allow teams to make changes as necessary in hopes of bettering their chances in the second half. The finishing order at lap 200 will determine points payout, final standings - and ultimately whose name will be on the $10,000 cheque that goes with the series championship.

Also on the docket Saturday are the 2008 championship races for both the Maritime Legends Tour competitors and the C&R Auto Supply Sportsman cars. Ian Mollins is looking to clinch his second title in as many nights - as he holds a 23-point advantage over Chris Johnson in the Legends touring series, while the sportsman class sees a tight "four-horse" race between current leader Terry Roma, second-place Harry Ross White, third-place Leonard Boutilier and fourth-place Tony Leonard; only 28 points separate these drivers in what is an ultra-competitive division week in and week out at Scotia Speedworld.

The Parts for Trucks 200 is also the culmination of many contingency award programs for the series including the Parts for Trucks Challenge which will see the top three finishers share $3,500 to be awarded at the series annual awards banquet. Drivers have accumulated points in each of the three Parts for Trucks-sponsored events this year; the results Saturday will determine whether Sommerville, Tucker and Greg Proude can hold onto the top three spots they currently occupy in the mini-series.

As a special treat to close the '08 season at Scotia Speedworld Saturday fans will see local singing star Mark Cameron perform the national anthem - following-up his recent gig sharing the stage with Keith Urban on the Halifax Commons - and as a prelude to a forthcoming show where Mark and his band "outskirts" open for Julian Austin September 19 at Wagon East 2 at the Rodeo Lounge in Dartmouth.

Saturday's racing action starts at 4 p.m.

Fans can save on admission by purchasing a special two-day ticket costing just $30 for adults, $5 for youth aged eight to 15 and $40 for pit admission (restricted to 16 and over).

Friday only admission is $12 for adults, $2 for youth and $15 for the pits.

Saturday only admission is $25 for adults, $5 for youth and $30 for the pits.

Children 7 and under are admitted free at Scotia Speedworld when accompanied by an adult.

Advance tickets for the grandstand area (two-day and Saturday only) can be purchased at Ticket Atlantic locations, both in person and online - or at the Scotia Speedworld administrative office located at 70 Ilsley Avenue in Dartmouth. All tickets are available at the track starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday.

Fans in attendance at both shows can enter to win a Holiday Inn Express Suite Experience which includes a weekend stay at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Halifax Airport. (Winner will have their choice of a whirlpool, Executive, or Family Suite), free hot breakfast bar for four & parking. Ballots will be available on Friday and Saturday. The draw will take place before the Parts for Trucks 200, must be present to win.

EXPECTED ENTRY LIST - PARTS FR TRUCKS 200, Scotia Speedworld - September 13/08
No. Name Sponsor Make Hometown Prov.
01 Robbie MacLean(R) Charlottetown Bottle & Metal Monte Carlo Winsloe PEI
02 Mike MacKenzie Forbes Chevrolet Monte Carlo Dartmouth NS
0 Shawn Turple Dexter Construction Impala Enfield NS
1 David Heino(R) D.C. Huskins & Sons Trucking Monte Carlo Barrington 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
9 Steven Brown n/a Fusion Harrietsfield NS
11 Marty Prevost Mega Enterprises Monte Carlo Fall River 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, Irving Lubricants Impala Saint John NB
23S Craig Slaunwhite(R) Mountain Wild Blueberries; Atlantic CAT Monte Carlo White's Lake NS
26 Mike Stevens R. Stevens Mechanicals Monte Carlo Riverview NB
28 Bobby Nielsen Priority Water Monte Carlo Winsloe PEI
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
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
76 Roger Crane Montague Tire; Chapman Bros Constr. Impala Montague PEI
80 Roger Miller Stan's Garage Monte Carlo North Noel Road NS
88 George Koszkulics Pioneer Coal Impala New Glasgow NS
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
97 John Flemming The Roofing Connection Charger Halifax NS

Expected entry list is subject to change without notice.