AWARDS GALA IN CHARLOTTETOWN TO CLOSE 17th PARTS FOR TRUCKS PRO STOCK TOUR SEASON

(Halifax, NS – November 2, 2017) The Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour will officially drop the curtain on their 17th season on Saturday evening with their annual Awards Banquet Gala. The Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island will play host to the event for the fourth time in series history after hosting the year ending show in 2010, 2011 and 2016. In each of the four years that the Delta Prince Edward has hosted the Gala, a different champion has hoisted the championship trophy on stage.  

Shawn Turple (Enfield, NS) won a third Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour championship in 2017. Turple, who drove to championships in 2009 and 2012, won three races this Summer. He and the No. 0 Dexter Construction/Municipal Group team won the first two races of the season at Scotia Speedworld and Petty International Raceway and followed his June win at the River Glade, New Brunswick oval with a win in the River Glade International Cummins 200 in August.

Turple would exit the season finale Dartmouth Dodge 200 with a one point lead after an early accident on Lap 29 of the race relegated Turple to pit road for 15 laps as multiple teams converged to repair the wounded Chevrolet. The 16th place finish was the only race Turple failed to register a top ten in during the 2017 season. In addition to three feature wins and 11 top tens, Turple finished on the podium six times, in the top five ten times and won four Atlantic Tiltload Heat Races.

While Turple will take the biggest prize of the evening, the presentation of the $50,000 Parts for Trucks Point Fund will be made. All full-time drivers on the series will share in the point fund on Saturday evening.

Jarrett Butcher (Porters Lake, NS) will take home the Exide Batteries Rookie of the Year Award in a hard fought battle over a stout “Class of 2017.” Stevie Lively (Shubenacadie, NS), Nicholas Naugle (Dartmouth, NS) and Robbie MacEwen (Sherwood, PE) joined Butcher in the freshman class for 2017.  

The Irving Blending & Packaging Fan Favorite Award will be presented on Saturday evening. Fans have been voting for their favorite eligible full-time series competitors on maritimeprostocktour.com for the past two weeks. It has been an Island Award over the last three years with Darren MacKinnon (Charlottetown, PE), Jonathan Hicken (Brudenell,PE) and Joel Hickox (Cornwall, PE) taking home the honor in 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The winner will receive a cash bonus and product from Irving Blending & Packaging.

As voted on by their competitors, the Cathy Ledwidge Memorial Most Sportsmanlike Driver will be awarded at the banquet. The award, won in 2016 by Donald Chisholm (Antigonish, NS), is considered one of the most prestigious to receive on the series.

Contingency awards also to be handed out on Saturday include the Urquhart MacDonald Most Improved Driver Award and the EIT Race Radios Consistency Award. Vendor draws from Five Star Bodies/R&D Performancenter, ARBodies/MK Auto Products and Lucas Oil will also be made among eligible competitors in attendance.
Lucas Oil will also be presenting three drivers with product sponsorships for the 2018 season as chosen by random draw. Rollie MacDonald (Pictou, NS), Craig Slaunwhite (Terence Bay, NS) and Dylan Gosbee (Cornwall, PE) were the lucky recipients in 2016.

The evening kicks off at 6:00pm with seating and reception. Dinner begins at 7:00pm with the awards ceremony to follow. A dance featuring DJ Chad White will follow the awards and close off the evening.

For complete information on the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour, please visit www.maritimeprostocktour.com