Issue 158

Race Preview: Lockhart Truck Center 150 @ Scotia Speedworld

Here’s some quick stats on this weekend’s Lockhart Truck Center 150 at Scotia Speedworld:

The Lockhart Truck Center 150 is round three of 12 on the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour in 2012, race #149 in series history and race #47 in series history at Scotia Speedworld.

The track record for Atlantic Tiltload Time Trials is 14.204 seconds, set by Greg Proude on May 23rd, 2009. Dylan Blenkhorn went 14.222 seconds in Atlantic Tiltload Time Trials back in May, just 0.018 off the track record.

A total of 15 Tour drivers have won races at Scotia Speedworld, led by John Flemming with nine wins and Wayne Smith with seven wins. Shawn Tucker, Shawn Turple and Gordie Ryan each have five, Craig Slaunwhite has four, Mike MacKenzie and Cassius Clark both have two and Jonathan Hicken, Greg Proude, Mike Stevens, Marty Prevost, Scott Fraser and Ben Rowe each have one victory under the Parts for Trucks Tour banner at Scotia Speedworld.

Thirty-six different Tour drivers have scored a top five, and 60 drivers have recorded a top ten at Scotia Speedworld.

June/July Scotia Speedworld Winners:
2013: John Flemming
2012 : Shawn Tucker
2011: Shawn Turple
2010: Shawn Turple
2009: Shawn Tucker
2008: Wayne Smith
2007: Wayne Smith
2006: John Flemming
2005: Gordie Ryan
2004: Mike MacKenzie
2003: Marty Prevost
2002: Gordie Ryan
2001: Gordie Ryan (Late July)*
2001: John Flemming (Late June)*

*2001 featured two 100-lap events during the summer months, only other year this happened was in 2009 when the Lucas Oil 100 was shifted to Scotia Speedworld.
**
Okay, so I just spit a bunch of stats at you, what does it mean?! Here’s a few points I gathered from it.

We have had four first-time winners in the series in this mid-season classic at Scotia Speedworld. Okay, John Flemming’s 2001 win and Mike Mackenzie’s 2004 victory might be a bit surprising to be here. Sure, they were former winners in the MASCAR days, but their first win under this current sanctioning body came at Scotia Speedworld. Gordie Ryan also won his first of six career Tour races here in 2001 and Marty Prevost won his only Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour feature here in 2003.

The point? We have two hungry drivers in Cole Butcher and Dylan Blenkhorn that will look to make the Lockhart Truck Center 150 their first win and add their name to a stout list to win their first in this event.

Blenkhorn has set quick time in Atlantic Tiltload Time Trials the first two weeks of the season, ironically missing the track record at both Petty Raceway and Scotia Speedworld by a combined .067 seconds. History shows the track slows down through the summer, so trying to hit Greg Proude’s 14.204 second lap may be tough, but Blenkhorn’s 14.222 second lap in May was mighty close to doing so.

Butcher appeared on the podium in our last Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour race at Petty Raceway after a battle at the end with Blenkhorn. Butcher and his #53 even kept up with Hicken in the early laps of the race before fading in the 67 lap run to the checkers. Butcher is two-for-two in feature races in the Speedworld Legends division and will look to ride that momentum into the big car Saturday.

Shawn Turple owned this race for two years back in 2010 and 2011. He has owned Scotia Speedworld the last two races we have been here, the Dartmouth Dodge 200 and the Harry Poole Memorial 100 presented by Lucas Oil. Could this be another win for Turple? If he can pull it off, it would be his sixth career victory at Scotia Speedworld and his tenth career Parts for Trucks Tour win.

Flemming has been shadowing Turple as of late at Scotia Speedworld, finishing second in the opener and followed it up with another second place run at Petty Raceway. The #97 team is making it known that if someone wants to win the title, they will have to best John Flemming to do it. Flemming is the defending champion of the Lockhart Truck Center 150 and this race could go a long way to keeping Flemming on top.

Shawn Tucker also owns five wins here, and was strong at the season opener. If the cards fall his way, Tucker could inch himself a bit closer to the top of the standings and be the one the field has to contend with. The #52 car won this race two seasons ago.

Long story short, this field is going to be stacked with competition. From part-timers like Daryl Mahar and Roger Miller, to new comers like Josh Collins and Sarah McKay, and drivers who have won here before like Greg Proude, Craig Slaunwhite, second place point man Jonathan Hicken, and many more. Expect the best two dozen or so to battle it out for the victory. With two more weeks coming up right at us in New Brunswick after we leave Scotia Speedworld, momentum could make a big shift one way or another this week and you will not want to miss it!

Until then, keep the hammer down and we’ll see you at the track!