Issue 30

Ten in ’10

Dig out your crystal balls ladies and gentlemen; we’re going to peer into the near future. Since the racing season here in the Maritimes is now under one month away from taking the green flag, I figure that we should throw out some general predictions on what might happen in our tenth season of racing. Here are my ten for the upcoming season. Take them for what they are worth (some have a lot less value than others) and at the end feel free to send me your pre-season forecast on what is to come on the horizon this summer!

• The 2010 CARQUEST Maritime Pro Stock Tour Championship will not be locked up until lap 200 of the Parts for Trucks 200 at Scotia Speedworld in September. As with previous seasons, the champion will likely not feel comfortable about his championship position until every transponder has hit the main scoring loop on the 200th circuit at Scotia Speedworld.

• There will be at least one new face holding a checkered flag at the end of a feature race. We saw a surge of power from the likes of Mike Stevens and Daryl Mahar at Scotia Speedworld last season. Chris Hughes is always a force at his home track in Oyster Bed Bridge. Jonathan Hicken is another of those among many hungry drivers who have yet to score themselves a main feature victory – 2010 could be that year for one or more of those drivers.

• Familiar faces from past seasons will hold a feature checkered flag yet again. While they’ve won before on the Tour, there are some drivers who are overdue to visit Victory Circle in the series. To the surprise of many, John Flemming went winless in ’09, something which is bound to change this summer. Dave O’Blenis has won CMPST events at Speedway 660 before becoming a regular face. Kent Vincent’s #8 is always fast wherever we go. ’08 Peterbilt 250 winner Craig Slaunwhite was left out of the win column as well one season ago. Donald Chisholm, Rollie MacDonald, Mike MacKenzie and George Koszkulics are among those who flexed muscle last season on the Tour in part time roles that will look to bust through at least once more.

• With those points stated above, we will have no less than SIX different winners in eleven races this season.

• The Triple Crown races will see three different winners in three races. Though the likes of Turple, Smith, Proude, Sommerville and Flemming among many, many others are capable of winning at all three tracks (and have in the past), so many things can go wrong in 750 laps. Lonnie piloted his #23 AE McKay Builders Impala to two of the three wins, but I think it may be tough for a driver to pull that off this season with all the stiff competition throughout the region – never mind the three wins for the crown.

• The EIT Race Radio Rookie of the Year fight will be tough. Word on the street is that it will be at least Leonard Boutilier and Jerome Kehoe going for the prestigious honors. Both hold many Sportsman wins at Scotia Speedworld and Riverside International Speedway in the past years. Boutilier even took the Robert Hage owned Sportsman car he drove last year on the road, racing at different places like Oyster Bed Speedway and Lake Doucette Motor Speedway. Expect the battle between the drivers vying for that title to be a barn burner.

• Speaking of rookies, Brad Eddy will turn heads at the Triple Crown races later this summer. The youngster from Lower Sackville, NS has caught the eye of Joe Gibbs Racing reps and has been showcasing his talent south of the border in North Carolina this winter. The team says they will contest all three 250’s this summer and ’09 Scotia Speedworld Bandolero champ could very well turn some local heads by bringing home some solid finishes.

• Joyce’s French Fries at Speedway 660 and Rudy’s Hamburgers at Scotia Speedworld will be better than ever. Take my word on this one folks. I tried them last year – multiple times!

• I will try to not attempt to fly or sit on freshly painted walls this season as was done last summer. Doing such activities at the track can be hard on an announcer’s wardrobe. To close off I will go out on a limb and predict;

• Mother Nature will attempt to interfere with our summer trip around the Maritimes. I predict we will beat her eleven times this season. Those eleven times will be those dates listed on the CPST schedule.

What are your predictions going into this tenth season? Who will win the Lucas Oil 100 at Scotia Speedworld? Feel free to email me at timscorner@timterryonline.com and we will put some of those predictions out on the Corner next week.

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