Issue 36

Lockhart Truck Centre 100 Preview

Well, let’s try this again.

Last time we ventured to Scotia Speedworld with the cars and stars of the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour we ran into a little problem. Mother Nature made a visit to our track and rained on our parade on June 5th and with that shoved back the Lucas Oil 100 to later on in the season. I was told following that series of events that Scotia Speedworld Race Director Rob Bowness had a little chat with the weather specialists and we should be good to go this Friday and Saturday for Scotia’s Double Header Weekend.

It’s great to see Lockhart Truck Center jump on board this Summer with the CARQUEST Tour! Lockhart has been a sponsor at the Speedworld for many years, sponsoring the 100-lap Sportsman race on Atlantic CAT 250 weekend for many years before jumping on board with the Hobby Stock class at the track last season. Former Scotia Speedworld Sportsman 100 champs Shawn Turple (2003) and Craig Slaunwhite (2006, 2007) each have the opportunity to become the only driver to win a second 100-lap event at their home track under the Lockhart Truck Center banner, pretty cool, eh?

If you read the Lucas Oil 100 preview from the start of June you can use those statistics to formulate who may be in the top ten following the completion of the Lockhart Truck Center 100. If not, feel free to click here to head to the archives and take a peek. As with the fast five from June, these five upcoming drivers are here based on numbers from the last fourteen Scotia Speedworld events from the last four years. Some of these drivers, placed in numerical order also have momentum heading into Saturday’s third round of the Tour. Without further adieu, here we go.

#5 – Jonathan Hicken – Brudenell, Prince Edward Island
Chapman Brothers Construction/Castle Building Centres Chevrolet Impala
The Skinny: 9 Starts, 6 Top Tens, 2 Heat Wins, 1 “B” Feature Win
The winner of Sunday’s Parts for Trucks 100 on the Island has momentum working in his favor. Hicken’s best finish prior to that win at his home track in PEI was sixth, the same finish he recorded at Scotia in this event one season ago. Could Hicken go back-to-back and collect his second Tour victory?

#29 – Greg Proude – Springvale, Prince Edward Island
APM/PEI International Motoring Festival/Atlantic Dodge Dealers Dodge Charger
The Skinny: 14 Starts, 1 Win, 2 Top Fives, 7 Top Tens, 1 Time Trial Win, 2 Dash Wins
The Ron MacGillivray Chevrolet 100 winner brought his Dodge home in fourth place at Oyster Bed Speedway last weekend and now sits second in points behind Shawn Turple. Proude returns to a track where he won last season and will look to take number two away from the Enfield track on Saturday!

#35 – Brad Mann – Glen Livet, New Brunswick
Harvey’s Restaurant Fredericton Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Skinny: 9 Starts, 3 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens, 1 Heat Win
The former Speedway 660 Pro Stock champ returns to Scotia Speedworld after a one year hiatus to run in the Lockhart Truck Center 100. Mann, the long haul driver from Northern New Brunswick ran into some misfortune on the Island and will look to rebound in Enfield. The team is still looking for sponsorship – a perfect fit for any company or individual looking to back a former CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour race winner!

#89 – Donald Chisholm – Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Keltic Ford/Nova Construction/Pioneer Coal Ford Fusion
The Skinny: 14 Starts, 4 Top Fives, 10 Top Tens, 2 Time Trial Wins, 2 Dash Wins
Easily one of the best drivers at Scotia Speedworld in the last four seasons without a feature victory. Chisholm had one of the best cars at the Speedworld during last season’s Parts for Trucks 200 finale and finished third. The #89 could easily be in victory lane at the end of Saturday’s action!

#99 – Craig Slaunwhite – Terence Bay, Nova Scotia
Halifax Glass and Mirror/Archibald Drilling and Blasting Chevrolet Impala
The Skinny: 9 Starts, 1 Win, 7 Top Tens, 1 Time Trial Win, 1 Heat Win
Slaunwhite will look to win his second Pro Stock event at his home track by winning a race he’s won in Sportsman car. Slaunwhite drove a red, black and yellow #99 to two Lockhart Truck Center Sportsman 100 victories in 2006 and 2007, the years he piloted the same car to back-to-back division titles at Scotia Speedworld. Slaunwhite comes off a fifth place finish in Prince Edward Island.

The only way to find out who wins the first event at the tight 3/10-mile oval this season is to be there in person! Time trials roll at 5:10 presented by Atlantic Tiltload with Dartmouth Dodge Qualifying slated for 6pm. The Maritime League of Legends Tour will kick off their season with a 50-lap event on the under card as well.

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