Issue 45

Race Preview - Parts For Trucks 100

POINTS TIGHTEN HEADING INTO RIVERSIDE
Last week when the word “points” was brought up by the race fans I talked to they chalked up this season’s battle to Smith and Turple. After the Atlantic CAT 250, Smith and Turple have company and now this battle is (depending what way you want to look at it) a nine horse race. With four races to go, including the Peterbilt 250 which, like the other Triple Crown races could shake the points scenery like a San Francisco earthquake the top nine find themselves within ninety-three points of each other. Of those nine, they can be broken down into three categories heading into the final four events.

TOP FOUR – IN A GREAT POSITION
Wayne Smith, Shawn Tucker and Shawn Turple have all won championships before and find themselves within seven points of one another after seven races. Cassius Clark put the #5 Chapman Brothers Construction/CASTLE Building Centres Impala not only in victory lane this past Saturday but to within thirteen points of the new leader Smith. All four have had great runs at Riverside and Scotia Speedworld this season, which will contest three of the final four races. The wildcard will be the Peterbilt 250. 250-laps in a long time and could change the point picture drastically heading into the Parts for Trucks 200 finale.

FIFTH AND SIX – IN A GOOD POSITION
Seven points separate fifth place Kent Vincent and sixth place Donald Chisholm in the standings. They head into a place this weekend where both have won races at and have a great chance at closing in the forty-one point margin between themselves and leader Smith. Watch for these two to close the gap this weekend!

SEVENTH THROUGH NINTH – NEED SOME HELP
Chris Hughes, Craig Slaunwhite and Greg Proude have a great tilt going on with the three only having six points between them. The opposite side of the story is that the six cars in front of them are getting smaller and smaller in their windshields when it comes to the championship picture. Slaunwhite has won at all three tracks upcoming including a win two seasons ago in the Peterbilt 250. Proude has victories at both Riverside and Scotia Speedworld while Hughes’ consistency has put the #32 Pauley Equipment/Pauley Paving Toyota Camry in a position to vie for the title. They will need to be on their toes the next four races and hope for some slip ups from the top six to take the top spot. It’s a big hill to climb but faaaaaaaaaar from impossible!

WHO TO WATCH ON THE HIGH BANKS
Three drivers have turned in top six finishes in the two Tour visits to Riverside Speedway this season. The Oval Outlaw has two runner up finishes this season at the James River race track while IWK 250 Presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body winner Kent Vincent also came home with a fifth place finish in the Ron MacGillivray Chevrolet 100. Shawn Turple is the defending champion of this race and has two top six finishes this season at the Antigonish county oval.

Donald Chisholm had one of the strongest cars in the IWK 250 and will look to become the Tour’s eighth different winner in as many races this season. Greg Proude was winner number one on the Tour this season by winning the Ron MacGillivray Chevrolet 100. The likes of Tucker, Flemming, Slaunwhite and MacKenzie are still hunting for their first feature win this season – all of whom have won at Riverside in the past.

With so many favorites that could hold the checkers at the end of 100-laps the question remains – will we have our eighth different winner this season or will Proude, Smith, Turple, Hicken or Vincent be the first to strike twice? Find out Saturday evening in James River!

BRACKET CHALLENGE UPDATE – FINAL FOUR
Though the points won’t be tallied until the end of the competition and the winner won’t be announced until after the Lucas Oil 100 at Scotia Speedworld, we can let you know who the third round match-ups are. After Craig Slaunwhite topped Shawn Turple in Prince Edward Island he will move on to face Shawn Tucker in the Bracket Challenge this weekend. Tucker and Slaunwhite have both won at Riverside in the past and will be a good match-up to watch this weekend.

In the other semi-final it is Brudenell’s Jonathan Hicken going heads up against Oyster Bed winner Wayne Smith. Hicken looked strong in the IWK 250 as did Smith, creating an interesting match on the high banks. If you have those four drivers in your final four – you may be looking good in regards to winning the 2010 Bracket Challenge!

The fan that comes closest to correctly predicting the outcome of the bracket wins a VIP Package to the Parts for Trucks 200. The winner will be announced the week following the August 21st Lucas Oil 100 at Scotia Speedworld. Good luck!

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