Issue 52

The Notebook - Parts For Trucks 200 Season Finale

After eleven races with ten different winners at four tracks in three provinces spanning 1650 green flag main feature laps – the tenth anniversary season of the CARQUEST Maritime Pro Stock Tour is over. Last Sunday’s Parts for Trucks 200 was a fitting end to a milestone season which featured lots of side-by-side action and twelve lead changes over the 200-green flag laps. Like any good novel, the chapter written Sunday will leave fans wanting more after and with “Super Sunday” just barely in our rear-view mirrors, it is time to take one final look at the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour finale.

As was the case at the start of the season at Scotia Speedworld, Mother Nature paid us a visit. The time she spent at the Speedworld was far from a friendly affair as she not only pounded us on Friday night during the “Finale Friday” Weekly Racing Series finale but she periodically dropped in on Saturday which forced the final events of the Speedworld season to Sunday.

Unfortunately the rain claimed the entry of Ken Schrader in the race as Ken had to leave before the 1pm post-time on Sunday. The NASCAR Legend only had about two dozen laps on track during practice but was flirting with lap times turned by Tucker, Smith and Slaunwhite near the end of the session. We hope to see Schrader back next year so he can build on the time he got behind the wheel of a Pro Stock at the Speedworld.

Throughout the afternoon and into the Parts for Trucks 200 it was the 2010 EIT Race Radios Rookie of the Year Champ that turned heads. Jerome Kehoe and his #98 Zutphen Contractors/Ideal Concrete Chevrolet Impala race car combined to be a fast tandem on Sunday. Kehoe drew third in the Dartmouth Dodge Dash for Cash redraw, finished second in the Dash and led sixty-nine circuits in the first half of the main event. “I ran out of rubber,” said Kehoe following the race. With his top ten finish, “The Pride of Cape Breton” locked up the prestigious Rookie of the Year Award, something he reflected on before the Dash. “Leonard and Brad have been strong this season and to win the Rookie of the Year is a big accomplishment.”

Up until a restart with fifteen laps to go, it looked like Greg Proude would become the only two time winner this season on the Tour. The Springvale, PEI driver spent fifty-nine laps as the leader and battled with Kehoe and eventual winner Jonathan Hicken for the victory before a trip down pit road with fifteen circuits remaining. Greg has proven this season that he runs well at every track we visit and will be a contender next season for the championship on the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour!

When we look back on the Tour in 2010, we will the name Jonathan Hicken as the only two time winner. The Brudenell, PEI driver ran up front and led seventy-two laps including the money lap. The Hicken/White Racing team has had an incredible breakout season in 2010 by winning three races including the Atlantic CAT 250 with Cassius Clark at the helm and the Parts for Trucks 100 at their home track in Oyster Bed Bridge. The team came home with fourth overall in the standings after their victory at the Speedworld on Sunday and will be a solid foundation to build their 2011 season on.

Donald Chisholm bettered his third place ’09 finale finish with a second place run on Sunday. Chisholm and his Nova Racing team have had a great season in 2010 as he will go down in the books as the third place driver in the standings. With one win and many great runs this season, the #89 Keltic Ford Fusion team will be one to watch in ’11 to not only take multiple feature wins but the top trophy in the championship!

Hats off to Cy Harvey on pulling off the double on Sunday. “The Legend” from Elmsdale not only raced 200-laps in the Parts for Trucks 200 but he also took part in the Scotia Speedworld Finale Night festivities after the Pro Stock portion of the show, driving his #37 Legend car. Harvey was competitive in the #80 Harvey Racing/Innovative Drilling Chevrolet in the first half of the double as he ran many laps in the top ten before settling for 12th. Harvey then hopped into his Legend car and piloted it to a fifth place finish in the 25-lap finale after Kennetcook’s Dave Matthews drove the car in the 50-lap Maritime League of Legends race.

When the dust settled on Sunday afternoon it was the #52 A.L. Guillson Disaster Kleenup Chevrolet Impala coming home as the 2010 CARQUEST Maritime Pro Stock Tour champion. Tucker, who is now a three-time champ of the tri-province series, poured on the pressure to the other drivers by rattling off top three finishes nearly every week and racking up the points to go with them to put the icing on the cake with a third place run in the final race of 2010. Consistency wins championships as was shown this season as the Fredericton driver didn’t appear in victory lane as a race winner but still manufactured eighteen more points than his nearest competitor Shawn Turple. Tucker and crew will receive their $10,000 share of the CARQUEST Points Fund on November 20th at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown.

The Pro Stock season is over but racing around this neck of the woods is not. Riverside International Speedway is hosting a double header weekend headlined by the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series on Saturday. The Komatsu 300 will feature CARQUEST Pro Stock Drivers Donald Chisholm and Wayne Smith racing against the best drivers from across the country. Sportsman and Legends highlight Friday night’s action – for more information visit RiversideSpeedway.ca!

Next week we begin our look back at the 2010 season with a flashback to May. I made ten predictions at the beginning of the 2010 season and we will take a glance back to see how many I got right (or wrong) after the season has been completed. In the next few weeks we will also take a look at the ten best moments of the tenth anniversary of the CARQUEST Tour. What were your favorite memories that you will take away from this season? Email your favorite moments to timscorner@timterryonline.com, tweet them to @ProStockTour on Twitter or write on Maritime Pro Stock Tour’s Facebook wall and you may see your favorite moment from the Summer of 2010 on Tim’s Corner before the Banquet on November 20th!

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