Issue 54
FLEMMING SCORES WIN IN NEW BRUNSWICK
For most race fans in the Maritimes, the long winter starts today. Yesterday was the final oval race of the 2010 season as the Centre For Speed outside of Shediac, New Brunswick hosted the region’s final open event of the season. Cars from all four Atlantic Provinces and Maine took part in the two days of racing with the Pro Stocks taking centre stage on Sunday afternoon.
A dozen of the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour drivers took to the track to race against the best from around the area in a 150-lap showdown. After a couple of cautions in the first few laps of the event, the paced quickened and the action heated up around the 1/3-mile oval. In the opening laps it was Jonathan Hicken once again impressing New Brunswick fans in an extra distance event as he led many of the circuits in the first two thirds of the event. The Brudenell, PEI driver was chased to the front by Maine veteran Kirk Thibeau who had won the event the year prior. The two battled up front with Wayne Smith of Timberlea playing chase for most of the event in third. Smith had visited pit road on a couple of occasions to get adjustments on the #44 Jetco Contracting Impala and was quick to return to the front after the stop.
Sparks flew in the final few laps as the drivers ran hard to get to the top of the order. Hicken and Smith made contact down the back straight, sending the #44 for a spin through the wet grass in the infield with ten to go. The two started at the end of the lead lap cars, which included Thibeau, John Flemming and Speedway 660 Pro Stock titlist Chris Duncan of Rothesay, NB. Thibeau took charge on the restart and drove his #28 Grower’s Exchange Ford Fusion across the finish line first over Flemming and Smith, who had Jonathan Hicken glued to his back bumper at the stripe.
The Halifax driver who crossed the stripe second had a smile on his face after emerging from The Roofing Connection Dodge. “We had about a fifth place car today,” said Flemming after the race. “We kept adjusting on the car and we were in the right place in the right time at the end.” Flemming would end up as the winner of the race after Thibeau’s car didn’t pass post-race inspection, giving the Atlantic Dodge Dealers/Bobcat/Certainteed sponsored car the win in the end! Smith, Hicken, Duncan and George Koszkulics joined Flemming in the top five when all the dust settled.
The event saw the return of Pro Stock veteran Kris Fournier. Fournier and his familiar #37 Totally Tile Dodge finished in the top ten after the hard fought 150-lap event on the Shediac track. The Charlottetown driver was also joined by Albany’s Terry Dougay who made three starts on the Pro Stock Tour this season in his Wet ‘n Wild Car Wash/Right on Board Locksmith Chevrolet Impala. Kent Livingston and his #16 Wendell Taylor’s Garage Dodge rounded out the contingent of Pro Stock drivers from Prince Edward Island in Grand Barachois with Tour connections.
Halifax’s Dan MacKay was a part of the Atlantic Championships grand finale on Sunday in his #71 The Auto Store/Ray Hartlin Decorating and Painting Chevrolet. MacKay ran strong in the early stages before coming home in 10th place. Harvey Racing was also well represented with “The Legend” Cy Harvey and “The King of the Road” Roger Miller in the field for the event. Wayne Miller stepped into the ACL Construction Chevrolet Monte Carlo and ran many laps in the top ten in the first half in the event. Blockhouse, Nova Scotia’s Shawn Pierce had a quick day at the helm of his #21 Hercules Safety and Inspection Chevrolet after being slammed into on the front straightaway by two cars on lap three of the race.
With that event, the Maritime racing season draws to a close. The next event on the docket for the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour is the November 20th Awards Banquet in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Next week we will start taking a look back on the season that was on the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour in 2010.
Until then, keep the hammer down and we’ll see you at the track!
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