Issue 55

10th Anniversary Pro Stock Tour Year in Review Extravaganza

The tenth season of the CARQUEST Maritime Pro Stock Tour roared to a close just about one month ago. With the Awards Banquet just over one month away, it is time to take a look back at the season that was in 2010. Over the next five weeks leading into the final celebration of the summer in Charlottetown, we’ll take a look back at ten of the stories (in no particular order) that shaped our series this year. This week we give credit to our two first time race winners on the Tour.

STEVENS SHINES AT THE SPEEDWORLD

“Finally.”

After many close calls in the past few seasons, Mike Stevens can finally call himself a winner of a CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour race. The Salisbury driver beat the best in the Maritimes on August 21st at Scotia Speedworld to record his first feature triumph in the Lucas Oil 100. Not only did he lead lap 100, he led 95 of the circuits en route to victory lane at the 3/10-mile oval!

If that made it sound easy, it was far from it. Add to the mix that the #26 G. Bourque/R. Stevens Mechanical Ford Fusion had Shawn Tucker, Wayne Smith and a hard charging John Flemming on his heels throughout the event made the Stevens fans bite their fingernails a bit harder. When the leaders came up on the rear of the field late in the race, Stevens never missed a beat and navigated his Ford around the slower cars without opening the door for Tucker and the rest of the lead pack. “I think we had a little more car than Mike but he drove a great race and didn’t leave the door open at the end,” said eventual Tour titlist Tucker after the event.

Stevens began the celebration immediately following the event with one of the nicest burnouts the Speedworld fans have seen in years. After emerging from his winning ride the driver was quick to thank those who helped him get there. “I finally get to thank my crew and sponsors for all their hard work! This is awesome!”

With the huge wave of momentum they are riding from the 2010 season with their first feature victory and great runs this past summer, Mike Stevens and the #26 team will one to watch in the ’11 campaign!

HICKEN RECORDS FIRST WIN OF CAREER, LAST WIN OF ’10 SEASON

While John Flemming and Shawn Turple worked at the front of the field in the Parts for Trucks 100 in Prince Edward Island on June 27th, Jonathan Hicken methodically made his way towards The Roofing Connection Dodge. Hicken started eighth on the grid and when the door opened for position during the 100-lap affair, the #5 Chapman Brothers Construction Impala was there to capitalize. Hicken spent many laps battling with fellow Islander Greg Proude for a top five spot before he found himself in the second row on the final restart with just under twenty-five circuits remaining.

Hicken made his way to second after a duel with Turple for the spot and had his sights set on Flemming for the win. Hicken was cruising along with five circuits remaining when Flemming had a “brain fade.” The Dodge of Flemming kissed the wall down the back straight – just the opportunity the Brudenell driver needed to squeak by Flemming and take the checkers as a CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour winner!

The team continued on their great 2010 season with great runs in the IWK 250 Presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body and the Pro Stock 250 while they captured the “middle jewel” in the Triple Crown with Cassius Clark at the helm for the Atlantic CAT 250. One month later the team stood in the same Scotia Speedworld victory lane as the victors of the Parts for Trucks 200 season finale for the Pro Stock Tour on Super Sunday. With Hicken at the wheel of the Castle Building Centres ride, he and Greg Proude went back and forth for the lead and was in the right place at the right time when Proude visited pit road with just a handful of laps remaining in the event. Hicken then held off Shawn Tucker and Donald Chisholm for the victory which put the icing on the cake that was the ’10 season for the Hicken/White Racing team.

When the dust settled on September 12th, Hicken wound up fourth overall on the CARQUEST Tour and has the distinction of being the only driver to win two features in the 2010 season! Could 2011 be the season that we see our first champion of the tri-province series hail from Prince Edward Island and could that champ be named Jonathan Hicken? One thing is for sure, Jonathan Hicken’s impressive 2010 season has to be one of the ten great stories of the tenth anniversary season of the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour!

Next week we look at two more moments that sculpted the summer that was in 2010 for the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour. Until then, keep the hammer down and we’ll see you at the track!