Issue 76

The Notebook - Parts For Trucks 100, Speedway 660

Shawn Tucker is on a roll!

The defending point champion not only notched his second win of the season and closed to within twelve points of the leader Wayne Smith but Tucker enters the second half of the season with big mo’ (momentum) on his side. Tucker battled with Greg Fahey after methodically working his way to the front like a seasoned veteran would. It wasn’t hard to tell which track we were at on Saturday as the cheers from the crowd were loud every time Tucker’s name was mentioned or anytime he made a pass on track. Combine the big mo’ with the #52 AL Gullison Disaster Kleenup Impala heading into a race next weekend that he came so close to winning last season and you have the recipe for a barnburner at Riverside!

Fahey turned some heads this past Saturday night at his home track. The former multi-time track champ at 660 led the most laps in the Parts for Trucks 100 and came home with a second place run to Tucker. Though the St. Stephen driver has made appearances on the Tour before, this was by far the best run turned in by the #20 St Stephen Guardian Pharmacy/Rexall ride in a Tour sanctioned event. Rookie Steve Halpin of Saint John impressed by qualifying into the Fast Eddie Racewear Dash for Cash and did like he said he would pre-race and got valuable seat time with the fastest Pro Stock drivers in the region. His 17th place finish was not indicative of how he ran throughout the afternoon and should be one to watch if he decides to come on Tour with us!

Darren MacKinnon continues to impress in the #18 Shaw’s Towing/First Choice Haircutters Chevrolet. The Charlottetown native swapped some paint with Boundary Creek’s Dave O’Blenis in the waning laps to take third place over the New Brunswick vet. With the podium run, it moves MacKinnon up to fifth in points, just 17 points out of third place Donald Chisholm and 52 out of point leader Smith. Just imagine how big the party would be at the Awards Banquet in Charlottetown if MacKinnon was able to pull off a championship in 2011!

Smith and John Flemming had a busy night on Saturday. The two former champs pitted on an early caution flag and marched through the field, getting to fifth and sixth respectively at the end. Another Nova Scotian had a solid run during the event as Daryl Mahar flirted with the top five for most of the race. Mahar’s goal at the start of the night was to “keep the car out of the beach for 100 laps” and he achieved just that by coming home in eighth place, behind Lockhart 100 winner Shawn Turple.

Brad Mann continues to reel off top ten finishes with the latest being a ninth place at his home track of Speedway 660. The Majestik #35 finds itself tied for eighth in points at the halfway mark in the season with Craig Slaunwhite, who saw his night come to an early end with mechanical problems.

Dylan Gosbee made his second start of his Parts For Trucks Pro Stock Tour career this past weekend. As I went to place signs on the Speedway 660 infield, I met Gosbee in Turn Four looking over the venue. “I’m just checking out what I’m getting myself into,” said Gosbee with a smile. The 2010 Modified champion at Oyster Bed Speedway piloted the Kent Livingston owned #16 Wendell Taylors Garage Chevrolet to a nineteenth place finish but more important, Gosbee gained valuable seat time and experience. Expect Gosbee to be a star on the Pro Stock Tour in the coming years as he continues to makes tracks in a Pro Stock racecar.

The Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour will enjoy an off-week after a four race stretch. Next week on the site, we will preview the IWK 250 presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body. Between Marcos Ambrose racing in the event, the live flag-to-flag coverage of the event on Sirius Radio and the increased payday on the line, this is easily one of our biggest events of the season. You have to remember though, this race pays the same amount of points as last Saturday’s race in the Geary woods did, so one small mistake on the big stage could be fatal in a championship dream come Super Saturday at the Speedworld.

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