Halifax’s biggest stock car race of the year is finally upon us - welcome to Atlantic CAT 250 weekend!

While Ben Rowe will not be in the field on Saturday night, his father Mike will be. The racing legend from Turner, Maine will look to take his third CAT 250 and tie his son’s current record Ben set last year. He will be in the seat that his son drove last year within the #10 Dexter Construction/Municipal Group Impala, so I’m sure there will be some conversation between father and son if Mike can’t repeat the same performance that Ben could in the same car. Joining Mike Rowe from Maine is Cassius Clark, who makes his fourth appearance at the helm of the #13 King Freight Lines Chevrolet this season. Clark has a busy schedule this weekend as he will be running the Height Chevrolet Sunday on the PASS North Tour at White Mountain in New Hampshire, and would love nothing more to go home with his second Cat 250 trophy to go with the one he won while driving for Hicken/White Racing in 2010.

Speaking of Hicken, Jonathan Hicken carries a truckload (no pun intended) of momentum heading into the Atlantic CAT 250 on Saturday night. After a win at Oyster Bed Speedway in the Advance Rentals 150, he moves into the co-point leader position with former Atlantic CAT 250 winner John Flemming. This point battle we have shaping up is a race enthusiasts dream come true! We have four drivers who are very good at the final three venues (four races in total) on our schedule, then we have five others that if the top four stumble a tiny bit that they will be there to bust the door wide open. You have Hicken and Shawn Turple, who have shown strength in 250s in the past (Hicken was second at the IWK 250 in July), but have yet to take a victory in a 250 (both have PST victories in 200 lap events). Flemming and Shawn Tucker have won 250 lap races, Tucker is a multi-time winner of the Auto Value 250 at Speedway 660 while Flemming has an IWK and Atlantic CAT 250 to his credit. Turple is just five points behind the co-leaders while Tucker is 13 back of Flemming and Hicken with four races to go.

Positions five through seven in the point battle are made up of drivers who are still in the championship picture, but need to be on their game in the next four events. Donald Chisholm had a tire fall off his car during the Advance Rentals 150 and that tire has placed the #89 car 40 points behind the leader. Chisholm has had good runs at Scotia in the past and will look to find some of that magic for Saturday night. Kent Vincent admitted after the 150 last weekend that he has some homework to do for Scotia and will have to study quick, with 49 points behind the co-leaders with four to go and two Scotia appearances in there, he has his work cut out for him. The upside for Kent is that the meat in the Scotia sandwich includes appearances at Riverside and Petty, two tracks he has won at before on this series!

The trio is rounded out by Mike Stevens. Stevens has run strong at nearly every single race we have been at this season, with the exception of last week where he told me prior to the race that they were chasing something in the car that wasn’t quite right. Stevens first Tour win came at Scotia Speedworld and his career on the Tour includes a near win at the Dartmouth Dodge 200 a few years back. Stevens sits 52 points behind Hicken and Flemming with four to go.

The eighth and ninth place cars in the championship hunt really have to get going if they want a shot at the title. Though 70 and 73 point deficits with four races to go aren’t impossible to make up, with seven cars in front of them all with a shot at the title, they will need to be on their game but will also need some help when it comes to winning the $10,000 payout at the banquet in November at the Crowne Plaza. In eighth and 70 points behind the leaders is Craig Slaunwhite. Slaunwhite has everything going for him when it comes to racing at Scotia Speedworld. He has history - a former winner in extended races at the track and even won the season opener here back in May. He is a former Auto Value 250 winner, so he knows how to get it done in big pressure, high stakes races and maybe the most important thing is that he has the hometown crowd on his side. When it comes to the crowd making noise during intros at “Atlantic Canada’s Action Centre,” the applause for Slaunwhite is right up there with any of the two dozen plus drivers on the grid. We’ve already mentioned Clark and his history with this event and if he wants to give Rollie MacDonald a chance at a second Tour title, he will have to get up and gain some points for the #13 car, as it sits 73 back in ninth.

Though they are not eliminated from the point picture mathematically, the regulars on the Tour from 10th on back will need lightning to strike to have a shot at the top spot in the standings. While Steve Halpin, who sits 10th in the standings, looks to have a firm grasp on the rookie battle, it is far from over with four races to go and Dylan Gosbee and Terry Dougay still firmly in the hunt for the Exide Batteries Rookie of the Year Award. Returning this week is Frankie Fraser, who has sat out a few races with motor issues. Motor issues also plagued Leonard Boutilier and prevented him from attending the Advance Rentals 150. Keep in mind the #45 team was running well within in the top ten during the Lockhart 100 before a wreck in the second half took him out of contention for a top five run.

Jerome Kehoe and Greg Proude are coming off top five finishes at the Advance Rentals 150. Shawn Pierce is expected to return to the #21 car after work commitments kept him out of the South Shore Speed and Sound Toyota Camry. Brad Mann enjoys the longer races and will look for a good run at the helm of the #35 Canadian Tire Auto Service Impala. Brad Eddy will also rejoin the Tour after a week off, as will Steve Ross. Completing the entry list for the race include veteran and former Dartmouth Dodge 200 winner Mike MacKenzie, Barrington’s Dave Heino, Fall River fan favorite Marty Prevost, quick qualifier Daryl Mahar of Hubley, former Hobby Stock champ at Scotia Speedworld Pete Miller and “The King of the Road” Roger Miller.

As I’ve said before about these big races, if you haven’t been to a 250 yet, you owe yourself to get out to one. The atmosphere alone is worth the trip out to the track on Saturday afternoon. The electricity and anticipation as those cars sit on the grid getting ready to fire for 250 green flag laps with a payday of $10,000 plus lap and contingency monies on the line for the winner is inspiring. I sit here typing this getting goosebumps just thinking of those moments leading up to the green flag, from intros, to the command to those pace laps and the wave off. It is a feeling like no other and those who were at the IWK 250 this year know exactly what I’m talking about.

Qualifying will be paramount on Saturday, so you will want to be at the Speedworld for what could be the most important Atlantic Tiltload Time Trials of the season beginning at 4:10pm. Remember, this race went green from start to halfway break without a caution. The pace was rapid and those near the back got lapped quickly. With Time Trials now determining the top starting spots in the field, it is critical that these teams lay two clean and quick laps down on the track, or they could be starting midpack. On the other hand, a dismal starting position, and you are in the “hornet’s nest” in the middle of the pack and could be swept up in something if a wreck happens. Qualifying racing begins with the Fast Eddie Racewear Dash for Cash at 5pm. Also on the card for Saturday is the Maritime League of Legends Tour in their fourth of seven races on their season and the Hydraulics Plus Bandoleros from the Scotia Speedworld Weekly Racing Series. The Bandolero ranks have produced us with many great talents including Brad Eddy and you will see the future crop of potential Pro Stock drivers on the track on Saturday afternoon prior to the Atlantic CAT 250.

RACEPREVIEW

RAC PREVIEW

RACEPREVIEW

RACE REPORTRACE REPORTRACE REPORTRace Results for Advance Rentals 150

Saturday, August 4, 2012 @ Oyster Bed SpeedwayPhotos By: Matt Jacques Photography

Issue 2012 | 8

Pos No. Name Laps1 5 Jonathan Hicken 1502 0 Shawn Turple 1503 8 Kent Vincent 1504 98 Jerome Kehoe 1505 29 Greg Proude 1506 32 Chris Hughes 1507 03 Stephen Halpin 1508 01 Robbie MacLean 1509 52 Shawn Tucker 15010 35 Brad Mann 15011 91 Dylan Gosbee 14912 14 Terry Dougay 14913 99 Craig Slaunwhite 14914 4 Mike Stevens 14815 89 Donald Chisholm 10916 97 John Flemming 10517 13 Sterling Marlin 3818 21 Dave Pierce 0

Race Finish

FastEddieRacewearDashWinner:#99 Craig Slaunwhite

DartmouthDodgeHeatWinners:#89 Donald Chisholm#52 Shawn Tucker

LindeMostLapsLed:#5 Jonathan Hicken

KingFreightHalfwayAward:#5 Jonathan Hicken

AtlanticTiltloadFastTime#97 John Flemming

AbsoluteTrafficHardCharger:#98 Jerome Kehoe ExideBatteriesRookieOfTheRace:#03 Steve Halpin

1 5 Jonathan Hicken Montague, PE 15271 97 John Flemming Halifax, NS 15273 0 Shawn Turple Enfield, NS 15224 52 Shawn Tucker Fredericton, NB 15145 89 Donald Chisholm Antigonish, NS 14876 8 Kent Vincent Crapaud,PE 14787 4 Mike Stevens Riverview, NB 14758 99 Craig Slaunwhite Halifax, NS 14579 13 Rollie MacDonald Pictou, NS 145210 03 Stephen Halpin Saint John, NB 140611 29 Greg Proude North Wiltshire, PE 140212 35 Brad Mann Glen Levit, NB 139413 91 Dylan Gosbee Cornwall, PE 133814 14 Terry Dougay Albany, PE 133015 18 Darren MacKinnon Charlottetown, PE 130616 21 Shawn Pierce Blockhouse, NS 128817 98 Jerome Kehoe Sydney, NS 125818 45 Leonard Boutilier Dutch Settlement, NS 122819 72 Brad Eddy Sackville, NS 117820 24 Steve Ross Waverley, NS 96821 01 Robbie MacLean Winsloe, PE 78822 66 Daryl Mahar Hubley, NS 74023 15 Frankie Fraser Stewiacke, NS 67824 02 Mike MacKenzie Montague Gold Mines, NS 66225 9 Brad Brown Halifax, NS 58826 1 David Heino Barrington, NS 56627 88 George Koszkulics New Glasgow, NS 53628 11 Marty Prevost Fall River, NS 53229 37 Cy Harvey Elmsdale, NS 44030 32 Chris Hughes Brackley Beach, PE 37231 44 Wayne Smith Timberlea, NS 31232 12 Joey Logano Huntersville, NC 20133 88m Kevin Moore Fredericton, NB 18034 16g Jordan Gahan Lower St. Mary’s, NB 16235 20 Greg Fahey St Stephen, NB 16036 41 Russell Smith Halifax, NS 15036 94 Russell Smith Jr. Lakeside, NS 15038 23 Cy Harvey Elmsdale, NS 10038 92 Pete Miller Kennetcook, NS 100

Contingency

Championship Points