CARSTAR Weekly Racing Series
Race Wrap & Full Results

July 21st: 3rd Annual FanFest Night

Pulse Heavy Duty Trucks
Dan Smith (Lower Sackville) extended his point lead in the Pulse Heavy Duty Truck division, but it was far from easy in the first 14 laps of the 25-lap feature.

Megan Parrott (Beaver Bank) gave Smith all he could handle as the two went side-by-side for the opening 14 laps of the race. Parrott used the outside line for most of the battle as she was able to listen to Smith’s throttle to gauge her line on the outside. A spin in Turn Two as she continued to fight Smith would put the field under yellow with 11 to go. At that point Smith drove away for the win, with Parrott second and Frank Carter (Lantz) completing the podium in the Carter Brothers Racing #24.

Smith won the heat race.

Strictly Hydraulics Legends
For a division that has seen its share of rough and tumble racing, the Strictly Hydraulics Legend drivers put on an incredible display of short track racing in their 25-lap feature.

Braden Langille (Shubenacadie), making his debut in a big car at Scotia Speedworld after his 16th birthday earlier in the week, cruised to the win in his first Strictly Hydraulics Legends main feature at his home track. It is the second Weekly Racing Series win for the team after North Carolina’s Riley Halverson took the #51 to victory lane on Opening Day in May. Behind him, Adam Meehan (Rawdon Gold Mines) and Paul Goulden (Shelburne) raced comfortably to second and third, respectively. Cory Hall (Jolicure, NB) went knocking on the door of Waylon Farrell (Conception Bay South, NL) for fourth place in the feature but couldn’t quite kick the door down and had to settle for fifth behind the #116 car.

While the feature was exciting, the heat race saw Hall and Meehan once again exchange bumpers as the two came together heading to pit road following the second heat, won by Tylor Hawes (Porter’s Lake). Shelby Baker (Fall River) won the opening heat of the night but experienced problems early in the feature and only completed two laps.

Goulden has an eight point lead as the Legends race into CARSTAR Night this Friday.

TOURSEC LIGHTNING
Scott Thibodeau (Williamswood) sent a strong statement to the Toursec Lightning field en route to his third win of the 2017 season.

Thibodeau worked his way through the tough field of four cylinders, freeing himself in second place behind reigning champion Deven Smith (Lakeside), who sported black on his car in a color change on the Smith Brothers Racing Dodge.

Up until the halfway point and Smith popped the top, the top eight drivers ran within a tight racing pack, trying to get themselves closer to the front of the field. The action was one of the best showcases of short track racing throughout the evening on Fanfest.

Sparks began to fly under the #194 late in the feature and Thibodeau ramped up the pressure, taking the lead with only a handful of laps to go under green and ultimately held on for the win. Smith’s comfortable lead on third was enough for him to cruise to second with “Rational” Richard Drake (Halifax) in third. Jorden Smith (Lakeside) returned to finish fourth in his second start of the year, with Jamie Dillman (Carroll’s Corner) finishing fifth. It marked Dillman’s third top five finish in seven feature events.

Dillman and leading Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie contender Travis Keefe (Clayton Park) took home heat race victories.

AFFORDABLE FUELS SPORTSMAN
It has been quite the season for Bedford’s Matt Vaughan.

After recording a win earlier this season in the Pulse Heavy Duty Truck class, Vaughan drove to an exciting win in the Affordable Fuels Sportsman class on Fanfest. The win was his first in a Late Model with only two previous starts at his home track and three total in the car.

It appeared that Vaughan would lead the most laps in the race and finish out of the top spot after a battle with a lapped car allowed Travis Roma (West Chezzetcook) to slip by for the lead with 11 laps to go. A caution three laps later would uncover fluid on the race track, which was laid down by the #38 and forced the point leader to come down pit road eight laps from the finish.

It handed the lead back over to Vaughan, with Jordan Veinotte (Porter’s Lake) to his outside. On the second restart of Lap 31, Vaughan was able to get the lead and Veinotte would ultimately play chase for the duration. Veinotte, who was quick to compliment Vaughan and his crew on the speed in their race car, finished second with Aaron Boutilier (Porter’s Lake) bringing his CARSTAR Ford home in third. Fourth was reigning Affordable Fuels Sportsman champion Pete Miller (Kennetcook) with Jeffrey Breen (Antigonish) in fifth. Breen began his racing career at Scotia Speedworld in the Toursec Lightning division.

Heat wins went to Vaughan and Roma.

The Affordable Fuels Sportsman division will run double features on CARSTAR Night. The night kicks off with the 23rd Annual Shriners Classic before a 38-lap feature later on in the evening.

TOURSEC THUNDER
It took Mark Williams (Elmsdale) 17 years from his first season at Scotia Speedworld to finally win a main feature event.

Williams, who began his racing career in 2000 racing Thunder cars and has dabbled in the Legend car ranks, took home the 25-lap Toursec Thunder feature on Friday for his first feature victory.

Williams got by pole sitter and two-time division champion Matthew Warren (White’s Lake) in the early laps of the feature and held off Nic Baker (Middle Sackville) for his first checkered flag in feature competition. Baker was second, followed by point leader Dave Matthews (Kennetcook). Fourth was leading Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie contender Neil Miousse (Kentville) with Chris Hatcher (Beaver Bank) in fifth.

Williams and Jesse Deveau (Greenwood) took home heat victories.

Eleven points separate second through six place in the standings as Matthews will lead the division into CARSTAR Night.