Bluenose Pools
Beginner Bandolero

Heat 1: 15 17 43 4-5 38-7
Heat 2: 29 12 11 16-1 88-1

The see-saw battle all season between Shelby Chisholm (Antigonish) and Addison Veinotte (Porters Lake) continued once again Friday night at Scotia Speedworld in the Bluenose Pools Beginner division. The ninth round in their battle went to Chisholm as she would hold off Veinotte on a four lap dash to the checkered flag. Veinotte was persistent and while she sent it in on the outside in the final corners, she could not get to Chisholm on the last lap.

Jake Campbell (Sydney) was able to capitalize on a late race restart from fourth to take the final podium spot away from Sarah Vandenburg (Lower Onslow), who ran in the top three for most of the feature. Sarah would settle for fourth with Adlee Lively (Middle Sackville) fifth, giving four of the top five spots to female drivers on Fueling Change: A Celebration of Women in Motorsports.

Lively and Brandon McGrath (Antigonish) took home qualifying heat wins.

Chisholm closed the gap to a single point but, when the July 5th heat race is factored in following its heldover feature this Friday, Chisholm holds a five point lead over Veinotte with two features and a heat race to run on Friday, August 23rd.

Bluenose Pools Bandolero

Heat 1: 85 5 27 13 99 2 92 47

It has been a season to forget for Hailey Bland (Lakeview). Entering her final year of Bandolero competition, it has been plagued with mechanical issues throughout. Friday night may have been the turning point though as she led wire-to-wire en route to her first win of 2024 at the Speedworld and second for the No. 27 car.

Bland started on the pole led every lap in the feature that ran 15 consecutive laps to the checkered after a Lap One caution. Point leaders Avery DeCoste (Antigonish) and Bella Pashkoski (Beaver Bank) were able to work their way through traffic but were unable to get to the No. 27 before the checkered flag flew on Lap 15. Pashkoski was able to get second and close the point gap on DeCoste, who completed the podium. Lily Whynot (Dartmouth), in one of her best performances of the season in Halifax, was fourth with Bristol Matthews (Nine Mile River) fifth.

Pashkoski picked up the heat win and closed the gap to five points heading into Bay Equipment Rentals Night on July 23rd.

Toursec Mini Stock

Heat 1: 0 20 71 24 05 09 87-6 72-10
Heat 2: 58 80 17 47 34 93 03 3
Heat 3: 68 14 84 98 10 13 45 92

In one of the most competitive extended distance Toursec Mini Stock features we’ve seen in years, it was a familiar face up front racing to the win.

While several of the point leaders struggled, Steve Matthews (Bedford) lived up to his “Mr. Lightning on the Hill” named by winning the 75-lap Thunder on the Hill feature on Friday.

It was an ever changing first opening half of the race. Ross Moore (Lake Egmont) broke a rear hub coming to the initial green, sideling the point leader to a 23rd place finish on the night. Jason Pickles (Meaghers Grant) led the field to green and led the first 17 circuits before mechanical issues began to wear on the No. 0 Brown’s Affordable Towing Civic. Hot on his heals were five others going for the lead, which was picked up by Jamie Dillman (Carroll’s Corner). Dillman, who had suffered several mechanical failures of his own in his new Ford Focus build, held off the likes of Dave Jollimore (Halifax), Chevy MacDonald (Stewiacke) and Kenny Hopper (Enfield) before a resurging Colin Matthews (Bedford) took the lead on Lap 42 with a move to the inside on Turn Three. The two would make a little contact on the next lap for the lead, allowing Steve Matthews to move to second on Dillman.

The second caution would end a 44 lap green flag run when championship contender Chris McMullin encountered brake issues. Darren Hodder also broke during that green flag run, meaning all top three title contenders had car issues in the first two-thirds of Thunder on the Hill.

On the ensuing restart, Steve Matthews took the lead from his cousin Colin and held on for the feature victory, his third on the season in Halifax. Colin would take second with Dillman edging out Peter Brown (Antrim) for the final podium position. Hopper was fifth in the 24 car field.

Heat wins went to Pickles, Dillman and Mitchell Hopkins (Beaver Bank).

With all the craziness of the opening stanza of the race, Moore still holds a 57 point lead on Hodder in the standings. Behind them, the vice tightened as only 19 points separate third to seventh in the championship as the Mini Stocks will return on Labour Day Weekend.

Strictly Hydraulics &
Industrial Suppy Legends

Heat 1: 29 73 45 14m 71 97 5
Heat 2: 19 13 20 81 9 07
Heat 3: 71m 24 00 18 39 94

Ayden Christensen (Windsor Junction) continued his stranglehold on the Strictly Hydraulics Legends division by picking up his fifth feature win in ten races and third in the last four on Friday night.

Christensen started eighth in the 15 car field and had to work around Campbell Delaney (Halifax) and Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie Jared Slaunwhite (Terence Bay) for the win. A close call on Lap 14 sending Christensen up the hill would only derail his bid for the lead by a few laps as he made the winning pass on Slaunwhite on Lap 18. Delaney came home second for his best finish of the year with Slaunwhite recording his first podium finish of his career after leading the most laps in the feature. Chase Livingston (Springhill) and Nate Singer (Kennetcook) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Slaunwhite and Delaney picked up heat race victories.

It is an 83 point advantage for Christensen in the local standings after 10 events.