Classic Clash Upcoming
at the Speedworld

“Do I finally get a spot on Tim’s Corner?”

That was the text waiting on my phone after my ride home to Truro Friday night from Harry Breimer Jr. after congratulating him on his night at the Speedworld. Briemer, who is in his third season of racing at the oval had a breakout night during the Inside Track Shootout. The Stewiacke driver recorded his first ever heat race win and backed it up with his first career top five finish.

The team had struggled the first few weeks of this 2011 campaign and while 639 Racing teammates Matt Farrell, Jeff Turple and Gary Fisher continue to try and find their footing early this Summer, Briemer has hit on the setup in his Neon. With the solid night, he moves his #123 Blakies Dodge Neon up to a tie for 10th in the standings with Jonathan Conrad and with the way the points have shaken out, another good night for the team could have Breimer firmly in the top ten and inching towards a top five run.

So, to answer your question – yes Harry, you’re at the top of Tim’s Corner this week!

“RATIONAL” RICHARD ENJOYS BREAKTHROUGH ON INSIDE TRACK NIGHT

Like Breimer, Richard Patrick had plenty of reason to smile after Friday night. The team owned by former Thunder car race and championship winner Ken Zwicker has had more than its share of mechanical failures this season. “I’ve been getting good at (tuning) these Neons,” said Zwicker pre-race on Friday. “If it wasn’t for help from Covey’s (Auto Recyclers), we wouldn’t have been able to get this car out on track.”

“Rational” Richard Patrick got up on the wheel Friday night and displayed veteran like skills behind the wheel of the #141 Dodge Neon. Not only did Patrick win his first career heat race, he finished a strong sixth place. Watch for the freshman to continue his march to the front throughout the 2011 campaign.

PREVIEW: 17TH ANNUAL SHRINERS CLASSIC FOR SPORTSMAN

Follow me here; we’re going on a little trip down memory lane.

With the Shriner’s Classic entering its 17th season, it makes it the longest consecutively annual, actively running stock car event in the Maritimes (the Riverglade/Petty International went idle in 2010). This 50 lap affair has provided us with many memories over the years and this season is set to be no exception.

If you aren’t aware of how big of a race this is, take a look back to last season. Terry Roma, with a chemo bottle taped to his arm drove in a bid to win his fourth Shriner’s Classic trophy but came up short to a hard charging Colby Smith. Both were emotional after climbing from the car with Terry thanking Colby for the clean running and praising the Cape Sable Island pilot, saying that “he’s going places.” Smith, who had won the event for the first time understood how big of a race this really with all the former champions and current Pro Stock Tour drivers names that surround the snow globe.

Want to talk about a momentum booster to really kick start the summer? Three of the last four winners of the Classic have gone on to win the championship in the same year. Smith (2010), Jeff Dillman (2009) and Craig Slaunwhite (2007) have all gone on to win the Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman Division crown in the same year they won the Classic. Roma has the most titles of anyone in this event with three and also has the distinction of being the only driver to win back-to-back Classics in ’04 and ’05. Slaunwhite and Harry Ross White have each won the race twice while Craig’s cousin Troy, Gordie Ryan, Ron and Mel Tibert, Tony Leonard, James Graves and Sheldon Pemberton each have their name engraved on the trophy once along with Dillman and Smith.

Could young guns Russell Smith Jr. or Mike Alexander etch their name into the history books with a win this Friday? How about veterans like Aaron Boutilier, Darren Wallage, Larry Fisher and Jordan Veinotte, they have yet to win a Classic but they are near the front every week at the Speedworld. Could it be their time in the spotlight? We will find out Friday night.

COCO BEACH LEGENDS – BLENKHORNS SWAP SPOTS BEHIND PYE

Dylan Blenkhorn lived up to his words – give him two weeks and he’ll be ahead of his dad in points!

Though Paul ceased to believe it pre-race on Friday, his son followed through in a big way, scoring the victory in the Coco Beach Legend cars by inches over “The Legend” Cy Harvey. Dylan now leads dad by three points and though he’s told me there are no more forecasts at this point in the season, expect the #67 Cat Shack Legend to not let up the pressure on the rest of the drivers in the class.

Steve Pye leads the field by 16 points over Dylan Blenkhorn heading into combat on Friday. Paul, who runs in third has a 29 point cushion on Harvey, but we have seen before that no point margin, especially early in the season is safe. Tony Gaudet Jr. rounds out the top five after impressive runs have put the #36 just nine points out of fourth.

TRUCKS – SMITH LEADS TIGHT TRUCK BATTLE

It’s been a battle back and fourth between the top drivers in the Truck division and so far, Dan Smith is winning.

Smith comes into Friday night with four points on JP Arsenault while Gordon Ritchie sits within striking distance just 11 points back. Feature winner Jason Fenton will look to close the gap between he and Ritchie while lengthening the one between the #3 and Dana Isenor in the #7 – who is just a handful of points behind Fenton. Ryan Goldsmith is four points back of a top five spot with Vernon Brown and Matthew Scott completing the field early in the season.

LUMBERMART THUNDER – WARREN CONTINUES TO CHIP INTO LEAD

Every point counts – just ask Matthew Warren.

Warren once again found himself taking a piece out of Dave Matthews point lead last Friday and now he sits just six points out heading into the Shriner’s Classic Night. Joey Lawson is also well within the point picture as the #27 is just ten points out of Warren for third. Matthew’s brother Andrew is fourth in the standings while Tylor Hawes sits in fifth.

Another interesting tidbit to note is that we haven’t had a repeat feature winner this season. Between Matthews, Matthew Warren, Stevie Lively and Ross Harvie, we haven’t had a two-time winner this season and that may continue this Friday night. Lawson is hungry for a win, as is Hawes and Andrew Warren. How about last seasons Thunder 50 winner Kyle MacMillan? Drew MacEachern has ran strong in heat races while Dwayne Flemming has put together a strong first half of the season. You also cannot forget about Troy Bonin, who has his #44 in the best point position he’d had in a long time with seventh through four races.

The competition is just heating up – you will not want to miss “the BEST Four Cylinder Drivers in Atlantic Canada” this Friday night!

LUMBERMART LIGHTNING – SMITH CONTINUES TO BUILD LEAD

Though Cody Singer won the feature last Friday night, his heat race performance left points on the table for leader Jorden Smith to sweep up. Smith now holds a 21 point advantage on Singer while Craig Cordeau is just six points behind Singer for second as we head into Shriners Classic Night.

The top sixteen in points feature four ties which goes to show just how close the competition is in this division. Jamie Dillman and Marc MacMillan find themselves tied for sixth in points while Mark Campbell and BJ Nicholson are knotted for eighth. Just four points behind the #150 and #140 we find Jonathan Conrad and Briemer who are tied for tenth. Deeper in the field we find “The Pit Lizard” Jamie Creamer and JR Lawson tied for 15th in the standings.

Can Smith continue to edge ahead as he looks for his first Lumbermart Lightning title or can someone take a bite out of the lead occupied by the #144. Find out Friday night!

The Shriner’s Classic is one event that you will not want to miss! The action kicks off at 7pm with five divisions of Weekly Racing Series cars including the 50-lap Shriner’s Classic for Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman.

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