PST Issues Heavy Penalties After Riverside Race

Posted Sunday, July 29; Source - PST Online

The 18 of Darren MacKinnon landed in the wall after contact with the 44 of Wayne Smith at Riverside on July 21; the roles were reversed later in the race with Smith in the wall after contact with the 18...(photo - Ken MacIsaac).

Officials with the Maritime Pro Stock Tour (PST) have issued penalties as a result of "incidents" during a PST-sanctioned event at Riverside International Speedway on July 21. Four teams have been suspended from competition with varying sentences.

Darren MacKinnon, driver of car No. 18 and the point leader entering the event last weekend, has been suspended for the next two series races (August 4 at Oyster Bed Speedway and August 11 at Scotia Speedworld). MacKinnon will be on probation for the remainder of the 2012 season. MacKinnon is sixth in points after the Riverside race, just 46 markers behind the leader.

Wayne Smith, a three-time series champion and driver of car No. 44, along with Russell Smith - driver of car No. 41, and Russell Smith Jr - driver of car No. 94, have all been suspended from series competition for the remainder of the 2012 season. None of these three were running with the series full-time this year.

The penalty also proclaims the cars as included, therefore no other person can drive them during the respective sentences.

While the penalty notice does not specify exactly which incidents caused the penalties to be issued, the 18 and 44 were involved in two on-track incidents, one of which resulted in a pit road skirmish that included members of all four suspended teams. Neither the 18 or 44 finished the race; both are former winners.

The affected drivers and their teams were advised of the penalties on Friday July 27, in advance of the public postings on the series website and social media sites on Saturday.

Six-time pro stock touring series champion Wayne Smith, arguably one of the most popular active drivers in the Maritimes, reacted to the penalty by way of his website, as follows: "Wayne & The Oval Outlaw Racing Team apologize to our sponsor & fans for the actions taken at the Riverside 250. We will no longer race with the tour. Our next event will be September 2nd, Speedway 660."