One of the Maritime’s most successful racers will be back in the driver’s seat starting this weekend in the Irving Blending & Packaging 100 for the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour at Petty International Raceway. Lonnie Sommerville, from Saint John (NB), will fill in for Matt Harris after Harris was called away for a work commitment earlier this week. The length of Sommerville’s stint in Harris’ car is uncertain, and will depend on how long Harris is away. Harris had registered his No. 87 with the series for the season and raced in the opener May 24 at Scotia Speedworld; he got caught up in an early crash and finished 24th. Sommerville, who prepares Harris’ car, was the spotter last week. Sommerville has wins in two of the three biggest stock car races in the Maritimes, the Auto Value 250 and the Atlantic Cat 250, along with a PASS North SLM win in Maine and multiple feature wins in the Maritimes. He ran a limited schedule in 2013 and ran full-time with PASS the two years before that. The Irving Blending & Packaging 100 at Petty International Raceway is set for 6 p.m. Pro stock time trials start at 5:10.
