Ashton Tucker Victorious in SLMS Season Opener at Petty

RIVER GLADE, NB – Ashton Tucker (#2) continued his winning ways from the end of the 2023 season on Saturday, emerging victorious over familiar foe Cory Hall (#83) in the Fog City Auto Spa 150 – the opening race for the 2024 Easy-Kleen Super Late Model Series season.

It was a show featuring many contenders at various points – but as the Fog City Auto Spa 150 entered its final leg, Hall and Tucker would find each other once again, setting the stage for a barnburner of a finish which ultimately saw Tucker defend everything Hall threw at him in the closing laps. In their mirrors, it was EIT Race Radios pole sitter Robbie MacEwen (#40) holding down the final podium spot – a huge relief for the driver who – despite finishing runner-up in points – failed to crack the podium at all in 2023.

MacEwen was kept honest by a pack of stars battling for third, with Kent Vincent (#8) scoring fourth – a monumental day in his return to full-time competition – and Jarrett Butcher (#54) rounding out the top five. Dustin Tucker (#52) and Darren MacKinnon (#18) were amidst the battle for third with the checkers in the air, but MacKinnon would spin off turn four, failing to cross the line. Race officials penalized Tucker for his involvement in the spin, with MacKinnon and Tucker finishing as the final cars on the lead lap –tenth and eleventh respectively.

MacEwen led the 21-car field to the green alongside fellow PEI competitor Darren MacKinnon. MacEwen edged out MacKinnon to lead the opening four laps – his first laps led in feature competition on the Easy-Kleen SLMS. On lap five, MacKinnon would clear into the top spot and lead the way for four laps before Cory Hall seized control of the race. Hall would lead from that point until lap 100, when he and Tucker began exchanging the lead, with Tucker taking the spot for the final time on lap 103.

Five cautions slowed the Fog City Auto Spa 150. A Ryan Messer (#1) spin on lap 32 drew the initial caution. Ten laps later Lonnie Sommerville (#23) would tag the wall slowing the field, before Kent Vincent – while racing for a podium position – went around just a few laps later.

Rookie competitor Curtis Collins (#27) had a panhard bar failure cut his race shy just before half-way drawing the race’s fourth caution, with the fifth and final yellow on lap 138 coming for a Jarrett Butcher (#54) spin. Butcher had made several bids for the lead in the first half, but following the spin was able to charge back up to a top-five result.

Defending champion Dylan Gosbee (#16) had an uncharacteristic day, posting a 12th-place finish and ending his streak of top-10 finishes. However, Robbie MacEwen kept his streak alive with his third-place finish – MacEwen has finished in the top 10 in every race in Easy-Kleen Super Late Model Series history.

Tucker, Hall, and Greg Proude (#29) all earned heat race victories to begin the day.

The victory was the second of Ashton Tucker’s career with the Easy-Kleen Super Late Model Series – and the second in a row after winning the 2023 Old Fashioned Meat Market 150. Both of his victories have come at Petty International Raceway.

The next race for the Easy-Kleen Super Late Model Series is Saturday, June 1, at Speedway 660 for the Castle Building Centers 150 presented by Taiga Building Products. Serving as round two, it will be a 6 pm start time in the Geary Woods.

For all news and information on the Easy-Kleen Super Late Model Series, follow us on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at @SLMSeries, or on our official website at SLMS.ca. A full race replay of the Fog City Auto Spa 150 will be available in the coming days on YouTube.

About the Easy-Kleen Super Late Model Series The Easy-Kleen Super Late Model Series is Atlantic Canada’s newest stock car racing series. Formed in Fall of 2022 through a partnership between Oyster Bed Speedway, Petty International Raceway, and Speedway 660, the Easy-Kleen Super Late Model Series contests a six-race schedule with some of North America’s top racing talents. The 2024 season will mark the second season of competition. Fans can find more info online at SLMS.ca, or through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X at @SLMSeries.

Source – series communications