Seven Champions to be Decided at Speedworld This Weekend

HALIFAX, NS – Scotia Speedworld will close its 27th season this weekend with two days of championship racing. Friday night at 7:00 PM the Weekly Racing Series will crown champions in five divisions – the Coors Light Trucks, Thunder & Lightning, Hydraulics Plus Bandoleros and the Strictly Hydraulics Legends. Saturday at 4:00 PM the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour returns to Scotia Speedworld for their season finale, the Dartmouth Dodge 200 – which will determine who walks away with the prestigious series title and the $10,000.00 championship cheque.

The Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman will decide their champions on Saturday prior to the Dartmouth Dodge 200.Championship racing gets underway in style Friday night with the Hydraulics Plus Bandolero division. The 2013 Bando champ Adam Meehan (Rawdon) enters Friday’s event with an eight point deficit on current point leader Braden Langille (Shubenacadie). Just 18 points separates third through fifth in the standings of this youth class. Cole Tanner (Shubenacadie) holds that third position followed by Wyatt McCulloch (Stewiake) in fourth and Luke Ettinger (Kennetcook) in fifth.

Dan Smith (Lower Sackville) will look to become a three-time consecutive division champion Friday night in the Coors Light Trucks. Smith has a fairly comfortable 22 point lead over his closest competitor Cory Leonard (Goodwood). If Smith has a decent evening Leonard may not take home the championship but has locked up the Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year for the class.

Cole Butcher (Porter’s Lake) may also be crowned a three-time champion in the Strictly Hydraulics Legends class. Butcher just needs to finish 13th or better in order to clinch his third consecutive title. Butcher has 37 point lead over rookie Nicholas Naugle (Dartmouth). Similar to the Truck division, the rookie may not take home the championship title but will take home the Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year honours.

The Lightning division is down to a three man race. Mike Brown (Urbania) has a not so comfortable 13 point lead over Richard Patrick (Halifax) and 14 points on third place Deven Smith (lakeside). It will all come down to on track performance Friday night to determine a champion in this class. Steven Matthews (Halifax) has locked down Rookie of the year for this competitive four-cylinder division.

The Thunder finale is also a three horse chase. Dave Matthews (Kennetcook) sits a slim 10 points ahead of Tim Webster (Beaverbank) and 28 points ahead of 2013 Thunder champion Matthew Warren (White’s Lake) who currently is third in the standings. Warren took the 2013 title over Matthews by just six points. In 2011 Matthews bested Warren by a single point to claim the title. Webster is the 2005 and 2006 champion of the class and will look to add a third title to his resume Friday night.

The Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman will take centre stage Saturday to determine their champion in a 50-lap feature prior to the Dartmouth Dodge 200. It’s going to be a dramatic finish to the 2014 Sportsman season with just two points separating the top three drivers. Reigning division champ Darren Wallage (Oakfield, NS) enters the race tied for first with Harry Ross White (Noel Road) and just two points up on third place DJ Casey (Prospect Road). We also can’t rule out 2012 division champion Aaron Boutilier (Porter’s Lake) who is currently fourth, 32 points behind the leaders. This one is going to come down to the wire and should be a thrilling 50-lap finale!

Four-time series champion John Flemming (Halifax, NS) enters the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour Season Finale Dartmouth Dodge 200 with a 44 point lead over Jonathan Hicken (Brudenell, PE) and 45 points up on three-time series champ Shawn Tucker (Fredericton, NB). Flemming will need to finish 16th or better in order to take home his fifth Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour Championship.

Don’t miss any of the action as Scotia Speedworld’s season comes to a close this weekend – and seven champions emerge.

Admission for Friday evening’s Weekly Racing Series Finale is $12.00 for adults; $2.00 for youth (8-15 years old). Admission for the Dartmouth Dodge 200 is $30.00 for adults; $5.00 for youth. Pit admission is $35.00. Adult weekend passes are also available for $35.00, weekend pit passes are $40.00.  Children 7 and under are admitted for free all weekend. Tickets will be available at the gates on race day (cash only).