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By Andy Campbell - voice of the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour

The CARQUEST Tour 100 at New Brunswick International Speedway (August 5, 2006)

August 6, 2006

First of all, if you haven’t seen “Talledega Nights,” go see it. Stock car racing purists may not appreciate it, because there is nothing pure about it accept the humour. Will Ferrell may be the funniest person on the face of the earth.

Now that I’ve got that off my chest…

Dale Holmes may not have been laughing, at least not on Saturday, but he arrived at NBIS without his racing suit. In packing up the hauler for the trip from West Covehead to Fredericton, the Maritime Castle Building Centres crew remembered everything but the suit. Lucky for Dale, John Flemming had a spare one kicking around. “I think this is an old one of Rollie’s,” he said. A hard point to argue, considering “KING” was emblazoned across the front of the suit.

Flemming wasn’t the only one in a lending mood Saturday.

When Kent Livingston’s transmission broke after just four practice laps, Shawn Tucker was quick with an offer of help. The R.W. Donahue Trucking crew worked furiously to get the transmission changed. They did something right. Kent was among the ten fastest qualifiers and started the CARQUEST 100 from the seventh spot on the grid. Unfortunately, Kent was forced to retire with a broken drive shaft.

Saw Kevin Moore walking the pits before the race. He’s a regular in the NBIS pro stock division and a former CMPST race winner at his home track. When I asked him why he wasn’t out with his race car, he explained that he’d been able to work his way back into the track’s points race this season and that by not running the tour race he was saving tires and saving money.

No Mike MacKenzie at NBIS. During a frustrating season, the long haul to Fredericton may not have seemed worth it. And, likely, Mike and his crew are working on their car in advance of the Atlantic Cat 250, at Scotia Speedworld, August 12.

Speaking of long hauls… Daryl Mahar, in the #66 Split Crow Pub car, and Dave Potter, in the #17 Jani-King car, both broke motors during practice at NBIS and couldn’t run in qualifying or the feature. That was especially tough for Potter, who is in his last season of racing and had a number of supporters in attendance.

After a torrid July, where the CMPST ran four races in five weeks, the tour had a weekend off before NBIS. So, I asked a few drivers what they did with the down time.

Chris Hughes – “I built a deck. Actually, I finished the deck I began building on our week off last season.”

Shawn Turple – “I ate at the shop, I slept at the shop, in fact, I don’t think I ever left the Fraser Racing shop. We had so much damage after P.E.I., it took us forever to get the car ready again.”

Tim Rogers – “I went tubing on the Miramichi River.”

Gordie Ryan – “Relaxed and worked on the cottage we’re building.”

The official record shows that Shawn Tucker led all 100 laps of the CARQUEST 100, but that’s not the case. Tucker started on the pole with Brad Mann alongside. When the green flag fell, a great fight began. The two raced side by side around NBIS on lap one. As they came to the start finish line, Mann’s #35 Subway Monte Carlo was actually in front by a bumper. Tucker’s #52 Rockico Truck and Trailer Monte Carlo regained the lead as they finished lap two and he never looked back.

Mann battled to a fifth place finish. Outstanding, considering he almost didn’t show at NBIS because of a death in the family. There had been talk that Moncton-based driver Dave O’Blenis, like Mann a former NBIS pro stock champ, would sub for the championship contender, but, in the end, Mann decided to run himself. A good finish under difficult circumstances. Our condolences.

For Tucker, the win couldn’t have come at a better time. The 2004 CMPST champ hasn’t had the greatest season, but he knows NBIS better than everyone. In the tour’s two races in Geary this summer, Tucker posted a win and a second place. This weekend’s win should make the rest of the season a little easier on the veteran.

Does Tucker’s win have anything to do with the fact he was on CTV’s “Live At 5,” on Friday? I don’t think so, but it’s a pretty nice coincidence if you ask me.

Next up… the much anticipated return to Riverside. Drivers, crews, fans, tour officials and yours truly can’t wait for the Antigonish Mall 200 on August 19th, at the newly renovated James River, N.S. oval. There’s an open practice on Friday, August 18th, from 11am-4pm and a number of drivers indicated they were going to be on hand for that.

Hope to see you there.

Click here for The CARQUEST Tour 100 at Raceway Park Notebook

Click here for Andy Campbell's bio

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