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By Andy Campbell - voice of the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour

The CARQUEST Tour 100 at Raceway Park (July 22, 2006)

July 23, 2006

He's the man.

Or should that be… he's the Mann.

Regardless, Brad Mann scored his first CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour victory in the most unpredictable of places, taking the checkered flag in the CARQUEST 100 at Raceway Park. Even Mann, driver of the #35 Subway Monte Carlo, figured his first win would come at a place like NBIS or Scotia Speedworld. The key to victory, according to Mann, "I watched the line Dale(Holmes) took and put myself in the same place." Mann's first CMPST win comes a week after his previous best finish, a second, in Shediac, and should see him close on John Flemming for the overall points lead.

Mann's win is the first for a non-Island driver at Raceway Park since Gordie Ryan's victory, in August of 2003. During that five race span, Dale Holmes, Kent Vincent, Kent Livingston and Greg Proude, twice, kept Nova Scotia and New Brunswick drivers out of victory lane.

Holding his thumb and index finger a millimetre apart, second place finisher Dale Holmes said, "by this much."

He was talking about how close he came to keeping the Island drivers winning streak in tact. Holmes, in the #4 Maritime Castle Building Centres Monte Carlo, traded the lead with Brad Mann 5 times. When Holmes relinquished the lead on lap 64, Mann never looked back. Holmes tried desperately in the dying stages of the race to move back into the lead, but Mann withstood each challenge.

Mann said, "Dale races clean and I race clean, so I knew if he was going to beat me, he was going to beat me fair and square."

Maybe next time Dale.

Nice to see Kent Vincent run third. If not for a close encounter with the concrete wall along the back straight in the dying stages, Vincent might've been able to mount a challenge for second place. All the same, a podium finish is a good way for the Atlantic Turbines crew to start the second half of the season.

Kent Livingston made his much anticipated return to the CMPST at Raceway Park, driving Gerry O'Leary's RW Donahue Trucking Monte Carlo. Livingston destroyed his Piccott Chev-Olds Monte Carlo in a pre-season testing crash at RP. Before Saturday, he'd only been in the #10 car once, the Tuesday before. And that session ended prematurely, after three laps. Kent blew a motor during the "get acquainted" drive on Tuesday, but managed to put his old motor in O'Leary's car in time for Saturday's race. He didn't show much rust, winning the "B Feature," and moving into the top 10 in the feature before finishing in the middle of the field.

He didn't win, in fact, he didn't even come close. But the smile on Roger Crane's face was pretty hard to hide.

Crane, driving the #76 Montague Tire Monte Carlo, started his first CMPST feature. After DNQs the first five races, Crane got his first taste of feature action on his home track. "It feels good," said Crane, before the race. I bet it felt even better afterwards.

With rain threatening to spoil the party, the pole challenge went unaccepted. Even the fifth and final driver offered the challenge, Wayne Smith, didn't want to tempt fate. Smith has taken the challenge three times so far this season and seen it pay off in a big way at least twice. In the end, the rain held off. Who knows what might've happened.

Gordie Ryan ran in the top ten at the end, but his pay day likely wasn't as big as his Dad's. Gordon Ryan won the 50-50 draw at RP, taking home more than $850.

And… RP and CMPST drivers ventured into the stands Saturday night, passing their helmets for a good cause. Fans donated more than $2200 to help veteran Maritime racer Dave Gorveatt. He suffered serious injuries over the winter in a workplace accident. His recovery is slow, but steady. The money will go a long way to helping the Gorveatt family in this difficult time.

Thanks to the drivers who help and to all those who gave a little or a lot. Your time and your money is appreciated.

A week off! What are we going to do? A lot of drivers are considering an open testing session at the newly paved Riverside Speedway, next Saturday. Some are going to Oxford Plains Speedway to either enter, or watch, the TD Banknorth 250.

Personally, I'll be spending time with my family.

Hope to see you all in Fredericton on August 5th, when the CMPST resumes, with round #7 at NBIS.

Click here for The CARQUEST Tour 100 at Raceway Park Notebook

Click here for Andy Campbell's bio

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