I NEWS
Dave O’Blenis and crew celebrate an almost $19,000 payday in the Pro Stock 250 at Speedway 660.
Photo courtesy Mike Francis
ATLANTIC STOCKS: O’BLENIS HITS JACKPOT Pit Stop Strategy Makes the Difference at Speedway 660’s Big Money Labour Day Special By Denver Matchett n Sept. 3, New Brunswick’s Speedway 660 played host to one of the greatest runnings of the track’s legendary Pro Stock 250. The race culminated with the one of the most successful drivers in the facility’s history stealing a dramatic win in the closing laps. Dave O’Blenis used a restart with three laps to go to muscle his way around Ryan Messer for the victory. Messer held off defending race winner Ashton Tucker in a photo finish for the second spot. Dustin Tucker and Robbie MacEwen had stellar performances to round out the top five. A capacity crowd was on hand to witness the thrilling victory. O’Blenis waited until the last possible moment to stop for his tires, pitting from the lead during a lap 212 caution. Messer had shown the way for the entire first half, with MacEwen in tow. MacEwen would be one of the first drivers to
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pit, doing so just before the halfway break. Messer stayed out and fended off a challenge from Dustin Tucker for the Modern Electric Halfway Bonus, before pitting during a lap 140 yellow for his tires. It was at this point that O’Blenis assumed the lead for the first time all race.
O’BLENIS STAYED OUT After making several early pit stops, Ashton Tucker worked into the top three and showed himself to be a contender, and he pitted around lap 170 for his fresh rubber. But as everyone else pitted, the O’Blenis team held steady at the front. Following a lap 212 caution – during which O’Blenis finally pitted for new tires – Messer and Tucker were out front and continued to wage a war for the win, with Tucker showing the way. All the while, O’Blenis was battling his way through
EAST COAST INTERNATIONAL PRO STOCK TOUR: PROUDE WINS MODERN PUMPS & METALS 150
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n Sept. 9 at Antigonish, NS’s Riverside International Speedway, Springvale, PEI racer Greg Proude returned to the East Coast International Pro Stock Tour in style, picking up the victory in the Modern Pumps & Metals 150. Proude took the lead on lap 96 but had to hold off many hard charging competitors for the win. Nicholas Naugle (Dartmouth, NS) was door-to-door with Proude coming off the final turn but had to settle for second.
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traffic, to get back up front. Another yellow on lap 235 was just what O’Blenis needed. Restarting third, he got around Tucker on the restart as Messer vaulted back out front. Initially, it looked like Messer would still hang on, but one final restart with three laps to go set up the restart of a lifetime, which O’Blenis used to secure the win. Leading a total of 75 laps during the 250-lap chase, O’Blenis scored a winner’s cheque for $18,750. Messer earned a solid payday, having led 153 laps (including the halfway bonus), while Ashton Tucker secured some lap money, leading 22 laps. MacEwen, Messer, and Cory Hall claimed heat race victories, earlier in the day. Canadian NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series star Stewart Friesen had an impressive result in the works, running near the top-five, but a broken axle cut his race short. IT
Austin MacDonald (Pictou, NS) kept his cool, despite his helmet blower shutting down during the race, to finish third. Jarrett Butcher (Porter’s Lake, NS) had another solid showing with a fourth-place finish. Chris Reid (Fort McMurray, AB) led the most laps on the day en route to a fifth-place finish. Jordan Veinotte (Porter’s Lake, NS) and Naugle won their heat races, while Proude won the Kenny U-Pull Hard Charger Award. Canadian racing legend Gary Elliott (Truro, NS) was the Fast Eddie Racewear Lucky Dog, while Danny Chisholm (Port Williams, NS) was the top rookie finisher in the race. IT
