Lucas Oil 150 Highlight’s Riverside Season Finale This Saturday

JAMES RIVER, NS (September 5, 2018) – Riverside International Speedway is set for its 2018 season finale on Saturday featuring the Lucas Oil 150 for the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour, as well as championship races for both the Napa Sportsman Series and the MJS/Prime Lift East Coast Mini Stock Tour.

The Lucas Oil 150 is round 11 of 12 for the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour and sees point leader Cole Butcher (Porter’s Lake) with a commanding 92-point advantage over a tie for second-place between Craig Slaunwhite (Terence Bay) and Shawn Turple (Enfield). Dylan Blenkhorn (Truro) sits fourth, 12 markers out of second, and Dylan Gosbee (Cornwall, PE) is fifth, 37 points behind Blenkhorn.

If Butcher leaves Riverside with a 70+ point lead over second-place he will need only to start the feature in the series season finale on September 15 to clinch his second title. And while the second-year Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist has four wins of 10 races on the series season and the best average finish among active series drivers at Riverside, 5.56, he has yet to pick up an elusive win at the 0.333-mile high banked oval.

“We’ve been close with a podium finish in all the races at Riverside the last couple years,” said Butcher. “It’s a fast track and a lot of guys run good there. It’s a driver’s track. We know the series competition is tough so have been doing our homework and will take the car we feel will give us the best run. We’re going to race – the points will do their own thing. If all goes well we’ll get our first win at Riverside and leave with the same point lead, if not larger.”

Home-town favourite Donald Chisholm (Antigonish) has won the last three Lucas Oil 150’s and will look to add a fourth to his resume on Saturday. Chisholm, the series 2015 champion, is running a limited schedule with the series this season, therefore not a point contender.

“We are really looking forward to getting back to Riverside for the 2018 season finale,” said Chisholm. “We have only finished one race all year, so we are hoping to end the season with a good run, and hopefully make it four wins in a row in the Lucas Oil 150.”

Five-time Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour champion John Flemming (Halifax) will be a teammate to Chisholm this Saturday, driving the No. 88 normally piloted by George Koszkulics who is taking care of a shoulder injury suffered earlier this year. Flemming, also a two-time winner of Riverside’s IWK 250, has run a limited schedule this year.

“We’re really looking forward to being in the car,” said Flemming. “George will have a good piece for us, no doubt. I really appreciate Donald giving me this opportunity, and especially at Riverside.”

EXPECTED ENTRY LIST – LUCAS OIL 150

1. (07) Allison MacKinnon, Oyster Bed Bridge, NS

2. (08) Nicholas Naugle, Dartmouth, NS

3. (0) Shawn Turple, Enfield, NS

4. (2) Ashton Tucker, Lyttleton, NB

5. (5) Jonathan Hicken, Brudenell, PE

6. (8) Kent Vincent, Westmoreland, PE

7. (14) Terry Dougay, Albany, PE

8. (18) Darren MacKinnon, Charlottetown, PE

9. (21) Shawn Pierce, Bridgewater, NS

10. (29) Greg Proude, Springvale, PE

11. (30) Stephen Lively, Shubenacadie, NS

12. (32) Sarah McKay, Quispamsis, NB

13. (40) Robbie MacEwen, Charlottetown, PE

14. (48) Waylon Farrell, Conception Bay, NL

15. (51) Braden Langille, Shubenacadie, NS

16. (53) Cole Butcher, Porter’s Lake, NS

17. (54) Jarrett Butcher, Porter’s Lake, NS

18. (67) Dylan Blenkhorn, Truro, NS

19. (88) John Flemming, Halifax, NS

20. (89) Donald Chisholm, Antigonish, NS

21. (91) Dylan Gosbee, Cornwall, PE

22. (99) Craig Slaunwhite, Terence Bay, NS