ATLANTIC CAT 250 WEEKEND OFFERS PACKED LINE UP FOR RACE FANS
(Halifax, NS, August 10, 2016) The Atlantic Cat 250, Halifax’s most anticipated stock car racing weekend of the season, returns to Scotia Speedworld this Friday and Saturday for two days of full throttle excitement! This year’s event will attract the best stock car drivers from the Maritimes and beyond. Friday night the Affordable Fuels Sportsman will kick things off as they go head-to-head in a 100 lap shootout. Saturday race fans will see the stars of the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour battle for 250 grueling laps in the weekend’s main feature, the Atlantic Cat 250, which has a posted purse of over $60,000.00!
The Affordable Fuels and Metro Home Heating Sportsman division will take centre stage in their longest race of the year. Russell Smith Jr (Lakeside) has gone to victory lane in this race in each of the last three years and will look to extend the streak to four on Friday night. He will have to fight off the best Sportsman drivers in the province and beyond though in order to defend the Affordable Fuels 100. Point leader Pete Miller (Kennetcook) leads the charge of CARSTAR Weekly Racing Series competitors into this event. He, along with Matt Moore (Falmouth), Aaron Boutilier (Porter’s Lake) and Travis Roma (West Chezzetcook) have all won features this season.
Warming up the track for the Affordable Fuels and Metro Home Heating 100 Friday night will be the Coors Light Trucks, Toursec Lightning cars and Hydraulics Plus Bandoleros. Gates open at 5:00pm Friday with racing action set for 7:00pm.
Saturday the cars and stars of the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour take over Scotia Speedworld for the Atlantic Cat 250. By virtue of his win in the last round of the series, the Lucas Oil 100 at Oyster Bed Speedway, Dylan Blenkhorn (Truro, NS) has extended his point lead to 26 points over Cassius Clark (Farmington, ME) with four races to go in the championship chase. Between the pair, they own four of the last six Atlantic Cat 250 trophies. Cole Butcher (Porter’s Lake, NS) and Donald Chisholm (Antigonish, NS), both winners on the Series this season, are locked in a battle for third in the standings with only a single point between them entering the Atlantic Cat 250. The 2013 winner of the Atlantic Cat 250, Craig Slaunwhite (Terence Bay, NS) is fifth in the standings entering battle on Saturday, three points up on Charlottetown, PE’s Darren MacKinnon.
American driver Ben Rowe (Turner, ME) will race the No. 0 Dexter car in Saturday’s main feature. Rowe is a three-time winner of the Atlantic Cat 250 and is subbing for Shawn Turple who has a family wedding on Saturday. Also returning to the race track this weekend is Rowe’s long-time rival and five-time Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour Champion John Flemming who will pilot the No. 10 Atlantic Cat car.
In addition to winning the 17th edition of the Atlantic Cat 250 and taking home the coveted Scott Fraser Memorial Cup, drivers will also be vying for their piece of the $60,000 purse and lucrative contingency funds, including $6250 in lap money – for each lap a driver leads he will receive $25!
The Atlantic Tiltload Pole Challenge could pad one team’s pockets with up to $2000. All drivers who qualify in the top 15 are eligible to take the Pole Challenge. The driver who takes the challenge moves from the head of the field to the final starting position in the Atlantic Cat 250. Only one driver can accept the challenge – with first option going to the pole winner and if not accepted, moving to 2nd place, and so on. If a driver accepts the challenge they will receive a bonus of $500. An additional $500 will be paid if the driver finishes in the top 10 positions OR an additional $1000 will be paid if the driver finishes in the top 5 positions OR an additional $1500 will be paid to the driver if they win the Atlantic Cat 250.
The Toursec four-cylinder Lightning cars will get things started Saturday with a 25 lap feature followed by the Upper Clements Park Maritime League of Legends 50.
Gates open at 2:00pm on Saturday with Atlantic Tiltload heat races which will determine the starting line-up for the Atlantic Cat 250 set for 5:00pm. Fans will also enjoy an Autograph Sessions with the stars of the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour prior to the main event.
Race Time Radio will return to Scotia Speedworld for the Atlantic Cat 250 Weekend. Race broadcasts will be available for listeners absolutely free, no subscription necessary, via www.racetimeradio.com by clicking the “Listen Live” links in the upper right of the page, or by downloading their smart phone App, for iPad, iPhone, & Android.
Admission for the Affordable Fuels & Metro Home Heating Sportsman 100 is $14.00 for adults, $4.00 for youth (8-15 years old); pit admission is $17.00. Admission for Saturday’s Atlantic Cat 250 is $35.00 for adults; $6.00 for youth; pit admission is $40.00. Tickets available at the gate on race day. (Cash Only)
The Atlantic Cat 250 Weekend kicks-off today with the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour Meet & Greet. The free event will take place at Atlantic Cat (175 Akerley Blvd, Burnside Industrial Park) tonight from 6:00-8:00pm and features many stars of the series, lots of prizes, including tickets to the Cat 250, and a BBQ in support of the Atlantic Provinces Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Cast of the hit television show The Curse of Oak Island will also be joining us at the event!
EXPECTED ENTRY LIST – Atlantic Cat 250 (as of August 9th)
#08 – Nicholas Naugle – Dartmouth, NS
#0- Ben Rowe – Turner, ME
#5 – Jonathan Hicken – Brudenell, PE
#7 – Byron Bartlett – Rothesay, NB
#8 – Kent Vincent – Westmoreland, PE
#10- John Flemming – Halifax, NS
#11 – Marty Prevost – Fall River, NS
#13 – Cassius Clark – Farmington, ME
#14 – Terry Dougay – Albany, PE
#18 – Darren MacKinnon – Charlottetown, PE
#21 – Shawn Pierce – Bridgewater, NS
#22 – Joel Hickox – Cornwall, PE
#24 – Steve Ross – Waverly, NS
#29 – Greg Proude – Springvale, PE
#40 – Robbie MacEwen – Charlottetown, PE
#42– Matt Rodgers – Smithtown, NB
#49 – Harry Ross White – Kennetcook, NS
#51 – Vance Hanes – Kennetcook, NS
#53 – Cole Butcher – Porter’s Lake, NS
#54 – Jarrett Butcher – Porter’s Lake, NS
#66 – Russell SMith Jr – Lakeside, NS
#67 – Dylan Blenkhorn – Truro, NS
#81 – Nevin Scott – Marshfield, PE
#89 – Donald Chisholm – Antigonish, NS
#91 – Dylan Gosbee – Cornwall, PE
#97 – D.J. Casey – Prospect, NS
#99 – Craig Slaunwhite – Terence Bay, NS
*Entry list subject to change without notice
Past winners of the Atlantic CAT 250
2000: John Flemming, Halifax, Nova Scotia
2001: Louie Mechalides, Tyngsboro, Mass.
2002: Ben Rowe, Turner, Maine
2003: Ben Rowe, Turner, Maine
2004: Johnny Clark, Farmingdale, Maine
2005: Mike Rowe, Turner, Maine
2006: Johnny Clark, Farmingdale, Maine
2007: Mike Rowe, Turner, Maine
2008: Travis Benjamin, Belfast, Maine
2009: Lonnie Sommerville, Saint John, New Brunswick
2010: Cassius Clark, Farmington, Maine
2011: Ben Rowe, Turner, Maine
2012: Cassius Clark, Farmington, Maine
2013: Craig Slaunwhite, Terence Bay, NS
2014: Dylan Blenkhorn, Truro, NS
2015: Cassius Clark, Farmington, ME