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Year-In-Review: C&R Auto Supply Sportsman
« on: December 31, 2008, 04:22:29 AM »
By Tim Terry

(December 23rd, 2008) - Our final division flashback of 2008 brings us to Scotia Speedworld's top division, the C&R Auto Supply Sportsman Series. The Sportsman cars are full bodied stock cars built from the ground up and made for racing at racetracks throughout North America. With Craig Slaunwhite (Terence Bay) moving up to the CARQUEST Maritime Pro Stock Tour following back-to-back Scotia Speedwrold Sportsman championships, the vacancy would give another team the chance to stand tall at the top of the Lockhart Truck Centre Weekly Racing Series ladder.

Former Street Stock champs Terry Roma (West Chezzetcook) and Harry Ross White (Noel Rd.) along with former Hobby Stock titlist Larry Fisher (Porters Lake) looked to add a Sportsman crown to their resumes while proven vets the likes of Tony Leonard (Halifax) and Leonard Boutilier (Dutch Settlement) looked to do the same. Drivers with just a few seasons under their belts were back for '08, including the last two Rookie of the Year champs Jason Brown (2006, Cole Harbour) and Rick Ackles (2007, Sackville). A great crop of rookies along with other contenders looked to mount a charge for the big trophy in 2008!

Terry Roma

The first race of the season proved to be a great one for Roma as he piloted his #38 Doug Forbes Century 21 Classic Pontiac into Victory Lane. Roma nipped Brown and HOSS, in the end to take a three-point lead after the first race of 2008.

Leonard Boutilier would throw his name into the ring as a contender for the 2008 championship as he "doubled down" the next week by winning his heat and feature on June 13th. Roma finished 3rd on the night to hold a ten point lead over HOSS and Leonard.

The Canadian Tire Impala went two-for-two in features as Leonard Boutilier put the #45 into Victory Lane on June 27th, besting Tony Leonard and Aaron Boutilier. Roma saw his lead shrink to four points as the #74 and #45 closed in on the lead early in the season.

Sheldon Pemberton (Halifax) returned to the track and Victory Lane on Metro News Night. The sophomore from Porters Lake finished a career high second as Jordan Veinotte piloted his PF Renovators Ford to a podium position in front of Roma. Roma had extended his points lead heading into the summer months of the season.

The rookies started to hit their stride mid-season as Carmen Comeau won his heat and finished 2nd on Lockhart Truck Centre night behind Leonard Boutilier. Comeau, who hauls from Meteghan every week to race at Scotia Speedworld was thrilled to finally break through and score that first top three finish. Pemberton backed up his win one week before with a third place finish as Roma pulled into a sixteen point lead over Fisher in the season standings.

The next race of the season was one of the special events every year on the Scotia Speedworld schedule. The Shriner's Classic is the one race every year that drivers want to win to etch their name on the trophy which is a fixture at the Speedworld year in and year out. HOSS worked hard on August 1st to take away that win in convincing fashion as he "doubled down" on the night to win the Classic! Musquodoboit's Jeff Dillman kept his Rookie of the Year contender hopes alive by finishing 2nd in the feature followed by Aaron Boutilier. With his win HOSS moved into second in points, just 12-points behind Roma in the title chase.

The other big Sportsman event at Scotia Speedworld happened on that next Sunday afternoon as the C&R Auto Supply 100 took centre stage on a humid afternoon. In the end, Frankie Fraser (Shubenacadie) piloted his #0 Mountain Wild Blueberries Chevrolet into Victory Lane. Championship contenders Roma and Leonard Boutilier chased down Fraser, but couldn't close the deal as Fraser powered away on a late race restart to take the win.

Former Sportsman Champion James Graves (Berwick) would be back the next week to attempt to gain revenge on the 3/10th's mile oval after a mechanical breakdown sent him to pit side after leading the C&R Auto Supply 100. Graves would do it in grand style as he "doubled down" on C&R Auto Supply Night, beating Tony Leonard and HOSS to the line. With just a few races to go, HOSS closed the gap to a mere 13 points behind leader Roma heading into September.

Leonard Boutilier found his way back to the front the following week as he paraded the checkered flag around Scotia Speedworld for the third time in the season! Roma got ahead of HOSS in the feature as they finished second and third on the night but because of the #18's heat race performance, the gap was still 13 in the points heading into the season finale.

The finale was nothing near a cake walk for the points leader, as Roma was caught up in an early race incident which sent him back to the Strictly Hydraulics Pit Area early in the event. On his way back to the front of the field he got caught up in another skirmish which made Roma pit once again. Meanwhile, HOSS was upfront battling with Tony Leonard and Jason Brown for the final victory of 2008! But with a couple of late cautions working on the side of Roma Brothers Racing, Terry worked his way up to 6th at the end of the race, giving him the C&R Auto Supply Sportsman Championship by just five points over HOSS. The hard work each week of Terry and crew chief Lockie Roma has finally paid off and they were awarded the top championship at Scotia Speedworld. Look for the yellow Grand Prix to be back next season and attempt to win back-to-back championships in 2009.

Well, that is our final look-back at the weekly racing divisions at Scotia Speedworld in 2008. Stay tuned as we continue to fight the winter blahs and continue our push towards the 2009 racing season at ScotiaSpeedworld.ca!

- Tim Terry, TimTerryOnline.com

Linkback: https://www.canadianracingonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=9152.msg63049#msg63049

CanadianRacingOnline.com

Year-In-Review: C&R Auto Supply Sportsman
« on: December 31, 2008, 04:22:29 AM »

 


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