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Joan Roué, for Riverside International Speedway
902.444.0703
IWK 250 ENTRY LIST IS LONG - AND STRONG
JAMES RIVER, NS (July 5, 2013) - The list of drivers registered to enter the IWK 250 Presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body at Riverside International Speedway on July 20 is long - and strong. The early bird registration deadline passed earlier this week with 32 of the strongest contenders ever pre-entered having thrown their helmets into the mix as possible 2013 champions of the prestigious event.
Top racers from the region will come out in full force to defend their home turf against 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, who will pit his undeniable talent against four Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour (PST) champions - John Flemming, Wayne Smith, Shawn Tucker, and Shawn Turple; a multitude of winners of the PST circuit - Donald Chisholm, Dylan Gosbee, Jonathan Hicken, George Koszkulics, Greg Proude, Mike MacKenzie, Darren MacKinnon, Craig Slaunwhite, Lonnie Sommerville, Mike Stevens, and Kent Vincent.
To make it really interesting add Austin Theriault in the mix. He is a teenage developmental driver for Brad Keselowski Racing who has been turning heads since his first race in the south-eastern U.S. after leaving his native Maine. Less than two years later Theriault is a threat to win wherever he races and has done so on more than one occasion this year. He is eager to see how he does in a race he's heard a lot about.
"I can't wait to get there," said Theriault, a native of Fort Kent, Maine. "Growing up in Maine I heard a lot about it as one of the most prestigious races on the Northeastern seaboard. I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can do against a field I know will be full of strong competitors."
Former IWK 250 winners hoping to repeat as the first two-time winner of the event include Flemming, Smith, Vincent, and MacKinnon.
And don't count out the local young hotshoe's - Dylan Blenkhorn, Cole Butcher, Colby Smith - all champions in other divisions, who along with Alberta's Denver Foran are a formidable crop of rookies all hoping to make their presence known in the regions biggest and richest stock car race.
Expected Entry List - IWK 250
subject to change without notice
Brad Keselowski, Mooresville, North Carolina
Austin Theriault, Mooresville, North Carolina
Greg Proude, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Donald Chisholm, Antigonish, Nova Scotia
George Koszkulics, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
John Flemming, Halifax, Nova Scotia
*Cole Butcher, Porters Lake, Nova Scotia
Mike Stevens, Moncton, New Brunswick
Daryl Mahar, Hubley, Nova Scotia
Brad Eddy, Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
Craig Slaunwhite, Halifax, Nova Scotia
*Dylan Blenkhorn, Truro, Nova Scotia
Lonnie Sommerville, Barnesville, New Brunswick
Darren MacKinnon, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
*Denver Foran, Edmonton, Alberta
Jonathan Hicken, Montague, Prince Edward Island
Mike MacKenzie, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Steve Halpin, Saint John, New Brunswick
Terry Dougay, Albany, Prince Edward Island
*Colby Smith, Clarks Harbour, Nova Scotia
Jerry Hayes, Sydney, Nova Scotia
Leonard Boutilier, Dutch Settlement, Nova Scotia
Shawn Turple, Enfield, Nova Scotia
Dylan Gosbee, Cornwall, Prince Edward Island
Jerome Kehoe, Sydney, Nova Scotia
Robbie MacLean, North Milton, Prince Edward Island
Brad Mann, Glen Levit, New Brunswick
Jason Carnahan, Moncton, New Brunswick
Shawn Tucker, Fredericton, New Brunswick
Shawn Pierce, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Kent Vincent, Crapaud, Prince Edward Island
Wayne Smith, Halifax, Nova Scotia
* Rookie contender.
Besides the accolades that come with winning the IWK 250, drivers will vie for their share of the $90,000+ purse which guarantees a minimum $8,500 to the winner.
While early bird registration has concluded drivers can register to compete in the IWK 250 right up until race day on July 20.
Since 2007 the IWK 250 presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body has raised awareness and more than $130,000 for the IWK Children's Health Care Centre.
The 2013 edition of the IWK 250 presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body is set for July 20 at Riverside International Speedway as the culmination of a two-day special event that will open July 19 with the Napa Sportsman Series and Maritime League of Legends.
Advance ticket and event information is available at
www.riversidespeedway.ca.
The IWK Health Centre Foundation helps sustain excellence in specialized care at the IWK for all Maritime families. Last year our generous donors contributed over $10 million to the areas of greatest need at the IWK, including neonatal and pediatric intensive care, women’s health and mental health services for children and youth. Funds raised also support world-renowned researchers and the purchase of modernized technology and equipment. Together with its donors, the IWK Foundation supported more than 16,000 inpatient visits and nearly 300,000 outpatient and emergency room visits in one year. Visit
www.iwkfoundation.org for more information.
Riverside International Speedway is a 1/3-mile high banked asphalt oval located in James River, between New Glasgow and Antigonish, at exit 30 off Trans Canada Highway 104. Opened in 1969, the facility was completely rebuilt in 2006 to become a premiere motorsports site comparable to the best short tracks in North America. For more information please visit
www.riversidespeedway.ca or call 902.863.2410.
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