@pettyraceway_nb • Dartmouth, NS – August 24th, 2016) – The Upper Clements Parks Maritime League of Legends swings to New Brunswick this weekend to visit River Glade’s Petty International Raceway on Saturday, August 27th at 6pm. The MacDonald Buick GMC Moncton 50 is the first of two back-to-back weekends in the province and is the sixth round on the 2016 season. The MacDonald Buick GMC Moncton 50 is a part of the 52nd Jones Auto Body River Glade International weekend at the high banked oval.
Just one week removed from the Farrell’s Excavating 50 at Riverside International Speedway, it continues to be the Farrell’s Racing #48 at the top of the championship standings. Alex Pacheco (Kannapolis, NC) drove the point leading car to victory last Saturday evening in a thrilling finish to extend the advantage for the team. The team has two wins, which also includes Dylan Blenkhorn’s (Truro, NS) win at the season opening event in May at Scotia Speedworld. Waylon Farrell (Conception Bay South, NL) is slated to make his third start of the season in the car at the MacDonald Buick GMC Moncton 50 on Saturday following his NASCAR Pinty’s Series debut.
Craig MacDonald (Waverley, NS) remains second in the standings and the top rookie on the Upper Clements Parks Maritime League of Legends Tour, but Cory Hall (Jolicure, NB) is making a spirited charge up the overall rankings. While MacDonald scored his third straight top five with the series last weekend, Hall has been on a charge that includes two wins and a third place finish in that same stretch. The teenagers find themselves separated by five points in second and third after five races and 32 points behind Farrell for the championship lead.
Adam Meehan (Rawdon Gold Mines, NS) took sole possession of fourth place in the standings with a strong fourth place effort at Riverside International Speedway last Saturday night. Meehan and the #6 Strongco Legend now have a 19 point cushion on Meehan Racing teammate and Adam’s sister Emily.
The most intriguing battles within the standings may very well be outside the top five as the season enters the second half. Sixth place Jeff Cruickshank (Hantsport, NS), seventh place Danny Harvey (Lantz, NS) and eighth place Justin MacNeill (Bedford, NS) only have two points between them with Cruickshank only 19 points out of fifth. Cruickshank and Harvey faltered during the Farrell’s Excavating 50 while MacNeill, the defending champion of the MacDonald Buick GMC Moncton 50, enters Saturday with three top tens in five races this season after chasing brake problems on his car.
Ninth through 11th in the standings find another close battle with only two points between Craig Chisholm (Antigonish, NS), Kevin MacDonald (Antigonish, NS) and Canadian Masters champion Paul Goulden (Shelburne, NS). Chisholm and MacDonald will be making their second career Petty Raceway appearances with the Tour on Saturday while Goulden was on the podium in this event one year ago.
Arnie Spinney (Coldbrook, NS) and rookie Shane Lively (Middle Sackville, NS) find themselves will within contention for a top ten point spot with three races to go. The top ten drivers in the point standings will be honored at the season ending banquet in October for their accomplishments throughout the season.
The MacDonald Buick GMC Moncton 50 is a home race for Berry Mills, New Brunswick’s Darren Sherwood. Sherwood drives the #38 car for Red Rock Harley Davidson and Toymaster. Sherwood has three starts on the season, with a best finish of fifth at Oyster Bed Speedway in July.
Saturday’s pit gates for competitors in the MacDonald Buick GMC Moncton 50 open at 1:30pm. Grandstand gates open for spectators at 4pm, with qualifying beginning at 6pm.
The series will spend a second straight weekend in New Brunswick following the MacDonald Buick GMC Moncton 50. Next weekend, the series heads to Geary for a 50-lap feature on Saturday, September 4th as a part of Speedweekend 2016 at Speedway 660.
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