ATLANTIC CAT 250 WEEKEND OFFERS PACKED LINE UP FOR RACE FANS
(Halifax, NS, August 4, 2015) 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 Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman will kick things off as they go head-to-head in the Dartmouth Dodge 100. 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 Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman 100 takes centre stage Friday night and will feature some of the top talent in Sportsman racing from across the region. Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman series point leader Russell Smith Jr (Lakeside) has won the last two Dartmouth Dodge 100 events and will look for his third consecutive win in this prestigious race. He will be challenged by dozens of other competitors including his uncle, and six-time Maritime touring champion Wayne Smith (Timberlea) and former Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman track champions Jeff Dillman (Middle Musquodoboit) and Aaron Boutilier (Porter’s Lake), among others.
Warming up the track for the Dartmouth Dodge 100 Sportsman feature will be the Coors Light Trucks and the Chickenburger Thunder and Lightning cars. 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. Darren MacKinnon (Charlottetown, PE) finds himself on top of the standings in the chase for the championship following his win at the Lucas Oil 100 last weekend. MacKinnon has a slim four point lead over Dylan Blenkhorn (Truro, NS) and five points on Donald Chisholm (Antigonish, NS). Cole Butcher (Porter’s Lake, NS) is fourth heading into the Atlantic Cat 250, just 15 points behind MacKinnon. Two-time series champ Shawn Turple (Enfield, NS) sits fifth but has some ground to make up at his home track as he trails MacKinnon by 76 points.
American driver Cale Gale (Mobile, AL) will race the #10 Atlantic Cat / Dexter Construction car in Saturday’s main feature. Gale is a familiar name in NASCAR and short track circles with dozens of NASCAR Xfinity, NASCAR Truck and ARCA Racing Series starts highlighted with two ARCA Racing Series victories and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win.
In addition to winning the 16th 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! Drivers will also want to be ahead of the pack at the halfway marker as there is a $1000 bonus for the driver who leads lap 125. The Atlantic Tiltload Pole Challenge could pad one team’s pockets with up to $2000.
The Hydraulics Plus Bandolero cars will get things started Saturday with a 20 lap feature followed by the Atlantic Tiltload Maritime League of Legends Scotia Tire 50.
Kids can enjoy lots of fun activities at the Atlantic Cat Kids Tent Saturday from 3:00-5:00pm. Stop by with the kids for face painting, pick up a Cat hard hat and tattoo, and take cool selfies on a mini excavator!
Gates open at 2:00pm on Saturday with Atlantic Tiltload Time Trials for the Atlantic Cat 250 set for 4:10pm; racing at 5:00pm.