TCM Three Stars + Weekend Agenda – September 16th, 2016

From champions crowned at Petty International Raceway, the final race of the season at Riverside International Speedway, the David Lambe Memorial at Oyster Bed Speedway, the Memorial Race at Eastbound Park and many, many more great events, there was lots to see around the region for racing action.

While the season is winding down with only a month to go to the final laps of 2016, the racing action is as hot as ever around Atlantic Canada. With the final laps being run and the last checkered flags being waved, drivers are stepping up and getting on the wheel to try and steal some late season glory and bragging rights for the winter.

That makes our job even harder to pick the TCM Three Stars this week.

Two of our Three Stars put up stellar runs during big races last weekend that turned enough heads to appear on the list while one young driver appears after his first win in a Bandolero car at his home track after nearly two years of racing.

In the TCM Weekend Agenda there are five tracks in action with three (Speedway Miramichi, Thunder Valley Speedway and Scotia Speedworld) each hosting double headers, meaning there are eight total race cards on the slate for the weekend.

Without further adieu, here are the TCM Three Stars from Weekend #17 in Atlantic Canada.

Feature Photo by McCarthy Photographic

Third Star

Morgan Mosher of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

Photo by McCarthy Photographic

You always remember your first feature win. For Morgan Mosher, he had to best two quick newcomers to the sport to win his first career Bandolero main feature at Scotia Speedworld.

In his second year of racing and first in the Beginner Bandolero division at his home track, Mosher had been knocking on the door of that coveted first win. A number of podium finishes had come to the #37 car but the checkered flag had eluded the youngster.

That is, until last Friday night.

Mosher led the most laps in the 15-lap feature, passing Dawson Noble in the opening laps and holding off champion-to-be Tyler Hutchinson for the win coming to the checkered flag. The win not only is big as a first feature win, the victory all but locks up second place in the point standings for Mosher in his second full season of racing at the Speedworld.

Ironically, the car he drove to victory was previously campaigned by Megan Parrott. Parrott, a feature winner this season in the Coors Light Truck class, was on the call of the race with TCM’s Tim Terry for Mosher’s first win.

With his first career win in the Hydraulics Plus Bandolero division at Scotia Speedworld, Morgan Mosher cracks the TCM Three Star list for the week!

Second Star

Rollie MacDonald of Pictou, Nova Scotia

With all the talk of young guns and hotshoes ruling the upper echelons of our sport in this region, a Canadian Motorsports Hall of Famer hopped back into the seat of his car on Saturday night at Riverside International Speedway and showed he could still wheel with the best in the Maritimes.

Rollie MacDonald started his King Racing Chevrolet mid pack during the Lucas Oil 150 and would wind up a lap down in the first 100 laps of the race. A timely caution gave MacDonald the free pass and put him on the lead lap.

The next yellow was a game changer for the team. The #13 car rolled to pit road and the fans were treated to a live pit stop as the team changed tires. The team had used tires from the two 250s earlier in the season that they put on for their driver and did he ever go to work! From outside the top ten in the final 50 laps, MacDonald got himself into the top four and was working on third in the waning laps. With his car a touch better on the short run, Greg Proude ran far enough away to secure third.

Think about this though, for a 72 year old that has not been in a Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour race since June 2012 and has had very limited test laps since then to hop into a car and to be thrown into the pack is one thing. To be competitive and look at the podium in that first start in over four years is something pretty impressive.

Now, while he had said prior to that start at Riverside that he was likely retired from driving, the question remains, when will we see MacDonald back at the wheel of the car because we’re sure Saturday left his fans wanting more!

For his return to the drivers seat, Rollie MacDonald receives the second star of the week – and we wish the team all the best this weekend at the New England 500 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway with Cassius Clark at the wheel!

First Star

Justin Ryan of Mount Pearl, Newfoundland

Justin Ryan came close to cashing in on his first NASCAR Whelen All American Series win on one of the biggest nights of the year.

Ryan ran a textbook race in the Wounded Warriors 75 Memorial Race dedicated to the memory of Dennis Weir and Justin’s father Chris Ryan and came up one spot short of a victory to Josh Collins. Ryan started mid-pack in the #68 Tulk Tire Chevrolet and methodically worked his way to the front of the field, dodging every caution, weathered a long green flag run in the first half and positioned himself in the top five at the end. A number of quick restarts near the end of the race would see Ryan get up to second for the last sprint to the finish.

As Ryan battled Collins for the top spot, a little contact from Mitchell Fahey would send Ryan sideways. Ryan drove the car sideways for the last three laps with the attitude as if the car was losing a left rear tire from the slight bump. In an incredible showcase to keep the car out of danger (and from those behind to not pile into the sideways car), Ryan kept control long enough to finish the race in second to a huge cheer from the crowd and his crew assembled on pit road.

He’s not done yet, with a major sponsor coming on board and the determination from finishing one spot out of the checkered flag in the Wounded Warriors 75 Memorial Race, he has the confidence to go out and win the Parts for Trucks 150 next Saturday to close off the season.

For his run to the front and incredible driving in the late stages of the Wounded Warriors 75 Memorial Race last Sunday, Justin Ryan is our TCM Three Stars first star of the week!

**We want to send a congratulations out to Joel Hickox for winning the David Lambe Memorial 50 Street Stock race last weekend at Oyster Bed Speedway. We haven’t received any PR from the track since mid-June, so we do not know how he won it (besides being the first car across the line at the checkered flag), but we’re sure it was an excellent race.

WEEKEND AGENDA

The Weekend Agenda takes a bit of a different look this year, but will give you a quick glance at the basics. If a track is racing, you’ll see the track name and location in green and if a track is not running an event on a weekend, their name and location will be red. The line proceeding will display the divisions running on the weekend and a start time, or a date of when the next event is at the track.

Blue indicates a race track has completed their season for 2016!

NOVA SCOTIA

Cape Breton Miners Memorial Speedway in Sydney: Off – Next Event on Sunday, September 25th

Lake Doucette Motor Speedway in Salmon River (outside of Digby): Congrats to 2016 Champions! Shaun Burke (Sportsman), Joe Hari (V8), Brittany Townsend (Four Cylinder Ladies), Justin Goodwin (Four Cylinder Mens)

Riverside International Speedway in James River: Season Complete.

Scotia Speedworld in Enfield: CARSTAR Finale Friday on Friday, September 16th @ 7pm; Strictly Hydraulics Legends, Hydraulics Plus Bandoleros, Affordable Fuels Sportsman, Toursec Thunder, Toursec Lightning, Coors Light Trucks
Dartmouth Dodge 200 on Saturday, September 17th @ 4pm; Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour, Upper Clements Parks Maritime League of Legends Tour

Valley Raceway in Kingston: OFF – Next Event on Sunday, September 25th

NEW BRUNSWICK

Petty International Raceway in River Glade: OFF – Next Event on September 23rd and 24th

Shediac CENTRE For Speed in Grand-Barachois: Enduro 125 and MIRA Blind Races on Saturday, September 17th @ 2pm

Speedway 660 in Geary: Season Completed – Congrats to 2016 Champions! Greg Fahey (Re/Max Group Four Realty Pro Stock), Ryan Messer (Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman), Rob Raynes (DMR Auto Street Stock), Kyle MacKinnon (Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters)

Speedway Miramichi in Miramichi: Chi City Showdown on Saturday, September 17th @ 4pm; Sportsman, Mini Stock, Street Stock, Mini Cup, Atlantic Modified Tour
Demolition on Sunday, September 18th @ 2pm; Demolition

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Oyster Bed Speedway in Oyster Bed Bridge: Season Finale and Late Model 100 on Sunday, September 18th @ 2pm; Late Models, Street Stocks, Mini Outlaw, Mini Four Fun

NEWFOUNDLAND

Eastbound Park in Avondale: OFF – Next Event on Saturday, September 24th

Thunder Valley Speedway in Bishop’s Falls: Reid’s Construction 75 and Akita Equipment on Saturday, September 17th (2:30pm) and Sunday, September 18th (2pm); Sportsman, Hobby Stocks, Bombers

TCM Coverage Schedule – Weekend 18 of 2016

Friday, September 16th – Finale Friday – Scotia Speedworld (NS) – 7pm AT (TCM Race #45 of 2016)

Saturday, September 17th – Dartmouth Dodge 200 – Scotia Speedworld (NS) – 4pm AT (TCM Race #46 of 2016)