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“Queen of the Road” – Emily Meehan to Run Jack Canfield Memorial for Elliott Racing Team Sunday

Rawdon Gold Mines, Nova Scotia’s Emily Meehan will be adding another accomplishment to her already extensive racing resume Sunday as she participates in her first full Jack Canfield Memorial Three Hour Endurance Race at the 1.6-mile, 11 turn Atlantic Motorsports Park in North Salem, Nova Scotia.

Meehan will be a part of the Elliott Racing Team, a stable she worked with for a brief, impromptu appearance in the race last year. She will be a part of a three driver team along with Mark Elliott and Kevin Lunn of KD Auto, driving a 1970 Ford Cortina GT. The crew includes AJ Lynd and Chris Moore. The team is backed by marketing partners Pennzoil and Rods Machine Shop.

Meehan, a student at Acadia University, is a multi-time feature winner in Bandolero and Legend car competition at Scotia Speedworld, a former Bandolero winner at Speedway 660’s Speedweekend and has Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour experience. She is a two time finalist in the Tim’s Corner Motorsports Most Popular Driver Award and those fans will be backing her as she enters her final race of the season on Sunday.

“I was excited when (team owner) Gerald Elliott called asking if I was available on Sunday to join their team again,” said Meehan of the offer to race the Jack Canfield Memorial. “I had a blast working with the Elliott Racing Team last year and I am really looking forward to the race Sunday.”

Seat time is huge in any discipline of motorsports, something Meehan hopes to see more of in this year’s edition of the race.

“I am looking forward to a longer stint this time around. Last year I was having so much fun that I really did not have a sense of time. When I pitted and we swapped drivers, I had realized once I got out that I hadn’t been in the car for very long.”

The 1970 Ford Cortina GT the team will field is something unique that Meehan, or any other oval driver, would not experience just turning left.

“The car is a beast and is a completely different animal to drive,” explains Gerald Elliott. “It has 260 horsepower at the flywheel. We bought it in 1970 and began racing it in 1971. It has had a few “retirements” in its racing career and like any car it has seen a couple of big accidents. Saturday’s test will be big for Emily to get comfortable in the car and with the team prior to Sunday’s race.”

Meehan echos Elliott’s thoughts heading into the weekend.

“I am looking forward to driving the Cortina. I’ve been told it is a completely different feel compared to a Legend or a Pro Stock, so it will be a fun learning experience. It has a lot of history and I am thankful for Gerald and the Elliott Racing Team for giving me the opportunity to get out on a road course with a car purposely built for road course racing. It is going to be a lot of fun!”

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So, why Emily Meehan to fill the seat? The answer was simple for Elliott.

“I’ve seen her race Legend cars at Atlantic Motorsports Park for three years and the only thought I had after seeing her run here was that we need to get her road racing with us. Hopefully if we can give her a little taste, she’ll be hooked.”

Sunday’s card will also include the Atlantic Tiltload Maritime League of Legends Tour season finale, the R&D Performancentre Road Course Challenge. Meehan is a lock for fourth in the series standings, but that does not mean she’s not going to be driving hard in the final Legends race in the Maritimes for 2015.

“Knowing that I have fourth place locked in, I’m obviously going to join the “Beat the Butcher Train” and go for the win on Sunday afternoon.”

Cole Butcher, the two time and defending champion of the R&D Performancentre Road Course Challenge, will be in the Legend field on Sunday along with his younger brother and Atlantic Tiltload Maritime League of Legends Tour point leader Jarrett Butcher.

Pit gates open at Atlantic Motorsports Park at 7am on Sunday, with the Atlantic Tiltload Maritime League of Legends Tour running the R&D Performancentre Road Course Challenge at 12:30pm, followed by the Jack Canfield Memorial Three Hour Endurance Race. Admission is $10 a carload.

For those making their first trip to Atlantic Motorsports Park and looking to scout the place out, Elliott has some words of wisdom for you.

“If I’m a fan, I’d be wandering around the track. The tower gives you a pretty good view of the track, especially of the final corners. Turn One is one of the most intimidating corners on the track. It is downhill, blind and you are carrying a lot of speed. This course is one of the most challenging tracks in North America, so narrow, tight and fast. If you can drive at Atlantic Motorsports Park, you can drive anywhere!”

For more on the Elliott Racing Team, please visit elliottracingatlantic.com. You can follow along with Emily and the Meehan Racing team on their Facebook page.

Feature photo by McCarthy Photographic, Cortina photo from ElliottRacingAtlantic.com.

 

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