Rowe To Drive O’Neal Pro Stock in Season Opener Saturday

TRACK RELEASE/MAX ROY Photo

The excitement level for the kick-off to the 20th anniversary season at Speedway 660 has just jumped about three notches! This Saturday night at 7PM, one of North America’s most successful and most popular short-track drivers will be visiting the Geary Woods.

Ben Rowe will drive “Hurricane” Hal O’Neal’s race car in the Riverview Ford Season Opener. Rowe and O’Neal have forged a solid racing relationship and great friendship in recent years. Ben has driven Hal’s machine in the last few Auto Value 250’s and Best of the Best Pro Stock 150’s.

Rowe’s decision to race at Speedway 660 this weekend is weather dependent. He is good-to-go on Saturday night, but has a previous commitment to be back in the States for an event on Sunday afternoon. In case of inclement weather the Riverview Ford Season Opener will run this Sunday at 2PM.

Ben Rowe’s racing resume is impressive. He tops the all-time Pro All-Star Series race winners list with more than forty victories. Rowe has four PASS North championships, one PASS South title and two PASS National Crowns. He is a two-time winner of the TD Bank Oxford 250 and a Rookie of the Year in the old Busch North Series. Rowe is the 2012 winner of the PASS 400 at Beech Ridge Speedway, down in Maine, and won the 2009 PASS race at Speedway 660.

But there is one event that Ben Rowe hasn’t won. The Auto Value 250 victory has eluded Rowe and both he and O’Neal want to get ready to make a strong run at this year’s race on SpeedWeekend. That’s one reason Rowe made an early season commitment to visit Speedway 660. This weekend will give Team O’Neal an opportunity to give the car a good run and then go back to the shop to prepare for the Best of the Best Pro Stock 150, later this summer, and the Auto Value 250.

The two friends have come close to winning Atlantic Canada’s most prestigious short-track race in the last few years, but have just not been able to seal the deal. This year O’Neal and Rowe are determined to be as prepared as possible to make their strongest run ever in their quest for an Auto Value 250 victory.

TCM Note: This will be the first of two consecutive weeks fans can watch Rowe race at Speedway 660 as he will be sliding in the window of the Richard Moody Racing #4 next weekend for the Pro All Stars Series 150 on June 8th at 7pm.