Speedworld Super Sub: Blenkhorn in for Meehan Friday

For the second consecutive week, a championship contender within the Weekly Racing Series at Scotia Speedworld is calling on a substitute driver to pinch hit on Friday night.

Dylan Blenkhorn, 2011 Strictly Hydraulics Weekly Legends and Maritime League of Legends Tour champion, will be sliding into the seat of the #75 Drive Products/Ocean Truck Equipment for Emily Meehan on Friday night. Meehan fell ill with tonsillitis over the week and will take this week to fully recover before stepping back behind the wheel of her Legend car.

The #75 car sits third in the driver standings heading into Kiddie Night on Friday and is coming off a third place run last week in the Strictly Hydraulics 50 at Scotia Speedworld with Meehan at the helm. With just 16 points between Meehan and the leader and 25 points between the top spot and sixth place, this week is key in the championship chase.

Blenkhorn knows a thing or two about a championship hunt. While he has two Legend titles and a Bandolero title in his back pocket at his home track, the 18-year old is a part of a three way battle for the Exide Batteries Rookie of the Year Award on the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour in 2013. With two events to go in that series, he has a 40-point lead on Cole Butcher who, ironically, leads the points in the Strictly Hydraulics Legend cars Blenkhorn will compete in Friday night. This is Blenkhorn’s second start outside the Pro Stock Tour this season following a Maritime League of Legends Tour start at Riverside Speedway in July.

Blenkhorn is riding high on the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour after a third place finish at the Parts for Trucks 150 at Petty Raceway last Saturday. The third place run is the first top five finish for any rookie on the series in 2013.

McCarthy Photographic Photo

This weekend has historically been a big one for Meehan. Three years ago, she scored a huge win at Speedway 660 by taking the inaugural Bandolero feature as a part of Speedweekend 2010. One year later, she was back in victory lane at Scotia Speedworld celebrating her first Legend car win after defeating, you guessed it, Dylan Blenkhorn. Blenkhorn went on to win the championship in Meehan’s rookie campaign in a Legend car.

One week ago, reigning ACE Lumbermart Lightning car champion Jorden Smith subbed in for point leader B.J. Nicholson in the Lightning class with Nicholson out of town with family. While Smith scored a second place run for Nicholson, the change in points was nil as Marc MacMillan, Nicholson’s closest championship contender, took the win in the 25-lap affair.

Action at Scotia Speedworld gets under way Friday night at 7pm sharp with Kiddie Rides followed by racing action in five Weekly Racing Series divisions. For more information on the race card, visit ScotiaSpeedworld.ca.