OYSTER BED BRIDGE: For Steve Lively, his third-place finish at the BJ’S Truck Centre 150 on Saturday night in Oyster Bed Bridge, P.E.I., felt like a win.
The Shubenacadie wheelman said so much in Victory Lane in an interview with The Laker News after piloting the no. 30 around a few late race wrecks that resulted in cautions during the East Coast International Maritime Pro Stock Tour race at Oyster Bed Speedway.
The race was the lone stop on the Island for the 10-race circuit.
It marked his 50th start on the tour putting the East Coast Financing-sponsored driver into the tour’s Legacy program.
“We needed that,” said an exuberant and over-the-moon Lively.
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Lively withstood a few late race cautions, including one that saw Nic Naugle and Cory Hall, battling for the lead, get taken out by each other with about five laps to go.
That left Robbie MacEwen, the eventual winner in the no. 40, and rookie Gage Gilby of Enfield in second and Lively lurking behind at the time in fourth place.
He would wind up getting third, ahead of the no 32 of Chris Hughes, who was the pole sitter, and the mangled no. 11V of Jordan Veinotte.
PHOTO OF JORDAN’S CAR:
In victory lane, you could tell how much the podium finish meant for Lively and his team.
“I don’t think anyone knows how badly we needed this for our morality,’ said Lively, who took the green 17th out of the 20-car field.
“For me, for my team, my sponsors, my family, all of us man we needed that.
“I can’t say too mush. We made all the right moves; it was just by luck.”
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For Enfield’s Gage Gilby, it was his first time at OBS in a Pro Stock. He had visited several times before in a Legend car when the Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends would pay a visit.
“This is huge for us,” said Gilby as his team celebrated, and there may have been some tears from family members. “We came here for the first time in a Pro Stock, and just threw a setup at it.
“It looks like that worked out for us.”
In practice, Gilby was mid-pack through the first two sessions, working on adjustments through each of the first two sessions.
In the final practice session, his team found what was working right as he was second fast right behind MacEwen. Cory Hall was third fastest in final practice behind Gilby.
For the BJ’s Truck Centre 150, Gilby started ninth in the race and avoided the calamity around him—including one wreck that involved a car right behind him that eld to a multi-vehicle pileup.
He doesn’t think he could have got to the lead without moving MacEwen.
“I don’t think I could have got to first cleanly,” said Gilby. “It was tight firing off.
“I’m very happy and pleased to come home with second for our first time here.”
Points leader Jarrett Butcher finished seventh.
Naugle got back on track after his late race incident to bring the no. 08 home in eighth. Hall ended the night in 14th.
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The SummerClash 250 is next on the tour schedule Aug 10 at Gilby’s home track Scotia Speedworld. It’s expected to have around 22-25 cars entered.
He was asked how he carries this momentum into that race.
“This is just a big momentum builder for our team,” he said, noting his 17th place finish at the IWK 250 last week. “This proves that we can show up off the trailer at a new track and be fast.
“Knowing that I think our team is going to gain a lot of confidence for the SummerClash 250. I’m excited.”
Tickets for the SummerClash 250 and details on the full weekend of fun, beginning Aug. 8 and running until Aug. 10, is available at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2024-summer-clash-250-tickets-959315808407
