ENFIELD: For 69 of 98 laps at the Parts for Trucks 100, Shawn Turple's car was dominant.

That was until a spin by Roger Miller of Kennetcook on lap 98 set up a green-white-checker finish during the CARQUEST Maritime Pro Stock Tour's fifth of 11 races of the season on July 24 at Speedway 660 in Geary, N.B.

The late-race caution was all track favourite Lonnie Sommerville of Saint John, N.B., needed. The former regular on the series in 2009 who now runs in the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) started the two lap dash in fourth place, but quickly found himself knocking off both Turple and leader Craig Slaunewhite before picking up the chequered flag. Shawn Tucker rallied from a spin near halfway and followed Sommerville to a second place finish.

The passes by the eventual top two finishers relegated Slaunewhite to third place, while Turple found himself just out of the podium in his No. 0 Dexter Construction-Municipal Group Chevrolet Impala SS. Wayne Smith who is chasing the former Scott Fraser Racing driver for the tour's title rounded out the top five.

Turple’s efforts didn’t go unrewarded. He gained 10 valuable points, five each for most laps led and leading a lap, increasing his current lead to 31 points tentatively over Smith. He also won the race’s Ledwidge Lumber halfway award.

EIT Race Radio rookie of the year Leonard Boutilier of Dutch Settlement kept pace with rookie points leader Jerome Kehoe with a 12th place finish on the lead lap. Kehoe finished two spots ahead of the Alpine Auto Glass No. 45 driver in 10th.

Miller finished the race 14th in the No. 80 Harvey Racing machine. He was the first car three laps down as a result of the spin.

The tour heads to Oyster Bed Bridge outside of Charlottetown, P.E.I., for the Lucas Oil 100 on July 31, before returning to Scotia Speedworld on Aug. 6-7 for the Atlantic CAT 250.

phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com