Back in victory lane

P.E.I.’S Greg Proude wins Fleetrite 150

OYSTER BED BRIDGE, P.E.I. – Greg Proude’s return to Victory Lane on the East Coast International Pro Stock Tour came on home soil.

Proude, who is from Springvale, P.E.I., won the Fleetrite 150 at Oyster Bed Speedway on July 3, edging out second-place finisher Craig Slaunwhite of Terrance Bay, N.S., and Russell Smith Jr. of Lakeside, N.S.

“It’s a track I grew up on, and I started racing when I was 16,” said Proude, who has won five career tour races on P.E.I. “You know the track like the back of your hand.

“We definitely have an advantage because P.E.I. is a tricky track to run, but they did a really good job of preparing the track, and there was two-wide racing because very rarely you have that on P.E.I. There was a lot of it going on, and I think the fans had a really good show to watch.”

Asked to expand on the trickiness of Oyster Bed Speedway, Proude referred to the turns. He described Turns 1 and 2 as flat and pointed out Turns 3 and 4 feature steeper banking.

“You almost have to have the car set up for two different turns; you have to drive it differently at both ends,” said Proude, 47. “Once you figure it out, it’s not too bad. It’s a fun track to run.”

Proude, who won the most laps led award with 29 and won a heat race, recorded his first tour victory since 2017 with a new car that was built in 2020. The car has seen limited action the last couple of years due to COVID-19.

“Now it’s starting to all come together, and the car is getting faster and faster,” said Proude, who had a third-place finish in Halifax the previous weekend.

Andrew Hicken of Pictou, N.S., built the car, and the Fleetrite 150 marked the first time he worked with the team at the track.

Proude said Hicken’s strategy included running on the bottom of the track rather than the outside, where he would usually position the car.

“(Hicken) was bound and determined we would stay on the bottom,” said Proude. “We did all day. Even when the car went away from us a little bit, he kept telling us to stick to the game plan, stay at the bottom and ‘we’ll get it, we’ll get it’ and sure enough we kept doing that.

“Eventually, we got to the very last restart and Craig Slaunwhite picked the top groove, and we picked the bottom, and we were able to capitalize on that because that’s where we were all day.”

Proude was one of seven P.E.I. drivers in the 18-car field: Darren Mackinnon of Charlottetown finished sixth;

Dylan Gosbee of Cornwall was seventh; Chris Hughes of Brackley Beach came eighth; Allison Mckinnon of Oyster Bed Bridge was 12th; Mark Leclair of Brackley Beach finished 15th and Robbie Mcewen of Charlottetown came 17th.

Proude described the Fleetrite 150 as the “hardest-fought battle” he has had.

Proude added nobody would give an inch on the track.

“There was a lot of tires rubbing, body slamming, but everybody was still coming out of it,” said Proude.

“You never give up, and I was sitting fourth late in the race, and the opportunity came to take advantage of it.”