FRASER RACING LEGACY LIVES ON

Fraser's car back on track

Enfield stock car racer Shawn Turple, shown behind the wheel, will drive the car built and piloted by the late Scott Fraser of Shubenacadie in Saturday's Atlantic Cat 250 at Scotia SpeedWorld. Shown with Turple is Fraser's father, Frank, who had the car rebuilt to give Turple his first shot in the pro stock class.

By MONTY MOSHER / Sports Reporter
The Halifax Herald - Thursday, August 12, 2004

You can bet Shawn Turple will have a case of rookie nerves for Saturday night's Atlantic Cat 250 at Scotia SpeedWorld.

One of the top drivers in Maritime sportsman racing, the Enfield native will make his official pro stock debut racing the car of former great Scott Fraser, who died in a snowmobile mishap in March.

"Scott was a big idol of mine," the 25-year-old Turple said this week. "It's definitely going to be an emotional day."

The race is one of the biggest of the Maritime season with more than $40,000 US up for grabs. The winner collects a minimum $6,000.

More than a dozen of the top drivers from the Maritimes will be joined by at least 15 drivers from the U.S.-based Pro All Stars Series (PASS), including two-time defending champion Ben Rowe of Turner, Me. Rowe has won his last four races at the the track near Halifax International Airport.

Fraser built the car in his family's race shop in Shubenacadie. He won three major regional races last August and September in the car before wrecking at an October event in North Carolina.

He ordered most of the parts to repair the car - which was more than three-quarters demolished - prior to his death.

His father, Frank, and members of Fraser's race team decided to complete the reconstruction. They also determined they wanted Turple - a young driver who Scott Fraser had identified as an emerging talent - to be their driver.

Frank Fraser said there have been emotional highs and lows rebuilding the car.

"You have good days and bad days from that end of it," he said. "Some days it's good and some days you just wander around and wonder. But overall I think it's good. It's kept the guys together."

It is a huge step up in class for Turple. Pro stock cars have more horsepower and better tires than sportsman cars.

The team tested the car in a race two weeks ago in Shediac just to see how Turple would fare. Although they were only interested in practice time, they placed third and led a good portion of the race.

He said he realizes there is pressure to perform at a track Fraser commanded during his career. The race title sponsor was also Fraser's title sponsor for most of his career.

Having some experience in the car, along with the support of the crew, has eased his nerves.

"It's always in the back of your mind whose car it is and the expectations people have of you," Turple said.

What Scott Fraser liked about Turple is he had the same desire to win - and risk a hard knock or two to get it.

Turple said he'll be aggressive with the race car if he sniffs a chance at victory.

"If we're in position to do so late in the race, we'll give it a shot," he said.

Fraser said he and Scott's crew didn't want just anybody in the car.

"The biggest thing some of the boys were worried about was we didn't want to put somebody in the car that was not going to be quick. We wanted somebody who was going to be able to make the car look good."

Frank Fraser said there was no certainty in the weeks after Scott's death that the team would rebuild the car and have Turple drive it. But the more Fraser, his son, Frankie, and crew leader Curtis Lindsay talked about it, the more they decided it sounded right.

Some of the other crew members were a little slower to buy into the notion, but have come around over time.

"A lot of people gave Scott a lot of breaks financially . . . that helped him get to where he was because we didn't have the money to get there on our own," said Fraser. "We thought this would give Shawn a chance to get noticed."

Turple may also suit up for the Irving Coca Cola 250 later this month in New Brunswick depending on how this weekend goes. Frank Fraser also wants to compete in the car at least once before the end of the season.

Qualifying for the Atlantic Cat 250 will start Friday at 7 p.m. Saturday's action begins at 6 p.m.

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