Craig Slaunwhite Interview - Seeking record 3rd straight ECIPST Title This Weekend!

Photo Courtesy of: JT Racing Pix

September 20th, 2023

The East Coast International Pro Stock Tour has been running strong since 2001, a captivating season which saw Wayne Smith win half of the 12 race schedule, en route to a 25 point margin of victory for the inaugural championship title. A season that saw too many memorable names to fully list, including Scott Fraser, Kent Vincent, Shawn Tucker, Mike MacKenzie, Scott Alexander, Dan Eddy, Donald Chisholm, and John Flemming. Several of these drivers still occasionally or semi-regularly run to this day, including: Dave O'Blenis who is actually full-time in the SLMS tour this season, and has run at Speedway 660 events, too.

Wayne Smith is the winningest driver in the series, Kent Vincent has the most races run under his belt, and John Flemming has the most series titles at 5. Twice John Flemming had the opportunity to win 3 in a row, but wasn't able to do so. Shawn Tucker, Wayne Smith, and Shawn Turple have all won the title 3 times, but not in a row. The largest margin of victory we've seen was Slaunwhite himself just last year, topping Flemming’s marker in his first championship season in 2002 - an 88 point gap compared to the long standing 81 point gap. The smallest we've seen was 2017 when Turple beat Cole Butcher by 1 point for his third series win. Cole had won the year prior, and the year following, so Cole was 2 points away (tie-breaker depending) from 3 in a row.

Joining the series from the Scotia Speedworld Sportsmen division in 2007, racing for SFR (Scott Fraser Racing), Slaunwhite was a strong racer. But over the past 3 seasons, he has been the model of consistency, netting top-5s in 87% of his 31 starts. This year, coming off of his 2 series titles, both in a row, Slaunwhite has the chance to make history with his 3rd straight.

It's his to lose this weekend, as he leads the points by a good margin over chasers #54 Jarrett Butcher, #08 Nicholas Naugle, #88 Russel Smith Jr, and #41 Mike Rodgers all vying for their first title.

Do you have any interesting stories or anecdotes from your earlier years in a late model? All of us who got to watch in those days sure miss a lot of people you got to race with.

We don’t have enough time to talk about stories of the early days haha. To be honest it was a fun time from my rookie year in 2008 to probably 2015. It was the old school racer days. 26-30 cars were showing up and you needed to race your way in. Guys like Shawn Turple, Jonathan Hicken, John Flemming, Shawn Tucker, Donald Chisholm, Wayne Smith, Mike Mackenzie, Rollie MacDonald, George Koskulics, Lonnie Sommerville, Darren McKinnon, Greg Proude, Kent Vincent, All seasoned guys and it was super fun and nerve wrecking at times wondering if you would make the show. Luckily for me I made them all. Obviously winning in my rookie year was a huge highlight.

I know you've been facing great competition locally on a regular basis, and lots of PASS drivers over the years, but how is it racing with prominent late model drivers like Carson Hocevar at the IWK?

Yes there is definitely a great deal of competition these days, A lot of money and super good equipment around and as well a couple hard-nosed guys who can build these cars, set them up and drive them to victory lane so its tough to get wins with those guys. Obviously racing Carson at the IWK250 was great, To beat an up and coming NASCAR superstar was cool. I stayed in his tracks the whole night until it was go time for me to pass him and seal the deal. To win that 250 was the last check mark I needed in the Maritimes. Now I can’t wait to go back and defend that title.

Do you have any particular advice for younger people who may be thinking about getting involved in racing at their local short track?

Absolutely stay humble. Follow your dreams and if you are passionate for the sport good things will happen.

Are there any specific sponsors, or people who've helped you out over the years, etc. that you'd like to shout out?

Oh man everyone that is on my team, crew, sponsors, family, friends and fans. As well anyone who has ever been involved with me sponsor or crew wise. I am forever grateful and there help has made dreams come true for me.

What do you think has been the most significant change in Maritime Late Model racing since you started?

Yes as I mentioned earlier there was a ton of respect back in the day. You could bump and grind for an entire race without wrecking and having bad blood between teams. If there was an issue you either talked it through or someone would throw a punch then it would be all over. Now-a-days its gotten to the point where there is a lot of money in the sport and zero respect. There are more wrecked cars and bad blood lately then anything. It is taking the fun out of it and the politics have taken over vs old school racing. If the politics could stay away from not only the track but on the outside business world and social media racing would have hope. There are still a lot of cars in the Maritimes running very small budgets that stay away from certain events because of bad stigma.  

For those who may not be aware, could you briefly re-hash the circumstances leading up-to/the transition into Hicken's car?

So in 2020 Jonathan couldn’t make a Friday night test at Petty (Raceway in New Brunswick) so his brother Andrew the owner of King Competition asked if I would make a few laps in the car for him to shake it down. The rest is history hahaha! The car was so good and I wasn’t even comfortable in the seat. I got out and said to my guys if we can’t get one of those cars setup by Andrew and Cory (Hall) then we are done racing. On Saturday Jonathan asked how I liked it and I told him the same thing. So he had said maybe at the end of the year we will talk because he was going to be concentrating on Ethan’s bando racing more. After the season we chatted and put a deal together for me to buy that car.

Can you explain what SFR is for those who may not know? And what does it mean to you to race in honour of Scott?

SFR is Scott Fraser Racing – It has been a huge honor to have always been associated with the Fraser family. They have been family since 2007 when we started a relationship. I give them all the credit in the world for my success because if it wasn’t for Frank, Grace, Frankie Jr and Curtis and their sponsors and crew I may never have had the opportunity to show a team owner or a sponsor that I could wheel a pro stock car. 2008 was my rookie year on the tour with them and wow did we ever have a great time.

Do you have any specific goals left in your racing career? You've notched about every belt you can here, you've won the Pro Stock Tour championship now multiple times, you've got the Triple Crown - all 3 regional 250s, and you've won the Mike Stevens memorial.

People also forget I’ve won the Atlantic championship 250 race at Shediac as well in 2007. As far as Goals go for me in my racing career I just want to win every single race I enter haha! Holding checker flags are the best. I want to go give my best at the Oxford 250 next year and a bucket list race for me would be the Snowflake or the Snowball Derby in Florida every December. I’ve been there to crew a couple times and it is awesome.


Slaunwhite embodies what it means to pay your dues. A great wheelman who won The Shediac (Centre for Speed) 250 in 2007, and the New Brunswick 250 (Speedway 660) in 2008. He progressed through multiple eras of racers, and the connections his off-track personality surely forged led him to an opportunity that ultimately led him onto his greatest string of success to date.

This weekend, we have the opportunity to witness history in the making, at Scotia Speedworld. If Slaunwhite wins this third championship in a row, just how far will he run with it from here?