by Jay | Aug 16, 2009 | Canada
August 15, 2009
Fredericton-It was a beautiful night for racing in the Geary woods. Fans not only got to enjoy the racing but they also got to enjoy the nice summer weather that was a little late coming.
It was definitely an action packed evening with racing regular racing in the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman, Irving Lubricant’s Pro Stocks, the debut of the 4-cylinders and last but not least the Dent Daddy Street Stock 75.
First off, in the Martin’s Home Heating division, Dave Biggar took his yellow # 70 to the Auto Pride victory lane in the 30-lap feature. Bigger didnt waste any time moving up in the feature and passing Steve Halpin who started on the pole. Halpin quickly sprinted into the lead and led for quite a few laps until Dave Biggar challenged him. Once Biggar took the lead there was no looking back. The championship contenders were boxed in mid field for most of the race. Points leader Mike Banks did make it to a fifth place finish which will really help in the points. Steve Halpin had a good run finishing second and a strong run by Brent Roy who finished in third. This was a good night for the young guys.
In the Irving Lubricant’s Pro Stock division, the Nackawic Night Train Brian Gillespie took the early lead and was soon challenged by the Big Black Dodge of Glenn Rasmussen. The two battled back and forth for many laps until Rasmussen took the lead. Greg Fahey came into the picture and that is when the excitement started. The two, Rasmussen and Fahey battled back and forth for many laps and then Gillespie decide he wanted in on the action. The three spent the last 10 laps rubbing, making it three wide in a heavy exciting battle until the very end. Greg Fahey came across the finish line just inches in front of Rasmussen who finished in second and The Night Train in third. It was a very exciting race. After all rubbing is racing and these guys did just that and kept it clean at the same time.
In the Dent Daddy Street Stock 75 there was also a lot of action. It is a good thing for some of the drivers that this was not a point’s event. Some of the point contenders had some mechanical problems tonight. Point leader Brian Fox had to retire from the race early as he had mechanical problems on lap 1. Rick Cashol sprinted out to the early lead passing Charles Gaddess. Gaddess started on the pole and has been strong in the past couple of weeks. Gaddess was not willing to give up first position without a fight. Matt Matheson also wanted to lead the race. Matheson and Cashol battled for most of the race. Cashol took his # 54 to the Auto Pride Victory Lane, Matt Matheson finished a close second after a long battle with Cashol and rounding out the top three was Charles Gaddess. Gaddess posted his first win last weekend and continues to be on a roll. Shawn Hyslop came back from having to go in the pits due to mechanical problems and finished fourth.
It was the first night for the 4 cylinder cars at Speedway 660 and it was a big hit. We are hoping the division will grow and more people will get into driving 4 cylinders. The 4 cylinders can be seen again at Speedway 660 on August 29 for Fan Appreciation Day. Ira Farnell took the early lead in the 15-lap feature and went on to win. Finishing in second was the # 16 o of Kyle Dunster and rounding out the top three was Robert Flowers in his #2. This division is a pretty inexpensive way to get into racing. Hopefully this division will grow and people will build more cars for the next race.
All in all it was a very exciting evening of racing. There were a couple of lucky ladies who got a chance to ride in the speedway car with Pro Stock driver Glen Rasmussen as a special bonus for Ladies Night. The ladies seemed to really enjoy it.
Next weekend there will be more exciting racing coming up. So don’t miss it.
by Jay | Aug 14, 2009 | Canada
(Shediac, N.B.) — The Maritime Super Series for Sportsman 75-lap feature race along with the Atlantic Open Wheel (AOW) Modifieds will be part of the action-packed stock car racing event this Saturday evening, August 15th at the Centre for Speed (CFS), Atlantic Canada’s Super Speedway and “Metro Moncton ’s Playground of Power”. The event, which starts at 7:00 p.m., will also include regular Southeast Challenge Series points racing for
Streetstock, Mini Stock and Four Fun division racecars. The Maritime Super Series for Sportsman 75 will feature top Sportsman drivers from throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia battle it out in the third race of the series involving events at both the Centre for Speed and Riverglade Speedway. Defending series champion, Claude Gaudet (#22) of Grand Barachois heads into the event in top spot with a 6-point lead on Stephen Halpin (#03) of Saint John . Marcel Maillet (#25) of Ste-Marie is enjoying his strongest season in recent memory as he sits in third spot in the Super Series standings, only two points behind Halpin. Four drivers are tied for fourth spot in the standings each, all one point behind Maillet. They include Marc Gautreau (#99), Ken MacKenzie (#95), Dan Bourque (#15) and Bert Cormier (#3). Luc Bourgeois (#88) rounds out the top five. Saturday’s event will also mark the first visit of the Atlantic Open Wheel (AOW) Modifieds Tour competitors to the CENTRE in 2009. This highly competitive series always puts on a great show on the wide oval of CFS. Admission for Saturday’s event will be $15 for adults and $5 for children 5 to 15 years of age. Front gates will open at 5 p.m. with green flag action starting at 6 p.m. Full schedule details are available at www.centreforspeed.com TRAVEL NOTE: Due to bridge construction on Route #133, all CFS traffic must use Exit #43 (Grand Barachois) off Highway #15 until further notice. From this exit, traffic must turn left onto Route #133, at Gaudet Supermarket, and travel 2 km to the CENTRE. About CFSThe CENTRE for Speed, built in 1996, is home to the Atlantic region’s largest and fastest paved 3/8 of a mile stock car oval as its centerpiece. The CENTRE overlooks the Northumberland Strait and is located 5 kilometers east of Shediac’s Parlee Beach on Route #133 in the village of Grand Barachois.
by Jay | Aug 14, 2009 | ACT, Canada, NASCAR, New England
Waterbury, VT – The American Canadian Tour (ACT) announced today that over a 30-day period from August 29th through September 27th there would be purses posted of over a quarter million dollars for Late Model race teams in the Northeast and Canada.
Starting with the Coors Light Showdown of Champions event at the 1/3-mile banked Autodrome Chaudiere in the Beauce region outside Quebec City, the top eleven (11) US ACT Tour teams will go head to head with the top (11) ACT Castrol Serie teams. The winner of the event gets the grand prize of $5,000 from the $35,000 in posted purse. Everyone is guaranteed $1,000 minimum, but this year, promoter Michel Lessard has posted a ‘kicker’. The winning ‘team’, be it the US or Castrol team, will share equal portions of an added $5,500.00. The $500 bonus per member will go to the team whose 11 total finishes outpoint the other team. The biggest names in ACT racing from both sides of the border will be attending the second edition of the Showdown. Patrick Laperle barely beat defending ACT Castrol Champion, Alexandre Gingras, in the inaugural 200-lap event in 2008.
The Americans won the overall title as a team last year. Ironically, former Castrol Champions Patrick Laperle of Montreal and Donald Theetge from Quebec City both helped the US team win as they raced on the ACT US Tour in 2008. This year they are locked in a tight battle for the ACT Castrol Serie championship in Quebec and Ontario and will be representing the Canadian team during the classic.
Next up in the marathon ‘ACT Money Month’ will be a return to Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, Vermont for the 47th annual running of the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic. A record purse and prize posting of $45,000 has been offered. Renowned car builder and car owner Pete Duto entered Brad Leighton from Center Harbor, NH in last year’s Classic. In one of the most memorable come-back races in the long history of Thunder Road, Leighton crashed twice in the event but came back to win $10,000 and the first place trophy. He will be back to defend the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic in 2009.
One of the most anticipated events of the year is up next for the Late Model teams. The long awaited return of the Fall Foliage 300 is back on the ACT schedule in 2009. The newly renovated and redesigned Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY will again host the historic ‘300’ weekend with a posted purse of $40,000. This fall classic event was held in many forms and different numbers of laps. The inaugural event was held in 1972 and was won by Bobby Dragon of Milton, VT. Catamount continued the tradition of a big fall event until it closed in 1987. After the closing of Catamount, the race moved to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, ME for a three-year stop. Buzzie Bezanson of Plaistow, NH surprised all present with a no pit stop ‘300’ win in 1989. Two of the greatest Late Model drivers in New England racing history won the other two Beech Ridge events, Robbie Crouch from Tampa, FL in 1988, and “Dynamite” Dave Dion from Hudson, NH won in 1990. The race moved to Airborne Raceway for the next ten years. A one and only stop for the ‘300’ took place at Thunder Road in 2003, where Ryan Moore, in his only year racing the ACT Tour, was the surprise winner. The Fall Foliage 300 returned to Airborne the following year and has found its home there since 2004. The most recent ACT winners included Airborne and ACT Champions Brent Dragon and Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, VT, and Quebec’s great Patrick Laperle. Under the leadership of present owner Steve Fuller and promoter Mike Perotte, the outstanding DIRT driver Kenny Tremont, Jr.has won all three Fall Foliage extra distance events in a Modified on the ½-mile asphalt speedway. The ACT Tour returns in 2009 after a three-year absence.
The championship month will continue with what has become the most talked-about event in Northeastern Late Model racing of any kind this season. The inaugural ACT INVITATIONAL at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway will take place on Saturday, September 19. No championship title points, no pressure, just an historic day for Late Model racers throughout the region, as they race for $65,000 and a name in the NHMS record books. This year-long promotion will be the racing career highlight for many of the lucky 36 invitees. It is sure to be a highlight for the many short track fans that take in the atmosphere of the first NASCAR Chase event weekend held each September at NHMS.
Finally, the $250,000 month will fittingly come to a close with the ‘grand-daddy’ event of them all, the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl. Thunder Road will bring the curtain down on its 50th season with a $10,000-to-win, $70,000 Milk Bowl. The gloves are sure to come off at this year’s Milk Bowl. For the first time in recent memory this event will be strictly for the money, the glory, the right to kiss the cow — with no points for either Thunder Road teams or ACT Tour teams. The three-segment format of the Milk Bowl provides the ultimate equal playing field for the ACT competitors. You don’t have to win all three segments, you just need to race every lap like it is the white flag lap, and have a whole bunch of luck.
The ACT Late Models have reached the top of the Northeastern-racing scene. Promoters have recognized them as the best in the business, and tracks from throughout the Northeast and Quebec are rewarding them with the ACT $250,000 Money Month of racing. The real winners will be the fans.
by Jay | Aug 12, 2009 | Canada, NASCAR
Fredericton, NB – All the way from Tennessee to the Geary Woods! Two Time Daytona 500 Champion Sterling Marlin has announced his intentions to enter the 9th Annual Peterbilt 250 at Speedway 660. Marlin will join a strong list of Southern Stars who have competed in the Labour Day Classic. Over the past several years fans have seen Johnny Benson, Terry & Justin Labonte and Ron Hornaday take battle against the best Pro Stock teams in the Northeast.
Marlin was and is a household name from his days behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car. He is perhaps best known as only the third driver in Cup history to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, joining Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to earn that distinction after winning in 1994 and 1995. “There is no doubt that my fondest memory is winning that first Daytona 500,” Sterling said. Marlin has also added 8 other Sprint Cup victories (total of 10) to his resume, competed in 747 Cup races and has earned a whopping 38 Million dollars throughout his career. Before his days in NASCAR Marlin won championships at Nashivlle Speedway. Marlin is currently running a part time Sprint Cup schedule.
“I’m excited; these home grown short track events are what our sport was built on. This is a huge race for the Atlantic region and I’m really looking forward to racing the best up there!” said Sterling in a phone interview.
Auto Pride/Auto Value out of Fredericton, New Brunswick will be the primary sponsor on Marlin’s car. In addition to Auto Pride/Auto Value, Marlin will receive support for his venture from Peterbilt New Brunswick and Moosehead Breweries. Other sponsorship deals are still in the works. “Man we are PUMPED. This is a thrill of a lifetime for us at Auto Pride. Sterling is an icon in this sport and we are pretty fired up to be a part of this deal.” said Randy McCoy of Auto Pride.
This news is also great for all involved with Speedway 660. “This is something special. There isn’t a NASCAR fan that hasn’t spent many a Sunday afternoon on the coach watching Sterling Marlin on TV. To have him here, at our track, racing in front of our fans is a really cool deal.” said Speedway 660 co-owner Steve Burns.
Sterling’s car will be prepared by long time weekly Speedway 660 competitor Hal O’Neal and the OGC Racing Team. “We are pretty excited. We had some bad luck last year but the car has been completely rebuilt and its ready to go” said Hal O’Neal. “We’ve been racing for a lot of years and we’ve really missed it this year so I think this is exactly what we need. We can’t wait!”
Please contact Angela Coffey at Speedway 660 (506-455-3181 or [email protected]) for any questions.
The Peterbilt 250
The 2009 Peterbilt 250 will take place on Sunday, September 6tht, 2009 and will be the highlight of the 8th Annual SPEEDWEEKEND. The event will showcase the Speedway 660 Irving Lubricants Pro Stocks against the best of the Eastern Canada and New England. The purse for 2009 will be over $70,000 with a guaranteed $15,000 to the event winner and possible winner’s cheque of $28,000. Six years ago, the late Scott Fraser took home a record $25,400 including lap money. Only nine years old, the event as grown in crowd, atmosphere, and car count every year since its inception. Over 8,000 people attended the 2008 event to break attendance records at Speedway 660. Forty plus pro stock cars will be attempting to qualify for 28 spots on the starting grid.
SPEEDWEEKEND
Just like the Peterbilt 250, SPEEDWEEKEND continues to grow every year. Over 14,000 people attended last year’s four-day stock car fest that includes a corn boil on Friday night, O’Leary Pontiac Excitement Sportsman 150 race on Saturday night, the Peterbilt 250 on Sunday, and finishes up with an Enduro 200 on Monday. While the Peterbilt 250 is the highlight of the racing event, the weekend has developed into an event on its own with over 600 campers turning Speedway 660 into a small town over the weekend. It has become the destination of choice for the region’s stock car fans.
Speedway 660
Speedway 660 is WicKID Family Fun! The 1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features three classes of racing on a weekly basis: Irving Lubricants Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating, and Coast Tire Street Stocks. Over 70,000 people are expected to attend over 20 events during the 2009 season. Speedway 660 is located off Highway 7 on Route 660 in Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton. Speedway 660 can be found online at www.speedway660.com.
by Jay | Aug 10, 2009 | Canada
Fredericton, NB – It was a beautiful day for racing at Speedway 600 as the first Enduro is finally in the books . This being the first event of the season for the Enduro drivers, everyone is starting out fresh. This was the first points week for the drivers and yet they still raced as if it was the final tell all race.
There were 15 cars that took the green flag as the first 75 laps got under way. The # 44 of Steve Seveck started on the pole. As the day went along and drivers got a feel for being back to the track, things really started to heat up. Pat Sharpe showed them how it was done as he drove his # 51 to victory lane. Sharpe was multiple laps ahead of #8 of Dale Hathaway and Benji Ruff who finished in second and finishing in third place the # 11 of Barney Jeffrey. Ruff and Hathaway are no strangers to Enduro driving as they have had a lot of previous success here at Speedway 660. This was the first race ever for Barney Jeffrey who used to work at the speedway.
One of the big stories of the day was Courtney and Kim Barton’s #21, which sparked a lot of excitement. The two sisters shared the driving. After each competition yellow, fans would wait to see who was in the white and black spotted cow car. Courtney Barton come out in the second 75 laps and made things very exciting as she showed how the race was supposed to go. Bumping and trading paint with drivers is exactly what she came to do. There was a huge bull’s-eye on the lead drivers and Courtney new exactly how to fix that. In the third and final 50 laps, Courtney’s sister, Kim came out until she was called in for a driver change late in the race. This really got everyone’s attention. Courtney made a last attempt to knock Pat Sharpe out of the top spot by giving him a bump but was unsuccessful is taking the win away. There were many lead changes and couple red flags but the first Enduro race was very exciting and fans will want to come back and see what happens in the next one.
Next week fans can see Enduro cars back at the speedway. They will be racing front wheel drive cars. This is something new that is in the transition stage, as it is harder to find rear wheel cars for the Enduros. The hope is that by racing the front wheel drive cars it will draw more cars for the Enduros. If anyone wants to register their Enduro car for next weekend they can do so by calling Angela at the speedway office @ 454-RACE (7223). The final race for the Enduro division will be SPEEDWEEKEND on September 7th.
So don’t miss it next weekend race fans. There is a lot more racing to come in another Double Header weekend.
by Jay | Aug 9, 2009 | Canada
(Shediac, N.B.) — Shediac’s Daniel Gautreau (#20) and Petitcodiac’s Mike Weagle (#60) shared the spotlight on Sunday afternoon at the Centre for Speed (CFS) as they both captured first place in their respective divisions during the Guildfords ‘Little Guys 100’, the longest race
of the season in Atlantic Canada for four-cylinder racecars. The race was the feature event during the Covered Bridge Potato Chip Fan Appreciation Day at CFS.
Gautreau powered his way to the front early on in the 100-lap main event and then had to fend off challenges from both of his cousins, Martin Landry (#00) and Pierre Gautreau (#99) to pick up his second Mini Stock division feature win of the season aboard his Roland’s On-the-Spot Welding Honda. Landry and Pierre Gautreau, who had earlier captured the win in the 10-lap heat, crossed the finish line second and third respectively.
Meanwhile, Weagle once again showed the way for the Four Fun division competitors as he crossed the finish line first to claim his fourth feature win of the season aboard his Dunnett Brothers Plumbing Civic ahead of Kyle MacMillan (#5x) of Hammond Plains, N.S. and Jonathan Doucette (#57) of Summerside, PEI. Doucette had earlier picked up the win in the 10-lap heat.
In Sportsman action, Luc Bourgeois (#88) of Memramcook went back to the old suspension set-up on his Gautreau’s Auto Salvage Ford Fusion and paid off in spades, as he captured his first wins of the season in both the 15-lap
semi-final and a very close win in the 35-lap feature. Bourgeois charged into the early lead and then had to fend off a strong late race challenge from fellow Ford competitor, Ken MacKenzie (#85) of Salisbury to pick up his first feature win of 2009. Veteran Dan Bourque (#15) of Grande-Digue had to settle for third place in the main event, semi-final and heat. MacKenzie had earlier picked up first place hardware in the 10-lap heat while sophomore Marcel Goguen (#56) celebrated his first career Sportsman win in the Dash. Meanwhile, 14-year old Matt Rodgers (#42) of Smithtown took his first laps in Sportsman competition by taking over the driving from his father Steve Rodgers aboard the Ed Floyd Excavating Grand Prix.
In Streetstock action, Doug MacEwen (#40) of
Charlottetown picked up his first feature win at CFS in over 13 years aboard his newly purchased Chevrolet racecar. MacEwen, who last won a feature race when the facility first opened in 1996, decided last week to purchase the Streetstock racecar owned by former track champion Rémi Gaudet. On Sunday, his investment paid big dividends with wins in both the 10-lap heat and 25-lap feature. Rookie Gerald Brun (#33) of Moncton was second in the feature while Victor Vienneau (#03) of Cocagne came home third to go along with his second place finish in the heat.
Next Saturday, August 15th at 7:00 p.m., the Centre for Speed will host top Sportsman drivers
from throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for a Maritime Super Series for Sportsman 75-lap feature race. The Atlantic Open Wheel (AOW) Modifieds will also make their first stop of 2009 at CFS. The event will also include regular Southeast Challenge Series points racing for Streetstock, Mini Stock and Four Fun division racecars.
Full schedule details are available at www.centreforspeed.com
TRAVEL
NOTE: Due to bridge construction on Route #133, all CFS traffic must use Exit #43 (Grand Barachois) off Highway #15 until further notice. From this exit, traffic must turn left onto Route #133, at Gaudet Supermarket, and travel 2 km to the CENTRE.
About CFS
The CENTRE for Speed,
built in 1996, is home to the Atlantic region’s largest and fastest paved 3/8 of a mile stock car oval as its centerpiece. The CENTRE overlooks the Northumberland Strait and is located 5 kilometers east of Shediac’s Parlee Beach on Route #133 in the village of Grand Barachois .
