The last race of June is this coming weekend and although you can’t win a championship the first month, a great start can set the table for a successful season. So now that we’ve got a few races under our belt, perhaps it’s time to take a look at who’s hot!
Start Fast & Finish Strong!
It sure is nice to get off to a fast start to the season in any sport. It’s really important in short-track racing at Speedway 660 because our season is short, running from mid-May until SpeedWeekend on Labour Day. But our “Night of Champions” will actually be on the last Saturday of August.
So this week I thought we’d check in on our five divisions to see who has gotten off to wicked-fast starts.
Let’s begin with the West Wood Estates Bandolero Division. Braden Langille has been pretty much unbeatable in 2015. He has three out of four feature wins at 660 and is having similar success at Scotia and Petty. And this kid won five out of five during a trip to Florida in February!
From Florida to Scotia and Petty to 660, Braden Langille has dominated Bandolero racing in 2015. This kid is something else, so you better come down to the Geary Woods to check him out!
The one guy who has been able to beat Langille this year is Ashton Tucker. He’s done it a couple of times and has been runner-up to Braden most other nights. Early on it appears as if these two young pups will battle each other all summer for the Bando championship. Right now though Langille holds the upper hand.
Turning to the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter Division, Jeremy Doran, the 2014 champ, is the early favourite to win it again this year. Jeremy has been on the podium every week and he has got the race set-up down pat on his little Sharp Shooter. But this is a tough division with a large field of cars and short 15 lap feature races. So when you’ve got to start near the back every week it’s tough to come to the front, but nonetheless Jeremy sure is off to a sensational start.
This season Jeremy Doran picked up right where he left off in 2014. The defending Sharp Shooter champ has been at or near the top of the leader board since the Riverview Ford Season Opener.
Let’s move on to our three original divisions. Rob Raynes has been on the DMR Auto Sales Street Stock podium every week. He’s won a feature and has finished second a couple of times and third last week. Rob, who missed the Street Stock title by just three points in each of the last two years, is reluctant to talk about a championship. And after coming so close who can blame him. But Raynes is off to a terrific start and if he can continue his early success, perhaps this will be his year to claim that elusive championship.
Rob Raynes is one of the most modest drivers I’ve ever met. He’s a gentleman both on and off the track and always eager to give credit to other drivers when they have a good run.
We’ll have a new champion in the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman Division this year. 2014 champ Brent Roy is running a part time sked and is reportedly working on a Pro Stock ride, which might be unveiled later this season. So it looks like the Sportsman title chase is wide open.
But Devin Snell has won the last two features and has really blossomed into a great young driver. Devin, is pretty modest about his recent success, but the kid’s got talent and his ride comes out of the Lonnie Sommerville Racing stable, so you know it’s got a great pedigree. He’s the hottest Sportsman driver right now and if he continues his recent streak, he’ll be a championship contender when the Night of Champions rolls around in two months.
Devin Snell has emerged as one of the top Sportsman drivers at 660. Devin will go for his third straight Martin’s Home Heating feature win this Saturday night.
And that bring us to the Re/Max Group Four Realty Pro Stock Division. To me the biggest surprise of the season is in Pro Stock. Not just the increased car count, but the quality of the race teams. Matt Harris, Greg Fahey and Lonnie Sommerville are all chasing the championship and have won the three Pro Stock features so far this year. And there are several other contenders too.
Early on, I’ve got to say Fahey is the biggest surprise. He’s been on the podium for all three races and that car is hooked-up! I’m not surprised the three-time Pro Stock champ is having success, but after dropping down to Sportsman a couple of years ago many of us thought we might never see Greg in our top division again.
But during the off-season a marvelous thing happened. A very good race team from Carleton County got together with a very good driver from Charlotte County. This new partnership is paying early season dividends. I’m not ready just yet to give Greg Fahey his fourth Pro Stock title, but he’s definitely in the hunt!
One of the biggest stories of 2015 has been the return of Greg Fahey to the Re/Max Pro Stock Division. This team, from Charlotte and Carleton Counties, is setting the Geary Woods on fire!
So there you have my take on who is off to great starts at Speedway 660 in 2015. It was inspired by the 1971 Jerry Reed tune: “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot”. Of course in that same song Jerry said: “When You’re Not, You’re Not.” And that my friends could be the subject of a whole other “Weekly”, perhaps best left for another day.
This weekend, we’ve got Twin 50’s for the Sharp Shooters and Street Stocks. It’ll be another awesome night of racing at Speedway 660, so get yourself together and head down to the Geary Woods for our region’s best short-track racing.
We’ll see you at the races!
