(August 8th, 2016) What can I say about the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters? This little division started racing with us back in 2010. Until that time we had three very strong racing divisions which included street stock, sportsman and pro stock. I remember wondering at the time, why were we all of a sudden going to introduce a four cylinder division? Seven seasons later I think I know the answer to that question!
A Sharp Shooter Show-Down!
From 1994 until the end of the 2009 racing season Speedway 660 had three divisions of racing. Actually in year one we had street and super street stocks, but by year two they had morphed into one street stock division.
In my mind there were two distinct things that set us apart from every other race track in Atlantic Canada. The first was that we were the only ones with weekly pro stock racing and the second was that we were the only track to not run four cylinders. So when it was decided that we would welcome a four cylinder class to 660 in 2010 more than these two eyebrows were raised.
And that first season the four cyls didn’t exactly set the Geary Woods on fire. There was a single-digit car count and the racing didn’t exactly get the fans off their seats. But by 2011 the car count started to grow, new personalities started to emerge and we began to be treated with an exciting new style of racing that was affordable for almost anyone who wanted to go racing.
The Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters will run a 40 lap feature this coming Saturday night. These drivers and their race teams will be working hard all week to prepare their cars for competition. And you can bet when their biggest race of the season takes place on Saturday night, they’ll go all out to put on an awesome show for our fans.
There’ll likely be a “dust-up” or two when the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter 40 goes green on Saturday night. One thing we’ve learned is that there’s no shortage of action when these cars and drivers head out on the track.
The sharp shooters appeal to a lot of folks because these are the kind of cars most people drive on the roads these days. They also slip and slide around the track, make a weird high-pitched kinda sound and have no problem going three-wide. And as I mentioned before, they give lots of people, who perhaps can’t afford to run in the higher divisions, a chance to drive a race car.
The sharp shooters have introduced us to a lot of cool characters over the years. Luc MacLaughlin, the Flying Frenchman, was a rookie of the year and sharp shooter champion before becoming the top rookie and champion in street stock. Kevin Peterson won the sharp shooter title, moved on to street stock and now patrols Speedway 660 in the Phil’s Auto and Recreation four-wheeler. Jeremy Doran won a championship with an incredible amount of flair and style.
If you like tight, competitive racing you’ll love our sharp shooters. They are not as fast and powerful as cars in our other divisions, but they sure love to go three-wide and put a show on for our fans.
Kyle MacKinnon is one of the real personalities of our sport. He’s got a decent shot at winning the sharp shooter title this year. Kyle is a true character for sure, but he’s also a kid who is one of the biggest promoters of our sport. Stop into his shop on the Lincoln Road and he’ll convince you to drop everything this Saturday night and come out to Speedway 660 to see the races.
Kyle MacKinnon is a pretty good wheel-man, but he’s an even better ambassador for racing at Speedway 660. Kyle has his sights set on a Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter Championship this season, but he’s got a lot of work to do starting this Saturday night with his biggest race of the season.
The sharp shooter division had growing pains for one season, but since then it has blossomed into a pretty special brand of racing. The drivers and race teams are as serious as anyone else when it comes to going fast and turning left. They also band together as a division and work hard to put on a terrific show.
I mentioned Luc MacLaughlin, who started out in a sharp shooter, but there are other drivers who have shown us a thing or two. Take Matt Crocker for instance. Matt, better known as ‘Mister Maritime Hustle’, had lots of success in a four cylinder, before moving into a street stock earlier this year.
Matt Crocker is one of the best drivers to come out of our sharp shooter division. Matt recently jumped into a street stock and on July 23rd he won a heat race and finished third in the 30 lap feature!
Marshall Goodwin recently told me that Matt Crocker is a “natural born driver”. And Mr. Goodwin, who has been around racing for more than five decades, has seen a lot of great drivers and knows talent when he sees it. Young Crocker is turning some street stock heads these days. He had a podium his last time out and drives the street stock as if it were a sharp shooter!
So I’ve got to admit that these drivers and race teams in the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter Division are for real. I’ve made some pretty good friends with these folks and enjoy watching them do their thing at 660. This Saturday night “their thing” will be a 40 lap race and it’s going to be exciting.
Sharp shooter drivers have their fair share of fans and like our other drivers take time to sign autographs and get their pictures taken with the fans. Curtis Collins is one of the bright young stars in this exciting division.
And that brings me back to 2010. Now I know why we introduced a four cylinder division of racing. After humble beginnings our sharp shooters have blossomed into an exciting brand of racing. The drivers, crews, their families and fans as well as sponsors have become an important part of our racing community and family.
If you are still wondering why we race four cylinders at Speedway 660, come on out to the Geary Woods on Saturday night and these awesome race teams will show you why.
We’ll see you at the races!
