(June 19, 2017) The Martin’s Home Heating 100 was an extremely entertaining race last weekend. After being “rained out” on Saturday night the first big Sportsman race of the season ran Sunday afternoon. We invite you to check out our photo album from our latest race date.
The first qualifying heat for the Martin’s Home Heating 100 saw Matt Maillet jump out to an early lead after getting past Rob Raynes. 
George Jamieson ends up climbing the bank in that first qualifying heat race. No serious damage for the 96 though.
Maillet captures the checkered flag and grabs the pole for the Martin’s Home Heating 100. Matt has won a big race or two in the past at 660 and hopes for another good run in the 100.
John Rankin wins heat number two. Rankin, who won the Sportsman feature on June 10th, will start on the outside of row one in the MHH 100.
Destiny Enkel makes a trip to the Riverview Ford Victory Lane after winning the first DMR Auto Sales Street Stock heat race. Enkel Trucking, the family business, is a big supporter of this young racer.
Riley Goodwin (#77) starts on the pole for the second Street Stock heat race, but a mechanical problem forced him to pit. He did come out later for the feature, running one lap before retiring for the day.
Noah Gillespie had a good run, picking up a well deserved win in the second Street Stock heat race.
The RE/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stocks are up next and look at Ashton Tucker get a great inside run on Ryan Messer and Sarah McKay!
Ashton is starting to make a habit of parking in victory lane. Fresh on the heels of his first Pro Stock feature win last week, young Tucker take the first heat on Sunday.
Brady Creamer takes the second Pro Stock heat. It’s Brady’s first trip to Speedway 660 in 2017. That’s two Pro Stock heat wins in a row for the Lads from the Miramichi!
Greg Fahey and Dustin Tucker were involved in a nice battle for the win in the third Pro Stock heat race. 
Dustin blows by the four time Pro Stock champ and drives the 52 into victory lane. That’s gotta give a young, talented race car driver a load of confidence heading into the 50 lap feature.
It’s time for the Kid’s Club Ride of the Week. It’s five year old Carly Martin hitching a ride with Justin Cole. BTW Carly’s proud grandparents are Richard and Anne Martin.
With the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters having the week off, Kyle Boudreau has an opportunity to go Street Stock racing. Kyle, driving #49, has a side by side battle with Randy Campbell early in the Street Stock 30 lap feature. 
There was lots of great action in this one including a battle between five time Street Stock champ Rick Cashol (#54) and Roger Slocum who “pinch hit” for Courtney Barton on this day. 
When all was said and done a smiling Matt Crocker got the checkered flag and trophy, winning his first DMR Auto Street Stock feature. Even though Matt is a young guy he loves the old school style of racing often throwing the car slide-ways through the turns and he isn’t scared of using the bumper to loosen up a fellow competitor!
Luc McLaughlin finishes second in the Street Stock feature for his fourth straight podium of the season. BTW Luc looks like he might soon be ready to challenge Kyle McKinnon for the “Best Beard in Racing Award”!
Rick Cashol takes third in the Street Stock feature for his first podium of the 2017 season. “The Villan” still gets a big reaction from our crowd every time he comes onto the track or gets a podium finish.
Early on in the Pro Stock feature Dustin Tucker, Brady Creamer and Dave O’Blenis jockey for the top spot.
A couple of laps later Dave surges ahead of Brady and Dustin leading the way for several laps. 
Ian Rasmussen skids off the tarmac down in turn one in a cloud of dust. The young driver in the “Big Black Dodge” is working hard to get the handle on the Pro Stock car. He’s made a huge improvement over last year and looks to continue to make progress in 2017.
While Creamer and O’Blenis were battling for the lead, the 10 car spun out, bringing out a caution and sending both Creamer and O’Blenis to the rear. That gave Dustin Tucker the lead.
With a couple to go Ryan Messer loosened Tucker up on the exit of turn four and drove underneath the 52 to grab the lead. 
Messer ends up winning his first-ever RE/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock feature. The 2016 Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman champ now has two podium finishes early in his Pro Stock rookie season.
Dustin Tucker, who came within a whisker of winning his first pro Stock feature, settled for second. It looks like there might just be a little rivalry starting to brew between Dustin and Ryan!
An emotional Brent Roy came home in 3rd place in the Pro Stock feature. After the races Brent headed off to PEI for his Grandmother’s funeral. Our prayers and condolences go out to the entire family. 
With the sun trying to break through cloudy skies the Sportsman cars take to the track for their first big race of the 2017 season.
Matt Maillet and John Rankin race each other hard early on for the lead. It took three or four laps before Rankin finally made the pass taking the 28 to the front.
On lap 21 Drew Greenlaw catches John, makes the inside pass and takes the lead. Drew led the next 37 laps before getting caught up with a lapped car, bringing out a caution and surrendering first place.
Andrew Rodgers took the 14 to the lead and waged war with Rankin for the top spot for the next 30 laps or so. The two talented drivers swapped the lead several times during that stretch of racing!
Rodgers faded down the stretch and came home fourth, while Rankin brought the Pub’s Drive Through Bottle Exchange Ford across the stripe first. 
Richard Martin presents John with a $2000 cheque for winning the big race. That’s Landon in John’s arms. Rankin’s son celebrated his 3rd birthday on Saturday.
Drew Greenlaw recovered nicely after that incident with lapped traffic and came home second. Drew literally ran out of laps because he was really closing in on John when the checkers came out. 
Alexandra O’Blenis ran a great race and finished third. Her sister Courtney, running her first big Sportsman race at 660, came home fifth. These sisters are two of our most popular drivers and for now Alex has “bragging rights” at the O’Blenis dinner table back home in Boundary Creek!
What a great looking podium! Alexandra, John and Drew all ran hard, ran clean and got great finishes on Sunday afternoon.
Thanks for checking out our Photo Album from the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman 100 and thanks for being a fan of Speedway 660. We appreciate your support.
