(September 23rd, 2023) – It was another historic night at Speedway 660 on the Riverview Honda Weekend of Champions – a night that saw two first-time champions, and a third champion set a stunning record. Amidst the hype of the final points race was close competition in all classes that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
On a night when he would earn his historic seventh Re/Max East Coast Elite Realty Pro Stock division title, Dave O’Blenis (#48) would be on the verge of winning both the feature and the championship. However, fans would see a rematch of the dramatic Pro Stock 250 finish from only weeks ago, with Ryan Messer (#1) lining up beside O’Blenis for a late race shootout. When the checkered flag flew, it would be a role reversal from a few weeks back, as Messer would gain the lead and emerge victorious – getting one up on O’Blenis after a heartbreaking defeat in the 250 – as O’Blenis crossed the line second, but with the historic championship in hand.
Messer took the lead early in the race and was in cruise control as O’Blenis marched through the field. A few mid-race yellows gave O’Blenis an opportunity to get the lead – but he was unable to do so at the time. It wasn’t until the closing laps when O’Blenis would finally make his move and steal the lead – up until a late race caution with only five laps remaining.
Kevin Moore (#88) would oust championship runner-up Hudson Weston (#43) for the final podium position in what was a dynamic battle all race long, with Andrew Rodgers (#14) rounding out the top 5. Three cautions slowed the seventy-five (75) lap feature which took just under 28 minutes to complete.
Earlier in the day, Ian Rasmussen (#81) claimed the heat race victory over Ryan Messer. Eight Re/Max East Coast Elite Realty Pro Stock competitors were in attendance for their final race of 2023. The feature win was the fourteenth (14th) career Pro Stock victory at Speedway 660 for Ryan Messer across multiple sanctions, and his fourth (4th) of the season.
Dave O’Blenis would capture his seventh (7th) career championship in the class, with previous season-long crowns coming in 2004, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2018.
Drew Greenlaw (#23) rebounded from a SpeedWeekend wreck to return to his winning ways in the Sportsman division at Speedway 660. Greenlaw took the lead in the early laps but would have to beat his competition on a pair of late race restarts for the victory.
“The Old Musket” Richard Atkinson (#40) had one of his best runs of the season and appeared to be making a charge on the long run, but just didn’t have enough for Greenlaw as he settled for second. Courtney O’Blenis (#48) picked up a podium finish in third after the late race restarts, with BJ Gillespie (#69) and Marcel Leblanc (#30) completing the top five, rebounding after incidents earlier in the day.
Alexandra O’Blenis won the heat race earlier in the day. The fifty (50) lap feature was slowed by just two cautions, and completed in 20 minutes. Eight Sportsman drivers competed as part of the Riverview Honda Weekend of Champions.
With Sportsman competitors racing for a joint Speedway 660 / Petty International Raceway championship in the province of New Brunswick, Greenlaw will add to an already massive points cushion as attention will turn down the Trans Canada Highway to Petty to see if he can cement his name as the champion. The win was the thirteenth (13th) of Greenlaw’s career at Speedway 660.
Justin Cole (#38) capped off his dream 2023 season in the Geary Woods in style by not only winning his first career Shur-Fit Automotive, Bumper to Bumper Street Stock championship, but claiming a dramatic feature victory over another division champion. Cole waged a war with Luc McLaughlin (#11) for much of the race and had to again best him on a late race restart to hang on. Having mathematically clinched the championship by starting the feature, Cole was not afraid to give it all he had to win the race.
Shawn Hyslop (#99) made the most of a feature that started as a bit of a struggle by capturing a third-place trophy, while early race leader Kyle MacKinnon (#22) – who looked to potentially be eyeing up his first career win – would fade to fourth place in final results. Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter standout Alex Gallant (#60) would round out the top five on a day where he made his debut in a Street Stock, ahead of what is expected to be a full-time effort in 2024.
Two cautions slowed the fifty (50) lap feature. MacKinnon was victorious in the heat race to kick off the day. Nine (9) Shur-Fit Automotive, Bumper to Bumper Street Stocks were in attendance and the feature was completed in twenty-five (25) minutes.
It was a long time coming, but Justin Cole finally got his elusive championship at Speedway 660. Cole becomes the nineteenth (19th) Street Stock champion in the Geary Woods over the thirty-year history of the facility. The feature win was the twelfth (12th) of his career in the Street Stock division at Speedway 660.
Matt Martin (#33) would lead wire-to-wire in the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter feature, to become only the second two-time winner on the season. But the big story would be Darren Wilcox (#32) wrapping up his first career track championship with a sixth-place finish. Martin took the lead early and never looked back – although his mirror got full of Randy Titus (#75) with the checkered in the air. Titus was a championship contender all season long, but a SpeedWeekend flip left a point deficit too large to overcome, but he made the most of the finale coming home second. Following post-race technical inspection, Jason Duffield would be awarded third place over Austin Harnish (#13) and Todd Day (#4).
En route to his championship, Wilcox was as high as second place during Saturday’s feature but would ultimately fall back in the final laps of the race. However, with Alex Gallant (#5) not finishing the feature, it was more than enough to solidify his first career track championship.
Eighteen (18) Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters were in attendance, with five cautions slowing the thirty (30) lap feature. Duffield and Martin claimed heat race victories.
It was Matt Martin’s seventh (7th) career Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter victory, moving him higher on the divisions all-time wins list. For Darren Wilcox, his first career championship makes him the tenth (10th) champion in the Sharp Shooter division since its inception in 2010.
While the stock car portion of the 2023 season is now complete, Sunday Speedway 660 will be back in action one final time to wrap up the Riverview Honda Weekend of Champions with a special Enduro event! Over a dozen competitors are expected for the race featuring many thrills and spills which starts at 2pm. It will be the last chance to catch some excitement and have some famous Speedway fries until May of 2024 – so don’t miss out!
Re/Max East Coast Elite Realty Pro Stock 75-Lap Feature Results
- Ryan Messer #1
- Dave O’Blenis #48
- Kevin Moore #88
- Hudson Weston #43
- Andrew Rodgers #14
- Ian Rasmussen #81
- Clark Moore #54
- Calvin Rankin #45
Heat Winner – Ian Rasmussen
Sportsman Division 50-Lap Feature Results
- Drew Greenlaw #23
- Richard Atkinson #40
- Courtney O’Blenis #48
- BJ Gillespie #69
- Marcel Leblanc #30
- Brody Seveck #44
- Alexandra O’Blenis #74
- Caleb Urquhart #11
Heat Winner – Alexandra O’Blenis
Shur-Fit Automotive, Bumper to Bumper Street Stock 50-Lap Feature Results
- Justin Cole #38
- Luc McLaughlin #11
- Shawn Hyslop #99
- Kyle MacKinnon #22
- Alex Gallant #60
- Ron Enkel #52
- Jonathan Hanley #16
- Rick Cashol #54
- Jimmy Sommerville #5
Heat Winner – Kyle MacKinnon
Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter 30-Lap Feature Results
- Matt Martin #33
- Randy Titus #75
- Jason Duffield #91
- Austin Harnish #13
- Todd Day #4
- Darren Wilcox #32
- Jesse Madore #16
- Eli Malloy #96
- Randy Storey #92
- Brian Maillet #83
- Alex Gallant #5
- Curtis Tremblay #00
- Maggie Currie #29
- Robert Kamphuis #92x
- Terry Lawson #14
- John Richard #7
DQ – Daniel Atyeo #15
DNS – Stephen Rose #44
Heat Winners – Jason Duffield, Matt Martin
