Rankin celebrates second big sportsman win!
(July 22, 2017) It was Christmas in July on Saturday night at Speedway 660 and John Rankin continued his amazing season by winning his second big Sportsman race of the year. The young driver from St. Martins, New Brunswick drove to victory lane in the Firecracker 150 after winning the Martin’s Home Heating 100 back in June. Alexandra O’Blenis was second in the race, while Laurie Cormier finished third. Matt Maillet, George Jamieson and Rankin won the qualifying heat races while Cormier won a special contingency award in memory of the late Glyn Nott Sr.
“Laurie passed me for the lead early in the second half of the race and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get it back, but we ran hard and made the car stick on the outside groove to claim the win” said Rankin. “Our goal was to win one of these big races this year and to take the Martin’s Home Heating 100 and the Firecracker 150 is pretty amazing.” John Rankin knew he would have to be at the top of his game to win the Firecracker 150 and on Saturday night John and his crew were all of that, pulling off their second big Sportsman win of the season.
The RE/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock drivers put on a great show in their 50 lap feature. Dustin Tucker outran Dave O’Blenis to win his first ever feature, while Derek Christie drove home third. O’Blenis and Christie won the Pro Stock heat races.
“We’ve come close to winning a feature before but tonight we finally got it done and I want to thank my Grandfather and Father for all they’ve done to support my racing career” Tucker said. “Dave and I raced each other hard and to be able to win my first ever feature in a battle against a five time champion is something I’ll always remember.”Dustin Tucker celebrates his first ever RE/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock feature win with Grandfather LeRoy and Father Shawn. What a night for this third generation driver and the entire Tucker family.
Luc McLaughlin won the DMR Auto Sales Street Stock 30 lap feature on Saturday night. Roger Slocum and Destiny Enkel finished second and third while McLaughlin and Shawn Hyslop won the heat races.
Kyle Boudreau was the top Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter. Boudreau held off Kyle MacKinnon for the win in their 20 lap feature, while Allison Hall finished third. Hall won the Sharp Shooter heat race.
Next Saturday night Speedway 660 hosts the Clark Chevrolet Best of the Best Pro Stock 150. The top two finishers earn provisional starting positions in McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 on SpeedWeekend.
Speedway 660 Results – July 22, 2017
Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman Firecracker150
1. John Rankin (St.Martins, NB), 2. Alexandra O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB), 3. Laurie Cormier (Grand Barachois, NB), 4. Andrew Rodgers (Smithtown, NB), 5. Drew Greenlaw (Eastport, ME), 6. Courtney O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB), 7. Matt Maillet (Burton, NB), 8. Justin Cole (Harvey , NB), 9. Curtis Collins, 10. Hudson Weston (Saint John, NB), 11. George Jamieson (Fredericton, NB), 12. Robert Raynes (Summerville, NB), 13. Pete Miller, 14. Kyle Campbell (Salisbury, NB), 15. Luc Bourgeois (Moncton, NB), 16. Richard Atkinson (Haneytown, NB), 17. Ryan Raynes.
RE/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock 50 Lap Feature
1. Dustin Tucker (Fredericton, NB), 2. Dave O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB), 3. Derek Christie (Fredericton, NB), 4. Greg Fahey (St. Stephen, NB), 5. Brent Roy (Hanwell, NB), 6. Kevin Moore (Fredericton, NB), 7. Ryan Messer (Harvey, NB), 8. Ian Rasmussen, 9. Shawn Warren (Waasis, NB), 10. Ashton Tucker (Lyttleton, NB), 11. Andrew McKay, 12. Robert Tomlinson (Arthurette, NB), 13. Brandon Skidmore, 14. Brady Creamer (Miramichi).
DMR Auto Sales Street Stock 30 Lap Feature
1. Luc McLaughlin (Geary, NB), 2. Roger Slocum (Chipman, NB), 3. Destiny Enkel (Saint John, NB), 4. Riley Goodwin, 5. Shawn Hyslop, 6. Chris Wilson, 7. Rick Cashol (Saint John, NB), 8. Andre Lahaye, 9. Courtney Barton (Minto, NB), 10. Matt Crocker (Fredericton, NB), 11. Noah Gillespie, 12. Randy Campbell (Quispamsis, NB)
Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter 20 Lap Feature
1. Kyle Boudreau, 2. Kyle MacKinnon, 3. Allison Hall, 4. Matt Martin, 5. Danny Bourque, 6. Scott Kennie, 7. Grey Owl, 8. BJ Gillespie, 9. Brody Levesque (Fredericton