BIGGEST STREET STOCK RACE OF THE SUMMER TO CLOSE SEASON AT 660 SATURDAY
(FREDERICTON, NB – September 23rd, 2020) – When it comes to major Street Stock races, there is none bigger in Atlantic Canada than the Ricky Bobby Street Stock 150 presented by DMR Auto. The third edition of the event will take place on Saturday, September 26th at Speedway 660 and will serve as the season finale for the 2020 season. Over $15,000 in cash and prizes are on the line for the division with a guaranteed $1,000 to the winner, making it the richest payout for the Street Stock division in the region this season. The Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman and Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters will play support to the DMR Auto Street Stock division. Racing begins at a special start time of 5pm on September 26th.
The car counts have been strong in the DMR Auto Street Stock across the Province of New Brunswick in the shortened 2020 season. While quantity can sometimes mean the quality of field can slip, this is not the case. In five race events at Speedway 660 in 2020, four drivers have driven to the front to take the checkered flag while 27 different cars have seen the green flag at least once.
Leading the charge has been McAdam, New Brunswick’s Riley Goodwin is the only repeat winner in the Geary woods in Street Stock competition and is the most recent winner at Speedway 660. Goodwin took home a wild 50-lap feature on SpeedWeekend 2020 over Justin Cole (Harvey, NB) and James Matchett (Miramichi, NB). Goodwin also won the regular distance 35-lap feature on the Fog City Auto Spa Night in late July. The driver of the No. 77 also added a victory at Petty International Raceway in June at their season opener.
Of the drivers who have made four or more starts this season, only three have an average finish of five or better. In addition to Goodwin (2.6), Rick Cashol (Saint John, NB – 4) and the late Chris Hanley (Upper Mills, NB – 5.2) also have average finishes within the top five. Both Cashol and Hanley have victories to their credit. Cashol won the Riverview Ford Lincoln Season Opener while Hanley, who we lost suddenly last week, won the Urquhart Construction 75 – a race where Cashol and Goodwin joined the No. 71 on the podium.
Cashol will be trading in his Street Stock for a Sharp Shooter as he will be racing the No. 92x Four Cylinder on Saturday while Fog City Auto Spa Sportsman 125 winner Matt Rodgers (Smithtown, NB) slides into the No. 54 Street Stock. Hanley’s Street Stock will be ran by Ricky Arbeau (Lincoln, NB), a former Sharp Shooter standout and son of Rick “Ricky Bobby” Arbeau.
The only other DMR Auto Street Stock feature winner this season was Wayne Smith (River Glade, NB), who drove the No. 68 car to the win during the Gunslinger event in August. Speaking of the No. 68 Moncton Chrysler Dodge entry, Michael Cormier (Grand-Barachois, NB) has been winning everything in sight recently at his home base of Petty Raceway. Cormier, a former winner at Speedway 660, hasn’t faired well in the Geary woods in 2020 though. In three starts, his average finish is 13th with a best finish of 12th. Cormier will look to change that statistic with a good run in the Ricky Bobby 150 presented by DMR Auto on Saturday evening.
Cole and Matchett have the most podium finishes this season, three for Cole and two for Matchett, without a trip to Riverview Ford Lincoln Victory Lane. The 2018 DMR Auto Street Stock Champion Shawn Hyslop (St. Stephen, NB) has three top five finishes in 2020 but has yet to crack the podium.
Fresh off two Atlantic Modified Tour wins in the last three weekends of competition, reigning Speedway Miramichi Street Stock champion Chris Wilson (South Esk, NB) leads an impressive list of drivers making their first Street Stock starts at 660 this season. A former Street Stock feature winner in Peter Martin (Saint John, NB) returns for the first time in 2020 for the Ricky Bobby 150 presented by DMR Auto. Cody Price (Nackawic, NB) is also pre-entered with hopes of making his first start of the year in the biggest Street Stock race of the season. Nick Chaisson (Brackley Beach, PE), Brandon Albert (Summerside, PE), Mike Duskey (Albany, PE) and Mitchell Arsenault (Summerside, PE) are all looking to make the haul across the Confederation Bridge worth it on Saturday evening. Of the quartet of Islanders making the trip, Arsenault has one previous 2020 start at Speedway 660, a sixth place effort on SpeedWeekend.
Luc McLaughlin (Geary, NB) has entered the race in the No. 00 ride usually campaigned by Karl Shaefer and Luke Dukeshire in hopes of becoming the first two-time Ricky Bobby 150 presented by DMR Auto champion. The now Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman Series and two-time DMR Auto Street Stock titlist will be in tough against the best in Street Stock racing in Atlantic Canada. Among the entries that will be knocking on the door of Riverview Ford Lincoln Victory Lane include 2013 track champion Roger Slocum (Chipman, NB), reigning Sharp Shooter champion Tristin Harris (Harvey, NB), rookie Caleb Urquhart (Charter’s Settlement, NB), 2016 Sharp Shooter champion Kyle MacKinnon (Lincoln, NB), former Enduro champion Chuck Mercer (Hebron, NB), Brad MacLean (Black River, NB), Bill Storey (Fredericton, NB) and many more.
EXPECTED ENTRY LIST – SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE
00 Luc McLaughlin – Geary, NB
2 Chuck Mercer – Hebron, NB
2W Chris Wilson – South Esk, NB
5 Scott Habkirk – Petitcodiac, NB
7 Tristin Harris – Harvey, NB
10 Patricia Taylor – Steeves Mountain, NB
11 Caleb Urquhart – Charter’s Settlement, NB
13 Brad MacLean – Black River, NB
15 Roger Slocum – Chipman, NB
22 Kyle MacKinnon – Lincoln, NB
25 Christian Savoie – Oromocto, NB
27 Nick Chaisson – Brackley Beach, PE
37 Brandon Albert – Summerside, PE
38 Justin Cole – Harvey, NB
44 Peter Martin – Saint John, NB
51 Mitchell Arsenault – Summerside, PE
51x Jared Tozer – Miramichi, NB
53 Vance McMillan – Saint John, NB
53S Bill Storey – Fredericton, NB
54 Matt Rodgers – Smithtown, NB
55 James Matchett – Miramichi, NB
68 Michael Cormier – Grand-Barachois, NB
71 Ricky Arbeau – Lincoln, NB
71H Matt Martin – Haneytown, NB
73 Ryan Bernard – Harvey, NB
77 Riley Goodwin – McAdam, NB
81 Cody Price – Nackawic, NB
85 Kenny Mackenzie Jr – Salisbury, NB
99 Shawn Hyslop – St Stephen, NB
99D Mike Duskey – Albany, PE
*as of September 23rd, subject to change without notice.
Speedway 660 would like to thank the various event sponsors for the Ricky Bobby 150 presented by DMR Auto, including All Accounting, Auto Value, Capital City Auto, Certa-Pro Painters, Crystal Clean, Cynthia and Pierre Charron RE/MAX, Dairy Queen, Debbie Foley – First Choice Realty, Dobbelsteyn Service and Maintenance, Fredericton Mitsubishi, GAP, Global Warrantly, Greer’s Mountain Salvage, Ideal Equipment, Jardine Auctioneers Inc., Lisa MacIntosh, Michelle Roy Realty, Miramichi Fall Brawl, National Alarm, Northside Ventilation, Paul Miller, Robert Minor, SRS Autobody, Waterfront Pub and Wilkins Signs.
The most competitive Late Model Sportsman division in Atlantic Canada will see their season come to a close on Saturday with a 40-lap feature presented by Martin’s Home Heating. The five Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman features have seen five different winners, including most recently Courtney O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB) on SpeedWeekend. Clark Moore (Saint John, NB), Brady Creamer (Miramichi, NB), reigning champion Curtis Collins (Saint John, NB) and Matt Rodgers all have checkered flags from the 2020 Sportsman season at 660. With only one checkered flag left, will we see a sixth different winner or will a driver walk off with their second Sportsman win of 2020?
When it comes to excitement, it is hard to beat the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters. The Four Cylinders will complete their 2020 season in the Geary woods Saturday as a part of the Ricky Bobby 150 presented by DMR Auto festivities. The last time the division raced was during the “SpeedWeekend Teaser” show on Friday evening of the Labour Day Weekend with Randy Storey (Royal Road, NB) coming through for the big win. With Rick Cashol lining up as his teammate for the weekend along with the stiff talent in the division like BJ Gillespie (Harvey, NB), Randy Titus (French Lake, NB), Darren Wilcox (Fredericton, NB), rookie Daniel Atyeo (Chipman, NB), Maggie Suttie (Keswick, NB), just to name a few, Saturday’s battle last checkered flag of 2020 will be a fierce one.
As previously announced, the RE/MAX East Coast Elite Pro Stocks will not compete on Saturday as the Pro Stock division has a race at Riverside International Speedway on Saturday. In addition, the previously scheduled October 10th event has been cancelled. More information on these changes can be found at Speedway660.com.
For the fourth straight season, children aged 15 and under will be admitted to the grandstands for free to every stock car event at Speedway 660. The admission structure makes it easier for families to attend race events at the track and received positive feedback from fans when implemented mid-season in 2017.
Adult grandstand admission price for Saturday’s Ricky Bobby Street Stock 150 presented by DMR Auto is $20 (aged 16 and up). Pit admission is $25 and is restricted to those 16 years of age and older. Tickets are available at the gate on race day. Pit gates for competitors will open at 12pm on Saturday, grandstand gates open for spectators at 4pm with racing getting underway at 5pm. A complete race day format will be available via the track’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/Speedway660, later in the week.
Please note, due to COVID-19 regulations in the Province of New Brunswick, Speedway 660 is required to collect contact information from every individual that attends this event.
For more information about the Saturday’s racing card, or any event at Speedway 660, visit Speedway660.com, like @Speedway660 on Facebook or call the Speedway 660 Raceline at (506) 454-7223.
About Speedway 660:
Speedway 660 is one of Canada’s premier stock car racing facilities. Located in New Brunswick’s Fredericton region, it attracts race teams and fans from the Maritimes, New England and Quebec. The Speedway 660 racing season runs from mid May until Labour Day Weekend. SpeedWeekend, one of the most prestigious short track events in eastern North America, wraps up Speedway 660’s racing season.