(Sept 5, 2015) Dave O’Blenis claimed his third straight SpeedWeekend Sportsman 150 on Saturday night at Speedway 660. But this Irving I24-150 victory was a lot more difficult, for the Boundary Creek driver, than the other two. O’Blenis pitted shortly after halfway to make an adjustment on the car and then had to start at the back before passing the entire field of cars to register the win! 

 Back to victory lane for O’Blenis!

“We’re exactly where we wanted to be tonight with our Irving Blending and Packing Sportsman car in Victory Lane” said Dave O’Blenis. “Irving has supported us for almost a decade and to be able to come here and win the Irving I24 Sportsman 150 for them is incredible.”Dave O’Blenis (center) won the Irving I24 Sportsman 150 Saturday night at SpeedWeekend. Wayne Smith (right) and Laurie Cormier finished second and third.

Lonnie Sommerville led the first 73 laps before a problem with the motor forced him to retire. That opened the door for Wayne Smith who picked up the $700 Pub’s Bottle Drive Through Bottle Exchange halfway challenge. Smith also pocketed the $1000 Contingency Award sponsored by Farrell’s Excavating. Sommerville picked up a $300 Martin’s Home Heating bonus earlier in the race.

Smith finished second behind O’Blenis, while Laurie Cormier drove his car to a third place finish. Sommerville, O’Blenis and George Jamieson won the Sportsman qualifying heat races in front of a near capacity crowd at Speedway 660.

“We were pretty good, but after Dave pitted and made adjustments on his car I knew we were in trouble when he came back to the front that quickly” said Smith. “When he caught us I knew it was only a matter of time before he’d take the lead, but you know what, we had a blast here tonight and are happy with second.”

The Atlantic Modified Tour was part of the Irving Blending & Packaging SpeedWeekend undercard on Saturday night. Mike Raeburn won their 35 lap feature ahead of Drew Betts and Brandon Skidmore. Betts and Joe Hoyt won the AMT heat races.

Ashton Tucker won his heat race and the feature in Westwood Estate Apartments Bandolero action.  Michael Cormier came home second for his best ever Speedway 660 Bando finish. Austin MacDonald was third in the Bando feature and also won the other heat race.

On Sunday, Irving Blending & Packaging SpeedWeekend continues with Pro Stock, Street Stock and Sharp Shooter action. At 2PM qualifying gets underway for the Irving Blending & Packaging Pro Stock 250. O’Blenis, a former 250 winner, will attempt to become the first driver ever to win the Sportsman and Pro Stock races on the same SpeedWeekend. But there are lots of great cars from as far away as New England, Quebec, Newfoundland and all of the Maritime Provinces.

The Irving Blending and Packaging 250 will star at approximately 7PM on Sunday evening.

Sportsman and Bandolero feature results, SpeedWeekend 2015  Irving I24 Sportsman 150

1. Dave O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB), 2. Wayne Smith, 3. Laurie Cormier (Grand Barachois, NB), 4. Brent Roy (Hanwell, NB), 5. Kyle Reid (Fort McMurray, ), 6. Russell Smith (Lakeside, ), 7. Andrew Rodgers (Smithtown, NB), 8. Dawson McIntee (Moncton, NB), 9. Randy Moore (Saint John, NB), 10. Richard Atkinson (Haneytown, NB), 11. Luc Bourgeois (Moncton, NB), 12. Cal Hatfield (Rothesay, NB), 13. Drew Greenlaw (Eastport, ME), 14. Will Farrell, 15. Chris Reid (Fort McMurray, ), 16. James Matchett, 17. Waylon Farrell, 18. George Jamieson (Fredericton, NB), 19. Braxton Stafford, 20. Lonnie Sommerville (Saint John, NB), 21. Byron Bartlett (Quispamsis, NB), 22. Matt Maillet (Burton, NB), 23. Kirk Jardine (Oromocto, NB), 24. Alexandra O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB), 25. Ryan Messer (Harvey, NB), 26. Justin Cole (Harvey , NB), 27. Shawn Warren (Waasis, NB), 28. Matt Rodgers (Smithtown, NB), 29. Kyle Carr (Saint John, NB), 30. Jeff Doherty

Westwood Estate Apartments Bandoleros

1. Ashton Tucker (Lyttleton, NB), 2. Michael Cormier (Moncton, NB), 3. Austin MacDonald, 4. Hudson Weston (Saint John, NB), 5. Joahua Langille, 6. Mackenzie Brewer (Quispamsis, NB), 7. Riley Goodwin, 8. Austin Tanner, 9. Greg Butler, 10. Malcolm Jollimore, 11. Adrian Stairs, 12. Nathen Blackburn