(May 22, 2016) Speedway 660 kicked off its 23^rd season in fine fashion on Sunday afternoon. The biggest opening day crowd in recent years was treated to a great day of racing at the Riverview Ford Season Opener and Kid’s Day. There were half a dozen rookies in the Re/Max Group Four Realty Pro Stock Division, but when the dust settled a five time champion stood alone in victory lane. 

 

Dave O’Blenis won the 50 lap pro stock feature ahead of Matt Harris and Kevin Moore. Lonnie Sommerville, Greg Fahey, John Rankin and Derek Christie took turns leading the race, but each ran into difficulties before O’Blenis inherited the lead at lap 40. Sommerville and Rankin won the pro stock heat races earlier in the afternoon.

“We definitely didn’t have the best car today, but we had a little luck on our side so we’ll take the win, go home, try to make the car better and come back next week and see what we can do” said O’Blenis. “I was a little nervous when we took the lead with ten to go because I saw what happened to all of the earlier leaders, but we were in the right spot at the right time and it feels pretty good to start the season off with a win.”Dave O’Blenis and his team visit the Riverview Ford Victory Lane after winning the season opener pro stock feature.

Ryan Messer had a great afternoon too. The grade ten student from Harvey, who was the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman Rookie of the Year in 2015 won the first sportsman feature of the season. Messer won the 40 lap feature just ahead of Drew Greenlaw, a grade 12 student from Eastport, Maine. Veteran Richard Atkinson finished third. Messer and Atkinson were winners in the sportsman heat races.

“We only won one feature in our rookie season and it took us until late August last year to get to victory lane, so it’s really great to get the win in the season opener” said Messer. “Drew is an awesome driver and he sure put a lot of pressure on me, but I knew he would run me clean and I’m pretty happy to be able to hold him off for this win.”Ryan Messer was all smiles on Sunday afternoon after winning the sportsman feature. Ryan is one of the best young stock car drivers in Atlantic Canada!

Robert Raynes, the 2015 DMR Auto Sales Street Stock champion, had a terrific start to the season by winning the feature and his heat race. Raynes took the feature win over Courtney O’Blenis and five time street stock champion Rick Cashol, who won the other heat race.

Neil Miousse took the checkered flag in the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter feature. Kyle Boudreau was second, while Curtis Collins came home third. Bryan Suttie won the sharp shooter heat race.

There was lots of fun for everyone during Kid’s Day and the Riverview Ford Season Opener at Speedway 660. Everyone was invited to the pits before the races to meet the drivers and see the cars. And the annual candy scramble was held on the front stretch during intermission.Before the races everyone got to head down to the pits to meet their favourite drivers and see the cars. This is always a treat for Speedway 660’s youngest fans.

Next Saturday at 6:30PM Speedway 660 hosts its first night race of the season. Then on Saturday, June 4^th the Best of the Best Pro Stock 150 takes center stage in the Geary Woods.

Re/Max Group Four Realty Pro Stock Feature

1. Dave O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB), 2. Matt Harris (Fredericton Jct., NB), 3. Kevin Moore (Fredericton, NB), 4. Greg Fahey (St. Stephen, NB), 5. Robert Tomlinson (Arthurette, NB), 6. John Rankin (St.Martins, NB), 7. Lonnie Sommerville (Saint John, NB), 8. Ashton Tucker (Lyttleton, NB), 9. Kevin Boyle (Hampton, NB), 10. Brent Roy (Hanwell, NB), 11. Dustin Tucker (Fredericton, NB), 12. Jeff Doherty, 13. Derek Christie (Fredericton, NB), 14. Devin Snell (Saint John, ), 15. Glyn Nott (Burton, NB), 16. Ian Rasmussen, 17. Jon Gahan, 18. Braxton Stafford.

Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman Feature

1. Ryan Messer (Harvey, NB), 2. Drew Greenlaw (Eastport, ME), 3. Richard Atkinson (Haneytown, NB), 4. George Jamieson (Fredericton, NB), 5. Jacob Logan (Harvey, NB), 6. Alexandra O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB), 7. Shawn Warren (Waasis, NB), 8. Justin Cole (Harvey , NB), 9. Corey Collins (Fredericton, ), 10. Ryan Raynes, 11. Kyle Orr (Saint John, NB), 12. Hudson Weston (Saint John, NB)

DMR Auto Sales Street Stock Feature

1. Robert Raynes (Summerville, NB), 2. Courtney O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB), 3. Rick Cashol (Saint John, NB), 4. Destiny Enkel (Saint John, NB), 5. Ryan Richard, 6. Roger Slocum (Chipman, NB), 7. Noah Gillespie, 8. Andre Lahaye, 9. Riley Goodwin, 10. Randy Campbell (Quispamsis, NB), 11. Courtney Barton (Minto, NB),

Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter Feature

1. Neil Miousse (Fredericton, NB), 2. Kyle Boudreau, 3. Curtis Collins, 4. Bryan Suttie (Keswick, NB), 5. Allison Hall, 6. Adam Gravel, 7. Grey Owl, 8. Matt Crocker (Fredericton, NB), 9. Kyle MacKinnon