(Aug. 31, 2017) Atlantic Canada’s most anticipated stock car racing event of the season runs from Friday to Sunday at Speedway 660 near Geary, New Brunswick. SpeedWeekend 2017 will showcase the best Pro Stock and Sportsman drivers in eastern North America. Five other classes, including three regional racing tours, are also on the schedule.

“Fans are going to see eastern Canada’s best racing of the season, all in one place, during SpeedWeekend” said Speedway 660’s Max Roy. “The McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 and Martin’s Home Heating 150 are the marquee events, but we’ve also got several other amazing races lined up to entertain our race fans.”

The McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 will see a virtual who’s who from Speedway 660’s weekly Pro Stock Division, the Pro All Star Series and the Maritime Pro Stock Tour. The best Sportsman teams, from all over the Maritimes, will also be on hand for the Martin’s Home Heating 150.

Joey Doiron, who won in 2016, will be back to try to become the first driver ever to win the McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 in back-to-back years. Cassius Clark, Lonnie Sommerville and Johnny Clark, who have each won the race twice, will also be trying to go to victory lane.Joey Doiron won almost $18 thousand last year when he won the 250. Joey hopes to meet up with Andy Fox, from McLaughlin Roof Trusses, on Sunday night in victory lane.  

“The McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 is a tough race to win and we were pretty excited when we scored the victory last year at Speedway 660” said Doiron. “The competition is really stiff and 660 is one of the most challenging tracks we go to so it won’t be easy, but we think we’ve got a real good chance to do something special this weekend.”

Brent Roy, Speedway 660’s 2017 Pro Stock champion, leads the local contingent of drivers. Ashton Tucker, Ryan Messer, Greg Fahey, Dave O’Blenis and Big Kevin Moore are among the other strong contenders, from the RE/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock division.

Dave O’Blenis, a five time RE/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock champion, has won lots of big Pro Stock and Sportsman races over the years. But it’s been 15 years since he’s won the McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250!

“We won back in 2002, but that was a long time ago and the competition has become really intense as the McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 and SpeedWeekend have grown to become the major racing attraction in the Maritimes” said O’Blenis. “We’ve come close a couple of times in the last few years and are pretty happy with the way the car is running right now, so we’re anxious to come to SpeedWeekend and see if this is the year we can get back to victory lane.”

The McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 is one of the richest short-track races in Canada. The winner pockets $15,000 and there’s over $15,000 in Contingency Awards. More than $110,000 in prize money is available to drivers during SpeedWeekend. Friday evening’s massive infield party is a great way to kick off SpeedWeekend. 

SpeedWeekend begins at 7PM on Friday with an evening of entertainment which includes the popular infield party, family corn-boil, bonfire and concert with country-rockers Mucky Fingers. The weekend racing schedule is highlighted by the Martin’s Home Heating 150 on Saturday evening and the McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 on Sunday.

Racing gets underway Saturday at 6:30PM with qualifying heats for the Sportsman 150. There will be a lot of strong list of local contenders in the Sportsman race including the 2017 Martin’s Home Heating Champion John Rankin; Drew Greenlaw who was second in points and; Rookie of the Year Award winner Curtis Collins.  John Rankin is having a a dream season at Speedway 660. John, who has already won the Martin’s Home Heating 100 and Firecracker 150, would love to complete the hat-trick on Saturday night.  

Several visiting drivers including: Laurie Cormier, Luc Bourgeois,  Pete Miller, Russell Smith Jr. and Jordan Vienotte are expected to be at Speedway 660 for the Sportsman race as well. On Saturday evening fans will also see the MJS Holdings East Coast Mini Stock Tour run the Pub’s Drive Thru Bottle Exchange 50; the Martime League of Legends Tour’s A.L. Gullison DKI 50, presented by Ideal Equipment and; the Tim’s Corner Bandolero Blast.

Qualifying for the McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 gets underway at 2PM on Sunday. Fans will also see the Fredericton Mitsubishi Sharp Shooter 40; the Atlantic Canada Regional Council of Carpenters, Millwrights and Allied Workers Street Stock 50 and; round two of the TCM Bando Blast. Once the qualifying and the support class features are complete, the 250 takes the green flag at 7PM Sunday night. Twenty-eight drivers will get down to some serious business right around 7PM on Sunday evening. But only one of them will go to victory lane as the winner of the 2017 edition of the McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250.

There are still a few campsites available for the weekend. Fans interested in camping or purchasing advance SpeedWeekend event tickets are encouraged to call the Speedway 660 raceline at 506-454-7223. Businesses and individuals interested in sponsoring Contingency Awards, including laps in the 250, are also invited to call the race line.

“We want to thank all of our weekly fans, visiting fans, local and visiting race teams, as well as our employees and volunteers who all have helped us grow SpeedWeekend into this amazing event” said Max Roy. “Andy Fox, from McLaughlin Roof Trusses, Richard and Anne Martin, from Martin’s Home Heating and our other marketing partners, have also played a major role in making SpeedWeekend one of Canada’s best racing events.”

SpeedWeekend Ticket Prices

$57.50 – Weekend Camping

$2 Friday Infield Party, Family Corn-Boil – Mucky Fingers Concert.

Saturday & Sunday Two Day Race Tickets

$75 Adult (General Admission)
$85 Adult (includes Reserved seating for Sunday)
$15 Adult Wknd Pit Passes

Saturday ONLY Tickets

$30 Adult (General Admission)
$5 Adult Pit Pass

Sunday ONLY Tickets

$50 Adult (General Admission)
$60 Adult (Reserved seating)
$10 Adult Pit Pass
Notes: Admission to all Speedway 660 events, including SpeedWeekend, is FREE for fans 15 years of age and younger. Adult tickets are for fans 16 years of age and older. Reserved seating is only available for Sunday. Pit Passes are only available for fans 18 years of age and older. HST is included in the ticket prices. 

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, is always a fitting way to wrap up Speedway 660’s racing season