(June 13, 2016) Wanda Campbell is in a Saint John hospital recovering from a pretty serious surgery. Wanda has played an integral role in the success of Speedway 660 for over 15 years. I think her official title is Office Manager, but Wanda is best known as the person who gets things done and makes things happen. We’ll start off this edition of the Weekly wishing Wanda good health and a speedy recovery. 

 Got Questions – Ask Wanda!

Anyone who has spent any time around Speedway 660, over the last decade and a half, knows Wanda Campbell. She’s always loved racing and many years ago was involved in the old Hammond River Speedway, near her home in Quispamsis.

A few years after Speedway 660 opened Wanda showed up and the next thing you know she displayed her impressive organizational skills and the rest, as they say, is history. Wanda is not only respected by everyone in the Geary Woods, she is loved.Wanda is pretty busy on race days and you better clear the way when she rips through the pits in her golf cart.

Her grandson MacKenzie Brewer, a graduate of our bandolero division, calls his grandmother Gram. And that’s what all of the other bando kids started calling her and now all of the drivers call Wanda Gram.Wanda’s grandson, MacKenzie Brewer, and her husband Brian Campbell ran a competitive bandolero car the last few years here at 660. BTW MacKenzie was the driver and Brian was the crew chief!

Last weekend the drivers put stickers on their cars that said: “Get Well Soon Gram”. And in their on-track post race interviews, almost every driver took time to wish Wanda a speedy recovery. Rick Cashol, Rob Raynes, Lonnie Sommerville, Dave and Alexandra O’Blenis, John Rankin, Destiny Enkel, Brent Roy and Drew Greenlaw were among those who wished Wanda, I mean Gram, all the best. And some of the older vets had a tear in their eye and a voice that crackled.

Things just aren’t the same around Speedway 660, but I know Wanda is going to follow doctor’s orders, get well and return to the Geary Woods. In the meantime Mrs. Roy, Mrs. Foley, Michelle Roy and several other people are all pitching in to do the thousand and one things Wanda does every race week.Our drivers displayed these heart shaped decals on their cars last Saturday to encourage Wanda to make a speedy recovery.

Last week, in this space, I said you would have to go a long way before you found a weekly racing event to match what you see at Speedway 660. Last Saturday night our drivers, in all four divisions, proved that point in a big way. What a show! Every feature was incredible. Cautions were few and far between and it took a little less than three hours to make it all happen. Now that’s a formula for exciting family entertainment.All of the features were awesome last week, but if I had to pick a highlight it would have to be the sensational performance by Destiny Enkel (#52) in our 30 lap street stock race. She ran door to door with Rick Cashol and Rob Raynes and remained solid like a rock, winning her first ever street stock feature!

And that brings us to this week’s agenda. Come Saturday night the Martins Home Heating Sportsman 125 is the big attraction. It’s the first of three longer sportsman races. The others are the Clark Chevrolet Firecracker 150 on July 23^rd and the Irving Blending & Packaging 150 on SpeedWeekend.

You’ll see our weekly sportsman stars, as well as a handful of pro stockers, who happen to have sportsman cars, and a few out of towners too. The Martins Home Heating 125 is always one of the best shows of the year and thanks to Richard and Anne Martin this race attracts an incredible field of competitors.  Dave O’Blenis won the Irving Blending & Packaging 150 on SpeedWeekend 2015 and has to be considered one of the favourites heading into this year’s first big sportsman race.

Dave O’Blenis, a five time Re/Max Group Four Realty pro stock champ, has ruled the roost recently when it comes to the big sportsman races. But that could change on Saturday night. Last week Dave showed up in his sportsman car for a little tune-up before the Martins Home Heating 125. He had a great car and drove an almost perfect race, but Dave’s daughter Alexandra got to the stripe first and won the 40 lap feature.

It’s likely we’ll see Lonnie Sommerville and Matt Harris provide some stiff competition in this race. I’m sure there’ll be a few cars from the Moncton area and perhaps Nova Scotia here too. And don’t count out our weekly sportsman drivers. They love the competition and are anxious to go all out to win the MHH 125.Our weekly sportman drivers are pretty excited heading into this weekend. They know the competition is going to be stiff, but they are going to give it their best shot come Saturday night!

Moving right along, we had to cancel the first Capital City Auto Parts ENDURO 200 last Sunday. As it turned out inclement weather would have washed out the race, but there was a shortage of pre-registered cars. I know its tough moving away from the old rear wheel drive cars to the newer front wheel drives, but here’s hoping that we’ll have enough cars to put on a show for our great ENDURO fans on July 16^th.

I’ve overstayed my welcome and am running short on words, but I just want to end by wishing Wanda Campbell all the best as she recovers in a Saint John hospital. We all miss you and want you to get well as soon as possible.

The Martins Home Heating Sportsman 125 is happening this weekend.

We’ll see you at the races!