Banquets Honor 2015 Speedway 660, ESMCS, INEX Seasons

Feature Photo from Eastern Super Mini Cup Series PR

Three sanctioning bodies held their celebrations for the 2015 season last Saturday night.

In Miramichi, New Brunswick, the Eastern Super Mini Cup Series held their annual awards banquet. The series honored the top ten in points along with specialty awards. Matt Watson of Summerside, Prince Edward Island won the championship with the touring series in 2015, sweeping all seven feature race events. Mike Weagle accepted the Outstanding Rookie Performer Award, Steven Curtis was honored as the Most Dedicated Driver on the series, Chris Wilson was voted by his peers as the Most Sportsmanlike Driver and Mark Ferguson and Derek Goodwin shared the Headache Award following their scary crash at Petty International Raceway in August. In addition to the series championship, Watson picked up the Most Improved Driver and Best Looking Car Award for the series.

The Fredericton Inn played host to the 2015 Speedway 660 Awards Banquet on Saturday. Six champions from the season were honored including Lonnie Sommerville (RE/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock), Randy Moore (Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman), Robert Raynes (DMR Auto Street Stock), Kyle Boudreau (Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter), Ashton Tucker (Westwood Estate Apartments Bandolero) and Pat Sharpe (Capital City Auto Parts Enduro). The top three point finishers, along with the top ten in the Saturday night stock car divisions, were honored for their point finishes.

The capacity crowd was brought to its feet multiple times during the specialty awards portion of the evening. Wanda Campbell was honored with the Hughie Yorke Dedication to the Sport Award while Richard Atkinson received the Jordan Gahan Memorial Achievement Award. Lee Goodine received the Phil Cox Ironman Award. Ryan Messer’s #1 Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman division team was recognized as the Crew of the Year. Shawn Warren (Sportsman) and Alicia Mowat (Pro Stock) won Five Star Bodies vouchers from Tucker Racing Products via random draws.

The Most Improved Driver, Most Popular Driver, Rookie of the Year and Best Appearing Car Awards from the evening are as follows:

Most Improved Driver

Westwood Estates Apartments Bandolero: #43 Hudson Weston
Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters : #61 James McCoy
DMR Auto Sales and Service Street Stock: #94 Ryan Raynes
Martins Home Heating Sportsman: #91 Braxton Stafford
Re/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock: #52 Dustin Tucker

Most Popular Driver

Westwood Estates Apartments Bandolero: Mackenzie Brewer
Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters: #57 Malcolm Suley
DMR Auto Sales and Service Street Stock: #48 Courtney O’Blenis
Martins Home Heating Sportsman: #40 Richard Atkinson
Re/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock: #74 Alexandra O’Blenis

Best Appearing Car

Westwood Estates Apartments Bandolero: #32 Ashton Tucker
Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters: #21 Courtney Barton
DMR Auto Sales and Service Street Stock: #55 Lee Goodine
Martins Home Heating Sportsman: #38 Justin Cole
Re/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock: #2 John Rankin

Rookies of the Year                                                             

Westwood Estates Apartments Bandolero Division – #4 Adrian Stairs
Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters Division – #69 Noah Gillespie
DMR Auto Sales & Service Street Stock Division –#48 Courtney O’Blenis
Martins Home Heating Sportsman Division – #1 Ryan Messer
ReMax Group Four Realty Pro Stock Division – #74 Alexandra O’Blenis

Six Tim’s Corner Motorsports Best of 2015 Awards were also presented on Saturday in Fredericton. Brent Rowley of EIT Race Radios presented the EIT Race Radios Hometown Hero Award to Richard Atkinson. Larry Sommerville of Kings County Performance presented Courtney O’Blenis the Kings County Performance Rookie of the Year Award. Ashton Tucker was honored as the TCM Breakout Performer of the Year, Speedway 660 took the banner for the Fan Favorite Short Track Food for the second year in a row, Drew Greenlaw’s #23 Sportsman (pictured above, photo by Michelle Roy) was the recipient of the Finish Line Vinyl Design Best Looking Car and “The Camry Kid” Brent Roy received the banner for the TCM Most Popular Driver Award. Those four awards were presented on behalf of Tim’s Corner Motorsports by Stephanie Wilkins.

In Concord, North Carolina, the US Legend Cars International and INEX Banquet was held to honor state, provincial and national champions from the 2015 season. Among those being honored from Atlantic Canada included Bandolero Canadian East champions Austin MacDonald (Bandit) and Braden Langille (Outlaw), along with Legend Canadian East champions Cory Hall (Semi-Pro), Paul Goulden (Master), Adam Meehan (Young Lion) and Joey Lawson (Masters). Of note, Hall (seventh, Semi-Pro), Josh Langille (seventh – Bandit), MacDonald (fourth – Bandit) and Braden Langille (third – Outlaw) placed in the top ten overall in INEX points for their division.

In addition to the banquet, Adam and Emily Meehan also got some laps in during the INEX Winter Heat Series on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. In the 16-car Semi-Pro field, Emily finished eighth and Adam tenth in their debut at the Concord, NC track.

The next big event for INEX is Winter Nationals from February 14th to 19th at Orlando Speedworld in Orlando, Florida. Tim’s Corner Motorsports will have complete Canadian coverage of the event beginning next weekend.

Austin MacDonald (center) with his hardware from the 2015 INEX Banquet at The Speedway Club in Concord, North Carolina on Saturday. Joining Austin is his grandfather Rollie (left) and father Duff. MacDonald will be one of a dozen Eastern Canadian Bandolero and Legend teams competing at INEX Winter Nationals in Orlando, Florida beginning February 14th.