Maritime Racing
TCM Three Stars and Weekend Agenda – June 2nd 2016
While the last weekend throughout Atlantic Canada was relatively quiet compared to this one, there were still some pretty impressive performances put up by drivers within the region. Three of those drivers made the TCM Three Stars, two of whom made the list in relief roles for other drivers that couldn’t make it to the track on the last weekend of May.
Without further adieu, here are the TCM Three Stars for the weekend of May 28th and 29th.
THIRD STAR
Gerald Hicks of Conception Bay South, NL
Like Lonnie Sommerville did the night prior at Speedway 660, Gerald Hicks was in firm control of his Late Model feature seemingly from the drop of the green flag Sunday at Eastbound Park.
Hicks passed Shannon Squires early in what was a 60-lap NAPA Auto Parts Sportsman race and would dominate the feature. The #30 was lightning quick on restarts and would walk out to sizeable leads in between the caution flags sprinkled throughout the feature. After a couple laps of green, no driver showed the speed that Hicks had.
In a season full of eyes on Eastbound Park following their announcement of joining the NASCAR Home Tracks program, Hicks is making a strong case to become the province’s first NASCAR champion.
SECOND STAR
Matt Rodgers of Smithtown, NB
A convincing win in the Sportsman division at Speedway 660 followed up by a sixth place finish in his Pro Stock debut without a scratch on the car is deserving of a TCM Three Star selection.
Rodgers drove through the field in the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman feature at Speedway 660 like a hot knife through butter, running down Alexandra O’Blenis and virtually leaving the field to take the win in Drew Greenlaw’s #23 car.
Moments later, he hopped aboard his red and yellow #42 Pro Stock and made his debut in that class. Rodgers hung out in the top ten for a majority of the 50-lap feature and was able to bring his car through the smoke and dust (literally at times) to finish sixth without a scratch on his new ride.
His finish is the highest of any Pro Stock rookie at Speedway 660 this season in the massive Clattenburg Racing Fabrication Rookie Challenge presented by GD Fabrication class. Keep an eye on him throughout the year, he might also be the first rookie of the 2016 class to win a race in that class before long.
FIRST STAR
Ryan St. George of Heart’s Delight, NL
Ryan St. George made the best of what could be his only start of the 2016 racing season.
St. George, who was a front runner in the Hanlon Realty Legends division at Eastbound Park in 2015, sold his race car over the winter to focus on things outside of racing.
After the second race in the season, he found himself not only in a race car but holding a checkered flag. St. George was substituting for Phil Fowler, who was playing hockey in Las Vegas on the weekend. St. George swept the day, winning his heat race and holding off a hard charging Week One winner in Ryan Murray and Jason Weir to grace the top of the podium. The win was the first for the Hanlon Realty team and Fowler upheld his end of the deal as well – his team won gold in Nevada!
Whether we see St. George back behind the wheel of a race car this season or not remains a question but thus far in 2016 he is two for two in races he has entered!
WEEKEND AGENDA
The Weekend Agenda takes a bit of a different look this year, but will give you a quick glance at the basics. If a track is racing, you’ll see the track name and location in green and if a track is not running an event on a weekend, their name and location will be red. The line proceeding will display the divisions running on the weekend and a start time, or a date of when the next event is at the track. If a track has provided us a pre-race advance or press release by Thursday afternoon, that information will be linked.
NOVA SCOTIA
Cape Breton Miners Memorial Speedway in Sydney: “Season Opener” on Saturday, June 4th at 2pm; Ramsay’s Honda Mini Stock 100, Saf-way Auto Parts Street Stock 50, NAPA Sportsman Series Cape Breton Trailer Sales 50
Lake Doucette Motor Speedway in Salmon River (outside of Digby): Season Opener on Sunday, June 5th at 1pm; Four Cylinder Mens and Ladies, V8 Sportsman, V8 Stock.
Riverside International Speedway in James River: OFF – Next Race on Saturday, June 11th at 6pm
Scotia Speedworld in Enfield: Weekly Racing Series on Friday, June 3rd at 7pm; Coors Light Trucks (Makeup Feature from May 22nd + Regular Event), Affordable Fuels Sportsman, Toursec Thunder, Toursec Lightning, Strictly Hydraulics Legends | PRE-RACE ADVANCE HERE
Valley Raceway in Kingston: Point Racing on Sunday, June 5th at 1pm; Unlimited, V8, Four Cylinder
NEW BRUNSWICK
Petty International Raceway in River Glade: Trent Blakney Towing and Excavating 100 on Saturday, June 4th at 6pm; Sportsman 100, Extreme Window and Entrance Systems Street Stocks, Mister Transmission Mini Stocks, Leisure Days RV Bandoleros, Women on Wheels, Atlantic Modified Tour | PRE-RACE ADVANCE HERE
Shediac CENTRE For Speed in Grand-Barachois: OFF – Next Event on Saturday, June 18th
Speedway 660 in Geary: McLaughlin Roof Trusses Best of the Best 150 on Saturday, June 4th at 6:30pm; Re/Max Group Four Realty Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman, Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters | PRE-RACE ADVANCE HERE
Speedway Miramichi in Miramichi: OFF – Next Event on Saturday, June 11th at 6pm
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Oyster Bed Speedway in Oyster Bed Bridge: Weekly Point Series on Sunday, June 5th at 2pm – Late Model, Street Stock, Mini Stock 30 Super Series #1, Outlaw, Eastern Super Mini Cup Series
NEWFOUNDLAND
Eastbound Park in Avondale: World Series of Monster Trucks – Three shows from Friday to Sunday; Monster Trucks, Tuff Trucks, Sportsman, Legends | FURTHER INFORMATION HERE
Thunder Valley Speedway in Bishop’s Falls: OFF – Next Event on Sunday, June 12th at 2pm.
TCM Coverage Schedule – Weekend Three of 2016
Friday, June 3rd – Scotia Speedworld – Weekly Racing Series – 7pm AT (Race Six of 2016)
Saturday, June 4th – Speedway 660 – McLaughlin Roof Trusses Best of the Best 150 – 6:30pm AT (Race Seven of 2016)
Sunday, June 5th – Oyster Bed Speedway – Weekly Point Racing – 2pm AT (Race Eight of 2016)
**Schedule Subject to Change Without Notice