Petty International Raceway
MIKE STEVENS MEMORIAL WEEKEND BRINGS BIG RACES TO PETTY RACEWAY OVER TWO DAYS OF ACTION
Track Release/Photo by Tanya Everett
(RIVER GLADE, NB – October 5th, 2023) – If race fans have learned one thing over this 2023 season, change is the only constant. The weather forecast has once again impacted Petty International Raceway and the Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend, creating a crunch of a two day show on Friday, October 6th and Saturday, October 7th. The Street Stock 104 and the Late Model Sportsman 104, which serves as a point race for both the Petty International Raceway and Speedway 660 Sportsman Series along with the Maritime All Stars Series Auto World Late Model Sportsman Tour will anchor the Friday evening show, which has a start time of 7pm. The Mike Stevens Memorial Super Late Model 254, featuring a $20,000 prize to the winner, will be the marquee attraction on Saturday. Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics, Legends and Leisure Days RV Bandoleros play support to the Supers on Saturday. Racing begins on Saturday at 1pm.
With wet weather coming into town on Sunday, it has forced a slight schedule change to move the Mike Stevens Memorial Super Late Model 254 and the scheduled Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics powered by Conrad Bros event to Saturday. The Mike Stevens Memorial Super Late Model 254 features an expected entry list of 35 cars set to compete for a starting position in the event that will pay $20,000 to the winner of the event. With contingency awards scattered throughout the day for the Super Late Model stars, not to mention the $100 a lap to lead in the feature, the winner could pick up one of the richest paydays in Maritime stock car racing history with well north of $40,000 being possible for the champion.
Ashton Tucker (Lyttleton, NB) is fresh off a Super Late Model Series win at the track one week ago, pulling away from Cory Hall (Jolicure, NB) and the rest of the field to score the win. He’ll look for his first Mike Stevens Memorial title with several former event champions including Jonathan Hicken (New Glasgow, NS), Dylan Blenkhorn (Truro, NS) and reigning East Coast International Pro Stock Tour champion Craig Slaunwhite (Terence Bay, NS) looking to add a $20,000 payday to their resume.
10th Annual Mike Stevens Memorial Super Late Model 254
Entry List – As of October 5th
01 Troy Burke – Winsloe, PE
03 Steve Halpin – Saint John, NB
08 Nicholas Naugle – Dartmouth, NS
1 Ryan Messer – Harvey, NB
2 Ashton Tucker – Lyttleton, NB
4 Kent Vincent – Westmoreland, PE
5 Jonathan Hicken – New Glasgow, NS
9 John Rankin – St. Martin’s, NB
10 Devin Snell – Baxters Corner, NB
11 Marty Prevost – Fall River, NS
11V Jordan Veinotte – Porters Lake, NS
14 Adam Briggs – Lakeland, FL
16 Dylan Gosbee – Cornwall, PE
18 Darren MacKinnon – Charlottetown, PE
20 Greg Fahey – St. Stephen, NB
23 Lonnie Sommerville – Barnesville, NB
23P Preston Peltier – Brighton, CO
25 Ryan VanOirschot – Antigonish, NS
28 Tanton Wooldridge – Summerside, PE
29 Greg Proude – Springvale, PE
29T Austin Teras – Gray, ME
31 Chris Reid – Sydney, NS
40 Robbie MacEwen – Sherwood, PE
42 Kyle Reid – Sydney, NS
43 Hudson Weston – St. Martin’s, NB
52 Dustin Tucker – Royal Road, NB
54 Jarrett Butcher – Porters Lake, NS
67 Dylan Blenkhorn – Truro, NS
83 Cory Hall – Jolicure, NB
85 Kenny MacKenzie Jr – Salisbury, NB
88M Kevin Moore – Fredericton, NB
88S Russell Smith Jr – Lakeside, NS
94 Ryan Raynes – Saint John, NB
97 Chris Duncan – Hampton, NB
99 Craig Slaunwhite – Terence Bay, NS
Please note, the entry list is subject to change without notice. Of note, Austin MacDonald, Gary Elliott and Dave O’Blenis have all withdrew their entries due to prior commitments on the rescheduled weekend. Patrick LaPerle was scheduled to compete but is under the weather and unable to make the trip from St.-Denis, Quebec.
Friday’s Mike Stevens Memorial Sportsman 104 has major championship implications on both the Petty International Raceway and Speedway 660 Sportsman Championship and also the Maritime All Stars Series (MASS) Auto World Late Model Sportsman. In fact, both sanctioning bodies will crown champions in the race. Drew Greenlaw (Eastport, ME) took the win last weekend in the AJW Mechanical Sportsman feature at Petty International Raceway while Deven Smith (Lakeside, NS) was the most recent winner on the MASS Auto World Late Model Sportsman Series. Dylan Dowe (Bedford, NS) enters Friday with a comfortable point lead over Dennis Nickerson (Marshy Hope, NS) in the Tour standings and will look to clinch his first Late Model title. Greenlaw has a manageable lead on Courtney and Alexandra O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB) in the New Brunswick title chase. The Mike Stevens Memorial Sportsman 104 is presented in conjunction with AJW Mechanical, CB Warren’s Auto Care, Morse Industrial and St. Louis Bar and Grill.
The Friday portion of the Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend will also see the Street Stock division co-headlining the card presented by Stuff Your Stuff Commercial Storage and Arsenault Racing Engines. The division has belonged to Michael Cormier (Grand-Barachois, NB) and the Famous Blue Dodge this season with all four feature victories – and the $1,000 paydays that went with – going to the former track champion. Cormier will try to wrap up another crown this weekend Friday night, under the lights!
The Mister Transmission Mini Stocks will see their nailbiter of a championship point battle come down to the wire this Friday night. Four cars enter with only four points between them as they look for season long glory, along with the prestige of winning a feature on the Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend. The season will come down to Twin 44-lap features between point leader and former champion Rob Poirier (Irishtown, NB), reigning track champion Ryan McKnight (Sussex, NB), fan favorite Patricia Weagle (Steeves Mountain, NB) and season opener winner Donnie Pratt (Riverview, NB). While Pratt won the first two features of the season in the class, McKnight has answered with the last two checkered flags. Should they stumble – Nick Brun is only 16 points away from playing spoiler in the championship. Two-dozen Mini Stocks have competed at Petty International Raceway this season with more new and returning faces expected to compete on Friday evening.
The house Legend division will compete in two 44-lap features on the Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend – and with $1,000 to win on the line in both features it should attract some of the top names in the region to compete. One feature will go on Friday evening and one on Saturday with a track champion crowned at the end of Saturday’s feature. Special thanks to Sherwood Sawmills, MacDonald Automotive, CKG Elevator, MacDonald Automotive and Hann Automotive for their support of the Legends division on the Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend.
The Leisure Days RV Bandoleros will see their season completed on Saturday to kick off the second day of the Mike Stevens Memorial weekend. Daniel Vandenburg (Lower Onslow, NS) has had a perfect season but with several drivers looking to take the checkered flag on Mike Stevens Memorial weekend, he is sure to be challenged for the win while he focuses on the championship picture. In the Beginner division, Hudson Ruff (Long Reach, NB) has a firm grip on the championship standings as he looks for a second straight Leisure Days RV Bandolero Beginner championship.
The closest championship battle heading into the final race of the season comes in the Kings County Performance Women on Wheels division. Gail Thebeau is the defending track champion but has youngster Makayla Weagle tied with her for the championship. Weagle has won the last two races and will look to complete the season with not only her third win of the year but with the championship. The Women will take to the track on Friday evening.
The Atlantic Modified Tour (Friday) and the Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics powered by Conrad Bros (Saturday) will also bring their unique brand of touring series action to the Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend. Of note, Hall of Famers Greg Sewart and Frank Fraser will return to the track and rekindle memories in the Subaru of Moncton Classic on Saturday.
Full ticketing information for both days of racing and race day formats for both Friday and Saturday are available on the Petty International Raceway website (www.pettyraceway.com) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/PettyInternationalRaceway). Please note, should weather further interfere with the Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend or announcements need to be made, the first point of contact to the race track is the Facebook page for the latest information.
Special thanks to NAPA Salisbury & Petitcodiac, R. Stevens Mechanical, Brycon Construction, Archibald Drilling & Blasting, CPM, G. Bourque, Roadway Systems Limited, Atlantic Tiltload and St. Louis Bar and Grill for their contributions to the 10th Annual Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend and the Mike Stevens Memorial Super Late Model 254.
Tim’s Corner Motorsports TV will have a video crew at Petty to provide full event coverage. You can watch the race LIVE or On-Demand by heading to www. TimsCorner.tv and getting your Event Pass.
For complete, up-to-date information on Petty International Raceway, please visit PettyRaceway.com, follow us on Twitter (@PettyRaceway_NB) and like us on Facebook (@PettyInternationalRaceway).
About Petty International Raceway:
Petty International Raceway is located on Highway 106, just 40 km west of Moncton, New Brunswick. To learn more about Petty International Raceway, its location, admission, policies, history, and more, please visit www.PettyRaceway.com
