Gaudet, Lawson, Hartley and Gulliver Open CFS Season With Wins

CFS kicked off its 2014 stock car calendar on Sunday, June 22nd.  The event was the first event of 2014 for the Maritime Super Series of stock cars which was previously rain dated twice before clear skies prevailed on Sunday despite threatening conditions throughout most of the rest of the Southeast.   “We see this fairly frequently here where we’re located.   Weather that affects others sometimes misses us and this was one of those weekends.  It’s both a bit of a blessing and a bit of a curse at the same time,” said promoter and GM Tim Wile.   This event also featured the first event of 2014 for the Atlantic Modified Tour.

In the Atlantic Modified Tour 50 dash lap main feature, the winner was former Pro Stock competitor, No. 51, “Lightning” Larry Gulliver of Saint John taking advantage of lap traffic to pass race leader Mike Raeburn. Thirteen year old racing sensation Ryan Messer of Fredericton also managed the pass at the same time making an impressive debut at Atlantic Canada biggest and fastest asphalt oval.  The defending tour champion Mike “Sparky” Raeburn of Hampton, NB was unable to regain the lead with only a few laps remaining in the race and settled for third.  Gulliver and Messer won the heats while Raeburn won the Semi.

In the Late Model Sportsman division, reigning Atlantic Champion Remi Gaudet showed an extra year hasn’t slowed him down as he held off the best efforts of a hard charging Craig “The Thrill Maker” Ward of Riverview to take the win.  Ward lived up to his billing as he placed a lot of paint across the rear bumper of the 22 during the final laps of the event and had both cars sideways more than once but could not manage to overtake the masterful Gaudet.  Bert Cormier of Bouctouche placed third hot on Ward’s tail hoping to take advantage of a mistake by either Ward or Gaudet, but it was not to be.  Gaudet won the 10 lap heat and Ward took home the 20-lap Semi.

In the Street Stocks, Kenny Hartley of Quispamsis took home the win while the only other competitor, Martin Landry of Grand Barachois, had mechanical difficulties with his day ending early.

 In the Mini Stock the winner of the Heat, Semi and features was the #81 of JR Lawson of Shubenacadie, a regular competitor at Scotia Speedworld in NS.  Eldon Campbell of Moncton made a successful return to racing at CFS taking 2nd while former track champ, Brad Daley wheeled a new #66 into third in it’s first outing at the CENTRE.

The Centre for Speed’s next event is June 26th-28th, when they’re hosting the East to West Music Festival, Canada’s largest Christian music festival. The Center for Speed’s next stock car event is Saturday, July 5th at 7 PM with Round No. 2 of the Maritime Super Series of stock cars – “The Battle of the Bridge – PEI Invitational”.