Following a long winter, the 2015 race season is fast approaching for the Eastern Super Mini Cup Series. When the cars hit the track in just over a month, it will kick off the 5th season of racing for the series. The 2014 season, which was the first with a new sealed-engine package, was one for the ages with lots of exciting racing and close finishes, and 2015 is shaping up to be even better.
A great schedule has been put in place, consisting at 8 races at tracks in New Brunswick, and on Prince Edward Island. Of the 8 races, 4 races will be at Speedway Miramichi, including the season opener on May 31st. The other races will be June 20th, August 15th, and August 29th, however the series is hoping to switch one of those dates in favour of a date at the Chi City Showdown on September 19th. Oyster Bed Speedway will play host to the Mini Cup cars twice during the tracks 30th Anniversary season, with races on June 27th, and July 18th. The annual stop at Petty International Raceway will happen on Caleb Dunn Memorial Weekend, which goes green on August 2nd. To wrap up the season, a champion will be crowned during the 16th Annual Atlantic Championships, October 3rd and 4th at the Centre for Speed.
With 2014 Series Champion Amanda Wheatley moving up to Street Stock, a new champion will be crowned in October. After finishing runner up in 2014, Chris Wilson will be hoping to improve his final points position the only way he can, by winning the championship. Wilson came very close to capturing feature wins on several occasions last year, and this time around he hopes to put his new #2 car in victory lane. But he will have stiff competition from the rest of the field, including reigning rookie of the year Mark Ferguson. Consistent performances propelled Ferguson to a 3rd place finish in points, but he is hoping to find victory lane in his sophomore season. Derek Goodwin was also a strong competitor last year, as he picked up a career best 4th place finish in points. Goodwin will also be looking to get the monkey off his back and score his first feature win. He currently sits 2nd on the all-time top 5’s lists for the series, meaning he has scored the most top 5 finishes without scoring a feature win. Expect that to change in 2015.
Be sure to keep an eye on Steven Curtis this year. After picking up his first podium finish, and running up front in several races last year, Curtis could be poised to have a breakout season in 2015. Don Gaudet could also be in store for a breakout season, after suffering several seasons of bad luck. Gaudet will be switching to #3 in 2015. He hopes the new number will bring some good luck with it. Another returning driver is hoping experience will pay off this season. We’ll get to Eric Goodfellow’s decision to set his helmet aside in 2015, but with Goodfellow not competing, Kirk Sheasgreen will become the only driver to compete in all 5 seasons of the series. 2014 did not go as planned for Sheasgreen, as he suffered from some terrible luck after finishing 2nd in points in 2013. Watch for the 43 car to rebound and be near the front when the green flag flies this year.
A handful of rookies look to make their presence known this year. After purchasing the car that won the championship last year, Patricia Taylor and Mike Weagle will share driving responsibilities behind the wheel of the #16. Mike and Patricia each have several years of experience racing 4 Cylinders, which they will be racing in addition to the mini cup car. They will be racing in support of Chase the Racecar Fundraising, so be sure to check them out on Facebook. After a few years of driving karts, Kyle Maher will be looking to find success after purchasing the former #48 car from Eric Goodfellow. Maher will be driving the #87 car. Meanwhile, PEI’s Peter Murphy also looks to make his presence known after purchasing the former #20/25 car. These drivers will all be competing for the Rookie of the Year Award, in addition to the championship, in 2015.
Over the off-season, the announcement was made that a $2000 points fund will be up for grabs this year. The points fund will be spread out among the top positions in points. While exactly how much will be awarded to each position is still TBD, every driver will want to take home the lion’s share of the purse by winning the championship. If you want to get in on the action, and have a shot at the new point’s fund, there are several cars for sale! One of those cars is the #55 that Matt Watson took to victory lane last August at Oyster Bed Speedway. You can contact Don Gaudet for more info. Don also has the former #10 car for sale too!
As mentioned, Eric Goodfellow will not be driving in 2015. He will still be at every race, but with a different view of them as he takes over the role of Race Director this season. Goodfellow has raced with the series since 2011, after competing for a few years in the Demolition class at the former Blue Mountain Speedway, and the tracks that is now known as Speedway Miramichi.
There’s still just over a month until we see the green flag fly, but be sure to stay tuned to Tim’s Corner Motorsports, and the Eastern Super Mini Cup Series Facebook page for more news as drivers prepare their cars for racing. Be sure to keep an eye out for a new website for the Eastern Super Mini Cup Series, which is expected to be launched in the near future.
2015 Schedule
May 31st 2pm- Speedway Miramichi
June 20th 7pm- Speedway Miramichi
June 27th 6pm- Oyster Bed Speedway
July 18th 6pm- Oyster Bed Speedway
August 2nd TBA- Petty International Raceway
August 15th 7pm- Speedway Miramichi
August 29th 7pm- Speedway Miramichi
October 3/4th TBA- Centre for Speed
Schedule is Subject to Change
