52nd Annual River Glade International This Weekend at Petty Raceway

RIVER GLADE, NB – The stage has been set for the 52nd Jones Auto Body River Glade International this weekend at Petty International Raceway. Two big days of racing will see seven different divisions vie for the checkered flag on the prestigious race weekend in an event billed as Canada’s Oldest Stock Car Race. Racing action on Friday, August 26th will get under way at 7:30pm while the Saturday, August 27th card will go green at 6pm.

The Sportsman division will headline the opening night of the River Glade International with the Jones Auto Body 125. The previous round of Sportsman racing at Petty International Raceway saw Alexandra O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB) come home a popular win in the Caleb Dunn Memorial 150 presented by the Atlantic Dodge Dealers. It was the first extended distance Sportsman feature win for the eldest O’Blenis sister and would vault her into a tie for third in the season standings with Kenny MacKenzie Jr. (Salisbury, NB). MacKenzie Jr. was third in the Caleb Dunn Memorial 150, finishing behind Alexandra and her father Dave O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB).

Leading the charge in the championship standings for the Sportsman division is reigning champion Luc Bourgeois. With two point-paying races to go on August 26th and September 10th, Bourgeois and his #88 Ford team have a six point lead on Andrew Rodgers (Smithtown, NB). Moncton youngster Dawson McIntee also finds himself mired within the point picture as the #19 car sits fifth in the standings.

Three different drivers have won the Jones Auto Body Sportsman portion of the River Glade International since the event was moved from River Glade Speedway for the 2011 season and all three are slated to be in attendance on Friday night. Laurie Cormier (Riverview, NB) is the defending champion of the race and also won the title in 2013. “The Bounty Hunter” Russell Smith Jr. (Lakeside, NS) is a two-time titlist of the race, 2012 and 2014, while Dave O’Blenis won in 2011.

Returning to the driver’s seat this weekend is Frank Fraser Sr (Shubenacadie, NS). The six-time River Glade International champion will look to add to his record amount of wins in the event with a seventh title to go with race wins in 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1982. Fraser will drive a Sportsman car owned by Craig McFetridge with primary sponsorship from Dulux Paints.

Also on the card on Friday includes the Mister Transmission Mini Stock and Extreme Window and Entrance Systems Street Stock divisions.

Tim Webster (Beaver Bank, NS) owns four of the six feature wins in the Mister Transmission Mini Stock division and has three races standing between him and his first stock car championship within the province of New Brunswick. Webster holds an 11 point lead on 2014 track champion JR Lawson (Shubenacadie, NS), who launched into the runner-up spot in the title hunt following a second place finish to Webster on the Caleb Dunn Memorial weekend.

The point picture tightens behind Lawson as Logan Power (Moncton, NB) and Rob Poirier (Irishtown, NB) sits two and three points, respectively, behind Lawson after six races. Chantel Ackles (Shubenacadie, NS) continues to hold down fifth in the standings heading into the Jones Auto Body River Glade International.

The Extreme Window and Entrance Systems Street Stock championship chase is led by “The Thrill Maker” Craig Ward (Riverview, NB) but his cushion on top has been cut to two points by Mike Duskey (Albany, PE). Duskey has won the last two races and hopes to make the battle even closer on Friday evening. Nick Cudmore (Goshen, NB) sits third, just seven points out of the top spot.

The landscape of the division continues to change as Shawn Lewis has sold his race car to Prince Edward Island’s Jeff MacInnis. The Summerside native is planning on making his debut at Petty International Raceway in the car on Friday evening and is expected to finish the season out in the “green machine.”

The Atlantic Modified Tour is also slated to contest a point paying feature on Friday evening as a part of the opening night of the 52nd Jones Auto Body River Glade International.

Saturday evening will see racing action in the Leisure Days RV Bandolero division to kick off the second day of the 52nd Jones Auto Body River Glade International. “The Flying Frenchman” Michael Cormier (Grand-Barachois, NB) holds a seven-point lead over Nathan Blackburn (Timberlea, NS) and a ten point advantage over Josh Langille (Coldbrook, NS) with only two races to go in the championship chase.

With a dozen full-time cars within the division, the point picture could shift one way or another should one experience problems on Saturday evening. Of note, Langille won the last Bandolero event at Petty Raceway on July 31st, becoming the fifth different winner in the six races contested so far. Cormier is the only repeat winner in the class in 2016.

The Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour will contest the tenth round of their series on Saturday night with the Cummins 150 being the headlining act to close off the weekend. The Upper Clements Parks Maritime League of Legends will also run the sixth of eight races on their schedule with the MacDonald Buick GMC Moncton 50.

For information on the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour event, please visit MaritimeProStockTour.com, while MaritimeLegends.ca will have complete information on their Saturday show.

Pit gates for competitors participating in Friday’s Jones Auto Body River Glade International Sportsman 100 open at 4pm. Grandstand gates for spectators open at 5:30pm with racing getting underway at 7:30pm. Adult admission to the grandstands is $20, youth admission (ages eight to 18) is $10 while children seven and under are admitted free of charge. Pit admission is $25.

Saturday’s pit gates for competitors in the Cummins 150 open at 1:30pm. Grandstand gates open for spectators at 4pm, with Atlantic Tiltload Qualifying beginning at 6pm. Adult grandstand admission is $30 on Saturday, youth admission (ages eight to 18) is $10 while children seven and under are admitted free of charge. Pit admission is $35. All tickets can be purchased at the gate on race day.

There will be an open practice for competitors on Thursday, August 25th from 5pm to 9pm. Pit admission for the open practice night is $10, with free admission to the grandstands for spectators.

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. To get current updates delivered to you directly please follow us on Twitter.

source – track communications