Saturday Sees Enduro at Speedway Miramichi September 10, 2020 Regional After mother nature wreaked havoc on Speedway Miramichi’s first attempt at a history making Enduro, Speedway Miramichi drivers are back and ready to make it even bigger and better this go round. Track management are anticipating a modern era record for Demo cars for this event on Saturday September 12th. Forty-one cars entered the July COVID Crash for Cash – which tied the modern era record – and this one is expected to surpass it! Coupled with a major Mini Stock race with the third running of the Mini Stock Classic, the growing Bomber class, the Atlantic Modified Tour along with the Street Stock division, this event no doubt will be a memorable one. In Demolition competition, Mitch Brideau (#22) enters as the points leader in what is an epic chase for the championship. Closely following Brideau is Randy Girouard (#8), Matthew Sullivan (#18) and Dawson Cripps (#25). With 10 points separating the top 12 drivers, and 20 points separating the top 33, it is still anyone’s title to win with over 30 points possibly being earned at any given race. Some drivers to watch will be Alexander MacIntosh (#17) and Marc-Andre Benoit, who each have a runner-up finish in final Demolition competition this year. COVID Crash for Cash winner Ryley MacIntosh (#506) is also expected to return to the track after missing The Day of 8’s. With the Enduro style formatting being relatively new to many drivers, several wild cards could lock down a victory. Amber Sickles (#03A) and Sam Jardine (#12) have many victories in Powder Puff competition under the oval format. Riley Harris (#1) will be one of the few drivers in the field with Enduro experience, while Michael MacKenzie (#82) will climb back behind the wheel to tackle the Endurance race. Daniel Atyeo (#15) is a former Enduro competitor at Speedway 660 and will be a threat to win on Saturday. Tyler Chamberlain (#24), Dylan Storey (#85), Darien Porter (#12x), Norm Robichaud (#666) and Jason Savoie (#06) will all be looking to come out on top, among other drivers. Miky Roussel (#758) is a driver who everyone will have their eyes on after his incredible performance during The Day of 8’s, which was one of the best performances seen in quite some time. From hard hits to flying through the air, Roussel had the fans cheering. While he came short of the victory, he was a winner in the hearts of the fans. Roussel will no doubt have the fans cheering again on Saturday. A full slate of preliminary events will be contested with drivers needing to compete in in order to qualify for the grand prize. Among these will be the Dash for Cash, Powder Puff race, Bag Race, and Figure 8 race. Each race will present a war of survival and attrition as drivers chase the grand prize, which may exceed $4000 to win if 80 cars are in attendance. Registered Demolition Drivers – September 12th, 2020 #03A Amber Sickles#06 Jason Savoie#1 Riley Harris#2 Dylan Doucet#2 Brandon Morris#5 Dakota Wray#8 Randy Girouard#10x Remi Rouselle#12 Sam Jardine#12x Darien Porter#15 Daniel Atyeo#16 Zachary L’huillier#16x Jonah L’huillier#21 Ryan Sprague#24 Tyler Chamberlain#27 Logan Dunfield#28 Jeff Ferron#72 Kirk English#74 Austin English#81 Marc Andre Benoit#82 Michael MacKenzie#85 Dylan Storey#97 Jeremy Faulds#105 Andrew Ferron#116 Alex Henderson#666 Norm Robichaud#727 Marc-Antoine McGraw#758 Miky Roussel#764 Ricky Bourdeau More entries expected. Entry list subject to change without notice. The spotlight division will be the Mini Stock division, with the third running of the Mini Stock Classic. The race will have an extra intrigue, with the addition of a Bounty Bonus. If a driver other than JR Lawson (#81) wins the race by straight up beating JR, they will receive an additional $200 bonus. Lawson has a winning streak that dates to 2017 at Speedway Miramichi. His dominance in the class has been astonishing, and he will definitely enter as the favorite. On top of the bounty, the winner of the race will also receive a 4-foot tall trophy, one of the biggest trophies in Mini Stock competition in years! While entries continue to come in, teammate Chantel Ackles (#30) may be a competitor who could beat the 81 car. Ackles has multiple podium finishes and nearly beat Lawson a few months ago, relinquishing the lead just shy of 5 laps to go. Rob Poirier (#0) was runner-up to Lawson last race and is a former winner of the Mini Stock Classic. Mathieu Mallet (#80) has been having a stellar season thus far in 2020 and may be an underdog to take his first ever victory. Guy Basque (#27) has a new engine in his car which he hopes will rocket him to the front of the field. Mitchell Poirier (#28) has been knocking on the door of a podium and could steal a victory any race. Rookies Conrad Murphy (#89), Grayson Dutcher (#55) and Calvin McLeod (#00) will all be in the hunt hoping they can take the bounty bonus and the big win during their rookie campaign. A highlight of the show promises to be the growing Bomber class, which is expected to exceed a double-digit car count for the first time ever! Adam Plourde (#52) enters with the points leader. Plourde is the most recent winner after holding off Jonathan Dickson (#3) in a tight battle in August. Dickson sits second in points. Kevin Tucker (#87), Dawson Cripps (#25), Riley Harris (#1) and Mike Burns (#28) all sit in a tight points battle. Jacob Smith will be a driver to watch as he won the class debut but missed the last race, while Ben Jardine (#76) looks to crack the podium in his second start. Several drivers are expected to make their Bomber class debut including former Mini Stock drivers Casey Munn (#8) and Samantha Blakely (#69), along with Jordan Campbell (#68) and Mark Kingston (#97). The Bomber class will compete for 35 laps on Saturday – the longest feature to date. Street Stock drivers put on a wild show last race in Miramichi, and Saturday is expected to be no different. James Matchett (#55) parked his machine in victory lane at the end of the night, with JR Lawson (#81) and Jamie Jardine (#10) racing to podium finishes. While these three had a stellar night, some others did not on account of some tough luck including Chris Wilson (#2W), Darcy O’Neill (#68) and Bryar Ellis (#95). O’Neill led early before getting caught up in some incidents, while Ellis failed to score a podium for the first time this year. Wilson leads the points despite mechanical issues. Wilson will have a super substitute this weekend as he drives his Modified, with defending Street Stock 100 winner Justin Cole getting behind the wheel. Jared Tozer (#51) will also be back on track after his first career heat win in August, while five-time track champion Robert Legere (#04) hopes to finally earn a podium after coming one spot shy yet again during the most recent race. Some out of town heavy hitters are expected to join the field to shake down for October including PEI’s Alex Sheehan (#06), who is a former winner at Speedway Miramichi, capturing the Brunswick 100 in 2018. The thunder of the Atlantic Modified Tour will take back to the track for the first time since last October. COVID-19 and rainouts have prevented the popular and thrilling tour from rolling into the North Shore thus far. Neguac’s Yves McCray (#58) is the most recent winner on the tour, and enters as the points leader, while defending Miramichi Street Stock Champion Chris Wilson (#2W) also picked up a victory last weekend. Local favorites including Zean Dutcher (#55), Travis Conroy (#7) and Braxton Stafford (#91) enter mired in a points battle. Last years Miramichi champion Joe Hoyt (#17) looks to rebound after a tough weekend at Speedway 660, as does the winningest active driver in Miramichi, Brandon Skidmore (#84). Steven Curtis (#12), Kim Hallihan (#97) and Kevin Bailey (#2) all hope to secure glory in Miramichi on Saturday. A full Atlantic Modified Tour preview can be found on their website (AtlanticModifieds.com). Grandstands open at 1pm on race day, with action getting underway at 4pm. Pit gates open at 1pm. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults, $10 for youth ages 8 to 17 years old and seniors 65+, while kids 7 and under are free. Pit passes are $25 and pit access is restricted to those over the age of 18, and those aged 8 to 17 with proper parental waiver forms. Grandstand passes can be pre-purchased before Thursday at midnight online at speedwaymiramichi.com/tickets. This race is expected to sell out, so all fans are encouraged to pre-purchase to avoid disappointment. A reminder to all on COVID-19 protocol at the facility. Fans are advised to come early as all patrons will be required to give their contact info, per the Government of New Brunswick. In addition, physical distancing in effect throughout the grandstands, and spectators are asked to abide by all signs and directives. Hand sanitization stations will be set up throughout the facility. Masks are strongly encouraged but not required. Staff are on site to educate patrons on procedures and answer any questions. Above all, everyone is reminded to use common sense. Safety is a top priority both on and off the track at Speedway Miramichi. For more information, stay tuned to Speedway Miramichi’s social platforms, “Speedway Miramichi Inc.” on Facebook, “speedway.miramichi” on Instagram, and our website at speedwaymiramichi.com.
