Ashton Tucker Claims Record Fourth 250 Win at Speedway 660 September 3, 2024 Regional GEARY, NB – Ashton Tucker (#2) made history while leaving some fellow competitors heartbroken by claiming his fourth Yard Gear 250 presented by Valvoline Motor Oil on Monday afternoon at Speedway 660. Tucker led the race three times for 58 laps but would take the lead for the final time by getting around Austin MacDonald (#13) with just ten (10) laps remaining and never looked back en route to the historic victory worth upward of $19,000. MacDonald – the winner of the Summer Clash 250 at Scotia Speedworld three weeks ago – would have to settle for second while Greg Fahey (#20) in his bid for an elusive 250 victory would come up just short in third after the top three exchanged the lead several times over the fight to the finish.. Twenty-three drivers took the call to the grid for the 24th running of the Yard Gear 250 which was postponed to Monday afternoon after Mother Nature interfered with Sunday. Ryan Messer (#1) led the field to the green alongside Hudson Weston (#43). Messer, Weston, and Dustin Tucker (#52) had won Summit Dodge heat races earlier in the day, and Messer would pick up where he left off out front. Messer cruised to a large lead and picked up the lion’s share of the $50 lap leader bonuses. While Messer led the way, the field shook up in his mirror as they jockeyed for position. It would be a long green flag run to get the race underway, as the field paced 98 laps completely green with Messer at the helm before a startling wreck that saw Joe Hoyt (#14), making his first start in the Yard Gear 250, flip onto the pit entrance ramp after ramping over the backstretch embankment. Fortunately, Hoyt was okay and would walk away from the incident. After working his way up to second during the opening green flag run, Ashton Tucker took the lead for the first time by getting around Messer on the restart. The second caution would come on lap 116 for a multi-car incident in turn three that saw Devin Snell (#10) get the worst of it as he contacted the fence. The ensuing restart saw another quick caution when Cory Hall (#83) had a motor expire putting oil all over the track, which saw many competitors spin with Nicholas Naugle (#08) getting the worst of it. Dave O’Blenis (#48) would inch out ahead of Tucker on the following restart as the Modern Electric Halfway Bonus for leading at halfway loomed large, and O’Blenis would be scored the leader as the fourth caution flew for Curtis Collins (#27) going for a spin. Tucker would regain the lead on the restart and claim the $1000 Halfway Bonus, and he would continue to lead while several competitors had made their way to the pits for tires. A twenty-five (25) lap green flag run until lap 147 allowed those who pitted to begin picking their way to the front. It was a caution for Ian Rasmussen (#81) that slowed the field and provided Tucker the chance to make it to the pits. Lonnie Sommerville (#23) led the field to the green on the following restart, and he would lead a few laps before being overtaken by NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes (#99). Rhodes’s time atop the leaderboard was short-lived, as Greg Fahey took the lead on lap 153 and opened up a large lead – setting the stage for what was starting to look like a defining win for Fahey’s career. Tucker after his pit stop had worked his way through traffic up to second and was beginning to reel in Fahey when the race’s sixth and final caution for Chris Duncan (#97) on lap 212. Ironically, it was a lap 212 caution one year ago when Dave O’Blenis made the winning pit stop. Looking to repeat history, O’Blenis waited until the late stages to pit again, and Austin MacDonald also used this chance to head pit side. MacDonald would be the first out of the pits and restarted seventh while Fahey and Tucker led the field to the green. MacDonald quickly shot up to third while Fahey and Tucker started playing a cat-and-mouse game for the lead. Tucker got a run to the outside of Fahey, but Fahey drifted up the track which nearly sent Tucker into the beach. MacDonald, seeing the door open, pounced for second, and began working on Fahey for the lead. The King Freight Lines #13 which had three 250 wins of its own with Cassius Clark behind the wheel would work the outside and overtake Fahey before contact from Fahey got MacDonald sideways which Tucker would capitalize on to retake the runner-up spot. Tucker then went to work on the #13, closing the gap and making the pass with just ten laps remaining to race to the win while MacDonald would have to hold off a hard-charging Fahey at the end for the runner-up spot. Dave O’Blenis and Ryan Messer rounded out the top five and had a great view for the war that waged up ahead of them. After restarting third on the final restart, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes would fade back to ninth when the checkers waved. 24th Annual Yard Gear 250 Results Ashton Tucker #2 Austin MacDonald #13 Greg Fahey #20 Dave O’Blenis #48 Ryan Messer #1 Hudson Weston #43 Lonnie Sommerville #23 Dustin Tucker #52 Ben Rhodes #99 Nicholas Naugle #08 Kent Vincent #8 Chris Duncan #97 Ian Rasmussen #81 Clark Moore #54 Cal Hatfield #11 Steve Halpin #03 Curtis Collins #27 Kevin Moore #88 Cory Hall #83 Devin Snell #10 Joe Hoyt #14 Ed Bowlby #15 Ryan Raynes #94 Eight lead changes amongst seven drivers entertained fans, with Messer’s ninety-eight (98) laps led being the most led on the day. Only six (6) cautions slowed the race, completed in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Tucker’s win came to the tune of upwards of $19,000. The Yard Gear 250 paid $15,000 to win, the $1000 Modern Electric Halfway Bonus, and 58 laps at $50 each total $18,900 for the Brad Silliker Motorsports team. Additional bonuses and contingencies will increase Tucker’s overall payout when the final calculations are made. Earlier in the day, Ayden Christensen (Maritime League of Legends), Dan Duke (Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics), Tristin Harris (Atlantic Modified Tour), and Wayne Fox (Sharp Shooter) all crossed the line first in their feature races. Official results from support classes will be finalized and posted later on Tuesday. In other SpeedWeekend action, Michael Cormier won the D. Gillespie & Sons Street Stock 100 on Friday; Conrad Murphy won the Atlantic Modified Tour feature and BJ Gillespie won the Sharp Shooters feature. On Saturday, Drew Greenlaw won the Riverview Ford Sportsman 150, Josh Langille won the Cross Roads Legends Tour 40, Mike Weagle won the Pubs Drive Thru Bottle Exchange Mini Stock feature, and Landon Pierce won the Bandolero Blast 20-lap feature. That concludes Lyle Bongard’s RV Sales SpeedWeekend for 2024 at Speedway 660. After a few weeks off, the track will return to action on Saturday, September 21 for the Riverview Honda Weekend of Champions.
