Caleb Dunn Memorial Centre Stage Sunday at Petty Raceway July 30, 2015 Regional The stock car season rolls on this Sunday at Petty International Raceway with the running of the third annual Caleb Dunn Memorial. The event is run in memory of Maritime racing legend Caleb Dunn, who won more than 200 races in his career and was a member of the inaugural class of the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame. The event features six stock car racing classes, highlighted by the second round of the New Brunswick Short Track Challenge for Late Model Sportsman. The Caleb Dunn Memorial Sportsman 100 is expected to draw Sportsman cars from all across New Brunswick as well as Nova Scotia to compete for the checkered flag. The race is also a part of the Petty International Raceway Sportsman division, which sees the championship standings after two races locked tighter than a vice. Matt Rodgers of Smithtown leads his younger brother Andrew by just a single point. Chris Cormier (Moncton) is just two points out of the lead, with Luc Bourgeois (Memramcook) and leading rookie Kenny MacKenzie Jr. (Salisbury) a slim three points out of the top spot in the standings. Matt Maillet (Burton) is knocking on the door of the top five in the point standings. The New Brunswick Short Track Challenge is led by Dave O’Blenis (Boundary Creek). O’Blenis was the winner of the Martin’s Home Heating 100 at Speedway 660 on June 6 over Matt Rodgers and Drew Greenlaw (Eastport, ME). With Speedway 660 taking the weekend off, it is expected that their local drivers will make the haul to Petty International Raceway for the second round of the series. Speedway Miramichi will host the final round of the series, the ‘Chi City Showdown 100, on Saturday, September 19th. Gary Tingley (Colpitts Settlement) took home a key victory in the CMax Street Stock division on July 11 to pull himself closer to point leader and reigning division champion Kenny MacKenzie Jr. after four races in their season. Tingley and Mackenzie are the only two feature winners in the division so far this season, but there will be a whole host of strong competition looking to change that on Sunday afternoon. Both Tim Webster (Beaverbank, NS) and Rob Poirier (Irishtown) closed the point gap on Mike Weagle (Salisbury), but it still the #60 that shows the way in the Mister Transmission Mini Stock division. Ashton Tucker (Lyttleton) leads the Leisure Days RV Bandolero division. Sophomore driver Levi Rossiter (Salisbury) is second place in the standings, eight points behind Tucker with half the season in the books, and just a two point advantage on Michael Cormier (Grand-Barachois). Nova Scotia drivers Josh Langille (Coldbook) and Austin MacDonald (Pictou) also have themselves in the championship discussion after four races. Also on the Caleb Dunn Memorial card is the only stop to Petty International Raceway for the Eastern Super Mini Cup Series. Matt Watson (Summerside, PE) has won the first three races on the season thus far and leads South Esk, New Brunswick drivers Chris Wilson and Steven Curtis in the standings. Brandon Skidmore (Springhill, NS) heads into Petty International Raceway this weekend as the most recent winner on the Atlantic Modified Tour after a win last Saturday night in Miramichi. Skidmore was also the winner of their season opening event held at Petty International Raceway. Pit gates open at 11 a.m. Sunday for competitors participating in the third annual Caleb Dunn Memorial. Grandstand gates open at 2 p.m. with racing getting underway at 4 p.m. 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. Tickets can be purchased at the gate on race day. There will be an open practice for competitors on Saturday, August 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 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.
