Champions Will Be Crowned Saturday at Petty Int’l Raceway September 9, 2016 Regional RIVER GLADE, NB – Petty International Raceway returns to action this Saturday with a full card of racing action headlined by the Clear Choice Towing Sportsman 100. The event will serve as the championship finale for not only the Sportsman division but will also see champions crowned in the Mister Transmission Mini Stock and Women on Wheels division. The Extreme Windows and Entrance Systems Street Stock and Leisure Days RV Bandolero classes will also compete in extra distance point races on Saturday. Racing action begins at 6pm. Following his big win in the 52nd Jones Auto Body River Glade International, Luc Bourgeois (Memramcook) is poised to repeat his track championship earned in 2015. Bourgeois holds a 13 point lead over Andrew Rodgers (Smithtown) who, in turn, holds a slim one point advantage on Kenny Mackenzie Jr (Salisbury). Alexandra O’Blenis (Boundary Creek) also remains in mathematical championship contention with 24 points between herself and Bourgeois. A feature win in any of Petty’s house divisions pay 50 points to win with each subsequent position dropping by one point (second place receives 49 points, third place receives 48 points, etc.). No bonus points are paid for laps led and no points are paid for qualifying heat races. In essence, in order for Bourgeois to win the championship without having a tie with another competitor, the #88 must finish 13th or better on Saturday night in the Clear Choice Towing 100. Bourgeois has two feature victories this season; Rodgers won the season opening event while O’Blenis took home the Caleb Dunn Memorial in July. Russell Smith Jr (Lakeside, NS), who is running part time throughout the region this season, took home the other Sportsman feature event on June 4. Much like Bourgeois, Tim Webster (Beaver Bank, NS) is in the driver’s seat of locking up the Mister Transmission Mini Stock championship. Webster, who is in search of his first New Brunswick track championship, has a 12 point lead on JR Lawson (Shubenacadie, NS) and will need to finish 12th or better to clinch the championship. Lawson has a four point lead on sophomore driver Rob Poirier (Irishtown) with Logan Power (Moncton) just a single point behind Poirier. Mike Weagle (Salisbury) sits five points out of fifth in points, currently occupied by Chantel Ackles (Shubenacadie, NS). The final of three Women on Wheels features will take place on Saturday. Ashley Campbell and Brenda Shortell have split the two races run this season with the class and sit tied for the championship heading into the final feature of the season. Sherry Mackenzie sits third, just three points behind with Janet McFetridge and Ellen Smith completing the top five in the season standings. The Women on Wheels have thrilled the crowd in their first two races and this third and final event is expected to bring the same exciting action. With two point races to go, the Extreme Window and Entrance Systems Street Stock division continues to be a battle between Craig Ward (Riverview) and Mike Duskey (Albany, PE). The two have split the seven races thus far in 2016 between them. Ward enters with a three point advantage on Duskey, who has three feature wins to his credit in 2016. Nick Cudmore (Goshen) is 11 points out of the top spot and still well within mathematical reach of the championship in the class. The Leisure Days RV Bandolero class will take to the track for two 25 lap features on Saturday evening. With both races paying a separate set of points, Michael Cormier’s (Grand-Barachois) point lead may seem comfortable but far from safe with 50 laps total on the table. Cormier leads by nine points over Nathan Blackburn (Timberlea, NS) with Josh Langille (Coldbrook, NS) two points out of Blackburn and Sam Rogers (Lower Onslow, NS) a handful of markers out of Langille’s third place mark. While he is in the shadows of the overall championship picture, Koven Lewis (Salisbury) is leading the Rookie of the Year chase with a fifth overall showing thus far in 2016. Grandstand admission prices for Saturday’s events are $20 for adults and $10 for youth aged eight to 18, while children seven years of age and under will be admitted free. Pit admission is $25 and is restricted to those 16 years of age and older. Pit gates for competitors open at 1pm, grandstand gates open for spectators at 4pm with racing getting underway at 6pm. 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.pettyinternationalraceway.com. source – track communications (edited)
