Speedway 660 Set to Kick Off 25th Season on Sunday

GEARY, NB – The Geary Woods are set to shake this Sunday with the rumble of stock cars. Speedway 660 opens their 25th Anniversary Season with the Riverview Ford Lincoln Season Opener. The event will feature door to door short track action in four divisions at 2 pm on May 20.

A number of familiar names return to chase the checkered flag in 2018. At the top of the Re/Max East Coast Elite Realty Pro Stock division sits Hanwell’s Brent Roy. Roy climbed to the peak of stock car racing at Speedway 660 in just his second season behind the wheel of a Pro Stock car. A second straight title in the top division of weekly racing in Atlantic Canada weighs heavy on Roy heading into Sunday.

“It would mean a lot to my team,” said Roy of the thought of taking a second Pro Stock title. “Being a champion is pretty special but being able to do it in back to back years carries a lot with it. We’re excited to do everything we can this season to join some of those legendary names in our sport like Greg Fahey, Dave O’Blenis, Brian Gillespie and more in that “back to back” club.”

Expect Fahey (St. Stephen) and O’Blenis (Boundary Creek) to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders to begin the season in Riverview Ford Lincoln Victory Lane. Fahey, who won his most recent track championship in the Re/Max East Coast Elite Realty Pro Stock division in 2016, won the Riverview Ford Lincoln Season Opener in 2017 over Kevin Moore (Noonan) and Dustin Tucker (Fredericton).

Eyes will be on Drew Greenlaw (Eastport, ME) as the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman division goes green on Sunday afternoon. Greenlaw, who won on the Riverview Ford Lincoln Season Opener in 2017, has four top four finishes in as many years in the championships standings heading into the new 2018 season. Greenlaw was second in the title hunt in 2017 to John Rankin (St. Martin’s) and runner-up to now second year Pro Stock driver Ryan Messer (Harvey) in 2016.

“It has been a long winter at school and I am really glad to get back in the driver’s seat on Sunday,” said Greenlaw. “Our two goals going into 2018 are the same we’ve had over the last two years. I’d really like to win one big, extended distance Sportsman race and I’d like to finally win the division championship. Luck hasn’t been on our side but we hope to change that this year!”

Destiny Enkel (Saint John) is making the move to the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman division to compete for the Rookie of the Year Award in 2018. Enkel will join the O’Blenis sisters, Alexandra and Courtney (Boundary Creek), in the division, marking the first time in the 25 year history of the race track that three female drivers will compete in the Sportsman division full time.

The DMR Auto Sales and Service Street Stock division will open their season Sunday. While the “young brass” has taken over the stock car ranks at Speedway 660, this season has the chance to see the veterans take the title in the Street Stock class with Luc McLaughlin (Geary) scaling back to part-time competition.

The 2017 Championship runner-up Shawn Hyslop (St. Stephen) and former titlists “The Villain” Rick Cashol (Saint John) and Roger Slocum (Chipman) have more racing experience combined than some of their younger peers like Riley Goodwin (MacAdam), Matt Crocker (Minto), Chris Hanley (St. Stephen), Courtney Barton (Minto) and Noah Gillespie (Nackawic). Age does not mean that they’ve lost their edge one iota. Slocum won the DMR Auto 75 last July and Cashol is always a threat for a checkered flag when he hits the track in the No. 54 and both have their eyes on another championship trophy.

With Kyle MacKinnon (Lincoln) and Kyle Boudreau (Saint John) not focused on a championship in the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter division, it swings the door open for a new champion in the Four Cylinder class for 2018. Seasoned drivers like Bryan Suttie (Keswick), Allison Hall (Oromocto), BJ Gillespie (Nackawic) and Brody Levesque (Fredericton) will look to fill the void at the top of the class. “Bat Hubby” Scott Kennie (Fredericton) returns after his Rookie of the Year season in 2017 and Malcolm Suley will also make a return to the “Geary woods” in 2018.

A number of newcomers to the division are slated to make their debut in the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters division in 2018. While a full list was not available at press time, it is expected to be one of the biggest class of freshman seen in quite a while for the division.

Returning for 2018, children aged 15 and under will be admitted to the grandstands for free to every stock car event at Speedway 660. The admission structure makes it easier for families to attend race events at the track and received positive feedback from fans when implemented mid-season in 2017.

Adult grandstand admission price for Sunday’s Riverview Ford Lincoln Season Opener is $14 (aged 16 and up). Pit admission is $16 and is restricted to those 16 years of age and older. Tickets are available at the gate on race day. Pit gates for competitors will open at 9:30am, grandstand gates open for spectators at 12pm with racing getting underway at 2pm. A complete race day format will be available via Speedway660.com later in the week.
An optional Practice and Pre-Tech day for competitors at Speedway 660 will be held on Saturday, May 19th from 2pm to 5pm. Admission for Saturday afternoon is $10 per person.

For more information about the Riverview Ford Lincoln Season Opener or any event at Speedway 660, visit Speedway660.com, like @Speedway660 on Facebook or call the Speedway 660 Raceline at (506) 454-7223.

About Riverview Ford Lincoln:
Riverview Ford Lincoln Sales is the number one choice for all things Ford in Fredericton, NB and the surrounding areas. Whether you’re in the market for a new or quality pre-owned vehicle, servicing, parts or accessories, you’ll find everything you need along with the warmest of welcomes here at Riverview Ford Lincoln. Your complete satisfaction is our absolute priority, and that philosophy permeates through every aspect of our operation. Ford has what must be the most impressive lineup of new vehicles in its history available right now, and you’ll find them all here at Riverview Ford Lincoln. Visit them at 970 Hanwell Road, online at RiverviewFord.ca or call them at (506) 453-0400.

About Speedway 660:
Speedway 660 is one of Canada’s premier stock car racing facilities. Located in New Brunswick’s Fredericton region, it attracts race teams and fans from the Maritimes, New England and Quebec. The Speedway 660 racing season runs from mid May until Labour Day Weekend. SpeedWeekend, one of the most prestigious short track events in eastern North America, wraps up Speedway 660’s racing season.

source – track communications