Ken’s Photos & Recap: Bud’s Speedway, October 29 November 7, 2022 KenZone, Regional Bud’s Speedway in Sydney held their season finale on October 29, the Caper Memorial. Ken MacIsaac was there – his recap and photo gallery follows (sorry for the posting delay – technical issues)… A beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon was the setting as Bud’s Speedway near Sydney held their postponed Caper Memorial stock car event on Oct. 29th. Seven divisions made up the card with the Robby’s Towing 100-lap Sportsman race highlighting the day. The Bandolero division, which is a turn-key spec series race car, is designed for kids as young as 8 years old to compete. Young Brett Biron, son of former racer John Biron, has been the mainstay in the class for 2 years. While struggling to entice fellow racers to the Cape Breton oval, Biron has been faithfully present at each race meet hoping to compete against other Bando drivers in the region. Saturday, Brett got his wish. Second-generation driver Avery DeCoste from Antigonish, hauled in to compete on Saturday, along with 2023 Scotia Speedworld Rookie Of The Year and Beginner Class Champion Hailey Bland. Biron wired the heat race, while Bland captured the feature win. “It was a great race.” said Bland. “I met some nice people and I had fun racing on the track. I wish there were some more Bandoleros to race with. I can’t wait to come again. It was a great new experience.” Snap-On Tools, That’s Right Roofing and John Biron’s Garage sponsored the Bandolero races. The 4 Cylinder Hobby Stocks ran two 10-lap heats along with a 25-lap feature. Zach Langille continued his dominance winning both his heat and the feature. “ Today went as good as I could ask for,” said Langille. “I procrastinated far too long with the car leading up to today’s race. I had a mad dash Friday to get it to the track. It really could’ve used some brake attention beforehand but we made it work enough to get the checkers again. I never would have expected to have a perfect season. I’m pretty pleased about that. I can only imagine the target is quite large on the back of it for next season.” While Zach won his heat earlier in the day, he did receive some tough competition with Bradley Darrach in car 44. The PEI racer made the trek over to Bud’s and led his heat before Zach passed for the win. Surprisingly, he didn’t return for the feature. “My clutch ended up breaking in the center and I couldn’t get it into gear. So that took us out of the race. We just packed up and headed for home. We had a great time though and plan to come back next year.” Second place went to Shawn Pruski in the 42, normally driven by Mason Burke. “ I’m actually good friends with Mason’s dad Sam, and he asked me if I’d drive it this weekend since Mason couldn’t make it. A few years ago, I put a car in the Winter Enduro and I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel again. So when Sam asked me if I would drive the car this weekend, I was all over it! The car worked great, and the track was great, I just couldn’t pull off the win in the feature. Overall, the races were great and everything went smoothly. It’s safe to say I’ll be building a car for next season, just not sure which class yet.” Third place finisher was Cory Aker. “The day went very well. The car handled well in practice and I won my heat. So I focused on improving my driving line and figuring out my braking points. The car only makes 90 HP so the strategy was to get around the corners as fast as I could to make up for the lack of power. In the feature, my plan was to drive the exact same as I did in the heat. Started first row once again. I was up with the leaders for a decent amount of time before I faded back. Ended the day in 3rd place. Very excited with this finish.” A turn 4 mishap in the feature took out one of the favorites. Brandon MacMillan-Gormley in the 98 had his day end in the fence. “I could feel the push from behind down the backstretch. Not wanting any trouble on lap 2, I went up the high side hoping the 84 would just continue on. I think he either hit a rut or the 39 car’s tire, and he shot up. Into the wall I went, before getting hit from behind also. The car is fixable. We’ll straighten it out and fix it up for the 2023 season.” An innocent victim in the wreck was David Webb in the 15. “I was trying to avoid the wreck that happened in front of me and I got hit on the driver’s side front tire. It crippled my lower control arm and the car pulled towards the wall, so I just let ‘er go where she was going.” David and his brother Doug have competed for the last several years in Mini Stock, Enduro, and Demolition Derbies. “I think the car is toast. She’s pretty banged up and bent. I’m going to rebuild something a little different for next year.” Mallard Electric has been the season-long sponsor of the Hobby Stock division. The Napa Auto Parts Mini Stocks ran 2 heats and a 50-lap feature on Saturday. Earlier in the season, Kody Quinn sold his racer to Moncton’s Mike Weagle, ending his consecutive race win streak. Sitting on the sidelines was too much for Quinn, as he debuted a brand new Honda winning both his heat and feature. “The day was really good. The stands were packed and the pits were full. Couldn’t have asked for a better race day. I decided to build another car because after watching 2 events I realized how much I missed it. The last few months, I spent a lot of time helping the 66, so it was good to see us finish 1 & 2.” Josh Rozicki finished a strong second. “I had an amazing day. The car worked awesome. We put a lot of time in and changes to tighten things up. Had a lot of help from Kody with his knowledge, and John in the 16 car. Each race we run gets better and better. We have had some hard luck this season but it’s getting there. Wouldn’t be where I am without all the help from my dad mostly, and my sponsors and friends.” Ryan Price had an eventful day finishing third. “It was definitely an up-and-down day. I had a really good car in practice. Started the heat race in the back. I tried working on the outside and ended up tagging the wall. It bent a few things up, but the boys in the pits put it back together. We started the feature 5th and got to second in a few laps. I tried to chase Kody down but I ended up hitting the wall again. Then, with 20 laps to go my exhaust broke off and cut a hole in my tire. But the boys in the pits got me out before we went green. I restarted around 13th and climbed our way to a third-place finish.” The Heart Of A Champion Hot Rod Classics made their 2nd visit to Bud’s Speedway with Windsor Junction’s Peter Lawrence getting his first feature win. Lawrence is a multi-winner and former champion of Scotia Speedworld’s Dukes division. In the pre-season, Lawrence purchased an old outdated pro stock and outfitted it with a late 70’s Camaro body with plans to have some fun with the Hot Rod tour. “’It was a great run,” said Lawrence. “I came down with the tour last year, but this is my first time driving on the track. The car was hooked up on the outside. Had a great battle with Stacey Clements for the lead. The car lost an alternator belt and started breaking down at high RPM’s late in the run. Stacey had a tire going down and I couldn’t have passed him without that happening, because of my electrical issues. The battery itself wasn’t enough to fire the plugs at high RPM’s I guess. But it had enough to hold on. That big Dodge of Jim Rankin’s was reeling me in. For the Victory lap, my clutch was worn enough that I couldn’t get the car in gear. I only had reverse. I didn’t think that would work for parading the checkered flag. I finally found second gear and made my lap. Thanks to Anchor Toyota and Jeff Landry Auto Body and to the people of Sydney for having us. Looking forward to coming back.” Former drag racer Jim Rankin brought his Dodge in 2nd, while last year’s winner Stacey Clements nursed his car home 3rd with a flat right rear tire. Heart Of A Champion president Pat Lawrence was pleased with the day, despite hitting the wall with his Pinto racer. “The weekend was awesome. Great weather, great event, and incredibly great fans who appreciated our show. Lyndon and his staff were so gracious and checked on us often to see if they can be of help in any way. Certainly a good ‘vibe’ in the pit area. The 134 has been fighting a loose condition the past couple of races. The shocks are 22 years old lol… I could blame the wreck on them but the car got loose and I overcorrected too quickly. The car can be twitchy, even with all that rubber. The track is such an intimate setting that you feel very close to the action. The hot rodders were very proud to race in memory of the former track announcer. A special moment for sure when the family joined the top 3 on the front stretch.” The V6 Thunder class ran 2 heats and a 25-lap feature presented by Saf-Way Auto Parts. Former feature winners JT Turnbull and Sam Burke split the heat wins. Burke held on to win the main event. “The car worked great. In the heat race, I worked my way up from the back to the front leaving damage to the front of my car along the way. Then it was an epic battle at the front between myself, Ryan Dixon, Gary Williams, and Merrick Rozicki. It was 3 wide at times but I ended up pulling off the win. In the feature, I started second and had a hard-fought battle with JT Turnbull, Joey Rudderham and Brennan MacInnis. Then I pulled away from the group. But a few laps later I came into lapped traffic and Brennan MacInnis came out of nowhere and took first. We went back and forth for first place, but then I believe Brennan ran out of gas, which allowed me to take the win. It was a great day and I loved seeing all the fans and cars that showed up. I appreciate everything Kyle and Lynden did with the track and how they ran it. I’m looking forward to what next season brings.” Brennan MacInnis was a surprise entrant in the V6 class and came home in second. “This car belongs to my friend Lauchie Stubbert. I was walking through the pits and he stopped me and asked if I wanted to race it in the feature. I set some tire pressures and the car worked great. 2 laps to go and the car started to run out of fuel. So I tried to go easy on it so I could finish the race. I enjoyed running with the guys in that class so much, that I bought the car after the race.” Earlier in the year, Mike Rozicki built a V6 Thunder car to ‘have some fun’. Mike ran the first event of the year, then saw the interest that his son was showing, and turned the car over to him. That first car was destroyed in the September event, but Mike and his son Merrick built a new racer for Saturday’s show. Merrick got his first podium finish with a 3rd place run. “The car is a 2006 Pontiac G6 with a Monte Carlo nose cone” said Rozicki. “Me and dad worked on it every day for 2 weeks. Just me and him. We got it finished just before the races. We had lots of fun building it and he told me lots of stories about him racing. He said I was just a little kid helping him with his car, and now he’s helping me with mine. The race was awesome. Started in last for the qualifier then made my way through the field up to second. Then, I was put in the back on a no-fault caution, and in 2 laps I was back up to second. The feature race was good. It was hard racing against those veteran drivers. I got past Joey (Rudderham) and was right on JT Turnbull the last couple of laps, just waiting for an opportunity. Sure enough, I got it and got my trophy. I think I did pretty good for my 3rd race and my rookie year.” One of the casualties in a heat race accident was local favorite Ryan Dixon. “Car was running great in the heat. We started in the middle and quickly moved to the front of the pack, even lead a few laps. Myself, the 44 and 60 were battling for the lead and we entered turns 3 & 4. Either I moved down, or the 44 moved up, but we got hitched and rubbed off each other and I ended up snapping the tire rod off the spindle. It was just good old hard racing between us all. I kept it off the wall and that’s the main thing. If we had the parts with us we could’ve made it to the feature.”. The ever-popular Street Stock division has had a resurgence this year, despite weaker-than-anticipated car counts. With an enticing purse on the line, two of New Brunswick’s top drivers made the trek to Bud’s Speedway in hopes of capturing the winner’s share. Michael Cormier brought his Sportsman car, along with his dominant baby blue Dodge #68 Street Stock. Unfortunately in practice, the motor gave up and Cormier couldn’t compete. “We haven’t touched that motor in 4 years. I guess it was due. Just wish it had happened after the races.”. Logan Power calls Petty Raceway home, but he’s raced at, and won at, just about every track in New Brunswick. Power won his heat and the 50-lap feature for the first time at the Sydney oval. “ The track is very different than what I’m used to in New Brunswick. It’s a very flat small track and it makes for awesome racing. It’s the little bull ring track that we have been needing all along.” Louisbourg’s Colton Beaver continued his run of strong finishes with a second-place run, while Dennis Nickerson of Marshy Hope came in third. “The car worked well, little underpowered but was fun as always,” said Nickerson. “The race went pretty smooth. I’d like to thank Yard Pro and Curt Rozicki for the sponsorship for the weekend and congrats to Logan Power.” Nickerson has won at Bud’s in V6 competition as well as Street Stock. One of the more popular drivers from the late ’90s and early 2000s was Reserve’s Gerald ‘Poogie’ Hache. Gerald passed a few years ago, but his car stayed in the family, only to be resurrected by Brennan MacInnis and a dedicated group of former racers. The car sat idle for the last few years until last October’s Hot Rod Classics vintage race in Sydney. MacInnis brought the car back to the track on Saturday. “ It worked really good considering it sat under a tarp since last October. Jeff Gilbert and I spent a week in the garage working on it. Then, Steve Bennett took it out on Friday to finish it off. At first, it was giving some issues, but we worked on it and made the car driveable. It was the first time the car finished a race since 2009. It needs a bit of work over the winter but I’m sure we’ll have a top runner next season.” The Street Stock event was run in remembrance of former racer Blair Lahey. Ryan Price, whose family has had a long close relationship with Lahey, drove his Mini Stock as the pace car in honor of Blair. “Have to say it was pretty emotional. It meant the world to me that I got to do it. Blair’s son Mason Mills came onto the track with me when I placed third in my feature.” Celtic Air Services sponsored the race. The Sportsman cars raced for 100 laps on Saturday with the running of the Robby’s Towing 100, presented by Mackley Equipment. Heat wins went to Chris Reid and Brady Creamer, with Creamer taking the main event. “We had a great day,” said Creamer. “Got a few practice runs in on Friday evening and felt pretty confident going into Saturday that we would have a good piece. This morning we unloaded and felt like we were close. I started last in the heat and was able to pick our way to the front and pass for the lead on the last lap. Unfortunately, we had an issue with the tires on the car which sent us to the back for the start of the 100. Starting last, the car fired off a little slower than I anticipated but was able to get back up toward the front. I took the lead around lap 30-35 from Chris (Reid). From there I was able to race at my own pace and was able to conserve enough for any late-race restarts which we had. Thankfully we were able to pick up the win. It’s my 4th trip to Bud’s Speedway and I consider it one of my favourite tracks on the schedule. We’ve been able to officially win twice and finish second 3-4 of our trips. Hats off to Kyle and Lynden for all the hard work they’ve put into the track. We will be back next year to try and make it 3 in a row! Also want to send a huge thank you to the sponsors of the race and especially to Robby Reid and Robby’s Towing for all the support they give to local racing and to the support he gives me as well.” Chris Reid finished a strong second. “The car was great. Fast all day. I knew it was going to be Brady or I who would win if we didn’t have issues. I had a right rear tire going down. Pitted and came back through and had a shot at him near the end, but some lapped cars cost me a bunch of track position and we ran out of time. We had a great season. Have to thank mom and dad for all the support, and my crew Bubba, Aden, DK, Jordan, and Matt Drake who worked tirelessly all summer giving us what we needed to win and run strong week in and week out. Have to thank our sponsors Robby’s Towing, Saf-Way Auto Parts, Industrial Wyde Courier, Easy Term Auto, and AML Painting for all their support. Last but not least, Colby Smith for building us a beautiful race car and helping throughout the year with support.” Dennis Nickerson matched his Street Stock finish with a strong third-place run. “The race was a lot of fun. I looked up at the scoreboard on the first caution and thought we made it twice as many laps as last time, but we were only at lap 14 or so. Then I chased Ronnie Mackay for a bunch of laps. I was quicker but mistimed my entry and unfortunately turned him. We were both sent to the rear of the field where he turned me on the following lap. I knew it was coming and deserved it. We were running 3rd and 4th at the time of spins, but there were only 4 cars left on lead lap. So really not a big deal. My car seemed to get better as the race went on and was pretty excited to finish 3rd. Me and Ronnie are friends and had a beer in the pits afterward so all is good. I really enjoyed running both cars but hard to give 100% to both. Have to thank Joe Farrell, Suzannah, and all the sponsors.” During the off-season, watch for news on the 2023 race season at Bud’s Speedway. Click images to supersize or to view as a slideshow. Copies are available by emailing KensPhotos@ns.sympatico.ca.
