Tuckers Wins SLMS Series Finale, Gosbee Crowned Inaugural Champion

PETITCODIAC, NB – After an inaugural Super Late Model Series season that saw bad luck and uncharacteristic results for Ashton Tucker (#2) and the Brad Silliker Motorsports team, they closed the season with a statement victory in Saturday’s Old Fashion Meat Market 150 at Petty International Raceway. Leading twice for 115 laps, Tucker set a torrid pace in the final half of the race, lapping all but the top eight and winning with a 5.5-second margin over second place Cory Hall. Lonnie Sommerville was third with Robbie MacEwen and Darren MacKinnon rounding out the top five.

Tucker started sixth and worked his way up to the lead by passing Lonnie Sommerville (#23) around the lap 30 mark. After the race’s second and final yellow on lap 46, Sommerville and Tucker would exchange the lead again, before Tucker made what would turn out to be the race-winning pass. Tucker faced several challenges from Cory Hall (#83) over a 104-lap green flag run to the finish but he eventually pulled away and never looked back to earn his first career Super Late Model Series victory.

A heated battle for sixth was had between Jarrett Butcher (#54) and 2023 Super Late Model Series champion Dylan Gosbee (#16). Gosbee entered the feature needing to finish 15^th or better to clinch the title and finished seventh behind Butcher.

With an 11th-place finish, Hudson Weston (#43) earned the Castrol Rookie of the Year Award.

• unofficial race results

Only two cautions slowed the Old Fashion Meat Market 150. On lap nine contact between Weston and Ian Rasmussen (#81) sent Rasmussen spinning which collected several cars including Dustin Tucker (#52), who received the worst damage. The second caution came on lap 46 for contact between Kevin Moore (#88) and Ryan Messer (#1).

Hall, MacKinnon, and Brady Creamer (#10c, SLMS debut) all scored heat race victories. Kenny MacKenzie Jr (#85) won the EIT Race Radios Pole Award.

Chris Hughes (#32) accepted the Sackville Service Station Pole Challenge prior to the green flag. Slated to start eighth, Hughes took a $1000.00 bonus to start the race last. An extra bonus was on the line to finish in the top three; in spite of a valiant effort to advance, Hughes finished 13th.

Twenty-six entered the Old Fashion Meat Market 150. The race took just under 1 hour and 16 minutes to complete.

The final point standings for the season will see Dylan Gosbee claiming the inaugural championship by 22 points over Robbie MacEwen. Cory Hall will leap over Ryan Messer to claim third with his runner-up result.

This concludes the 2023 Super Late Model Series season. On behalf of the management of Oyster Bed Speedway, Petty International Raceway, Speedway 660, and the staff of the Super Late Model Series, we thank everyone for the incredible support of the inaugural season. Plans are already underway to make 2024 even bigger and better. As always fans are encouraged to find the Super Late Model Series on social media at @SLMSeries on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and on our website at SLMS.ca.

Source – series communications