Petty Raceway Ready to Open Season Saturday

RIVER GLADE, NB – After a long Eastern Canadian winter, Petty International Raceway located in River Glade, New Brunswick, is set to officially give the stock car season the green flag in the Maritimes on Saturday afternoon, May 16.

The LaFarge Aggregates and Concrete Season Opener has a post time of 4pm, and will feature six unique racing divisions. The five Petty International Raceway staple divisions will begin their chase to the championship, including the Pro Stock, Sportsman, NAPA CMax Street Stock, Mister Transmission Mini Stock and Leisure Days/CRC RV Bandolero classes. The Atlantic Modified Tour will also visit Petty Raceway on Saturday for their first of four scheduled stops on the high banked oval.

While the winter has been a harsh one in some regions, race teams have been hard at work preparing their race cars for the racing season. For many, last weekend’s practice session was the first opportunity to hit the track since last September. The Sportsman 50-lap feature as a part of the LaFarge Aggregates and Concrete Season Opener will be a surefire way to kick any winter blues that linger and will highlight the card. Matt and Andrew Rodgers (Smithtown), Alexandra O’Blenis (Boundary Creek) and Dawson McIntee (Moncton), along with NAPA Petitcodiac Rookie of the Year contenders Braxton Stafford (Blackville) and reigning NAPA CMax Street Stock champion Kenny MacKenzie Jr (Salisbury) were amongst the drivers who took the advantage of extra track time last weekend.

A majority of the track champions from the 2014 season have decided to change divisions over the off-season, meaning we could see drivers extra hungry to visit victory lane on Saturday. Registration numbers for Saturday’s opener have been strong and each field is expected to be rich in talent when they hit the loud pedal this weekend.

With outgoing Atlantic Modified Tour champion Ryan Messer (Harvey) moving on from the Tour in 2015, the guard has changed once again within the series. Karting standout Justin Beers (Moncton) has purchased the 2014 championship car and will look to pull the same feat Messer did – win the championship in his rookie year. An entry list for the series first stop at Petty Raceway was unavailable at press time, but is expected to include returning veterans such as Cody Price, Joe Hoyt, Brandon Skidmore and Mike “Sparky” Raeburn.

The LaFarge Aggregates and Concrete Season Opener is the first of nine racing events to take place over seven weekends this summer. The Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour will visit Petty Raceway thrice in 2015, a Demolition Derby will be a part of the July 11th “Atlantic Nationals Weekend” card, the New Brunswick Short Track Challenge will highlight the Caleb Dunn Memorial on August 2nd and two double header weekends on August 21st and 22nd (51st River Glade International), September 25th and 26th (Mike Stevens Memorial) will close the season at the track.

Grandstand admission prices for the Saturday’s events are $20 for adults, $10 for youth aged eight to 18, while children under eight years 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 11am, grandstand gates open for spectators at 2pm with racing getting underway at 4pm.

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.