Atlantic Championships On Deck at Centre for Speed This Weekend October 6, 2022 Regional MONCTON, NB – The roar of stock car racing returns to the CENTRE For Speed in Grand-Barachois, New Brunswick this weekend! The 22nd running of the Atlantic Stock Car Championships has over 100 cars entered for the two-day festival of circle track action with drivers hailing from all three Maritime Provinces. The region’s “Original Post Season Race” runs on Saturday, October 8, and Sunday, October 9 at 1 p.m. each day. The Late Model Sportsman, Mini Stock, Atlantic Modified Tour, and Bomber/Ironmen divisions will contest their Atlantic Stock Car Championship features on Saturday afternoon. With only one stock car event taking place this season at the CENTRE For Speed this season, most will enter with a blank sheet of paper. With the Atlantic Stock Car Championships being the only stock car event in the Maritimes this weekend, all eyes will be on the biggest paved stock car oval in the Province! The Late Model Sportsman 125 sees an entry list pushing 20 entries as of mid week. From big race winners, promising rookies, local stars, and touring hot shoes, the Late Model Sportsman field is shaping up to be an all-star type race on neutral ground. The only Late Model Sportsman race contested at the track saw rookie Dylan Dowe (Bedford, NS) take home the win on Can-Am Weekend over Chuck Mercer (Sussex, NB) and Marcel LeBlanc (Bouctouche, NB). With Dowe on vacation, it opens the door for another team to step up and take the glory to cap off the 2022 season in victory lane. While the likes of Mercer and LeBlanc will be tough on Saturday, Koven Lewis (Salisbury, NB) and Kyle Campbell (Salisbury, NB) also fit the bill of local talent with plenty of laps around the CENTRE For Speed in their day, including one start this season. Laurie Cormier (Riverview, NB), a man no stranger to victory lane in the Maritimes, is also pre-entered looking to add his name to the Atlantic Stock Car Championships winner’s list once again. Michael Cormier (Grand-Barachois, NB), who will do double duty on the weekend, will begin his weekend of home cooking with a run in the Late Model Sportsman race in hopes of breaking the glass ceiling for himself in the highly competitive division. When it comes to star power outside of the local drivers, there is plenty with intentions of leaving on Saturday with a checkered flag. Brady Creamer (Miramichi, NB) has won at virtually every race track he has visited this season with wins at five different paved ovals in the Maritimes this year alone. Two tracks still remain on the checklist and while he’ll focus on Bud’s Speedway in Sydney at the end of the month, the CENTRE For Speed is firmly in his crosshairs. With this being the last chance for a win this season in Shediac, you best believe Creamer will be bouncing off the chip to put the No. 10 car at the front of the field after 125-lap Saturday. Pete Miller (Kennetcook, NS) has arguably held the hottest hand of any Late Model Sportsman driver in the region since August. In 12 races since the calendar turned to the ninth month, Miller has four victories at his home track of Scotia Speedworld and an incredible 11 podium finishes in those events – all in fields of 13 cars or more. Save for a fifth place finish at Riverside International Speedway in September, his worst finish in the last two months anywhere he has competed has been third. Miller hopes to continue the trend Saturday by at least standing on the podium after 125-laps at the CENTRE For Speed. Jacob Logan (Harvey, NB) has found Atlantic Stock Car Championships glory in the past, winning the event as a rookie in 2016. Caleb Urquhart (Harvey, NB), the rookie of the year at Speedway 660, and Brandon Albert (Summerside, PE) both competed in August at the CENTRE For Speed and hope to follow in the footsteps of Logan on Saturday. Jesse Deveau (Greenwood, NS) is also entered for the event as he comes off a fifth-place overall point finish at Scotia Speedworld in his freshman year. Matthew Barkhouse (Dartmouth, NS), who has been picking away at getting his Sportsman car ready, is also pre-entered for the event. That only scratches the surface of the talent heading to the CENTRE For Speed this weekend in Sportsman competition. Former Speedway 660 Champion Curtis Collins (Barnesville, NB), Lake Doucette Championship Contender Shawn Pierce (Bridgewater, NS), Clark Moore (Saint John, NB), Cory Leonard (Goodwood, NS), Hudson Weston (Saint John, NB) and Bernie (Center Burlington, NS) are registered to compete this Saturday! LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN 125Expected Entry List #10 Brady Creamer – Miramichi, NB#11 Caleb Urquhart – Harvey, NB#11c Kyle Campbell – Salisbury, NB#15 Matthew Barkhouse – Dartmouth, NS#18 Bernie – Center Burlington, NS#19 Chuck Mercer – Sussex, NB#21 Shawn Pierce – Bridgewater, NS#27 Curtis Collins – Barnesville, NB#30 Marcel LeBlanc – Bouctouche, NB#31 Jesse Deveau – Greenwood, NS#37 Jacob Logan – Harvey, NB#37 Brandon Albert – Summerside, PE#43 Hudson Weston – Saint John, NB#46 Koven Lewis – Salisbury, NB#53 Laurie Cormier – Riverview, NB#54 Clark Moore – Saint John, NB#68 Michael Cormier – Grand-Barachois, NB#74 Cory Leonard – Goodwood, NS#92 Pete Miller – Kennetcook, NS *entry list subject to change without notice The Mini Stock division will go 100-laps in a true test of driver and machine. Not only will these drivers have to be better than and outrace their peers but will have to make it to the finish of this extended distance event. Leading the charge is a multi-time Atlantic Stock Car Champion and a six-time track and touring series champion in Dave Matthews of Kennetcook, Nova Scotia and the newly crowned East Coast Mini Stock Tour champion and multi-time Oyster Bed Speedway titlist Matt Watson of Miscouche, Prince Edward Island. The pair has battled all season long on the road and are sure to thrill fans one more time this weekend. As they are every week, they will be challenged all along the way by several of the Maritimes top Four Cylinder drivers. Former Oyster Bed Speedway Pro Stock Champion Matt Palmer (Charlottetown, PE), fan favorite Chris Garnett (Havelock, NB), multi-time feature winner Neil Miousse (Miramichi, NB), Denis Morin (Moncton, NB), Shane Cudmore (Moncton, NB) and more are among the Honda drivers entered on Saturday. Over a dozen Mini Stock drivers are entered for the 100-lap feature on Saturday. The ever growing entry level Ironmen and Bomber division will also crown an Atlantic Stock Car Champion for the first time since their inception. Several local drivers like Donald Neilson (Moncton, NB) will try to defend their home turf against several Speedway Miramichi invaders including Axten MacLean (Miramichi, NB), Dylan Doucet (Bathurst, NB) and Jonathan Dickson (Miramichi, NB). Nine drivers have pre-entered but more are expected to pull through the pit gates on Saturday morning for their 35-lap feature. The Atlantic Modified Tour returns to the CENTRE For Speed for the first time since 2014 as they contest the 11th point race of their 2022 season. The Tim’s Corner Motorsports 50 is the penultimate round of the season as the Tour will crown a champion in their 20th Anniversary Season later in October. Braxton Stafford (Miramichi, NB) leads the Series standings when one drop race is factored into the points. Stafford paces the field over the most recent winner and four time feature winner on the 2022 season in Chris Wilson (South Esk, NB). While Wilson trails Stafford by 16 points, he only has a two-point advantage on Doug Matchett (Miramichi, NB). The 2020 champion Yves McCray (Neguac, NB) is ten points behind Matchett with multi-time champion Joe Hoyt (Waasis, NB) fifth, five points behind McCray. The Atlantic Modified Tour has seen increased interest this season with 15 drivers participating in at least one event so far in 2022. Day One of competition for the Atlantic Stock Car Championships will also include a Pro Stock Happy Hour, taking place from 12pm to 1pm. The Pro Stock division, along with the Street Stock, Four Fun and Bandolero classes will compete on Day Two on Sunday, October 9th at 1pm. A preview of Sunday’s action will be available tomorrow. Complete and up-to-date entry lists for all divisions competing at the Atlantic Stock Car Championships at the CENTRE For Speed, along with race day formats and full ticketing information, can be found at CENTREForSpeed.com. About Shediac’s CENTRE For Speed:Shediac’s CENTRE For Speed is a family-owned and operated Motorsports and Music Venue, located just 4kms from Parlee Beach, NB. We are Home of the Parlee Beach Music Festival, Atlantic Stock Car Championships, Atlantic Monster Truck Nationals, and much more. For more information, please visit www.centreforspeed.com.
