Atlantic Championships on Deck at CFS This Weekend

Atlantic Canada’s year end celebration is set to go green this weekend in the shadows of Shediac, New Brunswick.

The 2014 edition of the Atlantic Championships marks the 15th year of the staple event on the Maritime racing schedule, and brings drivers from all four Atlantic provinces to compete for glory on the final major weekend event before the snow flies.

Fans can expect close racing in all divisions from the green flag on Saturday to the checkered flag Sunday afternoon.

“We have come up with a set of rules that we believe will create a more level playing field,” comments Tim Wile, General Manager of the CENTRE For Speed. “At the end of the day, bringing together the rules, it comes down to more of a competition of skill on the race track.”

That skill will be on display in seven different classes over the weekend. Highlighting the show is Sunday’s “Late Model” half of the Atlantic Championships. Back after a successful run in 2013, the Sportsman and Pro Stock classes will run together on Sunday, October 5, giving those fans who want pure speed all they can handle to close the weekend. The Atlantic Modifieds will also make an appearance on Sunday to crown their 2014 series champion.

The Sportsman division has many storylines to follow heading into this weekend, including Racin’ Remi Gaudet looking to successfully defend his Atlantic Championships title earned one year ago. If Devin Snell shows up in his Lonnie Sommerville Racing entry, he will be one of the favorites after picking up major 100-lap wins at Petty Raceway and Speedway Miramichi in the last two weeks. Many Scotia Speedworld drivers will be looking to take home the crown to Nova Scotia, including Alex Johnson, Tyler Hallahan and Aaron Boutilier is rumored to be making his way up to Grand Barachois. Boutilier is the 2012 Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman Series and 2013 NAPA Sportsman Series champion and is looking to notch the major Atlantic Championships title to that resume.

Also expected to compete on Sunday with the Sportsman is PEI’s Tyler Gauthier. Gauthier will be running his Central Engine Services Late Model, modified to conform to the Atlantic Championships rulebook for Sportsman. The expected entry list is pushing 20 heading into the weekend.

The Super Late Model/Pro Stock entry list is stout with around 20 cars expected for Sunday’s event. Jonathan Hicken holds the hot hand heading into Sunday, with five wins this season, including last weekend’s Chi City Showdown open race.  Hicken holds this title from last year, and Greg Proude will also be itching to take another Atlantic Championships crown back to Prince Edward Island. Petty Raceway Pro Stock champion Chris Duncan will look to continue his championship season with a big win in Shediac, while Paul Gahan, Kevin Moore, Dana Hamm and Rookie of the Year Cole Boudreau will look to take their lessons learned from Speedway 660 this season to victory lane on the tough CENTRE For Speed oval.

Sarah McKay will return to where it all began for her one season ago. McKay, of Quispamsis, turned heads by climbing aboard a Pro Stock at this event last year and was running within the top ten after starting from the rear when an accident swept her out of contention just shy of the halfway point. Devin Snell is expected to take the path of McKay and get his first Super Late Model start under his belt Sunday.

DJ Casey will be making his third ever start in a Pro Stock Sunday, with his second consecutive start behind the wheel of the #97 Happy Harry’s Affordable Building Centre Dodge for Flemming Motorsports, under the watchful eye of five time Parts for Trucks Tour champion John Flemming. Robbie MacEwen will be looking to ride on the momentum of his Central Engine Services Late Model Championship at Oyster Bed Speedway with another Pro Stock start. John Rankin, at the helm of the Brad Silliker Motorsports #2 car, and Brady Creamer will each look to make the Miramichi proud on Sunday in their appearances at the CENTRE.

The field is also expected to include veterans Robbie MacLean, “Marty Mega” Marty Prevost, Shawn Pierce, podium finisher from 2013 Steve Halpin, Newfoundland’s Josh Collins, Jason Carnahan, Wayne Miller and Terry Dougay. Glenn Rasmussen is expected to make his long awaited return to New Brunswick Pro Stock racing after spending the last two seasons at Spud Speedway in Caribou, Maine.

While Sunday’s show will be pure speed with two excellent Late Model shows on the card with the Atlantic Modifieds, Saturday’s show was the one that stole the show last year. The Mini Stock and Four Fun races will give Four Cylinder fans everything they can handle, and the Street Stocks 100 is expected to bring Street Stock and Truck competitors from across the region to battle for what could be the biggest Street Stock field seen in Atlantic Canada all season.

The Mini Stock and Four Fun field will feature champions from around the region, including Oyster Bed Speedway’s Charles Woolaver and Scotia Speedworld’s Mike Brown in the Four Fun class, while Centre For Speed track champion JR Lawson will look to successfully defend the turf he has owned all season in the class. Kyle MacMillan, the 2012 Atlantic Champion, is expected to give Lawson a run at the title, along with many other strong Scotia Speedworld Thunder cars, including two-time track champion Tim Webster, three-time feature winners this season in Stevie Lively and “The Ironman” Drew MacEachern and Rookie of the Year Brad Hayes and fellow freshmen Shane and Andrew Lively. There is also expected to be a handful of Oyster Bed Speedway Civics making their way over to challenge the Halifax contingent, including at least one entry from Coverall/Palmer Boys Racing. Martin Landry will also be making his return to try and take another Atlantic Championship crown from this stout field for Four Cylinders

Joining Woolaver and Brown in the Four Fun class includes brother to 2013 Atlantic Champion Terry Moore, driving the #150 ADESA Auto Auctions Neon for Mark Campbell, Speedway 660′s Brody Levesque and feature winner Matt Crocker, Oyster Bed’s Brandon Albert and many, many more. Between the two divisions, 40 cars are expected to duel it out for the two championships in the two separate races Saturday.

While no entry list has been released for the Street Stock event, the list is expected to be deep with talent. From the Coors Light Truck division at Scotia Speedworld, you will see Matt Vaughan, six time winner Jason Fenton and three-time champion Dan Smith, among others. The local Moncton area contingent will include Petty Raceway Rookie of the Year Nick Cudmore, Martin Landry and the O’Blenis sisters, Alexandra and Courtney. Alexandra comes off a big win last Saturday at the Chi City Showdown and will look to once again pick up another big win to close off her season.

“The Back of the Pack Crew” including the “Port City Princess” Destiny Enkel, “The Babe” Gary Wade and Andre Chamberlain will also be in search of moving to the front and taking some hardware home Sunday.

Mike Duskey, who won the 50 lap event on Mike Stevens Memorial weekend at Petty Raceway and his teammate Jeff Macinnis, are expected to lead the Island crown across the Confederation Bridge for the Street Stock event.

The Bandolero division will also contest a 25-lap event on Saturday in support of the Street Stocks and Four Cylinders.

By many accounts, the Mini Stock and Street Stock races at the CENTRE For Speed last year were the best races of the weekend. Be sure to book your plans now to be at the track Saturday to watch the up and coming stars duke to out for an Atlantic Championship crown!

Action begins on both days at 1pm with pit gates opening at 9am and main grandstands swinging open at 11am. There is also an open practice on Friday night for 4 to 6:30pm with lobster rolls and refreshments to follow. Saturday night following the racing action will feature the first Atlantic Championships Lobster Eating contest, open to drivers and crews who are with a registered team for the Atlantic Championships, and a DJ will follow with music in the campground. To enter the Lobster Eating contest, please fill out the form on the CENTRE For Speed website.