New Brunswick Short Track Challenge Series Announced

Provincial Sportsman Champion to be Crowned in Three Race Series

A partnership between management at three New Brunswick stock car racing ovals Petty International Raceway in River Glade, Speedway 660 in Geary and Speedway Miramichi in Miramichi has come together to form the inaugural New Brunswick Short Track Challenge. The three-race series, one held at each venue, will crown a provincial champion in the Late Model Sportsman division in New Brunswick. In addition to the championship, the driver who wins the series will pocket an extra $1,500.

The first of three races will be held at Speedway 660 in Geary, with the Martin’s Home Heating 100 going green on Saturday, June 6th. Round Two will be contested during the Third Annual Caleb Dunn Memorial weekend on Sunday, August 2nd at Petty International Raceway and will be a 100-lap feature. The series concludes at Speedway Miramichi on Saturday, September 19th during the ‘Chi City Showdown with a 100-lap main event. All events will be overseen by their respective track, with a separate point count from the three races being kept to determine a provincial champion for the Sportsman division.

The theme is common between the three management groups, to work together to showcase short track stock car racing at the three premiere oval venues in the province.

“When we came together over the off-season, we discussed how we could raise awareness for the sport in New Brunswick and at the same time, give our fans something to get excited about,” said Max Roy, co-owner of Speedway 660. “There are thousands of NASCAR fans in this region who follow the top three National Series, but how many of them know we have three great short tracks right in their back yards? What better way to raise awareness for our sport, while also giving our Sportsman teams the chance to run for a true provincial championship! We are excited to be involved with this series.”

Craig McFetridge, co-owner of Petty International Raceway, echoes the same teamwork thoughts that Roy does.

“We’ve worked closely with Speedway Miramichi in the past and have been so great to us since we opened the track,” said McFetridge. “This is the first time we’ll have a chance to work with Speedway 660 on a project like this and after getting to know Max and Gary over the past couple years, we believe this will be a great partnership for our teams and fans. To create this Challenge series, to give drivers an opportunity to race at three unique race tracks and crown a true provincial champion is pretty special.”

Jason Carnahan, co-owner at Speedway Miramichi and a part-time Pro Stock driver himself, is excited for Sportsman teams in the creation of this series.

“This is a great little deal for travelling short track teams,” said Carnahan. “We are excited to be a part of New Brunswick tracks engaging in working relationships. It represents great courtesy to one another, and shows positive direction moving forward into the future.”

Fans can expect to see high caliber racing in the New Brunswick Short Track Challenge. The series is expected to attract drivers from from neighboring provinces as well.

“While it is a ‘provincial championship’, the racing is certainly not limited to teams from New Brunswick,” said Roy. “We are excited to be able to give fans at all three tracks a chance to see the best talent from our province and beyond. The talent in the Sportsman class is a great mix of youth and experienced veterans that always put on a good show.”

The race events also take place on standalone weekends in the province. When the green flag flies on Saturday, June 6th for the Martin’s Home Heating 100 at Speedway 660, both Speedway Miramichi and Petty International Raceway will be idle for the weekend, and so on for the successive races.

New Brunswick Short Track Challenge 2015 Schedule

1. Saturday, June 6 – 6:30 p.m. – Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman 100 – Speedway 660
2. Sunday, August 2 – TBA – Third Annual Caleb Dunn Memorial Sportsman 100 – Petty International Raceway
3. Saturday, September 19 – 6:00 p.m. – ‘Chi City Showdown Sportsman 100 – Speedway Miramichi (Miramichi, NB)

Schedule subject to change without prior notice.

About Speedway 660:
Speedway 660 is WicKID Family Fun. The 1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features five classes of racing on a weekly basis: the Westwood Estates Bandoleros, Re/Max Group Four Realty Pro Stocks, Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooters, Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman, and DMR Auto Sales and Service Street Stocks. Speedway 660 is located off Highway 7 on Route 660 in Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton. To learn more about Speedway 660 please visit www.speedway660.com

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. To get current updates delivered to you directly please follow us on Twitter.

About Speedway Miramichi:
Speedway Miramichi is where “motorsports lives on.” Located on McKinnon Road in Newcastle, New Brunswick, the track hosts special event demolition and stock car shows from May to October and is home to the September 19th ‘Chi City Showdown. For more information on Speedway Miramichi, visit SpeedwayMiramichi.com.