Petty Raceway Ready for Mike Stevens Memorial This Weekend

RIVER GLADE, NB- The stock car season at the high-banked Petty International Raceway will draw to a close this Friday and Saturday night as the track honors the late Mike Stevens in the Fourth Annual Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend presented by R. Stevens Mechanical and Carnahan Property Management (CPM). The region’s top stock car stars over seven unique classes will be heading to River Glade, New Brunswick with one goal in mind; to win on one of the biggest weekends of the Summer in Atlantic Canada.

Here is a brief preview of the action, on and off the track; that you can look forward to this weekend at Petty International Raceway.

FRIDAY NIGHT

– A five division card will kick off the Fourth Annual Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend. The Westwood Estates Street Stocks, Mister Transmission Mini Stocks, Leisure Days RV Bandoleros, Women on Wheels and Atlantic Modifieds will all take to the track Friday evening beginning at 7pm.

– The Westwood Estates Street Stock division will compete in the third and final Triple Crown event of the season. The 75-lap event will see some of the top Street Stock and Truck drivers from all three Maritime Provinces duke it out in the extended distance race. Season long Champion and Rookie of the Year Logan Power (Riverview, NB) leads the Westwood Estates Triple Crown Series after two races by ten points over Nick Cudmore (Petitcodiac, NB) with Chuck Mercer (Mount Hebron, NB) completing the top three.

– The Mister Transmission Mini Stocks will compete in Salisbury Right Stop 25 on Friday evening. With no points riding on the line and the title of becoming a Mike Stevens Memorial champion hanging in the balance, these drivers will be sailing it into the corners extra hard to come out a winner! Tim Webster (Beaver Bank, NS) is a two-time and reigning track champion heading into this event, besting Mike Edwards (Penobsquis, NB) for the title in 2017.

– The Leisure Days RV Bandolero division stars will compete in the Carter’s Septic 20. Fans can expect to see experienced drivers like newly crowned champion Sam Rogers (Lower Onslow, NS), Josh and Nathan Langille (Coldbrook, NS), Koven Lewis (Salisbury, NB), Austin MacDonald (Pictou, NS) and many more duke it out for the top spot. Added for the weekend includes a Beginner Bandolero feature for the newcomers to the sport to get acclimated to Petty International Raceway’s high banks with those of the same skill level.

– The Atlantic Modifieds will crown a season long Petty International Raceway track championship in the Bumper to Bumper Riverview 35. Mike “Sparky” Raeburn (Hampton, NB) has a seven point lead on “Mr. Excitement” Doug Matchett (Miramichi, NB) and a 12 point lead on Joe Hoyt (Waasis, NB) heading into the 50-lap main event.

– The Women on Wheels will also decide a 2017 track champion on Friday evening and the battle couldn’t be any closer. Defending champion Brenda Shortell and Paula Evans are tied for the lead with only one race to go. The competition will be stiff as bragging rights for the Winter months will be on the line in a hotly contested 15-lap feature.

– Grandstand admission prices for Friday’s opening night of the Mike Stevens Memorial are $20 for adults and $10 for youth aged eight to 18, while children seven years of age and under will be admitted free. Pit admission is $30 and is restricted to those 16 years of age and older. Pit gates for competitors open at 4pm, grandstand gates open for spectators at 5pm with racing getting underway at 7pm.

SATURDAY NIGHT

– The Late Models will take centre stage on Saturday with a 75-lap Limited Late Model (Sportsman) feature and a 200-lap Super Late Model (Pro Stock) on the card. The racing is presented on Saturday by R. Stevens Mechanical, CPM and NAPA Auto Parts in Salisbury and Petitcodiac.

– At press time, 24 drivers have pre-entered for the Fourth Annual Mike Stevens Memorial 200 presented by R. Stevens Mechanical and CPM. The entry list is stacked and includes the likes of two-time and defending champion Jonathan Hicken (Brudenell, PE), multiple time New Brunswick track champion Greg Fahey (St. Stephen, NB), five-time Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour champion John Flemming (Halifax, NS), former Atlantic Cat 250 and McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 champion Lonnie Sommerville (Barnesville, NB), 2014 NAPA Sportsman Series champion Chris Reid (Fort McMurray, AB), Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour Rookie of the Year Jarrett Butcher (Porters Lake, NS), INEX International Semi Pro Legend Point Contender Cory Hall (Jolicure, NB) and 16-year old sophomore sensation Ashton Tucker (Lyttleton, NB). A complete entry list can be found below.

– While the race pays $7,500 to win and has $5,000 worth of lap money, three drivers have already qualified for the King Freight Lines and CPM “Big Money Bonus.” By virtue of their big wins this season, Dylan Blenkhorn (Truro, NS – IWK 250), Cole Butcher (Porters Lake, NS – Atlantic Cat 250) and Cassius Clark (Farmington, ME – McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250) will win an additional $5,000 should they be able to take home the win in the Mike Stevens Memorial 200 on Saturday evening. A fourth driver will be chosen by a fan that has their 50/50 drawn on Saturday night. If that driver wins the event, the Big Money Bonus will be split between the driver selected and the fan.

– A number of contingency awards for the Mike Stevens Memorial 200 presented by R. Stevens Mechanical and CPM will also be on the line in addition to the over $30,000 in purse money. In addition to all lap sponsors that will boost the purse by $5,000, the Halfway Award will pay the leader $500 at Lap 100 courtesy of Silver Fox Special Care Home. The driver who leads the most laps on the evening will receive $500 from Phil-ko Plastics and Glass. EIT Race Radios will also pay $250 each to the top Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge and Toyota in the field.

– Should the Mike Stevens Memorial 200 go 40 laps of uninterrupted green, a caution will fly to tighten the field up. This rule will be in place for any green flag stretch prior to Lap 160. Teams in the race must make one “live pit stop” at some point throughout the 200-lap duration.

– Fans will be able to get inside both races with in car interviews and pre-race interviews cut by track announcer Jesse Thompson and John O’Shea of 99.3 The River. The pre-race Drivers Meeting for the Mike Stevens Memorial 200 will also be held in front of the fans on the front straightaway.

– A 75-lap Limited Late Model feature will kick off Saturday afternoon presented by NAPA Auto Parts in Salisbury and Petitcodiac. Without question, Kenny MacKenzie Jr. (Salisbury, NB) is the driver to beat in the opening act on Saturday’s Mike Stevens Memorial card. MacKenzie Jr. took home the Limited Late Model track championship in 2017 and enters Saturday as not only the defending champion of the race but has a five race win streak dating back to late July. He will be challenged by some of the top Sportsman competitors in the region, including Shawn Waterfield (Sydney, NS), Russell Smith Jr. (Lakeside, NS), Matt Maillet (Burton, NB), Phil Barkhouse Jr. (Hammonds Plains, NS), Andrew Rodgers (Smithtown, NB), “Mr. Excitement” Kirk Ryan (Upper Nine Mile River, NS) and more than a dozen others.

– Grandstand admission prices for Saturday’s Mike Stevens Memorial 200 presented by R. Stevens Mechanical are $40 for adults and $10 for youth aged eight to 18, while children seven years of age and under will be admitted free. Pit admission is $50 and is restricted to those 16 years of age and older. Pit gates for competitors open at 12pm, grandstand gates open for spectators at 2pm with racing getting underway at 4pm.

– Ivan Daigle and the Dirt County Confederates will play a pre-race concert during the Autograph Session on Saturday night. Daigle’s high energy is sure to pump up the crowd and the competitors before they settle in for 200-laps of Super Late Model Pro Stock action.

Expected Entry List – Fourth Annual Mike Stevens Memorial 200 presented by R. Stevens Mechanical and CPM

02 – Craig Ward – Riverview, NB
08 – Nicholas Naugle – Dartmouth, NS
2 – Lonnie Sommerville – Barnesville, NB
13C – Cassius Clark – Farmington, ME
13H – Jonathan Hicken – Brudenell, PE
18 – Darren MacKinnon – Charlottetown, PE
19 – Cory Hall – Jolicure, NB
28 – Kirk Thibeau – Fort Fairfield, ME
29 – Greg Proude – Springvale, PE
29F – Greg Fahey – St. Stephen, NB
32 – Ashton Tucker-  Lyttleton, NB
32S – Sarah McKay – Quispamsis, NB
40 – Robbie MacEwen – Sherwood, PE
41 – Mike Rodgers – Moncton, NB
42 – Chris Reid – Fort McMurray, AB
52 – Dustin Tucker – Fredericton, NB
53 – Cole Butcher – Porters Lake, NS
54 – Jarrett Butcher – Porters Lake, NS
67 – Dylan Blenkhorn – Truro, NS
72 – Michael Kyle – Sussex, NB
81 – Nevin Scott – Marshfield, PE
81R – Ian Rasmussen – New Denmark, NB
88 – Kevin Moore – Fredericton, NB
88L – Braden Langille – Shubenacadie, NS
97D – Chris Duncan – Hampton, NB
97F – John Flemming – Halifax, NS

Expected Entry List – Fourth Annual Mike Stevens Memorial Limited Late Model 75 presented by NAPA Auto Parts of Salisbury and Petitcodiac

03 – Bert Cormier – Bouctouche, NB
07 – Robbie Fraser – Riverview, NB
2 – Corey Breen – Antigonish, NS
3 – Justin Beers – Moncton, NB
14 – Andrew Rodgers – Smithtown, NB
15 – Dan Bourque – Grande-Digue, NB
22 – Jeffrey Breen – Antigonish, NS
23 – Shawn Waterfield – Sydney, NS
25 – Ryan VanOirschot – Antigonish, NS
29 – Matt Maillet – Burton, NB
30 – Marcel LeBlanc – Moncton, NB
33 – Byron Bartlett – Rothesay, NB
41 – Brady Creamer – Miramichi, NB
44 – Russell Smith Jr – Lakeside, NS
54 – Kirk Ryan – Upper Nine Mile River, NS
58 – John Biron – Sydney, NS
85 – Kenny MacKenzie Jr – Salisbury, NB
90 – Wayne Miller – Kennetcook, NS
99 – Phil Barkhouse Jr – Hammonds Plains, NS

Entry lists are subject to change without notice.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

– The 50/50 Draws on the weekend will benefit the Brody and David Stevens Living Memorial Fund.

– A weekend pass for both days of racing is available for $50 on the front gate or $70 for the back gate. Both are a savings of $10 on single day admissions.

– Fans will be able to vote at track for the annual Petty Fan Choice Awards. This season, the awards will be decided by both at track balloting and an online vote. The online ballot is expected to in the coming days – fans can watch PettyFanChoice.com for complete information.

– Mike Stevens was a racer from nearby Salisbury who lost his life on August 4, 2013, after a crash at Oyster Bed Speedway; he was 30 and survived by his wife Sharon and young sons Brody and David.

For complete, up-to-date information on Petty International Raceway, please visit PettyInternationalRaceway.com, follow us on Twitter (@PettyRaceway_NB) and like us on Facebook (@PettyInternationalRaceway).

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

source – track communications