It’s over – that’s right, SpeedWeekend and the 2012 season at Speedway 660 is history. Where did the season and summer get to?
Weather was a big story this year. Rain got us a couple or three times during the season and then on our biggest day of the year, SpeedWeekend Sunday, it got us again, at least for awhile.
The Auto Value 250 was a little late starting, but it was a great race once it went green. Joey Doiron in the 73 looked like he was going to run away with it in the early going, then the 97 took over and John Flemming appeared poised to win his first Auto Value 250. But Cassius Clark was not to be denied. After hanging around near the front for the first half of the race, Cassius in Rollie MacDonald’s machine, dominated the second half and landed in victory lane.
Sunday night’s Auto Value 250 was a spectacle on and off the race track. Wade Wilson attempts to interview race winner Cassius Clark with a barrage of fireworks making their way to the skyline. SPEEDWEEKEND 2012 will go down in the books as one of the most memorable racing weekends in Speedway 660 history. Photo Credit Matt Jacques
Dave O’Blenis had a stellar run in his Sportsman car to win the Coastal Blending and Packaging 150 on Saturday night. And on Monday the Mercer Boys, from Norton, won the final Enduro race of the year and the championship in front of a huge crowd. Other weekend winners included Cole Boudreau in the Hanwell Village Mart Bandoleros, Tyler Seveck in the Fredericton Jewelers four cylinders and Rick Cashol in RV World Street Stocks.
The Cashol SpeedWeekend win ended one of the most intense feuds we have seen at Speedway 660 in recent years. Rick lost the Street Stock title to Shannon Brake by two points this year. So the SpeedWeekend win was a bit of revenge for the five time champ.
Glyn Nott had a strong run, finishing second behind O’Blenis in the Coastal Blending and Packaging Sportsman 150. Team Nott is still riding high after claiming their first Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman championship – a title they had been trying to win for 13 years!
A final SpeedWeekend note: I want to thank Tim Terry, my P.A. partner on SpeedWeekend. Tim, the voice of the Parts for Trucks Tour and the owner of Tim’sCorner.ca, did a great job and I heard nothing but positive comments on his SpeedWeekend performance.
Some highlights of 2012 included a very good Pro All Star Series race in June, won by Johnny Clark. The July Parts for Trucks Tour race, won by Shawn Tucker, was a good one too. Ben Rowe’s amazing win in the Best of the Best Pro Stock 150 was a night to remember. And then there was the Martin’s Home Heating Firecracker 150 that saw Kenny MacKenzie take the checkers. They all were exciting races.
Another highlight of the season, as far as I am concerned, was the success of Randy Moore and Richard Atkinson. These two Sportsman drivers have been racing with us for years and in 2012 stepped up to challenge for the championship. Richard’s podium finish interviews are always a highlight of any season!
I also enjoyed putting together this column and the “Conversation With” feature on this website. I hope race fans enjoyed them too.
It’s always a little sad to see a racing season wrap-up. But we are already looking forward to 2013 at Speedway 660 because it will be our 20th anniversary season! Lots of work will be done over the winter to make sure 2013 will be a great season in the Geary Woods.
I want to thank Chris Johnston and Steve & Tracey Burns for allowing me to be part of the Speedway 660 racing family. I had a blast this season and want to thank all of our fans, race teams, sponsors and Speedway 660 volunteers for making the Speedway 660 brand of racing the best in Atlantic Canada. I hope everyone has a safe off-season and before you know it May will be here again and it’ll be time to go racin!
