NASCAR Veteran Benson Returning to Challenge for the 10th Annual Auto Value 250

Fredericton, NB – Last year’s Auto Value 250 at Speedway 660 Speedway attracted one of the best fields of pro stock cars ever seen in the region. This year’s field has already broken that standard and today veteran NASCAR driver Johnny Benson has thrown his hat into the ring for the 2010 Auto Value 250. The 2008 Craftsman Truck Series Champion and former Nextel/Winston Cup regular announced that he has teamed with Martins Home Heating and Sommerville Racing to make the trek north to Fredericton, NB for the Labour Day event.

The Auto Value 250 is now celebrating its 10th Anniversary, and the region’s top pro stock drivers regard the race as the premier stock car event of the season. Benson is no stranger to the event as he led the charge of high profile drivers to compete with his entry in the 2005 and 2006 event.

“I’ve been looking to get back up here since my last run in 2006.  It’s an awesome weekend and the folks are a blast.  We’ve had some scheduling conflicts over the past few years but I’m excited to be able to come for the 10th Anniversary event” said Benson.

Benson has had some great success since his last visit to Speedway 660 as he won the 2008 Craftsman Truck Series Championship.  “2008 was a great year in the trucks and I remember people from New Brunswick sending email and notes along congratulating me.  That was pretty neat that they took the time to keep up on what I was doing down south” said Benson.

Benson will be supported in his bid for the Auto Value 250 title by local sponsors Martin’s Home Heating and Venmar.   “We are thrilled to have Johnny Benson back at Speedway 660” said Richard Martin of Martin’s Home Heating.  “We were completely impressed with Johnny when he was here in 2005 and 2006.  You couldn’t ask for a better representative and on top of that the guy can certainly wheel a race car”.

He has competed in 274 Spring Cup races over 11 years and was the Rookie of the Year in 1996. He has also competed in 91 Busch Series races over 10 years and was the 1994 Rookie of the Year. He followed his Rookie of the Year Award with a Busch Series Championship in 1995.

“Johnny is a class act and we are really excited to have him back for the 10th Anniversary Auto Value 250” said track co-owner Chris Johnston, “Johnny was the first NASCAR driver to make his way north and compete in our race and I must say he set the standard pretty high for everyone following behind him”.

Please contact Angela Coffey at Speedway 660 at 506-455-3181 or info@speedway660.com for any questions.

Fredericton, NB –  Speedway 660 management announced that fans who attend this years annual Auto Value 250 will again be treated to a free country music  show during the intermission of the big event.  Steve Waylon and his band Rebel Ridge will perform in front of over 8000 fans just prior to the opening ceremonies.   Waylon has been a staple over the past two years for the event and Speedway Management and fans were eager to have him back.  “Were very pleased to have such a great group of guys with that kind of talent for the event.  They have become part of the event and I think they really add to the atmosphere.“ said co-owner Steve Burns.

Waylon who has developed quite a following as opened for acts as like Doc Walker, Lorrie Morgan, Sammy Kershaw, Jim Witter, Matt Minglewood, Kim Mitchell, Trooper, and April Wine, to name a few.

Steve Waylon hails from Fredericton, New Brunswick and presents a fresh sound in today’s Country music, which offers a very high energy sound and show. His “Driven Country” music style is comparable to Travis Tritt, Montgomery Gentry and Lynrd Skynrd.

Having played in some local Atlantic Canadian bands Steve moved to Ontario for a couple of years where he gained seasoning in a very competitive market. With this experience Steve is now on his own path to stardom.

Steve’s career started when he played and sang harmonies on stage with his Dad at the age of 15. He remembers the excitement of looking out into the crowd of 150 people, but if felt like 150,000. Watching the crowd and their reactions, he was “hooked”.

Speedway management think that that race fans will be “hooked“ on the bands smooth sound and co-owner Chris Johnston says “I`m excited to have these guys involved.  They stepped and wanted to be a part of this deal and were grateful to have them.  Please contact Angela Coffey at Speedway 660 at 506-455-3181 or info@speedway660.com  for any questions.

Chubbuck, Benjamin and Thibeau also looking to take the trophy back across the border!

Fredericton, NB – The biggest name in modern stock car racing in the Northeast, Ben Rowe has announced his intentions to compete in the 10th Annual Auto Value 250.  Rowe is a four time PASS North Champion as well as a two time winner of the Oxford 250.  Rowe will pilot a car prepared by O’Neal Racing crew, the same car Sterling Marlin entered in the 2009 event.   “This race has been on my radar for a while; my schedule has never worked out until this year.  I’m pretty excited to be taking a crack at it.  It’s a great race” said Rowe.

Another familiar southern face, Travis Kittleson, will also be returning to the Auto Value 250 for a 4th attempt at victory. Kittleson has been a force to be reckoned with in his last two starts in the Auto Value 250 and he doesn’t expect this year to be any different.  “This event is now on my radar every year.  I’m fortunate to be able to drive one of Lonnie Sommerville’s cars with the help of McKay Builders.” said Kittleson who currently resides in Mooresville, NC.  Most noticeably last year he dominated the early part of the race and led over 70 laps.   Travis has had some success in these Pro stock cars.  In 2006, he was touted as one of the top Pro Stock/Super Late Model drivers in America.  In 2005, Travis took part in Jack Roush’s Driver X Show and finished in the top 8 drivers vying for a chance to race a Craftsman truck for Roush racing.  All totalled Travis has over 190 starts in Pro Stock and ASA Late Model events.  54 of those events he won!!! And was in the top 10 in 138 of the 190+ starts.  Oh yeh, he’s also had 35 poles and 87 top 5’s.

Johnny Clark is also no stranger to Speedway 660 victory lane.  Johnny is a former Auto Value 250 champion and most recently captured the PASS 200 victory at Speedway 660 on June 12th.  In victory lane that day Johnny made his intentions clear when asked if he would be returning to compete in the 2010 Auto Value 250, “Are you kidding me, I love this place and I love the 250.  I won $20,000 here in 2007.  You bet I’ll be here”.    Johnny has three PASS North wins this season and is currently leading the PASS North points championship by 13 points over Ben Rowe.

Another familiar name that is making his way to Speedway 660 for the Auto Value 250 is 2005 Champion Scott Chubbuck.  Scott is coming off a 2nd place finish in the COASTAL Blending & Packaging 150 a few weeks back and is ready to roll this weekend.  “We love coming up here on labour day weekend.  The guys look forward to it all year.” Said Chubbuck.

Rounding out the registered US competitors are 2001 Auto Value 250 Champion Kirk Thibeau and multi-year runner up, Travis Benjamin.

Please contact Angela Coffey at Speedway 660 at 506-455-3181 or info@speedway660.com  for any questions.

The Auto Value 250
The 2010 Auto Value 250 will take place on Sunday, September 5th, 2010 and will be the highlight of the 9th Annual SPEEDWEEKEND. The event will showcase the Speedway 660 Coastal Blending & Packaging Pro Stocks against the best of the Eastern Canada and New England. The purse for 2010 will be over $70,000 with a guaranteed $15,000 to the event winner and possible winner’s cheque of $28,000. Seven years ago, the late Scott Fraser took home a record $25,400 including lap money. Only ten years old, the event as grown in crowd, atmosphere, and car count every year since its inception. Over 8,000 people attended the 2010 event to break attendance records at Speedway 660.  Forty plus pro stock cars will be attempting to qualify for 28 spots on the starting grid.

SPEEDWEEKEND
Just like the Auto Value 250, SPEEDWEEKEND continues to grow every year. Over 14,000 people attended last year’s four-day stock car fest that includes a corn boil on Friday night, O’Leary Buick GMC Sportsman 150 race on Saturday night, the Auto Value 250 on Sunday, and finishes up with an Enduro 200 on Monday. While the Auto Value 250 is the highlight of the racing event, the weekend has developed into an event on its own with over 650 campers turning Speedway 660 into a small town over the weekend. It has become the destination of choice for the region’s stock car fans.

Speedway 660
Speedway 660 is WicKID Family Fun!  The 1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features three classes of racing on a weekly basis: Coastal Blending & Packaging Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating, and Leisure Family Rv.com Street Stocks. Over 70,000 people are expected to attend over 18 events during the 2010 season. Speedway 660 is located off Highway 7 on Route 660 in Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton. Speedway 660 can be found online at www.speedway660.com.

Auto Value 250 Competitor Info 2010

2010 Auto Value 250 Rules

Appendix to MPST Rules for MPST Competitors

SPEEDWEEKEND 2010 - Weekend Schedule

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Fredericton, NB – 2010 marks the 10th anniversary of the prestigious Pro Stock 250 at Speedway 660 and speedway management has announced that Auto Value will be the new title sponsor for this prestigious event.   The Auto Value 250 will run on Sunday Sept 5th, part of SPEEDWEEKEND 2010 at Speedway 660.  The event has grown substantially since its inception in 2001 with a record crowd of 8000 people attending last year’s event and a record 44 cars attempting to qualify for just 26 starting positions.

“This event is the cornerstone of our year and we believe the partnership with Auto Value is the perfect fit” said co-owner Steve Burns.   Burns went on to say, “Auto Value is a first class organization and we are proud to have their name associated with the big 250.  Any time you see motorsports you automatically think auto parts.”

David Vaughn of Auto Value said “We are very pleased to be a part of this event.  We have seen it grow and we want to be part of the next generation of growth.  Store owners across the province have always been supportive of the sport itself and this is just a natural fit”.

The news comes just in time with the Auto Value 250 just weeks away and competitors like Johnny Clark, Lonnie Sommerville and Travis Benjamin already committed to competing in this year’s event.  “We are expecting a even more growth this year with the Auto Value 250” said co-owner Chris Johnston.   “This is clearly the right direction and partnership for us going forward.”

Auto Value is no stranger to this event just the same.  In 2009 Auto Value in conjunction with Auto Pride sponsored the car that allowed NASCAR driver Sterling Marlin to compete in last year’s event.   “The guys at Auto Value have been supportive from day one at the Speedway and this is just an extension of that.  We couldn’t be happier” said Steve Burns.

Auto Value is one of the largest aftermarket auto parts suppliers that prides itself on responding to the individual automotive needs of each customer and providing proven, quality service. They have over 5,200 parts stores and in North America with 31 in Atlantic Canada.

For more information about the Auto Value 250 and SPEEDWEEKEND 2010 contact Angela Coffey at 506-455-3181.

RESERVED SEATING
We will once again be offering reserved seating for the Pro Stock 250 this year. The top 5 rows ONLY in each section along the front stretch will be reserved seating as well as the top 5 rows in several of the larger sections in the licensed area.

JULY 19th - Aug 6th - 2009 Reserved Seat Holders will have the opportunity to renew their seats for 2010

Aug 7th ON - All remaining reserved seats will go on sale to the general public. We will also at this time be selling General Admission advance tickets. Pricing as per table below.

GATES OPEN 1HR EARLY
Those buying advanced tickets (reserved or general admission along with season pass holders) will have access to the grandstand area 1 hour before the posted grandstand gate opening time.

Tickets can be purchased through the race line at 506-454-7223 or via fax at 506-451-7223 or mail

2010 Advanced Ticket Order Form

TICKET PRICES

SUNDAY
Sunday Only - Reserved Seat $50
Sunday Only - Reserved Seat in Licensed Area (19yrs old) $50
Sunday Only - Adult General Admission $40
Sunday Only - Youth General Admission $15
Sunday Only - Adult General Admission with Pit Pass $50

WEEKEND PASS
Weekend Pass with Reserved Seat for Sunday $65
Weekend Pass - Adult General Admission $55
Weekend Pass - Youth General Admission $25

Weekend Pit Pass with Reserved Seat for Sunday $80
Weekend Pit Pass with Adult General Admission on Sunday $70

SATURDAY
Saturday Only - Adult General Admission $20
Saturday Only - Youth General Admission $15
Saturday Only Adult General Admission with Pit Pass $25

Please note grandstand ticket holders may purchase a pit pass upgrade at the back gate to enter the pit area.
Pit pass Upgrade for Adult Grandstand ticket holders - Saturday $5
Pit pass Upgrade for Adult Grandstand ticket holders - Sunday $10

Once again we will be offering our returning campers the opportunity to reserve your sites from last year. If you were a 2009 camper you can reserve a site through the raceline (506-454-7223) from July 19th until August 6th, 2010.

If you require additional spots or are a new camper for 2010, open reservations will begin Aug 7th, 2010.

IMPORTANT DATES
July 19th-Aug 6th - Returning Campers
August 7th on - Open Reservations

2010 CAMPER MAILOUT

Letter to all 2009 Campers is available (incase you might have moved and we don’t have your current address) 2010 Camper Mailout

Thanks to Dan McKeil for posting posting the final laps in the O’Leary Pontiac Excitement Sportsman 150 and the Peterbilt 250…..

For the first time ever fans will be able to purchase a SPEEDWEEKEND DVD of all the Saturday night and Sunday events.  Check out the preview for the DVD below….

Check out Pro Photo Productions for all the details on ordering….

Great article in the Daily Gleaner by Bruce Halihan.  Read More….

SPEEDWEEKEND 2009 was incredible because we had exceptional racing, large crowds and great weather. And 2009 will go down as the year that we finally had our first two time winner of the Peterbilt 250.

Lonnie Sommerville’s pit strategy and hard driving in the last 25 laps propelled the popular number 23 into racing history. After crossing the stripe first Sommerville did a burn-out for the ages, with one hand on the wheel and one hand out the window holding the checkered flag!

Lonnie pulled into the Auto Pride Victory Lane amid a roar of approval from our fans and a storm of fire-works. And as he was getting out of the car there were two gigantic Ka-Booms that scared the daylights out of the race winner and this announcer!

During the celebrations Sommerville held his baby daughter proudly in his arms. She was wearing a little shirt with the words…”My Daddy is faster than your Daddy”. And on this night those words rang true.

But it wasn’t easy for Lonnie. Johnny Clark looked like he would be the first two time winner when he was running up front as the laps were quickly disappearing. Shawn Turple was right there too and Travis Kittleson was dominate until a tire issue ruined his chances. The 2008 Peterbilt 250 winner Craig Slaunwhite was strong all night long as well.

Congratulations to Greg Fahey, the Speedway 660 Irving Lubricant Pro Stock Champ, who drove to a 6th place finish. Unfortunately Sterling Marlin got caught up in someone else’s wreck and left early on “The Hook”.

The Peterbilt 250 was a great race with lots of long green flag runs and dramatic story lines. But it wasn’t the only exciting race of the weekend. The O’Leary Pontiac Excitement Sportsman 150 was as dramatic as it gets in short track racing.

Dan McNeil was one of 43 Sportsman drivers attempting to qualify for Saturday night’s race. Only 26 of them got to run the 150 lap race and McNeil, who finished 7th in the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman Division, was happy when he qualified.

But McNeil’s happiness went through the roof on the last few laps. There was a caution with three to go and Dan was posted in 5th. Everyone was watching Bradley Logan and Wade Harris who had taken turns leading the race and were on the front row as the last green flag came out.

As they battled for the lead and the white flag came out it was McNeil who got to the inside and made number 80 stick. He blew by Logan coming out of turn four and took the checkers. The crowd roared as the fire works shot into the air and Dan McNeil step-danced on the roof of his car!

On Monday, I was amazed at the huge Enduro crowd who came to see the last event of Speed Weekend and Speedway 660 for the 2009 season. Pat Sharpe won his second straight race and was crowned the series champ.

Speed Weekend 2009 was indeed incredible and Speedway 660 has got it down to a science. Steve Burns, Chris Johnston and their entire team do an amazing job organizing and pulling off the biggest racing event of the season.

It keeps getting bigger and better every year, but how are they are going to top Speed Weekend 2009? I know they will find a way because next year will be the tenth edition of Speed Weekend and believe me when I say it will be bigger and better!

That’s it for now, but I will have one more web column next week to wrap things up for the year.

Fredericton, NB – The final checkered flag has fallen for the 2009-racing season. It was a beautiful day for the last race of the season, the Enduro 200. This was second race of the season for the Enduro drivers.  There were a couple more races on the schedule but had to be cancelled due to rain.  This weekend there was no rain in site. You could not ask for a better weather for the 2009 Speed Weekend.  The weekend was absolutely perfect for today’s Enduro 200

There were 18 cars ready to take the green in the first 75 laps until the 21 of Kim and Courtney Barton had to be pushed to the pit because her car would not start. It was the # 10 of Carmen McKeen who started on the pole.  He led for many laps until he was challenged by the # 8 of Dale Hathaway.  The # 72 of Justin Kenny took the lead for while. There were a few lead changes.  The dust was sure flying this afternoon as these cars for a little anxious and ended up in the beach a few times.

Everyone was waiting in anticipation to see if the #21 of Kim and Courtney Barton were going to put on a show like they did in the first Enduro 200.  The two changed drivers back and forth a few times.  The #21 had its share of problems as it was in a few on track mishaps.  The #21 was in the infield late in the race and the # 15 of Jimmy Robinson came in to help push the car back on track. Unfortunately the # 21 was going the wrong way and got clipped by another car. This was the end of the day for the # 21 of Courtney and Kim Barton.

The #86 of Andrew Betts gave the fans a little excitement with his signature move of the day.  Andrew liked driving his car in reverse a few times.  He had a little trouble with his hood coming up on one side. This was something you don’t usually see on the track.

It was all Pat Sharpe for most of the race. No one seemed be able to touch him. He had some great momentum going and it got him to the Auto Pride victory lane for the second and final time this season.  Finishing in second was the # 70 of Tyler Seveck. Rounding out the top three was last year’s champion the # 38c of Ed Vallis.

This is the end of the 2009-racing season at Speedway 660 and was it ever a good one. Last weekend we crowned two new champions Brain Fox in the Coast Tire Street Stock, John Rankin in the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman and we had a repeat champion in the Irving Lubricant’s Pro Stocks.  If that wasn’t exciting enough, Speed Weekend sure was. 670 campers, Sterling Marlin, Travis Kittleson, a huge car count, Dan McNeil winning the O’Leary Pontiac 150 and Lonnie Sommerville being the only 2 time Peterbilt 250 champ.  The list could go on and on.  There was a record amount of fans in the stands. It was an absolutely spectacular 2009 Speed Weekend. Stay tuned for more information about the upcoming season.

History Made at the 9th Annual Peterbilt 250
Sommerville becomes the first ever 2 time winner of the Peterbilt 250

Fredericton, NB-The biggest sporting event in Atlantic Canada turned out a record crowd on Sunday for the 9th running of the Peterbilt 250.  A record forty-four cars made their way to the Geary woods to attempt to qualify for only 28 starting positions in front of over 8,000 fans setting a new attendance record at Speedway 660.

With lots of cars and very few spots to get, qualifying was entertaining to say the least.
Heat winners for the qualifying heats were Greg Fahey, John Flemming, Craig Slaunwhite and Johnny Clark.   In the last chance, 20 cars started with only two spots remaining.   Notables in the final crack at the Peterbilt 250 were Rollie MacDonald, Glenn Rasmussen and Daryl Mahar.    Proude after a restart on lap 7 was able to make it to the front to secure his spot in the big race.  That left MacDonald, Mahar, Rasmussen and the PEI native Darren Mackinnon to fight it out for the final entry into the event.  The veteran Rollie MacDonald got a little racy with the 66M of Daryl which brought out a caution and allowed the 18M of Mackinnon to get the final spot into the Peterbilt.  At this point the only thing left was the provisional starters for the event which saw Glenn Rasmussen, Matt Harris, Jonathan Hicken and Robert Tomlinson granted entry into the prestigious 250.

Greg Fahey took the pole position in the 9th annual 250 by winning the first heat in qualifying while John Flemming took the outside pole.   Fahey’s front run only lasted the better part of a lap with Flemming leading the first 24 laps of the contest.  On lap 25 after a restart past champion Johnny Clark took the lead with a pass on the outside.  Clark dominated most of the night from this point forward leading 118 laps.   Travis Kittleson, the young gun from south of the border also took his turn at the front leading 76 laps including the Bulletproof Solutions Halfway challenge which earned him a $ 1050 in prize money on top of his winnings.

After a long green flag stretch on lap 145 the 30 car, after leading for nearly 50 laps, brought out his own yellow because of a flat tire and was penalized 1 lap.  With the caution, Kittleson headed for the pits and Clark assumed the lead with Shawn Turple and last years champion Craig Slaunwhite hot on his tail.  Back in the pack, but staying with the leaders were two past champions that had yet to pit for fresh rubber, the 52 car of Shawn Tucker and the #23 of Lonnie Sommerville.  What continued from here was an 80 lap green flag stretch which saw Johnny Clark lead much of until lap 224 when officials from the speedway had reports of oil on the track and were forced to bring out the caution flag.  Ironically it was the two front runners at the time, Turple and Slaunwhite who had radioed concerning the oil.   Had they not done so, things might have finished differently.   Instead Sommerville got the caution he needed.  Sommerville pitted on the caution and put two right side tires on for the homestretch.

With it being so late in the race, officials as per normal pulled all lapped cars leading to a 7 car shootout for the final 26 laps.   Shawn Turple took the lead off the restart over Clark who seemed to have used up his rubber.  “Turple Time” at Speedway 660 was short lived though because on lap 235 Lonnie Sommerville had made his way from 5th on the restart to the marquee first position, diving to the inside lane and passing cars at will.  Sommerville led the final 10 laps to become the first repeat winner of the Peterbilt 250 and mark his place in history.  Sommerville took home a check for $ 15,000 and a $ 750 in lap money.

Rounding out the top 3 were Shawn Turple who led 10 laps and took home the second prize of $ 5,000 and the 54 of Johnny Clark who led the most laps with 118 and took home a total of $ 8,900 for his efforts.

Two time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin qualified in his heat race for the 250 but was not a factor as he started 12th on the 28 car starting grid.  Marlin pitted and was coming back through field until he was involved in a wreck on lap 51 which ended his night.

Earlier in the evening street stock feature on lap 35, points champion Brian Fox and the guy who chased him in the points race all year, Rick Cashol got a little racy on the backstretch.   With the contact the two cars got hooked and that gave the no 2 of Matt Matheson the opportunity to pass both cars on the outside.  From then on it was Matheson who led the charge increasing his lead to 3 car lengths as he crossed the finish line.  Rounding out the top 5 was Rick Cashol in 2nd, Brian Fox in 3rd, Charles Gaddess in 4th and Smoking Joe Albert in 5th.

final-results-2009

McNeil wins biggest event of his career in a thrilling finish!!!!

Fredericton, NB –  The 1st leg of Speedweekend 2009 started out with a bang and end with a bang on Saturday night.  First off it was the 43 cars that tried to qualify for 28 starting positions.   This created a hectic set of qualifying heats with several cautions having an impact on the flow of the night.   Some might say it was the huge crowd and maybe a few nerves to go with it.  Whatever it was, it ended quickly once feature time hit the Geary Woods.    The racing action heated up as the temperature dropped.

During qualifying Derek Christie charged his was to a pole position with Brent Roy “the Camry Kid” on the outside pole.   With the exception of an early caution because the 12 of Glyn Nott broke the first 75 lap segment treated the Speedway 660 faithful to some awesome racing.   Derek Christie led until lap 35 when he got into the back of a lapped car which brought out the caution and sent him all the way to the back for the restart.  With Chrisitie’s misfortune Brent Roy and Wade Harris would do battle.

The “Camry Kid” made an impressive pass on the outside just out of turn two on lap 37 to lead the charge and once Harris was passes it looked like he had used up his rubber as he moved back to 5th. On lap 65, Bradley Logan in his #37 was exactly where he wanted to be, on the outside of Brent Roy in 2nd place.     Logan would make the outside pass just 1 lap after the green flag restart.  He would hold this lead barely until lap 75 when the competition yellow was brought out.   As the competition yellow was coming to an end, officials at Speedway 660 instructed the #80 of Dan McNeil to make his way to the pits due to a tire that had been badly damaged during competition.  McNeil was able to return to the racing surface just prior to the event going back to green flag racing.  In the end this would prove to be a crucial event in the race.

As the race resumed it was Bradley Logan leading the way with Wade Harris in the preferred spot, the upper groove.  Once again it proved to be the place to be.  Just two laps in Harris made a strong pass on the outside.   As the leaders made their way around the Geary oval, McNeil back in last place started to make strong charge to the front with fresh right front tire to aid in his attack on the remaining field of 22.  A caution late in lap 89 would see the front of the field bunch up once again allowing McNeil to gain some much needed track position.  On lap 90, out of turn 2, Wade Harris slipped just so slightly and the no 9 of Derek Christie took it three wide down the backstretch making the pass on Harris and the “Camry Kid” Brent Roy on the inside.  With the entire crowd of over 6,500 people on the edge of their seats, the 5 of Wade Harris made the right move and backed off to avoid what would most certainly have been a huge wreck.  Meanwhile Logan took advantage of the side by side racing behind him to take a 3 car length lead over Christie and the 26 of Roy.

With just 35 laps left, Christie seemed to all but use up what he had left for rubber as he dropped back one by one in the field.  Logan in his Dairy Queen ride seemed unbeatable at this point but the top 5 thought otherwise.  Logan going nose to tail with the Harris knew he had to be perfect with only 15 laps to go or the veteran Harris would make him pay dearly.  That slip looked like it might happen as the leaders crossed the line at 142 but Logan was able to gather it up and looked like he had it when Wade Harris got the caution he was looking for on lap 147.   That put the 5 car of Harris in the preferred outside lane for what looked like a 3 lap shootout between the two front runners Harris and Logan….boy was I wrong, along with the other Geary faithful in attendance.  !  On the restart Logan and Harris battled for the next 1.5 laps when Logan drifted up the racetrack on the backstretch seemingly to do what any driver might do in that situation; protect the lead.  Harris had to back off and did everything he could to save the car.   While this happened a complete shuffle took place with the #80 of Dan McNeil diving for the bottom of the racetrack and a 2nd place position. McNeil with his newly found rubber post the 75 lap competition yellow made the #80 stick like glue on the inside lane, something most had not been able to do all night.   With just a half lap left, the stage was set for the most dramatic finish in the history of the O’Leary Pontiac Excitement 150.  McNeil made the unthinkable pass on the inside coming out of turn 4 on the final lap to win the biggest race of his life not to mention a cool $ 2,000 for his heroics.   McNeil vibrating from his win arrived on the Auto Pride Victory Lane stage and proceeded to the rooftop of his Chevy Monte Carlo Snooty Fox #80.   As he jumped up in celebration, the fireworks display wowed the crowd and the 1st event of SPEEDWEEKEND 2009 was complete.

The Atlantic Open Wheel modifieds also put on great show in their 30 lap main event with Shelley Stewart of Emerald PEI taking home the checkers in a very popular win with the crowd.   Mike Raeburn and Mark Price rounded out the top three respectively.

On a side note of interest, 45 pro stocks practiced on Saturday in preparation for the Peterbilt 250 on Sunday.

O’Leary Pontiac Excitement 150 Sportsman Feature
#    Driver    Hometown
1    80    Dan McNeil    Douglas, NB
2    37    Bradley Logan    Harvey Station, NB
3    26    Brent Roy    Hanwell, NB
4    5    Wade Harris    Canal, NB
5    70    Dave Biggar    Lake George, NB
6    9    Derek Christie    Fredericton, NB
7    29    Matt Maillet    Burton, NB
8    46    Ron Lane    Moncton, NB
9    1    Micheal Banks    Lake George, NB
10    28X    James Graves    Moncton, NB
11    34    Randy Moore    Saint John, NB
12    11    Cal Hatfield    Rothesay, NB
13    07    Robbie Fraser    Moncton, NB
14    99M    Marc Gautreau    Grand Barachois, NB
15    28    John Rankin    St.Martins, NB
16    40    Richard Atkinson    Geary, NB
17    45    Calvin Rankin    Quispamsis, NB
18    99    Shawn Hyslop    St. Stephen, NB
19    03    Steve Halpin    St. John, NB
20    33    Charlie Wilkins    Keswick, NB
21    0    Frank FraserJr    Shubenacadie, NS
22    6    Terry Charters    Dieppe, NB
23    31    Myles Harris    Nasonworth, NB
24    22    Claude Gaudet    Moncton, NB
25    83    Corey Little    Rowley, NB
26    12    Glyn Nott    Burton, NB

Check out Chris Camerons story in todays Gleaner  Read more…

As of Sunday afternoon at 2:00pm we have the final tally:

672 Campers Onsite!!

Fredericton, NB - Sterling Marlin took home his second victory in a row at Nashville last weekend warming up for the Peterbilt 250.

Check out story and results from Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.  Read More…

Fredericton, NB – The Peterbilt 250 is only 9 years young and is looking to set a record for Pro Stock entries for the 2009 event.  The event has grown in stature and prestige each and every year since its inception in 2001.  The car count for the 250 has grown over the years also with the current record for car count was set in 2006 when  44 cars attempted to make the field.

“One of our original goals back in 2001 when we were planning the inaugural Peterbilt 250 was to build the event to attract 50 plus pro stock teams.  This year’s expected entries list is telling us we could get there this year” said Speedway 660 co–owner Steve Burns.   Interest on the Canadian has been steady this year with the addition of the Triple Crown presented by K&K Canada in conjunction with the CARQUEST Maritime Pro Stock Tour.  There also been increased interest across the border from the Pro All Stars Series teams that were in attendance for the PASS 200 at Speedway 660 back in June.

“This is a special time of year in the Northeast for everyone in racing.  To steal a line from my partner (Steve), You can’t create history, history creates itself. Our hat goes off to all the fans, staff, teams, sponsors and all involved in what has become an amazing weekend” said co-owner Chris Johnston.

2009 Peterbilt 250 Expected Entries List
as of Monday August 31st - list subject to change

Peterbilt 250 Competitor Information 2009

2009 Peterbilt 250 Rules

Appendix to MPST Rules for MPST Competitors

SPEEDWEEKEND Weekend Schedule

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Fredericton, NB - Speedway 660 management announced that fans who attend this years annual Peterbilt 250 will once again be treated to a free country music show during the intermission of the big event. Steve Waylon and his band Rebel Ridge will perform in front of over 8000 fans just prior to the opening ceremonies. “Were very pleased to have such a great group of guys with that kind of talent for the event. Every year we try to improve the event and take it to the next level. We believe, this is just that“ said co-owner Steve Burns.

Waylon who has developed quite a following as opened for acts as like Doc Walker, Lorrie Morgan, Sammy Kershaw, Jim Witter, Matt Minglewood, Kim Mitchell, Trooper, and April Wine, to name a few.

Steve Waylon hails from Fredericton, New Brunswick and presents a fresh sound in today’s Country music, which offers a very high energy sound and show. His “Driven Country” music style is comparable to Travis Tritt, Montgomery Gentry and Lynrd Skynrd.

Having played in some local Atlantic Canadian bands Steve moved to Ontario for a couple of years where he gained seasoning in a very competitive market. With this experience Steve is now on his own path to stardom. He is currently in the studio working on his first CD. Steve recently released his first single “No Deposit No Return” which climbed to the #65 on Country Music News National Chart.

Steve’s career started when he played and sang harmonies on stage with his Dad at the age of 15. He remembers the excitement of looking out into the crowd of 150 people, but if felt like 150,000. Watching the crowd and their reactions, he was “hooked”.

Speedway management think that that race fans will be “hooked“ on the bands smooth sound and co-owner Chris Johnston says “I`m excited to have these guys involved. They stepped and wanted to be a part of this deal and were grateful to have them. Please contact Miranda Carr at Speedway 660 at 506-455-3181 or miranda.carr@nbisonline.com for any questions.

Fredericton, NB –  Travis Kittleson announced today that he will be entering the 9th Annual Peterbilt 250 at Speedway 660.  Kittleson is a native of Merrit Island Florida, but now resides in Mooresville, NC.  Regional fans have seen Kittleson at the last two Peterbilt 250s.

Most noticeably last year as he sat on the pole and dominated the early part of the race.  Travis thought last year was going to seal the deal in his quest to win his first Peterbilt 250 but tire problems took him out of contention.  “Last year we had a great car with the Cushman team.  We really clicked and it was a ton of fun.  I couldn’t wait to get back up here again ”  says Kittleson.

With Cushman stepping back some from Pro Stock racing Kittleson decided to hook up with Lonnie Sommerville for this years 250.   “Travis and I have been talking about this for several months and we are both really excited to get to the track on Labour Day weekend.”  said Lonnie Sommerville

Travis has had some success in these Pro stock cars.  In 2006, he was touted as one of the top Pro Stock/Super Late Model drivers in America. In 2005, Travis took part in Jack Roush’s Driver X Show and finished in the top 8 drivers vying for a chance to race a Craftsman truck for Roush racing.   All totaled Travis has over 190 starts in Pro Stock and ASA Late Model events.  54 of those events he won!!! And was in the top 10 in 138 of the 190+ starts.  He’s also had 35 poles and 87 top 5’s.

Most recently Travis has been running a Nationwide car as well as pounding the pavement in the NASCAR garages handing out resumes and securing interviews with car owners.  More info on Travis can be found at www.traviskittleson.com

Please contact Angela Coffey at Speedway 660 at 506-455-3181 or info@speedway660.com for any questions.

Fredericton, NB –   All the way from Tennessee to the Geary Woods!  Two Time Daytona 500 Champion Sterling Marlin has announced his intentions to enter the 9th Annual Peterbilt 250 at Speedway 660.  Marlin will join a strong list of Southern Stars who have competed in the Labour Day Classic.  Over the past several years fans have seen Johnny Benson, Terry & Justin Labonte and Ron Hornaday take battle against the best Pro Stock teams in the Northeast.

Marlin was and is a household name from his days behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car.  He is perhaps best known as only the third driver in Cup history to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, joining Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to earn that distinction after winning in 1994 and 1995.  “There is no doubt that my fondest memory is winning that first Daytona 500,” Sterling said.  Marlin has also added 8 other Sprint Cup victories (total of 10) to his resume, competed in 747 Cup races and has earned a whopping 38 Million dollars throughout his career.   Before his days in NASCAR Marlin won championships at Nashivlle Speedway.  Marlin is currently running a part time Sprint Cup schedule.

“I’m excited; these home grown short track events are what our sport was built on.   This is a huge race for the Atlantic region and I’m really looking forward to racing the best up there!”  said Sterling in a phone interview.

Auto Pride/Auto Value out of Fredericton, New Brunswick and Gatorade will be the co-primary sponsors on Marlin’s car.  In addition to the primary sponsors, Marlin will receive support for his venture from Peterbilt New Brunswick and Moosehead Breweries. Other sponsorship deals are still in the works.  “Man we are PUMPED.   This is a thrill of a lifetime for us at Auto Pride.  Sterling is an icon in this sport and we are pretty fired up to be a part of this deal.” said Randy McCoy of Auto Pride.  Ed Gulliver of Canex is also very excited about this opportunity, “This is an amazing deal for Gatorade, Canex and Griffins Pub to be involved with.  We cant wait for SPEEDWEEKEND!”

This news is also great for all involved with Speedway 660.  “This is something special.  There isn’t a NASCAR fan that hasn’t spent many a Sunday afternoon on the coach watching Sterling Marlin on TV.  To have him here, at our track, racing in front of our fans is a really cool deal.” said Speedway 660 co-owner Steve Burns.

Sterling’s car will be prepared by long time weekly Speedway 660 competitor Hal O’Neal and the OGC Racing Team.  “We are pretty excited.  We had some bad luck last year but the car has been completely rebuilt and its ready to go” said Hal O’Neal.   “We’ve been racing for a lot of years and we’ve really missed it this year so I think this is exactly what we need.  We can’t wait!”

Please contact Angela Coffey at Speedway 660 (506-455-3181 or info@speedway660.com) for any questions.

Peterbilt 250
The 2009 Peterbilt 250 will take place on Sunday, September 6tht, 2009 and will be the highlight of the 8th Annual SPEEDWEEKEND. The event will showcase the Speedway 660 Irving Lubricants Pro Stocks against the best of the Eastern Canada and New England. The purse for 2009 will be over $70,000 with a guaranteed $15,000 to the event winner and possible winner’s cheque of $28,000. Six years ago, the late Scott Fraser took home a record $25,400 including lap money. Only nine years old, the event as grown in crowd, atmosphere, and car count every year since its inception. Over 8,000 people attended the 2008 event to break attendance records at Speedway 660.  Forty plus pro stock cars will be attempting to qualify for 28 spots on the starting grid.

SPEEDWEEKEND
Just like the Peterbilt 250, SPEEDWEEKEND continues to grow every year. Over 14,000 people attended last year’s four-day stock car fest that includes a corn boil on Friday night, O’Leary Pontiac Excitement Sportsman 150 race on Saturday night, the Peterbilt 250 on Sunday, and finishes up with an Enduro 200 on Monday. While the Peterbilt 250 is the highlight of the racing event, the weekend has developed into an event on its own with over 600 campers turning Speedway 660 into a small town over the weekend. It has become the destination of choice for the region’s stock car fans.

Speedway 660
Speedway 660 is WicKID Family Fun!  The 1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features three classes of racing on a weekly basis: Irving Lubricants Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating, and Coast Tire Street Stocks. Over 70,000 people are expected to attend over 20 events during the 2009 season. Speedway 660 is located off Highway 7 on Route 660 in Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton. Speedway 660 can be found online at www.speedway660.com.

Fredericton, NB- A gorgeous sunny day always leads to a WicKID day or racing at Speedway 660. Today’s event, the Peterbilt 250 was a memorable one for many as Nova Scotia’s Craig Slaunwhite in the #23SFR made history tonight by becoming the youngest (27 yrs old) winner of the 8th annual Peterbilt 250. It was an emotional victory for the SFR team, five years from this day they won the Peterbilt 250 with the late Scott Fraser. In addition, this great event has yet to see a repeat winner as Slaunwhite becomes the 8th different winner of this event.

Today’s event was kicked off by heats for the Coast Tire Street Stocks as well as the Cummins Diesel Legend cars. When the Pro Stock heats hit the track it was time to get down to business. Thirty six cars hit the track looking for one of the 28 starting spots in the 250. The heat races provide a ton of action and a ton of stress for the drivers as they have to draw out of a hat for their heat starting position. Travis Kittleson was the luckiest man in the house as he drew the coveted #1. This gave him the pole in the first heat and a great shot at the pole in the 250 as the winner of heat one is the pole sitter for the 250. Kittleson cruised to victory in heat 1. Other heat winners included Travis Benjamin, John Flemming, and Paul Gahan. Consi winners were Johnny Clark and Mike Stevens with Brent Wiggins winning the last chance event. Provisionals went to Matt Harris (top points car in Speedway 660 points), Lonnie Sommerville (top CARQUEST Tour points), Kirk Thibeau (winner if the Irving Lubricants Best of the Best 100 – 250 qualifier) and Brian MacNaughton (top remaining Speedway 660 points car).
Fans were on their feet during intermission for the Steve Waylon band and opening ceremonies with driver introductions with included area dignitaries and guests.
The front row off the grid saw Travis Kittleson in the #29c on the pole position with #17b of Travis Benjamin starting outside on the front row. The early part of the 250 saw several yellows but once those were behind us the race got very interesting.

Kittleson dominated the first part of the event in the Cushman car leading the first 64 laps. Johnny Clark then tookcommand from lap 65 to lap 83 when Kittleson got around Johnny to resume the lead. Kittleson would lead for another 10 laps before CARQUEST Tour points leader Wayne Smith decided to flax his muscle and get around Kittleson for the lead. Smith was on a mission looking for his first Peterbilt 250 win. He led until around lap 150 when Johnny Clark reclaimed the lead and it was looking like we were going to see our first repeat winner of the Peterbilt 250. That wasn’t what Wayne Smith was thinking as he got around Clark to retain the lead. With about 70 laps to go the yellow flew and several cars headed for the pits including the 23s car of Slaunwhite’s. It would be Slaunwhite’s last pit stop.

Slaunwhite’s car had been decent all night but a chassis adjustment on this stop brought the car to life. Up front Smith was able to hold the lead and was heading for the victory. Slaunwhite was working his way towards the front but it didn’t look like anyone was going to catch Wayne Smith.

A late race yellow brought everyone back to together on a restart. Benjamin headed to the pits for tires and looked really strong as the race went green. Benjamin got all the way up beside Smith going for the lead but there wasn’t much roomon the outside of the 44 car. Benjamin tucked back in behind Smith and on lap 243 nudged him coming up the front stretch. Both cars had to lift for a fraction of a second to gather their cars and before they knew it the 23s car of Slaunwhite’s had beat them to turn one and took over the lead. Slaunwhite never looked back as we led the final 8 laps on route to the biggest win of his young career and a cheque for $15,400.

“I knew we had a good car all weekend but this race is about much more than a good car. Everything has to fall in place to win the Peterbilt 250” said Slaunwhite. When asked how he was going to top this win he responded “I don’t think I’ll ever do top this win”.

It was an emotion win for Slaunwhite and the Fraser crew as it was 5 yrs to the day since they celebrated in victory lane with the late Scott Fraser. In talking with Frank Fraser Sr after the race we saw that famous gleam in his eye. “I just can’t express how much we wanted to win this race again. We’ve wanted it so bad, we wanted to win another one for Scott! Craig has been doing well in the car and we knew he could get it done but tonight he showed us something special, he got up on the wheel and won it because he wanted it that bad, like we did. When he got by the 44 and 17b then was no way they were going to catch him the way he was wheeling that car. I’m proud of him and the guys. This is
a pretty neat deal!” said Fraser.

Seven cars finished the race on the lead lap with 22 of the 28 cars still running on lap 250. Wayne Smith in the #44 took the halfway challenge of one thousand dollars sponsored by Bulletproof Solutions.
Aside from the fast pace Peterbilt 250, the Coast Tire Street Stock division had their second biggest event tonight, the Fredericton Hyundai Street Stock 50. The winner of the Street Stock 50 hasn’t had the best of luck in the 2008 season, wrecking his car only a few weeks before the event. However, Shawn Hyslop and his crew have always worked hard to return with a big comeback and did just that in tonight’s Fredericton Hyundai Street Stock 50. Hyslop took home the feature win while the #54 of Rick Cashol finished in second and the #2 of Matt Matheson rounded out the top three.
In the Cummins Diesel Legends Feature Ian Mollins took home the victory over Cy Harvey and Justin MacNeill.
Earlier in the Peterbilt 250 qualifying a racing incident between Hal O’Neal and Graham Spinney resulted in Hal being sent to the Fredericton hospital after being unconscious after the wreck. Our thoughts and prayers are with Hal’s family and friends at this time.

2008 Peterbilt 250 - Final Results (pdf)

Fredericton, NB – The old saying has always said that Bigger is better and in tonight’s O’leary Pontiac Excitement Sportsman 150, Dave Biggar of Lake George proved this statement correct. The O’leary Pontiac Excitement 150 the kick off to all racing events for this year’s 2008 Leisure Family RV Centers SPEEDWEEKEND. Aside from the many sportsman that took part in today’s event, the Atlantic Open Wheel tour made it’s first debut to Speedway 660 for the 2008 season.

After numerous heats, and qualifying attempts only 26 cars made the feature event. Starting in the pole position was the driver who took both big Sportsman events of the 2008 season, Glyn Nott in the #12. Usually in a 150 lap event there are numerous lead changes between many drivers, this was not the case in tonight’s race where Nott lead the full 150 laps sweeping the board along with the halfway challenge award. Dave Biggar in the #70 car began the night on the outside position along side Nott. Biggar slowly made his way back towards the middle of the field, saving his car for the final bang at the end of the 150 laps. Matt Maillett of Burton in the #29 had another strong and successful run and looked to make a promising top three finish, if not the winner. However after holding on to second place for numerous laps, Maillet and Calvin Rankin in the #45 got tied up amongst each other which caused a minor wreck on lap 141 taking both of them to the back of the pack. By this time Biggar had taken his yellow #70 through the field and up to second place. The unofficial results held Glyn Nott to be the winner which would make him the overall winner of all BIG sportsman events at Speedway 660. Dave Biggar would finish in second with the #1 of Mike Banks finishing in third. The final results boiled down to Dave Biggar taking home the grand prize of being the O’leary Pontiac Excitement Sportsman 150 winner, being his biggest win in 2008. Finishing in second was the #1 of Mike Banks and rounding out the top three was the #40 of Richard Atkinson. Due to technical difficulties in post-race examination Glyn Nott was disqualified and stripped of his win.

Tomorrow, Speedway 660 hosting the biggest event of the season - the Peterbilt 250. Qualifying starts at 2pm with a 50 lap Coast Tire Street Stock feature and Legends feature in the afternoon. The main event is slated to start at approximately 7pm. Approximately forty pro stock cars signed in on Saturday including NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series, Ron Hornaday and the famous New England driver, Andy Santerre. The car count should lead to some interesting qualifying races in the afternoon as competition will be stiff for the 28 starting spots.

Fredericton, NB - As we move through the week leading up to Leisure Family RV Centers SPEEDWEEKEND the atmosphere rises. Campers are rolling in steady dozens of people are working feverishly on the property and the sound of Pro Stock cars are is filling the air!!!! Wednesday is usually the first day of major activity in terms of testing. Today we saw 4 of the top teams onsite to get some laps in. New England Legend Andy Santerre was here shaking down his ride as well as Kirk Thibeau, Lonnie Sommerville and Matt Harris.

Look for more teams in tomorrow as Thursday is the last day to test before the big weekend. Friday the track is closed to testing for final preperations and to get ready for the Harveys Family Farms Corn Boil Friday Night!

Fredericton NB - We are closing in on the biggest Sportsman event in the Maritimes, the Oleary Pontiac Excitement 150 goes this Saturday night at 6:00pm. This years event is the 11th Annual Sportsman 150 and is part of the 8th Annual Leisure Family RV Centers Speedweekend.

Competitor Info with purse, procedures, and scheduling click here

This spring we launched the new Speedway 660 website with the new look and feel. One part of the site that has yet to be converted is the Peterbilt 250 History section. For the interim we have posted the link below so fans can access the history info from 2001-2007.

Feel free to browse through the stories and results.

Peterbilt 250 History 2001-2007