Driver ProfilesNews

2023 Szn Driver Spotlight Profiles – Week 2

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(CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – May 2, 2023)

With the 2023 racing season quickly approaching, we’d like to hype things up by giving our drivers the spotlight. Once every week until the season opener, we will shout out one driver from each division with a “driver spotlight profile.”

You will find out information such as who they are, where they’re from, what division they’re in plus their car number, what their racing story is, and much more.

Welcome to week two.

No bandolero interest, so we’ll be featuring two mini-stock drivers.

STREET STOCK

Our second street-stock driver is fan-favourite veteran Randy Millar, driver of the #77 Millarboyzracin car.

From Freeland, the 54-year-old driver is entering his 30th-consecutive year of racing. His passion for racing began by going to PEI’s long-gone dirt track Freetown Speedway to watch local heroes Alan Vincent and Albert Gallant. 

One day, Millar’s brother, Rick, bought an old 6-cylinder to run in the hobby stock division. He asked Randy if he was interested in giving it a shot. As soon as Randy got on the track, everyone but him was running full laps, while he kept spinning at the end of every straightaway.

“Well well well, what an experience that was. But from then on, I was hooked.”

He went home and built a Ford Fairmont car his buddy Alfred owned. Within three weeks, it was destroyed. A disastrous beginning, for sure, but it wouldn’t stop Millar.

“My love for the sport was now running through my veins.”

Millar continued to learn and race more. Along the way, he won four championships between hobby stocks, street stocks, modifieds, and late models. He eventually gave the pro stock division a shot, with a few heat wins, but a lack of money kept him away from notable success. After blowing his engine for a second time, he wasn’t happy.

“I had had enough, but the racing gods didn’t want me to quit yet.”

Wayne Smith, local racing legend and owner of Petty International Raceway, had a street stock in his possession and was interested in a trade. When negotiations were all said and done, Millar no longer owned a pro stock car and was back on the journey for a 5th OBS championship.

“After the struggles with pro stock, I just wanted to have fun and enjoy racing again, which I did. But this year (2023), it’s time to get serious, grab some checkered flags, and give the fans something to cheer about.

“I owe a lot of thanks and gratitude to my wife Jolene and kids Mitch, Dustin, Danielle, and Keira.”

Millar says he’s most well known for his parking job in the trees off turn two during a modified race where he lost his brakes.

“They’re still trying to get the skid marks out of that seat.”

“I hope I’m also remembered for being easily accessible to the fans and being a dedicated and passionate racer. The (number of) people I’ve met over the years through racing (drivers, fans, etc) that have become friends is mind-blowing, and it’s the reason I’ve loved the sport for so long. Hopefully, I can keep going for awhile yet.”

Millar’s most notable accomplishments include:

  • 1997 Hobby Stock champion
  • 2008 Street Stock champion, runner-up in 1998
  • 2009, 2012 Modified points champion, runner-up in 2013
  • 2010 Modified Super Series runner-up
  • Best Pro Stock points finish of 3rd in 2018
  • Only driver to win championships back-to-back in two different classes (Street Stock/Modified)
  • Raced in three divisions in 2021 (Pro Stock, Honda, Street Stock)
  • 2007 Myrna O’Connor Memorial Award
  • 2016 Atlantic Canada’s Most Popular Driver
  • OBS 15x Fan Favourite awards
  • 2x Heart of a Champion awards
  • 2x Best Appearing Car awards
  • 2x Most Sportmanslike awards

Millar finished fifth in last year’s street stock standings. Look out for his #77 orange, white, and black car to be a weekly contender once more!

HONDA OUTLAW

Our second Honda outlaw driver is Jessie LeClair, driver of the #46 LeClair’s Racing car.

From Tignish, the 26-year-old driver began racing in 2016 after his brother Jordan let him take his mini-stock car out on to the track for a few laps, causing Jessie to want his own car. Within a few days, his wish came true.

For two years, LeClair got multiple wins and multiple top-five finishes, eventually moving to the Honda outlaw division, where he scored one feature win, six heat wins, finished seventh in the standings, and claimed the Rookie of the Year award. His second year at OBS would be stopped by the COVID pandemic, but that didn’t prevent him from going to New Brunswick a few times.

2021 and 2022 would be slump years for LeClair, with only two wins combined (both in heat races), a few podium finishes, and one runner-up feature finish. He claimed the Most Dedicated Driver award in 2021 alongside Jordan, and Fan Favourite in 2022.

He spends his evenings and weekends working on the race car from March to October, attempting every race he can at OBS, and sometimes making runs in New Brunswick. LeClair considers his best racing moments to be finishing second at a race at Riverside International Speedway in Nova Scotia and travelling around the Maritimes with his friends and family.

He thanks his sponsors for their support, including Hacketts Golden Oysters, Gaudets Engine Repair, Hogans Boathauling, Gaudets Home Improvement, Buote Seafood, Bob’s Pharmacy, Tignish Coop, B’s Mobile Services, and Harpers Automotive. He also, with stickers on the back of his car, honours the late fishing boat captain Glen Desroches, who passed away in a boating accident in 2018.

LeClair will look to find resilience and experience a resurgence this year, and there’s no doubt he will. Look out for his #46 car to be a contender every weekend this summer!

MINI STOCK #1

Our second mini stock driver is another member of the Bridges family, Corey Bridges, driver of the #04 Bridges Brothers Racing car and teammate of Shane Bridges.

From North Enmore, the 46-year-old driver is entering his third season of racing. He got the urge to race after watching his brother Shane for three years, helping him in the pits en route to Shane’s 2019 mini-stock championship.

When Shane decided to take a break in 2020, Corey was slated to make his full-time debut… until COVID happened, delaying his rookie season until 2021. It was as if the delay was meant to be, as Corey went on to score eight wins (one feature win), finish third in the standings, and claim the Rookie of the Year award.

In 2022, with great help from the people of Matthew Ford’s team, MFRacing, Corey built his own car, going on to score numerous wins and podium finishes. He finished second in the standings, falling 56 points short of rookie Tyler Doucette. He claimed the Hard Charger and Most Improved Driver awards. He also went to the Atlantic Championships in Shediac in October, finishing fourth.

“In my three years of racing, I have met a lot of good people and made some lifelong friends. My wife, Jodie, and my two girls have been my biggest supporters. I love racing and can’t see myself giving it up any time soon. Come out to the track and cheer on the #04 mini stock and Bridges Brothers Racing!”

MINI STOCK #2

Our third mini stock driver is rookie Bradley Darrach, driver of the #44 Team 44 Motorsports car.

From O’Leary, Darrach grew up with his grandfather, racing horses. He moved to Ontario to race radio-controlled cars and Nitros, eventually returning home to race lawnmowers at Grassroots Raceway in Saint Peters Bay for two seasons between 2021 and 2022.

Towards the end of the 2022 racing season, Darrach decided to give mini-stock racing a shot, buying a car on the final race day at OBS. Although the OBS season was over, there were still races left at Petty, Shediac, and Miramichi in New Brunswick, and Bud’s Speedway in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. He finished second in the Caper Memorial mini-stock feature at Bud’s.

That wouldn’t be Darrach’s only car purchase last fall. He would go and buy another mini-stock car, this time from none other than the first Eldon Doucette Memorial race winner, Shane Bridges. Considering the fact Bridges is going to the Honda division this year, if anyone wonders where his cobalt mini-stock car would end up, there you go.

This year will be Darrach’s rookie season. Rookies are an unknown breed and an unproven bunch at local tracks, most of the time, but you must never underestimate them… remember Tyler Doucette last year?

Darrach has a spectacular level of commitment and passion for racing that will easily make him a fan-favourite in 2023. Look out for his #44 black and white car every weekend!

“Can’t wait to race!”

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If you’re a driver who would be interested in a profile or you’re related to a driver and you have a bucketload of information, send Reegan MacAulay a message on Facebook.

Stay caught up on future news and information ahead of the season-opener on Sunday, May 21 by following us on Facebook (@OysterBedSpeedway) and Instagram (@oysterbedspeedway). You can also check out our merchandise website at obsmerch.ca.

About Oyster Bed Speedway:
Oyster Bed Speedway is Prince Edward Island’s premier auto racing facility and features fun and excitement with weekly stock car racing special events throughout the season. The 1/3 mile paved oval is located in Oyster Bed Bridge at the intersection of routes 6 and 7, halfway between Cavendish and Charlottetown on beautiful Prince Edward Island.

Phone: (902) 892-6684

Website: www.oysterbedspeedwaypei.ca

Reegan MacAulay

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