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August 19 Race Day Preview

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(CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – August 16, 2023)

Oyster Bed Speedway fans, staff, and drivers all got a well-deserved break after three weekends in a row of competitive, action-packed racing that saw several regional series visit the high-banked bullring and give the fans experiences like no other.

But now, it’s time for one last dash to the finish, as the next few weekends are filled with race cards that fans will not want to miss, including the regular championship point racing between four house divisions, one last appearance by the Legends, the Piston Cup Street Stock 100, the Tim’s Corner Motorsports Bandolero September Shootout, and one final demolition derby to conclude what has been a thrilling, historical season.

To begin this journey, we enter the weekend of Saturday, August 19, where our four house divisions continue their heated championship battles. Some look to be finished already, but as they say, it ain’t over till it’s over, especially from second place onward.

Here is a preview of the facts you must know and the action to expect prior to race day this weekend.

The points standings for each division are at the bottom of each section.

Note: For stats, starts mean all heat, semi & feature races combined for one driver. Rounds mean every race day/weekend. Mini Stock drivers will have “races” instead of “starts” as they haven’t had to run multiple heat/semi races yet.

Note #2: We will be making a FLOAT APPEARANCE in the Gold Cup Parade on Friday, August 18! Come on down to downtown Charlottetown and cheer us on!

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Reliable Motors Bandolero Divisions

For the first time since July 23, the Reliable Motors Bandoleros return to regular points-paying races. The Beginner & Outlaw divisions did run on July 29, but that was the “Bando Mid-Summer Shootout,” a non-points event.

One division has a tight battle, while the other may already have a championship wrapped up.

Note: Overall stats include the July 29 non-point races.

In the Beginner division, Mason Gillis (#9) has become the hottest driver out of the young newcomers. With seven wins, 10 podium finishes, and 13 top-5 finishes within 14 starts, Gillis has made a name for himself after struggling to visit victory lane within the first two rounds of the season. Since then, he’s won a race in every one of the last three rounds.

He leads by 12 points over Hudson Linzel-Waddell (#57), who dominated the May 28 season-opener with a triple victory but has struggled to earn a win ever since. Despite that, he’s maintained consistency as the only driver in the field to have a top-5 finish in every one of his starts (14 in 14).

Behind him by four points is Andrew O’Connor (#63), who has faired out better throughout the season with five wins and 12 podium finishes in 14 starts. Although he earned heat and feature wins in the July 29 non-point races, his last points-paying races on July 23 were left to be desired, as he plummeted from first to third in points after a hard crash in the feature race.

Rhyan Burke (#01), Payton Gallant (#42), and Juliana O’Connor (#10) remain the only other drivers with less than 100 points behind the leader. Burke has been on a consistent surge ever since she claimed her first-career victory on Canada Day, earning six podium finishes and seven top-5 finishes within her last eight starts. If any of the top-three drivers in points experience more trouble, Burke could surprise people and hop on the points podium by season’s end.

In the Outlaw division, you could (again, could) theoretically call the season over, as 2022 points runner-up Landon Pierce (#19) has dominated the division with seven wins, 13 podium finishes, and 13 top-5 finishes within 14 starts. He was very lucky that July 29 was a non-points event, as his podium streak came to an end after a hard Turn 4 crash with three laps remaining in the feature. The best solution for Pierce? Come home clean and don’t miss a race.

The Doyles (Cole #12, Simon #91) round out the podium, with Cole in favor by 20 points. Cole, fourth-place in 2022 points, has yet to earn a win, but he has 10 podium finishes and 14 top-5 finishes. Simon, sixth-place in 2022 points, has six fewer podium finishes than his brother, but he earned his first win on July 29; if only it paid points, eh?

That last part could also be said for 2022 fifth-place points finisher Wyatt Peters (#33), who had been long overdue for good fortune after many rounds of poor luck, and he finally earned a good fortune with a feature win on July 29, taking advantage of misfortune for Pierce and Ethan Hicken (#5).

Hicken had been successful both times he showed up to Oyster Bed, with three wins combined between May 28 and July 1. His success was tarnished on July 29 as he was involved in two incidents (one being the Pierce crash) in the feature, including a failed final-lap divebomb.

Hudson Ruff’s (#83) first few rounds in the Outlaw division have been an anomaly. After pure domination in his one Beginner round on June 24 (triple victory), his move to the Outlaw group began poorly with multiple incidents on July 1 & 23, but he found improvement on July 29 with fourth and third-place finishes.

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Chris’s Bobcat Services Mini Stock Division

Things have gotten even tighter in the Mini Stocks and some drivers have a bigger advantage now after the loss of two drivers for the remainder of the season.

Three points separate 2021 champion Jeff Bridges (#95) and 2022 points runner-up Corey Bridges (#04), who have been swapping race results back and forth every weekend (fourth & third, third & fourth, etc). Corey was lucky the Mini Stocks had an off-week on July 29, as an incident on July 23 required extensive repairs to his car. Luckily, his car was able to race come August 6.

Despite them leading the way, neither driver has won a race since May 28 due to the absolute dominance of Brandon Forsyth (#3), who has won eight of the last 10 division races and is closing quickly on the Bridges, now only 11 points behind. Forsyth has one triple victory and two double victories so far. Had he had better results between May 28 & June 17, he’d likely be far ahead in points.

Randy MacTavish (#76) and Cash Bridges (#69) are now likely too far behind to have a shot at the title, but we could see both drivers get heated for fourth in points. MacTavish has mightily struggled in recent rounds, while Cash has been on a tear (both on and off the track… remember August 6?), with two runner-up finishes and three podium finishes in the last four races. He did finish second in the August 6 feature but was disqualified in post-race tech.

Ricky Bedell (#2) has also stepped his game up, with two podium finishes in the last four races, including a July 23 feature runner-up result. Adam Holland (#01) returned to the track on August 6 (first time since June 24), finishing seventh and fifth.

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Moore Well Drilling Outlaw Division

After a crash late in the 2022 season ended Ricky Millar’s hopes at a second championship at the track, it’s as if a spark was lit under him because he has seemingly become Oyster Bed Speedway’s Max Verstappen from Formula 1.

The 2018 Mini Stock champion (#17) has experienced what can only be described as one of the greatest driver campaigns in track history, with nine wins in 15 starts (including the RE/MAX Rumble) and a podium finish in every single one of said starts. Out of all seven features completed so far, he’s won five of them. Although the dominance has slightly faded in recent rounds, particularly in heat and semi races, Millar is lightyears ahead of everyone else. However, one catastrophic weekend could easily change things, and with only a few rounds remaining, he’ll have to bring home a clean car every time.

Jordan LeClair (#47) is next in line, 70 points behind Millar, with eight podium finishes and 11 top-5 finishes in 15 starts. Despite iffy consistency, LeClair will have momentum coming off a Heat #2 win and feature runner-up finish on July 29.

Third place sees a tight battle between Gerald Gallant (#99G), Ryan McKnight (#46M), Harley Cornish (#13), and Jessie LeClair (#46). Gallant’s campaign hasn’t been as impressive as in 2022 (when he finished second in points) due to poor consistency, but he did have a good run on July 23 with two podium finishes and fourth place in the feature. Had McKnight not been absent on July 23 (schedule conflict with Petty), he would likely be the only driver not letting Millar pull away.

Rick Millar (#71), Ricky’s father, has experienced good strides within the last two rounds, with two wins and three podium finishes in his last five starts (could be four had it not been for a post-race DQ). On the opposite side of good is Shane Bridges (#4), who has tragically struggled all season with car issues whilst in transition from Mini Stock to Outlaw, but he will no doubt be ready to compete once he returns to the track.

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Central Engine Services Street Stock Division

If this isn’t the most popular division right now, that’s a shocker.

As the division that is the primary lead-up when a regional series is in town, the Street Stocks impress and entertain the fans every single weekend, and they’ve been getting better and better every time. That can also be said for the championship battle, which is a one-point gap between two drivers.

Defending champion Colton Ford (#35) has been doing well on his journey to maintaining the Street Stock crown. With five wins, 12 podium finishes, and 14 top-5 finishes in 18 starts, consistency has been a slight concern, but when Ford’s car is fast, fast is an understatement. Ford didn’t get much of a challenge in 2022 as he finished 65 points ahead of Brandon Albert (#37), but this year, someone has stepped up to give Ford a run for his money.

2010 champion Tyler Gauthier’s (#11) return to Street Stock racing after a few years of Pro Stock racing has proven well (very much an understatement), as he remains the best driver statistically, with five wins, 13 podium finishes, and 16 top-5 finishes in 18 starts. He’s been slightly more consistent than Ford, albeit having a dramatic day on August 6, where he won heat #2 but was caught up in an incident in the feature.

Behind Gauthier and Ford by over 20 points is veteran Jeff MacInnis (#29), who maintains the points position he claimed in 2022, but has experienced trouble in recent rounds, also being caught up in the earlier-mentioned feature crash. With only one win and nine podium finishes in 18 starts, MacInnis will need to find every inch of speed possible if he wants a three-man battle for the championship to return. It’s certainly not impossible with just a few rounds remaining.

Fellow veterans Andrew Thompson (#4) and Randy Millar (#77) also maintain their points positions claimed in 2022. They are now likely out of the mix for the title at -67 and -72 points behind, respectively, but both drivers will still have a fun time battling hard for fourth in points. Thompson has experienced an extremely dramatic season with one win and multiple loose moments almost every single weekend. Millar struggled for a few rounds before claiming his first win of the season on July 23, earning runner-up & fifth-place results on July 29, and experiencing a roller-coaster day on August 6 (fourth and 10th-place finishes).

Behind them, there are a bunch of different stories. Mike Duskey (#42), eighth in points, earned heat #1 and feature wins on August 6, thankfully passing post-race tech that time. Brandon Albert (#37), ninth in points, raced three rounds, missed two, and then made one return on July 29, finishing second in the feature. Tyler Doucette (#24) had a spectacular second round for his rookie Street Stock campaign, earning runner-up and fourth-place results on August 6.

This Saturday will be a preview for the Piston Cup Street Stock 100 on August 26. The prestigious “Piston Cup” race has been running since 2011 in honor of David Lambe. Notable winners in the past include Super Late Model Series driver Darren MacKinnon (2011), defending track champion Colton Ford (2015), three-time Petty Int. Raceway champion Michael Cormier (2019), defending Piston Cup winner Mike Duskey (2022), and 2019 track champion Alex Sheehan.

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Race day format:

Prices: Adults $20, Youth 8-15 $10, 7 and under FREE, pit admission $25.

For pit area access, you must fill out the online e-waiver form and have it ready to show at pit entry. Link: https://os.speedwaiver.com/dtopx

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Race days remaining per division (as of August 6)

NOTE: A decision on the September 9 make-up date will be made prior to racing on August 19, so three is the TENTATIVE number.

Beginner & Outlaw Bandolero: 3 (Aug. 19 & 26, Sep. 4)

Mini Stock: (Aug. 19 & 26, Sep. 4)

Outlaw: 3 (Aug. 19 & 26, Sep. 4)

Street Stock: (Aug. 19 & 26, Sep. 4)

Legends: 1 (Aug. 26)

Bombers: (Aug. 26)

Pro Stocks: 0

Hot Rods: 0

Points leaders

Beginner Bandolero: Mason Gillis (#9)

Outlaw Bandolero: Landon Pierce (#19)

Mini Stock: Jeff Bridges (#95)

Outlaw: Ricky Millar (#17)

Street Stock: Colton Ford (#35)

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Stay up-to-date on our social media platforms and the website as we continue to reveal news and information, and continue the HYPE during a THRILLING racing season!

Follow us on FacebookInstagramTwitterYouTube, and TikTok. You can also check out our merchandise website at obsmerch.ca. Shop Samantha Busch merch is now available there and will be at the race track every race weekend.

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.

Email: oysterbedspeedwaypei@gmail.com

Website: www.oysterbedspeedwaypei.ca

Reegan MacAulay

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