August 6 Race Day Rewind

FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Mike Francis

(CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – August 8, 2023)

Dancing in the rain is one way to put this past Sunday, especially for four drivers.

With the Super Late Model Series in town for one last time in 2023, the Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics making their first & only stop at Oyster Bed Speedway, and two house divisions continuing their heated championship battles, the race card was one that fans hoped they’d get their money’s worth out of.

Indeed they did.

Despite being postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to inclement weather, drivers arrived at the high-banked oval in the early hours of the morning and gave the fans an experience like no other. A perfect ending to the Super Late Model Series for 2023 and a successful one-off for the Hot Rod Classics.

Here is your recap of every division on August 6, including race results. The updated points standings for the Mini Stock & Street Stock divisions can be found on our “POINTS STANDINGS” page.

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Super Late Model Series

It’s been a long time coming for 2x OBS Pro Stock champion Dylan Gosbee (#16). The Super Late Model Series points leader came into this past weekend with finishes of fourth, third, and second through the first three SLMS races. Based on that consistent trend, Gosbee was due to earn his first major regional extended-distance race victory at his home track. Indeed he did.

It’s as if Mother Nature gifted Gosbee more speed after a quick pop-up shower just before the halfway point, as Gosbee passed fellow 2x OBS Pro Stock champion Troy Burke (#01) just after 100 laps, leading the final 47 laps en route to conquering his first-career SLMS victory.

The red-and-white #16 was fast all day, earning a heat race victory and qualifying seventh. He will continue to bear the coveted yellow trim as he extends his points lead to +33 over Robbie MacEwen (#40).

Despite the win, Burke was in fact the dominant PEI driver on Sunday, as he qualified second and led the first 103 laps. New Brunswick’s Dave O’Blenis (#48) was Burke’s challenger in the first half, not letting him get away. Unfortunately, an issue for O’Blenis on a restart caused a field stack-up that led to a wreck, sending him to the pits but finding a resurgence in a seventh-place finish. With him out of contention, that gave Gosbee an opening to challenge Burke and prevail on the inside line.

Finishing third was Riverview Ford Season Opener winner Ryan Messer (#1), who earned his first-career podium finish at Oyster Bed Speedway. Rounding out the top five were fellow New Brunswick driver Steve Halpin and Oyster Bed’s most popular man Darren MacKinnon (#18).

Other finishes by PEI drivers include Robbie MacEwen in eighth, Chapman Bros. 150 winner Greg Proude (#29) in 10th, Kenny Snow (#7) in 14th, MPST driver Mark LeClair (#51) in 16th, Allison MacKinnon (#07) in 17th, Brodie Lewis (#22) in 18th, and Chris Hughes (#32) in 19th.

The latter two drivers dealt with multiple issues throughout the day. Lewis spun a few laps after a restart. Hughes’ car suffered a broken panhard bar in his heat race, and despite a valiant effort by his team to have the car ready for the feature, his day wouldn’t get much better as he was caught up in a restart stack-up and a flat tire sent him to the pits just before the finish.

Two New Brunswick drivers who were fast in practices but suffered unexpected mechanical issues and early DNFs during the race were Ashton Tucker (#2) and Lonnie Sommerville (#23).

A race rewind and full race replay of the Universal Truck and Trailer 150 will be available later this week on the SLMS YouTube channel. A new “After The Checkers” podcast episode will also be available soon on Spotify and other major podcast platforms.

The Super Late Model Series is done at Oyster Bed Speedway for the year. They will head back to New Brunswick for rounds five and six to complete their inaugural season. A big thank you to the SLMS for their amazing work in giving our fans experiences like no other and helping us create spectacular history.

Stay tuned to SLMS.ca, Super Late Model Series on Facebook, or @SLMSeries on other social media platforms including YouTube for highlights, recaps, and updates on the next event.

RACE REWIND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZW6MDXhg0Y&t=2s&ab_channel=SuperLateModelSeries

FULL RACE REPLAY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRkQGWd1Cvg&ab_channel=SuperLateModelSeries

UPDATED POINTS: https://www.slms.ca/points

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Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics powered by Conrad Bros

The Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics arrived in town for their first and only stop on Prince Edward Island, providing the fans with an entertaining perspective of the building foundation of racing in the Maritimes.

Out of the eight vintage hot rods that came over to Oyster Bed Speedway, Jim Rankin (#63) would come out on top in the Subaru of Charlottetown Classic with a last-lap pass over Pat Lawrence (#U2). Rankin started second and battled for the lead with polesitter Laurie Hutt (#35) for the entire first half of the race.

Hutt eventually dropped back to third as Lawrence jumped to second (after starting fourth). Lawrence and Rankin shot away from the rest of the field and battled side-by-side within the final two laps, with the latter inching ahead on the Turn 4 inside line coming to the checkered flag.

Rounding out the podium was Chris Dingle (#71). Completing the top five were Hutt and Stacey Clements (#72) in a photo finish.

The HOAC Hot Rod Classics are back in action next Saturday, August 12, with round four of seven at Scotia Speedworld in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

For more information on the series, you can find it on their website at heartofachampion.ca. Follow them on Facebook at @heartofachampionhotrods.

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Chris’s Bobcat Services Mini Stock Division

Brandon Forsyth (#3) chose this past Sunday to be his day to shine, obliterating the field in both the heat and feature races en route to his seventh and eighth victories at Oyster Bed Speedway in 2023.

At first, it didn’t look easy for Forsyth as he had to start fourth in both races. The heat race was a chaotic journey, as Forsyth dove his #3 car to the inside in Turn 1 on lap two, causing Ricky Bedell (#2) and Cash Bridges (#69) to get together, with Bridges taking a trip to the Turn 2 woods and Bedell being helped to a full spin by 2021 champion & points leader Jeff Bridges (#95).

Forsyth’s run to first was way easier in the feature, passing Bedell and Cash Bridges within three laps and firing off like a rocket, earning the feature victory with ease.

Cash Bridges (who earned the runner-up position in the heat race) initially finished second but wound up failing post-race tech, giving the runner-up spot to Corey Bridges (#04). Rounding out the podium was Jeff Bridges, while Randy MacTavish (#76) initially finished fourth but also failed post-race tech.

In points, a three-point gap separates Jeff and Corey for the lead, while Forsyth remains in third but has climbed from a 26-point gap to 11. MacTavish and Cash Bridges remain in fourth and fifth respectively, while Bedell jumps to sixth.

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Central Engine Services Street Stock Division

Every night keeps getting better and better with the Street Stock division, as the influence of the Super Late Model Series stopping by plus the thrilling competition by the Street Stocks within the past few rounds was enough for nine drivers to come out and put on a show for the fans prior to the SLMS 150-lap feature.

Mike Duskey (#42) would have the most successful day of the nine drivers, earning a heat race victory and barely hanging on in the feature, which was well-needed redemption after winning the July 29 feature but failing post-race tech.

Rounding out the podium were Brodie MacQuarrie (#28) and defending champion Colton Ford (#35). It was MacQuarrie’s first start in a while at Oyster Bed Speedway, whose 2023 presence has been mostly committed to Speedway Miramichi (third in Street Stock Summer Series points) and Speedway 660. MacQuarrie also finished second in heat #2.

Tyler Gauthier was also victorious on Sunday, earning the heat #2 victory, but he failed to finish the feature after an incident in Turn 2 with Jeff MacInnis (#29) and Petty Int. Raceway points leader Michael Cormier (#68).

Cormier wasn’t the only mainland driver to show up on Sunday, as Petty Int. Raceway & Speedway 660 driver Ron Enkel (#52) arrived and took home sixth & fifth-place finishes.

Rookie Tyler Doucette had his most successful day yet in his second-career run in the Street Stock division, finishing second in heat #1 and finishing fourth in the feature.

In points, Ford has taken the lead by one point over Gauthier. Unless drastic situations occur within the next three rounds between now and Labour Day, it’s likely now a two-man battle for the title, as MacInnis is 21 points behind with only one win and nine podium finishes within 18 starts versus Ford and Gauthier’s combined 10 wins (12 and 13 podium finishes respectively).

Every position from fourth to seventh (Thompson, Millar, B. Arsenault, and Chiasson) remains the same. Duskey jumps Brandon Albert (#37) to seventh.

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