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(CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – September 4, 2024) – After having struggles in his heat race and within the early half of the PiccottCare Piston Cup 100, Michael Cormier (#68) came out to play in the late stages and got the job done with a successful long-run performance in one of the best and most enduring Street Stock races in Oyster Bed Speedway history.
The Grand-Barachois, N.B. driver started 11th, patiently charged his way up to the front while avoiding being lapped, and passed defending Piston Cup winner and two-time Street Stock champion Tyler Gauthier (#30) for the lead on lap 72 and held on for his second career Piston Cup win. He became the first driver ever to win the 100-lap, $1250-to-win race more than once, adding to a resume that includes four Petty International Raceway Street Stock championships and three Ricky Bobby 150 wins.
It was a successful weekend overall for Cormier as he also won the D. Gillespie & Sons Trucking Limited 100 at Speedway 660 on Friday as part of the SpeedWeekend event.
Gauthier led for most of the first half with a dominant pace across a 52-lap green flag run, lapping nearly the whole field until the first incident-related caution just beyond halfway for an Andrew Thompson (#4) spin. The restart provided a wicked battle for the lead for several laps between Gauthier and Duskey, with Gauthier clearing for the lead on lap 62. With 28 laps remaining, Cormier had made his way through the field and caught up to Gauthier, getting ahead and speeding away to the checkered flag.
Brandon Albert (#37) finished third with a courageous effort after starting 13th and being trapped mid-pack for the entire first half. He quietly made his way toward the top five, stayed on the lead lap, and passed 2022 Piston Cup winner Mike Duskey (#42) after an aggressive battle in the closing laps. Duskey fell back to fifth as four-time track champion Randy Millar (#77), who accepted the $200 Kris Fournier RE/MAX Pole challenge, got by him just before the checkered flag.
Multi-time track champion Nick Chaisson (#27), hometown hero Randy Snow (#26), and Brian Arsenault (#03) all finished two laps down between sixth and eighth, with Andrew Thompson (#4) and Nova Scotia’s Patrick Horne (#21) rounding out the top-10. It was Horne’s first visit to the high-banked oval since 2022.
Five drivers could not make it to the end due to mechanical issues, including polesitter and multi-time A&S Scrap Metals Street Stock Super Series winner Matthew Ford (#86). After a random draw and winning the first heat race, multi-time A&S Scrap Metals Street Stock Super Series winner Matthew Ford (#86) led the field to green in the feature and was on pace for a podium finish until a transmission leak forced him to park.
Other casualties to the long distance were Keaton Vessey (#001), Tyler Doucette (#24), Zach Chappell (#44), and New Brunswick’s Nick Cudmore (#87).
Ford and Gauthier won in heat race action, setting up the front row for the main event.
In the third-annual Tim’s Corner Motorsports Bandolero September Shootout, Landon Pierce (#19) continued his winning ways with another dominant showing, sweeping both 25-lap features and leading nearly every lap in both races for a clear overall event victory.
The Bridgewater, N.S. driver held off former Favourite Driver Simon Doyle (#91) and fellow Nova Scotia driver Hailey Bland (#27) for the win in race one. Doyle also finished second in race two while New Glasgow’s Ethan Hicken (#5) came home third. Bland claimed another top-five finish and was lucky to avoid damage in a big crash with Cole Doyle (#12), who failed to finish both races. Nova Scotia’s Lily Whynot (#2) rebounded greatly after a scary accident in a pre-race practice with seventh and sixth-place finishes.
Doyle and Bland finished second and third overall in overall September Shootout results (two feature finishes combined) with Hicken and Gillis rounding out the top five.
Hudson Linzel-Waddell (#57) claimed the 20-lap Beginner Bandolero feature win for the second year in a row after taking advantage of multiple early cautions to go from sixth to first. He held off a hard-charging Payton Gallant (#42) on a late restart. Recent triple winner Oliver Rayner (#23), Rhyan Burke (#01), and Charlee Rayner (#24) rounded out the top five.
Sarah Vandenburg (#16) and Ryder Smith (#43) joined the island group from the mainland and finished sixth and seventh. Three cautions delayed the race, with two being for spins by Charlee Rayner in turn two and another for a Vandenburg spin on the frontstretch.
Two house classes commenced championship point racing with both features seeing triumphant and heartbreaking finishes.
Cash Bridges (#69) extended his points lead and collected his third feature win of the Chris’s Bobcat Services Mini Stock season, his third in the last five events. Bridges started fourth, made his way to the front, and was in the right spot at the right time as Blaze Roberts (#6), was on his way to a first-career 20-lap feature win with multiple laps led, had a flat tire on the final lap take him out of contention.
Ricky Bedell (#2) had a strong day with two runner-up finishes, including one in the feature. Veteran Randy MacTavish (#76) collected two podium finishes, rounding out the podium in the feature. Rookie Austin Corrigan (#10) scored his first top-five finish since June with defending and two-time champion Jeff Bridges (#95) finishing fifth in front of Adam Holland (#01), Roberts, and Rosie Kitson (#13), who returned to the track for the first time since early August.
Roberts and Cash Bridges won in preliminary race action; for Roberts, it was his first career win at Oyster Bed Speedway.
One shocking finish wasn’t enough as Jonathan Fitzpatrick (#78) stole the 20-lap feature win in the Moore Well Drilling Outlaw division after past track champion Matt Palmer (#5) had clutch problems while garnering a big lead over the rest of the field in the closing laps. It was Fitzpatrick’s first win in several years. Palmer settled for 11th.
Multi-time champion Kendall Palmer (#45) had his best day at the track with three podium finishes, including a runner-up result in the feature. Points leader Brandon Forsyth (#3) finished fourth ahead of Jessie LeClair (#46) and Jordan LeClair (#47). Bradley Richard (#49) had good momentum heading into the feature but fell outside of the top five. Ethan Albert (#11) returned to action and finished seventh. Jonathan Kemp (#13) finished 10th while substituting for Harley Cornish.
Forsyth and Jessie LeClair won the heat races while Richard and Matt Palmer won the semi races. The qualifying races were arguably the best of the day as there was consistent three-wide action.
Cornwall’s Alex Brown took home a trophy and $1000 in the annual Labour Day demolition derby that wrapped up the event, which took about four and a half hours to complete.
Mini Stock and Outlaw points have been updated and can be found on the website’s points page.
Oyster Bed Speedway’s 2024 racing season continues on Saturday, September 7 at 6pm with championship point racing and Power Wheels on the race card. The Reliable Motors Bandolero and Moore Well Drilling Outlaw divisions will contest regular year-long points battles while champions will be crowned in the Chris’s Bobcat Services Mini Stock Super Series, A&S Scrap Metals Street Stock Super Series, and Alvin’s Auto Sales + Repair Bombers. There will also be open-invitational Legends races.
PiccottCare Piston Cup 100 Results
1. #68 Michael Cormier
2. #30 Tyler Gauthier
3. #37 Brandon Albert
4. #77 Randy Millar
5. #42 Mike Duskey
6. #27 Nick Chaisson
7. #26 Randy Snow
8. #03 Brian Arsenault
9. #4 Andrew Thompson
10. #21 Patrick Horne
11. #001 Keaton Vessey
12. #87 Nick Cudmore
13. #24 Tyler Doucette
14. #86 Matthew Ford
15. #44 Zach Chappell
Polesitter – #86 Matthew Ford
Heat Races – #86 Matthew Ford, #30 Tyler Gauthier
Contingency award winners are still to be determined.
Tim’s Corner Motorsports Bandolero September Shootout 25-Lap Feature #1 Results
1. #19 Landon Pierce
2. #91 Simon Doyle
3. #27 Hailey Bland
4. #33 Wyatt Peters
5. #07 Hunter MacKinnon
6. #47 Irelyn Rose
7. #2 Lily Whynot
8. #5 Ethan Hicken
9. #9 Mason Gillis
10. #63 Andrew O’Connor
11. #57 Hudson Linzel-Waddell
12. #42 Payton Gallant
13. #83 Hudson Ruff
14. #12 Cole Doyle
15. #10 Juliana O’Connor
Tim’s Corner Motorsports Bandolero September Shootout 25-Lap Feature #2 Results
1. #19 Landon Pierce
2. #91 Simon Doyle
3. #5 Ethan Hicken
4. #9 Mason Gillis
5. #27 Hailey Bland
6. #2 Lily Whynot
7. #47 Irelyn Rose
8. #57 Hudson Linzel-Waddell
9. #10 Juliana O’Connor
10. #33 Wyatt Peters
11. #83 Hudson Ruff
12. #12 Cole Doyle
13. #07 Hunter MacKinnon
14. #63 Andrew O’Connor
DNS – #42 Payton Gallant
Landon Pierce (#19) claimed the highest overall TCM September Shootout finish which was determined by the two feature finishes combined. Simon Doyle (#91) and Hailey Bland (#27) finished second and third.
Tim’s Corner Motorsports Beginner Bandolero 20-Lap Feature Results
1. #57 Hudson Linzel-Waddell
2. #42 Payton Gallant
3. #23 Oliver Rayner
4. #01 Rhyan Burke
5. #24 Charlee Rayner
6. #16 Sarah Vandenburg
7. #43 Ryder Smith
Chris’s Bobcat Services Mini Stock 20-Lap Feature Results
1. #69 Cash Bridges
2. #2 Ricky Bedell
3. #76 Randy MacTavish
4. #10 Austin Corrigan
5. #95 Jeff Bridges
6. #01 Adam Holland
7. #6 Blaze Roberts
8. #13 Rosie Kitson
DNS – #3 Campbell Stewart
Polesitter – #6 Blaze Roberts
Heat Race – #6 Blaze Roberts
Semi Race – #69 Cash Bridges
Moore Well Drilling Outlaw 20-Lap Feature Results
1. #78 Jonathan Fitzpatrick
2. #45 Kendall Palmer
3. #3 Brandon Forsyth
4. #46 Jessie LeClair
5. #47 Jordan LeClair
6. #49 Bradley Richard
7. #11 Ethan Albert
8. #7 Layton Delaney
9. #33 Dre Folland
10. #13 Jonathan Kemp
11. #5 Matt Palmer
12. #04 Corey Bridges
Polesitter – #49 Bradley Richard
Heat Races – #3 Brandon Forsyth, #46 Jessie LeClair
Semi Races – #49 Bradley Richard, #5 Matt Palmer
More Information:
Stay up-to-date on our website and social media pages for more breaking news and updates as they happen across the 2024 season and beyond.
Oyster Bed Speedway can be found on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at @oysterbedspeedway, and @obspeedwaypei on YouTube and X.
Merchandise is available at www.obsmerch.ca. Shop Samantha Busch merch is available.
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.
Website: www.oysterbedspeedwaypei.ca
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