July 29 Race Day Preview

(CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – July 27, 2023)

It’s time to go racing at the high-banked oval in Oyster Bed Bridge for the second week in a row!

Saturday, July 29 features a race card that will excite anyone, and what better way to end off the month of July, as the East Coast International Pro Stock Tour and the Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour join three of our own classes for their first and only stop on the island!

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

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

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East Coast International Pro Stock Tour

The East Coast International Pro Stock Tour makes its first and only stop on Prince Edward Island with the BJ’s Truck Centre 150, round seven of 11 on the 2023 schedule.

Previously, the ECIPST visited Petty International Raceway for round six of 11, the Fleetrite 150, with Ashton Tucker (#2) claiming his first win of the season. Jonathan Hicken (#99) finished second in a substitution role for points leader & 2023 IWK 250 champion Craig Slaunwhite, while Jarrett Butcher (#54) finished third.

This Saturday, the tour expects to have 17 entries arrive at OBS. Slaunwhite will return to his iconic #99 black-and-yellow car, looking for redemption after finishing runner-up in both OBS rounds in 2022 behind Greg Proude and Cory Hall.

Slaunwhite leads the points by 48 over Butcher, who will continue a heated battle for second with Nicholas Naugle (#08).

Expected local PEI favourites include Troy Burke (#01), Allison MacKinnon (#07), Darren MacKinnon (#18), Tanton Wooldridge (#28), Chris Hughes (#32), Robbie MacEwen (#40), and Mark Leclair (#51).

Burke, D. MacKinnon, and MacEwen will all have momentum from the first Super Late Model Series race at OBS on June 17. Burke won the pole and finished sixth, MacKinnon finished second, and MacEwen finished fourth. Wooldridge claimed his first ECIPST top-10 finish in the IWK 250.

The ECIPST will run multiple heat races, sponsored by Atlantic Tiltload, to decide the starting lineup for the BJ’s Truck Centre 150.

Tim’s Corner Motorsports TV will have a video crew at OBS to provide full event coverage. You can watch the race LIVE or On-Demand by heading to www.timscorner.tv and getting your Event Pass.

Stay tuned to www.maritimeprostocktour.com for all the latest news or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram @prostocktour.

Series release: https://www.maritimeprostocktour.com/news/2023/jul26.html

Note: Below only shows drivers in the top 20 in points.

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Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour

The Maritime League of Legends Tour is also making its first and only stop on Prince Edward Island with the Island ICF 50, round four of 10 on the 2023 schedule.

Sanctioned by U.S. Legend Cars International and INEX, the tour ran two rounds at OBS in 2022. Danny Chisholm (#87), from Canning, NS, swept both rounds. This year, he has only one start, being the Superior Foundations 50 at Riverside Int. Speedway. He was poised to finish on the podium before running over a muffler late in the race.

Caden Tufts (#00) may have the best momentum heading into the Island ICF 50, as he had a successful night on Canada Day during Oyster Bed Speedway’s house division Legends races, winning semi #2 and the feature. Unfortunately, his luck in the MLOL Tour has been rough lately, as his car broke during last Saturday’s race at Petty Int. Raceway.

Tanton Wooldridge (#0) will be running double duty between Pro Stocks and Legends this Saturday night. Wooldridge also had a successful night on Canada Day, winning heat #2 and semi #1, but finishing runner-up to Tufts in the feature. In the MLOL Tour, Wooldridge finished fourth at Petty last Saturday.

Other drivers to keep an eye on are:

• Ayden Christensen (#24, points leader, rookie, won at Petty last Saturday)
• Gage Gilby (#25, second in points)
• Owen Mahar (#66, defending champion, 18th in points, season-high 16th-place finish at Scotia Speedworld in May, finished runner-up in both 2022 MLOL Tour races at OBS)
• Owen’s father Daryl (#66M, fourth in points)

For up-to-date information on the Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour, please visit MaritimeLegends.ca or follow the Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MaritimeLegends.

Series release: https://maritimelegends.ca/cross-roads-legends-only-prince-edward-island-stop-saturday-for-island-icf-50/

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Reliable Motors Bandolero Division

The Bandoleros are being given an additional night on Saturday, July 29. It will be named the “Bando Mid-Summer Shootout” and it is a non-points round. It is more than likely we’ll be getting drivers from off the island, which should make for thrilling action between the Beginner & Outlaw divisions.

Despite no points being awarded, we’ll still take a look at who’s hot and who’s not in this class.

In the Beginner division, it’s Mason Gillis (#9) leading the way by 12 points over Hudson Linzel-Waddell (#57). Gillis scored a triple victory on July 23 and has been steadily rising throughout the season with six wins, nine podiums, and a top-5 finish in all 12 of his starts.

Linzel-Waddell maintains second in points after claiming two podium finishes last Sunday. Andrew O’Connor (#63) suffered a major drop from first to third after multiple spins and a big crash in the feature.

Rhyan Burke (#01), Payton Gallant (#42), and Irelyn Rose (#47) are all drivers to keep an eye on. Burke and Rose both scored two podium finishes each last Sunday, while Gallant scored one.

In the Outlaw division, Landon Pierce (#19) is lightyears ahead of everyone else in points. If there’s any driver replicating the success of Honda Outlaw points leader Ricky Millar, it’s Pierce.

With seven wins in 12 starts and a triple victory last Sunday, there’s no doubt he is en route to a championship. However, this Saturday, he will face challenges from non-local drivers, including Ethan Hicken (#5) and Daniel Vandenburg (#97).

Hicken has three wins in six starts and Vandenburg has two wins in three starts. Both drivers and Pierce have fought back and forth across the Maritimes, particularly at Petty Int. Raceway. Although no points are on the line, there will be money, trophies, statistics, and memories to capture.

The Doyles have shown steady progression over the season while fighting for second in points every now and then. Cole (#91) finished runner-up in all three races last Sunday and has eight podium finishes & 12 top-5 finishes in 12 starts. Simon (#91) scored a podium finish in last Sunday’s feature and has three podium finishes & 12 top-5 finishes in 12 starts.

Wyatt Peters (#33) isn’t too far behind the Doyles. He has four podium finishes and seven top-5 finishes in 12 starts. Hunter MacKinnon (#07) has had a rough season with only four top-5 finishes in 12 starts, but there are still four rounds remaining (three for points) to claim his first victory since June 25, 2022.

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Moore Well Drilling Honda Outlaw Division

Now, we’re getting to the classes that are racing for points.

They say Junior Nation in NASCAR. At OBS, it’s Millar Nation – or Millar Madness, as was said in the July 23 race recaps.

Ricky Millar (#17) has done a terrific job in finding redemption for a championship that was taken out of his grasp in 2022 after a crash. With a feature win last Sunday, plus eight wins and a podium finish in every one of his 13 starts thus far, drivers such as Jordan LeClair (#47) and Gerald Gallant (#99G) will require a miracle for any shot at the title.

Another member of the Millar family visited victory lane recently, as father Rick (#71) scored his first wins since 2015 in the heat and semi races. Recalling how fast his car was last Sunday, we could start seeing father-and-son battles as the season continues.

Ryan McKnight (#46m), who was second in points and 15 behind Millar after Canada Day, missed last Sunday’s races due to a schedule conflict with Petty Int. Raceway, dropping him to sixth, 97 behind Millar. At this point, he’ll be contending for victory trophies. He has two wins (one feature win), eight podium finishes, and a top-5 finish in all of his 10 starts.

Other drivers with wins include LeClair (three), Shane Bridges (#4, one), and Cody Byrne (#67, one).

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Central Engine Services Street Stock Division

Things remain heated in the Street Stock division, as a three-man clash for the title continues.

Last Sunday, Colton Ford (#35) scored two wins, including his second feature win of the season. He now has four wins, 10 podium finishes, and 10 top-5 finishes in 14 starts. He sits second in points, moving up over Jeff MacInnis (#29), who only scored one podium finish on Sunday and currently has one win, eight podium finishes, and 12 top-5 finishes in 14 starts.

Points leader Tyler Gauthier (#11) is nine points ahead of Ford with four wins, 10 podium finishes, and 13 top-5 finishes in 14 starts. Last Sunday, Gauthier scored the heat #2 victory and finished runner-up in the feature. He and Ford are the fastest cars in the division right now, but a few others have slowly progressed in recent weeks.

Andrew Thompson (#4) scored his first win of the season in Sunday’s heat #1. He sits fourth in points, 43 behind Gauthier, and has one win, four podium finishes, and nine top-5 finishes in 14 starts.

Nick Chiasson (#27) and Randy Millar (#77) are tied for fifth in points. Chiasson was once eighth in points, but a triple victory on Canada Day sent him skyrocketing to fifth. He struggled last Sunday with only two top-5 finishes. Millar has battled adversity almost every single race day up to this point, but this past Sunday was his best, with his first win in two years, a runner-up finish in heat #2, and the second-most total points at 79.

Is either driver entirely out yet? Nope.

This division is easily one that could attract part-time or non-PEI drivers this upcoming Saturday. Mike Duskey (#42) and Mitchell Arsenault (#51) returned to the track last Sunday for the first time in over two months, each collecting multiple podium finishes. Michael Cormier (#68), the current points leader at Petty Int. Raceway, won one of his two starts back on June 17.

Brandon Albert (#37) had a successful start to the season with two wins and four podium finishes in eight starts, but he hasn’t made a start ever since an incident on Fan Appreciation Night in June. Alex Sheehan (#06), Randy Snow (#26), Matthew Ford (#86), and the Alberts are other names to consider if they show up.

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Race day format (courtesy of the Pro Stock Tour):

Prices: Adults $30, Youth 8-15 $10, 7 and under FREE, pit admission $40.

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 July 23)

Beginner & Outlaw Bandolero: 4 (July 29 (NON-POINTS NIGHT), Aug. 19 & 26, Sep. 4)

Mini Stock: 4 (Aug. 5, 19 & 26, Sep. 4)

Outlaw: 4 (July 29, Aug. 19 & 26, Sep. 4)

Street Stock: 5 (July 29, Aug. 5, 19 & 26, Sep. 4)

Legends: 2 (July 29 (MLOL), Aug. 26)

Bombers: 1 (Aug. 26)

Pro Stocks: 2 (July 29 (MPST), Aug. 5 (SLMS))

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