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Photo by Clark MacIntyre
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE (May 14, 2026) – The 2026 stock car racing season on Prince Edward Island roars to life with the Victoria Day Long Weekend Season Opener & Demolition Derby this Sunday at Oyster Bed Speedway in Oyster Bed Bridge!
The cars and stars of P.E.I.’s premier auto racing facility begin their pursuit of championships and checkered flags on the 1/4-mile paved oval on Victoria Day Eve, May 17th, at 2:00pm. Once the racing action concludes, the spotlight shifts to the infield, where the toughest and hardest-hitting demolition drivers will battle for ultimate survival — with the last car standing taking home $1,000.
Seven house divisions return for the 2026 season, with six kicking things off on Sunday’s race card — Beginner Bandolero, Outlaw Bandolero, Mini Stock, Outlaw, Legends, and Street Stock. The Bomber division will make its season debut three weeks later on half-priced Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, June 6th. Sunday’s event marks the first of 11 championship point events, culminating in a Labour Day finale on Monday, September 7th — the first since 2022.
A busy winter and an active “silly season” have set the stage for an exciting 41st year of operation, with eighty (80) race teams registered — as of press time — to compete throughout the season and add their name to P.E.I. stock car racing history. Based on current registrations, four divisions are guaranteed a new champion, while the other three feature defending titleholders looking to maintain their supremacy.
Veteran Matthew Ford returned to full-time competition in 2025 in style after years of partial schedules, earning the Fitzpatrick Consulting Street Stock championship through remarkable consistency and a miraculous comeback from an early-season accident. He now aspires to become the division’s first back-to-back champion since Amanda Wheatley’s two-peat from 2017 to 2018.
The pressure is on as a deep field of weekly contenders, past champions, and rising stars prepare for what could be the most competitive championship battle in years, fuelled by the return of fan-favourite father-son duo Kenny and Brandon Snow in a shared SnowStorm Racing entry, the arrival of reigning Mini Stock champion Campbell Stewart, and several part-timers taking on fuller schedules.
Nova Scotia’s Chase MacKay aims to stay on top in the newly sponsored Clam Diggers Restaurant Legends division — nicknamed the “Legend Clash Racing Series” in 2026. The class returned to the annual racing program in 2025 for the first time since 2019, with MacKay winning three of four features while edging out P.E.I.’s Tanton Wooldridge in an intense, hard-fought season-long duel.
This year, MacKay and several other Nova Scotians, including defending Scotia Speedworld Legend champion Chase Livingston and former Maritime League of Legends Tour winner Caden Tufts, look to keep the crown on the other side of the Northumberland Strait. As for the Island, past Maritime League of Legends Tour Rookie of the Year Stephen Piccott Jr. leads the local charge, with Cole and Simon Doyle, Allison and Hunter MacKinnon, and Wyatt Peters rounding out a strong home-turf group aiming to make their mark throughout the season.
While the Alvin’s Auto Sales & Repair Bomber division must wait another three weeks to embark on its third championship campaign since debuting in 2024, the wait should be well worth it. Jamie Ronaghan returns as the man to beat, with reigning Rookie of the Year Jason Arseneau, former points runner-up Spencer Paton, veteran Randy Perry, and several rookies set to challenge him.
The Moore Well Drilling Outlaw division has never awarded a repeat champion; the trend continues in 2026. Jordan LeClair is scaling back to a limited schedule, opening the door for another wide-open title fight. The latest Rookie of the Year, Cash Bridges, along with Brady Albert and Corey Bridges, are expected to take another step forward and be championship threats. We’ll see if 2024 champion Brandon Forsyth can rebound from last year’s tough seventh-place points finish.
Brothers Bradley Richard and 2021 champion Jeff Richard will share driving duties of the #49 car that narrowly missed out on the championship last season. Long-time veteran and multi-time award winner Harley Cornish returns behind the wheel of Lucky #13 after a year away, and Jonathan Fitzpatrick is preparing for his first championship push since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chris’s Bobcat Services Mini Stock championship could be the most up for grabs it’s been in a long time following the departure of prior titleholder Campbell Stewart. A stacked returning roster and an impressive new wave of talent (as of press time, regardless of full-time or part-time status, six rookies!) will make for a thrilling 2026 summer.
Ricky Bedell, Corbin MacAulay, Randy MacTavish, and Adam Holland are anticipated to be early favourites, with their combined 15 race wins (features and preliminaries) in 2025 pointing toward a wicked showdown from the drop of the first green flag on Victoria Day Eve to the final checkered flag on Labour Day.
As for the Reliable Motors Beginner and Outlaw Bandolero divisions, featuring the next generation of Atlantic Canadian short-track racers, both will produce first-time champions this year. Charlee Rayner (Beginner) has stepped away from competition, and Simon Doyle (Outlaw) has taken his talents to the Legend ranks.
The locals returning to the Beginner class are Regan and Landon MacBeth, and Kace Scott, grandson of the late Maritime Motorsports Hall of Famer Emmett Donahue. So far, one driver is confirmed new to Bandoleros and racing — Rylie Gillis, the younger sister of Outlaw Bandolero star Mason Gillis.
Back for the Outlaws are Mason Gillis, Hunter MacKinnon, Hudson Linzel-Waddell, Payton Gallant, Oliver Rayner, and Andrew and Juliana O’Connor, among others. Nova Scotia’s Jake Campbell will also be one to watch in his first full-time Outlaw campaign, bringing valuable experience from an impressive run on the Tim’s Corner Motorsports Bandolero Road Trip last year.
Race-day lineups and pre-season expectations are always subject to change, but one thing is certain — this season is shaping up to be one fans won’t want to miss!
Admission for the Victoria Day Long Weekend Season Opener and Demolition Derby is $20 for adults, $10 for youth (ages 8-15), and free for children seven and under. Pits are $25 and restricted to race teams and individuals aged eight and older, with a completed eWaiver required. To fill out the eWaiver form, visit os.speedwaiver.com.
The ticket booths open at 9:30am, and the pit and grandstand gates open at 10:00am, with practices commencing at 10:30am. The green flag drops at 2:00pm. For more information, visit www.oysterbedspeedwaypei.ca.
More Information
Stay up to date on our website and social media pages for breaking news and updates as they happen throughout the 2026 race season.
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, notably featuring Shop Samantha Busch merch!
About Oyster Bed Speedway
Oyster Bed Speedway is Prince Edward Island’s premier auto racing facility, featuring fun and excitement with multiple stock car racing events throughout the season. The 1/4 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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