Oyster Bed Speedway Prepares For Fan Appreciation Night in Round Two of 2024

(CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – May 29, 2024) – Oyster Bed Speedway’s 2024 stock car racing season gets back underway on Saturday, June 1 for round two of 11 on the calendar with the annual Fan Appreciation Night.

This year’s second event will be the first of multiple big ones across June, a month featuring the return of the Easy-Kleen Super Late Model Series on Saturday, June 15, for the second running of the Universal Truck and Trailer 150, and round one of the Outlaw Super Series, the RE/MAX Rumble, on Saturday, June 29.

On June 1, P.E.I. racing fans will be treated to a special night in honour of them. Fan Appreciation Night puts the fans first, offering race day ticket discounts (50% off adults and youth), bouncy houses, face painting, and the popular Kids Rides. The race card features five classes, including the A&S Scrap Metals Street Stock Super Series, which makes its grand return with round one of three on the 2024 schedule. The province’s best Street Stock drivers will take to the track for 50 laps in their first battle for a prestigious crown.

Joining them will be the Reliable Motors Beginner and Outlaw Bandoleros, the Chris’s Bobcat Services Four-Fun Mini Stocks, and the Moore Well Drilling 4-Cylinder Outlaws. High-octane on-track action, fan discounts, and Kids Rides highlight an event that islanders will not want to miss.

Fan Appreciation Night Storylines

Reliable Motors Beginner Bandoleros – Linzel-Waddell Has Eyes Set on a Monstrous Season

Hudson Linzel-Waddell (#57) made sure to make his hunt for the 2024 Reliable Motors Beginner Bandolero Division championship clear in his first run, scoring a triple win at the Victoria Day Weekend Season Opener. The Charlottetown native drove his blue-and-yellow Fair Isle Ford Bandolero from sixth to first within 10 laps in the feature and took advantage of a late restart to steal the win from rookie and polesitter Charlee Rayner (#24). His 11-point lead in the standings may be already convincing, but it’s too early to tell with six rounds remaining.

Charlee and Oliver Rayner (#23) showed plenty of promise in their Season Opener performances, each scoring podium finishes in the feature and also finishing well in their heat and semi races. The dynamic sibling duo came to the track energetic and ready to compete and they look to carry their momentum into round two, hoping to achieve a first-career feature win.

Payton Gallant (#42), like Linzel-Waddell, also had a strong start to her season with heat and semi wins, but failed to finish the feature. The wins helped her keep close in the standings, currently 17 behind Linzel-Waddell. Juliana O’Connor (#10), Ashtyn Gariepy (#11), and Landon (#32) and Regan (#34) MacBeth hope to improve their results and make the competition fiercer in round two.

Reliable Motors Outlaw Bandoleros – Doyle Dominance and Impressive Rookie Runs

The Doyle duo was the class of the field in round one for the Reliable Motors Outlaw Bandolero Division. Both Cole (#12) and Simon Doyle (#91) visited victory lane in the Season Opener, with the latter winning the feature. Cole Doyle’s first, third, and second-place finishes versus Simon Doyle’s second, fifth, and first finishes have Cole leading the standings by one point. “Doyle Dominance” is the motto after round one — but the talent lurking behind them will make it challenging to keep that up.

Defending champion Landon Pierce (#19) lacked winning pace at the Season Opener but finished on the podium in all three races. The championship slump is one that Pierce looks to avoid, and he’s still very well in the title chase, sitting four points behind Cole Doyle.

Rookie Andrew O’Connor (#63) impressed in his first Outlaw Bandolero races, particularly in the semi race where he spun early and rebounded to win. Reigning Beginner Bandolero champion Mason Gillis (#9) and fan-favourite Rhyan Burke (#01) experienced a roller coaster of a day but showed great potential.

Wyatt Peters (#33) had arguably his best-career Bandolero run on May 19, maintaining consistent top-5 speed all day. Hunter MacKinnon (#07) has a lot of competition ahead of him while at the bottom of the standings, but with six rounds left, he’s got time for a resurgence for the ages.

Chris’s Bobcat Services Mini Stocks – MacTavish Starts Strong, Chaos Behind, Highly Anticipated Debut Approaches

Veteran Randy MacTavish (#76) decided there was no better way to begin a new season than with an impressive triple win in the Chris’s Bobcat Services Mini Stock Division, the first of his career. Although the feature win came at the expense of a big crash involving multiple contenders, his patience behind the ticking timebomb of the lead battle between Jeff Bridges (#95) and Ricky Bedell (#2) was a major help.

Bridges easily had the fastest car at the Season Opener but was caught up in the mid-feature carnage. So was Cash Bridges (#69), who ran up front in the heat and semi races but had nowhere to go in the feature pileup. Rookie Campbell Stewart (#3) caught everyone’s attention in a terrific but heartbreaking debut, showing a pace that many could argue is enough to run for the division title. Out goes the old, damaged car, in comes a new one.

Rookies Austin Corrigan (#10) and Rosie Kitson (#13) capitalized on other driver’s mishaps and hope to continue getting more comfortable as the season goes on. They will be joined by another rookie on Saturday who was unable to make the Season Opener but is eager to make an immediate impact in round two.

Long-time sim racer Corbin MacAulay (#17) looks to make a smooth transition from behind the sim racing wheel into a real stock car. He’ll need to make up for the potential points lost on May 19, but the opportunity for a Super Series championship is still wide open. He’ll have two rounds to prepare for the Super Series opener on July 13.

Bradley Darrach (#44) is expected to make his 2024 debut on Saturday. The O’Leary native started his 2023 campaign strong with podium finishes in all three races at the Season Opener, and he looks to have a similar experience in round two for the Mini Stocks.

Moore Well Drilling Outlaws – Brandon Forsyth vs. The Field… Maybe?

Although we witnessed multiple winners in the Moore Well Drilling Outlaw Division on the season-opening day, it was Brandon Forsyth (#3) versus the field in the 40-lap Super Series feature.

Forsyth finished runner-up to Jamie Cummings (#81) in their heat and semi races, with them coming home in a photo finish in the semi race. When the feature commenced, it took Forsyth two laps to surge from third to first and shoot away from the field, even on a restart with 33 laps remaining. After winning three features and finishing third in Mini Stock points in 2023, a run for the Outlaw championship is easily in the makings.

However, a plethora of drivers behind him are still within reach of eventually catching up. Cummings’ heat and semi wins kept him in a decent position in the year-long points. Past track champions Layton Delaney (#7) and Kendall Palmer (#45) each visited victory lane in heat and semi races and finished on the podium in the feature. Jessie LeClair (#46) had a strong day until an engine infraction cost him two wins and a second-place feature finish.

Had it not been for a speed sensor problem, Corey Bridges (#04) was potentially on his way to podium finishes at the Season Opener. The raw speed that was shown on May 19 could be a sign of what’s to come out of the former Mini Stock driver. Charles Cleal (#44) impressed in his debut, staying patient amid other driver’s misfortunes and finishing fifth in the May 19 feature, and could be an underdog to watch out for.

Gauthier’s Auto Repair Street Stocks – A Possibly Wild Super Series Opener Awaits

The best racing at the Season Opener was saved for last with a 35-lap feature for the Street Stocks — and what a race we got. Now, Oyster Bed Speedway’s headline division prepares for one of its biggest events of the season.

Mitchell Arsenault (#51) and Mike Duskey (#42) entertained fans with a battle for the ages in the season-opening feature, having their best clash in a three-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Arsenault will seek back-to-back feature wins when the A&S Scrap Metals Street Stock Super Series commences round one of three on Saturday. Duskey will be absent as he is on the entry list for the Maritime Pro Stock Tour’s rescheduled Kenny UPull 150 at Scotia Speedworld.

Behind Arsenault will be a group of hungry drivers eager to follow his footsteps. Brandon Albert (#37) contended against Duskey and Arsenault at the Season Opener but couldn’t keep up in the long run. With only one of them expected to race this Saturday, Albert has a big opportunity to capture a round two win for the second year in a row.

On May 19, Randy Millar (#77) described his car as the best it’s been in a long time, and it showed with heat and semi race wins and a top-5 feature finish. Being just seven points behind Arsenault in points, the championship pace Millar once had years ago could be back. Nick Chiasson (#27) went under the radar with a pace for podium finishes in all three races until a late incident in the feature with Randy Snow (#26).

Tyler Doucette (#24) hopes to get rid of the mechanical demons and show what he’s truly capable of at round one of the Super Series. His determination to finish at the Season Opener showed in his top-5 feature result after battling rear-end issues leading up to the event.

Andrew Thompson (#4) had solid runs going in his newly-coloured, red Street Stock until issues arose in the feature. The 2019 Super Series championship runner-up enters this year’s Super Series seeking one spot higher on the year-end podium. Sarah Jay (#30) battled a loose car at the Season Opener and looks to find more speed and comfort this Saturday.

Brian Arsenault (#03), Brodie MacQuarrie (#28), and Matthew Ford (#86) are expected to make their 2024 debuts.

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

2024 Fan Appreciation Night Race Day Format