GEARY, NB – Michael Cormier (#68) etched his name into the record books as the first three-time winner of the prestigious Ricky Bobby Street Stock 150 at Speedway 660 Sunday afternoon. Cormier managed to accomplish the feat in just the sixth running of the marquee race for the Street Stock division. However, Cormier’s path to the third triumph was unlike either of the first two.
Following a Canada Day weekend that saw management and drivers battle weather all throughout, Cormier became the first winner of a rain-shortened Ricky Bobby 150, while simultaneously becoming the first race winner to never lead a lap of the event.
From the sixth starting position, Cormier ran as high as second in the first 75 laps of the Ricky Bobby 150 as Luc McLaughlin (#11) set sail out front in commanding fashion. Cormier sat fourth at the halfway break, but an invert of lead lap cars shook up the running order – and with rain looming on the horizon, drivers were up on the wheel and put on a wild show as they battled for each position. Cormier would work his way up to the second position when rain returned on lap 126 – but post-race technical inspection would result in Cormier being awarded the prestigious victory.
Defending Ricky Bobby 150 champion Justin Cole (#38) took the lead on lap 116 in what was shaping up to be an all-star duel to the finish, and would be pacing the field when the rain struck ending the race. Being past the halfway mark, Cole was initially declared the winner for the second consecutive season. However, as noted in a Facebook post by Speedway 660 management Sunday evening, Cole’s #38 machine was found to be in violation of rule 10.24 of the Speedway 660 Street Stock rulebook (no undercut valves). As a result Cole was disqualified, awarding the victory to Cormier.
As the results shook down following the disqualification, PEI’s Mitchell Arsenault (#51) would have a career day with a strong runner-up effort in the Ricky Bobby 150, with fellow island driver Brodie MacQuarrie (#28) completing the podium. Kenny MacKenzie Jr (#85) had the lead at one point as the clouds rolled in, but the rain just didn’t come soon enough as he finished fourth, as Mike Duskey (#42) rounded out what ultimately was a PEI majority top five after also leading the field for several laps after the halfway break.
Racing action commenced on Saturday with qualifier races to set the field for the 6th Annual Ricky Bobby 150. A record setting thirty-seven (37) Street Stock drivers packed into the pits to battle for twenty-eight (28) starting positions in the Ricky Bobby 150. Logan Power (#58), Luc McLaughlin, Martin Landry (#15), and Brad MacLean (#13) all grabbed heat race victories, which were completed while battling spotty showers that began to fall over the track Saturday. A more persistent rain began following the completion of heats, forcing the balance of the card to be pushed to Sunday.
Sunday began with a stellar Last Chance Qualifier for the Street Stocks. A few competitors withdrew on account of the postponement, but thirteen (13) Street Stocks entered the 35-lap Last Chance Qualifier to battle for five qualifying positions. Riley Goodwin (#77) drove from eighth to first in the race, earning the former track champion a berth in the big race along with Evan Lane (#46), Karl Schaefer (#00), Ron Enkel (#52), and Jimmy Sommerville (#5). Provisionals would set the balance of the twenty-eight car field.
The scheduled 150-lap race was deemed official after 2 hours and 2 minutes with 126 laps completed.
Steve Halpin (#03) became the first two-time winner of the Pro Stock division in 2024. After winning the heat race, Halpin led wire-to-wire to claim the victory over Ryan Messer (#1) and Kevin Moore (#88). Andrew Rodgers (#14) and Marcel Leblanc (#30) rounded out the top five, with Ian Rasmussen (#81) notably finishing in sixth.
Rasmussen entered the day second in points, seven (7) points ahead of Moore. With Devin Snell, the points leader entering the day, not being in attendance, Moore’s third place effort over Rasmussen’s sixth place vaults this pair to first and second in points in what is shaping up to be an intense points battle heading into the second half of the season.
Eleven (11) Pro Stocks checked into the pits on Saturday, but only eight (8) were able to make the call to the grid when action resumed on Sunday.
Jason Duffield (#91) nabbed his first Sharp Shooter feature win of the 2024 campaign during the 25-lap feature on Sunday. Duffield picked up the lead from Matt Martin (#33) with ten laps to go and never looked back to earn the win. Duffield had to survive a late race restart, a restart which enabled Randy Storey to take the Stephen Rose (#44) car to a runner-up position while Martin settled for third. BJ Gillespie (#69) came short of a fourth win on the season with a fourth place effort, while Tyler Collett (#21) rounded out the top five.
Todd Day (#4), Darren Wilcox (#32), and BJ Gillespie all earned heat race victories before the rain hit on Saturday. Twenty-two (22) Sharp Shooter competitors were on the property Saturday, with sixteen (16) returning for competition on Sunday.
6th Annual Ricky Bobby 150 Results
1. Michael Cormier #68
2. Mitchell Arsenault #51
3. Brodie MacQuarrie #28
4. Kenny MacKenzie Jr #85
5. Mike Duskey #42
6. Riley Goodwin #77
7. Luc McLaughlin #11
8. Courtney O’Blenis #87
9. Richard Atkinson #63
10. Rick Cashol #54
11. Ron Enkel #52
12. Logan Power #58
13. Alex Gallant #45
14. Keaton Vessey #001
15. Karl Schaefer #00
16. Jimmy Sommerville #5
17. Bill Storey #53
18. Daniel Atyeo #15
19. Joel Leblanc #27
20. Martin Landry #15
21. Dan Gillespie #83
22. Jonathan Hanley #71
23. Shawn Hyslop #17
24. Kyle MacKinnon #22
25. Evan Lane #46
26. Matthew Ford #86
27. Brad MacLean #13
DQ – Justin Cole #38
DNQ – Ryan Bernard #68
DNQ – Tyler Seveck #70
DNQ – Justin Munn #76
DNQ – Shawn Furlong #97
DNQ / Withdrew – Scott Habkirk #5
DNQ / Withdrew – Mark Kingston #27
DNQ / Withdrew – Bimbo Look #33
DNQ / Withdrew – Eric Matthews #60
DNQ / Withdrew – Drew Lewis #61
Note – Drivers noted as withdrawn competed in qualifying heat races on Saturday, but did not return on Sunday following the weather forced postponement.
Heat Winners – Logan Power #58, Luc McLaughlin #11, Martin Landry #15, Brad MacLean #13
Last Chance Qualifier Winner – Riley Goodwin #77
Re/Max East Coast Elite Realty Pro Stock Division 75-Lap Feature Results
1. Steve Halpin #03
2. Ryan Messer #1
3. Kevin Moore #88
4. Andrew Rodgers #14
5. Marcel Leblanc #30
6. Ian Rasmussen #81
7. Clark Moore #54
8. Greg Fahey #20
DNS – Calvin Rankin #45, Brent McArthur #55, Rob Raynes #94*
Note – Drivers noted as DNS checked in on Saturday, but did not return on Sunday following the weather forced postponement.
Heat Winner – Steve Halpin #03
Changing Hands Thrift Shop Sharp Shooter Division 25-Lap Feature Results
1. Jason Duffield #91
2. Randy Storey #44 (driving for Stephen Rose)
3. Matt Martin #33
4. BJ Gillespie #69
5. Tyler Collett #21
6. Wesley Harnish #61
7. Todd Day #4
8. John Richard #7
9. Darren Wilcox #32
10. Robert Kamphuis #99
11. Brian Maillet #83
12. Braden Carr #74
13. Curtis Tremblay #00
14. Austin Harnish #13
15. Terry Lawson #14
DNS – Evan Gallon #9, Glyn Nott #12, Brian Crossman #70, Nicholas MacKenzie #72, Torin Mitchell #88, Randy Storey #92, Ben Woodcock #94
Heat Winners – Todd Day #4, Darren Wilcox #32, BJ Gillespie #69
