(September 4, 2017)- Dave O’Blenis won the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman 150 on SpeedWeekend Saturday night at Speedway 660. O’Blenis claimed the $5000.00 first place money in the richest Sportsman race of the season in Atlantic Canada. Drew Greenlaw finished second, while John Rankin came home third.
“I was a little concerned because this was the first time we’ve raced this Sportsman car this season, but the car was on rails tonight and here we are in victory lane” said O’Blenis. “I want to thank the crew who did an awesome job preparing the car and now I’ve got to get some sleep and come back tomorrow and see what we can do with the Pro Stock in the McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250.”
Rankin, O’Blenis and Greenlaw won the qualifying heat races. They all led laps in the Martin’s Home Heating 150, but it was O’Blenis who pulled away from the rest of the 25 car field in the second half. However, Greenlaw claimed the Dana’s Collision Center Dash for Cash awarded to the leader of lap number 80.
Curtis Collins picked up the $1000.00 Glyn Nott Sr. Memorial Hard Charger Award.
“It sure was nice to pick up that $800.00 dash for cash award but we really wanted to win the race” said Greenlaw. “But Dave is always awesome in these races and we just didn’t have anything for him down the stretch so congratulation to those guys on their big win.”
SpeedWeekend 660 fans were also treated to action in three incredible support classes on Saturday night.
Dave Matthews won an exciting MJS Holdings East Coast Mini Stock Tour, Pub’s Drive Thru Bottle Exchange 50. Darren Flemming drove home second, while Neil Miousse finished third. Flemming and Matthews won the Mini Stock heat races. Cory Hall won the Maritime League of Legends A.L. Gullison DKI 50, presented by Ideal Equipment. Hall came to the front late in the race and went to victory lane ahead of Justin McNeil and Darren Sherwood. Waylon Farrell and Sherwood won the Legend heat races. Sam Rogers had a big night winning the Tim’s Corner Motorsports 25 lap Bando Blast. Josh Langille and Koven Lewis finished in second and third, while Langille and Rogers won the Bando heat races.
Cassius Clark won the McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 on Sunday night to cap off SpeedWeekend and bring the racing season at Speedway 660 to a close.
The driver from Farmington, Maine took the lead on lap 180 and never looked back. It was Clark’s second victory in three years and third over-all in Atlantic Canada’s biggest race of the season. Ashton Tucker finished second, while Lonnie Sommerville drove home third.
“Winning this race is the highlight of our season and going to victory lane for third time in the McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 is one of the biggest accomplishments of my racing career” said Clark from the Riverview Ford Victory Lane. “We saved our best set of tires for our pit stop because we wanted to have a strong second half and that strategy is really what won us this year’s race.”
Johnny Clark and Lonnie Sommerville each led several laps in the first half of the race before Cassius Clark came to the front. Johnny Clark won the Modern Electric $1000.00 half way challenge, while Ashton Tucker won the Riverview Ford Tough Hard Charger Award and the Jordan Gahan Memorial Award, each worth $500.00. Ryan Messer, Lonnie Sommerville, Ben Rowe and Johnny Clark won the McLaughlin Roof Trusses qualifying heat races.
“Two feature wins in the RE/MAX Group Four Realty Pro Stock division, second place in the Pro Stock points and podium finishes in both the Best of the Best 150 and the McLaughlin Roof Trusses 250 caps off a great season for this race team and I couldn’t be prouder of what we did in 2017” said Tucker. “I’m not really looking forward to parking the car and heading back to school for Grade Eleven, but that’s what I’ve got to do this week.”
Matt Crocker capped off a great season by winning the Atlantic Canada Regional Council of Carpenters, Millwrights and Allied Workers Street Stock 50. James Matchett and Shawn Hyslop finished second and third, while Chuck Mercer and Hyslop won the heat races. Sam Rogers capped off a brilliant SpeedWeekend by winning the Tim’s Corner Motorsports Bandolero Blast on Sunday afternoon. Josh Langille and Austin MacDonald were second and third.
Rogers and MacDonald also won the Bando heat races. Ian Rasmussen won the Fredericton Mitsubishi Sharp Shooter 40 over Rob Poirier and Tim Webster. Tyler Crocker and Neil Miousee won the Sharp Shooter heat races. SpeedWeekend wraps up the 2017 Speedway 660 racing season.
Racing resumes in mid-May with the Riverview Ford 2018 Season Opener.
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