Brunswick 100, Spring Smash Highlighting 50th Anniversary Season Opener

Its finally here! After a long and gruelling winter, the horsepower, speed, and thrills that go with racing will return to Speedway Miramichi! After a strong kickoff at last weekends Family Day, the 50th Anniversary Season for the historic Miramichi oval is in full swing!

This Saturday’s racing return features a major Street Stock event – the return of the Brunswick 100, along with the annual Spring Smash Demo! It promises to be one of the biggest opening day events at Speedway Miramichi in years! Here’s a preview of what can be expected on race day!

Heavy Hitters Set Sights on the Brunswick 100

Hot on the heels of a successful Chi City Showdown last fall, 2018 will kickoff with the Brunswick 100 for the resurgent Speedway Miramichi Street Stock division. With championship points and a guaranteed top 5 starting spot in the Maritime Street Stock Showdown at Oyster Bed Speedway on the line, drivers will have a lot to race for this weekend.

Leading the charge of strong contenders Saturday will be Miramichi favorite “Badass” Brad MacLean. Hailing from Black River Bridge, Brad started shotgun on the field in last falls Chi City Showdown and came from the back twice en route to arguably the biggest win of his career!

MacLean will have some stiff competition to go through if he wants to defend his home track. The preliminary Brunswick 100 entry list includes 2 time Speedway 660 Street Stock champion Luc McLaughlin, 6 time Scotia Speedworld Truck Series champion Dan Smith, last weeks winner at Petty Intl’ Raceway and rising young star Alex Sheehan, 2015 Miramichi Mini Stock champion JR Lawson, podium finisher from the 2017 Chi City Showdown Riley Goodwin (who is also a 4th generation driver in Miramichi), and Petty Raceway standout Nick Cudmore. Those are just a few of the top drivers, with Street Stock stars Matt Crocker, Mike Duskey, and Kenny Snow, among others, also expected to challenge for the Brunswick 100 win.

While several Miramichi area drivers will be unable to compete this weekend for various reasons, there will still be lots of local drivers for fans to cheer for! Besides MacLean, Deryk Murphy, Justin Munn, Shawn Furlong, and rookie Jacob Smith are expected to take on the stacked field of drivers. Murphy is a former Dukes competitor who made his Street Stock debut during last falls Showdown. Munn has been competing in a few races in the Street Stock class over the past few years, and even ran a few Sportsman races. Furlong has been racing for over 2 decades, and competed in Miramichi during the late 90s. And Jacob Smith is a former demo competitor who is expected to make his Street Stock debut this Saturday.

Brunswick 100 Expected Entries (as of May 24th at 12:00am)

00 – Matt Crocker (Oromocto, NB) 06 – Alex Sheehan (Oyster Bed Bridge, PEI) 7 – Kenny Snow (Oyster Bed Bridge, PEI) 11 – Luc McLaughlin (Oromocto, NB) 13 – Brad MacLean (Miramichi, NB) 17 – Jacob Smith (Miramichi, NB) 33 – Deryk Murphy (Miramichi, NB) 39 – Dan Smith (Halifax, NS) 42 – Mike Duskey (Albany, PEI) 47 – Shawn Furlong (Upper Blackville, NB) 76 – Justin Munn (Boiestown, NB) 77 – Riley Goodwin (Waasis, NB) 81 – JR Lawson (Shubenacadie, NS) 87 – Nick Cudmore (Petitcodiac, NB)

Note - A number of other entries are possibly expected to be confirmed leading up to race day.

Spring Smash Demo

While this weekend may be all about the bass in Miramichi with the Striper Cup taking place, last year the Demolition class was all about the Basque’s. Jean-Francois Basque scored his 2nd Demolition championship in 2017, but he has recently announced that he doesn’t have plans to compete in 2018, opening the door for what will likely be a first-time champion for the Demolition class. While demo entries can often be hard to predict, early registrations have shed some light on what can be expected.

After another runner up finish in points, 2018 may finally be Kevin Tuckers year. While Kevin may only be registered to run part time, he plans on competing during this weekends Spring Smash, and a big win could kickstart a championship campaign. Among those expected to challenge Kevin include young drivers Randy Girouard and Joey Pitre, as well as Shawn Sisk, Jonathan Dickson, Ryan Jardine, and Jonathan Hachey. Those are just the drivers registered full time, with over a dozen drivers registered to run part time.

Saturday’s demo action will begin with the wild Dash for Cash. Fans will also get to witness excitement during the Reverse Race, Powder Puff Race and the fan favorite Figure 8 Race. An “old school” Demolition Derby titled the Spring Smash will conclude Saturdays events.

Lyons Leading Atlantic Modified Tour Into Miramichi

As the Atlantic Modified Tour readies for their first race of the season in Miramichi, drivers will have a lot more on the line when the flag drops. For the first time ever, a Miramichi Modified champion will be crowned in 2018!

After last weeks tour race at Petty, one driver has come out of nowhere to rise to the top of the Tour – although it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. After picking up his first podium last October, former Doaktown native John Lyons scored his first feature win at Petty International Raceway last weekend. A strong contingent of drivers will be trying to prevent Lyons from going back to back, including Miramichi’s own “Mr. Excitement,” Doug Matchett – who was recently named one of Speedway Miramichi’s 50 Most Successful Drivers. Last weeks podium finishers will also look to improve their results from Petty. Joe Hoyt came home 2nd, while Braxton Stafford drove the Braxton Stafford Racing entry to a 3rd place finish at Petty. Unconfirmed reports are that there is a possibility for another driver to get behind the wheel of the B.S.R. #91 entry this weekend, so stay tuned for more details. Also competing this weekend will be Kevin Bailey, who is returning after a 1-year hiatus last year, as well as rookie Kevin Brideau.

Mighty Mini Stock Feature On Tap

Over the past number of seasons, the Mini Stock class at Speedway Miramichi has produced some of the most exciting races at the track. With the champion from the past 2 seasons, Mike Weagle, not being expected to run in Miramichi this season, a new champion is almost a certainty. The quest for the title begins on Saturday, with some stiff competition expected. Among the top drivers competing will be a trio of drivers from the Acadian Peninsula who have registered to run full time. Guy Basque, Michael Savoie, and Mathieu Mallett finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively in points in 2017, and can only be expected to improve in 2018. Driving for former Miramichi champion Brad Daley, Southern NB’s Chris Garnett produced some strong performances late in 2017, and he may be the favorite to spoil the Peninsula Party. And then there’s Travis Conroy, one of the youngest drivers at the track, who will be looking to make some noise in a new car. Sophomore driver Kendall Arbeau, rookie Mitchell Poirier, and Wesley Peterson are all also expected to compete full time during the 2018 season. A possible wild card for this weekends Mini Stock race may be Nova Scotia’s Chantel Ackles, who is expected to make the haul to Miramichi. Ackles is coming off a 4th place finish at Petty and should be a contender on Saturday.

Dukes Class Making Resurgence

After some unsuccessful attempts, the Dukes class will finally return to Speedway Miramichi in 2018. The class will contest a heat, semi, and feature on Saturday at Speedway Miramichi. The class is expected to grow throughout the season, with lots of interest being generated in the class. Early indications suggest that 3 time Demolition champion Robert Legere, and 2016 Street Stock champion Darcy O’Neill are expected to be competing this weeekend. While their entries are not confirmed for Saturday, registrations have been filed by Riley Harris, Ryan Jardine, and the Brad MacLean Racing team.

50th Anniversary Celebration

A special ceremony will kick off the afternoons events, as Speedway Miramichi celebrates its 50th Anniversary. As Eastern Canada’s Oldest Active Motorsports facility, Speedway Miramichi is the first track on the east coast to be in operation during their 50th year. This year, and this race will produce some truly special and memorable moments. The ceremony is scheduled to get underway around 2:30, so be sure to get to the track early enough to catch this once in 50 years event!

Tickets for the Brunswick 100 and Spring Smash can be purchased at the gates on race day. Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, $10 for youth of ages 8 to 17, and free for kids 7 and under. Speedway Miramichi’s family pass deal will be on – a family of 4 can be admitted for just $35! Pit Passes for this race are $20, and you must be over the age of 8 to enter the pits. Pit gates open at 11am Saturday, while main grandstands open at 1pm.

About Speedway Miramichi

Speedway Miramichi is Eastern Canada’s Oldest Active Motorsports Venue, and Northern New Brunswick’s only paved oval track. Located in the city of Miramichi, New Brunswick, and just 5 minutes away from all city amenities, Speedway Miramichi hosts stock car racing and demolition events throughout the summer. There is no other facility in the world where you can watch a stock car race, burnout competition, figure-8 race, and a demolition derby during the same event. Visit our website (speedwaymiramichi2016.com), check us out on Facebook (Speedway Miramichi Inc.), or find us on Instagram (speedway.miramichi) for more details, and join us as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary in 2018!