Firecracker Night to Light it up at Speedway Miramichi
The lights are set to come up at Canada’s Demolition Capital for the first night race of the year at Speedway Miramichi – which is shaping up to be yet another can’t miss action-packed event! The Demolition portion of the show will feature the Firecracker Demolition, with another large field of cars expected to partake, while the inaugural Bomber Firecracker 50 will give the cars and stars of the Bomber division the spotlight for a prestigious 50-lap race! Atlantic Modified Tour, Mini Stock, and Street Stock racing will complete the show!
The Day of 8’s which featured the Figure 8 Trailer Race will be a tough act to follow, but all efforts are being put into making Firecracker Night equally memorable, including a full fireworks display (weather and burn conditions permitting). While there will be fireworks light up the sky, fireworks are sure to take place on the track with the Demolition division heating up – evidenced by the close points battle.
A mere five points separate the top four, with Figure 8 Trailer Race winner Riley Harris (#1) on top of the standings for the first time in his career, followed closely by The Day of 8’s Demo winner Marc-Andre Benoit (#81), 2020 track Champion Mitch Brideau (#22), and Spring Smash winner Randy Girouard (#8). As they say, the cream rises to the top, and through two events that has certainly been the case. With 32 confirmed entries as of press time and upwards of 40 total entries expected, the best will have to bring their “A” game on Saturday!
While the top four have opened a slight gap over the rest of the field, a strong night could push virtually any contender into the mix. Several drivers have notched preliminary wins this year and are within striking distance, including Dawson Cripps (#25) and Cory Mourant (#55), while others such as Matthew Sullivan (#18) and Lionel Breau (#028) have podium finishes to their credit. Norm Robichaud (#666) is in the mix hot off a Trailer Race performance which earned him many fans, while Dylan Storey (#85) finds himself lurking after Joey Pitre borrowed his car for the Trailer Race. Billy Pelletier (#333) could be one to watch as well, as he looks to rekindle the magic that led him to victory at the Easter Bunny Bash! After taking a race off, Sam Jardine (#12), who finished third in points in 2020, will be back and looking to re-emerge as a favorite in Demolition competition.
With the large field sizes that have become the norm as of late, almost any driver has the opportunity to win. Drivers such as Dakota Wray (#5), Jeremy Faulds (#11), Ricky Boudreau (#764), Dylan Harris (#14) and Gary Caissie (#28) all are poised for breakout performances. A mix of newcomers to Speedway Miramichi in 2021 will also be in attendance, some of whom are new to the sport, and others who are seasoned veterans elsewhere. Among those drivers are Kevin Kinney (#17), Stirling Anthony (#09), Justin Bockus (#101), Brett Jardine (#27) and Levi Doiron (#4), with many others also expected.
The Demolition drivers will first have to qualify through a series of intense preliminary races, which are always popular amongst fans. The Dash for Cash kicks off the Demolition portion with an 8-lap contest. The staple Back-Up and Figure 8 races will put drivers to the test as always, while the Kidney race will be the additional preliminary race on the card.
Firecracker Demolition Expected Entries
#055 – Dan Dionne #09 – Stirling Anthony #1 – Riley Harris #4 – Levi Doiron #5 – Dakota Wray #11 – Jeremy Faulds #12 – Sam Jardine #13 – Jamie Wright #14 – Dylan Harris #16 – Zachary L’Huillier #17 – Kevin Kinney #18 – Matthew Sullivan #27 – Brett Jardine #28 – Gary Caissie #31 – Brennan MacDonald #32 – Dylan Phillips #33 – Tommy Morel / Leanne Caron #81 – Marc-Andre Benoit #85 – Dylan Storey #101 – Justin Bockus #133 – Andy McGraw #140 – Jean-Rene Duguay-McGraw #181 – Brandon Duguay #289 – Ti Paul Chiasson #333 – Billy Pelletier #397 – Zoey Moss / Tylar Moss #506 – Colby Walsh #666 – Norm Robichaud #691 – Tyler Boudreau #764 – Ricky Boudreau #824 – Scott Mitchell #888 – Michael Bouchard
Entry list subject to change without notice.
The stars are set to shine bright when the best of the best of the Bomber division take to the track as part of the inaugural Firecracker 50 – a race which shares a name and will pay tribute to the former Sportsman race held in the 1990’s. The Bomber division has been ultra competitive, producing six different winners in the first seven races held since its debut in 2020. Those six winners are sure to enter as the pre-race favorites, and ironically, they claim to the top six positions in points.
The six-pack of winners is led by points leader and The Day of 8’s winner Tyson Donovan (#63). In tow is the only two-time winner in the class, Mark Kingston (#97), who notched wins during The Very Best Fall Shootout in 2020, and the Spring Smash in 2021. Timmy Blakely (#69) and Jacob Smith (#29) each are in the mirror of the top two, Blakely having won the “Last Call” race last October, while Smith won the first ever Bomber feature. Despite a roll-over in May, Johnathan Dickson (#3) sits fifth in points and has a feature win from last September to his credit, while in sixth in points is the defending Bomber Champion Adam Plourde (#11). These six drivers have not only won every feature, but account for eighteen of twenty-one possible podium finishes in class history.
No one is safe from hardship in the Bomber division, as has been proven many times. The extended distance race is sure to test the equipment and survival will be key. With so many variables at stake, any driver amongst the stellar field could pull of a victory. Casey Munn (#07) may have the best chance to breakout and score a win – in fact, he does have a podium finish in the class, scoring a runner up finish last October. He has shown speed and is coming off a top 5 finish at the last race. Riley Harris (#1) has been close to a podium finish in the past, and the longer race may work to his advantage. Samantha Blakely (#96) has multiple heat wins, but 2021 has been plagued by mechanical issues which she hopes to overcome.
Justin Munn (#88) will be looking to overcome mechanical gremlins on Saturday, while Jordan Campbell (#68) is excited to get back on track after being caught in a wreck during lap 1 of the first heat race of the year. Several rookie drivers will be partaking in what will be the biggest race of their careers, among them Dylan Doucet (#02), Colby Walsh (#57), Billy Pelletier (#18), and newcomer Kevin Kinney (#81) who will be making his debut! A full entry list can be found below.
There will be a lot on the line for these drivers, with a 4-foot trophy, cash bonuses, and the glory of winning the Firecracker 50!
Bomber Firecracker 50 Entry List
#02 - Dylan Doucet ® #07 – Casey Munn #1 - Riley Harris #3 - Johnathan Dickson #11 - Adam Plourde #18 – Billy Pelletier ® #29 – Jacob Smith #57 – Colby Walsh ® #60 – Driver TBA #63 – Tyson Donovan #68 – Jordan Campbell #69 – Timmy Blakely #81 – Kevin Kinney ® #88 – Justin Munn #96 – Samantha Blakely #97 – Mark Kingston
Entry list subject to change without notice.
So far in 2021 the Mini Stock division in Miramichi has been electric, producing some of the best racing the class has ever seen. With borders opening up, Firecracker Night is sure to be compelling with a potential head-to-head duel coming to fruition for the first time. Neil Miousse (#71) has owned 2021 so far, capturing both feature wins and holding a healthy point lead. However, three-time and defending Mini Stock Champion JR Lawson (#81), who hails from Nova Scotia, will be making his return thanks to borders being opened. Lawson has not been beaten in his last twelve Speedway Miramichi starts. Co-driving with James Matchett in 2021, Lawson currently sits sixth in points. Both drivers have streaks of their own on the line and will be seeking big things. While this pair may enter as favorites to win, the talent and depth of the field is sure to be elite.
If anyone is to defeat Miousse and Lawson, it could be 2018 Speedway Miramichi Champion Rob Poirier (#0), who has earned podium finishes in both races thus far in 2021. Mathieu Mallet (#80) has also emerged as a perennial contender, sitting third in points, and having scored six podium finishes in the past two seasons. Guy Basque (#27) was knocking on the door of a podium finish in June and is as hungry as ever. JR Lawson’s teammate Chantel Ackles (#30) will also be returning to the track and has proven herself with many podiums in recent years. Also in the mix as a driver to watch is Mitchell Poirier (#28), who each race has been very close to breaking through with a podium finish.
A strong and deep field of cars is expected for the Mini Stocks, with a dozen or more cars anticipated. Calvin McLeod (#00) finds himself sitting a nice seventh in points, as he continues to improve his car each race. Grayson Dutcher (#55) continues to show great improvement after a respectable eighth place finish in June. A trio of drivers will be looking to rebound and overcome some mechanical issues which have plagued them as of late, including Conrad Murphy (#89), Tyler Lannan-McLeod (#24) and Brandon Campbell (#99). A rookie driver is also set to embark on his first race, as Tobique First Nations driver Jamie Turner (#26) will take to the track as part of the thirty-lap affair.
Also on tap for the event is the Atlantic Modified Tour All Star Auto Center 35 – round four on the 2021 schedule for the tour, and the second stop at Speedway Miramichi. The last stop at Speedway Miramichi was a dramatic race, with each contender facing adversity over the 35-lap contest. When the dust settled, 2018 Miramichi Modified Champion Doug Matchett (#75) was ultimately crowned the winner in his Miramichi racing return, and he enters as the Miramichi points leader by five points over that races’ runner up, Chris Wilson (#2W).
Joe Hoyt (#17) and Atlantic Modified Tour points leader and defending tour Champion Yves McCray (#58) may enter tied for third in Miramichi points, but they have written the storylines in the past two races. The finish of each of those races have came down to the two drivers, and while McCray emerged from the battle at the most recent race at Speedway 660 as the winner over Hoyt, it was at The Day of 8’s where contact on the last lap while battling for the lead sent Hoyt spinning, and saw both drivers penalized under the no-fault rule by AMT officials. If the third time is indeed the charm, then round three of the incredible racing between these two is sure to produce on Saturday.
The talent deep Modified field also includes a healthy list of local favorites, along with some out-of-town drivers. Travis Conroy (#7) will be looking for some home track magic after struggling since winning the season opener at Petty, while Zean Dutcher (#55) has a pair of podiums through the first two races, but none in Miramichi yet. Braxton Stafford (#91) has shown speed early in 2021 but poor luck has hampered his efforts. Luck also wasn’t on the side of Steven Curtis (#12), who may have been poised for a podium run prior to experiencing a tire failure and losing laps at The Day of 8’s. Rumors suggest that veteran driver Kim Hallihan (#97) may make his first start of 2021 on Saturday. Rounding out the field is a pair of rookies, Michael Savoie (#00) who has the home track advantage, and Brody Levesque (#05) who is hoping for redemption after crashing in his lone Miramichi Modified start in 2018.
Street Stocks will be first on track for the stock car portion of the show, with hopes being that a few more cars will show as drivers eye an opportunity to test for October’s 100 lap race. There are points on the line however, with James Matchett (#55) and Darcy O’Neill (#68) gridlocked in a tie for the lead through two events. Both are veteran drivers and have been at the track every race and are sure to do battle again on Saturday.
In Powder Puff action, Alexandra Chiasson leads the points after charging her way through the field at The Day of 8’s to become the only driver to capture a podium finish in each of the first two Powder Puff events of 2021. The podiums mean Chiasson will again have to start shotgun on the field, along with the winner from June Tania Jean, and runner-up Samantha Blakely. While Chiasson managed to get to the front, Monique Benoit and Sam Jardine, who finished on the podium in May, didn’t quite get as far through the field. They will look forward to a better starting spot and will hope to get a better finish and gain some valuable points! Many other contenders are amongst the field, with Britney Comeau, Meredith Greene, Brianna Wellman, Hayley Waugh, Darlene Pelletier, and Chelsea Bowron, all finding themselves amongst the top 10 so far.
Pits open at 2:00pm on race day for stock car drivers and teams, with pit gates opening to everyone at 3pm. Grandstands will also open at 3pm, with action slated to get underway at 6pm. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults, $10 for youth ages 8 to 17 years old and seniors over the age of 65, while kids 7 and under are free. Pit passes are $25 and pit access is restricted to those over the age of 18, and those aged 8 to 17 with proper parental waiver forms. Tickets can be purchased at the gate on race day only. ALL FANS ARE ADVISED TO COME EARLY TO AVOID LINES AND GUARANTEE YOUR SEAT.
A crew from Tim’s Corner Motorsports producing a LIVE Broadcast from Speedway Miramichi. The racing action and the TimsCorner.tv (TCMtv) live broadcast begins at 6:00pm when the action gets underway with heat racing for the stock car divisions. A portion of sales go back to support Speedway Miramichi and the race tracks the TCMtv crew visits. Please note, all pass prices will be listed in USD. TimsCorner.tv is a member of the Speed Sport TV network.
A reminder to all on COVID-19 protocol at the facility. Fans are advised to come early as all patrons will be required to give their contact info, per the Government of New Brunswick. In addition, physical distancing in effect throughout the grandstands with every second row closed and spacing between groups required. Signs are posted throughout the facility to guide fans.
For more information, stay tuned to Speedway Miramichi’s social platforms, “Speedway Miramichi Inc.” on Facebook, “speedway.miramichi” on Instagram, and our website at speedwaymiramichi.com.
