HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR TO BRING THE HEAT TO MIRAMICHI
Wrecked cars in late October close to Halloween – nothing screams Miramichi louder than that! It’s about to get spooky and loud for the final time in 2021 on Saturday October 23rd at Speedway Miramichi with the running of the Halloween Spooktacular DEMOLITION! A massive year-end Demolition is being hosted – being the final big money Demolition Derby of the year - is sure to be a thrilling way to end off the year in Canada’s Demolition Capital. The event will also see stock car drivers will be throwing out the technical rules book for some 50-lap “Outlaw” style races before the Demolition events commence, while the crew members for Bomber and Mini Stock drivers will get to have some fun on the track in the annual “Mechanics Race!” Start time for the event is 2pm.
At least 40 drivers have already signalled their intent to partake in the Halloween Spooktacular Demolition – a number which continues to grow and may push or exceed 50 by start time! With the expected $2000 payday to the winner and no points on the line, drivers have nothing to lose but everything to gain. Demolition Derby action has been insane in Canada’s Demolition capital thus far in 2021, and a year filled with chaos culminates with one last show! As the finale, this event is all about fun and bragging rights, settling the scores before the winter, and for one driver – walking away with a pocket full of cash. Mix in the Halloween theme, with prizes for best decorated car and best decorated pumpkin from the Pumpkin race, and it’s a recipe brewed for excitement and destruction!
Leading the field is the newly minted Demolition champion Tyler Chamberlain (#24). After the dust settled and penalties were issued, Chamberlain emerged on top of 125 entries as the points champion. The Bathurst driver accomplished the feat without scoring a single checkered flag all season – and with all the confidence in the world, he will strive to end the championship season carrying at least one checkered flag.
Chamberlain will be joined by a pair of former Demolition champions in the field. Joey Pitre (#20) won the title in 2018 and in two starts in 2021 has wow’ed each time – emerging as a fan favorite at the Figure 8 Trailer race in June, and then scoring a Figure 8 race victory in September. Mitch Brideau (#22) won the championship in 2020, and while he was unable to defend his crown after a flip for his car in the Powder Puff race, he has had a stellar season carrying the checkered flag five times. Championship caliber drivers are always contenders – and these two are sure to be tough to beat.
Several final Demolition winners from this year seek to become the first repeat winner of 2021! No driver has won two Demolitions yet this season – in fact, we have not had a repeat winner since Riley Harris (#1) won back-to-back derbies in 2019. Bobby McGraw (#41) is the most recent winner after taking home the Demolition Blowout, he is joined by Firecracker Demolition winner Gary Caissie (#28) and Easter Bunny Bash winner Billy Pelletier (#333) as drivers looking to add a second win in 2021. Zac Taylor (#90) was the 2020 Back to School Smash winner, and he will return to make his first start of 2021.
Speaking of Riley Harris, while he won’t be driving at this event as he recovers from some injuries, his car will still be on the track with relative Stephen Harris (#1) driving – it’s not hard to tell racing and Demolitions are in Riley’s blood on both sides of the family, as Stephen is a former Derby winner from August 22nd, 1992!
Some drivers are fan favorites for many reasons. Mr. Back-Up King himself Dawson Cripps (#25) is a driver who fans should always keep an eye on – however, he has not won a Back-Up race in a handful of events and will look to re-assert his dominance. Norm Robichaud (#666) entertains fans each and every race – he actually put his car on its roof earlier this summer in the Dash for Cash. Ricky Boudreau (#764) had a true breakout season scoring a pair of preliminary wins en route to a top 5 finish in points. Miky Roussel (#758), Jeremy Faulds (#11), Remi Rouselle (#010) and Shawn Sisk (#94) have all carried checkered flags this summer and hope for some more Saturday.
As always, drivers first have to survive through the series of preliminary events to contend for the grand prize – at least three of five preliminary events must be started in order to be eligible for the grand prize. One of those preliminary races will be the ever-popular Pumpkin race! Once a year the Pumpkin race gets held – an 8-lap race where drivers are accompanied by a passenger. The passenger has a special duty – to decorate the pumpkin while going around the track in a race! The Dash for Cash, Figure 8, and Back-Up races will all be held plus the Powder Puff race is back after a race so wild in October, he had to be called off before the first lap was ever completed!
The entry list is long and strong, setting fans up for one hell of a show! You won’t want to miss this one! The 2020 version was an instant classic – with cars burning, hard hits, and pure chaos! With the bar raised high after last year – this years finale is sure to bring the heat!
Halloween Spooktacular Demolition Expected Entries
1. Josh Flanagan #00
2. Curtis Tremblay #000
3. Cody Lannan-McLeod #004
4. Kevin Mailloux #007
5. Remi Rouselle #010
6. Dylan Doucet #02
7. Marc Antoine McGraw #07
8. Stephen Harris #1
9. Dakota Wray #5
10. Brandon Dickson #6
11. Jonathan Leclair #10
12. Jeremy Faulds #11
13. Steven Gorwill #19
14. Joey Pitre #20
15. Mitch Brideau #22
16. Shawn Richard #23
17. Tyler Chamberlain #24
18. Dawson Cripps #25
19. Gary Caissie #28
20. Tommy Morel #33
21. Colby Ferguson #34
22. Bobby McGraw #41
23. Evan Hutchinson #54
24. Danny Chaisson #70
25. Dylan Storey #85
26. Zac Taylor #90
27. Shawn Sisk #94
28. Devon Sullivan #95
29. Mathieu Brideau #99
30. Jean-Rene Duguay-McGraw #140
31. Brandon Campbell #151
32. Gab Chaisson #219
33. Billy Pelletier #333
34. Alexis Roland Mallet #336
35. Mason Roberts #473
36. Colby Walsh #506
37. Norm Robichaud #666
38. Samuel Chiasson #700
39. Miky Roussel #758
40. Ricky Boudreau #764
Entry list subject to change without notice.
The Bomber division will contest the second running of the “Last Call” race on Saturday. The inaugural running in 2020 was one of the most exciting races of the season, coming down to a late race duel between Timmy Blakely (#69) and Jacob Smith (#29) that was settled on the last turn of the last lap. Blakely would go to victory lane, but that was his last feature win – he will look to snap the year-long winless streak and defend his title in the “Last Call” finale!
Former Bomber champion Adam Plourde (#11) enters as the most recent winner after claiming victory at The Very Best Fall Shootout. Plourde looks to carry the momentum into the extended distance 50-lap race. Blake Bransfield (#60) is also riding a huge wave of momentum after scoring a pair of podium finishes on Fall Shootout weekend. Dylan Doucet (#02) also went to victory lane on Fall Shootout weekend with a win during the Saturday night Kick-Off event, a race where Riley Connell (#43) scored his first podium. Watch for all of these drivers in the 50-lap feature.
The end of the season presents opportunity for other drivers to end their season in a strong way. Look towards fifth place finisher in points Samantha Blakely (#96), who has been knocking on the door for a podium all season, to give it all she has to bring home a trophy. Rookie driver Axten MacLean (#13) has put himself in position for some strong runs before things unravelled towards the end, expect him to be in the mix at the final race. Jordan Campbell (#68), Kevin Kinney (#81) and Dan Dionne (#55) are aiming to wrap up their seasons on a high note. A trio of drivers will make their Bomber debuts – Eugene Harris (#1) will be a super-substitute for Riley Harris, Dylan Phillips (#18) will be driving the car Billy Pelletier drove all season, and Terry Thurston (#28) will make his debut after purchasing the championship winning car of Mark Kingston.
Mini Stock drivers will also run a 50-lap “Outlaw” style race with cars from all over expected to duel for the win. Some regular heavy hitters are passing on the opportunity due to various circumstances, opening the door for a new face to victory lane. One driver to watch will be Neil Miousse (#71). Miousse is not a familiar face in victory lane after he started 2021 on a tear with a pair of wins, and on Saturday he has had the opportunity to book-end the season in victory lane. BJ Gillespie (#69) has been the fastest Cavalier around, and the recently minted Speedway 660 champion notched a pair of podiums and has shown lots of speed on the North Shore this year. Mathieu Mallet (#80) is still looking for his first win – while his season has not been as flashy as 2020, he still has run well and finished third in points. He would love to finally break into victory lane. Mitchell Poirier (#28) is another driver eyeing the opportunity presented this weekend as he inches ever so close to his first career podium.
Ryan McKnight (#46) has emerged as an elite driver so far this year around the Maritimes, and he looks to improve on a podium run he scored on Fall Shootout weekend. Chris Garnett (#66) is looking to make some noise at the last race of 2021. Local drivers Tyler Lannan-McLeod (#24), Calvin McLeod (#00) and Grayson Dutcher (#55) are amped up for one last kick at the can for 2021. A strong field of Sharp Shooter drivers from Speedway 660 are also coming to partake in the “Outaw” excitement. In addition to BJ Gillespie, Darren Wilcox (#32), Daniel Atyeo (#15), Alex Gallant (#15A) and more are expected to make the haul and take on the fast Hondas. A great field is expected for the 50-lap Mini Stock race!
There also is a V8 Outlaw race planned for part of the event – open to any V8 racecars which satisfy safety specs of the Street Stock, Modified, Sportsman, or similar divisions. This is the first such event at Speedway Miramichi with hopes it will grow and become an annual tradition.
Pits and grandstands open at 11:00am on Saturday for stock car drivers and teams and pits open at 12:00pm for Demolition drivers and teams. Action gets underway at 2pm. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults, $10 for youth ages 8 to 17 years old and seniors 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.
A crew from Tim’s Corner Motorsports will be at the facility with a LIVE Broadcast from Speedway Miramichi. The racing action and the TimsCorner.tv (TCMtv) live broadcast begins at 2:00pm Saturday. 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 note on COVID-19 – under the new state of emergency order, very little changes regarding operations at Speedway Miramichi. As an outdoor venue, proof of vaccination is NOT required, and all are welcome to attend. The only requirements are to ensure your bubble of 20 people or less maintains physical distancing from other groups, and if physical distancing cannot be maintained, Speedway Miramichi asks that you please wear a mask to ensure safety for all.
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.