Mitch Brideau Conquers Epic Figure 8 Trailer Race!
The 2020 Speedway Miramichi Demolition champion finally captured a main event win at Speedway Miramichi! Mitch Brideau (#22) survived a chaotic Figure 8 Trailer Race and made the final hit on Arthur Richard (#44) to disable Richard’s Hyundai Santa Fe and claim the victory! Randy Girouard (#8) came away with third place when the dust settled.
The highlight came early on when Norm Robichaud (#666) parked in the center of the “X”, and RJ Driscoll (#999) drove his massive trailer through the camper to the delight of fans! In the process, Driscoll picked up the shell of Robichaud’s trailer – giving him two trailers. The hits kept coming with four camper trailers partaking along with nearly a dozen other various trailers. After Driscoll’s vehicle became disable, Arthur Richard drove through the massive trailer. At various points, drivers got hooked onto another trailer and got towed around the track.
For Brideau, it was his first career main event win at Speedway Miramichi in Demolition action, after the former champion captured several podiums and has been one of the top drivers in recent years, adding to his already impressive resume as he looked to overcome a dismal opening day in hopes of a second career championship.
Another champion had a stellar day, as two-time champ Jean-Francois Basque (#21) claimed the biggest prize of the day in The Day of 8’s Demolition. Basque survived the eighteen-car field in the final Demo, making the final hit on Jonathan Leclair (#014). Third place went to Mathieu Brideau, driving for Julien Benoit (#47).
Basque’s Demolition win was the second of his career at Speedway Miramichi. After a couple of tough seasons, the “one handed bandit” who previously found top honours in 2014 and 2017 is having one of his best seasons to date early in 2022.
In the 8-lap Dash for Cash, Basque led the way beating Randy Girouard (#8) and Mitch Brideau to take the win and payday. Twenty-three cars started the Dash for Cash. The race was red flagged 2 laps in for a hard hit on the frontstretch wall by Daniel Roy (#75). A heated battle between Mathieu Brideau (#99) and Jeremy Faulds (#11) turned the Dash for Cash into more of a grudge match, with the pair stealing the show by taking several shots at each other throughout the race and event.
Ericka Lesage (#02) earned her first career Powder Puff victory in style, chasing down and passing one of the most accomplished Powder Puff drivers in Amber Sickles (#03) to take the win. Sickles led much of the race with Lesage in tow, with the pair going side by side for laps at a time, but Lesage capitalized when it mattered most to win! Full Powder Puff results will be published later in the week. Twelve cars started the Powder Puff race.
Gary Caissie drove for Julien Benoit (#47) in the 5-lap Back-Up race and came away with the win in a wild last-lap turn of events. Corey Barton was driving for Daniel Atyeo (#15), and had taken the lead, but got put into the infield on the final lap and lost the win. Randy Girouard (#8) finished second while Atyeo rounded out the podium. Sixteen cars started the Back-Up race.
Mitch Brideau notched his first preliminary win of the year in the 5-lap Tire Race, besting a field of ten cars in the process. Fabien Hachey (#109) and Jonathan Leclair (#014) rounded out the podium.
Kenny MacKenzie Jr. (#85) punched a top 6 starting position into October’s 6th Annual Street Stock 100 by claiming the win in the 40-lap Street Stock feature on Saturday. MacKenzie Jr. had a spirited battle with two-time and reigning Street Stock 100 champ Logan Power (#58) and PEI’s Mitchell Arsenault (#51). The three ran closely all race long with Power giving MacKenzie a couple of challenges, but it was not to be. Defending Bomber champion Mark Kingston (#97) came home in fourth, while Tom Nicholls (#28) rounded out the top 5.
MacKenzie Jr. swept the day by also winning his 10-lap heat race. Street Stock racing ran entirely caution free, with eight cars in attendance. This was MacKenzie Jr’s third career Street Stock win at Speedway Miramichi, having previously earned wins in 2012 and 2015.
JR Lawson (#81) had to work hard for it, but he extended his winning streak in the 30-lap Mini Stock feature. Lawson began the race in traffic having won the last race, while Rob Poirier (#0) jumped out to an early lead. Lawson worked through traffic, but Poirier hammered down early to gain a sizeable lead. Lawson moved into second on the seventh lap and worked hard to chase down car #0. After a tense side by side battle for several laps, Lawson would finally get by Poirier and lead the final 10 laps en route to victory. Meanwhile, the battle for third came right down to the wire, with Chantel Lawson (#30) edging out Mitchell Poirier (#28) for the final podium position. Rookie Nathan Richard (#35) impressed in just his second outing to bring home his first career top-5 finish.
The husband-and-wife combination of JR and Chantel Lawson swept the heat races to kick-off the day. Mini Stock competition ran caution free, with thirteen cars in attendance. This was Lawson’s twenty-first career victory at Speedway Miramichi.
Timmy Blakely (#69) continued his hot hand on the Bomber division for 2022 and opened up a nice points lead by winning both his heat and feature at The Day of 8’s. Blakely’s feature win came somewhat unconventionally, as he claimed the lead on the eleventh lap when race leader Riley Connell (#43) pitted. Connell had driven away from the field with a full straightaway lead, but ran out of gas after leading the first 10 laps, relinquishing the lead to Blakely. Blakely would cruise to the win while a battle raged for the runner-up position, with youngster Alex Duguay (#11) in only his second career start outduelling Corey Barton (#995) for the spot. Barton held on for third with overheating issues in the closing laps, while Blake Bransfield (#60) and Tyson Donovan (#63) rounded out the top 5.
The thirty-lap feature ran entirely caution free. Blakely won the first heat, while Dylan Doucet (#02) came on top of a late battle with Kevin Tucker (#87) to win the second heat after Tucker tagged the wall coming to the white flag. Doucet and Tucker battled after a caution for contact between Johnathan Dickson (#3) and Billy Pelletier (#18) in turn 1. Sixteen Bomber cars were in attendance. The win was Blakely’s third career Bomber feature win, and his sixth career feature win across all divisions at Speedway Miramichi.
Alex Duguay backed up his runner-up finish in the Bomber division with another Burnout Competition win being added to his resume! Duguay achieved one of the loudest rounds of applause in recent memory to win with no-contest.
The next event at Speedway Miramichi is Saturday night, July 2nd, with a special stock-car only feature planned! The cars and stars of the Atlantic Modified Tour will celebrate their 20th anniversary season with a unique format – triple 20-lap features, with an invert between every feature! The overall winner will be whoever scores the lowest points total, based on a points structure. Mini Stock and Bomber action will also be on the card. Action starts at 7pm under the lights, don’t miss it!
The Day of 8’s – Second Annual Figure 8 Trailer Race Podium
1. Mitch Brideau #22
2. Arthur Richard #44
3. Randy Girouard #8
The Day of 8’s Demolition Podium
1. Jean-Francois Basque #21
2. Jonathan Leclair #014
3. Mathieu Brideau #47
Street Stock 40-Lap Feature Results
1. Kenny MacKenzie Jr #85
2. Logan Power #58
3. Mitchell Arsenault #51
4. Mark Kingston #97
5. Tom Nicholls #28
6. Bryar Ellis #95
7. Drew Lewis #61
8. Matt Pelletier #16
Mini Stock 30-Lap Feature Results
1. JR Lawson #81
2. Rob Poirier #0
3. Chantel Lawson #30
4. Mitchell Poirier #28
5. Nathan Richard #35
6. Guy Basque #27
7. Alex Gallant #5
8. Conrad Murphy #89
9. Mark Campbell #74
10. Kevin Kinney #17
11. Tom Ackles #130
12. Brad Daley #66
13. Jamie Turner #26
Bomber 30-Lap Feature Results
1. Timmy Blakely #69
2. Alex Duguay #11
3. Corey Barton #995
4. Blake Bransfield #60
5. Tyson Donovan #63
6. Kevin Tucker #87
7. Jonathan Mahar #32
8. Axten MacLean #13
9. Dan Dionne #55
10. Norm Robichaud #15
11. Samantha Blakely #96
12. Billy Pelletier #18
13. Riley Connell #43
14. Dylan Doucet #02
Dash for Cash Winner – Jean-Francois Basque #21
Powder Puff Winner – Ericka Lesage #02
Back-Up Race Winner – Gary Caissie #47
Tire Race Winner – Mitch Brideau #22
Burnout Competition Winner – Alex Duguay