Power The Victor in Street Stock 100, Basque Captures Demolition Blowout
Logan Power (#58) fended off a hard charging James Matchett (#55) over the duration of the latter half of the 4th Annual Street Stock 100 to score one of the biggest victories of his career. Power led 94 out of 100 laps and pocketed over $2000 in cash, along with an 8-foot tall trophy, for taking the victory. Matchett, who got underneath Power at various points as they navigated lapped traffic, settled for second. Dan Smith (#39) made his first start of 2020 a good one, as he wheeled his way to a podium finish and claimed one of the big trophies.
Bryar Ellis (#95) performed under pressure, overcoming a points deficit with a fourth-place finish, which was enough for the eighteen-year-old driver to earn the 2020 Speedway Miramichi Street Stock championship. Ellis outran defending track champion Chris Wilson (#2W), who came home in fifth. With the title, Ellis becomes one of the youngest track champions in Speedway Miramichi history.
Ellis and rookie Tristin Harris (#7) took home 10-lap heat races, which paid $50 each to win. After the pole shuffle, Jamie Jardine (#10) started up front and held on to lead the first couple of laps, before Ellis took his turn out front before eventually being passed not long after by Power. Only three cautions slowed the 100-lap feature, which was a great display of clean racing and driver talent.
Power earned $940 in lap money on top of his $1000 pay day. Picking up the DMR Auto $200 halfway bonus, plus the $100 Speedway Miramichi bonus offered to all drivers, Power will be taking a cheque of unofficially in the realm of $2240 to the bank.
In Demolition action, Jean-Francois Basque (#99) jumped behind the wheel of Mathieu Brideau’s car in a move that paid off with a big pay day. Basque was one of three remaining drivers after a red flag for a pair of fires, and landed the final crushing blows to take the win and the big pay day! Gabriel McGraw (#55) finished second with Mitch Brideau (#22) in third. Another massive car count was in the pits, with an estimated 58 Demo cars taking part in the days events.
Mitch Brideau’s podium run was complimented by yet another Dash for Cash Win earlier in the day. His performance was good enough to lock up the 2020 Demolition Championship, the first of his career at the 52-year-old facility. Full Demolition points are still being calculated at this time.
JR Lawson (#81) has extended his win streak at Speedway Miramichi to a stunning twelve races after he led from wire to wire to claim the 50-lap Mini Stock feature – a win which secured the Nova Scotia driver a second consecutive, and third total track championship. Lawson battled early in the race with Chantel Ackles (#30), Mathieu Mallet and PEI’s Mitchell Montgomery (#12), who was making his Speedway Miramichi debut. After Ackles ran into mechanical issues, it would be Montgomery driving to an impressive second place finish with Mallet in third. Another PEI driver in Ricky Millar (#17) wound up fourth while Ryan McKnight (#46) rounded out the top 5.
Four cautions slowed the feature, which saw 17 starters. Former track champion Rob Poirier (#0) did not start after falling victim to mechanical issues in practice. Lawson and Ackles won 10-lap heat races.
Yves McCray scored a walk-off feature victory which secured his first career Atlantic Modified Tour Championship. In a flashback in time to the Sportsman days of Speedway Miramichi, McCray battled for the win with Kim Hallihan (#97) in the closing laps but held on to score win. Hallihan settled for second while Brandon Skidmore (#84) was third. The heat race was a wild affair featuring many wrecks, the biggest occurring on the final lap coming to the checkers which saw Kevin Bailey (#2) take a hard hit into the wall.
The Bomber class put on a thrilling race, which saw the fourth different winner in as many races. Mark Kingston (#97) started up front and never looked back as he drove his first career victory. Kingston battled side by side with Timmy Blakely (#69) for much of the early portion before mechanical issues took Blakely out of contention. Casey Munn (#8) had a strong run finishing second, while Johnathan Dickson (#3) gave it all he had trying to get the championship, but finished third, just shy of the title. Jacob Smith (#29) was fourth, with track champion Adam Plourde (#52) finishing fifth.
Plourde and Kingston took home heat race wins. Plourde by 5 points becomes the inaugural Bomber class champion at Speedway Miramichi. Sixteen cars were in the pits for the Bomber season finale.
In Demolition preliminary action, Mitch Brideau took home the Dash for Cash over a field of forty-eight cars. Sam Jardine (#12) battled hard with Georgia Estey (#85) but Jardine ultimately came out on top. Seventeen cars started the Powder Puff race. Dawson Cripps (#25) would take the victory in both the Back-Up race and the Kidney Race, while Ricky Boudreau (#764) won the Figure 8 race after race leader Amber Sickles (#03A) was caught up in a big wreck in the center of the X. Twenty-seven cars started the Back-Up race, thirty-one started the Kidney race and twenty-two started the Figure 8 race. Thirty-two cars started the Demolition Blowout finale.
This concludes the 2020 season at Speedway Miramichi. We would like to thank all the drivers and fans for an incredible and record-breaking season. Given that just a few months ago the entire season was uncertain, it is truly amazing to have such a great year during a pandemic. Thank you to all who attended, physical distanced, and helped ensure we could keep cars on track.
More season and event wrap up info will be coming soon. Please stay tuned over the off-season for news and announcements on the 2021 season at Speedway Miramichi!
Please note – all results are unofficial at this time
4th Annual Street Stock 100 Results
1. Logan Power #58
2. James Matchett #55
3. Dan Smith #39
4. Bryar Ellis #95
5. Chris Wilson #2W
6. Tristin Harris #7
7. Shawn Hyslop #99
8. Robert Legere #04
9. Justin Cole #38
10. Darcy O’Neill #68
11. Riley Goodwin #77
12. Shane Prestidge #33
13. Jared Tozer #51
14. Jamie Jardine #10
15. Christian Savoie #25
Mini Stock 50 Results
1. JR Lawson #81
2. Mitchell Montgomery #12
3. Mathieu Mallet #80
4. Ricky Millar #17
5. Ryan McKnight #46
6. Mitchell Poirier #28
7. Maggie Suttie #41
8. Daniel Atyeo #15
9. Jeff Rose #01
10. Conrad Murphy #89
11. Calvin McLeod #00
12. Chantel Ackles #30
13. Justin Davies #16
14. Tom Ackles #130
15. Tyler Lannan-McLeod #24
16. Randy Titus #75
17. Grayson Dutcher #55
DNS - Rob Poirier #0
Atlantic Modified Tour Keswick Kitchen Season Finale Results
1. Yves McCray #58
2. Kim Hallihan #97
3. Brandon Skidmore #84
4. Joe Hoyt #17
5. Braxton Stafford #91
6. Steven Curtis #12
7. Travis Conroy #7
8. Zean Dutcher #55
Bomber 30 Results
1. Mark Kingston #97
2. Casey Munn #8
3. Johnathan Dickson #3
4. Jacob Smith #29
5. Adam Plourde #52
6. Blake Bransfield #60
7. Riley Harris #1
8. Ben Jardine #76
9. Kevin Cowan #2
10. Dawson Cripps #25
11. Justin Munn #88
12. Timmy Blakely #69
13. Mike Burns #28
14. Drake Nowlan #84
15. Jordan Campbell #68
DNS – Kevin Tucker #87
Demolition Blowout Top 3
1. Jean-Francois Basque #99
2. Gabriel McGraw #55
3. Mitch Brideau #22
Dash for Cash – Mitch Brideau #22
Powder Puff – Sam Jardine #12
Back-Up Race – Dawson Cripps #25
Kidney Race – Dawson Cripps #25
Figure 8 Race – Ricky Boudreau #764