In the Super Sportsman Divisions Craig Ward, a realtive newcomer to the CENTRE had lead most of the season but long time CFS veteran Luc Bourgeois had wittled away at Wards lead bringing it to just a one point margin heading into the final event. Ward would start ahead of Bourgeois in the first heat as dictated by the scoring algorithm for weekly events but anything can happen in Stock Car racing and before the first lap was completed on the first heat in the class Craig Ward found himself in a deficit position that he would battle all day to try to overcome. On the first lap of the first race in his division Ward made contact with the 50 of Jim Duke sending him into a spin and forcing Ward, of Riverview, to take up position at the back of the pack. Ward gained back several positions in the heat and then made another gain in the semi and feature but at the end of the day would end up 2 points shy of Bourgeois who raced flawlessly throughout the event and was crowned the winner of the Championship after finishing second to Ronnie Lane, of River Glade, who was once again unstoppable in his charge to the front. Bourgeois, from Memramcook, was second on the day and class Rookie of the Year - Matt Rodgers of Smithtown was 3rd. Bert Cormier (#3) of Bouctouche was 3rd in the points in the Super Sportsman Division racing the final 3 events with nothing more than a Street Stock motor.
In Sportsman action several competitors were within 5 points of leader Don Marcoux going into the final event. Marcoux kept a steady hand throughout the event and his equipment worked flawlessly while heating and mechanical problems plagued both Tim Layton and Tyler Rossiter, both of Hillsbourough, leaving only Dougie MacEwen of Charlottetown with a chance to overtake Marcoux. Despite MacEwens top 3 finishes in each of the heat and semi including a win in the feature Marcoux simply raced to strong for MacEwen to gain enough ground to overcome the start of the days 5 point deficit and ended second in the points followed by Rossiter. MacEwen won the Feature while Rossiter won the semi and Marcoux won the heat.
In the Minis Martin Landry of Grand Barachois "ran away" with the championship despit close competition from Mike Edwards of Sussex after arriving at the speedway later in the season. On the day, Edwards won the heat and the feature while Denis P LeBlanc of Bouctouche picked up his first win of the year in the semi. Landry "minded his knitting" and took first in the points followed by Edwards and Julien LeBlanc of Haute Aboujagane. Landry finsihed second in the feature to Edwards and Julien LeBlanc was third.
Finally in the Four Fun Division Scott Bourque #69 of Cap Pele took home the championship followed by Phil Coombs #15 of Shediac Bridge and Serge Robichaud and his #63 of Saint Charles. Meanwhile Gerald Brun returned to the speedway in Eldon Campbells #17 to win the feature followed by the #7 of Justin MacDonald of Springhill and the 15 of Coombes. Robichaud won the heat and class Rookie of the year Adam Rodgers of Smithtown won the semi.
This was the final event of the weekly racing series at the speedway. The speedway will now begin preparations for it's Atlantic Speed Weeks series of event which run from Sept 18th to Oct 16th and include a Tuner and Street Rod event of Sept 18th, Championships Speed Weekend (for Stock Cars from through Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and Maine) on Oct 2nd and 3rd, and the final event of the season - The Atlantic MONSTER Nationals and Demo Championships on Oct 16th.
Tim Wile
General Manager
CENTRE for Speed
506 388-2415
www.centreforspeed.com
