Centre for Speed: Doubleheader weekend report - July 4 5, 2008

RIVERVIEW, N.B. JULY 7, 2008 - CENTRE for Speed staff and teams pulled off ambitious double header this past weekend and gained back some ground lost to the weatherman, earlier this season. Two previously rained out events were run including the first Maritime Super Series for Sportsman and the first Days of Destruction Series events. Both saw the largest car counts for their respective premieres in three years with more than 70 teams competing.

On Saturday, it was a night of smoke and mayhem as the first Day of Destruction this season got underway. The night featured several "crash and bang" events. Tommy Fitzgerald of PEI started and finished the night in winning fashion taking top honours in the Blind Reverse Race and Demolition while local competitors Mathieu Gallant took the checkered in the Full Contact Race and Chris Marcoux won the Soap Box Derby. In the Smoke Show competition it was Remi "Red Fisher"Gaudet who put on the best show including a disappearing act in his own tire smoke and blowing both tires off his ¼ Ton truck before he was done.

On Sunday the Maritime Super Series for Sportsman 100 saw 18 of the best competitors from the region compete. Fans were treated to some great racing including several lead changes throughout the event. When it was all over, Saint John's, Calvin Rankin and his #45 Rankin Racing Team emerged victorious. CFS's Mike Power Jr. challenged Rankin for the lead during the later stages but Rankin him off to the checkered flag. Defending Series Champ, Wayne Wormel finished off the top three. Claude Gaudet and Yves McRay each won qualifying heats.

In other racing on Sunday Don Marcoux of Saint Louis won the ThunderCat Heat and Feature followed by Eldon Campbell of Moncton and Phil Coombes of Shediac Bridge while Campbell took the Semi. Marc Sherwood of Dieppe won the Street Stock Heat and Gerard Doiron of Haute Aboujagane won the 50 lap Feature followed by Gary Stewart of PEI and Marc Sherwood. Daniel Gautreau of Shediac was victorious in the TigerCats Heat and Semi while Gerald Brun of Irishtown took the feature followed by Gautreau and his brother Pierre Gautreau in third.

Racing returns to it's regularly scheduled Saturdays this weekend with the "Sun Chips Race to End Cancer". The event will feature a Maritime Super Series for Sportsman race with $2 from every ticket sold going to the Greater Moncton Hospitals to assist in their fight against cancer. Following the races on Saturday, the speedway will host a "Super Smoke Show" beginning at 10 PM. All proceeds from the Super Smoke Show will go to the creation of Metro Moncton's new Drag Racing facility at the speedway.

From Tim Wile / Centre for Speed