Photo by Griffin Owen/Petty Raceway
The 2024 stock car oval season in Atlantic Canada begins at Petty International Raceway this Saturday, May 11th. Five unique pavement oval racing divisions will see action in their first championship point races of the year. The excitement gets going with the green flag at the River Glade, New Brunswick oval at 3pm.
The Easy-Kleen Super Late Model Series (SLMS) anchors the day with their first of six races of the season as they compete in the Fog City Auto Spa 150. The Maritime All Star Series (MASS) AutoWorld Late Model Sportsman also races into their 2024 season with the Power Electrical 100. Both touring series will make two stops at Petty International Raceway this season with Saturday being the first for each. The MTN HVAC Street Stocks, Mister Transmission Mini Stocks and Leisure Days RV Bandoleros will play support to the two Touring Series, making it a full card of racing action featuring teams from all three Maritime Provinces.
A slight changing of the guard in two divisions along with some familiar faces looking to hold on to their place on top is the theme going into the season among Petty International Raceway’s house divisions. With Daniel Vandenburg (Lower Onslow, NS) moving up from Bandoleros to Legends and Ryan McKnight (Sussex, NB) transitioning out of the driver’s seat in the Mini Stock division, those two respective classes will not see a repeat champion from 2023. Hudson Ruff (Long Reach, NB) is a two-time Beginner Bandolero champion that will look to take the crown in the Leisure Days RV Bandolero class for more experienced drivers. Michael Cormier (Grand-Barachois, NB) will do double duty on Saturday, racing in the Power Electrical 100 for the MASS AutoWorld Late Model Sportsman while also beginning his MTN HVAC Street Stock title defence.
The two Dylans – Dylan Gosbee (Cornwall, PE) and Dylan Dowe (Bedford, NS) both capped touring division titles at Petty International Raceway in 2023 and will look to defend this Summer. Dylan Gosbee is the reigning Easy-Kleen SLMS champion while Dylan Dowe won the MASS AutoWorld Late Model Series title as a rookie to the Series one year ago. Both Series are expecting healthy fields with representation from all three Maritime Provinces competing in both the Fog City Auto Spa 150 and Power Electrical 100. A preview for the Easy-Kleen SLMS Fog City Auto Spa 150 can be found at SLMS.ca.
One thing is for certain – the long New Brunswick and Maritime winters have drivers itching to get out on track. They all want to strike while the iron is hot but there can only be one winner in each class to start off the season. The action is sure to be intense from flag to flag as the year kicks off in style at Petty International Raceway!
It is one of Petty International Raceway’s longest seasons, which is scheduled to run until the Thanksgiving Day Weekend in October. The next event on Saturday, June 8th, sees two of the Maritimes top touring series return to Petty International Raceway as the East Coast International Pro Stock Tour and Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour visit the high banks. They will be supported by the Mister Transmission Mini Stocks, Leisure Days RV Bandoleros, the Late Model Sportsman and Women on Wheels. For a full schedule of events, fans can visit PettyRaceway.com.
Grandstand admission prices for Saturday’s events are $30 for adults and $15 for youth aged 11 to 18, while children ten years of age and under will be admitted free. Pit admission is $40 and is restricted to those eight years of age and older. An eWaiver is required to enter the pit area. This electronic form can be found at pirl.speedwaiver.com. Pit gates for competitors open at 9am, grandstand gates open for spectators at 1pm with racing getting underway at 3pm. A complete race day format, along with any necessary changes that need to be communicated, can be found on the Petty Raceway social media platforms.
For complete, up-to-date information on Petty International Raceway, please visit PettyRaceway.com, follow us on Twitter (@PettyRaceway_NB) and like us on Facebook (@PettyInternationalRaceway).
About Petty International Raceway:
Petty International Raceway is located on Highway 106, just 40 km west of Moncton, New Brunswick. To learn more about Petty International Raceway, its location, admission, policies, history, and more, please visit www.PettyRaceway.com
Photo by Griffin Owen/Petty Raceway
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