It all comes down to this! Saturday September 30th, the checkered flag will wave on an inaugural season that will certainly be talked about for years to come. Round six of the Super Late Model Series will see the best drivers return to Petty International Raceway for the Old Fashion Meat Market 150, with the first series champion being crowned upon completion of 150 dramatic laps. Heading into the final race, Cornwall, PEI’s Dylan Gosbee maintains a 27-point lead over Sherwood, PEI’s Robbie MacEwen.
A stellar twenty-six (26) car entry list is expected for this race, with some of the best drivers in the regions having stated intentions to partake in the season finale. With all three Maritime provinces represented, and some heavy hitters slated to make their SLMS debut, fans are certainly in for an incredible show from start to finish!
Fast Facts
Date: Saturday September 30th, 2023 | Start Time: 2:00pm
Pit Gates Open: 8:30am | Grandstands Open: 12:00pm
Event: Old Fashion Meat Market 150 / Super Late Model Series Round Six
Track: Petty International Raceway
Location: 4045 Route 106 River Glade, New Brunswick, Canada
Track Size: 1/4 Mile | Race Distance: 150 Laps
Support Classes: Sportsman 100, Street Stock 50, Legends, Mini Stock
Race Day Tickets: Purchased at the Petty International Raceway ticket booth at the track, CASH ONLY!
Past SLMS Winners at Petty International Raceway: Cory Hall #83
SUPER SIX Super Late Model Series Storylines
Dylan Gosbee Closing on Biggest Career Achievement
Prince Edward Island produces top notch Maritime racing talent. A long list of the regions best hail from the island - however, only once has a regional Super Late Model championship travelled across the Northumberland Strait. Dave Gorveatt’s 1997 MASCAR championship remains the only PEI title - so far!
Dylan Gosbee (#16) is on the verge of re-writing the history books and adding his name alongside Gorveatt in Maritime racing greatness. Gosbee will enter the Old Fashion Meat Market 150 with a twenty-seven (27) point advantage over second place. This equates to approximately fourteen positions on track during the feature event - but both heats and features tally points towards the championship.
In fact, it has been heat race performances that have helped vault Gosbee to the top. He has won four (4) out of five (5) possible heat races to date. This coupled with a feature win during the Universal Truck and Trailer 150 at Oyster Bed Speedway and second, third, and fourth place feature finishes have made Gosbee Mr. Consistency in 2023. His worst finish still was a top ten - notching a ninth place run during round five.
Regardless of heat race finish, Gosbee can clinch the championship with a finish of ninth (9th) or better in the Old Fashion Meat Market 150, with points obtained during the heat race making that path to victory a few positions easier. It will not be over until the checkered flag drops though, and there will certainly be some tense moments throughout the race. Even should a dramatic twist of fate send ripples through the field, Prince Edward Island still will have a very strong chance to take the championship.
Nothing to Lose for Robbie MacEwen
In what fans have described as history repeating itself - dating back to Oyster Bed Speedway Modified battles of over a decade ago - Gosbee sees fellow PEI standout Robbie MacEwen (#40) in his tracks for the championship. MacEwen has the best shot of anyone to dethrone the 16 team in a come-from-behind upset, with MacEwen holding a sixteen (16) point advantage back to third overall.
MacEwen will enter the Old Fashion Meat Market 150 with nothing to lose, and everything to gain. It’s been a frustrating season for MacEwen - as strange as that is to say of a team who sits second in points. Much like Gosbee, MacEwen has been consistent all season long. But unlike Gosbee, MacEwen has not had race winning speed. Every week, MacEwen has run between fourth and sixth - with only one eighth place finish deviating from this stat. While many would be thrilled with these results, not claiming a single trophy all season has kept the MacEwen Motorsports team digging and wanting to gain just a little bit more.
Petty International Raceway is a track MacEwen has picked up podiums before - but never a feature victory. There would be no better time than now for that to change - entering with nothing to lose and everything to gain, fans will undoubtedly want to keep an eye on the #40 car all race long.
Cory Hall Looking for Historic Sweep, While Ryan Messer Has Unfinished Business
Sixteen (16) points behind MacEwen, and forty-three (43) markers behind Dylan Gosbee sits a tight battle for third between two of New Brunswick’s best - who are set to battle PEI, and each other.
Ryan Messer (#1) has a four (4) point advantage over Cory Hall (#83) for third in points. Each driver has had a strong season, with just one bad race leaving them in a hole behind the leader. For Messer, that race was at Petty International Raceway in July. Earning the EIT Race Radios Pole, Messer was fast but got sent to the back after an early spin. En route back to the front, Messer was collected in a wreck not of his doing, ending his night. The inaugural SLMS winner has picked up three podiums this year - including a pair of back-to-back third place heading into the finale and carries momentum into the final race as he strives to improve his third-place points position.
Cory Hall is the most recent SLMS winner - a win which made him the first two-time winner in series history after he struck gold during the first Petty race. He fended off a hard charging Dylan Gosbee that night and will return ready to do it again. He has climbed the standings significantly after spending a period of the summer outside the top ten and wants to finish the year strong!
Each of these drivers are still mathematically eligible for the championship - but it’s a bit of a long shot and would require some tough luck for the top two. They will have their own battle between each other as they duel for third place overall in points - and maybe even higher.
Dustin Tucker Riding a Wave of Momentum Into Season Finale
A driver who has been posting strong results in the second half of the season after a dismal start to the season has been none other than Dustin Tucker (#52). Tucker was mired deep - well outside the top twenty in points - after back-to-back finishes of 20th or worst in the first two races. Petty International Raceway served as a turning point of the season - his average finish improved from 23rd at the start of the season, to 7th since round three at Petty. Not to mention he posted a top five in Speedway 660’s Pro Stock 250 a few weeks ago.
Petty International Raceway was the site of a pivotal momentum swing for Dustin, can it be the site of a statement performance to wrap up 2023?
Three Rising Stars Ready to Settle Castrol Rookie of the Year Battle
Three drivers. Seventeen points. It’s been a back and forth battle all year long for the Castrol Rookie of the Year, and now it’s the closest it’s been yet heading into the Old Fashion Meat Market 150. And for the first time, it’s Hudson Weston (#43) on top of the standings.
Weston was snake bitten to start the season, but now has reeled off back-to-back top ten finishes to take over the top spot. Weston was trending towards a top five result last race at Petty before breaking late. He has a mere ten-point cushion over Kenny MacKenzie Jr (#85), who was top rookie for much of the season. Motor issues recently have marred his season, but they are not giving up as he races into his home track.
Trailing Weston and MacKenzie is Ryan Raynes (#94), but Raynes is very much in striking distance being just seventeen points behind Weston. Seventeen points between three drivers is going to be a tight race, and Raynes was actually the top rookie in the lone stop at Petty International Raceway this season.
Weston, MacKenzie, and Raynes - it’s anyone’s race for the Castrol Rookie of the Year!
Old Fashion Meat Market 150 To Be Mike Stevens Memorial Appetizer
After a year of trials and tribulations thanks to mother nature, the 2023 season will wrap up in memorable fashion at Petty International Raceway. With the first Super Late Model Series champion being crowned Saturday during the Old Fashion Meat Market 150, it will lead into the prestigious 10th Annual Mike Stevens Memorial 254 just one week later. With the Mike Stevens Memorial paying $20,000 to win, several competitors have decided to enter the Old Fashion Meat Market 150 in preparation for the big race.
Chris Hughes (#32) has two top tens this year in a part-time SLMS effort - including one at Petty in July - and he will be among the part-time entries. He will be joined by fellow PEI competitor Tanton Wooldridge (#28), who was en route to a top ten effort in his lone start until breaking in the final ten laps. John Rankin (#9) will attempt to make a SLMS start too - Rankin was in attendance for round five at Speedway 660 but had a rough day and was unable to start the feature.
Making his SLMS debut - driving the Mike Stevens Memorial #4 car - will be two-time IWK 250 champion and former River Glade International champion Kent Vincent (#4). Vincent is a popular and well-respected veteran, and his presence will greatly add excitement to this race.
Another SLMS debut will be made by another big name. Three-time Maritime Pro Stock Tour winner in 2023 and runner-up in points, Jarrett Butcher (#54) will make his first appearance in Super Late Model Series competition. Hailing from Nova Scotia, fans will be excited to see this rising star battle against the Super Late Model Series’ best.
Stay Up To Date!
As raceday nears, fans are encouraged to stay tuned to social media for breaking news as it happens! Super Late Model Series can be found on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter at @SLMSeries. Also be sure to check out our official website at SLMS.ca.
For more information on the Old Fashion Meat Market 150, check out Petty International Raceway on Facebook, and online at pettyraceway.com
Old Fashion Meat Market 150 Entry List
Old Fashion Meat Market 150 Event Format
-Super Late Model Series Release
-Photo credit: Mike Francis/Super Late Model Series
