All eyes will be on the Geary Woods and Speedway 660 this Canada Day weekend for the biggest, baddest, and richest Street Stock race in the region.
The ⅓ mile oval will play host to the 6th Annual Ricky Bobby Street Stock 150 under the lights on Saturday June 29th. A field pushing 40 entries for the Shur-Fit Automotive, Bumper to Bumper Street Stock division have signaled intent to try and “Git-R’ to the front” over 150 laps of action. Action will start at 6pm with qualifying races to set the field for the main event, with track officials planning a “Last Chance Qualifier” for the first time for any race at Speedway 660 since 2016 based on expected entries - who are preparing to compete for their share of the over $28,000 in purse and prizes on the line.
The Ricky Bobby 150 has grown exponentially over the years. The race was first introduced in 2018 to honor long-time race fan Rick Arbeau, also known as “Ricky Bobby.” Ricky Bobby himself was in attendance that night to watch Luc McLaughlin drive into the record books as the winner. Following that race, the racing community lost Ricky Bobby, but his legacy has lived on in the Ricky Bobby 150 which was expanded to a 150-lap affair - the longest distance Street Stock race anywhere - and an event that through the efforts of many, has grown to new heights with purse records being shattered every year.
It is truly a race drivers spend 365 days anticipating while having dreams of pulling into Riverview Ford victory lane. The record car count anticipated for the 2024 edition is a “who’s who” list of Street Stock talent from all across Atlantic Canada and beyond.
Justin Cole (#38) leads the entry list, coming into this weekend as not only the current Speedway 660 points leader, but also both the defending Ricky Bobby 150 winner and track champion. Cole’s win last year was part of a dream season for the #38 team, and he has been off to another stellar start in 2024 with a feature win, a podium finish at every event, and the points lead thus far through four events.
Hot on the heels of a weekly feature win last Saturday, inaugural Ricky Bobby 150 victor Luc McLaughlin (#11) is certainly another pre-race favorite. McLaughlin has been chasing a repeat victory since that night in 2018, and has come close - as close as being on Cole’s bumper coming to the finish one year ago.
If there has been a “big three” in the Shur-Fit Automotive, Bumper to Bumper Street Stock competition, Riley Goodwin (#77) would round out the club alongside McLaughlin and Cole. This trio have won every feature, and Goodwin joins McLaughlin as having three podiums in four races. Of the three, Goodwin is the lone driver without a Ricky Bobby 150 victory - in fact, Goodwin has never crossed the line after 150 laps having posted multiple DNF’s. Being off to the best start to a season in years, is this Goodwin’s opportunity to score the big win?
One driver who has yet to turn a lap at Speedway 660 in Street Stock competition is two-time Ricky Bobby 150 champion Michael Cormier (#68). Cormier is the only two-time winner of the race, earning victories in 2020 and 2022 while coming up one spot short in 2023. Cormier is well recognized for always being a threat to win, and looks to spoil the party in the Geary Woods.
The best of the best from all over have circled this date on their calendars - and for some it’s one of the few bucket list items missing off their resumes. Former Petty International Raceway champions Logan Power (#58) and Kenny MacKenzie Jr (#85) and former Speedway Miramichi champion Brad MacLean (#13) all have their share of big race victories in the province, but a Ricky Bobby 150 win remains elusive.
In several past runnings, the Ricky Bobby 150 has served as an opportunity for a driver to finally break out into the spotlight on a big stage. Kyle MacKinnon (#22) scored a podium finish in 2019, and is another driver with a stellar early season run as he sits third in points. Jimmy Sommerville (#5) has also been competitive thus far in 2024, and finds himself sixth in points. Rick Cashol (#54) is a multi-time track champion looking to add the Ricky Bobby 150 to his resume, while drivers like Karl Schaefer (#00), Ron Enkel (#52), and Jonathan Hanley (#71) all look to use this race as a potential breakout performance of their own.
Not to mention the healthy and competitive crop of rookies competing at Speedway 660. In only a handful of races, these rookies have shown immense improvement and are already challenging for checkered flags. Former Sharp Shooter standouts Daniel Atyeo (#15), Alex Gallant (#45) and Ryan Bernard (#68) have been embracing the step up, while Dan Gillespie (#83) has been finding his groove. All four drivers will have their endurance tested over 150 grueling laps of competition and survival.
Prince Edward Island will be well represented by a six-pack of drivers who will haul across the Confederation Bridge to vye for Ricky Bobby 150 glory. This will be led by Brodie MacQuarrie (#28) and Mitchell Arsenault (#51) - both of whom have been contenders in past Speedway 660 shows. Mike Duskey (#42) is a former big race winner at Oyster Bed Speedway and looks to improve on a 16th place effort one season ago. Drivers Matthew Ford (#86) and Keaton Vessey (#001) will also look to give PEI fans something to cheer for as they make their maiden voyage to the Geary Woods.
Lone representatives from each the province of Nova Scotia and the state of Maine will be among the forty entries. Defending Maritime All Star Street Stock Series champion Dennis Nickerson (#78) has been proving himself as an elite contender across the region, but he has never tackled Speedway 660 - until this weekend. Plenty of eyes will be on Nickerson - who will be driving the car that won the inaugural Ricky Bobby race in 2018 with Luc McLaughlin - with attention also being on Maine standout Bimbo Look (#33) who will make the haul north of the border.
6th Annual Ricky Bobby 150 Entry List
#00 - Karl Schaefer (Woodstock, NB)
#001 - Keaton Vessey (Charlottetown, PEI)
#05 - Brody Levesque (Lincoln, NB)
#5 - Jim Sommerville (Fredericton, NB)
#5 - Scott Habkirk (Petitcodiac, NB)
#11 - Luc McLaughlin (Geary, NB)
#13 - Brad MacLean (Miramichi, NB)
#15 - Daniel Atyeo (Chipman, NB)
#15 - Martin Landry (Scoudouc, NB)
#17 - Shawn Hyslop (St. Stephen, NB)
#22 - Kyle MacKinnon (Fredericton, NB)
#27 - Mark Kingston (Miramichi, NB)
#27 - Joel Leblanc (Shediac, NB)
#28 - Brodie MacQuarrie (Brackley Beach, PEI)
#33 - Bimbo Look (Jonesport, ME)
#38 - Justin Cole (Harvey, NB)
#42 - Mike Duskey (Hampshire, PEI)
#45 - Alex Gallant (Minto, NB)
#46 - Evan Lane (Salisbury, NB)
#51 - Mitchell Arsenault (Summerside, PEI)
#52 - Ron Enkel (Saint John, NB)
#53 - Bill Storey (Stanley, NB)
#54 - Rick Cashol (Saint John, NB)
#58 - Logan Power (Riverview, NB)
#60 - Eric Matthews (Hampton, NB)
#61 - Drew Lewis (Petitcodiac, NB)
#68 - Michael Cormier (Grand Barachois, NB)
#68 - Ryan Bernard (Harvey, NB)
#71 - Jonathan Hanley (St. Stephen, NB)
#77 - Riley Goodwin (Harvey, NB)
#78 - Dennis Nickerson (Marshy Hope, NS)
#81 - Cody Price (Hartfield, NB)
#83 - Dan Gillespie (Harvey, NB)
#85 - Kenny MacKenzie Jr (Salisbury, NB)
#86 - Matthew Ford (Ellerslie, PEI)
#87 - Nick Cudmore (River Glade, NB)
#97 - Shawn Furlong (Upper Blackville, NB)
Entry list subject to change without notice
Past Winners of the Ricky Bobby 150
2018 - Luc McLaughlin #11
2019 - Courtney O’Blenis #63
2020 - Michael Cormier #68
2021 - Event not held
2022 - Michael Cormier #68
2023 - Justin Cole #38
Preceding the 6th Annual Ricky Bobby 150 will be the annual washer toss tournament on Friday night.
Also on the card for the race will be the Re/Max East Coast Elite Realty Pro Stock division and the Changing Hands Thrift Shop Sharp Shooter division who will each contest championship points racing. Both divisions are coming off great races this past weekend and all competitors want to crack into victory lane as part of the prestigious Ricky Bobby event.
Take note of the start time as action begins at 6:00pm on Saturday June 29th with heat racing starting the night off. Grandstands open at 4:00pm while pit gates open at 11:30am. Grandstand tickets are just $25, and as always, kids fifteen (15) years of age and under are admitted free! Pit admission is $35, and please note that pit access is restricted to those aged sixteen (16) years of age and older, except for youth who are direct family members of a driver, who can enter the pits with proper signed waivers. All entrants to the pits must complete the e-waiver prior to entering the pits.
For all up-to-date info from Speedway 660, check us out online at Speedway660.com, or find them on Facebook at “Speedway 660”.
About Speedway 660:
Speedway 660 is one of Canada’s premier stock car racing facilities. Located in New Brunswick’s Fredericton region, it has attracted race teams and fans from the Maritimes, New England and Quebec since 1994. The Speedway 660 racing season runs from mid May until late September. SpeedWeekend, one of the most prestigious short track events in eastern North America, is the marquee event of the Speedway 660 season on Labour Day Weekend.
-Speedway 660 Press Release and Photo
