|
Gillespie
Wins O’Leary
Pontiac
Excitement 150
Forty-five
cars Attempt to Qualify
September
2nd, 2006
Fredericton
,
NB
– Nackawic’s Brian Gillespie ended up in the same place as last year at
this time – in the
Capital City Roofing Victory Lane
. Last season, Gillespie won the O’Leary Pontiac Excitement 150 on
Speedweekend Saturday. This year, Gillespie dominated the final half of the
O’Leary Pontiac Excitement 150 to coast to checkers again in front of
approximately 5,000 fans.
Brian
Gillespie, winner of the O'Leary Pontiac Excitement 150
Photos
Courtesy of Roy's Performance Photography
Forty-five
sportsman made their way to the Geary woods to open the racing portion of
Speedweekend. Only twenty-six ended up on the starting grid after a white
knuckle qualifying session that delighted the fans but eliminated several
quality cars. Gillespie started deep in the field but steadily moved his #69
W&R Gillespie Trucking and Logging Monte Carlo through the field, following
a charging Brian MacNaughton through the field.
MacNaughton
almost became one of those quality non-qualifiers, taking a provisional to make
the starting grid. Starting twenty-fifth, he very quickly demonstrated that even
though he had a rough qualifying session, his ride was dialled in. He began
picking off cars at the back immediately after the green flag and moving up the
pack with Gillespie tailing patiently.
By
lap 60, MacNaughton and his #18 Hitch Center Monte Carlo had reached fourth and
was pressing the third place car of Randy McCoy. Unfortunately, MacNaughton went
on the outside to pass and ended up being shuffled back several spots, providing
Gillespie with the opportunity to pass. At that point, Gillespie set his sights
on McCoy who had moved into second and then leader Bradley Logan, who been in
the lead since lap 20. Shortly after a re-start, Gillespie moved past
Logan
on lap 72 and easily distanced himself from the pack, taking the Brookside
Storage $250 Halfway Challenge and the victory.
Glyn
Nott, second place finisher in the O'Leary Pontiac Excitement 150
Photos
Courtesy of Roy's Performance Photography
Burton
’s Glyn Nott hovered near the front of the pack in his #12 Jardine Auctioneers
Monte Carlo
during the first half of the race and then came on strong in the final 75 laps
to finish second. MacNaughton recovered from being shuffled back to round out
the top three in what has to be considered a successful night for the Lower
Coverdale resident given his starting position.
Brian
MacNaughton, third place finisher in the O'Leary Pontiac Excitement 150
Photos
Courtesy of Roy's Performance Photography
In
the Atlantic Open Wheel (AOW), Mark Price took checkers but was later
disqualified providing Joe Hoyt from nearby Waasis with the victory. Rob Halpin
from
Saint John
placed second and Lloyd Halpin also from
Saint John
took third.
Tomorrow’s
Irving Oil 250 promises to be another great race as there were 40 pro stock cars
signed in for today’s practice time with at least another four rumoured to be
on the way. NASCAR’s Johnny Benson was one of the pro stock drivers who made
use of Saturday’s practice run. The car count is a new high and tomorrow
promises to break the attendance record at NBIS which was set at last season’s
Irving Oil 250. Well over 7,500 people are expected to make their way to the
Geary Woods tomorrow afternoon.
In
addition, Speedweekend continues to grow with over close to 500 campers are
on-site breaking last year’s record and tonight’s sportsman race was
extremely well attended.
Next
Event:
Speedweekend
Sunday,
September 3rd @ 2pm
Qualifying
for the Irving Oil 250, Atlantic Open Wheel feature (35 laps) plus the
Fredericton Hyundai Street Stock 50
Starting
at approximately 7pm
The
Irving Oil 250
Monday,
September 4th @ 2pm
The
Enduro 200
|
The
O’Leary Pontiac
Excitement 150
(Featuring
the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman)
|
|
Finish
|
Start
|
#
|
Driver
|
Hometown
|
|
1
|
21
|
69
|
Brian
Gillespie
|
Nackawic
|
|
2
|
4
|
12
|
Glyn
Nott
|
Burton
|
|
3
|
25
|
18
|
Brian
MacNaughton
|
Lower
Coverdale
|
|
4
|
11
|
1
|
Michael
Banks
|
Lake George
|
|
5
|
9
|
37
|
Bradley
Logan
|
Harvey
Station
|
|
6
|
13
|
61
|
Randy
McCoy
|
Fredericton
|
|
7
|
8
|
33
|
Charlie
Wilkins
|
Fredericton
|
|
8
|
3
|
5
|
Wade
Harris
|
Canal
|
|
9
|
7
|
45
|
Calvin
Rankin
|
Quispmasis
|
|
10
|
20
|
98
|
Gary
Long
|
Doaktown
|
|
11
|
23
|
7
|
Kirk
Jardine
|
Oromocto
|
|
12
|
16
|
11
|
Cal
Hatfield ®
|
Rothesay
,
NB
|
|
13
|
10
|
99
|
Marc
Gautreau
|
Barachois
|
|
14
|
26
|
15
|
Gene
Mersereau
|
Fredericton
Jct
|
|
15
|
24
|
3
|
Doug
Craswell
|
Flatlands
|
|
16
|
19
|
6
|
Terry
Charters
|
Upper
Coverdale
|
|
17
|
17
|
35
|
Gary
McLean
|
Petitcodiac
|
|
18
|
14
|
25
|
Jeremy
Graham
|
Jacksonville
|
|
19
|
6
|
27
|
Richard
Monteith
|
Northampton
|
|
20
|
1
|
52
|
Josh
Jaillet
|
St.
Phillippe
|
|
21
|
15
|
28
|
Wayne
Wormell
|
Napan
|
|
22
|
2
|
9
|
Troy
Slaunwhite
|
Terrance
Bay
, NS
|
|
23
|
5
|
34
|
Randy
Moore
|
Saint John
|
|
24
|
22
|
44
|
George
Jamieson
|
Fredericton
|
|
25
|
18
|
42
|
Steven
Rodgers
|
Smithtown
|
|
26
|
12
|
20
|
Mac
O’Blenis
|
Moncton
|
O’Leary
Pontiac
Excitement 150
Did
Not Qualify
|
|
#
|
Driver
|
Hometown
|
|
00
|
Derrick
Smith
|
Riverglade
|
|
2
|
Kirk
Ryan
|
NS
|
|
13
|
Steven
Potter
|
Moncton
|
|
23
|
Lonnie
Sommerville
|
Saint John
|
|
29
|
Matt
Maillet
|
Burton
|
|
31
|
Freddy
Prosser
|
Shenstone
|
|
40
|
Richard
Atkinson
|
Geary
|
|
41
|
Robert
Lee
|
Fredericton
|
|
48
|
Robert
Miner
|
Fredericton
|
|
53
|
Laurie
Cormier
|
Riverview
|
|
70
|
Dave
Biggar
|
Lake George
|
|
72
|
Michael
Kyle
|
Berwick
|
|
75
|
Don
Shiels
|
Grand
Bay/Westfield
|
|
76
|
Doug
Jagoe
|
Clifton
|
|
80
|
Dan
McNeil ®
|
Douglas
|
|
83
|
Corey
Little®
|
Rowley
,
NB
|
|
88
|
Shawn
Warren
|
Waasis
,
NB
|
|
91
|
Mike
Rodgers
|
Dawson
Settlement
|
|
92
|
Shawn
Turple
|
Enfield
,
NS
|
Atlantic
Open Wheel
(35
laps)
|
|
|
#
|
Driver
|
|
1
|
17
|
J.Hoyt
|
|
2
|
1
|
R.Halping
|
|
3
|
5
|
L.Halpin
|
|
4
|
81
|
J.Weston
|
|
5
|
64
|
J.carnahan
|
|
6
|
6
|
L.Affleck
|
|
7
|
48
|
B.Sherwood
|
|
8
|
7
|
P.Clarke
|
|
9
|
3
|
K.Deveau
|
|
10
|
46
|
T.Hamm
|
|
11
|
8
|
D.Stiles
|
|
12
|
98
|
M.Raeburn
|
|
13
|
10
|
B.Lockhart
|
|
14
|
54
|
D.Matchett
|
|
15
|
14
|
L.Hatfield
|
|
16
|
00
|
D.Burnham
|
|
17
|
33
|
V.McCormick
|
|
18
|
24
|
K.Boyle
|
|
