$5k-To-Win Sportsman Show This Saturday at Bud’s Speedway

SYDNEY, NS – Bud’s Speedway will welcome teams from across the Maritimes this Saturday evening as Robby’s Towing presents the Sportsman Classic at the Sydney, Nova Scotia track. The race is the third of five on the 2023 racing season and features racing action in all six Bud’s Speedway house divisions. An autograph session will kick off the day at 5:15pm with the green flag scheduled for 6pm on Saturday, August 5th.

The Robby’s Towing Sportsman Classic has attracted teams from across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to compete for the over $20,000 purse with $5,000 going to the winner of the race. It will be a test of man and machine as 150-laps are on tap for the Late Model Sportsman division. With several off Island teams coming to Cape Breton for the event, the Robby’s Towing Sportsman Classic serves as an unofficial Battle of the Causeway when the green flag flies on Saturday.

Leading the local charge includes Sydney drivers Chris Reid, Ronnie MacKay, Ken Magliaro, Jerome Kehoe and Shawn Waterfield, Main-a-Dieu’s Darren Price and Blackett’s Lake’s Kody Quinn, who is making his Late Model Sportsman debut driving for Belinda and Jerry Hayes. In the only Robby’s Towing Sportsman race of the season so far, Reid took home the victory over MacKay and Price at the 2023 Season Opener in early May.

Multi-time Bud’s Speedway race winner Brady Creamer (Miramichi, NB) leads the pack of cars coming from the mainland to run for their share of the $20,000 purse. Caleb Urquhart (Harvey, NB) will make his first trip to Nova Scotia to race with the Late Model Sportsman class at Sydney. JP Arsenault (Clare, NS) and Steve MacPhee (Yarmouth, NS) will make the haul up from the far end of the Province to compete this weekend in Sydney, and they may be joined by another Lake Doucette Motor Speedway driver in their quest to Cape Breton Island. Scotia Speedworld regulars Alex Johnson (Enfield, NS) and rookie Nic Baker (Middle Sackville, NS) will be looking to score big in their first Late Model starts on Grand Lake Road.

Prince Edward Island’s only Late Model Sportsman team is also making the haul to Sydney as Brandon Albert (Summerside, PE) will aim for the top prize when the checkered flag falls on Saturday.

In total, over $20,000 is available to Late Model Sportsman teams in the purse for the Robby’s Towing Sportsman Classic. Special thanks to MacDougall’s Contracting & Plowing, Kyle’s Paving and Celtic Air Services for helping to boost Saturday’s Sportsman purse. A full purse breakdown, as it is updated, is available on the race track’s Facebook page at @BudsSpeedway. Several teams have also expressed interest in coming to the event but could not confirm their attendance as of press time. The entry list below is subject to change without notice. 

EXPECTED ENTRY LIST – $5,000 TO WIN ROBBY’S TOWING SPORTSMAN CLASSIC

#0 JP Arsenault – Clare, NS
#6 Kody Quinn – Blackett’s Lake, NS
#8 Chris Reid – Sydney, NS
#10 Brady Creamer – Miramichi, NB
#11 Caleb Urquhart – Harvey, NB
#14 Alex Johnson – Enfield, NS
#23 Shawn Waterfield – Sydney, NS
#29 Darren Price – Main-a-dieu, NS
#37 Brandon Albert – Summerside, PE
#42 Ronnie MacKay – Sydney, NS
#53 Steve MacPhee – Yarmouth, NS
#82 Kenny Magliaro – Sydney, NS
#88 Nic Baker – Middle Sackville, NS
 #98 Jerome Kehoe – Sydney, NS

While the hype is around the Robby’s Towing Late Model Sportsman division this weekend, there is a full slate of racing in five other divisions as they continue their championship chases in 2023. The Street Stocks, NAPA Auto Parts Mini Stock, GWL Trucking & Landscaping Bandolero, Saf-way Auto Parts V6 Thunder and Mallard Electric Hobby Stock divisions will also compete for the checkered flag throughout Saturday afternoon’s packed card.

Dennis Nickerson (Marshy Hope, NS) leads the way in Street Stocks after his Opening Day win in May and a podium finish in June. Chris Reid is second in the standings but will have Jerome Kehoe at the wheel of the red No.8 Robby’s Towing Chevrolet while Chris focuses on the Late Model Sportsman car. Reid is nine points out of Nickerson for the point lead, but only two points ahead of long time Bud’s Speedway Street Stock competitor Colton Beaver (Sydney, NS). John Biron (Sydney, NS) and Sam Burke (Glace Bay, NS) complete the top five in Street Stock points after two races.

Kody Quinn has virtually been unstoppable in the NAPA Auto Parts Mini Stock division this season. Quinn leads the championship standings heading into Saturday’s 35-lap feature for the class. Quinn’s lead is only 10 points on Chris Drover (Lower Sackville, NS), who was poised to end Quinn’s streak last time out but fell short of crossing the finish line first. Dyllan Farrell (Sydney, NS) has had a solid start to his season and finds himself just a single point out of Drover after two races. Jonathan MacInnis (Louisbourg, NS) is fourth in the standings entering Saturday’s race with Adam Aker (Sydney Mines, NS) fifth of 16 drivers that have taken to the track so far in 2023.

Brennan MacInnis (Glace Bay, NS) has been perfect so far this year in the Saf-way Auto Parts V6 Thunder division. It hasn’t been without challenges, but MacInnis has won both heats and features he has competed in so far this season. His lead is a comfortable but not safe 14 points over Brad Mugridge (Sydney, NS) while Gary Williams (Sydney, NS) and rookie Austin Petitpas (Westville, NS) are tied for third, just three points off the pace of Mugridge with three races to go. Austin Rudderham (Glace Bay, NS) is fifth in the standings. Thirteen drivers have raced so far this season with the Saf-way Auto Parts V6 Thunder.

The Mallard Electric Hobby Stock class has been competitive from the drop of the green flag in every race. Zach Langille (Sydney, NS) was the winner of the Four Cylinder Showdown in June while veteran Dave Timmons (Inverness, NS) took home the Season Opener back in May. Neither driver had consistency in their other appearance at the track in 2023, which has led to Cory Aker (Sydney Mines, NS) having the championship point lead heading into Saturday evening. Strang Road Racing’s Colin Christiansen (Gardiner Mines, NS) sits second in the No. 41 car, four points out of the lead and five points ahead of Langille. Fan favorite Jesse Rowe (Sydney, NS) and his Ford Tempo are fourth in the championship standings. 

The GWL Trucking and Landscaping Bandolero division has been owned by Landon Pierce (Bridgewater, NS). Pierce leads the championship standings, not only at Bud’s Speedway but also at Oyster Bed Speedway and Scotia Speedworld. Local drivers Brett Biron and Jake Campbell sit second and third in the standings with three events remaining in 2023.

Complete championship standings are available on the Bud’s Speedway website at www.budsspeedway.com/points.

Drivers are reminded they can save time at the gate on Saturday morning by pre-registering their car for the Robby’s Towing Sportsman Classic by heading to BudsSpeedway.com. The new website is also the place to find up to date information for competitors, including rules, a complete race day format and a link to the eWaiver, which must be filled out ahead of entering the pits on Saturday.

A supply drive will also held in support of the Haley Street Adult Services Centre Society. A supply list can be found on the Bud’s Speedway Facebook page. Each donation will receive a chance to win a detail package from 125 Details!

Bud’s Speedway would like to thank event sponsors for the Robby’s Towing Sportsman Classic, including MacDougall’s Contracting & Plowing, 125 Details, Max 98.3 and Kyle’s Paving.

Adult grandstand admission price for the Robby’s Towing Sportsman Classic on Saturday, August 5th is $25 (aged 19 and up), Youth 8 to 18 years of age are $10 each with children aged seven and under admitted to the grandstands free of charge. Pit admission is $35 and is restricted to those 18 years of age and older. Pit gates open at 1pm, grandstand gates open at 4:30pm, an autograph session will be held at 5:15pm with racing beginning at 6pm. Please note, if inclement weather interferes with the Robby’s Towing Sportsman Classic, a rain date has been set aside for Sunday, August 6th at 2pm.

For a full 2023 racing schedule, please visit BudsSpeedway.com.

About Bud’s Speedway:
Opened in 1975, Bud’s Speedway has built a racing tradition on Cape Breton Island over the past four decades. The track is home to a number of stock car racing divisions and is a destination for local touring series and motorsports events. For more information on Bud’s Speedway, find them online on various social media platforms at @BudsSpeedway or visit their website at BudsSpeedway.com.

Source – track communications