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FANFEST Returns!

It is one of our favorite times of year as Fanfest makes a return to Scotia Speedworld!

This night is our version of a Fan Appreciation Night, where we have reduced admission (which is F-R-E-E FREE with a ticket from a participating sponsor location), an autograph session and some of the best racing in the Maritimes. We are the only weekly operating oval track in the region and we have a great roster of racers in each of our five divisions along with several visiting cars. Much like Kiddie Rides, which will follow next Friday night, several teams have autograph cards, treats and snacks for the fans during the pre-race on track session, so best get to the track around 6:45pm or so if you want to take part in the 20 minute autograph session.

The racing has been intense in all classes and, for some, over the top on the excitement level. It has been a competitive season though. In fact, only McKenna Little has won multiple features during the CARSTAR Weekly Racing Series this year and Gage Gilby has won a Strictly Hydraulics Legend feature to go with his MacDonald Automotive 50 win with the Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour.

The Maritime Auto Glass Bandoleros return this week. The turn-key, spec race cars from US Legend Cars International will contest their third race of 2023. Brett Pashkoski has led the most laps but has yet to seal the deal on his first win of the year. Samantha MacDonald and Daniel Vandenburg each own a victory this season in the class for the experienced drivers aged eight to 16 years.

The Maritime Auto Glass Beginner Bandoleros, the division for drivers typically in their first or second year of racing, has seen Little pick up two wins while Hudson Ruff of Long Reach, New Brunswick owns the other. Bristol Matthews has challenged for wins and it will not be long before the No. 99 gets one of her own. Irelyn Rose continues to improve and will be looking for that first win soon. A special tip of the cap to our Prince Edward Island friends who have made the haul over, including the O’Connor family, Andrew and Julia, Wyatt Peters and Hudson Linzel-Waddell. They are ramping up their racing program at home starting this weekend, we wish them all the best and hope to see them back in Halifax later this Summer.

Three winners in three races for the Toursec Mini Stocks, the four cylinder division comprised of mostly domestic cars that formerly ran the roads of Nova Scotia and beyond. Dave Matthews kicked off the Summer with a win and while he has since shifted focus to helping his daughter Bristol in the Maritime Auto Glass Beginner Bandoleros, his void has been filled by several hungry drivers. Steven Matthews won the High Winds on the Hill 50 with Travis Keefe returning to victory lane last weekend at the Speedworld. With car counts averaging 20 cars in this class and the competition close, we could easily see a fourth different winner this Friday in front of the Fanfest crowd.

The Strictly Hydraulics Legends have been that melting pot of veteran talent and rising stars coming together to make an excellent, edge-of-your-seat show. Gage Gilby, the 2023 INEX Winter Nationals Young Lion Champion, is the most recent winner in the class after Josh Langille and Cory Hall began the CARSTAR Weekly Racing Series with victories. The spec race cars, which are smaller scale replicas of those cars that took to the blacktop and dirt in the 1930s and 1940s, have put on some great races and they will look for a fourth different feature winner in as many races on Friday.

The big boys of Scotia Speedworld, the Bay Equipment Rentals Late Model Sportsman, will see a 38-lap feature to close off Friday’s show. Dylan Dowe and Alex Johnson have seen the checkered flag first in the first two shows of 2023 and with several teams coming in to use this race as a test session for Saturday’s Maritime All Stars Series Auto World Late Model Sportsman race, we could see a new name in victory lane on Friday evening.

It has been a while since we’ve seen this many different winners in three events with several others kicking at the door to get a checkered flag. It is shaping up to be a season that we won’t soon forget – so my suggestion is come on out to the track, get there early to meet your favorite driver, then settle in for a big night of racing presented by CARSTAR Collision and Glass!

Until then, keep the hammer down and we’ll see you at the track!