Maritime Auto Glass
Beginner Bandolero

Heat Race 1:99 92 44 12 63 47-1 43-1 17-1 10-3

Bristol Matthews (Nine Mile River) captured one more for the road as she took home the opening feature contest on the Halifax 300. Matthews scored her fifth feature triumph at her home track in 2023 with the Maritime Auto Glass Beginner victory on Saturday.

Matthews was challenged throughout by Emma MacMillan (Maitland), who snapped her streak of third place feature finishes with a second place finish. Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year Ryder Smith (Wellington) captured his best finish of 2023 with a third place finish, racing by Irelyn Rose (Halifax) late in the race to take fourth. Andrew O’Connor (Charlottetown, PE) made the long haul from Prince Edward Island to finish fifth in the nine car field.

The final caution was thrown with two laps to go after McKenna Little (Williamswood) and Shelby Chisholm (Antigonish) crashed into the front straight wall as they battled for third. Both drivers emerged okay from their cars but the crash finished their Speedworld season two laps shy of the finish.

Not only did Matthews win the feature, she won the heat and the 2023 Maritime Auto Glass Beginner championship for the season.

Maritime Auto Glass
Bandolero Outlaw

No Heat Races

For the first time in track history, the Maritime Auto Glass Bandoleros competed in a 50-lap feature. In the end, it was Landon Pierce (Bridgewater) taking home the win – but he had a little help.

With Pierce at a hockey referee camp in the morning, Dawson Noble (Upper Nine Mile River) took over the No 19 for the first half of the 50-lap feature. Noble wasted little time getting to the front, starting fifth and passing Brett Pashkoski (Beaver Bank) for the lead by the end of four laps. Noble had the lead at halfway, when he was able to hand the car back over to Pierce for the second 25-lap stanza. While a trio of cautions slowed the first ten laps of the second half and a revolving door of drivers took the second place spot, it was Pierce who was solid up front throughout for the victory.

Samantha MacDonald (Dartmouth), in her final Bandolero start at Scotia Speedworld, was second while Hailey Bland (Lakeview) rebounded on the final run to the finish to capture third. Ethan Hicken (New Glasgow) was fourth with Bella Pashkoski (Beaver Bank) in fifth.

Both Daniel Vandenburg (Lower Onslow) and Brett Pashkoski spent time up front but mechanical problems sidelined both prior to the finish. Vandenburg captured the 2023 Maritime Auto Glass Bandolero championship while Lily Whynot (Dartmouth) took home the Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year Award.

Toursec Mini Stock

Heat Race 1: 84 8 45 98 58 87 13

Heat Race 2: 11 92 06 80 38 33 17

Heat Race 3: 99 47 34 20 68 05

Steve Matthews (Fall River) added another major race win to his Mini Stock racing resume with the win in the inaugural Halifax 300.

Matthews lined up on the final restart with 20 laps to go in fourth behind Dave Matthews (Nine Mile River), 2023 Champion Ross Moore (Lake Egmont) and Aaron Boutilier (Porters Lake). Steve used the outside line to dispatch of Boutilier and Moore quickly and then put on a show with the multi-time Toursec Thunder champion. The two raced door to door for almost ten laps with the final move coming to the white flag when Steve put the dayglo No. 98 to the inside of the Mystery Machine. Boutilier was third in the No. 8 car, giving the team four consecutive podium finishes since Boutilier took the wheel for Kyle Sinton (Truro) in August. Boutilier’s SS Motor Sports teammates in Moore and Chad Sinton (Truro) completed the top five in the 20 car field.

The Toursec 50 took 21 minutes to complete. Heat wins were captured by Moore, Sinton and Dave Matthews.
Justin Thompson (Brookfield) was the 2023 Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year.

Strictly Hydraulics
& Industrial Supply Legends

Heat Race 1: 25 24 20 18 81 19 73 14 46

Heat Race 2: 8 07 13 94 71 17 27 32 87x

As has been the case most of the season, the Halifax 300 feature for the Strictly Hydraulics Legends came down to Gage Gilby (Enfield) and Ayden Christensen (Windsor Junction). In the end, it was Gilby sealing his championship run in 2023 with a final checkered flag.

While six cautions slowed the field in the first 26 laps of the race, the final 24 laps ran without a stoppage and the field was left to watch the battle between two of the best all season long in Halifax. While Gilby held court throughout the run, lapped traffic would close Christensen in to a couple car lengths from the No. 25 but wasn’t able to make the final run to steal the win from the 2023 track champion. Christensen, who captured the Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year Award, was second. Dawson Noble (Upper Nine Mile River), Nate Singer (Kennetcook) and Kelsey Hann (New Glasgow), completed the top five. For Singer and Hann, it was their best finishes of the season at Scotia Speedworld.

The Strictly Hydraulics Legends feature saw six cautions and took 32 minutes to complete.

Gilby and Noble captured heat race wins.

Bay Equipment Rentals
Sportsman

Heat Race 1: 14 3 1 88 92 62 85 99
Heat Race 2: 94 25 18 51 27 47 2
Heat Race 3: 08 31 44 96 66 56 10x

Smith Brothers Racing ended the Halifax 300 on a high note with the Smith Brothers finishing one and two in the 136-lap Bay Equipment Rentals Sportsman finale!

Russell Smith Jr (Lakeside) completed the sweep of extended distance races at the Speedworld by adding the Halifax 300 alongside the Superior Foundations 100 he was able to win in August. To win it though, he had to battle his younger brother Deven (Lakeside) and a field of 20 others. Russell took the advantage on Lap 76, two laps after a restart and held the lead from there to the checkers. The final 51 laps of the race went caution free to the finish, leaving the top seven cars on the lead lap at the checkered flag on Lap 136. Deven Smith was second with Alex Johnson (Enfield) coming home in third. Johnson receives service on his car from Smith Brothers Racing, making it a sweep of the podium in the big show for the Lakeside based team. Colton Noble (Upper Nine Mile River) was fourth in a relief role for Pete Miller, who aggravated a back injury prior to the event. Matt Vaughan (Lantz) returned to his home track and had a solid fifth place finish in his first Sportsman start of 2023.

The Bay Equipment Rentals Sportsman feature saw five yellow flags, including the halfway break, and took one hour, 10 minutes to complete.

Johnson, Deven Smith and Vaughan captured heat race wins.

Jesse Deveau (Harmony) looked poised for a top ten run and was within the top five early in the event but a rear end issue ended his race on Lap 100. Deveau is the 2023 Bay Equipment Rentals Late Model Sportsman Champion in just his second year of Late Model racing at the track. Another fellow Toursec Thunder graduate in Nic Baker (Middle Sackville) captured the Tim Hortons at the Airport Rookie of the Year Award in the Sportsman division.