Stock car enthusiasts getting revved up for start of season

Stock car racing enthusiasts are hopeful that 2021 will see races resume at Oyster Bed Speedway after a break in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The speedway has released a schedule for 2021, which is set to start on Victoria Day weekend.

Jeremy MacDonald, a track announcer with Oyster Bed Speedway, said the break gave groups across the Maritimes time to work together on co-ordinating races.

"It's gotten to the point where a lot of these drivers locally want to compete throughout the Maritimes," he said.

"They're putting a lot of money into their cars to become a very highly competitive division. But in the past, if they wanted to go to another track, well, they'd have to miss the local track. So we finally decided to get together and it just really snowballed from there. So there's five tracks, including us, that are kicking off this big street stock event."

MacDonald said it could mean more than 100 new Maritime teams will visit Oyster Bed Speedway this year, which would have a positive impact on the Island economy.

The plan hinges on the Atlantic bubble reopening by May 23. If not, MacDonald said the group will do its best to facilitate races for Island drivers only.

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