Track Release
Yves McCray (#58) has visited victory lane many times during his career, but on Saturday night he notched one of his most impressive wins by claiming the inaugural Allstar Auto Center Triple 20’s for the Atlantic Modified Tour! With finishes of first, second, and first in the three segments of the race, McCray would claim the overall victory ahead of Braxton Stafford (#91) by one point, with Stafford taking home finishes of second, first, and second after battling with McCray for much of the night. Doug Matchett (#75) overcame an incident early in the second feature to claim third overall, with Joe Hoyt (#17) and Kim Hallihan (#97) rounding out the top 5.
Chris Wilson (#2W) originally crossed the line first in the heat race, and all three twenty-lap features, earning what would have been an impressive grand slam. However, post race technical inspection saw Wilson disqualified, handing the victory over to McCray.
The triple 20’s format made for a great show with positive reviews. Drivers duelled through three twenty-lap features, with the startling lineup for the second and third features being set by inverting the finishing order of the preceding feature. With drivers like McCray, Stafford, and Wilson having to come from the back, the racing was intense.
Despite the short features and inverted fields, the first 20-lap feature ran caution free, with Kevin Bailey (#4) leading the first 6 laps before Doug Matchett assumed control of the race. The cars and stars of the Atlantic Modified Tour battled hard, but Matchett would relinquish the lead to Wilson with four laps remaining. Given the result of technical inspections, the final lead change of segment one would actually come with 2 laps to go, with McCray nosing ahead of Matchett coming to the popsicle sticks. Stafford would follow through, with McCray, Stafford and Matchett ultimately claiming the top 3 spots.
Following the invert, segment two would get a little dicey. Joe Hoyt would get the early lead, but a multi-car pile-up on the backstretch on the fourth lap changed the game. The incident coming off turn 2 resulted in Doug Matchett spinning with Steven Curtis (#12) and Tristin Harris (#7H) piling in. While all drivers would continue after the initial wreck, the incident impacted the remainder of the race for these drivers. On the restart, Hoyt would continue to lead but Wilson made the on-track pass for the lead on lap 8. In fact, it would be Braxton Stafford clearing Hoyt on the eleventh lap to take the effective lead, which would be the final lead change as Stafford drove to the segment 2 victory over McCray and Hoyt.
The final twenty laps were initially led by Doug Matchett, but an incident between Kevin Bailey and Kim Hallihan drew a yellow flag on lap 3. Yves McCray would jump into the lead on the restart, a lead he would ultimately hold all the way to the checkers. Wilson and McCray would battle side by side for much of this race putting on an incredible display of talent and respect, and a great show for the fans. Wilson did clear McCray, but technical inspection handed the win back to McCray ahead of Stafford and Matchett. Ironically, the finish to the final segment matched the overall event finish despite the twists and turns of the event.
After technical inspection, McCray would also be awarded the win in the 10-lap heat race. Nine Atlantic Modified Tour cars were in attendance for the Allstar Auto Center Triple 20’s.
The win for Yves McCray is his 24th career victory at Speedway Miramichi, extending his advantage over his uncle Ray McCray as the winningest driver in track history. Yves has (based on available records) 19 career Sportsman wins, 4 Atlantic Modified Tour wins, and 1 open-competition win. Given the unique format, this win may be the most impressive and biggest for Yves to date and adds another chapter to his and his family’s legacy at Speedway Miramichi. Yves now has 24 all-time wins, Ray McCray has 23 all-time feature wins, with JR Lawson and Brad MacLean being tied for third with 21 career main event wins apiece.
AMT Allstar Auto Center Triple 20’s Overall Results (Segment finishes noted)
- Yves McCray #58 (1 – 2 – 1)
- Braxton Stafford #91 (2 – 1 – 2)
- Doug Matchett #75 (3 – 5 – 3)
- Joe Hoyt #17 (5 – 3 – 5)
- Kim Hallihan #97 (6 – 4 – 4)
- Tristin Harris #7H (4 – 8 – 6)
- Kevin Bailey #4 (8 – 6 – 7)
- Steven Curtis (7 – 7 – DNS)
DQ – Chris Wilson #2W
Heat Winner – Yves McCray #58
