P.E.I. racer wins championship after more than a decade
- reegmacaulay
- Sep 14, 2023
- 4 min read
September 14, 2023
Tyler Gauthier recently won Oyster Bed Speedway’s street stock championship after a 10-year hiatus in that class. (Reegan MacAulay)
Tyler Gauthier was taking a year off from racing in 2022 when fellow driver Randy Snow asked him to fill in at the local Oyster Bed Speedway one night.
It was a street-stock race, which Gauthier hadn’t run since 2012. He had raced plenty of other cars in recent years, but not the street-stock.
“Maybe I enjoy street-stocks more. I’d like to get back in one,” he thought.
He accomplished the goal of bringing the car home in a clean state and having fun.
Gauthier spent the rest of the summer assisting Snow and his car. In September, after Hurricane Fiona, he chatted with his fiancé Sarah Jay.
“We were sitting in our home in the dark for 18 days with no electricity, so we couldn’t open shop. We were talking racing and killing time, and on Facebook, we just happened to notice this car was for sale. Sarah told me it won the Piston Cup (a yearly 100-lap race at Oyster Bed Speedway) a while ago, so if we get a chance to buy the car, we’re going to buy it.”
The car was in New Brunswick, so while Sarah “babysat” their generator, Gauthier and some of his racing friends went over to look. They liked what they saw.
“We ended up coming home with it. There was still no electricity, so we worked on it behind the garage (the home of his business, Gauthier’s Auto Repair).”
Although the 2022 racing season was over, Gauthier was allowed to test his car at the track to get an idea of what to work on during the winter. Then spring arrived and it was time to prepare for the 2023 season.
“There was a lot of change in the street-stock class since I was last there, so we were just hoping to be competitive, have a few good nights, and run consistent.”
Gauthier hadn’t won Oyster Bed Speedway’s street stock championship since 2010. Back then, his career began with a slow car. He fought through adversity and eventually found a new, faster car and he won third and first-place in points in 2009 and 2010. Two years later, he sold his car.
“I decided maybe it was time to try something different, so Darrell Ford and I built a brand-new modified-class car. We did well with it and won a couple of races.”
For the remainder of the decade and into the early-2020s, Gauthier raced the modified and pro-stock classes, winning multiple races, but never a championship. It seemed like the big glory from years back was gone, until Randy Snow entered the scene.
On Labour Day this year, Gauthier was leading the points heading into the street-stock championship finale.
Sarah Jay fondly remembered that day.
“Tyler and I had made a pack to try and win the championship for my father, who had been suffering from an illness. I was standing atop of the (pit area) hill recording lap after lap in the final race. All I could think was, ‘Keep hitting your marks. Please God don’t let anything mechanical go wrong.’ When I saw the checkered flag (during the final race), I burst into tears.’”
Tyler Gauthier and his team celebrate winning Oyster Bed Speedway’s 2023 Central Engine Services Street Stock Division championship. (Reegan MacAulay)
There were tears, cheers, and screams of joy after the checkered flag, as Gauthier drove his street-stock into victory lane and was officially crowned Oyster Bed Speedway’s 2023 street-stock champion.
It took a while for him and his crew to register how successful the year went.
“It was a pretty long season. As much as we were enjoying it, we couldn’t wait for it to be over when (Colton Ford and I) were close in points.”
Colton Ford, the defending champion of the street-stock class, had nothing but positive things to say about the championship battle with Gauthier.
“I knew when he was coming back to the street-stocks, he would be a car to beat. It was tight, hard racing and neither of us had an advantage all year. We both had to be on the top of our game every weekend, but I wouldn’t want it any other way especially with a friend I’ve raced with for years.”
Colton Ford (pictured, left) and Tyler Gauthier have been friends for over a decade. It all came full circle when the two fought for the 2023 championship. Ford finished second in points, eight behind Gauthier. (Reegan MacAulay)
The championship has made Gauthier look back at his career.
“You’ve got to work hard at something if you want to do good at it. Stuff doesn’t come easy to you in anything. I (and my crew) always put a lot of work into our cars. It showed with certain people in certain situations that some people aren’t what they seem. That’s one part of it... you find who your friends are.”
Jay was proud of her fiancé.
“The championship was something we all needed, especially Tyler. I made sure to be his cheerleader on the bad days and his drive on the good days. I wouldn’t trade any of our years together racing and I’ve truly loved supporting him over the years through all his ups and downs.”
Gauthier’s season is not over yet, as one big local race remains – the Piston Cup, which will be part of Oyster Bed Speedway’s season finale on September 23.
Gauthier has never lifted the coveted trophy of the 100-lap street stock race. A championship and a Piston Cup in the same year would be the icing on the cake for a perfect street stock class return.
“We learned a lot from a recent 50-lap race and it was a great test for us. Didn’t work as well as we would have liked. The big thing will be saving tires, so not go too hard for the first 50 (laps). We’re just gonna have to take it cool and make sure we’ve got a (clean) car at the end.”
UPDATE: Gauthier won the Piston Cup.
Initially, Tyler Gauthier finished second in the Piston Cup race, but a technical inspection on the original winner's car led to Gauthier being given the win. (Reegan MacAulay)
Gauthier’s plans for 2024 are up in the air. He hopes to run a few big races across the Maritimes and help his fiancé return to racing.
Tyler Gauthier finished third in the 2023 street-stock points finale race but had enough points to clinch the championship. (Reegan MacAulay)
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