HILLSDALE, ON- Riding a steak of top-10 finishes in weekly competition at Sunset Speedway, Thayne Hallyburton will take his program on the road this weekend, as he has filed entry for Peterborough Speedway’s ‘Chase for the Colours 75’ on June 29th.
With a front row starting spot at October’s Autumn Colours Classic hanging in the balance, Hallyburton is careful not to mince words when asked how valuable this weekend’s event is.
“The chase is huge. It’s incredibly important – for a couple different reasons. This race is going to give us a chance to race alongside some top tier competition that we don’t get to see on a regular basis, as well as allow us the opportunity to work on our long-run program”
“Plus, there isn’t a driver in the province that wouldn’t give their right arm for a front row spot at ‘the Colours’ in October”
‘The Hillsdale Hurricane’ is eager to experiment with his newly acquired Port City Race Cars chassis’ setup, as June 29th will mark Hallyburton’s debut with the brand new car.
“Peterborough’s track surface can be temperamental at times”, explains Hallyburton. “The track itself doesn’t have a tonne of grip on the topside, so you’ll find yourself rushing to grab some room on the bottom of the racetrack”
“We have a solid baseline setup that we utilized last season with our older car, so that’s likely where we’ll start off in practice and adjust as we see fit”
The 75-lap event – in the heat of mid-afternoon – is likely to give some drivers fits, though Hallyburton maintains a sound strategy is all that’s needed.
“Anytime you take the green in one of these longer races, you have to resist the temptation of running full-out in the first 30 laps”, shrugs the third-year Limited Late Model competitor. “If you take care of your car – especially your tires – it’ll be there for you in the final 20 laps when you really need it. We plan on implementing a tonne of patience, qualifying well and just riding for the first 30”
Though Hallyburton is not a Peterborough regular, the Hillsdale, ON driver is confident his past appearances at the 1/3 mile are indicative of his chances at a solid finish.
“I’m 100% comfortable with our setup for Peterborough. We’ve had some great runs there in the past, in everything from our Mini Stock and Thunder Car to our Limited Late Model, it’s just a place that I’ve always been able to find my way around”
“We’ve always had fast cars there, but we’re well aware this’ll be far from a walk in the park”, continues Hallyburton, “they’ve got a lot of local guys that are incredibly fast, and this event is likely to draw top-tier talent from all over Ontario. But, we feel as though if we have everything in order, we’ll be able to run right alongside the best of them. My team has been able to give me some fantastic pieces all season long, and if I can play my part in taking care of the equipment through the first half of the race, we should be able to contend for a win”
Details for the 75-lap event can be found at www.PeterboroughSpeedway.com
Thayne Hallyburton’s efforts this weekend will be made possible thanks to the support of Hillsdale Service Centre and Thompson Enterprises. Additional sponsorship packages are still available.
To keep up with Thayne as he prepares for the marquee event, follow him on Twitter @THallyburton or visit the brand new Hallyburton Brothers Racing page on Facebook.
-30-
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
Discussion about this post