ORO-STATION, ON- With the memories of an up-and-down 2014 campaign still fresh in their mind, Tyler Hawn’s family-run Hawn Motorsports squad is wasting little time in kick-starting their preparations for the 2015 OSCAAR Super Late Model Tour.
“It’s tough to be displeased with the year that we had on tour,” smiles Hawn. “We definitely had a few mechanical bugs that we could have lived without, but all in all, for our first season in a new car we were happy”
Hawn’s low-budget effort appeared impressive in 9 appearances with the OSCAAR tour last season, rallying 5 top-10 finishes against some of the biggest names in Ontario short track competition.
“When I think about some of the teams were racing against, it’s easy to take a lot of pride in the finishes we put together this season,” says ‘Kodiak’. “The OSCAAR tour has some of the top competition in the province- it’s an awesome measuring stick for any driver”
The 2014 season marked Hawn’s 4th in a Super Late Model, but was only his second piloting a Brian MacDonald-built chassis.
“I can’t say enough about Brian MacDonald. He’s one of the classiest men in the sport and a true genius through and through,” explains the second-generation competitor.
“This car sort of fell in our lap. It’s a chassis that Brian built when he was still based out of North Carolina. Dad and I took a road trip to go and see it and knew right away it was the car for us”
“Working with Brian has been a dream,” continues Hawn. “The knowledge that he brings to our program is priceless. I’ve learned more about shocks after two years with Brian than I would have in a lifetime on my own”
“Our chassis is a Brian MacDonald build that’s very similar to a Lefthander’s front-end geometry. It’s basically a one-off,” explains the former Barrie Speedway regular. “As far as set-up goes, what works for us is completely different from what might work for any other car. It does put us on a bit of an island, but it makes it that much more gratifying when we get things moving in the right direction”
For 2015, Hawn will return to the tour fulltime, alongside a volunteer crew made up on close-friends and family – including Tyler’s legendary father, Don Hawn.
“None of this would exist without my Dad,” says Hawn, his arms panning around the team’s Oro-Station, ON shop. “Without him, I’d have a cottage or a nice beach house in Florida. He’s the reason I come to the track and having him beside me on race day is one of the most rewarding feelings on the planet”
Tyler’s OSCAAR Super Late Model Tour efforts are made possible thanks to the support of Stewart Carries Limited, Fox’s Bakery & Deli, TSS Top Shops, BELT Conveyor Guarding, Backwoods Maple Syrup, Write-it-out-loud.com and Wellington Brewery.
Fans can stay up to date with Tyler and the rest of the team by visiting their Hawn Motorsports page on Facebook or the all new www.HawnMotorsports.ca.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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