PETERBOROUGH, ON- Former Autumn Colours Classic winner ‘Handsome’ Chris Mitchell will be one of many drivers making their Flamboro Speedway debut when the ‘Meineke 100’ rolls to the green flag on June 6th. The event will serve as Round 2 of the lauded APC United Late Model Series presented by Grisdale Racing Products and will pit first-timers like Mitchell against Flamboro veterans Shawn Chenoweth, Steve Laking and Dale Shaw.
And though Mitchell may be lacking in track time at Flamboro, the longtime Peterborough Speedway standout is ready for his new venture.
“We registered for this tour with hopes of taking on new challenges and testing ourselves as a team,” says Mitchell, flashing a smile. “Flamboro will certainly give us the ideal opportunity to do both of those things”
With only two practice sessions scheduled for race day, Mitchell is well aware of the compacted time frame his team will have to work with.
“I’m going to have to learn on the fly,” reasons Mitchell. “Because there are a ton of really good drivers on this roster that have a lot of laps around Flamboro”
“I’ve never been to Flamboro. Ever. Our Ltd. Late Model never fit the Flamboro rulebook, and when I was racing Thunder Car I didn’t have a hauler that was reliable enough to make it from Peterborough to Flamboro and back,” says the multi-time Peterborough Speedway winner with a laugh.
And though his team has yet to compete at Flamboro, Mitchell has completed some impromptu recognizance work ahead of June 6th’s event.
“We were coming back from Grisdales just before the season opener at Sunset, and I figured I should stop and have a look at the track. That was the first time I had ever even seen Flamboro. Now, I’ve been watching all the Youtube footage I can find to try and figure the place out ahead of Saturday”
After securing a 12th place finish in the tour opener at Sunset, Mitchell is excited to return to action in Round 2.
“Sunset was a decent showing for us, all things considered,” says ‘Handsome Chris’. “I didn’t get the qualifying lap I was hoping for – which put us behind the eightball from the word ‘go’. Clawing our way out of the B Main is not how we envisioned starting out the season, but we made it work”
“I can’t say enough about my guys,” continues the veteran. “They didn’t stop working from the time the trailer doors swung open at 8:00am. There’s no way we would have turned our night around had it not been for their efforts”
Heading into Flamboro, Mitchell will look to improve on his time trial results ahead of the 100-lap A Main.
“Flamboro’s layout is going to put a lot of emphasis on qualifying. Sunset gives a driver the possibility to start deep and still have a fighting chance at a decent finish, but Flamboro is a different story”
“Our strategy is pretty simple, once things get rolling,” continues Mitchell. “We’re looking to keep our nose clean in the first half of the race, and have enough car left to push the pace in the final 50-laps. If attrition plays the same role that it did at Sunset, I think that anyone that saves their equipment for a late-race push will have an opportunity for a podium finish.”
Fans can keep up with Mitchell on race day – and throughout the 2015 season – by visiting his official Chris Mitchell Racing page on Facebook or by following on Twitter @DentDynamics22.
Marketing support for Chris Mitchell’s 2015 season is provided by Dent Dynamics, Earl Ireland Auto Sales, Klotz Canada, SRP Electric, Triben Media and Rockstar Energy Drink.
Details for Saturday’s ‘Meineke 100’ can be found at www.FlamboroSpeedway.ca.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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