KINCARDINE, ON- Although he has shifted much of his family-run team’s focus to his burgeoning Thunder Car program, veteran Kevin Bridge has shown in recent appearances that he remains as competitive as ever in his Sauble Speedway Mini Stock.
“At first we saw ourselves concentrating fully on our Thunder Car program this season, but as soon as I took the Mini Stock out for the first time I got a thousand ideas on how to make it better,” admits the multi-time Sauble feature winner with a smile.
“So, now, we’re working to balance both cars as best we can. Obviously, our Thunder Car program is still just a few races old, so that’s where a huge portion of our energy has been – but we’ve still found some time to try some new things with our Mini Stock”
Bridge is unsure of exactly how many Mini Stock races he will field an entry in this season, but is committed to doing all that he can to remain active in the perennially-competitive class.
“This division advances so quickly, if you sit on the sidelines for too long you’ll get left behind,” explains Bridge. “It’s taken quite a few seasons for us to get this program where we need it to be, so we’ll continue working to stay up to date on all that’s changing. These cars seem to advance overnight and, if you’re not paying attention, you can end up being forced to play ‘catch-up’ in an awful hurry”
And though Bridge is quick to give credit to the new crop of emerging talent that’s beginning to find its place at the top of the division, he insists that he’s not quite ready to step aside entirely.
“I’m not sure people outside of the division really understand how close things are from top to bottom,” says Bridge. “The guys that aren’t at the front are constantly working to improve their cars and their programs – so even if you are considered a top-tier team, that can change overnight if you’re not working to get better every week. That’s what we’re hoping to keep from happening to us”
“Just because we’re not running this car every week doesn’t mean we’re ready to stop competing for wins every once in a while”
With a runner-up finish in his most recent outing at Sauble on June 20th, Bridge has every reason to believe that his familiar No. 17 is still capable of running with the province’s best.
“This car works so well at Sauble. I feel as though we can contend for the win there any time we have it on the track,” says Bridge.
“But it’s getting tougher every season. The first time we had the Mini Stock out this year it was a huge reminder of how quickly things change. We haven’t gotten any slower, but everyone else has picked their game up in a big way. If we want to stay at the top – we’re going to have to work every bit as hard as we were when we were running fulltime.”
A formal schedule for Kevin Bridge’s 2015 Mini Stock efforts has yet to be finalized, but to stay up to date with Kevin, the team and where they will be racing next – visit the official Kevin Bridge Racing page on Facebook.
Kevin Bridge’s 2015 season is made possible thanks to the support of LiUNA, Huronview Insurance, Spira Fire Protection, DK Daniel Kelly Custom Woodworking, Castrol, Saugeen Shores Transmission, ImageWraps.ca, EPIC Racewear, Bridgehaven Angus, Gilcrest Speed & Custom, Walt Fabrication, NGK Spark Plugs, DEI and Permatex.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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