OWEN SOUND, ON- You’ll have to forgive Joe Adams for still feeling the effects of his August 1st Sauble Speedway victory. The Thunder Car feature win, co-promoted between Sauble Speedway and Saugeen Shores Transmission founder Marvin Ella, netted Adams a career high $1,250 plus a Saginaw Transmission for his night’s worth of work.
“I’ve never won that much in a single day,” marvels Adams when asked about the landmark purse for the Sauble division. “It was a huge moment for us. This is what we’ve been working towards all year long”
Smokin’ Joe grappled his way to the lead on lap-6, and survived a number of harrowing late-race restarts to hold on for the win.
“As soon as we got to the lead and were clear of traffic, I knew it was ours to lose,” explains the Owen Sound, ON native. “The car was rolling the center so perfectly. It’s the best its worked all season long. I couldn’t have asked for more”
“I’ve won some big invitationals at Sunset, and I’ve won the [Peterborough Speedway] Autumn Colours Classic, but to get a win of this magnitude in my backyard means the world to me,” adds the soft-spoken favourite. “I’ve been coming here my whole life. Any win I can get here will always be special – but something like this just takes it to the next level”
A number of drivers on the Sauble roster had pointed to Adams as a potential favourite early in the day, when his No. 00 displayed significant speed in the afternoon practice sessions. From there, Adams worked to refine his ride’s handling ahead of the night’s A-Main.
“We were fast last Wednesday at ‘the Dash’ and just couldn’t get the car to turn well enough to make a run for the win,” says Adams. “So we went home and kept the parts of the setup that we liked and changed what we didn’t like. And it worked. It’s taken a little bit longer than I had hoped, but we have this car right where we want it now. We’re not feeling around for something in the dark anymore, now we’re fine tuning and polishing”
The big-ticket win sets Adams up for a strong run through the late-season invitationals scheduled across the province. ‘The Playoff Season’ will see Adams crisscross the province, matching his family-run team against some of the most successful operations in Ontario.
“We don’t have anything for a month now, so we’ll go home and get everything ready for the playoff season,” says the blue-collar veteran. “I was hoping to get a big win with this car before we took it to the Velocity or the [Autumn Colours] Classic. I couldn’t have planned this one any better. We’re feeling good getting ready for the Fall.”
Joe Adams’ 2015 efforts would not be possible without John Thompson Movers, Sauble Falls Tent & Trailer Park, MacDonnell Fuels, Buff Snack Sticks, Quik Lube of Owen Sound & MacKinnon Plumbing and Heating.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
Discussion about this post