@DelawareSpdway @BrandonWatson15 @UnitedLMSeries STAYNER, ON- Although he has not played the pivotal role in the race for the 2015 APC United Late Model Series championship hunt that many had forecasted he would earlier this season, longtime Pro Late Model standout Brandon Watson will enter this weekend’s Great Canadian Race at Delaware Speedway intent on reminding the entire tour roster of just how potent he can be in ‘big race’ situations.
The third-generation racer has come close to a Delaware Speedway win on a number of occasions, and hopes that this weekend’s APC Series finale will play host to his long awaited first Delaware Speedway Pro Late Model victory.
“I feel like Delaware has become my Everest,” jokes Watson. “We’ve had some really good cars there in the past, but we just haven’t been able to get a win. The more we race there, the more I want that win. The Great Canadian Race is the one Pro Late Model event that I think everyone wants to put their name on. We haven’t exactly had the year we had been hoping for, so a Great Canadian win would absolutely go a long way for us”
The soft-spoken contender has grappled with a myriad of mechanical woes this season, but has still managed to carve out a pair of top-5 finishes against what has largely been referred to as the most talent-laden roster in Ontario.
“As hard as it’s been to run with these guys all season, I expect it to be even tougher this weekend,” explains the former Super Late Model champion. “This is a Crown Jewel event on top of the season finale, so no one wants to just lay down. Every pass is going to be a grind – and it’s going to be awfully tough for anyone to come up through the field in just 100-laps. With that said, we know how important qualifying is going to be. Our time trials have been good all year – and we’ll definitely be relying on that this Saturday”
“I think any guy on this roster will tell you how quickly some bad luck can get exposed on this tour,” continues the 22-year old. “With everyone’s lap times as close as they are, if you’re even a little bit off, you don’t stand much of a chance. You have to be just about perfect every week – and we haven’t been. I think we’ve had more mechanical issues this season than any other year in my career. It doesn’t take much to keep you out of the top-10 on this tour. But, when everything is working the way it’s supposed to, I think we’ve shown everyone just how good this program can be”
With the off-season quickly approaching, Watson admits his family-run team is already strategizing on ways to improve their program – but insists he has all the faith in the world that his Shear Metal Products No. 9 will be in contention on Saturday.
“I don’t think we’re far off from any of the top teams racing for a championship right now. With that said, there are always areas for improvement, and we’ve got a couple things that we’re strategizing on how to change over the off-season. For now, I’m confident that we’re strong enough to play a factor on Saturday. I’ve been close more than once at the Great Canadian – hopefully this weekend we can just break through and bring it home.”
For more information on this weekend’s Great Canadian Race, visit www.DelawareSpeedway.com or www.APCRacingSeries.com.
Brandon’s 2015 efforts would not be possible without the continued support of Shear Metal Products and Knightworks Designs.
Fans can stay up to date with Brandon all season long by following on Twitter @BrandonWatson15 or by visiting the official Brandon Watson Racing page on Facebook.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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