ERIN, ON- After four seasons spent with the OSCAAR Modified Tour, one of the original members of the upstart series’ roster is ready to step back from fulltime competition. ‘The Erin Express’ Davey Terry has made 43 career starts with the tour, and after appearance number 44 at this weekend’s ‘Velocity 250’ at Sunset Speedway, will say goodbye to the tour that helped bring him to the forefront of Ontario short track racing.
“I’m not 100% sure that I won’t cry a little when it’s all said and done,” laughs the second-generation racer. “These have been the most fun four years of my life – but it’s time to move on. I’ll always love the Modifieds – especially the group of guys that I broke in with – but we just don’t have the time for this thing like we used to. I’d much sooner see someone get some use out of it than see it sit”
Terry scored a top-10 finish in the inaugural OSCAAR Modified Tour event at Sunset Speedway on May 20th, 2012 – and stuck around for 31 top-10s and 16 top-5s en route to becoming one of the tour’s most popular regulars.
“It’s an awesome feeling knowing that we were part of the Modified resurgence,” explains Terry. “The OSCAAR Tour brought these cars back to the spotlight, and it’s been a blast to be a part of. Our opening night roster in 2012 was like an island of misfit toys. It brought together guys from all different disciplines of racing and turned it into something phenomenal”
Although Terry’s Modified career has included 5 runner-up finishes, the Erin, ON native has not yet broken through for his first career tour triumph.
“As much as this weekend is going to be about fun, trust me when I say we’re still aiming for our first win,” says the fan favourite. “I feel like we’ve been close but no cigar more often than anyone else on this tour. I’ve always wanted a win in a Modified, and I’ve especially always wanted to win at Sunset. It’s my favourite track, it’s where I enjoy spending my time and it’s where all of my friends are. If we win the Velocity, I think it’s a safe estimate that we’d party until Tuesday afternoon”
When asked about his retirement, Terry insists he’s not ready to officially walk away from the sport. Instead, he refers to his future plans as an ‘indefinite hiatus’.
“It’s way too soon to comment on wether or not we’ll ever be back,” says Terry. “Right now, I’m just looking forward to buying a house and getting some other things settled away from racing. I’ll still be around the sport as much as humanly possible, that’s for sure”
“I’ve spotted for [girlfriend] Brittney [Gresel] for a big chunk of this season and it was a lot of fun, so I’m looking forward to doing more of that. At the end of the day, I’m still young and I still have lots of time, so who knows when you’ll see me back and what I’ll be racing. Right now, I’m just focused on winning our first ever feature on track this Sunday, and then winning the party in the campground afterwards.”
Davey Terry’s OSCAAR Modified Tour efforts would not have been possible without the support of Wasteco, Castrol, Brennan Haulage, Keeler Electric, Mann Hydraulics, Terry Farms and Dominion Mini Storage.
Follow ‘The Erin Express’ on Twitter all weekend long @DaveyTerry.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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