Stroud, ON- The goal of racing – especially at the weekly short track or touring series level – is to gain an advantage. Do everything you can behind the scenes and once the green flag waves to be better than the competition and finish toward the front of the field.
Sunday, September 28, Mike Beyore strapped into his OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Model looking for the best possible finish at Sunset Speedway. With two events remaining on the 2014 schedule, the driver known as “The Whitby Warrior” and his crew had put in some long, hard hours to make certain their piece was the best it could be for the 50 lap ‘A’ main that would be part of the track’s Velocity Weekend event. With nearly 25 other teams hoping for the same result, the #54 bunch knew they’d have their work cut out for them.
“We had plenty of time to do our homework between the last show (Saturday, August 30) at Peterborough and today,” said the driver, before climbing-in behind the wheel. “This car is as well prepared now as it was when turned our first laps of the year back in May. As a group, our confidence level has never been higher. We’re ready to go.”
Showing his words were more than just a casual boast, Mike Beyore backed-up his prediction with a pair of fourth place efforts in the afternoon’s qualifying events and the team performed only minor adjustments and a tire change before the second-generation speedster from Whitby, Ontario moved to the staging area and lined-up 11th for the Super Late Model division’s headline dance. Having a solid run from the middle of the pack is one thing, but getting to the front from the middle of the pack, while holding off the rest of the field coming-up from behind is another; as Beyore quickly discovered.
“A lot of early yellow flags made it difficult for anyone to settle-down and find a rhythm,” admitted Beyore. “We’d get nicely up to speed, run a few laps and pick-up a spot or two, and then have to slow down for a caution. I was hoping for a long period of green flag racing, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
As the lap counter clicked-off 22 circuits complete, the yellow flag flew yet again and this time, the #54 car was involved. Beyore took the machine to the pit area to have the crew look things over, but there was an issue with the rear end – later diagnosed as a broken left axle – that forced the team out of the race, with a 19th place effort in the final rundown. Even with the tough finish, Beyore is still less than 20 points away from sixth in the final standings and within 70 markers of cracking the top five.
“Not the result we’d hoped for, but the season is winding down and you have to be ready for just about anything. We’re a strong bunch and we’ll bounce back.”
The Sunset Speedway experience wasn’t a positive one for the #91N OSCAAR Modified of Max Beyore. After winning a heat race early in the day, he was knocked out of action while scrubbing tires on the pace lap of his next qualifier and couldn’t start the feature.
Next on the schedule for the OSCAAR Super Late Models is the 2014 season wrap-up at Peterborough Speedway for the Autumn Colours Classic, October 11 and 12.
Follow Mike Beyore throughout the season on Twitter via @54buck and at www.beyoreracing.ca .
Mike Beyore’s 2014 OSCAAR Super Late Model tour is supported by Stemac Machinery & Industrial Tools, Millennium Crane, Metals Plus, CNC Custom Machining, Praxair, MGS Performance, Mayhew Graphics, Vista Engineering Corporation and Lesco Industrial Restoration, with promotional services by Clarke Motorsports Communications.
Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media
clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com
613.968.6410
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