BRAMPTON, ON- After four full seasons of Ltd. Late Model competition at Sunset Speedway, third-generation star Billy Zardo is ready to continue his ascension through the division in search of his first career track championship.
“I don’t think we could have picked a tough place to win races at if we tried,” laughs Zardo when asked about the level of competition at the Innisfil, ON oval.
“These guys out here are serious about every facet of their programs,” continues Zardo. “It’s a lot of fun running with them, but it’s a ton of work too. If you’re not up on your game around here, it’s tough just to crack the top-20”
Recently, the Brampton, ON-based driver has shown flashes of brilliance, earning finishes of top-10 or better in all three nights of competition to open up the 2015 season. Zardo’s recent hot streak has been enough to move him into 4th place in Sunset’s championship points standings as the season’s opening quarter comes to a close.
“Top-5 in points is an awesome way to start the season,” explains the likeable wheelman. “We struggled getting out of the gate last year, and it put us in a huge hole as far as the championship was concerned. The fact that we’ve been able to find our rhythm early is going to play a big role when August and September roll around, and we’re scrounging for every point to stay in the running”
“When you have a schedule as short as ours, you really don’t have time for a bad night,” continues Zardo. “You have to go after the win every night. That’s what we’ve been trying to do – and that’s our strategy for the rest of the season”
In Zardo’s most recent outing, the former Thunder Car standout tallied a 6th place finish in Sunset Speedway’s June 19th running of the 75-lap Garry Reynolds Memorial.
“It was a bit tough to settle for 6th that night, because we most definitely had a top-5 car,” shrugs Zardo. “But, some nights it’s about taking what you can get – no matter how badly you want to push the envelope. My grandfather taught me a long time ago that you can’t make your car faster if you’re fixing damage every week, so I try to keep that in mind most nights.”
‘Z3’ will return to Late Model competition this Saturday at Sunset Speedway, for the 4th round of twin-features as part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
Details, including gate times and advanced ticket sales, can be found at www.SunsetSpeedway.ca.
Zardo’s 2015 campaign is made possible thanks to Holmes On Homes, National Exhaust, Better Contracting and Hassell Automotive.
Follow Billy on Twitter @Z3Zardo4846.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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