Brighton, ON- Emily Weedman and Courtney Mastin have known each other nearly all their lives. Their Facebook pages show many of the same friends and despite the difference in their ages, they’re more like sisters than cousins. Both girls race in the Comp 4/Mini Stock division at Brighton Speedway.
Heading into the final night of track points – Friday, September 19 – at the local 1/3-mile clay oval, Weedman leads her cousin in the battle for fifth spot in the final standings by a margin of just 90 points. With double points up for grabs, the pair will be running a race all their own, as well as competing with the rest of the drivers in the field.
27 year-old Emily Weedman – who works as a nurse and is also a full-time university student – started attending races about four years ago and cheered for her cousin, Courtney Mastin during her rookie campaign before deciding that she’d like to race herself at the start of the 2013 season. Weedman will wrap-up her second term behind the wheel of her #87 Nate’s Auto Cozmedix/CMAX Paint and Body Shop Supplies/Sea to Sky Trucking/Apex Graphics/The Little Tire Shop machine when the final checkered flag of the year waves.
Weedman says she loves the thrill and adrenaline rush of racing and the chance to meet new people. 2014 has been a breakthrough season, with a pair of qualifying wins and having her car selected as the best appearing in the division in a driver’s vote.
“I really look forward to the Fan Appreciation Nights and the chance to meet the people who sit on the other side of the fence,” admitted Emily Weedman. “It’s tough to hear anything from inside the racecar, but when you get that one-on-one time with the individuals who pay for a ticket every week to support what you do, it means a lot.”
She may be only 17 years of age, but Courtney Mastin – a 12th grader at East Northumberland Secondary School – is about to conclude her third year of action in the Comp4 division at Brighton Speedway. Her #97 Grosse Construction/DW Metal Expressions/Pure Insanity Custom Ridez/www.teknotics.com/Vinyl Solutions/Wilkinson Financial backed Honda is ready to roll into the opening night of action for the annual Applefest Shootout Weekend, with her sights set on what could be her initial top five point standing finish.
“I’m fortunate to have a strong group of family, friends and fans who support what I love to do,” confessed Courtney Mastin, who hopes to follow a career path similar to the one chosen by her cousin. “When we run that final race this year, I’ll be cheering for Emily and I know she’ll be cheering for me. No matter where we finish, it’s been a great season for both our teams. We’ve met some great people and had a lot of fun along the way.”
Each driver says they love the way that the other members of the racing community are always so quick and willing to lend a hand to get them back on the track. No matter how badly someone else might want to win the race, there is always someone offering to pitch-in to keep things rolling when there are issues or broken parts.
Emily Weedman’s #87 machine is housed at Nate Bosma’s shop, where it is maintained by Nate, along with Devon Kippon, Buckey Johnson and Steve Usher. Emily Mastin’s #97 ride is kept in the garage at her parent’s house and prepped by her father, Kevin Mastin and Troy Lemire. Media and public relations for both drivers are handled by Clarke Motorsports Communications.
Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media
clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com
613.968.6410
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