BRIGHTON, ON (April 9th, 2019)- The promoters of Brighton Speedway and Southern Ontario Motor Speedway are happy to announce a partnership in promoting UMP style modified racing in Ontario. Both tracks currently run a version of open wheel modified cars and want to share the great racing they put on weekly with the rest of the Province.
Southern Ontario Motor Speedway, formerly South Buxton Raceway is the provinces only UMP sanctioned modified race track running full UMP rules including 700 HP+ engines and 8” tires.
Brighton Speedway’s weekly division, dubbed Canadian Modifieds, has been a long-standing division at the track and runs a rules package very similar with UMP chassis and suspension rules however running a GM 602 Crate Motor with 350 HP, a 10-inch tire and an 8-inch spoiler.
2019 will see the first official merger of the two classes in the Everything Small Engines Canadian Modified Challenge Series. The Series will consist of seven events, two at each home track and three other races that will take place on neutral ground at Humberstone Speedway, Merrittville Speedway and Ohsweken Speedway.
In recent years there has been testing between the two classes and it has proved to be a pretty even battle with cars from both tracks picking up victories and fairly even results between the two types. Both promoters agree that 2019 will be the first year that there will be a mix of different tracks and different surfaces and feel they can adjust if needed.
“In the past couple of years we have had a limited sample of how the cars will race against each other but what we did see is very promising” states Brighton Speedway Promoter Mark Rinaldi. “If after a few races we find one style of car has an advantage over the other than there are things we can adjust like the spoiler or weight but we are confident we have a pretty solid starting point”.
Drivers from both tracks seem generally excited at the notion of a new series that is going to allow them to get out and do a little bit of traveling. In the past Southern Ontario Motor Speedway drivers would have to travel across the border into Michigan or Ohio to race and Brighton drivers would have to make wholesale changes to their cars to run at other tracks. “It’s a win-win for everyone” says Rinaldi “Drivers finally get to venture out and do bit of travelling and the promoters get to put a little different show on, something fans generally haven’t seen in the past”.
Local businessman Jordan Richter has stepped up to be title sponsor of the new series with his business Everything Small Engines. Located in Trenton, Ontario Everything Small Engines specializes in sales and service of Toro Lawn Mowers, Echo Power Equipment as well as others brands, In addition to his sponsorship, Everything Small Engines will be donating a Toro lawn mower as well as an Echo Chain Saw to be given out throughout the season.
The Everything Small Engines Canadian Mod / UMP Challenge will kick off with a double header on the Victoria Day Long Weekend with a Ken Schrader double header at Humberstone Speedway on Sunday, May 19th and then at Merrittville Speedway on Monday, May 20th. The former NASCAR star turned Dirt Modified star will be bringing his UMP modified to both tracks to take on the best from both Brighton Speedway and Southern Ontario Motor Speedway on neutral ground.
From there the Everything Small Engines Series will head to Ohsweken Speedway on Monday, July 22nd as part of Ohsweken’s Northern Summer Nationals event that will include just about every class in Dirt Racing with 360 Sprint Cars, Late Models, ROC DIRT Sportsman, Crate Sprints, Thunder Stocks and Mini Stocks.
The Series is off in August and will come back in September for two big double header weekends. Friday, September 20 and Saturday September 21st will see the series take part in the biggest racing weekend of the year, The Applefest Shootout Weekend. The following week the Drivers will head west down the 401 to western Ontario where they will compete in back to back events at Southern Ontario Motor Speedway. The Shootout Weekend is Southern Ontario Motor Speedways marquee event and will host the final events of the season for the series.
“By hosting back to back events in six of the series seven races it really limits the travel for the drivers and means the drivers really only have to travel three times throughout the season. It was important to keep the cost of travel in check and I think we have managed that” states Rinaldi.
Anticipation is high for the inaugural season of the Everything Small Engines Canadian Mod / UMP Challenge and May can’t come soon enough for Drivers and Promoter!
Brighton Speedway Social Media: Follow Brighton Speedway’s Official Social Media Accounts Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrightonSpdwy Twitter: @BrightonSpdwy Instagram: @BrightonSpdwy
About Brighton Speedway: Brighton Speedway is a 1/3-mile clay stock car racing oval located on the shores of Lake Ontario in Brighton, Ont. The speedway hosts five weekly stock car divisions on Saturday nights from May to September.
Brighton Speedway mailing address: 775 County Road 64, Brighton, ON, K0K 1H0
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