BARRIE, ON- Ltd. Late Model veteran Gord ‘The Smoke’ Shepherd locked up the 2014 Barrie Speedway championship in decisive fashion, notching a runner-up finish and a victory in the final twin-feature events of the season.
Shepherd charged from the tail of the field twice in the second 50-lap race, ending the evening in victory lane.
“This is exactly the way we were hoping to end our night”, smiled Shepherd post-race. “This team works hard on this car all week, and I was hoping I could get them to victory lane to celebrate our season”
The 2014 campaign has been a trying one for Shepherd’s Ridge Road Racing outfit, with the team overcoming accidents and handling issues to secure their third championship in four seasons.
“I’ve never been more proud of this team”, reflected Shepherd. “We had an amazing year in 2013. It felt like we could do no wrong. This year was the complete opposite. We had to battle for every podium finish this season, and none of it would have been possible without my guys”
“We wrecked this car pretty badly at the beginning of the season, and it took a long time to get it back where we wanted it”, continued Shepherd. “Not once did these guys think about giving up. It was a lot of hours in the shop, and a lot of time spent testing at the track – but ending this season like this makes it all worthwhile”
‘The Smoke’ was quick to credit his competition, explaining just how difficult it was to fashion back-to-back championship efforts.
“The Barrie Speedway Late Model division is top notch”, said the now 3-time titlist. “Not a single car in this pit area is out here to settle for anything less than a win. These guys don’t make it easy to win one championship, much less two in a row”
“They made us earn it this season, that’s for sure. It’s a pleasure to race in this division, and it’s an honour to be able to call myself a Barrie Speedway champion for another year”
Shepherd and the Ridge Road Racing team will now set their sights on the Ontario short track Playoff Season, returning to action this Saturday, September 18th at Sunset Speedway’s 125-lap ‘Canadian Limited Late Model Championship’ event.
Gord Shepherd’s 2014 season would not be possible without the support of Progressive Waste Solutions, Shelswell Racing, Puzzle Partner, Cookstown Auto Parts, Montana’s Cookhouse of Orillia, Shepherd Trucking, HWY 400 Transmission, Liberty North, Kruegar Electrical, Seasoned Painting, Checkmate, DesJardins Insurance, Eric’s Car Sales, Fox’s Bakery & Deli, Bill le Boeuf Jewelers and The Dock Guy.
To learn more about Gord, follow him on Twitter @GordShepherd10 and be sure to visit the all new www.GordShepherd.com.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
Discussion about this post