PETERBOROUGH, ON- Longtime friends Chris Mitchell and Josh Gruntz will come together this weekend to field a last minute entry into Peterborough Speedway’s 75-Lap Ltd. Late Model portion of the famed Autumn Colours Classic. Mitchell, a former champion of the event, has not made a Ltd. Late Model start at the facility since the 2014 edition of ‘the Classic’.
“This weekend, for us, is going to be all about having fun,” said a relaxed Mitchell by telephone. “When Gruntzy called me to tell me he bought this car and wanted to put something together for ‘the Classic’, I don’t think I had even waited for him to stop talking before I told him I was in”
“Josh had some rough luck with his [Open Wheel] Modified endeavours this season, and I haven’t been in a car since July,” added the former Peterborough Speedway regular. “So it just seemed like a natural way for us to get away for a couple days, have some laugh, decompress and run with some of the absolute best teams in the province”
When asked if there are any competitors in particular he’ll be keeping an eye on, Mitchell insisted the perennially stacked division is likely to be riddled with contenders from front to back.
“Has there been a year where the Limited Late Models haven’t had a wildly competitive field at ‘the Classic’,” asked Mitchell rhetorically. “There are too many good teams in this division to start whittling them down. You’d probably have an easier time trying to pinpoint the ones that won’t be a factor”
“Off the top of my head, I can tell you that Rick [Walt] will be awfully tough to beat from the pole,” continued ‘Handsome Chris’. “[Jason] Parker always seems to be very fast at Peterborough and Taylor [Holdaway] has won just about every major event the Limiteds have had this year. That’s just three guys in a potential field of 28 that we’ll have to keep our eyes on. It’s pretty deep”
As a former event winner, Mitchell knows the desire that all 28 combatants will feel on Sunday morning prior to the 75-Lap A Main – though he finds it difficult to verbalize just what an Autumn Colours Classic triumph means to the victor.
“It’s impossible for me to put it into words, because I’m positive winning this race means something different to everyone,” explains the well-spoken veteran. “For me – I was going to ‘the Classic’ for years and years as a fan or a pit crew member before I had ever thought of entering it as a driver. Those experiences provided a pretty unique perspective for me”
“I had had a lot of memories at this event before I won it, and it felt like I reflected on each one of them as soon as I got out of the car in victory lane,” continued the Peterborough native. “I’m sure that Dwayne Baker could tell you something completely different about winning the event back-to-back. And, if we have a first time winner this weekend, their perspective will be completely different”
“I’ve been fortunate enough to experience a few ‘highs’ in this sport – but I can tell you unequivocally that none of them compare in any way to winning the Autumn Colours Classic. That experience is just different. It’s as simple as that.”
Visit www.PeterboroughSpeedway.com for more information on this weekend’s Autumn Colours Classic.
Fans can keep up with Mitchell on race day by visiting his official Chris Mitchell Racing page on Facebook or by following on Twitter @CMR22Racing
Marketing support for Chris Mitchell’s 2015 season is provided by Dent Dynamics, Earl Ireland Auto Sales, Klotz Canada, SRP Electric, Triben Media, Oktane Productions, Dan McHattie Racecars and Rockstar Energy Drink.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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