In this episode of the Inside Track Ontario Short Track Notebook, Spencer Lewis details several news items from last weekend as well as highlights to watch for this coming weekend. Included are updates on Chris Morrow, Kelly Balson, Stompin’ Tom Walters, Billy Schwartzenburg, Dan Price, Brittney Gresel, Darin Malcolm, Mike & Dave Bradley, Lane Zardo, Brandon McFerran, Darrell Lake, Mack DeMan, Cole Powell, Thane Woodside and others.
After absorbing a tremendous amount of rear-end damage in a mid-race collision with the inside retaining wall (pictured) at Sunset Speedway last Saturday, 7-time track champion ‘Mr. Excitement’ Chris Morrow (above) has confirmed he will be back in the field this weekend, as he looks to become the 4th different feature winner in the Sunset Limited Late Model division this season.
Former Peterborough Speedway champion Kelly Balson has confirmed he will make his 2013 debut this Saturday. ‘The Crowd Pleaser’ will return to his long-time hometrack, joining Week 1 feature winner ‘Handsome’ Chris Mitchell, defending track champion Bryan Sudsbury and fellow multi-time champion Craig Graham. Balson’s 2013 season will enjoy support from International Freight Systems, Cochrane Automotive and Dan McHattie Racecars.
The Stompin’ Tom Motorsports team has sent along another dash-cam video from the May 18 Sunset Speedway event. Catch all 30-laps of the Late Model A-Main from the vantage point of defending champion Tom Walters’, as he pilots his McColl Racing Enterprises/Pro Floor Sanding & Refinishing ride from deep in the field, to a top-3 finish. The video is here.
Surging Mini Stock ace Billy Schwartzenburg will look for his 4th feature win, in as many weeks, at as many speedways this Saturday. The Guelph, ON product, who already owns victories at Sunset, Sauble and Flamboro this season, will head to Varney Motor Speedway with hopes of keeping his streak alive. The 19-year old captured the 2012 Flamboro Speedway championship, before deciding to tour around the province in 2013. Schwartzenburg will enjoy sponsorship this season from Spira Fire Protection, Chetty’s Hot Sauce and NUCO.
Thunder Car veteran ‘Cowboy’ Dan Price has uploaded on-board video from Peterborough Speedway’s feature event this past Saturday. The race marked the first time in almost a decade that the Thunder Car division was featured as a regular class at a Peterborough weekly event. Former NASCAR Canadian Tire Series competitor Bryan Catchcart took home the victory. Price’s 1957 Chev would be credited with a 4th place finish. Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DURa_cnaGiU
Sauble Speedway Limited Late Model regular Brittney Gresel is looking for crew members to aid her on Saturday nights. Interested parties can contact Brittney at Brittney.Gresel81@gmail.com . Gresel notched a top-5 finish in her first start of 2013 this past Saturday at Sauble.
Former Autumn Colours Classic champion Darin Malcolm returns to active Limited Late Model competition this season. The second-generation star will join the Barrie Speedway roster in 2013, and will compete in the majority of the events on the schedule. Malcolm’s ride has undergone a multitude of updates over the off-season, and is a favourite to be a front-runner as the Barrie season swings into full gear.
We caught up with Malcolm at a recent Barrie Speedway practice session and spoke with him about his plans for the summer. You can watch it here.
Mike and Dave Bradley have sent along shots of the ‘Bradley Brothers Racing’ ride that will follow the 2013 Hurricane Midgets tour. The Bradley brothers, former karting standouts, have purchased a chassis formerly campaigned by Hurricane virtuoso Mike Westwood, and is a former Autumn Colours Classic winning car.
Mike Bradley debuted the car in Round 1 of tour competition at Flamboro, and Dave has announced he will slide into the seat later in the summer. The team will enjoy marketing support from Scarborough Van Outfitters throughout the 2013 season.
After making his first career OSCAAR Modified Tour start for car owner George Woods on May 19th, former Sunset Super Stock champion Lane Zardo has confirmed he will make his first Limited Late Model start of the 2013 season at Sunset this Saturday.
The car, fielded by John Mombourquette Racecars, is a chassis last raced by John’s son Kyle throughout the 2012 Sunset season. Zardo will also be behind the wheel of his family-owned Super Stock ride, as he continues his push for his second career championship. The May 25th event will mark the third-generation pilot’s second career start in a Limited Late Model, on the heels of a top-10 debut when filling in for older brother Billy last season.
Reigning Flamboro Speedway Oktoberfest winner Brandon McFerran has confirmed he will compete alongside point leader Warren Paxton, defending champion Eric Yorke, veteran Ben Melenhorst and the rest of the Sunset Speedway Mini Stock division on May 25th.
‘The Astronaut’ had originally intended on a full Flamboro Speedway schedule in 2013, in search of his first career championship, but has confirmed that his team will instead tour the province this summer, with the bulk of their appearances slated for Sunset. Fans can keep up with the Peter D. Laird Transport sponsored team via McFerran’s twitter @BrandonMcFerran.
Multi-time Delaware Speedway feature winner Darrell Lake will make his first start of the 2013 season tonight, as the London, ON native will join the Super Stock division for Week 2 of the Delaware season. Lake, the 2009 championship runner-up, will compete part-time at Delaware all season long, in addition to making sporadic appearances with the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup tour. His 2013 efforts will be supported by London Drive Systems, Contact Welding, Ace Radiator, Murray’s Transmission and Custom Fluid Power.
Lucas Oil TQ Can-Am Midget driver Mack DeMan has uploaded a fantastic on-board camera view of his recent outing at Sunset Speedway on May 19th. The Mississauga, ON native led early, before succumbing to eventual winner Corey Moesker with less than 10-laps remaining. The video can be found here.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour regular Cole Powell has confirmed via his team’s Facebook page that he will be in Late Model competition tonight at Delaware Speedway for the second week in a row. Powell will race alongside Week 1 winner Jamie Cox, former Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup champion Jay Doerr, 2-time championship runner-up Matt Pritiko and the rest of the track’s headline division. Action gets started at 7:30 pm.
Here’s our first look at the Melitta sponsored Limited Late Model of Toronto, ON’s Thane Woodside (above courtesy of Thompson Photography). The former Pro Challenge standout and Pro Late Model veteran made his 2013 debut at Sunset on May 18th. Woodside will race a partial schedule at Sunset, as he continues to work towards his first career Limited Late Model feature victory.
Follow Spencer Lewis at @itsspencerlewis
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