FLAMBORO, ON- 2013 TQ Can-Am Midget titlist Mack Deman showed no signs of rust in his return to competition, charging from 10th on the grid to win the first round of the 2014 season.
“I couldn’t ask for a better way to start our season”, exclaimed Deman upon exiting his winning ride. “This team is phenomenal. I can’t thank these guys enough. We didn’t have a great run in our heat race, so being here right now is a pleasant surprise”
The Deman-Mackareth, led by Deman’s mentor Andy Mackareth, struggled with a tight racecar through practice and qualifying.
“We had a wicked push on new tires – which is never good”, said Deman. “Once I saw we were starting 10th, with a tonne of fast guys in front of me, I knew we had to take a different approach to our setup”
Enter Mack’s father Peter, a former racer, with a bevy of set-up knowledge and strategies.
“My dad stepped in and kinda quarterbacked our setup for the feature”, smiled Deman. “We rolled the axel a bit and made a corner weight change and this car woke right up”
“As soon as the setup was done, Dad turned to me and said ‘See ya! I’m headed to the cottage’, added Deman with a laugh. “He didn’t stay for the feature, but I was able to call him once we cleared tech to let him know how we did”
Even amidst post-race celebrations, Deman is able to retain the same humble demeanor that has endeared him to fans of the popular club.
“I am so lucky to be in the position I’m in”, reflected the 22-year old. “My dad, Andy and Craig Mackareth work so incredibly hard on these cars, I couldn’t ever thank them enough. For all that they put into this car over the off-season, to be able to put it in victory lane for them on opening night is amazing. I also have to thank my teammates Adrian Stahle and Ryan Hunsinger. If I wasn’t able to bounce ideas off of them through practice and qualifying, I’m not so sure we would’ve made it to victory lane tonight. This was the very definition of a team effort”
Mack and the rest of the Deman-Mackareth team will return to action on Sunday May 18th at Sunset Speedway, as he looks to register back-to-back victories on the road to his title defense.
Mack proudly carries marketing support from Lucas Oil, Paragon Collision Centre of Cambridge, Crown Steering & Brake, Deman Construction and All-Type Welding.
Fans can keep up with the team via their Mack Deman Racing page on Facebook, or on Twitter @MackDeman
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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