WALKERTON, ON- After spending the better part of two months restoring his lone Pro Late Model chassis to ‘race ready’ condition, Sauble Speedway fan favourite ‘Marvellous’ Marvin Freiburger will be back in action with the APC United Late Model Series when the upstart tour rolls into his home track on Sunday, August 2nd for the lauded ‘Beat the Heat 100.’
“We’ve been so excited to get this car back together,” exclaims Freiburger with his familiar enthusiasm. “Having it ready just in time for Sauble couldn’t be more perfect. It’s definitely been a labour of love. But, she’s back in one piece and ready to go to work next weekend”
Freiburger’s last outing with the tour at Sunset Speedway on May 23rd started off fine – with the Walkerton, ON-based driver notching an impressive qualifying time and running within the top-10 through the first 60-laps of competition.
However, shortly past the halfway mark, a collision with friend and competitor Shawn McGlynn sent Freiburger careening into the speedway’s turn-1 wall with a deafening thud.
“That was, without question, the hardest hit I’ve ever had in a race car,” says Freiburger, his eyes widening for emphasis. “It hurt just about everything in that car from nose to tail. It took a lot of hours to put it back together. It was almost like starting from scratch all over again”
“One thing I have learned throughout all of this is that Port City builds an incredibly safe car,” adds the affable wheelman with a broad smile. “On the ride home, I was sure I was going to be sore for a week. But, I woke up the next day as though nothing happened. I was back at work Monday morning – and that’s what really matters. I’m grateful for that”
“Because it’s fun to play with these guys on Saturday nights, but if I don’t show up on Monday then the bills don’t get paid and we don’t get to go to the race track at all”
Freiburger admits that sitting on the sidelines for the previous four rounds of the tour has been tough, but is more than ready to make up for lost time when the province’s top Late Model stars roll into ‘the Beach’ for the speedway’s annual Crown Jewel.
“I can’t wait to be back on the tour again. There’s not quite anywhere in the province you can go and be tested like you will at an APC Series race,” notes ‘Marvellous’ Marvin. “All of these teams are elite level. They all know what they’re doing and every single one of them stands a chance of winning at the end of the night”
“It’s tough when you unload in the pits and know that 15 other guys have a program that’s just as good as yours,” continues the grandfather. “We’re just looking to have a good qualifying effort and put ourselves in position for a top-10 finish at the end of the race”
“Sauble is a track that can really wear your equipment out if you aren’t careful. I like to think that preserving our stuff is something we do very well. Hopefully that will be our advantage next Sunday.”
Details for the August 2nd event can be found at www.APCRacingSeries.com or www.SaubleSpeedway.ca.
The team is actively looking for volunteers to aide in their efforts to raise money for Easter Seals – those interested can contact Marvin’s wife Angela at home 519-881-1379 or on her cell 519-889-2349. Team members will meet new people, make new friends and support a phenomenal cause.
Fans can stay up to date with ‘Marvellous’ Marvin Freiburger on social media, via the official Marvin Freiburger Racing page on Facebook or atwww.marvinfreiburgerracing.com.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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