CALEDONIA, ON- Five years after his last season of fulltime competition at Ohsweken Speedway, ‘The Gunslinger’ Ryan Hunsinger returned to the top of the mountain in 2014, notching 5 feature victories in the upstart Crate Sprint Car Division to earn the division’s inaugural championship.
“This season has been awesome,” said a beaming Hunsinger upon winning the final event of the 2014 season on Friday, September 12th. “I really can’t thank Miles Hill and his team enough for bringing me back and letting me drive for him this year”
“I love Ohsweken Speedway, being back here is like coming home,” added ‘The Gunslinger’ with a grin.
When asked about returning to the grind of weekly racing – in a brand new division – Hunsinger explained that the adjustment period was a short one.
“So much of what you do behind the wheel of a racecar boils down to muscle memory,” explained Hunsinger. “At first, I was pretty rusty. But the more laps I turned, and the more seat time I got underneath me, the more a lot of my instincts started coming back. It’s just like riding a bike. It just took some time.”
“Once I got more comfortable and sorted everything out, our team got better and better,” continued Hunsinger. “Of course, there’s still a lot to learn. And you can always improve. But, we’ve got a solid base to build on in this division.”
One of the lone Sprint Car veterans in the field, Hunsinger is quick to sing the praises of the upstart class and forecasts a big season for the division in 2015.
“These cars are pretty much the exact same thing as a 360 Sprint when the track slicks off,” explained Hunsinger. “When the track is tacky, they’re a little slower, but as far as setting these cars up it’s the perfect training ground if you’re looking to eventually move up the ranks.”
“The setups translate between the Crates and the 360s, so a driver can acquire important experience without having to blow the budget.”
“I don’t think this class could have asked for a better outcome,” continued Hunsinger. “We had some phenomenal racing this year, and a lot of cars for a brand new division. It’s definitely going to grow next season, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”
With 5 trips to victory lane this season, and a track championship in his first full year of competition since 2009, Hunsinger leaves little room for speculation as to where he plans to be in 2015.
“I’m not exactly sure of my schedule yet, but I know I’ll be back racing with Hills Racing. This crew is amazing. They put me in a great car every week and I absolutely appreciate everything they do for me. This crew takes a lot of time out of their personal schedule to make this happen. I get all the glory – but at the end of the day none of this happens without the people behind the scenes.”
‘The Gunslinger’ Ryan Hunsinger’s XXX Chassis carries marketing support from Iroquois Hereford Farms, Townline Variety, Bearpaw Convenience, M-One, Tobacco Plus, Nathan Ackland: State Farm Insurance and Outlaw Wings.
His efforts would not be made possible without Car Owners Miles and Pam Hill, the assistance of Crew Chief Chris Teal and Hills Racing team members Jimmy Mills, Dain Naida, Paul Ballantyne, Trevor Quigley, Cam Dobbin, Kent Turnbull, Nathan Ackland, Steve Berrill, Amanda Rockery, Dave Hunsinger, Jamie Collard and Steve Moulton and the support of girlfriend Lisa Chung.
To learn more about Ryan Hunsinger, follow him on Twitter @Ryan_Hunsinger.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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