Colborne, ON- Racing at the weekly short track level can be an ‘iffy’ proposition. A driver can get to the front of the pack if he can find the perfect set-up to compliment his machine and the track conditions. They can also benefit from another racer’s misfortune if he is in the right place at the right time.
Throughout the abbreviated 2013 campaign at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Speedway, Linc Brown held his own with the top runners in the half-mile oval’s Late Model division. In the end, it was iffy weather that proved to be his downfall and prevented the Colborne, Ontario veteran from finishing higher than third place in the final point standings.
It was an up and down season for the 48 year-old father of two. From battling a loose handling racecar during the first couple of weeks, to briefly leading the point chase in what would eventually become a 10 race schedule, Brown was satisfied; albeit not thrilled with his team’s performance.
“In hindsight, there will always things you’ll think you can do better,” said Brown. “It had been quite a few years since I raced regularly at the track and while the actual layout hadn’t changed, the surface was a little rougher than what I’d expected. That threw the team a curve and made most of the set-up notes we had from before obsolete. We struggled early to find something that would work consistently and require very few adjustments. Once we landed on a good baseline package, the car was fast right off the hauler.”
Like many of his fellow racers, Linc Brown was disappointed to learn of plans to close the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Speedway oval, bringing an end to nearly a quarter-century worth of competition at the track. On the positive side of the ledger, he was pleased with the performance of his #99 Dodge Charger by McColl Racing Enterprises team.
On all but one occasion, the car was running at the checkered flag of the Late Model main event and recorded a top five finish in every feature. Linc Brown was also able to form a unique driver/crew chief bond with his daughter Bailey, who helped with many of the raceday decisions for the team.
“She’s a strong racer in her own right and has recorded a number of checkered flags this season with the Kawartha-Durham Kart Club and other sanctioning groups,” said Brown. “Maybe it was more of just a Dad/ daughter thing, but it was great to give Bailey the information I’d need to help improve how the car was handling. She already wanted to move from a kart into a racecar and now that desire is stronger than ever.”
As the CTMP/Mosport Speedway chapter of his career closed, Linc Brown says a low horsepower rules package could have been equalized if the venue had run a full season’s schedule. Compared to other top top cars on the long, track his crate engine machine lacked 75 to 100 horsepower. Any advantage he’d gain in the corners would quickly be lost of the straights. Horsepower was always king on the half mile oval and Brown feels if he’d been able to use a four-barrel carburetor like the competition with built motors, a trip to the victory lane would almost certainly follow.
Linc Brown Motorsports would like to thank this year’s marketing partners Kawartha Metals, Don Butt Auto Body, Rousseau Automobile Communications/www.autosphere.ca, Mayhew Graphics and Clarke Motorsports Communications for supporting their program in 2013.
Special thanks to a group of people who helped-out at the track and behind the scenes in the shop. Tim Lee & Dwayne Windrow from PartSource Peterborough, Kawartha-Durham Kart Club Members Butch & Tyler McCullough, Wayne & Dawson Williams and John & Marlie Owen. Ian Guerts from Grafton Auto and friends Doug & Danny Benedict and Ed Corbier.
Prepared by: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media
clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com
613.968.6410
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