@Shelbs78 • @BrightonSpdwy •TRENTON, Ont. – September 8, 2016 – Shelby Mills has been trending upward throughout the 2016 season and the rookie Canadian Modified driver is ready for her first Danny Reid Memorial at Brighton Speedway this Saturday.
The 50-lap Danny Reid Memorial will be the longest race of Mills’ career to date, ahead of the 40-lap distance she ran during the Canada Day shootout earlier this year. The race which is twice as long as a weekly feature doesn’t intimidate the driver of the ABC Taxi/Dibbits Excavating No.78 in the least.
“At the start of the year I was thinking ’50 laps is more than twice what I’ve done’. Not that you anticipate cautions, but normally they help break things up,” Mills said. “I really hope to make sure that I’m driving as hard as I can so I can be up there and make the most of 50 laps.”
Mills has made significant progress over the past couple of weeks herself and had a little help to do so. She enlisted the help of friend and defending Late Model champion Charlie Sandercock to drive the car on August 20. He drove the car to a third-place finish. The team made a number of changes before Sandercock drove the car and made further adjustments following his input.
“We’ve changed some things to change the way the car works. We did things so I can feel it more and so I can feel the car set. I can pick up the gas better,” Mills explained.
Mills, who celebrated her 24th birthday earlier this week, has improved substantially since the season started in April. Even to the common observer the difference is apparent. It didn’t show in her results during the Ultramar Labour Day Classic weekend because a broken axle hindered her efforts both nights.
“I’m still a little bit cautious, but I definitely feel I’ve improved a lot. Before I was kind of just trying to stay out of the way. I didn’t want to cause any accidents or get in the way of the leaders,” Mills said reflecting on the last four months.
“I’m serious about this class. I can see that I’m getting better,” continued Mills. “I’m ready to step up my game and I’ve definitely got what it takes to be up in the mix.”
She her new confidence will carry over in to the Danny Reid Memorial this Saturday, September 10. It’s the biggest race of the year for the Canadian Modifieds with a $2,000 payday on the line for the winner.
“I’m really excited to run it because it’s an important race. I may not have known Danny, but I know his family,” Mills said. “They’re great people and I think that it’s really nice the speedway is able to remember someone with a race like this. It’s a great class to do it for him because it’s so competitive and there’s so many great racers.”
She currently sits 10th in the championship standings and hopes that a career and season-best finish might help her climb back up the standings.
“I’d really like to move back up in points. I want to do better. Last Saturday, I started outside pole and I told myself I want to be at least sixth,” said Mills, who was knocked out early after a turn four incident broke the rear axle. “I definitely want to try and hold my own. I’d like a top-five, but I also want to be realistic and aim to finish sixth.”
For more information on the Danny Reid Memorial, visit www.brightonspeedway.ca.
SEASON STATS
Shelby Mills 2016 Season: 15 Starts – 0 Wins, 0 Top-5s, 11 Top-10s
SHELBY’S SOCIAL
Facebook: facebook.com/DirtyFastRacing
Twitter: @Shelbs78
RACING FOR A CAUSE
Shelby Mills is racing in support of Muscular Dystrophy research via the Laps 4 MD program. Shelby will donate $1 for every lap she leads during the 2016 season. For more information on the Laps 4 MD program, visit www.muscle.ca/laps-for-muscular-dystrophy/.
Shelby Mills’ 2016 Canadian Modified season is supported by a number of dedicated corporate sponsors, including: ABC Taxi, Dibbits Excavating, KD Transmission, C. Smith Machine Shop, Rest Easy Home Inspection, Empey Tire, Hennessy Point Landscaping, Mike’s Fries and Hotch’s Auto Parts.
Prepared By Clayton Johns Media
claytonjohns@hotmail.com
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