HILLSDALE, ON- Sunset Speedway regular Thayne Hallyburton has spent the bulk of his week preparing for his first career Ltd. Late Model start at Sauble Speedway, as he readies to join the rest of the Sunset roster in Round 1 of the Sauble vs. Sunset ‘Home and Home Series’ this Saturday.
“I haven’t driven Sauble in 5 years – and that was in a Thunder Car”, explains Hallyburton with a chuckle when asked his strategy for July 12th’s event.
“So, it’s going to be a learning experience, that’s for sure”, continues Hallyburton. “The Late Model is a completely different beast from what I had 5 years ago, but from what I remember you can pass out of both ends at Sauble, so having a car that’s free – but not too free to the point you can’t mash the gas – will be key”
Hallyburton debuted a brand new Port City Racing by Baker chassis at the beginning of the 2014 season, and has not yet had a chance to test at a facility as tight as Sauble’s quarter-mile. Because of this, Hallyburton readily admits the evening may start out as somewhat of a guessing game.
“We plan to adjust as the night goes on, and learn from every lap we turn”, says Hallyburton, “we’re even taking a shot in the dark at what gear we want to run”
“The plan right now, is to have our old Barrie setup at the ready, in case we can’t get the car to rotate the center of the corner”
The third-year Late Model competitor’s efforts will be quarterbacked by Baker Performance Parts owner Kyle Baker, as the duo continue the second year of their working relationship.
“Kyle’s been a huge part of this program”, stresses Hallyburton. “I’m not sure we would have got this new car off the ground as quick as we have without his help. He’ll be making the calls on Saturday. He’s spent a big part of this week in the shop getting the setup where we need it to be”
With Sunset’s regular cast of top-tier competitors, mixed with Sauble heavyweights like Jason Parker, Scott McTeer and Marvin Freiburger, Hallyburton is prepared to have to battle for every position in Round 1 of the much-talked about mini-series.
“There’s going to be upwards of 30 cars there. Anytime you have to line up alongside 30 cars at any track, it’s a battle. But that’s especially true for Sauble. There’s not a lot of room there, so you have to really work for every inch. Hopefully we can find our way to the front early, and not use the car up having to battle through the pack”
Thayne Hallyburton will compete this weekend with support from Thompson Enterprises and Hillsdale Service Centre.
Gate times and ticket prices for the July 12th event can be found at www.SaubleSpeedway.ca.
To keep up with Thayne as he prepares for his first career Sauble Speedway Late Model start, follow him on Twitter @THallyburton or visit the brand new Hallyburton Brothers Racing page on Facebook.
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By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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