HILLSDALE, ON- Thayne Hallyburton’s inaugural Sunset Speedway campaign has not been without its ups and downs, but as the 2014 season nears its homestretch, Hallyburton appears ready to come into his own at his new home track.
“We knew coming into this season that it was going to be a battle, and we’ve definitely had our fair share of hard work”, smiled Hallyburton.
The former Mini Stock regular debuted a brand new Port City Racing chassis in the spring, and has worked tirelessly to bring it up to speed.
As the consistent finishes begin to mount, Hallyburton is prepared for back-to-back outings at Sunset on July 26th and 27th as the speedway welcomes it’s Sauble counterparts for Round 2 of the popular ‘Home and Home Series’.
“This is going to be a big weekend for the entire division”, explained Hallyburton, “we’ve been off for a few weeks now, and I know that everyone is itching to get back on track. The points are awfully tight, and a lot of guys are looking to start building momentum for a late-season push”
Saturday’s event will pit the Sauble regulars against the Sunset cars in a 50-lap showdown that Hallyburton believes will test the out-of-towners.
“It was tough sledding racing at Sauble, but I think the task is more daunting for their cars to come to Sunset”, said Hallyburton.
“Sunset has 12 regulars that could win the feature on any given night without surprising anyone. We have the most competition, and more top end equipment than any other speedway in Ontario. With the caliber of competitors that have been here all season dialing their cars in, a top-10 is a feat on its own”
The former Barrie Speedway regular noted Sunset’s unique design makes it near impossible to find comparisons.
“Sunset drives unlike any other track. There really isn’t anything out there that you can compare it to. It takes a lot of getting used to, that’s for sure. It’s not somewhere you can figure out in a practice session. For that reason alone, I think the ‘Home and Home’ is a lot tougher for the Sauble cars”
Though Hallyburton is aware of the level of competition that awaits him this weekend, the Hillsdale, ON native will have some additional motivation on his side, when he debuts his brand new partnership with Transaxle Heavy Truck and Trailer Parts.
“Slapping on a new sponsor’s vinyl is just about the best feeling in the world”, said Hallyburton with a grin, “Transaxle reached out and offered their support – which is amazing – and we get to kick off our partnership at the doubleshot. There would be no better way to welcome them to the team than a strong run this weekend, so that’ll definitely be in the back of our minds”
Transaxle – led by fellow racer Gary Zwygers – will support Hallyburton through the rest of the 2014 schedule at Sunset and at a number of late-summer ‘Playoff Season’ events.
“I can’t thank Gary and Transaxle for coming on board”, said Hallyburton, “with their support, we’ll be able to make a few events at the end of the season that we may not have had the funds for. Our entire team is real excited to welcome them aboard”
Details for this weekend’s twin-bill can be found at www.SunsetSpeedway.ca.
Thayne Hallyburton’s Port City by Baker Chevrolet will compete this weekend with support from Hillsdale Service Centre, Transaxle Heavy Truck & Trailer Parts and Thompson Enterprises.
Fans can keep up with Thayne via his @THallyburton Twitter account, or through the brand new Hallyburton Brothers Racing page on Facebook.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
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