CARRYING PLACE, ON – A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity landed Caley Weese behind the wheel of a racing monster Saturday night at Brighton Speedway. Weese competed in dirt racing’s most exciting and volatile race car – a winged sprint car with the Southern Ontario Sprints.
It wasn’t just any sprint car. Weese wheeled the familiar Dick Mahoney-owned #79 car to an impressive 11th place finish.
With tremendous anticipation, Caley informed her Facebook followers she would perform ‘Double Duty’ Saturday night in Mahoney’s 700-horsepower machine as well as her own Pro Late Model. She finished the night with great results earning a 3rd place finish in her #77 late model and an 11th place in the winged sprint car in the 18-car field.
“I was definitely scared,” said Weese. “But it was an opportunity too exciting to pass up. Dick Mahoney and his crew were amazing. They had a lot to teach me in a short period of time.”
The 25-year-old driver was nervous having never driven a sprint car in her young racing career. The fastest cars on dirt are much different than the late model Weese races weekly. Sprint cars start by getting pushed by a ‘push truck’.
The reassurance from the crew enabled Caley to feel confident hitting the track for the first time with a handful of other cars in a practice hot lap session.
“The driving style is completely different in a sprint car,” said Weese. “There is a 300 horsepower increase from my late model, but somehow I felt surprisingly comfortable.”
Car owner and veteran driver Mahoney has been turning laps on oval tracks for 50 years. A recent eye surgery kept him out of the driver’s seat last weekend, but with any luck and a quick recovery Dick will return to the #79 car the next time the SOS Sprint Car Series visits Brighton Speedway, June 16th.
Caley will gladly offer her services again should the opportunity arise.
“I love racing my late model, but there’s no way I would turn down the opportunity to race a sprint car again,” said Weese.
To find out more about the Weese Racing Team visit Weese Racing #77 on Facebook or www.weeseracing.com.
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