NEW NAME FOR CANADA’S NASCAR SERIES
THREE CANADIAN HALLS OF FAME WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
INDYCAR: CAN ANYONE BEAT ALEX PALOU?
DRAG RACING: CANADA’S TOP 10 STORIES OF 2023
KENNY U-PULL: 2023 CHAMPIONS
GALLERY
LOOKING BACK: DRAG RACING LEGEND F.J. (FRED) SMITH
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(Clockwise
AsBy Greg MacPherson
we’re all looking ahead to the Canadian racing season, we’re going to take one last look at the 2023 season with our annual Champions Issue of Inside Track Motorsport News. It’s no small feat being the cream of the crop in any series or division, so we congratulate everyone who came out on top last season. And good luck to everyone in 2024.
I also want to mention some significant changes and events in the world of motorsports journalism.
In late November, Norris McDonald passed away. In addition to being a legend in the industry (Toronto Star Wheels section editor, a former racer, the first member of the media inducted into the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame, and a member of the CMHF board), Norris was a very nice man.
He was also a mentor to many who hoped to follow in his footsteps. It was devastating to myself and many others when we heard the news. Condolences to Norris’ family and many friends.
In other ‘media’ news, Erik Tomas (also a member of the CHMF) recently announced his retirement as a racing journalist. The Raceline Radio host worked extremely hard and did a lot of homework, presenting interviews with the racers from the Canadian grassroots to the top international series. Congratulations on an amazing run, ET!
Speaking of Hall of Famers, congratulations and thanks to our own J. Wally Nesbitt, who was recently inducted to the CMHF in the Media category.
Wally was our first subscriber and eventually became our lead writer, filling the pages of our magazine for the better part of two decades. No one has written more about Canadian racers and racing.
And finally, on behalf of everyone at Inside Track Motorsport News, we’d like to announce a change in the way we’re going to be doing things, going forward.
Since its inception in 1997, Inside Track Motorsport News has proudly served as the Official Publication of Canadian Motorsports, offering comprehensive coverage of grassroots racing events across the country.
In a bold move for 2024, the publication is shifting its focus from traditional printed and mailed copies to delivering timely news, reports, results, videos, features, galleries and more through our website and associated social media channels.
Responding to the evolving needs of its readers and advertisers, the publishers of Inside Track are embracing a modern model that reallocates resources from print and mailing expenses towards enhancing content creation.
In recent years, we’ve been frustrated by the reality that a substantial portion of our operating costs are being eaten up by paper, printing, and escalating Canada Post fees.
By transitioning to digital delivery, we can redirect these funds towards producing more engaging content and delivering information to readers faster than ever before. This is what the market demands.
As well, focusing on InsideTrackNews. com, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X allows us greater flexibility and creativity without the constraints of traditional page counts and space limitations.
In the upcoming months, InsideTrackNews.com will unveil the Canadian Racing Guide schedule issue as a digital flipbook, a format familiar to readers for decades.
Concurrently, Inside Track’s digital platforms will expand their online offerings to provide an enriched experience for fans of
Canadian racing.
My fellow founding partner, David Weber, summed it up when he said, “We are immensely proud of our 26-year journey publishing Inside Track Motorsport News. No other Canadian racing magazine can boast such longevity and success, that we know of. However, we are energized by the prospects of our digital future on InsideTrackNews.com and our other platforms. This marks an exciting chapter for Canadian motorsports, and we remain committed to delivering compelling, informative and entertaining content to Canadian racers, fans and advertisers, solidifying our position as leaders in the industry.”
As you know, we’re a small staff and we’ve been largely consumed with getting ready for the Toronto Motorama show. But as soon as that’s done, we’ll turn our attention to ramping up InsideTrackNews.com. Our plan is to continue to present the work of our many contributors in a more timely and entertaining way than ever before.
I can’t say there’s not a tinge of emotion given that some of us having been doing together since 1990, and publishing printed editions of Inside Track since the fall of 1997. But it’s time.
And we’re all excited about what the future holds. We love bringing the stories from the world of Canadian racing to you, our readers, and we hope you’ll join us and continue the journey at InsideTrackNews.com. Thank you. And stay tuned. IT
There’s nothing gloomy about rainy days. That is, when you have WeatherTech FloorLiners. Laser measured for your specific vehicle, the WeatherTech FloorLiner is guaranteed to provide a perfect fit and the ultimate carpet protection, for as long as you own your vehicle. So when Mother Nature is at her worst, don’t worry because we’re at our best.
For the past few weeks, the debut of the latest Formula 1 cars have been taking place. As well, personnel moves are also happening. Aside from Hamilton going to Ferrari in 2025, the biggest ‘current’ change was Gunther Steiner being let go as Team Principal of the Haas Formula 1 team, a position he held since 2016.
Steiner’s nine-season career at Haas was preceded by a stint at Red Bull Racing, and its predecessor, Jaguar Racing. Many fans will know him from Netflix’s Drive to Survive, where he became a fan favourite for his blunt, expletive-laden way of speaking.
Replacing Steiner is former Haas Trackside Engineer Ayao Komatsu, who began his career at British American Racing (BAR), before moving on to Renault/Lotus, prior to joining Haas in 2016.
Steiner was arguably the face of Haas, not just for his high profile role in Drive to Survive, but for his efforts to get the team on the grid prior to Haas’ debut season. Steiner was instrumental in hiring many of the initial staff, and was seen as the prime negotiator that landed the team Ferrari engines, which Haas still uses to this day.
Joining Steiner out the door is Simone Resta, who served as Haas’ Technical Director since 2021, primarily due to his close ties to Ferrari, where he previously worked in various senior-level roles. In fact, Resta was on loan from Ferrari, and the agreement ended in 2023, but no replacement has been named at the time I’m writing this.
It’s clear the news was a bit of a shock to Steiner, as the announcement occurred, according to him, during a phone call from team owner Gene Haas.
“It stung [not being able to say goodbye to the team], but they all know me and that I still appreciate what they did,” said Steiner, in an interview with SkysportsF1. “It would be nice to say, ‘Hey guys, thanks for all that you did,’ because the team started very small, running on adrenaline a lot of times, and they did a good job. Obviously it doesn’t make you happy not saying thank you (at the time).”
According to Haas, the decision was made based purely on performance, after the American-based team fell back to last in the 2023 Formula 1 Constructors standings with only 12 points, after finishing eighth out of ten teams in 2022.
“It came down to performance,” said Haas, in an interview with Formula1.com. “Here we are in our eighth year, over 160 races, and we have never had a podium. The last couple of years, we’ve been tenth or ninth. I’m not sitting here saying it’s Guenther’s fault, or anything like that, but it just seems like this was an appropriate time to make a change and try a different direction, because it doesn’t seem like continuing with what we had is really going to work.”
I don’t usually take much stock in what Formula 1 team members and owners say publicly, but I understand where Haas is coming from. From the onset of Haas’ inception, Steiner was Haas, his fingerprints are all over the team, and for that he should be commended. It is no small feat to start a Formula 1 team, and keep it going for nine seasons. Formula 1’s history is littered with failed teams who stuck around for a fraction of that time, but how do you create true change without moving on from Steiner? I don’t think it would have been possible. IT
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From CARSRally.ca
Known as the toughest day in Canadian Rallying, the 2023 Lincoln Electric Rally of the Tall Pines in Bancroft, Ontario, lived up to its storied reputation. Never has the old adage “winter roads, summer ditches” been more appropriate.
A combination of smooth roads and a pre-event flash freeze made the high-speed, jump filled stages a skating rink, testing the skills and bravery of all 26 teams entered in the sixth round of the Canadian Rally
Championship. The 2023 championship saw its sixth different winner in as many races, showcasing the depth of the competition this season.
The defending champions, Jerome Mailloux and Philippe Poirier, have embodied the press-on-regardless spirit of rallying in 2023. Despite a series of disastrous events, they started every rally with the same energy that led them to their title in 2022.
Their determination finally paid off at Tall Pines. They were one of the few teams to
drive every stage without drama, setting the early pace and leading almost continuously from start to finish, their Test Racing Subaru running flawlessly to their first win of the season.
Points leaders Jean-Sebastien Besner and Yvan Joyal were not so lucky. Tall Pines was their first time facing icy conditions in their new Fiesta, and it took Besner the first loop of stages to figure out how to make the car dance on the ice.
After the first service, they were ready to
attack, and started hunting down Mailloux. They took the lead on Stage 7, but then lost all their gains on Stage 8 when an electrical problem caused the car to repeatedly shut down at speed.
Their service crew was able to diagnose and repair a faulty ECU connector at service, but they would have to settle for second place.
Previously, Tall Pines 2021 was a turnaround event for Marc-André Brisebois and Marie-France Desmarais-Trepanier, with their success leading to runner-up status in the championship. The 2023 edition proved to be another successful run for the Test Racing duo.
They drove clean and fast, avoiding the costly mistakes made by other teams, and earned third place despite being under pressure through the second half of the event from Tall Pines specialists Jeremy Drake and Deric Jackson.
But the most shocking drive of the rally came from ‘Crazy’ Leo Urlichich. The twotime Tall Pines winner has been on hiatus in Canada for the last couple of years but decided to bring an old 105hp 2WD Ford Focus out of mothballs to have some fun on the icy stages.
The resulting performance was nothing short of miraculous. Crazy Leo and co-driver Sam Roxon took every corner right to the edge and flew higher than any other team over the jumps, setting several top-three stage times and winning the penultimate stage of the rally outright.
A three-minute transit penalty was the only thing that kept them off the overall podium, and they won the 2WD class by a huge margin.
Chris Greenhouse and Ryan Scott quickly realized that trying to hunt down Crazy Leo would end with their Dodge deep in a ditch and kept their heads in the long game for the overall 2WD Championship.
A smooth, drama-free drive to second place in class was enough to earn them their first title. “I may have lost this battle,”
said Greenhouse emotionally, just before spraying champagne. “But I won the war.”
In the points race to the Fidler Cup, Alexandre Moreau and Ian Guité were hoping to close the gap to Besner and Joyal, having finished on the podium at Tall Pines before, but the opposite happened.
A repeat of the fuel pump problems they had at the Rocky Mountain Rally cost them enormous time in the first loop, dropping them as low as 19th. Team Swap Shop fixed the car at the first service, and they fought
heroically to climb back up the leaderboard to finish 7th, just high enough to keep Besner and Joyal from locking up the title.
Following Tall Pines, the teams had just two weeks to re-prep and make their way to Kelowna, BC, for the 2023 Canadian Rally Championship finale, The Big White Winter Rally. Jean-Sebastien Besner needed just two points to earn his place on the Fidler Cup, while Alexandre Moreau needs to win and hope Besner ends up in a snowbank for his chance at the ultimate prize. IT
From the CMHF
Following a public nomination process that was conducted during the months leading up to the late-July submission deadline, on November 2 the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame (CMHF) announced that 15 new members would be inducted during the Hall’s annual Gala Induction Ceremony in Toronto, in February.
Twelve individuals and one racing duo were tabbed to be inducted in the Competi-
• Claude Aubin * (Bois-des-Fillions, QC)
• Jeremy Dale (Toronto, ON)
• Mark Dilley (Barrie, ON)
• James Hinchcliffe (Oakville, ON)
• Ernie Jakubowski (Oakville, ON)
• Norman Jennings (Toronto, ON)
• Brad Moran (Toronto, ON)
• Patrick Richard (Squamish, BC)
• Didier Schraenen (Mont-St-Hilaire, QC)
• Frank & Dan Sprongl (Georgetown, ON)
• William (Bill) Vallis (Welland, ON)
• John Waldie (Stratford, ON)
• Kuno Wittmer (Brossard, QC)
• John Massingberd * (Burlington, ON)
• J. Wally Nesbitt (Port Perry, ON)
* denotes deceased
tors / Motorsport Builders / Race Support Participants category, while two veteran Canadian motorsports journalists are to be honoured in the Media category.
Fifty-six individuals and organizations –representing varied racing disciplines and regions from across Canada – were put forward for consideration by members of the public. Once the nomination period closed, the CMHF Independent Selection Committee reviewed and scored the nominations. Subsequently, the recommendation was made to the Board of Directors to induct 15 new members into the CMHF. The Board approved the recommendation at its meeting on October 19.
Discussing the ‘Class of 2023’ nomination and selection process, CMHF Chair Peter Lockhart said, “We’re excited to announce this year’s new inductees to the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame. We appreciate everyone who took the time to research and submit nominations. And we applaud the contributions of those who will be inducted, as well as all of those who were put forward for consideration. We’re very grateful to the Canadian racing community for the exceptional quality and quantity of the nominations. And I would like to recognize and thank the members of the Independent Selection Committee – headed by our Chair Emeritus Dr. Hugh Scully – for thoughtfully reviewing and scoring
the nominations. It was a lot of work, and they did an excellent job identifying worthy individuals for induction to the Hall.”
Lockhart continued, “As soon as the Board approved the recommendation for the Class of 2023, I had the honour and pleasure of reaching out to each of the inductees to congratulate them on being selected and as well to their nominators, to thank them for submitting their successful nominations. On behalf of the Board of the CMHF, we celebrate their contributions to racing in Canada. And we look forward to welcoming them to the CMHF.”
The CMHF Induction Gala is co-sponsored by Clubine Motorsports, OTSFF Sports Marketing Group and TNG Exotics & Limited Editions. For a full report and gallery from the Induction Gala, go to CMHF.ca or InsideTrackNews.com. IT
In late November, NASCAR announced that its Canadian touring series would have a new name for 2024. It would now be known as the NASCAR Canada Series with Evirum and Pinty’s serving as Presenting Partners. This season, the tour is heading into its 18th season.
As well, NASCAR officials released its 13race schedule which will see the NASCAR Canada Series visit six provinces.
“Canadian motorsports fans are incredibly passionate, and the new NASCAR Canada Series name appropriately captures their nationalistic pride,” said Chad Seigler, NASCAR chief international officer. “The series features Canada’s biggest racing stars, competing at the top tracks across the country. With an influx of talented young drivers and a garage full of healthy and competitive teams, interest in the series is at an all-time high. We are excited to build off recent momentum and deliver great racing to fans across Canada.”
Pinty’s, which has served as series entitlement partner since 2016, and Evirum are Presenting Partners of the series, with each investing across the industry, including teams, tracks and fan promotions.
“Evirum is excited to join NASCAR Canada as one of their Presenting Partners and as its Official Residual Materials Management and Environmental Solutions Provider,” said Julien Remillard, Evirum president. “Our involvement in this thrilling series dates back to last season, where we offered support to some drivers, race promoters and racetrack operators. When the opportunity to become
a Series Partner presented itself, it was a natural progression in alignment with our expanding presence across Canada and the United States. We eagerly anticipate sharing our expertise with NASCAR Canada and its stakeholders to bolster their recycling and sustainability efforts.”
“Once again, we are very proud to associate the name of our Pinty’s brand with NASCAR Canada as a presenting partner, thus supporting motorsport in Canada, which will now have a new race in Quebec,” said Yanick Gervais, Olymel president and CEO.
The schedule for the 2024 season features a mix of traditional events with a new season finale at Autodrome Montmagny – the first visit to the track for the NASCAR Canada Series and the first series finale to be held in Quebec (Sept. 22). The season will open at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on Victoria Day weekend (May 19) as it did every year from 2011-2019.
In between, the series will again race at Riverside Speedway in Nova Scotia with a doubleheader weekend (June 29-30), creating an East Coast Swing following the race at Eastbound Speedway in Newfoundland and Labrador (June 22).
The popular dirt race at Ohsweken Speedway will return for the third year and will move to July 11, before the traditional Western Swing to Sutherland Automotive Speedway in Saskatoon (July 20) and Edmonton International Raceway (July 27).
The Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, which
has been run since 1967, returns on Sunday, August 11.
NASCAR also announced that longtime Canadian motorsports executive Alan Labrosse has been named General Manager of NASCAR Canada. Labrosse, a member of the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame, will be charged with growing and promoting NASCAR throughout Canada, which includes oversight of the NASCAR Canada Series. Following a successful career as a driver, Labrosse transitioned to the business side of the sport. He owned and operated Autodrome St-Eustache for 13 years and has served as a promoter, team owner and agent.
All NASCAR Canada Series races air on TSN and RDS in Canada and FloSports in the United States. The full broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date. IT
SUN | MAY 19
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Bowmanville, Ont.
SAT | JUNE 1
Autodrome Chaudière Vallée-Jonction, Que.
SAT | JUNE 22
Eastbound International Speedway Avondale, N.L.
SAT | JUNE 29
Riverside Speedway Antigonish, N.S.
SUN | JUNE 30
Riverside Speedway Antigonish, N.S.
THU | JULY 11
Ohsweken Speedway Ohsweken, Ont.
SAT | JULY 20
Sutherland Automotive Speedway Saskatoon, Sask.
SAT | JULY 27
Edmonton International Raceway
Wetaskiwin, Alb.
SUN | AUG. 11
Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières, Que.
SAT | AUG. 17
Delaware Speedway Delaware, Ont.
SAT | AUG. 24
Circuit ICAR Mirabel, Que.
SUN | SEPT. 1
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Bowmanville, Ont.
SUN | SEPT. 22
Autodrome Montmagny Speedway Montmagny, Que.
The CASC-OR RaceOntario Championships season concluded with the annual Celebration of Motorsport, on September 30 and October 1, 2023 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).
The road racing series features various groups competing in the same events. The Pirelli Super Touring Sprints and Pirelli Grand Touring Sprints are for any closedwheel race cars that were, at some point, loosely based on a street car. They’re split into classes based on lap times, with GT1 and GT2 making up Super Touring, with lap times under 1:31 at CTMP, and GT3 to GT5 making up Grand Touring, with lap times over 1:31.
Formula Prototype splits into classes based on vehicle type, with the group featuring Revolutions, Radicals, Formula Atlantics and Formula Renaults. All other open-wheel categories fall under a group featuring Formula Libre, F4, F1200 and VARAC Formula Classic.
The remaining two divisions are run by VARAC, with Vintage Historic including closed-wheel cars built pre-1973 and Classic/Modern Classic including closed-wheel cars built between 1973 and 2006. These groups are split into classes based on lap times.
“A regional race weekend is designed to let people who have a race car have some
place to race it,” said CASC-OR president Ted Michalos. “We’ve got classes for every type of car and at every speed. That’s one of our objectives. It’s grassroots motorsports, so if you have a race car, you can bring it to us and we’ll find some place that you can compete.”
Some of the fastest cars are found in the Super Touring group, with an impressive variety ranging from sports cars, such as a BMW M3 and Chevrolet Camaro, to NASCAR-style trucks and cars, such as a Chevrolet Silverado and Pontiac Grand Prix, all competing head-to-head.
Leroy Micallef won race one, in a 2022 Ford Mustang, and held the lead in race two before his weekend came to an abrupt end.
“Just coming up to lapped traffic, I lost my perception going into Turn 2, turned in too late and ended up spinning the car,” said Micallef. “First race was fantastic, car was working well, had a lot of confidence going into race two. Unfortunately, something else got the best of me.”
Blaise Csida, in a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix, inherited the lead and won a shortened race two, before grabbing the victory in the finale. Csida was running just his second event of the season, opting to focus on renting out the race car instead.
“We have a 25-year-old car, that’s our
inexpensive rental car, and we’re just showcasing it…just nice to prove that the car can still win,” said Csida. “Quite frankly, my (teammate) Leroy would’ve had the weekend if he didn’t have the crash…overall, fantastic weekend, super well organized, weather was perfect, what else can you ask for?”
Bryan Rashleigh won the opening Grand Touring race, in a 2007 Subaru Legacy Spec B, before a pair of wins by Krystian Palka, in a 2003 BMW M3.
While vintage cars are also eligible to run in the GT groups, Michalos says that it’s a different racing standard that attracts most of the vintage racers to stay in that category. He says that vintage racing uses ‘gentlemen’s rules,’ where showcasing the old cars on track is prioritized over winning trophies, while modern drivers are more aggressive.
That contrast is the reason why Reg Akers runs in the Modern Classic group, instead of in GT or at a short track. Akers grew up watching NASCAR legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, but prefers to race his 1999 Ford Taurus stock car to a gentleman’s standard.
“Road racing’s always been that way, that’s why they have stewards, it’s not a full-contact sport,” said Akers. “It’s supposed to be that the fastest guy wins and you go off-line to pass me; I stay on my line and (you) go around if you can, go nuts, don’t take me
out doing it. And that seems to have been forgotten a little bit in the GT1 and GT2 ranks.”
Akers switched from motorcycle racing to car racing about six or seven years ago, with his brother Ronald saying that he ‘reached the age for the cage.’ He races in partnership with MBS Motorsports, using their tools and NASCAR Pinty’s Series driver Daniel Bois’ hauler.
“The owners of MBS are good friends of mine and Daniel’s a driver coach, so he points out what we’re doing wrong,” said Akers, with a chuckle. “He’s always telling me, ‘get out of the seat and I’ll show you how this is supposed to go’ and I go ‘no, no, no, I don’t need to know, I’ll learn that on my own Daniel.’”
Akers seemed to have no trouble on his own, sweeping the overall wins in the Classic/Modern Classic group, with the fastest car in the field. Tim Sanderson and Robert Offley completed the podium in all three races, with Mike Steplock posting a best finish of fourth in the weekend finale.
Offley and Steplock each drive a Porsche 911 out of the same stable, with Steplock’s 1984 Porsche featuring a Team Penske-inspired paint scheme. There was also a special moment for the car during Saturday’s lunch break, when Steplock provided a ride-along experience to Lucas Prins, a race fan who’s battling terminal cancer.
“It was fabulous, it was exactly what I expected, only better,” said Prins. “I’ve come to the track for years, watching races…Moss Corner was my biggest thrill because I’ve watched races from down there before, just coming over that rise and then having that braking happening, the braking was my most surprising thing.”
Also on the same team as Offley and Steplock is Tammy Moore, who drove a 1970 Porsche 911 ST in the Vintage Historic group. Moore finished second and sixth in the opening races, while recording her fastest time in the car, a 1:42.289. She then came from sixth to lead the most laps and win the finale.
“I had a great time, I changed classes and I feel like I’ve found my home in this group,” said Moore. “It was a ton of fun being able to race back-and-forth with the guys, tight right in there, just super fun…and I got my best overall time for driving that car, so it was a great end to the season and a wonderful way to set up for 2024.”
Ivan Samila won the opening two Vintage
Historic races, before finishing third. In the formula group, it was Stephen Sutherland who won the first race, in a 1995 Van Diemen RF95 Formula Libre entry, before James Morton ended the season with a pair of victories, in a 2015 Gamma Tercero F4 car.
Unlike the other five groups in action at the Celebration of Motorsport, the new Formula Prototype category had just two races. With a mix of open-wheel formula cars and open-cockpit sports car prototypes, with a lap time faster than 1:25 at CTMP, it was also a test session of sorts for an FEL Motorsports team.
Emzone Radical Cup Canada team RySpec Racing fielded five cars, including the same No. 9 Radical that Jake Cowden drove to the series championship. The team used the event as a way to provide practice and experience for the next generation.
David Senna Summerbell made the trip from Jamaica to pilot the No. 9 entry. While he has Radical experience, it was only his second time on the tricky CTMP circuit.
“Looking at it and driving on it are two different things,” said Summerbell. “It looks so easy to drive on it, like how the best do it, and when you’re finally here in-person and you get up to these speeds, it’s a whole different story. It’s good. You’re fighting for your life at that point, you’re going so fast, so awesome feeling.”
Summerbell says that it was the most comfortable he’s been in someone else’s car; he made the most of the experience, finishing second and third in the races, as the highest placing Radical. Bruno St-Jacques won both events, in a 2020 Revolution A1 427.
Podium trophies were handed out following each group’s final race of the weekend, while the many class champions were recognized at the year-end banquet. IT
In November, the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame (CDRHF) welcomed 16 new inductees during a ceremony in Montreal, QC.
All have made outsanding contributions to the sport of drag racing, warranting their inclusion to the Hall during its seventh annual induction gala.
Over 230 people were in attendance for the event, which featured a four-course Italian meal, live music and dancing.
Congratulations to all of the new members. For more info on the CDRHF, visit CDRHF.com.
• Neale Armstrong - Selkirk, Ontario
• Bob Atchison - London, Ontario
• Rob Atchison - London, Ontario
• Roger Bateman - Calgary, Alberta
• Chris Biro - Harley, Ontario
• Doug Box - London, Ontario
• Sharon Fletcher - Waterford, Ontario
• Don Henderson - Burford, Ontario (Posthumous)
• Wayne Huber - London, Ontario (Posthumous)
• Bruce A. Mehlenbacher - Kohler, Ontario (Posthumous)
• Bruce F. Mehlenbacher - Cayuga, Ontario
• Tim Miller - Hamilton, Ontario
• Barry Paton - Paris, Ontario (Posthumous)
• Todd Paton - Rancho Santa Margarita, California
• Pat Reynolds - Calgary, Alberta
• Carl Skura - Orillia, Ontario (Posthumous)
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The Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame (MMHF) laureate count grew by ten on November 18 as the Class of 2023 was welcomed to the hallowed hall at a gala ceremony held in Truro, Nova Scotia. This brings the total inductee number to 157 since the MMHF was founded in 2006.
Emotions were high as the diverse group accepted accolades and was acknowledged by their peers and family members, each taking to the podium to thank all those who contributed to their careers.
They received a commemorative plaque
to take home, and another will be installed in their honour at the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame complex in Petitcodiac (NB).
The Class of 2023 includes Donald Best (deceased), Darrin & Ann Butcher, Glen Cole, Linwood Giberson, Roger LeBlanc, Nathalie Richard, Scott Sinclair, Lucas Strackerjan, Vincent Vienneau, and the Westmoreland Cycle Club. Bios for each can be found online at mmhf.ca,
Besides providing a formal platform to induct new members, the annual ceremony is an important fundraiser for the Maritime
Rain and cold temperatures didn’t deter 14-year-old Keaton
Pipe from continuing his fall charity tradition, while also concluding his rookie Canadian Legend Car Series (CLCS) season, at Peterborough Speedway’s Autumn Colours Classic.
Pipe became interested in racing when he was five years old, watching a NASCAR Cup Series race that was introduced by his parents as ‘real-life Lightning McQueen.’ The speed and colourful cars stood out to Keaton, where he picked Joey Logano as his favourite driver.
Inspired by the Joey Logano Foundation, Pipe’s charitable efforts started in 2020. This year’s initiatives included selling decals to support Muscular Dystrophy Canada/LAPS4MD on the August long weekend and the continuation of his annual Fall Food Drive, supporting Feed the Need in Durham, for Thanksgiving weekend.
Motorsports Hall of Fame. Each year members of the new class of inductees sign a checkered flag which is live-auctioned. At the gala, the flag sold for a record $7,000.
Many thanks to Robby’s Towing, King Racing, and Atlantic Tiltload for their generous support of the event which was live-streamed by Tim’s Corner Motorsports. Nominations are now being accepted for the Class of 2024 at www.mmhf.ca. To learn more about the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame (MMHF) please visit the MMHF museum in Petitcodiac or online at www.mmhf.ca. IT
“I want to use my platform to help other people,” said Pipe. “It feels really good because I know it’s going to a good cause and I’m helping people who need it a lot.”
With files from Team Canada Scholarship
The Team Canada Scholarship selects two young drivers each year to take part in the two largest Formula Ford (1600) events in the world, the Formula Ford Festival held at Brands Hatch and the Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone.
The 2023 Team Canada Scholarship was a resounding success with drivers Alex Berg and Logan Pacza getting the nod to represent Canada after both recorded stellar seasons, Alex in USF4 and Logan in the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship.
The two met for the first time, in the Arrivals area at Heathrow International, and quickly became friends. Brands Hatch, in southern England, was the first stop. Driver fittings and the initial team meeeting took place on the Tuesday.
Graham Brunton Racing (GBR) is the team that hosts the TCS, everyone gelled quickly. Testing got underway Wednesday morning and both drivers got their first laps at one of the world’s most iconic race tracks. They also learned new tires, cars and a style of driving. And as usual, fall in the UK meant racing in wet conditions.
After 3 days of testing, the official weekend began with qualifying and the first set of heat races.
Logan was first up in the Heat 1 group, driving on a wet track. He finished third in his group to nab a second row starting spot in his heat race. Alex ended up seventh in his qualifying session (Heat 3), which was very wet. In his heat, Logan got to experience his first-ever standing start. He lost several positions due to wheelspin, in the rain.
He recovered to fifth at the finish, recording the third-fastest lap. Alex is familiar with standing starts and took to a dry track for his heat. He moved forward throughout the race and finished fourth, posting the fastest lap of the heat.
Sunday was dry and both Canadians lined up beside each other in Row 3 of Semi Final 2. The pair stuck with each other throughout, with Logan coming home P6 and Alex on his tail. With the top 12 finishers moving directly to the Grand Final the two were locked in for their first Formula Ford Festival.
The Grand Final was one to remember with a field stacked with talented drivers from all over the world. The two young Canadians showed well with them finishing side-by-side (Logan in 12th and Alex in 13th). The experience positioned them for the biggest race of the year, two weeks later at Silverstone.
With a week between the two events, the TCS team with founder Brian Graham and Director Kelly Graham travelled to Scotland to visit the Graham Brunton Racing shop and tour the area with the GBR team owners Graham and Heather.
Stops included visits to the Highlands, dinner in Edinburgh, a few castles, a trip to a stock car race and a day at the Jim Clark Museum. After that, it was back to business as 90 drivers were on hand to contest for the Walther Hayes Trophy, with 36 spots up for grabs in the Grand Final. Once again, rain played a factor in the Saturday action.
Logan was on top of the timing charts late in the session when he slowed for a yellow flag situation and was hit from behind causing session ending damage. He fell to sixth as others continued on the drying track. Alex struggled early in the wet, but improved, qualifying P7.
Logan came home P7 in his soggy heat race, while Alex made some late moves to take P4 in his heat. Next up were the Semi
Finals. Alex lined up eighth in his, while Logan took the green flag in 14th in Semi 2.
Alex was part of the lead train, on the wet track, and secured sixth to advance directly to the Grand Final. Logan came forward on the drying track, climbing to P7 at the end, also earning a spot in the Grand Final. Alex and Logan would start 12th and 13th, respectively, in the main event.
Under green, Alex pushed forward into the top five, joining the lead train. Logan also made progress, but not as quickly due to traffic. The red flag came out, resulting in a bad break for Alex. Debris put a hole in his radiator, effectively ending his race.
Back under green, Logan had a fantastic sprint to the finish, clawing to sixth at the end of the shortened race. From the 90-car entry, this was an outstanding result. Had Alex not run into trouble, he was also headed for a top result. In the end, Team Canada Scholarship headed home with smiles, great memories and a sense of accomplishment.
“I am so proud of our two young drivers who represented the Team Canada Scholarship this year,” said TCS founder Brian Graham. “Alex and Logan both put in a terrific effort and showed us all that Canada has a bright future with young racers coming up through the ranks. This rates as one of our best trips and we are looking forward to next season already. Thanks to our supporters and sponsors, and to GBR who once again gave us great cars to compete with.” IT
With files from CASC-OR Karting
announced in November that
Scott Fletcher will be the new Director of Karting for the Ontario Region. The second-generation active racer comes to the organization with a wealth of experience in motorsports, as well as previous experience on the boards of multiple racing clubs, which will serve him well moving forward.
“After my stock car career, I got my kids involved racing karts and truly love the sport of karting,” said Fletcher, explaining why this position was of interest. “The friends/family involved in karting drives me to help grow this sport for everyone involved.”
CASC-OR held its annual general meeting on November 12. During that meeting, the Director of Karting position was up for election, as the outgoing director Robin Buck was not returning following his twoyear term.
“I’ve always believed karting is the backbone of our racing community,” said Buck. “It’s the grassroots starting point for so many of the best drivers in the world today. I know Scott feels the same way, but would
also like to see the ‘fun’ and ‘family’ atmosphere in the Clubs and Tracks continue to improve and grow…with his vision and willingness to want to help do what’s best for the Karting community in Ontario, Karting can and will move towards a healthier place for all involved.”
Fletcher’s resume in racing spans more than 40 years, from Karts to Cars, from Clubs to NASCAR. The Ontario karting community will see Scott’s influence quickly implemented, with several new initiatives and social communication, some of which
Itwas a dominant season for Logan Pacza in the Ontario-based Toyo Tires F1600 Championship, where the youngster quickly became the driver to beat.
The 16-year-old racer made the jump from karting to F1600 this season, starting the year with two wins and a runner-up finish at Shannonville Motorsport Park. He then won five of six races between the Vintage Grand Prix and BARC weekends at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).
This was Pacza’s first experience racing on the historic 10-turn road course. He compares CTMP to a chess board, with all the strategy involved. He also notes that the faster speeds make it difficult to feel the different ways of entering a turn.
“It’s very hard to notice the difference between 200 k.p.h. and 205 k.p.h., the feeling that you get between those two spaces is very small the faster you go,” said Pacza. “It’s hard to tell when you’re going into some of these fast corners whether or not it’s actually better…you can’t really feel when you’re doing it, so you need someone else to watch you try something else.”
Pacza swept a trio of races at Calabogie Motorsports Park, before recording two wins and a runner-up finish on the Labour Day
are in place.
CASC-OR Karting’s 2024 initiatives include a provincial class ranking, for all classes, and weekly driver spotlights posted on social media/web. There will also be sponsored classes that will receive prizes and a provincial Contingency Program when sponsors come on board.
CASC-OR Karting will continue with review and distribution of four- and two-cycle rules, as well as track inspections. More information about CASC-OR Karting can be found on their website, www.casc.on.ca/karting. IT
weekend at CTMP. He set a F1600 track record during qualifying for the CTMP races, posting a lap time of 1:27.935.
With 12 wins in 15 starts, Pacza was able to clinch the Class A championship before the final weekend. He credits his Britain West Motorsport team for helping him achieve this quick success.
“This is my first year; I come into this and I don’t know what I’m doing,” concluded Pacza. “It’s incredibly helpful to have people who have been doing this for 30 years, more than that probably, and they have so much knowledge and I just get to soak that up…I think I’d be much less developed if I didn’t have them behind me.” IT
ItBy Bryce Turner
was a historic season for Treyten Lapcevich in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series (NPS), where the third-generation racer took home a championship in his third full-time season.
Lapcevich got off to a quick start, dominating the opener at Sunset Speedway before making a last-turn move for the victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).
While his dad has five podiums at CTMP, it was Treyten who became the first Lapcevich to win an NPS road race.
“Below having a goal to win a championship was just to get a win on a road course,” said Lapcevich. “To win on one – I feel like you gain a lot of confidence in yourself, you gain respect from the competitors, especially in a series where there are so many good road racers.”
The early hot streak continued into Autodrome Chaudière, where he led most of the way, but finished second; his 521 laps led, through three races, still crushed the previous record of 333 laps led.
Next up was Newfoundland’s Eastbound Speedway, where Lapcevich fell back early, before halftime adjustments brought the car to life. He went on to join his 22 Racing owner Scott Steckly as the only other driver to win three of the first four races.
“Definitely surprised, it was a lot of improvement compared to where we were last year,” said Lapcevich. “I think the speed was there last year but we didn’t have that speed as consistently and we had a lot of mechanical issues…big props to the whole 22 Racing team, they really brought amazing cars to every track and every race and that showed already.”
Lapcevich finished sixth on the Streets of Toronto and second in Edmonton before more history, at Saskatoon’s Sutherland Automotive Speedway. He matched what Marc-Antoine Camirand did at Edmonton, becoming the seventh driver to lead flagto-flag in a race. He then became the first driver to sweep the Saskatoon twin-125s.
Next on the schedule was Trois-Rivières, followed by back-to-back races at Ohsweken Speedway. The winner of the inaugural NPS dirt race had a busy week, running double-duty in a crate sprint car for Glenn Styres.
“It’s a whole new realm for me,” said Lapcevich. “It’s not just learning the car but also learning the track and how it changes every time you get on there…I think having that experience and trying different cars and having these different opportunities might help me with the end goal.”
Lapcevich led three quarters of the Monday race, before getting tangled with a lapped car and finishing fourth. The following race was postponed to the Wednesday, where he won the series’ 200th race, also marking his second win in three Ohsweken events.
Top-six finishes at Circuit ICAR and CTMP put him in position to clinch the championship by just starting the finale at Delaware Speedway, despite Camirand posting a statistically better season than his 2022 title campaign.
Lapcevich took the victory at Delaware, becoming the first champion to win the finale since Steckly in 2013. He ended the year with seven wins, nine podiums, 11 Top-5s, 14 Top-10s, 1,149 laps led and a 2.6 average finish, all of which tied or became new single-season records (except for Top-5s).
It was also an emotional race for the
Grimsby, ON driver, with his ‘Grandma Jingles,’ Vera Kohler, passing away just two days earlier.
“A lot of racing is a mental game and, with the passing of my grandmother, it’s hard to stay focused,” said Lapcevich. “I think having my whole family there with me, even during a tough time like that where my mom maybe, in her mind, might’ve wanted to be elsewhere, definitely is big; it’s great to have that support from the family.”
The family aspect of racing was evident in the 2023 championship. Treyten’s dad, Jeff, became a two-time champion crew chief, following his 2016 title with Treyten’s older brother Cayden.
Cayden had an off-weekend from his ARCA crew chief duties and was also on hand at the Delaware finale.
“We have a pretty strong history in the Pinty’s Series now, with my uncle and dad and brother,” said Treyten. “To have them all there and (for them) to be able to celebrate with me, to bring another Pinty’s Series championship to the Lapcevich residence, was definitely big.”
Ironically, both Cayden and Treyten got their first NPS win in their 13th start. Through 31 starts (Cayden’s career total),
it was Cayden with more wins and podiums, while Treyten had more Top-5s and laps led. While it was Treyten who added his name to the single-season record books this year, Cayden points out that it took him longer to win a championship.
“I still did it when I was younger, and as a rookie, so I’m still going to take that on him, but it’s a good deal,” said Cayden. “It’s awesome to see him get it done… to come in here and run a really good race, not exactly dominate but lead a bunch of laps and go out in fashion, win the race and the championship, is huge.”
Cayden’s title came with the family’s Fastline Motorsports team, while Treyten’s came with 22 Racing. Despite that difference, the need for last-minute funding was another similarity between the brothers’ championship seasons.
Funding will not be an issue in 2024, as Lapcevich will run the full zMax CARS Tour
schedule with sponsorship from Evirum Waste Management Eco-Responsible Services and BKFC. He also remains busy with his studies at York University’s Schulich School of Business.
“Having the skills that business school has
provided me is not only a backup plan, if I’m not able to race for a career, but it also provides me with skills that I can use to improve and drive my racing career down the road,” concluded Lapcevich. “School’s a pretty big passion of mine, I enjoy going to school.” IT
By Bryce Turner
With more experience under his belt, Kyle Steckly one-upped his rookie season by claiming the 2023 APC United Late Model Series championship.
Steckly started the year with a new McColl Racing Enterprises chassis and a 12thplace finish at Sunset Speedway, before a runner-up at Flamboro Speedway and a win at Peterborough Speedway. His third-career APC Series victory was also his first at a track other than Flamboro.
“I travelled a lot last year, which was new to me because I normally stuck with one track and just ran home tracks,” said Steckly. “Last year, I learned a lot, going to Sunset for the first time, Peterborough for the first time, Sauble for the first time, and it just made me a much better driver.”
After a fourth-place at Delaware Speedway, the series returned to Flamboro.
Steckly was running towards the front on a late restart when he got collected in a wreck, where Junior Farrelly’s car ended up on his roof. The damage to his No. 22 was mainly cosmetic, but it was the damage in the standings that created concern.
“I wasn’t too happy running in fourth that day and, once we got in the wreck, the points situation didn’t look that good,” said Steckly. “Me and the crew went back to the shop, we got everything fixed up. The week before the Sauble race, we went to Flamboro for the Gold Rush and we won that, then we went to Sauble and won that.”
Rebounding from the DNF to win at Sauble Speedway put the Milverton, ON driver on a bit of a roll, finishing third in the following races, at Sunset and Sauble.
The consistent results gave Steckly the championship lead entering the finale.
“Going into that last race, at Delaware, with only a five-point lead was definitely nerve wracking, knowing how good all the guys around me in points were there,” said Steckly.
“I didn’t have to win the race, I just had to be smart and be there at the end.”
Steckly entered last year’s finale trailing J.R. Fitzpatrick by 20 points. It could’ve been closer, but a penalty in the penultimate race sent him to the back; he finished behind Fitzpatrick in that race and ended the year runner-up in points.
Learning from that experience, Steckly focused on ‘being smart’ throughout the season. His team’s pit strategy cycled him further back in the second half at Delaware, with challenger Jo Lawrence moving ahead. As the laps wound down, Steckly slowly
worked his way through the field, keeping Lawrence in his windshield.
“We just did what we had to,” said Steckly. “We got back up there and, once we were in a safe spot, I just didn’t want to risk anything and we just saved our stuff and made sure nothing stupid happened.”
Steckly finished fifth to clinch the APC Series championship, where the hard work of his crew stood out to him the most from this season.
He says the 22 Racing team went to work after the Flamboro wreck, with a couple of changes that made the car lights out; he says that the crew never gives up and it pays off at the end.
Working on the car has not been limited to just the crew. Steckly has been around the shop for as long as he can remember, with the importance of turning wrenches being emphasized to Kyle by his dad, fourtime NASCAR Pinty’s Series (NPS) champion Scott Steckly.
“Ever since I was young, racing go karts, we weren’t going racing unless I was in the shop, working on the car,” said Steckly. “I definitely am appreciative of that because it’s paid off in the end. When you respect your equipment and you understand how much work and how much effort these guys put in to make it possible, it makes you respect whatever it does a lot more.”
Steckly has also served as crew chief in NPS, where he became the youngest crew chief to win a series race, with Ken Schrader at Ohsweken Speedway. He says that he
enjoys working on the car almost as much as driving it, something that’s becoming beneficial.
“I think the more you know about the car and how it works, and the engineering side of it, it definitely helps you inside the car,” said Steckly. “You can say ‘I made an adjustment here and it helped,’ you know what it did. At the end of the day, I think the more the driver knows about the car and the adjustments to make, the better driver he is going to be.”
The APC Series championship makes 22 Racing the first team to win both NPS and APC titles. Team owner Scott says that he was nervous during the final race, with his son chasing the goal of winning the series’ top prize.
“All the cars are so close together and anything can happen, but Kyle does a great job behind the wheel, he’s an amazing driver and very patient and usually doesn’t get himself into trouble,” said Scott. “It all turned out great…it’s pretty amazing. He worked very hard at it to make it happen and I’m very proud of him.”
Kyle will return to the APC Series full-time in 2024, while also running the full ASA STARS National Tour south of the border. With a busy season of super and pro late model action ahead, Steckly’s ultimate goal remains stock car racing’s highest level.
“I think that’s every kid’s dream, to race on Sundays in the Cup Series,” concluded Steckly. “I’m going to do everything to make that happen, but for right now, we’re just taking it one race at a time, one weekend at a time, and having fun doing what we’re doing.” IT
the conventional wisdom that drivers need to win races to win a championship, securing his first OSCAAR Modifieds title.
Keen recorded three runner-up finishes and three third-place results in nine points-paying races; the outlier was Delaware Speedway, where he had finishes of 12th, fifth and 13th. He says his team has changed the set-up quite a bit there, where on-track incidents have also been a challenge.
“At Delaware, the last couple of years, I haven’t been able to finish races,” said Keen. “On the Canada Day weekend, I went up and made contact with a guy and had to bring the car into the pits to change a flat… in September, I got put into the wall at the beginning of the race, so that was the end of the race for me.”
The finale, at Peterborough Speedway’s Autumn Colours Classic, got off to a rough start for Keen. He got into oil and crashed in practice, requiring him to borrow another car. He completed the two heat races to collect points, before the race itself was
postponed by weather and declared a nonpoints event.
Keen finished his winless season with a 10-point margin over T.J. Edwards, providing some déjà-vu for the seven-time Canadian Vintage Modifieds champ.
“I want to reach victory lane, in the race, I just wasn’t able to do it this year,” said Keen. “I’ve done this before, in the Vintage Mods class, won a championship without winning a feature.”
Keen has raced OSCAAR Modifieds since
Tyler Hawn ended 2023 on a hot streak, winning three of the last four points-paying races to claim his third OSCAAR Hot Rods championship.
A racing deal led Hawn to a 16th-place finish in the opener, at Flamboro Speedway, before consistent results led to victories. He recorded five wins and nine top-five finishes in the last 10 races, taking the title by 41 points over Steve Book. Despite building a gap down the stretch, his mindset remained the same.
“You can’t get in your own head, you can’t get a feeling that
2018. He says it’s great to see the hard work that his team has put into the car pay off, noting that it’s been a struggle to get to where they are today.
“In years past, we’ve always been off a little on the set-up,” concluded Keen. “We finally found a combination that’s working for us. All we have to do is fine-tune the set-up for the tracks now…this year, we got the traction off the corner, we got the car to roll through the middle and it made a big difference.” IT
they’re never going to catch you, you have to go to every race like you’re going into a battle,” said Hawn. “It doesn’t matter if I had a five-point lead or a 500-point lead, I’m still going into the next race needing to get as many points as absolutely possible to keep this championship going.”
Hawn found victory lane in some of the biggest races of the year, with wins at Sauble Speedway, Brighton Speedway (lone dirt race), Peterborough Speedway (Autumn Colours Classic), and Delaware Speedway (Canada Day race two and Great Canadian Weekend). Autumn Colours was postponed by rain and declared a non-points event.
Hawn says the team focuses on preventative maintenance, working on virtually every part of the hot rod. He credits the efforts of his crew as the key to winning the championship.
“Where we won our races was in the shop,” said Hawn. “We do all of our work ourselves, so it just shows how hard we work as a team, to be able to be as fast as we are. It’s just constant work in the shop, going over everything, going over notes, just working our butts off.”
While it’s hard to compare titles, Hawn says this one is big, with the hot rods now under the United Racing Series banner. Tyler’s younger brother Daniel also won a touring series championship; he says that both of them winning, in the same season, is “unreal” and pointed to Daniel’s hard work and drive. IT
Carson Nagy rode consistent results to his first championship in the five-race Qwick Wick Super Stock Series (QWSS).
Nagy started the season with a win at Peterborough Speedway, followed by finishes of second at Delaware, fourth at Flamboro and sixth at Sunset. A late-race incident at Sunset was nearly detrimental in the standings, but he managed a solid result and entered the finale just three points behind Lane Zardo.
Nagy approached Delaware in attack mode and finished second, with Zardo eighth, winning the championship by three points. After finishes of ninth and eighth in the standings, he says it was multiple things that improved his consistency this year.
“We did a lot of maintenance…going through every part on the car, every nut and bolt, just to be safe, so we didn’t have the season like we did last year,” said Nagy. “It was also a mix of driver learning about the track. Sunset was a huge confidence boost-
er for us, we went out there on a regular night, just to get some notes and for me to learn; that really helped us show our speed.”
Nagy and Zardo battled in Delaware’s weekly super stock division as well, where Nagy won the title by seven points over Zardo. That familiarity helped with the QWSS events.
“Some guys you don’t race often, you’re not sure how they race, if they’re clean or if they’re more on the aggressive side, or how hard you can push it with another driver,” said Nagy. “Me and Lane really pushed the
limits every week and I think we put on phenomenal shows week in and week out.”
The finale also presented a unique opportunity, with Carson’s older brother Hudson grabbing the win as a substitute driver; the two rivals able to share victory lane.
“That’s the one car I personally, in my head, want to race harder than anyone else on that race track,” concluded Carson. “Our first time on a race track together, I drove over him in a go kart; now it’s going to cost a lot more money, so it’s been clean so far.” IT
Looking at the wins column would make it seem like a routine Ontario Sportsman Series (OSS) championship season for Cory McAllister – one where he dominated from start to finish; but 2023 was far from a routine title-winning campaign.
McAllister finished dead last in the opener at Delaware Speedway, where he suffered a blown motor just nine laps in. He then went to Full Throttle Motor Speedway and picked up the win. Not to be denied, bad luck returned, as he lost the lead at Sunset Speedway and had the trailing arm break on the left-rear of his car.
The victory at Full Throttle was McAllister’s first in OSS, but the reality of two DNFs in three races meant it was decision time.
“At Full Throttle, that was an important one to us, all of our local marketing partners were there, a lot of local fans, that’s where I started out racing,” said McAllister. “Then we had the Sunset deal… it was a good thing there was the support of my wife and my crew, we were going to pack it in after race three and they talked me into keeping it going and I’m sure glad they did.”
McAllister purchased a car from Kevin Gallant and had four days to turn it around before a race at Sauble Speedway. His win at Full Throttle was a confidence booster, but Sauble was where the team started to see their season come around, as he
recorded the victory in the new car.
Amanda Balson finished sixth as a fill-in driver at Peterborough Speedway, before McAllister finished fourth at Full Throttle and scored the win at his home track of Sunset. Rick Spencer-Walt then grabbed the victory as a substitute at Sauble, with one more race standing between McAllister and a championship.
“We went and tested at Delaware, a track I’m not comfortable with at all and we found a comfortable spot with the car,” said McAllister. “We lost brakes about a quarter of the way into the race and just hung on; it was definitely a challenging race… Delaware’s a track I’ve always struggled at, to go down there, qualify on the pole and lead 97 of 100 laps, that race really stood out.”
The same track where he started the year with a DNF was now home to his team’s third straight win and a championship celebration. He won the OSS title by 41 points over Chad McGlynn; the competition in the series is something he enjoyed.
“Connor (James) was definitely my favourite driver to race against, he raced you with a lot of respect, raced you clean,” said McAllister. “There are a lot of good competitors; I noticed in that series that every person has a different strong point at a different track… with veterans like Chad
McGlynn and Kevin Trevellin, everybody was really clean, it was a really respectful series. I think we proved that when we ran 100 laps green at Sunset.”
This was McAllister’s rookie season in the OSS, after previously running in the Qwick Wick Super Stock Series. The longer races, which are twice as many laps as a Qwick Wick event, provided a new challenge for the driver.
“The big difference was the 100-lap races,” said McAllister. “The car conservation. How you drive the car at the start of the race and how you drive the car at the end of the race are two completely different animals. I really enjoyed the longer races. I enjoyed the 10-race series, getting to go to every track almost twice.”
It was a busy season for McAllister, competing in both OSS and Sunset’s weekly Super Stocks division, where he won the championship as well, after losing that title by just one point in 2022.
Having Balson and Spencer-Walt sub-in for two OSS races was important, with Spencer-Walt’s win giving the team 105 of 106 potential points in that race. McAllister says that he’s appreciative of having some close friends jump in and drive for him; he says it also shows that the crew’s really good at setting up the car for different driving styles.
McAllister will return to the OSS to defend his title. IT
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Brody Anderson of
Stettlerwon the Trail Tire Alberta Extreme Sprints title in 2023 as racing finally got back to something approaching normal with the pandemic’s influence fading into history.
Brody started racing on asphalt in his early teens. He lasted a year. “I’m not a big pavement guy, I guess,” he shrugged. The next year he and his dad Jason raced 660 Sprints on the dirt at Sangudo and that felt right. By 2018, they even had a 360 engine and were eyeing some US events but the cost of travel ultimately meant that sportsman sprint cars were the way to go.
The 2023 season kicked off with a two-day show at Rad Torque Raceway in Edmonton and, for Brody, it started out the right way with a win in both his heat and the main on Friday night. Saturday wasn’t too bad either, third in the heat and runner-up in the feature. As the season progressed, Anderson ran well and was leading the points by the mid-point of the year. At that point, “I didn’t feel like I deserved the championship with just one win,” he says.
The Trail Tire Alberta Extreme Sprints teams don’t just race each other. The series is also part of the Can-Am Sprint Car Series with the Montana-based Rocky Mountain Sprint Car Series. In the doubleheader held at Rad Torque Raceway on June 23/24, Anderson was an uncharacteristic 12th the first night and 4th on night two. At Swift Current, SK a week later, he was 4th each night and in Great Falls, MT on July 3rd and 4th, he was 4th on the third and dnf the second night.
The AESCS has its biggest race on August 4/5 with the Extreme Cup. The Montana-based Setters team lost an engine the first night and Brody offered up his spare engine for the big race on the 5th. James Setters used the powerplant to win the Cup race on the 5th. Although Anderson had a respectable 4th in the Extreme Cup, it was the new set of Slade shock absorbers and very useful setup advice that he received from the Setters team that had the most effect on his season. In the last four races at Rad Torque Raceway, he won two heats and three mains.
Brody is confident that his Echo Tubulars/ NADP/C4 Welding car will be even stronger in 2024 as he plans a significant suspension upgrade over the winter. One goal is to make a stronger showing in the Can-Am Challenge events this summer.
Jarret Bonn’s 2023 WESCAR championship isn’t his first, but in a way it feels like it. In 2021 the BC sportsman late model series was decided in two doubleheader weekends with Bonn emerging on top. “This year the goal was to prove that we could win in a regular season,” he explains.
Although the anticipated Penticton event didn’t happen, the 2023 schedule still contained six races at four different BC speedways. Bonn started the season off the right way by timing in quickest at the Prince George track and taking the main. “That’s my home track,” he says, adding that his Wolverine Work Wear/White Spruce En-
terprises #51 wasn’t too pretty at the finish. “It had no nose and no front fenders,” he states. “It didn’t handle too well by the end.”
At the Billy Barker Days twin 75s at Quesnel’s Goldpan Speedway, Jarret was quickest in time trials again and looked like he had the first 75 in the bag until a deflating right rear tire caused him to drift back to second with 15 to go. The second 75 was rained out.
The Len ‘Porky’ Jansen Memorial 125 at Agassiz attracted the largest field of any 2023 WESCAR race. Bonn likes the event – “good people, good track but tricky” – but it was likely his most difficult weekend of the season. “We don’t usually have mechanical problems,” he insists, but at Agassiz he holed the oil pan and had brake issues. After timing in 5th, a major thrash got fixes made but nobody knew if they’d work. Early on, Bonn dropped back. “It took 40 laps to feel confident,” he admits. By race’s end, he was third behind Korbin Thomas and Gord Hemrich.
The season ended with a doubleheader at Williams Lake. After qualifying third, Bonn was second in his heat, but it all came together in the feature races with Bonn moving forward and taking the win both times.
Jarret intends to be even harder to beat next year. “I tend to go easy at the start,” he muses. “In 2024 I’ll be going harder, earlier to get out of my comfort zone.” He has a few other goals, like a stronger showing at the Canada 200 now held at Saratoga Speedway. “Our goal is to beat Korbin Thomas and Rory Smith and those guys.” IT
In the competitive world of Atlantic Canadian stock car racing, in 2023, the region’s two biggest touring series – the East Coast International Pro Stock Tour and the Super Late Model Series – were witness to exceptional performances from seasoned drivers such as No. 99 Craig Slaunwhite and No. 16 Dylan Gosbee, during their respective championship seasons.
Craig Slaunwhite, a humble and fun-loving Nova Scotian, found himself at a crossroads contemplating retirement from full-time racing. However, fate took an unexpected turn as he not only continued, but also broke Pro Stock Tour records. He secured an impressive first-time ever, three-straight championships, with top-fives in 90 percent of his 30-plus races.
In 2020, during a winless drought, fellow competitor Jonathan Hicken couldn’t make a test night. His brother Andrew, the owner of King Competition, asked if, “I would make a few laps in the car for him to shake it down. The rest is history,” said Slaunwhite, who put together a deal to buy the car.
To celebrate his victories, Slaunwhite shared, “I headed to the campers and spent time with the crew, sponsors, family, friends and fans,” a sign of the close-knit racing community.
Reflecting on his 2023 season, he attributed his success to, “experience and patience,” giving him a competitive edge. His stellar performance included registering nine top-five finishes in ten races, with an average finishing position of third place,
showcasing not only his skill but also his endurance and consistency on the track.
Looking forward to the upcoming season, Craig Slaunwhite outlined his plans, stating, “Race plans for 2024 are going to revolve around the big races in the Maritimes and Oxford Plains (Maine, USA) two to three times this year,” setting the stage for another exciting chapter. As for advice to those starting racing: “Stay humble. Follow your dreams. And if you are passionate for the sport, good things will happen.”
Transitioning to another veteran driver, Dylan Gosbee, his speed, resilience, and consistency were unwavering all season long. “With the points structure and high car counts there was never a time that you could just ride if you were having a bad day,” said Gosbee. “You had to make something happen or you’d find yourself in a hole that was hard to climb out of.”
He earned finishes of fourth, third, second and first during the first four races of the six-event schedule.
Hailing from Prince Edward Island, Gosbee made a bold move by debuting a completely new chassis for the final race of the year, putting his potential championship on the line with multiple others still having a window to steal the title.
Reflecting on his
earlier years, when he faced adversity, he continued, “Our first season on the Pro Stock Tour was a gruelling one. We went from winning the Late Model championship and eight features at Oyster Bed Speedway (PEI) the year prior to struggling to find a lead lap finish.”
Despite lacking touring series experience and seat time at other tracks, a transition would unfold where he continually improved with each outing. His willingness to learn from mistakes was his strength.
“We are always learning, but when things are going good you tend to not notice things as much as you do compared to the bad runs,” he said.
Additionally, his crew’s dedication –coupled with experience – paid dividends. “Inputs and outputs, you get out of it what you put in. And we’ve put in a pile of work and time over the years from preparation in the shop, practice, races outside of regular season racing, etc.” IT
Mat Williamson entered the 2023 DIRTcar 358 Modified Series season in search of wins, with a championship far from his mind; but, with some help from Mother Nature, he ended the year with his first series title.
Williamson finished third at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park and picked up the win at Fulton Speedway to start the season.
He says the race at Glen Ridge was one that got away, as he surrendered the lead by driving out of the rubber, while passing lapped cars, at a track where he had no experience.
Following a break, the schedule resumed in September, where Williamson finished ninth at Can-Am Speedway and won in the inaugural series race at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. A turning point in his season also came during that stretch, where a race at Weedsport Speedway was postponed by nearly a month.
Williamson had a fast car in hot laps, but lost power when accelerating during time trials; he pulled to the pits, but his team couldn’t find the issue.
The next morning, their engine builder came over and diagnosed it to be a problem with the distributor shaft; the fix was made and the rain postponement gave the team another chance.
“I’m not sure if we would’ve won or not;
we would’ve probably needed some cautions to fall our way, but I got into the top-five,” said Williamson. “Then I had a right-rear tire go flat, just from the chaos of driving up through the field. We ended up hitting the wall…that was our worst run in the series.”
Williamson quickly rebounded by winning his fourth-straight Hurricane Harvey 75, at Brewerton Speedway, and his first Salute to the Troops 150, at Oswego Speedway, during Super DIRT Week. He says Brewerton is a track where he runs really well, but that something would always seem to happen when he had a good car at Oswego.
“We were fortunate we had everything go our way this year,” said Williamson. “That’s one of the ones that we’d circled. We hadn’t won it; we’d won most of the big races other than that and Fonda. We really wanted to win that small block race just to say that we’ve done it; to get it done was pretty cool.”
Despite having a championship lead entering the finale at Brockville Ontario Speedway, Williamson was prepared to lose the title. He planned on running a $50,000-to-win Short Track Super Series race at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway instead, something he’d done in recent seasons, when in the same position.
But weather was on his side yet again, with Port Royal being postponed to 2024.
He finished second at Brockville to clinch the title; the two rain postponements allowing him to start and collect points in races that he would’ve otherwise missed.
Williamson says the approach of not racing for a championship may have been a little bit different, but that his mindset was still the same.
“We didn’t set up spare tires, we kind of had the mentality that if we got a flat tire we were going to pull in and park the car, because at that point it wouldn’t be a win,” said Williamson. “You kind of race a little bit carefree, you don’t worry about too many things, but for the most part we go to all these races to try and compete and run up front. That’s kind of the mentality that you would have if you were points racing anyways.”
Williamson says that it’s a cool feeling to be able to finally capitalize on his crew’s hard work by winning the championship; his 10 wins this season, including weekly DIRTcar competition at Ransomville Speedway, were the most of any driver. He says modifieds will remain part of his plans in 2024.
“I think Modified racing is as good as it’s ever been,” concluded Williamson. “The competition level’s super high, there are a lot of good race car drivers and everybody’s got good equipment. It’s probably the toughest time to win races in Modified racing and it’s cool to be able to go all over the country and put on a good show for the fans.” IT
Comradery was the theme of the Southern Ontario Pro4 Modifieds (SOMA) season, where Robert Mercer earned his first series title.
Mercer started the year with a pair of victories, at Flamboro and Grand Bend speedways, before recording podiums in his remaining four starts. The championship battle went down to the finale, where he led 23 of 25 laps, clinching the title with a second-place finish behind Mark Lucas.
Mercer says that he came to the track with a fresh motor and a well-handling ride, which helped him get off to the quick start to the season. He says the biggest memory from the year was getting awarded the championship trophy by his dad and club promoter Ken Mercer.
“You don’t win a cash prize, you win bragging rights, and when you have a club as close as ours, sometimes the bragging rights are worth much more than a monetary value,” said Mercer. “Honestly, the firstplace (versus) second-place, it really doesn’t
mean much, it’s the getting out and racing with my dad that makes it enjoyable for me.”
Mercer says the group of drivers in the openwheel series compete with a high level of respect and that they’re always helping out each other, including lending parts that they didn’t know they had.
“Everybody works their tail off all week to get to a race track and to get there and not have fun doesn’t make sense,” said Mercer. “It’s turned into a family versus a club…there were times this year that we dragged our camper trailer to Flamboro to stay overnight, and I live 15 minutes up the road. But it’s the group of people that don’t live 15 minutes up the road, they bring a trailer and we stick around.”
That family atmosphere extends beyond the pits, where Mercer says it’s their responsibility to make sure that fans get a show. SOMA has rules that promote clean and competitive racing, while they also do giveaways for kids in the stands and encourage fans to check out the cars and meet the drivers after the races. IT
Glenn Watson started a milestone title hunt in the Ontario Outlaw Super Late Models (OOSLM) with a new car, acquiring the late model in February and getting to work. With limited practice time before the season opener, the team did everything they could to be ready.
“We took a lot of time in the shop, going through and trying to get our travels set properly, and we were pretty close once we got to the track,” said Watson. “It was a little stressful going to the track with a brand-new car, not knowing what you got or if anything is going to fall off or leaks or anything like that.”
Watson says the car was really good right out of the box and that they got more comfortable with it in the second half of the season. He had three wins and finished top-five in all seven races, where his victory in the Fall Velocity at Sunset Speedway stood out. His car had a special dark green paint scheme, with his father’s name, Ted Watson, above the driver’s side window.
“My dad had just passed away a week before, so we did a tribute car,” said Watson.
“We had the car wrapped up, looking pretty close to what he had back in the late ‘70s. That was really special to do that tribute and win that race with his colours.”
Watson ended the year with his 10th championship, winning the title by 16 points over Brandon Passer. He credits his ongoing success to the work in the shop, a dedicated crew and trying to run as many
Ontario Modifieds Racing Series (OMRS) champion John Baker Jr. entered 2023 in search of more than just another title.
The Oshawa, ON driver had the Bill Pickford Memorial circled on his calendar; the August 26 event, at Flamboro Speedway, honoured former racer and OMRS co-founder Bill Pickford. Baker and Tyler Bouillon split feature victories, with the duo declared co-winners of the event.
“I miss (Pickford) all the time, I miss our conversations,” said Baker. “Last year was a three-way tie, this year was a two-way tie, maybe next year I can be the one to pull it off (outright).”
laps as possible.
“This is nice to get a 10th,” said Watson. “I don’t know if there are many guys who have done that in the Outlaws or not too many who have done it in any division. I think it’s pretty special to get that many.”
Watson plans to return to the OOSLM in 2024 and will potentially also run a couple of races in Michigan. IT
said Baker. “At Flamboro, it was just amazing how much better the car performed than all the years I’ve ever raced there.”
Baker and Pickford became friends at Mosport Speedway, where they often found themselves pitted next to each other in the 2000s.
Baker recorded four wins and six runner-up finishes in 11 races in 2023. He says that he’s more comfortable at Peterborough Speedway, noting that Peterborough is more about making fast laps, while Flamboro is more about responsive driving. Perhaps surprisingly, his four wins all came at Flamboro.
“We tried a bunch of different stuff chassis-wise and managed to get a lot more gription, more forward bite on the flatter tracks,”
Baker plans to return to the OMRS, in search of that elusive overall Bill Pickford Memorial victory. In the meantime, he was able to celebrate a championship at Peterborough’s Autumn Colours Classic, where the OMRS made its first appearance this year.
“I felt like a hero when it was over; I got down to the infield and Rick (Warnes) had won, which was pretty cool, I didn’t realize that he’d never won before,” concluded Baker. “I didn’t give him any extra inches, I’ll tell you that, but I didn’t take any inches away from him…it was really neat to get out of the car and just hear the noise and see the people.” IT
Daniel Hawn overcame a big points deficit to win his first career Can-Am TQ Midgets championship.
Hawn started the season with three Top-5 finishes, before a wreck at Sunset Speedway, which left him in a 51-point hole in the standings.
He then finished second in the opening race of a doubleheader, at Sauble Speedway, where he received some unintended motivation from the defending champion.
“Cory Whittam said something that really turned my season around – all he needs is podiums to win a championship,” said Hawn. “That’s something that stuck deep with me. It takes more than podiums and we proved that.”
Hawn says the path to overcoming the gap was to win races, with first place receiving 10 more points than second place. He started that quest right away, winning the other half of the doubleheader.
A pair of Top-5 finishes then left him with a 28-point deficit, before three straight
victories gave him a 14-point lead entering the finale.
Hawn was the championship bridesmaid the last two seasons; this year, a runner-up finish at Flamboro Speedway was all he needed, clinching the title by four points over Whittam.
“After the last two years, I didn’t think we were actually going to be able to get it done,” said Hawn. “We run a good program; I just knew that, if I could keep my cool and drive the way I know I can, we could get it done…reminiscing about the last three years and what it took to get there and what I missed out on family-wise, the best word to say is it was surreal.”
help was important last season. Adding to his family’s racing history was also huge for Daniel.
Hawn builds TQ midgets for other drivers, including James Stanley; he says Stanley’s
It was a season of family fun for Mike Bradley, winning his first Outlaw Midgets championship. Bradley started the year with three straight wins, before a pair of fourthplace results in a Sauble Speedway doubleheader. He says he’s never been a championship runner, but the strong start changed the team’s approach.
“Family time is so important that I found myself missing one or two races,” said Bradley. “It was after the fifth race that dad and I were talking and it’s like ‘hey, let’s make a run at this, let’s get going.’ It’s funny because then I started into a rut.”
Three finishes outside the podium left Bradley stumped with what to do; he took his car to Mike Westwood, who was able to help fix the set-up. He then won the next race, before adding three top-fives to end the year. Winning his first championship, in his 10th year, was emotional for the driver.
“Everyone says you don’t have to fill the shoes but my dad and my brother have won a lot of races and I really didn’t want to let them down,” concluded Hawn. “It’s not something that we do for fun or for a hobby, it’s really in our blood, it’s what we’re about.” IT
“The amount of time you spend in the shop, the amount of your life you give to the sport, then you’re on the top,” said Bradley. “It’s like ‘man, that feels good.’ It’s not about the money, it’s not about the peer recognition, it’s about that feeling of being super proud of yourself.”
Bradley says the team believes that you win races in the shop, but also noted that taking a step back from technical aspects may have cleared their minds and helped them amp up their game.
“I wake up and my eight-year-old daughter, she’s up before I am
and dressed up in her race car gear and she’s like ‘dad, we’re going racing today,’” said Bradley. “We used to be more into data acquisition and going through all the data, really trying to understand it…(now) let’s just put all that aside, I’m going to focus on everybody trying to have fun at the track.”
That family focus also extended to the competition, with Mike’s brother Dave running part-time; he won three races, including the Autumn Colours Classic. While an Autumn Colours win remains elusive for Mike, he still considers it a really nice weekend to conclude the season. IT
Deuces were wild for Kenny McNicol in the Great Lakes Legends Series (GLLS); he won two early-season races for the second straight year to defend his title in the series’ second season.
McNicol won the opener at Full Throttle Motor Speedway, before finishing runner-up at Michigan’s Flat Rock Speedway and returning to victory lane at Grand Bend Speedway.
His worst results came at Sauble Speedway, where he started towards the back and was caught in a wreck, leading to a DNF on Canada Day. The series returned on the August long weekend for a combined event, where he finished 10th in a 27-car field.
“Definitely a big challenge with the bigger car count,” said McNicol. “I’ve raced with all these guys, from the Canadian Legend Car Series and the Great Lakes Legends, I’ve raced with pretty well all of them. Everybody runs everybody hard, then at the end of the night we go and have a drink together.”
McNicol says there are some strong competitors in the series; there were ultimately six different winners in nine races. Despite
the parity, the championship battle was far from his mind; he ended the season with a string of largely consistent results, finishing runner-up in three of the last five events.
“I didn’t think about it too much, we went out every week and raced our race,” said McNicol. “I wasn’t real concerned or focused on the actual championship until the last night; everybody said ‘it looks like you’re going to have this wrapped up.’”
Keaton Pipe ... Continued from Page 18...
Pipe says that he and his mom went from RV to RV, collecting food and cash donations, during his breaks at Peterborough. They also accepted donations at drop-off locations in Durham Region.
The Fall Food Drive collected the equivalent of 4,102 meals, surpassing the roughly 1,800 meals raised in years past. While racing was cut short by weather, the successful food drive provided a good finish to an encouraging first season of car racing for Pipe.
The Whitby, ON driver won three karting championships between 2021 and 2022 and decided to pursue Legend car racing, often seen as a stepping stone in a path to NASCAR. His family connected with Peterborough owner J.P. Josiasse and attended a practice day, where they were introduced to JDC Motorsports owner Jeff Drimmie.
Drimmie let Keaton sit in one of his cars and agreed to do a test day in August 2022; happy with what they saw, JDC Motorsports brought him on board for the 2023 season. The first race was held at Sunset Speedway in late May.
“It was very intimidating since it’s louder and faster than a kart, but over time, with more seat time and practice, I got better and better,” said Pipe. “I got a feel for it and I love it a lot; I’m doing pretty good right now…it’s definitely a huge learning curve from karting to Legend cars…my team taught me a whole bunch of things; if I’m tight or loose, the indications, how the car feels.”
Pipe finished last in his first two features, but those finishes were
McNicol got the opportunity to start legend car racing a handful of years ago; he’s since purchased his original ride and may bring it back to the track in 2024. For now, he can celebrate being the only champion in the GLLS’ short history.
“It’s always nice to win a second straight title,” concluded McNicol. “We’ll have to see what next season brings and hopefully we can do it again, I’d like to do three in a row.” IT
still celebrated, as he was able to complete the races in a car that was new to him, against a field full of drivers who were much older. As the season continued, he started to hit his stride, recording faster lap times and better results with each passing race.
The race that stood out the most to Pipe was during the Asphalt Nationals weekend at Sunset, where his first Top-10 finish in the series came in the second-to-last event of the season. He ended the year as both the CLCS and INEX Canada Central champion in the Young Lions division, with an overall CLCS points finish of eighth.
While it may be the off-season, Pipe is still doing plenty of work to improve his racing skills. He trains weekly on professional simulators at HIP Motorsports, where he’s working towards new iRacing licences; he’s also part of a specialized athletics program in high school.
“The sim will keep me sharp with my racing skills during the off-season, since I can’t get on track,” said Pipe. “The athletics program I go to, called ASAD, will help me with my endurance and strength.”
Pipe was recently announced as a participating driver in the Road To Racing program, where fans can donate to selected up-and-coming drivers, while receiving a charitable tax receipt. He’s the first short track racer to be included in the program. He’ll return to the CLCS in 2024, where he’d like to thank all of his sponsors and his team for making his racing efforts possible. IT
Matt Billings got hot at the right time, winning the Action Sprint Tour (AST) National Tour title on the strength of his first career AST victories.
Billings split regional starts between the East and West tours, before taking the National Tour by storm. He won on all four tracks, with a total of four victories in eight races. Brockville was his first win, Brighton proved that he could do good outside of his home venue, and Humberstone was a track where he had minimal experience, but the win that stood out the most was at Ohsweken.
“The biggest chest pump and belief in everything was to get the win at Ohsweken over Mike Bowman,” said Billings. “To be able to beat him on a track that he had basically won every race at (in 2023), and in equal equipment, that just shows that we are a team and a program that knows what we’re doing and has good things going on.”
Billings has raced for Ryan Hunsinger since 2021. He says that something clicked last year, where the team got into a good
mindset, attacking every night with the same approach.
“We believed in what we had, we believed in what we were doing, and we kept trying to continue that way,” said Billings. “But we also didn’t stop trying to be better. We dissected every night and went ‘yah, we’re pretty good here, but we still need to be a little bit better there.’ I think that’s what made us stay hungry and stay consistent throughout that good stretch of runs.”
The AST title is the first big touring series championship for Billings, who ranks it in the top-three of his racing accomplishments.
“It felt amazing; I was very proud to have
the chance to even be fighting for this championship,” continued Billings. “It was a big relief for myself, just confidence-wise. It told me that everything I’ve been doing for the last almost fifteen years in racing worked out.” IT
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The Norris family battle continued in the Ontario Pro Challenge (OPC), where Tim Norris recorded six wins and eight runner-up finishes, in 16 races, to claim the championship.
Following a 2022 title by Tim’s then 19-year-old son Mike Norris, Tim admitted that he worked a little bit harder on his car this year, getting back to the basics. He says the championship battle looked like it was going to remain close all year before a stop at Full Throttle Motor Speedway.
“I’ve been doing this a long time and it makes you second-guess yourself a little bit, are you doing the right things, should you be trying something new, because he’s running really fast,” said Norris. “But then he had one little crash there and that kind of changed the tone of his challenge for the championship.”
Norris has won about half of the championships in his 20 OPC seasons. With his primary challenger now in the same household, it’s created a different dynamic than he’s used to.
“Both our cars sit beside each other in the race shop and we sometimes bounce ideas
off each other,” said Norris. “We practised a fair bit this year. Just a big push to beat him and I know his push was to beat me, so it’s kind of an odd competitive thing when it’s your son… it’s pretty cool that we’re battling hard as a family; he’ll be tough to beat.”
A race that stood out took place on May 27 at Flamboro Speedway, where the Jim Norris Memorial, named in honour of Tim’s
It was a successful homecoming for Dylan Westbrook, winning his third Southern Ontario Sprints (SOS) championship, after racing stateside in recent years.
Westbrook got off to a quick start in his full-time SOS return, winning four of the first six races. He ultimately recorded five wins and nine podiums in 14 starts, with at least one strong run everywhere on the schedule. The all-time A-Main wins leader at Ohsweken Speedway, in 360 Sprint Cars, did struggle a bit more at his home track, with just one podium in five starts.
“The track seemed to be a lot slicker than other years,” said Westbrook. “What I knew before, with my starting points, didn’t really work. Even with being on the road, normally you don’t see the track get that slick. Everything that I learned on the road, it didn’t really help me at Ohsweken.”
While Westbrook improved at Ohsweken as the year went on, one advantage from his US experience was being used to time trails, which are now part of SOS at every event. He says the speed of his car has been key, allowing him to gain qualifying and heat points by being fast every time that he hit the track.
A significant change from Westbrook’s 2016 and 2017 championship seasons came in the shop, where he ran his own program for the first time this year, alongside his dad and friends. Being around those close to him has been a benefit from his return to local action.
father, was held exactly one year after Jim passed away. The family finished 1-2-3 in the first feature, with daughter Emma scoring her first career victory, followed by Tim and Mike.
Looking at the competition, Tim gives a shoutout to Rookie of the Year winner Sterling Hattin, fellow rookies Tenli Pepin, Ty Riopelle, and Jay Linde, and first-time winner Travis Majuery. IT
“It was just a lot of fun this year, with more friends and family being involved,” said Westbrook. “You could always go out there, always have a big group of people out there and just have a lot of fun. We always tried to do as good as we could, but always made sure we had fun doing it too.”
Westbrook plans to defend his SOS title and continue racing weekly at Ohsweken in 2024, while also competing in select US events. IT
At times in 2023, the racing season felt like it was being dominated by the rain more than individual drivers. I know I had more Saturday nights ‘off’ from announcing at Merrittville Speedway than I cared to. However, we still ended the year with plenty of deserving champs around Southern Ontario.
Beyond being deserving champions, it was a year where the champions in local and touring divisions were far from unknown commodities. The Southern Ontario Sprints saw Scotland, ON’s Dylan Westbrook – who committed to racing north of the border for 2023 – take his 360 Sprint Car talents to a championship run.
The off-season news that the Action Sprint Tour has shut down means Matt Billings of Brockville, ON will go down as the touring crate Sprint series’ final champion.
An impressive champion, at that, as Billings had to be good in both regional competition before the east and west regions came together to decide the crown. Mike Bowman gave a great effort to challenge Billings, but ultimately fell short.
But don’t feel too badly for Mike Bowman. Bowman, the St. Catharines native, scored multiple big cheques throughout 2023, including The Northern Sprint Car Nationals and Crate Sprint Car Nationals at Ohsweken.
In the period of about a month, Bowman
scored north of $50,000 in winnings. He also added a 360 Sprint Car track championship at Ohsweken making a 2023 a season to remember for the Modified turned Sprint Car driver.
Speaking of Modifieds, the 358 Modified division had its share of storylines in 2023.
At Merrittville Speedway, Pete Bicknell – in his 51st season of racing – captured yet another track championship. The driver of the legendary #42 was a model of consistency and found victory lane multiple times.
While across the border, fellow St. Catharines native Mat Williamson, who found himself in a tire controversy at Merrittville, did not let that stop him from having a championship winning season at Ransomville Speedway. Williamson also won the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series and finished second in the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block standings, behind Matt Shepherd.
Bicknell was far from the only familiar champion at Canada’s oldest dirt track, in Thorold, Ontario. Cody McPherson put together a very special year. Racing out of St. Catharines, McPherson won a feature event at Merrittville the same his father Guy was inducted into the track’s Wall of Fame. The win was one of five on the year as Mc-
Pherson repeated as Sportsman champion.
The Street Stock and Modified Lites also produced repeat champs at Merrittville, as Dave Bailey and Brent Begolo continued their winning ways. For Hagersville native Dave Bailey, it was a clean sweep as he also added an Ohsweken Speedway track title.
Street Stock racing often stole the show on race nights in Southern Ontario. I lost count of how many multi-car, side-by-side finishes we had. At Merrittville, we even had a race that was almost too close to call for our scoring system.
If you’re heading to a dirt track in 2024, plan your popcorn stand visits accordingly, because you do not want to miss what they have to offer. I also want to give credit to the Modified Lite class, for its continued growth, and with now more competition invading from the US, our best will have to elevate to match.
I would be remiss if I didn’t touch on the fact that the 4-cylinder division around Southern Ontario was also incredibly fun to watch in 2023. Alex Riley of St. Catharines clinched his Merrittville title in a battle that came down to the final feature. Can’t ask for much more than that. The story wasn’t too different on the Ohsweken Speedway side of things either.
Ohsweken fans saw four drivers enter the Mini Stock season finale with a shot at the title. Ryan Hillar claimed it by a margin of just two points.
I have nothing but great things to say about the drivers and crews behind Mini Stock racing in Southern Ontario. Some might consider it a low buck/entry level style of racing, but the shows and competition are as good as I’ve seen in my four years covering the sport.
While this issue will celebrate champions throughout this country including some I’ve listed here, when I reflect on 2023, it’s the racing that deserves to be celebrated. The fans who bore witness, who spent hard-earned dollars to be at the track, in the stands on race night, they are the true champions. And I can’t wait to see all the champs back at the track this season. IT
Kurt Wittmer returned to full-time Super Production Challenge competition this season, winning his third career championship. Wittmer started the year by sweeping the opening three races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), where the weather helped give him an advantage. He says that he enjoys the feeling of being on the edge and using unorthodox racing lines to find grip.
“Any time it rains, I’m the happiest guy in the world,” said Wittmer. “A lot of people get scared of the rain; I absolutely love it. Especially in the front-wheel-drive turbo car, at CTMP. I had all the odds on my side and I knew that, if I didn’t win, I would’ve been mad at myself.”
Wittmer then recorded a win and two runner-up finishes at Shannonville Motorsport Park, despite some damage to his car; he says that every title contender seemed to have issues that weekend. The next two events provided a bigger challenge for Wittmer, where he had just one podium at both the CTMP sports car weekend and the GP3R.
“These big weekends, especially IMSA, you have my brothers there and my family; it wasn’t pressure, but I wanted to do good and I think I just started pushing way too hard and I lost all my tires,” said Wittmer. “GP3R, it’s known to have brake issues and I knew this car would have brake issues. Every single race, by the 15-minute mark, I had no more brakes, so I had to tone down to 6070 percent of my pace.”
Wittmer entered the finale, at Circuit ICAR, knowing that he only needed solid results; he finished second and fourth to clinch the Super Production class title. In his first season with Lombardi Racing, he says that
this championship is more rewarding than the other two.
Scott Nicol, Shawn Little and rookie Blake Kelley combined to win the Production class championship in the Super Production Challenge.
Kelley took the wheel for the opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), where he stalled the car under poor weather conditions, being hit from behind during the standing start. Repairs were made and he rebounded for a third-place in race two, before picking up the class win in his third series start.
Kelley had two wins and a runner-up at Shannonville Motorsport Park, where he says the competition was close all weekend. He split the car with Nicol at CTMP, before Little made the start in GP3R race one. It was then time for Kelley to make his street course debut, with prior experience limited to just two laps on a bicycle.
“I think that race was the hardest race of the entire year for me,” said Kelley. “There were a couple of times where I had the car in a four-wheel drift, just because I was trying to push it as hard as I could to keep up with everyone else, all while learning the layout.”
Kelley says that he had more confidence in race three, but he made a mistake and had to take a runoff; he finished third and seventh at GP3R. The team entered the finale trailing Sylvain Laporte by 25 points; Kelley was unable to attend, but followed the live timing closely from his brother’s wedding. Nicol won both races at Circuit ICAR to claim the championship by a mere three points.
The Velocity Motorsports Club team split the ride to give more drivers an opportunity.
Kelley won three races in 10 starts, Nicol won all three of his starts and Little made one appearance.
Cameron Nabert had a dominant rookie season, finishing on the class podium in 11 of 14 races to win the Compact championship in the Super Production Challenge.
With some past road racing experience under his belt, Nabert started the season by winning seven of the first nine races between Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Shannonville Motorsport Park. He says that his karting experience helped him adjust to the smaller cars in the Compact class, including his Nissan Micra.
“I was able to push the limits of the car, it was an easy car to drive, and just being super confident with my abilities behindthe-wheel and carrying as much speed as possible was massive to my success,” said Nabert. “Just being able to drive the car deeper into the corners, carrying my momentum…being very efficient with the car made a huge difference.”
Next up was the GP3R, where Nabert says the track is hard on brakes, creating the challenge to get the braking points right. He focused on championship conservation, trying to stay out of trouble and bring home a clean car; he finished fifth, third and sixth in the races.
The season then concluded at Circuit ICAR, where Nabert was able to get some information from his Fawn Group Motorsports teammate Shelby Mills, who was running in the Super Production class, to help him secure the pole and clinch the championship during qualifying. Nabert won the first race and finished fourth in the finale. IT
OnDecember 28, Angela Freiburger & her granddaughter Laci Freiburger (Team #37 Manager) made a substantial donation to Charlene Myke from Easter Seals Ontario.
The entire 2023 season winnings earned by Team #37 drivers Del Freiburger and his father Ben were gifted to Easter Seals and individuals with serious illnesses. The donation continued a tradition that started in 2010 when Marvin Freiburger went racing and decided to give away all his race winnings to people dealing with serious illnesses.
Easter Seals has been the recipient of a great portion because of Natalie McDonald. A childhood disease left her in a wheelchair, and she made it her mission to help people who are dealing with the same things she is.
An impressive person, she is a fantastic ambassador for Easter Seals and has helped countless oth-ers throughout the years. In all, a total of $103,958.33 has been raised and donated by the Freiburger Family’s #37 Race Team, to date.
In other Team #37 news, after six seasons racing a Junior Late Model, Del Freiburger is moving up and taking over the wheel of his father’s Mini Truck. The team
will continue to race at Full Throttle Motor Speedway.
Still just 13 years old, Del has already earned three championships and is looking forward to this next challenge.
Passionate about driving, as well as being involved with the preparation of the team’s cars, Del is intrigued by everything related to racing.
Alexandre Fortin won the Nissan Sentra Cup championship in his third season of car racing. Fortin started the year with a win and a DNF at Circuit Mont-Tremblant, before runner-up finishes at Circuit ICAR. He then won both races in the prestigious GP3R; he says it was pretty awesome to win multiple races on the same weekend there, following three podiums in four prior starts.
Fortin picked up two wins between ICAR and CTMP, while accomplishing a goal of finishing on the podium with his dad. He hoped to secure the title in the first race at Mont-Tremblant, so he could gun for the win in race two, but a DNF changed his approach; he finished second to clinch the title.
The road course isn’t the only place where Fortin’s competed in Mont-Tremblant. He went all-in on skiing at 14-years-old, competing professionally for several years before returning to motorsports in 2021.
“I was pretty good in karting, I was pretty good in skiing, I had to choose which one I wanted to pursue and I chose skiing,” said Fortin, noting that he eventually aged out of it. “I did one year without
He’s also committed to continuing his family’s tradition of supporting great causes and helping those in need. This season, Team #37 will once again donate all its race winnings to charitable causes.
For more info on how you can become part of this worthy effort, call or text Angela Freiburger at (519) 881-7876 or email amfsinc@wightman.ca. IT
competition but there was an itch that needed to be filled and racing cars was it.”
Fortin was approached by the Ste-Foy & Beauport Nissan team, who were looking to join the Sentra Cup field and knew he had raced as a kid. He says that he’s grateful for the time put in by his crew and is happy to bring them a championship.
“Our mechanics are not actually mechanics, they’re family members that like racing with us,” said Fortin. “They learned, just like us, to do the brakes, to do suspension; they never worked on that before. But they’re a really passionate group of guys and they read on the weekend (about) how to set-up the car better…it’s been nice to have them.”
Fortin previously finished fourth and third in the standings. He says his experience made him an even calmer person, helping him be more patient and make the right moves to record consistent results in 2023. IT
1. Marvin Freiburger & Sons Inc. - Owner JLM & Mini Truck
2. Knott Autobody - London
3. Norm Paterson Aircraft Maintenance - Fullarton
4. Marshman Engines - Strathroy
5. S. Alexander Trucking & Distributing Inc. - Paisley
6. BakerTilley CPA; Cory Culbert - Walkerton
7. Andy’s Country Repairs - Walkerton
8. VersaBank; David Taylor - London
9. J.D. Lyons corporation; The Hanover Drive In
10. Cargill auction Market Inc. c/o Calvin Anstett
11. Plane Paint - Victor & Anne Dannielli - Paisley
12. Ideal Supply - Walkerton
13. Walkerton Auto Parts c/o Joe Mullin
14. Skelton Memorials - Walkerton
15. Norm Campbell Construction Limited - Tiverton
16. Gerald D’arcey Construction Limited - Harriston
17. S.E.T.I. - Ecostar - Autogreaser - Milton
18. Sirius Solutions Canada Ltd; Janine Henning - Kitchener
19. J C Welding Brockton Ltd. c/o Mike Hoskins - Walkerton
20. Orr Insurance Huron Inc. c/o Dan Kerr - Goderich
21. Maurice Freiburger - Dayn & Lily - Kincardine
22. Caldecott Millwright Services; Cory McAllister - Hanover
23. New-Life Mills/Fischer Poultry - Hanover
24. Brian Stanley Trucking Ltd. - “Steamer” - Goderich
25. Image Wraps; Craig Kamrath - Owen Sound
26. MEG Computer Service - Hanover
27. Don’s Autoglass; Don Thompson - Walkerton
28. Paul Kueneman Personal Real Estate Corporation - Walkerton
29. Snap On - Walkerton
30. London Drive Systems Inc.
31. Super Shine Car & Pet Wash; Kent & Dale - Walkerton
32. Chepstow Wing Night - Friends
33. Walkerton Meat Market; Gary Lang
34. Transaxle Parts Inc.; Gary Zwygers - Cambridge
35. Cuneo Interiors Ltd. - Walkerton & Hanover
36. Brad & Joannie Weltz; The Bruder Boys - Mildmay
37. Bill MacDonald
38. Voisin’s Home Services - Walkerton
39. Struyk Energy Systems Ltd.; Tyler Struyk - Durham
40. Kelly & Kelly - Barristers & Solicitors - Paisley
41. Maple Hill Farms; Wayne & Wendy McKague - Teeswater
42. Blair Buchanan Clan - Whitby
43. Time for Change Renovations; Brad McKeeman - Walkerton
44. Walkerton Golf & Curling Club
45. David Spitzig Construction - Walkerton
46. RPM-Ryan’s Performance Motorsports - Walkerton
47. Inside Track Motorsport News; David Weber - Brights Grove
48. Potter’s Mobile Power Wash; Ben Potts - Walkerton
49. BTKM Associates Inc. - Walkerton
50. Randall Gordon + Girls - Kitchener
51. B & B Towing Inc.; Dwayne & Sherry Baker - Stayner
52. Willie’s Electric; Brian & Theresa Dales - Walkerton
53. Dave’s Diesel Inc.; Naneish - Brampton
54. Gerry’s Truck Centre Ltd. - Mike Wardle
55. Ken Reay Transport; Lambert & Lieselot - Hanover
56. Summer House Park Ltd.; Sharon & Darci - Miller Lake
57. Wayne’s Electric; Chris Kanters - Hanover
58. Edward Fuels (A Division of McDougall Energy Inc.)
59. Andrew Dairy - Lucknow
60. Andrew Holdings Ltd./Andrew Angus - Lucknow
61. Fountain Tire; The Ashmans - London
62. Hanover Auto Centre; Brad Davis
63. Pine Echo Campground; Ron & Lori Grant - Belmore
64. Davidson Custom Brokers; Paul - Waterloo
65. Reuber’s Car Care Inc. - Walkerton
66. Pellow Pharmasave; Brian & Roseann - Walkerton
67. Tire Discounter Group Inc.; Frank Brundle - Orangeville
68. General Building Products - Walkerton
69. Hallman GM; Shawn Turner - Hanover
70. Harman Heavy Vehicle Specialists Ltd.; Ian Johnston-Cambridge
71. Leslie Motors Ltd. - Walkerton
72. McColl Racing; Mike McColl - London
73. Luxury Woodworking Ltd.; Luke Lorenz - Walkerton
74. Bruce County Detailing; Andrew Widdes - Walkerton
75. A & R Music - Walkerton
76. Lang’s General Contracting Inc. - Walkerton
77. Dave & Ruth Park - Southampton
78. Mighton Welding & Mechanic Services; Dan - Hanover
79. Weiler’s Cleaning & Restoration Ltd.; Cathy - Walkerton
80. Carson’s Supply; Roger - Port Elgin
81. Matcrete Contracting Inc.; Matt Jagelewski - Walkerton
82. The Battery Pro; Mark McQueen - Durham
83. Donnelly Transport; Pat - Pinkerton
84. Bill & Tom Kempton Construction - Ripley
85. Earl Lippert Trucking Limited - Ripley
86. HDTV and Electronics; Randy Saunders - Walkerton
87. Walkerton Foodland #3245; Jeff Goulding
88. Al Reich’s Backhoeing & Haulage Ltd. - Walkerton
89. Joy Source for Sports; Jim & Stephanie - Walkerton
90. Sunbelt Rentals of Canada Inc.; Brian Weiler - Walkerton
91. CPA - Gerrit Boeve; Pool Players Association - Hanover
92. Weber Contracting Ltd. - Clifford
93. B & L Farm Services Ltd. - Chesley
94. Glen Fischer; Parts @ MF&S Inc. - Walkerton
95. J.A. Porter Holdings - Lucknow
96. DK Salon; Jenna Redford-Freiburger - Walkerton
97. Dave Franks Photos - Brampton
98. Shawday Autobody Sandblasting & Refinishing - Formosa
99. Kenworth Truck Centres
100. Herald Times - Walkerton
101. Hanover Post
102. Reliance Printing; Paul Lehman - Hanover
103. Quick Wick; Dave Lloyd - Park Hill
104. Tim Horton’s - Walkerton
105. Jennifer Jacquot - Photographer - Walkerton
106. April Wilson - Photographer - Walkerton
107. Full Throttle Speedway; Paul Trepanier - Varney
108. Illium Industries; Darren Warren - Allenford
109. Twospeed Motorsports; Cory McAllister - Hanover
Plus: 4 Silent Sponsors
Jack Polito moved up to full-time GT4 competition in the FEL Sports Car Championship Canada (SCCC), winning the championship on the strength of nine wins.
Polito opened the year with three class wins during a partially rainy weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). He then made his street course debut at the Toronto Indy, where he had a win and two runner-up finishes, before winning two of three races at the GP3R. A change in approach helped him get better, with time, in those events.
“You gotta treat it like a road course almost, because you’re not going to go off on a road course, no one plans to go off,” said Polito. “With there being walls and such, you want to go slower, but if you block that out and you know your capabilities, you can drive pretty well.”
Polito finished the season by sweeping a trio of races at CTMP, making it eight class wins in his first eight FEL starts there. Unlike other drivers progressing through the ranks, Polito made his racing debut on the big track, having never raced go karts. He drove a 1997 Honda Prelude in a CASC-OR regional event in 2019, when he was 15 years old.
“I just grew up on Mosport,” said Polito. “Mosport was the first place I ever got to drive a car and was the spot where I did most of my races. It was just something where I love that track so much, I grew a liking to it, which I think helped me grow an
advantage too.”
The Lindsay, ON driver says that his four starts in 2022 gave him confidence entering the season, where it was a good feeling to win the title for his dad’s Polito Racing team.
“I had the best crew in the world, everyone who I’ve been crewing with I’ve known for so long, we’re like a big family,” concluded Polito. “My dad, he helped me out a lot with mental game, getting me ready to go in the car and giving me all the support in the world and reassuring me that everything would be okay no matter what happened.”
Expectations were exceeded for Dean Baker in the FEL SCCC, winning four races and the TCR championship in his first fulltime campaign.
The Bowmanville, ON driver started the year with three podiums at his home track of Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), finishing third, winning his class and grabbing a rare overall victory for a TCR car. The team’s early success came as a surprise to Baker.
“This is a very competitive series, we have very good drivers, very good cars,” said Baker. “When we started the season, our goal was to get on the podium…so we started to realize right away that we actually had pace and we had a good group around us.”
Baker finished runner-up in all three races on the Streets of Toronto. He then recorded two third-place finishes at the Grand Prix de
Trois-Rivières, including in the series’ only night race. His other GP3R result was ninthplace, after he slid into a runoff area on the last lap.
The series returned to CTMP on the Labour Day weekend, where Baker managed a tire leak in the closing laps to finish second in the opener. He then won the final two races to conclude his championship season.
“If you had asked me in May if we were going to be here right now, having this conversation, I would’ve laughed in your face,” said Baker. “(It feels) absolutely fantastic, couldn’t be happier. The team worked really hard, we put in a big effort, we’re a small team but we put in a lot of effort every weekend and getting ready for every race.”
Baker joked that he’s too old to win a championship. His experience at CTMP was evident and the track provided a bookend to a season of surprise.
“I’ve got lots of laps here, I know the track well, I love this track,” concluded Baker. “It’s just a great vibe, it’s just so much fun, so much energy. Even when you’re on track, you can feel the energy around you with all the fans; it’s so nice to see.”
It was a dominant season for Trevor Hill in the FEL Sports Car Championship Canada (SCCC), winning the inaugural TCA championship.
Hill, who’s a team principal at TWOth Autosport, fielded two cars in the new class
as a way to help fuel it. He says another entry level, below TCR, is what the series needs to get more drivers from other ranks.
“If they don’t want to go the formula car route, just something, an entry point, to get into tin tops, into touring cars,” said Hill. “TCR is a great platform, you can go all over the world with the exact same cars and TCA is kind of that entry level step. With this exact car, we can go to the States with it, we don’t change anything on it, we just change the tires.”
Competing against three young drivers in the class, Hill’s veteran experience was evident early on. He swept the opening races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), before recording a trio of podiums on the Streets of Toronto, behind visiting driver James Vance.
Eric Kunz broke through at the GP3R, winning two of three races, while Hill finished on each step of the podium that weekend. Hill ended the year with a CTMP sweep and the championship; he was impressed and happy to see the progression of his competitors, Kunz, Megan Tomlinson and Jonathan Young.
“When we first came, at the start of the year, the other drivers in our class were young kids trying to break into it,” said Hill. “(The CTMP) races were so tight and it probably made for a great show for the fans and that’s what we wanted to do, we wanted to put on a show to entice people to come to it. What stands out to me the most is the growth of the drivers in the series.”
Hill says that he’s happy for his team to come out on top and hopes to see TCA continue to grow in 2024.
Reigning F1600 champion Jake Cowden moved to the FEL Emzone Radical Cup Canada (RCC) this season, winning over half of the races to claim the title.
Cowden started the year with a weekend sweep at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), where there was some wet weather; he says that it’s his favourite condition to drive in, noting that it rains a lot in Ontario and it’s something that he’s used to from karting and F1600.
The Aurora, ON driver then accomplished a childhood dream of racing on the Streets of Toronto, where the RCC and Radical Cup North America fields competed together. He finished second in RCC in all three races.
“It was certainly tricky because it transformed it into a multi-class racing event,” said Cowden. “With the 1340cc Radicals, 1500s, and the SR10s, which have double the horsepower, it was quite the interesting experience and it kind of reminded me of endurance racing with GT cars…it was really a cool experience and I had lots to take away from it.”
Cowden swept a trio of races during a
standalone weekend at Calabogie Motorsports Park. He then ended the year with two runner-up finishes and a win at CTMP, battling Kenny Riedmann both days. He says that it was his favourite race weekend of the season, learning from Riedmann’s winning passes in turn 5b to return the favour on the last lap of the last race.
With three completely different tracks making up the 2023 RCC schedule, it provided important experience for a developing driver.
“It’s pretty incredible, there’s a bit of everything, street circuit, super-long sweeping circuit like Calabogie, very technical, and Mosport, which is super high speed,” said Cowden. “To get a taste of everything is awesome to put in the racing toolbox for the future.”
Cowden says that if felt amazing to win the championship, noting the importance of the support from his parents, sponsors and RySpec Racing, as well as having a series like the RCC. He hopes to make it to GT racing in the future, with a goal of competing in IMSA. IT
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By Bryce Turner
Adominant start, a nail-biting finish and an emotional celebration headlined a championship season for 17-year-old Canadian racer Nicole Havrda, the first female to win a title in the Formula Pro USA Western Championship (FPW).
After scoring two wins in a four-race winter primer for FPW, Havrda starter her full-time campaign in the series’ F3 class, which saw her compete at regional road racing events in California. She started the season with six straight class and overall wins, which came during double-header weekends at Thunderhill Raceway Park and Buttonwillow Raceway Park.
An event at Laguna Seca was cancelled before Havrda faced challenges at Sonoma Raceway; she was unable to start the first race, before finishing third in class (sixth overall) in the second event. What looked like a prime opportunity to lock up the championship ended up creating a tight battle entering the finale at Buttonwillow.
close, that’s kind of scary.”
“At Buttonwillow, on Saturday, I was leading and then the car had a mechanical failure, so the points (margin) came down to seven points,” said Havrda. “I was 45 points ahead, then I went down to seven points; it literally came down to the last little bit. I beat (Jay Horak) by 16 points…it wasn’t going to be that close but it ended up being that
The DNF in race one was followed by a class win (second overall) to secure the championship. Havrda says she wasn’t expecting to get emotional, but that changed when she hugged Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport team owner Teena Larsen.
“She told me before, ‘I want to bring you where I didn’t make it in racing,’” said Havrda. “She wants to help a lot and it’s just nice to have another woman help you in racing because there aren’t many people in racing who want to help you too much… it’s good to have someone who supports you on the team.”
Havrda says that it’s important to have the right people to make it in racing, citing a past experience where she was teamed up with the wrong person for her; she says it was very uncomfortable and that she never did well when racing with that person.
“I’d get off track and it would just feel weird but now I feel really comfortable and I literally walk around the grid with a smile on my face,” said Havrda. “Before, I was like ‘yah, okay, let’s get this race weekend over with.’ I love racing but I didn’t love the environment that I was in and now it’s completely different.”
Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport fields multiple cars in FPW and FR Americas, where Havrda had the opportunity to race at New Jersey Motorsports Park and Virginia Int’l Raceway.
She recorded a best finish of fifth in half of her races, where there are more F3 cars and bigger weekends. Team owner Larsen was born in New Zealand and raised in Canada; the passion of Larsen’s team is something that stood out to Havrda.
“It’s so amazing to watch them,” said Havrda. “They live in Texas; they literally live at the track, in an apartment, and they have a garage and they are there every single day, every day of the week. They go back to New Zealand for a month, for vacation, then they go straight back to racing the next month. It’s so cool to see their passion.”
Havrda’s main goal is to compete in Formula One, though she says it will depend on what opportunities come, with IndyCar and IMSA also in mind. The Courtenay, BC driver continued her busy travel schedule by competing in the Indian Racing League for the second straight season, this past fall, and will return to the FPW winter series in March.
She’ll then run a full campaign in FR Americas, where she’ll make her first professional racing start in Canada, when the series visits Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on the Labour Day weekend. IT
The racing career of 20-year-old Patrick Woods-Toth (then 19) was given new life, as he took advantage of unexpected opportunities to win the F4 US Championship.
Woods-Toth made the transition from karts to cars, when the ROK Senior champion in the Motomaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship was selected by the Fellows family to participate in the Radford Racing School in December 2022. The scholarship allowed him to get used to the F4 car at slower speeds, while also catching the eye of Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport.
Following a successful test and with funding from the Fellows, Woods-Toth made his F4 US debut in the 2023 season opener at NOLA Motorsports Park. He finished on the podium in all three races, with a runner-up and two third-place finishes. He says the biggest adjustment to F4 was the braking, which required more pressure, plus use of the gear box, to slow down the car.
Woods-Toth picked up sponsorship for Road America and took the event by storm, winning two of three races. The victories were a needed boost for what was becoming a title campaign.
“If I wouldn’t have gotten my first win so early on, who knows where we would’ve been sitting championship-wise, sponsor-wise, confidence-wise as well,” said Woods-Toth. “I’ve won championships in racing, that’s
how I got here, but when I’m going into something so unknown, it’s like ‘do I belong here?’… to have that come so early on, that sealed the deal for me, I knew that we were ready to go.”
Woods-Toth recorded a win and six podium finishes between weekends at MidOhio, New Jersey Motorsports Park and Virginia International Raceway. He entered the finale weekend with a comfortable lead in the standings, focused on staying under the radar and driving his own race.
With the championship clinched after race one at Circuit of the Americas, he returned to his normal driving style, finishing third and scoring a win to conclude the year.
“I was really focusing on my driving, while everyone else was focusing on getting a really good lap time (through drafting),” said Woods-Toth. “I just wanted to have good references and be prepared for the race. When you’re leading and you’re not able to follow someone, it’s a lot tougher…the last two races, I was able to really drive and earn my results and I think I surprised a lot of people.”
Woods-Toth says that speed and competitiveness were keys to his success this season, noting the importance of wins in racing. He says that teamwork, managing relationships and keeping up with learning are also important.
The Montreal, QC driver is staying busy with school during the off-season. He
thought he’d need a degree to live a good life but has now established the goal of potentially racing for a living.
“This time last year, I was pretty much done racing, and I got an opportunity of a lifetime, just for fun, to drive cars,” said Woods-Toth. “To end up where I am now… (it’s) something I never expected. I was just so happy. It’s an accomplishment for me but also for Ron and the Fellows family, for the sponsors that helped us, for everyone. I was happy to win for myself but there are a lot of people behind me.”
The domino effect of surprise opportunities will continue into 2024. The F4 U.S. title has earned Woods-Toth a scholarship to the FR Americas series, which uses spec F3 cars.
“I think that car is amazing, it requires so much more race-like driving ability, it’s a much more difficult car to drive,” said Woods-Toth. “It’s a much more fun car to drive because it’s so much more rewarding when you get it right… I think I’m going to have a fun time, but at the end of the day, we need to focus on continuing the success.”
Woods-Toth recently started his 2024 season in the five-round FR Oceania Championship this winter, before the FR Americas schedule gets underway. FR Americas will feature seven race weekends, including a visit to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Labour Day weekend. IT
The Ontario regional road racing season came to a close in early October, with points titles decided in various divisions and classes for both the CASC-OR RaceOntario Championships and the VARAC Drivers Challenge.
The fastest cars and most aggressive racing can be found in the CASC-sanctioned Pirelli Super Touring Sprints and Pirelli Grand Touring Sprints. The Super Touring division features the GT1 and GT2 classes, where Rocco Marciello and Daria Khachi each added another championship trophy to their collections.
Marciello started the year with three finishes just outside the podium, while Roberto Sabato and James Beaton split the wins, in the BEMC Spring Trophy Races at Canadian
Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). He then became the driver to beat at Shannonville Motorsport Park, winning two of three races, with a runner-up finish to Mark Busscher.
The parity continued into the BARC weekend, where club member Marciello recorded a podium, as Beaton, Leigh Pettipas and Aaron Pettipas split the wins. While various drivers continued to pick up victories, Marciello extended his string of consistent finishes near the podium. He ended the season with a third-place and two runner-up finishes in the Celebration of Motorsport at CTMP.
Overall, Marciello had 14 Top-5s in 18 races, while being one of just four drivers to pick up maximum circuit bonus points, by competing at each track that CASC-OR raced at – CTMP, Shannonville and Calabogie Motorsports Park. The Brampton, ON
In January, CASC announced the creation of the Miata Cup Series, a new series featuring nearly identical Mazda Miatas, ensuring that the playing field is level for all participants. Putting driver skill and ability above vehicle advantages, the Miata Cup Series will undoubtedly produce close, exciting racing action.
The new class will also be an affordable and accessible entry level option for newcomers looking to get into racing.
In other CASC news, the sanctioning body has partnered with renowned race announcer Pat Gonsalves, who began his career behind the microphone in 1973 at CTMP.
driver took his 2016 BMW M235iR to his fifth-career GT1 crown.
“My main plan was to finish each race, which we did, zero DNFs, which was great,” said Marciello. “My team is awesome, we’ve set up the car perfect every race…we built it and set it up, but it’s also the underdog considering that it’s a heavy six-cylinder versus light V8s.”
Marciello competes out of a multi-car stable; he says that his whole team did amazing and that it was such a fun year. His RMP Competizione teammate Khachi won the GT2 championship; the Mississauga, ON driver took his 2004 BMW M3 to five wins and 12 podiums in 16 starts.
In the Grand Touring Sprints, Bryan Rashleigh proved that age is just a number.
Continued on page 54...
He has been the public address voice of the Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton Indy Car races as well as TV work on the major National Auto Racing Series in the late ’80s and early ’90s including the Rothmans Porsche Turbo Cup, Player’s / GM Motorsport Series, Honda Michelin Series and Export “A” F-2000 Series.
Finally, Formula Prototype Challenge (FPC) is returning for CASC-OR select regional events in 2024 as a stand-alone class. For more FCP info, go to fpc-canada.com.
For CASC-OR news and information, go to casc.on.ca. Be sure to visit the CASC-OR booth at the Toronto Motorama show, March 8, 9 & 10 at The International Centre. IT
Continued from page 52...
The 71-year-old is no stranger to success and has progressively moved to faster classes over the course of his driving career. This season saw him check another box off his bucket list, as he took his 2007 Subaru Legacy Spec B to a GT3 championship.
“Over the years, I’ve won GT6, GT5, GT4, this is now GT3; I don’t know if I want to go up into GT2 or GT1, but GT3 was the one on the bucket list,” said Rashleigh. “It’s been a lot of ups-and-downs and I was fortunate, when I did have some problems, I was able to come back; even my old GT5 car, I was able to run it in GT3…between the two cars, I was able to stay ahead in the championship, so great season.”
The Caledon, ON driver started the season with five Top-5s in the first six races, before an eventful BARC weekend. He slid off track in the opening race and finished 11th overall, with the damage causing him to miss race two. The team got their second vehicle from the shop and finished sixth in class in the weekend finale.
Rashleigh got back to consistency at Calabogie, starting a stretch of nine consecutive Top-5s to end the season, including five podium finishes. His lone win came in the opening race at the Celebration of Motorsport. He says that the work of his crew stands out to him the most from this season, with crash damage repairs and regular maintenance allowing them to finish races.
In GT4, CASC-OR president and VARAC member Ted Michalos won the championship. While he considers himself a vintage racer ‘by definition,’ with most of his cars belonging to that category, he decided to compete in GT4 due to his role as both president and acting race director.
“I thought I should race with the modern guys, just to be in touch with them, so I can communicate with them,” said Michalos. “We realized, about two events ago (before the finale), that ‘hey, wait a minute, we’re leading the championship.’ So, of course, we had to go just a little bit faster, we had to try a little bit harder. It’s a good season though.”
Michalos says that he needs to remember the different mindsets when switching between rides, with the modern divisions featuring more aggressive racing than the vintage divisions. Competing in the different groups also means a unique driving style, which is a bit of a disadvantage for the driver.
drive with any one of my vintage cars. It’s an accommodation I have to make for myself because there’s no way for me to remember all the different racing lines.”
“I have a race line that works with any race car, which means it’s not optimal for any race car,” said Michalos. “With the modern guys, my line is not the perfect line that they would follow, I follow the line that I would
The Guelph, ON driver went winless in GT4 in 2023, but guided his 2002 Audi TT to 10 Top-5s in 17 starts. Robert Turner won the GT5 championship in a 2008 Mazda MX5, with all three of his wins coming at Shannonville.
In open-wheel CASC competition, championships went to James Morton in Formula 4 and Stephen Sutherland in Formula Libre. Both drivers had a dominant season, with Morton winning 12 races in 16 starts and Sutherland recording eight victories in 14 starts.
Meanwhile, a new Formula Prototype Challenge category was created in CASC last year, providing faster open-wheel and prototype cars with an opportunity to compete on four weekends. Championships went to Alan Shaw in Revolution and Mark Boyd in Radical; there were only guest drivers in the Formula Atlantic and Formula Renault classes.
While the divisions featuring more modern cars are run by CASC-OR, the vintage racing categories are organized by VARAC.
The club’s year-end standings have a different points structure, where the competitors’ best five weekends are counted, and is called the VARAC Drivers Challenge.
In the Modern Classic division, championships were won by Reg Akers (MC-B), Marco Beretta (MC-A), Guy Tremblay (MC-1), and Peter Griesback (MC-2).
While the newest form of vintage racing has smaller car counts than the others, it was not without competition in the biggest event.
Akers drove his 1999 Ford Taurus stock car to uncontested victories in seven of his starts, but faced Ian Crerar and Blaise Csida in the annual Vintage Grand Prix.
The prestigious weekend is part of CTMP’s major event schedule. Csida took the class win in all four races, driving a 2002 Pontiac GP, while Akers finished second.
“Time for a full rebuild and we’ll come back out in the spring,” said Akers. “I want to win the Vintage Grand Prix, overall; I want to be the first guy across the line of all the vintage
cars. Because the big boys come up for that event, it’s a challenge, but I’ll get there… that’s why I do this, it’s all for the Vintage Grand Prix, the rest is just practice.”
In the Classic division, Robert Offley won the A class championship.
Offley started the season with two podium finishes in his first five starts before finding his stride mid-summer. He won eight races in a row, then ended the year with three runner-up finishes in the Celebration of Motorsport.
“It’s been pretty good, it started slow but it’s got better during the season,” said Offley. “I had to do some work to the car over the winter and it took time to dial it in but it’s working really well now.”
Offley drove his 1972 Porsche 911 to more starts than any other driver in the A class this year, with consistency and improvements to the car guiding him to the title. The British expat is starting to become a veteran driver in VARAC.
“I came across here and started racing in 2014,” said Offley. “I had a 944 and now I have a 911 and just upgraded and got faster and (CTMP is) just a great track to drive on…it’s also good because everyone races fair and gives people space and it’s a good
group to race with, so it’s really nice.”
Also in the Classic division, championships went to Martino Beretta (C-1), Alan Morris (C-2), Jeff Gardner (C-3), and Richard Muise (C-5).
Marciello and Rashleigh added to their GT titles by claiming the points crowns in the C-B and C-4 divisions, respectively, while running just the two main events on the calendar – the Vintage Grand Prix and the Peter Jackson Trophy Races. Marciello piloted a 1976 Triumph TR7, while Rashleigh raced a 1989 Toyota GTS.
Some of the oldest cars are found in the Vintage Historic division, which is split into five classes. John Hawkes drove a 1964 Merlyn MK6A to seven wins in 10 starts to earn the VH1 championship, finishing runner-up to Steve Gidman in his Vintage Grand Prix starts.
Ivan Samila piloted a 1970 Lotus 7S4 to seven wins in 11 starts en route to the VH2 championship; points titles also went to Phil Cooper (VH3), Jim Biscoe (VH4), and Stewart Wigg (VH5). Lastly, the oldest open-wheel cars compete in the Formula Classic division. Championships went to Doug Durrell (Formula Vee), Kevin Young (Formula Ford), Bob Patterson (F1200), and Paul Subject (F90). IT
WE'RE EXCITED TO LAUNCH THE PATH TO RACING PROGRAM FOR BLACK YOUTH IN ONTARIO. IN COLLABORATION WITH K1 SPEED IN TORONTO.
Mary Bignotti Mendez
Aftersuch a dominant season in 2023, rival drivers and teams are wondering if they can beat Alex Palou this year. He won five races and earned the pole for the Indy 500 while on his way to winning his second NTT INDYCAR title. In fact, after just nine of the season’s 17 races, he had amassed an incredible 110-point lead over his teammate, Scott Dixon.
“It’s always tough to repeat such a special and magical season like what we had with five wins,” said Palou. “It’s crazy. When I look back to see the races in a row that we got, starting the month of May with the pole at the Indy 500 and then winning at Detroit, Mid-Ohio, and Road America, it just felt magical. It’s going to be tough to repeat or to be close to that. Every time we step on the track, we need to win. We’ve done it once, so we can do it twice.”
Asked who he feels are his toughest competitors, Palou named his teammate, Scott Dixon, a six-time INDYCAR champion who won three out of the final four races in 2023, and two Penske drivers.
“Dixon will have the same tools as I will and he’s always there, even on the worst days,” answered Palou. “Newgarden is the same as Dixon, that even on a bad day, he’s able to get the maximum out of the car. He was a bit unlucky during last season, but he’s always a threat. And we saw McLaughlin getting super consistent, as well.”
What may make it difficult for Palou to
continue with the remarkable results he’s achieved are the off-track distractions. Following his maiden season for Dale Coyne Racing in 2020, where he earned one podium and finished 16th in the championship, Palou won his first title in 2021 with three victories driving for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Possibly derailing his title quest in 2022 was a major mid-season distraction when Chip Ganassi exercised his contractual option to retain Palou for the 2023 season. However, Palou announced he would be driving for the rival Arrow McLaren Racing, instead, which he believed included an opportunity to compete for McLaren’s F1 team.
Although the ensuing Ganassi lawsuit was settled by mediation, post-season, the result was that Palou would remain as a Ganassi driver in 2023 while being available as the McLaren F1 test driver at non-conflicting events. Then the Spaniard would transfer to Arrow McLaren’s INDYCAR team in 2024 under a new three-year contract.
When asked if Palou could have won the 2022 title had there not been the team controversy, he said, “It’s tough to know but it didn’t help. At the beginning of the season, we were really consistent but missing just a little bit of speed that you need to win a championship.”
This past August, Palou had a change of heart, breaching the contracts he had
signed with McLaren when it became clear he would not have an F1 opportunity. Now he is facing a US $22 M lawsuit filed in the United Kingdom by Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing.
Palou’s attorneys have refuted McLaren’s claims of financial damages from lost sponsorship ($6.9 M), engine manufacturer’s support ($1.5 M), marketing income using his name and likeness, and prize money as “speculative.”
Additionally, McLaren included Palou’s $400,000 signing bonus as well as its $3 M expense for Palou’s simulator use and participation in the F1 Testing Previous Car program. Hiring his replacement driver, David Malukas, was also listed as another $3 M expense.
Drivers can only hope this suit hanging over Palou’s head will divert his on-track focus.
“Those distractions really take away,” explained Will Power, whose wife, Liz, had life threatening health issues early last season. “You just cannot compete at a high level if you’re not 100 percent focused on racing. You’re going to struggle in this field because the depth is too strong. You need to have everything going for you if you’re going to win in this series.”
Regarding Palou’s success, Power continued, “When someone doesn’t have a lower finish than eighth (twice), not having mistakes, and wins five races, my God, you’re just sitting at such a high level.
“That’s one tough team and competitor right there. It just resets the bar in this series, which is a very high bar already. That’s a championship to remember in this field, which is very, very impressive. I couldn’t see anyone beating that. This dude just absolutely mopped the floor; he nailed it!”
And Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin echoed, “What Alex did last season was incredible. His season was fantastic, and it’s a credit to him and his Ganassi team. We all strive for one of those seasons. There’s no doubt that it can be done because he did it.”
Somehow, I believe Palou will be just as invincible and not lose focus, although he could be in debt for many years to come. IT
By Jeff Pappone
Canadian racer Robert Wickens
doesn’t recall anything about the 2018 IndyCar accident that left him paralyzed, but he definitely remembers waking up and being determined to race again and battle for championships.
After returning to the cockpit with Bryan Herta Autosport in the 2022 International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Michelin Pilot Challenge and showing immediate speed in his hand-controlled Hyundai Elantra, Wickens achieved his goal of a title by winning the 2023 TCR Class championship.
“There was a lot of emotion and a lot of positives really all year just fighting for a championship again,” said Wickens, who suffered multiple broken bones and a spinal cord injury in a violent accident while driving for Arrow McLaren in the IndyCar ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway in August of 2018.
“It was just such a pleasure constantly fighting for podiums and wins and that’s the exact reason why I wanted to return to racing,” Wickens continued. “There are a lot of different elements, but I think being injured at such a high level of motorsport like IndyCar means there’s that desire to compete and get back to that level.”
After the 34-year-old from Guelph, ON, took two wins in his TCR first season with teammate and fellow Canadian Mark Wilkins in 2022, Wickens only got better in 2023 as he fine-tuned his hand control skills. The braking system that sees Wickens squeeze a ring on the back the steering wheel to slow the car continues to a specific area that needs work.
“My hands can’t squeeze with the same pressure that an able-bodied driver can with their legs, so we have a pneumatic actuator to help me push the brake pedal,” said Wickens.
“There’s various levels of disconnect there because the assistance is not instantaneous — halfway through the brake squeeze, you get a different sensation and that took a lot to get used to. I’m constantly just trying to replicate the able-bodied brake pedal feel that I grew so used to in all my years of karting and then car racing.”
Despite the challenges, Wickens and teammate Harry Gottsacker battled for wins on almost every weekend, but the 2023 title came without the pair driving their Hyundai Elantra into victory lane.
“We never won to race but we had six second place finishes and seven podiums in 10 races, so it was a strong year. The goal is always to win the championship and we knew that consistency was always going to be important,” he said.
“We also missed a couple opportunities, but what really kind of put us in championship contention was that we just kept being there. We were still fighting for the wins even in races that really didn’t suit us or our car. A couple of times, I was leading the race in the final five minutes and we had to settle for second place.”
No matter how you slice it, Wickens’ journey from being paralyzed that he documenting on social media for all to see to his return to driving competitively left many in awe of his determination and resilience.
His close friend and IndyCar teammate at the time of the accident, James Hinchcliffe, followed Wickens’ journey from Day 1 and saw the obstacles he overcame.
“What Robbie has done since getting back in the car is equal parts astonishingly inspiring and completely expected,” said Hinchcliffe, now a motorsport commentator
for NBC and F1TV.
“His desire to race and his drive to win never wavered from that first race, which was a podium finish, to the first win and now a championship. That guy never ceases to amaze me. And I know it’s just the beginning.”
While he’ll return to Byran Herta Autosport to defend his TCR title in 2024, Wickens said he’s exploring the possibility of moving to a new challenge, and some dots seem to be connecting nicely.
For example, Wickens continues to serve as an advisor to the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, Canadian outfit Pfaff Motorsports announced that it will be the manufacturer-backed McLaren entry in the IMSA GTD Pro Class in 2024, Hinchcliffe signed to drive the Pfaff 720S GT3 Evo in the longer races next year, and adapting hand controls to a GTD Car would be pretty straightforward.
“I think that ship sailed for 2024, but I love people that Pfaff. I worked with them throughout the pandemic in eSports and I got to know them quite well. I think it would be a great fit, so we’re going to keep working and see what we can do,” Wickens said.
“Right now, the hand control system that I’m using now is almost at its ceiling in the TCR category and the Hyundai Elantra, and we really just need more room to grow. I’m an impatient racing driver, so I want to get as high up as quickly as possible and try to find any opportunity I can.” IT
By John Waldie
With the calendar flipped to 2024, attention of drag racers and fans alike will shift to the season ahead; however, 2023 was a year that will long be remembered and is certainly worthy of another look back. With this in mind, here is a look at the top 10 Canadian drag stories of 2023.
The 2023 season was an amazing one for Canadian drag racing. That being said, Spencer Hyde’s $100,000 US win at the inaugural World Series of Pro Mod (WSOPM) event in Bradenton, FL in early March tops our charts!
Qualifying only 32nd in the field of 61 of the greatest Pro Mod cars and racers ever assembled – and then ‘running the table’ –during five rounds of the best door-slammer racing ever is virtually unparalleled.
Ironically, fellow Canadian Kenny Lang (he qualified 31st) went to the semi-finals in the ‘chip draw’ format, and Canadian Eric Latino was eliminated by Spencer’s holeshot in the second round (3.719 to a quicker 3.699!).
Canadian Melanie Salemi won the Second Chance Shootout, which was worth a cool $10,000 US from an alternate position.
Spencer would also launch a promising Top Fuel career driving a car for the legend-
ary Paton family. He recorded consistent 3.7 second ETs at over 300 mph alongside Todd Paton (that’s 500 km/h!) during an event at Grand Bend Motorplex and later in Pomona, CA.
The newly formed Pro Stock powerhouse of the aforementioned Eric Latino and twotime world champion Jim Whitley, KB Titan Racing, completed their rookie season with five of NHRA’s top 10 pro stock entries (Greg Anderson, Matt Hartford, Dallas Glenn, Kyle Koretsky and Derek Kramer), while former rookie of the year, female phenom Camrie Caruso was sixth in points wining her first national event and the Pro Stock all star race in Chicago. Stratford, ON’s Sienna Wildgust (as she enters her 18th year) has completed her Pro Stock licensing in Bradenton as we script this article and will join the team next year becoming the youngest ever professional NHRA drag racer. Bossman Eric Latino himself was a professional “rookie of the year candidate” with his 2023 Pro Stock debut.
Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Famer Rob Flynn put up an incredible 300 mph run during the NHRA national event in Charlotte, NC
last fall while tuning his Mike Salinas owned and driven “scrappers” top fuel dragster. Fellow Canadian Dale Armstrong accomplished the same feat 32 years earlier while tuning Kenny Bernstein’s legendary Budweiser King Top Fueler in Gainesville, FL in what had been described as the greatest barrier breaking run in drag racing history.
While Dale’s run was accomplished in the traditional 1/4 mile distance Robs 300 mph run was done in one half the distance or 1/8 mile. Yes, 300 mph (500 plus km/h) in 660 ft! Congratulations Rob.
No list of the top drag racing stories of 2023 would be complete without Justin Bond’s amazing year in Pro Mod! Often described as drag racing’s most exciting and unpredictable category, the British Columbia racer began the year not only winning the sold out Gainesville, FL event, but leading the NHRA points for most of the 2023 season. Justin even switched power-adders and added a second car. Eventually Justin would finish the 2023 season second in points to the Mike Castellana / Frank Manzo remarkable come from behind Las Vegas win and eventual national title. The 2023 NHRA Pro Mod season with unprecedented national event television coverage and media exposure will be remembered for leading perhaps the most exciting season ever for NHRA with incredible performance drama and exposure. Canada’s Justin Bond was the catalyst that made it all possible!
This year saw continued growth of drag racing within Canada led by our Montreal-based NHRA representative Glenn Grow and Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame founder John Scotti culminating in major announcements for 2024. Stay tuned! Much thanks to our local and regional facilities, our local sportsman series and as always our Canadian drag racing fans and their families.
I am so impressed with our Canadian racers who continue to race internationally year after year and 2023 was no exception. Once again BC’s Shawn Cowie came ever so close to winning an NHRA world championship, ultimately finishing 3rd only a scant 3 points behind Indycar, Nascar and now NHRA Pro car-owning and driving champion Tony Stewart (Stewart will move into Top Fuel for 2024). Julie Nataas, in the powerhouse Randy Meyer car, is the 2023 champion, but Shawn’s alcohol dragster gave Julie and Tony’s nitro mounts a great run for their money. In total 50 dragsters contended for the Lucas Alcohol Dragster championship and Shawn’s tuner Norm Grimes and crewman Patrick Brown from Guelph, ON made us very proud. Other Canadian drivers or those driving Canadian owned / tuned Alcohol entries include Todd Bruce, Jeff Veale, Jeff Chatterson and Alan Bradshaw. In the funny car ranks Ryan Stack and Tyler Scott (driving for Larry Dobbs) provided additional Canadian flavour.
Continuing with our acknowledgment of Canadians internationally, Quebec’s Dan Mercier had a banner year in top fuel, Finishing 13th overall amongst 40 competitor’s in the 11,000 horsepower NHRA Top
Fuel Dragsters, Dan also joined Spencer Todd and Jeff Chatterson with outstanding performances in Ontario (Toronto Motorsport Park and Grand Bend Motorplex). Other Canadians (some now transplanted to the US) competing in the world championship NHRA Lucas Oil Sportsman series and finishing in the top 50 include Taylor Chomiski, Darcy Clarke, Jason and Al Kenny, Ken Mostowich, Ken Moses and Alan Hiebert My personal New Year’s wish is if you are a Canadian racer travelling stateside please let Greg MacPherson or myself know so that we may follow your journey and offer a picture or two for Inside Track readers.
We now have several photographers and more specifically drag race fans/writers/ track officials willing to tell your story and
feature your race cars. Referring to No. 5 above please help us keep our readers informed in 2024. Going forward it will be much easier to obtain grading points to travel to NHRA national events, particularly in the stock superstock top dragster and top sportsman categories.
Locally, special shows at Toronto Motorsport Park, Grand Bend Motorplex and in the case of Pro Mod, Napierville Dragway and Mission Raceway Park (thanks to Justin ‘Agent 5sixty’ Bond) provided outstanding fan friendly major regional events. Particularly at Cayuga and Grand Bend, where 3 second 300 mph (500 km/h) nitro runs were not uncommon and provided outstanding local value for our Canadian dollar!
As in previous years we conclude with sincere thanks for the contributions of our own local series such as the cCanAm Stock / Superstock group (now travelling as far east as the Maritimes). Twenty-five plus years and one of the premier sportsman series in all of dragracing.
Lastly our own Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame this year inducted 14 new members, including first time father and sons. During a brief two-year personal event hiatus (which saw 102 nominees), this year’s gala at John Scotti’s Montreal Lamborghini facility was a wonderful way to conclude our sport’s 2023 season. Thank you to all of our drag racing fans, we sincerely appreciate your continuing support! IT
With files from CHU
The Canada Heads Up – Shootout Series (CHU) held its final two points weekends of the season, in September at Toronto Motorsports Park. During the first weekend of action, on Sept. 8-10, several competitors established new class records and moved themselves into contention for the championship weekend, at the end of the month.
Highlighting the action, Rob Orofiamma and Lenny Farinacci both reset their respective class ET records, while Ian Hill locked up the 6.50 Index points championship. In other action, in early September, a number of racers tightening up their class points chases headed into the season finale.
Ricky Carlos took the win in Super Street, once again flipping spots on the points list with Pano Moros for the Number One spot. Ryan Schulze took a huge gain on the leaders in EZ Street with his race win, coming from the Number Two qualifying spot. Jeff Biro (Street275), Jesse Vanbetlehem (KOTS) and Damian Tong (SWB Bike) rounded out the Heads-Up class wins.
The CHU community returned to TMP for the final time in 2023 for the Sept. 30 –Oct. 1 finale.
Despite being late in the season, Mother Nature was playing nice and the fifth race weekend of the season was run under fantastic conditions.
Rob Orofiamma once again upped his game, resetting (again) the class ET record in EZ Street. He became the first to crack the ‘4.4s’ with a 4.49 second effort. JP Calandra came out for the 7.90 Bike Index and set low ET and high-MPH records for the class.
Other Heads-Up class winners were:
Super Street: Ray Griffen, EZ Street: Tyler Kranendonk, Street275: Jeff Biro, KOTS: David Rego and SWB Bike: Damian Tong
On the Saturday night of the season finale, CHU put on its re-scheduled Smackdown7 event. The champions of the no-time events were: Limited28s: Rob Orofiamma, Street: Bryon Terveld, and Grudge Bike: John Poretti.
By the time the weekend was done, the 2023 championships were all settled following another great season of CHU action.
Congratulations to the 2023 Canada Heads-Up points champions. They are:
Super Street: Ricky Carlos, EZ Street: Ryan Schulze, Street275: Steph Mallais, KOTS: Jesse Vanbetleham: SWB Bike: Damian Tong, Pro24: Reno Mobilio, 4.0: Ron Banks, 4.50: Lenny Farinacci, 5.0: Mike Gentile, 5.50: Dan Morrison, 7.90 Bikes: Vasylyy Luksivskyy, Low9s: Murray Lonsbarry, 6.0: Mike Thompson, 6.50: Ian Hill, 7.0: Chevy Lightheart, 7.50: Doug Reid and Junior Dragster: – Cole Ferri.
The CHU year-end banquet took place January 27 in Markham, Ontario. Three-hundred racers, family and crew members, race officials, sponsors and supporters were in attendance for the event which featured awards, draw prizes and a superb meal. Canada Heads-Up will once again have a large presence at the Toronto Motorama show, March 8-10 at the International Centre. The Canada Heads Up – Shootout Series is presented by Speedwire Systems, Sokoloff Injury Lawyers and Headrush Tattoo and Apparel. IT
Adrian Kemps earned the 2023 Pro Sprints championship at FTMS. Kemps started racing motocross at the age of 21. He’s now 69 and still racing, against his son and others.
Grafton, ON resident Lily Walters won the King of the Kartway Series Jr. Red Clone division championship at Oswego (NY) Speedway in 2023. Lily has been racing since the age of 6.
Phil Givens (Fergus, ON) won the Pure Stock championship at Flamboro in 2023. He also won a feature at Peterborough Speedway’s Autumn Colours Classic (above).
Avery Kirkpatrick was a rookie in the Junior Late Model division at Peterborough Speedway in 2023. She won the season-long championship and the Most Improved Award.
Allenford, ON racer Cole Kamrath swept every Junior Late Model points race feature win at Sauble Speedway in 2023 en route to earning the season-long points championship.
St. Catharines, ON Sportsman racer Cody McPherson was the man to beat at the Thorold, Ontario dirt oval in 2023.
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Racing since 2018, Ryan Hillar earned his first career championship, in 2023, competing in Ohsweken’s Mini Stock division. He also took awards for social media acumen and Driver of the Year.
Mason Collver won Mini Truck championships at Grand Bend and FTMS last season. In all, he collected 17 feature wins.
courtesy of Tom Walters YOUR SELF-SERVE AUTO PARTS STORE
Open 500 class racer Jacob Ross won his second career championship at Little Middleton, in 2023. He’s also very busy in Late Model action at Grand Bend, FTMS and other area tracks.
Merlin, ON racer Brad McLeod has been on track since 1984. His UMP Modified title at Southern Ontario Motor Speedway, in 2023, was the ninth of his career.
73-year-old ‘Stompin’ Tom Walters has been racing since 1969. His 2023 Hot Rod division title at Sunset was the 31st of his career.Walters is a member of the Cdn. Motorsport Hall of Fame.
In just his second full season racing in Flamboro Speedway’s Mini Stock division, Hamilton, ON’s Mike Thomson won 13 races on his way to the track championship.
Photo courtesy of Mike Thomson
Daniel Demaras won four races and a pair of pole positions on his way to capturing the Cdn. Formula 1200 title in 2023. It was just his second season competing in the series
courtesy of Daniel Demaras
Scarborough, ON drag racer Sam Snapp won the Race Cayuga Sportsman Series Street/Sportsman title in 2023. He tied for the championship in 2022, his rookie year, and won it all in ‘23.
Langton, ON drag racer Randy Nunn won Ontario Nostalgia Drag Racers titles in the Hot Rod division and Overall in 2023.
Burlington, ON racer Nicolas Maitland was the 2023 GT1 class champ for the Lucky Dog Racing series.
courtesy of Nicolas Maitland
At the age of 74, Murray Lonsbary won the Canada Heads Up 9.30 Heads Up Index drag bike division title at Toronto Motorsports Park, on his 2014 Kawasaki ZX14R.
Cole Ferri, from Welland, ON, was the Junior Dragster points champion for the Canada Heads Up Series, at TMP, in 2023.
Photo courtesy of Cole Ferri
Alittle more than five decades ago, Engineered Racing Services first began. With a growing collection of iconic racing names, legends of the sport and several key business entrepreneurs, the name seared its way into the memory of Canadian performance, racing and motorsport history.
The historic run after but one short decade faded, as many of those folks chose to go in their own directions, and Engineered Racing Services ceased to exist. However, Greg Wicklum, one of the founding owners, retained the ERS name during all the following decades.
Moving forward in time to February 2023, a collection of old friends, old racers and performance and entrepreneurial pioneers gathered for some burgers and beer along with Greg Wicklum and his son Lawrence.
We were all at the point in our lives where we could just retire – we needed to prove nothing more to anyone, but we wanted to pass on our knowledge and experience to the next generation. We were looking for ways to keep active, perhaps race one more season, maybe sell some parts to fund it, and just have some fun. The primary theme coming out of this cool old guys’ group was “I am not done yet!”
Engineered Racing Services was reborn.
We studied the past and learned from it, because we knew this was necessary in order for the project to have energy, life and longevity. We all agreed that building a group, a special team with one focus, was the way to ensure it would have a chance to be special.
A year down the road, Engineered Racing Services now has two retail stores, a new online website with shipping nationwide, and seven race teams with several of the most winning drivers in recent memory! 2024 is upon us and the Engineered Racing Services Group and teams are already preparing to say to everyone – ‘WE ARE NOT DONE YET!’ IT
The 2023 edition of the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show (PRI) took place December 7 – 9 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The show opened with Indy 500 champ Tony Kanaan headlining the Grand Opening Breakfast, on the Thursday morning.
The show features the world’s premier motorsports companies, brands, race sanctioning bodies and manufacturers, all at the PRI Show to showcase their newest products and technology at the motorsports industry gathering in Indianapolis.
The show is billed as, “a racer’s dream – 1,000 exhibitors, 3,600 booths filled with innovative stateof-the-art equipment and products, thoughtfully curated Education sessions and program topics, special guest appearances, and ground-breaking feature vehicles, not to mention actual racing.”
From a Canadian perspective, the PRI Show is a magnet for members of the Canadian racing community, as well. During the three days of the show, we ran into countless racers, officials and exhibitors who made the trek from north of the border to be part of the gathering. Next year’s PRI Show is scheduled for December 12-14, 2024. IT
- Greg MacPherson
Every December, the racing world flocks to Indianapolis for the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show. There was lots of Canadian content, once again, including the Merkur RS4Ti built by Windsor, Ontario’s JH Restorations.
Canada is fortunate to have a bunch of really good race car drivers representing many disciplines. Drag racing, stock cars, road racing, motorcycles and others, are all well-represented in terms of talented and accomplished Canadians.
We have also produced several top-rated chassis builders. But it’s a special, rare breed who are outstanding when it comes to racing and building. When I think of Canucks who have really distinguished themselves doing both, I can only think of two.
Junior Hanley (Looking Back – Inside Track: January 2021) is widely recognized as one of the top stock car drivers and chassis builders, on both sides of the border, during the past 50 years. He’s retired from racing, but is still a sought-after builder. His guarantee is that the car he sells you will be the fastest car at your home track. If you can’t make it work, he will jump into it and set fast time.
The other driver/builder – who is also respected in Canada and the US – is legendary drag racer F.J. (Fred) Smith of Cayuga, Ontario. Fred’s first race car was a ‘37 Ford with a small-block way back in 1964.
Fred studied Engineering at Kingston, Ontario’s Queens University. But at the end of his third year, he got a job offer that he
couldn’t refuse. And, serendipitously, the very next day, he met drag racing legend Bill Morrison who was racing a Camaro Super Stocker, at the time, and a bond was struck between the two.
On one occasion, Morrison had to travel west for a while, and he left his Camaro at Fred’s place. The hook was planted!
Fred ‘got serious’ with Bill’s car, one summer, and laughs when he said he got beat by ‘Peter the Cheater’ Fedun! Fred, you weren’t the only one!
Along the way, Fred hooked up with the ‘Grump,’ Bill Jenkins, and some of the stories are pretty good as they traveled throughout Pennsylvania and area. According to Fred, being on time for anything was not a priority for Jenkins.
The new (at the time) NHRA Super Modified class was just getting started, and Fred was an early adapter, joining the class in its second year. Fred was now funding his passion by teaching auto shop and welding at Cayuga Secondary School.
Things went smoothly for a few years until Fred saw a golden opportunity. General Motors had a drag racing problem – their mid-sized cars had all transitioned to front-
wheel drive. What to do, what to do?!
With the blessing of NHRA, Fred debuted a rear-wheel drive ‘86 Olds Ciera! Oh, baby. That car was like a lightbulb to moths, attracting attention wherever it went. With the assistance of friend Arlen Fadely, Fred was able to make some serious connections with Oldsmobile.
At the Tech Director’s meeting at Gainesville that year, it was duly noted that there were no new cars coming from GM in Super Stock, resulting in another ‘what to do?’ situation.
It was at that point that Oldsmobile’s Dave Gerrard gave Fred a car. And the rest, as they say, is history.
I had earlier experiences with both Chevrolet High Performance and Oldsmobile High Performance while selling at the Central Chev High Performance Center in the late ‘60s.
I met Vince Piggins and Paul Pryor while working for NHRA, at Indy, back in 1968, and I asked them what was coming. They gave me their cards and told me to call them on November 1.
I visited them for lunch, and they gave me the COPO numbers for the 427/425 Camaros and Chevelles. They also gave me the telephone number of Dale Smith, at Oldsmobile High Performance, on the promise I wouldn’t tell him who gave me his number. I could see the rivalry even back then.
And to add to the COPO story, I called Vince in the fall of 1969 and asked him what was coming for 1970. He said they’d been shut. I asked why. Apparently, the five-year / 50,000 mile warranties were costing more than they originally sold the cars for, so the bean counters shut them down.
BUT, they were able to get a COPO Nova approved – an LT1 Vette motor de-rated to 360 H.P. (from 370 – 10 pounds per H.P. edict!).
I ordered twenty… got two … and later found out that only 186 had been built. Of those, 184 went to Yenko, and only two to Central. Therefore, I sold the only two ‘unmodified’ COPO Novas, as Yenko customized every one they sold.
Continued from page 69...
Chevrolet considered Olds to be a rival, and when Oldmobile won the 1986 Manufacturer’s Championship in both NHRA and NASCAR, Chevy was not happy. They were even unhappier when Fred Smith’s car was on display in the Oldsmobile booth at the 1986 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
NHRA had given its blessing to Fred’s car and several tech directors told potential builders words to the effect, ‘if it doesn’t look like this, it won’t work,’ while showing them a picture of Fred’s car! It was wonderful recognition for a job well done.
The floodgates opened, and Fred was soon in the race car building business, bigtime. He started with a dozen Cierras and then moved on to building Calais and Achieva drag cars. His vehicles were winning races all over the US, and the trade magazines loved them. A front-wheel drive car pulling the front wheels? Click, click, click! Fred estimates he’s built over 160 cars, so far, and he’s still building new ones today.
Fred was invited to take a plant tour, in Lansing, Michigan, to meet ‘the brass.’ His favourite memory was talking to the Quad 4 dyno guy, who had a photo of one of Fred’s cars on the wall of his cell. How cool is that?!
Meanwhile, the ‘bodies in white’ were rolling into the pristine Smith compound at the west end of Cayuga, just north of Highway 3 overlooking the Grand River. The assembly line was running.
Smith Performance was still building engines as well as other race cars, but the FWD cars were the focus.
He got a deal on a bunch of shelving from a Shell facility to store all the parts, picked up a Super Flo engine dyno, and they could build you a race car and the engine to go in it. Last time I was there, he had some cool frames on the chassis jig and some cool engines as well.
Meanwhile, Fred was still racing and winning ‘Wallies.’ He has a huge shelf in his hot rod garage holding – at last count – 59 of those beauties. Very few drag racers have won more, putting him in a very rare group.
Fred’s last race, behind the wheel, was in 2005 at Grand Bend Motorplex. He drove his daughter, Victoria’s, Pontiac Sunfire. He tells me he doesn’t go to many races, other than at Cayuga, these days. The old days of non-stop hauling to Gainesville, Indy, etc., are apparently over for Fred.
But if you do see him at the track, you’ll notice that he doesn’t talk much, but spends
most of his time standing and watching. And more often than not, he’s watching the cars he built win.
He reminds me a lot of Frank Hawley (Looking Back – ITMN May 2023) in that he’s very observant, too. Fred also reminds me of the legendary Jim Oddy. Jim had a process he followed, every time, when Fred Hahn was driving Jim’s Pro Mod. He never varied ending up the routine by giving Fred the okay sign. All racing geniuses!
These days, Fred is 80 years old and is still going like the Energizer Bunny. He works in his shop every day with his wife and partner Betsy.
Still doing what he loves, he’s building race cars and motors, runs those motors on the dyno, and offers advice and answers questions from fellow racers. It doesn’t get much better than converting a hobby into a career. Fred Smith followed his dream and continues to live it. IT
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