2013 Sunset Speedway Super Stock Champion: Randy Rusnell

Four Flamboro Speedway Thunder Car Championships in a row. 2012 Sunset Speedway Super Stock Champion. 2012 M.R.E Pro Series Champion.

With stats like those, it’s no question that Randy Rusnell is one of the drivers to watch in the Super Stock ranks in Ontario. The veteran continued to make his mark in 2013, though.

Rusnell drove his No. 72 Travis Ind. Maintaince, Dreamdoodles.net, Cournyeas Poodles, Speedy Auto Service Burling, Spira Fire Protection, J&K Converters Ltd., Partimer Signs, Chetty’s Hot Sauce, Brant Transmission and McCordick Glove & Safety Monte Carlo to an astounding 11 feature wins across the 14 events in 2013 to win the championship; the nights that he did not win he was inside of the top five as well.

Those feature wins held some amazing moments, such as a three-wide pass on Dan Archibald and Lane Zardo on the second night of racing. There was also another night when he used the lap car of Coltin Everingham as a pick and got by Zardo for the lead. Memorable moments also stem to the month of July following a thrilling side-by-side to the line battle with Dan Archibald.

He was also able to come back and win one of the features in August despite suffering damage early in the race.

In the 28 heat that were run, Rusnell brought home 18 wins and 27 top fives. The one heat he failed to finish inside the top five was due to a flat tire. It’s a season that will go down in the record books, considering the level of competition that Rusnell was up against.

Of all the moments of the year, though, a night in July stands out beyond the rest and could’ve had huge implications in the championship picture. Following the second heat mid-month in July, Rusnell broke a timing chain. He would step into Steve Cashmore’s car for the feature, starting at the back of the field, and drove his way through the traffic in Cashmore’s car to finish third.

While the championship marks a highlight for Rusnell’s season, he was also able to win an event that he had come close before and leave his mark – the Autumn Colours Classic. Following an incident between the pair of leaders, Rusnell grabbed the lead and led the final laps to win the biggest race of the season.

Adding all of these accomplishments together easily makes this one of the biggest seasons of Rusnell’s career, if not the biggest. The success is not a surprise to those who know Rusnell.

Since taking to the track, success has found Rusnell in big ways. In 2000, he won a total of 28 races, followed by 30 in 2001 and 43 in 2002. The success brought forth the nickname “the rocket” from Flamboro Speedway’s announcer Jerry Baxton.

Rusnell got his start at Flamboro in 1993 when he went to help a friend who was racing in a enduro race at Flamboro Speedway. After that, he started doing a little racing himself before going full-time in 1998.

Since then, the rest – as they say – is history as Rusnell will go down as one of the best drivers to hit the track.

About the Author

Ashley McCubbin

Joining OnPitRoad.com mid-2013 season, Ashley McCubbin is now the Managing Editor and contributes to each racing division as needed. Since studying journalism at the University of Guelph-Humber, Ashley has published articles on a couple of different websites, while serving as a public relations representative for different short track teams. Born in North York, Ontario, Ashley currently lives in Bradford, Ontario and spends her weekend at the local short tracks in the area. She has spent her entire life at the short track level, falling in love with the sport at the age of five. Beyond her love of short track racing, she also has grown an interest for both NASCAR and the IndyCar Racing Series. She also enjoys taking photos and working on websites, while playing a couple rounds of Candy Crush afterwards.

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