Ohsweken Speedway season opener this Friday

TEST & TUNE RESCHEDULED: The Test & Tune session scheduled for Friday, May 9 at Ohsweken Speedway was cancelled due to inclement weather, and rescheduled for Thursday, May 15. Due to the cancellation, the discounted early bird pit membership fees have been extended to Thursday, May 15 as well. Contact Mary Wilkinson, Director of Customer Relations, by phone at 519 717-0023, or by e-mail atmary@ohswekenspeedway.com to purchase your pit membership.

CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING 360 SPRINT CARS: Jim Huppunen enters the 360 Sprint Car season opener with a target on his back, as he claimed the 2013 track championship. Huppunen, who also won the 2011 title, became the first driver in the history of the division to win two championships. Past champions Keith Dempster, Tom Huppunen, Dave Dykstra, and Chris Steele are just a few of the others capable of challenging for this year’s title, along with 2013 feature winners Glenn Styres, Kyle Patrick, Jamie Collard, Mitch Brown, and Mikey Kruchka, plus many more.

The Rookie of the Year award will also be hotly contested, with multiple Thunder Stock feature winner Cory Turner, former Mod-Lite champ Shawn Sliter, and Wonderland Speedway graduate Curtis Gartly set to join the Sprint Car ranks.

STRICKLAND’S GMC CRATE SPRINT CARS: Ryan Hunsinger has four 360 Sprint Car feature wins at Ohsweken on his resume, and will be a favourite to win the inaugural Crate Sprint Car division championship. He’ll have challenges from several talented open wheel rookies from the Ohsweken stock car ranks, including 2011 and 2012 Thunder Stock champion Mike Thorne, 2013 Mini Stock champion Davey Boughton, 2012 Brock Leonard Memorial 50 winner Brad Herron, former Thunder Stock racers Jake Brown, Robbie General, and Aaron Turkey, and former Mini Stock racer Mark Czuba.

The new division, which utilizes the GM 602 crate engine, has also attracted attention from former Mosport Modified champ and asphalt Late Model veteran Tyler Hendricks, Hurricane Midget series racer K.J. Durnin, Flamboro Speedway Mini Stock driver Josh Shantz, and Mike Westwood, a veteran of several different asphalt divisions.

AFFORDABLE TOWING & RECOVERY THUNDER STOCKS: Lee Winger will return to the Thunder Stock division to defend his 2013 championship, but he’s sure to have lots of competition for the title. Wyatt Van Wart, Karl Sault, and Dave Silverthorn, Jr. all claimed Thunder Stock feature wins last season and plan to be back this year. Bryce Richardson, Jim Lampman, and Chris Dickie all finished in the top 6 in the championship standings last year in what was the most competitive season in the division’s history.

The quest for the Rookie of the Year award will also be competitive. As many as 9 drivers could be going after that honour, including Laura Hughes and Chase Hess, who both claimed Mini Stock feature wins last year, plus former Mini Stock racers Brittani Myers and John Cote.

HRW AUTOMOTIVE MINI STOCKS: Davey Boughton won the 2013 Mini Stock championship, but has moved to Crate Sprint Cars this year, leaving the door open for a new champ. Alex Schuts and Jason Lungaro finished 2nd and 3rd respectively in last year’s Mini Stock standings, and will be favourites to win the title this year, but more than 30 drivers have already pre-registered to race in the Mini Stock division in 2014. Steve Miller, Jonathan Ayrton, Dave Goodacre, Jeremy May, and Jon Janssens all finished in the top 10 in the Mini Stock standings last season, and are among those drivers who have already registered.

The chase for the Rookie of the Year award will include at least 7 drivers, including Bomber graduates Tim DeBoer, Wayde Thorne, Adam Hallett, and Mark Bazuin.

GALE’S AUTO AFTERMARKET BOMBERS: Dusty DeBoer will be back to defend his 2013 Bomber championship, and he’ll certainly have lots of competition from the always unpredictable division. Max Chechalk is one driver who will give DeBoer a good challenge, as he has been in the title hunt on multiple occasions, and won several features too. Clinton Nicholls, Gillian Hils, and Dakota Potts finished in the top 10 in last year’s standings and plan to be back this year as well.

By Tommy Goudge / Ohsweken Speedway Media Relations