Preview: OSCAAR Super Late Model drivers set for Bruce Gowland Memorial at Sunset

This coming Saturday night at Sunset Speedway, the OSCAAR Super Late Model drivers will honor a former racer that is dear to many in the series – Bruce Gowland.

Gowland was an OSCAAR member right from the beginning when the series began, supporting the series with his familiar No. 18 car. A racer known by many throughout Ontario and the United States, Gowland would spend his winters racing down south in Florida. Beyond racing stock cars, he was known as the man to beat on the Truck and Tractor pull circuit.

Gowland would lose his fight with cancer last year and is missed by many of the veterans in the series. For that reason, OSCAAR made the decision to dedicate this weekend’s race in his memory.

“Speaking on behalf of all OSCAAR competitors, car owners, and crew, OSCAAR is very proud to be able to race tonight in his memory, share some laughs and smiles after, just the way Bruce would have wanted it to be,” OSCAAR President Dave Gainforth said in the series preview for the weekend.

The stars of the Super Late Model division are certainly excited for the weekend as the high-banked 1/3 mile oval is a favourite to many drivers on the circuit for the ability to run side-by-side without touching, while the home of many other drivers. With this marking their fourth trip of the season to Sunset Speedway, a lot of expectations have been formed for certain competitors based on their success throughout the year so far.

The last trip to Sunset Speedway marked a winning trip for Kevin Cornelius as he would score a second place in the first feature of the Don Biederman Memorial weekend at the end of June before winning the second feature to be crowned the 2014 Don Biederman Memorial Champion. It didn’t mark a surprise, though, as Cornelius was strong at Sunset Speedway last year in his rookie season, posting a pair of second place finishes. The KDR Motorsports driver is hoping that pans into success this weekend after having bad luck take him out of the running for the podium the past two weekends.

Andrew Gresel is looking to keep his win streak going as he has won the previous three races in a row on the tour – Sauble, Peterborough and Kawartha – and leads the points standings by 37 points with four races left in 2014. Gresel has continued to get stronger at Sunset Speedway with each start, posting a solid fourth place finish in May, before finising fifth and fourth in the DBM features. If Gresel pulls off his first Sunset victory, don’t count yourself as surprised.

Rookies Kelly Balson and Dave Doucette posted top 10s in the season opener in May and have shown speed so expect the consistency for both to continue – especially considering that Balson posted a fifth place finish in the second DBM feature. Balson is also coming off a solid performance at Kawartha with an eighth place finish following a flat tire early, while Doucette missed Kawartha due to working on making improvements to the car.

After finishing fifth at Kawartha, Mike Beyore is hoping the consistency continues. Beyore hasn’t always been strong at Sunset Speedway as there’s been a couple poor showings over the years, however he did have a sixth place finish in May 2012, and finished seventh on DBM feature 2.

In each OSCAAR start at Sunset Speedway, Dwayne Baker has posted a finish of sixth or better, including three wins and the Don Biederman Memorial Championship last year. It’s no surprise as Baker is always a front runner in Sunset Speedway’s Limited Late Model division and currently ranks second in points. Expect Baker to be strong this weekend after finishing second overall at the Don Biederman Memorial this year.

Jesse Kennedy hasn’t been lucky at Sunset Speedway through the years, though has still had some strong runs, including a third place finish in September 2012. That all may change this year as Kennedy has been strong across the board, including a third place finish at Kawartha.

In his nine starts at Sunset Speedway, Rob Poole has posted eight top 10 finishes and has continued to get stronger with each lap behind the wheel. Following a sixth place finish at Kawartha, expect Poole to bounce back with a top-five run this weekend.

Corey Jones has missed the last couple of races, though could quite possibly be back this weekend at Sunset Speedway. He’s hoping for some good luck as the past hasn’t worked out as well with mechanical issues or wrecks taking him out of contention. Other drivers who have missed some races that we’re hoping to see this weekend include Rudy Oppersma, Shane Gowan, and Scott Field.

When Tyler Hawn started off his season at Barrie Speedway in June, it didn’t start off smoothly as he battled an ill-handling car. Since then, Hawn has continued to improve the handling of his car and work towards posting stronger finishes, including a sixth place finish at Peterborough. In his first couple of starts at Sunset, Hawn struggled, though has gotten better, posting a pair of ninth place finishes last year. After finishing 15th and 10th in the DBM features, Hawn will be hoping to post a front-running finish this weekend.

A full-time competitor on the OSCAAR Hanover Holiday Modified tour, Brent McLean made his 2014 OSCAAR SLM tour debut at Barrie, finishing 11th. McLean made his SLM debut at Sunset Speedway in 2013, posting a 15th place finish. With the DBM not going according to plan, McLean will certainly be hoping for some solid results this weekend.

After having a string of mid-season bad luck, Glenn Watson certainly has the wheels going the right direction after posting three straight podium finishes, including a pair of runner-up finishes. Watson has been successful at Sunset in the past, posting 10 top 10s in his last 12 Sunset Speedway starts, including three runner-up finishes.

Beyond those listed, veteran drivers Dave Taylor, Charlie Gallant and Todd Campball are expected to be there to pay their respects to their friend. They may be joined by 2013 Sunset Speedway Velocity 250 winner Jeff Hanley, whom hasn’t ran a race since the Don Biederman Memorial at Sunset. Hanley has posted two wins and nine top fives in his last 10 Sunset starts, dating back to September 2011. After posting a victory in the 2014 season opener at Sunset, could Hanley return to victory lane?

The event promises to be a great one so be sure to be in attendance this weekend at Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario for a great event. Racing starts at 6:45 p.m. EST on Saturday, and details can be found at http://www.sunsetspeedway.ca and http://www.oscaar.ca.