This past weekend at the Motorama Custom Car and Motorsports Show was a success for OSCAAR.
The series handed out plenty of schedules to the fans while speaking with them to gain their interest. From fans of short track asphalt racing to fans of dirt racing and those who haven’t ever seen a race, there was interest shown across the board in attending an event this season.
There was also interest captured from show visitors due to the different cars on display throughout the International Center.
Roy Passer unveiled a brand new appearance for his No. 27 Super Late Model, as he has a brand new car for 2016. Passer had a solid season last year en route to finishing eighth in points with a best finish of fourth at Peterborough Speedway.
“I’m hoping for the best,” Passer commented. “I’m hoping this new car does the job for me. It’s going to be interesting in the series this year so we’ll see how it goes.”
Andrew Gresel had his No. 81 Super Late Model on hand as he plans to run some events throughout the season.
A.J. Emms unveiled his No. 14 Modified as he enters his sophomore season of competition with a brand new car. Emms finished sixth in points last year with a best finish of third at Delaware Speedway.
“I’m really excited for the 2016 season,” Emms said. “I mean, my family has really come behind me. Everybody has really stepped in just giving me a hand and we have a lot of great sponsors that have come on board for this season – Davenport Subaru, Sunshine Super Wash, Creecher’s Design, Klotz Canada, Bromley Automotive. There’s been a lot of people that have been on board and makes me excited for this season. With this new car and the way it is looking right now, it just makes me ecstatic.”
Rob Di Venanzo unveiled his No. 97 Modified as he enters his rookie season of competition. Di Venanzo got his feet a little wet last season, running a couple of events.
The OSCAAR Midgets/Pro Midgets had a pair of cars on hand, with a Midget and a Pro Midget sitting side-by-side for fans to compare them. For the Midgets, it was Randy Huisser’s No. 43 that was on display. Huisser is hoping for a stronger campaign in 2016 after posting a single top-10 last season. For the Pro Midgets, it was Ted Greenwood’s No. 1 that was on display for fans to see.
OSCAAR also showcased the first ever Hot Rod Series car, with Darcy Gribbin’s No. 44 on display for fans to see. With lots of preparation going on behind the scenes, the series officials are excited for the future and race events to come.
There were also series drivers honored on stage during the Inside Track Short Track Night of Champions, with each of the three champions being honored for their championships last season.
Kevin Cornelius was honored as the Super Late Model Champion after winning seven feature events. Cornelius was unable to attend, so KDR Motorsports team owner Dick Launspach accepted the award on his behalf.
“Winning the championship in the 25th anniversary of OSCAAR is truly an honor,” he commented. “Can’t thank the entire team, the group of guys that made the car what it was to where Kevin could come to the track, jump in and drive. It’s not just about the driver, but about the whole team.”
Gary McLean was honored as the Modified Champion after also winning seven races last season.
“It’s all about the guys that are working on this car,” McLean commented. “It’s not always about the driver as the driver can do some stupid things out there one night. But clearly, every night they go to work and give me a good piece.”
Lastly, Jody Bound was honored as Midget Champion after winning a pair of events last season.
“We had a good season this year,” Bound said of the Midget division. “We had about 27 cars every week, one night we had 35 cars. My car owner Larry Wilson built the car over the winter time and did a ton of homework. Lots of texting back and forth, and lots of theories. It paid off.”
Cornelius and McLean were also featured in the London Recreational Short Track Power Rankings, ranked third and fifth respectively.
The excitement ahead of the season is high in the air right now and before you know it, it’ll be time to kick off the year at Flamboro Speedway in May.
