BRIGHTON (April 28, 2016) – Brighton Speedway’s 2016 season kicks off this Saturday with the Monster Energy Season Opener presented by UCB Canada. When the first green flag of the season flies for the Bill’s Johns Comp 4s, the championship picture will be wide open.
Shelby Mills will not defend her 2015 championship after moving to the Bainer’s OilGARD Canadian Modified division for the upcoming campaign. Meanwhile Austin Reid, a second-place finisher in 2015, will compete in the Brighton Automotive Pro Stock class. The departure of the division’s top two finishers from last season opens the door for a number of championship hopefuls.
Chief among the contenders is Mills’ teammate Tyler French. The Trenton, Ont. native won in 50 per cent of his starts last year, eight times in total, but a DNF took him out of the championship chase. A comparably consistent year from French will make him difficult to top this season.
French will have his hands full with Josh Read, however. Read competed at Brighton in the second-half of the 2015 season where he compiled four wins in nine starts as well as eight top-five finishes. It will be interesting to see what Read can do with a full season at his disposal.
Third-year driver Bella Cosstick should also be a consistent threat at the front of the field with three top-five finishes in each of her first two seasons to build on. The Trenton native has 28 career starts under her belt in the Comp 4 division following two years of Quinte Septic Stinger competition
Port Hope pilot Luke Toms enters his sophomore season with plenty of positives and support. Toms earned two top-five results last year despite a part-time schedule that saw him make 13 starts. Toms will once again have the support of his brother, Darrell, who will again campaign in the Canadian Modified division. While the two cars are significantly different, the two drivers should be able to put their heads together for mutual benefit.
Adam Flieler returns behind the wheel of a Comp 4 this season after a year in the Stinger division. Flieler last competed in the Comp 4 division in 2012 and 2013 before stepping away for one season in 2014. Flieler made six starts in the Super Stinger division last year where he earned two wins and four top-fives against a very competitive field. Expect more of the same from the Trenton native this year.
Bailey Calbury-Reid also returns to action this year. Reid is the son of fellow Comp 4 driver Josh Read and will have the support of the veteran driver in his sophomore season. Reid earned six top-10 finishes in seven starts last season.
A few drivers have thrown their hat in to the ring so far for the Comp 4 rookie-of-the-year chase. Port Hope’s Matthew Moore will drive car No.14 with support from Farl’s Auto Body and NAPA Auto Parts. Keith Dunk of Brighton will campaign car No.22. Late additions to the list include Matt and Josh French.
The 2016 Brighton Speedway season kicks off on Saturday, April 30 with the Monster Energy Season Opener presented by UCB Canada. Admission is just $2 with donation of a non-perishable food item to the Brighton Fare Share Food Bank. Spectator gates open at 5:30pm before a 7:00pm race time. For more information, visit www.brightonspeedway.com.
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Brighton Speedway’s 2016 season is proudly supported by the following corporate sponsors: ABC Taxi, Adecco, AeCON, Bainer’s OilGARD Anti-Rust, Battlefield Equipment Rentals, Bay Marine, Behan Construction, Belleville Transmission & Auto, Bellevue Fabricating Ltd., Bicknell Racing Products, Bill’s Johns, BJ McColl Fams, Bonn Law, Boyer Chevrolet Napanee, Brighton Automotive, Brighton Recycling, Budweiser, Campbellford Chrysler, Canadian Energy, Canadian National Autism Foundation, CANEX, Classic Hits 95.5, Classic Rock 107.9 The Breeze, Coca-Cola, Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning, The Community Press, Cool 100, CSC Products, Davis Auto Repair, Deerhaven Farm and Garden, Dibbits Excavating, Eastern Overhead Doors, Electro Cables, Excel Tower Service, First Place Trailers, Gerow Propane, Gilmour’s Meat Shop, Gord’s Water, Greig Truck & Trailer, Hellraiser Race Bodies, Hewbrook Incorporated, Hotch’s Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire, Humber Nurseries, ImageFactor.ca Motorsport Designs, JJ Stewart Motors, John’s Equipment, Jones Automotive, KD Transmission, Kiwanis Club of Trenton, KOA Campground of Brighton, Krown Rust Control Trenton, Lange & Fetter Ford, Larry’s Towing, Leaf Racewear, Leclair Electric, Lester’s Hot Dogs, Lucas Oil, Maestro’s Painting, Mark Heating & Cooling, McDougall Insurance and Financial, Mix 97, Monacoe’s Hair Salon & Day Spa, Monster Energy, Motosports of Trenton, My FM 100.9/93.3, Mystical Distributing, NecksGen Head and Neck Restraint, NOCO Fuels, Owasco RV, Part Source, Peter’s South End Garage, Quinte Septic, Rapid Rad, Read’s Accounting, REMAX (Saoirse Graham & Nicole Parks), ROCK 107, Rona Trenton, Sanderson Tire and Automotive, Stewart Electric, Stix & Stones Billiards, Stoneridge Specialty Insurance, Sunoco Racing Fuels, Target Fabrication, TAS Communications, The Trentonian, Therapeutic Massage Centre, Towne and Country Liquidation, Turris Communications, UCB Radio Canada, Ultramar CST, Vanderlaan Building Products, Vandermeer Toyota, VanZuylen Tire and Alignment, The Vinyl Solution, Vito’s Restaurant and Workman’s OK Tire.
About RUSH Late Model Racing: The RUSH Dirt Late Model Series sanctions weekly crate late model racing at 14 dirt tracks in five U.S. states (Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia) and one Canadian province (Ontario). The weekly series boasts a points fund of over $27,000. The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Late Model Touring Series will host 18 events in 2016. The tour will visit 13 different racetracks in three states (New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania) and Ontario while awarding $5000 to the tour champion and paying down the top 12 positions. Overall, the RUSH Dirt Late Model Series will put $170,000 in cash and contingencies directly in to the hands of local racers.
RUSH Late Model marketing partners include: Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, Bazell Race Fuels, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, The Brake Man, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Crate Innovations Inc., Velocita-USA, High Gear Speed Shop, CrateInsider.com, B.R.A.K.E.S., RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.
About Brighton Speedway: Brighton Speedway is a 1/3-mile clay stock car racing oval located on the shores of Lake Ontario in Brighton, Ont. The speedway hosts five weekly stock car divisionson Saturday nights from May to September. The weekly Pro Late Model division competes under RUSH Late Model Weekly Series sanctioning.
Brighton Speedway mailing address: 775 County Road 64, Brighton, ON, K0K 1H0.
Media Contact: Clayton Johns Media
claytonjohns@brightonspeedway.com
Photo Credit: Rod Henderson
Photo Attachment: Tyler French is among the favourites to win the Comp 4 championship at Brighton Speedway. Rod Henderson photo.
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