Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
After a long off-season, the OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models are set to kick-off their 26th season of competition at Flamboro Speedway this weekend. With lots of experience throughout the field, there should be lots of great racing for the fans to see.
J.R. Fitzpatrick enters this season arguably as the early favourite for the championship in his second year of competition. He ended off last year on a high, winning two of the last three races en route to finishing second in points. The Cambridge, Ontario native could kick off the year with a win at Flamboro as he showed speed last August, reeling in the gap that eventual race winner Kevin Cornelius had formed on him.
Fitzpatrick isn’t going to have it easy, though, as there are a pair of past champions chomping at the bit.
Derrick Tiemersma is looking for his first championship in a couple seasons and could kick off the year well, as he is a past winner at Flamboro Speedway. he picked up the victory in 2008 to go along with a seventh and sixth in 2007, a third in 2009 and a fourth in 2013.
Four-time series champion Glenn Watson would love to put his name back at the top of the standings, and knows what it takes to get around the Hamilton, Ontario oval. In seven previous OSCAAR starts at Flamboro, he has two wins and six top-fives.
Gary Passer has lots of experience in the OSCAAR ranks and hopes to start off the year well after only posting a pair of top-10 finishes last year in what was a tough season with a couple wrecks.
After spending some time away, Jim Bowman will make his return to the seat of a super late model this weekend. Bowman has proven he can also get the job done as prior to his time off, he was steadily posting top-10 finishes. Doug Taylor also looks to make his return to the series as well this season.
With a brand new look, Tyler Hawn hopes to shake off the bad luck that found his way last year. Hawn has shown that he can run inside the top-five with the leaders and post consistent top-10s. It’s just a matter whether he has fond a lucky horse shoe to call his own.
Charlie Gallant knows what it takes to run well at Flamboro as he finished second to Jeff Hanley in 2013. Gallant could use a strong run after his season was cut short last year as a result of a blown motor at Delaware Speedway. He did make his return in the season finale at Peterborough, posting a strong third place finish.
Roy Passer hopes to be at the front of the field as he debuts a new car this weekend at Flamboro Speedway. He bought the car that Shawn Chenoweth drove to a runner-up finish in the Autumn Colour’s Classic last season. The Barrie, Ontario native knows his way around Flamboro, as he finished eighth in 2009 and ninth last season.
Speaking of Chenoweth, he has stated intentions to come to Flamboro Speedway this weekend and join in the fun. He won’t be behind the wheel of a super late, but rather his pro late model. Despite that, you may want to keep your eye on him as he has won at Flamboro in just about anything that he’s driven there in the past. In his previous two OSCAAR starts at Flamboro, he has posted finishes of second in 2008 and third last year.
Todd Campbell surprised a lot of people last year, posting five straight top-10 finishes. He also put himself in the thick of contention, finishing third in last year’s season opener. Can he repeat the same success this year?
Along with the OSCAAR Super Late Models at Flamboro Speedway this weekend will be the OSCAAR Modifieds and OSCAAR Midgets, also opening their season. The Super Lates will run their feature on the Saturday with the Midgets and Modifieds just qualifying, with both the Midgets and Modifieds running their features on the Sunday.
The pits will open at 11am, with the front gates opening at 1pm and racing starting at 4pm. The full itinerary and prices can be found on the Flamboro Speedway website at http://flamborospeedway.ca/.
Stay tuned to OSCAAR website for more articles leading into the season.
