Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
Racing on asphalt for midgets is set to change and head a new direction beginning Saturday night with the inaugural event for the OSCAAR Pro Midgets.
Over the off-season, the idea was put together by Charles Priestly to have a suspended, cost-effective midget class to appeal to racers across the province.
The new series includes a spec wing, specific engine rules, spec suspension system and additional safety built into the cars. The suspension comes about in trying to make the ride smoother for drivers, as a result of having to deal with the bumps of the past.
Since the announcement, the interest in the series has blossomed, with many fans and prospective drivers showing interest. As a result, the series expects to put together a top-notch show right out of the gate this weekend.
Rob Summers will be one of the first to try out the class, hoping to find success right out of the gate after posting six top-10s last year. Notably, two of those came at Peterborough Speedway with a pair of eighth finishes. He’ll be joined on the track by Katherine Summers, whom posted a pair of ninth place finish at Peterborough in the OSCAAR Midgets last year.
Wally Wilson stated pre-season that he will be competing full-time in both OSCAAR Midget divisions. He’s off to a solid start this year, having posted a sixth place finish in the OSCAAR Midget season opener at Flamboro.
Ted Greenwood will make his first start with the Midgets this weekend. He was testing not long ago at Peterborough, and while noting some things he had to work out prior to this weekend, felt positive about the results.
James Stanley knows what it takes to win in the OSCAAR Midgets, scoring a heat victory and just missing out on the feature victory at Flamboro Speedway. He hopes that translates into success this weekend with the OSCAAR Pro Midgets.
Jordan Hanna will have the additional challenge as not only are the Midgets new to him, but he is making the transition from racing on dirt to asphalt this season.
“It looks like a great new class that I would like to be a part of,” he said. “I enjoy speed and skilled drivers and I think we will put on a good show.”
Hanna isn’t the only driver going dirt to asphalt, as Willy Northcott is going through the same transition. He stated pre-season he is looking forward to getting out to the tracks and having some fun, while meeting new people. When it comes to racing on track, he says the expectation is to “run well, to drive smart, and have fun”.
One of the Midget front runners will be part of the class, as Richard Woodland is signed up. He has proven he can get the job done with the OSCAAR Midgets, following a heat win and third place finish at Flamboro. Could he win the inaugural event for the Pro Midgets?
Along with the OSCAAR Pro Midgets, the OSCAAR Midgets will also be in attendance joining Peterborough Speedway’s 4Fun, Mini Stock and Thunder Car divisions. The pit will open at 3pm, with the front gate open at 5pm and racing starting at 6pm. Details can be found on the Peterborough website at http://www.peterboroughspeedway.com/.
