BRIGHTON, Ont. – August 5, 2016 – Phil Potts got on a hot streak in July and the rest of the Vanderlaan Building Products Pro Late Model division was forced to take notice. Potts won every second week during the month for a total of three victories. The two times he didn’t win, he finished second. In total, he earned 1130 points in the month the most of any driver at the track and is awarded the Campbellford Chrysler Driver of the Month.
Potts now has four total wins on the year after also claiming the season opener back on April 30. There’s nothing different about the Fowl Mood Racing team over the last month that points directly to their recent success, Potts said.
“All the stars and moons have aligned?” Potts laughed. “It’s good luck and hard work. That’s all I can say it is. July, we were lucky. We got our head together and the track conditions were right for us.”
Potts’ new Longhorn-built car has really liked the slick surface provided by the lack of rain. He’s turned in an impressive 11 top-five in 12 starts this year and has not finished outside the top-10. That level of consistency, combined with his new ‘cautiously quick’ approach has give the Brighton, Ont. native a 60-point advantage over Charlie Sandercock at the top of the standings entering the month of August.
“Every week is the same: try to finish in the top-three and go as hard as we can, when we can. Don’t try to pull any bonehead moves. The night I finished 10th was a bonehead move. Don’t put the car in a place where I could potentially be sorry,” Potts explained.
It’s all part of the plan to win his first Pro Late Model championship at his home track.
“I want to wear the wedding dress this year. I don’t want to be the bridesmaid,” laughed Potts, who has finished second or third in the standings each of the last four seasons.
“We are really trying so hard to win the championship. I know everybody is, but we are really trying to do our due diligence. Maybe our maintenance has stepped up because we do go over the car with a fine tooth comb.”
Like any driver, success brings superstition. Potts enjoys an energy drink before the start of every night and every crew member has to give the driver of the Vanderlaan/Brighton Recycling/Indewey Excavating No.29 a fist bump before he can hit the track for the night’s feature. Oh, and don’t change anything.
“I told (car owner) Stuart (Archer) he’s not allowed to change it. You cannot touch the car. You’re not allowed to change a body panel on the car. Racecar drivers are superstitious and I won’t allow him to touch the body. He’s going to have to put up with a wrinkle in the door,” Potts joked.
Potts has enjoyed the racing on the track so far this season, which has been impressive to say the least. A fast car and a few wins certainly don’t hurt in that department either.
“It’s been so much fun to come from the back and go through the pack. The caliber of racing is amazing,” Potts beamed. “We’re racing door to door with guys lap after lap and the body on my car is not beat up. We’re able to lean on each other a little bit, which makes great racing. Nobody wants to smash and crash.”
Potts is hoping for the dry slick track to continue through the rest of the season. He’s grown comfortable on that surface significantly more than the tacky and wet surfaces typically seen at the beginning of the season. Regardless of the outcome, Potts is grateful for the group of people who have afforded him the opportunity to challenge for a championship.
“I have to give a big thanks to all of my sponsors, crew and Stuart. Without them I wouldn’t be able to do this. Stuart puts up with a lot some days,” Potts said. “I’m a typical whiny driver and I argue with him on adjustments so much. He’s doing an awfully good job this year, so maybe I should stop arguing.”
At his current pace, Potts will be doing a lot more celebrating than debating in the weeks to come.
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About Campbellford Chrysler/JJ Stewart Motors: Campbellford Chrysler and JJ Stewart Motors have a strong and committed sales staff with many years of experience satisfying their customer’s needs. JJ Stewart Motors, located in Norwood, and Campbellford Chrysler, located on Hwy.30 just south of Campbellford, are among the top dealers for Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep in the area. The Brighton Speedway Dodge Ram pace truck is provided by Campbellford Chrysler. Receive a FREE family pass to regular Saturday night racing at Brighton Speedway when you test drive at Campbellford Chrysler. Visit them online at www.campbellfordchrysler.ca and www.jjstewart.ca.
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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 Boyer Nissan, 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, Hits FM 95.5, 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, Muskoka Aircraft Refinishing My FM 100.9/93.3, Mystical Distributing, NecksGen Head and Neck Restraint, NOCO Fuels, Owasco RV, Part Source, Peter’s South End Garage, Qunte Mall, 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, 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, VP Racing Fuels and Workman’s OK Tire.
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.
Brighton Speedway mailing address: 775 County Road 64, Brighton, ON, K0K 1H0.
Media Contact: Clayton Johns Media
claytonjohns@brightonspeedway.com
Photo Credit: Rod Henderson
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