2013 Inside Track Breakout Driver of the Year: Thayne Hallyburton

For 2012, Thayne Hallyburton made the decision to move up to the late model division at Barrie Speedway. The first year for the Hillsdale, Ontario native saw some struggles, though also some strong finishes as well. However, it could not prepare fans for what Hallyburton had in store for 2013.

Hallyburton came out last season and started off the year on a high note, scoring his first career feature victory on May 11^th. Once the first one was under his belt, he started to ramble off win after win after win – including both mid-season championship 50 lap features – finishing off the season with eight feature wins and third in points.

Hallyburton says the success as a result of working closely with Kyle Baker.

“It came out of Kyle Baker’s mind,” Hallyburton said on Saturday night. “Lots of credit to him and his family. I knew we could get a couple but not eight.”

The success has also come about as a result of studying video and his driving style.

“I look back at a couple of my Mini races and I’m like, ‘I was an idiot’,” he commented. “I was going down the middle of the track.”

For his successful season, Hallyburton was awarded the 2013 Breakout Driver of the Year Award as part of Short Track Night of Champions at the 2014 Canadian Motorsports Expo.

Hallyburton will get a change in scenery in 2014 as he moves to Sunset Speedway with a brand new Port City Racecars Late Model.

“I want to beat Tom (Walters),” he said of the decision to switch tracks. “He’s the best and to get better you need to beat the best.”