At first glance, names can be deceiving. Take the Hasiuk Trailer and Container Rental Mini Stock division at Kawartha Speedway for example. Sure, they’re 4 cylinder sub-compact racecars, but their performance is anything but ‘mini’. In fact, the use of the term in reference to the action the class provides is a gross underestimation. With nearly 40 of the fastest four bangers in the province signing in for at least 1 show during the 2010 season at the Fraserville, Ontario 3/8th miler, promoter Derek Lynch says fans have something to look forward to once the new season gets underway.
“Our mini stock racers put on some of the best shows we see every year,” said Lynch. “On more than one occasion, their main events went from green to checkered flag without a single yellow. I think they even ran caution free during one of the 50 lappers. The competition is tough and fast and more than half the pack has a chance to find their way to victory lane whenever the green flag flies. It’s truly anyone’s game.”
Peterborough’s Mike Nelson earned his first career track championship during Kawartha’s 10th anniversary season. The 5 year veteran, who enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2010 says paying attention to even the smallest detail helped his #85 Dodge Neon not only pick-up a first main event win but helped pave the way to a title winning effort.
“At the start of the year, there were some nights that we came to just have fun – to get out there and play with the rest of the guys,” said Nelson. “A couple of solid runs and some consistent top 5 and top 10 finishes were the proof we needed to show we were capable of winning. There were only a pair of checkered flags during the year, but that helped my team over the hump and proved what we were able to accomplish. From there, everything just fell nicely into place.”
Kawartha Speedway’s mini stock division has become a proving ground for a number of younger drivers and if Nelson has hopes for another title in 2011, he’ll need to hold off the challenges of the teen scene, including Michael Batchelor, Danny Benedict and Daryl Fice. At just 15 years old, Fice entered the history books Friday, August 13th when he swept his qualifying event, semi feature and ‘A’ main. It’s not just the kids that could stand in the way of another seat at the championship table for Nelson. Darragh Moroney Jr., better known as ‘Too’ finished second in points last year and hopes to build on a season that saw 4 wins for the driver of the #2 Honda.
“We had a great season and in most years, it would have been good enough to win the title,” said Moroney. “Mike just showed more consistency than we did throughout the year. That’s something we’ll have to work on once the new campaign gets underway. When it comes to preparation, our team is one of the best so I think we’ll be able to pull it off.”
Kawartha Speedway’s 2011 season gets rolling with an open practice session Friday, May 27th. The first green flag is a week later. The Hasiuk Trailer and Container Rental Mini Stocks run 50 lap main events Friday, July 15th – part of the annual fan appreciation night – and Friday, September 9th. For complete schedule details, visit www.kawarthaspeedway.com.
Photo attachment: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications: ‘Too’ Moroney finished the 2010 season just 29 points behind Mike Nelson in the hunt for the Hasiuk Trailer and Container Rental Mini Stock championship.
Prepared by: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications
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