2013 Mini Outlaw Racing

Tillsonburg Outlaws.

900 Laps broken down into 36 races over 12 weeks.

It takes a long time to win a championship. Competitors challenge and improve, karts get damaged which changes the handling and track conditions continually change. Success is rewarded with a back of the field starting position making a repeat performance difficult. None the less, drivers learn a lot. Passing ability is what makes a champion, but good lap times doesn't hurt the equation at all. By the end of the series, drivers have had every opportunity to hone their driving skills against the best in their class.

Lets start out with the Beginners. Despite this class being low in age, it did not in any way hinder what they learned on the track. Determination is what pushes these drivers to keep going, getting faster along the way but also learning to read what's in front of them and reacting accordingly. This is still racing though and we need to crown a Champion. For the Summer series it was # 14 Paige Smith(Woodstock) that accumulated the most points. # 25 Logan Lapierre-Cassie(Brantford) was a close second making his rookie year a success. # 16 Aubry Smith(Woodstock) finished the series in third and showed consistent driving way beyond her years. Congratulations to our Beginner Champions.

The next stepping stone is the Junior Division. With more experience, this group gets more powerful engines meaning faster lap times and potential develop driving skills even further. Certainly drivers start to explore more aggressive moves on the track and excitement usually results. Not only are they learning how to dish it out, they have to learn how to control their kart when on the receiving end. Once the complete division is up to speed on this, crazy fast racing follows. This summer it was # 5 Tom Pellizzari(Tillsonburg) that accumulated the most points while enduring this process making him the Summer Series Champion. Not bested very often, # 45 Nick Sheridan(Mt Brydges) was second. # 15 Kyle McGlone(Union) developed well in his first full year of racing and finished in third for the series.

So what does a racer do when they think they are getting pretty good? How about more power? The Seniors have enough go to make the crashes really spectacular. Add to that a bunch of drivers who not only want to win, the whole group was capable of winning when things went right. Never have we had such a skilled group in the Seniors. Despite this equality of racers, one driver managed to come out on top and for 2013 it was # 79 Bea Courtnage(Harley) winning top spot . Having just moved up to Senior, # 52 Jacob Sheridan(Mt Brydges) made a heck of a charge and was sitting in second at seasons end. Amazingly, a rookie driver wheeled his way into third. In his first full year, # 6m Eric McGlone(Union) was able to do very well in this very strong class. If placing top three was the only goal for the summer, then these three achieved success. I think however, what the real goal here is to have fun and get better at racing. There is not a driver in the field who failed to achieve that.

Last but not least is the Expert Division. The group with the most power but not necessarily the most experience. It surely made for some interesting racing. Simply said, it's a lot harder than it looks. Did I mention things happen fast? It should come as no surprise then, when a girl who has been racing for almost 20 years wins the Championship. # 1 Holly Porter (Delhi) has been perfecting her skills for some time now and is a top driver at any track she shows up at. Second place goes to # 34 Scott Chesterman(Delhi). Hmmm, 1st and 2nd goes to one house. Ever so narrowly missing out on second was # 19 Cody Coburn( Mt Brydges) who took third.

So there you have it. Our 6th year of racing almost complete. Up next is the 100 lap Enduro, which is always a good test of man and machine. Oct 5 2013. Racing is underway by 2:30 if you are coming to watch. About 5 pm is the track Pot Luck supper. All racers, spectators, neighbours and relatives are welcome to come. Bring a bit of food and join in the party.

Banquet is set for October 26 2013 which is a great spot to be to collect some loot and pick up a trophy or two.

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The last points night of the Summer Series is complete.

The Beginners again ran in with the Juniors this week. I must say these young racers continue to impress me. Paige Smith ran like she was on fire last night and I think she scared more then a couple of Juniors. Funniest thing I saw was her younger sister Aubrey getting bumped sideways on the track but before the caution could come out she was again bumped straight and she continued on her merry way. You just can't rattle some 5 year olds. I wonder if she felt a little bit like a duck in a shooting gallery?

Nick Sheridan brought his A game this week which combined with his new tire seemed to be the edge he needed and won the night with a 2-1-1. Tom Pellizzarri who apparently was not feeling well , still sucked it up and ran strong enough to be second at nights end. Only off by a point in third was Kyle McGlone who has had a turn around in the summer series and become one of the top drivers. I have a feeling I will be repeating those names in the Championship newsletter.

The final Seniors race showed this class has a bright future. Several of the drivers who started the series a bit shaky, finished up very strong. A good example of this would have to be Oscar McCormack who, despite missing a big chunk for summer overseas travel, has started to spend more time up front and finished the final main in third. John Smibert won the sprint and also spent a lot of time near the front this week. Bea Courtnage managed to have this highly skilled group covered this week and won overall. Katherine Summers kept the rubber side down often enough to finish the night in second. We had a tie for third with Jacob Sheridan and John Smibert finishing with the same score. Only a point off them was Brad Perrott and only a point off Brad was Oscar McCormack, Amber Meyer and Curtis Schulz. In my books, that is like a photo finish with 6 drivers. Holy smokes. LOL

This week the Experts were down on entries somewhat. The good news is that Cody Coburn and Austin Giles were so busy beating each other up that they left the house karts alone. That means Holly Porter was first, Scott Chesterman second, and Myself in third when the night's points were added up.

I will get the championship newsletter out shortly. Until then, the 100 lap Enduro is the next race in Tillsonburg, Oct 5, sign in starts at Noon. Potluck dinner when the racing is complete.

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Sept 17 Race

The morning after last weeks race I headed off to Indiana for a Trailer manufacturer show to see what is new in the world of trailers.

Wednesday was a beautiful day with temps in the 80's ( for you metric kids, that's hot, I was in the USA which is still old school). Luckily I arrived early enough to do a quick run around to view the show layout. My day to see the trailers was Thursday. Well can you say 4 inches of rain? Oddly enough most of the area had brown dead grass from lack of rain. The show was a wash out. There was water everywhere.

Luckily Tuesday in Tillsonburg was much more successful and the races went off without a hitch.

The combined running of the Beginners and Juniors is starting to look like they have been racing together all year. Little Paige Smith(Woodstock) looked more relaxed than did Logan Lapierre-Cassie(Brantford) who was thrown in for the first time this week. I am sure he will be gunning for Paige this week.

Tom Pellizzri(Tillsonburg) continues to be dominant in the Juniors but you can bet Nick Sheridan(Mount Brydges) is either on his tail or in front of him. This week Tom edged him out. Kyle McGlone(Union) finished third with a trio of 3rds doing so.

The Seniors are starting to attract everyone's attention as they are filling the track with action that just has to be witnessed. There were three separate battles that developed in the 35 lap main last week, each with 3 karts involved. The scenario went like this. Lead kart was doing their best to not get passed. 2nd kart was trying to get around the front kart but everytime they made an attempt, the 3rd kart would move up and try to steal the second place position. With three battles of 3 going on, nine of the eleven drivers were in the thick of it for all 35 laps. Racing does not get any better than that. Who won? At nights end it was Colby Bennett( Pt Dover) in first with Jacob Sheridan(Mt Brydges) a very close second. Bea Courtnage (Harley) was strong as always and was third overall. There is not much sense looking at the standings this season because it is so close that the top 5 are not going to be determined until the final flag drops for the season. Lets just say that every driver needs to do the best they can and the points will fall where they fall.

Well you are never going to guess who won overall in the Experts this week. In qualifying , Holly Porter( Delhi) was the fastest but was followed closely by myself(Langton) and Scott Kelly( Stratford.) Kelly also won the sprint and looked to have the Main tied up as well. The white flag came out and I was able to get under Scott Kelly in the last corner. That was all the room there was though and after a big bounce, I crossed the finish line and Kelly was stalled on the track. As they say, that's racing. No doubt he will be looking for me this race. Cody Coburn(Mt Brydges) finished third, Scott Kelly second and myself in first.

Next race is Tuesday Sept. 24 which is the last Points race of the season.

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Sept. 10 Race action continues to impress.

This week we elected to run the Beginners with the Juniors.

This accomplished a few things.

Gabby Darling, who has been delaying her step up to Junior found out she is getting faster than she thought and was able to run a respectable pace with the group. Little Aubry Smith started out running very consistent but decided to see just how fast she could go. After a few "kinda wild" laps she settled in to consistent, smooth and faster. Of coarse Paige Smith fit in as she has been "playing with the big kids for awhile". As for the Juniors, they had to pay attention to some slower running karts and if they got caught running two or three wide trying to make a pass, they had better read the situation and get in line long enough to make it by the Beginners. They could not have done a better job and it actually made for a very fun to watch race.

I had a feeling Aubry Smith was going to get a second overall this week and sure enough she pulled if off and put in an extra 20 laps in the process. She is almost ready for the 100 lap enduro.

Sister Paige grabs the overall this week for the Beginners. If only their Dad could win something. LOL

The Junior division certainly excelled this week. With the Beginners on the track it was anybodies guess if the drivers would adapt and use some racing smarts to not crash themselves out of the action. To watch, one would think they are very seasoned veterans and took to the challenge without an issue. It was Tom Pellizzarri who adapted quickest without slowing much and took all three wins for the overall. Nick Sheridan ran just as well but had to settle for second at nights end. Rayse Meyer grabbed third overall and left the track smiling.

If anyone has passed the most cars in Senior, it has to be Bea Courtnage. Somehow she manages to get into the top three most weeks which means the following week she starts near the back. Thing is, she gets very close to the front again which means to the back again the following week. This time she got second . It was Eric McGlone though who stood top dog after winning the sprint and 25 lap main. That put Jacob Sheridan in third with only a point spread with John Smibert, It appears John is fully up to speed since he started near the back this week as well. Certainly there was some excitement when Colby Bennett went end over end while in traffic and had to leave with bent up steering. Sadly Brad Perrott met the similar fate at the other end while leading. Brad had a good run going but failed to notice a caution at the far end and was surprised to find the track partially blocked off when he got to it. Unable to continue, second place inherited the lead. So goes racing. I have to say that anyone watching the Senior 35 lap final would agree it was one heck of a race.

News flash. the Experts made it to the half way point in the 30 lap main before the caution came out. That has been unusual lately.

Scott Kelly won the time trials. Holly Porter won the sprint and Scott Chesterman took the main. Cody Coburn was narrowly pushed out of second overall by Porter. Scott Chesterman who may or may not be out of the points race was overall winner this week. Two more races to find out.

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Tillsonburg Outlaws Race Report.

Racers arrived to a damp and tacky track for the 1st September race which was actually the 9th race of a 12 race series.

The last couple of weeks we have had a little bit of off track entertainment, but to be honest with you, considering the competitiveness of our racers, the actions that the officials try to keep to a minimum would barely reach 1% of what goes on during the night. That's how the weather man would report it. I would say we have 99 % exemplary behaviour from everyone involved. Most clubs/teams would be thrilled to have as cooperative a group of parents as we have. With the kids back to school this week, everyone pulled together and we had the race program complete before 9 PM. On to the racing.

Paige and Logan continue to battle it out. If you don't know who these two are, read the prior 19 newsletters. This week Logan was interested in how fast he was going by everything. I can't say I have seen a driver not crash while looking out the side of his kart but somehow it worked for him. It was the distraction Paige needed though to win this week. It seems Paige wins every time her Dad works instead of coming to the races. Coincidence????? Sorry Brent, just saying.

This week Junior Tom Pellizzari had his kart back to his liking after a crash a few weeks ago. Although Nick Sheridan was able to win the sprint, it was the last time Tom was not first. Interestingly, it was Rayse Meyer and Kyle McGlone placing second in each of the mains. Nick Sheridan finished 2nd overall with Scott Hall bringing home 3rd for the night.

The Seniors put on a heck of a show this week. How so? John Smibert ran exceptionally well as did Curtis Schultz. They were the final two to get to speed and it made for an inverted field that was not really that inverted. It was taking a lot more effort for every driver to make a pass. A prime example of this was Bea Courtnage who was running behind Curtis who was doing an excellent job of running low and leaving zero room to get underneath him. That meant Bea had to go to the high side to make the pass which she is not afraid to do but it was going to take a lap or two before she would actually make it by and every time she attempted it the 52 kart of Jacob Sheridan would squeeze inside and try to get by her. Not wanting to loose a position while stuck on the outside, Bea would drop back in line which held her spot but did nothing for making the pass. This went on for 5 laps before she finally got around on the outside, forcing Sheridan to do the same or loose ground. Other excitement came when Brad Perrott got up on two wheels, not once but twice. The second time was quite spectacular. Brad wanted to keep racing but the beating was just too much for his kart and he exited with a flat tire. Colby Bennett put on a show of his own as he went end over end in front the track entrance. Colby was able to rebound and had a decent night in the end. Somehow Bea Courtnage keeps stringing together 2nds and 3rds to get into the top three for the night. She reins number one again this week. First time ever in the top three, John Smibert was 2nd overall. Guess he is going to have to learn how to start in the rear this week. (Don't we treat our winners nice? LOL) Katherine Summers and Jacob Sheridan were tied for 3rd when the points were added up.

In the Experts and despite my beating him in the final main, Cody Coburn was top Expert this week with a win in the sprint. Tied with me for second overall was none other than my # 2 son, Scott Chesterman.

That about completes the race report. Reminder of the following dates.

Saturday October 5th is the 100 lap races and Potluck dinner.

Saturday October 26 is the 2013 Banquet.

Hopefully the fans and extended families can make it to both.

Next race is Sept 10

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Here it is, Race day already.

Last week we got set up to take outside pictures and wouldn't you know it? It rained.

Inside we went, delayed the show but got our pictures done, the track mudded in, practice completed and by mid point of the night were back on schedule. Good job everyone.

Let's do the same thing with the newsletter, start it late but catch up fast. LOL

Gabby Darling is getting faster and won her first race this week. I am sure she will be picking on the Juniors soon.

Logan Lapierre-Cassie and Paige Smith continue to put on a show in the Tillsonburg Lubricare sponsored Beginners. Logan came out on top this week.

Kyle McGlone came out on top in the Juniors but was followed very closely by Scott Hall and Nick Sheridan. This is a division that is going to be very close at year end.

Likewise the Seniors. Colby Bennett was top score for the night. I have a seat of the pants feeling that the series is almost a 4 way tie for first. Bea Courtnage narrowly beat Brad Perrott for second for the night. Saying there is going to be a horse race to the finish in this group could never be more true.

The Experts had a rough time getting their feature underway with a couple crashes early on and can expect some restart modifications this week to elevate the problem. None the less, Holly Porter came out on top with Hannah Ferrell beating out Scott Kelly for second. That's only one "house" cart in the top three this week. Could it be the competition is getting tougher?

Well, I better get the grid for tonight put up on the board. Racing is only 7 hrs away. See you soon.

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Girl gets bit at Tillsonburg Track

Now before your imagination gets the best of you as sometimes happens at the track, take a breath and listen.

Yes, despite there being an unclaimed stuffed dog running around prior to the races, there were no animals involved in the biting.

New racer, Gabby Darling entered her first race ever this week. After a false start last week, Gabby hit the track with the Beginners to get her career started. Did I mention there are some pretty fast beginners? Things went well and she did a great job of fitting in and drove great. By the third race though, she was ready to try passing. The spectators were silent watching to see what was going to happen. When Gabby pulled off a clean pass, her first ever, there was a collective cheer from the crowd. It made me smile as I knew what I had just witnessed. The feeling one (both the driver and the crew) gets from passing another racer is very exhilarating indeed and this was surely the first of many. The racing bug had just "bit" another individual.

Paige Smith was a force to be reckoned with this week with a pair of last lap passes for the win. Paige is starting to excel in the Beginner traffic and it is making the difference between 1st and 2nd. Logan Lapierre-Cassie has the rest of the field covered and finished 2nd this week.

In the Juniors I was wondering if I was at the X - Games. Rayse Meyer was running tight with Kyle McGlone in the middle race when the two touched wheels and up went Rayse. In a true skateboarder move, Rayse pulled off a 360 spin and landed wheels down ready to go. Shaken but not stirred, Rayse was driving away from it when the caution came as we were thinking the crash was going to be much worse while the kart was mid air. Aiden Maynard from Blenheim won the sprint while Nick Sheridan won the middle race. The final main was taken by Scott Hall. Three races and three different winners. I like it. Averaged out it was Sheridan taking to overall followed by Hall. Tom Pellizzari was able to take third even without a win.

The story is much the same in the Seniors. Three races and three different winners. Brad Perrott of Strathroy took the 15 lap sprint. Katherine Summers was able to take the 25 lap feature and it was Bea Courtnage taking the win in the 35 lap final. This group is so thick with potential winners that there is always something going on. Surprisingly, the first two races went smoothly but by the time the 35 lap feature rolled around, teams were wound up to get their turn at the front. With every racer fighting for the same few inches on the track, spectators can get a little excited over what happens on the track to "their" driver. To the unidentified and "unknown to me" individual that felt the need to yell at me suggesting that we were supposed to be able to "control" the emotions and actions of every driver on the track, indeed, even before "anything" happens, I laugh as this individual did not have even the slightest control of his own emotions and actions. Good Sportsmanship starts at home Sir.

Sportsmanship, both poor and good, will be a topic at next weeks drivers meeting.

The dynamics of the Senior class are different with the introduction of 4 additional drivers in the Summer Series. New personalities mean there are some "behaviours" to be modified by the officials as the season goes on. I am sure it will work out just fine, as it always does. I view it as a good sign that we have "real" racing with "real" racers who come to the track to "really" race.

So how did the Seniors end up? Bea Courtnage narrowly edged out Katherine Summers as the pair took first and second. Tye Freeman squeaked by Jacob Sheridan for 3rd. Colby Bennett looked to have the fastest lap of the night until Eric McGlone pulled off one 25/1000 th of a second faster. Hmmmm.

This week the big news in the Expert class was not so much who won overall, (Scott Chesterman got front row starts after last weeks mechanical disasters) but rather who got 2nd.

Austin Giles from Aylmer kept his kart stuck to the track and finished second in both the Sprint and the Main. Austin has been working his way faster each week but usually a spin during the race takes him out of contention. Possibly this is the start of some good results if he has a handle on how much power he can get to the ground. That left Holly Porter in Third when the points were tallied.

That's all for this week. Remember...... Stop, think, listen. Talking should be last.

Next race in Tillsonburg Aug 27. Clean up those karts, it's picture day too.

Our newest Members. Aubry Smith and Gabby Darling

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History was made this week, but first lets get to the beginners.

Paige Smith and Logan Lapierre-Cassie continue to battle it out for first each race and usually by nights end there is only a point separating the two. As was the case this week with Paige coming out on top. #16 Aubry Smith continues to improve and could be threatening for a win by summers end. This class does need a few more entries after several beginners graduated up to Junior so if you know any aspiring young racers, please put a bug in their (or their parents) ear. Starting mid season is still possible. This class is being Sponsored by Tillsonburg Lubricare and I know they would like to give away a LOT of trophies, so get those young racers out to the track.

This week the Juniors started out with a bang. Into the wall that is. The sprint race hardly got going before Tom Pellizzari and Aiden Maynard locked karts and neither wanted to lift to avoid what followed. Apparently throttle control was not considered quickly enough by either driver and after swinging wide, both gave the plywood wall a good test. It is unusual that wrecks in Tillsonburg take a kart out but both sat the rest of the night due to mechanical issues. It seemed not backing down was the theme of the night in the Juniors as Nick Sheridan, Rayse Meyer and Scott Hall did some wheel locking of their own but all managed to avoid the wall and disaster. Did I mention that racing is a lot about going fast but when everyone is fast, other tactics come into play somewhat. These drivers are all experimenting with the success and failure rates of different on track strategies and it does make for some tense parents. It's all good and in time they will be ready to take on the Seniors who are even more, hmmmm, aggressive.

At nights end, Scott Hall and Kyle McGlone were tied for first followed by Sheridan and Meyer. (Tom Pellizzari leads the series)

Speaking of Seniors, it seems team McGlone from Union has found the recipe for success as # 6 Eric McGlone found himself sitting in first place this week despite some tough competition from Bea Courtnage and Katherine Summers who finished 2nd and 3rd. With such a large and skilled field that we currently have in the Seniors, I have to note that the 35 lap feature race went caution free. Some spectators wonder how that is possible but despite some of their on track antics, this group has their "stuff" together and have either dished it out or been on the receiving end of the dish, and they are able to deal with it without taking themselves or someone else out of the race. ( for the most part, anyway) If you threw a bunch of Tigers in a cage, you wouldn't expect them to all lay down and purr, now would you? (Jacob Sheridan currently sits in first for the series)

Now for the making history part. Hannah Ferrell, despite it being a curvy road to get here, is the first member who has gone through each of our divisions to end up running in the Experts. Back in 2008, during our first full season of Outlaw kart racing, Hannah Ferrell was considerably smaller and learning how to drive in the Beginner class in a homemade kart. Things have changed since then. Parents considered 5 or 6 karts as being the maximum on the track and that the power limitation surely was already high with the Senior class at 11 hp. With the skill level and karts that we had back then, they may have been right, but we had other things up our sleeve. Convinced that with better karts and more experienced drivers, we could push these limits forward by a considerable amount. Currently using 70 hp, and up to 16 karts on the track at once, things have changed in the Expert division. Hannah is the first to have survived the "trained" in Tillsonburg system plus a foray at Ohsweken. How did it turn out? Hannah set fast lap time in qualifying and again managed to set fast lap in the 30 lap feature. She finished just out of the top 3 so for a first night run, pretty darn good. Wouldn't you know, the only other girl in the class took first overall with Holly Porter winning followed by Scott Kelly and Cody Coburn who tied for 2nd. That's really close to the 3 house karts getting pushed out of the top three. Guess I have to go back on a diet. (Cody Coburn currently sits in first for the series).

The Senior Division ready to sort things out.

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Monday August 12, 8:15 PM.

New axle in and chassis back together. No other apparent damage and things should be ship shape after my dust induced wreck last week.

Now, lets go back and catch up to this point in the Summer Series

We have two weeks to cover after moving our regular Tuesday race to the Thursday to work around the World of Outlaws special event in Ohsweken.

While we were at it, a two week exchange race with the Ohsweken club was put into place. Another Thursday night. This made for some larger than normal classes at both clubs and certainly made for some great racing.

In the beginners it was Logan Lapierre-Cassie from Brantford taking the overall in Tillsonburg and Paige Smith was top Tillsonburg Racer when we went to Ohsweken. A driver from that track took the overall but since they do not report full names, all I can say is # 14n Noelle had the best average there.

In the Juniors , it was # 45 Nick Sheridan from Mt Brydges who was dominant at both tracks taking the overall wins. # 5 Tom Pellizarri of Tillsonburg took second at both tracks and was oh so close to grabbing the overall win in Ohsweken being only a point off. # 15 Kyle McGlone took third in Tillsonburg and # 0 Johnny Miller was third at the "O"

Jacob Sheridan managed to match his brothers results by taking overall at both tracks in the Seniors. At his home track, Jacob was followed by Eric McGlone(Union) and Colby Bennett (Port Dover) tied for second, It was Bea Courtnage in third.

At Ohsweken, the local club was able to break into the top three with a second (Andrew Marshall) and tied for third was Hannah Ferrell( Wilsonville) and Colby Bennett.

As for the Experts, the 3 house Karts held off all challengers from the top three in Tillsonburg but Ohsweken was another story. # 19 Cody Coburn of Mount Brydges took 1st overall in convincing fashion. I did manage 2nd overall despite my early departure from the final of three races. Brent Smith (Woodstock) used his big 450 four stroke to grab third overall. Good job Brent.

There is a rumour that the Experts may see three new karts out to race this week. That will be exciting racing. Come out tonight to see who actually makes the track for the green flag.

Overall, the exchange races went well. We saw a few new faces and a couple of old ones. The Ohsweken track was something different that we do not normally run on, with higher speeds and longer lap times which had Tillsonburg teams scrambling to figure out what was a good set up. It is interesting how the results vary somewhat as the Ohsweken track hands out awards based on the finish order of the last race and in Tillsonburg we use the results of all three races per night. Sometimes that gives you the same results, sometimes it moves things around somewhat. Either way both tracks will come up with their respective champions by the end of the series.

Next race is tonight. August 13 in Tillsonburg

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Race report for July 23 2013

It's time for a newsletter change up. Here is what happened this week at the races.

1. We got together with friends.

2. We got out of the house.

3. We learned to drive at 5.

4. We broke some stuff.

5. Grass fight.

6. Watched our kids growing up.

7. Hung out on the hill.

8. And raced some really cool karts.

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Red Hot racing in Tillsonburg Continues.

July 16 Race report.

# 14 Paige Smith was back to form in her own kart and dominated the Beginners this week. Paige's younger sister , Aubrey is doing great but is still unpredictable when trying to pass her. # 25 Logan Lapierre used is racing judgement to avoid contact but lost some time in the process to Paige. The results finished with Paige, Logan, and Aubrey in that order. Good Job Kids

In the Juniors, it was all # 5 Tom Pellizzari taking all three wins this week. Tom seems to have found a way to defy gravity as he was able to two wheel his kart around a bank that was designed to prevent drivers from cutting the track. Next fastest was # 45 Nick Sheridan who has been unable to go a whole night without getting locked to another kart. When he avoids that pitfall he is right up there and finished this week second overall. Rookie # 15 Kyle McGlone was able to put three decent finishes together for third this week. This group is running times that rival the Seniors. Great racing

The Seniors division had a first time winner this week. # 66 Colby Bennett found some new speed and went 3-2-1 for the overall win. No less than 5 teams were running 8.6 second laps this week and it made for more really tight racing. How Tight? As the checkered flag came out for the leader in the final main, a group of 3 karts were a 3/4 lap away from finishing, but they were in a battle for positions 4, 5 and 6. Oscar McCormack who has been improving all season looked to have 4th in the bag but behind him was # 39 Kate Courtnage who wanted by. She went high to have a look at an outside pass. Seeing an opportunity to move up was # 52 Jacob Sheridan and he made a move. Quick to see she was going to loose a spot, Kate dropped back down between McCormack and Sheridan but in the process hooked the rear bumper of McCormack. That was more than could be corrected for by any of the three and the trio went up into the wall with McCormack taking the worst of it. Frustrating? Certainly. Guess who gets to start up front next week? So how did the results end up. Jacob Sheridan and Bea Courtnage were tied for second and Eric McGlone was third.

On another note Seniors, many of your karts have a bent forward rear bumper upright. The original design is the part is straight with a slight rearward lean. Get it back to that position. Hint, sliding an old axle over it and pulling will bring it back if you do not have a vice. You all have a bent axle laying around the shop somewhere, don't you?

This seemed to be the week of broken Expert Karts with 50% pulling off the track in the 30 lap feature. Regardless, there was some great racing and fun was had by all. Scott Chesterman, Holly Porter and Scott Kelly were the top three this week.

Next race is in Tillsonburg , July 23. Could someone arrange for a slightly cooler night?

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July 9 2013 race,

The Tillsonburg Outlaws got off to a HOT Start in the Summer Series.

Midway through the night, I came out of the building and thought it was raining. Turns out it was so hot and humid the ground was wet.

On to the racing.

This was race one of a 12 race series. Worst two races are dropped for each racer to determine the Summer Series Winners.

Summer Holidays are an important part of family fun and the drop two races gives the ability to mix holidays with racing and still run for a championship.

This week I had 3 racers tell me they would be away for a week or two. Good excuses were a trip to Nova Scotia, a trip to Northern Ontario as well as camping on the Lake Erie Shoreline. No doubt they will return with some great stories.

In the Beginners this week I would like to give a shout out to young Aubrey Smith who made her debut to racing. She got a wall incident out of the way quickly and the rest went very well.

# 25 Logan Lapierre-Caissie was the guy to beat this week taking the overall and learning a thing or two about passing in the process. Some help from another team got his kart working much better. Paige Smith was driving an "unfamiliar" to her kart and did a very good job taking 2nd overall.

Tom Pellizzari hit his stride this week and won the overall followed closely by Nick Sheridan in 2nd. Scott Hall ran a strong 3rd overall and will figure into the results every week I am sure. The new Juniors were still adjusting to the extra power and in fact a new kart for Rayse Meyer. Having a couple drivers a little off the pace made for some great racing and lots more passing. The fast guys better take advantage while they can because soon enough those slow guys will be up front.

The Senior division has litterly exploded with entries for the summer series. The group is so stacked with talent that my guess is each week will see different winners, partly effected by our handicapping system. This week saw a mix of the old guard and the new graduates up front in different races. This will likely continue all summer. Jacob Sheridan, who won the final, never even made the top 3 if it were not for a tie in first. Amber Meyer has been improving all season and this week showed the confidence it takes to win some races. A first and second in the mains would usually result in the overall win but a derailed chain in the sprint gave her last place and lowered her average score. With eleven karts that has a significant effect on a racers score. Even so, she was only 1 point behind the pair tied for first. Katherine Summers and Kate Courtnage, (yes that makes all girls going 123) ended the night even. Katherine did so with a 1-5-3 and Kate a 3-2-5. Now before anyone can point out that Katherine should be ahead, let me say the longer the race, the more points obtained. Next week we should start to see a pattern as this weeks fast drivers get sent to the rear for the starts. The drivers that can move up through traffic the best are going to be the summer champions.

The Experts struggled this week with too many drivers trying to win right from start or restart. After multiple restarts things finally got under way. Scott Chesterman and Holly Porter recorded the fastest qualifying times. It was Joe Kelly though who won the Sprint followed by Porter. Oddly, Scott Kelly posted the fastest lap in the Sprint. The speed paid off in the main as Scott Kelly finished 2nd behind Scott Chesterman. It was Porter that was relegated to third just in front of the old guy. (that's me) . When the points were tallied, Chesterman and Porter were tied in first. That left the father son team of Joe and Scott Kelly in second and third. Of coarse, Dad was in front. LOL . This is one place that beating your son will not get you into trouble with the law.

Next race is at Chesterman Power Products in Tillsonburg July 16 2013.

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Tillsonburg Outlaws.

Delayed Wonderland final concludes.

The Expert Spring Series tabulations were delayed due to rain on June 29.

It looked like we were getting another rain delay on July 5 but somehow the rain avoided the London track and we arrived to a dry and dusty track.

There really was no mud in until after practice so the Experts got to run almost right away to get a feel for the track.

We did time trials after practice which set the tone for the night with Porter, Coburn and S Chesterman going 123.

Since we always start with an inverted field based on the prior weeks results, there was no reason to change just because we were at a different track. That process put some of the regular speedsters mid pack, but Cody Coburn had a very good week prior which put him near the back of each start. The bigger oval than we regularly run is hard to pass on and everyone seems to be fast there. Not Deterred, Coburn was on a mission to ensure his series ranking did not go backwards on the outdoor track. Drive it like you stole it comes to mind, and # 19 Cody Coburn kept things rubber side down long enough to win the sprint and place 2nd to # 1 Holly Porter in the main. Porter seems to be almost untouchable on the Wonderland track in a QRC. She holds the track record in one for any division but was unable to break it again this week. None the less, her overall win was not enough to close the gap on Coburn in the series. Coburn stayed in the 2nd slot for the series. Porter finished the series in third. # 34 Scott Chesterman was left in third place for the night but that was good enough to win the Spring Series again. That said, the margin of the victory has shrunk to the point that he no longer is a sure bet. # 37 Scott Kelly, who had sat in second spot for the series for some time , had the least successful night of his series as he battled a sticking throttle most of the night. I will say that 80 hp on a go kart that is stuck wide open is a frightening ride and he did well to keep things going to finish the race. His staying on the track was enough to prevent me from overtaking him for 4th, for the night and for the series. LOL . We teach them well in Tillsonburg so there are no "easy" points to be had.

Next race is July 9 in Tillsonburg

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Tillsonburg Outlaw 2013 Spring Series is in the history books for all but the Experts.

Seven year old # 14 Paige Smith of Woodstock delayed a summer camping trip to attend the final race. She made the night a success by winning the final two races of the series and took the overall this week. Rayse Meyer of Courtland had a strong week as well and secured 2nd overall but more importantly, captured the Spring Series title in the process. # 20 Aidan Maynard was relegated to 3rd this week but finished the series in 2nd overall as a rookie Beginner. Aiden is moving up to Junior for the Summer Series and is very excited about getting the extra 2 horsepower permitted in that class.

The Junior Spring Series lead has changed weekly this year but always near the top have been the Sheridan Brothers. They were able to gain a little bit of breathing room over Colby Bennett in the final weeks, who was in the lead at one point. This week Jacob Sheridan had a good night and brother Nick was involved in a couple of cautions that hurt his chances for the night and ultimately for the series. Jacob took first overall this week and was followed by Scott Hall in second. Hall has continued to improve this series and has moved up the ladder as a result. He will be a threat in the Summer Series. Taking third overall this week was Tom Pellazzari who was blazing fast but had two poor results before winning the final main. In the end result for the series, it was Jacob Sheridan of Mt Brydges edging out his brother by a scant single point, 599 compared to 598. You cannot get any closer than that. It was apparently a little too close for the older brother who wants out of the class and is going to take on the Seniors for the Summer Series. Colby Bennett of Port Dover finished the series in third.

This week in the Seniors it was Kate Courtnage/Harley and Eric McGlone/Union sharing a tie for first place. Bea Courtnage/Harley was a strong 2nd with Oscar McCormack/Burford finishing 3rd overall. This group is something to see when there are 13 karts in the final main all attempting to make their way to the front. You will be hard pressed to find more exciting racing anywhere.

For the Spring series it was all the Courtnage girls with Bea edging our her more senior sister, Kate. Rounding out the top three strangle hold by the girls was Katherine Summers who has been consistently near the front all season. Word is out that Kate will be moving west for a few months which opens up a top spot for any racer daring enough to try. Will it be Rookie Eric McGlone or brand new graduate Jacob Sheridan? Or will it be Amber Meyer, Oscar McCormack, Katherine Summers or returning veteran Brad Perrott? Tye Freeman has been gaining speed quickly and John Smibert will find his speed shortly. I think the only thing we can do is hold another series to see who can take over as top Senior. Don't forget, Bea Courtnage already holds the honours and is unlikely to hand it over without a fight.

This week the Experts ended in the biggest tie the club has had. Most strange was I find my own name sitting in top spot after being 2nd fastest in time trials, 2nd in the sprint and hanging on to 3rd in the main. I finally earned a win sticker after 4 years. Woohoo. It was Cody Coburn, who did not find his speed until the main but winning that, moved him into 2nd for the night. Now how about this? One point back from Cody is a four way tie. Scott Chesterman, Scott Kelly, Holly Porter and Joe Kelly are all tied for 3rd.That covers 75 % of the field.

After the rain out at Wonderland last week, the Experts have one race remaining before we can total the Spring Series. From what I can figure, 5th place could still win the series and current 1st place could still finish in 5th. That is close enough that there will be no predictions on my part other than the last race figures into the results and there will be a close finish to the night and to the series. Experts, weather permitting, I will see you at Wonderland on Friday July 6th.

After that, the next race is in Tillsonburg on July 9 to kick off the 2013 Summer Series.

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Subject: Tillsonburg Ketchup

Heinz 57 Newsletter.

No we did not get a new National sponsor. With the recent work schedule I endured, the club newsletter has gotten behind so a blending of weeks is about to unfold.

#93 Rayse Meyer/Courtland continues to dominate with lap times that are faster then all other Beginners. He has been "the man" for the last two weeks and actually ran a perfect night going 1-1-1 this week. I dare say that the seven year old is using his "experience" to his advantage. How much experience could a 7 year old have? Sit down. This is already his 4 season racing. No doubt, the Junior division will see him within the next year. # 20 Aiden Maynard/ Blenheim and # 15 Paige Smith./Woodstock traded 2nd and 3rd place on the two nights of racing.

The Juniors have 3 races to report on. In Tillsonburg on the 18th, #52 Jacob Sheridan/Mt Brydges held off the challengers with an almost perfect night going 2-1-1. # 5 Tom Pellizzari/Tillsonburg narrowly edged out # 45 Nick Sheridan/Mt Brydges for 2nd. Fast forward one week. It was the younger Nick Sheridan taking the overall win by going 4-1-1. Again it was Tom Pellizzari going second with Rookie #15 Kyle McGlone/Union moving up the ranks for 3rd.

This seems like a good spot to insert our Wonderland Speedway event for the Juniors and Seniors. Wonderland is in London just south of the 401. The track circumference is larger so the drivers were sure to see higher top speeds. After completing some gearing changes, the drivers were set to go and the weather cooperated, unlike this week for the Experts. For several weeks now we have been introducing the Juniors into the Senior final on Tuesday nights in preparation for the Wonderland date. Drivers and parents were a bit nervous at first but I have a lot of confidence in the skills and attitudes of our racers and pushed the process along. First in were the oldest Juniors. One week of just hanging at the back of the pack and they quickly found it was not that scary, in fact they could run right with the Seniors. Another week along and they were mid pack. That did not go unnoticed by the younger Juniors who saw the drivers they race with in Junior, easily mixing it up with the Seniors. Soon enough the younger Juniors wanted a piece of the action as well. And so the stage was set for the combined Junior/Senior running at Wonderland Speedway.

The group was pumped to try a new track on a Friday night under the lights. Our assembly of 13 drivers put on one heck of a show and ran two and three wide for most of the 3 races. Despite the higher speeds, the drivers kept things rubber side down most of the night. A couple of high speed incidents required nothing more than a caution and regrouping the karts for the restart.

It was # 55 Scott Hall/Wilsonville who put is big track experience to good use and won the overall. Scott found the higher speeds to his liking and faired very well amongst the Seniors. It was brothers # 52 Jacob and #45 Nick Sheridan/ Mount Brydges taking 2nd and 3rd. In Wonderland tradition, the winner of the final feature race gets to do a victory lap sporting the checkered flag and this honour went to Nick Sheridan for the Juniors. He was one happy racer.

The Seniors saw a new face up front. Rookie # 6 Eric McGlone/Union was one fast driver and was able to win the middle main and the feature in the process of winning overall. Victory lap celebrations surely were a great photo opportunity. # 39 Kate and # 79 Bea Courtnage tied for the night in 2nd which rounded out the top three.

So was the night a success? I would have to say a resounding YES on everyone's part. The spectators got one heck of a show in addition to the regular program. Several in the audience stated they would like to see us more often. The director in charge of the racing in London asked us back only part way through the program and I have been asked twice by the track owner to please come for a second appearance. The kids all had a great time and enjoyed being part of the "bigger" show and several have asked can we go back. In short, the skill, attitude and professionalism of our racers AND parents is a breath of fresh air in the racing world. I am certainly proud to be associated with the Tillsonburg teams.

Getting back to Tillsonburg on the 19th, # 79 Bea Courtnage and # 26 Katherine Summers battled it out for the night and tied in first place. # 39 Kate Courtnage sat in second to round out the top three. I should note that only a couple points behind was Rookie # 17 Ty Freeman/St Thomas who only has a few nights under his belt. There is a very steep learning curve when a driver starts in Senior and Ty has taken to it like a duck to water. (Sorry for the analogy but it has been pouring rain all morning, LOL) The following week was all 3 26 Katherine Summers going 1-1-1 handing the rest of the group a whipping. Katherine has been a diamond in the rough since joining the group last season and I would say she just got polished up. Bea Courtnage did her best and took 2nd followed by Eric McGlone, hot off his Wonderland win. I will point up that # 62 Oscar McCormack is starting to sneak up the standings and narrowly missed overtaking McGlone.

# 34 Scott Chesterman has found his groove and was able to win both weeks but he no longer does it with anything close to a perfect score. # 37 Scott Kelly continues to enjoy his new frame going second on the 19th. Number 19 Cody Coburn grabbed 2nd on the 26th. Myself and Holly Porter traded thirds on respective weeks. I will add that Scott Kelly has had amazing speed in time trials, qualifying 1st or 2nd fastest for almost a month now. Not bad for a skinny kid from Stratford. LOL

Next week is our final race of the Spring Series and every division is close enough that I will not be offering any predictions.

See you July 2nd for the final spring race. Action at Wonderland Speedway below.

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Tillsonburg Outlaws June 11 2013 Race Report

Racers met with blue skies and ideal weather for round 6 of the Spring Series.

Some of the hottest racing action ever took place in the Senior final.

So when did the rain come?

After every race night the officials and a few racers wind down and discuss the nights racing. By 10 pm there was thunder in the background.

As it turned out, several of us hung around to 11 and when the rain started coming down in buckets we ran to the vehicles, then got out to close and lock the gates and arm the alarm.

20 seconds outside got us soaked. Indeed the night ended in Rain.

What about the racing?

Beginner Series leader Rayse Meyer/Courtland was able to run with but not beat Aiden Maynard/Blenheim this week. The two tied for first at nights end. Logan Lapierre/Brantford was able to edge out last weeks winner, Paige Smith for 3rd. The Beginners are extremely close this year. How close? Well after 20 laps in the final main, the entire field crossed the finish line in a 1.4 second span. Not a single racer was lapped the whole night and with 10 second laps, that is not easy to accomplish. Great racing kids, keep it up. I am starting to wonder if Brayden Murphy is reluctant to join in with this group? When he finally shows we will have to give him a warm welcome because on the track you guys(and gal) have a pretty big head start.

The Junior Series is almost as close with 1 point separating the series leaders. Colby Bennett/Port Dover is on top but with Nick Sheridan/Mt Bridges so close, there is no breathing room. Nick won the overall this week to tighten the points battle significantly. Don't count Jacob Sheridan out just yet and with this weeks third keeps he's in a very close third in the series. It was Scott Hall/Wilsonville however, who had the stuff to take 2nd place for the night. Scott's win in the second main may just be the confidence booster he needs to move through the pack on a regular basis.

The Seniors is a must see this year. With two late additions to the class plus the occasional Ohsweken racer visit, the class is getting large. This is changing the dynamics of what it takes to win. No longer can a racer drive past their limits knowing that being put to the back is only a minor set back. In fact, in the final Sr main, just such a penalty has a racer looking at 13 karts between them and a win. Did I mention there are no slow karts in the group? Oddly enough, Bea Courtnage/Harley, who started near the back in each race, finished the night with the highest score, so the crowded track was definitely to her liking. Katherine Summers/Aylmer looked to have the night in the bag after winning the Sprint and the first main but loosing her carburetor twice in the final main ended that run. It was still enough to tie for second with Oscar McCormack/Burford who ran a very consistent night going 3-4-2. Amber Meyer/Springford was next in line only a few points off the tie for second. Overall, the final main was a wild race with 13 drivers going toe to toe. Throw in a couple of green horn drivers and some fast Juniors with 8 drivers running sub 9 second laps, and you have one great race. Bea Courtnage laid down the fastest lap time in the 35 lap main but 1st year Senior, Eric McGlone/ Union had the second fastest lap. Could he be ready for more top finishes soon?

Normally the Experts put on some great racing but the list of winners is confined to a few names. Well things are getting shaken up a this year. Not only has there been 4 different winners to date, but there are other names that are starting to lay down some fast laps. In qualifying , it was the father son team taking the two fastest positions. Scott Kelly has done this before but he was followed closely by Father Joe Kelly, both of Stratford Ontario. Joe has never been near the top of fast times and he did it again in the 10 lap sprint and the final main so it was not a qualifying fluke. On top of that, recent Expert Austen Giles is also running sub 8 second times and won the Sprint this week. Cody Coburn, who has struggled with consistency with the big 500 motor in the past, seems to have things well under control, making him a threat every night as well. All this new speed in the group has pushed me to the back of the pack. Or maybe it was the new tire I put on? Either way, it was my poorest result this year. Better pick up my game. Results? Austen Giles/Aylmer and Holly Porter/Delhi tied for third, Cody Coburn/Mt Brydges sat 2nd and Scott Chesterman/Delhi took the overall.

Next week is a busy one for the club. All divisions race in Tillsonburg on Tuesday June 18 AND the Juniors and Seniors race on Friday June 21 at Wonderland Speedway.

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The Spring Series has reached the half way point with 5 of the 10 races now complete.

While some people consider the Beginner division the starting point of a young racers career, it certainly does not mean that these 6-9 year olds do not race. This week it was Paige Smith/Woodstock beating the boys when she went 2-1-2 for the overall win this week. Rayse Meyer/Courtland followed in second with Logan Lapiere-Caissie of Brantford and Aiden Maynard/Blenheim deadlocked in a tie for third.

Strangely, the Junior results were flipped this week as the drivers who have been doing their share of winning found themselves bumped down in the nights standings. Scott Hall/Wilsonville only missed 2nd by 1 point. It was Tom Pellazzarri/Tillsonburg who had the higher score for second. Jacob Sheridan/Mt Brydges has been looking for his lost speed this year and I would have to say he found it last night going 1-2-1 for the top spot. Spring series points is very close in this group as well.

During the drivers meeting, it was announced that Bea Courtnage had some homework that just had to get done. Stepping into her kart would be father Mark. No, not a minister - her Dad.

Mark has been in the kart a time or two but not yet this year so you never know what is going to happen. On top of all this there were some lessons being dished out in regards to being run up to the wall by a competitor. By the time a driver gets into Senior they start to be more tough mentally and part of that is standing their ground and not being pushed around. It's all good and the disputes seem to be handled on the track without further incident. The series is far from over. In the end it was Rookie Eric McGlone/Union taking third while Mark Courtnage sat in second with daughter Kate Courtnage winning overall despite having to come from the rear more than once. On another note, welcome and shout out to New racer Ty Freeman of St Thomas who managed to get though his first night without wrecking a wing. Truly a good first night out.

The Experts have settled into the season with 4 different winners in 5 weeks. The season standings are just as close. Scott Kelly(winning the time trials) and myself were tied in 4th and 5th, both only one point behind Scott Chesterman who finished third. Sitting in 2nd was Cody Coburn who won the feature. Winning the overall this week was Holly Porter going 3-1-4.

At nights end, there were more than a few comments about how great the racing was and the wonderful atmosphere the Tillsonburg races are. Come on out for a visit. Races start at 7 pm.

A reminder to our racers. The Junior and Senior division's will be travelling to Wonderland Speedway on Friday June 21 2013. Wonderland has never had kids racing before so this will be a treat for racers and spectators. This will be a points race for these divisions. Wonderland gates open at 6 pm. The following week, our Expert Division travels to Wonderland.

Until then....... see you Tuesday in Tillsonburg

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May 21st was the 3rd race of the Spring series held at Chesterman Power Products Indoor track in Tillsonburg.

Racers arrived to a beautifully graded, watered and packed track. It did not look so pretty after a lot of racing. Racers who were able to feel out a good line had good nights. Racers determined to drive through the rough stuff thought the track was rough. For the spectators it was great racing as even the experienced drivers had to take their time to work their way around traffic when the best line was already taken.

Oddly enough, when the track gets challenging, there are fewer flips. It seems when we have a smooth track, drivers tend to go faster than they should and end up crashing.

Something else has surfaced this year. Just because you were unbeatable last year is no guarantee that you will be this year. Jacob Sheridan in Junior and Scott Chesterman in Expert both seemed to be invincible last year, winning almost every time they hit the track. While by no means are either slow, they are both finding themselves mid pack at nights end. It can be a tough pill to swallow for a racer used to winning every week to have to work hard and get less than perfect results but the ones that work through it are the true racers. One's competitors never stand still and sometimes they figure something out to equal or beat your own performance. From my standpoint, it is a great sign when the same drivers cannot win every night. It means ever driver is being challenged and is having to work on one skill or another. Perhaps it is mechanical. Perhaps it is the improved skill of the competitors. Perhaps ...... that is what makes the sport so great. Trying a multitude of things to go faster. Some work , some do not.

Let's get on with this weeks racing.

Already in the Tillsonburg Lubricare Centres Beginners we have the two Rookie's cleaning up. #20 Aiden Maynard/Blenhiem (sponsored by Complete Mobile Wash) took the overall going 1-3-1 and #25 Logan Lapierre-Caissie/Brantford (sponsored by Culligan Water) taking second going 2-2-2. (Notice the cleaning up and water related connection? LOL) That left Series leader Rayse Meyer/Courtland (McClay Transport sponsorship) in third still with a good night. Considering this was a rough track to drive two wide on, no one told these kids that and they spent most of the night running two wide providing some the best racing in the process.

The Junior comment of the night, over heard. "You know Dad, it doesn't really matter who wins as long as I get to pass some cars" . Now isn't that a mouthful from such a young racer?

Despite everyone's urge to win, the process of trying to win and the fun of passing a few karts just has to put a smile on a racers face.

For parents who have never raced themselves, this realization may not come easily since the only fun they "see" is the happy jumping around after a win. That is only a small part of the satisfaction one gets from a night at the track.

I might be off a month or two here but this week the oldest and youngest drivers in the division tied for first. Interesting. Colby Bennett/Port Dover and Tom Pellizzari/Tillsonburg tied with 68 points each. Sitting in third this week was Nick Sheridan/Mt Brydges. This group races hard and there were more than a few pass attempts that did not work out which played into the results somewhat. As always, consistency pays off.

In the Sr class it was Experience that won the night as Kate and Bea Courtnage out smarted the rest of the field. I did witness though that both are having a much harder time getting around even the back karts which means the whole group, even with a few Juniors thrown in, is getting very fast. Taking third was Katherine Summers who showed some grit after blasting into the wall and just drove on. You just never know what you are going to see in this group so keep your eyes peeled as good racing goes on everywhere on the track.

For the third week in a row, the Experts had a different overall winner. Has anyone looked at the series leader board yet? It must be close. Last weeks winner , Cody Coburn started the night out great with fastest qualifying time. I believe that is a first for Cody and a sign he is ready to run up front on a regular basis. Holly Porter and Scott Chesterman were the only two who were even close to him in this speed test. Coburn had a lot of traffic to work through after his prior weeks top finishes. It was the Sprint last lap spin, only feet from the finish line that hurt him the most. Austin Giles looked to have the Sprint won until a last attempt bump from Porter caused his chain to derail and he dropped two positions as he rolled across the finish line. Still, Giles looks ready to be near the front most weeks once he figures out his chain issues. Despite Porter taking the overall, It was the old guy,(that's me) who was able to get up front soon enough in the main and hold the bottom despite Porter trying to wedge me up the track and we crossed the line one two. Cody Coburn was third in the main and was tied for third with Scott Kelly at nights end.

Results at MyLaps.com

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Considering tonight is the next race, I better get last weeks recap finished. Last week went by way too fast and the report just never happened.

Short and sweet.

Rayse Meyers of Courtland looks as if he may be the one to beat this year in Beginners but rookie Logan Lapierre-Cassie from Brantford found some speed and finished a strong second overall. Paige Smith made the top three as well.

In the Juniors, Colby Bennett from Pt Dover finished tops for the night followed closely by Jacob and Nick Sheridan both of Mt Brydges. This group is very entertaining to watch and each race goes right to the wire with everyone staying on the lead lap.

Familiar to winning, Bea Courtnage grabbed first overall this week but Rookie Eric McGlone found himself in second showing he is willing to make his presence known. Kate Courtnage rounded out the top three after a hard hit into the wall took her out early in the 1st main. This week we should see Oscar McCormack and Johnny Miller back out making the field a bit deeper and gives us 11 in the final main with the trio of Juniors that stay on to mix it up with the Seniors at nights end.

This week Cody Coburn showed up to race and despite qualifying 3rd, winning both the sprint and the main was enough to put him solidly in first place for the night. I have not looked at the season standings yet but the Experts are shaping up to be a great horse race right down to the end.

Time is really tight for me this week as well so that's all folks.

See you all tonight

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Lets get right to it.

According to Dave Chesterman, “everything is status quo this year, the system is working” for the Tillsonburg Outlaws Kart Series.

“The track is being finished as we speak, we’ve made no major rule changes, the format is the same as in past years, and most of our regular crowd, including our division champions, are coming back. In fact, our numbers look even a little better than in 2012,” he adds.

Breaking down his weekly racing programme, Chesterman expects to see upwards of a dozen racers in the Expert class this year, with the Junior and Senior divisions fielding between eight and 10 participants per night.

“Ten cars on this indoor track makes for some pretty good racing. That leaves enough room for the drivers to race, but doesn’t overcrowd the track. Then again, I think there’s probably enough room for 16 karts in the Senior or Expert field, those drivers would have enough experience to handle a busy track. That would be fun to be a part of,” says Chesterman.

Pre-season registration in the Beginner division sits at six karts, a number that Chesterman feels comfortable with, in this entry-level class.

“The Beginner class is where you see the growth, with new kids coming in as others move up. We need to keep these drivers coming to us to grow the sport.”

The progressive racing levels offered at the Tillsonburg venue, ranging from Beginner to Expert, offer the perfect platform for young drivers to develop their talents. Racing on dirt tends to accelerate the ‘car control’ learning curve, and the tight confines of the indoor circuit teach the drivers how to handle traffic.

“After a couple of years of racing here, not much will rattle these kids,” laughs Chesterman.

The most recent Tillsonburg graduate, 2012 Spring champion Alex Hill has used her experience on the Senior tour to move into a Sprint car, racing south of the border.

“Alex is proof that our programme is working,” states Chesterman.

Again this year, the Tillsonburg Outlaw Racing season will be broken into two sessions, the 10-date Spring calendar running from May 7 to July 2, with the Summer schedule beginning one week later. The regular Summer championship concludes on September 24 after 12 nights of competition, with an Enduro event wrapping up the season on October 5.

Although the split season was designed to allow the drivers, teams and families an opportunity to enjoy some down time, Chesterman has managed to incorporate a trio of ‘away’ races into calendar. Separate Jr/Sr and Expert dates will be run at the London, ON-area Wonderland Speedway, with exchange races held on the Ohsweken Speedway, mini-sprint circuit and then they come to Tillsonburg.

“We don’t want people to get burned out, we want to give everyone some family time. But I think these away races will be something everybody will enjoy,” explains Chesterman.

He concludes, “It’s been along time between green flags, and we can’t wait to get the season rolling. The best part of the Tillsonburg Outlaws is that you never know who’s going to shine, it’s a surprise at each and every race.”