Sept 30 2017 I never would have guessed that after 17 weekly races over 5 months that we would have a tie for the Beginner Championship, but that is exactly what we have. The three key drivers in this group have come so far this season that I don’t have the heart to break the tie and will have to find another 1^st place trophy. The year-end race saw 5 kids out, New to the group was Skylar Evans who did well finishing 2^nd and Riley Mercer, who grabbed 4^th. Regular, Zak Stewart, won both races of the night. Shelby Gee was only one point off winning the Championship fair and square, finishing 3^rd this week. A couple new drivers foiled her plans. To say Skye Giles came in last would be a big misrepresentation. Skye started the season not wanting to get in the car and flat out refused to drive several times. That was May. By September, she was bebopping around, hanging with new friends and helping with ribbons and looked like a real Pro in the kart under race conditions. I would have to say that was a win.

After the 3 top drivers moved up last year, the Box Stock Group Championship really was up for grabs. We knew the series would be close but a couple new comers got up to speed more quickly than expected, making the division very exciting indeed. Ashton Vanevery had perfect attendance, threw out his two worst nights and won the Championship. Sounds easy, right? There was a lot of racing in between and Ashton was always in the mix which is hard to do. Rayse Meyer was right with him but a tech penalty moved him well down out of contention. Paige Smith drove great all year but had a couple bad nights. That’s not a problem normally because we don’t count racer’s two worst nights but Paige skipped two nights so those became her throw outs. Still, 2^nd in this club is a very good year-end result. Here’s where a rookie jumped in, Allison Jackson had been watching her brother race but had never stepped into the kart. For safeties sake she started the season in Beginner for 3 weeks which does not count in the Box Stock. Let’s just say if she had of moved up one week sooner, the results may have been different. Either way, in her Rookie year Allison finished the season strong and won the 70 lap enduro in fine style, also winning the time trials. Aubrey Smith is one of the younger drivers in the group but it didn’t stop her from grabbing 4^th slightly in front of two other rookies in the group, Jarret Nock and Kieran McDonald. This was a terrific group this year and with Ashton moving up to the Open division for 2018, it is once again , up for grabs.
I haven’t done the math in the Open division but I suspect if we had a Championship for the second half of the season, Nick Sheridan and John Jackson Jr may very well have been the top two drivers. This was their first year with the group and it took a couple races for them to get up to speed. That was the tipping point and let the two Veterans, Scott Chesterman and Holly Porter maintain their status as two tough to beat drivers. None the less, Sheridan only missed slightly and was a solid 3^rd this year. Sheridan finished the enduro in second but only inches away from first. Dave Chesterman used the old ‘don’t crash’ strategy and it paid off with a 4^th over John Jackson Jr. in fifth Other fast drivers Scott Hall, Austin Roes, Brent Smith and John Smibert all had wins this year but didn’t put enough together to break into the top five.
That puts a wrap on the racing portion of our season. What’s left?
The Awards Ceremony and Banquet is at Mill Tales Inn, Tillsonburg, pay at the door.
Saturday November 4 2017

Happy hour 5PM , Supper 6PM , Awards 7PM

Sept 19 2017 Welcome new racer Riley Mercer who joined the Beginners this week. Zak Stewart looks like he is graduating from the group and will give the Box Stocks a try next week.
Allison Jackson finally got the bigger restrictor allowed for her age and made good use, winning the feature and the points for the night. Newcomer Morgan Schuts grabbed a 2nd in the feature with Paige Smith coming in 3^rd. There was a lot of great racingin this group with 10 entries.
The Open qualifying was won by Nick Sheridan and Andrew Marshall was second which is a huge improvement for that team. Nick Sheridan and Scott Chesterman won the heats.
The main looked like it might be a bit boring with the top two in points ending up on pole, both sides. Well, before a lap was in, current points leader was out with a broken front axle after tangling with the rear wheel of Scott Chesterman. With one out and the other to the rear, we had a race. Nick Sheridan put on a clinic and stayed out front from there with Austin Roes , Dave Chesterman, Andrew Marshall and Noelle Teal all having good runs. Only Scott Chesterman made it up through us all but didn’t have time to real in young Nick.

That brings us to the big year end race which counts towards the year standings. It is on Friday night at Coyote Raceway, September 29 2017

Sept 12 2017 Lets go right to the Box Stocks this week. Jarrett Nock and Aubry Smith tied for top points this week. Aubry and Morgan Schuts won the sprint and first feature while Jarrett won the final indoor feature. Paige Smith couldn’t catch a break or keep her chain on and missed a lot of racing but managed to regroup and grab a 3^rd in the feature behind her sister, Aubry. I had a peak at the points and figured in dropping everyone’s two worst nights and it looks like Ashton Vanevery is sitting in top spot. Paige and Aubry Smith are in striking distance though so it will go to the last event before it is decided.

Back to the opening line and the Opens. I remember thinking on lap 20 while leading that at least Brent Smith is not here to pass me on the last lap like he did a month earlier. I was enjoying a fair lead out front while the pack struggled with holding the bottom line which was the fastest way around this week. Well after a couple restarts the traction disappeared and I too tried to stay on the bottom but Nick Sheridan was the spoiler this time and worked under with a couple laps to go. No worries as Scott Chesterman had spun causing a caution. Maybe I could get him back, but then karts started pulling off the track. When the flagmen turned to leave I figured it out. I had missed the white and the checker flags and Nick had won the last ever Indoor race. Holly Porter and John Jackson jr won the heats and low and behold, the fastest lap of the night belongs to me. First time ever that Dave Chesterman was fast lap guy. LOL The 3 house karts had 2nd ,3^rd and 4^th locked up until Scott Chesterman spun on the last lap and did not cross the finish line. That mistake dropped him out of first for the season with Holly Porter moving up. Scott Hall sits in 3^rd but I am biting at his heels in 4^th. Nick Sheridan, John Jackson jr and Austin Roes follow from there. Two races remain and nobody is safe in their position.
Next race is Outdoors, Sept 19 2017. Green flag drops at 7:15 pm

Awards Banquet is Sat. Nov. 4 2017

Club goes to Millbridge NC

By September 1 2017, the Tillsonburg Outlaws were on their way to the Millbridge NC area for a double race weekend. The first track was in the town of Troutman at the Iredell County Fairgrounds. The purpose built track was under water on Friday but by Saturday, things were looking good. The group had a good discussion on what gearing to use and since it's similar in size to Coyote Raceway, that was the gearing to use even though the track has less banking. Our drivers felt very comfortable on a track where the inside line is a good choice. 6 of our 8 Opens made the main and although we didn’t claim the win, we showed them who the Canadians were. Scott Chesterman-2nd, Austin Roes – 4th, Nick Sheridan 5th, Dave Chesterman 7th, Brent Smith 9th, Noelle Teal 11th. Notable is that Austin and Nick, both rookies on that track finished strongly. It was great so many of us finished in the Money. The group then moved to Millbridge after a good night’s sleep for the main attraction, the very fast 1\6 th mile track where the outside line is often king. Our track builder has worked hard this year to get the high line to come in at both our local club tracks. This was the test to see if our drivers learned anything about running the top. Once practice is finished, its straight to qualifying which continues to be the weakness of our club as we struggle to qualify well against the Americans. Scott Chesterman was the best of the group but he was still .4 off the pace. Tom Pellizzari and Nick Sheridan were the next fastest Canadians but sadly they were only faster than the rest of our group. The Americans dominated the top of the list. Once past that frustration, it's time to do what we do best, race in traffic and real race conditions. The heat races were used to determine the feature starting line-up which put Nick Sheridan on pole and Scott Chesterman outside pole. The rest of the group were not so fortunate and the Tillsonburg group started the main at the rear of the field. >From there things improved. The start was clean enough and no karts were lost. Two Americans who regularly win at this track were not long roping in Nick but Scott was pulling them on each restart and maintained first until the last two laps before a green white checker restart. Throughout the race, the rest of us were advancing towards the front. Mostly we avoided the wrecks in the process but eventually Scott Hall, Brent Smith and Tom Pellizzari went to the rear. Here’s where we had a break though. Tom had nothing to lose and decided it was time to go. From the rear, he worked his way up running the high line up to 6th and was starting to work on Nick Sheridan in 5th but ran out of time. While this was going on, Scott C had his hands full at the front and on the last restart got out foxed by 2nd and 3rd who were now out front but the three karts would have fit on a 10’ by 10’ spot while running over 100 kph. The lead USA driver, Tom Hubbert was trying to hold off the #2 kart who was trying to slip under Hubbert. Scott saw his chances of winning disappearing but held it pinned on the outside and as all three exited the corner, the outside line took the win. For the first time a Canadian won the feature at Millbridge! Scott Chesterman 1st, Nick Sheridan 5th, Tom Pellizzari 7th, Dave Chesterman 8th,Brent Smith 10th, Noelle Teal 13th, Scott Hall 14th, Austin Roes 15th, Ashton Vanevery 7th Intermediate The drivers who made the trip south. Every driver finished their A Main Feature race, a victory in itself.

Aug 29 2017 We are still seeing somewhat predictable race results in the Beginner group but the advancement these kids have made is incredible. Skye andShelby started the season with a goal of just driving around the track successfully. Zack had a year under his belt but was still green. Here we are and caution free racing is a given and the speed of all three have increased to the point that any of them could have won that first race. Keep going gang, you are well on your way.

The Box stocks continue to mix it up with some great race action. Ashton Vanevery was the big winner this week taking the most points home and winning the feature. Rayse Meyer was second in points but settled for 4^th in the feature after Paige Smith and Allison Jackson took 2^nd and 3^rd.
The Opens also had a scrambled finish. Fastest qualifier was Nick Sheridan. Heat wins went to John Jackson Jr and Tom Pellizzari. The feature was taken by Brent Smith leading wire to wire followed closely by Scott Chesterman. The battle for 3^rd saw a lot of back and forth with Nick Sheridan narrowly beating out John Smibert who took 4^th while tumbling across the finish line after bumping the wall. Points winner for the night was Sheridan with Jackson only 2 points behind in 2^nd. Get to the Tillsonburg Outlaws facebook page to see the big flip.
This weekend we take 8 racers to North Carolina for two races. Iredell Fairgrounds on Sept 2 and Millbridge Sept 3. It will be a good test of what they have learned this year and a familiarization of the Millbridge track for next spring.

We skip the next week but race again Indoors on Sept 12, 2017

Outlaw racing at it's finest.

Aug. 22 2017 Occasionally, having a roof over the race track pays off. This was one of those weeks. Zak Stewart continues to dominate the Beginner division but both Shelby and Skye continue to improve in leaps and bounds. I will point out though, despite these karts being very durable, if you don’t put fuel in them, they don’t run indefinitely. LOL, we won’t mention names. Our Box stock is now in its second season of running with a combination of ages, weights and horsepower. Occasionally, we still hear that the youngest drivers are underpowered and can’t win. Our position has been that when the driver is capable and ready, they will start running at the front and may even win. If we could have selected a poster child for that program, it would have to be Alison Jackson. She started this year with the smallest restrictor in the Beginner class. She quickly figured out how to drive and race and moved up to the Box Stock group. Her age permitted the biggest non-restricted stock carburator but the team choose to go with the smaller Junior set up until she proved she could handle more get up and go. Allison has been moving forward in the pack all season, mainly by being a smooth driver and carrying good corner speed. She still has not received more power but this was her week, winning the 35-lap feature. I can only assume that a racer who figures out how to win with less power than some of her competitors, is going to be a very solid racer when the horses get bigger. Rayse Meyer finished with the most points for the night but settled for 2nd in the feature. Kieran McDonald, a Rookie in the group, finished a solid 3rd. That Brings us to the Opens, with Scott Hall claiming the $100 win. Holly Porter moved up to 2nd but that’s where her progress stopped. Nick Sheridan, who had to straighten and axle after his heat, managed to come back fast, pressuring Porter to make a mistake which never happened. He finished in 3rd. It was nice to see Team Teal give the Indoor track a try after coming to watch several weeks. Both girls went home without scratch. Kiana and Noelle both placed 6th place in their respective groups. Morgan Schuts also made a return visit grabbing 5th in the progress. Hopefully we will see them all back each week. Racing tends to be addictive that way. LOL That wraps up the Indoor triple header and we move back Outdoors for the next race, August 29, 2017.

Aug 15 2017 race Report

Zak Stewart won the Beginner division again. Big news this week is Skye Giles team may have figured out what was making it hard for her to push the accelerator. If they are right, we could see some new speed from Skye in the next weeks.
Paige Smith took home the most points this week but it was Jarrett Nock who won his first feature. Paige was second and Rayse Meyer was third. This group has really been mixing it up this year with multiply winners in each of the 3 races per night. Consistency is going to be key to get the big year end trophy.
Same goes for the Opens. By the time they got on the track for the feature, the track had slicked over and the only fast way around the track was to hug the bottom. That makes for a different style of racing then we have seen the last few weeks as trying to go to fast just made it possible for someone else to pass you. Slow and steady was the hot set up and the 3 house karts seemed to have that figured out the best over the younger drivers. Holly Porter and Brent Smith each won their respective heats but it was Scott Chesterman taking the feature win running the bottom after a dismal second from last heat race finish trying to run the top. It was kind of a freight train finish with Holly Porter, Dave Chesterman, Nick Sheridan and John Jackson Jr completing the top five literally nose to tail.

Next race is Indoors , Aug 22 2017

Indoors and Outlaws, Aug 8 2017

Clear skies and comfortable temps were a welcome change from the prior heat and high humidity. After an extended lay off, the Indoor track was dug up and water pushed down deep. That made for the most traction we have had in a long time. Teams struggled with getting their karts to loosen up. Eventually everyone figured it out and we had some great racing. This week it was Shelby Gee taking the most points home but it was Zak Stewart who won thefeature in the Beginner group. Skye Giles was only a point behind Stewart for third. The Box Stock division is really starting to heat up. Rookies are up to speed and the veterans are not used to having to work so hard trying to get to the front. Kieran McDonald had things figured out better than some early in the night and won the Sprint, Aubry Smith pressured him at the end but had to settle for second. Next race it was another Smith sister, Paige that set the pace by winning with Rayse Meyer and Allison Jackson in hot pursuit. That brings us to the feature, Paige managed back to back wins but not before her sister Aubry got tangled up with Alison Jackson. There was some concern that Aubry had hurt her foot but after a short delay she was out of the kart and looking good. The Moms were very happy that a few good-looking firemen arrived to have a look. Not sure the firemen got to see Aubry. LOL Anyways, Keiran McDonald was on a roll and managed to finish in second in front of Ashton VanEvery. Wow, this week if you want to see the house kart results, you must look pretty far down the list. John Jackson Jr won his heat with Holly Porter winning hers. Ten Opens hit the track for the feature. First off, let me say guys will really give it when there are girls around. Why do I say that? Well, there were a pair of cute ones hanging around Scott Hall’s trailer all night. Guess who won? Scott Hall. It wasn’t by much as Nick Sheridan must have noticed the girls too and was a wheel behind. Old guys aren’t quite as effected and Brent Smith cruised in for third. Finally, for 4th and 5th the house karts arrived with Holly Porter and Dave Chesterman taking the honours. What I take from this is a couple things. Rookies Sheridan, Jackson and Roes are up to speed AND they are consistent. If the old guys don’t bring their ‘A game’ the kids win. We still have 3 races before the North Carolina Labour Day weekend trip for the rookies to season. The Americans will know we have arrived if the kids can adapt to the new track quickly. Let’s not get too far in front of ourselves but at least mark the September long weekend off for USA racing. Next race is Indoors, August 15, 2017

Aug 1 2017 race report

It seems like we just left the track and we were back again Tuesday. The track liked it though and we had one of the best race surfaces you could ever hope for. Zak, Shelby and Skye continue to entertain us in the Beginners as they develop their skills and continue to trim a little lap time off each week. The Box Stock group has seen some very competitive racing this year despite variations in age, weight horsepower and experience. In the sprint, Rayse Meyer, Allison Jackson, Ashton Vanevery and Paige Smith took 1st to 4th. The middle race was Ashton VanEvery, Jarett Nock and Jacob Ross and Rayse Meyer going top 4. It all came down to the feature and looked to be anyone’s race with a track that let drivers run bottom, middle or top at equal lap times. Rayse Meyer won the race but did not make it through tech inspection which moved up the remaining drivers. Taking the win was Jacob Ross, followed by Allison Jackson, Paige Smith and Jarrett Nock. The Opens again ran time trials to determine the feature start grid. It’s somewhat amazing that times that would have won in May are now mid pack times. Holly Porter won the trials but John Jackson Jr is making his presence felt. He was second fastest behind Porter but John Smibert and Scott Hall ran almost identical times. Heat race wins went to Austin Roes over Porter and Scott Chesterman over John Smibert. Fastest qualifier pulls the invert pin and Porter pulled the 8. That made the feature start almost a full field inversion. Putting the fastest drivers on the fourth row of a double wide grid means there is going to be some passing before nights end. Well it took quite a while. Dave Chesterman (that’s me) pulled the start from outside pole over Brent Smith and we literally raced side by side for 35 laps. John Smibert, Holly Porter and Scott Chesterman had their own battle going most of the race for 3rd to 5th but also had to deal with Austen Roes who stayed near the front to the half way mark. Chesterman eventually made it to third but before he could test the leaders near race end he lost an air filter and caused a caution. He elected to save his motor and leave the track. The race restarted before he could get it replaced, taking him out of contention. With 7 cars on the lead lap, Smibert was able to maintain his charge and took third in front of Holly Porter and Scott Hall. So, what happened up front? I took the white flag with a narrow lead right before the Brent Smith ‘how do you like me now’ slide job from which I was unable to regain the lead, so there you have it folks, Brent Smith slid in the win. LOL Very close racing indeed as there was a 3-way tie for first place points. Brent Smith, John Smibert and Holly Porter all put 103 season points on the board. The feature ran under good light conditions so this weeks video on facebook is excellent. Have a look.

Feel the Heat July 28 2017 For the first time ever, the club raced on a Friday night. Up for grabs was $500 for the Open win and $100 for the Box Stock win. Beginner Zak Stewart is still the guy to beat but Shelby Gee is getting closer. Sky Giles has actually put in some pretty quick laps as well but still likes to stop for a break mid race, putting her into third most nights. The Box Stock class had a few extra entries in hopes of taking home the prize money. Normally, the club uses a ‘fast racers’ to the rear philosophy which helps develop passing skills and gives slightly slower drivers a fighting chance to win. This week was all about being fastest. Qualifying times set the heat race which in turn set the feature starting grid. While it was also a points night, the ‘Win’ goes to the feature winner. Woodstock racer Paige Smith looked like she had the win in the bag and was keeping Jacob Ross from Burlington at bay. Eventually, the pair caught Ashton VanEvery from Ohsweken and racing three wide changed the flow and when they got past, it was Jacob Ross out front. Paige had nothing left but hung on the last few laps for second. Rookie Allison Jackson put in an amazing performance for 3rd despite pulling off the track once thinking the black flag had been pointed at her. Aubry Smith finished 4th. When the night was done, it was Jacob Ross with the $100 bill in his hand. That brings us to the Open division. A solid field of Thirteen racers showed up in hopes of taking the big reward, first time ever for the group. Qualifying quickly showed who was in the game. Holly Porter from Delhi laid down fast lap but John Smibert was very close in second. Qualifying times set the heat race grids and drivers had to back up their speed with real race conditions if they wanted a good feature starting position. That upset the apple kart so to speak as Porter finished 4th in her heat behind Scott Chesterman, Scott Hall and Dave Chesterman. John Smibert managed to stay fast and took his heat win followed by Nick Sheridan and Brent Smith. The pin pull put heat 2 on the inside so Smibert was pole with Chesterman outside. The following race was video’d and is on our face book page and if you haven’t already, give it a watch. Smibert and Chesterman switched the lead multiple times. Can you say the word slide job? While this action was going on, Holly Porter and Brent Smith were running strong. A couple cautions came into play but when the race was over it was Scott Chesterman, Holly Porter John Smibert, Brent Smith, Scott Hall and John Jackson jr taking 1st to 6th. Since the house karts tea, is funding the prize money this year, and a house kart won, we still have not paid out a $500 win and the money stays in the kitty. Maybe next year someone will grab the gold.

July 18 Race recap Beginner Zak Stewart set the pace this week leading Shelby Gee and Skye Giles. A new prospect was in attendance and hopefully decides to join the fun adding to the group. The Box stock division saw some close action this week as #77e Ashton Vanevery and #93 Rayse Meyer battled to the front in 2 of the 3 races. # 5 Jarrett Nock won the sprint which I believe is his first with more to come. The nights point win went to Rayse but only by one over Ashton. The feature however, went to Ashton despite some last corner controversy which saw Ashton cross the line backwards taking the checkered. Jarrett Nock took 3rd. That sits Ashton and Rayse at the top of the points but remember we have two throw out nights. If we assign one drop for each racer to this point, Ashton, Rayse, plus Paige and Aubry Smith are virtually deadlocked in the Championship battle. $100 is up for grabs for the Box stocks next race and it would be reasonable to expect a tech inspection of the Top 3. If you haven’t checked out the rules lately, you might want to refresh your memory as well as see some recently added clarifications. The Opens don’t have as many rule worries since they operate with precious few, still, it wouldn’t hurt to check the link above. The Friday, July 28 race at Coyote Raceway has $500 up for grabs for the feature win. We have had 5 different winners this year. Will one repeat or will somebody new take home the $500? This week, Brent Smith and Scott Chesterman won their heats but it was Nick Sheridan taking the feature win for his second of the season. Holly Porter finished 2nd followed by Scott Chesterman. There was so much side by side and pack of 4 racing this week, I don’t know where to start describing the great racing we are witnessing. Eyeing up the Championship standings, besides Scott C and Holly being at or near the top, Scott Hall and John Jackson Jr are very close as well. Just slightly back is Nick Sheridan and Austin Roes. This series is not done yet. On another note for the Opens, we work hard to provide a tacky track to race on, free of rocks. One senseless session of infield donuts during the race undoes the hard work by shooting dry dirt and stones all over the racing surface, not to mention dusting the whole building. Is this necessary or should we start implementing a black flag off the track for this behavior? Something to think about. That’s about all for now. Come watch the next race as we give our $500/100 feature win money. Practice starts at 6:30

July 11 was one hot and humid day. Luckily, as the racing heated up, the temperature cooled a bit.

Shelby Gee and Skye Giles continue to entertain us as they learn how to race at the beginner level. Before I dip into the Box Stock results I will review how we have been reporting them in 2017. Each of the nights 3 races per division have points awarded to them. While the feature race is weighted a bit heavier, it is the combination that goes towards the year end series awards. However, in the interest of spreading around the win stickers, the ribbons for the nights racing goes to the top three in the feature. The difference is the driver who wins the feature race, may not have done that well in other races. He/she would get the win sticker but several other drivers could get more points towards the championship. Boxstock feature win went to Rayse Meyer, followed closely by Ashton VanEvery and Paige Smith. Top points went to Ashton while Rayse and Allison Jackson tied for second in points and in fact, Aubry Smith scored higher in points then her sister Paige. This series is going to finish very close. Rookie Warren Heckford has been pondering whether the Open karts had enough of an adrenaline rush for him and was leaning back towards motocross riding. The discussion is rather mute at this point. Warren went for a dirt bike ride in the woods and had a little crash, resulting in a broken leg. He is out of both sports for the summer. Personally, I think the karts are plenty exciting and I need to be at work in the morning so I will take the protective cage and seat belts for when the big crash is my turn, Thank you very much. Back to the racing, the house karts seemed to have a handle on the track this week and finished up 1,2,3. More importantly, is the quality of racing I am seeing in this group. We have three young drivers who only have 6 races under their belts and you would never know it. Driving fast and consistent, they are racing two wide without issue. Nick Sheridan already has a win under his belt. I don’t think John Jackson Jr is far off one of his own. Tom Pellizzari has been struggling with engines but will eventually get it as will his dad, ken. John Smibert, Scott Hall and Austin Roes can win any given night. Even Brent Smith might win sometime. LOL. This is a good year for the Open class. It’s all business when he is on the track but this weeks Open winner, Scott Chesterman spends most of his time race day building the track surface and working on other racers karts to keep them on the track.

Cage Kart Racing Report

Coyote Speedway racing came to life with sunny weather and near perfect track conditions this week. Watching Shelby Gee of Woodstock and Skye Giles of Aylmer race in the Beginners is priceless. Skye likes to stop to get some encouragement from the starter stand each lap and then zooms off to do it again next time around. Shelby is starting to get some confidence passing her new friend and collected another win as a result. This is where the fun starts folks. The Box Stocks are up front about trying to win with more experience trying to do so. Little Aubry Smith looked like she had the feature race won this week but her sister, Paige was the spoiler with only a lap or two to go. Rayse Meyer won the sprint but was unable to repeat it, settling for a 2nd and a 3rd behind the Smith sisters. Morgan Schuts is moving up with a 4th overall. Allison Jackson is looking very competitive but some kart damage took her out early while Ashton VanEvery was plagued with clutch issues. This group has some good racing and with 9 entries this week, the action was awesome. In the Opens, we announced something we had been kicking around for a while. $100 for winning the feature each week. That meant we had some back pay for Austin Roes and Scott Hall for wins earlier in the season. Even with a few drivers missing, there were 11 entries prepared to try for the $100 this week. Qualifying time win went to Scott Chesterman with a 9.6 sec. but oddly enough, 2nd through 5th ran almost identical times at 9.8 each. Scott pulled the 8 pin for the invert in the final which resulted in John Jackson and John Smibert starting front row later in the night. The split heats were delayed with a defective battery backup system on the scoring computer, but once going the wins went to John Jackson Jr (Port Stanley) and Nick Sheridan (Mt Brydges). When we lined up for the final, the track did not have a favoured line meaning you could run high, low or mid lines and they were all about the same lap times. You know that set up some great racing and by race end, not a single car retired early from damage. We ran half the feature before a caution came out and despite a couple spinouts, race action continued almost caution free. I am not sure if it was the thought of winning $100 or if it was just Nick Sheridan’s night but he not only managed to pass half the field to get to the front, he managed to avoid any self-inflicted delays. A couple late race restarts and a green, white checker finish did not affect the outcome proving Sheridan has figured out restarts using the clutch. Brent Smith tried his best to move from 2ndto 1st but had to settle for the number 2 spot. He was hounded by Dave and Scott Chesterman running 3rd and 4th. Feature finishes and points for the night do not always line up. They did for Sheridan and Smith but 3rd in points went to John Jackson Jr. The next race at Coyote will be Friday July 28 where the Box Stocks will race for $100 win and the Opens will battle for the $500 win. Before that, we have two weeks of racing at Chesterman’s Indoor track.

Three Weeks in One for Tillsonburg Outlaws

June 13, 20 and 27 race Reports It’s not often I have to sum up three weeks of racing in one newsletter but here goes. We have three Feature winners per night and this report covers three nights. Simple math says I will be dealing with nine names. We all know that usually the same person wins every week in any division so that would never happen. That might be true at some tracks but in Tillsonburg, well, we just destroyed that myth. In the Beginners, Allison Jackson made her final appearance and scored a perfect night on the 13th. I guess that is her lucky number (31 reversed). You can cheer her on in the Box Stock division now. Her departure opened the door for little Shelby Gee to take her first win on the 20th. Zack Stewart made his presence felt on the 27th with a triple win. A shout out for the potential Beginners hiding in the bushes. This is a very young group and would be a great time to add your 5 or 6-year-old into the class. These kids develop quickly so don’t let the grass grow under your feet. As luck would have it, we have a very nice Beginner kart needing a new driver. Just Sayin. A similar story unfolded in the Box Stocks. Paige Smith took the win on the 13that Coyote Raceway. When we returned indoors, Ashton VanEvery stepped up for his first feature win ever in the division. Ashton couldn’t repeat on the 27thas Rayse Meyer was in a groove and took one heat and the feature win. Will we see a fourth winner next week? Come to find out. On the 13th at Coyote, it was Austin Roes taking his first ever Open feature win. We headed back indoors and it was Scott Hall who had the track figured out taking the feature. Holly Porter has seen the checkered flag a time or two but that fact it took her six weeks of racing to repeat it says a lot. Holly has not slowed down but rather the field is full of honest, could win any night competitors. We still have a few names in this group that I know will win before years end. To date, we have had 16 Opens compete with 14 of them following the series. There is nobody that can take a win for granted in this division. Next race is Outdoors, July 4. See you there.

Rained out June 6th

It took 11 years but we finally were rained out and unable to race. Somehow the track never got rain all day, yet all the towns around got poured on. We figured we were fine. About 5:30 pm, an unexpected cloud burst hit the track. It went through, making us scramble to scrap off the wet dirt but we still thought we were okay. By 7:30 pm we had the track ready to go. Wouldn't you know it, several mist rains fell and we called it a night. Thanks to the racers, spectators and fans who hung in there with us. Some of the kids put in some laps and the track actually came in pretty good. We had a good visit and nothing got broken. Regardless, we will try this again at Coyote Raceway, June 13 2017. If you paid for participation for the cancelled race, your entries will go towards the next race you attend, hopefully, June 13 2017.

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Tillsonburg Outlaws Sprint Kart Racing club.

Our first outdoor race of the year was a nail biter as we waited to see if Mother Nature was helping us out with rain or cancelling us out. More than predicted rain fell but was followed by some nice sunshine. We had to be extra careful not to mark up the property of our hosts but it turned out to be some of the best conditions we have had, to date. Thank you, Kathy and Ken, for putting up with us. Wayne Stainton made a return to the starter stand so that Jac Sheridan could have the night off to destroy a Crate Stock. (that’s another story).
The Beginners welcomed Carter Priem into their group and he got faster each time he hit the track. Allison Jackson, #31 again took the top spot followed by Zak Stewart, #27 with new comer Carter taking 3^rd.
The Box Stock division saw Chase Cameron, # 81 run his Shorty up to third in the group of eight. Paige Smith, #14 won the feature but Rayse Meyer, #93 took home the most points for the night with 2 wins and a second. Out for the first time were Morgan Schutz and Gerrard Nock.

The Opens started their night with Time Trials. Holly Porter and Scott Chesterman were no real surprise to see up top but look at this. Rookie’s Warren Heckford and Nick Sheridan went third and fourth quick. We split the rookies up for the heats with half starting at the rear of either group. Syd Hess, # 69 won heat A, while Scott Chesterman, #34 won Heat B. The stage was set for a great 25 lap feature race using the time trials as the starting order. Fastest to the front which usual results in the least chaos. Well, until the outside pole kart loses power going past the starter stand to complete lap 1. That stacked the group up not unlike what happens on the 401 when somebody unexpectedly slows and a chain reaction follows. Unfortunely the field dropped by 3 as Syd Hess, Nick Sheridan and myself, Dave Chesterman had to exit from resulting damage. That allowed me to watch the race from a different prospective. After 15 laps, I was noticing John Jackson Jr, #31 and Warren Heckford, #18 were running very good for rookies. Heckford was very fast and stayed with the leaders which I doubted was possible. About 5 more laps and he started to look tired and soon after was last seen leaving the track about 5 ft. in the air. It was quite a show and he climbed out with a big smile. Ken Pellizzari had his best finish ever with a 5^th. John Jackson Jr ran well finishing 4^th and his fast lap quicker than 3^rd place Scott Hall, #55s. Simply pulling faster lap times than the rest of the field, Scott Chesterman and Holly Porter took the top two spots.
Home racing takes a break for a couple weeks while the Opens make the big trip to THE spring Millbridge NC race.

Ontario racing resumes on June 6 2017 at Coyote Raceway.

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May 9 2017 Race

The season got underway in fine fashion but lets first update everyone on Joe. The planets lined up just right to put our push quad assistant on the track needing medical assistance. We are lucky to have in house Paramedic and several Fire Fighters. Just in case, we kept Joe stationary until transportation arrived. Cutting right to the end of the story, Joe was cleared and home before most of the racers and besides being sore and having cracked his collar bone, he is good to go. Hopefully that gets this type of excitement out of the way for the whole season.

Back to the racing. I would like to welcome new Beginner racers Allison Jackson, Skye Giles and Shelby Gee to the club. It sure is fun to see 5 and 6 year old’s progress from putting around the track at a snail’s pace to racing with other racers in only a couple weeks. Returning beginner Zack Stewart won the Sprint but Allison Jackson figured out how to get to the front in the next two. She took the overall in her first night out.

The Box Stock division did not see everyone out this week. Let’s get those karts on the track, instead of sitting in the garage. We have a few used karts as well if any teams know of some potential drivers. As it stands, the Championship is up for grabs in this division. Rayse Meyer set fast lap in the Sprint and first feature but had to sit out the main. I have stated all winter that Paige Smith could be the Champ this year and she made me look Physic by winning the overall and 35 lap feature. Having said that, the spoiler could well be her younger sister, Aubry who led most of the Main and cut through traffic better than Paige several times. She also won the Sprint. Rayse won the middle race. It is still early and Ashton VanEvery and Keiran MacDonald are just adjusting to the extra power and in a week or two, the wins could go to anyone.

The Open division has the biggest increase in Kart count this year. This means a bunch of new drivers and new body work. We had a goal. Don’t scare the new racers as they get up to speed and not to have a bunch of wreckage. We split the group into a Rookie half and an Old Geezer half. It worked and there was close to zero carnage in either group. Of coarse, it had to be my new wing panel that got a little bend. LOL I don’t even remember touching another kart so not sure when that happened. The Rookie half of the group really didn’t look like Rookies and they were no more off the pace than I am on any given night. That bodes well for the group as we start to merge them into the bigger group. John Jackson Junior won both races with Nick Sheridan and Austin Roes each taking a 2^nd. Tom Pellizzari and Warren Heckford each grabbed a 3^rd. That’s a good mix.

In the Old Geezer group, it was youngsters John Smibert and Scott Hall going 1-2 in the first race. The feature race had 5 laps added to compensate for the shortened first race and had it not been for that, Brent Smith would have grabbed the first feature of the year but fell 6” short on the last lap. Considering he melted his motor 3 days earlier, that’s a pretty good result with the same engine. Holly Porter had to settle for third. When you factor in the new point system that awards drivers for completing laps, we ended up with what might be considered almost a tie from 2^nd to 8^th. Only 13 points separate them. The Championship win is going to take some consistency this year with a big points drop resulting from a DNS or a DNF. Keep up the good work.

That’s all for this week.

Next race at Coyote Raceway, May 16, 2017

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2017 Outlaw Karts kick off newsletter.

I know we have been quieter than usual but lots of positive changes are slowing down our usual club updates. They include:

1. Our Facebook page was started by a member years ago, and he is getting tired of the notifications he is receiving now that he no longer races and Facebook seems unable to remove him as an administrator. We are still struggling with not deleting the site to solve the problem but that may be the final solution meaning we start from scratch with another Facebook page.
2. Our Chesterman’s website provider decided it was time to update the platform used and I am struggling with the new editing procedure so that too is not current.
3. The best challenge is the zoning process we are involved in to get an outdoor track built. I was hoping to have approval complete by now but it is dragging on. With some luck, the new track could still be usable by June. The process is in motion and Town Council has approved the lease but the zoning process includes time allowance for public comments. So, what does this all mean to members? Mostly just that information has not been flowing out as much as normal. The season is shaping up regardless. We will again race in three divisions that worked well last year. Beginner, Box Stock and Open.We will use the Indoor track until a new outdoor track is ready. Coyote Raceway will continue to be a monthly location. That means members will have a three track season this year. The Series will have one championship per division. Drivers will have two nights dropped over the season to accommodate either conflicting schedules or “bad nights”.Other housekeeping items include the elimination of the annual membership fee in favour of it being part of the nightly entry fee. 2017 will also see a slight change in who gets the “win” sticker each week. The season points will be calculated the same as prior years but the “win sticker” will go to the “feature” winner. I know of several drivers who are qualified to have increased power this season as a result of moving up from Beginner, or becoming 11 this season or gaining weight. Since we run a “sealed” engine program in the kids classes, these changes cannot be done at home. Get them to us early before the season starts. The Open Division has the MillBridge road trip that will sneak up quickly once our season starts. The two day event is May 23,24 2017 and should be the biggest race of the year with over $30,000 up for grabs. I doubt I will get my hands on much of that but it does attract a lot of racers from all parts of the Continent.Getting a chance to battle with 100 karts should prove exciting to say the least.Kind of a rambling newsletter but that’s what we have for you at this time.Seven weeks and our season starts. Are you ready?