Saturday Night, May 6, the Southern Ontario Sprints will invade Brighton Speedway to kick off the 11th season of competition for the fledging 360 sprint club. In what is poised to be a record breaking year, many of the veteran stars of the SOS are returning with fresh equipment and renewed enthusiasm to vie for the coveted Championship.Veterans Dick and Warren Mahoney head the way with a replenished inventory of parts in tow. Mahoney’s are well known within the club as the “go to” people if fellow competitors need something to keep their machines on the track and competitive. Glenn Styres is also in this category and with new crew chief Heath Lutz, is set to take aim on the championship.
Leading the return for 2006 from the west end of the province will be 2005 “Rookie of the Year” John Watson. He will be joined by John Riegling and defending SOS Champion, Adam West. Les MacMillan, Daryl Turford, Andrew Reaume, Jeff Daniels, and a pair of Evans (Garry and Gary) will see regular action with the club. The central region will see Bob Crawford return for yet another season. He will be joined by Craig Downie, Brian Lee, Jim Sweers, and Chris Pyle along with Keith Dempster and Jamie Collard in a pair of Dave MacLeod sprinters. The east end of the province will once again be represented by the Wilson family. Joining father Rick and son Kyle this season will be Rick’s daughter April as she climbs behind the wheel of a potent 360 sprint in her rookie season.
The Niagara region has seen a burst in sprint car interest in 2006. Joining veterans Fred Cade and Tom Huppunen will be a huge contingent of rookies led by Rob Pietz. Rob will be joined by Brad Malloy, Jim Price, the Middlemiss brothers Robert and Joe, and Tim Zanchin from the Niagara area. Other rookies indicating their intentions to compete are Jason Pyle, Tim Zack, John Burbridge, Kevin Job, James Whittaker and Bob McDonald in the Ray Ballentyne entry while Prince George, British Columbia’s Fred Pigeon will also vie for the “Rookie of the Year” title.
Making a return to competition in 2006 from New York State will be Mike Lauterborn in his 41. After a year off from competition, Lauterborn is ready to take a run at the title and has indicated he will be at every show. Also back after a year’s absence will be Tim Phillips. Tim’s return marks a triumphant personal victory for Phillips as he spent the past season running the race of his life with a victory over cancer. Joining Mike and Tim from New York are the always competitive team cars of Mark Christiano with daughter Stephanie and veteran Mark Schulz at the wheel. Include the Jim Porter and Curt Sherwood entries and the personality of Dave MacLeod and the NY state contingent will be a force to watch.
With a strong contingency program already announced, the final pieces of the program are in place. SOS President Bill Oldroyd has confirmed that Leaf Racewear will once again return as a sponsor. “Leaf Racewear have been with us for several seasons now” stated Oldroyd. “Their continued support is a rewarding for us as we continue to grow our series”. Headquartered in London, Ontario, Leaf Racewear “has been manufacturing and distributing quality racing safety equipment and apparel worldwide for over 18 years”. Visit their website at
www.leafracewear.com for more information.
“Also returning for another season is Winters Performance Products” Oldroyd went on. Located in York, Pennsylvania, Winters offers the finest and most technologically advance Quick Change Rear Ends, parts and accessories available. You can visit them at
www.wintersperformance.com for more information.
“BS&B Radiators of London, Ontario is back for another season as a contingency sponsor with us” added Oldroyd. “Evolving from a small local company that fixed automotive cooling systems in the 1960’s, they now provide one stop shopping for everything that has to do with your cooling system”. Visit their website at
www.bs&bradiator.com for more information.
“Finally I would like to welcome and introduce MAXIM Racing to the 2006 group of marketing partners with the Southern Ontario Sprints” Oldroyd went on. From their headquarters in Springfield, Illinois, Chuck Merrill and Maxim Racing have been supplying chassis and components to some of the most successful drivers in modern sprint car history. Check them out at their website at
www.racemaxims.com for more information.
“These four marketing partners join Ultra Shield, Grisdale Racing Products, Keizer Wheels, Ohsweken Speedway and the “Canadian Sprint Car Nationals”, Wiseco Pistons, Brodix, Pennzoil, Image Factor, and Kenetic Photos in presenting our series in 2006 as we head towards the first green flag on Saturday night, May 6th at Mark Rinaldi’s Brighton Speedway” Oldroyd concluded. Then the following Saturday, May 13th, the series is invited to participate in an open practice at Ohsweken Speedway beginning at 12 noon with a return to racing action the following Friday night, May 19th at the Styres family owned fast 3/8 mile clay oval.
With opening day now only hours away, teams both old and new are preparing for what is shaping up to be the most competitive season yet. Make plans now so you won’t miss any of the action as the “Winged Warriors with an Attitude” travel to a speedway near you.
For all the latest information be sure to check the official website of the Southern Ontario Sprints at
www.southernontariosprints.com as preparation continues toward the green flag on the 2006 racing season.
- From Ken Pelkie, Public Relations, SOS
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