With a reputation of being one of the hardest places to win, Flamboro Speedway usually draws out the best drivers from across the province. The trend will continue with the season opener this weekend on Saturday, June 19.

After getting his feet wet at Flamboro Speedway last season, Mike Thomson will return to the oval behind the wheel of his familiar No. 16 Mustang with a new look. With some improvements made through the winter, he will hope to break into the top-10 following a best finish of 15^th in 2020.

Mike seems to be common this weekend, as a pair of Mikes will hope to bounce back this weekend, as Mike Hooper and Mike Gilmour will look to turn things around after finding themselves out of the running early last year. Notably, Hooper showed promise, as noted with 15 top-10 finishes, including a season-best fifth.

Shawn Taylor went from an insane crash to making a rebound last season, and hopes to keep the momentum rolling after finishing the year off strong with back-to-back top-five finishes. It is worth noting the No. 76 visited victory lane twice in 2019.

Being visible in victory lane was something that Will Gibbons has gotten used to doing at Flamboro Speedway. He was one of three drivers to win a Mini Stock feature in 2020, and the only to do so more than once in winning the last two events. Oh, and one of those was the prestigious Frostoberfest event. If you combined recent victories across the province, Gibbons enters this weekend as the man to beat.

Chris Pendlebury may have something to say for him, considering the constant improvement he showed throughout the entire 2020 campaign. Following three top-10’s including a season-best third, it may be only a matter of time until the No. 34 is in victory lane.

Kaitlyn Wallace has also shown improvement in her time behind the wheel, becoming a steady competitor inside the top-10 through recent seasons. Although she just missed the top-10 with a pair of 11^th-place finishes last year, she was able to score 15 top-10’s in 2019 with a season-best fourth on three occasions.

Another driver that will be fun to watch in his pursuit of victory will be Cole Quinton, as he makes his Mini Stock debut this weekend. He has done some testing leading into this event, and will have experience from Spira Racing on his side as he gets ready for this new step of his racing journey. So why the anticipation? Simple – the success he experienced in the Waterloo Karting Club.

There’s also anticipation surrounding Jordan Morris, as he makes the jump up to the Mini Stock ranks. He’s no stranger to success at Flamboro Speedway either, as evident by a pair of top-10’s, including a third last season in Pure Stock competition.

As previously announced, the Mini Stocks will be joined by the Pro Late Models for the first round of the Grisdale Triple Crown, as well as the Super Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Canadian Vintage Modifieds.

Track officials announced recently the event will be live streamed on GForceTV.net. The speedway previously partnered with the service last season to carry numerous events, and found success with fans tuning in from not only across the province, but across Canada and North America.

For more details about the event, including how to register if you are a competitor, you can read the full original news release at https://www.flamborospeedway.ca/post/flamboro-speedway-to-kick-off-2021-campaign-with-first-round-of-grisdale-triple-crown. The Flamboro Speedway website also has your pit notes, payouts, and the screening form that must be filled out prior to entry.

Be sure to keep up with the latest by checking out Flamboro Speedway’s website at http://www.flamborospeedway.ca. You can also keep up via your favorite social networking website by following the speedway on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FlamboroSpdwy and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/flamborospeedway. Fans are encouraged to like the speedway’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Flamboro-Speedway-Authorized-Page-102328664646735/.

By: Ashley McCubbin