With three wins, a trip to the United States, and an average OSCAAR Modified finish of 2.86, it was certainly a successful 2023 season for Emms Racing.

“I feel as though the season started off really strong with regards to trying some different things and getting a few top-three finishes before we went off on that streak of winning three races in a row, which was fantastic,” A.J. Emms commented. “Our goal as a race team is to always win races and to be competitive in each race we go to, so we were able to achieve that goal in the first half of the season.”

As Emms mentioned, the season started off with speed in the form of a third-place finish at Flamboro Speedway, followed by a runner-up at Sauble Speedway. However, it was mid-July when things really began to kick into gear.

Making his way to the front after starting eighth at Full Throttle Motor Speedway saw him awarded the win following post-race technical inspection. He then led flag-to-flag in August with a straightaway lead at one point to the victory at Peterborough Speedway. He backed it up with another dominating performance in pacing all 40 laps at Sauble later that month.

“For me, the win I feel stands out the most was our win at Sauble Speedway,” he explained. “The reason why I think that is because I think we really hit the nail on the head with the car in terms of being able to work on the long run – that’s something that we’ve struggled with in the past. I felt like as the race progressed at Sauble Speedway, the car was only getting faster and faster. So that was a win that I feel pretty proud of knowing those were the goals that we set out for our team in terms of being really fast on the long run and continuing to show speed and I feel we were able to execute that.

“With that being said, I feel all three wins were special. Those are three very different race tracks that I thought it was pretty cool for us to get all three.”

Although the victories were awesome, the highlight of the year for Emms came in September, when he got the chance to race with the Race of Champions (ROC) Sportsman Series at Spencer Speedway, thanks to an opportunity from Cathy and Paul Townsend.

After not showing speed in practice, Emms was able to make his way forward in the feature from 19^th-place to a top-15 finish with 12^th at the checkered flag.

“I’m defiantly a modified lover in that I’ve raced modifieds for a long time,” he expressed. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t like to drive other racecars or don’t have the capacity to do so. But to move up the ranks and be able to race a modified that is a little faster than an OSCAAR Modified with different competition with some of the best not only in our country but the United States and North America, was a great opportunity. I defiantly learned a lot. It’s an experience that I would like to replicate again.

“We were fortunate to have a solid run there and learn a lot throughout the day. I feel as though moving forward there’s a lot to learn in terms of a different car, different race tracks, but that’s an endeavor that I would like to take up if I am able to do so and I just can’t thank Paul and Cathy enough for that opportunity as it was a lot of fun and one of the highlights of the year.”

Unfortunately, the last couple races did not go as planned on the OSCAAR Modified tour schedule, with a motor letting go while leading in a qualifying heat at Flamboro Speedway. He would jump behind the wheel of Paul Townsend’s modified, driving it from the tail of the field for a seventh-place finish.

Dropping his spare motor in the modified, he was able to score a fifth-place finish at Peterborough Speedway’s Autumn Colours Classic. He also drove a Ford Thunderbird OSCAAR Hot Rod owned by Rob Bromley that same weekend, scoring a heat victory and a third in the feature.

Now as the focus already begins to shift to next season, there are some uncertainties in what lies ahead with how things currently sit.

“With a blown up motor this year in the OSCAAR Modified, that really did set us behind,” Emms admitted. “It really is making us re-evaluate what our plans are for next year. With the price of racing increasing as everybody knows, it’s difficult to continue to compete and put these cars on the race track.

“We’re definitely going to be looking for some funding in the off-season to try and purchase a different engine that is competitive – a crate engine that is competitive that can continue our strides towards getting to the winner’s circle. So that’s the really the off-season goal.

“There is also going to be time where we do take apart the racecar, go over everything, make sure everything is in order the way it needs to be, and really take the time to prepare and make sure to cross our Ts and dot our Is. But really, working towards the funding for a different engine is going to be a really big piece this off-season as that was a major setback that we experienced at Flamboro. That’s going to be our off-season.”

Emms went onto say the team will also be exploring other opportunities, which could include the ROC Series or other options.

“I do love having a family run operation, and I do love working with my dad and crew members so my heart is there, but I am open to exploring different opportunities and really no matter what we’re doing – the goal is to get to the winner’s circle,” he commented.

Emms Racing is proud to be supported by BAE Environmental, Bromley Automotive, TL Tire, Speedy Glass Orillia, Klotz Canada, Peter Built Racecars, and Short Track Musings for the 2023 campaign.

Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to the Emms Racing website at http://www.ajemms.com, as well as the team’s facebook page via https://www.facebook.com/ajemmsracing/.

By: Ashley McCubbin