With three victories and 13 top-five finishes, it’s safe to say it was a solid season for Mike Podd with the Canadian Vintage Modifieds in 2023. As the veteran prepares for his 34th season of competition, he shared some thoughts with SHORT TRACK MUSINGS.

Click here to read the first part of the interview

You mentioned that you’re afraid of change. But if you could go out and try something different, what division would that be?

Well, afraid of change – I’m not that afraid of change. It’s just it seems that I am, you’d think I am based on the fact that I have the same truck that I have been using for – well, it’s an ’88 Ford so however long that is. So my stuff is like a time machine. If you looked at my truck and trailer and everything, it’s the same as it was 2000 when I brought this car out. From that aspect, it’d look like I’m afraid of change. I just like the cars and the competition.

I mean, we’ve made changes within the club as far as the cars go that I support. It is getting harder to get a lot of these pieces and I certainly wouldn’t encourage anybody to run a six-cylinder car like I have, but I just have that experience. I guess it’s just the time for me to change, the effort that it would require to step up a division like how Jason Keen went into the OSCAAR Modifieds, and same with (Steve) Trendell. They’re younger guys. I think I may have aged myself out of maybe stepping up a division.

Maybe or maybe not afraid of change, but a little more wise about the effort that is required to step up to those series and compete with – I’ll use the modifieds as an example because I enjoy watching them and where some of my competitors have wound up. Just talking to the Keens on how much more effort they have to put in to keep up with A.J. Emms, and T.J Edwards, and of course (Andy) Kamrath over the years. But you just have to bump your program up that much.

I just like the pace that the hobby car is where I don’t have to always be tuning on the thing to optimize it. The tires are so much an equalizer that you don’t have to stay as on top of it. I appreciate what those guys do, but I like what I’m doing.

I want to keep racing. Me changing things, I have a garage full of spares and other things that making a switch – the next switch will be stopping driving, and I don’t want to do that.

So in other words, we still have some years where we’ll see at the track winning races.

Oh yeah, for sure.

That’s good because over time, yes we see people walk away from the sport, but you don’t want to see that.

No… I had Jason Keen drive my car when Ian (McIntyre) couldn’t make it. I owe him a better ride. I really didn’t have the car prepared as I would’ve liked. I’d be open to having other people drive my stuff and keeping at it, but not yet. I still think I’m okay. As long as I’m competitive. I just don’t like – like when Brian Atkinson started driving, he said he wasn’t competitive. So I’ll step aside and he was into his 70s when he stopped running, and he was until he stopped running. So that’s more the way that I see it right now.

Still enjoying it, still close to home, and I think the club is in good hands. The last bunch of people that have been running it have doing so in good fashion and want it to succeed. I see that and appreciate it. Hopefully the newer guys lead in the direction they want it to go, and they have my support.

In all the years that you’ve been racing, you’ve gained a lot of knowledge. What would be a piece of advice that you’d offer to get started, like some of our rookies coming in this season?

Well, I don’t see myself in expert in these things and a lot of the new guys have a lot of experience in karts so you don’t have to teach them adapting their race craft to a full car, and being comfortable. That’s hard to learn, and I want to say it’s just seat time. Being comfortable on the outside – that’s always hard, too.

Guys are coming in so well prepared, and they’re in decent equipment. That’s one thing that I always support is guys have been sharp with the cars they have acquired. They’re getting good equipment so they’re not having to struggle as much to get up to speed. But if they need help, talk to people, because I’m more than willing to help anybody out with set-ups and things.

They’re pretty straight forward cars, but you can get yourself lost easily. The only thing is I have one of the older cars so all these newer guys, they’re in newer cars that have been updated. I don’t fully understand as much, but just pieces.

So I guess really, the main thing is don’t be afraid to ask for help – with anything, tools, advice and time. Myself, and most of the guys are more than willing to help. You have to have people to race against or you’re just running around circles. Always willing to help people. You don’t want to see people struggling, either. You want guys to be comfortable in the car, which is important, because if you’re comfortable and not feeling you’re in the way, then you’re predictable. It’s when guys are just trying too hard and not in control of their car is where it can get out of hand – but that’s every division that you have to watch that.

Surprisingly, I read a lot on driving – it’s just road racing information that you can get, but on braking and cornering, weight management and that kind of thing. I’ve read a lot that I’ve found helpful. No one wants to get home work to do so maybe not. But it’s an option.