With 15 top-five’s and 19 top-10’s in Canadian Vintage Modifieds last season, it’s safe to say Scott Tonelli had an impressive season with a season-best runner-up coming in September. As the driver of the No. 14 look towards the upcoming 2024 campaign, he shared his thoughts with SHORT TRACK MUSINGS.

What are your thoughts as you look ahead to the 2024 race season?

I’ve got lots of thoughts this year. Without sharing all my notes, I found some speed last year. We got the handling package down pat, but I got to work on my power program this year. There’s not much we can do with the engines – there’s lots of little tips and tricks – but this year, it’s more of the same as last year. But I think I am going to send my car to the dyno, but I think with a bit more power I should be able to run top-three all year.

That’d be an awesome way to have the season go.

Last year, if you don’t remember, we switched my car from an in-line 6 to a V8 so lots of fabricating, lots of changes. The car felt completely different, but we campaigned it well and had a solid season so I can’t complain.

I was going to say that you were regularly at the front. What was that like for you in being able to regularly inside the top-five and make the podium on a couple occasions?

It’s great. It’s a solid group of drivers in the club – anybody that can run in the top-three, top-five nightly is doing well in my opinion. There’s a few staples – obviously T.J. Marshall is one of them, Mike Podd another one, Ricky Willigar, Quinton (Murdoch) – those are the guys that I am chasing every week and to be able to mix it up with them week-to-week, I was proud of myself.

But I need a little more. Those guys have a little more experience than I do and I got to step up my game a little bit. I think I hold my own against them.

What would it mean to you if you were able to get a win this season?

Honestly, it would mean the world to me. This is a lifelong childhood dream. My dad brought my brother and I there as kids and not to sound cliché, I literally dreamt about winning a race at Flamboro as a kid so this is a long time coming.

What is it about the Canadian Vintage Modifieds that work for you and be something that you want to do?

I love the history of these cars. Every car, every chassis has a story. Mike Podd is probably the best one to talk to you about the stories, but my car is a 1930. If you can think of the stories that thing could tell, it’s kind of cool that we get to let them live on and they’re just a blast to drive.

It’s funny you mention Mike Podd as I was talking with him not long ago, and he was saying there’s cars still in the series that ran at the CNE grounds.

It’s really cool to see these cars around, and not to date Mike, but I remember watching him. He’s been one of my idols in the club and being able to call him a friend is actually really cool.

What made you want to get started in racing originally?

I’ve always been a gear-head growing up – hot wheels cars, you name it. But my dad taking us as spectators to Flamboro, I just fell in love with it. I was probably four or five years old, were talking 1980 was the first time I went and I’ve loved it ever since.

Obviously, you talk about growing up watching as a fan at Flamboro. What’s kind of the most memorable fan moment that you stood out to you from watching the Vintage Modifieds then?

It’s tough. There’s lots. As a kid in the beginning, it was just colors of cars and numbers. You don’t know all the drivers. Being able to go in the pits and get their hero cards, and being able to put your hands on the cars and see them up-close. Just the shape of these things – I’ve always thought they were cool. They are one of my favourite clubs to watch and now to get to drive one, it’s great. But I don’t know if I have one favourite moment , but getting up close and sitting in them as a kid is what made me fall in love with them.

We watched you start off with the Pure Stocks and move into the Vintage Modifieds afterwards. Is there anything else that you want to get behind the wheel of, eventually?

Yes, I would love to try a Pro Late Model. Obviously, who don’t want to try the top of the heap? That, or and I’d love to try my hand at some dirt racing as well. That’s something I might cross over to eventually.

Dirt looks fun. I know other asphalt guys that have tried it and said  it’s fun sliding around.

Sliding is fun, but I love cars that grip too. So to be able to drive both – I’ll race anything. If somebody has a go-kart and wants me to strap a helmet on, I’ll go race it. But I’m a fan of any form of racing. I’ve raced motocross, I do drag race, I love all forms of motorsports.

But short track oval racing is my love and passion, and I would like to the J.R. Fitzpatricks of the world and Stecklys, Treyten Lapcevich – I idolize these guys when I see them at the track. So to be able to strap myself into one of those rockets one day would be a dream come true.

That leads into the next question that I had for you tonight. Who is your racing hero, and why?

Randy the Rocket Rusnell – I have to throw his name out there. I think he was No. 72 in the super stocks. Back when I was a kid at Flamboro, he was one of the nicest guys in the pits that actually talked to me the most. I have connected with them since now that I’m racing there and I don’t expect him to remember me, but he was definitely one of the guys in the pits that I remembered for a long time.

One of my first memories of a driver talking to me and as a kid, when you get to go into the pits and do the meet the drivers night, it’s really cool to see the cars and autographs – but the drivers that talk to you. I remember as a kid I thought these guys were famous. So when I do the meet the drivers night, when anybody sees me with the kids, I try to interact with them as much as I can because that’s some of the coolest moments I remember.

But Randy…. I know he’s an aggressive driver at times – I’ve watched and talked to him. But as a fan at that time, he drove the wheels off that thing anytime I watched him and in the pits, he was such a genuine nice guy to the kids. So he’s probably one of my local celebrities.

Then Mike Podd in my class. I can’t tip my hat to him enough. He’s absolutely solid as a friend a competitor, always willing to help me or anyone. He’s not one of those guys that want to keep his secrets to himself. He always wants to see us grow and get better. Podd is probably one of the best professionals I met out there.

If I can pick two, Rocket was probably the first one, but getting to meet Podd now, that guy has a place on my mantel for sure.

I have to say with Randy, it was always fun to watch him climb the fence with his feature wins.

Yep, he was a hoot. I actually bought an old LeMans because he was racing the LeMans in Thunder Car. It might have been street stocks at the time, but I bought one to try and mimic him when I was 16. So he was definitely a guy that I loved watching, and getting to meet him in the pits, he was just a normal guy to me. He was always a hoot to watch.