As the race season countdown becomes more clear with banquets out of the way and schedules laid out, it only increases the anticipation for what’s ahead for everyone this year. It also begins the conversations – whose the favourite to win a race this season? Whose the favourite for the championship at each track? 

This is why we bring you to the famous Drivers to Watch List where we name off some of those drivers who are on the hit list. We are doing it differently this year, with no set ranking in place based on votes and such. It’s simply going to be alphabetical and talk about those who we feel should be discussed.

Think we missed a name on the list? Hit us up in the comments. Let us know. We’ll take all that into consideration, and who knows, maybe there will be another release. 

Ryan Babin

Whether he runs a full season or a partial schedule, Ryan Babin cannot be missed on anybody’s radar. After all, he is a past champion at Peterborough Speedway with multiple feature wins and Autumn Colours Classic trophies under his belt. He has also proven his speed at other tracks around the province, running up front at both Flamboro Speedway and Sunset Speedway.

He has a bit of momentum to carry into 2024, as he showed speed at the 2023 edition of the Autumn Colours Classic by rebounding from a couple incidents on-track for a sixth-place finish.

Doug Butler

If you are going to list drivers that could win races and championships, you have to include Doug Butler. He has done both of those on multiple occasions, currently a multi-time track title holder at both Sunset Speedway and Barrie Speedway. He won the title this past season at Sunset with five wins, 10 top-five’s, and an average finish of 1.5. He also was the inaugural winner of the Allan Lankin Cup, which surprised nobody.

See the full video pre-season interview with Doug Butler by clicking here.

Mike Thomson

This past season racing out of Flamboro Speedway, you could say Mike Thomson was the break-out star en route to collecting the championship with 13 wins, 21 top-five’s, and an average finish of 2.43478. This list would not be complete without him being featured on it.

See the full video pre-season interview with Mike Thomson by clicking here.

Tyler Seaboyer

Butler may have won the championship this past season at Sunset Speedway, but he did not have it easy as Tyler Seaboyer was the thorn in his side all season long. The driver of the No. 23 Acura ran up front consistently as he scored four wins, nine top-five’s and an average finish of 2.9 as he chased his second ever track title.

He was also one of the drivers in the mix to win the Allan Lankin Cup, entering the third of the three features tied with Butler atop of the standings. Unfortunately, an incident on the backstretch did not help his cause in trying to take home the big reward. With finishes of third, second, and 24th in the trio of features, he was ranked seventh in the final rundown.

Blaise Shaw

With each lap that he puts behind the wheel, Blaise Shaw continues to show more speed – and it paid off this past season at Sunset Speedway. In what could be called his first full season of competition, he scored five top-five’s and six top-10’s in seven nights of regular competition at the Innisfil oval. But he also got a checkered flag as well, winning the third feature of the Allan Lankin Cup after pacing the field throughout the full 23 lap distance.

He also proved he can do well traveling, as he was one of the drivers up front throughout Frostoberfest at Flamboro Speedway.

Read the full pre-season interview with Blaise Shaw by clicking here.

Jacob Sutcliffe

It’d be safe to say at the beginning of 2023, not a lot of people were keeping their eyes on Jacob Sutcliffe and the potential for success. Of course, that all changed very quickly when he parked the No. 27 Mustang in victory lane at Sunset Speedway’s Spring Velocity in May. It was the start of a successful campaign, with three top-five’s and nine top-10’s throughout the duration of the 2023 season. He also got his feet wet at Peterborough Speedway with the Autumn Colours Classic, running inside the top-five throughout the race en route to a fifth.

If you are looking for someone to pull to become a first-time track champion, we have your dark horse right here for you.

Shawn Taylor

If you are hosting a big event at your track, more than likely Shawn Taylor will be in attendance and part of the battle for the win. There is not one single fan of the Mini Stock division that will not remember the battle between Taylor and Butler for the victory at the Autumn Colours Classic. The pair duking it out as they weaved through lap traffic, with Taylor taking advantage at the right time was the key to success.

If you think he’s good at Peterborough Speedway, you have not seen him in action at his own home track. Taylor accumulated a win, five top-five’s and an average finish of 3.85714 in eight starts during the regular season at Flamboro Speedway. He then returned to the speedway in October, picking up the coveted igloo trophy by winning Frostoberfest. The accolades don’t stop there, as he was also one of the drivers in the battle to win the Allan Lankin Cup at Speedway in September.

Ryder White

When it was announced that Ryder White would be moving into Mini Stocks this past season, there was a lot of eyes watching to see how the young driver would do. After all, he was very successful across the board in Jr Late Model competition.

It’s safe to say that he proved he belongs in the division, as evident by continued success all year at Sauble Speedway before winning the First Timer’s Event at Sunset Speedway’s Fall Velocity in September. Not a bad way to cap off the season, and prove you are someone to watch for 2024.