This past weekend, three of the asphalt tracks in Ontario opened up their 2024 campaigns with Mini Stocks as one of their divisions on the board. One track saw a controversial way to end the day, while another saw domination on display as they have come to expect.

So who is turning heads already this season? These are the drivers to watch in the weeks ahead…..

Cameron McGlashan

Cameron McGlashan entered this season as one of the early pre-season favourites to contend for the Sunset Speedway championship after coming up short last year behind Doug Butler and Tyler Seaboyer. He proved on Saturday that he has the ability to get the job done.

He would edge out Coleridge Phinnemore to score the victory in his heat, entering the feature poised to challenge for the win. Unfortunately, contact on the opening lap with another sent him to the tail of the field. McGlashan did not waste time, though, climbing his way back through the field to restart third with six laps to go. He was right behind the leaders when they made contact together, and a slight check-up to avoid contact resulted in being passed coming to the line.

It may not have been the opening night win he would have wanted, but rebounding from an incident for a runner-up begins the process of putting those very critical points together.

Jake Spencer-Walt

He may only have four starts behind the wheel of a Mini Stock under his belt, but you cannot overlook this third-generation racer. After all, he scored his first career feature victory on Saturday night at Sunset Speedway in dramatic fashion with a last lap pass on McGlashan coming to the checkered flag.

Seeing him be successful surprises no one after watching him collect wins in the Jr Late Models at Sunset Speedway. However, the difficulty with moving up last season came fighting the lack of power steering the mustang has. That seems to not be a problem anymore, thanks to some off-season work put in courtesy of a rig built by past Fall Velocity Mini Stock winner Jordan Howse.

Jeremy Duguay

A regular front runner at Full Throttle Motor Speedway, he began the season as everyone would have expected in familiar territory by putting near the top in both features on Saturday. He won the first feature of the year, before scoring a runner-up in the second. Not a bad way to kick off a 2024 campaign.

Matt Young

Matt Young has been a long-time competitor at Flamboro Speedway, and knows how to get his way around there. So when he unveiled his car at the Motorama Custom Car and Motorsports Expo in March, a lot of people were looking forward to seeing the No. 7 up front this season. That proved to be true as his return to the Hamilton, Ontario-based oval saw him on the podium in both features, with finishes of second and third. It’d be no surprise to see a checkered flag in his hot hands soon.

Mitch Wilkin

Mitch Wilkin became a regular fixture at the front of the field at Full Throttle Motor Speedway, sweeping both features in June 2023. So to see the No. 3 up front on opening night, you are definitely not surprised. He scored a runner-up in the first feature, backing it up with a win in the second affair. He will go into the second night tied for the top spot.

Shawn Taylor

Anytime you see the No. 76 in the pits at a track, you know Shawn Taylor will be one of the drivers that you need to fight for to capture the victory. It showed last season with multiple wins at Flamboro Speedway throughout the year, and victories in the biggest events. Recall he ended the 2023 campaign by winning both Frostoberfest at Flamboro and the Autumn Colours Classic at Peterborough Speedway.

He kept going exactly where he left off, winning both features on Saturday night at Flamboro to kick off 2024. He led flag-to-flag in the first 25-lap affair, before taking the lead on Lap 8 in the second event after the invert. Can he keep the momentum rolling for a fifth win in a row?