It came down to the final few laps at Delaware Speedway, but everything worked out for Steve Trendell en route to being crowned the 2025 Overkill Enterprises OSCAAR Modified Champion.

“It was a mixed season,” he told Short Track Musings. “We started out really strong and then fizzled out towards the end of the year and left us scratching our heads. But to end it as the 2025 champion was incredible!”

In a year filled with consistency, highlighted by no finishes off of the podium, Trendell admits having his family at the track tops the moments from the season as “watching the love that my girls Dayinara and Presley have for racing and how excited they get when I can hold checkered flag tops anything.”

He got to hold the checkered flag on more than one occasion, scoring a couple heat wins, as well as his first career series feature victory at Peterborough Speedway.

“Winning at Peterborough was kind of surreal,” he admits. “It’s a track I have won at 20 years ago (gosh I’m old) and I didn’t know what to expect. I found something in practice and I just knew it was going to be a solid night. To dominate that feature the way I did was honestly shocking. My last feature win was in 2019 and I kind of started doubting if I could do it again.”

Trendell is one of the drivers that has already registered ahead of the upcoming 2026 campaign, with eyes on another successful season.

“I really hope more cars come out because that means more competition and that makes the on track product the best for fans,” he commented. “I’m glad we have a full time tech crew who is dedicated to the series and with Dave (Gainforth) back running OSCAAR as their own is a great thing.”

Knowing the competition is always getting stronger, Trendell feels he needs to work on being more consistent this season if he wants to keep the success rolling.

“We are really good for 10 laps and then kind of lose the handle on the car,” he explained. “Before the season, it will go to Brian MacDonalds and get a full setup done and hopefully find some more speed to compete more consistently.”

Although he got that first win at Peterborough, he has rather circled the series’ return to Full Throttle Motor Speedway in July on his schedule.

“I know it’s crazy but I have fallen in love with that track with these modifieds,” he shared. “No other track can give you the feeling of driving into turn one as hard as you can, and then stomping on the gas as you go uphill out of turn 2 and then back downhill into 3.”

Following that event, though, is the aforementioned summer trip to Peterborough. It will lead into a break, before the series concludes with a four back-to-back weeks of racing with Sauble Speedway, Delware Speedway, Flamboro Speedway, and Peterborough Speedway.

“It’s going to be tough for most of the teams as we have a seven-week lay off and the do four in a row to end the year,” he commented. “It’s going to test us and one mistake may take you out of contention quickly and not much time to make ground back up.”