After showing speed and running up front throughout last season, it is easy to see why Mike Thomson is ready to get back to the track in 2026.

“I’m really excited heading into this season,” he said. “We’ve put a lot of work in over the off-season, and I think we’re in a good spot to be competitive right out of the gate. Having Al Borgo behind us this year means a lot, and we’re proud to represent them on and off the track. The goal is always to be consistent, stay up front, and give ourselves a shot every night.”

Thomson showed speed last season en route to picking up some feature victories at Flamboro Speedway, while also travelling around the province and being a threat to win at some of the biggest events of the season.

“Last season was a big learning year for us,” Thomson admitted. “We had some strong runs and showed flashes of what we’re capable of, but also had some nights that didn’t go our way. Overall, it helped us understand what we need to improve on, and I think it made us a stronger team heading into this year.”

Now Thomson says it will come down to being consistent and some fine-tuning, which will involve the team improving the car’s set-up and their communication to make better adjustments throughout the night. As he notes, “If we can unload fast and keep improving each race, we’ll be right where we want to be.”

Thomson knows continuing to step up his own program is critical with how competitive the field continues to be weekly for the Mini Stocks at Flamboro Speedway.

“The competition is tough every week,” he commented. “There are a lot of strong cars and experienced drivers in the field, so you can’t take any night lightly. Especially with Sunset closing this year. I hope to see more cars on a weekly basis.It definitely pushes everyone to be better, which is great for the racing overall.”

For Thomson, racing is a given, after having watched his father race for many years at Flamboro Speedway and Cayuga Speedway (now Jukasa). Thomson says of the memories from time of being at the track with his father and the rest of the family meant a lot in being able to “spend quality time with each other.” It’s the family influence that led to the No. 16 being on his car.

“The No. 16 has a lot of meaning to me,” he commented. “My dad raced a bunch of different numbers. For some reason, his number 16 car stood out for me. So when we decided to go racing, 16 was it. I also wore it in hockey for years.”

He would get behind the wheel in 2012 in the Enduro class at Delaware Speedway, before moving up to the Mini Stock class about six years ago. He has had success since making the jump, with his favourite memory coming back in 2023.

“We were wrecked after the first feature,” he recalled. “The team worked hard to change the radiator and tape the door back together. We got it fixed and won the second feature. Shows how we all never gave up and worked as a team!”