January - February The Official Newsletter of Mitch Brown Racing 2013 Edition 2013 SEASON ALREADY UNDERWAY FOR SOME CANADIAN RACERS The 2013 motorsports season here in Southern Ontario is still, for the most part, eight to ten weeks away depending on what type of racing you follow and what opening dates local tracks have posted on their websites. But hundreds of race fans and some racers from here north of the 49 th parallel have already received their first “fix” of racing excitement by traveling south to such warmer climes as Florida, Arizona and yes even Nevada beginning in February. For most, Florida was the chosen destination especially those weeks leading up to and including Speed Weeks in the Daytona Beach area where events in NASCAR’s three premier divisions –Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck series races got underway. There was definitely a lot of buzz surrounding the events at Daytona International Speedway where NASCAR’s Generation 6 car was unveiled. And certainly Danica Patrick’s pole setting run in qualifying gave North America’s most popular motorsports association a much needed boost in media coverage. Unfortunately the devastating crash in the Saturday Nationwide race involving 13 cars that led to injuries to 28 spectators was the most horrifying and questionable incident of the weekend and perhaps NASCAR’s recent history. Despite the hype surrounding events at DIS, the short tracks in and around Daytona plus the Florida Gulf Coast provided what a lot of race fans from the north were craving for …real home style racing where the action is fast, exciting and for the most part “unstaged”…no competition yellows, no mysterious debris on the track, not a lot of single file racing …just peddle to the metal scrambles in the heats and 20 to 30 lap feature events. Seven Canadian Sprint Car drivers kicked off their 2013 Mitch Brown –determination on the track or on the ice season in the Sunshine state in February with Ohsweken Speedway owner/driver Glenn Styres competing in both 410 and 360 action. Styres jumped into the action with both feet with three straight nights competing against the World of Outlaws at Volusia Speedway Park and when that tough open-wheel racing was over the veteran campaigner came out with a heat win, two top-eight finishes in B Mains and a sixteenth place A-Main finish on the final night. The Ohsweken-based team then traveled to Florida’s west coast where they met up with six other Canadian teams for competition in the February 21-23 “King of 360s” at East Bay Raceway Park –an event won by Styres in 2012. MITCH BROWN RACING 401 Erie Avenue, Brantford, Ontario N3T 5L6 (519) 752-9531 [email protected] EDITOR’S COMMENTS SHIFTING GEARS TO THE ICE s In this issue of our team newsletter we Caledonia Pro-Fit Corvairs Advance in COJHL Playoffs haven’t got much to update you on The Caledonia Corvairs captured the Midwestern Conference of the news related to our #10 teams but as Central Ontario Junior Hockey League with a record of 34 wins 12 noted by our cover page there were loses and 5 overtime losses for a total of 73 points, just three points ahead of arch rivals the Cambridge Winter Hawks. plenty of racing topics to report on Canadian competitors who ventured Caledonia drew the Brampton Bombers- a team the Co rvairs easily south in February to get an early start handled in all six regular season - in the first round of the playoffs. to their 2013 season. In a pre-playoff interview posted in the Turtle Island News, Corvairs However there is some off-track excitement for team coach Mike Bullard said he wasn’t taking Brampton lightly despite members and followers to fill the void between now and the the season record. “Brampton is a very physical team who always season openers, especially for those who enjoy hockey. come to play,” stated Bullard. It’s now a new season and there is no pressure on them. It’s going to be a close physical series,” he added. The Caledonia Pro-Fit Corvairs Junior B team –a team captained by Mitch Brown- is currently under way in Caledonia finished its regular season with eight wins in its last ten their playoffs of the Midwestern Conference of the games including 3-2 and 7-2 weekend wins against Listowel. Central Ontario Junior Hockey League. The Corvairs opened the series with Brampton with back-to-back Although he missed 10 games late in the season due to wins 8 -2 and 4-3 but dropped the third game 4-2. In game four played a torn ACL he’s now back in action hoping to help his on March 6 th in Caledonia, it took two overtime periods before the team to the finals and the Sutherland Cup emblemat ic game was decided by Pro-Fit Corvairs’ Matt Quilty scoring at 16:05 of of the COJHL Championship.. the second overtime period. While Mitch is still heavily into playoff form with the Pro- In game five, Brampton shutout the Corvairs 4-0 but appeared to be Fit Corvairs, younger brother Jake’s hockey season rd down and out in game 6 trailing 3-0 entering the third. But the came to an end on March 3 when his Hagersville stubborn, tight checking Bombers rallied to tie the game with less Hawks were eliminated in round two of the SOJHL than 5 minutes remaining only to see their comeback end when Junior C playoff s by a well rested Ayr Centennials team Adam Brady stuffed in a rebound at 18:38 of the period ending the that had elected to take a bye in the opening round. visitors’ season and sending the Corvairs into the second playoff Hagersville had earlier advanced to round two by round against Stratford downing the Wellesley Applejacks with an exciting 4-3 Obvi ously coach Bullard knew what he was talking about regarding overtime win at home in game seven. the series being close and physical. The loss for the Hawks was particularly disappointing Mitch Brown accepts the league trophy awarded to given that they came back from a 3-1 deficit after the the Pro-Fit Corvairs for winning the Midwestern first four games to win two in a row to tie the series Division Title of the COJHL heading into the deciding game at Ayr But the tired Hawks couldn’t muster a strong enough effort in the final game losing 6-2. On a closing note… For those lucky enough to have already gotten into the 2013 racing spirit by traveling to Florida or some other Down …But Not Out popular Southern destination –PLEASE , don’t come Mitch Brown (in blue - right) suffered his first serious hockey back boasting about what a great time you had. Phil Armishaw Photos injury in 130 Junior B games . Some of tho se who may read this publication (including when he was felled by a torn ACL during a game against the Elmira Sugar th me) are still mired in the grips of cold, unpredictable Kings on January 18 at Caledonia. weather. He returned to action the final weekend of the regular schedule . Ken Spencer Watch for further Pro-Fit Corvairs updates in our next edition 2013 SEASON UNDERWAY … Racing to Fort Erie Continued from Page 1 James Fink At the end of the three-race mini-series Styre s Buffalo Business First Reporter came away with a B Main win and finishes of Business First 12th and 16th in A-Mains. January 17, 2013 Steve Poirier of St. Mathieu de Beloeil, PQ - three-time winner of Ohsweken Speedway’s For those wondering what's going on with t he proposed Canadian Motor Speedway, set to be developed in Fort Erie, consider this a positive sign. annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals and Laval Quebec’s Michael Parent –were the top Star racer Jeff Gordon, who has close ties to the proposed $150 million Canadians with Poirier taking the A-Main on development, will put his No. 24 Chevy SS 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup car on the second night of action and a seventh place display a t next month's Canadian Motorsports Expo in Toronto. The car will be there finish in the final night event. Parent finished specifically to promote the track. Gordon will not be there, though. second to Poirier in the Friday night A-Main, Representing Gordon will be his stepfather and business partner, John Bickford Sr., 15th in the opener and 11th in the final A-Main chase to the crown. who is - no pun intended - one of the driving forces behind the track. Other Canadi ans in action at East Bay Also on hand will be representatives from Paxton Waters Architecture, who is included Ohsweken regular Jamie Collard, designing the track and entire complex. The Paxton Waters team will be seeking Etienne Girard of Drummondville, PQ and the input on what elements and amenities should be added to the complex. Waters, racing family team of Tom and Lou Kennedy of himself, is expected at the expo. Winnipeg, MB. Taken together, these are viewed in Fort Erie as more positive signs that the off - See pages 8 and 9 “Report on King of the 360’s” discussed and debated track is moving forward. The timing couldn't be better given the shaky future of the Fort Erie (Horse) Race Track, which could be shut down The Styres race crew extended their southern completely by March 31, barring an eleventh-hour miracle.