Story By: BRENT OTCHERE / OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY – OHSWEKEN, ONT – The 26th season of racing at Ohsweken Speedway will continue this Friday, September 8 when Epic Racewear presents Championship Friday. The championship chases are still very close in all four of the track’s weekly Friday Night Excitement divisions – the Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars, Strickland’s Crate Sprint Cars, Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks, and HRW Automotive Mini Stocks.
Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars
Cory Turner entered the 2023 season as the reigning 360 Sprint Car champion, but Mike Bowman has turned everything upside down during a breakout rookie season. Bowman has scored five wins and finished in the top five in eight out of the 11 A-Mains. Bowman will enter Friday night as the division leader by 23 points over Ryan Turner. Liam Martin is four points behind Ryan Turner, with Cory Turner seven points behind Martin; both are still in the hunt for the championship as well, while spots in the coveted top 15 are still up for grabs. Bowman can clinch the title with a top ten finish on Friday.
Strickland’s Crate Sprint Cars
2022 Crate Sprint Car champ Lucas Smith graduated to 360’s this year, along with several of his rivals. This allowed some returning veterans and up-and-coming talent to contend for the 2023 title in the ever-growing Crate Sprint division. Mack DeMan has been a standout driver with three wins and 12 top fives, and has the points lead despite missing a points-paying race earlier this season. Jesse Costa is hot on DeMan’s heels, just four points behind. Steve Murdock is chasing the two former 360 Sprint Car drivers and picked up his first Crate Sprint Car victory last Friday. Murdock is 73 points behind the points leader though, meaning the title fight will come down to DeMan and Costa as long as they both start Friday’s A-Main.
Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks
Dave Bailey entered the 2023 season as the defending Thunder Stock champion after collecting his sixth consecutive championship. The 2023 season has proved to be a competitive one, as 2022 championship runner-up Ryan Beagle picked up right were he left off last season; Beagle will go into the final race as the championship leader with a record of five wins and nine top fives. Bailey has a pair of wins and is only one point behind Beagle though, and to make things even more interesting, Kyle Wert has also asserted himself as a title contender. Wert’s two A-Main wins and consistency have him sitting in third in the standings, only six points behind Beagle.
HRW Automotive Mini Stocks
The 2022 season saw Tyler Lafantaise dominate the division and pick up the Mini Stock title but he did not return to defend, instead focusing on Thunder Stocks. With the championship up for grabs, the 2023 season has been red hot with competition. Three drivers have a good shot at the championship, with Ashton Dickie ahead of Ryan Hillar by one point, while Mike Sarantakos is just 11 points behind the leader. Jeff Elsiger still has an outside shot at the championship as well. Consistency has been key, as Dickie and Hillar each have just one A-Main win.
Up Next at Ohsweken Speedway
The 2023 track championships will come down to the wire on Friday, September 8. Race time is 7:30PM. Adult grandstand admission is $20, while Senior (65+) and Youth (13-17) admission is $15, and Kids (0-12) are FREE.