Last year, Gary McLean had an OSCAAR season to remember, winning the first ever OSCAAR Modified Championship with eight victories in 12 starts. McLean had only one finish outside of the top five, which came at Sauble Speedway after suffering a flat tire early in the race and then contact later on.
McLean was one of the early season favorites, having raced Modifieds for a long time and being Varney Motor Speedway’s all-time Modified race winner.
There was some uncertainty going into the season as there were tracks that McLean hadn’t raced yet. That didn’t faze him as he won at some of those, including the season opener at Sunset Speedway after a battle with Barry Newman.
“We weren’t worried,” McLean said at this past weekend’s Canadian Motorsports Expo. “The other guys were coming in and we were more experienced than they were.”
Throughout the season, there were many memorable battles, including battles McLean had with his cousin Brent.
“He ran second to us every night, if he didn’t hit the wall trying to get to us,” McLean commented. “Overall, all the guys in that series are good racers and I’m looking forward to next year.”
Many note that the Modifieds have always produced this solid racing, but it was OSCAAR’s backing that added the final touch to the product.
“It was a huge success,” McLean said. “Brought a lot of people out to see the modifieds. They can put on good races and a lot of people didn’t think that and OSCAAR brought everything out there, laid it out for us and it worked.”
Heading into the second season for the OSCAAR Mods, McLean sees the racing being even better.
“With the racing that went on, a lot of guys have bought cars for this year,” McLean said. “Those guys are talented and I think you’re going to see good racing.”
For his efforts, Gary McLean was listed in the 10th spot in Spencer Lewis’ 2012 Inside Track Motorsports News Ontario Asphalt Short Track Power Rankings. He was recognized for his success as part of the 2013 Canadian Motorsports Expo on Saturday February 9th.
