Fraserville, ON – Tyler Hawn started deep in the 21-car field on Sunday night at Kawartha Speedway, but a clean, consistent run led the veteran driver to a seventh-place finish. The top-ten result is Hawn’s best-career finish at the high-banked 3/8-mile oval with the OSCAAR Super Late Model tour.
Following a caution on lap 35 that provided the final restart of the night, Hawn had his best opportunity to get in to the top-five. In the closing laps, Hawn had gained on fifth- and sixth-place runners Jesse Kennedy (No.10) and Shane Maginnis (No.03), but ran out of laps to complete the pass.
“That’s the best we’ve ever finished there. It was a fun run,” said Hawn. “The guys we raced with ran clean. There is virtually no body damage on the car at all. It’s fun to run at a big track like that and everybody be cautious and take their time.”
Hawn struggled in his pair of Klotz Canada qualifying heats with fifth- and sixth-place finishes, which led to his 16th-place starting spot. The track at Kawartha had not seen active racing competition since September of 2012.
“We had lots of fun. Early in the night, the car wasn’t doing the best, but it came for the feature,” explained Hawn. “With the track being so clean (early on), it was hard getting in to the corner.”
As the track gained rubber throughout the night, two lines of racing developed for the 50-lap Midas of Orangeville main event. Once the second line developed, Hawn was able to notice big differences between his new Brian MacDonald-built chassis and the team’s previous car.
“The chassis going in to the corner is completely night and day to the old car, but more horsepower changed a lot as well,” explained Hawn.
Hawn’s team introduced a new paint scheme Sunday for the series’ only trip to Kawartha Speedway in 2013, featuring a bright yellow nose in support of new sponsor Stewart Carriers Ltd.
“That was my brothers doing. It’s the sponsors colour, but I’m still not 100% sold on it,” laughed Hawn, whose car has been exclusively black and blue for the extent of his racing career.
Following the feature event, Hawn explained he and his team have begun focusing on tire management as one of their primary goals. Drivers are permitted four new tires each race night, which often means waiting until the feature to bolt on the new Hoosier racing slicks.
“You’ve got to put four new tires on for the feature no matter what,” explained Hawn. “We’re trying different air pressures, different staggers, stuff like that. After a 50-lap race, there isn’t much left of these tires, and you have to use the next week for the heats. We’re trying different things to see what works.”
Said Hawn, “We’re trying to figure out how to make them last and all of that stuff. We’re still learning with the new chassis.”
The OSCAAR Super Late Model tour will take a one week hiatus before returning to action on Saturday, August 24 for the second of three trips to Peterborough Speedway. While several drivers may intend to relax this weekend, Hawn hopes to stay one step ahead of the curve with some extra hours on his Outlaw.
“I’m hoping to get some extra hours in on the car and maybe get ahead a bit,” said Hawn. “You can’t stay away from the track either, because you hear about all this great racing afterwards and I hate missing out.”
For a full schedule of events in the series’ next trip to Peterborough, stay tuned to www.oscaar.ca.
Follow Tyler Hawn’s 2013 OSCAAR Super Late Model tour all season long on Twitter at @HawnRacing and online at www.hawnmotorsports.ca.
Tyler Hawn’s 2013 OSCAAR Super Late Model campaign is supported by Stewart Carriers Ltd., Belford Haulage, Fox’s Bakery, TSS Top Shops, Write-It-Out-Loud Graphics, Backwoods Maple Syrup, Daley Custom Fabrication, and BELT Conveyor Guarding.
By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia)
-30-
