INNISFIL, ON- In his first career Super Late Model start, multi-time Peterborough and Mosport Speedway champion Kelly Balson overcame a litany of handling issues for a top-10 finish.
“The car seemed to alternate between a nasty push and being wicked loose in practice and qualifying”, explained Balson post-race. “We were able to get it a touch better for the feature, but we’re still far from happy”
‘The Crowd Pleaser’ started mid-pack in the 50-lap event, running within the top-10 for the entirety of the Lucie Aylwin Memorial.
“The tight condition worsened in the feature”, said Balson. “Halfway through the feature, there wasn’t much we could do to keep the car from washing up the track in the apex of the corner”
Despite the handling issues, Balson maintains his team is prepared for the learning curve that his rookie OSCAAR campaign will bring.
“Tonight was a humbling experience”, Balson opined, with a chuckle. “But we’ve got a couple weeks before we’re at Kawartha, which will give us plenty of time to get back to the drawing board”
“Rod Cochrane has given me a phenomenal power plant, and I plan on working closely with Dan McHattie in the coming days to put together a setup for Kawartha”
‘The Crowd Pleaser’ will return to action with the OSCAAR Super Late Model tour on Sunday June 1st at Kawartha Speedway. Details are available at www.OSCAAR.ca.
Balson’s 2014 efforts are supported by London Recreational Racing, Dan McHattie Racecars and Cochrane Automotive.
By Spencer Lewis (@itsspencerlewis)
