Tyler Hawn Battles to Sixth-Place Finish at Kawartha
Tyler Hawn races through turn four during OSCAAR Super Late Model action at Kawartha Speedway on Friday, July 21. (Photo by Dan Little Jr.).
ORO STATION, Ont. – July 24, 2017 – Tyler Hawn returned to OSCAAR Super Late Model and OSCAAR Modified action on Friday night at Kawartha Speedway. Hawn turned in a pair of strong performances with a sixth-place finish in Super Late Model competition and a runner-up result in his No.2h Hot Rod.
Hawn finished third in his Hot Rod qualifying heat before driving to a second-place finish in the Feature. In four Hot Rod Series starts, Hawn now has two wins and two second-place finishes.
“That car is just an amazing car,” Hawn said. “It’s a bit tight, but I don’t think we really need to do much to it because we’re fast. All of the hard work really pays off with this car. It’s just really fun to drive.”
In Super Late Model action, Hawn also raced to a third-place finish in his 12-lap qualifying heat. In the 50-lap main event, Hawn ran as high as fourth before settling into fifth. With five laps to go, Hawn slipped to sixth after a hard fought battle with Derrick Tiemersma just in front of the race leaders.
“I got the move over flag (because the leaders were coming),” Hawn explained. “I heard Derrick and I thought it was the leaders. Coming out of the corner, he just gave me a shot. It was nothing intentional; it was just a racing thing. He just wiggled me and got past me. BY that point in the race, the car was so tight, I’m surprised he didn’t pass me earlier.”
While Hawn was not unhappy with the sixth-place result, he is obviously still searching for ways to improve on the finish and regain the speed he showed throughout the 2016 season.
“In the Super we’re fighting a lot of gremlins right now,” Hawn said. “The car is there, but it just gets really tight on the long runs. It’s nothing that we would have ever expected. We’re slowly tracing back our steps. Maybe we’ve pushed it too far and we have to backup. We’re going to go back to the drawing board again and check all out suspension components like we always do. Maybe we just need to go a little more depth.”
Hawn lacked confidence on the larger tracks OSCAAR visits, like Kawartha, Delaware and Jukasa speedways, he admitted. After a handful of races on the longer configurations, Hawn believes he’s making strides in the right direction.
“I’m gaining a lot more confidence,” Hawn said. “I grew up a Barrie Speedway guy on the short, bullring tracks. These bigger tracks, like Kawartha and Jukasa, I have to figure it out, but I have a little more confidence and I’m getting more comfortable.”
So much so that Hawn is actually looking forward to a 2018 return trip to Kawartha Speedway.
“I really do like this place. This place is really fun with lots of space, lots of speed and very smooth,” Hawn beamed. “The pit area is nice. There’s no dirt. If you have to work under the car, you’re not laying in gravel. It’s really nice and I think we need to have more races here.”
Despite the struggles for his Hawn Motorsports team, Hawn was quick to credit his sponsors and crew for their hard work and support to prepare the pair of Fox’s Bakery / TSS Top Shops / Watson’s Garage No.2h cars.
“I have to thank all my guys,” Hawn said. “We work endless hours and long days at the track. We all have a lot of fun. Even though it gets frustrating, we still leave here with a smile on our face.”
Hawn will next be in action at Flamboro Speedway on Saturday, July 29 for the Don Biederman Memorial. Race time is 6:00pm. For additional information, including ticket pricing and a full schedule of events, please visit
www.flamborospeedway.ca.
TYLER HAWN SEASON STATS
Super Late Model – 7 Starts: 0 Wins, 5 Top-5s, 7 Top-10s
Hot Rod - 4 Stars: 2 Wins, 4 Top-5s, 4 Top-10s
TYLER HAWN MEDIA LINKS
Facebook at facebook.com/HawnMotorsports
Twitter: @Hawn42 and @HawnRacing
HAWN MOTORSPORTS MARKETING PARTNERS
Tyler Hawn is proud to partner with several dedicated marketing partners for the 2017 race season, including Fox’s Bakery and Deli, TSS Top Shops, and Watson’s Garage.
About Clayton Johns Media: Clayton Johns Media provides smart motorsports media solutions through affordable public relations services, including professional press releases, social media management and training, and website maintenance. Whether you’re a grassroots team racing at your local track or a professional team travelling with a national tour, Clayton Johns Media can build a package tailored to your needs. Visit us online at claytonjohnsmedia.com, on Twitter, on Facebook or send us an Email for more information.
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