Pro Stock Rookie Austin Reid Claims First Win And Driver of the Week
By Clayton Johns
BRIGHTON, Ont. – August 12, 2016 – Austin Reid rattled off his first career win in the Brighton Automotive Pro Stock division last Saturday night at Brighton Speedway and did so in impressive, commanding fashion. The rookie Pro Stock driver led 19 of 20 laps to park his Camaro in victory lane for the first time.
“It was definitely a big relief. You spend so much time on these cars and spend so much time adjusting and trying to drive them. It felt really good,” remarked the 18-year-old.
Reid held a commanding lead over championship contenders Brandon Murrell and Doug Anderson with five laps to go, but it was all erased when the caution flag waved on the last lap. It set up a nervous couple of moments for Reid as he got set for the one lap dash to the finish.
“I was just trying to stay calm and focus on not over-driving the car. That throws more races than under-driving it,” he explained confidently. “It was a huge relief and a bunch of excitement (to see the checkered flag). I celebrated a little (in the car).”
The win came one year to the day following his first career Comp 4 win on August 6, 2015. Over the off-season, Reid built his new ride for Pro Stock competition with the assistance of Pro Late Model pilot Greg Belyea. Naturally, there was a transition period from the front-wheel drive four-cylinder car, but Reid is up to speed now.
“The biggest difference is rear-wheel drive. When you get on the throttle you have the car rotate instead of having it push (in the corner). You have to actually manage the throttle rather than just standing on it all the way around,” offered Reid.
The Brighton, Ont. native is a Loyalist College student in the Automotive Power program. He’s putting his education to work outside the classroom in the best way possible: on the racetrack and in the shop. He does the majority of the maintenance on the car himself, with the help of his father Jerry Kimmerly, and mother Wendy Reid.
“Mainly it’s just working on (the car) and understanding how everything works. It’s easier to diagnose problems when you have a general idea of how stuff works,” he said.
The difference between Reid at the beginning of his rookie season to the start of August is night and day, even to the causal fan. Initially happy with a top-10 finish (he has 13 in 14 starts this season), Reid is now contending for a podium finish, if not a win, each week. The improvement isn’t lost on him either.
“I feel a huge difference. You feel more confident when you get used to the car. At the start of the year, you go in to the corner and you’re not really sure what it’s going to do,” he said. “Now you have an idea of what’s going to happen and how you can drive it. You know when to go hard and when you can’t.”
Help from Belyea and Pro Stock defending champion Justin Ramsay has helped him add to his own ideas on the car’s setup. Drivers spend a lot of time obsessing over ways to shave hundredths of a second and Reid is no different. His focus over the last two months of the season is to use the speed to finish up front routinely.
“I just want to stay consistent and try not to tear too much stuff up. I want to get some more seat time,” Reid said. “When you start near the back, you have to be really patient instead of forcing passes because that’s an easy way to wreck your car.”
Reid’s long-term goal is to run a Pro Late Model at Brighton. For now he’ll focus on hammering down the details of the Pro Stock division as he seeks to climb in to the top-five in points. He certainly appears to be well on his way.
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SEASON WINNERS
Vanderlaan Building Products Pro Late Models: 4 – Phil Potts (April 30, July 2, July 16, July 30); 3 – Steve Baldwin (May 21, June 11, July 23); 2 – Adam Turner (May 14, June 18); 2 – Charlie Sandercock (May 28, July 9); 1 – Tyler Rand (June 4)
Bainer’s OilGARD Canadian Modifieds: 6 – Andrew Hennessy (May 28, June 4, June 18, July 2, July 23, July 30); 3 – Dan Ferguson (April 30, June 25, July 16); 2 – Josh Hennessy (July 9, August 6); 1 – Doug O’Blenis (May 14); 1 – Curtis King (June 11);
Brighton Automotive Pro Stocks: 6 – Justin Ramsay (April 30, June 4, June 18, June 25, July 2, July 30); 2 – Wade Purchase (May 14, July 16); 2 – Doug Anderson (May 21, June 11); 2 – Brandon Murrell (May 28, July 23); 1 – Jonah Mutton (July 9); 1 – Austin Reid (August 6)
Bill’s Johns Comp 4s: 5 – Tyler French (April 30, May 14, May 28, June 4, July 30); 2 – Josh Read (June 11, July 2); 2 – Josh French (June 18, June 25); 2 – Luke Toms (July 16, July 23); 2 – Adam Flieler (May 21, August 6);
Quinte Septic Super Stingers: 2 – Chris Lammle (May 28, June 11); 2 – Del MacGregor (July 9, August 6); 1 – Rick Phillips (May 14); 1 – Arthur McCauley (June 25); 1 – Mark MacDonald (July 23)
Quinte Septic Junior Stingers: 2 – Brittany Golden (May 28, August 6); 2 – Willy Bolton (June 11, July 23); 1 – Chantel Golden (May 14); 1 – James Turgeon (June 25); 1 – Dylan Lobb (July 9)
Southern Ontario Sprints: 2 – Mitch Brown (May 21, June 18); 2 – Dylan Westbrook (July 9, August 6)
Go Nuclear Late Model Series: 1 – Charlie Sandercock (June 25)
Eastern Ontario Vintage Stock Car Club: 1 – Shawn Gregory (July 16)
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About Campbellford Chrysler/JJ Stewart Motors: Campbellford Chrysler and JJ Stewart Motors have a strong and committed sales staff with many years of experience satisfying their customer’s needs. JJ Stewart Motors, located in Norwood, and Campbellford Chrysler, located on Hwy.30 just south of Campbellford, are among the top dealers for Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep in the area. The Brighton Speedway Dodge Ram pace truck is provided by Campbellford Chrysler. Receive a FREE family pass to regular Saturday night racing at Brighton Speedway when you test drive at Campbellford Chrysler. Visit them online at
www.campbellfordchrysler.ca and
www.jjstewart.ca.
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Brighton Speedway’s 2016 season is proudly supported by the following corporate sponsors: ABC Taxi, Adecco, AeCON, Bainer’s OilGARD Anti-Rust, Battlefield Equipment Rentals, Bay Marine, Behan Construction, Belleville Boyer Nissan, Belleville Transmission & Auto, Bellevue Fabricating Ltd., Bicknell Racing Products, Bill’s Johns, BJ McColl Fams, Bonn Law, Boyer Chevrolet Napanee, Brighton Automotive, Brighton Recycling, Budweiser, Campbellford Chrysler, Canadian Energy, Canadian National Autism Foundation, CANEX, Classic Hits 95.5, Classic Rock 107.9 The Breeze, Coca-Cola, Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning, The Community Press, Cool 100, CSC Products, Davis Auto Repair, Deerhaven Farm and Garden, Dibbits Excavating, Eastern Overhead Doors, Electro Cables, Excel Tower Service, First Place Trailers, Gerow Propane, Gilmour’s Meat Shop, Gord’s Water, Greig Truck & Trailer, Hellraiser Race Bodies, Hewbrook Incorporated, Hits FM 95.5, Hotch’s Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire, Humber Nurseries, ImageFactor.ca Motorsport Designs, JJ Stewart Motors, John’s Equipment, Jones Automotive, KD Transmission, Kiwanis Club of Trenton, KOA Campground of Brighton, Krown Rust Control Trenton, Lange & Fetter Ford, Larry’s Towing, Leaf Racewear, Leclair Electric, Lester’s Hot Dogs, Lucas Oil, Maestro’s Painting, Mark Heating & Cooling, McDougall Insurance and Financial, Mix 97, Monacoe’s Hair Salon & Day Spa, Monster Energy, Motosports of Trenton, Muskoka Aircraft Refinishing My FM 100.9/93.3, Mystical Distributing, NecksGen Head and Neck Restraint, NOCO Fuels, Owasco RV, Part Source, Peter’s South End Garage, Qunte Mall, Quinte Septic, Rapid Rad, Read’s Accounting, REMAX (Saoirse Graham & Nicole Parks), ROCK 107, Rona Trenton, Sanderson Tire and Automotive, Stewart Electric, Stix & Stones Billiards, Stoneridge Specialty Insurance, Target Fabrication, TAS Communications, The Trentonian, Therapeutic Massage Centre, Towne and Country Liquidation, Turris Communications, UCB Radio Canada, Ultramar CST, Vanderlaan Building Products, Vandermeer Toyota, VanZuylen Tire and Alignment, The Vinyl Solution, Vito’s Restaurant, VP Racing Fuels and Workman’s OK Tire.
About Brighton Speedway: Brighton Speedway is a 1/3-mile clay stock car racing oval located on the shores of Lake Ontario in Brighton, Ont. The speedway hosts five weekly stock car divisions on Saturday nights from May to September.
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