Local Boys Shine at Brockville Speedway Kart Track in 2011
By Craig Revelle – Finish Line Web Design
December 15, 2011
The average race fan that attends Brockville Speedway may go to the track every Saturday night during the race season and not even pay attention to that little track in the middle. For Ryan and Matthew McIntosh and several other area children, that “little track in middle” is there start into auto racing
Over the last few years, Kart racing has evolved tremendously and has become a feeder series of sorts into the bigger cars. Many of today’s stars on the big track at Brockville got their start just like Ryan and Matthew. Just a few short years ago, Chris Raabe, Luke Whitteker, Matt Billings and many more were learning the racing basics at a very young age, and the McIntosh kids are looking to follow those young stars up the ranks.
The McIntosh family has taken a rather unique approach into the sport, not having any background with the bigger cars like many families they race against. They do follow NASCAR though, and its easy to tell by looking at their Karts just where their loyalties are, as Ryan carries the number 24 on his Kart with Jeff Gordon colors, while Matthew races with the number 48 on the side of his Kart with Jimmie Johnson similarities.
At the age of nine, Ryan has three years of Kart experience. He has won a championship at Can Am Speedway Kart track in 2010 in the Box Stock division, and also won the Brockville title with a total of 13 wins. This past season he had four more wins at Brockville, and added another at Route 58 Kartway in Gouveneur, New York. Ryan won the Jr. Sportsman 1 track championship at Brockville this season. He will be back in the same division in 2012 with his Slack Reactor Chassis.
Matthew, the youngest of the racing McIntosh brothers is just seven years old. In 2010, he finished with just one win, and finished the year fourth in points at Brockville. He remained in the entry-level Box Stock division again this season, and won three times, and once more at Gouveneur’s Route 58 Kartway. He finished the year second in points at Brockville. In 2012, Matthew will move up into the Rookie 2 division. Matthew races a 2008 Bicknell Kart chassis.
While both young racers have raced at several area tracks over the last couple years, they are both quick to point out that Brockville is their favorite venue. The friendly and competitive battles they have had with other area kids, and the friendships they have made with other racers is what makes this family atmosphere such a great success for everyone involved.
Sponsorship is important at all levels of racing, and has been a huge factor in the success of these two young boys as they learn the racing basics. They would like to thank Stone Water Pub, St. Lawrence Marine, Finish Line Web Design, Shortall’s Sand & Gravel, Steve Best Excavating and Landscaping, Carp Kidz Racing, RCM Racing Equipment, Trevor Parrish Trucking, Chris McCarney and Gan Signs for their contributions during the 2011 season.
Both Ryan and Matthew are eager to get back on the track in 2012, and both cant help but look ahead, as they vision one day racing on the bigger tracks when they get a little older. For now though, as winter approaches, both boys will trade their steering wheel for a hockey stick and hit the local rink instead of the Speedway, but in just a few short months they will be back in their karts and battling for wins and championships….and maybe a few years down the road they will be the next young stars on the big track.
Ryan (24R) and Matthew (48M) in action at the Brockville Ontario Speedway Kart track earlier this year.
Linkback: https://www.canadianracingonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=14591.msg99503#msg99503
