Well with just one short week remaining to the curtain falls on the 2009 race season at Barrie Speedway, I would like to take this time to forcast what the Simcoe County race fan might have to look forward to as the fabled 1/3rd mile tri oval prepares for its 44th season of racing action. Starting the season off will be the tracks premier division the Late Models, and one of the provinces deepest fields for several years running should have many familiar names to even the casual race fan back in action in 2009 at the High Line.

The Late Model division will be highlighted by the return of the top 7 drivers from the season point standings of 2008, with defending champion #19 Keith McLeod of Barrie looking for a repeat of his track championship in his always competitive Look Company/Lewis Motor Sales Dodge Charger. McLeod, who has long been known for his silky smooth and hard charging driving style should find stiff competition in the form of division runner up #10 Gord Shepherd of Oro Station, in his Baltic Fuels/Montana's Cookhouse Ford Fusion. These two drivers would battle tooth and nail for the vast majority of the 2008 season, with McLeod claiming the track title by a scant 33 points when all was said and done, notching 4 feature wins along the way to 2 for the 2003 Thunder Car track champion Shepherd.

If your getting the impression the race for supremecy will be solely between McLeod and Shepherd you couldn't be further from the truth, as 7 other former track champions will be pushing the afore mentioned drivers each and every week. Leading the charge will be #8 Dave Lewis of Ramara, also the winner of 2 features in 2008 in his Rama Mocassin & Smoke Dodge Charger. With Rama Mocassin & Smoke stepping up to the plate in a big way by sponsoring the division, look for the 1995 track champ Lewis to be at his best this coming season. The 2008 season capped off with one of the most thrilling races in track history, as #28 Robin Jongen of Kilworthy edged Lewis in one of the closest finishes in recent memory in the season ending 50 lap feature. Jongen, should be another that plays a major factor in the outcome of the 2009 track title in his Leon's of Orillia Toyota Camry. The 2002 Thunder Car champ would finish the 2008 season in 4th place, coming in just 6 points shy of fellow competitor Lewis. With lessons learned and race knowledge over the last six years in the division, it wouldn't be wise to count the mild mannered Jongen out as the season approaches.

A trio of veteran drivers looking to make their presence felt come in the form of #69 Al Inglis, #48 Dwayne Baker, and #17 Garry "The Gambler" Reynolds. All three are former track champions, and have long been recognized as some of the top LM shoes in the province. Inglis, the 1997 track champ who returned to the track for the 2007 season, will be looking for his 1st feature win over that time frame. It would be to nobody's suprise to see the 2 time Mosport LM champ attain that goal in 2009, in his #69 National Moving & Storage Dodge Intrepid. For Baker the 2007 track champ, the 2008 season proved to be a year of up and downs as he was credited with 3 feature wins along the way, while hanging right in the fray with McLeod and Shepherd until an unfortunate mid season DQ wiped out any chance of a repeat for the Stayner pilot. With plans to go Super Late racing in 2010, look for Baker to go out with guns blazing in his #48 B&B Towing/ Lafreniere Auto Sales Monte Carlo SS, in an attempt to regain the track title. Not much more needs to be said about Reynolds accomplishments since he started campaining at the speedway in 1973, the veteran has amassed 7 track championships and well over 100 feature wins, including 4 last season in his B101 FM/Tax Smart Monte. Any one of these three drivers could be in line for a return to their former glory as the 2009 season dawns on the Oro tri oval.

Another on the list of former track champs is the #5 Triple Sick Skin Tattoo & Piercings Monte Carlo SS of Steve Quesnelle of Penetang. Quesnelle, the 2003 track champ has long been known as one of the cleanest and most sportsmanlike, yet competitve drivers around the Simcoe County race scene. This coming season, Steve will be joined in the field by brother Ron, himself a former track champ at another area track in 2005 & 2006. Look for these two top notch drivers to wage a ultra competitive battle amongst themselves, all the while trying to add their names to the Barrie record book. #57 Ron Quesnelle has a new look for 2009 in his Wyebridge Machine/ Jack and Jill's Yamaha Monte, as he will bring the 2007 championship car of Dwayne Baker to the track, freshly painted in his own familiar red & white.

The final of the track champs entered in the division is the #63 of 2008 Barrie Pure Stock champion Brandon Crumbie. One year removed from his stellar season in 4cyl, Crumbie will be pressing hard to grab Rookie of the Year honors in his first full season in Late Models, after capturing 3 feature wins a season ago. After 6 full seasons campainging in the 4 cyl entry class, Crumbie felt the time was right to make the move up, and who could argue with him based on his past sucess at the High Line.

A multitude of drivers will be looking to attain their first Barrie feature win in 2009, while bettering their point standing of a season ago. Included in this group are #97 Rob Inglis, #44 Rick "Big Dog" Meyer, #84 Sean Cronan, #13 Robert Thornborrow, #50 Larry Woodward, #36 Stoyan Zutich, #23 Rob Black, and #9 Brandon Watson. Watson, the 2007 Inside Track Up and Coming Stock Car Racer of the Year most likely is only slated for part time duty, while running a Pro Late Model at Kawartha as well as selected OSCAAR Super Late appearances. This young man is mature beyond his years and is quite possibly one of the most talented racers your ever likely to come across. At just 16 years of age his racing accomplishments already have surpassed many of his older peers. Its not assured all of these drivers in the latter group will be taking to the High Line as the 2009 season approaches, or just who might be added to the field as well, but if they do make Barrie their home once again, it will only add to the incredible depth and competiveness Barrie fans have witnessed over the last several years. It really should be a great year in the Late Model division, so be sure to come out on May 16th to the 8th line of Oro and see for yourself just how great the racing action is race fans.