Ohsweken Speedway's "Top 10"...with Cody McPherson
by Tommy Goudge (January 26, 2009) -
With plans and schedules already coming together for the 2009 racing season, Ohsweken Speedway's "Top 10" gives us an opportunity to catch up to the drivers and other racing personalities who will entertain us this year and find out what they're up to. For the 2nd edition of "Top 10", we sat down with Cody McPherson to look back at his amazing 2008 season, and look ahead to what is sure to be a bright future for the young driver.
McPherson dominated the Ohsweken Speedway ESSO Thunder Stocks division during the 2008 season, winning 8 of 14 features he competed in. So dominant was the #777 with Cody behind the wheel that he only finished out of the top 3 feature positions once on his way to claiming the 2008 track championship. The 16 year old is already a veteran in the racing world, having started in go-karts at Merrittville Speedway at the age of 6. By the time he moved to the Thunder Stocks division at age 13, he already had 3 karting championships under his belt. Currently attending West Park Secondary School in St. Catharines, Cody will have already graduated out of 2 racing divisions by the time he graduates from high school - currently a Grade 11 student, Cody is moving out of the Thunder Stocks and into the Sportsman division full time in 2009.
"Top 10"...with Cody McPherson:
TG: After running a handful of Sportsman races in the past, you're moving up to that division full time this season. What do you think your biggest challenge will be, what have you already learned behind the wheel of a Sportsman car, and which track(s) are you going to focus on racing for points titles this season?
CM: "The biggest challenge for me will be running the Sportsman tour. It's where the best of the best Sportsman drivers come out to race. Last year I learned a lot when it comes to racing a Sportsman. The key thing for me that I learned was turning the car - it's completely different trying to turn a Sportsman then it is a street stock. As soon as you try to drive it like a street stock, you're pushing like a truck. Luckily for me I drove just Sportsman at the end of last year and learned a lot. I am going to be focusing on Merrittville Speedway, Humberstone Speedway, and the Sportsman tour this year."
TG: "You are part of a racing family. Was becoming a race driver a foregone conclusion for you, or were there other things that interested you and might have led you in another direction?"
CM: "Well I grew up watching my dad (Guy McPherson), My aunt (Tammy Willard), and my Uncle (Billy Willard) racing so it was only fitting that I do the same. I grew up at the races and there's no other place where I would wanna be. Another sport that I also enjoyed playing was hockey - I grew up play hockey, playing AAA for St. Catharines, but I never felt the same way for hockey like I do for racing. Racing is pretty much in my blood, seeing how I'm the 3rd generation of my family to race."
TG: "You had a dominant 2008 season at Ohsweken in the Thunder Stocks division, despite racing against a much larger and more competitive field than we have seen at the Speedway - To what do you attribute that success, and why do you think the field grew so much this season?"
CM: "I would have to attribute that success to my crew chief and car owner Mikey Granton, as well as all my sponsors that helped out. Every week Mikey worked hard to make sure that I had a winning car every Friday night. He worked his butt off after the races to tear the car down for tech, and there's no way I would have won all those races if it wasn't for him. I think the class grew because the racing was getting better, there were more guys willing to make the trip down from the Merrittville or Humberstone Speedways, and since the track is so wide you don't have to worry about getting wrecked as much."
TG: "You've progressed through the ranks quickly, and we have seen the Sportsman division become a jumping-off point for a lot of drivers to move into a variety of other racing divisions such as Small Block and Big Block Modifieds, Sprint Cars, and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series - What would you like your next step(s) beyond Sportsman to be?"
CM: "After running Sportsman I would really want to try driving Sprint Car or Late Model. If I was good enough at that level then I would want to move up and rip it with the big boys in the World of Outlaw series. Travelling North America racing every week is something I would love to be doing."
TG: "You've raced at a few different tracks now - which one is your favourite to race on, and which track that you haven't yet raced on would you really like to try?"
CM: "My favourite race track by far would be Syracuse. I got the privilege to race there this year in the Sportsman and I had a blast. One track that I want to race at would be Can-Am - I was there last year but it got rained out both times."
TG: "Shayne Pierce, another young up and coming driver, is taking over behind the wheel of the #777 this season, which should help him to be even more of a contender. Who else do you think will be stepping up to challenge for feature wins and track championships in the Thunder Stocks division in 2009?"
CM: "I told Mikey (Granton) all last year to put Shayne in the car for this year. I grew up racing go-karts with him and I always liked his driving style. Shayne has always been fast, and even though he doesn't have as much money as most of the guys out there, he could still run with them. This year, driving Mikey's car he's going to win a lot of races and I'm picking him to win a championship as well. Another guy that will step up and challenge Shayne will be Billy Bleich Jr."
TG: "Tell us something about yourself that might surprise a lot of fans."
CM: "Something that will surprise my fans will be that I just got my (driver's) license last week!"
TG: "Away from racing, what other interests and hobbies do you fill your spare time with?"
CM: "During the summer I'm very busy racing, mostly three nights a week, but I do like to take some time out and hang out with friends and I also enjoy playing summer hockey."
TG: "If money were no object, what race event, track, or series would you most like to try?"
CM: "If money was no object then I would be travelling around the world, racing. I would travel across North America to run all the big shows and during the winter I would go to Australia to race."
TG: "Drivers like you and Shayne represent the next generation of dirt track racers in Southern Ontario. We've seen big changes in rules in some divisions lately, and things will continue to change and evolve in the coming years. With that in mind, what do you think the local short track scene is going to look like in 5-10 years, and what would you like to see changed?"
CM: "I think with the Sportsman coming out with the crate program you will get a lot more young drivers coming out to race. I think DIRT will always be trying to find a way to make racing as cheap as possible and still make it competitive. I would like to see more exposure for racing up in Canada - you don't see many Canadians racing in the big series just because they don't take racing as seriously in Canada as they do down in the States."
Got a question you've always wanted to ask your favourite Ohsweken Speedway personality? Got a suggestion for who you would like featured in a future edition of "Top 10"? Send it to Media@OhswekenSpeedway.com and make sure to include your name and hometown! Stay tuned for future editions of "Top 10" this winter on www.OhswekenSpeedway.com, and make sure to reserve your seats for all of Ohsweken's special events in 2009, including the World of Outlaws Late Models, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, and Canadian Sprint Car Nationals! Tickets are on sale now! The full 2009 Ohsweken Speedway schedule was released recently and is also available on www.OhswekenSpeedway.com, along with the new online store featuring official Ohsweken Speedway DVD's, apparel, and souvenirs!
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Tommy Goudge
Ohsweken Speedway Media
media@ohswekenspeedway.com