He’s a retired police officer, he got behind the wheel a little later in life then he would’ve liked but that doesn’t hold this guy back! That’s right, I’m talking about the 09 mustang, combined 4 driver, Dave hacks! Dave has been a stock car racing fan his entire life, watching races at “Checker Flag” from as far back as he can remember, then at Delaware when his family relocated to the London area and then at Sauble when he got posted to Bruce County. He always wanted to race but thought it was too far out of reach until one of his coworkers got into the racing scene at full throttle and then convinced Dave that it is possible and so they decided to give it a try. Dave explained that he is learning as he goes as he didn’t have any background in racing or mechanics before getting in to racing scene. He raced a part season at full throttle with a bone stock and then raced one full season at Sauble Speedway with his bone stock as well. Then he found a mothballed mini stock mustang that he turned into the mini stock/combined 4 that he ran in the 2022 season. The 2023 season will be Dave’s 3rd full season racing.
Dave expressed that he is loving being in the sport and learning how to maintain and race the car. He goes on to explain “I love the atmosphere at Sauble Speedway, everyone in the pits have been really friendly and pretty generous in offering tips and support and the track staff have been great as well!” Dave then explains “I have to give a HUGE shout out to my sponsor Green Acres Campground, not just for their financial support but also for lending me some space in their shop this year to keep and work on the car and to some very generous friends helping out with the car and helping me get a shop together that when done will allow me to work somewhere other than my driveway.” In addition to Green Acres Campground Dave also has “9-1-1 racing” on the side of his car, I asked him if he could expand on that a little bit for us and he explained “We named the race team 9-1-1 racing as a tribute to all our emergency responders; Paramedics, Firefighters, Police and Emergency Room Workers who serve the public and put those in need ahead of themselves, and to our Military members who serve to keep us safe, and to their families who sacrifice so much to allow them to do their jobs. When people need help, they call 9-1-1 and it’s those people who answer that call. It’s our way of saying thank you for everything they do and recognizing the sacrifices that they and their families make to serve.
Dave described the feeling of being behind the wheel of the car as exhilarating and exciting, but he expressed that he is also still a little nervous, not for himself but for being a novice, he doesn’t want to make any mistakes that are going to wreck someone or interfere with others to the point where it may affect the outcome of their night. He goes on to say that he thinks as he gets more comfortable and confident some of that will go away and he will start to drive his car a little more aggressively but also adds that he always wants to be the guy that other drivers trust not to do anything purposeful to jeopardize them or their car. Dave is a huge believer in sportsmanship first! If Dave could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out in racing it would be “Don’t wait and don’t think you can’t. I wish someone would’ve told me that 40 years ago! If you’ve already made the leap and are starting out, I’d say stick with it and have fun with it! Race your own race and set your own goals each night, one of my personal goals for this year that I would recommend to any new driver as well is work on consistency.
Unfortunately, Dave is not sure if his car will be ready for opening night at Sauble Speedway on June 17 as it is currently still undergoing some fairly extensive repairs, but he assures the fans that he will be out as soon as he can as Dave and his team are really itching to get back on the track this season and are excited to see what the season holds. Dave also mentioned that when he does get back out there, he loves seeing and talking to fans in the pits after the races so he would love for everyone to come on back and say hi! Good Luck this season Dave!