By: Ashley McCubbin/AM Marketing
January 15 2017
After a great season behind the wheel of both an OSCAAR Pro Midget and OSCAAR Midget, Wally Wilson is set to take the next step of his racing career. Wally Wilson Racing is proud to announce that they’ve purchased a modified, in which Wally Wilson will drive in 2017.
“I couldn’t be any happier,” he said. “This is a huge step in my career. I’m very grateful for everyone that has helped me get to this point! I can’t wait to race with guys I’ve been watching for years.”
As of right now, scheduling details have not been finalized in regards to the amount of races in which Wilson will run. However, he intends to be at the OSCAAR Modified season opener at Full Throttle Motor Speedway on May 21.
“The goal in my first season with the Modified is to take my time, get as much track time as possible, learn everything I possibly can to get to victory lane,” he said. “I expect to be at least a top-10 car by the end of the 2017 season!”
Though just cause there’s a new car in the house doesn’t mean the Midgets will be forgotten. Wilson confirmed he’ll once again run both the OSCAAR Pro Midget and OSCAAR Midget in 2017.
“My expectation for the 2017 season is to be a championship contender and show everyone consistency is the key to winning a championship,” he said. “You don’t need to win every race!”
This past season, Wilson experienced success behind the wheel of both his Pro Midget and Midget, finishing in the top-five in both series standings.
“I thought the 2016 racing season was action packed, with close racing right from the drop of the green flag of the first heat race back in May, all the way to the final checkered flag in October,” he said. “This was the season where each and every week every car in the field had a chance to capture a feature win; we had a first time winner almost every week this season! It was great to see! But of course I wish I was one of them! It was the experience of a life time to be able to be the first driver in OSCAAR history to run for two championships! The best part of the whole season besides spending my Saturdays at the track would have to be watching the Pro Midget’s grow from four cars back at Peterborough for the inaugural race, to about fifteen in the final event at Flamboro!”
Behind the wheel of his OSCAAR Midget, Wilson put together a solid sophomore campaign with top-10s on a weekly basis en route to finishing fourth in points. Starting off the year at Flamboro Speedway in May, he was able to run up front throughout the entire event, crossing the finish line in sixth. Fortunately, the momentum was able to be carried forward easily as he posted a ninth at Peterborough and a seventh at Grand Bend Speedway.
With continued improvement on a weekly basis, interest was high as to how he’d do in the first repeat track of the season. While the day started off rough with mechanical issues, everything sorted itself out by the time racing started. He’d lead the majority of the first heat, before being passed with two laps to go by Ryan Brown to finish second. Starting fifth in the feature, he quickly worked his way up to third and got quicker as the race went on, but ultimately ran out of time to catch the leaders, finishing third.
He looked to carry the momentum to Sauble Speedway, and was able to do that as he’d pilot his No. 69 The Fyre Place & Patio Shop, HAVE1.COM Midget to his first career heat victory. Unfortunately, the feature didn’t go as well as hoped with a 10th place finish.
In the weeks following, Wilson was able to get momentum back on his side as he’d post three straight top-six finishes, including a third at Flamboro Speedway. With no finishes outside of the top-10, Wilson easily qualified for the inaugural OSCAAR Race for the Cup.
The first race at Peterborough Speedway saw Wilson run inside the top-six in the early stages, till he lost ground following a three-wide battle mid-event which caused him to finish ninth. As a result, he was eliminated from the battle. He’d then complete the season with a seventh place finish at Frostoberfest. On top of the solid points finish, Wilson’s ability to make up ground in each of the races paid off as he picked up the RTR – Sirius 167 Hard Charger Award.
Meanwhile, behind the wheel of his Pro Midget, he was able to put together a season without any finishes outside of the top-seven en route to finishing second in the series points. Starting off the year at Peterborough Speedway, Wilson avoided the bugs which caught other competitors off-guard en route to a runner-up finish. The positive finishes kept coming as he’d post a fifth place finish at Flamboro Speedway, followed by a fourth at Grand Bend and a fifth in his return to Peterborough.
Unfortunately, in the second half of the season, it appeared as though things didn’t go as well as hoped as consistency was still there, but the finishes weren’t as strong. He’d finish sixth at Flamboro Speedway, followed by a seventh at Peterborough and a sixth at Flamboro Speedway.
Like he was able to in the Midget, he also took home the OSCAAR Pro Midget RTR – Sirius 167 Hard Charger Award by a single point over series champion Ted Greenwood.
Wilson is currently taking part in Champion Spark Plug’s Search for a Champion Contest. Be sure to check out his entry and vote for him at http://www.championautoparts.com/Promotions/search-for-a-champion.html?page=%2Fentry%2F1117%2F. Your vote could help him win a sponsorship for the 2017 season.
Be sure to check out Wilson’s youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuC0eAtn85Fxtn_5_KfobBw to see on-board videos of the action from last season.
Wilson and team are proud to be supported by The Fyre Place & Patio Shop and HAVE1.COM.
Keep up with Wally Wilson by liking his facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Wally-Wilson-Racing-443805665798939/?fref=ts, while following on twitter at https://twitter.com/WallyWilson69