The Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC OSCAAR Modifieds presented by Scott Reinhart Trailer Sales Ltd., Touchwood Cabinets, and The Fyre Place & Patio Shop fans will get to witness a battle for the Rookie of the Year honors in 2020.
Near the beginning of the off-season, T.J. Marshall got his hands on a modified previously piloted by Jason Bowden.
“It is important to get up to speed quickly and get a solid understanding of the car and the tire,” he said. “I was able to test the car last year at the end of the season on the outgoing tire compound. The car was well balanced and had good speed for the non-ideal track conditions, so I have confidence in the car’s capability. Learning a new, softer tire will always have its challenges, but it is the same conditions for everyone. We have done lots of work on the car over the off-season, so I hope the hard work will pay off.”
Marshall says his desire to travel across the province at different tracks drew him to the series for the 2020 campaign.
“I love racing at Delaware and Sunset, and I am looking forward to Jukasa,” he expressed. “I believe a driver learns more by running multiple tracks rather than running the same track every week. I also really liked the competitive size and quality of the division. The car count has been impressive and there are competitive cars throughout the field. That is important to have a healthy division.
“I have also raced karts for most of my life, and raced a Canadian Vintage Modified for the last seven years, so the open wheel racing resonates and had a partial influence.”
Out of all the tracks on the schedule, Marshall says he’s most excited about the pair of trips to Delaware Speedway, due to being successful there in the past.
“I am really looking forward to going back there,” he said. “I am looking forward to racing Jukasa Speedway for the first time, and I appreciate the work that the entire group has done to restore that facility.”
With experience across the province, Marshall is keeping his expectations reasonable, hoping to be consistently fast each week.
“If we can have good short and long run speed, I think we could score podiums and hopefully a win,” he added. “Though it is important to not underestimate the competition as experience is extremely valuable.”
For Marshall, he got his start in racing virtue of the Waterloo Regional Kart Club when he was seven-years-old.
“I started in a kart owned by Jim Sweers (who has been vital over my entire racing career),” he commented. “I believe karting is the best way for anyone to start racing.”
Since then, he has made several memories in racing, noting his most memorable came in 2012.
“My teammate, Scotty Nagel, and I won the 4 Sr. races at Shannonville beating 20+ kart fields,” he recalled. “It was a great weekend and I fondly remember it.”
Be sure to keep up with OSCAAR by staying tuned to the series website at http://www.oscaar.ca. Also, make sure to “like” the official OSCAAR Racing Facebook page, while following both the Twitter and Instagram accounts (@OSCAARRacing) to keep up to date on everything you need to know.
OSCAAR’s 2020 racing season was supported by several dedicated partners including Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC, Knightworks Design, Living Lighting Canada, Scott Reinhart Trailer Sales Ltd., Touchwood Cabinets, Sauble Falls Campground, The Fyre Place & Patio Shop, Ohsweken Speedway, American Racer, and Grisdale Race Products.
By: Ashley McCubbin
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