With five victories and seven top-fives this season, Gary McLean put together another strong year en route to his fifth straight OSCAAR Modified Championship.
Kicking off the season at Flamboro Speedway, McLean didn’t have the start to the year he would’ve hoped for. Caught in the midst of the on-track battles, the veteran was forced to come away with a sixth place finish.
Moving forward to Delaware Speedway the next month, it seemed the year started to get back on track for McLean. After scoring a heat victory, he started eighth for the 30-lap feature, and worked his way steadily through the traffic en route to a third place finish.
For McLean, though, his season really hit its stride mid-month, beginning with the second trip of the season to Flamboro. After a pair of decent finishes in his heat, he was able to make it through the traffic in the feature, taking the lead on Lap 17 and never looking back en route to his first feature win of 2016.
The momentum carried forward as when the series returned to the Hamilton based oval a month later, he put together another great night. Following a second and fifth in his heats, McLean was able to start up front for the feature. Right from the start of the feature, it was easy to tell whose night it’d be as Gary McLean took the lead behind the wheel of the No. 8 McLean Industrial Design and Fabrication Ltd. and McLean Farms Modified on the opening lap and never looked back.
He then carried the momentum with him on the road, scoring his third straight victory of this season, this one at Delaware Speedway. The momentum then followed him to Peterborough Speedway for the Chase for the Colours, as he’d dominate en route to another victory.
The competition got a break from McLean at Flamboro in August, as McLena missed the event as a result of a family commitment. However, he didn’t let it slow him down any, showing his speed upon his series return at Delaware. Starting fourth for the 30-lap feature, McLean put the No. 8 McLean Industrial Design and Fabrication Ltd. and McLean Farms Modified out front ahead of A.J. Emms on Lap 20 and never looked back en route to scoring the victory.
Riding on his fifth straight victory, McLean easily qualified for the OSCAAR Race for the Cup, entering the inaugural Chase as one of the favourites for the championship.
“We’re going to race every race like we’ve been racing them, have fun and do what we’ve been doing,” he added.
Mclean started off the Chase well at Peterborough Speedway’s Autumn Colours Classic, finishing third and first in his pair of qualifying heats. Starting the 50-lap feature in the fourth spot, McLean began to work his way forward quickly, passing Gary Elliott for the lead on Lap 3. From there on, it seemed as though McLean was going able to cruise to another feature victory this season. However, everything changed with 11 laps to go as McLean broke something in the left front suspension, forcing him to go off track.
The stars aligned, though, as he was able to make the repairs on pit road before going a lap down as a result of a wreck on the forth coming restart. Restarting from the tail of the field, McLean began to work his way up through the field quickly, moving into sixth with six laps to go. He was then able to hold on for a sixth place finish, beating out four of his fellow Chase contenders to be one of the three drivers eligible for the championship in the season finale.
Going into the season finale, McLean showed speed right from the start as he won his lone heat on the night to start fourth in the feature. He’d quickly make his way to the front, putting the No. 8 McLean Industrial Design and Fabrication Ltd., and McLean Farms Modified out front on Lap 5. McLean then led the rest of the way en route to scoring the victory and the 2016 OSCAAR Modified Championship.
“It feels pretty good,” he said post-race. “Realistically, we’re not really all that interested in racing in the points – we just love to come race and whatever happens, happens.”
Knowing the competition he was faced for the championship, including having A.J. Emms on his tail through the second half of the finale, McLean said his team was focused on one goal throughout the day.
“You know that you have to go out and win as against these guys, you’re not going to get the job done,” he said. “I guess that’s what the Chase format was designed to do – you had to run up front, get the job done – and the guys unloaded the car today with the mentality that it was going to be good enough to get the job done.”
By: Ashley McCubbin
The post 2016 OSCAAR Modified Champion – Gary McLean appeared first on OSCAAR Racing.