PORT COLBORNE, Ontario – Humberstone Speedway will resume operations this year with new leadership at the helm.
Terry Vince, a local business owner and engine builder, has taken ownership of the track and will serve as promoter this year.
Vince is the owner of Competition Speed Supply and CSR Engines. He has more than 30 years of performance engine building experience within the motorsports industry.
“I have a long history at Humberstone attending races in the mid-’70s with my father and from 1996-2002, Competition Speed Supply had a parts and fuel truck in pits to service racers in addition to the engine business. It’s basically in my backyard,” said Vince.
Vince is currently restructuring the staff and management team at the track.
“Expect to see some new faces and new doesn’t mean inexperienced,” Vince said. “I am fortunate to have the right people that share the vision I have for the speedway. Previous owner Al Wagner, Jack Winger from GR Environmental, Terry Huffman, Dave Walters, and Darren Peters from Peters Excavating have been a major asset to me since the takeover of speedway.”
COVID-19 is expected to still be a challenge next season.
“We are currently working on a COVID schedule featuring 12 races,” Vince said. “If restrictions free up, we will add races as we continue throughout the season.”
Vince is focused on getting fans back in the stands when it is safe to do so.
“I am committed to finishing the show by a reasonable time, family-fun entertainment, quality food in the concessions, and upgrades throughout the property,” Vince said.
Upgraded washrooms and fixtures along with the renovation of the licensed second-floor bar and the newly constructed 350 square foot patio will provide race fans with a new dynamic to the Humberstone Speedway experience. Several new marketing partners have also signed on for the upcoming season.
Long-standing events such as the All Canadian Championships, the Pete Cosco Memorial and the Eve of Destruction will continue. The All Canadian will be a two-day show featuring the 358 Modifieds, 360 Sprint Cars, Crate Sprints, and Vintage Cars, plus the Humberstone weekly divisions. The Pete Cosco Memorial will feature the 358 Modifieds with increased laps and purses for all divisions. The Eve of Destruction will be bigger and better than ever with increased payoffs. The Dawn of Destruction will no longer take place.
In addition, a partnership has been formed with Impact Motorsports that will bring four events to the track and will include a designated area in the infield to compete.
Weekly racing on the historic Humberstone oval will feature the Sportsman, Late Model, Thunderstock, and the Mini Stock/Truck classes. The framework of the rules for the weekly classes are based off DIRTcar Northeast (Sportsman), RUSH (Late Models), and the Ontario Dirt Competition Committee (ODCC) for the Thunderstocks and Mini Stocks. The Late Model division will be getting some restructuring to increase car count.
In addition to the 604 engines already in competition, open engines will be allowed to attract cars from the west and from the United States once border restrictions are lifted.
“Parity in the engine platforms for the Late Model division is important and will be adjusted to promote fair competition if necessary,” Vince stated.
The 4-cylinder Trucks will be competing with the Mini Stocks for the last time this year. In addition, 358 Modifieds will be on the card often plus a host of 360 and crate sprint car events. The sprint car divisions will utilize the quarter-mile push track to start and put heat in the engines to restore action and efficiency on race nights.
Humberstone Speedway will also introduce its own engine sealing program. This will enable teams to rebuild or repair 602, 604 and W16 engines. Engines will be professionally teched prior to sealing with Humberstone seals for a fee to maintain legality. More information on the engine sealing program will be announced in an upcoming release.
“Being directly involved with motorsports, I understand the financial commitment to field a car and some purse increases and restructuring is being reviewed as well as the distribution of point funds”, Vince said.
Racemed will once again be the safety team at Humberstone. Racemed will provide Humberstone Speedway with a fully equipped safety truck and fast response team for each event.
Several updates and construction are being done around the facility to give the speedway a completely fresh new look. Several new illuminated billboards facing Highway 3 are currently being built for new marketing partners as well as renovated VIP suites in the tower.
Updates have also been done to the race track and in the pit area. Those upgrades and updates include a track reconfiguration and enhanced racing surface, new LED lights and some poles for the racing surface, infield landscaping with seed and drainage system, the installation of infield compound for Derby cars and the installation of an infield guard rail system.
The pit area will also see a new pit road entrance and exit. Other pit amenities are being addressed, including washrooms and concessions. A parts store will be on-site with VP Racing Fuel and methanol available for purchase.