A.J. Emms Kicks Off 2023 Modified Season with Podium Performance

Posted on May 29, 2023 by ladybug388

MILLGROVE, Ontario — Battling inside the top-three all race long at Flamboro Speedway, A.J. Emms left the Just Foam It OSCAAR Modified season opener with a podium finish.

Emms started off the evening by putting the No. 14 Modified out front during the first heat. After pacing the first half, though, he’d cross the finish line with a runner-up.

The second qualifier did not go as planned, as he was unable to make his way forward after starting deep in the field. He was ultimately scored in sixth when the checkered flag waved.

His luck would turn around, though, as he made the top-eight redraw, pulling out number one chip out of the bag for the pole. He’d lead the field to green, though ultimately slotted into the second spot after a couple incidents slowed the race. He’d remain in second and in touch with the leader, though a mid-race restart did not go as warranted, with Emms slipping back to third.

He’d try to get the position back through the final laps, though came up short with a third-place finish. It marks his series record-setting 10^th straight podium finish, 50^th top-five (second all-time), and 64^th top-10 (series leading).

Emms Racing is proud to be supported by BAE Environmental, Bromley Automotive, TL Tire, Speedy Glass Orillia, Peter Built Racecars, and Short Track Musings for the 2023 campaign.

Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to the Emms Racing website at http://www.ajemms.com, as well as the team’s facebook page via https://www.facebook.com/ajemmsracing/.

By: Ashley McCubbin

A.J. Emms Ready to Kick Off 2023 OSCAAR Modified Season

Posted on May 27, 2023 by ladybug388

After a successful campaign in 2022 with a series-record nine straight podium finishes, A.J. Emms and Emms Racing are ready to get back to the track for the year ahead.

“Going into the 2023 season, we are excited to get back on the race track, some of our favourite tracks in the province,” he commented. “We’re just going to roll with it. We did our homework in the off-season, kept up with the maintaince like we usually do, and we’re just going to roll the dice and see how they play out this season with the hopes we run up front, well near the front, not only for our crew but for our sponsors. Well we know all the divisions across the province are strong and competitive, we’re hopefully going in the fold when it comes to the checkered flag.”

The season will kick off on May 27 at Flamboro Speedway, a track that has treated him well in the past with five podiums in his last six appearances, including a trip to victory lane.

“Flamboro is another one of those places that I’ve been able to spend a lot of time there, race a lot there, so I have some confidence going into that speedway with the car that we have,” he explained. “I’m hoping we can hit the nail on the head with the set-up and have some speed there. Flamboro is one of those places that can be very situational, depending where you put yourself so hopefully I can put myself in a good position to be there at the end. Flamboro is also another one of those tracks with a lot of history and I really enjoy going there for that reason. I think the nostalgia of the speedway is pretty incredible.”

Beyond this coming weekend, the summer will see the team hit a variety of tracks, including returning back to Full Throttle Motor Speedway. Emms knows his way around the bullring, as evident by being successful in a variety of divisions including the Hurricane Midgets, T.Q. Can-Am Midgets, and Pro 4 Modifieds. His last appearance there saw him pick up the victory in the 2019 Rick Woolner Memorial.

“It’s a fun track to race,” he said. “I haven’t been back there in awhile, but I am excited to get back there and see how our OSCAAR modified handles around that place. I’m excited for that, but I’m also excited for the other tracks in the province. They’ve done a great job in stepping up their facilities and making them nicer so I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the places that we go to on the schedule.”

The past season saw a lot of success for the team with nine straight podium finishes, but that has not stopped the drive to keep improving. For Ems, he says it’s all about improving the raciness, whether that’s restarts and long run speed.

“Those are things that we have to just be smarter around and make some better decisions and just keep doing small adjustments to hopefully show on the stopwatch,” he said. “Racing is one of those games of inches so we just got to get working on the wrenches game, and we cross our Ts and dot our Is and be there at the end.”

Emms went on to add that although the tagline of Mr. Consistency has stuck with pacing the record books in the form of the top-10 and career starts, the team is driven to win.

“At the same time, with a family-run modified operation, I do try to very much conserve equipment – knock on wood we’ve been able to do that,” he explained. “We are driven to win. I was taught growing up that you’re only as good as your last race. We always want to make sure that we get into victory lane so that’s the goal in the end. I don’t think that will change my driving at all. You have to be there at the end at the front to be able to do that.

“We just need to have a couple things slightly different, or have things go our way. Like I said, we have a lot of good strong competitors in the modified division and hats off to them, but we’re really pushing to get back to victory lane.”

PHOTOS – May 17, 2023 at Sunset Speedway

Gallery

Posted on May 19, 2023 by ladybug388

This gallery contains 31 photos.

Emms Racing Welcomes Back BAE Environmental

Posted on April 19, 2023 by ladybug388

As preparations kick into high gear ahead of the 2023 season, Emms Racing is proud to welcome back BAE Environmental as a returning sponsor.

Located at 18 Park View Ave in Oro-Medonte, BAE & Associates Environmental Inc. serves all of Ontario providing complete, hands-on, environmental consulting, concentrating on Phase I, II & III ESA’s, specializing in the remediation of Brownfields using the latest of technologies.

Emms Racing is currently preparing for A.J. Emms’ ninth season behind the wheel of a modified. The 2022 season featured a lot of success, highlighted by placing fourth in the year-end standings with nine consecutive feature podium finishes and eight heat wins. The 2019 OSCAAR Modified Champion is currently ranked at the top for series starts and career top-10’s.

BAE Environmental joins previously announced sponsors Speedy Glass Orillia and TL Tire on-board the No. 14 Modified for 2023.

Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to the Emms Racing website at http://www.ajemms.com, as well as the team’s facebook page via https://www.facebook.com/ajemmsracing/ for details as they’re released.

By: Ashley McCubbin/AM Marketing – ashleymccubbin17@gmail.com

Emms Racing Welcomes Back TL Tire for the 2023 Campaign

Posted on April 13, 2023 by ladybug388

As preparations kick into high gear ahead of the 2023 season, Emms Racing is proud to welcome back TL Tire as a returning sponsor.

Located at 8561 Highway 12 W in Orillia, TL Tire is your number one source for all of your tire services. They are dedicated to giving you the very best tire experience, with a focus on upfront and honest quotes, timely response to issues, and quality products and parts. You can learn more about TL Tire by checking out their website at https://tltire.ca/.

TL Tire joins previously announced sponsor Speedy Glass Orillia on-board the No. 14 Modified for 2023.

By: Ashley McCubbin/AM Marketing – ashleymccubbin17@gmail.com

Emms Racing Welcomes Back Speedy Glass Orillia

Posted on April 8, 2023 by ladybug388

As preparations kick into high gear ahead of the 2023 season, Emms Racing is proud to welcome back Speedy Glass Orillia as a returning sponsor.

Located at 315 West Street South, Speedy Glass Orillia can repair or replace any type of auto glass whatever the make, model, and age of the vehicle. They will always try to first repair your existing windshield, usually saving you both time and money.

They also offer additional products and services including trailer hitches, bike racks, camera recalibration, deflectors, truck bed liners, side bars, water repellent and weatherproofing treatment, car floor mats, windshield wipers, mirrors, and tinted windows.

The Speedy Glass name has been linked to window repairs since 1934, with a focus on delivering top-shelf service, expertise, and product quality through each of their service centres across the country.

You can learn more about Speedy Glass Orillia on their website at https://www.speedyglass.ca/en/service-centre/ontario/orillia/247-315_west-st-s-.html. They can also be reached at (705)325-3500.

By: Ashley McCubbin/AM Marketing – ashleymccubbin17@gmail.com

A.J. Emms Picks Up Pair of Modified Podiums, Makes Hot Rod Debut

Posted on October 17, 2022 by ladybug388

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario — After a season filled with plenty of success, A.J. Emms capped it off in style with a pair of podiums in Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC OSCAAR Modifieds presented by Just Foam It competition, and a sixth in his Qwick Wick OSCAAR Hot Rod debut.

At Flamboro Speedway’s Frostoberfest on Saturday October 1, he showed speed behind the wheel of his OSCAAR Modified, winning the opening heat, followed by a fourth in the second qualifier. Starting sixth for the 40-lap feature, he’d break into the top-five on Lap 10. He continued making moves, climbing up to third at the halfway mark.

Although the speed was there in the No. 14 Modified, the lack of cautions led him unable to track down the pair of leaders, ultimately crossing the finish line with a third-place finish.

“We had a great run,” Emms reflected after Frostoberfest. “The car was fast all night, and we knew we had a good car going into the feature. It was hard to pass in all divisions it seemed, so starting sixth, we knew what we had to do. So being able to make our way forward and run where we did was great. With no cautions there at the end, it got strung out unfortunately, but still a great run for the team.”

He then looked to carry the momentum into Peterborough Speedway a week later for the Autumn Colours Classic.

“Overall, it was a solid night,” Emms said after the features on Sunday. “We had a good weekend overall. We were able to get a couple heat wins, which was awesome, in both the Hot Rod and Modified which was great. Overall, we’re happy with our performance. We wished we could’ve parked it in victory lane, but that wasn’t the case for tonight. But overall, a good weekend.”

He started off the weekend in similar fashion by winning the first Modified heat, followed by a third in the second qualifier. Starting fifth for the 50-lap feature, he got up to fourth by Lap 8, making the move for third three laps later. He looked poised to challenge for the win, grabbing second on Lap 14, though fell back a spot 10 laps later.

He stayed focused, taking second back just past the halfway mark, and keeping himself within striking distance of the leader up until the late-race caution. The restart with four laps to go saw a block thrown on him going into turn one, resulting in a bump for his fellow competitor to secure a second-place feature finish.

“We’re feel like we’re one of the guys that our fast here, and we were able to make our way forward,” Emms commented. “We just missed the handling a little bit with the modified and hopefully as we move into the off-season, we’re able to do our homework, keep working on our car, and make it faster for next year.”

The 2022 OSCAAR Modified season has been successful as Emms placed fourth in the series standings with nine podium finishes. He also broke the series record for career starts, officially having ran 75 races over the past six seasons. Through that period, he has clicked off seven feature wins, 48 top-five’s, and 57 top-10’s.

“We do have a really great team,” he said. “Everybody is working hard – my dad, Ryan, Josh, Marcus, and Peter – everybody is doing a great job. We’ve been bringing a good car to the track each week, and it’s been great to run up front consistently.”

If driving one car at the Autumn Colours Classic was not enough, he jumped behind the wheel of the No. 6h owned by Rob Bromley to make his OSCAAR Hot Rod debut. He started off strong on Friday night, winning his first heat, followed by a fourth in the second qualifier.

Taking the green flag for the feature in sixth, he was able to escape a wreck off the first corner on the opening lap to put himself up to fifth. Although he fell back to seventh on an early race restart, he was able to make the ground back up, making the pass for sixth on Lap 17.

With a lack of cautions through the second half, the field remained spread out, making the task of making up ground difficult. As a result, he crossed the finish line with a sixth-place finish.

“The Hot Rod was great,” Emms said. “It was great that Rob Bromley gave me the opportunity. It was nice that my crew guys and family came all weekend to help me because I wouldn’t have been able to do two cars on my own. So it was a good learning experience. We were able to shake down the car and come away with a good top-10 finish.”

When asked if he would be entertain making another start in the OSCAAR Hot Rod Series, he said it’s a possibility, adding, “Looking forward, if the opportunity presents itself, I’m always happy to drive fast racecars.”

Emms Racing is proud to be supported by BAE Environmental, Bromley Automotive, TL Tire, FMR Scrap Buyers & Recyclers, Speedy Glass Orillia, Klotz Canada, Creecher’s Designs, TSS Top Shops, Peter Built Racecars, and Short Track Musings for the 2022 campaign.

Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to the Emms Racing website at http://www.ajemms.com, as well as the team’s facebook page via https://www.facebook.com/ajemmsracing/.

By: Ashley McCubbin / AM Marketing – ashleymccubbin17@gmail.com.

A.J. Emms Looking Forward to Frostoberfest at Flamboro Speedway

Posted on September 29, 2022 by ladybug388

MILLGROVE, Ontario — Coming off a string of seven consecutive podium finishes, there’s confidence riding on A.J. Emms’ shoulders entering Frostoberfest at Flamboro Speedway on Saturday, October 1.

“Flamboro is a track that we’ve enjoyed success at in the past,” he shared. “So I’m looking forward to getting back there and back in the modified this weekend, especially Frostoberfest in an event that I’ve raced in for several years. It would be really special for us to win. Coming close so many times this season has been terrific in having some great and consistent results, but ultimately we want to get in the winner’s circle and we’re hoping to do that this weekend at Flamboro Speedway.”

The 1/3-mile has treated the 2019 Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC OSCAAR Modifieds presented by Just Foam It Champion well in the past, picking up four podiums in his last five appearances, including a pair of wins. It’s why despite knowing he will start back half of the top-eight with the series’ starting procedure, the confidence doesn’t dampen.

“Well, luckily for me, I have experience in starting in that position so many times for the last few years with our starting layout being in the fashion,” he commented. “I’ve unfortunately been starting near the back of the eight almost every race. So for me it’s just going to be continuing what we always do – capitalizing on others mistakes, staying out of trouble, and clicking off consistent lap times will be important.

“I feel as though Flamboro Speedway this weekend will probably not have a great outside groove as it normally does, so it will be important to get down to the bottom and work our way up from there.”

The 2022 season has been successful as Emms currently ranks fourth in the series standings with seven podium finishes.

This weekend’s edition of Frostoberfest will see him break the series record for career starts with 74 over the past six seasons. Through that period, he has clicked off seven feature wins, 48 top-five’s, and 57 top-10’s.

Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to the Emms Racing website at http://www.ajemms.com, as well as the team’s facebook page via https://www.facebook.com/ajemmsracing/.

By: Ashley McCubbin / AM Marketing – ashleymccubbin17@gmail.com.

Photos – Fall Velocity at Sunset Speedway on September 17, 2022

Gallery

Posted on September 23, 2022 by ladybug388

This gallery contains 17 photos.

A.J. Emms Scores Seventh Consecutive Podium Result at Flamboro Speedway

Posted on September 1, 2022 by ladybug388

MILLGROVE, Ontario — The consistency and speed carried to another track for Emms Racing, as evident by another podium finish this past weekend at Flamboro Speedway.

Notably, the strong result comes in A.J. Emms’ 73^rd OSCAAR Modified career start, tying the series record for most career events.

“(A) wild night at Flamboro Speedway,” Emms commented. “Just a lot of racecars that were there really changed the layout of our night, cancelling one heat race. That changed some of our plans in terms of racing for the night. We were able to have a solid run in our first heat race. We were happy with how the car’s handling was all night. We knew with the starting position that we had, starting fifth, that we had the desirable inside line which really supported us in getting up to the third-place position near the start of the race. From there, we just kind of held tight and rode around. Just with Flamboro Speedway, it’s a tough place to pass at and being in third was a good position so we stayed there.

“We were up front battling with some fast racecars and some strong motors, and I would say I’m really happy with how the balance of our racecar was. Unfortunately, we had that big wreck going in turn four, and obviously that ended our race. I was happy everybody was okay, and safe, especially with a fan getting hit – not something you ever want to see at a race track and hopefully we won’t see it again for a very long time. I defiantly want to wish that fan a speedy recovery. I look forward to getting back to Flamboro for Frostoberfest.”

Emms was fast from the beginning of the night, scoring a third-place finish in his lone qualifying heat to set him up for a fifth-place starting spot in the feature. He would make his way forward quickly, running third with just six laps on the board.

Through the middle of the portion of the event, he would stay in contact with the top-two drivers, ready to make his move. The opportunities would be slim, as the leaders weaved their way through lap traffic. As they cleared the traffic with 10 laps to go, an incident in turn four would see the race called early. Emms was credited with a third-place finish.

“The 35 car (Andy Kamrath) and the 18 car (Jason Keen) were both really quick, so it’s hard to say what would’ve shaken out,” Emms shared. “With us passing lap cars, it also adds a whole other layer of uncertainty on to the list. I’m not really sure what would’ve happened. I do know that we had a fast racecar and I was really happy with that. Definitely thankful to finish third. It would’ve been great to have those last 10 laps, but to say the outcome would’ve been different is a tough call.”

Through eight races this season, Emms has scored five heat wins and seven feature podium finishes. When asked to grade the season, he says it’d be a B or B+, but admits it’s tough to do so.

“Again, I’m really thankful with the effort our team has put forth this year with all the podium finishes and consistency is really important, but at the end of the day, we want to win races and we want to get back to victory lane,” he explained. “So I think my grading would improve if we were able to get to victory lane, but with that being said, I’m proud of the effort we’ve put forward each and every week. I’m proud of some of the gains that we’ve been able to make in the shop throughout the week and offseason.”

The next race for the Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC OSCAAR Modifieds presented by Just Foam It is scheduled for Sunset Speedway on September 17 and 18. He has had success at the Innisfil, Ontario oval previously, having scored a pair of victories and pair of runner-ups in his last seven appearances.

“I’m excited to get back to Sunset,” he said. “The race track is close to home for us. We’ve had some success there in the past. It would be great to win at Fall Velocity, and again, just hope to keep the car in one piece and hope for another solid run. We’ve been really fortunate with a lot of top-three finishes this year and hopefully we can continue with that momentum and get a win.”

Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to the Emms Racing website at http://www.ajemms.com, as well as the team’s facebook page via https://www.facebook.com/ajemmsracing/.

By: Ashley McCubbin / AM Marketing – ashleymccubbin17@gmail.com.