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

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 Sweeps Heat Races, Scores Sixth Consecutive Podium Finish at Peterborough

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario — Running up front is the norm it seems for Emms Racing, as evident by another strong showing at Peterborough Speedway this past weekend.

“It was a great start to the night,” A.J. Emms said. “The car worked great right out of the trailer. We had a lot of speed, (and) winning both of our heat races was great, and then finishing third in the feature was a solid run for us. It’s great to see that the car has speed.

“Now it’s just executing and making sure we put ourselves in a good position so hopefully the cards fall our way and we can capitalize. Hopefully that will happen sooner than later and we’ll keep chipping away.”

Emms started off the night showing speed from the drop of the initial green flag, leading all 10 laps in the opening heat off the pole. He then started at the back for his second qualifier, carving his way through the field to pick up another checkered flag.

Starting sixth for the 40-lap feature, he would move up to fourth in the opening 10 laps before the first yellow flag at Lap 11. Restarting on the second row, he would look to continue making up ground, taking over third with 16 laps on the board. He would try to reel the top-two in through the second half of the feature, finding himself close to second in the closing laps, but unable to find a way by as he crossed the finish line in third.

When asked what it’s going to take to turn the six straight podiums into a trip to victory lane, Emms says it’s about continuing to show speed each week and hope luck is on their side.

“Both the 34 (TJ Edwards) and 35 (Andy Kamrath) car are very quick,” he added. “They have a different package than us, and that’s paying off throughout races. But like I said, hopefully the cards can fall our way and we can get this thing into victory lane in a couple weeks.”

The next race for the Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC OSCAAR Modifieds presented by Just Foam It will take place at Sauble Speedway on Saturday, August 20. In each of four previous appearances at the beach, he has scored a top-five finish, including a trip to victory lane in 2017 and second in June.

“Sauble hasn’t been one of my favourite race tracks, but we’ve had some success there recently so I am exciting to get back to Sauble Speedway,” he commented. “With a strong run the last time we were there starting near the rear of the field and making our way through, I was really proud of our team’s effort that week and I’m hoping we can carry some of that momentum and the momentum we’ve had to go out and win that feature.”

With his upcoming 73rd career start at Sauble Speedway with the series, he will tie the record for most career starts in OSCAAR Modified competition.

“I mean, I’ve raced for a long time and been able to very fortunate with the sponsorship in having BAE Environmental with me all the way through,” he commented. “Just having great opportunities to be in a racecar and the funding available, so very thankful to have the opportunity to have competed in that amount of events and continuing to learn and get better. So hopefully we can have a win – hopefully I can put it in victory lane for that.”

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/.

Press Release by: Ashley McCubbin

A.J. Emms Scores Heat Victory, Fifth Straight Podium at Sunset Speedway

INNISFIL, Ontario — The speed continues to be there on a weekly basis in the No. 14 Modified, as evident by a fifth consecutive podium for Emms Racing on Saturday night at Sunset Speedway.

“Very solid night for the whole crew,” A.J. Emms said afterwards. “It was really good to have a strong outing with no damage. Our OSCAAR Modified was really fast. I got to really thank Peter Schotanus for his help, helping us get to the race track and go fast. But overall, it’s a solid night for us. It’s great to lead some laps. Unfortunately, we couldn’t pull it off, but we were really happy to have the solid run that we had.”

Emms began the night on a great note, leading flag-to-flag in his first heat en route to picking up the checkered flag. The invert for the second qualifier saw him start deep in the field, with him trying to work his way forward; despite getting trapped up high for a bit, he was able to score a fourth.

Starting fourth for the 40-lap feature, he wasted no time in moving forward, grabbing the second spot on the first lap. He was not done, putting the No. 14 Modified out front of the field on Lap 4. He would lead the next 13 laps, before being tracked down and passed by the eventual feature winner.

Through the second half of the event, he was able to stay within striking distance of the lead, though unable to make a move, ultimately crossing the finish line in second.

“We are really hungry to get back there and we hope that it happens in the near future,” he added. “But if we keep knocking at the door like this, it’s bound to happen. We are hoping the consistency continues and our hard work is definitely paying off.”

The next race of the Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC OSCAAR Modifieds presented by Just Foam it is at Peterborough Speedway on Saturday, July 30. Emms knows what it takes to be successful at Peterborough, scoring his first career victory in the Autumn Colours Classic in 2016 there. Notably, he has no finishes worse than seventh in his last nine appearances there, with seven top-five’s.

“Peterborough Speedway is a fun race track,” he said. “I enjoy going there. It’s a fun race track to drive, really fast race track. I like how the two-ends are very different. I like it’s an old speedway with a lot of character and history, and Peter Schotanus has had a lot of success there in the past so I always enjoy going back there and hearing old stories. I’m excited to get back there and hopefully we’ll have a good outing there like we had here.”

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/.

Press Release by Ashley McCubbin

A.J. Emms Scores Heat Victory, Runner-Up at Sunset Speedway

INNISFIL, Ontario — After a rocky start to the 2022 campaign, the momentum is rolling on Emms Racing’s side as A.J. Emms picked up his second straight runner-up finish on Saturday night at Sunset Speedway.

“Overall, a solid night for us especially since the first night at Sunset Speedway was a major bust for us,” he commented. “It was nice to finish all the laps. It was nice to run up at the front and lead some laps this evening. The race might have played out differently if we didn’t get that caution at the halfway mark, but that’s just not how it worked out this evening and we’re happy with a second-place finish.”

Emms started off the night solidly by posting a third-place finish in the first heat. He then lined up fourth in the second qualifier, making his way to the lead at the halfway mark to pick up the victory.

Starting on pole for the 40-lap feature, Emms broke out to an early advantage ahead of the field, building up a healthy lead. Though he would be brought right back to everyone when the caution came out at the halfway for an incident.

Restarting on the front row, he would battle for the top spot over the next four laps, ultimately slotting into the second spot. He would try to run the leader back down in the closing laps, coming up short with a runner-up finish.

With the up and down results at Sunset – a pair of victories alongside a pair of finishes outside the top-10 in the last six races, Emms admits it’s a definitely a confidence boost when it comes to the Innisfil oval.

“We have had some feature wins here which has been great, but it’s been a bit of a roller coaster at Sunset,” he commented. “So moving forward, we’re excited to carry this momentum into the end of the year and hope we can get a win here soon.”

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 Rebounds for Runner-Up Finish at Sauble Speedway

SAUBLE BEACH, Ontario — After going for a spin in qualifying, A.J. Emms turned a deep in the field starting spot into a runner-up finish on Saturday night at Sauble Speedway.

“A bit of a roller coaster of an evening,” he commented. “It was great to see so many OSCAAR Hot Rods as well as OSCAAR Modifieds out. They’ve done a nice job with the facility in getting it all cleaned up. In terms of driving style, Sauble has traditionally hasn’t been a track that has been my favourite, although a beautiful facility – although we’ve had some success there. We were able to battle through some adversity in the heat races and just some racing situations in terms of where track went and how things fell which put us in a poor position to start the feature.

“I was really proud of our team for putting together a racecar that was able to make it way through the field and everything in the feature fell our way and we were able to make it up to a second-place run which we felt was solid given our deep starting position. Overall, a solid weekend for us especially after a disastrous opening night at Sunset Speedway. It’s great to rebound at Sauble with a strong finish and we’re looking forward to next week.”

Emms started off the night making his way forward in the second half of the first heat for a fourth-place finish. The second qualifier began well as he looked to challenge for the lead in the final laps, though contact resulted in a spin and placing seventh.

As a result, he would start near the back end of the field, though quickly began to make his way forward, taking the eighth spot with just seven laps on the board. He’d remain there until the first yellow flag at Lap 10, though utilized the restart to his advantage to battle for sixth.

Emms continued his climb, cracking the top-five on Lap 14, getting the fourth spot just five laps later. He was not done there, taking over the third spot on Lap 23. The race was not over there yet, with a late-race caution with 10 laps to go.

He quickly made the move on the restart to take over the runner-up spot. He would look to track down the leader for the top spot, though unable to do so, ultimately crossing the finish line in second.

The podium finish allows him to move up three spots in the standings, currently ranked seventh though just four points out of second.

“It definitely adds to the confidence,” he commented. “We definitely still have some work to do as there’s some incredibly fast racecars out there, and we know that there are a lot of cars that are able to hit it, meaning have a lot of speed. We know we have to continue to improve and we have to continue to work, but it’s great to see some of the work that we did in the off-season pay off with the car having the capability to drive where I wanted it. That was great.

“In terms of rolling the outside and inside, that’s going to be really important at Sunset Speedway as I find that’s a track similar to Sauble where the field is stacked up incredibly close, so that will be important coming into this weekend. Hopefully we do the similar thing in making our way around cars because we know with how our ordering in terms of the feature and heat races, that it’s going to be important to be able to pass cars. It’s great we have some speed because the competition is so tough, and hopefully we can keep the ball rolling.”

The next race on the Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC OSCAAR Modifieds presented by Just Foam It schedule is set for June 25 at Sunset Speedway. He has had success at Sunset Speedway previously, having scored a pair of victories in his five appearances at the Innisfil, Ontario oval.

“To be honest, it’s going to similar to Sauble where just like always we have to minimize mistakes and see where we end up in terms of speed this weekend,” he said. “Hopefully we’re able to cross our Ts and dot our Is this week in the shop, and that will hopefully put us in the ball park on Saturday evening. Sunset Speedway is one of those places where I just need to stay out of trouble, and go back to what I know, and make sure that we complete all the laps.

“Realistically, for me, it’s wide open in terms of Sunset. Like you highlighted, we’ve had some success there, but we’ve also had some misfortunes. Hopefully the racing Gods are on our side and things will prevail.”

A strong run would certainly be beneficial for Emms and the team right now, in knowing they’re in the middle of a stretch with four races across three weekends. Right after this coming weekend at Sunset, they will make the trip to Delaware Speedway for a double header on July 1 and July 2.

“It’s really disappointing the way they’ve structured our schedule with so many race weekends in a row, and then so many off-weekends back-to-back,” he admitted. “It makes it difficult on the teams financially to run that many races in a row and travel time, and just because we’re a traveling series and ordering parts, etc. It’s going to be really important to stay out of trouble, especially with COVID – getting parts is a stretch at times.

“It’s also important for us to go week-by-week and we just focus on what’s on hand, but have that preparation in that back of the mind that we have to go race the following week. Like I said, it’s unfortunate our schedule is laid out like that, but at the same time, it is manageable and doable so we’ll just do the best we can in keeping momentum, having solid finishes, learning each and every week, and continuing to better our program.”

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 Scores Heat Victory to open OSCAAR Season at Sunset Speedway

INNISFIL, Ontario — Despite starting off Spring Velocity strong at Sunset Speedway, it unfortunately did not end as A.J. Emms would have hoped.

Emms started off the weekend by parking the No. 14 Modified in victory lane in his first heat, following a race-long battle. He then battled hard in the second qualifier en route to a fourth-place finish.

Starting fifth for the 40-lap feature, he immediately began to make his way forward on the opening lap with a pair of passes through the first couple corners. Unfortunately, coming off of turn four, he would get a little sideways, going around for the spin before making contact with the frontstretch wall.

It’d ultimately end his race on the first lap, resulting in being credited with a 16th-place finish.

Despite the race not going to plan, he is currently scored 10th in the season standings as a result of the strong qualifying performance.

The next race on the Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC OSCAAR Modifieds presented by Just Foam It schedule is set for June 18 at Sauble Speedway. In each of three previous appearances at the beach, he has scored a top-five finish, including a trip to victory lane in 2017.

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