Category: Race Report

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario — Doing double duty for the second straight year at Peterborough Speedway’s Autumn Colours Classic, A.J. Emms picked up four top-five finishes in heat race action.

Behind the wheel of his familiar No. 14 Modified, he drove from the tail of the field to a fourth-place finish in the first heat on Friday night. Then starting on the pole on Saturday, he led seven laps, before being passed on the final lap en route to a runner-up.

Behind the wheel of the Ford Thunderbird in OSCAAR Hot Rod action, he started off the weekend by parking it in victory lane during Friday night’s heat. He then started at the back of his qualifier on Saturday, driving his way up through the field with a last lap pass for fourth.

Unfortunately, both features were not run as scheduled on Sunday due to consistent rain falling. Emms will return to Peterborough Speedway this Saturday, October 14 in hopes taking home a pair of leaves.

It is worth noting Emms knows what it takes to be successful at Peterborough, scoring his first career modified victory in the Autumn Colours Classic in 2016 there. Notably, he has no finishes worse than seventh in his last 12 appearances there, with two wins and 10 top-five’s.

The team will hope to build upon their previous series numbers which include 55 top-five’s (second all-time) and 68 top-10’s (series leading) in 84 starts.

He has also shown speed there in the past with the Ford Thunderbird, scoring a fifth-place finish in his OSCAAR Hot Rod debut last year at ACC.

Emms Racing is proud to be supported by BAE Environmental, Bromley Automotive, TL Tire, Speedy Glass Orillia, Klotz Canada, 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

WILLIAMSON, NY — Getting the chance to race with the Race of Champions Sportsman Series at Spencer Speedway at the beginning of the month, it became a day of learning for A.J. Emms en route to a top-15 finish.

“It was a great opportunity,” Emms commented in the days that followed. “It was great to be able to race the car for Cathy and Paul down there. It was also great to have some of our crew come down to help us there. We were fortunate with some incidents on the track which helped us move up in position, and finish where we did which we were very happy with considering it’s our first time at the race track, first time in that car, and with a very stout field of competition.

“I think overall it was a success. We had a great time as a team and definitely learned something and hopefully we get another opportunity to do it again in the future.”

After ranking 26^th in the first practice of the afternoon, the adjustments behind the wheel and to the car paid off for the second session with Emms working his way up to 19^th on the board. He then carried the speed into his lone qualifying race for a seventh-place finish.

“It was definitely a positive experience in terms of continuing to get better each and every lap,” he expressed. “We were – not only me but as a driver, I was definitely continuing to get better in learning the race track as Spencer Speedway, although it’s very flat, is a very racey track. So each and every time out on the track I was able to learn something and get more familiar with the car as it was a car that I had never driven prior to that event.

“It was definitely uplifting and positive and hopefully we can take some of that momentum back wherever our next race is.”

Taking the green flag in 19^th for the main event, Emms utilized the 35-laps to work his way up the running order. Making some passes, combined with avoiding the incidents that took place on-track paid off en route to crossing the finish line in 12^th.

“I’ve actually never driven on a track like that, to be honest with you,” he explained. “It’s a very unique surface where there is two racing lines – an outside line and an inside line. It is extremely fast and being so fast with no corner walls and such long corners, it was a very unique experience for sure and something I’d like to try again. Because as I said, it was very racey track and I was really impressed with how hard and clean the racing was there.”

With how positive the experience turned out overall throughout the day, Emms says he would welcome another opportunity to race with the Race of the Champions.

“I was really impressed with how the entire series ran,” he said. “I was also really impressed with the quality of racing we were able to see there and the sportsmanship that was shown before and after the races. Again, working with Paul and Cathy was a great experience and I hope I’m able to do that again – either with them or somebody else as it’s something that really peaks my interest to try some of these American tracks and also to race with some great drivers and cars will only make me better.

“That’s always our continuing goal – to get better, as we’re really passionate about the sport, and hopefully we’ll be able to do that in the future.”

Emms is not done this racing this season, set to get back behind the wheel of his familiar No. 14 Modified with the Just Foam It OSCAAR Modifieds. The team is currently riding a wave of momentum with three straight wins in a row.

“We definitely have some crown jewel races coming up,” Emms commented. “I think that, for me, I would really obviously it’d be really important to get some good finishes near the end of this year. Like I said, we’ve been really fortunate with having some things fall our way in terms of luck wise and we’re hoping to continue to ride that wave as racing is a sport with many ups and downs.

“So hopefully we can finish out some of these last races strong, keep the car in one piece, and have some fun while we’re doing it. As always, the goal is to get to victory lane and I know an event like the Autumn Colours Classic is an event we’ve won in the past, but just being such a prestigious event, it’s one that we’d love to win again.”

Special shout-out to Cathy and Paul Townsend for the opportunity to race with the Race of Champions at Spencer Speedway.

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

SAUBLE BEACH, Ontario — Starting on the pole, A.J. Emms did not look back en route to scoring his third straight Just Foam It OSCAAR Modified feature victory on Saturday night at Sauble Speedway.

Emms proved the No. 14 Modified had speed in it, as evident by driving from the tail of the first heat to a runner-up finish on the leader’s bumper. He then captured the flag with a win in the second qualifier after pacing all 10 laps.

When it came time for the feature, Emms started on the pole, and despite a mid-race yellow flag for an incident, he was able to maintain the track position throughout. By stretching out the advantage over the event to a straightaway lead, he was able to lead all 40 laps en route to capturing the victory.

It marks his series record-setting 14th straight podium finish, 55th top-five (second all-time), and 67th top-10 (series leading) in 83 series starts.

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 / AM Marketing – ashleymccubbin17@gmail.com

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario — Leading the field to the green flag, A.J. Emms paced all 40 laps en route to winning the OSCAAR Modified feature on Saturday night at Peterborough Speedway.

“The last two races – both Full Throttle Motor Speedway and Peterborough Speedway – are strong tracks for us, so again, we were hoping for another solid outcome,” he commented. “We’re very fortunate to come away with two wins in those two races. As we know in racing, anything can happen, and we experienced that at Full Throttle Motor Speedway in finishing a close second but a disqualification giving us the win. We’d obviously love to have those wins come on the race track like they did at Peterborough Speedway, but we also know that wins are hard to come by, especially in the OSCAAR Modified division.

“So we’ll take what we can get and hopefully the momentum for us continues as we move forward into the next race.”

The speed was there when they unloaded the No. 14 Modified at Peterborough Speedway, as evident by winning his first heat on the track. He then made his way through the field in the second qualifier to a runner-up finish.

Starting on the pole for the feature, Emms was able to put a considerable gap on the field, stretching it out to a half-track lead.

“I feel like with the crate engine package, when we were rolling and as the race progresses and a long green flag run, we can get the momentum up and keep it rolling and I feel that’s what we did,” he said. “We’ve worked a lot on our longer run speed to make sure we have that speed later in the race and it was great to see at Peterborough Speedway some of the things that we’ve been working on seemed to work.

“Again, hopefully that translates to more success as we move forward through the season but it is great to see some of our hard work is paying off and we’re moving in the right direction.”

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though, as the caution came out with just a handful of laps remaining for a car going around deeper in the field. Emms got a good restart, pulling away from the field en route to picking up the checkered flag.

“It was a little nerve-racking at the end there with a couple late race cautions, especially with all the built motors behind me,” he admitted. “I feel all the built motors on a restart do have an advantage with the extra horsepower, although they do carry extra weight. So I really did have to play my cards properly and not make mistakes. Again, being the leader, we were able to get both of those restarts and we were really fortunate to have a great handling racecar and that’s what we really saved us there again.

“There were some nerves but again, I have been racing such a long period of time and been in that position so many different times in that past that I’m very thankful to have those experiences and they really supported me in executing that in the end. Additionally, having a spotter, too. My dad was very calm all the way through the race and my crew stays pretty calm in those types of situations. We do know anything can happen in those late race restarts but we were confident we could get the job done and we did, which was great.”

It marks his second straight win in a row at Full Throttle Motor Speedway, which is certainly a great turnaround for the Emms Racing team after going winless last season.

“Like I said, I know from not only my previous experience but also talking to some veterans in the sport that wins will sometimes come in bucket folds and then they’ll dry up for a long period of time depending on the season you’re having, the competition, and the equipment you’re in so obviously we finished in the top-three a lot,” he explained. “The goal for us is to always win. We were held off last season not getting to victory lane which was tough for us, but at the same time, it’s starting to click right now and again, we hope as we progress through the season, we’d like to try to get a couple more. Again, that’s the hope, so hopefully the cards fall our way and we’ll keep doing our homework and working in the shop to try to make that happen.”

It marks his series record-setting 13th straight podium finish, 53rd top-five (second all-time), and 67th top-10 (series leading).

The next race for the Just Foam It OSCAAR Modifieds will take place at Sauble Speedway on Saturday, August 19. In each of five previous appearances at the beach, he has scored a top-five finish, including a trip to victory lane in 2017 and second in June.

“I’m excited to get to Sauble Speedway,” he commented. “Just again, just really focusing on getting some race wins – that’s what we’re there to do, and really just have a solid run. Obviously, we want to get those wins, but at the same time, we really want to execute and show up with a fast racecar. We did have a solid run there earlier in the year – second-place finish – and we’re hoping we’ve built a little bit on our program to hopefully give it another crack at the can later on this month.

“Again, I’m excited to get to Sauble. It’s a place that it’s a beautiful facility, but hasn’t been my favourite track in the past, so hopefully a win will change my mind that way.”

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/.

Continue reading “A.J. Emms Goes Two in a Row in OSCAAR Modified Competition”

DURHAM, Ontario — Running up front throughout the 40-lap feature paid off for A.J. Emms on Saturday night at Full Throttle Motor Speedway with a trip to victory lane.

Emms began the night by starting deep in the field for his first heat, but was able to make his way forward relatively quickly. He took the lead with two laps to go, though a slip up in turns one and two saw him fall back to second at the checkered flag. The second qualifier went his way, as he led flag-to-flag from the pole en route to victory.

Starting eighth for the main event, he wasted no time breaking into the top-five, and closing on the leaders ahead of him. A pair of them would get together battling for the lead, opening the door for Emms to move up into fourth by the first caution at Lap 12.

He utilized the restart to his advantage, jumping up to second on the restart. He tried to reel in the leader, and was able to line up alongside him on a final restart with five laps to go. Unfortunately, he was unable to make the pass, crossing the finish line in second.

During post-race technical inspection, the car ahead of him was found to be illegal per the 2023 OSCAAR rulebook. As a result, Emms was credited with the victory.

It marks his series record-setting 12th straight podium finish, 52nd top-five (second all-time), and 66th top-10 (series leading).

The next race for A.J. Emms and Emms Racing is at Peterboorugh Speedway, on Saturday, August 5. 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 11 appearances there, with nine top-five’s.

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 / AM Marketing – ashleymccubbin17@gmail.com

SAUBLE, Ontario — The consistency carries forward for Emms Racing, as A.J. Emms scored a podium finish on Saturday night at Sauble Speedway.

Emms was fast from the initial drop of the green flag on the night, working his way forward in the first heat for a runner-up finish. He then wasted no time in the second qualifier, taking the lead relatively quickly and pulling away from the field for the win.

Starting seventh for the 40-lap feature, he quickly made his way to the high side, gaining positions through the first couple laps to break into the top-five. The progress did not stop there, as Emms took over the runner-up spot with just nine laps on the board.

He would try to track down the race leader, and got a chance to start alongside on a restart at Lap 17, but was unable to make his way by the top spot. He battled hard to the checkered flag, scoring a second-place finish.

It marks his series record-setting 11th straight podium finish, 51st top-five (second all-time), and 65th top-10 (series leading).

The next race for A.J. Emms and Emms Racing is at Delaware Speedway, with a double-header in two races in two days – Friday, June 30 and Saturday, July 1. Emms knows his way around the half-mile, as evident by a victory, a runner-up, and trio of third-place finishes across his last five appearances.

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/.

Press Release by Ashley McCubbin

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

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.

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 73^rd 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