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Danny O’Brien Season in Review; 10th Brockville Speedway Championship and Ten Feature Wins Highlight Stellar Season Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - October 25, 2011
Danny O’Brien got
the 2011 season off to a flying start, scoring top five finishes in his
first four events of the season, including a win in a rare appearance at
Merrittville Speedway back in April.
The schedule in May was a little light due to the number of
rainouts, but June was another good month as Danny posted wins at
Cornwall and Brockville in his Kendrick Racing car, and also won a
feature at Can Am in a car normally piloted by Mike Adderley car.
The month of July got
off to a nearly perfect start as O’Brien won feature events at both
Can Am and Brockville, and then nearly won a Mr. DIRTcar 358 race at
Cornwall during the same weekend. He
finished that race in second place, establishing himself as a contender
for the Mr. DIRTcar championship. He
went on to pick up two more victories at Brockville to end the month of
July. In August, O’Brien
captured another win at Brockville, and two second place finishes to put
him at the top of the standings going into the final night of points.
O’Brien also posted a win at Mohawk Raceway.
In September, O’Brien officially claimed the Brockville
championship, and also battled for the top spot in the Mr. DIRTcar
standings with finishes of 4th at Autodrome Drummond, and 13th
at both Cornwall and Mohawk Raceway.
At the end of September, O’Brien found himself at the top of
the Mr. DIRTcar standings. In October, while
most other teams are gearing up for Super DIRT Week at the New York
State Fairgrounds, O’Brien was looking for sponsorship to cover the
additional funding that it takes to race at Syracuse and be competitive.
With the Nationwide 150 event now being a points race, the
championship wavered on whether O’Brien raced or not.
In the end, he did not secure the funding that was necessary, and
he came up just a few points short in his bid for his first ever Mr.
DIRTcar championship. O’Brien is
currently seeking additional sponsorship for 2012, so if you are looking
to be part of a successful race team, with the credentials that Danny
and his team have to offer, contact Danny O’Brien at dannyobrien17@hotmail.com.
Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Finishes Second in Brockville Season Finale; Valiant Effort Comes up Short in Chase for 2011 Mr. DIRTcar Championship Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - October 18, 2011
There is not a driver
in the field that has had the success of O’Brien at the Brockville
Speedway, coming off his tenth career championship at Brockville this
season. O’Brien set the
tone early as he set fast time in qualifying out of the 40 cars
registered for the season finale. Setting
fast time put O’Brien in the front row in his qualifying heat race,
and would go on to finish second, placing him into the redraw for a top
ten starting spot in the 100 lap main event.
O’Brien drew the fifth position, and lined up on the inside of
row three to start the race. O’Brien stayed in the top five throughout the race, and at
one time, when the point leader had an issue on the track, O’Brien was
in a position to take over the points lead.
As the race progressed though, O’Brien was able to work his way
to second place, and shaved 20 points of his deficit, but came up 10
points short of capturing his first ever 358 Modified Mr. DIRTcar Series
championship. “The afternoon
tracks kind of throw us a little curve ball as we wonder if the track
will take rubber or not take rubber, and it didn’t today”, recalls
O’Brien. “We were too
tight right from the start and I really had my hands full and we were
lucky to get second. “Considering we
missed Syracuse, we will take this and move on”, says O’Brien
describing his one lap effort at the New York State Fairgrounds last
week. “I really have to thank all of our sponsors and crew for
their help throughout the year”. This will end the
season for O’Brien and his team, and after taking some time off, the
will regroup and begin to prepare for the 2012 racing season.
He ended the year with 10 feature wins, at four different race
tracks, and posted 25 top five finishes, 32 top ten finishes in 36 races
this season. “It has been a
great year for us this year, and we will work hard over the off-season
on our program to get event stronger going into 2012”.
O’Brien is
currently seeking additional sponsorship for 2012, so if you are looking
to be part of a success race team, contact Danny O’Brien at dannyobrien17@hotmail.com.
Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Stays in Championship Contention Going Into Final Race of 2011 Season; Fall Nationals at Brockville Coming Up Next Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - October 11, 2011
At Weedsport Speedway
on Wednesday night, O’Brien was second fastest in his time trial
group, and started on the outside of the front row in his heat race.
At the drop of the green, O’Brien had a fast car, and took home
the win, placing him into the redraw for one of the top 12 starting
spots for the 75 lap main event. O’Brien
drew starting spot number nine, and lined up on the inside of the fifth
row for the feature. The
entire 75 lap distance went caution free, and at the checkered flag,
O’Brien finished right where he started.
While the results weren’t what the team had hoped for going in,
they still manage to trim their points lead down to 17 points going into
the next night at Rolling Wheels Raceway. Rolling Wheels is
located just minutes up the road from Weedsport.
O’Brien and the team spent the day on Thursday going over the
car and getting ready for the next race on the Mr. DIRTcar Series.
In his qualifying heat race, O’Brien struggled early, finishing
fifth, earning the final transfer spot into the main event.
He would start the 75 lap main event from 18th place.
During the race, O’Brien moved his way forward, and at the
checkered flag he was in sixth place.
As the race ended and the points were added, O’Brien shaved two
more points of the deficit going into the next event on the series
schedule at Syracuse. The dilemma for
O’Brien and his team came on Saturday.
The New York State Fairgrounds was the site of the next race on
the schedule. In past
years, this race did not count towards the Mr. DIRTcar Series, it only
offered points just to show up, and do a lap during the week.
This year, it became a full fledged series race.
With running Syracuse, the expenses for the whole week add up
fast, and O’Brien had opted out of running this race.
On Saturday morning, O’Brien decided to take advantage of his
guaranteed starting spot, and just do a lap to collect the minimum
points. While O’Brien
finished at the back, the other championship contenders didn’t fair
well either, and O’Brien will go into the final race of the season
just 30 points out of the lead in the battle for his first ever Mr.
DIRTcar Championship. The final race of the
season is set for Saturday night at Brockville.
It would be a perfect scene for O’Brien to capture his first
title on a track that he has had so much success at in past years and a
track where his fan base is second to none. “It would be great
to win it in front of all our fans”, says O’Brien.
“The only thing we can really do is go out there and run well
as we can, and contend for the win.
There is no point worrying about points now, we just need to go
out and win the race and it will take care of itself”. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Charges From the Back to Get Second at Brighton; Tough Night at Cornwall in Mr. DIRTcar Series Action Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - September 27, 2011
O’Brien got off to
a great start at Brighton Speedway winning his qualifying heat race.
In the main event, O’Brien made his way to the front early,
battling in the top five for most of the first half of the race.
Just before halfway, O’Brien lost his track position after
contact sent him spinning in turn four, bringing out the yellow.
On the restart, Danny stormed through the field, using both the
outside and inside lanes to work his way back to the front.
With a few late cautions, Danny was back in position, and jumped
to second on the white flag lap. As
the race ended, Danny finished in second, on the back bumper of younger
brother Tim. “We had a great car
tonight. We made it from
the back up to the front pretty quickly, but didn’t get a chance to
battle Tim for the win”, says O’Brien after the race.
“We will get ready for Cornwall tomorrow and hope we can have a
good finish there as well”. Cornwall Speedway
hosted a rare Sunday afternoon event featuring their rescheduled Mr.
DIRTcar 358 Modified/Canadian National Series 125 lap event. The race was originally scheduled for September 4th,
but rain began to fall just after time trials had been compete forcing
the race to be postponed. The
race resumed on Sunday where they had left off, and Danny started his
qualifying heat in seventh place. He
struggled in the eight lap event, and finished in sixth place.
Before the feature started, all competitors who were at the
previous two Canadian National Series events this season were entered
into a draw for a 2011 Bicknell Chassis and Body.
The perfect attendance award presentation began in front of great
crowd and when a drivers name was pulled from the draw, they were
eliminated from having a chance to win.
O’Brien was the last man standing, and won the 2011 chassis.
Hoping his luck would
continue on the track, O’Brien and his team prepared for the 125 lap
event. The first 75 laps
would be run, and then a 10 minute break would be given for teams to
change tires, refuel the car and make some changes.
O’Brien started the race from deep in the field in 26th
place. Danny was slowly
moving his way up through the field, but had to pit for a flat tire on
lap 35 after narrowly avoiding a wild wreck in turn three.
Danny returned for the restart at the tail of the field. By lap 55, he had climbed back into the top 15, and moved up
one more spot to 14th as the race was stopped for their lap
75 break. When the race
resumed, O’Brien’s car was working better then it had all day, and
by lap 87 he was into the top ten and maintained that tenth place spot
through lap 100. In the
final 25 laps, O’Brien’s car began to fade, and he slipped to 13th
place at the checkered flag, and dropped to second in the battle for the
Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified championship. With no racing
scheduled this coming weekend, O’Brien and his team will get ready for
Super DIRT Week with races at Cayuga County Speedway on October 5th,
Rolling Wheels Raceway on October 6th, and the New York State
Fairgrounds on October 7th and 8th.
The 2011 season will end the following weekend at Brockville
Speedway and the Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified champion will be crowned. O’Brien is
currently seeking sponsorship for their Syracuse run this season. If you would like to see your business on a
championship-winning car, talk to Danny O’Brien and find out how you
can be part of our winning team. Super
DIRT Week is less then a month away, so contact us now for details.
You can reach Danny through email at dannyobrien17@hotmail.com. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Continues to Lead the Way in Mr. DIRTcar Series Points Despite Tough Night at Mohawk International Raceway Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - September 19, 2011
O’Brien has had
prior success at Mohawk Raceway this season, winning just one month ago,
and hoped that they could build on that racing in the DIRTcar Series.
The night started out well, as he won his qualifying heat, and
locking himself into one of the top 12 starting spots for the main
event. As luck would have
it, or lack-there-of, O’Brien drew the 12th starting spot,
and started the 75 lap race from outside of the sixth row.
Track conditions were less then ideal for O’Brien, as he
struggled for much of the race. At
the checkered flag, O’Brien finished in 13th place. “It was tough going
out there tonight. The
track was really dry and slick, and it was just tough to pass”, says
O’Brien after the race. “Hopefully
we can have a good run in the next series race and the rest of the
season”. On Saturday night,
O’Brien will race at Brighton Speedway for their Applefest Shootout
for the 358 Modifieds. On
Sunday, he will be at Cornwall for the rescheduled Mr. DIRTcar 358
Series race held over from September 4th.
After that, O’Brien will have a couple of weeks to prepare for
Super DIRT Week, with Mr. DIRTcar Series events at Cayuga County on
Wednesday, October 5th, Rolling Wheels Raceway on Thursday,
October 6th and the New York State Fairgrounds on Friday and
Saturday, October 7th and 8th.
The 2011 Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified champion will be crowned at
Brockville Speedway on Saturday, October 15th O’Brien is
currently seeking sponsorship for their Syracuse run this season. If you would like to see your business on a
championship-winning car, talk to Danny O’Brien and find out how you
can be part of our winning team. Super
DIRT Week is less then a month away, so contact us now for details.
You can reach Danny through email at dannyobrien17@hotmail.com. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. For more information
on Danny O’Brien and the 17D racing team, please visit our website, www.dannyobrien.ca ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Scores Fourth Place Finish at Autodrome Drummond; Leads the Way in DIRTcar 358 Modified Series Points Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - September 12, 2011
O’Brien started the
75 lap main event from the 14th position, and quickly moved
into the top ten. Through
the first 30 laps of the race, O’Brien had worked his way forward and
climbed to sixth place, and continued to battle his way into the top
five as the race approached halfway.
At lap 43, he moved into fourth place, and advanced to third at
lap 57. O’Brien continued
to run third for the next ten laps before falling back to fourth in the
closing laps. With the
solid finish, O’Brien extended his point lead to 24 points. “We had a good run
tonight here tonight”, says O’Brien.
We now can look forward to the next couple races at tracks that
we traditionally run well at”, says O’Brien referring to the next
two Mr. DIRTcar 358 events at Mohawk International Raceway and Cornwall
Speedway. “We need to run
well at these tracks and maybe get a win”. This coming weekend
O’Brien will be at Mohawk International Raceway on Friday night.
The following weekend will be the rescheduled Mr. DIRTcar 358
Series race at Cornwall Speedway. Once
that race is over, O’Brien will prepare for Super DIRT Week XL, and
events at Cayuga County Fair Speedway, Rolling Wheels Raceway and the
New York State Fairgrounds on October 5th – 8th.
The 2011 season will end just one week later back at Brockville
and O’Brien hopes to claim the Mr. DIRTcar title. “We don’t want to
get too far ahead of ourselves, as we have a lot of racing left before
the season is over. It
would be great to win it, of course, but we are going to take it one
race at a time”, says O’Brien. O’Brien is
currently seeking sponsorship for their Syracuse run this season. If you would like to see your business on a
championship-winning car, talk to Danny O’Brien and find out how you
can be part of our winning team. Super
DIRT Week is less then a month away, so contact us now for details.
You can reach Danny through email at dannyobrien17@hotmail.com. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. For more information
on Danny O’Brien and the 17D racing team, please visit our website, www.dannyobrien.ca ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Conquers 10th Career Brockville Speedway Championship Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - September 7, 2011
At Brockville on
Saturday night, O’Brien began the evening with the usual qualifying
heat races. O’Brien
started the 10 lap qualifier from fourth place and moved up to third at
the finish. With the heat race now in the books, all O’Brien had left
to do was start the night’s 30 lap feature and he would be declared
champion. O’Brien however
was looking for more, as he wanted to end the 2011 regular season at
Brockville with a win. O’Brien
started the main event from outside of the sixth row in 12th
place. At the drop of the
green, O’Brien moved up through the field.
At lap seven, the yellow was out, and O’Brien was now up to
sixth place, and just two laps later he was up to fourth.
At halfway, O’Brien was up to second place and a classic battle
ensued for the top three spots. At the checkered flag, O’Brien finished in second place. “The car was really
good, but we wanted to get the win to go along with the championship”,
says O’Brien. “We are
very excited about our 10th Brockville track championship,
but we still have some work to do to put ourselves in position to go
after the DIRTcar 358 Modified title this season”. The Mr. DIRTcar 358
Modified tour was set to resume on Sunday night at Cornwall Speedway.
A forecast with an 80% chance of rain for the Cornwall area left
many in doubt that there would be any races at all, but the rain held
off all day long and it appeared that the racing action would go off
without delay. Unfortunately,
Mother Nature had other ideas, and just before qualifying heats, the
skies opened up, forcing track officials to cancel the night’s
program. At this time, a
rain date has not been announced. This coming weekend
O’Brien will be back on the 358 Modified Mr. DIRTcar Series at
Autodrome Drummond on Friday night.
The series will continue the following Friday, September 16th
at Mohawk International Raceway. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. For more information
on Danny O’Brien and the 17D racing team, please visit our website, www.dannyobrien.ca ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien On Verge of 10th Brockville Speedway Track Championship Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - August 31, 2011
At Brockville on
Saturday night, O’Brien started the night out by finishing fifth in
his qualifying heat race. After
the qualifier, O’Brien returned to the pit area and the team
deliberated as to what changes to make on the car before the 30 lap main
event. Danny started the
feature from inside of row seven in 13th place.
After avoiding a multi-car spin on lap four, O’Brien was now up
to seventh and by lap 7 he was up into the top five.
The caution came out on lap eight, and O’Brien restarted the
race from the fourth position, when the race resumed he made his move to
third and held that through halfway.
A few laps later, O’Brien made the pass for second, and that is
where he finished. “It was a good run
for us again tonight. We
are doing what we need to do to win this championship”, says
O’Brien. “We lost a few points to the 115, but if we can come in
here next week and run our own race, and have a solid finish we will be
in great shape”. O’Brien had planned
to race at Cornwall Speedway on Sunday, but the dissipating remnants of
Hurricane Irene that come up from the east coast caused an all day rain,
and track officials were forced to cancel the racing program. This coming weekend
O’Brien will be back at Brockville on Saturday night for the season
finale for the regular season. O’Brien
hopes to clinch his 10th Brockville Speedway title.
On Sunday night, Cornwall Speedway hosts a 125 lap Canadian
Nationals/Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified Series race. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Perfect Weekend For O’Brien With Wins at Mohawk Raceway and Brockville Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - August 16, 2011
Making his first
start of the season at Mohawk Raceway, O’Brien would have to start
from near the rear of the field in the 25 lap main event.
It didn’t take him long to rip through the field and by halfway
he was battling for a top five. The
night got interesting on lap 20 as the top two leaders tangled giving
O’Brien third place as they lined up for the restart.
In the closing laps, O’Brien inched closer, taking the second
spot with the white flag waving, and made the pass for the win coming
out of turn four on the final lap.
O’Brien crossed the finish in first place by less then a car
length. The win was his
ninth of the season, and has now won at five different race tracks this
season. “That was a lot of
fun racing for the win like that”, says O’Brien.
“A win is always good, but pulling off a last lap pass coming
out of turn four with the checkered flag waiving is pretty special”. At Brockville
Speedway on Saturday night, O’Brien was hoping for another good night,
and bolstering his chances for his 10th Brockville Speedway
track championship. In his
qualifying heat race, O’Brien started seventh and finished second.
In the 30 lap main event, Danny rolled off the starting grid from
the 11th position inside the sixth row.
The first caution was out with one lap complete and O’Brien had
now moved up to eighth. The
next yellow came on lap seven, and with O’Brien now in second, he
lined up on the outside of the front row for the restart.
O’Brien got the run he needed and took over the top spot and
cruised to the win. This coming weekend,
O’Brien will have the night off on Saturday night at Brockville does
not have the 358 Modified division on the schedule.
He will be racing on Friday night at a track yet to be announced,
and will race at Cornwall on Sunday. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. For more information
on Danny O’Brien and the 17D racing team, please visit our website, www.dannyobrien.ca ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ O’Brien Gets Second Place Finish at Brockville on Saturday Night; Closing in on Tenth BOS Championship Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - August 9, 2011
On Saturday night at
Brockville, Danny started his heat race from the fourth position, and
carefully bided his time, advancing to third at the checkered flag.
After arriving back in the pit area, Danny and the crew
deliberated as to what changes to make to the car, and after making some
minor tweaks, they were ready for the night’s 30 lap Modified main
event. Danny started the
race from the 12th position, and quickly moved up at the drop
of the green flag, narrowly avoiding an early wreck on lap two.
By lap ten, O’Brien was into the top five, and began to make
more progress as the race approached the halfway mark. With just five laps to go, O’Brien was in second place, and
did all he could to take the top spot on the final restart of the night,
but settled for second place. “We had a good run,
but just couldn’t get past the 115 at the end”, says O’Brien. I have to thank the crew, all of our sponsors and the race
fans for supporting us each week. You
lost a few points tonight, but we still have the point lead with just a
few weeks remaining”. This coming weekend,
O’Brien will be back at Brockville on Saturday, and tentatively plans
to race at Cornwall on Sunday. Stay
tuned for details and upcoming schedule changes as the final month of
the regular season continues. The
next race in the 358 Modified Mr. DIRTcar Series will be Sunday,
September 4th at Cornwall Speedway. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. For more information
on Danny O’Brien and the 17D racing team, please visit our website, www.dannyobrien.ca ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Gets Top Ten Finishes in DIRTcar 358 Series Events at Cornwall and Merrittville Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - August 3, 2011
The first event of
the weekend was at Cornwall Speedway.
O’Brien certainly had home track advantage over most of the
Series competitors and it paid off as he not only set fast time out of
his group, but was also the fastest of the 43 cars in the pit area at
Cornwall. O’Brien started
his qualifying heat race from the front row and finished the race in
second place, locking into the redraw for one of the top ten starting
spots for the evening’s 100 lap main event.
The redraw took place in front of a packed crowd at Cornwall
Speedway just as driver introductions took place to introduce the 30 car
starting lineup. By luck of
the draw, Danny drew the second position, placing him outside of the
front row for the feature race. O’Brien
had the race in hand for the first 25 laps before losing the top spot
just one lap later. The
caution was out on lap 31, and O’Brien had now slipped to third place
as the handling on the car began to deteriorate as the race went on. By lap 70, now in the middle of an unusually long green flag
run, O’Brien was hanging onto a top five spot.
The next and final caution of the race came on lap 91 and
O’Brien was still running in the fifth position.
When the race resumed he fell back one more spot to sixth place. With Monday being a
holiday here in Ontario, Merrittville Speedway hosted a Big Block
Modified Super DIRTcar Series race.
In addition to that, the remaining 75 laps from the 358 Modified
Series was also added to the schedule after rain cut the night short
back on the originally scheduled date back in May.
When the race resumed, it picked up where it left off on lap 25,
with O’Brien running in the 21st position.
As they reached lap 50, O’Brien had climbed to 16th
place, and moved up one more spot as they approached lap 75.
From there, O’Brien found a lane that worked, and in the final
25 laps he moved up to 8th. With the 358 Modified
race now over, O’Brien decided to try and qualify his 358 Modified
against the more powerful Big Blocks Modifieds.
With a dry and slick racing surface, the underpowered Small Block
could have an advantage. In
time trials, O’Brien was the fourth fastest in his group, placing him
in the fourth position for his heat race.
He advanced to third, picking up the final qualifying spot for
the 100 lap Super DIRTcar Series feature.
O’Brien started the race from inside of the seventh row in the
13th position. O’Brien
held his own for much of the race, but slid back to finish a
disappointing 22nd. “We had a solid run
in the first race, and that is what counts toward our championship.
The second race, we were experimenting with some things to see if
we can learn anything for the next time we are out here”, says
O’Brien. In the 358 Modified
Super DIRTcar Series, Danny currently sits third place in overall points
The next race on the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series schedule is back
at Cornwall on Sunday, September 4th. Danny will be back at
Brockville Ontario Speedway this coming Saturday night as they return to
action after giving their weekly classes the night off. Tentatively, he also plans to race at Cornwall Speedway on
Sunday. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Makes Thrilling Last Lap Pass to Claim Second Consecutive BOS Feature Win Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - July 26, 2011
O’Brien returned to
Brockville on Saturday night hoping to get back to victory lane. In his qualifying heat he started from the fourth position
and worked his way up to second place.
As the 30 lap feature got underway, a little light rain began to
fall and track officials made a precautionary move to send the cars to
the pits to wait out the rain, as the radar showed some heavy rain in
the area. While many teams
assumed the race would be over and began to pack up for the night, track
officials soon made the call to everyone that the rain had bypassed the
track and racing would continue. O’Brien
started the feature from inside row six in the 11th position.
He meticulously worked his way forward and was running second as
the final laps wound down. Coming
out of turn four on the final lap, younger brother Tim gave Danny the
room he needed and made the winning pass as the checkered flag was
displayed. “I had assumed then
when they sent us off the track that we were done”, claimed O’Brien
after the race. “I am
sure they were just being cautious and did not want to see an incident
like they had at Ransomville earlier this year where everyone wrecked as
the rain came down suddenly. I
am happy they restarted the race”. This week’s racing
schedule is still up in the air at this time.
Brockville does not have the 358 Modifieds scheduled this week.
Stay tuned to the website for the last updates on race
information going into the weekend. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. For more information
on Danny O’Brien and the 17D racing team, please visit our website, www.dannyobrien.ca ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Picks Up Third BOS Victory of 2011; Second Place Finish at Can Am Motorsports Park Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - July 19, 2011
At Can Am on Friday
night, O’Brien arrived at the track to a disheartening field of just
seven Modifieds on hand. While
the car counts were low, the competition was still tough, and O’Brien
finished fifth in the qualifying heat race.
O’Brien and the crew made several adjustment to the car before
the feature, and took to the track from inside the third row in the
fifth position. O’Brien
moved up steadily, finishing the race in second place at the usual 25
lap feature was trimmed to 20. “It was a good run
for us, but it is disappointing to see this place have such a poor
turnout for the Modified division”, states O’Brien.
“The place has a lot of history here and hopefully they can
turn it around real soon”. Next up was another
showdown at the Brockville Ontario Speedway on Saturday night. O’Brien entered the night in second place in track points
just ten points out of the lead. First
up on the night was qualifying heats and Danny started from the seventh
position. At the checkered
flag, he had advanced to fifth. During
intermission, the track held their annual driver autograph session and
all cars in the pit area filled the front straightaway as spectators had
a chance to go down onto the track to meet the drivers.
It is a great event for drivers as well, getting a chance to meet
the race fans. With
autographs over, it was time to go racing, and O’Brien and the crew
began to work on the car in preparation for the upcoming 30 lap feature.
Danny started from the 11th position and quickly began
to move through the field. With
just five laps in, Danny was up to sixth, and soon was challenging for a
top five spot. By lap ten,
he was up to fourth and still moving through the pack.
With the first caution of the race on lap 17, Danny was now up to
third place. O’Brien was
on the bottom of the track for the next several laps, taking over the
lead on lap 22 when inadvertent contact with the second place car
brought out the final yellow of the night.
O’Brien cruised to the win, his third of the season at the BOS
and now seventh overall in 2011. “We had a great car
again tonight. I have to
thank the crew for all their hard work”, says O’Brien in victory
lane. “I hate to win it this way though”, referring to the
contact with Lafrance. The
win now puts O’Brien in the point lead for the first time this season.
He now holds a slim seven point advantage. This coming weekend,
O’Brien will be back at the Brockville Speedway on Saturday night, and
then Cornwall Speedway on Sunday. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. For more information
on Danny O’Brien and the 17D racing team, please visit our website, www.dannyobrien.ca ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Gets a Second Place Finish at the BOS on Saturday Night Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - July 14, 2011
At Brockville on
Saturday night, qualifying races were up first, and Danny rolled off the
starting grid from the fifth position.
He slowly moved through the field, getting to third place at the
checkered flag. Danny and
his 1000 Islands RV Centre team went to work making some adjustments to
the car before the 30 lap main event.
O’Brien lined up inside row six in the 11th position
for the feature. A quick yellow was displayed with just one lap complete, and
O’Brien had moved up to eighth. After
just two more laps of green flag racing, the yellow was out again, and
O’Brien continued to move forward, now sitting in the sixth position.
Just before halfway, O’Brien had charged to the front of the
pack. On a lap 21 restart,
Danny lost the lead and settled into second place.
He maintained second for the remainder of the event.
With the runner-up finish, O’Brien is now second in point
standings, only ten points out of the lead. “We had a good car
tonight, we just missed it by a little bit”, explains O’Brien. “Overall, it was a good points night for us, and we look
forward to coming back here next week and hopefully we can get back to
victory lane”. Cornwall Speedway was
up next for the O’Brien team. Danny
started fifth in his qualifying heat, and advanced to fourth at the
checkered flag. The team
went to work once he made it back to the pit area, making several
adjustments to the car. O’Brien
started 11th in the 30 lap main event at Cornwall but the car
was working properly as he dropped through the field.
Despite the problems, O’Brien climbed back to 13th
at lap ten, but he reported to the pits just past halfway and did not
return. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. For more information
on Danny O’Brien and the 17D racing team, please visit our website, www.dannyobrien.ca ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien’s Celebrates Canada Day Weekend With a Pair of Wins and a Spectacular 2nd Place Run in Cornwall Speedway Thriller Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - July 4, 2011
At Can Am on Friday
night, Danny O’Brien returned to the track in his own car, after
driving the Mike and Tim Adderley owned car the previous race.
In his qualifying heat, he started from the eighth position and
moved up to third at the checkered flag.
After making some minor adjustments after the heat, O’Brien was
ready for the 30 lap main event. Starting
from the fifth position, Danny was looking to get out front early.
At the drop of the green flag, O’Brien went right to the front
of the pack, taking over second by lap three and then to the lead just a
couple laps later. O’Brien
cruised to victory winning for the second race in a row at Can Am. “We had a great
car again tonight. I think
our luck is starting to turn around.
We had some tough luck early this season, but we have continued
to work hard. I have to
thank the crew for all their hard work, our sponsors, as well as the
fans. It is nice to see
such a big crowd here”, states O’Brien from the winner’s circle. On Saturday night,
O’Brien returned to the Brockville Ontario Speedway, looking for his
second consecutive win. In his qualifying heat race, Danny started from
the fifth position and by lap three he had the lead, and went on to take
the win. Again, with minor
changes to the car between the heat and feature, O’Brien was ready for
the 30 lap main event, starting from outside the fifth row in the tenth
position. By lap five, he was already up to third place, and continued
to work his way forward. With
a caution on lap six, O’Brien lined up in third and moved to second on
the ensuing restart. Just a
few laps later O’Brien took the lead and cruised to his second win in
a row at the BOS, and second win of the weekend. “We are having a
great weekend so far”, says O’Brien.
“Hopefully we can do this again tomorrow night in the 100 lap
race at Cornwall. Again, I
have to thank the crew, all of our sponsors and the fans for coming out
and supporting us each week”. One last stop on a
very successful weekend schedule was a 100 lap Big Block Modified Super
DIRTcar Series on Sunday night at Cornwall Speedway.
On most occasions, the Small Block under the hood of the
O’Brien’s Kendrick Racing Bicknell just isn’t enough to keep up
with the more powerful Big Blocks, but on a short track like Cornwall,
with dry and slick track conditions, the Small Block could very well
have a distinct advantage. After posting the second fastest speed in his time trial
group, O’Brien started his heat race from the outside of row one. With just three cars making the redraw out of each of the
four heat races, O’Brien was hoping for a solid run. O’Brien finished the race in third, making the redraw for
one of the first 12 positions for the 100 lap main event. The Modified redraw took place in front of a packed
grandstand during driver introductions, and O’Brien drew the eighth
position. The first yellow
of the race happened on lap two, and already O’Brien had moved up to
sixth place and by lap ten he was into the top five.
As they approached lap 25, Danny now advanced to fourth place,
looking to move up even further. Just
before halfway, O’Brien had moved up to third, as the race began to
heat up in heavy lap traffic. With
20 laps to go, Danny was in second and was chasing down the leader as
they maneuvered through the traffic.
With five laps to go, the slower lap cars slowed up the leader
and O’Brien was gaining ground each lap.
Coming to the checkered flag, O’Brien has right on the back
bumper of the race winner, and settled for a great second place finish
to top off a nearly perfect weekend. This coming
weekend, Danny will be back at Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports on Friday
night, Brockville Speedway on Saturday and Cornwall Speedway on Sunday
night. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Returns to Can Am Victory Lane For First Time Since 2008 Season; Third Place Finish in Double Points Night at the BOS Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - June 20, 2011
Danny O’Brien
wasn’t sure what to expect when he agreed to drive Mike and Tim
Adderley’s TEO car this past weekend at Can Am.
He knew the equipment was amongst the best on the track, but
O’Brien has been driving Bicknell cars for the bulk of this career and
the TEO would surely present a challenge.
O’Brien was excited about the opportunity though, and made the
short trip across the border to Lafargeville, New York.
O’Brien started fifth in his qualifying heat and worked his way
forward, at the checkered flag, he came up just short of the victory,
and was clearly the fastest car on the track.
In the 25 lap main event, Danny started eighth place and just
like in the heat, he worked his way towards the front of the pack.
With five laps in, O’Brien had climbed to third and began to
challenge the leaders. Two
laps later Danny was up to second and by lap ten he was side by side
fighting for the lead. As the white flag was displayed O’Brien made his move for
the lead, and took the top spot earning his first victory at Can Am
since the 2008 season. “I really have to
thank Mike and Tim Adderley for such a great car to drive. It was pretty much perfect all night long.
We made some minor changes between the heat and feature, and that
was pretty much it”, says O’Brien.
“The track was in real good shape tonight too, it was a lot of
fun tonight”. At Brockville on
Saturday night, Danny was hoping for a big night, as 1000 Islands RV
sponsored the program that consisted of double laps, double purse, and
double points, as well as a $500 to win Dash for Cash.
In his qualifying heat race, O’Brien started fourth and wasted
no time at all getting to the front making an unbelievable move to get
to the lead before they headed down the backstretch on lap one.
O’Brien cruised to victory in the 10 lap heat.
A draw determined the lineup for the eight drivers voted into the
dash by the fans. Danny
drew the second position, and started from the outside of the front row.
At the checkered flag, O’Brien was in the second position.
On a typical night at the BOS, the Modified feature is 30 laps,
but on this night, the total purse, the points, and even the laps were
double, and they 358 Modifieds were ready for their 60 lap main event.
O’Brien started the race from eighth place.
With ten laps in, O’Brien had made his way up to fourth place,
and was third when the caution bunched the field up on lap 12.
With 20 laps in Danny was running second, surrounded by brothers
Tim and Pat. The all
O’Brien show continued through the end of the first 30 laps as they
continued to run nose to tail in the top three positions.
O’Brien finished the event in third place. This coming weekend,
O’Brien will be at Mohawk International Raceway on Thursday night,
Brockville Speedway on Saturday night and Cornwall Speedway on Sunday. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. For more information
on Danny O’Brien and the 17D racing team, please visit our website, www.dannyobrien.ca ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Gets Back to Victory Lane With Convincing Win at Cornwall Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - June 6, 2011
Although car counts
in the 358 Modified division have been low all season at Can Am, Danny
O’Brien took the opportunity on Friday night to do some testing and
work on a few things that will hopefully pay off later in the year.
Danny left Can Am with a fourth place finish, looking to gain
some valuable momentum through the rest of the weekend. On Saturday night
at Brockville, Danny started his qualifying heat from the fifth position
and wasted little time getting to the front.
At the checkered flag, he was at the front of the pack.
For the 30-lap feature, he started from the fifth position once
again and began working his way forward.
On lap 3, O’Brien was challenging for third, and got hit from
the back by another car and became hooked together heading down the
backstretch. Danny
restarted from the rear of the field and just three laps later he was
back into the top ten. At
the checkered flag, he finished in seventh place. At Cornwall
Speedway on Sunday, O’Brien started second in his qualifying heat race
and picked up the checkered flag. For
the 30 lap main event, Danny rolled off the starting grid from pole
position. O’Brien clearly
had the car to beat, as he led every lap of the race, taking home his
second win of the season, and first of the year at Cornwall. “We had a great
car tonight” says O’Brien in victory lane.
“We have been working hard all season long trying to get things
on the right track. I have
to thank the crew for all of their hard work, all of our sponsors and
the race fans for coming out and supporting us at the track each
week”. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. We
also thank all of our fans, and we encourage you all to vote for us into
the Double Dash for Cash on June 18th at Brockville.
To place your vote, simply go to www.brockvillespeedway.com
and make your choice. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Danny O’Brien Captures First Win of the New Season With Dominating Performance at Merrittville Speedway Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - May 1, 2011
During last week’s
feature, O’Brien made an early pit stop and stormed through the field,
and when he returned to the tricky Merrittville track for the second
time around, he picked up right where he left off, winning the 35 lap
feature in dominating fashion. He
made the pass for the lead on lap 11, and at one point he had a
half-track lead over second place.
At the checkered flag, O’Brien crossed the line several seconds
ahead of second place, and credited his team for the early season
success at Merrittville. “They’re
a good crew and it’s a good package,” said O’Brien after his first
ever win at Merrittville Speedway, “Darren (Kendrick) has spent a lot
of time with the team this winter and along with the guys at BRP,
they’ve taught me how to drive this track.
It’s a tough track to get around.” O’Brien will stay
closer to home this coming weekend with Brockville Speedway hosting
their practice session in preparation for their season opener on May 14th.
Cornwall Speedway will open the next day with twin 20 lap
features on Sunday, May 15th. Danny O’Brien and
Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad,
Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines,
Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support
during the 2011 racing season. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ New Colors and New Number for Kingston’s Danny O’Brien in 2011; Third Place Finish at Merrittville in Season Debut Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design - April 27, 2011
O’Brien
has had several starts at Merrittville in the past, mainly following the
DIRTcar 358 Modified tour which visits Merrittville once a year.
The schedule of events consisted of time trials, qualifying
heats, and a 60 lap feature. O’Brien
was fast in his hot lap session, and backed that up with fast time in
his group for qualifying, placing him on the front row for his 8 lap
heat race. O’Brien finished second in his heat, giving him a 6th
place start for the 60 lap feature.
The team was very optimistic, but had a great challenge ahead,
racing against the Merrittville regulars. When
the green flag dropped the challenge became even greater for O’Brien.
He had dropped back a few spots at the start of the race, and
with a caution on lap three he came to the pits, and the team made some
chassis adjustments to the Kendrick Racing 2011 Bicknell. When the race resumed, O’Brien resumed the race from the
rear of the field. O’Brien
quickly moved up through the field, proving the adjustments early were
exactly what they needed. At
the checkered flag, O’Brien moved up to third place. “Merrittville
is a tough track to figure out, but it is a lot of fun”, says
O’Brien. “I would
compare it to Brewerton, only here its turn 3 and 4 that are really
tight as opposed to turns 1 and 2 at Brewerton.
We don’t get to race here all that much, but I enjoy racing
here. Pete (Bicknell) does
a great job with the place. We
will be back here on Saturday, and then again next month with the DIRTcar 358 series”. Danny
O’Brien and Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV
Centre, Pat’s Rad, Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry,
Morrison Racing Engines, Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing
Shocks for their support during the 2011 racing season. For
more information on Danny O’Brien and the 17D racing team, please
visit our website, www.dannyobrien.ca
|
 |
Danny
O’Brien had a pair of events on his schedule this weekend, the first
came at Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park, after a deal was struck to
drive another car on Friday night.
After
getting the season off to a great start with a win at Merrittville
Speedway at the end of April, O’Brien looked to be at the top of his
game early, but with a string of bad luck, and some tough race tracks,
O’Brien struggled in the first few weeks of the season at his home
tracks.
Last
weekend, Danny O’Brien and his team left their Kingston, Ontario home
and traveled west to the Merrittville Speedway, in Thorold, Ontario to
gain some valuable seat time for the first race of the Mr. DIRTcar 358
Modified tour, and also shake their car down before O’Brien’s weekly
tracks, Brockville Ontario Speedway and Cornwall Motor Speedway open
later this month.