The 2019 Knightworks Design OSCAAR Hot Rods presented by Sauble Falls Tent and Trailer Park season saw several Ohsweken Speedway Rookie of the Year contenders throughout the field. One of those was Dustin Kellar, showcasing his Camaro through the back half of the schedule.
“I look forward to getting this season going; I hope it happens sooner than later,” he commented. “I’m a bit concerned of when it does get going, but when it does, I’m sure everybody in the series will be gun ho to get out to the track and turn some laps.”
After getting his feet wet last year, Kellar admits that he’s focused on getting some more seat time this season, in hopes of competing for some heat victories and top-five feature finishes. One of the tracks that he is hopeful of being successful at is Sunset Speedway, which is set to be his home track.
“I don’t live far from there and I look forward to getting a lot of seat time and I want to do really well at Sunset,” he expressed. “My goal is to win some races at Sunset this year.”
Last season, Kellar ran the last three races on the schedule, capping off the year with a sixth-place finish in the Autumn Colours Classic at Peterborough Speedway.
“I guess what surprised me the most would be the speed of the cars,” he reflected. “They are substantially faster than what I remember from when I used to race back in the day. They’re definitely really quick cars, especially the guys at the front; they’re lightning fast.”
For Kellar, his interest in racing developed at a young age, when his dad suggested trying his hand at racing.
“I was in-between sports at the time, and I thought it’d be great,” he recalled. “So my dad and I went out and we bought a ’86 Mercury Capri and I ran the four-cylinder class at North Bay Speedway the summer that I turned 13.”
Since then, Kellar has experienced success behind the wheel with trips to victory lane, noting one single memorable moment doesn’t stand above the rest.
“I’d have to say it’s a collection of the success we had when we started at North Bay Speedway – winning a lot of races and having my dad along there by my side was very important to me,” he commented. “When I think about racing, I just think about the time with my dad and my family. There’s not really one moment that stands out.”
Based on his experience through the years, Kellar’s advice to someone getting started is be open to receiving information from your peers.
“Seek out information, try your best to understand what your peers are doing,” he commented. “If you’re just getting started, you don’t have a history to go back on, so you definitely need to lean on those who have the experience to make cars go fast in this class.”
Be sure to keep up with OSCAAR by staying tuned to the series website at http://www.oscaar.ca. Also, make sure to “like” the official OSCAAR Racing Facebook page, while following both the Twitter and Instagram accounts (@OSCAARRacing) to keep up to date on everything you need to know.
OSCAAR’s 2020 racing season was supported by several dedicated partners including Queenston Chevrolet Buick GMC, Knightworks Design, Living Lighting Canada, Scott Reinhart Trailer Sales Ltd., Touchwood Cabinets, Sauble Falls Campground, The Fyre Place & Patio Shop, Ohsweken Speedway, American Racer, and Grisdale Race Products.
By: Ashley McCubbin