Luke Stewart is at the Doorstep of a New DIRTcar 358 Modified Season
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media
By the simple definition of the term, weekly short track racing is an easy concept to understand. Drivers spend the season competing at a specific venue and accumulate points that will be used to determine the annual track championship.
22 year old Lucas Stewart – known to almost everyone outside his family as 'Luke' – is getting ready to kick-off the 2015 season of action in the headline small block modified division at Brockville Ontario Speedway. This will be his 4th campaign in the highly competitive class, but the Sydenham, Ontario racer has grown-up around the sport. His early years were spent helping in the shop and at the track on cars owned and maintained by his father and driven by his uncle. All the while, he knew it would be just a matter of time before he climbed behind the wheel and fastened the 5 point racing harness himself.
"I was able to learn so much while working on the cars Uncle Todd drove, but all the while I kept thinking 'I want to do this'," admitted the soft spoken Stewart with a smile. "When I first put together the package to run the Sportsman-Modified team in 2009, it was completely my deal. Both cars were kept in the same shop, but the #19 car was a program that I had put together, from deciding on the paint scheme and signing the sponsors, to finding a way to get the car to the track on a week-to-week basis."
Stewart's career in the Modified ranks has been a string of consistent steps up the ladder. In 2012, he made 10 starts in his rookie season and recorded a trio of top 10 finishes, while sitting 20th in the final point standings. A year later while logging 15 starts, the young speedster scored a pair of top 5 runs and a handful of top 10 efforts on the way to 9thoverall. Last year, another 15 main event green flags produced just a single top 5, but 11 top 10 runs and 10th in points. He says the team has its sights set on an even stronger performance this season.
"I think I have the ability and experience to run with the best out there," said the 2014 graduate of the Drilling and Blasting program at Sir Sanford Fleming College in Lindsay. "Our equipment is some of the best available and our maintenance program is second-to-none. I tend to stay away from setting specific goals, but as a team we're ready for a top 5 point finish and hopefully a main event checkered flag."
Lucas Stewart runs a Higfab Chassis, developed by Orange County Fair Speedway veteran runner Jerry Higbie. The car may be a one of a kind in the field at Brockville, but their program is supported by a builder whose driver roster as grown by leaps and bounds over the past few seasons. For 2015, the team will be supported by M.A. Barr Service Station Maintenance, Martin Electric, Fort Glass, Number One Speed Supply, Re/Max Sales Representative Penny Blake, Higfab Chassis, Bert Transmissions, Fox Shocks and Ultrashield Seats. Team media and public relations services will be provided by Clarke Motorsports Communications.
Photo attachment: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media
Luke Stewart's #19 DIRTcar small block mod was featured during the annual Kingston Racing Preview. The 22 year old from Sydenham, Ontario is looking forward to a strong 2015 season.
Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media
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