Imagine a diet where 2 scoops of your favourite ice cream are part of the requirement on a regular basis. Howie Crowe is excited about his diet and hungers for his 2014 season to get underway.

The veteran short tracker from Alderville First Nation will be campaigning 2 different machines on 2 entirely diverse racing venues. He’ll steer the tried and true yellow Chevy – affectionately known as ‘the bus’ – on the tight confines of Peterborough Speedway’s 3rd of a mile layout, while the black Monte Carlo – the piece he wheeled to the 2013 Mosport/Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Speedway Thunder Car championship – will roll from the staging area at the 3/8th mile Kawartha Speedway for the inaugural season of the Grassroots Racing Series.

“Running a couple of nights every weekend is really what I’m used to, so it’ll be nice to get into that rhythm again,” said the roofing contractor. “They’re different in size, but neither facility gives you any time to rest behind the wheel. Peterborough is tough because of its size, making it more ‘driver’ focused; while the speeds at Kawartha keep you on your toes from the first lap to the last. Everything happens so quickly there and you can get caught-up in someone else’s problem very quickly.”

Crowe says he likes being able to race in front of his family and friends and each venue close to his home makes the experience even better. As in the past, both cars will be supported by Crowe Brothers Roofing, Trail’s End, Custom Steering and Mayhew Graphics. Again this season, team publicity will be handled by Clarke Motorsports Communications. As happy as he may be to have the new season hit the track, Howie Crowe will be racing with a heavy heart after losing his brother Brad in a construction accident January 8th, 2014. He’ll be dedicating the year’s efforts to Brad’s memory.

“For a large family, we are an especially close-knit bunch,” said Howie Crowe. “Brad didn’t get to the track all that often, but he was a strong supporter of our program and always willing to help out behind the scenes and in the shop. His friendly smile and good natured attitude will certainly be missed.”

Howie Crowe is hoping to build on the strong season he had in 2013. Despite only running a portion of the scheduled events at Mosport, he was able to secure the Thunder Car track championship. He spent his Saturday nights at Peterborough from the midway point of the agenda and managed to pick-up a feature win, while finishing 6th in the overall standings. In 2012 – the most recent complete season at Kawartha – the driver of the #28 machine finished second in the final rundown.

“It would be nice to pick-up where we left off last year, but there will be a number of strong runners hoping for the same thing,” said Crowe. “If we can catch the right breaks at the right time, I think we’ll be in the hunt for another championship calibre season.”