Winning a track championship is the goal of every weekly short track racer, but in each division there can only be one title holder. At Peterborough Speedway, the best of the Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car field for 2016 is Howie Crowe. Easily one of the most quietly aggressive runners in a highly competitive field, the #28 machine – affectionately known as ‘Black Magic’ – is a fan favourite with every turn of the steering wheel. A popular feature at Canada’s Toughest 3rd of a Mile Paved Oval, Crowe has been a Central Ontario fixture for a number of seasons.

Although unwritten and barely spoken above a whisper, Howie Crowe’s goal for the recently concluded season was a simple one. To wind-up one position above the finish that saw the veteran from the Alderville First Nation take the runner-up spot in the final standings in both 2014 and 2015. It would be far from a simple journey, but with his level experience and professionalism, Crowe and the team felt that they were up for the challenge.

“Consistency has long been the key to weekly racing success,” admitted the driver. “We’ve never even thought about leaving the shop and rolling the car into the trailer without first making sure that every ‘I’ is dotted and ‘T’ is crossed. If we’re not fully prepared when we get to the track, we’ll end-up behind all night long and playing catch-up at every turn of the event.”

The ‘consistency’ Crowe mentions made the difference in his championship campaign. He and Kyle Donaldson shared the driving duties during the 2016 season and between them, the pair won 13 qualifying heats and a trio of feature events at the tight, tricky bullring on Mount Pleasant Road, west of the Liftlock City.

Coming into the Saturday, September 3rd Championship Clash, Howie Crowe held a 41-point advantage over his nearest title hopeful, but as the most recent feature event winner, he’d need to start at the tail of the field. He made it into 5th before the halfway mark and survived pair of yellow flags to log a second place finish at the checkered flag and clinch the crown. In victory lane, the victor was happy to wrap things up.

“This is what we’d been looking for since the first green flag of the year,” said the personable driver. “The season had some ups and downs, but I was confident that we’d be able to put together a winning effort. The #60 car had a great year and his performance speaks volumes about the level of future competition in our division. I plan to be around for quite a while longer and I’m hoping this is just the first of many Peterborough Speedway championships.”

Howie Crowe’s 2016 season in the Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car division at Canada’s Toughest 3rd of a Mile Paved Oval is proudly supported by Crowe Brothers Roofing, Trail’s End, Steelcase Tires, Custom Steering, Mayhew Graphics and Clarke Motorsports Communications.