Column: The 2023 Season Can’t Start Soon Enough For Veteran Terry McClelland
Column By: JIM CLARKE / TERRY MCCLELLAND RACING – RENFREW, ONT – Local racers have a passion for the sport. It takes a lot of hard work, determination, commitment and heart, but there is no other place they’d rather be.
When the green flag waves to launch the 2023 season, it will also mark Terry McClelland’s 22nd year of hometown motorsports competition. The 45-year-old runner from Renfrew, Ontario has built a strong racing background, with experience on pavement and dirt tracks. Currently campaigning a DIRTcar 358 Modified at Brockville and Cornwall Speedways, his resume also includes a 2014 Semi Pro Canadian title with what is now the Canadian Legend Car Series.
“It has all been a lot of fun and I’ve made some great friends over my years in the sport,” said Terry McClelland, who owns and operates Goshen Road Automotive in his hometown. “My family travels to the track with me almost every weekend and my sons Connor and Hayden Brown help out through the week in the shop and at the track on raceday.”
McClelland’s No. 64 Small Block Mod – carrying a number that traces back to the roots of his first-ever racecar, a 1964 Chevy Impala – will once again carry sponsorship support from Glenview Iron & Metal, Goshen Road Automotive, Dwaine’s Towing – Renfrew, McRea’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Arnprior & Ottawa Auto Parts and Ottawa Valley Oxygen.
After making the move from the Novice Sportsman division, Terry McClelland finished 12th in the 2022 Modified point standings at Brockville Speedway and had 3 top 10 finishes in 15 starts. He finished 14th in Ogilvie’s Auto & Fleet Series running order. Following a busy winter going over their equipment and putting things back together, the driver and his team are ready to get the fresh schedule underway.
“Even with some new competition in the field, everyone comes into the opening night on a level playing field,” said Terry McClelland, who lists 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson as one of his favourite professional racers. “To think that I’ve been doing this for over 2 decades and I’m still having as much fun as I did the very first day is quite a testament to the sport and all the people I’ve met along the way.”
While he’s been plying his racing craft on dirt for the past several seasons, McClelland says he’ll always look back fondly at his laps at a variety of tracks including Peterborough, Sunset and Flamboro Speedways and lists runs at Fraserville, Ontario’s Kawartha Speedway as the preferred of his career, calling the now-shuttered oval the fastest track where he’s ever raced.
Keep an eye on the No. 64 machine of Terry McClelland at the upcoming season openers and throughout the 2023 schedule at Brockville Ontario Speedway and Cornwall Motor Speedway.
