By: Ashley McCubbin

OHSWEKEN, Ontario —When it was announced the NASCAR Pinty’s Series would be going dirt racing, there was a lot of excitement for both drivers and fans alike. However, it did not compare to the smile on Glenn Styres’ face.

Not only will he be competing in the event on Tuesday, August 16 at Ohsweken Speedway, but he will be in charge of playing host as he owns the track.

“Hopefully (it’s) going to be the biggest race that Ohsweken Speedway has ever seen,” he told NEWS FROM THE PITS last month. “We’ve done a lot of improvements, (so) hopefully the improvements work out good for the teams. (We) really can’t wait.”

The excitement has only grown since the original announcement, with the array of dirt ringers that will be in the field. Alongside series regulars, NASCAR Cup Series competitor Christopher Bell will be behind the wheel of the No. 64 for Wight Motorsports. Stewart Friesen has also added his hat to the ring driving for 22 Racing, alongside Ken Schrader in the No. 3 for Ed Hakonson Racing. When you combine those stars with dirt regulars Dave Bailey (pictured right) and Aaron Turkey, it’s the perfect recipe for success.

As a promotor, Styres is excited for how the driver line-up has grown in knowing the event’s potential. However, there is also excitement as a competitor in the series in curious to see “how I end up against all of these other drivers.”

In anticipation for the event, there has been limited testing done at the facility in seeing how the cars will handle the dirt.

“All these cars are the same – either they’re pushing or loose,” Styres commented. “The good guys are going to always be good, so it’s not going to take much for drivers to adjust.”