SLMS: Riding a Successful Debut’s Momentum into Year 2
December 22nd, 2023,
The Super Late Model Series (SLMS) put together quite the debut in 2023, emerging not just as a new entrant in the racing world, but as a remarkable success story. Deploying a format of: 6 Races | 3 Tracks | 2 Provinces | 1 Champion, an equitable payment structure & tire policy, and a small, proactive and caring team, they achieved significant car counts, and a large pool of full-time points racers. It seems that every competitor who showed up was valued, and others were reached out to, and had interest expressed towards. Respect, inclusiveness, and fairness were all focal points.
The series demonstrated resilience and adaptability in the face of unpredictable weather, which impacted most of its events. In fact, 5 out of 6 events were impacted in some capacity by weather:
May 13th (Speedway 660 Race #1) - feature pushed to May 14th.
June 3rd (Petty International Raceway Race #1) - complete washout and moved to July 8th.
June 17th (Oyster Bed Speedway Race #1) - very cold temperature, and a threat of rain; forced the format to be rearranged.
Aug 5th (Oyster Bed #2) - Heavy & Significant Rainfall forced a rescheduling for Aug 6th.
Aug 19th (660 #2) - Threat of rain. Early showers cut a practice session short but the main event itself fortunately was unaffected.
Sept 30th (Petty #2) - The only race to go off completely without a hitch, weather-wise.
Ultimately, that’s a rate of 83% of the scheduled races that endured some form of interruption from weather. Weather was a constant adversary for SLMS, with multiple events being postponed or rearranged, and some subsequent lowering of car counts. Yet, this didn't deter the series from delivering high-quality racing experiences, both for competitors and fans, and still maintaining impressive car counts. The ability to navigate such hurdles in their debut year speaks volumes about the organizational prowess and commitment of the SLMS team.
Looking ahead to its second year, the momentum is palpable. The recent announcement of Easy-Kleen Pressure Systems powering the six-race series in 2024 signifies the growing interest and investment in SLMS. This partnership is poised to elevate the series further, promising an even more thrilling season ahead.
We’re very excited to come to an agreement with Easy-Kleen. Much like SLMS, they started from humble beginnings and hard work. The two brands working together will see growth for both for the next few seasons and beyond. - Brent Roy, Series Director of SLMS
In the off-season, SLMS continues to engage its audience. The series has been releasing well-crafted, several minute-long highlight/video packages and write-ups for the top-20 drivers in points standings, including their season stats. This initiative not only keeps the fans connected and informed, but also shines a spotlight on all competitors, not just the front-runners. Such efforts in celebrating and promoting its drivers underscore SLMS’s commitment to building a robust racing community.
As SLMS gears up for its second season, it does so on the back of a successful debut, fortified by strong community support and growing sponsor interest. This promising trajectory suggests that SLMS is not just riding the momentum of its initial success but is also looking to define a new chapter in the region’s racing history.
In 2024 the SLMS is going to have big expectations, and shoes to fill. This isn’t the worst problem to have, rather it signifies that it has earned those high forward-looking expectations.
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