Glyn Nott has been racing at Speedway 660 for the better part of two decades. The veteran Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman driver has had plenty of success in events like this weekend’s Firecracker 150. Wade Wilson had a Conversation with Glyn while sitting around the Nott campfire at Speedway 660.

Glyn Nott, the defending Firecracker 150 champion, is expected to be one of the top contenders in this year’s race. Glyn and the other Speedway 660 weekly Sportsman drivers should face some stiff competition, from visiting race teams, in Saturday’s Martin’s Home Heating Firecracker 150.

Wade: Glyn, you’ve been racing here a long time and Speedway 660 is your home track. What makes this place so special to you, your family and your race team?

Glyn: There are several reasons we like it here at Speedway 660. First off, it’s close to our home in Burton so it’s a short haul and being close to home comes in handy at times. Earlier this year we broke a motor in practice, went home and changed it and got back here in time to race. We also have our trailers here for the summer so it’s pretty nice sit around the campfire with our families, friends and race fans. Living in Burton and working at CFB Gagetown for so long, we have met a lot of people from the area who support our racing efforts. Another reason we like it here is because the competition in the Sportsman division at Speedway 660 is pretty good too!

Wade: Most people know you as a Sportsman driver, but I remember back in the early days, 1998 I think, that you won a Street Stock championship here.

Glyn: We raced once in 1994, the year the Speedway opened, in an old dirt track car we had and Dad said let’s build a Street Stock for the 95 season and that’s how it all got started for us. We built three different Street Stock cars until we won the Points Championship, Most Popular Driver, and Best Appearing Car in 1998. The following year we moved up to Sportsman.

Wade: You have come so close to winning the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman title on several occasions and always seem to be in the top five in the points. How important would it be to finally claim that elusive championship?

Glyn: We have won every Sportsman event at Speedway 660 at least twice, but that Championship has slipped thru our fingers. One year we lost by three points to Myles Harris and we’ve come close a few other times too. Our team has worked so hard and if we ever win the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman title, we sure will have a good reason to celebrate.

Wade: This Saturday, we come back after our only off-weekend of the season, for the Martin’s Home Heating Firecracker 150. You always seem to step up for these longer races.

Glyn: Well these are the races that have the biggest pay days and a win in this weekend’s Firecracker 150 is worth three grand, which sure would help pay some of the racing bills. The longer races allow you to sit back a bit and take your time getting where you want to be at the end of the race. On our regular point races, we only have 30 laps and you have to get after it as soon as the green flag flies, because you don’t have a lot of time to get to the front. Last year, I think we came from the back three times to win the Firecracker 150. If your car is not working well early in the race, you can always come in during a caution, make changes and still have time to contend for the win.

Wade: In every one of these Conversations we’ve posted on the Speedway 660 website this summer, drivers have always wanted to talk about the support they get from their families. And I know that’s important to you too.

Glyn: As you can see around the campfire, our team’s families are all here and they support us every week. With the amount of time we spend on these cars throughout the year, not one driver out on that track or crew member in the pits would be able to do this without the support of parents, wives and kids. They deserve an award for what they do for us and are an important part of our race team. I especially want to thank my wife Brenda because without her support it would be impossible for me to be a competitive race car driver.

Wade: Your Dad, Glyn Senior, is one of the most knowledgeable guys in the pit area. He’s old school and has seen it all, but he has also kept up with the times. It’s pretty obvious that Senior is the heart and soul of this race team.

Glyn: You’ve got that right – what a guy! I think this is his 48th year of dragging cars to race tracks. He has worked on everything from go-carts to CASCAR, which is now the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, and everything in-between. In 2000 he was awarded “Most Dedicated to the Sport” by Speedway 660, a very fitting way to recognize his work and dedication to racing over all of these years. When we have a problem, it is great to have his experience and knowledge and most of the time he’ll say “this happened to me before” and come up with a solution. He puts so much time and money into this “hobby” and that’s why we want to win the Points Championship for Dad. I know it would mean the world to him and our entire team.

Wade: You’ve had some pretty good sponsors over the years and fans know how important that is to a competitive race team.

Glyn: We do have awesome corporate support on our car. Two of our first sponsors, Budweiser and the Burton Ultramar have stayed with us for 18 years! Frank Jardine, owner of Jardine Auctioneers, is celebrating his 12th year with us and the Fairley family including all of the staff at Barbie and Ken’s Bar and Eatery are the best of friends and an incredible sponsor too. And I also want to thank Phil’s Auto and Recreation, M&M Meats and Auto Machinery who have all been with us for over five years. Without the help of these friends and businesses we would have a hard time making it to the track every week.

Wade: You are a guy who never shies away from competition. Why do you think these strong teams, who show up here for the longer, money races, bring out the best in you and your team?

Glyn: I think it’s all about pride when it comes to the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman Division race teams here at Speedway 660. Sure we compete against each other every week, but on these big races we are confident as a group that we can defend our home turf against the visiting teams. We race here and support the track all year long, so we want to run up front in events like the Firecracker 150. But it’s difficult, especially when we line-up against some pro stock drivers who have top-of-the-line Sportsman cars. With big money on the line this weekend, we expect some of the stiffest competition of the year.

Wade: You are one of the most popular drivers at Speedway 660 and have a pretty loyal fan following here. That must make you feel pretty good.

Glyn: To tell the truth, I think there are as many fans who cheer against me as cheer for me. But that’s OK, that’s racing. But regardless if they are for or against me as a driver, I try to talk with everyone who stops by the car in the pits or people who stop me at the mall to ask questions about the car or last week’s race. Without the great Speedway 660 fans coming out every week cheering for their favourite driver, no matter who that might be, we wouldn’t have a place to race. Our fans are the best – they’ll sit thru thunder and lightening storms just to see us race.

Wade: Who is your favorite NASCAR driver?

Glyn: Kyle Bush in the18 car.

Wade: Good luck this weekend at the Firecracker 150 and for the rest of the Speedway 660 racing season.

Glyn: Thanks a lot. We are still looking for a major corporate sponsor for the hood of our car, so if any company or business wants to sponsor a competitive car, they can stop by and we can talk. Thank you for stopping by the Team Nott campfire, Wade. We enjoy reading your articles every week on the Speedway 660 web site. With a lot of hard work and a little luck, maybe we’ll see you in victory lane on Saturday night right after the checkers come out for the Martin’s Home Heating Firecracker 150!