GENERATIONAL SHIFTING OF THE GEARS
Reigning Merrittville Speedway four-cylinder king abdicates in favour of his son
Kid Kelly? Tony Two?
Both are catchy, but the new driver of an old faithful in the Mini Stock division at Merrittville Speedway, the No. 12 Volkswagen Golf, would prefer to see his name listed as “Anthony Kelly” in the point standings.
Tony Kelly — Anthony Kelly Sr., to be precise — is the driver who raced the car to the championship at the Thorold track last season, and he is also proud father who handed the keys to his son, Anthony Kelly Jr., during the off-season.
After 16 seasons of racing 4-cylinders under his belt, Tony has decided to take a backseat to his son. He will still be at the track whenever
‘‘ “There’s a little bit of pressure on my shoulders, but I want to keep the winning name in the family.” ANTHONY KELLY Merrittville Speedway Mini Stocks rookie
Mini Stocks are on the program, this time as the pit crew for the No. 12.
The elder Kelly figured the time was right, though he hasn’t ruled out racing occasionally in a second 4-cylinder that he continues building in the garage.
“Because I won my championship now, times two, I figured it was time,” said the 47-year-old Niagara Falls resident, who also took the Triple Crown Series title last season.
He said the change would have happened even had he not finished 2017 as the pacesetter in the points race.
“Yes, it probably would have, because I’m getting up there and I wanted my son to have some fun this year.”
Handing over the car to his son had always been the plan.
“I have another car that in the garage, I’m in the process of building it, and I’m going to race just occasionally, no more points chasing or anything like that.”
That sets the stage for the two generations to be racing each other on the track.
The father isn’t worried about his son graduating to Merrittville’s D-shaped main track after spending the past three summers racing karts around the oval track in the infield.
“I just tell him how to drive the car and he’ll get used to it,” Tony said.
“I know he can do it, because he raced go karts before.
“This is fully-caged, and I know it’s a safe car. That’s the car that was upside down.”
He said wife Diane didn’t offer any resistance when the generational shifting of gears was discussed in the Kelly household.
“No, it’s time he jumped into the car, he’s 17 now, so I figured that I would let him give it a shot to see if he likes it.”
Anthony has been looking beyond the karting track as the place to fulfil his need for speed for “about a good year or two.”
“I’ve been really kind of bugging him and sort of pushing him off,” he said with a chuckle, looking at his father.
The Grade 11 student at St. Paul Catholic High School in Niagara Falls hadn’t necessarily become bored with karting nor reached the point where he didn’t have anything more to learn.
“I just wanted more speed,” he said of the move up. “I think speed’s always fun.
“Basically, I just wanted an upgrade, I wanted to try this. It seemed pretty interesting.”
In Mini Stocks, Anthony will be competing against some drivers who’ve been the wheel of a race car longer than he’s been alive.
He won’t be preoccupied with his lack of racing experience on the outside track, however.
“I’m just trying to keep my head in the game, just focus on sticking with them, following them and just learning,” he said with a laugh.
Given that 1993 VW Golf will start the Merrittville season as the defending 4-cylinder champion, there’s a lot more to his handoff from father to son.
“There’s a little bit of pressure on my shoulders, but I want to keep the winning name in the family,” Anthony Kelly said.
Easing the transition will be knowing that his father will be four square in his corner with a wrench in one hand and a tire iron in the other.
“I’ll be his pit crew, at least until he fires me,” Tony Kelly said with a laugh.
Racing returns Saturday for the 67th season opener, weather permitting, following the second rainout in as many weeks at Merrittville Speedway.
The grandstand opens at 5:30 p.m. with the first qualifying heat starting at 7 p.m.