ENFIELD: A young race car driver from Enfield is already looking ahead to 2022 and getting back behind the wheel of his Legend race car.
After an impressive rookie year behind the wheel of the no. 25 Legend car, Gage Gilby is awaiting the green flag in early 2022 with eager anticipation.
“I hope to run some races down south this winter and maybe the spring,” Gilby said when asked what his plans are for next year. “We are hoping to go to Winter Nationals in Florida this coming February and possibly the spring race in Nashville.
“We will also run the weekly series at Scotia and the Maritime League of Legends Tour.”
At Scotia Speedworld, he will be heading into the 2022 season in the no. 25, sponsored by CKG Elevator; Castone Construction; UCEL; E Commerce Solutions; Gilby Construction; Supplement King Wolfville; and South East Texas Water, as the reigning Young Lions Legend division champion and Rookie of the Year.
He captured that with an impressive third place finish on the last race of the year on Oct. 3, and some bad luck for fellow competitor Dylan Dowe. Entering the race action, the two were tied in points, but some misfortune saw Dowe have to hit pit road in the feature and not return, thus giving Gilby the two titles.
“It was a big year for me and my dad and the pit crew switching to the legend car full time,” said Gilby, 14. “We set a goal at the start of the season to just try and get better every week.
“We worked hard all season long and it paid off in the end.”
But it almost didn’t happen.
A couple of weeks before the season finale, Gilby and the no. 9 of Paul Goulden came together in a scary incident during weekly series racing action. It was a hard hit for both drivers, and left Gilby’s car destroyed beyond repair and his season all but done.
Or so he thought.
“A big thanks goes out to my dad (and my mom for letting him go) for driving to North Carolina to get me a car to be able to finish the race season,” he said of his dad Andrew and mom Julie. “We had thought our season was done after that wreck.
“So many people helped me get back on the race track. My “Uncles Pit Crew” were waiting when Dad got home to set up my new car, friends and neighbors that helped get parts/tires to our house so we wouldn’t miss a Friday night at the track.”
Gilby, a student at Hants East Rural High School, said he was focused on the race and having a strong finish to the season.
“It was sometimes hard focusing on the Young Lions race when we were out there with the other division at the same time,” he said. “It was just as exciting racing with Braden (Langille), Sam (Rogers), and Owen (Mahar up front that race and getting a third place finish out of the entire field.”
He also wanted to thank his dad, Mom and Sister, and all my friends and family that support him every week.
“I also want to say a huge Thank You to the Uncle’s Pit Crew who help with set up night and race day every single week,” he said.
