INSTA INSULATION MINI STOCKS TITLE ANYBODY’S GUESS IN 2026
Unparalleled parity describes Ohsweken Speedway’s 4-cylinder engine class
April 24, 2026, OHSWEKEN, ON – A look through the history books tells you all you need to know about the Insta Insulation Mini Stock division at Ohsweken Speedway.
In the formative years of the track 30 years ago the division was dominated by one driver per year. Sometimes a driver would enjoy multiple dominant years.
It was Jim Swing for an extended period before Kelly Hallett dethroned him. Doug Erskine had his time at the top, and then things started to shift towards even greater competition. In recent years it’s been challenging for any driver to achieve more than a single victory at the Big O, and that makes predicting a championship favourite nearly impossible.
“For two consecutive years our championships have been won by a driver who didn’t win a single race,” said Ohsweken Speedway General Manager Clinton Geoffrey. “I’d say it’s unheard of, but Gillian Hils did it in 2024 and then Tim DeBoer did it last year. It’s definitely unusual, and it’s a great indication of the level of competition.”
Alex Riley enters the season with the best shot at a title. While he’s never earned an Ohsweken Speedway championship he is the only driver with multiple victories in each of the last three seasons. His main competition comes from an enormous field of drivers with a focus on consistency and determination.
Defending champion DeBoer earned his title amassing an unreal 14 top-10 finishes in 15 races. Consistency was king in each of the last two seasons. Nick Erskine, Ken Hair, Tristan DaSilva, Jeff Elsliger, Jeremy Cooper, Wayde Thorne, Dusty DeBoer and Mason Anderson all had at least 9 top-10 finishes last season, and any of them could string together multiple podium results to launch them up the standings.
“The main draw to our mini stock class is the level of competition and their ability and willingness to race anywhere on the race track,” said Geoffrey. “These drivers will fan out to race four wide and five wide because lifting off the throttle is a certain way to fall back.
“They race hard, and their feature events are usually just 15 laps, so they have very little time to make their way to the front.”
The Insta Insulation Mini Stocks use a handicap system identical to the Thunder Stocks where performance is penalized with a poor starting spot the following week. The handicap system is designed to keep the faster cars at the back to start the races to entertain the fans, and there’s no doubt they do.
Action begins for all four of Ohsweken Speedway’s main divisions on the Friday night of the May long weekend – May 15th, and runs nearly every Friday night through the middle of September. For more information please visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com .