Dave Lynch
Born January 10, 1948
Wife
Married wife Linda in 1968
Children
Derek
Jennifer
Dave was born and grew up in the village of Hastings, Ontario along the Trent River. Upon marrying his wife Linda in 1968, they bought a house in Norwood, Ontario where they still live today. Dave would serve his mechanic apprenticeship at a G.M. Dealership in Peterborough, Ontario in the mid to late sixties. Shortly there after, he and Linda would go on to own and operate their own service station/automotive repair shop for the next 30+ years. Dave semi-retired in 1998.
Dave started his racing career by competing in drag racing events at Deseronto Drag Strip in Deseronto, Ontario in the mid-sixties. He would then switch to stock car racing in the 1967. The year Westgate Speedway in Peterborough, Ontario was built and opened. Dave was a 5 time Westgate Speedway Track Champion between the Hobby Division and the Late Model Division. He was also runner up on two separate occasions. Dave also ran for points for one season at Flamboro Speedway where he finished as runner up to Ralph Book.
Dave estimated he won approximately 100 feature events at a variety of tracks with the pinnacle being a stretch of 6 feature wins in the span of 8 days during the 1979 season. In 1979 Dave also qualified for and finished seventh in the prestigious Oxford 250 in Oxford, Maine. Dave retired in 1983 to help guide his son Derek’s racing career. He did however run one final event in 1985. On opening night in 1985 at Westgate Speedway, Dave drove the Harold Lawrence owned Late Model to the feature win and retired for good immediately afterwards.
In 1990 Dave was awarded the Rudy Hale Award by the American Canadian Tour for Crew Chief of the Year. He continues to help his son Derek in the shop on his race cars and can be seen at the track for select events through out the summers.
Career Highlights
1964/65 – Competed in select drag racing events at Deseronto Drag Strip, Deseronto, Ont.
1966 – First oval track race at Bell City Speedway 1/4 mile dirt in Selwyn, Ont.
1967 – Ran 1 event in the Hobby Division at the newly built Westgate Speedway, Peterborough, Ont.
1968 – Hobby Division at Westgate Speedway. Scored first feature win.
1969 – Hobby Division Points Champion, Westgate Speedway – Multiple Feature Wins
1970 – Hobby Divison Points Champion, Westgate Speedway (Won 15 of 22 Feature Events)
1971 – Hobby Division Points Champion, Westgate Speedway – Multiple Feature Wins
1972 – Hobby Divison Points Champion, Westgate Speedway – Competed at, Flamboro Speedway, Speedway Park, Pinecrest Speedway Multiple Feature Wins during the 1972 Racing Season.
1973 – Diamond Car/Late Model Division, Westgate Speedway – Top 3 in Division Points, Hobby Division in Mike Neault owned car at Westgate Speedway and Speedway Park Multiple Feature Wins
1974 – Late Model Division at Westgate Speedway – Multiple Feature Wins, Late Model Division at Flamboro Speedway – 1 Feature Win
1975 – Late Model Division at Flamboro Speedway – 2nd in Division Points – 4 Feature Wins
1976 – Late Model Division – Multiple Feature wins at Westgate Speedway, Travelled to different Speedways
1977 – Late Model Division – Multiple Feature Wins at Westgate Speedway, Travelled to different Speedways
1978 – Switches to #57 – Late Model Division – 75 lap Invitational Win at Barrie Speedway, 75 lap Invitational Win at Suable Speedway – Multiple Feature Wins at Westgate Speedway
1979 – Late Model Division – 6 Feature wins in 8 days
Double Feature wins at Westgate Speedway – Saturday
75 lap Invitational win Sauble Speedway – Sunday,
75 lap Invitational win Barrie Speedway – Monday
75 lap Invitational win Westgate Speedway – Wednesday,
Feature win Westgate Speedway – Saturday
Multiple Feature Wins at Westgate Speedway
Finished 7th in Oxford 250, Oxford, Maine
1980 – Late Model Division – Top 5 finish in Maple Leaf 200, Cayuga Speedway,
Multiple Feature Wins at Westgate Speedway
1981 – Late Model Division – Top 3 finishes in newly formed CASCAR Late Model Series,
Multiple Feature Wins at Westgate Speedway
1982 – Late Model Division – Points Championship Westgate Speedway,
Multiple Feature Wins
1983 – Late Model Division = Multiple Feature Wins at Westgate Speedway
1985 – Late Model Divison – Ran opening night event at Westgate Speedway in
Harold Lawrence owned Late Model – Won the Feature and retired!
1990 – Rudy Hale Award Winner – ACT Series Crew Chief of the Year
Tracks Competed At;
- Barrie Speedway, Barrie Ontario
- Bell City Speedway, Lakefield Ontario
- Brighton Speedway, Brighton Ontario (Paved Track)
- Capital City Speedway, Stittsville Ontario
- Cayuga Speedway, Nelles Corners Ontario (Cayuga)
- Checkered Flag Speedway, Windsor Ontario
- Deleware Speedway, London Ontario
- Flamboro Speedway, Freelton Ontario
- Flat Rock Speedway, Michigan
- Fulton Speedway, New York State
- Holland Speedway, New York State
- Lancaster Speedway, New York State
- Lorain County Speedway, Ohio
- Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Nashville Tennessee
- Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford Maine
- Pinecrest Speedway, Maple Ontario
- Riverside Speedway, Nova Scotia
- Sauble Speedway, Sauble Beach Ontario
- Sharon Speedway, Sharon Ohio
- Speedway Park, Hamilton Ontario
- Sunset Speedway, Stroud Ontario
- Sutton Speedway, Sutton Ontario
- Westgate Speedway, Peterborough Ontario
Courtesy of Derek Lynch
