Story By: CAMDEN PROUD / OSWEGO SPEEDWAY – OSWEGO, NY – The Haynes family has been supporting Oswego Speedway’s Pathfinder Bank SBS division for over ten years now and after a surprise win in the 2015 Bud Light SBS Classic 75 for Bryan wheeling the family owned No. 86; this family oriented operation has been re-energized for the past couple of seasons and even more so now as the start to 2018 draws near.
After spending the past two years driving part time, Brad Haynes, Bryan’s brother, will now take over the role as driver of the family owned No. 86 Nichols Chassis on a regular basis beginning with the speedway’s 68th annual season opener on Saturday, May 26.
“This year I’m switching over to the silver 86 car which I own,” Haynes stated. “It is the same car that Bryan ran with in last year’s Classic and also on and off a little bit during the 2017 season. We want to be as successful as we possibly can with it. I’m planning on being there as much as my schedule allows including for the opener. It should be an exciting season.”
Last year, Haynes drove the Ron Pratt owned No. 88, formerly owned by Bryan, to one top five finish in a few brief stints behind the wheel throughout 2017. The Pratt No. 88 will now potentially see Bryan step in as the new driver, including for the 27th Bud Light Classic 75 on Sunday, September 2. Ironically, it’s the very same car Bryan won the Classic with three years ago.
“Bryan will probably be switching over to the 88 Pratt car this year and I’m not really sure how much he is going to be running but my guess is that he is definitely going to come up to Oswego for the Classic as that was our 86 car that he won that race with,” Haynes noted. “After seeing him in victory lane in 2015, I am really in search of a win myself this year. I would love to add my name to the list in our other family car and be able to say both of the Haynes brothers have got it done at Oswego.”
Brad has been an on and off Oswego competitor since 2006. In 2010, he landed his first SBS ride with longtime friend Pitt Watson while also qualifying for his first career SBS Classic that same season. He repeated that accomplishment in the family owned No. 86 a year later after Bryan was busy scoring a ride Teddneck Racing No. 37. It was just a year after that when the Haynes team acquired a Hedger car from Barry Kingsley. Following a solid run in the 2012 Classic with the other family car, numbered 88, Brad then decided he wanted to help his brother, and also focus on his kids. Bryan’s future was up in the air as well after his 2012 schedule with Teddneck.
“Starting my career with Pitt and his family was a wonderful experience,” Haynes said. “I can’t thank those guys enough for all they did for me. After finishing fourteenth in the Classic in 2012 and Bryan’s ride up for debate, I figured this was a great time to take a step away from racing for awhile and focus on my family. In 2013 I married my wife Kalyn and then started to focus on two of my kids with their racing careers. 2013 through 2015 I wasn’t behind the wheel at all, but continued to support my brother’s racing career which got going again in our family car.”
After the Classic win that shocked the world on Labor Day Weekend in 2015, that was when the Haynes brothers sold the 86 car to Pratt. Shortly thereafter, Brad received a phone call from Pratt asking if he would be interested in driving that same car the brothers just sold. He certainly was, and managed several top ten finishes including a tenth place effort in the 2016 Classic.
“Ron asked me to drive and I said no problem,” Haynes recalled. “We had a handful of top ten finishes and a tenth in the 2016 Classic which I was very happy with. Last season we were able to get back behind the wheel. We got some more top tens, a top five and a hard charger award so it was a very successful two years, but I’m looking forward to a fresh start this season. The 86 was pretty strong at Evans Mills last fall and I want to run a very open schedule this year.”
Notably, Bryan and Brad have three total top five finishes under their belt at Oswego and many, many top ten efforts. The pair fielded their first SBS car together from 2007 to 2009 after Brad got his Oswego start in Super Stocks following several dedicated years in quarter midgets and a brief stint in the USAC Ford Focus Midgets a year earlier. Haynes is still heavily involved in quarter midgets, also serving as president of the Oswego County Quarter Midget Club.
“I want to race a lot more this season, but its also very tough with two out of my four kids running quarter midgets and being president of the club,” Haynes noted. “It’s kind of changed my path in racing being president and with Trevor and Janelle both driving I am really looking forward to a fun, but also very busy summer. We are pumped about getting things started in May and are really excited about the upcoming season.”
