By DON SIMPSON
Brian McDonald is gearing up for an exciting and challenging racing season as he adds the Late Model division to his already busy schedule. With a passion for racing and a desire to push himself to new limits, McDonald is ready to take on the added challenge of competing in seven to ten more races in his newly acquired Late Model car.
Brian is no stranger to putting in the hours and hard work to advance the new race strategy. He is an experienced racer with a good team behind him and all recognize the value of preparation, focus, and hard work. The team, Crew Chief Shane Bourgon, crewman Miguel Peterson, and Marc Rouette, are currently 
busy repairing the cars for a lengthy season.
Brian, who has driven in Sportsman, 358 Modifieds, and 360 Sprint Cars, has long wanted to race a Late Model, and this season will seal that deal.
The drive for this new challenge into the world of Late Model Racing came during the final big race of the season at the Cornwall Motor Speedway’s Canadian Super Dirt Weekend when Brian had the opportunity to drive Elijah Mayhew’s number 01 Late Model.
After having a good time, Brian decided to purchase the car, after a little push from his daughter Bailey, the two teams will merge to campaign the car in 2023.
“Elijah and his dad, Andy, will do the maintenance on the car and will work together with [my] dad. It’s certainly a great two teams merged by yours truly,” explained Bailey.
Brian confirmed the plans.
“We are looking to race seven to ten races this season in the Late Model. Elijah and his dad Andy will keep the car at their shop and maintain the car over the season, which will free up our team at K&B Motorsports to concentrate on the Modified and big-block cars.”
As for the former car owner, Elijah Mayhew, he is very excited to be working with Brian on this new race program.
“Brian is a great driver, and my dad and I are excited to be working together after what we saw last year after just one weekend of racing with Brian. My father and I are grateful for the situation we have been put into and look to potentially expand into another branch of racing together again in a few years,” explained Elijah.
Brian who started by racing Motocross in the early 80s and over the past 40-some years has raced in numerous divisions, will bring a great deal of experience to this joint team with Andy and Elijah
Brian and the team at K&B Racing have more in store for the 2023 season than simply the Late Model adventure. The team will compete in the 358 Modified division at Cornwall Motor Speedway and Mohawk International Raceway once more. The team will also race in several Big Block shows as the Super DIRTcar Series migrates across our region. Brian will also race in the special shows at the Brockville Ontario Speedway, such as the Ogilvie’s Auto & Fleet Triple Crown Series and the Fall Nationals.
This new challenge to race in the Late Model division will be a change from the norm, as Brian has raced his 358 Modified since he stepped back from racing Sprint Cars in 2013.
Brian’s decision to race in the Late Model class marks a huge change from his previous racing pursuits, and it will require a lot of focus and dedication to make sure he can balance this new category with his ongoing 358 Modified schedules.
He has reorganized his time and resources as follows: “We will tackle each race week at a time as we are a small team and all have jobs besides racing. At the moment, we are focused on our first race of the season at Can-Am in April and will be racing both in the 358 Modified Series on Friday and then in the Big Block Series on Saturday. As for the Late Model, I hope to race some events at Brighton Speedway along with some Northeast Late Model Alliance Tour special shows .”
McDonald is set for a busy and exciting race season as he balances his regular race program with his new venture into Late Model racing. With the additional races added to his schedule, Brian will be pushing himself to new limits and challenging his skills on the track. As a dedicated and passionate racer, he is ready to take on the competition and make a name for himself in the Late Model circuit. There is no doubt that Brian will leave his mark on the track this season.
