Crédit photo :Don SimpsonMaster of the Bullring
Master of the Bullring
Born the middle son of racer, Danny O'Brien has carved his own race statistics over the last 30 years. His father, Pat O’Brien, Sr., who retired from racing when Danny was about 3 years old, exposed Danny to the racing passion early in life, which would carry Danny through a 30-year desire to win.
Early in his teens, Danny would travel with older brother, Pat, who was helping modified star, Mark Hitchcock, for several years. In 1985, Pat began racing his own car and Danny began helping out as part of Pat’s crew. Two years later, Danny purchased his own car and began racing alongside his older brother. Couched along by legendary drivers, Doug Carlyle and Marcel Lafrance, Danny managed to win three races in his inaugural l year.
In the 90s, Danny was racing at various tracks in Canada and New York State with the 358 class and was a weekly regular at the Brockville Speedway. Spectators started noticing the sheer talent this young driver had behind the wheel.
1992 was a breakthrough year for Danny who was signed to drive the Gallo Brothers Big Block car at the Fonda Speedway. Along with the Fonda deal he would also campaign his 358 car at the Brockville Speedway, setting up a busy season of racing for this young talented driver. Driving a Big Block Modified for the Gallo Brothers was the dream come true for Danny, stepping up to the big leagues at the Fonda Speedway on a weekly basis. He picked up his first win in a Big Block early in the season and would win once again later in the season. With two wins that year, Danny would finish in the top 10 in the points championship at Fonda.
That same year also proved fruitful in the 358 classes, as he also picking up several wins at the Brockville Speedway and would later go on to capture the track championship at the famed Bullring.
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
In 1993, Danny purchased his own Big Block Modified and would race the car proactively along with his 358. That same year, there was also a combined Cornwall and Brockville series for Big Blocks in which Danny was awarded co-track champion with Steve Pain at the Brockville Speedway. The co-track champion was awarded in this fashion because the points compiled were in his 358 car, racing in the Big Block series class. The team would also race the Big Block at the Can AM Speedway from time to time.
In 1994, Cornwall Speedway held an eight race Big Block series to commemorate its 25th anniversary season. Danny would end up winning the tracks first ever Big Block Modified championship held at the Cornwall Speedway. Along with the Championship at Cornwall, he would also win the Brockville Speedway championship once again in the 358 Modified class.
The 1995 season saw one of the most memorable moments for Danny and the team. The 17D team decided to run in the Super DirtCar series race held at the Can AM Speedway. Not only did they set the fastest time, but also came home with the victory. As Danny said, “it was one of the best moments in my racing career, to come into Can AM Speedway on a whim and coming home victorious was such a great moment.” But the winning streak kept on going for the rest of the season, allowing Danny once again to bring home another track championship at the Brockville Speedway.
With the 1996 season in full swing, Danny was invaded in a life changing crash at the Can AM Speedway during the Labour Day classic. Danny nearly lost his life in a massive crash on the front straight away involving several cars, ripping Danny’s roll cage apart. He survived the crash, however, it took some time for the veteran driver to get back to where he was before the accident. Over the winter months, some family members were pushing him to quit racing altogether. Danny had made the decision to go back racing for the 1997 season. Backed by his family and friends, Danny climbed back behind the wheel in the spring of 1997 and has not looked back.
Danny was back to his true form by 1999 and, once again, won the Brockville Speedway championship that same year.
Over the next decade, he would win the track championship at the BOS four more times. By the mid 2000s, Danny put all his efforts into racing his 358 car. As Danny explained, “It was just too expensive and time consuming maintaining the motors and the constant change over from 358 to the Big Block to justify racing in the Big Block class.”
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
In 2008 Autodrome Drummond saw the return of the Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series, which was the biggest-ever-event at the time, held in the Province of Quebec. The rewarding for this historic event was $15,000 for a 150-lap feature. The team 17D took up the challenge and would lead the pack for most of the race, but on lap 149, during the restart due to a yellow caution, older brother Pat, who had been chasing down his younger brother for the last 20 laps, challenged Danny on the last lap for the win, but just couldn’t get by his younger brother, allowing Danny to take home the win and the $15,000 prize.
Over the next several years Danny would be crowned track champion at the Brockville Speedway five more times, which is quit an achievement for the Kingston Ontario native. His success and driving talent over the years can be linked to the brotherly track rivalry between Danny and his younger brother Tim and older brother Pat. Long-time crewmembers Greg Maillet and Ace Baily explained this brotherly track rivalry over the years, made Danny the driver he is today. “Each brother wants to beat the other so badly that they push themselves even harder to win,” Greg Maillet explains. You can clearly see this rivalry over the years has influenced Danny’s driving skills by looking at his racing statistics -- 172,358 Modified wins and 25 Big Block wins (11 in the Big Block under the DIRT© banner), and the statistics continue to climb.
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
This year, Danny, who has raced at the Brockville Speedway for 28 years, will be going after his 14th track championship at the famed Bullring. To date, he has four feature wins to his credit and is well on track to capture the title. However, Danny still recalls the Super DIRTCar series’ win at the Can AM Speedway back in 1995 as his most special moment over the years. As he says, “taking on the big gun’s of the sport with our own car and coming out on top was a very special moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
In 1993, Danny purchased his own Big Block Modified and would race the car proactively along with his 358. That same year, there was also a combined Cornwall and Brockville series for Big Blocks in which Danny was awarded co-track champion with Steve Pain at the Brockville Speedway. The co-track champion was awarded in this fashion because the points compiled were in his 358 car, racing in the Big Block series class. The team would also race the Big Block at the Can AM Speedway from time to time.
In 1994, Cornwall Speedway held an eight race Big Block series to commemorate its 25th anniversary season. Danny would end up winning the tracks first ever Big Block Modified championship held at the Cornwall Speedway. Along with the Championship at Cornwall, he would also win the Brockville Speedway championship once again in the 358 Modified class.
The 1995 season saw one of the most memorable moments for Danny and the team. The 17D team decided to run in the Super DirtCar series race held at the Can AM Speedway. Not only did they set the fastest time, but also came home with the victory. As Danny said, “it was one of the best moments in my racing career, to come into Can AM Speedway on a whim and coming home victorious was such a great moment.” But the winning streak kept on going for the rest of the season, allowing Danny once again to bring home another track championship at the Brockville Speedway.
With the 1996 season in full swing, Danny was invaded in a life changing crash at the Can AM Speedway during the Labour Day classic. Danny nearly lost his life in a massive crash on the front straight away involving several cars, ripping Danny’s roll cage apart. He survived the crash, however, it took some time for the veteran driver to get back to where he was before the accident. Over the winter months, some family members were pushing him to quit racing altogether. Danny had made the decision to go back racing for the 1997 season. Backed by his family and friends, Danny climbed back behind the wheel in the spring of 1997 and has not looked back.
Danny was back to his true form by 1999 and, once again, won the Brockville Speedway championship that same year.
Over the next decade, he would win the track championship at the BOS four more times. By the mid 2000s, Danny put all his efforts into racing his 358 car. As Danny explained, “It was just too expensive and time consuming maintaining the motors and the constant change over from 358 to the Big Block to justify racing in the Big Block class.”
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
In 2008 Autodrome Drummond saw the return of the Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series, which was the biggest-ever-event at the time, held in the Province of Quebec. The rewarding for this historic event was $15,000 for a 150-lap feature. The team 17D took up the challenge and would lead the pack for most of the race, but on lap 149, during the restart due to a yellow caution, older brother Pat, who had been chasing down his younger brother for the last 20 laps, challenged Danny on the last lap for the win, but just couldn’t get by his younger brother, allowing Danny to take home the win and the $15,000 prize.
Over the next several years Danny would be crowned track champion at the Brockville Speedway five more times, which is quit an achievement for the Kingston Ontario native. His success and driving talent over the years can be linked to the brotherly track rivalry between Danny and his younger brother Tim and older brother Pat. Long-time crewmembers Greg Maillet and Ace Baily explained this brotherly track rivalry over the years, made Danny the driver he is today. “Each brother wants to beat the other so badly that they push themselves even harder to win,” Greg Maillet explains. You can clearly see this rivalry over the years has influenced Danny’s driving skills by looking at his racing statistics -- 172,358 Modified wins and 25 Big Block wins (11 in the Big Block under the DIRT© banner), and the statistics continue to climb.
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
This year, Danny, who has raced at the Brockville Speedway for 28 years, will be going after his 14th track championship at the famed Bullring. To date, he has four feature wins to his credit and is well on track to capture the title. However, Danny still recalls the Super DIRTCar series’ win at the Can AM Speedway back in 1995 as his most special moment over the years. As he says, “taking on the big gun’s of the sport with our own car and coming out on top was a very special moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
0 Comments