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After a successful trip to Florida to participate in INEX Winter Nationals, the Chris Woods Racing organization and Ryan Mackintosh turn their focus to the fast approaching Allison Legacy Touring Series season.

15 year old Ryan Mackintosh,"we are really excited about the upcoming season. This will be our second full season and we will be seeing tracks for the third and fourth time."

The Allison Legacy Touring Series will see Mackintosh compete in 19 scheduled events on some of the best short tracks in the south. Mackintosh gained momentum at the end of the season with 6 out of 7 top 5 finishes. This push brought Mackintosh into 5th place in the final standing.

Ryan Mackintosh's first Winter Nationals wrapped up with a tough finish on the Aubrundale quarter mile.

After qualifying in 6th position Mackintosh was able to pick up one spot in the first 4 laps and was looking at his second top 5 finish in a row.  That did not happen with the car having to retire after 5 laps.

"We were good, the car was handling well and was fast but someone behind us continued to beat on the back bumper for half a lap until the car got loose and clipped another car", commented a tired Mackintosh after the race. "It's been a long week but a lot of fun." "I can't thank my team and sponsors enough."

This is the first Legend car entry for Chris Woods Racing, the team normally fields Bandoleros and Allison Legacy cars out of its Kannapolis,NC shop.

Asked about the week, Chris "Woody" Woods responded,"Ryan had a good week. He learned a lot and we will be okay the next time we go to race in the Legend car."

Mackintosh and the Chris Woods Racing will now focus on preparing for the start of the Allison Legacy Touring Series that begins in two weeks.

Day four saw a lot of things fall in place for Ryan Mackintosh and his Chris Woods Racing team.

After back to back days of first lap incidents, Mackintosh had a day that let him see what he could do in his INEX Semi-Pro Legend.

"It was a good day for us. We qualified top 5 and ran there all race", commented Mackintosh from the Florida track after the race.

"We thought we would do okay but it was great to do so well against a class field like this", stated team co-owner Chris "Woody" Woods.

Mackintosh ran with the lead pack the entire race and battled hard for postion with the leaders.  The 4th place finish is Mackintosh's best result of the five day series and his best finish in a Legend Car on an oval in his four starts.

Friday will be the final event of the INEX Winter Nationals.

#03 Ryan Mackintosh lines up for final restart of the feature race of INEX Winter Nationals on Day 4.  (www.legendsnation.com photo)

Another first lap, first turn incident cost Ryan Mackintosh the day he had hoped for.

"It's hard to believe that two days in a row the exact same thing happened in the same corner",stated a disappointed Mackintosh after the race.

Mackintosh was able to get quick repairs done in the pits and return to the field in 19th place. The car was knocked nearly 2 inches out of tow and was not able to move through the pack as well as the driver wanted.

Mackintosh commented,"we were able to pick up 5 spots over the 30 laps but not without getting caught up in two more incidents."

Turn 1 incident on lap 1 severely limited the potential of a solid result for Ryan Mackintosh on Wednesday. (Legends Nation Photo)

Ryan Mackintosh waits on the grid at the 2012 INEX Winter Nationals in Florida. (www.legendsnation.com photo)

A tough start to the day turned around in the later stages of the Semi-Pro race at Winter Nationals on Day 2.

The Chris Woods Racing team worked last night and today to change the motor in the #03 and completed the change just moments before qualifying for the second event of the championship.

Mackintosh, in just his second ever oval start in a Legend car, improved his qualifying time by 2/10 of a second over round one qualifying. "We were not happy to have to change motors but unfortunately that can happen in racing",stated Mackintosh before the feature race.

The 15 year old, native of Amherst, NS, started the feature in 11th. A car, two rows, ahead of Mackintosh spun in turn one and caused a pile up of five cars including the #03.

The Canadian driver commented,"I was sure we were done, having to go off on the hook." "It was a horrible feeling knowing how much work went into to getting the car ready for today."

Under INEX rules, the team can work on the car under a red flag and the Chris Woods Racing team replaced the entire right front suspension on the car in less than five minutes and got the car back out on the track prior to the restart.

Team co-owner Chris "Woody" Woods,"I wasn't going to let the day end in the pits." "The car wasn't perfect but it was good enough to get back out there and battle."

Mackintosh restarted in 16th place and battled his way, through two cautions, up to the lead pack and 7th place. "The handling was good but just not enough to pick up another spot or two", commented a very happy young driver.

In other action involving Chris Woods Racing drivers:

Cole Tanner picked up 2nd place in the  Bandolero Outlaw division with a solid run after starting 7th in the feature.

Cole Boudreau's amazing sting of bad luck continued when a gasket began to leak with the New Brunswick driver running second with 5 laps to go.  Boudreau had a great run going, he led 7 laps of the feature.

New Jersey's Joe Graf brought his Outlaw home in 6th place after running as high as 3rd in the feature.

Kodie Conner continued to dominate the Bandits Division with his second win in as many days. The North Carolina driver will be solidly in first place after the total the points from Tuesday.

Ryan Mackintosh's oval debut had some ups and downs and some smoke. The Amherst driver qualified 11 out of 19 and ran well for the first 25 laps as high as 8th before having the Yamaha powerplant give up over the final 5 laps. Not only did Mackintosh give up some smoke he also gave up 3 positions over the final two laps to finish in 12th.

Cole Tanner and Cole Boudreau were entered into the Bandolero Outlaw division. Tanner had a solid run which ended in 5th place after a multi-lap battle with another CWR driver.

Boudreau's string of bad luck continue at this event for the second year. The New Brunswick driver was able to fire his 03 entry on the grid for the feature.

Dylan Blenkhorn finished the Pro feature in 11th place and Paul Blenkhorn brought home his car in 7th place in Masters. Cy Harvey picked up 11th and Gary Bursey 13th to round out the Maritime results.

At last report Mackintosh was working into the late hours changes motors and preparing for round #2.

Sunday was open practice day at INEX Winter Nationals for Legends and Bandoleros. Amherst's Ryan Mackintosh took full advantage,putting down more laps in one day in a Legend then he has to date ever.

"We had a good day and made some improvements", stated Mackintosh in an interview from the pits at the Auburndale track.

The five race event begins on Monday and concludes on Friday.

Other notes from the day:

Cole Boudreau had an up and down day fighting electrical problems but did manage to run some good laps.

Cole Tanner ran some of the fastest times of the day in his #33 Bandolero Outlaw.

Joe Graf had some solid runs in his Outlaw continuing his good string of runs he had this past fall in New York.

Kodie Conner, the North Carolina native, was at or near the top of the speed charts in his Bandolero Bandit

It is a very cold morning in Florida. Temperatures are below the freezing mark but are expected to warm up nicely this afternoon. The warmer weather will allow teams to settle into the facility at Auburndale Speedway and prepare for the long week of racing ahead.

The Chris Woods Racing team will be no different than the rest of the teams preparing for INEX Winter Nationals. Woods will field a Semi-Pro Legend and three Outlaws in the Bandoleoro division.

Sunday will see a 6 hour open practice with teams getting the opportuntity to work out some of the winter "rust" and drivers getting the chance to sharpen up their driving skills after a few months off. For the Chris Woods Racing team this will give Canadian drivers Cole Boudreau and Cole Tanner a chance to get back on track for the first time since October. Bethel Motor Speedway driver Joe Graf will also come out of nothern hibernation and spend six days racing and practicing in the Florida sun.

"We should be okay with our Outlaw entries",stated team co-owner Chris "Woody" Woods. "Joe and Boudreau have both been here before and Tanner raced a lot of races last season, back in Canada." Woods continued,"as far as Ryan goes, he has raced here but this is his first ever Legend start on an oval."

Stay tuned for updates from Florida.

Legend car action at the 2011 INEX Winter Nationals

The State of Florida will roar to life this week with the kickoff to the season for many sanctioning bodies. About an hour and a quarter east of Daytona you will find the INEX season kicking off in grand fashion with the INEX Winter Nationals at Auburndale Speedway in Winter Haven.

This is the second year in a row that the central Florida track has hosted this event with last year's week long championship being a hit with both teams and fans alike.

This year, there has been some improvements made the schedule which will allow the teams more time in the late afternoons or evening to either work or their cars or enjoy some recreation time in the warmer climate.

Tentative Daily Schedule

Ryan Mackintosh, Cole Boudreau and Cole Tanner, drivers from Atlantic Canada, will all be competing for Chris Woods Racing. 

Mackintosh will be driving the #03 INEX Legend Semi-Pro, Boudreau will behind the wheel of the #03 Outlaw ride and Cole Tanner will pilot the Rockingham Speedway #08 Outlaw during the week.

Photo Courtesy of Alex Krohn Photography

Fans will be able to follow the the coverage every day on Legends Nation (www.legendsnation.com). Legends nations will have stories, videos and photos from the event as well as LN Live coverage with live discriptive coverage of the races.

Keep checking back to the news section of www.ryanmackintoshracing.com and follow Ryan on Facebook for updates specific to Ryan and the Chris Woods Racing drivers.

Follow the action on www.legendsnation.com every day.

Ryan Mackintosh picked up a 4th place finish in Sunday's Winter Heat final event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race took place on the CMS infield road course and decided the championship for this winter series.

Tyler Hill, Maryland, was crowned the INEX Semi Pro Winter Heat champion after winning half of the races in the series.

Mackintosh, running his third race in a Legend car, was able to finish a solid 4th. "I am really happy with the result,"stated Mackintosh in a post race interview. "We had a poor draw and had to start at the back of our heat." Mackintosh was able to pick up a couple spots to give him an 8th place starting spot in the feature.

"We had a good car and passed a couple of good cars and Ryan kept his nose clean and picked up some spots being smart", stated team co-owner Chris "Woody" Woods.

Mackintosh will be back in the #03 Scotia Hyundai / PowerWorks Generators Legend car at the INEX Winter Nationals in Florida later this month. Mackintosh will be joined by two other Canadians in the Bandolero class. Cole Boudreau will make his second appearance at the event in a Chris Woods Racing car and Cole Tanner, of Nova Scotia, will be piloting a second Outlaw Bandolero at the Auburndale circuit.

Saturday's INEX Winter Heat series event saw the sky open up and a rain cover the mile long road course for the entire day.

"Legends do race in the rain,"commented driver Ryan Mackintosh. "We could have gone out and ran around but we're not competing for points in this series so we thought we would sit this one out."

INEX Legend cars do run in the rain and the results can be spectacular. Chris Woods Racing decided to let the teams competing for the championship go out there and decide it amoungst themselves.

Team co-owner "Woody" Woods stated,"we don't want to go out on a wet track and have our car involved in something that might ruin someone else's day."

Mackintosh plans to be back at Charlotte next weekend and the team is preparing for the annual trek to Florida for INEX Winter Nationals later this month.

Chris Woods Racing driver Ryan Mackintosh spent Sunday testing at Little Rock (Rockingham Speedway) with Fast Track Racing and Andy Hillenburg.

"Ryan did a great job. He handled the bigger cars very well," commented Hillenburg after the test. "Oh yea, he did great."

One of Stock Car Racing's top instructors and coach, Andy Hillenburg, gives driver Ryan Mackintosh last minute instructions before a test run. (Lindsey Marks Photo/MagnoliasAndMetal

The day's testing accomplished several things for Mackintosh. When the driver turns 16, in April, he will be able to apply for and receive his ARCA license, for short tracks, based on Sunday's experience. He can also attend testing and a Speedway School based on the results of Sunday.

"It was a great day, I can't thank Andy and his staff enough", commented Mackintosh from the Chris Woods Racing shop in Kannapolis, NC.

The ARCA series races pre-COT NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car with engines producing 800 plus horse power.

"It certainly was different from the 3.5 horse power karts I started driving less than five years ago", stated Mackintosh.

Ryan Mackintosh tests at Rockingham in an 800 plus horsepower ARCA car.(Lindsey Marks / MagnoliasAndMetal photo)

Mackintosh will compete in the 2012 Allison Legacy Touring Series starting in March for Chris Woods Racing. The Canadian driver will also run 5 to 6 late model races for Dave O'Blenis Racing in Eastern Canada as well as compete in several INEX Semi-Pro Legend races throughout the season.

Chris Woods Racing and Ryan Mackintosh have started a new chapter in an INEX Semi-Pro Legend car.

Mackintosh, a regular on the Allison Legacy Touring Series, has decided to spend some time back with INEX. Mackintosh commented,"It is great to be back racing with INEX. We will be racing select events throughout 2012. We are still focused 100% on the Legacy Series but are looking forward to racing in the competive Semi-Pro division and with some great drivers and friends."

Mackintosh made his first start last week on the mile long road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mackintosh struggled on the start and had contact while running in 8th place but managed to bring home the #03 in 11th position.

"We were pleased with the result. An untested car and a driver with less than 15 laps of practice", stated team co-owner Chris "Woody" Woods.

On Saturday, January 28th, Mackintosh was back on track. Practice was very good with Mackintosh charting the 8th fastest time in his division.

The first heat race had Mackintosh running in 3rd place coming to the white flag and final lap. Mackintosh encountered problems in turn 1 and the car turned causing Mackintosh to finish the heat race in 8th.

The feature had Mackintosh starting deep in the field for the 10 mile event. The Amherst driver worked his way patiently through the field to complete his second ever Legend race in 7th place.

"The car worked well, I was battling a small oil leak making it hard to see at the end but overall I am very happy with the day. We closed in on the leaders a bit cutting a full second off our lap times from last week's race," commented Mackintosh.

Ryan Mackintosh battles for position in the #03 INEX Semi-Pro race on Saturday. (www.legendsnation.com / Stix FX Photo)

The Chris Woods Race shop in Kannapolis, NC has a little less room to move around this week. The team is fielding two Bandolero entries in this weekend's INEX Winter Heat event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The #1 and #8 CWRR Bandoleros will be piloted by two young Canadian drivers from the province of Nova Scotia.

"We're used to Canadian kids down here,"joked team owner Chris "Woody" Woods. "This weekend the team will have three drivers from Nova Scotia. It should be fun," continued Woods.

Amherst, NS driver, Ryan Mackintosh will have some company from home this weekend in Bandolero Outlaw driver Cole Tanner and Bandolero Bandit driver Luke Ettinger. Both young Canucks have established themselves on the INEX Bandolero scene by winning the Canadian National Championships in their respective divisions.

The team will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday to test and get the two Bando drivers familiar with the track and the surroundings. Mackintosh will be testing his #03 Scotia Hyundai - Power/Works Generators Semi-Pro Legend car on the one mile circuit.

Bandit Driver Luke Ettinger

Outlaw Driver Cole Tanner and Crew Chief Jack Tanner

Chris Woods Racing will now be able to site five Canadian drivers on its alumni list with New Brunswick's Cole Boudreau competing for Woods in 2011 and again in 2012 and PEI's Brodie MacQuarrie making several starts in 2010 and 2011.

A quck visit to both Tanner's and Ettinger's Facebook pages shows that there is a lot of excitement and support for both drivers.

"It really will be great to have some folks here from Nova Scotia," commented Mackintosh in an interview from Concord, NC. Mackintosh continued,"I have watched Cole race and have had a chance to run karts against Luke back at Scotia Speed World."

Stay tuned to www.legendsnation.com and their Facebook site for updates, photos and videos from the weekend.

The first outing for Ryan Mackintosh in an INEX Legacy car was not what the Chris Woods Racing team wanted.

Co-owner Chris "Woody" Woods stated,"we had a part failure in the rearend and unfortunately it happened early in the day. We were hoping for a good day and some additional seat time."

"We didn't expect to be competitive the first time out in the car ever but we had hoped to get a chance to get out there and ride for some laps,"stated the Canadian driver, Ryan Mackintosh. "We will get it back together and be ready for the next event."

The team plans on competing in the remainder of the INEX Winter Heat in the Semi-Pro division. "It gives us a chance to pick and choose events and have no pressure of running for points,"stated Woods.

Front Runner Imaging Photo