Michael Gervais, Jr. – Saturday Legends Champion
At the close of only his third season in the tough Saturday night Legends division, young Michael Gervais Jr. became a champion, proving that the “youth movement” is still in full swing at the shoreline oval.
“Unlike some of the other teams, we came to the division with a pretty good idea of what it takes to be competitive on a weekly basis, so it’s not like we were pure rookies,” says Gervais. “All of those years of kart racing helped to prepare me for what was ahead. The basic discipline is the same, although the cars themselves are a lot different. When we were in the karts, our team was fortunate enough to score multiple championships, so right from the start we had the proper perspective when it came to running for points.”
As with all teams, Gervais realizes that it takes dedication from more than just the driver to enjoy a successful season.
“I can’t say enough about how hard my team works and most of them have been with me since I started racing. It’s a combination of family and friends that keep this thing going and, without them, I’d not be racing, much less enjoying a championship. When we first started running in the division there was a steep learning-curve in getting accustomed to setting up the cars. We’ve worked really hard on that part and it really came together this season after two years of experience. This year it was my goal to be consistent and let everything else fall into place.”
That consistency proved to be key to the championship. A pair of victories recorded in May and August backed up by a string of strong finishes kept Gervais in the running right up until the final event.
“It’s a really intense division, and the top drivers are hard to beat. You have the Bakaj brothers, who are about unstoppable, and then there are guys like Jason Palmer. The cars are really evenly-matched, so you have to be on top of your game all the time to keep up with the front-running teams. You find yourself always searching for that extra-edge.”
As for his 2008 plans, things will stay much the same for the reigning champion.
“Presently, we’re looking forward to another run at the track title,”says Gervais. I plan on staying in the Legends division for the foreseeable future, so we’ll just have to see if we can put it all together again like we did this season.”
Sources: Dave Dykes/Waterford Speedbowl PR