Back for More: Reinhart Fueled by Near-Championship Season

When you think of guys that have run with the Overkill Enterprise OSCAAR Modifieds for a number of years, there are a couple of names that come to mind. One of those being, Dale Reinhart.

So what keeps bringing him back each year?

“The cars - I don't care what anybody says,” he commented. “I mean I'm biased, but open-wheels, the car's two inches off the ground. They're just a pretty cool race car. That's pretty much it. Like, you got next to no muffler, headers coming out the side - they’re just badass.”

Coming off a great season last year, it is easy to see why Reinhart is looking forward to getting back to the track this season. 

“We're looking forward to seeing, hopefully, some new cars this year and hopefully see a car count a little bit higher,” he commented. “That's kind of the series aspect of it. For us, we're hoping that we just kind of do our same thing. We're not changing a whole heck of a lot of stuff, just focus on making the invert every night and trying to be there in the first or second spot at the end of the race.”

Looking ahead at the schedule, Reinhart admits he’s most looking forward to the season opening Brian McLean Memorial at Flamboro Speedway on May 23. 

“Brian McLean meant a lot to me and that race, we are gonna do everything we can to try and win it,” he commented. “It’s the circled race on the calendar and we're gonna do everything we can to try and run up front that night.”

When asked to share one of his fondest memories of McLean, he says there were lots from over the years. 

“I can honestly say that one of them would have been at Sauble,” he recalled. “We were kind of struggling in practice, and we made a couple small changes, and we were talking about some set-up stuff. He was kind of shaking his head, like ‘I don't think that's gonna work’, and then we went out and ended up winning the race; that was our first win ever. 

“Brian came round to the back of the car, and he just kind of lifted his hat and was just scratching his head and had a grin ear-to-ear on his face, and I will never forget that moment. It was something pretty cool.”

Reinhart enters the 2026 campaign with momentum on his side after placing second in the year-end standings following two victories on the season at Full Throttle Motor Speedway and Delaware Speedway.

“It was good,” he admitted. “It’s just the start of the year killed us. We just had a couple mistakes. We missed a couple set-up things; we were trying all-year. We had a car that was probably a fifth-place car every night, but we weren't settling for that. So we had to continue to try things and there were a few nights that we ran, I don't know fifth or sixth and the car was really not great. So that really hurt us, but if we weren't trying those things, we wouldn't have gotten to where we were at the end of the year. I mean, we won 2 out of the last 3 races at the end of the year, right? 

“So overall, it was a good year. Obviously it hurt to miss the championship by one point, but I mean, if there was anyone to miss it to, it was Steve because he was a great competitor all year long. We had a blast racing against him.” 

The championship battle between him and Steve Trendell was one to watch through the summer in seeing how the gap changed, though especially during the final weekend of the year at Delaware Speedway. Ultimately, Reinhart would come up short in losing by a point even with winning the race, but still calls it a memorable experience.

“Just to be in that position; I mean we went in eight points down and the rollercoaster that we were on that day,” he recalled. “I mean we went in 8 points down. We won our heat race and I think we took that gap down to like five points and then went out to the feature. We lead the most laps - Led a lap - so all of a sudden, I mean, I'm in first place, and we're thinking we have it wrapped up and with three laps to go, it all changed. 

“It may not be my favorite memory, but man, it was so much fun. It was so exciting. That rush - that's what you chase. That's what you do as a race car driver, right? You love the adrenaline rush and always be on your toes. You just gotta be ready at all times.” 

As he gets ready to start a new season, Reinhart admits it would be huge if he could capture his first series championship. 

“It would be a little bit of a monkey off our back now because we've done this for a little bit,” he commented. “I don't know that this year is gonna be the year because I'm actually getting married this year, so it's gonna be a very busy summer with racing and everything else. So we might miss one or two, but we will kind of take it week-by-week and see how it goes.”