cannon returns to sprint car wars

“It felt good, better than I expected. You are always anxious to start the season. But then the mind just kicked into gear and it felt good. ”

pat cannon

storY & Photos: SHAWN WOOD, FOR INSIDE MOTORSPORTS

pat Cannon hadn’t raced a sprint car since June 17, 2016.

It was on that night at Williams Grove Speedway that Cannon suffered breaks to the inside and outside of his ankle when the U-Joint broke and the torque tube slammed into his foot during hot laps. The result of the accident was two broken bones in Cannon’s left ankle.

Cannon had to have surgery to repair the break and the timetable to heal would not allow him to get back in the car before the year was out. That led to the difficult decision to parts ways with the Highland’s sprint-car team after an 11-year run.

During these past four years, Cannon did not actively pursue a ride and there was an occasion or two where an opportunity was there, but it wasn’t the situation he felt would produce a solid outcome.

It was during the summer last year that the drive to get back into the car kicked in for Cannon. “I told my wife Stacey that I wouldn’t mind doing something in racing again,” Cannon said. “It seemed that racing was the only thing that was still going during the pandemic.”

It would be a call from his former crew chief with the Matt Highlands team, George Brandt, that got Cannon’s interest.

“George called me and said that John Stehman came up to him at Port Royal Speedway and told him that he wanted to start a 410 sprint car team and that he wanted George to be part of it and he wanted me to be the driver,” Cannon said. “I started to ask questions and we went and met with John and listened to his plans.”

Along with the 410 team, Stehman owns a 360 wingless sprint car and is putting together a 358 sprint car to run at