CONCORD, N.C. — Coming off the best season of his career, Cannon McIntosh is joining the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota roster full time in 2023 in search of his first national championship.
McIntosh of Bixby, Okla., tallied 15 midget wins on the national circuit last year between Xtreme, USAC and POWRi — tied for the most by a single driver. He broke through to Xtreme Outlaw victory lane during championship weekend in his home state, leading the final 22 laps around I-44 Riverside Speedway to bag the win in the tour’s inaugural season.
“I would say it was a big year — not only for me but for our team,” the 20-year-old said. “It’s definitely not a place we’ve been in before. It takes a lot to put that many races together and win. There was lots of good cars [racing] on nights we won. To be able to go out and win as many races as we did [is great].”
McIntosh toured his Toyota Racing-powered Spike Chassis, Gear Wrench No. 08 throughout the country last year, opting to compete in a pick-and-choose schedule over committing to chasing a series points championship. This year will be different, as he and the Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports crew have one major goal to accomplish at season’s end — locking-up a national points title.
“The biggest [goal] is trying to win championships,” McIntosh said. “Just let the wins come based on consistency and effort. I think if we just focus on consistency and being there at the end of the season in the hunt, everything else will follow.”
To aid in accomplishing that goal, McIntosh has recently made the move from his Oklahoma residence to Mooresville, N.C., to get easier access to Toyota driver resources. His father, Dave McIntosh, has recently partnered with North Carolina Midget driver Austin Barnhill to form Dave Mac-Barnhill Motorsports — a new micro sprint racing team — with an eye on developing the future from out of their shop in Mooresville.
“We’re using it to find talent in some young drivers and, hopefully, move them though these micros and get them into midgets as well,” McIntosh said. “I’m keeping myself busy during the week, working on the micro, being at the Toyota gym and also maximizing my performance on the weekends and going midget racing.”
In only his fifth full-time season behind the wheel of a midget, McIntosh has evolved into one of the top-ranked drivers in the nation, scoring victories last year at one-fifth-miles (Macon Speedway, I-44), quarter-miles (Jacksonville Speedway, Fairbury Speedway), a three-eighths-mile (Lucas Oil Speedway) and the one-sixth-mile Tulsa Expo Raceway for the third time in his career this past January.
While the wins and a first national midget championship are top priority this year, he’s always preparing future opportunities to race.
“I’m going with the flow; I think I’m in the right place,” McIntosh said. “You have people who tell you what they think you should be doing… I think I’m just going with my gut. Just do what we’re doing this year, continuing to get better as a driver and furthering my midget career. Just trying to open some more opportunities up. I think winning championships does that.”