One of the most entertaining Crash to Pass boat races and two rollovers highlighted Canada Day racing action in front of the biggest crowd of the season, Saturday at Saratoga Speedway. After heat races and main events for the Hornets, Mad Max, Crash to Pass and Road Runners, 12 cars and trucks took to the track for 20 laps to see who would have the largest piece of their boat — hooked up to the back of their cars/trucks — left as they set out to destroy each other’s vessel. At the race’s end, pieces of boat were all over the 3/8s oval and by the crowd’s determination, Billy Brimacombe Jr would emerge having the most boat remaining and he would win the boat race for the fifth time — the most by any driver. The boat race returns once more this season on Aug. 19.
The Bailey Western Star-sponsored night of racing provided 15 races with 13 different winners as drivers get closer to the mid-season mark. The competition gets more intense each week. In Hornet car racing, 2016 Hornet B point champion Keegan McCosh picked up his first win of the season in the 20 lap main while heat race wins went to Darren Monks and Raymond Fortier. In the Hornet Bs, Josh Taks was a double winner as he picked up wins in the C heat and B main with other heat wins going to Chevy Carlson and Kiana Westra. Nigel Neufeld came away with the 20 lap A main win.
In Crash to Pass, a hard-hitting 10 lap heat saw Mike Jenkins win followed by Troy Ordano’s win in the 20 lap main. In Road Runner action, point leader Austin Hack would take the win in the first heat while the second heat and main event wins would go to defending point champion Ryan Guest. The second lap of the main event would see Kevin Hack blow his motor in front of Terry Guest, who would get caught up in the oil from Hack’s motor which sent him out of control hard into the tires. The impact left him on his side, leaving his car slightly damaged and him sore but unhurt. In Mad Max racing the heat race produced the season’s scariest crashes as Brad Dimtrov and Toryn Davies got hooked up which sent Dimtrov at full speed hard into the tires in the same spot as Guest. Dimtrov and his car would also end up on its side leaving his car heavily damaged and himself shook up. After a hospital visit he was deemed OK but very sore. Once the race resumed, point leader Danielle Antionk would go on to take the win while the 20 lap main event win would go to Brian Calderwood. The Mad Max cars along with the Hornets, Crash to Pass and Road Runners return July 15 rain or shine with special attractions a Crash to Pass trailer race and a car jump by the Crusher.
This Saturday night will feature the IMCA Modifieds and they will be joined by the Bomber and the Dwarf cars. In the season’s points championship, Oyster River’s Chris Beaulieu sits first overall in the Modified class as he has a 40 point advantage over Travis Stevenson followed by Dano Byrant, Peter Muloin and Jeff Monks. Campbell River’s Boston Larsen heads into the weekend 58 points ahead of Chad Taks with Charlie Akerman, Muarry Degraag and Darrel Larsen rounding out the top five in the Bomber car points race….guest talk…apologies to Jeff Monks who was behind the wheel of the #46 Modified on June 24, not brother Ryan…all three rollovers this season by Dimtrov, Guest and Nigel Neufeld have come in the same spot ….the first third generation driver is on his way to the speedway as Miles Beaulieu, son of Chris, who is the son of arguably the best driver to come from Saratoga Speedway, Jason Beaulieu, will be racing a Hornet car soon…speedway go-karts and monster truck rides are now running seven days a week noon to 4 p.m.