Saratoga Speedway hosted the Big Rig Highway thunder night sponsored by Bailey Western Star on Saturday, July 13. The event included many classes of racing to entertain the crowd in the stands.
Luke Mainwaring #72 won the Mad Max Extreme Racing Main event in his Luigi themed racer with Damon Dunn #90 in the Mario car close behind. No banana peels were harmed in this event. In the other full contact racing class Chris Campbell #51 won his Crash to Pass 20 lap Feature race with Troy Ordano #9 capturing second.
The speedy Hornet A division 25 lap Main event saw Jimmy (Johnson) Antonik #90 pass under the checkers first with Nigel Neufeld finishing a notable 2.3 seconds behind the leader. The Figure 8 division fielded a larger stable of racers this week. The 15 figure 8 laps were first completed by Chevy Carlson #69 with Jim Levirs #5 in second. First time racer Maria Klee finished on the podium in 3rd showing her son Austin Klee #86 how to race with Austin finishing last.
Lake (Speed) Jesse #88 grabbed his first checkered flag in the Hornet B 15 lap Main event. Maya Westra #53 was second to cross the finish line ahead of Leaf Race #73 in 3rd. More than half the racers in this main are talented and well trained young lady drivers. Sarah Cornett-Ching, Nascar / ARCA/ WESCAR racer from Penticton , B.C. would be proud.
The last few races of the evening were ran on a rain adjusted track. The last race was a 25 lap Feature race of the Hornet B division that had to contend with the wet race surface. Winning his first main event Brandon Hopp #60 high-fived his crew on the front straight while the checkered flag waved around him. Nigel Neufeld #84 was second on the podium with miss Taylor Pheaton # 76 finishing 2/10 ths of a second behind in 3rd. A total of 26 Hornet B division cars came to race and showed what driver training can do to help a young driver learn how to operate a race car safely and effectively. Contact Saratoga Speedway for more information on driving school opportunities.
Saturday, July 20 features the WILROC Sprint cars, the IMCA Modifieds, the Bomber cars and the Roadrunners.
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•Saratoga now offers a youth racing experience throughout the summer. Participants 10-17 years from B.C. and Alberta are learning the basics of car control, braking, under the instruction of Richard Warrington. The Comox resident has been flying around the world teaching performance car driving to clients with Super Cars. He has set up School at Saratoga Speedway, and will be teaching where Speed Belongs. Last weekend, a 12-year-old won the B main event, and a 15-year-old won the fast A main event. In the C main, another 12-year-old won.