Darren Yates Wins First Sprint Car Main
(July 27th)Victoria, BC Canada- Defending Wilroc Sprint Car Champion Darren Yates from Duncan won his first Sprint Car main event Saturday Night at Western Speedway in front of over 2000 exuberant fans. Yates, who earlier in the evening set a new track record of 14:343, battled for the lead in the main event with Duane Zeinstra and Jeff Bird for just over half of the thirty lap feature race in a three way shuffle that saw the three drivers working each other in both the inside and outside grooves. Zeinstra held the lead for the most part in the early stages with Bird all over him as they tried to hold off the defending champion. Yates began to work the outside groove and took the lead on lap eighteen and never looked back on his way to victory. The race was yellow flagged when Britt Gillett slid out of turn two and slammed the concrete wall suffering extensive front end damage. Gillett was not injured in the single car crash. On the restart, Yates pulled away from the field leaving the battle for second way behind him. With only four laps to go, Zeinstra and Bird made contact coming off of turn two sending Bird down to the inside coming to rest on the back stretch grass. On the restart, Yates once again pulled away from the field with Zeinstra still running second with Rob Scott now running third finishing in that order. Bird had to restart the race from the back of the pack but was soon in contention for a podium finish as he made his way through the remaining cars to finish fourth. The Wilroc Sprint Cars return on August 24th when they join the NSRA Super Sprint Cars for the Alpine Truck & Equipment Repair, Times Colonist Daffodil Cup Race.
Steve Gamble won the Save on Gas Sportsman Series Main Event after a series of events involving other top drivers put him in victory square. Shawn Berg led the first eighteen laps of the fourty lap race with Ray Jones on the outside holding off Ted Cooper, Bart Smith, Peter Quakenbush, Steve Gamble, Tim Christy and Brad Watkins. It was an amazing eight way dog fight for the lead with the top eight drivers swapping grooves, positions and paint. The big break came when Ray Jones got a little out of shape on the outside allowing himself to be “freight trained” on the inside. As Berg held the lead, defending champion Tim Christy worked the outside groove hard picking away at his competitors, only as a champion could. Christy got his way to second and then to the lead taking the top spot away from Berg using the outside groove. As Christy began to pull away from the field, it was a three car fight for second with Berg doing all he could to hold off Quakenbush and Gamble. The three would press hard until Berg got a little loose coming off of turn four when he was tagged by Quakenbush sending Berg around putting Gamble into second with Quakenbush third. With Christy pulling away, it seemed Christy had the race under control until a plume of smoke bellowed from the rear of Christy’s Monte Carlo. Christy would pit quickly and rejoin the race but surrendered the lead and the win to Gamble who captured his first win of the year. Quakenbush would end up second with Rich Hargreaves claiming a clean third and Christy managing to struggle back for fourth. The Save on Gas Sportsman Series returns to Western Speedway on August 10th.
It was down to the wire in the Glen Lake Inn Stock Car Series with Kirk Peacey taking his fifth main event win of the year. Cody Brown held the early lead with Peacey in second when Brown’s engine expired handing the lead to Peacey. Peacey would go unchallenged in the very exciting Stock Car Race until the final two laps when out of no where defending champion Brian Clutchey caught Peacey as he was heading into lapped traffic. With Peacey blocked, Clutchey would try the outside and then on the final lap as the two took the white flag, Clutchey made his move on the inside heading into turn one with the advantage. As Clutchey entered turn one, he was squeezed low by two lapped cars sending him over the curb and sideways along the inside, but did a great job of straightening his car out to continue but could only watch as Peacey sailed by on the outside to claim the victory. Clutchey would end up a very respectable second, Phil Stone third and Trevor Emery fourth.
Matt Mansell won his third main event of the year and second at Western Speedway in the thirty five lap Mini Stock feature race. Mansell made his way through the sixteen car field from the back going door to door the entire way with the “Loghouse Pub Driver of the Week” Award winner Ken Schuurman. The two would make their way to the front going three and four wide. For over ten laps they were involved in a five way fight for the lead with Mansell getting out front alone for some well deserved breathing room. Mansell pulled away from the pack by several car lengths with less than ten laps to go for the win. Gilles Parenteau would finish second with Ken Schuurman third and Chad Dobranski rounding out the top four in yet another nail biting, paint swapping Mini Stock Feature race.
Chris Leclair won his first main event of the year taking the checkered flag first in the ten lap Motorcycle main event. Leclair held off the only other main event winners of the year becoming the third different winner this year. Leclair beat July 13th winner Scott Gillies and winner of all other main events Jeff Evernden to claim the victory. Thirteen Super Motards started the race with all finishing without incidents. The Super Motards will return on Sunday, September 1st for their last appearance f the year.
This coming Saturday, August 3rd, the “Weekend Warriors” return! The Demolition Derby Cars, Demo Trucks, Figure 8’s and Claimers take to the Speedway along with the first ever “Demo Car Football Game”. Two teams of two Demo Cars will attempt to score on each other using a Honda Civic as the Football on the front straightaway. Gates open at 5, qualifying @ 6 and Racing Mayhem @ 7.
It is only four more weeks until the NSRA Super Sprint Cars return for their final Canadian visit on August 24th for Geoff Vantreight’s 40th Annual Daffodil Cup Race presented by Alpine Truck & Equipment Repair and the Victoria Times Colonist.
CLASS:
Motorcycles
FAST TIME: Do not qualify
“A” TROPHY DASH 1 Jeff Evernden 2 Scott Gillies 3 Todd Wilson 4 Chris Leclair
“ B” HEAT 1 2 3 4
“A” HEAT 1 2 3 4
“A” MAIN EVENT 1 Chris Leclair 2 Scott Gillies 3 Jeff Evernden 4 James Latham
CLASS
: Mini Stocks FAST TIME: Matt Mansell 19:000
“A” TROPHY DASH 1 Jim Gallaugher 2 Ken Schuurman 3 Gilles Paretneau 4 Matt Mansell
“ B” HEAT 1 Doug Wright 2 Rob Chalmers 3 Matt Mansell 4 Brian Ford
“A” HEAT 1 Ken Schuurman 2 Matt Mansell 3 Doug Hopwood 4 Chad Dobranski
“A” MAIN EVENT 1 Matt Mansell 2 Gilles Parenteau 3 Ken Schuurman 4 Chad Dobranski
CLASS:
Stock Cars
FAST TIME: Brent Morris 18:506
“A” TROPHY DASH 1 Brian Clutchey 2 Brent Morris 3 Lois Pollard Grant 4 Kirk Peacey
“B” HEAT 1 Trevor Emery 2 Stu Ferguson 3 Kirk Clement 4 Ron Eberle
“A” HEAT 1 Trevor Bowers 2 Kirk Peacey 3 Brent Morris 4 Lois Pollard Grant
“A” MAIN EVENT 1 Kirk Peacey 2 Brian Clutchey 3 Phil Stone 4 Trevor Emery
CLASS:
Sportsman Series FAST TIME:
Steve Gamble 17:307
“A” TROPHY DASH 1 Ted Cooper 2 Steve Gamble 3 Tim Christy 4 Rich Hargreaves
“B” HEAT 1 Ray Jones 2 Brad Watkins 3 Shawn Berg 4 Gord Morris
“A” HEAT 1 Tim Christy 2 Rich Hargreaves 3 Steve Gamble 4 Peter Quakenbush
“A” MAIN EVENT 1 Steve Gamble 2 Peter Quakenbush 3 Rich Hargreaves 4 Tim Christy
“A” TROPHY DASH 1 Jeff Bird 2 Jeff Montgomery 3 Darren Yates 4 Britt Gillett
“B” HEAT 1 Rob Scott 2 Andrew Graham 3 Dan Fisher 4 Mark Fisher
“A” HEAT 1 Darren Yates 2 Jeff Montgomery 3 Britt Gillett 4 Randy Vincent
“A” MAIN EVENT 1 Darren Yates 2 Duane Zeinstra 3 Rob Scott 4 Jeff Bird
Demolition Cars, Demo Trucks, Figure 8’s, Claimers, PLUS!! First Time Ever Demo Car “Football Game” with a Honda Civic as the Football!!!
GATES 5:00PM QUALIFYING 6:00PM RACING 7:00PM
ADULTS $12 YOUTH 11-17 OAP $9
KIDS FREE! (10 – under with Parents )