“EVE OF DESTRUCTION” CRAZY CANUCK CAR JUMP, DEMO CARS, DEMO TRUCKS, MINI FIGURE 8’s, MINI VANS, and TOTAL DESTRUCTION DERBY JULY 26th, 2008              Over 4000 fans jammed Western Speedway to watch what was billed as an “Eve Of Destruction” with the Demo Cars, Demo Trucks, Mini Vans, Figure 8s, a car jump, a bus jump, total destruction event, and a boat race, winding up the event with fireworks. Jordan Gillespie, an eleven year old singer, (she writes her own music too) received a thunderous ovation for her great rendition of Oh Canada.                 Trophy Dashes, Heats, and Main events for the racing classes opened the night’s activities with lots of hits and crashes. Bryce Muir beat Shawn Hitchings and Kyle Ridley to the checkered flag in the Figure 8 class. A few more vans entered the Feature event with Glen Percival continuing his winning ways crossing the line ahead of Roger Beck and Bruce Knight. Mark Keeler was successful winning the Demo Truck Feature beating Andy Timms and Aasen Baker to the line. A great field of nineteen cars took the green flag for twenty laps of hard hitting Demo Car action. Marc Perkinson set a new track record earlier, won his Trophy Dash, and started in the seventeenth position for the start. Dr. Death, Keith Hansen quickly made his move to the front and led by lap five. On lap thirteen, Parkinson made his move to the front and stayed out of trouble the rest of the way taking the checkered flag ahead of Hansen and Jim Young.                 After the Main events were complete it was time to watch the Crazy Canuck jump a car into a row of catch vehicles lined up on the front stretch. In order to gain the necessary speed, he had to start his run from the end of the drag strip. He hit the ramp perfectly and landed about half way down the row of cars. He climbed out unhurt and unscathed much to the delight of the spectators.                 The next event had ten cars lined up for a total destruction event and the last man standing or last car able to move would be the winner. Many cars dropped early and many cars looked as though they could not move at all but could still muster one more hit. The banging and crashes were deliberate and hard. When the dust settled, Shawn Hitchings moved enough to be declared the winner. He received a trophy from Tianna and Maria, the Western Speedway Trophy Girls this night.                 For the first time ever, Western Speedway presented a bus jump. Gary “The Animal” Williams, a former Demo Truck driver, has been around the speedway for thirty years plus but had never driven a bus before or attempted such a stunt. Gary took a few years off from racing but has maintained his presence at the track throughout. He also had to start his run from the end of the drag strip to gain the necessary speed. His first run was a little slow and he hit the first catch car. I think he thought he had a Monster Truck as he tried to get the bus up on top of a few more cars. The bus suffered virtually no damage and the fan applause convinced the officials and the driver to try another run. This time, Williams kept the pedal to the metal and pulled a fantastic jump landing close to where the Crazy Canuck landed earlier. The driver exited the bus to a resounding ovation also unhurt and unscathed.                 A good number of boats were available for the boat race with Demo Cars, trucks, and mini vans. Boats were trying to pass cars while cars were trying to crash boats with debris flying from all directions. Several boats came unhitched blocking corner one until a Demo Truck came around the corner full throttle and quickly opened the track again. Cars and boats, or pieces of same, littered the track the whole way around the Langford oval. When the dust settle, Marty “McFly” Hansen had the most boat left and was declared the winner.                 The “Eve Of Destruction” came to an end with a fifteen to twenty minute fireworks display thus living up to the early billing promising to return in 2009. The next Saturday race also is a ground crashing event with the Big Rigs, and hometown hero Glen Creed set to tackle Western Speedway. Come early as seats are sure to go quickly. RACE SUMMARY:   MINI FIGURE EIGHT CLASS: FAST TIME:  #2 Jeff Foley  14:637 TROPHY DASH: Sean Welch; Bryce Muir; Sean Young; Shawn Conarroe HEAT RACE: Kyle Ridley; Cam Wilkinson; Sean Welch MAIN EVENT: Bryce Muir; Shawn Hitchings; Kyle Ridley; Cam Wilkinson; Sean Welch   MINI VAN CLASS: FAST TIME:  #34 Roger Beck  22:632 TROPHY DASH: Bruce Knight; Roger Beck; Glen Percival; Kevin Knight HEAT RACE: Roger Beck; Kevin Knight; Glen Percival; Kail Beck MAIN EVENT: Glen Percival; Roger Beck; Bruce Knight; Larry Hanson; Kevin Knight   DEMO TRUCK CLASS: FAST TIME:  #42 Mark Keeler  21:315 TROPHY DASH: Mark Keeler; Aasen Baker; Billy Stidson; Richard Milne HEAT RACE: Andy Timms; Paul Stockhorn; David Cates; Mark Keeler MAIN EVENT: Mark Keeler; Andy Timms; Aasen Baker; David Cates; Trevor Hardy   DEMO CAR CLASS: FAST TIME:  #15 Marc Parkinson  20:333 (New Track Record) TROPHY DASH: Marc Parkinson; Kirk Peacey; Doug Richens; Joe Liberatore 1st HEAT: Marty Hansen; Cody Young; Mike Dash; Jim Young 2nd HEAT: Keith Hansen; Doug Richens; Kirk Peacey; Joe Liberatore MAIN EVENT: Marc Parkinson; Keith Hansen; Jim Young; Marty Hansen; Dean Mackney   TOTAL DESTRUCTION WINNER:  #83 Shawn Hitchings   BOAT RACE WINNER:  #33 Marty Hansen