Western Speedway

                Kyle Vantreight won the WilRoc Sprint Car Series Feature Event on one of the biggest weekend events ever held at the famed oval in Victoria, BC. The second portion of the “One Hot Weekend” featured, not only WilRoc, but Stock Cars, Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks, IMCA Modified Series, Sportsman Series, and the Hornets.
                The Hornets started with a Trophy Dash won by the #9 car and Gord Kraus followed with a win in the Dwarf Car Series. Tony Johnson took the checkers in the IMCA Modified Series Trophy Dash while Gilles Parenteau followed suit in the IMS 4 Mini Stock Dash. Tim Christy powered his Monte Carlo to a first place finish in the Sportsman Series Dash with Shane Scott coming first in the Stock Car Dash. Scott Aumen rounded out Trophy Dashes by winning the WilRoc Series Dash.
                Chris Beaulieu came from the back to win a close IMCA Modified Heat Race, Jeremy Stevens took the Heat in the Dwarf Car Series, and Kerry Steen was victorious in the Stock Car Heat.
                Robbie Haslam, driving the #21 Hornet, led for a lot of laps in the Hornet Feature but couldn’t hold off Darryl Crocker who made the pass with just a few laps left in a very entertaining race. The Dwarf Cars lined up to run for the Jim Pridge Memorial Trophy with Miles Maxie holding the pole. He got out first and led BJ Bradley and Don Bonansky driving for Bob Greenaway. These three drivers were joined in the fight by Jeremy Stevens, Bob Pridge, and Shane Kraus. Over the next few laps positions were traded back and forth on every lap but on lap 15, Stevens finally slipped by Bonansky for second. One lap later, he slipped underneath Maxie for the lead and Bonansky got by Maxie for second place. This would mark the second time that Stevens has claimed victory in this event one he says “is an honor to win”.
                Alex Mouner held the pole for the IMS 4 Mini Stock Feature with Robert Orr on the outside and it was Orr that had the lead by the third lap followed by Mouner and Gord Percival. On lap 5. Mouner spun out in turn four giving his spot to Mitch Egner followed by Lois Pollard Grant. Just a couple laps later Egner took the lead leaving Pollard Grant, Justin Woodske, and Percival to fight for the other positions. No one had anything for Egner as he cruised to the win followed by Woodske and Percival.
                Steve Miller and Pat Brown shared the front row for the IMCA Feature and with the drop of the green flag, Brown got to the lead early. All other drivers were in a tight battle for the remaining positions and on lap 12, Beaulieu moved into the third spot while Brad Purdy and Laurie O’Connor moved in to challenge as well. The happiest person was up front most of the way and Brown took his first win in his first race at Western Speedway beating Purdy and Beaulieu across the line.
                On Friday night Tim Christy pulled a quick inside move to take positions away and Saturday would be no different. Geoff Morris got out to the early lead followed by Cody Brown and Robinson in the Sportsman Series Feature. Robbie Haslam spun out three laps into the race bringing out an early caution. By this time Christy had moved up from last place to third. Brown had moved to the inside of Morris for the lead just as the caution was displayed. On the restart, Brown again went to the inside of Morris and again Haslam spun bringing the yellow back out. This time he brought his car to the pits where it stayed. On this restart Christy went inside of Brown and Morris going through turn four and came out with the lead. Brown came out of the turn second also getting by Morris. Christy cruised from here to the win followed by Brown and Robinson. In the earlier Dash Christy jumped all over the leaders with that quick move that produced another win and he was very complimentary on the “clean” races with Brown.
                Jeff Cesari and Buck Ford led a big field of Stock Cars to the flag for a forty lap Feature. Cesari led early with Hugh Gurney right on his bumper with Kerry Steen all over him. Five laps into this event a yellow flag came out and as the green flag dropped for the restart both Gurney and Steen crashed heavily into the front stretch wall ending the night for both drivers. On the subsequent restart, Cesari now led Rory Smith, Mike Dibblee and Brian Clutchey. On lap 11, Clutchey had moved up to third with battles taking place behind him. On lap 15, the yellow again came out when Aaron Wilkie crashed into the backstretch wall ending his night. On lap 18, Smith took over the lead from Cesari and Clutchey was right behind taking over second. By lap 27, Clutchey tried to outside to get the lead and over the next several laps tried inside and out for the position. Clutchey finally got to the outside groove and made it work for the lead 35 laps gone. Over the last five laps positions changed behind the leader but Smith hung on for second followed by Cesari, Dibblee, and Marc Parkinson. Clutchey said” This is the tuffest year in this series to win but I'm looking forward to the rest of it”.

Forty laps would make up the distance for the WilRoc Sprint Car Feature Event that had Randy Vincent and Rob Scott on the front row. These two drivers crashed together in the Heat Race Friday but were able to make repairs for the Saturday segment. Driving duties for Randy Price, who suffered an injury to a leg Friday, was taken over by Chris Schmelzle who has been running dirt sprints with the ASCA in the US. With the drop of the green flag Vincent powered to the lead before exiting turn two. Before the lap was complete Gord Smith had a problem and Schmelzle also came to a halt along the front stretch bringing out a yellow. On the restart, Vincent led Matt Mansell and Kyle Vantreight. Scott Aumen had also moved up into the top five. Vantreight got to the inside of Mansell on lap 7 and took over second and wasted little time challenging Vincent up front and on lap 12, Vantreight dove to the inside of corner four and grabbed the lead. He quickly checked out on the rest of the field leaving Mansell, Vincent, Aumen, Guy Barrett, and Schmelzle to battle for the rest of the positions.
On lap 35, the yellow came out when Darren Yates and Jim McKay got together coming through turn four. Yates was finished for the night but McKay was able to carry on. On the restart, Vantreight got away again but behind him the positions were tight. At the checkered flag it was Vantreight, followed by Aumen, that pulled a “dirt style” pass on Vincent for second. Vincent was able to hold off a hard charging Schmelzle for the third place finish. Vantrieght not only won the very exciting Feature, but he also captured the Roy Smith Memorial Trophy and the 1st Annual Times Colonist 350 Cup in only his second season with the high powered WilRoc Sprint Car Series.