A record amount of race car drivers arrived, excited fans lined the banks, but in the end the weather had the final say at Thunder Mountain Speedway’s season opener last weekend.
With only a few races and a half hour into the event, the skies opened up and the rain came down putting a stop to the event due to safety concerns on the wet track.
Dedicated fans and organizers remained hopeful throughout the evening that the show might go on, but even the best efforts of volunteers driving the track to help keep it dry was no match for the ongoing rain showers Saturday evening and into Sunday morning.
The premier race event –– the highly anticipated ASA Advanced Testing Sportsman Series –– was cancelled because of inclement weather.
“If we can possibly come back, we will,” Brigitte Clayton, time keeper and score person for the ASA Series said Sunday morning as more than half of the drivers remained on site, still hopeful to race. Another rain storm after noon Sunday dashed all hopes and the race was called.
“This is a great facility to come back to — the people are great and we really like the things your president Tim Westwick is doing.”
ASA Series Race Director Kendall Thomas said the season opener attracted a record number of racers –– 24 from all corners of the province –– and organizers are hoping to reschedule the race for some time in August.
“It’s the fastest 3/8th mile in the province ... it’s unique in the way it’s designed,” Thomas said.
Thomas said the ASA Series cars reach speeds of up to 80-miles-per-hour on the Williams Lake track.
Despite the rain, participants from the Lakers Car Club Show and Shine and Spring Roundup still arrived in style at the track with their vintage vehicles to drive a few laps for the appreciative crowd.
Next up for Thunder Mountain Speedway is Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, June 14.