There’s a new king of the road in the bone stock class — one who shows promising signs for the future of car racing here in the lakecity at Thunder Mountain Speedway.
And, he doesn’t even own a driver’s licence.
Saturday night, TMS held its annual points finals event — the last race night of the year for local drivers to earn points in their classes.
Donny Kunka, 15, held off a surging George Giesbrecht long enough to win the bone stock season points title. Giesbrecht, for his part, did win all the races on the night — the trophy dash, the heat and the main event — but Donny had compiled enough points to hold on for the championship.
“It feels pretty awesome,” Kunka said. “This is just my second year racing so it’s good.”
Last year, Donny was awarded rookie of the year at TMS.
This year, he’s progressed to an even higher level.
Next year he hopes to take over his dad, Arnie’s, street stock car in the fastest local class.
Giesbrecht, a perennial mainstay at the top of the leader board on the local points series, said seeing youth enter and enjoy the sport is what it’s all about.
“That’s why I’m involved,” he said. “Us old guys, we need these young kids in here and it’s nice to see guys like Donny out here racing.”
Donny added much of the credit has to be awarded to hit pit crew, and his dad for teaching him to race.
“I don’t think I would have made all the races if it wasn’t for my guys,” he said.
Also Saturday, drivers in the other classes were battling it out.
In the pro mini class, Marius Dunford won the fast time and main event, while Allen Roberts took the trophy dash and Tim Roberts won the heat.
In the Thunder class, much like he’s done all season long, Jesse Fisher was dominant.
Fisher won the fast time, dash, heat and main event, along with wrapping up a season championship Saturday.
In the street stock class, the elder Kunka, Arnie, put his best foot forward winning the trophy dash, the heat and the main event, along with the season title.
On Sunday, TMS held a fun day to wrap up the season hosting a number of unusual races.
First, in the reverse race, where drivers go around the track clockwise instead of counter-clockwise, Giesbrecht was victorious.
In the blindfold race, Vic Sizer was the winner.
The cone race, where drivers had to keep a cone standing on their hood while racing around the track, was won by Sean Kelly.
The fan-favourite smoke show was won by Sizer, while the King of the Hill competition was won by Tyler Hamm.
In the crash to pass a Fort St. John driver, Jarret Bonn, took first place.
In second was Quesnel’s Jason Howlett and in third was Williams Lake’s Jordon Bremner.