Auto racing fans lined the track Saturday night, Aug. 7, for Thunder Mountain Speedway’s annual Memorial Race and All Class Invitational.
The second event of the year for the local race track since the COVID-19 pandemic put the brakes on the 2020 season, drivers travelled from around the province to take part in the event, which had prize money added to each of the two race classes: bone stocks and street stocks.
The bone stock division saw local Allen Roberts pull off the fastest qualifying time of the day in 18.383 seconds — breaking the TMS track record — then followed up that performance with a clean sweep of the dash, heat and main event.
Second place overall in the division went to Tristan Waslen of Riske Creek.
Third place was a tie between Steve Panta and Chrissie Gertzen, who won her first dash on the night and set the fast time qualifier in the B class.
The street stock class saw Abbotsford’s Kale Woodske accumulate the most points, with 29, between his qualifying, dash, heat and a first-place main event finish to edge out Williams Lake’s Arnie Kunka, who had 22 points, for the overall title. Third place was a tie between Paul Tourond of Agassiz and Williams Lake’s Donny Kunka.
“All in all it was some good, tight racing, for sure,” said TMS vice-president Ken Waslen. “The street stock main event ended up getting shortened up because of the rain, so that was a little bit unfortunate, but the rest of the day was awesome.”
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In the bone stock class, he noted Roberts was completely on fire.
“Allen was cooking — that’s for sure,” he said.
Waslen thanked the large crowd in attendance, who were treated with door prize draws throughout the event.
TMS organizers, meanwhile, are planning for one more weekend of racing with the fan-favourite Day of Destruction Saturday, Sept. 11.
The event will feature the hit to pass, smoke show and king of the hill, as well as regular racing in both bone stock and street stock divisions.
Qualifying begins at noon. Racing to follow at 1 p.m.
greg.sabatino@wltribune.com
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