By Ken Keating
Western Speedway played host to the Demo Cars, Demo Trucks, Figure 8s, and the Bombers sponsored by islandcarbuyers.com this evening and the show produced fireworks from start to finish. Tonight's program consisted of Trophy Dashes, Heat races, and Feature events for the racers plus a parade of children, big and small, dressed as princesses and pirates.
Approximately seventy-five people participated in the Princess and Pirates night with a parade along the frontstretch and to Victory Square for a group photograph led by Bern Bruce and Jen Homewood with costumes from Victoria Costumes. What a great job by a very nervous, young, Cassidy Steen as she performed the National Anthem in front of a rather large crowd. She was an instant hit as she wore a Vancouver Canucks Kesler jersey (They are gunning for the Stanley Cup) as she got the evening underway.
Cam Wilkinson got the fireworks going when he used an inside move on the last corner and passed Sean Welch and snatched the win in the Figure 8 Trophy Dash. Dennis Stewart was the winner in the Bomber Dash, Kevin Knight took the Demo Truck Dash, and Kenny Baker won the Demo Car Trophy Dash. Mike Ryce and Dennis Stewart won Bomber Heat races, Greg Sagmoen was victorious in the Demo Car Heat race, Kevin Knight returned to Victory Square with a Demo Truck Heat race win, and Sean Welch and Blaine Duperreault won the Heat races in the Figure 8 Series. Mike Ryce and Dennis Stewart picked up Bomber Heat race trophies, Greg Sagmoen won the Demo Car Heat race, Kevin Knight won the Demo Truck Heat, while Sean Welch and Blaine Duppereault picked up wins in the Figure 8 Heats.
Fourteen cars lined up for the Feature event in the Figure 8 class led by Jeff Foley and forty laps to decide a winner. This event saw some very hard hits throughout. Rory Smith gained the lead after just four laps and had his hands full trying to hold off several drivers including Cam Wilkinson, Richard Carey, Rhett Szevics, and Kail Beck. On lap twenty-four the red flag came out halting the race as emergency crews had to check out Garrett Dougan after a very hard broadside hit. He went to the infield under his own power and seemed to be OK. On the restart, Smith got away again followed closely by Beck and Kyle Rozik. When the dust settled it was Smith taking the win with Beck second and Rozik third. Smith will need some body work done on his car after the many dents and scratches left on his #16 car.
Cody Laughran and Daniel David led a field of sixteen cars to the green flag for fifty laps of racing in the Bomber Series. David led the first two laps until he was passed by Mike Ryce while Dennis Stewart, Brandon Steen, Giles Cyr driving the #06 car, and Heath Cooper were trying to make their way forward. Stewart passed Ryce on lap nine while Cooper made his move into the second spot one lap later. Steen started to make his presents felt on lap twelve taking over the fourth spot and making a bumper to bumper train with Stewart, Cooper, and Cyr. On lap eighteen Cooper took over the lead dropping Stewart back to second and just three laps later, Steen was ushered to the pits for a lap under twenty seconds leaving the fourth spot now to Jamie Morgan. Cooper began to open a good distance between himself and Stewart until his car dropped way off the pace on lap thirty-four surrendering the lead back to Stewart. On lap fourty-four Cyr grabbed the lead, a lead he would only hold for two laps. Stewart, trying for the clean sweep, went back to the lead on lap forty-six and held off Cyr, Morgan, Aaron Camron, and James Buchanan for the win. This marked the first Feature event win ever for Stewart in ten years of racing and he marked it well with the clean sweep. BJ Veld and Buchanan took part in this race with the new look six cylinder Demo Cars that will compete sometime this season as more cars become available.
Mark Keeler, driving the #17 Truck led five drivers to the green flag for twelve laps of racing in the Demo Truck Feature event. He grabbed the lead on the first lap followed by Bruce Knight in second for the first four laps. George Haywood, the only driver not a member of the Scotthorne "team" moved up to run second on lap five. On lap nine, he reeled in the leader and took him out and went into the lead. He held on for the win followed by Kevin Knight and Keeler who held on for the second and third spot respectively. The crowd was defineately on the side of the "underdog" until he said; Go Bruins" in the Stanley Cup finals against the Vancouver Canucks. He also thanked the other "team" drivers as they played no favorites and they would take each other out rather than gang up on him.
Jake Matthews had the pole for the start of the Demo Car Feature event but Troy Tarbuck got the lead before lap one was complete. Joe Liberatore moved into the second spot until he got taken out by Greg Sagmoen on lap six. Joe was able to keep going in the right direction and only lost one position. Tarbuck spun several drivers around but carried on for the win followed by Sagmoen, who tried hard to get the leader, and Liberatore in third at the chequered flag. The evening came to a close after a two car roll over contest won by Dakota Hansen and a great fireworks display much to the delight of the big crowd. The next event, at Western Speedway, will be the return of the Late Model Series, I.M.S. 4 Mini Stocks, and the Island DWARF Cars on June 4th.