By Ken Keating
Saturday, September 3rd, Western Speedway will play host to the first ever A.S.A. B.C. Late Model Advance Testing Tour Championship with the Canada 200 and sponsored by O'Dell Slinger and race night events sponsored by IslandCarBuyer.com. Previously this series was known as the Katana Boat Sportsman Series and had built a great following with races in many parts of B.C. that included Vernon, Penticton, Saratoga, Western Speedway, and many others. Many venues would see upwards to thirty-five cars try to qualify. This season, The American Speed Association became the sanctioning body and success has followed them as they have appeared at several tracks throughout 2011. Tonight is their Championship night and their last appearance for this season so all drivers will be going all out for those Championship points. Tom Berrow is the current leader and has a very slim lead over Geoff Morris, Dave Hemrich, Brent Morris, and Korbin Thomas within striking distance. Winners, so far, June 4, - Winner: #86 Tom Berrow at the Motoplex Speedway - Vernon, July 16, - Winner: #14 Brandon Carlson, Saratoga Speedway - Black Creek, July 30, (Day 1) - Winner: #5 Korbin Thomas, Penticton Speedway - Penticton, :: "Gordie Mannes Memorial", July 31, (Day 2) - Winner: #33 Dave Hemrich Penticton Speedway - Penticton, :: "Gordie Mannes Memorial", and August 20, - Winner: #52 Geoff Morris, Agassiz Speedway - Agassiz. The race day schedule calls for ASA Practice: 1:00 to 2:00 and ASA Practice: 3:00 to 4:00, Qualifying: 6:00 and Racing: 7:00 PM. The night's program will hold an ASA A Dash, ASA B Dash, Local Races with the OTRA Series and a 200 Lap Main Event (start 25 cars). Murray Dyck will bring his new Westar Trailer Impala to the CANADA 200 this Saturday as well as Wade Bland with maybe the only Ford Fusion running.
On September 4th last season, because of time limits and the many yellow flags, the race was brought to an end with Korbin Thomas claiming the win followed by Darrell Midgley, Tim Christy, Brandon Carlson, and Bart Smith rounding out the top five positions after one-hundred and eight-seven laps. On August 6th, Doug Richens and Robbie Haslam shared the front row as twelve Late Models lined up for the green flag and fifty laps of racing ahead of them. Richens led for the first two laps that saw some bumping as faster cars tried for the lead. Jason Terasenko,back in the field, got turned around going through turn one bringing out the yellow. Damage to his car was just cosmetic and the loose parts were quickly pulled off allowing him to return to the track sacrificing just one spot. On the double file restart, Richens and Haslam were again side by side and Richens got squeezed again sending him to the pits. On lap four Dale Robinson grabbed the lead followed by Wade Bland and Rory Smith. On lap eight, Smith made the pass and moved into second dropping Bland back to third with Brandon Carlson behind him. On lap nine, Smith dove to the inside and made the pass for the lead and Carlson also went by both Bland and Robinson and took over the second spot. On lap fifteen, Terasenko had moved very quickly coming through the pack and into the third spot and began his charge to the front. On lap twenty-eight, Terasenko passed Carlson and took over the second spot and continued to run fast laps as he started to reel in Smith in the lead. On lap thirty-three Terasenko dove to the inside and passed Smith for the lead, a lead he would not give up. A few years ago Terasenko was a terror on the Western Speedway oval and he has not lost his touch here as he went on to take the Late Model Feature event followed by Smith, Carlson, Gord Quaite, and Bland rounding out the top five positions.
Tonight Western Speedway also hosts the O.T.R.A. Series with their brand of open wheel competition. This series always fields great looking cars but don't let that fool you. They are highly competitive and are very fast. On August 6th, Kail Beck and James Miller had the front row for the O.T.R.A. Feature event and Beck got the early lead until Miller passed him on lap three. On lap five George Jenson moved up to run second and then took the lead on lap eight dropping Miller back to second with Larry Joyce now running third. On lap eleven, James Campbell, always a top contender entered the pits with an apparent problem. On lap seventeen, Joyce passed Miller to take over the second spot and set his sites on Jenson. Dennis and Rob Morneau traded positions in the late stages of this race but it was Jenson who hung on for the win followed by Joyce, Rob Morneau, Roger Beck, and Miller rounding out the top five positions.