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| STORY AND PHOTO BY KEN KEATING/ILLUSION PHOTOGRAPHY |
Jason
Tarasenko is another driver that got an early start to a racing career.
Around the age twelve, Jason used to watch neighbors Rob Krickmeyer
and Doug Grafstrom from R & D Motorsports, work on their winning
Hobby Stock. Years later when he lived in Merritt, BC, he teamed up
with a close friend and had an opportunity to drive a Hobby Stock on
the dirt track and it really started from there. In 2001, he started
driving in the Late Model Sportsman Series at Agassiz Speedway. Between
2001 and 2009, as his schedule allowed, Jason bounced through some Arca
races, the Katana Boat Sportsman Series, and West Coast Sportsman Series
racing at Vernon. In 2009, he wanted to try something a little different
and found his way to Western Speedway and success winning several Feature
events and the Late Model Championship that season. Over the years Jason
has raced at several different tracks and intends to race a Harding
Motorsports Prepared Super Late Model event in Monroe Washington later
this season. They are a step up from the current Late Models we run
now but Jason is looking forward to giving them a try. "It was
really fun to race in Las Vegas" he says when asked if he had a
preference.
When
talking about the new Keg Steakhouse & Bar Driver Challenge Series
at Western Speedway, Jason says "Everybody worked hard to
put it together and it is going to be absolutely tremendous for Late
Models especially on the Island and I think it will be a good
design model for other tracks to try and follow." Jason is very
upbeat about the 2012 Late Model Series compared to what they
had last season. This Series will be really good for Late Model racing,"
he says. Jason acknowledges the work put in by Steve Copp, Bill Smith
Jr., and Daryl Crocker for their efforts to put Late Model racing back
to the forefront, Darrell Midgley's interest racing in Late Models,
and the sponsors that have stepped forward to enhance Late Model racing.
He says: "Racing at Western Speedway would not be the same without
those guys. What they do and have done is amazing." Jason has no
favorites when it comes to racing but just good all around competition.
Jason plans on running each of the Driver Challenge events this season
and also to defend his Late Model Championship he won again last season
at Western Speedway. He also has an eye on winning the Canada 200 as
he has come close twice and would love to add that title to his resume.
Up to this point that would place a crowning jewel in his racing career.
On opening night, May 12th, Jason placed in the top five in the first
Feature and won it all going away in the second Feature event. Jason's
crew Lesley, Jordan Fyfe, Ryan Medynski and Cody Anderlini keep his
Harding Motorsports Impala amongst the frontrunners. The next
race, in this Series will be held on June 16th when Jason and the rest
of the stars of Late Model racing will put it on the line to drive to
victory in the Keg Steakhouse & Bar Driver Challenge.