Fans out to Full Throttle in Varney this past Friday night witnessed history in more ways than one.
The night started off with the return of the Project Track Champion car to a speedway. This car is the only wheelchair accessible race car in North America, allowing fans with disabilities the opportunity to experience what it is truly like to go around a race track.
Fans were also treated to the opening of the new beer gardens at the speedway located in the corner one area, allowing fans to enjoy their favourite Waterloo Brewing product served up by Frankie’s from Hanover, while still being able to watch the racing.
Lastly, they witnessed one of the hardest hits by a race car into a wall at Varney in a great number of years. It started out like any other race for Winged Modified driver Christopher Hale from Guelph, but in the blink of an eye things would change.
Hale a newcomer to asphalt racing moving over to the Winged Modified division this season from driving on dirt tracks in the past. On just lap two of the second feature of the night for the Winged Modifieds and running in second position, Hale entered corner three as normal. However, as he put his foot to the floor to shoot out of corner four, the right front tire would leave his car sending him straight into the concrete wall at full power. After hitting the wall and his car flying a short distance and landing up against the wall, Hale was able to climb from the wreckage under his own power just as safety crews got to him. A small fire ensued but was quickly put out.
It was noted that he hit so hard, even the wing got bent, which is mounted to each side of the roll cage in the drivers cockpit area.
In the other Winged Modified action, we again had another two feature winner this time it was #0 Cliff Hodgkinson from Breslau as he sorted out the issues he was having with his car last week and dominated the rest of the field.
In feature one he was first to the checkers ahead of #36 Dave Hodgkinson from Breslau third was #10 Christopher Hale, fourth # 33 Tom Houghton from Kitchener and rounding out the top five #46 Lisa Hodgkinson from Breslau.
Feature two followers to the checkers where #33 Houghton and #36 Dave Hodgkinson.
Fun Stock action this past week also had a little more trading paint then normal as drivers seemed in more of a hurry to get to the front.
Feature one saw many drivers getting accustomed to the wall around the track and each other as numerous cautions filled the first half of this race. Once the cautions where done it was #9 Sandy Eccles from Mount Forest using the old tap and run in corner one to get past #14 Luke Bos from Conn for the win. Third would go to #5 Jeramy Duguay from Hanover, fourth #25 Billy Lovell from Mildmay and rounding out the top five #48 John Green from Drayton.
Feature two would see the speedy #9 Sandy Eccles start outside pole and jump to an early lead never looking back. The only battle he got for the lead came from Fun Stock rookie #34 Alex Hastie from Durham who has caught the attention already this season from many as a name to watch for in the feature of racing. Third was #14 Luke Bos, fourth #25 Billy Lovell and fifth #48 John Green.
In Mini Stocks it was all #63 Brandon Crumbie from Cookstown who took his Honda to back to back victories giving him three out of four feature wins this season so far. In both races he would battle last season’s points champion #36 Cory Young beating him to the line in both cases.
In feature one, third would go to #7 Paul Boyd of Harriston, fourth #75 Scott Mast from Cambridge and fifth #35 Tim Tolton from Guelph.
In feature two third would go to #35 Tolton, fourth #7 Boyd and fifth #75 Mast.
Street Stock action this week again drew another great line up of cars providing interesting finishes in both features.
In feature one it look like no one could catch #277 Ray Flynn from Clinton, but as he entered corner three and four for the last time, he lost his grip spinning out allowing #05 Steve Brook from Hillsburgh to slip past for the victory. Second was #1 Travis Farrow from Holstein, third #20 Ryan Edwards-Kiss from Londesboro, fourth #38 Douglas Fischer from Mount Forest and rounding out the top five #3 Mark King from Hillsburgh.
Feature two saw more hard racing again with the #71 Zac Sprung from Owen Sound leading the race before contact from #05 Steve Brook would end his night as he went hard into the corner two wall. When this race was done and all the post race DQ’s were dealt with, the winner was #1 Travis Farrow, second #20 Ryan Edwards-Kiss, third #6 Rob Wark, fourth #3 Mark King, and fifth #5 Dave Grey Jr from Hanover.
Next racing action at Full Throttle will be this Friday, May 15 for Leslie Ford Night with Mini Trucks, Fun Stock, Winged Modified, Street Stock, Crazy Trains and Fireworks! Green flag drops at 7:3opm and admission is just $13.00 for ages 11 and up and just $2 for ages 10 and below.
For complete details check out the website www.fullthrottlemotorspeedway.com or on Facebook at Full Throttle Motor Speedway.
- Article written by Doug Townsend