BRIGHTON, ON (June 27, 2022)- After three consecutive rain outs, the Brighton Speedway Kart Klub finally were able to throw the green flag on the 2022 racing season.
A warm Thursday night in June, there is no place better to be than at the racetrack watching the stars of tomorrow turn some laps at speed on the little oval. Drivers from the age of 5 to 15 are split up into eight racing divisions based on age and skill level and weekly run hot laps, heat races and feature events to see who will take home some hardware at the end of the night.
Up first on the track is the youngest division of first year racers the Box Stock 1 class.
On the point, the #07 of Connor Vancott and #77 Max Van Dyk, hard on the throttle out of corner four to take the green flag. It was a drag race down the frontstretch – Vancott on the inside and Van Dyk tip toeing through the tulips on the extreme outside lane. The inside line had the advantage for Vancott as he steadily pulled away from Van Dyk and #92 Race Turner. A late race caution bunched the trio back up and this time Van Dyk found the bite and momentarily took the lead before a last lap pass gave Vancott the lead back and the first feature win on the season, Van Dyk and Turner crossed to close out the field.
Rookie 1 division up to the grid next – #08L Lilly Ray and #23 Alby Hodkinson ready for a 10-lap battle, with the sun starting to drop down behind the main grandstand.
Lilly Ray had been watching the previous race on the track and hooked her kart to the fast inside line as she made ground on the Hodkinson machine as the laps clicked off. Checkers in the air and Ray with the win, but unfortunately the #08L rolled across the scales a few pounds light and Hodkinson inherited the #1 plaque and the top of the podium.
Six Junior Sportsman 1 drivers lined up tight to take the green flag from starter AJ Rinaldi – #10R Riley Deline and #19 Bentley Davidson paced the field down the backstretch before winding them up.
Deline with the inside line, took off like a shot as karts sorted themselves out behind him, #7 Tate Black battled his way through and set his sights on the #10R. Some two and three kart action behind the pair allowed them to put some distance on the field and as the laps counted down. Black closed in and made a huge move to the inside of the Deline kart – Deline with the crossover regained the lead, but this time Black let it all hang out and rolled the high side all the way to victory lane, Deline involved in a last lap incident was moved to the back. #80 Brock Beattie, #19 Davidson, #9 Ryhs Massey and #01 Blake Gregory rounded the top five.
Box Stock 2 – Madoc, Ontario native Knoxin Wells and Stirling’s Weston Mitts ready for action.
Lack of karts in this class, but no lack of excitement. The #48jr of Wells won his heat race handily but #87 Mitts must have thrown the book at it to get ready for the main event. Mitts on a mission hard down the front stretch to take the lead early as the Wells machine chased, the pair swapped the top spot a couple times until the #87 of Mitts found his groove and pulled some on the #48jr. It looked as if the #87 was taking the top spot back to Stirling until the last lap. It was heartbreak for the Mitts crew as a late race spin gave Wells back the lead and the W. Finishing order #48jr, #87.
Rookie 2 rolled out next with #16s Sophie Deline and #31 Brody Davidson in front with #54 Rae-Lynn Branscombe in the third starting spot. Davidson hard down the outside, made it stick and ran a nice clean line as he put together a complete 10 lap program in his Stewart Electric sponsored ride picking up his first win of the season. Sophie Deline ended up second in her #16s after a smooth race and #54 Branscombe rounded the top three.
Eight Junior Sportsman 2 drivers cranked them up as #70 Finley Mahoney and #1 Coleson Gregory fired first – the pair traded some paint and positions until finally Gregory moved himself on to the top of the leaderboard.
Back in the field it looked like rush hour on the DVP as karts battled for any track they could get to get ahead and have their chance to catch the fast #1, but it was all just hopes and dreams as Gregory did not look back and pinned the gas pedal to the floor on his way to victory lane. #18 Elliot Stacey came back from an early race incident to pick up second place, Mahoney third, #20 AJ Peeters, and #9 Charley Smith-Wilson rounded the top five.
#71 Trevyn McCrillis and #9s Cooper McKeown led third place starter #07 Mason Richter to green in the Junior Restricted division. The VanderBros Construction #71 of McCrillis was on a rail on the night, a very fast race had the trio finishing up where they started. McCrillis, McKeown, Richter.
Stock Lite – last on the night, #14 Holden Paul and #48 Ryan Greig were first to roll on the track for 15 laps of action. Some eager racers and a slick track made for some tire marks and bent bumpers as a very competitive field put on a great show for the fans. Holden Paul was able to hold on to the top spot as everyone shuffled behind him – in the end it was Paul, #28 Ashton Sanderson, #93 Grace Hodkinson 3rd, #899 Cameron Bristow and #48 Ryan Greig finished in the fifth spot.
Next week – Thursday June 30th is an OFF week for the Brighton Speedway Kart Klub. We will be back in action Thursday July 7th with racing starting at 6:30 pm. Keep up to date at www.brightonspeedway.ca or the Go Kart Racing Facebook page.
Storytime – by Zeke McKeown
