The drop of the green flag marked the start of another race weekend at Clearwater Speedway over the weekend of Sept. 9–10.
The crowd was greeted by the familiar faces of the volunteers who make these race weekends possible, striving to make the races safe, fun, and inviting for everyone.
The sound of the engines revving, the smell of burgers, onions and hot dogs on the grill, and the voices of fans, competitors and announcements heightened the expectations of another great day of fun at the track.
One by one the race cars’ engines began to roar to life, feeding the excitement of spectators, sponsors and the racers who work so hard to bring the races to the tracks in Merritt, Clearwater and Valemount on this Interior racing circuit.
A total of 34 drivers from all over B.C. and Alberta participated in the weekend, competing for $6,000 dollars in cash prizes. The drivers ranged from seasoned veterans of the track to first-timers carrying on a family legacy of racing, and all seemed to focus most on the thrill of the races, often after weeks of working on their vehicles to be sure they qualify and are race ready.
Long-time driver Dennis Smith, driving car #27 in the late model class, expressed his emotions just prior to the races while speaking about dedicated racing supporter Norma Nelson, who was unable to attend the invitational due to her recent hospitalization and health complications.
Nelson is a beloved member of the race circuit family and Smith made a special promise on her behalf, saying “My racing this weekend is dedicated to Norma.” It’s that kind of compassion for others, which showed through again and again this racing season, that continues to attract the interest of local sponsors, volunteers and spectators while fundraising for a variety of causes and organizations.
The following official results were calculated and submitted by Clearwater Speedway executive secretary Caitlyn Calder. There was a total of $6,000 in Invitational Prize Pots: 4 Cylinder ($2,300), Street ($2,500), and Late Model ($1,200). The money was divided between the top 10 cars in each class from overall points for the weekend.
There were 14 4 Cylinder cars, 11 Street Stock cars, and 9 Late Model cars. During the King of the Hill Event on Sunday at intermission, two cars at a time faced off against each other, with the winner taking on the next car until there was a final winner. The winners were #11 Andrew Joseph (4 Cylinder); #84 Joel Cinnamon (Street Stock); and #33 Ryan Sorenson (Late Model). Each winner won a small prize pot that each contestant paid into.
Sinister Transport was the Trophy Sponsor for the weekend, stepping up at the last minute and proving to be a great supporter of the event.
Sarah Forrest, the driver of #53 — a 4 Cylinder car — has been raising money all season for suicide awareness and racing her car in honour of Mike Mosher, a close friend she lost this year. September is Suicide Prevention Month and Sept. 10 was Suicide Awareness Day. Sarah raised over $900 during the weekend towards the Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Centre of B.C.
Mike’s dad, Walter Mosher, donated $50 each day to the winner of the 4 Cylinder race in his son’s memory. Sarah has raised over $3,000 so far this season, and will continue to fund raise towards this cause, with Mike’s family matching her donation.
Saturday, Sept. 9: Winners of main events, 20-lap races:
4 Cylinder: #14 Devon Peters (first place), #88 Jayden Dick (second), #181 Todd Evans (third)
Street Stock: #84 Joel Cinnamon (first place), #10 Kayden Clark (second), #49 Tamara Cinnamon (third)
Late Model: #72 Brad Gillis (first place), #369 Darren Lemky (second), #75 Jake Mills (third)
Sunday, Sept. 10: Winners of main events, 20-lap races:
4 Cylinder: #17 Kameron McEwen (first place); #181 Todd Evans (second), #14 Devon Peters (third)
Street Stock: #17 Jeff Schooley (first place), #29 Madyson Clark (second), #84 Joel Cinnamon (third)
Late Model: #33 Ryan Sorenson (first place), #75 Jake Mills (second), #27 Dennis Smith (third)
Overall points winners for the weekend:
4 Cylinder
1) #14 Devon Peters (Chilliwack)
2) #88 Jayden Dick (Abbotsford)
3) #17 Kenneth McEwen (Lillooet)
4) #67 Thomas Cameron (McLure)
5) #181 Todd Evans (Kelowna)
6) #11 Andrew Joseph (Lillooet)
7) (tie) #53 Sarah Forrest (Logan Lake) and #24 Madison Calder (Lower Nicola)
9) Jack Searls (Clearwater)
10) Xavier and Jason Leonard (Kelowna)
Street Stock:
1) #84 Joel Cinnamon (Tete Jeune Cache)
2) #10 Kayden Clark (Clearwater)
3) #29 Madyson Clark (Clearwater)
4) #17 Jeff Schooley (Hinton, AB)
5) #96 Derrick Joneson (Clearwater)
6) #55 Angela Klassen (Merritt)
7) #49 Tamara Cinnamon (Tete Jeune Cache)
8) #72 Spencer Simpson (Clearwater)
9) #88 Chris Boffa (Lone Butte)
10) #12 Jason Voth (Valemount)
Late Model:
1) #75 Jake Mills (Merritt)
2) #33 Ryan Sorenson (Clearwater)
3) #27 Dennis Smith (Lower Nicola)
4) #369 Darren Lemky (Williams Lake)
5) #72 Brad Gillis (Merritt)
6) #00 Adam LeBeau (Merritt)
7) #76 Kevin McEwan (Lillooet)
8) #4 Joshua Shuflada (Edson, AB)
9) #96 Colin Reimer (Lower Nicola)
