OTRA visits Agassiz Speedway

 photo by 604 productions

  BY KRIS McKENZIE
Agassiz speedway played host to the old time Racers Association on saturday night. The evening was full of great finishes and smoke shows.

In  the Late model Sportsmans, Geordie Glenn in the 9 and Dean Bridge in the 6 led the field to the green. Glenn would lead the first couple laps but would be passed on lap three by quick time Dave Hemrich. Hemrich would be followed by the 58 of Bob Kuhn.  On lap 9 4th place running John Ross would head to the pits after his left rear tire went flat, He would return to the race several laps down though. On lap 12 Kuhn got loose while pressuring the 33 this gave Hemrich the chance to pull away and claim the victory. On the final lap heat race winner Larry Sproule and Glenn got together going into turn one. No harm was done and both drivers where able to finish the race. Hemrich would start the nights smoke shows with some doughnuts on the back stretch.

In the OTRAs' main event the 03 of Dennis Morno took the early lead from the pole. the 43 of Dean Gill and the 1 of James Campbell showed early that they both wanted the win. moving into 2nd and 3rd. The yellow came out early on lap 6 when the 24 of Roger Beck would loose the driveshaft in turn three, ending his night. After the restart Morno would hold the lead but was being pressured hard by Gill and Campbell. On lap 19 the 03 would get loose in three the 1 who had been right on his bumper would check up allowing the 43 of Gill and the 22 of Larry Joyce to get by on the high side. Morno would fall back to 5th spot. Campbell would battle hard until on lap 27 when his motor would explode ending his night, setting up a six lap shoot out and giving the fans the 2nd smoke show of the night. On the restart Joyce would push Gill high and make the pass and the eventual win.

Twenty hornets would make the call for there main event, Jessie Bridge and Matt Ostermeier started on the front row Bridge would lead early until on lap 8 when regular mini stock driver Wayne Goodwin would take the lead. Last years champion Billy Bell and Dalton Kuhn where making a steady climb through the field showing the crowd that they would be  a force to be reckon with this evening. the 58 of Kuhns night came close to being over when he got sideways on the front stretch, Kuhn would hold on to the car and continue to make a charge to the front.  The first yellow would come out on lap 22 when Alex Thornley in the 49 would turn the 15 of Liam Bell, Bell would do a full 360 and would reconnect with the 49 turning him sideways as well. On the restart the 49 would head to the pits ending his night, shortly after the 19 of Darren Barrett would spin in one. He would get straightened out and the race would go on. With ten laps to go the 58, who had been running third, would go up in smoke on the front stretch ending his night. Goodwin would get a good re-start and hold on for the win over Billy Bell.

The final event of the evening was the hit 2 pass. The heavy hitting started early with a massive pill-up in turn one involving 5 cars . other big hits in the race where when the 55 went head first into the wall. Shortly after the 88 and 08 also found themselves in the outside wall. In the end the 124 would be declared the winner.

The next event at Agassiz speedway will be on July 23