Summer Nights and Racetrack Lights
The Brighton Speedway Kart Klub was back in action for Thursday Night Thunder, 46 drivers split up into 6 divisions based on age and experience, ready to put on a show and chase some checkers on a hot summer night.
Box Stock 1 division drivers hit the speedway for the first feature of the night – 4 karts making the call for Feature #1. Max Sopaz in his #11jr and Karson Connell in the #8jr leading #36 Rowan Rosborough and #95 Jackson Bosma as they took the green flag and wound up the Rs off corner 4. Rosborough with the run off the top into the one spot by corner 1, Sopaz keeping pace as they rolled onto the backstretch at full speed, into corner 3 Rosborough testing the high line with Sopaz gaining and passing back to put the 11jr upfront only 1 lap in the books. Sopaz’s lead was short lived as Rosborough charged back hard down the backstretch and regained the lead in the Kerr Construction #36 – from here on out it was all #36 Rollin’ the cushion all the way to victory lane – Rowan Rosborough with the win, #8jr Karson Connell with a clean race finished up 2nd, #11jr battled the track all night and ended up 3rd, #95 Jackson Bosma took 4th.
Feature #2 Box Stock 1 with 4 more rookie drivers at the wheel – #48 Emerson Clarke, #07 Carter Phillips, #11 Kane McBride and #57 Libby Sandercock all ready to go. #07 Phillips with a great start out of corner 4 hard down the frontstretch past starter Trevyn McCrillis’s green flag, the #48 of Clarke filed in line as with McBride and Sandercock. 2 laps in, it was all Phillips in the Excess Storage #07 putting some distance on the all out battle for the 2 spot – McBride, Clarke and Sandercock mixed it up lap after lap for the duration of the 10 lap main event in a great show. As the dust settled – Carter Phillips picked up career win #1, Emerson Clarke raced back to 2nd place, Libby Sandercock on the podium for 3rd and Kane McBride settled for 4th.
8 Rookie 1 drivers charged out of the gate with #4 Kason Sager and #7 Carter VanDenBeukel keeping them tight – Sager had the advantage going into corner 1 as VanDenBeukel shut it down and filed in line on the inside. A few early events had the caution lights on with an eager group of racers on a slick track, Sager was able to hold tight on the short green flag runs until finally VanDenBeukel had his shot – getting a slightly better run off the catfish lane and putting the Belleville Nissan #7 up front around the halfway point. Hard charger #92 Race Turner climbed his way from his 6th place starting spot up to the 2 position with double sticks in the air – 2 to go – Turner gaining on VanDenBeukel. Hard down the backstretch – last lap – #7 VanDenBeukel rolls it through, Turner throws it in, out of corner 4 side by side – Carter VanDenBeukel holds on for the win! Race Turner 2nd, #05 Liam Baldwin on the podium for 3rd, #23 Austin McBride coming from 8th to 4th, #4 Kason Sager 5th, #39 Lucas Wannamaker 6th, #68 Gunner Ellis running the Bobby Pierce line couldn’t quite make it stick and ended up 7th, #44 Nora Grant behind the wall early with mechanical troubles.
Box Stock 2 – Trenton’s #22 Action Jackson Gregory and Baltimore’s #10 Abel Kiltz on the front row of 8 karts making the call. Green, Yellow, Green, Yellow, Green! After a slow start, we were off and running – 2 laps in and 5th place starter #12 Emmett Ferguson up front in the County Steel ride with Roslin’s Keaton Chatten keeping pace and waiting for a chance to put the #17 atop the scoring tower. Ferguson had the kart to beat once again this season, a nice clean line and good speed was hard to beat, no mistakes, Emmett locked that GO FAST pedal down and drove it straight to victory lane. Hudson MacMullen had a strong night picking up the runner up plaque, Hudson VanDyk squeaked through and went from 8th to 3rd by the checkers. #7 Reese Kerr survived and came home 4th, Abel Kiltz 5th, Keaton Chatten spun the tires off corner 2 on the last lap trying for the top spot and ended up finishing 6th, Jackson Gregory finished up 7th after early mechanical issues, #100 Bauer Cochrane rounded the running order in 8th.
5 karts in the Rookie 2 division – #86 Sawyer McFadden and #91 Kara Veenstra leading them to green. McFadden with the jump in the Apex Graphics #86 with a determined #37 Ella Wannamaker hot on the rear bumper as they finished up lap 1 of 10. A few laps in and Wannamaker got the chance, a slight slip by McFadden was all it took – drifting high off corner 4 and Wannamaker using that inside grip to take the top spot. Halfway mark and Wannamaker with a solid hold of the top spot while Kingston’s Jase Fargey had moved into the 2 spot, but struggled to gain any momentum on the leader. Checkers out Ella Wannamaker with a great run to pickup the first win of the season, Jase Fargey slid it home 2nd, Sawyer McFadden held on to 3rd, #13 Vayda Dayton and #91 Kara Veenstra in 4th and 5th.
Bill Spencer Chevrolet sponsored Bentley Fulton and 9s Taxi sponsored Knoxin Wells on the front row for 10 laps of Junior Sportsman 2 racing action. Fulton with the fast inside line into the 1 spot by the first turn with Wells driving it down hard to catch the rear bumper as they ran out onto the backstretch. A slick track tested many drivers, serving up donuts every lap or 2 to slow the pace and regroup, Grafton’s Lily Walters found the grip, picking her way through from a 7th place starting spot and picked up the lead around the halfway point of the main event. On a rail – hooked up by TylerTech – Lily Walters with the hot setup and the W, from there on back – throw the numbers in a hat and see who comes out on top – 2nd place #10ax Alyssa Nolasco, 3rd #77 MVD Max VanDyk, 4th #41 Peyton Lambert, 5th #15 Charlotte DeWal. 6th through 9th – Knoxin Wells, Ayden Gorden and #51 Cole Cousineau.
Last up with the sun setting and temperatures rising – 8 fast Junior Restricted karts ready to slide around the little clay oval – #72 Chase White and #7 Tate Black out of corner 4 – White to the lead with Black looking for a line on the top side. 3rd place starter #11g Teegan Grosse and #01 Blake Gregory held it tight as Tate Black was hung out to dry on the outside line a freight train of karts rollin’ the bottom – White, Grosse, Gregory, Mahoney lockin’ it down. Laps clicked off in a very fast race Chase White still in command looking to take the W back to Hillier, until a late race yellow set the stage for a Green / White / Checkers finish for all the marbles. White on the gas through 1 and 2, Grosse gets a little more bite down on the catfish lane and pulls to White’s side panel as they roll into corner 3 – White keeps the engine singing on the outside and Grosse pulls hard down low off corner 4 to the checkers – photo finish at the line – Chase White holds on for the win, Teegan Grosse settles for 2nd in a great race, #19 Bentley Davidson made it up to 3rd after a rough start, #01 Blake Gregory 4th, #70 Finley Mahoney 5th, #7 Tate Black, #10 Hanna Merry and #47 Colton White finished the running order.
Back to Back action on the little track – Thursday Night Thunder is back in action this week – Thursday August 6th come on out and watch the stars of tomorrow GO FAST and TURN LEFT. Check out www.brightonspeedway.com<http:
