For Immediate Release: Brighton Speedway
Coming in Hot! Thursday Night Thunder for the Brighton Speedway Kart Klub – 39 race prepped methanol eating machines ready to rock in front of a standing room only crowd for the last time in 2023. Some exciting heat race action set up the nights 7 main events as championship seasons were on the line.
First on deck, the Box Stock 1 division with Grafton’s #11 Bentley Fulton and Brighton native #68 Gunner Ellis on the front row. Ellis off like a shot, the green flag waved as they rolled into corner 1 with the pack of 7 giving chase behind. 5th place starter #05 Liam Baldwin was the kart to watch on the night as he started to climb the ladder and catch the bumper of the #68 Ellis kart by the midway point. A couple tries and then a big run coming off of corner 4, put the Baldwin kart to the top of the leaderboard for the last 2 round-d-rounds. Liam Baldwin with the win, Gunner Ellis 2nd, Luke Cuthbertson with a solid 3rd, Deegan Sudsbury, Bentley Fulton, Keely Patterson and Lucas Wannamaker finished the running order.
Rookie 1 had 5 karts, as #87 Weston Mitts and #48jr Knoxin Wells charged off of corner 4 to start the 10 lap main event. Mitts hard on the bottom made it stick as he ran it out down the backstretch, Wells filed in line and tried to keep pace. Mitts in the Brighton Tire #87 had the setup to beat as he counted the laps down. 2 laps to go Mitts on the low line, Wells with one shot at gold rollin the cushion, side by side through 1 and 2 but the hard inside line had the bite, Mitts held onto the lead and picked up checkers, Wells settled for 2nd, #15 Charlotte DeWal 3rd, #07 Conor Vancott and #101 Jase Patterson 4th and 5th.
Junior Sportsman 1 rolling out next off the grid – #19 Bentley Davidson, #01 Blake Gregory and #7 Tate Black making the call. The Brighton Powersports sponsored #19 had it hooked on the rail as he ran off corner 2 in sole possession of the top spot with Gregory tempting fate on the top line. Davidson kept the clean air in front and the chaos behind as he put the go fast pedal on lock green to checkers. Tate Black picked up 2nd on the podium and Blake Gregory had an eventful 3rd place run.
Race Turner, Ella Wannamaker and Vayda Dayton fired up for the Box Stock 2 feature – The crew for the #92 Rapid Rad sponsored ride guessed the setup right for a hot August night and a slick track, Race did the rest of the work. 10 up and 10 down Race Turner with his first win of the season, Ella Wannamaker with a late race charge couldn’t quite advance spots and wound up 2nd, 3rd place goes to Vayda Dayton.
6 Rookie 2 contenders led by #54 Rae-Lynn Branscombe and #08 Lilly Ray, on the GO pedal out of corner 4 and down the frontstretch. Lilly Ray able to make it through 1 and 2 without issue and got the top spot with Hillier’s Chase White and Concecon’s Reegan Grimmon mixing it up and moving forward. Ray with a nice line lap after lap, ran a smooth and consistent race, a whole lotta movin’ an shakin’ behind the leader – as they crossed the line it was Lilly Ray with the win, Grimmon, Hanna Merry, Chase White, Branscombe and #2 Liam McPeak behind the wall early.
Junior Sportsman 2 up next in the line up – Port Hope’s #9 Rhys Massey and Trenton’s #20 AJ Peeters setting the pace as they got the OK from race director Nate Rinaldi. Massey with a great start as Peeters was left high and dry as the inside line filed through, Jackson Veenstra in the #91 ride moved to 2nd and caught the draft of the Massey kart. Halfway point and Peeters had worked his way back up the ladder to make it a 3 kart race for the top spot – Veenstra challenged Massey for the lead and momentarily put the #91 in the top spot. Peeters though had the fast kart on the night, shuffling through to 2nd and then a quick bump and run, saw the #20 taking the checkers after gaining the lead with a few laps to go – Veenstra picked up 2nd, Massey 3rd, #629 Thomas McGale, #31 Brody Davidson and #99 Bryce Massey 4th through 6th.
Last on the night thundering down the backstretch – 9 Junior Restricted / Stock Lite machines with #89 Kolby Ellis and #18 Elliot Stacey up front. Stacey with a huge jump off the hop, got the lead going into corner 1 as Ellis was challenged hard by 3rd place starter #14 Holden Paul. A caution filled event saw the field number dwindle down as the laps counted off – as the dust settled Holden Paul was able to inherit the lead with only a handful of laps remaining and hold on for the win, Kolby Ellis held on for a strong 2nd, Elliot Stacey 3rd to cross the line and #9s Cooper McKeown 4th. 5th through 9th – Nolan Chatten, Coleson Gregory, Chris Lough, Finley Mahoney and Jonelle Burke.
That concludes the 2023 racing season for the Brighton Speedway Kart Klub – we would like to thank everyone who helps to give these kids a place to race and learn. Track crew, pit crews and spectators all appreciated. For point standings and results check out www.brightonspeedway.com
