Storytime by Zeke McKeown
BRIGHTON, ON- An exciting night of kart racing action as the Brighton Speedway Kart Klub hit the track again for the last week in August with points battles coming down to the wire for the 2022 racing season. Hotlaps and heat races were completed as the stage was set for feature racing action.
Hailing out of Belleville #92 Race Turner and Carrying Place native #77 Max VanDyk stacked up the field for the Box Stock 1 division – Turner with the jump but VanDyk battled back out of corner 2 on the outside line taking sole position of the lead, as last weeks winner #29 Lily Walters slid into the 2 spot. VanDyk had the kart to beat as he kept his JMK Homes ride in the top spot till past the halfway point, until disaster struck the #77 camp – a miscalculation in navigation pointed the VanDyk machine the wrong way and Walters jumped at the chance for the lead. Lily Walters kept it smooth and steady for the remainder crossing the line first over #07 Connor Vancott, #77 VanDyk, #92 Race Turner and #15 Charlotte DeWal for the 3rd -5th spots.
Rookie 1 – #23 Alby Hodkinson and #101 Jase Patterson ready to crank them up for the feature event. Hodkinson had the line as he drove it off of corner 4 to take the green flag as the fast Bay Marine sponsored #2 of Liam McPeak moved to 2nd. Laps clicked off as McPeak reeled in on the bumper of Hodkinson until a carefully planned pass waaay down on the catfish lane put #2 atop the scoring tower and checking out, picking up the 1st place plaque and extending his points lead Liam McPeak, Lily Ray in the runner up spot in her #08L, Hodkinson 3rd and Patterson 4th.
Fired up and rolling out on the speedway next the Junior Sportsman 1 class – #19 Bentley Davidson and #01 Blake Gregory on point – Davidson with the drive off the bottom moved to the lead, as Gregory and #7 Tate Black side by side for 2nd. Throw a blanket over the trio as they put a little distance on Rhys and Bryce Massey in 4th and 5th. The Brighton Powersports machine of Davidson held a hard inside line for 10 circuits and picked up the big W, photo finish for 2nd place and a great race – #7 Black using the cushion off of corner 4 to hold on to 2nd, #01 Gregory using Black as a cushion just shy for 3rd, #9 Rhys Massey and Bryce #99 rounded the top 5.
Box Stock 2 had 2, charged down the backstretch – #87 Weston Mitts and #48jr Knoxin Wells drove it hard off of corner 4 and past the green flag, Mitts had the inside line and made it work as Wells Jr chased after. Mitts looking inside, got a little too inside as he jumped the berm and gave up the 1 spot. Smooth and fast from there on out #48jr Brighton Tire sponsored machine with the win and Mitts settled for 2nd.
6 Rookie 2 karts thundered out on the the little clay oval with #31 Brody Davidson and #629 Thomas McGale up front. McGale got to the gas first as he hugged the white tires on the inside with #91 Jack Veenstra throwing out a line to keep up moving quickly from his 4th place starting spot. Half way point and Veenstra found some bite down on the low line squeezing under McGale and climbing to the top of the leaderboard with #16s Sophie Deline drafting through as well. Veenstra and team Vanderlaan Building Products with the win. Deline finished a close 2nd place, McGale in 3rd, Davidson and #27 Reilly Day rounded the top 5.
Audrey Toms #19 and Riley Deline #10R on the point of the Junior Sportsman 2 division feature – Deline using the fast outside line had a great run at the green flag beating everyone to corner 1. Deline put in on cruise as a couple of hard chargers – #18 Elliot Stacey and #1 Coleson Gregory worked their way though the field of 8 karts strong to the 2 and 3 positions. Out of steam and out of time, Checkers out – Deline holds on for the win, Stacey settled for 2nd, Gregory 3rd, Toms 4th, and #76 Oliver Collins 5th.
Junior Restricted with 4 karts on the racing surface – #07 Mason Richter and #71 Trevyn McCrillis stacking them up. McCrillis with a nice run on the top side had sole position of the 1 spot as #9s Cooper McKeown moved through to 2nd. 15 roun-d-rounds as McCrillis put it on cruise he drove away and didn’t stop till the checkers flew. The Brighton Automotive #71 at the top of the podium, lots of bumper touching ended up with #35d Dylan Moore 2nd, Richter 3rd, McKeown finished the running order.
Stock Lite under the lights – #93 Grace Hodkinson and #14 Holden Paul up front of 7 methanol monsters – Hodkinson the advantage with a nice run off the bottom, with a 6 kart train in tow. All karts very even and fast with only Brighton’s #01 Tyson Gregory hitting the setup perfectly on the night – able to work his way forward from the rear of the field and finishing it off with a #FULLSEND last lap pass on Hodkinson. Gregory, Hodkinson, Paul, Ryan Greig and Jonelle Burke in the top 5.
Check out www.brightonspeedway.ca or the Go Kart Racing Facebook page for points, schedule and updates. Last night of the season – this Thursday night September 1st , come see the action in person – the only thing more exciting then StoryTime!
