Johnny Aantjes said it was a really good season at the Penticton Speedway this year, but next year is going to be even better as the track celebrates its 50th season.
The central feature of the celebratory season is going to be the Gordie Mannes Memorial Weekend. It’s already grown to a three-day weekend, but Aantjes said they are planning on four days of racing.
“It will be the biggest street stock race that has happened in Western Canada, ever,” said Aantjes, adding other special race weekends, for late-models, hornets and other classes will also be expanded. “I think it will be epic.”
“We are going to have a three-day hit-to-pass weekend to turn it into a big, big deal,” said Aantjes.
Aantjes said the 2018 season was a success, other than one race day being rained out and a decision to cancel the bull riding event, which would have happened during the height of fire season.
“We were a little worried about the animals and transportation with the fires in Peachland. We cancelled that one,” said Aantjes.
“July and August were excellent, that’s all we can ask for. 2017 was our best year to date and then this year was looking like it was on par for that. The one rainout and the one cancellation just offset it a little bit. (But) the smoke doesn’t seem to affect the crowd at the race track.”
Even the final day of racing on Oct. 28 was a good day, despite rain hitting the track at the start and causing a bit of a delay.
Sunday was also the Speedway’s Halloween celebration, complete with cars costumed as spiders, a sailing ship, the Batmobile and more. It finished up with a Day of Destruction, including hit-to-pass drivers towing travel trailers and boats around the track in an attempt to cause as much mayhem as possible.
“Wasn’t that a great event to end on?” asked Aantjes, adding that there is going to be more of the day of destruction and flying destruction events next season.
“We’ve been fortunate, our street stock count is up, our hornet class is coming up. So you are having some good stock car racing, but the fans really love to show up and watch the hit to pass and the destruction events,” said Aantjes.
“There is going to be one of those on every weekend. The crowd loves the action. They want to see the speed and the crashes and the bashing.”
Steve Kidd
Senior reporter, Penticton Western News
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