A small contingent of lakecity auto racers will form a B.C. dream team for a trip to Hythe, Alta. on the Labour Day long weekend for the INCA Super Nationals.
Multi-time Thunder Mountain Speedway champion and defending, multi-time Tri-City Champion Arnie Kunka will lead the pack alongside 2019 runner up and back-to-back defending Prince George Auto Racing Association champion Lyall McComber into Hythe Sept. 5-6.
The pair will join 2019 third-place Tri-City Series racer and back-to-back TMS street stock champion Tim Westwick, and three time Gordie Manne’s Memorial Race winner, as well as the 2019 Tri-City race winner in Quesnel, Jeremy Smith of Kelowna, along with Langford Western Speedway’s multi-time stock car champion and local hot shoe Brendan ‘Chops’ Moore to round off the team of drivers.
After COVID-19 gave the 2020 auto racing season a red light,Westwick told the Tribune everyone is itching to get the rubber back to the pavement.
READ MORE: Arnie Kunka saves best for last at Tri City Series final
“I’d pretty much given up on the season,” Westwick said. “I was enjoying spending time with the family and had put the race car way and just tried to forget about it.”
Kunka, still on the hunt for a stock car race to drive at, approached Westwick with the idea to assemble a B.C. team to race in Alberta.
“He found the race and said: ‘Are you coming?'” Westwick said. “I said well, I guess so. I better start working on my car.
“I guess Arnie raced there years ago and had a good time, the track is same size as ours but super high banked and supposed to be a good event.”
Fellow Thunder Mountain Speedway drivers Corey Price and Garnet Grimard made the trek to Hythe for last year’s INCA Super Nationals and also recommended the race.
“They said they had a blast but there was some pretty stout competition,” Westwick said. “So we’ll go over there and see if we can represent the Tri-City Series and B.C.”
The INCA Super Nationals is one of the Hythe track’s biggest races of the year.
“They’ll have modified open wheel style classes, they run dirt tracks, and I’ve got a message saying there are 16 street stocks registered.”
READ MORE: Westwick repeats as Thunder Mountain Speedway street stock champion
Two hundred spectators will be allowed at the track so they can socially distance properly, along with limited pit crews for the two-day event.
“My pit crew and I hit the car pretty hard last weekend, and we’ve just got some final touch up type things to do so we’re ready to rock and roll,” Westwick said.
“I’m just going go out, go fast and have some fun, and I’m looking forward to getting back around my racing family … and by fun we mean win.”
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