Bonus points were up for grabs Saturday night when Thunder Mountain Speedway hosted its Season Opener at the local race track.
Fans lined the spectating area as auto racers competed in their respective classes — bone stocks, pro minis and the Williams Lake Forestry/NAPA Auto Parts Street Stock divisions.
And with a strong contingent of veteran racers, along with a handful of young driving enthusiasts — some not even old enough to hold a driver’s license — spectators were in for a treat.
TMS president Bob Lowen said following the races it was an amazing start to the 2018 race season and thanked all of the sponsors and fans for their support, along with all of the dedicated volunteers who made the event possible.
In the bone stock division it was the youth showing signs of brilliance in the five-lap dash races.
Fourteen-year-old Damien Fisher, in just his first year of racing, picked up the checkered flag in the ‘A’ dash, followed by Evan Fontaine and Shawn Knott in second and third, respectively.
Damien is a third generation racer, following in his dad, Jesse Fisher, and grandpa, Greg Fisher’s footsteps.
“I just like to go fast,” he joked after winning the dash. “It’s pretty fun. I’ve been working on my car with my dad and my grandpa to get ready for the season.”
Fellow teenage racer Tristan Waslen of Riske Creek also competed Saturday. Waslen, 16, is now competing in his third year of racing.
“My parents and I came out to watch the crash to pass, and we were kind of hooked,” Waslen said. “My dad, Ken, he started doing that, then we came and watched the stock cars go, and it seemed too easy not to do it. It gets the adrenaline pumping, for sure.”
In the bone stock ‘B’ dash it was Jordan Lang placing first, followed by Zachary Salmon and Ryan Grant.
In the heat and main event, however, veteran Shawn Knott showed composure as he secured wins in both the 15-lap, and 30-lap races, respectively.
In the street stock ‘A’ dash it was Arnie Kunka taking the win, while Kane Fraser finished first in the ‘B’ dash.
Kunka would go on to win the heat, however, it was Tim Westwick who would turn the tides in the 30-lap main event of the evening for the first-place overall finish.
Westwick, after finishing second in the ‘A’ dash and third in the heat, took the checkered flag ahead of Kunka by just two tenths of a second.
Fraser, meanwhile, finished the race in third place.
With just one driver in the pro mini division, Quesnel’s Terry Braman lined up with the bone stock cars, and was awarded the win in his division.
Likewise, Williams Lake’s Donny Kunka took the win in the new sportsman class where he was the lone car ready for race night.
The next event at Thunder Mountain Speedway will be on Saturday, June 9 with a regular points race.
