Lap traffic and a rough track was the order of the day for the 54 cars and drivers at the Estevan Motor Speedway’s second race night of the season on Saturday.
With the skies around the speedway lighting up continually due to an approaching storm, the seven High Performance Energy IMCA hobby stocks, IMCA stock cars and Kendall’s Supply IMCA modifieds lined up at different positions along the track for the evening’s closing Calcutta event that had all three classes race at the same time with each of the drivers competing as part of a three-man team. The difference in speed among the classes was evident from the beginning with the modifieds quickly catching up to and passing the slower hobby stocks.
In the first 10 laps of the 20-lap feature, the team of Riley Raynard (hobby stock), Greg Mann (stock car) and Ed Turnbull (modified) seemed to control the crowded track with each dominating in their respective classes. Turnbull captured the checked flag in the second half of the feature, but it was the team of Dana Brandt (hobby stock), Chris Hortness (stock car) and Riley Emmel (modified) that racked up the most points for the win.
“It’s a lot of fun with all them cars out there,” said Brad King, who competed in the Calcutta with stock car driver Joren Boyce and modified racer Mike Hagen. “At one time we were keeping up with the stock cars and that’s a pretty big ego booster for us hobby stockers. My helmet started getting tight right about then.”
The speedway’s second race night of the season began with junior driver Keenan Glasser capturing a win in the slingshot class, which features cars that resemble modifieds except on a much smaller scale, by coming from behind to beat Jesse Gibson on the small oval track set up in the infield of the main track. King then made a huge push in the hobby stock main by battling from 11 spots back of the pole position to race bumper to bumper with hobby stock winner Brandt.
“Of course a guy never wants second,” said King, who won the Estevan Motor Speedway hobby stock championship in 2014. “We’re shooting for the brass ring, but the track was a little rough and a car got into me there late in the race where I felt I had something for Dana Brandt. It was going to be close, but hey the whole thing is everybody was safe, nobody got hurt and I just enjoyed being out there.”
Mann began the stock car feature in the pole position, but faced a steady challenge throughout the 20-lap race from Lee Schaff. He said a couple shocks acting up on him and a different stagger in the tires didn’t help matters either.
“I was just lucky to actually finish tonight,” said Mann. “I was fighting with that thing a lot in the heat race. Too tight and we didn’t have much time, but we made a few changes for the feature and got that to work and it worked good. I just had it in the back of my mind the whole time that the throttle kept messing up on me. It would stick and it would let go and it just messes everything up.”
Turnbull and Tyler Wagner raced door handle to door handle to start the modified feature with the former taking the outside lane and the latter running along the inside of the track, but during these laps Emmel quickly made his way to the front. On the seventh lap, Emmel dove down on the second corner to pass Turnbull and take the lead, which he held for the remaining 18 laps.
“It was a difficult track tonight,” said Mann. “We’re not used to having that much moisture in the track and a little rough getting into the corners and stuff like that but nothing crazy. It’s a lot different pace when you’re on a fast grippy track like that when you’re used to something a little slicker.”
