Back-to-school week was ushered in at Saratoga Speedway with its first Bus Race Saturday, and event sure to go down as a new crowd favorite for many years to come.
Two full-sized school buses raced in the Back to School Race, with Crash to Pass drivers Jeff May and Travis Stevenson driving the two buses. After all was said and done, the grand prize would go to a lucky little girl named Claire from Campbell River, taking home a season’s pass to the 2016 Season.
TNT Stunt show made its first ever appearance at Saratoga. TJ Lippy, who usually races a Crash to Pass car, decided to take his skills into a stunt car on Saturday, flying his F150 through a huge stack of cars, destroying the front end of what had been a nice-looking truck.
The Hornet cars, Roadrunners and the Bomber cars also filled out the action packed card on Saturday, with Schnitzer Steel sponsoring all the fun.
Wet track conditions made for a caution-filled night of racing featuring 36 Hornets, nine Crash to Pass cars, seven Roadrunners and four Bombers. Heat race action on Saturday saw wins go to Travis Stevenson, Garret-Ann Rosner, Rowland Westra, Trey Woolcock, Blair Mangles, Raymond Fortier, Trace Stevenson and Justin Beaulieu.
In the 25-lap Hornet B main, points leader Westra jumped into the lead on lap four and went on to yet another main event win, pushing his points lead to more than 700 points.
In the Bomber main, Beaulieu flew into first on lap two and pulled away from there, holding on to take home his second main event win of the year.
An action-packed Crash to Pass main event saw many lead changes throughout the race. Stevenson grabbed the lead away from points leader Hopp on lap 15 and went on to take home his first Crash to Pass main event of the year in his brand-new car. In the Roadrunner main event, MacLaren Inglis jumped to the front on lap two and stretched his lead to more than half a lap en route to his first main event win of the year.
The 20-lap Hornet A main proved an exciting affair. Blair Mangles jumped into the lead early and stretched it out for the first 15 laps. But both Daryl Cahill and Ashley White charged up to his bumper and pressed the action over the final laps before Mangles barely held off the pack for his second straight main event win.