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Courtesy of Jeff Allen, Fat Kid Photography
Stresses of Racing - KORR Event
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Jeff Allen
Stresses of Racing - KORR Event
Ryan Holz on his way to a victory in the first race.
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Jeff Allen
Stresses of Racing - KORR Event
Dennis Beebe would overtake Holz for the second win.
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Courtesy of Jeff Allen, Fat Kid Photography
Stresses of Racing - KORR Event
Richard Hoekstra and Mike Strange battled each other hard all day.
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Courtesy of Jeff Allen, Fat Kid Photography
Stresses of Racing - KORR Event
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Jeff Allen
Stresses of Racing - KORR Event
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Courtesy of Jeff Allen, Fat Kid Photography
Stresses of Racing - KORR Event
Kris Fraser would take a win in the first race for the Outlaws.
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Courtesy of Jeff Allen, Fat Kid Photography
Stresses of Racing - KORR Event
Rookie Lane Halarewich was plagued with mechanical issues and taken out before the main event.
By Jennifer Loucks
I am sitting on my deck this September morning, enjoying the peace and quiet before my children wake, and the hustle and bustle of life takes over. I find myself reflecting on the KORRBC September Slam, and the stark contrast of this morning vs. yesterday morning. Today I am greeted with the sounds of the birds chirping, the sun slowly cresting the mountain, the scent of freshly brewed coffee in the air. It’s serene and peaceful, with no one currently demanding my time, and no crises to solve. A far cry from yesterday morning, where the first sounds I heard were revving engines, the first scent was gas fumes, and the first sight I had was of countless people rushing about to prepare for the day, and crises were abundant.
I remember a time as a spectator years ago, before I became involved in KORRBC. I truly did not appreciate what went on behind the scenes. I would arrive at noon, and watch the classes as they chased each other around the track, and delight in the carnage, the rollovers, the tight knit races, and then I would pack up my things, and head home. It was a fun-filled, exciting and relaxing afternoon, and nothing more! Now that I am a promoter, I can see how naïve that was, as a typical race day can be stressful, and fraught with challenges. Yesterday’s race was no exception.
Early in the morning, amid the chaos of registration and tech, I realized that we had no concession people arriving to set up. At the same time, we were having watering issues, a few of the racers were having mechanical failures, and we were still looking for a few volunteers to help on the track. Within a half hour, I had a commercial grill, a fantastic woman running to town to buy food and drinks, and another to cook, and sell food and merchandise. My marvelous track crew had managed to get both water trucks running, volunteers were found in surplus, everyone got their vehicle hiccups repaired, and we were all back on track and ready to go. We held our driver’s meeting and we were off and running.
As racing got underway, with the novice UTV’s coming to the line, it was clear that it was going to be an interesting race day. It was a double points race, and everyone was excited, and anxious to score as high as possible. The UTV’s shot off the line, and a tight race soon emerged between Ryan Holz (#58) and Dennis Beebe (#15). The two battled fiercely, occasionally jostling each other as they raced around the corners. The first heat was a clean race, with all of the drivers completing their laps, and Holz took first, Beebe second. The second heat was just as thrilling, as Beebe pushed Holz hard, taking the lead for a couple of laps, before Holz snuck past him on the inside of corner five on the last lap to take the checkered flag. The main event was a grueling nine laps, and newcomer James Kennedy (#151) broke down half way through. The remaining racers pushed hard, with Beebe and Holz neck and neck throughout. In the end, Holz took the flag, and a whopping 63 points for the day.
Next to the line was a combined class of the limited lite trucks, and the pro buggies. In the pro buggy class, Richard Hoekstra (#1097) and Mike Strange (#142) were in a close race throughout the day. The two buggies were well matched in horsepower and design, so it came down to driver ability and sheer determination. The pair was back and forth the entire day, sometimes crossing the line with a few inches lead on the other. In the end, Hoekstra took the checkered flags in each heat, and the win for the day. Meanwhile, the limited lites were having their own battles, with Blake Jensen (#13) and Ryan Beers (#72) neck and neck throughout the day. Rookie Lane Halarewich was plagued with mechanical issues, and was taken out of the race before the main event. Jensen and Beers pushed their trucks to their breaking points, and had a great day, swapping paint as they pushed past each other repeatedly. In the end, experience beat determination, and Beers took the win.
The pro UTV’s were the next class to the gate, and the tension of the racers was palpable from the stands. This class is a sponsored payout class, and with money and double points on the line, the racers were eager for victory. The flag dropped, and they were off, dust clouds billowing up behind. In the first heat, a four-way race quickly emerged between Al McBeth (#357), Ryan Holz, Travis Squair (#171) and Craig Mennen (#111). They were wheel to wheel, jostling and bumping each other as they fought to be the front-runner. McBeth took the lead, and the checkered flag. The second heat began with an inverted start, with Mike Skiba (#67), Ryan Holz and Dennis Beebe in the front of the pack. Halfway through the race Al McBeth went slightly off course, and was rear-ended by Cecil Sinow (#22). McBeth backed up, driving over Sinow, to a chorus of laughter from the spectators, and they both carried on.
As this was happening, Skiba caught a rut in the final corner, and flipped his UTV, landing on his lid. His UTV was righted, but he was unable to finish the heat. Mennen was also taken out of the race due to a mechanical failure. The remaining drivers were lined up, and restarted for a two-lap shootout. In the end, Holz took the checkered flag, with Squair, Beebe, Sinow and McBeth hot on his wheels. The pro UTV main event was quieter, with no rollovers or crashes. There was a very close race between McBeth and Holz, and Beebe and Squair. McBeth held on to his lead for the first five laps, before being passed by Holz, who managed to fend off the rest of the field and take the checkered flag. Squair was vying for the third place position, with Beebe picking away at him for most of the race. On the very last corner of lap nine, Beebe managed to slingshot past Squair, and take the third place position by a bumper’s length. It was a fantastic race day for the group.
Last up, the Outlaws rumbled their way to the start line, with the pro trucks lining up behind them. The class was comprised of ten competitors, and the bleachers were vibrating from the combined horsepower drumming away at the starting line. As the day unfolded, we watched as a rivalry developed between Lane Carter (#609) and Rocco Baldassarre (#308). The pair tangled with each other off and on throughout the first heat, and ended up having a spectacular crash ending up mangled together, delaying the race while the track crews worked to detangle them. Racing resumed, and the battle continued, until the damage from the crash caught up with Carter, and he pulled off the track on fire. The fire snuffed itself out before crews got to him, but he was done for the day. The field proved to be well matched, and there were no clear winners in each heat. Kris Fraser (#604) took the first heat, Baldassarre took the second heat, and Troy Monsees (#44) took the main event.
As the fans and racers trickled out of the grounds, I sat in the tower for a moment, alone, and found myself smiling. Despite the complications in the morning, the carnage on the track, and the costly repairs ahead for both racers and the track, it was a fantastic day. Our hodgepodge little racing family pulled together, and put on an incredible day for our fans, and had an extraordinary time doing so. And that, my friends, is the most important thing that I have learned since taking my role within the KORRBC society. We are a family, and when one member needs a hand, we all step up, and do whatever it takes to make things copacetic. If you want to become part of our family, and experience the thrill of off-road racing, either on the track, or behind the scenes, check us out at www.korrbc.ca. We’d love to have you. KORRBC – Not your average Sunday drive!