“Kickstart My Heart” – Let action at the Wyant Group Raceway go green flag!

The SSCRA’s super late model class jets into action in 2017. 

    Right now, there is a sizable community inside Saskatoon that feels “the need for speed!”

    Usually, the Saturday of last weekend would have marked the start of the new Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association season. Normally, that would mean you could look forward to Saturday nights at the Wyant Group Raceway watching a mix of racers in seven different classes ripping around the track like their hair is on fire.

Aaron Anderson zips around the track in the pro truck class in 2017.

    These racers are good too, and they are running around the track in pricey toys that can go at high speed comparable to what see with NASCAR races on television. Some of the cars in Saskatoon’s super late model class cost around $34,000, and they perform just as good as or even better than NASCAR cars.

    Unfortunately due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we are robbed of seeing the exploits of Aaron Anderson, Neil Schneider, Kevin Dyck, Lachlyn Anderson, Sam Howlett, Blake Erb, Mike Rea, Matthew Shirley and Jim Gaunt.

Matthew Shirley in super late model action in 2017.

    The Wyant Group Raceway is home of drivers from Saskatoon and mid to northern parts of Saskatchewan.

    It is also the home track for Prince Albert, Sask., product Shantel Kalika. Kalika has made appearances the past two seasons on the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, which is a minor league series that prepares drivers to compete one day at NASCAR’s top level – the Cup Series.

    While competing on the Pinty’s Series, Kalika has continued to race in the pro truck class at the Saskatoon track.

The Wyant Group Raceway can pack in the fans.

    The best part about the crew at the Wyant Group Raceway is that they are all good people and there are countless names of drivers you could include in this column that are fun to watch. Even if you only have a casual interest in racing, it is a blast being out there.

    When you head out there, it is pretty obvious there is a sizable segment of the community that has found the charm of that track. It is common to see a gathering of at least 1,500 on most race nights.

    The Wyant Group Raceway is a NASCAR Pinty’s Series stop, and that has become the local annual two-day Super Bowl type spectacle at that track during a Tuesday and a Wednesday night in late July.

The Wyant Group Raceway enjoys healthy support in Saskatoon.

    The local classes take centre stage on the first day. On the second day, it is common to see the stands that can pack in 3,319 spectators full to check out two 125-lap NASCAR Pinty’s Series with a local Saskatoon class holding a feature race of its own between the two Pinty’s Series runs.

    Unfortunately, this year’s NASCAR Pinty’s Series stop set for July 28 and 29 in Saskatoon has become a COVID-19 casualty.

    At the moment, Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association isn’t throwing in the towel as far as the 2020 campaign is concerned. It hopes to start its season at the beginning of August.

Shantel Kalika, left, is one of the SSCRA’s best known racers. 

    The NASCAR Cup Series has already restarted its 2020 campaign in the United States racing in events without fans.

    The top professional level has shown it is possible to hold stock car racing in these COVID-19 pandemic times.

    The racers are shielded from coming into physical contact with each other, because they are inside their cars. The pit crew teams are all spaced out from each other.

    Inside each team, you do work together in close quarters, but the Cup Series races have shown the pit crew teams can get things done just with wearing protective masks.

    On top of that, the drivers at the Wyant Group Raceway are putting a tonne of their own money into their cars and operations. Of course, most of the racers have sponsors, but they are not bringing in big paydays.

Shantel Kalika (#49) races in the pro truck class in 2017.

    Usually the top prize for winning a local class feature race on the NASCAR Pinty’s Series race days is $1,000, which isn’t a whole lot of money in the race world.

    These drivers are out there, because they love what they are doing and they love being at the track.

    If the races have to go on without fans, it would be wise to see of Access7 in Regina could come up to Saskatoon and broadcast the races from the Wyant Group Raceway on the community channels run by Access7 and the stripped Shaw cable company.

Neil Schneider in action in the sportsman class in 2017.

    These races are something the SaskTel Network could look into showing province wide too. The action at the Wyant Group Raceway is a product made for television.

    Actually, if the province could lax up on the restrictions for mass gatherings to allow the Wyant Group Raceway to operate at half its spectator capacity, the track could rock and roll with that.

    Last weekend in Canada, you had gatherings of 3,500 in three cities rightfully protesting to bring an end to racism, and the Wyant Group Raceway’s capacity comes in just under that.

Jim Gaunt is the steady veteran at the Wyant Group Raceway.

    Stock car racing is a long time summer tradition in Saskatoon. The tradition goes back to 1954 when the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association started out as the unincorporated Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Club operating on the 8^th Street Racing Oval called the Motordrome.

    The track moved to the grandstand area at Prairieland Park for a couple of years in 1970 and 1971.      

    The action moved to the Bridge City Speedway from 1972 to 2005 before the City of Saskatoon annexed that land to build the residential neighbourhood of Evergreen.

Kevin Dyck (#10) makes a charge in a super late model race in 2017.

    Since 2006, the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association has called the immaculate Wyant Group Raceway home, which has 15 corporate chalets on its grounds.

    Stock car racing is something that is doable in these COVID-19 pandemic days. Come on medical health and government officials, let’s make this happen.

White named interim CEO of U Sports, other notes

Dick White, right, with Christine Stapleton in 2001.

    Dick White couldn’t stay retired and has answered the call from Canada’s university sports scene once again.

    On Tuesday, White was named the interim Chief Executive Officer for U Sports. White takes over from departing president and CEO Graham Brown, who had served in that role since October 2015.

    White is best known for being the director of athletics for the University of Regina from 1995 to his retirement on Dec. 31, 2014. He served as the president of U Sports for two stints including from 2005 to 2009 and the 2013-14 season.

    He graduated from the U of R in 1974 with bachelor of education. White initially joined the U of R’s athletics program in 1981 as administrative assistant and would continue to work in a variety of roles at the university before becoming the director of athletics in 1995.

    White was inducted into the Regina Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 as a builder. Since his retirement, he was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame (2015), the U of Regina Sports Hall of Fame (2019) and the inaugural class of the Canada West Hall of Fame (2019).

    “I am pleased to take on this role and am committed to working with our teams and membership in navigating the current environment and positioning the Canadian university sport delivery system to achieve best-case outcomes,” said White in a release. “I strongly believe U Sports will further its important role as a progressive facilitator and advocate for university sport and to advance future opportunities for athletes.”

Dick White, right, with Ralph Nilson in 2002.

    White helped navigate U of Regina athletics out of tough economic times in the early to mid 1990s. Under his watch, U of Regina athletics grew from its original six varsity teams to 16 teams.

    That include having the CJFL’s Regina Rams join the U Sports ranks as the U of Regina Rams in 1999 to play alongside the rest of the varsity teams that operate as the U of Regina Cougars.

    White had a big hand in allowing a new gym in the Centre for Kinesiology, Health and Sport to be built and open on the U of Regina campus grounds in 2004.

    With the world gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lot of uncertainty.

    White has vast experience in dealing with government officials during his career, and this will be a huge asset for U Sports as it tries to get itself through these crazy current days.

    White has a great passion for U Sports, and you can bet he is coming into this position to make a huge positive difference.

    In all reality, White has done his part for “king and country” when it comes to Canada’s university sports scene, and he could have deservedly gone on enjoying the retired life. He still regularly attended as many U of Regina athletics events as he could just to enjoy things as a spectator.

    It is pretty big for U Sports that he has come back to action in these unprecedented days.

• On Tuesday, Country Thunder pulled the plug on its festival for Craven, Sask., set for July 9 to 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The big tripping was the uncertainty regarding continued restrictions for large public gatherings. Country Thunder said everything was postponed for until July 8 to 11, 2021, when the next festival was planned for Craven.
• On Monday, Baseball Manitoba announced it has been given clearance by medical health and government officials to start executing a return to play plan during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Manitoba, sanctioned baseball training is slated to resume this coming Monday. The start date for when competitions may resume hasn’t been determined, but a July 1 target date has been set.
• On Sunday, members of the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association took part in an iRacing virtual event that was broadcast online. Many of the cars the Saskatoon racers used included their real life paint jobs. The video of that race was posted on Youtube and can be found by clicking right here.
• Phase 3 of the Government of Saskatchewan’s reopen plan is slated for this coming Monday. If you drove through downtown Saskatoon on Wednesday night, you would notice the staff at Hudsons Canada’s Pub was preparing the establishment’s patio area for the reopening. It was a site that helps increase things in the hope department.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Sunday fun day with NASCAR

Any type of live sports makes COVID-19 pandemic life better

Kevin Harvick leading a NASCAR race on my TV.

    I think I just became a fan of Kevin Harvick.

    The 44-year-old race car driver from Bakersfield, Calif., dominated my television screen on Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series returned to action after pausing 10 weeks due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Sunday’s race would be the fifth of the 2020 season for the Cup Series.

    Driving his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, Harvick posted his 50^th career victory on NASCAR’s top circuit taking The Real Heroes 400 held at the Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. He led for 159 of 293 laps and became just the 14^th driver to win 50 career Cup Series races.

    Over the past eight days, folks were able to follow live sports in North America thanks to UFC and NASCAR. It was a welcome development.

    UFC got the ball rolling holding three fight cards at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena without fans. The first was UFC 249 held on May 9 and a pair of fight night cards followed on Wednesday and Saturday.

It was great to have a NASCAR Cup Series race on TV.

    I didn’t watch any of those cards live, but I ended up catching the highlights and post-fight interviews on a TSN channel. While Mixed Martial Arts is not something I watch on a regular basis, it was great to see highlights on major Canadian sports networks of something that happened that day.

    It felt normal to see Robin Black on TSN doing analysis after those fight cards. Way back on Aug. 23, 2015, I covered the UFC Fight Night card that was held at the SaskTel Centre, and Black was in town working that event.

    While I was new to that world and only in it for a short time, Black and I hit it off right away, and he pretty much took me under his wing. I tried to soak up as much of his insight as I could, and he was a huge help in guiding me through why fights would unfold as they did.

    Still, I was looking forward to seeing NASCAR’s top level return to action once I found out there would be a live race on Sunday. I covered local level stock car racing during my time in Medicine Hat, Alta., from 2004 to 2014 and a handful of events at the Wyant Group Raceway in Saskatoon.

Jimmie Johnson is coming right into the living room.

    The Wyant Group Raceway is usually home to an annual NASCAR Pinty’s Series stop, which is of the minor league circuits that prepares drivers for the NASCAR Cup Series.

    I admit I wouldn’t even consider myself a casual follower of NASCAR. I am one of those that will watch it once in a while and knows when the Daytona 500 is on.

    With that noted, any time I watch any type of car racing I love it.

    Of course, Sunday’s race at the Darlington Raceway wasn’t your normal race. There were no fans in the stands, and it seemed like everyone on the track that appeared on television were wearing protective masks.

    Prior to Sunday’s race, the last time drivers were in their cars came 71 days prior on March 8 at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

    NASCAR is not holding practices or qualifying for the first four races back except for the qualifying of the Coca-Cola 600, which will be held this coming Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

The NASCAR field comes down a straightaway on my TV.

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were new safety protocols including health screenings, social distancing rules and mandatory masks. Some the racing teams had personnel that would normally be at the track performing their roles remotely at other locations.

    Considering the drivers were basically coming in cold without having raced in real cars for an extended time, the race itself was fun. Outside of seeing people in protective masks and noticing there were no fans in the stands, I thought the race proceeded like normal and the quality of the driving was high.

    I got excited when there was a driver I knew in veteran Jimmie Johnson, who has won the NASCAR Cup Series title seven times, jump into the lead during the early portion of the race. My heart dropped when Johnson’s day ended after he crashed into the wall after rubbing with another car before 100 laps were in the books.
    Shortly after the race passed 100 laps, Harvick jumped into lead and remained in front of the field for seemingly the rest of the race.

Kevin Harvick is on his way to victory on my TV.

    It felt like everything he did on the track was clean including when he entered and exited the pits.

    Harvick crossed the finish line with a healthy edge on second place finisher Alex Bowman, who was driving his No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports, and third place finisher Kurt Busch, who was driving his No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Chip Ganassi Racing.

    During these crazy COVID-19 times, it was a treat to see Sunday’s Cup Series race. It made life feel more normal and increased optimism that other sports might come back sooner than later in North America.

    Thinking about the Wyant Group Raceway in Saskatoon, it would be cool, if it could get going on the local level with the same format as Sunday’s NASCAR race.

    While Shaw doesn’t have the ability broadcast local events anymore, it would be sweet if Access 7 could come up from Regina and show Saturday action from the Wyant Group Raceway live across the community channels on its network and Shaw without fans in the stands.

It would be great to have Wyant Group Raceway action on TV.

    Local golf courses in Saskatchewan are open to anyone in the public to go hit a round, but competitive provincial golf events have been held yet.

    On the racing front, NASCAR at the highest level has shown a way for stock car racing at the local level in Saskatoon to get going.

    Now we just need the medical health officials in Saskatchewan to give the green light to make it so. Dreaming and imagining what can be are always good things.

NASCAR Pinty’s Series simulation is a treat

Cayden Lapcevich in action in 2017 at the Wyant Group Raceway.

    I also learned on Sunday watching a simulated sports even can be a fun thing too.

    After the real life The Real Heroes 400 NASCAR Cup Series regular season race was held at the Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina, TSN showed a virtual race from the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, which is a minor league circuit to the Cup Series.

    The virtual Pinty’s Series race was computer simulated to look like action was going down at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont. The actual competitors from the Pinty’s Series were driving their cars on simulation machines at their respective homes.

    Outside of noticing the obvious computer graphics, the race looked real. I was glued to see how one of my favourite drivers in the young 20-year-old Cayden Lapcevich was doing.

    Lapcevich has made a name for himself on that circuit over the past four years.

    I watched the first half of that simulated race before going on to do other things with my day.

    Still from what I saw, I can see why people would enjoy watching simulated sporting events, when real sporting events have been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In Saskatchewan, I know the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League has been streaming simulations of its junior A league playoffs. Those simulations seem to be attracting a sizable following and have drawn good reviews.

    On Friday, the Pinty’s Series cancelled the twin races set for July 29 at the Wyant Group Raceway in Saskatoon. It would be sweet to see a simulation held for those two races at some point in the future.

    If most live sports continue to stay on the shelves in Canada and North America, here is hoping other leagues will follow through with showing simulated games, because they do help get your mind off of what is happening in the current day with the COVID-19 pandemic.

CFL’s former training camp day passes quietly, other thoughts

Had today circled on the calendar for a while. Hoping our world will go back to “normal” asap. Missing my brothers and the grind to grey cup 2020 in Regina! Stay up rider nation 🍉🍉🍉

— Jorgen Hus (@Jhus41) May 17, 2020

    It was somber Sunday for CFL fans and anyone who has a stake in that league.

    Sunday was the day main training camps were supposed to open across the circuit. Unfortunately, the CFL’s activities have been shuttered at the moment thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Currently in North America, only the UFC and NASCAR Cup Series circuit have come back to life holding live events.

    For a number of years, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have held training camp in Saskatoon. This year, the Roughriders were going to hold their training camp in Regina, but they were supposed to come to Saskatoon this coming Saturday for their “Green and White Day” at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, which was to include a mock game type scrimmage.

    The fact that the Roughriders weren’t hitting the field anywhere for camp activities made the COVID-19 pandemic appear even more real to football fans in the province.

OG Brendon LaBatte (#57) takes part in Roughriders training camp in 2015.

    Followers of various other sports like hockey have seen those worlds come to a stop due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so they have dealt with what CFL football fans are now feeling for some time.

    On the Roughriders front, it would have been cool if fans could have been chasing down star quarterback Cody Fajardo for autographs or debate the team’s chances for topping the West Division for a second straight year or possibly winning the Grey Cup at home in November.

    Now fans of the CFL just hope the circuit survives the pandemic.

    During the final week of April, news came out that the CFL was looking for financial assistance from the Canadian federal government.

    The CFL is looking for $30-million in Canadian funds now to manage the impact of COVID-19. The circuit is asking for additional assistance for an abbreviated regular season and up to another $120-million in Canadian funds for a completely lost season.

    In other words, the CFL is looking for $150-million in financial assistance if its nine teams are unable to play the 2020 regular season and playoffs.   

    CFL fans hope the silence on the football fields for practices and games won’t become a permanent thing.

    It would be uplifting if the CFL was able to return to action in 2020.

• Alan Poirier, who was my first managing editor at the Medicine Hat News, put together a column on his blog “On Second Thought” that looked into a couple of theories regarding the origin and start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Poirier is a conservative thinker, but he has penned a lot of good columns that make you question why things are the way they are in a good way. He has a knack of making observations and speculations that turn out to be correct. I’ve seen a lot of his columns over the years, and I thought this one ranked near the top as one of the best. Feel free to check it out clicking right here.
• It was sad to hear Canadian Forces Snowbirds public affairs officer Capt. Jenn Casey died, when a Snowbirds plane crashed to the ground in Kamloops, B.C. on Sunday. That is a tragedy and condolences go out to all of Casey’s family and friends.
•  This COVID-19 pandemic has made me miss a lot of friends in the hockey world. In recent days, I have missed visiting with former Regina Pats general manager Brent Parker at various games in media an scouts lounges. I miss being in my spot in the SaskTel Centre press box next to Saskatoon Blades play-by-play voice Les Lazaruk. We have had a lot of good visits talking about all sorts of subjects. It was great to say “hi” to former Blades general manager Daryl Lubiniecki at a CO-OP grocery store in Saskatoon about a week ago.
• I’ve enjoyed rediscovering Madden 2008 for the Sony PlayStation 2. I’ve been using the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos for the season I am currently playing. I pretty much rebuilt the Panthers team through free agency, which included signing receiver Calvin Johnson. Over a 16-game regular season, Johnson hauled in 83 passes for 2,398 yards and 23 touchdowns. Now that was fun.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Lapcevich lives up to hype at Saskatoon’s NASCAR Pinty’s stop

Cayden Lapcevich and his crew celebrate a first place finish.

    Cayden Lapcevich is leaving the sophomore jinx in the dust.
    Last year, the Grimsby, Ont., product burst on to the scene becoming the first driver to win the NASCAR Pinty’s Series championship and the NASCAR Pinty’s Series rookie-of-the-year award in the same season. He accomplished both those feats at age 16.

    This year as a 17-year-old sophomore, Lapcevich has a win and two finishes in the top five after the first five races of the Pinty’s Series season. He sat fifth in the driver’s standings, but he considered the start a slow one due to the fact he has visions of repeating as the circuit’s champion.

Cayden Lapcevich (#76) holds of the Pinty’s Series field.

    On Wednesday, Lapcevich made big gains as the series stopped at Saskatoon’s Wyant Group Raceway for unique pair of 100-lap feature races called the Bayer Velocity Prairie Thunder Twin 100.
    He came away with a third place finish in the first race and captured top spot in the second race at the three-eighths mile oval track.

    Thanks to getting his second win of the season, Lapcevich was pleased with how his day progressed.

    “I thought it went pretty good,” said Lapcevich. “We were good in practice. We qualified OK.

    “We’ll build on it. I think there are still improvements to be made. It was definitely tough staying mentally prepared for today.

    “I’m excited to see what the rest of the ovals bring. I think we’re back in the championship chase.”

Cayden Lapcevich won last year’s NASCAR Pinty’s Series title.

    If it wasn’t for a short moment of bad luck, Lapcevich could have left Saskatoon with two feature race wins. On lap 40 of the first race, Lapcevich was involved with a bump and a spin with another car that drew a caution. He pushed back in the field because of that mishap.

    From there, Lapcevich worked his Dodge racer back into third spot behind race winner Alex Labbe and runner-up DJ Kennington. Kennington led a number of laps in that first run before being overtaken by Labbe.

    Lapcevich said all he could do was shrug off his bad luck.

    “It is part of racing,” said Lapcevich. “You build on it and learn from it.

Alex Labbe (#32) captured Wednesday’s first Pinty’s Series race.

    “After we had a tough first race, it was definitely good to rebound and win the second one and be able to climb in the championship.”

    In the second feature race, Lapcevich calmly maneuvered his way through the field like a seasoned veteran. After the first 39 laps, he sat outside of the top four. At the 59^th lap, Lapcevich worked his way into third place.

    By the 75^th lap, Lapcevich worked his way into second spot and vaulted into the lead by the 78^th lap. He held top spot for the duration of the race. Kennington finished second and Labbe came in third.

DJ Kennington placed second in both Pinty’s races in Saskatoon.

    On the twin feature race day, Lapcevich said the biggest challenge was to maintain focus, but the day wasn’t that much out of the ordinary when compared to a day with just one longer feature race. In previous years, the NASCAR Pinty’s Series stop in Saskatoon consisted of one feature race 250-laps in length. Lapcevich won the 250-lap feature race last year in Saskatoon.

    “It is not too much different,” said Lapcevich. “It was just tough to stay mentally prepared.

    “We pushed through and worked hard at it. I’m glad to come out with a win.”

Trent Seidel holds off the local super late model field.

    The two Pinty’s Series races were divided by a 100-lap feature race from the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association’s super late model class. The local class put on a great show before large turnout of spectators that packed the track’s stands.

    Andrew Hardy led the early portion of the race in his Dodge Challenger before being overtaken by veteran standout Trent Seidel driving his Chevrolet SS with about 65 laps to go. Seidel held on to top spot from there.

    While Seidel was pacing himself to victory, the battle that was occurring behind him for positioning turned out to be interesting. Matthew Shirley, Kevin Dyck, Jim Gaunt and Kelly Admiraal all jockeyed to get into the top three. When the dust settled, Admiraal slipped into second while Shirley came in third.

Trent Seidel (#70) and Matthew Shirley (#12) battle in a corner.

    Wednesday’s action closed the annual two-day Pinty’s Series stop, which featured racing in the SSCRA’s local classes on Tuesday.

    The SSCRA season resumes at 7 p.m. on Aug. 11 at the Wyant Group Raceway.

    As for Lapcevich, he turns his attention to the next stop in the Pinty’s Series, when the circuit hits the Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin, Alta., on Saturday.

    The young driver did take some time to reflect on everything that has happened to him this season and last season. In May, he was named to the NASCAR Next program, which gives additional help to young standouts over a 12-month period so they may one day race at NASCAR’s higher levels.

Cayden Lapcevich aims to rocket up the NASCAR ranks.

    The Pinty’s Series is a minor-league circuit that prepares drivers to compete one day on NASCAR’s top level – the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

    With being part of the NASCAR Next program, Lapcevich receives media training and sponsorship support to help him develop professional skills to assist him in growing his marketability. At times, the last 19 months have been a whirlwind for Lapcevich.

    “It has progressed so much quicker than I thought it would have been,” said Lapcevich. “It has been a lot of fun, and I am excited to see what my future holds.”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Anderson posts biggest stock car victory of his career

Veteran racer claims Pro Truck Tint Centre 75 and $1,000 prize

Aaron Anderson takes a victory lap at the Wyant Group Raceway.

    Aaron Anderson never had a better day at the Wyant Group Raceway.

    The veteran driver went into the opening day of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series stop in Saskatoon on Tuesday having won his last four pro truck feature races. With the local classes of the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association taking centre stage on the first day of the annual two-day event, Anderson was aiming to claim the Pro Truck Tint Centre 75 feature race and a $1,000 first place prize.

    The Martensville product jumped into second place during the early portion of the race. After a restart following a caution flag with 21 laps to go, Anderson bolted past leader Alex Leschenko for top spot and held on for victory. The two-day NASCAR Pinty’s Series stop is the local track’s premier show.

Aaron Anderson won a heat race and Tuesday’s pro truck feature run.

    “This is the Super Bowl for us,” said Anderson. “This is the biggest race of the year for us.

    “I’ve been racing 20 years, and this is the biggest win of my career. I’ve never won a race as big and important as this one. I’ve never won $1,000 in one shot.

    “This is my biggest win I have ever had, so I am over the moon.”

    Driving a Toyota Tundra, Anderson trailed Leschenko, who was driving a Ford F-150, by a half straightaway length in the early portion of the race but slowly gained ground on the Saskatoon product. When a caution came out with 21 laps remaining, Anderson was in striking distance of the lead.

    About a couple of laps after the restart, Anderson got ahead of Leschenko and never looked back to win a fifth straight pro truck feature race. Leschenko finished second and Shantel Kalika of Prince Albert came in third.

Aaron Anderson (#19) holds the edge on two pursuers.

    Anderson said his pit crew headed by crew chief Cory Ernst and head mechanic Kelly Voss played a key part setting up the truck for Tuesday’s feature run.

    “We had a big long discussion me and the guys, and it was decided that we were going to tighten it up a little bit more than we would normally have it tight,” said Anderson, who also won a heat race on Tuesday. “We gave it a little bit more wedge than we normally would.

    “As the fuel load burns off, it loosens it up a touch, and it makes it better for the long run. With 21 laps to go on that restart, I managed to have enough tire leftover.”

Aaron Anderson speeds to the checkered flag.

    Upon arriving back in the pits, Anderson was greeted by a huge contingent of family.

    “It makes me feel good I get all this support here,” said Anderson. “My dad, my mom, my uncle, my three daughters, my step son and my step daughter and everybody else, it is just phenomenal to have everybody out here supporting me.

    “I just want to give them a big shout out and a big thanks and tell them I love them all.”

    The Pro Truck Tint Centre 75 wasn’t the lone big local race on Tuesday. Neil Schneider took top spot in the 75-lap sportsman class feature in his 2016 Chevrolet Camero.

    Starting from the third position on the grid, he passed Nicole Sheetka for the lead about 15 laps into the race and remained in front the rest of the way. Matt Neufeld finished second, and Damen Meier came in third. Sheetka ended up finishing sixth.

Neil Schneider (#93) pulls away from the sportsman field.

    Schneider had a small moment of worry after a caution flag with four laps to go wiped out a comfortable lead he had on the field. After getting a quick jump on the restart, he held on for victory. Schneider was pleased a handful of cautions weren’t able to slow his momentum down in his feature race win.

    “We were able to get good restarts,” said Schneider. “The car was really good mid corner, so we were able to turn it.

    “We were able to get a good lead and then coast a bit and save the equipment.”

Schneider was pumped to get his feature victory.

    “Every chance you win you cherish every one, because you never know if it might be your last one,” said Schneider. “(To win) in front of the NASCAR crowd, it is a little extra more special.”

Neil Schneider does a victory lap after winning the sportsman class feature.

    The local super late model class also held a couple of heat races on Tuesday. Matthew Shirley won the first heat race, while Kevin Dyck took the second heat race.

    The NASCAR Pinty’s Series stop concludes with a race program set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Wyant Group Raceway. Wednesday’s races include a 100-lap feature for the local super late model class and two NASCAR Pinty’s Series feature races each lasting 100-laps in duration.

    The Pinty’s Series is a minor-league circuit that prepares drivers to compete one day on NASCAR’s top level – the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Local super late models to get bigger spotlight at Saskatoon NASCAR Pinty’s stop

SSCRA’s super late model class will race in a prime spot.

    Matthew Shirley might be jumping a little more than normal with excitement for this year’s NASCAR Pinty’s Series stop in Saskatoon.

    The 22-year-old races in the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association’s super late model class, and that group is going to have a prime showcase spot at the NASCAR Pinty’s stop. The event runs over two days on Tuesday and Wednesday with the main NASCAR race set for the second of those days.

    This year, the NASCAR Pinty’s Series will hold two feature races 100 laps in length on Wednesday, and both of those races count in the drivers’ standings for the circuit. Those races will be split up by a 100-lap feature race from the local super late model class.

    “It is going to be absolutely exciting, and all the drivers are going to have the jitters going to the max,” said Shirley. “We are going to have a full crowd, we are going to have a great car count and we also going to be racing in front of the NASCAR guys.”

    Tuesday’s action begins at 7 p.m. and that day’s program contains 75-lap feature races for the local pro truck and sportsman class and heat races for the super late models. Wednesday’s action starts at 6 p.m. and that day’s program contains the two Pinty’s Series races and the feature run of the local super late model class.

    The Pinty’s Series is a minor-league circuit that prepares drivers to compete one day on NASCAR’s top level – the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

    On the local circuit, Shirley moved to the super late model class last year after winning two straight track titles in the sportsman class in 2014 and 2015. He turned some heads during the two day NASCAR Pinty’s stop last year capturing the Bryce Mann Memorial super late model feature race.

The SSCRA’s super late models charge down a straightaway.

    “It was one of the highlights of my career winning that Bryce Mann last year,” said Shirley. “That was my first super late model feature win.

    “It was in front of a NASCAR crowd on the Tuesday show. The Tuesday show the crowd is not as strong as the Wednesday. Now, it is on the Wednesday, so the memory you can have of winning this is huge.

    “The main thing I think for us young drivers is we are doing it in front of the NASCAR drivers and they are going to be watching. As a young aspiring racer, you’ve always wanted big names watching you race.”

    Shirley said driving in the local super late model class has been challenging due to the presence of a number of strong veteran drivers. They includes the likes for Jim Gaunt, Trent Seidel, Dave Bone and Doug Bienia, and Shirley watched them race while growing up. He said the veterans seem to get faster as they age.

    “It is pretty humbling and cool when you get to race against them,” said Shirley. “They always pull out different tricks.

    “They set the bar so high, which is great for me as a developing driver. I won two championships in a row in sportsman, and it was like hey we have to move up to super late, so I can kind of just keep developing as a driver.

    “Those guys, they push you. They are the peak of the mountain for definitely here in western Canada racing that is for sure.”

    Shirley said you will be on the track thinking you are doing well in a super model race, and all of a sudden you would be shocked when one of the veterans pulls a move to blow by seven cars to take the lead. The young driver said you have a moment of being both stunned and in awe trying to comprehend what just happened.

    With that said, Shirley is part of a youth contingent in the class along with Jared Reddekopp who are getting noticed. Shirley said the veteran drivers always have the edge, but the super late model feature race on Wednesday will be a competitive one. He believes the crowd that is expected to be around 5,000 will get a good show from the local class.

Jim Gaunt takes a victory lap in 2015.

    It is expected a field of 21 to 22 cars could be present for the NASCAR Pinty’s Series races, and a field of 18 cars is expected for the super late model feature race.

    “When NASCAR comes around, it is always bigger, because there is a lot more excitement,” said Shirley, who is the local track’s director of fundraising. “There is a lot more of a buzz.

    “As a local driver, especially with this new format they have given us where we get to put our super lates in between the two 100 races, it is a big opportunity to show the city of Saskatoon, the corporate sponsors, everybody kind of what they are missing on their week to week racing.”

Blogs of Interest are worth checking out

Ashley Bernstein, left, writes a good-vibes blog.

    Recently, I added a blogs of interest column to my site that contains blogs I find I get engaged with and hope other readers will be engaged with as well.

    I figured I should give a brief description of each blog. They are listed alphabetically. The links to these blog can been found on the “Blog of Interest” bar running down the right side of this page.

    Dominic’s journey with AML – This blog is put together by my former sports editor at the Medicine Hat News – Sean Rooney. Rooney created the blog to document the journey his family went on after his toddler son, Dominic was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia on Sept. 12, 2013. Dominic passed away shortly before his third birthday on Sept. 3, 2015.

    Rooney still documents the journey his family still encounters and also details fundraising initiatives they undertake for the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Rooney is a talented writer, and his best work is chronicling some of his family’s most emotional times.

    Dubnetwork – Is the brainchild of co-founders Paul Figler and Jesse Phillips. It is a site devoted to cover the happenings of the Western Hockey League. In just over a year, they have built up a nice roster of writers to help cover the league.

    It is a good independent site that doesn’t have attachments to the mainstream media. Even casual WHL followers will enjoy what Dubnetwork has to offer.

    Hurricane Watch – Pat Siedlecki, who is a former radio play-by-play voice of the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, put together this blog that collects all the various new items involving the Hurricanes. For anyone that is looking for a nice way to get a quick roundup with what is happening with the Hurricanes, this blog makes for a nice one-stop place.

    Pick-It Or Flick-It – A movie blog that is produced by my cousin Justin Chomitzky. I myself am not a movie junkie, but when I do want to watch a movie and make a theatre stop, I want to know if it will be good. My cousin’s passion is movies, and his blog reviews have always been bang on in saying what is good and what isn’t good.

    If you are interested in watching a movie on a night out or at home, checking my cousin’s blog is always a wise decision.

    Regan’s Rants – Regan Bartel, who is the play-by-play voice of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, produces this blog. He writes opinion pieces on happenings involving the Rockets and elsewhere in the WHL. Bartel’s blog gives a good look into one of the most elite and successful franchises in the WHL’s Western Conference.

    RodPedersen.com – Saskatchewan Roughriders play-by-play voice Rod Pedersen produces this blog, and it is one of those blogs that has been around for a lengthy stretch of time. Of course, Pedersen writes about the daily happenings and his views on everything involving the Roughriders.

    His blog also does a good job in rounding up everything else that is going on in Regina’s sports scene. With it being summer, Pedersen’s blog contains frequent posts on the Regina Red Sox of the Western Major Baseball League, who have a big following in “the Queen City.” Pedersen has frequent round ups involving the WHL’s Regina Pats, the University of Regina Rams and the CJFL’s Regina Thunder as well as pieces from a few veteran media members.

    Shawn Mullin’s Swift Current Broncos Blog – Created by Swift Current Broncos play-by-play voice Shawn Mullin, this blog features news about what is happening with the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos. It is another blog that has a lengthy history dating back to 2010.

    Due to the fact the Broncos exist in the Canadian Hockey League’s smallest market, they don’t receive a huge amount of media coverage. Mullin provides an easy place that allows you to quickly get a handle on all the news involving the team.

    Taking Note – The granddaddy of major junior hockey blogs produced by Gregg Drinnan and dates way back to June of 2007. When it comes to covering the WHL, Drinnan is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. He has produced the one stop shop place for everything that happens in the WHL, and he always produces his work in a way that is understandable for everyone.

    Drinnan also gives a few good looks about other happenings in the sports world. He has always been a big supporter of the work I’ve done on this blog, and his Taking Note is always a must to check out.

    The Lost Girl’s Guide to Finding the World – This blog is produced by Ashlyn George, who is a freelance travel writer, photographer and videographer. The former University of Saskatchewan education grad is pretty much an experience junkie, who has visited 55 countries and seven continents all before the age of 30.

    You will be drawn in by her blog of her adventures around the world. Even the stories from her home province of Saskatchewan are amazing and gives those from the province a new look at their home area.

    This is 25 – This blog is produced by Ashley Bernstein, who a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Cheer Team. She produces upbeat happy posts that create positive vibes in just going through life. It gives you a chuckle when she tells stories about the struggles she has had in dating, and her stories come off in a way they make you laugh.

    She also shares some battles she has had on the mental health front, which have been linked to issues with body image. Bernstein looks perfect, and being on the Riders Cheer Team, you would never think she would deal with any of those issues. That makes her human, and you have to admire the fact she always strive to be that ray of sunshine that seems to brighten up everyone’s day.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

Traveling WHL circuit is a blast

Broncos fans cheer on their team in Swift Current.

    Even while biking in scenic Waskesiu earlier this month, my mind keeps drifting to traveling the WHL circuit.

    I don’t have the itch at the moment to get back on the road again. I am enjoying summer, and it has been nice to get a break from all things hockey.

    With that said, the downtime gives me time to reflect, and I find myself smiling, when I reflect on the last two seasons that seemed to have gone by like the wind.

    Before the start of the 2015-16 season, I made it a goal to hit the road to cover WHL games in other centres to changed things up from always being based in Saskatoon. Being a beat writer focused on one team is fun but having done that for the bulk of the time I’ve covered the league, I needed a change.

    It also felt like some old school media thing to do long before the era when budget cuts ravaged mainstream outlets in Canada beginning about the middle of the 1990s.

The Hurricanes celebrate a goal with their fans in Lethbridge.

    It was like, “There is a game in Swift Current. Let’s jump in the car and cover it.”

    Or, “There is a playoff game in Red Deer. Let’s get in the car and go.”

    It feels like the art of just going out and covering a game is becoming a lot one. In the media world outside of radio play-by-play voices, the traveling reporter in the WHL is almost extinct.

    Traveling to different centres made the game new for me again. Every franchise in the league has a unique story. I know the basics of a lot of them.

    It is also very different to see a team in its home environment. Hearing how the small city of Swift Current was crazy for the Broncos during playoffs this past season is one thing but being there to see it is another.

    Swift Current is definitely one centre someone should visit this upcoming season, if they want to see excitement over major junior hockey in its purest form.

The Saskatoon Blades and the Raiders go at it in Prince Albert.

    Being able to fire off pictures and stories about that excitement through blog posts and social media channels helps increase the appreciation of what was transpiring.

    I found it is pretty neat to arrive in a WHL centre to cover a game, when you don’t have an attachment to the participating teams. A number of fans still remember my old attachments.

    When I went to cover Rebels playoffs games in Red Deer in 2016, the fans still see me as being the beat writer that covers the Medicine Hat Tigers. The fact proved to be a nice icebreaker that allowed me to socialize with the locals. Having covered the Medicine Hat Tigers for 10 years working for the Medicine Hat News, I know I will always have an attachment with the legendary franchise from “The Gas City.”

Mason Shaw (#18) leads the rush for the Tigers in Medicine Hat.

    Upon arriving in another centre to cover a game, I find you bring a different perspective, when you are not attached to either team. I find the locals enjoy coming and talking to you about the on goings of the hometown team and the league due to the fact it is different to talk to someone covering the circuit who is not from the centre they live in.

    Thanks to the fact the Regina Pats won so much and made it to the WHL Championship series this past season, it became common for the attendant at the CO-OP gas station I normally fill up at in “the Queen City” to say, “There must be a game on tonight?”

    From there, conversation would drift to the Pats.

    The WHL trail has provided so many memories. They come from having big homecoming feelings every time I return to Prince Albert, where I covered the Raiders for three seasons, and Medicine Hat.

    It was fun to stop in Lethbridge to see the revival of the Hurricanes and the adoration the fans there had for now graduated captain Tyler Wong.

Pats mascot K9 greets a young fan in Regina.

    I had to laugh when I made it to Regina for a clash between the Pats and Moose Jaw Warriors, who are still viewed to have major junior hockey’s greatest rivalry. The laugh came in the third period, when it was announced a Moose Jaw resident won the 50/50 and was almost booed out of the rink by the Pats fans. The booing actually had a good-natured joking vibe to it.

    Following the Saskatoon Blades on the road has been great as well. They do pretty well interacting with the locals when they are in other centres, and you get a different perspective of them when you see them in that light.

    It was cool 2016 to see Wheat Kings owner and then head coach and general manager Kelly McCrimmon be genuinely appreciative of the fact I made to Brandon to cover his team playing in the WHL Eastern Conference final and then the WHL Championship series.

    It was amazing to be in attendance in Regina the night Alexander True scored the WHL championship overtime winner for the Seattle Thunderbirds on May 14 of this year.

The Thunderbirds celebrate after winning the 2017 WHL title.

    Getting to hang out with the family members of Thunderbirds star defenceman Ethan Bear was another huge obvious highlight. I can’t thank them enough for giving me that ovation during a tailgate party for writing the blog post regarding how much the family travels around to support Bear.

    The biggest memory that sticks in my head over the past two seasons was seeing the monument that was built on the edge of Swift Current to remember the four players that were killed in Broncos bus accident on Dec. 30, 1986. It is a beautiful tribute to Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff. Being at the monument, you just get filled with emotion.

    I do wish traveling through the WHL circuit and covering games wasn’t becoming a lot art.

    For fans that are thinking about traveling the circuit to see games, I say do it. Even if you are following your hometown team to other centres, just do it. You will find you have a good time.

Back in the Express with NASCAR Pinty’s Series race

NASCAR races at the Wyant Group Raceway in 2015.

    I was back in the pages of the Saskatoon Express this week with a preview story of the upcoming NASCAR Pinty’s Series race.

    The Pinty’s Series race is the annual showcase event for the Wyant Group Raceway, which is run by the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association. The event runs over two days this coming Tuesday and Wednesday.

    On Tuesday, action starts at 7 p.m. and that day’s program contains 75-lap feature races for the local pro truck and sportsman class and heat races for the super late models. On Wednesday, action starts at 6 p.m. and that day’s program contains two Pinty’s Series races and the feature run of the local super late-model class.

    In past years, the feature race for the Pinty’s circuit was 250 laps in length. This year the Pinty’s circuit is holding two feature races 100 laps in length.

    The Pinty’s Series is a minor-league circuit that prepares drivers to compete one day on NASCAR’s top level – the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

    The Wyatt Group Raceway is an underrate jewel facility in Saskatoon’s sports scene. If you have never checked out a race there, it is well worth checking out.

    My Pinty’s Series race story can be found right here.

    If you have any comments you would like pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.