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| The SSCRA’s super late model class jets into action in 2017. |
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.
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| Aaron Anderson zips around the track in the pro truck class in 2017. |
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.
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| Matthew Shirley in super late model action in 2017. |
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.
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| The Wyant Group Raceway can pack in the fans. |
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.
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| The Wyant Group Raceway enjoys healthy support in Saskatoon. |
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 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.
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| Shantel Kalika (#49) races in the pro truck class in 2017. |
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.
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| Neil Schneider in action in the sportsman class in 2017. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
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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