You haven't lived until you've seen the crazy folks in Victoria
duel it out on the Western Speedway Oval. I don't know what
I found more amusing - the hit to pass racing or watching
spectators follow the sport religiously. I hadn't been to
the speedway in ages (8 years) and was amazed to find it alive
and kicking. There were a few thousand people braving the
rainy weather to cheer on their favorite drivers. There are
legends at the track. People who you would pass on the street
as strangers have cult-like followings and supportive fans.
It was great!
Unfortunately
all the other pictures I took of the Hit to Pass racing were
after dark and didn't turn out. Not to worry, there is Hit
to Pass every 2 weeks at the speedway... pictures won't do
it justice. You have to go for yourself.
The Racing:
It's like nothing you'll see at Indy... I think it's better!
There were 4 classes of racing: Claimers, Figure 8 Mini's
and Hit to Pass Cars and Trucks.
Hit to Pass Cars and Trucks:
The name says it all - If you want to pass someone, you have
to hit (or attempt to hit) the car you're overtaking. Sounds
like Toronto traffic to me. These drivers have vehicles that
defy all rules of physics and logic. They should have been
scrap heap material years ago. But they keep on ticking. There
is lots of passing and action in this category. Fun Stuff.
Claimers:
Weekend warriors apply here. If you have $269 you can own
a race car. Before the night's races you can put your money
in a sealed envelope and put the stake on the car of your
choice. There is no hitting in this series so spouses can
be a little more relaxed... until they figure out that the
other drivers aren't exactly experienced.
Figure 8 Minis:
I believe the term is "herding cats". This is hysterical.
In this series up to 16 drivers of subcompact cars traverse
a 100 meter figure 8 course. Once you start mapping out the
course in your head, you come to an interesting conclusion
- they cross paths! Did I mention that there is contact in
this series? You can't help but miss some of the action because
there are cars hitting each other every where you look!
The Go-Karts
If you don't have the guts (or spousal approval) to drop $269
on a claimer car, hit the go-kart track before hand. Once
you strap on the ill-fitting helmets (circa 1969) and squeeze
into the kart, you feel the adrenalin start to flow (it could
have been because the blood flow to the head is slightly impaired
by the helmet.)
The track is not the longest in the world but it is a lot
of fun. With 5 karts on at the same time, there is always
someone to pass (thanks Dave) or someone to run you off the
road (thank you as well Michele)
There were about 10 of us in total that came out to play.
Here are some pics of the racers.
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