Vantreight Too Hot To Handle
Story by Ken Keating
Langford, BC, July 7, 2007

               Kyle Vantreight won the WilRoc Sprint Car Series Feature Event on one of the biggest week end events ever held at the famed oval in Victoria, BC. Billed as “One Hot Weekend” the Friday night portion of the two day event featured, not only WilRoc, but Stock Cars, Dwarf Cars, Mini Stocks, IMCA Modified Series, Sportsman Series, and the Hornets. All classes were scheduled to run Trophy Dashes and Heat races except stock cars. That series would also run a forty lap Feature race with a $1000.00 payout. At the conclusion of the two day extravaganza one driver would be crowned the 1st Annual Times Colonist 350 Champion.
               Gord Smith and Rob Scott shared the front row for the start of the first Heat race with Scott holding the advantage followed by Randy Vincent on lap three. These two battled for a couple of laps and as Vincent went for the pass going through turn 1, Vincent ran over the front tire of Scott’s car with both drivers spinning out. Scott suffered front wing damage while Vincent refired and continued on. Matt Mansell took the win followed by Gord Smith and Kyle Vantreight.
               Jeff Bird and Jim McKay started side by side for the second Heat race with Bird getting the jump. While these two drivers were battling up front, Scott Aumen and Randy Price were in a battle for the second position. These two traded positions for a couple of laps with Price pulling into the pits with an apparent injury. At the same time, McKay and Bird got together coming out of turn four bringing out the caution and subsequent red flag shortening the race by two laps.
               During the Strawberry Cup, on June 23, Price broke a drive shaft that resulted in a pretty good whack to the leg area. The same thing happened during this Heat race resulting in a trip to the hospital for observation.
               Forty laps would make up the distance for the WilRoc Sprint Car Feature Event Saturday that had Randy Vincent and Rob Scott on the front row. These two drivers crashed together in the Heat Race Friday but were able to make repairs for the Saturday segment. Driving duties for Randy Price, who suffered an injury to a leg Friday, was taken over by Chris Schmelzle who has been running dirt sprints with the ASCA in the US.
               With the drop of the green flag Vincent powered to the lead before exiting turn two. Before the lap was complete Gord Smith had a problem and Schmelzle also came to a halt along the front stretch bringing out a yellow. On the restart, Vincent led Matt Mansell and Kyle Vantreight. Scott Aumen had also moved up into the top five. Vantreight got to the inside of Mansell on lap 7 and took over second and wasted little time challenging Vincent up front and on lap 12, Vantreight dove to the inside of corner four and grabbed the lead. He quickly checked out on the rest of the field leaving Mansell, Vincent, Aumen, Guy Barrett, and Schmelzle to battle for the rest of the positions. On lap 35, the yellow came out when Darren Yates and Jim McKay got together coming through turn four. Yates was finished for the night but McKay was able to carry on.
               On the restart, Vantreight got away again but behind him the positions were tight. At the checkered flag it was Vantreight, followed by Aumen, who pulled a “dirt style” pass on Vincent for second. Vincent was able to hold off a hard charging Schmelzle for the third place finish. Vantrieght not only won the very exciting Feature, but he also captured the Roy Smith Memorial Trophy and the 1st Annual Times Colonist 350 Cup in only his second season with the high powered WilRoc Sprint Car Series.

Photos by Barrie Goodwin