Wine Country Racing hosted its annual Car Club Challenge at the Richter Pass Motorplex on Sept. 22. The event marks the end of drag racing season in Osoyoos. (Vanessa Broadbent / Osoyoos Times)

By Vanessa Broadbent

Osoyoos Times

Wine Country Racing wrapped up drag racing season this weekend with its annual Car Club Challenge on Sunday.

Drag racers from clubs across the Okanagan Valley gathered to see who could travel down the 1/8 mile track at the Richter Pass Motorplex (the Osoyoos Airport) the fastest.

Jim Piggott from Salmon Arm, a member of the Detonators car club in Enderby, has been racing in Osoyoos for three years.

“It’s a laid back crowd of guys and they’re welcoming to everybody that’s a new racer so you feel really welcome. It’s just a good time,” Piggott said.

Driving a 1971 Plymouth Duster, Piggott won the Car Club Challenge race.

“I was just being consistent, good 60-foot times,” he said.

Winners from other races throughout the day included: Art Raymond from Grand Forks on a 2001 Suzuki 750 Katana won the bike/sled race; Shane Williamson from Enderby in a 2000 Dragster won the Super Pro; Jamie Shield from Kaleden, driving a 1974 Ford Pinto dubbed “Red Parlour,” won the Pro Bracket; Jim Behkne from Mission in a 1973 Plymouth Scamp won the Sportsman Pro; and best reaction time went to Nick Barnett from Vernon in his 1970 Dodge Dart, with had a perfect light (0.5).

Along with the Detonators, other participating clubs were the Coachmasters (South Okanagan), Okanagan Rodtiques (Penticton) and Kelowna Kustoms (Kelowna).

Driving a Driving a 1971 Plymouth Duster, Jim Piggott from Salmon Arm won the Wine Country Racing Car Club Challenge on Sept. 22. (Vanessa Broadbent / Osoyoos Times)

On average, a combined 2,500 racers and spectators attended Wine Country Racing’s five events throughout the year, organizer David Sabyan said.

“We’ve got a pretty good faithful base of fans and racers. We get a lot of the regular fans but there’s always new people.”

The Detonators car club from Enderby races in each event, usually with between 12 and 15 cars, and are strong supporters of Wine Country Racing.

“Two weeks ago we had rain and were waiting to  decide if we were going to race or not and those guys, they wanted to race so bad they went down to the track and picked up brooms and started sweeping water off the track,” Sabyan said.

It’s normal to see racers make the trip to Osoyoos for each event after competing in a Car Club Challenge.

“They get hooked on it,” Sabyan said. “It brings in a lot of people in those cars that have never had an opportunity to drag race their car and they just love it.”

For Piggott, racing down the runway is a safer option than street racing.

“It gives everybody a chance to go run their cars, they’re not out trying to do it on the streets. It’s a safe and controlled environment,” he said.

Organized by the Wine Country Racing Association, a non-profit group of about 25 volunteers, races will return with a season opener in May.

Wine Country Racing hosted its annual Car Club Challenge at the Richter Pass Motorplex on Sept. 22. The event marks the end of drag racing season in Osoyoos. (Vanessa Broadbent / Osoyoos Times)

Wine Country Racing hosted its annual Car Club Challenge at the Richter Pass Motorplex on Sept. 22. The event marks the end of drag racing season in Osoyoos. (Vanessa Broadbent / Osoyoos Times)

Wine Country Racing hosted its annual Car Club Challenge at the Richter Pass Motorplex on Sept. 22. The event marks the end of drag racing season in Osoyoos. (Vanessa Broadbent / Osoyoos Times)