Wally awards up for grabs on weekend
By Ryan McCracken on July 29, 2017.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken The Wallys are up for grabs this weekend at the Medicine Hat Drag Strip. The National Hot Rod Association makes its annual stop in the Gas City for the National Open on Saturday and Sunday with Wallys at stake across all classes on both race days. “I hope we take all the trophies home, to be honest with you,” said local association president Dave Toth. “I’m expecting Medicine Hat to be very good because we’ve got a lot of good racers in town here and I’m fully expecting them to take some Wallys home.” The trophies, named after NHRA founder Wally Parks, are only awarded at NHRA national events, making this weekend one of the most competitive of the season. “We get cars from all over the Northwest,” said Toth. “From Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan and all the way down into Washington, Montana … as far as Oregon.” Toth added he expects a few hundred drivers to be active on the strip throughout the weekend. Victoria Philbert will surely be one to watch in the junior street class. Philbert has won all four of her Medicine Hat race days and holds a 179-point lead on Garret Goudie in the local standings — but that won’t matter at the winner-take-all Open. Tye Jones is another name to keep an eye out for at the strip. The junior thunder driver is coming off a big win in his last event and holds a 64-point lead in the standings. Riley Toth and Zach Toth are two local riders that will have their sights narrowed on a Wally as well. Riley leads a close race for the top of the local pro bike standings at 250 points. Kyle Wagenaar and Tanner Gaetz will continue their season-long battle for supremacy in the junior lightning division. Wagenaar holds a one-point lead in the local standings, but both will likely have a chance at bringing home a Wally this weekend. Rachelle Fleck leads the super pro rankings heading into the National Open with 220 points — a 12-point lead over Kevin Vander Kooy through four race days. Perry Bell has been thriving in the local pro class with 65 points of padding on second place Brent Buckenham at 304 through four race days — though Harvey Turner will surely be vying for a Wally after coming off a win in the most recent event. The sportsman class should provide some serious competition from Medicine Hat’s local competitors. Elizabeth Mullen holds the lead in the local standings after winning her most recent event for 210 points on the summer, but Dean Adie, Kathie Archambault and Janice Vessey have been hot on heels — just 21 points behind in a dead heat for second place. 15
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