Perfect racing conditions meant a triumphant return for the Twin Rivers Tri-City Race Invitational at PGARA Speedway on the weekend.
Prince George's Wayne French took the checkered flag in Sunday afternoon's 50-lap street stock main event, while Brian Clutchey from Victoria won the main Saturday night.
"Both races went over with limited caution flags and it was exciting racing," said Bill Klugh, who represents PGARA on the Tri-City Race Series organization. "It was really clean racing by all the drivers and everybody was happy-go-lucky."
Twenty street stock cars - mostly Camaros, Dodges, Buicks and Monte Carlos - entered the events on the weekend, but after some suffered mechanical issues, a few dropped out. Eighteen cars started their engines in Saturday's main event, while 14 cars were at the line in Sunday's main event.
Historically, the Tri-City Race Series was a joint effort of street stock racing between tracks in Prince George, Quesnel and Williams Lake.
In 2014 it's now open to street stocks from across the province.
Twenty cars from Penticton, Victoria, Fort St. John and five from Prince George competed in the Stampede Invitational in Williams Lake June 28-29, the first race of the series, where Clutchey took the checkered flag.
The series next stops at the Gold Pan Speedway in Quesnel Sept. 27-28.
"The comments from everybody were overwhelming, they were happy to have us back," said Klugh. "The series is growing and we should have 25 cars in Quesnel."
Gord Wheeler finished second in Sunday's main, followed by Clutchey in third. Clutchey also won the five-lap A dash, while Prince George's Chad McComber won the B dash. Gabe Schwemler won the 12-lap A heat and Brent Falkowsky of Prince George won the B heat as well as the C heat.
On Saturday, Williams Lake driver Arnie Kunka earned second place in the main event, followed by French in third place.
Prince George driver Jarred Gascon won Saturday's A heat, followed by Clutchey in second and Kunka in third.
It was a Prince George sweep of the B heat where Terry Butler took the checkered flag, followed by French in second and Steve Jefferson in third.
For his performance on the weekend, Clutchey won the Bill Klugh Senior Memorial trophy for accumulating the most combined Tri-City and PGARA points.
After two events, Clutchey leads the Tri-City series with 84 points, followed by the father and son duo of Arnie and Donny Kunka of Williams Lake, who are tied for second place with 66 points.
In the Inland Kenworth Hornets division Sunday, Hana Braman took the checkered flag in the 20-lap main event, followed by Gary Howard in second place and Andrew Oviatt in third place in the field of six cars that took to the track.
Howard also won the A dash and Braman won the A heat.
Trevor Reinert won the 25-lap main race in the Chieftain Auto Parks Mini Stocks division, followed by Devan Barks in second place and Lawrence Barks in third place in the field of eight cars.
Devan Barks won the A dash and the A heat, while Guy Lefevre won the B dash.
