Spring arrived with the speed of an underpowered pace car. But, in just a couple weeks, the Prince George Auto Racing Association will drop the green flag on a new season.
The first event on the 2011 PGARA calendar is May 14. That night, the local stock car oval will be alive with the sounds of hornets, mini stocks and street stocks. The meet, sponsored by The Citizen, could prove to be full of surprises, said PGARA president Chris Arronge.
"The first race day is always exciting because drivers are a little bit rusty and sometimes the cars don't quite work out the way you figured after a long winter in the shop or in the snowbank, wherever they were," he said with a laugh. "It's usually pretty exciting to see how the guys do after sitting around for eight months."
In all three divisions, points will be up for grabs all season. Drivers coming off 2010 points championships are Breanna Pollard (hornets), Tyler Case (mini stocks) and Darrell Horwath (street stocks).
Arronge said there are no major changes at the PGARA facility, located just east of the downtown. But, race fans and officials may notice a handful of improvements.
"We're working on the announcing system out there," Arronge said. "That's one of our most important projects. We're also working on the lighting this year and we've got new radios for the officials so we can run the show a little bit better. The inside wall is also getting completed this year."
As for the surface of the track, some minor paving work will have to be done.
"We've got to do some repair where we've got a few minor problems but, as long as we take care of them before they become big problems, we'll be all right," Arronge said.
During the past four seasons, PGARA races have been growing more and more popular. Spectator numbers have been climbing and Arronge is hoping the trend continues.
"I think it will," he said. "We've been putting on really good shows out there and we're done by nine o'clock so people aren't out there until 11 anymore. They can go and see a nice three-hour show for 12 bucks and get home and still put the kids to bed in time."
On Saturdays, time trials will start at 6 p.m. and racing will roar onto the oval at 7 p.m. On Sundays, time trials will be at 1 p.m. and racing will commence at 2 p.m.
One of the biggest events of the season will happen on June 18, when the ARCA West OK Tire Challenge Series makes its lone stop in Prince George. ARCA West is the highest-calibre racing in the region and features drivers from across the province.
