It’s a fitting way to end the racing season.
On Friday night, Kinross Speedpark will open the final weekend of the racing season at the track and honour a pair of men who were influential in the racing community on both sides of the border.
The two-day Memorial Invitational in memory of Randy Dewitt and Ted Brooks is the final event of the season at the track and is considered “our premiere year-end event.”
Dewitt was among a group that started Kinross Speedpark in 1995.
During his time at the track, Dewitt also competed in a Super Late Model as well as a Modified.
In June 1999, Dewitt, who was the owner/operator of Midwest Aire, died in a plane accident.
Brooks, president and owner of Eazy Express locally, was heavily involved in racing prior to his death in December 2012.
The Eazy Racing team is a team that continues today. It began with one car and has included the likes of local drivers Cody MacLean, Leila Uhlman, Rick Ellis, Chris Furkey, Dennis Uhlman, and Rick Leonard over the years.
“They were very influential people on both sides of the border,” said Kinross Director of race day operations Gerry Liscumb Jr. “Not only in the sport of racing, but in the business community on both sides in their own respects. What they were able to accomplish on both sides of the border, it’s only fitting to be able to hold an event like this every year.”
The event has always been considered an important event and a good way to cap off the season, while also honouring Dewitt and Brooks in the process.
“We always classify it as our premiere year-end event,” Liscumb said. “To be able to continue to bring racers from all across the Midwest and Canada to the track, but more importantly, to have Randy and Ted’s families here to be a part of it year after year, that has more importance than anything that could possibly happen on the track. We come here to have a weekend and do what both those gentlemen wanted. It’s for the love of the sport and make the weekend is about the racers and that’s what we do while we continue to honour those two gentlemen.”
Action on Friday night has been dubbed Four Cylinder Friday as the division will be featured on the first day of the event.
Time trials are set for 6 p.m. with racing beginning at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, the Modified and ABC Stock Car divisions will take to the track with qualifying beginning at 1 p.m. and racing beginning at 3 p.m.