Although the weather didn't quite co-operate for Sunday's leg of Ardmore Extreme 2010, organizers say the rain didn't slow anybody down during the Aug. 27-29 event.
Trucks cleared 10 feet of air in the tuff truck competition, while derby competitors duked it out in front of the grandstands. Monster trucks provided rides and put on a great show for the large crowd each day.
Extreme committee president, Rick Reddecliff, said he was “more than impressed” with the weekend. The rain made track preparations tougher, and conditions more challenging for tuff trucks and derby drivers, but overall the weekend was “phenomenal.”
“It gets your adrenaline going for the chance of an accident,” said Reddecliff, who also competes on a typical year but did not compete this year. “There's always that chance for a good wreck.”
He added he was very happy with the tuff truck competition because the committee focuses on that event as the most local event. “It was really nice to see so much support from our local people,” he said, adding that the committee was pleased to see many local mud racers this year.
“Everybody puts on their own show in their own unique way,” said committee member Jody Oliver.
The truck demolition derby brought a few more competitors to Extreme this year. Next year the Friday night shoot-out will aim to bring a few more mud racers to the premier motorsports weekend event in the northeast region.
“I play in traffic all day at work. You get to hit ‘em legally on the weekend here,” said truck derby competitor Wayne Cressman. From Andrew, Cressman attended Ardmore Extreme for the first time this year. Cressman has gone through over 30 trucks in 21 years of derby driving. This season he's on his fifth truck. He won third in the truck derby and the most aggressive truck award.
Mud racer Ryan Scoular from Saskatchewan won third place on the Friday night shoot-out, taking home some cash to keep his mud-racing car in working order. Scoular works at an autobody shop and has raced in mud for 18 years.
He said the people he meets competing in motorsports keep him going. “It's just like a big family out here,” he said. “It's just a real down to earth sport. No normal person just comes out to get dirty.”
Die-hard fans stayed through the rain to watch Canadian Mud Racing Organization events, tuff trucks, monster trucks, and truck and car derby competitions.
Starting on Friday with the new $10,000 shootout, Greg Wickenheiser took home first place, followed by Steve Anderson in second.
In the Saturday car demolition derby, Tom Kemsley won first, Dave Pattison second, and Kara MacMillan third, who also won the most aggressive car driver award. The Sunday truck derby earned Shane Collins first place and Darcy Actemichuk second.
In the tuff truck competition, Rob Saloway won first overall after three first place finishes and one fourth place finish out of five runs. Owen Rakitti took home second place from two second place finishes overall. Jason Sakaluk won third place with one first and a third place out of the five runs. Out of the 16 competitors in the tuff truck competition, 10 took home a piece of the prize money.
For mud racing results in the super mod, pro mod, super stock, mod stock, and stock categories visit www.cmro.net.