The Invitational Weekend at the Yellowhead International Raceway attracted the biggest crowd of racers that the track has witnessed this year, with around fifty cars hitting the track just north of Yorkton for the two day event.
The weekend was the second stop on the RP Automotive mini circuit, which began in Swan River, MB, on Aug. 4 and 5, and will continue in Swift Current, SK, on Sept. 14 and 15 and Sept. 29 and 30 in Tisdale SK, with racers going for points to be the top dog on the circuit, as well as getting first place in Yorkton on the weekend.
One of the teams competing was the father-daughter team of Stefan and Destiny Klym with Canadian Diesel Racing. The Hanley, SK, family might have been teammates in matching cars – Destiny’s own car was out of commission after a wreck at another race, leading her to borrow one of her fathers’ spares – but they were not being nice to each other. Some of the most intense wheel-to-wheel action was a result of the Klym family going after each other.
“We’re both really competitive,” said Destiny.
“When we’re out there, we race the cars as fast as we can, and when we’re here we’re best friends,” added Stefan.
One could see the family rivalry most clearly in the heats on Saturday, when Stefan made a late race move on Destiny, and cut her tire in the process. Still, she said she got her revenge.
“I still had fun, maybe a little bit mad when I came in. I won [Sunday] so we’re good now!”
Growing up around racing, Destiny describes herself as an adrenaline junkie. Stefan bought a race car for her older brother, but it was Destiny who wanted to drive it.
“She just about jumped off the chair... She’s been beating boys, beating dad, beating everyone. We’ve been hanging out all the time and it’s so nice to hang out with your daughter wherever you go on weekends and just be part of a really good group of people,” said Stefan.
The team has been racing together for eight years, touring across Canada and the United States, including racing in the NASCAR Pinty’s series in 2017.
They enjoy Saskatchewan races, including the mini circuit, becasue of the family atmosphere.
“It’s like a big family of people. We meet the same people and enjoy hanging out together... It’s just a great group of people to be a part of, it’s like family,” Stefan said.
The weekend did not end how Stefan wanted, with his own car being taken out in a serious collision on the front straight, wrecking his rear end in the Street Stock feature race.
Stefan is impressed by the work done by the people behind stock car racing in Yorkton. With the amount of people racing in the invitational weekend, he’s happy to see the work done by local clubs paying off.
“It’s really nice to see Yorkton flourish with racing. I’ve been coming here for quite a few years and there have been seven or eight cars, so to see it grow and the hard work that people put into this place is amazing. They’ve grown the sport and they’ve grown the club and it’s really nice to come here.”
Results from the weekend are as follows:
Saturday:
Thunder Stock
Heat 1:
28 Darren Frampton
11 Neil Matkowski
07 Morgan Brigetty
Heat 2:
11 Neil Matkowski
28 Darren Frampton
21 Hugh Borland
Feature:
11 Neil Matkowski
28 Darren Frampton
21 Hugh Borland
Hobby Stock
Heat 1A:
7h Caylee Hiebert
26 Tyler Rosenthal
10K Brandon Kalechyn
Heat 2A:
7h Caylee Hiebert
15 Kyla Goodsman
22 Kelly Price
Heat 1B:
29 Brice Dahlin
44 Jen Atkings
79 Blair Hanson
Heat 2B:
29 Brice Dahlin
76 Denise Sharp
79 Blair Hanson
Feature:
29 Brice Dahlin
7h Caylee Hiebert
76 Denise Sharp
Street Stock
Heat 1A:
5K Stefan Klym
5D Destiny Klym
8 Robert Pickering
Heat 2A;
8 Robert Pickering
5D Destiny Klym
70 Marty Sharp
Heat 1B:
44 Ryan Atkings
07 Casey Randall
8R Dustin Randall
Heat 2B:
44 Ryan Atkings
8R Dustin Randall
07 Casey Randall
Heat 1C:
46 Ryan Johnston
66 Tyler Holian
18 Steve Bednarski
Heat 2C:
10 Brian Matkowski
46 Ryan Johnston
11 Cortney Matkowski
Feature:
5K Stefan Klym
44 Ryan Atkings
5D Destiny Klym
B Mods
Heat 1:
83 Shane Macfayden
08 Glen Maga
31 Cliff Robertson
Heat 2:
59 Rick Galuschuk
31 Cliff Robertson
08 Glen Maga
A Mods
Heat 1:
46 Jason Duclos
77 Carson Crowe
88 Brody Crowe
Heat 2
88 Brody Crowe
77 Carson Crowe
03 Robert Pickering
Mod Feature
59 Rick Galuschuk
77 Carson Crowe
46 Jason Duclos
Sunday:
Thunder Stock
Heat 1:
07 Morgan Brigetty
28 Darren Frampton
11 Neil Matkowski
Heat 2:
21 Hugh Borland
11 Neil Matkowski
07 Morgan Brigetty
Feature:
11 Neil Matkowski
28 Darren Frampton
21 Hugh Borland
Hobby Stock
Heat 1A:
76 Denise Sharp
79 Blair Hanson
47 Curtis Rosenthal
Heat 2A:
22 Kelly Price
15 Kyla Goodsman
47 Curtis Rosenthal
Heat 1B:
7H Caylee Hiebert
29 Brice Dahlin
44 Jen Atkings
Heat 2B:
44 Jen Atkings
20 Tyler Carter
7H Caylee Hiebert
Feature:
29 Brice Dahlin
22 Kelly Price
76 Denise Sharp
Street Stock
Heat 1A:
70 Marty Sharp
11 Cortney Matkowski
89 Jesse Tooley
Heat 2A:
70 Marty Sharp
89 Jesse Tooley
10 Brian Matkowski
Heat 1B:
88 Trevor Monk
07 Casey Randall
8R Dustin Randall
Heat 2B:
43 Rod Pickering
88 Trevor Monk
07 Casey Randall
Heat 1C:
5K Stefan Klym
44 Ryan Atkings
8 Robert Pickering
Heat 2C:
5D Destiny Klym
8 Robert Pickering
66 Tyler Holian
Feature:
44 Ryan Atkings
89 Jesse Tooley
07 Casey Randall
B Mods
Heat 1:
31 Cliff Robertson
08 Glen Maga
X44 Mark Maga
Heat 2:
83 Shane Macfayden
59 Rick Galuschuk
X44 Mark Maga
A Mods
Heat 1:
46 Jason Duclos
77 Carson Crowe
88 Brody Crowe
Heat 2
77 Carson Crowe
88 Brody Crowe
46 Jason Duclos
Mod Feature
08 Glen Maga
46 Jason Duclos
88 Brody Crowe
Mechanics
26 street stock driven by Justin Hannah
Ladies
8R street stock driven by Lisa Randall
