Agassiz – Well known names from the past and present are coming to Agassiz Speedway Friday and Saturday, September 10 and 11 for the fifth annual Fred Rannard, Sr. Open Wheel Classic
.Once again this year it is Agassiz’s only two day event of the season and the only one featuring just open wheel cars.The three division program will feature the West Coast Vintage Racers (sprint cars and super modifieds from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s), midgets and dwarf cars.
Here are a few of the drivers that are expected at the 1/4 mile paved oval located 90 minutes east of Vancouver:
-Aaron Willison of Langley is a former Agassiz Speedway midget and mini stock champion and will be back racing at Agassiz for the first time in five years. He now drives pavement sprint cars where he is a three time NSRA series champion, two time winner of the Rory Price Memorial race and a two time Daffodil Cup champ.
-Troy Globe from Agassiz is the two time and defending winner of the midget portion of the Fred Rannard, Sr. Open Wheel Classic and a two time Agassiz midget champ. He is also a former Washington Midget Racing Association champion. Troy will be racing a sprint car for the first time as well as his midget next week.
-Tyson Cross of Langley has won three of the last four sprint car races at the Fred Rannard, Sr. Open Wheel Classic. In his 30 year racing career he has raced both dirt and pavement sprint cars and is a two time Deming Speedway champion in the 1200 division. Tyson’s father, Jack Cross, a former winner at Langley Speedway and with the CAMRA series will be his son’s crew chief at Agassiz next week.
-Aaron Fell from Abbotsford is racing on the pavement for just the second year after spending the rest of his career on dirt tracks. He has raced both 360 and 410 sprint cars at Skagit Speedway and is a three time Deming Speedway champ in the 1200 class where he is also a former Clay Cup winner.
-17 year old Levi Klatt of Langley finished second to Troy Globe last year in Saturday’s midget race in what was his first time racing at Agassiz. Like Cross and Fell, Levi is also a former Deming Speedway champ but in the 600 restricted division. As usual, he will be racing against his father, Jeremiah Franklin, in the midget division. Jeremiah is a two time champion at Agassiz in the mini stock class.
-Murray Jones from Chilliwack has won in almost every class of car that has ever raced at Agassiz Speedway. He is still a regular in the street stock class, holds the hornet track record and will be back in a sprint car for the first time in two years next week.
-Bill Lawrence of Kelowna was a winner in the 1970’s at Langley Speedway in the modified stock class and then went on to race in the NASCAR Northwest tour. He won two sprint car races, both in Idaho, in 2019.
-Matt Stephenson from Kaleden won the sprint car race last year on Saturday at the Fred Rannard, Sr. Open Wheel Classic. He has adapted quickly to open wheel racing after spending most of his career in stock cars. Matt is a former WESCAR late model champion and Penticton Speedway street stock champ.
-Rick Taylor of Penticton won the dwarf car feature last year on Friday at Agassiz where he is the former track record holder. He is a former AMCA and Okanagan dwarf car champion.
-JF Launier from Osoyoos is seen regularly on the TV show Rust Valley Restorers. He came to the Fred Rannard, Sr. Open Wheel Classic last year to help his friend, Matt Stephenson, but when John White needed a driver for his super modified JF jumped at the chance and he was hooked. He is now the regular driver of that same car he now owns with Jeff Kennedy
Friday and Saturday, September 10 and 11 the pits will open at 2:00, spectator gates at 4:30 with racing at 6:30.
As usual there will be plenty of prize giveaways for the fans.Agassiz Speedway will be open for practice on Thursday, September 9 from 4:00-7:00 followed by a complimentary barbecue for all drivers and crews.
Thanks to the following for their support of the fifth annual Fred Rannard, Sr. Open Wheel Classic: Brian’s Auto Glass, Bulldog and Sons Transport, Leslie McKellar Photography, Tron Fabrication, Terry Price Racing, Star West Petroleum, Harding Motorsports Supply, Speedmart, Joe’s Racing Products, Patty Bennett Trophies, Jiffy Lube of Chilliwack, the Willison family, the Chorney family, the Franklin and Klatt families, Chris Thimer, The Shaun in the Dirt podcast, Rutz Racing, Finishline Photos, Van City Race Designs, Deming Speedway, the Rory Price Memorial race and Vancouver Giants Hockey.
