It came down to three cars winding their way through the vehicular graveyard the oval had become at the Bob Wilson Memorial Crash to Pass: then Tyler Beckman's #4 car went out with a bang, issuing from somewhere under the hood; then Justin Price couldn't get his #96 car to move, spinning his wheels (sans tire) on the asphalt; until finally Brodie Thibault, in his #43 Chevy truck, was the only one running, for half a lap and then he too broke down and completed the final lap pushed by one of the pit trucks.
And those were just the final laps of the Crash to Pass Thursday night, leading up to the eerie silence in the tire-smoke mist at the end.
Rewind 15 minutes and the action was intense.
Three cars flipped this year, including Brian Heppner in his Canada themed pick-up truck, the WWII airplane themed car of Travis Giesbrecht and Pat Fahrer's Crystal Glass Ford Van. Both the truck and the van were flipped back on to their wheels by zealous groups from the pits. Both restarted, but the truck made a lot of noise and fury but signifying nothing as it didn't translate into forward movement. The van both started and moved, but a ripped seat belt kept the vehicle from re-entering the fray. The car, however, stayed on it's roof for the rest of the race.
Thibault's win in the main event was a continuation of his streak, as he won both the B dash and the A heat.
Colin Trask in his Superman car, replete with billowing, red cape, was voted best appearing by vote of voice by the mass of spectators on hand and also won the D dash, but was put out of commission later despite his 'car of steel' paint job.
Byron Hesselgrave won the A dash and went on to place fourth in the main event and dubbed one of the three 'crowd pleasers' with his antics in his green #42 street stock. Fahrer, the flippee to Hesslegrave's flipper, was also dubbed a crowd pleaser in his Crystal Glass Van. Tyler Beckman and his more-creased-than-origami #4 car, which went out with a very literal bang as the engine threw a fit and possibly a connecting rod, was also dubbed a crowd pleaser.
Kyle Syvertsen took first in his E dash and the C heat. Jamie Mitchell took first in the C dash and Ryan Wilson took first in his B heat.
For the minis, Kaleb Paige took first in the A dash, but was unable to keep his car going long enough in the main event to make the top three. Sam Pratchet took the top honours in the mini main event.