The fates (OK, rain) have conspired to set up a wild finish at Estevan Motor Speedway this weekend as drivers race on back-to-back nights to decide the three season points champions.
Friday's race program is being made up after it was rained out earlier this season. Saturday is Championship Night, which always brings an extra tingle in the air as drivers know it's all on the line.
The season got off to a very slow start as four straight race nights fell victim to bad weather, at times not setting in until the last possible minute.
No one will be approaching any track records for season points, but the slate has rolled right along since then, with six events in the books and two to come.
With two features to come, and two of the class leaders being ahead by fewer than 10 points, all bets are off. But here's a look at the landscape anyway.
Hobby stock driver Blaine Durward has the best chance of hanging onto his current lead and taking home the hardware.
The Trenton, N.D., native has 216 points, 12 ahead of Gary Goudy Sr. Rod Pickering (17 back), Brad King (18 back) and Eric Sinness (19 back) also have an outside shot but will need to be near-perfect to be in the running.
Durward is on top despite not having won this season, recording one second-place finish and five others in the top six.
In the modified standings, Estevan's Aaron Turnbull leads the pack with 151 points. That puts him eight ahead of Allen Kent, with no one else within 20 points.
After running eighth in the season opener, Turnbull kicked it into high gear, finishing second, first and second in the next three races.
Kent improved as the year progressed too, rebounding from a 10th place finish in the season opener to take third place twice and fifth spot once.
In the stock class, two-time defending champion Rocky Alexander has 158 points, which is six more than Kelly Henderson. Gregg Mann (10 back) and Austin Daae (15 back) are also in the running.
Alexander has been the model of consistency, placing second, first, first and second, in that order. He is the undisputed man to beat at the track these days, although he certainly is not unbeatable.
Henderson, the most successful stock driver in EMS history, has been no slouch himself. He won his first race of the year on Aug. 10 and before that had finished fourth, third and fourth.
Both nights are sure to be full of excitement as drivers use Friday to try to position themselves for a run at the title Saturday.
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Two Estevan golfers shot holes-in-one on the weekend.
Ellis Robertson shot an ace on the 180-yard eighth hole at Woodlawn on Sunday.
Meanwhile, 12-year-old Ryder Pierson had a hole-in-one on the 97-yard fifth hole at Hidden Valley Golf Resort on Saturday. His playing partner was Cole Fonstad.
Josh Lewis can be reached by phone at 634-2654, by e-mail at sports@estevanmercury.ca or on Twitter at twitter.com/joshlewis306. Will anyone have an ounce of sympathy for NHL owners if they force another lockout?
