In racing, age is an illusion

PABLO — If you hadn’t driven in 30 years, how difficult would it be to drive?

Not at all, said Scotty Dardape.

Saturday night, seven drivers signed up for the 10-lap Old Fart Race at the Mission Valley Speedway. Racers were able to drive a bomber or cruiser.

Many of the participants hadn’t raced a car since the late 1970s. Each year, this race gives retired racers the chance to get their adrenaline pumping.

Dardape, the race organizer, spent 42 years around a race track (since August, 1952) when he was a gopher for a team.

After that, he wanted to drive and built his number 98 car. His son and grandson have powered it around the track since than.

“I never thought I would see the day when we all have driven that car,” he said.

With the chance to get behind the wheel again, many drivers jumped at the chance.

“Once you get in that car, once you drive it, you can’t get it out of your blood,” he said.

After many years in the stands, it doesn’t take long for the drivers to feel comfortable in the driver’s seat.

“It only takes you a couple times around the track to remember everything,” Dardape said.

Last week’s Old Fart race was a good, clean race, said promoter Corky Sias.

“No wrecks happened,” Sias said. “I think no one even traded paint.”

Ed Sharbono of Pablo took first place and Kenny Snyder of Missoula took second.

Some of the slower cars did better than the faster ones, but the racers all said they would want to do this again.

“It’s like winning the Indy 500 for some of these guys,” Sias said.

Besides that race, the Speedway was buzzing with 11 races on the agenda and the crowd was able to get their fix of racing.

Don Staggs of Blue Bay took first in the Pepsi Limited late models, Casey Brandt took second and Chuck Weich took third.

The trophy dash winner was Brandt, with Weich second and Staggs in third.

In the cruisers main event, Chris Carpentier and Royce Vanness led the pack.

Ronan driver  Miljes swept the bomber class. The bomber twin 25 main event winner was Miljes, second place was Ryan Trout Wine, of Missoula. Trout Wine lead the first 25 laps, but Miljes past him with 15 laps left and never looked back.

A special feature on Saturday was mud bogging. For the second time this racing season, trucks challenged each other to race from one end of a mud pit to the other. The pit is two feet deep and filled with mud and water.

Sean Carpentier maneuvered his dark blue Ford through the pit in 5.77 seconds and the money winner was T.J. Duran, of Ronan. Normally, he races in the cruiser class but decided to try something different.

“Whenever the schedule allows, we like to add something special like kids rides, mud bogging or drag racing,” Sias said.