ESTEVAN, Sask. — The debut of the Western Renegade Non-Wing Sprint Car Series at the Estevan Motor Speedway in August was a chance to race in front of hometown fans for one of the drivers.
Storm Dayman of Estevan finished fifth in the 20-lap feature race that saw 10 drivers show their talents, along with the speed and power of their cars. In an interview with SaskToday, Dayman noted he raced in a sport modified car at the Estevan Motor Speedway for a couple of years, but found he didn’t have time to race competitively.
Then he learned that Myles Tomlinson – who won the feature race in Estevan – was starting a wingless sprint car series in North Dakota.
“My grandpa [Lorne Dayman] actually used to run the traditional sprint cars, and I always heard stories about when they used to run them in Estevan when the race track was over by the water tower, and so I thought maybe I’ll give that a try," said Storm Dayman.
He talked to Tomlinson and some of the other drivers in the class, did some research and purchased a car.
Racing runs in the family. Dayman’s father Kip and uncles Dave and Allan raced mini-sprints at the speedway for several years when the series was offered in Estevan in the 2000s. The family experience played a big role in his desire to race.
“I remember going to the track when I was probably five years old until they ended up shutting down the mini-sprint class due to just a lack of cars and everything,” said Storm Dayman. “I just remember going there when I was young and thinking I want to race one of those cars one day.”
Dayman said he enjoys interacting with his fellow drivers. Everybody is like a big family, he said, and Tomlinson runs a good program. They don’t run for points, either, so he doesn't need to attend each race.
“I try to plan around having about six races a year, but it just depends on work and everything else, so I could get six races in for August or I might spread them out," said Dayman.
If a driver experiences problems with their car, the other racers are eager to help with repairs.
The series is more affordable, he said. Dayman said it costs less than running a hobby stock in terms of parts and maintenance, but it’s faster than a modified – a line Tomlinson used from victory lane in Estevan.
“One of the guys from Manitoba said it recently, and I think it fits with everything they try to do and have been doing," said Dayman.
He believes 75 per cent of the drivers used to drive some form of a dirt race car, like a modified or a stock car.
“Most of them have raced Estevan before, and they all know it’s a great facility and the track work and the volunteers are top notch," said Dayman.
The series averages 16-20 cars per night, he said. Twelve cars were entered for the Estevan program, but a couple had to pull out at the last minute.
“There are lots of people that are excited, and they hope that the track goes ahead and invites us all back next year, because I know everybody had a blast," he said.
If anyone is interested in racing in the series, they can reach out to Dayman or Tomlinson online.
