Photo courtesy of Scott Roblin

By Scott Roblin

Family Act

Drag racer Gaetz caps off championship season with another trophy

Sep 17, 2019 | 12:29 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Right from the hop, the Medicine Hat Drag Racing Association’s junior lightning division was Tanner Gaetz’s to lose.

Bookmarking both ends of his racing season with victories, Gaetz took home not only Sunday’s junior lightning title but the 2019 overall championship as well.

“To be honest it was really, really cool,” said Gaetz. “I’d use another term for it but I mean I’m being taped right now.”

The 16-year-old Gaetz was a force to be reckoned with early in the season with back-to-back victories to open his year, picking up wins in six of his 10 race days throughout the summer.

Consistency that is new for the local dragster.

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“It’s always hard to do,” said Gaetz. “Every season it gets harder and harder, so it really feels good at the end of it. The feeling is really good.”

He wrapped up the season with 636 points in his 10 races to claim the overall title, a full 170 points higher than second place finisher Kyle Wagenaar.

Sunday’s victory capped off a special summer for Gaetz, who said he improved his ability at cutting a good reaction and driving to the stripe.

After a 2018 season that didn’t go his way, Gaetz said he was able to readjust and fly from the start line.

“Usually you have your year, you have your hotspots, and you have the bad spots,” he said. “But, this year it was good. My last year here, it wasn’t very good and I wasn’t winning a lot. But, it usually comes to you right? When it’s your year, you’re winning a lot.”

Tanner isn’t the only member of the Gaetz family ending the summer with a championship however, as his 12-year-old sister Kiandra ran away with the junior thunder crown.

“It’s absolutely awesome,” said Tanner. “I taught her a lot of stuff about driving the stripe that I didn’t know when I was her age. To see her doing so well at her age is really cool.”

Like her brother, Kiandra opened the season with a victory and kept the motor running with five wins including a stretch of four straight weekend titles.

She was not present for the final race day on Sunday however.

Being able to share in the limelight with his sister, the elder Gaetz said the drag strip has become a second home for his family.

“It’s a family kind of deal,” he said. “It’s like everybody else’s hobbies, except going fast.”

Gaetz was also a season champion in the street wars class, while Adam Hettler was tops this summer in streetbike.

Zach Toth was able to best his father Dave for the MHDRA pro bike championship by close to 100 points, meanwhile the junior street crown went to Isaaac Stettner.

Rounding out the 2019 champions were Braydon Benko in sportsman, Chance Edelmann in pro, and Todd Fleck in superpro.

Speedway Invitational

Photo courtesy of Colton McKee

The season officially wrapped up next door at the Medicine Hat Speedway as well over the weekend with Medicine Hat Auto Racing Association Invitational.

In a rare move, both classes were run at the same time resulting in a hectic few races.

Rob Gale Jr. drove the top car in hobby stocks, finishing just ahead of overall hobby stocks day winner Trevor Stratton and James Dumont.

Jareme Koska was the overall day winner in elite street stocks division on Saturday, however he finished third in the final race.

First place was won by Mitch Stovka in elite streets, while Les Neigum finished as the runner-up.

Rounding out the season was Serge Perreault taking the checkered flag in rumblebees ahead of both Ben Boksteyn and Kevin Hieb.