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Ryder White takes checkered flag at Varney Speedway

June 25, 2020   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Orangeville’s Ryder White won his first race of the season on Saturday, June 20, claiming the checkered flag after a wild finish during a 20 lap feature race at Varney Speedway.  

It was the fourth weekend of racing this year and his second race of the day.            

Ryder started in the number two position during the second race and made a quick move off the start to take the lead.  

After eight laps he was a half lap ahead of the rest of the pack. 

However, that comfortable lead evaporated when another car threw a drive-chain causing a yellow flag. 

During the re-start, Ryder again found himself in the pack as they did a couple of laps waiting for the green flag.  

“The high line is the preferred line,” Ryder explained of the start of the race. “At Varney there’s a bump on turn one, so you want to go high instead of down low. I was on the high line and all I had to do was get ahead of the first place car down low. When we got the green I got the lead off of turn one and two.”

The cars in the next three positions bunched up and got into some trouble allowing Ryder to pull away for a good lead.

“The next lap someone’s chain came off so the yellow came out,” Ryder explained.

During the re-start, Ryder, as the leader was given the choice of position on the track. He once again chose the high line.

The remainder of the race was a tense battle with Ryder out in the lead and the next three cars in hot pursuit.

“I didn’t’ even know they were right behind me because we don’t have mirrors,” Ryder said. “I was just driving my line. I saw the white flag and was thinking ‘please just let me win this.’ I went around turn three and four and saw the  checkered flag. I crossed the line and knew I won. On the way home I saw the video of the race and I saw how close they got to me. They got almost to my back bumper.”

The final couple of laps during the race was a wild scramble with three cars doing their best to catch up and pass Ryder. 

One car challenged on the back stretch but Ryder kept up his speed and managed to stay in the lead and pull ahead in the third turn.

There’s a lot racing left this season with the schedule going into mid September.

“I’m going to try and get more wins and just get some good finishes,” the ten-year old race car driver said of moving forward, adding he would try to not ‘crash the car.’ 

This is Ryder’s second year on the track.

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