Remote control speedway nearing completion in Greenwood, B.C.

Hobbyists raced remote-controlled (RC) cars at Greenwood’s Gold Rush Speedway Saturday, May 15.

Dale Patterson holds the current record for the fastest lap around the 90-metre dirt oval near the corner of North Government at Louisa streets: 9.2 seconds. Patterson’s son Blaze and grandchildren Aria and Loki Fontaine fared well on Saturday, but they’ll have to practice if they hope to catch up to Dale.

The race track is the brainchild of Doug Teramoto, president of the Greenwood Activities Abound Society (GAAS), who said he put up most of the initial capital for the project.

The idea was simple, he said: “Let’s have some fun and build something for Greenwood.”

Greenwood city council granted the society a one-year licence of occupation for the track on Monday, May 10.

The finished track will boast an infrared timing system that will be able to clock speeding RC cars and call races. The society is meanwhile looking at installing a tiered bench for spectators.

The society opened the track to local racers during lulls in construction beginning in late March, shortly after city council green-lit the project, he said.

Acting Chief Administrative Officer Ron Mattiussi said the society will rent the lot for $1 a month. Council can extend the society’s licence until the spring of 2025, he added.

Teramoto thanked the roughly six volunteers who came out to build the track. Construction efforts were greatly helped by the use of a skid-steer loaned by Roy Terashita and a roto-tiller loaned by the City of Greenwood. Son Ranch Timber meanwhile donated and supplied much of the wood that went into the track.

Entry-level RC cars start at around $300, according to the retailer CanadaHobbies.ca.

Teramoto said he hoped to have the track finished by the end of May. For more information, call Greenwood’s Tricyle Trading Post at 1-888-250-1611.

@ltritsch1
laurie.tritschler@grandforksgazette.ca
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