Wildfires force cancellation of Merritt Speedway Racing this weekend

For the second time this racing season, officials with the Merritt Speedway have been forced to cancel racing scheduled for this weekend due to the ongoing wildfire situation in the Nicola Valley and the extremely dry conditions throughout the region.

In a statement posted online August 18, the association announced that “With active fires continuing to impact our area, evacuation alerts in place and drought conditions contributing to an elevated fire risk, the Merritt Stock Car Association Board of Directors feels that proceeding with this weekend’s event would not be in the best interest of our racers, spectators, volunteers or the surrounding community. ”

The directors noted that while they are always disappointed to cancel a race weekend, racing is simply not worth adding additional risk during an already challenging fire season.

The association maintains that their priority is also to avoid placing any unnecessary demand on emergency services and resources that may be needed elsewhere in the region.

The statement thanked the racers, fans, sponsors and volunteers for their understanding, particularly those who had already made plans to travel to Merritt this weekend.

The next scheduled race weekend is September 19 & 20, when organizers hope cooler temperatures and improved conditions will allow racing to safely get back on track.

More to come…