T&T Promotions “The Classics Bracket Races” 2022 Season Recap….

Western Canadian bracket racing is alive and well, while some may dare to say it is thriving, especially due to the recent developments in the Big Money Bracket Racing scene, thanks to Travis Ringguth and his T&T Promotions team. After two consecutive years of hosting the Western Canadian Summer Classic in Medicine Hat in 2020 and 2021, Travis decided to expand the T&T events in 2022, with the end resulting being the creation of “The Classics Bracket Races”. 

The T&T Classics Series started in 2022 at RAD Torque Raceway in Edmonton, AB for the Oil City Classic, before heading to The Titanium Strip at MRP in Mission, BC for the West Coast Classic, and finally wrapping the season up where it all began in Medicine Hat, AB for the 3rd Annual Summer Classic. 

Racers from throughout Canada and the United States competed for over $275,000 in prize money throughout the year, including the signature Saturday night shootouts, that were rolled into a points championship for racers who attended all 3 events. The top points earner in the top bulb shootout was Edmonton’s Chevy Reeves, who took home the season long $10,000 bonus, in addition to his winnings throughout the 3 race series. Monty Beagle was the bottom bulb series champion, taking home $5000, in addition to his numerous wins and large payouts that he received throughout the “first of it’s kind” bracket series in Western Canada. The top bulb shootouts were sponsored by Total Dairy Solutions, while ChopMyRate.ca sponsored the bottom bulb shootouts.

The Classics race format is somewhat of a hybrid event, taking advice from drag racing veterans in the USA, Ringguth relied heavily on the late, great, pioneer, Kyle Seipel (Spring Fling Bracket Races), and Chris Forsyth (West Coast Bracket Races), while designing the proven, fair, and inclusive format for Western Canadian racers who desire big money bracket races, close to home. Being the first of its kind to not have any ET restrictions, merging the final 2 no box cars into the quarterfinals, while also separating the box door cars and dragsters, these events are something that Western Canada has never seen before, and undoubtedly something the region has needed for some time. 

The $5K Warm Up Friday at the Oil City Classic, presented by RAD Torque and GMack Oilfield Services, got off to a bit of a slow start due to mother nature. Finally, around 11 pm, T&T Promotions crowned their first champion of the weekend, where local bracket hero Scott Hearn took the win in his dragster over the veteran Edmonton racer, Garnet Rose. The last 2 standing no box cars were Kalim Menzel and Craig Johnson.

Not only did Saturday bring better weather, T&T Promotions crowned the first $10K main event champion of the year for The Classics. Langley, BC’s Lorenz Schwarz battled all the way through the stout bottom bulb side, getting his $1000 bonus for being one of the final 2 no box cars, and continuing all the way to the final to defeat Chevy Reeves. Monty Beagle was the other last standing no box competitor, also receiving a $1000 bonus. Following the final round, we began the Saturday night shootouts, with Mike Krozser taking the $30K TDS shootout win at his home track, over Ray Gaetz in his fast door car. Monty Beagle and Lorenz Schwarz faced off in the final of the ChopMyRate.ca no box shootout for $7500, with Beagle taking the win, and putting an end to Lorenz’s story book run at the Oil City Classic.

Sunday at the OCC featured some more familiar names, with Craig Johnson taking the win over Brody Allison in the finals, as another no box car takes the $10K main event win, securing Craig his custom painted weekend MVP helmet, courtesy of ROIL Projects and CSN LJay Autobody. 

The Junior Winners for the OCC were Kloey Mills (Saturday) and Morgan Caron (Sunday).

A month later, T&T Promotions and The Classics Series rolled into Mission, BC for the inaugural West Coast Classic presented by RAD Torque and Atrysten Plumbing and Heating. The $5K Warm Up Friday final was a hometown affair, as Martin Rachel defeated Jan Christensen in an all Mission-based door car final. Monty Beagle and Darryl Tippe were the last standing no box cars on day 1 of the WCC, each securing their bonuses.

Saturday’s 10K main event final was one for the ages, as shootout title sponsor John de Jonge met his son Adam in the final, at their home track, in an all TDS final, where Adam was able to get the best of his father, for his first win in a big car. Monty Beagle and Ryan Johnston were the last standing no box cars. Following Adam’s big win, the TDS/ChopMyRate shootouts began, and the West Coast didn’t disappoint, with Chevy Reeves collecting his first win in his second shootout final of the year, and his second $20K win at a T&T Promotions Event (2021 Summer Classic). Chevy took down Eddy Plaizier in the final, who was battling back after a wild ride in his son’s 56 Chevy on day 1 of the West Coast Classic. Dustin Ward and Monty Beagle faced off in the bottom bulb shootout final, with High River’s Beagle getting the win over the American racer.

Sunday at the WCC featured another “first” for the Classics, with the double entry format it is everyone’s goal, to run yourself in a final round, and Monty Beagle sure came close to achieving this feat, as he ended up taking BOTH last standing no box spots into the split round, also receiving both last standing no box bonuses. Unfortunately for Monty, he ended up bowing out and paving the way for Olympia, Washington’s Carson Campbell to face off with Alberta’s James Rutherford, in a dragster vs door car final, with Campbell taking the win back to the USA with him. With Beagle’s outstanding performance all weekend, he solidified his spot as the weekend MVP, taking home the ROIL/CSN LJAY custom painted helmet with him. 

Junior Winners for the WCC were Colton Morin (Friday Gamblers), Lincoln Rutherford (Saturday), and Linkin Scherk (Sunday).

August brought warm temperatures across Western Canada, as well as the finale of The Classics Series, with, the Western Canadian Summer Classic at Medicine Hat. Chevy Reeves and Mike Krozser were battling it out for the TDS Box shootout series championship, while Monty Beagle had a commanding lead in the ChopMyRate.ca no box shootout points, with Craig Johnson having an outside shot at the cash bonus.

Friday’s $5K warm up race featured some very familiar faces, where Lorenz Schwarz carried his last standing no box car to his second bottom bulb door car versus dragster final of the year, this time with Jason Padd getting the win in his dragster for the first final of the weekend. Dan Golby was the other last standing no box car, making his first split at a Classics event.

Saturday was bound to be one full of drama and it didn’t disappoint, with high winds late in the day, the event had a “Las Vegas in November” type of vibe, as we got down to our finals in the first $10K main event. Tyler Zeller put on a bottom bulb clinic all day long, carrying it all the way to his first winners circle of the day, with a win over Derek Rose in an all door car final. John Tabak was the other last standing no box competitor for Saturday’s main event. With the completion of the main event, the shootouts began carrying the more excitement than ever before, with Zeller continuing to crush it, taking home the final $10K ChopMyRate.ca shootout win of 2022 over Darren Sutton. Long time Classics supporter George Leblanc took home the TDS $20K shootout win over Dalton Gareau, in another door car versus dragster final, to wrap up the 2022 Classics Shootout Series!

Sunday’s final $10K main event of the season featured some familiar faces, with Jason Padd making another final, this time in his pickup truck. Padd was unable to turn on the final winlight, as Eric Goulden bested him in his TNT dragster, for the final big cheque of the year. Tyler Zeller continued to turn on win lights and rack up hardware, as he made the split off the bottom again on Sunday, solidifying his spot as the ROIL/CSN LJAY MVP for the WC Summer Classic, a weekend he will not forget soon. Dan Coss was the other last standing no box competitor. 

Junior winners for the Summer Classic were Morgan Caron (Saturday) and Faith Loblick (Sunday).

Seemingly, as soon as it begun, it was over, as the inaugural Classics series ended for 2022. It was a season full of hard work, great racing, and memory filled weekends that will undoubtedly go down in bracket racing history. With border closures easing up heading into 2023, these events will certainly be bigger in the years to come as the T&T Promotions team have committed to all 3 events again next year. Be sure to follow The Classics Bracket Races on Facebook and head over to the T&T website for more updates and info! www.tntmotorsports.ca

On behalf of the whole Classics Bracket Races teams, Travis Ringguth would like to thank all the sponsors – especially RAD Torque, Artex Racing, Total Dairy Solutions, Titanium Auto Group, ChopMyRate.ca, GMACK Oilfield Services, JS Powersports, SLR Rentals, JBS Equipment and Atrysten Plumbing & Heating. All the racers for supporting the event, the host tracks & their dedicated staff, as well as everyone that makes the races possible with their work behind the scenes – Pam and Dwaine (Mom and Dad), Casey and Celeste Plaizier, Frankie Ward, Brayden Ochitwa, Blaine White, Nick Zemek, Keith “The Chap” Petersen, Mike & Karin Pople and everyone else who chips in to help make these events happen!

Posted by Travis Ringguth

Photos Courtesy of Fuelled Up Photography