Five years ago, celebrated BC-based racer Trevor Seibert had an idea -- purpose-built, identically prepped, two-seater race cars that packed plenty of power and were both fun and easy to drive.
So Seibert and fellow Avion Motorsports co-founder and longtime personal crew chief Al Lebert got to work and designed a prototype, created chiefly for the Area 27 road course just south of Oliver. They called it the RS1 Track Car.
The primary goal was a driver developmental platform, but the hope was the RS1 could ultimately form the backbone of a new racing series. A series where mechanical tweaks and adjustments would be kept to an absolute minimum -- thus keeping additional costs down and putting the emphasis on driving prowess.
The idea proved popular. Avion sold one, then another, then a few more. And in 2018, the RS1 Racing Series was born.
Avion would keep the cars between races, performing all maintenance and ensuring they remained in stock condition. The driver/owners meanwhile, would essentially show up on race day and drive the beasts, then walk away 'til the next event. It was a cool setup.
So cool that the numbers kept climbing. And in the winter 2020/21, they sold nine more, bringing the total to 22.
So Avion decided it was time to do something that had never before been done at the gorgeous but club-focused Area 27 track -- sell tickets and put on a show for paying customers.
And yesterday, that vision turned to reality. It was the first day of the two-day "RS1 Festival of Speed Superseal Twin 200s," featuring dual 12-lap "stages" for pro and veteran drivers in the morning and early afternoon, and two more stages of eight laps each for novice and beginners in the late afternoon.
PentictonNow was on site for both "pro" races and came away impressed. Not only is the quality of driver top-rung, but Avion really seems to be on to something with its emphasis on equalized machinery.
Too many times we've witnessed regional racing where the drivers with the bucks leave the average Joes in their dust -- all because they have more resources to make their cars faster. For the fans especially, who ideally want to see tight action from flag to flag, it makes for a dull day.
Granted, even with the identical cars, there were clear frontrunners throughout -- typically drivers eminently familiar with both the track and the car itself -- who ultimately opened up considerable gaps over the less experienced.
But there were compelling battles all the way through the pack and all the way across the circuit in both stages. And the fight for first in the final stage was nose-to-tail right down to the checkered flag.
That it was ultimately won by a driver from eastern Canada who's never before set foot on the track or in an RS1 was perhaps the biggest surprise of the day.
Then again, we're talking Andrew Ranger, a dude who's been a standout in the NASCAR Pinty's Series (Canada's own NASCAR series) for years. He knows what he's doing out there, and he was psyched about his experience afterward.
"Yeah, everything was new for me here," he said. "It's a very fun, very light car, very fast, very nice to turn into the corner. And it's a beautiful facility. You can see the corners, the straightaways, everything. It's amazing."
Ranger called Area 27 "challenging," referring specifically to its multiple hairpins, saying it's "tough for a driver."
"And the end was so close. I had a carburetor problem and at the end he (Ryley Seibert) was attacking me and I was, like, come on, come on. Make that race finish!"
Ranger confirmed that he'll be a part of the entire series, including day two of the RS1 Festival of Speed Superseal Twin 200s this Saturday, then stops at Penticton Speedway, which Avion purchased earlier this year, on July 24 and Aug. 21, and a return date at Area 27 on Sept 18 (not a public event).
Yesterday's first pro stage went to Port Moody's Sean McIntosh, son of veteran west coast racer Ian McIntosh. Indeed, Sean is one of three McIntoshes in the series -- the other being cousin Mark and sister Elisa Alexis.
McIntosh's win wasn’t exactly a shock to anyone paying attention.
"I've probably done more laps here (Area 27) than on any other track," said the open-wheeled specialist, who raced for years in Europe and competed in such high-profile series as Formula Renault.
McIntosh calls the RS1 "a lot of fun."
"People go 'Oh well, they're stock cars,' but overall they handle really well. Trevor's done a great job putting the package together. They're fun to race, and they're all even."
One notable driver who had a bit more trouble out there Thursday was NASCAR vet JR Fitzpatrick of Cambridge, Ontario, who chatted with us after finishing 7th in Thursday's first stage -- a respectable result for a first-timer but not what he wanted.
"It's been seven years since I've been on a road course, since I've had to turn left and right," he laughed. "I'm having a blast today, it's just that I don't like losing. A lot of these guys have been here a lot. They're very fast, very smooth."
"A lot of people tell me going back to a road course is like riding a bike. But then I tell them I've crashed on a bike before too."
Fitzpatrick had high praise for the Area 27 course.
"The track is amazing," he said. "It's fun to drive. It's technical, it's high speed, and it flows. They did a perfect job designing it. And the scenery -- you kinda get caught up looking around at how beautiful it is."
Thursday was not incident free. Not by a long shot. The yellow flags were waving fast and furious throughout and numerous cars were forced to leave the stages early. One memorable incident involved the two drivers below.
We didn't ask for final attendance figures, though considering that Avion decided to commit just a month ago, we didn't expect the place to be flooded with fans. The races were, however, broadcast live on REV TV Canada, a definite feather in the cap for a series in its infancy.
Avion GM Al Lebert believes the RS1 series will only attract more attention in the upcoming weeks and years. And, he says, it all starts with the cars.
"The RS1 has about 450 horsepower," he said. "And they weigh just 2400 lbs. They have 3500 lbs of downforce. Eleven inch tires. They're a true race car. Basically a big go-kart with a body. And they're built to be identical."
And he's all about building a loyal fan base.
"Racing fans are the number one reason anyone races," he said. "So we're bringing in the TV and the live spectators, where they can watch racing and have some fun in affordable fashion."
"Going forward into the future, we're hoping to make it a bigger event with concerts at lunch and that sort of stuff. And beyond that we visualize in the next four or five years having 40 or 50 cars and probably doing 8, 10, 12 races in the US and Canada."
To buy tickets for day two of the RS1 Festival of Speed Superseal Twin 200s, held tomorrow, July 10, head to the Avion Motorsports website. Tickets for the July 24 and Aug. 21 RS1 dates at Penticton Speedway will go on sale at the Speedway website within the week.
