When 25-year-old Tiffany MacDonald of Aldergrove takes to the track for a night of racing in her ‘72 Chev C-10 truck, she does so with the complete blessing and support of her family and friends.
Tiffany’s dad, Paul, is her crew chief, her mom, Claire, is her manager, and her boyfriend, Trevor Nystrom, is a member of her pit team.
MacDonald and her ride - nicknamed ‘Casper’ - were on hand at the Merritt Speedway this past Saturday for some good old-fashioned “fast running” on the dirt. While she didn’t win any races, Tiffany did manage a trio of third-place finishes in the Street class, and had a whole lot of fun at the same time.
“I just love to race,” says MacDonald. “It’s such an adrenaline rush.”
MacDonald could be forgiven for not having the edge over the other drivers and cars in her division. She’s only just returned to racing after a 15-year hiatus.
“I used to do quarter midgets back when I was 9-10 years old. Then I kind of got into horses for a while. I rode a lot of English and Western. But I knew that I would always come back to racing eventually.”
This was only Mac-Donald’s second visit ever to Merritt. She’s more comfortable at the moment racing on paved tracks, such as at Agassiz and Vernon.
“It’ll take her a while to get comfortable on the dirt,” states Paul. “You can see with each race how she’s getting more confident with the handling.”
While the MacDonalds’ ‘72 truck is up for sale, the family already has a nearly identical ‘68 version ready and waiting in the wings.
As for a return to Merritt in the near future, Paul says they’ll be back for sure.
“This speedway is a hidden gem. B.C.’s best kept secret.”
MacDonald went on to add, “It’s because of the attitude of the people. So relaxed. Very comfortable.”
Both Lance Drewes and Jordan Schuss were three-time winners this past Saturday night at the Merritt Speedway.
Drewes swept the Street class while the 19-year-old Schuss did likewise in the Bomber 4 cyl. division.
In the Bomber 6/8 cyl. class, rookie driver Ted Charters demonstrated that his first win of the season on July 31 was no fluke, taking two of three races on Saturday.