At the tender age of 21, Merritt stock car driver Amy Parsons is making quite a name for herself on the local racing scene.

Competing in the ultra-competitive Hobby class at the Merritt Speedway on the weekend, Parsons cruised to two victories over a field loaded with driving experience and dirt-track savvy.

Parsons kicked off her night-of-racing-to-remember by narrowly winning the five-lap Hobby C dash over Clayton Scott from Kamloops.

The two-car tussle came right down to the wire, with Scott leading most of the race and Parsons hanging off his bumper to the outside. On the final corner, Parsons used her high line to slingshot past Scott for the victory.

Later the same night, in the 30-lap Hobby main event that featured an 11-car field, Parsons survived some heavy-metal crunching in the early going to claim her first main event title since moving up to the Hobby division last season.

Only six cars finished the full 30 laps, as fender-benders and various mechanical problems sent Scott, Amy’s dad Tom, Brad Mackay, Jack Goddyn and Grant Powers to the sidelines.

The younger Parsons took over the lead from Scott in the ninth lap and basically stayed out of harms way for the duration of the race. Dennis Smith from Kamloops finished second and Forest Grove’s Damian Lindberg third.

Other two-time winners on Saturday night at the Merritt Speedway were Murray Jones (B dash and heat) and Dean Bridge (A dash and main) in the four-cylinder class, and the ‘Silver Fox’, Bill Fader, in the 10-lap heat and main of the six and eight-cylinder division.

After five races dates completed on the 11-date schedule at the Merritt Speedway, local driver Tim Fowler continues to maintain a narrow lead in the four-cylinder class with 387 points, followed closely by Jason Schapansky from Kamloops with 346.

In the six and eight-cylinder division, it’s going to be hard for anyone to catch the ‘Silver Fox’ as Fader has almost a 200-point lead over another local in second place, Alex Ruttan.

It’s a horse race in the Hobby class, however, with no fewer than four drivers within 40 points of one another.

Despite only racing the doubleheader back in May, Victoria’s Brent Morris continues to top the Hobby field with 283 points, followed by new Merrittonian Jake Mills in second (258), Prince George’s Grant Powers third (256) and Lindberg in fourth with 247 points.

The Street class continues to suffer from a lack of drivers and cars this season, with only Merritt’s Angela Klassen regularly racing.

Next up on the race calendar at the Merritt Speedway is the second annual Albert Kosolofski Memorial Race Day on August 1, followed by Family Day on August 2.

The theme for Family Day on the Sunday is western, with everyone encouraged to dress up in their cowboy and cowgirl finest.