In his first outing of the season, Caelem Stewart, 11, took a checkered flag Friday at Stateline Speedway, Post Falls, winning the eight-lap (two mile) B Heat. He finished the 20 lap (five mile) in sixth place at 17:354.
This is Caelem’s third and final season racing as a Bandolero, the youngest class of race car drivers, open to youth ages 8-14. Next year he plans to move up to the Legends class, driving 5/8 scale 1930s and 40s American cars that bring us back to the roots of NASCAR. These were the original body styles that drivers started hoppin’ up to deliver moonshine during the prohibition. This was the first racecar to be built on an assembly line, so with equal equipment, competition is high.
Drivers from 10 to 70 can race Legends, which, unlike the stock car-style Bandolero cars, have a heftier engine and race without a restrictor plate, which means Caelem, in making the step up, will be racing at speeds up to 100 miles per hour rather the the 40 to 50 mile per hour speeds he’s used to.
After pulling off his win Friday night, he stopped in at Community Restorium for a well-received visit Sunday, showing his car, talking about racing, signing autographed memorabilia and making new fans and friends.
Caelem will celebrate his last day as a Valley View fifth grader on Thursday, July 6, and he’ll be back on the track at Stateline on his first day of summer vacation, chasing another checkered flag on $5 Friday at the Speedway, with all tickets just $5. You can get yours online here.
The Stateline Speedway is located at 1349 N. Beck Road, Post Falls. gates open an 5 p.m. To learn more, call (208) 773-0100.
