Ogden racing outfit Whiskey Throttle taking second lap at Golden Spike Event Center
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- Last year’s Whiskey Throttle Race Nights pictured at the Golden Spike Event Center in Ogden.
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- Last year’s Whiskey Throttle Race Nights pictured at the Golden Spike Event Center in Ogden.
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- Last year’s Whiskey Throttle Race Nights pictured at the Golden Spike Event Center in Ogden.
OGDEN – If you’re a fan of dirt, high speeds or both, this weekend is for you.
Whiskey Throttle Race Nights returns Friday through Saturday at the Golden Spike Event Center, where locals are racing everything from off-road vehicles to custom-built minivans on a made-to-measure course at the 6,500-seat outdoor venue.
An “open track” is scheduled for Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., during which patrons may sign a waiver and test-drive approved vehicles on the official race track. Saturday, race day, includes a full schedule of events, including minivans, side-by-side racing, trophy trucks, giveaways, dance competitions and more. Gates open at 2 p.m., and the first races begin at 3 p.m.
The event is billed as the state’s “only short course racing series,” event organizer Katy Turner told the Standard-Examiner on Monday.
“They don’t have anywhere in Utah that’s like this event that we have,” Turner said.
“We have dirt actually, short course racing and then also the minivans and stuff, so it’s just cool to have an opportunity for the community to come, either race or watch, so either from beginner or pros it’s good entertainment or a learning opportunity as well for people that want to get into it.”
It’s the second lap for Turner’s local racing outfit, Whiskey Throttle School District, conceived shortly after Turner and her three friends reworked an old school bus into a transport for their off-road vehicles. Last year, the group moved its event home to Ogden from the Utah Motorsports Campus near Grantsville to raise attendance and design its own track.
Selling Weber County on the idea was only the first step. Building the track demanded eight-hour shifts, dipping into the night and long after long days at their full-time jobs. This weekend marks the payoff of Year 2’s coordination and planning for race day at the Golden Spike.
“We heard there was possibly potential of a racetrack out there, so we went and talked to them last year and literally had three weeks to build the track,” Turner said. “We were out there for three weeks straight just trying to get it ready for our race.”
Turner’s project has grown considerably since first putting her hobby into action. Whiskey Throttle has 2,400 different followers on Facebook alone, and is slated to welcome racers as young as 6 years old this weekend. A Huntsville native, Turner serves as the event’s chief operator and photographer.
“We started making our own t-shirts and hats for our little crew to wear, and then we had people start asking if they could buy the shirts and stuff from us, so we’ve just built it from there,” Turner said.
Tickets for Saturday’s races are available for $15 online and $20 at the gate. Children ages 15 and under are free. For more information, visit www.whiskeythrottlesd.com.
Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net, X @ctbecker and Instagram @standardexaminersports.
