Family Night for Speedway Owner Wight, Every Night

By Lauren Winfrey

Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux presents family autograph night.

BREWERTON, N.Y. -

Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux presented family autograph night Friday at Brewerton Speedway, but there are familial ties at Brewerton all the time.


John Wight is the owner of both Brewerton and Fulton Speedways. His son, Larry Wight, 22, is a speedway driver who’s spent the last eight years dirt car racing.

“I’ve been coming to the races since I was about four-years-old, and my parents sponsored a couple guys when I was younger, Larry Wight said. "Once I got old enough, we ended up getting a car and I started racing myself.”

A driver for the Gypsum Racing team, Wight races big block modified number 99. He has 88 total featured wins under his belt, and was the 2008 358 Modified Rookie of the Year.

Friday night’s race was a part of the weekly race series hosted at Brewerton.

“We run for points throughout the year, and whoever has the most amount of points—best finishes—gets the points championship,” Wight said.

In the first heat of the night for the Tracey Road Equipment Modifieds, the group in which Wight races, Wight started last and finished third overall. He took the title for best lap time with 14.461 seconds in lap five going 82.981 MPH. Billy Decker for the Gypsum Racing team finished first in the second heat. He too completed his race with the best lap time at 14.121 in lap two with a speed of 84.979.

Wight started 17^th for the 35-Lap Tracey Road Equipment Modified feature, and finished 22^nd completing only one lap due to a multi-car collision in which four other racers were also involved. Teammate Billy Decker, completing all 35 laps, took first place.  

Win or lose, owner John Wight remains proud.

“[Having my son involved] is a character builder. It teaches him how to run a race team… the family is deeply involved in racing,” he said.

The Pro Race Cars Mod Lites 20 laps race was rescheduled due to rain along with the Hilton’s Automotive Four-Cylinders race.

Next up for Wight and his crew is Saturday night’s race when A-Verdi Storage Containers & Penn Commercial Vehicle Solutions presents A-Verdi Sprint Series at Fulton Speedway.