Darrell Horwath has been through the washing machine on the final day of the stock car racing season and came out clean as a points champion.
He's also been dragged through the dirt of disappointment gunning for a championship in the Prince George Auto Racing Association.
Either one of those two scenarios could unfold Saturday night at PGARA Speedway for the 36-year-old PGARA veteran as he attempts to put the wraps on the Canadian Tire street stock title and end his comeback season on a high.
Horwath grabbed the points lead from Grant Powers in the second race meet of the season June 17 and has held it ever since but he's in no position to relax. With 150 points, he leads Powers by just seven points. Horwath has been around the track long enough to know all it takes is one bad day at the office to spoil a season.
"It's going to come down to staying clean and hopefully I'll come out on top," said Horwath. "You can gain anywhere from 10 to 15 points spread difference, it's anybody's game."
In 2004, Horwath and Chris Arronge were tied for the streets points lead heading into the final race and remained that after qualifying and the heat race. But in the main event, Horwath made a bit of a risky gamble which cost him the title.
His inside pass attempt ended up in a big wreck that knocked three cars, including himself, out of the race, and Arronge cruised to the championship.
In 2010, it was much different story for Horwath. He started the final day of the season six points ahead of Jeff Murray, avoided any fender-bending racing incidents, and hung to win the streets season title by one point. If he and his Twin Rivers Developments crew can replicate that kind of a day on Saturday, he'll be laughing in the pits when the racing's all over.
After winning his title in 2010, Horwath took the next six seasons off to spend more time at home with his family but the racing bug bit him again and he bought a turnkey car (a 1984 Monte Carlo) in the off-season and rounded up his crew (Keenan Magnant, Dwayne Horwath, Clint Presley, Mel Foisy, Susan Blouin, Donna Horwath and Brianna Pollard).
It didn't take them long to develop some chemistry. Horwath has won two main events this year and set a new PGARA track record.
"We put a lot of man-hours... and women-hours, into it," laughed Horwath. "We're probably out there 10 to 15 hours a week, even during the spring season, and then leading up the first race we were out there six to eight hours a day trying to get the car torn apart and put back together. But there's no experience like it."
Horwath's two boys, Jakob, 13, and Kale, 11, have indicated they want in on the stock car racing action as soon as possible.
"They've already been asking me when they turn 14 if they can get a mini stock, so they'll be next in line for sure," he said.
Stephen Woods has already won the Chieftain Auto Parts mini stock class championship. He has 117 points and a 22-point lead over his brother Ryan, who holds second place. The Tri-Par RV Rentals hornet class is going down to the wire. Hornets leader Spencer Forseth, with 61 points, is just two points ahead of second-place Riley Marcovics.
"They're good friends and their dads are good friends so that makes it a little more interesting for bragging rights because they're going to be around each other," said PGARA president Chris Arronge.
Racing starts with time trials Saturday at 6 p.m. and racing at 7.
If the meet is rained out it will be rescheduled for Sunday afternoon.
