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(Image Credit: Shawn Hagen/Facebook.)
By Curtis Galbraith
Auto Racing

Local auto racers competing at US event this

Oct 23, 2026 | 12:00 PM

A half-dozen auto racers from the Peace are competing at a big event in the U.S. this weekend.

The Sportsman World Finals in Norwalk, Ohio, is set for Friday and Saturday. It draws racers from all over Canada and the States. 

There will be three competitors representing the North Peace Bracket Racing Association track located near Beaverlodge. 

They are Kelsey Dufresne in the Box category, Jesse Stevens in the No Box section, and Emery Breitkreuz in the Junior category. 

There are also three racers from the Northern Lights Raceway in Fort St. John taking part. 

Shawn Hagen is in the Sportsman class, Mathieu Heinrichs (Matthew HEN-ricks) in the Junior section, and Stacey Commandeur will also be on the No Box side. 

Hagen says on his social media page that it will be an 8500 kilometre round trip and mean spending 80 hours on the road.

More information on this event can be found here.

by Curtis Galbraith