Inaugural Wyoming State Fair Figure-8 Race leaves fans wanting more

Douglas – Among an exciting lineup of grandstand events, the Wyoming State Fair (WSF) held its first-ever $10,000 Figure-8 Race on Aug. 18. 

The new event enticed a large crowd and thrilled spectators, leaving them wanting more by the end of the night.

Figure-8 racing

A combination of oval racing, road racing and demolition derby, figure-8 racing consists of drivers testing their speed, timing and luck on an eight-shaped track deliberately created to increase the risk of crashing. 

According to Driving Line, the first figure-8 races can be traced back to the end of World War II when the Indianapolis Speedrome became the first track to blatantly ignore flat-track racing safety features. 

This year, for the first time, local Wyoming drivers had the opportunity to navigate the figure-8 course and compete for a large purse of prize money. 

Jeremy Schooner, a retired demolition derby driver, and his wife Jess, a local schoolteacher, facilitated the inaugural WSF Figure-8 Race. The pair found themselves in Douglas after running a figure-8 race at Fremont County Fair for the past few years, where they have seen an increase in its popularity.

In a previous interview with the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, Jeremy explained figure-8 racing rules are simple.

“Cars must be a four-cylinder vehicle, front or rear wheel drive only, with no plastic left on the car. This helps keep the arena clean,” Jeremy said. “The driver’s door is welded shut, and a safety net is placed in the window. Anyone 16 years and older can participate, and lots of girls drive too. Derby spectators can expect the race to get wild as the evening continues.”

WSF results

And, getting wild is just what it did. 

As multiple heats of cars raced throughout the night for a shot at competing in the championship round, the crowd got loud and rowdy. 

At the end of the night, Joseph Spoonhunter received honors as the winner of WSF’s 2023 Figure-8 Race. 

Following in second place was Trevor Wiese, in third place was Dax Fisher and in fourth place was Bridgett Bunker.

Brett Ortiz filled the fifth-place position, and Alex Creek rounded out the sixth-place position. 

During the Powder Puff/Pit Crew Race, Jessica Ortiz raced into the first-place position. 

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.