A world record holder wowed the audience with his wheel standing display at the Estevan Airport on August 26.
"Nitro" Mike Kunz was brought in as a special attraction by the Estevan Drag Racing Association. He demonstrated his wheel standing technique for the audience of about 600 people on several occasions, as he drove more than 800 feet with the front tires elevated and the rear tires rolling on the asphalt.
"I've always been involved with some kind of motorsports, and the wheel standing sounded like fun," said Kunz.
Just days before coming to Estevan, Kunz set a new world record for wheel standing during an appearance in Ontario. He travelled about 2,505 feet, or about 800 metres, to set the record. Kunz then smashed his own record by travelling about 4,000 feet, which is more than 1,400 metres.
The old record was only 450 feet.
His vehicle is a tube chassis with a wheel base stretched to 117 inches (nearly 10 feet). A standard PT Cruiser has a wheel-base of about 103 inches. The engine is a 440-cubic inch Chrysler motor that's blown-injected on methanol alcohol. It can reach speeds of more than 120 miles per hour.
Before and after his demonstrations, flames emitted from the Cruiser's rear engine. Sparks flew while he drove down the runway.
He said he enjoys wheel standing because he is able to interact with the fans, and put a smile on children's faces when they see him zoom down a track on two wheels.
Kunz also made an appearance at the Estevan Chamber of Commerce's Pure Energy Show and Shine August 25. He spoke with the public and discussed his record-setting foray into wheel standing.
