By Nigel Maxwell

P.A. stock car racer wins top prize

Sep 26, 2016 | 12:10 PM

Prince Albert’s Shantel Kalika has achieved a feat no other woman in her field has accomplished.

She has been crowned the 2016 champion in the Pro Truck Division at Wyant Auto Group in Saskatoon.

Kalika, who drives for the Busch racing team, finished the season with 501 points.

“You just have to focus at the shop and at the track, and we were able to pull it off,” she said.

Kalika’s season got off to a bit of a rocky start after a crash in her first race, but after rallying her team, she was in first place heading into the final this past weekend.

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The races were cancelled due to rain and Kalinka had no choice but to wait for organizers to decide whether or not to reschedule.

Kalika said she felt nervous and afraid waiting for the decision.

“It wasn’t if I’m going to lose it, it was more so you’re kind of on pins and needles not knowing what’s going to happen,” she said.

On Saturday afternoon the team was informed there would not be another race and they had won the championship.

Kalika has only been racing since 2011, but she has been around cars and trucks her whole life. Her father Ben Busch, raced for over 20 years and got his start in Prince Albert.

As a young girl, Kalika would often travel with her father to races in Alberta. He now acts as her crew chief and helps in the shop.

Kalika said she hasn’t thought yet about defending her title, but knows she’s got a lot of racing left in her.

nmaxwell@panow.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell