RICK @ the RACES (2/3 January 2010)
2 Jan 10 Can Am Speedway , Lafargeville NY
My 2010 racing season got off to an early start this year when this past weekend I visited the Can Am Speedway at Lafargeville NY.
They were staging their first ever ‘Hangover 100’ Winter Enduro race.
It was taking place on Saturday afternoon but I left home early in the morning so I could grab a good breakfast at the 730 Truck Stop at Cardinal on Hwy 401. I crossed in to the USA at Ogdensburg and for the first time in ages I was pulled over at the border. I was asked to go inside the building while my passport and background was checked. I think the reason might have been to check on my sanity after I told them where I was going. I don’t think they could understand why someone would be crazy enough to be going to watch car racing when everywhere was covered in snow and ice. After my stuff was checked and I was found to be mentally stable, I carried on to the Speedway.
About 40 cars turned up for the 100 lap race which was ran in two 50 lap segments. For the first half I joined my friend Rebecca Eisele, the tracks resident photographer in the middle to take some action pics. Her Dad also works for the Speedway and normally drives the pace car, but today he was out in the middle with his truck . 50 laps of racing is a long time to be standing out in the cold, so every now and then I climbed into his truck for a warm up.
While on the center I had the pleasure of meeting the Can Am Speedway’s new owner Tiger Chapman, who recently acquired the place from the Caprara family.
After the first 50 laps, I’d got enough photos for my needs, so for the second half of the race I took advantage of Mike Perry’s kind offer of watching from the SUNY CANTON sponsors booth. They’d got an electric heater rigged up in there and it was nice and warm. THANKS MIKE
Winner of the Can Am ‘s first annual ‘Hangover 100’ was Mike Durham.
After the racing was over I was soon back home in Cornwall Ontario where a fresh layer of snow had been falling. My plan for Sunday was more ice racing at St Eulalie, in Quebec, but things didn’t work out that way. The snow that was falling when I returned home continued through the night and into Sunday morning. There was a large pile of it when I awoke, and it wasn’t until 11-30 in the morning that I’d cleared my drive way. The Quebec trip had to be canceled.