Canadian Motor Sports Expo Toronto (9 Feb 2013)

waltrip timmies to show13RICK @ the RACES (9 Feb 2013)

9 Feb               Canadian Motor Sports Expo, Toronto, Ont

Over the past week ‘Mother Nature’ gave those of us living in the North East another blast of winter. The latest big snow storm came on Friday, just in time to add uncertainty to my weekend agenda.

My employers recently found it necessary to change around my shifts, which means that for the next six months I’m scheduled for some unsociable ( for me) work days.

They are now, Monday to Friday with a 5-00 am start time, and the possibility of having to work long hours. In the recent past, I’ve been used to a four day week with a 7-30 am start.

I earn my living as a truck driver and was due to work on the Friday of the big storm. After hearing the weather forecast, I must admit I wasn’t looking forward to it ! I was lucky, as most of my day was spent crawling around the snow covered streets of Montreal, but a number of our other drivers weren’t so lucky. They’d been dispatched to Toronto ( Mississauga) and with the closing of Highway 401, they never completed their trips that day, and had to be put up in hotels for the night.

snow 13My plans for the weekend involved a trip to the Canadian Motor Sports Expo in Toronto, so I wasn’t sure until first thing on Saturday morning, if they would materialize.

I was out of bed at 6-00 am and after hearing that Highway 401 had been reopened I left my home in Cornwall , Ontario at 7-00am. The roads were still far from clear as I passed many abandoned wrecks and ‘spin outs’ from the previous day, on my cautious drive down to Gananoque where I picked up ‘web master’ Craig Revelle.

We arrived at the International Center , close to Toronto’s Pearson Airport at around mid day. Like in previous years, there was plenty to see for the pavement racing fans, but sadly very little if you happen to be a Dirt Fan.

me 67to show13No problem for me, I like both disciplines of auto racing, so was quite happy with what I saw. I guess, the lack of dirt racing exhibits, can be expected when you consider how far away Toronto is from the action. ( Oh Boy ! I’m glad I don’t live down there !)gordon car to show13

oldmod to show 13Guest of honor on Saturday was NASCAR driver and race team owner Micheal Waltrip, who I had the pleasure of listening to on stage, and later, meeting in person at the media scrum.

waltrip to show13I didn’t know what to expect of him, because on TV he comes over as real zany character. Was this for real ? I wondered. The answer is yes, he is a real fun guy and was never short of interesting comments. The first thing he said to the fans as he walked on stage was, how impressed he was by how us Canadians had cleared up the snowy roads after the storm. He also showed everyone his Tim Hortons card and praised Canada’s favorite Coffee and Donut stores.

A couple of years back I followed the fortunes of his team each race when ‘Buzzie’ Reutimann’s son David, was driving for him.

oo I also visited the Teams HQ and workshops when I was at the DIRT TRACK WORLD FINALS at Charlotte.waltip team

As well as covering many racing topics, he told us that he’d flown in that morning from North Carolina and that following this visit to the show, he’d be heading to a sponsorship engagement in the Cayman Islands on Sunday.

By about 3-00pm, Craig and I had seen all we wanted to see, and made our exit. Before heading back up the 401 it was time to eat, so we payed a visit to one of our favorite restaurant chains, the nearby Hooters .hooters to 13

I was back in Cornwall soon after 9-00 pm.

Meanwhile, down in the south where the weather is a lot kinder, my baby grandson Benji went along to his first ever show, when he attended the British Car Show in Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale. Carla and Alex took him along to see the classic MG’s, Lotus, Jaguars etc.benji 13

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