RICK @ the RACES, (SUPER DIRT WEEK 8 to 12 Oct 2014)
Wed 8 Oct Weedsport Speedway NY
Thurs 9 Oct Brewerton Speedway NY
Fri 10 Oct New York State Fairgounds, Syracuse NY
Sat 11 Oct New York State Fairgounds, Syracuse NY
Sat 11 Oct Rolling wheels Raceway , Elbridge NY
Sun 12 Oct New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse NY
This year, my annual trip to Super Dirt Week that takes place in the Syracuse area of New York, was a going to be a lot different from previous years for me, and most of the other guys from the media corps. One of our team was absent, and for many of us, it was a hard reality to grasp , that our friend Craig Revelle had passed away, just a few days before. My report is somewhat abbreviated, due to the turn of events.
Wednesday 8 October 2014
As usual , I’d booked a few vacation days from work specially for SDW and I set off from my home in Cornwall Ontario around midday for day one of the trip.
Once I was down in the Syracuse area, my first port of call was to book into my motel, the Holbrooks in Phoenix. I arrived about 1:30 pm and after dumping off stuff in my room, I was quickly on the move again.
Next stop, was the New York State Fairgounds in Syracuse, where I had to sign in for my media credentials. I had a brief chat with a few of the friends I spotted in the media center, before getting back on the road again.
The opening event of SDW 2014 was the 358 Modified and Sportsman Super Dirt Series rounds taking place at the nearby Weedsport Speedway.
Before arriving at the track I stopped off in Elbridge at one of my favourite local Chinese take away food outlets. The track was near enough , for the meal to still be piping hot for me to eat in the Weedsport parking lot.
Once signed in, I joined my photographer buddies out on the middle.
Winners were that night were Matt Sheppard in the 358 race and Dave Marcuccilli in the Sportsman .
After the races, I returned to my room in Phoenix for the night.
Thursday 9 October 2014
This was the day of Craig’s funeral , and I was up early and ready to leave Phoenix by 9-00 am.
It was taking place in his home town of Gananoque, which is about a two hour drive north, just across the Canadian border. I arrived around 12:30 and joined the long line of friends and family that were waiting to pay their respects at the funeral home, where a memorial service was also taking place. My good friend , speedway announcer, Tim Baltz, did a very moving eulogy to the packed assembly of mourners. After the service I joined Craig’s family and friends for refreshments before heading back across the border.
I left Gananoque at around 2:30 pm and my destination was the Brewerton Speedway NY for the second day of SDW, and another 358 Super Dirt Series event.
This race is usually one of the most popular with race fans and when I got there at 5:00pm the parking lot was already filling up. Once parked, I spent the night on the middle taking pics.
Race winner of the ‘Hurricane 100 ‘ was Brett Hearn with last years winner, the ‘Doctor’ Danny Johnson chasing over the line.
After the racing, I returned to my room in Phoenix.
Friday 10 October 2014
With everything that had been going on over the past week, I hadn’t got the chance to get my HHR in for an oil change, so decided to get one done in nearby Baldwinsville, before heading to the Fairgrounds for the day. Less than 20 bucks for a Valvoline oil change and filter, plus free wi-fi while you wait, can’t be bad !
Once this was done I drove the short journey to the track. When I got there, it was hard to find a spot to park, but luckily, my buddy Austin Swamp, the starter from the M.I.R spotted me searching and directed me to a spot beside his camper.
Friday had plenty happening at the ‘Moody Mile’ and so that’s where I spent my day.
The big races were the Triple 10’s for the Sportsman, the Twin 20’s for the 358’s and the triple 20’s for the Big Block Mods.
Racing finished about 10-30 and I returned to Phoenix.
This was the last night I had the luxury of a room, as the logistics made more sense for me to sleep in the HHR on Saturday night.
Saturday 11 October 2014
My time on Saturday was divided between the ‘Moody Mile’ at Syracuse during the day and the Rolling Wheels Raceway at Elbridge in the evening.
I got to the Fairgrounds around mid morning and after parking beside Austin’s camper once more, my first priority was the Ms Motorsports bikini photo shoot beside the Rob Bellinger car at the Area Auto Racing News Stand. This years Ms Motorsports was Cassie Pinder who I had the pleasure of meeting earlier in the year at the Bridgeport Speedway.
After this I was looking forward to seeing the USAC ‘Silver Crown’ Sprint Cars in action. It’s been a few years since these last appeared at SDW, and guest driving this time, was top Canadian Modified driver, Stewart Friesen.
The ‘Salt City 78’ was won by Kody Swanson, with Friesen getting a creditable fifth place.
My friend ‘Chanty’ Lesage and her son Tyrek had arrived to watch her guy, and my buddy Rob Yetman preparing for the big Pro Stocks race on Sunday, so it was good to spend some time with them.
Unfortunately, the scheduling of events at this years Super Dirt Week didn’t allow media guys like myself, to comfortably attend the full program of races on the Saturday. I had to leave the ‘Moody Mile’ half way through the 358 ‘Salute to the Troops’ 150 lapper, in order to be at the Rolling Wheels Raceway in time for the start of the World of Outlaw Sprint Car show that was a ‘Salute to the King’.
It was part of Steve Kinser’s farewell tour as he heads towards, what I assume will be his retirement. So this years event was given that title.
In my absence Brett Hearn was the big winner back in Syracuse.
Before arriving at the ‘Wheels’ I stopped off in Elbridge once again for another Chinese meal . After eating it in the parking lot, I wandered the pits and bumped into my friend Steve Paine, who kindly put one of my Rick at the Races stickers on his Big Block Modified .
It was a really cold and damp night at Rolling Wheels and after getting a few pics of the heat races, I was glad to see Brockville Ontario Speedway promoter, Paul Kirkland parked on the centre, with a nice warm pace truck for me to sit in.
Once again the big WoO race was won by Donny Schatz, while the last chance Syracuse Modified qualifier ‘win and you’re in’ was won by Ryan Susice.
I’d been freezing my butt off, so once the racing was over, my first stop was the nearby gas station that served hot drinks. Thanks to AJ Baker, MIR track prep man , for buying me a good cup of tea. Boy oh boy, I needed it.
Like I said, logistics meant, a sleep in the HHR at the Fairgrounds, after Rolling Wheels. That way , I was inside and parked up for an early start in the media room first thing on Sunday morning.
Sunday 12 October 2014
I was lucky and just after midnight when I returned to the Fairgrounds from Rolling Wheels, I’d parked up close to the washrooms and showers, and wasn’t too far from the media centre. After a good nights sleep, I was all set for an 8-00 am start to my day. A wash and scrub was had in the nearby shower block and I was in the media room by 8-30 am.
There were three big races on the agenda for the final day.
First up was the 30 lapper for the Sportsman Series which was followed by the 25 lapper for the Pro Stocks.
Jimmy Spellmon won the Sportsman race, while my buddy Rob Yetman got his second successive Pro Stock victory.
Next up was the ‘NAPA Auto Parts 200’ for Big Block Modifieds, the traditional headline event of Super Dirt Week.
I took pictures from my usual spot on turn four, for the first twenty or so laps before returning to the Media Centre to follow the action on the live big screen TV coverage. It was a good race with Stewart Friesen coming to the front in the late stages to claim his third Syracuse win.
After taking pics of the Victory Lane celebrations, and the interviews in the media room, I was heading for home, with another SDW under my belt.
A relaxing steak dinner was had in the Tilted Kilt in Watertown NY before getting back to Cornwall shortly before mid night.