RICK @ the RACES (9-13 July 2008)
9 July Capital City Speedway (Ottawa)
10 July Brockville Ontario Speedway SDS
12 July ICAR Circuit (Mirabel)
12 July Autodrome Drummond SDS
13 July Cornwall Motor Speedway SDS (rain)
If things had gone to plan, I would have been covering six events in this report, but Mother Nature and work commitments knocked it down to four.
On Wednesday (9 July) I was at the Capital City Speedway (Ottawa) once more for a regular weekly show. The normal program consists of 4 for Fun ( the starter division), Mini Stocks ( the next step up) and the Thunder Cars ( the budget 8 cylinder class) , with Legends and Late Models as the headline divisions.
Sean Kennedy # 14 claimed his second win of the season in the Late Models, while Kevin Foisy # 55 continued his unbeaten run in the Legends..
The next night ( Thursday 10 July), I’d arranged for an early finish at work to be at the Brockville Ontario Speedway for the opener of the ‘Great Canadian Tour’ of the Advance Auto Parts SUPER DIRT SERIES.
36 Big Block DIRT Modifieds were in attendance to do battle for this prestigious event.
In the pre-race time trials Dale Planck # 77x recorded the fastest time, while the 100 lapper was won by Billy Decker # 91.
Chris Raabe won nights Sportsman Feature
On Friday, my plans to attend the second leg of the Great Canadian Tour were thwarted when I was required to work late. I never managed to make it to Autodrome Granby (Quebec) to see Sussex, New Jersey’s Brett Hearn take the honors.
Saturday’s agenda involved visiting two tracks, one of which would be a ‘new track’ for me.
After moving to Canada from the UK in 1994, my first trip ‘back home’ was in 1996.
I flew out of Mirabel Airport near to Montreal bound for London. It was a really nice airport and not too busy. For some reason the ‘powers that be’ decided that Montreal’s Dorval Airport ( now renamed Trudeau) should be the city’s principal passenger terminal so Mirabel became redundant.
A real bad move, in my opinion, but it has had one good result. After a major downsizing, where it now concentrates on air freight, part of the site has become a racing circuit. 
This weekend, The Grand Prix De Mirabel, was the opener for wheel to wheel competition and I went along to see the historic event. The cars, ranging from sedans, classic sports cars and open-wheelers each had did 20 minute races. 
The events got under way soon after 1-00pm , so I stayed for three races before heading off to my evening destination.
The ICAR Circuit at Mirabel (Quebec) was # 171 on my TRACKCHASING totals
I left Mirabel around 3-00pm and arrived at the Autodrome Drummond soon after 5-00pm.
This was the third round of the ‘Great Canadian Tour’ for the SUPER DIRT SERIES. At the drivers briefing , I met up with my New Jersey buddy, who’d traveled the long distance for this event
It had been a scorching hot day and the evening was the same. I sat on the middle to take pics along side Quebec media girl Caroline Champigny . 
Fast timer was Steve Paine # 7x . 
As usual , for Quebec, there were plenty of pretty girls on hand for the presentations, and I made sure I didn’t miss out ! 
Dale Planck # 77x took the checkers in the big one after fending off a late challenge by Billy Decker # 91.
I drove through some light rain on the way home and it got heavier the nearer I got. It was raining quite hard when I went to bed and it was doing likewise when I woke.
Things did not look good for Sundays final race of the tour at The Cornwall Motor Speedway. With rain still coming down after lunch the inevitable cancellation was made.
The race has now been postponed until Sunday August 17 following the previous nights SUPER DIRT SERIES event at the Can Am Speedway ( Lafargeville NY)