RICK @ the RACES ( 5 Feb 2011)
5 Feb Repentigny Marina, Quebec,
One recent addition to the winter racing calendar has been the Indoor TQ midget races at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island . Rhode Island is one of the States , I’m yet to visit and it’s an event I’m eager to attend. My original plan for this past weekend was to drive down to Albany NY straight from work on Friday, where I’d sleep overnight before continuing to Providence in the morning. Unfortunately, a combination of bad weather and work commitments prevented me from making the trip. This was the third consecutive running of this event , so I guess, I’ll have to try again 2012.
To make up for my loss I decided to stay reasonably local, and attended the ice races at the Repentigny Marina in Quebec. Racing was scheduled to start at 1-30 pm on Saturday and by 11- 00 pm I’d arrived at the nearby Repentigny Tim Hortons. It was in here I met up with my ‘TRACKCHASING’ friends Guy Smith and Mike Knappenburger who’d traveled up from Pennsylvania for the event. Mike is from Reading and Guy, an AREA AUTO RACING NEWS columnist comes from Effort.
We were all gathering at the Marina to add two new tracks to our TRACKCHASING totals. Not only was there a regular ice oval of just under a quarter mile in use, but a Figure 8 track too.
After finishing our coffee and donuts we drove the short distance to the Marina, where a we parked our cars in the parking lot of the small strip mall that fronts the waterside. It was a perfect day for ice racing, the sun was shining and it wasn’t too cold. Viewing was made easy as spectators watched from a raised embankment and the grounds of the Marina’s restaurant. The food was good and in typical Quebec fashion there was plenty of cold beer being served while the loudspeakers ‘boomed’ out some great ‘foot tapping’ music.
The days program featured motor-cycles, ATV’s, and cars. Most of the cars were small 4 cylinder ‘imports’, and once again the REVSTAR Speedsters were out on the ice. (They appeared at the Beauharnois ice races the previous week). This was definitely one of the best ice racing events I’ve attended and it was no hardship for us to stand out in the elements and watch the full show.
As you’d expect, the Figure 8 was one of the last races of the day, which was then followed by a destruction derby. It was all over by about 4-30 pm and after saying farewell to my friends I was on my way home. I had added two new tracks to my TRACKCHASING totals
TRACK # 189 Repentigny Marina , Ice Oval
TRACK # 190 Repentigny Marina, Figure 8 Track,
Meanwhile, down in Providence, it was paved Modified star Ted Christopher that dominated the show.