RICK @ the RACES ( 18/19 Feb 2012)
18 Feb Cornwall Square Mall, Ont SEAWAY GM Car Display
19 Feb Capital City Speedway (Road Course), Stittsville, Ont Ice Racing
After last weekends trip to sunny Florida, just seven days later I was back to the reality of an Ontario winter.
This weeks report starts on Saturday morning with a trip in to the City of Cornwall for some much needed grocery shopping. While visiting my local ‘No Frills’ at the Cornwall Square Mall, I had the chance to see the latest set of wheels belonging to my buddy Gilles Godard. Gilles, who works for SEAWAY GM, ( where I bought my HHR) is one of my local Dirt Racers, and last year he stepped up into the SPORTSMAN division after many years with the full fendered Pro Stocks.
SEAWAY GM had a display in the mall and Gilles ,sharp looking TEO Pro car ‘wrapped’ in their livery was on show for all to see.
My Saturday night was spent , lazing on the couch, with an ample supply of Molson Canadian close at hand. It was the start of the NASCAR Season and live TV coverage was on hand from Daytona.
The ARCA race was on first, and was followed soon after by the Budweiser Shoot Out. The latter turned out to be one of the best televised NASCAR races I’ve seen, with plenty of drama right up to the checkers.
Love him, or Hate him, Kyle Busch drove his pants off , recovering from all kinds of skirmishes, and pushing Tony Stewart towards the finishing line, only to make a dive past him as they approached the flag. If NASCAR racing was always this good, I could get to like it !
On Sunday (19 Feb) I was looking forward to adding a new track to my TRACKCHASING totals, and was out of bed early for a trip to the nations capitol.
The Motor Sport Club of Ottawa were holding an ice race on the grounds of the Capital City Speedway , at Stittsville Ont. They tried holding an event last year, but it had to be cancelled due to a warm up in the weather, which made it impossible.
This year , the conditions were perfect and the road course configuration laid out in the parking lot , had a great surface of ice and snow. I arrived in the morning to watch the practice sessions before adjourning for lunch at the local McDonalds.
On my return I met up with my TRACKCHASER friends Guy Smith and Mike Knappenberger who’d travel ed up from the Reading, Pennsylvania area. Guy was there to record the event for his column in AREA AUTO RACING NEWS.
Another friend I bumped into was Kenny Baird, one of the Capital City Speedway Late Model drivers. On this occasion , he was out on the ice track trying his luck in a VW.
When the racing got under way , thirteen cars took the ‘green’ for the timed Enduro.
The Ice Racing Road Course at the Capital City Speedway , became track # 199 on my TRACKCHASING totals.
Is it safe to enjoy? Looks like dangerous doing race on the snow