
RICK @ the RACES ( 26 June to 1 July)
26 June Capital City Speedway, Ottawa , Ont
29 June Brockville Ontario Speedway (rained out)
30 June Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont
1 July Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont
This weeks report starts on Wednesday 26 June, when an early finish at work, allowed me to attend an event I’d been looking forward to for a long time. After being suggested, and talked about plenty of times in recent years the DIRT style open wheeled Sportsman (Modifieds) were making an appearance at Ottawa’s Capital City Speedway.
It had been many years since open wheeled Mods had appeared at this track, and it’s a bold move that could eventually improve crowd and car fan numbers.
As Dirt racing has proved to be the popular racing diet for the Eastern Ontario and Quebec fans, the paved tracks such as the CCS have always struggled to survive with their Late Models and Legends as their premier classes.
I’m pleased to have a good paved track such as the CCS in my area, but feel that by introducing Dirt Style cars, it could be the ‘sparkle’ that is needed.
I was hoping for about 10 cars, but like the Dirt Vintage Mods when they were first introduced last year, only a small number turned up. While I was there, the six cars of Steve Billings, Dana Aikins, Johnathon Ferguson, Jason Shipclark, Bruce Makinson and Ryan Buzzell, put on a good show. With me having an early start for work the next day, I had to miss the last race (designated the Feature) , by which time, a seventh car, of John Evans had arrived. In my absence, Steve Billings was the winner of the historic ‘first’ Feature, The other divisions, which were also a bit thin on numbers, included the Late Models, Legends, Thunder Cars, Mini Stocks , For 4 Fun, and Go Karts. I have to thank Rudy Thompson, for sending me a Victory Lane pic of the Billings win.
Once again Mother Nature decimated , Friday nights racing at most of the north eastern tracks, after monsoon type rain fell for most of the day. My intended destination of the Mohawk International Raceway was an early cancellation, with my back up plan of Can Am and Granby soon joining the casualty list. It was a Friday night at home for me, with a beer or two !
Things looked good for Saturday, and reports indicated that the Brockville Ontario Speedway would be all set to go. They’d had a bit of rain, like everyone else, and following a dry morning and afternoon, the evening forecast looked promising.
I took off from my home in Cornwall, Ontario at the usual time of 4-00 pm and arrived at the track around 5-30pm. The pits were starting to fill and the track was dry, but a threatening black cloud system was on the horizon. Would we be lucky, and would it miss us was the question we were all asking ?
I then spent my pre race time in the pits chatting with friends as normal. The hot laps began as the cloud still hovered around us, and I began taking pics on the middle. Just as the Vintage Mods took to the track to take their turn, the first spots of rain began to fall. As it got heavier, I took shelter in, track photographer, Henry Hannewyk’s truck, while we waited the outcome.
The rain became torrential, and it soon became obvious the night was done. Instead of heading straight home, I joined my B.O.S friends, Victory Lane hostess, Rosie Esteves and flagman Mike Verbeek at the local Pizza Restaurant .
Sunday was day one of the Cornwall Motor Speedways CANADA DAY Weekend Special where the Big Block Modifieds were topping the bill with a 100 lap SUPER DIRT SERIES round.
After a weekend of rain-outs at the tracks in my area, Sunday was warm and dry , so the other tracks misfortunes would be to the benefit of Cornwall.
Race teams and fans were hungry for some action, and the pits soon became full.
There were so many cars wanting to race, that much of the center and the go kart track had to be used as an overflow area.
It started a bit late because of this, but with a record breaking 58 Modifieds in the pits plus all the other divisions, no one was too worried. After all, the next day was a Holiday Monday !
The Racing was superb with Carey Terrance taking his first ever SUPER DIRT SERIES win.
Joey Ladouceur got his first ever Sportsman feature win,while Brad Rouse won the Rookie Sportsman Feature, Bruno Cyr the Pro Stocks, Derek Cryderman the Semi Pro’s and Mike Gaucher the Ministocks.
The racing finished just after 1-00am, and I was soon back at home down loading my pics, and supping a well deserved beer.
Around lunch time on Monday, I returned to the Cornwall Motor Speedway, in readiness for part two of the CANADA DAY Special. I joined in the celebrations by wearing a silly patriotic hat and a CANADA T Shirt.
There were three DIRT CAR Series races taking place, this time for 358 Modifieds , Sportsman and Pro stocks. Once again the racing was first class with Matt Sheppard taking a victory in the headlining 358 Mod race,
Brad Rouse the Sportsman
and Rock Aubin the Pro stocks.
