Egypt and not a Pyramid in sight. (31 March 2025) BLOG
As March drew towards to a close I suffered a bout of the flu and had to cancel a couple of things I had planned.
The first, was a Thursday night out in Ottawa for the Senators V Colarado Avalanche game on the 20th , and then the Marc Lalonde Pro Stock Team annual Spaghetti Supper in Plantaganet, on the 22nd .
I also had big plans for Saturday the 29th , and at one point , I was concerned they could be in jeopardy. I was taking things day by day until Thursday the 27th when I started feeling a lot better.
The SUPER DIRT CAR series in the North East, was getting under way on that night at the New Egypt Speedway in New Jersey, and that’s where I would be going.
It’s a place, I’d only visited twice before and the first time was 22 years ago back in 2003 for the SUPER DIRT SERIES , when I was joined by my daughter Carla. That’s what they called it in those days before DIRT MOTORSPORTS became DirtCar and the name changed.
Carla was living in Baltimore, Maryland at that time, and during one of my visits we drove to the speedway, following a day at Ocean City.
Alan Johnson was the big winner that night.
My only other time at New Egypt was for the Short Track Super Series in August 2023.
Matt Sheppard was the winner on that occasion.
I was really looking forward to another visit, and my original plan was to get up early on Saturday morning for the seven and a half hour drive. Things all changed after watching my local weather forecast on Thursday night. Severe winter weather with snow and freezing rain was expected , on Friday night into Saturday.
I quickly brought forward my departure time, and I left Cornwall, Ontario Friday lunch time, to beat the storm.
So, instead of a one night stay at the Days Inn at Wrightown,NJ, it became two.
I got there about 8-00 that night. It’s located about 15 minutes from the track , so I had plenty of time to rest and relax before Saturday nights races. In the morning I killed some time touring the area before having my lunch at Jersey Mikes in nearby Manchester .
By 2-00 pm I was parked up at the track.
I was still in my hoody when I arrived , but , Oh Boy it turned out to be a hot afternoon, and by 3-00 pm it was too warm for me to wear a Tee Shirt.
There was a huge crowd , lining up at the gates waiting for them to open. Sportsman and 4 cylinder (Mini Stocks) were the support divisions for the Big Block Modifieds.
There were also a lot of media photographers in attendance out on the middle, so I joined a bunch of them on turn 3 and 4.
The Modifieds were the first out for their time trials and heats .
The Sportsman and Mini Stock heats followed.
Once the heat races and last chance qualifiers were done, it was time for the the nights features.
The first of the features was for the 4 cylinder (Mini Stocks).
This was won by Bob Drayton # X09 .
It was now time for the big one, the 75 lap $7500 to win Super Dirt Car Series. At the redraw , Mat Williamson picked pole and fellow Canadian , Stewart Friesen got # 2.
On the green Williamson took the lead with Friesen chasing him.
Eventually Friesen ‘reeled him in’ and got past.
Williamson started dropping back and Tanner Van Doren came up to challenge.
He looked impressive until he had the misfortune to hit inside barrier right in front of me.
After the restart Logan Watt, who’d been following Van Doren, took the challenge to Friesen with Alex Yankowski on his tail.
As the laps wound down Yankowski got past Watt, and that was how it was as the checkers fell .
Friesen got the win with the two young guns, behind him.
By now the basking hot temperatures from earlier in the day had dropped dramatically .
It was so cold my fingers were going numb. With the Sportsman feature still to run, I made my exit towards my car and onto the warm hotel room.
In my absence Ryan Heim # 18 took the Sportsman feature
I left the Days Inn at 8-00 am on Sunday morning for the next part of my trip south .
I was heading to Carla’s place in North Carolina.
I got there late afternoon, in good time for a family supper at the Texas Road House in Holly Springs.