RICK @ the RACES REPORT  (15 to 21 Aug 2016)

After a busy few weeks where I attended a good number of events, this past week, I was way down on numbers, and this report will be a short one.

I was informed a couple of weeks ago, by my MYASTHENIA GRAVIS specialist Doctor, at Ottawa General Hospital that I would be needing another session of I.V.I.G  transfusions, and they were to take place at my local Cornwall Hospital. These were scheduled for Thursday and Friday (18/19 Aug).  I live just a five minute drive from the hospital, so instead of staying overnight, I was able to go home each night.

I was hoping , I’d be all done, and out of there , in time to visit the Mohawk International Raceway, just across the bridge from Cornwall, for the Friday evening show.

I was at the Cornwall Hospital for my 8-00 am appointment on Thursday , armed with my lap top.

From past experience, the treatment lasts for most of the day and by carefully setting up the intravenous apparatus, I figured I’d be able to get on,  and up date the web site picture gallery. There is free Wi-Fi at the hospital.

It worked well,  and by the time the nurses informed me, my third and final bottle of the ‘blood product’ was complete, I’d updated all of 2014 gallery . This was 1-30 pm , and as I had to go in for the same thing the next day, it looked promising for my racing agenda.

I was back there again on Friday morning, and the procedure began. This time I was done about an hour earlier, and still managed to update all of the picture galleries from 2013.  Check Them Out.

I had plenty of time to go racing, so after taking it easy for a few hours at home, I crossed the bridge to the USA at about 4-00 pm.

After a trip to the Massena Walmart and a stop at Jreck Subs, I was at the track before 5-30 pm.

One of the earliest arrivals was the Therrien Team from Quebec, who brought along a couple of Modifieds and a Sprint Car or two.

 

While wandering the pits , one of the first things I noticed was the the new Tim Fuller car. It looked very nostalgic with the return of the B&F General Machine sponsorship on the side. Last time I saw that was back in 2003 when he was driving the Bob Faust owned car.

FLASHBACK to 2003

It was going to be a long night, with the addition to the program of Quebecs Lightening Sprints, the Eastern Ontario Vintage Stock Car Club, and double Features for the Modifieds.

For hot laps I once again chose the back straight to get some pics , and was happy with the results.

The evening started with the first of the Modified Features, a race that was rain-delayed from two weeks previous. It’s always nice for us photographers when this happens, as we get to shoot a ‘quality race’ in good day light.

Brian ‘Slim’ McDonald made easy work of this one with a run away victory

 

 

The Vintage Club on their second visit of the year put up another good performance and I hope we see them again next year at the M.I.R

The Feature was won by John Stanley in the # 2 car

Jamie LaFountain won his third Rookie Sportsman Feature .

The Lightening Sprints also back for their second visit, put on a good show, without too many stoppages, so I’m pretty sure they will be making a return.

The winner was of their 25 lap Feature was Guillaume Neiderer.

 

The regular nights Modified Feature was a fast one, where Carey Terrance ran like an express train, with only Billy Dunn having the speed to chase him.

 

When the checkers fell , it proved to be another run away win, but this time for Carey Terrance.

With things running later than normal, and following two days of hospitalization , I decided to miss the last race of the night, which was the Sportsman Feature. In my absence it was won by Sid Harmer Jr.

I was soon back home, and early to bed.

On Saturday (20 Aug) the Patriot Sprint Cars were making another visit to the Brockville Ontario Speedway, and regulars readers will know, that over the years, I’ve never been their biggest fan. I will always remember the occasion they had so many cautions and stoppages, during a Feature race, they needed to refuel.

Well, because of this, and the delays that Sprint Cars in general, cause to a regular night of Modified Racing, in my more energetic days, I would often take off to a different track, when they appeared locally.  In recent years , their reliability and driver quality has improved a lot, so these days I’m usually there to see them.

So , on Saturday afternoon I made my usual trip down Hwy 401 to Brockville.

The pits were full and there was a good crowd as always in the grandstands.

I took up my usual position on the infield, by turn one and two for the heat races,  to snap the action.

 

While out there , like most weeks, I was joined by my buddy Ron Morin, his wife Raine and their pooch.

After the heat races , I retired from the infield and joined Victory Lane hostess, Taya Heldens in one of the booths, to watch the Features.

The first of the Features was for the Mini Stocks where my long time buddy  Rob Ray, took yet another win.

The Sportsman were up next and it was another of my local Cornwall drivers, Shane Pecore who took this one.

I was hoping the Modified’s would be the next Feature on the program, but in this case it was the Sprints. I will refrain from saying too much , but let’s just say, Taya and me counted 6 cautions and stoppages  before ten laps were completed. I think there was one more caution, plus a Red Flag before the 25 lapper was over. It was painful to watch.

The winner was Jared Zimardi, with teenager Paulie Colagiovanni coming home second. On a brighter note, it was great to see my good friend Lee Ladouceur getting  third and a podium place.

The Modified 30 lapper, was on next,  where they showed them how it`s done, by getting to over half way stage, before a caution flag fell. At the checkers, it was another good friend of mine Stephane Lafrance, capturing his first B.O.S Feature of the year.

With things running a bit later than usual ( for obvious reasons) I made my exit, and was soon back on the 401 heading for home.

The weather forecast for Sunday (21 Aug)  was not good, and sure enough, after waking up late ( 11-30 am) it was pouring with rain, and a cancellation notice from the Cornwall Motor Speedway had already arrived in my mail.

I quickly checked with friends about the status of the evenings races at the Utica-Rome Speedway NY, and found that had rained out too.

That meant, a Sunday sitting at home relaxing, which was probably a good thing , considering my agenda from the past few days.