Weekly Report (6th to 11th Sept 2016)

This past week was another quiet one, in comparison to a few weeks ago. Just one ‘follow up’ doctors appointment midweek, and I was ready for Friday’s racing (9th Sept)

The SUPER DIRT SERIES was making a return call to Quebec, and a first time visit for them to the RPM Speedway at St Marcel . It was something local fans had been looking forward to, since the schedule was announced.

The following night , a second SUPER DIRT SERIES event for 2016 was scheduled for Autodrome Drummond.

So,the Blanchette Motel in Drummondville was booked for the overnight stay.

RPM is a small oval , located on a clearing in the bush, just outside the village of St Marcel De Richelieu, in the boonies, between St Hyacinthe and Sorel/Tracey.

I’ve been there a few times before, so knew I needed to be there early to get a good parking spot. I first visited the track in 2009, where it rained out, then the following year I was luckier and saw my first race.

I left home in Cornwall, Ontario about 11-00 am and was at the Tim Hortons, beside Autoroute 20 at St Hyacinthe, by lunchtime. After a bite to eat I continued on to the track, which is about 30 minutes away.

On arrival , just before 3-00 pm , there were already plenty of people there, and the over-flow parking lots were getting set up in anticipation of the large crowd.

I soon found DIRTcar officials Mary and Kathy , busy at work, so chatted with them.

I had planned to take a snooze in the car before the evenings action, but there was so much going on, and friends to chat with, that it never happened.

It was great watching all the big race car haulers of the major teams, pulling in to the tiny facility.

Also on the program , were the Mod Lites, Lightening Sprints and a Dirtcar Series race for the Pro Stocks.

While walking the pits I came across , my friends, Josee Fortier in her # 7 Mod Lite who kindly put a RICK @ the RACES sticker on her car, as did Robbie Speed who put one on his # 24 Pro Stock. Robbie and his team had driven up from the Albany area of New York for the weekend.

My photographer buddy Don Simpson was with me, and his specialty is portrait pictures. He is in the process of getting a collection of the top SUPER DIRT series guys, and before he worked on Matt Sheppard , I was the ‘guinea pig’ standing in various positions, to figure out the best light/shadows etc.

It was also good to meet up with my friend Susie Langlois. She’s been racing a 358 Modified in recent times, but for today, she was helping out with the # 43 Sebastien Fournier team.

Once the drivers meeting was over , it was time to get ready for some action on the track.

The warm ups began, and within a few minutes ‘Lightening Larry’ Wight # 99 had livened things up with a spectacular flip, on turn 3 and four.

Larry was towed off and the warm ups resumed,

Following the warm ups, the first heat races began.

After the heats it was the redraw on the front stretch, which took place directly before the big race, just prior to the start.

The lucky driver who picked number one on the grid was Keith Flach. Matt Sheppard drew number two . We also took time to do a group photo of the drivers, but lack of space prevented me getting them all in.

Instead of the usual ‘four wide’ salute to the fans during the parade lap, a ‘three wide’ version, was used, due to the smaller track.

With Matt on the front it looked like a foregone conclusion for the winner , but for a while, Flach put up a good fight and even passed Sheppard, and lead the race for quite a time.

We thought for a while, we may get a different winner, but as the race went on, it was obvious that ‘Super Matt’ was heading for another win. Jimmy Phelps was on his back bumper as they crossed the finish line, but just didn’t have that little bit extra, to get past. Tim Fuller came home third for the final podium spot.

By the time Victory Lane presentations were over , it was now 11-15 pm, and the Lightening Sprint and Pro Stock Features were yet to run.

So, with a 45 minute drive ahead of us to the Motel in Drummondville, my buddy Ron Morin, and I made our exit. In my absence, it was my friend, Stephane Lebrun who took the checkers, with Robbie Speed second and Roch Aubin third.

Thanks to Kathy Caldwell for the Victory Pic

After a good nights sleep, and hearty breakfast at the Blanchette, there was plenty of time to kill before the racing at Autodrome Drummond. The forecast for the day was not good and via Face Book I heard of two cancellations back in Ontario (Merrittville and Brighton Speedways ) but it was a warm and dry day in Drummondville.

I got to the track around 3-00 pm and snoozed in my camping chair until things started happening and the teams began arriving.

The sky was overcast and we had a few sprinkles of rain, but nothing serious as I wandered the pits and chatted with friends.

I hung out around the Dirt Car trailer with the officials. like I normally do during SDS events.

The forecast was still predicting rain , but so far nothing worth talking about, had occurred, so the 6-00 pm drivers meeting took place in the pits.

Within fifteen minutes of the drivers meeting taking place, and just as the cars were getting ready for warm-ups, the heavens opened, and the expected heavy rain began. It wasn’t long before the inevitable cancellation announcement was made, with no rain-date for the next day, as more bad weather was likely to be on its way.

So it was time for a mass exodus, as I followed the Billy Decker, Tim Fuller and the spare Matt Sheppard car haulers all the way back to Ontario, before they continued on to the USA border.

I was home in Cornwall on Saturday night, before 9-00 pm.

While all this was going on here in Canada, ‘back home’ ( I consider both Canada and England as my home) in the UK, the BriSCA F2 World Final was taking place at the Mildenhall Stadium in Suffolk. This event which is second only in stature to the BriSCA F1 race, has been running annually since 1963.

Let me digress , I competed in this formula during the mid 1970’s and managed to qualify for a World Final (semi) in 1977. Unfortunately , engine problems prevented me from taking part.

Back to the present day, and as you can see, BriSCA F2 stock cars have changed a lot over the years .

This years winner was Wim Peters , from the Netherlands, who’s father , Willy was a former winner of this prestigious title.

Thanks to Colin Casserley for the pictures

My original plans for Sunday (11th Sept) were to head down to the Utica-Rome Speedway, (Vernon NY ) for the ‘New Yorker 40 ‘ for Modifieds, and the ‘Cole Cup’ for Sprint Cars.

When I awoke around 9-00 am, the weather outside my place in Cornwall was blowing a gale, the clouds looked stormy , and the forecast for Vernon, was doubtful . I wasn’t feeling 100%, and a little bit tired (maybe I’ve been overdoing it) so the prospect of a three and a half hour journey, made me think twice.

I decided not to go, and instead take it easy , stay local, and take the short drive to the other side of town for the Cornwall Motor Speedway’s annual Fire Ball Enduro. Enduros are not really my kind of thing, and even when I was employed by the speedway, I usually took this day off, and went to some more conventional racing.

Under the circumstances, the Enduro seemed my best option.

It’s an afternoon event and many of my friends would be there.

358 Modified driver Brian McDonald was operating one of the recovery machines.

It’s a bit of a social occasion in the city and it’s always a full house.

I was out on the middle taking pics for a few races with Don Simpson, who now, holds my former position as Victory Lane organizer.

As usual things got off to a spectacular start with the ladies race, where we got a roll over on the very first corner of the first lap.

Later in the race , one young lady managed to get her car into the creek , behind the bush on the back straight. The safety guys were quickly on the seen to help her out.

Then ten minutes later I photographed her beside her car , where she was all smiles and happy.

I stayed around until the Mini Van race , which was completed around 5-00 pm before making my exit.

There was still more racing to go, including the 8 cylinders, which I’d like to have seen. There was a Lincoln Town Car competing, just like Ron Morin, owns, and we used earlier in the year for our trip down to North Carolina.

It’s a pity the 8 cylinders were racing at the end, but I’d had enough, and didn’t want to get caught in all the congestion as the huge crowd departed from the place when it was all over.

Once back home , I took it easy , and waited to find out , what had been happening at the Utica-Rome Speedway.

Well, they survived the threat of Mother Nature and had a good turn out of cars and race fans. Matt Sheppard continued his great roll of success by getting another big win.