It’s Starting to Feel  a Bit  Like Normal  2/3/4 July 2021

This past weekend things began to feel a bit like normal, there were fans back in the grandstands and I attended three different tracks in three days.

On Friday Don Simpson and me set off for Autodrome Granby in Quebec.

This has become my regular Friday night destination since the border restrictions have prevented me going to my local Mohawk International Raceway (New York) .

We were up there soon after the pit gates opened and I was grateful to the Bruno Cyr team for allowing me to leave my camera equipment at their hauler.

Granby is one of the most challenging tracks for photo ‘ops’ due to the pits and Jersey Barriers located in the middle.

Track photographer Daniel Mailhot tipped me off about an opening on the outer side of turn four, which was good for hot lap pics, so I gave it a try.

Following that,  I was returned to the other vantage points on the middle.

We were doing pretty good on time, with all the heats over before 8-30, 

After the intermission, a pit stop competition took place on the front straight , before the Features got under way.

The Modified Feature turned out to be a  surprise result . It was won by a visiting Ontario driver.

Very unusual at Granby.

 

My long time friend, Luke Whitteker, driving the  # 124 Pierre Dagenais  owned car, had a green to checkers win,

I don’t do this very often, but I just had to join him for a Victory Lane photo . Don took the Pic. 

The other Feature winners were ,  Danick Syvestre (Sport Compact)

The Sportsman winner was Martin Lessard.

The Pro Stock winner was Alain Brochu,

Everything was all over before the 11-00 pm Curfew and after chatting with the friends at the Cyr and Chaput haulers we headed out the gate.

Next day it was the Brockville Ontario Speedway season opener.

It was great to be back at the BOS.

The program consisted of , Modifieds, Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman, Mini Stocks, Street Stocks and Sprint Cars. 

One of the first race teams I chatted with as they arrived in the pits was Dave Watchorn , otherwise known as Road Kill Racing. They told that this was the 20th year that Dave has campaigned his  trusty Toyota. I hope he never paints it, because it would lose its charm

Joining me , and track photographer Henry Hannewyk on the middle , were Don Simpson, John Lyng and Jim Clarke.

My old buddy Ron Morin was also parked on the middle, and I got a chance to get a shot of him and grandson Gage.

It was the Ogilve Series for the Modified and Sportsman, and they were programed for early feature races. 

First feature was for the Mini Stocks where James Clarke continued to collect victories.

The Mods were up next and it was Ryan Arbuthnot and Gage Morin who were fighting it out at the front. Morin clipped a marker tire and left it all to Arbuthnot.

The Sportsman followed and was won by former Modified driver, Bobby Herrington, who had won the previous week at Cornwall.

It was now about 10-30, and with the headline features done, I made my exit.

In my absence, Brock Cullen won the Street Stocks, Justin Cyr the Novice Sportsman and Matt Billings the Sprint Cars.

Sunday I was at the Cornwall Motor Speedway for the Canadian Nationals for Modifieds  and the Race for the Cure  for Sportsman.

Also on the program we had the Novice Sportsman , Mini Stocks and the Vintage Mods..

Once again , the COVID situation gave us a positive bonus. With the USA border still not open , we  got another visit from our race driving friends from the Niagara Region.

As usual I took pictures of the warm up laps from the pit tower before resuming my duties on the middle.

I mentioned in the report from last week at Cornwall about a  neighbor of mine, Sandy Mc Farland who had returned to racing after about 20 years.

Last week he was in a Lightening Sprint and enjoyed it so much, he went out and bought a Sportsman.  He had Joey Ladouceur set the car up for him and was out in SS 3 this week end .

There was a lot to get through on the program, so things were hurried along as quickly as possible.

The first feature of the night was the Mini Stocks where James Clarke added yet another victory to his tally.

Following a brief intermission , we had the Vintage Feature which was won by Randy Gaudet.

The Modifieds were up next for their 60 lapper. Mario Clair took this one , after some late challenges from Corey Wheeler.

It was now the turn of the Sportsman .

Local driver Ryan Stabler held off a challenge from Gatineau , Quebecs Cedric Gauvreau to take this one . 

Final Feature of the night was for the Rookie Sportsman

The impressive 14 year old Blaydon Arquette took the checkers in this one, to end another great night of racing. 

So it was three different tracks , in one weekend for me. Just like old times