Four Hospital Visits in Five Days (Weekly Blog 12th Oct 2022)

Four Hospital Visits in Five Days (Weekly Blog 12th Oct 2022)

Not the kind of headline I wanted to start this weeks Blog, but it is what it is.

The week started off fine, I took my friend Lynn back to Montreal Airport on Tuesday evening , following her three week visit, then I  spent Wednesday relaxing and getting back to normal life.

On Thursday the 6th of October the Mohawk International Raceway were staging a ‘kick start’ to the Canadian Super Dirt Week which was happening my side of the border in my home town of Cornwall Ontario. The M.I.R show was a special event promoted by Dave Thompson, and independent from the regular promotion.

I won’t get into the politics of the situation, but the Cornwall Motor Speedway were staging this event on the same week as DIRTCARS traditional SUPER DIRT WEEK in Oswego, New York.

It put me in an awkward position, because I’ve been connected to both DIRTCAR and the Cornwall Motor Speedway for 20 years, so my loyalties were split equally.

My decision to stay in Canada was made easier by Lynn’s need to be taken to the airport on Tuesday and a long standing appointment I had on Friday with my Myasthenia Gravis Specialist at the Ottawa Hospital.

So I reluctantly decided to miss the 50th staging of DIRTCAR’s SUPER DIRT WEEK.

On Thursday afternoon I met up with my friends Ted and Chantal Lesage before we headed across the International Bridge to Hogansburg  NY to the Mohawk International Raceway. The program consisted of 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks and Bandits.

 

We arrived in good time to chat among friends in the pits.

Here’s Chanty with Steve Chaput and Isabelle Pare. I also chatted to the various members of the Ladouceur family. 

Trey, who is the son of Lee and Grandson of Laurent was making his step up into Sportsman from the kart tracks.

His cousin Tristan , the son of Joey made the transition a year or so, ago and was out in a loaned Thompson Motor Sports Sportsman.

Another interesting find, in the pits was 358 Modified driver Josianne Plante, trying her hand in the Pro Stock formerly owned by Eric Loyer.

My buddy Don Simpson was there too and once the action started , we took our usual spots on turn three and four. 

Time trials were up first and it was Luke Whitteker who was quickest in the Modifieds.

The track was in good shape and the first of the feature races was for the Bandits.

CJ La Vair won this one.

The Modified feature was next.

This was dominated by Chris Raabe, but the racing up front was very exciting.

We had some great battles between early leader Glenn Styres, Carey Terrance and Raabe.

At the checkers , it was Raabe, Tarrance and Styres who made the podium.

After the Victory Lane presentations it was time for the Sportsman to have their feature,

About 14 laps into it, there was a roll over on the back straight and the reds came out. 

During the stoppage it began to rain , which continued on and off until the night came to a premature end.

When the reds came out, it was Casey Swamp # 44 ,  in the lead.

I made my exit and within 15 minutes I was back in my house .

On Friday morning (the 7th of October) I was up early and heading to the Civic Hospital in Ottawa for Hospital visit number one.

I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis (an auto immune disease) seven years ago and was due for my six monthly check up with my specialist. The appointment was at 10-30 and by 2-00 pm I was back home .

That night was the start of the Canadian Dirt Week at my local Cornwall track and by the time I got there, the place was packed with race cars and campers.

One of the major events of the night was the Mini Stocks  Memorial Race in honor of Alexis Charbonneau and over 70 cars had turned out for this.

Also on the program we had the headlining Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks and Lightening Sprints.

Quite an ambitious schedule for one night.

I was there in good time to chat to my tog buddies before the time trials began.

For some reason, I’m not sure why , the Mini Stocks also took time trials. It was a cold night and they took a very long time to get through.

 

Most race fans don’t like having to sit through time trials regardless of what division, so in my opinion, this was not a good idea. 

I was out on the middle for the heat races , until I decided to head back to my car,  for a warm up. Due to the volume of cars on the middle, my car was in the parking lot that night.

That’s when the night turned bad ! 

I lost my footing while I was walking to the car ,tripped over, then landed flat on my face, breaking my nose.  The camera around my neck came between me and the ground and broke one rib.

After medical attention at the track I was taken to the Cornwall Hospital,

Following a CT scan and some X rays I was released about 12-45 am , When the racing had finished (about 1-00 am) Don Simpson picked me up in my car and delivered me to my house.

This put an end to my weekend.

Although I could of returned for the next two days of racing, I decided to stay at home in the warm and rest.

So that was two trips to hospital in one day !

The big 125 lap race for Modifieds on Sunday was won by David Hebert.

Thanks to Sylvain Lauwers for the pic.

Meanwhile at SUPER DIRT WEEK , Matt Sheppard won the 200 lap Big Block race in Oswego NY

On Monday and Tuesday I was back at the Cornwall Hospital once again  for my regular monthly I.V.I.G infusions.

This made it four hospital trips in five days !