Another Wet Weekend   (weekly BLOG  15th May 2024)

On Thursday the 9th of May it was third time lucky at the Airborne Park Speedway on  getting the season opener in the books. After the two previous attempts failed when wet weather caused postponements , we got lucky this time.

It’s a new era for the track with a different promoter for 2024 .

Former Modified driver , Mike Bruno, who also operates the Devils Bowl Speedway in Vermont is now at the helm . It will now be called the Airborne Park Speedway , instead of just the  ‘Airborne Speedway’

Here’s Mike after a win back in 2007.

I was joined on this trip by my good friend Chanty . My Impala was still in the shop so, we went in the Equinox loan car.

The weather was in everyone’s favor and the pits were full.

The program consisted of the headline , Modifieds and Sportsman that were joined by Limited Sportsman, Renegades and Mini Stocks.

I chatted in the pits with Mario Clair and David Hebert , before heading off to take my pictures.

For Hot Laps, I shot at one of my favorite spots. On the outside of turn four.

Then for the rest of the night I moved to my usual spot , on turn one and two .

After a short intermission for track prep , the Modified feature began.

From the drop of the green, it was Tim Fuller who dominated this one, and took the checkers.

Mario Clair took second and Felix Roy completed the podium.

Next up was the Sportsman feature.

This was won by Quebecs , Donovan Lussier after various challenges along the way from some of the locals.

By now the time was 10-15pm , so I chose to miss the Renegade and Mini-Stocks features, and head for home.

On Friday the 10th , my usual Friday night track, the Can Am Speedway were taking a night off.

So I did the same.

On my Saturdays this year , I have three local track choices, just as before, but for 2024,  it’s a bit different .

In the past I shared my Saturdays with Brockville, Airborne and Drummond.

For 2024 Airborne have changed to Thursday nights and the M.I.R have changed to Saturdays.

So for this year I will be sharing between the Mohawk International Raceway , Brockville and Drummond. It will make a lot of sense for me to be at M.I.R more than others, as it’s less than 15 minutes from my house.

Therefore with season openers this past Saturday , at both the M.I.R and the B.O.S,  I planned to be at the nearest.

The weather wasn’t looking good and before leaving home I awaited any cancelation news.

As I  expected, while sitting  on my front porch watching it pour down with rain, the M.I.R cancelled just after 4-30 pm.

The car was already loaded , and the B.O.S was still running so I sped off down the 401.

The new start time at the B.O.S  is now 6-00 pm , but still managed to get to the track,  and onto the middle , just as the anthems were playing.

Then as the first race began (for the novice Sportsman)  , it started to spit with rain.

The race was in the books,  and heat two came on to the track.

Then the rain got heavier and this race never took place.

As the cars returned to the pits, promoter Paul Kirkland took to the track with the giant packer truck.

My buddy Ron Morin was parked on the middle in his 4wd Chev truck, so I jumped in side to keep dry , while he did about 20 packing laps behind Paul.

When the rain got heavier Ron made his exit and I returned to the pits to await the outcome.

 

After chatting with friends in the Johnathan Ferguson hauler and watching the rain continue to come down, I figured I’d return to my car and ‘wait it out’ .

At around 8-00 pm, with  rain still coming down and no end in site , I decided , like Ron,  to head for home.

Paul continued to pack the track in hope of getting the show in.

On my return home , I heard the news that  later it got cancelled.

I finish this weeks BLOG on a sad note .

On Wednesday evening (15th May) I learned via social media , the sad news , that Dirt Racing Legend , ‘Barefoot’ Bob McCreadie had passed away.

Back in his racing days, I considered him to be a local driver, as he came from nearby , Watertown , New York.

He was one of the  greatest Modified drivers of all time and will go down in history as one of the best in the business.

The last time I took a picture of him in Victory Lane , was at the Can Am Speedway in 2004

My sympathies go out to his family and friends at this very difficult time.

R.I.P  Bob McCreadie