More Rain (2 May 2024 BLOG)
I had big plans for three races in New York , this past weekend, but they never worked out the way I wanted.
Friday 26th April, the Can Am Speedway, Saturday 27th the Fulton Speedway then Sunday 28th at the Airborne Speedway.
Before heading off to these, I dropped in for another visit to the Cornwall Square Race Car Show , which I’d attended the night before , for the ‘moving in and setting up’ .
While in there I met up with a few friends , former Cornwall Speedway promoter Ron Morin, and his track security man Frank Sauve as well as long time race fan , George Harland.
Left to Right George, Frank and Ron
I left my home , Friday lunchtime, bound for my weekend accommodation .
The weather forecast for Saturday didn’t look promising, so I’d only booked one night at the Royal Inn at Pamela, located just off the Evans Mills exit of I 81 . If racing wasn’t cancelled the next day, I’d stay an extra night.
Once checked in , I took the short drive to the Can Am Speedway at Lafargeville.
The headline divisions were the 358 Modifieds and the Sportsman , which were taking part in a DirtCar Series race. The program also included Limited Sportsman, Crate Sprint Cars and Thundercars (4 cylinders).
I was there nice and early , so chatted in the pits with Chris Raabe and his crew.
Once racing began, I stationed myself on turn one.
The first of the features was for the Limited Sportsman and the Sprint Cars .
These were won by Logan Brown and Tucker Donath respectively.
The Modified feature was up next, and Billy Dunn dominated this from start to finish , with second placed Jackson Gill unable to make ground, to make a challenge.
Lance Willix followed them home to take third.
A good start to the 2024 season for Billy Dunn
The DirtCar Sportsman Series followed this.
Tyler Corcoran took an early lead in this one , and managed to stay there until the checkers.
Gavin Eisele was runner up with Cedric Gauvreau completing the podium.
It was now about 10-15 , so I decided to skip the Thundercar feature and head back to my room.
There was still rain in the forecast, but at this time there was no news about the Fulton races the next night.
One of the DirtCar officials at Can Am, had told me the they would most likely make a decision in the morning . Check out time at the hotel was 11-00 am, and luckily at 10-00 am and before booking another night, I got the rain out message.
It was nice and dry where I was, so Plan B went into action.
The nearby Evans Mills Raceway Park was holding a practice day, so I didn’t have far to go, to get my fix.
I first visited this track 20 years ago , when the Caprara family took it over and transformed the asphalt surface to dirt.
It has since returned to a paved track, and over the years I’ve revisited for both paved and dirt events.
For the past five years it has been run by the Gill family.
I spent a couple hours taking pics before heading for home.
I was back in Cornwall in time for an another visit to the Mall Show.
Earlier in the afternoon they’d had an autograph session and when I arrived about 3-15, there were still a few friends about.
I mingled, and chatted with Cornwall Motor Speedway promoter Raymond Lavergne .
It was sometime during the day , that I saw a F/B posting from the Airborne Speedway calling off Sundays show. Rain was in the forecast , so the opening night was postponed until the following week.
So my big plans for the weekend got reduced somewhat.