RICK @ the RACES
11/12 Dec 2010
Last week I started a two part report covering the highlights of my 2010 racing season. Part one took us up to the end June so this week I will cover July onwards.
It was my Mum and Dads Diamond Wedding Anniversary on Thursday July 1, and a family celebration was planned for Saturday July 3. As normal, when I return to the UK I like to get a bit of racing in and catch up with old friends.
On Friday July 2 , I made my first ever visit to the world famous Goodwood Racing Circuit for their annual Festival of Speed. No actual ‘wheel to wheel’ racing took place, just classics of the past racing up the hill against the clock. This type of event doesn’t count in TRACKCHASER rules, but most definitely countable on my personal list.
The next day it was Mum and Dads ‘do’ at my sister Anne’s place near to Hockliffe in Bedfordshire, where friends and family celebrated this mile stone event.
On Sunday July 4 it was the Hot Rod World Final at the Foxhall Stadium in Ipswich, which I attended with my long time buddy Colin Herridge. The big race was won by Colin Haird.
On Monday July 5 there was a midweek addition to the Smeatharpe Stadium fixtures, that featured a BriSCA F2 World Championship qualifying round, so Colin and I traveled down to that.
Once I was back in Canada, the month of July kept me busy at all of my local tracks. On July 11, the Big Block Modified Super Dirt Series came to Cornwall, and it was Brett Hearn who won this one.
The next day the Can Am Speedway were staging their ‘Summer Sizzler’, a Monday night feast of top notch dirt racing. The 410 Sprint Cars topped the bill which attracted many big names , including NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, Tony Stewart. Tim Shaffer was the winner, Greg Wilson second and Stewart came third.
Towards the end of the month (July 27) , I made a midweek visit to the Fonda Speedway for their big Modified and Lucas Oil Late Model show. Canada’s Stewart Friesen won Modified race while Tennessee’s Jimmy Owens was the Late Model winner.
July 2 Goodwood Festival of Speed , Chichester, W Sussex , UK
July 4 Foxhall Stadium, Ipswich, Suffolk UK (Hot Rod World Final)
July 5 Smeatharpe Stadium, Taunton, Somerset, UK
July 10 Brockville Ontario Speedway
July 11 Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont (SDS)
July 12 Can Am Speedway, Lafargeville, NY ( Sprint Cars)
July 16 Mohawk International Raceway , Hogansburg NY
July 17 Brockville Ontario Speedway
July 18 Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont
July 24 Autodrome Drummond , Drummondville, Que
July 25 Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont
July 27 Fonda Speedway, NY
July 31 Brockville Ontario Speedway
As we went into August my first big event of the month involved a road trip to the Merrittville Speedway , close to Niagara Falls , Ontario, for the Big Block Modified Super Dirt Series. After watching Matt Sheppard take the victory I slept over night at the track in my HHR. The next morning I crossed over in to the USA and drove to the Fulton Speedway NY to see the touring World Of Outlaw Sprint Cars. Unfortunately, it rained heavily just prior to the start, which meant a delay, and because I had to be at work early the next morning decided not to wait it out.
I added another new track to my TRACKCHASER totals on Aug 14 when I took off on a road trip to Maine. The destination was the Unity Raceway , a paved track I’d been wanting to visit for many years.
The following weekend the World of Outlaw Late Models were at the Mohawk Raceway, but wet weather forced a postponement.
On Friday Aug 27, I went to an event which will most likely become a historic date. I was at Autodrome Edelweiss for their 100 lap 358 Modified special, which will probably go down in the books, as being the last ever night of racing at this track. At the end of the year it was announced that racing would cease and the land was up for sale. David Hebert won this one
Aug 1 Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont
Aug 2 Merrittville Speedway, Thorold, Ont (SDS)
Aug 3 Fulton Speedway, NY (WoO Sprints)
Aug 7 Brockville Ontario Speedway
Aug 14 Unity Raceway, Maine
Aug 20 Mohawk International Raceway, Hogansburg NY
Aug 21 Mohawk International Raceway, Hogansburg NY
Aug 24 Cornwall Motor Speedway Ont, (Karting Club)
Aug 27 Autodrome Edelweiss, Cantley, Que
Aug 28 Brockville Ontario Speedway
Aug 29 Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont
The start of September means the Labor Day Weekend and the staging of Cornwall’s 358 Modified Super Dirt Series. As well as the 100 lap series race for small blocks, the Pro Stocks were having a 50 lapper. Danny O’Brien took the Modified checkers while Rick Thompson took the Pro Stock honors. On Labor Day Monday I drove down to the Rolling Wheels Raceway NY for their traditional holiday special, which Brett Hearn won.
In September when regular weekly racing comes to an end at my local tracks it gives me the chance to explore new places.
On Sept 11/12 , I went on a road trip that netted me another two new tracks. On Saturday I attended the Barrie Speedway , Ontario for a round of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. This series, regarded as Canada’s premier paved Late Model tour was won by DJ Kennington. Once the racing was over I headed further north to Timmins, Ontario and to what must be one of the most northerly dirt tracks in Canada. ( maybe the world !) For many years I heard that there was a track at Timmins and on Sunday 12 Sept I visited the cities Bristol Speedway.
The following weekend (17/18/19 Sept) was another busy one with the Mohawk Raceway hosting Super Dirt Series races for Sportsman and 358 Mods on the Friday and then Big Block Mods and Pro Stocks on Saturday. Winners were Tim Sears (Sportsman) Joey Ladouceur (Pro Stocks) while Matt Sheppard took victories in both Modified races.
On Sunday I visited two new tracks, one a private Kart track owned by the Robidoux family at St Constant , Quebec and the other was the RPM Speedway at St Marcel, Quebec.
The quest to add new tracks to my port folio continued on Sunday Sept 26 when I visited the Sunset Speedway at Innisfil, Ontario. This is a paved track I visited after attending the Saturday night Apple Fest show at the Brighton Speedway. Promoter at Sunset Speedway is Canadian Tire Series driver Mark Dilley and it was the OSCAAR Late Models I saw in action that day.
Sept 3 Mohawk International Raceway, Hogansburg NY
Sept 4 Brockville Ontario Speedway
Sept 5 Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont
Sept 6 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park, Elbridge NY
Sept 11 Barrie Speedway, Ont ( NASCAR CTS)
Sept 12 Bristol Speedway, Timmins , Ontario
Sept 17 Mohawk International Raceway, Hogansburg NY
Sept 18 Mohawk International Raceway, Hogansburg NY
Sept 19 Robi Raceway, St Constant Que (private track)
Sept 19 RPM Raceway, St Marcel, Que
Sept 25 Brighton Speedway, Ont
Sept 26 Sunset Speedway, Innisfil, Ont
The beginning of October means it’s time for SUPER DIRT WEEK that takes place around the Syracuse NY area and traditionally kicks off after the Fulton Speedways 200 lapper. After seeing Brett Hearn win the Fulton 200 , I returned home for a few days before attending returning to Syracuse.