All posts by admin

Brighton and Sunset Speedways (25/26 Sep 2010)

09302010jRICK @ the RACES (25/26 Sept)

25 Sept           Brighton Speedway, Ont

26 Sept            Sunset Speedway , Innisfil, Ont

One of the events I always look forward to is the annual APPLE FEST races at the Brighton Speedway (Ontario) . It’s a track I don’t get to very often but I’m always made very welcome by the Rinaldi Family, the owners.09302010a

The two day event started on Friday night, and as usual work commitments forced me to miss the opener. I had to be content with only attending the Saturday show, where the 358 Modifieds were the head liners.

In the past this event has often been plagued with wet weather and true to form a slight drizzle began soon after I arrived. It didn’t last for long and from then onwards it was a dry night and a great surface for racing.

There were 27 Modifieds in the pits as well as good number of Street Stocks, Canadian Mods, Late Models and Mini Mods.

09302010cBefore the show got underway I took my usual wander around the pits and the first people I chatted to were Mike and Lori Lasalle. They had got Todd Stewart racing their car again ( Todd had also driven it at the Mohawk International Raceway a few weeks ago) .

09302010bThey had a nice ‘Burger Buffet’ laid out in their race hauler and kindly invited me to partake. Thanks Lori !

Their # 96M race car became the first of the day to have a RICK @ the RACES decal attached.

09302010d 09302010e 09302010fThis was quickly followed by that of # 12 Ryan Foley, # 42 Bicknell and the Jim Primrose owned # 88 of Tim O’Brien. Thanks Guys !09302010h

09302010i Once the racing got going it was Pete Bicknell who dominated the Modified show, by winning both main events. In the 50 lap Feature he was followed over the line by the O’Brien brothers, Tim in second and Danny third.

09302010gI’d been taking photos on the center for most of the night but vacated for the latter part of the night. I watched the 50 lap Street Stock race with Nancy Bicknell ( Pete’s wife) who was cheering on her local Merrittville Speedway drivers that all put up a good performance.

It was a great night of racing from all the divisions and I really enjoyed the night. When it was over, like many others present, I retired to the camping field ( parking lot) where a beer or two was had as a night cap. My bed for the night, was in the back of my Chevy HHR, as I’d got plans to attend another track the next day.

I’d already decided long before making the trip that I was going to stay overnight and had been looking out for an event I could go to on the Sunday. During the weeks leading up to Apple Fest I learned of something happening not too far away at a track I’d never been to before.

This was ideal and as I left Brighton on Sunday morning my destination was the Sunset Speedway at Innisfil north of Toronto. My first stop was the Fifth Wheel Truck Stop at Bowmansville for a ‘wash and clean up’ before a hearty buffet breakfast. From there it was plain sailing to the track where I arrived about 10-30 in the morning,

The show was scheduled to start at 1-00pm and already there were plenty of cars there. There were over 125 race cars , which included , 4 and 8 Cylinder Stocks, Late Models and the spectacular OSCAAR Late Models. I’d never seen the latter before and was very impressed.

The Sunset Speedway is a third of a mile banked asphalt track which is promoted by NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver Mark Dilley. Just like the nearby Barrie Speedway that I visited two weeks ago, it was a very tidy facility that put on a great show.

09302010nAs you’d expect I spent most of the time on the center taking photos and was accompanied by Mike, the track photographer ( a real nice guy, who wears a crash helmet while working ! ) and Dave Franks.

09302010oIt was good to meet up with Dave again who I first met at the Flamboro Speedway, a while back.09302010k 09302010l 09302010m 09302010p

I didn’t stay to the end of the show, because of the distance involved and my need to be at work early on Monday. So around mid afternoon I made my exit and headed for home.

The Sunset Speedway, Innisfil, Ontario. became track # 186 on my TRACKCHASING totals