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Not much happening, just NASCAR on TV (1 march 2009)

0304dRICK @ the RACES ( 1 MARCH 2009)

Well we’re now into March and it’s that time of year when ice racing comes to an end and us race fans in the north east looking forward to the coming season. There were a few ice races still taking place this past weekend but I chose to give them a miss. I spent much of the time sorting through my records and photo files, a job which was well over due. I’m presently working on my Retro Report for 1974, the year I started racing.

TGIF

The 2009 race schedules are starting to filter through and already I’m filling in the spaces on my calender. I’ve just received the tentative race dates for the Can Am Speedway (Lafargeville NY) which is yet another of my local tracks that has decided to switch from Saturday to Friday night racing . The Mohawk International Raceway (FKA Frogtown NY) is doing likewise this year. As well as these two dirt tracks, the paved Capital City Speedway in Ottawa has added more Friday dates ( before and after their regular Wednesday nights begin) . If you take into account Autodrome’s Edelweiss and Granby in Quebec, it now means I have five tracks within two hours of my home all running on the same night. For me TGIF simply doesn’t apply, as Friday is always my busiest day of the week where I often work late. On most occasions in 2009 , It looks likely I will end up going to my nearest track. I hope there are enough race fans around to make it profitable for all the promoters concerned.

The dates for the 2009 ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SUPER DIRT SERIES arrived in my mail this week. My main racing preference are Dirt Modifieds so this is the schedule I’ve been looking forward to.

Most of the usual venues were included with three interesting additions.

Following the points scoring opener at Hagerstown MD (March 28) the action returns to the Big Diamond Raceway ( April 26) high in the Pennsylvania mountains near Minersville. The last time the SDS tour visited there was back in 2003 and I was present to see Alan “AJ Slideways’ Johnson take the checkers. It was the second stop of a Super Dirt Series tour. The night before I’d attended a show at the New Egypt Speedway (NJ) with my daughter Carla. She was living in Baltimore at the time and after staying at her place after the races, I traveled to the Big Diamond Speedway the next day. I slept over night at the track in my Honda Civic. Unfortunately I’ll have to miss out this time, as the Big Diamond event follows the Merrittville Speedway ,Ont ( April 25) 358 SUPER DIRT SERIES race and the logistics for me just won’t work. The Merrittville show is high on my priority list.

Another venue returning to the SDS schedule is the Learnerville Speedway (Sept 11). I was there in 2006 when Billy Decker took the honors.

The third interesting addition to the SDS is at one of my local tracks. The paved Airborne Speedway at Plattsburgh NY have around on June 7.

The tour returns to my area on Thursday July 9 for four days of non stop action. Brockville Ontario Speedway (Thurs) Autodrome Granby (Friday) Autodrome Drummond (Saturday) Cornwall Motor Speedway ( Sunday)

So , there’s a lot to look forward to, but in the meantime, I’ll have to ‘make do’ with the NASCAR Sprint Cup races on TV. This weekends action was from Las Vegas , Nevada. In the past I’ve followed the NASCAR races ‘from a distance’ preferring the down to earth quality of dirt racing, but recently I’ve been taking a bit more interest. David Reutiman # 00 , son of Dirt racing legend “Buzzie’ is starting to be a main contender. Kyle Busch made the headlines, but it was David who made people notice when he took the 00 car to its best ever , fourth place.