RICK @ the RACES (20/21 Nov)
As the year draws to and end , two weeks ago the 2010 Dirt Champions were crowned in Charlotte NC , last week the F1 Grand Prix title was decided in Abu Dhabi and this week it was the turn of NASCAR. As we went into the final round at Homestead (Miami FL) there were three guys in with a chance of the championship. Denny Hamlin had a slight lead in the points but Kevin Harvick and defending champion Jimmie Johnson were both in with a chance. Like thousands of other people around the world, I sat behind my TV set to watch the final show down. The race was full of drama with each of the contenders having set backs a long the way . Hamlin suffered an early ‘knock’ with another car, Johnson’s pit stop were slower than they should have been, while Harvick picked up a pit lane speeding penalty. They all survived the mishaps and were still running at the end of the race when Carl Edwards took the checkers for the second week running.( He ended his long drought of wins at Phoenix, the previous week) Jimmie Johnson followed him across the line to take second place, which was far enough in front of Harvick and Hamlin to secure the championship. This meant an incredible fifth straight Championship for Johnson , the young Californian.
As far as my local racing scene is concerned , there were still a few events taking place this past weekend but I chose to stay at home and ‘recharge my bank balance’ following a busy end to the racing year. The Parts Peddler Show was taking place in Syracuse NY and the Annual DIRTCAR Banquet was being held in Vernon NY.
This was also the weekend when the DIRT Promoters held their meeting discuss the coming season. As for race fans, it’s the start of the ‘silly season’ when rumors and gossip about tracks and drivers start doing the rounds.
Two pieces of track news that are definitely not rumors concern the Canandaigua and Cayuga County Fairgrounds (Weedsport) Speedways. They will now have new people running them for 2011. Jeremie Corcoran will be at Canadaigua and Eric Kingsley will be in charge at Weedsport.
On a much more local level (for me) , the talk of the ‘silly season’ has surrounded the two Ottawa area tracks, Autodrome Edelweiss and the Capital City Speedway. I’ve yet to see an official statement, but it appears that Edelweiss, (located about a 20 minute drive north of the nations capital) at Cantley, Quebec will not be running as a race track next year, and is in the process of being sold.
Meanwhile in Stittsville to the west of the city, the Capital City Speedway looks set for more changes. This time last year, former promoter Arnie Malcolm made his exit and Jeremy Coulter became General Manager for the Drummond Family who are the track owners. Before the 2010 season was over Coulter made his exit, and the Drummonds are currently looking for an interested party to lease and operate the track.
The rumors that are doing the rounds concern a group of (dirt orientated) investors that have been thinking of taking over CCS to replace the departing Edelweiss. Whether or not the newly paved CCS would be turned into a dirt track or remain asphalt with the introduction of dirt style divisions, is only speculation, but already the rumors have got some people worried.
I have mixed feelings about what ever the outcome may be. I don’t mind admitting that dirt racing is my preferred diet and that attendances would most likely increase, but I’m not sure if it would be a good thing for the CCS to ‘go dirt’ ( well not straight away) .
Obviously a dirt surface wouldn’t be good thing for the current roster of CCS drivers and their cars, with the nearest other paved tracks being at least two hours away at either St Eustache (Que) or Kawartha and Peterborough (Ont).
Maybe the direction to go, would be to keep it paved initially but to run Dirt Style Modifieds like they’ve been doing at other tracks in the North East. The Airborne Speedway at Plattsburgh NY has been a great success story after doing this and has had large car and crowd turnouts.
Like I said, this is the ‘Silly Season’ and until I get an official press release, everything remains a rumor.