RICK @ the RACES (10 April 2010)

10 April                    Fulton Speedway NY (SUPER DIRT SERIES)

At last the racing season has got under way here in the North East and this past week end I traveled down to the Fulton Speedway , New York for the Big Block Modified SUPER DIRT SERIES. The weather was favorable and I was joined on the trip by my friends, Roger Aubin, www.rickattheraces.com web master Craig Revelle and Can Am Speedway Photographer Rebecca Eisele.

We made an early start and after stopping for lunch at The Ponderosa in Watertown NY we were at the track around 3-00pm. Racing wasn’t scheduled to start until the evening, but with the weather being so nice and it being the season opener, we had plenty of time to socialize with the other early arrivals. Prior to the start I chatted, with drivers Pat Ward, Mario Clair and Lance Willix.

Lance is one of our local drivers ( Theresa NY.) who is following the SUPER DIRT SERIES tour for the first time in 2010.

As well as Big Block Modifieds , the program also consisted of DIRT SPORTSMAN and making his appearance was another of our locals, Steve Barber. Steve from Landsdown, Ont has been winning many 4 cylinder Street Stocks races at Brockville over the past few years and has recently moved up to SPORTSMAN with an ex Pat O’Brien car.

Once the racing got under way I stationed myself on the center between turn three and four with the other photographers. It was good to see all my buddies again, and catch up on the news.

The big race wasn’t a disappointment and race fans were treated to a great battle between Dale Planck and Billy Decker. Earlier in the evening, during the ‘re draw’ I noticed Dale was limping badly, and asked him what he’d done.

He told me that on arrival at the track he’d twisted his ankle. Anyway, this didn’t prevent him from driving well, and was in excellent form as he fended off Deckers challenge to take the checkers.

It’s always good to see Dale win as I always think of him as one of ‘our locals’, even if he isn’t ! He lives in Homer , New York which is south of Syracuse, but much of his racing in the recent past has taken place at my near by tracks of Cornwall, Brockville and Mohawk.

I have to compliment the staff at Fulton Speedway for the slick running of the show. Although the weather had been sunny and dry, it got a bit chilly during the evening and it was nice to be on our way home soon after 10-00pm.