RICK @ the RACES (4 DEC 2008)

As we move into December, my racing trips are over for this year and I now look ahead to next month when the ice racing season kick starts my 2009 campaign.

With nothing happening last weekend I took a ride across the International Bridge at Cornwall (Ont) to have look at the work in progress at my local Mohawk International Raceway (Hogansburg NY).

The old grandstands , race control and sponsors booths have been demolished and all that remains are the pit bleachers, officials shack, Victory Lane backdrop, lap counter lights and the brand new washrooms that were built earlier this year. It appears that the ground where the pits are located has been raised in height. ( I guess this is to improve the drainage). With a ‘rumored’ change from Saturday nights to Fridays next year it looks like a new era is on its way for the formerly known Frogtown Speedway.

As you know the www.rickattheraces  web site was launched this year and my reports are now available to anyone. With this in mind, my original intention was to bring the RICK @ the RACES mailing list to an end. However, following the feedback from some readers, and others asking to be added to the list , I’ve decided to continue with them next year. I don’t wish to send them out to anyone, who’d prefer reading them via the website, so please let me know if you’d like your name to be removed.

The mailing list race reports will resume, when my track visits resume next year. In the mean time, I hope to keep Craig, the web-master, busy with regular updates for the ‘Weekly Report’ with anything of interest that crops up.

While mentioning Craig, I’d like to bring to your attention a project he’s recently embarked on. His plans are to construct a web-site devoted to the history of the speedways in Eastern Ontario and the near by New York border tracks.

The main emphasis will be on Brockville, Can Am, Cornwall and the long gone Kingston track, but he hopes to add info on others in the area too. If you feel you can help Craig with photos or info please contact him at Finish Line Web Designs, which is linked from www.rickattheraces.com

Staying on a ‘historic’ note, I must mention a message and some photos I received this week from Paul Huggett in the UK. This past weekend he was at the Foxhall Stadium (Ipswich) for a get together of Historic stock car enthusiasts. These cars really look great, and one thing’s for sure, If I was still living in the UK , this would be the sport I’d be involved in.

The website updates include episode # 4 of the RETRO REPORT which deals with 1971.

To coincide with last weeks TALL PINES RALLY report and the Capital City Speedway banquet , RICKS FAVORITES include photo’s from the first North American, EURO RALLYCROSS at Corinth NY , in 2006 and from the same year, we have a wreck at the CCS.

In the RICKS CARS section you’ll find a photo of the last BriSCA F2 stock car I owned pictured at the Abbey Stadium (Swindon UK) in 1989.

On December 8 , it’s my daughter Carla’s birthday, so an early photo of her graces the PRETTY FACES section.