RICK @ the RACES (8/9 Nov)

www.rickattheraces.com

Last weekend ( 8/9 Nov) was the second week running where I’ve been stuck at home with no racing to attend. My satellite TV was still down so I couldn’t watch the NASCAR race from Phoenix or any good NHL games. I was tempted to make a five hour (plus) journey to the Black Rock Speedway , close to Watkins Glen NY but with ‘iffy’ weather I didn’t want to risk it.

It turned out to be a weekend where I knuckled down to get stuff completed for ‘web master’ Craig to add to www.rickattheraces.com

We’ve updated all the sections with new photos. There are some new ‘PRETTY FACES’ from the Kawartha Speedway, The Capital City Speedway (Ottawa) and Autodrome Drummond.

Keeping with the theme of the recent DIRT TRACK WORLD FINALS in North Carolina, we’ve added photos of the two big winners to RICK’S FAVORITES. There’s a photo of Donny Schatz taken at a World Of Outlaw show at the Rolling Wheels Speedway a couple of years back and one of Josh Richards before his win in the World Of Outlaw Late Model race at the Cornwall Motor Speedway in 2008.

In the RICK’S CARS section there are some photos of a Formula 2/Superstox that I owned but never raced. It was found in a scrap yard in Dunstable and my intention was to renovate and race it. I ended up selling it before putting it on the track, but the full story will eventually be told in the ‘RETRO COLUMN’.

The ‘RETRO COLUMN’ has also been updated and Episode # 2 is now up-loaded. I first started doing the Retro reports a couple of years ago for my mailing list and got as far as 1986 when we launched the website . I’m now in the process of going through them , correcting and adding more stuff of interest. Extra photos and program scans are being added too, and in Episode # 2 which deals with 1967/8 there’s a shot of the famous ‘Tiger Griffin’ car that Stuart ‘Wildcat’ Smith used in his rise to fame .

I took that photo in the Brafield pits with my little Kodak Instamatic camera. At that time I was taking color slides ( transparencies) and that pic was converted to a print, then scanned. Little did I know, that forty years later I’d be back at Brafield taking photos of his son Andy, the 2009 BriSCA F1 World Champion.

I’m working on RETRO # 3 at the present and hope to have it up soon.

Even during a quiet week my mail box has been busy and I’ve had a few interesting messages.

First of all my buddy Dave ‘Smiffyman’ Smith dropped me a line with an interesting photo. He was at the Arena Essex track ( UK) at the weekend and it was pouring with rain. ( What’s new eh ! ) Cancel ? , no of course not, it’s in the UK right ! .

Check out the photo of Sprint cars racing on asphalt in the rain ! To quote Dave , “ In the final ( feature) it poured down so much, I put the camera away and sat in the fire tender on the center green”

I also heard from first time reader Rob Clark of Cameron (Ont) . He’s heavily involved in vintage race cars and auto literature. He’d like to bring to peoples attention the 2009 Kingston Speedway (Ontario) reunion that will be taking place at the Odessa Fairgrounds on (June 13/14).

I’ve added the flyer to the photo section. Rob also reminded me of the Winter Ice Racing Series at the Minden Fairgrounds near to his home. I visited Minden a few years ago and maybe I’ll get a chance to return this winter.

My friend Erin Joyce who’s been driving the # 33 Legend at the Capital City Speedway ( Ottawa) has been in touch. Her immaculate racer is up for sale, so if there’s anyone out there interested let me know, and I can put you in touch with her. At the moment the ‘direction’ of her 2009 racing plans are uncertain, but she’s promised to keep me posted.

Another young driver with unclear plans for next year is Chris Raabe # 01 the 2008 Sportsman SUPER DIRTCAR Champion. ‘Web master’ Craig attended the teams celebration party this week but was unable to confirm what’s in store. There’s been a lot of talk about Chris heading for the paved tracks and the NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES next year.

I still have no definite racing plans for the immediate future but may go Rallying on November 22 . The Tall Pines Rally is taking place at Bancroft (Ont), close to Combermere , where I used to live that day, but I’ll need to be back in Ottawa for the Capital City Speedway Banquet in the evening. Watch This Space !

http://www.tallpinesrally.com/TallPines/