BUDDIES BLOGS - Jim Clarke
Jim’s
Journey’s
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
August
8, 2009
Sometimes
life – and racing – will throw you a curve.
It’s how you handle things and adapt that makes all the difference.
Friday,
August 7th: Kawartha
Speedway
It
had been almost a month since Kawartha Speedway hosted a show.
An off weekend, book-ended by a pair of rainouts left drivers and fans
hungry for some action. Too bad it
wasn’t exactly the type of action they were looking for.
As
has been previously documented in my writing, I’m doing some different things
at the track this season – working closely with the drivers and getting more
information out to the media, while turning over the play-by-play announcing
duties to Spencer Lewis. Before the
show begins, I’m usually hanging-out on the backstretch, collecting photos to
use with the press releases I send out. Just
ahead of the night’s green flag, I head for the offices under the main
grandstand to retrieve the cordless microphone that I use during victory lane
interviews. Friday night, the
microphone wasn’t there. It
wasn’t anywhere. As a result, the
victory lane celebrations were very quiet.
I’ve
never been someone to shy away from trying new things, so I also got to add a
new item to my ‘things I’ve done at a racetrack’ file.
During
the pre-race warm-ups, they needed someone to do flagging duties on the
backstretch. I’m certainly not
ready for a new career move, but now I can cross that task off my list.
If you’re wondering, I have driven a racecar – on the oval at Mosport
– and I sucked.
Kawartha’s
late model division didn’t have one their better nights.
The addition of some invaders swelled their numbers to 29 cars.
The first heat, scheduled for 10 laps ran just 3 before being sent to the
penalty box by track officials. Come
feature time, the #7 on Nick Sinopoli and the #47 of Tom Walters each needed to
be taken from the track using a ‘sling’ between 2 wreckers.
Neither driver was hurt, but the Walters’ incident knocked the front
stretch wall out of position and damaged 2 sections.
Feature
winners on the night included Vic Parsons in the NAPA Auto Parts Late Models and
Kyle Donaldson in the Better Carpet Thunder Cars.
Glenn Watson and Jeff Hanley split the OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Model
main events. The Discount Car &
Truck Rental Mini Stock feature was delayed by the track curfew and will be
made-up
at a later date.
Kawartha
Speedway takes a break from action Friday, August 14th.
Thursday, August 20th Willie Reyns and Bryan Mercer will have
their cars at a special event at the Northumberland YMCA in Cobourg.
The track will host their annual Fan Appreciation Night Friday, August 21st.
The event was postponed by rain Friday, July 17th and will
also include the second annual Discount Car & Truck Rentals race for
charity.
Saturday,
August 8th:
Living
in
The
first 30 lap modified go-round had a rough start.
With just 2 laps in the books, there was a 4 car wreck on the front
stretch. The #72 of Todd Stewart
and Bill Gill’s #0 machine ended-up being towed off the track.
Before the race could go green again, the #16 of Gage Morin slowed,
pulled into the infield and was pushed to the pits.
Anyone
who has watched a race at
The
regularly scheduled modified feature saw Dave Heaslip and John Mulder on the
front row. O’Brien would take the
green 10th, but had the lead by the 4th circuit.
He and Mike Adderley swapped the top spot a number of times, before the
‘Pocket Rocket’ shot to the front for keeps on lap 12. He
held off Adderley for his 6th win of the season, with McDonald, Jason
Riddell and Kyle Dingwall completing the top 5.
Brockville
Speedway welcomes the Ontario Dirt Late Models for their first ever appearance
Saturday, August 15th.
This
weekend: As much as I hate to say
it, work commitments may cause this to be a non-racing weekend.
I’ll keep you posted.
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Jim's Journey - August 13, 2009