BUDDIES BLOGS - Jim Clarke

Jim’s Journey’s

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

June 14, 2009  

 

With another 3 day weekend on my calendar and a 1:00 starting time at work on Monday afternoon, my original idea was to stuff as much into my down-time as possible.  It may have been an adventurous plan.  Friday night was spent on the couch, watching the final, final final of the Stanley Cup playoffs.  I was wide-awake during the anthem singing, but I’ll sadly admit that once the Red Wings went down 2-0 late in the second period, I called it a night.  Saturday dawned a new day with new, exciting activities planned.  2 loads of laundry and a trip to Tim Horton’s for a coffee later I realized...being a grown-up really isn’t as much fun as I’d thought it would be.

 

Saturday, June 13th:  Brockville Ontario Speedway

 

What kind of, sort of, maybe, could’ve, would’ve, should’ve been part of 3 racing-related activities I’d hoped to cram into 1 day turned out to be the only racing-related activity I’d be part of all weekend. 

 

Just after 3:00 Saturday afternoon, I was on the road for Brockville .  As I rolled on to the 401 at Belleville , I noticed some rain showers on my windshield.  The closer I got to Kingston , the more the rain had picked-up.  Near Gananoque, it was raining so hard that I began looking through the phonebook on my cell phone looking for the number to call the track.  The racing Gods may have been smiling on me because as it turns out, I didn’t have the track number programmed into my phone.  Once I reached the Mallorytown exit on the highway, the rain was back to some ‘casual’ drops.  When I got to the track around 4:30 , the skies were clearing and it looked like a great night for racing.

 

The Lucas Oil DIRTcar sportsman tour was part of the regular show and I was surprised to see only 1 ‘invader’, the #17K of Sammy Reakes IV joining Brockville ’s regulars.  Part of my usual pre-race routine includes a visit to the hauler of Adam Turner, driver of the #92 sportsman-modified.  The team very kindly put ‘Clarke Motorsports Communications’ on the side of the car in exchange for some media work I did earlier this year.  Adam isn’t usually there when I stop around. He’s a bit of a social butterfly and likes to make the rounds of the pit area, talking to his friends...and making new ones along the way. Adam’s parents, Paul and Pat are great people and I enjoy visiting with them.  The Turner clan travels in a pair of motor homes and usually spends the night at the track, before heading back to Picton , Ontario on Sunday morning after the races.

 

The sportsman show started 26 cars strong, with Shane Pecore taking an early lead and had as much as a 5 car length margin over Reakes, who’d started 5th.  The 40 lap feature was slowed by several yellow flags, but featured some amazing racing.  Reakes worked his way to the lead by lap 13 and was coming through lapped traffic just 3 circuits later.  Turner dropped a couple of spots early, as the 63 of Chris Herbison and the 32K of Randy Gaudet got by on laps 18 and 22 respectively.  Still, the driver of the #92 machine – who currently sits 2nd in Brockville’s sportsman division points held-on for a 5th place finish.

 

At the checkered flag, it was Reakes making the most of his first-ever race on Canadian soil, picking-up the win.  Matt Billings, Herbison and Gaudet finished in spots 2 through 4, with Shane Pecore 6th.

 

The DIRTcar 358 modified feature was another Danny O’Brien benefit show.  After finishing 2nd to Todd Stewart Saturday, June 6th the ‘Pocket Rocket’ was out to bring his performance up a notch.  Taking the green flag from 13th spot, O’Brien was running 2nd with 13 laps in the books – and took the lead a lap later.  The 8 time Brockville Speedway champion held-off a late race challenge by his older brother Pat to claim his 3rd win in 4 2009 starts.  Adam Moore, Todd Stewart and Kyle Dingwall completed the top 5.

 

This weekend:  Friday, June 19th – Kawartha Speedway 100 lap late model invitational event, plus a regular show.  Saturday, June 20th – Brockville Ontario Speedway .

 

In the distance:  Monday, June 22nd – my daughter Allisen’s 8th grade graduation.  Wednesday, June 24th – my son Travis’ graduation from high school.  

 

______________________________________________________________________________________

 

Jim's Journey - June 7, 2009

Jim's Journey - May 31, 2009

 

HOME