CLICK HERE TO READ PAST COLUMNS
Aug 10 Autodrome Edelweiss (Que)
Aug 11 Lebanon Valley Speedway (NY)
Aug 12 Cornwall Motor Speedway (Ont)
After two hectic weeks cram packed with racing, it was nice to take it a little easier this weekend by attending just three venues.
Friday, found me at my regular haunt up in the Gatineau Mountains, north of Ottawa for a regular night at Autodrome Edelweiss. On arrival, I wandered the pits as normal, and the first thing that caught my eye was the World of Outlaws style Late Model of Peter Mantha. Late Models are not one of the normal divisions here but the former, local Dirt Modified driver had brought it a long to show the fans and do a few hot laps.
The Modified feature got off to a really lively start ! For a couple of laps Laurent Ladouceur and Dave Heaslip were engaged in a great side by side duel . Things were going OK until Eric Gauvreau decided to join the party . He tried the inside of Heaslip making it three wide, which just didn't work ! as there wasn't enough room ! As a result he rode the rough stuff, coliding with Heaslip and losing a wheel, which bounced high into the mountains ( so if you ever see a moose wearing a Hoosier on his antlers, you'll know the story ! ) . This incident put Gauvreau and Heaslip out, leaving Ladouceur the task of chasing his youngest son, Lee, who'd been leading for most of the race. Father closed in on son with one lap to go and made the pass as they crossed the line, making a great Victory Lane celebration for both of them. Just to complete the Ladouceur family domination, Joey the eldest son won the DIRT PROSTOX Feature.
Saturday morning I met up with Jim Clarke, announcer at the Kawartha Speedway (Ont) and fellow media man who had traveled up from Belleville (Ont) . I left my car at the Cornwall Motor Speedway and jumped into his for the trip down to the Lebanon Valley Speedway NY ( located between Albany NY and the Massachusetts State line) for a round of the SUPERDIRT CAR SERIES. I have to say, Lebanon Valley is one of my favorite Dirt tracks, and I love the place. My first visit there, was a few years back when NASCAR driver Tony Stewart was guest driving a Mod. I remember it well.. he was taken out by a back marker and as you might guess, wasn't a happy man.
We got down there soon after 4-30pm , in good time for the nights racing and as usual a walk around the pits was my first port of call. The first person I bumped into was Mike Petrucci, the man behind the RACE PRO WEEKLY website . He joined our pit tour , and introduced us to Heather O'Dell, who's part of the LV management team . Mike from Connecticut is regular at the 'Valley' where his brother races a DIRT Sportsman. For some reason a few of the major players on the SDS tour were missing and racing elsewhere, namely Frank Cozze, Vic Coffey, Alan Johnson, Justin Haers and Matt Shepherd. There absence was made up for by the top locals such as Andy Bachetti, Kenny Tremont and Wayne Jelley. Paul Gilardi # 87 was really impressive, holding his own against Billy Decker for a number of laps until he wrecked . As the two of them approached back markers Gilardi's front left tire came into contact with Decker's right rear , which catapulted him into the wall and out of the race. Mean while Brett Hearn who drew pole position scored a flag to flag Victory.
Jim and I met up with a few friends while we were there, and in preference to my usual overnight camping, we all booked into a motel in Albany. On Sunday morning we were back on the road, as I needed to be at the Cornwall Motor Speedway in good time for the evening show.
The sun was shining for most of the day, and that's how it was when the racing got under way. All the heats for, Rookies, Semi Pro's , ProStox and Modifieds went by without a problem. The first of the Features was for the Rookie Experts, and just as Mark Usereau took the checkers, the heavens opened and it poured with rain . Once more a large black cloud had targeted the track, forcing a premature ending to the night. It's double features next week.
PIC 1 Peter Mantha (left) chats to a crewman about 'under the hood' of his Late Model at Edelweiss
PIC 2 Peter Mantha's Late Model at Edelweiss
PIC 3 Laurent and Lee celebrate in the Edelweiss Victory Lane
PIC 4 That's me ( on the left) at the 'Valley" with a couple of my racing buddies, Roger Aubin (centre)and Jim Clarke ( right)
PIC 5 DIRTCAR official Gary Spaid and Heather O'Dell of LebanonValley Speedway
PIC 6 Matt Quinn # 20 and # 45 Wayne Jelley dice at the 'Valley'
PIC 7 Some of the contestants in the Miss Lebanon Valley contest
PIC 8 Billy Decker # 91 and Kenny Tremont # 115 dicing at the 'Valley'
PIC 9 A view from the front stretch tower at the 'Valley'
PIC 10 Brett Hearn in the Lebanon Valley Victory Lane
PIC 11 Bill Mullen came to grief in one ot the heats, before rain put and end to things at Cornwall.
RACES ATTENDED In 2007
1 14th Jan Brockville Speedway (Ont) Winter Enduro
2 27th Jan St Edouard De Lotbiniere (Que) Ice Racing
3 4th Feb Laviltrie, (Que) Ice Racing
4 11th Feb Beauharnois (Que) Ice Racing
5 14th Feb Orlando Speedworld (FL) Legends, Bandolero's
6 14th Feb Volusia Speedway (FL) SUPER DIRT SERIES
7 15th Feb Daytona Speedway (FL) NASCAR Gatorade Duel
8 15th Feb New Smyrna Speedway (FL) Asphalt Mods
15th Feb Volusia Speedway (FL) SUPER DIRT SERIES/ WOO LATEMODELS(RAIN)
9 16th Feb East Bay Speedway (FL) Open Wheel Mods
10 17th Feb Volusia Speedway (FL) SUPER DIRT SERIES/WOO LATE MODELS
11 18th Feb Daytona Speedway (FL) "500" NEXTEL CUP
12 4th Mar Lake Otisco, Marietta. (NY) (Ice Racing
13 14th April Fonda Speedway (NY) ROC Dirt Modified Tour
14 21st April Can Am Speedway, Lafargeville, NY (regular show)
16 27th April Thunder Alley Speedpark , Evans Mills, NY (RAINED OUT)
17 29th April Cayuga County Fair Speedway, Weedsport, NY (regular show)
18 3rd May Virginia Motor Speedway, Jamaica, Va. SUPER DIRT SERIES
19 4th May Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pa (regular show)
20 5th May Can Am Speedway, Lafargeville , NY, (regular show)
21 9th May Capital City Speedway,Stittsville, Ont, (regular show)
22 11th May Autodrome Edelweiss, Cantley, Que, (358 Mod Vic 200 QF)
23 12th May Frogtown Int Speedway, Hogansburg,NY (regular show)
19th May Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont, (RAINED OUT)
24 25th May Autodrome Edelweiss,Que, (regular show)
25 26th May Peterborough Speedway, Ont, (regular show)
26 1st Jun Autodrome Edelweiss, Cantley, Que (regular show)
27 2nd Jun Shannonville Motorsports Park, Ont (Circuit Racing)
3rd Jun Cornwall Motor Speedway ,Ont (RAINED OUT)
28 3rd Jun Ca Am Speedway, Lafargeville, NY (Five Star Modified Series)
4th Jun Cornwall Motor Speedway ( RAINED OUT)
8th Jun Autodrome Edelweiss, Cantley, Que (RAINED OUT)
29 9th Jun Fulton Speedway NY , SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
30 10th Jun Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont (regular show)
31 15th Jun Autodrome Edelweiss, Cantley, Que (regular show)
32 16th Jun Sanair Racing Complex, St Pie, Que, (Road Course)
33 16th Jun Frogtown Int Speedway, Hogansburg, NY (regular show)
34 17th Jun Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont (regular show plus Sprints)
35 22nd Jun Autodrome Granby, Que (regular show)
36 23rd Jun Maxville Fairgrounds, Ont ( FIGURE 8 and Demo Derby)
37 24th Jun Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont, (regular show)
38 27th Jun Frogtown Int Speedway,Hogansburg,NY (Midweek Special)
39 29th Jun Autodrome Edelweiss, Cantley, Que, (Syracuse QF)
30th Jun Brockville Speedway, Ont RWYB (RAINED OUT)
40 1 Jul Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont (regular show plus ProStox Special)
41 3 Jul Rolling Wheels , Elbridge NY (SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES)
42 7 Jul Frogtown Int Speedway, Hogansburg NY (regular show plus Prostox Special)
8 Jul Cornwall Motor Speedway ,Ont (RAINED OUT SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES)
43 10 th July Brockville Ontario Speedway, Ont SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
13th July Autodrome Granby ,Que (CDS RAINED OUT)
14th July Autodrome Drummond, Que (CDS RAINED OUT)
44 15th July Cornwall Motor Speedway. Ont ( RAIN SHORTENED)
45 21th July Frogtown Int Speedway, Hogansburg NY ( regular show)
46 22nd July Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
47 23rd July Autodrome Drummond, Que, SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
48 24th July Airborne Speedway, Plattsburg, NY ( DIRT MOD SPECIAL)
49 27th July Autodrome Edelweiss, Cantley, Que (CANADIAN DIRT SERIES)
50 28th July Calabogie Motorsports (Circuit) Ont,
51 28th July Brockville Ont Speedway, Ont (CANADIAN DIRT SERIES)
52 29th July Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont (CANADIAN DIRT SERIES)
53 3rd Aug Brewerton Speedway ,NY SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
54 4th Aug Frogtown Int Speedway, Hogansburg, NY, (regular show)
55 5th Aug Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont, (50lap Syracuse QR)
56 6th Aug Autodrome Drummond, Que, (CANADIAN DIRT SERIES)
57 7th Aug Autodrome Granby,Que, (CANADIAN DIRT SERIES)
58 10th Aug Autodrome Edelweiss, Cantley, Que, (regular show)
59 11th Aug Lebanon Valley Speedway, NY (SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES)
60 12th Aug Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont (regular show)
This page has been viewedtimes