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Web Site Update
This weekend we reached over 3000 hits on the recorder and the latest person to sign the guest book was Paul from Grantham ,UK. ( hometown of the notorious former prime minister Maggie Thatcher) Paul is the man behind the web site www.briscaf1stoxpics.co.uk
Thanks Paul, I hope to catch you next Saturday at the BriSCA F1 W/F at Foxhall .
My forthcoming house move and prearranged trip to the UK haven't left much time to devote to the site, but there are few new photo's in most sections. Keeping with the theme of this weeks report we have a photo of Danny 'the Doctor' Johnson after winning the Cornwall Run What Ya Brung show last year. Also included is a shot I took of of him in Victory Lane at the Volusia Speedway in Florida in 2007
Weekly Report
Once again the weather has been the major factor in the racing world, as well as the world in general. My daughter Carla, who visited me from Texas during the Labor Day Weekend is now in the thick of Hurricane Ike. The coastal city of Galveston was badly affected and she's been helping out at a shelter for evacuees that was set up in Austin.
Nearer to home, a day of rain put the blocks on Friday (12 Sept) combined LUCAS OIL CANADIAN DIRT SERIES and 358 SUPERDIRT CAR SERIES at the Brockville Ontario Speedway. This was the third attempt to get the CDS event in the books and with no make up date, the current points leader David Hebert became 2008 Champion.
Due to my busy schedule, I gave the 358 SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES at Autodrome Drummond a miss on Saturday and chose to stay local. Instead of being up in Quebec seeing Danny O'Brien win his second 358 SDS race of year, I was at the ( now much dryer) Brockville Ontario Speedway for their Run What Ya Brung show. Sharing the program were rookies, street stox , Vintage Stox and the DIRT Sportsman which had two features .
At the beginning of the year I had a good chat with long time, Modified driver Mark Hitchcock , who told me of his intentions to quit at the end of the year, saying that this would be his last season in racing. This Saturday was his final night, and a bunch of his fellow drivers got together for a photo shoot with him before the racing commenced.
As I said, the weather played a big part in everyones plans this weekend and two drivers made unexpected visits to the BOS. Brian McDonald had been down at the Oshweken Speedway with his Sprint Car for the 'Nationals' . When rain put an end to that show, he made a quick dash up the 401 to race the Lasalle Team's Modified. Chris Raabe was another one that was supposed to be somewhere else. He's been following the DIRT Sportsman Series and ended up making a grand tour around Lake Ontario running from the rain outs. The round at the Ransomville Speedway NY was effected on Friday night, then the Genessee Speedway at Batavia NY canceled their show early on Saturday. The Raabe Team chased back up across the border to win both features at the BOS.
The Run What Ya Brung show was once again won by Stephane Lafrance in his stunning projectile that laps the circuit quicker than anything else. ( even Sprint Cars). Steph won the show last year with the same machine.
Brockville turned out to be my only event this week as the Cornwall Motor Speedway also lost their Sunday show to rain.
That brings me into my next bit. The uncle of Brockville winner Stephane Lafrance is Roger Aubin who will be accompanying me to the UK for the BriSCA F1 World Final. ( Roger's wife is sister to Steph's mum)
In a few hours time we will be flying out of Ottawa bound for Gatwick Airport ( South of London). We hope to attend four different tracks during our visit, and It's reassuring to know that UK events rarely cancel for bad weather. If it rains the cars put on suitable tires, and as for the race fans, we either choose to get wet or watch from beneath an umbrella !
PIC 1 Fellow driver join Mark Hitchcock for his final night , top row L to R Joe Banks, Dave Heaslip, Kyle Dingwall, Stephane Lafrance, Paul Pekkonen, Jason Riddell, Adam Moore. bottom L to R Billy Cooke, Brian McDonald, Mark Hitchcock, Todd Stewart, John Mulder, Keith 'Chico' Dingwall
PIC 2 Mark Hitchcock and Stephane Lafrance
PIC 3 Vintage Stock Car inner Jason Powers
PIC 4 Chris Raabe and trophy girl Danielle
PIC 5 Chris Raabe in action
PIC 6 RWYB winner Stephane Lafrance interviewed by Steve Young
PIC 7 RWYB winner in Stephane Lafrance in Victory Lane with his wife Maryse.
RACES ATTENDED IN 2008
1 JAN 19 ARENA ESSEX (Thurrock UK)
2 JAN 27 LAC MORIN (Que)
3 JAN 27 ST EULALIE (Que)
4 FEB 16 KAHNAWAKE (Que)
5 FEB 17 CLARENCE CREEK (Ont)
6 FEB 24 BERTRAND FABI CIRCUIT . Sherbrooke, (Que)
7 FEB 24 BEAUHARNOIS , (Que)
8 MAR 21 WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY (PA)
9 MAR 22 LINCOLN SPEEDWAY (PA)
10 APR 19 CAN AM SPEEDWAY,Lafargeville, (NY)
11 APR 20 CAYUGA COUNTY FAIR SPEEDWAY,Weedsport, (NY)
12 APR 26 MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY (Ont) 358 SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
13 APR 27 HUMBERSTONE SPEEDWAY, Port Colborne (Ont)
14 MAY 3 MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY , Hogansburg (NY)
15 MAY 9 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY , OTTAWA (Ont)
16 MAY 10 MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY , Hogansburg (NY)
17 MAY 17 BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY, (Ont)
18 MAY 18 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont)
19 MAY 24 MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY , Hogansburg (NY)
20 MAY 25 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont)
21 MAY 29 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont) KART TRACK
22 MAY 30 AUTODROME EDELWEISS , Cantley, (Que)
23 MAY 31 BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY, (Ont)
JUN 1 AUTODROME ST EUSTACHE, (Que) RAINED OUT
24 JUN 6 AUTODROME EDELWEISS Cantley, (Que)
25 JUN 7 FULTON SPEEDWAY (NY) SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
26 JUN 8 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont)
27 JUN 11 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY , Ottawa, (Ont)
28 JUN 21 BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY (Ont)
29 JUN 22 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont) WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODELS
30 JUN 28 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY, Ottawa (Ont) RAINED OUT
31 JUN 28 MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, Hogansburg, (NY)
32 JUN 29 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont)
33 JUL 3 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY Ottawa, (Ont)
34 JUL 5 BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY (Ont)
35 JUL 6 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont)
36 JUL 9 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY ,Ottawa (Ont)
37 JUL 10 BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY (Ont) SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
38 JUL 12 ICAR CIRCUIT, Mirabel, (Que)
39 JUL 12 AUTODROME DRUMMOND (Que)
JUL 13 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY(Ont) , RAINED OUT SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
40 JUL 16 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY,Ottawa (Ont)
41 JUL 18 BRIGHTON SPEEDWAY (Ont)
42 JUL 19 AUTODROME DRUMMOND (Que)
JUL 20 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont) RAINED OUT
JUL 23 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY,Ottawa, (Ont) RAINED OUT
JUL 26 MOWHAWK INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, Hogansburg (NY) RAINED OUT
43 JUL 27 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont)
44 JUL 30 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY, Ottawa, (Ont)
45 JUL 31 MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, Hogansburg NY (LUCAS OILS CDS)
46 AUG 1 AUTODROME EDELWEISS, Cantley (Que) (LUCAS OILS CDS)
47 AUG 2 BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY (Ont) (LUCAS OILS CDS POSTPONED)
48 AUG 3 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont) (LUCAS OILS CDS)
49 AUG 6 AIRBORNE SPEEDWAY PARK , Plattsburg ( NY)
50 AUG 9 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY, Ottawa, (Ont) (ACT SERIES RACE)
AUG 10 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont) RAINED OUT
51 AUG 13 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY , Ottawa , (Ont)
52 AUG 16 CAN AM SPEEDWAY, Lafargeville, (NY) SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
53 AUG 17 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont) SUPER DIRT CAR SERIES
54 AUG 20 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY Ottawa (Ont)
55 AUG 21 MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY , Hogansburg (NY) 358 SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
56 AUG 23 BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY (Ont)
57 AUG 24 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont)
58 AUG 27 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY , Ottawa, (Ont)
59 SEP 1 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont) 358 SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES
SEP 6 CAPITAL CITY SPEEDWAY, Ottawa, (Ont) ACT SERIES RACE (RAINED OUT)
SEP 6 BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY (Ont) 358 LUCAS OIL CDN / SUPER DIRTCAR (RAINED OUT)
60 SEP 7 CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Ont) ENDURO
61 SEP 13 BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY (Ont) RUN WHAT YA BRUNG
My RICK @ the RACES (RETRO) reports are a little different, as they are an ongoing account of my times spent at the races through the years. Some time in the future, once they have been tidied up and edited, I may look into getting them published. I still have a long way to go before I'm up to the present day, but in the meantime, please contact me for consent before before using ( websites or publications) Thanks Rick
