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13 JUL Autodrome Granby, QUE
14 JUL Autodrome Drummond QUE
15 JUL Cornwall Motor Speedway, ONT
I guess, you can't expect things to run smoothly when you make plans to go racing on 'Friday the thirteenth' and my trip to Autodrome Granby for the start of the LUCAS OILS CANADIAN DIRT SERIES was no exception. I got away from work early and was just pulling off at the Granby exit on Autoroute 10 , at about 5-00pm when my cel phone rang. I'd arranged to stay at the track overnight with friends in their motorhome, and the call was from them, saying, they'd just arrived at the track and found it canceled. My first reaction was to turn around and go home, but because I was so close to the track I decided to carry on. Once there I met up with my friends and a lot of other disappointed race-goers who'd not heard about the early cancellation, apparently due to an rainstorm earlier in the day. Granby was the opener for for the CDS with Autodrome Drummond ( located about an hour away) scheduled for the following night, so after several discussions, a convoy of race haulers, cars and motorhomes set off in that direction. Once at Drummond we found the parking lot/campground already filling up, with other long distance travelers, obviously with the same idea. After a good feed at the local 'East Side Mario's' the rest of the night was spent chatting and supping the occasional beer, around an open campfire with the Laurent and Lee Ladouceur DIRT Modified Team.
Saturday morning dawned with beautifully warm and sunny weather, and the day was spent relaxing in the heat and watching the various race teams arrive. I chatted to past racing Legend "the Flying Frenchman' Ovide Doiron and he showed me the artwork and murals painted on his motor home parked nearby. The design that features everything from picturesque rocky coastlines, to wild animals, and of course his famous # 40 DIRT Mod took the artist three months to complete. This was obviously the best turn-out of 'visiting' drivers to Drummond since the CDS first started, a few years ago. Joining the locals, there were 14 long distance travelers from Ontario, New York and other parts of Quebec. Once the pit gates had opened and the teams were assembled the bi-lingual drivers meeting was held. This coincided with the arrival of a large black cloud in the sky and some slight drizzle in the air. It wasn't long before the drizzle got heavier and everyone rushed for shelter. The shower only lasted a short while and the 'packers' had the track dried out just after 7-00pm. All divisions came out for warm-ups and the racing was set to commence..... which was the queue for the next bout of rain. This time, the downpour was set in for the night, so the inevitable postponement was made.
The make-up date for the lost Granby race from the previous night had already been announced for Tuesday July 7, so Drummond was then slotted in, on the day before, Monday July 6.
With the rain still falling heavily , I was out of the gate and heading for home.
The next day was Sunday and my local Cornwall Motor Speedway was the destination. Although there were plenty of clouds in the sky, the prospects of a dry night looked good. The stands were packed as usual, and the pits were full with ESS Sprint Cars DIRT MODS , ProStox and Rookies. Following the warm-ups, just like Drummond the night before, a huge black cloud arrived on the scene and dumped all of it's contents on the track. Again, like Drummond, the shower was short lived and after considerable work by the packer-trucks and race cars, the surface became raceable around 9-00pm. As usual the Rookies were the first on the grid for their heats which were turned around pretty quickly. The mods were next, which managed one lap, before a massive thunder storm halted the proceedings. The abrupt ending denied race fans the chance of seeing former track favourite, Dale Planck make a return in the # 1 Troyer Modified, as well as guest driving the # 73 Sprint Car.
So my total race count for the weekend of 13/14/15 JULY was four Rookie races !
The re-make for this 'ESS Sprint Special' has been given as Aug 19.
Prior to the Cornwall rain-out, one of the attractions in the display area behind the main stands was an antique Stock Car # 67. I just had to get a photo of this machine, as the # 67 is a bit special to me. When I was living in the UK, # 67 was my registered number for 15 years or so while I was racing on the BriSCA F1 Stock Car circuits. I also had the same number in BriSCA F2 for a few years too. Strangely enough, this weekend , I had an e-mail message from one of my old racing buddies, Ian Hall , a former BriSCA F1 driver (ex # 381) , who I've know for about 30 years. While I was getting soaked at the DIRT tracks of Ontario and Quebec he was attending the European F1 Stock Car Championships at the Northampton Raceway ( Brafield) in the UK . Here's what he had to say...
<< Hi Dick,
another year another European meeting over, where
has summer gone! During the meeting we had a few rain showers,
when I got home 21:00 it had been dry all day and was a lot warmer.
Although looking at the line up for the race, it had many
familiar old faces (it could have been 1990 race) but we are now
getting a new breed of younger racers, their racing style is a lot
smoother and I think it will not be long before these will be
take up the mantle & be regular race winners. By the way the best
foreign driver in the race was # 67 from Belgium, I noticed two
drivers from there.
By the way I have been catching up with my e-mails & notice you frequent many fast food places to & from the track, watch your health! As your track chasing could come to a sudden end.
Hope to see you soon if not next year at Ipswich for a beer
Ian C Hall >>
Thanks for the update Ian and it's good to know you're thinking about my health ! ... the trouble is the fast food in Canada is so much better than what I remember in the UK.
Ian also sent me a photo of the # 67 F1 Stock Car from Belgium, which sure looks good.
As you see Ian also mentioned Ipswich ... It has been announced that the 2008 BrISCA F1 STOCK CAR WORLD FINAL is going to be held for the first time at my 'home town' track, the Foxhall Stadium , Ipswich ( 20/21 SEPTEMBER 2008) and I'm already making plans to be there. So if there's any of my North American friends who feel like a trip to see UK style 'full contact' F1 Stock Car racing next year, let me know. It would be great to organize a party of us. BriSCA F1 is the 'Big League' of UK oval racing.
PIC 1 Ovide Doiron beside his Motorhome at Drummond
PIC 2 Mike Adderley at Drummond
PIC 3 Ovide Doiron assists Jasmin Laveille at Drummond
PIC 4 Warmups at Drummond
PIC 5 Track Packers at Drummond
PIC 6 Dale Planck in the # 1 Troyer at Cornwall (Hot laps)
PIC 7 Dale Planck in the # 73 ESS Sprint at Cornwall (Hot laps)
PIC 8 Antique stock car # 67 at Cornwall
PIC 9 Up to date F1 Stock Car # 67 from Belgium at the Brafield Euro meeting this weekend.
PIC 10 Ian Hall in his BriSCA F1 at the Mildenhall Speedway during the 1980's
PIC 11 This was the last BriSCA F1 (# 67) I drove , pic taken during the mid 1980's
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)
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