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21 Jul Frogtown Int Speedway
22 Jul Cornwall Motor Speedway
23 Jul Autodrome Drummond
24 Jul Airborne Speedway
After last weeks racing famine due to bad weather, this report covers four race meetings. It should have been five, but Friday (20 Jul) turned out to be another wet one, so my plans to visit Thunder Alley NY never materialized. We had so much rain here on the Friday, it was a miracle that Saturdays races at my local Frogtown Int Speedway NY took place at all . It was only through the hard work of track staff that it became possible. Race fans were treated to double features for the Mods and Semi-Pro's because we were playing 'catch up' following the rain delays from two weeks ago. Tommy Jock Jnr took a well deserved victory in the first one, with Brian McDonald taking the second.
Next day it was the 'big one' , the event race fans in Eastern Ontario and Quebec had been waiting for. The rain-rescheduled SUPER DIRT CAR SERIES race at the Cornwall Motor Speedway. This time 'Mother Nature' co-operated with lots of sunshine and ideal conditions for one of Canada's most important auto races of the year. Cornwall is noted for good crowd attendances, and with a race of this stature, the place was bursting at the seams. All the major players were there, Tim Fuller, Brett 'the Jet' Hearn, Alan 'AJ Slideways' Johnson, his brother Danny 'the Doctor', Frank Cozze , Billy Decker, Gary Tompkins, Dale Planck, Steve 'the Hurricane' Paine and Matt Shepherd to take on the top locals.
After the preliminary heats, something different was tried. Instead of the grid positions being drawn during intermission, it was left right up until the driver introductions, with the cars out on track. This turned out to be a great success leaving the massive crowd in suspense up until the last minute. The atmosphere was electric. As the drivers came forward for the draw, it wasn't until Pat O'Brien the last driver out , that the pole position emerged. It was GREAT STUFF, as Shane Andrews the DIRT CAR announcer played to the audience. When it was time to start, he definately knows how to 'pump everyone up' and his catch phrase “We're going racing,” ... “Grand Pa, take a Viagra” always gets a laugh.
After Alain Boisvert and fellow Quebecer Clement Therrien both had turns leading for the first few laps, Ontario's Pat O'Brien aquired the hot-spot for a while, until Brett Hearn took control. O'Brien fought back , regained the lead and looked uncatchable, until he got mixed up in a wreck involving back markers. Hearn re-inherited the lead and was charging towards what looked like a certain victory , but Billy Decker had other ideas ! He'd been gaining ground gradually and with just two to go of the 100 lapper he edged past , as the ecstatic crowd were on their feet yelling with excitement.
On Monday, it was the turn of Autodrome Drummond for their rain re-scheduled SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES race and because it was a work day, It was a last minute decision for me to attend. I got off work at 5-00pm and managed to get there just after the pre-race time trials. I met up with long distance fellow photographer , Alex Bruce who'd journeyed up from the Niagra Falls area for the Cornwall/Drummond double. We wandered the pits snapping pictures, and had a chats with top Quebec drivers David Hebert and Kyle Robidoux. Drummond always puts on a good show for the fans, with loud 'hockey match' type music, fireworks and lots of hype. It was another night full of excitement, and must have been great if you lived locally or were camping overnight. Unfortunately the late start of the main event, the SDS 100 lapper ( about 10-50pm) was no good for me. With the prospect of almost three hours to drive home and work at 7-00pm in the morning, I had to leave shortly before the start. When I left, Brett Hearn was leading with Frank Cozze chasing. By the time I got home, Tom Skibinski's DIRTCAR press release had arrived in my e-mail, with the news confirming Hearn had clinched it.
It was back to work on Tuesday morning, and luckily I had a short day, I finished early and drove straight to the paved Airborne Speedway at Plattsburg NY for their midweek DIRT Mod Special. I was there in time to meet up and chat with another of my photographer buddies , Mike Watts who I found relaxing on the centre green along with DIRT CAR racing's Cory Reed. Twenty-six Mods were there for the first of two 2007 DIRT CAR sorties on to the asphalt tracks. They visit the Oswego Speedway NY next month. A large crowd turned up for this one, and in contrast to the previous night, the program was concluded by around 9-30pm . Winner of the 40 lapper was local guy, Mike Bruno. Even though I'm a self confessed DIRT fan I really enjoyed the show. It's a shame more paved tracks don't give DIRT style Mods a try, They are definitely popular with the fans.
PIC 1 The # 66 Mod at Frogtown doesn't look too healthy !
PIC 2 Tommy Jock Jnr is interviewed following his Frogtown win
PIC 3 Miss Motorsports, Chelsea Miller was at the Cornwall SDS race
PIC 4 Race action at the Cornwall SDS race.
PIC 5 Pat O'Brien gets the ploe at Cornwall's SDS race.
PIC 6 Billy Decker lines up for the start of the Cornwall SDS race
PIC 7 Billy Decker wins the Cornwall SDS race
PIC 8 Billy Decker and Brett Hearn share some fun in the Cornwall SDS race Victory Lane
PIC 9 I found a new friend at the Drummond SDS race
PIC 10 Kyle Robidoux # 46 and David Hebert #1 at the Drummond SDS race
PIC 11 The Budweiser girls at the Drummond SDS race
PIC 12 Frank Cozze # 49 and # 17 Jason Durgan at the Airborne Dirt Mod show
PIC 13 Mike and Mike Watts Jnr with Cory Reed ( DIRTCAR racing) at Airborne Dirt Mod Show
PIC 14 Mike Bruno # 22 and Matt Woodruff # 55 at the Airborne Dirt Mod Show
PIC 15 Winner of the DIRT MOD Special at Airborne, Mike Bruno
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)
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