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My racing exploits during the last two weeks in May, turned out a little different for a number of reasons.
A late finish at work on Friday 18 scrubbed any chances of going anywhere. The possibilities were Autodrome Edelweiss in Que or Thunder Alley NY, but I ended up going nowhere.
On Saturday, I had to pick up some very special guests arriving at the Ottawa Airport . The VIP's were Betty and Garnet Young, my parents, making a ten day visit from the UK. They were due to land at 16-55 ( just before 5-00pm) .
You've probably realized by now from my reports, that as well as auto racing, I'm an Ottawa Senators Hockey fan, and on the afternoon of Mum and Dad's arrival it was a big Stanley Cup play off game against the Buffalo Sabres. I'd been listening to the game on my car radio on the way to Ottawa, and then in Harveys (burger bar) on Bank Street. To kill time, while waiting for the plane to land I watched the third period on the giant screen at the nearby Rideau Carlton Raceway Slots. The 'slots' are just ten minutes from the airport, but when the game went into 'overtime' I had to leave , missing the nail biting finale . While waiting in the arrivals area, there was suddenly a loud noise, people were yelling hysterically and running around wildly. I thought the worst, was it a terrorist attack ? .. No thankfully not, I hadn't realized that just around the corner, there was a big screen TV and the 'Sens' had scored the winning goal. So, there was no racing for me on Saturday night, but I didn't care, the 'Sens' were through to the 'Cup' ( and will be playing the Annaheim 'Mighty Ducks') .
Sunday was the scheduled season opener at the Cornwall Motor Speedway (Ont), and promotor Ron Morin and his staff had worked hard to get everything in tip-top condition. The weather over the holiday weekend had been warm and sunny, right up until about 3-00pm when it started to drizzle. The radar predictions indicated better weather on the horizon, which would clear up in time for start time, allowing the racing to take place. Unfortunately it wasn't to be, the rain continued, and the 'plug' was pulled with a postponement to the following week. That meant no racing at all for me that weekend.
I was luckier on Friday (May 25) and got away from work early. It was a scorching hot day and Autodrome Edelweiss was my destination. This track is always worth a visit on days like this, as the 'scenery' is always that much better ! ( and I'm not talking about the mountains ! ) It was a regular night of racing with the 358 DIRT Mods, topping the bill. Eric Gouvreau # 22 was the early leader in the feature until Phillipe Landry # 76 took control. Landry looked very impressive, and looked set for the checkers , until veteran pilot, Laurent Ladouceur # 23 edged passed for victory with just a few laps to run. The DIRT Pro-Stox Feature was won by Laurent's eldest son Joey.
When I moved to Ontario, Canada in 1994, for the first few years I lived in picturesque Combermere next to Lake Kamaneskeg close to Barry's Bay.
My local dirt track was the Golden Lake Speedway, and within a two hour drive, I had the paved Capital City Speedway, (near Ottawa) and the Peterborough Speedway which was about the same distance in the opposite direction. I managed to get to the Golden Lake Speedway a few times before it closed, and I've visited Capital City a number of times over the years. I never did get to Peterborough ( being paved , it was never high on my priority list) so when Mum and Dad expressed their wishes to revisit the Combermere area, a round trip, incorporating the Peterborough Speedway was planned for Saturday May 26.
On the journey we stopped beside the road for a photo shoot of some vintage race cars. When I lived in the area, I'd spotted a couple of rusting old Dirt Modifieds lying in a field next to an array of other scrap vehicles, and twelve years later , they are still there ! One has an AMC Gremlin body and the other a Ford Pinto. Two years ago I tracked down the owner and inquired if they were for sale, with a negative response . Shame, as they are just begging for a restoration job .
We arrived at the Peterborough Speedway thirty minutes before the 6-00pm start time, which gave me ample time for a tour of the pits. The program consisted of 'Four for Fun', Minstox, Legends and Late Models.
I was quite impressed by the paved and banked oval, similar to Thunder Road in Vermont, even if I found the racing somewhat 'different' to my usual diet . The local fans seemed to be enjoying themselves, the presentation was good, as were the facilities , but it really made me appreciate, living where I do now. I'd find it hard living in the 'dirt starved' Peterborough / Toronto parts of Ontario.
I came away, thinking how good it might be if the asphalt was resurfaced with clay, like Thunder Alley and the Fulton Speedway in NY have been done.
The Peterborough Speedway became # 162 on my TRACKCHASING totals
It was Deja Vu on Sunday ( May 27), with persistent rain causing an early cancellation to the already postponed Cornwall Motor Speedway opener. Everyone is hoping for better luck next Sunday.
PIC 1 Laurent Ladouceur #23 passes Phillipe Landry # 76 at Autodrome Edelweiss
PIC 2 Laurent Ladouceur # 23 in Victory Lane at Autodrome Edelweiss
PIC 3 Two rusting Dirt Modifieds 'somewhere' in Renfrew County (Ont)
PIC 4 Mum and Dad outside the Peterborough Speedway
PIC 5 Ministox action at the Peterborough Speedway
PIC 6 Late Model action at the Peterborough Speedway
PIC 7 Legends in action at the Peterborough Speedway
RACES ATTENDED In 2007
14th Jan Brockville Speedway (Ont) Winter Enduro
27th Jan St Edouard De Lotbiniere (Que) Ice Racing
4th Feb Laviltrie, (Que) Ice Racing
11th Feb Beauharnois (Que) Ice Racing
14th Feb Orlando Speedworld (FL) Legends, Bandolero's
14th Feb Volusia Speedway (FL) SUPER DIRT SERIES
15th Feb Daytona Speedway (FL) NASCAR Gatorade Duel
15th Feb New Smyrna Speedway (FL) Asphalt Mods
15th Feb Volusia Speedway (FL) SUPER DIRT SERIES/ WOO LATEMODELS(RAIN)
16th Feb East Bay Speedway (FL) Open Wheel Mods
17th Feb Volusia Speedway (FL) SUPER DIRT SERIES/WOO LATE MODELS
18th Feb Daytona Speedway (FL) "500" NEXTEL CUP
4th Mar Lake Otisco, Marietta. (NY) (Ice Racing)
14th April Fonda Speedway (NY) ROC Dirt Modified Tour
21st April Can Am Speedway, Lafargeville, NY (regular show)
27th April Thunder Alley Speedpark , Evans Mills, NY (RAINED OUT)
29th April Cayuga County Fair Speedway, Weedsport, NY (regular show)
3rd May Virginia Motor Speedway, Jamaica, Va. SUPER DIRT SERIES
4th May Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pa (regular show)
5th May Can Am Speedway, Lafargeville , NY, (regular show)
9th May Capital City Speedway,Stittsville, Ont, (regular show)
11th May Autodrome Edelweiss, Cantley, Que, (358 Mod Vic 200 QF)
12th May Frogtown Int Speedway, Hogansburg,NY (regular show)
19th May Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont, (RAINED OUT)
25th May Autodrome Edelweiss,Que, (regular show)
26th May Peterborough Speedway, Ont, (regular show)
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