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WEBSITE UPDATE
Once again we have a fresh batch of photos in the various sections. There are new 'Pretty Faces' and in 'Ricks Cars' you'll find more photos from the early 1980's . In 'Ricks Favorites' we've added a selection of pictures from the Thunder Hill Raceway at Kyle in Texas , where I visited last year. You'll see why I chose this particular track when you read this weeks report.
The 'Retro' reports have been put on the 'back burner' for a while , during this realy busy time for me. Once I've settled in to my new home, it will be a winter project. Those of you that received these reports by e-mail over the past couple of years will know that I've now reached the latter part of 1986. With things being so hectic, I've only had time to edit and correct my first edition, but hope to have all of them up loaded on the website before too long.
During the week I got a message from Robert Wilms from Baarlo in the Netherlands. I've been corresponding with Robert for quite a while in connection with the gatherings he's organized in memory of his local, and now defunct track ( The Baarlo Auto Speedway) . I used to visit there at least once a year between 1976 and 1993 and have a lot of fond memories of the place. Robert sent me some photos of some of the Dutch contestants in the forthcoming BriSCA F1 World Final at the Foxhall Stadium (Ipswich UK) on Sept 22. I will include a couple of his pictures in this weeks report.
I also had another message from Phil Elsden (ex 401) a BriSCA F1 driver during the 1980's . He told me his son Mark is now racing and sent me some photos.
New additions to the Guest book include
Marc from Ontario , friend and race team sponsor
Martin from North Carolina, friend, journalist and photographer
Mike from Connecticut, friend and webmaster www.raceproweekly.com
Rob & Cindy from Ontario , friends and DIRT racing fans.
Robin from Yorkshire (UK) old racing friend and co-worker
Craig from Ontario, friend and webmaster of www.rickattheraces.com
Thanks for taking an interest
THIS WEEKS REPORT
With it being the Labour Day Holday Weekend, you'll probably be expecting plenty of coverage from a whole bunch of races. Well, that's not the case as this week I have only two events to report on.
On Wednesday (27 Aug) I was at the final mid-week show of the season at Ottawa's Capital City Speedway. To round off the year, the remaining events will be on Friday's (19/26 Sept) and on Saturday Aug 6 for a staging of the ACT LATE MODEL SERIES.
This Wednesday's show sponsored by Local Heros , a Stittsville Sports Bar and Eatery had a good turn out of cars and fans. It was good to see my friend Erin Joyce # 33 back in action with her Legend car after engine problems have kept her away for a few weeks. She led the feature for a while before succumbing to the might of regular winner Kevin Foisy.
My night at Capital City Speedway was made even more enjoyable working with 'Trophy Girls' Kayla and Vicky from 'Local Heros'. They joined me in Victory Lane and performed their duties with excellence. Thunder Car winner was Ken Fisher, Mini Stock was Doug Mold, 4 for Fun was Cody Dunham and Tim Dorning won the Late Model Feature.
I wasn't so disappointed about having to work late this past Friday (29 Aug) when I found out later that my intended destination was canceled because of rain. The final points night at Autodrome Edelweiss was 'washed out' , so Laurent Ladouceur became the 2008 track champion for the Modifieds.
On Saturday ( 30 Aug) , there were no racing plans on my agenda.
My destination was the Pierre Trudeau Airport in Dorval ( Montreal) to meet my daughter Carla. She was flying in from Austin, Texas for the Labour Day Weekend. With my forthcoming move from Maxville to Long Sault ( close to the Cornwall Motor Speedway), we thought it would be a good time for her to pay a visit. ( She still has piles of her things in the house that needed sorting ! )
Now you can see why there is a 'Texas' link in 'Ricks Favorites' on www.rickattheraces.com , and the reason why I only attended two events this week. While we were dining at East Side Marios on Cote Vertu in Montreal, my buddies were at my usual Saturday night choices of the Brockville Ontario Speedway or the Mohawk International Raceway. Early Sunday morning e-mails informed me that Bill Gill won at the BOS and John Lazore won at the MIR.
While Carla was sorting through her stuff , I spent Sunday evening at the Cornwall Motor Speedway where the 358 SUPER DIRTCAR Series was taking place. There were forty seven Modifieds in the pits and it turned out to be a cracker of a show with Danny O'Brien taking the 100 lapper. Not only was there a 358 Modified SDS race up for grabs, but the Pro Stocks were engaged in a Series race too. Long Distance traveler Pete Stefanski from the Buffalo area of New York took this one.
Instead of my normal Labour Day Weekend trip to the Rolling Wheels Raceway ( Elbridge NY) for Mondays Big Block ADVANCE AUTOPARTS SUPER DIRTCAR race , Carla and I loaded up my Chevy with her 'keepsakes' and set off for Combermere Ontario. This picturesque little town on the banks of Lake Kamaneskeg, and close to Barrys Bay was the first place we lived after moving to Canada from the UK in 1994. The reason for our trip was to meet up with Pat, ( Carla's Mum) who was up from Maryland with her partner visiting relatives. We had prearranged this, so we could trans-ship Carla's belongings into their car for the journey back to the USA.
So now you can see why I only have two race reports this week. Next week should be a lot busier with a full agenda planned for Saturday and Sunday.
PHOTO 1 The F1 stock car of Dutchman Pablo Brandenburg # 51
PHOTO 2 The F1 stock car of Dutchman Ron Kroonder # 217
PHOTO 3 The BriSCA F1of Mark Elsden # 401
PHOTO 4 The Legend Car of Erin Joyce at the Capital City Speedway
PHOTO 5 Trophy girls Kayla and Vicky at the Capital City Speedway
PHOTO 6 Kevin Foisy after winning the Legend Feature at the Capital City Speedway
PHOTO 7 The Late Model of Tim Dorning who won the Capital City Speedway Feature
PHOTO 8 Pete Bicknell # 42 and and John Lazore # 19 at the start of Cornwalls SDS race.
PHOTO 9 Michel Chicoine # 97 rolls on his side at Cornwalls SDS show
PHOTO 10 Danny O'Brien winner of the Cornwall 358 SDS race
PHOTO 11 Pro Stock carnage in their Series race at Cornwall
PHOTO 12 Pete Stefanski winner of the Cornwall ProStock series race.
PHOTO 13 Carla and me in Combermere (Ont) on Labour Day 2008
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
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
