Rick Young's 'Rick at the Races' for DIRTcar's Eastern States Weekend

PIC 1   Danny O'Brien
PIC  2   'Quebecers on tour ' The Michel Chicoine team
PIC   3  Jessica Zemken
PIC   4    Martin Cagne 6g (QUE) and Tommy Flannigan # 72 (ONT)
PIC  5   Danny O'Brien # 17D (ONT), Matt Shepherd # 1x (NY) Mario Clair # 22 (QUE)
PIC  6  Pierre Dagenais # 124 (QUE) Jimmy Johnson # 77 (NY) Tim Hindley #94 (NY)
PIC 7   Michel Chicoine # 97 (QUE) Jimmy Phelps # 98 (NY)
PIC 8   358  Winner Brett Hearn # 4 in Victory Lane
PIC 9   The Chris Raabe team prepare their tires
PIC 10    Mike Ruggeiro wins the SPORTSMAN race
PIC 11  Yours Truly beside the beautiful Gremlin bodied Mod
PIC  12    Joey Ladouceur # 92
PIC  13  Pete Stefanski the Pro Stock winner
PIC  14   Gary Tomkins # 84 and Ronnie Johnson # 2
PIC  15  Danny Johnson # 66
PIC  16  Michael Storms # 4 takes off
PIC 17   Danny Johnson winner of the 2008 Eastern States 200

EASTERN STATES WEEKEND
ORANGE COUNTY FAIR SPEEDWAY
MIDDLETOWN, NY

This past weekend I joined hundreds of other Canadian DIRT racing fans for the annual pilgrimage south of the border to the EASTERN STATES WEEKEND at the ORANGE COUNTY FAIR SPEEDWAY at Middletown NY. This years event, was it's forty-seventh year and included all the major DIRTCAR divisions. Just like last week's SUPERDIRT WEEK in Syracuse, the weather stayed dry, if not a trifle chilly !

A prearranged early finish from work, enabled me to cross the border at Cornwall (Ontario) just after 2-30pm on Friday afternoon. It's a good six hour drive and with the minimum of stops, I was in Middletown just after 9-15pm. The Friday night races had been completed when I arrived but that didn't matter too much. For anyone not familiar with the 'Eastern States' , it's one of the biggest 'social occasions' on the DIRT calender and the track bar, 'The 31'st Lap' is always the hub of activity.

The first person I bumped into was Danny O'Brien # 17 D and his crew from Kingston (Ont). He's currently engaged in a points battle with St Catherines (Ont), Pete Bicknell # 42 for the 358 SUPER DIRTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP. Pete has a slight lead at the moment, and the chase will be decided at the Can Am Speedway at Lafargeville NY this coming Saturday (Oct 25) . Danny told me he'd gained a third place in the qualifying heats which had taken place earlier in the evening.

I then had a quick word with Jessica Zemken, who was organizing a drive for the next day. She would be at the wheel of the # 27 Jerry Wildrick car of Sussex NJ.

I also chatted with 'Racing Russ' the well known DIRT race statistician from Port Jervis NJ , and , QUEBECDIRT.COM'S Linda Robert, and her friends from the Michel Chicoine # 97 Modified team ( Ste Cecile De Miton, Que).

After a long day, where I'd worked the morning shift trucking round Montreal, before driving down to Middletown, I was ready for bed at about 1-00am, so retired to the camping area.

Next morning I drove into town to my usual Diner for breakfast before returning to the fairgrounds for another long day. The first part of the day was the qualifying heats for BIG BLOCK Modifieds before the afternoon staging of the 358 SUPERDIRTCAR SERIES race.

While walking the pits, I came across CV ( Charles) Elms # 6 from North Haverhill (New Hampshire) . He's the promoter at the Bear Ridge Speedway in Vermont and the Canaan Fair Speedway (NH) who I'd met a few years back when visiting his tracks. I was pleasantly surprised that he not only remembered me, but commented on one of my magazine articles he'd seen.

There were a good number of Canadian's in the race but with the Series coming to a close, most eyes from 'north of the border' were on Bicknell and O'Brien. I was taking photos, like last year on the third turn, but to put it kindly , the race wasn't the most exciting I've seen !  Local hero Brett Hearn # 4 had a run away victory. The highest Canadian finish was from Pierre Dagenais # 124 (Gatineau Que) in nineteenth, who was followed across the line by Bicknell and O'Brien.

This race was over by mid afternoon and signaled the end of part one on the days program. Part two , a SPORTSMAN SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES race was to resume in the evening.

During the afternoon I chatted to Chris Raabe # 01 and his crew who were getting their car set up . Just like the 358 SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES, the SPORTSMAN division is undergoing a 'Battle of Ontario'. Raabe from Napanee is currently leading the points with Greg Panunte #99P ( Port Colborne) and Mark D'Ilario # 08 ( Smithville) in hot pursuit.

Before racing got under way, I took 'time out' and went into town for supper. I avoided my former 'favorite' Chinese Buffet (which had given me a bad stomach upset last year ) and looked for somewhere different. I came across a place I'd never heard of before called the 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' so thought I'd give it a try. It wasn't a burger bar like the name suggests, but more of a family type restaurant surrounded in a tropical Island setting. The food was good and I'll make a point of returning next year.

Once back at the Fairgrounds, I decided to watch the SPORTSMAN races from the Grandstand instead of my usual spot on the center.

Raabe started twelth in the Feature, and ran a comfortable tenth until the closing stages. A brush with the outer wall required a tow to the pits, and by the time he returned to the track it was too late. Local driver Mike Ruggiero # 4R took the checkers. Raabe's poor finish means that the SPORTSMAN division will also wait until this coming weekends finale at Can Am ( Lafargeville NY) to decide the winner.

Following the SPORTSMAN feature I moved in to the '31'st Lap' for the traditional NEW YEARS EVE party. This is best be described as a 'lively' affair complete with festive accessories like party hats, hooters and streamers. I must be getting old ! , Because I was too tired to last out to the end, and was tucked up under the blankets making zzz's long before I had done, in previous years.

I was up at 9-00am and drove into Middletown for Breakfast. Joining me in the Diner was Gary Tomkin's ( Former SDS Champion, # 84) mum and dad. I've been acquainted with Keith Tompkins, Gary's father,  for quite a few years and we often have a good chat when we meet up. He told me about Gary's new sponsorship from the Americans Hockey Team and his forthcoming return trip to Australia for a racing holiday. After his successful visit last winter, he's been invited back again .

With breakfast over it was back to the track for the final day of the Eastern States 200 Weekend. Before the big event, the DIRT PRO STOCKS were engaged in their Series race and once again Canada was well represented. My buddy, Joey Ladouceur # 92 from Alexandria (Ont) was there as well as Denis Gauvreau # 72 , Bruno # 33 Cyr, Stephane Lebrun # 6 and Jocelyn Roy # 05 from Quebec.

Pete Stefanski # 2 from Wheatfield NY took the checkers with Ladouceur chasing his back bumper as they crossed the line.

One of the cars present on the big day was not actually racing. It was a beautifully restored AMC Gremlin bodied Modified from the 1970's era. This was the time in history when North American Modifieds and BriSCA F1's from the UK looked very similar in appearance. It was in the days before modifieds changed to 'uniform' sheet metal bodies and the BriSCA F1's decided to do away with stock bodies and add silly looking wings.... Oh if only we could turn back time!

That Gremlin sure was smart!

I was stationed in my regular turn three spot on the infield with fellow photographer's Jim Young and Ralph Corwin for the EASTERN STATES 200 Lapper, the headline race of the weekend for Big Block MODIFIEDS. There were no Canadian entrants in this one, although Pierre Daganais # 9 had contested the qualifiers in the former Bob McCeadie car.

As you'd expect in a 'long-haul' race, there were various lead changes but it was 'the Doctor' Danny Johnson # 66 who was there when it mattered. With less carnage than previous years, the race was over by 5-30pm, so after grabbing a few victory lane shots I was on my way out of the gate.

My strategy for the journey home was the same as for the drive down. I made just two short stops, the first in Malta NY for gas and a McDonalds 'to go' , then another for a coffee at Dunkin Donuts in Plattsburgh NY . I was back in Canada at 11-30 pm and home in Long Sault (Ont) twenty minutes later.

LOOKING FORWARD

The place to be this Saturday is the Can Am Speedway at Lafargeville NY ( located just 20 minutes from the 1000 Island border crossing) where this years 358 and SPORTSMAN SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES will be decided. <<2008_0919Image0037 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0120 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0045 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0035 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0081 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0078 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0091 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0107 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0115 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0129 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0198 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0164 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0188 (Medium) (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0021 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0146 (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0238 (Medium) (Small) (Small).JPG>> <<2008_0919Image0284 (Medium) (Small).JPG>>