Rick Young's 'Rick at the Races' 2008 Review... Part 2

PIC 1   RICK @ the ICAR CIRCUIT RACES

PIC  2    Chris Raabe with Mark and Angie Rinaldi at the Brighton Speedway

PIC  3     Martin Roy # 90 (Que) leads Tim McCreadie # 35 (NY) at the Airborne Speedway

PIC 4    Martin Lacombe wins the Toromont CAT 100 at the Capital City Speedway

PIC  5  Steve Paine # 7x and Frankie Caprara # FX1 tangle during the Cornwall Motor Speedway SDS race.

PIC 6    Old friends reunite at Brafield (UK) , L to R , Chris Pickup , Colin Herridge, Rick, Steve Bird

PIC 7     BriSCA F1 action at Brafield (UK)

PIC 8    Miss Motorsports poses by the Brett Hearn # 20 Modified at SUPER DIRT WEEK 2008

PIC 9   Mike Colsten , winner at the Five Mile Point Speedway

PIC 10  Action during the Eastern States Weekend at the Orange County Fair Speedway NY

PIC  11    JR Fitzpatrick beside the SS Chevelle he drove at the Flamboro Speedway

PIC 12  Randy Zimmer in his Suburu en-route to a seventh place in the RALLY OF THE TALL PINES

When I decided to do a review of my 2008 escapades, I knew it would take more than one episode, so planned for it to be in two parts. Well, I think I underestimated the task in hand and after squeezing the remainder of 2008 into this episode, I realized it could quite easily have been a three part series. I persevered with the original plan and hope I didn't leave anything out !

Part One brought us to the end of June after I'd attended 32 events. I'll continue with the remaining 43 events from my 2008 total count of 75.

In June I put my house in Maxville, that I'd lived in for twelve years, on the market, in an attempt to be nearer to Cornwall (Ontario). This meant I had to be available when needed to show prospective buyers. Luckily this didn't effect my racing schedule too much.

There was plenty of action taking place at my local tracks during July so I was able to stay close to home . The ADVANCE AUTOPARTS SUPER DIRT SERIES came to Canada for four scheduled events, and kicked off at the Brockville Ontario Speedway (Thurs July 10). Billy Decker took this first one. The next night, the Series moved to the Autodrome Granby (Que) where Brett Hearn took the checkers. Work commitments forced me to miss this one but I made it to the third stop of the tour on Saturday (July 12) when it visited the Autodrome Drummond (Que).

Before going to Drummond I gained another 'new track' on my way there, when I attended the afternoon races at the new ICAR Circuit at Mirabel (Que). The road course located on the former Mirabel Airport was having it's inaugural event. I watched most of the action there before heading up to Drummondville to see Dale Planck take the big one.

The final stop on the 'Great Northern' tour should have been the Cornwall Motor Speedway (Ont) but Mother Nature intervened , and the fixture became another wet weather casualty. It was postponed to August 17.

A week later the LUCAS OIL CANADIAN DIRT SERIES was scheduled to start at Autodrome Granby ( Fri July 18) but once again rain caused a cancellation. The decision to call it off was made early enough for me to make alternative plans and instead of heading north to Quebec, I set off down HWY 401 to the Brighton Speedway ,Ont. They were holding a LUCAS OILS SPORTSMAN SERIES race and I was there to see Chris Raabe collect one of his many victories of 2008.

Following the Brighton visit, it was back home to Maxville before traveling to Quebec for the Autodrome Drummond round of the LUCAS OILS CANADIAN DIRT SERIES on Saturday. David Hebert took this round, and did the same thing at the next one, held at the Mohawk Int Raceway (Thurs 31 July).

On Friday night (Aug 1) the LUCAS OILS CANADIAN DIRT SERIES continued at the Autodrome Edelweiss where Mario Clair took the honors. When the Series moved on to the Brockville Ontario Speedway the next day, once again rain became an issue forcing a postponement. The Cornwall Motor Speedway round on Sunday (3 Aug) went unhindered where former track champion Dale Planck scored the win.

A few days after this I received a formal offer on my house sale , which I decided to accept. This meant I had to be 'out' before October 3. In between accepting the offer and the move date,  I had lots of racing planned, including a trip to the UK. It was a challenge I was determined to overcome.

On Wedneday August 6,  I visited the Airborne Speedway Park at Plattsburg NY for a special Modified Challenge event. World Of Outlaw Late Model drivers Tim McCreadie and Tim Fuller were guest driving loaned cars.

Tom Curley and his ACT Late Model Series payed a visit to the Capital City Speedway on August 9, which again proved to be a battle against the elements. After all the necessary track drying delays we eventually saw Martin Lacombe take the TOROMONT CAT 100.

On the weekend of 16/17 August the ADVANCE AUTOPARTS SUPER DIRT SERIES was back in my area with back to back races at the Can Am Speedway (Lafargeville NY) and the Cornwall Motor Speedway. ( the Cornwall event that had been postponed from July 13). At Can Am after a long absence of big wins, we saw Gary Tompkins back in Victory Lane . When the tour crossed the St Lawrence Seaway into Canada the next day, he repeated the feat.

It was then the turn of the 358 SUPERDIRT SERIES to visit my area. There were two rounds, one at the Mohawk Int Raceway (21 Aug) and the other at the Cornwall Motor Speedway ( 1 Sept). Both went ahead without weather related issues with Mario Clair winning at the MIR and Danny O'Brien at Cornwall.

One week later ( 6 Sept) the Capital City and Brockville speedways weren't so lucky . Capital City had another big Late Model event planned and Brockville had an ambitious program of a postponed LUCAS OILS CANADIAN DIRT SERIES race plus their round of the 358 SUPER DIRT CAR Series. My intentions were to attend Capital City in the afternoon and move on to Brockville in the evening. Mother Nature was to intervene once more, both events were canceled and I saw nothing !

On Monday 15 Sept I flew out of Ottawa bound for a four race tour of the UK. After landing at Gatwick ( south of London) on Tuesday morning I based my self at my Mum and Dads place in Bedfordshire.

Wednesday evening ( 17 Sept) was spent at the Arlington Stadium on the South coast where I witnessed the rough and tough Spedeworth Stock Saloons in action.

I was on the East coast at the Skegness Stadium on Friday night ( 19 Sept) for the first of the three World Final weekend meetings.

The BriSCA F1 World Final , the big race, and the reason for my visit was at the Foxhall Stadium in Ipswich on Saturday. It was an event I'd been looking forward to. It was the first ever staging of the race at this historic venue, where 50 years ago , I had seen my first ever stock car race, as a four year old 'toddler'. Winner was Rochdale, Lancashire's Andy Smith.

Before heading back to Canada, my fourth stop on the tour was the traditional 'day after' meeting at the Brafield Stadium ( Northamptonshire). This was the track I used to consider 'home' and a place I've spent plenty of time over the years. One of the many highlights of the day was meeting up with two of old buddies from my racing days. When former BriSCA F1 drivers Chris Pickup # 50 and Steve Bird # 52 had heard of my visit, they came along specially for the day to say 'Hi'. That was a really nice gesture.

I landed back in Ottawa on Monday (22 Sept) and was in my regular post, taking photos at the Capital City on Friday night (Sept 26) . On Saturday I was heading down HWY 401 to the Brighton Speedway for their annual 'Applefest Shootout' . Once again wet weather caused problems, but not before Pete Bicknell took the checkers in a rain shortened feature.

The following Friday (Oct 3) , I relocated from Maxville to my new home in Long Sault, situated just ten minutes away from the Cornwall Motor Speedway. The move went smoother than expected, so the next day I set off for Fulton Speedways (NY)  traditional race ( FKA VICTORIA 200) that precedes SUPER DIRT WEEK. This year sail panels were allowed on the 'Big Block' modifieds and it was the 'Doctor' Danny Johnson who took the honors.

Following the Fulton trip, I returned to Canada for a few days before heading south again on Wednesday (8 Sept) for the SUPER DIRT WEEK 'Happy Hour' at the New York State Fairgrounds (Syracuse). My plan was to see some of the practice laps then move up to the Can Am Speedway for the evening 358 SUPER DIRT CAR race. Once again, rain spoiled everyones enjoyment, Can Am was rained out, and I returned to Canada early. Work commitments prevented me from attending the 358 SUPER DIRT SERIES races at Brewerton NY (Thurs) and Rolling Wheels NY (Friday) but I was back down at SUPER DIRT WEEK in Syracuse first thing on Saturday morning to resume the action.

Billy Decker won the 150 lap 358 Modified race which was completed by late afternoon. Instead of staying for the SPORTSMAN race, I left the fairgrounds early and took a one hour drive south of Syracuse. My destination was the Five Mile Point Speedway near Binghampton NY ( an independent track which is not part of the DIRTCAR organization) was holding a Southern Tier Modified Show. Five Mile Point is a track I hadn't visited before so I was eager to add it to my 'track totals' . I arrived a bit late but was still in good time to see the 50 lap feature. Mike Colsten was the winner.

Five Mile Point became TRACK # 172 on my TRACKCHASING TOTALS.

The next day (Oct 12)  I was back at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse to see Frank Cozze of Wind Gap PA take a popular win in the 2008 RITE AID 200.

It was then time to return to Ontario for a few days (back to work !) before setting off on my last racing tour of the year. On Friday night (Oct 17) , I crossed in to the USA from Cornwall Ont , straight from work and sped along I 87 over the Adirondack Mountains on the six hour trek to the Orange County fair Speedway at Middletown , NY. It was the annual Eastern States Weekend, the big event that attracts many Canadians each year. It's the curtain closer of the North Eastern dirt racing season, and a feast of racing not to be missed.

Although the dirt season was over , the paved tracks have the ability to run a bit later, and on November 3, I visited the Flamboro Speedway south west of Toronto,Ont. This was my second time 'ever' visit , the first time being more than five years ago. NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES driver JR Fitzpatrick was there guest driving a beautifully prepared SS Chevelle.

2008, wasn't over for me yet ! On November 22, I got up at the crack of dawn so I could attend the start of the RALLY of THE TALL PINES at Bancroft , Ont. Long time RICK @ the RACES reader Randy Zimmer Of Buffalo NY was competing in his Suburu and picked up a creditable seventh place. It had been a long time since I took a look at Rallying and it was an enjoyable way to end my year.

Phew ! I never realized my review would last so long !

 
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