BELLEVILLE, ON – Ahh, racing! Sweet, wonderful glorious racing. How I've missed you. Longed for you. Even pined for you. Your attraction is like that of a beautiful woman. You satisfy my thirst like a fine wine (or a cold beer?).
My hunger like a porterhouse steak (or a Hoffman hot dog?). A tad over-dramatic? Perhaps, but you need to create the proper picture. For the first time this spring, it was a wonderful weekend for racing.
Friday, May 4th I hit the highway for Brewerton Speedway. Like so many other tracks, Brewerton had been denied the opportunity to hold their 2007 season opener earlier this year, so Friday night's show began the campaign.
In 2006, weekly racing at Brewerton was like an Advance Auto Parts Super Dirt series event. This season, some of the names may be elsewhere but the competition is just as strong. 23 modifieds signed-in at the D-Shaped Dirt Demon and at the end of the 35 lap 'A' main, it was Baldwinsville, New York's Jimmy Phelps in victory lane.
Steve Hulsizer was second, followed by Kevin Bates. Willy Decker and Scott Prentice completed the top 5. The staff at Brewerton knows how to put on a great show and I hope to be back many more times throughout the year.
After a quick-trip back to my Canadian home-base, I hit the highway again Saturday, May 5th - this time to Can Am Motorsports Park (or Can Am Speedway). They've run once so far this season, but Saturday night's event was the first time the modifieds were to be part of the action. The headline division ran two 20 lap features, each paying $1,000 to the winner.
The added bonus? Everyone big block or small block mod in attendance would start each race. That meant a hungry pack of 30 took the green flag from starter Matt Burdick. The first feature offered fans some great, side-by-side racing.
As the checkers waived, it was Vic Coffey's smiling face that collected the winner's cheque. Danny Johnson, Tim Fuller, Billy Decker and Justin Haers rounded-out the top 5. Kingston's Danny O'Brien was 6th. His brothers Pat and Tim, 10th and 11th, respectively.
To add a touch of drama to the night (remember the theme), Coffey was asked to pick a playing card from a deck shuffled by Race Director Chip Burdick. If he pulled the joker, he'd start the second feature from the pole.
Any other card he picked would invert the field by the number on the card. Coffey's blind choice was a '3', which put Tim Fuller on the point for round 2. Johnson remained 2nd, while Coffey started 3rd. The night's second modified feature had a rough n' tumble start. As the pack completed the 2nd lap, something on the front-end of Fuller's John Lazore-owned Teo broke.
He did his best to steer his damaged racer toward the infield and out of harm's way but as the pack roared by, Fuller's prone mount was hit hard by Scott Parliament and sent onto its roof. A quick red flag from Matt Burdick brought the field to a stop on the backstretch, while the emergency crews rushed to the scene.
Within seconds, the crowd saw a dejected Fuller from nearby Edwards, New York crawl from the car and walk back to the pits. Crews removed the roof from Parliament's car to help him out - but other than being a bit shaken, he was uninjured.
Perhaps due to some dust in corner 4, the re-start saw another incident. This time involving the cars of Kyle Dingwall, Zach Aubertine and Mike Adderley. Dingwall ended-up with his wheels in the air and his 2007 Bicknell ride was significantly damaged.
Most importantly, all drivers were checked-out by track medical crews and released. Once the green reappeared, Danny Johnson set-out to stink-up the show. He had a huge lead, but lapped traffic was his down-fall. Little-by-little, Coffey closed on 'the Doctor' and as the white was displayed, he was right on his tail.
As the 2 worked their way through the 3rd and 4th turns, they were doorhandle to doorhandle. It was a drag race at a stock car track, as Coffey out-distanced Johnson by less than a car length at the line. Pat Ward, Billy Decker and Billy Dunn were the fast first 5.
Can Am notes: Fresh from running a pair of World of Outlaws shows, Billy Decker had his John Wight-owned late model in the pits. He offered his Gypsum racing teammate Pat O'Brien a chance to hot-lap the ride and the multi-time Can Am track champion and 4 time Mr. Dirt title-holder quickly accepted.... The rollovers by Fuller and Dingwall weren't the only times cars got on their roofs Saturday night. The pure stock of Clint Middlemiss took a tumble in his heat race. He was taken off the track by the ambulance, treated and released.
This weekend: Saturday, May 12th I'll be at Brighton Speedway as the Southern Ontario Sprint cars start their 2007 season.
In the distance: Friday, May 18th Thunder Alley Speed Park. Saturday, May 19th Brockville Ontario Speedway. Sunday, May 20th Cornwall Motor Speedway. Friday, May 25th Kawartha Speedway.
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