RACE NEWS 2023

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COVER: SUMMER NATIONALS SUPER TOUR IS COMING TO LUSKVILLE DRAGWAY, DONT MISS THE ACTION
BITS FROM THE PITS  JUNE 26/23
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We have lots to talk about this week for sure. And we start off with saying a big Thank You to Jamie & Sherry Clarmo for once again sponsoring the Jr. Dragster Kids Buy Backs for all their days of the Bracket Bonanza. So now the kids will not only run for the Richest Purse’s in Canada (thanks to Tina Clarmo and Bill Harling) for Jr Dragsters but will not have to pay for their buy backs, thanks to Jamie and Sherri the owners of Clarmo Napa Auto Pro Repair, and the Stable Restaurant. We are still looking for sponsors for this program for a number of our events this summer.

*And on the subject of Jr. Dragsters we now have the Brian Acker Memorial Decals for any of the racers that want them, and we are asking for donations for these towards the Jr. Dragster Quick Draw Awards, we will have decals for those that have already donated to a program that Brian Started and was one of his last wishes, “Keep It Alive”. We already have enough for the entire 2023 season, and have started on 2024. “ This is strictly a donation and not mandatory by no means.

*And Speaking of Jamie and Sherry, please take note of the Annual Car Show Date for the Stable Restaurant, Clarmo Auto Repair Fun day, Cruise IN, AUGUST 13th. Lots of fun, live music and GREAT FOOD.

SUPER TOUR ROLLS INTO LUSKVILLE DRAGWAY: JUNE 26/23
Some say,"Racing season starts this weekend" LOL I certainly hope so as the turnouts so far this year have been a little concerning to say the least. RACE TRACKS need support and as I wrote last week, that support is what keeps them open and growing. We firmly believe we have been growing, but this years has had some bumps in the road. Now don't get me wrong its not just our race track as others are saying the same thing, covid is over and there is just a hell of lot more too do now. But we are not quitters as I have said many times and things will get better, some changes will be made and this weekend we should have a packed house.
The second Tour race will see a couple of Luskville Dragway regulars in Super Pro coming into the weekend leading the pack, as Roch Beaudion and Dale Gauthier are tied for 1st. place with Jerome Beaulieu hot on thier heels in 3rd. Spot, Ted Barnes of Toronto is 100 points behind Jay in Fourth. Then their is a host of drivers with 1600 points 100 behind Barnes. Semi Pro see's again a couple of Luskville drivers tied for first as Mike Reynolds and Darryl Jensen share the top spot going into the second race of the summer. And here too a number of drivers are close, very close as Bedard, Sequin, White and Rondeau are with in sticking distance. Look for Semi Pro to have what will probably be the biggest field of the young season as a number of northern cars are planning on attending as well.

Gates open Thursday @ 12 pm for Parking and pitting
Gates open Friday      @  12 pm for Parking and pitting
Gates open Saturday @  7am for Parking and pitting
Gates open Sunday    @  7am for Parking and pitting

Time Trails Friday       @ 3pm for Gamblers Race
Gamblers race Friday @ 6pm

Time Trials Saturday   @ 8am for Tour Race  (2only)
Eliminations for Saturday Tour Race to follow Time Trials

Saturday Time Trials for Appreciation Race start as Tour Race Ends  (1only)
Angers Fun and Jr. Dragster Fun Day to start near end of Appreciation Race

Sunday time Trials Start @ 9am  (2only) eliminations to follow
All Times approximate and depended on weather

BITS FROM THE PITS  JUNE 19/23
*Gold Rush Nationals Postponed: It is with deep regret we inform the Drag Racing Community that Mother Nature has once again affected our sport. In most cases we pray for no rain, and usually get the opposite, in this case it is the lack of rain that has forced the postponement of a drag racing event that we were very much looking forward to doing. Do to the extreme hot and dry weather the north has been dealing with forest fire after forest fire, and the Chapleau Airport has been informed that it will be used for Water Bombers if nessecary. This makes it impossible to go forward with this event. We will have much more to say as we grapple with what we will do with those dates, but for now would like to remind everyone of Luskville Dragway's Drag Week, Six Days of drag racing and you only have to make one trip. We all feel really bad about this, but not as much as many of the drag racers will no doubt.


 * We
Announced last week that the Clarmo's had purchased the Dodge Challenger Semi Pro Car from ADM Motorsports, what we can tell you this week is Auto Trim will continue to be a major sponsor on the car. Mike Piecki the owner of Auto Trim said he was privileged to continue his support of the car that carries his companies name. Mike who does so much for the track, continues to do more with the support of Wes and Tina's new endeavor. Piecki who is a avid car guy is also a avid Dodge Boy to say the least and can often be seen driving around in his mint dodge dart convertible. This is incredible news for Wes and Tina and we certainly bellieve they will see success sooner than later with the Dodge.


*RACE WEEKEND ADDED TO SCHEDULE: With the cancellation of the Chapleau Drag Race event we have decided that for the betterment of the Drag Strip, and for the racers that want to race, we will have a two day POINTS event on those July Dates. JULY 15-16 will now be called the SPEEDY AUTO SERVICE SUMMER SLAM. Gates will open Friday at noon, racing will start at 10 am both days. We are actively looking for presenters to help us make this event bigger and better than ever. We will keep you posted on the details.

*Luskville Dragway wants to remind all of the free entree race on July 1st. as part of the Super Tour Weekend. This is an event that has a great payout and is our way of saying thank you to all who have been part of making Luskville Dragway a better place and the super tour for being THE drag racing series in Canada. The tour attracts the largest car counts of any track in the country and does so at Luskville Dragway. The Support Luskville Dragway receives from the drivers and the sponsors is unlike any other track so we say thank you to all. This event will take place AFTER the regular points race on Saturday, will be run at random and will have regular buy backs like any other event.
SPEEDY AUTO SERVICE WEEKEND OF WINNERS: JUNE 19/23
Anyone who thinks there is enough cars to go around when 4 or 5 tracks are open in our area is crazy and that was more than evident this past weekend when almost every race track, even the part time ones where open. Luskville, Shannonville, Bonfield, Cayuga, Grand Bend and the list goes on, and it showed with everyone's car counts. Times are not good for the motorsports industry, and we all hope it gets better, its pretty bad when you wish that the Covid times where back. But with the whining out of the way lets talk about some great racing and some deserving winners on day one. Jr. Dragsters saw Julia Malcolm continue to follow in her Fathers foot steps with a win over Haley Anger who is also following in her dads foot steps. Another Anger was in the winners circle as well, as Maverick Anger was the winner of the Brian Ackers Quick Draw award for the best reaction time in the first round. Semi Pro which is the class that is hurting the most at this time saw two long time Luskville Dragway supporters go to the finals. Russ Fraser and Mark Thompson two drivers who know the Luskville Dragway very, very well, and Mark showed that today he knew his car just a little better with a long overdo win over Russ. Super Pro was once again a very hard fought battle as Landyn Urslak once again looked like he would roll his way to the finals, but that did not happen as Mike Chenier and Vicki Ogilvie would end up being the last cars standing for the finals. Mike was the fastest dragster at the track and was printing tickets all day, and did that in the finals with a superior reaction time as well. For Vicki, she definitely had her cheering section hoping she would make the winners circle this time around. So day one in the books, some parting took place after the fact, and everyone was waiting to see what the weather man would bring for day 2.
Day started out with some over head clouds and a forecast that once again called for a 60% chance of no rain. And no rain it was, in fact by2p.m. it was sunshine wall to wall and racing was great. In the JR. Dragster class Julia Malcolm looked like she would make it two days in a row as she mowed down the competition on her way to the finals against Logan Anger. In the finals Logan blasted the tree with a .003 (yes for a jr,) and took the win light for his first win of the year. Audrey Alarie was the winner of the Brian Ackers Quick Draw award for the best reaction time in the first round. Semi Pro would see Wes Clarmo and Steve Ballantyne come too the line for the finals, Ballantyne would get the job done with a win light over Wes and his Camaro. Super Pro was the largest field of the weekend and here the racing was blistering as some of the best reaction times for a race day where seen from start to finish. Semi Finalist would go to Kyle Jessup in the dragster and Frank Anger in a dragster which set up Landyn Urslak and Fred Anger in the Finals for the big money.
Landyn who has been having a great start too the summer would pick up his second win of the young season as Fred went .003 red for the loss. All in all it was a great day of racing, once again car count was not what we had hoped for and what we need to be successful, but there are many factors at play and it will all come around in the end. Next race is two weeks for the first super tour stop at Luskville Dragway Canada Day Weekend.
WHERE IS OUR SPORT GOING TOO??: JUNE 19/23
If your a business person you will fully understand my next comments, running a business is not as easy as many people think it is. And running a outdoor activity that totally relies on the weather, is only open on weekends for six months of the year is even worse. But even after 43 years of doing this I still look forward to going to the race track, working through the week, and then running it on the weekends. But it has gotten harder, MUCH harder as costs of everything sky rocket post covid, I find myself for the first time wondering where will our sport be in 10 years, or maybe even 5 years. EXAMPLE and there are many but we use a traction compound in order to give our racers the very best traction we can. When i first started buying VHT (PJ1) it was $300. a barrel when we first started buying it, well when covid rolled around it was by then $1800. a barrel, and then this summer, two years after covid it was jacked up to $2300. a barrel. They made it look like it was short supply in 2022, had all of us that use it running scared to get what ever we could, and pay what ever we had to too get it. And this year BOOM its up another $500. a barrel. And its everything from traction compound to insurance, to print material to almost anything. And don't get me wrong I know fully well that it has hit the racers as well, (I am one of those also) as racing fuel, tires and parts when you can get them have all gone crazy. WHERE DOES IT END. With everything getting out of hand it shows in the number of cars we get, and the number of cars that other tracks get, and contrary to some beliefs there is not enough cars to go around. Im not sure where it ends, Some people are getting very, very rich just look who bought the Senators, Drug Transportation company, Grocery Store Chain, and Housing builder all necessity driven business's. What do these things have in common, THEY ARE HUMAN NECESSITIES. These are the people getting rich on the backs of all of us, and in some cases will drive some people out of business. Sorry for the rant, but its been a rough spring, and it needs to get better fast, with that being said there will be some changes coming in the future.
BITS FROM THE PITS  JUNE 12/23
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As we announced earlier this year, we are having a $5000. to win Free Race on the July 1st weekend, and will now do that after the regular race on Saturday. We are doing this in an effort to make sure all those that qualify can get to the track on time as Friday is not a holiday. We will run a gamblers race on Friday as announced previously. This is a one race deal with both Semi Pro and Super Pro being allowed to enter, if they qualify, it will be run at Random, with no ladder, We will run door cars and dragsters separately until a ladder is put in play.  As we said this is a FREE race to the names th*at where posted in previous post, part of the Super Tour Race last season, and or part of the group that help make the safety barriers happen. We will also allow anyone who does not qualify free, to enter this one of a kind race.

*Its been a tough year for Paulo Giust and his racing program, after crashing his pro mod in Orlando he immediately started the rebuild with his good friends and award winning chassis shop G-Force Race Cars. But if you have ordered anything lately you know what getting parts is like these days, everything is short, as shortages allows them too drive the price up to ridiculous heights. So they absolutely make sure it takes for ever to get anything. So things are coming along but not as quickly as Paulo had hoped for, and his return to this racing season has not come as quickly as he had hoped. Paulo's plans are to still get out this year and hopefully be able to do a couple of local Pro Mod races in Canada with big tires on the car. When Paulo left Pro Mod for Radian vs. World racing he was considered one of the top Pro Mods in Canada. He then went on to compete in the Radial vs. the world he also won events. The return to the pro mod class is something we all look forward to as he will be racing a little closer to home.

*Wayne's Weekend of Wheels, the celebration of the life of Wayne Young was done the only way he would have wanted it, with cars. It Started out with the involvement of Luskville Dragway and the Car Show in Bells Corners which Wayne would attend many times during his later days with us. It then moved over too Luskville Dragway for a cruise in, car show and street drag Sunday. Friday night was met with a few little showers but did not stop 90 hot rods from showing up including a number of Luskville Dragway race cars. THANK YOU to Dave and Pam Rennie and Mike and Vicki Ogilvie for taking time out of their busy schedule to promote what we do at Luskville Dragway a drag strip that Wayne Young supported all the days of his life. The next wheel on Wayne's Weekend of wheels was the Autovation Inc. cruise night on Saturday and then it was time for Sunday and the BIG SHOW.
And a big show it was, words can not describe how pleased we and everyone else where with the turnout and the fun had by everyone, car show, street drags, drag car demo's and finally the Wayne Young Weekend of Wheels parade, with almost all of the 175 cars present making a drive down the track. And to top it all off it was Wayne's Ranchero Ford Leading the pack with Nephew Trevor Morrison leading the parade. What can i say, it was just a great great day all around, Thank you to everyone that made it possible. Last of all i would like to say, Wayne Young was one of the most respected individuals in the Motorsports arena in this area, and probably all of the country. That showed today with the turnout that came to Luskville Dragway, we can assure you it will happen again next year and look for it to be bigger and better than ever.

*Finally this week we congratulate Wes and Tina Clarmo who have added a third car to their four driver race team, after purchasing the 1981 Dodge Challenger from ADM Motorsports. The Dodge will be gone over top to bottom before some testing at Luskville Dragway with the hopes of being ready for July 1st. Wes and Tina are uncertain if they will leave the Red Auto Trim design on the car or take it back to the dodge colors it was when purchased by ADM. This is good news as it keeps the car in the area and much needed good news for the Local Semi Pro Racing scene.
SPEEDY AUTO SERVICE WEEKEND NEXT UP: JUNE 12/23
Mike Chenier the owner of Speedy Auto Service has been just an incredible supporter from the first day he started racing at Luskville Dragway. Mike was also a fan of the sport as a kid and would visit the track with friends in his earlier days, not knowing that one day he would be a main player in the super pro ranks of racing at the track. So this weekend along with his good buddy Carl Soucy, will present the Speedy Auto Service Spring Spectacular, on Saturday and Sunday. Two days of racing with a cruise night Saturday Night. Mike has become one of the backbones of Luskville Dragway with his tremendous financial and vocal support, he was also instrumental in spear heading the improvements that went on the last three years. Mike and girl friend Francine can be found at Luskville each and every weekend it is open and are always big part of what goes on at the track both on and off the racing surface. Both Gates will open on Friday and as far as racers go you will come in like you always have, the gate that fits your parking spot. There will be no gamblers race on Friday Night, and time trials will start at 10 AM on Saturday.
BITS FROM THE PITS  JUNE 5/23
*More improvements will greet everyone this coming weekend as the Tremblay Road Entrance is being paved and we will have it open this coming weekend if all goes well. Our plans are to start bringing our cruise night crowd in that gate in the future with the hopes of cars not having to go down the side road to get in. This does not mean that the tower gate will not be open on race days as it will so people can enter for parking the way that fits their spot. A number of racers are also getting work done, but that will not happen until prior to July 1st super tour event. We are doing every thing we can to make our facility as good as we can, all we ask is please support us. 

*These where the headlines we where greeted with upon returning from Naperville last weekend and all i can say is WHY: Over the last four years we have spend a lot of money making our racetrack a lot better for everyone, and last year was no different as completely repaved the shutdown and much more. " 36 street racers charged as over 130 cars where involved with street racing in Gatineau was all you heard on CBC and other news outlets. The drag strip is 20 minutes from Gatineau so the excuse that there is not a drag strip close enough does not carry much weight when that was used as an excuse for the unlawful actions. We have done everything we can to make the track much better for street cars and we have much* more planned but take it to the strip not the street, support a track that supports you.

* Next weekend is a very special weekend for many of us as we celebrate the life of Wayne Young the only way he would want it, Car Show and Drag Racing. Yes the Wayne Young Memorial Weekend of Wheels is a very special time, as Wayne was a central figure in all aspects of Cars in this area. Young's Speed Shop was almost the first store I visited when i came to Ottawa some 53 years ago. I was young, green but Wayne had all the time in the World for me or anyone that came into his store. When we took over the Drag Strip in 1980, Wayne was the first one to buy an advertising sign, When we took over Capital City Speedway in 2005, Wayne was the first person to not only buy a sign, but was there every Wednesday night to help us at the back gate. Wayne was always ready to sponsor any car show or car meet that went on in our area, So help us celebrate his life with CARS. Sunday June 11th. Gates open at 9 am show starts at 10:00 FREE for everyone. Drag Strip will be open and will cost anyone who wants to run $20.00 for the day, which ends at 3pm.

AMR WEEKEND RACE RESULTS, A LESS THAN STELLAR TURNOUT: JUNE 4/23
I would be lying if i didn't say we have been disappointed with the turnouts so far this season. In order to keep drag strips and any race track open, it requires support from those who want a race track, whether drag cars or street cars tracks need your support and Luskville Dragway is no different. During Covid we where setting all kinds of attendance records since then we have invested a lot more into the track, but that has not, come the other way with support post covid. Our first Tour race at Napierville was not what we had hoped for or expected for car counts, and we have not seen that at Luskville Dragway since the beginning of the season. YES I know everyone can have a reason for not being there many are not even ready yet do to many reasons. Please understand this is a general statement and does not reflect on anyone individual and is not meant to be that, but we do need everyone's support if we are too continue moving forward. 200 people street racing last Saturday night in Gatineau when the drag strip is 20 minutes down the road, is a perfect example. All I can say is we are very, very lucky we have the advertising support we do, and to all of those I say THANK YOU.
Anyhow, we did have two days of racing, and the racing was great even though the car count was not what we had hoped for on a perfect weather weekend.
It was also the first weekend back for Jenn Bridge as she takes over running the tower which I very much look forward too. In Jr. Dragsters the small field would see Logan Gagne take on Julia Malcolm in the finals with Gagne getting his first ever win, but certainly not his last. Semi Pro saw the Hewitt Family have a great day with Jimmy taking the Chevelle to the finals over Wes Clarmo and Mickey Renaud settling for 3rd. spot. In Super Pro Pam Rennie would go down to Kyle Jessup in the Semi finals with Landyn Urslak taking the single to meet Jessup in the finals. In the finals it was Landyn all the way as he picked up his second .000 of the elimination round and picked up his first win of the season. Day one of AMR in the Books weather forecast looked good for day two, and weather was good and so was the racing. Just ask Landyn Urslak who picked up his second win of the weekend he met and defeated Dave Rennie in the Finals after beating Pam in the Semi Finals. Semi Pro would see a first time winner as Stephen Pichette would pick up his first ever winners circle picture at Luskville Dragway. This was a great win for a young man who started coming for cruise nights, and then started running on race days in Semi Pro. He comes every weekend, cruise night or race day and does his part to support Luskville Dragway, and there are many just like him but need a whole bunch more.  Jr. Dragster was another one of the personal pleasure days as 3rd generation drivers Julia Malcolm picked up here second win of the year with a win over Saturday winner Logan Gagne. Again don't want to sign like a whiner but we need people to come and support our local drag strip.