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This is a week of mixed emotions and many concerns in the world of Maritime Stock car racing. Many of the smaller tracks, River Glade, Miramichi City, Blue Mountain, Speedy Dundee, Lake Doucette and even Centre for Speed have been forced into either smaller schedules or having to make adjustments to their schedule part way into the season, mainly because of the economic conditions that envelop all of us at this time.
Soaring gas prices, higher heating and electric costs, and the resulting spin-offs to the cost of basic necessities such as food have forced fans to reassess where to spend their hard earned entertainment dollars, resulting in lower attendance at events, and drivers that can no longer afford to compete.
Yet at the same time, new tracks are springing up that will compete for these fans. A new track is being built just outside Kingston, down AnnapolisValley way, which will open in 2009. This one is a plus for the area as there is no track in the vicinity and certainly no dirt tracks in Nova Scotia and only one other in New Brunswick. Two more operate in Newfoundland so there is no glut of dirt track racing.
Of greater concern is the news this past week that Lloyd Garnett has purchased the former Petty Speedway and will reopen it later this season. Rumour has it (and I do mean rumour) that they will run a race event at Petty in September.
If this comes to fruition, that will create three tracks in the Moncton area, at a time when the other two are struggling. Don’t get me wrong, Petty used to be a great facility and hosted some great racing in the past. My only question is, where will the fans will come from and which tracks will get hurt.
One theory that has been mentioned to me is that River Glade and Petty could work together on a combined schedule and maybe a combined points race. Could that work ? I don’t know and I’m sure that there would be many logisital issues to address first. It sure gives food for thought though as Petty and River Glade are only a few miles from each other.
On the local CumberlandCounty front, Pro Stock driver Sandy Livingston Jr did manage to get his car back together and raced at Speedway 660 last weekend. The car handled poorly, a result of the wreck at Riverside a few weeks ago, but as adjustments were made, the car got gradually better and better despite a twentieth place finish. This weekend, the popular driver heads across the bridge to RacewayPark for round 4 of the Maritime Pro Stock series. The car usually runs well on the Island and should have a good finish this weekend.
Well, that’s my two cents worth for this week. See you at the track. “Gentlemen (and Ladies), Start Your Engines !”
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