In case you are just tuning in, the 2014 racing season has been incredible down at Speedway 660. We’ve seen great racing, some rip-roarin rivalries and a few controversial situations. As the “late great” Hughie Yorke used to say: “That’s Racin”.

 

First off, I want to apologize for not posting the blog last week. Thanks to Arthur, my power was out for five days and I was pre-occupied with my trusty axe, hacking away at a huge white pine that crashed down in my back yard!

Well the electricity has since been restored, we got down to Speedway 660 on Saturday to see some awesome racing and here I am in front of my trusty computer hacking away at Wade’s Weekly.

I want to post something about rivalries and controversies. I certainly don’t want to throw diesel fuel on the fire, but it’s something I’d like to talk about in some way, shape or form. So, I’ll try to choose my words carefully, because I don’t want to take sides or write something that might disturb race teams or fans. Rick Cashol and the late “Smokin Joe Albert” had an intense racing rivalry. But they were friends and always enjoyed each others company on and off the track!

So here goes. Racin is a fast, furious and an emotional sport – for the drivers, race teams and fans. Good old-fashioned rivalries are great for racing, but most people know there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed. And because of the nature of racin there are bound to be controversies.

Case in point – last Saturday night Shawn Tucker was penalized for what the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour officials called “jumping his third re-start of the race”. Tucker had to go to the back with less than 30 laps to go and man oh man, did he ever put the hammer down in an effort to get back to the front. I have never seen Shawn drive so aggressive before and to his credit, he rallied for a third place finish.Did he or didn’t he? Parts for Trucks Tour officials sent Shawn Tucker (#52) to the back after ruling he jumped a re-start late in the Irving Oil Blending and Packaging 100 last Saturday night!

On Saturday night Tucker adamantly disagreed with the call the Tour officials made. I don’t know how he feels about it today, but I am willing to bet he’ll be in Antigonish this weekend for the IWK 250. Remember he won that race last year by beating NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski!

I’ve always said the toughest jobs in racin are on the flag-stand, the top of the tower and in the tech shed. Race officials are like hockey refs. They have to interpret the rules and make the tough calls. Sometimes those calls are popular and sometimes they are’nt – but almost always they are controversial. How would you like one of these jobs? Working on the flag-stand or the top of the tower are tough jobs.  Someone has got to be the “racin-referees” and I think these guys do a pretty darned good job!

Race officials don’t go to the track every week intending to create controversies. They don’t single out a driver and give him or her a hard time. They are there to do a job – a job not too many of us are capable of doing or would even consider doing!

Earlier this year at Speedway 660 we had an ugly incident in the Fredericton Gun Shop Sharp Shooter Division. A car ended up on it’s roof and a driver was suspended for a week. Unfortunately that driver has not yet returned to the track. Personally I miss him – he’s a good racer and a nice guy – I hope he comes back.Randy Campbell is a good guy – he’s won lots of races at Speedway 660. Unfortunately earlier this season Randy was suspended for a week for his role in an incident that put Jeremy Doran’s Sharp Shooter car on it’s roof.

A couple of weeks ago we had another incident in the DMR Auto Sales & Service Street Stock Division. A race team was suspended for a week for actions on the track and in the pits. Hopefully now that their time in the “penalty box” has expired, they’ll come back to their home track to entertain our race fans.  It’s a great young team with a talented driver behind the wheel.TJ “Hollywood” Madore is one of our bright young stars. TJ’s team spent last week in “the penalty box” after officials ruled they took a rivalry to an unacceptable level. 

These two incidents and the Tucker situation on Saturday night were controversial. But just like we need refs in a hockey game, we need race officials to make the tough calls on the track. In the heat of the battle it is easy to get carried away and cross that line.

We’ve always had rivalries and they are good for our sport. Remember “Smokin Joe Albert vs. Rick Cashol? How about Bradley Logan vs. Brian Gillespie or Shawn Tucker vs. “The Caribou Kid” or Lonnie Sommerville vs. “Hokey Wolfe”? Many of you are too young to remember some of these rivalries, but they were all incredible. Brian Gillespie knows all about racin rivalries. The five-time Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman champ embraces competition and healthy rivalries!

Rivalries are great, but there has to be respect as well – the kind of respect that Logan and Gillespie had for each other. The kind of respect we recently saw between Andrew Rodgers and Brent Roy – remember how they went at it for that three grand in the Martin’s Home Heating 100? And remember how these young men shook hands after putting on an unbelievable show for our fans?Andrew Rodgers (#14) and Brent Roy go door-to-door with $3000 on the line! Even though they are rivals on the track they respect each other and appreciate this kind of racing competition.

We can all learn a lot from the kids in the Westwood Estate Apartments Bandolero Division. They race each other hard, but they are friends. I see them hangin out with each other in the campground and sitting in the stands together. That’s what racin is all about!

Rivalries are good for the sport, but it all comes back to that line that shouldn’t be crossed. And it’s up to race officials to make a decision if and when a driver crosses that line. I know what you are thinking – race officials can make mistakes. Sure they can and so can hockey refs, but someone has to do those tough jobs.The Bando Boys & Girls know all about rivalries. They race each other hard and have lots of fun hanging out together at Speedway 660.

I mentioned Hughie Yorke earlier. For those of you who are too young to remember, back in the early days of Speedway 660 he was my side-kick in the announce booth. Hughie is no longer with us, at least not in body, but I still remember a lot of his great words. So I’ll leave you with another one of his gems: “No one is bigger than the sport”.

By the way, we’ve got some great ENDURO action under the lights this Saturday night at Speedway 660. For those of you headed down to Riverside International Speedway for the IWK 250, please drive safely, enjoy the racin rivalries and don’t be surprised if there is a controversy or two along the way!

We’ll see you at the races!