Roar of the raceway begins anew in Geary with some new twists and turns
For those of you who are in the habit of looking in this space for news and opinions on school and university sports, thanks for looking, but I'll see you in September. It's time for something completely different.
That's because the eight months of off-season are finally over and it's time to open the garage doors to see how the old Monte Carlo, Grand Prix or Fusion, among other models, weathered the winter.
Yes folks, it's summer time. It's time to go racing in Geary and tracks all around the Maritime Provinces.
The car shows and the practice weeks are all done. Now it's time to get serious.
In this space over the summer months, we'll chronicle the news and give the views from the Maritime Provinces stock car scene, primarily at the newly named Speedway 660 in Geary.
It has been an unusually quiet winter since we last met. The big news was the re-branding of New Brunswick International Speedway, or the preferred NBIS, into Speedway 660, named for Provincial Route 660 that runs past the speedway.
Ironically the road isn't known as Route 660 by locals. It is and remains the Branch Road. So needless to say, when I was moved to explain that the new name is derived from Route 660, many folks replied, "Where's that?"
Sigh. It'll all come together.
The important thing for the hardcore race fans is that nothing they care about will change. The racing and the competition involved will be as it was. There will just be a few more giveaways, so you will still get to sit and watch the racing and you might go home with a new hat or Frisbee for the dog.
The canteen will still serve the food you've always liked. In fact, they will bulk up the menu with a "meal of the week" so you can try something a little different if you are dropping in early for a meal before the racing.
Then there's the new mascot: Speedway the Moose. Yes, he looks pretty spiffy but I fear for Speedway the Moose. Those humid 30 degree days in July are going to be pretty rough on old Speedway T. Moose. I hope one of the meals of the week won't be fried moose burgers after a particularly warm night in the woods.
On a more ominous note, all these cosmetic changes to your race day were made because the speedway folks needed to tap into another line of fans so they're reaching out to the family looking to go have some fun on a Saturday evening.
It's a smart business move but we worry for the reasons that make it necessary. Mostly, that some of the race fans who have been coming from places like Saint John and Moncton might not be coming up every week this summer simply because of the expense involved.
The cost of gas is going to be a big deal with the local racing industry and the cost for fans to drive to the track and the cost of the drivers to run their race cars.
When these cosmetic changes to the former NBIS were announced back in late January, they seemed to be built on solid business logic. With the way gas prices have soared in the past few weeks, they seem to be even more necessary.
As much as I fear for Speedway the Moose on a hot August night, I worry for the racing industry itself as the cost of the very fuel that moves the cars becomes more and more expensive. The cost of racing is moving it away from a recreational pursuit and that is not a good thing for any of us.
This will be a big issue in the coming months and the years beyond no doubt.
Remember folks, Saturday at 6 o'clock, it will all begin again at Speedway 660. Come early. The management will be addressing the fans about 5:30 to talk about the changes. They promise some surprises, and there will be pre-race entertainment to get things off on a positive note.
Mike Power can be contacted at mpower@dailygleaner.com. His weekly column dealing with the stock car racing scene runs Tuesdays.
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