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| COVER SHOT: LUSKVILLE WAS HONORED TO HAVE PAOLO'S PRO MOD AS WELL AS GEORGE LEVESQUES PRO MOD @TRACK IN 2015 | |||
 BITS
FROM THE PITS 2016: FEB 22/2016*As the hunt for a roadster goes on, this picture reminds me of a mistake we made in selling 
cars many years ago, this is a pic of the boys, Derek, Troy and Kyle with our
Coors Light Dragster and in the background one of the nicest cars we have ever
owned. The Advance Chassis Corvette Roadster was not only a great looking car
but a incredible good working car, but as everyone got caught up in the world of
"Dragsters" we did to and sold this beauty to a racer on the east coast of
Canada. Oh would I love to have it back. Don't think the lads would want me to
call this a blast from the past, but certainly shows us how quickly another
generation of drivers is adding their names to the Luskville Dragway History
books.*There will be plenty of "Octane" flowing on this years Canadian Super Tour and at Lu  skville
Dragway, and it all won't be in the drag cars that are racing.
We are extremely pleased to announce that Octane beer will be the title
rights holder to the first race on the Canadian Super Tour kicking off at
I-Car @ Mirabel May 28-29 2016. Octane is a 7% Alcohol drink that will be on
sale at a couple of the tracks involved in the Canadian Super Tour including
Luskville Dragway the Long weekend in Sept. This is proof once again that Drag
Racing does have a marketing partnership appeal to major cooperation's and we
are very proud that they have chosen us to that. We look forward to presenting
the Canadian Drag Racing Super Tour as well as presenting too everyone lots of
"Octane. *Congratulations to former Napa Auto Parts Tour regular Rodney House of southern Ontario who will have himself a new ride for this summer. Rodney has bought the Grand Am that was for sale in the Toronto area, which is the former Pro Stock Car that was built by Joe Roy for Nicole Gauthier the wife of Quebec Pro Stock Racer Alban Gauthier a few decades ago. Rodney who has made many visits to Luskville Dragway over the years has not been in a while but has many friends and connections with our Track, Rodney stays in contact with what is always going on with the programs at Luskville Dragway and the tour. When questioned about a visit this season "Rodney as not left the House" was not sure whether he would be able to make it to the Tour or the Bonanza this season, but the low gas prices will help. *To all of you that have checked in early, yes we have updated early as we are heading out on a Caribbean Cruise with the entire family, so this week is a little early, and next week will be a little late. |
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CHEW ON THIS FOR A WHILE, BIG BUCKS THANKS TO
CHEW THAT PET CARE: FEB 22/2016 Chew-That Pet Food & Toys Galore, owned and operated by Paulo and Shannon
Giust of Osgood, Ontario, will once again as they have for as many years as
I can remember be a major advertiser at Luskville Dragway again in 2016. In a day and age
when big box cooperate stores are the trend, these guys have bucked the
trend and opened a independent and successful Pet Store. Chew-That Pet Food
and Toys Galore is located at 665 Earl Armstrong RdGloucester, Ont. They are a privately owned and have tried to fill their store with high quality everyday pet products. They have stayed away from aerosol spay cans and products containing harsh chemicals. Of course Paulo is one of this area’s leading drag racers, making his mark on the super pro racing at Luskville Dragway as well as leaving his mark on the Pro Mod racing around Canada and the US. Look for an announcement on a brand new Pro Mod for 2015 and maybe They have stayed away from aerosol spay cans and products containing harsh chemicals. Of course Paulo is one of this area’s leading drag racers, making his mark on the super pro racing at Luskville Dragway as well as leaving his mark on the Pro Mod racing around Canada and the US. Look for an announcement on a brand new Pro Mod for 2015 and maybe They have stayed away stayed away form aerosol spray cans and products with harsh chemicals. Paulo is one of this area’s leading drag racers, making his mark on the super pro racing at Luskville Dragway as well as leaving his mark on the Pro Mod racing around Canada and the US. Look for an announcement on a brand new Pro Mod for 2015 and maybe something else to go along with thatPaolo is of course one of the most successful drag racers from this area, starting out at Luskville Dragway way over 20 years ago and continuing to race there to this day in his Top Dragster Race Tech car or his recently purchased 67 Camaro. But Paolo has also graduated to the big boys, as for the past few years he has been competing in the ever competitive Pro Mod Circuit through out Canada and The US. Paolo started this class with a 1963 Vette but will move into a brand new G-Force Race Car 2015 Corvette which we have showed pics of on this site. 2015 saw this fast rising pro mod star when the Shakedown at the Summit, as well as the IHRA National Event at Grand Bend Motorp  lex. Even with all of Paolo's success and his move up to the
pro ranks of drag racing, he has never
forgotten where is roots are, and shows it each and every year by securing
the title rights to a weekend at the track. This in turn gives the drivers a
bigger and better purse to race for making for a great time for all. 2016
will once again see Paolo crew for Josh Shields Jr. Dragster, Bradley
Shields (Super Pro Rookie of the Year) continuation in the Super Pro Dragster and or course some competition
in his own Top Dragster in big dollar races at the track. Paolo will
continue to work the Pro Mod Circuit also with a start at Bradenton
Florida,(were he went a number of rounds) and then on too a PDRA event in
Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Luskville Dragway would like to thank Paolo and Shannon for their great
support both Financially and when ever they can with their presence at
Luskville Dragway. Last year was a special weekend for the event as Paolo
brought his pro mod out to Luskville Dragway as did George Levesque which made
for some wild times to say the least, we will keep our fingers crossed for 2016. |
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BRACKET BONANZA HIGH ROLLER CONTINUES TO ROLL ALONG TO A RECORD TURNOUT:
FEB 22/16 Another week, and another couple of entree's to the Bracket Bonanza High Roller July 29th. as part  of the 35th. Anniversary Bracket Bonanza. With the
Big Dog Shootout already surpassing in predictions for entree's a this time
of the year, the door cars take centre stage with two more entree's in that
program. We would like to point out that the Door Car High Roller will take
place early in the day on Friday as one or more of the door cars do want to
run in the Big Dog as well. Time Trials will start at 12 noon and
eliminations will go at 3 pm in the afternoon in order to be done long
before the Big Dog Shootout starts. With a record turnout for this time of
the year on the dragster side we are pleased to get another two for the door
car program which we do believe will pick up as we go forward. This week
see's Luskville Dragway regular Dave Gould and his Pro Stock Don Ness
Berretta leading the way out of Kingston, Ontario. Dave does not run
Luskville Dragway every weekend but is there more often than not and is
always part of the big shows. Leading what we believe will be the biggest
entree list EVER out of Quebec is Quebec Cities Mario Martel and his
incredible wheel standing Chevy Blazer. I think that it is safe to say that
Mario is one of the best known and most popular drivers to ever come out of
the province and will add a great deal too the weekend show. Martel who has
not been back to the Bonanza for a few years believes he will lead a large
contingent out of Quebec City and else where in the province of Quebec. The
wheel standing antics of this drivers entree will have the spectators
yelling for more, one can only imagine if he and Ralph Coe line up together on
the starting line. |
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BITS FROM THE PITS 2016: FEB 15/2016 *Something we missed last week with all the news surrounding the Malcolm Carpentry Opening weekend is that once again we will be doing SFI certification by NHRA. If you have a car that is not certified 
you should get it done, so let us know you need your name on the list. We can
also tell you that we are going to be pushing for more NHRA drivers licence's to
be done as well, so please get in touch with us on how you go about doing that.
Anyone running in the 9's on the quarter mile, and anyone running 5's or quicker
should have a licence. The main thing is to download the medical form, get your
medical done and then make arrangements too do your runs at the track, it is not
a big deal and NHRA has made it more economical with the ability to just
purchase the licence.*We are looking at bringing is a couple more storage containers for race car storage, if you think you are someone who might be interested in this for your race car at the track please let me know. These could be purchased out right and put on your private parking spot, or possibly done through a rental agreement with the track. *Drag Racing is a sport that was built on Octane, and this season there will be no shortage of th  at
at both Luskville Dragway and on the Canadian Super Tour at I-Car. Look for a
big announcement that will make it easy to celebrate the addition of this
company to the marketing program that we are putting forward in 2016 which will
give drag racers in Quebec and Ontario the best points funds anywhere in the
country.*The Wes and Tina Clarmo Family have generated a lot of news since coming on the scene one year ago with their Jr. Dragster Rookie of the Year driver Adien Clarmo, and the news has not stopped, which is good. First off a new Jr. was purchased for younger son Ryan, then Wes bought a Semi Pro Car and this week pictures came out of a new paint 
job for Ryan's new ride have been applied. They say a picture is worth a 1000
words so here it is, and yes it is Orange, wonder why, apparently the shine is
bright enough that young Ryan may need a new pair of sun glasses for the
upcoming season.*Every week when I sit down to do the Bits from the Pits I'm always worried about not having anything to report on to you guys, however thank the Lord that never seems to happen, which in itself is a good sign. Again this week as I published the previous weeks stories I thought too myself, "I don't have much for Bits from the Pits" for next week. But as you 
can see by the size of this section once again there seems to be enough going on
to keep the section full. And with that being said we are pleased to announce
that Collin Peterson of PF Pizza in Pembroke called to let me know they will be
back out this summer with something a little different again. This time around a
big block powered short wheel based dragster will be what the boys hit the trail
with. Collin says the shop is doing well in Pembroke but takes up a lot of their
time so don't expect to see them every weekend but as many as they can get in
for sure.*And finally this week took in my second drag race this winter, as I headed back down to Bradenton on Saturday to take in some IHRA Divisional stuff. Knew Tom Orr would be there but also a number of other Canadians racing, as well as a large group of racers from back home who where just there watching, Jean Noel Rousseau of Quebec City and Al Ray from Belleville. Got to talk extensively with these guys, Jean Rousseau was very happy about the New Bracket Bonanza payout and the new Canadian Super Tour something he says he will take part in both. Al informed me that work is coming near an end with his new ride the trick 67 Chevy II, and will soon head down the road too J&S Collision for some fibreglass and paint work. |
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WILLY'S ALIGNMENT, LINES UP
WITH SUPPORT OF LUSKVILLE DRAGWAY IN 2016: FEB 15/2016 We
are extremely pleased to announce that Willy's Alignment of Ottawa, Ontario will
once again align with Luskville Dragway in a Marketing partnership for 2016.
Owner and operator Willy Katib has been a supporter and a racer of Luskville
Dragway for 35 ye ars and will continue to do so in the upcoming season. Katib
who owns three race cars will have one in almost every class this upcoming
summer, as a Camaro Semi Pro car was added late last season joining John
Forsyth's wild Malibu as well as Willy's own ride, a undercover dragster.
Willy's Alignment which is located at 2535 Blackwell Ave
in Ottawa's east end is a full service auto repair shop specializing in
Alignments. They work on all domestic and import cars as well as light duty
trucks don't hesitate to call 613-321-7342 to make an appointment for any of the
services and products brought to you by Willy's Alignment. Once again this
season Willy will hold title rights to a regular day at the track and will be
supplying many of his customers with free admission tickets as a sign of his
appreciation. Willy Katib has been a good friend of mine, and a good friend of
Luskville Dragway for many years and is just another one of those great racers
we are lucky enough to have race at our track in Luskville Quebec. We will have
some more big news about this company when we make our announcements surrounding
the 2nd Annual "Spooktacular" race to be held Thanks Giving weekend in October. |
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KATIB, BELLIFIOULLE AND TUPPER
TIMES TWO, TAKE US TO TWENTY TWO BIG DOG CARS : FEB 15/16 The
Bracket Bonanza has always been the biggest, richest and best bracket race in
Canada, and got even bigger, richer and better a few years ago when the High
Roller Race was added too the Fridays activities. Well since the race was added
it like the Bonanza has gotten bigger and bigger each year as we head into year
8 of this particular portion of the big weekend. And this week the entree list
grows too 22 with the addition of 4 more racers who will be vying for their
first ever visit too the winners circle in Busters Bar and Grill High Roller
race. Leading the list with two
entree's is many time big dollar winner Jamie Tupper who will enter both his
undercover dragsters in the 2016 addition of what is the richest single day
payout event in Canada's drag racing history. Jamie in all likely hood will
drive the black undercover with team driver Laura Sheppard a big dollar race
winner herself driving the multicolored undercover car. This double threat is
two cars who are both very, very capable of winning this race and will have
their guns loaded and ready to fight for the winners circle come July 29th. Also
entering the field this week is Willy Katib who also drives a undercover
dragster at Luskville Dragway, but is undecided who will drive in the big one,
as rumour has a notable Super Stock Driver possibly doing driving duties for
that race. The last entree to be announced this week, is not the last racer to
send his name in this week but will be the fourth announcement this week.
Luskville Dragway regular Randy Bellefeuille who like Willy is part of racing on
a regular basis at Luskville Dragway each and every weekend in a chase for the
Napa Points Series. |
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TAPP AUTO TAPPED INTO
LUSKVILLE DRAGWAY ONCE AGAIN IN 2016: FEB 15/2016 Chris
Tapp the owner of Tapp Auto is probably better known in the sport compact
performance world than anyone in the Ottawa area, and for good reason. To say
this man is a genius when it comes to performance would be putting it lightly,
as he has proven over and over again with his record setting runs at Luskville
Dragway no matter what he is driving. Starting way back when the Import scene
had some very, very fast cars, Chris was the fastest ever, dipping into the et
zones that no one else was even close too, with his Honda civic turbo car. He
then went on to set some big numbers in his four wheel drive Talon before
slowing down for a few years as he and his wife started raising a family in a
big way when twins arrived. Chris does not get out too the track as much as he
used to, but he still manages too make a visit a few times a year, and continues
to support Luskville with his advertising support which we are great full for.
Tapp Auto is located at 39 Cleopatra Drive , Ottawa, Ontario Phone 613.225.8780.
The shop is always a busy place with repairs to all domestic and sport compact
cars, specializing in high end cars as well. |
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BITS
FROM THE PITS 2016: FEB 08/2016 *Practice Tree Party was once again a resounding success thanks to Derek, Troy and Kyle for taking care of things while we are away as they always do, also a big thank you to Busters Bar and Grill for everything. Derek says it was one of the biggest turnouts ever and things kicked off with Luskville Dragway Jr. Dragster Rookie of the Year Aiden Clarmo walking off with the Jr. Win and the $100. that went with it, congrats to this young man who we all believe will be in this position many times over his career. There was what many super pro racers call a upset in the big race as Semi Pro regular Darryl Jensen was the big winner in that class and took home a bank roll of money. A big thank you too the boys for taking care of things, the folks who showed up for the good time and Busters Bar and Grill for hosting the Annual Winter Nationals Practice Tree Party. Just a final note to all those who came, some from very far (The Tupper's The Angers, Auclair, Adam Bitzanis, Wayne Burke, Dan Zygmont and Frank Mark Sr. and Jr.) again showing just how big that Luskville Dragway Family really is.
 mber all the best in the new season.*We have added another car to our blast from the past section, Tom Orr's 1969 Cuda which was a big part of Luskville Dragway for many years before Tom and Sue moved too something much quicker. This was a car that entertained the crowds many weekends, and a car I would be that Tom would love to have back these days. Speaking of cars, we are going to very involved with this years "Under New Management" Autorama Car Show and we are in dire need of drag cars to represent Luskville Dragway. This will be our 4th year and would like to have cars that cover the cars that race at Luskville Dragway each and every weekend. This is a great opportunity for you to get your car in front of 1000's of people, good for Luskville Dragway, good for you and good for your advertisers, give me a call if your intrested. *Lots of talk this week about the new True Start program that Compulink Timing System has built for testing at this years Spring Fling, it will be interesting too see how it works. however please understand that this is something that is being tried, it is something that is as of right now only available if you have a Compulink timing system. We have the VERY good Port A Tree Timing system that was purchased just a couple of years ago that has been met with plenty of applause. IF the new program works out, IF it looks like it is a good thing, IF Port A Tree designs one then we will look at it for sure. *We had a big week of news this week so we didn't announce anymore high roller entree's, but that doesn't mean we didn't get any more. Make sure you check back with us next week as we make some more exciting news about more entree's in what is GOING to be the BIGGEST, THE BEST, BRACKET BONANZA EVER. |
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ELLIOTT LAKE CELEBRATES 17
YEARS AND LOOKS TOWARDS 20: FEB 08/2016 With
the announcement last week of the confirmation by the city council of Elliott
Lake that the 2016 North Shore Challenge would go forward, also came the
commitment by the council for a 3 year extension (2016-2017-2018). Now don't
take this wrong, we still have to work real hard to make this event the
huge success it has always been, but the vote of confidence by the officials
should make everyone very, very happy. Started back in 1999 the year 2019 will
mark the 20 anniversary of this very special event that has taken place in the
middle of July for all of these years. I can only imagine what will take place
that year.I still remember as if it was yesterday, my first trip ever to Elliot Lake in the fall of 1998, to meet with people like Bruno Serre, Jack Bourget and William Elliott, people that too this day play a big part in the continuation and the success of this race. Our first trip to Elliott Lake was a very special one, and too this day it is a road trip that we all anxiously await each and every year, as this is a very special weekend for all of us that travel the Napa Auto Parts Tour. From its very first year to this day, to watch how the city, the city employee's, the business's and the people of this incredibly beautiful City welcome  the racing community is quite simply amazing. The memories and the
traditions are etched in stone, whether it be something as simple as the ADM
Teams annual pool hall trip, to the annual staff dinner at the Fireside, and the
list goes on and on, and that is before you even reach the race track. The race
track has created so many memories as well for race teams, who would have known
that way back when Jamie Tupper would win his first big dollar race at Elliott
Lake, in a Buick Door Car, that he would go on to be one of the winningest and
greatest Bracket Racers of all time in Canada. Or how about the year the small
fair and ferris wheels where part of the race, the view from the starting line
with the rides going on was something I personally will never forget and for me
is the one thing I remember with great fondness. So as we look down the road to
July 15-16-17 and even further down the road to the 20th Annual in 2019, I think
that anyone and everyone who has ever been part of this event will rejoice, and
for anyone that has never been, please make plans to be part of Drag Racing
History in Canada. |
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PRECISON CONCRETE FINISHING CONTIUES IT'S SOLID AS CEMET SUPPORT OF
LUSKVILLE DRAGWAY: FEB 8/16 We are extremely th  rilled
to announce that the Carl Jessup owned Precision Concrete Finishing Company
of Renfrew, Ontario will continue its solid support of Luskville Dragway
once again in 2016. Carl who is one of the original racers at the track and
someone who has seen his fare share of winning over the years, has always
been a strong supporter of Luskville Dragway. These days Carl Son Kyle does
most of the driving of the family Undercover rear engine dragster. Playing a
leading role with the racing operation is much like he does in the family
business as well, as Kyle has been working with his father from the first
day he was old enough. The company which is based in Renfrew, Ontario has
done a incredible amount of work within the racing community as this is a
perfect example of supporting those that support us. Precision Concrete has
always been responsible for any and all of the concrete work at
Luskville Dragway, including last years pad extensions that where added at
the end of the year. Precision has also done work for many other racers
including Derek Malcolm (Malcolm Carpentry) Tom Orr, Brian White and Joe
Kavanagh to just name a few. Their work is much like the title of their
company, done with precision, profection and pricing that is matched by
none. As many racers have proven this is a perfect example of a company that
you the racing community can support, whether it be a garage floor, basement
floor, walkway or complete house foundation Precision concrete is someone
that can take care of your needs. Precision Concrete Finishing will once
again present the Mulligan Sunday Portion of Malcolm Carpentry Opening
weekend which is shaping up to be the biggest ever. |
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MALCOLM CARPENTRY OPENING WEEKEND SHAPING UP
"BIG" AS NEW ITEMS ADDED:FEB 08/2016  With
the beginning of the Napa Auto Parts Racing season another week closer, some
new items have been added to the Malcolm Carpentry Opening weekend May 21-22
to make the weekend that much more fun for everyone. First off a $2000. to
win High Roller race has been added for Saturday evening with some extra
special items going with it, including a very special Member Track Madness
Trophy directly from NHRA. Along with the special trophy, the big prize
money will also come a pair of weekend tickets to any NHRA National event
that you wish to attend, any where you might want to travel. NHRA continues
to try and do a few things too help the small tracks have a few things that
are different and this one is one that I think racers will accept with great
appreciation. We have also decided to do something for our Northern Racers who have shown such great support for Luskville Dragway over the years and will run a special "King or Queen" of the North" championship on Saturday following the regular event. This race will also see the winner walk off with a special trophy and a pair of tickets to  any NHRA National Event they decide
to attend also. At last years Fall Bracket Finals Napa Race, the attendance of
Northern Racers allowed Luskville Dragway to set a new track record for Semi
Pro Eliminator and we want to show that we don't forget support like that.
Our Airport events over the years has seen more and more Northerners get
involved in the sport of drag racing, and this has also been good for
Luskville Dragway as well. If you live North of Mattawa then you qualify for
this race, semi pro and super pro will run separately and then meet in the
finals for the championship. Sunday of course will see the Precision Concrete
Mulligan Sunday which has racers running for extra cash as well, making this
years Malcolm Carpentry Opening weekend the richest one of all time, don't
miss out to the kick off to the 2016 Drag Racing Season, BE THERE. |
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SPEEDY GLASS ROCKLAND
CONTINUES PARTNERSHIP WITH LUSKVILLE DRAGWAY: FEB 8/2016 Dan
Couturier the owner of Speedy Glass Rockland is a very successful business man
who like many young kids back in the early days of Luskville Dragway, was taken
there by their parent. In Dan's case it was his father who was a drag racer at
Luskville Dragway, these days Dan brings his Dad back once a year to enjoy some
races and support Luskville Dragway with one of the very popular Cruise Night
Title Rights. The fact is Dan has been restoring the 1969 Firebird that his Dad
raced way back then, and fully plans on bringing it to the track once its done,
until then he gets his thrill by running his very fast Harley Davidson
Motorcycle when he comes.Speedy Glass Rockland does what you immediately think about, the repairing and replacing of Automotive Glass, but this is a shop that does much more, and does it all with precision and perfection. They can do any type of glass installation from light duty cars and trucks too any type of equipment including Motor homes. Dan can also cut lexan windows for those racers that are looking for that to be taken care of. The key to everything that is done at this shop is the meticulous way it is done, this is a car guys shop and every job is done as if its their own car. We are very pleased that Dan is back as he is not just a financial supporter but a very good moral and vocal supporter as well, just another great example of how lucky we are at Luskville Dragway when it comes to our advertisers. |
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BITS
FROM THE PITS 2016: FEB 01/2016 *January gone, good, but once again it points out how fast time goes by and how quickly the racing season will be upon us for 2016. However before we get too far ahead of ourselves lets do a little inside bench racing and practice tree competing this weekend, as Derek and Troy present the annual Winter Nationals Practice tree competition at Busters Bar and Grill, Saturday Feb 6th. Lots of great food, cold beer, good company, fun times and lots of prizes. *Last week we rumored a story about yet another new semi pro car for 2016 and this week we can tell you the whole story, and who it is. First of all let me just say that i think we have turned the corner, or the down hill slide, tha  t
we seemed to be in with the semi pro class which shrunk from a regular day 22
cars to 14 the last few years. And a lot of the news coming out this winter has
been great news for the semi pro class and its growth in the future and with
that we welcome KAYLE URSLAK to the semi pro class for 2016. Kayle who is the
oldest Son of Randy Urslak and main stay at Luskville Dragway for the past 35
years, took delivery of a new Camaro that he will be running in Semi Pro,
looking to be another Jr. Dragster graduate that shoots for being a rookie of
the year in a big car class. The book was still out on what way Randy would
point Kayle in at the end of last year as the young "confident" young man made a
few pass's in a rear engine dragster. Most took from that, that Kayle would be
headed into such a car for the continuation of his drag racing career, but Randy
decide a few years in a door car would be could all around for this young man,
giving him the experience that Randy himself went through. Randy who is such a
great supporter of Luskville Dragway will now field His Racetech Dragster in
Super Pro, Kayle's Camaro in Semi Pro and 2015 Jr. Dragster Track Champion and
youngest son Landyn in Jr. Dragster. This once again marks something that could
be another first as a team that features a car in every class that we run at the
track, but will also make for one busy time for Randy as well. No matter how you
look at it, with Phil VanNoppen entering semi pro
near the end of last year, the Wes Clarmo announcement a week ago and now this
one, things are looking good for Semi Pro.*As we head into this weekends Busters Bar and Grill Practice tree competition, everyone attending will have lots to talk about with everything that has been happening over the winter so far. And this will add some more fuel to the fire for the bench racers, as we have some great and exciting news to announce about Elliot Lake and their 17th Annual HiRail Leasing North Shore Challenge, and beyond. However all we are going to tell you about this week is this years race is the dates that were announced a while back, July 15-16-17. But tune in next week as we give you the rest of the good news that has just come out of Elliott Lake surrounding the race that has set the bar for others too follow. This is an event that everyone looks forward to and next weeks news will give you much to cheer about. * One of the coolest things I have found and I think many people will agree with me is being in a different c  ountry
than our own great country and hooking up with people from home. Well in the
racing community that is even cooler, and that is just the great feeling it was
this past Saturday when I travelled down to Bradenton Motorsports Park to watch
Paolo Giust run his wicked Pro Mod Corvette. Meeting Paolo and Shannon, Jamie,
Joe and Tara was just great, watching Paolo lay down more than one wicked run in
the 3 second zone was pretty wild. Also had a visit with Tom Orr who was at the
event helping out another driver, Tommy will be racing in two weeks at a Pro Am
race at the same facility. These are great folks that we hang out with when home
in Canada, but when your far away from home the friendship, and the
closeness is even more meaning full and again something that I fell makes our
sport different. But what is also different is the great people we are fortunate
enough to call friends, Thanks Guys. By the way Paolo ended up qualifying well
in the field with a low 3:80, on the first run he wheeled the beast to a 3:92
with one wheel in the air almost the entire 1/8 mile. Following the Bradenton
event Shannon and the rest of the crew flew home to Ottawa, however Paolo will
west too Tulsa, Oklahoma where he will park the rig and fly home, too return
with the team for the first PDRA Event in 2016. |
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| BIGGEST, RICHEST, BEST BRACKET BONANZA EVER COMING AT YOU IN 2016:
FEB 01/16 As we head into the month of February we are one month closer too the 35th addition of the biggest and richest Bracket Race in Canada, Luskville Dragway's Bracket Bonanza. This event which started back in 1981 will celebrate its 35th Birthday this summer and will do so in style, with the an even richer purse than at anytime in its 35 year history. Management at Luskville Dragway has listened to the racers and will go forward with an increased purse in both Super Pro and Semi Pro and will do so by spreading the wealth around rather than sticking it all on the top, which was the initial thought. This also proves once again that we do  listen to our racers
who mean a great deal to us, and we hope that their thoughts will show through
in not only more out of town racers, but also those local drivers who have
by passed the Bonanza for one reason or another. The 35 year theme will be
front and centre though as we will pay the winner of the Sundays Super Pro
Race (the main event) $13500.00 and the winner
of the Semi Pro class $3500.00. But it doesn't
end there for enhanced purse s and in particular for the Super Pro class
where the drivers finishing 8-16 will receive $500. and in the event we hit
72 cars the payout will go back to 32 spots where we will pay $200. to those
finishers. This is an event that like past years will see the famous Wally Trophies go too the winners but this year will see both Friday Nights
Busters Big Dog, and Super Pro and Semi Pro Winners on Saturday AND Sunday.
All drivers who buy and entree for the weekend will receive a 35th
Anniversary T-Shirt, a Steak Bar-B-Que and will also enjoy a live band and
fireworks on Saturday Night. The richest High Roller Race in the Country,
the Busters Bar and Grill Big Dog Shootout will take place Friday Night. The
Bracket Bonanza's famous KKK Golf Cart Race will also be part of the
festivities and will take place on Saturday after the racing, during the
Bar-B-Que and prior too the live band. We are also quite pleased to announce
that Elvis will make his second appearance in as many years as he was met
with great approval in 2015. This event alone is worth the trip as
nearly 50 Golf Carts take part. The race will also feature special
attractions such as Jet Cars, Pro Mods and Funny Cars as it has over the
past 35 years. All of these things have made the Bonanza the BEST Bracket
race bar none, others will claim that they are the richest but i dare anyone
too show us a payout in Canada that matches the Bracket Bonanza. We have
always listened to our drivers, have not always agreed with what they say,
but it is quite obvious that we have this time around, as all were in unison
on how they wanted things to unfold, we hope that this shows in an increase
in local drivers to come out and support it, as well as out of town drivers
who will have a chance to run for some incredible money. We will have much
more details about this event as the winter rolls along, we can tell you
that we do have a new Title Rights Holder, and that we have a number of
presenters which currently includes, Busters Bar & Grill, West Carleton
Automotive, Ottawa Drive Shaft and Steering, W.O. Stinson's & Sons and more
too come, stay tuned and BE THERE, July 29-30-31.
CLICK HERE
FOR FLYER |
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| THE ECONMICS OF RACING, THIS FITS US ALL AND IS WORTH THE READ:
FEB 01/16 Racer X: “How much does it cost to get in the track this weekend for the Bracket Bonanza Track Promoter: “$400” Racer X: “That’s insane. You guys should just get a sponsor, so you don’t have to charge so much.” Track Promoter: “I wish it was that easy. This is an expensive purse, and w  e
have to charge accordingly.”The conversation above is a summarized recap of discussions that go on at every race track across this country and south of the border. It’s nothing new, but after seeing it I made a mental note to write a future article, analyzing the situation from both sides. This could be any race track including Luskville Dragway which as we have said many times deals with many different things today than we did back when drag racing started here in the 1960's. The challenge is no secret, Racers want to be profitable with their racing programs and in some cases just be able to afford to race. Race tracks want to keep their operations in the green as well. Both have to look for what’s in their best interest at all times, the harsh reality is that rarely is the same thing. All the time I hear racers say things like, “This track wouldn’t have to charge so much for admission if they worked harder to put fans in the stands.” Sounds good at first, but if you look deeper you will quickly realize that it’s much easier said than done, and in the case of Luskville Dragway I feel we work real hard to put fans in the stands, but again it is not as easy as it looks. Sure, our sport hasn’t grown much in the past two or three decades when you look at the big picture. For the most part, our crowds for big events are similar today to what they were several years ago if not down some because of so much else going on, but expenses has only gone one way UP. To some that sounds like failure. To me that actually sounds like a bit of a win. A drum of traction compound use to cost 700us. today it is closer to 1500us. and we use 8-10 drums each season. Take a step back and look at NASCAR. Next take a look at the NFL, the NBA, and the list goes on and on. Many of the top-tier sports have seen a decline in attendance over the past few years also. Meanwhile, our little corner of the market has sustained to a certain extend which should say something for what we are doing. Sure, we’ve lost tracks, but I attribute that to survival of the fittest as much as anything. Just like in any field of work in a capitalistic society, you are going to have success stories as well as failures.  Many times I hear racers and fans say that if a track lowered admission prices for big shows that their crowds would skyrocket. Unfortunately, this is another myth. I was actually part of promotions for two consecutive years for an event that headlined a major touring series. The first year the front gate ticket was $28. The show was profitable, but the co-promoter of the facility insisted that if ticket prices were lowered just a few dollars for the following year’s event that the attendance would significantly increase. So the next year we lowered prices by $5 to see if it made a difference. This made the ticket price the lowest on the tour. Under the exact same weather conditions as the year prior, the show drew eighteen extra people through the gates. In net the track gained eighteen extra people for a total of $214, while losing roughly $10,000 on the lowered ticket prices. This, of course, made the event unprofitable. Bottom line is that lower ticket prices don’t mean more fans, just like higher purses don’t always equal more cars. Simple economics tend to not apply to what we do. I say all of this to make a single point. We all would love to see more fans in the stands at events, but it’s just not an easy task. As a result, tracks have to charge according to the crowds they typically draw to make a show monetarily feasible. Further, it might be easy for a racer to tell a track to “go find a sponsor so you don’t have to charge such a high admission price. ”However, what if the tables were turned and the track told the racer to “go find a sponsor to pay for your pit passes and entry fees so that it doesn’t matter what the cost is.”? Clearly, it’s a hard task for both the track and the racer to find a sponsor these days, although we are very fortunate at Luskville Dragway to have the great advertising support we do have. It’s no big secret that some facilities not only charge exuberant prices, but they also charge for anything and everything they can think of. I’ve often joked that some places would charge for oxygen if they could devise a method. Luskville Dragway has tried very hard to charge at the gate and that's it, not one price at the gate and then another too race, not one price to get in and another to stay, and we will keep doing that. It’s a fine line to balance. You have to make sure you are making money with your track on a  select event, but on the other hand you can’t bankrupt your
racers to do it. Another thing worth noting is that not every track can
afford to have big events. If you look at the numbers and determine that you
have to charge insanely high prices to have a chance at breaking even, then
maybe you should stick with what actually works, that's why fewer and fewer
tracks run their own points programs anymore, but leave it too the drivers
themselves to handle that.As I always say this is a give-and-take business, and there are times we all feel like the other guy is doing all the taking. Sometimes we might be right, but we also have to acknowledge that other times we are wrong. Hopefully, this article has opened the eyes for folks on both sides of the argument. The struggle is real. I get that. I wish I had the perfect equation for what works best for tracks, fans, and racers. If I did I could probably get rich real fast. Unfortunately though, many times I’m left scratching my head. At the end of the day I guess all that we can do is continue to try and fine-tune the product. If we keep digging, just maybe one day we’ll find a place where we all agree. I do know one thing we need everyone to support the track, if you love drag racing, if you want to keep drag racing alive and well locally, Support Luskville Dragway. |
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OTTAWA DRIVESHAFT AND STEERING, RETURNS FOR YEAR 2 AS A MARKETING PARTNER WITH
LUSKVILLE:FEB 01/16 Luskville
Dragway is extremely pleased to announce that ODS the newest marketing
partner to join the Luskville Dragway in 2015 will return in 2016. The NHRA Drag Strip that is
located in Luskville, Quebec and only 20 minutes from down town Ottawa, has
been around since 1969 and has continued to lead the way with Championship
Drag Racing. The popular 1/4 mile drag strip has continually attracted
advertisers who choose motorsports as a way of advertising their product.Ottawa Driveshaft and Steering (ODS) is dedicated to remanufacturing steering gears and manufacturing driveshaft's. Their modern DSR driveline equipment, computerized steering tester and knowledgeable technicians allow us to deliver top-notch service. Their 5,000 sq. ft. building stores a large inventory of parts to suit all of your driveshaft 
and steering needs. ODS also specialize in fleet programs as well as
agricultural and off road equipment, so as you can see they cover all
venues. They are committed to serving you with excellence, and their goal is
to be the number one provider of driveshaft and steering products and
services in the Ottawa region. Whether you are repairing or customizing your
vehicle, Ottawa Driveshaft & Steering (ODS)has the parts that you need. They carry a full assortment of 4 x 4 Shafts, Driveshaft Assemblies, and other Parts custom-built to your specs. Ottawa Driveshaft & Steering also carries Ottawa's largest truck power steering pump inventory. ODS also offers Expert service with Knowledgeable Steering technicians that will get your vehicle up and running in no time! Give them a call today at (613) 742-7415 or contact ODS at info@ottawa-driveshaft-steering.com They very much look forward to doing business with you! ODS will continue their support of the Largest and Richest Bracket Race in Canada the 35th. Annual Bracket Bonanza on July 29-30-31 of 2016. Their support and the support of others has allowed us to take the Bonanza to where it is in the new season. |
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| 2016 JAN |
RACE
NEWS 2016
