Big things are on this year’s agenda at the Brockville Ontario Speedway.
The popular 3/8th-mile clay oval on Temperance Lake Road north of the city is celebrating its 50th-anniversary season with special events and promotions throughout the year.
Track owner and promoter Paul Kirkland says his team has worked very hard to get everything ready for Saturday night’s season opener.
Drivers and spectators can’t wait for the green flag to drop, signalling the start of the local stock car season.
“I can’t wait to get on the track,” said Tim O’Brien, a popular Modified 358 driver who is one of the favourites to win the track championship this season.
O’Brien’s brother, Danny, is a 15-time champion who has retired, leaving the track title for the taking. The younger O’Brien would like nothing better than to keep the track championship within the family.
“Many nights I finished second or third to Danny,” he said.
“I’m sad to see Danny retire, but it was his time to do so.”
He added: “(Danny) was in this sport for a long time and had tremendous success. He deserved everything he got, including his induction into the Brockville Speedway Hall of Fame.”
Making the jump from the Sportsman class in 2018 to the Modified 358 class is Steve Barber of Lansdowne. Racing in the feature event against the best drivers in the region was a real eye-opener.
“There was certainly a learning curve,” said Barber, an Ontario Provincial Police officer.
“Now that Danny O’Brien has retired, there’s at least 10 guys who can win a race on any Saturday night. I hope to be one of them. You have to be ready and prepared to battle. There’s so many good drivers in the field.”
Sprint car fans can look forward to five different classes of races every Saturday night, including feature events in the Modified 358s, the Sportsman-Modified, Rookie Sportsman, Street Stocks and Mini Stocks categories.
Gates open at 5.30 p.m. on Saturday, and the roar of the engines will begin at 7 p.m.