Episode 129

October 30, 2016

Woodland’s Kendall Sutherland on a Polaris in the near lane defeats the sled owned by his cousin Cody Thibodeau, also on a Polaris, at last winter’s Caribou Snowmobile Club Drag Races. More than likely these veteran vintage racers will be at the event.  The Fairgrounds event more than likely will not be on snow. HTF Motorsports photo

Re-scheduled Snowmobile Drag Racing This Saturday

Drag racing on the newly expanded Northern Maine Fairgrounds pulling track in Presque Isle will take place November 5. The previous date, October 22 was postponed due to inclement weather.

Registration begins at 12 noon with  racing beginning at 2:30.  100% payback pro bonus money. Finals will be under the lights!

There will be food and drinks sold. Gate price: $10 adults, under 12 free!

Austin In Action at Martinsville

Austin Theriault made his debut at Martinsville Speedway Saturday in the NASCAR Camping World Texas Roadhouse 200. Theriault was in the Young Motorsports #02 Chevrolet Silverado sponsored by Young’s Building Systems/Randco Industries.

After getting a lap down, he worked his way up to 16th. He was bunted backward in the latter stages of the race. Theriault finished the race in 20th and on the lead lap.

At the Maine Press Association’s 2016 Awards Ceremony in Portland with Bangor Daily News Executive Editor Anthony “Tony” Ronzio. HTF Motorsports photo

Online Daily/Weekend Sports Blogger 2016

Sunday nights have not been the same for me for the last couple years since I began blogging for the Bangor Daily News network. Many times posts were finished in the early Monday morning hours. Going to work on Monday can be interesting to say the least.

Saturday evening  I was named the Maine press Association’s Online Daily/Weekend Sports blogger for 2016 with my story about Amanda and Geoffrey Eason late last year. You may recall Woodland native, Amanda, a Marine, was wounded in Afghanistan in 2010 and received the Purple Heart. She married Geoffrey Eason who worked for several seasons with Stevenson Motorsports in North Carolina.

The Easons and their infant daughter Elizabeth live in Quantico, Virginia. Geoffrey continues to work in the motorsports industry working on the private collection of F.H. Furr, a Mopar collector.

Amanda as you may recall ran the Caribou Marathon in September. She just finished the Marine Corp Marathon in Quantico today in four hours forty one minutes and 34 seconds.

I want to thank the Easons for the time they allowed me to have when they were home in Woodland to visit family and friends. Their story was and is one worthy of telling.

My blogs always end with the most important line in the story Soli Deo Gloria, God’s glory alone. I lean heavily on my Lord for all that He has done to allow me to do something I enjoy.

Bangor Daily News Sports Editor, Joe McLaughlin, asked me a couple years ago when the BDN no longer was going to pay freelancers in the sports department. He said to try blogging and tell the stories of men and women in the north involved in motorsports. Thanks Joe!

No column can be written without the assistance of interviewees and others who are my eyes and ears in the industry. I quickly learned that as an unpaid writer I needed to rely on those who were at distant races for their insight. Please note I live in Westmanland, a small town north of Caribou. Practically every race is some distance from home!

Many thanks go to my wife Donna who hears me vent on Monday mornings when something may have gone awry the previous evening. Several HTF Motorsports photos were actually taken by her.She puts up with my crazy schedule and occasional forays to southern areas to cover races. I  appreciated her attending the Awards Ceremony in Portland this past weekend. Mighty proud to have her sit at the table with me.

I am amazed at the number of folks who read my columns every week. The number of shares on Facebook and Twitter finds me most grateful. I am unable to quote the number of times that someone will say to me, “I read your blog this week”. Your support humbles me.

The judges for my category said, “Hale’s an avid blogger who is passionate about his topics and it shows in his depth and length of writing. Great use of visuals to accompany stories. Human interest pieces were strong. Based on social media counters, his stories were widely shared on Facebook”.

Thanks to you the reader for being a part of the journey. I hope you will enjoy some of the stories brewing on my planning page of my notebook. Do not forget if you have a story idea email me at thale@reagan.com. No promises, however, I will look at your idea.

Despite Delay We Made It To Portland!

Slightly north of the Sherman exit heading south for the Maine Press Association Awards Ceremony a deer hit our car on the left side, dinging the front fender, mirror, rear door, and rear fender. My wife was disgusted that the deer slowed our progress since we had people to see before the Banquet. The deer ran into the ditch and into the woods. I suspect that was one sore deer. HTF Motorsports photo

My wife displays the mirror cover that was knocked off after our deer/car collision at 75 mph. Tough car and a tough deer. I was proud of my wife, she did not panic and throw the car into a skid. Good piece of driving. HTF Motorsports photo

We made it to Portland a couple hours later than planned but were very thankful to God since the collision could have been much worse.

I was a passenger at the time talking to my brother Bob who was out hunting. I had just asked him if he had seen any deer up home. He said no and I told him I saw one in the ditch to my right. At that exact time the deer that was lurking in the grass to our left leaped onto the Interstate and ran into our car.

The rest of the trip was uneventful. Phew!

Brenda Sue Carver Update

Brenda Sue Carver aboard her motorcycle. She crashed at the Loring Timing Association’s Fall Harvest Event September 4th. Photo courtesy Brenda Sue Carver GoFundMe site

I was able to contact Brenda Sue Carver’s daughter, Shanna Carver-Hunter, in Texas to see how her Mom was progressing. From previous episodes you know that Brenda Sue left EMMC in Bangor recently to return to her home in Texas.

Her daughter said, “Hi Tom. Mentally and physically all is about the same. But she came home today  We barbecued and surprised her. It was so incredibly good to see her and spend time with her and have her home.”

It is not too late to send your get well wishes to Brenda Sue as she faces  many challenges in the next few days, months, and years.

Her mailing address is:

Brenda Sue Carver

911 Reiley Road

Seguin, TX 78154

Spend the time and money to encourage her if you would please. Be sure to mention you are part of the Maine motorsports community.

 Big Announcements Next Weekend

Don’t miss the next episode on Sunday. A couple big announcement will be made and I hope to break the news right here on UpNorth Motorsports

Let’s go racing,

Tom Hale

Soli Deo Gloria