Episode 199
February 11, 2018
Caribou Snowmobile Club drag racing results
The Caribou Snowmobile Drag Race was held January 28 while I was covering the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. I received the results recently thanks to Nick Morrill. From what I heard, there was about 650 spectators at the event and the weather was great for racers and fans.
Brian’s Ride Cancer Fund Snowmobile Race in Caribou
March 17, 2018 will be the season finale for the Tame the Track Tour 2018. The race will be held behind the Northern Maine Brewing Company in Caribou with registration at 8:00 am and races starting at 11:00 am.
The Brian’s Ride fundraiser is named after Brian Caldwell, a self-employed carpenter who died May 22, 2014 a little under a year from being diagnosed with cancer. The fund is set up to make a positive difference in the journey of cancer patients at the Jefferson Cary Cancer Center. Over $40,000 has been raised over the past two years.
Race organizer, Jere Humphrey, commented, “The Mega Meltdown will be the Grand Finale of Vintage and Kids Endurance Races for 2018. It is the last of ten various snowmobiling venues, brought to you by the organizers of Tame the Track Tour, to decide fourteen points championship titles before the long off-season.”
“A portion of the proceeds of the snowmobile racing venue will go directly to ‘Brian’s Ride’ charity, named after Brian Caldwell who lost his battle with cancer. Several awesome additions to the race venue will be added along the way. Mark your calendars and make plans to finish the snowmobile race season out strong right here in Northern Aroostook County.”
Fort Kent’s Pelletier meets success in SnoX
Joe Pelletier, an owner-operator woodsman from Fort Kent, displayed his snowmobile driving talent at the Lincoln Snohounds Snocross races this weekend. The veteran driver drove his 2007 SkiDoo MXZX 440 to a third place in the Pro 500 class. In the Pro Open , Pelletier drove his 2014 SkiDoo 600 RS to the class win.
At the EMCC Foundation Dysart’s Professional East Coast Snocross Association’s race at Speedway 95 January 27 & 28, Pelletier placed a solid fourth in the Plus 25 class.
Super Late Models preparation going on
Though winter may seem to have a stranglehold on Maine and western New Brunswick, that does not mean race teams are sitting idle as the 2018 season approaches. A couple of teams that I will once again follow in 2018, RYAN Motorsports, Harvey, New Brunswick, and WAR out of Ellsworth sent photos of their super late models in the shop.
RYAN Motorsports will be concentrating on the Speedway 660 Pro Stock points race at Geary Woods, New Brunswick with a couple of travelling races.
WAR (Wyatt Alexander Racing) will make an effort to race at some of the bigger shows at Wiscasset Raceway in Maine as well as the PASS South Tour. Their first race of the 2018 season is the PASS race at Dillon, South Carolina at the end of March.
How’s that “give-away”vintage tractor coming?
As mentioned in a previous episode, the Northern Maine Antique Tractor Club (NMATC) is restoring a 1952 Cockshutt Model 30 to be raffled off and given away at their November 2018 Annual Meeting. The restoration team has made great progress since I was there last.
My Daytona 500 picks
After an 0 for 3 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona picking the winners effort, I am totally not sure that I am any more qualified to pick the Daytona 500 winner. Despite that shellacking at the 24 Hours race here goes:
- #42 Kyle Larson will be in Victory Circle saying, “I won the Daytona 55. I won the Daytona 500!”
- My sentimental pick is for Trevor Bayne to win his second Daytona 500 in the #6 Roush-Fenway Advocare Ford.
- And since good things come in threes, my “more than likely to win if Larson does not” pick is Brad Keselowski in the #2 Penske Ford.
Let me know how dumb my picks are by emailing me with your own picks which are more than likely just as a guess as mine. My email address is thale@reagan.com
Sad news from Indiana
My dear friend, Pastor Mick Saunder’s wife Alice, went home to be with the Lord Wednesday February 7, 2018 after a fight with cancer. I remember her as a family oriented woman who was very hospitable to me when I would stay at their home in Rushville, Indiana while covering the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
I thought you might like to hear the Mercedes F1 engine firing up. Some different from the Chaparral 2J engine from last episode. Judging from the large number of people in the engine room, I can see why F1 is expensive!
Winter Olympics have Maine men and woman competing
Do not forget to follow the Maine Winter Olympic team members, Russel Currier, Stockholm (biathlon), Clare Egan, Cape Elizabeth (biathlon), and Troy Murphy, Bethel (moguls) as they compete over the next few days. Check NBC Sports for event coverage.
Let’s Go Racing,
Tom Hale
Soli Deo Gloria