Dirt From The Stands, by Greg Cybulski

A Prairie Dirt Family Christmas (2006)

Well race fans, here we are are once again, relaxing in the warmth of a quiet evening's glow with the anticipation of another Christmas season upon us. I sit before this keyboard with my favorite glass of yuletide cheer and Christmas carols playing in the background. As I look back to the year that was, I realize that one common theme keeps rising and that is family.

There are different families in our lives. My immediate family consists of spouse Heather, son Aaron and daughter Brandi, mom Joyce, dad Edward and brother Gord. There are others in my life as well, however, the newest is my racing family. If I made a list of everyone who has touched my life in racing in the past 5 years, I think I would have to fit them all in the grandstands of Knoxville Raceway.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been a part of and supported Prairie Dirt over the past five years. It has been an incredible ride for my family and I as we have had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful people in the racing community.

Some we have personally met and have grown strong friendships with, some we have corresponded with while others, sadly, we have lost far too soon.

Some of my personal highlights of the 2006 racing season included taking a ride in a stock car at Richard Petty's Driving Experience at Walt Disney World, Florida in March. Even doing 3 laps gives one an appreciation of the speed and power these cars possess on a race track.

Regretfully, my next experience was preparing a tribute for fallen friend, Fred Brownfield which was read at Estevan Motor Speedway on July 1 by track announcer Pat Boyle prior to the NOSA Sprint feature. Pat delivered the tribute page with a reverence and feeling that the fans in attendance could appreciate. As I stood in turn 4, listening and reflecting, I looked up at the clear Saskatchewan sky, and somehow I knew that Fred was there with us and giving his approval.Once again, the good folks at Estevan Motor Speedway showed why EMS is one of my favorite stops to see dirt track racing with their awesome hospitality and family-oriented atmosphere.

Congratulations to Guy Budel and the crew at Red River Co-op Speedway for putting on a first class race night for the fans at the 2nd annual NAPA Auto Parts Mid-Canada Sprint Car Challenge here in Winnipeg. They were really looking after the fans who had to park out on Highway 75 with a shuttle service to and from the speedway. Now that's service! Thanks again to the good folks at NAPA Auto Parts for their continued support of this special race event.

Race fans, mark your calendars! The 3rd annual NAPA Auto Parts Mid-Canada Sprint Car Challenge is set for Thursday, July 12 and promises to be bigger and better than ever. Sprint Car fans can look forward to the debut of the father and son team of Lou Kennedy Jr and son Thomas. Thomas will make his Sprint Car debut in Winnipeg and run a limited schedule before taking over the famous 21k Sprinter full time in 2008. Also confirmed is Fargo, North Dakota's first lady, Natalie Sather, who with legendary veteran crew chief Kenny Woodruff should provide for more excitement at Winnipeg's premier race event.

Congratulations to the new kids on the block in 360 sprint car racing on a successful inaugural season. The ASCS Northern Plains Region headed by Chuck Zitterich made some waves in 2006 with shows in the southern part of the Upper Midwest. Brainerd, MN appears to be a good stop for the N.P. as they have 4 races slated for 2007, including the much publicized ASCS National Tour.

The Northern Outlaw Sprint Association membership celebrated a series of firsts in 2006. Scott Butz captured the NOSA points title for the first time in 2006 with strong consistent performances. Dave Sobczak, Casey Mack, John Lambertz picked up their first NOSA-sanctioned feature wins on the NOSA Sprint Tour. Lambertz's win came at a new stop for NOSA at Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, SD.

What a year for Mark Dobmeier. His stock as a driver just keeps going up. Not only did he dominate at his home track of River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND, but he consistently showed strong performances all season long at other tracks including Huset's Speedway and Knoxville Raceway. He capped off the season with his first World of Outlaws feature win, subbing for the first time in Brooke Tatnell's seat at Wilmot Speedway, WI. This was Mark's first time to Wilmot. This reporter can't wait to see what he does for an encore in 2007.

Congratulations to Schatz Motorsports on not only winning the World of Outlaws points title in 2006, but for winning the highest honor in 410 Sprint Car racing, the Knoxville Nationals.
Looks like Ken Pelkie and Ohsweken Speedway have a winning formula going in Ontario with another successful 360 Sprint venture following the 2nd Annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals in mid-September. It's good to see Sprint Car racing growing north of the border as it is.
Another highlight of 2006 was being interviewed by Darren Pallen for the sprint car special edition of Prairie Dirt Digest podcast.

In that interview I had stated the priorities in my life, that being family and the family business and the importance of them to me. Right now, it is my intention to devote more time to the family business.

Having said that, I am announcing that I will not be actively involved in the promotion of sprint car racing for the 2007 racing season. Does this mean the end of what I have started? Hardly. I will continue to keep my finger on the pulse of the racing scene and return with a refreshed outlook following my leave of absence.

I will continue to run Prairie Dirt (2005) in it's current form, showcasing open wheel racing in Canada ,in our region, and in Australia during our off-season, however, I will not pursue any other additional duties at this time.

There is a place in Manitoba where a majesty of diverse wild ground, all creatures great and small and a man's soul come together as one. This is my refuge from the daily battle in the concrete jungle called the city. If I am nowhere to be found, that is where I will be. My little peace on earth, God's Country.

On behalf of the Cybulski family, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and many Blessings in the New Year.

God willing, I will see all my racing friends at a dirt track again in 2007.

Take care and good racing,Greg Cybulski

CANADIAN MOTORSPORT HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES 2006 INDUCTEES

NOVEMBER 2006 (Toronto) The Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame (CMHF) announced the nine finalists to be inducted into the Hall at an award ceremony at the 14th annual black tie Gala on Saturday, February 10, 2007 in Toronto.

This year s inductees come from a variety of racing disciplines and are being recognized for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to Canadian racing. Nominations for induction are accepted by the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame s Nomination Committee, which carefully scrutinizes all submissions for accuracy. Complete nominations are then forwarded to the Selection Committee which is comprised of a national panel of automotive and racing journalists and historians who make a selection based on overall accomplishments and contributions to Canadian motorsport.

The 2006 inductees are:

Bob Atchison // Builder // Drag Racing
Alec Bennett // Competitor // Motorcycle Racing
John Bird and Bruce Simpson // Competitors // Rally Racing
John Duff // Competitor // Oval and Road Racing
Lorne Leibel // Competitor // Boat Racing
Dan Marisi and Jacques Dallaire // Builders // All
Ted Powell // Competitor/Builder // Road Racing
Lloyd Shaw // Competitor/Builder // Oval Track Racing
Robert Theoret // Competitor // Boat Racing

Thom Dickinson, President and Chairman of the Board of CMHF says, The reason the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame exists is to honour the special men and women who have contributed to making Canada one of the world s great racing nations. We are very excited to announce the newest list of outstanding Canadians, who, through their notable achievements, have contributed to Canada s racing heritage and have left their stamp on Canadian motorsport.

The gala ceremony and dinner, including a Silent Auction, will be held at the Sheraton Centre Toronto located at 123 Queen Street. Individual tickets are $220 each, and a table of 10 can be purchased for $2,200. Tickets purchased prior to December 31, 2006 are $195 each and a table of 10 is $1,950. Tickets may be purchased by calling 905-876-2454, or by visiting the CMHF website at www.cmhf.ca.

The Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame makes up one of the largest motorsport collections in Canada, housing more than 20 racing cars, boats and motorcycles. It also holds an extensive archival collection, some of which will be on display at the annual induction dinner.

The Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame was established in 1993 to honour and recognize the achievements of those who have made significant contributions to Canada s rich and colourful motorsport history. Since its inception, more than 125 people have been inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame including Greg Moore, Scott Goodyear and the legendary Gilles Villeneuve. In 1999, the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame combined with the Canadian Automotive Collection and operates as a charitable organization that is funded by in-house events, individual donations and corporate sponsorships.

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Individual biographies available upon request.
For further information contact:
Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame
Tim Miller 905-876-2454

ITMN Subscription... a great gift idea!

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STICKY POST: This will be headlined until end of day on Nov. 29. Please see below for news.

CASCAR on TV: Barrie opener on SPEED

WATCH THE GO-RACING.CA 300 from BARRIE SPEEDWAY on SATURDAY DECEMBER 2ND at 3:00PM on SPEED!

And if you're interested in purchasing a DVD Box Set of the entire 2006 CASCAR Super Series season, send a note to Joel Robinson.

CBC: Changes at Headz Gamez

The CBC has a story on its website about Headz Gamez Int'l.

The company was involved in sponsoring CASCAR Super Series teams and events in 2006.

From the CBC story:

"A megaproject promising to bring 1,500 factory jobs to Parrsboro appears to be in jeopardy.
Residents had been told their small town on the Minas Basin would be headquarters for a board game empire, but they learned Tuesday the project's champion has resigned.
(CBC)Headz Gamez International, which produces sports-themed board games, now says it's reviewing its Nova Scotia operations following the resignation of its president and majority owner, Kerry Martens."

... story continued at the link above.

ACT RETURNS TO CANADA

This is very interesting. Talk about "Back to the Future".
I'm hearing that people are being told that the former CASCAR Sportsman Series won't happen in 2007. One team owner said he's converting his operation to ACT. And now I can see why.

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Waterbury, VT – After a ten year absence, the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) will be returning to Canadian racing on a regular basis in 2007. With the recent announcement of an ACTion Super Series race at Ontario’s Kawartha Speedway, and the finalization of negotiations with Quebec race teams and promoters north of the border, the Vermont-based group has announced it will manage and administer the very popular and successful Quebec Late Model Série in 2007.
Quebec racing is deeply rooted in northern New England stock car history. “La Belle Province” has produced many notable competitors, including the great Jean-Paul Cabana, André Many, Marcel Goddard, and Claude Aubin, among others, who were mainstays at the former Catamount Stadium (Milton, VT) and Thunder Road (Barre, VT) in the 1960s. Quebec racing at Vermont tracks and at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway continued with Quebec City’s Langis Caron, while Claude Leclerc and Roger Laperle from the Montreal area, and a host of drivers, were among the foundation of the ACT Pro Stock Tour years later.
Nearly 30 “new breed” Quebec racers and teams attending a recent organizational meeting in Drummondville, Qc learned that ACT will promote and manage the Quebec Late Model Série next year. ACT president Tom Curley said, “We feel very lucky to be able to work with many old friends and some new young talent. Donald Forte, in cooperation with the Quebec promoters did a very good job establishing this touring series. Our job is to help make it grow and have a lot of fun along the way. The Quebec Late Model Series fits our regional business plan perfectly. Universal rules, inexpensive race costs and affordable ticket prices will be our goal in Quebec, just like in New England.”
ACT has formed a 12-race schedule for the coming season that will compete at five venues. Included on the card will be two very popular ACTion Super Series events. The Series will open at Ralph Nason’s Autodrome Montmagny Speedway, a 3/8ths mile high-banked oval in May and close with the Cari-all 300 at the historic Autodrome St-Eustache near Montreal, a 4/10ths mile oval owned by former champion, Claude Aubin. Also on the docket will be stops at Autodrome Circuit Chaudiere, a track that ACT’s Curley consulted on, which is a favorite of fans and race teams. The 5/8ths mile Autodrome Ste-Croix, located near Quebec City, will host a pair of Quebec Late Model Série events as well as an ACTion Super Series race. Ontario’s Capital City Speedway, which has also introduced the ACT Late Model rules package, will hold the lone event outside the province. The second ACTion Super Series race will be at Aubin’s Autodrome St-Eustache.
Claude Leclerc, a 30+ year racing veteran was pleased with the information he heard at the meeting, “Saturday was a great day for Quebec racing. Tom Curley presented a good schedule and very good purses. It will be good for every driver. Having ACT will bring stability, a good foundation – Tom has been in the business for over 30 years and his plans aren’t just for the short term,” the Montreal-based driver finished.
“We are very proud that ACT is coming to Quebec,” affirmed Donald Theetge of Boischatel, near Quebec City. “The rules will put everyone on the same playing field, which will allow us to race across the Northeast without changing the car. Now I can go to Oxford for the `250’ and the ACT Tour race at Kawartha. I’ve raced at Kawartha and it’s a great track,” said the 2006 Quebec Series Champion.
Daniel Bergeron of St. Benoit, Quebec was planning to run a couple of ACT Tour events next year, but with the organization’s recent announcement that it will return to Quebec in 2007, he’s changing his plans, “I think I’m going to stay closer to home,” the 40 year-old driver stated. “The meeting was very informative, and the schedule’s good, as are the rules which will allow me the chance to run against other drivers in some of the big races in the US.”
Louis Larue, president of RPQ, the Quebec Late Model driver’s organization echoed the competitor’s thoughts, “We are very proud to have ACT here in the province of Quebec. Tom Curley has over 35 years of knowledge in the sport and having him bring this to our racing is a positive move.”

Schedule - Quebec Late Model Série
# Date Day Track Event
1 May 19 Sat Autodrome Montmagny Montmagny 100
2 May 26 Sat Autodrome St-Eustache Ste Eustache 100
3 June 9 Sat Capital City Speedway Ottawa 100
4 June 16 Sat Autodrome Montmagny Montmagny 100
5 June 23/24 Sa/Su Circuit Ste-Croix Ste Croix 200 (ACT/Que Combo Super Series)
6 June 29 Fri Autodrome Chaudiere Chaudiere 100
7 July 24 Tue Circuit Ste-Croix Ste-Croix 100 (4 x 25)
8 July 28 Sat Autodrome St-Eustache Ste Eustache 200 (ACT/Que Combo Super Series)
9 Aug 11 Sat Circuit Ste-Croix Ste-Croix 100
10 Aug 17 Fri Autodrome Chaudiere Chaudiere 100
11 Aug 25/26 Sa/Su Autodrome Montmagny Montmagny 250
12 Sep 22/23 Sa/Su Autodrome St-Eustache Ste Eustache Cari-all 300
Subject to change

Bobby Allison making an appearance in Ancaster, Ontario on Dec. 1

The Ancaster News has a story containing the news that legendary NASCAR driver Bobby Allison will make a promotional appearance at a store in Ancaster, Ontario on Friday, Dec. 1.