Wife's view from the pits - by Lynda Makinson (June 2020)
Disclaimer: This is my view and opinion, not the view or opinion of Bruce Makinson or anyone else.
June 16, 2020
Hi Everybody,
This past Saturday we went to Brockville Ontario Speedway (BOS) for their practice session.
It was a beautiful day….as long as the sun was out, a little cool when not. But the car was good and fast. It would have been a bit better if a part was on correctly. I had noticed that the car didn’t seem right coming out of one, I talked to Bruce about it and he’s finally learned after all these years that if I mention something then he should listen. He thought about it and checked some things and found something out of place. After fixing it up the car seemed a lot better. The track dried out quickly so the times were not as good as the first time out but it was that way for everyone.
Going from Sportsman to Modified has some learning curves for us. How the car handles and how to set it up. But hopefully this year will be our learning year and next year will be the start of a beautiful thing 😊
We had spoken to Paul at BOS and it doesn’t seem at this time he’s going to have any races. He says without fans it just isn’t worth it.
Not as many cars showed up as I expected. Which is fine with me because that just means Bruce got more track time but not good for the track. I hope everyone is trying to support their local track in whatever way possible. It’s tough times for them right now, this is their season and not having fans there means no income. So, try to support your local track as much as you can…if you want to continue having racing in your area.
Cornwall is planning on a race next weekend, Saturday June 27th. There will be a Modified 50-lap, Pro-Stock 35-lap, Lightning Sprints 25-lap, and Vintage 20-laps. Again, no spectators and I’m not sure how many they’re allowing for pit crew but if it’s 10 and anyone who wants to come out to the races, you can join our team. Just let me know and I’ll put you on our list (just pay your own entrance fee). So far, I think we’re going. I have not received a 100% yes from Bruce but I’m thinking he wants to get whatever racing he can get in in. He may not be a full contender right now but with more seat time he will be next year.
So, that’s it for now. Have a safe and Happy Fathers Day weekend and stay in touch.
Cheers,
Lynda
This past Saturday we went to Brockville Ontario Speedway (BOS) for their practice session.
It was a beautiful day….as long as the sun was out, a little cool when not. But the car was good and fast. It would have been a bit better if a part was on correctly. I had noticed that the car didn’t seem right coming out of one, I talked to Bruce about it and he’s finally learned after all these years that if I mention something then he should listen. He thought about it and checked some things and found something out of place. After fixing it up the car seemed a lot better. The track dried out quickly so the times were not as good as the first time out but it was that way for everyone.
Going from Sportsman to Modified has some learning curves for us. How the car handles and how to set it up. But hopefully this year will be our learning year and next year will be the start of a beautiful thing 😊
We had spoken to Paul at BOS and it doesn’t seem at this time he’s going to have any races. He says without fans it just isn’t worth it.
Not as many cars showed up as I expected. Which is fine with me because that just means Bruce got more track time but not good for the track. I hope everyone is trying to support their local track in whatever way possible. It’s tough times for them right now, this is their season and not having fans there means no income. So, try to support your local track as much as you can…if you want to continue having racing in your area.
Cornwall is planning on a race next weekend, Saturday June 27th. There will be a Modified 50-lap, Pro-Stock 35-lap, Lightning Sprints 25-lap, and Vintage 20-laps. Again, no spectators and I’m not sure how many they’re allowing for pit crew but if it’s 10 and anyone who wants to come out to the races, you can join our team. Just let me know and I’ll put you on our list (just pay your own entrance fee). So far, I think we’re going. I have not received a 100% yes from Bruce but I’m thinking he wants to get whatever racing he can get in in. He may not be a full contender right now but with more seat time he will be next year.
So, that’s it for now. Have a safe and Happy Fathers Day weekend and stay in touch.
Cheers,
Lynda
June 12, 2020
Hi Everybody,
Just a quick update. This coming Saturday we’re going to Brockville (BOS) for a practice session.
The car is raring to go, and the guys fixed the thingy that was making it hard to start the car. So, all should be good.
Bruce Makinson Enterprise added to the pot for the Beat the Clock contest for tomorrow. Bruce wanted $50 to Sportsman and $50 to Modified. The Mods are currently up to $450 and the Sportsman are currently up to $300 for the fastest car tomorrow. It should be fun. If you feel like adding to the purse, send them an email at tigger@ripnet.com , I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.
Note that gatherings can now be up to 10 people. That means pit crews can be 9 plus driver. So, next practice or race we go to, if you really want to see a race in person, feel free to contact me about joining our team. And no, I’m not made of money, you’d have to pay your own way in. And no, you don’t need mechanical skills, you can always be the water boy(girl) like I am…just sayin’.
I’d also like to welcome a couple of new sponsors; TD Canada Trust in Richmond, ON joined us this year and First General Services of Ottawa has also come on board. Thank you both for joining us in such an odd time for racing.
Well, that’s it for now. I’ll let you know next week how the practice went.
Have a safe and great weekend,
Lynda
Just a quick update. This coming Saturday we’re going to Brockville (BOS) for a practice session.
The car is raring to go, and the guys fixed the thingy that was making it hard to start the car. So, all should be good.
Bruce Makinson Enterprise added to the pot for the Beat the Clock contest for tomorrow. Bruce wanted $50 to Sportsman and $50 to Modified. The Mods are currently up to $450 and the Sportsman are currently up to $300 for the fastest car tomorrow. It should be fun. If you feel like adding to the purse, send them an email at tigger@ripnet.com , I’m sure they’d love to hear from you.
Note that gatherings can now be up to 10 people. That means pit crews can be 9 plus driver. So, next practice or race we go to, if you really want to see a race in person, feel free to contact me about joining our team. And no, I’m not made of money, you’d have to pay your own way in. And no, you don’t need mechanical skills, you can always be the water boy(girl) like I am…just sayin’.
I’d also like to welcome a couple of new sponsors; TD Canada Trust in Richmond, ON joined us this year and First General Services of Ottawa has also come on board. Thank you both for joining us in such an odd time for racing.
Well, that’s it for now. I’ll let you know next week how the practice went.
Have a safe and great weekend,
Lynda
June 8, 2020
Hi Everybody,
This past Saturday night we were at Cornwall Motor Speedway for the “Back to the Track 50”. It was 50 laps for Modifieds and Sportsman, and 20 for Mini-Stock.
It wasn’t the start to the season we’d like but it was still good. Remember, Bruce’s first time out in the 358, first time at Cornwall and still feeling the pain of his wild ride.
The guys had prepared the car for a dry track, well it was not a dry track! It was raining when we arrived. It did stop but the speedway had to take time to prepare the track best they could. So, it was a wet, heavy, bumpy track. And a fast track.
Time trials didn’t go as well as hoped, as Bruce, Bobby and Donny had to work to try to get the car set up for a wet track. And of course, never having raced here before, it took some consulting with another team to see what would work.
To give you an indication of the track conditions, 33 cars started and only 17 finished. Bruce was starting 32nd. It wasn’t the full moon curse; it was more the rain. The track was rough, and I mean more farmers field rough (quote from another driver). There seemed to be more part failure then carnage. Luckily Bruce made the wise call to run a few laps and call it a night. He still finished 30th of 33...lol. He said at certain spots on the track, it was so rough that he couldn’t even see properly because of the bouncing around. And the next day his back was very sore. So, it was a wise move on his part to just take the green, run a few laps and call it a night. Before I knew the conditions he was dealing with I had hoped he would have stayed out. The car looked good and he did pass a couple of cars. I think the changes they had done worked, but it wasn’t worth damage to the car and to him.
Bruce really did enjoy the new motor. But he said it doesn’t like to go slow, it wants to go all out. I hope he gets a chance to do that soon. He’s driving me crazy talking about it…lol…just joking my love.
This past Saturday night was a fun experience and nice to see race friends....and the car is in one piece! Cornwall Motor Speedway’s staff and owners were very nice and welcoming. We all enjoyed our experience there and hope to return one day.
From what I read about Doug Ford’s announcement today, there maybe more racing on the schedule. I’m not sure how to interpret this but I’m sure all the track owners are already on it: “Outdoor-only recreational facilities and training for outdoor team sports, with limits to enable physical distancing” starting June 12th.
We’ll see how it goes and I’ll let you know when and where our next race/practice will be.
I did put a couple of pics in the gallery for your viewing pleasure.
Cheers and stay safe,
Lynda
This past Saturday night we were at Cornwall Motor Speedway for the “Back to the Track 50”. It was 50 laps for Modifieds and Sportsman, and 20 for Mini-Stock.
It wasn’t the start to the season we’d like but it was still good. Remember, Bruce’s first time out in the 358, first time at Cornwall and still feeling the pain of his wild ride.
The guys had prepared the car for a dry track, well it was not a dry track! It was raining when we arrived. It did stop but the speedway had to take time to prepare the track best they could. So, it was a wet, heavy, bumpy track. And a fast track.
Time trials didn’t go as well as hoped, as Bruce, Bobby and Donny had to work to try to get the car set up for a wet track. And of course, never having raced here before, it took some consulting with another team to see what would work.
To give you an indication of the track conditions, 33 cars started and only 17 finished. Bruce was starting 32nd. It wasn’t the full moon curse; it was more the rain. The track was rough, and I mean more farmers field rough (quote from another driver). There seemed to be more part failure then carnage. Luckily Bruce made the wise call to run a few laps and call it a night. He still finished 30th of 33...lol. He said at certain spots on the track, it was so rough that he couldn’t even see properly because of the bouncing around. And the next day his back was very sore. So, it was a wise move on his part to just take the green, run a few laps and call it a night. Before I knew the conditions he was dealing with I had hoped he would have stayed out. The car looked good and he did pass a couple of cars. I think the changes they had done worked, but it wasn’t worth damage to the car and to him.
Bruce really did enjoy the new motor. But he said it doesn’t like to go slow, it wants to go all out. I hope he gets a chance to do that soon. He’s driving me crazy talking about it…lol…just joking my love.
This past Saturday night was a fun experience and nice to see race friends....and the car is in one piece! Cornwall Motor Speedway’s staff and owners were very nice and welcoming. We all enjoyed our experience there and hope to return one day.
From what I read about Doug Ford’s announcement today, there maybe more racing on the schedule. I’m not sure how to interpret this but I’m sure all the track owners are already on it: “Outdoor-only recreational facilities and training for outdoor team sports, with limits to enable physical distancing” starting June 12th.
We’ll see how it goes and I’ll let you know when and where our next race/practice will be.
I did put a couple of pics in the gallery for your viewing pleasure.
Cheers and stay safe,
Lynda
June 4, 2020
Hi Everybody,
So, the 2020 Season is about to start…sort of….
Last Friday night we went out to Cornwall Speedway to have our first practice with the 358 motor. It went very well. The car seemed great; Bruce seemed great…tire rub not so much. It seems some changes were done to the shocks and it was rubbing the back tire. So, Bruce only went out for 2 runs before calling it a night. He didn’t want to take chance of it blowing on the track and causing all kinds of mayhem. But at least we got to see the car in action after a long winter and a long covid lock-down.
Good news! Cornwall Speedway is having a race…without spectators (not so good part)….this coming Saturday night (good part) – The Back to the Track 50! Because I don’t see many races happening this year, I agreed to go. I’ve always resisted Cornwall for a couple of reasons and because the guys seem superstitious at times, I’m not going to get into them. But one reason was it was on Sunday night. This one is on Saturday night.
We weren’t sure if we were going to get into the race because they were only allowing 30 Modified and they had already given 20 of the 30 spots out, we were vying for only 10 available spots. But luck would have it that 33 cars wanted to race, and they decided to allow 33 Mods in.
I’ve only been to Cornwall once…. many years ago, and I didn’t really remember the track. It’s a small track. I’m thinking 33 cars on that track will either be a mess or if you start at the back you have little chance of making it to the front. I’m sure once the front line starts on the green the last car will not even be up to speed so getting lapped might happen very quickly.
So, Bruce’s job is to qualify well so he has a fighting chance. It would be nice to see a full race and this one is 50 laps!
I remember one 50 lapper where Bruce led from lap 9 on…man that was so stressful for me, I couldn’t wait for it to be over. When it was, he was the first one to the flag. Hope he’ll repeat that moment in time. I told him it stressed the heck out of me but I’m willing to endure that again.
And if you’re interested, you can view the race LIVE on 360Nitro.TV. There’s a cost but it’s probably cheaper then if you came out to the races ($29.95 CDN or $24.95 US). And it would help support Cornwall Speedway. And as you know in these trying times many businesses need support. So, if you have nothing to do this Saturday night, log onto https://zone360.tv/live-1
I’m sorry but I don’t exactly know how it works, I’ve been emailing and messenging but not getting any response. If you’re interested in watching, let me know and I’ll send you any info I receive on how this works to try to help you out. Or is you figure it out, let me know. We would like to purchase it and watch it later, if it's possible.
Well, that’s it for now. Pretty exciting though, eh!?!? A Makinson back in a 358-Modified!
I’ll post an update next week as to what happened this weekend. So, come back soon.
Wish us luck and hope you see us at the races!
Cheers,
Lynda
Check out Cornwall Speedway at https://www.cornwallspeedway.com/ for more information and updates.
And 360 Nitro at https://360nitro.tv/ to see it live
So, the 2020 Season is about to start…sort of….
Last Friday night we went out to Cornwall Speedway to have our first practice with the 358 motor. It went very well. The car seemed great; Bruce seemed great…tire rub not so much. It seems some changes were done to the shocks and it was rubbing the back tire. So, Bruce only went out for 2 runs before calling it a night. He didn’t want to take chance of it blowing on the track and causing all kinds of mayhem. But at least we got to see the car in action after a long winter and a long covid lock-down.
Good news! Cornwall Speedway is having a race…without spectators (not so good part)….this coming Saturday night (good part) – The Back to the Track 50! Because I don’t see many races happening this year, I agreed to go. I’ve always resisted Cornwall for a couple of reasons and because the guys seem superstitious at times, I’m not going to get into them. But one reason was it was on Sunday night. This one is on Saturday night.
We weren’t sure if we were going to get into the race because they were only allowing 30 Modified and they had already given 20 of the 30 spots out, we were vying for only 10 available spots. But luck would have it that 33 cars wanted to race, and they decided to allow 33 Mods in.
I’ve only been to Cornwall once…. many years ago, and I didn’t really remember the track. It’s a small track. I’m thinking 33 cars on that track will either be a mess or if you start at the back you have little chance of making it to the front. I’m sure once the front line starts on the green the last car will not even be up to speed so getting lapped might happen very quickly.
So, Bruce’s job is to qualify well so he has a fighting chance. It would be nice to see a full race and this one is 50 laps!
I remember one 50 lapper where Bruce led from lap 9 on…man that was so stressful for me, I couldn’t wait for it to be over. When it was, he was the first one to the flag. Hope he’ll repeat that moment in time. I told him it stressed the heck out of me but I’m willing to endure that again.
And if you’re interested, you can view the race LIVE on 360Nitro.TV. There’s a cost but it’s probably cheaper then if you came out to the races ($29.95 CDN or $24.95 US). And it would help support Cornwall Speedway. And as you know in these trying times many businesses need support. So, if you have nothing to do this Saturday night, log onto https://zone360.tv/live-1
I’m sorry but I don’t exactly know how it works, I’ve been emailing and messenging but not getting any response. If you’re interested in watching, let me know and I’ll send you any info I receive on how this works to try to help you out. Or is you figure it out, let me know. We would like to purchase it and watch it later, if it's possible.
Well, that’s it for now. Pretty exciting though, eh!?!? A Makinson back in a 358-Modified!
I’ll post an update next week as to what happened this weekend. So, come back soon.
Wish us luck and hope you see us at the races!
Cheers,
Lynda
Check out Cornwall Speedway at https://www.cornwallspeedway.com/ for more information and updates.
And 360 Nitro at https://360nitro.tv/ to see it live