It was nice to see Jim Cressman back at the Speedway Friday night (sign of things to come?). Here's Jim's article from Saturday's paper (buy, clip, save)....
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Delaware eyes Canadian Tire series
Sat, August 25, 2007
The former CASCAR Super Series and the track where it began parted ways in 2005.
By JIM CRESSMAN, SUN MEDIA
DELAWARE -- Delaware Speedway is pursuing bringing Canada's top stock car series back to the track.
Delaware race director Jeff Wilcox said last night he wants to meet with NASCAR about a Canadian Tire Series event next year.
NASCAR bought the old CASCAR Super Series last fall.
CASCAR had its beginnings at Delaware under Tony Novotny in the early 1980s and had always held two Super Series races at the track, Victoria Day weekend and Labour Day weekend.
But Delaware, under new ownership, severed its CASCAR affiliation after 2005.
"We've called and spoke with (NASCAR) several times," Wilcox said. "We're definitely interested, but we need them to talk to us. Until such time we're good with going with our weekly program. We're a weekly race track that has been profitable doing weekly racing and there's not a lot of tracks that can say that."
Wilcox said a Canadian Tire Series race at Delaware "would be be good for racing in Canada, for their series, for the race track and the fans.
"It's a win-win for everyone, not any one entity. This is where their series that they bought originated. The drivers all love to race here and we'd love to get them back."
That sentiment was shared by two Canadian Tire Series regulars -- J.R. Fitzpatrick of Cambridge and Jason Hathaway of Appin -- who used a weekend off from their series to race in the Delaware super stocks last night.
"I love this place, one of my favourites, " said Fitzpatrick, who at age 18 last summer became the youngest CASCAR Super Series champion and also its rookie of the year.
He's third in Canadian Tire points going into next Saturday's race at Cayuga.
"I can see us being here next year, if not for sure the year after," said Fitzpatrick, who competed in the NASCAR Busch race in Mexico City but failed to qualify in Montreal when his engine blew on the qualifying lap.
He hopes to race full time in the Busch Series next year, putting a sponsorship deal together to go with Kevin Harvick's team.
Fitzpatrick said Delaware "will always be home. No matter how much I move up, I'm still going to come back here. I'm having a blast."
Racing is also the only life he knows and he's always at a track. "If I can get in a car, I get in."
Hathaway, who has raced enduro, street stock and late model at Delaware, said he and Fitzpatrick spent two hours last weekend in Trois-Rivieres talking about being here last night.
Hathaway said the Canadian Tire Series "has got to get here. This is where the fans are. The best oval is here."
A weekend off and Hathaway also couldn't stay away.
"I learned here. I haven't had the old girl out in two years. There's no pressure, no points, just a little fun."
Last night's feature races for the super stocks, trucks and modifieds were rained out after all heats had been completed.
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I had heard that track improvements had to be made in order to get NASCAR back at Delaware - that would be a nice bonus for the divisions that have supported the Speedway the past couple of years. And the Labour Day or Victoria Day weekends could be just like old times - lots of great racing over 3 days with a 'CASCAR' bonus.
I hope they get the series back. I miss going to Delaware. 🙂
Victoria Day would be good, but I don't think they'll ever get the Labor Day date back, which isn't all that bad...
Congrats on Delaware trying to get a NCTS series race back to where it started. Hopefully the ante is not to high to get them back.Unfortunally if the ante is to high they may not accept it or the gate ticket price could be to expensive for the regular race fan. Good luck and only time will tell
The first thing I thought when I read this ws "so what else is new?"
Delaware's always been open to holding these N/CASCAR races. Its been Nascar that's not respondng. And sure, I'd like to see the series return.
But most definitely not on Labor Day.
This is the second year for this open format Labor Day race. If they play their cards rignt, the event could see the makings of a bona fide open (unsanctioned) Late Model Classic, much like the Oxford 250 or the Snowball Derby. But it'll take some time and some doing, and I hope they stick to it.
I'm not a NASCAR hater, but I'm really not that impressed with them either. As I keep saying, the Labor Day race was drawing big crowds long before the CASCAR Super Series came along.
And it can do so again.