Other Hobbies

[Frank81]

Besides the outdoors stuff, fishing, camping, canoeing, hiking, fishing, hunting etc...

What other hobbies do you all have?

Me, I have a passion for car racing, more specifically Dirt Oval Racing.

Every year I travel to about 12 to 20 different race tracks throughout Ontario, New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio from April to October, mainly I am just spectating but sometimes it is as a crew member for family or friends.

I do not race myself and never have, the costs to race you're own car are crazy and there is no way I can afford to enjoy the outdoor activities that I have a passion for also.

Even though race car drivers get paid every night they race, it is in no way even close to a quarter of what they spend into the sport they love so much, they do it just like we fish, it's a passion like fishing and they get the same adrenalin rush as we do when we hook into fish.

Here is a picture of my younger brother and one of his feature wins at Humberstone Speedway in Port Colborne.

My favorite race cars are Sprint Cars, Latemodels and Modifieds.

If you care too, you can look on youtube and search for the divisions mentioned above and there is a ton of videos from all over North America & Australia where professional dirt racing is the most popular.

If you have never been to a dirt oval race, you really should try it out a few times, it is a cheap night out with lots of entertainment, and the more you go the more you will probably like it, most people don't care for it the first time or two out, but once they start liking certain drivers and see some great races, ,meet some great people it can be very addicting.

Just like this forum that relies on sponsors and for us to support them, my brother and other drivers are in the same "boat"

This season my brother is going to attempt to run two nights a week at Humberstone and Merrittville Speedways.

Anyone from this forum is more than welcome to join me all spring and summer for a night out at the races.

Apart from travelling all over for racing, we have some of the greatest dirt tracks in our area.

Humberstone Speedway - Port Colborne, Ontario - Runs Friday Nights and Some Sunday Specials

Merrittville Speedway - Thorold, Ontario - Runs Saturday Nights and Some Monday Specials

Ransomville Speedway - Ransomville, New York - Runs Friday Nights

Ohsweken Speedway - Ohsweken (six nations reserve) Ontario - Runs Friday Nights

[DaveC]

Glad to see Im not the only one who enjoys racing. One of my friends and Im sure you must know him (Paul Howse ) is a very good Late Model driver. I go to Flamboro Speedway alot. My wife believe it or not was a big stock car racer in the US a few years back....actually quite a few years back, but I wont tell her that...lol. This is my second marriage, and its been great....my woman loves fishing, racing, and any other outdoor activity. I have seen how much time and money racing costs, if your not winning you better have deep pockets. I love sprint racing as you do....those things fly.

[Frank81]

Glad to see Im not the only one who enjoys racing. One of my friends and Im sure you must know him (Paul Howse ) is a very good Late Model driver. I go to Flamboro Speedway alot. My wife believe it or not was a big stock car racer in the US a few years back....actually quite a few years back, but I wont tell her that...lol. This is my second marriage, and its been great....my woman loves fishing, racing, and any other outdoor activity. I have seen how much time and money racing costs, if your not winning you better have deep pockets. I love sprint racing as you do....those things fly.

I don't know Paul personally but do know who he is, I believe he had a good season finishing top three or four in points this past season.

Those asphalt late models are the only reason I go to Flammy, last year I went there about five times and enjoyed every show even though I am more of the dirt track guy, there is just something about sliding three and four wide in the corners trying to not bang of each other. However, I won't discriminate...lol

"Dirt is for racing, Asphalt's for getting there" or "Asphalts for racing, Dirt is for growing potatoes"

[DaveC]

Here is that article I was telling you about Frank. My wifes racing days......man she could tell you some stories of knocking people around on the track. She never won a race, but finished second a bunch of times and came close on a few occasions. She loves it though.....she says its a real natural high when sitting behind the wheel in the position to race lap.

[Frank81]

Great article, that has to be the first article I have ever read that had a female racer, The King Richard Petty and a President (Regan) all in the same article. thanks for posting that Dave.

You're wife is a brave woman and raced stock cars when the safety aspect of the sport wasn't really up to the standards that they are today. Whether she knows it or not, she probably paved a way for other young ladies to get behind the wheel of a race car, as that usually happens around here to this day when a young lady shows up to race a track and it seems as if every lady in the grandstands are cheering for her until they eventually give it a go themselves.

Regarding her 2nd place finishes and no feature wins; Obviously everyone who shows up to the track is there to win, but unfortunately there is only one winner and at the end of the race night when you didn't win, you can pat yourself on the back knowing that you had a good race, you finished, you came out alive and you have done something that many people will never get to do especially when if comes to the ladies.

My brother has raced since 2001 and never got his first win A main feature win until 2010, and that is because of knowledge, it takes a lot more than just getting a race car and going out there, even if you have unlimited funds and the best of everything and the strongest engines, you still need knowledge and with you're wife getting a bunch of 2nd place finishes and I am sure a ton of top fives she can proudly brag about her racing past.

[DaveC]

We were just talking about her racing.....she said her car was called Taco Bender...LOL Her car was #9 and called Taco Bender. She said she used to have a guy named Johnny Lopez that did not think girls should be in racing at the time who wanted to take her out....so she called her car the taco bender LOL. I assume he was Mexican. When I first met my second wife in 2006 I found it strange how she was so mechanically inclined, and was telling me she had to do some repair on the carb of a golf cart....I asked her some questions about how she Knew so much about that stuff, and that is when she told me she used to race.....I said no way !!! She said yep, it was my passion. ITs a great second marriage....this woman loves Racing, fishing, biking, and any other outdoor activity....so we suit each other well. But when we go to the races.....well thats the top for her. I have several friends in racing......One who is passed away now was a pioneer of sprint Racing ( Joe Haluka ) dont know if you ever heard of him or not but if you google his name you will find him....used to always hang out at my uncles shop and do work to his cars. My friend ( Paul Howse ) is a top Late model driver at Flamboro and the Grisdale racing series and a few of my friends kids also race....they .started in 4cyl stock and moved up to street stock. I really like the vintage modified and the sprint cars. Flamboro also had a few runnings in the Truck series with guys from the states....that was really cool to watch. That was really competetive and hard racing. I still want to go see a Nascar race one of these days......trying to set that up with my brother-in-law in Florida. What racing do you go to Frank in Niagara??

[Frank81]

the "Taco Bender" that's hilarious!

Joe Haluka eh, I've heard of him before, if it's the same gentleman that you know, he use to race Super Modifieds, in which are probably the fastest cars ever lol I've gone to watch super modifieds a few times at Lancaster Speedway (now Dunn Tire Raceway Park) in Lancaster, New York and at the now defunct Cayuga Speedway in Nelles Corners, Ont. They truly are something else and well worth the trip to watch them in action.

I believe this is you're friend Joe Haluka in 1971 with his Super Modified.

These cars have changed a bit since then, here is a couple updated photos of what supers look like now.

Without the Wing

With the Wing

They are pretty awesome, you have 847 Horsepower beside you're left leg in a car that only weighs 1850 lbs.

I go to quite a bit of races everywhere, but my homestead tracks are Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ont. ( http://www.merrittvillespeedway.com ) Humberstone Speedway in Port Colborne, Ont. ( http://www.humberstonespeedway.com ) Ransomville Speedway in Ransomville, New York ( http://www.ransomvillespeedway.com ) and this one is within 45 to 50 minutes from Cambridge; Ohsweken Speedway in Ohsweken, Ont. ( http://www.ohswekenspeedway.com )

All four of those tracks are unique and offer some great racing, if you and you're wife would ever like to join us for an evening at the races this spring/summer then you both are more the than welcome to keep us company in the grandstands, and I do get out to Flamboro Speedway in the summer also.

[DaveC]

Yes Frank thats him.........When I started my apprenticeship at my uncles shop in Toronto. Joe was always hanging around. He has since passed away, but he was inspirational in racing. He used to have his car at my uncles shop all the time tweeking and tuning. This spring/summer we should get together for some a racing night out. I have wanted to check out some other tracks anyway. Ohsweken sounds like one I would like to see. I was talking with someone at Flamboro father / son team who race those cars, and I mentioned Joe Haluka to him....the guy looked at me and said hell yeh....I know Joe....the guy lived at the track racing. I also am good friends of the Zardo family....do you know them? I used to date Bill Zardo seniors daughter Bonnie when I was in high school. There is Bill Zardo Senior, then Bill Junior, then his son Bill ZardoII junior junior. Thats cool you found the picture of Haluka.....I know I read alot of articles on him on the net. He was a funny character as well....always cracking jokes and havin fun.