From Ken Pelkie
For the past two seasons Ohsweken Speedway in Southwestern Ontario has embarked on a program to enhance safety for everyone who attends the track. The commitment has been rewarding to teams and fans alike as Ohsweken has visibly improved the number of personnel in safety positions at the speedway.
This past Sunday, a dozen of the speedways first line fire and safety personnel gathered in Brantford for a full day of classroom training in scene assessment; first aid and basic life support; firefighters role and basic fire suppression; and immobilization for extrication. This training will be enhanced with supplementary hands on sessions when the team gathers for “Test and Tune” day on May 8th at the speedway.
“This training has been in the planning stages since last fall and I have received a lot of positive feedback from many of the attendees” stated track owner Glenn Styres on Monday morning. “To me you cannot put a price on Safety and we want to provide a feeling for everyone who attends our track that we are serious about their well being and have them know we are trained and prepared to handle every situation that arises”. “We just hope that we never have to use the knowledge but we have to be prepared”. “This is just a sensible approach for the business we are in and we plan to build on the base that we have set”. “I would really like to thank everyone who gave up their Sunday and especially to Kevin Barry and Darren Allan from EMR for providing the training” Styres concluded.
When the gates swing open on May 14th for the opening round of “Friday Night Thunder”, fans will be able to “Feel The Excitement” each week as the ground pounding winged Sprint Cars embark on a seventeen race chase to the championship as the main draw at Ohsweken. They will be supported by Thunder Stocks, Mini Stocks, and Bombers. Vintage cars will visit monthly over the summer and the Mod Lites will make three appearances. The World of Outlaw Sprint series will run two programs in 2010 with July 30 and 31 appearing on their schedule and the 6th Annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals will close out the season with a $10,000 to win show on September 16, 17, & 18. Special events designed to entertain every fan are scattered over the summer with something different being presented each week. With “Affordable Family Entertainment” as the primary goal, Ohsweken Speedway is the place to be at 7:45 PM each Friday night for an evening of action packed entertainment.
The Junior Fan Club will take on a new look in 2010 as Amy Dale has agreed to breathe new life into the social gathering of the young fans. Exciting activities will be available weekly to kids’ ages 6 through 12 that will promise to interest all.
“We have been focusing our attention toward family entertainment while giving our fans a true racing alternative in the area” states Ken Pelkie, Director of Racing Operations. “Our commitment to the fans is to provide an entertaining, first class show that the whole family will enjoy and present it in a timely manner. Two to two and one-half hours is the target for completion of the program throughout the season” Pelkie concluded.
Many sponsors have committed to return and support Ohsweken Speedway in a major way throughout the season. Grisdale Racing Products, BS&B Radiator, Outhouse Imaging & Design, Awesome Racewear, Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel, Engine Pro Racing, Village Pizza, Arrow Express, and Jones Brown Insurance headline our list of marketing partners who support Ohsweken Speedway. Trailers by Jim Bray, Evers Financial, WISECO Pistons, Gales Auto Aftermarket, Metal Works, HRW Automotive, The Rochester Americans, The Rochester Knighthawks, and Speedway Variety, appear as weekly program sponsors. Zemco Speed Equipment, HRP Racing Products, Canton Racing Products, Saldana Racing Products, DMI, KING Racing Products, The Brakeman, Winters Performance, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, and Kinser Air Filters combined will expand the Corr/Pak Sprint Car point fund to over $25,000 in cash and product.
Advanced Ticket Sales for all events where reserved seating will be utilized which include the World of Outlaws shows and the Canadian Nationals continue to the general public, Monday through Thursday during normal business hours at 1-888-720-7223. The transfer of these sales to Ticket Master will be coming in the very near future. Please follow instructions to obtain your tickets as posted on the official website at www.ohswekenspeedway.com . Any questions should be directed to Cheryl or Ken Pelkie at (1-888) 720-7223 or email to pelkiekj@ebtech.net.
Until the sound of racing engines fill the spring air, Ohsweken Speedway will be participating in a couple of final static displays this week. The first two will take place Wednesday, April 21 through Saturday, April 24 at the Lynwood Mall in Brantford. Sprint cars of Glenn Styres, Mikey Kruchka, and Mitchell Brown will be on display along with the Thunder Stock of Rob Disher and the Mini Stock of Jacob Brown. A Bomber recently completed by Glen Hills will also be on display along with information on rules for the very affordable novice racing class. The second event takes place in Ancaster at the Ancaster Flea Market located at the Ancaster Fair Grounds. The Sunday show is open from 9:00AM to 5:00PM.
Be sure to come out and see us and for more information please check out the official website of Ohsweken Speedway at www.ohswekenspeedway.com .