We all know what it takes sometimes just to get your race car to the track, but when you live in Newfoundland, Canada, it’s a little more involved. Thunder Valley Speedway, located near Bishop Falls, NL, is a 3/8 mile, hand laid asphalt track out amongst the rocks and the bears. It’s one of two tracks, the other being Avondale Speedway and that one is dirt. Newfoundland is separated from mainland Canada by a six hour ferry ride to Channel-Port aux Basques and is not small. It’s the fifteenth largest island in the world and covers 42,000 square miles.1 Some of the teams tow from Saint John’s, which is 300 plus miles away, or from the Eastern Provinces, and this is just for a regular race night.
“Hand laid” did you say? Yes I did. Here’s the story as told to me by the promoter; the track was laid out, messaged, graded and slightly banked, which is not easy on an island affectionately named “The Rock”. The Trans Canadian Highway had recently been resurfaced and piles upon piles of used blacktop were left over. They obtained truck loads of the “left-overs”, reheated it, raked it all out, leveled it and rolled it into a smooth and raceable surface. Pretty impressive.
The track sits about a mile off of the TCH down a rocky road, which is owned by the Newfoundland government, and at times felt more like Roman cobblestones. This is especially true if you are riding a Suzuki Burgman 650 Super Scooter like I was, of course, the Honda Goldwing I was following was having just as much trouble as I was. Once in the parking lot, you’ll find a few more large rocks so watch where you’re walking. Did I mention that Newfoundland is called “The Rock”?
Although the electrical power servicing the facility is enough for the public address system and other 120 volt systems, it wasn’t enough for track lighting. For that they installed a large sized gas generator in the infield and just crank it up when it’s time to light it up. Sometimes when you want to go racing, you have to be creative.
The stands are placed to where you walk up a grade and behind the stands, so you have to go downwards to find your seat, instead of walking in front of the stands and then climbing up. I much prefer this setup. You can stand behind everyone if you desire, or walk around if you’re antsy. It’s a small operation with a concession stand made out of a little camper, so the track food won‘t be the same as some of the other tracks. Not all tracks are going to have a high class menu, but you’ll enjoy what they have.
There are only two divisions at Thunder Valley, eight cylinder Sportsman and four cylinders. This night they had only seven Sportsmans and fourteen four cylinders, but I wasn’t disappointed. Like always, I didn’t know how they were going to be run, especially with so few cars. What they did was run 20 to 30 lap qualifier races and then a 40 lap feature race for the four cylinders and an 80 lapper for the Sportsman division, so there was plenty of racing. It was a relaxed, family type atmosphere that I really enjoyed.
If you're looking to camp here, it probably should be in a trailer or motor home, which they do here. I saw a grassy area at the back of the parking lot so I enquired about a place to put my tent. "Well," the woman taking tickets said, "you might try that area back there." She was pointing to the spot I thought would be a nice soft place to sleep for the night. "But," she added "I heard there's been a problem with a bear back there." Well, ok then, time to look elsewhere. There is a motel nearby, a town park that has a campground (does not accept credit cards) and Brookdale Country Inn on the west side of town.
However, I took a chance when I came to Newfoundland specifically to see racing. In this part of the world, the track may still be in operation or it may not. The weather may be good or it may not, so while you’re there, explore the smaller villages along the coast. As a matter of fact, every September, Targa Newfoundland is raced through twenty of their most scenic and beautiful villages, rain or shine. Check out their site at the bottom of the page.
However, I took a chance when I came to Newfoundland specifically to see racing. In this part of the world, the track may still be in operation or it may not. The weather may be good or it may not, so while you’re there, explore the smaller villages along the coast. As a matter of fact, every September, Targa Newfoundland is raced through twenty of their most scenic and beautiful villages, rain or shine. Check out their site at the bottom of the page.
The beauty of the scenery and friendliness of the inhabitants in little places like Brigis, Leading Tickles and Greenspond is unequaled to anywhere I’ve been. I can’t explain it, but when I get back on the ferry to go back to Nova Scotia I feel like I’m leaving home.
Noteable Sites:
http://www.thundervalleyspeedway.ca/
http://www.targanewfoundland.com/
1 http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_(island)
No comments:
Post a Comment