6/13/2023
Laird Raceway
A Fresh Season is Soon to Start at Laird
As I write this, we are a little over a week away from opening night at Laird International Raceway. Our opening event, similar to last season will be an Enduro Weekend event, on Friday June 23, and Saturday June 24th.
Crews have been busy preparing the grounds, grandstands, and the various pieces of equipment needed to run a successful stock car track; that work is nearing completion and everything should be ready for fans on opening weekend.
For those that haven’t seen one, an Enduro race involves stock-based cars that have had their interior and side/ rear windows removed but are mostly stock mechanically. No major racing enhancements are allowed. Many of these cars are just cars rescued from being crushed for scrap, and are repaired to running condition solely for the purpose of the race. Because of this, it is a relatively inexpensive way of getting into Stock Car Racing. If you or someone you know wants to give stock car racing a try, this is the way to do it. Time is short before the first race, but with some dedicated effort there is still time to get a car ready. If you need a car, call Donnie, Rita, or Shauna at Lakeway Truck – 705-759-5149.
Over the winter months Laird Raceway has been offering free workshops on setting up an Enduro car at the Race Shop on Carmen’s Way. George Parsons has been the instructor and has helped many learn some of the ins and outs of setting up a car. George has been specifically concerned about car setup relating to safety, and one of the prime goals of the workshops has been for racers to learn how to set up a roll cage inside their cars. The Laird Race Shop is available to any racer that needs some space to work on their car and drivers have been meeting there most Thursday evenings over the off season. All are welcome to these workshops and the space at the race shop is available most days and evenings.
One of the wonderful things that the Enduro division has done is to invigorate the sport with some younger drivers. A few years back we had about 25 Stock Four cars on the track some nights. Many were new drivers giving the sport a try. Many of them still race at Laird in the Factory Stock, Modified, and Late Model divisions. Over the years though, the number of cars in the Factory Four division waned down to four or five cars on the track on some evenings. Younger people weren’t getting into Stock Car racing the way they once did. Last season we bucked the trend and started to get an increase in the number of cars in the Factory Four division and those numbers will likely grow again this season. Many of the drivers in the Enduro division found that they liked the sport and have upgraded and jumped or are jumping into the Factory Four division. It’s great to see! The Enduro division allows the younger crowd to have some fun that doesn’t cost a lot of money.
One other incentive…. The purse to the winner of this year’s Enduro race will be $4,000 to win!
The Enduro race is also a fan favourite. Lots of parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and siblings out rooting for their family member. Lots of action too; plenty of banging and bumping. For some of the drivers, the Enduro race is their first experience driving! It might look a bit rough from the grandstands but it is all relatively safe compared to some other motorsports like motocross.
In our Enduro race, we have split the race up into segments. Last season it was 100 laps total, with 4 segements of 25 laps each. The caution flys at the end of each segment, allowing some quick maintenance (on the track) such as a tire change, fuel, etc. and the cars to cool down a bit. Drivers can also be swapped if there are two or more drivers on a team. Between segments there are no cautions. If a car fails or can’t run it stays were it is until the end of the end of the race. The only reason the race is stopped is if there is a safety issue or emergency. Drivers are encouraged to try and avoid damaging their cars so they can use them during the Enduro races that are scheduled at the end of each regular season race night. The Enduros are always the last to run on a race night because there are always parts and cars scattered around the track that takes time to clean up afterwards.
So come on out and check it out on Friday and Saturday June 23 & 24th. Or better yet, snag a car and come out and race it! We still have cars available at Lakeway. 759-5149
Article Credit: Tom Stephenson
Submitted By: Tom Stephenson
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