I went on a short trip the other day with my cousin Bill Elliott. We visited the site of my Dad, and his Dad’s birth place. Two of my Aunts were born in this area as well. I will post all the pictures on Diary of a Season 2020 soon.
The original house is tore down but a camp has been put in it’s place. I remember my Dad said “we lived so far back in the woods, we had to come out to hunt”. It was a great day for Buttons and I to finally get out. The first 3 months here have been hectic, getting settled and then Christmas. Since February it’s been cold wet damp and of course snow……we had snow on May 7th….that’s not funny.
This area is called Pleasant Hills and isn’t far from Truro about 45 minutes. I have family living about 2 few miles from this place.
I just signed up for Iracing and will post here what series I am in and when I will be racing. The Maritime Pro Stock Tour is hosting a race for this Saturday to represent our first race at Petty Speedway that has been cancelled.
More on that soon.
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Melissa Bullen……So Sorry You’re Gone
Another tragic loss with a very young lady. Melissa Bullen was the 3rd generation of a stock car racing family. Her grandfather Fred Bullen raced in the 60’s and 70’s, her Dad Phil, and her brother Branden also raced.
Melissa was loved by everyone who knew her. She raced Mini Stocks at Sunset Speedway.
The racing world is in shock that she is no longer with us.
Our prayers go to the Bullen family, that God will comfort them in their time of sorrow.
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1999 Pit Crew…..Steffon Zoskey, Jim Hulzinga, Roger Peach and Brian Watson
Here is a picture of my crew from 1999, our second Championship season. Brian is pictured here shaking hands with Steffon, at that time my longest pit crew member.
Jim Hulzinga is on the far left facing us, with Roger Peach beside Jim, who is still part of m crew today. Steffon lives in Oshawa and has a new career of riding bikes, he is an honorary crew member always.
We will miss Brian, but I know he is with the Lord, based on his confession and desire to know Jesus.
Roger Peach, also went home to be with the Lord in 2004, another soul who’s life ended too soon. People are the most important aspect of our racing, it’s all about those we get the privilege to meet and be with.
Please pray for Brian’s family at this time,
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Brian Watson…….Thank You So Much……Will Miss You My Friend
In 1999 Dave Watson, pictured here with his son Brian, asked me if I could use some pit crew help. I thought he was referring to himself, but he meant for his son Brian. I gladly said yes and over the next 5 months Brian would join me and my crew for a wonderful celebration, winning the 1999 Hobby Club Overall Championship.
Brian would eventually get his start racing in the Hobby Club in 2002. They purchased a good car and Brian learned how to drive it very well, running in the top 7 in points most of the season.
In 2003 Brian and Dave celebrated an amazing night winning the feature at Sunset Speedway.
Brian would race Mini Stocks for his Dad and eventually got out of racing although he really never wanted to quit.
Over the past few years Brian helped me whenever he could, always a great help willing to do anything to be part of our team.
A few years back Brian made a decision to follow Christ. He was committed no doubt. We went to church together many times, he very much enjoyed going and quite often asked to go with me, or for me to pick him up….I was glad to pick him up, then we would come back to my place and watch the NASCAR race or a hockey game.
One of the many promises Brian believed was from the Book of John, where Jesus said “Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me. In my Fathers house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am you may be also.
On April 30th Brian went to that place. My prayers are with his family and friends. May God wrap His loving arms around them at this time.
Going to miss this hard working loveable young man, who was a true friend.
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Buttons Relaxing Watching Me Every Second
You really get to know your beautiful friend when you’re with them 24/7. Buttons is such an amazing pet, so loyal and even when she is sleeping I’m sure she has one eye open to see what I do or where I go.
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Buttons Always Wants To Be With Me
Buttons and I have been together pretty well since 2013. We got her in 2009. She was a family pet until someone brought us 2 Chinese Crested dogs. They were suppose to be with us only a few weeks but they ended up staying permanently. What once was Buttons domain were now controlled by 2 rescue dogs, soon Buttons felt left out.
One day I was backing out of the driveway and she was looking out the window. My heart broke and I went in, brought out with me to go to town and we’ve been partners ever since.
Buttons has been such a great companion. The only time she was not with me was when I played darts one night a week. So we were together, and still are, 163 of 168 hours a week, although the past few months we are together 24/7 like most times. When I left the darts I couldn’t wait to get her and she got so excited.
She makes me laugh and cry and I thank God so much for her.
I will be posting soon an update on my new pit crew in Nova Scotia.
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1999 Our 2nd Championship
In 1999 we had our first complete new race car, built by Ray Hughes at Jim Wards shop. At the end of 98′ I asked Ray what I could do to make my car better. I wasn’t able to do much better than a top 4 every week. It was him, David and Rob Mass who were winning consistently.
Ray looked at my car and said “this is a piece of s%^&, you need a new car”. I asked him what was wrong with it and he pointed out several logical things. One being the rear springs, they were too short, only 36″, he recommended 54″. Then he asked me if I would like to drive his car in hot laps the following week, I said sure.
I drove his Coupe for about 10 laps and it was excellent. The only thing was my helmet was slightly hitting the roof roll cage. When I pulled into the pits Paul Fisher motioned me to their pit. When I got out he asked me how I liked it and I told him the 2 minor things I would change. He said “well if you weren’t 100% happy I am very surprised because your fastest laps were “2 hundreds” off Rays fastest. That settled it for me and in the winter of 98 I called Jim Ward and he had Ray build me a new car.
We won the 1999 Championship that year, our 2nd in my career and it felt incredible to win another Championship, but 2 years after my disqualification. That car would win a bunch more features over the next 5 seasons before I moved up to Late Models. In 2004 we were leading the points. We won 2 features but blew up 2 engines. It was a frustrating season, but this was a great car. It’s now in Michigan, but I sold it here in Ontario.
More pictures to come
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First Championship 1989 Hobby Division
1989 was my 21st season racing. At that time I had missed 17 nights from 1969 to 1987 with engine issues, getting to the track, not having the car fixed in time and a 2 night suspension in 87′.
I had some good seasons early but my best was 1989. Ron Clements had built me a new chassis and we put the rest together. We had one feature win in 89 along with 3 heat victories. It was a very good year consistent wise for us.
We won Hard Charger for passing the most cars in all 30 race nights, Best Pit Crew, the Twin 25’s and our first Championship. The Hobby Club had over 24 cars every night, and top points cars started at the back of the feature with only Consi cars behind us, not like today with top cars starting every night near the front or mid way at worst.
If this was only a 10-15 race series, like many today, I may not have been the Champion because I did have bad luck a few nights including a blown engine in the Mid Season Championship. When the engine blew, that took me and a few of my racing buddies hard into the wall in turn one. The top 24 in points were guaranteed to start the Mid Season feature. We hustled to change the engine, (thanks to Don Shaw for loaning us the engine) and fix the damage before the feature so we could start. We got out for the race okay and though I couldn’t steer the car very well, we finished 20th. We won the points by 4 over Ray Hughes, so by not starting that feature we would have lost the title.
Another tough night was when one of our crew members didn’t put the gas cap on tight. When I pulled on the track, the starter, Ding DeLeeuw saw gas leaking and motioned me off the track. I went to the infield and one of the track staff handed me the cap. He wasn’t allowed to put it on so I got out and put it on as fast as I could. I jumped back in my car but they threw the white and sent out the bubble car before I got my belts done up. They gave me very little time to fix the gas cap….I was upset with that deal, overall points leader given no time to make a small quick repair. In that race we didn’t get any feature points.
It’s one thing to win a feature, but there is no comparison to a Championship. Overall it was such a great year for my team, not easy but very rewarding. 1989 was my second year as a Christian, making the promise, that God gives the desires of our heart, come true.
I’ll post more soon.
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