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Happy Harry's Makes Josh Jaillet a Happy Racer
Josh Jaillet, who hails from Saint Phillips,NB, is a sportsman driver at Centre for Speed in Shediac,NB. He is supported in his racing by his wife Nicole.
In 1997 Jaillet started his racing career in the street stock class. Prior to this, Jaillet had worked with the pit crew of his uncle, Terry Jaillet, who drove in the Cascar Series under the number 50. Finally Jaillet decided, like many others, that it was time to try driving himself.
In 2000, Jaillet powered his Street Stock car to the season championship at Centre for Speed . After this accomplishment, Jaillet decided that it was time to move up. Jaillet built himself the # 52 Monto Carlo with the help of Don Marcotte and although he couldn't have his number 50, he did the next best thing. "I took the closest I could to 50" Jaillet said.
He took "Rookie of the Year" honours in 2003. Being a rookie, Jaillet said with pride "My most memorable race is the first feature I won in Sportsman".
When asked if he had any bad accidents, Jaillet remembered "When I was trying to qualify at Shediac for Speed Weekend, I crashed "Big Time". I tore the side out of the car, and then hit the wall head on."But I never really got hurt", he quickly added.
Jaillet, like many other drivers, has named his all time favorite driver as Dale Earnhardt, and in the local area his favorite is Dave O'Blenis, who drives Prostock at NBIS.
As to his plans for the future, Jaillet said "I'm thinking of running the whole Sportsman Tour next year. Plans are in the works but nothing definate yet. I'm still looking for sponsors".
When asked if he had anything he'd like to add, Jaillet replied"Boys, without Happy Harry's Used Building Supplies, I wouldn't be doing so good. They have been very good to me".
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Vaughan Boone and Bunny Allen - The AMX Twins
Vaughan Boone and Bunny Allen, from Dartmouth NS, have been regular racers at drag racing tracks in the Maritimes for a long time. Actually, Vaughan Boone has been around since 1968 and Bunny Allen joined him in 1991.
When asked how Vaughan got his start ,he quickly replied "My father was in horse racing so I've been around racing of some kind since I was a kid, but the horses didn't have enough speed for me, and there's nothing to shovel in drag racing", Vaughn laughed. Bunny Allen got interested because of Vaughan, but not as a watcher. She's there to win and she has on several occasions. They have won track points in two different divisions. Bunny started racing in Street Class and Vaughan in Pro Class. They have won both Maitland and Maritimes points titles.
Now the competition is stronger because Vaughn has a 1970 AMX Pro Javelin and Bunny has a 1969 AMX Pro Javelin so the heat is on as they are both running head to head in the same class now. Vaughn has won in Cape Breton and PEI this year and Bunny is out for revenge.
When asked why drag racing Vaughn replied,"In this sport you can race what you can afford because of the way its handicapped". (That had to be explained to me) Vaughn continued"When you qualify your car, your time is written on your window and that is what they go by to match you with your opponent and you better not go any faster than you qualify, or you lose. This is called " breaking out" and keeps racers from holding back in qualifying. Thus, you can speed down the strip as long as you stay over your time."
Another interesting bit of fun in drag racing , occurs every Saturday at all tracks. The racers have a "Gambler's Race". This is where you can bring anything, no class restrictions, a "race what you brung" format. A nine second car against a twenty second car. Each car pays ten dollars and all the money goes back to the racers.
In closing both Vaughn and Bunny agreed that the joy of drag racing is the great friends and buddies"In the pits all the racers are great friends and are there to help each other with any problems. The competition starts at the green light".
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Denis Mallet - Another Second Generation Driver
Denis Mallet, from Bathurst,NB, has experience beyond his years. At the age of fifteen he started driving the truck that hauled his brothers car to the pits."In 1981 my brother started racing at Danny's Speed Bowl. He drove a 1969, 4 door Pontiac Beaumont. I was fifteen and wasn't allowed in the pits, so I had to watch from the stands. Someone ran in the back of him because he was slow, first night butterflies I suppose. Anyway, I ran from the stands, past the flagman, across the track with cars flying past and joined my brother in the infield. I asked him if he was okay. He grabbed me by my shirt and asked me if I had a death wish running across the track that way. My father was also in the pits and was really angry. He told me from that day forth I would be in the pits with him. My father would never tell a lie, so the next week, we traded places in the truck and I drove into the pits. The attendent asked how old I was and I told him that I was driving the truck so and that meant I was sixteen and not to ask a silly question" . He then asked my father, "How old is he? "Whatever the boy told you," Dad said so technically he didn't lie."
Later Mallet met Kirk Jardine, and his brother Andrew. Mallet worked with them until 1996 in Miramichi, when "my better half and I had our baby boy and I promised her I wouldn't go back to racing until he was old enough. In 2001 we went to a race and he went bananas over the cars, so I knew I could go back racing."Mallet said.
Mallet started driving a street stock with the number 38, but every time he went to Miramichi he had to tape a 3 over his 8, so he officially changed the number to 33 when he had to build another car. Last year, he came within three points of winning, because on the last race Mallet couldn't get his car started. He forgot to turn the switch on, so now he has a light on the dash to remind him.
"My first race in 2003 was my most memorible because my family wasn't there and they are always there, so it was exciting although sad for them not to see me" Mallet said,"I'll never forget that !!".
Mallet would like to move up to sportsman, but not right now it's a little expensive for me, but maybe in a year or two.
Mallet ran the race on the opening at Blue Mountain Speedway, Bathurst,NB, "It's a very, very challenging track. On corner one and two you have to come on the brake, no gas, then a short back straight, and then three and four. They're not bad a little brake, then you have the front straight. But once you have your car hooked up, it's see you later time."
The next question of course was"How did you do?" Mallet replied quite proudly"Won - Won and Won. Even passed a sportsman. Because of the number of cars that day, street stock and sportsman ran what was called "double feature" I even passed a sportsman car and although he was in a spin at the time, I can still claim that I passed one".
Asking Mallet if there was anything he would like to add, he replied"I've worked every night, every week-end all winter and spring and building my car and I've promised my wife that I'd take the next long week-end off and yet, here I am. I should be home mowing the grass, so I really have to thank the wife and family. I guess racing has been in my blood since 81."
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