|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Wade Wilson “ Voice of NBIS”
Wade Wilson, announcer at New Brunswick International Speedway, in the Geary Woods, just outside Oromocto,NB, can get you excited about a race or an upcoming race. Asking how he does this so well, Wilson replied “Technically, I’m not that strong. When it comes to the mechanical aspects of cars, I interview people that do that. I enjoy the play by play. I really enjoy watching and looking for something exciting and there always is with the three regular divisions here. The rest just sort of comes naturally. Sometimes you kinda say something and wonder after, should I have said that. Then sometimes things just roll off your tongue and you sort of smile because it did sound good.”
Wilson got his interest in racing at a young age. “I was born in Albert County, NB then later moved to Fredericton. My dad, Ross Wilson, raced at River Glade back in the 60’s. I did not have much mechanical ability around cars and I wasn’t a good driver either.” Laughing, he continued “I wanted to get involved in this sport so eventually I got into the radio business. I started announcing at River Glade back in the mid 70’s. I now work in communications with the New Brunswick government.
 Wilson’s view on racing being a family sport is “The family aspect of the sport is really good. I remember growing up at River Glade on a farm working all week in the hay field with one thing on your mind. Saturday night was race night!
As a boy from twelve on, when you got to the track and met up with your race friends, you were gone all night and had a great time. No one ever worried about what was going on or where you’d be. At the end of the night you would hook up with your parents again and get your ride home. It’s a real family time sport and everyone looks after each other. Race track friends from then are still friends today. The kids have a good time and it’s awesome.”
Over the years Wilson has seen many different happenings around race tracks. “Someone got married at the track, someone almost took out the flag stand, a guy took out the sign boards and ended up in the woods and one night the races had to be red flagged while a family of rabbits wandered across the track.”
Throughout the years Wilson has seen some great drivers such as Fearless Frankie Fraser, Jim MacCarthy, Caleb Dunn, Donnie Beers, Herman Berry and Paul Louis, to name a few. Frankie Fraser was our Richard Petty. With the media coverage we have today, our local racers have really stepped it up. Having people like Johnny Benson come, steps up the excitement another notch. Someone who has never been to the track sees that he’s going to be here and comes out for the first time.
Being a family man himself, Wilson doesn’t have many weekends off. When he does, he likes to spend it with his wife and family.
“I like short track, I like Bristol. I haven’t been to Riverside since it was rebuilt. It’s been years and years although I would be happy to drive the four or five hours to see a race there.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Brent Rawley - Communications-Hobby to Success
Brent Rawley provides communications for the ProStocks and the fans that come to see them. Rawley also sells scanner kits. He repairs and maintains the radios and the two way helmet kits. “We also do the frequency listings so there is no conflict between the systems”.
“Originally I’m from out west, a little town where there was some dirt track racing that was dirty and boring. For the most part it wasn’t exciting and they couldn’t get the speeds up. About one hundred miles from where I grew up there was a drag strip. I used to spend a lot of my weekends there.” Rawley continued “When I finally moved out east here, I saw short track racing. Well, That’s what I like. I love the short track banging and bumping, I like knowing the people and being able to talk to them and watch them race.”
I asked him if he had ever raced. He quickly answered “Just motocross bikes, never cars.”
“My favourite track these days has to be Riverside. For everyone, that has to be the favourite track in Canada and I mean coast to coast.”
Curious to how Rawley got started here in the Maritimes, I asked him. Rawley stated “It started as a hobby. I’ve been a race fan for many years and found myself at the track every weekend. I decided I might as well do something useful. I’ve been to NASCAR races in the States and everyone wears scanners there so everyone knows what’s going on. There was no one here doing it so I thought I’d try it. I thought we’d start out small, just for fun but I wouldn’t charge the prices they do in the States. If I made a little money on the way, OK. I did it because I wanted to supply the service.”
Rawley is a man that likes speed and big motors. “I like the Prostocks best. I like seeing them run and the sound of the motors.” Laughing, Rawley continued, “I like seeing them have a little more power than they can handle. That makes for an interesting race.”
Rawley’s view on the AOW is “I enjoy the AOW. They’re interesting to watch but the cars are a little underpowered. A little too easy to handle but with a little more horsepower, they’d be a really good show”
 Rawley’s final comment was “Make sure everyone comes out to the races on the weekends.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Dan Duke - 29 years a racer
Dan Duke, of Moncton, NB drives the number 50 Sportsman car at Riverglade and surrounding tracks. We caught up with him at Centre for Speed
When asked how he got his start in racing, Duke replied “ Just from going to the races when I was a kid. It just grew from that. In 1978 I started in Mini Stocks, then MASCAR for a year. My brother Jim and I drove it for half a year each. We could see that we couldn’t afford to play with that anymore so  in 1984 we got into Sportsman racing. Jim moved to Ontario in 1987 and I took over the Sportsman full time in 1988.”
As far as winning a championship, “Never won a championship. Never even came second. After racing for 29 years I never won a major race.”
Most racers can recall their worst accidents but Duke’s reply was “The worst accident. Me! (he said with a laugh).”
As far as funny moments go, Duke’s day started off with a lot of mishaps which he called a funny moment. “So far today, we smashed into the trailer after using it for twenty years, both our stop watches needed batteries (after we got to the track), got here then the truck wouldn’t start, then we forgot to put the radiator cap on the car and lost all the water when we went out for practice.” Duke laughed “and that’s just today.” These comments speak volumes about Duke’s good natured personality and love for racing.
Things that Duke would like to see changed in racing are “The cost in the cars. The entry fees have to be charged because this is a business but the cost of the cars. What started out in 1984 was a two or three thousand dollar car but now it has got to the point of twenty or thirty thousand dollars, and we still race for practically the same 100 dollar bill. I don’t see the justification for it. In 1996, 85 cars came here to qualify for a big race. At Riverglade, on a weekly basis, 35 - 38 cars would show up to qualify and only 24 cars made the show. Where did all these cars go.Today there’s only 14 cars in Sportsman.”
As far as the AOW are concerned, Duke thinks this is a cheaper way to race. His thoughts were “ As for the AOW, the basic premise is good. We need a cheaper car. The first three years on track after two years of preparation, we had 29 operating cars. I was the tech guy and I kept it honest. Everyone in management did a good job. Then the bickering started and I couldn’t take it any more. Now it’s under new management and I’d like to see them flourish.”
Duke has many favourites in the driving circle. “ When I was a kid, I was always a Frankie Fraser fan. I always liked to see him come up (to Riverglade). He always put on a good show and made it interesting. Paul Lewis was a local favourite and I was lucky to have raced with Paul many years before he passed. There are a lot of guys like Darrell Nickerson, a name you don’t hear very much. He raced all those years and he was my mentor. Everything I know I learned from Darrell. Some he told me and some he showed me on the track while beating me. He has been a very big help to me all through my life. Ken Pauley, when we first started, used to say “we’re going to help you because youâ’ll never beat us and actually, we never did but eventually we could keep up. He was a great help whether he knew it or not.”
Duke’s closing comment was perfound. “ I’d like to see more fans in the stands because that is what it’s all about. If everyone brought a couple of friends next week it would grow fast and that would be great.”
|
|
|
