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Craig Cordeau - In Memory of Black Betty |
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the new machine |
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Craig Winston Cordeau, from Windsor, NS has been frequenting Scotia Speedworld for several years now, first as a fan, and now as a driver. Cordeau was asked what took him into the drivers’ seat. “I’ve been a spectator for years. Just recently my four year old sparked an interest into it, and needless to say, my brother-in-law gave me a chance in one of his cars. I jumped into it and I’ve been hooked ever since. That was two years ago.” Choosing his number was easy for Craig. “When I was a kid, I used to play a lot of hockey and they used to call me Gretsky so being Canadian, I decided to stick with the 99 and see what I could pull out on the track.” With only being behind the wheel for two years, Cordeau hasn’t won any championships. “I never got any championships but I got my first checkered flag just before my car was stolen (see photo above). I actually jumped into a Smith Bros car and got my second flag (see photo above). Since then I’ve been just practicing and tuning up. In previous years, I was in Motocross and won a championship there. That was fifteen years ago and I kept breaking too many bones. Cars are safer.” Going to a touchy subject regarding the theft of his car, Cordeau said “ I think it was revenge because of my recent win. Actually, it’s doing good for me. I’m getting a lot more attention. It’s not exactly what I was looking for but it got me a lot of help that I needed. I’ve been going to a lot of the different pits, not to become enemies or friends either, but to get some tips on how we can all be more competitive. That’s how I feel we should be. It was a blessing in disguise to tell you the truth.” Cordeau was then asked about the kind gesture made by Smith Bros Racing. “ Great guys. Russell Smith Sr., also a brother of Wayne Smith’s, and Russell’s two sons gave Craig a car to drive until his new car was ready. It was Russell Jr.’s car that he ran last year and came second in the points with. I felt honoured and priviledged to jump into it. This new car started to heat up the first week, so I had to back off. I’d sooner play safe than sorry so during the main, I fell back so I wouldn’t ruin anyone else’s night.” Everyone has something he’d like to see changed in the race community and Cordeau is no different. “If there was something I could change, it would be the day we race on. It’s hard to get home from work and get things ready. I have two little kids. It’s probably good for the anxiety but it’s hard. Another day might make for better racing. Other than that, everything is great.” Cordeau’s closing comment was “ I just really appreciate all the support from everybody because I was ready to quit. It broke my heart to put all that time and effort into that car. She was my BLACK BETTY. To have all that taken from me really hurt. I’ve lost pets before and that’s what it was like. When we found her, I felt like we should bury her. I had T-shirts made up in her memory. Now, I’m looking to make some more memories.” EDITOR NOTE: |
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