6/30/2023
Laird Raceway
You Can't Always Get What You Want
The Rolling Stones song goes, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want….” That phrase rings truth when it comes to outdoor events like Stock Car Racing at Laird. On Thursday June 29th there was some frustration expressed due to a cancellation for potential rain. People see a cancellation from different perspectives, depending on their own point of view.
The fans come in a number of types. There are die hard fans that show up at every race, and many of those are willing to wait out a rain storm in the hopes of seeing a race. They love the sport and will suffer some level of uncomfortableness just to watch the action on race night.
There are also those fans that are not as passionate as the die-hards, but like going to the race if conditions are good and the action is entertaining. There are also a lot of unpredictable fans, the ones that come out to see one or two race nights a season. The unpredictable ones are the ones that will show up as long as they are entertained and are comfortable. If these fans experience anything negative, like a cancellation mid-show due to a sudden shower, or damp grandstand benches, or cold weather, they may not be back for the rest of the season, if at all.
Another group are the drivers and teams that provide the entertainment. These too come in a few different types. There are the veterans that show up every race night; or as many race nights that they can; because they love the sport. There are also the new drivers, the rookies. This group can sometimes be the most passionate, they have suddenly become infatuated with racing; they can’t wait to get back on the track. The drivers and teams are the entertainment.
The third group include the LIR promoter, organizers, and staff. For the most part, this too is a passionate group of people. Many may not be coming out to watch the races, but they come out to do a job they like; whether it be working in the canteen preparing and serving food and beverages for fans; working in the pits; or elsewhere on the grounds or track. Many of this group don’t actually get to watch the race action on the track but work in the background to help put on the show and accommodate the fans in the stands and race teams in the pits.
Planning for LIR race events begins months in advance of the season. There are a multitude of tasks that need to be done to set up a successful season. We need to set up event dates in consultation with the Laird Township, the owners of the Laird Fairgrounds where the track is located. We need to set up suppliers and obtain tires, fuel and parts for the drivers. We need to consult with other suppliers for food, insurance, EMS services, security services, banking services, and everything else a business needs to function. There is also a pile of maintenance work and setup that needs to be done weeks or months prior to the first race being run. There is staff to hire, advertising to be done, sponsors to obtain, and plenty more. It’s a big list.
On race day, lots of staff arrive hours in advance of the gates being opened. There is plenty of prep work to be done, things like food and kitchen preparation, bringing equipment out to the track and other similar duties.
Drivers and teams too have work to do before heading out to the track, doing a last-minute repair, loading cars on trailers, loading tools/supplies and people for the trek to the track.
A lot of time and money is spent before fans begin to arrive.
Then there comes a day like Thursday June 29th. For a couple days the weather forecasts were all over the place. Even early morning on Thursday some sites called for rain, thunderstorms, no rain, and it all varied depending on what location you were looking at and what weather site you saw. The forecast for Sault Ste. Marie was different than the forecast for Echo Bay, and those differed from the forecast for Laird. Weather forecasting has improved greatly over the years, but it is still far from 100% accurate.
It is a tough scenario to manage from an organizer’s perspective. Do you attempt the hold the race, then suffer the potential losses associated with a late afternoon cancellation? Potential losses that include those for drivers that have taken time and cost of loading and bringing cars to the track, staff that arrive early and begin preparations, and more. What can you do with those buckets of fresh potatoes that have been cut up for those delicious LIR fries just before fans arrive? Or perhaps you take the chance, the races get underway and then it starts raining, frustrating many fans and teams? Or do you just cancel early to cut the potential losses and save the uncut potatoes for a week? It’s more than just potatoes too.
When the race gets cancelled like it did on Thursday the 29th, the die-hard fans and drivers are the ones that are frustrated the most, and many express it on social media. The veteran drivers accept it and in many cases are thankful for an early cancellation. Others also accept it for what it is.
LIR organizers don’t like to cancel, why would they? A pile of time and money has been spent long before the race begins. Sometimes it just has to be done to avoid losses. Losses that might not include just money, but fans. Seems kind of ironic, but cancellations are made to keep the sport alive. The cancellation on Thursday was the right call when all is considered. II don't know if it actually rained, but the threat was there all evening.
We are lucky to have an entertainment venue like Laird International Raceway for some summertime enjoyment in our “backyard”. It is the only facility of its kind in Northeastern Ontario. We have some fantastic racing, and a nice facility. That’s not just me saying it, I hear it from visiting drivers often.
So ya, for all you die hards out there… “You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you just might find, uh, mm, you get what you need, oh yeah, woo!”
With a little luck, we’ll get some butts in the stands to watch some top notch stock car racing on Thursday July 6th and those of you that are the die-hards will get your stock car fix. Racing includes Super Late Models, Modifieds, Factory Stocks, Factory Fours, and our newest class – the Enduros. Intermission will include a school bus race and the Algoma Lawnmower Racing Association’s lawnmower race on the infield track. Pit’s open at 4 pm, grandstand gates at 5 pm, qualifying at 6 pm, and opening ceremonies and our race program at 7:00 pm.
Come on out and have some family fun!
Article Credit: Tom Stephenson
Submitted By: Tom Stephenson
