MONDAY CAT COUNTRY COMMENTARY: WEEKEND AT MOTOR SPEEDWAY

(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary at 9:50 am and 5:20 pm on Cat Country 98 FM)

DON’T LET IT BE SAID YOU CAN’T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS.

AFTER 47 SPINS AROUND THE SUN, I FINALLY FOUND MYSELF AT THE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ON SATURDAY FOR OPENING NIGHT AT REGINA’S KINGS PARK SPEEDWAY.

TRUTH BE TOLD, AND I’M ASHAMED TO ADMIT, RACE OFFICIALS HAD BEEN ASKING ME FOR YEARS FOR COVERAGE OR TO ATTEND BUT MY DUTIES WITH THE ROUGHRIDERS FOR 20 YEARS DIDN’T ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.

NOW WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY, I WAS ABLE TO ACCEPT AN INVITATION TO DROP THE GREEN FLAG ALONG WITH PAT FIACCO ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

AND IT WAS BETTER THAN I EVER COULD’VE IMAGINED.

STOCK CARS, TRUCKS AND MINI’S PUT ON AN UNBELIEVABLE DISPLAY OF RACING AND IT DIDN’T HURT THAT THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE PERFECT.

I CAN SEE WHY RACING IS SO ADDICTING. THE RUSH CAUSED BY STANDING ON A PLATFORM OVER THE TRACK, WAVING A FLAG WHILE RACE CARS WHIZ UNDERNEATH YOU, IS SOMETHING I’VE FELT VERY FEW TIMES IN MY LIFE.

PLUS THERE WERE WRECKS, PARTS FLYING INTO THE INFIELD AND HEATED ARGUMENTS BETWEEN DRIVERS. WHO NEEDS NASCAR? YOU CAN GET IT ALL WITH A FIVE MINUTE DRIVE NORTHEAST OF REGINA!

BRAVO TO THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT FOR GIVING THE GREEN FLAG, AND IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF WHAT SPORTS WILL BE LIKE WHEN WE RETURN TO PLAY. EVERY SECOND ROW OF STANDS WAS BLOCKED OFF AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WERE VISIBLE THROUGHOUT THE FACILITY.

NOW PLANS ARE UNDERWAY FOR THE INVITATIONAL ON THE WEEKEND OF AUGUST 8TH & 9TH WITH UP TO 70 DRIVERS FROM ACROSS THE PRAIRIES. BRING YOUR R-V AND CAMP ALL WEEKEND!

ALL IT TOOK WAS A VIRUS FOR ME TO DISCOVER A SASKATCHEWAN HIDDEN TREASURE.

THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY ON CAT COUNTRY 98.