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If you want something done, sometimes you just have to buy it yourself. The husband and wife team of Bill Vasil and Lynne Delorey-Vasil of Antigonish, N.S., have done just that, purchasing Cape Breton Island’s derelict Island Speedway in Sydney, N.S.
They’re now pushing forward on ambitious plans to stage their first race at the re-christened Cape Breton Miners Memorial Speedway this coming July 5.
Local motorsports fan and archivist Ken MacIsaac notes that the facility was built in 1976, riding the waves of popularity of an evolving slate of racing events in various classes through a succession of owners. It was closed four years ago in August, leaving about a dozen local racers isolated from their home fan base.
The Vasils have been involved in local racing for about seven years. They are promoters of the NAPA Sportsman Series at Riverside International Speedway in James River near Antigonish, N.S.
“The NAPA series at Riverside features 28 cars and 12 of those cars are from Sydney,” says Bill Vasil.
“They’re finding it hard to get sponsors and support from Cape Breton Island when they’re cut off from racing there, so it just seems like a fitting thing to get a race going for them on their home ground.”
An examination of the track revealed that the surface has held up remarkably well over several freeze-thaw cycles.
“The asphalt in the corners is worn out, and they’re very abrasive, so that requires the most attention,” says Vasil.
“If we don’t repave those corners it will wear out the racing tires severely and really increase the cost of racing. I’d also like to consider lengthening the track a little bit and give it perhaps 100 extra feet on the straightaways, which would only require us to put up an additional concrete retaining wall. It all depends on the cost of doing it.”
Pit stalls and pit surfaces will also be paved as a priority for opening the track this summer.
Vasil says he’s currently working on budgets, but has been impressed with the outpouring of offers of assistance in refurbishing the track.
“We’ve been welcomed with open arms in Sydney and have had volunteers from the area offering to provide everything from excavators, to construction assistance to website development,” he says.
“We’ve also been in very preliminary discussions with some local paving contractors to see what can be done about the track.”
An emphasis on track condition and safety will attract a higher calibre of races to the island, Vasil says. In addition to paving, the owners intend to install a concrete wall from turn three to the front stretch in the spring.
The planned races for 2014 include Mini-Stock, Street/Truck and Sportsman classes.
“The Sportsman series is a higher-end series, one down from Pro Stock, which is especially popular in the Maritime provinces,” says Vasil.
“We believe that a better class of races will put fans in the stands.”
Four racing events are already planned, with the possibility of a fifth and sixth.
Work has already begun on repairing walls and refurbishing the grandstands. Other work is being planned for fencing, concessions and the tower.
More attention will be turned to the track in the spring as the ground thaws and the weather warms.
In addition to their racing interests, the Vasils own and operate two local businesses. Lynne is the owner of Antigonish Evergreen Inn and Bill owns Vasil Metal Recycling.
He recently recycled scrap metal on behalf of roadbuilding contractors working on a Trans-Canada Highway bridge project outside of town.
“Managing the new track will take a lot of additional legwork,” he says.
“It’s certainly going to cut into our weekends.”
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