NIF2.com - What makes the Speedweekend Special?

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Added: 20 Jul 2011	Category: 2011 Oval Racing
What makes the Speedweekend Special?
We’ve almost arrived at the Jewel in the Crown of our local Oval Racing season, the Speedweekend. This year marks the seventh running of the Nuttscorner Oval Speedweekend and compared to the big weekends on the mainland, it is only in it’s infancy, yet the new facility at Tullyroan means it could well be the last Speedweekend held at the Co. Antrim venue. The Speedweekend is a lot of things to a lot of different people, but what makes it special? The visitors – over the years Nuttscorner Oval has attracted the very top names in the 2 Litre Hot Rods and the Lightning Rods across the water to compete, and this year looks to be no different, with 2 world champions coming, and the visiting drivers expected for the ProStocks too. The Titles – 3 World Titles have now been settled at the Speedweekend, as well as various European and British titles which aren’t to be sniffed at. This year it’s the turn of the 2 Litre Hot Rods to take centre stage as they race for their World Championship. The Build Up – whether it’s the build up to the weekend, or the build up to the big race, the hype grows and the tension builds, how will it unfold? Who will be Champion? The Surprises – Nothing is certain in Short Oval Racing, every speedweekend throws up surprises, whether it is an unfancied runner driving the wheels off their car in the heats to qualify well up the grid, or a favourite suffering mechanical problems or getting caught up in someone else’s accident - there is always a shock result to be had. The Crowd – The Speedweekend does, and rightly so, pull the biggest crowd of the season. You chat to people you only cross paths with a few times a season, you make new friends, whether it’s over a beer or a burger. It’s a great chance to network with fellow supporters. It’s a great sight to see such healthy crowds at the racing. The Atmosphere – With the crowds, comes the atmosphere, the gasps as the top drivers get out of shape, the sighs as your favourite driver gets overtaken, the cheers as the winner takes the flag. The debate as people try to calculate grids trackside, shouting back and forward to friends as half the crowd tries to work out if they are right are not. The Programme – Maybe one more for the anoraks, but it’s the biggest programme of the year, or raceday magazine if you like. It’s the only time in any given year that programmes are sent off to England to collectors, and people hold onto them for nostalgic reasons as they go into shoeboxes and lofts across the oval racing community. Speedweekend is Magic! See you there!
The Close Racing
When a favourite falls
The unexpected exit
When it all goes Wrong
The Defending Champion
Qualifying under the lights
The Grid for the Big One
The Crucial Pass
The Victory Donuts
The new Champion
The Drivers interviews
The Programme
The Banter
The Bangers
The on track line ups

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