Touring Series News
Dick Therrien To Lease Canaan Tracks In 2011
PHOTO: Dick Therrien will take over operations at Canaan Dirt and Canaan Fair Speedways in 2011. (Alan Ward photo)
(From track press release)
CANAAN, N.H. -- Both short tracks at Canaan Fair Speedway are set to be under new leadership for the 2011 racing season. Current general manager Dick Therrien of Lyndonville has signed an agreement with owners Chick and Sandy Henry to lease both the 1/3-mile dirt and 1/3-mile asphalt facilities for the upcoming racing season.
Therrien took over managerial duties in November of 2009 and managed both tracks in 2010.
“This is a great opportunity to bring these properties to the next level," said Therrien. "We worked extremely well as a team and I am excited about the upcoming challenge that faces me. The Henrys are tremendous people, but they are ready to hand over the day-to-day reigns to someone they feel can continue in the same direction that they see the track headed."
Therrien said the progress both tracks showed in 2010 was encouraging.
"We took some giant steps forward on both tracks this season, and I feel that 2011 will be one of the best seasons ever at both facilities," Therrien said. "In a time of tough economy, we prospered in the sponsorship department and grew solidly in the fan base at both facilities. Car counts bounced up and down, but I am satisfied as to where we ended, and with the amount of new people that tried us and that have contacted us about rules and information for 2011 and beyond, I am excited about the future of both race tracks. I accomplished 99% of my goals for the season, and feel this is a solid business investment for myself. I have established a solid core of officials, and am definitely looking forward to the challenge ahead. It will be a one-year lease, with possible options for the future.”
“We are ready to let someone operate this facility so that we can take a break and have some time to ourselves," said track owners Sandy and Chick Henry. "Dick did an excellent job in managing the tracks in 2010, and we feel he is one of the few, if not the only person that we want at the helm. His communication skills with us were excellent, and he took over the management position of both facilities when we originally hired him just to handle the asphalt track. That was quite an undertaking for one individual, and he proved to us that he can multi-task with the best of them. Most people don’t realize he was a one-man operation, managing and operating both facilities by himself. We are very comfortable with our decision to lease the tracks to Dick, and feel he will continue to guide these facilities in the direction that we want to continue to see them head. Dick will handle all facets of the facility, and will make all day to day decisions for the business."
Therrien said that only slight changes will be coming in 2011.
“We are not looking at many changes at all on the asphalt track," Therrien said. "I love the Pro Stocks and they will definitely be the headlining division again. I am seeing some solid growth in the Late Models and the Super Streets next year, and with some tweaking of the rules in the Pure Stocks, I think the numbers in that class will rebound as well. The only class that will see some changes for 2011 will be the Bandits class. This class has gotten way out of line with its rules package for a beginners division, and we are currently working on some changes for that class. We will also be working on rules for the Daredevil class so that they will fall in line with the Bandits. This should make the divisions way more affordable for people that would like to start racing on the asphalt.
"The dirt track will see very little changes in rules, except the Mini Stock class will be dropped due to lack of interest in the division. This class just out priced themselves here, just like the Outlaw Minis did on the asphalt. We are going to replace them with an Enduro division which will run once or twice a month, and fill the rest of the gap with the SCoNE Sprint Cars, Mini Sprints and possibly a Sportsman Coupe series. We will also be starting a Daredevil group for kids ages 10-14 on the dirt in 2011. The 2011 rulebooks will hopefully be intact for the banquets which are scheduled for October 29th for the dirt teams and October 30th for the asphalt teams."
