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Donnie Varcoe likes to go fast.  Whether its behind the wheel of his late model, behind his desk at Lakeshore Truck Center, or managing the racing action at Laird International Raceway.  The 2009 Race season is approaching fast for owner and racer Donnie Varcoe, and that suits him just fine. Donnie is a very hard working person that takes everything he does very seriously, being ever so careful that things alway keep going very smooth. Not to many people can say they operate so many things and can keep them all going at once. But Donnie can.

The best little short short track, located in the heart of the Echo Bay is set to start the season on Saturday May 16th with a full line up of late models, modifieds, factory stock cars and stock 4 cylander classes all on hand. For those that have never been to Laird, its a nice short track featuring a 1/3 mile oval with a 58 foot wide front stretch, 50 feet in the corners and 65 feet on the back shoot. The track is always loaded with action as some of the top drivers in Canada and Michigan come together weekly to dual it out in the Canadian wilderness.

Donnie must have a ton of work cut out for him every year at L.I.R. due to the tracks remote location and also being the only asphalt track in the extreme western part of the province. Getting cars in this area is rough, as there is only one track on the states side that has rules close enough to them. With car counts averaging in the mid 50's and the fans packing the stands, this track is really doing very well dispite what most critics think. Running a track is like starting a car. You need a few key factors to keep the show running. Gas (fans), keys (drivers) and a spark (Donnie). With out Donnie running the show, that spark needed to keep the finely tuned program running would only keep cranking over until it was dead. Donnie really has a great show started up here and it looks like its going to be around for a very long time.

Donnie has really got things figured out with the operations side of things here at L.I.R.. Being a driver himself, he knows what fans and drivers want in a good show. Keeping the cost down for the drivers is good for them, as it won't scare off people from the track. Also putting people in the stands requires his expertees in advertising and marketing an affordable show which is what everyone wants to see.Once you have a happy median between the two groups, things can only go one way, and that is forward. 2009 had a lot of people wondering about the economy, whether it will make or break many of the tracks in the area. Laird seems to be working through all of the economic woes, and they will be providing a great local show for a low price.With many news stations reporting that the economy might be making a lot of people stay closer to home, this could be the jump that the track needs to spread the word to the local crowd. Why travel long distances to go some where when there is a great weekly event right in your back yard?

Donnie and his crew are ready for this season to take things head on, and hopes that mother nature will cooperate with them this year. Many of the tracks in the area suffered rainouts last year, which was really a ball buster not only for these guys, but the sponsors and racers too. This year offers a rain date for each night which will fall just a few days after each event. Donnie wants his racers, fans and sponsers happy. These guys pay for racing, they are going to give it to them one way or another this year he said. He chose the Tuesday/Thursday and the Saturday/Sunday format so that it would not hurt the other area tracks and give the guys some time to get the cars ready for the next race on their schedules. Also, it allows an equal chance for people that can't make it due to vacations or other scheduled conflicts to come to a show if one of the regular nights get canceled.