Race fans flock to Brockville Ontario Speedway for the Fall Nationals

One of the biggest racing events in the country is taking place south of Ottawa this weekend, with race fans already starting to arrive from the U.S. and Canada.

Camper trailers have been showing up at the Brockville Ontario Speedway since Tuesday, ahead of the Northeast Fall Nationals, set to begin on Friday.

It's the biggest DIRTcar racing event in Canada, with some dedicated race fans attending since its inception.

"I've been at the Fall Nationals since day one, I believe it was 2005," said Kemptville's Doug Barnett.

For him, it is tradition, with 20 friends and family camping together on the weekend.

"It's great. A lot of people are race fans, they follow racing from year to year, from track to track, and I'm just one of them," he said, preparing his camper for the stay over.

"I've been to Cornwall, Lafargeville, Mohawk. It all goes back to the days my dad raced," he added. 

For Rachel Brunet from Cornwall, she's been hooked on motorsports for more than 20 years, visiting tracks all over the eastern U.S. and much of Ontario. 

"The first time you come and watch those cars go around the track you're hooked," Brunet said. "The smell of the race fuel, and the camaraderie between drivers and fans."

Both campers did admit, however, that camping in October does have its challenges.

Temperatures can dip below freezing, rainouts can occur, and part of the fall event was even cancelled in 2015 because of snow. 

"We were actually in a tent trailer that year," Brunet said. "The generator blew up so we had no heat and we opened up the door and there was snow on the ground, but we stayed and stuck it through!"

"It doesn't matter if it's sunny and hot, and tank top and flip flops, or in all your winter gear, this is the best sport on earth," she said. 

"(It's) part of fall camping," laughed Barnett. "We've seen depth of mud to the knees and still race, it don't matter."

"It's exciting, and there's no trouble. Everybody gets along," he added. "Everybody shares their meals and it's great for the economy of Brockville. We'll go into Brockville and watch a movie and shop and go to the restaurants and it's just one big happy party."

The Northeast Fall Nationals are set for this weekend at the Brockville Speedway. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

The track campsite can hold up to 400 trailers, and there will be well over 100 racecars competing throughout the weekend. 

Promotor Paul Kirkland says even with the rain on Thursday, the track will be ready for Friday night.

"The track should be good. I sealed it up a while ago so it's not going to be too bad," he said. "We're just waiting for the accumulation of water. If we get what they say, we will have to pump some water off so we are ready to go for tomorrow night, but we are all prepared and ready to go for that."

The speedway has hosted the Fall Nationals since 2005, with racers attending from western Ontario, Quebec, New York State, Pennsylvania, and even Florida.

"It's been pretty amazing. They laughed at us when we first announced we wanted to do this because it's Canada and its October so it snows," Kirkland laughed. 

"We've had every kind of weather that's imaginable to deal with but we always manage to get it done and the party goes on, everybody has a good time," he added, thanking his hard-working employees for preparing for this years event. 

"They've helped me get everything all ready. Whether it's painting, or putting up banners, or getting the parking lot ready," Kirkland said. "Tackaberry Construction came in last week to put two new roads in, I couldn't do it without them, George and the guys doing that kind of stuff for us. We're in good shape."

"This is the last race of the year before they all hang up their helmets," he added. "Everybody likes to come and the racing is usually very, very good and the party is awesome. It's just a great weekend."

Racers in the Modified Division lined up at the 2019 Northeast Fall Nationals in Brockville.

Champions for DIRTcar series 358 Modified and Sportsman divisions will be crowned on the weekend, with some racers then heading to Charlotte, North Carolina in November to end their season at the World Finals.

"It's nostalgic actually, because you get to see friends you haven't seen in a long time, year after year they've been coming," added Brunet "You're watching their kids grow up, now their grandkids."

"Paul and Cheryl put on a great show. This is a great facility, every year I've seen it grow, the entertainment has gotten better," she added. 

"I wish the best for Paul and Cheryl," Barnett said. "They put a lot of work into this track; the camping facilities are second to none."

The weekend weather looks promising for the event, with temperatures forecast to be in the mid-teens for Friday and Saturday. 

Racing begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, and at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, with tickets still available.