News Director 
Column By: JIM CLARKE / CAN-AM SPEEDWAY – LAFARGEVILLE, NY – With a week’s worth of true spring weather on the horizon, track officials at Lafargeville, New York’s Can Am Speedway are busy putting the finishing touches on plans for Thunder in the 1000 Islands, a 2-day weekend show that will open the 2023 line-up at the popular state-side oval.
The opening round of the weekend’s DIRTcar double-dip docket – Friday, April 14th – is highlighted by a 50-lap 358 Series ‘A’ main and a 25-lap Sportsman-Modified feature. Pit gates open at 2:00, with on-track action beginning at 6:00. The next night – Saturday, April 15th – the spotlight shifts to the Big Block Modifieds, with a Super DIRTcar Series 75-lap feature, plus a 30-lap Pro Stock tilt, Sportsman-Mod 25 lapper and a 15-lap 4 cylinder feature. Pit gates Saturday open at 1:00, with hot laps and time trials starting at 5:00.
This will be the region’s first round of action for the 2023 schedule and Can Am Speedway track owner/promoter Tyler Bartlett says his team is expecting to see a solid showing of racers and fans from both sides of the border in attendance.
“We still have a lot of work to do to be ready for the weekend, but we’ll never stop thinking about the big picture,” Tyler Bartlett said. “It’s a big job to put together an event of this size to start the year, but we’re ready for the challenge and can’t wait to welcome everyone to the track for the 2023 season.”
If social media posts are any indication, Bartlett says there should be a strong contingent of Canadian racers who will make the trek to Can Am Speedway for the Thunder in the 1000 Islands event. Multi-time Brockville Speedway 358 Modified track champion Ryan Arbuthnot has announced his plans to compete, as have crowd favourite Jessica Power and Brockville’s back to back Sportsman-Modified track champion Bobby Herrington to name a few. With a quartet of DIRTcar’s top touring divisions in action, track officials are expecting some solid car counts across the board.
