The racing season at Estevan Motor Speedway begins tonight with a practice session for drivers to tune up their cars and get a feel for the track again.
Lately I've been working on The Race Tracker, the Mercury's annual motorsports preview.
What stands out immediately is this city's passion for racing, whether it be driving modifieds, drag cars or motocross.
The Speedway is one of the area's biggest attractions during the summer, and that extends far beyond Estevan.
The 3/8 mile dirt track brings drivers from all over North Dakota and the northwestern states to compete for payouts and season points.
Racing is a labour of love, with hours spent in the garage getting the vehicle ready for the track. And more often than not, it's a family affair.
Drivers, mechanics, crew and fans: be proud of your passion.
And while you're getting ready for the season opener next Wednesday, don't forget to submit your driver profile to be included in The Race Tracker. That goes for all racers who will compete at the Speedway, Trackside MX or in the Estevan Drag Racing Association this year.
You can submit your profile on the Mercury website by filling out the form at http://estevanmercury.ca/section/estmercury0207
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Anyone who didn't already know who Joel Ward was found out in a hurry over the last few days, as the Nashville Predators right winger carried the team's offence on his back in a vain attempt to defeat the Vancouver Canucks.
The Preds were knocked out of the playoffs on Monday, but Ward led the team with seven goals and 13 points in the post-season. That puts him in a tie for the NHL goal-scoring lead.
I went to school with Joel for one year at the University of Prince Edward Island, the same year he tore up the CIS in his final season with the Panthers.
I've had the pleasure of interviewing Ward several times on his unusual path to the NHL. As the entire hockey world has now found out, he is humble, true to his roots and extremely grateful to everyone who has helped him get to where he is.
Joel's dad, Randall, passed away when he was 14. His mom, Cecilia, worked two jobs to help put him through hockey.
He earned several NHL tryouts after his junior career in Owen Sound ended. None were successful, so he decided to play hockey for four years at UPEI.
After several years in the Minnesota Wild organization, Joel signed a contract with Nashville in 2008 and, at age 28, immediately seized a roster spot that he would hang onto for good.
UPEI alumni have always been proud of Ward's accomplishments, and that rose to the surface on Saturday after he almost single-handedly vaulted the Preds past the Canucks in Game 5.
He has overcome more than most of us could imagine, and yet for a few days, he stood smack in the middle of the spotlight on the biggest stage in hockey.
I dug up some of those old interviews the other day, and I couldn't help but think: Wardo, you made it.
Josh Lewis can be reached by phone at 634-2654, by e-mail at sports@estevanmercury.ca or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshlewis306. Josh was very happy with the Toronto Argonauts' draft on Saturday. You read that right, Josh is an Argo fan. Remember, he wasn't born here. On second thought, maybe it wasn't a good idea to give you all that contact information.
