Alexandria dirt track racer Chris Raabe has had a dream season in 2022. The 31-year-old driver wrapped up three different track championships in the premier 358-Modified class, while taking multiple wins at each track during the year.

Raabe earned 358-Modified track championships at Cornwall Motor Speedway, Brockville Ontario Speedway, and Mohawk International Raceway in Akwasasne, New York. On the way he raced almost every Friday night in Akwasasne, Saturdays in Brockville and Sundays in Cornwall – winning multiple races at each speedway.

“I don’t know if there’s a secret,” Raabe said after wrapping up the season championship at Cornwall in mid-September. “We obviously had good cars, good motors and a little bit of luck this year.”

Raabe was assisted in his 2022 racing success by his car chief Marc Legault, also a native of Alexandria, who worked on the car several nights a week and travelled to each race.

“We spend a lot of time working on our setup,” Raabe says, of the fine line between teams and equipment in the premier class of racing at the three tracks. “Pretty much everyone we race against has good motors and good equipment. Everyone’s a good driver as well.”

“The real difference comes down to what teams select for setup.”

Racing three nights a week takes up a lot of time in travelling and in preparation during the week – “pretty much every night” Raabe says. But the married father of a young daughter has strong support from his family, including his spouse, whose grandfather was famed racer Ovide Doiron, known as ‘The Flying Frenchman’.

“My wife grew up at the racetrack and she goes to all of the races, as well as her family,” Raabe says. “It’s definitely a family affair.”

While he was confident coming into the 2022 season, the triple champion says he could not have expected the level of success he and his racing team achieved.

“I don’t think you can ever expect to win three titles,” says Raabe, whose multiple sponsors displayed on his car. “Usually if you win one of them you’ve had a good year.”

Although the regular series has completed at the three tracks on his regular schedule, Raabe has continued to race, including at Brighton, Ontario. Racing fans can follow Raabe on his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ChrisRaabeRacing.

 

“I don’t know if there’s a secret,” said Chris Raabe (in car number 01) after wrapping up the season championship at Cornwall in mid-September. “We obviously had good cars, good motors and a little bit of luck this year.” Photo: Sylvain Lauwers