malletinterview

          Denis Mallet - Another Second Generation Driver

     Denis Mallet, from Bathurst,NB, has experience beyond his years. At the age of fifteen he
started driving the truck that hauled his brothers car to the pits."In 1981 my brother started
racing at Danny's Speed Bowl. He drove a 1969, 4 door Pontiac Beaumont. I was fifteen and wasn't allowed in the pits, so I had to watch from the stands. Someone ran in the back of him because he was slow, first night butterflies I suppose. Anyway, I ran from the stands, past the flagman, across the track with cars flying past and joined my brother in the infield. I asked him if he was okay. He grabbed me by my shirt and asked me if I had a death wish running across the track that way. My father was also in the pits and was really angry. He told me from that day forth I would be in the pits with him. My father would never tell a lie, so the next week, we traded places in the truck and I drove into the pits. The attendent asked how old I was and I told him that I was driving the truck so and that meant I was sixteen and not to ask a silly question" . He then asked my father, "How old is he? "Whatever the boy told you," Dad said so technically he didn't lie."
       Later Mallet met Kirk Jardine, and his brother Andrew. Mallet worked with them until 1996 in Miramichi, when "my better half and I had our baby boy and I promised her I wouldn't go back to racing until he was old enough. In 2001 we went to a race and he went bananas over the cars, so I knew I could go back racing."Mallet said.
       Mallet started driving a street stock with the number 38, but every time he went to Miramichi he had to tape a 3 over his 8, so he officially changed the number to 33 when he had to build another car. Last year, he came within three points of winning, because on the last race Mallet couldn't get his car started. He forgot to turn the switch on, so now he has a light on the dash to remind him.
      "My first race in 2003 was my most memorible because my family wasn't there and they are always there, so it was exciting although sad for them not to see me" Mallet said,"I'll never forget that !!".
        Mallet would like to move up to sportsman, but not right now it's a little expensive for me, but maybe in a year or two.
        Mallet ran the race on the opening at Blue Mountain Speedway, Bathurst,NB, "It's a very, very challenging track. On corner one and two you have to come on the brake, no gas, then a short back straight, and then three and four. They're not bad a little brake, then you have the front straight. But once you have your car hooked up, it's see you later time."
       The next question of course was"How did you do?" Mallet replied quite proudly"Won - Won and Won. Even passed a sportsman. Because of the number of cars that day, street stock and sportsman ran what was called "double feature" I even passed a sportsman car and although he was in a spin at the time, I can still claim that I passed one".
       Asking Mallet if there was anything he would like to add, he replied"I've worked every night, every week-end all winter and spring and building my car and I've promised my wife that I'd take the next long week-end off and yet, here I am. I should be home mowing the grass, so I really have to thank the wife and family. I guess racing has been in my blood since 81."