Can a veteran become a rookie?

What is the statute of limitations on that?

Carl Harr is asking that question. He is among the first that raced at the City Centre Airport since the inaugural Tommy Fox Classic in 1995.

“I don’t know how many years you’ve got to be away from the wheels to be called a rookie,” said Harr. “But I think three years might be pretty close!”

But the Edmonton businessman and racer stepped back from the wheel recently while son Daryl continued racing. But Harr Sr. has the ol’ black No. 2 Westworld Computers Chevy back on track in 2010.

It hasn’t exactly been a case of ‘it all comes back to you,’ so far. 

“We reconfigured this car for the new rules. It’s a an older chassis. We just had a couple of welding spots that need supporting,” Harr said of his team’s thrashing session ahead of Saturday’s qualifying.

CASCAR days

It was still CASCAR when Harr last ran at the airport. It’s his first run in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. 

“It hurt us because we missed the first practice session. (Friday) it was about tuning up the driver.

(Saturday) it was going to be about tuning up the car. So we wound up having to use the qualifying to do that. One step at a time.”

Meanwhile, Daryl is trying to step out in the No. 1 BRP/Can-Am Chev.

“I might not have been as aggressive in qualifying,” he said. “This is my first race with BRP and all I could think of was, ‘I better make it to the main show with the shiny side up!’

“Now I’ll give them a good show coming in from 15th.”

St. Albert’s Todd Nichol also has his bright, shiny No. 6 in the race. 

The Canadian Tire 100 rolls from 11 a.m. to noon Sunday.