Kelly Williams on canada.com cover

Don't know how long it will last, but there's a picture of former CASCAR racer Kelly Williams on the cover page of the canada.com website this morning. Kelly is driving the pace car (she's shown in front of a Ford GT) for this weekend's ChampCar race in Montreal.

RYAN LITT: Learning Curve Steep for Ryan Litt at Salem, “Homecoming” Next

The highbanks of the legendary Salem Speedway in Indiana provided a steep learning curve for rookie sprint car driver Ryan Litt last weekend. The 18 year old from Lyons, Ontario, Canada missed more than half of practice because of mechanical problems and was behind the 8 ball right from the beginning.

His time was slowest in qualifying for the (wingless) USAC National Sprint Car Series event, and the heat race was basically a chance to get a feel for the track. By the end of the heat Ryan was running comparable lap times to the other cars on the track, but still finished last. In the feature, things never really got going as a U joint broke on lap 4 which ended the night prematurely yet again for the team.

Next up for the team are two “home” races with the Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints series. Friday, August 26th will see the winged 410 sprints at the Kawartha Speedway near Peterborough, Ontario for the first time, while Saturday August 27 takes the tour back to the Flamboro Speedway near Hamilton for the first time since 2002. The team is very excited about their chances this weekend as the engine has been freshened and the new Velocity Wings proved themselves to be very effective when the car was running and set up well.
For more information on the AVSS tour, visit www.SuperSprints.com. For more information about the Litt racing team, as well as photos and news, please visit www.RyanLitt.com.

From Litt PR (August 22, 2005), by Tommy Goudge

Tommy Goudge, PR Manager, www.RyanLitt.com
e-mail: tommygoudge@hotmail.com or ryanlittmedia@hotmail.com
phone: (519)-319-0051

MERRITTVILLE: J&S PROUDLY RETURNS TO PRESENT NEW LOOK INTERNATIONAL DWARF CAR CLASSIC AT MERRITTVILLE: TRIPLEHEADER SEASON FINALE

THOROLD, ONTARIO … J&S Heating and Air Conditioning is preparing to once again present the Rose Webber Memorial at Merrittville Speedway which in 2005 takes on a new look. The Thorold track’s biggest event for Dwarf Cars will see the International Classic featuring events over two big nights – Friday September 9th and Saturday September 10th.

For the Hoosier Stock Division the Friday Night opener will see the division featured in a 30 lap Point Finale plus the Hoosier Tire Canada Finish Line Challenge.

For most of the season, Hoosier Stock Heat Winners have been asked the question – Do you want to take the Hoosier Tire Canada Finish Line Challenge. In accepting the challenge, a driver would start the feature in last spot instead of their handicapped spot. If the driver was able to pass all the cars and win – the driver would receive a bonus that started at $200 and climbs every week until it is won. One driver to date has done it twice – Tyler McPherson.

Any money that is left over in the Challenge fund will be given away in a winner take all dash between all those drivers that took the challenge over the season – successful or not.

The 2005 Rose Webber Memorial once again splits the Dwarf Cars into two divisions – Classics and Mod Lites and it all starts for them Friday Night as well. The Classics will run a 20 lap Main event while the Mod Lites are scheduled for 25 laps.

With August 20th’s rainout – another division has been added to the night’s race card. The BRP Can Am Super Stocks are set to return for two features – the rain delayed event and another that was added in talks with the Tour Directors – Gary Montgomery and Bruce Thompson since the rained out event.

Race fans that were in attendance for the A. Lococo Wholesale presentation of the BRP Can Am Super Stock Special Event can use their August 20th ticket stubs for a $5.00 discount when they return Saturday September 9th.

“We’re fortunate that we had the Friday on our schedule,” relates Erica Bicknell, “ it was the only option we had … but what a show it has become.”

In addition to top Can Am Super Stock drivers from Southern Ontario, Western New York and Pennsylvania - the double-header also features top Dwarf Car and Mod Lite drivers from Texas, Georgia, New York and Ohio and in between.

For the BRP Can Am Super Stock Tour – the Merrittville rain date is actually the next event on their 2005 Schedule. Former Merrittville Pro Stock Champion Darren Kish leads the Super Stock points and has won three events to date. The Merrittville Doubleheader now makes up the next two events on the BRP Tour.

Saturday Night action picks up again for the Classics with $500 US on the line in the 25 lap event. For the Mod Lites - $1500 US awaits the 30 lap winner.

The Hoosier Stocks will also be featured Saturday Night in the finale of the Duel in the Dirt with the Pro Stock Drivers from the Brighton (Ontario) Speedway. The 50 lap event will pay $1000 to the winner but that is only the start.

Brighton area businesses – DL Services Inc. and Lawns We Do have posted a point fund between the Merrittville event and Sunday September 4th’s Brighton Event that will pay another $1000 to the two race champion while Daytona Automotive Equipment has posted another $1000 to be shared between drivers on the winning team – Merrittville or Brighton.

“What more can we say about Saturday Night,” relates Bicknell, “ the best Dwarf and Mod Lite Drivers … mixed in with the best Street Stock drivers from across Ontario … it all adds up to some great racing for the fans.”

The Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder Division will also share in the spotlight with their 2005 Point Finale 20 lap event boasting a $250 first place prize.

The evening will also feature the drawing of the 2005 Merrittville Super Fan which will award the winner Two Tickets to the Nascar Nextel Cup Event in October at the Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte North Carolina. The contest is an annual thank you to Merrittville Fans from Raceline Radio and 105.1 The River and the Lowes Motor Speedway.

Race fans receive ballots every event as they enter the gates and they will be available up to September 10th’s date. Race fans can deposit their completed ballots in the Novelty Booth in the Grandstand Area – opposite the Monique’s Photography Booth.

J&S Heating and Air Conditioning, locally owned and operated, was founded in 1956 and are proud to have served the Niagara Region for 48 years.

J&S is a company dedicated to the proper service, maintenance and installation of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment with systems for both residential and commercial customers. With a full staff of highly skilled mechanics and technicians who are specialists in the field, J&S’s reputation has been built on providing quality and value to customers.

J&S are proud sponsors of 2003 358 Modified Point Champion Larry Lampman in addition to Dwarf Car drivers Mark Brighton and Kellie Mason.

For further heating and cooling information, call 905-682-9287 or visit www.jandsheatingandair.com.

The Classic took on new meaning in 2002 when it was named in memory of Rose Webber – wife of two time Merrittville Dwarf Champion Lee Webber. Rose was a huge supporter of the New York Dwarf Car Association and her husband’s racing career and passed away in the summer of 2002. Although truly missed by many, her uncanny spirit lives on with the event each year.

Race teams wishing further Classic or Mod Lite information can call the Speedway Office at 905-892-8266 or email speedway@cogeco.net.

Probably never in Merrittville’s 54 years has their been such a three day event been scheduled. The season finale like no other closes Sunday Afternoon with the 2nd annual Konzelmann Estate Winery 100 lap Wine Country Run Enduro. That event also has some new features with a 25 lap event for the Ladies. The afternoon and the season will close with a Big Car Demolition Derby.

The Enduro and Demolition Derby Events are events that are open to anyone and there is still time to prepare an entry. For rules information call 905-892-8266 or visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com.

“Eventhough experienced drivers have won the Boltworks and Gabriel Maintenance 30 lap Saturday Night Live events this year,” challenges Bicknell, “ it’s more survival than anything that counts … especially in the 100 lap event … you never know what to expect in an enduro.”

Race Fans can spend the weekend at the track as free camping is allowed. For the Merrittville rate at select local Hotels – call the Speedway for further details.

All Season long, Dipper’s Turn 1 Bar and the Trackside Suites have featured Konzelmann Estate Winery and Labatt products. Race fans and teams are invited to stop and visit behind the Turn 1 Grandstands over the J&S Season Finale.

Gates will open Friday and Saturday at 5:00 with the first heat at 7:00. Sunday Afternoon, the Pit Gate opens at 10:00 for mandatory car inspections at 10:00 while the Grandstands will open at 12 Noon. Race time is 1:00.

Contact: Jim Irvine at 905-892-8266 (office)

Lucas Oil WWS Introduces Newest Member at the EX

Toronto, ON – The Lucas Oil Weekend Warrior Series introduced their newest member live on the air with the New Country 95.3 from their booth at the Canadian National Exhibition on Sunday afternoon. Varney Motor Speedway will join the Lucas WWS grassroots stock car racing league in 2006, taking the number of participating Ontario speedways to 8 in under a year.

Ken McClelland, owner of the Mount Forest based raceway, was very excited to have the opportunity to have his speedway and drivers included in the fastest growing, hottest motorsport property in Canada. Said McClelland, 'Being a part of this great grassroots racing movement legitimizes our program, and brings us to the table with the other tracks to continue to strengthen Ontario Late Model racing.'

Varney Speedway now joins Flamboro, Delaware, Barrie, Kawartha, Peterborough, Sunset and Mosport Speedways to create the 2006 league of Ontario grassroots stock car racing facilities. Said series administrator Gerry Paxton, "We, as the WWS, are very proud of the accomplishments that our group has made already this season in bringing the Late Model rulebooks closer together, and the addition of Varney Speedway to the fold really strengthens our resolve that we are on the right track."

The Weekend Warrior Series also announced another part of their 2006 expansion. 'We will continue our two conference format, with the top 20 in each of the two conferences qualifying for the Lucas Oil awards fund, but the organization and administration of the two conferences will be slightly different from the inaugural year.'

The WWS has announced that next season there will be an Eastern Conference consisting of Lucas Oil Flamboro Speedway, Kawartha Speedway, Mosport Speedway, and Barrie Speedway, and a Western Conference consisting of Delaware Speedway, Sunset Speedway, Peterborough Speedway, and Varney Motor Speedway.

The reason for the conference shuffle was to further encourage the integration of the Late Model rules packages. In 2006 the Lucas Oil WWS will not recognize a difference between the 2005 named Limited Late Models and the other Late Model divisions. WWS promoters and technical directors are working together to create a program that will allow the drivers to compete at any of the WWS speedways with as little adjustment to their cars as possible.

"It has been discussed at the table, at great length, and the consensus is that each facility has its own asphalt personality. A universal rulebook at this time would be incredibly difficult, however, with the shared information between WWS promoters we hope to publish a product that will explain the changes a driver has to make to race from one track to another."

To use current drivers as an example, Pete Vanderwyst, running as a Delaware Late Model who next year would be a Western Conference driver, could continue to race Flamboro and Kawartha (Eastern conference tracks) to earn points that would benefit his Western Conference standing. In this same example Vanderwyst could visit any of the other WWS speedways, Eastern or Western, to compete for points so long as he made the necessary adjustments to his car (ex. Weight, Tires) to meet that tracks tech demands.

Each driver will continue to register to his/her hometrack, and that registration will determine in what conference that driver will compete for the Lucas Oil WWS awards - regardless of what tracks they choose to visit in addition to their hometrack schedule; ie. No driver will be registered in two conferences.

The WWS administration and promoters will convene later this week as the group looks at the 'Chase for the Lucas Cup' and the 2006 grassroots stock car racing season.

Be sure to get down to the Canadian National Exhibition this summer, and find the Country 95.3 - Lucas Oil WWS booth located just outside the 'A' doors of the National Trade Center. Brantford's Shane Gowan has put his #10 Checkered Flag Collectables - Angels Diner Late Model on display with the WWS to help promote grassroots stock car racing at 'the Ex'.

And remember, you can keep up to speed on the inaugural Chase for the Lucas Cup by listening for the Lucas Oil WWS Racing Minute every Friday morning and afternoon on the New Country 95.3 fm.

The Lucas Oil Weekend Warrior Series, the BEST in grassroots stock car racing, see you there!

For further information please contact:

WWS Administration, Paxton Motorsports Marketing

Gerry Paxton (519) 591-0400 or (519) 442-6849
e-mail: Gerry@weekendwarriorseries.com

Josh Paxton (905) 317-4567 or (905) 902-4567
e-mail: JP@weekendwarriorseries.com

"Dirt From The Stands" by Greg Cybulski

"Dirt Dreamer"

Well race fans, it's been about one month since Victory Lane Speedway's NAPA Auto Parts Mid Canada Sprint Car Challenge took place and ol' NOSAfan has finally surfaced. What this month has allowed me to do is sit back and reflect a bit about what has been accomplished this year and what direction your's truly will steer the good ship Prairie Dirt into the future.

I am a dreamer. Ever since I was a young lad growing up in the prairies of Manitoba, staring up at the clouds and marveling at the different shapes they formed, I've always had a good imagination. In today's fast-paced world of facts, figures and deadlines rushing by, it would seem that the average person has lost their ability to kick back, relax and dream away the day as in our youth. Even I admit to be guilty of that from time to time.
That is why I value my quiet time with my family or by myself.

I am also a race fan. Having said this, when you have a race fan who is a dreamer, one never knows what can come of it. About five years ago, Victory Lane Speedway near Winnipeg, Manitoba hosted Sprint Car racing for what we all thought was the last time. I called it "Black Sunday".

During the next four years or so I used to think about what I would do if I had the opportunity to promote racing. How could I, if given the opportunity, make a difference in the way racing could be presented to make it bigger and better than it was before for everyone involved. The track, the fans and the teams.

To this day, I can not say for sure what it was that started the whole ball rolling, all I know is that sometimes dreams do come true. I promoted my first sprint car race in 2004 at Estevan Motor Speedway, SK and from there, two races this year. One for Victory Lane Speedway and then a return engagement at Estevan in September of this year. In both instances, so far, the results have been full houses of race fans and decent fields of cars to put on good shows. Promoting, however, is not a one man job. There are so many people involved in making a show of happen, that they are too numerous to count and not one is more important than the other. Trust me.

I feel truly blessed to have met so many great people in the racing community over the past few years of my life. Promoters, drivers and crews, photographers, race fans, chaplains and many more have all been part of my life in one way or another. Every one of them has been an inspiration to me.

As the old saying goes, a rolling stone gathers no moss. Not soon after the July 14 race in Winnipeg, this race fan started to look towards 2006 and beyond. Stay tuned.

Now, for a quick look at the local racing scene. The young guns are showing the way in the NOPA Street Stock division in 2005. Lead by the smooth driving style of Hallock, MN's Steffan Snare, both he and Winnipeg's Shane Edginton have put on some great shows for the fans at Victory Lane this season. Although, Snare leads VLS in wins with 8 and also leads the NOPA points race, it is the consistent top 5 finishes of Sheldon Vankooten that puts him on top of the Street Stock track points chase with only a few races remaining. What is keeping Snare out of the number one spot? Three missed races. Winnipeg's Ashley Donald, despite having troubles on her home track, is sitting in third place in NOPA points, thanks to travels to River Cities Speedway, Greenbush and her favorite, Rocket Speedway in Hallock, MN.

One division I have been watching more closely lately has been the NOPA 4 Cylinder class. One driver who should be in contention for the most improved, is the #48 of Jerome Guyot. Jerome likes running the high side and after watching him race not only weekly but also in a few Enduros, I would say the young man from Fannystelle, Manitoba is quite comfortable pushing the cushion. It makes one wonder if he will have designs on a Street Stock in the future.

Winnipeg's Trevor Rambow just keeps getting better and has earned the name "Mr Consistency" from this Dirt guy. The Bradley Racing #3, 4 Cylinder Enduro machine is about as consistent as anyone out on a Saturday night at Victory Lane Speedway. His top 5 finishes have him looking at a shot at the 2005 VLS points title. At last report he was sitting in second place.

Why is a Sprint Car junky watching the 4 Cylinder class? Stay tuned.

In NOPA Super Trucks, Jacques Beaulieu of St. Francois Xavier, MB. sits atop the NOPA points after 16 shows. He is currently running second to Winnipeg's Stu Fraser for the VLS track title.

Although not in the bag yet, Bill Mooney of Garson, MB appears to almost have a lock on another Wissota Super Stock title at Victory Lane Speedway.

In the Wissota Modified division, Kevin Sexton looks to reclaim his track title with only a few races remaining.
The best move by a track this season is by Rocket Speedway to include the NOPA Super Trucks regularly in their shows. By far, the most entertaining class in NOPA. If you don't believe me, just ask the good folks at Emo Speedway, ON. My 2 cents.

Mini Sprint racing seems to be picking up some in our region. The NOMSA Mini Sprints from Greenbush will be making a weekend, 2 night stint at Rocket Speedway, Hallock, MN on August 27 and 28 before returning for the big Greenbush finale on Labor Day weekend, September 3 and 4.

Out West, the Estevan/Williston Mini Sprints will be doing some traveling with trips to Swift Current, Saskatchewan on August 20 and then being a part of Minot, North Dakota's annual Motor Magic at Nodak Speedway on Labor Day weekend.

It would appear that tempers have flared over the track conditions of River Cities Speedway. After reading comments on local message boards regarding the Gold Cup race of Friday, August 19, hopefully this situation will be addressed.
One final note, no matter what they throw at him, the #13, 410 Outlaw sprinter of Mark Dobmeier keeps on winning at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND. He's the hottest driver in North Dakota right now, bar none. So I ask, why isn't he racing at the famous half-mile in Knoxville, Ia. every Saturday night? I sincerely wish to see this happen for Team 13 in 2006.

My 2 cents. That's about it for now race fans. Next time, I hope to have a big announcement for you. It will be worth the wait.

Take care and good racing,
Greg Cybulski

Stunning Chaparrals at Monterey Historics

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos by Gary Horrocks

While the Monterey Historic weekend usually has some absolutely stunning machinery to drool over, the 2005 edition saw famed sports car maker Chaparral as the featured marque.

We sent down our sports car correspondent Gary Horrocks to investigate, and here are some of the first few images he's submitted.

The original front-engined Chaparral 1


The mid-engined Chaparral 2








The Chaparral 2D gets ready to hit the track at Laguna Seca




The radical Chaparral 2E




Jim hall and his favourite Chaparral 2E




The closed-cockpit Chaparral 2F




The too futuristic for its time Chaparral 2H




The 'sucker car' Chaparral 2J




The 1980 Indy 500 winning Chaparral 2K




Hope you enjoyed these! They sure don't make 'em like they used to...

Team Cobalt Heads Home

Four 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged race cars will hit the the famed Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the Grand-Am Cup event on Sunday, August 28. Chevy Cobalts are built by UAW workers at the General Motors assembly plant in Lordstown, OH.

The first production Cobalts appeared in Chevrolet dealer showrooms last January and have been enthusiastically received by young buyers aged 18-25 who are looking for performance and style at a reasonable cost.

The Cobalt SS Supercharged is the third GM car to benefit from the talents of the Performance Division’s engineers, who thrive on taking great GM cars and trucks and turning them into awesome vehicles capable of going head-to-head with anything Japan and Europe can throw at them.

The Cobalt’s performance is proven on the track. “In the last couple of races, we have seen all three Cobalts qualifying within less than a half mile per hour of one another,” said Ken Wasmer, small car program engineering manager for the GM Performance Division which provides engineering and parts assistance to teams racing the Cobalt SS Supercharged.

“Achieving numbers like that is rare when you consider until now we’ve been racing three cars and a potential combination of six different drivers,” Wasmer added. “It tells us that the Cobalt SS is a car which can achieve maximum performance from a variety of drivers.”

Featuring a 2.0 liter GM ECOTEC supercharged engine generating 205 horsepower, the Cobalt SS Supercharged is the creation of the GM Performance Division and its director of High Performance Vehicle Operations, John Heinricy.

In addition to his engineering talents, Heinricy has nationwide respect as a road racer. His first professional race was at Mid-Ohio in 1984; since then he has won three pro races and seven SCCA National Championships at Mid-Ohio.

“Cars with a lot of handling agility built into their design always do well at Mid-Ohio,” Heinricy said. “Once the drivers get into their rhythm with all the turns at Mid-Ohio, we expect to be in great shape. In the Sport Touring class, we’re racing against European and Japanese manufacturers who are as serious as we are, but who have been racing their cars for two or three years – not seven races. That we’ve won two races so far is very encouraging.”

Three of the Cobalts are entered by James Holtom of Carp, Ontario, Canada from the Georgian Bay Motorsports team. Holtom and his 17 year-old son Jamie, shared the experience of a father-son race win at Mosport Park, Ontario, in June.

A week earlier, James gave the Cobalt SS Supercharged its first professional win, sharing the Watkins Glen International race win with Andy Lally, of Dacula, Ga.

Jamie Holtom has been Lally’s teammate in the 2005 season, but was not allowed to race at Watkins Glen because he is a minor.

Delphi Auto Systems Engineer Ed Manager of Grand Blanc, Mich., has been has been racing front-wheel-drive GM cars for 18 consecutive years. He and James Holtom co-drive the Cobalt.

Two graduates of the Canadian-based Ron Fellows Karting School, Matt Champagne and Frank Lavani, will drive a third Georgian Bay-entered Cobalt SS Supercharged. Fellows races one of the Team Corvette C6-R entries in the American Le Mans Series.

The fourth Cobalt is shared by Tom Lepper of Benecia, Calif., and Bo Roach of Tulsa, Okla. They had the fastest of the three Cobalts in qualifying for the most recent Grand-Am Cup race held at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.

In 2004, the Performance Division debuted the 205hp Saturn ION Red Line and the 400hp Cadillac CTS-V. The Division’s 2006 lineup will be joined by the 395hp Chevrolet Trailblazer SS and two upgraded Cadillacs – the 433hp XLR-V and the 469hp STS-V.

Mid-Ohio’s race, which will be attended by a large number of GM corporate and UAW partners, has practice on Friday, Aug. 26, with qualifying on Saturday. The 200-mile race Sunday begins at 1 p.m. ET. The race will be televised for delayed broadcast Saturday, Sept. 17 at noon ET on SPEED TV.

Media Contact: Dave Arnold // arnold communications // Ph 607.562.2165 // Mobile 607.731.5673

Shawn Green Joins Compass360

TORONTO, ON – Compass360/Racing, based in Toronto, Canada, has released its driver line-up for the Mid Ohio event of Grand Am Cup, to be held August 26 to 28, 2005.

The team is pleased to announce the addition of Shawn Green to the line-up. Shawn, who raced with McMillin Motorsports in SPEED World Challenge in 2004, is also a founding member of the Black Racer's Alliance. Greene was a top rookie in Skip Barber, and has competed in numerous open and closed-wheel series over the past five years.

"Shawn brings a bunch of really good experience to our team for Mid Ohio, and beyond," said Ian McQuillan, Crew Chief for Compass360. "We've had a lot of success with our younger drivers this year and we're looking forward to introducing Shawn to our way of racing."

Green will join returning talents David Ciekiewicz (who finished 8th at Trois-Rivieres) and Billy Johnson (who had the team's #06 car in 2nd place at Barber, Alabama), as well as team owner Karl Thomson, who has a series of top-ten finishes over the past two seasons.

"We've had some great drivers with us this year," said McQuillan. "Our Mid Ohio line-up is one of the best, and we're looking forward to continuing our string of excellent results. Billy has really helped with set-up, while Dave's been great with tactical strategy. The combination of these four guys should be fun to watch."

Compass360/Racing is supported by advertising and design firm Compass360 (www.compass360.com), Hockley Autosport, Telecom consulting firm TEL IT
Information on Compass360/Racing is available at the team's web site: www.compass360.com/racing or by contacting Team Principal Karl Thomson at (416) 993-3951 or racing@compass360.com.

JRA cuts deal wtih MavTV to re-broadcast classic CASCAR races

TORONTO, ON – James Robinson Associates Ltd., the producers of the CASCAR television programs, recently came to terms with the U.S. television channel MavTV to broadcast CASCAR Super Series stock car races from years passed.

JRA Ltd. has been producing CASCAR’s race broadcasts for over a decade and the agreement with MavTV will see the network televise CASCAR events from 1994 to the present.

MavTV is a 24-hour digital cable network, targeting adult males with a daring mix of irreverent programming that’s not seen on any other television network.

The network was launched in October 2004.

CASCAR is Canada’s top motorsport sanctioning body. The Super Series is a 12-event professional stock car tour that holds events across Canada.

CASCAR Super Series races are presently broadcast within weeks of taking place on SPORTSNET and on consecutive weekends, in the fall/winter, on SPEED Channel.

While currently unavailable outside of the U.S., MavTV has plans for international distribution.

SOD: SOD Heads to CANADA for a Pair of Weekend Shows

From Ken Pelkie, Sprints On Dirt, Holt, MI

Jason Fausey leads his Engine Pro sponsored Sprints On Dirt series presented by Total Seal to Ontario this weekend for a pair of races in the “Canadian Wilderness Tour”.

The Tour carries a separate point fund accumulated from results in the four Canadian races show on the SOD Schedule this year. The “Canadian Wilderness Tour” will divide a $2,000 cash fund provided by Glenn & Tina Styres of Ohsweken Speedway and Ken & Cheryl Pelkie of Kenetic Photos among the top ten paid SOD members at the Annual Awards Banquet slated for October 15th at the Eldorado Golf Course in Mason, Michigan.

Friday night, August 26th the SOD gang will hold a 25 lap affair at Ohsweken Speedway in the final appearance of sprints at the track before the “Canadian Sprint Car Nationals”. The top three regular SOD Members taking the checkers in the “A” Main will gain berths in the “Village Pizza Ohsweken Shootout” slated for Friday night, September 16th as a prelude to the “Canadian Sprint Car Nationals”.

Three drivers from each of the Patriot Sprint Group, Empire Super Sprints, and Southern Ontario Sprints have already qualified for this twelve car field that will go 10 laps with the winner pocketing $500 (U.S.).

Friday’s race also marks the conclusion of the “Can/Am Challenge” with the Southern Ontario Sprints but is also open to all cars that meet the SOD rules package. The Schoenfeld #112535 muffler is mandatory, while the SOD or SOS Spec Tires can be used on the Right Rear. SOD membership fees will be waived for the weekend - however, membership applications must be filled out prior to the beginning of the racing program.

The same rules apply when the series moves on to South Buxton Raceway, Saturday, August 27th. Another 25 lap feature will be offered in the third round of the “Canadian Wilderness Tour”.

For more information on the weekend events please call Jason Fausey at (517)694-9724. For all the latest news on the “Winged Warriors with an Attitude” be sure to log on to the SOD official website at www.sprintsondirt.com.

Whitlock on podium at Peterborough Speedway

By Don Brooks, Whitlock Motosports

Peterborough, ON August 21 2005: Teams were already qualified prior to the unexpected overnight delay due to the rained out Logel’s Auto Parts 200 on Saturday night. But after another rain delay on Sunday, the skies cleared and Dave Whitlock brought his Avenue Motor Works / NMT Dodge Charger home in third for his second podium of the year.

Fellow Dodge driver Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Mopar Dodge #60) won his second of the year, while Kerry Micks (Power Water Ford #02) started from the pole, broke the track record in qualifying and finished second. Whitlock’s #39 Dodge had recorded fastest times during practice but his qualifying run was only good enough for 7th fastest.

“You never know how this Peterborough race will go in terms of cautions” said Whitlock. “Our strategy was to go all the way without stopping, which means setting up for long green flag sessions. So in one lap of time trials, I couldn’t get the tires warm enough to get a super fast lap. During the race we were good though, making the right moves when the timing was right. Our Charger was good and we were close tonight but not quite as good as Ronnie for sure.”

Beauchamp also chose to go the distance without pitting, and inherited the lead at lap 114 when Micks pitted. Team mate Mark Dilley had problems with his #9 Dodge Power Water Charger, finishing 21st while points leader Don Thomson Jr. had a 6th place finish.

On TV: The MOSPORT SPEEDWAY 200 on SPORTSNET this WED 24th @1:00PM EST and in the West THURS 25th @1:00PM PST

Next CASCAR Super Series race: The Great Canadian Race weekend at Delaware Speedway on Labour Day weekend Sep 3, 4. The APC 300 goes off Sunday. For complete agenda of activities, see http://www.delawarespeedway.com/

Michael Gold takes over CASCAR Sportsman rookie lead

By Don Brooks, Whitlock Motorsports

Peterborough, ON August 21 2005: After only a few laps into the Parkhill Excavating 100 at Peterborough Speedway on Saturday night, rain forced officials to postpone the balance of the event until the next day. But for Michael Gold, that race will be remembered firstly as a real struggle to net his 6th place finish and secondly, as being good enough for him to take the lead in the chase for 2005 Rookie Champion of the CASCAR Power Water Sportsman Series.

“I hate that Ron (Lethbridge #95) had such a bad day. I’d much rather take the Rookie lead by good performance” said the 22 year-old university student from Sault Ste Marie, ON. “But our day was pretty bad too. I’ve only been here once before, and that was last year. We had to go off notes today since the engine developed a noise after about 3 laps of practice and that was all the practice I got. Then the guy ahead of me in qualifying overheated and I had to run those two laps in the oil-dry.”

Nonetheless, the young gun placed the Whitlock Motorsports-prepared #97 Compass Imaging Group / Clarica Dodge in 9th spot on the starting grid. Throughout the 100 lap event, he maintained his pace, dodging two big wrecks right in front of him and managing to keep it straight without losing position.

“If you ask me what a worse handling car could be, I’d be stuck for an answer” said Gold. “Without any practice, we just weren’t very close on setup. It was loose in and had a bad push going out. It was not a fun day, but we did manage to stay focused and salvage a decent finish.”

Brad Graham earned yet another pole in his HB Material Handling Dodge, and led the race until lap 72 when he got tangled up in a lap-car incident. Graham recovered for third, while Mike Alquire netted another podium in 2nd and Shawn McGlynn notched his first-ever CASCAR victory in his Ford Taurus.

“Winning the Rookie of the Year title is our #1 objective this season” said Gold. “I feel bad that Ron crashed today but I’m four points ahead of him and the Rookie title is now mine to lose in that final race at Kawartha Speedway next month.”

NEXT EVENT – The final PowerWater Sportsman Series race of the year takes place on September 17 at Kawartha Speedway – also near Peterborough, Ontario. That will be the last CASCAR events of the season for both the Sportsman and Super Series divisions and will decide all final 2005 championship positions.

For more info about the Power Water Series and CASCAR, see www.cascar.ca

For more information about Dave Whitlock, see www.whitlockmotorsports.com

For more information about Michael Gold, see www.goldracing.com

SOD VISITS OHSWEKEN FRIDAY NIGHT IN FINAL TUNE UP BEFORE THE “CANADIAN SPRINT CAR NATIONALS”

Courtesy SOS Online

The Engine Pro, Sprints On Dirt series presented by Total Seal invades Ohsweken Speedway Friday night, August 26th for a twenty five lap affair in the last appearance of sprint cars before the September “Canadian Sprint Car Nationals.”

SOD President Jason Fausey has announced that all 360 sprints from any sanctioning body will be welcome providing they meet SOD rules and run the Schoenfeld #112535 mufflers specified in the 2005 SOD rules. R.R. Tires will be restricted to the SOD or the SOS spec tires. 1500 lbs. with driver is the minimum weight and SOD membership applications must be filled out although the fee will be waived. The same stipulations will apply for the South Buxton SOD race Saturday, August 27th.

It should be noted that these two races will count points towards the “Canadian Wilderness Tour” championship carrying a separate $2,000 point fund for paid SOD members. In order to accumulate points for the “Canadian Wilderness Tour”, SOD sanctioning fees must be paid on Friday night prior to the event being run. The final race for the “Canadian Wilderness Tour” will be September 17th after the “Canadian Sprint Car Nationals”, held at Ohsweken Speedway.

For more information, please contact SOD President Jason Fausey at (517)694-9724.

JACOMBS POSTS ANOTHER TOP TEN

Peterborough, ON: Dave Jacombs had an all round good weekend after posting an 8th place finish in the rain delayed Logel’s Auto Parts 200 on Sunday.

The #88 Lou’s BBQ/FAG Automotive/CPS Flooring Taurus was good right off the trailer on Saturday as they posted times consistently in the top ten during practice. Time trials would see Jacombs go slightly slower posting the twelfth quickest time.

On Sunday afternoon after being rained out Saturday night, Jacombs lined up twelfth on the grid for the start of the Logel’s 200. The #88 Taurus ran just outside the top ten for first half of the 200 lap event, but over the final 50 laps of the race were able to steadily move up into the top ten, taking the checkered flag in 8th. “This Lou’s BBQ Taurus ran great today and I was really happy with our New Generation motor it was strong all day long,” said Jacombs after the race.

Kerry Micks set a new track record to take the pole for this event. Finish 1. #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. 2. #02 Kerry Micks 3. #39 Dave Whitlock 8. #88 Dave Jacombs

The #88 Lou’s BBQ/FAG Automotive/CPS Flooring Taurus remains in 10th place in the overall National Point Standings with three events remaining.

The next event for the #88 Team is the Great Canadian 300 weekend at Delaware Speedway on Sept. 3rd & 4th.

For more information on CASCAR visit www.cascar.ca

For more information on Jacombs Racing visit www.replaceyourbearings.com/Jacombs/ or contact:

Linda Jones
Telephone (705) 458-4044
Email: ljmmarketing@look.ca

MIS ANNOUNCES 2006 SCHEDULE

Courtesy Bill Janitz, MIS Director of Public Relations

BROOKLYN, Mich. - Building on the success of a record 2005 season, Michigan International Speedway President Brett Shelton unveiled the track's 2006 schedule today, which will be identical to 2005.

MIS will once again host the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series in June and August with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series appearing with NASCAR's top series in June and the NASCAR Busch Series in August. The ARCA RE/MAX Series will once again make two stops at MIS as a Friday attraction during the June and August weekends.

Additionally, the IRL IndyCar Series will return for the July 29-30 weekend.

"Our new schedule in 2005 was a great hit with fans and very successful overall," said Shelton. "We gave fans more racing this season and we are excited to offer the same in 2006."

The summer race season kicks off on June 16-18 with the Friday, June 16 ARCA RE/MAX Series race. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race will take place on Saturday, June 17, and the MIS opener for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series will take place on Sunday, June 18.

"It was a great way to kickoff the 2005 season by having the Craftsman Truck and ARCA RE/MAX Series partner with the NEXTEL Cup Series for our June weekend," said Shelton. "We want to have that same success for our June weekend in 2006. Fans seemed to really enjoy it."

The IRL IndyCar Series will make its fifth trip to MIS with the Mid-Summer Classic scheduled to run on July 30. Practice and qualifying for the event will take place on Saturday, July 29, making it another two-day weekend in 2006.

"We were pleased with the continued growth of the IRL IndyCar Series race in 2005," Shelton said. "It was great to see a local favorite like Bryan Herta win the IRL IndyCar Series event in 2005. Herta's victory gave MIS its 12th different winner in 12 open-wheel races. With the success of Danica Patrick and other stars in the series, maybe we'll have our 13th different winner in 2006."

The MIS 2006 summer race season will end much like it started, with three races in three days. The ARCA RE/MAX Series will make its second appearance at MIS on Friday, August 18, and the NASCAR Busch Series scheduled on Saturday, August 19. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series will close out the season on Sunday, August 20.

2006 MIS SCHEDULE:

June 16- ARCA RE/MAX SeriesJune 17- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
June 18- NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
July 29- Practice and Qualifying for IRL IndyCar Series
July 30- IRL IndyCar Series
August 18- ARCA RE/MAX Series
August 19- NASCAR Busch Series
August 20- NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series

MAYOR'S CHALLENGE A "MOWING" GOOD TIME

The fifth annual Mayor's Hospice Challenge at Brighton Speedway Park featured the mayors of Northumberland County pitted against each other on this year's choice vehicle, lawn tractors. Each Mayor, joined by MPP Lou Rinaldi, recruited a partner, raised pledges for Northumberland Lakeshore Hospice, and came to the Speedway on August 29th, unaware of what they would be racing.

As race car drivers proceeded to the starting line onboard lawn tractors to start the intermission entertainment, the crowd cheered, and a few of the participants broke a sweat as they had never driven one before. Piped onto the track by 14 year old Conor Cooper, who has been piping for 4 years with the Brighton Legion Highlanders, the teams were divided into two qualifying heats. The partners drove one length of the route switched places with the Mayors who returned to the finish. The top 2 finishers in each heat were pitted together for the final race.

Following qualifiers that saw Team Port Hope's Nancy Walsh, sister to Mayor Rick Austin, need a push from behind and a quick pull on the throttle to get through her leg, and Elaine Palmateer, Executive Assistant to MPP Lou Rinaldi, get a quick lesson in how a tractor gets moving, they along with Alnwick/Haldimnd Mayor Bill Finley with Councillor Ray Benns and Hamilton Township Mayor Forrest Rowden with Councillor Mark Loveshin were eliminated from the final race by their collegues.

Cobourg Mayor Peter Dellanty, with his Executive Assistant Petra Kennedy, Brighton Mayor Christine Herrington with Councillor Chuck Ward, Trent Hills Mayor Hector MacMillan, with son Peter and Cramahe Mayor Lee Dekeyser with Troy Brown, donned helmets for a feature that started out as fast and furious as your average tractor can go. Team Cobourg's experience on a tractor was evident during the first leg as Petra got out front fast and dismounted ahead of the others. The second leg wasn't as successful as Mayor (and Warden) Dellanty fumbled on the transfer, kicked the tractor from one gear to the next, popped a wheelie, and then ran into Trent Hills team member Peter MacMillan. Unharmed, it didn't stop his dad Hector who drove across the finish line to win the Mayor's Hospice Challenge for the second year in a row. Everyone walked away from the incident uninjured, and laughing with and at themselves, knowing that they did their part to not only entertain their constituents, but to also raise money for a worthwhile agency that assists Northumberland County residents at a time when they need support the most.

For more information about Northumberland Hospice, it's services and other events be sure to visit the website at www.lakeshorehospice.ca.

SOD VISITS OHSWEKEN FRIDAY NIGHT IN FINAL TUNE UP BEFORE THE “CANADIAN SPRINT CAR NATIONALS”

For Immediate Release – Ken Pelkie, Sprints On Dirt, Holt, MI

The Engine Pro, Sprints On Dirt series presented by Total Seal invades Ohsweken Speedway Friday night, August 26th for a twenty five lap affair in the last appearance of sprint cars before the September “Canadian Sprint Car Nationals.”

SOD President Jason Fausey has announced that all 360 sprints from any sanctioning body will be welcome providing they meet SOD rules and run the Schoenfeld #112535 mufflers specified in the 2005 SOD rules. R.R. Tires will be restricted to the SOD or the SOS spec tires. 1500 lbs. with driver is the minimum weight and SOD membership applications must be filled out although the fee will be waived. The same stipulations will apply for the South Buxton SOD race Saturday, August 27th.

It should be noted that these two races will count points towards the “Canadian Wilderness Tour” championship carrying a separate $2,000 point fund for paid SOD members. In order to accumulate points for the “Canadian Wilderness Tour”, SOD sanctioning fees must be paid on Friday night prior to the event being run. The final race for the “Canadian Wilderness Tour” will be September 17th after the “Canadian Sprint Car Nationals”, held at Ohsweken Speedway.

For more information, please contact SOD President Jason Fausey at (517)694-9724.

ALSTAR Charity Ride Update:

Hello Everyone:

I apologize on being a day late on my ALSTAR Charity Ride "Ride With Us Tour" press release. I had family commitments to attend yesterday.

I am enthusiastic to announce that the in-augural ALSTAR Charity Ride "Ride With Us Tour" for "The War Amps", has been a complete success.

The entire daily schedule went without a hitch from:

(1) the breakfast donated, supplied & served by Shouldice Designer Stone and their staff in Shallow Lake.

(2) the ride from Shallow Lake to Barrie Speedway for the Shouldice Designer Stone ALSTAR Series race which was orchestrated and led by the caring, guiding hands of the firefighter motorcycle club, "Red Knight's, Ontario Chapter 3."

(3) to the closing festivities held at Barrie Speedway.

I am so impressed by the support shown by all the participants in this ride whether they rode in their car, truck, or on their motorcycle or they supported by way of donations, pledges, or registrations.

It is very humbling to me when I get the chance to associate with people as good as these people are. These people have huge hearts and they are in the right place, things that have helped to make this such a great country to live in.

It is with great pleasure that I announce that the first annual ALSTAR Charity Ride has raised at total of $13, 528.00 for The War Amps.

We are already in the preliminary planning stages on the second annual ALSTAR Charity Ride "Ride With Us Tour", for "The War Amps". I will keep everyone up to date on the progress on these plans,

Once again, a big "Thank you" to everyone of you that have helped to make this event a successful one and I hope to see you next year.

Drive Safe!

Keith Hepburn, ALSTAR Charity Ride Event Co-ordinator

http://www.alstarseries.com/ALSTAR_Officia/Motorcylce_ALS.html

VAN ES SCRAMBLES TO THIRTEEN PLACE FINISH AT PETERBOROUGH

Smithville Driver Tied For 13th Place in Super Series Standings

Prepared for VanEs Racing by Ken Spencer

Ron Van Es battled his way to a solid 13th-place finish in his Star Van Systems/All Cover Systems Monte Carlo in Super Series action at Peterborough Speedway on Sunday afternoon and in so doing moved into to a 13th-place tie in the standings with just 3 races left in the 2005 season.

The event featured 6 caution flags for a total of 62 laps as drivers in the 23-car field battled both themselves and their competitors on the tight one-third oval.

Ron had a slow qualifying speed and started the 200-lap race in 16th spot. He managed to stay on the lead laps through the early going as the car’s handling began to come around but went down a lap late in the going as tire wear and the side-by-side racing of lapped cars became an issue.

“We appear to have solved most of our handling issues,” Ron confided following the race. ”With a little more tweaking, we should be capable of still better runs over the remainder of the season.”

The Smithville driver has come a long way since entering Canadian stock car racing’s premier series last year and is looking forward to the final events on the schedule where he hopes to move even closer to the top ten in the final points’ standings.

His next appearance will be in the 300-lap Labour Day weekend race at London’s Delaware Speedway on September 3-4.

Windsor’s Ron Beauchamp captured Sunday’s race outdistancing Kerry Micks at the checkered flag.

The driver of the MOPAR-sponsored Dodge had taken the lead from Micks when the Power Water Ford driver pitted on lap 114. Wyoming, Ontario’s Dave Whitlock finished third followed by DJ Kennington of St. Thomas and Scott Steckley of Milverton.

BRAD GRAHAM THE CHALLENGER MOTOR FREIGHT/LOGEL’S AUTO PARTS DODGE FORTUNES GOES FLAT

This release prepared by Todd Lewis, TL Sports & Entertainment

August 22, 2005. Brad Graham and the Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts Charger team had one of the quickest cars as CASCAR teams hit the track for round nine of Super Series competition, The Logel’s Auto Parts 200 at the 1/3 mile oval at Peterborough Speedway.

Qualified in the fourth spot, Graham set out to run a smooth and comfortable pace in the early part of the event and save the car for the fight to the finish. Through much of the race the plan worked beautifully. Brad was able to keep the Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts Dodge up front. “I don’t think we ran any lower than 4th nearly all day” said the driver afterwards. “We moved up a as high as second and were looking for another good finish”.

Through the final third of the Logel’s Auto Parts 200 Brad continued to stay up front maneuvering through the heavy traffic on the short oval. A late race caution though would change their fate. “We sure didn’t need that” said the visibly frustrated driver afterwards. “We must have picked up some debris as we went around under the yellow and our right front tire began to go flat”.

On the final restart with two laps remaining Brad valiantly tried to maintain third position in the Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts Charger but the flat tire and a shove from behind sent him up high out of the racing line in corner one and allowed a number of cars ahead of him. “We didn’t have the best car today, it was a little loose, kind of a handful but we certainly didn’t deserve to be 12th either, it’s a shame” said Graham.

The CASCAR Super Series competition resumes at Delaware Speedway near London, Ontario on the Labour Day weekend. The Great Canadian 300 takes the green flag Sunday September 4th at 2PM.

The CASCAR Super Series is Canada’s only sanctioned National touring stock car racing series competing from coast to coast. CASCAR stages events at the most famous oval tracks in Canada such as Cayuga Speedway and Delaware Speedway and also competes on the temporary street circuit at the Molson Indy Toronto.

For more information regarding Brad Graham and the Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts Dodge log onto cascar.ca.

Toyota Atlantic at Road America: Bessette bumped off title contention

By Michel Poirier-Defoy

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 21 : Antoine Bessette was driving to a podium finish with two laps to go when he was bumped off the track at 170 miles per hour by another competitor at the end of the start-finish straight, ending by the same token every hope he nursed for the Toyota Atlantic championship title. The last race of the season takes place in his hometown next week, at the Gilles-Villeneuve race track. Bessette was finally classified in 13th place.

“Do I have to say how frustrated I am, sighed AB. I drive down the straight at full throttle and this guy comes along and deliberately contacts my car wheel to wheel and sends me off to a DNF. I’ve heard the series officials considered the matter seriously and penalized him for his stupid move but that doesn’t give me back my chances to race for the title.”

A good car on Sunday
Bessette started looking for speed as early as Friday morning. “Road America is the kind of track where you can setup your car and really make the best out of these 4 miles, continued the Quebec native. At one point, I felt we were trying to improve the handling but were getting nowhere. That explains why I was so far on the chart. After discussing with Bruce (Potter), we finally came up with some race setup for the Sunday morning warm-up. I was finally satisfied with the handling and very positive towards the race.

At the green, my car was very quick, I started in 8th place and went up to third within 10 laps. I had Tonis (Kasemets) and Katherine (Legge) in sight and thought I could even win. Trying to setup Katherine for a pass, I went too wide in Canada corner and for the next laps my car was not as good, but I had third place locked up when car 54 (Di Leo) did this stupid move. I have to be the unluckiest guy in this series.”

Antoine Bessette wished Andreas Wirth the very best after his morning accident. “I was sorry not to see him on the starting grid, he said. I wish him the best and hope he will be in Montreal next week, so we can get back at it! We’re tied in fourth place with 234 points and that will be my goal next week: to win in Montreal and try to finish on the season standings podium.”

AB is the only Canadian to enter the 12-race series of the 2005 Toyota Atlantic championship. He drives the #3 Unik Auto Design car from Polestar Racing Group. You may visit Antoine Bessette's web site at www.bessetteracing.com and the series at www.toyotaatlantic.com.

RON BEAUCHAMP JR. IN THE MOPAR PARTS CHARGER WINNERS AT PETERBOROUGH!

Todd Lewis, TL Sports & Entertainment

August 22, 2005. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the Mopar Parts team tried to be patient during the rain delays, but knowing they had a strong car had them anxious to hit the track at Peterborough Speedway.

After practice and qualifying were completed Saturday, the rain came and the 200 lap main event was forced to wait until Sunday afternoon for the green flag. Early in the race Beauchamp settled into a smooth comfortable pace easily handling the lapped traffic on the tight 1/3 mile oval and moved the Mopar Parts Charger from third on the grid into second position.

When the caution flag waved just past the halfway point the team decided to stick with their strategy of running the entire event without a pit stop, even though a number of the other top drivers came to pit road. “Track position was just too important” said the driver afterwards. “This team gave me a great car to drive, and I knew we could be there at the end”.

Following the restart the Mopar Parts Charger had no trouble staying out front, and building a sizable lead on the competition heading to the late stages of the race. However a late caution flag would bunch the field up for a two lap sprint to the finish.

As the green waved for the restart Beauchamp surged forward in the Mopar Parts Charger, chased from behind he was bumped through the corners, but managed to straighten the car out and hold off the competition for his second victory of the season. “It was a little like dirt tracking out there in those final couple of laps” smiled the driver afterwards. It got pretty sideways, but we held on and got another win. I’m so happy for Mopar, Exide, Mobil 1, and everybody else that helped us out”

Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the CASCAR Super Series resume competition on the Labour Day weekend at Delaware Speedway just outside London, Ontario. Beauchamp was the winner in dominating fashion of the spring race at Delaware Speedway and is looking to sweep the two events this season.

The CASCAR Super Series is the only National Stock Car Racing series with events scheduled this year at famed oval tracks including Delaware Speedway & Cayuga Speedway along with road courses and temporary street circuits like the Toronto Indy. You can keep up with the latest news on the CASCAR Super Series by logging onto the website at http://www.cascar.ca/

BROWN ESCAPES LATE RACE SCARE: Finishes Ninth At Peterborough

Prepared By: Ken Spencer, Marketing and Media Relations, Brown Auto Racing

Doug Brown looked like he was comfortably running to another top ten finish In Super Series racing at Peterborough Speedway on Sunday afternoon. But with just 2 laps remaining in the 200-lap contest the right front wheel on the #10 NAPA/Autopro Monte Carlo suddenly broke loose from its hub entering turn three. Fortunately, the caution flag was thrown immediately as the car brushed the outside wall but Doug managed to keep control as he limped to the pit area.

With a quick wheel/tire replacement he re-entered the event in twelfth spot still on the lead lap.

When the race resumed Brown regained his momentum to stay with the front ten cars then caught a break when Glencoe’s Brad Graham -running third at the time- experienced a flat tire on the final lap momentarily delaying the runs of the tenth and eleventh cars of Derek Lynch and JR Fitzpatrick. Doug drove around the trapped cars and into ninth spot coming off turn two to complete his sixth top-ten finish of the season.

“I felt a shimmy going into turn one and thought I had a tire going down’” the Brantford driver commented in replaying the incident. “I moved high at that point in order to determine the cause but when I entered turn three, I had no brakes and the front end dropped. Fortunately I didn’t hit the wall hard.”

The problem was later discovered to be a cracked wheel that broke away at the spokes.

The NAPA/Autopro Chevy was fast right off the hauler with Doug recording some impressive times in Saturday's practice sessions and a sixth place time in qualifying. Rain delayed the event until Sunday.

The ninth place run helped Doug solidify his grasp on twelfth-place in the standings but he still has some ground to make up in his quest for 10th-place by the end of the season. Following the Peterborough race he trails 10th-place Dave Jacombs by 60 points and 11th-place Scott Steckley by 30 with just three races left on the 2005 racing calendar.

Windsor's Ron Beauchamp, driving the MOPAR-sponsored Dodge inherited the lead on lap 114 from pole-sitter Kerry Micks during pit stops then held off the wily driver of the Power Water Ford Taurus through the remainder of the race to claim his second victory of the season. Dave Whitlock of Wyoming, DJ Kennington of St. Thomas and Scott Steckley of Milverton rounded out the top- five finishers.

The CASCAR Super Series heads next to London’s Delaware Speedway for a 300-lap Labour Day weekend event on September 4th.

The Brown Auto Racing #10 CASCAR Super Series Team is proud to have NAPA/Autopro as its Title Sponsor with Valvoline Canada as a Major Associate Sponsor and NAPA Brake and Chassis; Bicknell Racing Products; World of Graphics; HurryPrint Imaging Centre; WIX Filters; Jebbo's Electronics Warehouse; KWIC Internet; Gates Canada; BOC Gases; Advance Printing; Brochures etc; ACE Transmissions, Wahta Springs Water and Clearshop Custom forming Associate Sponsorship roles on our sponsorship/marketing team.

BRYAN CATHCART DISAPPOINTED AT PETERBOROUGH

This release prepared by Todd Lewis, TL Sports & Entertainment

August 22, 2005. Bryan Cathcart and the Meyers Transport/Peterborough Homes/Parkview Homes Dodge team returned to the Speedway they call home for round number nine of the CASCAR Super Series season, Peterborough Speedway.

Cathcart was able to set the quick time early on in practice and felt confident they had a solid car for the race. After qualifying a disappointing 14th they remained optimistic knowing they had a car that could perform in the race.

As the green flag waved there was trouble in the opening laps, debris from another car found its way into the Meyers Transport/Peterborough Homes/Parkview Homes Dodge, losing power Cathcart slowed on the front straightaway. When the car finally made an appearance on pit road the crew diagnosed the problem and returning the motor to full song, however they had lost several laps in the process.

When racing resumed Cathcart had no trouble running lap times with the leaders of the race. “It’s too bad” said the driver afterwards. “It was a total fluke that caught us out. I decided at that point though our fate was sealed, I wasn’t going to race the leaders and I gave them every break I could. It’s frustrating but that’s how things go sometimes. It’s really nice to see how quick the team got us going again. On this 1/3 mile track we could easily have lost 10 or 20 laps, they did a great job.”

Bryan Cathcart and the Meyers Transport/Peterborough Homes/Parkview Homes Dodge are back in action on the Labour Day weekend at Delaware Speedway near London, Ontario.

The CASCAR Super Series is the only National Touring Series of Stock Car Racing in Canada. All CASCAR Super Series Races can be seen on Rogers Sportsnet and SPEED TV. For more information and to follow the progress of Bryan Cathcart and the CASCAR Super Series log onto www.cascar.ca

SEAN STAFFORD & THE LE WALKER TEAM FRUSTRATED AGAIN

Mid America Motorsports - Dave Didero, President

August 22, 2005. The #42 LE Walker Transport Chevrolet team returned to competition at Peterborough Speedway this past weekend hoping to gain some momentum in the final four events of the season.

The team set up at the fast and furious 1/3 mile oval in Ontario’s cottage country and began practice with a well prepared car. Practice and qualifying times were a little disappointing as the team worked to shake off the rust of being away from competition for several weeks.

Starting the race 19th Sean approached with the idea of making the best possible finish in the LE Walker Transport Chevy on a track that’s very tough to pass. Sadly their day would end before the halfway mark of the 200 lap main event due to engine failure.

“This is not the return we hoped for” said team President Dave Didero. “We went all season last year without one failure, this is our third motor to go away this year. I’m not knocking our engine builder, there is obviously a problem that we haven’t diagnosed, we’re going to work together and go through everything piece by piece”.

“I feel so bad for these guys” said driver Sean Stafford. “I see how hard they work to prepare the LE Walker Transport cars and get them ready for race day. We’ll get this problem fixed and then I want to get out there and reward them with a good performance on the track”.

The CASCAR Super Series returns to action on the Labour Day weekend with one of the series Signature events, The Great Canadian 300 at Delaware Speedway.

For more information on Mid America Motorsports and the CASCAR Super series log onto http://www.cascar.ca/ and watch all of the races on Rogers Sportsnet.

CASCAR SS: Points after Peterborough

CASCAR Super Series
Unofficial Point Standings as of August 21, 2005
Top 15 after 9 of 12 events

1. #4 Don Thomson Jr. (Chevrolet / 1726); 2. #1 Peter Gibbons (Chevrolet / 1631); 3. #17 DJ Kennington (Dodge / 1622); 4. #02 Kerry Micks (Ford / 1572); 5. #39 Dave Whitlock (Dodge / 1560); 6. #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Dodge / 1555); 7. #9 Mark Dilley (Dodge / 1553); 8. #19 Brad Graham (Dodge / 1531); 9. #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (Chevrolet / 1516); 10. #88 Dave Jacombs (Ford / 1432); 11. #22 Scott Steckly (Pontiac / 1414); 12. #10 Doug Brown (Chevrolet / 1372); 13. #11 Ron VanEs (Chevrolet / 1332); 13. #37 Tara MacLeod (Ford / 1332); 15. #3 Stu Robinson Jr. (Dodge / 1282)

CASCAR WEST: Dowler guides the EMCO Taurus to victory lane at Edmonton Int’l Raceway

EDMONTON, AB – On Saturday night at Edmonton Int’l Raceway, four-time CASCAR Western Series champion Kevin Dowler virtually secured his record-extending fifth series title with a win in the next-to-last race of the 2005 season.

Dowler’s EMCO / Westlund / Western RV / Performance Friction Taurus qualified second-fastest for the Competition Chevrolet 200 at the Wetaskiwin, AB oval, but it didn’t take long for him to make his way to the front.

“It was a good race for us,” said Dowler, after the event. “We were quick in both practice sessions. I qualified for the race with exactly the same time we posted in practice. Todd Nichol really picked it up for time trials, though, and he put his car on the pole, which was good for him.”

After running second to Nichol for the first quarter of the 200-lap race, Dowler made his move. “We ducked underneath him [Nichol] coming out of turn 2 and set sail,” continued Dowler, who comfortably led for the next 80 laps, at which point the front-runners pitted.

“We stopped for a new right-rear tire and my crew did an awesome job. You could tell the pit stops we did during the National events [in late July] really paid off because the guys were right on their game and got me out of the pits first. I was done and gone while the others were still thinking about changing tires.”

From there, the #35 EMCO Taurus showed the way to the checkered flag. Calgarian Wade Lee finished second, ahead of Derek Polack of Stony Plain. Nichol experience some trouble late in the race and fell to fourth place at the end.

The victory meant a lot to Dowler for several reasons. “Winning in front of my hometown fans was a big deal. And it was a great night for the family because my cousin Terry Dowler won the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series race. I was really happy to win for EMCO because they had over 200 staff, friends, family and customers at the race, which made the event very special.”

Heading to the season finale on Sept. 10 at Sun Valley Speedway in Vernon, BC, Dowler has laid the groundwork for his fifth Western Series crown. “I pretty much just have to start the last race at Sun Valley to secure my fifth CASCAR Western Series championship, which I’m really proud of. We’re going there with a 91-point lead, but we’d really like to win the season finale and finish the season off right.”

For information about Apollo Motorsports, contact Kevin Dowler at: (780) 462-9572 or via e-mail at: kdowler@telusplanet.net. // Prepared by Inside Track Communications.

CASCAR PowerWater Series: Points after Peterborough

CASCAR PowerWater Sportsman Series
Point Standings after 5 of 6 events
Top 20 as of August 21, 2005

1. #77 Dion Verhoeven (Pontiac / 417 pts.); 2. #32 Mike Alguire (Pontiac / 405); 3. #6 Brad Graham (Dodge / 402); 4. #28 Steve Robblee (Ford / 388); 5. #00 Steve Munro (Chevrolet / 381); 6. #97 Mike Gold ® (Chevrolet / 372); 7. #95 Ron Lethbridge ® (Dodge / 370); 8. #81 Shawn McGlynn (Ford / 347); 9. #38 Ken Grubb (Ford / 343); 10. #11 Cole Weber (Dodge / 329); 11. #66 Josh Wood (Pontiac / 328); 12. #45 Bob Merrifield (Dodge / 314); 13. #02 Scott O’Connor (Olds / 309); 14. #67 Scott Mitchell (Chevrolet / 306); 14. #12 Mark Patrick (Chevrolet / 306); 16. #39 Kevin D’Amore (Dodge / 303); 17. #09 Kent Nuhn (Pontiac / 295); 18. #36 Alan Lebert ® (Pontiac / 287); 19. #53 Todd Musker ® (Ford / 219); 20. #80 Mike Hryniuk (Pontiac / 218)

CASCAR SUPER SERIES: Peterborough Summary & Results

Beauchamp wins at Peterborough Speedway to earn his second CASCAR Super Series victory of 2005

PETERBOROUGH, ON – CASCAR Super Series veteran Ron Beauchamp won Sunday afternoon’s Logel’s Auto Parts 200 at Peterborough Speedway. The victory by the MOPAR Parts / Exide / Mobil 1 Dodge Charger driver was his second of the season and the fourth of his Super Series career.

Beauchamp started third in the 23-car field and took the lead on lap 114 of the 200-lap race when polesitter Kerry Micks pitted, along with most of the other front-runners. Beauchamp’s tires held up well through the rest of the race and he was able to build a three-second lead over Micks’ hard-charging PowerWater Taurus by lap 197.

That lead was erased, however, by the race’s sixth and final caution, with two laps to go. The final restart saw Beauchamp and Micks pull away from the field when the Challenger / Logel’s Dodge Charger of Brad Graham failed to come up to speed due to a flat tire. The Glencoe, ON racer was third at the time.

After Beauchamp and Micks took the white flag signaling the start of the final lap around the one-third-mile, high-banked oval, Micks got into the back of the MOPAR Dodge, sending him high into turn 2. Micks displayed great sportsmanship and allowed Beauchamp to get straightened out before resuming the battle for the win. Micks challenged the leader on the high-side as they entered turn 3, and on the low-side coming off turn 4. Both moves were ultimately unsuccessful and Beauchamp won by less than two-tenths of a second.

“The car was awesome from the get-go,” said Beauchamp in victory lane. “I had a big lead before we got that late caution and I thought, ‘I didn’t need that.’ And then I saw who was behind me and I knew I was going to have to work for the win. He got me sideways but he backed off and gave me a chance to get it corrected and we went from there.”

Micks was understandably proud of the result and made it clear that his intention wasn’t to spin Beauchamp on the last lap. “We wanted to give him a chance to straighten his car out because we don’t want to make a pass like that. I’ve been there too many times and I don’t race that way and I respect it back when the guys do it to me. I was just happy to get a second for the PowerWater team.”

Three-time National champion Dave Whitlock inherited third-place when Graham was slowed by the flat tire. Ironically, Whitlock also has a tire going down on his Avenue Motor Works / NMT Dodge Charger, but it held up until the car came to a stop for the podium celebration.

Points leader Don Thomson Jr. finished sixth in his Home Hardware Chevy, one spot ahead of Canadian Tire Chevy driver Peter Gibbons, his nearest rival for the National championship. Neither driver was in contention for the win at Peterborough. Castrol Dodge driver DJ Kennington started the Logel’s 200 in 10th place. His fourth-place finish ended his quest for a record-setting fourth-consecutive Super Series feature win.

The next CASCAR Super Series event takes place on the September 3-4 Labour Day weekend at Delaware Speedway, near London, Ontario.

CASCAR ON TV: For information regarding initial airings and replays of Super Series races on SPORTSNET, please check your local listings or visit http://www.cascar.ca/schedule/tv_schedule.html.

CASCAR Super Series
RESULTS: Logel’s Auto Parts 200
Round 9 of 12 // August 21, 2005 // Peterborough Speedway
Peterborough, Ontario // 200 Laps // 1/3-mile oval

FIN. ST. # DRIVER (HOMETOWN) SPONSOR(S) / MAKE LAPS
1 3 60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Windsor, ON) MOPAR Parts / Exide / Mobil 1 Dodge Charger 200
2 1 02 Kerry Micks (Mt. Albert, ON) PowerWater Ford Taurus 200
3 7 39 Dave Whitlock (Wyoming, ON) Avenue Motor Works / NMT Dodge Charger 200
4 10 17 DJ Kennington (St. Thomas, ON) Castrol Canada Dodge 200
5 11 22 Scott Steckly (Milverton, ON) Metro Toronto / ERB Group Pontiac Grand Prix 200
6 2 4 Don Thomson Jr. (Hamilton, ON) Home Hardware Chevrolet Monte Carlo 200
7 15 1 Peter Gibbons (Stouffville, ON) Canadian Tire Corporation Chevrolet Monte Carlo 200
8 12 88 Dave Jacombs (Mt. Hope, ON) Lou’s BBQ Ford Taurus 200
9 6 10 Doug Brown (Brantford, ON) NAPA / Wahta Springs Chevrolet Monte Carlo 200
10 13 77 Derek Lynch (Warkworth, ON) R Berms R Us Dodge Charger 200
11 9 84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON) Cambridge Rigging Chevrolet Monte Carlo 200
12 4 19 Brad Graham (Glencoe, ON) Challenger Motor Frt. / Logel’s Dodge Charger 199
13 16 11 Ron VanEs (Smithville, ON) Star Van Systems / All Cover Chevrolet Monte Carlo 199
14 5 14 John Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON) Latta Crane Chevrolet Monte Carlo 198
15 14 71 Bryan Cathcart (Peterborough, ON) Meyers Transport / Peterborough Homes Dodge 193
16 23 18 Chad McGlynn (Petersburg, ON) R Awesome Racewear / Ultimate Garage Ford Taurus 192
17 21 93 Joe Goncalves (Concord, ON) G.P.S. Automotive Refinishes Ltd. Chevrolet Monte Carlo 192
18 22 37 Tara MacLeod (Innisfil, ON) R Central Merchant Services Ford Taurus 190
19 17 3 Stu Robinson Jr. (Holland Landing, ON) Snap-On Tools Dodge 176
20 18 25 Jim Lapcevich (Hamilton, ON) Fastline / EMCEA Transport / Tim Hortons Chevrolet Monte Carlo 164
21 8 9 Mark Dilley (Barrie, ON) Exide / Dodge / PowerWater / Mobil 1 Dodge Charger 153
22 20 42 Sean Stafford (Springfield, ON) L.E. Walker / Mid-America Freight Chevrolet Monte Carlo 78
23 19 23 Jeff Lapcevich (Caistor Centre, ON) Fastline / EMCEA Transport / Tim Hortons Chevrolet Monte Carlo 56

R after the hometown denotes Rookie contender.

POLESITTER: #02 Kerry Micks (14.199 seconds * New CASCAR SS record) // TIME OF RACE: 1 hour, 8 minutes and 12.147 seconds // AVERAGE SPEED: 58.590 mph // MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.177 seconds // CAUTIONS: 6 for a total of 32 laps // LAP LEADERS: #02 Kerry Micks (1-113) and #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (114-200) // HARD CHARGER: #1 Peter Gibbons (8 positions) // GOODYEAR BELTS & HOSES FASTEST LAP: #02 Kerry Micks (14.363 seconds on lap 12)


Contact CASCAR at (519) 641-1214 or visit www.cascar.ca
Prepared by Inside Track Communications. // Contact: Greg MacPherson (416) 561-2320 (cell).
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ALSTAR: Barrie Results

Kirk Hooker moves into Shouldice ALSTAR Series points lead with a win at Barrie Speedway

BARRIE, ON – Kirk Hooker put himself into position to win his first Shouldice ALSTAR Series points championship with a win at Barrie Speedway on Saturday night. The Country View Golf Course Chevy driver started 15th in the field of 19 at the 1/3-mile Barrie oval. Hooker took the lead from Jim Molenhuis just past the two-thirds point of the 75-lap chase.
Over the final laps, Hooker was challenged for the win by reigning ALSTAR points champ Robbie Thompson in his SMP / Logel’s Dodge. But Hooker was able to successfully defend the position and took his second feature win of the season. In the process, he also assumed the ALSTAR championship lead with one race remaining on the 2005 schedule.
Chris Morrow, the winner of last week’s ALSTAR outing at Peterborough Speedway, took the final podium position at Barrie. Derrick Tiemersma, the points leader entering the race, finished fourth. The Newmarket, ON racer will head to the Labour Day ALSTAR finale at Sauble Speedway just five points out of first place.
Hooker’s win was an emotional one. The Chatham, ON racer dedicated the victory to his crew chief, Joe Cudney, who was seriously injured in a car accident prior to ALSTAR Race #10 at Peterborough. “This win goes out to Joe Cudney. He got out of a coma and then he had a stroke on Thursday night. I can’t say enough for the work he and everyone has done on the Country View car. I just wish little Joe was here. It ain’t right without that boy being here. Hopefully we can get the job done.”
After last week’s disqualification at Peterborough, Robbie Thompson came to Barrie focused on winning the race, given that his hopes for a second consecutive ALSTAR championship had been dashed by the penalty. Thompson charged from the 19th starting position at Barrie and was all over Hooker at the end of the race, but settled for second. “He’s got a great big mirror in that car,” said Thompson of Hooker, after the race. “We went down the inside of him a bunch of times, but he just wouldn’t give us any room.”
In earlier ALSTAR heat race action, checkered flags went to Kirk Hooker, Kyle Donaldson, Glenn Watson and Robbie Thompson. For Thompson it was his ninth heat win of the season.
The next Shouldice Designer Stone ALSTAR Late Model Series race takes place on Saturday, September 3 at Sauble Speedway. The event will be the 12th and final race of the 2005 ALSTAR season.
The first annual ALSTAR Charity Ride to raise funds for The War Amps was a huge success. Fifty-three participants made the trek from Shouldice Stone, in Shallow Lake, to Barrie Speedway in advance of Saturday night’s race. In all, over $13,000 dollars were raised for the worthy cause. Event organizer Keith Hepburn noted that plans are already in the works for a second edition of the ALSTAR Charity Ride in 2006.

– Cont’d –

Contact ALSTAR at (519) 371-7588 or visit www.alstarseries.com
Prepared by Inside Track Communications. // Contact: Greg MacPherson (416) 561-2320 (cell).
Comments regarding additions to – or deletions from – this mailing list should be sent to: greg@insidetracknews.com

Shouldice ALSTAR Late Model Series
RESULTS: Race #11 of 12 // Barrie Speedway // Barrie, ON // Aug. 20, 2005 // 75 Laps

FIN. ST. # DRIVER (HOMETOWN) SPONSOR / MAKE LAPS
1 15 38 Kirk Hooker (Chatham, ON) Country View Golf Course / McColl’s / Golf Trends Chevrolet 75
2 19 9 Robbie Thompson (Southampton, ON) Shear Metal Products / Logel’s Dodge 75
3 7 11 Chris Morrow (Minesing, ON) Morrow Electric / Edenvale Flying Club Chevrolet 75
4 16 7 Derrick Tiemersma (Newmarket, ON) Wayfreight / Gates / Wix Chevrolet 75
5 12 72 Rob MacDonnell (Allenford, ON) MacDonnell Fuels / Siegrist Trucking Chevrolet 75
6 10 98 Michael Almand (Alton, ON) Alliston Transmission / Finish Line Graphics Chevrolet 75
7 11 22 Glenn Watson (Barrie, ON) Racing Radios / Rival Office Solutions / Top Shops Chevrolet 75
8 3 75 Jeff Cassidy (Cambridge, ON) Highway Sterling – Western Star Ford 75
9 1 42 Richard Holmes (Hillsburgh, ON) Gormac Roofing / Astro Automotive Ford 75
10 14 76 Tyler Williams (Chesley, ON) B&L Farm Services / Hank’s Auto Wreckers Ford 71
11 13 53 Kyle Donaldson (Queensville, ON) R Custom Engines / Downtown Rug & Flooring Ford 70
12 17 55 Thane Woodside (Toronto, ON) R Melitta Chevrolet 63
13 5 69 Alan Inglis (Mississauga, ON) National Moving & Storage Dodge 60
14 8 57 Brett Murray (Minesing, ON) Videoflicks / Cardwell Signs Ford 53
15 2 3 Ken Naves (Sauble Beach, ON) Tim-Br Mart / Golden Eagle Cottages Chevrolet 53
16 18 82 Jason Shaw (Guelph, ON) Spira Fire Protection / Del Metals Ford 53
17 4 30 Jim Molenhuis (Churchill, ON) R.E.V. Mobile Audio / Performance Chevrolet 53
18 9 67 Steve Tiemersma (Newmarket, ON) Aurora Automotive / Pennzoil 10 Min. Oil Change Pontiac 46
19 6 4 Craig Zurbrigg (Listowel, ON) Benshaw Motor Controls / Trinity Village Health Care Ford 30
20 20 8 Paul Gresel (Sauble, ON) R Sauble Fall’s Tent & Trailer Park / H&H Patio Encl. Chevrolet DNS

R after the hometown denotes Rookie contender.
TIME OF RACE: 1 hour and 13 minutes // CAUTIONS: 12 // LAP LEADERS: #42 Richard Holmes (1-3), #30 Jim Molenhuis (4-53), #38 Kirk Hooker (54-75) // HEAT WINS: #38 Kirk Hooker, #53 Kyle Donaldson, #22 Glenn Watson, #9 Robbie Thompson // MOST LAPS LED: #30 Jim Molenhuis // SPIRA HARD CHARGER AWARD: #9 Robbie Thompson // INSIDE TRACK MYSTERY POSITION AWARD: #55 Thane Woodside // CRC TOP 5: #38 Kirk Hooker, #9 Robbie Thompson, #11 Chris Morrow, #7 Derrick Tiemersma, #72 Rob MacDonnell // 69 AUTO WHEEL AWARD: #98 Mike Almand // HOOSIER TIRE AWARD: #7 Derrick Tiemersma

Contact ALSTAR at (519) 371-7588 or visit www.alstarseries.com
Prepared by Inside Track Communications. // Contact: Greg MacPherson (416) 561-2320 (cell).
Comments regarding additions to – or deletions from – this mailing list should be sent to: greg@insidetracknews.com