Good luck Pierre!

After an extensive testing program, Canadian Pierre Bourque will be making his stock car racing debut this weekend at Indiana's Winchester Speedway. The 200-lap ARCA / REMAX Series race is the fourth event of the season for that tour.

According to the entry list, Bourque - who will be driving a Whitlock Motorsports prepared car in several CASCAR events this season - will pilot the #11 Full Metal Minerals / Fast Track Racing Chevy at Winchester.

Amanda Connolly: One Lap Update

Amanda Connolly sent us this note as she prepares to take part in the One Lap of America Cannonball event. Teamed with Amanda Hennessy, the pair will drive a 2001 PT Cruiser.



Hey guys!

Here's a few shots from today, we had to go through tech inspection and letter the car. We had a competitor's dinner in the hotel tonight, then I snuck out and took off 5 miles up the road to a little short track I found, South Bend Motor Speedway. We compete tomorrow on a wet skid pad then head directly to Joilet, Illinios to compete at the Autobahn Country Club.

Amanda

STAR: Norris' McDonald's story on the upcoming season at Mosport

It also includes some comments about CASCAR.

TSN: Busch race in Montreal in '07?

TSN has a story saying that NASCAR officials just toured Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and are "moving forward with their plans" to race at the track, as early as 2007.

The story discusses alterations to the track. I've heard some say that if any part of the track is changed, it will have to be re-approved by F1, and the cost of that process is several million dollars. Another issue is the number of events that can be staged at the facility per year.

Stay tuned....

INSIDE TRACK EXCLUSIVE: LABROSSE: Montreal announcement "before the end of the month"

I just got off the phone with Montreal ChampCar event promoter Alan Labrosse.

I asked him if he is close to announcing an event schedule, a weekend line-up and other details for the late August event.

His response was, "No. We're not there yet. We hope to make some official announcements before the end of this month [May]. At that time, we'll announce sponsors, content, series, ticket prices, etc.... all of the info that people would like to have right now."

Labrosse only recently came to be the promoter of the event (for a second time) and it's understandable that he is still scrambling to put the pieces together.

Asked if CASCAR will be part of the weekend, Labrosse said, "I spoke with them today and we're still having on-going talks. They would like to be part of the Montreal weekend and we're interested in having them, but there's a few other things that I have to finalize before I get to that support race."

Fast-Paced Line-Up for Molson Grand Prix of Toronto

Three New Support Races Added to the Fastest Weekend of the Summer

Courtesy Courtesy Andrea Hynes

Toronto, Ontario/Friday, May 5, 2006: The Molson Grand Prix of Toronto REVolution is getting faster and more exciting with the announcement of the three new support series races added to its on-track schedule for July 7, 8 and 9, 2006 at Exhibition Place, Toronto Drift Mania, the Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Championship and the Atto Canadian Vintage GT Challenge.

This is an important year for the Molson Grand Prix of Toronto as we move forward with our new name, look and schedule of race week events, says Charlie Johnstone, president & CEO, Grand Prix Association of Toronto (GPAT). Each of these racing series offers a new and unique element to our three day festival of speed that will interest both avid fans and first-time visitors.

Sliding sideways at 120km/hour: Drift Mania
Originating in the mountains of Japan, Drift Mania features an explosive new racing style called drifting that takes motorsports to a whole new level and has just started to gain momentum in Canada and the United States. Rather than grip the asphalt, drift cars are built to be on the verge of being out of control for the duration of the race. Unlike a timed race, the one-on-one runs are judged by a panel of experts on the basis of speed, entry angle, length of slide and style points, all while being able to pressure opponents into making an error.

Some describe drifting as a collection of the best of what motorsports has to offer, says Barron Lau, president and CEO, Grand Tuner World Championship. The screeching tires, smoke clouds and incredible car control is something that will have Molson Grand Prix of Toronto fans wanting to rush the fence for a better look.

A sneak-peek at future racing champions: Formula Ford 2000
Drivers from Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand and all corners of the United States will be contesting this year s Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Championship, which makes its first-ever visit to the Molson Grand Prix of Toronto s Exhibition Place circuit.

Representing one of the first rungs on the professional open-wheel auto racing ladder in North America, Formula Ford 2000 features cost-effective, modern, purpose-built, open-wheel race cars powered by either four-cylinder, double-overhead cam, fuel-injected 2.0-litre Ford Zetec engines, which produce around 160 hp, or the older, slightly less powerful, carbureted 2.0-litre Ford "Pinto" engines. All cars employ "slick" (treadless) Cooper Zeon racing tires and are capable of speeds in excess of 130 mph along Lakeshore Boulevard. Alumni include Champ Car World Series title-winners Jimmy Vasser and Scarborough, Ontario native, Paul Tracy.

A blast from the past: Atto Canadian Vintage GT Challenge
As the Canadian Vintage GT Challenge makes its debut at the Molson Grand Prix of Toronto, race goers can relive and celebrate the memorable events that captured the growth of motorsports making it what it has become today. The Atto Canadian Vintage GT Challenge creates a living spectacle enjoyed by those who remember the cars and drivers from the past, while piquing the interest of those seeing it for the first time. The series features dedicated drivers who love vintage cars and have a desire to maintain and race them in as close to the car s original condition as possible.

The Atto Canadian Vintage GT Challenge series showcases a variety of cars from the late 60 s through to the mid 80 s. There are forty cars running in four classes representing IMSA GT, Trans-Am, CASC and SCCA GT and Touring GT. This race features historic heavyweights such as Corvette, Cobra, Jaguar and BMW along with Porsche, Datsun and Triumph amongst others. A mix of high horsepower and excellent handling are combined with historic visual appeal to create thunder and lightning on the streets of Toronto s Exhibition Place track.

While this is an inaugural event for the Atto Canadian Vintage GT Challenge, vintage racing has been around for awhile and is a fast growing area of motorsports as more vintage cars become eligible for competition, says Jonathan Brett of Time Warp Racing. We are excited to have partnered with Molson Grand Prix of Toronto to introduce this series to race fans.

About the Molson Grand Prix of Toronto
New ownership, a new name and a new core team makes this a landmark year for the Molson Grand Prix of Toronto. For the past 20 years, Torontonians have celebrated a long-weekend of racing on their streets and 2006 promises to be another spectacular festival of international racers and exciting off-track entertainment. Tickets are on sale now at www.grandprixtoronto.com or by calling 1-416-872-2222.

MULTIMATIC MOTORSPORTS TEAM PANOZ READY TO FIGHT THE BIG GUNS IN TEXAS

Courtesy Paul Ryan

Toronto - ON (May 5th, 2006) Multimatic Motorsports Team Panoz is ready to hit the streets in Reliant Park, Houston next week for the second ever street course event for the Panoz Esperante GTLM.

Fresh from victory in the GT2 class at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the Multimatic squad is out to capitalize on the championship lead held by David Brabham and Scott Maxwell aboard the #50 Esperante.

The race will be only the second street course event tackled by the Esperante. The Braselton, GA-built car raced for the first time in ALMS GT2 spec at Road Atlanta in 2003 and made its street course debut in Miami later that year.

Brabham and Maxwell will again be joined by American young-guns Gunnar Jeannette and Tom Milner who unfortunately dropped out of the opening round of the 2006 championship at Sebring due to a driveline failure.

The two young stars are headed to Houston early next for the ALMS Lone Star Grand Prix – taking part in a media conference on May 9 at the Reliant Arena media center. Multimatic Motorsports Team Panoz will also take part in the Klein Tools Pit Crew Challenge immediately after the conference.

The Reliant Park 1.7-mile temporary street track surrounds Reliant Stadium - home of the Houston Texans NFL team and the Reliant Astrodome.

Built in 1974, the Astrodome was the first domed structure of its size created without a pillar supporting it in the center.

"Houston is a whole new ball game for everybody and the entire field is on equal ground because nobody has any previous data to go by in establishing a set-up," Multimatic Vice President and Motorsports Technical Director, Larry Holt said.

"Our sponsor Pirelli has actually been out to Houston to check out the track surface and make a recommendation as to what tires to run and we will be starting the weekend with a set-up developed from our four-post test rig in Toronto.

"We pretty much have to race what we have straight off the trailer. It’s a two-day event you don't have a lot of time to fine tune the car.

"We had a great battle at Sebring, but the competition in GT2 keeps getting tougher and tougher. The Italians must be taking our 'flamed-out hot rods' pretty seriously because Risi has brought in the top guns from Europe with Jaime Melo and Mika Salo driving the Ferrari 430.

"The Porsche guys will be out for revenge as well and Patrick Long is back in the Peterson car – we know we will have a big fight on hands when we get to Texas."The 2 hour, 45 minute Lone Star Grand Prix will be staged from 8pm on Friday, May 12 and will be broadcast on CBS the following day from 1.00pm to 2.00pm.

David Brabham
"I really enjoy the challenge of driving new circuits for the first time. It is going to be very challenging at the start because nobody knows the track and there will be very little grip early on. The discipline will be to not change the car too much because the track will be changing all the time. But Houston should be a great weekend. It’s a great city and it feels great to arrive in Texas leading the GT2 championship. Racing at night will be a big challenge – especially on a street circuit. This will be the first race laps I have done at night on a street track like this."

Scott Maxwell
"Looking at the map of the track, Houston looks like a typical street circuit with lots of 2nd and 3rd gear corners. The track has a pretty long straight but the circuit will be very hard on brakes and probably quite bumpy. It’s a bit hard to tell what it is going to be like until we actually get there. I am not sure how well our car will be matched to this type of track but certainly the weekend should be a race of attirition. There will be no room for error and the plan will be to ensure we leave Texas with a solid points haul. We'll obviously go for the win, but Mid Ohio should suit us a lot more the following week."

Gunnar Jeanette
"This will only be my 3rd street circuit I have raced at and it I think it will be kind of cool to race around the Astrodome. Doing the race at night should also be a big challenge and a lot of fun. Getting a strong time in qualifying is going to be important because I think it is probably going to be pretty tough to pass. Tom and I are very keen to bounce back after falling out of the race at Sebring. We were thrilled to see the other guys win – but it was a bitter pill to swallow for us after the driveline problems on our car."

Tom Milner
"I've seen some pictures of the track surface and it does look a little bumpy – not as nice as the Washington DC race the ALMS had a few years back. I think it will be very slippery – particularly early in the weekend, but I am really looking forward to it. Houston will be only my second street race and the first one I have done in a closed top car like the Panoz. Racing in to the night on a track like this will be a new experience and I think getting as many laps as we can in practice is going to be crucial for getting a feel for the place."

Multimatic Motorsports Team Panoz heads to Houston looking for its second straight GT2 victory

Courtesy Ryan Smith

Braselton, Ga. - In the biggest race of the American Le Mans Series, Multimatic Motorsports Team Panoz more than lived up to expectations with a GT2 class win at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Now for an encore: the Lone Star Grand Prix in Houston, the Series' first street race since 2003. The second round of the 2006 schedule is set for 8 p.m. CDT May 12 at the nine-turn, 1.7-mile Reliant Park circuit.

It will mark the resumption of a torrid GT2 battle at Sebring that saw the No. 50 Panoz Esperante GTLM outlast Risi Competizione's Ferrari and Flying Lizard Motorsports' Porsche.

"Speedwise, we were about where we thought we would be," said Scott Maxwell, who codrove to the Sebring win with David Brabham and Sebastien Bourdais. "I was pleasantly surprised with the reliability. That was where we struggled last year. I knew it was probably going to be better going forward, but everyone was really ratcheted up for it and it showed."

Reliability again will be a key to success at Houston, despite being just a two-hour, 45-minute race. By nature, street circuits are normally rougher than regular road courses due to public traffic and other elements. As a result, the Multimatic team is working on finding the right measure of springs and dampers for the Panoz Esperante to counteract the beating sure to come from the racetrack.

"It's a different type of 'bumpy' than Sebring, but it will be rough," said Brabham, who will join Maxwell at Houston. "I think everyone has been out there to have a look, including Pirelli to do some tire work. Until we get there, it's difficult to know what sort of shape it will be in. It'll be very green, so it will take awhile for the grip to come. We can't chase the setup too quickly or we will just be setting ourselves back."

The torque from the Panoz Esperante's V8 motor surprises many who climb into the car for the first time. Given some of the 90-degree turns - and greater - at the Houston circuit, could that help? Opinions differ.

"Hopefully the Panoz should do very well," said Tom Milner, who will partner with Gunnar Jeannette in the No. 51 Panoz Esperante. "The torque should definitely help. The car brakes well and handles well, so I don't think we're giving up much in braking and in the corners.”

"Seeing the Ferrari coming out of the hairpin (at Sebring), it was like a rocket," Brabham offered. "But the BMWs have ABS, which they will use in their cars heavily. It should be another terrific battle."

Maxwell did a few shakedown laps for both of the team's Panoz Esperante GTLMs Tuesday to correct a few things from Sebring, mainly a vibration that cropped up late in the race in the winning car.

"It will be a lot of second- and third-gear turns. It may be a tough go," he said. "The BMWs will be strong under braking, and the Ferrari seems to be a nimble, hard-going car. This is a race I think we need to survive and get some good points. With that said, of course we're going to try to get another win."

The next round of the 2006 American Le Mans Series is the Lone Star Grand Prix, scheduled for 8 p.m. CDT on May 12 in Houston. It will be broadcast at 1 p.m. May 13 EDT on CBS Sports, the first of five straight Series events on network television. Qualifying is set for 6:15 p.m. CDT on May 11. American Le Mans Radio will have live coverage at www.americanlemans.com, which also will have IMSA Live Timing & Scoring.

GOODYEAR CITES STRONG TIRE PERFORMANCE DURING NASCAR NEXTEL CUP OPEN TEST AT LOWE’S

Courtesy Lee Elder

AKRON, Ohio, May 4, 2006 – Comments by Greg Stucker, Goodyear director of race tire sales and marketing: “We saw exactly what we expected from our Goodyear Eagle tires on the first day of NASCAR’s open test for Nextel Cup cars at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and we are very pleased with the results.

Our choice of tire for this NASCAR-sanctioned open test is the tire picked during our recent tire tests at Lowe’s and, based on data and driver input, it also will be used during the two weekends of racing later in May at the newly paved track.

Comments by some people at the open test indicate concern that our tire recommendation is conservative. They’re right! We were very conservative in our choice and that was intentional.

Lowe’s is a very fast track with new pavement that will generate a lot of grip and a lot of heat. We felt we had to select a very conservative tire to accommodate that. Lap times, however, are on par with those of last year.

On the first day of testing, Jeff Burton, for example, made a 35-lap run and his fastest lap was the 34th.

We are very pleased with tire appearance and treadwear. All indications are that going a full gas stop with either the traditional full-size fuel tank, like the Busch cars will use, or the smaller mandated tank for the Coca-Cola 600 would be no problem.

Yes, the tire is different and may require adjustment by teams and drivers from what they’ve run at Lowe’s in the most recent past. We came with a completely redesigned right side tire. It utilizes a new mold shape to address the tremendous loads that we measured at our test last fall. This, combined with the harder tread compound, gives the conservative setup. It reduces grip, but it resists heat and treadwear. It is absolutely the right choice.

NEXTEL CUP: RCR, Harvick Agree to Contract Extension

From RCR....

RICHMOND, Va. (May 5, 2006) -- Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Kevin Harvick have agreed to terms on a contract extension that will see Harvick as an RCR driver through the 2009 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season.

Harvick drives RCR’s No. 29 GM Goodwrench/Reese’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and RCR’s No. 21 Coast Guard Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the NASCAR Busch Series. The Bakersfield, Calif., native began his tenure at RCR in 2000 driving the No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series, winning three races and rookie of the year honors.

Stepping into the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series after the death of the legendary Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500, Harvick went on that season to earn two victories, a ninth-place finish in the point standings and rookie of the year honors. He also earned the Busch Series crown in 2001 and, in 2003, co-drove (with Johnny Sauter) RCR’s No. 21 PayDay Chevrolet to the Busch Series owner’s championship.

His career statistics include six victories and 70 top-10 finishes in the NEXTEL Cup Series and 19 victories and 98 top-10 finishes in the Busch Series.

“Kevin is an important part of the RCR organization and we’re happy that will continue,” said Richard Childress, President and CEO of RCR. “He has done a great job in both the NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series and we look for that to continue over the next several seasons.”

Harvick is currently seventh in the 2006 NEXTEL Cup Series point standings with one win and four top-10 finishes. He leads the Busch Series standings by 274 points, ahead of RCR teammate Clint Bowyer in second place, with two wins and nine top-10 finishes.

“I’m looking forward to the next three years at RCR,” said Kevin Harvick. “We’ve made a lot of changes over the past year that have really helped point the organization in the right direction. The chemistry feels right between the drivers, the crew chiefs and the teams. Above all else, there is a long relationship at RCR that Richard and I have. I feel like it would take time to recreate what we’ve built over the last seven years.”

DRAGS: NOSTALGIA SUPER STOCK brought to by KARBELT PICKERING and FOR HEMIS ONLY is a go for the 2006 DNA CFSC Shootout!!!

Toronto Motorsports Park

Welcome back to our Nostalgia Super Stock Sponsors, Karbelt Pickering and For Hemis Only.

Both Tim from For Hemis Only and Kevin from Karbelt Pickering agree, "There seems to be excellent interest in the Nostalgia part of this industry, I think what we started in 2003 and then '04 will be great groundwork to build on for the futrure."

The support for the performance and racing industry of Karbelt Pickering and For Hemis Only is greatly appreciated by all of the CFSC staff and competitors. We look forward to working with these fine companies and all of our sponsors, racers and fans in making the 2006 CFSC event yet another festival in celebration of the sport of drag racing!

Karbelt Pickering is located at: Karbelt Speed & Custom Inc. 1652A Bayly St., Pickering, Ontario L1W 1L9 Phone: (905) 839-4421 e-mail: karbelt.pickering@on.aibn.com

For Hemis Only is located at: 5173 Rice Lake DriveBewdley, OntarioCanada K0L 1E0 Phone: (905) 797-2459 http://www.forhemisonly.com/

Notes from the Ontario Formula Ford Challenge

As we are moving closer to launching the new OFFC website we would like to link to our driver's websites, to sponsors and business partners. If you have a website and would like the OFFC to link it send me your URL. If you know of any other racing type site that the OFFC should be linked to/from send me their URL.

Jeff Wenzel of Toronto Tirecraft is try to put together a test day for Friday July 14 at Shannonville. This precedes the DAC weekend which the OFFC will be attending. He looking at organizing one now and the more participants the better.

Contact Jeff at 905.760.1130 or at jwenzel137@hotmail.com. He would like your response as soon as possible so he can rent the track.

Thanks,
David P. Hilton
V.P. BARC
Ontario Formula Ford Challenge Marketing and Promotion Manager

"Living life is an effective way of killing time"

London Free Press: Delaware promotes Labour Day event, by Jim Cressman

Jim Cressman has a story in today's London Free Press, discussing Delaware Speedway's big Labour Day event.... and more.


DELAWARE -- Delaware Speedway isn't reserving the aggressive driving just for the track.
Race officials are busy promoting their $40,000 Labour Day weekend event, in hope of luring some CASCAR Super Series drivers from their race at Cayuga the same day.
"We'll have to see what September brings," said Delaware race director Jeff Wilcox.

... more at the link above.

MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY: TWO BIG NIGHTS OF HOLIDAY ACTION

THOROLD, ONTARIO … Merrittville Speedway officials are preparing for their first Holiday doubleheader of 2006 with two big nights of action in celebration of the Canadian Victoria Day Holiday and so are an impressive group of rookies.

CAA Niagara Member Appreciation Night at the Thorold track kicks off the excitement Saturday May 20th with a full card of racing featuring all 5 divisions that make up the DIRT Weekly Racing Series – the L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modifieds, Original Pizza Logs Sportsmen, Premier Mademoiselle Fitness Centers Classic Mod Lites, the Hoosier Stocks and the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinders.

The night also features the first ever Open Wheel Pit Crew Race.

“The Ladies always get the chance to have some fun,” relates GM Erica Bicknell, “ the Pit Crews deserve their chance too … who knows … maybe it will help some teams … crews will gain hands on experience at what the car’s doing.”

The 6 lap event will feature crew members in Sportsmen and 358 Modified machines.

For a number of years, CAA Niagara has supported one of Merrittville’s first families of racing - the Willards and that tradition will continue in 2006.

Bill Willard Jr. however – a former Merrittville Sportsmen Champion – will take on a new role in 2006 as his son BJ has taken over the controls of the family-owned CAA 77Jr.

“I’m looking forward to it,” relates Bill Willard, “ the boys will have to remember to be patient … they can’t expect everything all at once … but they’re good kids.”

“Late last season,” relates BJ, “ Dad, Grandpa (Al Willard) and I talked about me racing in 2006 … once they found out I was 100% committed … they both agreed.”

BJ’s cousin will be joining him as a rookie in the Sportsmen ranks in Bill’s second car. Having made quite a name for himself in winning both the Merrittville Hoosier Stock and Humberstone Brian’s Tire Street Stock Championships, Tyler McPherson looks forward to the coming season.

“It’s like night and day,” informs McPherson of the difference between the two divisions, “ the way you drive the car … the power and the handling … it’s going to be a learning experience all over again.”

Tyler ran a few Sportsmen races last season to prepare for this year.

The Championship Hoosier Stock Car will still be pitside every Saturday night as Tyler’s younger brother Cody will drive the Mike Granton-owned car.

“I just can’t wait,” remarks Cody, “ I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fill his shoes … it’s a learning year for me also … I’ll just do my best and go from there.”

While the CAA logo is most prominent on BJ’s car, it can also be found on the McPherson entries.

“Last year with Uncle Bill’s and my car,” prides Tyler,” we just all worked together … everybody just helps everybody.”

CAA Niagara is pleased to once again provide Merrittville Speedway race teams with the best towing services available in the Niagara Region. Race fans can enjoy the same fast. friendly and professional service by becoming a member of CAA Niagara.

For year round peace of mind and member exclusive savings, you can rely on your friends at CAA Niagara. Join at your local CAA office today and start enjoying yearlong benefits of being a CAA Member and tell them Merrittville sent you.

In addition to it’s Auto Club, CAA can also offer it’s members Travel Information and Bookings, discounted Attraction Tickets and the Schmon Parkway location now offers select NASCAR Nextel Cup Driver Apparel.

The Holiday weekend closes with Meridian Credit Union as hosts of a 5 division Monday Night show featuring the BRP 360 Late Models – the new name for the BRP Can Am Super Stocks.

Like Merrittville’s Dirt Weekly Racing Series first time drivers, the BRP 360 Late Model field could see 10 Rookies in their second outing of the new season Victoria Day at Merrittville.

Although hardly a rookie, one new 2006 first time 360 Late model Competitor comes to the series with an impressive background.

Randy Hall of Olean NY has scored 124 IMCA Modified and E Mod wins in a racing career that began in 1997. Hall hasn’t raced a car with full fenders since 1996 but made quite an impression in the Season Opener at Black Rock Speedway – having to qualify from the consi but winning the main event.

Seven rookies were in the opening day field – Hall, Rich Michael Jr., Tim Barnard, Dick Karlnoski, Justin Longacre, Don Newton Jr., and Donnie Smith and at least three more are expected to debut at Merrittville – Junior Green, Dave Stephens and the series’ first female driver – Jessica Pierce of Corning NY.

Green is hardly a rookie either having previously raced a NASCAR Craftsmen Truck, a Hooters Pro Cup Car, a DIRT 358 Modified and others.

Former Merrittville Pro Stock Champion Darren Kish will be leading the wedge-shaped fan favorites to Merrittville as reigning champion – having won his first title with the growing group last season.

Kish attended both Merrittville Practice Days earlier this season in his own car and the one he will race for Stan Miskin.

Joining the Holiday program will be the 358 Modifieds and Sportsmen and two other full fendered divisions – the Hoosier Stocks and the first Konzelmann Estates Winery Enduro Qualifier of the season.

In 2005, the Duel on the Dirt Series against the Brighton Speedway Pro Stocks was a huge success and it returns with a new exciting format.

Merrittville Hoosier Stocks and the Brighton teams will have home track events that will combine with the Fall Events at each track. Mike Dooley and the Champion Team Merrittville will run their first Home Event as part of Meridian Credit Union’s Monday Night Madness.

Enduro Competitors will also join the festivities in the first of three Qualifiers for the 100 lap Konzelmann Estate Winery Battle Royale September 10th.

The Winner of May 22nd’s 25 lap event will earn the pole position for the $1,555.55 to win 55thAnniversary Season Finale.

Get in touch with the Meridian Credit Union today and start your revolution of one. Meridian Credit Union has 43 branches across Ontario delivering worry-free banking. For a branch nearest you call 1-800-303-3258 or visit http://www.meridiancu.ca/ or revolutionofone.ca.

For further information on Merrittville 55th Season including Enduro Racing – call 905-892-8266 or visit http://www.merrittvillespeedway.com/.

Both events start at 7:15 after the gates open at 5:30.

By Jim Irvine; with files from Gary Montgomery

Canadian Racing Ticker

In an effort to get you even more racing news, I've been experimenting with a 'Ticker' service that lets you produce a news feed based on searches of certain words and search engines.

For our purposes, the best ones seem to be "Canadian" "Speedway" "Racer" & "Driver" using the Google and Yahoo engines.

Some of the stories may seem to be red herrings, but if you click on the links, the words "Canadian" and "Speedway" should be in all of the stories. For example, the one that talks about Serena Williams and tennis in the header, includes racer comments on the Goodyear tires at the recent Lowe's test.

Anyway, the ticker has produced some stories that I wasn't getting before, so it should add to your reading enjoyment.

BRAMPTON GUARDIAN: Bill Zardo III

The Brampton Guardian ran a nice story on the next generation of racing Zardos.... Bill Zardo III.

By FRANK JUZENAS

His name is associated with auto racing, so it is no surprise that Bill Zardo III is ready to make his racing debut this weekend in the Thunder Car division at Flamboro Speedway.
His age, all of 13, might surprise a few but then again, considering the family roots, it should not. His grandfather Bill Zardo and father Bill Zardo Jr. have made the name well known on the race tracks of Ontario and beyond. He is following the family tradition, a tradition which also includes his cousin Pete Shepherd III who, at age 19, has joined the driving development program with the Jack Roush Racing, one of the top stock car racing owners in the U.S.

... more at the link above...

Brockville Ontario Speedway: Engines begin to roar at Brockville

BROCKVILLE-The thunder will return to Brockville Ontario Speedway on Saturday, May 6th. Track officials have scheduled a special test and tune session for competitors to get their cars ready for the season opening event scheduled for the following week, Saturday, May 13th at 7pm.

The gates will open at 11am this Saturday with cars hitting the fast quarter mile Beast of the East from Noon until 4pm. For those fans wanting to get a sneak preview of 2006 campaign, the grandstand area will open and free of charge. Free is good.

The Speedway ticket office will be open as well for those interested in ordering their season passes.

NBIS: Mall Show This Weekend

FREDERICTON, NB – The 2006 season is just around the corner and New Brunswick International Speedway will be officially kicking of the pre-season in the unlikeliest of locations – a mall. The Regent Mall in Fredericton will host the annual mall car show this year this coming weekend, May 5-7th (mall hours).

Fourteen cars will be on display throughout the mall including Sportsman Champion Bradley Logan, Sportsman Rookie of the Year Gene Mersereau, and Pro Stock Rookie of the Year Myles Harris.

Many of the drivers will be in attendance to answer questions about their high powered vehicles and meet fans.

The Regent Mall Show isn’t the only car show on the pre-season schedule as the following weekend, Riverview Ford Lincoln will host its annual outdoor car show for NBIS stock cars on Saturday, May 13th from 10am-2pm.

The long weekend in May marks the big kickoff to the 2006 season as the cars hit the track for the first time on Saturday May 20th with practice day from noon until four. The following day is the Riverview Ford Lincoln Season Opener on Sunday, May 21st at 2pm. Then on Monday, May 22nd, NBIS caps off opening weekend with the first Enduro 200 of the season at 2pm.

Ryan Litt Geared Up For AVSS Season Opener

Courtesy Ryan Litt Racing P.R.

After what has seemed like an interminate off-season, Ryan Litt and the OTC/SPX Tools, BS&B Radiator #07 Sprint Car team from Lyons, Ontario, Canada will finally get their season started at the Auto City Speedway near Flint, Michigan this Saturday night, May 6th. The event will be the first of a full schedule of 21 events for the Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints series in 2006. Ryan and the #07 car will be racing in all 21 of these events in the hopes of claiming the Rookie of the Year title, and hopefully some feature wins too.

Ryan and the team are excited about their plans for this season, and a few of the events especially. Ryan had an excellent 7th place finish in the prestigious Little 500 at the Anderson Speedway in Indiana last May – narrowly missing the rookie of the race award in the process - and would like to improve on that this time around. The Little 500 is the world’s richest pavement sprint car event and has been held the night before the Indianapolis 500 each year since 1949. Little 500 festivities have already begun in fact, but will get underway in earnest on Wednesday, May 24th with a 50 lap USAC National Sprint Car event, followed by time trials on Thursday and Friday and the grueling 500 lap race on Saturday night, May 27th. The Little 500 is the only place in the world where you can see 33 sprint cars taking the green flag in 11 rows of 3, on a tight high banked ¼ mile track no less. Pit stops are also a critical element of the Little 500 – something which doesn’t exactly occur in your average sprint car event. The Indy 500 may be the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, but this isn’t far behind.

The Berlin Raceway in Grand Rapids, Michigan will also be a highlight of the team’s schedule as the AVSS will visit this historic track, which is co-owned by NASCAR driver Johnny Benson, 3 times in 2006. In Ryan’s first AVSS event there last June, and only his 3rd start ever in a winged sprint car, Ryan took home a 2nd place finish and led the feature race in the late stages before being passed by eventual series champion Cameron Dodson. The first visit to Berlin is less than 2 weeks away, scheduled for May 13th.

Another event Ryan is excited about is a return visit to his hometown track, the Delaware Speedway in Delaware, Ontario, just outside of London. Last season’s event at Delaware was Ryan’s debut in a winged sprint car and he performed admirably, but is definitely looking to improve this time around now that he has some experience under his belt. The AVSS tour stops at Delaware on June 9th. Ryan, the team, and the car have been present at a variety of different events and shows in conjunction with Delaware Speedway in recent weeks in the London area, which should help to augment the team’s already strong local fan base, as well as the local fans’ appetite for open wheel racing.

Visits to the historic Winchester Speedway and Salem Speedway also highlight Ryan’s schedule this season. Salem and Winchester are two of the fastest and highest banked paved short tracks in the world and have tested the mettle of some of the world’s greatest racers over the better part of the last century, including such famous names as Andretti, Foyt, Johncock, Stewart, and Gordon. The AVSS visits Salem on July 8th and Winchester on July 23rd. The Winchester event will be held in conjunction with the Hoosier Outlaw Sprint Series and will crown a true “King of Wings” at the treacherous oval.

For Canadian fans interested in catching the season opener, the Auto City Speedway is located slightly North of Flint, just 80 miles West of the Blue Water Bridge border crossing at Sarnia/Port Huron. Other than Ryan’s home track, Delaware Speedway, Auto City is the closest AVSS venue to the #07 team’s headquarters near London, Ontario. The AVSS will visit Auto City twice more this season, on June 10th and July 15th.

What: Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints Season Opener. www.SuperSprints.com

Where: Auto City Speedway, 10205 N Saginaw Rd. Clio, MI, 48420. www.AutoCitySpeedway.com

When: Saturday May 6th, 2006. Pit Gates open at 2:30 p.m., racing at 7:00 p.m.

Notes and Quotes from Ryan regarding the season opener:
“This will be my first time racing at Auto City. Last year it got cancelled (due to rain) as we were sitting in the parking lot, so hopefully this time we get to race. I’m very excited to get this season underway. Everything this winter has gone great and the car is the best it has ever been: Everything is fresh or new and with the support of our sponsors I think this year will be a blast.”

Ryan and the team would like to thank their many loyal sponsors for helping to put the Claxton powered Beast chassis #07 Sprint Car on track this season, including OTC/SPX Tools, BS&B Radiator, Velocity Wings, BRR Media, BOC Gases, and Leaf Racewear.

For more information on Ryan, the car, and the team, including schedules, photos, merchandise, and contact information, please visit Ryan’s official website at www.RyanLitt.com.

Mazda dealerships will offer Yokohama tires, companies announce

Courtesy Brad Sherwin

Canada’s 162 Mazda dealerships can now offer their customers the complete line of premium quality Yokohama car and light truck tires, the two companies have announced.

The Mazda Canada Inc. dealer network will have access to the complete spectrum of tires from Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. as well as the original equipment (OE) replacement sizes for Mazda cars and trucks under an agreement that significantly expands the Yokohama distribution system.

The agreement is effective immediately, and marks the first direct relationship for Yokohama Canada with an auto manufacturer’s dealership network.

“We expect Yokohama tires to be popular in Mazda dealerships,” said Bruce Carmichael, Project Manager, Parts Operations for Mazda Canada.

“This agreement not only helps Mazda dealers maintain their good service relationships with their customers, it helps expand Yokohama’s retail presence without compromising our existing tire dealer network,” explained Eric Dedoyard, Director of Sales for Yokohama Canada. Mazda dealerships will work with existing Yokohama dealers to manage product distribution.

The Mazda arrangement is just the first of what is expected to be an expanded relationship with new car dealerships, Dedoyard added. “Car dealers look increasingly to products like tires to help build and maintain long-term relations with their customers and represents an ideal fit for a premium brand like Yokohama,” Dedoyard said.

SOS: Green Flag Set to Wave on Southern Ontario Sprints Season

Saturday Night, May 6, the Southern Ontario Sprints will invade Brighton Speedway to kick off the 11th season of competition for the fledging 360 sprint club. In what is poised to be a record breaking year, many of the veteran stars of the SOS are returning with fresh equipment and renewed enthusiasm to vie for the coveted Championship.

Veterans Dick and Warren Mahoney head the way with a replenished inventory of parts in tow. Mahoney’s are well known within the club as the “go to” people if fellow competitors need something to keep their machines on the track and competitive. Glenn Styres is also in this category and with new crew chief Heath Lutz, is set to take aim on the championship.

Leading the return for 2006 from the west end of the province will be 2005 “Rookie of the Year” John Watson. He will be joined by John Riegling and defending SOS Champion, Adam West. Les MacMillan, Daryl Turford, Andrew Reaume, Jeff Daniels, and a pair of Evans (Garry and Gary) will see regular action with the club. The central region will see Bob Crawford return for yet another season. He will be joined by Craig Downie, Brian Lee, Jim Sweers, and Chris Pyle along with Keith Dempster and Jamie Collard in a pair of Dave MacLeod sprinters. The east end of the province will once again be represented by the Wilson family. Joining father Rick and son Kyle this season will be Rick’s daughter April as she climbs behind the wheel of a potent 360 sprint in her rookie season.

The Niagara region has seen a burst in sprint car interest in 2006. Joining veterans Fred Cade and Tom Huppunen will be a huge contingent of rookies led by Rob Pietz. Rob will be joined by Brad Malloy, Jim Price, the Middlemiss brothers Robert and Joe, and Tim Zanchin from the Niagara area. Other rookies indicating their intentions to compete are Jason Pyle, Tim Zack, John Burbridge, Kevin Job, James Whittaker and Bob McDonald in the Ray Ballentyne entry while Prince George, British Columbia’s Fred Pigeon will also vie for the “Rookie of the Year” title.

Making a return to competition in 2006 from New York State will be Mike Lauterborn in his 41. After a year off from competition, Lauterborn is ready to take a run at the title and has indicated he will be at every show. Also back after a year’s absence will be Tim Phillips. Tim’s return marks a triumphant personal victory for Phillips as he spent the past season running the race of his life with a victory over cancer. Joining Mike and Tim from New York are the always competitive team cars of Mark Christiano with daughter Stephanie and veteran Mark Schulz at the wheel. Include the Jim Porter and Curt Sherwood entries and the personality of Dave MacLeod and the NY state contingent will be a force to watch.

With a strong contingency program already announced, the final pieces of the program are in place. SOS President Bill Oldroyd has confirmed that Leaf Racewear will once again return as a sponsor. “Leaf Racewear have been with us for several seasons now” stated Oldroyd. “Their continued support is a rewarding for us as we continue to grow our series”. Headquartered in London, Ontario, Leaf Racewear “has been manufacturing and distributing quality racing safety equipment and apparel worldwide for over 18 years”. Visit their website at www.leafracewear.com for more information.

“Also returning for another season is Winters Performance Products” Oldroyd went on. Located in York, Pennsylvania, Winters offers the finest and most technologically advance Quick Change Rear Ends, parts and accessories available. You can visit them at www.wintersperformance.com for more information.
“BS&B Radiators of London, Ontario is back for another season as a contingency sponsor with us” added Oldroyd. “Evolving from a small local company that fixed automotive cooling systems in the 1960’s, they now provide one stop shopping for everything that has to do with your cooling system”. Visit their website at www.bs&bradiator.com for more information.

“Finally I would like to welcome and introduce MAXIM Racing to the 2006 group of marketing partners with the Southern Ontario Sprints” Oldroyd went on. From their headquarters in Springfield, Illinois, Chuck Merrill and Maxim Racing have been supplying chassis and components to some of the most successful drivers in modern sprint car history. Check them out at their website at www.racemaxims.com for more information.

“These four marketing partners join Ultra Shield, Grisdale Racing Products, Keizer Wheels, Ohsweken Speedway and the “Canadian Sprint Car Nationals”, Wiseco Pistons, Brodix, Pennzoil, Image Factor, and Kenetic Photos in presenting our series in 2006 as we head towards the first green flag on Saturday night, May 6th at Mark Rinaldi’s Brighton Speedway” Oldroyd concluded. Then the following Saturday, May 13th, the series is invited to participate in an open practice at Ohsweken Speedway beginning at 12 noon with a return to racing action the following Friday night, May 19th at the Styres family owned fast 3/8 mile clay oval.

With opening day now only hours away, teams both old and new are preparing for what is shaping up to be the most competitive season yet. Make plans now so you won’t miss any of the action as the “Winged Warriors with an Attitude” travel to a speedway near you.
For all the latest information be sure to check the official website of the Southern Ontario Sprints at www.southernontariosprints.com as preparation continues toward the green flag on the 2006 racing season.

- From Ken Pelkie, Public Relations, SOS

RON BEAUCHAMP JR AND TEAM MOPAR TURNING LAPS AT ANNUAL MOPAR DAY!

Courtesy TL Sports & Entertainment

May 1, 2006. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the Mopar Parts team had their Dodge Charger on track at Barrie Speedway recently for the annual Mopar Day for all affiliated teams with the Dodge and Mopar Brands.

Mopar Day is an annual event organized by the Mopar Parts Division at Daimler Chrysler to bring all of the Team Mopar family together for all of the pre season necessities like picture taking and releasing details about the 2006 Dodge and Mopar contingency program, the largest contingency program in CASCAR Racing with up to $250,000.00 in awards possible.

“This is always a fun day” said Ron Beauchamp Jr. “We get a chance to catch up with some of the other drivers we haven’t maybe seen for a while, swap a few stories and the of course the afternoon always allows us a little time on the race track to run some laps.”

Following last years success where Ron Beauchamp Jr. and Team Mopar claimed victory in two events including the season opening Mopar 250 expectations are even higher. “With the changes to the schedule this year adding more road courses we know we’ve got to step up our program” stated the driver. “We’re having a new road course car built to our specifications and it will be ready for the first race at Mosport.”

Ron Beauchamp Jr. and Team Mopar will spend the next few weeks preparing the cars and practicing pit stops and of course be on track for more testing prior to the first race of the 2006 CASCAR season at Barrie Speedway on May 21st. Included with this release is a photo of the #60 Mopar Parts Charger with the new paint scheme for 2006.

The CASCAR Super Series is the only National Stock Car Racing series with events scheduled this year at great oval tracks including Kawartha Downs and & Cayuga Speedway along with road courses and temporary street circuits like the Grand Prix of Edmonton & Trois Rivieres. You can keep up with the latest news on the CASCAR Super Series and check out the complete 2006 racing schedule by logging onto the website at http://www.cascar.ca/.

BRAD GRAHAM & CHALLENGER MOTOR FREIGHT/LOGEL’S AUTO PARTS DODGE TEAM ON TRACK FOR MOPAR DAY!

Courtesy Brad Graham, Driver, Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts Dodge

May 1, 2006. Brad Graham and the Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts Charger Dodge team hit the track and turned a few laps of practice at the annual Mopar Day held recently at Barrie Speedway.

“This is our second Mopar Day and we’re happy to be here with the rest of the teams, it’s a good opportunity for us to hear about what Mopar and Dodge do for CASCAR and thank them, plus we get a little track time, and every time you get out on the track you learn something” stated Brad Graham.

The 2005 season was a significant step forward for Brad Graham. Acquiring additional sponsorship support from Logel’s Auto Parts of course provided the team with more resources but also the encouragement and assistance of John Logel. “I can’t tell you how good it is to have John with us at the track” stated Graham. “He provides another pair of eyes and ears to look at a situation, he’s very knowledgeable and his support of our team and CASCAR has been tremendous”.

With top ten finishes the norm and finishing in the top five in the overall points championship last season Brad Graham and the Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts Charger Dodge team are considered among the contenders to win at every event.

“We improved last year no doubt about it” said Graham. “But in this series the competition is so tough we have to improve again this year. We’ll be out testing again before the opening race and we’ll be ready to go at the opening event on May 21st” enthused the driver.

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 and will also compete at the Grand Prix of Edmonton and the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres. You can see the Challenger Motor Freight Recruitment Coaches at most CASCAR Super Series events.”

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

ACT TOUR’S YOUTH MOVEMENT SHOWS BRIGHT FUTURE

Courtesy Marjorie Mulligan Fay

The American-Canadian Tour’s (ACT) youth movement, whicch started in 2005, will continue into 2006 and beyond according to the entries filed for the Tour’s early season events. Additionally, the geographic footprint of these competitors displays the regional reach of ACT and its 2006 12-race schedule.

One of the elder statesmen of the “New Breed” is 26 year-old Roger Brown. Brown, from Lancaster, the 2003 ACT Tour Rookie of the Year, found his stride in 2005, turning in four top-5 finishes including a pair of runner-up efforts. The young hotshoe reports that he’s got a new car primed and ready to bring his assault at Thunder Road’s season opening Merchants Bank 150, Sunday, April 30.

Twenty-seven year-old Mike Collins of Strafford, NH, tested the ACT Tour waters, and at back-to-back events raced his way into the top ten at tracks he’d never previously raced on. Collins has upped the ante and will attempt the full Tour schedule in 2006.

If consistency was the name of the game, Milton, Vermont’s Scott Payea would be near the top of the list. Only one driver, 2005 Champion, Jean-Paul Cyr had a better finishing average than last season’s top freshman runner (5.1 to 7.6). Additionally, Payea, 24, was one of just seven drivers to qualify for all 10 ACT Tour feature races in 2005.

The highlight to 23 year-old Ryan Vanasse’s first season with the ACT Tour was a fourth place finish in front of his hometown crowd at Seekonk (MA) Speedway. The Warwick, RI youngster cut his racing teeth at the one-third mile oval dubbed the “Cement Palace” and showed the ACT Tour faithful the way around the Bay State oval. With a season of ACT Touring under his belt, young Vanasse states that he’ll be more comfortable at most of the tracks on the 2006 schedule and is excited to tackle Sanair’s tri-oval.

In spite of is age, Polewarczyk, an honor student from Hudson, NH, has several years of racing competition under his belt. After getting his feet wet on the local Late Model scene in 2004, his family based team made the transition to the touring Late Model series. In the New England Dodge Dealers Milk Bowl season ending event at Thunder Road (Barre, VT), “Joey Pole” hit his stride at the high banked quarter-mile oval. The driver, who will turn 17 years old 30 days after the Merchants Bank 150, raced his way in to the 42nd annual event by finishing fourth in the second of three Triple-50 Qualifiers.

Twenty-two year-old Marc Curtis from Leicester, MA qualified for three ACT Tour events in his inaugural ACT Late Model season. Curtis, who was used to the horsepower needed at the 5/8ths mile Thompson (CT) Speedway, showed steady improvement with the ZZ4 “crate motor” utilized by ACT. Like Vanasse, Curtis is looking forward to the familiarity of returning to tracks this year

Other young lions to watch for in the future include Granite State residents Dan Colby (Lyman), Mike Jurkowski (Claremont), and Bobby Baillargeon (Nottingham) as well as 17 year-old Mark Anzalone from Malden, MA who will compete as a Rookie of the Year contender in 2006.

ACT EXPANSION MOVES NORTH INTO QUEBEC

SANAIR SUPER SPEEDWAY TO OPEN ’06 ACTION SUPER SERIES

Courtesy Marjorie Mulligan Fay

The ever-widening acceptance of the American-Cannadian Tour’s (ACT) cost-effective rules package has opened the U.S.-Canadian border to expansion of the Late Model stock car racing series. Quebec’s legendary 7/8ths mile Sanair Super Speedway tri-oval will host the first of three $10,000 to win ACTion Super Series races in 2006. “La Mega Classique” will bring together the ACT Late Model Tour and Quebec’s Late Model Séries Castrol on Saturday and Sunday, July 8-9, for what is touted to be the biggest race in the history of Late Model racing in Canada. Over $75,000 (Cdn) will be on the line. Denis Lachance, owner of the Circuit Ste-Croix near Quebec City will promote the event.

The lightening fast Sanair tri-oval, located outside Montreal, was a frequent stop on Curley’s ACT Tour from the track’s opening in 1983 through 1994. Last year, Lachance successfully promoted a Series Castrol event at the track to rave reviews. “There is a great enthusiasm from the Canadian fans and competitors to bring ACT back to Sanair,” Lachance recently commented. “We have put together a super race weekend which will feature three premiere divisions. In addition to the Late Model cars from the US and Canada, ACT’s Sportsman cars and the dirt Modified cars from Airborne Speedway (Plattsburgh, NY), as well as Granby and Drummondville in Quebec will compete. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more than 130 cars,” he finished.

The Monza-style La Mega Classique, which will be contested under ACT procedures and rules, will be comprised of three 50-lap segments. The finish of each segment will be inverted to start the next and the overall winner will be the driver with the lowest cumulative point total from his performance (in each segment a win gets 1 point, a 5th earns five points, etc).

“I’m tickled to be able to go back to Sanair,” enthused Mark Lamberton, an ACT Tour competitor from Mooers Forks, NY. “I ran second to Joey Laquerre in my first late model race at that track,” he recalled. “To say I like that track is an understatement, before that I had won a Sportsman race there as well!” he finished with a grin.

JEAN-PAUL CYR CLAIMS ACT’S SEASON OPENING MERCHANTS BANK 150

BEGINS QUEST FOR RECORD TYING SEASON

Courtesy Marjorie Mulligan Fay

Sunday, at Barre, Vermont’s Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl, Milton, Vermont’s Jean-Paul Cyr made it an every other year habit of winning the American-Canadian Tour’s (ACT) season-opening Merchants Bank 150. Cyr had previous carried the checkers in the event in 2002 and 2004 and is the lone driver in the event’s eight year history to repeat a win. Scott Payea, the 2005 ACT Rookie of the Year, served notice he was not going to be the victim of the sophomore jinx by finishing second. Pete Fecteau, the 2001 ACT Tour Champion from Morrisville, VT was third. Completing the top five were Dave Whitcomb from Essex Jct, VT and Shelburne, VT’s Dennis Demers.

Cyr started on the outside of the front row along side long-time racing nemesis and childhood friend Brent Dragon in Thunder Road’s 47th season opener. The veteran racers swapped the lead back and forth nine times in the first 62 circuits around the high banked, quarter-mile oval which kept the packed house on their feet. Cyr was able to pull ahead for good when the left rear tire on Dragon’s Dodge Charger lost air pressure which affected the handling of his car. Young Payea took advantage of Dragon’s misfortune and was able to pass him a few laps later. The 24 year-old racer set off in search of leader Cyr.

Several cautions, all for minor incidents kept the field close but Payea wasn’t able to seriously challenge Cyr. Then fact that Cyr was at and had qualified for the Merchants Bank 150 was a testament to his multi-time Championship winning team. During Saturday’s first ACT Late Model practice session Cyr was involved in an on-track incident which caused significant damage to his Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The crew packed up the pieces and returned to their Milton shop for repairs. Ironically, runner-up Payea was involved in the same practice crash. Unfortunately for the sophomore competitor and team, they were forced to burn the midnight oil to affect repairs.

“Today’s race was a lot of fun,” remarked Cyr in Victory Lane. The 40 year-old winner was complimentary of the youngster who chased him over the half of the race, “Scott (Payea) for a sophomore proved today that he is the real thing ? he really made mee work for my victory.”

Cyr’s win gives him a jump-start in his quest for Robbie Crouch’s record of six ACT Championships. Cyr, winner of the past three consecutive ACT Tour titles (as well those in 1994 and 1996), tied Brian Hoar’s record with the 2005 crown.

Defending Merchants Bank 150 winner, Dave Pembroke was sixth, 17 year-old New Hampshire resident, Joey Polewarczyk from Hudson was seventh, Cris Michaud, a three-time and defending Thunder Road Late Model Champion was eighth, Eric Williams and Dragon rounded out the top10.

Forty-five cars representing all six New England States, New York and Quebec attempted to qualify for the Merchants Bank 150. Among the notables not making the 26 car starting field were a pair of Quebec drivers, Patrick Laperle, winner of the ACT’s Milk Bowl at Thunder Road last October and Montreal’s Claude Lerclerc who had returned to the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” for the first time in over 10 years. Also, failing to qualify were Maine’s Ben Rowe, a multi-time Pro Stock Series Champion; former Thunder Road and ACT Tour Champion Phil Scott, last year’s runner-up at Thunder Road, Chad Wheeler from Waterbury Ctr, VT and former five-time ACT Champion, Brian Hoar.

The ACT Late Model Tour’s second event on the 12-race schedule is slated for Saturday, May 13 at the 5/8ths mile Circuit Ste-Croix near Quebec City. For many Tour of the current crop of drivers, it will be their first trip to the legendary Quebec speedplant since the Tour hasn’t raced there since 2003 when Brent Dragon was the winner.

In accompanying action, Doug Murphy won the NAPA Sportsman 35-lap feature, Steve Quenneville was victorious in the Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Jeff Martin claimed the PowerShift Warrior win.

Thunder Road’s weekly race season continues on Sunday, May 14 with the Casella Mother’s Day 100 for the Tiger Sportsman Series. Also in action will be the Late Models, Street Stocks and Warriors.

Unofficial finish of Sunday’s ACT Tour season opening Merchants Bank 150:
1. (2) Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, VT, Chevrolet, 150
2. (8) Scott Payea, So. Burlington, VT, Ford, 150
3. (7) Pete Fecteau, Morrisville, VT, Pontiac, 150
4. (14) Dave Whitcomb, Essex Jct, VT, Chevrolet, 150
5. (13) Dennis Demers, Shelburne, VT, Chevrolet, 150
6. (12) Dave Pembroke, Montpelier, VT, Chevrolet, 150
7. (19) Joey Polewarczyk Jr, Hudson, NH, Chevrolet, 150
8. (20) Cris Michaud, Northfield, VT, Ford, 150
9. (9) Eric Williams, Hyde Park, VT, Chevrolet, 150
10. (1) Brent Dragon, Milton, VT, Dodge, 150
11. (15) John Donahue, Graniteville, VT, Dodge, 150
12. (23) Mark Lamberton, Mooers Forks, VT, Chevrolet, 150
13. (16) Rich Lowrey, Charlotte, VT, Dodge, 150
14. (3) Joey Becker, Jeffersonville, VT, Ford, 150
15. (10) Ron Henry, New Gloucester, ME, Chevrolet, 150
16. (24) Ryan Nolin, Georgia, VT, Chevrolet, 150
17. (18) Marcel Gravel, Wolcott, VT, Pontiac, 149
18. (5) Brett Wheeler, Waterbury Ctr, VT, Dodge, 148
19. (11) Steve Fisher, Shelburne, VT, Dodge, 147
20. (26) Kenny Dufour, Bethlehem, VT, Dodge, 138
21. (17) Fred LaGoy, Morrisonville, VT, Dodge, 111
22. (25) Trampas Demers, Shelburne, VT, Chevrolet, 80
23. (4) Ryan Vanasse, Warwick, RI, Chevrolet, 80
24. (6) Roger Brown, Lancaster, VT, Ford, 74
25. (21) Steve Reny, Boothbay Harbor, ME, Chevrolet, 67
26. (22) Jamie Fisher, Shelburne, VT, Chevrolet, 16

Team Cobalt Heads West atop Grand-Am Cup Series Points Standings

Curran, Holtom in the Lead for Driver’s Championship

Courtesy Phil Colley, GM Performance Division Communications

MONTEREY, Calif., May 1, 2006 – With a win on April 22 at VIRginia International Raceway, the Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged heads into Saturday’s 200-mile Grand-Am Cup Series race at Laguna Seca Raceway atop the Manufacturer’s point standings, and looking to put even more distance between itself and the rest of the formidable competition.

Gerogian Bay Motorsports drivers Eric Curran and Jamie Holtom vaulted themselves and Chevy to the top of the standings with a Street Tuner class win at VIR, a race which saw all five Cobalt SS Supercharged entries finish in the top nine positions.

“It’s still very early, but being atop the leader board ahead of established cars from BMW and Acura is important considering our long term goal of winning the Manufacturer’s Championship this season,” said GM Performance Division’s Ken Wasmer, whose engineering team provides technical support for all Cobalt entrants. “And having Eric and Jamie in the lead for the Driver’s Championship by 13 points is icing on the cake.”

A strong finish by all four Cobalt entries racing on May 6 at the legendary 2.238-mile Laguna Seca circuit would help put some space between Chevy and the other manufacturers, but when the race begins at 2:45 p.m. PST, Team Cobalt’s drivers will have to walk the fine line between being aggressive and taking chances.

“With more than 75 cars in two classes on the track for this Saturday’s race, our drivers have to be selective about where they make their moves or risk giving up the leads we’ve built so far this season,” added Wasmer.

Cars from four different manufacturers – Chevrolet Cobalt, Mazda RX-8, BMW 330i and Honda Accord – have won the last four races spanning the 2005 and 2006 seasons, as the Street Tuner class becomes one of the most competitive showcases for manufacturers of performance-oriented small cars.

Cobalt entries for Saturday’s race have a decided California flavor. Jamie Holtom’s father, Jim, shares his #00 Georgian Bay Motorsports Cobalt with Daniel Colembie, a native of Belgium who now lives in Malibu.

Tom Lepper, of Benecia, who owns the two-car Team Cobalt California effort, has V. J. Mirzayan of Fresno and Jack Mardikian of Santa Ana in his #98 car. John Trefethen of Sonoma shares Lepper’s #48 Cobalt. They finished fourth and ninth, respectively at VIR.

“I’ve been racing at Laguna Seca since 1982,” said Lepper, who put his Cobalts through a rigorous development session there in February. “I know quick laps there are accomplished by bravery just as much as they are by skill; but after that test, I could see parts of the track where the Cobalt engine’s supercharger will give us a definite advantage.”

“All our teams have been developing the suspensions on their Cobalts,” Wasmer added. “Their work with shock valving has made a car with terrific handling capabilities even better. We saw the proof on the stopwatches in practice at VIR.”

The GM Performance Division offers all Cobalt SS Supercharged entrants a contingency program along with the engineering technical support currently provided at every Grand-Am Cup race. The program awards contingency money for every Top Five finish: $5,000 to win, $3,000 for second, $2,000 for third, $1,000 for fourth and $500 for fifth place.

CARFAX TO SPONSOR NASCAR BUSCH SERIES RACE AT MIS ON AUGUST 19

CARFAX 250 MARKS COMPANY’S FIRST FORAY INTO NASCAR RACING

Courtesy Bill Janitz

BROOKLYN, Mich. (April 28, 2006) – NASCAR racing fans will witness history in the making this summer on the Busch Series schedule. Carfax (www.carfax.com) and Michigan International Speedway (MIS) announced today that Carfax will be the title sponsor of the August 19 “Carfax 250” NASCAR Busch Series race at MIS. As the first NASCAR sponsorship of any kind for Carfax, the company is looking to make a lasting impression on the millions of racing fans around the country.

“There’s an obvious synergy between Carfax and NASCAR racing that makes this relationship with MIS work so well,” said Larry Gamache, communications director for Carfax. “NASCAR fans are car fans and car fans use Carfax Reports. This is an exciting week for us – we launched our new Vehicle History Report and now we can’t wait until the first wave of the green flag at the Carfax 250.”

Consumers can celebrate the company’s entrance into the sport through an online sweepstakes Carfax launched today called Picking Up the Pace. The two-part sweepstakes features grand prize drawings for two fun-filled race weekends at MIS and a ride in the official pace car during each race. For the chance to be a winner and part of racing history simply log on to www.carfax250.com and fill in the entry form. Contest details, prizes and terms and conditions are all available on the Web site.

“We are certainly thrilled to partner with a strong automotive related company like Carfax,” said MIS President Brett Shelton. “At the same time, we are also very excited to add another partner with automotive ties to strengthen our position as the home of NASCAR racing in the backyard of the automotive capitol of the world. We look forward to a long relationship with Carfax as an instrumental part of NASCAR racing at MIS.”

This year will mark the first of three years Carfax is sponsoring the NASCAR Busch Series race at MIS. Several NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series stars are expected to compete in the Carfax 250 at MIS on August 19. NEXTEL Cup Series drivers that are past winners of the Busch Series race at MIS include: Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin, Michael Waltrip, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman. Last year, 12 drivers competed in both the NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series races on the same weekend at MIS. In addition to that, 18 drivers that ran in last year’s Busch Series race are competing full-time on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series circuit this season including names like Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler and rookies Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin.

Tickets are available for the August 19 NASCAR Busch Series Carfax 250, the June 18 3M Performance 400 and the August 20 GFS Marketplace 400, all at MIS. They can be purchased by calling the MIS ticket hotline at 1-800-354-1010 or by logging on to www.MISpeedway.com.

The Carfax 250 will be televised live starting at 2:45pm August 19 on TNT.

McIntosh denied top-ten World Series debut

Courtesy Stuart Morrison Public Relations

Round 1 – World Series by Renault, Zolder Circuit, Belgium Sean McIntosh, #6 Team KTR, Race 1 – Qualified: 17th / Finish: DNF - contact

Canada’s Sean McIntosh enjoyed an encouraging debut in the World Series by Renault today and despite retiring on the penultimate lap, having been collected by Japan’s Hayanari Shimoda, the Team KTR racer was pleased with what would otherwise have been a guaranteed top-ten finish.

Race 1, Qualifying (Pole – Christian Montanari, Prema Power Team, 1m17.122s)
Running an all-new 30-minute qualifying format this season, allowing drivers just seven laps to record their best time, today’s session could best be described as incident-packed! With no fewer than three red flags and numerous yellows, Sean finally emerged for his qualifying run but spun off at the chicane on what would likely have been his fastest lap, Zolder’s new track surface catching several drivers out. Traffic marred the rest of his available running, McIntosh posting a best lap of 1m19.438s around the 4.048km Belgian circuit.

Race 1, 21 Laps (Winner – Eric Salignon, Interwetten Racing)
Starting 17th on the 30-car grid, it didn’t take McIntosh long to slice his 425bhp Formula Renault 3.5 through the field towards the top-ten, placing his KTR entru 11th at the close of the opening lap. With conditions remaining cool but dry throughout the first half of the race Sean ran with the pack, happy with the pace of his car. Light rain spiced up the proceedings in the second half, enough to make track conditions a handful but not enough to pit for wet tires. Having raced through to ninth on the penultimate lap, McIntosh gained two more places before the run to the Villeneuve Chicane. As the pack locked up, an ambitious move from behind by Shimoda saw the Japanese racer spear into the front-right corner of Sean’s car, taking the Canadian out of the race and a certain top-ten, points-scoring debut.

Sean McIntosh - #6 Team KTR:
“We’ll improve the car for tomorrow’s second race but we know our pace is pretty competitive. We didn’t show our true form in qualifying; I was perhaps trying a little too hard heading into the first chicane. The race was a lot more positive and I knew I could run inside the top-ten, it’s just a shame I was taken out with a lap and a half to go!” Race 2 (28 Laps), including a mandatory pit-stop, starts tomorrow at 2:15pm CET. ENDS – www.ktr.be / www.renault-sport.com.

Tallageda on Sportsnet

Although the Sportsnet website doesn't say it, the message machine at Sportsnet says that the Aaron's 499 Nextel Cup race at Talladega, which was rained out yesterday, will be on at noon today.

SOS Fantasy League

From the SOS Insider,

The second annual SOS Fantasy League will kick off May 6th at Brighton Speedway. Last year 84 entrants competed for some great prizes and had a lot of fun. The entry deadline for the 2006 Fantasy League is Monday May 1st at 11:59PM. Entry is free of charge. One entry per person only please.

The SOS Fantasy League is not operated by the Southern Ontario Sprints. To sign up and for more information log on to the league website at http://www.geocities.com/sosfantasyleague