CASCAR: NBES Weekend Off Means CASCAR Event For Bourque

OTTAWA, ON – After rallying a strong 19th place finish in the NASCAR Busch East Series race at Adirondack International Speedway last weekend, Ottawa, Ontario native Pierre Bourque will flourish back into the CASCAR Racing Series competing in Sunday’s Trois-Rivieres Grand Prix.

Bourque enters the race looking to make his second CASCAR start for Whitlock Motorsports. Bourque guide and teammate is three time CASCAR Champion Dave Whitlock.

It’s been nearly 17 years since Bourque has competed at Formula Atlantic but rewinding back to 1989 Bourque produced a very stout eighth place finish and he’s hoping to boast a higher finish on Sunday.

“I’m really looking forward to returning to competition in the CASCAR Series,” Bourque explained. “I finished 25th at Edmonton and I’m hungry for more this weekend. This is a great series to compete in and I love racing in front of my home country. I know that Whitlock Motorsports has prepared me a great Dodge Charger for this weekend’s showdown and I’m hoping to be a contender.”

70,000 die-hard racing fans from across Quebec flocking from far as Ontario with many fans also motoring from Northern New England are expecting to attend this weekend’s events.

“It’s going to be a great crowd this weekend. I’m expecting to see the same types of crowds I’m used to seeing in a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series event. It’s huge for everyone and especially CASCAR. The fans are the ones that put us in the racecar and I really hope they enjoy themselves.”

Sunday’s race is the start to a busy week for Bourque. Immediately following Sunday’s race, the only full time Canadian NASCAR driver must prepare for his Superspeedway debut in the ARCA RE/MAX Series at Nashville Superspeedway.

“I’m hoping to bring some momentum from the race this weekend over to ARCA. I’m having a great summer. I’m having a lot of fun, but I’m learning immensely. I can’t wait to get this weekend started.”

Bourque will use this race once again not only as experience in the CASCAR Series but as additional seat time in a stock car. Bourque is spending 2006 in a variety of different racecars and sanctions, but anytime an opportunity arises to acquire seat time to boast his racing resume, it’s not a hard decision.

For a second consecutive race, Driving.Ca will adorn the primary sponsorship role this weekend. Driving.Ca is Canada’s No. 1 Automotive website. In addition, Canada.com, Canada's biggest online community, Working.com, one of North America's top career sites, and Dose.Ca, a cool site that caters to hip Canadian urbanites coast-to-coast, will all serve as secondary sponsors on Bourque’s No. 29 machine on Sunday.

All four new sponsors are part of Canwest-Global, Canada's largest media company with interests in television, radio, newspapers and the internet. All four will be backing of Bourque’s NASCAR Busch East season, his remaining two CASCAR races, and his forays into ARCA.

“I’m really excited about our new sponsors,” he said, "they are leaders in their respective fields, both in terms of the way they use new technologies and the way they attract a sizable user base. I’m looking forward to helping them expand their reach into the North American stock car base, particularly within NASCAR's Canadian fan base, which according to public opinion polls, number some six million die-hard fans.”

Full Metals Minerals and Pollara Strategic Public Opinion, Bourque’s NBES sponsors will also continue to back Bourque’s racing effort for the balance of the season as associate sponsors.

“It’s a great treat for my sponsors to be involved in the CASCAR Series,” explained Bourque. “They have been behind my racing program 100 percent and I really appreciate it. Hopefully everything will go our way this weekend and we’ll perform brilliantly in front of my fans.”

In addition to running two CASCAR Series races with Whitlock Motorsports, Pierre Bourque will also compete in a full NASCAR Busch East Series schedule and a limited ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule for Fast Track Racing and car owner Andy Hillenburg.

For further in site on Canwest-Global and its associates please log onto www.driving.ca, www.canada.com, www.working.com, and www.dose.ca.

For more information on Full Metals Minerals, please visit www.fullmetalminerals.com // For additional input on Pollara Strategic Public Opinion, please logon to www.pollara.com // To learn more about Pierre Bourque please click onto www.pierrebourque.com

Photo by Perry Nelson

Herberts Finds Positives Despite Difficult Weekend; Looks Forward to Denver

Courtesy Gerry Frechette

Coquitlam, B.C., August 3, 2006 – Adrien Herberts of Coquitlam, B.C. headed into the most recent event of the Formula BMW season at San Jose, California last weekend optimistic he would do well on the street course, but good results proved tough to achieve.

With so many cars on such a short, tight track, incidents are almost expected, and Herberts had his share. In qualifying for the first of two races, Adrien tapped the wall and he had to park the car for the rest of the session. After having run in the top seven to start the session, not being able to improve his time as is usual at the end of a session saw him drop to 14th in the final analysis. The race was a short one, as the hairpin turn one took its toll, major contact ending his race right then and there.

In qualifying for the second race, Adrien was again quick right off the bat, but then he had no luck dealing with all the traffic and had some issues with the braking on his car, and he ended up a disappointed 24th on the grid. As seen before, though, that would give him the chance to salvage the weekend by passing numerous slower cars, and he ended up 12th for a good result.

Adrien remains positive about the weekend, in that he knows that he and his team have the ability to run up front in qualifying, with a little more good fortune. Heading into the next event in Denver in two weeks, he is one of only several drivers in the Formula BMW field to have driven there last year, so he is looking forward to having an early advantage in qualifying and running some quick laps so as to start the races further up the grid.

“I like the track in Denver and know it well,” Adrien says of the street circuit where he ran as high as second last year, “and we’ll be going full steam there to finish the qualifying sessions near the front, where we know we can be.”

For further information on Formula BMW, go to www.formulabmwusa.com or www.herbertsracing.com.

BROWN GEARS UP FOR TROIS RIVIERES

Courtesy Ken Spencer

The 2006 CASCAR Super Series tour is about to reach the halfway point in the season but as most drivers and their teams will attest to, it’s already been anything but dull given the way the schedule has been formulated. With just five of the schedule’s eleven events run todate, those teams vying for the coveted Championship in Canada’s premier stock car racing series have already competed in three provinces, on two road courses (Mosport and Edmonton) and two ovals (Barrie twice and Vernon, BC.) and are now headed for Quebec for another road course event -The Grand Prix Des Trois Rivieres, billed as Canada’s most historic road racing weekend.

“The schedule has been hectic to say the least”, Doug Brown responded when questioned recently on how he felt the season had been going so far. “It certainly shows the diversity of our series and the added skills one has to develop in learning to deal with the various track sizes and configurations. And with two more road course races with limited practice times still to come, you have to adept quickly to stay in contention.”

This weekend’s trek will see the NAPA Autopro pilot doing a lot of gear shifting, both up and down, to navigate at top speeds around the 1.51-mile, 3.38-kilometer circuit located on the St. Lawrence River midway between Montreal and Quebec City.

He also knows it will take not only speed but also a smooth performance to finish near the front of the pack.

Two weeks ago, a slipping clutch cost Brown a couple of positions and a potential top-ten finish during CASCAR’s event at the Grand Prix of Edmonton CHAMP Car weekend.

The Brantford driver currently sits eighth in CASCAR’s tightening points’ race and he’s hoping to improve upon that position over the balance of the schedule.

“We have four of our final five races on the ovals where we certainly feel more comfortable, but we know that we have to learn the road course techniques to excel in this series,” he responded when questioned on what he must do to improve his overall performance.

After this weekend and next weekend’s Mosport Speedway oval track race, CASCAR teams will be heading to Montreal for the CHAMP Car weekend show - August 25, 26, 27. They close out the schedule on the ovals with September events at Cayuga International Speedway, Autodrome St. Eustache and Kawartha Speedway, tracks where Doug has enjoyed strong runs in past Series’ competition.

He’s certainly hoping those venues will produce the results he needs to stay in the top-ten or better standings in the championship chase.

The Brown Auto Racing #10 CASCAR Super Series Team is proud to have NAPA/Autopro as its Title Sponsor. Haldex Limited is a Major Associate Sponsor with Bicknell Racing Products; World of Graphics; HurryPrint Imaging Centre; WIX Filters; KWIC Internet; Gates Canada; BOC Gases; Advance Printing; Brochures etc; Davis Fuels, Leitch Performance Engines, Jebbo’s Computer Warehouse, Strodes BBQ & Deli and Leaf Racewear forming its Associate Sponsorship Marketing team.

CASCAR: Godin to drive a Mid America car at T.R.

Montréal, August 2, 2006 ­ Sportimage.net - As announced last week, driver Bertrand Godin makes a comeback to motorsports competition this weekend at Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. Godin will be part of CASCAR series for this event as well as for the rest of the season, with Ontario racing team Mid America Team. This is a new challenge Godin is looking forward to.

Bertrand Godin, who drove on the threshold of Formula One when he entered the Formula 3000 series in 1997, will be racing in Trois-Rivières for the 4th time. “I remember very well my 5th place in Indy Lights in 1996, it was my first time here”, said Godin, which Mr. Muffler has been sponsoring for years. The following year, I was second on the grid in Formula Atlantic. My last participation goes back to 2003 in the Fastcar series. I finished second, with a gearbox problem. The transmission had been stuck in third gear for most of the race.”

Last Monday, Godin had a chance to test-drive Mid America’s car at the Toronto Motorsports Park. “This is the first time in ages that I get to know the car before I get to the event! Usually I find out about its handling during the first official trials”, said Godin. “The car handles well, it is very smooth, and it keeps all its power. The adaptation with the car happened naturally, and communications with the team went without a hitch”, added Godin, eager to go racing.

It’s rather funny to think that Dave Didero, president of Mid America Team, used to be the mechanics of a certain Gilles Villeneuve, back in 1976, at Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, when he won so spectacularly the Formula Atlantic race. Will history repeat itself 30 years later?
For more information on Bertrand Godin, visit his website at http://www.bertrandgodin.com/, or visit that of Cascar series, at www.cascar.ca.

Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières 2006
CASCAR Schedule
Friday, August 4
10 h 50 to 11 h 10 Free trials 20 min
13 h 50 to 14 h 10 Free trials 20 min
Saturday, August 5
10 h 30 to 11 h 00 Qualifying session
Sunday, August 6
11 h 25 to 12 h 15 Race

CASCAR 2006 Schedule
August 4-6 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec
August 12 Mosport Speedway, Bowmanville, Ontario
August 25-27 Grand Prix Champ Car de Montréal. Montréal, Québec
September 02-03 Cayuga Speedway, Nelles Corners, Ontario
September 09 Autodrome Ste. Eustache, Ste. Eustache, Québec
September 16, 17 Kawartha Speedway,Peterborough, Ontario

Contact : Sportimage Communications

Spiering to defend title in Torco Racing Fuels Pro Modified Shootout

Courtesy Bruce F. Mehlenbacher

JORDAN STATION, ON (August 3, 2006) - Carl Spiering will return to U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan to defend his title in the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Modified Shootout at the Northern Nationals in the IHRA eMax Drag Racing Series this weekend.

Spiering, driver of the Eaton Electrical Supercharged Pro Modified Chevrolet Camaro will be one of the favorites as the IHRA’s Pro Modified contingent “great eight” race-off to determine the best in the Pro Modified ranks.

“We should have a good shot at repeating, we’ve had lots of time to prepare and the Eaton Road Warrior Team is focused on winning like I’ve never seen them before,” said the 41-year old Spiering, from Jordan Station, Ontario. “It’s time to turn this year around and win some events. There’s big money up this weekend thanks to Torco and we want it.”

Carl Spiering leads the pursuit in the chase over all other teams in the Torco Racing Fuels Pro Modified class earning points based on the teams’ final qualifying spot at each national event. The top eight point earners will have the opportunity this weekend to participate in the 2006 Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified Shootout.

Canadian Spiering suffered a car-destroying crash at the first race of the season, but was able to rebuild his race program and not miss a beat. He’ll face-off in the first round against Scotty Cannon, Jr., son of multiple-time world champion Scott Cannon, Sr. Ironically like Spiering, Cannon suffered a devastating crash in his new GTO to kick off the season, but has been running well since.

The 25th Anniversary Torco Racing Fuels Northern Nationals will begin Friday, August 4 in Martin, Michigan, and will conclude with championship eliminations Sunday, August 6.

Drag racing legend “Big Daddy” Don Garlits coming to nostalgia event at Lancaster Raceway Park Aug. 12-13

Courtesy John Bisci

LANCASTER, N.Y. – Drag racing legend “Big Daddy” Don Garlits is returning to Lancaster Raceway Park to participate in the 14th annual Sunday Niagara! spectacular Aug. 12-13. The man dubbed “King of the Dragsters” and the National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) No. 1 driver of all time will sign autographs on both days of the nostalgia drag racing show, seated at his historic, record-breaking Swamp Rat I dragster.
The weekend actually begins on Friday, Aug. 11, with a full program of International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) drag racing featuring an added nostalgia class.

On Saturday, Aug. 12, Sunday Niagara! kicks off at 9 a.m., with tech inspection at 10 a.m. and time trials at noon. Eliminations will take place at 5 p.m. The show will include four front-engine Top Fuel Dragsters, two nostalgia Funny Cars and more than 100 of the country’s finest Willys, Anglia and Austin Gassers. The day will include a nostalgia eliminator class for cars 1975 and older and fans can enjoy live music after the races.
Sunday Niagara! continues on Sunday, Aug. 13, with The Hot Rod Happening presented by Buffalo’s Clutch Artists car club.

The show is open to all antiques, hot rods, customs and collector cars. Cars entered in the show also are invited to drag race on Lancaster’s 1/8-mile strip. In addition to Garlits’ appearance and the car show, the day will include ‘60s muscle cars, front-engine dragsters, Gassers and Altereds. Entries are expected from as far away as California, Nevada, Texas and Florida. Gates will open on Sunday at 8 a.m.

Lancaster Raceway Park is located at 57 Gunnville Road in Lancaster, N.Y., just east of N.Y. State Thruway Exit 49. For more information, please call the speedway at (716) 759-6818 or visit online at www.lancasterracing.com.

Slacks to be honored during Labor Day Weekend Classic

Courtesy Bruce F. Mehlenbacher

NELLES CORNERS, ON (July 31, 2006) – For more than 25 years, Cayuga International Speedway was owned, managed, and promoted by the Slack Family of Caledonia. And during this quarter-century, the Speedway developed and built a program of oval track racing to become the top track of its kind in Canada.

When Bob and Leone Slack, who will be honored for their commitment to Cayuga this September 3, purchased the track in 1966, the 5/8ths-mile D-shaped oval was paved, and regular Friday night racing was established. Teams from Southern Ontario and New York State loved the big track and the speeds they could obtain.

The regular weekly racing continued into the 1980s, but Cayuga established its “specials only” format, presenting a handful of top racing shows. It was during this time the track’s reputation flourished as the Slacks presented events such as the ASA (American Speed Association), American-Canadian Tour (ACT), CASCAR, NASCAR North, McKerlie-Millen, Player’s Ltd./GM Motorsport Series, DIRT Asphalt Modifieds, and the popular Super Modified races.

But the Slacks also presented the Great American Truck Racing (GATR) Big Rig semi-truck races and Big Rig Truck Show and the NTPA Tractor Pulls.

These latter events, as with the Molson ASA events and the Maple Leaf 250 events, all had one thing in common: the shows were the best, and the fans went home knowing they had witnessed racing they could not see anywhere else in the country.

The May 2-4 Victoria Day Weekend event became a tradition for concert-goers who watched top performers at Cayuga. The half-time shows during race events featured jet-powered trucks, skydiving, and car tug-of-wars, all presented to give the fans an interesting and well-rounded show.

The fans loved it all. Cayuga became the premier facility in Canada, with an international reputation for presenting the best.

One of the highlights of the Labor Day Weekend Classic this coming September 2 and 3 will be a well-deserved tribute to Bob and Leone Slack. The heritage they gave to Cayuga will be honored, a heritage that will continue in the future.

Ordering tickets is convenient and simple by just calling Ticketmaster at (416) 870-8000, or ordering online through www.ticketmaster.ca.

For information about the Labor Day Weekend Classic at Cayuga International Speedway call (866) 670-1958 or online at www.cayugaracing.com.

Cayuga International Speedway is located one kilometer north of Nelles Corners, ON. From the town of Cayuga take Highway 3 west for eight kilometers to Nelles Corners and turn right on Haldimand Road 20.

MERRITTVILLE’S RACELINE SUPER FAN WINS NASCAR AT CHARLOTTE!

Courtesy Erica Bicknell

THOROLD, ON - It’s a summer of streaks! Merrittville Speedway is proud to announce for the 4th season on a row, during Merrittville’s 55th anniversary, The Raceline Radio Super Fan Contest, 2006 edition, launches when Direct Energy Essential Home Services presents a full weekly racing series program Saturday August 12th.

Race fans will be given an entry ballot every Saturday up to and including the draw Saturday September 9th – qualifying them for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the Bank of America 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina this October.

The Super Fan Contest establishes Merrittville as the only speedway in the region that offers NASCAR prizes for their fans.

Raceline Radio, Canada’s national motor sport radio voice, is heard weekly, year-round, coast to coast. The show features news from all the major sanctions, plus all-star guests, and is anchored my Merrittville Speedway announcer Erik Tomas.

Out of a total of 21 syndicated stations, race fans in Southern Ontario airspace can tune in on AM 900 CHML Hamilton Sunday Nights from 8 to 9 PM. In Niagara and Western New York, Raceline Radio is aired Monday Nights at 9 PM on 105.1 The River, Niagara Falls, and The FAN 590 Toronto at 7 PM.
“We’re very appreciative of the support from Erik, Raceline Radio, The River, and Lowe’s! ”, relates GM Erica Bicknell adding, “ We’ve got the best fans on DIRT and this is just another way to say thanks for coming out and enjoying the shows!”

Merrittville Speedway race fans can enter The Super Fan contest each event they attend including the Economy Paving BRP 360 Late Models (August 19th), the RK Shaver Konzelmann Estate Winery Enduro Qualifier Night ( August 26th), the Avondale Food Stores Labour Day FANtastic Night (September 2nd) and the Friday and Saturday event of the season-ending J&S Heating and Air Conditioning Weekend (September 8th and 9th).

The winning fan will receive their prize on the front straight during intermission. In the event of a weather cancellation, the winner will be notified by telephone.

For further information on the remaining events of the season, call 905-892-8266 or visit
www.merrittvillespeedway.com.

ALSTAR Charity Ride for "The War Amps" Route

From the ALSTAR Series:

With this weekend fast approaching & the weather looking awesome, (26 degrees, partly cloudy, perfect touring weather), we are pleased to release the official route of the ALSTAR Charity Ride for "The War Amps". Please don't forget the benefit breakfast being hosted at Steelback Sauble Speedway on Sunday morning between the hours of eight & ten. This breakfast is open to everyone.

Click here for the full route.

Food Booth opens at Steelback Sauble Speedway at 3:00 pm with closing ceremonies to commence at 3:30 pm. We must vacate grandstand area of speedway at 4:00 pm so the speedway staff can prepare for their evening of racing.

Thanks for anything you can do for us to help support the "The War Amps". They are truly a great organization that does so much goodness for so many people of all ages, especially children. Drive Safe

Keith Hepburn Email: khepburn@bmts.com
ALSTAR Charity Ride Event Co-ordinator
http://www.alstarseries.com/ALSTAR_Officia/Motorcylce_ALS.html

For More info: www.saublespeedway.com // www.alstarseries.com

Rocket Rally teams up with Easy Rider and BFGoodrich Tires

Courtesy Rocket Rally

SQUAMISH, BC, JUL 31, 2006 - Patrick Richard, the dominant rally driver in North American rally car competition and the reigning U.S. Rally Champion, announced today two additional associate sponsorship agreements for the 2006 Summer X Games 12, to be held this week in Los Angeles, Aug. 3-6th.

The Easy Rider, one of the largest independent snowboard/skateboard retailers in Western Canada, and BFGoodrich Tires, the leading supplier of tires to the World Rally Championship, have both joined Richard and his Canadian team Rocket Rally in their bid to secure a medal at this week's X Games 12.

"Patrick is one of the favorites for an X Games gold medal in the rally cars," explained Easy Rider principal Warren Currie, "and involvement in the X Games is a natural fit for our business. Everyone who comes into our stores knows about the X Games and will either be there in person, or watching the X Games on television. If we can proudly display our involvement with the team and help Patrick along the way, its a win for both sides."

The Easy Rider is the top dealer in Western Canada for a number of top snowboarding brands including Burton Snowboards and Forum Snowboards, as well clothing and accesory brands Volcom, Quiksilver and Nixon. "The Easy Rider is a hard core shop," explained Richard, himself an avid snowboarder and 1995 North American Boardercross champion. "They've been involved in the business since 1983, and Warren and his brother Scott were instrumental in first getting snowboarding allowed at all the major Canadian resorts on the eastern side of the Rockies."

Also teaming up with Rocket Rally is BFGoodrich Tires, the leading supplier of rally tires to the World Rally Championship. "We were able to secure a last-minute deal with BFGoodrich Tires that will allow us to use their world-class product at the X Games. This is a major coup in our bid to place in the medals - their competition tires are simply the best out there. This places us on an equal footing tire-wise with some of the other top contenders." Other top drivers invited to X Games 12 include World Rally Champion Colin McCrae and renowned motion picture stunt driver Rhys Millen, driving star of "The Dukes of Hazzard" movie and "Fast and Furious 3 - Tokyo Drift".

Richard will be partnered at the 2006 X Games by his sister, Nathalie Richard, who has co-driven Patrick to his most recent North American Rally titles. Nathalie, a strong rally co-driver in her own right, is currently the host of the Rally America television series, broadcast internationally on both ESPN and OLN. Most recently, she hosted the televised broadcast of the International Pikes Peak Hillclimb for ESPN2.

The 2006 X Games 12 Rally Car event will start on August 3rd, finishing August 5th in front of over 40,000 live fans at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, California. Featuring a live telecast in prime-time on ABC, one of America's premier broadcast networks, the X Games rally event will also be broadcast internationally through ESPN and its worldwide affiliates.

Rain makes for a long day at Mosport for SRFKC

Courtesy Russ Bond

MOSPORT, ONTARIO – The fourth of six rounds of the Sunoco Ron Fellows Karting Championship got off to a good start on Saturday, July 29, until the rains came just as the finals were starting. After a four hour delay, the racing got going again – with some exciting action. The Rotax Max Senior race finished in a downpour – which served as the basis for several protests. The results were not final on Saturday night, and no podium was awarded. Other winners on the day were; Gary Klutt in Canada Junior Heavy, Anthony Furfari in F1-K Cadet, Jesse Facchini in World Formula Junior, Greg Rempel in Canada Senior and David Ostella in F1-K Junior.

Rotax Max Senior
Pfaff Fast Qualifier; Pearce Herder
Pearce Herder couldn’t convert his qualifying performance into wins in round 4. Marco Di Leo won the prefinal after passing Herder in the last corner on the last lap. In the final, it was Di Leo’s turn to come under fire as Eric Gerrits passed him for the lead. With two laps to go, the rains came, and it put the result in doubt for Gerrits as he was passed coming out of the final corner. The officials chose to stop the race a lap early, handing back the win to Gerrits. Di Leo was second and Mike Vincec third.

Canada Junior Heavy
Pfaff Fast Qualifier; Cory Luciano
Micheal Di Meo took the prefinal win from third on the grid, ahead of Gary Klutt, who qualified second. Third in the prefinal was Nick Martin, with Kevin Monteith fourth and pole sitter Luciano fifth. In the final it came down to the last corner for second on back after Klutt had built a little lead. Jim Souch finished second, with Kevin Monteith third.

F1-K Cadet
Pfaff Fast Qualifier; Anthony Furfari
Furfari was the first of the polesitters on the day to back up his Pfaff Fast Qualifier award with a prefinal win. Furfari beat Reid Arnold by .292 of a second. Garrett Grist was third. The final was all Furfari, as he won by over 4 seconds. Grist was second and Reid Arnold recovered nicely from an early half spin to finish third.

World Formula Junior
Pfaff Fast Qualifier; Wyatt Van Wart
Wyatt Van Wart took his first Pfaff Fast Qualifier award of the year. Unfortunately he followed the trend at Mosport not to be able to win the prefinal from the pole. Wart finished sixth in the prefinal that was won by Jesse Facchini. Behind Facchini came Scott Laporte and Jeff May. Jesse Facchini won by a huge margin after Scott Laporte and Jeff May dropped out with mechanical problems. Joshua Koryeni was second and Wart was third.

Canada Senior
Pfaff Fast Qualifier; Pearce Herder
Pearce Herder took his second Pfaff Fast Qualifier award of the day when he claimed the pole for Canada Senior. Herder, like Furfari was able to convert the pole into a prefinal win. Behind Herder came Kyle Herder, and Greg Rempel. In the final, Greg Rempel came through to take the win after some last corner contact between leader Pearce Herder and second place runner Marco Di Leo. After the officials sorted this one out, Rempel won, Evan Hayden was second and Mike Rogers was third.

F1-K Junior
Pfaff Fast Qualifier; David Ostella
David Ostella took his fourth Pfaff Fast Qualifier award of the year in F1-K Junior. Ostella had some competition for the prefinal win from Cory Luciano, who qualified third. Behind Luciano was Vincent Rago. Ostella easily cruised home to victory in the final, with Vincent Rago second and Cory Luciano third. Addison Rayner hounded Luciano the entire distance, but had to settle for fourth.

GM Racing award for outstanding skill went to Gary Klutt for his win in Canada Junior Heavy.

Holland's Marc Miller is Michigan's best shot for Reality TV Show

Courtesy Dianna Stampfler

August 1, 2006 – Holland's Marc Miller is now Michigan's best shot to make it on a new reality show called Racin' for a Livin' -- with the help and support from fans both in West Michigan and around the state. He is one of 21 "wild card" drivers competiting for the top 5 spots to advance to the show. Placement is based on media points and fan voting, which runs through August 15. As of July 22 -- when the last rankings were available -- Marc was sitting at #8. He's been ranked as high as #3 and as low as #12. Recent media coverage in Detroit -- a major market -- should bolster his standing when tallies are updated yet this week.

The top 15 "rookie" drivers were announced August 1, after the field was narrowed from 50 drivers nation-wide (see rankings below). Dan Frazier from Portage ranked #19 in that category and was named one of five alternate drivers for the show. In all, five drivers from Michigan were in the competition -- three in the "rookie" category and two in the "wild card" category. Chris Hettinger and Jeremy Campbell did not place in the top 20 in the "rookie" division. At last check, Jeff McKenzie was ranked #17 in the "wild card" division.

Racin' for a Livin' will be filmed this fall featuring the top 15 "rookie" and top 5 "wild card" drivers from the competition. The show is expected to air in early 2007.

Miller races the #8 Carhartt Dodge Charger in the CASCAR circuit in Canada.

For more info visit www.voteformarcmiller.com or www.themarcmillershow.com or www.racinforalivin.com.

McIntosh hungry for more heading to Nurburgring

Courtesy Stuart Morrison Public Relations

Montreal, Canada (August 01, 2006) – Following his second place podium finish in the first race at Spa-Francorchamps last Friday, Sean McIntosh heads to Germany’s Nurburgring Circuit this weekend, 5th-6th August, for Round 6 of the 2006 World Series by Renault looking to build on tenth place in the Driver Standings.

McIntosh’s podium performance at Spa, racing for the Belgian-based KTR squad, followed another strong qualifying showing by the 21-year-old Canadian, one where he traded top- spot with eventual pole and race winner Pastor Maldonado. Sean’s seventh and ninth place qualifying efforts at Spa marked his third and fourth straight top-ten qualifying slots with his eventual podium in the first racing also racking up his fourth points scoring run in five races.

Despite a DNF in the second race at Spa on Saturday, having failed to make it past the first chicane on the opening lap courtesy of being an innocent victim of a three-car incident triggered by Davide Valsechhi, McIntosh’s recent form has catapulted the Vancouver-native into the top-ten in points with four World Series by Renault rounds remaining, starting this weekend in Germany.

Buoyed by his recent showings, Sean’s hoping for similar success at the Nurburgring and has good reason to be optimistic based on his pace at the 5.148km home of the ‘European Grand Prix, in pre-season testing. April’s German test saw the A1GP winner top the timesheets on the opening day of the two-day test by an impressive two tenths of a second before going on to set the third fastest time on the second day.

Commenting on his return to the Nurburgring Sean remarked:

“I’m obviously looking forward to returning to Germany knowing the car was quick there in pre-season testing. Hopefully we can produce more of the same although there will different factors to take into consideration this time round such as the weather. I’m hoping we’ll just need to fine tune the set-up and get to the point where we build on last weekend’s podium finish. I want to be higher than tenth in the championship fight, we’re improving each time out and focusing on the results we need to finish up at the front by seasons end.”

This weekend’s schedule of events starts on Friday with a pair of 45-minute test sessions. Race 1 (17 laps) starts on Saturday, 5th August, at 2:45pm CET followed by Race 2 (23 laps) on Sunday, 6th August, at 1pm CET.

For more information visit www.ktr.be or www.renault-sport.com.

A1GP SET TO RACE THROUGH UK STREETS ON AUGUST 13, 2006

Courtesy Nikki Rooke

The A1GP World Cup of Motorsport will bring speed and excitement to the streets of Manchester, UK this summer as part of Sky Festival. In a UK-first, six elite A1GP cars and drivers will complete a 1.5km course, through the centre of Manchester from 2-3pm on Sunday 13 August – the third and final day of the three day free festival.

Members of the public will be able to take part in the A1GP action from special viewing areas as the cars roar through the city streets, reaching speeds of up to 70mph along sections of the course, which runs from Corporation Street, up to Albert Square, around Manchester’s Town Hall, along Deansgate, through St Mary’s Gate and back to the starting point in Corporation Street.

A dedicated interactive A1GP paddock, located in Exchange Square, will be open to the public on Friday and Saturday from 10am-8pm and on Sunday from 10am-12pm and 3.30pm-7pm, offering people the chance to get up close to the cars and drivers with a nine car display simulating a real-life race paddock. With interactive opportunities such as ‘wear the race suit’ and the tyre change challenge – members of the public will get a first hand experience of life as an A1GP driver and mechanic.

A1 Teams Australia, China, Great Britain, Ireland, Lebanon, and Malaysia will all run the specially designed road course on Sunday 13 August.

The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour returns

Courtesy Miranda Carr

August 2nd, 2006, Fredericton, NB – After a well deserved break for fans and NBIS officials, NBIS will return with another big race. The CARQUEST Maritime Pro Stock Tour is back in town for their second race this season. Tour familiars such as John Flemming, Wayne Smith, and former NBIS champion Shawn Tucker are expected along with some familiar NBIS Pro Stock drivers.

Last weekend, familiar faces of NBIS such as, Brent Wiggins and Kirk Thibeau along with tour drivers John Flemming, Rollie MacDonald, and Scott Alexander took part in the TD Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway. Many Canadian Fans travelled the distance to support their Canadian drivers. The race also hosted NASCAR drivers Kyle Busch, Ricky Craven, Denny Hamlin and J.J Yeley. It was an exciting race with a father and son finishing in the top two spots. The 22 year old Jeremie Whorff took home the win while his dad, Bill Whorff Jr. took home the second spot.

The familiar faces of NBIS will return this weekend for 100 laps of exciting Pro Stock racing. Fans will not only get their share of excitement in the CARQUEST Pro Stock division but they will also see some rubbing and good racing in the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman division along with the Coast Tire Street Stock Division.

Along with the weekends Saturday night racing, NBIS will host the second Enduro 200 of the season on Monday at 2:00pm. The chase for the leading point’s position has begun with the 2005 Enduro Champion, Dale Hathaway and Benji Ruff, in the lead. Monday’s event will be promising as there are many more enduro drivers registered.

NBIS Staff have started making preparations for the biggest on track event of the season. The Irving Oil 250 is only 5 weeks away and staff along with the fans are very excited for the event. Johnny Benson will return to the Irving Oil 250 this year along with a new face from the Busch North division. Brad Leighton will be taking part in the Irving Oil 250 this year along with many other familiar drivers.

This weekend will be one exciting weekend with a double dose of racing with the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour on Saturday, August 2nd and the fan favourite Enduro 200 on Monday, August 7th. Fans might have missed a weekend of racing but will come back to a double take this weekend at NBIS.

CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour 100
Saturday, August 2nd at 7:00pm
Pit gates open at 3pm
Grandstands open at 5pm
Racing starts at 7pm
Regular points racing in Coast Tire Street Stock Divisions and Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman with the Maritime Pro Stock Tour 100.

Ticket Prices:
Adults (16 and over) $20
Youth (ages 9-15) $15
Children (ages 8 and under) FREE

Family Pass: Two adults, Two youth plus 4 pop and 4 fries for $75.

New Brunswick International Speedway is Canada’s Fastest Short Track. The 1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features three classes of racing on a weekly basis: CARQUEST Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating, and Coast Tire Street Stocks. Over 60,000 people are expected to attend over 25 events during the 2006 season. NBIS is located off Highway 7 on Route 660 in Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton.

Bourque Claims Another Top-20 In NBES Competition At Adirondack

LOWVILLE, NY – NASCAR Busch East Series Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Pierre Bourque rebounded from a couple of tough races by collecting his fifth top-20 finish of the 2006 season by crossing the line 19th at Adirondack International Speedway last weekend.

Bourque turned the 27th fastest lap in the first practice session of the weekend guiding his No. 10 Chevrolet Monte Carlo to a speed of 18.128 seconds or 99.294 mph. “Adirondack is a very interesting racetrack,” said Bourque after the session. “It’s a very green track for me, but I think we have a pretty good racecar. There is endless turning here, we’re always turning which should make it a very interesting race. Hopefully we can improve throughout the weekend.

Indeed the second practice session mounted good results for Bourque. During the final practice session leading to qualifying, Bourque had turned a respectable lap of 17.824 seconds or 100.987 mph putting 24th on the speed charts.

In qualifying, Bourque continued to show his mass improvements from the first practice. During his mock session, Bourque picked up four-tenths of a second from the final practice session maneuvering a lap of 17.514 seconds equaling a speed of 102.775 mph good enough for 25th on the starting lineup. “We’re continuing to get better and that’s key,” Bourque said following qualifying. “I think we have a pretty competitive car for the race and we have good intentions for the race.”

The first half of the race, Bourque battled handling issues describing to the crew that he had no forward bite on a track that requires a lot of it. The only full time Canadian NASCAR driver continued to fight like a veteran until his Fast Track Racing crew could make the necessary adjustments to correct the handling on his driving.ca, canada.com, working.com and dose.ca Chevrolet.

At the first opportunity, Bourque ducked to pit road with crew chief Dave McClure bolting on fresh right side tires bringing back a competitive racecar to the driver. The change made all the difference allowing Bourque to gain ground in the second half of the race.

While it was a very quiet race for the Ottawa, Ontario native he soldiered home with a 19th place finish rebounding from a 26th place finish in his last outing at New Hampshire International Speedway. “We’ll take 19th,” he said. “We brought the car home in one piece and that was one of our goals. I’m really proud of the Fast Track Racing team we were solid all weekend. From the start of the first practice to the checkered flag we improved. We can’t complain about that. Hopefully the monkey is off our back and we can march forward with our next race in two weeks.”

With his finish at Adirondack, Bourque inched one spot up in the national point standings to 17th just 31 markers out of the top-15. “We don’t have a lot of races left, so hopefully we can have an impact for the remainder of the season. If we finish in the top-15 I’ll be happy with that. I’m trying to gain ground in the rookie standings and hopefully we can win the title that would be great.”

With another respectable finish under his belt, Bourque will refocus on the CASCAR Racing Series as he is scheduled to compete in his second of three CASCAR events this weekend at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec driving for Whitlock Motorsports.

“I’m really looking forward to competing in another CASCAR event this weekend. In my debut, we had an okay finish. We qualified and finished the race. That is good for your debut. Now, hopefully everything will work into my favor and we can put a top-15 finish together this weekend.”

Even with a two week break from NBES competition, Bourque won’t take a break as he’ll steer towards the ARCA RE/MAX Series a week from Saturday planning to make his second career start in the developmental series at Nashville Superspeedway. “I can’t wait to return to ARCA racing,” boasted Bourque. “The ARCA RE/MAX Series is a great series and full of a lot of talent. I made my debut at Winchester a short track. Now, I’m heading to a Superspeedway and I’m expecting a lot of good things. The Fast Track Racing team will put together a great racecar for me.”

After a two week breather from competition, the NASCAR Busch East Series will return to competition on August 19th at Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford Connecticut.

In addition to running the full NASCAR Busch East Series in 2006, Pierre Bourque and Fast Track Racing will make limited starts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Bourque will also make two CASCAR Series races later this year with Whitlock Motorsports.

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Prepared by Chris Knight, Fast Track Racing

ST. THOMAS DRAGWAY: Hot Rod Reunion

SPARTA, ON – The Ninth Annual CANUSA Hot Rod Reunion will be held this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, August 5 & 6 at St. Thomas Dragway.

Featured classes include the wildly popular PMRA Pro Mods, the ONDR Nostalgia classes, Dan Pirisi's Jet Dragster, Pro Comp, an All Willys Shootout, a Cruise, a burn-out contest and two full days of bracket action.

The Pro Mods and Pro Comp will qualify Saturday at 3 and 7.30 and Sunday at 1. The Gladiator Jet Dragster of Canada's own Dan Pirisi will perform Saturday at 3 and 9 and Sunday at 1 and 4.

The ONDR, Canada's fastest growing club for nostalgia drag cars, will race one full bracket Saturday and four brackets Sunday, Nostalgia Hot Rod, Nostalgia Gasser, Nostalgia Super Stock and Nostalgia Electronics.

All five races will feature cash payouts plus trophies. Friday night=s Performance Unlimited Street Legal will be open for all cars, street legal or not. Saturday night's Run What Ya Brung program will start with the Bob Williams Tire and Auto Burn-out contest for street tired vehicles at 6, followed by time trials at 6.30, Pro Mod and Pro Comp qualifying at 7.30, the All Willys Shootout open to all Willys race cars at 8 and the Gladiator Jet Dragster at 9.

Sunday will start with pre-race ceremonies at 11 with a photo and autograph session for the Pro Mods and a reshoot of the original track staff from opening day 1962. All of the original track staff with two exceptions will be back to restage the photo in front of the original timing tower. Interviews will be conducted with the Pro Mod drivers, the sponsors and the original staff.

Racing will commence at 1 with the final Pro Mod and Pro Comp qualifiers and the Gladiator Jet Dragster followed by time trials and eliminations. The winners of Sunday's Top, Mod, Street and Bike classes will run off for $1,000 including their class win.

Gates open at noon Friday for weekend camping, Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 9. Friday night admission is $5, Saturday (day and night) is $15, Saturday night is $10 and Sunday is $20. A weekend pass is available for $30 and weekend camping is available for $50. Children under 12 are as always no charge.

Monday will see the return of the Great Canadian Bagel/Quality Automotive Shootout from 10-4. Car and driver $50 and spectators are no charge. Various prizes will be supplied.
For further information, contact the track at 519-775-2263 or visit the website at www.stthomasdragway.com

F1: Jacques to sit one out

Villeneuve seemed to be fine when he got out of the car after his crash, but apparently not, according to this report. Maybe.... But why do we get the impression that he's being benched?

(AP) Robert Kubica will replace Canadian Jacques Villeneuve at the wheel of a BMW-Sauber car at the Hungarian Grand Prix, becoming the first Polish driver to contest a Formula One race.
"Jacques has informed us that he is not ready to race after his Hockenheim accident," BMW team chief Mario Theissen said. The native of Iberville, Que., crashed during the German GP on Sunday, but did not appear to be hurt. Kubica, 21, has been test driving for BMW-Sauber team this year.

OSCAAR PREVIEW: Hot Summer Outlaw Action This Saturday At Peterborough Speedway

By Don McLeod

PETERBOROUGH, ON – Catch all the excitement of OSCAAR Outlaw racing at Peterborough Speedway this Saturday August 5 starting at 6pm. Many of the teams are looking forward to their first visit of 2006 at the steeply banked 1/3 mile oval.

It will be a good opportunity to test set-up and car performance prior to the Don Biederman Memorial which takes place at Peterborough one month from now. Any time the Super Late Models hit the track, fans can count on lots of action. Nose-to-tail and side-by-side racing at Peterborough is a highlite in the OSCAAR season.

Hopes are high for successful returns of Mike Bricknell, John Owen and Al Shepstone. Bricknell purchased Dave Horner's #79 chassis and the team has been working hard at getting a revitalized #69 back on track. This is a great come-back from what looked like a season-ending wreck.

The #2 Outlaw of John Owen was plagued by early season gremlins and Owen vowed not to return until that car could perform at a competitive level. The entire #2 team is looking forward to a good run at Peterborough to get their 2006 season back on track.

Shepstone had repairs and several parts to replace after the Mosport crash on June 24th. With such a promising start to the season, the #15 team also hopes for a turn-around this Saturday.
The OSCAAR schedule shows seven more races left in 2006 as we reach the mid-season point. Already there are several tight battles in the championship standings.

Only 32 points separate 3rd, 4th and 5th for Drew Spicer, Phil Bullen and Shane Maginnis. You only have to go back another 77 points to a 3 point spread between 6th and 7th for Glenn Watson and Lloyd Ritchie.

Rounding out the top ten in a 26 point battle are Ed Bowlby, Roy Passer and Al Shepstone. Then of course there is the 106 point spread between 1st and 2nd. However, neither of those teams wants to jinx the season with talk about points, so hush, no one is talking about that !
With Rob Clarke's win at Sauble, the #49 team let everyone know "they're back".

Maybe someone poked the "black bear" a few too many times; the whole field will now be on the lookout for a hard-charging JBM Leasing #49 Outlaw during the balance of the '06 season. Clarke will have a wary eye looking out for the blistering hot JNE Consulting #61 and John Fletcher.

The whole 61 team is pumped on their 2006 season and have the best track record to date with three wins and no feature finish lower than 2nd spot. Fans can look forward to another great battle at Peterborough - see you there!

OSCAAR Team #61 Preview: First of Three for Team JNE Consulting At Peterborough Speedway

MILTON, ON - The fast 1/3 mile Peterborough Speedway oval will play host Saturday August 5th to the OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models and current points leader and winner of three of the first five feature events of 2006.



John Fletcher and Team JNE Consulting have always had a special place for Peterborough Speedway, with many feature event wins here as well some hard aches, it is also the home of John’s first super late model event in the Flex-Mor Series back in 1993.

With the speeds the supers carry around the speedway there are always a handful of drivers that put themselves in position to capture victory. Team JNE Consulting has hopes that they can continue to have the runs of 2006 but realistic that the current 106 point lead over Rob Clarke can change in a heartbeat, as the pair have been eliminated in a first lap accident at this race in 2004. The Hyped up team looks forward to the next event as Peterborough Speedway always packs the house for OSCAAR.

From Scott FletcherDirector of MotorsportsTeam JNE Consulting #61

BRIGHTON: Earlier Start Time To Accommodate Racing Action

BRIGHTON, ON – Pedal to the metal, gear grinding and dirt flying dirt track racing action will continue on August 5th at Brighton Speedway Park , as Matthew Automotive presents the complete race program, which needs to start at 6:30pm in order to accommodate the line-up of events.

The program will include the 30 lap Brighton Automotive Pro Stock double points event postponed from July 1st, the 40 lap RONA Canadian Modified Triple Crown Finale and the Hotch’s Auto Parts 20 lap Comp 4 Triple Crown Finale. Add to the list Fan Appreciation and the always popular Spectator One on One Racing and the night will be jam packed with something for everybody.

The kids will have their chance to play too as the Kids Club Canadian Tire Box Car Race Qualifiers will run at 6:00pm in the courtyard. There will also be the balloon toss for added fun.

For more information, and a complete race schedule visit http://www.brightonspeedway.com/ or contact 613.475.1102.

Open Wheel War heats up

No, not between ChampCar and IRL... but between Canuck warriors Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani...


In a nutshell, PT had a brainfade and took both of them out early at San Jose, on Sunday. 'Tag' was furious - some would say understandably so - and lost it.

The result was a rolling on the ground, arm flinging spectacle that would have made Bobby Clarke proud. Unfortunately, neither PT or Tag will have a place in the 'new' NHL. Although the brawl brings back memories of the pre-sanitized NASCAR when the boys would thump each other in the infield during the Daytona 500.

More on the steel-cage-match, battle royale here.

Norris McDonald: Message to G.P. of T.O... Bring back CASCAR

In his Saturday column, Toronto Star Wheels columnist Norris McDonald believes bringing back CASCAR and Canadian content is the key to reviving the sagging G.P. of Toronto.