PAUL TRACY COMMITTED TO CHAMP CAR

Las Vegas, Nev. (October 27, 2006) - Paul Tracy is Champ Car’s 2003 champion and he leads the series with 30 wins and over 4000 laps led. He is, without question, the face of Champ Car and has entertained fans globally as the driver of Gerald Forsythe’s #3 Indeck car.

He is a man who has passion for his sport and who is driven to win. Most importantly, anyone who knows P.T. well will tell you that he is loyal. In his 15-year career, he has driven for only 4 teams, which is unheard of these days in a sport where drivers are quick to chase the big money and head to where the grass appears to be greener.

One of the most talented and colorful race car drivers in the business, Tracy has decided to remain loyal to Champ Car and abandon plans to participate in NASCAR in 2007. Tracy participated in six NASCAR Busch Series races in 2006 and showed signs of potentially having a successful career in stock cars.

But, Tracy knows where he comes from.

“I enjoyed my experiences in NASCAR and I appreciate the relationships that I have developed during my first season of stock cars, especially with Sport Clips and American Crew,” Tracy said. “However, Champ Car is where my heart is and it’s where I come from and it’s what has put me where I am today and what has given my family and I this lifestyle. I have a great relationship with Gerry Forsythe and I am committed to returning in 2007 and doing whatever I can to give Forsythe Racing another championship. I have a great team and I am fully committed to working with them to consistently put us in Victory Lane.”

He continued, “I can’t thank Gordon Logan at Sport Clips and John Mulgrew at American Crew enough for believing in me and giving me my first shot at NASCAR. I have great relationships with both of them and they will remain personal friends as well as personal sponsors. I am also appreciative of my relationship with Jim France and everything he did to help facilitate my entry into NASCAR.”

As for his former open-wheel counterparts defecting to NASCAR, Tracy was supportive but once again loyal to his series.

“I wish the best for A.J. Allmendinger and Juan Montoya in NASCAR, however I am committed to continuing my career in Champ Car and building the series in order that it will get both the national and global attention that it deserves. Champ Car is a great series that provides excitement week-in and week-out. In Australia, we had over 300,000 people there. Is that not exciting? Sure it is, and I want to be a part of it. Next season we open in Las Vegas and we also head to China. Great things are happening in Champ Car and people need to pay closer attention to what we have going on over here.”

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From Doug Barnette // PMI

BUSCH: SHEPHERD TO PRACTICE AND QUALIFY ROUSH RACING'S NO. 60 FORD IN MEMPHIS

CONCORD, N.C. (October 25, 2006) - Roush Racing developmental driver, Peter Shepherd, will practice and qualify Carl Edwards' Busch Series No. 60 FreeCreditReport.com Ford Fusion this weekend in Memphis. This will be Shepherd's inaugural Busch Series event. Shepherd has competed in three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races this season for Roush Racing, the first of which was at Memphis. Shepherd qualified 25th and finished 23rd in that race.

Carl Edwards is part owner of the USAC Silver Crown race car that Shepherd competed in this year and has helped Shepherd out with driving tips throughout the season. Now Shepherd can return the favor while gaining valuable seat time. With Edwards in Atlanta for the Nextel Cup race he will miss all Busch practice sessions and qualifying for Saturday's Sam's Town 250.

Shepherd will step in to practice and qualify the car while Edwards fulfills his Nextel Cup responsibilities in the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Shepherd is prepared to start the Busch race if Edwards does not make it to Memphis in time for the green flag.

"I am really thrilled for this opportunity," Shepherd said. "Pierre Kuettel (P.K.) and the whole No. 60 team are great at what they do and I can't wait to help out and learn at the same time. I hope we can get the No. 60 FreeCreditReport.com Ford Fusion handling just right so Carl can jump in and win the race."

Edwards said he had confidence in Shepherd's ability to perform.

"Peter has been doing a great job driving," Edwards said. "He finished the season driving my RE Technologies Silver Crown USAC Car, and I got a chance to spot for him in Chicago and was really impressed with him, just like everyone else. He is a super nice kid; he has a great family and will be a great driver. Peter has tested the Silver Crown car at Memphis and ran the truck there so we thought he would be the perfect guy to get the car set up and ready to race."

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From Nancy Padula // Roush Racing

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STICKY POST: This will be the top post until Thursday, October 26. Check below for current news.

Chevy set to swap Monte Carlo for the Impala

Monte Carlo.... Lumina.... Monte Carlo.... Impala....

Next season, GM's Chevrolet brand will run under two banners in NASCAR Nextel Cup. According to a report on TSN.CA, the Chevrolet Impala SS will compete in the 'Car of Tomorrow' events, while the current Monte Carlo - the winningest car in NASCAR history - will be in action in non-COT races.

Rick Hendrick is scheduled to pull the wraps off the car this weekend in Atlanta.

The piece also says that Dodge plans to run a stock version of its Avenger.

Plans for the Busch Series (by 2010) include introducing the Ford Mustang, the Chevy Camaro, the Toyota Solara and the Dodge Challenger

Ron Fellows is appearing at Sherway Gardens Mall

Saturday, November 25, 2006

• 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m.
• Autobahn Store - Sherway Gardens Mall
25 The West Mall, Unit 2 (QEW & 427)
Toronto, ON, M9C 1B8, 416-626-9495

Ron will meet fans and sign autographs.

Ron’s Career Highlights Include:
• 2003, 2004 & 2005 FAN Favourite Driver – American LeMans Series
• 2004, 2003 & 2002 American LeMans Series GTS champion
• 2004 & 2003 NASCAR Nextel Cup – DEI
• 2002 & 2001 24 Hours of LeMans GTS champion
• 2001 Overall victory, 24 Hours of Daytona
• Three NASCAR Bush Grand National wins
• Two NASCAR Craftman Truck wins
• 1989 Player’s GM Challenge Champion

INSIDE TRACK: Monday morning notebook

SPORTS CARS: Weaver retires

MONTEREY, CA October 21, 2006 – James Weaver, one of the best sports car racers of all time, announced his retirement today at the conclusion of today’s season ending American Le Mans race at Laguna Seca.

He closed out his unparalleled career on top, winning second place honors in the 2006 American La Mans series championship. Weaver has driven for Dyson Racing for twenty years. He has 100 career victories – achieving that milestone at Mosport in 2005. He is one of the world’s finest sports car racers: he has claimed sixty seven poles, seventy fastest laps, thirty six lap records, and over 200 podium finishes.

“James is phenomenal,” said team owner Rob Dyson. “He has been one of the primary factors in our success these past twenty years. James was always willing to put in more hours than any other driver to get the car right, and that is what separated him from everyone else.” James won thirty-three races and three championships for Dyson Racing. (From Dyson Racing).

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F1: Massa wins the race, Alonso takes title, Schumi retires

(AP) on TSN.CA: SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - Fernando Alonso became a Formula One champion again on a day when Michael Schumacher retired to end one of the great careers in sports.

Alonso won his second straight title with a runner-up finish to Felipe Massa at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday. He entered the race needing to finish eighth or better for the crown. Last year, the 25-year-old Spaniard became F1's youngest champion by finishing third.

''The important thing today was to become champion again for the second time and we did it,'' Alonso said. ''Yes, it has been a fantastic weekend.''

Schumacher, a seven-time Formula One champ, needed to win his farewell race to keep alive his remote chance of another title. But the German punctured a tire less than 10 laps into the race, dropped out of contention early and finished fourth.

''Today my racing career comes to an end,'' he said. ''Obviously, it is a special moment for me, and I am proud to have lived my career with some fantastic people, namely everyone who is part of the Ferrari family.''

He retires after 16 years in Formula One with most of the driver records, including 91 victories and 68 pole positions. The 37-year-old driver, racing in his 250th Grand Prix, had a final word for his legions of fans.

... more at the link above...

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NASCAR: Johnson wins at Martinsville

From NASCAR.com: MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Trouble for the points leader and good runs for many of his closest pursuers left the Chase wide open on Sunday, setting up what is likely to be a wild four-race battle for the title.

Jimmie Johnson took the lead from Bobby Labonte with 55 laps to go and held it through several restarts to win the crash-filled Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway, while 2003 champion Matt Kenseth replaced Jeff Burton atop the standings.

Johnson moved from seventh to third in the standings with four races left, and appears to be the driver with the most momentum heading into the final month.

"I'm just happy to finish where we should have," said Johnson, who was denied at least a second-place finish at Talladega when he was spun out on the last lap two weeks ago, then finished second last week at Charlotte. "We've been running up front the last three of four races and haven't been able to close the deal. [Sunday] we did."

Kenseth assumed the points lead when Burton pulled his car into the garage after just 217 laps because of engine trouble, and most everyone took advantage.

... more at the link above...

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CHAMP CAR: Philippe wins as Bourdais 'three-peats' as champ

SURFERS PARADISE, Australia (October 22, 2006) - On a day when the history-making championship drama of the Lexmark Indy 300 ended after just 18 laps, Nelson Philippe (#4 CTE Racing - HVM Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) made some history of his own in winning his first Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford event.

Philippe became the youngest driver in the 98-year history of the series to win a Champ Car race, holding off a stern charge from Mario Dominguez (#8 Pemex Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) to score the win in front of a crowd of 101,066. The win was the first for Philippe and the first for CTE Racing - HVM since 2004, and also clinches the Nation's Cup for France for the second consecutive season.

But Philippe was not the only Frenchman celebrating a great milestone today at Surfers Paradise, Australia as while the 20-year-old was cheered for his race win, his fellow Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais (#1 McDonald's Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) was celebrating his own history-making day, after winning his third consecutive Champ Car title.

Bourdais sealed the title on Lap 19 when A.J. Allmendinger (#7 Indeck Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone) ended his day - and his title hunt - in the Turn Three wall, eliminating Allmendinger from title contention and ensuring that Bourdais would join Ted Horn as the only drivers ever to win three consecutive Champ Car titles.

... more at the link above...