Hello Pot.... this is the Kettle calling.

And now, your morning chuckle....


ESPN.com has a feature on Tony Stewart, featuring some gems from his recent chat with the media.


In it, he refers to himself as, "the poster child for doing stupid things in NASCAR..."


But the kicker was a quote from another racer who said that Tony has a big mouth. You'll never guess who said it. Or maybe you will.


"Not to dog on Tony at all, but I just think he opens his mouth a little too much, I think."


Who would say such a thing?


Carl Edwards? Mark Martin? Dale Jarrett? Ryan Newman? The fact is that these guys are too smart to make a public statement like that about another racer.... whether it's true or not.


So, who said it?


Kyle Busch... come on down! The guy who won the first COT race and emerged from the car to announce to the world "it sucks" ... is slagging someone else for having a big mouth.


Is it just me, or is having Kyle Busch call you a big mouth on par with Barry Bonds accusing you of taking steroids?

Judge rules against NASCAR in Cingular suit

From TSN

ATLANTA (AP) - NASCAR can't stop AT&T Inc. from featuring its logo on Jeff Burton's No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, a federal judge ruled Friday.
U.S. District Court Judge Marvin Shoob in Atlanta issued a preliminary injunction barring NASCAR and any entity affiliated with it from interfering with AT&T's rights as primary sponsor of the car in NASCAR Cup Series races.
NASCAR tried to prevent the Cingular logo from being changed to the AT&T logo on Burton's car. AT&T is the sole owner of Cingular and is rebranding the cellphone company's name to AT&T.

... continued at the link above.

Cayuga Speedway partners with the Hamilton Tiger Cats

From tigercats.ca

Hamilton, Ontario - MRX & Associates, in conjunction with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, are pleased to announce a brand new marketing and sponsorship partnership with Cayuga Speedway Park.
"We're eager to enter into this exciting new partnership that brings together two predominant Canadian sports brands," said Ticats and MRX Associates president Scott Mitchell. "We're happy to be a part of Canada's rich motor sports heritage and being a partner of the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series which brings together some of Canada's best stock cars and teams."

Continued at the link above.

This is very cool

Every week, Canadian Tire sends out an e-mail promoting its big sales or events for the upcoming weekend. The one I just received prominently mentions the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, promotes the fact that the series kicks off on May 26, and offers a forwarding link to the www.nascar.ca site. Very nice to see!

RCR and DEI team up on engines

This is very interesting. Does it say anything about where Dale Earnhardt Jr. might ultimately land? Racing - like politics - makes for strange bedfellows. There has been a lot of talk that Junior will likely end up at RCR. But will RCR's partnership with Teresa cause him to head somewhere else? Hendrick or Gibbs? This also apparently puts an end to the talk that DEI might switch to Fords. There's enough fodder here for a racing-themed Soap Opera.....

Here is the release, from DEI and RCR:

RCR & DEI to Build Engine Program Together

WELCOME, N.C. (May 18, 2007) – One of NASCAR’s greatest partnerships – Childress and Earnhardt – has been expanded with the creation of Earnhardt-Childress Racing Technologies.

Richard Childress and Teresa Earnhardt announced today that the joint venture partnership will combine the Chevrolet engine departments of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI), with engine development work to begin immediately.

Construction of a permanent stand-alone facility located between RCR and DEI will begin later this summer with completion expected by mid 2008. A specific site has not been announced, although a location has been identified pending zoning approval. Until that facility is complete, all work will be divided between the RCR’s engine shop in Welcome, N.C. and DEI’s shop in Mooresville, N.C. It is anticipated that all six RCR and DEI cars will run the first common engine at Daytona in July.

Earnhardt-Childress Racing Technologies will develop and build engines for the Chevrolet NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series teams campaigned by the two companies. A long-term goal of the joint venture will include an engine leasing program for teams in NASCAR’s top three divisions. The partnership also has long-term plans to diversify and expand beyond NASCAR by providing race engines to teams competing in series such as the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series, various off-road and stock car series, sports car series, etc.

“With the direction this sport has taken over the last few years, Teresa and I began talking about ways we could partner together to gain a competitive advantage and, at the same time, expand our resources,” said Richard Childress, President and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Both RCR and DEI have proven that a three-car team can build its own engines and compete at the top, and combining the resources of both companies gives us even greater efficiencies and the competitive advantages we’re looking for.”

This is not the first time RCR and DEI have worked together in a technology partnership. RAD, an acronym for the three teams owned by Richard Childress, Andy Petree and Dale Earnhardt, was formed in the mid 1990’s as an aerodynamic consortium between the programs. The partnership was considered wildly successful with the three teams dominating the aerodynamically sensitive restrictor plate tracks Daytona and Talladega for the next few years.

“It is a great day for us to be able to work closely again with Richard and RCR,” said Dale Earnhardt, Inc. CEO Teresa Earnhardt. “Both of us are in the middle of developing and building Chevrolet’s new R07 engine, so this is a perfect time to establish this company to combine resources and work together to get the most out of this package possible. Richard and I both have committed substantial resources to this new company and we share the No. 1 priority to win championships.”

NBIS: PASS event pushed back to Sunday

FREDERICTON, NB - PASS 150 Update: NBIS and PASS officials have been watching the weather forecasts intensely over the past 48 hrs and have decided that it is in everyone’s best interest to move the PASS 150 to Sunday May 20th at 2:00pm.

“The forecast looks pretty much impossible for tomorrow (Saturday), so we are trying to make the decision early to help keep travel costs down for teams and fans,” said Tom Mayberry of PASS. Sunday’s Event will go at 2:00pm with the pit gates opening at 9:00am.

For up to date info on the weekend check out http://www.nbisonline.com/ or call the RACE HOTLINE at 506-454-RACE(7223)

From Miranda Carr // NBIS Office Manager

Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA) Update

Courtesy Ian Rae & Bruce F. Mehlenbacher

BONIFERRO SPEED & CUSTOM UNVEILS PMRA SIX THIRTY CLUB
NIAGARA FALLS, ON – Joe Boniferro has long been known in Ontario and Western New York drag racing circles for piloting some of the quickest Mopar-powered doorslammers in the area. Now he is ready to put something back into the sport. The 2006 joint Pro Modified Racing Association Pro Modified Champion and his soon to be opened Boniferro Speed & Custom speed shop are proud to unveil the Boniferro Speed & Custom Six Thirty Club. The Club will be formed by the first nine racers (six plus three) to run in the 6:30-second range during PMRA competition and each qualified racer will receive a hand- crafted commemorative ring and certificate.

“I know there are guys out there running with us who can run in the 6:00s, but this is a regional series and not everyone can run the numbers seen at IHRA events,” Boniferro explained. “This club is a thank you to the racers who support the series and a bit of incentive for the rest of us to step up and run a bit quicker. The fans will have something more to get excited about as the elapsed times drop. It is also a way to introduce Boniferro Speed & Custom to the racers and the fans. I just hope I can manage to get one of those rings myself!”

JOHN RUSSO ENTRY MAKES 17 PRO MODIFIEDS FOR PMRA OPENER
CAYUGA, ON – With the recent entry of John Russo for this weekend’s Pro Modified Racing Association opener at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario, 16 teams will do battle in the Victoria Day Weekend PMRA Challenge.

Running the Russo Motorsports 1968-Camaro bodied supercharged Pro Modified out of Middletown, MA, Russo has raced since 1982. With a BAE 526-cubic inch Hemi and Pro Modified engine ace Canada’s Al Billes as crew chief Russo is a serious threat in the competition. He was number one qualifier at the IHRA World Finals, and briefly held the IHRA Pro Modified World Record with a 6.012-second, 234.09-mph pass.

Qualifying for the Victoria Day Weekend PMRA Challenge will begin Saturday, May 19, with sessions at 4:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. Eliminations are scheduled to begin May 20 at 1:00 p.m.

NCATS: Doug Brown geared to go for NASCAR series opener at Cayuga

BRANTFORD, ON – Veteran driver Doug Brown can hardly wait to get the 2007 racing season underway as he and his teammates head to Cayuga Speedway on Saturday, May 26th for the inaugural race in the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

It’s been a long off-season for the Brantford-based team which is now operating as HB Motorsports (formerly Brown Auto Racing) reflecting major changes in the team’s management and direction.

This year the team’s on-track programs have also changed substantially since the end of last season’s final race of the CASCAR Super Series at Kawartha Speedway.

For the first time in his racing career, Brown will be behind the wheel of a new Dodge Charger and will be competing under the corporate colours of his new title sponsor Haldex Commercial Vehicle System. Long-time sponsor NAPA Autopro will continue to play a key role in the team’s programs.

When asked about the switch to Dodge, Doug responded by stating “I think in all competitive sports you’re always looking for an advantage. At HB Motorsports we felt that switching to Dodge would be our best option especially for gains in horsepower and Dodge's contingency commitment to the series. Teaming with DJK Racing (DJ Kennington) will also boost our programs by allowing us to share car info and use a road course car out of the DJK shop.

The Brantford Ontario native is also quick to point out the much sought after support of a major sponsor has added a tremendous motivation to his programs and is thrilled to have Haldex come on board in a major way. “Haldex really has made a major commitment to HB Motorsports. Partnering with them will give us direction right out of the box in knowing we are doing the full schedule before the first race. Their involvement will help us upgrade our equipment and elevate our program to an elite team in the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

Brown’s thoughts on NASCAR’s ownership and direction of the new series are also indicative of his upbeat outlook entering the season. “The name itself (NASCAR) raises the level of everything it’s involved in and stock car racing in Canada will benefit huge from the racer to the fan and certainly to those businesses involved in our series.

“NASCAR’s involvement will be a positive for every race team, on and off track. It has raised the bar and by season end the awareness of the series nationally will have grown tremendously. With this awareness, the competitiveness will also have grown and race team commitments will be pushed to gain that first NASCAR Canadian Tire Series title.”

At HB Motorsports, consistency has always been at the forefront of the team’s goals and Doug Brown and his teammates will be striving to put the Haldex Mopar powered Dodge Charger on the podium throughout the season and to achieve our first win is being realistic.

The 12-race NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will see teams travel to 10 tracks across Canada to compete on a variety of road, street and oval tracks from Vernon, BC to Antigonish, Nova Scotia in search of the national championship for late model stock cars. Four of the scheduled events are on the demanding road and street courses of Mosport International Raceway: the temporary street course at the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres; Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as part of the NASCAR Busch Series weekend; and fast but flat City Centre Airport in Edmonton site of the Edmonton Grand Prix (CHAMP Car) Weekend.

In addition to the Cayuga (which will also hold a Labour Day weekend event), Barrie Speedway (2 races), Mosport Speedway, Sun Valley Speedway, (Vernon, BC), Riverside Speedway (Antigonish, NS.) and Kawartha Speedway will host NASCAR Canadian Tire Series events in 2007.

HB Motorsports is pleased to have Haldex Limited as its Title Sponsor with NAPA Autopro supporting team programs through its role of Major Associate Sponsor role. Bicknell Racing Products; World of Graphics; HurryPrint Imaging Centre; WIX Filters; KWIC Internet; Gates Canada; BOC Gases; Brochures etc; Leitch Performance Engines; Strodes BBQ & Deli; and BrentZone Graphics are also valued members of our Associate Sponsorship Marketing team.

Prepared by: Ken Spencer // Marketing and Media Relations // HB Motorsports (Photo by G. MacPherson / ITMN)

OHSWEKEN: SOS and a regular card tonight!

OHSWEKEN, ON – The 2007 Ohsweken Speedway season schedule kicks off this Friday night (May 18th) at 7:45PM. Speedway Variety Proudly Presents the Southern Ontario Sprints plus a regular card of DIRT Sportsman, Thunder Stocks and Mini Stocks.

The Southern Ontario Sprints come to town to compete in round number two of their 2007 championship series. #42w Rick Wilson enters the race as the points leader and has intentions of being on hand to do battle against the rest of the SOS stars. Defending series champ #25 Warren Mahoney, hometown favourite #0 Glenn Styres and new teammate #5 Keith Dempster will all be a part of the show which should see a very crowded pit area.

The regular card of action at the Big O will once again feature the DIRT Sportsman, Thunder Stocks and Mini Stocks. #P38 Rob Pratt returns as Ohsweken Speedway Sportsman champion and will have a tough fight on his hand in 2007 against his regular foes and some new up and comers. #24 A.J. Lewis will once again look to dominate in the Thunder Stocks while its anyones guess as to who will win the always competitive Mini Stock division title this season.

General admission for adults has been rolled back to just $15 while Seniors (65+) and Students (13-17) will pay just $10. Race time at the Ohsweken Speedway is 7:45PM SHARP!
For more information log on to http://www.ohswekenspeedway.com

From Ohsweken Speedway Online

OSCAAR Flamboro preview

HAMILTON, ON – It has been a few years since there has been such anticipation and hype about the start of the OSCAAR season. In the off months the talk and the enthusiasm among, drivers, fans and promoters has been nothing but pure excitement.

With the wait now over, Flamboro Speedway is set to host the 2007 Extreme Adrenaline Tour opening event on May 20, 2007, with the green flag at 6:30pm. It is very fitting for Flamboro Speedway to host this event, as the track has a deep and rich history of Super Late Model racing. Many of the OSCAAR competitors got their first racing experience at the famed paved oval. There are also many second generation drivers looking to carry on the family tradition of being a feature winner at Flamboro Speedway.

The 2007 season promises to be the most intense racing action that fans will witness anywhere in Ontario this summer. Every week the field will see the veterans of OSCAAR like former champions, Rob Clarke, Mike Bricknell, Stu Robinson Jr., and 2006 Champ, John Fletcher, compete against the outstanding 2007 Rookie class which includes Derek Tiemersma, Jeff Dunford, Tim Watson, Mike Ruigrok, Paul Miligan, Shawn Chenoweth, Albert Traves & Ian Bourque.

Some of the other regular competitors will include last years Rookie of the Year, Glenn Watson, 2006 winner of the prestigous Don Beiderman Memorial, TJ Woolsey, and always tough in competition, Drew Spicer, the Passer Brothers, Rudy Opersma, John Owens, Shane McGinnis, plus the return of Jeff Hanley and West Lee Talons.

As is the tradition with OSCAAR, the drivers will compete in two heat races to determine their starting spot in the 50 lap main event. With the level of competition in 2007 the heat races should provide some of the most exciting racing. Each and every point brings the teams one step closer to that elusive championship.

The pit gate will officially open at 4:00pm, main gate at 5:00pm and first green flag is set for 6:30pm. Also on the racing card for the night are the very popular Canadian Vintage Mods as they celebrate their 40th year of racing, along with the Hurricane Midgets.

OSCAAR would like to say welcome to each and every race fan, driver and crews and wish everyone the best of luck for the 2007 racing season.

From Dave Gainforth / OSCAAR

BRIGHTON SPEEDWAY: Lucas Oil to Present Twin 40’s for Canadian Modifieds This Weekend

BRIGHTON, ON - Brighton Speedway continues to celebrate its 40th Anniversary Season this coming weekend as C. Smith Automotive Machine Shop presents the Big Birthday Party.

Racing action and other activities will take place throughout the nigh,t with the feature being the Lucas Oil Twin 40 lap feature for the Bainers Radiator Canadian Modifieds.

This will be the first time that Brighton’s top class will compete in a race of length. Drivers, fans and staff alike are getting excited to see the stars and cars of the Canadian Modified’s compete for double purse, double points and additional bonus money provided by Lucas Oil.

The Brighton Automotive Pro Stocks will compete in a 30 lap feature for race 1 of the Lawns We Do / DL Services Duel in the Dirt where they will begin to collect points for the annual classic battle with the drivers from Merrittville Speedway.

Fans will also be treated from Lucas Oil and Mystical Distributing of Trenton as the two supporters have teamed up with Brighton Speedway to give the fans a Birthday gift! Fans will want to arrive early, as Lucas Oil will be providing the first 400 adults with a free Lucas Oil Seat Cushion while Mystical Distributing will be providing the first 200 kids with a free gift.

In true celebration form, May 19th will be the first night for the 40th Anniversary Season RETRO PRICING. For every event throughout 2007 beginning with May 19th (Sprint and 358 events excluded) fans will be admitted for the all new low price of $9.00 for adults, $7.00 for youths and seniors, $2.00 for children 7-12, 6 and under are always free.

Families can opt for the Family Pass where $20.00 will admit 2 adults, and either all of their children under 13, or 2 youths from 13-16 , to an exciting night at the races, and includes a free family size popcorn.

For more information about Northumberland and Quinte's hottest entertainment venue, visit www.brightonspeedway.com.

Reunited with Dalziel, Carpentier is Back with SAMAX Motorsport

Courtesy Max d'Orsonnens

Thursday, May 17, 2007 - SAMAX Motorsport will field a strong line up of drivers for Round 5 of the 14-race Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series held this weekend at Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. Team principal Peter Baron is pleased to have regular driver Patrick Carpentier back in action after missing the last race in Virginia, and Ryan Dalziel returning for his third start of the 2007 season with the South Florida-based team.

"This promises to be a good weekend," said Baron. "These two drivers worked well together in the season opener at Daytona and Ryan proved in the last race that he can raise his level of intensity when the occasion arises. I am hard pressed to find a better duo for this Sunday's U.S. Sports Car Invitational 250-mile race. We are currently third in the standings and we are seriously thinking that we can close the gap to second-place or even move up in the team standings."

Carpentier is returning to the fold after taking time off to take care of a family medical emergency involving his young daughter. "I was disappointed to miss the VIR race, but I had to be with my family," said the Canadian driver who lives in Las Vegas. "Symptoms of a serious illness were affecting my daughter, and she was scheduled to start a series of medical tests during that weekend. My mind was not at all on racing!"

Late on Tuesday afternoon, Carpentier was relieved to finally receive good news from the doctors. According to them, she is not afflicted by any serious illness. "I had to do what needed to be done, but I'm sure glad to be back racing, especially at Laguna Seca. This one of my favorite tracks and I have done well here in the past. With my mind at ease, I am eager to get back behind the wheel. With Ryan (Dalziel) on board for this weekend, we stand a good chance for a podium finish. He is a very quick driver, but he is also very respectful of others on track. We should do well," concluded the French Canadian driver who won back-to-back Champ Car races at Laguna in 2003 & 2004.

Ryan Dalziel, from Scotland, will be making his third start of the season with the #11 SAMAX Pontiac Riley. The Orlando, Florida resident was one of the four drivers on the team that finished second in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and he also picked-up a fourth-place finish in the last race in Virginia with Jean-François Dumoulin. The 25-year old, who is enjoying another weekend off from his Champ Car schedule, will be making his 18th start in a Daytona Prototype.

"I guess I didn't do too bad of a job at VIR since the team called me back for this race," said Dalziel. "We ran a strong race at VIR and missed the podium by just a bit. I am happy to race with Patrick this weekend and maybe we can give SAMAX its second podium of the year. Patrick has had a lot of track time in the car and he is a Laguna Master. I feel that the SAMAX team has improved a lot since I first raced their car at Daytona."

Jean-François Dumoulin, who replaced Carpentier at Virginia, will be back in his regular drive in the separate GT class 400K-race on Saturday afternoon.

SAMAX Motorsport is currently in third place in the Team Standings after four races with 108 points, 19 markers from SunTrust Racing in first place. The SAMAX Pontiac Riley finished second in the Daytona opener in late January, missed a Top-10 finish in the caution-free Mexico City race in early March, and rebounded with a couple of fourth-place finishes at Homestead-Miami and Virginia.

Rolex Daytona Prototype action starts Friday with two practice sessions. A 30-minute practice session is scheduled for Friday at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, followed by a 15-minute Daytona Prototype qualifying period at 11:05 a.m. (PT). The U.S. Sports Car Invitational 250, a scheduled 112-lap race, will start at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday with live television coverage airing on SPEED.

A SAMAX release will be sent following the end of Sunday's race. SAMAX Motorsport, based in Pompano Beach, Florida, is in its third year of competition in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. More information on SAMAX Motorsport is available at www.samaxmotorsport.com. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com.

Pro Modified veteran Gary Irving returns, will compete in PMRA

Courtesy Bruce F. Mehlenbacher

CAYUGA, ONTARIO (May 16, 2007) - One of Canada’s first Pro Modified competitors is returning to racing, and will make his return at this weekend’s Victoria Day Weekend PMRA Challenge at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario May 19 and 20.

After taking a couple of years off, Gary Irving of Bolton, ON will be back in action with his 1937 Chevy Coupe Pro Modified.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the car,” said Irving, who began to race in the popular class back in 1991. “It’s been a couple of years since I raced, but we’ll be ready for this weekend.”

Irving’s Lowdown Hot Rods-based car is powered by a 526-cubic inch supercharged Hemi with about 2400 horsepower on tap. Tom VanDerGeld is crew chief for the team. Another new team in Pro Modified Racing Association racing making its debut at TMP in Cayuga, Ontario is Guenther Racing of Livonia, NY.

And while Irving started racing a Pro Modified in 1991, Matt Guenther, who drives the 1941 Willys-bodied car, did not start racing until 1992. Matt started with a Junior Dragster then progressed with a Quick Rod and Top Dragster before turning to Top Sportsman and the door-slammer Pro Mod owned by father Mike Guenther in 2003.

Jerry Highway is crew chief for the team. The Willys has a Sonny’s-built nitrous-powered 737-cubic inch Chevrolet Hemi engine, which will provide an interesting contrast to the majority of supercharged cars in the PMRA.

Irving and Guenther join a group of strong competitors for the TMP event, including several new teams. Sam Andreacchi, Gary Irving, Ike Maier, Gary Mater, John Russo, and Scotty Wildgust will all start their PMRA career on the Kohler Road quarter-mile strip this coming weekend, along with established PMRA teams including, Bruce Boland, Jerry Bowles, Terry Brown, Dave Earhart, Rob Laperriere, Joe Lilienthal, Mark Mitchell, Larry Sinke and 2006 Champs Kasey Janzen and Joe Boniferro.

Qualifying for the Victoria Day Weekend PMRA Challenge will begin Saturday, May 19, with sessions at 4:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. Eliminations are scheduled to begin May 20 at 1:00 p.m.

OKTire Challenge Series WESCAR 100 at Sun Valley Speedway

Courtesy Douglas Waller

To open the 2007 WESCAR season the teams and their haulers traveled to SunValley Speedway for the running of the WESCAR 100. Fifteen teams made the journey, 2 teams from as far away as Terrace and another 2 teams from Fort St. John while others traveled from slightly closer hometowns. There were some local teams willing to take on the challenge of the OKTire Challenge Series and some of them met with success.

The Saturday practice session hinted that a track record may fall and on Sunday the fast qualifier had to beat a 19.56 second lap set in 2004 by #18 Korbin Thomas in his CP Electronics Chev. The drivers drew their selection of qualifying positions after the drivers’ meeting and the #18 Thomas ironically drew the last qualifying spot. The previous record did fall during qualifying, in all 4 drivers beat the old record, with each driver hoping they had captured the fast time of the day. The last qualifier, #18 Thomas, dashed all their hopes as he made a pass of 19.097 to better his own and all the others attempts to set a new record. The other drivers to beat the old record were #5 Bob Williams, 19.445; #38 Lee Thomas, 19.462; # 92 Gary MacCarthy, 19.523.

The heats and dashes showed that there was a strong challenge being made by the local drivers. The # 74 Dean Thornton proved he could run well by winning the C-dash as did #36 Joe Cornet-Ching winning the B-Dash, #38 Lee Thomas took the top spot in the A dash. The other Fort St. John driver #22 Chris Babcock proved his abilities winning the B-heat and #23 Peter Ernst showed he had the puppies growling under the hood when he won the A-heat.

As the track started to cool in the late afternoon sun the 14 teams entered the track for the running of the OKTire Challenge Series WESCAR 100. The #17 Leonard Wilnechenko had earlier in a heat race experienced an engine related mechanical problem and was not able to make the feature race of the day. When the green flag was shown to the competitors they raced clean and green with a few minor cautions. One yellow flag was flown early in the race when #14 Ian Black was caught up in an incident coming off turn 4 with the #52 Garnet Grimard. The result of the contact forced the #14 to drive up and over the front hood of #52 , bringing back memories of a similar incident in turn 2 in 2004 when #10 Tim Kish drove over the hood of #17 Leonard Wilnechenko. The #52 had to escape to the pits to have his crew completely remove the front cowling, hood, and fenders. The #14 also went to the pit area but not to deal with damage but to chase down an electrical problem that had had been affecting them all day.

Other cautions flew for minor incidents and the race saw a variety of leaders. The William's Lake driver #18 Korbin Thomas who started in the back due to the full inversion worked his way forward to the front and by lap 38 had the lead and rarely looked back except to check on Quesnel's #23 Peter Ernst’s progress who was about 2 seconds behind with the Summerland driver #36 Joe Cornet-Ching in 3rd behind him. That was the finishing order when they passed under the checkers to complete the opening race of the 2007 OKTire Challenge Series. The next race in the series will be at Prince George’s PGARA speedway May 26, 2007. Check the website at www.wescarracing.com for all the pictures, schedule and news in the OKTire Challenge Series.

Sinke back with PMRA for 2007

Courtesy Bruce F. Mehlenbacher

CAYUGA, ONTARIO (May 12, 2007) – Pro Modified veteran Larry Sinke of Welland, ON, will be competing in the upcoming Pro Modified Racing Association Series, which takes place at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario May 19 and 20.

“We’re glad to see Larry back with the PMRA,” said Series Director Bruce F. Mehlenbacher. “He’s seasoned veteran, a good runner, and he’s always a crowd-pleaser.”

The Hammer Racing 1967 Chevy Nova SS Pro Modified owned and driven by Sinke is powered by a 526-cubic inch supercharged Hemi engine. Sinke, who started racing about 10 years ago, competed in the inaugural PMRA season, winning the Skyview Drags event in New York State.
Sinke joins a group of strong competitors for the TMP event, including several new teams. Sam Andreacchi, Gary Irving, Ike Maier, Gary Mater, and Scotty Wildgust will all start their PMRA career on the Kohler Road quarter-mile strip this coming weekend, along with established PMRA teams including, Bruce Boland, Jerry Bowles, Terry Brown, Dave Earhart, Rob Laperriere, Joe Lilienthal, Mark Mitchell, and 2006 Champions Kasey Janzen and Joe Boniferro.

“Between the teams that have been with us over the past years, and an influx of new competitors, the new PMRA season should be a banner year,” Mehlenbacher added.

Qualifying for the Victoria Day Weekend PMRA Challenge will begin Saturday, May 19 with sessions at 4:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.., and 8:00 p.m. Eliminations are scheduled to begin Sunday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m.

Joining the PMRA at Toronto Motorsports Park will be the CAN-AM Stock/Super Stock Series. This popular grass-roots drag series that features competitors from Ontario and Michigan, was formed in 1996, and continues to grow each season.

For information about the Victoria Day Weekend PMRA Challenge at Toronto Motorsports Park call (905) 772-0303 or visit online at www.torontomotorsportspark.com.

Phoenix Announces F1000 Contingency Program

Courtesy Matt Conrad

PHOENIX, AZ (May 10, 2007) --- Phoenix Race Works, LLC announced today an extension to its 2007 Contingency Program, which was introduced on January 25th of this year. The program will now extend through the 2008 SCCA racing season.

“Because there are so many potential F1000 competitors looking at the 2008 season for entry into the F1000 class, we thought it would be appropriate to extend our program” said Matt Conrad, General Manager of Phoenix Race Works, LLC. “We believe this class offers grassroots motorsports with a considerable amount of growth potential and we would like to contribute to that growth as well.”

The program rewards drivers of the Phoenix F1K.07 cars for setting track records and winning races at SCCA Regional & National events. No other manufacturer offers such a program.

In total, there is over $50,000 in available cash awards nationwide in the contingency plan. Details on the program can be found at www.phoenixraceworks.com.

RACELINE: Erik Tomas' Tales

What’s happened with some driver’s ability to steer? It seems more than a few we share the road with can’t go around corners or handle bends in highways without straddling the lane lines or jump out of their lane all together! You’ve seen them! No cell phone for distraction, just a general lack of skill and a shameful display of careless driving! I guess they think the lines painted on the pavement are just there for decoration only!
And I hear car makers are coming out with systems to warn drivers ( the bad ones ) when their car is wandering outside the lines! Give me a break, or for at least twice a week it seems, a “brake!” If you need an electronic aid to tell you you’re a crappy driver, park it, and right now before you hurt somebody!
Enough frowning! All set for the fabulous fans in southeast Ontario to join the Raceline family as our new friends and partners at AM 1220 Cornwall, “Today’s News…Yesterday’s Hits!” plug in May 20th. Good dirt-track roots in this quadrant of the commonwealth and that’s always OK with me! 19 stations coast-to-coast and growing.
Dale Earnhardt Junior bolts DEI next year, or as we’re calling it “Teresa-Gate”! Junior couldn’t strike a deal with his step-mom. She’s not going to hand Little-E controlling interest in the company his Daddy started. If Dale wanted Junior to be the big kahuna at DEI, he would have left the company to Junior. But he didn’t, he left it to Teresa. That’s now a dead issue. I think at this point in time, Junior’s done the right thing. For his career first and his Father’s legacy second, he needs to go to a team that can give him back winning and championship potential. That’s not happening at DEI and he was really powerless to change it. So he left.
So at the age of 32, same age his Daddy was when he linked up with Richard Childress, Junior is headed to the same shop. Put money on it! And although he doesn’t want a resurrection of the # 3, don’t be shocked if Budweiser, RCR and Dale Earnhardt Junior bring back “The Intimidator’s” old number. Time for “E” to start his own legacy with maximum impact!
Scott Thompson, surpreme afternoon drive gear-head at Network flagship AM 900 CHML Hamilton send me a message and link that just about burned down the memory banks! Video of yours truly working with the late great Tom Rivers at CFTR during the good ol’ top 40 rock days before it became 680 NEWS, partnered with our Toronto Network affiliate, The FAN 590.
20 years ago! Doing “Unfriendly Giant” bits with Riv, good pal Evelyn Macko, and faultless board-op/producer Doug Avery, better known as “Champ”. In gaps between sportscasts, a few voices here and there meant an awful lot of fun!
Man, that was a few years and a few pounds ago! Have a peak. Here's the link.
This was back in the days when comedy bits, especially live ones, ruled the roost. Tom and Champ were without equal when it came to theatre of the mind. Some of it was written, some on the fly! Rare you hear that anymore. Times change, and Raceline Radio is on the same track as AM radio goes talk and information. 680 News is a powerhouse at the old frequency now, but the CFTR days were some of the best times. I also loved watching friends Mike Cooper and Steve Gregory hitting perfect posts to vocal again. Jocks. These guys were some of the best! I was proud to work with all of them!
What’s YOUR opinion? Drop me an e-mail! Any suggestions? Opinions? Comments? Better ideas? Keep the E-Mails coming for The Raceline E-Mail Bag! The address: erik@raceline.ca Do you agree or disagree with the commentary?
Until next time, talk to ya’ll on Raceline Radio! ET

Scotia Speedworld Media Day

Halifax, NS (May 16, 2007) – The weather was cold and wet, not your typical racing weather, but the media, sponsors and teams turned out to preview the 2007 racing season at Scotia Speedworld.

Everyone gathered inside a huge tent, including the cars, for the presentation of the 2007 season. 2007 marks the 20th anniversary of Scotia Speedworld and even the weather could not dampen the enthusiasm. Friday night racing continues to be successful, with increases in attendance to the point that crowds are averaging 1,200 per Friday event.

All six of our divisions from 2006, the C&R Auto Supply Sportsman, Hobby Stocks, Legend cars, Miller Tire/ BF Goodrich Thunder & Lightning cars and the Bandolero cars are back again for 2007. Scotia Speedworld is sanctioned by INEX, the world governing body for the Legend and Bandolero cars. In fact, Scott MacLean, the 2006 Scotia Speedworld Legend Champion was crowned Canadian Pro Champion, while Chris Johnson, the 2006 Scotia Speedworld Legend Runner-up earned the Canadian Semi-Pro Championship.

The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour makes three visits to Scotia Speedworld in 2007. The first event is The Lucas Oil 100 on May 26, the second The Lucas Oil 100 on July 7 and the last on September 8, the Parts For Trucks 200. Trying to wrestle the Crown away from 2006 Champ, John Flemming, will be the best drivers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, such as former Champions Rollie MacDonald, Wayne Smith, Shawn Tucker and the 2005 Rookie of the Year winner Shawn Turple, Gordie Ryan, Shawn Tucker and Kent Vincent.

The Pro All Star series (PASS) will make two stops at Scotia Speedworld in 2007. June 23 sees the running of the Forbes Chev Olds 200 and August 10 and 11 is the Atlantic Cat 250 weekend, which includes the Lockhart Truck Center 100 Sportsman race on Friday night. PASS pits the best short track racers from New England against the best from the Maritimes. Mike and Ben Rowe, Cassius Clark, Johnny Clark, Richie Dearborn and Travis Benjamin will lead the New England drivers.

The United States Hot Rod Association’s Monster Jam rolls into Scotia Speedworld on June 8 and 9, with three shows scheduled. Friday and Saturday night’s events start at 7 pm while Saturday afternoon’s event starts at 1 pm. The popular Grave Digger truck will lead the list of trucks in attendance. USHRA will release the remaining trucks shortly.

This all amounts to a full summer of exciting racing action at Scotia Speedworld, where you will see Short Track Action At Its Best.

C&R Auto Supply has been a sponsor at Scotia Speedworld since the track opened. The good folks at C&R Auto Supply are the divisional sponsors of the C&R Auto Supply Sportsman.

Tim Hortons at the Airport, Ledwidge Lumber and Fred Dunphy Excavating are contingency sponsors providing cash awards to the top three weekly drivers in the C&R Auto Supply Sportsman division.

The Miller family has long been supporters of Scotia Speedworld and along with their partner BF Goodrich, sponsors the Miller Tire/BF Goodrich Thunder & Lightning divisions.

RV Contacts remains involved at the track in 07, as the Rookie of the Year sponsor for all divisions. They also provide facilities for the Shriners who conduct the 50/50 draws at the track.

Forbes Chev Olds, another long time supporter, provide us with our pace car and are the sponsors of the June 23 PASS race – The Forbes 200.

Atlantic Cat has been a longtime backer, providing sponsorship for the Atlantic Cat 250 PASS weekend, Aug 10 & 11. The Atlantic Cat 250 is the premiere event of the season at Scotia Speedworld.

Lockhart Truck Center is the presenting sponsor of the Lockhart Truck Center Sportsman 100 on the Friday night of the Atlantic Cat 250 weekend. The Lockhart Sportsman 100 kicks off the Cat 250 weekend in fine style.

Drivers on hand today were 2006 C&R Auto Supply Sportsman champion Craig Slaunwhite and Bill Keeping with the number 3 Legend car. The Bandolero division was well represented by 2006 Bandolero champion D.J. Casey, along with Brandon Niles and Shelby Baker.

The first race of the Weekly Racing Series is scheduled for Sunday, May 20th at 2 p.m.

Scotia Speedworld is a 3/10-mile asphalt oval stock car racing track featuring Weekly Racing for six divisions and several special events during the race season, which runs from May to September. Scotia Speedworld is located at Exit 6, Hwy. 102, across from the Halifax International Airport. For more information on Scotia Speedworld please visit ScotiaSpeedworld.ca or call our Event Hotline at (902) 873-2277.

FBMW: Maxime Pelletier takes to the track in Utah

Montreal, May 16 2007. – 16 year-old Quebec driver Maxime Pelletier will start his sophomore season in Formula BMW USA series this weekend with a first double header on a facility new to this series, Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.

After an extensive Spring training at a few tracks with his new engineer Yvan Turcotte and after undergoing a complete physical training program, the 2006 BMW scholar says he is ready to tackle the 14-round championship with the 20 drivers entered in the 4th season of this entry-level series. While results in former training sessions did not meet his goals, the Hi-Rev Skincare driver claims he can be among the best.

“ We had a different strategy this year, argued the young man. Last year, we were real quick in training but were looking for proper setup when the season started and I had to start many races from mid-pack. This year, Yvan and I worked very hard about understanding the car basics and looked for all possible racing scenarios. The lap times didn’t really matter and we wanted to be ready when the first green dropped. And we will. Yvan has a wealth of experience with the FB2 machine and engineered a similar car to second place overall in 2005. He knows most of the the tracks we will race, like both grand prix in Canada and USA.”

Extensive training
In the off-season, Pelletier committed himself to serious physical training before he took to the track. “I wanted to be as fit as possible and working with professionnals was fun. I improved a lot and was always fit when I got out of the car lately. Guys my age think they are in good shape but are sometimes out of breath when they complete a race. I know I am stronger and more focused when I sit in the car.”

Seven double headers
For Maxime Pelletier, five of the seven programs will be on returning race tracks and only Miller et famous Road America are new venues. “We have worked according to the race tracks we’re going to visit, says the young man. We will know by Montreal if we have done our homeworks. For the time being we will benefit from a full testing day at Miller in order to get the best setup out of this technical layout. But I am positive we will be right there in Canada and Indianapolis.”

MaximePelletier.com
Maxime will test today in Utah. Tomorrow (Thursday), there will see two more free practice rounds and the first qualifying session. Friday will have the second qualifying and race 1 while Saturday will leave a morning warm-up followed by the second race. Maxime Pelletier’s web site may be visited at www.maximepelletier.com .

Source: Michel Poirier-Defoy

VICTORIA DAY SPEEDFEST RACES INTO MOSPORT THIS HOLIDAY LONG WEEKEND

(BOWMANVILLE, ON – May 14, 2007) The sounds of cars, live music, fireworks and camping will fill the air at Mosport International Raceway this holiday long weekend, May 18-20, as the Victoria Day SpeedFest opens the 2007 major event season at Canada’s largest motorsports facility with an exciting line-up of road racing, rock bands and a big, colourful Saturday night fireworks show.

Camping is a popular part of the Victoria Day weekend and Mosport's 750 acres of private parkland is the perfect setting to enjoy the outdoors. General and Family camping areas are available, with full washrooms, showers and children’s playgrounds.

The ground-pounding muscle cars of the American GT Challenge (AGT), along with the GT and Touring racers of the Sundown Grand Prix, an endurance race into darkness, headline the five-race card on Mosport’s challenging 4-kilometre road course.

Two-time defending AGT series champion, Edison Lluch Sr., of Puerto Rico is looking for his first Mosport victory in four years of trying. He’s expected to face stiff opposition from Dundas, ON racer Charlie Webster who calls Mosport his home track. The AGT’s powerful V-8 Corvettes and Mustangs are reminiscent of the now-defunct Trans-Am Series. They will run a twin feature on Sunday.

Saturday’s feature is the three-hour Sundown Grand Prix endurance race into darkness, with GT and Touring cars, like Acuras, BMWs and Porsches battling for overall and class wins, plus entries from the U.S.-based Miata Endurance Championship and the Spec Racer Challenge.

The race schedule also includes the Cup Lites Series (three-quarter scale stock cars that are slick looking and have the same power-to-weight ratio as a full size Grand National car), the F1200 open-wheel series, plus a sprint race for the Spec Racers.

The off-track activities at this year’s Victoria SpeedFest feature a six-band schedule at Mosport’s infield Concert Stage. Saturday’s line-up includes Marshall Dane, JF Coley and Re-Wind, while Sunday’s acts are Chisai Jackson, Top Johnny and Virtue & Vice. The shows start at 5 pm each day.

Mosport’s Victoria Day weekend fireworks show is scheduled for Saturday night just after darkness. The Motorsport Expo & Marketplace, located in the race team paddock, features an interesting array of racing souvenirs and displays.

Admission to the Expo and the paddock area is included with your admission ticket.

Mosport SpeedFest ticket-holders can also use their passes for admission to the adjacent Mosport Speedway half-mile oval for the Autoworkers Community Credit Union Saturday Night Stock Car Racing, presented by PartSource. Racing starts at 6:30 pm.

The fireworks show should be visible from the Speedway’s grandstands.A three-day SuperTicket is just $45 until May 16 (55$ at the Gate) and each ticket includes free parking and access to the Mosport Concert Stage area and fireworks show.

Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paid adult admission. Single day tickets are also available. An advanced three-day weekend general camping pass is just $30 (For tents or pop-up trailers). RV passes are $50 for the weekend.

Each camping pass is good for up to six people per pass.For more information about Mosport tickets and camping, call the Mosport Hotline at 1-800-866-1072 (Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET) or visit online at www.mosport.com . Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster.

For Further Information: Lee Bailie, Mosport 1-800-866-1072 or email lee@mosport.com

MOPAR DAY at Barrie

BARRIE, ON - On Tuesday, Barrie Speedway played host to the annual MOPAR Day featuring a dozen MOPAR-powered Dodge NASCAR Canadian Tire Series teams. The cars looked and sounded great. MOPAR representative Rick Williams confirmed the company would once again be offering a significant contingency program to its teams. As well, MOPAR, Dodge and the Dodge Dealers will be the title sponsor of five NCATS events in '07, starting with the season opener at Cayuga Speedway on May 26. The other titled events include: Canada Day at Barrie. Sun Valley (7/14), Riverside (9/15) and the season finale at Kawartha (9/23). Dodge is also the presenting sponsor of the NASCAR Busch Series / NCATS race weekend in Montreal.

Walker joins Blackforest Motorsports

Travis Walker steps up to GS competition with Blackforest Motorsports

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO – Travis Walker is making a name for himself in the Koni Challenge Series. In fact, his speed and personality have landed him one of the most coveted seats in Koni Challenge competition that being with Blackforest Motorsports and their No. 4 USG Sheetrock/Ramset Tools Ford Mustang FR500C.

Walker is set to join Blackforest for the next round in Laguna Seca on May 18, where he will be reunited with Valerie Limoges his teammate from 2005 in the FAQ series.

"This is the opportunity I have been working toward and looking for," said Walker. "Tom (Nastasi) approached me and I am really excited about racing with Blackforest to reach my full potential on and off the track. It will be a bit of a learning curve, going from a front wheel drive car to a rear-wheel drive car that has twice the power, but I am excited about making the step up. I know it might take a little bit of time to develop but I know I'll be able to show my natural speed in the Mustang."

Nastasi is happy that Walker has joined the Blackforest Motorsports team. “I am very happy to have signed Travis Walker to a two year deal with Blackforest,” Nastasi said. “He is very good I tried to get the deal done at the start of the year. I had to wait a little longer, but I am very happy he is with us now and will be teamed with Valerie (Limoges) for the rest of the year.”

For Walker, it is the continuation of an already impressive sportscar career that is definitely on the upswing. He is ready for the challenges of GS competition, and he now drives for one of the best teams in the series.

For more information on Travis Walker, contact Russ Bond at r.bond@russbondagency.com

CTCC: Top 10 finish for Twofast racing at Mosport

MOSPORT, ON - Both Twofast Racing team drivers are happy with the way their weekend turned out for the 1st race of the Canadian Touring Car Championship held at the Mosport track in Bowmanville Ontario on May 12-13th.

With highs and lows throughout the weekend, the end result surprised more than one! Brownsburg native and the number 4 Mazda driver Christian Raymond had this to say when reached from his Saint-Jerome house: “The weekend started out bad with a 5th gear synchro not working so not allowing me to shift in 5th gear. We didn’t have any with us and took about 4 hours to get one which wasn’t an option considering that on this extremely fast track I need my 5th gear in 3 different sections of the track in every lap. I qualified 13th and brought the car back in 12th place in the Saturday pre-final race. It was an ok race and we were mostly just waiting for the big Sunday race."

Sunday was surprising however. After getting his fastest lap time of the weekend in the morning warm-up, Chris had this to say: “I was very fast this morning and the team and I realized that the set-up we had was getting better as the weekend progressed and the track got stickier, which gave me a confidence boost for the race. After a poor start losing 3 positions, I got in my comfort zone and started stacking up very consistent lap times while saving my tires for the long run. I started getting back positions from 15th to 9th and a very nice last lap pass in corner 8 allowed me to cross the checkered in 8th position. There was a few nice fights for positions that I won't soon forget, including one with the Jetta GLX of Stéphane Carrier and the BMW 325I of Scott Hall."

As for Laval native Eric Leblanc, the qualifying run was excellent with a 3rd position. The Ste-Julie resident said: “The results we got with the Subaru WRX STI are far exceeding my expectations. The car is extremely competitive and it’s only its first race weekend."

The pre-final race was good for Leblanc, going from 3rd to 2nd in the opening laps of the race. Unfortunately, an intercooler hose got loose and made Eric come in to the pits a few laps before the end of the race. That meant that Eric was going to start the Sunday race from the back of the pack. With a good start and a few aggressive moves, Eric was quickly up to the 8th position until bad luck struck again.

“I had a sad fender bender with a lapped car who didn’t see me coming on is inside to pass and when he hit my car it broke the front suspension and that was the end of the race for me. But I’m still positive because the cars have potential, the reliability is there and the competition is starting to take us very seriously now.”

The next race of the Canadian Touring Car Championship will be in Shannonville, Ontario, on June 1-2-3. The team wants to thank their crew chief Stephane McNeil and mechanics Eric Filion, and all the crew, Louis-Eric, Marty, Alex, Fred and Sebastien for the great work over the weekend.

The Twofast racing team would also like to thank all of their partners: Rythme Urbain, Rack‘N’Roll, InMotion Promotion, Motul, Lettra dSign, Twofast Performance, Mazdaspeed, mazdatuning.com and Rire en Coeur!

A very special thanks to Jean-Marc Alcaraz for the incredible generosity for the hamburger spices offered to the entire team which reminds you that : “We owe you one buddy”. Visit us on line at http://www.twofast.ca/ or the series at http://www.touringcar.ca/ .

From Valérie Vachon – Twofast Racing

Jim's Journeys ... by Jim Clarke (May 15 edition)

Clint Eastwood was no where in sight - but Saturday night's (May 12th) show at Brighton Speedway was stock car racing's version of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

The Good: The track was in excellent shape. Smooth, tacky and with very little dust. As the night wore-on, the moisture that had been packed into the clay began to work its way back to the surface, providing even better bite and excellent grip. Joyceville, Ontario's Rick Wilson, who won the Southern Ontario Sprint car feature was seen pulling 'wheelies' down the frontstretch as he launched out of turn 4. Wilson ran almost the entire feature around the extreme outside line. The night's heat races (or qualifiers as Brighton calls them) were run mostly caution-free. On a chilly spring night, this was a welcomed sign. The Comp 4 (mini stock) feature had a top 3 finish of Leslie Turcotte, Caley Weese and Ashley Fowler - all female drivers! Brighton has a number of female drivers who regularly show the boys a thing or 2.

The Bad: The night was over an hour late getting on-track. An advertised starting of 7:00 was delayed until at least 8:10 while drivers worked the track into racing shape. As a result, the nightly driver's meeting and the sprint car 'dash' were both cancelled to help make-up for lost time. In the feature events, the field took as many as 3 laps under the yellow before they took the green flag, even after the track was cleared. With one-way radios in use, there's no reason it should take so long to re-align the pack for the re-start. Get the drivers into single-file once the yellow comes out, then show them the white as soon as the track is ready.

The Ugly: Hands-down, it had to be Gary Sheffield's Canadian (IMCA/UMP)
Modified. The car was running so hot during the feature race, the headers on the right-hand-side of the car were glowing orange. Someone in the control tower had to have noticed this and the car should have been set to the pits.

Brighton notes: The Canadian Modified feature was won by Dan Ferguson, while Brandon Gregory took the Pro Stock Main. The Pure Stocks were given the night off. Former Brighton drivers Tim Kerr and Chris Jones were both spectators at the track Saturday night. Kerr, who has attempted but failed to qualify for a pair of USAR Hooters Pro Cup Northern Division events raced his DIRT big block Friday night at Brewerton. Jones ran his small block the night before at Autodrome Edelweiss. 2007 is Brighton Speedway's 40th Anniversary season. See all the details at http://www.brightonspeedway.com/

This weekend: Friday, May 18th - Thunder Alley Speed Park. Saturday, May 19th - Brockville Ontario Speedway. Sunday, May 20th - Cornwall Motor Speedway. Tuesday, May 22nd - my daughter Allisen's soccer game.

In the distance: Friday, May 25th - open practice at Kawartha Speedway. Sunday, May 27th - Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series/DIRT Motorsports Hall-of-Fame induction ceremonies Cayuga County Fair Speedway. Monday, May 28th - World of Outlaws sprint cars Rolling Wheels Raceway Park.

Tagliani and Ranger in Toronto to Support the Victory Lap Charity Program

By James Neilson, with files from Champcar

TORONTO, ON – On May 15 Champcar’s Alex Tagliani and NASCAR C.T.S. driver Andrew Ranger made an appearance at Toronto’s Metro Hall, a short walk northeast of the Rogers Centre, in support of the Victory Lap charity program sponsored by Wal-Mart Canada and Procter & Gamble.

The event, in its fifth year, helps raise funds for children’s hospitals all over Canada through its affiliation with the Children’s Miracle Network. The Victory Lap charity program’s goal for the 2007 edition is to raise $350,000 in donations through various appearances at Wal-Marts across Canada.

“I'm really delighted to be personally involved in the 2007 edition," said Tagliani. "I'm especially looking forward to spending some time with the kids and their families at the track, when we have a special day for them at the Canadian events on the schedule."

A ticket sales campaign is also in the works for the three Canadian Champcar rounds on July 1 at Mont-Tremblant, July 8 at the Grand Prix of Toronto and July 22 at the Grand Prix of Edmonton as well as the annual Trois-Rivieres Sportscar Race which would see proceeds from the sale of tickets added to the Victory Lap charity program.

The program has been very successful so far, gaining momentum from one year to the next. The 2006 edition earned $209,000 which eclipsed the previous three years donations combined.

"The public response to the Victory Lap Tour has been absolutely wonderful, and through their support and that of our partners, we have been able to generate much-welcomed funds for Children's Miracle Network," said Frank Morin of Wal-Mart Canada.

The tour kicked off in Etobicoke on April 28 and is set to conclude in Guelph on August 30.

Kawartha Speedway: Stormin' Norman Mayhew profile

FRASERVILLE, ON – It may not be an easy climb, but Stormin' Norman Mayhew is determined to find his way to the top. The 26 year-old Cobourg, Ontario native is a weekly late model racer at Kawartha Speedway (Fraserville, Ontario CANADA). Mayhew is proud to have called the 3/8ths of a mile paved oval his Friday night home since 1999.

In 2002, Mayhew visited victory lane 9 times and won the hard luck award in Kawartha's Thunder Car division. 2004 saw a move-up, to the Limited Late Models and still more success. Mayhew had 2 feature wins, captured the rookie of the year title and finished no worse than 4 in overall points in his 2 seasons in that class.

Pleased with his performance there, it was time for another move - this time to Late Models, the track's premier division. Mayhew purchased a 2003 Lefthander Perimeter chassis from American Canadian Tour competitor Jacob McGrath and set-out to battle the big boys. Another rookie of the year title contributed a new trophy for his growing collection and a 13th place finish in overall points left Norm Mayhew hungry to learn more.

During the off-season, he and his crew chief Colin MacKenzie attended the Finish Line Racing School at New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The goal was to gain additional seat-time and a better understanding of how a Kawartha Speedway late model racecar handles on a week-to-week basis. He also had his car upgraded by 2006 series champion Jeff Hanley.

In 2007, Mayhew will be running a limited schedule in an effort to keep-up with business at his commercial sign-making shop, Mayhew Graphics. His designs can be seen on his own car - as well as those of Linc Brown, Ryan Kimball and Dwayne Fulford.

Of course there's always a chance he could be back at the track every week, with a little extra sponsor support. As it stands now, his long-term backer eagle.ca high-speed internet will return to the car this year, along with some additional support.

Mayhew credits his crew, led by Colin MacKenzie - with Jerry Birney, Rob Valois, Jordan Birney, Paul Devlin and Patrick Marvin for making sure the #60 Hasiuk Trailers late model is ready for action every time they hit the track.

He also appreciates the valuable knowlegde and technical assistance he receives from fellow Late Model racer Jeff Hanley. Although he says 'racing is pretty much his life', Mayhew also enjoys snowboarding, hockey and mountain biking. He looks forward to spending his reamaining leisure time with his very supportive girlfriend, Sheena Gilpin.

It may not always be an easy climb, but Stormin' Norman Mayhew is working is way to the top of the ladder - 1 rung at a time.

By Jim Clarke, for Kawartha Speedway

PMRA: The Trailer Shop renews as sponsor

The Pro Modified Racing Association is pleased to announce that The Trailer Shop has renewed as a sponsor for the “Long Tow Award” at all PMRA Special Events in 2007.

“We are always looking for a way to reward our customers for supporting the Trailer Shop,” said Carl Spiering of the Trailer Shop. “Some of the PMRA teams are hauling a long distance to attend the events. The Trailer Shop will reward the team that tows the farthest with a cash bonus. It’s a great way for The Trailer Shop and the PMRA to show their appreciation and to promote our company.”

With nearly 15 years in the business of selling, leasing, and using these top quality enclosed trailers, the Trailer Shop’s knowledgeable staff is fully qualified to provide you with the most accurate and up-to-date information available to guide you through your trailer selection.
“The Trailer Shops award really helps the teams that are traveling a long distance to our races,” stated Bruce F. Mehlenbacher, Director of Operations for the PMRA. “We have teams from Ontario and New York and we hope to have new ones from Pennsylvania and Michigan this season. This Trailer Shop Award should help make the trip more affordable for their customers.”

The Trailer Shop, http://www.thetrailershop.net/, located in Jordan Station, Ontario, is an authorized dealer for industry leading ATC Aluminum Trailer Company, Pace American and Renegade Coach and Trailers. Their hands-on experience and expertise will insure that when you buy or lease a trailer from The Trailer Shop, it will be best suited for your specific needs.

PMRA: Sinke back with PMRA for 2007

CAYUGA, ONTARIO (May 12, 2007) – Pro Modified veteran Larry Sinke of Welland, ON, will be competing in the upcoming Pro Modified Racing Association Series, which takes place at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario May 19 and 20.

“We’re glad to see Larry back with the PMRA,” said Series Director Bruce F. Mehlenbacher. “He’s seasoned veteran, a good runner, and he’s always a crowd-pleaser.”

The Hammer Racing 1967 Chevy Nova SS Pro Modified owned and driven by Sinke is powered by a 526-cubic inch supercharged Hemi engine. Sinke, who started racing about 10 years ago, competed in the inaugural PMRA season, winning the Skyview Drags event in New York State.

Sinke joins a group of strong competitors for the TMP event, including several new teams. Sam Andreacchi, Gary Irving, Ike Maier, Gary Mater, and Scotty Wildgust will all start their PMRA career on the Kohler Road quarter-mile strip this coming weekend, along with established PMRA teams including, Bruce Boland, Jerry Bowles, Terry Brown, Dave Earhart, Rob Laperriere, Joe Lilienthal, Mark Mitchell, and 2006 Champions Kasey Janzen and Joe Boniferro.

“Between the teams that have been with us over the past years, and an influx of new competitors, the new PMRA season should be a banner year,” Mehlenbacher added.

Qualifying for the Victoria Day Weekend PMRA Challenge will begin Saturday, May 19, with sessions at 4:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.., and 8:00 p.m. Eliminations are scheduled to begin Sunday, May 20 at 1:00 p.m.

Click on the link above to see the full release.

SOS: Rick Wilson wins opener, at Brighton

The “Joyceville Jet” Scores At Brighton Speedway Southern Ontario Sprints Opener

BRIGHTON, ON – A capacity crowd greeted the return of the Southern Ontario Sprints to Brighton Speedway Saturday night as the tour opened it’s 2007 season.

Hometown favourite Rick Wilson had them on their feet as he collected his first victory of 2007. “At the start of the race my motor was skipping real bad” stated Wilson in post the post race interview. “When we finally got some heat in the motor, the car was really going good. It is good to see so many people in the stands for the sprint races here and tonight the track was just awesome” concluded Wilson.

Pole sitter Craig Downie grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag from Brad Malloy as the duo set a torrid pace. Downie continued to show the way to the rest of the field while Malloy gave chase through the early stages of the twenty lap event.

The first of two cautions waved on lap seven to clear the disabled machine of Bob Crawford who was sitting in a dangerous spot in the infield grass after dropping out of the race at the end of lap three with front end damage. Warren Mahoney also retired during the caution period with mechanical woes.

On the restart, Downie continued to dominate as Kevin Job slipped by Malloy into second. Glenn Styres, Rick Wilson, and Kyle Wilson were engaged in a battle as they closed in on Malloy. By the half way point, Downie appeared to be in control as Job had settled into second. Rick Wilson, Styres and Kyle Wilson had all cleared the Malloy machine with the 5M running in sixth.

Kyle Patrick, Adam West, Keith Dempster, and Jamie Collard rounded out the top ten.
Rick Wilson slipped by Job into the runner up spot by lap fourteen as Styres faded to fifth behind Kyle Wilson. The second and final caution waved on lap sixteen when Brad Malloy collected a spinning Mike Ferrell in turn four.

Ferrell continued as the Malloy mount came to rest with front end damage. Rob Middlemiss and Daryl Turford also stopped on the speedway during this caution but were able to restart.

When the green flag waved for the final time, Downie got a good jump with Rick Wilson in pursuit. Downie held on to lead lap seventeen but Wilson caught Downie on the exit of turn two and blasted into the lead as the pair entered turn three. At the checkers it was Rick Wilson followed by Downie, Kyle Wilson, Styres, Job, Kyle Patrick, West, Collard, Dempster, and John Watson making up the top ten.

John Burbridge, Dick Mahoney, Rob Middlemiss, Daryl Turford, and April Wilson finished eleventh through fifteenth while Derek Jonathan, Mark Swain, James Whittaker, and Mike Ferrell completed the running order. Rookie Bill Baldwin failed to get the car started for the feature while Joe Middlemiss did not answer the call with engine problems.

Heat races were won by Craig Downie, Brad Malloy, and Kevin Job.

Next up on May 18th the series will make the first of four appearances to
Ohsweken Speedway Friday night. Racing activities are set to go at 7:45 PM
with Pit gates opening at 5:30 PM.

Be sure to come out to a speedway near you as the series continues on it’s
2007 tour and for all of the latest news and information on the Southern
Ontario Sprints be sure to log on to the official website at HYPERLINK
"http://www.southernontariosprints.com" www.southernontariosprints.com .

For Immediate Release: (Ken Pelkie for SOS)