NCATS: Micks heads to Mosport on a roll

MT. ALBERT, ONTARIO (August 9, 2007) – Kerry Micks returns to Mosport Speedway this weekend on a positive note in the Mick Motorsports Beyond Digital Imaging Ford Taurus. Micks took a decisive victory recently, winning on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Quebec last week.

“I hope our luck has finally turned around after our big win in Montreal,” said the Mount Albert, ON-based racer. “We’ve had a top runner capable of winning everywhere we’ve been this year, but luck has not been on our side.”

“We always run well at Mosport,” added the stock car racing veteran. “We had a second place finish there last year and won the year before. I can guarantee you one thing, we’re going to Mosport with the Beyond Digital Imaging Ford with one thing in mind, and that’s winning.”

Last week’s win, his first NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victory, moved Micks into seventh position in the Top 10 Driver Points in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

The Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 presented by Canadian Shield Anticrime Response Corporation at Mosport Speedway is the seventh race in the 12-race NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Saturday, August 11.

Gates open at 2:00 p.m., time trials are set for 4:00 p.m., the driver autograph session that will get underway at 5:00 p.m. and the green flag for the Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 presented by Canadian Shield Anticrime Response Corporation drops at 7:00 p.m.

For more information about tickets, call the Mosport Hotline at (800) 866-1072 (Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET) or visit online at www.mosport.com. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster.

Beyond Digital Imaging Inc. (BDI), Canadian Detailing Services, Cathcart Trucking and APX Racing Gear and Incentives Inc., Nur America, and HP Canada are sponsors of Micks Motorsports.

For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher at Bruce@JAJEntertainment.com

NCATS: Team Fastline set for NASCAR event on Mosport oval

HAMILTON, ONTARIO (August 9, 2007) – Fresh off a solid top-ten finish at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal recently, Fastline Motorsports team driver Jim Lapcevich hopes to keep the momentum going in this Saturday’s Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 at Mosport Speedway.

Driving the EMCEA – Tim Hortons Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Lapcevich started dead last in 31st spot in the Montreal event, and drove a terrific race on the road circuit to place ninth. He said he is hoping to keep the drive alive on the Mosport half-mile paved oval, where he finished 19th in last year’s event.

“Mosport should be a good venue for us, we’ve raced there many times, it will be good to get back on an oval,” said Lapcevich, who is from Hamilton, Ontario. “The key to Mosport is horsepower, you need to get out front and stay out front, and history has proved that anything can happen in the final laps of this 200-lap, 100-mile race,” he added.

Teammate Jeff Lapcevich will not be competing at Mosport. The Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 presented by Canadian Shield Anticrime Response Corporation at Mosport Speedway is the seventh race in the 12-race NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Saturday, August 11.

Gates open at 2:00 p.m., time trials are set for 4:00 p.m., the driver autograph session that will get underway at 5:00 p.m. and the green flag for the Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 presented by Canadian Shield Anticrime Response Corporation drops at 7:00 p.m.

For more information about tickets, call the Mosport Hotline at (800) 866-1072 or visit online at www.mosport.com. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster.

Tim Hortons, EMCEA Transport, Springer’s Meats, Troy Cove Marine, Mr. Lube, and B & J Electric sponsor Team Fastline, www.FastlineMotorsports.ca

About Fastline Motorsports: The Fastline Motorsports, www.fastlinemotorsports.ca, team cars are based on the 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo body with a 107.5-inch wheelbase, which sits on top of a McColl Racing Enterprises chassis. The 355-cubic inch small-block Chevrolet engine from AP Racing Engines produces over 500 horsepower, and this power is transferred to the car's rear wheels by a four-speed transmission. Headed by father Joe Lapcevich, and with an experienced and devoted crew of 12 others, this two-car team demonstrates the professionalism, ability, and confidence to represent this exciting sport both on and off the track. About Jim Lapcevich:

In 2006, Jim Lapcevich captured seven top-ten finishes in the CASCAR Super Series and two top-five finish with a fourth place finish at the Mosport International Raceway Road Course and at the Grand Prix of Montreal. With a strong background in oval track events, Jim Lapcevich has progressed from the Saturday night "bull-rings" to become one of the top drivers in CASCAR, with several victories in this national series. With a strong competitive desire, Jim will always be in the hunt vying for that checkered flag.

From Bruce F. Mehlenbacher // Director of Public Relations

NCATS on TSN: Edmonton race

Watch The NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES 100 EVENT from EDMONTON on TSN

Repeat 1: Monday Aug 13 @ Midnight

Repeat 2: Wednesday Aug 15 @ 12:00 PM EST

Look for a N.C.A.T.S. Double header on TSN next weekend with both the NAPA/Autopro 100 (Montreal) and the FULL THROTTLE 200 (Mosport) race both in Hi-Def

OHSWEKEN: UP NEXT: SOUTHERN ONTARIO SPRINTS

OHSWEKEN, ON – Tonight at Ohsweken Speedway ESSO Proudly Presents the Southern Ontario Sprints plus Thunder Stocks and Mini Stocks. For the first time since the World of Outlaws show in late July sprint cars will once again take to the fast 3/8 mile clay oval.

Track owner and promoter Glenn Styres goes into the event as the SOS point leader holding a slim 36 point lead over Kevin Job. The race marks the first of two events on the weekend with the teams headed to Brighton on Saturday night.

Also in action will be the Thunder Stocks and Mini Stocks. In the Thunders Brad Bacher will look to get back to victory lane after finally having his win streak broken last week by Jeremy Bean. Bacher enters the night with a 22 point lead over Glen Leinen.

Meanwhile Abel Castelein will look to pad his lead in the Mini Stocks. Jim Swing has been on the move up the standings in recent weeks and his win last Friday night has moved him to within 33 points of Castelein.

Racing action at the Big 'O' begins tonight at 7:45PM SHARP. Adult admission is $15 while Students and Seniors pay $10. For more information log on to http://www.ohswekenspeedway.com

From Ohsweken Speedway Online

TONY MORRIS JR. WINS NASCC 50th ANNIVERSARY INVITATIONAL at the Rexall Grand Prix

July 22nd, 2007 - Edmonton, Alberta – Tony Morris Jr. held off a very strong field of big horsepower GTP1 cars at the NASCC 50th Anniversary Invitational to win overall for Finning Canada, Maui Jim Sunglasses and Proformance Racing.

‘Our Chevy Monte Carlo ran great and my Crew Chief Norm Olynuk gave me and awesome set up’. Tony inherited the lead on the 2nd lap of the race as Roy Isley from Stony Plain Alberta (on pole in his Derhaag Trans Am Corvette) unfortunately spun in oil at turn 7. Dennis Goruk (who finished 2nd) pressured Tony in his GT1 Corvette for the entire race which was cut short by a full course yellow caused by a 2-car crash at turn 10 late in the 50-minute timed event.

Tony was very thankful to the organizers for their great efforts in putting on this fantastic race. ‘We have been looking forward to another chance to race at a big event since the loss of the SCCBC Invitational at the Vancouver Molson Indy’ said Tony. ‘The Northern Alberta Sports Car Club and its members worked very hard and put on a first class event’ http://edmontonrace.com/

Up next for Tony is a visit to Mission Raceway for another round of the West Coast Sports Car Championship (August 19). Tony is teamed with Steve Paquette in his beautiful MB Euromotors Porsche 911 Twin Turbo with plans to race at the Daytona 24 hrs in 2008.

AIM Autosport qualifies fourth for DP race at The Glen

AIM Autosport notched a second-consecutive top-five qualifying position in Daytona Prototype racing, taking fourth on the grid for the Friday evening Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race at Watkins Glen International. The team qualified fifth for the series race in Montréal last week, then bettered it by one position at Watkins Glen on Thursday.

Mark Wilkins of Toronto qualified the No. 61 Lexus-powered Riley Mk XI fourth on the 21-car grid in one minute 7.761 seconds on the 2.45-mile New York road course. Although the pole-winning No. 99 Bob Stallings Racing car dominated the session, Wilkins' time was just 0.116 seconds behind second place. He will drive the first race stint on Friday, followed by Burt Frisselle of Lynchburg, Va.

"In Montréal we showed we can be competitive. We carried the momentum from Montréal and I had a lot of confidence coming in here," Wilkins said. "All credit goes to Burt for setting up the car in practice and to the crew – the car ran fantastic. We picked up a lot of time in qualifying and we were very close to being in the top two. Fourth is a great starting spot here because track position is so important. It's a great result for the team."

From Sylvia Proudfoot

PREVIEW: “SIX STAR” AVONDALE NIGHT AT MERRITTVILLE WITH SECOND BRP 360 LATE MODEL VISIT AUGUST 18TH

Race Fans can look forward to quite a night of Dirt Track racing excitement Saturday August 18th when the BRP 360 Late Models make their second visit of 2007 to Merrittville Speedway to make up the Avondale Food Stores Six Star Racing Program.

“What more could you ask for,” boasts (Merrittville GM) Erica Bicknell, adding, “ there’s something for everyone … the Late Models will join our 5 divisions – it’ll be an exciting night and standing room only in the pits.”

In the first visit of the BRP 360 Late Models back on Victoria Day – defending champion Randy Hall took the Financial Care Group Monday Night Madness Feature – but the hottest driver of late is Jeff Cheseboro whose 3rd win of the year came August 4th in the Russ Prentice Memorial at Genesee Speedway.

Cheseboro currently holds a 31 point lead over Hall who he finished second to in the first visit to Thorold.

Between Genesee and Merrittville however there are two events scheduled – August 11th at Canandaigua and August 15th at McKean County Raceway in East Smethport Pennsylvania.

Technically there will be 7 divisions on the schedule August 11th – the 7th taking to the Kart Track as two of Merrittville Speedway’s young guns – Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite Driver Andy Tallman taking on Hoosier Stock Rookie David Small in bikes.

After the event, the Tallman and Small Bikes will be given away to two younger race fans via a draw.

With 120 locations throughout the Peninsula Avondale Food Stores are pleased to serve the community.

Avondale Food Stores offer a variety of services such as faxing, photocopying, Western Union Money Orders and Money Transfers, ABM Service, a variety of grocery items at low prices, coffee, slush and many other convenience foods.

To find an Avondale Food Store location visit avondalefoodstores.com.

The Six Star Show begins when the gates open at 5:30. Qualifying heats begin at 7:15.

For further information on Merrittville Speedway’s 56th Season – call the Speedway Office at 905-892-8266 or visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com.

Lucas Oil Ontario Off Road Racing Championship Round 5

STROUD, ON - When the race fans at Sunset Speedway arrived to watch the Lucas Oil Ontario Off Road Racing Championships, they were not sure what to expect. This was the first time a number of then had ever seen off road racing in person, let alone heard of this style of racing. When they left, they were grinning through their dust covered faces!

The August 5th evening was filled with action from spinouts into cement walls to the first ever off road bus races at the end of the evening. While dust is not normally an issue for spectators at the paved oval, it created even more havoc than the off road racers are used to. Combine that with the difficult transition from pavement to dirt and back, the evening was full of non stop action.

Ray Jennings, a veteran buggy driver in Class 1600, hit the cement wall very hard on the front stretch in the Class 1600 feature race. As Jennings landed from the south jump and worked his way from the dirt to asphalt, the steering locked in his #66 Team Air buggy. The car hit the wall head on at full speed, only to bounce back a few feet before coming to a rest. Surrounded by the race officials and his fellow racers, Jennings slowly emerged from his heavily damaged car with a huge applause from fans and racers alike.

The Class 1600 race continued and it was the #17 car of Stu Talsma wining both the qualifier and feature races. The car was actually driven for this race by truck racing veteran Donnie Smith of Peterborough while Talsma watched from the stands with work related injures. Travis Dinsmore, #43, was hot on the heels of Smith, followed by Ken Brown, #4 and current point’s leader and the 2006 Overall Points Champion, Jeff Zoskey, #600. Fred Gagnier #07 and Tom Horney #70, both from the Windsor area, rounded out the field.

Class 7 mini trucks welcomed the #638 Class 6 Tracker of Brent Campbell due to the low car count for this class. Rob Sanderson #713, who increased his feature event win streak to 3 in a row, also won the qualifier event in his S10. Sanderson battled it out all night long with current points leader James Horton in the #711 Ecotec powered S10. Rookies Nate Monahan, who is currently holding onto second place in the points chase, and Stu , in his first off road race, both battled with problems in their S10 trucks to finish 3rd and 4th respectively. Jeff Sleegers #790 was running strong until the transmission decided to come apart in the Ecotec S10.

The Class 10 Buggy feature race was short and small, but at the end there was a new point’s leader. The leader before the race, Ken Sherrett #015, only had to finish to maintain his points lead. His main competition was sitting out this event with Bob Joseph out with wrist injuries while Paul Robertson’s buggy decided it did not want race by having major engine trouble while loading onto the trailer. Sherrett’s car decided to play tag with the loader tires that outlined the track, causing the steering rack to break.

That left the two Class 1600 cars that bumped up for more seat time. Travis Dinsmore #43 walked away with the win while Fred Gagnier drove his injured #07 buggy around the track. Gagnier had front end problems in the Class 1600 race, but wisely decided to come out and get his starting and finishing points with a few very slow laps. This move put him into the points lead by 7 points over Sherrett.

Class 4 was dominated by Steve McCrossan in his #33 Pro 4 Ford. Rob Purcell worked hard to claim second in the #333 Ford, followed by the four cylinder, 2wd #40 Ranger of Brian Aube and the #403 Chevy of Kevin Kern.

The ladies race featured two Class 7 trucks and two Class 1600 cars. #43 Buggy driver Cassie Dinsmore took the win with a great last lap pass on current point’s leader Barb Monahan in the #705 S10. A special appearance was made by Lucas Oil’s Robyn Kostyshyn who raced Rob Sanderson’s #713 into third place. This was her first time racing off road and was grinning from ear to ear all night.

The final event of the evening was the much anticipated off road school bus races. Club President and Head Flagman Ed Sanderson took time off from his duties to hop into the drivers seat, as did announcer Wes Kibble. They were joined by a gentleman selected from the stands to run in the first ever school bus off road races. Kibble lost his brakes on the second lap and almost pushed his opponents into the cement wall while the jarring of jumping a school bus knocked the fiberglass hood loose from Sandersons bus. It was soon run over repeatedly, much to the fans delight.

The Lucas Oil Ontario Off Road Racing Championships return to Peterborough Speedway on August 25-26 and to Augusta Motorsports Park near Brockville on September 15-16. For more information about the series, check out their website at www.ooraonline.com

From Wes Kibble // Ontario Off Road Racing Association

NCATS: Micks wins Montreal in Beyond Digital Imaging Ford

MONTREAL, QUEBEC (August 4, 2007) – Kerry Micks won Saturday’s NAPA AUTOPRO 100 in the Mick Motorsports Beyond Digital Imaging Ford Taurus passing Andrew Ranger on the white flag lap as the two cars navigated the final few turns on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Quebec.

Micks, who resides in Mt. Albert, ON, was victorious in last year’s CASCAR Super Series event started third in the 31-car field for the 23-lap
race on the 15-turn 2.71-mile street circuit, on Île Notre-Dame, part of the city of Montreal.

It was Mick’s first NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victory.

“I’m thrilled for the team and our sponsor Beyond Digital Imaging, we have all gone through some difficult times over the last few weeks,” explained Kerry Micks, who staged a daring battle winning the third of four scheduled road course races on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule in 2007.

Micks was able to work past outside pole sitter Andrew Ranger on the initial start and overcame pole sitter J.R. Fitzpatrick on the race’s second lap to assume the lead which he held for the next 19 laps.

Ranger pushed his way past Micks to assume the lead for laps 21 and 22.

However, Kerry Micks used a late-race pass on crowd favorite Andrew Ranger to win the 23-lap NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race. Robin Buck was third.

“I’ve had some great wins in my career, but this one has to rank at the top,” said Micks. “This was such a big race for us, being here with the NASCAR Busch Series. It is definitely a very special win.”

"The car was awesome all day, we took the lead early in the race lost it near the end and passed Andrew (Ranger) on the last lap. It was an unbelievable day,” added Micks. “I’m sorry to disappoint the French fans, but I had to do it.”

The race was slowed by just three caution periods covering eight laps.

The next event for Micks Motorsports will be race seven in the 12-race NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Mosport Speedway, as Canada's top stock car drivers take to Canada's fastest half-mile oval in the Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 presented by Canadian Shield Anticrime Response Corporation on Saturday, August 11.

Beyond Digital Imaging Inc. (BDI), Canadian Detailing Services, Cathcart Trucking and APX Racing Gear and Incentives Inc., Nur America, and HP Canada are sponsors of Micks Motorsports.

For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher at Bruce@JAJEntertainment.com. Photo by Greg MacPherson / Inside Track Motorsport News

NCATS: Team Fastline Lapcevich brothers finish top-ten at Montreal

Team Fastline Motorsports drivers Jeff and Jim Lapcevich placed eighth and ninth respectively driving the Tim Hortons - EMCEA Transport Chevrolet Monte Carlos in Saturday’s NAPA AUTOPRO 100 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

Jeff Lapcevich started ninth in the 31-car field, on the 15-turn 2.71-mile street circuit. “We were able to work our way up to third, and thought we had a shot at a podium finish, but restarts were a set back,” said Jeff Lapcevich, of Caistor Center, Ontario. “I was disappointed that we didn’t finish better, all in all it was a great weekend for the team. Jimmy did a great job coming to the back for a ninth place finish.”

Brother Jim Lapcevich started dead last after experiencing an engine failure during practice on Friday, on Île Notre-Dame, for the 23-lap race in Quebec at the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. “I’m proud of our team, everyone on both crews came together and worked very hard,” explained Jim Lapcevich, who resides in Grimsby, Ontario. “I had some serious fun today, it was unfortunate that we had the motor problem before qualifying, I think we would have been contenders.”

Kerry Micks used a final lap pass on Andrew Ranger to win the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event and Robin Buck was third. “I’m proud of both Jeff, Jimmy and our team, they showed what they are made of,” stated Joe Lapcevich, Fastline Team Owner and father of Jeff and Jim Lapcevich. “It was a great day for Team Fastline.”

The next event for Team Fastline will be race seven in the 12-race NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Mosport Speedway, as Canada's top stock car drivers take to Canada's fastest half-mile oval in the Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 presented by Canadian Shield Anticrime Response Corporation on Saturday, August 11.

Tim Hortons, EMCEA Transport, Springer’s Meats, Troy Cove Marine, Mr. Lube, and B & J Electric sponsor Team Fastline, http://www.fastlinemotorsports.ca/ For more information, please contact Bruce Mehlenbacher at Bruce@JAJEntertainment.com

NCATS: DJ KENNINGTON CHARGING UP THE POINT STANDINGS IN THE CASTROL DODGE

DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Crew are gaining momentum as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season moves along. With his fourth straight top-five finish Kennington is beginning to make his move toward the top of the Championship standings.

Round number six of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule was the second straight road course event for the teams, this one on beautiful Ile Notre Dame in Montreal at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This is a race course that is challenging for both driver and machinery. Kennington and the Castrol Dodge team were up to the challenge.

Right from the first practice sessions on the 4.3km circuit Kennington and the Castrol Dodge were among the top runners. “All my guys take a lot of pride in being prepared for every race” said Kennington. “We all work lots of hours to be ready and it makes things runs smoother during the weekend” he added.

Kennington start the 100km event from the sixth starting spot. As the green flag waved to begin 23 laps of racing Kennington was immediately looking for an opening to improve his position and was soon into the top five. “The car felt great all weekend and we didn’t abuse our equipment” he stated. “It’s easy to get a bit aggressive with the motor or the car set up but you run the risk of problems if you do”.

As other competitors experienced motor and gear problems the Castrol Dodge stayed strong throughout the entire event. In the closing laps Kennington pushed to try and overtake the #88 car to gain a podium position but fell just short. “Some of the guys were pretty aggressive out there today” said Kennington afterwards. “I would have liked to be on the podium for sure, but this Castrol Dodge finished the day with barely a mark on it, we’ve got another great points day in the championship. I’m pretty happy with our effort this weekend”.

After six races DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge team have moved up into second spot in the overall point standings.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series begins the second half of the season this Saturday, August 11th on the Mosport Speedway oval The twelve race NCATS schedule features events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at http://www.nascar.ca/ All twelve races of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will also be broadcast on TSN.

OF NOTE: DJ Kennington also participated in the first ever NASCAR Busch Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this past weekend. Kennington would qualify 27th and moved into the top-fifteen before transmission problems would end his days early. “The car was a pleasure to drive” he said afterwards. “Consistent all day, that’s what you like to have. I really appreciate the support of Dwight Kennedy from Northern Provincial Pipeline and Krispy Kreme who came on board this weekend”.

This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

NCATS: J.R. FITZPATRICK AND MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOLS TEAM STYMIED IN MONTREAL

John Ryan (J.R.) Fitzpatrick and the Milwaukee Electric Tools Chevrolet team have been riding the wave of success. Fitzpatrick scored back to back wins in the west and wanted to keep the momentum going as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series arrived for round six of the season in Montreal at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

The weekend began as the Milwaukee Electric Tools team had hoped with a fast car that ate up the 4.3km race track. “The car is good” has become a familiar phrase for young J.R. after practice sessions. “Ted McAllister and the team do such a good job of preparing these race cars they are a pleasure to drive” said Fitzpatrick. “Having such good equipment also allows us to run only the necessary number of laps to get the set up right” he added.

As has become custom the Milwaukee Electric Tools team go it right and J.R. Fitzpatrick blistered a lap around the very tough 14 turn circuit to score his second straight pole position. Fitzpatrick’s pole time was 7/10ths of a second quicker than the second place car.

Scoring the pole also gave the young Fitzpatrick a decision to make, which side of the course would he choose to begin the 100km race? “I chose the right side of the track because I felt I could stay at least even heading into the left hander at corner one and then we’d have the advantage through two and three which are both right handers” said the driver.

Fitzpatrick’s strategy for the Milwaukee Electric Tools Chevy team worked perfectly. As he lead the field to green he powered ahead and claimed the lead of the race as the cars began the opening lap. Fortunes for the team changed dramatically shortly afterwards.

Settling into a comfortable race pace Fitzpatrick was not worried after falling from the point position. “I don’t want to use the car up early, I like to save my stuff for the end” he stated. However, after a bump with another competitor Fitzpatrick thought he felt a miss in the engine. After switching electrical boxes the car appeared to once again be at top performance. As the race passed halfway the Milwaukee Electric Tools Chevy would begin to lose power and Fitzpatrick coasted to pit road. The team quickly determined their problems were too severe to continue. “It’s too bad”, said Fitzpatrick afterwards. “This is the frustrating part about racing, sometimes a part breaks or malfunctions and you just have to deal with it. But this Milwaukee Electric Tools tea will be back next week ready to go”.

At the end of the first half of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season JR Fitzpatrick and the Milwaukee Electric Tools team sit fifth in the championship standings.

The Milwaukee Electric Tools will race next Mosport Speedway on Saturday August 11th. More information on the series can be obtained by visiting www.nascar.ca All twelve races will also be shown on TSN.

OF NOTE: J.R Fitzpatrick also participated in the first ever NASCAR Busch Series event this weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Unfortunately motor problems during qualifying would not allow them to compete in the race. “It’s been a tough weekend for us” said J.R. Fitzpatrick afterwards. The support we receive from Home Hardware for this Busch Series car has been great, it’s a shame we just had some motor troubles”.

This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

NCATS: Top-Five Finish for Steckly in Montreal

Scott Steckly and the Erb Group race team took to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this past weekend for the sixth race of the NASCAR Canadian Series schedule. This race was part of the NASCAR Busch Series debut in Canada at the famous Montreal road course. Despite only getting 5 laps of qualifying, Steckly managed to post to eighth fastest time during the 20 minute qualifying period.

Scott dropped a couple positions early in the race, before settling into 10th place. From the time the second caution period took place at lap 12, Scott was passing cars one at a time, working towards a top-five finish. Steckly was battling with Don Thomson Jr. for much of the final five laps, and on lap 22 he was finally able to get by the car driven by Thomson with a pass entering turn 12. By that time the rest of the leaders were too far ahead of Scott and he rode out the remaining lap on his way to his second top-five finish of the year. With the finish Steckly moved to within 34 points of eighth place Dave Whitlock in the championship standings.

Scott was happy with his finish saying “despite not getting much qualifying time, we were able to get around the track pretty quickly and end up with a solid finish”.

The next race in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is this Saturday at Mosport Raceway in Bowmanville, ON.

In the drive for the 2007 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Championship, Scott Steckly currently sits in 13th place.

The 22 Racing team is proudly sponsored by: Erb Group of Companies, AW Millwrights, International Dealers: Diamond International (Edmonton, AB), Sommers Motor Generator Sales, D.H. Jutzi Limited, Groeneveld, Thermo King of Eastern Canada, Twin City Graphics, Chris Root Precision Machine, Stratford Motor Products, Generation Filtration, Mr. Transmission (Guelph), Commercial Babcock, Classy Collectibles, Glasvan Great Dane, Motorsport Design, Milverton Garage.

For more information on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series visit NASCAR.ca or contact kyle_erb@sympatico.ca for information on the 22 Racing team.

NCATS: ANOTHER SOLID FINISH FOR HOME HARDWARE CHEVROLET

Don Thomson Jr. and the Home Hardware Chevrolet team have shown strong performance on road courses in the past. As the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (NCATS) arrived for round six of the season at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec the team would show their strength again.

The weekend did not begin the way the Home Hardware team was hoping. Always well prepared for each time they take to the race track Don Thomson Jr. wasn’t able to achieve the quick times they were expecting. “The car was okay, but just not quite where we expected to be” said the driver. Thomson would qualify the Home Hardware Chevy an uncharacteristic tenth.

The Home Hardware Team went to work right after qualifying to improve the performance and handling. Spring changes and other adjustments were completed to give Thomson more ammunition against what the tough track. Crew Chief Sandy Hamilton said “we should be better for the race with some of the changes we made”

As the 100km race began the Home Hardware Chevy and driver Don Thomson Jr. were back in recognizable form. Quickly Thomson had the Home Hardware Chevy gaining several positions and up challenging with the top-five runners. “The car was definitely better during the race” said Thomson. “I was really happy that we were able to gain some spots quickly and be back up where we expect to run”.

As the race progressed Thomson raced hard with several different cars fighting for position. “These road courses are fun when you’ve got a good handling car and we had some pretty good battles going on out there”. Thomson would continue to run strong through the entire event scoring a sixth place finish. “I’ve really got to thank all the Home Hardware team for their effort this weekend” he stated. “All the work that the team did to get J.R. Fitzpatrick’s Home Hardware car ready for the Busch Series race plus both our cars for this event, everybody really did a great job and I appreciate their hard work”.

Through six races Don Thomson Jr. and the Home Hardware team are currently fourth in the championship point standings.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series will return to oval track action this Saturday, August 11th at Mosport Speedway. The NCATS run a twelve event schedule on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits across Canada. Each of the twelve races will also be broadcast on TSN. For information about the NCATS including schedule, results and more, log onto http://www.nascar.ca/

This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

NCATS: BRAD GRAHAM AND THE FULL THROTTLE FURY TEAM BUMPED ASIDE IN MONTREAL

The brilliant red Full Throttle Fury/Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts Dodge with Brad Graham behind the wheel were set for another strong road course outing as the team took to the track at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal for the sixth event of the season in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. However other competitors conduct would impact severely on their results.

Through the first practice sessions the Full Throttle Fury Dodge team would work hard to improve the performance of the car. “In the early going we just didn’t seem to have the power in the car we’re used to” said driver Brad Graham. “We tried a few things and it didn’t improve that much and left us a little puzzled”. He added.

Qualifying would prove to be equally puzzling for the Full Throttle Fury team as Brad was only able to muster the fifteenth place starting spot. The team would make significant changes and improvements in advance of the 100km race.

As the race began on the picturesque 4.3km course in Montreal Brad Graham had the Full Throttle Fury car working better than it had all weekend. “The changes we made really improved things” he said. “And I wanted to gain some positions while making sure we saved the car a bit for the end of the race”.

Several full course cautions periods through the first half of the race made it difficult to gain any rhythm or momentum. In the second half of the event Graham moved to within one spot of the top-ten. “After the difficulties we had this weekend getting the speed out of the car and also encountering some clutch problems during the race I thought if we can come out with our second straight top-ten on a road course then the Full Throttle Fury team should be pleased with our effort, unfortunately on the last lap that chance was taken away from us”.

As Graham sought to solidify a top-ten finish another competitor bumped hard into the back of the Full Throttle Fury Dodge sending him spinning to a stop on course. Having lost the clutch earlier in the race Graham was unable to recover and would be classified nineteenth. “The hardest part is this had nothing to do with our effort this weekend, it was totally out of our control”.

Brad Graham and the Full Throttle/Challenger Motor Freight/Logel’s Auto Parts Team return to oval track action this coming weekend as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series begins the second half of the season at the ½ mile Mosport Speedway oval on Saturday night. For more information about the series log onto http://www.nascar.ca/ and for more news information about the team go to http://www.bradgraham.ca/ All 12 races this season will also be broadcast on TSN.

This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

NCATS: TEAM MOPAR DISAPPOINTED WITH MONTREAL SHOWING

Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the Mopar Parts team arrived for round number six of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal looking forward to the challenging course on Ile Notre Dame. The demanding track would not be their only challenge during the weekend.

Through the first practice sessions the team as always looked to make sure the set up of the car was correct for conditions and seek ways to improve. During the second round of practice Ron Beauchamp Jr. felt a problem with steering at the front end. “I was flying through the back part of the course an all of a sudden the car turned to the right” said the driver. Before qualifying the team worked to make repairs and would also discover another problem. “We decided to change gears for qualifying, and we found there was a problem with a seal at the back end, so we repaired that as well” he said.

With very little practice time and an abbreviated qualifying session Beauchamp would muscle the car to a thirteenth place starting spot on the grid.

Team Mopar worked long and hard to prepare the Mopar Parts Avenger for the 100km main event and according to Crew Chief Chris Couvillion they felt more confident heading into the race. “We made some changes that I think will make us better and give Jr. a good car for the race”.

When the green flag waved Beauchamp was able to gain several positions in the Mopar Parts Dodge. “The car felt better than it did all weekend; Chris and the rest of the guys did a great job working so hard all weekend”. Ron Jr. would maneuver his was into the top-ten of the field in short order. However the frustration theme of the weekend would soon return.

As Beauchamp looked to continue his progress toward the front he first heard and then felt problems under the hood and the Mopar Parts Dodge was soon stopped on course. After being pushed to pit lane the team discovered their problems in the motor were too serious to continue, their day finished on lap 4.

“This weekend was really frustrating for us” said Ron Beauchamp Jr. “The whole team works so hard to prepare these cars, we strip them right down before each event, use the best parts we can get and then to battle so many problems is disappointing. But now we’re taking the approach that the first half of the season is over, and we’re putting that behind us. We’re going to focus on the second half of the season, and we’re hungrier than ever for success”.

The second half of the season for Team Mopar in The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series begins under the lights at Mosport Speedway Saturday August 11th. The 12 race schedule will take the teams from coast to coast and will consist of ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. For the complete schedule, results and other information log onto http://www.nascarlocalracing.com/ You will also be able to watch all twelve races this season on TSN.

This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

NCATS: Hathaway & Team 3 Red- EHR Struggle at Montreal

Montreal, Quebec-Team 3 Red/EHR and Jason Hathaway returned to The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal this weekend to compete in the NAPA AUTOPRO 100, marking the half way point of the 2007 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series inaugural season.

The car came off of the trailer in good form. Practice and qualifying for the 23 lap event around the 15-turn, 4.3 km street course created from surface streets circuit took place on Friday. The morning sessions of practice went well for the team and their #3 Snap on Tools Dodge, posting a 13th fastest lap times in the practice session.

After practice Hathaway was pretty comfortable with his racing machine. "The car was pretty good in practice. A 13th fastest time is a great place to be right now in such a deep field. I think we will be in great shape for the race."

Unfortunately Hathaway's practice efforts faded away when an early qualifying session incident Friday afternoon shorted the team's qualifying efforts. Under the direction of Crew Chief Giulio Montanari, the Team worked to repair their damaged race car and prepare for the main event on Saturday morning. Hathaway started his #3 Snap on Tools Dodge in the 30th position in the field for the NAPA AUTOPRO 100.

With ground to make up in the field Hathaway got down to business early and started to work his way up through the pack. By lap 15 of the 23 lap event Hathaway was up to 15th, most recently making his way around 2 cars on the back part of the famous Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. A favourable finish to a tough start for the team was within the Team's grasp when on lap 17 Hathaway radioed in that he was having trouble with his transmission. With only 6 laps to go, Crew Chief Giulio Montanari elected to keep Hathaway on the track with only high gear in the car and finish the race.

"This was a pretty frustrating weekend for this team." said Giulio Montanari after the race. "Jason and this car was a lot better then we got to show out here today. The car was strong in practice and the crash in qualifying put us back a little. The crew is strong and they worked hard to get this car back together. We will get back to the shop, regroup and have a good finish next weekend at Mosport."

Although it was a tough weekend for the team, Team 3 Red/EHR and Hathaway were able to stay in the top 10 in driver standings. Hathaway now sits in the 10th spot a single point out of 9th. The next event for the Team will be this coming weekend at the oval under the lights of Mosport International Raceway on Saturday August 11,2007.

Team 3 Red/EHR is proud to be associated with their great sponsors and supporters. Team 3 Red/EHR is partnered with Snap-on Tools, Super 8 Motels, Advantex Freight Forwarders, Fast Eddie Racewear and Choko Motorsports, Briggs & Stratton, Castrol, Napoleon Fireplaces & Barbeques, Xilarate Sports Fluid, BOSCH Canada and The Busted Knuckle Garage. For more information on our sponsors please visit our website at http://www.team3red.com/.
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For additional information please contact: Jamie Hakonson // Team 3 Red/Ed Hakonson Racing // jamie@team3red.com

NCATS: Pierre Bourque Overcomes Adversity in Montreal

CONCORD, NC (August 6, 2007) – NASCAR made history in Canada this weekend, with the first-ever appearance of the NASCAR Busch Series on Canadian soil at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec.

Also continuing to make history was the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, which held an event in its inaugural season on Saturday on the same road course. Pierre Bourque continues his impressive partial season in the division by overcoming various setbacks to finish 12th in the race.

On Friday in practice, Bourque broke a transmission and did not get a clean lap for qualifying. He lined up 17th for the race and started to make forward progress through the field, moving into the top 10 by the end of lap one. His march continued until receiving a stop and go penalty for getting squeezed off course in the chicane. Bourque lost 14 positions with the penalty, but did not give up.

The setbacks didn’t give up either. Bourque fought back to 14th when a competitor in front of him blew an engine and oiled down the track. Bourque slipped back again and came back again. He kept plugging away and got to 12th at the finish.

“Whitlock Motorsports, the team that runs me in this series, had a fabulous car for me,” said Bourque. “I didn’t give up and the team didn’t give up all weekend. We had a rocket and I owe a big thanks to Dave, Hopper, Gary, Scott, Joe, and the others on the team for a job well done. Without the incidents that we got caught up in, we would have finished comfortably inside the top seven.”

In addition to his crew members, there were some other contributors to Bourque’s good finish.

“Having great sponsors like Driving.Ca, Canada.Com, Working.Com, and Dose.Ca and associate sponsors like Sonomax and Immunotec made this all possible. I appreciate their support.”

Bourque is splitting his time between the Whitlock Motorsports NASCAR Canadian Tire Series entry and Kevin Buckler's The Racers Group team in Grand-Am road racing. He also made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut last month with Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing team at Indianapolis’ O’Reilly Raceway Park and will be making additional announcements on his future racing plans very shortly.

Race fans will now have a new tool to keep up with Bourque’s busy racing schedule. His new website, http://www.pierrebourque.net/ has recently been launched. The site features all kinds of news, results and background information on the Canadian race driver, as well as a number of multimedia goodies for race fans. Be sure to check Bourque’s new site out, as well as his primary sponsor’s website, Driving.ca.

“I am as passionate about motorsports as my primary sponsor Driving.ca is about motoring. Driving.ca is a fantastic website for people looking to research a new vehicle purchase, learn about the latest industry developments, or follow the very latest in racing. We're both all about passion, which makes Driving.ca and perfect match for me."

For more information on Pierre Bourque, please contact Mike Twist at (207) 590-1786 or (207) 499-2565 and be sure to check out the all-new PierreBourque.net.

*****

Pierre Bourque Parts Ways With Fitz Motorsports
Canadian Driver Will Be Announcing New Plans Shortly

CONCORD, NC (August 6, 2007) – Canadian driver Pierre Bourque has parted ways with the Fitz Motorsports team. Bourque drove one NASCAR Busch East Series event for the team this season at Iowa Speedway with plans of teaming up for more events in Busch East and the NASCAR Busch Series this year.

“We have decided to go our separate ways,” said Bourque. “I’m happy and relieved to be moving on. There are some exciting things in the works and I will be making related announcements shortly.”

Although his NASCAR Busch East Series season has been abbreviated so far, Bourque has been keeping busy in other forms of racing. He made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut for Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing team at Indianapolis’ O’Reilly Raceway Park last month and has been a semi-regular in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, driving for Whitlock Motorsports. Bourque competed in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event in Montreal this past weekend and logged a 12th-place finish.

For more information on Pierre Bourque, please contact Mike Twist at (207) 590-1786 or (207) 499-2565 and be sure to check out the all-new PierreBourque.net.

NCATS: BUCK POSTS BACK TO BACK PODIUM FINISHES

MONTREAL, QC : Robin Buck has now posted back to back third place finishes as he again found himself on the podium in Montreal. Buck driver of the No. 88 Ron's Burner Service/Jennifer Ashleigh Foundation/Wix Filters/Jacombs Racing prepared Ford Fusion ran as high as second in the NAPA Auto Pro 100 on Saturday.

Robin Buck who is driving in all four road course events for Jacombs Racing in 2007 practiced in the top five and qualified in the fifth starting position during Friday's practice and qualifying sessions. "I think I have some unfinished business at this track after finishing a close second to Kerry Micks here last year," stated Buck before the weekends activities began.

Buck took the green flag for The NAPA Auto Pro 100 early on Saturday, prior to the NASCAR Busch race that would start later in the day. By lap two Buck had moved into second place behind leader Micks, where he remained until lap twelve. On lap fourteen he again moved into second before the No. 27 of Andrew Ranger and his Jacombs teammate moved past him. Buck would settled into third and stay there for the remaining laps in the race.

"My car was very good today, but it was a very fast paced race," stated Buck after the event. "I want to thank Ron's Burner Service and the Jennifer Ashley Foundation for coming on board this weekend." Andrew Ranger for the second race in a row lost a last lap lead and finished second.

Winner of the NAPA Auto Pro 100 for the second year in a row was driver of the No. 02 Fusion Kerry Micks. D.J. Kennington and Scott Steckly rounded out the top five. Buck will again pilot the #88 Jacombs Racing Fusion in two weeks at the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres, an event he finished in the top five last year.

For more information on NASCAR in Canada visit www.nascar.ca For more information on Jacombs Racing please visit www.jacombsracing.ca or contact: Linda Jones // LJM Marketing // ljones@ljmmarketing.ca

NCATS: MECHANICAL TROUBLE KNOCKS CENTENNIAL CHRYSLER RACER JOHN GAUNT OUT OF SATURDAY’S NASCAR RACE IN MONTREAL

BARRIE, ON – On Saturday at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, John Gaunt was headed for another solid NASCAR Canadian Tire Series road course result when a power steering belt let go on his #12 Centennial Chrysler-sponsored Dodge Charger, snapping an oil line in the process and ending his race after a dozen laps. In the final results, the Barrie, ON racer was scored in 23rd-place. Following six of 12 rounds, Gaunt is 11th in the overall point standings.

“The race was going great,” said Gaunt, driver of the #12 Centennial Chrysler / AKN Sikkens / Vital Signs / Mobil1 / Unitec Dodge Charger. “We had a nice start, but we got caught in a bit of a bottleneck and backed up a little bit. But we were able to move ahead and pass some cars on the track.”

As with his previous road course outings this season, Gaunt viewed the Montreal race as a learning experience for he and the #12 team. “We made a lot of changes to the cars over the weekend and the guys kept on improving the car for me. I’m starting to learn more about what the car is doing on road courses and giving that information to the team so they can improve the car. The big thing we’re doing now is freeing the car up. I think we’re doing things to the car that aren’t really conventional, but they’re working for me. I’m on a huge learning curve and I’m finding that the most education I get is when we start to race [as opposed to practice]. I’m sorry we didn’t run all the laps, but we learned some things here and we’re moving ahead.”

More than 30 teams took part in qualifying for Saturday’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race in Montreal. Gaunt timed in 18th fastest, which left him encouraged for the race. “We qualified 18th which was progress for us on the road courses. I thought if we could run mid-pack, it would be pretty good. We’re going against a lot of experienced guys but we’re having fun and we’re learning.”

The veteran stock car driver was impressed with the Montreal facility and the fans who were on hand to see the first-ever NASCAR race weekend at the well-known Formula 1 track. “The track is smooth and a pleasure to race on. And the fans here are second to none,” continued Gaunt. “Once I was out of the race, I actually watched the end on one of the big screens. The fans went wild for those last few laps.”

Prior to heading to Montreal, Gaunt and the #12 Centennial Chrysler-sponsored Dodge Charger crew visited western Canada for a two-race swing. On July 15, Gaunt scored an eighth-place finish at Vernon, BC’s Sun Valley Speedway, after starting 14th in the field of 23.

“You have to work harder on that track than any other track all year. You’re turning and working the car the whole time from when you enter turn 3 and all the way around until the exit of turn 2 where you get a short break on the back straightaway.”

Gaunt continued, “We finished eighth. The car was really good with between 100 and 50 laps to go, and we saved the car to be in shape for the end. But we lost our stagger with 50 laps to go and the car got too tight. We also had a bit of transmission trouble at the end with it s ticking.”

The following week, in Edmonton, AB, the NCATS series was front and centre at the Grand Prix of Edmonton. In that race (on July 21), Gaunt started 26th and climbed to 19th in spite of there only being a handful of green flag laps.

“I had a good time there [Edmonton]. We got turned about midway through the race and there were a lot of cautions. I don’t think we raced any more than seven laps under green, which makes it tough. We finished 19th which wasn’t bad after starting 26th and having so few actual racing laps.”

Looking ahead to the next race on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule, Gaunt and company will be in action this Saturday night (Aug. 11) for a 200-lap event at the half-mile Mosport Speedway. Gaunt is looking to rebound from his recent string of tough finishes as the #12 Centennial Dodge Charger embarks on the second half of the schedule.

“We just fell from seventh to 11th in the points, which is tough. But these things happen and you need to take it in stride. We’re looking forward to racing on the oval this coming weekend and then it’s on to the final road race, at Trois-Rivieres. And then we finish up with four oval races, which I’m looking forward to. The road racing is a lot of fun, but I love racing on the bullrings.”

MONTREAL SUMMARY: Veteran stock car racer Kerry Micks won Saturday’s NCATS race at le Circuit Gilles Villeneuve thanks to a daring final lap pass on Andrew Ranger. Robin Buck came home in third place in front of packed grandstands at the Montreal road course. Following six races, Ranger leads the NCATS points.

Prepared by Inside Track Communications. For more information about John Gaunt and the #12 Centennial Chrysler Dodge Charger team, call (705) 726-0393 or visit http://www.centennialchrysler.ca/ . To learn more about the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, visit http://www.nascar.ca/

John Fletcher Captures 2nd OSCAAR Win of 2007 At Peterborough Speedway

Thanks to Dave Franks for sending these photos!

On Saturday night the OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Model Series made its first of three visits this year to Peterborough Speedway. The night saw the first repeat winner of the season as John Fletcher took the checkers in dominating fashion, leading from green to checkers.

The JNE Consulting #61 of Fletcher sat on the pole for the feature event and had it his own way for a while. But the caution flew on lap 11 and he found that a very racy looking Rob Clarke had made his way through traffic and now sat on his rear bumper for the restart. When the green flew again Clarke made his presence known, dogging Fletcher through each corner, at times with the nose right up under the rear bumper of the #61 machine as the two veterans fought it out in a classic battle for the fans, clocking in laps in the 13.3 second bracket. Fletcher was not to be denied though.

The #61 pilot never put a foot wrong and as the laps clicked off the pressure from Clarke began to ease a little and he brought it home to take the checkers having led all the way. "I'd like to thank JNE Consulting for their continued support" said Fletcher, "and our car owner Bill Snowden isn't at the track with us tonight. He hasn't been feeling well, so we want him to get feeling better and get back here with us."

... continued at the link above

By George Strang

NCATS: WHITLOCK ELEVENTH IN NAPA AUTO PRO 100 IN MONTREAL

MONTREAL, QC - Dave Whitlock and thirty of Canada's best stock car drivers took part in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend in conjunction with the NASCAR Busch Series inaugural event in Canada. Whitlock driver of the No. 39 Dickies/Hamilton Tiger Cats/NMT Dodge Charger finished eleventh after lining up to start the NAPA Auto Pro 100 in seventh.

Whitlock again fielded a three car team this weekend as Pierre Bourque driver of the No. 29 Driving.ca/ Conservative Party Dodge Charger joined him and regular teammate Mark Dilley in the #9 Dodge sponsored Avenger.

Friday's practice sessions saw Whitlock continuously posting times in the top ten and time in with a solid seventh place qualifying effort later in the day. The green flag fell on the field for the start of the NAPA Auto Pro 100 at 10:30 on Saturday morning prior to the running of the Busch event - the NAPA Auto Pro 200 presented by Dodge for the Busch Series teams later in the afternoon.

Whitlock with some help from other drivers was shuffled back to fourteenth on the first lap but he quickly made up the positions and by lap nine was back into the top ten. Late in the race while running in eighth another competitor turned the No. 39 Dickies Dodge Charger around and by the time Whitlock got going again he was back in thirteenth. With only three laps remaining the No. 39 driver was only able to make up two of those positions to finish eleventh.

"We had one of the best road course cars I have ever had here today and we were just running in eighth and taking our time moving up through the field when I got taken out," stated a disappointed Whitlock. "Eleventh is okay but when you know you had a fifth or sixth place car it's small consolation."

Kerry Micks made a last lap, last corner pass for the second year in a row at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to take the checkered flag from hometown favourite Andrew Ranger. Third place was Robin Buck, followed by D.J. Kennington and Scott Steckly rounding out the top five.

The Whitlock Motorsports team now find themselves in eighth position in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series point standings heading into event number seven Saturday August 11th at Mosport Speedway. Last years running of this event under the CASCAR banner, saw the Whitlock team come away with the checkered flag a feat they hope to duplicate this year.

The No. 39 Dickies/Hamilton Tiger Cats/NMT Dodge Charger will be on display this Friday August 10th at the annual Leland Industries BBQ held at their head office on Commander Boulevard in Scarborough.

Williamson-Dickie Canada Co. is a subsidiary of Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company of Fort Worth, Texas. Since its beginnings in Forth Worth, Texas in 1922, the Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company has grown from a humble manufacturer of bib overalls into a global brand powerhouse, with Dickies work pants, shirts, denim, outerwear, school uniforms, outdoor gear, medical and chefs apparel and an extensive licensing program offering sturdy head-to-toe clothing options for hardworking men and women of all ages, professions, regions and interests. Williamson-Dickie operates through subsidiaries in North America, Canada and Europe as well as exclusive distributorship around the world. Dickies products are available at select retailers across Canada and the Dickies Factory Outlet store in Hanover, Ont. For more information please visit www.dickiescanada.com

For more information on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series please visit www.nascar.ca

Whitlock Motorsports is a professional racing business located in Wyoming, ON just outside of Sarnia. The 5,000 square foot dedicated motorsports facility houses up to eight race cars, a chassis dyno and all the necessary tools to field a competitive two car race team. Dave Whitlock boasts three National CASCAR Championships, 1991, 1997 and 1998 along with several top three National Championship finishes, while teammate Mark Dilley has one National CASCAR Championship to his credit in 1994. Both teams have consistently posted finishes in the Top Six in the National Point Standings since Dilley joined the Whitlock team in 1999. www.whitlockmotorsports.com

From Linda Jones

NCATS: Good Luck Continues in Montreal for Nuhn

MONTREAL, QC – After finishing a hard fought 22nd at the Grand Prix Edmonton, Kent Nuhn, driver of the No. 09 The Fuel Genie/Nuhns Auto Recyclers Pontiac Grand Prix, and his team were ready for a fun and exciting weekend at The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec.

Due to problems with the racing surface, qualifying was shorten from two thirty minute sessions, with the field separated into two groups, to one fifteen minute session, with the whole field qualifying at one time. Nuhn was able to qualify his Pontiac in the 25th position with a lap time of 1:56.669.

With all eyes on the Quebec-born No. 27 of Andrew Ranger, Nuhn slowly and quietly began to gain track position. He managed to finish the race in the 17th position. The team and relieved at the end of the race that their 17th place finish was safe despite a broken fuel, that occurred on the last lap, and a transponder error.

"He (Nuhn) did a good and outstanding job this weekend," Danny Leuenberger from The Fuel Genie said, "He came to have fun and he did."

Still in 17th spot in points, Nuhn and his team begin to get ready from the Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 at Mosport Speedway in Bowmanville, Ontario. This is the 7th race on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, presented by Sirius Satellite Radio, schedule.

For further information regarding Kent Nuhn and The Fuel Genie/Nuhns Auto Recyclers Team or sponsorship information contact Hugh Nuhn at (519)794-2746. For more information on The Fuel Genie visit http://www.thefuelgenie.com/

By Leslie Bates

AIM Autosport gets ready for the Glen

RAIN READY

AIM Autosport is ready to complete the challenge of back-to-back Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series races, this week on the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International road course. The team hopes to carry the momentum of its race-leading performance in Montréal last week across the border to the New York track. Burt Frisselle of Lynchburg, Va., will team with Mark Wilkins of Toronto in the No. 61 Riley Mk XI powered by Lexus.

Frisselle finished second in the 2004 race, so he's hoping his experience and the team's recent success will be a strong combination – especially if forecast rain hits during the Friday evening race.

"It was a strategy call," he said of his podium performance. "We switched from wet tires to dry tires before anybody else except the eventual winner, and he and I ran away from the entire field. It's one of my greatest memories in a DP car, so hopefully we'll make all the right calls again.

"I have a lot of experience at that track in the rain. The one very challenging part is taking care of your rain tires and keeping them underneath you. If it rains, you've got to be very conscious of not destroying your tires. Obviously, I have experience of when to make the call to go to slicks. The track dries out quicker than most, with drainage and concrete patches, so if you make that call early, you can definitely reap rewards."

GOLD POWER

AIM's Daytona Prototype is gold inside and out. The car's striking black-and-gold livery reflects the support of sponsors Exchange Traded Gold, Barrick Gold Corporation, RBC Financial Group and Telus' Mike Network. Inside, the car's electronic components are protected by gold contacts and connectors.

Gold is one of the most effective conductors of electricity and heat, so it transports electrical signals efficiently and moves heat away from critical components. Gold does not corrode or tarnish, so it is much more reliable than other metals in electronic applications. Gold is also inert, so it does not react when it comes into contact with other substances.

Gold is used at the highest levels of automotive production. In fact, the engine bays in the three-seat McLaren F1 supercars, built in the 1990s, were lined with gold leaf to reflect heat. An F1 won les 24 Heures du Mans in 1995.

CREW CALL

What does the AIM crew do for fun? Race, of course! Team manager Don Sobering races radio-controlled cars. Chief mechanic Kevin O'Reilly chases speed on snowmobiles, while fabricator Jason Willis enjoys the warmer pursuit of dirt biking. Gearbox mechanic Dan Hingley and his family provide track rescue services at major Ontario races.

From: Sylvia Proudfoot

JOHN GRAHAM SET TO TAKE ON THE GLEN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A STOCK CAR

John Graham will be piloting the No.10 Kickbutt Amped Energy Ballz Toyota Camry in this weekend’s Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. Graham is no stranger to The Glen having competed in Grand Am and American Le Mans races there but has never driven the road course in stock car.

Last weekend Graham made his first Busch Series start of 2007. Also piloting the No.10 Braun Racing Camry, Graham started 32nd and finished 23rd in the inaugural Napa Auto Parts 200 in Montreal, Canada.

John Graham is no stranger to international racing with more than 170 professional starts. He has seven starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans including a class win in 2000 to his credit. He also has nine starts at the 24 Hours of Daytona and 11 starts at the 12 Hours of Sebring. He has four NASCAR Busch Series starts at O’Reilly Raceway Park, Richmond International Raceway, Memphis Motorsports Park and Phoenix International Raceway.

Graham played professional Hockey in Sweden but his career was cut short due to Hodgkin’s Disease. His racing career began at Mosport, his local track in Canada in 1986.

GRAHAM ON RACING AT WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL: “Now that we have Montreal under our belt, I’m feeling even more confident heading into this weekend at Watkins Glen. I’m a lot more confident with the weight of the car and how it’s set up. I know the track pretty well having raced there several times before so that will help my confidence level as well. We are going to be pretty conservative during this race but I feel like we can better our finish from last week and I can better my comfort level with this type of race car. I’m looking forward to my second race with Braun Racing. All the guys work really hard and bring great cars to the track.”

EQUIPMENT INFORMATION: The No. 10 Kickbutt Amped Energy Ballz team will compete with chassis #28 in Saturday’s Zippo 200. This is the same chassis Graham raced last weekend in Montreal where he started 32nd and finished 23rd.

From: Sarah Holladay // Public Relations Manager // #10 Braun Racing

NCATS: Dodge-sponsored Avenger driver Mark Dilley slowed by transmission woes at Montreal’s NASCAR race weekend

BARRIE, ON – While last weekend’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was a highlight of the season for many of those associated with the series, the on-track result was anything but for Mark Dilley and the #9 Dodge / Mobil1 / Exide / MOPAR / Leland / Wild Wing / CRS Dodge Avenger team.

The thrill of racing in front of packed grandstands in the inaugural NASCAR race weekend at the legendary Formula 1 road course was Dilley’s only consolation, after transmission troubles dramatically slowed his pace around the 4.361 km circuit on Ile Notre Dame. After starting 12th in the field of 31 the Barrie, ON racer lost first, third and fourth gears just 10 laps into the race, and was left to soldier home to a 21st-place finish, two laps back of the leaders.

The result was all the more frustrating given that in the early laps Dilley was passing cars with ease and was excited about his potential for a top finish. “I had probably the best car we’ve ever had at a road course,” said Dilley. “If anything, we might have been a bit shy on horsepower because it wasn’t intended to be a road course motor. And then we just broke first, third and fourth gears out of the ‘tranny’, so we rode around in second gear after that point. But before that, I think we were as high as sixth. The car was good and it was amazing how well it was
braking and turning. But bad luck got us.”

The entire Montreal NASCAR race weekend was presented by Dodge, which was bittersweet for Dilley, given the result. “It was an incredible event and we were glad to be part of it with so much support from Dodge. The frustrating part is that we weren’t able to give them the top finish we were hoping for.”

Dilley’s tough run in Montreal came on the heals of an equally difficult tour of western Canada, in which the #9 Dodge-sponsored Avenger finished 15th in the British Columbia Dodge Dealers Dodge Avenger 300 (on July 15) and 11th in the NASCAR race at the Grand Prix of Edmonton (July 21).

“That was a tough deal out there,” said Dilley, of his outing at Vernon, BC’s Sun Valley Speedway. “That’s never been one of my strongest ovals. My goal was to go there, lead a few laps to help us out in the points, and maybe get a top-five.”

Dilley continued, “DJ [Kennington] and I tagged coming off the corner and we spun with like nine laps to go. I went down and hit the inside wall. We were fifth at that point, so things were looking good until then. It’s horrible to see a good finish go away like that so close to the end. And it took us from leading the points to taking a big hit.”

Hoping to bounce back the following weekend, in Edmonton, Dilley realized almost immediately that it wasn’t to be. “My engine blew up a lap into our first practice. And then we got just one lap under our belt in the second practice, before qualifying. In the race, I was punted off when everyone checked up except for the guy behind me. I came back on in 17th and made it up to 11th and then the race was over.”

Still smarting from his run of bad luck, Dilley is optimistically ready to start the second half of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule this Saturday night at Mosport Speedway. “All in all, it’s been a tough few weeks. I’m hoping we got our bad luck out of the way in one stretch. We have lots of work to do to get back into contention for the championship,” said Dilley, who is sixth in the standings after six events. “We’re looking forward to Mosport this weekend, but the car we’re taking there was the one that was damaged at Sun Valley, so we won’t have an opportunity to test it before the race.”

MONTREAL NOTEBOOK: The inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was witnessed by grandstands jammed to capacity with enthusiastic fans. Quebec racer Andrew Ranger was the crowd favourite and looked set to take the victory until a daring move by Kerry Micks in the final turns propelled him to the front. From there, he was able to survive a side-by-side drag race to the checkered flag, nosing ahead of Ranger by one-tenth of a second at the finish line. Robin Buck took third to earn the final spot on the podium.

LOOKING AHEAD: NASCAR heads to Mosport Speedway
Next, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series returns to Ontario this coming Saturday (Aug. 11) for a 200-lap race at Mosport Speedway.

Prepared by Inside Track Communications // For more information about the #9 Dodge team and its sponsors, visit http://www.whitlockmotorsports.com/ . For more on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, including complete race results, reports, point standings, event schedules and upcoming broadcast times for races on TSN, see http://www.nascar.ca/