NCATS: DICKIES ANNOUNCES EXTENSION OF MOTORSPORTS SPONSORSHIP THROUGH 2009

Mississauga, ON - Williamson-Dickie Canada Co. makers and distributors of Dickies, the leading global workwear brand - announces today their continued partnership with Dave Whitlock and Whitlock Motorsports into the 2008 and 2009 racing seasons.

"I am very excited to welcome Dickies Canada back as our primary sponsor for the next two years,” stated team owner and driver Dave Whitlock. “It is a huge step to have our primary sponsor in place by this time of year. This will allow us to focus on our race program entirely, something we have not been able to do for the last several years. It is a privilege to represent Dickies, and everyone at Whitlock Motorsports is looking forward to a successful 2008 and beyond.”

“Dickies are pleased to have come to an agreement with Whitlock Motorsports that will see our relationship extend through the 2009 season” said Bill McFarlane, Vice President, Marketing & Operations for Williamson-Dickie Canada. “We feel the 2007 NASCAR season has been a success for both Dickies and Whitlock Motorsports and we are looking forward to building upon that foundation in the upcoming years.”

Whitlock Motorsports with primary sponsorship from Dickies Canada will compete in what is anticipated to be a twelve race NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule in 2008. Stops expected to be included are Edmonton Grand Prix, Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Antigonish, NS, Vernon, BC, as well as popular Ontario venues such as Barrie Speedway, Cayuga Speedway and Mosport International Raceway.

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 http://www.dickiescanada.com/

For more information on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series please visit http://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 // Photo Courtesy of Inside Track Communications

NBIS to Celebrate Day of Champions – Fan Appreciation Day Season Finale this Saturday

FREDERICTON, NB – As the weather begins to turn a bit chilly and summer runs into fall, the racing season at NBIS comes to a close this coming season. However, the season will end with a memorable event for the fans and drivers .

This weekend will be the final race of the season with Saturday's Fan Appreciation Day (2pm start). Fan Appreciation Day is a day made especially for the fans that make NBIS racing so spectacular. Drivers will also get their time to shine with their finals points race of the year.

Mother Nature interfered for the second time this season as last weekend’s event was washed due to poor whether. This weekend features a return to the oval for the final event of the season with several familiar faces once again in the run for the championship.

In the CARQUEST Pro Stock Division, returning champion Glen Rasmussen is hoping to put a forth championship in his trophy case, but he holds a mere 20 point lead over Greg Fahey and Dave O'Blenis, a two-time champion. Any of the top three drivers could take home the championship as Rasmussen did when he pulled off one of the most remarkable last day championship wins in recent history when he went into the final event in 2003 ten points behind the leader, ran a perfect day winning his heat, dash, and feature to win the championship by a single point.

In the Martin's Home Heating Sportsman Division, three-time sportsman champion Brian Gillespie enters the event looking for a record fourth championship. The Nackawic resident currently holds a mere 6 point lead over veteran driver and defending champion Brian MacNaughton. Sitting in the third spot, and returning back to NBIS is Wade Harris who is still in recovery from an unfortunate wreck a few weeks back.

Gillespie knows from first hand experience that the championship will not be his until the final lap. In 2003, he entered the final event in fifth place and 25 points behind the leader. By the end of the event, he had a 13 point lead and the championship.

In the Coast Tire Street Stock Division, Mike Francis is looking for his first ever championship, holding a 28 point lead over defending champion Rick Cashol currently in the second position.

It's been a very competitive year between the two and given that they will be starting side-side to each other all afternoon; it's bound to lead to some typical three-wide street stock racing and some fender rubbing. Derek Christie sits just outside, 30 points behind contender Francis. It’s not inconceivable that with a good run and some bad luck by Francis or Cashol, Christie might find himself with his first championship also.

In addition to this championship battle Saturday will mark the last race for legendary Smokin' Joe Albert as he plans to retire after this event. Be sure to come out to his last effort in the trademark orange 04.

This will be the weekend where the drivers will also give back to the fans with a pre-race on-track autograph session starting at 1pm. This is just one component of Fan Appreciation Day that is designed for fans of all ages and includes prizes from gracious sponsors that will be given away throughout the day.

Prizes, an autograph session, and last gasp dashes to the championship – what more could a fan want? Who will be crowned champions in 20067? Check it out this weekend at New Brunswick International Speedway. The actions starts at 2pm this coming Saturday.

From Miranda Carr, Office Manager // NBIS

Auto Clearing Motor Speedway: Results and Points - Sept. 15, 2007

Auto Clearing Motor Speedway

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

RESULTS: September 15, 2007

Siemens Transportation Group WEST Tour:
Heat 1: 1. # 46 Dan Shirley, 2. #95 Paul Savoie, 3. #24 Scott Dennis, 4. #3 Nathan Weenk, 5. #5 Fred Whiteman, 6. #69 Les Harding ®, 7. #56 Howard Crossman, 8. #21 Jim Gaunt, 9. #89 Nathaniel Wagner ®, 10. #8 Raichelle Wagner

Heat 2: 1. # 49 Trent Seidel, 2. #6 Todd Nichol, 3. #35 Kevin Dowler, 4. #51 Devon Brown, 5. #48 Chris Dennis ®, 6. #53 Scott Kessler, 7. #14 Ira Laughy, 8. #94 Jason Hankewich ®, 9. #45 Trent Guest, 10. #26 John Reese

Feature: 1. # 77 6 Todd Nichol, 2. #95 Paul Savoie, 3. #3 Nathan Weenk, 4. #46 Dan Shirley, 5. #5 Fred Whiteman, 6. #48 Chris Dennis ®, 7. #14 Ira Laughy, 8. #56 Howard Crossman, 9. #24 Scott Dennis, 10. #89 Nathaniel Wagner ®, 11. #53 Scott Kessler, 12. #49 Trent Seidel, 13. #21 Jim Gaunt, 14. #51 Devon Brown, 15. #26 John Reese, 16. #35 Kevin Dowler, 17. #94 Jason Hankewich ®, 18. #69 Les Harding ®, 19. #45 Trent Guest

NAPA Pro Truck:
Heat: 1. # 18 Ray Utigard, 2. #69 PJ Kondra ®, 3. #1 Mike Dionne, 4. #64 Stan Reddekopp, 5. #67 Ken Ross, 6. #8 Andrew Clewes, 7. #16 Devon Brown, 8. #48 Roger McConnell, 9. #1 Alex Leschenko

Qualifier: 1. # 69 PJ Kondra ®, 2. #67 Ken Ross, 3. #18 Ray Utigard, 4. #48 Roger McConnell, 5. #64 Stan Reddekopp, 6. #16 Devon Brown, 7. #1 Mike Dionne, 8. #8 Andrew Clewes

Feature: 1. # 18 Ray Utigard, 2. #69 PJ Kondra ®, 3. #67 Ken Ross, 4. #1 Mike Dionne, 5. #16 Devon Brown, 6. #64 Stan Reddekopp, 7. #8 Andrew Clewes, 8. #48 Roger McConnell

Hertz Equipment Rentals Thunderstock:
Heat: 1. # 4 Richard Bute, 2. #7 Greg Butterfield, 3. #81 Barry Stefaniuk, 4. #88 Brad Cross, 5. #224 Doug Rea, 6. #23 Kevin Nixey, 7. #49 Mickey Pogoda, 8. #134 Greg Wagner, 9. #Sharky Jim Braden, 10. #19 Rylan Utigard ®, 11. #3 Adam Yelland ®, 12. #68 Russ/Steve Bast, 13. #42 Greg Hesterman ®, 14. #38 Quinn Richardson, 15. #2 Sheldon Bradlow, 16. #99 Jack Friesen, 17. #15 Nixey Crew Club, 18. #18 Bill/Mike Rea ®, 19. #59 Johnny Matsalla ®, 20. #83 Aaron MacDonald

Qualifier: 1. # 19 Rylan Utigard ®, 2. #Sharky Jim Braden, 3. #2 Sheldon Bradlow, 4. #18 Bill/Mike Rea ®, 5. #224 Doug Rea, 6. #83 Aaron MacDonald, 7. #49 Mickey Pogoda, 8. #59 Johnny Matsalla ®, 9. #81 Barry Stefaniuk, 10. #4 Richard Bute, 11. #23 Kevin Nixey, 12. #7 Greg Butterfield, 13. #3 Adam Yelland ®, 14. #68 Russ/Steve Bast, 15. #42 Greg Hesterman ®, 16. #38 Quinn Richardson, 17. #88 Brad Cross, 18. #15 Nixey Crew Club, 19. #87 Tristan Saunders ®, 20. #134 Greg Wagner

Feature: 1. # 4 Richard Bute, 2. #23 Kevin Nixey, 3. #Sharky Jim Braden, 4. #2 Sheldon Bradlow, 5. #7 Greg Butterfield, 6. #18 Bill/Mike Rea ®, 7. #19 Rylan Utigard ®, 8. #83 Aaron MacDonald, 9. #49 Mickey Pogoda, 10. #88 Brad Cross, 11. #224 Doug Rea, 12. #42 Greg Hesterman ®, 13. #3 Adam Yelland ®, 14. #15 Nixey Crew Club, 15. #59 Johnny Matsalla ®, 16. #81 Barry Stefaniuk, 17. #38 Quinn Richardson, 18. #134 Greg Wagner, 19. #68 Russ/Steve Bast, 20. #99 Jack Friesen

Auto Clearing Motor Speedway
Saskatoon Saskatchewan
POINTS: September 15, 2007

Siemens Transportation Group WEST Tour Champion: #46 Dan Shirley
Siemens Transportation Group WEST Tour: 1. #46 Dan Shirley 838, 2. #6 Todd Nichol 834, 3. #21 Nick Allen/Jim Gaunt 669, 4. #3 Nathan Weenk 665, 5. #48 Chris Dennis ® 660, 6. #24 Scott Dennis 658, 7. #49 Ben Busch/Trent Seidel 650, 8. #53 Scott Kessler 583, 9. #89 Nathaniel Wagner ® 496, 10. #26 John Reese 490, 11. #51 Devon Brown 483, 12. #95 Paul Savoie 470, 13. #45 Trent Guest 448, 14. #56 Howard Crossman 447, 15. #5 Fred Whitman 394, 16. #69 Les Harding ® 321, 17. #35 Kevin Dowler 289, 18. #8 Raichelle Wagner 246, 19. #16 Goran Jablan 226, 20. #99 Bill Royce/Andrew Clewes 225, 21. #94 Jason Hankewich ® 195, 22. #14 Ira Laughy 138, 23. #36 Jim White 105, 24. #54 Carl Vance 95, 25. #66 Brian Mcoggney 93

Siemens Transportation Group Western Elite 1. # 46 Dan Shirley 563, 2. #21 Nick Allen/Chris Shirley/Jim Gaunt 485, 3. #24 Scott Dennis 453, 4. #49 Ben Busch/Trent Seidel 451, 5. #3 Nathan Weenk 448, 6. #48 Chris Dennis ® 444, 7. #89 Nathaniel Wagner ® 405, 8. #95 Paul Savoie 380, 9. #8 Raichelle Wagner 308, 10. #26 John Rees 274, 11. #56 Howard Crossman 241, 12. #45 Trent Guest 195, 13. #69 Les Harding ® 184, 14. #94 Jason Hankewich ® 170, 15. #16 Goran Jablan 166

Lucas Oil Super Late Model: 1. # 14 Glen Hertzke 298, 2. #55 Jim Gaunt 293, 3. #70 Trent Seidel 293, 4. #77 Greg Vangool ® 287, 5. #38 Dave Bone 245, 6. #5 Jeff Reimer 225, 7. #9 Doug Bienna/Al Bakke 198

NAPA Pro Truck: 1. # 1 Mike Dionne 485, 2. #48 Roger McConnell 409, 3. #18 Ray Utigard 406, 4. #67 Ken Ross 391, 5. #8 Andrew Clewes 374, 6. #64 Stan Reddekopp 341, 7. #69 PJ Kondra ®/Craig Katelnikoff 340, 8. #16 Devon Brown/Craig Katelnikoff 318, 9. #17 Stu Pearce ®/Dan Pearce 243, 10. #1 Alex Leschenko 112

Tiger Automotive Streetstock: 1. # 98 Bryan Johnson 711, 2. #99 Cory Kallis 642, 3. #36 Darryl Potts 628, 4. #27 Scott Lucas ® 579, 5. #28 Cale Siemens 576, 6. #69 Robin Drysdale 573, 7. #11 Trudy Sawatzky 527, 8. #9 Darren Diehl 522, 9. #18 Bill Zubrecki ® 511, 10. #3 Jordan Hill ® 446, 11. #47 Gerry Hobbis ® 395, 12. #6 Joe Larochelle 356, 13. #31 Mike Eby 341, 14. #88 Brad Wrennick 254

Hertz Equipment Rentals Thunderstock: 1. # 2 Sheldon Bradlow/Brent Dupis 754, 2. #19 Rylan Utigard ® 688, 3. #23 Kevin Nixey 686, 4. #81 Barry Stefaniuk 672, 5. #49 Mickey Pogoda 627, 6. #18 Bill/Mike Rea ® 572, 7. #3 Adam Yelland ® 547, 8. #42 Greg Hesterman ® 409, 9. #59 Johnny Matsalla ® 378, 10. #15 Kevin Nixey Crew 337, 11. #83 Aaron MacDonald 313, 12. #87 Tristan Saunders ® 261, 13. #22 Rick Fredrickson 166, 14. #8 Kyle Roy 144

Saskatoon Hyundai Sport Compact: 1. # 19 Aaron Anderson / Kelly Voss 779, 2. #41 Jim Barnsley 728, 3. #77 Frank Vangool / Gregg Vangool 682, 4. #44 Jesse Krahn 623, 5. #78 Matt Bartsch 565, 6. #82 Jonathan Neufeld ® 556, 7. #4 Todd Jalbert ® 546, 8. #43 Todd Ferguson 541, 9. #7 Darnell Schick 513, 10. #3 Robert Carey ® 436, 11. #88 Allision Nagorski 431, 12. #28 Gerry / Cheryl / Brennan Forseille 409, 13. #5 Kyle Senger ® 371, 14. #1 Scott Barrand ® 370, 15. #48 Terry Forbes 115, 16. #14 Clay Wagner ® 33

From Roger Bradley

Inside Track's Ernie Saxton to host Sponsorship Seminar for short track racers

LANGHORNE, PA – Sponsorship, or the lack of it, seems to be one of the biggest problems facing local short track racers. “We have taken notice of what we consider a serious problem for the local short track racers who seem unable to attract sponsorship support,” said Ernie Saxton, publisher of Motorsports Sponsorship Marketing News.

“The problem we see is that many short track racers just don’t know how to seek out serious financial support. Marketing partners are out there but it takes some time and effort plus some knowledge of what will make businesses want to get involved.”

Saxton, considered a sponsorship expert by many, will be presenting an information packed TWO HOUR sponsorship seminar/workshop on Saturday, November 17th at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Trevose, PA. Registration will start at 8:30 am and the seminar/workshop will start at 9 am.

The cost will be a low $50 and that will include a six month subscription to the monthly Motorsports Sponsorship Marketing News newsletter that has helped so many across the country with their sponsorship marketing efforts. The two hours will be packed with dozens of ideas and helps that will point short track racers (and local drag racers) in the right direction when it comes to finding that elusive sponsor. Saxton’s seminar will center on “Finding the Almighty Racing Dollar,” an article that he recently penned for Circle Track magazine.

Reservations will be limited to 50 people and must be made in advance by telephoning 215.752.7797 with a credit card or sending a check to ESC, Inc. at 1448 Hollywood Avenue, Langhorne, PA 19047.

“We will have ideas that cost nothing that will enhance a racer’s sponsorship package,” said Saxton. “Our famous ‘Hodgepodge of Sponsorship Ideas’ will be part of the seminar and workshop. We will do a question and answer session following the seminar. And we are planning to bring in a mystery guest to share his thoughts on sponsorship.”

Attendees will leave with samples of the newsletter and a copy of the “Hodgepodge of Sponsorship Ideas.” In addition Saxton will offer a variety of his sponsorship materials at big discounts in an effort to get the attendees headed in the right direction with their sponsorship efforts. Saxton also offers racing organizations, race teams and promoters the opportunity to make money by presenting a sponsorship seminar of their own.

For details telephone Saxton on this great fund raising opportunity. Saxton will be presenting a seminar in Pomona, CA on December 8th. Cost to attend is $150 and that includes a catered lunch. The seminar is hosted by Herndon Enterprises and information may be had by telephoning 909.615.5265.

Racers are invited to visit Saxton’s website at http://www.saxtonsponsormarket.com/ for many sponsorship helps that are free along with information on his sponsorship marketing materials.

NCATS: Micks Kawartha event preview

MOUNT ALBERT, ONTARIO (September 20, 2007) – Kerry Micks is looking forward to the final race of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series this weekend at Kawartha Speedway and putting the Micks Motorsports Beyond Digital Imaging sponsored Ford back in the winner’s circle.

“Our plan is to finish off the season on a positive note in the Beyond Digital Imaging Ford,” said the stock car expert. “We’ve had both good and bad luck this year, and the team definitely has had its high and lows,” added the Mount Albert, Ontario driver. “With a good finish this weekend we could get back into the top three in the points standings.”

Micks is currently sixth in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Top 10 Driver Points. He has won two races this year, taking victories on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal and on the road circuit at the Grand-Prix de Trois-Rivières.

The upcoming Dodge Dealers of Ontario Dodge Charger 250 presented by Allied Steel Buildings, is the 12th and final event in the 2007 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, and will be held at Kawartha Speedway on the 3/8th-mile, high banked, asphalt oval in Fraserville, Ontario, September 23.

“We led a bunch of laps at Kawartha last year,” Micks went on to say. “A good set-up here is critical. You have to have a good working race car. “I really like the race track. It’s smooth and it’s fast.”

- From Bruce Mehlenbacher

NCATS: STRONG RUN FOR HALDEX TEAM IN MARITIMES

BRANTFORD, ON – A flat tire early in the race and a sway bar problem late in the event spoiled an otherwise solid run for Doug Brown and his Haldex/Napa Autopro teammates at Antigonish, Nova Scotia last weekend.

The veteran competitor, who started seventh in the 20-car field, managed to overcome those problems and rallied to a solid 8th-place finish in the rain delayed "Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300" at the striking Riverside Speedway.

"Yeah, there's no doubt that early race tire problem cost us some positions today, but that's the type of thing that's plagued us throughout the season", Brown acknowledged in looking back on his 2007 results todate.

While there were only 8 cautions totalling 63 laps over the course of the Sunday afternoon event, it was during the early stages of the lap 80 through 190 green flag run where the big problem for the Brantford driver started to develop.

"I felt the handling of the car going away during that run but I couldn't chance making a pit stop so we decided to ride it out hoping for a yellow. Unfortunately for us it was a long green flag run. But the team did a great job in changing the complete set of tires when we did catch a caution, but it just came too late for us"

"We also had a bolt break on the sway bar with about 20 laps to go that may have also affected our overall finish. The car was really strong in the late stages of the race and I feel I could have gained another spot until that bolt let go," he added with a shrug.

The team now moves on to the final event on the 12-race NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule with a trip to Kawartha Speedway south of Peterborough where they hope to finish out the season on a strong run.

"It sure would be nice to finish this season on a high and we'll be doing our best to achieve that this weekend," Doug stated reflectively in looking at this Sunday's race.

Last Sunday's race at Antigonish was won by Barrie's Mark Dilley followed but a fast closing JR Fitzpatrick of Cambridge and DJ Kennington of St. Thomas.

With his third place finish and a 13th-place (dnf) finish by points' leader Andrew Ranger of Long Pond, Quebec, Kennington has closed to within 41 points of Ranger leading to showdown for the championship at Kawartha on Sunday.

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

NCATS: Nuhn Survives Riverside despite Battery Problems

ANTIGONISH, NS - Coming into the second last race of the season at Riverside Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Kent Nuhn, driver of the No. 09 the Fuel Genie/ Nuhns Auto Recyclers Pontiac Grand Prix, and his team were looking forward to racing on a brand new track. This was inaugural race for the teams at this speedway.

On Saturday morning, the weather was cool and with the threat of rain, everyone was worried about whether or not they would be able to race. The drivers were lucky enough to be able to get the two-hour practice session in before the skies opened up and rain fell over the speedway. NASCAR and the track agreed that qualifying and the race would be postponed until Sunday.

By early afternoon on Sunday, the skies were still overcast but there were no threats of rain and everyone was ready to get the race weekend underway. Nuhn qualified in the 18th position with an average speed of 77.945 mph, behind the pole sitter of the No. 1 Monroe Brakes/Mastercraft of Peter Gibbons.

At the beginning of the race, Nuhn’s car was handling the way they wanted it to. By lap 77, he had moved up to the 15th position and looked like he was going to have a great day. But like in the weeks past, the little things started to catch up. After a spin with No. 39 of Dave Whitlock, this left Nuhn a lap down. Unfortunately, he was not able to get the lap back because he was not the first one a lap down.

At half-way he became loose and around lap 170 he thought he was running out of gas. After fuelling up the car, the problem persisted. Nuhn brought the car in again on lap 180, only to find out that the battery was shorting out. After 35 laps, they were able to change the battery, and Nuhn returned to the track.

Nuhn finished the race in the 14th position, only 46 laps down to the race winner the No 9 Dodge of Mark Dilley. “Even though we had another mechanical failure, we are really happy with how this weekend turned out.” Nuhn’s crew chief, Hugh Nuhn said at the end of the race. This finish keeps Nuhn in the 17th position in points, still behind the No. 60 of Ron Beauchamp Jr.
Nuhn and his team are now heading into the final race of the year at Kawartha Speedway, in Fraserville, Ontario for the Dodge Charger 250 presented by Allied Steel Building.

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

NCATS ON TSN: Riverside Int'l Speedway

WATCH THE ATLANTIC DODGE DEALERS 300 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race from Riverside Int'l Speedway in HIGH DEFINITION on TSN

Premiere: Saturday, Sept 22 @ 2pm EST

Repeat 1: Tuesday, Sept 25 @ 1am (Monday Night) EST

Repeat 2: Tuesday, Sept 25 @ 2pm EST

NCATS Photo Gallery: Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 // Sept. 16, 2007 // Riverside Int'l Speedway

There seems to be an issue with Picasa & Blogger, so I can't seem to embed a slideshow right now. In lieu of that, click on the image below and it will take you to a photo gallery from last weekend's Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Riverside Int'l Speedway in Antigonish, NS.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Race #11 of 12 // Sept. 15 16, 2007

Photos by G. MacPherson / Inside Track Motorsport News

OSCAAR: Mark Gordon All Set To Make OSCAAR Debut At Flamboro Speedway!

OSCAAR is pleased to announce that Mark Gordon will make his OSCAAR debut at Flamboro Speedway, September 29th, 2007. This will bring to reality a long-time dream to compete with some of the best stock car drivers in Ontario while strapped in the seat of an ultra-fast Super Late Model.

"I was alway impressed with the sound and speed of the Super Lates" said Gordon, "I knew if the opportunity ever came up that it would be hard to pass it by."

The opportunity arrived recently and owes a great deal to Rob James of FOX Racing Canada. With the race season at Mosport Speedway finished for the year, Gordon was thinking about putting together a Late Model to race at Peterborough Speedway's Autumn Colours Classic.

Rob James suggested he consider racing a Super Late Model and it quickly evolved from there. James recently supported Phil Bullen and the #67 Outlaw in a successful 2006 campaign that ended with 4th place overall.

For 2007 Bullen stepped back from OSCAAR racing to help his kids start their racing career in the JCAR Racing Series. The intent is to continue the family program and that left the #67 Outlaw available for outside consideration.

Rob James will be the new car owner with his company FOX Racing Canada being the primary sponsor. Mark Gordon sold his Championship Limited Late Model without any difficulty and has signed up as the driver for the remaining OSCAAR races in 2007 and the potential for a full season in 2008. The car number will be #52 which has been Gordon's number for many years.

In OSCAAR, the #52 was for many years a part of the Passer stable of cars. But in 2007 Gary Passer changed from #52 to #16P which fortunately left #52 available for Gordon.

Mark Gordon has raced for 11 years with the first 4 years being in Challengers at Sunset Speedway. Since then it has always been either Challengers or Limited Late Models and mostly at Mosport and Kawartha. His on track performance has been nothing short of dominant with 21 wins in one season and five championships. Gordon was Limited Late Model Champion at both Mosport and Kawartha for 2004 and 2005 and Champion at Mosport for 2006.

"I am being realistic about expectations in starting out with my first OSCAAR race," said Gordon "I want to get some laps in and stay out of trouble. I know Derrick and the #7 crew well and their experience has encouraged me to give OSCAAR a try. It will be great to race with drivers I have watched and admired: Rob Clarke, John Fletcher and Jeff Hanley. We're all excited about this opportunity."

Gordon is thankful to see many of his crew moving up with him to OSCAAR: Mike Pariseau, Joe Williams, William Pickford, Larry Ellis, Jeff Leonard and Todd Manning. Along with the new support from FOX Racing Canada, Gordon also appreciates the continued support of his sponsors: APX Racewear, Aurora Automotive, JR Performance and Beswick Custom Homes.
OSCAAR welcomes Mark Gordon and Team #52 into the Outlaw Super Late Model family and wishes them the very best in their first race at Flamboro Speedway, September 29/30, 2007!

- By Don McLeod // OSCAAR

NCATS: RON VAN ES FINISHES 20TH AT RIVERSIDE AFTER CRASH ON LAP 72

RON VAN ES FINISHES 20TH AT RIVERSIDE AFTER CRASH ON LAP 72

Driver: Ron Van Es // NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Team #11
Contact Jolene Convery at Van Es Racing (800) 263-4884

STONEY CREEK, ON – For the second event in a row, Ron Van Es was involved in an early-race incident that ended his run prematurely. This time, the result was all the more frustrating given that the crash took place just 72 laps into in Sunday’s ‘far away’ NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

The driver of the #11 Van Es Racing Chevrolet entered the next-to-last race of the season with high hopes after posting the sixth-fastest time during qualifying for the 300-lap chase around the newly rebuilt Riverside International Speedway, but his day was cut short when he tangled with another driver less than one-third of the way into 300-lap contest.

“We didn’t make it to the finish line today, so that’s frustrating and disappointing,” said Van Es, who races with associate sponsorship from Marshall Truck & Trailer Repair, Ingersoll Rand, G.P.I.C.S. Truck & Trailer Parts, Tailgate Headquarters and Mustang’s Bigol’ Grill.

“We worked hard in practice and we had a really good car. The crew was just awesome. During practice, we got in almost 150 laps just trying to get the car handling right. The adjustments Alex Nagy [crew chief] made worked perfectly and we were looking forward to time trials and the race. We had a good qualifying run [sixth fastest] and it felt really good at the start of the race even though I gave up a few spots. My car had a bit of trouble early coming up off the bottom, out of the turns.”

The Stoney Creek, ON resident was looking forward to making his first pit visit so that his team could tweak their car’s handling when disaster struck.

“We were just riding it out, waiting for a pit stop when we could make some more adjustments. Unfortunately, it never happened. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I know that Ron Beauchamp and I touched rear wheels. It seems to be a problem with these cars that when that happens, it just rips the real trailing arm bracket out and that’s what ended our day.” Van Es was scored in 20th-place in the final results.

LOOKING AHEAD: KAWARTHA SPEEDWAY

Following the race at Riverside, Van Es surveyed the damage to the #11 Van Es Racing Chevy, determining what needs to be repaired in advance of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season finale at Kawartha Speedway, near Peterborough, Ontario.

“There’s quite a bit of damage under the car, but I’m sure we’ll have it back in shape for Kawartha,” said Van Es. “We’ll straighten the rear end out and we’ll be there. Our goal will be to finish the season with a good run and set our sights on next season.”

RIVERSIDE INT’L SPEEDWAY SUMMARY

Veteran stock car racer Mark Dilley won Sunday’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Riverside International Speedway. He overcame running out of fuel two-thirds of the way into the race to finish in front of J.R. Fitzpatrick and DJ Kennington.

All of the competitors and teams were impressed with the immaculate new Riverside International Speedway, which was completely rebuilt prior to last season. Stock car rookie Andrew Ranger heads to Kawartha Speedway with a 41-point lead over Kennington in the chase for the inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series points championship.

Prepared by Inside Track Communications. For more information about Van Es Racing, contact Jolene Convery at Van Es Racing at (800) 263-4884. For more information about the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, visit www.nascar.ca

NCATS: Mark Dilley wins Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 at Riverside

BARRIE, ON – Mark Dilley scored his first win in the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series on Sunday night at Antigonish, Nova Scotia’s Riverside International Speedway. It was an emotional victory for the driver of the #9 Dodge-sponsored Avenger for several reasons.

As he took the checkered flag to win the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300, Dilley told his team, over the radio, “This one’s for my mom.” In late August, Mark’s mother, Elizabeth, passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Asked about his emotions as he was crossing the finish line, the Barrie, ON resident said, “I was really just thinking about my mom, to be honest. And I wish my dad [Dave Dilley] was here today to see this but he’s back home [in Ontario] taking care of things.”

In addition to his family’s loss in recent weeks, Dilley’s previous two NASCAR Canadian Tire Series outings had ended in frustration. The Riverside win provided an emotional lift for the entire #9 Dodge / Mobil1 / Exide / MOPAR / Leland / Wild Wing / CRS / Atlantic Carrier / Comfort Pro Dodge Avenger team.

“It’s just a really exciting day for us, especially to win another Dodge-sponsored race. I wish they sponsored all of them,” smiled Dilley. “It’s been a very tough time lately since my mom passed. Tough for my whole family, including my dad, my brother and myself. And it’s really affected the whole race team. We tried our best the past few races, but I can see now that I was kind of off my game because I had a lot of things running through my head.”

Dilley continued, “I can’t say enough for the guys at the Whitlock Motorsports shop and my team. These guys battled so hard today – with me running out of gas and a bunch of other stuff – that it’s really nice to be able to win for them. They’re a great bunch of guys and they did an awesome job.

Discussing the race itself, Dilley had a good feeling about the beautiful new racetrack in Antigonish. The only hiccup during the race was when he ran out of fuel after an extended green flag period in the middle portion of the race.

“It was a good race. I found I was able to move up and down the track pretty well, which reminded me a lot of Calgary [Race City Speedway] and you know I love that place. I just tried to take it easy at the start and save the tires, thinking that it was going to go ‘green’ for a long run. But I didn’t think it was going to be green for that long.”

Running low on gas – while in second place – the caution flag flew to end the long green run on lap 203. Moments later, the #9 Dodge slowed to a crawl, out of fuel.

“I ran out of gas and the guys pushed it down pit road to our stall and put fuel into it. We made a couple of stops and changed all four tires. And then I went out and got my lap back on the track.”

From there, Dilley took the lead from J.R. Fitzpatrick on lap 263 and never looked back, finishing almost a second ahead of Fitzpatrick and DJ Kennington. With the win, the #9 Dodge-sponsored Avenger climbed to seventh in the overall NASCAR Canadian Tire Series points with one race remaining.

LOOKING AHEAD: Returning to Kawartha
This coming Sunday, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series heads to Kawartha Speedway for the season-ending Dodge Dealers of Ontario Dodge Charger 250. Dilley won the final CASCAR Super Series race last September, at Kawartha, and is hoping to carry over momentum from Riverside to complete his late-season surge.

“I’m really looking forward to going back to Kawartha,” said Dilley. “We had success winning the last ever CASCAR race there last year. And the race is sponsored by Dodge again… and we seem to do well in those races. So we’ll get ready and hopefully we can end the season with another good run.”

RACING WITH JAMES TURNER CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT:
The 8th annual Racing With James Turner Charity Golf Tournament will take place on Tuesday, September 25 at the beautiful National Pines Golf Club near Barrie, Ontario. Those interested in participating or supporting the tournament should call Mark Dilley (705) 733-8849 or Linda Jones (705) 458-4044.

Prepared by Inside Track Communications // For more information about the #9 Dodge team and its sponsors, visit 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 www.nascar.ca

Auto Clearing Motor Speedway: NEWALTA race this weekend!

SASKATOON, SK - The biggest race of the 2007 race season will take place this weekend at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway. Top drivers from Western Canada and the North Mid West USA will be here to compete for the NEWALTA Late Model Challenge Points Final and the Border Challenge.

The race will feature past local champions such as Jim Gaunt, Trent Seidel, Glen Hertzke, Dave Bone and current points leader Craig Ball. Additional contenders will include Chris Skelton, Dean Craig, Garth Hazelhurst and Trevor Emond (who has won 2 NEWALTA feature races this season).

Also on the card at ACMS will be the local Tiger Automotive Street Stock Division Points Final. Local Driver and Points Leader Bryan Johnson will be out to take home another championship.

Races are set for 6 PM with the gates opening to the public at 4:30. Tickets are available, in advance, at any Mac's Convenience store in Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

From Herm Hordal // Business Development // Auto Clearing Motor Speedway

Mazda Canada official partner of Twofast Racing

MONTREAL, September 19, 2007 – Twofast Racing and driver-co-owner Christian Raymond are proud to announce Mazda Canada will officially partner the team until the end of the 2007 season. Mazda Canada will primarily sponsor Christian Raymond, who races a Mazda Protégé in the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship in ST class and in the Hankook Quebec Championship.

Christian Raymond is delighted by Mazda Canada’s return as official partner. “It’s an honour and a great pleasure to welcome back Mazda Canada as part of our team,” confides Raymond. “We’ve invested a lot of efforts in our Mazda program over the past years, and it’s almost a consecration to receive the manufacturer’s support to keep developing. We want to give very special thanks to Mr. Robert Landry of Mazda Canada for making this possible.”

Raymond sees here a great opportunity to enhance Mazda’s brand in Canada. “Mazda always been recognized for their racing involvement,” says Raymond. “I have a lot of fun behind the wheel of my Protégé, and with Mazda’s support, we’ll be able to make it even faster.”

Mazda Canada will lend logistic and financial support to Twofast’s Mazda program. Christian Raymond, currently fifth in the Castrol Championship, will be the main beneficiary of the manufacturer’s support for the last two races of the season and for the Quebec Hankook Championship’s Fall Classic in Mont-Tremblant, where a second Mazda will be entered. This race will take place in Mont-Tremblant this weekend.

Twofast would also like to thank all of its partners for their support: Rythme Urbain, Rack ‘N’ Roll, Mazdaspeed, Mazda Canada, InMotion, MOTUL, Bocké, AWR, COBB Tuning, Rire en Cœur, Rêves d’enfants, mazdatuning.com.

Visit Twofast Racing online at http://www.twofast.ca/

Cdn. Sprint Car Nationals photo gallery from Bill Mehlenbacher

Bill Mehlenbacher has posted a gallery from the recent Canadian Sprint Car Nationals at Ohsweken Speedway. You can see more of Bill's work at his website. And here is more of his work from the CSCNs. Thanks Bill!

NCATS: Dodge Dealers of Ontario Dodge Charger 250 presented by Allied Steel Buildings event preview (Kawartha Speedway)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 18, 2007) – At any given race track, the two people with the most to worry about on race day are the drivers and the track operator. Both have to consider every eventuality and think three steps ahead of everyone else.

This Saturday, for the Dodge Dealers of Ontario Dodge Charger 250 presented by Allied Steel Buildings, Derek Lynch (No. 77 Allied Steel Buildings/Canadian Shield Dodge) will have the weight of both jobs on his mind. He currently holds the eighth position in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio championship point standings, and is also the track manager and promoter at Kawartha Speedway in Fraserville, Ontario.

The 36-year-old Lynch would like to evacuate the track operation thoughts from his mind and focus fully on driving his Dodge Charger to victory lane, but even though he has complete faith in his staff, it is not possible to remove that mentality.

"My wife, Cait, takes the lead and everybody does a great job because they want to allow me to just drive the car, but I can’t help myself," said Lynch. "I look over and say, ‘Why isn’t the person here or there?’"

Not being in charge of your own facility and dealing with fellow competitors are two additional areas that can be deemed awkward for the few who wear both of these hats.

"I know how I drive into the pits and the sequencing of events for our own weekly shows, but it may be completely different for the Canadian Tire Series race week. NASCAR will dictate all of those things and I’m just one of the drivers in attendance. It’s really like being a guest in your own house," Lynch stated.

"The other drivers and teams are very respectful," he added. "They don’t gripe about anything. I think they understand that everyone has a job to do and, for the most part, my job is not running the track on that particular day."

The Warkworth, Ontario-based driver is no stranger to NASCAR or its premiere series, having worked as a fabricator for Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. He spent a total of five years working with various drivers for each of those organizations.

"If you are a young person who likes racing and has the ability, then, by all means, go do that. It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Lynch. "I enjoyed it but I wanted to get married, start a family and slow down a little."

Despite leaving North Carolina to return to Canada, racing would continue to be a large part of Lynch’s life. Kawartha Speedway owner Skip Ambrose was looking for someone to operate his track on a day-to-day basis and Lynch took the opportunity and has not looked back. It would not be the last time that Ambrose turned to Lynch to get a fledgling program off the ground.

Heading into the 2005 season, Ambrose wanted to start a race team in the CASCAR Super Series. He asked Lynch to head up that program, as well. Once again, Lynch was more than willing. The Ambrose/Lynch partnership in the race team is a long-range plan.

"I agreed to drive the car, which I enjoy very much, but more importantly lay the groundwork for this team to move forward and grow," stated Lynch. "I told Skip that I would get the team moving in the right direction and make sure the equipment is top notch. Then, we’ll be in a position to go out and find a young driver to put in the car."

The results have been a steady climb. In 2005, they finished 24th in the CASCAR standings followed by a 20th-place finish a year ago. This season, the first under the NASCAR banner, they have really turned the corner. They have turned in four top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 11 starts including a victory on Sept. 1 at Cayuga Speedway Park in the Subway 200 presented by Sicard Holiday Campers.

"I have really enjoyed this season. The pieces are really starting to come together," he said. "We’re kind of a bungalow among the high rises, but it has been a great year. We came into the year wanting to finish in the top 10 in points and we’re right there on the edge, fighting to stay in there."

Lynch, with his many and varied experiences in racing, demonstrates keen business acumen in expressing his thoughts and being an integral part in the success of both a race track and a race team.

"Having seen racing from a few different perspectives, I think, gives me a bit of a unique view.
At the track, our car counts are up and everyone is receptive to what we have implemented there. In (the Canadian Tire Series), we’ve been able to run up front quite a bit. Picking up that win was huge for us."

With the likes of Derek Lynch in the fold, as a driver and a promoter, it is no wonder the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is off to a rousing start in its first year.


Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 Post-Race Notes

Ø Dilley breaks through; Gibbons disappointed … Mark Dilley (No. 9 Dodge/Leland Industries Dodge) and Peter Gibbons (No. 1 Canadian Tire/Master Craft Chevrolet) have been among the leaders in laps led all season, but had yet to lead that all-important final lap. Dilley was able to shed the monkey on his back with a hard-fought win in last Sunday’s Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300. Gibbons, meanwhile, who has led the most laps of any series driver this season at 423, again was treated poorly by the racing gods. He was forced to retire his car on Sunday with a track bar problem after leading 201 of the first 228 laps of the event.

Ø Dodge closes in … Dilley’s victory gave Dodge its fourth win of the season equaling Chevrolet’s four to lead the Canadian Tire Series. In the manufacturers’ championship point standings, Chevy still leads the way with 74 points, but Dodge, at 72, has closed the gap to just two points. Ford ranks third with 63 points and has three wins this year.

Ø Mobil 1 Oil "Command Performance of the Race" Award … As a reward for his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victory at Riverside International Speedway, Dilley collects $1,500 from Mobil 1 for his effort. It was his first NASCAR and Canadian Tire Series win.

Ø Mopar Fast Five … This program awards the top five finishing Dodges in the race. In the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300, Dilley was obviously the top-finishing Dodge and thus earned the $2,000 bonus. D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol/Krispy Kreme Dodge) finished third overall and was the second-highest finishing Dodge which earned him $1,250. Picking up $1,000 for finishing as the third-highest Dodge was Derek Lynch (No. 77 Allied Steel Buildings/Canadian Shield Dodge). Collecting $500 for placing fourth among the Dodge entrants was Dave Whitlock (No. 39 Dickies/Hamilton Tiger-Cats Dodge). Rounding out the top five Dodges was Scott Steckly (No. 22 A.W. Millwrights/Erb Group Dodge) which pays him $250.

Ø Local Nova Scotia driver runs well … Donald Chisholm (No. 98 Nova Construction/Pioneer Coal Chevrolet), son of Riverside International Speedway owner, John Chisholm, earned a great deal of respect from the regular Canadian Tire Series teams. He finished 16th, but that was not indicative of his effort. He was forced out of the race after 243 laps due to a steering problem, but ran in the top 10 for much of the race after starting 14th.

Ø In case you missed it … For anyone unable to be on hand last Sunday afternoon for the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300, TSN and TSN HD will air coverage of the race on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m. ET.

Ø The race … This event is the 12th and final race for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio in 2007.

Ø The track … Kawartha Speedway is part of the Kawartha Downs and Speedway complex in Fraserville, Ontario, near Peterborough, east of Toronto. The 3/8-mile banked asphalt oval speedway is surrounded by a harness-racing horse track.

Ø Western flavor … Jason White (No. 21 Power Ventures/Zimmer-Wheaton GM Chevrolet) made the long trek east from British Columbia to compete in the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 in Nova Scotia last weekend and will also be on hand for the Dodge Charger 250 presented by Allied Steel Buildings. Joining him this weekend at Kawartha Speedway will be his brother, Jim White (No. 36 Jasper Engines and Transmissions/Kamloops Dodge). Jim was the 2006 CASCAR Western Series champion and competed in this year’s Canadian Tire Series events in Vernon, B.C., and Edmonton, Alberta.

Ø Two-horse race … Championship point standings leader Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford) took an 87-point lead over Kennington into last weekend’s event in Nova Scotia, but suffered a blown motor that relegated him to a finish in 13th place. It was just the second time this year that Ranger finished outside of the top 10. However, Kennington finished third and shaved 46 points off that lead and heads into the final race trailing Ranger by a manageable 41 points. Ranger has led the driver point standings since winning the second event of the season back on June 16. Ranger and Kennington are the only two drivers with a mathematical chance to earn the first-ever NASCAR Canadian Tire Series title.

Ø Ticket information … For more information about tickets for the Dodge Charger 250 presented by Allied Steel Buildings, call the Kawartha Speedway at (705) 939-6316 or visit online at www.kawarthaspeedway.com.


Fast Facts

What: Dodge Charger 250, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Race # 12.

Where: Kawartha Speedway, Fraserville, Ontario.

When: 6:05 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 23.

Track layout: 3/8-mile oval.

Distance: 250 Laps, 93.75 miles.

Posted Awards: $70,264 CAD

2006 winner: Inaugural event.

2006 polesitter: Inaugural event.

Records: To be established in inaugural event.

Pre-race schedule: Practice, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Qualifying, 3 p.m. Note: All times subject to change.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Top 10: 1. Andrew Ranger 1746; 2. D.J. Kennington 1705; 3. J.R. Fitzpatrick 1616; 4. Peter Gibbons 1600; 5. Don Thomson, Jr. 1591; 6. Kerry Micks 1575; 7. Mark Dilley 1556; 8. Derek Lynch 1548; 9. Jason Hathaway 1501; 10. Dave Whitlock 1464.

Track Contact: Derek Lynch: (705) 939-8881, ext. 206.

From Shon Sbarra, NASCAR Public Relations

INDYCAR SERIES SCHEDULE TO FEATURE 16 RACES IN 2008

INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2006 ­ IndyCar Series drivers will again face one of the most diverse schedules in all of motorsports as Indy Racing League officials have completed a 16-race slate for the 2008 IndyCar® Series season.

The schedule, which will have races on 11 ovals, three permanent road courses and two temporary street circuits, includes all but one venue which hosted the IndyCar Series in 2007.

“We look ahead to the 2008 season knowing that the IndyCar Series offers the most diverse schedule in all of motorsports,” said Brian Barnhart, president of the competition and operations division for the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series. “Our schedule demands the ability of both drivers and teams to master a variety of venues and the challenges each one brings with the end result being a true champion.”

For the seventh consecutive season, Homestead-Miami Speedway will serve as host for the season opener. For the second year in a row, IndyCar Series teams will begin the season under the lights with a prime-time race scheduled for Saturday, March 29.

The season-opening race is one of five prime-time races on the schedule joining races at Texas Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Nashville Superspeedway and Kentucky Speedway as events held under the lights.

Chicagoland Speedway again will host the season finale on Sunday, Sept. 7. It will mark the third consecutive season that 1.5-mile oval will host the season finale. The 92nd Indianapolis 500 is slated for May 25.

“We continue to work with others to deliver world class motor sport entertainment and grow the series’ constituencies and foster an atmosphere of working for the good of all involved,” said Terry Angstadt, president of the sanctioning body’s commercial division. “As we look beyond 2008 we will develop new races as opportunities permit and we will keep a healthy balance of oval, road and street circuits as part of our schedule.”

Each IndyCar Series event will be televised nationally by ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC.

The ESPN alliance dates back to the league’s inaugural 1996 event with ABC’s’ first broadcast of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race in 1965, a relationship that is the second-longest in sports between a network and sports property.

As the IndyCar Series prepares for 2008, league officials are already working on new safety and technology opportunities including the introduction of a paddle shift system on IndyCar Series cars, improved Side Impact Protection, the application of a new steering technology to enhance the steering effort on road courses and the ongoing research and development to identify the most effective seat design, structure and seatbelt configuration to provide the drivers with the highest levels of protection.

The complete 2008 IndyCar Series schedule follows:
Date Venue
March 29 Homestead-Miami Speedway, 1.5-mile oval (Night)
April 6 Streets of St. Petersburg, 1.8-mile street course
April 19 Twin Ring Motegi, 1.5-mile oval
April 27 Kansas Speedway, 1.5-mile oval
May 25 Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2.5-mile oval
June 1 The Milwaukee Mile, 1-mile oval
June 7 Texas Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile oval (Night)
June 22 Iowa Speedway, .875-mile oval
June 28 Richmond International Raceway, .75-mile oval (Night)
July 6 Watkins Glen International, 3.37-mile road course
July 12 Nashville Superspeedway, 1.33-mile oval (Night)
July 20 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, 2.258-mile road course
Aug. 9 Kentucky Speedway, 1.5-mile oval (Night)
Aug. 24 Infineon Raceway, 2.4-mile road course
Aug. 31 The Raceway at Belle Isle Park, 2.096-mile street course
Sept. 7 Chicagoland Speedway, 1.5-mile oval
***

From John Griffin, IndyCar Series

Who will win?

With one race left, two possible champions and 41 points separating the two who do you think the inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Champion will be?

Leave your comments below and let us know a) how educated you are and b) where your allegiances lie.

Will it be Ranger?

Will it be Kennington?

Will Don Thomson Jr. be seen at the final race with his sunglasses off?

These are all burning questions as the series heads to Kawartha for the finale in what has been an exciting season for the former CASCAR Super Series.

Lock up your Daughters!

Kasey Kahne will be taking Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s leftovers after it was announced today that Kahne will be sponsored by Budweiser in 2008.

Maybe Budweiser should tie their image to someone who looks like they're old enough to drink.

Kahne looks like an extra from High School Musical.

In related news the Shirley Temple brand drink company is disappointed to lose its figurehead.

Turner Motorsports Holds Winning Hand in Grand-Am KONI Grand Sport Race

Courtesy Grand-Am Communications

TOOELE, Utah (September 14, 2007) – In a race that was ultimately decided by fuel strategy and pit stops, Turner Motorsport drivers played the winning hand in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Grand Sport (GS) race Friday at Miller Motorsports Park.

Joey Hand and Matthew Alhadeff piloted the No. 97 Turner Motorsports BMW M3 to the checkered flag 23.254 seconds ahead of second-place finishers Hugh Plumb and Craig Stanton in the No. 38 BGB Motorsports Performance Drink Porsche 997.

The Miller Motorsports Park event was the first time this season the duo had stepped into the Turner Motorsports machine, but it didn’t take the pair long to get adjusted to the car. Alhadeff qualified the car fifth and drove a flawless first stint, running in the top five until pitting on Lap 12.

“It was a great start. I got lucky and picked up a couple positions right at the start,” Alhadeff said. “I had a pretty good stint. I think I overworked the tires at the beginning, because I picked up some understeer. But we lucked out and picked up a good yellow and got Joey (Hand) in the car. He was able to run a great pace, real competitive. Joey ended up in first place and was able to hang on to the car and keep it out there. It was an awesome race.”

Hand had the hot shoe from the moment he took over the car. By Lap 18 Hand sat in fourth place, and a Lap 22 pass on Duncan Ende in the No. 39 TRG Carlsen Porsche/DigiTrust Group Porsche 997 proved to be for second place when then-leader David Russell of the No. 99 Automatic Racing Fresh from Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3 pulled into the pits.

From there, Hand had a battle to the end. Andy Lally in the No. 41 TRG Carlsen Porsche/Mitchell Global Porsche 997 passed the Turner Motorsports driver on Lap 25, just before Hand made the team’s final pit stop. Hand rejoined in eighth position and found himself back in second position on Lap 35, just behind Lally. Hand took the lead for good on Lap 36 when Lally pulled into the pits for fuel.

“It’s great. I love winning, and the team loves winning,” a deservedly-excited Hand said. “Turner Motorsports prepares a great race car. With some teams, you come and fit right in and the car goes real well. This is one of those teams, and I’ve never won with this team. I’ve had a few good runs but never gave these guys a win.”

Hand’s main competition to the finish was Lally. The TRG driver had stretched the lead to 40 seconds on Lap 34, and was set to pit for fuel on Lap 35. As Lally tried to follow Nick Wittmer in the No. 31 i-MOTO Racing Acura TSX onto pit lane, Wittmer spun and hit the pit wall, blocking the entrance. Lally was left with no choice but to put his Porsche into reverse, back onto the racetrack, and run another lap.

“When it rains, it pours,” Lally said. “We had a car that could win, and we just picked the one and only lap we shouldn’t have pitted on. Just out of dumb luck, somebody stuffed it in the fence, and when you have a one-car wide pit entrance, I had to back up, and then look and decide if it was a gravel trap behind me, or dirt. At that point, we had no choice, gravel trap or not.”

That large lead evaporated once Lally was able to complete his pit stop on the next lap. With Hand 13 seconds in front, Lally began a charge to the front that ended when his car ran out of gas on the final lap. The error was an uncharacteristic one for the normally reliable TRG team, obviously trying to make up for the unavoidable incident one lap sooner. Lally finished the race in fourth position.

“I came out, lost our lead by a bunch, but we were running him down,” Lally said. “TRG gave me the best car out there, hands down, and we ran out of gas. We only needed to take about another second of gas more, but I can’t fault the guys, they do a great job, week in and week out. They were as much on the edge as I was.”

Benefiting from the TRG fuel error was the Plumb and Stanton. Plumb began the race in 11th position and spent the early laps avoiding the early lap incidents that come with 63 cars on the track. Plumb climbed into the lead on Lap 21 and led until pitting on Lap 24.

“My shift was very eventful,” Plumb said afterward. “It was a complete catastrophe at the beginning – dust, cars, wheels all over the place. We got a great start through the mayhem up to fifth. After that, I put my head down and kept working lap after lap. That’s all I could do, and give the car over to Craig and go from there.”

Stanton rejoined the race after Plumb’s stop in 13th position. Making sure to take enough fuel to get to the end, Stanton steadily climbed through the field until the checkered flag. The strategy nearly paid off, as the team finished just one mistake away from a win.

“It was amazing. We were running consistent laps,” Stanton said. “The BGB guys did a great job both on strategy and prepping the car. During the race, Hugh did a great opening stint and we continued on. We knew it would be close for a lot of teams. A lot of them were cutting it real close on fuel, and we ran it as hard as we could at the end. I think if it went one more lap, we would have won. The Turner guys were so close on fuel, and we had six gallons at the end.”

Rounding out the podium was the No. 25 Fiorano/C-Max Racing Porsche 997 of Dave Riddle and Kris Wilson. Riddle qualified and began the race in 18th position before handing the car off to Wilson. Wilson steadily climbed through the field, also taking advantage of the TRG team by passing a slowing Lally on the last turn of the last lap.

“We totally lucked out on the last corner of the last lap,” Wilson said. “The guys in the pits were telling me on the last lap that he was running out, and sure enough, in the last corner right before start finish I went by him and said, great, we’ve got a podium. It worked out real well. Fiorano gave us a great chassis, but we just didn’t quite have enough for the top two at the end.”

Steelback Targa Newfoundland: Hopkins and Hughes take the win

Courtesy Dave Harty

ST JOHN’S, NL (Sept. 14, 2007) After dominating the sixth-annual Steelback Targa Newfoundland from Day 1, veteran competitors Roy Hopkins and Adrienne Hughes earned their first overall win on Friday.

“I’m still a little numb,” said driver Roy Hopkins after crossing the ceremonial finish line in downtown St. John’s. “I don’t know how we did so well. Honestly, some of it was luck.”

The team, from Spencerport, NY, returned to event for a fifth time in 2007, contesting the event in a distinctive sponge-painted Classic division 1969 BMW 2002. Their best previous finish came in 2006, when they finished fifth overall in the same car.

“For us, it was a once in a lifetime experience… and here we are for a fifth time,” said Hughes. “We’ll try and find a way to be back next year.”

Provisional scores early Friday showed the team also chalked up the Classic division win. All scores are considered provisional and will not be made final until Saturday.

Endurance is the key to success at this grueling weeklong contest -- the first and only event of its kind in North America. The Steelback Targa Newfoundland is one of only three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world and is listed on the Federation International de l’Automobile (FIA) international calendar.

In second place overall was the team of Michael MacKenzie and Kirk Alexander in a grumbling 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. “Not bad for an old stock car racer, eh?” said MacKenzie at the finish.

The Dartmouth, NS, driver has competed on tracks for decades, but said the Targa experience is completely different. He arrived just in time to start the contest last Sunday after completing a 200-lap event the night before.

Provisional scores showed veteran driver Jud Buchanan and co-driver Jim Adams, from Ontario, rounding out the overall podium with a third-place finish in their 1967 Acadian Sport Canso.

“Old age and treachery has once again prevailed,” said Adams.

It is the second podium in a row for the team, who earned second place in 2006. Buchanan has been competing at the event since its inception and is a consistent threat for the overall win.

All of the top finishers were in the Classic division, but Modern winners Jeff McKague and Mike Gayowski were never far behind. They took the division win and finished in seventh overall in their factory-supported Mazda RX-8.

“It’s just great beyond our expectations,” said McKague, who competed in the event in the same car in 2006 and finished 33rd.

In addition to Mazda, Lexus, BMW Mini and Subaru all fielded factory-supported entries. The contest offers manufacturers an opportunity to prove their automotive mettle as well as take in some of the famous Newfoundland hospitality.

Marc Lachapelle and Jean-Francois Drolet’s factory supported Lexus GS 450-Hybrid became the first-ever gas-electric hybrid vehicle to complete the contest. They also took the win in the newly created Hybrid class.

The Grand Touring Unequipped winners were Alan Kearley and Greg Martin in a 2004 Mazda 3 Sport GT, while the Grand Touring Equipped category went to Michael and Cathy Martin in a 2003 Porsche 911.

The all-female crew of Nika Rolczewski and Sandra Lemaitre in the factory-supported 2007 Mazda Speed 3 finished fourth in the Grand Touring Equipped division.
The Subaru Targa Rally Team crew of John and Clarke Paynter wound up in ninth overall in their 2006 Subaru WRX STi, while the 2004 Mini Cooper S piloted by Jim Kenzie and co-driven by Brian Bourbonniere finished 22nd.

After starting in St. John’s with a pair of warm-up stages on Sunday, teams competed from sun-up to sun-down each day this week, returning to the city on Friday. They faced down hours of changeable Newfoundland weather and tough roads, and the drivers, co-drivers and their competition vehicles had to fight through escalating fatigue as the event progressed.

“It’s like the Boston Marathon, or the Olympics,” said young driver Nicolas Narini, 19, who crossed the finish line with his 17-year-old brother Massimo to become the youngest crew ever to complete the event. They campaigned a 1992 Subaru Legacy Turbo under their own MaNick at School banner. The young Ontario team pushes a “keep it off the street” message in schools, promoting safe driving and properly sanctioned automotive competition for young people.

But the contest wasn’t kind to every team.

Notable retirements included defending champion Glen Clarke and co-driver Evan Gamblin, who dropped out of contention on Thursday citing engine trouble with their 1979 Porsche 911.

Also out early were mid-week contenders Nick Papayianis and Will Atkinson who crashed hard during Thursday’s Leg 4 after a surprisingly strong start. Unusually, the novice team from Texas had exchanged driving and navigating duties throughout the contest and had climbed to fourth overall, before an off-road excursion put them out of the running. Even so, they pulled their 1988 BMW M3 straight and were able to limp across the finish line on Friday’s final leg to earn a Targa medallion.

Since competition runs rain or shine, weather is always a factor. Rain early in the week posed challenges to many teams and one particularly slick wooden bridge near Adeytown/Deep Bight claimed four teams in a single stage. A Ford Mustang, a BMW M3, a Ford Mustang GT and a Porsche 914 all spun off the road on the same corner. There were no injuries or property damage reported.

Meanwhile, Grand Touring competitors Alan Townsley and David Fuhrman got a face-full of Newfoundland weather as they braved an autumn storm on Wednesday in an open-topped sports car. There were plenty of double-takes as the duo sped along the Kittiwake Coast in their Factory Five Challenge Series Cobra with nothing more between them and the elements than their rain slickers and race helmets. They wound up second in the Grand Touring Unequipped category at the end of the week.

Teams are competing for Targa plates, as well as class and divisional titles. There is no prize money, but all finishers receive a medallion. Entries are divided into categories the faster-paced Targa category, where teams must achieve ambitious speed targets, and the more moderate Grand Touring division, which rewards precision driving. Teams may also pursue the automotive adventure in the Targa Tour category.
The challenging six-day course took competitors across 2,200 kilometers of some of the toughest tarmac rally roads in Canada. Teams, comprised of a driver and a navigator, fought to achieve increasingly ambitious target times that challenged them to extend themselves, and their cars, to the limit.

Teams ended each night with a car display in a local arena where fans had an opportunity to interact with the teams, and their cars. This year, spectators were also treated to special appearances by NHL stars Phil Esposito, Eddie Shack, Bill Derlago and Johnny Bower. The players are traveling with the event courtesy of Steelback Brewery, the event’s title sponsor.

After leaving St. John’s, the competition traveled to the North Avalon Region for Leg 1 on Monday, the Exploits region for Tuesday’s Leg 2, and the Kittiwake Coast on Wednesday for Leg 3. Thursday’s Leg 4 followed a route along the Burin Peninsula, while the final Leg 5 took place on the Avalon Peninsula, visiting Osprey Trail, Spaniards Bay, Bishops Cove, Upper Island Cove, Brigus, Marysvale, Conception Harbour, Colliers and Torbay en route to its final destination in St. John’s Friday night.

More than 70 teams from around the world took the start Sunday at an official ceremony outside The Keg in downtown St. John’s, as fans including hockey legends Esposito and Bower looked on. Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, Tom Hedderson, was on hand to usher teams into the contest with a wave of the provincial flag. The event brings an estimated $16 million to the province -- in direct and indirect spending.

The event also continued its tradition this year of giving back to the community by means of its renewed partnership with longtime official charity, the Easter Seals of Newfoundland and Labrador. The event has raised over $60,000 for the charity.

Easter Seals Ambassador Justin Mercer, a 17-year-old paraplegic with Cerebral Palsy who drives a car using special hand controls, had the opportunity to drive in the Prologue stages on Sunday, and took part in the heat of the contest on Friday as a demonstration driver in a stage through his hometown of Upper Island Cove. He said it was the ride of a lifetime.

Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Holland, the Bahamas and the U.K. for the first five editions of Targa Newfoundland, and the 2007 field was equally international. Targa Newfoundland is owned and organized by Newfoundland International Motorsports.

Full results reflecting Day 5 scores are available through a link on the event website: www.targanewfoundland.com.

Complete coverage of the event airs on Global TV and the Speed Network in early 2008. The 2008 running of Targa Newfoundland is set to take place September 13 - September 20.

Gurney, Fogarty Clinch Grand-Am Rolex Series Daytona Prototype Title

Courtesy Grand-Am Communications

TOOELE, Utah (September 15, 2007) – From championship to heartbreak, Saturday’s Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve season finale at Miller Motorsports Park was a true representation of the season as a whole – including one team’s championship hopes literally going up in smoke.

The Sunchaser 1000 was a race for the ages, not in the least because of Riley-Matthews Motorsports first career Rolex Series win. Jim Matthews, Marc Goossens and Ryan Hunter-Reay persevered in the No. 91 Riley-Matthews Motorsports Pontiac Riley throughout the 1000k marathon, climbing 18 spots from their starting position to the top of the podium.

“Our car was very strong toward the end of the race,” said Goossens, who ran the team’s final stint. “We kept trying and trying all afternoon long. We were running some of our fastest times toward the end of the day. The car wasn’t fantastic, but we kept going thanks to my team.”
Equally as impressive though was the battle for the Daytona Prototype championship, which entered the day as the closest in all of motorsports.

As many expected, the championship outcome wasn’t decided until the final laps of a drama filled race. Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty entered the season finale in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley one point ahead of Scott Pruett in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley and three points ahead of Max Angelelli in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Riley.

The championship drama began to unfold on Lap 110 when Pruett took over for co-pilot Salvador Duran, exiting pit lane in second place – just behind Angelelli in the SunTrust machine and five seconds ahead Jon Fogarty in the GAINSCO car. Five laps later, Pruett was locked in a nose-to-tail battle with Angelelli while Fogarty had closed the gap to just three seconds behind the leaders.

While holding Pruett at bay, smoke clouds began to puff from the back of Angelelli’s Pontiac Riley. What was feared to be an engine ready to fail turned out to be the rear tire rubbing on the fender. A Lap 113 pit stop fixed the problem but sent the SunTrust machine back to seventh place.

Meanwhile, Fogarty had closed the gap to Pruett and was searching for a pass to take both the race and championship lead. Fogarty chose his opportunity on Lap 115 and as the pair battled through the track’s first few turns Fogarty moved to the inside entering Turn 5. Contact send Pruett wide and Fogarty found himself in the race lead.

Pruett recovered, but the incident left the No. 01 Lexus Riley with a flat left rear tire and the No. 99 Pontiac Riley with a flat left front. With 20 of the 4.486-mile track’s turns remaining between the two cars and the pit lane, Pruett’s tire began to shred – taking body work from that corner of the car with it. The GAINSCO team took their opportunity in the pits to make their final driver change, putting Gurney back in the car for the race’s final stint.

The metal flying from the TELMEX machine had to land somewhere, and as fate would have it, cut the right rear tire on the third championship contending car. As Angelelli limped back to the pits with body work now being torn from his machine, something ruptured and set the rear of the car into a ball of fire. Angelelli was able to pull into pit lane and the fire was contained, but the Italian’s championship hopes were gone. Angelelli’s fire and the debris on the track brought out a full course caution.

“We knew we did not have the quickest car for one lap, but we knew that we could race both (the 01 and the 99) over the longer distances,” said Angelelli, who started eighth and co-drove with Jan Magnussen. “We had the strategy in our favor. Our car was good on older tires. We fought all day long on the track. And losing a race and a championship this way is not just. It’s just awful. It’s a bad feeling. It’s going to take a long time for me to forget today and this result.”

The race’s fourth full-course caution after contact between the No. 23 Alex Job Racing Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Porsche Crawford and the No. 61 AIM Autosport Exchange Traded Gold/Barrick Gold Lexus Riley on Lap 124 sent the Ruby Tuesday machine spinning and set up the final showdown for the championship, now down to just two contenders. Gurney restarted in fifth on Lap 127 with Pruett two spots behind, and five laps later Oswaldo Negri in the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Lexus Riley slipped past Gurney – leaving the battle for the championship nose-to-tail.

With only six laps remaining in the season, the sun was setting on both the race and Pruett’s championship aspirations. While attempting to get by Gurney on Lap 132, Pruett made contact with the rear of the GAINSCO machine, with Gurney falling to 11th and Pruett climbing to eighth.

Race officials ruled the contact avoidable and assessed Pruett a drive through penalty for the incident. Pruett served the penalty at the end of Lap 136, returning to the track in 10th place – two slots behind Gurney. Pruett improved to ninth position when the checkered flag flew after Lap 139, one spot behind the GAINSCO car.

”We were racing coming around the back and Negri got around him and I was going inside of him, and he ducked down on me a little bit,” Pruett said. “We touched just briefly and got up on the line. No spin or nothing, he just got off the line. This team has a lot to be proud of. We worked hard all year and raced clean all year.”

With the finish, Gurney and Fogarty become the fifth different Daytona Prototype champions since the class was introduced in 2003, joining Terry Borcheller (2003), Pruett and Max Papis (2004), Angelelli and Wayne Taylor (2005) and J�rg Bergmeister (2006).

“I’m still coming down from it all and trying to take it all in,” said Gurney, who captured his first career professional racing championship. “It feels amazing to be the champion. We deserved this championship. We broke a lot of records this year, and it’s great to come out on top. It was a great day today. With Bob Stallings and Pontiac, this championship feels great.”

Unlike his teammate, Fogarty had prior championships to compare this to.

“Any championship worth winning is difficult to accomplish,” Fogarty said. “This one was the most difficult to win in my professional career, that’s for sure. The whole GAINSCO team, we’re pretty straight forward guys and a straight forward organization, and we just focused on the task at hand. And that’s what we did all year. We always made sure we had a quick car. It’s racing, and yes its endurance racing, but at the end you have to be fast. We certainly had the package. We all worked together, and Bob (Stallings) was a great leader. He gave us the tools we need, and we used those. That’s what it takes.”

Back on the podium, the Riley-Matthews team was celebrating its own milestone achievement. Goossens crossed the line 1.280 seconds ahead of the No. 11 SAMAX Pontiac Riley, driven by Enge.

“I don’t know any other way to put it; this is a good way to end the season,” said team co-owner Matthews. “This win is a long time coming. Marc and Ryan drove a great race and as a team we were able to get our first win in the last race. We never put a wheel wrong and we didn’t have any bad luck. The car never missed a beat; the Riley guys really had us hooked up. This is a nice way to go into the 2008 season.”

Hunter-Reay joined the team for the fourth time this season, driving in the seasons two other endurance races (the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen) and at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The team’s best finish with Hunter-Reay was previously sixth at Watkins Glen.

“We’ve been knocking on the door for a long time this season,” said Hunter-Reay, the IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year. “It’s been a long time coming, so this is great. This is just racing; you never know when your time is going to come. We were there in the right time and the right place. The race today was so much fun. It was a blast, thanks to these guys."

Both Kensai/Compass360 TSX's in Top Eight

Courtesy Karl Thomson

The Kensai Racing with Compass360 team hoped to gain some ground in their KONI ST-class championship battle in the series' penultimate round at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah this past weekend. Coming into the event, the #76 Acura TSX of Billy Johnson and Karl Thomson was solidly in second place, just four points behind the first-placed #95 Turner Motorsports BMW. The team also hoped to improve the positions of Matt Pritiko and David Tuaty, driving their #74 Acura RSX-S, as both were sitting well into the top ten. The #75 TSX rounded out the team's entries, with Aaron Povoledo once again joining Beau Buisson behind the wheel, hoping to better the car's best finish of 5th (at Mosport) this year.

Every effort was made to maximize the performance of each car, with a dyno being brought in specifically to tune the Acuras for the high altitude. "The elevation here in Salt Lake City robs us of so much power," explained Crew Chief Ray Lee. "The forced-induction cars like the Subarus and the Cobalts do much better here, so we had to try and get as much as we could out of the cars."

Qualifying rewarded the team's efforts, with all three cars qualifying in the top-eight for the first time this season. Povoledo placed the #75 TSX in fourth, with Thomson right behind in fifth, while Tuaty put the #74 RSX in eighth. "This is a really challenging track," noted Thomson. "It demands utmost attention from the driver, and with 23 corners over four-and-a-half miles, there's little chance of catching your breath. The whole team really did a great job getting the best performance out of the cars."

The start of the race was really exciting, with the field racing down the long straight into the first corner three cars wide. Povoledo and Thomson both made good starts, moving up to third and fourth respectively despite Povoledo being tagged from behind, which resulted in his rear bumper flapping about on the ground for the next two laps.
"I felt the hit, and just managed to keep my line, getting the inside line into corner two ahead of Karl," said Povoledo. "I was worried I'd get a black flag, but the bumper fell off a lap later and I settled into third spot behind the #93 Subaru and the #01 Cobalt."

Indeed, as expected the turbocharged Subaru and the supercharged Cobalt pulled away from the field at the front of the pack. Thomson, meanwhile was locked in a fierce battle, staying ahead of the #111 Subaru and the #95 Turner BMW. Mid-way through his stint, the TSX lost its ABS, which allowed the Subaru past.

"I worked for a few laps to figure out just how hard I could brake without locking up the tires," noted Thomson. "All the time Adam (Burrows, in the BMW) was right there, looking for an opportunity to get by. It was another good fight, one of many we've had this year." In the end, Thomson stayed ahead, and when a full-course yellow flag flew at the 40- minute mark the team elected to do its first pit stop, adding fuel, changing tires and putting Billy Johnson in the car. The Turner car also pitted, which set up a good battle between Johnson and Trevor Hopwood.

The #74 RSX also pitted under the yellow flag, with Tutay (who had moved up to sixth), handing to Pritiko. Povoledo remained out, the team electing to try a different strategy for the #75 car. As the race progressed and other cars had to stop for fuel under green flag conditions, Povoledo led for a lap before coming in on lap 28th, putting Buisson behind the wheel and being good to go to the finish.

Johnson, meanwhile, hung behind Hopwood, trying to save enough of his tires for the late-race dogfight that was sure to ensure between the two. The lack of ABS, combined with contact with another car early in his stint, compounded to make this a real effort. "I got hit on the left side early in my stint, which knocked the rear end out of alignment. It was really hard to hustle the car around some of the corners, all the while trying not to flat-spot the tires," remarked Johnson.

The #74 RSX's day came to an unfortunate end when a drive shaft let go, relegating Tuaty and Pritiko to a disappointing 24th place finish, after a promising qualifying and early race pace.

So, in the closing laps, both the 76 TSX and the 95 BMW pitted for splashes of fuel, the Turner car getting out a few seconds ahead of the Acura. The Kensai/Compass360 #75 car was ahead of the BMW, but Buisson found the handling of his car also a handful and was unable to keep the position, while Johnson put his head down and worked to close the gap. At the checkered flag, it was Hopwood in sixth place, Johnson in seventh and Buisson in eighth.

"That was a really, really close fight from start to finish," remarked Thomson. "We had hoped to close the gap this weekend, but everybody on the Kensai team gave it their all, and this was the way it played out. Billy did an amazing job to bring the car in as good a position as he did, and Beau did everything he could to help us. We're still in the hunt and, as we expected, it'll go down to the season-ending six-hour race at VIR in October."

And so the tradition of closely-fought Grand American championships continues, with Johnson and Thomson's #76 sitting just five points behind the Turner car. It promises is to be a spectacular fight right to the last lap at VIR.

The Grand Am KONI Miller race will be aired tape-delayed on SPEED Channel on September 23rd at 3:00pm and should feature good coverage of the ST-class championship battle.

Bray Autosport Returns to NASCAR with LUCAS OIL

Courtesy JNE Consulting

Brantford, On; Jim Bray is proud to announce the return of Bray Autosport to NASCAR and a return to action following a three year absence from the sport. Jim has over fifty years of racing experience from NASCAR’s early days and now to NASCAR's beginning in Canada. Jim has competed himself from the high bank’s of Daytona to Ontario, California and all points in between. The seventy five year team owner will be teaming up once again with John and Scott Fletcher to field a recently purchased the Fairway Transport Dodge, formally of Neil Fair. The Dodge Dealers of Ontario Charger 250 at Kawartha Speedway may be the first event of 2007 for Bray Autosport, it is not for the team, John Fletcher is the reigning Outlaw Super Late Model Champion.

The inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season has been nothing short of exciting, with many races coming down to last lap passes for victory and surprise endings. The Bray Autosport Team plans on adding to the excitement. The LUCAS OIL #56 Trailers By Jim Bray/All Star Logistics Dodge will look to build a strong foundation in this event to move forward and compete for the title in 2008. Team principal Jim Bray “I could not be happier to have John represent the team and LUCAS OIL at the series finally. We want a strong showing as we move forward for 2008”. The car is a Fletcher Chassis, with a strong Beauchamp Motor powering the car.

More information and sponsorship enquiries about John Fletcher, LUCAS OIL and NASCAR Canada can be found at www.fletchjr61.com , www.lucasoil.com and www.nascar.ca.

Clint Bowyer Scores Career-First Win at New Hampshire International Speedway

Courtesy GM Racing News

NH - Clint Bowyer, No. 07 Jack Daniel's Impala SS, scored his career-first NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (NNCS) win in dominating fashion leading six times for 222 laps in the Sylvania 300. Starting from the pole, Bowyer was clearly the class of the field in his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet scoring the 20th win for Chevrolet in 2007.

In addition, Bowyer's victory is the 10th win for Impala SS in 2007. Bowyer was 12th in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship coming in to the second race of the season at New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS). Following collecting the points for winning the race, plus the bonus points for leading a lap and leading the most laps, Bowyer now sits fourth in the order, just 15 points behind the leader.

Team Chevy drivers claimed all top-five finishing positions in the round one of the Chase and the 27th race of the season. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Impala SS finished second followed by Tony Stewart, No. 20 Home Depot Impala SS in third. Kyle Busch, No. 5 CARQUEST/Kellogg's Impala SS and Martin Truex, Jr., No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Impala SS finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Four more Impala SS drivers captured top-10 finishes with Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's Impala SS in sixth. Casey Mears, No. 25 National Guard/GMAC Impala SS came home in eighth and J.J.Yeley, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Impala SS in the 10th finishing position.

Johnson and Gordon leave NHIS tied for the top-spot in the Chase for the Cup standings with 5,210 points each. Stewart sits in third spot with 5,200 points followed by Bowyer. Busch sits fifth to give Team Chevy the top-five spots in the standings with nine rounds remaining in the Chase. Round 28 of the season and the second round of Chase is scheduled for September 23, 2007 at Dover International Speedway.

"This is unbelievable. I can't believe it happened here. This has always been a good track us. We just could never get the finish. I'm just so excited to celebrate with all these guys. They deserve it," said Bowyer.

Dilley overcomes running out of fuel and wins Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300

By Shon Sbarra

ANTIGONISH, NS – Neither the rain nor running out of gas was not enough to keep Mark Dilley (No. 9 Dodge/Leland Industries Dodge) out of victory lane on Sunday at the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300.

The Barrie, Ontario driver limped on to the entrance of pit road on lap 205 of the 300-lap race out of Sunoco racing fuel. His crew was able to push the car to their pit stall in order to fuel the No. 9 Dodge Avenger. Fortunately for Dilley, all of this occurred under caution which did not cost him a great deal of track position.

The race was originally scheduled for Saturday evening, but rain and wind moved into the area during the afternoon forcing NASCAR and track officials to postpone until Sunday.

Dilley took the lead on lap 263 of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event at Riverside International Speedway and was able to hold off a hard-charging J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Milwaukee Electric Tools Chevrolet) over the course of the final laps. Dilley beat the 19-year old Fitzpatrick to the line by 0.852 seconds.

An exhausted Dilley emerged from his vehicle in victory lane after the hard-fought battle on the high-banked 1/3-mile oval modeled after the legendary Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

“I owe this one to the Whitlock Motorsports gang,” said Dilley. “All year long they have given me a great car and for one reason or another we just couldn’t get a win. Today, we got it done and it’s all on them. We had the fuel problem, but we were able to make up the difference.”
Dilley’s strategy to work his way back to the front was a simple one.
“I put the pedal on the floor and kept it there,” he said.

He also was appreciative of the support and hospitality shown by the fans of Atlantic Canada for this first Canadian Tire Series visit to the region.

“The people all over town have been just great. We had the rain yesterday, but it was good for racing today,” he said. “The fans were awesome all day long.”

D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol/Krispy Kreme Dodge) finished third for his series-leading eighth top-five finish in 2007. The subplot to that finish is his battle with Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford) for the points championship. Kennington came into the race staring at an 87-point deficit, but Ranger lost his motor on lap 268. The engine woes relegated Ranger to a finish of 13th in the event. As a result, over half was trimmed off that lead leaving it, unofficially, at 41 points. However, that was not Kennington’s focus in the race.

“We had a car that could have won and I was concentrating on that,” said Kennington. “But, now, as I think about it I guess this will tighten it a little. We’ll see what happens next week at Kawartha (Speedway). We’ll be ready.”

Derek Lynch (No. 77 Allied Steel Buildings/Canadian Shield Dodge) and Dave Whitlock (No. 39 Dickies/Hamilton Tiger-Cats Dodge) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Scott Steckly, Jason Hathaway, Doug Brown, John Gaunt and Jim Lapcevich rounded out the top 10.
The race was slowed eight times for 63 laps. Five different drivers held that lead and it changed hands a total of 10 times.

Beyond Ranger’s points lead shrinking to 41 points, unofficially, in the championship points standings Fitzpatrick jumped up three spots from sixth to third. However, at 130 points behind the leader, it is not mathematically possible for him to win the title. The inaugural championship will be decided by Ranger and Kennington.

The Canadian Tire Series wraps up its first season next Sunday evening at Kawartha Speedway for the Dodge Dealers of Ontario Dodge Charger 250 presented by Allied Steel Buildings.