MERCED, CA (January 24, 2008) - Officials from the Automobile Racing Club of America have announced the expansion of the ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series. Under the terms of the expansion, the NEWALTA Late Model Challenge Series will combine with ARCA West to become the ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series in 2008.
“Uniting the NEWALTA LMCS with the ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series will strengthen the ARCA brand and Late Model Racing in the Northwest,” said Richard Michaud, president of ARCA West. “We’re excited about the opportunities this merger presents.”
The former NEWALTA LMCS, the largest touring stock car series in Western Canada in recent years, has a technical and procedural rules package very similar to that of the ARCA West LMCS. Plans call for standalone events in both Canada and the U.S. as well as a number of companion events.
The 2008 schedule, which will be released in full in the coming weeks, is expected to include venues that were on the 2007 NEWALTA LMCS Schedule as well as the ARCA West tour, plus the possible addition of some new venues.Craig Ball has been appointed director of racing for all of ARCA West’s operations in Canada.
"The partnership with ARCA West enhances our commitment to the sport of stock car racing in Canada," said Ball. "I believe the timing is perfect and it provides the drivers, teams and corporate partners of the Series a new level of challenge and opportunity in oval racing in North America.
"The ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series features template bodied, straight rail late models with drivers from throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada competing in a fast, fun and affordable touring series.
The series is a licensee of the nationally-based Automobile Racing Club of America and provides a West coast connection to the ARCA Sanctioning body.
For more information on the ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series, visit www.latemodelchallenge.com .For information on ARCA, visit www.arcaracing.com .
(h/t Rod Ormon justturnleft.ca)
Friday, January 25, 2008
Grand-Am KONI Challenge: Constantine, Wittmer Claim Poles at DIS
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 24, 2008) - Fall-Line Motorsports driver Tommy Constantine put together a strong two-lap effort in Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series qualifying Thursday evening at Daytona International Speedway, coming away with the pole for Fridays three-hour Fresh From Florida 200, which starts at 2:15 p.m.
Constantine took the No. 46 Playboy/Vervel/TASER/Palms BMW M3 to a best lap time of 2:05.085 (102.458) over the 15-minute qualifying session, cruising to the pole more than a half second ahead of outside front row starter Andy Hauck III. The effort, which came in light rain, marked the first KONI Challenge pole for Constantine, who debuted in the series in 2006.
"We saw the rain coming and we knew that we had to get a fast lap in right away," Constantine said. "We really went for it right away on cold tires, knowing that the track was getting wetter and wetter. There were actually a couple of corners that were slightly wet, even on the first lap, so we knew that would affect the lap time. We went for it everywhere we could, until it got worse and everybody had to stop."
"It's great to be here, because we had such a bad year last year, with bad luck and mechanical problems," Constantine continued. "We were just happy that the car started this year, and the Fall-Line guys have done an amazing job. For us to be as good as we are here on a high-horsepower track, we are looking to the shorter tracks that suit this car even more."
Hauck, in the No. 23 Wright Motorsports Porsche 997, set a time of 2:05.734 (101.929 mph) in his two-lap effort, and signaled luck as a sign of garnering second on the starting grid.
"First of all, it was really wet," Hauck explained. "We got lucky. We got the car together after we had a pretty big incident on the last day of the test session a few weeks ago. The crew worked hard the last two weeks to get it back together. We're just happy to be here, and we took advantage of the situation."
Rounding out the top five were Jon Miller in the No. 99 Automatic Racing Fresh From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3, Tim Traver in the No. 83 BGB Motorsports Performance Drink/Toro Viejo Motorsports Porsche 997 and Bret Seafuse in the No. 37 JBS Motorsports Trumansburg ShurSave Ford Mustang GT.
In ST competition, Kuno Wittmer led a front row sweep for i-MOTO Racing, winning the pole with a time of 2:09.312 (99.109 mph). Wittmer turned in three laps in the No. 32 Acura/Cobalt Friction Acura TSX just before the rain hit.
"Winning the pole is all thanks to the i-MOTO team," Wittmer said. "They really put a good car together. This race car is really well balanced. The brakes are awesome, thanks to Cobalt Friction Brakes. I think were going to have a great start to the race tomorrow, and my teammate, Peter Cunningham, is going to take over. He has tons of experience and he's also my boss. I think we could put this car pretty close to the front. Were definitely shooting for the victory, 1-2 for the team."
Car owner Glenn Bocchino toured the 3.56-mile, 14-turn track just tenths of a second slower at 2:09.580 (98.904 mph) in the sister No. 31 Acura/Cobalt Friction Acura TSX.
"It was a great effort by the team," Bocchino said. "The car felt very good, it was the best it ever felt. It was totally hooked up. Ill drive with Nick Wittmer in the race."
The remainder of the ST top five is John Schmitt in the No. 22 HART Red Line Oil Honda Accord, Toby Grahovec in the No. 86 Classic BMW-Plano BMW Z4 and Jamie Holtom in the No. 01 Georgian Bay Motorsports Chevrolet Cobalt.
Final KONI Challenge Series practice is scheduled for 10 a.m. before the three-hour Fresh From Florida 200, starting at 2:15 p.m. Friday.
From Grand-Am
Constantine took the No. 46 Playboy/Vervel/TASER/Palms BMW M3 to a best lap time of 2:05.085 (102.458) over the 15-minute qualifying session, cruising to the pole more than a half second ahead of outside front row starter Andy Hauck III. The effort, which came in light rain, marked the first KONI Challenge pole for Constantine, who debuted in the series in 2006.
"We saw the rain coming and we knew that we had to get a fast lap in right away," Constantine said. "We really went for it right away on cold tires, knowing that the track was getting wetter and wetter. There were actually a couple of corners that were slightly wet, even on the first lap, so we knew that would affect the lap time. We went for it everywhere we could, until it got worse and everybody had to stop."
"It's great to be here, because we had such a bad year last year, with bad luck and mechanical problems," Constantine continued. "We were just happy that the car started this year, and the Fall-Line guys have done an amazing job. For us to be as good as we are here on a high-horsepower track, we are looking to the shorter tracks that suit this car even more."
Hauck, in the No. 23 Wright Motorsports Porsche 997, set a time of 2:05.734 (101.929 mph) in his two-lap effort, and signaled luck as a sign of garnering second on the starting grid.
"First of all, it was really wet," Hauck explained. "We got lucky. We got the car together after we had a pretty big incident on the last day of the test session a few weeks ago. The crew worked hard the last two weeks to get it back together. We're just happy to be here, and we took advantage of the situation."
Rounding out the top five were Jon Miller in the No. 99 Automatic Racing Fresh From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3, Tim Traver in the No. 83 BGB Motorsports Performance Drink/Toro Viejo Motorsports Porsche 997 and Bret Seafuse in the No. 37 JBS Motorsports Trumansburg ShurSave Ford Mustang GT.
In ST competition, Kuno Wittmer led a front row sweep for i-MOTO Racing, winning the pole with a time of 2:09.312 (99.109 mph). Wittmer turned in three laps in the No. 32 Acura/Cobalt Friction Acura TSX just before the rain hit.
"Winning the pole is all thanks to the i-MOTO team," Wittmer said. "They really put a good car together. This race car is really well balanced. The brakes are awesome, thanks to Cobalt Friction Brakes. I think were going to have a great start to the race tomorrow, and my teammate, Peter Cunningham, is going to take over. He has tons of experience and he's also my boss. I think we could put this car pretty close to the front. Were definitely shooting for the victory, 1-2 for the team."
Car owner Glenn Bocchino toured the 3.56-mile, 14-turn track just tenths of a second slower at 2:09.580 (98.904 mph) in the sister No. 31 Acura/Cobalt Friction Acura TSX.
"It was a great effort by the team," Bocchino said. "The car felt very good, it was the best it ever felt. It was totally hooked up. Ill drive with Nick Wittmer in the race."
The remainder of the ST top five is John Schmitt in the No. 22 HART Red Line Oil Honda Accord, Toby Grahovec in the No. 86 Classic BMW-Plano BMW Z4 and Jamie Holtom in the No. 01 Georgian Bay Motorsports Chevrolet Cobalt.
Final KONI Challenge Series practice is scheduled for 10 a.m. before the three-hour Fresh From Florida 200, starting at 2:15 p.m. Friday.
From Grand-Am
ROLEX 24: AIM Autosport Fastest on Thursday night; qualifies fifth
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 24, 2008) – After taking a fighting fifth in its Rolex 24 At Daytona debut last season, AIM Autosport is looking to go even better in 2008, as Mark Wilkins, 24, of Toronto, Ont., set a fast lap time of 1:41.413-seconds at Daytona International to take fifth on the grid with the Exchange Traded Gold/Barrick Gold Ford-Riley on Thursday.
Wilkins will share driving duties with Brian Frisselle, Colin Braun, and Andrew Ranger in the opening round of Rolex Sports Car Series competition. The 2008 Rolex event marks the second Daytona Prototype race effort for Wilkins, who scored podium results in his first two starts in the grueling event.
“Starting off where we finished last year is great. I feel like we are more competitive than we were a year ago so by that measure we're way ahead,” Wilkins said. “Every lap during the session just seemed to get a bit quicker and the team were on the radio, feeding me information about where I needed to pick up a little time. I’m happy we are in much better shape than last year and hopefully starting close to the front will help us keep out of trouble early on.”
Team principal Ian Wills came away very satisfied that his AIM crew and driver executed well on their qualifying plan. “We're picking up where we left off last year! The session went as planned for us. We chose to run a limited number of laps and so after the tires came in Mark was able to run some very solid, fast laps,” Willis commented. “We did our best lap without the benefit of a draft and the one opportunity we had to draft the No. 7 car was spoiled when they pulled off. At that point we called Mark in and parked it. We know what need to do come race time and this qualifying put is in a good position for what is hopefully a clean start.”
Afterwards, Wilkins complimented the efforts of the team overall and especially his fellow co-driver Brian Frisselle. “Brian and everyone on the team has done a great job of developing and setting this car up. The Riley/Ford combination is just fantastic. The fastest lap came together really well, despite not getting a tow. I always want to be faster, but overall, I'm really pleased,” he added.
The Thursday night practice session saw the team keep moving up the order, as Andrew Ranger set the fastest lap of the hour and a half session, with Colin Braun further improving the time as he took his first laps of the weekend in the Exchange Traded Gold/Barrick Gold Ford-Riley. “The guys have done a great job setting the car up and Mark did a great job qualifying today,” said Braun, who spent some time fulfilling his NASCAR Media obligations on Thursday. It’s great to just get in the car and have it be quick and easy to drive. This is a team effort, and I’m really looking forward to Saturdays race.”
Established in 1995, AIM Autosport also operates a multi-car team competing in the Star Mazda Series in addition to their Rolex Series operation. The company has a mandate to identify, train and manage emerging motorsport talent. AIM has provided many young drivers with a solid foundation on which to build a career in professional racing. The success of the AIM driver development programs has been achieved through the dedication of our employees and the ongoing support of our commercial and technical partners. Away from the track, AIM Autosport serves the needs of the racing community with a purpose-built preparation shop situated in the Toronto suburb of Woodbridge, Ontario.
From Matt Cleary / Sunday Group Management
ROLEX 24: Michael Shank Racing Sweeps Front Row
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Brazilian Oswaldo Negri lead a 1-2 Michael Shank Racing sweep of the front row for Saturday’s 46th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.
Negri put the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley on the pole for with a fast lap of one minute, 40.793 seconds, 127.152 mph on the historic 3.56-mile road course.
“It’s a fantastic way to start a relationship with Ford,” said Negri, who will co-drive the No. 60 car with Mark Patterson, Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal. “I’m pretty sure this is important for them as much as it is for us. This is the fruit of a lot of work. (The team) worked non-stop since the last race of the season in Salt Lake. We had a good car but we’re always looking for something better and better and better.
“This is going to give us bragging rights for now. It’s about 1/10th of what we need to do to win this race. It’s a long race but I’m so honored to be here.”
Taking the outside pole was the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley and NASCAR driver A.J. Allmendinger, who posted a lap of one minute, 40.802 seconds, 127.140 mph.
"Mike Shank has put together a great team and I love coming to race for these guys, so it feels good to put them on the front row," said Allmendinger. "Mike (Shank) is a racer to the core, and this team is full of a lot of good guys-everyone has fun, but they are focused on getting the job done. The car was strong, and is a great way to start the weekend, but everyone knows that this is a long race, and the work really happens on Saturday once the race starts."
Said owner Michael Shank: “We’re going to celebrate this for about three minutes and then go back to work. If this was a sprint race, I’d be ecstatic. I’m very honored at this and how we qualified, but I want to win the race. I want to win the race. That’s what we’ve been trying to do for five years and we’re going to go back and do night practice here and celebrate for a little bit and that’s it. We’ll have strategy meetings with having two teams on the front row and go from there.”
It’s the first all-Ford front row in the Rolex 24 since 1964. Only the top 30 in Rolex 24 qualifying have locked their positions in the twice-around-the-clock challenge and final qualifying will take place on Friday.
Other notable Rolex 24 qualifiers were:
Third-place qualifier Marc Goossens (No. 91 Bob Stallings/Riley Pontiac Riley, 126.840)
Fourth-place qualifier Max Angelelli (No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Riley, 126.689)
Sixth-place qualifier Scott Pruett (No. 01 Chip Ganassi Lexus Riley, 126.260)
11th-place qualifier Alex Gurney (No. 99 Bob Stallings GAINSCO Pontiac Riley, 125.450)
13th-place qualifier Helio Castroneves (No. 9 Penske-Taylor Racing Pontiac Riley, 125.331)
17th-place qualifier Hurley Haywood (No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley, 124.650)
The top GT class qualifier and the overall 25th-place qualifier was Sylvain Tremblay in the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 with a speed of 115.712 mph.
Charles Espenlaub (who is co-driving with Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey) qualified the No. 40 Hyper Sport Mazda RX-8 in the 49th overall position with a speed of 113.892.
Friday’s schedule: Friday will be a busy day at Daytona International Speedway.
Kicking off the day will be a Champions of the Century media event at Gatorade Victory Lane scheduled for 10:45 a.m. that will feature major North American Champions since 2000 and will include Daytona 500 champions (Jimmie Johnson), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions (Kurt Busch), Indianapolis 500 champions (Dario Franchitti, Dan Wheldon, Juan Pablo Montoya and Helio Castoneves) and Rolex 24 and Rolex Series champions (Dan Gurney, Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli).
Also scheduled for Friday is final Rolex Series qualifying and practice and the Fresh From Florida 200 KONI Challenge race which starts at 2:15 p.m. Mayor Kicks Off DIRECTV Speedweeks: The wait is over and DIRECTV Speedweeks is finally underway.
From DIS
Negri put the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley on the pole for with a fast lap of one minute, 40.793 seconds, 127.152 mph on the historic 3.56-mile road course.
“It’s a fantastic way to start a relationship with Ford,” said Negri, who will co-drive the No. 60 car with Mark Patterson, Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal. “I’m pretty sure this is important for them as much as it is for us. This is the fruit of a lot of work. (The team) worked non-stop since the last race of the season in Salt Lake. We had a good car but we’re always looking for something better and better and better.
“This is going to give us bragging rights for now. It’s about 1/10th of what we need to do to win this race. It’s a long race but I’m so honored to be here.”
Taking the outside pole was the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley and NASCAR driver A.J. Allmendinger, who posted a lap of one minute, 40.802 seconds, 127.140 mph.
"Mike Shank has put together a great team and I love coming to race for these guys, so it feels good to put them on the front row," said Allmendinger. "Mike (Shank) is a racer to the core, and this team is full of a lot of good guys-everyone has fun, but they are focused on getting the job done. The car was strong, and is a great way to start the weekend, but everyone knows that this is a long race, and the work really happens on Saturday once the race starts."
Said owner Michael Shank: “We’re going to celebrate this for about three minutes and then go back to work. If this was a sprint race, I’d be ecstatic. I’m very honored at this and how we qualified, but I want to win the race. I want to win the race. That’s what we’ve been trying to do for five years and we’re going to go back and do night practice here and celebrate for a little bit and that’s it. We’ll have strategy meetings with having two teams on the front row and go from there.”
It’s the first all-Ford front row in the Rolex 24 since 1964. Only the top 30 in Rolex 24 qualifying have locked their positions in the twice-around-the-clock challenge and final qualifying will take place on Friday.
Other notable Rolex 24 qualifiers were:
Third-place qualifier Marc Goossens (No. 91 Bob Stallings/Riley Pontiac Riley, 126.840)
Fourth-place qualifier Max Angelelli (No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Riley, 126.689)
Sixth-place qualifier Scott Pruett (No. 01 Chip Ganassi Lexus Riley, 126.260)
11th-place qualifier Alex Gurney (No. 99 Bob Stallings GAINSCO Pontiac Riley, 125.450)
13th-place qualifier Helio Castroneves (No. 9 Penske-Taylor Racing Pontiac Riley, 125.331)
17th-place qualifier Hurley Haywood (No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley, 124.650)
The top GT class qualifier and the overall 25th-place qualifier was Sylvain Tremblay in the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 with a speed of 115.712 mph.
Charles Espenlaub (who is co-driving with Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey) qualified the No. 40 Hyper Sport Mazda RX-8 in the 49th overall position with a speed of 113.892.
Friday’s schedule: Friday will be a busy day at Daytona International Speedway.
Kicking off the day will be a Champions of the Century media event at Gatorade Victory Lane scheduled for 10:45 a.m. that will feature major North American Champions since 2000 and will include Daytona 500 champions (Jimmie Johnson), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions (Kurt Busch), Indianapolis 500 champions (Dario Franchitti, Dan Wheldon, Juan Pablo Montoya and Helio Castoneves) and Rolex 24 and Rolex Series champions (Dan Gurney, Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli).
Also scheduled for Friday is final Rolex Series qualifying and practice and the Fresh From Florida 200 KONI Challenge race which starts at 2:15 p.m. Mayor Kicks Off DIRECTV Speedweeks: The wait is over and DIRECTV Speedweeks is finally underway.
From DIS
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Me, me, me, me.... Open Wheel Unity Deal in the Works?
According to this story by SPEED TV's Robin Miller, IRL boss Tony George has made an overture to lure teams from Champ Car to his series.
Reading the comments from some of the Champ Car team owners, it sounds like this will be their final year in Champ Car regardless of whether or not the owners of their series accept George's offer.
When die hards like Carl Haas admit to having discussions with the IRL about switching over, and say, "It hasn’t happened yet but we’ve certainly considered going. It may not happen this year, but it’s highly probable we’ll do it in 2009 because there needs to be one series.” ... it's obvious the fat lady is warming up.
Miller's piece begins: "Free cars. Free engines. Long Beach, Toronto, Edmonton, Mexico City and Australia added to the Indy Racing League’s schedule. A unified open-wheel series for 2008. SPEEDtv.com has learned that’s what Tony George proposed to Champ Car’s ownership group several weeks ago during meetings here in Indianapolis...." Continued here.
MOSPORT'S 2008 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
Mosport today announced its 2008 six-race schedule, one that will feature Canada's biggest sports car race of the year, top North American and Canadian championships, and two rounds in the country's national stock car racing championship. Tickets for all events are now on sale.
"This year's Mosport season schedule provides our fans with the best variety of road racing anywhere in Canada," said Myles Brandt, president and general manager of Mosport International Raceway. "We'll have everything from the hottest road racing property in North America, the American Le Mans Series, to first-class sports sedan championships like the Grand-Am KONI Challenge and the SPEED World Challenge.
"We're also proud to showcase Canada's finest national race programs like the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, The Parts Canada Superbike Championship and the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship. Above all, we'll continue to provide our spectators with great racing entertainment in a picturesque park-like setting, all for an affordable, value-packed ticket."
All major events at Mosport include these value-added benefits with paid admission:
• kids 12 and under free (with a paid adult admission)
• free access to the race team paddock area
• free parking
• free access to the Mosport Motorsports Expo and Marketplace
• free access to the Saturday Night Stock Car Racing at Mosport Speedway
Mosport's traditional season-opener is the Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend (May 16-18) and this year's event features a revamped racing line-up with the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires, the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and the new Jetta TDI Cup for diesel-powered sedans, along with the Cup Lites stock car series.
The Father's Day Doubleheader (June 13-15) will see the return of two popular co-features, with Dickies 200 for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, joined by the domestic and imported high-performance sedans of the U.S. based Grand-Am KONI Challenge. The new Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup presented by BF Goodrich Tires makes its Canadian debut at Mosport, and will be joined by the Ontario Formula Ford Championship for F-1600s and a return visit from the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship.
One of the most popular forms of racing in Mosport's 48-year history was the thundering sports cars of the Can-Am Series, which had a 20-year run at the circuit beginning in the 1960's. These open-cockpit, big horsepower brutes return as the feature of the 29th Annual International Vintage Racing Festival (June 20-22). Organized by the Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada (VARAC), this is Canada's premier historic racing event and includes cars from Mosport's storied past.
The country's top motorcycle racers take-over Mosport's 4-km road course for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship Doubleheader (July 18-20) - the Toronto-area's only stop in the national two-wheel title chase. The weekend features factory-backed teams and privateers from across Canada in the premier Superbike, Canadian Thunder and Pro 600 classes, along with popular off-track features like the BMW Motorrad Summer Fest (a motorcycle lifestyle festival with exhibits, stunt riders and concerts) plus the Yamaha Riding Academy off-road motorcycle clinic for kids ages 6-12.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series returns to the Mosport grounds, but this time on Canada's fastest ½ mile paved oval for the Mosport Speedway 200 (August 9) in one of the most demanding races on the Series schedule.
Mobil 1 presents The Grand Prix of Mosport (August 21-24), caps a busy racing season by featuring the American Le Mans Series. Also on track are six popular North American road racing championships: SPEED World Challenge GT, SPEED World Challenge Touring Series, IMSA GT3 Cup for Porsches, IMSA Lites for prototype racers, and two open-wheel classes, the Star Mazda and Formula 2000.
Specially priced advance weekend SuperTickets and camping passes can be purchased online at mosport.com and ticketmaster.ca or by calling the Mosport Ticket Hotline (1-800-866-1072).
Since 1961, Mosport International Raceway has been Canada's Home of Motorsports, playing host to more than 400 event days a year. Located less than an hour east of Toronto, the 750-acre, multi-purpose facility is the only permanent motorsports complex in the GTA, with a world-renowned 4-kilometre road course, a 2.4 kilometre driver development centre with skid pad, a 1.4 km kart circuit and a half-mile paved oval.
2008 Mosport Major Event Schedule
May 16-18 Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend
Canadian Castrol Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires; Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup; Jetta TDI Cup; Cup Lites
June 13-15 Father's Day Doubleheader Weekend
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series; Grand-Am KONI Challenge (GS & ST); Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup presented by BF Goodrich; Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires; Toronto Tire Craft Ontario Formula Ford Championship (F1600)
June 20-22 29th Int'l Vintage Racing Festival
Historic Can-Am; Historic & Vintage Production; Sports Racers;
Group 70+
July 18-20 Parts Canada Superbike Championship Doubleheader
Parts Canada Superbike; Canadian Thunder; Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike; International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW AM 600; Suzuki SV650 Cup; Pro Honda Oils Women's Cup
August 9 Mosport Speedway 200 (at Mosport Speedway)
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
August 21-24 Mobil 1 presents The Grand Prix of Mosport
American Le Mans Series; SPEED World Challenge GT; SPEED World Challenge Touring; Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear; F2000 Championship Series; IMSA Challenge by Michelin; IMSA Lites presented by Hankook
From Lee Bailie // Mosport
Inside Track Columnist Scott Gibson: King of the World?... Crystal Ball Gazer?... Consultant to the Tracks?....
NOTE TO SELF: Have Scott Gibson write a column about me winning the lottery....
In the pre-Christmas issue of Inside Track Motorsport News, Scott Gibson wrote an advice column for short tracks, mentioning Delaware Speedway specifically.
After seeing Jim Cressman's column in the London Free Press, it appears someone at Delaware took Gibson's words to heart.
Gibson said: "Delaware Speedway has been absent from the schedule since ‘05 and it’s a shame that the birthplace of the former CASCAR series was not a part of its resurgence in ‘07."
Cressman's story says: "Once completed, these changes, particularly to the racing surface, will likely see Delaware land a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event. "The major part of it, we're probably a year away," Delaware race director Jeff Wilcox said yesterday. "I really don't want to commit to a timeline. It's not my money. It's between the owners and other investment, but there are people who want to see it done sooner than later. "Our top priority is getting our stage fixed up, which is our speedway. We've had companies in to look at the surface and they're confident that we can repair some of the worst spots and just pave over top and have a track that will last another 30-plus years." Wilcox said he has been told NASCAR "wants to see something happening with the facility, mainly the walls and racing surface, and once that happens I think they'd want to talk to us on a long-term plan" for the Canadian Tire Series. "
Gibson said: Abolish the point fund "At first glance, it may be difficult to understand how eliminating the point fund can improve the state of grassroots racing. Racing is an expensive sport and many teams struggle to obtain the funding required to compete. But, this is the very same reason why tracks should not offer a points fund for their weekly divisions. An unfortunate pattern emerges at our speedways each year; the season begins with a healthy field of competitors but as the season progresses, the fields inevitably shrink. When each team’s source of funding runs dry, on-track incidents may force them to be sidelined for the remainder of the season. Missing races during the championship chase further compounds the problem, with the points fund at many speedways only rewarding the highest finishing teams. Redeploying the points fund to the weekly purse will help each team’s cash flow throughout the season, which is when it is needed most. Allocating more funds to the back half of the finishing order will have the greatest impact. Marginal teams that might not otherwise compete regularly will be encouraged to return to the track and the increased funding will also help them close the gap to the front of the field. In turn, a more entertaining race will encourage fans to visit the speedway, contributing to the financial health of the racing community."
Cressman's story says: "The drivers will also hear about a proposal to change the traditional weekly purses and year-end points funds. "There's been a lot of talk in the industry about taking the year-end payout and dividing it out over the season so those competitors can have that money in their hands each week," [Jeff] Wilcox said. "So we've got a proposal that we want to run by the racers and see what they think, but we've taken a substantial amount of money that we normally pay out at the end of the year and we've put it into the weekly purse. At the end of the year there still will be a payoff, but it just won't be as big as in the past. This way, if a guy can only race five times a year he's going to make more money. If he only races five times a year he's not going to get a year-end payout anyway."
Nice work Scott!
MOTORCYCLES: Buell joins Canadian Superbike Ranks
TORONTO, Ont. - Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada will step up to the feature class of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship in 2008 with a team running its new Buell 1125R. Six-time Canadian Superbike champion Steve Crevier of Maple Ridge, BC is expected to lead a two-rider squad, which will likely be run by the Picotte Performance team headed by Pascal Picotte.
The Buell Superbike program will be independent of its entry in the recently revamped Thunder class for twin-cylinder motorcycles. �Adding the Buell and Harley-Davidson names to our headline class is obviously a huge step for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship,� said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions, which organizes the national series. �This should increase interest in the series significantly and with Steve Crevier aboard one of these bikes there is no telling how competitive the Buell could be.�
This will be the only Superbike-class program for the Buell 1125R anywhere in the world. The bike, which was launched last summer, is powered by an 1125cc liquid-cooled engine built by the Austrian Rotax concern, a division of Bombardier Recreational Products.
Former road racer Erik Buell is celebrating his 25th anniversary as a motorcycle constructor, and has distinguished himself through the years with his innovative and sometimes off-beat designs. Harley-Davidson acquired a majority interest in his company in 1993.
�We�ve had ongoing discussions with Buell and they told us that they can develop the horsepower of this bike to be respectable in the Superbike class,� said Ric Marrero, Marketing Programs and Events Director for Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada. �Another factor in our decision was the fact that there are several good riders available, one being Mr. Crevier, who we fully intend to put on this Superbike.�
Crevier is the most successful racer in the history of the Canadian Superbike series. In addition to his record six titles he has won 26 races in the feature class, more than any other rider. Last season he finished second in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship behind Jordan Szoke, winning the final three races of the year on the Toyota Team Yamaha / Fast Company Yamaha YZF-R1.
A second rider for the program is expected to be confirmed in the next couple of weeks.
The twin-cylinder Buell will be at a horsepower disadvantage to the more potent four-cylinder motorcycles of Japanese rivals Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. While that may handicap the bike at a high speed circuit like Bowmanville, Ont.�s Mosport International Raceway, it will prove less of a disadvantage at some of the tighter tracks on the Parts Canada Superbike tour, such as Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S.
�Obviously, this bike has never been raced at this level so we have to be realistic in our expectations,� Marrero said. �But we wouldn�t be getting into this program if we didn�t think the Buell could perform respectably.�
As with all motorcycles in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship, the Buell 1125R will run on Pirelli spec tires. Pirelli is entering the third year of its deal to develop spec tires for the Canadian national series.
By John Hopkins, Inside Track Communications
For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com
The Buell Superbike program will be independent of its entry in the recently revamped Thunder class for twin-cylinder motorcycles. �Adding the Buell and Harley-Davidson names to our headline class is obviously a huge step for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship,� said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions, which organizes the national series. �This should increase interest in the series significantly and with Steve Crevier aboard one of these bikes there is no telling how competitive the Buell could be.�
This will be the only Superbike-class program for the Buell 1125R anywhere in the world. The bike, which was launched last summer, is powered by an 1125cc liquid-cooled engine built by the Austrian Rotax concern, a division of Bombardier Recreational Products.
Former road racer Erik Buell is celebrating his 25th anniversary as a motorcycle constructor, and has distinguished himself through the years with his innovative and sometimes off-beat designs. Harley-Davidson acquired a majority interest in his company in 1993.
�We�ve had ongoing discussions with Buell and they told us that they can develop the horsepower of this bike to be respectable in the Superbike class,� said Ric Marrero, Marketing Programs and Events Director for Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada. �Another factor in our decision was the fact that there are several good riders available, one being Mr. Crevier, who we fully intend to put on this Superbike.�
Crevier is the most successful racer in the history of the Canadian Superbike series. In addition to his record six titles he has won 26 races in the feature class, more than any other rider. Last season he finished second in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship behind Jordan Szoke, winning the final three races of the year on the Toyota Team Yamaha / Fast Company Yamaha YZF-R1.
A second rider for the program is expected to be confirmed in the next couple of weeks.
The twin-cylinder Buell will be at a horsepower disadvantage to the more potent four-cylinder motorcycles of Japanese rivals Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. While that may handicap the bike at a high speed circuit like Bowmanville, Ont.�s Mosport International Raceway, it will prove less of a disadvantage at some of the tighter tracks on the Parts Canada Superbike tour, such as Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S.
�Obviously, this bike has never been raced at this level so we have to be realistic in our expectations,� Marrero said. �But we wouldn�t be getting into this program if we didn�t think the Buell could perform respectably.�
As with all motorcycles in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship, the Buell 1125R will run on Pirelli spec tires. Pirelli is entering the third year of its deal to develop spec tires for the Canadian national series.
By John Hopkins, Inside Track Communications
For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com
Grand-Am KONI: Fresh From Florida 200 DIS preview
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2008) - The nearly four-month layoff is finally complete and Grand-Am�s KONI Challenge Series competitors will head for the season-opening Fresh From Florida 200 at 2:15 p.m. Friday (SPEED, at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8) at Daytona International Speedway looking for victory in one of the season�s biggest races.
Highlighted by the return of every 2007 driving, team and manufacturer champion from both the Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) divisions, the season kicks off with a three-hour combined race on the 3.56-mile track. Nearly 100 cars are expected to take the green flag.
Race sponsor Fresh From Florida will contribute its support to defending series team champions Automatic Racing and its four-car stable. Leading the way are reigning driving titlists Jep Thornton and Jeff Segal, crowned last year�s champs despite not winning a race. They�ll try to give Automatic Racing its first ever KONI Challenge win in the No. 09 Fresh From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3.
Other Automatic cars and drivers include Jon Miller and Joe Varde in the No. 99 Fresh From Florida/Weeden Consultants BMW M3, Nick Longhi and Joe Masessa in the No. 90 Fresh From Florida/Land Air/E Studio BMW M3 and Charles Espenlaub and Charles Putman in the No. 91 Fresh From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3.
Ford Mustangs gave Automatic Racing�s BMWs close competition all season, with Joe Foster and the No. 55 Hyper Sport Ford Mustang GT holding the point chase tight until the final checkered flag. Foster again returns to challenge for the title, driving with Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey at Daytona. Joe Middlebrooks and Rick Skelton will drive the sister No. 54 Hyper Sport Ford Mustang GT.
The defending race winner is also a Mustang, but from the Blackforest Motorsports stable. David Empringham and Tom Nastasi hope to make it two straight in the No. 5 USG Sheetrock/Ramset Tools Ford Mustang GT. Nastasi was part of the winning duo in the first three races in 2007. Three other Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustangs are entered - the No. 2 Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang occupied by Roberto Bengoa and Jose Carlos Santiago, the No. 3 US Army/Turner Law Firm with Terry Borcheller and Scott Tucker and the No. 6 Blackforest Motorsports with Greg Gimbert, Edmund Hennessy and Matt Varsha.
The Rehagen Racing stable, which scored a victory at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last season, brings a fleet of five Mustangs to Daytona this weekend, including the No. 60 Ford Mustang GT driven by Hugh Plumb and Mike Canney. Plumb was fastest in two of the three test days earlier this month.
Porsche also brings to Daytona several top names and teams which won last season and have run strong previously. BGB Motorsports and TRG each bring to the track experience and speed they hope turn into victory. Four BGB Porsche 997s will compete, with open-wheel veterans Alex Barron and Dan Selznick entered in the No. 38 The Room Store Porsche 997. Craig Stanton, who ended the season with three straight podiums and finished fourth in points, is in the No. 83 Performance Drink/Toro Veijo Motorsports Porsche 997. The team will also field the C-Max Racing machines with Dave Riddle and Kris Wilson (No. 25) and Scooter Gabel and Joe Safina (No. 26).
TRG, likewise, has three cars, with Andy Lally and Scott Schroeder in the lead No. 41 Cohen Financial Porsche 997. Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly will share the No. 39 The DigiTrust Group/Adam�s Polishes Porsche 997 and Dan DiLeo and Bryan Sellers are in the No. 42 Maxwell Paper Porsche 997.
Automatic wasn�t the only strong BMW team in 2007, as Turner Motorsport closed the campaign with two straight team wins. Entered this weekend are Bill Auberlen and Matthew Alhadeff in the No. 96 BMW M3 and Don Salama and Bryan Ortiz in the No. 97 BMW M3.
Other multi-car efforts include Bullet Racing, Spirit of Daytona Racing, Motorsport Technology Group, Fall-Line Motorsports, Kinetic Motorsports and Ranger Sports Racing. In all 46 GS cars are pre-entered for the event.
Kensai Racing, the defending ST race-winning team, added ammunition to its stable by signing defending series driving champions Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood, one season removed from their championship run with Turner Motorsport. The pair joins Karl Thomson, who last season piloted the No. 76 Compass360.com/Skunk 2/Hawk Brakes Acura TSX to third in the point standings. Thomson knows the fastest route around Daytona, as he won the Fresh From Florida 200 last season after starting at the back of the field.
Filling the vacated No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW 330i will be California natives VJ Mirzayan and Matthew Bell. Mirzayan competed part-time in KONI Challenge last season, posting five top 10s in six starts, while Matthew Bell is in his first season of pro ranks after several successful seasons driving BMWs.
While the storylines centered strongly on the seesaw battle between Kensai and Turner during the 2007 season, several other ST cars ran strong last year and expect to contend for the Daytona win this weekend.
ICY Motorsports/Phoenix Racing, Georgian Bay Motorsports, Fountain Motorsports and i-MOTO Racing won races in 2007 and bring multi-car efforts for a chance to shine. ICY/Phoenix, who will compete fulltime in 2008 with Subaru Legacys, showed fastest in two of the three January Test Days earlier this month, with the Nos. 111 and 141 each topping days. Chuck Hemmingson and Kristian Skavnes are in the No. 111 Subaru of America Subaru Legacy again after posting two wins in 2007. In the No. 141 Subaru of America Subaru Legacy are David Rosenblum and Andrew Aquilante.
Georgian Bay won at Barber Motorsports Park and Miller Motorsports Park with Eric Curran and Jamie Holtom in the No. 01 SCADAPack Chevrolet Cobalt, and return fulltime in 2008. Kirk Spencer and Ashley McCalmont will run the No. 00 T.T.L. Chevrolet Cobalt.
Fountain has new driver lineups, with Eduardo Gramisci and Peter London (No. 127) and Manny Matz and James Rowen (No. 128) in twin Hawk Brakes/Marren Injection/Rogue Engineering BMW 330s. Meanwhile, i-MOTO and Glenn Bocchino re-signed brothers Kumo and Nick Wittmer and added Peter Cunningham for a full-out attack on the driver and team titles.
HART also won two races in 2007 - at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Virginia International Raceway - with Shane Lewis and John Schmitt, and the pair returns in the No. 22 Red Line Oil/Honda of America Honda Accord fulltime in 2008.
Other multi-car lineups include Bill Fenton Motorsports, SDS Performance Racing, Team Cobalt California, Brass Mitchell Racing, Roar Racing, Classic-BMW Plano, GSM Motorsports, Performance Autosport, GS Motorsports, APR Motorsport and RSR Motorsports. Fifty-one cars are entered overall in ST.
The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 15-race 2008 Rolex Series and the 11-race KONI Challenge Series calendars deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com .
From Grand-Am
Highlighted by the return of every 2007 driving, team and manufacturer champion from both the Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) divisions, the season kicks off with a three-hour combined race on the 3.56-mile track. Nearly 100 cars are expected to take the green flag.
Race sponsor Fresh From Florida will contribute its support to defending series team champions Automatic Racing and its four-car stable. Leading the way are reigning driving titlists Jep Thornton and Jeff Segal, crowned last year�s champs despite not winning a race. They�ll try to give Automatic Racing its first ever KONI Challenge win in the No. 09 Fresh From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3.
Other Automatic cars and drivers include Jon Miller and Joe Varde in the No. 99 Fresh From Florida/Weeden Consultants BMW M3, Nick Longhi and Joe Masessa in the No. 90 Fresh From Florida/Land Air/E Studio BMW M3 and Charles Espenlaub and Charles Putman in the No. 91 Fresh From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3.
Ford Mustangs gave Automatic Racing�s BMWs close competition all season, with Joe Foster and the No. 55 Hyper Sport Ford Mustang GT holding the point chase tight until the final checkered flag. Foster again returns to challenge for the title, driving with Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey at Daytona. Joe Middlebrooks and Rick Skelton will drive the sister No. 54 Hyper Sport Ford Mustang GT.
The defending race winner is also a Mustang, but from the Blackforest Motorsports stable. David Empringham and Tom Nastasi hope to make it two straight in the No. 5 USG Sheetrock/Ramset Tools Ford Mustang GT. Nastasi was part of the winning duo in the first three races in 2007. Three other Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustangs are entered - the No. 2 Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang occupied by Roberto Bengoa and Jose Carlos Santiago, the No. 3 US Army/Turner Law Firm with Terry Borcheller and Scott Tucker and the No. 6 Blackforest Motorsports with Greg Gimbert, Edmund Hennessy and Matt Varsha.
The Rehagen Racing stable, which scored a victory at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last season, brings a fleet of five Mustangs to Daytona this weekend, including the No. 60 Ford Mustang GT driven by Hugh Plumb and Mike Canney. Plumb was fastest in two of the three test days earlier this month.
Porsche also brings to Daytona several top names and teams which won last season and have run strong previously. BGB Motorsports and TRG each bring to the track experience and speed they hope turn into victory. Four BGB Porsche 997s will compete, with open-wheel veterans Alex Barron and Dan Selznick entered in the No. 38 The Room Store Porsche 997. Craig Stanton, who ended the season with three straight podiums and finished fourth in points, is in the No. 83 Performance Drink/Toro Veijo Motorsports Porsche 997. The team will also field the C-Max Racing machines with Dave Riddle and Kris Wilson (No. 25) and Scooter Gabel and Joe Safina (No. 26).
TRG, likewise, has three cars, with Andy Lally and Scott Schroeder in the lead No. 41 Cohen Financial Porsche 997. Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly will share the No. 39 The DigiTrust Group/Adam�s Polishes Porsche 997 and Dan DiLeo and Bryan Sellers are in the No. 42 Maxwell Paper Porsche 997.
Automatic wasn�t the only strong BMW team in 2007, as Turner Motorsport closed the campaign with two straight team wins. Entered this weekend are Bill Auberlen and Matthew Alhadeff in the No. 96 BMW M3 and Don Salama and Bryan Ortiz in the No. 97 BMW M3.
Other multi-car efforts include Bullet Racing, Spirit of Daytona Racing, Motorsport Technology Group, Fall-Line Motorsports, Kinetic Motorsports and Ranger Sports Racing. In all 46 GS cars are pre-entered for the event.
Kensai Racing, the defending ST race-winning team, added ammunition to its stable by signing defending series driving champions Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood, one season removed from their championship run with Turner Motorsport. The pair joins Karl Thomson, who last season piloted the No. 76 Compass360.com/Skunk 2/Hawk Brakes Acura TSX to third in the point standings. Thomson knows the fastest route around Daytona, as he won the Fresh From Florida 200 last season after starting at the back of the field.
Filling the vacated No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW 330i will be California natives VJ Mirzayan and Matthew Bell. Mirzayan competed part-time in KONI Challenge last season, posting five top 10s in six starts, while Matthew Bell is in his first season of pro ranks after several successful seasons driving BMWs.
While the storylines centered strongly on the seesaw battle between Kensai and Turner during the 2007 season, several other ST cars ran strong last year and expect to contend for the Daytona win this weekend.
ICY Motorsports/Phoenix Racing, Georgian Bay Motorsports, Fountain Motorsports and i-MOTO Racing won races in 2007 and bring multi-car efforts for a chance to shine. ICY/Phoenix, who will compete fulltime in 2008 with Subaru Legacys, showed fastest in two of the three January Test Days earlier this month, with the Nos. 111 and 141 each topping days. Chuck Hemmingson and Kristian Skavnes are in the No. 111 Subaru of America Subaru Legacy again after posting two wins in 2007. In the No. 141 Subaru of America Subaru Legacy are David Rosenblum and Andrew Aquilante.
Georgian Bay won at Barber Motorsports Park and Miller Motorsports Park with Eric Curran and Jamie Holtom in the No. 01 SCADAPack Chevrolet Cobalt, and return fulltime in 2008. Kirk Spencer and Ashley McCalmont will run the No. 00 T.T.L. Chevrolet Cobalt.
Fountain has new driver lineups, with Eduardo Gramisci and Peter London (No. 127) and Manny Matz and James Rowen (No. 128) in twin Hawk Brakes/Marren Injection/Rogue Engineering BMW 330s. Meanwhile, i-MOTO and Glenn Bocchino re-signed brothers Kumo and Nick Wittmer and added Peter Cunningham for a full-out attack on the driver and team titles.
HART also won two races in 2007 - at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Virginia International Raceway - with Shane Lewis and John Schmitt, and the pair returns in the No. 22 Red Line Oil/Honda of America Honda Accord fulltime in 2008.
Other multi-car lineups include Bill Fenton Motorsports, SDS Performance Racing, Team Cobalt California, Brass Mitchell Racing, Roar Racing, Classic-BMW Plano, GSM Motorsports, Performance Autosport, GS Motorsports, APR Motorsport and RSR Motorsports. Fifty-one cars are entered overall in ST.
The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 15-race 2008 Rolex Series and the 11-race KONI Challenge Series calendars deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com .
From Grand-Am
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
PartSource to sponsor "Championship Sunday" at three Canadian IHRA National events
PartSource, the Canadian Auto Parts chain, one of the leading and fastest-growing retail auto parts companies in Canada, has entered into an agreement with IHRA and Live Nation Motorsports to sponsor "Championship Sunday" at the three 2008 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam national events to he held in Canada.
The races at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Grand Bend Motorplex in Ontario and Cayuga, also in Ontario, will all feature PartSource on the day their championships are determined.
"As one of the leading national specialty destinations for automotive parts, PartSource caters to the auto enthusiast," said PartSource vice president Bruce Allen. "We also share our customers' passion for racing, which is why it makes perfect sense for PartSource and the International Hot Rod Association series to come together to bring this exciting sport to Canadian racing fans."
PartSource has retail locations all across Canada, including Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Winnipeg, Guelph, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Brantford, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Oshawa, Windsor, Barrie, Sarnia, London and Ottawa. Allen looked at the Canadian Knoll Gas Nitro Jam events as the perfect platform to connect with car enthusiasts.
"Through PartSource's active involvement in motorsports events over the years we have shared in the excitement and enthusiasm that racing fans have for this sport," he said. "We want to contribute our own leadership and expertise through this exciting partnership with IHRA to bring this event series to participants and fans across the country."
The Rocky Mountain Nationals featuring PartSource Championship Sunday will take place July 4-6 at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alb. The Mopar Canadian Nationals featuring PartSource Championship Sunday will be held July 18-20 at Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ont. while the IHRA Canadian Nationals featuring PartSource Championship Sunday will take place Sept. 19-21 at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ont.
"PartSource is such a strong, active marketing partner and we're thrilled they are involved with our Canadian races," IHRA president Aaron Polburn said. "Our Canadian fans have proven to be passionate about IHRA Drag Racing and we look forward to this relationship and having a lot of fun at the races this season."
For more information about PartSource, please visit the company's website at http://www.partsource.ca/index.asp.
From Mike Perry // Director of Media Relations // IHRA
Waterdown Young Gun Heads To Florida for Speedweeks
"We have a brand new car all set to go to Florida for this series. With all the best drivers & teams in attendance we have been working hard to ensure we are taking all the best equipment," Brown said.
Tyler will be competing in the Late Model division at New Smyrna Speedway. It is not unusual to find yourself competing against development drivers that are signed to major NASCAR teams and, being only 20 minutes down the road from Daytona International Speedway, it is not unusual to find NASCAR drivers and team owners at these races. This is a good opportunity for Tyler to compete against excellent drivers and an equally good opportunity to be seen by teams and individuals that could help his career in the future.
The racing starts for Tyler on Friday February 8th and the team will post daily updates on Tyler's website http://www.tyler-brown.com/.
Tyler Brown is a 16 year old racer from Waterdown, Ontario. In 2007 Tyler was voted 'Up and Coming Stock Racer of the year, Finshed 2nd in the Weekend Warrior Late Model Series. During 2006 Tyler became the youngest late model driver in the history of Delaware Speedway en route to capturing the 2006 'Rookie of the Year' title and finishing 10th in seasons points. In 2005 Tyler won his 1st race in his 2nd official start in the Ontario Pro Challenge series.
In seven years of karting he started over 225 races and won one 'Championship', 'Most Improved Driver Award', and a 'Team of the Year' award. At the local level he has never finished lower than 5th in series points and at the regional or national level he has never finished lower than 10th. Brown drives for 4B Racing (http://www.4bracing.com/ ) and he is supported by Assante Wealth Management, Waterdown Automotive, VH Web Dezine, Leaf Racewear, CARSTAR Quality Collision Services, The Adin Group Inc. and Big Brothers Big Sisters. For more information on Tyler Brown visit http://www.tyler-brown.com/
Greg MacPherson // Inside Track Communications
Editor: Inside Track Motorsport News // greg@insidetracknews.com
Phone: (416) 962-7223 // Fax: (416) 962-7208 // Cell. (416) 561-2320
For online news, visit: http://www.insidetracknews.com/ and hit the Breaking News button // Click here to join the ITMN Facebook Group
KONI CHALLENGE: Predators head to Daytona for season opener
Leading the changes are the team's Chevrolet Cobalt SS is now turbocharged instead of being supercharged, as it was in 2007. Team principal Steve Morris has been happy with the car's performance in testing. "We are very happy with the car so far," Morris said. "This weekend is the real test. It's important for us as a team to come out of this weekend with a good points position. It is a long season, and getting off on the right foot is critical for us."
There are also changes in the driving duties for the team. Ontario's Matt Pritiko, a former Sunoco Team Ultra 94 driver and rookie in the Koni Challenge Series last year will get his first taste of the turbocharged power of the Cobalt in competition this weekend.
"The test we did here with the car went very well," Pritiko said. "I am really looking forward to this year now I have a year of experience under my belt. Last year was all about learning the cars and the tracks. This year I am hoping for a good season with my new team."
Joining Pritiko is Quebec's Robert Boyer. "Robert is a very good driver," Morris said. "He has a lot of experience, and having him team up with Matt is going to be good for our team. Both drivers are with us for the full season, and even though Robert has driven the car yet this year, he is experienced enough that he'll be fine at Daytona this weekend."
Predators Autosports Fast Facts: Predators Autosports was formerly Kart Depot Predators. The Steve Morris owned team is based in Ottawa, Ontario. Originally a karting team, the team became Predators Autosports when the moved up to car competition in the Honda Michelin Challenge Series. For the past two seasons, Predators Autosports has been competing in the Koni Challenge Series.
Matt Pritiko Fast Facts: Matt Pritiko is one of Canada�s up and coming stars of motorsport. He is from London Ontario. In 2007, Pritiko completed his rookie season in Koni Challenge, finishing 15th in the standings, with a top five and four top tens. Pritiko was a member of Sunoco�s Team Ultra 94 and collected 1 win, 2 poles and five podiums in the Bridgestone F2000 Series. In 2002, Pritiko is was 2nd in F125/80cc in the Point Pelee Championships and took home the 2002 Most Sportsmanlike award.
Pritiko is supported by Burwell Auto Body.
Release prepared by Russ Bond Agency, Inc. ( www.russbondagency.com). For more information contact Russ Bond r.bond@russbondagency.com or 416-312-2900
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
TIM -BR Mart Wiarton - 'We Deliver your Building Supply, and your Summertime Excitement.'
SAUBLE BEACH, ON - Sauble Speedway is pleased to announce that TIM-BR Mart of Wiarton will sponsor a six race series for the Can-am Midgets. All 6 races will be held on the May long weekend, the August Long weekend, and Labor Day Weekend.
Owner of TIM-BR Mart Wiarton Paul Sutter will also host some of the Can-Am Midgets on the Saturday mornings of their race weekends, right at TIM-BR Mart located on Highway #6 as you enter Wiarton. TIM-BR Mart is a Full serve building, hardware, supply, and rental for all your construction needs.
These wild winged warriors will compete in this stand alone 6 race points series attracting drivers from all over Ontario and beyond. Watch these drivers go wheel to wheel for some of the season's most intense competition.
Race Dates: Sat. May 17th // Sun. May 18th // Sat. Aug. 2nd // Sun. Aug. 3rd // Sat. Aug 30th // Sun. Aug. 31st
For More Information: http://www.saublespeedway.com/
NASCAR: Kennington picks it up on Monday & Tuesday
Canadian DJ Kennington took part in two more NASCAR Nationwide Series test sessions at Daytona Int'l Speedway on Monday and improved considerably on his previous efforts.
In the morning, he posted the 23rd (of 29) fastest lap, but was just 3.6 mph slower (180.679 to 177.068) than the session leader. In the afternoon, Kennington was 15th fastest (of 25) and 3.1 seconds back (184.744 to 181.620) of Erik Darnell.
UPDATE (Jan. 22 @ 5:45 p.m.): NASCAR Preseason Thunder Wraps Up At DIS
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2008) – Load the up the cars, put away the tires and fold up the computer lap tops, January testing season at Daytona International Speedway is over.
NASCAR Nationwide Series teams wrapped up their fifth and final day of testing on Tuesday in preparation for the 50th annual Camping World 300 presented by Chevy on Saturday, Feb. 16.
Since January 4, Daytona International Speedway has hosted the Rolex Sports Car Series, the KONI Challenge Series, two waves of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series....
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Morning speeds (Tuesday) from NASCAR Nationwide Series testing in preparation for the Camping World 300 presented by Chevy:
1. 77A, Cale Gale, Chevrolet, 50.023, 179.917
2. 9A, Chase Miller, Dodge, 50.029, 179.896
3. 66R, Steve Wallace, Chevrolet, 50.132, 179.526
4. 29B, Scott Wimmer Chevrolet, 50.203, 179.272
5. 29A, Scott Wimmer, Chevrolet, 50.270, 179.033
6. 0A, Kertus Davis, Chevrolet, 50.407, 178.547
7. 64B, David Stremme, Chevrolet, 50.477, 178.299
8. 64J, David Stremme, Chevrolet, 50.504, 178.204
9. 10A, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 50.514, 178.168
10. 11A, Jason Keller, Chevrolet, 50.532, 178.105
11. 17A, Erik Darnell, Ford, 50.533, 178.101
12. 6A, David Ragan, Ford, 50.565, 177.989
13. 11B, Jason Keller, Chevrolet, 50.571, 177.968
14. 99A, David Reutimann, Toyota, 50.663, 177.644
15. 72A, D.J. Kennington, Dodge, 50.852, 176.984
16. 00A, Michael McDowell, Toyota, 50.965, 176.592
17. 6B, David Ragan, Ford, 51.032, 176.360
18. 52A, Donnie, Neuenberger, Ford, 51.515, 174.706
In the morning, he posted the 23rd (of 29) fastest lap, but was just 3.6 mph slower (180.679 to 177.068) than the session leader. In the afternoon, Kennington was 15th fastest (of 25) and 3.1 seconds back (184.744 to 181.620) of Erik Darnell.
UPDATE (Jan. 22 @ 5:45 p.m.): NASCAR Preseason Thunder Wraps Up At DIS
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2008) – Load the up the cars, put away the tires and fold up the computer lap tops, January testing season at Daytona International Speedway is over.
NASCAR Nationwide Series teams wrapped up their fifth and final day of testing on Tuesday in preparation for the 50th annual Camping World 300 presented by Chevy on Saturday, Feb. 16.
Since January 4, Daytona International Speedway has hosted the Rolex Sports Car Series, the KONI Challenge Series, two waves of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series....
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Morning speeds (Tuesday) from NASCAR Nationwide Series testing in preparation for the Camping World 300 presented by Chevy:
1. 77A, Cale Gale, Chevrolet, 50.023, 179.917
2. 9A, Chase Miller, Dodge, 50.029, 179.896
3. 66R, Steve Wallace, Chevrolet, 50.132, 179.526
4. 29B, Scott Wimmer Chevrolet, 50.203, 179.272
5. 29A, Scott Wimmer, Chevrolet, 50.270, 179.033
6. 0A, Kertus Davis, Chevrolet, 50.407, 178.547
7. 64B, David Stremme, Chevrolet, 50.477, 178.299
8. 64J, David Stremme, Chevrolet, 50.504, 178.204
9. 10A, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 50.514, 178.168
10. 11A, Jason Keller, Chevrolet, 50.532, 178.105
11. 17A, Erik Darnell, Ford, 50.533, 178.101
12. 6A, David Ragan, Ford, 50.565, 177.989
13. 11B, Jason Keller, Chevrolet, 50.571, 177.968
14. 99A, David Reutimann, Toyota, 50.663, 177.644
15. 72A, D.J. Kennington, Dodge, 50.852, 176.984
16. 00A, Michael McDowell, Toyota, 50.965, 176.592
17. 6B, David Ragan, Ford, 51.032, 176.360
18. 52A, Donnie, Neuenberger, Ford, 51.515, 174.706
Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Events To Be Televised on SPEED
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 21, 2008) - Motorsports fans will be able to see some of the hottest production-based racing on television this season as a total of six events on the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series schedule will be televised on SPEED in 2008.
Beginning with this Friday's Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway four Grand Sport (GS) and Street Turner (ST) combined races and one feature race for each class will be televised in two-hour episodes within one week of the race date, often during prime time on the motorsports network.
The 2008 season-opener will air Saturday, February 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Other races on the air in 2008 are the Memorial Day contest at Lime Rock Park (airing May 31 at 8 p.m. ET), followed by the ST feature at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (June 28, 1 p.m. ET), the GS feature at Barber Motorsports Park (July 26, 5 p.m. ET), and combined races at New Jersey Motorsports Park (September 7, noon ET) and Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City (September 27, 8 p.m. ET).
The Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series is Grand-Am's showcase for the latest in international and American-made high performance sports cars, coupes and sedans straight from the dealer showroom floor. With major modifications permitted only in the area of safety, the KONI Challenge Series is home to the same cars seen on streets and highways around the world every day. Nearly 100 cars are expected to take the green flag in the Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway.
The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 15-race 2008 Rolex Series and the 11-race KONI Challenge Series calendars deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com .
From Reece White, Public Relations Manager & Michael Harker, Public Relations Coordinator
Beginning with this Friday's Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway four Grand Sport (GS) and Street Turner (ST) combined races and one feature race for each class will be televised in two-hour episodes within one week of the race date, often during prime time on the motorsports network.
The 2008 season-opener will air Saturday, February 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Other races on the air in 2008 are the Memorial Day contest at Lime Rock Park (airing May 31 at 8 p.m. ET), followed by the ST feature at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (June 28, 1 p.m. ET), the GS feature at Barber Motorsports Park (July 26, 5 p.m. ET), and combined races at New Jersey Motorsports Park (September 7, noon ET) and Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City (September 27, 8 p.m. ET).
The Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series is Grand-Am's showcase for the latest in international and American-made high performance sports cars, coupes and sedans straight from the dealer showroom floor. With major modifications permitted only in the area of safety, the KONI Challenge Series is home to the same cars seen on streets and highways around the world every day. Nearly 100 cars are expected to take the green flag in the Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway.
The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 15-race 2008 Rolex Series and the 11-race KONI Challenge Series calendars deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com .
From Reece White, Public Relations Manager & Michael Harker, Public Relations Coordinator
Shaw Motorsports: January Update
From Shaw Motorsports:
After a nice break with family and friends for Christmas and New Years, the Shaw crew got together to determine how they would get the work done on both cars prior to the beginning of the 2008 season.
The chassis repairs and modifications were complete on the new car and after getting the new metal painted to blend in with the old, the car was ready to be refitted with new bumpers and body panels.
It looked like there was plenty of time to complete this process until Jason received a phone call from John Casale. John, owner of Flamboro Speedway, called to request that the #82 be at the Speedway’s booth for the Performance World Custom Car & Truck Show in March.
After considering the upside of having the car displayed for the thousands of expected visitors, the crew graciously accepted the challenge to have the car ready for the three day show to be held on March 14th, 15th &16th.
The show is at the International Centre located at 6900 International Road, Toronto and the hours of operation are 10-10 on both Friday and Saturday and 10-6 on Sunday. Any of the Shaw Motorsports sponsors that would like to take advantage of the car and crew being at the show should contact Ken Spira if interested in the crew distributing samples or promotional materials.
During the 2007 season, the scorer at Flamboro Speedway had asked that Shaw Motorsports do something to make the #82 more noticeable as she was having trouble seeing it during the race.
The team has had numerous meetings with Ken & Joe from Fleet Image who produce the number decals to see if they could come up with something that would satisfy this concern without drastically changing the basic design of the number that many people have grown accustomed to.
In anticipation that Fleet Image will find the correct combination of graphics that would satisfy the team and the speedway, Carol Spira removed the old decal from the roof.
Cam Jobin, president of Del Metals has announced their return as a primary sponsor of Shaw Motorsports. Del is a general lines steel service centre based in Brampton with a distribution warehouse in Montreal. Also returning as a major sponsor is National Fire Equipment, National is North America's leading manufacturer and supplier of standpipe fire protection equipment including fire extinguishers, fire hose products and quality fire suppression products.
Nuco Inc. will once again be proudly displayed on the rear bumper of the #82. Established in 1988, Nuco has grown to be an innovative, global manufacturing leader of superior silicone and acrylic sealants, foams, construction adhesives and firestop products.
Lucas Oil Products will be returning for their 7th consecutive year as a quality product sponsor to Shaw Motorsports. Lucas was founded in 1989 and are one of the fastest growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry. A premium line of oils, greases and problem solving additives has helped to firmly establish Lucas as a prominent figure in the marketplace.
Since 1939, WIX Filters has been an innovator in filtration products and Shaw Motorsports is proud to announce their return as the filter supplier for the #82. WIX designs, manufactures and distributes oil, air, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks and off-road equipment along with specialty filter markets.
Larry Cook has announced the return of Dominion Sure Seal and Mequiars Canada as a quality product sponsor to the Shaw team. Dominion Sure Seal manufactures and distributes liquid bedliners, automotive sealants, anti-corrosion materials, adhesives, tapes, coatings, body and trim tools, auto glass items, specialty chemicals, aerosols and plastic repair products and Mequiar’s Canada distributes more than 300 different cleaners, polishes, waxes, conditioners, and protectants for homes, cars, boats, trains and planes, and almost every other type of surface.
Wilson Enterprises Carpentry and Fleet Image will both continue their long term support of Shaw Motorsports. Wilson Enterprises specialize in custom interior finishes for the retail industry and Fleet Image is a full-service graphics manufacturing company and have been family owned and operated since 1996.
Mothers Polishes, Waxes and Cleaners will also be returning as a continued product sponsor of Shaw Motorsports. All Mothers products with a host of other information can be obtained from their website at www.mothers.com. This year' shipment of Rol Gaskets has arrived from Florida as the family owned business continues with their 7th year of support to the Shaw team.
After a nice break with family and friends for Christmas and New Years, the Shaw crew got together to determine how they would get the work done on both cars prior to the beginning of the 2008 season.
The chassis repairs and modifications were complete on the new car and after getting the new metal painted to blend in with the old, the car was ready to be refitted with new bumpers and body panels.
It looked like there was plenty of time to complete this process until Jason received a phone call from John Casale. John, owner of Flamboro Speedway, called to request that the #82 be at the Speedway’s booth for the Performance World Custom Car & Truck Show in March.
After considering the upside of having the car displayed for the thousands of expected visitors, the crew graciously accepted the challenge to have the car ready for the three day show to be held on March 14th, 15th &16th.
The show is at the International Centre located at 6900 International Road, Toronto and the hours of operation are 10-10 on both Friday and Saturday and 10-6 on Sunday. Any of the Shaw Motorsports sponsors that would like to take advantage of the car and crew being at the show should contact Ken Spira if interested in the crew distributing samples or promotional materials.
During the 2007 season, the scorer at Flamboro Speedway had asked that Shaw Motorsports do something to make the #82 more noticeable as she was having trouble seeing it during the race.
The team has had numerous meetings with Ken & Joe from Fleet Image who produce the number decals to see if they could come up with something that would satisfy this concern without drastically changing the basic design of the number that many people have grown accustomed to.
In anticipation that Fleet Image will find the correct combination of graphics that would satisfy the team and the speedway, Carol Spira removed the old decal from the roof.
Cam Jobin, president of Del Metals has announced their return as a primary sponsor of Shaw Motorsports. Del is a general lines steel service centre based in Brampton with a distribution warehouse in Montreal. Also returning as a major sponsor is National Fire Equipment, National is North America's leading manufacturer and supplier of standpipe fire protection equipment including fire extinguishers, fire hose products and quality fire suppression products.
Nuco Inc. will once again be proudly displayed on the rear bumper of the #82. Established in 1988, Nuco has grown to be an innovative, global manufacturing leader of superior silicone and acrylic sealants, foams, construction adhesives and firestop products.
Lucas Oil Products will be returning for their 7th consecutive year as a quality product sponsor to Shaw Motorsports. Lucas was founded in 1989 and are one of the fastest growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry. A premium line of oils, greases and problem solving additives has helped to firmly establish Lucas as a prominent figure in the marketplace.
Since 1939, WIX Filters has been an innovator in filtration products and Shaw Motorsports is proud to announce their return as the filter supplier for the #82. WIX designs, manufactures and distributes oil, air, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks and off-road equipment along with specialty filter markets.
Larry Cook has announced the return of Dominion Sure Seal and Mequiars Canada as a quality product sponsor to the Shaw team. Dominion Sure Seal manufactures and distributes liquid bedliners, automotive sealants, anti-corrosion materials, adhesives, tapes, coatings, body and trim tools, auto glass items, specialty chemicals, aerosols and plastic repair products and Mequiar’s Canada distributes more than 300 different cleaners, polishes, waxes, conditioners, and protectants for homes, cars, boats, trains and planes, and almost every other type of surface.
Wilson Enterprises Carpentry and Fleet Image will both continue their long term support of Shaw Motorsports. Wilson Enterprises specialize in custom interior finishes for the retail industry and Fleet Image is a full-service graphics manufacturing company and have been family owned and operated since 1996.
Mothers Polishes, Waxes and Cleaners will also be returning as a continued product sponsor of Shaw Motorsports. All Mothers products with a host of other information can be obtained from their website at www.mothers.com. This year' shipment of Rol Gaskets has arrived from Florida as the family owned business continues with their 7th year of support to the Shaw team.
Star Mazda: Yannick Hofman with Andersen Racing
Montreal, January 21st, 2008 - Yannick Hofman has inked a deal and will campaign the 2008 Star Mazda championship with Andersen Racing team from Palmetto, Florida. After spending two seasons in Formula BMW USA, the 19-year old driver who hails out of Rosemere, Quebec is stepping up to a high performance ladder series where speed and competition meet. Hofman entered two rounds last year with Andersen, earning a deserving fifth place in his maiden race at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. Hofman will remain a rookie for the 12-round calendar starting with the 12 Hours of Sebring race on March 14. Meanwhile, Hofman will take to the track for two days of testing in Sebring on January 28 and 29.
"The two rounds I did with Andersen Racing last year in the Star Mazda series were convincing enough to race a whole season with them. This rotary single seater has power to spare and requires skill. In this championship, Andersen Racing is a strong team that always delivers fast machines to its drivers. I have a lot to learn about this car and Andersen is the best place to be. Although we will have to deal with new features this year: radial tires and standing starts, two characteristics that were part of the series where I was for the last two seasons. The calendar is pretty different: we race 12 weekends from March to October, one 45-minute race at the time. I will spend a lot more time on the track in 2008. It will be exciting to be at the open test days next week."
"Yannick has shown definite racing skills and capacity of learning the race tracks when he joined us last year, declares John Andersen. We're happy to have him with us this year. He is a disciplined and intelligent driver that knows when to be aggressive. He's going to be a front runner."
Camirand and Mercier
Yannick Hofman will count on two high-profile individuals that will help him along the season. His engineer will be Pete Mercier: a former driver himself, Mercier spent the last ten years in the Star Mazda series. Marc-Antoine Camirand will be the driver coach: Camirand has steered everything from a Daytona Prototype to an Atlantic racer and holds a solid reputation.
"I'm very happy to work with Pete, confirms Yannick. He is among a very few that know all the secrets about this car. I met Marc-Antoine at the GP3R last year and we really enjoyed working together. He knows all the tracks and always finds a way to polish my driving. I'm convinced I can win with those fellows behind me. I'm looking forward to race in Trois-Rivières, my home race."
Talks going on
Hofman admits he is still negotiating with sponsors for the 2008 season. He had support from the Jig-A-Loo lubricants when he raced with Andersen at the GP3R. An oil company is also involved. "It is still too early to announce anything, replies Hofman, but we will make it official before the reds go out in Sebring."
Source: Michel Poirier-Defoy
"The two rounds I did with Andersen Racing last year in the Star Mazda series were convincing enough to race a whole season with them. This rotary single seater has power to spare and requires skill. In this championship, Andersen Racing is a strong team that always delivers fast machines to its drivers. I have a lot to learn about this car and Andersen is the best place to be. Although we will have to deal with new features this year: radial tires and standing starts, two characteristics that were part of the series where I was for the last two seasons. The calendar is pretty different: we race 12 weekends from March to October, one 45-minute race at the time. I will spend a lot more time on the track in 2008. It will be exciting to be at the open test days next week."
"Yannick has shown definite racing skills and capacity of learning the race tracks when he joined us last year, declares John Andersen. We're happy to have him with us this year. He is a disciplined and intelligent driver that knows when to be aggressive. He's going to be a front runner."
Camirand and Mercier
Yannick Hofman will count on two high-profile individuals that will help him along the season. His engineer will be Pete Mercier: a former driver himself, Mercier spent the last ten years in the Star Mazda series. Marc-Antoine Camirand will be the driver coach: Camirand has steered everything from a Daytona Prototype to an Atlantic racer and holds a solid reputation.
"I'm very happy to work with Pete, confirms Yannick. He is among a very few that know all the secrets about this car. I met Marc-Antoine at the GP3R last year and we really enjoyed working together. He knows all the tracks and always finds a way to polish my driving. I'm convinced I can win with those fellows behind me. I'm looking forward to race in Trois-Rivières, my home race."
Talks going on
Hofman admits he is still negotiating with sponsors for the 2008 season. He had support from the Jig-A-Loo lubricants when he raced with Andersen at the GP3R. An oil company is also involved. "It is still too early to announce anything, replies Hofman, but we will make it official before the reds go out in Sebring."
Source: Michel Poirier-Defoy
INSIDE TRACK NOTEBOOK: Tues., Jan. 22, 2008
Several interesting items on TSN today....
Max Mosely has threatened F1 teams not to spy on each other again, or they will be kicked out of the sport.
Jason Priestley is back in racing, as the part-owner of a team gearing up for the Indy 500.
NASCAR has tweaked it Sprint Cup qualifying procedures so that teams without guaranteed starting positions will time trial together, thereby reducing the environmental factors that may benefit or hurt a team over the course of the entire session.
Canadian Alex Tagliani will test with the PKV Racing Champ Car team.
Finally, Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame member 'Uncle' Jacques Villeneuve was seriously injured in a snowmobile racing crash in Eagle River, Wisconsin on the weekend. You can read about it here.
Max Mosely has threatened F1 teams not to spy on each other again, or they will be kicked out of the sport.
Jason Priestley is back in racing, as the part-owner of a team gearing up for the Indy 500.
NASCAR has tweaked it Sprint Cup qualifying procedures so that teams without guaranteed starting positions will time trial together, thereby reducing the environmental factors that may benefit or hurt a team over the course of the entire session.
Canadian Alex Tagliani will test with the PKV Racing Champ Car team.
Finally, Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame member 'Uncle' Jacques Villeneuve was seriously injured in a snowmobile racing crash in Eagle River, Wisconsin on the weekend. You can read about it here.
Patrick Carpentier On NASCAR's Qualifying Rule Changes
No. 10 Valvoline Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Patrick Carpentier said he supports NASCAR's decision, announced Monday, allowing all drivers outside the top 35 in points to qualify at the end of the qualifying session. The Quebec native and open wheel veteran embarks on his rookie season in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing in Daytona next month.
Carpentier's Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge is outside the top-35 in owner points so he is not eligible for a provisional in the first five races of 2008. Last year, drivers outside the top 35 made qualifying attempts throughout the qualifying session based on a random draw. Sometimes favorable track conditions played a role in determining who started and who didn't.
Carpentier on the new rule:
"I think letting all of us outside the top 35 go out at the end of the session helps even out the playing field. The guys in the top 35 are qualifying to determine where they start. Guys like me are qualifying to determine if they start. Trust me, our Valvoline team is really focusing on making these races. Before we can race we have to qualify. Now we know we aren't going to miss or make the show because of track temperatures or where we draw in the qualifying order. We are all going out when the track is about the same. NASCAR is trying to make things as fair as it can, and that's something I am always going to support."
From Drew Brown // Director of Communications // Gillett Evernham Motorsports
Carpentier's Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge is outside the top-35 in owner points so he is not eligible for a provisional in the first five races of 2008. Last year, drivers outside the top 35 made qualifying attempts throughout the qualifying session based on a random draw. Sometimes favorable track conditions played a role in determining who started and who didn't.
Carpentier on the new rule:
"I think letting all of us outside the top 35 go out at the end of the session helps even out the playing field. The guys in the top 35 are qualifying to determine where they start. Guys like me are qualifying to determine if they start. Trust me, our Valvoline team is really focusing on making these races. Before we can race we have to qualify. Now we know we aren't going to miss or make the show because of track temperatures or where we draw in the qualifying order. We are all going out when the track is about the same. NASCAR is trying to make things as fair as it can, and that's something I am always going to support."
From Drew Brown // Director of Communications // Gillett Evernham Motorsports
SUBARU CANADA RETURNS TO RALLYING WITH THE NEWLY LAUNCHED 2008 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI PILOTED BY RALLY CHAMPION PATRICK RICHARD
January 21, 2008 - (MISSISSAUGA, Ontario) Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) is pleased to announce that 2008 will mark its long-anticipated return to rally racing in Canada. Subaru has entered into a joint agreement with Rocket Rally Racing in Squamish, British Columbia to build two new 2008 Impreza WRX STI race cars. One car will be for competition purposes and the other car will be for promotion and display at various events and venues across the country.
Subaru Canada is also delighted to announce that Patrick Richard, North American Rally Champion, two-time Rally America National Champion and two-time Canadian National Champion, will pilot Subaru’s factory effort in its challenge for the national title in the 2008 Canadian Rally Championship Series.
"I'm very excited that Subaru has decided to return to the Canadian Rally Championship,” said Patrick Richard. "Both Rocket Rally and Subaru Canada have a proven track record in North American Rallying, and together we will be aiming to continue that success in 2008."
Katsuhiro Yokoyama, president and CEO of SCI stated, "We introduced the new generation Impreza in July to rave reviews and the new Impreza WRX STI is just hitting the market now. Sales of our first generation Impreza WRX and WRX STIs benefited greatly from our competition in the Canadian Rally Championship, so it makes great marketing sense to return to competition with the latest generation of our rally-inspired Impreza."
"I am really looking forward to Subaru’s return to competition," said Brian Hyland, director of sponsorships and distribution for SCI. "When we retired Subaru Canada’s rally team at the end of 2004, there were thousands of disappointed fans. We are delighted to be back in action and to have Patrick Richard racing for Subaru Canada again this time in our newly launched STI. It is certain to add to the excitement of what promises to be a competitive 2008 rally series."
The Canadian Rally Championship Series will be broadcast on TSN across Canada and on RDS in Quebec throughout the year.
About Subaru Canada, Inc.
Subaru Canada, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of over 90 authorized dealers across Canada.
About Rocket Rally Racing
Rocket Rally Racing is an independent company based in Squamish, British Columbia. The company specializes in the preparation of competition vehicles for motorsports use, as well as street performance tuning of Subaru vehicles. Vechiles prepared and/or run by Rocket Rally Racing have gone on to win the North American, Canadian, and American overall rally championship titles.
For more information contact Brian Hyland at Subaru Canada, or Patrick Richard at Rocket Rally Racing.
Brian Hyland
Director
Distribution and Sponsorships
Subaru Canada, Inc.
(905) 568-4959
bhyland@subaru.ca
Patrick Richard
Lead Driver
Rocket Rally Racing
(604) 630-9696
media@rocketrally.com
http://www.rocketrally.com/
Monday, January 21, 2008
2008 SOS Yearbook... submit your photos!
From the Southern Ontario Sprints (SOS):
For the 2008 addition of the SOS Yearbook we're giving YOU the fans a chance to be featured in the book. Submit your photos from any SOS event in the past for a chance to have them published in this years book. Photos of the racing action, you with your favorite drivers, your friends in the pits, any SOS related photo. Submit your work soon for the best chance at making the book.
As well, we are now excepting advertisements on a first come first serve basis. If you would like to place an ad either as a great business opportunity, or as a personal message to wish your favorite driver well in 2008 Please contact us soon.
Thanks from your 2008 Yearbook team.
For more information contact:
Mike Dougherty (Yearbook Editor) 519-878-5528 // sosyearbook@gmail.com
Mike Ferrell (Assistant Yearbook Editor) 519-852-3399 // sosyearbook@gmail.com
For the 2008 addition of the SOS Yearbook we're giving YOU the fans a chance to be featured in the book. Submit your photos from any SOS event in the past for a chance to have them published in this years book. Photos of the racing action, you with your favorite drivers, your friends in the pits, any SOS related photo. Submit your work soon for the best chance at making the book.
As well, we are now excepting advertisements on a first come first serve basis. If you would like to place an ad either as a great business opportunity, or as a personal message to wish your favorite driver well in 2008 Please contact us soon.
Thanks from your 2008 Yearbook team.
For more information contact:
Mike Dougherty (Yearbook Editor) 519-878-5528 // sosyearbook@gmail.com
Mike Ferrell (Assistant Yearbook Editor) 519-852-3399 // sosyearbook@gmail.com
A1GP: Wickens Leads Canada to Taupo Feature Podium
Wickens successfully converted fourth on the grid to a well-earned second place, the 18-year-old rookie's first Feature race finish in three attempts and the first Feature podium for Canada since Vancouver's Sean McIntosh led the team to victory in Indonesia in the inaugural 2005-06 A1GP season. Having landed a third place Sprint podium on his A1GP debut in Malaysia last November, Robert scored his second top-three finish in six starts, his efforts at Taupo taking Canada's points tally to 22, the team climbing to 12th in the A1GP Nations Standings at the mid-season turn.
Sunday morning's 14-lap Sprint race was instantly forgettable for Canada. Starting eighth Wickens was caught up in a four-car, first corner incident. While he was able to continue, Robert's race would end in retirement three laps shy of the checkered due to suspension damage while New Zealand's Jonny Reid celebrated victory before an ecstatic home crowd - his win only the second 'home' triumph in A1GP history following Robbie Kerr's victory for Great Britain at Brands Hatch last season.
Skillful driving and some slick team-work in the pits proved key to Canada's Feature race success. Dropping from fourth to seventh at the start, a broken clutch stop to blame, Robert picked up the pace to sit third at the time of his first pit stop on lap 10. Graduating to third again by lap 23, as a third Safety Car period littered proceedings, Wickens soon took the fight to Germany and France in first and second respectively - the gap between the trio less than a second when racing resumed.
A lightening fast second stop from the Canadian pit-crew allowed Robert to pass France's Loic Duval on pit-lane and set up a nail biting sprint to the checkered with Germany maintaining its position at the head of the pack. Holding second Wickens latched onto the rear of Vietoris in the German entry as they headed a train of four cars tailed by France and New Zealand to the flag. Vietoris held on to claim the win for Germany a mere 1.18 seconds ahead of a jubilant Wickens - scoring Canada's best finish of the season, with France's Duval completing the Taupo podium celebrations.
"There's no doubt our podium was deserved today," enthused Wickens. "The guys did an outstanding job in the pits and the result is testament to the progress made by the team since coming together in Zandvoort at the start of the season. Our previous podium in Malaysia was awarded after the fact so it's great to physically be there today with the team celebrating and sharing the champagne, especially after they worked so hard to repair the car following the Sprint race. I had a clutch stop break at the start of the Feature so I lost time exiting the pits as I had to wait a bit before leaving the box - it didn't do the team justice but the result shows just how well the team worked executing each stop!"
Simon Cayzer, A1 Team Canada's Team Manager commented, "The Sprint was obviously disappointing but we knew we had a good car and after the repairs we didn't want to change too much for the Feature. We had two very good pit stops from the team which was great as we haven't had a chance to do many in the races to-date. Robert was in good company in the Feature and we only finished a second behind the winner so I'm really happy!"
The 2007-08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport continues with Round 6 hosted at Sydney's Eastern Creek Circuit in Australia, Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd February - www.a1gp.com Setanta Sports Canada will broadcast Round 5 as a tape delay on Monday 21st January at 8am EST - www.setantanorthamerica.com
A1GP Top-Ten Nations Standings - Round 5/10: 1st New Zealand (82), 2nd France (80), 3rd Switzerland (80), 4th Germany (65), 5th South Africa (59), 6th Ireland (50), 7th Netherlands (49), 8th Great Britain (48), 9th China (28), 10th India (28), *12 CANADA (22)
ENDS - www.a1teamcan.com
Photo Credit: 'A1 Team Canada's Robert Wickens celebrates second on the podium in Taupo' - Jakob Ebrey Photography
Copyright-free A1 Team Canada images are available for download at www.a1gp-photo.com/can
From A1 Team Canada Media Relations: Stuart Morrison - PR & Media Manager
INSIDE TRACK NOTEBOOK: Mon., Jan. 21, 2008
Brighton Speedway's Winterfest next weekend:
Brighton Speedway’s annual Winterfest kicks off on Saturday January 26th , when 4 Wheelers, Snowmobiles and Endurance Cars take to the 1/3 mile iced oval. An annual tradition at Brighton Speedway the ever popular Winterfest breaks up the long off season, and invites everyone, from the age of 8 years old, to hit the track in twelve different classes of 4 wheelers, snowmobiles and cars. Green Flag flies at 11am. A second serving of ice racing will be served up on Saturday, February 9th. For complete details on these events and registration visit the track's website or e-mail info@brightonspeedway.com.
DJ Kennington at Daytona
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series points runner-up DJ Kennington took part in Nationwide Series testing at Daytona Int'l Speedway on Sunday in advance of the season-opening Camping World 300 on Feb. 17. In the morning session, the driver of the #72A Chevy was 45th fastest (of 45), 10 mph off the pace of session leader Tim McCreadie (180.032 to 170.684). In the afternoon session, Kennington picked up the pace considerably (to 174.710 mph) but was still about 10 mph slower than the leader (Brad Coleman @ 184.042). The Canadian was 40th fastest of 44 who took part in the post-lunch session.
UPDATE: Visitors to CanadianRacingOnline have posted some shots of DJ in action at DIS here.
John C. Bassett is a posting machine
John C. Bassett is an Inside Track Motorsports News Facebook Group member (among several other groups he contributes to). Since the group was started, John has been kind enough to post several videos and photos galleries, including this one where he gets a wild ride from Alex Tagliani in a two-seat Champ Car around the GP of Toronto track. In the past few days, he's added several interesting photo galleries to his and other sites. You can see them on John's personal Facebook page.
Honourable Mentions...
In the past few days, the Inside Track Breaking News Blog has been referenced in discussions here, here , here and thanks to Gary Grant for his nice mention on his site, The Garage Blog.
Brighton Speedway’s annual Winterfest kicks off on Saturday January 26th , when 4 Wheelers, Snowmobiles and Endurance Cars take to the 1/3 mile iced oval. An annual tradition at Brighton Speedway the ever popular Winterfest breaks up the long off season, and invites everyone, from the age of 8 years old, to hit the track in twelve different classes of 4 wheelers, snowmobiles and cars. Green Flag flies at 11am. A second serving of ice racing will be served up on Saturday, February 9th. For complete details on these events and registration visit the track's website or e-mail info@brightonspeedway.com.
DJ Kennington at Daytona
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series points runner-up DJ Kennington took part in Nationwide Series testing at Daytona Int'l Speedway on Sunday in advance of the season-opening Camping World 300 on Feb. 17. In the morning session, the driver of the #72A Chevy was 45th fastest (of 45), 10 mph off the pace of session leader Tim McCreadie (180.032 to 170.684). In the afternoon session, Kennington picked up the pace considerably (to 174.710 mph) but was still about 10 mph slower than the leader (Brad Coleman @ 184.042). The Canadian was 40th fastest of 44 who took part in the post-lunch session.
UPDATE: Visitors to CanadianRacingOnline have posted some shots of DJ in action at DIS here.
John C. Bassett is a posting machine
John C. Bassett is an Inside Track Motorsports News Facebook Group member (among several other groups he contributes to). Since the group was started, John has been kind enough to post several videos and photos galleries, including this one where he gets a wild ride from Alex Tagliani in a two-seat Champ Car around the GP of Toronto track. In the past few days, he's added several interesting photo galleries to his and other sites. You can see them on John's personal Facebook page.
Honourable Mentions...
In the past few days, the Inside Track Breaking News Blog has been referenced in discussions here, here , here and thanks to Gary Grant for his nice mention on his site, The Garage Blog.
Brighton Speedway: Banquet celebration
1) Watch for the action as 4 wheelers, snowmobiles and cars head to the 1/3 mile Iced Brighton SPeedway Oval as part of Brighton Winterfest celebrations on January 26th.
2) Terry Loxley (5th overall) is surrounded by 4 women - the Top 4 drivers in the 2007 Bill's Johns Comp 4 Division at Brighton Speedway - including left to right Leslie Turcotte (4th) of Trenton, Ashey Fowler (3rd) of Brighton, Caley Weese (2nd) of Carrying Place and Stacey Ferguson (Champion) of Picton.
3) Ronnie "the Rocket" Wadforth of Trenton, celebrated his 3rd Brighton Automotive ProStock Division Championship in a row at the Brighton Speedway Annual Awards Banquet held recently at the Holiday Inn, Trenton.
40th Anniversary Season Successes Celebrated as the New Season Schedule Heats Up
Brighton Speedway formally ended the 2007, 40th Anniversary Season on Saturday, January 12th with their Annual Awards Banquet held at the Holiday Inn, Trenton. More than 200 guests were in attendance as prizes and awards of over $30,000 were handed over to 2007's top drivers.
The drivers, their families and crew, along with fans , sponsors and staff that support grassroots motorsport racing, were thanked for making Brighton Speedway the hottest entertainment ticket in Quinte and Northumberland. The highlights of 2007 included; cooperation from Mother Nature, the introduction of the Quinte Towing 6 Cylinder Stingers, Holiday Inn $5.00 Friday's and the always popular Labour Day Classic and Applefest Shootout weekend events.
As the cars are being prepped for 2008, plans are already set in motion for additional upgrades to the facility including a partnership with Lucas Oil that will see the addition of an all new LED Score Clock. This 20 foot by 6 foot clock will display not only laps and times but the top five positions on the track. Lucas Oil is once again renewing their sponsorship of the Driver's Points Fund as well as the sponsor of the May Long Weekend Bainer's Radiator Canadian Modified Twin 40's, Labour Day Classic Weekend and the Applefest Shootout Weekend. The 2008 schedule will also include the return of the HINO Trucks, Kingston & Ottawa Ontario Dirt Late Models, Two Lucas Oil Sportsman Events and the return of the Imagefactor.ca 358 DIRT Modified Shootout. The Bainer's Radiator Canadian Modifieds can once again look forward to the cross border duel in the CAN AM Challenge that will see at least two events at Thunder Alley Speedway. Brighton Automotive Pro Stocks will again take on Team Merrittville in the Duel in the Dirt Challenge as well as the Eastern Stock Car Challenge Series will enter its sophomore season. The Bill's Johns Comp 4 division will continue to try to master the asphalt of Kawartha Speedway in the ever popular Dirt Asphalt Challenge.
These events along with fan favourites Southern Ontario Sprints, school busses, spectator racing and the "Van"tastics highlight the 2008 racing season, as Brighton Speedway continues to build on successes of the past and grow with the trends of the future.
The 2008 Season will launch itself as part of Brighton Speedway's Annual Winterfest on Saturday January 26th , when 4 Wheelers, Snowmobiles and Endurance Cars take to the 1/3 mile iced oval. An annual tradition at Brighton Speedway the ever popular Winterfest breaks up the long off season, and invites everyone, from the age of 8 years old, to hit the track in twelve different classes of 4 wheelers, snowmobiles and cars. Green Flag flies at 11am. A second serving of ice racing will be served up on Saturday, February 9th. For complete details on these events and registration visit www.brightonspeeday.com or email info@brightonspeedway.com
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