BUSCH TAKES ANOTHER NATIONWIDE RACE

Kyle Busch claimed his fifth Nationwide Series race, winning the Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, the first race run under the lights at the Joliet, Ill., facility.


Brake calipers from the No. 60 Ford driven by Carl Edwards were taken by NASCAR for further examination at the research and development center.

NCATS on TSN: Kodak 250 from Autodrome St-Eustache

Watch the Kodak 250 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race from Autodrome St-Eustache this Saturday on TSN and TSN HD!

Premier: Saturday July 12th @ 12:00PM EST (Noon)

Replays: Sunday July 13th @ Midnight and Tuesday July 15th @ 3:00PM EST

PHOTOS: Brockville Ont. Speedway SDS Race July 10, 2008 by Rick Young

Courtesy of Rick Young...
Billy Decker won the Big Block SDS race at the BOS on July 10, while
Chris Raabe of Napanee won the Sportsman SDS race.

Brockville Ontario Speedway Results July 10, 2008

BROCKVILLE , ON - Billy Decker doesn't have alot of experience at Brockville Ontario Speedway.  Decker made just his fourth career start at the Beast of the East on Thursday night and wheeled his Gypsum Wholesalers in victory lane in the Advance Auto Parts Series, BOB-FM-Coca-Cola 100 for big block modifieds.

The dream year continues for Decker, who now has four series wins in just 7 races this season and is already into double digits in feature wins in 2008.  He grabbed the top spot on lap 2 from Pat O Brien and used a consistent low groove in all four turns to lead the final 99 circuits enroute to the victory.  The only real challenge for Decker came around lap 70 on the final restart of a relatively caution free affair as Jimmy Phelps came up to challenge on the outside, but the effort wasn't enough after a few laps and Decker cruised the rest of the way for the win.

Phelps was second in front of former Brockville track champ Steve Paine, with Dale Planck and Frankie Caprara rounding out the top five.  Defending track champion Danny O Brien made a pit stop just before the halfway mark work for him as he charged back through the field to finish 9th.  The Pocket Rocket was also the highest finishing small block in the race. 12 cars finished on the lead lap.

Decker wasn't the only double digit feature winner to tame the Beast of the East as Napanee's Chris Raabe captured his first career Super Dirt Series taking the companion 30 lap Sportsman checkered flag.  The 17 year old phenom, Raabe grabbed the lead away from invader Dan Wiesner before 10 laps were in and then showed his usual driving precision pulling away for over a 2 second victory with the final half of the event completely caution free.  Tyler MacPherson emerged from mid pack with a gallant charge to come through in the third spot followed by Loren Lincoln and Eric Giguere.  14 year old Luke Whitteker started on the pole and led the first lap and had a solid run ending up finishing in sixth position.

Brockville Ontario Speedway returns to action with Tackaberry Construction Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday July 12th with a special 20 dollar a car load admission and an autograph session as well.  The green flag drops at 7pm.

Modifieds 100 Laps: Billy Decker, Jimmy Phelps, Steve Paine, Dale Planck, Frankie Caprara, Billy Dunn, Matt Sheppard, Gary Tomkins, Danny O Brien, Brett Hearn, Alan Johnson, Ryan Phelps, Justin Haers, Jessica Zemken, Mike Adderley, Mario Clair, Scott Parliament, Stephane LaFrance, Larry Wight, John Lazore, Yan Bussiere, Jason Potter, Adam Moore, Pat O Brien, Danny Johnson, Todd Stewart, Kyle Dingwall, Ryan Poole, Clayton Benedict, Bryan Rogers

Sportsman 30 laps: Chris Raabe, Dan Weisner, Tyler MacPherson, Loren Lincoln, Eric Giguere, Luke Whitteker, Brandon Sweet, Jeremy Pitcher, Chris Herbison, Greg Panute, Dylan Evoy, Shane Pecore, Tyler Rand, Matt Billings, John Pietrowicz, Cole Dingwall, Justin Wright, Randy Gaudet, Mark D' Llario, Tim Currier, Mat Williamson, Mark Dixon, Adam Turner, Roger Varacalli, Sheldon Hoogwerf, Rod McDonald, Mike Bowman, Eric Lefebvre, Mike Mainse, Peter Stapper

From Steve Young

Delaware: Andrew Perkins wins Super Stock Showdown for 2nd year in a row

From Race Night #7 (July 4, 2008) by Andrew Perkins

Uncle Don, Steve Williams, and the Team did a lot of work trying to make our race car better for the Peterbilit Super Stock Showdown, our division's "Daytona 500" event for the season. The Showdown Format included time trials plus 3 race "segments", culminating in a 20-lap finale.

We spent the week prior working on our cross-weight, believing some adjustment there would put us on the right path to a better handling car. We also replaced a right rear tire that was ripped - perhaps offering a bit of an explanation for the extreme loose condition last week.

The car was better in practice. It was entering the corner much smoother but through the apex there was a sudden looseness, the back end snapped around without any throttle (or warning). Uncle Don made a change in the setup to try and fix this for qualifying.

I was one of the last cars out for qualifying. By that time some quick times had been put down, including Ray Morneau (#98) shattering the old track record. I didn't match that but was quick enough to also break the old track record and qualify 4th. Even though I only did two laps it was enough to tell that the suspension change might have been a step in the right direction, the car felt pretty good and the sudden looseness was gone.

As the pole-sitter, Morneau rolled two dice to set the inversion for the first race segment. He rolled an 8, putting me in 4th place on the outside for the first 15-lap segment. Our plan was to stay on the outside as long as possible and try to make the car work up top. We knew if we could get it running on the outside it would pay dividends later. If it didn't and I faded back, oh well, the second segment included a full inversion of the field so I would have a good starting position then.

Once we went green I ended up running quite a few laps on the outside, staying side-by-side with the Kris Lawrence (#28) in third place. About 7 or 8 laps in I threw the car in a little too deep trying to complete the pass on the outside and washed up the track, losing quite a few spots. I settled back in around 8th or 9th where I finished. My tires were too hot from the hard racing on the outside and I couldn't make up any ground. We were still satisfied as we learned a lot about the car's behaviour on the outside line and made a couple adjustments to improve it for the next segment.

With a complete inversion of the finishing order for the second segment I started in 13th place, on the inside. Right off the start the inside line took off, shuffling the outside line to the back. Once this was done I started moving towards the front, making a few solid passes on the outside. After a few cautions and some more passing I found myself in 3rd place with the leaders in sight. However, Morneau in the #98 emerged from the pack and quickly closed on me. Knowing he was a lot faster and probably had a better chance at catching the leaders I moved up and let him by, happy to finish the second segment in 4th place. This gave us some solid points and put me in a good position for the final inversion. The car was still a little loose on the bottom, but was pretty solid on the outside.

The final inversion put me in 3rd place for the final segment, behind the Darrell Lake (#77). We knew that I would have to use the outside to get to the front so rather than try and fix the loose condition on the bottom, we made a slight adjustment to make it work even better on the outside - it paid off!

Right off the start I stayed tight to #77 and cleared the 2nd place car (#9x). Coming down the front stretch on lap 1 I made a move to the outside and threw it really deep into turn 1, putting me door-to-door with #77. The car stuck and I powered off turn 2 and completed the pass to take the lead. Ray Morneau (#98) followed and settled into 2nd place, right on my bumper. For the next 18 laps I raced really hard to keep the #98 behind me. I guarded the bottom line well, even though the car got really loose down there. Morneau was quicker and made quite a few attempts to pass on the outside but he couldn't make it work and I held on to WIN!!! This made me the first repeat winner of the Super Stock Showdown and gave me my first checkered flag of the '08 season - a much needed positive result for both the driver and the Team!

A HUGE THANKS goes out to Ray Morneau and the entire #98 team. They definitely had the best car but Ray raced me clean, even when I made the car "wide" a few times. Ray's the class of our division, both in skill and in sportsmanship. It's a real pleasure to race side-by-side with him.

Also, thanks so much to my entire crew - Uncle Don, Steve Williams, Dad, Steve Baldock, Brian and Kyle Cohoon, Matt Payne. It was a difficult start to the season for us. So much work goes into getting the car ready each week and when things don't go well, that work really starts to feel like ...well, work. To finally get rewarded for your commitment is a welcome relief!!! THANKS!

Submitted by Doug Perkins

STEWART MAKES HIS MOVE

Calling it a "huge turning point" in his life, Tony Stewart put rumor to rest at Chicagoland Speedway announcing the formation of Stewart/HAAS Racing.

Sitting alongside Stewart was HAAS/CNC Racing general manager Joe Custer who described Stewart as one of the "few people in sports that is a franchise player."

Stewart is being given 50 percent ownership in the new operation which until 2009 is nothing more than a shell operation from which the two can plan for the future. At some point the assets of the current HAAS/CNC Racing operation will fold into the new organization.

Neither man offered any word on sponsorship or possible crew positions, on hinting that Scott Riggs had not been ruled out as a possible teammate to Stewart.

The big money has Office Depot stepping up to sponsor Stewart and UPS providing the funding for the second team, which most likely be piloted by Ryan Newman.

Brockville Ontario Speedway: Big Blocks Coming

BROCKVILLE, ON - The Beast of the East is all geared up for the lone visit of the 2008 racing season by the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Series for Big Block Modifieds tomorrow night.  It's the third straight year, the big blocks have headed north of the border, but it will be their first try at the newly configured higher banked, wider clay oval at the Brockville Ontario Speedway.

Last year, the Iceman came a calling to Brockville, as local favourite Pat O Brien of Kingston, cruised to a convincing and exciting win in front of the local faithful.  He'll have to do battle with top guns Billy Decker and Dale Planck along with local track standouts Jessica Zemken and defending track champion Danny O Brien.  Brockville has always been an interesting track for combined 358 Modified-Big Block Modified competition as some believe the oval lends itself more to the small block set up, while others point to the sheer horsepower of the 454 cubic inch powerplants. 

In addition, the DIRT Sportsman series will be on hand for a tour race of their own on Thursday night.  Eyes will be focussed on Napanee's Teenage Tornado Chris Raabe as he tries to improve on his second place run in a tour event in Brewerton, NY last week.

Practice begins at 6pm, with time trials for the big blocks at 6:30 and the first green flag of the night at 7pm.

From Steve Young

SOS: Styres takes a 1-point lead to Brighton on Saturday night

by Tommy Goudge (July 9, 2008) - Glenn Styres had a rough start to the
Southern Ontario Sprints season, but the Ohsweken resident made up for
lost time by winning the last 2 SOS features, and taking the
championship points lead in the process.
Styres, the defending series champion, is one of 3 drivers with a chance
to become the first 3 time champ in SOS history this season, and leads
Demorestville driver Chris Jones by just 1 point as the Sprint Cars head
back to the Brighton Speedway this Saturday, July 12.

Saturday's event at Brighton marks the 3rd visit of the season for the
SOS to the 1/3 mile oval located on the shores of Lake Ontario in
Northumberland County. The SOS season-opening event was held at
Brighton on May 10, with local favourite Rick Wilson taking the victory,
while Glenn Styres took the win in the most recent SOS visit to the
track on June 14. Wilson is the only driver who has finished in the top
5 in both events, as the veteran from Joyceville also finished 2nd to
Styres in June.

Chris Jones finished 6th at Brighton in June after a 4th place in the
season opener. Those two results coupled with a 5th place finish at
Brockville and another 5th place finish at Humberstone in the most
recent SOS event has Jones sitting 2nd in SOS points, just 1 marker
behind Styres. Meanwhile, Warren Mahoney and Adam West are tied for 3rd
in the standings, 22 points out of the lead, while Keith Dempster rounds
out the top 5, 33 points behind teammate Styres. Styres, Mahoney, and
Dempster are all 2-time SOS champions, while West has 1 SOS title to his
credit, and Jones is in his first full season of sprint car competition,
after switching from modifieds to sprints and running a partial schedule
last year.

Saturday's event at Brighton is sponsored by Clintar Groundskeeping
Services and will feature a full program of SOS Sprint Car heat races, a
Dash for Cash presented by Larry's Towing, and a 20 lap feature event,
plus Brighton's Canadian Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Pure Stocks, Stingers,
and a fireworks display!

WHAT:
Southern Ontario Sprints 2008 Season Round #6
www.SouthernOntarioSprints.com

WHERE:
Brighton Speedway
775 County Road 64
Brighton, Ontario
K0K 1H0
Phone: (613)-475-1102 or toll free 1-(866)-681-1102
On the Web: www.brightonspeedway.com

WHEN:
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Pit Gates open @ 2:00p.m., Spectator Gates Open @ 5:00p.m., Racing @
7:00p.m.
Tickets: $18 Adults, $14 Youth and Seniors, $4 Children Ages 7-12, FREE
Children Ages 6 and Under, $42 Family Pass

Please visit www.SouthernOntarioSprints.com for more news and
information about the Southern Ontario Sprints. Commemorative 2008
T-shirts, sweatshirts, yearbooks, and posters are now available. 2008
marks the 13th year of operation for the Southern Ontario Sprints,
brought to you this season by Pennzoil, Wiseco Performance, Triple X
Race Co., Kenetic Photos, and www.ImageFactor.ca.

PHOTO GALLERY: Waltrip and Reutimann at Toronto's NASCAR Speedpark

On Wednesday, July 9 (2008) at the NASCAR Speedpark, NAPA hosted an autograph signing /event with two NASCAR Sprint Cup stars: two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip and NASCAR Sprint Cup/Nationwide Series driver David Reutimann.

During the event – at Vaughan Mills Shopping Mall, located just north of Toronto – Waltrip and Reutimann signed autographs and visited with over 200 NAPA employees, dealers and their families. For most, it was a once in a lifetime chance to get up close and personal with two NASCAR racers.

Our own Rob Morton attended the event and snapped these shots.

PHOTOS: Capital City Speedway - July 9, 2008 by Rick Young

Here are some photos from Capital City Speedway, on July 9, 2008, courtesy of Rick Young.

ARCA: Ryan Fischer Cayuga report

Date: Sunday, June 29, 2008
Event: Cayuga ARCA 250
Track: Cayuga Motor Speedway
Qualifying Position: 15th, 20.883 secs, 107.743
Practice Speed:14th, 21.044 secs, 106.919 mph
Finishing Position: 16th

Strong Run by Rookie Ryan Fischer Ends with Mid-Race Incident

HAGERSVILLE, ON CANADA (JULY 10, 2008) – The ARCA RE/MAX Series made its first trip North of the Border in several years, for the Cayuga ARCA 250 at the historic Cayuga Motor Speedway.  Venturini Motorsports last raced in Canada in 1980’s and 90’s at the famed Delaware Speedway gathering one win and a second place finish.

Needless to say, the Venturini Motorsports team was excited and ready to take rookie Canadian driver Ryan Fischer to his first ARCA RE/MAX Series race in Canada.

Most of the ARCA RE/MAX Series regulars had never seen racing action at the 5/8th mile oval before, including Fischer.  “We were going into this race with a different game plan than normal, nobody really knew a lot about this track, and we had no notes from previous years to go on, but to come up here and run competitively towards the front, is a testament to my Venturini Motorsports crew and all of the hard work they put in” remarked Fischer on his first time at Cayuga.

The No. 25 RyanFischerMotorsports.com Venturini Motorsports Chevrolet team arrived Friday afternoon at the track, and started the weekends racing festivities with their only practice session Saturday morning.

The Venturini Motorsports crew wanted to make sure they gave Fischer as much seat time as possible at the new track, as they used every available minute of practice. As practice came to a close, the team recorded the 14th fastest time at 21.044 seconds or 106.919 mph.  Sim Pole Qualifying was held later that afternoon, where Fischer qualified the No. 25 in the 15th position at 20.883 seconds at 107.743 mph.

Sunday morning found the team making last minute preparations for the race, as Fischer climbed in to his No. 25 Chevrolet for the 250-lap shootout.

As the green flag waved over the racing action, Fischer quickly started to make his way through traffic towards the front.  Fischer was reporting a fairly neutral car, as he kept his rhythm around the 5/8th oval.

Continuing his way to the front, Fischer found himself going for a pass, when a competitor drove into the back of his No. 25 Chevrolet, sending him up the track and into the car in front of him. The team quickly assessed the damage and brought the car down pit road for the first pit stop. After pulling out the fenders and slapping four new Hoosier tires on the car, Fischer was back on his way.

Fischer found himself restarting the race in towards the back of the field, but he did not intend to stay there for long. Charging his way to the front of the pack once more, Fischer found himself racing in the top-10. “The car ran well all day, even after the first incident where I was run into from behind, the car handled well, and I found myself racing in the top-10” Fischer recalled.

As the laps began winding down, Fischer found himself running lap times consistent with the leaders, as he kept racing in the top-15. When a multi car accident happened in turns one and two directly in front of the No. 25 RyanFischerMotorsports.com Chevrolet, Fischer started to check up and go low to avoid the wreck, a car from behind could not get slowed in time, running into the back of Fischer, sending him into the grass and mud in the infield. As safety workers tried to free Fischer’s car from the mud, the team found themselves going five laps down. Fischer brought the car back down pit road for repairs. The team packed the car with Sunoco fuel and sent him on his way.

Fischer once again found himself restarting at the back of the pack. He quickly passed all of the cars for position, and raced his way to the front, where he would race one two with the leaders, fighting to get his laps back. The No. 25 would eventually make one lap up through the Aaron’s Lucky Dog award, placing them four laps down. Fischer continued to race up front with the leaders, fighting to make up more of his laps, until the checkered flag waved, placing the No. 25 RyanFischerMotorsports.com Venturini Motorsports Chevrolet in the 16th position.

“To be able to race in Canada with the ARCA RE/MAX Series was truly an opportunity of a lifetime. We unloaded a great car, and my Venturini Motorsports crew did a phenomenal job setting it up, even though we had never raced here. Our car was strong all day, even after the incidents. It is unfortunate that we were taken out of contention that way, but I am proud of my crew for getting the car repaired, and for my Crew Chief Billy Venturini giving me such stellar car. I would like to thank CJM Racing and Venturini Motorsports for their support, as well as all of my fans.” Fischer remarked following the Cayuga ARCA 250.

Crew Chief Billy Venturini’s comments following the race, “Ryan and the whole Venturini Motorsports team did a phenomenal job. We had to fight back from some racing incidents, but we were still strong out on the track, and we had one of the fastest cars. Ryan did a good job today, working his way through traffic several times, and staying calm and collected. He really showed that he should be a force to be reckoned with. I would like to thank my crew and all of our supporters out there, without them none of this would be possible.”

Be sure to check out Fischer in his next ARCA RE/MAX  Series race for the Kentucky ARCA 150 at Kentucky Speedway on Friday, July18 at 8:00 pm broadcast live on SPEED. Also you can tune in for live Sim Pole Qualifying on SPEED at 4:30 pm Friday.

To learn more about Ryan Fischer and the Venturini Motorsports crew, if you have questions comments or sponsorship ideas for the No. 25 team, please be sure to visit www.Ryanfischermotorsports.com

From: Nic Moncher // Ryan Fischer Motorsports

ACT Late Model Tour: American-Canadian Tour Ready to "Sizzle" at Kawartha Speedway

FRASERVILLE, ON – The American-Canadian Tour Championship Late Model stock car series returns to Ontario on Sunday for the 5th Annual Summer Sizzler 200 at Fraserville's Kawartha Speedway.  The ACT Late Model Tour made its debut at the fast 4/10-mile oval last September.  Série ACT Castrol champion Patrick Laperle of Montréal won the race over St. Thomas, ON's Pete Vanderwyst, American drivers Joey "Pole" Polewarczyk, current ACT point leader Scott Payea, and Randy Potter, and defending Kawartha Speedway track champion Larry Jackson of Oakville, ON.

"I love Kawartha," says Laperle.  "It's very fast and high-banked, just the way I think a race track should be at the level we compete at.  It's a very good race track with great racing, I'm ready to go back this weekend… and it doesn't hurt that I won there last year."

Polewarczyk echoed Laperle's thoughts.  "Kawartha is a great track, it's very different from any other track we run on in the States," he said.  "It would be pretty special to win there."

And as much as ACT drivers like Laperle and Polewarczyk enjoy Kawartha, it seems the track's regular weekly competitors enjoy the challenge of defending their home turf.

"It's a big deal to some people up here to have ACT racing at Kawartha," said Jackson, the winner of a 100-lap event at the track last month.  "There are so many good teams in ACT, and there are a lot more good weekly teams at Kawartha this year than we've been used to seeing in the past.  It was a great show last year, and I think it'll be even better this time.  I only finished sixth last year, but I'm hoping to win this one."

The Summer Sizzler 200 is the eighth of 12 events on the 2008 ACT Late Model Tour.  Point leader Payea, of Milton, VT, leads cross-town rival and seven-time and defending series champion Jean-Paul Cyr by 43 points, 488- 445.  Laperle, with 439 points, leads Vermont's John Donahue (409) and New Hampshire's Randy Potter (404) to complete the top five.

They will be joined at Kawartha Speedway by Vermonters Brent and Scott Dragon, Maine's Glen Luce and Leon Heckbert, Québec's Donald Theetge and Karl Allard, and Ontario rookies Jonathan Urlin of London and Spencer MacPherson of Carleton Place.  Other top Ontarians expected include Vanderwyst, Jackson, Kawartha Speedway point leader Dan McHattie of Cavan, teenager Brandon Watson of Stayner, Linc Brown of Coburn, Bryan Mercer of Port Hope, and Norm Mayhew of Wooler.  Several drivers from Ottawa's Capital City Speedway are also expected.

Green flag qualifying action for the Summer Sizzler 200 begins at 1:30pm on Sunday, July 13.  Kawartha Speedway is located on County Road #28 in Fraserville, ON, just ten minutes from the city of Peterborough.  On- site amenities include a 24-hour slot casino, an award-winning restaurant, fully enclosed, climate-controlled grandstands with live closed-circuit television coverage of the race, and horse-track harness racing on Saturday.

For more information, call ACT at (802) 244-6963 or visit www.acttour.com, or call Kawartha Speedway at (705) 939-6316 or visit www.kawarthaspeedway.com.

From: Justin St. Louis / ACT

NCATS: Fletcher In Montreal

MILTON, ON - 2006 Outlaw Super Late Model Champion John Fletcher will return to action August 2nd but not in the familiar #61 outlaw but will be making his second NASCAR career start driving the Bray Autosport #49 Dodge Avenger. Fletcher's first start in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series resulted in a thirteenth place showing during the series inaugural season at the fast Kawartha Speedway.

What makes this start special is it will take place on the road course of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the home of the F1 Canadian Grand Prix. "It is a very special place to race with a lot of history" John commented about the seventh stop of the NASCAR series. "To be part of this weekend is great and to challenge your self to succeed on this venue is an opportunity in its self."

John Fletcher and the Bray Autosport Team are honored to have London Mechanical Plumbing & Heating and J.B.M. Leasing of London, Ontario. Race fans will recognize the sponsors and number from John's long time Outlaw rival and friend Rob Clarke. London Mechanical Plumbing & Heating are a full service mechanical company serving western Ontario. J.B.M. leasing lease all automotive requirements and can serve all of Canada. Dietrich Fiest of London Mechanical on the sponsorship "John and Scott Fletcher have represented their sponsors over the years with such professionalism in the past, we felt we needed to be on the car for this race and its nice that car will run will the 49 on it."

John and the team are also proud to announce that HYPE Energy Drink will adorn the car as an associate sponsor for the event. HYPE Energy is distributed out of Montreal's Unique Food. Hype Energy's Jon Silver had this to say "We have had a good history with Fletcher and we know he will represent HYPE Energy well". All of HYPE Energy Drinks brands are available across the country in all major outlets along with being one of the world's leading energy drinks.

Joining HYPE on the car for the event will be Little Blessings, Nursery Décor highlighted by the successful line of the "Knotataggie" Blankets, Trailers by Jim Bray, Bray Auto & Truck Recyclers, Stratafax Calgary, Lucas Oil, and long time supporter B&B Decals.

For more information on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series please visit www.nascar.ca. For more information on John Fletcher or information sponsorship that is currently still available, please visit www.fletchjr61.com

OSS: Delaware 'Great Canadian Weekend' date announced!

OSS to be featured at the GREAT CANADIAN WEEKEND!

The Ontario Sportsman Series is pleased to announce that the 7th race to the 2008 season has been finalized with the addition of Delaware Speedway as part of the Labour Day Great Canadian Weekend. The OSS will be the feature event on Saturday, August 30th. Presented by Maple Leaf Foods, the race will consist of a pair of 50-lap races.

“We’re really happy to be able to bring our cars back to Delaware Speedway – it was the birthplace of CASCAR and has a long history of racing our style of cars. Most of our drivers cut their teeth at Delaware Speedway including Steve Robblee, Mike Alguire, Derek Clark, Mark Patrick, and Josh Wood to name a few” stated Series Director Dave Connelly. “All of our drivers are looking forward to racing on what they consider to be their home track – we’re going to put on one heck of a show and we look forward to working with Jerry and Jeff this year and continuing this relationship into 2009 and beyond.”

The Great Canadian Race Weekend is the biggest weekend of the year at Delaware Speedway. The weekend runs August 29 through August 31 and includes all Delaware Speedway divisions in active competition. Weekend pass information will be announced shortly for this amazing weekend of racing!

From the OSS

Elliott Racing: Flamboro July 5 Report

Elliott Racing: Quaker State Team Has Strong Performance
“Top Five Finish A Good Sign” // Race #11

Though the season has had moments showing strong performance in 08’, none was as obvious as the feature event at Flamboro Speedway on July 5th.

Arriving early, the team had plenty of time to get the car through Tech and make a set of warm ups to shake both the car and driver down. Forty years seems to indicate that warm ups wouldn’t be necessary, but from the drivers point of view, it is important to have at least one set to make sure all systems are working properly.

It was decided during the week to make a fairly significant chassis change by replacing the front springs to a softer rating, that would allow the car to stick better in the corners.  Though a simple process, it came with some tedious adjustments that had the team going back and forth to the Tech garage to check ride heights and weight distribution.  Finally after the fourth adjustment the car was done, but unfortunately, so was warm ups. 

Missing hot laps was not a big deal. The crew, were confident the car was ready.  In the heat starting 4th, some hectic moves, by the competition, put us on alert.  There were no incidents, though tip toeing through this race seemed to be the best plan of attack.  At the checker we crossed the line in 5th, not a great finish, but the top five qualified us for the main event in the 4th starting spot.

During intermission we took the car on the track to make a presentation for the weekly bike draw.  Saturday’s bike was donated by, Timber Green Landscaping.  The little girl was shy and speechless, having her picture taken a few feet from the Quaker State Monte Carlo with her beautiful new bike.

In the feature we started 4th outside.  Within a lap the 3rd place car had knocked the pole sitter out of the way, right in front of us.  As we tried going under we were tagged and spun around.  That early caution gave us plenty of time to stage a comeback.  For the next few laps we caught and ran in a pack of 5 cars battling for 5th back.  Suddenly the leader of the race was hit and spun out causing the top 5 cars all to get involved in that wreck.  We were able to get by without incident.  Restarting 5th gave us god track position and we kept pace with the four in front. Our car handled excellent, much better than any night in 08’.  We followed Jason Shaw #82 who tried many times to find away by the 3rd place car but did not get an opportunity to make a pass.  The result was us finishing a very good 5th and for the second week in a row with no damage.

This week-end Flamboro is hosting the second race in the Grisdale Triple Crown series.  Races start at 6:30 p.m.

Pictures
1)....were taken on the front chute of the bike winner...courtesy Leanne Ruelens
2).... a pit shot of the crew adjusting the sway bar
3)...action in turn one and two #52 is Scott Lyons, #10 Shane Gowan and #56 Jeff Stewart

Please get back to me if you need tickets for July 26th.  We are giving away 5 bikes that night as well as our 40th Anniversary souvnenir program (3000 or more). The Late Model feature will be 40 laps.

308 Google news reports can't be wrong...

According to these stories, two-time Cup champ Tony Stewart is leaving Joe Gibbs Racing to drive for (and own part of) Haas/CNC Racing (to be reportedly renamed Stewart-Haas Racing).

CCTCC: Mirabel preview

Grand Prix de Mirabel

The feature race of the Grand Prix de Mirabel is the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship Presented By Toyo Tires.  The Championship’s fourth race weekend of the year will challenge Mirabel’s technical layout and fans can expect another close race.  The Championship will visit Mirabel as part of eight different weekends in Quebec and Ontario.

The Championship is comprised of two Classes of racecars; Touring Class in the entry level Class where only minimal modifications are allowed while Super Touring Class has the powerful heavily modified racecars with engines up to 2.8 litres.  Drivers can start out in Touring Class and develop their racecraft and then move up to Super Touring Class when they are ready for more power and speed.  Both Classes compete at the same time on the track and challenge for supremacy in their Class which creates an amazing show.  Touring Class racecars are easy to recognize because they have blue windshield banners and blue headlights while Super Touring Class has yellow windshield banners and yellow headlights.

After three weekends of racing, Andrew Wojteczko (Auto Analyser Racing) leads in Super Touring Class driving his Lexus followed by Arek Wojciechowski (8legs Racing) in his BMW and Nigel Krikorian (Krikorian Motorsports) in his Subaru.  Each of the top three drivers has teammates in identical racecars.  They will be challenged by more two-car teams including JL Racing (Saab), VMC (Honda), Lombardi Racing (Honda) and Fastco Racing (Hyundai).

Christian Raymond (TwoFast Racing) leads in Touring Class driving his Mazda, followed by Andre Rapone (Durabond Racing) driving his Acura and Anthony Rapone (Durabond Racing) in an Acura also.  The racing in Touring Class has been extremely close this year with only a few seconds separating the top drivers in qualifying and races.  The will be challenged by Nissans, Hondas and even a Mercedes-Benz.

The Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship Presented by Toyo Tires is sponsored by CSC Racing, Toronto TireCraft, Sigma Promotions and Mad Macs Communications + Graphics.  The Championship is supported by Racing Radios, President Champagne, Leaf Racewear, RaceDV and Impact Custom Canopy.

The Championship features Canada’s Best Drivers Racing Today’s Hottest Touring Cars.

From: John Bondar   john at touringcar.ca

Rick Young's 'Rick at the Races' July 3, 5, 6, 2008

RICK @ the RACES (3/5/6 July)

3 JULY  Capital City Speedway (Ont)
5 JULY  Brockville Ontario Speedway (Ont)
6 JULY Cornwall  Motor Speedway (Ont)

PHOTOS: PIC 1  KEVIN FOISY # 55 leads the Legends at Capital City Speedway
PIC 2  MIKE HENNICK # 71 with the Checkers at Capital City Speedway
PIC 3  Three wide action with the Thunder Cars at the Capital City Speedway
PIC 4  Antique Stock Cars in action at the Brockville Ontario Speedway
PIC 5  TODD STEWART # 72 dices with MIKE ADDERLEY # 99 at the BOS
PIC 6  TODD STEWART # 72 IN The BOS Victory Lane
PIC 7  The Pro Stocks line up for the Cornwall Motor Speedway feature event
PIC 8   GILES GODARD # 27  in the Cornwall Motor Speedway Victory Lane
PIC 9  JOEL DOIRON # 40 in the Cornwall Motor Speedway Victory Lane

As we move into July and the racing season shifts into top gear,  it's getting harder to keep up with my RICK @ the RACES reports. For the next six weeks my diary is full of important events, which I hope to attend , many of which are mid-week. Until things start to quieten down I'll be making them 'short and sweet' .

I still have 'work in progress' going on with my RICK @ the RACES 'RETRO' reports and I hope to have Episode # 26 , dealing with the final part of 1986, out soon.

Whilst on the subject of my 'RETRO' reports, you may recall an event I mentioned in Episode # 22 ( dealing with 1984).

To recap this is what I said.

From RETRO # 22 (1986)

<<A week after Belle Vue, I joined the 'BriSCA F1 Traveling Road Show' that moved over to Baarlo in the Netherlands for the Long Track World Final ( 22/23 Sept). Saturdays preliminary heats saw Friedhelm Welters # 8 in a class of his own and he looked like an easy 'bet' for Sunday's big race.

Stuart Smith must have realized this too, because before the first lap was over, Welters was pushed hard into the armco ( crash barrier) where he rolled over and on to his side. The race came under red flag conditions while the # 8 car was put back on 'all-fours'. On the restart Leon Cox took the lead, but was soon passed by eventual winner Rien Rutgens who grabbed his third Long Track victory in a row.>>

Well , this week I had a message from my old buddy, Colin Herridge in the UK who unearthed this classic piece of footage from that race I witnessed twenty four years ago. It just goes to show how tough BriSCA F1 Stock Car Racing is... 'wimps' need not apply !   Friedhelm was OK ... and back out racing once the car was repaired.

( It was also nice to see promotor , the late , great Jac Van Claes doing the intro's)

Fasten your seat belts and check out the action   http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5YLAPB8iO5c

Now back to the present for a quick up date.

Last Wednesday (3 July) I went along to the Capital City Speedway in Ottawa for a regular show that had a 50 lap race for Thunder Cars as the headliner. The large mid week crowd in attendance got treated to an epic 'one caution' green flag race which saw Mike Hennick # 71 in Victory Lane. Once more Kevin Foisy # 55 took the Legend Car feature.

On Saturday (6 July) I was at the Brockville Ontario Speedway to see the 358 DIRTCAR Modifieds in action. After a long absence in Victory Lane it was good to see Kingston, Ontario's Todd Stewart # 72 with the Checkers. On my pit walk abouts I often chat to Todd and his crew and I know how hard they've been working for this win. Also, on the program were the Antique Stock Cars, which are always a favorite with me.

Sunday (7 July) , as usual, I was at the Cornwall Motor Speedway where the UMP (DIRTCAR) Pro Stock's took center stage for a round of the Mohawk Racing Parts Series. This was won, by Giles Godard, a friend of mine who works for my local GM dealer in Cornwall. Following the Pro Stocks the Dirt Modifieds had their feature, and I'm pleased to report that another good friend of mine Joel Doiron, got a well deserved victory. He won the track championship at Cornwall a few years back without ever winning a feature, and this has been his goal ever since. Everything went just right for him on Sunday and after taking the checkers , a big celebration took place in Victory Lane.

Looking ahead, it gets busy !

Wednesday... Capital City , Regular show
Thursday.... Brockville, SDS SERIES
FRIDAY... Granby, SDS SERIES
SATURDAY...Drummond, SDS SERIES
SUNDAY... Cornwall, SDS SERIES

So, the next report could be a little late !

Cornwall Karting Club: July 8 report

CORNWALL KARTING CLUB: 1/8 Mile Clay Oval // Located at Cornwall Motor Speedway
Web.  www.cornwallspeedway.com

Hot and Wild At Cornwall Karting Club
July,8, 2008

CORNWALL, ON - With the hot weather during the day and the cooler nights makes for fast racing on the 1/8 mile banked clay oval at Cornwall Karting Club located between turn three and four of the big track at Cornwall Motor Speedway.And with This weeks Karting at Free Admission rates proved for a full house of fans and racers alike.

The pit area was buzzing with talk of the points battle and the track conditions as every team was working on the race machines getting ready for the nights events. MAking the right change in setup can mean the difference between winning a race of coming in last.  And with the competition this season its making for the best racing season yet for the Karting Club.

In heat action this week set the tables for some great feature feature events, with most all teams close in the heats and many lead changes. And in feature events this week it was a fast and furious night o the clay oval.

Box Stock was taken by the 4 of Dominc Point
In the Rokie Class it was the 94 of Jesse Hudson taking home the checkered this week.
In Rookie 1 the 48 of Simon Boisvert wins his feature.
Jr Sportsman the KC1 if Young Kacey Neville wins yet naother feature in 2008.
Jr Sportsman 2 had to be run with two features in the first feature it was the 11 of Dillian Tinkler  Who took the early lead and after many cautions he managed to hold his own and take home the gold. And the second feature was the 115 of Jacob Blais taking home the victory.
Jr Restricted was as well two feature event and the first was taken by the 1 of Justin Lalancette as he fights off the pack for the win. In the second Feature the 24 of Jeo Quenville who took the checkered flag.
Box Stock this week was the fastest yet as track conditions were perfect and the 15 of Shane Pecore comes from the back in another caution filled and exciting race to take home another feature win in 2008.

Be sure to join us next week Tuesday July 15 for yet another great night of racing entertainment at the Cornwall Karting club with green dropping at 7:15  And this Sunday on the big track it is the Big Block show with Modified teams from all over as they compete in a 100 lap feature event.

From Stu @ CMS

TIEMERSMA MOTORSPORTS: Season Update

From Mike Sutton, Tiemersma Motorsports

Hello Everyone,

I hope that everyone is having a great summer. Although the weather has
been a little dodgy the first few weeks of the OSCAAR schedule, the past
few have been beautiful.

This past weekend Tiemersma Motorsports returned to Sunset Speedway for
the 2nd and final visit. We arrived early in the day for practice and
just could not seem to get the handle on the car. After finishing 3rd in
both heat races we found a bad shock and replaced it for the feature to
come.

Then when we lined up 8th on the grid and by lap 2 we got turned and had
to restart at the back of the field. The car was a bit better but the
feature would then go green the rest of the way and we steadily climbed
back up to 7th. Not the stellar day we had hoped for but we plan on
giving the car a good work over this week in preparation for Mosport
this coming Saturday.

With nine more races to go on the OSCAAR schedule, there is lots of time
left for Tiemersma Motorsports to mount a charge in the defense of our
2007 championship.

Thank you again for all the support, we hope to see you at the track and
please feel free to stop into the Tiemersma Motorsports pit area.

Thank you,
Mike Sutton // Crew Chief // Tiemersma Motorsports

Last Call - Have Bus Will Travel Racing Tours

Last Call - Have Bus Will Travel Racing Tours
“The Preferred ©Transportainment”

World of Outlaws Sprints // Ohsweken Speedway, Ohsweken On.
July 22 & 23 2008
Good seats available - Only $75
Includes - Transportianment, Reserved Seat, Pit Pass & BBQ
Pick up locations: Oshawa, Toronto, Newmarket ETC

***
WE ARE HALF WAY THROUGH "THE RACE TO THE CHASE"
DON'T MISS THE SECOND HALF.... BOOK NOW!
       
NASCAR Canada Day & MIS
August 15-17 - Good Seats still available - $600 PP Twin

Tour Includes:Transportainment, 2 nights accommodation's with breakfast, tailgate BBQ, a ticket
to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race & NASCAR Nationwide Series Race plus a Pit Pass and Hospitality Tent on Sunday

Don't miss this opportunity! Call 1-888-HaveBus (428-3287) today!

Still don't have our Brochure? Call us or email us and we'll send you one.

Upcoming Racing Tours - details on www.havebus.com
Montreal - NASCAR Nationwide Series Race - August 1-2  - Good Seats still available - $500 PP Twin
Bristol -  August 19-24 - Good Seats still available - $1,250 PP Twin...including the "Sharpie 500", The Toughest Ticket to get in Motorsports.
Richmond - September 4-8 - SOLD OUT!!
Martinsville - October 16-20 - MotorSports SuperCoach SOLD OUT!!
BUT Additional seats still available on our 54 passenger Highway Coach - $500 PP Twin

Don't forget about our Group Leaders Program.  Get a group together and you could travel for free!
Looking forward to taking you Racing!

Doug Andrews

SPEEDWAY 660: Who Will Be The Best of the Best?

Fredericton, NB – The temperature hasn’t been the only thing rising at Speedway 660 this past week. The excitement for Leisure Family RV Centers Speedweekend along with the Peterbilt 250 has grown since the opening of the reservation hotline last Wednesday. The Peterbilt 250 is a race where various Pro Stocks from all over Canada and the United States take part in a 250 lap event. This weekend at Speedway 660, the Irving Lubricants Pro Stocks will get a very good practice run with the Coast Tire “Best of the Best” 100 on tap for Saturday.

The “Best of the Best” Pro Stock Series is a two-race mini-series featuring 100 lap events. Position points accumulated during the “Best of the Best” are not added to the season long CARQUEST Pro Stock Division Points Championship. Instead, each driver who runs a “Best of the Best” event receives 30 points towards the overall points championship as well as individual race points that are tabulated to crown the Best of the Best Champion. This will be the final “Best of the Best” for the year however the Irving Lubricants Pro Stocks will get another chance to shine at Speedway 660 with the Peterbilt 250 during Leisure RV Family Centers SPEEDWEEKEND.

This weekend fans can expected entries from the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour with drivers Lonnie Sommerville and Shawn Tucker, and Dave O’blenis, along with track regulars Greg Fahey, Brent Wiggins and many more are expected to take part in this weekend’s “Best of the Best”. Inaugural Peterbilt 250 winner, Kirk Thibeau, will return to defend his last win in the Irving Lubricants “Best of the Best” on May 31st. 

Aside from watching the high flying Irving Lubricants Pro Stocks entertain for 100 laps, fans will also be on the edge of their seats watching the Coast Tire Street Stocks and Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman for another amazing weekend of points racing. This season Speedway 660 has seen many first timers sitting in the Auto Pride Victory Lane.

Could Kirk Thibeau sweep the 2008 “Best of the Best” series and take home the bragging rights as the series winner? Will there be a points lead change in the Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman and Coast Tire Street Stock division? Make sure you make your way to the Geary woods this Saturday for some edge of the seat action. With this much action it is sure to be WicKID!

Coast Tire “Best of the Best” Pro Stock 100 – Race #2
Saturday, July 12th at 6:00pm
Pit gates open at 2pm
Grandstands open at 4pm
Racing starts at 6pm
Regular points racing in Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman, and Coast Tire Street Stock Divisions along with Coast Tire “Best of the Best” Pro Stock 100.
(Rain Date is Sunday at 2pm)

Ticket Prices:
Adults (16 and over) $16
Youth (ages 9-15) $13
Children (ages 8 and under) FREE

Family Pass: Two adults, Two youth plus 4 pop and 4 fries for $55.

Speedway 660 is WicKID Family Fun. The 1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features three classes of racing on a weekly basis: Irving Lubricants Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating, and Coast Tire Street Stocks. Over 60,000 people are expected to attend over 25 events during the 2006 season. Speedway 660 is located off Highway 7 on Route 660 in Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton.

Web:  www.speedway660.com

From Miranda Carr // Speedway 660

Derrick Walker: 80% Paul Tracy will be racing in Edmonton's IRL race

... according to this CP story on Sportsnet.

Let's hope they can tidy up the details so the 'Thrill' can race in front of his Canadian fans again.

Kawartha Speedway: July 4 race recap

Kawartha Speedway 2008:  Turnin’ Up The Heat
By Jim Clarke, Kawartha Speedway PR/Clarke Motorsports Communication

 

The calendar read ‘July 4th’ – Independence Day for those south of the border – but in the country where its ‘always’ supposed to be cold, the action was full-speed ahead.  Hot, fast and rockin’!

 

Kawartha Speedway kicked-off their first show of the new month with a pair of thunder car heat races.  Andy Ford claimed the first, with Willie Reyns picking-up the checkers in round 2.  The night’s semi feature saw Ford and Reyns finish just ahead of 2007 track champion Steve Mayhew.  The limited late models were next – again for a couple of qualifying events won by Dwight Brown and Todd Delisle.  Vic Parsons, whose car sustained heavy damage after contact with the front stretch wall a week earlier, took home the semi-feature checkered flag, followed by Brown and Terry Betts.

 

The highlight of the night was a 50 lap feature event for the mini stocks.  Nearly 25 of the 4 cylinder rockets signed-in, with Shanna Moroney and invader Doug Mould splitting the qualifying heats.  Mould, a regular at Capital City Speedway near Ottawa won the semi feature, with Mike Wallace and Too Moroney completing the top 3.  The late model qualifying heats were won by Larry Jackson and Brandon Watson, with Cobourg’s Norm Mayhew in victory lane following the semi feature.

 

At the last race in the month of June, Steve Mayhew held-off Willie Reyns in a spirited thunder car feature race battle.  July started-off looking like the same thing would happen again, until a late race re-start bunched the field.  Reyns carried just enough momentum out of the 4th turn to nip Mayhew at the line.  When he emerged from the car to celebrate his 2nd win of the season, the Port Hope, Ontario resident found his mother waiting the greet him.  The limited late model main event was Tom Walters’.  The veteran racer from Barrie, Ontario held off a strong challenge by Todd Delisle to claim the checkers.  Vic Parsons, Dwight Brown and Jamie Horner completed the fast 5.

 

With 22 cars taking the initial green flag for the mini stock feature, there was racing all over the spacious 3/8th mile Kawartha Speedway layout.  Turn 4 was the site of a scary wreck, when the #01 of Shannon Kimmerly and Shanna Moroney’s #29 came together. Both cars hit the wall – with Moroney sliding-in on the driver’s side of her car.  Both vehicles were finished for the night, but neither driver was injured.  When racing resumed, it was the #27x back in front and holding that spot ‘til the checkered flag, over Dwight Lavoie and Glenn Dee.  The late model ‘A’ main featured a sentimental moment, as Dan Kimmerly picked-up his first win of 2008.  The Courtice, Ontario veteran often brings 3 cars to the track, including a limited late model that his daughter Shannon will be running on a limited basis this season.  Dan McHattie, Jonathan Urlin, Brandon Watson and Larry Jackson rounded-out the top 5.

 

Kawartha Speedway will be silent Friday, July 11th – but returns to action Sunday, July 13th with the American Canadian Tour (ACT) 200 lap Summer Sizzler.  The show will feature a strong contingent of drivers from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Ontario and Quebec – as well as Kawartha and Capital City Speedway regulars.  Mini stocks, thunder cars and the Ontario Legends Series will also be part of the show.  Pit gates open at 8:AM, with on track practise at 11:00.  For full details, see www.kawarthaspeedway.com.

PHOTO GALLERY: IHRA Edmonton 2008 by Perry Nelson

This photo gallery is from the IHRA Rocky Mtn. Nationals, held this past weekend (plus Monday) in Edmoton, Alberta. The photos were taken by Perry Nelson and include: head and action shots, some dramatic crash images, photos following Dale Creasy Jr.'s incident, as well as pictures of event winner Carl 'The Big Dog' Spiering. Thanks to Perry for the use of these shots!

IHRA: Update on IHRA Nitro Funny Car driver Dale Creasy Jr.

From Mike Perry, Media Relations Director // IHRA - Live Nation
Motorsports

Dale Creasy Jr. Recovering from Surgery: Will spend another 7-10 days at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton

EDMONTON, AB (July 8, 2008) - After five hours of successful surgery to repair the severe leg injury suffered Sunday at the Rocky Mountain Nationals in Edmonton, two-time defending IHRA Nitro Funny Car World Champion Dale Creasy Jr. is recovering at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. Creasy's lower left leg was severely injured during his semifinal match-up when his transmission failed.

"The transmission was spinning," Creasy said. "Something broke and it locked up. There was nothing I could do."

The doctors at Royal Alexandra spent five hours piecing Creasy's lower left leg back together. The surgery was successful and Creasy will have a lengthy rehabilitation ahead of him. After the surgery he was able to move all his toes, which is a good sign.

"It was a five hour surgery, now they're waiting for the swelling to go down," he said. "They said it would be six months before I was able to walk again. I'm going to be here for another week to 10 days because they put a lot of pins and rods in and they want to keep an eye on it so it doesn't get infected."

Cards and greetings can be sent to Creasy at this address:
Dale Creasy Jr.
1550 Mallard's Cove
Beecher, Illinois 60401 USA

PHOTO GALLERY: OSCAAR at Sunset Speedway - July 5, 2008 by Dave Franks Photos

This is a 198-photo gallery from Sunset Speedway on Saturday, July 5, 2008, featuring the OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models. Thanks to Dave Franks for sharing his work. You can contact Dave at his website here.

IHRA: Spiering wins rain delayed Edmonton event!

EDMONTON, ALBERTA (July 7, 2008) – After qualifying seventh in a 16-car Pro Modified field in the CARS RV & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals, Carl Spiering bested his competition and took a resounding victory in the race, the fifth in the 10-round International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Knoll - Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series.

“This is just terrific,” said an elated Spiering after the race. “We tried to stay on our game plan for this deal, and it worked. We didn’t put down any big numbers, but neither did anyone else. We remained consistent throughout, and it paid off.”

Spiering also noted that he remained calm in the eliminations, and believes this helped.

“Lots of guys were having traction problems,” he noted. “But here a light touch was necessary. You couldn’t try to rotate the earth and make any killer passes. Sometimes less is more.”

This was only the second event for Spiering and the new Bruno's Automotive BRT Converter Drive, coupled to a Lenco transmission with a torque converter supplied by Coan Engineering. Spiering was pleased with the combination, which shows great promise with varying track conditions.

Spiering took out Thomas Patterson of Texas in the final with a 6.555-second, 214.25-mph pass over Patterson’s 6.848-second, 192.36-mph effort. Although Patterson had an early lead in the final quarter-mile contest, he had to back off as his car veered out of the lane. Meanwhile Spiering overcame tire shake early in the run and the Eaton Cutler-Hammer Corvette settled down to take the lead and the victory.

In elimination rounds, Spiering, from Jordan Station, Ontario, won over Gary Mason of Alberta, former IHRA Pro Modified champ Scotty Cannon of South Carolina, and Florida’s Tommy D’Aprile before lining up with Patterson in the final.

Spiering and his team had the Eaton Cutler-Hammer 1963 Corvette Pro Modified in top form all weekend, and he was quick to praise the efforts of the crew which included Rick DiStefano's Pro Modified crew members Dave and Mike.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Spiering. “We have been working on various engine and drivetrain components, and it finally all came together. The ERD engine program has taken us where we want to go. But I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of the crew and a great sponsor in Eaton Cutler-Hammer. This is a team effort, and they are here with me sharing in this victory.”

Adding to the weekend’s excitement was Lisa and Monica Spiering competing at the International Hot Rod Association event in their Eaton Powerware sponsored dragsters. Both girls won the first two rounds of competition, but were unable to compete in Monday’s rain delayed event.

The next event for the Carl Spiering Motorsports Eaton Cutler-Hammer Team is the sixth event of the 10-race International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Knoll - Gas Nitro Jam™ Drag Racing Series in Grand Bend, Ontario.

The IHRA Ninth Annual MOPAR Canadian Nationals is scheduled for July 18-20 at the Grand Bend Motorplex.

For information about the Grand Bend Motorplex, call (519) 238-7223 or visit www.grandbendmotorplex.com 

Carl Spiering Motorsports, www.CarlSpiering.com , would like to thank Eaton Cutler-Hammer and Powerware brand products for their continued support along with his associate sponsors: (ATC) Aluminum Trailer Co., Bruno's Automotive, Coan Engineering, Competition Tire Canada - Goodyear Racing Tires, ERD (Engine Research & Development), Excel Tool & Die, Tim McAmis Race Cars, NGK Spark Plugs, Pennzoil®, PSI Superchargers, Bicknell Racing Products (BRP), The Trailer Shop, VP Racing Fuels, Aeroquip Performance Products, G-Force Race Cars Inc., Cynergy Composites, Scott Jahren Paint and JET Equipment and Tools Ltd.

From Bruce F. Mehlenbacher // Director of Media Relations

Mopar To Unveil Its Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package

Mopar® Will Unveil Its Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package Car at the 29th Annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals in Denver on July 13

*       Bandimere Speedway will host the debut of the Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package Car at the 29th Annual Mopar® Mile-High Nationals on Sunday, July 13
*       The Drag Race Package Car by Mopar, race-prepped and based on the Challenger SRT8®, is designed to thrill a new generation of drag-racing enthusiasts
*       This is the first drag-race-only, factory-built package car built in 40 years

Center Line, Mich. - This year marks the 40th anniversary of the factory-built drag race package cars from Dodge and Plymouth. To commemorate those HEMI®-powered drag cars, Mopar® announced it will unveil its new Dodge Challenger Drag Race Package Car at the 29th Annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colo. on Sunday, July 13.

Featuring separate paint schemes, the first two Challenger Drag Race Package Cars built by Mopar will be revealed at approximately 2 p.m. MDT, following Sunday’s Mile-High race eliminations and before the final rounds. Mopar, Chrysler LLC’s original equipment parts manufacturer and distributor, announced its Challenger Drag Race Package Car at the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Oct. 2007.

The first drag-race-only, factory-prepped package car built in 40 years, the new Challenger Drag Race Package Car by Mopar builds on the heritage of the 1968 HEMI®-powered Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas. The limited-edition ’68 package cars represented a significant point in Mopar’s history—solidifying the brand as a quarter-mile force. A watershed moment in drag racing history, they were also a major milestone in the evolution of the second-generation HEMI powerplant (426 HEMI engine). Some of drag racing’s biggest names drove the crowd-favorite ’68 package cars —like Ronnie Sox, “Dandy” Dick Landy and Jack Werst, just to name a few. Mopar’s popular HEMI Challenge racing series, operated in conjunction with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), features these ‘68 package cars in quarter-mile competition all over the country today.

Based on the Challenger SRT8®, Mopar’s modern, factory-prepped Challenger Drag Race Package Car will begin with a special Body-in-White (BIW) from Chrysler’s Brampton, Ontario, Canada assembly plant. It has been updated for modern racing conditions. Special weight-reduction modifications were made by eliminating unnecessary components and systems. To accentuate the weight savings, it will also feature added composite, polycarbonate and lightweight components designed for drag racing. The engine was repositioned and the wheelbase was shortened to improve the driveline angle/clearance and weight distribution.

“Mopar worked with the NHRA—the world’s largest and loudest auto racing organization—to approve our race-prepped Challenger for drag race competition,” said Sunil Lahoti, Senior Manager - Mopar Marketing and Brand Strategy, Chrysler LLC. “Engineered to race, our Package Car has what an NHRA drag racer needs to thunder down the strip in competition. It’s made for straight-line, drag-strip acceleration—and is prepped to score victories off the Tree.”

Drag racers will have a choice of three engines to power the Challenger Drag Race Package Car for race competition. Mopar will build a minimum of 100 Package Cars to meet NHRA requirements. Each will carry an identification plate with sequential serial number.

Mopar built the first two Challenger Drag Race Package Cars for development and testing. Each Package Car ran successfully in June as proof-of-concept and for NHRA certification.

At the Mile-High reveal, Mopar will announce details including vehicle modifications, engine options, NHRA/IHRA categories and class eligibility, pricing, availability and distribution. A build book/owner’s manual will be available as well as a collector’s “coffee table” book.

70 Years of Mopar
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929.

Originally used in the 1920s, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937. It was also widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s—the muscle car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth “package cars” equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of “Special Parts” for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.

Today, Chrysler LLC’s Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components, restoration parts, accessories and performance parts for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to Chrysler engineering standards.

From Scott Sebastian / Clear Blue

Featured Product - Wiseco’s Chevy 350 Series Piston Kits

Wiseco Performance Products, Mentor, Ohio--- Wiseco offers a wide variety of piston combinations for the Chevy 23° 350. These include a reverse dome blower duty, standard flat top high strength, and the 350 XLS Flat Top. Wiseco’s K412F and K413F series pistons are made for the 350, 4 barrel. These series are a light series that feature deep valve pockets and a thick deck with gas ports. The extra deep valve pockets and thicker deck allow for higher horsepower, bigger cams, and more radically milled heads. The skirt design allows for as little as .004” clearance with excellent wear properties. With anti-detonation grooves, it gives the added benefit of keeping the top ring groove free from carbon. The GFX ring package offered from Wiseco along with gas ports reduce friction for noticeable increases in power. Each piston comes with a chrome Moly pin and spirolox. Kits retail at $974.74 USD.

Contact Wiseco’s sales department at 440-951-6600 or 519-537-6281 for further details. Or visit online at Wiseco.com for 24 hour service or to check availability

PHOTO GALLERY: Flamboro Speedway - July 5, 2008 by Dave Franks

This is a 230-photo gallery from Flamboro Speedway on Saturday, July 5, 2008. Thanks to Dave Franks for sharing his work. You can contact Dave at his website here.

Centre for Speed: Doubleheader weekend report - July 4 5, 2008

RIVERVIEW, N.B. JULY 7, 2008 - CENTRE for Speed staff and teams pulled off ambitious double header this past weekend and gained back some ground lost to the weatherman, earlier this season. Two previously rained out events were run including the first Maritime Super Series for Sportsman and the first Days of Destruction Series events. Both saw the largest car counts for their respective premieres in three years with more than 70 teams competing.

On Saturday, it was a night of smoke and mayhem as the first Day of Destruction this season got underway. The night featured several "crash and bang" events. Tommy Fitzgerald of PEI started and finished the night in winning fashion taking top honours in the Blind Reverse Race and Demolition while local competitors Mathieu Gallant took the checkered in the Full Contact Race and Chris Marcoux won the Soap Box Derby. In the Smoke Show competition it was Remi "Red Fisher"Gaudet who put on the best show including a disappearing act in his own tire smoke and blowing both tires off his ¼ Ton truck before he was done.

On Sunday the Maritime Super Series for Sportsman 100 saw 18 of the best competitors from the region compete. Fans were treated to some great racing including several lead changes throughout the event. When it was all over, Saint John's, Calvin Rankin and his #45 Rankin Racing Team emerged victorious. CFS's Mike Power Jr. challenged Rankin for the lead during the later stages but Rankin him off to the checkered flag. Defending Series Champ, Wayne Wormel finished off the top three. Claude Gaudet and Yves McRay each won qualifying heats.

In other racing on Sunday Don Marcoux of Saint Louis won the ThunderCat Heat and Feature followed by Eldon Campbell of Moncton and Phil Coombes of Shediac Bridge while Campbell took the Semi. Marc Sherwood of Dieppe won the Street Stock Heat and Gerard Doiron of Haute Aboujagane won the 50 lap Feature followed by Gary Stewart of PEI and Marc Sherwood. Daniel Gautreau of Shediac was victorious in the TigerCats Heat and Semi while Gerald Brun of Irishtown took the feature followed by Gautreau and his brother Pierre Gautreau in third.

Racing returns to it's regularly scheduled Saturdays this weekend with the "Sun Chips Race to End Cancer". The event will feature a Maritime Super Series for Sportsman race with $2 from every ticket sold going to the Greater Moncton Hospitals to assist in their fight against cancer. Following the races on Saturday, the speedway will host a "Super Smoke Show" beginning at 10 PM. All proceeds from the Super Smoke Show will go to the creation of Metro Moncton's new Drag Racing facility at the speedway.

From Tim Wile / Centre for Speed

NCATS: Jason White finishes 15th at St-Eustache; remains in the rookie battle

ST-EUSTACHE, QC - The Rz Racing team returned home Sunday to the west coast after the fourth stop of the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. The "KODAK 250" was held in St. Eustache Quebec, on Saturday night in front of a jam packed crowd of very loyal race fans. The capacity crowd witnessed some of Canadas finest drivers in a "knock down drag out" style race for 250 laps.

Sun Peaks, British Columbia driver Jason White had only 40 laps of practice on the very flat ¼ mile oval, before qualifying 22nd out of the 24 car field. The objective of the night was to bring the car home in one piece and try and gain valuable points for his battle with Anthony Simone and Alex Tagliani for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Rookie of the year. " Once again, we travelled to a new track and struggled to get a good handle on the car," said White. "My team worked hard and adjusted the car throughout the night and we got better as the race went on". At the end of 250 laps Jason found himself in a solid 15th position and only seven points behind Tagliani for the rookie battle.

After four races in the east, the NCATS schedule brings the teams west to Sun Valley Speedway (Vernon)on July 19th for the A&W "Cruizin the Dub" 300. White is very excited to return to the track where he has a championship under his belt. "We can't wait to go home and be somewhere that we can be in contention for a top five or even a podium finish", Jason stated. "We have learned a lot in the last two months and that has been our main goal", he continued. "Get as much knowledge and experience as we can, then come home to the A&W 300 with some momentum".

If your in the Okanagan July 19th visit Sun Valley Speedway and watch some of Canadas best drivers battle for short track supremacy, and Jason Whites' quest for freshman bragging rights!

In a sport where more sponsor dollars equals more speed the RZ Racing Team is thankful for all of their marketing partners leading into this years NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Special thanks go out to: A&W, Diamond lils trucking, Zimmer Wheaton GMC, Powder Ventures Excavations, Douglas Lake Equipment, Twin Anchors Houseboats, KAL TIRE, PRAXAIR, RE/MAX (Paul Toporowski), Peaks Media Inc., RTR Performance, Zimmer Autosport, Sleemans Brewery, Mackdaddys Nightclub, L'Cat Autographics and Thompson Valley Sand and Gravel.

Race dates and results are posted on www.NASCAR.ca // From RZ Racing