NASCAR: GOODYEAR ON TRACK TO RESOLVE INDY ISSUES

Everyone wants to know what caused the problems with the Goodyear tires in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Speedway last week. However, nobody wants to know more than Stu Grant, general manager global race tires.

Adding insult to injury, the airlines lost Grant's single piece of luggage on his return flight from Indy to Cleveland on the day after the race. Nothing like getting a swift kick from an unlikely source when your down.

Over the course of the past week, Grant has been able to narrow the focus in his investigation through a process of elimination. Two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson wants answers to the same questions Grant is asking.

“I think at the end of the day, we need to find out why the tire rubber would not lay into the track and why it turned into a powder," Johnson said during his required media appearance on Friday. "It appears that at the test session, we didn’t have that problem. We had a lot longer runs on that tire. We also saw this problem at Dover, where it just turned into a powder and didn’t actually lay into the track. So I think when we get to the root of that problem, we’ll be in good shape."

Grant's team of engineers in Akron have carefully ruled out several possible issues that could have led to the problem of the rubber dusting up as it wore from the tires. Goodyear keeps logs of the different combinations of materials used to manufacture the tires. Those combinations had not changed from 2006/2007 to 2008. Goodyear then went to their suppliers to make sure the individual materials had not been altered, also.

Grant is comfortable stating the tire used at Indianapolis was made up of the same materials in the same combinations under the same manufacturing process. Simply put, the tire itself was ruled out as a variable.

And the track, had it changed from previous years? No, the track had not changed from previous years. The diamond grinding was done years ago. However, the dept of the grinding, according to Grant, was a contributing factor to the problem, acerbated by the only variable in the entire weekend's equation.

The one change from previous years was the car itself. Which explains, at leas to this writer, why NASCAR was willing to step up and take the blame for a race marred by "competition cautions".

The next step in the process, from Grant's perspective, is to do computer modeling using what is now known about how the new car slid the right front and rear tires through the corners. Information from that exercise will give the company information they need to formulate a compound capable of overcoming the forces of the new car and be able to stick to the track surface.

Grant says there are "glues" which can be added in the process which would assist the rubber in sticking to the track surface.

Always candid, Grant admitted there were things that could have been done which might have alleviated the severity of the issue. Tires could have been drug around the track for several hours throughout the night on Saturday. Some sort of fast drying sealer might have been applied to reduce the abrasive nature of the racing surface. Either of those efforts "might" have been helpful. Why weren't they done? Again, being candid, Grant stated that even as late as Sunday morning before the race Goodyear representatives and NASCAR were of the belief the track would eventually rubber in. It just never did.

2008 was originally scheduled as the second of two transitions years for the Car of Tomorrow. Car owners pushed NASCAR fully implement the car this year in order to reduce the cost of maintaining two types of race cars. That decision has put Goodyear behind the eight ball on a couple occasions this year, the first being Atlanta.

Goodyear responded to the issues at Atlanta and they will do the same with the issues at Indy. Already two test sessions have been planned before the circuit returns to the famed speedway in 2009. Don't be surprised if that becomes three or even four if that is what it takes to develop a race tire specifically to guarantee the best possible racing possible.

And, Goodyear will not be alone in the effort. Those are the positives that have already come from one of the sports most embarrassing moments.

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES: Ranger wins in Montreal

Andrew Ranger won Saturday's NCATS race at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Quebec racer passed JR Fitzpatrick with just a few turns to go in the 23 lap race.

Fitzpatrick fought to recover the spot and spun out, leaving points leader Scott Steckly to take second and add to his margin. Two-time Montreal race winner Kerry Micks was third in front of the capacity crowd.

Russ Bond live blogged the whole race at www.canadianracers.com

Ohswken Speedway feature winners Aug. 1, 2008

Feature winners for Friday Aug.1, 2008 at Ohsweken Speedway.
Photos by Rick Wellman. To see more of Rick's work, go to:
www.rickwellmanphotography.com

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series - Micks earns Montreal pole

MONTREAL – Defending NAPA 100 champion Kerry Micks set a track record in NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio qualifying at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The driver out of Mount Albert, Ontario worked his way around the 14-turn, 2.710-mile road course in 106.664 seconds for an average lap speed of 91.465 mph.

It was Micks’ (No. 02 Beyond Digital Imaging Ford) first pole of the 2008 season and the third of his Canadian Tire Series career.

“The Beyond Digital Imaging Ford was good right out of the box,” said Micks. “Track position here is not critical but it will be good to start up front have a clean track to work with.”

The previous record was set by J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevrolet) a season ago at 106.755 seconds (91.387 mph).

In tomorrow’s race, Fitzpatrick will start alongside Micks on the front row with a qualifying time of 106.803 (91.346 mph).

Starting third on the grid is Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford). His fastest lap of the qualifying session was completed in 107.011 seconds (91.168 mph). Starting next to Ranger will be current championship point standings leader Scott Steckly (No. 22 Tow Truck in a Box/Schick Dodge) who timed in at 107.280 seconds (90.940 mph).

NASCAR Road Race style (group) qualifying procedures were used for the session. The field was divided into two groups based on their morning practice times.

The green flag for the NAPA 100 is scheduled to be wave at 10:20 a.m. ET tomorrow. The race will be televised live throughout Canada on RDS.


NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio-NAPA 100
After Friday qualifying; race Saturday
At Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Montreal, Quebec
Lap Length: 2.710-mile (road course)
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (02) Kerry Micks, Mt. Albert Ont., Ford, 91.465
2. (84) J.R. Fitzpatrick, Cambridge Ont., Chevrolet, 91.346
3. (27) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond Que., Ford, 91.168
4. (22) Scott Steckly, Milverton Ont., Dodge, 90.940
5. (7) Alex Tagliani, Lachenaie Que., Ford, 90.702
6. (4) Don Thomson, Jr., Ayr Ont., Chevrolet, 90.620
7. (1) Peter Gibbons, Stouffville Ont., Ford, 90.441
8. (17) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas Ont., Dodge, 90.317
9. (88) Robin Buck, Campbellville Ont., Ford, 90.277
10. (9) Mark Dilley, Barrie Ont., Dodge, 90.274
11. (3) Jason Hathaway, Appin Ont., Dodge, 90.273
12. (23) Jeff Lapcevich, Grimsby Ont., Chevrolet, 89.672
13. (42) Peter Klutt, Halton Hills Ont., Pontiac, 89.672
14. (39) Dave Whitlock, Petrolia Ont., Dodge, 89.662
15. (19) Brad Graham, Glencoe Ont., Dodge, 89.593
16. (95) Anthony Simone, Holland Landing Ont., Chevrolet, 89.587
17. (29) Pierre Bourque, Ottawa Ont., Dodge, 89.570
18. (25) Jim Lapcevich, Hamilton Ont., Chevrolet, 89.388
19. (60) Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor Ont., Dodge, 88.859
20. (10) Doug Brown, Brantford Ont., Dodge, 88.556
21. (56) Joey McColm, Ajax Ont., Dodge, 88.343
22. (94) Didier Schraenen, St. Hilaire Que., Chevrolet, 88.284
23. (69) Trevor Seibert, Williams Lake B.C., Ford, 88.250
24. (77) Derek Lynch, Warkworth Ont., Dodge, 87.924
25. (82) Dave Connelly, Arnprior Ont., Chevrolet, 87.175
26. (12) John Gaunt, Barrie Ont., Dodge, 86.748
27. (21) Jason White, Sun Peaks B.C., Chevrolet, 86.496
28. (71) Bryan Cathcart, Peterborough Ont., Dodge, 85.941
29. (18) Kent Nuhn, Williamsford Ont., Chevrolet, 85.327
30. (44) Jarrad Whissell, Calgary Alb., Ford, Provisional
31. (49) John Fletcher, Ancaster Ont., Dodge, Provisional
32. (72) Ashley Taws, Newmarket Ont., Chevrolet, Provisional
33. (67) David Thorndyke, Oshawa Ont., Chevrolet, Provisional

From Shon Sbarra / NASCAR

PHOTO GALLERY: OSCAAR at Sauble Speedway - July 26, 2008 by Dave Franks

This is a 200-photo gallery from Sauble Speedway on Saturday, July 26, 2008, featuring the OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models and some regular track divisions. Thanks to Dave Franks for the photos. You can see Dave's website here.

NASCAR NATIONWIDE: Andrew Ranger added to the field

TSN is reporting that NASCAR Canada helped NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racer Andrew Ranger get into a car for Saturday afternoon's NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Montreal. Nice.

By my count, that makes nine Canucks who will attempt to take the green flag in the main event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Can't wait!

SHAW MOTORSPORTS: July 26 2008 update from Flamboro

Severe thunder storms with heavy rains gave way to sunny skies as the Shaw Crew arrived at Flamboro Speedway for the 40 lap Gary Elliott Anniversary Special. Gary and Nonie Elliott started racing in May of 1969 and over the next four decades would accumulate three seasons in the Mini Stocks and thirty-three in the Vintage Modifieds before joining the Late Models in 2005.

The Elliotts wanted a night set aside where they could say thanks to every segment of the racing community - the fans, children, racers, sponsors and the race track owners. Six bicycles were given away as part of the evening’s festivities – two of which were supplied by Shaw Motorsports on behalf of Roof Trusses and Components and the young winners were very happy due to the generosity of these sponsors. The Late Model drivers democratically decided that the extra purse monies for the night be donated to the charity of Gary’s choice which happened to have representatives in attendance. Dale Losch, from Cross World was presented with $760 during the intermission

The crew decided to try a little of the Delaware setup in the car for the first practice, however it was not as comfortable as they thought it would be. A chassis adjustment was made and the car was much better for the second practice.

The #82 Roof Trusses and Components Fusion started 3rd in the heat race and when the #10 who was ahead of him got a little loose, Jason was quick to make the move inside and take the position. The #48 and #42 got together at the back of the field to bring out the caution and that put Jason on the outside of the #36 for the restart.

After one lap of side by side racing, Jason got past the #36 and then started to pull away. With 3 laps to go, Jason managed to pull away from the #36 and took the checkered flag for the heat win. Jason was lined up 12th for the 40 lap feature and as the cars entered the track, they were stopped on the front stretch to allow Gary Elliott time to get out of his car and present track owners John and Frank Casale with a special plaque. After running 3 laps on the outside of the #8, Jason fell in behind him as the cars in front of him were loose and not moving as well as the lower lane.

Once down on the bottom, Jason quickly moved forward into 10th just prior to the #27,#3 and #42 getting together coming out of turn 4. Unfortunately, Jason was not able to get stopped in time as a little help from behind by the #52, pushed the #82 into the stopped cars causing minor damage to the right rear. The Nation Fire Equipment Ford restarted 13th behind the #3 and when the next caution came out for the #10 who had spun on lap 9, was up to 12th. On the restart, Jason was able to get past the #3, #27 and #88 into 9th. The #56 pulled off the track with an overheating problem moving the #82 into 8th on lap 15.

On the restart Jason followed the #48 past the #27 into 7th. Just before the half way mark, the #36 got a good run on the #37 and Gary Elliott was now leading the race. The #52 hit the wall on lap 22 and this pushed the rear end out of alignment causing him to spin out in the next corner bringing out the caution and putting the #82 into 6th. Jason got past the #48 on lap 26 into 5th and was now behind the #86. With 10 laps to go, the #36 had a 5 car length lead over his son David in the #37 car who had his hands full defending his position from the #8. With 5 laps to go, the top 5 pulled away from the rest of the field and remained in that order to finish with the #36 taking the victory followed by the #37, #8, #86 and then the #82 in 5th.

In other racing news, Billy Schwartzenburg in his #82 Mini-Sock went for a wild ride in his heat race. Billy was the victim of a chain reaction accident that saw him get turned into the wall at the exit of turn four and the front end climbed the wall, flipping the car on to it’s roof. Billy was fine, however his mother was an emotional wreck and the car received extensive  damage beyond repair. Ken Spira, Dave Hagedorn and the Schwartzenburg family went to work putting Billy’s motor, seat and set up into his brother Rick’s #72 car so he could continue to hold or improve on his 4th place position in the Flamboro points race. Billy is a 15 year old from Guelph and is the primary mini-stock sponsored by Spira Fire Protection.

Next up for the Shaw Team, is the Kid’s Ride night at Flamboro Speedway on Saturday August 2nd. The pits are scheduled to open at 4:00 pm, main gates at 5 and racing is to get underway at 6:30. Kid’s rides are from 5 - 6.

From Ken Spira / Shaw Motorsports

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES: Mohawks to ride with Bourque in Montreal

CONCORD, NC (July 31, 2008) – As the NASCAR Nationwide Series makes a historic appearance in Canada this weekend, Pierre Bourque will take part in the weekend of racing at Montreal’s Ile Notre Dame on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Bourque will be entered in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event at the road course on Saturday.

The #29 Whitlock Motorsports-prepared Dodge that Bourque will drive is being sponsored by Mohawk Internet Technologies for this race. It is the first venture for the Mohawk people into NASCAR racing and Bourque is excited about the partnership.

“I am really excited about this groundbreaking collaboration with Mohawk Internet Technologies,” said Bourque. “To my knowledge, this is the first time a MOHAWK business has entered the world of NASCAR. Not only am I thrilled to have their support, but I am also a longtime client and I can attest first-hand to the quality and performance of their cutting-edge services and technology.”

It’s not just Bourque who is excited either. In fact, both sides of the partnership are thrilled with the arrangement for the weekend.

“In over 400 years, the Mohawk people have never been defeated in battle, and it is with that knowledge and sense of history that we are proud to place the name of Mohawk Internet Technologies on the car of #29, Mr. Pierre Bourque, whom we believe will carry that tradition forward,” said Chuck Barnett, Board of Supervisors for Mohawk Internet Technologies.

Bourque is in a great position to carry along that tradition. He is a veteran of both road racing and stock car disciplines and the Montreal event will require proficiency in both areas for a driver to take home a good finish.

Mohawk Internet Technologies (MIT) is a unique business initiative of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) and its business partners. Keeping with the historic tradition of the North American trading post, MIT serves as one of the predominant electronic business centers on the Internet. MIT is not a bank, casino, or on-line store, but rather the internet service provider for numerous e-businesses who enjoy fast, reliable internet access in a free-enterprise environment specifically geared towards cross-business alliances and development.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire event at Montreal will take place on Saturday, August 2nd.
For more information on Pierre Bourque, check out http://www.pierrebourque.net/.

For more information on Mohawk Internet Technologies, please visit www.mohawk.ca.

HAVE BUS WILL TRAVEL: Last Call Canada Day at MIS

LAST CALL.... NASCAR Canada Day @ MIS

 

August 15-17 - Good Seats still available - ONLY $600 PP Twin

 

Tour Includes:Transportainment, 2 nights accommodation's with breakfast, tailgate BBQ, tickets
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 

Bristol -  August 19-24 - Few 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

WONDERLAND SPEEDWAY: Racing is on for Aug 1, 2008!

Not sure why it was ever in doubt, but we received the following note from Wonderland Speedway regarding their Friday, Aug. 1 show: "Good news! racing at Wonderland speedway is a go for Aug 1, 2008. See everyone at the track!"

OHSWEKEN: SPORTSMAN SHOOTOUT AND ART HILL MEMORIAL TAKE CENTRE STAGE

By Tommy Goudge (July 30, 2008) - After a week off, Ohsweken Speedway's Friday Night Thunder kicks back into high gear this Friday night, August 1, when the Sportsman Modifieds return to do battle in the 4th round of the Lucas Oil Shootout series, along with the annual Art Hill Memorial race for the ESSO Mini-Stock division. Also on the card on Friday are the popular ESSO Thunder Stocks, and the Friday Night Fun Stocks, with all the action on Friday night being brought to you by Outhouse Designs.

The Sportsman cars last competed at Ohsweken on June 27 when 32 of the best Sportsman drivers in the region signed in to do battle for a $1,000 winner's cheque. At the end of the night, it was surprise winner Brandon Easey of St. Catharines visiting victory lane for the first time in his career, followed by local driver Robbie Rounce, Jim Johnstone, Mat Williamson, and Brad Rouse rounding out the top 5.

In a unique twist, the Lucas Oil series points are tallied using feature finishes, and the driver with the lowest total will win the championship. The series standings are very tight heading into Ohsweken, with Tyler McPherson leading Chad Chevalier by just 1 marker, as McPherson has yet to finish outside the top 5 in the first 3 series races. McPherson finished 5th in round 1 at Genesee on June 14, 2nd at Merrittville on June 21, and 4th at Humberstone on July 6.

Chevalier, meanwhile, took 3rd place finishes in each of the first 2 rounds, but finished 6th at Humberstone, putting him 1 spot behind McPherson. When the 2 drivers last visited Ohsweken on June 27, it was McPherson with the upper hand over Chevalier when the checkered flag fell, as Tyler came from 12th on the grid to finish 6th, while Chevalier started 24th and finished 9th.

Both drivers will be looking to improve on those finishes on Friday, but BJ Willard, Mat Williamson, and James Michael Friesen round out the top 5 in series points and figure to give the 2 front runners a run for their money. Friesen is the only driver in the top 5 who has collected a win in the first 3 events, a feat which he accomplished at Humberstone. Williamson, meanwhile, had all eyes on his #6 the last time he visited Ohsweken as he started 25th on a promoter's option and charged all the way to 4th when the green flag fell.

New York driver Rob Pratt will also be one to watch this Friday, as the former Ohsweken track champ is always fast on the 3/8's mile, and would likely have been in contention for the win on June 27th if damage in his heat race had not ended his night prematurely.

Always a fan favourite at Ohsweken, the ESSO Mini-Stocks will be in the limelight on Friday night when they contest the annual 42-lap Art Hill Memorial race. This year's event will see 26 starters battling for the coveted Art Hill victory and the $1,000 that goes along with it, in what is sure to be a hotly contested event. Dave Bailey won last year's edition of the event, but has since moved up to the Thunder Stock division, although he did compete in the Mini-Stocks at the start of this season as well, and could return to defend his crown this week.

Heading into the week, 2007 track champ Abel Castelein enjoys a 66 point lead over Mitchell Brown in the standings, and is riding a 2-race win streak. The fight for 2nd is heating up however, as the 2nd through 5th place drivers are seperated by just 7 points, with Brown's 2 feature wins being the main difference. After his 2 recent race wins are counted in the handicapping system, Castelein will need to come from the middle of the pack if he hopes to extend his winning streak and take home the Art Hill victory.

Following Brown in the points are Rick Emberson, Kevin Hilborn, and Mark Thorne, all of whom have yet to take a checkered flag this season, and would like nothing more than to take the Art Hill win.

In the ESSO Thunder Stock division, points leader Cody McPherson got back on track with a feature win the last time out, after a flat tire derailed his season-long streak of top-3 finishes the week before. Ryan Dinning, Terry Osmond, Glen Leinen, and Brian Pescetti round out the top 5 in Thunder Stock points, while defending track champ Brad Bacher has not had the season he intended, slipping to 10th in the standings after he finished 17th in the most recent event.

The Thunder Stocks have been a very exciting and competitive division all season at Ohsweken and entertained the fans with spectacular racing in their last event, with more of the same expected this Friday.

The Friday Night Fun Stocks division continues to grow and become more competitive with each passing week, and the racing action has been especially good in each of the last two events as the drivers have become more comfortable on the smaller oval located in Ohsweken's infield. In the last event, Lee Hils extended his points lead by taking his 4th feature win of the season, but Chris Hils finished 4th that night to keep Lee in sight, and sits just 12 points behind, while Karl Sault has won 2 features this season and is still within striking distance in 3rd, 38 points back of the lead.

Exchange/refund information for for ticket holders from the rained-out World of Outlaws events last week is now posted on the Ohsweken Speedway website at www.OhswekenSpeedway.com.

Please visit the website to view the different options available. Dawn Pelkie will be at Ohsweken Speedway this Friday, August 1 from 5:30p.m. - 8:00p.m. to handle ticket exchanges for anyone who paid cash for their tickets at the speedway.

One of the options available to ticket holders is an exchange for tickets to the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, an event which is fast approaching, scheduled for September 12 and 13. Plenty of reserved seats remain available for each night of this huge event, which will see more than 70 of the best 360 sprint car drivers from Ontario, Quebec, New York, Pennsylania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and beyond all competing for the $8,000 winner's cheque and the right to be called the winner of the 4th annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals. Visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com and then call 1-888-720-RACE to get your tickets.

Ohsweken Speedway's Friday Night Thunder resumes this Friday, August 1 when Outhouse Designs presents the Lucas Oil Sportsman Shootout, and ESSO Mini-Stock Art Hill Memorial Race, plus ESSO Thunder Stocks and Friday Night Fun Stocks. Friday Night Thunder at Ohsweken offers affordable family entertainment just a short drive away from most Mid-Western Ontario locations. Friday Night Thunder Adult General Admission is $10, while Seniors and Students are $8, and Kids age 12 and under are FREE! Please visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com for more information. Spectator gates open @ 6:00p.m., with the first race taking the green flag at 7:45p.m. this Friday, August 1!

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Micks hoping to repeat last year's victory in Montreal

MT. ALBERT, ONTARIO (July 30, 2008) – Kerry Micks is ready to defend his title in the NAPA 100 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race this weekend on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

 

The winner of last year's inaugural race has now returned from the series' 2008 western trip, has regrouped, and will be ready for Saturday's race.

 

"We're ready for this one," said the driver of the Beyond Digital Imaging Ford. "We had some issues out west, but we did take an eighth spot in Edmonton after some engine problems."

 

Micks is presently sixth in the points going into the Montreal race, the seventh event in the 13-race 2008 schedule.

 

"Last year's race was an interesting one," Micks continued. "I got an early lead in the race, and led for close to 20 laps. Then Andrew Ranger got by me with only one lap to go. We got a little physical and swapped some paint, but I was able to get by him and hold him off to win. I've been racing many years, and that win was one of the sweetest."

 

The Mount Albert racer said he enjoys driving on the 2.71-mile road course at Montreal, and looks forward to this weekend's contest.

 

"The track is just great," he added. "It is a very smooth course, and very twisty. You have to work at it when racing there, but when you win, it is all the more satisfying."

 

For information about the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, visit www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca

 

Beyond Digital Imaging Inc. (BDI), Canadian Detailing Services, Crane Lake Resort, HP Canada, Ultraflex, Cathcart Trucking, Castrol and NGK Spark Plugs are sponsors of Micks Motorsports, www.micksmotorsports.com

 

About Kerry Micks: Kerry Micks, the 1993 CASCAR Super Series National Champion is the driver of the #02 Micks Motorsports 2008 Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Micks of Mount Albert, Ontario finished the 2007 season in seventh position in the championship point standings with three top-three podium finishes, and seven top-ten finishes including a win at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in downtown Montreal and the Grand-Prix de Trois-Rivières. Micks collected one pole in 2007 at Barrie Speedway and had a third place finishes at Mosport Speedway.

 

Kerry has been driving Ford products since 1995 when Ford of Canada came on board with Micks Motorsports, and it continues to support Ford and retain close relationships with all involved.

 

About NASCAR: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has a broad reach with 1,300 racing events at 95 tracks in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in several racing series. Among major professional sports, NASCAR ranks number one in corporate involvement and per-event attendance, and number two in television viewership. This sanctioning body for stock car racing is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in New York City (Corporate Marketing), Los Angeles (Broadcasting Media and Entertainment), Charlotte, North Carolina (Licensing and Aftermarket), Concord, North Carolina (Research and Development Center), Mexico City, and Toronto, Ontario.

 

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be presented across Canada in a 13-race schedule for 2008.

 

From Bruce F. Mehlenbacher

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Team Fastline drivers prepared for next round

HAMILTON, ONTARIO (July 30, 2008) – Fastline Motorsports Team drivers Jeff and Jim Lapcevich are ready for the NAPA 100, the seventh race in the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. The event will be held August 2 on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

 

“I’m a little concerned that the Chevrolets haven’t done well on the road courses this year,” said Jeff Lapcevich, driver of the 2008 Chevrolet Monte Carlo sponsored by Tim Hortons. “The Fords and Dodges have been strong, and the Chevrolets have been down on power,” he continued. “But, that being said, we plan on doing better than last year.”

 

In 2007, Jeff Lapcevich started the 23-lap race in ninth position, and finished eighth. The other Fastline driver, Jim Lapcevich, agreed with his brother Jeff regarding the lack of power for the Chevy drivers.

 

“Are we down on power? Absolutely,” said Jim Lapcevich, who pilots a similar 2008 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. “Last year the car just ran out of horsepower,” added the Hamilton, Ontario resident. Even with an engine change after qualifying, he started in 31st spot and worked his way back to ninth at Montreal.

 

Both drivers said they enjoy racing on the Montreal course.

 

“It’s a nice twisty track,” said Jeff, of Grimsby, Ontario, who is running a limited schedule this year, with the Montreal event his second of the present season. “There are lots of changes on the track. The only thing it lacks is differences in elevation.”

 

Brother Jim, who is competing in most NASCAR races this year, concurred with Jeff about racing on the 2.71-mile road circuit which has been the home to the Canadian Grand Prix.

 

“I love the track,” said Jim. “It’s the smoothest track we’ve ever been on, thanks to the Formula One specs. I really enjoy racing on it. It’s a lot of fun.”

 

For information about the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, visit www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca

 

Team Fastline, www.fastlinemotorsports.ca, is sponsored by Tim Hortons, Springer's Meats, Troy Cove Marine, Cathcart Trucking, Wix Filters and B & J Electric.

 

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

 

About Fastline Motorsports: The Fastline Motorsports, www.FastlineMotorsports.ca, team cars are based on the 2008 Chevrolet Monte Carlo body with a 107.5-inch wheelbase, which sits on top of a McColl Racing Enterprises chassis. The 355-cubic inch small-block Chevrolet engine from AP Racing Engines produces over 500 horsepower, and this power is transferred to the car's rear wheels by a four-speed transmission. Headed by father Joe Lapcevich, and with an experienced and devoted crew of 12 others, this two-car team demonstrates the professionalism, ability, and confidence to represent this exciting sport both on and off the track.

 

About Jeff Lapcevich: Jeff Lapcevich ran a limited schedule in the 2007 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and finished with two top-ten finishes. Jeff Lapcevich began his career on road circuits, and the experience acquired in this form of motorsport has developed into a successful career on the CASCAR tour, as he has won six road course events in the past four years in CASCAR.

 

About Jim Lapcevich: In 2007, Jim Lapcevich captured seven top-ten finishes in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and one top-five finish, narrowly missing the winner’s podium on several occasions. With a strong background in oval track events, Jim Lapcevich has progressed from the Saturday night "bull-rings" to become one of the top drivers in CASCAR, with several victories in this national series. With a strong competitive desire, Jim will always be in the hunt vying for that checkered flag.

 

About NASCAR: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has a broad reach with 1,300 racing events at 95 tracks in the United States, Canada, and Mexico in several racing series. Among major professional sports, NASCAR ranks number one in corporate involvement and per-event attendance, and number two in television viewership. This sanctioning body for stock car racing is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in New York City (Corporate Marketing), Los Angeles (Broadcasting Media and Entertainment), Charlotte, North Carolina (Licensing and Aftermarket), Concord, North Carolina (Research and Development Center), Mexico City, and Toronto, Ontario.

 

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be presented across Canada in a 13-race schedule for 2008.

 

From: Bruce F. Mehlenbacher

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Doug Brown looking forward to return to Montreal

BRANTFORD, ON - Doug Brown resumes his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule this coming weekend in Montreal when the all-Canadian stock car racing series joins the NASCAR Nationwide Series on Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

It will the Brantford competitor's first race since July 5th at St. Eustache, Quebec where he earned his third straight top-ten finish after a disappointing start to the season at Cayuga Speedway. The veteran driver of the Haldex-sponsored Dodge elected to skip the recent western segment of the 13-race schedule and is anxious to get back into the action and resume his steady performance improvements prior to the break.

Brown had climbed to tenth-place in the standings following his run at St. Eustache but now finds himself in 19th-place having missed the events in Vernon, BC and Edmonton.

"It was a costly decision in terms of where we are now in the standings (by not going west) but in looking at the results of the western races we may have saved ourselves a lot of money given the motor attrition some of those who went west experienced", Doug remarked in assessing his current position.

Despite his drop in the overall standings he remains optimistic that he can still salvage a top-15 or better position in the standings before the season is over.

"A lot can happen in the remaining seven events, so we'll just attempt to regain our momentum and see what we can muster. "

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series teams will practice Friday morning at the famed circuit on Île Notre-Dame beginning at 8:00 am with qualifying session scheduled for 12:30 pm.

The 23-lap/100 km NCATS event schedule for Saturday morning begins with drivers' presentation at 9:35 followed by the 10:20 race start.

Strong Canadian Contingent in NAPA 200: This year's NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA 200 will have a strong representation of Canadians vying for spots in the starting field.

Former Formula One and CART driver Jacques Villeneuve, son of Gilles Villeneuve for whom the track was named, has reached agreement with a group of sponsors (Groupe Savoie of Les Résidences Soleil, Schick Canada, L'Équipeur and Marks Work Wearhouse, the UPS Store Canada, Hype Energy Drinks, and Ganotech for his ride in the Braun Racing No. 32 Toyota Camry. Villeneuve has captured championships in both the CART Series in 1995 and Formula 1 two years later. He has also won the 1995 Indy 500.

Patrick Carpentier a regular in NASCAR's premier Sprint Series, captured the pole position for last year's inaugural Canadian event and went on to finish second in the race. Carpentier's Gillett Evernham team decided he would skip the regular Sprint Cup series race in Pocono this weekend to concentrate on the Montreal event. This will be his fifth Nationwide start this season.

D.J. Kennington, currently third in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series standings, will being double-duty this weekend by driving the No. 81 Mahindra Tractor Dodge in the NASCAR Nationwide Series special. Kennington has already entered 17 of the 24 Nationwide Series events run todate (24th in points) with his best finish being 23rd in Nashville.

Other Canadians expected to enter the Nationwide event are Ron Fellows, Wheeler and Trevor Boys plus current NASCAR Canadian Tire points leader Scott Steckly and veteran Don Thomson, Jr. currently 131 points behind Steckly and a mere 12 points ahead of Kennington.

Prepared By: Ken Spencer // HB Motorsports

Merrittville Speedway: Ontario Dirt LM visit this weekend

Thorold, Ontario (July 30) For most of the Ontario Dirt Late Models (ODLM) – their first ever visit to Merrittville Speedway’s d-shaped oval will surely be a Civic Holiday Challenge.  For one – it may be no different than a Saturday Night.

 

Jeff Dayman holds a share of top spot in the 2008 so far numerically-listed ODLM Point Standings. Dayman of course is a veteran Hoosier Stock competitor.

 

Show up points were awarded in June’s WoO Late Model 50 at Ohsweken – leading up to Saturday’s Hingston Metal Fabrication Night August 2nd and the opening round of the Civic Holiday Challenge.

 

Canada’s only touring series for dirt late models will take the national stage as along with Merrittville’s event – the mini series wraps up at the Humberstone Speedway August 3rd with the Molson Canadian All Canadian Championships.

 

In an effort to increase the series’ visibility on a national level, the Ontario Dirt Late Models have invited 37 of Canada’s top dirt late model drivers to compete in the organization’s 2008 events.

 

That invitation list stretches to Thunder Bay but also includes drivers from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

 

An additional incentive has been offered to drivers how participate in the holiday weekend shows. ODLM Race Coordinator Debbie Brush recently announced a $1500 bonus to be shared amongst the Top 5 in points between the two races.

 

Back at the WoO Event at Oshweken, ODLM driver Chris Ross (Wallaceburg, ON) placed 12th while Adam Ferri was 16th, Ed Carley (Freedom NY) was 18th and Chad Valone, (Warren, PA) was 24th.

 

Ferri of course will have years of Sportsman and 358 Modified experience to draw on when he was a regular Saturday Night competitor at the Thorold track.

 

Rick Baker will also be in the field and will be looking to use his past Merrittville experience to his advantage as well.

 

Carley also has some history as does expected entrant Doug Ricotta of Warsaw NY. Both drivers have run with the BRP Can Am Late Models in the past.

 

Merrittville Speedway race fans will also recognize some other names throughout ODLM history as the 2007 Champion was Rob Ledingham with Rick Beales also in the point standings as was Ferri and Baker.

 

In 2006, former Merrittville Pro Stock Champion Darren Kish won two ODLM events at Humberstone Speedway.

 

Also on the first Saturday Night since the start of July are the Original Pizza Logs Sportsman, Hoosier Stocks, Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinders and the 4 Cylinder Trucks.

 

Race will have a final opportunity to get Pasta Dinner Tickets and a last chance to enter the Big Block Grand Marshall Contest.

 

Hingston Metal Fabricators specialize in flame cutting, custom punching, shearing, expansion joints (metal and fabric) sand blasting, press braking and both aluminum and stainless steel welding.

 

For your next project give Hingston a call at 905-682-8338 or visit their location at 490 Eastchester Avenue East in St. Catharines.

 

Gates will open Saturday August 2nd at 5:30 with Showtime set for 7:00.

 

Your local Dirt Track is where it’s at and it’s at Merrittville Speedway Monday August 4th when the Civic Holiday Doubleheader concludes with our biggest event.

 

The star studded Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series Big Blocks are set to challenge our home town heroes in the 100 lap Trevor Wilkens Memorial presented by Toolneeds.

 

With plenty of free camping – enjoy the whole weekend at the track, the Club Castropignano Pasta Dinner and much more – it all puts Merrittville Speedway on the map as a must see event.

 

It’s been a Holiday Tradition since 1972 – make it yours in 2008!

 

To learn more call 905-892-8266 or visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com.

 

From Erica Bicknell

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES: Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 set to return to Mosport Speedway

(BOWMANVILLE, ON – July 30, 2008)  The powerful stock cars of the NASCAR  Canadian Tire Series are will make their second appearance of the season at Mosport, this time at the Speedway, as Canada's top stock car drivers take to Canada's fastest half-mile oval in the Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 on Saturday, August 9.

 

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Canada's top-level stock car championship, features drivers such as current points leader Scott Steckly of Milverton, Ontario, five-time Mosport Speedway winner Don Thomson, Jr. of Ayr, Ontario and defending series champion Andrew Ranger of Roxton Pond, Quebec. Among the other veteran racers that will be on the starting grid, are past Mosport Speedway winners DJ Kennington of St.Thomas, Ontario and Dave Whitlock of Petrolia, Ontario and 2006 national stock car champ J.R. Fitzpatrick of Cambridge, Ontario.

 

In addition to the exciting racing action taking place on-track, the Speedway's got some great attractions off-track too. The Canadian Tire Fast Track Tour will be on hand inside to entertain and educate race fans. They can test their NASCAR/ Canadian Tire knowledge and learn more about Canada's rich racing history, and see if they've got what it takes on the PlayStation simulator.

 

The Full Throttle Energy Drink display will also be set up near the front gates, where fans can sample an ice cold Full Throttle and get their picture taken with the Full Throttle girls. One lucky fan and a friend will also win the Full Throttle Best Seats In the House and watch the race from a private grandstand near corner one.

 

A new attraction for this year's Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 is the Castrol Top Tuner

 

Super Saturn Sky display. The display features the multimillion dollar high-performance show car and custom transporter along with a selection of Castrol lubricants and information about the Castrol Top Tuner Tour program.

 

The gates open at 1:30 p.m. and time trials are set for 5:00 p.m. Fans will also want to be sure to bring their sharpies and cameras for the driver autograph session that will get underway at 5:45 p.m. on the front straight. The green flag for the Full Throttle Energy Drink 200, a 200 lap, 100 mile race, drops at 7:00 p.m.

 

Advance tickets are just $25 until August 6 ($30 at the Gate) and parking is free. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paid adult admission.

 

For more information about tickets, call the Mosport Hotline at 1-800-866-1072 (Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET) or visit online at www.mosport.com. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster.

 

-30-

 

Photo: The start of the 2007 Full Throttle Energy Drink 200 at Mosport Speedway.  // Credit: Peter Brand .ca    // From Lee Bailie, Mosport

TLM RACING: Team Grote rookie Alex Ellis lands multiple podiums; heading to Valencia, Spain

If landing on 3 podiums, including the trophy race win at the Ted Powell Memorial race at Calabogie Sunday wasn't enough excitement, Alex Ellis will now board a plane from Toronto this Friday to participate in the upcoming FBMW Americas Licensing Courses held at the Formula BMW Racing Center at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, in Valencia, Spain.

During this weekend's F1200 races at Calabogie Ellis, and another top contender Michael Iamundi, were never more than 3 tenths of a second apart at the finish line with Ellis edging out Iamundi by 3/1000's of second for the trophy race, truly a great display of racing to a photo finish by a couple of Canada's top open wheel prospects!

Ellis, the current overall points and rookie of the year leader in the F1200 Championship Series has shown speed, consistency, and determination over the first half of the season.

Before joining the F1200 Series in late winter Ellis found himself challenging for the Las Vegas Super National Karting title, then shortly after was in Arizona where he made it to the final cut for the 2008 VW Jetta TDI Cup Series.

"Going into this shootout I feel very comfortable. This is mostly due to my experiences and time in F1200 cars. The F1200 cars have really set me up well going into the Formula BMW cars, as the higher speed and G forces are not as hard to get used to as the basic feel of a racecar in general", stated Ellis from his home in St. Catharines, Ontario. "In no other series will all 3 races in a single weekend be decided by less than 3 tenths of a second each. F1200 really teaches drivers how to react in close quarters, and I feel it has given me an advantage when it comes to racecraft and decision making. A big thanks to TLM Racing/Team Grote, Coach Randy Smith, Ellis Engineering, ArtCraft Kitchens, and 66 GraphX for helping me get to this point and opportunity!"

TLM Racing, Team Grote, and The Formula 1200 Drivers Association wish Alex the best of luck in Spain and make Canada proud!

From TLM Racing

New Hampshire Motor Speedway reacts to being left off the 2009 IndyCar sked: "... a slap in the face..."

LOUDON, N.H. (July 30, 2008) – The following is a statement from New Hampshire Motor Speedway Executive Vice President and General Manager Jerry Gappens on the Speedway being omitted from the 2009 IndyCar Series Schedule.

“I’m extremely disappointed for our fans, who have given us very positive feedback about the possible return of IndyCar racing to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In fact, in a recent poll on our website, nhms.com, nearly 80-percent of our fans said they wanted to see this exciting form of motorsports return. That’s a strong endorsement, and I don’t understand the decision not to include our facility on next year's schedule.

I think it’s a slap in the face to Bruton Smith, our Chairman, and to our company who have both been very supportive of the Indy Racing League since its inception. From a historical perspective, Bob Bahre, the former owner of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, was one of the first to agree to go with the Indy Racing League (IRL) when they split from Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1995.

I sat in a meeting and watched Bruton ask them for a race here, which they seemed extremely interested in doing, pending scheduling conflicts with Japan. In addition, in that same meeting, they asked him to host the series finale in Las Vegas, which Mr. Smith agreed to and even offered the speedway and financial support for it to happen this year. Having attended that meeting in early June, it’s hard to believe that neither facility is on the new schedule.

The feedback that has been conveyed to me is that they don’t want to add an additional race to the schedule because of the increased cost to the teams. However, I believe that the purse and the strength of adding the seventh largest media market in the country would offset those costs and concerns. I think this market and facility have a lot to offer the team and series sponsors.

I would like to thank Texas Motor Speedway President and General Manager, Eddie Gossage, who on behalf of Speedway Motorsports, made an excellent proposal to the league which included Las Vegas and New Hampshire.

I don’t want to burn any bridges, but I am upset to be excluded. I am a big fan of open-wheel racing, and I strongly admire what the Hulman-George family has done for this sport. I hope that they know they would get an excellent effort from our team here at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in promoting a race in this market. History has proven that this venue provided exciting races. Now, we'll see what happens down the road.”

From NHIS

IndyCar: Announces an 18-race 2009 schedule

INDIANAPOLIS (July 30, 2008) – The IndyCar Series in DIRECTV HD today announced its 2009 schedule featuring 18 races, including two new destinations, bookend dates for the state of Florida marking changes to the season-opening and closing venues, and expanding the season-long championship by a month.

In its continuing effort to offer competitors one of the most diverse challenges in all of motorsports, the 2009 schedule features 10 oval races, three permanent road courses and five temporary circuits and includes all but one venue that hosted the IndyCar Series in 2008.

Highlighting the 2009 IndyCar Series schedule:

The season opener will be run through the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 5.
The season-finale moves to Homestead-Miami Speedway and will be run on Oct.  11 with the speedway and series developing a championship weekend celebration, extending the IndyCar Series season a month longer than the previous two seasons.
The Grand Prix of Long Beach will be run on April 19, marking the IndyCar Series’ debut at the 35-year-old event that has hosted F1, CART and Champ Car races as its premier event.
The IndyCar Series will debut in Toronto on July 12. The Indy Toronto, which dates to 1986, will be the first of back-to-back temporary course events in Canada with Edmonton scheduled for July 26.
The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will shift from July to Aug. 9, allowing the series to break up what was six consecutive weeks of racing in 2008. With this date change, the Kentucky Speedway event will move one week earlier to Aug. 1.
The Raceway at Belle Isle Park and Chicagoland Speedway are exchanging weekends, with Chicagoland running on Saturday evening Aug. 29 and the temporary street event in Detroit running Sept. 6.
The Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan is shifting to Sept. 19 after running in April since 2003.
The IndyCar Series will be a part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Centennial Celebration with the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race scheduled for May 24.

The IndyCar Series will return to Kansas Speedway, The Milwaukee Mile, Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Watkins Glen International and Infineon Raceway at approximately the same time on the calendar as 2008.

“We are thrilled with the schedule we have developed for 2009,” said Terry Angstadt, the president of the commercial division for the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body for the IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights. “When unification was announced earlier this year, we talked about the opportunity of developing future schedules on a blank piece of paper, and with today’s announcement we have a solid foundation for developing a consistent, long-term schedule for the IndyCar Series.”

Next season’s schedule will feature four Saturday prime-time events, and unlike the previous two seasons the 2009 schedule affords a couple more in-season off-weekends for drivers and teams.

“Looking ahead to 2009, and with one season of unification under our belts, we know that the IndyCar Series continues to offer the most diverse schedule in all of motorsports,” said Brian Barnhart, president of the competition and operations division for the Indy Racing League. “As our schedule has evolved in the past few years, the race for the IndyCar Series championship has become one that demands the ability of both drivers and teams to master a variety of venues and the challenges each one brings with the end result being a true champion.

“We are also pleased to respond to our teams and offer a couple of more off-weekends during the core of the season.”

The Indy Racing League will announce the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights schedule in the immediate future. The complete 2009 IndyCar Series schedule:

Date                               Location                                              Venue
Sunday, April 5                    Streets of St. Petersburg                                   1.8-mile street course
Sunday, April 19                   Streets of Long Beach                          1.968-mile street course
Sunday, April 26                   Kansas Speedway                                1.5-mile oval
Sunday, May 24                     Indianapolis Motor Speedway             2.5-mile oval
Sunday, May 31                     The Milwaukee Mile                            1.0-mile oval
Saturday, June 6*                  Texas Motor Speedway                                   1.5-mile oval
Sunday, June 21                    Iowa Speedway                                               .875-mile oval
Saturday, June 27*                 Richmond International Raceway        .75-mile oval
Sunday, July 5                     Watkins Glen International                  3.4-mile road course
Sunday, July 12                    Streets of Toronto                                1.721-mile street course
Sunday, July 26                    Edmonton City Centre Airport             1.973-mile airport course
Saturday, August 1*                Kentucky Speedway                            1.5-mile oval
Sunday, August 9                   Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course                2.258-mile road course
Sunday, August 23                  Infineon Raceway                               2.245-mile road course
Saturday, August 29*              Chicagoland Speedway                                    1.5-mile oval
Sunday, September 6               The Raceway at Belle Isle Park                        2.906-mile street course
Saturday, September 19             Twin Ring Motegi                                1.5-mile oval
Sunday, October 11                 Homestead-Miami Speedway              1.5-mile oval

* Denotes Night race                                                   Schedule Subject to Change

***

The IndyCar Series is the premier open-wheel series in the United States, competing on a challenging combination of superspeedways, short ovals, scenic road courses and temporary street circuits. In 2008 the IndyCar Series will conduct 15 events in the U.S. and one each in Australia, Canada and Japan, all available worldwide through a comprehensive, long-term agreement with ESPN, including all races broadcast in High-Definition, including a motorsports first 360-degree in-car camera. A leader in motorsports technology, the IndyCar Series is the first racing series to power its Honda engines on 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol, a renewable and environmentally friendly fuel. The IndyCar Series continues to the be the fastest, most competitive and innovative racing series, attracting a diverse lineup of drivers with participants from the United States, Japan, Brazil, England, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. The stars of the IndyCar Series include 2005 Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series champion Dan Wheldon, 2004 IndyCar Series champion Tony Kanaan, two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves, 2005 Bombardier Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick and 2006 Bombardier Rookie of the Year Marco Andretti. Other standouts include Scott Dixon, Buddy Rice, Graham Rahal, Will Power and Justin Wilson. For more information on the IndyCar Series, please visit www.indycar.com.

From IndyCar

GRAND-AM: Canadian drivers seek home advantage in Montreal

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 29, 2008) - A trio of Canadian drivers will be looking to win in their home country Friday when the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 visits Montreal and the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the Montreal 200 (SPEED, 8 p.m. ET Friday).

Mark Wilkins of Toronto, Michael Valiante of Vancouver and Marc-Antoine Camirand of Quebec will be competing in the series' premier Daytona Prototype class, while Montreal native Sylvain Tremblay, Jean-Francois Dumoulin of Trois-Rivieres and veteran Toronto driver Ron Fellows lead a group of Canadians racing in the GT division.

The only Canadian team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series, AIM Autosport, has been one of the most improved teams in the paddock in 2008. The team has raised its sights, finishing a career-best fourth at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and has five top 10s, though none have come in the last two races. The team would like for that to change this weekend.

The team flexed new-found Ford muscle at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, when each of the team's drivers had the car in the lead at the end of their opening shift. The team ran with the leaders until several nighttime incidents dropped them out of contention.

Since then, AIM Autosport has been a frontrunner, finishing in the top eight in five of the following six races and ran seventh in the team standings. Wilkins won the team's first pole at Daytona in July, while in the most recent event, Brian Frisselle passed series front-runners Scott Pruett and Alex Gurney late in the race and led 15 laps, only to have his engine fail with 13 laps remaining.

"We've been looking for podium finishes at recent races, but we're looking for a win at Montreal," said Wilkins, who co-drives the No. 61 Exchange Traded Gold /Mike Direct Connect/Telux Ford Riley with Frisselle. "We led here quite a bit last year, and it was one of our best races last season. This is a race that we're really targeting to be our race.'"

This weekend, Wilkins hopes previous experience here will help him find the top step on the podium. Frisselle led six laps here last year, with the team posting a seventh-place finish.

Another Canadian looking for victory this weekend is Michael Valiante - which would be a repeat performance for SunTrust Racing. Last year, Max Angelelli teamed with Jan Magnussen and came home a winner. This year, Valiante is Angelelli's new co-driver on a new car, as the No. 10 team switched to the Dallara chassis this year. Valiante, who won a pair of poles and led in six of the opening seven races in 2008, finishing a season-best third in the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen.

Open-wheel star Marc-Antoine Camirand of Saint Leonard d'Aston, Quebec, co-drives the No. 09 Spirit of Daytona Porsche Coyote with Guy Cosmo. Montreal is one of the selected races the team is running in 2008. Camirand won here in 2004 in the Hankook Tire Touring Car race.

The three Canadians have joined the remainder of the Daytona Prototype field with a common goal - trying to stop the TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley of Pruett and Memo Rojas. The pair, which finished fifth here last year, won six of the opening nine races - including the Rolex 24 of Daytona (joined by Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti) and the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, where Pruett drove the final three hours in 90-degree heat. They hold a 60-point lead (295-235) over last year's champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty.

Gurney and Fogarty have struggled throughout this season after winning seven of 14 events last year in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley. They were winless through the opening seven rounds of 2008 before finally breaking through in the rain at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Since then, Gurney was passed on the final lap by Pruett in the Daytona event earlier this month, and the car's clutch failed after Gurney led the most laps at Barber Motorsports Park.

Riley-Matthews Motorsports won in Mexico City with drivers Jim Matthews and Marc Goossens. Cheever Racing had its best showing of 2007 in Montreal, when rookie Antonio Garcia led three laps en route to a fourth-place finish. Garcia has competed in eight of the nine Rolex Series races this season, and welcomes back former co-driver Christian Fittipaldi, who spent 2006 and 2007 as the team's lead driver. In addition to the Daytona Prototype run last season, Fittipaldi has competed at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Formula 1 and the former Champ Car World Series.

Other teams have been closing in on victory this season. Brumos Porsche posted back-to-back runner-up finishes with Toronto-born Darren Law and David Donohue; Michael Shank Racing had both of its Ford Rileys on the front row for the Rolex 24 At Daytona; Doran Racing has been running near the front with its two Dallaras; Krohn Racing is running the new Lola chassis, with its two-car lineup including Formula 1 veteran Ricardo Zonta and Nic Jonsson in the No. 76 Pontiac and Tracy Krohn teamed with Oliver Gavin in the No. 75 Pontiac; and Rum Bum Racing led the most laps at Mid-Ohio with rookies Matt Plumb and Gene Sigal.

Canadians Tremblay, Dumoulin and Fellows Lead GT Teams

Tremblay and co-driver Nick Ham look to continue their upswing at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazdaspeed/Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8. With two poles and two victories in as many races (Brumos Porsche 250 and Porsche 250 at Barber), the duo is inching closer to GT point leaders Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards in the No. 07 Banner Racing Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R, with only 14 points separating the teams (292-278). The SpeedSource sister car, the Watkins Glen-winning No. 69 machine driven by Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal, looks to rebound from two straight 17th-place finishes.

After winning three races early in the season, Collins and Edwards have been off the podium in three straight events. They look for better results at Montreal, where they placed eighth last year despite running third on the final lap. The sister Banner car, the No. 06 Pontiac GXP.R that finished fifth here last year, is slated to be driven by team owner Leighton Reese and Canadian native Ron Fellows, who will also drive Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide Series car in the Saturday race.

With one victory in 10 GT events in 2008, Porsche will be looking to return to the form that saw it win here last year and take three of the top four positions. Andy Lally, who teamed with RJ Valentine to win last year's race, returns to lead four Porsche GT3s entered by TRG, which is seeking its first race victory since last year at Montreal. Lally will co-drive with Tim George Jr. in the No. 67 entry, while Valentine teams with Bryan Sellers in the No. 68 Porsche GT3. Also entered are the No. 65 TRG/Riegel Autosport Porsche GT3 driven by Craig Stanton and Canadian Hima Maher and the No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3 driven by Ted Ballou and Spencer Pumpelly.

Dirk Werner and Bryce Miller of the No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3 look to continue their hot streak, with two consecutive second-place finishes in the past two races. The pair also finished second in the 2007 Montreal 200. Leh Keen and Eric Lux of the No. 86 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche won at Mid-Ohio, and the team's third car, the No. 88 Porsche, is slated to be driven by Toronto's Dave Lacey and Steven Johnson.

The No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Stevenson Automotive Pontiac GXP.R team of Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell hope to capture a podium finish, which narrowly eluded them in the last contest at Barber. They are sitting first in number of podium finishes in GT for the season with six, and are tied for fifth in points with 265.

Blackforest Motorsports have two cars entered for this weekend's competition with a lineup dominated by Canadians. The No. 15 Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang GT will be driven by Jean-Francois Dumoulin of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, and Tom Nastasi of Stamford, Conn. The No. 50 Mustang will seat drivers David Empringham and John Farano - both of Toronto.

Practice for the Montreal 200 begins at 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday. Qualifying begins at 1:15 p.m. ET Friday, with the 200-mile race (74 laps with a two hour time limit) taking the green flag at 4:21 p.m. ET.

RACE SPECS

- This is Round 11 for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. The combined Daytona Prototype/GT race is two hours or 200 miles (74 laps), whichever comes first.

- The green flag for the race is scheduled to fly at 4:21 p.m. ET on Friday. The race will air same day delay on SPEED, beginning at 8 p.m. ET (Leigh Diffey - Play-by-Play; Dorsey Schroeder, Calvin Fish - Analysts; Brian Till, Chris Neville - Pit Reporters).

- All cars must make a mandatory pit stop prior to the 45-minute mark in the race, and each driver must complete 30 minutes of the race in order to earn points for their respective standings.

- 2007 Montreal race winners were Max Angelelli and Jan Magnussen (Daytona Prototypes), and Andy Lally and RJ Valentine (GT).

ROLEX SERIES WEEKEND SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES EASTERN)

- Thursday: Rolex Series Practice (12:30-1:30 p.m.); Rolex Series Practice (2-3 p.m.); Rolex Series Practice (3:30-4:30 p.m.); Rolex Series Practice (5-5:30 p.m.); Rolex Series Trueman/Akin Practice (5:30-6 p.m.)

- Friday: Rolex Series Daytona Prototype Qualifying (1:15-1:30 p.m.); Rolex Series GT Qualifying (1:35-1:50 p.m.); Montreal 200 (4:21 p.m.; 200 miles/74 laps/two- hour time limit).

2008 IN REVIEW

Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas hold a 60-point advantage (295-235) in the Daytona Prototype standings after six victories and second and third-place finishes in their first nine starts. They won the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami, the Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR, the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, the Brumos Porsche 250 and the Porsche 250 presented by Bradley Arant in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley. In the Brumos Porsche 250, Pruett passed Gurney on the final lap to win the Brumos Porsche 250. Defending series champs Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty won the rain-soaked EMCO Gears Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley. Marc Goossens and Jim Matthews won the Mexico City 250 in the No. 91 Bob Stallings/Riley-Matthews Motorsports Pontiac Riley, while Ryan Dalziel and Henri Zogaib earned their initial Daytona Prototype victories in the No. 2 SAMAX BMW Riley at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Consistency and nine top 10s - including three class victories this season - have No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R co-drivers Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards atop the GT point standings, 14 points (292-278) over their closest competitors, Rolex 24 At Daytona winners Sylvain Tremblay and Nick Ham in the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8. Overall, Tremblay and Ham have won three GT races this season. No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R co-drivers Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis won two straight races this season, and No. 69 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 drivers Jeff Segal, Emil Assentato and Nick Longhi won the Sahlen's Six Hours. Eric Lux and Leh Keen drove the No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3 to the victory at Mid-Ohio.

NEWS & NOTES

- Hometown Heroes: Three of the Daytona Prototype drivers reside in Canada. Marc-Antoine Camirand lives in St. Leonard d'Aston in Quebec, while Mark Wilkins resides in Toronto and Michael Valiante in Vancouver. In addition, Darren Law was born in Toronto. In GT, Blackforest Motorsports will field two Mustangs for three Canadians. Jean-Francois Dumoulin of Trois-Rivieres will share the No. 5 Mustang with Tom Nastasi, while Toronto drivers David Empringham and John Farano co-drive the No. 50 entry. In addition, Dave Lacey of Toronto will share the No. 88 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3, co-driving with former NFL tight end Steve Johnson.

- Home Turf for AIM Autosport: The No. 61 AIM Autosport Exchange Traded Gold Ford Riley is the only Daytona Prototype team based in Canada. Mark Wilkins and Brian Frisselle drive for the Toronto team.

- Double Duty: Three drivers are expected to compete in both the Montreal 200 and Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Daytona Prototype point leader Scott Pruett will drive Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 40 Fastenal Dodge in the NASCAR race after sharing the team's No. 01 TELMEX Lexus Riley with Memo Rojas in the Montreal 200. Ron Fellows, who will drive the No. 06 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R on Friday, is expected to drive a Chevrolet fielded by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series race. In addition to driving the No. 27 O'Connell Racing Porsche GT3 in the Montreal 200, Kevin O'Connell will drive the No. 09 General Environmental Chevrolet in the NASCAR race. Kevin Roush, his Rolex Series co-driver Friday, will be his spotter the following day.

- Rolex Grads in NASCAR Race: La Salle, Quebec driver Patrick Carpentier, who will drive in the NASCAR race, has competed in 10 races in the Daytona Prototypes, with his best finish second in the 2007 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Sports car veteran Max Papis, who shared the 2004 Daytona Prototype championship with Pruett and is a five-time Rolex Series winner, will drive the No. 64 Atreus Homes Chevrolet. Brad Coleman also began his career in the Rolex Series as part of Team 16 in the 2005 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

- Substitute Roles: Oliver Gavin will join Krohn Racing this weekend, pairing with car owner Tracy Krohn in the No. 75 Pontiac Lola. He has two victories and two runner-up finishes with the team. He will substitute for Eric van de Poele, who will be in his native Belgium this weekend, seeking his fifth victory in the 24 Hours of Spa at Spa Francorchamps. Due to a recent knee injury, Ross Smith will be replaced by Peter Ludwig, who races fulltime in the KONI Challenge Series, to co-drive with Doug Peterson in the No. 30 Racers Edge Motorsports Mazda RX-8.

- Hall Pass: Originally, Ricky Taylor was expected to miss Friday's race due to a conflict with classes at the University of Central Florida, where the 18-year-old is a freshman. However, he was cleared by the school to race the No. 47 Brach's/CDOC Doran Racing Ford Dallara for the fourth straight race with Burt Frisselle. His best finish with the team is fifth in the most recent race at Barber Motorsports Park, matching his career best of fifth in the 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona, where he co-drove his father Wayne Taylor's No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Riley.

- Hollywood Style: Actor and GT Series competitor Patrick Dempsey is slated to co-drive the No. 40 Hyper Sport Mazda RX-8 with Joe Foster. Dempsey has six starts this season with a best finish of 11th at Daytona.

ROLEX SERIES POINT STANDINGS

- Daytona Prototype: 1. (tie) Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, (295); 3. Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty (235); 5. (tie) Marc Goossens, Jim Matthews (224); 7. (tie) Mark Patterson, Oswaldo Negri (217); 9. (tie) Darren Law, David Donohue (210).

- GT: 1. (tie) Kelly Collins, Paul Edwards (292); 3. (tie) Sylvain Tremblay, Nick Ham (278); 5. (tie) Andrew Davis, Robin Liddell (265); 7. Tim George Jr. (240); 8. Ted Ballou (229); 9. (tie) Bryce Miller, Spencer Pumpelly (225).

- MESCO Building for the Future Rookie of the Year: 1. Tim George Jr. (240); 2. Ted Ballou (229); 3. Ricardo Zonta (206); 4. Jeff Segal (205); 5. Lawson Aschenbach (203).

MILESTONES

- Pruett, Ganassi Continue Winning Record: Scott Pruett and Chip Ganassi continue to set records for overall wins in the Rolex Series. Pruett notched his 20th overall win in the Porsche 250 presented by Bradley Arant at Barber Motorsports Park, now seven more than second-place James Weaver. In turn, Ganassi earned his 21st win - all in Daytona Prototypes - 10 more than the SunTrust Racing team. Pruett has also finished in the top 10 in 28 consecutive Rolex Series Daytona Prototype races.

- Pontiac Owns Class Win Record: With seven class victories this season, Pontiac has passed Porsche for all-time class wins. Pontiac owns 51 class wins, while Porsche, which won for the first time in 2008 in the GT class at Mid-Ohio, has 50.

SELECTED PRE-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

Paul Edwards (No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R): "We were running strong last year until a big pile up in the Casino turn and I spun. We were able to get a good toe down the straights and the GXP.R is always good in transitions and through the corners. We were able to hang with the front cars. We are still at a deficit to the other cars so we will need a trouble free race on the track, pits and in the inspection line. Montreal is a great track; I would love to be on the podium for this race. It supposed to be nice and cool, (so) we can turn the A/C off and get a couple extra horsepower."

Marc-Antoine Camirand (No. 09 Spirit of Daytona Racing Porsche Coyote): "It's always great to race in Canada, but especially at Montreal, because it's only an hour from my home. I love the circuit - I've won here a few times in other cars - and the crowd will be awesome. The people there are real racing fans.

"A lot of my friends and family members will be there, so it will be good to go to Montreal and race in front of that crowd of people as well. I've raced there before, but obviously at these levels the competition is pretty tough, so I'm sure the other drivers are going to figure out the track pretty quickly as well."

Michael Valiante (No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Dallara): "Any time I get to race in my home country, it's a big honor to be representing Canada in this series. Racing in Montreal is a little bit different from being in my home town in Vancouver, but I'm really looking forward to it. It's a great facility and I really enjoy Montreal."

Jean-Francois Dumoulin (No. 15 Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang GT): "Last year we finished fourth - and we almost got third, actually. The Mustang passed me on that last turn. There was an incident in the last corner. Obviously we all want to try and win races, which is why we're all here. I think we have a good chance with the Mustang at Montreal, and since it's my home track, I'll be pretty excited. The team's been working really hard. We had some motor issues this year, but I think everything should be sorted out for Montreal. I know that track and my co-driver and I are really good at that track. It's a warm-up for my real race - Trois-Rivieres.

"It's always fun to race at home; you know a lot people. All my friends will be there. I don't really get nervous when they are all there. Actually, I think the extra pressure helps me out."

Christian Fittipaldi (No. 16 Cheever Racing Pontiac Coyote): "I am happy to be back with Cheever Racing and the Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Race Team, and especially look forward to driving again with Antonio (Garcia). We get along very well and I admire his skill as a driver. This combination has great potential."

Mark Wilkins (No. 61 AIM Autosport Ford Riley): "I've raced pretty much everything here: Formula Renault, Formula Ford 1600 and Formula Mazda, so I've got quite a bit of experience here. It's different from the tracks we usually race on, so I'm looking forward to it. Running the open-wheel cars helped me in my move to Daytona Prototypes here last year, because the lines are pretty similar. Getting used to the extra weight of the Daytona Prototype was the big difference, but the experience in open-wheel cars really helped me get up to speed last year."

Sylvain Tremblay (No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8): "It's my hometown; my home track. We had a great run there last year, just with some problems. I really enjoy the track and the French-Canadian culture. It's neat to bring my team and my crew to where I grew up, so they can see a lot of the things I talk about. That's always fun.

"We focused improving a couple of key areas for our run at Montreal. We made some changes to improve our car dramatically and that should make a big difference there. Every year, it's a case where there will be someone I haven't seen in 10 years - and it's always fun to go. It's a very busy time for us, with extra family and that sort of thing, but I enjoy all of it!"

Alex Gurney (No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley): "Montreal is a great track and one that I've always loved. Having watched the F1 races over the years, it's always a special kind of feeling racing on the same track as they do. Now, with the NASCAR Nationwide Series there as well, our Montreal weekend is a very big happening. Last year, it looked like we were headed for a win but a faulty wheel gun put a stop to that. We fell to 10th after our mishap and I had a great time trying to make it back toward the front. I made it up to third and was very happy to get by Scott Pruett in the last few laps for the last podium spot. There are some very long straights at Montreal, which hasn't been our strong suit this year, but everyone on the team and everyone at Pontiac have been doing everything possible to give us the best possible package. With the championship looking more and more difficult, we very much want to win this race, especially since we think we gave one up at Barber."

-30-

From Grand-Am

NASCAR Montreal: Lots of Canadians attempting to make the Nationwide race

... according to Jayski

Preliminary Entry List
NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve - 8/2/2008

Ent Car # Driver Sponsor Manu. Owner
1 0 Wheeler Boys sponsordavis.com 08 Chevy Johnny Davis
2 01 Trevor Boys sponsordavis.com 08 Chevy Johnny Davis
3 1 Mike Bliss Miccosukee Indian Gaming & Resort 08 Chevy James Finch
4 2 Clint Bowyer BB&T 08 Chevy Richard Childress
5 02 Andy Ponstein StottClassicRacing.com 08 Chevy Corrie Stott
6 4 Landon Cassill Miccosukee 06 Chevy James Finch
7 05 Burney Lamar 31W Insulation & Certainteed 07 Ford Wayne Day
8 5 Ron Fellows Go Daddy 08 Chevy Rick Hendrick
9 6 David Ragan Discount Tire 08 Ford Jack Roush
10 7 Mike Wallace GEICO 08 Toyota Bob Germain
11 9 Patrick Carpentier Subway 08 Dodge George Gillett Jr
12 09 Kevin O'Connell General Environmental Mngt-Taleo Grill 07 Chevy Susan O'Connell
13 10 Justin Marks Furniture Electronics 08 Toyota Todd Braun
14 11 Jason Keller America's Incredible Pizza Company 08 Chevy Bryan Mullet
15 16 Greg Biffle 3M 08 Ford Jack Roush
16 20 Joey Logano Game Stop 08 Toyota Joe Gibbs
17 22 TBA Supercuts 08 Dodge Armando Fitz
18 24 Brian Simo TBA 08 Chevy John McGill
19 25 Boris Said NoFear/Team Smithfield 08 Ford Ed Rensi
20 27 Brad Coleman Cottonelle 08 Ford Mike Curb
21 28 Kenny Wallace TBA 06 Chevy Mimi Fitz
22 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn 08 Chevy Richard Childress
23 30 Stanton Barrett NOS Energy Drink 08 Chevy Chris Lencheski
24 31 Kenny Hendrick Interush 08 Chevy Stanton Barrett
25 32 Jacques Villeneuve L'Equipeur/Ganotec 08 Toyota Todd Braun
26 33 Ron Hornaday Jr Camping World 08 Chevy Delana Harvick
27 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips 08 Toyota Ralph Braun
28 40 Scott Pruett Fastenal 08 Dodge Floyd Ganassi
29 47 Kelly Bires Clorox 08 Ford Jodi Geschickter
30 49 Derrike Cope TBA 06 Chevy Jay Robinson
31 52 Scott Gaylord TBA 07 Ford Jimmy Means
32 59 Marcos Ambrose STP 08 Ford Tad Geschickter
33 60 Carl Edwards CitiFinancial 08 Ford Jack Roush
34 61 Stan Barrett TBA 08 Ford Charlie Shoffner
35 62 Brandon Whitt TBA 08 Ford Doug Taylor
36 64 Max Papis Atreus Home & Communities 08 Chevy Ed Rensi
37 66 Steve Wallace 5-Hour Energy 08 Chevy Rusty Wallace
38 81 D J Kennington Mahindra Tractor 08 Dodge Pat MacDonald
39 84 Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Racing 07 Chevy Mike Harmon
40 88 Brad Keselowski U.S. Navy 08 Chevy Dale Earnhardt Jr
41 89 Morgan Shepherd TBA 07 Chevy Cindy Shepherd
42 90 Don Thomson TBA 08 Chevy Marcia Parsons
43 91 Scott Steckly TBA 08 Chevy Stacey Humphrey
44 98 Alex Garcia Dixien/OmniSource 08 Chevy Alex Garcia
45 99 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine 08 Toyota Michael Waltrip