Racers with Rigs!! - High mileage/long life/low rolling resistance breakthrough in new Z.environment medium truck tires from Yokohama

LANGLEY, B.C. (August 22, 2008) – The high trinity of medium truck tire attributes – high mileage, long casing life and low rolling resistance – has been achieved by Yokohama in a next-generation tire line manufactured using an innovative new process called Z.environment.

The first three new models will be available as a premium drive tire for long haul highway applications (703ZL), a premium regional rib tire (103ZR) and a premium on/off highway tire (501ZA). All three will be available starting in September, 2008, Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. has announced.

The new line offers vital improvements in fuel economy and reduced costs over the life of the casing, appealing virtues for fleet managers and independent operators alike. In addition to the highly specialized deep-tread, low rolling resistance designs specific to each use, the new line utilizes a new mixing process which creates a more pliable rubber that offers a long casing life for reduced heat build-up, greater durability and extended retreading cycles. All tires are backed with one of the best warranties in the industry.

“High fuel prices mean the economics of operating a medium truck are under assault,” says Brad Sherwin, marketing communications manager for Yokohama Canada. “Every aspect of tire performance -- from low rolling resistance for greater fuel economy, to increased durability and protection from road hazards, to extended tread life and reliable casing performance for retreading – can contribute to reduced costs. These new tires are designed to help today’s operator improve operating expenses at every level.” The longer tire life also has environmental benefits, Sherwin points out. “A longer life for the casing ultimately means fewer resources are required to create new ones.”

New technologies in the factory processes, along with new designs and new construction have contributed to the improved performance, Sherwin says, but the common factor in all the tires is the rubber mixing process. Using a lower temperature/higher torque mixing technique creates a better and more uniform dispersion of carbon in the rubber. This results in rubber that is more pliable yet maintains its strength, and helps create a casing with improved durability and longevity – crucial for many cycles of retreading. The confidence in this new process has lead Yokohama to offer one of the best warranties available for commercial tires – a 7 year limited warranty with unlimited retreads for highway-use tires.

Newly-developed tread compounds have been employed to extend mileage and reduce rolling resistance without sacrificing important factors such as wet performance, or the specific characteristics demanded of each highly specialized tire such as cutting/chipping resistance. New designs extend original tread life.

The 703ZL long-haul highway tire comes in four popular sizes; there are seven sizes available for the 103ZR regional rib tire. The 501ZA on/off highway tire is available in two sizes. “Each tire represents a measurable improvement in performance and cost-efficiency over the model it replaces,” Sherwin concludes. “Saving fuel, reducing emissions, extending tire life and, ultimately, reducing operating costs have become paramount concerns for all operators. Yokohama shares those concerns and these tires help us support operators everywhere.”

Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. markets and distributes a full line of tires for high performance, passenger car, light truck, and commercial truck applications, as well as off-the-road tires for mining and construction applications. It maintains distribution centres across Canada to serve more than 650 independent tire dealers.

www.yokohamatire.ca

A nerve-breaking Grand Prix for TwoFast Racing

Montréal, August 22nd, 2008 – TwoFast Racing had a rough ride the 15th, 16th and 17th of August, at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, during the sixth round of the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship.

Off with a great start during the trials and the qualifications, and a lap tour as quick as 1:17.736, the pilot Christian Raymond and his Mazda # 04, were expected to perform very well at the event. For the first time this season, Raymond won the pole and it’s from that most desirable first position that he took the departure of the Saturday race, in front of an enthusiastic crowd and under a burning sun. In the leading position for a couple of laps, Raymond was third when a yellow flag was raised, while a car had to be towed from the racetrack. When the race started again, Raymond lost another position, down to the fourth rank. “The first three drivers were trying to pass the Depailler turn simultaneously, so I slowed down a little to gain some room so that I could take the turn as fast as possible and surprise them at the Ryan turn’s braking”, explains Raymond. However, the pilot driving the inside car, Stéphane Trahan, had just decided to go back to the pit and the contact between the two cars was unavoidable. Sliding through the raceway, Raymond was trying to dodge through the traffic, but it was impossible for the vehicle in the fifth position, driven by John Lockhart from the SAAB Canada team and coming from behind, to avoid the contact. Raymond’s car went crashing onto the wall, and both pilots had to abandon the race. « I want to say, once again, to the SAAB team how sorry I am for that accident that stopped them from finishing the event. After watching the event video, I must admit that it was a little reckless from my part, as the leader of the championship; I should have waited for a turn with more clearance to try such a manoeuvre and to avoid such consequences”, says Raymond. “Obviously, it was also disappointing for our team : on the one hand, I knew after the crash that I was not leading the Championship anymore; and on the other hand, the car was such a wreck that getting back on the raceway the next morning seemed impossible to everyone, but to our crew chief, Yves Bédard », recalls Raymond.

Working all night long, until 6:45 am, the mechanics team showed its creativity : many parts had to be replaced and many more had to be home-made, but the car was back on the grid at 7:50 am. Refusing to withdraw, the pilot Raymond and his Mazda # 04 started the Sunday race far behind the leading pack. Regaining many positions up to the sixth place, Raymond’s car performance slowly deteriorated and it’s finally in the tenth spot that he crossed the finish line. « I am happy I was able to complete the event, the team had worked so hard at this. They are real magicians, I don’t know how they managed to accomplish these miraculous repairs. Of course, I am really sad about my Championship score, but there are two events left : anything can happen… », says Raymond.

For Éric Leblanc, pilot of the Mazda # 40, the week-end was more satisfying. Getting acquainted with the track during the trials and the qualifications, Leblanc was seventh for the Saturday race departure. More and more familiar with the subtleties of the racing circuit, Leblanc gained a few positions and avoided all pitfalls. Even if some problems with the clutch impaired his performance, he crossed the finish line ninth. « This season is a long series of deceptions and problems, so I was not even surprised to experience some mechanical problems. I was happy that I could complete the race, I felt I could push a little more and use the track to my advantage. I was really looking forward to participating to the Sunday race, with my Mazda in top shape, but I knew it would be a challenge for the team to repair the clutch since my partner’s car was in such a bad shape. The team would, once again, have to work all night long! », tells Leblanc.

In good form, Leblanc showed up at the departure Sunday with a repaired car. Recovering position after position, the driver had a wonderful race, using both his car’s advantages and his own driving abilities, especially in the turns. He crossed the finish line fourth, behind the Durabond team who occupied the first three places. « It feels so good... and this time I got no penalty to relegate me far behind the leaders! Calabogie and here in Trois-Rivières : that’s two event in a row where I come in fourth… », adds Leblanc.

TwoFast Racing will be on the Mosport Racetrack August 30-31 for the seventh event. They will have a thought for their friend André Cliche who will be, at the same time, climbing the Kilimandjaro.

Éric Leblanc and Christian Raymond want to mention the extraordinary work done by their mechanics : Yves “Gino Mécano” Bédard, chief mechanic, as well as Alexandre Boiteau, Benoît Brazeau, Dominique Brazeau and Mathieu Ouellette. They are very grateful for the support they receive from friends and family members, as well as from their driver, François Ouellette, and their precious sponsors, the Québec Mazda Dealers Association, Rythme Urbain, Rack’N’Roll, Lettrage ProVan, International AllStars and Mazdaspeed.

Visit TwoFast Racing at http://www.twofast.ca/.
Information on the Championship is available at http://www.touringcar.ca/.
Contact : Véronick Raymond Communications – vraymond@sympatico.ca – 514-269-7698

Fernandez Makes Appearance in Toronto for Lowe's

Photo By Henry Kowalski

Don't forget today, Thursday, August 21, is your chance to meet American Le Mans Series™ drivers Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz from 4 - 5 PM at Lowes Hamilton Store and 7pm to 8pm at Lowe's Toronto Store.

Enter to win one of ten pairs of tickets to the Grand Prix of Mosport. Plus, the first 1,000 customers will receive a free Kobalt Tools Lowe’s Racing Hat.

For more information visit www.lowes.ca or click on the banner above.

Delaware Speedway PR: TWO FOR ONE NIGHT: RACING FOR BOB

TWO FOR ONE NIGHT: RACING FOR BOB
Yellow & Black the Colours of Choice at Friday's Benefit for Bob Hewitt

August 18, 2008
Immediate Release
John Houghton
Delaware Speedway PR

The Delaware Speedway racing community has been involved in many charity efforts over the years. Examples can be seen in events like the Throne Kings of the Hill that benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation, or in fundraising efforts for the Children's Health Foundation through the "Cash Cars" & Change Bandits, as well as work with Jesse's Journey "Walk Across Canada in a Day". Many race teams and sponsors themselves also come together to help out local charities on an independent basis and the speedway often provides event passes or discounts to local community groups to come see the events. This Friday, the racing community will have the opportunity to help one of its own.

Bob Hewitt is the driver of the #4 Peterbilt of Ontario Super Stock. Bob was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia on July 14, 2008. Tragically Bob's wife, Sue, was previously diagnosed with Leukemia and lost her battle to the same blood cancer. Doctors report that Bob had a statistically better chance of winning the lottery then getting that same type of cancer as his wife.

Because of these extreme circumstances, Bob's friends have joined together with Delaware Speedway to create an event called "Racing for Bob". The goal of the event is to raise money to help offset some of the expenses incurred through the medical treatment. The event will take place on August 22, 2008 as part of the already scheduled "Two-For-One" Night at the speedway. Competing that evening will be the Powerade Open-Wheel Modifieds, Challenger Motor Freight Trucks, and of course the Peterbilt of Ontario Super Stocks.

"When Bob's friends came to us with this idea of a fundraiser, it was a natural fit on two-for-one night," said Announcer John Houghton. "We're hoping to blow the doors off the place with the special price that night, and hope that all those in attendance will help out Bob in this time of need."

Bob's friends also hope to raise a bit more money a different way. It came to their attention that local radio station Bob 102.3 FM is hosting a contest called "Show us Your Bob". The objective of the contest is to show off the colors of the radio station in the most dynamic and dramatic way possible. Because of this, Bob's friends are asking race fans to wear black and yellow on this evening (the colours of 102.3 Bob FM) in hopes of catching the attention of the radio station, and possibly earning an additional $10,000 towards the cause.

It all gets started this Friday, August 22, 2008. Gates open at 6:00 PM racing starts at 8:00 PM. Two for one night is a great night to bring a friend out to the races and also help out a great cause.

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Additional Media:
YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InB61_xXBGA
Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=27352792620&ref=mf

Photo Attached:
Bob Hewitt in 1999, pictured with his #44 1976 Pontiac Ventura "Street Stock" (Modern Super Stock).

Media Contact:
John Houghton
Announcer / PR
Delaware Speedway
519/652-5068 ext. 201
info@delawarespeedway.com

NASCAR: Schedule Changes Show Weakness of 36 Races

NASCAR officials debuted the 2009 Sprint Cup schedule this week highlighting three major date changes, one minor change and the inclusion of a fourth weekend off among the 44 weeks of all NASCAR all the time.

The most significant change to the schedule involves the swapping of dates between Atlanta Motor Speedway and California Speedway (you call it the Auto Club Speedway if you want).

Thinking back several years when ISC with NASCAR's blessing stripped Darlington of it s traditional Labor Day weekend moving the date to California Speedway. Yes, I am aware ISC getting NASCAR's blessing is like looking in the mirror to tell yourself you made the right choice. I digress too quickly. Amid the back slapping and glad handing was a whisper of doom. The move was entirely profit motivated. California Speedway had more seats and a much larger population base from which to draw then did the little decrepit Darlington Raceway.

Oh, how they learned. More people in a geographic area doesn't necessarily guarantee more ticket sales. Despite all the "good" talk from ISC, specifically Lisa France-Kennedy, one question loomed largely unquestioned. How successfully was California Speedway going to compete against the multitude of vacation choices on the last big holiday before school started?

We know now that answer is "not very well".

So, after years of trying to "sell" a weekend at a racetrack that lacks casual camping, is located across the street on one side from a massive industrial complex and on the other by a region of gangs, declining neighborhoods and enough razor wire to encircle a prison, California Speedway will no longer offer up its acres and acres of scorching asphalt as a Labor Day getaway.

That honor now goes to Atlanta Motor Speedway. Honor; not sure it's a real honor. Georgia is no paradise in the early September. The folks at AMS will face many of the same obstacles which made California Speedway a hard sell. To AMS's advantage the race will now be a night race, which should help keep the fans from becoming burnt toast.

Think about this, AMS gets rid of a weekend that has been a hard sell only to take on a weekend that can be a even harder sell. California Speedway was at least 2400 miles away from the Bristol Motor Speedway juggernaut.

Good luck selling a race held just one week after Bristol packs in 160,000 some 300 miles to the north.

Through all this thought, Talladega has almost been forgotten. Talladega gets a later date in the Chase now. Which should not be an issue. The one benefit of the Car of Tomorrow has been a return of some of the most exciting racing on the planet at Talladega Superspeedway. Given the choice, I would rather be in the shoes of those running Talladega than I would of those in charge at AMS and California.

And, that minor date change goes to Bristol Motor Speedway. NASCAR moved the first off weekend to before Bristol, instead of after, in hopes the extra seven days will help with the weather issues that often make for a miserable weekend in the Tennessee mountains in late winter/early spring.

One final though, as part of all this swapping Darlington Raceway has elected to return the moniker Southern 500 to a position of prominence. Five hundred you say? It previous years the only race run at Darlington Raceway was a four hundred miler. Hmmmm, they must be cooking up something special in Darlington.

Bottom line, ticket sales are down at almost every venue. Only those offering the most exciting racing, or something new as in night racing at Chicagoland, are selling out or coming very close. If I was in control (famous last words) there would be a strong effort to muscle the schedule back down to 30 or 32 point events and you can rest assured it would not be a reduction in the number of short track events. Bristol, Richmond and Martinsville give up some of the best racing on the circuit today.

In the end, the quality of the competition is what sells the sport. The changes outlined above have nothing to do with the quality of the show and everything to do with trying to squeeze a better quality egg from the goose. It won't work, but I won't tell you I told you so.

Grand-Am KONI Challenge: Willard an Exceptional Athlete

There's a certain focus that you see in the eyes of a truly professional athlete. It's that of a single-minded purpose. One that is able to cut through the cacophony of our modern world, that manages to focus on the task at hand: to do what it takes mentally, physically, to win.

Compass360 Racing has an interesting contrast in the drivers of our #75 Acura TSX this year. On one hand we have Kenny Wilden, a man who needs no introduction to fans of road racing in North America. He's one of the paddock's most experienced racers, with a career spanning decades through Firehawk, Player's GM, Motorola Cup, Trans-Am and Champ Car Atlantics. Kenny's co-driver is Jeremy Willard.

Willard is an exceptional athlete, but is new to racing. In the mid-90's he was an internationally seeded windsurfer, an IMCO Olympic-class champion twice. Over a three year period he won nearly every championship he entered and travelled to Maui to further his pursuit of a professional career, but left the island to complete his education in British Columbia. Back in Canada, he took up wakeboarding and soon after was competing professionally in the U.S. and Canada.

Two years ago Jeremy took up golf for the first time. He now carries a single-digit handicap. It's this kind of dedication and focus that's beginning to show real results in his KONI Challenge efforts. Proof positive? Jeremy and Kenny took third place at Iowa after Jeremy qualified the car ninth. It was his sixth car race, ever. You read that right. Sixth race EVER. No regional racing, no BMW Club. He's jumped in to the KONI Challenge with both feet and has steadily improved race after race, notching a podium finish at the season's half-way point.

It's interesting that competition experience in one discipline can help in honing ability in another. As Jeremy says, "I like to do things competitively or not at all.

"Clearly, he's given himself the best tools possible. A strong driver coach and a proven car and team are important components to maximum performance improvement in a short time". Says Jeremy, "I had to put together the ultimate package. If I didn't have the coach, didn't have the team and car, I couldn't have had this level of success so quickly." Willard continues, "There are so many variables... I'm now at a point where I'm competitive and I want to attack the field. I want to drive longer stints, and I'm having a blast!

"Jeremy's qualified strongly in the past few races, and we're expecting more of the same, especially at New Jersey, a track which is new to most of the drivers". You can following his progress, and that of the whole Compass360 Racing team, at http://c360r.com/.

Sprint Cars, Mod-Lites, And MORE This Friday At Ohsweken Speedway!

by Tommy Goudge (August 20, 2008) -

Weather affected Ohsweken Speedway's Friday Night Thunder series for just the 2nd time this season last Friday night, but despite the threat of rain last week that eventually turned into a shower and washed away the evening's events, a fine field of competitors still travelled to the Speedway, intent on competing that night.

Another great field is expected this Friday night when Cafe 54 presents Round #14 of Friday Night Thunder for 2008 featuring the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars, ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini-Stocks, and Friday Night Fun Stocks, plus the return of the Modified Lite Stars Championship Tour North, and Autograph Night!

In the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division, the points battle is tight at the top, with Keith Dempster of Alton just 5 points ahead of Brantford's Ryan Hunsinger, and 11 points in front of Campbellville driver Kevin Job. Consistency has been the key for both Dempster and Job, as each driver has 4 top-5 finishes to their credit, but no feature wins. Hunsinger has 3 top-5's, but 2 of those were feature wins, and the rookie of the year contender has also won 3 heat races this season, a mark matched by Fred Cade and Rob Pietz, who sit 10th and 12th in the standings, respectively. The standings figure to get even closer after this Friday night when the "mulligans" for the season are taken into account. After the races this Friday, each driver's lowest weekly points total will be removed, allowing drivers who have suffered problems or missed a night to compete for the championship without major penalty. Jared Zimbardi of Salamanca, NY is one driver who will benefit from this as he has been competing full time on the ASCS Patriot region trail all season, as well as running weekly at Ohsweken. Zimbardi is currently 7th in the Ohsweken standings and 2nd in the Patriot standings, but will likely move back into the top 3 in the Ohsweken standings if he has a good run on Friday night.

Paul Klager of Vineland was the feature winner on May 30th when the Modified Lite Star Championship Tour North last visited Ohsweken. Klager also leads the tour's points standings heading into this Friday's event, but Port Colborne driver Shawn Sliter is just 6 points behind, and has also run well at Ohsweken in the past, including a 4th place in the last event. Despite threatening weather on that night back in May, a fine field of 18 of the Mod-Lites, or Dwarf Cars as some fans may know them, signed in for competition and put on a great show. Another good field and great racing is expected when the very fast motorcycle-engine powered racers return this Friday night. Other feature winners on the 2008 tour include Mikey Hay at Merrittville, Adam Murphy at Humberstone, and Adam Leslie at both Merrittville and Humberstone.

The ESSO Thunder Stocks have run some spectacular and competitive races this season, but in the points standings one driver has distanced himself from the rest of the field. Cody McPherson of St. Catharines has won 7 feature races, has yet to finish outside the top 3 in any feature race he has contested this season, and still managed to finish 8th when he had a flat tire on July 11th. This amazing consistency coupled with trouble for many of his weekly competitors has McPherson ahead by 170 points over Ryan Dinning in the division standings, while Glen Leinen, Rob Disher, and Michelle Johnson round out the top 5. McPherson has faced stiff competition lately, however, as invading drivers from Merrittville Speedway and Humberstone Speedway have been racing at Ohsweken lately, and winning. Billy Bleich and Billy Hogue both beat McPherson for feature wins on August 8th when the Thunder Stocks ran double features, while local driver Amanda Stoner gave the 3 Niagara-area drivers a run for their money by taking 4th and 3rd that night, and had a spectacular 3-wide pass negated late in the event due to a caution flag. After getting a late start to the season, Stoner looked very fast during her last night out and figures to be a contender for wins as the season draws to a close.

In the ESSO Mini-Stock division, Abel Castelein is on a mission to repeat as Ohsweken's Mini-Stock track champion, but Mitchell Brown has other ideas as the young 3rd-generation driver from Brantford has been the man to beat lately. Brown is riding a 2-race win streak, but Castelein's consistency has kept Brown from eating into his lead too much, as he is still ahead by 58 markers. With 3 races left, the championship could still see plenty of twists and turns. Just 6 points back of Brown is Rick Emberson, who has managed to stay in the top 5 and in the hunt despite a nasty rollover that heavily damaged his #86 on Mid-Season Championship night. Emberson worked hard and got his machine back on track and in the hunt, and has yet to finish out of the top 10 in any feature race this season, except for the night of the crash. Yet to finish outside the top 10 this season is Kevin Hilborn, who has also been very consistent and sits 4th in the standings, 18 points ahead of Brent Hill, who rounds out the top 5.

The Friday Night Fun Stocks have been an entertaining part of Friday Night Thunder, and continue to grow in numbers as the year moves along. 22 different drivers have now made appearances in the Fun Stock division in it's inaugural season, and new ones are appearing each week. Lee Hils currently holds the points lead over son Chris by 34 markers, while Karl Sault is another 26 points back. The recent announcement of another $250 winner's prize for the season-ending event on September 5th is sure to bring even more interest to the new and very affordable entry level class which competes on the infield oval at Ohsweken.

With the end of the regular season quickly approaching, so too are the 4th annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals presented by Arrow Express. Scheduled for Friday, September 12th and Saturday, September 13th, the Nationals promise once again to be a spectacular event this season, and reserved seats are available for purchase for both nights. Last season, 76 of the best 360 sprint cars in the Northeast came together at Ohsweken for the 3rd annual edition of the event, with Quebec driver Steve Poirier taking the feature win for the 2nd year in a row. This year, the huge field of competitors will be looking to end Poirier's streak and take home the $8,000 winner's cheque, as well as the bragging rights that go along with winning this great event. Don't miss any of the exciting Nationals action: Visit HYPERLINK http://www.OhswekenSpeedway.com now for details on how to reserve your seats!

Ohsweken Speedway's Friday Night Thunder resumes this Friday, August 22 when Cafe 54 presents the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars, ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini-Stocks, and Friday Night Fun Stocks, plus the Modified Lite Stars Championship North Tour, and Autograph Night! Friday Night Thunder at Ohsweken offers affordable exciting 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 HYPERLINK http://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 22!

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series - GP de Trois Rivieres - August 17, 2008

This 290-photo gallery from the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series' Aug. 17, 2008 race at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres comes courtesy of veteran Inside Track photographer Joe Hamilton. Andrew Ranger won the wild road course race, the fourth and final non-oval event of the 13-race NCATS season.

Star Mazda Race Report: JDC MOTORSPORTS' STAR MAZDA SQUAD CONTINUES CANADIAN ADVENTURE AT MOSPORT

JDC MOTORSPORTS’ STAR MAZDA SQUAD CONTINUES CANADIAN ADVENTURE AT MOSPORT

 

Joel Miller and Chuck Hulse enter Round Nine in contention for the championship titles, while Otero travels to Ontario following his best result to date in Trois-Rivieres  

 

MINNEAPOLIS, MN. (August 19, 2008) – JDC MotorSports continued its defense of the Star Mazda Championship with a strong outing over the weekend (August 16-17) on the streets of Trois-Rivieres, which will certainly help propel them into the second stop of the Canadian portion of the 2008 schedule at Mosport International Raceway on August 23-24. Rookie standout Joel Miller remained in the hunt for the championship title, just missing out on a podium finish via fourth place result in Quebec. Fellow series rookie Ernesto Otero enjoyed his best result to date in Trois-Rivieres, crossing the stripe in sixth place.  In the Masters category, JDC’s Chuck Hulse remained the championship leader with his fifth class win of the season. Team co-owner Gerry Kraut, having missed the race in Quebec, will return to the cockpit for Round Nine in Ontario.

 

After a less than desirable finish to the previous race in Wisconsin, Miller entered the single-race event in Trois-Rivieres motivated to return to the top of the charts. Getting behind the wheel of his No. 20 MAZDASPEED/K&N Air Filters/Sparco/Redline Oil/JDC MotorSports entry, the talented young driver was immediately among the frontrunners on the tight street circuit. Miller, who is racing in the series in large part due to the MAZADASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder program, was among the top-five in the two practice sessions before earning a row-two stating position (fourth) in Saturday qualifying. Getting a good launch from the standing start come race day and avoiding any incidents in the first turn, the Californian ran an uneventful race in Round Eight, crossing the stripe in fourth place. With the result, Miller retains third in the championship fight, just nine points adrift of the lead, entering Round Nine at Mosport.

 

While the renowned street circuit in Trois-Rivieres has a history of making life difficult for even the most seasoned drivers, Otero obviously enjoyed his first trip to the track. The Colombian rookie, having used the opening practice session to become acquainted to the twisty concrete-lined course, was soon among the leaders entering qualifying. Driving the No. 18 Brazilian Green Beef/Redline Oil/JDC MotorSports entry he continued to show his pace in the 45-minute session on Saturday morning, securing fifth place for the race. Part of a multi-car fight position right from the lights going green, Otero not only kept his nose clean on race day, but also showed superb racecraft en route his best result of the season, a solid sixth. Traveling to the high-speed road course just east of Toronto, Ont., this coming weekend, Otero lies tenth in the championship fight, one point back of the driver ahead of him in the standings.

 

Given that Chuck Hulse has been the driver to beat in the Masters Series for the past two races, it came as little surprise that the Californian was again a driver worth watching in Quebec. Piloting the No. 12 Silicon Salvage/Redline Oil/JDC MotorSports entry, Hulse was a model of consistency in the lead up to the Round Eight race, posting the 14^th and 15^th fastest times in the two practice sessions, before qualifying 14^th for the 40-lap affair. Showing good speed and car control on the twisty street circuit, Hulse advanced two positions during the race, crossing the stripe in 12^th for his fifth Masters Series win of 2008. Following a few days exploring the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario between races, Hulse will roll on-course at Mosport as the Masters Series championship leader by over 30 points.

 

Having missed the race in Trois-Rivieres due to work commitments, Kraut will return to his No. 55 Dougherty & Co./Dougherty Funding LLC/Redline Oil/JDC MotorSports car at Mosport. Entering the event, the Minnesota driver is second in the Masters Series championship fight, with one class win and four runner-up finishes in 2008.

 

As part of the American Le Mans Series Grand Prix of Mosport, the action gets underway at Mosport International Raceway for JDC MotorSports Star Mazda Championship drivers on Thursday (August 21^st) with two test sessions. Following two practice sessions one day later, race day (August 23^rd) will feature a 45-minute morning qualifying session prior to the lights going green for Round Nine at 3:50 p.m. local time.

 

Additional information on JDC MotorSports can be obtained from the team’s website @ www.jdcmotorsports.com. For direct contact, please contact John Church @ 952-233-3075.

 

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About JDC Motorsports:

Involved in formula car racing since its inception in 1994, JDC MotorSports has established itself as one of the leading junior open-wheel teams in North America. Initially making its mark in the F2000 class of club racing competition, JDC MotorSports was soon a team worth watching in the pro ranks. Competing in the Formula Ford 2000 Zetec Championship, the team not only won races, but also helped develop multiple young drivers. In 2005, JDC MotorSports expanded its efforts, entering the Star Mazda Championship. Quickly becoming one of the top teams in the series, JDC captured both driver and team titles last season, as well as Rookie of the Year honors with Dane Cameron scoring a series-high three wins. This coming season, JDC MotorSports enters multi-car teams in both the Star Mazda Championship and F2000 Championship Series.

 

Attached Files:

 

Photo: 300 x 192 web-ready 

Potential Caption:  Ernesto Otero scored his best result to date on the historic Trois-Rivieres street circuit (Photo: Star Mazda Championship – Eric McCombs)

Hacquard to Feature on Raceline Radio

Vancouver, British Columbia (August 20, 2008) – Vancouver’s Taylor Hacquard will hit both the race track and the airwaves this weekend as he gets set for Round 8 of the Star Mazda Championship at Mosport International Raceway, on Saturday 23rd August, and an appearance as the feature guest in Raceline Radio’s ‘Tissot Talent Watch’ on Sunday 24th August. 

 

The 18-year-old open-wheel rookie caught up with Raceline’s host, Erik Tomas, earlier in the week for his first interview on Canada’s only nationally syndicated, award winning motorsport radio show.  Raceline Radio is broadcast nationwide with the show airing live and online at 8:06pm EST on Sunday via its flagship station, AM 900 CHML Hamilton.

 

Team 1040 Vancouver will broadcast the show this Sunday at 10pm PST while having a podcast available for download on their website – www.team1040.ca

 

The Raceline Radio Network comprises 20 stations coast-to-coast including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary markets.  For a full broadcast schedule and comprehensive list of stations carrying Raceline Radio please log on to: www.raceline.ca

 

Taylor Hacquard heads to Mosport, Ontario this weekend sitting ninth overall in the 2008 Star Mazda Driver Standings with five top-ten finishes to his credit piloting the #15 Wolfe Auto Group/World Speed Motorsports entry.

 

2008 Top-10 Star Mazda Drivers – R7/12:  1st Charles Hall (243pts), 2nd Alex Ardoin (239pts), 3rd Joel Miller (234pts), 4th Peter Dempsey (229pts), 5th John Edwards (217pts), 6th Tom Gladdis (210pts), 7th Billy Goshen (198pts), 8th Kristy Kester (180pts), 9th TAYLOR HACQUARD (179pts), 10th Ernesto Otero (178pts) – www.starmazda.com

 

ENDS – www.taylorhacquard.com

 

Photo Credit: ‘Hacquard races the #15 Wolfe Auto Group/World Speed Motorsports Star Mazda entry’ – Eric McCombs

 

For further information or interview requests please contact Stuart Morrison Public Relations:

Tel: +1 514 684 3253 / Cell: +1 514 945 3253 / Email: stuart@sm-pr.com

Bridge County Raceway 2008 Miracle Child

From Bridge County Raceway

Saturday August 16, 2008 was Kalen's night at Bridge County Raceway. With the excitement of the Xtreeme Sprints filling the air, along with the BCR Truck Stocks and Claimer division, the 2008 Miracle Child, Kalen, celebrated his night out at Bridge County Raceway (BCR).

The house was full for the turn out and the enthusiasm could be felt by the crowd as BCR owners James and Kathy Hadnagy along with Jeff Reimer of Royal LePage Lethbridge, (the 2008 Miracle Child Sponsor) presented a cheque in the amount of $12,500.00 to Kalen's mother Mel. The amount was still growing at the end of the evening and it is estimated that in the end BCR, its volunteers, drivers and fans will have helped raise at least $13,500.00 for their program this year! This is an incredible amount considering BCR lost a total of five races this season due to wet weather.

BCR raised money for this program by holding a raffle for a trip for two to Las Vegas, Nevada, silent auctions and by many of its driver's and race teams just donating their winnings directly to the cause. This was BCR's third year to sponsor a local child in the community which has ongoing severe medical needs. Mel, Kalen's mother was over whelmed by emotions and the generosity of this tightly knit racing community. She is now able to purchase an $8000.00 feeding chair needed for Kalen's care.

Kalan who is six years old suffers from Congenital Bilateral Perisylvian Syndrome, (CBPS) which is an extremely rare neurological disorder.

If you would like to make a direct donation to help Kalen, you can do so at any bank of Nova Scotia Account #414590086525, branch #41459.

BCR would like to thank everyone from the bottom of their heart for their generous donations!

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES: Whitlock Trois Rivieres Report

Trois Rivieres, Quebec, Monday August 18, 2008:  Dave Whitlock and his No.39 Dickies/NMT/PCRFC Dodge Avenger team were on track for a top five finish on Sunday in the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres 100 when two spinning cars on the track caused him to take evasive action resulting in a drive train problem.

Dave Whitlock continues to hone his road racing skills and the team was very pleased with their ninth place qualifying effort on Saturday.  NASCAR road race qualifying has half the cars on the track at one time for a fifteen minute timed session.  With fourteen cars on the track it can be difficult to get all the way around the 10 turn, 1.53 mile circuit without encountering another car which can slow down your time. "I know the car has more in it," stated Whitlock after qualifying.  "I only got two clean laps early in the session before other cars started playing a factor."

Sunday's Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres 100 was run in front of a packed grandstand of appreciative race fans.  On the first lap on the tight racing surface, Whitlock got shuffled back a few positions but he knew it was early going.  By lap 21 of the 42 lap event he was solidly in the top ten and moving forward.  A few short laps later, two spinning cars in front of him caused the No. 39 driver to take evasive action. When Whitlock went to pull away from the incident something in the drive train broke and he was done for the day.  "I am disappointed for my team and sponsors today, but when a new part breaks there is not much you can do about it," stated Whitlock after the race.  "We were on track for a top five finish today.  Now we look forward to the final four oval events and hope to take our No. 39 Dickies
Dodge to victory lane before the end of the year."

Andrew Ranger was able to slip by a spinning Scott Steckly & J. R. Fitzpatrick on the last turn of the last lap to take the win with Steckly recovering for second and Jason Hathaway finishing third for his first podium finish in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.  D.J. Kennington and J.R. Fitzpatrick would finish fourth and fifth.

The Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres 100 will be broadcast on Sunday August 31st at 1 a.m. EST on TSN.

Williamson-Dickies Canada will be holding a grand opening of their new retail outlet store starting Friday August 22nd.  Dave
Whitlock and his No. 39 Dickies Dodge Avenger will be on hand on Saturday August 23rd to sign autographs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.   This new Dickies Retail Outlet Store is located at 1095 Maple Avenue in Milton Ontario. 

Dave Whitlock and the No. 39 Dickies Dodge Avenger team are supported by several associate and product sponsors including Nitrex Metal Technologies, Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada, POINTTS The Traffic Ticket Specialists, CRS Trucking, Lugfasts, Wendell Motors Sales and BOC Gases.

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

FromLinda Jones

STAR MAZDA: Tenth Place Street Score for Hacquard

Trois-Rivieres, Quebec (August 17, 2008) – Taylor Hacquard can check street course racing from his rookie ‘to-do list’ as the 18-year-old Vancouver resident piloted his way to a tenth place finish on the streets of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec on Sunday in Round 7 of the 2008 Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear.

 

Hacquard’s steep open-wheel learning curve continued on the 1.521-mile temporary street circuit, with Trois-Rivieres giving the young Canadian plenty to think about over the course of the weekend, but he responded well to all challenges to record his fifth top-ten finish in seven starts this season.  Taylor’s consistent performances have kept him locked inside the top-ten in the Driver Standings since the season began in March, Hacquard holding on to ninth exiting Trois Rivieres and heading for a third straight race weekend at Mosport International Raceway next week.

 

While Taylor had been knocking on the door of the top-ten in Friday’s two practice sessions, Saturday’s qualifying outing proved disappointing as his best time of 1m03.597s (86.098mph) was only good for 16th on the 20 car grid.  Ireland’s Peter Dempsey captured his first series pole courtesy of a 1m01.788s (88.619mph) hot lap.

 

Sunday morning’s 40-lap race saw Taylor launch off the line in the #15 Wolfe Auto Group/World Speed Motorsports entry and it didn’t take long for the leading Canadian to improve his position – two spots gained in the first two corners.  Eight tours in and he was already up to 12th while threading his way through the short historic street course.  A combination of smart driving, while others around him were tangling, and gutsy overtaking, powered Taylor through to tenth at the checkered for 26 more championship points.

 

Peter Dempsey converted pole position into the race win, his second consecutive Star Mazda victory, while the American duo of John Edwards and Alex Ardoin rounded out the podium.

 

“We completely changed our set-up for today’s race and I changed my driving style a bit and it seemed to work well,” stated Hacquard.  “We used the race as a bit of a test session but I was also careful to keep my nose clean.  I was definitely catching the ninth place car at the end and if we’d had a couple of more laps I might have had a shot at him.

 

“It was a great team effort in the end of the day and there’s no doubt if we’d started the weekend off with what we had today then we’d have been a lot faster but it’s all part of the learning experience for me.  It’s been a great experience competing at Trois-Rivieres and I had a lot of fun racing today.”

 

Round 8 of the 2008 Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear sees the series head south from Quebec to Ontario’s Mosport International Raceway for the ‘Grand Prix of Mosport’, Friday 22nd – Saturday 23rd August - www.starmazda.com / www.mosport.com

 

SPEED will broadcast Round 7 from Trois-Rivieres as a tape-delay on Saturday 30th August starting at Noon ET – www.speedtv.com

 

2008 Top-10 Star Mazda Drivers – R7/12:  1st Charles Hall (243pts), 2nd Alex Ardoin (239pts), 3rd Joel Miller (234pts), 4th Peter Dempsey (229pts), 5th John Edwards (217pts), 6th Tom Gladdis (210pts), 7th Billy Goshen (198pts), 8th Kristy Kester (180pts), 9th TAYLOR HACQUARD (179pts), 10th Ernesto Otero (178pts)

 

ENDS – www.taylorhacquard.com

 

Photo Credit: ‘Taylor Hacquard scored his fifth top-ten Star Mazda finish in Round 7 at Trois Rivieres’ – Eric McCombs

 

For further information or interview requests please contact Stuart Morrison Public Relations:  stuart@sm-pr.com

Autodrome Granby Canadian DIRT Series Press Release: Aug. 15, 2008

Mario Clair victorious in the fifth race of the Lucas Oil Canadian DIRT series at Autodrome Granby

 

Granby, PQ – Friday August 15, 2008 – Martin Bélanger – Autodrome Granby was next on the list for the Lucas Oil Canadian DIRT Series, this race was the makeup date of July 18. A total of 33 cars showed up for this important event. Before the beginning of this race, David Hébert had a great lead of 52 points over Mario Clair.

 

Mario Clair and Laurent Ladouceur led the field of 32 cars to start the 100-lap feature event as Clair took the early lead with David Hébert jumping to second from his fourth starting spot, Clair quickly got into traffic with 10 laps down and the first caution came out on lap 12 for Alex Fortier who had a flat tire. On the restart, Clair stayed first with Hébert in second while a great battle for third was occurring between Ladouceur, Claude Brouillard and Yannick Ledoux, Another yellow came out for Yan Bussière and Kayle Robidoux. On the green, Brouillard grabbed third from Ladouceur. Alain Boisvert and Martin Roy were now competing for a spot in the top 5 with 30 laps down. Kayle Robidoux who had to go back for his flat tire, made a great charge and cracked the top 5 with 41 laps completed. Robidoux was able to pass both Boisvert and Roy on the following laps to grab third.

 

At the halfway point, the top 5 was Clair, Hébert, Robidoux, Boisvert and Roy. Boisvert had issues with his car on lap 56 and headed to the pits and lost his fourth place. Clément Therrien and Yan Bussière then passed Roy to take fourth and fifth as the leader were now in lap traffic. Hébert got closely to Clair but was not able to pass him as caution came out on lap 73 after nearly 50 laps on green conditions. On the restart, Clair was still first followed buy Hébert, Robidoux, Therrien and Bussière. Clair and Hébert got a good lead over the field as the laps went down. Hébert tried some late charges in the last 15 laps but Clair was able to resist and led the feature wire to wire to grab his second win in the series after winning at Edelweiss. Hébert finished second, Robidoux third, Bussière fourth and Clément Therrien completed the top 5. Yannick Ledoux, Bussière, Clair and Claude Brouillard had won the heats. Kayle Robidoux was the fastest car in time trials with a time of 19.004 seconds.

 

After 5 events out of 6, David Hébert is still first with 498 points, 43 over Mario Clair who currently has 455 points. Kayle Robidoux is third with 419, Clément Therrien comes in fourth with 414 and Joel Doiron completes the top 5 with 347. The championship will be decided at Brockville Ontario Speedway on September 6 with 96 laps to be completed in the feature race, 34 cars had took green before it got rained out.

 

Lucas Oil Canadian DIRT Series Feature Results Autodrome Granby (100 laps)

Mario Clair, David Hébert, Kayle Robidoux, Yan Bussière, Clement Therrien, Martin Roy, Martin Gagné, Claude Brouillard, Sébastien Gougeon, Steve Bernard, Laurent Ladouceur, Dany Bilodeau, Gino Clair, Michel Dusseault, Francois Bernier, Dominic Dufault, Jasmin Léveillé, Joel Doiron, Eric Landry, Mitch Jock, André Gauthier, David Langlois, Pierre Dagenais, Alan Therrien, Michel Chicoine, Christian Salvas, Alain Boisvert, Michel Pelletier, Alex Fortier, Yannick Ledoux, Wallace Stacey, Gage Morin

 

Heat 1 Results (Top 5)

Yannick Ledoux, Kayle Robidoux, David Hébert, Gino Clair, Mitch Jock

 

Heat 2 Results (Top 5)

Yan Bussière, Martin Roy, Dominic Dufault, Martin Gagné, Michel Dusseault

 

Heat 3 Results (Top 5)

Mario Clair, Sébastien Gougeon, Alain Boisvert, Dany Bilodeau, Clément Therrien

 

Heat 4 Results (Top 5)

Claude Brouillard, Alex Fortier, Laurent Ladouceur, Francois Berni

Serie ACT Castrol release: Allard Wins Castrol Thriller at Autodrome Chaudiere

VALLEE-JCT., QC – Late Model stock car driver Karl Allard won an exciting Luminaire Napert 150 for the Serie ACT Castrol at Autodrome Chaudiere in Vallee-Jct., QC on Saturday night.  Allard, of St-Felicien, QC, started in eighth place and was working the outside of leader Jacques Poulin at the front of the pack on lap 102 before spinning out.  Allard then restarted at the rear of the field and made his way to the front, taking the lead from Alexandre Gingras with seven laps remaining.

The win was an emotional one for Allard and his Larue Industrial Snow Blowers & Paving Equipment team, as they dedicated their win to crew chief Andre Beaudoin, who is recovering from a recent heart attack.  Allard's victory was the third of his Serie ACT Castrol career, and his first since July 2006.

Gingras, of Val-Belair, QC posted his best result of the season in second place, just ahead of Terrebonne, QC's Martin Lacombe.  Rookies Patrick Hamel of St-Edouard-de-Lotbiniere, QC and Spencer MacPherson of Carleton Place, ON earned their best finishes of the year in fourth and fifth, unofficially.

Mario Gosselin, originally of Beauce, QC and now living in Lake Wales, Florida, finished sixth ahead of hometown driver Marc-Andre Cliché of Vallee-Jct., QC.  Veteran Yvon Bedard of St-Nicolas, QC finished eighth ahead of Daniel Descoste of St-Joseph- du-Lac, QC.  Descoste led 67 laps and recovered from a spin late in the race to earn his best career finish.  Claude Leclerc of Lanoraie, QC rounded out the top ten.

Poulin, of nearby East-Broughton, QC, and former Serie ACT Castrol champion Sylvain Lacombe of Terrebonne, QC walked away uninjured from a scary-looking crash while racing for the lead on lap 104.  The two came together on the backstretch and slammed into the concrete retaining wall in Turn 3.

Twenty-three cars started the Luminaire Napert 150 with 18 running at the finish.  The race was slowed by ten cautions, and was completed in just over one hour and twelve minutes.

The Serie ACT Castrol is back in action at Autodrome Montmagny Speedway in Montmagny, QC with a doubleheader on Saturday and Sunday, August 23 and 24.  The Saturday event is a 100-lap event, rescheduled from three previous rainouts.  The Sunday event is a 250-lap race with a bonus purse attached for any competing American drivers.  For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.laserieactcastrol.com or www.acttour.com.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Luminaire Napert 150 Serie ACT Castrol – Autodrome Chaudiere – Vallee-Jct., QC Saturday, August 16, 2008

(# - denotes rookie)

Pos.-Driver-Hometown
1.      Karl Allard, St-Felicien, QC
2.      Alexandre Gingras, Val-Belair, QC
3.      Martin Lacombe, Terrebonne, QC
4.      # Patrick Hamel, St-Edourard-de-Lotbiniere, QC
5.      # Spencer MacPherson, Carleton Place, ON
6.      Mario Gosselin, Lake Wales, FL
7.      Marc-Andre Cliche, Vallee-Jct., QC
8.      Yvon Bedard, St-Nicolas, QC
9.      Daniel Descoste, St-Joseph-du-Lac, QC
10.     Claude Leclerc, Lanoraie, QC
11.     Dany Ouellet, La Pocatiere, QC
12.     Remi Lebreux, Levis, QC
13.     Stephane Lecours, Lac Etchemin, QC
14.     Jonathan Desbiens, Levis, QC
15.     Stephane Durand, Quebec, QC
16.     Eric St-Gelais, St-Nicolas, QC
17.     Renaud Blais, Ste-Agathe, QC
18.     Kevin Roberge, Levis, QC
19.     Stephane Descoste, Oka, QC
20.     Jean-Francois Dery, Quebec, QC
21.     Steven Boissonneault, Lyster, QC
22.     Sylvain Lacombe, Terrebonne, QC
23.     Jacques Poulin, East-Broughton, QC

From Justin St. Louis

Andrew Ranger to finish the 2008 season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series

Trois-Rivières, August 17th, 2008: After having shown his immense talent two weeks ago in Montreal, it is now official; Andrew Ranger will finish the season and participate in 7 NASCAR Nationwide Series events starting Friday August 22nd.

 

Once again, it will be at the wheel of the #22 Fitz Motorsports car that Andrew Ranger will start in the Food City 250 which will take place at the legendary Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. This event will be a first for Andrew; a Nationwide Series race on an oval track.

 

Andrew Ranger is also confirmed to participate in the races at Richmond, Charlotte, Memphis, Texas, Phoenix and will close out the season in Homestead on November 15th during the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup season finale. All these races will be on oval race tracks. Andrew is sponsored by Tide, Wal-Mart, Supercuts, Habitations Éric Alary and Autodrome St-Eustache for his NASCAR debut in the USA. Andrew will continue and complete his season in the Canadian Series where he will attempt to win back to back championships. He is presently 4th in the standings only 134 points out of first place.

 

Armando Fitz, Fitz Motorsports team owner, is very confident to put a talented young driver such as Andrew at the wheel of his car. "I really loved his perseverance in Montreal. This promising driver is not afraid to mix it up. His profile is also exactly the image we want our team and sponsors to portray."

 

"I am really happy and honored that Fitz Motorsports have chosen me as their driver for these races. To run in the Nationwide Series is a new challenge for me and also an excellent path for my career as a NASCAR driver. I am more than ready to take this on and I will give it everything I've got to position myself as a contender in this series. I want to thank all the fans that encourage me continually, their support is very important for me. I would also like to thank my sponsors who are offering me an opportunity to realize a dream. However, I want to indicate that I will continue to compete in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series." declared a very enthusiastic Andrew Ranger.

 

The NASCAR Nationwide Series events are broadcasted in Canada on TSN and RDS (limited schedule) as well as ABC and ESPN2 in the United States. This great announcement was made in the media centre of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières.

 

-30-

 

Source: Professional Sports Management
Contact: Audrey Choquette / achoquette@prosportsmanagement.ca / 514-926-7674

Sauble Speedway Saturday Aug. 16th 2008 - Shouldice Designer Stone

Sauble Speedway Saturday Aug. 16th 2008 - Shouldice Designer Stone Presented A Great Night of Racing at the Beach

 

Sunset Cruisers Heat Winners Rain-X 4 Cyl: #1 John VanDyke, #71 Gary Jones, #09 Dean Curry, #78 Adam McCulloch

 

Street Stocks: #6 Jason Ritchie,#77 Ray Flynn, #48 Paul McCartney, #16 Kevin Bushell Reg

 

Noble Thunders: #69 Scott McTeer, #48 Ernie Abel Jr.

Quaker State Late Models: #28 Roy Wilkie, #8 Jason Parker won two, #99 Steve Adams Canadian Vintage Modifieds: #00 Ron Easton,

 

Feature Winners:
Rain-X 4 Cyl: #13 Todd Loughnan
Street Stock: #27 Mark Rioux
Reg Noble Thunders: #69 Scott McTeer
Quaker State Late Models: #76 Tyler Williams

Canadian Vintage Modifieds: #81 Jeff Shaw

Canadian Vintage Modified Mechanics Races: #00 Grant Easton 

 

Next Race: Saturday Aug 23rd 2008 - www.saublespeedway.com

KONI: Camirand, Lally Win Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Grand Sport Race at Le Circuit de Trois-Rivieres

TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec, Canada (Aug. 17, 2008) - Andy Lally won his second straight Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Grand Sport (GS) race Sunday and in the process gave co-driver Marc-Antoine Camirand a record-tying eighth circuit victory in the 39th annual Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. The duo averaged a race record 71.910 mph. 

  

Lally and Camirand combined to lead 74 of the 80 laps - including the final 49 - in the No. 79 Kinetic Motorsports BMW M3, with Lally winning by 0.372 seconds over James Gue. It marked the team's first ever KONI Challenge victory, Camirand's second - both coming at the 1.521-mile Trois-Rivieres temporary circuit - and Lally's fourth. Lally won last Sunday's GS race at Iowa Speedway driving a Porsche 997 for TRG. 

 

Lally came under fire from Gue late in the race when fellow Iowa Speedway co-winner Scott Schroeder stopped on the track. But Lally held his line and didn't allow the JBS Motorsports driver - who ran second for much of the event - past, and he held off a three-car train behind him. 

 

Camirand started from the pole and led the opening 25 laps before diving into the pits for the team's only stop. When leader Joe Foster - who ran second to Camirand before pacing six laps - pitted under a full course caution on Lap 32, Lally obtained the lead and pushed the No. 79 ahead to more than a four-second advantage before the final caution. 

 

In addition to his second KONI Challenge victory at Trois-Rivieres, it was the eighth victory for Camirand, of St. Leonard d'Aston, Quebec, on the Trois-Rivieres streets, tying Jacques Bienvenue for the most victories ever. Bienvenue set the mark in 1985. 

 

Prior to Gue catching Lally, the main battle was for second. Gue was doing his best to hold off Billy Johnson, Craig Stanton and Scott Maxwell for several laps, with Johnson glued to his rear bumper for much of the race's second half. Stanton and Maxwell traded positions on occasion, but Maxwell - pushing for a season-best third GS victory with Foster - was assessed and stop-and-go penalty for jumping the race's final restart. The pair finished 10th. 

 

For Gue and Bret Seafuse, it was the team's second podium finish in three races and third this season, and first of three Mustangs in the top five at Trois-Rivieres. In addition, the duo finished second last month at Barber Motorsports Park in the No. 37 JBS Motorsports Trumansburg Shursave Ford Mustang GT. Gue and Seafuse also pulled to within 10 points (190-180) over leaders Jep Thornton and Jeff Segal, who finished 12th at Trois-Rivieres. The car was assessed a stop-and-go plus 60-second penalty after running over equipment during the team's only stop. 

 

Johnson and co-driver Ray Mason were third in the No. 52 Rehagen Racing Columbus Truck & Equipment Ford Mustang GT - only 0.941 seconds - and the team's No. 59 Rehagen Racing Roush Performance Products/Valvoline Ford Mustang GT - co-driven by Jack Roush Jr. and Dean Martin - was fifth. 

 

It was also a good day for BGB Motorsports. Stanton and co-driver Jon Miller were fourth in the No. 83 BGB Motorsports Performance Drink/Weeden Consultants Porsche 997, while Trois-Rivieres brothers Jean-Francois and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin finished sixth despite a small fire from under the car during the team's pit stop. Defending race winner Bill Auberlen and co-driver Matthew Alhadeff were seventh in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3. 

 

KONI Challenge participants return to action Sunday, Aug. 31 at the Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.

 

 NEWS & NOTES

- Automatic's Best Run Eighth: Jep Thornton and Jeff Segal finished outside the top five for the first time this season with their 12th-place finish. Their teammates, Charlie Putman and Charles Espenlaub, finished the best of the team's three cars - eighth in the No. 91 BMW M3 - despite a spin by Espenlaub on the restart. The No. 99 BMW M3, driven by Steve Cameron and Rob Finlay, was 18th.

- Motorsport Technology Group Takes Ninth: Michael Auriemma and John Mayes took ninth in the No. 20 Motorsport Technology Group Porsche 997, the car's best finish of the season and first top 10.

- Manufacturer Championship Even Tighter: Only five points separated leaders Ford, Porsche and BMW (188-185-183) heading into the race, and the race remains tight. Ford still holds the lead with 220 points, but is now two points ahead of new second-place marque BMW with 218. Porsche dropped to third with 212 points.

- Driving Two Cars: Kris Wilson had a tough day driving two different cars. The Colorado driver ran as high as fifth in the No. 26 C-Max Racing Porsche 997 before the car retired after only 10 laps and finished 21st. He later strapped into the No. 25 Porsche 997, taking the place of co-driver David Riddle, but that car completed only 57 laps and finished 16th.

 

TOP-THREE POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

Marc-Antoine Camirand (No. 79 Kinetic Motorsports BMW M3): "It's a great event. I have eight wins up here, tying the record for the most wins at Trois-Rivieres. I couldn't have picked a better co-driver, Andy Lally. He's a great driver and everything today worked perfectly. The car was good. We did a great driver change. This was the first win for Kinetic. I have to say thank you to Nic Jonsson and Russell Smith. I'm really happy to win here.

"This one is special. We worked hard to tie the record. I was pretty close to tying it last year. This year the team worked really hard to give a good car to me and Andy. I'm happy to be on the podium and win." 

 

Andy Lally (No. 79 Kinetic Motorsports BMW M3): "It's special for many reasons. This is my first-ever victory at Trois-Rivieres; many obviously for him. It's a special occasion for him and for Kinetic. This is their first victory in the series. I owe a big congratulations and thanks to everybody at Kinetic and Marc-Antoine (Camirand) for doing such a great job with the car this weekend, earning pole position and pulling away from the guys. He gave me the car in the lead and I didn't have to pass a single person. I just had to maintain but it was tough because our competition here in the Fords were on my tail chasing me. The whole weekend they were very, very strong. Every time I made a mistake they got right to me. Both cars did a really good job. I have to say thank you to our guys who have been hustling on this car and doing a ton of work behind the scenes and this is a big day for Kinetic." 

 

James Gue (No. 37 JBS Motorsports Ford Mustang GT): "I'm obviously extremely pleased with the way the weekend went. JBS Motorsports and Bret (Seafuse), they all did an outstanding job. They gave me a great car. We had a great pit strategy. I got in the car and had to, like everybody out there, conserve the brakes and take it easy. It was definitely a handful here racing in the streets. Like Bret said we were looking at the big picture: championship points. First and second - those guys had bad days today, so we made up a lot of points; I couldn't be happier." 

 

Bret Seafuse (No. 37 JBS Motorsports Ford Mustang GT): "Our third podium this year. It was a great point race for us. We did very well. We were third. This should move us up to second with a little cushion. That's what we were looking at. We would've certainly loved to win; we already visited second and third on the podium a couple of times. We were looking for the top spot here but the points, this race, was definitely what we were looking at. James (Gue) did a phenomenal job. He had Billy here on his tail the whole time for pretty much his whole stint. I just pretty much tried to bring the car to him in one piece and in good shape and let him go to work.

"That last caution isn't exactly what we wanted. James has built a little bit of a cushion on Billy - a couple of car lengths. But it panned out and we couldn't be happier." 

 

Billy Johnson (No. 52 Rehagen Racing Ford Mustang GT): "I just like to thank Ray (Mason). He did an awesome job this weekend. He qualified really well in this blue Ford. We had great pit strategy and great racing. He did a really good job with the pit stop and got us out on the track and gained a few positions. I sat in third place behind James (Gue) for quite some time. I was just pressuring him, trying to make him make a mistake, but he was all over it all race long. I was just trying to hang on to third." 

 

Ray Mason (No. 52 Rehagen Racing Ford Mustang GT): "It's a great event to come up here in Trois-Rivieres. We love coming here with the great crowds. To drive around the track afterwards was a heck of a lot of fun. I think I'm obviously the oldest guy on the podium, so it makes me proud just to breath up here with these fellas. I've been up here with Andy (Lally) before. He's an excellent wheel. Driving with Billy Johnson has been great this year. He's a 21-year-old man and he's got a great future ahead of him."

-30-

From Grand-Am:  Michael Harker, PR Coordinator

ACT Late Model Tour release: Williams Wins Wild American-Canadian Tour Race at White Mountain

NORTH WOODSTOCK, NH – Late Model stock car racer Eric Williams of Hyde Park, VT earned the fourth American- Canadian Tour (ACT) victory of his career after a controversial incident late in the going in the White Mountain 150 at New Hampshire's White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday night.  Williams was the benefactor of a tangle between race leaders and championship point leaders Scott Payea and Patrick Laperle with three laps remaining, and slipped by for the win.

Payea, of Milton, VT, led the majority of the race, but raced hard with Montréal driver Laperle during the middle stages, with the pair trading the lead multiple times.  Contact with three laps remaining sent Payea spinning, bringing out the fourth and final caution flag of the event.  For his involvement in the incident, Laperle was sent to the rear of the field with Payea for the restart.  Payea finished 13th with Laperle 14th, the last two cars on the lead lap.

Williams, a part-time ACT Late Model Tour racer, currently leading the championship standings at Barre, VT's Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, then drove away from Brent Dragon for the win.  Dragon and fellow Milton, VT native Jean-Paul Cyr finished second and third, respectively.  A pair of New Hampshire natives, 19 year-old Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. of Hudson and Brad Leighton of Center Harbor, completed the top unofficial top five.

Glen Luce of Turner, ME finished sixth, with Barre, VT rookie Nick Sweet finishing seventh for his fifth top-ten finish in eight events.  John Donahue of Graniteville, VT was eighth, one spot ahead of home-track driver Dan Colby of Lyman, NH.  Colby, a former ACT Late Model Tour regular, posted his best-ever result with ninth place.  Randy Potter of Groveton, NH finished tenth, unofficially.

The ACT Late Model Tour is back in action on Sunday, August 31 with the 30th Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 at Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl in Barre, VT.  Discount advance sale tickets are available at all 36 Bond Auto Parts locations in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.  For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.acttour.com.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – White Mountain 150
ACT Late Model Tour – White Mountain Motorsports Park – N. Woodstock, NH Saturday, August 16, 2008

(# - denotes rookie)

Pos.-Driver-Hometown
1.      Eric Williams, Hyde Park, VT
2.      Brent Dragon, Milton, VT
3.      Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, VT
4.      Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, NH
5.      Brad Leighton, Center Harbor, NH
6.      Glen Luce, Turner, ME
7.      # Nick Sweet, Barre, VT
8.      John Donahue, Graniteville, VT
9.      Dan Colby, Lyman, NH
10.     Randy Potter, Groveton, NH
11.     Stacy Cahoon, St. Johnsbury, VT
12.     Quinny Welch, Lancaster, NH
13.     Scott Payea, Milton, VT
14.     Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, QC
15.     Donald Theetge, Boischatel, QC
16.     Scott Dragon, Milton, VT
17.     Joey Becker, Jeffersonville, VT
18.     # Tyler Cahoon, St. Johnsbury, VT
19.     Jamie Fisher, Shelburne, VT
20.     Trampas Demers, South Burlington, VT
21.     Bobby Dragon, Milton, VT
22.     Oren Remick, Warner, NH
23.     Rick Thompson, Jr., Derby, VT
24.     Eric Chase, Milton, VT
25.     Cody Bodwell, Farmington, NH
26.     Bernie Lantagne, McIndoe Falls, VT
27.     # Ricky Wolf, Jr., Northwood, NH
28.     Pete Potvin, III, Graniteville, VT
29.     Steve Fisher, Shelburne, VT
30.     # Jonathan Urlin, London, ON

From: Justin St. Louis