NCATS: Cayuga Coke Zero 200... Dilley wins

Mark Dilley won Saturday's NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Cayuga Motor Speedway.

The Dodge-sponsored Avenger driver's win in the Coke Zero 200 was his first-ever at the Cayuga oval in over two decades of trying.

Andrew Ranger finished second, ahead of Derek Lynch. Points leader Scott Steckly suffered a broken belt on his oil pump and lost 10 laps in the pits. He finished near the back of the 21-car field.

NCATS: update 9:35

Cars rolling again after lengthy power outage at Cayuga. Fingers crossed that the generator holds... until halfway at least. Dilley leads Beauchamp .

NCATS: Cayuga ... Lap 83 update

Red flag for power outage on the backstraight, corner and turns.

Steckly has had more engine trouble, lost 10 laps in the pits and is 19th of 21 on the track. This should further tighten the points.

ORDER: Dilley, Beauchamp, Ranger, Micks, Kennington.

NCATS: Cayuga start

Notebook...

Don Thomson Jr. on pole.
Scott steckly starting second.
Pete Shepherd III filling in for Alex Tagliani, who is racing IRL in Detroit.

Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone Qualifying Results

Note: Alex Tagliani is 21st fastest (of 26) in his first time in an IndyCar. Go Alex!  
 

DETROIT, Mich. - Qualifying Saturday for the Detroit Indy Grand Prix presented by Firestone IndyCar Series event on the 2.07-mile The Raceway at Belle Isle Park, with starting position, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, speed and elimination round:

1. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 103.090, Firestone Fast Six

2. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 102.412, Firestone Fast Six

3. (5) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 102.136, Firestone Fast Six

4. (02) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 102.008, Firestone Fast Six

5. (6) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 101.942, Firestone Fast Six

6. (06) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 101.186, Firestone Fast Six

7. (17) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 102.151, Segment Two

8. (11) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 101.756, Segment Two

9. (33) E.J. Viso, Dallara-Honda, 101.339, Segment Two

10. (7) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 100.817, Segment Two

11. (10) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 100.803, Segment Two

12. (8) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, No speed, Segment Two

13. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 100.482, Segment One

14. (4) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 101.157, Segment One

15. (14) Darren Manning, Dallara-Honda, 100.348, Segment One

16. (27) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, 100.838, Segment One

17. (2) A.J. Foyt IV, Dallara-Honda, 100.231, Segment One

18. (15) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, 99.232, Segment One

19. (19) Mario Moraes, Dallara-Honda, 100.048, Segment One

20. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 98.956, Segment One

21. (36) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 97.233, Segment One

22. (34) Jaime Camara, Dallara-Honda, 97.152, Segment One

23. (23) Milka Duno, Dallara-Honda, 94.226, Segment One

24. (18) Bruno Junqueira, Dallara-Honda, 90.442, Segment One

25. (25) Marty Roth, Dallara-Honda, No speed, Segment One

26. (12) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, No speed, Segment One

OHSWEKEN: Ferri claims ODLM victory at Ohsweken while Styres takes Sprint win

By Tommy Goudge (August 29, 2008) -

Perseverance paid off for Adam Ferri on Friday night at Ohsweken Speedway.  Ferri, of Port Colborne, Ontario, chased Warsaw, NY's Doug Ricotta for much of the 25 lap distance, and took advantage when Ricotta slipped high in turn 1 after taking the white flag, passing the #01 when it mattered most and going on to visit Engine Pro Racing Victory Lane to pick up a $2,000 winner's cheque.  Meanwhile, Glenn Styres held off a determined Dave Dykstra to pick up Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car honours, Cody McPherson put an exclamation point on his dream season in the ESSO Thunder Stocks division by claiming victory, Rick Robinson brought his #05 to ESSO Mini Stock prominence, and Lee Hils won yet another Friday Night Fun Stock feature race.
 
After winning their respective heat races, Ricotta and Ferri started on the front row for the Ontario Dirt Late Models series feature and quickly asserted themselves out front as the drivers to beat, with Chad Valone trailing behind.  A rash of early caution flags slowed the first half of the race, the most significant of which was a hard crash by Rick Baker into the frontstretch wall, which caused heavy damage to the #78, but fortunately Rick emerged from his mount uninjured.  Back under green to finish the 25 lap distance, Ricotta was in command and very fast out front, using the outside groove to open an advantage over Ferri, who suffered damage to the right front corner of his #1f after running over a chunk of mud.  Ricotta took the white flag and looked to be on his way to victory, but going into the first turn, Ricotta had to confront the lapped machine of Paul Rivait, and in doing so slid high in turns 1 and 2, allowing Ferri the chance he needed to slip by and take the feature win, the 100th of his storied career in modifieds and now late models.  Ricotta was able to hold on for 2nd, followed by Greg Oakes who made his way to 3rd after starting 11th, Jim Dale, Jr. in 4th, and Dale Glassford rounded out the top 5.  The early caution flags served to keep the field bunched up, allowing drivers who started further back to stay in touch with the pack.  Finishing 6th, 7th, and 8th were Adam West, Chris Ross - who entered the evening with the ODLM points lead - and Rob Ledingham, who started 20th, 17th, and 22nd respectively.  Ricotta, Ferri, and Andrew Reaume claimed heat race wins with 23 Late Models on hand.
 
Keith Dempster entered the evening as the points leader in the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division, and was looking to add to his slim margin, with the last points night of the year coming up next Friday.  Early in the night, Dempster was very fast and claimed the victory in heat race #2, and then drew the pole position for the feature race, while teammate Glenn Styres lined up next to him.  When the green flag dropped, a torrid battle for the lead began between the two teammates, with Dempster and Styres repeatedly switching the lead as Styres worked the cushion.  During lap 7, Styres retook the lead from Dempster and opened a slight gap, and then the night went sour for Dempster as he spun in turn 4 to bring out a caution.  With Dempster restarting at the rear of the field, Styres took command out front while Dave Dykstra, Mikey Kruchka, Kevin Job, and Rob Pietz put on a fierce battle for 2nd.  With Styres solidly out front on lap 12, Bob Crawford made heavy contact with the inside wall in turn 2 to bring out a caution flag and bunch the field once more.  On the restart, Styres reasserted his lead, while Dykstra gave chase, but started to feel pressure from Kruchka.  Just as Kruchka had gotten by Dykstra for 2nd and set his sights on Styres, the caution flag waved another time as Brad Malloy came to a stop in turn 3 on lap 17.  This put Dykstra back in 2nd for the restart, and this time he kept his #5d within sight of Styres and began to mount a challenge for his first ever sprint car feature win.  Over the last few laps, Dykstra repeatedly challenged the Styres #0 on the bottom side, and nosed ahead briefly on the backstretch with less than 2 laps to go.  After the white flag flew, Dykstra tried one last move in turns 3 and 4, but came up short on an attempted slide job, allowing Styres to claim his 2nd Corr/Pak victory of the season, while Dykstra settled for 2nd, still his best ever finish in a sprint car.  Mikey Kruchka came home 3rd, also a personal best for him in his young sprint car career, while Rob Pietz and Jared Zimbardi rounded out the top 5.  After spinning and restarting at the tail of the field, Keith Dempster salvaged an 8th place finish to minimize the damage to his points position. All 5 of the drivers who came into the night within striking distance of his points lead finished ahead of the Dempster #5 however, tightening what was already a very close points battle, and setting up what is sure to be an exciting final race next Friday night.  Tom Huppunen, Dempster, and Rob Pietz claimed heat race victories on the fast and smooth Ohsweken surface.  With weather in the area, the B-Main was cancelled and all 23 competitors started the feature race.
 
The ESSO Thunder Stocks saw Michelle Johnson and Ryan Dinning starting on the front row, with Dinning taking the early lead, but behind him frantic action ensued as drivers raced 2 and 3 wide through the pack.  Cody McPherson, already the 2008 Thunder Stock champion at Ohsweken, came into the night looking to cap off his season with an 8th feature win and was not to be denied on this night.  McPherson methodically made his way through the pack after starting 9th and went on to claim the feature win, followed by rookie Jamie Cox with another good run in 2nd, Bernard Neiburg, 17th place starter Amanda Stoner, and Dinning in 5th.  Cox, Dinning, and McPherson claimed the heat race victories for the 24 car field.
 
In ESSO Mini-Stock action, Rick Robinson and Dan Stewart were the front row starters, and when the green flag came out, Robinson took off, looking for redemption after a small issue in tech inspection resulted in an earlier win being taken away earlier in the season.  Robinson dominated the feature race and had no problems in tech on this night. Behind Robinson's #05, the action was heavy as Chase Hess, Abel Castelein, Rick Emberson, and Mike Evers all fought over the 2nd spot.  In the end, it was Hess prevailing, followed by 9th starter Castelein, Emberson, and Evers.  Heat race victories went to Hess and Robinson.
 
Attrition took it's toll on the Friday Night Fun Stock field as only 6 cars were left on the track at the finish, including Karl Sault limping home with a flat right front tire.  Lee Hils took the early lead and was never seriously challenged, although Sault was beginning to catch up before suffering the flat.  Hils cruised easily to the victory followed by Jesse McDonald, Mike Taylor, Kacey Huffman, and Sault.
Ohsweken Speedway's Friday Night Thunder series concludes this Friday, September 5 when Iroquois Poker presents the Season Championship events for the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars, ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini-Stocks, and Friday Night Fun Stocks! 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, September 5!
 
With the end of the regular season quickly approaching on September 5th, 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 FRIDAY NIGHT THUNDER
OHSWEKEN, ONTARIO
ROUND 15 RESULTS - AUGUST 29, 2008
EVENT SPONSOR - H.R.W. AUTOMOTIVE
 
ONTARIO DIRT LATE MODEL SERIES
HEAT RACES
Heat Race #1
1. 01 Doug Ricotta (Warsaw, NY), 2. 2v Chad Valone (Warren, PA), 3. 4 Joe Field (Chatham), 4. rh94 Jason Haskell (Chatham), 5. 11a Paul Rivait (Tilbury), 6. 92c Keith Cameron (Tilbury), 7. 5 Jeff Dayman (Welland), 8. 7 Rob Ledingham (Port Colborne)
 
Heat Race #2
1. 1f Adam Ferri (Port Colborne), 2. 60 Dale Glassford (Highgate), 3. 1a Brad Authier (Chatham), 4. Greg Oakes (Franklinville, PA), 5. 33 Don Gordon (Chatham), 6. 18r Chris Ross (Tupperville), 7. 92 Adam West (Ridgetown), 8. 99 Gerald Giroux (Pain Court)
 
Heat Race #3
1. 88 Andrew Reaume (Blenheim), 2. 77 Brett Reaume (Blenheim), 3. 00 Jim Dale, Jr. (Shrewsbury), 4. 78 Rick Baker (Ridgeway), 5. rh21 Greg Haskell (Chatham), 6. 05 Mike Lewis (Wallaceburg), 7. 28 Jeff Jardine (Wallaceburg)
 
ONTARIO DIRT LATE MODELS FEATURE (25 laps)
Position. # Name (Starting Position)
1. 1f Adam Ferri (2)
2. 01 Doug Ricotta (1)
3. 22 Greg Oakes (11)
4. 00 Jim Dale, Jr. (9)
5. 60 Dale Glassford (5)
6. 92 Adam West (20)
7. 18r Chris Ross (17)
8. 7 Rob Ledingham (22)
9. 4 Joe Field (7)
10. 1a Brad Authier (8)
11. 05 Mike Lewis (18)
12. 33 Don Gordon (14)
13. 5 Jeff Dayman (19)
14. 11a Paul Rivait (13)
15. 2v Chad Valone (3) DNF
16. 77 Brett Reaume (6) DNF
17. 88 Andrew Reaume (4) DNF
18. rh21 Greg Haskell (15) DNF
19. 92c Keith Cameron (16) DNF
20. 99 Gerald Giroux (23) DNF
21. 28 Jeff Jardine (21) DNF
22. 78 Rick Baker (12) DNF
23. rh94 Jason Haskell (10) DQ
 
CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING SPRINT CARS
HEAT RACES:
BS&B RADIATOR Heat Race #1
1. 19jr Tom Huppunen (Fenwick), 2. 7 Jim Price (Wainfleet), 3. 35 Jared Zimbardi (Salamanca, NY), 4. 01 Mikey Kruchka (Hamilton), 5. 21x Kevin Job (Campbellville), 6. 10 Bob Crawford (Sutton), 7. 77x Ryan Hunsinger (Brantford) DQ
 
BEST WESTERN CAIRN CROFT HOTEL Heat Race #2
1. 5 Keith Dempster (Alton), 2. 5m Brad Malloy (Niagara Falls), 3. 5d Dave Dykstra (Port Colborne), 4. 1a John Riegling (Chatham), 5. 71 Craig Downie (Burlington), 6. 38 Brad Knab (Delevan, NY), 7. 21j John Burbridge, Jr. (Simcoe), 8. 31 Roger Lauzon (Hamilton)
 
GRISDALE RACING PRODUCTS Heat Race #3
1. 69 Rob Pietz (Port Colborne), 2. 22 Jim Porter (Grand Island, NY), 3. 0 Glenn Styres (Ohsweken), 4. 99c Nick Cupolo (Thorold), 5. 94 Stan Zanchin (Fort Erie), 6. 12c Jim Huppunen (unknown), 7. 75 Jim Sweers (Millgrove), 8. 9jr Tim Zack (Dain City) DNF
 
CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING SPRINT CARS
A-FEATURE (20 laps)
Position. # Name (Starting Position)
1. Glenn Styres (2)
2. 5d Dave Dykstra (7)
3. 01 Mikey Kruchka (6)
4. 69 Rob Pietz (8)
5. 35 Jared Zimbardi (9)
6. 21x Kevin Job (13)
7. 77x Ryan Hunsinger (19)
8. 5 Keith Dempster (1)
9. 22 Jim Porter (5)
10. 38 Brad Knab (17)
11. 1a John Riegling (10)
12. 19jr Tom Huppunen (11)
13. 7 Jim Price (3)
14. 21j John Burbridge, Jr. (20)
15. 99c Nick Cupolo (4)
16. 71 Craig Downie (14)
17. 94 Stan Zanchin (15)
18. 31 Roger Lauzon (22)
19. 12c Jim Huppunen (18)
20. 5m Brad Malloy (12)
21. 10 Bob Crawford (16) DNF
22. 9jr Tim Zack (23) DNF
23. 75 Jim Sweers (21) DNF
 
ESSO THUNDER STOCKS
HEAT RACES:
Heat Race #1
1. o44 Jamie Cox (Cambridge), 2. 108jr Billy Bleich, Jr. (Port Robinson), 3. 55 Mike Thorne (Caledonia), 4. 62 Brian Pescetti (Stoney Creek), 5. 40 Terry Osmond (Cambridge), 6. 191 Gord Bates (York), 7. 98 Schqwayandisails Styres (unknown), 8. 1 Chris Dickie (Brantford)
 
Heat Race #2
1. 777 Cody McPherson (St. Catharines), 2. 9 Glen Leinen (Hannon), 3. 3 Brad Bacher (Hagersville), 4. 0x Bernard Neiburg (Caistor Centre), 5. 18 Dave Bailey (Hagersville), 6. 15 Mark Thorne (Waterford), 7. 31jr Michael Bosse (St. Catharines), 8. 13 Mark Saul (Hagersville)
 
Heat Race #3
1. 8 Ryan Dinning (Caledonia), 2. 37 Jeremy Bean (Stoney Creek), 3. 24k Kyle Magrin (Hamilton), 4. 11 Michelle Johnson (Caledonia), 5. 18a Amanda Stoner (Hamilton), 6. 17 Rob Disher (Grimsby), 7. 23 Tim Deboer (unknown), 8. 28 Adam Gracey (Dunnville)
 
ESSO THUNDER STOCKS A-FEATURE (15 laps)
Position. # Name (Starting Position)
1. 777 Cody McPherson (9)
2. o44 Jamie Cox (5)
3. 0x Bernard Neiburg (12)
4. 18a Amanda Stoner (17)
5. 8 Ryan Dinning (2)
6. 37 Jeremy Bean (10)
7. 31jr Michael Bosse (20)
8. 55 Mike Thorne (3)
9. 40 Terry Osmond (13)
10. 62 Brian Pescetti (11)
11. 108jr Billy Bleich, Jr. (8)
12. 11 Michelle Johnson (1)
13. 9 Glen Leinen (4)
14. 3 Brad Bacher (7)
15. 15 Mark Thorne (17)
16. 24k Kyle Magrin (6)
17. 191 Gord Bates (16)
18. 13 Mark Saul (22)
19. 17 Rob Disher (18)
20. 23 Tim Deboer (21)
21. 18 Dave Bailey (14) DNF
22. 1 Chris Dickie (24) DNF
23. 28 Adam Gracey (23) DNF
24. 98 Schqwayandisails Styres (19) DNS
 
ESSO MINI-STOCKS
HEAT RACES:
Heat Race #1
1. 7x Chase Hess (Ohsweken), 2. 28 Abel Castelein (Cayuga), 3. 72 Kevin Hilborn (Brantford), 4. 86 Rick Emberson (Paris), 5. 397 Brent Hill (Ohsweken), 6. 55 Rob Slater (Dundas), 7. 222 John Marsh (Hamilton), 8. 113 Mark Thorne (Waterford) 9. 8 Andrew Snelling (unknown), 10. 11 Mike Giberson (Caledonia) DNS
 
Heat Race #2
1. 05 Rick Robinson (Brantford), 2. 48 Craig Erskine (unknown), 3. 777x Steve Hess (Ohsweken), 4. 265 Mike Evers (Caledonia), 5. 27 Dan Stewart (Hamilton), 6. 10 Mitchell Brown (Brantford), 7. 20 Kevin Magrin (Hamilton), 8. 88 Kelly Hallett (Wilsonville), 9. 00 Rick Haimerl (Brantford)
 
ESSO MINI-STOCKS A-FEATURE (15 laps)
Position. # Name (Starting Position)
1. 05 Rick Robinson (1)
2. 7x Chase Hess (3)
3. 28 Abel Castelein (9)
4. 86 Rick Emberson (6)
5. 265 Mike Evers (7)
6. 48 Craig Erskine (10)
7. 10 Mitchell Brown (12)
8. 72 Kevin Hilborn (8)
9. 397 Brent Hill (4)
10. 777x Steve Hess (5)
11. 113 Mark Thorne (15)
12. 27 Dan Stewart (2)
13. 55 Rob Slater (11)
14. 11 Mike Giberson (19)
15. 222 John Marsh (13)
16. 00 Rick Haimerl (18)
17. 8 Andrew Snelling (17)
18. 20 Kevin Magrin (14) DNF
19. 88 Kelly Hallett (16) DNF
 
FRIDAY NIGHT FUN STOCKS A-FEATURE (25 laps)
Position. # Name (Hometown)
1. 181 Lee Hils (Dundas)
2. 88j Jesse McDonald (unknown)
3. 72 Mike Taylor (Burlington)
4. 13 Kacey Huffman (Hamilton)
5. 81 Karl Sault (Dundas)
6. 397 Chris Teal (Ohsweken)
7. 818 Chris Hils (Dundas) DNF
8. 388 Craig Dowd (Caledonia) DNF
9. 86 Ryan Swift (Caledonia) DNF
10. 88 Dale Cooke (unknown) DNF
 
UP NEXT @ OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY:
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2008
IROQUOIS POKER PRESENTS THE SEASON CHAMPIONSHIPS -
CORR/PAK SPRINT CARS, ESSO THUNDER STOCKS,
ESSO MINI-STOCKS AND FRIDAY NIGHT FUN STOCKS
ADULTS $10, SENIORS AND STUDENTS $8, KIDS 12 AND UNDER FREE
GATES OPEN @ 6:00 P.M., RACING @ 7:45 P.M.

Oswego Supernationals: CHRIS PERLEY TAKES OSWEGO SUPER NATIONALS AFTER A LONG WAIT

Oswego, NY – Believe it or not it had been eleven years since Chris Perley won the last of his three-straight Oswego Budweiser Super Nationals (1995-97) and certainly not because of lack of effort. Try as he might, the man who has won just about everything in winged supermodified sight for the last few years, could not muster that elusive fourth at the Super Nationals. Friday the pieces fell into place for him. Perley shattered the track record set earlier in 2008 by Timmy J with an amazing 15.198 lap. He won his heat. He was ready. But just prior to the feature, a hole was found in the oil pan of the 11 and needed to be quickly patched. A broken nose wing and no brakes were part of the late stages of his race.  Was it unraveling again? Another miss?  Not this time. The 11 cruised into victory lane a good distance ahead of second place finisher Timmy Jedrzejek for the win. This time it all came together.

"Eleven years later. I think it was '97 when I won one of these. I didn't know if it would ever come again. We kept coming so close and lady luck didn't shine on us. Tonight we had a leak in the oil pan. Everybody jumped in to help fix it from the Ordways, Scotty Martel, Bentley – it's a big family here. When somebody goes down, we pick them up. This time it was me who got the help.

"I ended up losing the brakes around lap 30. A caliper line broke. Then I guess I got impatient and tried to knock a nose wing off. I was holding on and praying that Timmy and those guys weren't going to come and get me. I have really been pushing for this race for a long time after I won three in a row and then just couldn't seem to do it again. Tonight, despite the hole in the oil pan and the brakes, I think I could have finished on three wheels and won. It was a great car. It ran perfect. For all the faults it still handled great. I'm so lucky to be in the car. We have great motors from R&R, great sponsors like Ed Shea, Perley's Marina, and NEMRS, and Vic Miller putting the car together. Then there is the crew-Scotty, Leo, Mike, Phil, Curtis, Freddy, everybody and of course thanks to our families for letting us all do this."

Timmy Jedrzejek tried to track down Perley after getting by early leader Charlie Schultz but just couldn't get too close. "We're pleased with our performance tonight.  To get beat by the 11 car and that whole team, we'll take that and go home proud. The 8 team did a heck of a job tonight. That car has been awful good. We've struggled with the non-wing car. Hats off to all the guys on the Reed's Salvage crew, Enerco Mr. Heater, and all the sponsors for sticking behind us and making it possible to be up here.

The 50-lapper only saw one yellow on lap 14. Would one have helped Jedrzejek late in the race? Timmy said,  "Getting a caution is no guarantee because getting behind him doesn't mean a whole lot. Look at the lap he put down in practice. Chris beat my track record and he beat me in the feature. Hats off to them. They are a bunch of good guys and he's a good winner."

Third place runner and defending Super Nationals champion Dave Shullick Jr., had a little adversity of his own. His 49 lost a driveshaft in the second heat. And, while his capable crew was able to make quick repairs, it left Shoe II almost at the rear of the 23-car starting field.

"We had a long way to go," said Dave on the podium. "We started toward the back. I was pretty good at the start.  The car just went away with ten laps to go. I was just hanging on. I'd like to congratulate Perley. You come to expect this from the 11 car. Timmy did a good job. We're looking forward to tomorrow. This was fun. There are a lot of fast, fast cars that run here. The 8 was fast. The 7 was fast, but he looked like he faded. We're fast. The 11 is fast. My crew is great. We did break a driveshaft in the heat and Steve and the group do a tremendous job. I'd like to thank them all. It's just a fun race to run."

The 15th annual Oswego Super Nationals started a couple cars light after Dave Trytek's 70 and Tim Ice's 77 could not start. It was pole sitter Randy Burch out front for the first six laps, but one of the MSA powerhouses, Charlie Schultz took over on lap 7.

Schultz was quickly away and hitting the tail of the field soon thereafter. Burch stayed in second holding back the likes of Timmy Jedrzejek, Jason Spaulding, Bobby Santos, Bob Dawson and more.

Stealthfully cutting through traffic was Perley, however and by lap 14 he was by Timmy J for second with Schultz locked into his sites. Schultz and Perley were about to battle when Dave Mumaw's 14 tapped the inner hub bringing out the yellow and a near miss by the leaders.

On the restart, Perley and Schultz resumed their battle for the front spot with Perley winning it in turn one. It was the 11's turn to get lost in the crowd. 

At the halfway mark Perley was well out front, but so many things could happen as they had in the past. Timmy J maintained second while Dave Shullick Jr., Schultz and Santos waged war for third. Jason Spaulding, Jeff Abold, Bob Bond, Burch and Dawson and others were still running strong as the race flew by.

Around lap 30, the 11 appeared to have slowed a bit, probably due to the lack of brakes. But he still was well ahead of the formidable four of Jedrzejek, Shullick, Santos and Schultz. There could be no slip-ups. Unfortunately for Santos, his race ended with 15 laps to go when the 32 had a suspension part break, nudging a strong running Spaulding up into a top five spot. But behind Spaulding, Jeff Abold, Bobby Haynes Jr.  Bob Bond had come alive. He was up into the fifth spot by lap 40.

With the white flag waving, Lady Luck had one more chance to stifle Perley's assault on the win. Coming off turn four the 03 of Lou LeVea, about to be lapped by the leader, slide this way and that way in front of the 11, but Lou made the save and Perley, one lap later, collected his fourth Super Nationals and the big $5,000 check. Timmy J and Shullick completed the top three with Bond and Schultz fourth and fifth.

Bond was getting better as the race wore down and he longed for a few more laps to race. "The car was pretty loose at the beginning with the fuel load. When that burned away it got better and it was pretty good at the end. I just needed 75 laps instead of 50. I'd really like to thank the crew for doing so much work and my sponsors who have been great this year. Running ISMA is really tough and everybody has stepped up. I just couldn't do it without them."

Schultz, on the other hand, was fighting his 7 and was happy with the fifth place. "We were too good, too early. The car was good from the drop of the green. I got by those guys and out into the clean air. But on lap 14 it started getting a little free. Then I had some trouble with a lap car and got tangled up with him a little bit. The caution came out and then when we went back to green it just never was as good as it was at the beginning. Toward the end we were just hanging on to see what we could salvage for the night. It's all in one piece and we'll carry on for tomorrow."

Jeff Abold in sixth was the last car in the lead lap. Bobby Haynes Jr., Jason Spaulding, Bobby Dawson and Randy Burch finished up the top ten.

SUMMARY 15th annual Oswego Super Nationals
Time Trials: Chris Perley 15.198 NTR
Heat 1: Bobby Santos, Charlie Schultz, Timmy Jedrzejek, Kelly Miller, Moe Lilje, Jamie Timmons, Howard Page, Lou LeVea
Heat 2: Jeff Abold, Jack Smith, Bob Dawson, Randy Burch, Keith Gilliam, Dave Mumaw, Dave Shullick Jr., Dave Trytek
Heat 3: Chris Perley, Bob Bond, Tim Ice, Jason Spaulding, Bobby Haynes Jr., Justin Belfiore, Gene Gibson, Joey Payne, Denny Fisher
Budweiser Burke's Do-It Best Super Nationals: 1. Chris Perley (11), 2. Timmy Jedrzejek (8), 3. Dave Shullick Jr. (49), 4. Bob Bond (25), 5. Charlie Schultz (7), 6. Jeff Abold (05), 7. Bobby Haynes Jr. (44), 8. Jason Spaulding (23), 9. Bobby Dawson (28), 10. Randy Burch (52), 11. Moe Lilje (19), 12. Jamie Timmons (27), 13. Jack Smith (09), 14. Justin Belfiore (88), 15. Lou LeVea (03), 16. Howard Page (18), 17. Kelly Miller (16), 18. Bobby Santos (32), 19. Keith Gilliam (87), 20. Dave Mumaw (14), 21. Denny Fisher (81), 22. Gene Lee Gibson (0), 23. Joey Payne (70M).  

 

From Carol D. Haynes 

Ohsweken Speedway race winners Aug. 29, 2008

Ohsweken Speedway feature winners from Friday, August 29, 2009 from Rick Wellman

 

Rick Wellman's work can be seen at www.rickwellmanmphotography.com

INDYCAR: Alex Tagliani to Replace Enrique Bernoldi in Detroit for Conquest Racing

(Looks like Tag will be doing double duty this weekend, racing an INDYCAR in Detroit and a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series car at Cayuga. Good luck Alex! See you tonight at Cayuga for the NCATS race.... gm)

 

Detroit, Michigan (August 29, 2008) – Conquest Racing announced today that it has replaced Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi, who is out with an injury, with veteran Canadian race car driver Alex Tagliani for the Detroit Indy Grand Prix Presented by Firestone this weekend.

Bernoldi initially injured his left hand thumb during a spin caused by a suspension failure in Sonoma last week. He was able to fight through the pain last weekend, but after two practice sessions today, the bumpy street course in Detroit was causing too much strain on his left hand.

“I couldn't give my all today because of my left hand. I was turning into the pits with just one hand on the steering wheel and was unable to do my best,” explained Bernoldi. “The track is bumpy and it was really hard on my hand. I hate having to miss a race, but I prefer leaving the car to Alex Tagliani this weekend while I rest up my hand in order for it to get better.”

“It’s unfortunate what happened to Enrique in Sonoma last week, and that it’s causing him to miss this week’s race,” said Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelart. “On the other hand, I’m happy to be welcoming Alex into the team this weekend. Obviously it will be a big challenge for him as he will not get that much time in the car before the race. But Alex has a lot of experience, especially on street courses, and he’s raced here in the past as well. I think he will be able to adapt quickly to his new racing environment and it will be interesting to see how he does this weekend.”

Alex Tagliani, a former Champ Car driver, will have little time to get accustomed to his new surroundings. The driver from Lachenaie, Quebec will get 30 minutes of practice on Saturday morning before heading into qualifying and then only another 30 minutes on Sunday before the race. Tagliani will have the advantage of having raced at Belle Isle Park – although on a slightly different course configuration – in two events back in the days of CART in 2000 and 2001, scoring a best finish of sixth.

“I can’t explain just how happy I am to be helping Conquest Racing this weekend and to get my first start in the IndyCar Series,” expressed a buoyant Tagliani. “This will be a great opportunity for me to show what I can do. I’m aware that it will not be easy for me coming in at the last minute and learning a new car in a new racing series, but I’m definitely motivated on doing my best and helping Conquest this weekend.”

Tagliani, who is driving this year in the Canadian Tire NASCAR Series in Canada, previously competed in the Champ Car World Series for eight seasons earning four pole positions, 14 podiums and one win in 133 starts. This will be Tagliani’s first start in the IndyCar Series.

 

This message was sent from Conquest Racing PR/Karina Redmond

NASCAR: Patrick Carpentier likely done in Cup after this year

... according to Patrick Carpentier, in this story by Mike Mulhern.

Canadian Patrick Carpentier says "It’s over," at the end of the year, after his one season with Dodge car owners Ray Evernham and George Gillett.
"They hired Reed Sorenson for next year, so it’s over," Carpentier says. "They’re working on a fourth team and looking for sponsorship, but you know how that goes."
So Carpentier says he’s a free agent. "I’m talking with other teams to see what’s out there," the Montreal native says.

... click here for the full story.

NASCAR Sprint Cup: Jimmie Johnson wins the pole at California... post qualifying quotes

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES  // PEPSI 500
AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY  : POST QUALIFYING PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
August 29, 2008

Jimmie Johnson Lands on the Pole for Pepsi 500
Four Team Chevy Drivers to Start in Top-10 at Auto Club Speedway
 
FONTANA, CA  - Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Impala SS, captured his fourth Coors Light Pole Award of the season for the Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway.
 
It is the 17th pole of Johnson's career and his first at the Southern California track.
 
Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont/Pepsi Impala SS, will start third in Sunday night's race.  
 
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. teammates Martin Truex, Jr., No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Impala SS, and Aric Almirola, No. 8 U.S. Army Impala SS, posted times quick enough to secure top-10 starting positions for the 250-lap race. Truex will roll off seventh and Almirola is 10th in the 43-car starting order.
 
A.J. Allmendinger, Kasey Kahne and Patrick Carpentier fill out the top-five starting positions on the grid.
 
A total of 13 Impala SS drivers will start the race scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. PDT with live coverage on ESPN, MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT/PEPSI IMPALA SS – Qualified 3^rd:
TELL US ABOUT YOUR LAP:
“Oh, man, what a lap. We struggled a little bit today. We just couldn’t get the speed out of the car and we were a little frustrated with practice because obviously having Pepsi onboard for the Pepsi 500 is a big deal. But we ran so well here earlier in the year and we feel like we’ve made gains since then and we’re shaking our heads a little bit. We made some adjustments. I thought Steve Letarte made some great calls. We sat up in the trailer and debriefed after practice and came up with a game plan and it really paid off. I think the track came to us a little bit and now, looking back on it, I feel like we had a car that was good enough to possibly match Jimmie’s (Johnson) lap. Had we had it a little closer in practice, I think we could have challenged him. I gave up a lot down in Turn 1. I just didn’t want to overdrive it. And the car was awesome in (Turns) 3 and 4. Not that we could have beaten him, but I feel like we could have been real close to him. But to be third, I’m ecstatic.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S / JIMMIE JOHNSON FOUNDATION IMPALA SS - Pole winner:
ON HIS LAP:
“It was really good. I’m very proud of that lap. We went out kind of at the peak of the heat when things were just starting to break. And there were a few cars we were worried about, including A.J. (Allmendinger, qualified 2^nd) and I think he did a great job putting down a good smooth lap, and certainly had us scared throughout the afternoon. So all in all, I’m just extremely pleased with the lap and progress we made throughout the day to make the car faster. We’re happy to start up front and hopefully we can take advantage of that.” 

From Chevy 

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series News & Notes - Cayuga Motor Speedway Coke ZERO 200 Preview

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series News & Notes - Cayuga Motor Speedway 

• Coke Zero 200 presented by Sicard Holiday Campers Notebook
• GP3R 100 Post-Race Notebook
• Ranger Helps Kennington Carry The Banner

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Headed For Stretch Run

Just four races remain in the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio season and Scott Steckly continues his stranglehold on the top position in the points standings.

Steckly (No. 22 Tow Truck in a Box/Erb Group Dodge) assumed command of the points standings by winning the season opener in May at Cayuga Motor Speedway. He further cemented his grip by winning two of the next three events and has not come close to relinquishing the lead since that hot start.

The only bobble, to date, came earlier this month at Mosport Speedway where a blown motor resulted in a finish of 21st. Steckly, out of Milverton, Ont., was well on his way to Victory Lane that day having led the first 123 laps of the 200-lap race before having to retire his car amid a cloud of smoke.

Despite Steckly’s seven podium finishes in nine races this season, the drivers closest to him in the points standings are not willing to concede anything.

D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol/NPP Dodge) has been right there with Steckly all season long with both having eight top-five finishes this season. Kennington has yet win a race after notching a pair of wins last season, both at Barrie Speedway.

“This is a crazy sport and anything can happen,” said Kennington. “He hasn’t shown any signs of letting up, but we’ll be right there in case he does.”

The Mosport Speedway event three weeks ago was dangerously close to being scrubbed due to weather, but Kennington made his feelings clear on the subject.

“No way! I’m going to need every race we have to catch (Steckly),” he said.

Joining Kennington in pursuit of the leader is defending champion Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford), winner of two of the last three series events. By virtue of winning the Montreal and Trois-Rivieres events, Ranger has moved into third place in the standings, 124 points in back of Steckly and just 11 behind Kennington.

“We won the two events, but (Steckly) finished just behind, so we’re not picking up as much ground as I’d like,” said Ranger. “Steckly has just been so good all season, but we’re not quitting.”

While the other teams continue to throw caution to the wind in a shot for the big score, Steckly is left in a position that he does not particularly like — big-picture racing.

“I know we’re not supposed to look ahead and think like this, but we’re trying to win this championship. We have to aware of the guys with nothing to lose,” he said.

In the final lap at Trois-Rivieres, Steckly could have lost several positions as a result of J.R. Fitzpatrick’s (No. 84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevrolet) full-speed-ahead attempt for victory.

“He’s not in the points race. He’s out here to win races just like he should be, but we’re not willing to take those same chances right now,” Steckly said. “I know that sounds wrong, but that’s just how it is.”

The final four races of the season come on oval tracks. Three of those are in Ontario with the  remaining long trip being to Nova Scotia’s Riverside International Speedway.

The Race: Coke Zero 200 presented by Sicard Holiday Campers
The Place: Cayuga Motor Speedway, Hamilton, Ontario
The Date: Saturday, Aug. 30
The Time: 7:35 p.m. ET
TV Schedule: TSN, 11 a.m., Sept. 6 (delayed)
Track Layout: .625-mile paved oval
Race Purse: $76,557 CAD
2007 Winner: Derek Lynch
2007 Pole: Don Thomson Jr.
Schedule: Practice 2-3 p.m., Time Trials 5:15 p.m.
Track Contact: Frank Marchionda (289) 244-9388

2008 Standings
 1. Scott Steckly      1,525
 2. D.J. Kennington    1,412
 3. Andrew Ranger      1,401
 4. Don Thomson Jr.    1,375
 5. Kerry Micks        1,330
 6. J.R. Fitzpatrick   1,250
 7. Peter Gibbons      1,241
 8. Mark Dilley        1,215
 9. Brad Graham        1,165
10. Derek Lynch        1,149
11. Jason Hathaway     1,141
12. John Gaunt         1,129

Lynch Looks To Make Another Late Season Push

Exactly a year ago, Derek Lynch (No. 77 Allied Steel Buildings/Canadian Shield Dodge) sat ninth in the championship points standings with four races to go in the season.

He then proceeded to click four solid performances, including a win at Cayuga Motor Speedway and three top-five finishes, to close out the season. The ultimate result was a fifth-place finish in the final standings.

With all the road-course events in the books, no one is happier than Lynch and his team. Their road-course program admittedly has had its share of problems this year and last.

“We gave away too many points on the road courses,” said Lynch. “Whether it was an accident or a mechanical failure of some type, some were our fault and others weren't. That’s the way it goes in racing, but we need to change that trend.”

Just like last season, the final four races are on oval tracks, which suits Lynch just fine.

“We made our move last year starting with the win in the second Cayuga race and it set the tone for the rest of the season for the team,” Lynch said. “Our setups and preparation were good. We felt very comfortable with what we had learned throughout the year and they are all tracks where our strengths play out well.”

This year, Lynch holds the 10th position in the points standings and he wants to make another strong push as the season winds down.

News & Notes

The Race: This event is the 10th of 13 races on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio schedule. It is the series’ fourth visit to the track.

The Procedure: The starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 21 cars will be determined from two-lap time trials. The remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 200 laps (125 miles).

The Track: The .625-mile oval has been home to some of Canada’s top motorsports events since its opening in 1966. The track is nestled on a nearly 300-acre track situated west of Hamilton, Ontario. Cayuga has hosted some of stock-car racing biggest names, such as Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott and Bobby Allison.

The Records: The one-lap qualifying record for the Canadian Tire Series is 20.785 seconds (108.251 mph) set by D.J. Kennington on May 26, 2007. The 200-lap race record is held by Derek Lynch at 1 hour, 52 minutes, 39 seconds set Sept. 1, 2007 for an average speed of 66.578 mph.

A Season Ago: Lynch took advantage of some late-race contact between Jim Lapcevich and Peter Gibbons to collect his first NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victory. Don Thomson Jr. started on the pole but was knocked out of contention early due to an accident after just seven laps. Eventual series champion Andrew Ranger led a race-high 94 laps before finishing as runner-up to Lynch. A series record 10 drivers led the event as they swapped the lead 14 times on the night.

GP3R 100 Post-Race Notebook

Cleaning Up Unfinished Business: After a pair of narrow defeats in 2007, Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford) picked up wins in both Quebec road-course events this year,  Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Ranger has now won on three of the four road courses on the Canadian Tire Series schedule with the two Quebec tracks and Mosport International Raceway, leaving only Edmonton’s Rexall Speedway as unconquered territory.

Back In The Saddle: After suffering an engine failure at Mosport Speedway and finishing 21st, Scott Steckly (No. 22 Tow Truck in a Box/Erb Group Dodge) returned to the front of the field in Trois-Rivieres. With his second-place finish, Steckly has now finished on the podium seven times in nine races this season.

Career Day For Hathaway: With his third-place effort, Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Snap-on Tools/Super 8 Dodge) notched his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series finish. His previous career-best finish was ninth on a pair of occasions including this year at Mosport Speedway earlier this month.

Two-For-Two: Trois-Rivieres native Jean Francois Dumoulin (No. 07 Maskimo/Bellemare Pontiac) recorded his second Canadian Tire Series top 10 in as many starts. He has only competed in the two Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres events and followed up last year’s finish in 10th with a seventh-place effort this year.

Mobil 1 Command Performance of the Race Award: As a reward for his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victory at Trois-Rivieres, Ranger collects $1,500 from Mobil 1 for his effort.

Mopar Fast Five: This program awards the top five finishing Dodges in the race. In the GP3R 100,  Steckly, crossing the line in second, was the  highest-finishing Dodge and thus earned a $2,000 bonus. It was the seventh time this year for Steckly to earn top honors in this category. Hathaway finished third overall and was the second-highest finishing Dodge, which earned him $1,250. Picking up $1,000 for finishing as the third-highest Dodge was D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol/Haldex Dodge). Collecting $500 for placing fourth among the Dodge entrants was John Gaunt (No. 12 Centennial Chrysler Dodge). Rounding out the top five Dodges was Brad Graham (No. 19 Full Throttle Energy Drink/ Logel’s Auto Parts /Challenger Motor Freight Dodge), who receives $250.

POWERade Power Move: Improving his position the most over the course of the race was  Kennington. After starting 26th on the grid, he worked his way forward and finished fourth. As a result, he earned the $1,000 award. In actuality, he started 28th after having to move to the rear of his line due to a driver change. Doug Brown practiced and qualified the Castrol/Haldex Dodge while Kennington was competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Michigan International Speedway.

Tow Truck in a Box Free Pass Award: In a new program in 2008, the driver who receives a free pass during the event and has the highest finish wins the award. Kerry Micks (No. 02 Beyond Digital Imaging Ford) found himself a lap down early, but rebounded to finish ninth, his seventh top 10 of the season. This was the first time for Micks to collect the $1,000 award this season.

In Case You Missed It: TSN’s coverage of the GP3R 100 will premiere on Sunday, Aug. 31 at 1 a.m. ET.

Ranger Helps Kennington Carry Canadian Tire Series Banner

D.J. Kennington is no longer the lone NASCAR Canadian Tire Series double-duty driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He is joined by Andrew Ranger, who will finish out the bulk of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season in the No. 22 Dodge Charger out of the Fitz Motorsports stable.

Chances to race in NASCAR’s top three series are not easy to come by and Ranger is fully aware of the stakes in this game.

“To race in (the NASCAR Nationwide Series) is a new challenge for me and a great opportunity to kick my NASCAR career in high gear. I know how much this opportunity means and I will do everything I can to earn my place here,” he said.

The speed of the more powerful cars on bigger tracks than those of the Canadian Tire Series likely won’t intimidate the former Champ Car standout in which top speeds were routinely greater than 200 mph.

“I think he’ll do fine with the speeds and the tracks considering where he came from, but he will have to adjust to the car itself and the level of competition,” said Kennington. “It’s great that he got this opportunity and he won’t be the last. There are a lot of great racers in Canada.”

After his first foray into NASCAR Nationwide Series competition on the familiar, to him, road course of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, it was on to the high-banked turns of Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and a first opportunity on an oval track where he finished 19th.

His next outing will come at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway Sept. 5 with five dates to follow on a variety of tracks including Lowe’s Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway. Like Kennington, Ranger’s NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule will work around the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

From:  Shon Sbarra, NASCAR Public Relations

ACT: Star-Studded Field Ready for Thunder Road Bond Auto Labor Day Classic

BARRE, VT - A huge cast of Late Model stock car racing stars will flock to Barre, VT's Thunder Road on Sunday, August 31 for the 30th running of the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200. The $5,000-to-win event is the tenth of 12 races for the American-Canadian Tour (ACT), and will feature the region's top short track talent, as many as 50 or more championship-caliber drivers.
ACT Late Model Tour point leader Scott Payea of Milton, VT and second-place Patrick Laperle of Montréal will continue a heated battle for the ACT championship. Each is a multi-time winner at Thunder Road, and the pair fought for a recent victory at New Hampshire's White Mountain Motorsports Park before late contact sent both drivers to the rear of the field. Payea, who won the Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road in May, and Laperle, the
2007 Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl winner, enter the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 separated by 51 points (671-620).
Seven-time and defending ACT champion Jean-Paul Cyr, also from Milton, VT, sits just seven points behind Laperle in third place. Brent Dragon, Payea and Cyr's Milton, VT neighbor, is in a tight fourth-place battle with defending Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 winner John Donahue of Graniteville, VT, and New Hampshire drivers Randy Potter of Groveton and young Joey "Pole" Polewarczyk of Hudson. The four drivers are only 11 points apart.
Turner, ME's Glen Luce, Barre, VT rookie Nick Sweet, and Scott Dragon of Milton, VT complete the top ten in order.
Joining the ACT Late Model Tour top ten at Thunder Road will be star drivers Donald Theetge of Québec City, recent Thunder Road feature winner Jamie "Hurricane" Fisher of Shelburne, VT, London, ON rookie Jonathan Urlin, and Wilton, ME's "Neon" Leon Heckbert. Former Labor Day Classic winner and ACT champion Brad Leighton of Center Harbor, NH will also compete. In only two starts this season, Leighton has finishes of third at Waterford
(CT) Speedbowl and fifth at White Mountain.
Thunder Road's local divisions will qualify on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 2:30pm, in conjunction with an optional practice session for ACT Late Models. Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 qualifying begins at 1:30pm on Sunday, Aug. 31. Discount advance sale tickets are available at all 36 Bond Auto Parts stores in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Save $5 on the front gate Adult price by purchasing tickets at any Bond Auto Parts; visit www.bondauto.com for locations. Tickets at the Thunder Road gate will be $25 for adults and $5 for children (6-12), and are good for both days' events. Gates open at 12:00 noon on Saturday and 10:00am on Sunday. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com or www.acttour.com.
-30-
Contact: Justin St. Louis / ACT

NCATS: Andrew Ranger and Alex Tagalini at Cayuga Motor Speedway this Saturday

Return to Cayuga Motor Speedway for Andrew Ranger and Alex Tagliani

 

Montreal, August 27^th, 2008: There has been a lot of action since May 24^th, the date of the first race of the year for the NASCAR Canadian Tire series! It happened at Cayuga Motor Speedway in Hagersville in Ontario. On that day, Andrew Ranger was starting his championship title defense and was welcoming into his team Alex Tagliani from the Champ Car World Series. Three months later, on August 30^th, the oval racetrack will again be host to the participants of the Series for the 10^th round of the season.

 

Third in the overall standings, a mere 11 points from second place, Andrew, at the wheel of the #27 Tide / Wal-Mart car, is counting on his experience and his sense of racing to better his result from May and to position himself for a strong finish for the championship. "I am my share of bad luck here at the first event of the year. I will not let myself be surprised again. I am increasingly comfortable of oval tracks and I am confident that I can do well here this weekend."

 

For Alex Tagliani, this second visit to Cayuga is full of promise. It could very well signal a return to the front of the pack. Currently in 14^th place in the overall standings, he still leads the Rookie of the year championship despite his retirement in Trois-Rivières on August 17^th. "Without the accident in Trois-Rivières, I could have won that race. The car was quick. If we find the right set-up and the car holds together, I can aim for a top-5 finish." Alex is the driver of the #7 Ubisoft / Wal-Mart car.

 

With four events remaining in the championship, nothing is guaranteed in the NASCAR Canadian Tire series. Knowing that the rest of the season will be held exclusively on oval tracks where anything can happen, each race now becomes crucial for the drivers and teams. The sprint to the finish line starts this Saturday, August 30^th.

 

 

The Victory Lap Charity Program

 

The Victory Lap Charity Program, affiliated to Opération Enfant Soleil in Quebec and to Children's Miracle Network in the rest of Canada, aims to raise funds to help sick children across the country. Since the program's inception in 2003, over $700,000 have been raised for 14 children's hospitals in Canada.

 

In 2008, the Victory Lap takes an even bigger leap forward and plans to break the $1,000,000 mark in donations since 2003. To do so, the program counts on the support of 95 Wal-Mart stores in Canada, the participation of prestigious brands and on the generous input from Andrew Ranger and Alex Tagliani as program ambassadors.

 

-30-

 

Source: Professional Sports Management

Autodrome Edelweiss: show cancelled Aug 29... Laurent Ladouceur champ!

Edelweiss Speedway cancels, Laurent Ladouceur 2008 Modified track champion!

 

Cantley, PQ – Martin Bélanger – Friday, August 29, 2008 – Everyone was anxious to see who would be winning the final race in the modified point's race but mother nature decided that she would have the last decision. Steady precipitations throughout the day on Friday forced promoter Serge Lagacé to cancel his final point's night.

 

2008 Track Champion

 

With this cancellation, Laurent Ladouceur is crowned the 2008 Modified champion with only five points over Eric Gauvreau. Joel Doiron finishes third followed by Pierre Dagenais and Bobby Herrington completes the top 5. Gage Morin is named rookie of the year in this category with his 6^th place in the point's race. Ladouceur wins his third title in a row at Edelweiss.

 

Mini-Series

 

Eric Gauvreau wins the Fondation BRL Series in front of Laurent Ladouceur and Bobby Herrington who completes the podium.

 

Denis Gauvreau won the Gilles Masson Inc Pro-Stock series. He won 3 of the 4 races. Stéphane Lebrun finishes second followed by Joey Ladouceur who completes the podium.

 

Nico Leblanc is the champion of the Toitures Marcel Raymond Semi-Pro Series in front of Marc Lalonde and Bruno Boivin.

 

Pierre Dagenais wins the hard-charger Coffrage 20-20 with only one position over Joel Doiron. Dagenais will receive a cool 750$ courtesy of Mario Morissette.

 

Semi-Pro, 4 cylinders, Mod-Lite

 

An amendment is to be done from this week's press release, the point's race will continue for these 3 categories on September 5 and 19. The drivers will have a chance to get extra points

 

3 great nights to come

 

There are still 3 races programs to be done on the schedule. Next week will be the Mr.DIRTcar Pro-Stock Series a 100-lap feature event paying $1,500 to the winner with over $7,000 in prize money given out. A complete race program is also on the schedule with double features for 4 cylinders plus the addition of the Centre Sports Motorisés 4-wheelers, a special powder puff race is scheduled for them. The modifieds are done for the 2008 season.

 

On Saturday, September 13, it will be the annual enduro race with 100 laps for 8 cylinders, 50 laps for 4 & 6 cylinders and also a women's race. The race starts at 2pm.

 

The season will end in fashion with the visit of the Empire Super Sprints plus a special 50-lap feature race for the Semi-Pro category, the winner will get $600 and more than $3,500 could be distributed! The 4 cylinders, Mod-Lite and the Centre Sports Motorisés 4-wheeler will also be in action on that final night.

 

A lot of action is still to be done at Edelweiss!

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series - GP3R on TV

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race from the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres will be on TSN on Saturday night at 1 a.m.

AIM Autosport taking it down to the wire; Frisselle and Wilkins strive for another podium in New Jersey

Millville, NJ (08.29.2008) AIM Autosport arrived in Millville, New Jersey ready to attack the brand new Thunderbolt circuit at New Jersey Motorsport Park (NJMP) for the penultimate round of the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. This is a brand new facility and the circuit is an unknown factor for all the teams. AIM Autosport, coming off its third consecutive podium with a third place at Infineon Raceway just last weekend, is looking to be on the pace early with the Exchange Traded Gold No. 61 Ford Riley.

 

“Back to back race weekends on opposite coasts put us under a bit of pressure commented team principal Ian Willis. “We took an extra day in Sonoma to prep the car before sending the hauler straight to New Jersey and the team arrived at Thunderbolt early Wednesday to get the car ready for practice the next day. Being a new track, we needed to do a track walk with the drivers and engineers before we could come up with ideas for setup. We’ll get that setup on the car tonight and spend the first session sorting out the details.”

The Thunderbolt circuit is 2.25 miles with twelve turns. A narrow course with only slight elevation changes, it will prove a difficult track when it comes to passing. After two races featuring only the Daytona Prototypes, this weekend the GT class will also be on track which will make passing even more of a challenge.

 

Both drivers of the No. 61 Ford Riley noted that there is no room for error on this circuit. While it appears there is plenty of runoff around the track, it is all soft dirt at this point. Someone going off will bring a lot of dirt and debris back onto the track making it bit of an adventure especially for the faster DP cars. There will also be large dust clouds to deal with as was evidenced during practice on Thursday.

 

The Exchange Traded Gold No. 61 Ford Riley is on track for two official practice sessions on Friday (29^th) with additional practice and qualifying Saturday. The Supercar Life 250 is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. (ET) Sunday (31^st) and will be broadcast live on SPEED TV.

 

AIM Autosport Facts:  Established in 1995, AIM Autosport has a mandate to identify, train and manage emerging motorsport talent. AIM has provided many young drivers with a solid foundation on which to build a career in professional racing. The success of the AIM driver development programs has been achieved through the dedication of our employees and the ongoing support of our commercial and technical partners. Away from the track, AIM Autosport serves the needs of the racing community with a purpose-built preparation shop situated in the Toronto suburb of Woodbridge, Ontario. AIM fields the Exchange Traded Gold #61 Ford-Riley Daytona Prototype in the Rolex Grand Am series with drivers Mark Wilkins and Brian Frisselle. The team also competes in the Star Madza Championship presented by Goodyear with John Edwards at the wheel of the #7 Formula Mazda.

 

From Chris Jameson  // Level Ten Communications

BRIGHTON SPEEDWAY PARK: Aug. 29th Cancelled

Races for Friday night at Brighton Speedway have been cancelled due to weather conditions.

Don't forget to join us  Saturday August 30th as the Southern Ontario Sprints return to Brighton to run a double feature and on Sunday August 31st as the Southern Ontario Sprints wind up their season with their championship night as well as Prostock drivers from Merritville and Comp 4 drivers from Kawartha also invade Brighton

 

Be sure to mark your calendars for the Brighton Speedway Labour Day Classic Weekend.
Featuring the Southern Ontario Sprints, the FAB 4 and plenty of other racing action!!
Friday, Saturday and Sunday August 29, 30 & 31. Free Camping Available!
Advance tickets available by emailing info@brightonspeedway.com or calling 1-866-681-1102.

Wet Weather Cancels August 29 Show at Scotia Speedworld

 

Wet Weather Cancels August 29 Show at Scotia Speedworld

HALIFAX, NS (August 29, 2008) - 3 p.m. The Lockhart Weekly Racing show scheduled for this evening at Scotia Speedworld has been cancelled due to the inclement weather. Heavy rain is currently falling over the track with a forecast for intermittent showers through late this evening.

A decision with regard to whether Kiddies Rides will be rescheduled, or not, will be announced as soon as it is made.

The next racing action at Scotia Speedworld is next Friday September 5 - the last Lockhart Truck Centre Weekly Racing Series show of the '08 season that will feature all six racing divisions: the C&R Auto Supply Sportsman, the Wallace Equipment Hobby Stock, the Miller Tire BFGoodrich Thunder & Lightning divisions, and the Sojourn Signs Bandoleros.

Race fans are reminded to get their tickets soon for the big season finale weekend in just two weeks time - on September 12 and 13 at Scotia Speedworld. Special savings two-day tickets are now available at just $30 for adults and $5 for youth aged eight to 15. Advance tickets can be purchased at Ticket Atlantic (grandstand only; two-day and/or September 13 only; adult and youth). These tickets as well as pit passes ($40/two days) will also be available at the gate on September 12 and 13.

Children seven and under are admitted free at Scotia Speedworld, when accompanied by an adult.

Kawartha Speedway cancels Friday, August 29th racing

With on-and-off rain forecast throughout the day, officials at Kawartha Speedway have cancelled racing for Friday, August 29th.  The next action takes to the track Friday, September 5th with a regular 4 division show and a special 50 lap feature event for the Discount Car and  the Better Carpet Thunder Cars.  Pit gates open at 3:00.  Racing starts at 7:00.
 
The Fan Appreciation Night, rained out July 18th has been rescheduled for Friday, July 12th.  The OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models have been added to the show Friday, September 19th - with a special 6:PM start time.  For complete schedule details, see www.kawarthaspeedway.com.
 
Jim Clarke,  // Kawartha Speedway PR

PHOTO GALLERY: Michigan Int'l Speedway Sprint Cup - Aug. 17, 2008 - Dave Franks

This is a 323-photo gallery from Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, August 17, 2008, featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup and a nice backwards flip sequence by race winner Carl Edwards. Thanks to Dave Franks and Randy Collins for the photos. You can see Dave Franks' website here.

South Buxton Raceway: August 23, 2008 Report

From Mike Bennett // South Buxton Raceway

SOUTH BUXTON – Chatham's Eric Vanderiviere smoked the field while Rutherford's Chris Van De Wiele smoked the fans as both drivers won their first feature races of the season on Saturday at South Buxton Raceway. Vanderiviere swept all three races, including his first feature win in five years, in the Lube Tech Sport Stocks.

Van De Wiele, meanwhile, treated the cheering fans to a burnout following his first Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modified feature win since last year's season championship race victory.
Blenheim's Andrew Reaume continued his late season dominance with his fourth straight and fifth feature win in the Castrol UMP Late Models while Nate McNally of Charing Cross drove to Victory Lane for the fourth time in the Garage Restaurant Comp 4s.
Vanderiviere started on the outside pole and led the entire 20 laps, but he had his hands full the last half of the race with points leader Louis Clements on his back bumper. "He raced me hard, but he raced me clean," Vanderiviere said of his friend's challenge. It was fun racing with him, that's the way it's supposed to be in this class," he added.

A late caution gave Clements one last chance to take the lead but Vanderiviere kept the door closed the final three laps, including a frantic finish around a lapped car. "I knew I had to protect the bottom, so I actually had to slow down in the corners so I could go faster to hold him off," Vanderiviere said. Clements said he had a couple of opportunities to attempt a pass but decided to play it safe.

"He left the door open a couple of times but I didn't want to push the issue and ruin both our nights," Clements said. "If he had given me a bigger window, I might have tried (to make a pass). "But don't take anything away from Eric … he had a great night, he deserved to win," he said of his Taylor Avenue neighbour, as the two drivers help each other with their cars.

Clements will take a 26-point lead over Vanderiviere into this Saturday's championship night while Chatham's Todd Wellman, who finished third, slipped to third in the standings, 43 points off the lead. It took Van De Wiele almost an entire year to get back to Victory Lane after last year's championship win.
"It's been a tough year," Van De Wiele said. "We've had what, 10 race nights, and we've had four seconds (in features) and five DNFs. We've had broken axels, dead batteries, all kinds of stuff out of our control."

Van De Wiele started in the sixth row and took advantage of some early cautions to move into the top five by lap five. He took the lead with an inside pass of Merlin's Brad McLeod on the seventh lap and led the final 13 circuits.

"We were having a problem with the pickup on restarts, so the cautions were hurting us, but once we got rolling, we were fine," said Van De Wiele, who held off a late challenge from Leamington's Curtis Coulter to end his feature drought. He treated the fans to a burnout, putting the Cornstalk car`s nose against the wall to stir up the dust.

It was actually his second 'dust-up' of the night, as he and Leamington's Paul DeGoey had an interesting post-race battle after the pursuit that almost led to their disqualification. After DeGoey made the winning pass, Van De Wiele tagged the winner, as the two continued to bang into each other for several minutes, much to the crowd's delight.

"It was all in fun, we were in the cars just howling," DeGoey said, as the two had to convince track officials the incident was not in malice. We're always messing with each other," Van De Wiele admitted.  "Did you see the way the fans were screaming? They loved it!"

DeGoey wasn't in such a jovial mood after the feature, however, as he was involved in a four-car pileup on the first lap that ended his night. DeGoey was credited with a 14-place finish as coupled with Coulter's second-place finish, his points lead was reduced from 22 points to five. Reaume said he had to work as hard for Saturday's feature win as he did the previous week when he had to come from the back of the field twice.

He started eighth in Saturday's Rick Haskell Memorial race and was still running mid-pack at the halfway mark. As Chatham's Joe Field and Thamesville's Dale Glassford went door-to-door for the lead, Reaume worked his way up to third on lap 14.  After getting by Glassford, he blew past Field around the 'D' on lap 17 and never looked back.

"I kept getting held up and held up and held up in traffic," Reaume said of his early woes. "I tried to be patient but it wasn't working … it was time to go."

Reaume, who earned his third sweep in the last four weeks, said defending his championship next Saturday is important, "but I want the Shootout, that's still the goal," he said, looking ahead to the Castrol Canadian UMP Late Model Shootout on Sept. 27. Glassford, still looking for his first feature win of the season, settled for his fifth second-place finish of the season, padding his points lead to 40 over Chatham's Brad Authier. Reaume is 59 points off the lead. Chatham's Kirk Hooker finished third, while Authier and Blenheim's Brett Reaume rounded out the top five.

Jason Haskell finished seventh and Greg Haskell 12th in the race named in honour of their father Rick Haskell, a former track worker who passed away in March, 2007, at the age of 52. It only took McNally two laps to move into the top five from his fifth row starting spot, and four laps later he was on the back bumper of leader Denis DeSerrano.

The two traded the lead for four laps before McNally picked up a big break on lap 10. DeSerrano had just taken the lead coming out of turn two when the caution came out, but McNally, who was the leader on the last completed lap, was put back in front and held on for the final five laps. Blenheim's Clinton Van Dyk was third, with Leamington's Brandon Windsor and Kingsville's Norm DeSerrano rounding out the top five.

Points leader Rob Quick saw his bid for a third straight feature win end with mechanical problems. The Cottam driver's misfortune allowed McNally to move to within nine points of the leader with Denis DeSerrano another three points back in third.

South Buxton Raceway
Saturday, Aug. 23 Results
(Includes car number in brackets and driver's hometown)

Castrol UMP Late Models

Rick Haskell Memorial Feature (25 laps)
1. Andrew Reaume (88) Blenheim
2. Dale Glassford (60) Thamesville
3. Kirk Hooker (38) Chatham
4. Brad Authier (1A) Chatham
5. Brett Reaume (77) Blenheim
6. Jim Dale Jr. (00) Shrewsbury
7. Jason Haskell (94) Chatham
8. Mark Glassford (90) Goderich
9. Joe Field (4) Chatham
10. Tom Hazlett (44) Blenheim
11. John Vanderlinden (13X) Chatham
12. Greg Haskell (21) Chatham
13. Don Gordon (33) Chatham
14. Jim Jones (34) Chatham
15. Paul Rivait (11) Tilbury
16. Tim Mackenzie (81) Chatham
17. Gerald Giroux (99) Pain Court

First Heat: 1. A. Reaume; 2. Field; 3. Jones; 4. D. Glassford; 5. Hooker; 6. B. Reaume; 7. Mackenzie; 8. Rivait; 9. Hazlett.
Second Heat: 1. Giroux; 2. Dale Jr.; 3. J. Haskell; 4. Authier; 5. G. Haskell; 6. Vanderlinden; 7. M. Glassford; 8. Gordon.
Heuvelmans/Blenheim Chevrolet Dash For Cash: 1. A. Reaume; 2. Field; 3. D. Glassford; 4. Giroux; 5. Jones; 6. Authier; 7. Dale Jr.; 8. J. Haskell.

Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modifieds

ProMedia Print Feature (20 laps)
1. Chris Van De Wiele (0) Rutherford
2. Curtis Coulter (5) Leamington
3. Jim Dale Jr. (00) Shrewsbury
4. Brad McLeod (43) Merlin
5. Clayton Smith (55) Woodslee
6. Mario Toniolo (25M) Belle River
7. C.J. Field (4) Chatham
8. Dan McIntyre (77) Windsor
9. Brian Speelman (22S) Wyoming
10. Justin Coulter (5C) Leamington
11. Barry Hoffman (50) Ridgetown
12. Mike Demars (75) LaSalle
13. Brian Pfaff (75X) Blenheim
14. Paul DeGoey (1D) Leamington
15. Abe Unger (45) Leamington

First Heat: 1. DeGoey; 2. Dale Jr.; 3. Speelman; 4. Smith; 5. McIntyre; 6. Unger; 7. C. Coulter; 8. Toniolo.
Second Heat: 1. Van De Wiele; 2. McLeod; 3. Field; 4. Hoffman; 5. J. Coulter; 6. Demars; 7. Pfaff.
Pursuit: 1. DeGoey; 2. Van De Wiele; 3. Unger; 4. Dale Jr.; 5. C. Coulter; 6. Smith; 7. Speelman; 8. McIntyre; 9. Demars; 10. Toniolo.

Lube Tech Sport Stocks

Simpson's Fence Feature (20 laps)
1. Eric Vanderiviere (93) Chatham
2. Louis Clements (3) Chatham
3. Todd Wellman (25) Chatham
4. Tiffany Ellis (88) Kingsville
5. Eren Vanderiviere (29) Merlin
6. Chris Sherrah (17S) South Buxton
7. Doris Lajeunesse (38) Essex
8. Gerald Martin (43) Essex
9. Joel Dick (9) Leamington
10. Jim Ellis (32) Kingsville
11. Bob Chapman (5) Leamington
12. Randy McKinlay (14) Chatham
13. Todd Van Hall (06) Merlin
14. Dave Small (48) Windsor
DQ ‑  Paul Gossman (92) Wheatley
DNS ‑ Gary Vyse (99) Wallaceburg
DNS ‑ Rob Young (23) Kingsville

First Heat: 1. Eric Vanderiviere; 2. Dick; 3. Martin; 4. Eren Vanderiviere; 5. Vyse; 6. Wellman; 7. Clements; 8. Lajeunesse; 9. Young.
Second Heat: 1. McKinlay; 2. Chapman; 3. B. Ellis; 4. Sherrah; 5. Van Hall; 6. T. Ellis; 7. Small
Pursuit: 1. Eric Vanderiviere; 2. Clements; 3. B. Ellis; 4. Dick; 5. Eren Vanderiviere; 6. Lajeunesse; 7. Small; 8. T. Ellis; 9. Martin; 10. Wellman.

Garage Restaurant Comp 4s

Garage Restaurant Feature (15 laps)
1. Nate McNally (8) Charing Cross
2. Denis DeSerrano (69) Cottam
3. Clinton Van Dyk (44) Blenheim
4. Brandon Windsor (70) Leamington
5. Norm DeSerrano (96) Kingsville
6. Mechell Van Dyk (88) Blenheim
7. Steve Bastien (99) Harrow
8. Gerry Rivait Jr. (17) Tilbury
9. Shawn Nelson (20) Windsor
10. Kyle Hope (93) Blenheim
11. Shawn Jones (27) Blenheim
12. Rob Quick (18) Cottam
13. Dan Sheehan (52) Tilbury
14. Chris Holman (13) Blenheim
DQ ‑  Jordan Arnel (33) Chatham
DNS ‑ Reid Fenton (737) Blenheim

First Heat: 1. McNally; 2. Quick; 3. D. DeSerrano; 4. Holman; 5. N. DeSerrano; 6. Bastien; 7. Windsor; 8. C. Van Dyk.
Second Heat: 1. Jones; 2. Hope; 3. Nelson; 4. M. Van Dyk; 5. Sheehan; 6. Fenton; 7. Rivait Jr.
Pursuit: 1. Hope; 2. Quick; 3. N. DeSerrano; 4. McNally; 5. C. Van Dyk; 6. Rivait Jr.; 7. Bastien; 8.Windsor; 9. M. Van Dyk