NCATS - Kawartha update - it's over!

The race was called after brief red flag period, due to wet weather... Jason Hathaway wins the race... Scott Steckly is the champ by a narrow margin.

NCATS : Kawartha update lap 150

Lap 150 - Don Thomson in 5th... Steckly near the back in 19th after losing a lap after bending steering system when he hit the wall after contact with John Gaunt.
As of now, the championship appears to be very close... Probably just 2 points separate #4 and #22 if they finished where they are now.
The mist is very close to being 'rain'. Jason Hathaway leads Kennington, Beauchamp and Brad Graham.
Anthony Simone parked the car so Jason White will be top rookie.

NCATS: Kawartha update - lap 40

Don Thomson on pole for the 7th time this season. He led the first 40 laps, in front of points leader Scott Steckly.
Thomson down to 7 cylinders and pitted. Steckly now leads Ron Beauchamp, John Gault, Mark Dilley and DJ Kennington.

Statement from Tony George on the passing of Paul Newman

INDIANAPOLIS, Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 -- The following is a statement from Tony George, the chief executive officer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the founder & CEO of the Indy Racing League, on the passing of actor, racing enthusiast and IndyCar Series team owner Paul Newman:

"On behalf of my mother Mari Human George and the entire Hulman-George family at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar Series, our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and loved ones of Paul Newman.

To all his fans world-wide and those close to him in our racing community, we share a deep sense of loss, but cherish the many fond memories we will forever carry with us."

Media Contact: John Griffin, Indy Racing

Sad news: Paul Newman dead at 83

Just watching TV and saw the sad news that actor / humanitarian / racecar driver (and owner) Paul Newman has passed away following a lengthy fight with cancer.

Newman was a great ambassador for motorsports and his passing will be felt throughout the racing community.

NASCAR: Canadian Stock Car Champion Turns Heads in Test for TRG

Iowa Speedway in a TRG Motorsports Chevrolet.  Fitzpatrick, who is the 2006 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion and the Series’ youngest Champion of all-time, jumped up to speed quickly, turning the heads of those monitoring his progress at the 7/8 mile oval track in Newton, Iowa.

“J.R. did an excellent job at Iowa Speedway,” said NASCAR Championship winning Crew Chief, Butch Hylton, who was there to oversee the test.  “He was on pace immediately.  His feedback was good and he really impressed us.  The way he arcs the truck into the corners is incredible.  He is a very talented driver and I can see why he has won championships.” 

This was the 20-year-old Cambridge, Ontario native’s first visit to Iowa Speedway which is a track designed by former NASCAR Champion and ABC/ESPN commentator, Rusty Wallace. 

"I was really excited about coming to Iowa and working with TRG Motorsports,” said Fitzpatrick.  “All the guys on the team made me feel really welcome. T.J. Bell was there and worked with me too. He was a big help.  I got a lot of laps in and felt really comfortable with the truck. Butch made lots of changes which helped me understand what the trucks react to and I was happy that I could give good enough feedback to get the truck going pretty fast."

Over the two-day test, Hylton ran Fitzpatrick through a variety of tests to judge his skill level, ability, and preparedness for a run in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  “We practiced restarts and did some simulated pit stops and J.R. did a great job with it all,” explained Hylton. 

“We had a lot of fun over the two days,” said Fitzpatrick.  “I really like working with these guys. I especially enjoyed the session where T.J. and I went out on the track together to get me used to how the trucks react to the aero influences; that was cool. I learned a lot in just two days and am excited to race one of these things."

“We have been talking to the Fitzpatrick’s for quite awhile and it was great to see J.R. perform on the track,” said Team Principal, Kevin Buckler.  “He got up to pace quickly and adapted to the track so well that we were all really impressed.  On top of all that, he truly is a nice young man with a very bright future and we’re looking forward to helping him develop his NASCAR career.”

For more information regarding J.R. Fitzpatrick contact Jason Sharpe at Sharpe Management. (416) 838-0039.
Photo credit - Meg Bestell-Eide // From TRG_motorsports // Jamie Maynard

 
<<JR Fitzpatrick On Track at Iowa Test.jpg>> <<JR Fitzpatrick Driver Shot at Iowa Test.jpg>> <<JR Fitzpatrick Iowa Truck Test.jpg>>

NASCAR: Andrew Ranger called up to the Natiowide Series

Montreal, September 25^th, 2008: We knew Andrew Ranger would be busy this autumn, his agenda was full as he completed the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series championship while participating in the last races of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. What was not known, however, was that a difficult choice had to be made ahead of the last race of the Canadian series.

 

On Saturday, September 27^th, required to simultaneously take the start of the Kansas Lottery 300 in the Nationwide Series at 3 PM in Kansas City and the start of the Dodger Dealers of Ontario Ram 250 in the Canadian Tire Series at 7 PM at Peterborough, Andrew was facing a dilemma, having to choose between the conclusion of his championship and the opportunity to get his certification to race on Superspeedways.

 

In front of such a complex and heart-breaking choice, his sponsors Tide and Wal-Mart encouraged Andrew to favour the Kansas route this weekend. To obtain his Superspeedway certification, Andrew Ranger would be able to get closer to a regular seat in the Nationwide Series by allowing him to race on high speed circuits greater than a mile and a half. "I really did not know what to do. On one hand, I had the chance to finish my season high in the standings in a series and with a team that gave me my first chance in NASCAR and to which I remain faithful. On the other hand, it is the continuation of a dream that started at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. The dream to race in an American NASCAR series and now to obtain my Superspeedway certification. I am really disappointed for my team in the Canadian Tire Series, but it is an opportunity we cannot pass!"

 

Andrew Ranger will therefore take the start of the Nationwide Series race where he will drive the #22 car of Fitz Motorsport for another new event on a new track.

 

Meanwhile in Peterborough, Peter Shepherd will be at the wheel of the # 27 Tide / Wal-Mart car, left available by Andrew Ranger. "It will be very special for me to drive the reigning champion's car. It will also be a fantastic experience and my objective is to bring the car to the front and step on top of the podium."

 

From Professional Sports Management

NCATS: Kerry Micks to drive a Dodge in NASCAR closer at Kawartha Speedway

MOUNT ALBERT, ONTARIO (September 25, 2008) – For the first time in his racing career, Kerry Micks will be driving a Dodge this weekend at Kawartha Speedway. Thanks to the generosity of fellow racer Bryan Cathcart, Micks will be driving the Cathcart Dodge in the upcoming Dodge Dealers of Ontario Ram 250, the 13th and final race of the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

 
“Bryan is not renting me the car for the weekend,” stated Micks earlier this week. “He has given me the car for the weekend, and I am eternally thankful to him for this.”

 
In last week’s NASCAR race in Nova Scotia, the engine in the Beyond Digital Imagine Ford Fusion was severely damaged, enough so that Micks and his crew could not get prepared properly for the Kawartha race.

 
So the team has been preparing the Cathcart Dodge this week, and will be making some test sessions at Peterborough Speedway before the trek to Kawartha.

 
Micks mentioned the Dodge will look just like his regular Ford. “This new car will look totally identical to my regular car,” he said. “We’ve got it all wrapped just like the other one.”

 
Underneath the Dodge body, the crew has been working to get the car, which is a former road circuit car, ready for the 3/8ths-mile pave oval.

 
“We’ve had to totally setup this car,” he added. “We’ve had a lot of challenges, but I’m confident we’ll be ready.”
 
Micks noted although he has never been behind the wheel of a Dodge product when racing, he was looking forward to the experience.

 
“I’ve never driven a Dodge. This is the first time,” he said. “But it will give us an opportunity to see what these Dodges are all about.”

 
Micks wanted to thank his sponsors for their continued support for the 2008 season.
 
“It’s been an up and down year for us. We’ve experienced some wins, and some heartache, and I want to thank our sponsors for believing in us.

 
“I want to especially thank Court Armstrong at Beyond Digital Imaging, Terry Coughlin at Canadian Detailing Services, and John Baglieri from Crane Lake Resort. They have been instrumental in our racing season, and we could not have done it without their support.”

 
Micks presently sits fifth in the standings, highlighted this year with two third-place finishes, two second-place finishes, and a win at Mosport.

 
The 250-lap race is scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 27.
 
For information about Kawartha Speedway, call (705) 939-6316 or visit online at www.kawarthaspeedway.com.
 
Beyond Digital Imaging Inc. (BDI), Canadian Detailing Services, Crane Lake Resort, HP Canada, Ultraflex, Cathcart Trucking, Castrol and NGK Spark Plugs are sponsors of Micks Motorsports, www.micksmotorsports.com.

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

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

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

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

Jacques Villeneuve to race in Argentina

The Race of the Year in Buenos Aires, the eighth event for the Top Race Super 2008, will have a special guest racing car driver: Jacques Villeneuve, 1995 Champ Car Champion, and 1997 Formula 1 Champion.  Villeneuve will race with a Passat TRV6 at the "Juan y Oscar Gálvez" racetrack, located in Buenos Aires.  His co-driver Emiliano Spataro, is considerd the series' King.

The famous Canadian driver accepted with pleasure the challenge to compete in Argentina in a close Series like the Top Race. Thus, this will be the first time in history that a foreign former Formula 1 Champion officially race in an Argentinean Series.

“I accepted the invitation to race the Top Race because of different reasons. The most significant one is that I wanted to get back to Argentina.  I love Buenos Aires because when I was in Argentina I was treated really good and left many friends. Having the month off and racing with these cars have also influenced on my decision making process. Despite being different cars, compared to the NASCAR ones, this is a good opportunity for me to keep active and trained,” said Villeneuve, who will be the main star during the Top Race’s “Race of the Year.”

Villeneuve, 1995 Champ Car Champion, 1997 Formula1 Champion, arrived to Argentina this week. “I am coming here to have fun.  I would like to have fun and amused people. I know that I will have a good car, a good team; and I think as a racing car driver. So once I get into the car I would like to be on the top positions, and at the end, I would like to win the race.  I will have the chance to test before the race and this is good, because although I have raced in Formula 1, I do have to learn a lot from the car drivers who usually compete in this Series.  Hopefully, my co-driver will be open-minded and will make things easier,” added Villeneuve.

Top Race is one of the Argentina’s newest Series, and with a simple proposal –racing cars with identical engines developed by Oreste Berta, and raced by the best drivers around. The main class presents 44 cars per race, and the minor Series showcase more than 33 racing cars per event. 

Among the names racing on the Series, there is a group of well-known drivers such as former Formula 1 racers Norberto Fontana y Gaston Mazzacane; former World Motorcycling runner-up, Sebastian Porto, and other great Argentinean drivers like Marcos Di Palma, Emiliano Spataro, Matías Rossi, Juan Cruz Alvarez, Ricardo Risatti, Christian Ledesma, Omar Martínez, Juan Manuel Silva and Gabriel Ponce de León, among others.

During this special competition there will be other surprises, such as Japanese racing car drive Hiroki Yoshimoto –who will travel to Argentina from Japan just because of the race; the impressive first time NASCAR car presentation in Argentina, and a great show performed by two Brazilian dragsters of Velopark.

Jacques, son of the remembered Gilles Villeneuve –who died in 1982 during the qualifyinf round for the F1 Belgian Grand Prix, started racing with the Italian F3 (1989-1991.) In 1992, he took part in the Japanese F3, getting three victories and second place in the championship. One year later, he went on to racing to North American Formula Atlantic Championship, winning  five races. By 1994 he started racing at the Champ Car World Series, winning the 1995 Championssnhip. He also won the Indy 500 during his time in the United States.

After finding success in all of those Series, Villenueve arrived in the Williams Formula 1 Team, winning the 1997 Championship. He raced 163 F1 events with  five different teams -Williams, BAR, Renault, Sauber, and BMW Sauber. He got 11 victories, 13 pole positions and 23 podiums. He retired from F1 during 2006. The following year, Villeneuve embarqued in a new adventure, racing the last three eventos of the North American NASCAR season. During 2008, he repeted the experience in the United States, he also took part on the Le Mans 24 hours race.

Jacques Villeneuve is a celebrity inside and outside the track. He is not just an accomplished racing driver but also a musician. In fact, his CD and songs are available on the internet. He also enjoys sports such as sky and tennis. His charisma and appeal have given him a great worldwide reputation. September 26th, 27th and 28th, Villenueve and Spataro will make history when they race the Passat TRV6 at the "Juan y Oscar Gálvez" racetrack.

For more information, you can visit the official Top Race website, www.trv6.com.ar <http://www.trv6.com.ar/> .

From: Niky Pauli  // Media Racing

<<080923_HirokiYoshimoto_JacquesVilleneuve_CreditoTrv6.jpg>> <<080923_JacquesVilleneuve_Credito_Trv6.jpg>>

Preview: South Buxton Shootout

O Canada, or Stars & Stripes Forever?

By MIKE BENNETT // South Buxton Raceway Public Relations

SOUTH BUXTON – Is this the year a Canadian driver finally makes the lefthand turn into Victory Lane? Americans have dominated the first three Castrol Canadian UMP Late Model Shootouts, as well as it predecessor, the Can-Am Challenge. But local drivers will get two chances to hoist the checkered flag this Saturday at South Buxton Raceway.

Along with the fourth annual Late Model Shootout, South Buxton Raceway is hosting its inaugural Advantage Warehouse UMP Modified Fall Blowout. The total purse is $35,000 (US), the largest in track history. The Late Model winner pockets $6,000 while the Modified winner earns $2,500.

Many racing fans believe the local drivers will have a distinct home-track advantage in the Modified Fall Blowout since the majority of Americans have never seen the track. The drivers, however, do not buy into this theory.

“We may have an advantage in qualifying, but these guys will figure it out by the time we run the heats,” said 11-time track champion Jim Dale Jr. of Shrewsbury. “They’ll just compare this (South Buxton) to another track they run (in the U.S.) and make adjustments.”

Chris Van De Weile of Rutherford, the 2007 South Buxton modified championship race winner, agreed.

“We’ll have a little bit of an advantage because we know the track,” Van De Weile said, “but they travel around to so many tracks, they know their setups and they’ll figure out what to change.”

Dale Jr., who won the mid-season championships in both the Late Model and Modified classes, won’t be the lone driver pulling double-duty on Saturday. “There will probably be a half-dozen Americans running both,” he said. One will be Brian Ruhlman of Clarklake, Mich., who has finished second in the Late Model Shootout twice.

“We should be just as good this year, we’ve always led a lot of laps but just haven’t been there at the finish … well we’ve been there, but just not in the right position,” Ruhlman said of his past Shootout experience. He also expects to contend in the Modified Blowout, hoping for a big pay day in both classes.

The twinbill at South Buxton is the second day of a busy three-day weekend for Ruhlman. He will be running his Late Model for UMP points at Hartford Speedway in western Michigan on Friday before making the long haul to South Buxton.

He will be right back on the road to Findlay, Ohio, for Sunday’s Sunoco American Late Model Series championship night at Millstream Speedway. The Sunoco ALMS finale was rained out two weeks ago at Oakshade Speedway in Ohio, the same weekend which South Buxton suffered its eighth rainout of the season. Ruhlman leads the Sunoco ALMS by 18 points going into Sunday’s showdown at Millstream.

Sitting second in the Sunoco ALMS standings is Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., the winner of last year’s Shootout at South Buxton after taking the lead from Ruhlman with a bold late-race pass. Schlenk, who also won the Can-Am Invitational in 2004, calls South Buxton one of his favourite tracks. “It’s not your normal Saturday night oval,” he said. “I like a challenging track and South Buxton is definitely a challenging track. South Buxton has its own persona … it’s like two totally different tracks with the corners. I like tracks where driving makes the difference instead of just horsepower and setup.”

The other two past Shootout champions – 2006 winner Curtis Roberts of Coleman, Mich., and 2005 winner Jayme Zidar of Greenfield, Wis. – will also be here Saturday, marking the first time all former champions will be in the field. Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., led an American sweep of the top four positions in the 2007 Shootout, followed by Ruhlman, Zidar and Dusty Moore of Swanton, Ohio.

Andrew Reaume, of Blenheim, was the top Canadian driver as the 2007 Canadian UMP Late Model and South Buxton Raceway track champion finished fifth. Chatham’s Brad Authier was eighth and Dale Glassford of Thamesville finished ninth, the only other South Buxton regulars in the top 10. Chatham’s Joe Field appeared to have the best car in the field as he led past the halfway mark before a flat tire ended his Shootout victory hopes.

Reaume ended his 2008 season with a flourish, winning five consecutive features, including his second straight season championship race while successfully defending his points crown. He hopes his season-ending success carries over into the Shootout. “I think we’ll be in good shape, I think we’ll definitely be competitive with them,” he said of Schlenk and Ruhlman, whom Reaume feels are the drivers to beat. And Chris (Ross) too,” added Reaume, referring to the Wallaceburg driver and former track champion who races regularly on the Ohio circuit.

“He only raced here once and he ran great,” Reaume said of Ross’s feature win on May 24 at South Buxton.

Several other South Buxton regulars have enjoyed outstanding seasons, as Field won three feature races while Glassford and Authier challenged Reaume for the points title right up to the final race.

One top local contender, however, will not be racing Saturday as Chatham’s Kirk Hooker will miss the Shootout because of a wedding.

Dale Jr. and Van De Weile will lead a strong contingent of local Modified drivers, but one of the biggest challengers to win will be watching from the sidelines. Paul DeGoey of Leamington, who was injured in a serious two-car wreck in a heat race on August 30, hopes to return to the track as a spectator. DeGoey won the Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modified points championship.

Fans are reminded of Saturday’s earlier start, as the cars will be on the track at 5 p.m., about two hours earlier that a normal race night. The pit entrance opens at 2 p.m. and the grandstand gate opens at 3 p.m. Cars will take the track at 5 p.m. for hot laps followed immediately by time trials. The heat races are expected to begin around 7 p.m.

The heat races will determine the starting positions for the ‘A’ Mains, which will both be 22-car fields. The car count will determine how many drivers from each heat race earn automatic starting spots in the ‘A’ Mains, as well as qualify for the ‘B’ and ‘C’ Mains .

The Late Model ‘A’ Main will be 40 green-flag laps while the Modifieds will run 35 green-flag laps. The fastest eight qualifiers from time trials advance to the Dash races in each class.

In case of postponement for rain, the schedule moves to Sunday. The pit gates open at 11 a.m. and the grandstand at 12 noon. The drivers’ meeting takes place at 1 p.m. followed by the racing program as soon as the track is deemed ready.

PIT PARKING: Passenger vehicles (cars, vans, pickups, motorcycles) for pit crew members will be allowed to park in a new area inside the pit entrance. After paying your pit admission, drive through the gates and make an immediate right-hand turn into the new pit parking lot. Haulers and trailers will continue into the main pits, as usual.

CAMPING AT BUXTON: For fans and drivers, overnight camping is allowed in the parking lot at South Buxton Raceway. It is raw camping, however, with no water or hydro hookups. Motor homes, RVs, campers, etc. can be set up along the grass and treeline on the north side of the parking lot (on your right as you enter the lot). It is recommended you get to the track early to get a camping spot. The parking lot gate will be open at 8 a.m.

WHEELS INN: For fans or race teams looking for more comfortable accommodations, The Wheels Inn in Chatham is offering a special rate of $89 (plus tax). The Wheels Inn is a complete indoor resort, including swimming pools, spa, fitness centre, arcade, amusement park, restaurant and bar. It is located in the southwest end of Chatham, just five miles from the 401 freeway and 20 miles from South Buxton Raceway. Call toll free (1-800-265-5257), mention that your are coming to Chatham for the South Buxton Raceway weekend (reference code 12738) when you are booking your rooms.

RACE DAY INFO: To check on weather conditions, call the South Buxton Raceway raceday hotline at 1-519-689-7474, or check the website (southbuxtonraceway.com) in case of cancellation.

NASCAR TRUCKS: JR Fitzpatrick Iowa testing photos

From Jason Sharpe:

"JR is at Iowa Speedway completing his 2nd day of testing with TRG Motorsports. He quickly got on the pace set by TRG driver TJ Bell, who has been a great help.

JR has a great feel for the truck and his feedback has been excellent, allowing the team to make far more changes than they had expected."

Photo credit: Meg Bestell-Eide

(editor's note: Thanks for the update and photos Jason. Great to hear that JR is doing well.)

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series News and Notes - Kawartha

• Dodge Dealers Of Ontario Ram 250 Notebook 
• Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 Post-Race Notebook  
• NCATS Is A Good Fit For Shepherd 

Steckly Not Quite Out Of Woods For '08 Title

 

In a perfect world, Scott Steckly wanted to simply start his car this Saturday at Kawartha Speedway to clinch the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by SIRIUS Satellite Radio championship.

 

The world, however, is an imperfect place and Steckly (No. 22 Tow Truck in a Box/Erb Group Dodge) will have to do more than flip the ignition switch. Should Don Thomson Jr. (No. 4 Home Hardware Chevrolet) win the race and lead the most laps, Steckly will have to finish 13th or better to claim the title.

 

Steckly's season, while not entirely flawless, has been close. He established a series record with four wins and also has four runner-up finishes. The three times he has stubbed his toe have all been engine-related and have come in the last five events.

 

"When we've had problems, it hasn't been of our own doing," he said. "It's been things we can't control and they happen all the time in racing."

 

Steckly knows that championships are won not only with superior performance, but also a measure of luck. Both ingredients are in the mix for his season this year.

 

"We haven't done anything stupid — well, I haven't done anything stupid like run into something and punch a hole in the radiator or tear the nose off," he said. "We've had a good car all year and we've been fairly lucky in some respects."

 

Last Saturday at the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300, Steckly seemed to be headed for a fifth win and the series crown, but his motor headed south and so did his finish in the waning moments of the race.

 

"The car was as good as it has been all year, but I had trouble getting around a car and I was not at all interested in racing anyone real hard," Steckly said. "After pit stops, we got the lead and were rolling right along until the motor started going downhill."

 

Thomson, meanwhile, did what he needed to do and won the race to set up a showdown in the season finale.

"He's been so good all year, all I can ask for is to even have a shot," said Thomson.

 

Defending series champion Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford) even has a scenario in which he can successfully defend his title.

 

Should Ranger win the race, and lead the most laps for the 10-point bonus, he needs Steckly to finish 24th or worse without leading a lap while Thomson can lead a lap but finish sixth or lower.

 

In any event, with a single race left in the season, the championship hangs in the balance with three drivers gunning for that coveted ring.

 

"This is why we all work so hard all year," Steckly said. "To have a chance to win the championship and be the best in a given year."

 

The Race: Dodge Dealers of Ontario Ram 250
The Place: Kawartha  Speedway, Fraserville, Ont.
The Date: Saturday, Sept. 27
The Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV Schedule: TSN, 11 a.m.,  Oct. 11 (delayed)
Track Layout: .375-mile paved oval
Race Purse: $78,047 CAD
2007 Winner: Scott Steckly
2007 Pole: Mark Dilley
Schedule: Practice 1:30-2:30 p.m. Time Trials 5 p.m.
Track Contact: Cait Lynch (705) 939-8881

 

2008 Standings
1.  Scott Steckly     1,953
2.  Don Thomson Jr.   1,886
3.  Andrew Ranger     1,853
4.  DJ Kennington     1,797
5.  Kerry Micks       1,728
6.  Mark Dilley       1,725
7.  JR Fitzpatrick    1,707
8.  Peter Gibbons     1,652
9.  Brad Graham       1,555
10. Derek Lynch       1,550
11. Jason Hathaway    1,546
12. John Gaunt        1,527

 

Gibbons Closes Out Stellar Career

 

At the end of the Dodge Dealers of Ontario Ram 250, Peter Gibbons (No. 1 Canadian Tire/Mobil Super Chevrolet) will close out one of the most successful careers in Canadian motorsports history.

 

The 46-year-old driver, racing out of Stouffville, Ont., announced his retirement last week, stating after careful consideration that the time was right.

 

"We had some discussions with Canadian Tire about 2009, but I just feel this is the right time for me to get out of the car."

 

The winner of more than 30 CASCAR events over his career tipped his cap to his long-time sponsor.

 

"I just can't say enough about what a wonderful relationship our group has had with Canadian Tire and how good they have been to me," he said. "They have done a fantastic job helping to elevate the series in Canada. I have a real respect for all the hard work the people at Canadian Tire have put into this program."

 

Stepping away from something that has been such a major portion of his life will not be easy, but Gibbons is anxious to see what presents itself.

 

"I know I'll miss it and it will be a big adjustment for everybody," he said. "I'm looking forward to spending a lot more time with my wife, Denise, and my boys, Petey and Jake."

 

Among his career highlights are CASCAR Super Series championships in 1998 and 1999. He was also the 1994 CASCAR Rookie of the Year and won   CASCAR Eastern Series titles in 1997 and 1998, as well as competing in several NASCAR series over his 30-year racing career.

 

News & Notes

 

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

The Procedure: The starting field is 26 cars, including provisionals. The first 23 cars will be determined from two-lap time trials. The remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 250 laps (93.75 miles).

 

The Track: Kawartha Speedway is part of the Kawartha Downs and Speedway complex in Fraserville, Ontario, near Peterborough, east of Toronto. The 3/8-mile banked asphalt oval speedway is surrounded by a harness-racing horse track, the opposite of Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

 

The Records: The one-lap qualifying record for the Canadian Tire Series is 17.704 seconds (76.254 mph), set by Mark Dilley last year on Sept. 23. The 250-lap race record is held by Scott Steckly at 1 hour, 50 minutes, 47 seconds also set last Sept. 13 for an average speed of 51.790 mph.

 

A Season Ago: On the night when Andrew Ranger clinched the first NASCAR Canadian Tire Series championship, Scott Steckly drove to Victory Lane for the first time in the series. Steckly led 62 laps en route to his win as he edged out Peter Gibbons.

 

A Different Look For Micks: After blowing a motor last weekend in Nova Scotia, the short turnaround between races is forcing Kerry Micks to rent a car from Bryan Cathcart to participate in the season finale. The new ride is a Dodge and it will be the first time that Micks has been in anything other than a Ford since the mid-1990s.

 

Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 Post-Race Notebook

 

Odd How Things Work Out: Having won the pole at every oval track this season at which time trials were held, Don Thomson Jr. (No. 4 Home Hardware Chevrolet) was not the fastest car during qualifying, but he did prove to have the winning car. Thomson's teammate, JR Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevrolet), snapped his oval-track pole streak.

 

There Was A Déjà Vu  Feeling: The winning recipe for Scott Steckly (No. 22 Tow Truck in a Box/Erb Group Dodge) in his four wins this season has been to stay in touch with the leaders in the early going all while working to get the car better to set up for a dominating run to the finish line. The Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 had that feel when he took the lead with just over 100 laps remaining. However, the motor didn't hold up and he was relegated to a finish in 13th.

 

Not How He Envisioned It: As expected, local Antigonish, N.S., driver Donald Chisholm (No. 98 Nova Construction/Pioneer Coal Chevrolet) displayed a strong car to go along with an intimate knowledge of his home track. He easily was able to keep pace with the leaders, but contact with another car resulted in a broken tie rod and a disappointing 14th-place finish.

 

Hard Impact: On Lap 103, DJ Kennington's No. 17 Castrol/NPP Dodge slammed hard into the wall between Turns 1 and 2 due to a suspension part failure giving the veteran driver one of the hardest crashes of his career. "I've wrecked at Talladega, crashed at Charlotte and Phoenix, but, man oh man, that was big," he said.

 

Rookie Battle: The race for the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Rookie of the Year has come down to a two-man battle. After the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300, Jason White (No. 21 A&W/Zimmer-Wheaton GMC Chevrolet) holds a slim four-point advantage over Anthony Simone (No. 95 Crown Modular Chevrolet). The winner of the series' first top rookie award will be decided at the season finale at Kawartha Speedway.

 

Mobil 1 Command Performance of the Race Award: As a reward for his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victory at Riverside International Speedway, Thomson collects $1,500 from Mobil 1 for his effort. He now has four career series wins to his credit including a pair this season.

 

Mopar Fast Five: This program awards the top five finishing Dodges in the race. In the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300, Ron Beauchamp Jr. (No. 60 Mopar/Mobil 1 Dodge), with his third-place finish, was the highest-finishing Dodge and thus earned a $2,000 bonus. Fourth-place finisher Mark Dilley (No. 9 Dodge/Leland Industries Dodge) was the second-highest finishing Dodge, which earned him $1,250. Picking up $1,000 for finishing as the third-highest Dodge was Dave Whitlock (No. 39 Dickies/NMT Dodge). Collecting $500 for placing fourth among the Dodge entrants was Brad Graham (No. 19  Full Throttle/Logel's Auto Parts/Challenger Motor Freight Dodge). And rounding out the top five Dodges was Doug Brown (No. 10 Haldex Dodge), who receives $250.

 

POWERade Power Move Award: Improving his position the most over the course of the race was  Whitlock. After starting 17th on the grid, he battled his way forward and finished fifth. As a result, he earned the $1,000 award from POWERade.

 

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. Fitzpatrick earned a free pass in the early going before battling back to finish second and collect the $1,000 award.

 

In Case You Missed It: TSN and TSN HD's coverage of the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 from Riverside International Speedway will premiere on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. ET.

 

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Is A Good Fit For Shepherd

 

Networking is the key to any profession and auto racing is no exception. It is as equally important to maintain those relationships because that all-important call may come at anytime.

 

Pete Shepherd, III (No. 7 Wal-Mart/Ubisoft Ford) kept open communication with Dave Jacombs and when the need of a driver for his car arose, Jacombs' first call was to Shepherd.

 

For the first two-thirds of the season, the car was piloted by Alex Tagliani. However, once he returned to the open-wheel racing world after a spot opened in the Indy Car Series, it opened the door for Shepherd to slide into that seat.

 

"I've always had a good relationship with Dave Jacombs and kept those lines of communication open and it worked out pretty well," said Shepherd.

 

Being familiar with both NASCAR — having competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series — and the Canadian racing landscape, Shepherd, out of Brampton, Ont., was more than a perfect fit.

 

He is just as excited about the specter of what the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will become as he is about his opportunity to race in it.

 

"The series is really great. It's super competitive and will become very special down the road," he said.

As a veteran of the former CASCAR Super Series, Shepherd has noticed what the influx of new drivers and the  improvement of all the teams has brought to the table.

 

"The veteran guys are as tough as ever, but then you factor in the addition of an Andrew Ranger and the improvement of guys like JR Fitzpatrick and the field as a whole. It's a real handful out on the track," said Shepherd.

 

In three NASCAR Canadian Tire Series events, Shepherd has logged a pair of top-10 finishes including a 10th-place effort last Saturday in the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 in Nova Scotia.

 

"The car has been competitive and we've done pretty well with it," said Shepherd. "There's not much room for error in both preparation of the car and on the track. I'd like to get a top five at Kawartha and end on a high note."

 

The 22 year-old already has his sights set on next season and plans to run a full slate of races.

 

"We are working now on getting the sponsorship situation cleared up," Shepherd said, "and see what improvements we can make to the car."

 

However, the eventual goal of getting a gig in one of NASCAR's top three series has and will not change.

 

"Getting back into the mix down south is certainly something I want to do, but the focus right now is on this series," he said.

 

From  Shon Sbarra, NASCAR Public Relations

Lots of Action from Saratoga Speedway!

With 58 cars in the infield, race fans got a full night of racing Saturday night at Saratoga Speedway! Fearless Log Salvage sponsored a night of racing that featured the Bomber cars, Stock cars, Road Runners, Hornets, IMCA Modifieds and the speedway Motorcycles.

With only one race remaining for the Bombers. Stocks and Modifieds and with the point battle in all three very close, the racing was tight and very competitive. After the nights racing very little changed in the point races leaving the last race on September 27th left to decide this seasons champions.

In Bomber car racing point leader Rob Gaudrealt did what he needed to do to stay in the lead by winning the 30 lap main event ahead of Kyle Harrison and Darren Larsen, however five drivers still have a chance to finish in top spot. For the 2nd straight main event Campbell River’s Stewart Lee, who sits only 48 points back of Gaudrealt looked to have the main event won but got involved with a lapped car that brought out the yellow. This in turn put Lee at the rear of the field ending any chance of winning. The top five drivers Gaudrealt, Lee, Harrison, Andy Meyers and Justin Beaulieu are separated by only 315 points and with double points up for grabs on the seasons final race, anywhere from 350 to 370 points are up for grabs making it winnable for any of the five drivers. Due to the chance of rain the main event for all classes were moved up as heat races followed the mains and for the Bombers wins went to Johnny Zeneti and Charlie Ackerman.

Even though their car count has been down this season both the Stock cars and IMCA Modifieds have been very competitive within their classes and it shows in the point battles as only 192 points separate the top four stock cars, while only 107 points separate the top five IMCA racers.

In Stock car action Victoria’s Arron Wilkie came away as the big winner by capturing both the 20 lap main event and the heat while in the battle for season points Victoria’s Kerry Steen continued to sit in top spot 74 points up on Mike Dionne, 182 up on Martin Beaulieu and 192 points ahead of Don Hallgarth.

In IMCA racing Oyster River’s Chris Beaulieu took the win in the 20 lap main event ahead of Brad Purdy and Kevin Noble to put himself only 1 point behind heat race winner, Victoria’s Tony Johnson. The IMCA point battle is the closest of any class as after Johnson and Beaulieu. Noble sits only 12 points back followed by Parksville’s Pat Brown 24 points back and Comox’s Rob Ryan 107 points back.

In Road Runner racing Haans Baan came away as the big winner as he took wins in the 30 lap main event ahead of Riley Carter and Beau Haslehurst as well as the 12 lap heat race. The battle for top spot for the Runners has Kermit Dahl sitting 242 points ahead of defending point champion Kenny Davis while James Buchanan remains the only other driver with any chance of capturing the championship and sits 325 points back and will need lots of bad luck from the top two for any kind of serious chance.

Another big field of Hornet cars were on hand as twenty cars lined up for their 35 lap main event that saw Brandon Steen match his heat race win by finishing ahead of Jocelyn Popowich and Weston Lane, while the other heat race win went to Darren Werebowy. The battle for the Hornet championship is a two car battle with Dave Hargrave holding a 173 point advantage on Doug McLean while Lyle Bowlen has very little chance, 382 points back but with two races remaining this could become a very close finish.

In Motorcycle action Lyle Warren took the win in the main event and 1st heat with Dean Thompson taking the win in the 2nd heat.

This Saturday night marks the 2nd last race for the Crash to Pass, Figure 8, Mini Oval and Road Runner classes with only the Mini Oval class having their point champion in Ryan Guest decided. In the battle for the Crash to Pass championship Travis Stevenson’s bad luck of late has allowed the point difference to decrease as David Dahl sits only 242 points back while Ryan Monks sits 325 and with two races remaining this one may go down to the season’s final main event.

Also looking to go down to the final main event to decide their point champion are the Figure 8 cars as only 229 points separate the top four cars lead by Brandon Steen who is 74 points ahead of Rachael Sawasky. 105 ahead of Michael Corder and 229 ahead of Walker Welsh.

Racing this Saturday night will also feature the Hornet cars. Gates open at 5:30 followed by qualifying at 6 and racing at 7pm. A reminder the season’s final race October 5th will feature the great pumpkin race along with a big fireworks display and will be run rain or shine.

Pit stop……Last race of the NPP Dirt Late Model was held Saturday night in Edmonton and it had Oyster River’s Jason Beaulieu winning the main event leaving him 4th overall in the final points standings. The main event win was Beaulieu’s 3rd straight main event win after winning the last two Katana Late Model feature races…..The 2008 awards banquet will be held October 17th in Courtenay and all drivers with trophies that need to be returned should do so at the speedway or at Like New Car Care in Campbell River…

COMPASS360 RACING GIVE ACURA TOP FINISHES IN UTAH

Compass360 Racing once again delivered Acura's best result in a KONI Challenge Street Tuner (ST) race, this time at Miller Motorsports Park outside Salt Lake City, Utah. It was the team's fifth time in succession as the top Acura (going back to Watkins Glen (1st) and including Iowa (3rd), Trois Rivieres (1st) and New Jersey (7th), keeping the manufacturer in a tight battle with Chevrolet for top honors in Grand-Am's Street Tuner class.

Unsurprisingly, a podium was never on the cards for any of the normally-aspirated cars. "At this altitude, the turbocharged cars make a lot more power than those without forced-induction," explained Team Principal Karl Thomson. "Their computers compensate for the thinner atmosphere up here and simply push more air in to the motor.
Unfortunately, the non-boosted cars can't do that."

Indeed, C360R's #76 TSX was the only non-forced-induction (which includes turbo- and super-charged motors) to qualify in the top seven.

2007 Street Tuner co-champion Trevor Hopwood put the Fischer Skis / Sunday Group Management car in an astonishing third place during Saturday qualifying. "I’m not sure everyone showed their full hand here in qualifying," noted Hopwood. "(Technical Director) Ray Lee and the Compass360 guys did a great job once again and I was happy to bring Fischer Skis a good qualifying result out here in ski country. To be up here in a normally-aspirated car shows how hard these guys work when at a disadvantage."

As expected, Hopwood faced the daunting challenge of keeping ahead of the forced-induction cars that qualified behind him, but did a spectacular job of keeping his #76 car in the top five during the first half of the two-and-a-half-hour race.

Meanwhile, the other C360R cars made significant improvements on their qualifying positions. SPEED World Challenge ace Robb Holland started the #74 Honda Civic Si just outside the top-ten in 11th, and took advantage of an early yellow flag to try an aggressive strategy that saw co-driver Christian Miller get in just after the thirty-minute mark. "We decided to throw the dice when Robb came in early on," noted Miller. "The car was great and we expected a late-race yellow that would allow the race to come to us."

Indeed, Miller ran a solid third-place for much of his lengthy stint, giving the team's 2009 platform (the Civic Si) some valuable television time.

Jeremy Willard, in the #75 Pure Shampoo and Body Wash TSX started 27th. He relentlessly picked off the cars ahead until he was up into seventh before handing over to co-driver Kenny Wilden on lap 17. Wilden continued Willard's progress and moved back into the top ten after a late-race caution bunched the field.

Newcomer James Rowen, paired with Speed Secrets coach Kevin York, made great strides during the course of the weekend, notching his best time of the weekend during the race in the #73 GoEnzo.com Acura RSX-S. "I had a great time and learned a lot," remarked Rowen of his first pro event. Rowen's sponsors were impressed with the Miller facility, the level of competition in Grand-Am's KONI series, and the professionalism of the Compass360 Racing team. "We'll be back for more races next year," promised Rowen.

With the race winding down, the #73 car ultimately finished 23rd, just behind Miller's #74 car, which fell victim not only to the aggressive fuel strategy but to being punted off the track by one of the Cobalts on the penultimate lap. "We played it tight on fuel," admitted Miller, "and I got hit from behind while running third which dropped me down the order a couple of laps from the end."

Wilden brought the #75 home in ninth for it's second top-ten of the year, with Adam Burrows pulling out all the stops to finish a respectable sixth. "We hope Grand-Am will look at applying a performance-balancing formula next year," said Burrows. "At a track like this, the cars that aren't turbo- or super-charged just don't stand a chance."

"We'll take two top-ten as a great success here," remarked Lee. "The points keep us in the championship hunt."

The season-ending race is at Virginia International Raceway in two weeks. And although the Driver's Championship appears to be all but decided, the Team and Manufacturer's titles are up for grabs, and C360R is right in the thick of the battle. Watch http://grand-am.com/ and http://c360r.com/ for details.

The Grand-Am KONI Street Tuner race from Miller will air on SPEED Channel on Sep 27 at 3:00 PM ET.

Compass360 Racing (C360R) is the motorsports division of Compass360 Design + Advertising, a firm offering branding expertise to clients in diverse industries across North America and the UAE. For details visit http://www.c360r.com/
or email karlt at compass360 dot com.

PR inquiries about the Compass360 Racing team should be directed to Team Principal Karl Thomson at (416) 465-2299 x21 or email karlt at compass360 dot com

Photo credit: Wes Duenkel. Reproduction rights granted.

Dodge Challenger SRT8 completes Targa Newfoundland with impressive finish by Gilles and Wagner

• - Chrysler LLC’s Vice President of Design completes second consecutive finish in grueling five-day Targa Newfoundland Rally.


• - Dodge Challenger SRT8 and Mopar® Performance stand the test of punishing program with flawless performance.


• - Dodge Challenger SRT8 a hit with Targa attendees.

St. John’s, NL. – Chrysler LLC Design Vice President, Ralph Gilles completed his second straight Targa finish in the last 3 years. Gilles driving a specially-prepared Dodge Challenger SRT8, alongside co-driver Karen Wagner managed to battle both mental and physical challenges by finishing second overall in their specific class and twenty-second overall amongst 70 total entrants in this years seventh edition of Targa Newfoundland.

Gilles driving the attractive one-off Super Sublime Green’ custom paint finish managed to battle hard into the final stage on Friday and finished 8:59 behind the winner in the Class 9 Modified Large segment securing second place. This effort allowed Team Mopar® Performance to finish twenty-second place overall or 10:22 behind the overall winner. Initially, there were 70 total participants in this years events of which only 39 were able to complete the 2200 kilometer program. “The car continued to perform better as we progressed through the legs of the program” said Gilles. “We were able to make up additional time from our setback on Wednesday where we took a five minute penalty” added Gilles.

In addition to the to the special paint, the car nicknamed “Samantha” has also been fitted with a selection of Mopar® Performance parts and Authentic accessories, all designed to help this special vehicle complete this arduous and demanding event. The car was mechanically sound and did not endure any issues. “The performance of the car is a true testament to how great our product is” stated Gilles. “At the end of the day, this quality factor transcends to our customers” smiled Gilles. Mopar® is Chrysler LLC’s original equipment parts manufacturer and distributor and each of the parts fitted to this SRT8 Challenger are available through the Mopar® distribution network via Chrysler, Jeep Dodge Retailers.

Under the hood, the Targa Challenger has a 540-horsepower Mopar® 392 Hemi® crate motor with 490 lb.-ft. of torque. It also features Mopar’s®: T/A hood, gauges, Holley throttle body and manual throttle cable, custom calibration for the programmable EMS (including launch/traction control) and custom Corsa exhaust. Its effort from Chrysler LLC certainly draws from the grass-roots spirit that Targa Newfoundland evokes. Team Mopar® Underground is a collaborative effort of volunteers from the Product Design Office, Street Racing Technology (SRT), Mopar®, UAW fabricators and mechanics.

The program also allowed for Gilles and his team to interact with local Targa fans throughout his eight days in the province. After each leg on the five day rally, Gilles had the opportunity to meet locals and showcase his Targa edition Challenger SRT8 along with a production version 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8. “Both cars were extremely popular and attracted many of our great customers and hopefully some future ones as well” mentioned Gilles. “I can’t tell you how many people told me that the Challenger is their favorite car”. Gilles and Team Mopar® Underground also made two appearances at local dealerships of which they were greeted by a local Mopar® heritage club and roughly sixty enthusiastic customers.

Sponsorships: The Newfoundland Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge Retailers are a key sponsor in this event for the second straight appearance providing not only funds but also technical assistance to the team. For the first year, Sirius Canada has also partnered with Dodge and Mopar® Underground. SIRIUS Satellite Radio is available as a factory installed option on most Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles and standard on most high trim lines. SIRIUS Satellite Radio includes 12 months bundled service on all Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep® vehicles. SIRIUS Canada is also sponsor of the SIRIUS Satellite Radio President’s Challenge for OEM entries at Targa Newfoundland.

About Street and Racing Technology (SRT): Street and Racing Technology (SRT) is Chrysler’s in-house performance engineering organization that focuses on five pillars for every SRT vehicle: bold exterior design that resonates with the brand image, a race-inspired interior, world-class ride and handling across a dynamic range, a standout powertrain and benchmark braking.

About the Dodge Brand: Dodge is Chrysler Canada’s best-selling brand and the fourth largest nameplate in the Canadian automotive market and has sold 105,345 units in Canada in 2008 through August. In 2007, Dodge sold more than 1.3 million vehicles in the global market.

The Dodge brand’s first crossover vehicle — the all-new 2009 Dodge Journey — is currently the number one selling crossover in Canada. Chrysler Canada retailers across the country are now taking orders for the 2009 Dodge Challenger, which will arrive this fall. Four models are available in Canada: Dodge Challenger SE, Dodge Challenger SXT, Dodge Challenger R/T and Dodge Challenger SRT8®. Pricing starts at $24,995 and the Dodge Challenger SE achieves 12.2 L/100 km / 23 (mpg) in the city and 8.1 L/100km 35 (mpg) on the highway.

This fall, Dodge will be launching the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram with game-changing exterior and interior design, innovations, best-in-class features and craftsmanship starting at $25,995.

From: Jack G. Sulymka // Chrysler Canada Inc. // Regional Communications Manager

Oil up over $25 / barrel today... prepare to be insulted

You know how when the price of oil falls, it takes several days - if not weeks - for the price of gas to drop at the pump?

Today, the price of oil went up $25/barrel for a time in reaction to the U.S. government's bailout of that country's mortgage, insurance and banking industry.

But don't bother rushing to fill up your car just yet, because I'm sure it will take several days for the oil spike to funnel down to the gas pump. Riiiiiiiight.

Get ready to be insulted as the oil companies' talking heads are no doubt lined up ready to give interviews on how their immediate increase at the pump (do I hear $1.50/litre tomorrow anyone?) is totally different and unrelated to their slow reaction when oil drops.

Perfect for those chilly race nights - C & R Racing Diesel Heater

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2008

C & R Racing introduces their new “Diesel Heater”. Incorporating state-of-the-art design and fabrication, this unit utilizes a self-contained, diesel fired heater to handle all of your pre-heating requirements. Its 12-volt design makes it entirely independent to an external power source, providing up to 4 hours of continuous operation on a full charge.

Once the unit is connected, it will heat water in the racecar to a temperature of approximately 170°. The unit will then maintain this temperature until it is switched off and disconnected. This can be done manually with the on/off switch or the 7-day timer can be programmed to start the unit at a desired time, providing you with a racecar this is already up to temperature when you arrive at the track.

BENEFITS INCLUDE:

· Independent of generator power, can be used anywhere at anytime
· One of the fastest engine heaters on the market.
· Small size allows for easy storage
· Helps to move air from your cooling system.
· “Smart” charger to optimize battery life
· Electronic, programmable timer

SPECIFICATIONS:

Electrical – self-contained 12v battery. 110V plug to charge battery and/or operating unit. 2.5 hrs. for complete charge.

Fuel – Operates on diesel fuel only. Fuel consumption - .16 gal/hr. (high) - .8 gal/hr. (low) – Tank capacity .3 gal.Coolant – Tank capacity 1.0 gal. Recommended mix of water and NEO “Keep Cool” Conditioner.

For all C&R products, go to: http://www.crracing.com/

Marks Work Wearhouse Ladies Night

Guys, Make a list of everything you want at Marks Work Wearhouse, then send your wife or girlfriend to buy it at 20% off!!!

PHOTO GALLERY: NASCAR Canadian Tire Series - Riverside Int'l Speedway - Sept. 20, 2008

This photo gallery is from the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race, which took place on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008 at Riverside International Speedway, just outside of Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Five-time Canadian National stock car champ Don Thomson Jr. won the race (the 12th of 13 on the 2008 NCATS sked) after a late-race tangle involving race leaders Andrew Ranger and Peter Gibbons. At the finish, Thomson came home in front of his Fitzpatrick Motorsports teammate J.R. Fitzpatrick and Ron Beauchamp Jr.

The 2008 NCATS season wraps up this coming weekend at Kawartha Speedway.

Photos by Greg MacPherson // Inside Track Motorsport News. They were taken during practice, qualifying and the race.

For a free trial subscription to the only magazine in the world that puts Canadian racing first, visit http://www.insidetracknews.com/. To chat about Canadian racing, visit the new Inside Track Pit Board at: www.insidetracknews.com/forum

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Castrol Dodge Crashes Hard at Riverside

ANTIGONISH, NS - The Castrol Dodge team came to Riverside Speedway near Antigonish, Nova Scotia for round number twelve of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series with the usual expectation of a strong performance. After a solid start to the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 DJ Kennington found himself enduring one of the hardest crashes he’s ever experienced in a race car.

Quick through afternoon practice the Castrol Dodge would line up seventh to start the Saturday night feature event but wouldn’t be there for long. Almost immediately Kennington was leaping the Castrol Dodge forward and into the top three. “This was the best the car we’ve had all year” said the driver afterwards. “We gained a few spots right away and then began to settle in for the middle portion of the race.

During a long green flag run the three lead cars broke away from the field and Kennington looked to gain the lead for at least one lap to gain the five bonus points. “Picking up those points is important” said the driver, “but I never pushed the car too hard. All three of us were racing hard and I was just looking for my turn up front”.

As Kennington maneuvered the Castrol Dodge into second spot with sights on first a dramatic turn of events would take place. Without warning a suspension part failure on the right front tire would send Kennington hard into outside retaining wall. With the failure the Castrol Dodge also had little to no braking power and the car skidded to a halt between turns one and two. To the relief of everyone after only a moment to unbuckle the seatbelts Kennington emerged from the Castrol Dodge, sore and bruised but otherwise uninjured.

The car was damaged beyond repair but the most important fact is that Kennington emerged from the Castrol Dodge with what appears to be relatively minor injuries. “I would say it’s the hardest hit I’ve ever had” said Kennington. “I’ve crashed at Talladega, crashed at Charlotte, and Phoenix but man oh man that was big”

While he’s happy to have emerged safely from the Castrol Dodge, Kennington was just as disappointed of the finishing result. “The whole Castrol Crew has worked really hard and the car was flying. That’s what’s so disheartening about it. I’m really proud of the guys and I thought we had a good shot this one and gaining in the points.

As always the Castrol Crew will be back hard at work this coming week. “The good news is we’re alright and we’ll be back at it for next week” said Kennington. “I’ve had at that track at that’s how we’d like to close out the season” he added.

DJ Kennington sits fourth in the overall championship standings after eleven events.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series comes to a conclusion with the final event this coming Saturday September 27th at Kawartha Speedway. The 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire series will consists of thirteen events on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits from coast to coast. Each race will be broadcast on TSN. More information can be found by logging onto www.djkennington.com and www.nascar.ca.

Attached photo: The Castrol Dodge after impacting the wall at Riverside Speedway. // Photo Credit: Todd Lewis // This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

<<#17 crashed at Riverside.JPG>>

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Top-Ten for Graham and the Full Throttle team

ANTIGONISH, NS - Driver Brad Graham and the Full Throttle/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge team once again put on a strong performance during round number twelve of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series, the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 this past weekend at Riverside Speedway near Antigonish, Nova Scotia.  The consistent effort all season long by the entire team was rewarded with another top-ten finish.

The Full Throttle/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge suffered a setback during practice when a tire blew out and Graham brushed the wall.  “It hurt us a bit spending about half the session making repairs to the suspension” said the driver.  “We lost a lot of track time still managed to qualify top-ten which was pretty good” he added.

As the race began Graham would show his trademark steadiness running lap times that were very consistent.  Running with the front group as the race was yellow flagged near the 1/3 point the Full Throttle/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge team made a pit stop for fuel and handling adjustments.  “All day we concentrated on making the car good under long green flag runs and we wanted to continue with that strategy” explained the driver.

The Full Throttle/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge crew would make another scheduled stop for fuel and tires later in the race giving the Graham the best car possible for the end of the race. 

As the race laps ticked away Graham would keep the Full Throttle/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge up around the top-five but his abilities were becoming restricted.  “I was really only able to run on the bottom” said Brad.  “Anytime we got up into the outside groove the car would push and having a number of quick cautions at the end also cost us since we were better on long runs”. 

In the closing laps Graham was trying to gain every spot possible in the Full Throttle/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge when he came in contact with the #9 car.  Immediately backing off so as not to cause a serious incident the Full Throttle/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge was struck by the #39 car.  “It got pretty crazy in those last ten laps or so” said the driver.  “I just tried a bit too hard and got off the throttle right away when I realized it and we got touched up and spun around.  That’s just racing hard at the end for every spot by everybody.

Graham would recover from the spin and get the Full Throttle/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge moving in the right direction and come home with a sixth place finish. “It was something at the end to see cars three and even four wide here, but that’s the great thing about this track is that it’s wide and you can race high or low.  I’m sure it was a really good show for all the fans that came out and packed the place and hopefully we can do it again next year” he concluded.

With another top-ten finish Brad Graham and the Full Throttle/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge team sit ninth in the overall points standings.   

The Full Throttle Team is back in action this coming Saturday, September 27thfor the final event of the 2008 season at Kawartha Speedway.  This season teams will race from coast to coast in Canada on challenging oval tracks, temporary street circuits and road courses. For more information about the series log onto www.nascar.ca and for more news information about the team go to www.bradgraham.ca . All races this season will also be broadcast on TSN.

Attached Photo:  Full Throttle Dodge   // Photo Credit:    Todd Lewis  // This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

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NCATS: J.R. Fitzpatrick on pole, 1-2 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Finish

ANTIGONISH, NS - The #84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevrolet with John Ryan (J.R.) Fitzpatrick at the wheel has shown plenty of speed all season long on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.  This past weekend at round number twelve at Riverside Speedway the 20 year old Fitzpatrick scored his first pole position of the season, and followed his teammate Don Thomson Jr. to the finish line in a one-two finish to the 300 lap race.

Right from the start of the afternoon practice session the #84 Chevrolet was fast.  “This was a really fast race car right from the start of the day” said an enthusiastic Fitzpatrick.  “We made a few adjustments to try and improve it but when we drew the first qualifying slot I didn’t think we had much of a chance at the pole”.

Fitzpatrick would claim the first pole position award for the #84 team with a time of 14.935 seconds and an average speed of 80.268 mph and begin the race on the inside of row number one. 

J.R. would hold the lead of the race for the first twenty six laps before surrendering the spot to his teammate.  The two drivers would alternate at the front of the field for the first 115 laps.  “I was having a good battle with my teammate out there, it’s great to race that way, both of us with good give and take, it’s a lot of fun”.

The fun would end however when following a caution period NASCAR officials ruled that Fitzpatrick “jumped the restart” and began racing before he was allowed.  The penalty was a drive thru pitlane at the pit road speed limit and put the #84 Chevrolet down a lap.  “I really don’t know why it was called that way” said the driver afterwards.  “I restarted in exactly the same spot as my teammate did and I did before, but they didn’t see it that way, I guess I’ll have to talk with them about it to find out their side”.

 
Forced to fight back and move through the field Fitzpatrick displayed his keen driving skills staying out of trouble that’s easy to find on the fast 1/3 mile oval.  “There was a lot of racing left so we just went about our business to get back into the race” said Fitzpatrick.  “The team made good pit stops.  We found the car was getting a bit loose on long green flag runs so we made some adjustments and just kept going”.

Perseverance pays off and it did for the #84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports team.  As the laps ticked away J.R. continued to work his Chevrolet closer and closer to the front of the field and then into the top-five.  As the race restarted after a late caution period for a dash to the finish Fitzpatrick got a little racing luck and two of the cars in front of him had contact.  Pouncing on the opportunity Fitzpatrick pushed his car forward and would cross the finish line just .202 seconds behind his teammate for a one-two Fitzpatrick Motorsports finish. 

While a satisfying result young J.R. was quick to point out that things could have even been better.  “There’s no doubt we had a fast car and it’s great for the #4 team to get the win it helps them in points, we get a boost in the points.  But if we didn’t have that call go against us it might be our team that grabbed the win”.

J.R. Fitzpatrick now sits seventh in the overall championship standings with two events remaining on the schedule.

J.R and the Fitzpatrick Motorsports team will conclude the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season with the final event this coming Saturday September 27th at Kawartha Speedway.  Prior to the race J.R. Fitzpatrick will complete a two day test session with the TRG Motorsports NASCAR Truck Series team at Iowa Speedway on September 23rd & 24th.  All NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races are broadcast on TSN.  More information on the series can be obtained by visiting www.nascar.ca .  

Attached Photo Caption: 1. The #84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevy set for qualifying.  J.R. Fitzpatrick (left) celebrates on the podium at Riverside Speedway. // Photo Credit:  Todd Lewis // This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

 
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