INDYCAR: POWER WINS POLE AT LONG BEACH; CASTRONEVES EIGHTH IN RETURN

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Saturday, April 18, 2009) – Will Power won the PEAK Performance Pole Award at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, leading a group of three cars from Team Penske that will start the race in the top 10.

Power, who won on the temporary street circuit a year ago in the final race sanctioned by Champ Car, will start from the first position in the first race at Long Beach sanctioned by the IndyCar Series. Power's first career pole in the IndyCar Series came on a day when he switched from the team's No. 3 car to the seat of the No. 12 car. Helio Castroneves returned to the No. 3 car for the first time since the end of the 2008 season and qualified eighth. The third Team Penske driver, St. Petersburg race winner Ryan Briscoe, qualified 10th.

Power lapped the 11-turn, 1.968-mile circuit in 1 minute, 9.7107 seconds, 101.631 mph to edge Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Dario Franchitti by 0.1568 of a second. Rookie Raphael Matos qualified a career-best third, while second-year driver E.J. Viso qualified a career-best fourth. Justin Wilson, who won the pole last year at Long Beach and started on the front row at St. Petersburg, will start fifth. Reigning IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon will start sixth.

Also on Saturday, J.R. Hildebrand won his second pole of the season for the Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Long Beach. Hildebrand turned in a best lap of 1:15.2696, 94.126 mph. James Hinchcliffe qualified second.

The 45-lap Firestone Indy Lights race is scheduled for12:40 p.m. (ET) Sunday. The 85-lap Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will follow at 4:30 p.m. (ET).

***

FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS POST-QUALIFYING NOTES:

· J.R. Hildebrand won the pole. This is his second pole of the season and his second career pole. He also won the pole for St. Petersburg 1. He led 22 laps in that race before finishing third.

· James Hinchcliffe qualified second, bettering his fifth-place qualifying effort at St. Petersburg 1.

· Stefan Wilson, the younger brother of IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson, qualified third, his best qualifying effort this season. His previous best was 13th at St. Petersburg 1.

· Richard Philippe qualified fourth, bettering his sixth-place qualifying effort at St. Petersburg 2.

· Jonathan Summerton qualified fifth, bettering his sixth-place qualifying effort at St. Petersburg 1.

***

FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS POST-QUALIFYING QUOTES:

J.R. HILDEBRAND (No. 26 ARPRO, first): "The boys have done a great job. We've got a really good car, so that makes my job a lot easier, but (that session) was a tough one. We had a lot of breaks, and we only had a couple of laps on the tires. We were just getting rolling, but they said the time was coming down, so I had to get one in. The (Firestone) Firehawks were right up to speed and I was able to take advantage of it. It worked out really well for us." (About having to put in a quick lap so quickly): "I was getting concerned because we don't have a lot of time to start with. We do these split groups, which is great because we get a lot of track time, but it shortens our session. The guys did a great job in the pits getting the stop done and getting us out there to get the lap, so I owe it to them today."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 7 Hinchtown/Sam Schmidt Motorsports, second): "Obviously it was a good session for us. We thought we had pole there for the session right up until the last lap. We had a yellow flag on that last lap, which would have been a little bit quicker, so it's one of those tough deals, but it's racing, especially street racing. These things happen, but for us we had a good clean lap and we worked really hard on the car overnight, because yesterday we really weren't happy with the setup. Huge credit has to go to the Sam Schmidt Motorsports boys for putting in the effort overnight and making sure everything got better for this morning. We've just got to be smart tomorrow and try to pick our way up, and hopefully we'll end up on the podium."

STEFAN WILSON (No. 19 SWS/Walker Racing, third): "I'm really pleased with it, good to be starting on Row 2, but a little disappointed at the same time. It's just unfortunate how the yellow turned out. I was on a really, really good lap coming into Turn 9 when they threw the yellow, then I had to back off. We have a good starting position, let's see what we do in the race. I hope to take the flag tomorrow and put on a good show for the fans."

RICHARD PHILIPPE (No. 36 Genoa, fourth): "I think I could have gone faster today than I did. The track conditions were good, and traffic was not a problem I just didn't get quite as much out of the car as I could have, so I'm not very happy at the moment."

***

Team Penske representatives Roger Penske, Tim Cindric and Helio Castroneves met with the media at Long Beach to discuss Castroneves' return to the IndyCar Series following the conclusion of his court case. A complete transcript is posted at indycar.com/media.

ROGER PENSKE: "I think we won one of the biggest races that we've ever had to get Helio back in this car. As you know, we've stayed together as a team for many months. And we talked about this when it started and obviously stayed in contact as he went through the ordeal.

And I just have to say that I'm proud to see him be able to walk out and be able to get in the No. 3 car. It's amazing what happens in your life, and certainly Helio has gone through a chapter I'm sure he wants to close this book, this chapter in the book. But to me it's over. He's back where he wants to be. He's a great race car driver. He's been a great ambassador for our team. I've said to many people, he doesn't have a bad bone in his body. And to see him back here is just tremendous."

TIM CINDRIC: "I know yesterday when I was here, the question was asked whether or not we felt he was ready to go since he hadn't been in a car since October. And I told you I was 100 percent confident he was ready to go. As you can see from this morning, he was. He asked me, as we started up the engine and all the rest of it, he said, 'Is this a dream?' I said, 'No, it's reality. There's a lot of people watching so don't stall it.' So after that it was just like business as usual. It was like old times. So we're glad to see him back, and let's just go on to the next page."

HELIO CASTRONEVES: "It's been a very interesting situation and a mix of feelings, obviously. It feels like I just woke up from a nightmare. And to go through this with my family, it was very difficult. But the family, not only the family but the fans, they were amazing. As Roger said, so many people sent messages. So many people sent prayers through Facebook, through the Internet, through my website. And I tell you one thing: I never lost faith. Sometimes I questioned it a little bit, but those prayers that people were sending me, it kept me really strong. It kept me really focused. And without everybody, without those prayers, it would have been very difficult to go through what I did." (About being back in the car today): "I never felt so comfortable being here in my entire life. Just sitting in the car ‑‑ actually, I was early getting in the car (for the practice this morning). I normally go wait for the last minute, but this time I just wanted to be in the car. And oh, man, it was just awesome, the first few laps. I was smiling through my helmet, looking for every detail. I feel like I want to hug everybody today."

***

PEAK PERFORMANCE POLE QUALIFYING NOTES:

· Will Power won the PEAK Performance Pole Award. It is his first career pole in the IndyCar Series. His previous best start came at St. Petersburg in 2008.

· Power is the third driver to jump from sixth to first during the Firestone Fast Six segment. Helio Castroneves did it at Mid-Ohio in 2007, and Ryan Briscoe did it at Edmonton in 2008.

· This is the 42nd pole for Team Penske in the IndyCar Series.

· Dario Franchitti qualified second. He has participated in the Firestone Fast Six in both races. This will be his 13th consecutive top-five start in the IndyCar Series dating back to Texas 2007.

· Raphael Matos qualified a career-best third. His previous best start was ninth in his first career start at St. Petersburg.

· Third is best starting position for Luczo Dragon Racing. The team's previous best was fourth at Kansas in 2008 with Tomas Scheckter.

· E.J. Viso qualified a career-best fourth. His previous best was ninth at Belle Isle in 2008. Fourth is also the best starting position for HVM Racing.

· Justin Wilson qualified fifth, his second consecutive top-five start to begin the season.

· Scott Dixon qualified sixth, his 17th consecutive top-10 start, the longest active streak in the IndyCar Series.

· Five teams had drivers qualify for the Firestone Fast Six.

· Ryan Briscoe did not qualify in the Firestone Fast Six for the first time since Mid-Ohio 2007. Beginning with St. Petersburg in 2008, Briscoe had participated in seven consecutive Firestone Fast Six sessions.

· Briscoe's overall streak of seven consecutive top-five starts, the longest active streak, also was broken.

· Briscoe qualified 10th, his 10th consecutive top-10 start.

· This is the 18th Firestone Fast Six session since the format was introduced in 2005. This is the first time that at least one of the two drivers, Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan, haven't qualified for the session. Castroneves and Kanaan have each participated in 15 Firestone Fast Six sessions. Castroneves missed Watkins Glen 2008 and St. Petersburg 2009, while Kanaan missed Edmonton 2008 and Belle Isle 2008.

· This was the first time Raphael Matos and E.J. Viso qualified for the Firestone Fast Six. Twenty-two drivers have participated in the 18 Firestone Fast Six sessions.

***

INDYCAR SERIES POST-QUALIFYING QUOTES:

WILL POWER (No. 12 Team Verizon Wireless, first): "It was obvious in the first session that you had to use reds (tires) to get through. So it was a matter of saving your reds a little bit and saving your energy to the final round. That's sort of what I did. I saved my big lap until the end. A great job by the team. They had to swap everything over on this car, with an all new crew, new engineer and everything. They did a good job. We're looking to have a strong race tomorrow and hopefully move up in the championship."

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing, second): "I'm happy to be back at Long Beach. I love the track. I love the atmosphere. There's such a buzz about the place all week. The balance of the Target car was really good there at the end. I was just trying to get a clear lap. You run to the limit so much here in qualifying. We had a really good lap going, and I ran out of fuel in Turn 9. Starting second's not bad. It's better than fifth at St. Pete. And the Target team did a great job rebuilding the car after I had a little indiscretion this morning. So I'm looking forward to tomorrow."

RAPHAEL MATOS (No. 2 US Air Force Luczo Dragon Racing, third): "I've got to give all the credit to the boys here on the Luczo Dragon team. It was a great comeback from St. Pete. We had a huge wreck in St. Pete, and the guys put the car back together. I've got to thank the whole team. They did an awesome job. I also want to thank our sponsors, McAfee, the Air Force and the Marines. I want to thank all of the people who have been helping us and supporting our program. It's been just an amazing year for us."

E.J. VISO (No. 13 PDVSA HVM Racing, fourth): "It was a great day. The tires were good. Everything happened as we expected. We've had very good pace on this track since we came here. Things didn't come together in St. Pete, but hopefully it will happen here in Long Beach. So far the team performance has been great, and I'm very proud to be in my second season with this team."

JUSTIN WILSON (No. 18 Z-Line Designs, fifth): "We gave it all we had today but came up a bit short for the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/Dale Coyne Racing team. I think we used the red stripes a bit too early in the second session and really had nothing left for the last run."

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing, sixth): "We were trying to put on another set of tires, and it didn't really work out the way we wanted it to. The set we were trying to put on wasn't what the Target boys had, and we were going to put on a flat-spotted set of tires, so it was kind of chaos in the pits there. It's disappointing. Qualifying is so important on road and street courses and we had a chance to start up front. We just didn't make the most of the chance."

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 02 McDonald's Racing Team, seventh): "It's obviously disappointing that we didn't make it through to the Firestone Fast Six. After putting the McDonald's car on pole at the last race, we had expectations of making it to the last round. I think we had the pace to do it but weren't able to. We had pretty much the same pace on old tires as we did on new. You expect to have a big gain on new ones, but we had nothing when everybody else gained quite a bit. That's how it goes sometimes. We have our work cut out for us tomorrow starting seventh, because it's not easy to pass here. Our hope is that the car stays underneath us and we can move up through the field. We're pretty good on old tires, which bodes well for us, but we've got to hope we can save fuel better than these other guys and get by them in the pits."

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Team Penske, eighth): "It was a good day for us until the end of qualifying. Unfortunately, I pushed it a little bit too much trying to get into the top six and I overdid it. I'm obviously very happy for Will Power; he did an incredible job jumping from the No. 3 car to the No. 12 car. Winning the pole today really shows how tough of a competitor he is. It's great to be back out here at the track. My crew has been smiling all day and so have I. I think that even though we had an incident this afternoon we feel good for the race tomorrow. This is not going to hurt us, it's just going to build us even stronger and tomorrow is another day."

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 34 Conquest Racing, ninth): "The Conquest team did a great job today. The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino/The Joint car was good. Unfortunately we had a small electrical problem this morning that cost us some track time. Before qualifying, we made some changes and we made a few more adjustments during the first round, which allowed us to make it to Round 2. We'll be starting ninth tomorrow, and considering the small problems we had it's pretty good. I'm happy with how qualifying went, but we'll keep working tonight on the car, and hopefully we can have a good race tomorrow and fight for a podium."

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 Team Penske, 10th): "I'm disappointed to not have been in the Firestone Fast Six today, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I thought the Team Penske car was pretty good for qualifying. We were running well, but when we put on the red tires in that second session, we lost the balance of the car. It's frustrating, but now we've got to focus on the race tomorrow. We're just going to keep moving forward, and hopefully we can get another win under our belts."

Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Long Beach Starting Lineup

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Qualifying Saturday for the Grand Prix of Long Beach Firestone Indy Lights event on the 1.968-mile Streets of Long Beach, with starting position, car number in parentheses, driver, time and speed in parentheses:

1. (26) J.R. Hildebrand, 1:15.2695 (94.126)

2. (7) James Hinchcliffe, 1:15.4928 (93.847)

3. (19) Stefan Wilson, 1:15.3353 (94.044)

4. (36) Richard Philippe, 1:15.5582 (93.766)

5. (9) Jonathan Summerton, 1:15.8578 (93.396)

6. (15) Martin Plowman, 1:15.5921 (93.724)

7. (20) Ana Beatriz, 1:15.9663 (93.262)

8. (63) Jonathan Bomarito, 1:15.6753 (93.621)

9. (59) Ali Jackson, 1:16.0899 (93.111)

10. (21) James Davison, 1:15.8273 (93.433)

11. (44) Gustavo Yacaman, 1:16.0988 (93.100)

12. (18) Junior Strous, 1:15.9313 (93.305)

13. (28) Daniel Herrington, 1:16.1312 (93.060)

14. (5) Mario Romancini, 1:15.9503 (93.282)

15. (11) Wade Cunningham, 1:16.1857 (92.994)

16. (4) Sean Guthrie, 1:16.4959 (92.617)

17. (27) Sebastian Saavedra, 1:16.4745 (92.643)

18. (35) Charlie Kimball, 1:16.7109 (92.357)

19. (37) Jay Howard, 1:17.1941 (91.779)

20. (49) Jesse Mason, 1:17.3096 (91.642)

21. (33) Pablo Donoso, 1:17.5287 (91.383)

22. (16) Pippa Mann, 1:17.3743 (91.565)

23. (3) Sergey Mokshantsev, 1:21.9018 (86.504)

24. (2) Andrew Prendeville, 1:19.3530 (89.282)

25. (55) Rodrigo Barbosa, no time (no speed)

Do you figure the NHL has one of these boilerplate releases for Sean Avery?

Subject: INDYCAR SERIES STATEMENT ON HELIO CASTRONEVES

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Friday, April 17, 2009) – The IndyCar Series today released the following statement from Brian Barnhart, president of competition and racing operations for the Indy Racing League, regarding Helio Castroneves return to Team Penske and the IndyCar Series:

“We couldn’t be happier for Team Penske, Helio Castroneves and his family and look forward to having him back on the race grid at (name of venue/event). Helio has played an integral part in the growth of the IndyCar Series on and off the race track the past few years and has an incredible legion of fans. He is a true star in every sense of the word and his infectious personality, popularity and success on the race track is welcomed back.”

INDYCAR: Paul Tracy and the Gecko seek revenge at the Indy 500

Long Beach, CA (April 17, 2009) – A year ago, open wheel star Paul Tracy was suffering through an awkward departure from Forsythe Racing that left the racing world scratching their heads. Oh, how things change in twelve months.

After enjoying his freedom and racing everything from trucks in the desert to trucks in NASCAR’s Truck Series, Tracy has decided that it’s time to return to the place that stole his joy.

In just a few weeks, Paul Tracy will re-visit the atmosphere that saw him depart Indianapolis with a 2nd place finish in 2002. KV Racing Technology will field the #15 entry for the Indianapolis 500 and GEICO will provide primary sponsorship, with the ‘gecko’ adorning several areas of the race car.

Tracy recorded an Indianapolis 500 win in 2002 before a controversial ruling by the Indy Racing League sent him home with runner-up honors. Race officials ruled that Tracy passed Helio Castroneves under caution on the final lap of the race even though videotape would indicate otherwise. Tracy took the decision in stride, but vowed to never again step foot in Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

A year later, in 2003, Tracy joined Forsythe Racing in the Champ Car World Series and became the first driver in thirty-two years to win the first three races of a season. After recording seven wins and six poles, he notched the series championship and rebounded from the pain he felt in Indy a year earlier.

Tracy has been a member of the GEICO Racing family since driving the GEICO NASCAR entry in Mexico City in the spring of 2006 for Biagi Bros. Racing. The 2003 Champ Car Champion was also featured on geicogarage.com alongside close friend and current GEICO NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and former open wheel standout Max Papis in 2008.

“We’re pleased to be able to accompany Paul Tracy on his return trip to the Indianapolis 500,” expressed Ted Ward, GEICO’s vice president of marketing. “Having a relationship with two world class drivers such as Paul Tracy and Max Papis, as well as KV Racing Technology, allows us to spread our message of safety on a much broader scale and we are excited about the opportunity.”

Regarded as one of the top race car drivers in the world, Tracy is one of the most cerebral wheelmen in the business and he possesses unparalleled passion and enthusiasm. His return to Indianapolis is much anticipated and could quite possibly be auto racing’s story of the year.

KV Racing Technology co-owner Jimmy Vasser said, “I think I can speak for everyone at KVRT when I say that running Paul Tracy at the Indy 500 is very exciting. I also want to thank GEICO for supporting our efforts. Even though Paul hasn’t been in an open-wheel car much the last year, having raced against him and knowing his ability, I am sure he will get up to speed immediately.”

Tracy’s colorful personality and aggressive style is what has earned him the nickname ‘The Thrill from West Hill’, and makes him one of the most globally recognized racers in the business.

“This is a great opportunity and I can’t thank GEICO and KV Racing enough for stepping up and making it happen,” Tracy said. “Jimmy (Vasser, team owner), Kevin (Kalkhoven, team owner) and I are close friends and I have long been associated with GEICO, so it is exciting to have it all come together. It’s also a nice association to be teammates for a month with Max Papis who drives GEICO’s Cup car. Max is one of my closest friends, so I am sure he will join me in Indy at one point during the month.”

He continued, “Indianapolis is a special place and I look forward to returning and taking a run at getting a win and putting my name in the history books. I’ve committed my life to racing and a win at Indy is something that is very important to me. The past is the past and I’ll go to IMS focused on the present putting forth my best effort for GEICO and KV Racing.”

Tracy is nothing if not versatile and he will get up to speed quickly. In July 2008, he hopped in a car for Vision Racing in Edmonton’s IndyCar race and turned in a 4th place finish despite having been out of a car since Long Beach in April.

In May, Tracy will have plenty of practice time and he will also have support from one of the Indy Racing League’s top teams in KV Racing Technology, so stay tuned. One thing is for certain: When Paul Tracy is involved it will be nothing short of exciting.

GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is the third-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States based on the latest 12 months written premium. It provides auto insurance coverage for 9 million policyholders and insures more than 15 million vehicles. In addition to auto insurance, GEICO offers customers insurance products for their motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATV's), boats, homes, apartments and mobile homes. Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection and life insurance are also available. As a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of companies, GEICO is rated A++ for financial strength by A.M. Best Company and ranks at the top of several national customer satisfaction surveys. For more information, please visit www.geico.com.

From Doug Barnette / Player Management International, Inc.

Taglani is a Twit... erer

Long Beach, CA (April 17, 2009) – Alex Tagliani is going social. That’s social as in social networking. Race fans in Canada and across the globe can now get up close and personal with the Canadian racecar driver and follow his every “tweet,” update or post and have the feeling that they are at the racetrack right beside him.

You can find Alex on Twitter at www.twitter.com/tagliani

with files from Conquest Racing  / PR/Karina Redmond

ONT. PRO CHALLENGE: Fine DetailsR & Scott Fletcher together in 2009 to clean up the competition

OAKVILLE, ON - SJF Motorsports with driver Scott Fletcher have added Fine Details® The Car Cleaning Specialists, to the 2009 HYPE Energy Drinks Ontario Pro Challenge Series program. The 13 race series covers 6 different Ontario tracks in 4 regions. This is Fine Details® first foray into motorsports. “I am extremely proud to have Fine Details join our HYPE Energy Drinks team”, Scott also added, “With Fine Details on board, it adds the chance to win races, compete for the championship but now I am after the best appearing car too”.
      
With 21 locations across Ontario, Fine Details The Car Cleaning Specialists maintains a full line of specialized car care services designed to clean, polish, protect and help maintain your car appearance. Fine Details® only uses high-performance products that are custom formulated to their own specifications and they meticulously hand-clean your vehicle completely, carefully and professionally each and every time.

Their specialty auto detailing services includes full hand wash and vacuum, fabric protection, interior shampoo and detailing, leather treatment, paint protection, high speed polishing, engine shampooing, rust proofing, dent removal and windshield repair, highlighted by only the best in car care products like Meguiar’s.

Along with the on track events, Scott Fletcher and SJF Motorsports will be on location at various locations of Fine Details® throughout the year with the Pro Challenge car but also with the Fine Details® NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Show Car. These appearances will give a chance to come and see a NASCAR up close, take pictures, have your car detailed and the kids can have a chance to colour and design their own racecar. Fans that come to events will also have a chance to walk away with a prize package.

Scott Fletcher and SJF Motorsports/HYPE Energy Drinks Team have worked diligently over the off season to secure sponsors not only take a run at the Ontario Pro Challenge Series but also working on securing the funding to run selected NASCAR Canadian Tire Series events including the NAPA 100, the support event for NASCAR’ S number two series and the headline show for Canada’s only stop on the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

The Ontario Pro Challenge series kicks of the season May 9th at Flamboro Speedway. The 13 race series has 4 races inside the series that are used for a national point used to compete against the three other U.S. regions.

For more information on Fine Details® The Car Cleaning Specialists visit www.finedetails.ca, for more information on Scott Fletcher, www.sjfmotorsports.com

LUCAS OIL ESS: 730 Truck Stop signs on

SYRACUSE, NY – Bob Lodge and his 730 Truck Stop has been a staunch supporter of auto racing in Canada for many years. This season he has added the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) to the long list of tracks, drivers and events that he likes to add his support. The popular truck stop located on exit 730 of Route 401 in Cardinal, Ontario is a major point fund contributor to the Northwood2/LaSalle Motorsports Canadian Sprint Series.

While Lodge has continued all his support with the local scene he has added ESS for the 2009 racing season. “I am proud to support ESS for this season as the race teams have been supporting me for many years now.” said Lodge. “Teams from both US and Canada stop in when they are traveling to ESS events and now I would like to give something back to them.”

The famed stop for 18 wheelers of both countries provides all services from repair, fuel, food to a fun atmosphere. If you are not a “trucker”, you can still stop in to fill up both your vehicle and yourself with award winning food. The 730 logo has been on the sprinter of Bubby Kerrick for three years now but fans will notice the name on all the sprints at each ESS event from May to October.

With the help of 730 Truck Stop, the events held north of the border carries a record point fund and is open to all sprint teams. With all the concerns of the economy, companies like 730 Truck Stop have stepped in to give the racers a little extra dollars to shoot for. Tracks that will host events for the record paying Northwood2/LaSalle Motorsports Series are Autodromes Granby, Drummond and Edelweiss along with the Ohsweken and Merrittville Speedways.

The 26th Anniversary season for the Lucas Oil backed sanction that showcases the very best in “America’s Race Cars” is ready to kick off on Memorial Day Weekend with stops to Fonda and Utica-Rome. Names like Poirier, Yonge, Bergeron, Parent, Cook, Hebing, Kelly, McDonald. Barger, Wickham, Kerrick, Ladouceur and many, many more will be ready to thrill sprint fans from all over.

For more information, please log on to www.empiresupersprints.com where you can see the tradition of excitement guaranteed!!

From Dean Reynolds

NASCAR TRUCKS: Fitzpatrick to run reduced NASCAR Truck Series schedule

Mooresville, North Carolina (April 16, 2009) - J.R. Fitzpatrick will run a reduced schedule for the remaining NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. 

The 20-year old Cambridge, Ontario, Canada resident had hoped that the early season momentum the team witnessed at Daytona International Speedway where he ran fourth and led a majority of the race would parlay into added funding early in the season.

"The economy has hindered our program and unless we can get funding to run the whole season, I will be doing a handful of races for the remainder of the year," Fitzpatrick said.  "We had an excellent start at Daytona and really opened some eyes in the series.  We have a lot of great things in the works and I will be back soon, we are just being more selective of which markets we race in.   I am only 20 years old and plan on being in NASCAR for a very long time so as much as I would like to be at the track every week, it has to make sense for everybody involved."

TRG Motorsports team principal, Kevin Buckler, knows that J.R. has the talent to run in the Camping World Series, but also understands the business challenges.

"We have supported J.R. with great equipment and put a solid team behind him, but the economic reality is something that has to be conquered by everyone on the grid," Buckler said.  "The team is actively seeking drivers with funding to come in and run some of the best prepared trucks in the series.  The No. 7 team has Chevrolet Silverado's that are ready to go, we just need the right driver/sponsor package to get them on the track and run upfront."

TRG Motorsports is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Currently the team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry as well as a Camping World Truck Series effort and an ARCA RE/MAX Series team. The Racer's Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing. TRG's Porsche sports car program is run out of the company's headquarters in Petaluma, California. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 26, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (three) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

For more information please contact Kyle Chura at (248) 821-0468 or chura@aol.com.  Detailed team info can be viewed at www.trgmotorsports.com or www.theracersgroup.com.      

I'm building an F1 track in Ontario, and so is my wife

Isn't it funny when a legitimate void is filled... with 10 competing entities?

Reminds me of fancy bread places on Bayview Avenue (obscure Toronto reference). One week, you couldn't find anything other than white Wonder bread. The next, there are 5 high-brow bread places on the strip, smack dab in the middle of the low-carb diet craze.

Anyway, back to racing....

Russ Bond flipped me a link to a story noting that there are now THREE groups working to build F1/NASCAR/IRL-worthy tracks in Ontario's Golden Horseshoe region. THREE. One would be nice. Two would be too much. But THREE?

After hearing these stories for 20 years - and attending a ground-turning ceremony (12 years ago?) at what sounds like one of the locations that is supposedly in play again - if one of them actually gets built, I'd have a stroke.

But then I'd go:

We'll see......

UPDATE: There's a poll on this on the Inside Track Pit Board Forum where you can vote on whether or not you think there will be a major league facility in the Niagara / Ft. Erie region within 5 years.

Michigan International Speedway: Phase 1 of master plan includes new suite and media centre

BROOKLYN, Mich. (April 16, 2009) — Michigan International Speedway officials announced the first phase of a broad master plan that includes a significant redesign of the speedway’s infield.

Phase One of the plan, approved by the speedway’s parent company, International Speedway Corporation, includes a more than $17 million reconstruction of the current terrace suites and media center in the track’s infield.

Demolition and construction will begin immediately following the track’s August NASCAR weekend and will be ready for the 2010 season at the track.

The two-story design calls for 30 corporate suites that span the second floor of the structure. A number of the suites will include movable walls so areas can expand or decrease based on partners’ needs, building upon MIS’ philosophy to tailor custom packages to each partners’ business goals.

The structure’s first floor is a state-of-the-art media, technology and meeting center. Print, radio and TV journalists, including their photographer counterparts from across all news mediums, will have ample space to work and cover MIS’ popular events. Separate rooms for large press conferences and competitor meetings will also be housed on the first floor, near a new kitchen and press dining area.

“We continue to invest in the overall experience at MIS,” speedway President Roger Curtis said. “There are few companies today investing in their facilities in such a manner. We are exploring ways to create lasting and memorable experiences for our fans, guests, media and sponsors while they are at MIS. We are also investing in the future of auto racing at one of the revered speedways in the country – Michigan International Speedway.”

The suite and media center project was designed by Rossetti Associates. The Southfield, Mich., architecture, planning and design firm has created a host of sporting venues from Ford Field, home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions and the NCAA’s 2009 men’s basketball Final Four, to The Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. The company has an impressive portfolio of sporting, residential, commercial and educational projects across the country and around the world including Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. and Sungui Stadium in Incheon, Korea.

Michigan International Speedway is the first auto racing project for the company, which excited the acclaimed team of Michigan-based designers and planners.

“When you think about sporting events, the focus of the project is typically toward the event itself or the playing field,” Rossetti Associate’s Jim Renne, principal in charge of the project, said. “For motorsports, however, the focus is all around you — it’s the pits, it’s the backstretch, it’s the garage, it’s the frontstretch.

“It’s the 360-degree experience that made this project exciting and unique.”

The scope of Phase One of the project includes modifying pit road and the current fire lane. The speedway’s fueling station in the garage will also be moved.

The project is the largest at MIS since the construction of the suite tower in 2005. In that venture, the speedway’s motorsports fan display area was also expanded and paved.

Phase One of the master plan redesign of the infield is just one piece of an ongoing transformation at MIS. In all, MIS will have spent more than $55 million since 2005 on various capital improvement projects from enhanced seating to a new scoreboard and public address system, to better campsites and directional signage — all with the fan in mind.

The speedway also launched a new logo in 2008 to embrace the “NASCAR in a national park” branding the fans have come to love and embody at MIS.

Future hopes for the speedway include an eventual Phase Two of an infield renovation to create a fan walk-style entertainment area with fan-accessible garages, along with reconfigured and enhanced infield campsites.

“We will continue to do our part to make sure the fans are a part of every decision we make,” Curtis said. “Race fans are as passionate about their favorite venue as they are about their drivers. We talk to them directly and regularly because we care about what they have to say, and it’s our mission to make sure they know how important their input is to our business.”

Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is the Great Escape, a venerable NASCAR national park where fans can get away and enjoy the very best in racing and camaraderie. It’s the love of racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike.

For tickets, camping and pit passes for all MIS events, call the speedway toll free at 800-354-1010 or log onto MISpeedway.com.

From Sammie Lukaskiewicz, MIS

Advertiser of the Day - Competition Automotive

NASCAR: Carpentier to drive for NAPA in Montreal

PHOTO: Patrick Carpentier will drive the #99 Toyota Camry NAPA Auto Parts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge, race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on August 29-30, 2009. (Photo Muriel Brousseau for Stock-Car Montreal)

Montreal, April 15th, 2009 - NAPA Auto Parts is proud to announce that Canadian driver Patrick Carpentier will be a competitor in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 as the NASCAR Nationwide Series crosses the border for the third year in a row to compete at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Parc Jean Drapeau, August 30th. Patrick Carpentier and NAPA Auto Parts entered into an agreement allowing the Canadian driver to be at the wheel of the No. 99 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry fielded by Michael Waltrip Racing.

The good news continues - Today, NAPA Auto Parts and Stock-Car Montreal announced that they have extended their agreement, making NAPA Auto Parts the primary sponsor for the event over the next three years until 2011.

"Patrick was our first choice, and we are undoubtedly very happy with this agreement. Not only is he from the region but his name is synonymous with talent, perseverance and sportsmanship wherever he performs," said Robert Hattem, president and COO of UAP Inc. "It was a natural fit for us to offer Patrick the wheel for this event and allow the public to witness his unique know-how," indicated Hattem.

Patrick Carpentier, a native of Joliette (Quebec), scored his career-first pole award (2007) and finished second in both events at the 2.71-mile road course. This time around, the objective is for Carpentier to clench his first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory for NAPA in just his 12th career start.

"The quality of the car he is driving this year puts him in a great position to achieve this goal. I am proud that Patrick Carpentier will represent both Michael Waltrip Racing and long-time partner, NAPA Auto Parts in the NAPA 200. Our organization is looking forward to competing at the legendary Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in August," concluded Hattem.

From his point of view, Carpentier is pleased to have the chance to race in front of his Montreal fans with the NAPA Auto Parts team: "By being the official race sponsor, it is clear to me that NAPA wishes more than anything the success of this important event for the City of Montreal. It is an honor to partner with such a talented team like NAPA. My greatest desire is to give the spectators and viewers a great performance that meets their expectations."

The NAPA Auto Parts 200 is a stop on the NASCAR Nationwide Series circuit, one of the most important racing events in Canada. The event will take place on Saturday and Sunday August 29th and 30th at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on Parc Jean Drapeau in Montreal.

Over a decade ago, Michael Waltrip established a modest family-owned NASCAR Nationwide Series team in Sherrills Ford, N.C., called Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR). In 2007 when TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) entered competition in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series, Waltrip established a strong partnership with Toyota to field three full-time Camrys at the pinnacle of the sport while maintaining the integrity of his championship caliber Nationwide team. Currently, MWR fields two NASCAR Sprint Cup and one Nationwide Series entry. MWR is also technically aligned with JTG-Daugherty Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Waltrip commenced the construction of a 140,000 sq. ft shop in which all four teams are housed today.

NAPA is a subsidiary of UAP Inc., a Canadian leader in the distribution, merchandising and remanufacturing of automotive parts and replacement accessories for cars, trucks and heavy vehicles. Over the years, UAP has earned a reputation for product excellence, unsurpassed customer service, support and dynamic growth in all of its markets - a dynamism prompting profitable expansion from the very beginning in 1926 when the company was established as United Auto Parts Limited. Today, the company has more than 4,000 employees. UAP Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company (GPC).

From UAP / Danielle Tardif and (for) Patrick Carpentier: Robert Desrosiers

NASCAR: NAPA renews partnership with Stock-Car Montreal

Photo: Patrick Carpentier (centre) was announced during a press conference held in Montreal on Wednesday April 15, 2009 as the driver of the #99 Toyota Camry NAPA Auto Parts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge, race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on August 29-30, 2009. Carpentier is flanked on the left by Robert Hattem, President, and Chief Operating Officer, UAP Inc., and by François Dumontier, promoter and spokesperson for Stock-Car Montreal.

Montréal, April 15, 2009 - Stock-Car Montreal is happy to announce that it has renewed its partnership with NAPA Auto Parts, a subsidiary of UAP Inc. The three-year deal, which runs from 2009 to 2011, secures NAPA Auto Parts the sponsorship title of the Montreal NASCAR Nationwide Series race. The partnership is the cornerstone of the featured 200-mile Nationwide Series race held each year on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve located in Parc Jean-Drapeau. This year's Nationwide Series race weekend is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, August 29-30, 2009, and will be run on an off weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers.

"We are thrilled that NAPA has decided to extend its partnership with us, as the company was a true believer from the outset," said François Dumontier, promoter and spokesperson for Stock-Car Montreal. "Their early involvement enabled us to lay a strong foundation in the promotion of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 event, which is quickly becoming in the minds of many race fans, THE major motorsport event in Montreal. Over the past two years, we have been able to establish a very strong relationship with NAPA, and we are happy to continue this close association for years to come. As a partner, NAPA is committed to making this event a tremendous success."

While planning the NASCAR event back in October 2006 - nearly a year prior the inaugural race - NAPA had shown its eagerness to become involved as the major sponsor for the event. The official agreement was announced April 16, 2007 where NAPA also introduced David Reutimann who drove the NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry entry in the first two editions of the Montreal race.

"As Canadian leader of the automotive aftermarket industry, NAPA is delighted to pursue its long-term association with the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Stock-Car Montreal. The NAPA Auto Parts 200 Montreal race has arguably become one of the most popular sports affairs in Canada in relation to the number of fans attending the event, as well as the size of the television audience. Our association with Stock-Car Montreal and the NASCAR Nationwide Series race is a natural fit," said Robert Hattem, President, and Chief Operating Officer, UAP Inc.

Tickets for the NAPA Auto Part 200, presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on August 29-30, 2009 are currently on sale.

NAPA is a wholly owned subsidiary of UAP Inc, the Canadian leader in the distribution, merchandising and remanufacturing of automotive parts and replacement accessories for cars, truck and heavy vehicles. Over the years, UAP has earned a reputation for product excellence, unsurpassed customer services and support, and dynamic growth in all of its markets - a dynamism prompting profitable expansion from the very beginning in 1926 when the company was established as United Auto Parts Limited. Today, the company has approximately 4,000 employees. UAP is a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company (GPC).

Stock-Car Montreal is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation (ISC) based in Daytona Beach, Florida. ISC is the leading promoter of motorsports in North America, hosting over 100 major racing events each year.

From Stock-Car Montréal / Normand Prieur and UAP inc. / Danielle Tardif
Photo by Muriel Brousseau

Marks Work Wearhouse Spring Ladies Night

AIM Autosport teams with CONSOL Energy to support The Food Bank

Woodbridge, Ontario (April 14, 2009) AIM Autosport is getting an early start on its trip to Virginia International Raceway with some stops along the way in support of the “CONSOL Energy: Race to Stock The Shelves”, an initiative to bolster the effort of two area food banks in West Virginia and Virginia. The CONSOL Energy No. 61 Ford Riley Daytona Prototype along with driver Mark Wilkins will be on hand to raise awareness of the program and also to chat with local fans about the upcoming race, the Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR.

Events get underway on Sunday, April 19th at the University Towne Center Wal Mart location in Morgantown, West Virginia starting at 10 a.m. This event, which runs through 5 p.m. is in support of The Mountaineer Food Bank. Mark, the car and the crew will then head to Oakwood, Virginia with stops in Lynchburg and Roanoke for some media interviews. The event at Oakwood, just northwest of Richlands/Claypool is to benefit the COPE Food Pantry, the Buchanan Community Food Pantry and the Knox Creek Community Food Pantry. Representatives from CONSOL Energy and the various food pantries will be on hand at Twin Valley Elementary-Middle School from noon until 7 p.m.

“We are excited to be supporting CONSOL’s efforts in the communities where they operate” commented Mark Wilkins, driver of the No. 61 Ford Riley. “This is a unique opportunity for us to work together with one of our partners that directly impacts the lives of those in need. It is great to be able to give back to the community.”

“We all know that these are tough economic times and because of that, our area food pantries are being called upon more and more to help out our neighbors in need,” said CONSOL Energy Central Appalachia Operations Vice President Jack Richardson. “For that reason, CONSOL Energy has announced its sponsorship of the ‘Race to Stock the Shelves’ through the collection of canned goods items”

In addition to the collecting canned goods and other non-perishable items, CONSOL Energy has also pledged a corporate donation of $2,500 plus it will match all monetary donations received during the campaign, dollar for dollar up to $2,500. AIM Autosport principal Ian Willis is hoping to get the fans involved during the race by initiating a “pledge-per-mile” program.
“We could easily raise another $2,500 for the campaign by gathering pledges at the race” noted Willis. “A total of ten dollars per race mile completed would take only one hundred fans at ten cents per mile each - just twenty-five dollars for the full 250 mile race, to match CONSOL’s pledge. That is a small price to pay to help out friends and neighbors in your community and I expect that we should be able to raise even more.”

Willis further announced that AIM Autosport will also pledge $10 per mile to up to $2,500 with proceeds going to local area food banks. He continued, “AIM will be challenging fans from the rest of the country and at home to support their local food banks as well. We know that race fans eveywhere will rise up to the challenge”

Wilkins would add, “We strongly support CONOL Energy’s efforts in the community and appreciate the opportunity to bring the program to the fans.”

Following the food drive in Oakwood, the AIM Autosport crew will head to Virginia International Raceway for the Bosch Engineering 250. Practice and qualifying are on Friday with the race taking place at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday (25th) . The race will be broadcast live on SPEED TV.

AIM Autosport Facts: Established in 1995, AIM Autosport’s mandate is 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 No. 61 Ford Riley with drivers Mark Wilkins and Burt Frisselle in the Rolex Grand Am series. The team also competes in the Star Madza Championship presented by Goodyear. AIM won the 2008 Championship with driver John Edwards.

From Chris Jameson // Level Ten Communications

TW Steel Announces James Hinchcliffe as Brand Ambassador

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (15 April, 2009) – TW Steel, the Dutch watch brand specializing in oversized watches, is pleased to announce Canadian Indy Lights Series race car driver, James Hinchcliffe, as its latest Brand Ambassador.

The 22-year-old from Toronto will subsequently sport TW Steel branding during his rookie campaign in the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights Series – in support of the IndyCar Series competing throughout North America, including a stop in his home town in July with the ‘Honda Grand Prix of Toronto’ and later that month at the ‘Rexall Edmonton Indy’, again in his native Canada.

“We’re delighted to have James on-board as a TW Steel Brand Ambassador,” said TW Steel CEO, Jordy Cobelens. “We’ve known James through our association with A1GP this season and he’s always been very enthusiastic about TW Steel. Canada’s an important market for us and we see some great opportunities to promote our brand there off the back of James’ race campaign.

“We know he’s great with the fans and media and therefore we feel he’s perfectly suited to represent TW Steel. As a proven leader and race winner we share a lot of attributes, not least we both like to define individuality. I’m looking forward to building our partnership with James and continuing to promote TW Steel in North America.”

Hinchcliffe, who returns to the Firestone Indy Lights Series this weekend at the ‘Toyota Long Beach Grand Prix’, 16th-19th April, is equally pleased to represent TW Steel as he pilots the Sam Schmidt Motorsports entered #7 Hinchtown.Com Dallara-Firestone.

“I’m tremendously excited by this opportunity to work with a great brand like TW Steel,” James commented. “It goes without saying that racing in the Firestone Indy Lights Series offers a significant platform for promotion for TW Steel and I’m absolutely pumped to work with a company that understands and appreciates the benefit of being involved in motorsport. My pit-crew, who know the importance of timing and precision, will be suitably adorned at Long Beach with their own TW Steel watches as well. Having worn my own TW602 since the start of the A1GP season, I know that wearing a TW Steel makes a statement!”

Hinchcliffe sits third in the Indy Lights Driver Standings heading to Long Beach after scoring a third place podium last time out in St. Petersburg, Florida.

TW Steel, the name meaning ‘The Watch in Steel’, has rapidly established itself as a big, bold, lifestyle brand. Its collections are reflective of, and available for all tastes and occasions without compromise to design or build.

http://www.twsteel.com/

Photo Credit – ‘James Hinchcliffe (left) pictured with TW Steel CEO Jordy Cobelens (right)’ - TW Steel

INDYCAR: 1-year anniversary of Danica's win approaches

INDYCAR SERIES NEWS AND NOTES – April 15, 2009

Today’s IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights headlines

Patrick nears one-year anniversary of victory: One year ago, Danica Patrick (shown) traveled to Long Beach for a press conference in the United States following her first career victory hours earlier in Japan. She vaguely remembers hanging out in the interview room of the Long Beach Convention Center, groggy from celebrating during an overnight flight.

But what made April 20, 2008, special occurred when Patrick was introduced as the winner of the IndyCar Series race at Twin Ring Motegi – becoming the first female to win a major closed-course auto race.

It actually was the second such introduction; the first coming some 15 hours earlier and an ocean away in front of an overflow room of media and overjoyed spectators in Japan. In her fourth full season, in her 50th IndyCar Series start, Patrick wouldn’t have to answer that question about when she would earn her first victory.

This week, Patrick returns to Long Beach, where she was whisked after the Japan triumph to meet a second round of media. It’s where Danica-mania escalated into Danica-mega-mania.
"You know, it’s going to be one of those things that’s remembered," she said that day. "It’s a first and firsts are in the history books."

Fifty-one weeks later, how does the writer of history view the feat?

I don’t think enough time has passed to really have that sort of deep reflection and introspect to the event and what it did and what it meant to me," said Patrick, who will compete in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach for the first time.

"One thing I’ve heard more of over the last few months is parents that I know or are involved in racing say, ‘You know what, my two little girls love you’ or ‘My mom loves you.’ It’s really very flattering when people say things like that.

"I still get people saying congrats on the win. I don't feel any different. I think it will take more time to get that reflection that it deserves for the moment."

Patrick, whose No. 7 Motorola Honda-powered Dallara was eighth with 10 laps left on the 1.5-mile egg-shaped Twin Ring Motegi oval, rode to the front of the pack when the leaders were forced to pit for fuel. She then blew past Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves on Lap 198 of 200 of the Indy Japan 300. Patrick remained focused entering the final turn, anticipating seeing the checkered flag for the first time after years of expectations.

Patrick finished a career-high sixth in the championship standings with 10 top-10 finishes in 17 races. She, of course, wanted more.

"Quite simply, my job is to win races so I really wish I would have won more than just the one last year," she said. "But we just didn’t have the speed and the strength we needed to contend for more victories and to grab them. They say the first win is the hardest to get, which I agree with. It’s even more realistic now with having a win, and hopefully more will come now."

STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP ANNOUNCES BEGINNING OF 'TITLE SPONSOR' PROGRAM WITH INAUGURAL PIZZA RANCH 100 AT IOWA SPEEDWAY

Pacoima, CA (April 15, 2009) – The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, in collaboration with Pizza Ranch and Iowa Speedway, today announced that the inaugural Pizza Ranch 100 at Iowa Speedway on July 10 will be the first event in the series' new "Title Sponsor" initiative that presents companies located in or near race venues on the 2009 schedule with a unique, cost-effective promotional opportunity -- to become the high-profile title sponsor of a Star Mazda Championship race.

The Star Mazda Championship Title Sponsor program, available for each of the remaining 9 weekends (11 races) on the 2009 Star Mazda Championship schedule, maximizes return on investment for companies involved in the program.  Elements include naming rights to the event, company decals on all the cars in the race, a pre-race public relations program, in-store and/or promotional event appearances by Star Mazda drivers and cars, VIP tours of the Star Mazda paddock for company executives/employees/ vendors/suppliers -- and a variety of other benefits.

"One of the many benefits of partnering with Pizza Ranch is that all of our teams and drivers now know where to go for dinner," says Gary Rodrigues, President and CEO of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear.  "In addition, this partnership, implemented with the help of the professionals at Iowa Speedway, represents the latest in a series of major steps forward for our series.  It’s a win-win for us because we get a pro-active partner in promoting the inaugural Pizza Ranch 100, and we get to work with a company that, like Star Mazda, started small with a clear vision, stuck to their core values and created something successful."

Pizza Ranch is the Official Pizza of Iowa Speedway and, starting with a single store in Hull, Iowa, has grown over the last 28 years to become the #1 buffet restaurant chain in the state and the largest regional pizza chain in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

“We are excited to promote Pizza Ranch in a fun new way and to bring Iowa’s favorite pizza along with thrilling racing action to the people of Iowa and the Midwest,” said Pizza Ranch President, Adrie Groeneweg.  “We’ve also created the “Victory Lane” pizza, a special pizza that we’ll serve the winners in Pizza Ranch Victory Lane.  I’m sure for any driver who’s lucky enough to taste the “Victory Lane” pizza it will be the best they’ve ever tasted,” said Groeneweg.

The Inaugural Pizza Ranch 100, featuring 100 laps of non-stop, wheel-to-wheel Star Mazda Championship racing, will run under the lights beginning at 8:30 PM Friday, July 10, followed by Saturday’s Prairie Meadows 200 ARCA RE/MAX Series and IMTA 50 ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series races.  The Star Mazda Championship Series Presented by Goodyear is one of the top open-wheel driver development series in North America, with graduates that include 2007 ARCA RE/MAX ‘Rookie of the Year’ Michael McDowell (the 2004 Star Mazda champion) as well as such top Indy Car racers as Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal.

"I'm particularly pleased that our first Title Sponsor event will be at an ARCA RE/MAX," says Rodrigues.  "The Star Mazda Championship is a 'gateway' series to many forms of racing, as demonstrated by Michael McDowell's climb up the ladder through Star Mazda, Indy Cars, Prototypes, ARCA and on to NASCAR.  Hopefully the ARCA teams at Iowa Speedway will be impressed by the caliber of our drivers and that may lead to future opportunities.  In addition, many U.S. companies have learned the value of motorsports sponsorship through involvement with ARCA teams and we plan to show them that the Star Mazda Championship can also be a high-profile, cost-effective tool in helping them achieve their marketing and promotional goals."

The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear is now in its 19th year as one of the most prolific, successful and richest open-wheel driver development series in North America.  The Star Mazda Championship is the college basketball, the triple-A baseball of auto racing, a high-speed training ground for future stars of the sport and a major step on the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder that reaches all the way from karting to the Atlantic series… and from there to the top levels of auto racing worldwide.

Star Mazda Championship racers are high-tech open-wheel cars powered by Mazda’s legendary ‘Renesis’ rotary; top speed exceed 160 mph and 0 to 60 mph acceleration takes just 2.8 seconds.  The series races on major motorsports weekends and the 13-race, 11-weekend 2009 schedule includes races on road courses, street circuits and ovals.  Total prizes for 2009 are $1.5 million. A uniquely diverse group of drivers will be part of the Star Mazda Championship series in 2009, including racers from a dozen different U.S. states, as well as Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, England, Ireland and Japan.

For further information about Pizza Ranch, please visit www.pizzaranch.com.

For further information about the Inaugural Pizza Ranch 100 Star Mazda Championship Series event at Iowa Speedway on July 10, please visit www.iowaspeedway.com or contact Mike Beecher or Christina Klinge at (641) 791-8000 or PR@iowaspeedway.com.

For further information about the Star Mazda Championship Series, please visit www.StarMazda.com or contact Communications Director Peter Frey at (818) 398-5733 or StarMazdaPR@aol.com.

Race Time Radio's Ultimate Race Fan Search

Race Time Radio is conducting a contest to find the Ultimate Race Fan.

Click here to see how you can enter. Winners will be chosen from asphalt and dirt, with celebrity judges making the picks. There are lots of cool prizes, including:

• 2 seasons tickets from your favourite participating track
• A 1-Year Subscription: Inside Track Motorsports News
• A Lucas Oil gift pack
• Fast Eddie Racewear Product
• A $100.00 gasoline certificate
• RAIN-X product
• A Steelback gift
• A Margarita Ice gift

Advertiser of the Day - Competition Tire Canada

Canada’s Hyundai dealers newest choice for Yokohama tires

LANGLEY, B.C. (April 15, 2009) – A full line of premium car and light truck tires from Yokohama will compliment the expanding line-up of popular Hyundai family, sporty, luxury and cross-over vehicles when Canada’s Hyundai dealers begin selling Yokohama tires this spring.

Hyundai dealers from B.C. to Newfoundland will be the newest source for Yokohama tires and the best choice for replacement tires for Hyundai owners as part of an agreement between Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. and Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc., the two companies have announced. The complete line of Yokohama summer, winter, all-season and performance tires will be available through the 171 Canadian Hyundai dealers.

“The Hyundai line-up has expanded exponentially over the past few years and now stretches from the entry-level Accent through a full line of family cars, the new luxury Genesis coupe and sedan, the successful cross-over models like Santa Fe, and the Entourage minivan,” explains Yokohama marketing manager Jonathon Karelse. “With one of the fastest growing lines in the industry and steadily growing sales, Hyundai dealers now enjoy loyal customers who stay in the family for years. When they come back to their dealerships, those owners will find the right tires for their cars from the source they trust.”

Yokohama’s line of high performance tires is perfectly suited to the new Hyundai Performance Parts program that offers accessories like stylish wheels, Karelse says.

Hyundai dealerships will work with existing Yokohama dealers to manage product distribution.

Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. markets and distributes a full line of tires for high performance, passenger car, light truck, and commercial truck applications, as well as off-the-road tires for mining and construction applications. It maintains distribution centres across Canada to serve more than 700 independent tire dealers.

Upgrades underway...

UNDER CONSTRUCTION... for a little while.
Upgrading to the new Blogger template format.
This will permit more features.
In the meantime, please visit the Inside Track Pit Board Forum at www.insidetracknews.com/forum

Lucas Oil Canadian DIRT Challenge Preview

Cornwall, On – Tuesday, April 14, 2009 – Martin Bélanger – The officials of the Lucas Oil Canadian DIRT Challenge unveiled the plans of the 2009 edition of the series during the Cornwall Motor Speedway annual banquet. It will be the best edition ever!

The series will regroup the same tracks than last year, which are Cornwall, Granby, Drummond, Mohawk, Edelweiss and Brockville. The Cornwall Motor Speedway will have 2 events, they will open their season on May 17th with a series race and the champion will be crowned on August 2nd at the same track. The winner of the last race will receive a cool $5,000 and it will be double points for that feature race.

Exactly 2 months after the Cornwall show, the series will move to the Quebec province for 2 nights at Autodrome Granby and Autodrome Drummond on July 17 and 18. The drivers will then visit the newly rebuilt Mohawk International Raceway on Thursday, July 30th. Autodrome Edelweiss will then be the 4th stop in the series the following night. The series will then head back to Ontario with races at Brockville Ontario Speedway and end at Cornwall.

Drivers will compete for a load of money, the winner in the first 6 races will receive $3,000 and more than $20,000 in purse will be given during these nights with Cornwall ending the series with a $5,000 to win race with more than $25,000 in prize money. Also, the winner will be qualified for a starting position in the 358-feature race during the Super DIRT week at Syracuse. The series champion will receive $3,000, second place will get $1,500 and the position 3 to 5 will obtain $1,000. A total of $7,500 is provided in the series points fund.

The competitors that will take part in all events will be eligible to win a Bicknell Chassis body and bumper valued at $8,400. Many sponsors such as Bicknell Racing Products, Doiron Racing Engines, Bert Transmission, Mr Radiator, Trick Race Parts, Kirkey Racing et Total Race Supply contributed to this car. A draw between all drivers that competed in 100% of the series race will be done at the end of the 7 races.

Something new for this season, drivers will be able to eliminate their worst result in the series, which should add some flavour to it. The top 12 drivers in the points will be guaranteed starters in the feature race. The series will follow the DIRTcar rules like the past years.

With more than $160,000 in prize and money given to the drivers, this edition will be the most lucrative ever and with an average of 40 drivers in each program, we can surely expect to the same numbers for 09 that will bring the series to a whole new level for this year.

Steve Arpin talks about his transition to stock cars and the expectations racing for Eddie Sharp Racing

Charlotte, NC (April 14, 2009) – 3 Wide Life is a show about real racers.  A “real” racer eats, sleeps and breaths racing. That is exactly what NASCAR driver Scott Speed and Canadian ARCA RE/MAX driver Steve Arpin do everyday. 

Speed is featured in this week’s episode of 3 Wide Life.  He has been a target of the producers of the show for some time now, as they feel he embodies the spirit of a racer “living the 3 Wide Life.”  Racers who want to race.  Anything and everything.  Anytime, any place.

In addition to meeting Scott Speed, this week’s episode also features ARCA RE/MAX driver Steve Arpin.  Arpin discusses his own transition to stock cars and the expectations that come along with racing for an Eddie Sharp team.   The show’s backdrop this week is Greenville Pickens Speedway and the viewers will learn about the history and future of one of NASCAR’s oldest sanctioned tracks.  Shane Hmiel answers more questions from aspiring drivers.

Where to watch… 3 Wide Life is syndicated locally, regionally and nationally.  Locally it is broadcast on FOX, ABC, NBC and the CW networks.  Regionally it airs on Fox SportsSouth, Florida Sun Sports, Altitude Sports, Fox Sports Midwest, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, Sports Time Ohio, and Cox Sports Television.  Nationally you can catch the show on Untamed Sports. Check our website to find out what channel 3WL airs it in your area.

3 Wide Life examines life inside the garage, targeting the hard-core race fan. Three Wide Life is meant not only to entertain the race fans, but to also educate new viewers about the drivers, the business, and the people behind the teams.

For years race fans have been asking for real behind-the-scenes content they can't get anywhere else. The nationally syndicated series is created and produced by Charlotte-based motorsports agency Leverage Sports www.levsports.com, who knew they could successfully provide the fans with exactly what they were looking for. Three Wide Life cuts to the core of true racing fans, whether stock car, open wheel, dirt or anything in between.

From Katrina Arpin // Director of Public Relations // Steve Arpin Racing

DIRTcar: Luke Whitteker set for weekend double at Can-Am

With last week's misfortunes at Black Rock Speedway behind them, the Whitteker Motorsports team set their sights on the Merrittville Speedway, and the Pete Bicknell Racing School.
 
This is the second straight season attending the popular racing school, located in Thorold, Ontario.  It was also the first time on the track for Whitteker's brand new 2009 Bicknell car.

"The school went really good, the car is handling very well and we learned a lot," says Luke, who is set to embark on his sophomore season in the DIRTcar Sportsman division.

The team traveled to Merrittville early Saturday morning, in time to run the evening practice session at the track.  Sunday morning was spent in class, as Pete Bicknell, and Randy Williamson did a seminar on chassis setups. Following the in class portion, the class then headed on track for the remainder of the program.

The Whitteker team would like to thank their 2009 Sponsors, which include Rust Check, Jim's Performance Plus, Caldwell Banker, Steve Summers Coburn Realty, NAPA/Parcoll Products, Riverside Pontiac, Cohen & Lord Insurance Brokers, Quaker State, and Finish Line Web Design.

Next up for the 38 special, Luke Whitteker team will be the second round of the MR. DIRTcar Sportsman championship series at the Can-Am Motorsports Park in Lafargeville, New York on Friday night, April 17th, followed by the first round of the SUNY Canton Sportsman Series on Saturday night, April 18th.

For more information on 15 year old Luke Whitteker, please visit his website, www.lukewhitteker.com.

From Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design

Advertiser of the Day - Norcom Supply

F1 Montreal: Mayor reportedly in negotiations to bring back race

According to this report on Canada.com, the mayor of Montreal has been involved in extensive negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone to bring F1 back to Montreal.

"Mayor Gerald Tremblay is hoping to entice Grand Prix racing back to Montreal for 2010 and Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone says he’s interested.
Ecclestone told Motor Sport magazine’s May edition that he is in discussions with the city to bring the race back to Montreal.
Martin Tremblay, spokesperson for the mayor, confirmed Sunday that discussions have been ongoing for about two months."

F1 turned its back on Montreal because it thought there was more money to be had elsewhere. If F1 is hoping to come back to Montreal, it's safe to assume Plan A didn't work out so well.

Let's hope those negotiating with Canadian taxpayers' dollars show Mr. Ecclestone the same level of compassion he showed Canadians when he yanked the race in the first place.

Third generation racer Mitchell Brown gearing up for 2009

Brantford’s Mitchell Brown doesn’t turn sixteen until late this month but like most youngsters his age, he’s already planning to drive a lot of kilometres this summer. And despite the restrictions placed on new drivers in Ontario he also plans to drive hard and to drive fast.

Fact is, he has already logged hundreds of kilometres behind the wheel and without the reminders of someone barking out instructions to slow down, signal your turn or leave plenty of room between you and the other cars.

Mitchell Brown is a third generation stock car racing driver and son of veteran competitor Doug Brown. His grand dad Harold Brown was a renowned Supermodified and Late Model regular on Ontario ovals in the early 1960s through 1970s.

Last season, the youngest member of the racing family finished second in Ohsweken Speedway’s Mini Stock points’ standings where he won four feature events. He also competed in two Ontario Sportsman Series races where his poise and performance drew favourable comments from several of the series’ regulars.

This season, Mitchell will again run the weekly card of events in Ohsweken’s Mini Stock Division hoping to capture the championship that he narrowly missed last season. He also plans to run regularly in the Ontario Sportsman Series if sponsorship can be obtained.

“I really want to run the full OSS schedule. It’ a great series for competing on paved ovals and to gain the added experience I need to further my development,” the teenager responded enthusiastically when queried on his plans. “I’m hoping some area businesses will recognize the favourable exposure and marketing opportunities the sports provides especially to families.”

Additional information on Mitchell Brown contact: HB Motorsports  (519) 752-9531 or  (905) 301-5289, marketing programs can be obtained through www.dougbrown.net.

Ohsweken’s season begins Friday, May 15th and the seven event Ontario Sportsman Series is scheduled to open at Peterborough Speedway.

Prepared by Ken Spencer // Marketing and Media Relations // HB Motorsports

Danny O'Brien 1st in line for elusive Mr. DIRTcar 358-Mod crown

O’Brien Leads Way To ’09 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Opener At Can-Am

*Jim Clarke Photo Attachment // Weedsport, NY – April 13, 2009 - By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director

With his latest bid for a first-ever overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship thwarted by inclement weather at Can-Am Motorsports Park on two occasions last season, the sun was shining on top title contender Danny O’Brien all winter as he locked up a new sponsorship package.

Now steering the Kendrick Racing no. 7star Global Warranty/Bicknell ride, the second-generation standout from Kingston, Ontario will get another chance to shrug off those distant demons when the 2009 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series gets underway at Can-Am on Saturday, April 18.

“Mr. DIRTcar and Can-Am are about the only two titles that have given me grief over the years,” figured O’Brien, 41, who owns 12 track titles in the DIRTcar 358-Modified ranks and stands sixth all-time with118 Small-Block feature wins. “At this point in my career I’m pretty much going out to win races, I’ve learned time and again what ever happens after that is out of my control.”

“Two times I led the points at Can-Am going into the last night and came up short. Last year rain took out two tour shows near home and that was the difference. I’ve got one of the best deals this year, just need some luck as anything can happen in this sport,” remarked O’Brien, who finished runner-up aboard the Kendrick Racing no. 55 mount in last April’s tour lid-lifter at Merrittville Speedway to set the stage for this year’s all-out series assault.

With reigning Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified points king Pete Bicknell staying closer to home on Saturday to conduct the final day of the annual BRP Driving School & Chassis Seminar, O’Brien is the early season front-runner to capture the elusive overall crown. He’ll be after the $4,000 top prize that awaits the winner of the 27th tour opener, with a star-studded field of Small-Block stars set to challenge the best from the north country.

Can-Am pit gates are scheduled to open at 3:30 p.m., grandstand seating begins at 4 o’clock with racing starting at 6:00 p.m. Adult General Admission is $20, Students 10-14 yrs. are $5 each, while 9 and under are free (Canadian money at par). All members of the military can enter at half price with proper ID.

The Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series gets underway at Can-Am the same time many top Small-Block teams will start accumulating points at their weekly home tracks. In 2009, each driver must make six DIRTcar weekly event starts at a single track to earn maximum home track bonus points of 360, which will then be added to actual Series points after Labor Day to determine the newest champion.

Falling victim to rain twice last autumn, Can-Am leads off the 358-Modified Series in April for the first time ever. With 1000 Islands RV Centre and Stover Bus Lines also adorning a pair of 7star machines equipped with a potent Pat Morrison-prepared powerplants, O’Brien is hoping to make the most of it by matching his lone tour triumph scored at the LaFargeville, New York half-miler in September of 2007.

“I’ve always had just one car and one motor to try and make the best of things,” divulged O’Brien, who begins his 23rd season of Modified racing this month. “This is the first time I’ve started out with two complete cars and engines so I’m certainly excited to get the season going.”

“Never had a corporate partner like this before either, something which I’m really looking forward to seeing how the season will pan out. I know I’ll be at Merrittville the first three weeks, and after that Brockville will be the only full-time track. Then we’ll just pick and choose, try some set-ups at different places and have some fun this summer,” added O’Brien, whose older brother Pat O’Brien, a four-time Mr. DIRTcar 358 points champ, and younger brother Tim O’Brien are also slated to sign in Saturday at Can-Am.

Expected to join the O’Brien clan on opening day will be many of last year’s top traveling teams led by Chad Brachmann, Carey Terrance, Mark Smoke, Tommy Flannigan and ’07 Mr. DIRTcar Mario Clair. The list of leading newcomers is anchored by Mike Mahaney and Bobby Herrington, along with recent Sportsman graduates Mark D’Ilario, Mat Williamson, Mike Bowman and James Michael Friesen.

For additional information, please contact 358-Modified Series Director Gaston Salvas (450/655-5022 or 514/817-2270; e-mail gastonsalvas@hotmail.com) or DIRTcar NE Director Cory Reed (cell 315/224-9009) at the Weedsport office (315/834-6606) during normal business hours. In the meantime, log into the homepage at www.dirtcar.com to find out more about the Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series as well as the entire circuit.

Merrittville Speedway: 5 days until the 'Test & Tune'

Thorold, Ontario (April 13) – In just 5 days, Merrittville Speedway’s 2009 Season will come to life as drivers from all 5 Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series Divisions and possibly others will take to the track for Test ‘n Tune Night – Saturday April 18th.

“We just came off two days of the BRP Driving School … and an additional practice session,” reveals (Merrittville Speedway GM) Erica Bicknell, “the track was in excellent shape with all the laps that were put in … times both days were within top times.”

The evening session set for Saturday April 18th may be one of the most important practices ever – with three divisions in big events right off the start – the following week.

Recognized as the traditional start of the Stock Car racing season in Southern Ontario, Merrittville Speedway will once again be featuring the L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modifieds who will be put right to the test Saturday April 25th with the 2nd Annual Spring Sizzler featuring a 100 lap Super DIRTcar Series Event in addition to a 25 lap Stars North Mod Lite Tour Event for the Modern Corporation Open Wheel Lites and the Hoosier Stocks.

Grandstand and Pit gates will open at 5:00 pm with practice starting at 6:00 PM April 18th. Pit admission will be $20. Fans are welcome to view practice and get a glimpse of the new cars. Grandstand Admission is free.

With the 2009 racing schedule looking to be the most exciting and varied schedule run to date at the historic racing facility – drivers and crews from the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinders, Hoosier Stocks, Modern Corporation Open Wheel Lites, Original Pizza Logs Sportsman and L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modifieds will want to take advantage of the shake down session.

The same goes for drivers and crews that are expected to visit during special events including the BRP Can Am Late Models and Sprint Cars with both the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints and Lucas Oil ASCS Patriot Sprints on the new schedule.

For further information on Practice Day, the 2nd Annual Spring Sizzler and the entire 58th Season at Merrittville Speedway – call 905-892-8266 or visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com.

From Jim Irvine / Merrittville Speedway Public Relations

Advertiser of the Day - Kumho Tires

www.kumhotire.ca

The King is heading to Thunder Road for its 50th Anniversary

KING RICHARD PETTY COMING TO THUNDER ROAD’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

Waterbury, VT – Richard Petty, stock car racing’s all-time Champion, will appear at Barre’s Thunder Road as part of the track’s season-long 50th Anniversary Celebration on Thursday Night, July 30th.  The 7-time National Champion, and record 7-time Daytona 500 mile winner, holds the record of 200 major wins in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  His closest rival on that win list is David Pearson at 105, with Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison tied for third at 84.

Petty is considered the cornerstone of the sport’s popularity and growth.

Thunder Road’s history parallels the Petty legend. The Level Cross, North Carolina native won his first race in 1960 on a half-mile dirt track in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Petty name still dominates the sport 17 years after he retired as a driver.  Many consider his 27 wins--including 10 in a row in 1967--the greatest single season performance in NASCAR history.

Petty scored his final checkered flag in a dramatic duel by less then 2 feet over Cale Yarborough at Daytona in 1988.  He continued in active competition until 1992 and has maintained a Petty Racing Team since. This year he is entering a car for the Indianapolis 500 with John Andretti driving.

“Richard set the bar not only as a driver but as the sport’s spokesman and still does today”, said Thunder Road co-owner Ken Squier. “No one made themselves so available to fans or to the press as Richard.  You could find him signing autographs hours after a race. He even created a signature that took an extra moment to write as he wanted to look a fan in the eye, and thank them for their support”, said Squier.
Bobby Allison, Petty’s major adversary for over 20 years, will also appear at Thunder Road on Thursday night June 18.

 One of the most exciting stars currently racing, Tony Stewart will actually compete at Barre in the 150 lap CARQUEST Governor's Cup, Thursday June 25th.

Thunder Road commences its 2009 campaign Sunday, May 3 with The 11th annual Merchant’s Bank 150 as part of a two-day kick-off with the Annual Barre Race Car Show and judging on Barre's Main Street Saturday, May 2nd.

From Thunder Road

Breaking - Tracy to return to IRL

From Inside Track Staff

TSN.ca is reporting that Paul Tracy is on the verge of announcing his return to the IRL with former CART champion Jimmy Vasser's KV Racing squad.

The deal looks to be for the Indianapolis 500 and will give Tracy another shot at winning an event that has thus eluded, despite a controversial close call in 2002 while driving for Barry Green.

It's expected that the Canadian events in Toronto and Edmonton will also be part of the deal.

If Tracy's pace in his last IRL outing (the 2008 Rexall GP of Edmonton where he just missed out on the podium) is any indication, he still has a shot at race wins.

Stay tuned...

2008 ORKC Senior Honda Champion, Keenan Harris, signs with BGR-TLM – Team Grote

From Brian Graham Racing/TLM Racing

Canadian-based Brian Graham Racing/TLM Racing - Team Grote have announced the signing of Keenan Harris to contest the 2009 F1200 Championship Series.

Harris, a 17 year-old Bolton Ontario native, and grade 12 student at Humberview Secondary School will pilot one of the team’s multi-car entries this season. Harris comes to BGR-TLM with a very impressive Karting background winning 6 championships in 9 years in various Karting series during his development. In 2006, Harris landed 2nd by mere tenths of seconds at the Canada Junior Canadian National Karting championships in Edmonton, Alberta.

"Keenan is definitely a different type of personality than we have seen in the past versus the many young up and coming Karters who have made the jump into open wheel," stated Dave Matkovich, Director of Driver Development for TLM racing. "Keenan is very quite, very reserved, and unlike many of our previous rookie drivers, is not as animated or boisterous, he is very focused, calm and collected, which is exactly the kind of character traits that lead to a very fast learning curve heading into the 2009 F1200 Championship Series."

Harris tested with TLM in early October of 2008, adapting very quickly to the finicky F1200’s, and as the day progressed, became faster and faster until he had pretty much max’d out the car’s capabilities, ultimately posting very quick lap times at the Mosport DDT.

In effort to create Canada's premier formula car development team, Brian Graham Racing/TLM Racing with Grote was recently formed via partnership of two of the nations leading junior race car teams. The new partnership features a three-tier program for its drivers via the Ontario F1200 Championship, Ontario Formula Ford Challenge and the F2000 Championship Series.

Delaware Speedway practice day photos

Thanks to Joel Robinson for forwarding some shots from practice day at Delaware Speedway on the weekend. Inside Track (Vol. 13.01) cover-boy J.R. Fitzpatrick apparently turned up for some laps in between NASCAR Truck Series outings. Also visible is the start of track upgrades at the London-area track. Delaware recently rejoined the NASCAR fold and will host a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race on June 6.

Rick Young's 'Rick at the Races' Easter 2009

PIC 1   Brett Hearn # 20 races beside the Mohawk River at the Fonda Speedway NY
PIC 2   # 12 Jumpin Jack Johnson, Fonda legend
PIC 3  Gentlemen Start Your Engines for Fondas 40 lapper
PIC 4  # 00 Bobby Varin lines up beside Brett Hearn # 20 at Fonda
PIC 5  Fonda Speedway announcer Mike Mallett
PIC 6  Fonda veteran Dave Lape # 22
PIC 7  First three in Fondas Ice Jam LtoR third Michael Storms, winner Pat Ward and runner up Bobby Varin.
PIC 8  602 Crate Sportsman winner Jerimiah Munson # 28M

At last, after weeks of attending car shows and banquets I got down to some actual racing this weekend even though, unlike the UK, where I spent most of my life the Easter Weekend in North America has few opportunities to go racing.

(I can remember Easter Weekends in the past with four days of racing, Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday and the Holiday Monday). Over here everything seams to shut down on Easter Sunday but on Saturday I had plenty to choose from. I decided to attend the Big Block Modified 'Ice Jam' at the historic Fonda Speedway in New York.

I was joined on this trip by my www.rickattheraces.com webmaster Craig Revelle and Can Am Speedway photographer Rebecca Eisele.

I left my place in Long Sault, Ontario at 8-00am on Saturday morning and picked up Craig, half an hour later at the 730 Truck Stop at Cardinal (Ont) . As it was a holiday weekend we chose to use the quieter Johnstown/Ogdensburg border crossing in preference to the busier 1000 Islands one.

This decision paid off, even with an over scrupulous customs officer ! and we were soon heading down route 37 in the direction of Theresa/Lafargeville where we had arranged to meet Rebecca. We arrived in Fonda at lunch time, just right for a meal at the All American Truck Stop that's located close to the track on the opposite side of the Mohawk River.

Once fed, we crossed the river bridge to the track that's made famous for it's back straight that runs along the river bank. On the bridge we noticed someone taking photos, it was fellow racing photographer Jerimiah Fish taking panoramic shots of the track. We met up with him later.

Racing was due to start at 4-00pm so we had plenty of time to 'tailgate' and 'talk racing' with other fans before the start. We bumped into many people including track announcer Mike Mallett. Being a season opener with very little else happening over the weekend there was a large turnout of cars and fans. On my pit walk about the car that really caught my attention was the Dover Brake sponsored # 00 of Bobby Varin. It just brought back memories of the Buzzy Reuteman cars that used to bare the same livery.

Sharing the program with the Big Block Mods were the 602 Crate Sportsman division ( best described as low budget Sportsman). Their feature was won by # 28M Jerimiah Munson.

The Modified heats all ran with few cautions and it was Craig Hanson # 20C who lined up on inside pole for the 40 lap Feature. Pat Ward # 42P was on the outside front. At the drop of the green flag Ward charged into a commanding lead which he held to the checkers. Varin who started near the back managed to work his way to second, and maybe with a few more laps could have been in a position to challenge.

Even if the race wasn't the 'most exciting' I've seen, it was great to be back at Fonda. The place is just steeped in history and you can't help love the place. It's a great shame it's no longer DIRTCAR sanctioned and misses out on all the SUPER DIRT SERIES races.

The show was ran in a very proficient way and was all over at a nice sensible time of 6-30pm. After taking 'Victory Lane' shots we were soon on our way and heading North. After a stopping for supper at the Mexico exit on I81 it wasn't long before we were bidding our farewells to Rebecca at Lafargeville.

Even though it was late at night, the 1000 Island border crossing could still be busy, so once again we cut across country to the Ogdensburg alternative. Like on the journey down, it payed off, there was no line up and I was back home soon after midnight.

Stars of Karting: Canadian Mike Vincec March Wrap-Up

Mike Vincec starts 2009 season with a podium in Stars Disappointment in Skip Barber Series

Stouffville, Ontario (April 11, 2009) - Cameron Motorsports lead driver seventeen year old Mike Vincec started the season in defense of his 2008 championship in the Stars Of Karting series in fine form. He would earn pole and record strong heat races on his way to a second-place finish in the final. A good start to the 2009 championship run. Two weeks later at Sebring, Mike would not fare as well in the opening round of the Skip Barber National series.

At the Stars of Karting event in Ocala, Mike came out of the gate with a championship repeat in mind. He and tuner Trevor Wickens had the Cameron Motorsports CRG running in top form through opening practice and Mike would need just five laps to secure the pole by .077 seconds. Stars of Karting runs three heat races to set the starting grid for the pre-final and Mike would come home second in the first two but a mechanical issue took him out of heat three. This set him fourth on the grid. Mike would battle for the lead making his move from second when going through the hairpin neither of the two drivers would give way and made contact. Mike recovered after the incident to finish fourth in the pre-final.

Setting up on the outside of row two for the twenty-five lap final, the Stouffville, Ontario teen was in a tight battle for position throughout the race. He would make it to second place and once again, set the fastest laps of the race. Mike ended the day on the second step of the podium. With points awarded for both the pre-final and final, Vincec sits first overall in the championship chase after one round.

The next round of the Stars of Karting Championship is the East Division event at New Castle Motorsports Park in New Castle, Indiana, June 29-31.

Following Ocala, Mike made his way to Sebring Florida for the first round of the Skip Barber National Series. This series features Mazda-powered open-wheel formula cars and is considered the next step up the racing ladder for those coming out of karting. Mike was awarded a scholarship to compete in this series based on his 2008 Stars of Karting Championship.

Mike was already familiar with the cars having competed in a regional series in 2008 and the weekend started off well through practice. It all came apart in qualifying however when two cars would spin in front of Mike. With contact and his car badly damaged, Mike could not continue the session and had as yet, not recorded a complete hot lap. This would put him at the back of the twenty-three car starting grid for race one.

"It is not the best way to start your season, especially when the official report shows you were an innocent victim when two guys would just not give each other any room." commented Vincec. "I now had to move to another car and basically start over and fight my way from the back of the field. We'll do the best we can and go for points. It is after all, only the first race of the season."

Mike would work his way to eighteenth in the opening race, felt good about the car and liked his chances in round two qualifying. Unfortunately for him, qualifying for race two was cancelled due to a heavy fog that rolled over the track just as the cars were going out. Series officials then decided to use round one qualifying results to set the grid for race two, thereby putting Mike at the rear of the pack again. He would finish the race in fifteenth.

"Even though I had a good car today, it is extremely tough to fight your way forward from the back of the field. I am really disappointed but will just have to focus my efforts on the next event."

The next round of the Skip Barber National Series takes place April 24 to 26 at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Photo: Vincec at Sebring, 2009 // Credit: Kevin Hinton/KB Photography
From Chris Jameson // Level Ten Communications

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Beauchamp Motorsports & Mopar renew partnership

WINDSOR, ON - Beauchamp Motorsports is pleased to announce that they will be returning to the race track in 2009 with the familiar Team Mopar colours.  A new multi year sponsorship agreement has been signed and will continue the long time association with Mopar along with associate sponsors Mobil 1 and Exide on the #60 Dodge Avenger. 

The affiliation between Beauchamp motorsports and Mopar, Mobil 1 and Exide is one of longest running arrangements in Canadian motor sports and everyone at Beauchamp Motorsports couldn’t be happier to continue the partnership.  “The support we have received over the years from everyone involved has been tremendous,” said Ron Beauchamp Sr. the owner of Beauchamp Motorsports and the #60 Dodge.  “Our program has grown tremendously with the support of Mopar Parts, Mobil 1, and Exide” he added.    

Once again this season the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge will have Ron Beauchamp Jr. behind the wheel to compete in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and the younger Beauchamp is equally excited to continue with this premier group of supporters.  “We could not have achieved the successes over the years without the great support from Mopar, Exide, and Mobil 1” said Ron Jr.  “We’ve become part of their company families and they are part of ours.  Whenever we make an appearance at a company function or event you can see how proud everyone is of what we do together.”

Preparations for the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire series campaign began last fall and the anticipation of the first on track activity for this year is obvious.  “As soon as we can get our car onto the track for a shake down we’re going to really find out where we are, but we think we’re pretty good,” said the driver.  “With our great end to the 2008 season the whole team has been really motivated this winter and worked very hard to get everything ready for the new season.  Chris Couvillion came back to the team last year in mid season and we just clicked.  I can tell him what the car is doing and he makes the right adjustment to give me what I need on the track.  That’s why we had such a strong finish to last season with two podium finishes in the last two races.” 

The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season opens at the Autodrome St. Eustache on Saturday May 23rd.  Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits.  You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN.  For more information about Team Mopar and Ron Beauchamp Jr. at www.beauchampmotorsports.com and www.nascar.ca.

Attached photo caption:  Ron Beauchamp Jr. on track at Mosport last season in the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge

From TL Sports & Entertainment