NASCAR: Bourque back with Whitlock and Mohawk Internet Techologies

PIERRE BOURQUE has announced that he’ll be back with Whitlock Motorsports for all four NASCAR Canadian Tire Series road course races in ’09. The Ottawa, ON racer will be behind the wheel of the No. 29 Dodge at Mosport International Raceway (June 14), the Rexall Edmonton Indy (July 25), the GP de Trois-Rivières (Aug. 16) and at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Aug. 30).

“I am pleased to confirm I have a deal with Whitlock Motorsports to run the four road races on the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule,” said Bourque. “Whitlock Motorsports is one of the very best NASCAR teams in Canada and I believe we will have everything needed to contend for a win at each race this season. I am really looking forward to teaming up again with my pals Dave Whitlock and Mark Dilley.”

As part of his announcement, Bourque also confirmed the continuing support of Mohawk Internet Technologies (MIT) as an associate sponsor on the No. 29. “MIT is one of the predominant electronic business centers on the internet,” continued Bourque. “MIT is not a bank, casino, or on-line store, but rather the internet service provider for numerous e-businesses who enjoy fast, reliable internet access in a free-enterprise environment specifically geared towards cross-business alliances and development.”

MIT was on Bourque’s car for the NCATS race during the Montreal NASCAR weekend last August. Commenting on their return, he said, “I am honoured that the Mohawks are back in NASCAR with me in 2009. They are great friends and are extremely passionate about NASCAR. I look forward to personally meeting members of the Mohawk Nation wherever I race this coming season.”

Advertiser of the Day - Mosport International Raceway

www.mosport.com

Brighton Speedway: Test & Tune this weekend

BRIGHTON, ON - It's going to be a great weekend. The sun will shine and
the cars will take to the track at Brighton Speedway for the 2009 Test &
Tune.

The times are:

Saturday, April 25: 12 - 4 pm
Sunday, April 26: 12 - 4 pm
Wednesday, April 29: 4 - 7 pm

On these days the Speedway Tech Official will be ensuring that all
registered cars meet the Rule Book Safety Standards.

Any driver wishing to take advantage of some early lap times times may
do so for a fee of $25.00 per day. This amount must be paid prior to the
stock car entering the race surface.

Driver Contingency Packages & decals will be available as well.

Any tech questions can be directed to tech@brightonspeedway.com or
contact the Speedway Office.

Brighton Speedway still has seats available for the BIG BIKE Challenge
on Sunday April 26th - meeting at Sobey's in Brighton at 10:30am.
Please contact Angie Rinaldi at angie@brightonspeedway.com to get pledge
sheets.

For more information visit www.brightonseedway.com.

GRAND-AM - AIM Autosport VIR Pre Race

AIM Autosport anxious to get back on track at VIR

Woodbridge, Ontario (2009.04.22) AIM Autosport is looking forward to racing in the Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway this weekend for a couple of reasons. Mostly, because the Rolex Daytona Prototype team has had three months to ponder the results of the Rolex 24 at Daytona and is looking for some redemption but in truth, everyone is remembering last year’s run at VIR and are really looking to get the podium that slipped away.

Coming to the 2009 Bosch Engineering 250, AIM Autosport is very confident after a strong finish overall in the 2008 Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal cask No. 16. Everyone on the team has put in some long hours since the Rolex 24 in preparation for round two which will have another Frisselle/Wilkins driver combination. This year Burt Frisselle will join Wilkins in the car for the race at VIR. Burt raced with the team in 2007 alternating with younger brother Brian throughout the season.

“Everyone on the crew knows what we are capable of achieving at VIR” commented AIM Autosport principal Ian Willis. “We had a very strong run going last year and know we have the setup to qualify and run up front. We also know where we fell off last year and have addressed those issues. The team looks at VIR this year as the start of what we hope will be a championship season.”

AIM Autosport is also welcoming a new title sponsor for the event, CONSOL Energy.

“With seventeen coal mining complexes in six states, CONSOL Energy, the second largest coal producer in the country, is a very active company in Virginia and partnering with them for the race at VIR is a good fit for both our companies” said Willis. “CONSOL was developing a program focused on supporting the communities where they do business. CONSOL’s Senior Vice President of External Affairs Tom Hoffman looked at the benefit of using the race team and events such as the Rolex Sports Car race at VIR to further benefit that program.”

In the days leading up to this weekend’s race, Mark Wilkins and the CONSOL Energy No. 61 Ford Riley have been on tour in West Virginia and Virginia in support of local area food banks. Dubbed “The Race to Stock the Shelves”, CONSOL Energy volunteers joined Wilkins at the University Towne Centre Wal Mart in Morgantown to collect non-perishable food items and cash donations for the Mountaineer Food Bank. This was a very successful event for the food bank and was followed up two days later in Oakwood , VA to benefit COPE Food Pantry at Russell Prater, the Buchanan Community Food Pantry at Harman and the Knox Creek Community Food Pantry at Hurley. Mark spent time with the fans and many very excited kids got a chance to sit in the race car in exchange for their donations.

“This was just another example of how we can support our partners off the track” noted Willis. “Of course we’d like to bring them home a victory on the race track this weekend at VIR but we are already assured of having gained them a victory in the community.”

AIM Autosport  will be entertaining some CONSOL Energy guests this weekend and have the added opportunity to taste victory as the Canadian team’s junior squad will be competeing in the Star Mazda series at VIR. AIM’s junior  driver development program trains drivers from around the globe in their quest to climb the motorsport ladder. This weekend, three drivers will be at the wheel of one of AIM’s Formula Mazdas. They include Peter Dempsey of Ireland, Jorge Goncalvez of Venezualea and Canadian David Ostella.

The Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway starts at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday (25th) . The race will be broadcast live on SPEED TV.

From Chris Jameson / Level Ten Communications

Patrick Laperle will campaign on the ACT CASTROL Series

Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu, QC – Stock car driver Patrick Laperle from Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu, the 2008 American-Canadian Tour Stock Car Championship (ACT Tour) Champion and the 2007 ACT CASTROL Series Champion, will be competing in Quebec and select United-States events.

His objective is a second ACT CASTROL Series championship, a participation in the New Hampshire Motor Speedway Invitational race and to enjoy being with his young family.

"Last year on the ACT Tour there was a lot of travelling and it was very hard on the team.  Many tracks were far from home.  This year we want to enjoy being with our young families while still competing in the sport we love" declared Laperle.

The ACT CASTROL Series is a 9 race stock car championship disputed at the following oval race tracks: autodrome St-Eustache (Montreal), autodrome Montmagny (Montmagny), Circuit Riverside Speedway (Saint-Croix-de-Lotbiniere), autodrome Chaudiere (Vallee-Jonction), Capital City Speedway (Ottawa, Ontario).

The ACT Tour is a 14 race championship disputed at the following oval race tracks: Lee USA (Lee, NH), Thunder Road (Barre, VT), Airborne Park Speedway (Plattsburgh, NY), Oxford Plains Speedway (Oxford, ME), Waterford Speedbowl (Waterford, CT), White Moutain Motorsport Park (North Woodstock, NH), Kawartha Downs (Kawartha, Ontario), Beech Ridge Motor Speedway (Beech Ridge, ME),  Twin State (Claremount, NH).

On September 19, qualifying race winners, point leaders of the two ACT championships and of the associated ACT Tour race tracks will compete in an invitational 50 laps race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, NH) as part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup event.

The Laperle Racing team will debut its 2009 racing season on May 3rd in the Merchants Bank 150 at the Thunder Road (Barre, VT) ¼ mile race track, in a 150 laps race, the second of the American Canadian Tour Stock Car Championship.

From Laperle Racing

Tiemersma Motorsports team update - April 24, 2009

NEWMARKET, ON - Tiemersma Motorsports is pleased to announce the start of their 2009 racing season with Tony Tiemersma taking to the track this Saturday night at Peterborough Speedway.  Most of the winter was spent rebuilding, revamping and replacing on the car but, the past few weeks have seen both crews racing to put the finishing touches on Tony’s Limited Late Model which will be raced under the #7 once again in 2009 while travelling to multiple tracks.

Concurrently work has been moving at a feverish pace on the Super Late Model side of the shop.  The body of the #7 Wayfreight super late model of Derrick Tiemersma was completed last week, while the finishing touches are being made to the suspension this week.  In the meantime Matt at Speedy Automotive has put the finishing touches on the new motor, and has the dyno slated for this weekend, so if all goes well this weekend we hope to have an engine to install in the car by early next week.

Tiemersma Motorsports would also like to welcome back all of their sponsors for the 2009 season.  Thank you to Wayfreight, Castrol, WIX filters, Clevite engine parts, Victor Reinz Gaskets, Bosch plugs, GUNK and Speedy Auto Machine.

We would also like to announce Tiemersma Motorsports first podium of the season, as our driver development program moves into its second season, with Gerrit Tiemersma finishing 2nd in the first race of the season in the novice class at Goodwood Kartways.

I have attached some photos of the cars as they sit this week. Thank you once again and see you at the track.

From Michael Sutton / Tiemersma Motorsports

NASCAR Sprint Cup banquet moving to Las Vegas

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 23, 2009) – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced today that Las Vegas formally becomes the “Official Host City of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week.” NASCAR’s annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony will be held at the Wynn Las Vegas on Friday, Dec. 4, 2009. The move to Las Vegas provides for greater flexibility for driver and fan events.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events will be combined and held at the Loews Miami Beach on Monday, Nov. 23. The Grand-Am Rolex Series banquet will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Fla. on Monday, Oct. 12.

NASCAR had held the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in New York City every year since 1981. After exploring several options, NASCAR formed a partnership with Las Vegas Events, making the change of venue a reality.

“I can’t say enough about the warm reception from Las Vegas,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “Las Vegas really made it a priority to get the awards ceremony moved there. We were able to come to an agreement on reasonable room blocks, banquet facilities, and approvals to hold fan activities on the famous Las Vegas Strip.”

“I also want to thank New York City and especially the Waldorf=Astoria for being such an important part of NASCAR’s history over the years. We look forward to a continued presence in the Big Apple where we have so many dedicated fans,” said France.

“Las Vegas is known for having marquee special events and this partnership further enhances the relationship between Las Vegas and NASCAR,” said President/CEO Rossi Ralenkotter of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “The strength of the Las Vegas brand leveraged with the brand of NASCAR will generate increased awareness and excitement.”

“We are certainly proud to be the host city for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week and Awards Ceremony,” said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events. “The addition of this prestigious event provides another dimension to our December calendar. This is a great way to end the year and highlight the achievements of NASCAR’s best drivers and crews.”

Las Vegas is a current race market where the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Activities being planned for the days leading up to the Awards Ceremony include the return of the “Victory Lap,” a procession of the top 10 NSCS drivers in their race cars, the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Media Luncheon, the Pit Stop Tour and the NASCAR Street Tour to include stock cars and mobile marketing units placed throughout the city.

The awards ceremony for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be consolidated in south Florida. This is designed to provide another great venue for the ceremony as well as help save NNS teams from making an additional trip following the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The top-five finishers from the NNS and NCWTS will be honored at the combined banquet celebration.

The Grand-Am Rolex Series banquet this year moves to the Seminole Hard Rock the Monday after its October season finale, also at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The change in venue also provides a great location for the banquet and helps teams manage budgets by reducing extra travel and accommodations following the season.

From NASCAR

Pirelli Returns To Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Action This Weekend at VIR's Bosch Engineering 250

DANVILLE, Virginia – Pirelli Motorsport and The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 are primed and ready for a return to racing action at this Saturday’s Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). The race can be seen live on SPEED at 2:30 p.m. EST.

Grand-Am race teams had a long three month break between the first two scheduled races of the 2009 season – the opening Rolex 24 at Daytona in January and this weekend’s Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR.  A strong field of Daytona Prototypes and GT competitors - all on Pirelli P Zero racing tires - will take to VIR’s challenging 3.27-mile road course for Saturday’s race, which will kick off the balance of 2009’s 12-race season.

Among the competitors hoping to build on recent momentum is the No. 09 Spirit of Daytona/Porsche V8 Coyote team of sports car racing stalwart Guy Cosmo and motorcycle road racing Hall of Fame member Scott Russell.  The duo were joined by Russell’s fellow motorcycle champions Jeff Ward and Jason Pridmore for the Daytona opener in an AMA Pro Road Racing sponsored race car and managed to finish the grueling race despite encountering just about every type of endurance racing related problem imaginable.

“Daytona was a challenge and the Spirit of Daytona team did a great job,” Cosmo said.  “With the ever changing conditions of an endurance race, the one constant we had was the consistency and reliability of the Pirelli tires. We had no problems with the tires at all.”

Cosmo and the team have also tested extensively during the three-month break between the opening Rolex Series races.

“We did a lot of testing since Daytona and put a lot of miles on tracks like Roebling Road (Georgia) and at Homestead-Miami,” Cosmo said.  “Roebling Road is particularly tough on tires but we had no issues with the Pirellis.  With the progress we have made with this whole package so far, we think we are going to be running strong at VIR, and the Pirellis are all part of that mix.  We are looking at running in the top 10 and maybe even challenging for a podium.”

Although the 2-3/4 hour timed Bosch Engineering 250 is considered a sprint race, last year’s winning GT team used endurance-style tactics by maximizing the life of their Pirellis and stretching their fuel mileage to the limit.  The No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R of Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis know they can count on the P Zeros again if the race unfolds in a similar fashion this weekend.

“We have certainly found the Pirelli tire to be extremely durable over a race distance, and this is something which we were able to use to our advantage last year at VIR,” said Liddell, who drove the Pontiac in the final stint to the checkered flag. “When the race throws up an unknown variable, it is good to know that you can get home on the P Zeros.”

Davis also gives credit to Pirelli for delivering an improved 2009 specification tire that still has many of the same positive characteristics found in last year’s P Zeros.

“The new Pirelli tire created for the 2009 Rolex Series performed well for the Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R during the opening round at Daytona,” said Davis.  “We are pleased to find that the new tire brings the same consistency and speed that we depended on during last season.  The upcoming event at VIR will really put the new tire to the test, and I am confident that it will pass with flying colors.  It is a very demanding circuit with a combination of heavy braking zones and high-speed corners, and the Pirelli (tires are) the key to allowing our car to perform at an optimal level.”

The Daytona Prototypes and GT competitors will race simultaneously for overall and individual class honors in the Bosch Engineering 250. The race can be viewed live on SPEED at 2:30 p.m. EST this Saturday, April 25.

Pirelli Tire North America designs, develops, manufactures and markets tires for passenger vehicles in both the original equipment and replacement markets as well as markets and distributes tires for motorcycles and motorsports. Located in Rome, Georgia, Pirelli’s Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) employs state-of-the-art technology to manufacture tires for both export and domestic markets.  For more information please visit www.us.pirelli.com.

From Rafael Navarro, Director Communications & Motorsports // Joe Severns, Public Relations Manager

Advertiser of the Day - Brown & Miller Racing Solutions

Tillsonburg Indoor Speedway: Practice May 2... 1st race May 5

From: The staff at Chesterman Power Products // Tillsonburg Indoor MX // www.chesterman.ca // 519-842-5977

Calls have been coming in asking about the practice day schedule. I guess it is time to pass out the information.

On Saturday, May 2, the fresh oval track will be available from 9am to 3pm. Drivers may arrive anytime during these hours.

A track marshall will be organizing drivers' time on the track as needed. Drivers under 18 need both parents to sign the parental waiver found at: http://media.50below.com//organizations/16bd01ff-79cc-40c1-8e58-9be0d8a091b5/WPEnglishParental.pdf

Allow time to purchase the $35 Membership and have your membership card picture taken. 

Practice fee is $30 per kart. 1st time and experienced racers welcome.

Test and tune only. Racing will take place the following Tuesday. Take advantage of the track time so the first race night will run smoothly.

Advertiser of the Day - Castrol Canada

INDYCAR: Q&A with Sarah Fisher - April 22, 2009

INDYCAR SERIES Q&A – April 22, 2009

An Interview with Sarah Fisher

IndyCar Series driver Sarah Fisher participated in a Q&A session this week, discussing the upcoming races at Kansas, Indianapolis and more. Below are select quotes from her interview followed by "Five Questions with Sarah Fisher." The complete transcript and audio MP3 file are posted at www.indycar.com/media. A video of "Five Questions with Sarah Fisher" also is posted online.

Sarah Fisher
·         28-year-old who has competed in parts of nine seasons in the IndyCar Series
·         Driver and co-owner of Sarah Fisher Racing, which debuted with three races in 2008
·         Team will return to action April 26 at Kansas Speedway
·         In 2000, became the third woman to start the Indianapolis 500
·         In 2002, became the first woman to win the pole for a major open-wheel race in North America, winning the pole at Kentucky Speedway
·         Earned a career-best finish of second at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2001
·         Has made 67 career starts, recording three top-five finishes and nine top-10s
·         Has started eight Indianapolis 500s

***

Q. You've got a very unique role as a driver and a team owner. Tell us a little bit about how excited you are to get back in the car this weekend at Kansas.

SARAH FISHER: I'm very excited. It's like you stare at a car all winter long and come in here every day and just make things happen, and there's so much more to running a business than I ever knew existed. So looking forward to this weekend, and knowing that I'll be in that race car. That's probably my most relaxing time as an athlete. I just really enjoy that.

I really enjoy working with Tom Brown, our engineer, and of course my husband, Andy (O'Gara), who runs our team. It's just the most rewarding time, and I can't wait.

Q. Going to the ownership side of things a little bit, you're a year plus into the ownership side. What are some of the biggest things that you've learned over the past year?

SARAH FISHER: Time management. I think a lot of people think I just sit around all day and do nothing, but my schedule is completely full. And it's just a balance of what is the most important thing that you have to get done that day and then taking that hour, hour and a half to work out and keep yourself in shape because that will mentally prepare you for all the rest of the stuff. Whether it's business stuff that you have to handle or a personal appearance that a driver would normally do, I do all those things. Yesterday it was helping get the bus ready and making sure that everybody in the shop has something to eat that day. We're short‑staffed, so everybody has to be all hands on deck right now, and that includes me.

Q. Last year was very emotional for you and your team at Indy, a lot of ups and downs throughout the month. What are your expectations for the month of May this year?

SARAH FISHER: We're as prepared as we ever have been today. As we said, and as I look down from the balcony at my car, it looks in one piece, if you know what I mean. It's just a very nicely prepared car. Everything on it we know 100 percent about and are just completely prepared for. We've done our homework in the offseason, I believe, as much as we can, and we're looking forward to Indy. I think we're going to have a good result, and I would be pretty upset if we were outside of the top 10. I fully expect us to do that well even as a small team that doesn't compete full‑time.

Five Questions with Sarah Fisher:

1. What's the last thing that you bought at Dollar General?
"Aluminum foil."

2. Wedding ring on or off while you're racing?
"Off. It's too big to have on."

3. If you could race against any driver from any era, who would you race against and where?
"I'd race against Janet Guthrie at Indianapolis."

4. iPhone or Blackberry?
"iPhone."

5. Favorite book?
"The Devil Wears Prada. I love cheering for the underdog."

***

The 2009 IndyCar Series season continues April 26 with the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway.

From: John Griffin, Indy Racing League

Reigning Mr. DIRTcar 358 Points King Pete Bicknell On Defense Saturday At Merriitville!

Wet Weather Doesn’t Dampen Spirits Of Mr. DIRTcar 358-Mod Champ Bicknell

Weedsport, NY – April 21, 2009 - By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director

It's not uncommon for inclement weather to affect Northeastern race agendas come Spring time. However, after a long winter out of the cockpit it would seem rather unusual for a driver not to be disappointed with an early cancellation, especially when it meant delaying for another week the opening round of the Mr. DIRTcar Series.

Yet that was the case for reigning overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified points king Pete Bicknell, who was forced to miss the initial Small-Block tour event on tap at Can-Am Motorsports Park before rain forced postponement.

“My schedule wasn’t set before Can-Am, but with the rain, that might just put me in the hunt again,” remarked Bicknell, who last autumn at the age of 53 became the oldest driver ever to wear the coveted Mr. DIRTcar crown. “It was originally a hit-or-miss deal on the series, now there might be a few more hits.”

“We had our driving school last weekend so we couldn’t make the opener. The next two tour stops are at our regular tracks, we’ll just have to see how we stand. There’s a lot of racing in between, it might turn into a race by race decision when the fall season rolls around,” figured Bicknell, who continued an unlikely trend among champions in ‘08, for the third straight year clinching the title without making a trip to victory lane. The seasoned Small-Block veteran from St. Catharines, Ontario did produce seven top-10 feature finishes and four front-5s behind the wheel of his self-designed Bicknell Racing Products no. 42 Lucas Oil Products entry, finishing fifth at Merrittville.

With negotiations still underway to reschedule the Mr. DIRTcar 358 Series show at Can-Am, for the second straight year Merrittville Speedway will host the tour opener. The April 25 lid-lifter will once again attract a talented mix of Merrittville and DIRTcar stars for the ‘Spring Sizzler 100’ with $4,000 (US) saved for the winner.

Racing action is slated to get under way at 6:30 p.m. with hot laps prior to time trials at 6:15. Both the grandstand and pit gates will open at 4 o’clock. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $6 for Juniors and kids under 8 are free. An economical Family Pass is also available.

Merrittville is a can’t miss event for Bicknell, not only because he ranks as the winningest driver in track history, he is also a co-owner along with wife Nancy and partners Randy and Tracy Williamson. Its a unique conflict of self-interest when DIRTcar Northeast’s career 358-Modified win leader also assumes the responsibility of strapping into the grader to help prep the track prior to race time.

“It’s certainly a challenging position to be in, although I think its hurt me a little bit lately,” admitted Bicknell, who has scored 118 of his 197 DIRTcar 358 feature wins at Merrittville, with another 45 registered in Big-Block competition on the Niagara Frontier. A 13-time 358-Mod track champion since 1990, ‘Mr. Small-Block’ won twice in ’08 and settled for third in points behind champion Chad Brachmann and Scott Wood. “I still put in 80 hours of work every week, but its mostly at the track now instead of on the race car. And on race day grading or watering during intermission usually takes my mind off the racing, fortunately my crew does such a great job.”

“As the promoter, I’m probably a little more cautious when I’m out there but I still want to win every time I race. Some of my fans want me to win more and they’ve even threatened not to come back. I just don’t want to be the bad guy if something happens. Maybe I can be a little more aggressive when the guys come from out of town,” smiled Bicknell, who posted his lone Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series win at Merrittville in 2002, the year before assuming track ownership.

Viewed internationally as a good guy in the chassis industry ---over 700 feature wins for BRP cars last year--- Bicknell was an early advocate of crate engines in the DIRTcar Sportsman class and senses an upswing in the higher level Modified divisions.

“It’s a big jump from Sportsman to Small-Blocks, and 358s are definitely still a stepping stone to the Big-Block Modifieds,” stated Bicknell, who singled out more than a half-dozen rookies in Merrittville’s 2009 crop of 358-Modified drivers approaching 30 registered. “There’s a solid rules package in place with the rev chip and I know I can get a motor re-freshened now after 2500 laps instead of around 600 like before.”

“Its great to finally see some new blood coming into the 358s class. A lot still has to do with track locale, when, where and how much teams can race, but everything is going in the same forward direction. Even with a lot of guys moving up to the Modifieds, our Sportsman division remains healthy and that’s a good sign for things to come,” Bicknell added.

Expected to join Bicknell on Saturday in Canada will be many of last year’s top traveling teams led by 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 and Merrittville favorites 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.

Track information can be found at www.merrittvillespeedway.com or by contacting Public Relations Director Jim Irvine at 905/892-8266. Merrittville Speedway is accessible from any direction in the U.S., taking the Peace Bridge in the Buffalo, NY/South Niagara Region, Rainbow Bridge and Queenston-Lewiston Bridge in Niagara Falls, or in Canada following the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) south to Niagara from the Hamilton or Toronto areas.

Advertiser of the Day - SPEED Channel

SHOOTING STARS AT VIR – MORE THAN 25 CARS EXPECTED FOR ROUND TWO OF THE 2009 THE STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY GOODYEAR AT VIR THIS WEEKEND

When you have a 25+ field of racing drivers in which three of the top four and seven of the top ten from last year's championship are back to do battle again, you know you have a hot racing series. And so it is with the 2009 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, with Round Two of the 2009 season is scheduled to take the green flag at 1:00 pm Sunday as part of the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway.

The Star Mazda Championship has made only one previous visit to VIR, in 2007. Dane Cameron, driving for the JDC Motorsports team, won the race and went on to win the championship.

The Drivers
While one race is thin data on which to build any trends or predictions, Round One, at the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 20, did get the 2009 Star Mazda Championship season off to a dramatic start. After dominating pre-season testing driving a car prepared by Andersen Racing, Englishman Adam Christodoulou surprised everyone by signing instead with JDC Motorsports. Starting from the outside of the front row, he drove a flawless race on the way to victory in the #11 JDC Motorsports Mazda.

Also finishing on the podium was pole-sitter Richard Kent, another Englishman, driving the #33 Andersen Racing / Traka / Allied Interior Products Mazda. Kent was the 'man from nowhere' who entered only one race last season, the finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, then proceeded to set a new track record in winning the pole in qualifying and leading every lap of the race. And while Brazilian driver Caio Lara in the #19 JDC Motorsports Mazda finished third on the track and participated in the podium ceremony, a post-race review of the videotapes showed a driving infraction that cause officials to penalize him a place, dropping him to fourth. , and elevating to the final, official top-3 another interesting rookie, Conor Daly, son of racing legend and motorsports broadcaster Derek Daly. Daly is the 2008 Skip Barber Pro Series champion and races the #22 Andersen Racing / College Network / Indeck / Cytomax Mazda with sponsorship from the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder.

Completing the 5-person Star Mazda Championship podium at Sebring were the top-finishing Expert Series (ages 30 – 44) driver, the 2008 Expert Series champion, Chris Cumming of Vancouver, B.C. He drove the #16 Kester Racing Team 3G / Texas World Speedway / Motul Oil Mazda to a 14th-place finish overall. Californian Mike Guasch won the Master Series (45 and older) driving the #91 JDC Motorsports / Molecule Labs Mazda.

Other top contenders at VIR include Californian Joel Miller, who won the season opener at Sebring from the pole in 2008 on his way to finishing second in the championship. He finished 5th at Sebring this year driving the #2 JDC Motorsports Mazda. Irishman Peter Dempsey, who won four races during the 2008 Star Mazda Championship and finished third in the championship, weathered a difficult weekend with his new team to qualify 5th and finish 6th in the #3 AIM Autosport / Motorsport Ireland / Queyside.ie Mazda. Joe D'Agostino, a last-moment entry driving with sponsorship from Classic Mazda in Orlando, Florida, qualified 11th on the starting grid in his #5 Andersen Racing / Classic Mazda machine and finished 7th.

Alex Ardoin, the only driver currently competing in the series who drove in the 2007 event, finishing 11th. At Sebring, Ardoin, now in his third season of Star Mazda competition, qualified 4th in the #51 JDC Motorsports / Oral & Facial Surgery Center Mazda, but with an aggressive start found himself leading the first three laps. Officials determined the start was perhaps a bit too aggressive and awarded him a 'drive-through' penalty that dropped him to the very back of the 28-car pack. By lap 20, however, the racer from Lafayette, Louisiana worked his way back up to 8th. 17 year-old Venezuelan Jorge Goncalvez, moving up from Formula BMW made a good showing, finishing 9th in the #72 AIM Autosport / Mazda and Chilean rookie Kevin Toledo, driving for the newly-announced Eliseo THL Motorsports team headed by racing legend Eliseo Salazar, scored a top-10 finish driving the #77 Eliseo THL Mazda.

The Cars
In the first major upgrade of the Star Mazda 'Pro Car' since its introduction five years ago, Star Race Cars has produced a package of mechanical and software upgrades for the 2009 season. The upgrades, including new wings, shock absorbers and suspension rockers, are designed to increase the car's aerodynamic efficiency and top speed while improving engine cooling; in addition, it will be easier for drivers and their engineers to arrive at the best setup for each track. The cumulative effect of the upgrades will be to increase both top speed and cornering speed, reduce maintenance costs and enhance the mechanical reliability of what is arguably already one of the most dependable, cost-effective open-wheel cars in competition today.

MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder
Up-and-coming race drivers have two major challenges: winning on the track, and finding the resources to move up to the next level. Mazda in conjunction with series corporate partners is making the second task significantly easier for this year’s champion drivers. Mazda will provide a next-level, fully-funded ride in a Mazda powered car to the 2009 champions of selected Mazda series.

Open-wheel racers are competing for these awards in 2009:
· One successful kart racer will participate in a full season of the BFGoodrich Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda in 2010.
· The 2009 Skip Barber National Champion will be racing in the 2010 Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear.
· The 2009 Star Mazda Champion will be racing in the 2010 Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Series Powered by Mazda.

Over the past decade, Mazda has developed an increasingly strong presence at road racing tracks around the nation. At the 2009 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring festivities, Mazda is represented in five of the eight races, and six of the thirteen different classes of cars, more than any other brand including Porsche, Ferrari, General Motors, Ford, Dodge, Toyota and Honda.

Mazda is the brand of choice for road-racers across North America. More than 9,000 grassroots racers compete in various classes with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the National Auto Sport Association (NASA). Racers who are years away from earning a driver’s license can now begin their professional motorsports careers in the Mazda family. A driver can begin in karts and progress through the Skip Barber series, Club Racing Formula Mazda, professional Star Mazda and finally to Formula Atlantic, all with Mazda. No other car company has ever connected the dots this way.

The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear
For 2009, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear will feature an 11-weekend, 13-race schedule on major race weekends with American Le Mans, Grand-Am, the Atlantic Championship, NASCAR Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series. Prize money is $1.5 million, including a fully-funded drive in the 2010 Atlantic Championship. Drivers 16 and older are welcome to compete and the Star Mazda Championship also features Expert (30 to 44) and Master (45 and older) classes for more mature racers. The Star Mazda Championship features standing starts, wheel-to-wheel racing at 150 mph and budgets a fraction of other top open-wheel ladder series. iRacing.com is the official racing simulation of the Star Mazda Championship, and one-month free 'virtual test drive' of the Star Mazda open-wheel car is available by going to www.starmazda.com/newdriver.

VIR Schedule
Star Mazda Championship action at VIR begins with a 'promoter test day' on Thursday, April 23. Official practice continues with two sessions on Friday, April 24, with qualifying to set the starting grid scheduled for 8:45 am - 9:30 am Saturday, April 25. The 45-minute Round Two of the 2009 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear is scheduled to take the green flag at 1:00 pm Sunday, April 26.

For more information on the Star Mazda Championship and its drivers, as well as the Mazda Motorsports ladder system, please visit http://www.starmazda.com/ and http://www.mazdausa.com/. For information, interviews and photos, contact Star Mazda Communications Director Peter Frey at (818) 398-5733 or StarMazdaPR@aol.com.

On any given weekend, there are more Mazdas on the road-race tracks of America than any other brand of vehicle. At the track, you’ll see MX-5 Miata, RX-8, MAZDA3, MAZDA6, RX-7 and other vintage Mazda models competing, because every Mazda has the Soul of a Sports Car.

For more information on the various Mazda spec series, visit:
http://www.atlanticchampionship.com/ http://www.starmazda.com/
http://www.skipbarber.com/ http://www.mx-5cup.com/

Stompin' Tom Walters To Call Peterborough Speedway Home....For Now

Stompin' Tom Walters announced today his plans of competing in the first 3 events in the Limited Late Model division at Peterborough Speedway in 2009. The Barrie, ON driver will join Peterborough regulars Amanda Connolly and 2008 division champion Larry Crowe Jr. as well as Mosport Speedway standout 'JBJ' John Baker Jr and former OSCAAR competitor Dave Horner.

Walters has confirmed he will be working with the same team that helped lead him to a historic 25th championship one season ago, led by Crew Chief Ken Donaldson. However, Stompin' Tom has yet to divulge wether he will be campaigning for a 26th championship in 2009, and if so, at which speedway.

Flamboro Speedway 2009 Season Preview... kicks off this Saturday!

Photos Attached:  courtesy of www.DaveFranksPhotos.com

Randy Rusnell of Cambridge is better known as ‘The Rocket’ on Saturday nights.  Nearly 10 years later he earns a second chance at the elusive championship three-peat.

Jason Shaw of Guelph will try and become the first Late Model driver in Ontario to three-peat as track champion in the new era.

48th Consecutive Start for Community Motorsport Arena

HAMILTON, April 19, 2009 – This Saturday will mark the 48th consecutive year that the gates of Flamboro Speedway will open to local motorsport fans and competitors and kick-off the summer season for Canadian grass roots stock car racing.

Originally built in 1961, the 1/3 mile high-speed asphalt oval and surrounding stadium seating has stood the test of time and is a landmark in Canadian motorsport history.  Entertaining millions of fans over its illustrious career, Flamboro Speedway has been the proving grounds for great Canadian racers including internationally recognized greats like Junior Hanley and ‘Daytona’ Don Biederman, as well as recent NASCAR competitors Peter Shepherd III and John-Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Fitzpatrick most recently achieved a top-five finish in Daytona Beach this past February and continues to compete against some of the world’s top racing performers including Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.

With a new VIP Suite open for business in turn one, race fans will have an all-new opportunity to watch hometown heroes and the stars of tomorrow compete at Flamboro Speedway.  This new facility has been nearly 5 years in the making and boasts a spectacular view of the entire speedway facility.  From the vantage point atop the turn one hill guests can see the pit area to their right, the grandstand to their left, and the full racing surface right out the front windows.  The overhanging balcony also allows guests to get outside and enjoy the sweet summer weather and take in the live action complete with the ear-blasting roar of the engines.

This season will also set an unprecedented record as all three track champions will defend their titles for the second consecutive racing season.  Jason Shaw, Randy ‘the Rocket’ Rusnell, and Dave Bailey each successfully repeated as the champion of their division in 2008, and will all attempt a three-peat this season.  No one has accomplished this feat in recent memory, and the closest to achieving this goal was in fact Randy Rusnell back in the late 1990’s when he attempted a third consecutive track title and was robbed by a single point, falling to ‘Mr. Excitement’ Terry King.

The tradition continues this Saturday night, and so will be the theme for the 2009 season.  With much of the speedway facility standing intact as it was in 1961 those that have been away for years can return with a sense of familiarity and recapture the excitement of summers past.  The names have changed, but the excitement stays the same.

Regional Information

Brantford: Brantford has four competitors registered to compete at Flamboro Speedway this summer.  Topping the roster is the two-time Oktoberfest Classic Late Model Champion Mark Burbridge.  Mark is a mechanic working in the city, and is sponsored by Brantford based DGB Accounting Services.  Joining Mark in the Late Model field will be Matt Balog, an experienced Thunder Stock driver who will pilot a Late Model for the first time this season.  Matt is heavily favoured to be the 2009 Late Model rookie of the year.

Brant: Recent Paris High School grad Erinn Bailey will return to Flamboro this summer in the #02 Thunder Stock, sponsored by St. George Tire.  The ‘Teen Queen’ earned her first trip to victory lane last summer and earned a top five finish in the point standings.  Fellow Paris Panther Ted Horsfall will also return to Flamboro this summer, piloting a Late Model in the speedway’s premier division.  Teddy earned a top ten finish in the point standings in 2008 and also earned the Rookie of the Year title.

Cambridge: The Cambridge area is a proven hotbed for local racing talent with more than a dozen registered competitors calling it their home base.  At the top of the roster are two Thunder Stock drivers who have battled furiously in recent seasons, Brad Collison and Randy Rusnell.  Collison, better recognized as the ‘Ice Man’ on Saturday nights and Rusnell, famously known as ‘The Rocket’, have both claimed a division title in the past five years.  Currently Rusnell holds the court, looking to build on his two-consecutive championship victories.

Dundas: The close proximity to the speedway has developed a large following of local racing talent from Dundas.  Most notable are the efforts of Thunder Stock driver Bobby Mercer and the Larkin Racing family.  Mercer is a multi-time winner of the Best Effort award for his unbelievable ability to be consistently involved in the most spectacular turn of events.  Picking up his first checkered flag at the close of the 2008 season, Bobby will look to build on this positive energy.  In the Mini Stock class one name is repeated more than any other, and that name is Larkin.  Patriarch Ron Larkin Jr. leads the multi-car team of sons, brothers and other friends and family with a recent championship win in 2006 and a number of main event victories.

Flamborough: The Fireball-5 of Linda Dean will be sporting a new look on Opening Day as the team continues the tradition of unveiling a hot new paint scheme for their Thunder Stock racer at the start of the season.  Dean looks to put the struggles of the past season behind her and competitively chase the championship in 2009.  Also looking to get into the chase this year will be veteran racer Gary Elliott.  Returning for a 41st consecutive racing season Gary will debut a ‘fresh’ new ride in 2009 as he competes in Flamboro’s premier division.  While focused on tackling his first Late Model track championship he will also be managing new responsibilities as a multi-team owner, expecting to enter a Thunder Stock racer into Saturday night competition.

Guelph: Guelph’s Jason Shaw, in partnership with locally owned Spira Fire Protection, has been the class of Flamboro’s premier division for the past two years.  The #82 Ford Fusion has been the car to catch in the Late Model division, proven with two consecutive division championships.  In 2009 Shaw will attempt an unprecedented three-peat.  However, his competition will be tight and hot on his bumper will be fellow Guelph native and past division champion Todd Campbell.  Also in the Spira-stable are a number of development drivers, the stars of tomorrow, including teen drivers Billy Schwartzenburg and Samantha Shaw.

Hamilton: Hamilton boasts a number of weekend warriors competing in the asphalt arena, but the most decorated to date is Matthew Dean.  With two division titles to his credit, more than 50 main event victories in the past five years and experience driving the more powerful Thunder Stocks, Dean remains the top contender to unseat current track champion Dave Bailey.  Bailey has been crowned the past two consecutive seasons.

Milton: Following a history of top contenders from the Milton region, Steve Adams and David Elliott have taken up the mantle in Flamboro’s premier racing division.  Elliott’s #37 Pennzoil Monte Carlo has been a quiet force in the Late Model class, earning a championship in 2006 but then falling silent in 2008.  Similarly, Adam’s continues to search for his stride in the #41 Reliance Machine Works Late Model.  Both drivers will race to improve their past season performance.

Orangeville: MacMaster Pontiac-Buick-GMC returns in 2009 as the official sponsor of the speedway’s crate engine program, designed to create an economical power plant solution for competitors and create parity on the track.  Two drivers who have succeeded in making this motor package work are Hillsburgh’s Paul Howse and Richard Holmes.  Competing in Flamboro’s premier division the Late Model class, Howse and Holmes each earned trips to victory lane in 2008.  Both drivers return to better their performance in the new season.  Paul Howse has been noted as the most likely driver to unseat the current division champion, Guelph’s Jason Shaw.

Stoney Creek: Jeff Bean proudly represents Stoney Creek in the asphalt arena, returning to pilot his #37 Thunder Stock in the Saturday night competition.  Bean was deep in the chase for the championship in 2008 until a sad turn of events demolished his primary race machine.  Working feverishly with his team he entered a backup car in the weeks that followed but was never able to regain the lost momentum.  2009 is a fresh start for the Bean team as they try once again to chase down and ground current division champion, ‘The Rocket’ Randy Rusnell.

Woodstock: After a string of main event victories in 2008 at the age of 13, now 14 year-old driver and fan favourite Parker Holman will return in the #20 Mini Stock to take on a full field of competition ranging in ages 14 – 60, and then some.  A multi-time champion of go-kart racing, Holman burst onto the stock car racing scene in 2007 and continues to show he is a star of tomorrow, today.

Release prepared by Josh Paxton

Holland Motorsports Complex: Car show slated for McKinley Mall May 2-9

Holland, NY - The annual pre-season Holland NASCAR Motorsports Complex Car Show will again take place at the McKinley Mall in Hamburg, NY from Saturday, May 2nd through Saturday, May 9th, 2009.

The McKinley Mall, located at the corner of McKinley Parkway and the Milestrip Arterial (Rt. 179) in the Town of Hamburg, is the official Mall of the Holland NASCAR Motorsports Complex, and has been the long-time home of the spring car show.  In addition, the McKinley Mall has been the traditional sponsor for the opening day of racing at the southern Erie County oval. 

A number of competitors have already reserved their spots for the mall show, including the two most recent champions of the NASCAR RagingWolf.com SST Pro Modifieds, Jonathon Price and Mike Fiebelkorn,
Jr.   The sharp looking Price Trucking racer of Price will be on
display along with the team car of brother Jeff Price - Jeff Price was the winningest driver in the division at Holland in 2008.  Other Pro Modified teams planning on taking part in the show include the entries of Chuck Anderson, Tim Welshans, and 2008 Holland points runner-up Joe Evans.

Plenty of teams from the Late Models of Tomorrow (LAMOT), Chargers, Pro Fours, INEX Legends, M&M U-Pull It F igure 8 Cars, and the Thiel Motorsports 4-cylinder Hornets and Queen Bees will also have cars on display.

Teams planning to display their entries at the Mall should be on hand to move cars into the Mall on Friday evening, May 1st at 9:00 pm, while the cars will be loaded out of the Mall on Saturday evening, May 9th at 9:00 pm.  Very few display spots remain available - any interested race teams should contact the Holland office at (716)-537-2272.

The McKinley Mall 50th Anniversary Season opener at the Holland NASCAR Motorsports Complex will be green flagged on Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 at 7:15 PM.

From Rick Mooney

ARCA: Steve Arpin Finishes 10th @ The Rock

Rockingham, N.C. (April 19, 2009) - It was a bumpy start for Steve Arpin and the Eddie Sharp Racing No. 20 Taylor Motorsports Toyota Camry team at the ‘Rock’ this weekend. Practice and qualifying did not sail smoothly and the crew made adjustments throughout the day, clear up until the green waved. All the hard work paid off and Arpin would go on to capture a top-10 finish.

Throughout the weekend, Arpin and the No.20 Taylor Motorsports Toyota Camry fought an extremely loose car, but by the end of the race the car was roaring a different tune. After 9 pit stops and a complete overhaul on the set-up package the team was able to get the car as close as they could to were it needed to be and more drivable .

Steve Arpin, Driver of the No. 20 Taylor Motorsports Toyota Camry was pleased with his first experience at Rockingham Speedway, ‘Team work was the key to our top 10 finish this weekend. We struggled with the car all day Saturday during practice and into qualifying. As a team, we decided that we needed to make wholesale changes and  before the race we changed as much as we could with the cars in impound and made the remaining changes after making one lap around the track and continued making changes during the race. I think we made about ten pit stops or so, but that just shows you how good of a team we have. They just made it better and better each time and we worked with what we were given. I  can’t believe that we pulled a top-10 out of it, but the guys showed what hard work and perseverance can do.’

Arpin was later asked how he felt about his first experience at Rockingham, ‘It was very interesting. I now know what everyone says about taking care of your tires and it gets slippery the longer you go. I learned a lot about car control and tire management and a lot about patience too. It’s all about patience here at Rockingham.’

Next Stop:  Arpin and the Taylor Motorsports Toyota Camry team travel to Talladega, Alabama this weekend for the ARCA RE/MAX 250. The green flag drops at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2009 and will air LIVE on SPEED. 

For more on Steve Arpin, please log onto www.stevearpinracing.com.

From Lynsi Thompson / Public Relations Manager / Eddie Sharp Racing

Ryan Litt: Starting at Salem

It was a long, cold, and snowy winter for residents of Southwestern Ontario, including Ryan Litt and the #07 Sprint Car team.  Those dark and frigid days are almost a distant memory now, and they’ll be completely forgotten once the London, Ontario-based team makes its debut for the 2009 racing season at Indiana’s famous Salem Speedway this Saturday.

“Opening up the year at Salem is going to be pretty crazy,” says Ryan. “I'll be going from racing simulations on the computer to 160mph buckled down tight in the sprint car. I'm sure it will take a few laps to get the rust off.”

There might be a little bit more “rust” than usual for the 22 year old to shake off, because of the venue.  Due to weather and scheduling issues, Ryan hasn’t raced around the extreme highbanks of Salem Speedway since his 2nd full season of sprint car racing back in 2006.  His only visit to the ultra high-speed track with a wing over his head was a good one however, as Litt led the first 9 laps of the feature that night and came home with a 2nd place finish behind Kevin Feeney.

“I like the schedule this year - we get to run a lot of the fast tracks, and I think myself and the car work better the faster we go,” says Ryan. “Salem and Winchester are two of my favourite tracks, along with Toledo. Just getting to run them this year is a real thrill. Last year we didn't get to run any of the 3 (due to rainouts and scheduling).”

The Salem event, billed as the “biggest night of winged sprint car racing ever at Salem Speedway”, is a co-sanctioned race between the Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints (AVSS) and Hoosier Outlaw Sprint Series (HOSS), and both groups have ratcheted up the excitement by awarding double the points towards each series championship for this event. 

The race will also be being taped by the MustSeeRacing.com crew for later broadcast on Comcast Cable throughout Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa.  As if all that is not enough to get fans and drivers excited, Salem-based Stewart Automotive and Transmission is also offering up a $1,000 “bounty” for any driver who can establish a new 1-lap time trial record on Saturday night.  The current mark is 14.377 seconds (138.972 MPH) around the .555 mile oval, which was set by Kevin Feeney on the same night Ryan last competed there.

“I think having these races on TV will showcase some of the speed and great side-by-side racing that a lot of people don't get to see,” says Ryan. “It also raises the stakes a bit for the drivers, knowing that there will be more people watching.”

With 3 feature wins and 7 “top 5’s” in 11 feature races last year, 2008 was Ryan’s most successful season to date in a sprint car.  Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Ryan and the team are excited about the possibilities. 

“The most exciting thing for me is the week in May that sees us have 3 races in one week - that is going to be just incredible,” exclaims Ryan.  “There are so many fans down there for the Indy 500, which just adds to the already exciting week. You can see everything in that one week - Winged Sprint Cars, Non-Winged Sprint Cars, Midgets, Silver Crown, Indy Cars, and both dirt and pavement tracks.”

A successful 2008 season means a lot of things are staying the same with the team for 2009, but there have been a couple of improvements already:

“We’ve got some new stuff going on this year, including a revamped website, “says Ryan. “Ty at Linton Media did a really good job on it, and I’m really happy with the way it turned out.  I just pass him the information and he comes up with the wicked designs. We have worked together for 5 or 6 years now, and he has some of the best looking websites out there. We also got a new hauler this season, which will pull the trailer much better then the pickup truck we had been pulling it with in the past.  This new truck is a full size Freightliner with living quarters in the back. It's really big and really red so you won't miss it going down the highway!" 

"All the sponsors – OTC Tools, BS&B Radiator, Xtreme Metal Worx, Linde Gases, Leaf Racewear, Huron Produce, and Linton Media - are returning, which is great," says Ryan. We’re also keeping the same paint scheme that we have had for a while now. It never gets old, and it's something bright and different which I like.”

Although Ryan finished 2nd in the AVSS points championship last season, he and the team are still not sure if they will follow the AVSS tour full-time in 2009.

“I still feel as if we have a good shot in USAC (without the wing),” says Ryan. “We just need more time with the car and the tracks to get faster. So we are going to run some USAC races, and most likely some ISMA Supermodified races, if Davey (Lair) gets his new car ready. I would like to run the big ISMA races at Delaware this year so we'll see what happens.”

Ryan and the team would like to thank all their sponsors for their support during Ryan's 2009 season, including OTC Tools, BS&B Radiator, Linton Media, Linde Gases, Leaf Racewear, Xtreme Metal Worx, and Huron Produce Ltd.

Want to receive these weekly updates from Ryan Litt Racing?  Got a question for Ryan?  Just send an e-mail to ryanlittmedia@hotmail.com and we’ll do the rest.  Questions may be featured in future editions of Ryan Litt Racing updates so be sure to include your name and hometown!  If you’re a Facebook or YouTube user, make sure to join the official Ryan Litt Racing groups by searching “Ryan Litt”. 

For more information on Ryan and the team, including schedules, news releases, photos, videos, merchandise, and contact information, please visit Ryan's official website powered by Linton Media at www.RyanLitt.com.

From Tommy Goudge, PR Manager

Jim's Journeys by Jim Clarke - April 14 - 18, 2009

Jim’s Journeys ... By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

Tuesday, April 14th to Friday, April 17th:  Kawartha Speedway Racecar Display Northumberland Mall – Cobourg, Ontario.

Part of what I do as one of the weekly announcers at Kawartha Speedway in Fraserville, Ontario also involves writing press releases, hosting the season-ending awards celebration and representing the track at various shows.  Earlier this year, I was at the Canadian Motorsports Expo with ‘the boss’ Derek Lynch.  A couple of weeks ago, at the Fast and Furious Show at the Cobourg Arena and most recently, we had cars at Northumberland Mall (along with Brighton Speedway) in Cobourg.

I enjoy the PR aspect of my job.  It’s great to be able to talk to people who’ve been to the track and get their thoughts on what we’re doing well and some of the areas where we need to do our homework.  The opportunity also exists to introduce some new fans to what we do on a weekly basis.  I was told a long time ago that there’s no such thing as a stupid question and while I might not have all the answers, the chance to talk about racing is always fun. 

No matter where we’ve had the cars on display, I usually come away with an interesting story or 2.  At the mall, it involved a young boy named Luka.  He was thrilled to see the racecars and even happier when he got the chance to sit in the #87 thunder car of track champion Willie Reyns.  His Mom took a picture of him in the driver’s seat, wearing the seatbelts – and another of him beside the car, holding one of Willie’s many trophies from the 2008 season.  I gave him a fridge magnet with Kawartha Speedway’s ’09 schedule, a copy of the latest edition of Inside Track magazine and a sticker his mother said would probably go on his skateboard.  Who knows?  We might even see the family at the track this season.

Friday, April 17th:  Super DIRTcar Sportsman tour – Can Am Speedway – Lafargeville, New York.

Finishing-up early at the mall allowed me to make a run to Can Am for the second event on this year’s DIRTcar sportsman tour.  The night was all about quality and quantity, with 61 teams on hand to battle the northern New York State half-mile. 

When the checkered flag fell, it was 2008 Mr. DIRTcar sportsman champion Chris Raabe in victory lane.  The ‘Teenage Tornado’ led all 30 laps of the show and survived a yellow flag with just 1 circuit remaining to earn his first victory of the year.  Brockville Speedway regulars Matt Billings, Luke Whitteker and Adam Turner finished 5th, 18th and 22nd respectively.  Dylan Evoy, Dana Aikins, Jessica Power, Rod McDonald and Shane Pecore failed to crack the starting grid.

The track also hosted an open practise session for any drivers or teams who wanted to test and tune their 2009 machines.  The combined field of 21 big block and small block modifieds ran a 10 lap ‘dash for cash’.  Billy Dunn of Watertown, New York – a Can Am regular – took the win.  Defending Brockville Speedway track champion Danny O’Brien was 2nd.  Brian McDonald finished 6th in the LaSalle Motorsports #M96 and Tim O’Brien was 12th in his maiden voyage aboard the Jim’s Performance #88.  The youngest of the 3 O’Brien brothers took over the ride when Kingston’s Mark Hitchcock retired at the end of the 2008 season.

Picton, Ontario’s Tyler Rand brought-out his 360 sprint car for a few fast laps.  Another driver on-hand to shake-down his new piece was Mallorytown, Ontario’s Ryan Poole.  Looking for a change in his luck for 2009, Poole’s Bicknell chassis small block now carries the #76 instead of his traditional #00.  One of the first things you notice when the Poole Motorsports hauler pulls into the pit area is the term ‘thong patrol’ on the rear door of the trailer.  There has to be an interesting story behind that.

Saturday, September 18th:  Super DIRTcar tour for 358 modifieds Can Am Speedway – Lafargeville, New York.

Just a little after noon, I set off with a plan to catch the second consecutive night of action at Can Am.  It was raining a little all the way, but I’ve driven through worse conditions to get to tracks that were a lot further away so I wasn’t overly concerned.  After a quick stop in Gananoque for some 76 cent a litre gas, a coffee and a couple of Tim Horton’s snack wraps I was ready to roll again.

Before leaving the Tim Horton’s parking lot, I tried making a call to my friend Rick Young.  I left a message on his voicemail, asking where he was and if he could call me.  The fact that he didn’t answer led me to believe he’d already crossed the border and may very well have been at the track.  Undaunted, I headed for the highway again.  After paying my toll, I started across the first span of the 1000 Islands Bridge. 

That was where I encountered a racecar hauler.  Problem was – they were going the wrong way.  Since I have an unwritten rule that prohibits pouting, whining or complaining about the weather once you get to the track, I decided to stop at one of the gift shops on the other side of the bridge.  My goal was to wait...to see if more haulers were coming home or if others were headed to the track.  Like waiting for the phone to ring when someone says “I’ll call you right back”, it seemed to take forever.  I thought I’d stick it out for a while to avoid a round of immigration interrogation.  When a car from Ohio with a vanity licence plate that said ‘RAIN’ pulled into the same parking lot, I saw it as a sign and left for the trip back to Belle-Vegas.

All the way home, the sky looked brighter and brighter.  The highway became dry and I had serious thoughts about turning around and heading back to the track.  I didn’t – and opted to spend the night on my couch watching hockey instead.  A quick peek at some of my Facebook friends indicates I made the right choice.  The scheduled Super DIRTcar 358 modified series event was rained-out around 3:00.

Coming up:  Sunday, May 3rd, the 2009 Challenge Cup at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park – Elbridge, New York.

In the distance:  Brockville Speedway’s 2009 season opener Saturday, May 16th.  Kawartha Speedway’s open practise session Friday, May 22nd.

Story and Photo attachments by Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

#1).  Ryan Poole’s 2009 #76 DIRTcar small block modified

#2).  After missing the Brockville Speedway street stock track championship by 8 points in 2008, Dana Aikins will campaign a DIRTcar sportsman modified in 2009.

Rick Young's 'Rick at the Races' - April 17-18, 2009

PIC 1   Rebecca Eisele photo of Chris Raabe's Friday night Can Am win that I missed
PIC  2  Gary Tomkins # 84 in action at Canandaigua
PIC  3  Quebec's Dexter Stacey # 66w in action at Canandaigua
PIC  4  Ontario's James Frisen # 52 takes the outside groove at Canandaigua
PIC  5   Canandaigua Speedway action
PIC  6   Matt Shepherd # 9 in Canandaigua's Victory Lane
PIC  7  Robert Wilms action photo from Raceway Venray in the Netherlands
PIC  8  Robert Wilms photo of the new Raceway Venray in the Netherlands

This past weekend heralded the start of the 2009 Dirt racing season in my part of the world with a double header at the Can Am Speedway, Lafargeville NY. Can Am is one of the 'border tracks' and located only a twenty minute drive down I 81 from the Canadian/USA frontier at 1000 Islands.

On Friday night they were hosting the second round of the SPORTSMAN SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES ( the opening round at the Black Rock Speedway NY was held two weeks ago and won by Sammy Reakes IV ) Friday's are my busiest work day and I rarely finish early, so as expected had to miss out . Winner of the big race was Chris Raabe # 01 of Napanee (Ont).

I was looking forward to attending Saturday's show, day two of the Can Am spectacular which featured the opening round of the 358 MODIFIED SUPER DIRTCAR SERIES. Alas, I woke on Saturday morning to rain and drizzle, and after checking various weather related web-sites, I found the same predicted later in the day at Lafargeville.

I had a feeling that Can Am might get canceled, so purposely left home in Long Sault (Ont) earlier than normal so I could be there early. It started raining as I crossed the Johnstown/Ogdensburg border and it got worse, the further I traveled. I arrived at the track at around 2-15pm just as the cancellation was announced. With the decision being made early, and me being in the right place at the right time, I now had three other 'do-able' alternatives.

I could either go to the Skyline Raceway ( nr Cortland NY) , the Five Mile Point Speedway(Binghampton NY)  or the Canandaigua Speedway (NY). The Skyline Raceway was very tempting and it would have been a 'new track' for me, but after chatting to DIRTCAR official Cory Reed I decided on the Canandaigua option. He'd been on the phone and confirmed it was warm and sunny down there, and that's where he was heading. I jumped back in to my car and followed him.

Two hours later I pulled into the Ontario County Fairgrounds where the track is located. The sun was shining and I was wearing just a T shirt on my first pit walk about. Headline division were the Big Block Modifieds with Sportsman and Streetstox as the support. One of the nicest looking cars in the pits was the Modified of local hero Gary Tomkins # 84 who I had a quick chat with.

There were two Canadian drivers amongst the Modified ranks, James Friesen # 52 from Ontario and Dexter Stacey , son of Wallace # 66w of Quebec.

Most of the evening, I stationed myself in the center , on turn three and four with the other photographers. My Glasgow born , St. Catharine's Ontario buddy Alex Bruce was helping me figure out the settings on my newly acquired flash attachment. The racing was first class and both Modified and Streetstox features provided nail-biting finishes. Matt Shepherd # 9 held on for the Modified win from Gary Tomkins after a late caution provided a 'green, white, checkers' situation.

The show was over before 10-30 pm and it wasn't long before I was out of the gate and heading for home. For the return trip, I chose the 1000 Islands border crossing and after clearing customs by 1-00am I was soon pulling into the Mallory Town Tim Hortons on HWY 401.

Just beating me in the line up for coffee was the Wallace Stacey team , who'd also made pretty good time getting away from the races. Wallace owns Bully's Truck Stop on Hwy 132 in Kahnewake ( Montreal) which I frequent occasionally during my working day. I sat shooting the breeze with them for a while before going back to Long Sault.

OTHER STUFF

During the week I had a message and some photos sent to me from my buddy Robert Wilms in the Netherlands. He was at the preview and 'demonstration day' of the new RACEWAY VENRAY. From 1977 until I emigrated to Canada in 1994 , I was a regular visitor to the Baarlo AutoSpeedway (near Venlo NL). Not long after my trans-Atlantic relocation the track was forced to close down, leaving a void for local racers.

A new tack was built not far away at Venray which also proved very popular until environmental issues ( or B/S as I prefer to call it ! ) forced it too to close. In its place promoter Harry Maessen has built a brand new facility, and this is what Robert went to see last weekend. It looks good, check out the photos.

DIRTcar: Raabe Captures Sportsman Series Opener At Can-Am!

Raabe Rolls To North Country Sportsman Series Win At Can-Am

*Rebecca Eisele Photo Attachment

LaFargeville, NY – April 17, 2009 – By Martin Belanger and Jim Clarke, DIRTcar Racing Northeast Series Correspondents

Can-Am Motorsports Park was the stop for round two of the 2009 Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series. After 49 drivers signed in at Black Rock Speedway for the series oepner, a total of 61 cars rolled into the pits on Friday. All the top names of the Sportsman tour were present to do battle on the fast half-mile speedway located in LaFargeville, New York.

Ally Amell and Justin Wright led the 32-car field in the 30-lap main event although it was 2008 Mr. DIRTcar Champion Chris Raabe who took the lead with a great pass down low from his third starting spot. A quick yellow for debris on the track slowed the field with just one lap in, yet Raabe got a good jump on the ensuing restart with Wright in second and Dave Marcuccilli in third.

While Raabe was alone in front, Marcuccilli was putting pressure on Wright with five laps in the books. Brandon Sweet was also with this group trying to make a move for third as Matt Hulsizer and Jipp Ortiz battled for fifth. Raabe had opened nearly a full stretch lead when a three-car crash came in turn three on lap nine to bring out the second caution of the feature. On the restart, Raabe was still the frontrunner with Jordan Bennett challenging Hulsizer for fifth spot.

On lap 12, a car stopped in turn four brought the field back together with Raabe still leading while Brockville, Ontario teen Matt Billings had already moved up to fourth spot after starting seventh. At the halfway point, just three laps later, the top-five included Raabe, Wright, Marcuccilli, Billings and Hulsizer.

Black Rock’s recent tour winner and early points leader Sammy Reakes IV brought out the caution after suffering a right rear flat with 15 laps to go, and frontrunner Ortiz retired to the pits on the same caution. Raabe built himself another comfortable lead as some great fights for position were occurring at the back of the field.

With 10 laps to go, Raabe had a opened up a 1.0-second lead over Wright, while Hulsizer and Billings diced lap after lap for fourth. Hulsizer claimed the spot as the yellow came out in turn turn on lap 24. As the race resumed, Raabe was still the leader with Wright and Marcuccilli running in spots two and three.

The last yellow flag flew on lap 29 to give the pack one last shot at the defending champion, but as starter Matt Burdick displayed the white and green flags together, the ‘Teenage Tornado’ held his line the final circuit to win his first feature of the season. The Napanee, Ontario driver was followed by Wright, Marcuccilli, Hulsizer and Matt Billings in the front-five.

“The track get slick but the track was great tonight, kudos to the Can-Am organization,” remarked Raabe, who led all 30 laps to score his second tour triumph, his first registered last summer at Brockville Ontario Speedway. “I always liked running on dirt and this win confirms it.”

The Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series takes two and a half months off before teams return for four straight nights of activity at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park, Brewerton Speedway, Brockville Ontario Speedway and Cornwall Motor Speedway to open July.

Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series Race #2 – Can-Am Motorsports Park, April 17, 2009 Event Summary
FIN      STR  CAR#   DRIVER
1         3         01           Chris Raabe/Napanee, ONT
2         2         19w         Justin Wright/Piffard, NY
3         4          m1          Dave Marcuccilli/Cayuga, NY
4         5          55           Matt Hulsizer/Bridgeport,NY
5         20        74           Matt Billings/Brockville, ONT
6         9          06j          Jordan Bennett/Pennellville,NY
7         10        17d         Tom Juhl/Weedsport, NY
8         21        25b         Steve Bernier/St-Hyacinthe,QUE
9         6          24           Brandon Sweet/Watertown, NY
10       15        777         Tyler MacPherson/St. Catharines, ONT
11       14        20x          Kevin Ridley/Geneva, NY
12       18        14            Jeremy Pitcher/Fulton, NY
13       7           k38         Ryan Susice/Ransomville, NY
14       26         77jr         BJ Willard/St. Catharines, ONT
15       31         99p         Greg Panunte/Port Colborne, ONT
16       19         85           John Pietrowicz/Phoenix, NY
17       8           0             Jipp Ortiz/Ransomville, NY
18       11         38s          Luke Whitteker/Iroquois, ONT
19       30         66           Dan Wiesner/Geneva. NY
20       25         36c         Mark Webb/Watertown,NY
21       32         54           Mark Chiddy/Boston, NY
22       13         92           Adam Turner/Picton, ONT
23       17         12           Brandon Hagan/Plessis,NY
24       1            2a          Ally Amell/Watertown, NY
25       22          29c        Tom Conklin/Gouverneur, NY
26       31          62          Rich Bellante/St. Catharines, ONT
27       29          17k        Sammy Reakes IV/Palermo, NY
28       16          83x        Tim Sears Jr./Fulton, NY
29       12          10          Josh VanBrocklin/Watertown, NY
30       24          2            Loren Lincoln/South Bristol, NY
31       25          9m         Mark Osmstead Jr/Elbridge,NY
32       32          17t         Todd Town/Jordan,NY

SYRACUSE TOWN MECHANICAL 30 QUALIFIER: Chris Raabe.   

Heat Races (8 laps, top 3 finishers transferred to feature, top 2 went to re-draw)

#1: Matt Hulsizer, Ally Amell, Adam Turner, Tom Conklin, Steve Savoie, Dana Aikins, Brian Copp, Mark Chiddy, Alan Fink.

#2: Justin Wright, Tom Juhl, Kevin Ridley, Sammy Reakes IV, John Pietrowicz, Mark Webb, Greg Belyea, Jessica Power, Cody MacPherson, Greg Gould.

#3: Jipp Ortiz, Chris Raabe, Tyler MacPherson, Mark Omstead Jr, BJ Willard, Dylan Evoy, Mark Davison, Brad Rouse, Mark Fowler, Zach Amo.

#4: Dave Marcuccilli, Brandon Sweet, Tim Sears jr, Matt Billings, Dan Wiesner, Greg Panunte, Dean Patterson, John Wilber, Ken Bearup, Brad Winters.

#5: Jordan Bennett, Luke Whittaker, Brandon Hagen, Loren Lincoln, Todd Town, Rich Bellante, Verne Harris, Bob Tefft, Kevin Gamble, Christine Martin.

#6: Ryan Sucise, Josh VanBrocklin, Jeremy Pitcher, Shane Pecore, Steve Bernier, Eric Giguere, Rod McDonald, Bill Eisele, Erik Mullikin, Ryan Buzzell, Marcus Dinkins.

Consolation Round (8 laps, top 3 finishers transferred to feature)

#1: John Pietrowicz, Tom Conklin, Mark Webb, Sam Reakes IV, Alan Fink, Mark Chiddy, Brian Copp, Dana Aikins, Steve Savoie, Jessica Power, Cody MacPherson, Greg Belyea.

#2: Matt Billings, Mark Osmstead, BJ Willard, Mark Davison, Dylan Evoy, Dan Wiesner, Greg Panunte, Brad Rouse, John Wilber, Mark Fowler, Brad Winters, Ken Bearup.

#3: Steve Bernier, Loren Lincoln, Todd Town, Eric Giguere, Shane Pecore, Rod MacDonald, Rich Bellante, Kevin Gamble, Bill Eisele, Christine Martin, Verne Harris, Ryan Buzzell, Erik Mullikin, Marcus Dinkins.

Guaranteed Starters: Reakes, Wiesner, Bellante, Panunte.

Provisional starter: Chiddy.

Pot Holes: A half-dozen qualifying heats were needed to make up the starting grid for the 30-lap finale with Matt Hulsizer, Justin Wright, Jipp Ortiz, Dave Marcuccilli, Jordan Bennett and Ryan Sucise the winners. John Pietrowicz, Matt Billings and Steve Bernier won the consolation round races. Hulsizer was also the fastest in Xtrme Lubricants Time Trials, as the cars took to the track in their heat race groupings to run under the clocks to establish the pre,iminary race line-ups...Smithville, Ontario’s Mark D’llario, who was the fastest time trailer and finished second at Black Rock, will spend the year in a DIRTcar 358-Modified and didn’t make the trip to Can-Am…Geneva, New York’s Dan Wiesner used his status as a guaranteed starter for the second consecutive event…The dominating race win for Raabe was a total reversal of fortune from the opener as the 18 year-old needed to use his guaranteed starting spot at Black Rock.

Merrittville Speedway: Preview 2nd Annual Spring Sizzler - 100 lap

Thorold, Ontario (April 19) – The pan has now moved off the back burner and into the fire as Merrittville Speedway’s 2nd annual Spring Sizzler is now less than a week away.

In preparation for the much anticipated must see event at the Thorold DIRTcar facility Saturday April 25th and quite an exciting season schedule to follow – Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series Drivers and fans alike got their first taste of 2009 with a successful Test and Tune Session April 18th.

After a long winter, local race fans were treated to the roar of the engines of many new cars – many with new drivers throughout the L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modifieds, Original Pizza Logs Sportsman, Hoosier Stocks, the newly renamed Modern Corporation Open Wheel Lites and the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinders Divisions in addition to several 4 Cylinder Trucks and Sprint Car Race Teams.

Since last season – race teams have put so much effort into their cars and their hard work over the off season provided a beautiful display of cars, graphics and new sponsors from one end of the pit area to the other - setting the stage for the 58th consecutive race season at Merrittville Speedway.

While most speedways kick off their new season with a regular event, Merrittville Speedway proudly presents quite a kick off – featuring major events for three divisions!

When the brand new Strickland Automart Pace Car takes to the track for the first time – the 2008 Dodge Challenger will take the L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modifieds, Modern Corporation Open Wheel Lites and Hoosier Stocks to their initial green flags in what should be barn burner events.

The 2009 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Opener will feature quite a mix of Merrittville and DIRTcar Stars in a 100 Lap $4000 US to win Main Event.

The race is the first opportunity for the drivers to earn points toward prestigious national and regional DIRTcar Racing titles and enjoy other benefits associated with being part of the nation's largest short track sanctioning body.

In the inaugural Spring Sizzler last season, top title contender Danny O’Brien teamed up with Kendrick Racing to drive the Todd Kendrick #55 to a second place finish.

One year later - the second-generation standout from Kingston, Ontario will steer the Kendrick Racing no. 7star Global Warranty/Bicknell ride in an all out assault on the 2009 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Title.

O’Brien, 41, owns 12 track titles in the DIRTcar 358-Modified ranks and stands sixth all-time with 118 Small-Block feature wins.

“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 is the first time I’ve started out with two complete cars and engines so I’m certainly excited to get the season going.”

Expected to join the O’Brien in the Series opener will be many of last year’s top traveling teams led by (defending Merrittville Champion) Chad Brachmann, Carey Terrance, Mark Smoke, Tommy Flannigan and ’07 Mr. DIRTcar Champ Mario Clair – not to mention defending Series Champ – Pete Bicknell.

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 who all call Merrittville home Saturday Nights.

Joining the 358’s will be the Modern Corporation Open Wheel Lites in the first stop on the Stars North Mod Lite Tour – an event won last season by Somerset Pennsylvania’s Mikey Hay.

Also on tap will be the always entertaining and exciting Hoosier Stocks for their opening Bonus point night.

"Both series will usher in a new era of local racing as top drivers from the region compete at the area track bringing more opportunities for area race fans to see their favourite 358 and Mod Lite stars," said Erica Bicknell, general manager. 

Racing action is slated to get under way at 6:30 pm with hot laps prior to time trials at 6:15. Both the Grandstand and Pit gates will open at 4 pm. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $6 for Juniors and kids under 8 are free. An economical Family Pass is also available.

Merrittville Speedway is located at 2371 Merrittville Highway in rural Thorold Ontario with easy access from Highway 406. For further information contact the Speedway Office at 905-892-8266 or visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com.

Join us this season on a Saturday Night for A LUCAS OIL WEEKLY RACING SERIES EVENT featuring FIVE Weekly Racing Divisions featuring local heroes and up and coming new stars! 

Make your plans … call your friends and maybe even get a car pool together and enjoy a staycation at the speedway with plenty of free parking and camping spots!

You’re among friends at Boston Pizza and Merrittville Speedway. Check your 2009 Merrittville Speedway Grandstand Ticket stubs for a special offer from the Niagara Street Welland Boston Pizza location.

Your Local Dirt Track is where it's at!! Merrittville Speedway "The Best Family Entertainment in Niagara"

MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY SPONSORS

The 2009 Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series for Merrittville Speedway’s 5 Divisions is brought to fans by several partners, including division sponsors L. St. Amand Enterprises, Original Pizza Logs, Hoosier, Modern Corporation and Turn 4 Collision as well as contingency sponsors Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Hoosier Tire, Lucas Oil Products, Inside Track Motorsport News, Intercomp, ISC Racer’s Tape, Jaz Products, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Motorsports Safety Systems, Outerwears, Port City Racing, R.J.S. Racing Equipment, Racing Optics, Schroeder Torsion Bars, Schoenfeld Headers, Ultra Shield Race Products, Wrisco Industries and XRP, Inc.

Lucas Oil Products is one of the fastest growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry featuring a premium line of oils, greases and problem-solving additives.

Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil Products has established itself as the top selling additive in the industry.

Race fans can look for Lucas Oil Products at their favorite automotive retailer including Drummond Home Hardware in Niagara Falls and through RCM Racing Equipment

For Release   - Sunday April 19 2009  // From Jim Irvine Merrittville Speedway Public Relations - 905-892-8266

Brad Leighton Wins New Hampshire Governor's Cup 150

Brad Leighton Wins New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150

 

Brad Leighton of Center Harbor, NH wins the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150. Leighton came from deep in the field starting 19^th to become the first qualifier for the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The deciding battle of the race came on lap 130 when Leighton got by defending NH Governor’s Cup Champ Joey Pole of Hudson, NH. The two had to fight through heavy lap traffic due to a long green flag run from lap 52 to the finish.

 

Leighton said, “It’s a real honor to be the first qualifier for the New Hampshire Invitational. The Invitational is going to be a huge boost for the ACT series and attract tremendous regional exposure. And it’s great to be part of it.”

 

Rounding out the top five were Joey Pole, Scott Payea, Eddie MacDonald, and Quinny Welch. Coming home sixth was Ricky Wolf Jr., John Donahue, Wayne Helliwell Jr., Brian Hoar, followed by teammate Mike Olsen finishing in tenth.

INDYCAR: Franchitti wins Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sunday, April 19, 2009) – Dario Franchitti drove a strong race and benefitted from two well-timed pit stops to win the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The victory was the ninth of Franchitti’s career and the 25th for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Franchitti started second but lost two spots in the first turn of the 85-lap race. He moved back up to second on Lap 15 before pitting on Lap 16. The stop for tires and fuel proved to be fortuitous as contact by Mike Conway brought out a full-course caution two laps later. As the rest of the field cycled through pit stops, Franchitti took the lead on Lap 32.

Franchitti benefited from a similar scenario later in the race, pitting under green conditions on Lap 53, one lap before another full-course caution. From that point, Franchitti led the final 29 laps, opening up a lead of several seconds over pole sitter Will Power.

Power finished second in the No. 12 Team Verizon Wireless car, two days after relinquishing the seat of the No. 3 Team Penske entry to Helio Castroneves. Castroneves finished seventh in his first race of the season.

Andretti Green Racing drivers Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti all finished in the top 10 despite starting 11th or worse. Kanaan finished third, while Patrick improved from 22nd to fourth. Andretti finished sixth.

Also on Sunday, J.R. Hildebrand led all 45 laps of the Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Long Beach from the pole to earn his second career victory. Richard Philippe was second, James Hinchcliffe third, Jonathan Summerton fourth and Ana Beatriz fifth.

***

Honda Performance Development, in association with Clothes Off Our Back, an organization known for its auctions of celebrity-worn apparel, is giving race fans the opportunity to own items previously worn by race car drivers during the 2008-09 seasons. Items up for auction include race suits, gloves, helmets, shoes and other memorabilia.

The auction will begin following today’s race at www.clothesoffourback.org, with items from this weekend available through May 6.

Proceeds will benefit Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, Students Run L.A., Rolling Readers, South Bay Classic, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Special Olympics.

HPD conducted the auction for the first time last year, raising nearly $20,000 for children’s charities with items that included a helmet worn by 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice and a Danica Patrick-signed flag from her historic win at Twin Ring Motegi.

***

Dan Wheldon joined Team NOS as the first open wheel driver to be sponsored by NOS Energy Drink. NOS Energy Drink is the fifth-largest energy drink brand in the United States.

***

FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS POST-RACE NOTES:

*       J.R. Hildebrand earns his second career victory. He also won at Kansas last year.
*       This is the 29th Firestone Indy Lights race where the race winner led every lap.
*       Rookie Richard Philippe finishes second, his career-best finish. His previous best was 10th at St. Petersburg 2.
*       Rookie James Hinchcliffe finishes third, his second consecutive third-place finish.
*       Rookie Jonathan Summerton finishes fourth, his third consecutive top-four finish.
*       Ana Beatriz finishes fifth, her second top-five finish of the season and 11th of her career.
*       Rookie Ali Jackson finishes a career-best sixth.
*       Junior Strous, the winner of the first two races this season, remains the series points leader despite finishing 23rd. His lead shrunk from 28 points to three.

***

FIRESTONE INDY LIGHT POST-RACE QUOTES:

J.R. HILDEBRAND (No. 26 ARPRO, first): “We just had a great car, and the ARPRO guys have just done a great job all weekend. We had a great car at St. Petersburg, but we had some mechanicals going on or we could have been just as good there. I have to give all the credit to the boys for picking it up after a rough weekend.” (About conditions): “It was getting hot out there. I feel like some of the other guys were dropping off a little quicker than I was. I think our fitness trainer will be getting a big hug when we get home. We had a good car, and that made my job easy.” (About next race): “I think we have the potential to be the fastest on the track everywhere we go. We had a good run at Kansas last year and picked up some miles in the IndyCar (Series car) a couple weeks ago, so maybe that will give us a leg up on everyone. Obviously, I’m looking for a good weekend there next year.”

RICHARD PHILIPPE (No. 36 Genoa, second): “We’re not P1, but we were equal with him. He had good restarts, and I couldn’t catch him. At the end, I kind of faded off a little bit and James (Hinchcliffe) was catching up a little bit. But P2 is points in the bag, and we can move forward.”

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 7 Hinchtown/Sam Schmidt Motorsports, third): “It was a solid effort. I don’t think any of us had anything for J.R. (Hildebrand) today. He was pretty quick and I feel like at the end he could just pretty much control the pace and do what he wanted. For me, good start, second off the start. And then the second or third lap, J.R. clobbered the wall coming out of the hairpin with his inside rear. And I thought for sure he was going to spin so I backed out of it to avoid the wreck. And the guy somehow managed to capture it up and keep going, so I had already lifted and lost my momentum, which allowed Richard (Philippe) to get by, which is too bad because I think for sure we could have been second today.”

JONATHAN SUMMERTON (No. 9 Andersen/Allied Interior Products/Lafarge, fourth): “We had a car that was very consistent. I wouldn't say we had the quickest car, but we were consistent. I think consistency should win the championship, so hopefully that stays true. I'm happy with fourth place, but I would have liked to have been on the podium.”

ANA BEATRIZ (No. 20 Healthy Choice/Sam Schmidt Motorsports, fifth): “It's good to finish top five again. It's important for the points. We struggled a little bit here at the beginning of the weekend. The Healthy Choice/Sam Schmidt Motorsports team made sure we could improve our qualifying. For the race, we made sure we picked up some positions, kept safe and finished in the top five.”

JUNIOR STROUS (No. 18 Shell V-Power Knaus HTP, points leader): “The car was good, but on the first lap, I started seeing errors on my dash. Then in Turn 8, the car started to bog down. I looked back and saw flames and parked it immediately. I have to give credit to the marshals, because they did a great job getting to the car and helped limit the damage to the car. It sucks for sure. We had a bad weekend, but will back next week for sure, hopefully with more luck.”

***

Dale Coyne Racing officials announced a renewal of a relationship with Z-Line Designs to field the No. 18 car for driver Justin Wilson for the remainder of the season. Z-Line Designs is the nation’s largest manufacturer of ready-to-assemble office and home furniture.

DALE COYNE (Owner, Dale Coyne Racing): “This is about our relationship with Jim Sexton and Z-Line Designs. They were with us last year as a sponsor and they’ve come back this year as more than just a sponsor. We’re looking to build the program long term, get back to two cars and look at how we can work some other sponsors to be more active in the program. We’re working to grow a lot of things this year. We’ve obviously grown our engineering staff. I think the next thing is the marketing side. Jim (Sexton) has been very successful in the Nationwide Series, and I think the efforts he can put forth to help grow the team can be a good thing for all of us.”

JIM SEXTON (CEO, Z-Line Designs): “We sell to all the largest retailers in the country. Dale and I have been staying in touch about the future and what we can do. Racing is really about how we can get to all of the customers. And that’s the whole idea – we want to get to the customers when they see the car, they see ESPN, they see SportsCenter, whatever it may be. And we think racing is the best way to do that. It was a combination of us getting together, and we’re very happy that Justin (Wilson) is with us, and Dale is a great guy, and we think that we can grow the program and be even stronger in the future.”

***

JUSTIN WILSON (No. 18 Z-Line Designs): “From my point of view, it’s very exciting to be part of this program and be in this building process. I see this as being a long-term successful team that has the capability of being competitive week in and week out. The aim is to try to win a championship. We all know there’s a steep learning process, getting everybody to gel together, because we are all new to each other this year. So it takes a little bit of time to really get that to gel at every track and get that data for the future, but I’m really excited. I think St. Petersburg showed what we are capable of, and yesterday we qualified in the Firestone Fast Six. I’m just pleased to be here driving for Dale Coyne Racing and proud to carry Z-Line Designs Furniture on the car.”

***

INDYCAR SERIES POST-RACE NOTES:

·         Dario Franchitti records his ninth career victory in the IndyCar Series. His most recent victory was in the 2007 season finale at Chicagoland Speedway when he clinched the series championship.

·         This is Franchitti’s first IndyCar Series victory on a road/street course.

·         This is Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s 25th victory in the IndyCar Series.

·         Will Power finished second, his best finish in the IndyCar Series. His previous best was fourth at Mid-Ohio in 2008.

·         Tony Kanaan finished third, his 11th consecutive top-10 finish, the longest active streak in the IndyCar Series.

·         Kanaan recorded his 68th career top-five finish, the most all-time in the IndyCar Series. This was Kanaan’s 100th career start.

·         Danica Patrick finished fourth, her 12th career top-five finish, her first top-five finish since Infineon last August.

·         Patrick improved 18 positions during the race, most of any driver.

·         Dan Wheldon finished fifth, his 55th top-five finish.

·         Marco Andretti finished sixth, recording his 22nd top-10 finish in his 50th career start.

·         Helio Castroneves finished seventh in his first race of the season. This is his 89th top-10 finish in 115 starts.

·         Rookie Robert Doornbos finished a career-best ninth, his first top-10 finish.

·         Alex Tagliani finished 10th, his second top-10 finish of the season.

·         The top 10 finishers represent seven teams.

***

INDYCAR SERIES POST RACE QUOTES:

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing, first): “I got lots of Champ Car street and road course wins, but I haven’t had one in the IndyCar Series, so to finally get one feels good for all kinds of reasons. After everything we went through last year and then Chip (Ganassi) coming up and saying, ‘Hey, do you want to drive my Indy car?’ And now we’re back here winning together. Having finished second to his cars here twice I said to him last night, ‘If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,’ and here we are. Thanks to my crew and the whole Target team. It’s good to be back and see full grandstands and see a buzz at the track. Great day.”

WILL POWER (No. 12 Team Verizon Wireless, second): “It was a great day. We had no radio and no telemetry, so I was doing it off the steering wheel and off the pit board. I’m very happy. Second is very good. I feel happy for all the guys. They put a lot of effort in. I really want to thank Roger Penske and Tim Cindric for bringing this Verizon Wireless car here for me. I really appreciate it. They’ve given me a fantastic ride, and I can’t thank them enough.”

TONY KANAAN (No. 11 Team 7-Eleven/Dr. Pepper, third): “We work better under pressure, I guess. It’s a good day for Andretti Green Racing. Great job for the 7-Eleven team. That’s how we count points and move forward. When we have a car to win, we win, and when we don’t we finish on the podium.”

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Motorola, fourth): “It was a good job on the strategy and getting that right. We pitted at the right times. I believe they just said Dario (Franchitti) and I were on that strategy. If the yellows would have fallen just right, we’d have had the lead, and there was just no passing out there. Unfortunately, I made a little mistake and Will Power got by and then Tony Kanaan got by me because of the blend line, but it’s weird because there’s no way he would have beat me out, because I passed him still on the track, but the way that the blend line works, it’s so early in the straightaway compared to where you enter. But it was a much better result, obviously, for us, and I’m real proud of how we all kept our heads down and made a result out of it instead of getting down. The Motorola guys did a great job and got me out quickly.”

DAN WHELDON (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing, fifth): “So far the Panther team has done a fantastic job calling the races, and certainly it was a different race; there wasn’t a lot of passing out there. Once I got off the black tires, which I really struggled with rotating the car and getting good power down, it really came alive. Once the track rubbered-in, that helped us as well. But the National Guard Panther Racing team did a really good job. I thought we were pretty competitive all weekend. Everybody worked hard and did a good job in terms of the pit stops, and it was a tough race and a race of attrition, but we made it to a top-five. It was important for us to score points going into Kansas, because that’s a race I’m very confident about, but the IndyCar Series is so competitive now that you can’t count your points too early.”

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Automatic Fire Sprinklers, sixth): “I think today was definitely a good effort for the No. 26 car. We found some speed during the morning warm-up and were able to have the pace we needed to work our way through the field. The whole AFS crew did a great job in the pits, and Kyle (Moyer) made some great calls to get us to the front. Unfortunately, we were held up by a couple yellows but we had one of the fastest cars, for sure. This weekend we learned a lot about what we need to work on the rest of the season. I’m looking forward to Kansas next weekend.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Team Penske, seventh): “Wow. That’s the first word that comes to mind. It was special day for me. Before the race as I rode around the track, the crowd gave me so much support. I could see they weren't all wearing my shirts, but they didn’t care. They were cheering for me. It was emotional, but I was thinking, ‘I have to race. I have to focus.’ I have to thank the fans from all over the world for their support. It’s an incredible compliment that I’ll never forget. This is my therapy. I need stuff like this to forget about what happened.” (About the race): "It was rough in the beginning for the No. 3 Team Penske car because I didn’t want to touch anybody. I saw that the nose of my car had some scratches, but that’s what happens when you haven’t been in the car for a while. It takes a little time for you to judge the distance (between cars). It was fun. I only had an hour and a half (in practice and qualifying) and most of it was by myself. When you run behind someone, the car changes a lot. Finally I got a rhythm and was able to get going, and it felt so much better. We got caught by a yellow, and that dropped me to where we finished (seventh). But that’s racing. I'm so happy to sound like a driver again and very happy to finish and get back into the championship.”

ROBERT DOORNBOS (No. 06 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, ninth): “I think we had a very good first stint. I passed three or four guys going into Turn 1, which was nice, and then I found myself in the front, so I was hoping all of the bad luck this weekend was behind us and we would have good luck with the yellows. The crew was saying, ‘This can be our lucky shot, keep it up. Your fuel saving is great.’ Then the yellows came at the wrong time so I went completely to the back and had to start over again with the fuel saving and passing people. It was fun, but I’m just not happy in general with the weekend. Finishing ninth is not why I am here. I hope in Kansas that we have less mistakes and the championship starts there.”

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 34 Conquest Racing, 10th): “We were doing really well and on our way to a good result. Unfortunately, the yellow flag came out at the wrong time, and that cost us some positions. We also had a little mishap in the pits that cost us. It’s really too bad because I had a very good car. At the end, I had a good fight with (Graham) Rahal and then I was able to make it into the top 10 for a second race in a row by passing (Ryan) Hunter-Reay on the last lap. Once again, I want to thank the team for their hard work and our partners, ODW Logistics, TorcUP and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, for their support this weekend.”

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The 2009 IndyCar Series season continues April 26 with the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at 4 p.m. (EDT) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. The radio broadcast also will be carried on www.indycar.com. The Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Long Beach will be telecast at 4 p.m. (EDT) on April 20 by VERSUS. The 2009 Firestone Indy Lights season continues April 26 at Kansas Speedway. The race will be telecast at 4 p.m. (EDT) on April 27 by VERSUS.

Media Contacts: John Griffin, Indy Racing League