Flamboro Oktoberfest Saturday RAINED OUT

NASCAR at KANSAS: Mark Martin Press Conference Transcript

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES: PRICE CHOPPER 400 // KANSAS SPEEDWAY
OCTOBER 2, 2009

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 CARQUEST/KELLOGG’S IMPALA SS, met with members of the media at Kansas Speedway and discussed No. 5 and No. 48 at NASCAR R & D center,  racing at Kansas, success this season, being in the Chase, Joey Logano accident, physical fitness and other topics. Full transcript:

WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO YOUR CAR FROM DOVER BEING A LITTLE TOO CLOSE TO THE GREY AREA AND NASCAR NOT ALLOWING YOU TO BRING IT BACK TO THE TRACK IN THAT SET UP?  “Well, the five car has been to the R&D center more than any other car on the circuit.  We went five times………..they take the winner every time.  And every time, it’s been legal.  We were the random car at Dover and that particular car has been there I think a couple of times already this year.  And it’s close, but it’s legal.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO A DRIVER TO HAVE A CREW CHIEF THAT DOES PUSH IT TO THAT VERY LIMIT? “I don’t know.  I worked on these race cars when I was younger……..a lot. And we always pushed everything that we had.  Just like we do on the racetrack.  You push everything, every rule, no matter what it is……….that’s racing.   That is why it’s called racing and that is what you do.

“So the car we have here has won two times this year and has been over there twice and they took another good look at it…..my guys did……….before they brought it here to the racetrack and we are good, we are racing.”

ON JIMMIE JOHNSON’S COMMENTS THAT HE WANTS OTHER COMPETITORS TO BE AFRAID OF THIS ORGAINIZATION AND WANTS THEM TO BE DISTRACTED BY THIS NON-ISSUE  “I don’t know.  That is a little deep for me.  I’m just really proud to be driving this five car and working with these guys.   The engine department has done an incredible job for us this year, the team has built wonderful chassis, the fab shop has been spot on.  The race cars are beautiful, they’re fast, and we have had great teamwork.  And we have earned the position that we are in right now and the racing will tell whether we can stay there or not.”

WITH THIS BEING THE FIRST 1.5 MILE TRACK IN THE CHASE, HOW MUCH WILL BE LEARN ABOUT WHO WILL BE GOOD THE REST OF THE WAY?  “Well, it’s still going to be only thirty percent.  Let’s let the racing decide the champion, not fortune tellers. You know, that is how I feel about it.  You know it’s………we’ve had a great year.  We’ve had great engines, chassis, fabrication, teamwork and I am real proud of what we have accomplished this year and let’s let the racing decide.”

ABOUT WHETHER WINNING AT CHICACO MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT COMING TO KANSAS?  “It does but it’s not everything.  You still have to do it here. Last year in the eight car we ran real well at Chicago and then we came here with that set up and it didn’t work out well for us at all.

“I believe that this car will be more forgiving in that way and I am hoping and we expect to be able to use that same logic to be really strong here.  But if not, we will find our way.  We were lost last weekend at Dover and we found our way and that is what this race team does.  You know, Alan, and the guys and all the teamwork that we are doing on and off the race track…………we have been successful in finding our way so I expect that we will be strong.”

MARK, YOU HAVE A 1.5 AVERAGE FINISH IN THE CHASE. CAN YOU KEEP UP THAT PACE?  “History says we can’t keep up that pace, but it sure feels good right now.  I am just really proud of the things that we have been able to accomplish.   There is one thing that we do have that I think we have more of than any of the other 11 in the chase.  That’s the heart.  My race team has the biggest hearts in the world and I feel really good about what we have accomplished especially considering that we started together in February kind of new and have really learned our way and have managed to peak about halfway through the season and I am proud of all that and no matter what the racing from here on out decides, as far as I am concerned, we won’t lose.  We might not score as many points, but we won’t lose.”

ON WHETHER THE NO. 5 TEAM HAS ANOTHER LEVEL THEY CAN TURN IT UP TO AND HAVE WE SEEN ANOTHER LEVEL NOW IN THE CHASE:  “Well, it’s too early to be fair and say.  If I answered that, I would answer yes, but that’s based on twenty percent of the Chase.  So if I read somebody said yes, I would say, ‘listen to them’, you know…………it’s twenty percent.  So I really don’t want to answer that as a yes, I would like to answer that as we certainly have based on twenty percent of the Chase.  

“We have got to let the racing decide and that is the one thing that is cool about all this points stuff.  You always want to talk about the points stuff, but the races decide that.  We have got a lot of racing to go, and a lot of excitement, and I think that everybody needs to stay in tuned to these races.”

WHEN IN YOUR HEAD IS IT OKAY TO START THINKING ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP?  “I think with four to go we will have a much clearer picture.  With four to go.”

ON WHEN YOUR FITNESS PROGRAM STARTED: “January 1988.  When I hooked up with Roush, that was the first time that I didn’t have to physically work on the race cars in the shop every day.  And so that is where I had time then to start it.”

ON WHETHER YOUR ROUTINE HAS HAD TO CHANGE NOW THAT YOU ARE IN THE CHASE “Well, in some ways you could say that I have been training for this Chase for 21 years.  But I trained just as hard last year racing a limited schedule and when I don’t drive anymore, I will continue to train just as hard because it’s an important part of my life.  Not every day am I excited or thrilled about going to the gym, but I do love it and it’s an important part of my life.”

WHAT IS IT THAT YOU DO AS PART OF YOUR TRAINING?  “Strength training four days a week, and I do cardio three.  My cardio is not brutal because I am very lean and I eat a lot of food and I don’t have any intentions of getting any leaner or skinnier.  So I limit my cardio to three days a week and I lift heavy and hard.  Some people, if they lifted as hard as I lift and ate as much as I do would be pretty big.”

ON WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU TO BE IN NASCAR ALL THESE YEARS AND NOW THEY HAVE A HALL OF FAME FOR THE SPORT  “I think it’s great and I think they will have five inductees a year and that’s going to mean it’s going to take a long time to see a lot of our heroes in there and I hope I am around to see a lot of them.”

DO YOU HAVE A FIRST FIVE THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE IN THERE?  “That would be very unfair.  Without thinking about it very much I would think that I would want to put 25 in there the first year.”

YOU ARE GOOD FRIENDS WITH LAGONO.  DID YOU TALK WITH HIM THIS WEEK AT ALL ABOUT THE RIDE HE WENT ON OR GIVE HIM ANY ADVICE?  “No, Joey has kind of slipped by the advice think a bit.  He hasn’t been checking in with me very much lately and he has been doing very well.  But I have thought about him, and I have thought about his dad.  I really like his dad a lot, but we haven’t spoken since Sunday before the race.”

SOME PEOPLE SAID THEY WERE SURPRISED THAT HE SAID HE WAS SCARED DURING IT.  WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT A DRIVER SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
“I think it’s an honest answer.   That is just him being honest.  It scares me to think about it.  So I can certainly think that the ride itself would be scary.  Some guys are just a little bit different and that kind of ride might not scare them but I think honestly the ride would scare a lot of people.  But driving a race care sure doesn’t scare him.”

DO YOU DO ANY SCOREBOARD WATCHING DURING THE RACE WEEKEND AND SEE WHERE THEY QUALIFIED AND SUCH?  “I’m a race fan.  So I do that, Chase or no Chase.  Every week.”

WHO HAS BEEN A DISAPPOINTMENT TO YOU SO FAR IN THE CHASE?  CARL EDWARDS? “I haven’t seen any disappointments in the Chase other than Kasey (Kahne) having an engine problem.  So no, it’s just really, really tough out there and everybody in the Chase is running good.”

HOW MUCH ARE YOU ENJOYING THIS CHASE, THIS YEAR AND THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER?  “Well we are just getting started right now with the Chase part of it but there is a lot of pressure off of me now.  We had to fight our way into the Chase with all the trouble that we had at the beginning of the year, but now that we are in here we are having fun again but its dream come true and I certainly never thought we would be having this kind of year.”

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA WAS JUST SAYING THAT NO MATTER HOW WELL THEY DO YOU ARE CONSTANTLY OUTRUNNING THEM.  HOW SATISFYING IS IT TO BE PUTTNG UP SOME BIG NUMBERS IN THE CHASE SO FAR? “Its pretty satisfying but I keep thinking the same thing about him.  I predicted that he could win this Chase and surprise a lot of people and so far he has proven that they are ready to contend for it.

“But it’s a lot of fun to drive and work with such great people and drive a great race car.  It’s all about the people who build this race car.  If I had a less competitive race car I would be stuck in the middle of the pack.”

About General Motors: General Motors Company, one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 235,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors Company acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors Company can be found at www.gm.com.

Photo by Ed Moody

Bicknell Racing Products ... Super DIRT Week and Beyond!

Bicknell Racing Products Team Support Extends Beyond Super DIRT Week

St. Catharines, ONT – October 2, 2009 – By Jim Irvine, Bicknell Racing Products PR

Late September upon visiting bicknellracingproducts.com, race teams may have learned of a new product being launched in addition to a constantly updated listing of 2009 feature winners and other information. That same information was also broadcast on Twitter as Bicknell Racing Products’ support of it’s drivers’ accomplishments and new product info is now shared via the social networking service. “Race weekends … I’m constantly tweeting,” relays BRP’s Bob Slack, “We’re so proud of another BRP driver winning … or having a good race – whether we’re at the event or just have the results … we’re happy to share it with race teams and race fans alike.”

What can you say about the BRP Chassis - the results speak for themselves. In 2009, BRP-chassied drivers won more features than any other Chassis Manufacturer in Big Block … 358 … and Sportsman competition … 646 and counting. From the first win of the new season for BRP by Darren Latimer at the Lismore Speedway in Australia to Pat Ward and Jamie Mills Alltel Nationals by UNOH wins in February at the Volusia Speedway Park to one of the latest by NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Dave Blaney in Scott Wood’s #38 in the Stars of NASCAR Shoot Out at Humberstone Speedway – it’s the seventh consecutive season that BRP Drivers have combined for at least 500 wins.

BRP began more than 25 years ago and has grown today to boast a St. Catharines, Ontario based manufacturing and retail headquarters and a U.S. retail location in Niagara Falls New York, in addition to a strong dealer network.

Along Manufacturers Row during the 38th running of the Fall Classic, October 7-11, Bicknell Racing Products will continue to provide customers with complimentary service and technical support through-out the event. Pete Bicknell, Luke Proulx, Teddy Curvin and Randy ‘T-Ball’ Ellison will represent the Canadian headquarters along with Randy Williamson and they will be joined by George Glasgow and Christine Ciocco from the Niagara Falls, NY Retail outlet. Along with other select staff including Mike Romano and Steve Hart from Andy’s Speed Shop, they will provide a wide array of services. Bicknell Racing Products provides the large province of Quebec contingent with problem solving in the French language as well.

For the second straight season, $100 BRP Gift Certificates were awarded to all Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block and Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series race winners throughout 2009. “The bonuses are in appreciation for the drivers,” related Pete Bicknell, “We pride ourselves in their performances and anything we can do to help. Whether it’s week in and week out during the season or at a Series event, or all week long at the Mile, we’re happy to help.”

The Top-3 finishers in both the Super DIRTcar Series ‘Rite Aid 200 Presented By Ferris & Snapper Mowers’ Modified and ‘Salute to the Troops 150’ 358-Modified title events receive product certificates. $1000 will go to the first 3 finishers in each class contingent upon use of a BRP Chassis and display of decals with the breakdown as follows - $500, $300 and $200 respectively. The Sportsman 30 lap Championship Top 3 will also receive certificates in the amounts of $250, $150 and $100 respectively with the same eligibility requirements.

Super DIRT Week 2009 will feature Team Bicknell led by runner-up Matt Sheppard who is currently in second in overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar points while leading the series with five wins. Defending Mr. DIRTcar Champion Billy Decker is third in points with 4 wins while Justin Haers sits in 5th – a Victory at the Moody Mile would be icing on the cake. Decker is also the defending 358 Modified Super DIRT Week winner.

In addition to finding BRP designed and manufactured parts on top DIRTcar teams, select World of Outlaw Late Model Drivers have become impressed with BRP’s own Brake Calipers. They can be found on the cars of Decker, his teammate Larry Wight, Tim Fuller, Chubb Frank and Clint Smith. For further information on Bicknell Racing Products or to find a dealer near you, call either 905/685-7223 or 716-285-7502, or visit BRP on line at www.bicknellracingproducts.com or live at www.twitter.com/bicknellracing.

About Bicknell Racing Products: Bicknell Racing Products offers full in-house machining, welding and fabrication departments and stocks all racing products from front to rear with retail locations in St. Catharines Ontario and Western New York. BRP supports a dealer network that includes #1 Speed, A-1 Racing, Andy’s Speed Shop, Bandit Speed, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Big Daddy’s Speed, Blue Hen Speed and Performance, Bob Mullen Pro Speed, Budd Olsen Racing, Dewart Speed, Gibbs Speed, Hoffman Speed, J&L Speed, Lake Erie Speed, Metal Fab, Mr. Radiator, P.O.P., Paine Motorsports, Promotion Speed, SD Performance, Snookie’s Speed Parts, T&G Speed and Custom, Total Race Supply, Trackside Products, Traps Speed Shop and Willy Decker Promotion Motorsports.

DIRTcar Racing Northeast main office is located in Weedsport, New York on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds, home of DIRTcar All-Star Weekend in July. DIRTcar Northeast’s crown jewel event ---Super DIRT Week at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse--- runs October 7-11, 2009 featuring Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series events for Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions. Ticket and schedule information is available by contacting the Weedsport office (315/834-6606) during the day or logging into www.superdirtweekonline.com anytime.

NASCAR Kansas: Tony Stewart Press Conferece Transcript

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES: PRICE CHOPPER 400 @ KANSAS SPEEDWAY

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/OLD SPICE IMPALA SS, met with members of the media at Kansas Speedway and discussed racing at Kansas, practice, windy conditions, the Chase, Danica Patrick, and more. Full transcript:

WHAT’S YOUR SENSE OF WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON SUNDAY NOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN ON THE TRACK? “I’m pretty excited this weekend so far. I think we ended up fifth in practice there and we were on top of the board for a minute. We got a good start to the weekend. I think our car felt good in race trim and we’re pretty decent in qualifying trim right now. We’re going to try to make it a little bit better for our qualifying run. We drew the first spot so we’ve got to go out first which isn’t probably the most advantageous spot to take off for qualifying but we’ll see what we get.”

THE WIND IS FIERCE TODAY, WHAT DO YOU FEEL OUT THERE IN THE CARS MAKING SOME LAPS? “It was a little gustier at the beginning of the session then it was at the end. It seemed like it was a little more consistent at the end. It just changes. It depends on which direction the wind is blowing dictates how the entries and exit of the corner are and whether you’ve got to run with the head wind or tail wind down the straightaways or anything but it seems to be blowing from the front stretch to the back stretch so it only affects really the corners right now. It was a pretty big difference.”

YOUR FIRST SEASON AS AN OWNER SO FAR HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE HAVE YOU HIT THAT POINT WITH YOUR TEAM WHERE ITS MORE OF AN EXPECTATION THAN A PLEASANT SURPRISE THAT YOU GUYS ARE RUNNING SO WELL? “I think we’re through that stage now. Everybody is still happy about the fact that we’re doing this in our first year but I think since the Chase has started we all not have expected more but we put more pressure on ourselves to perform better and consistent each week so we still feel like we have a shot at this championship. That’s what we’re all pushing for right now.”

HOW DO YOU KIND OF RATE HOW YOU’VE RUN THE FIRST TWO RACES OF THE CHASE AND HOW MUCH ARE YOU WATCHING THE OTHER 11 GUYS? “We’re really not right now. Obviously at the end of the race we look at the points sheet to see where we’re at and see whether we’ve gained or lost but we don’t worry about it in practice. You still have to go out and beat 42 guys each week. I think we would have like to obviously had a better Loudon and we would have likes to have finished better last weekend but we were a quick car. We just weren’t as quick as the No. 48 was last week and we thought that taking four tires was going to be better for track position at the end there and we lost too much track position. So we thought there would be more guys take four tires. We made the guess that we thought was going to be right for us and lost out last week.”

CAN YOU TALK TO US ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SEE THE YOUNG KIDS HERE ENJOYING WHAT YOU DO AND THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH GOING TO CLASSROOMS AND THINGS YOU GUYS DO TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE THE SPEEDWAY? “We don’t get to do much outside the speedway obviously. We fly in on Thursdays and we race Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then we leave. That’s the great thing about our sport its very fan friendly from everybody that’s kids all the way up to people in their 70’s and 80’s. This is a sport that people have enjoyed for years and seeing the young kids that come to the track they’re going to enjoy it for a lot of years to come. It’s a good sign that our sport is healthy and we’ve got a good future.”

IS THERE ANY CHANCE WE’LL EVER SEE YOU TAKE YOUR TEAM OR A TEAM OVER TO LUCAS OIL AS SPRINT CAR DIRT SERIES AND RUN 360’S BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE ITS GROWING REALLY BIG? “I think right now with the TV package we’re pretty happy with the World of Outlaws side. It helps us sell our sponsorships knowing that they’re going to be able to see our Armor All car and Bass Pro Shops cars on TV once a week almost through the summer. We always look at all the other series but it’s hard to maintain a USAC program and a World of Outlaws program. It’s hard enough to do just those two let alone branching out right now.”

IS THERE ANYTHING NEW YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT DANICA PATRICK? WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO NASCAR IN TERMS OF POPULARITY AND MORE ATTENTION?
"You need to ask NASCAR that. You've got to remember you guys (media) ask us questions and topics that we're not really that concerned about. I'm worried about making my car go fast this weekend and trying to figure out how to make my organization good for the rest of the Chase. I'm not worried about what somebody else is doing or I don't have this much time to sit and think like you do to try to figure out what the impact of it's going to be. I'm sure it would be huge. She's the most popular driver in IRL and for her to come here would be huge pat on the back to NASCAR, for sure. But what the true impact of it is, I have no clue (laughs). I don't know what it would be."

ENTERING INTO THIS PART OF THE CHASE, HAS ANYTHING SURPRISED YOU OR HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR TEAM REALLY RISE TO THE OCCASION? SPECIFICALLY, GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES.
"I think they've got to do that every week. It's not something that you coast and collect for 26 weeks and then you show up on the first day of the Chase and say okay, now we're going to work hard and work 100 percent. They've been doing that all year. But I did notice something this morning when I got in the garage they were all joking around and smiling and having a good time. And that's the way we've been through the whole practice. So, that sets the tone for the weekend and then running good so far in practice has kind of doubled that. So I think we're off to a great weekend so far and I'm looking forward to carrying it out the next two days. I think we're going to have a really good weekend."

YOU WERE PRETTY EMOTIONAL LAST WEEK AFTER THE INCIDENT WITH JOEY LOGANO. WHEN DID YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK TO JOEY AND GREG ZIPADELLI, AND HOW DID ALL THAT GO?
"It went good. I talked to them both on Monday actually. I talked to Zip to get Joey's (phone) number. I didn't have it. That was the first time Joey had gotten upside-down, he told me, so it was definitely a new experience for him. I told him I've probably been upside-down more in Sprint cars than he will in his whole career. That was a pretty big wreck. That's the hard thing about these cars. You can't see through them to see what's going on in front. My intention was to follow Joey right in the corner and all of a sudden he had to jab the brakes really hard because of somebody going down in front of him. But it just was a bad spot on the track for that to happen."

About General Motors: General Motors Company, one of the world's largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 235,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors Company acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors Company can be found at www.gm.com.

Grand Bend Motorplex reschedules Octoberfast to Oct. 16-18

Due to the very unfavorable weather outlook for this weekend, October 2-4, we are rescheduling the GBM Octoberfast event to the weekend of October 16-18.

With rain in the forecast each day for this weekend, it is not the way we want to celebrate and finalize the 2009 racing season here at the Grand Bend Motorplex. The weekend of the 16th to 18th should not conflict with Thanksgiving plans or other local racing events.

All Octoberfast events; The Friday night Spooktacular, Racer Appreciation barbeque, Race of Champions, Ironman and Big Dollar races will take place on the rescheduled dates.

From Ron Biekx // General Manager // Grand Bend Motorplex

ARCA: Canadian Steve Arpin focused on race at Kansas Speedway on Thursday

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA (September 29, 2009)  This Thursday afternoon Steve Arpin will be gunning for his first career ARCA RE/MAX Series victory when the tour takes the green flag at Kansas Speedway.  The 2009 season has been a numbers game, of sorts for the talented racer from Fort Frances, Ontario and that game will take another twist on Thursday when Arpin climbs aboard the number 15 Venturini Motorsports entry in the event that will be aired on SPEED TV.

Joining forces with Arpin's efforts this week will be the Mundy Ranch, a unique property located in the Rocky Mountains of New Mexico.  Arpin is currently posted in the 7th position of the season-long ARCA driver's championship and will be making his first-ever start at the 1.5 mile Kansas Speedway with a shot of moving into the tour's top-five standings prior to the season finale at Rockingham, North Carolina on October 11th.

'We had a really good test at Kansas a couple of weeks ago,' said the enthusiastic Arpin. 'We had an awesome car at Chicago but just got caught up in something that was no one's fault but my own. I just got a little bit impatient there, but we are looking forward to going to Kansas and to back up that good run and turn it into a positive for me and the team.'

Arpin's season has seen signs of brilliance for the maturing stock car pilot with solid top-five finishes and runs at the front of the pack in his ARCA efforts. In his most recent outing Arpin guided his Pinewood Sports and Marine sponsored Chevrolet Impala to a fifth place finish at the challenging high-banked Salem Speedway for the Venturini Motorsports team.

This Thursday's 'Kansas Lottery 150' will be broadcast live on SPEED TV at 5:00 pm (Eastern). Action gets underway at Kansas Speedway on Thursday with a practice session from 9:00-11:00 (Central) followed by time-trial qualifying at 1:00 (Central).  Live updates, complete with timing and scoring will be available throughout the day on the internet at www.arcaracing.com with the green flag scheduled to wave at 4:00 pm (Central).

During the past five years, the young Fort Frances, Ontario native has become a dominant force in motorsports, earning numerous titles while racking up wins in his open wheel modified against the strongest competition in North America and attracting the attention of some of the sport’s biggest names to his racing program. Last season Arpin claimed the USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year award and prior to moving into auto racing Arpin earned 7 world championships in snowmobile competition as lead pilot for Team Polaris.

Arpin’s role with Venturini Motorsports has seen the team turn in strong results. Arpin’s associates and sponsors at Pinewood Sports & Marine, and long-time sponsor and dirt racing partner Jeff Taylor with his Jeff Taylor Chassis for Open Wheel Modified racers continue to help fuel Arpin's ARCA program and future racing aspirations. Arpin's overall racing efforts also continue to involve support from Lo-N-Bro Enterprises and SpeedShop (Rochester, Minnesota) as continuing partners in the team efforts. The official web site for Steve Arpin on the internet is www.stevearpin.net.

Grand-Am: Wilden, Miller Lead Grand-Am KONI Challenge Competitors to Sunday's Season Finale at VIR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 30, 2009) - It all comes down to this weekend. After 10 races across eight states and provinces in the U.S. and Canada, and nearly 2,000 miles of racing completed, the Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge ends its 2009 season at Virginia International Raceway. The Bosch Engineering Octoberfest will be a four-hour combined Grand Sport (GS)/Street Tuner (ST) class race, the first time this format has been implemented.

Sunday's race will feature the return of a reigning series titlist as well as the Camaro and Challenger to the series. Overall, both classes will crown new driving and team champions, who need only to finish their seasons the same way they started - with strong, consistent finishes.

Ken Wilden (Oakville, Ontario) has led the GS points since he finished third at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He won two races - at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - and finished eighth or better in every race.

Co-driving with Dean Martin (Westland, Mich.) in the No. 59 Rehagen Racing Ford Mustang GT, Wilden needs only to finish 13th to sew up the championship. That shouldn't be a problem - the No. 59 has finished inside the top 10 in 16 consecutive races dating back to last year. Martin is third in the standings, having only missed the race at Homestead-Miami in his Rehagen Racing team's bid at a first-ever title.

Christian Miller (San Jose, Calif.) wasn't originally signed to contest a second season on the ST tour, but he hooked up with team owner Karl Thomson (Toronto) late last year to put together another season-long deal, one which included driving with veteran Randy Pobst (Atlanta). Together, the pair won twice, taking the point lead following their second victory of the season at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Now, Miller needs only to finish 28th in the No. 74 Skunk2/034 Motorsport Honda Civic Si at VIR for his first Grand-Am championship.

Like Wilden's efforts, it shouldn't be difficult. The only time Miller - who has started in the top two rows following each of his 10 qualifying attempts - and Pobst have finished outside the top 10 was in January's Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway, where they finished 12th.

But five other drivers - three in GS and two in ST - still have the chance to steal those titles. In GS, JBS Motorsports teammates James Gue (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Bret Seafuse (Trumansburg, N.Y.) in the No. 37 Trumansburg ShurSave Ford Mustang GT trail by 18 points (292-274), as their ability to produce top finishes has been on par with Wilden's. Gue and Seafuse won at Barber Motorsports Park, and like Wilden, have finished all 10 races this season in the top 10. However, Wilden owns more podium finishes, and would own the tiebreaker in the case Gue and Seafuse - who finished second in the points in 2008 - won at VIR, by virtue of more second-place finishes.

Matt Bell (Los Altos, Calif.) in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 kept his title chances alive after finishing second Sept. 18 in the Salt Lake City 200 at Miller Motorsports Park. His two victories this season tie Wilden, Martin and Billy Johnson (San Clemente, Calif.) for most in class, but a pair of finishes outside the top 10 early in the season has him fighting more specifically for another victory. Bell, 32 points out of the lead, and Bill Auberlen (Redondo Beach, Calif.) will drive together at VIR.

In ST, Miller's only threat comes from the Subaru Road Racing Team and No. 111 Subaru of America Subaru Legacy co-drivers Kristian Skavnes (Sparta, N.J.) and Andrew Aquilante (Chester Springs, Pa.), who are 31 points (286-255) in arrears of Miller. Still searching for their first victory of 2009, Skavnes and Aquilante led the standings following Homestead-Miami Speedway, but have been chasing since New Jersey, where they finished sixth. They have top-10 finishes in eight of 10 races.

On the manufacturer side, Ford holds a two-point edge over BMW for the title, which with a victory in GS would snatch the title away. In ST, Honda has the lead, needing only to complete one lap in an effort to secure its first-ever Grand-Am crown.

Aside from the championship, the manufacturers will play a major role this weekend as well. For the first time this season, five different types of cars are entered for the GS race. In addition to the Dodge Challenger, which has recently completed several tests and deemed a "challenger for top finishes" by one of its drivers, Tom Nastasi (Stamford, Conn.), the new Camaro will be on track for the first time.

Stevenson Motorsports' No. 6 Sunoco Chevrolet Camaro will be co-piloted by David Donohue (Malvern, Pa.) and Jeff Bucknum (Lake Havasu City, Ariz.), whose fathers took a similarly painted Camaro to a road racing championship in 1969. It marks the first time since 2003 a Camaro has been entered for a KONI Challenge race. Nastasi will be joined by Ian James (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) and Erich Heuschele (Detroit) in the No. 5 Blackforest Motorsports TPN Racing Dodge Challenger.

Turner Motorsport will bring its No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 for Lime Rock Park co-winners Joey Hand and Chris Gleason, while Kinetic Motorsports will bring four BMW M3s and 2007 team champion Automatic Racing two. Race-winning Porsche 997s from this season will come from TRG and Motorsport Technology Group, one of two Virginia-based teams entered. Horsepower Ranch will also bring its No. 61 Valvoline/Roush Ford Mustang GT, which won at Miller Motorsports Park with Johnson and Jack Roush Jr. (Livonia, Mich.).

APR Motorsport has been strong on the ST side, winning four of the last five races. Josh Hurley (Cooper City, Fla.) and Ian Baas (Noblesville, Ind.) one of those races in the No. 171 APR/Gunther VW Volkswagen GTI, and are fifth in driver points and third in team points. Their No. 181 APR/BBS Volkswagen GTI teammates, Dion von Moltke (Coral Gables, Fla.) and Mike Sweeney (San Luis Obispo, Calif.), have a season-high three wins. Hurley leads the MESCO Building For The Future Rookie of the Year point standings by 11 (227-216) over Bill Fenton Motorsports driver Bret Spaude (Bushnell, Fla.).

Also entered is Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières co-winner Andrew Carbonell (Miami) in the No. 146 Mazda/Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5, one of three cars entered by Freedom Autosport, and the Lime Rock-winning No. 75 Skunk2/Speed Sport Life Honda Civic Si, with reigning ST champion Jamie Holtom (Ottawa) among those scheduled to drive that car.

RRT Racing of Dulles, Va., is the lone Virginia-based ST team, entered with drivers Michael Dayton and Barry Battle, both natives of the Old Dominion State.

Official practice for the Bosch Engineering Octoberfest is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET Saturday, with qualifying at 3 p.m. The race is scheduled for noon Sunday.

For more information: Michael Harker, mharker@grand-am.com

Flamboro Speedway set to host Octoberfest this Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 3-4)

Hurricane Midgets, F4 Modifieds, Lucas Oil Canadian Vintage Modifieds, OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models, Late Models, Limited Late Models, Thunder Cars, Mini Stocks.... Flamboro Speedway will be very busy this Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 3-4).

www.flamborospeedway.ca

POMBO TAKES THE WIN WHILE MEGENBIER CLAIMS THE VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI CUP CHAMPIONSHIP AT ROAD ATLANTA

Courtesy VW Jetta TDI Cup

For the third consecutive race weekend, the drivers of the SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup had to navigate a rain-soaked track on race day. This added an interesting but familiar twist to the final race of the year, which was contested on the 12-turn, 2.54-mile road course at Road Atlanta.

When the drivers arrived at the track, they saw that the series’ technicians had installed the grooved Pirelli rain tires that would make their 14 laps of racing action more manageable. When the race began, Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle held the lead he gained from winning the pole position, but it didn’t take Mark Pombo long to show who is boss on his home track. The Duluth, Georgia native took the lead in Turn 10 on the first lap, and he never looked back. The top three race finishers included Pombo, Andrew Cordeiro (2nd) and Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle (3rd).

“There’s something about racing in the rain that really works well for me because the two races I’ve won this year have been on a wet track,” Pombo said. “This win is really bittersweet for me because if it weren’t for a couple of bad breaks, I feel as though I might have had a chance to fight with Timmy (Megenbier) for the Championship. However, I think it’s pretty neat that I’ve won the first race for the series last year and my final race this year. I’ll be too old to race in the Jetta TDI Cup again next year, so it’s great to be able to go out on top.”

While Pombo took the Road Atlanta trophy, there was another race going on today. Timmy Megenbier and Andy Lee came into the weekend fighting for the series Championship and its $100,000 prize. Megenbier brought a 39-point lead into the race, and it was apparent from the start that he was taking a conservative approach to the race in order to maintain his spot on top. Naturally, the rain caused several dramatic spins and accidents, but the pair was able to avoid trouble with Lee placing sixth and Megenbier 11th. While Lee was able to cut into the Melrose Park, Illinois native’s lead, Megenbier’s mid-pack finish was enough to maintain a 29-point advantage over Lee and give him the Championship. Pombo’s race win vaulted him two positions in the standings to third.

“I knew what I had to do to achieve my ultimate goal of winning the Championship,” Megenbier said. “After being on the podium nearly every race this season, it was a real challenge to hold myself back so that I didn’t potentially risk my season. I had a couple of close calls out there today with the rain and people spinning in front of me, but thankfully I was able to hold on. Being named the Champion is a dream come true for me, and my hope is that this will lead to much bigger things for me down the road.”

While the series’ regulars had previous experience battling the elements, the guest drivers experienced an added obstacle today. However, both journalist Jeremy Shaw and Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford avoided trouble, with Shaw placing 12th and Whitford18th.

“This entire weekend was quite the experience for me,” Whitford said. “First of all, I was driving a totally different car than I have competed in before. Secondly, I have never raced in the rain. Add the two together, and it sounds like a recipe for disaster. However, I was able to keep the car on track and in one piece for the entire race. Considering the conditions, I was really amazed at how well these cars held up to the demands of racing. Several years ago, nobody would have guessed that you could race a diesel, but these Jetta TDIs are awesome little cars, and I think the fans that showed up early to the track today got a great show.”

At the end of the day, it was fitting that tire grip and handling were the two factors that decided the race. First year series sponsor Pirelli had brought more than 100 tire dealers to the track, and they got to see first hand how the products perform under challenging conditions.

“While I’m sure that some of the drivers weren’t pleased to see the rain today, I don’t think we could have asked for a better demonstration of our product,” said Rafael Navarro, Pirelli Director of Media Communications and Motorsports. “Our involvement in this series has far surpassed our expectations, and I look forward to a bright future with Volkswagen and continuing to contribute to the environmentally-conscious spirit of the series in 2010.”

Road Atlanta (Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup - Round 10): Fin. Pos./St. Pos./Car #/Driver/Hometown/Sponsor/Best Lap/Best Lap Speed
1. 3 20 Mark Pombo/Duluth/GA/VW Parts & Accessories/ 1:51.180 / 82.245
2. 10 26 Andrew Cordeiro/Woodbridge/ON/VION/ 1:51.630 81.913
3. 1 23 Juan Pablo Sierra Lendle/Puebla/MX/Castrol/ 1:51.877 / 81.732
4. 2 14 Joey Atterbury(R)/Renton/WA/Hyperfuels/ 1:51.419 / 82.068
5. 5 29 Devin Cates(R)/Broad Run/VA/HYPERFUELS/ 1:52.083 / 81.582
6. 7 27 Andy Lee/Maricopa/AZ/Castrol/ 1:52.313 / 81.415
7. 6 7 JD Mobley(R)/Castle Rock/CO/Bosch/ 1:52.505 / 81.276
8. 9 24 Donny Warren(R)/Winchester/VA/Aggreko/ 1:52.721 81.120
9. 11 4 Nicky Boulle(R)/Dallas/TX/Defnder/ 1:52.898 80.993
10. 12 5 Ryan Ellis(R)/Ashburn/VA/VION/ 1:52.557 81.238
11. 8 17 Timmy Megenbier/Melrose Park/IL/Chicagoland VW/ 1:53.013 / 80.911
12. 19 30 Perry Richardson(R)/Los Gatos/CA/Pirelli/1:52.541 / 81.250
13. 20 3 Taylor Broekemeier/Fort Collins/CO/Sherwin-Williams/ 1:52.657 / 81.166
14. 17 28 Rhett Tucker(R)/Cumming/GA/SCCA/ 1:53.527 / 80.544
15. 15 6 David Richert/Niverville/MB/LAMIN-X/ 1:55.155 / 79.406
16. 21 32 Andrew Gun Tucker(R)/McDonough/GA/Pirelli/ 1:54.689 / 79.728
17. 13 34 Juan Pablo Delgado(R)/Orizaba/VZ/Red Bull/ 1:54.455 / 79.891
18. 4 2 AJ Nealey(R)/Pasadena/MD/Brimtek/ 1:52.624 / 81.190
19. 18 18 Kerstin Smutny(R)/Bothell/WA/iRacing.com/ 1:55.636 / 79.075
20. 14 22 Andrew Novich(R)/Novato/CA/Oakley/ 1:54.857 / 79.612
21. 16 15 Theresa Condict(R)/Lexington/MA/Bosch/ 1:57.922 77.542
22. 31 Jeremy Shaw(G)/Santa Margarita/CA/ 1:53.091 / 80.855
23. 35 Brad Whitford(G)/Winchester/MA/DC United/ 1:59.115 / 76.766

Team fahrfrumwinning will be one of the Canadian teams competing at The Lamest Day, 24 hours of Lemons race

The team is led by Captain, SCCA Pro racer Andrew Cordeiro, From TDI Cup. The most experienced Driver on the Team, Rob Stone from Rescon Racing, who has been providing training for many years. The next 2 drivers are the rookies, Scott Murfin from Can-Alignment and Ivano Di Pietro from Grindstone Motorsports.

The car, a 1992 Nissan 240sx, Being prepared at Can-Alignment with help from the team members and crew. Our crew members are Maurizio Di Pietro, Nuwan Dantanarayana, Ford Wood and Leighanne Pelland.

This will be our first endurance race of this type, but we think we are ready to meet the challange. Our team members come from different Motorsports backgrounds, including Autocross, Spec Series, Oval Track, Rally, Ice racing and Motorcycles. We are hoping this will provide us with some advantage.

Our Sponsors include, Greenview Irrigation, Can-Alignment.com, Rescon Racing, Grindstone Motorsports, Ponderosa Nature Resort, Trackmart, SPDA, Partimer Signs and Inside Track Motorsport News.

Local Motorsports Artist - Featured in the Wheels Section

Keswick, On - Local motorsport artist Tony Cairoli, is featured in the latest issue of the wheels section, his works can be found in high end automotive collectibles stores across the world.

http://www.wheels.ca/reviews/article/781834

For an upclose look at his amazing works, come to the Canadian Motorsports Expo, Jan 22 - 24, 2010 and see them for your self in the DRB Transport Books booth.

Calgary council narrowly voted to extend Race City's lease to 2015

From CBC News:

City council has voted to extend Race City Motorsport's lease for another five years.

The future of the Calgary racetrack at 114th Avenue and 68th Street S.E. was up for debate, because the city said it needed the land to expand the Shepard landfill site.

On Monday afternoon, however, aldermen voted 8 to 7 in favour of an amended motion by Ald. Ric McIver giving the racetrack another five years at the site. McIver argued, in part, that the racetrack provides an outlet for drivers who would otherwise race in the streets.

A regular event called "Secret Street" opens the racetrack to "street racers and drag enthusiasts" with registered and insured vehicles who pass a safety inspection, according to the racetrack's website.

Click on the link above for the full story...

CTV Poll: Should the City of Calgary extend Race City's lease?

Click here to go the the CTV Calgary website and look for poll question on the right side of the page to have your say. So far, almost 90% of respondents say 'yes.'

Canadian Rally Championship: Top teams in chase for championship title at Pacific Forest Rally

MERRITT, BC (Sept. 28, 2009) – Teams competing in the Canadian Rally Championship, presented by Subaru and supported by Yokohama Tire, will be heading west to Merritt, British Columbia for the fifth event in its six round series. For some, it could be the last chance to mount a challenge for the championship title. 

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard, from Ste-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec are currently leading the points standings. L’Estage has been dominant at Pacific Forest Rally in the past, winning the event three of the last four years.

“We’re in an interesting spot in the points standings because we don’t have to win here to keep the lead,” says L’Estage. “We will see how close we are, and if we can fight for the win we will do that for sure. I prefer trying to go flat out, but I have to keep the championship in mind.”

Reigning Canadian Rally Champions, Pat Richard and co-driver Alan Ockwell are keen for a strong result after a mechanical problem at the previous event moved them to second place overall.

"We had a freak incident with a rock that destroyed the transmission at Rallye Defi," said Richard. "As far as the championship goes, we've been in this position before in 2005 against Stig Blomqvist in the Rally America series. I just need to stay ahead and get a little luck, and we're right back in it."

Simon Losier and Francois Morin are aiming to move up the leaderboard with a solid finish at PFR. Losier’s closest competitors, Andrew Comrie-Picard and Craig Henderson, will miss the event, giving an opportunity to earn valuable points. They are currently tied for fourth with Comrie-Picard, and trail Henderson by nine points.

In Production GT, western regulars Colin Armstrong and Keith Morison will be fighting against Hardy Schmidtke and Adam Vokes for the class win.

Two-wheel drive is a popular class in the Canadian Rally Championship, and a number of contenders will be fighting for top honours.

Eric Grochowski and Leanne Junnila of Calgary are out to secure the overall two-wheel drive title in their VW Golf, but it will be a close battle with Jan and Jody Zedril in their Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. However, both teams will have their eyes on series veterans Gord and Kathy Olsen. After a few years in the all wheel drive Open class, Olsen has decided to return to his championship-winning Group 2 VW Golf for this event.

Known for changeable weather and fast, technical roads, the Pacific Forest Rally is also presenting the Eco Challenge – an optional contest awarding honours to the team that goes the fastest using the least amount of fuel. This is the only event in the Canadian Rally Championship to offer such a challenge.

The event, held from October 1-3, 2009, includes more than 150 kilometers of competitive stages run near the town of Merritt, BC. Falling late in the year, sunlight is at a premium at this event, and teams who are comfortable driving in the dark will have a strong advantage.

Rally car racing is often described as “real cars, real roads, real fast.” The all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over closed-road courses that typically cover more than 150 kilometres of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads. Fans can get up close to the cars in the service areas and catch all the action from specially designated spectator points located at the best spots on the route.

The Canadian Rally Championship is comprised of six events held nationwide in a season that extends from February to November. The series is presented by Subaru Canada, supported by Yokohama Tire Canada and features contingency programs from Subaru Canada and Mitsubishi Canada. The Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) is the official sanctioning body for rallying in Canada.

Full coverage of the championship will air on RDS and TSN. Check local listings. For more information: Terry Epp, National Series Manager, 905-640-6444, or crc@carsrally.ca // On the web: www.CARSrally.ca ; www.pacificforestrally.com 

Brighton Speedway: Applefest 2009... before the rain, by www.rickattheraces.com

Thanks to Rick Young for these. www.rickattheraces.com.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Simone puts up a fight for good finish

KAWARTHA, ONTARIO – One thing for sure you can say about Anthony Simone, driver of the No. 95 Crown Modular/United Lumber Monte Carlo, is that he won’t give up. That was clearly demonstrated on Sunday at Kawartha Speedway, site of the Z-Line Designs 250 presented by the Dodge Dealers of Ontario and Coca-Cola. Simone battled back from a lap down to finish seventh, and finish 8th in the championship.

“It’s been a good year for our Crown Modular/United Lumber Monte Carlo,” Simone said. “Today was a tough one going down a lap and getting a penalty.”

Simone’s day started well enough with a solid qualifying effort of 14th, just .4 off the pole. Simone, like the rest of the driver’s wondered what kind of car he would have after the rains finally left. “After the race being postponed last night, it is difficult to know what our car will be like this afternoon,” Simone said before the start of Sunday’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series finale.

Trouble came early for Simone, when he had to pit, and that got him a lap down. “It was disappointing, but I thought we had a good car, and could make up some ground.” Simone did that and also used pit strategy to his advantage. “The crew did a good job adjusting our strategy, then we got our lap back, and we were in good shape.”

Simone was running a comfortable seventh when the rain came on lap 204, and that was a good reward for a hard day’s work. “It was a tough day for us,” Simone said. “We just didn’t give up today on the Crown Modular/United Lumber Monte Carlo and that paid off with a decent finish. I want to thank all the supporters we had this year, and I am looking to come back strong in 2010.”

Simone Autosport would like to thank all of their sponsors including:  Bell, Sign-A-Rama of Newmarket, Grisdale Racing Products, Avery Graphics, Wix Filters and Castrol.

For more information on Anthony Simone please visit www.simone-autosport.com.

From Linda Jones // Wide Open Motorsport Solutions

Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame Banquet Almost Sold Out

Hall of Fame Banquet Almost Sold Out.... purchase deadline is Friday, October 2

Markham, Ontario, Canada September 25, 2007 With a month to go, the fourth annual Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Reunion is almost sold out. At the time of writing, there are less than a dozen seats left!

And, if you're holding off, better not wait any longer. After October 2nd, tickets are $150 each - if there are any left!

The Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame 2009 Induction Banquet and Reunion, sponsored by the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC) will be held Saturday, October 24, near Toronto's Pearson International Airport. MCC is a founding patron of the Hall of Fame, and administrator of the Foundation that is home to the Hall of Fame.

Ticket prices are $125 ($110 for MCC Members) until October 3rd, 2009. If you don't buy and pay for your tickets by Friday, October 2nd, we cannot guarantee seating AND ticket prices go up to $150.

This Year's Inductees: 2009 Hall of Fame Inductees:

Carl Bastedo - Chatsworth, Ontario Motocross Competitor, Organizer, Contributor
CRCA - Canadian Race Communications Association - Shannonville, Ontario Celebrating fifty (50) years of supporting safe motorcycle racing with marshalling services
Bar Hodgson - Ashburn, Ontario Contributor, Competitor, Organizer, Show Producer, Collector
Ivor Lloyd - West Hill, Ontario Competitor - International and Canada
Duane McDaniels - Commerce Township, Michigan, US Competitor
Don McHugh - Brampton, Ontario (deceased) Legendary Dirt Track Racer
Ken Morgan - Battersea, Ontario Contributor, Course Developer, Trainer, Advocate
Jimmy Sehl - Stoney Creek Ontario Competitor, Team Member, Mechanic
Steel City Riders - Hamilton, Ontario Celebrating over sixty (60) years of motorcycle racing
John Williams - Markham, Ontario North American and World Hillclimb Champion

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION: Founded by Bar and Hedy Hodgson in 1999, the Canadian International Motorcycle Heritage Museum Foundation exists to preserve and protect Canadian motorcycle history for the benefit of the motorcycling community. They founded the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2005, with the first inductions made in May of 2006.

The Canadian International Motorcycle Heritage Museum Foundation is a charitable organization created to record and preserve the history and heritage of the motorcycle and motorcycling activity in Canada; and to recognize, honour and celebrate those who have achieved excellence and / or made significant contributions to the well-being and advancement of motorcycling in Canada

About the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame: The Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame was founded in 2005. This year's inductions bring to 44 the total number of individuals and groups honoured. It is a program of the Canadian International Motorcycle Heritage Museum Foundation, a registered charitable organization incorporated in Ontario, Canada. It is administered by the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada

From Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame  // Peter Jacobs, CAE

ACT: 47TH Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl Postponed

Barre, VT – The 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl at Barre’s Thunder Road originally scheduled for Sunday, September 27th, has been postponed due to rain. The event has been rescheduled for next Sunday, October 4th.

The 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl is the final event of Thunder Road’s 50th Anniversary Season. Barre’s Nick Sweet will start on the pole of the first segment next Sunday, after earning the Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Pole award on Saturday, September 26. Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. will start on the outside pole after coming up just short in his bid for a fourth straight pole award. A total of 54 cars attempted to qualify for the non-point counting event. The field of 30 has been set for the first segment.

Next Sunday’s event will be the final point counting event for the NAPA Tiger Sportsman, Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors. Post time is set for 1 p.m. For more information visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com or contact the ACT office at media@actour.com or 802.244.6963.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Top Five for Steckly in Season Finale

KAWARTHA, ONTARIO – The No. 22 Racing/Canadian Tire/Tow Truck in a Box Dodge Avenger of Scott Steckly was soundly in the top five of the Z-Line Designs 250 presented by the Dodge Dealers of Ontario and Coca-Cola at Kawartha Speedway on Sunday afternoon when rain cut the event short on lap 204 of 250 laps.

“We were coming,” Steckly said of his fourth place finish. “My No. 22 Racing/Canadian Tire/Tow Truck in a Box Dodge Avenger – I think – was going to be the car to beat at the end. We were on the right pit strategy, and we were good on the long runs. The rain ended all that, but we’ll take a top five finish.”

Qualifying sixth on the grid for the Saturday night finale showed that Steckly had the pace to run at the front. With the postponement of the event until Sunday, Steckly was still confident in his ride. “I think we’ll still be at the front. It is the same for all of us, and I expect that our car will be good on the green track.”

Steckly was right as he started to move up the order then had a titanic battle with 2009 Champion Andrew Ranger for fourth place. “I tried and tried,” Steckly said “But he was really, really tough on the outside. We must have gone 10 laps door-to-door.” Finally, Steckly was able to dispose of Ranger and move forward onto the tail of the top 2 by halfway point.

Pit stops would have a determining factor in the race as some stopped on early cautions, but they would have to stop again. Steckly would be caught behind these drivers, and when the rain came, that sealed his fate.

“It was just that one quick shower, and that killed us,” Steckly said. “We had moved up well, and the No. 22 Racing/Canadian Tire/Tow Truck in a Box Dodge Avenger was well positioned for the run to the finish. Sadly, it was called because of rain just after lap 204 and that was that.”

It has been an exciting year for Steckly and he is looking forward to 2010 already. “I can’t wait for next year, but first, I have to thank Canadian Tire, Tow Truck in a Box, Exide, Motomaster, Mobil Super, Erb, Marks Work Warehouse and Reefer Sales. I also want to thank the #22 crew for a solid job all year, and thanks to all our #22 Racing Canadian Tire fans, especially those who stuck it out for two days here in the rain.”

Steckly finished 4th in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series points battle.

The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series final event from Kawartha Speedway can be seen on TSN on Saturday October 17th at 2PM

From Linda Jones // Wide Open Motorsport Solutions

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Dilley 12th in season finale at Kawartha... final run with Dodge sponsorship

KAWARTHA, ONTARIO – Mark Dilley, driver of the #9 Dodge headed into the season ending Z-Line Designs 250 presented by the Dodge Dealers of Ontario and Coca-Cola at Kawartha Speedway with mixed emotions. First and foremost on his mind was winning the event, but in the back of his mind, he knew this would be his last event with Dodge.

“We have had five very good years with Dodge,” Dilley said. “They’re all quality people at Dodge, and they have always been excited about their involvement with us in this series. It is very hard to see them go, and I must give them a huge thank-you for all their support over the past five years.”

Dilley wanted to go out on a winning note and he was soundly in the top 10 in qualifying with a seventh place run. “We just missed it a bit, but we’ll be fine in the race,” Dilley added.

To run the final race, Dilley would have to wait an extra day, as the original Saturday night show was postponed by rain, and the event would be run on Sunday morning.

“With that much rain, there will be no rubber down, so we just have to see what we have,” Dilley said before the start.

At the start, Dilley was able to stay on the tail of the leaders, running just behind Scott Steckly. “I could see that up front they were racing pretty hard, but with 250 laps to run, I just ran my pace. I had a good car, I just had to wait for the right time,”

With a fairly long green flag run coming to an end around the 104 lap mark, Dilley pitted his Dodge for tires and fuel. Some of the other drivers had pitted earlier and they were waiting for a later caution period to make their final stop.

When it went back to green Dilley was able to make his way forward somewhat, but found moving forward a tough go running in the middle of the pack. “I had a good car, I just couldn’t get out of traffic,” Dilley said.

Sadly, a sudden rain shower came at lap 204 of 250 and NASCAR called the race complete. Dilley wound up 12th, but knew he would have had a better finish had the race run the full distance. “We were on the right strategy,” Dilley said. “We just couldn’t clear that traffic, and then the sudden rain ended it. It’s not what we hoped for today, but thanks to everyone that helped out. The crew was great, and once again, I have to thank Dodge for all their support. Finally, I want to congratulate Dave Whitlock on a great career, he is one of the class acts in this sport.” 

Mark Dilley would also like to acknowledge and thank his other sponsors including: Leland Industries, Mobil 1, Exide, Avenue Auto Parts and CRS Trucking.

From Linda Jones // Wide Open Motorsport Solutions

NASCAR SPRINT CUP: Jimmie Johnson wins the "AAA 400" to complete the season sweep at Dover International Speedway

From Gary Camp // Director of Public Relations // Dover International Speedway

DOVER, Del. - In the five seasons that NASCAR has used the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" format, no driver has ever won the September Dover race and gone on to win the championship. In the history of NASCAR, no driver has ever won four championships in a row. Perhaps history will change twice this season?

That’s the way Jimmie Johnson would like to see things after he drove to victory in the "AAA 400" NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday at the Monster Mile. It’s his fifth career win at the one-mile, concrete oval and completes the season sweep after also he won in May 2009. It's the second time in Johnson's career that he's swept both races at Dover. He won twice at Dover in 2002.

"For me, this is one of the closest tracks to off-road racing that we have on the circuit," said Johnson. "You're virtually airborne off in each corner, so I think that helps me some and relates back to the vehicles I drove growing up. This track really favors a loose race car, and just by habit I enjoy a loose race car and that's what I look for everyday at each track. So it just really plays into our style."

Johnson's No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet dominated the day, leading 271 of 400 laps including the final 214. But it wasn't an easy by any means. He had the man he’s chasing right on his bumper throughout the race - who just also happens to be his Hendrick Motorsports teammate. Points leader Mark Martin, No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet, finished second, which meant Johnson wasn’t able to overtake Martin, but he did trim Martin’s points lead from 35 points to just 10 with eight races remaining in the Chase.

The race itself will perhaps be remembered for one of the most spectacular crashes in recent memory at the Monster Mile. It happened on lap 32, when Joey Logano's No. 20 Home Depot Toyota got caught up in traffic coming off Turn 4 and ended up flipping seven times. He came to rest along on the Turn 4 apron and there were several tense moments before the highly-touted rookie climbed out of his car to a large round of applause from the Dover crowd.

Logano was running in the middle of the pack and was approaching Turn 3 when Bobby Labonte's No. 96 DLP Ford slowed in front of him. When Logano checked up, Tony Stewart's No. 14 Burger King Chevrolet bumped him in the rear and sent him spinning. Logano slid across the apron before coming back up the banking, where he was hit on the side by Reed Sorenson's No. 43 Valvoline Dodge, sending him airborne. The car briefly came to rest on the driver’s side before falling back onto its wheels. Robby Gordon and Martin Truex Jr. also were involved in the four-car accident.

“I’m fine, it just really scared the heck out of me,” Logano said upon being released from the infield care center. “I was fine the whole time but I wasn’t sure what happened. They checked up into the corner and it seemed like I got tagged from behind. It just startled me, but I’m fine. It was the wildest ride I’ve ever been on.  I’m just happy it landed on its wheels. When it was on its side, that’s what worried me.”

The wreck reduced the Logano's Toyota to a tangled pile of sheet metal and caused a red flag period that lasted more than 23 minutes.

“It was the wildest ride I’ve ever been on,” Logano said. “It started rolling and I was in there like, ‘Damn, please make this thing stop.’ And it wouldn’t. It just kept going and going. I was fine. It goes to show how safe these cars are.”

The incident happened immediately after a competition caution on lap 25, instituted by NASCAR because of overnight rain. Johnson, who held the pole, led those first 25 laps before giving way to Ryan Newman, who started second, at that caution. Following the red flag, Newman's No. 39 U.S. ARMY Chevrolet continued to lead until Kurt Busch overtook him on lap 58.

Busch, in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, drove up front for the next 88 laps, but began jockeying with Johnson at lap 147. The two went back and forth for the next 30 miles, but Johnson was able to finally pull away at lap 176 and stayed up front for the remainder of the race.

With the victory, Johnson becomes just the fourth driver to win at least five races at Dover in his career. He joins David Pearson, who also won five races, and now sits two behind Richard Petty and Bobby Allison, the all-time leaders with seven each. Additionally, the win was the 44th of his career, tying him with Bill Elliott for 14th place on NASCAR’s all-time win's list.

The race was a breath of fresh air for third-place finisher Matt Kenseth, No. 17 DeWalt Ford, who has had a difficult year. It was just his second top-five finish since February. He qualified 23rd, but had better practice sessions and an even better race day.

“It feels like 15 years [since his last top-five finish],” Kenseth said. “It’s good to get a little momentum. For the last four or five years this has been one of our best tracks on the circuit, so if we hadn’t done well here I would have been even more worried. We didn’t qualify very good but we were really happy with our car in practice. We got most of our track position through pit stops and restarts. We had a nice solid day on pit road, and were able to get a decent finish out of it.”

Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Polaroid Chevrolet, started second, ran in the top five all day and finished fourth. Kurt Busch ended up fifth, followed by Jeff Gordon, A.J. Allmendinger, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman in the top-10.

The race took three hours, 22 minutes to complete and ran at an average speed of 118.704 mph. There were nine cautions for 38 laps, including the red flag from the Logano incident. Nineteen cars finished the race on the lead lap.

Among the Chase drivers, Denny Hamlin took the biggest hit by finishing 22nd. He dropped from third to sixth in the standings. Montoya, Newman and Stewart all moved up a spot to occupy third through fifth. Gordon’s finish bumped him from 10th to eighth, while Brian Vickers fell from eighth to 10th by virtue of his 18th-place finish. Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne remained in 11th and 12th, respectively.

The day leaves the top two drivers continuing to race in a situation that is a bit unique. Johnson is trying win his fourth consecutive championship; Martin is gunning for his first. But two things are clear despite that – they’re competitors on the track, and they’re teammates off it.

“It’s my first time to be part of Hendrick Motorsports [during the Chase],” said Martin. “If you’re asking if we’ll continue to share, I expect us to. We race hard on the racetrack, but off the racetrack we work towards the same goal together.”

In looking at Johnson’s performance, Martin sounded like someone who if he couldn’t win, wanted to make sure his teammate did.

“I don’t think we were in his league today,” Martin said. “We missed it just a little bit. But it would make me very proud if something I said helped him. I hoped I might get a win, but I definitely wanted to at least be useful. We’re going to race our guts out, no matter where we wind up. That dude still is Superman in my book. He looked like it today. And I see why. He works harder at it than anyone else.”

Johnson returned the praise, noting that he still has quite a bit of an obstacle to overcome in catching the veteran driver.

"Mark is an amazing driver with a great race team, and we’re just going to have to do what we can,” Johnson said. “You’re going to have to earn every point. I’m excited to see we’ve gapped some of the other Chase contenders. The bigger gap we can put between us and those guys, and only have to concentrate on another car or two, the easier my job is.”

NASCAR returns to Dover International Speedway May 14-16 and Sept. 24-26, 2010. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 800-441-RACE or visit www.DoverSpeedway.com.

FW: VP Racing Fuels At Super DIRT Week '09 As Official Supplier!

VP Racing Fuels 'Official Fuel Supplier’ For Super DIRT Week XXXVIII, Oct. 7-11

Weedsport, NY – September 28, 2009 - By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director

Already recognized as the ‘Official Fuel of DIRTcar Racing’ and the Super DIRTcar Series, VP Racing Fuels is also the ‘Official Fuel Supplier’ of Super DIRT Week XXXVIII, Oct. 7-11, at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.

Throughout the 2009 season in the DIRTcar Racing Northeast Region the only fuels allowed in the Big-Block Modified and 358-Modified divisions at sanctioned events have been VP110 and C12. That will continue during Super DIRT Week.

In addition, D-98 will be the spec fuel for Sportsman and Pro Stock teams in competition and will be available from VP on site at a cost of $4.50 per gallon. VP's D-98 has the same technical specifications as their MS-98 brand.

“VP has fueled Modified winners at Syracuse and the rest of the DIRTcar member tracks many times in the past so we’re on very familiar ground,” remarked VP’s Eastern Regional Manager Jim Kelly, who has been in attendance at many of the Super DIRTcar Series stops held during the tour’s 30th successive season. “Its been an exciting time getting back to those tracks and fueling the Big-Block and 358-Modifieds as they compete for series victories as well as valuable Mr. DIRTcar Championship points across the Northeast.”

Along with the nearly $30,000 to be given away to all ‘09 DIRTcar Racing Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman and Pro Stock track point champions, VP has also posted $3,000 that will be shared by the fast time trialer/qualifier in those same divisions at Super DIRT Week on the famed Syracuse Mile. Over the weekend Rite Aid 200 presented by Ferris & Snapper Mowers and 358-Modified Championship fast timers will both receive a $1,000 fuel certificate while top qualifiers in the Sportsman and Pro Stock main events will collect $500.

Mr. DIRTcar and Super DIRT Week award winners will be recognized at the DIRTcar NE ‘Night of Champions’ in November while all VP Racing Fuels speedway awards will be presented at the individual track banquets, with fuel certificates redeemable from their local trackside vendors in 2010. Awards are contingent upon proper display of decals on car and patches on uniform along with proof of weekly fuel purchases made.

For specific questions regarding rules and rewards, contact DIRTcar NE Director of Series Competition Joe Skotnicki (716/880-0110) while Super DIRT Week General Manager Cory Reed can be reached at 315/224-9009. Additional concerns about VP Racing Fuels can be addressed to Jim Kelly (302/368-1500) with support always provided by VP's Technical Consultant for Oval Track Racing Engines Freddie Turza (302/521-1767).

DIRTcar Racing Northeast main office is located in Weedsport, New York on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds, home of DIRTcar All-Star Weekend in July. DIRTcar Northeast’s crown jewel event ---Super DIRT Week at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse--- runs October 7-11, 2009 featuring Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series events for Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions. Ticket and schedule information is available by contacting the Weedsport office (315/834-6606) during the day or logging into www.superdirtweekonline.com anytime.

Auto Clearing Motor Speedway: Season Finale Sunday, September 27, 2009

SASKATOON, SK - A  large crowd was on hand to watch the final event of the season at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway Sunday, the Ellenn Plastics Ultimate Enduro.  23 cars from Saskatchewan and Alberta registered to start the race, a gruelling 300 laps with full contact.

The Ellenn Plastics Ultimate Enduro is always an exciting race as cars try to be the first to complete each of the 100 lap segments, all the while doing everything they can to stop other cars from passing them or finishing the race.  The cars are going full out and it’s quickly apparent which cars are up to the race, quickly dropping out.

As if dodging 22 other cars, parts and spills isn’t enough, Mother Nature often plays a part in the race as well, as she did on Sunday. Several times Sunday afternoon a light drizzle fell, causing track conditions to become extremely slippery.  While this would normally stop a race, not an Enduro.

One car that was amazing to watch was the number 17, driven by John Brown of North Battleford.  When Auto Clearing Motor Speedway was built it was designed with three clear racing grooves and possibly a fourth.

No local cars have yet mastered the third groove and none have tackled the fourth groove.  Yet on Sunday afternoon the number 17 was running the fourth groove lap after lap, in the rain and maintaining a lap time of about 19 seconds.  The fourth groove has the car running no further than about five feet from the wall all the way around.

The first segment, the CJWW Radio 100, got under way from a standing start, with the cars lined up three wide.  The No. 15 Curtis Family Imapala got off to a quick start, leading the first 10 laps before Trent Seidel got past in the No. 88.  Bill Rea took a turn in the lead, then Bill Zubrecki.  Bill Rea got the lead back in lap 60 and lead the rest of the way to win the CJWW Radio segment.  Bill Zubrecki was second and Brent Duprius from Martensville was third.

It was back to the pits for some fine tuning with sledge hammers and pry bars, before lining up for the 92.9 The Bull segment.  This time the cars were lined up for a four wide standing start.

This time Dave Zyler took the No. 21 into the lead.  Mickey Pogoda grabbed the lead for 20 or so laps before handing it over to John Brown.
  Mike Shroeder from Outlook took over the lead in lap 55.  Mickey gained the lead back in lap 59 and hung on for 25 laps, before Shroeder once again took the lead and led to the end of the 92.9 The Bull segment of the race.  Brent Duprius was second and Quiven Richardson was third.

More sledge hammer and pry bar work and the cars are lined up for the third segment, the Magic 98.3 segment.  This time officials choose to line the cars up in a tight three wide format, bumpers touching and doors touching.

This time Mickey Pogoda jumps out to the lead and leads the first 50 laps before son Ben Pogoda get by.  It’s back and forth for a number of laps before Ben pulls ahead.  Lap 94 and Bill Rea takes the lead and looks to be heading for victory when he gets spun out in corner three of the white flag lap.  Ben Pagoda cruises by and picks up the checkered flag in the Magic 98.3 segment.  Bill Rea gets back in for second and Mickey Pogoda comes in third.

Cars are awarded one point per finishing position in each segment.  In the end, the Ellenn Plastics champion is declared, based on overall points.

For 2009, the Ellen Plastics Ultimate Enduro champion is the No. 22, with Bill and Doug Rea sharing the driving.  Coming in second was Mike Shroeder and Mickey Pogoda is third.  Quiven Richardson picks up fourth, while Ben Pogoda and Brent Duprius end with a fifth place tie.

Full results and points are posted at: http://speednetdirect.com/results.php?track_id=8311.  Individual lap times are posted at http://members.shaw.ca/acms

With the racing over, all that’s left is to hand out all the hardware. The annual Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association awards banquet will be held Saturday, November 7 at Prairieland Parks.  Tickets are available through various people.  Please see the autoclearingmotorspeedway.ca website for more details.

From Richard Woodvine // Competition Director // Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association // Auto Clearing Motor Speedway