DIRTcar: Canadian Chris Raabe opens Sportsman Series title defense Saturday at Black Rock

Weedsport, NY – April 7, 2010 - Only Russ Hefti has got it done in the past following the Sportsman trail while legendary drivers Brett Hearn, Jack Johnson, Bob McCreadie, Alan Johnson, Will Cagle and Danny Johnson have each pulled off the feat in Big-Block/Small-Block Modified racing over the last four decades.

And that is to earn Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championships in consecutive years of open-wheel racing on the Northeastern circuit.

While Western New York full-fender standout Pete Stefanski has captured the past four Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock titles, Canadian chauffeur Chris Raabe is on the verge of wearing the overall Sportsman crown for a third straight season. Something that has never been accomplished since the blueprints for DIRTcar Racing in the Northeast were first unveiled in 1976.

“Defending our title is obviously the ultimate goal, another 20 win season would be something nice to accomplish, too” remarked Raabe, as he prepared to open defense of his coveted championship this weekend in New York State. “We’ve managed to improve every year so at this stage we just don’t want to drop back.”

Raabe is back under the spotlight Saturday, April 10 when Black Rock Speedway hosts its traditional Mr. DIRTcar Series opener to kick off the 2010 Sportsman campaign. The popular Yates County 4/10-miler, located on Route 14A just outside the village of Dundee, N.Y., comes to life for round one of the 14-race tour with a $1,000 top prize waiting for the 30-lap feature winner.

Black Rock pit gates are slated to swing open at 9am followed by 9:15 inspection with practice beginning at 10:30 and the first qualifying heat taking the green flag at 1 o’clock. The main grandstands open for seating at 11 am.

Fresh off a five-win season of tour competition, Raabe is hoping for the same results in 2010. Yet new this year will be a joint effort with north country Modified mainstay Perry Francis, as former team owner Garry McColman recently turned over the operation to Chris and his father Mike in their record-setting pursuit.

“We’ve still got the same team intact and continue to do all the maintenance,” confirmed Raabe, 19, an honor student at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario where he is taking courses toward a Mechanical Engineering degree. “Garry will still be marketing us and traveling to a lot of events, only we’re sharing all the bills with Perry now. We used to help Perry’s nephew racing go-carts and last year at Super DIRT Week put this deal together, but we’re always looking (sponsorship).”

Francis’ brand new two-tone C&B Enterprises #01 Teo Pro Car entry will also carry backing from Sunrise Racing and Genesis Racing Shocks as Raabe searches for valuable points on tour as well as running both Mohawk Int’l Raceway (Fri.) and Cornwall Motor Speedway (Sun.) on a weekly basis. Team Raabe’s proven black Teo mount from last year will be saved for Saturday shows throughout the summer at Brockville Ontario Speedway.

“We’ve never run Cornwall or Mohawk for points so this will be a new challenge,” noted Raabe, who closed out the ’09 campaign leading the DIRTcar Sportsman ranks with 19 feature wins while claiming track high-point crowns at Can-Am Motorsports Park and Thunder Alley Speedpark. The ‘Teenage Tornado’ from Napanee, Ont. currently stands 12th all-time with 50 Sportsman wins, an even half-dozen tour triumphs scored the past two years. “I’m looking forward to getting back to Cornwall, its always been a favorite with the banking and multi-grooves.”

When Black Rock welcomes back the top DIRTcar Sportsman teams to wine country for the April opener, Raabe will looking to avenge past performances in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region. Failing to qualify in the 2008 tour lid-lifter, Raabe returned last spring and finished 9th after being relegated to using his guaranteed status to fall into 27th position on the 31-car starting grid.

“We’ve just never had any luck at Black Rock,” stated Raabe, who is ready to embark upon his sixth season in DIRTcar Northeast’s entry-level open-wheel class. He scored his first victory in 2005 at Brockville at the age of 14. “Poor draws, things breaking and having bad track position have all been factors in the outcome. The biggest thing is maintenance and we’ve worked hard over the winter so we’re looking forward to getting another chance.”

Also hungry to advance in his second opportunity traveling the Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series full-time will be 2009 runner-up Ryan Susice. The second-generation racer from Ransomville, NY. copped his inaugural series win last September at Canandaigua Speedway then returned to victory lane in October at both Fulton Speedway and Rolling Wheels Raceway during Super DIRT Week.

Joining Raabe and Susice on tour will be Top-5 runners from a year ago Justin Wright (4th) and Dan Wiesner (5th), both big movers in the final point standings. Piffard, N.Y. pilot Wright jumped five spots from the previous year with his first champ trail victory coming during the inaugural DIRTcar All-Star Weekend in July at Cayuga County fair Speedway. Central New Yorker Wiesner carved out fifth-place finishes in four tour events held at Canandaigua, Black Rock and Rolling Wheels Raceway Park to climb into fifth following a 12th-place tally on the final points chart in ’08.

For additional information, please contact Sportsman Series Competition Director Chip Burdick (315/778-3407; e-mail chip_burdick@yahoo.com) or DIRTcar NE Competition Director Joe Skotnicki (704/796-4566; jskotnicki@dirtcar.com) during normal business hours. In the meantime log into the homepage at www.dirtcar.com to find out more about the entire circuit.

2010 Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series Schedule

*All events subject to change.

DAY-DATE    TRACK                                             LOCATION

Sat-Apr 10     Black Rock Speedway                    Dundee,NY

Sat-Apr 17     Can-Am Motorsports Park              LaFargeville,NY

Sun-Jun 13   Cornwall Motor Speedway             Cornwall,ONT

Wed-Jun 23  Mohawk International Raceway   Akwesasne,NY

Sat-Jul 17      Cayuga County Fair Speedway    Weedsport,NY

Fri-Sep 10     Ransomville Speedway                 Ransomville,NY

Sat-Sep 11    Merrittville Speedway                      Thorold,ONT

Sun-Sep 12  Humberstone Speedway               Pt.Colborne,ONT

Sat-Sep 18    Canandaigua Speedway               Canandaigua,NY

Sat-Sep 25    Rolling Wheels Raceway Park     Elbridge,NY

Fri-Oct 1         Fulton Speedway                            Fulton,NY

Fri-Oct 8         Rolling Wheels Raceway Park     Elbridge,NY

Sat-Oct 9        New York State Fairgrounds         Syracuse,NY

Sat-Oct 16     Brockville Ontario Speedway        Brockville,ONT

ACT Tour sees invasion of teenage rookies

The 2010 American Canadian Tour (ACT) Rookie of the Year (ROTY) battle is shaping up to be one of the best in recent history. ACT will see six drivers competing for the 2010 ROTY honors, including four teenagers with a combined three career ACT starts.

The eldest of the teenage group is 18 year old Dave Farrington, Jr. of Jay, ME. Farrington, a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Maine-Orono, finished 8th in the Pro Stock standings at Wiscasset (ME) Speedway, but has never made an ACT Tour start.

Brad Babb of Windham, ME has the best career ACT Tour finish of the ROTY contenders after finishing 6th in the 2009 season finale at Oxford Plains Speedway (Oxford, ME). It is the only ACT start for the 17 year old to date. Babb earned the 2009 Beech Ridge Motor Speedway (BRMS) Rookie of the Year title and finished sixth in the final Pro Series point standings. He also has the advantage of looking to his father, Bobby, who is a muli-time BRMS track champion.

Another 17 year old, Chris Riendeau of Ascutney, VT, will leave the comfort of his hometrack, Twin State Speedway in Claremont, NH, for the Tour in 2010. Riendeau finished fifth in the 2009 Twin State Late Model Point Standings with one feature win. He also made his only career ACT start when the Tour visited Twin State in 2009 and he finished a respectable 15th.

The youngest of the ROTY contingent is 16 year old Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, ME. This high school sophomore made the jump from the four cylinder division to Late Models at Spud Speedway (Caribou, ME) late in the 2009 season. He won the Inaugural Spud 150, his first ever feature event in a Late Model. In just his third career start in a Late Model, he qualified for his first ACT event and finished eighteenth in the season finale at Oxford Plains Speedway.

The early favorite for the 2010 ROTY title has to be multi-time Twin State Champion Aaron Fellows of Croydon, NH. In his only career ACT start he finished an impressive 9th in the 2009 Twin State 100. He also earned two weekly feature wins at Twin State in 2009.

The “veteran” of the 2010 Rookie class is Dave Paya of Milton, VT. He has the most experience of any of the rookies with his three starts on the ACT Tour in 2009 and can look to his brother Rick, the 2009 championship car owner and crew chief for Brian Hoar, for advice.

The 2010 ACT Rookie of the Year battle will begin next Saturday, April 19 at Lee USA Speedway with the annual New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 season opener.

From ACT

ALMS: IMSA STEWARDS RULE ON SEBRING LMPC EXCLUSIONS

IMSA stewards reinstated two LMP Challenge entries to the official results for the 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida – G-Oil’s Green Earth Team Gunnar and Level 5 Motorsports. The decision elevates the ORECA FLM09 of Green Earth Team Gunnar to the runner-up spot in class and Level 5 Motorsports’ second entry to sixth for the opening round of the 2010 American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón.

The championship’s sanctioning body requested the review. At issue was a new rule for 2010 that permits drivers in the LMPC class to compete in more than one entry and how officials calculate minimum drive-time for an event – two hours in the case of Sebring. The stewards judged the rule to be ambiguous and open to interpretation; it did not specify if minimum drive-times are recorded in a single entry or multiple cars. The rule was also unclear as to the application of penalties in the case of a driver in multiple cars. As both exclusions were based on the same regulation, the stewards rescinded the penalties for both cars.

Official race results and points standings reflecting this decision have been reissued. A rule clarification will be issued shortly.

Courtesy ALMS

The book on 30 years of Audi Sport

Motorsport has always been a means for Audi to develop forward-thinking and efficient technologies which are relevant to customers as well. For 30 years, Audi Sport has been making history in the world of motorsport. Now a fascinating book presents this history to readers: "30 Years of Audi Sport – 30 Years of quattro" will be available from mid-April in German and English.

It is no coincidence that Audi Sport and the quattro celebrate a common anniversary in 2010: in 1980, the first Audi quattro marked the beginning of the successful motorsport history of the brand with the four rings which author Alexander von Wegner describes in detail in the 208-page volume. His research took him into the depths of the Audi archive. In addition, he interviewed all of the former top managers of Audi Sport and many well-known driver personalities from all of the different eras. The current Head of Audi Motorsport, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, has contributed extensive information as well.

The work represents the first comprehensive appraisal of Audi Sport’s history. Each era is analyzed and illustrated by a total of 400 mostly colored pictures some of which have not been published before – including a unique historic document that shows the first twelve employees of Audi Sport in front of the former supermarket on the (then) Ringlerstrasse in Ingolstadt which is still home to the Audi Sport department today. All of the race vehicles were developed there – from the original quattro that was later renamed into "R1" all the way to the current Audi R8 LMS that bears the internal project name "R16." All vehicles are depicted in detailed, large-sized graphical representations and schematic drawings that bring back memories of Audi Sport’s most spectacular inventions.

Whether quattro drive, light-weight design or the combination of turbo-charging and direct injection (TFSI) – many of the technologies that are standard in Audi production models today were tested in motorsport. Comprehensive statistics reflecting the results of all "factory" commitments over the past three decades complement the work. The introduction to the book was written by Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich and Rupert Stadler, the Chairman of the Management Board of Audi AG, wrote a foreword.

"30 Years of Audi Sport – 30 Years of quattro" will be available from April 12, at bookstores and from an online ordering facility for 29.90 euros (including VAT).

Brief description: 30 Years of Audi Sport – 30 Years of quattro; author: Alexander von Wegner (40); volume: 208 pages; size: 235 x 330 mm; 405 photographs and eleven large-sized graphical vehicle depictions; price: 29.90 euros; ISBN numbers: 978-3-940672-22-3 (German edition), 978-3-940672-23-0 (English edition); publication date: April 12, 2010.

Courtesy Audi AG

F2000 Series Set to Open 2010 at VIR

New York, NY – The F2000 Championship Series heads to VIRginia International Raceway this weekend for the opening rounds of the 2010 championship. More than 30 cars are entered for the double-race weekend representing four different chassis manufacturers and two different engine configurations. A field of young hopefuls and established veterans make up an ultra competitive grid. Coming into the weekend, 2007 F2000 Champion Cole Morgan is one of the favorites to win the event, back for the first time since he won the championship. Alongside Morgan in the odds pool is Remy Audette, the quick Canadian contesting his third season in the series.

Fabio Orsolon and Victor Carbone return for their sophomore year with Alegra Motorsports, and as the 2009 season went on, they continued to move up the time sheets. With the same team and same drivers, the Alegra duo should be fast.

"The goal for me is to win the championship," said Carbone who returns in his #23 Nevoni Van Diemen/Zetec, surrounded by a familiar cast of mechanics and engineers. "Last year was tough, but we made a ton of progress throughout the season, and I think we'll be going into 2010 even more competitive."

American Jonathan Scarallo is driving for R-Sport in his sophomore campaign and commented that, "there is certainly going to be no lack of competition at VIR this year. There are a lot of us that are capable of winning."

Established veterans like Phil Lombardi and Tim Minor are sure to be in the hunt for the overall title as well. Both return for a full-season after partial campaigns in 2009 that saw both men win outright races; Lombardi at Watkins Glen and Minor at Summit Point. As for as the rookie class, Billy McLaughlin is driving alongside Cole Morgan at K-Hill Motorsports and stands to benefit from the guidance of a past champion. Rookie team SMR adds two cars to the mix, one for midget and sprint car driver Timothy Paul, and one for Blake Teeter, starting his sophomore F2000 season alongside Paul.

Teeter commented: "2009 was my rookie year in the series and it was a learning year. To transition from karting to cars was difficult. This year I'm only going to focus on this series instead of the karting. In 2010, I really want to stay on the limit and get everything out of the car and myself that I can."

Vaughn Horvath and Chris Livengood will also be in the hunt for the Taylor Race Engineering Rookie of the Year award, and the two represent the only two Pinto-powered cars on the grid. Jesse Yorio will debut his Piper DF5C in the VIR paddock, making him the owner of the newest F2000 car on the grid and the only Piper chassis in the field. Christopher Gumprecht returns to St. Clair Motorsports for his fourth season in the series. Gumprecht said that his focus in 2010 will be on being consistent, and added he wouldn't mind a podium finish or two either. A late entry from Primus Racing pushes the field to 35 cars for up-and-coming Australian driver Daniel Erickson. Last year, Erickson was named the Australian Motor Sport Foundation 2009 International Star, and scored one win and seven podiums in the British Formula Ford Championship.

The season unofficially gets going on Thursday April 8 with a test day for the F2000 Series, Friday features official practice sessions, while Saturday and Sunday both have a morning qualifying session followed by an afternoon 30-minute or 14-lap race. Fans and competitors can follow live updates, news and photos on www.F2000ChampionshipSeries.com or on Twitter @F2000.

Courtesy Monty Mathisen (F2000)

Grand-Am: Multimatic carrying momentum to Barber

Markham, ON - The Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang Boss 302R Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge squad heads to Barber Motorsports Park (April 9-10) with its sights set on turning outright speed into race victories. With both cars proven to be extremely competitive at the previous round at Homestead Miami Speedway, the team is encouraged heading into the third race of the 2010 championship.

Scott Maxwell, Joe Foster and Multimatic Motorsports know the way to victory lane at the immaculately presented 2.3-mile Barber Motorsports Park circuit near Birmingham, Alabama. The duo won from pole position in 2008 aboard a Multimatic Motorsports-run Hypersport Racing Ford Mustang FR500C. Following a dominant performance at Homestead where Maxwell and Foster led 40 laps en route to a sixth place finish, the duo is looking to build on that strong run and hoping for a repeat of their 2008 performance at the Alabama track.

Teammates, Gunnar Jeannette and Frankie Montecalvo, are looking to bounce back into podium contention after mechanical issues put an early end to their previous two races. The drivers of the #16 Bayshore Recycling car remain optimistic however, knowing that the Ford Mustang Boss 302R is very competitive as proven by their speed at Daytona and Homestead while running with the leading group.

Leading-up to the Barber Motorsports Park event, Multimatic Motorsports, working in conjunction with Ford Racing, has been conducting development testing at Calabogie Motorsports Park near Ottawa, Ontario, with primary focus on improving cooling performance of the Boss 302R powerplant. Multimatic recently formed a strategic partnership with Calabogie Motorsports Park to provide comprehensive vehicle development services to motorsports customers and major automobile manufacturers.

The Multimatic Motorsports team will be on track at Barber starting Wednesday for a promoter test day before taking part in two practice sessions on Thursday, April 8. The team will then get a final practice session on Friday, April 9 at 9:00 a.m. ET before qualifying at 10:50 a.m. ET. The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge from Barber Motorsports Park goes green on Saturday, April 10 at 4:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on tape-delay on SPEEDTV April 17, 2010 at 3 p.m. ET.

Multimatic Motorsports Quoteboard:

Scott Maxwell, #15 Ford Mustang Boss 302R - "I've had some good success at Barber and have always been pretty quick there. It's a fun little circuit, busy place. Hopefully we can carry forward this momentum and make some more improvements with the car and keep moving up. It's hard to say how the Mustang Boss 302R will perform at Barber. There are a lot of low speed hairpin corners and that's our weak point right now on the car. So I really don't know what to expect."

Joe Foster, #15 Ford Mustang Boss 302R - "The last time we were at Barber was in 2008 with Hypersport Racing. I got the pole there that year and led most of the first half and Scotty had a great drive and we won in the Ford Mustang FR500C. Now we are going back at a much different time of year, earlier in the springtime.  It shouldn't be quite as hot as it usually is and so much has changed in the Series in terms of other cars since we've been there so I don't know how the Boss 302R will stack up, we'll have to wait and see."

Frankie Montecalvo, #16 Bayshore Recycling Ford Mustang Boss 302R - "I raced at Barber in the past with Gunnar so I won't have to learn the track. It's a challenging place and I'm looking forward to competing there in the Mustang Boss 302R. We have not had the start of the season we wanted and we're really looking to finish the race at Barber and have a trouble-free run. We know the car is competitive, now we just need to get it to the finish and if we do, it should be with a good result."

Gunnar Jeannette, #16 Bayshore Recycling Ford Mustang Boss 302R - "Honestly right now going into Barber, Frankie and I just want to finish a race. It was good to see Scotty and Joe finish sixth at Homestead. We know the car is strong and if we finish we would likely be in the top ten and hopefully top five or on the podium. Barber is a challenging place. It's nice going there in April instead of July, just because it won't be so hot. Overall it's not a great Mustang track but we'll see what happens, the Mustangs always seem to end up doing well in the race."

Courtesy Multimatic Motorsports

Adam Leslie continues partnership with Westpier Marine and Industrial and Lazy Lakes Camping Resort.

PORT COLBORNE- Adam Leslie has partnered up with past sponsors again for the 2010 racing season.

Just a couple weeks before the season is to begin, sponsors are still coming back to support Adam Leslie in the 2010 racing season. These sponsors include Westpier Marine and Industrial for their fifth consecutive year and Lazy Lakes Camping Resort for their fourth consecutive year.

WestPier Marine & Industrial Supply offers the North American Marine Industry the most complete chandler services in the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Seaway. With their recent acquisition of Millen Marine, they have increased their customer and supplier base to levels that allow them to offer the best pricing, and service capabilities in the industry. Their Marine customer base consists of the largest private and publicly held shipping companies in the country.

WestPier Marine & Industrial Supply is located at 577 Elm Street, in Port Colborne, Ontario. Their locations are equipped with over 20,000 square feet of warehouse space which encloses a vast inventory of 14,000 marine and industrial supplies. They encourage their customers to utilize our purchasing department to research product needs using their network of over 1,000 vendors, and to respond to any inquiries or problems they may have. Their delivery services operate 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, complimented with a full fleet of delivery vehicles. WestPier also offers same day product shipping capabilities for in stock items to anywhere in Canada and the US.

West Pier Marine and Industrial can be found at http://www.westpier.ca/.

Niagara’s Lazy Lakes is owned and operated by the Swift family. We are excited to welcome everyone to our 24th anniversary season. Located in the Town of Cambria in Lockport, NY, we think we are the best kept secret in Western New York. Niagara’s Lazy Lakes Resort is a private recreational vehicle resort for those who are looking for the finest facilities. With 285 RV sites and nine first class cabins situated on our 80 acre resort, the accommodations fit everyone’s dream get away.

Niagara’s Lazy Lakes Resort is your “Home away from home.” Niagara's Lazy Lakes can be found at http://www.lazylakes.com./

Adam Leslie and team would like to thank these two great sponsors for coming back on board for the 2010 racing season!

Release Prepared By Adam Leslie
http://www.adamleslie.com/

Kawartha Speedway 2010 - Every Racer Finds Their Time to Shine‏

A combination of special events and extra distance shows for the track’s 3 weekly divisions means Kawartha Speedway’s 10th Anniversary season has something to satisfy any race fan’s need for speed. General Manager and promoter Derek Lynch says he likes the way things are looking for the upcoming campaign.

“We’re in a very fortunate position heading into the new season,” said Lynch. “Our car counts last year were very strong and it looks like we’ll have at least 3 – possibly as many as 5 – new teams coming on board in each class. They’re looking at our 10 race schedule as a great chance to get some experience at one of the country’s finest motorsports facilities, while competing alongside some of the best racers in the province.”

When the 2010 season kicks-off – Friday, June 4th – the popular OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models will make the first of two scheduled stops at the 3/8th mile oval. Their second appearance comes Friday, August 6th. The Ontario Legends Tour finds their way onto the calendar for a quartet of events. Friday, June 25th, July 23rd, August 27th and September 10th. For their 4th and final event, they’ll be joined by the Ontario Pro Challenge Series.

Again this year, runners in Kawartha’s weekly classes will host a series of invitational events to showcase their talents. The highlight of the NAPA Auto Parts Late Model season will be the Summer Sizzler Friday, July 9th. This year’s edition will be 150 total laps, run in 3 segments. The division will also host 100 lappers Friday, June 18th and Friday, August 13th.

The Better Carpet Thunder Cars will have a pair of 50 lappers on the schedule. Friday, July 23rd and Friday, August 27th. There will also be 50 lap main events for the Hasiuk Trailer and Container Rental Mini Stocks. The first – Friday, July 16th – will be in conjunction with the annual Fan Appreciation Night. Friday, September 10th will be second time the 4 cylinder machines will run for the extended distance. Lynch says the track’s weekly racers look forward to the longer shows.

“We get drivers and teams from other tracks for the invitational shows and our regulars look forward to the chance to defend their home turf,” said Lynch. “When it comes to going head-to-head against the invaders, it’s like the 7th game of the Stanley Cup final, the Super Bowl and the World Series rolled into one event. Our teams will do everything they can to come out on top. When it comes to short track racing, bragging rights mean so much.”

Kawartha Speedway’s 2010 campaign gets rolling with an open practice session Friday, May 28th. The full 10th Anniversary season schedule can be found at www.kawarthaspeedway.com.


Photo: Solid runs at Kawartha Speedway helped Bruce Grimes earn a second place finish in the 2009 Ontario Legends standings.

Photos and Release by Jim Clarke- Clarke Motorsports Communications

NLSA Driver Chris Unrau Spreads Good Will

Greg Cybulski, WINKLER, MB (April 4, 2010) In August of 2006, a unique event took place in Winkler, Manitoba. More than 100 combines harvested 180 acres simultaneously in just over 10 minutes. The event was called Harvest for Kids. In 2010, the combines are making a return with an even bigger challenge, to have 210 combines harvesting 240 acres in less than 8 minutes.

The true goal of Harvest for Kids is to raise funds and awareness for Children's Camps International, a non-denominational organization that seeks to give kids in third world countries the opportunity to experience camp and to hear the message of the Gospel.

In an effort to help support and promote this year's Harvest for Kids event, Chris Unrau's #27 Lightning Sprint will be carrying the Harvest for Kids logo and event information for the first half of the Northern Lightning Sprint Association racing schedule at Red River Co-op Speedway. Unrau's car will also be displayed at numerous events in Southern Manitoba to help promote the Harvest for Kids program while representing the NLSA.


"We are excited to be a part of this effort to help send kids to camp in countries where these opportunities are rare, if they exist at all", said Unrau. "We would like to encourage all of our fans to attend the Harvest for Kids event on August 7, and to give generously to help send kids to camp."

Harvest for Kids will take place at Winkler, Manitoba on August 7, 2010. For more information, please go to the Harvest for Kids website at http://harvestforkids.com

About the Northern Lightning Sprint Association:
Created in September of 2008, the Northern Lightning Sprint Association is a rapidly growing organization committed to the creation and maintenance of safe, fast, fun, and affordable open wheel racing. Many of the organization’s members are dedicated to helping charities such as the Children’s Hospital Foundation and Cancer Care of Manitoba. More information can be found at http://www.nlsprints.com

Sports Car Club of BC: Pit Pass Newsletter - April 2010

The April 2010 edition of the Sports Car Club of BC's Pit Pass Newsletter is located here. Thanks to Peter Weedon for sending it along.

F2: Jolyon Palmer tops the opening F2 test day

19-year-old Jolyon Palmer topped the opening F2 test of 2010, as the young Briton headed both Philipp Eng and Johan Jokinen at Snetterton today (Tuesday). Palmer set the ultimate pace in the final hour of the day as Eng finally relinquished top spot, which he had held for much of the running. The Austrian tried to respond and became the only driver to dip under the one minute barrier in both the morning and afternoon, but he fell short of Palmer's effort by just 0.155s.

Danish driver Johan Jokinen completed his rise through the top ten by taking third late on, whilst Dean Stoneman's morning lap time of 59.951s remained good enough for fourth overall at the finish. Will Bratt - who recently contested the GP2 Asia Series - was a consistent top six runner throughout the day and ended up fifth fastest ahead of Kelvin Snoeks. Dutchman Snoeks improved as the day progressed and eventually set his quickest time on his 99th and final lap.

Belgium's Benjamin Bailly was seventh, ahead of Sergey Afanasiev - the Russian making progress late on during his first day of driving a Williams JPH1B. 2009 F2 returnees Tom Gladdis and Armaan Ebrahim completed the top ten, whilst Formula Palmer Audi graduate Jose Alonso Liste and F2 debutant Mihai Marinescu finished in 11th and 12th respectively.

Alonso Liste completed an impressive 110 laps during the day - the most of any driver - but it was a positive day for the majority of runners, as more than 1,800 laps and 5,600 kms were clocked during the season's opening pre-season test day.

Jolyon Palmer said: "It was a good lap - I had the pace for the whole day so it was nice to end on top of the timesheets. Track conditions weren't perfect but the car certainly feels better than last year. That is two test days that I have topped now so my expectations are certainly changing - hopefully that will continue and that I can be a challenger for the championship."

Philipp Eng said: "I am happy with the day - I was quickest in the morning and also went quick in the afternoon. I had some red flags just after I had put new tyres on the car in the afternoon, but it is not a problem. It is good that we're up there but really I was not focussing too much on the time. The season is very long so I am concentrating on developing the car further and improving as much as possible."

The field will enjoy a further four hours of running tomorrow (Wednesday) and the Formula Two website will be back with live timing and reports from 9am (UK time).

Formula Two Test - Snetterton, United Kingdom 6/7 April - Day One Combined Results:

1. Jolyon Palmer, 59.512s

2. Philipp Eng, +0.155s

3. Johan Jokinen, +0.342s

4. Dean Stoneman, +0.439s

5. Will Bratt, +0.540s

6. Kelvin Snoeks, +0.542s

7. Benjamin Bailly, +0.550s

8. Sergey Afanasiev, +0.754s

9. Tom Gladdis, +0.809s

10. Armaan Ebrahim, +0.900s

Courtesy Simon Melluish (F2)

NHRA: Canadian Kenny Lang looking for more Pro Mod success, in Houston

BAYTOWN, TX – Canadian Kenny Lang, a veteran Pro Mod racer who has won his share of races and series titles in other drag racing organizations, made history in March as the first Pro Mod racer to ever raise a Wally – NHRA’s highly-coveted national event winner’s trophy – in an NHRA winner’s circle.

Lang flew under the radar by qualifying sixth in his green ’53 Corvette, but he ultimately raced to victory over Sweden’s Michael Gullqvist in the Tire Kingdom Gatornationals final round to win the inaugural race in NHRA’s newest touring series – the Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

Now Lang’s focus is on race No. 2 in the 10-race series, when the tour visits Houston Raceway Park, April 9-11 for the 23rd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals presented by Pennzoil. The race will be televised on ESPN2 HD.

“Looking at the caliber of cars in this series, our goal was to just try and qualify and maybe win a round or two,” Lang said. “I’m super-honored to be the first winner.”

While category heavy-hitters like Ray Commisso, Jay Payne, Roger Burgess, Melanie Troxel, Burton Auxier, Mike Knowles, Von Smith and Danny Rowe will be eager to grab their first Wally in NHRA Pro Mod competition at the ultra-quick HRP quarter-mile, Lang feels confident in his team’s ability to stay in the championship hunt throughout the season. 

“I’ve won two IHRA championships, so I have some experience, but I know it’s going to be tough over here in this series,” Lang said. “We know what we’re up against, but we do our best. We’re probably one of the lower-funded teams in this series, but we do this because we love it.”

Featuring the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer cars with an extremely diverse collection of vehicles, including ’63 Corvettes, ’68 Camaros, ’67 Mustangs, ’68 Firebirds as well as late model cars such as Burgess’ 2005 Corvette, the NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series offers something for every kind of hot-rodding enthusiast.

“These cars are on the edge all the time, and they can move all over the racetrack, and that’s something the fans love,” Lang said. “(At Gainesville) a lot of fans came over and told us they love watching the Pro Mods. I think we put on a pretty good show.”

• SCHEDULE: Get Screened America qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on April 9 and 1:15 p.m. and 4 p.m. on April 10. Pro Mod eliminations are scheduled to begin at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 11.

NHRA GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES POINT STANDINGS
UPDATED 3/14/2010 (Following the first of 10 races; victories in parentheses)

1.     Kenny Lang, Manitoba, Canada, Kenny Lang Racing ’53 Corvette (1)                                99
2.     Michael Gullqvist, Hasselby, Sweden, ProCareRX ’63 Corvette                                         77
3.     Burton Auxier, Dixie, W.Va., Al-Anabi Racing ’68 Camaro                                                 68
4.     Khalid Balooshi, Doha, Qatar, Al-Anabi Racing ’68 Camaro                                              66
5.     Roger Burgess, Duluth, Ga., ProCareRX Corvette                                                            60
6.     Jay Payne, Ontario, Calif., FireIce ’68 Camaro                                                                  59
7.     Melanie Troxel, Avon, Ind., In-N-Out Burger ’63 Corvette                                                   58
8.     Joe Baker, Milton, Fla., Baker Homes ’63 Corvette                                                           54
9.     Mike Knowles, Grand Junction, Colo., Knowles Racing ’63 Corvette                                  45
10t. Troy Coughlin, Delaware, Ohio, JEGS.com ’68 Camaro                                                    43
10t.  Tony Pontieri, Ontario, Canada, Quality Plus Compressors ’69 Camaro                             43
10t.  Tim Tindle, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., Tindle Racing ’67 Mustang                                        43

From Anthony Vestal / NHRA

Humberstone Speedway ready for pre-season practice sessions

Pt. Colborne Ontario's Humberstone Speedway has completed their preseason mall shows. Management from Humberstone would like to thank all of the race teams, as well as the race fans who visited the Niagara Square and Seaway malls for their participation. Special thanks to the Tidyman Race Team for donating a pair of Youngsters Bikes as well as Justin Gaboury for the use of his race simulator.

Many of the Speedway's racers are getting ready to practice in preparation of Humberstone's 51^st Season. Practice is scheduled for April 18^th as well as a 2^nd session on April 25^th. The practice sessions will be open to any and all classes including the 6 regular classes consisting of: The Frontier Auto Dismantlers Pure Stocks, Niagara Auto Sales Pro 4 Trucks, the Ron's Automotive Mini Stocks, Brian's Tire Repair Street Stocks, Cosco Haulage DIRT-CAR Sportsman and the headlining Young Automotive Professional DIRT-CAR 358 Modifieds. The Practice will also be open to Dirt Late Models, Sprint Cars, Mod Lites, as well as Vintage Racers.

Humberstone's 51^st Season Opener will take place on May 2^nd as Toffolo Enterprises presents the Humberstone Speedway Weekly Series including: Mini Stocks, Pro 4 Trucks, Street Stocks and Sportsman, and the 358 Modifieds. The HSWS does not include the Pure Stocks or 358 Modifieds as they will compete 10 times each, they will alternate weeks. All race events will start at 6:30 p.m.

Practice sessions will be free for the race fans sitting in the grandstands. An entry fee will be charged for the pit area and season passes will not be accepted for practice nights. The Speedway Office will be open for anyone choosing to purchase last minute season passes which will include all events.

Advance tickets are available for this year's Stars of NASCAR show on Jully 11th. Already confirmed for the event is last year's winner, Dave Blaney, as well as Kenny Schrader. Tickets are $25 for adults; $20 for seniors and studnets; $10 for children aged 6-12 and children five and under are free.

After July 1st, ticket prices will be $35 for adults; $30 for seniors and students; $15 for children agaed 6-12 and children five and under free. Visa and Master Card will be accepted by calling Humberstone Speedway at (905)834-4002 or by calling Cosco Haulage at (905)935-2886.

For further information, visit Humberstone on-line at: www.humberstonespeedway.com.

You can also connect through Facebook on the Humberstone website.

Members of the Media who plan on attending the Stars of NASCAR event will need to reserve their entry at: abilous@fullservicemedia.ca

Prepared By Fran Bushardt

F2000: 2010 Masters Class Battle Heating Up

While the F2000 Championship Series has become a home for aspiring drivers looking towards the top tiers of open wheel racing, it has also become one of the most competitive playing fields in the country for veteran drivers. For 2010, Masters Class drivers have flocked to the series to race against one another and some of the best up-and-coming talent in a field of more than 30 open-wheel cars representing multiple chassis and engine combinations.

Tom Fatur, driving the Martel Electronics Van Diemen/Zetec for GTP Motorsports returns to VIR on the heels of his 2009 Masters Class title. Fatur's #70 underwent a complete rebuild over the winter and has the latest Radon aero update kit.

"The focus this year will be on doing well. Last year we had a shot at top three overall finishes at Lime Rock and Watkins Glen, but several mistakes prevented me from achieving those," said Fatur.

Fatur admitted he is the not the favorite for the 2010 Masters Class Championship: "Clearly the favorite this year has to be Tim Minor. He always runs strong, has a well developed car, and with Eric (Langbein) he has a great engineering. That combination will be hard to beat. I'm also expecting a strong showing from Keith McCrone and Peter Gonzalez. Beyond the competitors I mentioned there are always guys like Mark Defer and Dave Weitzenhof who are a threat for a class win when they show up at select races."

Tim Minor, the 2008 Masters Class Champion, is back for a year-long campaign with Ski Motorsports in 2010 after taking a dominating overall victory at Summit Point last season.

Minor commented: "The overall goal this year is to win the Masters Championship, but I'm not counting out the overall championship either. We ran three races last year and were consistently in the top five everywhere we went. There will be some tough competition this year too."

As far as the Series' 14-race seven weekend schedule, Minor said that he was "really looking forward to going back to Mosport, it's like Watkins Glen on steroids."

Add Phil Lombardi to the list of Masters Class drivers who are playing for both the Masters Class Championship and the 2010 F2000 Championship Series title. Lombardi returns for a full-season ride after a victory at Watkins Glen in 2009.

"The plan is to win the championship," said Lombardi, who drives the #3 Van Diemen under the GTP Motorsports awning. "I'm fully prepared mentally and physically. It's hard to say who the competition is going to be. There are quite a few strong drivers and any one of them can win. It's definitely going to be a super competitive year. I think the guy that is best prepared and has the best luck will probably be hard to beat."

Meanwhile, Keith McCrone, driving a full season for R-Sport after a partial campaign in 2009, is seen as a threat by the paddock for the Masters Championship as well.

Rob Nicholas, in the #89 K-FAST Van Diemen, showed speed at the final two races in 2009 and said that his goal was "the same as every year; to win a race. The series is so competitive that just to win one single race would make the year."

Nicholas joined some of his fellow F2000 competitors, adding that: "I think with Tim Minor's strong showing last year, he will be the one to keep an eye on."

Another veteran who could become a huge spoiler is seven-time SCCA National Champion Dave Weitzenhof, who will drive the #67 Citation/Zetec. A late addition to the VIR grid will be series socialite Charles Finelli in the #83, alongside Len Amato in the #33. Both entries are Van Diemen/Zetecs. Peter Gonzalez will start the year at VIR in a Van Diemen for GTP Motorsports, but he is expected to switch to the new Radon chassis for Road Atlanta. Joining him for the Radon switch will be series veteran Robert Wright, who returns to ADSA/Wright Racing alongside fellow Masters Class competitor Al Guibord, Sr.

Ironman Crag Clawson will contest his fifth F2000 season, making him and Wright the only two drivers to start every F2000 Championship Series event to date. There are more: Mark Defer returns with St. Clair Motorsports and will mix in for Masters Class victories, and Jeff McCusker is back with Company Motorsports. Brent Gilkes is on the entry list for Lap 2 Racing as well. Gilkes will trek from his home in Barbados to VIR for the opening rounds of the 2010 season.

"The 2010 season looks awesome," commented Gilkes. "I just the saw the entry list and it is a great balance of experienced drivers, some young lads who had their rookie year in 2009 and some new guys who appear to already have good racing resumes. It is the large grid size and the separate Masters Class Championship that inspires me to come back each year."

The 14-race, seven-weekend 2010 F2000 Championship Series gets going on April 9 at VIR, followed by Road Atlanta in May and Mosport in June. Then it's Watkins Glen with IndyCar, and Lime Rock with ALMS in July, before Road America in August, and the season finale at Mid-Ohio over Labor Day. The F2000 Series posted the highest average car count on the open wheel development landscape in 2008 and 2009 with an average of 30 entries per race.
Courtesy Monty Mathisen (F2000)

Win a Free Seasons Pass at the Quinte Mall!

Brighton Speedway, Quinte Mall and six of our drivers have teamed up for the annual Quinte Mall show in Belleville this week, cars will be on display through till Sunday August 11th. Brighton Speedway volunteers are on hand to answer questions about the upcoming 2010 season as well as many of the drivers throughout the week to answer questions about their cars.

Showing off their 2010 rides in the Quinte Mall are Pro Stock driver Jamie Marshall, Canadian Modified driver Matt Vanderlinden as well as Southern Ontario Sprint veteran Dick Mahoney. Debuting Brighton Speedways new division for 2010 DIRTcar Pro Late Models are Charlie Sandercock, Caley Weese and Phil Potts.

Brighton Speedway and the Quinte Mall are also giving away a 2010 season's pass. Fans and mall patrons can enter the draw at the Brighton Speedway table; the final draw will be Sunday afternoon.

After this week the Brighton Speedway cars will be at the Northumberland Mall in Cobourg from April 12th to 16th and then onto the Motorsports Expo in Cobourg on the weekend of April 17th and 18th. The weekend of April 25th and 26th the cars will be on display at the Brighton Country Living Show, the Northumberland Home Show in Baltimore and in Campbellford at Campbellford Chrysler as they host an open house with Brighton Speedway providing complimentary hot dogs and beverages from 11:30am till 3:00pm. Don’t miss your chance to check out the 2010 line up.

All this excitement leads up to the May 8th Coca Cola Full Throttle season opener. Admission is only $2 with a food donation to the Brighton Food Bank and for that you will see an exciting night of racing and family entertainment!

These shows are a great chance to get out, see the cars, get your hands on the 2010 schedule of events and enter to win a 2010 Season Pass.

For further information visit www.brightonspeedway.com or email info@brightonspeedway.com.

Mr. DIRTcar 358 racers ready to rack up hometrack points

New York 358-Modified teams competing in the Small-Block class to earn valuable bonus points towards the coveted Mr. DIRTcar crown will no longer have to travel, at least on the weekend from their customary home track.

Beginning with the 2010 season-openers, sister tracks Brewerton Speedway (April 16) and Fulton Speedway (April 10), Glen Ridge Motorsports Park (April 23) and Cayuga County Fair Speedway (April 18) will not only be awarding Big-Block home track bonus points, but will also be offering home track bonus points towards the overall Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship as well.

DIRTcar Racing Northeast Director of Competition & Track Sanctioning Joe Skotnicki, Cayuga County General Manager Cory Reed, Glen Ridge Promoter Mike Romano and Harvey Fink, promoter of both Brewerton and Fulton, agreed this is a great way to support area 358-Modified teams and keep them coming back.

"Wherever someone finishes in the Modified feature is where that driver will be placed when it comes to earning weekly points, the key here is participation,” noted Gary Spaid, DIRTcar NE Points keeper. "Although we won’t officially declare a 358-Modified Track Champion at the end of our season, we still want to afford those regular small-block runners that choose to travel the tour a legitimate shot at winning the overall title. Last year Dale Planck earned Mr. DIRTcar 358 honors using Fulton as his home track."

In order to qualify for DIRTcar 358-Modified points, drivers will receive separate bonus points based on where they stand in Big-Block points at Brewerton (Fri.), Glen Ridge (Fri), Fulton (Sat.) or Cayuga County (Sun.) through Labor Day.

For additional information, please contact Competition Director Joe Skotnicki via cell (704/796-4566) or points keeper Gary Spaid (585/734-5959). Be sure to visit the track websites at www.cayugacountyfairspeedway.com, www.brewertonspeedway.com, www.thenewglenridgemotorsportspark.com and www.fultonspeedway.com or www.dirtcar.com for further circuit-wide news.

By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director

Maryeve Dufault and IRL Team Fazzt Sign with Team Apex

Brownsburg, Indiana, April 5, 2010 – In partnership with Team Apex, FAZZT Race Team announced that development driver Maryeve Dufault will be driving in three Star Mazda Championship Series events over the course of the 2010 season. Maryeve will begin her season testing a Midget in preparation for the first oval Star Mazda test at O'Reilly Raceway Park on May 5 and 6 and then run the Night Before the 500 on May 29 at O'Reilly Raceway Park. Following that event will be Iowa Speedway with IRL on June 20 and Trois-Rivieres on August 15.

"Interest in helping Maryeve get her racing career moving forward is very high, and we are pleased to have put together the Star Mazda tests and races that coincide with the IndyCar Series as well as a Canadian event," explained team COO Jim Freudenberg. "Our sponsorship plans for Maryeve came together quite quickly and we are excited to announce she will be joining Team Apex Racing to run her car for this three race program. We will be announcing her sponsors in the coming weeks." Maryeve, a native of Sorel, Quebec, has an extensive racing background in the ladder series including karting, Formula Jim Russell, Skip Barber, Formula BMW, Star Mazda and a stint testing for Formula 3 in England. "I am really excited to get back in the race car again and I am so grateful for the support of the FAZZT Race Team in putting this program together," said Maryeve. "I've had experience in the Star Mazda Series and with sponsor support I am looking forward to having a competitive ride and a good opportunity to hone my racing skills. I got the chance to watch the team in action today, and they look very professional and they seem to have an experienced group supporting the drivers."Team Apex Technical Director Louis D’Agostino said, “we are extremely excited and flattered that Fazzt has chosen Team Apex to assist them in the development of Maryeve and look forward to her first test”

Team Apex Racing, USA was formed in 2004 and has been involved in grass roots racing since 1989. The team emerged as championship contenders in the 2005 Formula BMW USA series with Canadian rookie Robert Wickens and continued its winning heritage in 2007 with American superstar Alexander Rossi. Team sponsors include Wabash Capital Investments and Apex Performance x3 Cryogenics.

http://www.teamapexusa.com/
http://www.fazztraceteam.com/

The Hitman is geared up for his 2nd year!

Rick Baker, aka “The Hitman”, of Ridgeway, Ontario, will be driving the #78 Super Late Model, co-owned with Bruce Thompson. This will be Baker’s second year with this co-owned team in the Ontario Dirt Late Model (ODLM) series. Baker has raced for over 20 years in various divisions, including Asphalt Modified, Dirt Pro Stock and BRP Can-Am 360 Late Models.

The chassis, a Rayburn chassis, has been completely reworked, sandblasted and powder coated with all new sheet metal, nosepiece, and trim.

All lettering and designs were created by Primal Graphics of Ridgeway, Ontario. The 406 engine went back to Performance Engines of Jennison, Michigan and was reworked and dynoed for the upcoming season.

Gary Smith Racing Parts of Corfu, New York has provided numerous new parts and the car should be fast and competitive on opening day. Castle Products and Pennzoil also provides sponsorship for the team.

Baker is looking forward to competing against a strong field of drivers in the upcoming ODLM Series and hopes to improve on his 6th place points standing in 2009.

Release Prepared By: Ron Piotrowski

Ontario Dirt Late Models Association

416-779-3193

http://www.ontariodirtlatemodels.com

BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY: Danny O'Brien honoured at banquet

Even though the 2010 racing season is less than three weeks away, there was a little unfinished business left before the 2009 season can be put to rest, and that was to honour Danny O’Brien and the rest of the Brockville Ontario Speedway champions from the past year at the annual Brockville Ontario Speedway awards banquet.

At the end of the evening, Danny was quick to thank his sponsors, crew and car owners Darren and Todd Kendrick, who made the trip to Brockville from St. Catharines, Ontario. “It was a great season, and I really can’t thank my crew and our sponsors enough for everything that they do”, says O’Brien.  “We are all looking forward to the upcoming season.”

Danny found victory lane 8 times in 2009 at Brockville, and captured his 9th overall championship at the BOS, and a very impressive 4th consecutive title.  These phenomenal numbers add to the 127 Small Block wins, 11 Big Block feature wins and 5 other track championships that O’Brien has collected during his career.

As for the 2010 season, Danny plans to run weekly at the Brockville Ontario Speedway on Saturday nights, and the Cornwall Speedway on Sundays.  In addition to the two weekly races, Danny and the Global Warranty, 1000 Islands RV, Pat’s Radiator, 103.7 BOB FM, Jackson’s Landscaping & Property Maintenance, Murdock’s Cement Finishing, Stover Bus Lines, Kendrick Racing team will launch a full assault on the Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified Super DIRTcar series which begins April 17th at Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park in Lafargeville, New York.  Danny will also run select events at Can Am, Mohawk, and various other tracks throughout the northeast.

For more information on Danny O’Brien and the 7* racing team, please visit our new website, www.dannyobrien.ca.

PHOTO: Danny O’Brien’s 358 DIRT Modified on display at the Frontenac Mall in Kingston, Ontario last weekend.  (Rick Young Photo)

By Craig Revelle – Finish Line Web Design

Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship: Information Sessions Update

Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship head John Bondar sent out the following Competitor Communique pertaining to upcoming information sessions.

Pre-season Championship information sessions will be held in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto over the second weekend of April.  Championship officials will be on hand to answer administrative, promotional and technical questions about the 2010 season.  Media are invited to schedule interviews through the contact information below.

Session One:    Ottawa
Date:           Friday April 9, 2010
Time:           6:00pm to 8:00pm
Location:                Dow Honda, 845 Carling Avenue, 613-237-2777

Session Two:    Montreal
Date:           Saturday April 10, 2010
Time:           11:00am to 1:00pm
Location:                 Circuit ICAR (Pro Shop), 12655, Henri-Fabre, 514-955-4227

Session Three:  Toronto
Date:           Sunday April 11, 2010
Time:           11:00am to 1:00pm
Location:                 Hyatt Regency Toronto, 370 King Street West, 416-343-1234

Competitors are encouraged to take this opportunity to register for the Championship in person and receive the Championship decals.

For further information: John Bondar // 416.707.0358 // john@touringcar.ca // www.touringcar.ca  

Natalia Kowalska clinches place on the F2 grid

Natalia Kowalska has joined the 2010 FIA Formula Two Championship grid – becoming the 20th confirmed driver for the forthcoming season. The 20-year-old Kowalska moves to the F1 feeder series after contesting the F2 winter testing programme in Valencia last December. Her two-day experience of the Williams JPH1 followed a season on the sidelines for the talented Pole, as a lack of budget curtailed her 2009 campaign.

Natalia contested six Star Mazda races in the United States during 2008, which followed a part season in both Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup and Formula Renault 2.0 NEC in 2007. Kowalska has also tested both a Formula 3 and International Formula Master car. Prior to her graduation to car racing, the female racer was a multiple karting champion in her native Poland.

Natalia Kowalska said: “Formula Two – just by its name you know that you’re dealing with a big series! F2 was very successful in its first year and everyone I have spoken to has been really positive about it. Of course, it is a very competitive championship and it is a great package all round. I am well aware that there will be some very good drivers but I will just be focussing on my own development and performance. The car is very impressive – that kind of speed and power is something that I had never experienced before. I enjoyed it very much and I think the car suits my style, so I am looking forward to a good season.”

F2 Series Director Jonathan Palmer said: “I am delighted to welcome a Polish driver to the 2010 driver line-up. F2’s data sharing feature will be of huge importance to Natalia, as she looks to close on the pace of some of the more experienced drivers as soon as possible. Natalia will be up against some tough opposition in Formula Two but she proved during winter testing that she is able to learn and adapt quickly. I am sure Natalia is looking forward to the challenge and will be targeting some points finishes as the season progresses.”

Courtesy Simon Melluish / FIA Formula 2

OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY STAFF AND RACERS READY FOR 2010 SEASON

By Tommy Goudge (April 1, 2010) – Test and tune day at Ohsweken Speedway is coming up fast, and racers and Speedway staff gathered at Brantford's Best Western Brant Park Inn on Saturday for the annual registration and information meeting, as preparations continue for the track's fifteenth anniversary season.  If the standing room only turnout at the meeting is any indication, this season is shaping up to be the best ever at Ohsweken.

MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Procedure and rules changes were outlined during the meeting, while officials in new roles were introduced to those in attendance. 

Wing and tire rule amendments including designation of the Hoosier 105/18 – 15 RD15 plated HTC as the Right Rear SPEC tire for the 2010 season were outlined for the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division.

Introduction of the American Racer RJS Stocker branded medium compound tire as an option for the ESSO Thunder Stocks also highlighted the changes.

The formation of a new competition committee for the ESSO Mini Stock and ESSO Thunder Stock divisions was also announced.  The committee will interact with track officials on rules issues and other items that can improve the stock car divisions.

Details on rules changes can be found on the Ohsweken Speedway website at www.OhswekenSpeedway.com/rules.htm

DRIVER ROSTERS
As the season approaches, more news is coming in each day on the driver front.  Rookies are plentiful in all divisions, especially in the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division, where no less than six drivers are set to compete for the Rookie of the Year award including Shane Butler, Stevin Goldner, Mitchell Brown, Chris Steele, Todd Hoddick, and Jamie Turner.

Veteran driver Kyle Patrick is set to return in his potent Sprint Car after some time away from the track, while local favourite Ryan Hunsinger will sit out much of the 2010 season for personal reasons. The seat of the Myles Hill Racing machine will be filled with the return of London-area open wheel star Mike Ling. 

Ling is returning to dirt track action after a lengthy and successful stint on the asphalt Sprint Car circuit in the United States.  The Mount Brydges driver was a top contender in the late 90’s at Ohsweken and other area tracks, and racked up eight feature wins – including two at Ohsweken – before moving to the pavement where he’s claimed six more feature wins and fifty-five “top 5’s” in the last ten years.

Fender fans will see Wyatt Van Wart moving up from the Mini Stocks and running for ESSO Thunder Stocks Rookie of the Year driving a former Mark Thorne machine, while local karting veteran Philip Nyssen is moving to Thunder Stocks as well.

The ESSO Mini Stocks Rookie of the Year award will be hotly contested this season.  Another member of the Brown family will get behind the wheel when Jacob Brown takes over the seat of the #10 which carried brother Mitchell to the ESSO Mini Stock track championship last season.  Brittani Myers is moving into the Mini Stocks after some time in the Bombers, while newcomers Jamie Goudge and Robin Elliott will also be Mini Stock rookies.

CAR SHOWS
Ohsweken Speedway also participated in the London Auto Expo at the Western Fairgrounds over the weekend.  Ohsweken Speedway would like to thank all the fans who visited the Speedway booth over the weekend and got a chance to check out John Riegling's #1a Sprint Car.

One more opportunity for fans to get a sneak peak at the 2010 paint schemes and meet their favourite drivers is coming up at the Ohsweken Speedway Brantford Mall show.  The show runs at the Lynden Park Mall from Wednesday, April 21 to Saturday, April 24 during regular mall hours. 

A final stop on the show circuit will take place at the Ancaster Fair Grounds on Sunday, April 25 at the annual spring Flea Market.  Stop by and get a bit of bench racing in before the action gets underway on the track for the 2010 season.

HISTORY PROJECT
Do you have old Ohsweken Speedway programs, photos, videos, or results pages just sitting around collecting dust?  The Ohsweken Speedway history project can use your help.  If you would like to contribute to the project, just send an e-mail to media@OhswekenSpeedway.com and share your favourite photos and other items with the world!

NEXT AT OHSWEKEN
Ohsweken Speedway’s fifteenth anniversary season is coming up faster than you think!  Just five weeks remain until the engines fire for the first time at the Speedway for Test and Tune on Saturday, May 8.  Make sure to visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com and make your plans to attend Friday Night Thunder each week starting May 14, as well as the World of Outlaws Sprint Series events on July 30th and 31st, and the Sixth Annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals September 16th to 18th!

ABOUT
Ohsweken Speedway is located in the village of Ohsweken, Ontario approximately twenty-five minutes Southeast of Brantford, forty minutes Southwest of Hamilton, one hour and twenty minutes West of Niagara Falls, one hour and twenty minutes East of London, and one hour and twenty minutes Southwest of Toronto. 

Ohsweken Speedway is a state-of-the-art Styres family-owned three-eighths mile clay oval racing facility featuring Musco lighting and seating for 8,000.  

Friday Night Thunder provides weekly racing at the track, featuring Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars, ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers, along with touring series visits by the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, Empire Super Sprints, ASCS Patriots, and Mod-Lite Stars Championship Tour North. 

The track’s signature event is the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals held in September each season.  Up to eighty or more of the best 360 sprint car drivers and teams from across Canada, the United States, and beyond will converge on Ohsweken to contest the Sixth Annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals September 16 – 18, 2010.

Regular Friday Night Thunder admission is just $10, while students and seniors are $8, and Kids age 12 and under get in free.  Please visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com for more information, or call 1-888-720-RACE!

K&K Team ready for 2010

Kevin Wicke ready to defend Quick 32 Sportsman Series title

STRATFORD, ONTARIO (March 31, 2010) - The K&K Race Team won the inaugural Quick 32 Sportsman Championship Point Award Series in 2009 and the Champions are anxious to defend their title in 2010.

With a very successful initial season, the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts will continue to be one of Canada’s most competitive drag racing series. There will be more teams and quicker fields, but the guys at K&K are up to the challenge.

Consistency was the key for the K&K Team and their Dodge Stratus in 2009 and they are looking for more of the same in 2010.

“We had a pretty good season but we definitely had a few breaks last year,” said team driver Kevin Wicke. “This year will be a much tougher Championship Point Award Series chase, and there will be more quality teams in the points.”

With over 32 teams already registered for the 2010 Quick 32 Sportsman Series, it is shaping up to be a great season. Although the K&K combination will be much the same, the team has made a few improvements over the winter.

“We made some upgrades in the valve train and nitrous system. These were more of a preventative measure than anything, in hopes of eliminating parts failure and improve our run-to-run consistency,” explained Wicke.

Crew Chief Kevin Zimmer knows there will be much tougher competition this season. “If you look down the list of teams it gets pretty scary...Kalin, Grubb, McMillen and Aitken just to name a few, all these guys can win races. I told the guys at the beginning of last year that you could win the points without winning an event and they thought I was crazy, but we did it. We will just focus on our program, go rounds and let the points fall where they will. It seemed to work out okay last year.”

The K&K Team will do some testing at the Grand Bend Motorplex to get ready for the season opener May 21- 23 at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario. They will also compete at the IHRA Nitro Jam Series events in Grand Bend and Martin, Michigan, both of which they won in recent years.

K&K Racing is supported by Fram Canada, Perth Auto Dismantlers, Skully Bros. Metal Fabrication, Bear’s Performance Products, Ron’s Precision Machine, Fraser Asphalt Paving, Hutch’s Transmission and CVR Inc.

About the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts:
The Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts, www.Quick32.ca, of drag racing was started early in 2009 as an alternative for high-horsepower Sportsman-class teams to compete on a regular basis, and will continue in 2010 for its second full season.

In 2010 the Quick 32 Sportsman Series will compete at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario and the South-western Ontario track of the Grand Bend Motorplex.

With 32-car qualified fields comprised of the 16 quickest open wheeled cars (Top Dragster) and the 16 quickest door cars (Top Sportsman), the Quick 32 Sportsman Series featured the best in ET-style, dial-in drag racing, competing on a Sportsman ladder and pit door-slammers against dragsters in every race day final.

Competitors in this Ontario-based Series must comply with the IHRA Top Dragster and Top Sportsman Safety rules and regulations, and the maximum dial-in will be 7.95 seconds for the quarter-mile.

This new venture provided $3000 to win for each event and $5000 for the annual Championship Point Award Series Champion, payouts very popular with competitors and will provide large fields of race cars.

The Quick 32 Sportsman Series is committed in providing a professional atmosphere for its teams. It will also provide solid media and logistic support to ensure it becomes one of the most popular drag race series running Top Sportsman and Top Dragster race cars.

The Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts competes several times with the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA), www.PMRA.ca, as well as selected special events, offering fans a great show of drag racing.

Photo Credit: Bill Mehlenbacher Photography - www.nxphoto.com and Mike Goodwin - www.mgdigital.ca

For more information, please contact:

Bruce F. Mehlenbacher
Director of Operations
Telephone: (905) 772-1800 Ext. #22
Cellular: (905) 517-5345
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Courtesy: Z.I.M.

Cale Bailey Leads the Blue Oval Charge Into Kawartha Speedway’s Late Model Wars

At 21 years of age, Cale Bailey is about to embark on one of the biggest adventures of his life and he couldn’t be happier about it. The Port Hope, Ontario resident – named after NASCAR racing legend Cale Yarborough – will climb behind the wheel of a NAPA Auto Parts Late Model stock car, competing in the headline class at Kawartha Speedway. A go kart racing graduate and past champion with Toronto’s Goodwood karting club, Bailey says he can’t wait for the Fraserville, Ontario oval’s 10th Anniversary season to get underway.

“I’ve been looking forward to an opportunity like this nearly all my life,” said the culinary training student at Loyalist College in Belleville. “I know I have a lot to learn, but I’m used to going to school so I’m hoping to gain as much knowledge as I can. I’ve heard so many great things about the other late model drivers and how helpful they can be when it comes to showing the rest of us the ropes.”

Cale Bailey is proud to be carrying on a family racing tradition. His grandfather Bud is a past champion at Brighton Speedway and earned a track title in 1971. His father Greg also tried his hand at the sport running a super late model and ACT car during the 80’s and 90’s. Another tradition Bailey is looking to continue will be racing with blue oval power under the hood. His ACT Tour legal machine will feature the only Ford crate motor in the track’s weekly field.

“Whenever there has been a racecar in our garage, it’s always been a Ford,” said Bailey. “I know that almost everyone else is running a Chevy crate – no matter what sheet metal is on the outside of the car – but we’re going with what we know. The rulebook says we need a crate motor, so we called Roush-Yates and placed an order for an s347jr power plant. As far as I know, it’s the first one in the province.”

To kick-off his maiden voyage in a late model, Cale Bailey’s weapon of choice will be a rolling chassis acquired from former OSCAAR champion John Fletcher. The team – including crew members Glen Pearce, Mike Smith and Tom Stothart is currently busy getting the car ready for competition and expects the Ford Fusion sheet metal to be installed within the next few weeks. Long time friend and now sponsor/car owner Iain Adamson of Better Business Equipment has made a commitment for the full 2010 Kawartha Speedway schedule and selected American-Canadian Tour events. The team – known as Rocket Line Racing – will carry sponsorship from Adamson’s newest venture, Rocket Line High Speed DSL and Bailey’s Automotive.

From the humble beginnings at the controls of a go kart at the age of 10, with race winning efforts here at home and tracks in the United States to a club championship with the Hurricane Midgets in just his second season of oval track racing, Cale Bailey is anxious to take the next step in his motorsports career. Fans of the blue oval have a great deal to look forward to as the #67 NAPA Auto Parts Late Model charges into Kawartha Speedway’s 2010 season.

The 10th Anniversary campaign promises some exciting action. To see the complete schedule – including the late model Summer Sizzler Friday, July 9th – see www.kawarthaspeedway.com.

Photo attachment: A go kart and Hurricane Midget grad, Cale Bailey will be a rookie in Kawartha Speedway’s NAPA Auto Parts Late Model division when the season opens Friday, June 4th.

Release and Photo by Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications