LAST CHANCE: Inside Track Canadian Racers Contingency Program Ad Submissions

Attention Racers,

This is your LAST CHANCE to submit your form and photo for the Inside Track Canadian Racers Contingency Program. These ads are going to appear in the next issue of Inside Track. We have already collected a bunch and we're closing off submissions at the start of next week.

If you:

A) Ran an Inside Track decal in 2010...
B) Subscribe to Inside Track, and...
C) Finished in the Top 20 in points at your track or in your series...

... then you're eligible for a free 'Thank Your Sponsor(s)' ad in Inside Track Motorsport News.

If you qualify, then go to www.insidetracknews.com/contingency ... download the PDF or Word version of the submission form ... fill it out and get it into us (Fax: 416-962-7208 or email: contingency@insidetracknews.com). Please send along a high-res JPG, too.

Have a great weekend! ... and get your form and photo into us ASAP!

Greg.

AND JORGE MAKES FOUR -- STAR MAZDA'S 'BUMPER CROP' OF INDY LIGHTS DRIVERS

When, like the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, you have a 21-year history of producing top young racing drivers, every year has its triumphs… but occasionally circumstances come together and produce a 'bumper crop' of talent. Such is the case with the Star Mazda class of 2010, whose graduates – with the announcement that Venezuelan racer Jorge Goncalvez will join Anders Krohn at Belardi Auto Racing -- now include four confirmed Firestone Indy Lights drivers for the 2011 season. Others include 2010 Star Mazda Champion Conor Daly, and Canadian racer David Ostella.

Goncalvez, a 19 year-old from Los Teques, Venezuela, finished 4th in the 2010 Star Mazda Championship in 2010, scoring five second-place finishes and 10 Top-10s. Goncalvez will drive Belardi Auto Racing's No. 4 car entry, partnering fellow Star Mazda graduate Anders Krohn, who has previously been announced as the driver of the team's No. 9 entry. Krohn finished 2nd in the championship with a record of one pole, six podium finishes and finishing in the top-5 at every race.

"I am very pleased to have this opportunity to move up to Firestone Indy Lights," Goncalvez said. "I know this will be a big challenge for me, but I am confident that with the support of the talented crew around me that I will do my countrymen proud. I'm really looking forward to the season and to working with all the guys at Belardi and to being a part of the Firestone Indy Lights Series…to compete with so many great drivers at such incredible venues."

Goncalvez enters the 2011 Indy Lights series with Belardi Autosport having raced internationally since 2006. Following multiple karting national championship titles in his native Venezuela, the talented racer made his car racing debut in the Renault French 1600cc in the Pan-Am GP Series. He advanced to the French Formula Renault Series one year later. Goncalvez made his North American racing debut in 2008, finishing seventh in the Formula BMW Americas title chase. Advancing up to the Star Mazda Championship the following season, the teenager finished 9th in his rookie campaign, before challenging for the series' title last season.

Goncalvez is known for a fierce little chicken painted on the back of his helmet with the words, "El Pollito" - his nickname, which translates from Spanish to be "Little Chicken." It certainly has nothing to do with his courage on the track, as Goncalvez's father is the "Big Chicken" in Venezuela, the owner of one of the country's largest poultry operations.

Krohn is a true product of the Mazda Road to Indy ladder series. Arriving in this country as an unknown, he won the F2000 Championship series in 2008 with Andersen Racing, was offered an opportunity in Star Mazda for 2009 with Mundill and reunited with Andersen Racing in Star Mazda for 2010 finishing a solid second in the Championship points. Krohn will now take another step up the ladder. “I am now just one step away from the IZOD IndyCar Series.

Moving up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder has been such a great experience,” said Krohn. “It's a ladder that has already benefited quite a few, and in the future it will be essential in continuing to feed the very best drivers into what I think is the best racing series in the world. IndyCar and all the sanctioning bodies and sponsors on the ladder, like Mazda and Firestone have done a tremendous job with supporting their up and coming talents, and I am so proud not only to be part of Belardi Auto Racing, but also to be one of the future faces of IndyCar.

2010 Star Mazda champion Conor Daly, who scored seven wins, twelve podiums, nine poles and seven fastest laps, will divide his time between Europe and North America, racing a full season of GP3 with British team Carlin and non-conflicting road-course dates in the Firestone Indy Lights Championship with Sam Schmidt Motorsports.

"I'm extremely pleased to have all the plans worked out for 2011," says Daly. "It's taken a lot of work and I'm extremely thankful to everyone at Mazda who spent a great deal of time making sure my program was in order. It really shows how dedicated Mazda is to their ladder drivers. With the significant changes to the ladder system in 2010, Mazda still stayed devoted to supporting their champions. I'm honored to have the support of Mazda for the 2011 season and beyond."

David Ostella is a 19 year-old Canadian driver moving up to Indy Lights with Canadian race team Jensen Motorsport, a team with a long history in North American open-wheel racing. Ostella competed in the Star Mazda Championship during the 2009 and 2010 seasons; in 2010, racing the #16 AIM Autosport / GP Global Precast Mazda, he scored two top-5 and seven top-10 finishes.

“David Ostella is a very fast and marketable race-car driver,” Jensen said. “Our team has recently signed renowned race engineer Remi Lanteigne to quarterback our technical program, so, together with David, we are enthusiastic about our new initiative.”

Both graduates and the 2011 crop of drivers in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear will return to action on March 16, when official series testing will take place at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama, as part of the INDYCAR Spring Training program. Both the 2011 Star Mazda Championship and Firestone Indy Lights seasons get underway on March 27, with Round One on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.

About Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear
For 2011, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear will be a major part of the Mazda Road to Indy and will feature a 10-weekend, 11-race schedule, all on major race weekends and most with IndyCar. Two weekends are with the American Le Mans series, and one is a double-header with Indy Lights. Rising stars from around the world will be watched by more than a million fans as they compete for prizes valued at $1.5 million, including a scholarship to move up and race in the 2012 Firestone Indy Lights series. Drivers 16 and older are welcome to compete and the Star Mazda Championship also features the Expert Series for drivers 30 and older. The Star Mazda Championship features standing starts, wheel-to-wheel racing at 160 mph and budgets a fraction of other top open-wheel ladder series. For more information on the Star Mazda Championship please visit http://www.starmazda.com/.

For more information on the Star Mazda Championship and its drivers, as well as the Mazda Motorsports ladder system, please visit http://www.starmazda.com/ and http://www.mazdausa.com/

KENNINGTON FINISHES TOP-TEN AT PHOENIX

February 25, 2011. Reigning NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion DJ Kennington was back racing this past Thursday night at Phoenix International Raceway. Following an incredible second place finish in the NASCAR All Star Showdown at Irwindale, California Kennington picked up another ride with Bill McAnally Racing for the K & N Pro Series event at Phoenix International Raceway and gained thirteen positions during the race to score a top-ten finish.

Action began with Kennington behind the wheel of the #12 Northern Provincial Pipelines/Castrol Edge car for practice and finding the speed they wanted was a struggle. Kennington would qualify with the 23^rd fastest time for the 100 lap feature event.

As the race began DJ used the initial laps to assess the handling and feel of the #12 NPP/Castrol Edge machine and with a caution period even before lap 20 he chose to bring his car to pit road for service. “We wanted make a stop early and do any adjustments then and hopefully be in a good position with track position for the end of the race” said Kennington.

When the racing resumed Kennington did push the #12 NPP/Castrol Edge car forward into the top-ten and ran as high as fourth position. “It felt good to run up front” said the driver. “But it wasn’t even half way yet and there was plenty of action going on” he added.

As the race progressed the handling of his #12 NPP/Castrol Edge ride began to go away and Kennington was forced to pit again during another caution period. “That pit stop put us back in the field and our strategy was to try and go hard and get what we could in the remaining laps” he explained.

When racing resumed Kennington charged forward and when the checkered flag waved the #12 NPP/Castrol Edge car claimed a tenth place finish. “I think we did really well after not having a great qualifying spot” said Kennington. “I have to thank Dwight Kennedy and Northern Provincial Pipelines and of course Bill McAnally Racing for this opportunity, hopefully we can do it again soon”.

Of Note: The pre season edition of the 2011 Hunter Index Rankings, a monthly power poll that highlights the top development series drivers, was released on Thursday February 24th and DJ Kennington placed fourth on the basis his 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Championship along with his strong second place showing at the NASCAR All Star Showdown at Irwindale, California.

Race fans are encouraged to keep up to date with the latest team news in several ways. Race fans should bookmark the team website www.djkracing.ca and follow them on twitter, www.twitter.com/djkracing Fans are also suggested to join the Facebook Group DJK Racing.

Photo: The #12 Northern Provincial Pipelines/Castrol Edge Car in action at PIR.

Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

NASCAR: Jason Bowles kicks off 2011 at top of the Hunter Index

Bowles Kicks Off 2011 At Top In Hunter Index ... Toyota Showdown Winner Edges Rocco For No. 1 Spot

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 24, 2011) — Jason Bowles' 2011 schedule may still be up in the air, but that didn't stop NASCAR observers from tabbing him as the driver with the most momentum heading into the season.

Bowles' win at the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown in January earned him six first-place votes among the 14 panelists and a one-point edge over defending NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion Keith Rocco for the top spot in the preseason edition of the Hunter Index.

"After a huge win at the All-Star Showdown and a top-five in the 2011 ARCA Series Opener, things have never looked brighter for Bowles," said voter Spencer Lewis, representing the Canadian publication Inside Track Motorsports News. "Add to that the fact that the California native plans on racing all across the continent this season, and you have a driver with momentum behind him, and pressure and attention on him."

The Hunter Index, which was launched in 2010 on NASCARHomeTracks.com, is a monthly power poll designed to highlight the standout performances in the NASCAR developmental series.

Drivers are ranked on their performance over the previous month. The rankings are compiled by a panel of auto racing writers and NASCAR representatives. This season, the panel was expanded to 12 media members from across North American with experience covering NASCAR's touring and weekly series, along with two voters from NASCAR.

The resulting preseason poll had 43 different drivers receive at least one vote, with six different drivers receiving a first-place vote. While Bowles led the way, Rocco, defending NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Bobby Santos (third overall) and Ted Christopher (seventh overall) each received two apiece.

"What's not to like about Bobby Santos going into the 2011 season?" said Shawn Courchesne of the Hartford (Conn.) Courant. "The defending champion of one of the most competitive developmental divisions in NASCAR returns to the seat for the most successful team on the Whelen Modified Tour over the last four seasons. And he kicks off the season with events at two tracks where he's historically been dominant."

DJ Kennington and Burt Myers received one first-place vote each.

Kennington, the defending NASCAR Candian Tire Series champion and NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown runner-up, finished fourth in the preseason voting, followed by Myers. Myers finished the 2010 season with back-to-back wins to claim his first NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour title.

Brett Moffitt (NASCAR K&N Pro Series East), Christopher, Eric Holmes (NASCAR K&N Pro Series West), Philip Morris (NASCAR Whelen All-American Series) and Matt Hirschman (NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) rounded out the top 10.

Panelists rank their top 15, with first place receiving 15 points, second 14, third 13 and so on.

The Hunter Index is named for the late Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications and a longtime supporter of the weekly and touring series that make up the NASCAR Developmental Series.

The Index was designed as an opportunity to compare the top drivers from the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series all the way up to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series. It will also encompass drivers from the NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West opens Thursday at Phoenix International Raceway. Openers for the other touring series are: NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, Sunday, March 13 at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C.; NASCAR Mexico Series, Sunday, March 20 in Monterrey; NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Saturday, March 26 at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway; NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Sunday, April 10 at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway; and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Sunday, May 28 at Mosport Speedway, Bowmanville, Ont. The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series opens at sanctioned tracks across North American throughout the spring.

The Hunter Index will come out the first Thursday of each month, beginning in April and running through November.

The panel also included media members: J.A. Ackley, Dick Berggren's Speedway Illustrated; Shawn Courchesne, Hartford (Conn.) Courant; Bob Dillner, SPEED; Adam Fenwick, National Speed Sport News; Tim Haddock, haddockinthepaddock.blogspot.com; Keith Lair, Los Angeles Newspaper Group; Spencer Lewis, Inside Track Motorsport News; Jorge Mondaca, FOXSports.com; Pat Patterson, SIRIUS NASCAR Ch. 128/ESPN Radio; Len Sammons, Area Auto Racing News; David Smith, DavidSmithMotorsports.com; and Elgin Traylor, Speed51.com. They are joined by Brett Bodine, who is the chairman of the NASCAR Resumé Committee and represents the NASCAR competition side on the panel, and Jason Christley, a NASCAR public relations representative.

PRESEASON HUNTER INDEX

1.    JASON BOWLES
NASCAR K&N Pro Series/NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
Why he's here: The Ontario, Calif., native and 2009 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion won the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown in January and plans to run a handful of NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

2.    KEITH ROCCO
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He's Here: The Wallingford, Conn. driver will look to celebrate the 30th year running of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series by becoming just the third driver to win back-to-back national championships.

3.    BOBBY SANTOS
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Why He's Here: In addition to returning to the Bob Garbarino-owner Mystic Missile, he's currently 10th in NASCAR Nationwide Series points after a solid run at Daytona.

4.    DJ KENNINGTON
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series/NASCAR K&N Pro Series
Why He's Here: Defending Candian Tire Series champion plans on running a handful of K&N Pro Series races, starting Thursday at Phoenix.

5.    BURT MYERS
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Why He's Here: Finished last year with back-to-back wins and eyes defense of his tour title and Modified Division track title at Bowman Gray Stadium.

6.    BRETT MOFFITT
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
Why He's Here: Capped season with second straight win at Dover, and now jumps to championship ride in No. 00 for Michael Waltrip Racing.

7.    TED CHRISTOPHER
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour/NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He's Here: Ended the 2010 season in Victory Lane at Thompson in the Whelen Modified Tour race, and hopes to open 2011 in the same place.

8.    ERIC HOLMES
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
Why He's Here: Quest for fourth K&N West title begins the same place he won at to get rolling last spring and where he lifted the championship trophy last fall.

9.    PHILIP MORRIS
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He's Here: Three-time national champion finished last year strong with extra-distance wins at Martinsville and South Boston.

10.  MATT HIRSCHMAN
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Why He's Here: Finished second in points last time he ran the tour full-time (2008) and takes over the seat in the historic Ol' Blue No. 3 to challenge Santos.

HONORABLE MENTION: Craig Preble (NASCAR Whelen All-American Series), Jonathon Gomez (NASCAR K&N Pro Series West), Darrell Wallace Jr. (NASCAR K&N Pro Series East), Travis Pastrana (NASCAR K&N Pro Series), and Mike Stefanik (NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour).

From Jason Christley, Integrated Marketing Communications

TICKET INFO FOR CORR/PAK PRESENTS TONY STEWART AT OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY

For Immediate Release – Ken Pelkie, The excitement is building at Ohsweken Speedway for the racing appearance of NASCAR star Tony Stewart on Tuesday, July 26th. Stewart will be on hand to challenge the CORR/Pak Sprint regulars in a special mid-week program preceding the 4th Annual visit of the World of Outlaws in a full point program for the Ohsweken championship chase.

With the addition of the 360 action featuring Stewart in one of his favourite types of race car, fans will be able to witness two nights of the most action packed racing in the area in 2011. The program will be headlined by the CORR/Pak Sprints in a $3,000 to win special along with the Lighthouse Tattoos Thunder Stocks and the HRW Mini Stocks. The Pierced Parts Bombers will not be in action. All spectator seating will be Reserved for this event. Adults will be admitted for $20 while Students 13 through 17 and seniors over 65 and older are $15. Kids 12 and under will be admitted for $5.

Tickets will go on sale Monday, March 8th at 9:00 AM on a first come, first served basis by calling 1-888-720-7223. They will remain on sale Mondays through Thursdays at this number from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM until one week before the race date.

If you have difficulty getting through on the line, please email Cheryl at pelkiekj@ebtech.net leaving your name, phone number(s) and a time when you can be reached and you will be called back as soon as possible.

If you do get through and no one answers your call, please leave your name, time you called, and a return number and you will be contacted as soon as possible.

Please be patient as demand for these tickets is anticipated to be high.

Payment must be made via Master Card or VISA at the time of purchase.

Tickets for the 4th Annual “SIX NATIONS SHOWDOWN” featuring the World of Outlaws on July 27th and the 7th Annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals September 16th and 17th remain on sale. Plenty of great seats remain for each of these events and can be obtained the same way as outlined above for the Tony Stewart appearance by calling 1-888-720-7223.

Be sure to visit us at Performance World Custom Car and Truck Show at the International Center in Toronto March 11th through 13th and watch the official website of Ohsweken Speedway at www.ohswekenspeedway.com for more details on the evening as they will be released soon.

KENNINGTON BACK IN ACTION AT PHOENIX

February 21, 2011. Following an outstanding race to a second place finish at the NASCAR All Star Showdown at Irwindale, California, 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion DJ Kennington of St. Thomas, ON will once again team with Bill McAnally Racing this coming Thursday at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). Kennington will drive the #12 Castrol Edge/Northern Provincial Pipelines car in the opening event of the K & N West Series.

Kennington is expecting to be extremely competitive at PIR a track he is familiar with. “I’ve run a few Nationwide Series events at PIR and I’m pretty comfortable getting around there” said Kennington. “Plus we’ll have the same great car that Bill McAnally Racing had for me at Irwindale so I think we’ll have an excellent opportunity to do well” he added.

Of course this type of program wouldn’t be possible without partnership support. “When this opportunity to get back in the car for Phoenix Dwight Kennedy from Northern Provincial Pipeline said yes right away” stated Kennington. “And of course we’re now into the 18^th year of our association with Castrol which is just tremendous.

The K & N West Series opener kicks off a full weekend of activities at PIR. Practice begins at 9AM local time, qualifying will be at 2:30PM local and the 100 mile race goes green at 4:30PM local. You can follow the action online at http://hometracks.nascar.com The race will also be broadcast on SPEED at a later date. Check your local listings for date and time.

Race fans are encouraged to keep up to date with the latest team news in several ways. Race fans should bookmark the team website www.djkracing.ca and follow them on twitter, www.twitter.com/djkracing Fans are also suggested to join the Facebook Group DJK Racing.

Photo: DJ Kennington & Crew Chief all smiles after second place finish at Irwindale, California

F1 race in Bahrain called off...

Just heard a radio report that the Formula 1 race slated for Bahrain has been called off due to the civil unrest in the region.
It could be an interesting time ahead for F1...

PHOTO: Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne in Victory Lane

Photo by www.DaveFranksPhotos.com

This photo album of New Smyrna Speedway showcases the 45th World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing championship held at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida. For the first time since Jr Hanley a title was won by a Canadian driver, Martin Latulippe, and the first Quebec driver to do so. Kevin Roberge, alors from Quebec, finished second in points.

Latulippe scored 3 wins, Roberge one win. Cole Powell won a controversial win, when he ruffed up Brandon Waton, and was disqualified later for it.

Pictures were shot by Chantal and M.P. Roy. You can visit their blog at http://oval-racing.blogspot.com

PHOTO ALBUM: ACT GOODYEAR SPEEDWEEKS CUP AT NEW SMYRNA

This photo album of the American-Canadian Tour's visit at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida, it was shot by Chantal and M.P. Roy. You can visit their blog at http://oval-racing.blogspot.com

Daytona 500 winner Tremor Bayne... post-race presser

HOOKER BROTHERS: New Smyrna Update Feb. 19, 2011... last night

Thanks to Ken Spira for supplying the Kirk Hooker / Hooker Bros. updates from New Smyrna Speedway. Greg Gibson helped me attach a GoPro camera to Kirk's #38 last night, so I'll be posting an in-car from Kirk's third-place run. Thanks guys!                                               

Post Race Update #8, New Smyrna Speedway Florida February 19, 2011

The crew arrived at the track for the last night of racing with their suitcases packed and the condo cleaned ready to head north for home immediately after the last night of racing. After checking the toe, Kirk only had to run two practice laps to determine that the setup was back to where it was the previous night before contact knocked out the toe.

The #38 JBM Leasing Chevy lined up in the outside pole position beside the #11 who historically did not have good starts and the crew was pumped looking for a win. Kirk focussed on the job at hand as he followed the pace truck with Ontario photographer Dave Franks in it taking quality pictures as he has throughout the week both at the big track in Daytona as well as New Smyrna Speedway. Additional pictures can be seen and purchased from Dave by visiting his website at davefranksphotos@sympatico.ca. 

Kirk took the green flag and cleared the #11 going into turn one only to have the caution come out before a lap could be completed due to a car spinning on its own on the backstretch. Kirk repeated the move on the restart and led the field for the first lap. The lead did not last long as the #26 of Jessica Murphy got a run on the outside going down the backstretch and she took over the position followed by the #36 who got on the inside of the #38 to put the #38 into 3rd.

 The #20 and #15 decided to make things interesting by going three wide with Kirk in the middle so Kirk wisely backed out of the dangerous position to drop back into 5th. The #25 of Cole Powell who was running his crate division late model with added weight and less left side percentage to join the limited late model class put Kirk back another position as the field approached lap ten in the 25 lap feature.

The #26 pulled well ahead of the field followed by the #36 when the #15 & #20 got together bringing out the caution. Kirk lined up beside his fellow Canadian, the #25 where the two would run side by side for a couple of laps before the #25 pulled ahead on lap 12 putting Kirk into 4th as the caution returned for the #20 who spun in turn 2. The #26 was still out front followed by the #36, #25 and #38 as they took the green flag, however the front row would change as the #26 & #36 got together in a battle for the lead on lap 14 and  spun in front of the pack going into turn one.

Kirk piloted the #38 Spira Fire Protection Chevy through the maze of spinning cars without making contact and after the #26 & #36 went to the back of the field, the #38 was in a Canadian  front row for the restart beside the #25. The #25 cleared Kirk as they came through turn two putting Kirk second with a hard charging #15 closing in fast from behind. The #15 put Kirk into 3rd as he made his move on lap 17.

The top three pulled away from the field as the laps ticked away and Kirk reported that the longer the run, the better the car handled as was evident by the gap that he was closing on the #15 ahead of him. The #25 pulled well ahead of the #15 as Kirk remained just two car lengths behind the #15 in 3rd. The order remained the same for the final laps and the #25 took the win followed by the #15 and #38 to round out the top three. The crew were very happy with the run and even happier that the car survived the week with only minor damage to the left front.

Immediately after the race, the crew went to work winterizing the car for the return trip back to the cold Ontario winter where they should arrive in less than 24 hours. The Hooker Brothers and their crew would like to thank those that helped them at the track as well as the sponsors who without them, would not make the annual trip to New Smyrna Speedway possible. As the final race concluded on the track, the Hooker Crew headed out of the infield for the long ride home satisfied that the had a pretty good run with their 6th place overall finish at New Smyrna Speedway. 

From Ken Spira