Merrittville Speedway: 2nd Annual Bob Sr. Memorial just 10 days away

The 2nd annual Bob St. Amand Senior Memorial at Merrittville (@Merrittville ) Speedway is just 10 days away and counting down. As the next stop on the Super DIRTcar Series – Big Block Modified Race Teams are back to their weekly tracks while preparing for the annual visit to the Thorold facility.

Merrittville Speedway’s Bob St. Amand Senior Memorial 100 lap Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series Event Monday August 1st – it’s unparalleled … unrivalled and unsurpassed and it’s a must see event – especially with the remainder of Monday May 23rd’s 358 Modified Super DIRTcar Series Event joining the line-up. Since 1972 – a who’s who of DIRTcar Modified Racing have converged on the d-shaped oval the first Monday in August.

At last Saturday’s Driver Meeting, Bob St. Amand Jr. unveiled details of the Local 358 Modified Last Chance Qualifier.

“Last year as Colleen, myself and our family were handing out Bonus Money,” remembers St. Amand, “we noticed quite a few of the guys that are with us every week going home with nothing … since then we knew we had to come up with something and we’re so excited that Dan Kovacs and Motorcade Industries have teamed up with L. St. Amand Enterprises and our family to help us do this.”

In conjunction with Motorcade Industries and partners NGK Spark Plugs, Monroe Sensa-Trac Shocks & Struts, Wagner Brake Products and Dayco Belts & Hoses – the new event will be open to Bobcat of Hamilton 358 Modified Drivers only with the top 4 added to the rear of the 26 car field.

“When we learned that the starting field had been changed to 26 cars for 2011,” added St. Amand, “that really put the gears in motion … from 5th on there will be a purse paid and to be eligible a driver must have at least 75% attendance this year on Saturday Nights.”

Motorcade Industries Ltd. was established in 1957 and has grown to become a distributor of quality automotive replacement parts to all sectors of the automotive industry.

A team of experienced and knowledgeable sales representatives are well known for their excellent service at their Grantham Avenue South location in St. Catharines in addition to additional stores throughout the Greater Toronto Area and Windsor. For all your parts needs in the Niagara Peninsula call 905-934-8861 or visit Motorcade on line at www.motorcade-ind.com.

Advance Tickets for Monday August 1st’s 2nd Annual Bob St. Amand Senior Memorial are now available at the track during business hours at the Speedway Office at 905-892-8266 or during events.

In addition to the 100 lap Big Block Modified 100 – the heart-pounding, high-powered, pedal-mashing entertainment will also include the final 75 laps of the 358 Modified Super DIRTcar Series Event plus a 25 lap Duel on the Dirt Event for the Hoosier Stocks.

When the Gates open at 4 PM Monday August 1st - the Club Castropignano Pasta Dinner begins at 4 PM and runs until 6. Race Fans and teams alike should get their Pasta Tickets in advance as on Race Day – Tickets are $12.

Adult Grandstand Tickets are $30 for Monday August 1st, Students and Seniors - $28, Juniors from 8 to 12 are $10 and Children under 8 are free.

Merrittville Speedway is located in Thorold Ontario Canada – just a short drive from the International Bridges.

The Bob St. Amand Sr. Memorial 100 Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series Event Monday August 1st is an event that Merrittville Speedway has hosted since 1972 – the year ‘Sr.’ won his Modified Points Championship.  Since that first event – the stars of DIRTcar Modified racing have challenged Merrittville’s talented field of hometown heroes in the Canadian Civic Holiday Classic.

For further information on the 60th Season call the Speedway Office at 905-892- 8266 or visit the award winning merrittvillespeedway.com. Race fans and Race teams alike can follow Merrittville on Face Book (Facebook.com/Merrittville Speedway) and Twitter (Twitter.com/Merrittville). 

Join us this season on a Saturday Night for a 60th Anniversary LUCAS OIL WEEKLY RACING SERIES EVENT featuring FIVE Divisions with local heroes and up and coming new stars.

From Merrittville Speedway

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Expands Television Package

@NASCARHomeTrack

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 21, 2011) – The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Canada’s premier stock-car racing series, will have all of its 2011 events telecast by RDS, the Canadian French-language sister of TSN which has been the television home to the series since its inception in 2007.

Eleven of the 12 scheduled NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races in 2011 will have a one-hour recap show telecast on a tape-delayed basis by RDS on one of its two channels dedicated to sports this fall. The Saturday, August 20 event at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve will be telecast live by RDS for the fifth consecutive year.

"The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is the premier stock car racing series in Canada with events from coast to coast," said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring series. "We are thrilled that the television coverage reflects the multilingual make-up of the fans that follow this exciting sport."

Coverage of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series complements full-season coverage of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events on RDS which has over 2.5 million cable and satellite household subscribers that will allow French-speaking Canadians to see some of the top future talent in NASCAR.

The programs will be produced by produced by James Robinson Associates Ltd. and the broadcast team of Didier Schraenen, Éric Descarries and Marc Cantin that also handles the other NASCAR coverage on RDS will provide the play-by-play and color analysis.

On TSN, 10 of the 12 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series events in 2011 have a one-hour recap show telecast on a tape-delayed basis. The Montreal race along with the Sunday, August 7 event at Circuit de Trois-Rivières (Que.) will be recorded in their entirety and broadcast later the same day.

From Shon Sbarra, NASCAR IMC

Race Time Radio: Live Flag To Flag coverage of the IWK 250 MPST race at Riverside!

@racetimeradio: This Saturday (July 23) Joe Chisholm and Race Time Radio will be doing live 'Flag To Flag' coverage of the IWK 250 Parts for Trucks Maritime Pro Stock Tour race at Nova Scotia's Riverside International Speedway! The broadcast starts at 6 p.m. (ET) and can be found on SIRIUS Channel 158 and http://radio.thescore.com/live.

Joe will be joined on the broadcast by Jamie Maudsley and Tim Terry. Good luck and safe travels!
 
Links: www.racetimeradio.com // www.maritimeprostocktour.com // www.riversidespeedway.ca // www.thescore.com/radio // www.sirius.ca // www.shellrotella.com

BROCKVILLE: One week left to the World of Outlaws first Eastern Ontario visit

BROCKVILLE, ON - The final countdown is now on for the first ever visit of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series to Eastern Ontario.  Steve Kinser, Craig Dollansky, Donny Schatz and the gang will arrive next Friday night, July 29th at Brockville Ontario Speedway. The fast quarter mile dirt oval has been preparing for the biggest event in its forty plus year history since December.

However, things have stepped up over the last week or so starting with Eastern Ontario based Benson Auto Parts coming aboard as the official sponsor of the event.  Benson has stores located throughout Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec, including right in Brockville, offering the most comprehensive inventories of both brand name and modestly priced generic auto parts. The Canadian owned company has also concluded a three year agreement with the Beast of the East to rename the pit area as the Benson Auto Parts Pit Area. Construction is underway with help of Tackaberry Construction on a new road to the recreational vehicle area at the track to accommodate visitors.

As of Thursday night, over 16 hundred advance reserved seat tickets had already been sold for the event that will also feature Brockville's semi regular vintage classic cars.  There are still reserved seats available by calling the track office at 613-348-3998 or at the track at 613-345-6324 or during the regular Saturday night racing program.  Day of show general admission tickets and pit passes will also be available.

Gates for the Benson Auto Parts World of Outlaws Event will open at 4pm.  Qualifying for the winged warriors is slated to start at 7 pm.  Brockville Ontario Speedway is located just off Highway 29, 11 kilometres north of Brockville at Temperance Lake Road.

From Steve Young / BOS

OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY: Toy Drive takes place tonight!

Mentions: @OhswekenSpdway… @inside_track

One of the busiest weeks in Ohsweken Speedway history begins this Friday, July 22 as Ohsweken Speedways annual toy drive takes place as part of the annual Christmas In July celebrations. Each person who brings a new unwrapped toy to the speedway will be granted $5 admission to the nights racing program.

The toy drive has been a huge success over the past few years and Ohsweken Speedway fans have shown their generosity in support of the toy drive. Many underprivileged kids in the local communities have been the beneficiary of that gesture of kindness.

The fast paced evening of racing will be capped off by a visit from Santa as the only autograph session of the season takes to the track during intermission. Free gifts for all kids and many of the adults will be distributed as you enter the speedway.

Action continues on the track Tuesday, July 26 when Tony Stewart makes his first visit to Ohsweken to challenge the regular CORR/Pak sprint division drivers. This mid week show gets underway at 7:45 and is supported by Thunder Stocks and Mini Stocks.

Then Wednesday, Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz leads the powerful 410 sprint cars of the World of Outlaws to Ohsweken for the running of the 4th Annual ‘Six Nations Showdown”. Mod Lites will also be on the program.

To cap off the month of July, Friday night, July 29th will see another action packed evening of Sprint car racing supported by Thunder Stocks, Mini Stocks, and Bombers. The ultra fast Western Ontario Outlaw Lawn Tractors will make a stop at Ohsweken to thrill the fans while a Blindfold Race and a Chain Race will be added attractions.

Plenty of primitive camping is available on the grounds for a nominal one time $10 fee so come on out, relax and enjoy a month’s worth of entertainment in one week without having to drive to different venues.

Please note that advanced Reserved seat ticketing sales continues for our three major events in 2011.

July 26th Tony Stewart will be at Ohsweken Speedway to take on the home town CORR/Pak Sprints in a special mid week point show. Adults will be admitted to this event for $20 while Students 13 through 17 and seniors over 65 and older are $15. Kids 12 and under will be admitted for $5. All seats will be reserved. Although sales have been brisk this past week there are still plenty of tickets available for this event and will remain on sale by phone at 1-888-720-7223 until July 24. Staff will be working Sunday to catch up on weekend calls but every effort will be made to return each call before advanced sales are closed Sunday night. If the phone mailbox is full, please email a return phone number to Cheryl at pelkiekj@ebtech.net . Remaining tickets will be available at the speedway box office during the afternoon of race day and remain on sale until race time.

Tickets for the 4th Annual “SIX NATIONS SHOWDOWN” featuring the World of Outlaws on July 27th also remain on sale. Plenty of great seats remain for this show as well at $35 per Adult with kids 12 and under at $15. They to can be obtained by calling 1-888-720-7223 until July 24. Remaining tickets will be available at the speedway box office during the afternoon of July 26 and remain on sale until race time on July 27.

From Ken Pelkie / Ohsweken Speedway

MICHELIN READIES FOR FAST, DEMANDING ALMS GP OF MOSPORT

Courtesy Michelin

BOWMANVILLE, CANADA (July 21, 2011) – One of the fastest, most demanding tracks in motorsports awaits Michelin and its technical partner teams, as the American Le Mans Series heads to Canada for the Mobil 1 Presents the Grand Prix of Mosport, July 22-24.

The iconic 10-turn, 2.459-mile circuit boasts a rich history, including F1, Can-Am and, more recently, ALMS races where Michelin has taken the overall win in each of the past six seasons. The track lap record is over 138 miles per hour.

"In Europe, a lot of the modern tracks have lost their original shape due to F1 configurations, but Mosport is one of those tracks that separates the men from the boys," said defending race champion Klaus Graf, driver of the Muscle Milk Aston Martin Racing prototype.

"The high-speed corners, elevation changes and aged track surface combine to produce exceptionally high loads on tires, as drivers seek to trim out aerodynamic downforce and rely on tires for mechanical grip," said Karl Koenigstein, Michelin ALMS technical team leader.

"We want our Michelin tires and the car set-up to provide the confidence and consistency each driver needs to perform at the limits on a very unforgiving circuit," said Koenigstein. "A driver needs to be totally committed in order to be fast at Mosport. In that regard, it is very much like Le Mans, but with no place to rest."

The fourth race of the 2011 ALMS season, Mosport is expected to play a pivotal role in the season-long championships. Graf and co-driver Lucas Luhr, winners of the Grand Prix of Long Beach, currently trail Northeast Grand Prix of Lime Rock-winning rival Dyson Racing Mazda in the ALMS Prototype point standings.

In the GT category, the 2011 Le Mans-winning Corvette Racing team, Mosport defending champions Flying Lizard Porsche and the Ferraris of Risi Competizione and Extreme Speed Motorsports look to end the ALMS streak of the rival BMW Team RLL. For more information, visit www.michelinmedia.com.

AUTO CLEARING MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Velocity Prairie Thunder on Wednesday, July 27

On Wednesday, July 27, Saskatoon's Auto Clearing Motor Speedway plays host to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. The Velocity Prairie Thunder 250, presented by Bayer CropScience is Race #7 on the 2011 NCATS schedule.

The Dakota Dunes Casino Western Canadian Super Late Model Championship Series will also be on the card for a 150-lap race, presented by SuperSeal.

Visit ACMS on the web for ticket and event information.

MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY: Monday, August 1 - Super DIRTcar Series Big Block & Small Block Modifieds

On Monday, August 1, Merrittville Speedway will play host to one of the biggest DIRTcar events of the season. 100 laps for the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds, 75 laps for the Super DIRTcar Series Small Blocks and 25 laps for the Hoosier Stocks!

The races will feature stars like Brett Hearn, Matt Sheppard, Danny & Alan Johnson, Billy Decker, Stewart Friesen and many more!

Advance tickets are available by calling (905) 892-8266 or visit the speedway office. For more info, visit www.MerrittvilleSpeedway.com

Cornett-Ching to make NASCAR debut Saturday in Vernon, British Columbia; Penticton racer to realize her dream behind the wheel

July 18, Sun Peaks, British Columbia – Sarah Cornett-Ching will realize a dream Saturday when she straps into the Cruisin’ for a Cause-sponsored #25 Chevrolet to compete in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in Vernon, BC.
The Penticton 20-year-old couldn’t believe her ears when NASCAR driver and team owner Jason White called her just a couple of weeks ago.
“I wasn’t really sure why Jason White would be calling me,” said Cornett-Ching. “When he said he might have an opportunity to drive one of his cars at Motoplex Speedway I was blown away. The short time since then has been surreal.”
White and his partner Rob Zimmer entered a Cruisin’ for a Cause car driven by his brother Jim White in 2010. This year he chose to offer the ride to Cornett-Ching.
“Cruisin’ for a Cause is an important event for my main marketing partner A&W Restaurants,” said White. “I’ve watched Sarah for a couple of years now. She works as hard away from the track as she does on the track, and I know she’ll do a great job as an ambassador for the sport and for the charity event.”
On August 25th, A&W hopes to raise $1 million for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. The same event brought in $700,000 in 2010. All 738 A&W restaurants nationwide will donate one dollar from the sale of every Teen Burger to the MS society on August 25th.
At only 20 years old, Cornett-Ching feels ready to tackle the challenge of a NASCAR stock car and the responsibility of representing a worthy cause. The charismatic welder by trade is an accomplished race car driver who also studies in an educational program called RACE 101 for aspiring racers.
“I was awarded a scholarship to attend RACE 101 in North Carolina this year,” said Cornett-Ching. “The program has taught me a great deal about race cars, but I’ve also learned a lot about marketing and promoting sponsors.”
Cornett-Ching progressed this year from street stock race cars to the ARCA West OK Tire series which travels throughout BC racing at various speedways. She has scored a few top-five finishes and turned plenty of heads with her charitable work. Recently Cornett-Ching visited the BC Children’s hospital to spend time with the kids and share stories of her racing endeavours.
“Sarah has all the qualities anyone needs to make a career in racing,” said White. “This will be a great experience for her, and you never know where it could lead. All anyone wants in our sport is the opportunity to make an impression.”
Cornett-Ching had hoped to find a ride in the support division during the A&W Cruisin’ the Dub 300 race weekend at Motoplex Speedway. Finding herself in the main event wasn’t on the radar.
“It’s amazing how things can change in a short time,” said Cornett-Ching. “Three weeks ago I was planning to go and watch the race. I had hoped to get a ride in the support class, but this is far beyond anything I had in mind.”
Cornett-Ching hopes to finish the race and make a solid impression in her NASCAR debut. From there, anything can happen. For more information on A&W Restaurants and its Cruisin’ for a Cause event on August 25th, visit www.aw.ca . To learn more about Sarah Cornett-Ching visit her website at www.sccracing.com . For interview requests, please contact RACE 101 Media Relations representative Adam Ross at adamrossenterprises@gmail.com .

- 30 -

NASCAR: A Villeneuve family reunion at the NAPA Auto Parts 200

Montréal, July 19, 2011 - The surname Villeneuve can be found in all corners of Quebec, in some parts of Eastern Ontario and of the Northern bordering states, and among them, you will find many race fans with a patronym related to one of the most recognized names in motorsports.

They are the folks that Jacques Villeneuve, driver of the #22 Penske Dodge, wants to meet for a family reunion on Saturday, August 20 at the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge. The Canadian champion has agreed to spend some time with all the Villeneuves attending the event at the track that bears his father's name. An autograph session, group photos of all the Villeneuves and all the Jacques Villeneuves are on the program for the family reunion, the second event of the sort following last year's successful get together with American driver Paul Menard.

"Last year's experience with Paul Menard was a very pleasant one. All the Menards attending the reunion greatly appreciated the time spent with their distant cousin who was quite moved by it," said François Dumontier, President of Octane Management and delegated promoter of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge. "This year, we decided to repeat the experience with one of our own, who will be competing in the main event on August 20, and we are delighted that Jacques Villeneuve has graciously accepted our invitation. Maybe, this reunion could make history by hosting the largest Villeneuve family gathering of all time."

Villeneuve families are numerous in Quebec. There are more than 930 of them in the Saguenay Lac-Saint-Jean region, close to 700 in the Québec City area, 500 in the Gatineau-Ottawa zone and more than one hundred in the Eastern Townships. The greater Montréal area is the residence of 950 Villeneuve families with 400 of them making their home on the island of Montréal, 200 on the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River and 350 living north in Laval and the surrounding areas. There are more than 440 Villeneuve names listed in the Eastern Ontario phone books and over 200 Villeneuve families live in the bordering states of Vermont, New Hampshire and New York.

"I gladly accepted the invitation from the promoters of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge," Jacques Villeneuve declared. "This is quite an original idea. I am eager to see how many Villeneuves will meet on that Saturday. Also, I can't wait to see how many namesakes will show up, I'm positive that most of them don't drive race cars for a living."

So, whether your lineage comes from Mathurin Villeneuve who came from Isle du Ré in France to New France in 1666, or you are descendants of Philippe Amyot dit Villeneuve, who landed on the new continent 31 years earlier, you could, if you are a race fan, meet with Jacques Villeneuve on Saturday morning, August 20. To be part of this friendly reunion, all the Villeneuve that have already bought, or intend to buy grandstand or general admission tickets, can register from July 22 through August 17 on the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge website at www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca, and click on the "Villeneuve" tab. They will be kept informed by email on the precise time and place of this gathering.

Tickets for the 2011 Montreal NAPA Auto Parts 200, presented by Dodge are currently on sale. To order the best grandstands tickets available and see Jacques Villeneuve on track on Friday and Saturday, August 19 and 20, as well as Patrick Carpentier, Andrew Ranger, Alex Tagliani, Danica Patrick, Reed Sorenson, Elliott Sadler and all the other NASCAR Nationwide stars, fans must call now 514 397-0007 or order online anytime at www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca. 

Photo: On Saturday, August 20, 2011, racecar driver Jacques Villeneuve will meet during a special family reunion with all the Villeneuves attending the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge. (Credit: Stock-Car Montréal)

From Stock Car Montreal

Race Time Radio: Tonight... NASCAR's Marcos Ambrose

Tonight on Race Time Radio… Tuesday, July 19 at 8 p.m.

·         RAIN-X Clear Vision Interview with NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver Marcos Ambrose, who will be racing in the IWK 250 at  Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, NS on July 23, plus more info on the IWK 250 Parts For Trucks Maritime Pro Stock Tour.

·         Jason White: NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Driver.

·         Ray Dunlap with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series review from Iowa Speedway.

Visit www.RaceTimeRadio.com for tuning info.

 

JASON WHITE IN A & W DODGE CRUISIN’ AT HOME

July 19, 2011. Sun Peaks, British Columbia racer Jason White usually has one of the longest journeys to race venues on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule. This weekend however he’s racing the #21 A & W Dodge Challenger close to home at Motoplex Speedway near Vernon, BC. White is excited about a very busy weekend of activity for the Cruisin’ the Dub 300 and will have plenty of family support at the track.

White had been on an impressive run in the #21 A & W Dodge Challenger with three consecutive top-ten finishes, but some mechanical misfortune snapped the run at the last event in Toronto. “We broke a rear gear or we might have continued that streak of top-ten’s” said White.

The #21 A & W Dodge Challenger team is now ready to begin a new string of successes and couldn’t pick a better location to get started. “This is my home track” said White. “It’s a big event for A & W who have made this race possible with their sponsorship and we want to put on a good show in front of all our fans that come out and pack the place every year” he added.

In addition to Jason White and the #21 A & W Dodge Challenger there will be plenty of other family support for his brother Jim White who will be in the #12 car. “I’ve raced against my brother for years and it’s a fun challenge for both of us” said White.

White’s involvement in the “A & W Cruisin the Dub 300 doesn’t stop there. Western Canadian racer Sarah Cornett-Ching will be in the #25 MS Society “Cruisin’ for a Cause” machine fielded by Jason White. “Shannon is a terrific young racer who’s going to do very well and we wanted to give her an opportunity to get some experience at this level” explained Jason White. “The number 25 is significant because on August 25^th each of the over 750 A & W locations across Canada will donate one dollar for every Teen Burger sold to the MS Society. It’s a great cause

The action at Motoplex Speedway takes place this Saturday July 23^rd. Gates will open at 4PM and qualifying takes place 5:30PM. The green flag for the “A & W Cruisin’ the Dub 300” will be at 8PM. Look for Jason White and the #21 A & W Dodge Challenger at many local area attractions leading up to the race as well.

Race fans will have even more opportunities to follow Jason White and the #21 A & W Dodge Challenger team this season. Check out the all new team website at www.jasonwhiteracing.com and be sure to follow Jason on twitter for the latest updates @racinjasonwhite The 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will consist of twelve events from coast to coast in Canada.

Attached Photo: Jason White in the A & W Dodge Challenger.

BOURQUE TAKING AARON’S DREAM MACHINE WEST

Ottawa, ON (July 19, 2011) Canadian NASCAR driver Pierre Bourque returns to action in the #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Dodge this weekend. Bourque will take to the track at Motoplex Speedway near Vernon, BC in round number six of the 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series this Saturday July 23rd. Last year’s event in Vernon gave Bourque quite a wild ride and he expects plenty of excitement again this year.

After some mechanical difficulties during the Toronto Indy weekend Bourque and the team have quickly corrected the issues and put the race in the past. “It was frustrating that’s for sure” explained Bourque. “However the guys at the shop have done a marvelous job getting the #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Dodge ready for this weekend. They’ve gone over everything and I expect we’ll be strong right from the start of practice” he added.

It’s important for the team to be ready right from the beginning of the day at Motoplex Speedway. “This is such a fast track, the high banks make for great racing that the fans here really love” said Bourque. “The competition is always very close as well and a small improvement in the car can mean a big difference in position on the track” he added.

Last season Bourque appeared to be headed for another strong finish when fortunes changed. “Everything was going well for us in the race, we were just past half way and the #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine was running really well, but I was collected in an accident, totally not our fault” said the driver. “It was some pretty severe contact and I actually got airborne. It was exciting to experience once, but I definitely don’t want to do it again” stated the driver.

Race fans can watch the action on Saturday July 23^rd at Motoplex Speedway with Pierre Bourque and the #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Dodge team beginning at 4PM when the gates will open. Time Trials will take place first and the green flag waves on the 300 lap feature event at 8PM.

About Aaron's, Inc.: Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN and AAN.A), the nation's leader in the sales and lease ownership, specialty retailing and rental of residential and office furniture, consumer electronics and home appliances and accessories has more than 1,575 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. Founded in 1955 by entrepreneur R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr. and headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron's has been publicly traded since 1982. For more information, visit www.shopaarons.com.

About Telus Mobility: Telus is unique in the Canadian market because we now operate three distinct wireless networks: 3G+, 3G (CDMA) and Mike (iDEN). When you choose Telus, you get clear and simple pricing, the latest and greatest devices, an exceptional client experience plus Canada's fastest 3G+ network. More information: http://www.telusmobility.com

About Mahindra USA Farm Equipment Sector

Houston, Texas-based Mahindra USA Farm Equipment Sector is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra LTD, and part of Mahindra & Mahindra's Farm Equipment Sector (FES) - the largest tractor company in the world by volume. Mahindra's professional-grade tractors are built with heavy-duty components that allow them to outperform other tractors in their class and are designed to provide consumers with the ability to push more, pull more and lift more, so they can do more, in less time.

For more information on Pierre Bourque, go to http://www.pierrebourque.com and http://www.twitter.com/pierrebourque

Attached Photo: Pierre Bourque in the #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Dodge

Photo Credit: Gary Grant www.thegarageblog.com

JARRAD WHISSELL EXCITED ABOUT OVAL RACING

Calgary, Alberta’s Jarrad Whissell and the #44 SMS Equipment/Komatsu Ford team will begin a new chapter in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series this weekend at Motoplex Speedway near Vernon, BC. After competing in fifteen road course events in the series, Whissell will make his first ever start on an oval track in a full sized stock car.

The bold move by Whissell and the #44 SMS Equipment/Komatsu Ford team has been in the works for months. “We’re excited about it” said Whissell. “We purchased an oval car earlier this year and Bill Burns has been getting it ready for us. We wanted to be able to race in front of our western fans and with no road courses in the west this year, it’s what we had to do” he added.

The #44 SMS Equipment/Komatsu Ford team has battled mechanical issues in their first couple of outings this year but hopes to have put those issues behind them. “We had a locker fail in Toronto and also struggled with the brakes” said Whissell. “But we’re looking at this as a fresh start for us” he added.

The beautiful half-mile Motoplex Speedway track just outside Vernon, BC is a fun and fast race track for drivers. “Goal number one is to finish the race and get as much experience as possible” said Whissell. “We’re also scheduled to run the event in Saskatoon four days later so it’ll be important to stay out of trouble” he stated.

Whissell and the #44 SMS Equipment/Komatsu Ford team will have plenty of supporters in the stands rooting them on in Saskatoon next week. “Husky Energy will be coming on board for us in Saskatoon and they’ve got a large group coming to the race and so does SMS Equipment” he stated.

Whissell is once again racing this season for a good cause. This season half of the prize money Whissell collects from his race events is donated to charity, this year’s cause is the Racing for Kids program which benefits the Children’s Miracle Network. “We’ve raised just under $2,000 so far” said the driver. “And we’ve had fans wanting to get involved too which is great. They can make a donation by going to the website www.helpmakemiracles.ca and clicking on the racing for kids link. We’ve been getting such tremendous support from all of our sponsors for this program and we’re happy that it’s working out so well for this great cause” he added.

This season Jarrad Whissell will participate in four NASCAR Canadian Tire Series road course events at Mosport Raceway, the Toronto Indy, Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres and the Montreal Nationwide weekend. In addition he will also take part in the two western Canada stops at Motoplex Speedway near Vernon, BC & Auto Clearing Speedway in Saskatoon, SK. Follow the progress of the team and help support the Children’s Miracle Network through the team website www.jarradwhissell.com and race fans are invited to follow him on twitter, @jarradwhissell You can watch all of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races again this year on TSN.

Attached Photo: The #44 SMS Equipment/Komatsu Ford

Photo Credit: Gary Grant www.thegarageblog.com

Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard Claim Victory at the New England Forest Rally

Newry, (Maine), July 18th 2011.- Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage (of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu) and his co-driver Nathalie Richard (of Halifax, NS) claimed yet another victory this past weekend on the rough roads of the New England Forest Rally, the sixth and final round of the Rally American Championship.  This win is the team’s fifth since the start of the season in January, including all three of the Canadian events held to date as well as two of this season’s Rally America rounds.

Hot off of a Canadian Rally Championship victory just two weeks prior, Antoine and Nathalie set their sights on another victory with an ultimate goal of capturing the series title for a second year in a row. The duo immediately started the rally by winning stages but knew the odds were against them in terms of the championship. With nothing to gain and everything to lose, the Subaru USA factory team of David Higgins and Craig Drew were less likely to put up a battle for the event win, as explained by co-driver Richard : « When we lost the last US rally by only 1.3 seconds, it meant that we’d be coming to Maine with a ten point deficit instead of  being tied for the series’ lead.  Winning the New England Forest Rally wasn’t going to be enough for us to claim the title unless David and Craig finished lower than fourth ».   Higgins and Drew eventually finished the event in second place,  48 seconds behind L’Estage and Richard.

The Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X was again flawlessly prepared by John Buffum’s Libra Racing shop and the Yokohama tires worked perfectly on the roughest rally surface in North America.  Minor problems slowed L’Estage/Richard down a little but notwithstanding, the duo maintained a generally conservative pace throughout the entire weekend. « I’m very happy we won but I can’t say that I’m not disappointed about the championship.  We are a private team and every member does way more than their fair share so that we can battle with the big manufacturers’ teams. Nathalie and I are grateful to John, Paul and Mathieu for everything they do » confessed Antoine « Having David and Craig in the series this year gave us some solid battles and it’s nice to compare myself with David, who has already accomplished so much internationally » he added.

In 2010, Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard won the Rally America series, the Canadian Rally Championship, and the North American Rally Cup, collectively known as the Triple Crown.  This year the team finished second in the Rally America championship and are currently leading the Canadian championship midway through its season.  The duo also has a commanding lead of the North American Rally Cup, which could be locked up as early as the next Canadian Rally Championship event, Rallye Defi, September 9th  & 10th.

Antoine L’Estage holds three North American championship titles (2007, 2008 and 2010), three Canadian titles (2006, 2007 and 2010), one American title (2010), and thirty overall victories in Canada and the US. Nathalie Richard holds six overall national championship titles (3 in Canada and 3 in the USA), as well as thirty-six overall rally wins on both sides of the border. She is also a six-time North American Co-Driving Champion (2004 – 2010, excluding 2006).

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the 2011 Rally America and Canadian Rally Championships with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Mitsubishi Canada, Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Garrett Turbos, Énergie Cardio, Libra Racing, Driver's Edge Autosport (OMP), VP Racing Fuels,  Exe-Tc Suspensions, Seibon Carbon and Hawk Performance Brake Pads. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit antoinelestage.com.