Joel Doiron 2011 Season in Review; Slow Starting Season Highlighted by Feature Win at Cornwall Speedway in July

By Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design

When the 2011 racing season began, optimism was high for Joel Doiron and his Alexandria, Ontario 358 Modified team. They had a brand new car and a fresh new look going into the season, and they were anxious to get on track and get the new season underway.

As the season began, Doiron struggled early, trying to get a handle on their brand new Bicknell chassis. For the first few weeks of the year, the car just would not react the way they anticipated. The fact that the track was unusually rough due to the large amount of rain early in the season didn’t help, and it seemed that the track had a different feel each week for the first several weeks of the season.

By July, Doiron was running much better, and the results were beginning to show, as he posted a third place finish at Cornwall on July 10^th, and backed that up the following race at Cornwall with his first and only win of the year. Doiron was beginning to climb the standings over the next few weeks, and by the middle of August he was up to third place. With three races remaining, Doiron was in a great position to chase down the point leader and win a second Cornwall Speedway championship, but with three consecutive rainouts to end the year, Doiron had to settle for third in points.

Doiron also finished the year in fifth place in the Canadian National Series, and third overall in his family sponsored Doiron Engineering Cup. He ends the 2011 season with one win, six top five finishes and 13 top ten finishes in just 18 events this season.

“We are pleased with our performance during the second half of the year”, says Doiron as he reflects on his 2011 season. “We got off to such a slow start, and then to have the last three races rained out really hurt us. It would have been nice to have those races to see how the points championship would have played out”.

Our 2011 racing season would not be possible without the assistance of our great sponsors. Mike Sauvé Construction, Doiron Auto Inc., W.H. MacSweyn Inc., Gauvreau Top Soil, Walker Climate Care/Go Geo, Falcon Environmental Services, Mister Sew and Sew Custom Embroidery, Garage Le Specialiste Dicaire, Herbs Travel Plaza & Towing, Group Express, Glengarry Kitchen Cabinets, Richard Ranger Carpet, Au Vieux Duluth, Boutique Lafleur, Quechem, Garry McDougall Electric, Gouttieres SD Eavesthroughs, Marc Rouette Maintenance, Les Fondations Deguire and Bicknell Racing Products have all been an integral part of the success that this team has had this season.

For more information on Joel Doiron and the team, please check out our website, www.joeldoiron.com.

Greg Belyea Season in Review; Brighton Speedway Track Championship Highlights Banner Season

By Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design

Shortly after the 2010 racing season had ended, Greg Belyea teamed up with fellow Late Model competitor Lee Gill for 2011, and once the season started, it soon became evident that the move would payoff for the Frankford, Ontario racer. Belyea had a banner year in the Late Model division, with a track championship at Brighton, a runner up finish in points to the aforementioned Lee Gill, and seven feature wins along the way.

While Belyea’s home tracks were Brighton and Can Am, the first race of the season began at Brewerton Speedway, located just north of Syracuse, New York. Belyea struggled there, but once Can Am opened, he was off to a fast start, beginning the season with back to back second place finishes, two wins, and a third. He also started strong at Brighton, getting the opening night victory there as well.

As the summer heated up, so did Belyea, posting an incredible string of top five finishes lasting from mid June through the first week of September. In that 20 race stretch, Belyea also had three Brighton Speedway victories to his credit, and held the points lead at both Brighton and Can Am through late season.

Belyea also ran the full Ontario Dirt Late Model Series schedule, finishing third place in points with finishes of fourth at Brighton Speedway, fifth at South Buxton Speedway, and a disappointing 13^th at Brockville. The final race of the series was scheduled at Cornwall Speedway, but was canceled due to rain.

As the season began to wind down, Belyea remained at the top of the standings at Brighton, but slipped to second as the experience of teammate Lee Gill took over, taking the top spot. By the end of the year, Belyea won the championship at Brighton, and remained second at Can Am.

Belyea also followed the Go Nuclear Late Model Challenge Series this season, finishing fifth in series points. He opened the series with a sixth place finish at Can Am, and also posted finishes of 15^th (Fulton Speedway), 8^th (Can Am), and 16^th (Fulton Speedway).

“In 21 years of racing, this is the first time we have ever put ourselves in a position to contend for a championship”, says Belyea. “It is pretty exciting to finally get one here at Brighton, and we had a lot of fun racing Lee all year at Can Am. I really have to thank Lee and his crew for all their help this season. I have learned a lot racing alongside them. Lee is a lot of fun, and he is just really good at this. It has just been a blessing being hooked up with those guys. I also have to thank my wife Shari for all her help and support. She stands behind all this craziness that we do, and that means a lot to me”.

Belyea along with the Brighton Speedway presented the 1^st Annual Great Crate Race at Brighton Speedway in September. The $5000 to win event, with a purse of more then $20000 caught the attention of many local racers, and drew cars from Ontario, New York and Pennsylvania. The inaugural winner was Lee Gill, while Belyea finished the race in second.

“Mark (Rinaldi) and I really work well together, and we hope to be able to do this Crate Race again next year”, says Belyea. “We had a good turnout of cars this year, and hope it will be even better next year”.

As the 2011 season ends, and Belyea and the Excel Tower Service team get ready for 2012, there will be an addition to the fleet of cars in the racing stable. Not only will Belyea compete in the Late Model division, he now has a Sprint Car, and he anxiously awaits his first appearance with the winged warriors.

“I talked it over with my wife and we decided to purchase the Sprint Car”, says Belyea. I think it will be a lot of fun, and that is our main objective with this racing stuff is to go out and have fun. As long as we can do that and be competitive and it doesn’t interfere too much with the business then we will keep racing whenever we can. We are definitely going to do Brighton full time with the Crate Late Model, and hopefully do some open motor shows as well, plus a few races with the Sprint Car”.

For more information on Greg Belyea and the Excel Tower Service racing team, please visit our website, www.exceltowerracing.com.

INAUGURAL TEAM CANADA SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WITH DRIVER XAVIER COUPAL MAKE HISTORY!

As the final checkered flag over the 40th Formula Ford Festival, the Team Canada entry was already parked, but not without making a spectacular debut and also making history!  Xavier Coupal showed Europe that he was a serious threat to take it all with a second place in his first heat and then backed that up with a dominant win in his semi-final. The semi-final win and his quick pace meant he would do something that no other Canadian driver has ever done, start from the pole at the world renowned Formula Ford Festival.

At the final, Xavier lead from the green and looked strong, Ireland’s Ivor McCullough used his Brands Hatch experience to find a way past Xavier on lap two, then the young Quebecois stayed in close contact with him as they entered the 7th lap. As they entered The Druids, Team USA driver Neil Alberico made an attempt on Coupal and the two had contact.  Unfortunately it was the Team Canada driver who came out on the losing end and with the car in the gravel trap the race was over for Xavier.  

The fastest lap, semi-final win, and pole position in the main event will have to do for now, as the Team Canada Scholarship Program will look to build on what was an unbelievable start!

"Dave, Gerry, and I are so proud of our driver Xavier Coupal, the Cliff Dempsey Racing Team and very thankful to all of our sponsors and supporters who made this a memorable week", commented Brian Graham, one of the three Team Canada Founders. "We showcased the caliber of young talent that Canadian Formula Ford produces and look forward to going back and challenging for the win again. Xavier really did a great job and was definitely the driver to beat from the first practise day to the final. The entire Cliff Dempsey Team welcomed us with open arms and gave us everything we needed to compete at the front. It was a great learning experience for all of us and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We will catch our breath now and then immediately start working on the 2012 program where we hope we can send two young Canadians to the Festival next year.

Team Canada would like to thank all the corporate sponsors, partners, and supporters for all they have done to make this possible. Brad Morris & Grote Industries of Canada, www.grote.com Nick Majors & the Race Driver’s Guild of Canada, www.racedriversguild.ca

Seabridge Bathing, www.seabridgebathing.ca Nine-0 Apparel Systems, www.nine-o.com

Rick & MIR Raceline www.mirraceline.com Formula Tour 1600 Series, www.siteformulatour1600.com  Serge & Chrysler Excellence, www.excellencechrysler.ca  Jonathon & Racelite Protection www.therlpstore.com  (Ret) Major Gen Lewis McKenzie, Mosport Intl Raceway, www.mosport.com   Jon & LSI International www.lsi-industries.com  Britain West Motorsports, www.britainwestmotorsport.com  Dr Kieran Murphy & KMM Inc., Dave & Rods Ends Mechanical, www.rod-ends.com  Brian & BGR-Team Grote Racing, www.briangrahamracing.com  Ian & Keith Willis – Aim Autosport, www.aimautosport.com   Rob & Al at EFCN www.eformulacarnews.com  Fernando at Brite Art Graphics & Signs, and Steve & Freshline Foods, www.freshlinefoods.com  

Team Canada Scholarship would also like to thank our selection committee for 2011, Norris McDonald, Ron Fellows, Kyle Marcelli, Ian Willis, Al Craighead, and Brian Graham

Lastly a big thanks to Christine Mouraux and Alain O`Bomsawin for their precision translation with the French side of our web site and PR!

The Team Canada Scholarship will be at Mosport International Raceway on October 27 to award the runner up prizes to Michael Adams and Nathan Blok. They will both be driving a BGR Team Grote Pro F2000 car and an Aim Autosport Star Mazda. 

You can follow Team Canada at www.teamcanadaracing.org  & Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/216921815005015/

Evoy’s Impressive Season Ends With Top Ten Finish in Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series Race at Brockville Speedway

By Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design

The first five months of the 2011 racing season were fantastic for Dylan Evoy and his Brockville, Ontario based Evoy Racing team. From April when the season through the end of August Evoy captured feature wins virtually every weekend. He ended the year with victories on 14 occasions, more than any other DIRTcar Sportsman competitor.

While Evoy had a great deal of success early, the disappointment and tribulations came in September, with a crash in the Sportsman feature at Mohawk International Raceway on the final points night, and then another hard crash two weeks later at the Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman event back at MIR in his qualifying heat. To make matters worse, Evoy fell just one point short in his quest for a second consecutive Brockville Speedway championship.

After a full month off, Evoy returned to Brockville Speedway for one final run in 2011 as the Brockville Speedway hosted their Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman event this past weekend. Evoy turned the second fastest time in his time trial group, and went on to start and finish his heat in the same position, making the redraw for a top ten starting spot in the 50 lap main event. As bad luck would have it, Evoy would draw the 10^th position, and start the race from outside of the fifth row. Evoy picked up a few spot early, climbing to as high as sixth, but by the end of the caution filled race, he would fall back to tenth where he started due to some rear suspension problems”.

“We were certainly hoping to end the season better then we have”, says Evoy. “The last few races haven’t been very good for us. Once we look back on our season we will be proud of our accomplishments, but right now it has been tough”.

Evoy Racing, and driver Dylan Evoy would like to thank all of their sponsors for the 2011 season which includes Ogilvie’s Auto & Fleet Service, 1000 Islands RV Centre, NAPA Auto Parts Fireball Performance Automatics, RONA, Charleston Lake Auto Service, Subway, Linde, Unity Savings, Canadian Tire, Pennzoil and NGK Spark Plugs.

Additional sponsorship opportunities are available with the Evoy Racing team for the 2012 season. To see how your company could benefit from sponsorship of a championship winning team, please contact Dylan Evoy at 613-345-3782, or email dylanevoy83@hotmail.com.

To stay up to date with Dylan Evoy and Evoy Racing throughout the 2011 season, log on to the team’s website at www.evoyracing.com. The website is updated weekly and it also contains information on Evoy Racing and Dylan as well as direct links to our sponsor’s websites.

Maryeve Dufault closes out first stock car season

MOORESVILLE, North Carolina (October 21, 2011) - - ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards driver Maryeve Dufault had high hopes for last Sunday's season finale at Toledo Speedway in her final run of the season in the No. 12 Mad Croc / Dodge Motorsports Dodge Charger for Tony Marks Racing. Unfortunately, a series of obstacles outside the control of the Sorel, Quebec native left her unable to really strut her stuff.

The former NASCAR Canadian Tires Series (NCTS) driver entered the Federated Car Care 200 with high hopes, especially after a private test session at the half-mile oval, a week before the 19th race of the season allowed Dufault the opportunity to run consistent and competitive lap times alongside teammate Jared Marks.

With the United States Auto Club (USAC) sharing Saturday with the ARCA Racing Series at Toledo Speedway, practice which was normally run as one session would now be combined into two forty minute-efforts. In one of the stoutest fields of the season, Dufault posted the 33rd and 35th fastest laps in the two sessions respectively, which was discouraging not only for Dufault and her crew chief Tommy Buzze. 

With a faulty ignition box change and other routine adjustments made to their No. 12 Mad Croc / Dodge Motorsports Dodge Charger before the start of qualifying, the team was optimistic. In qualifying, Dufault picked up the pace considerably and would start her second ARCA Racing Series event from the 31st position.

However, following her time trials run, she explained to her team that the motor wasn't up to song. The team agreed with their fellow driver's intuition as a "rich" sound from underneath the hood would potentially hinder the team during the 200-lap race.

Unfortunately, teams returned to the ARCA-owned racetrack on Sunday under gloomy skies and consistent rain showers. Ultimately, the start of the contest would be pushed-back nearly two hours before the command to fire engines was given. Dufault had to bring her Chrysler nameplate to pit road for a carburetor change under the pace laps, and unfortunately there was not enough time to complete the change as ARCA would choose to utilize the 35-car starting field to finish the track drying process throwing both the green and yellow flags simultaneously for the first 40 circuits of the contest. With the yellow flag retracted and the green "officially" given to the field, TMR had already experienced its fair share of misfortune.  Luckily, the former open-wheel driver did not lose as many laps as she could have because of the adverse conditions. Still, though Dufault returned to the track three laps down and would have a battle within a battle once the field was turned loose.

A masterful job of car control allowed the female sensation to log laps under her belt despite still having to make adjustments to their carburetor during the race. Still, she kept a good head on her shoulders and overcame diversity to post a respectable 26th place finish.

"I'm not happy with the finish, but I was glad that we were able to finish the race," said Dufault. We definitely had some issues that were out of the team's control which hindered us from racing competitively. Still, we have great sponsors and supporters at Tony Marks Racing, so we to give 110 percent, despite the circumstances. We all learned something from the mishaps and we can just move forward and concentrate on 2012."

Dufault made 14 ARCA Racing Series starts in 2011 with a career-best finish of 10th at Chicagoland Speedway. She also posted seven top-20 finishes and 11 top-25 runs. Her best qualifying run occurred at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in June where she started 15th.

Overall, Maryeve Dufault finished 16th in the final ARCA Racing Series championship standings accumulating 2,105 points in her 14 races.

"I learned a lot this year," Dufault added. "If I didn't learn something at the shop, it was on the track and so on. We had our ups and downs, but we made it through. I had a lot of support and I'm very appreciative for the opportunity. We'll get refocused on next year and look to come out bigger and better than ever."

Next up for the ARCA Racing Series is the 2011 championship banquet which is set for Saturday, December 10th at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati. The top-20 drivers and top-10 owners and drivers will be recognized for their participation in the series this year.

To learn more about Tony Marks Racing, please click over to Tmr-racing.com. For more on Maryeve Dufault, please log onto Maryeveracing.com. For additional information on TMT, Inc. please visit; tmtcompanies.net.

From Chris Knight, Knight Motorsports Management

Release: Route, dates set for Targa Newfoundland 2012

ST. JOHN’S October 20, 2011 – An international roster of competitors and fans will converge on St. John’s on September 9, 2012, for the start of the 11th edition of Targa Newfoundland and the beginning of a new decade for Canada’s longest and toughest motorsport event, organizers here have announced.

The annual fall classic will kick off with registration and technical inspection on the Saturday, followed by the traditional ceremonial start and Prologue on the Sunday (September 9). Five gruelling days of competition start from St. John’s on Monday (September 10) and conclude back in the capital on Friday, September 14 with the awards gala on Saturday, September 15, 2012.

The event format and route will be similar to past events, says Targa organizer Robert Giannou. Overnight stops along the route will again include Gander, Clarenville and Marystown.

“Each year, we build on the success of the previous year and incorporate the lessons we learn along the way,” says Giannou. “Targa 2011 was the largest and most hotly-contested event in recent years, but also one of the most difficult for our organization. We’ve committed to make Targa 2012 better in every way.”

Work started on the 2012 event the week after the 2011 event ended, Giannou adds, with an innovation from this year expected to be popular next year.

“The new Fast Tour attracted some pretty exciting and exotic cars, and that gained a lot of attention,” he said. “We don’t expect to see another Ferrari in the water any time soon, but we do hope to see more exotic cars from all over the continent on the roads of eastern and central Newfoundland for a week next September.” A rare Ferrari Enzo from Calgary participating in the 2011 Fast Tour ended up in the river in Marystown. There were no injuries but the resulting video was seen by millions around the world <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaMkT1Dk6xQ>

The Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador is the official charitable partner of Targa Newfoundland.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 2012 competition will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of Newfoundland, including up to 450 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.

Targa Newfoundland:     www.targanewfoundland.com

 

Marek Petruczynik and Risok Motorsport finish 8th Overall

Marek finished the Ontario GT Sprints season in 8th overall in the GT6 Class. After competing in two GT sprint races this season it was enough to pick up the points to secure 8th overall.  The first race there was a problem with the hood, and it fell off. During the second race, Marek was on pace with the other cars in the class and picked up his first podium, getting third place.

Next season Risok Motorsport will be bringing the car back to its original roots. Back in the mid 1980’s Volkswagen entered a couple GTI’s for Group A rallying in the WRC. In 1986 Swedish driver Kenneth Eriksson took the title with Volkswagen, running a Volkswagen GTI 16V. Group A Rallying was very successful, running with Group B rallying. Group A had some successful rally cars, to name a few you had the Volkswagen GTI, Peugeot 206 and the very successful Lancia Delta Integrale. Group A rallying evolved into what is known today as the WRC. Since Risok Motorsport runs a 1982 Rabbit with a 1984 GTI motor, its a perfect fit to bring the car back to its original racing routes. Volkswagen entered the 1984 GTI for the 1985 Group A Rally season.

So for next season Risok Motorsport will be converting the car back into a Group A Rallycar to run in the Ontario GT Sprints and Ontario GT Challenge both in the GT4 Class. Since they are using the original engine as well, they are still eligible to run in VARAC, which the team plan to do.  What makes it even more special for the off season and into next year is that Volkswagen is coming back into the WRC, running a Polo GTI. This will be the first time since 1997 that the factory team from Volkswagen will be running in the WRC.

Both Risok Motorsport and the Volkswagen WRC team have engines under 2.0L. Risok Motorsport have a 1.8L engine, while the Volkswagen WRC team has a 1.6L turbocharged engine. Both cars are made for WRC specs, as well Risok Motorsport is under Group A Rally Specs. Stay tuned for changes in the Risok Motorsport car in coming months.

www.risokmotorsport.weebly.com

 

 

 

NASCAR to Honour Dan Wheldon at Talladega

NASCAR is providing B-post decals in honour of Dan Wheldon for all the cars and trucks this weekend in Talladega. The Lionheart Knight image was included on the back of every one of Dan’s helmets. NASCAR also is producing helmet decals for any of the drivers who would like to run a version of the decal on their helmets.

From NASCAR

LINCOLN ELECTRIC’S SEMA 2011 SHOW PREVIEW

Meet Celebrity Welders at Lincoln Electric's Booth and Take Advantage of Special Pricing during the 2011 SEMA Show

Cash In on Money Matters™ Campaign Rebates and View Bryan Fuller's 'Rodan' CB 836 Bike from Café Racer TV

Cleveland – Television celebrities Chip Foose, Bryan Fuller, Jessi Combs and Joe Sylvester will be at Lincoln Electric's booth 24113 during the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nov. 1 - 4, 2011. NRHA driver Robert Hight will be on hand Nov. 1 for autographs and photos. Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to meet the owner of West Coast Customs, Ryan Friedlinghaus, on Nov. 3 at the Lincoln Electric booth.

Throughout SEMA, Lincoln Electric also will feature:

· Special show pricing on equipment orders

· Money Matters™ product rebates

· Several new products

· Fuller's Rodan CB 836 bike from Café Racer TV 

Welding Celebrity Appearances  

Chip Foose

Velocity channel American Icon, TLC channel Rides and Overhaulin' television host and award-winning custom car designer and owner of Foose Design, Chip Foose, arrives at Lincoln Electric's booth at 10 a.m. on Friday Nov. 4,  to speak with fans, sign autographs and participate in fan photos. Foose will be at the booth until Noon. 

Ryan Friedlinghaus

Owner of West Coast Customs and host of Velocity channel's Inside West Coast Customs show will be in the Lincoln Electric booth on Thursday, Nov. 3, from 10 – 10:30 a.m. to sign autographs and participate in fan photos. 

Robert Hight

Funny car driver for the John Force Racing NHRA team will be on hand, Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 1:30 - 2 p.m. to sign autographs and participate in fan photos. 

Bryan Fuller

Fuller, host of Two Guys Garage, owner of Fuller Hot Rods and avid welder, will make his appearance and sign copies of his new fabrication book Full-Bore Sheet Metal on Wednesday, Nov. 2 , and Thursday, Nov. 3, from 1 – 3 p.m. each day. Also, his Rodan CB 836 bike, as seen on Café Racer TV, will be on display in the Lincoln Electric booth throughout the SEMA 2011 show.  

Jessi Combs

TV personality, former co-host of Xtreme 4x4, frequent guest on Mythbusters and welding fabricator, Jessi Combs, will sign autographs and participate in fan photos from 2  – 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1.  

Joe Sylvester

Sylvester, driver of the Bad Habit Monster Truck with a world record distance jump of 208 feet, will greet SEMA show attendees at the Lincoln Electric booth on Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. – Noon. He will also participate in photographs and sign autographs.  

Special Pricing and Money Matters™ Rebates

Additionally, Lincoln Electric will offer exclusive show pricing on equipment orders to show attendees. And, rebates on applicable welding equipment also will be available through the company's successful Money Matters program. The program will last until Feb. 29, 2012, allowing customers to take advantage of rebate incentives of up to $300, or obtain FREE accessories. For more information about Money Matters and a list of equipment, visit www.lincolnelectric.com/moneymatters . For additional details about Lincoln Electric's SEMA 2011 show promotions, visit the company's SEMA 2011 Highlights webpage. 

Equipment Highlights

An extensive offering of users' favorite equipment, such as the Tomahawk® plasma cutters, Square Wave™ TIG 175, Precision TIG® and POWER MIG® welders will be on exhibit. Also, attendees can try their hand at virtual welding with the company's VRTEX™ Virtual Reality Weld Training System. 

New products at the booth include:

· Arc Tracker™

· POWER MIG 256

· Tomahawk 1000 Plasma Cutter

· Torchmate® 2x2™ CNC Prototyping System / Tomahawk 625 One-Pak®

· Traditional Welding Gear Ready-Pak®

The Lincoln Electric Company, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is the world leader in the design, development and manufacture of arc welding products, robotic arc welding systems, fume control systems, plasma and oxyfuel cutting equipment and has a leading global position in the brazing and soldering alloys market. 

NASCAR Returns to Montréal August 17-18 , 2012

... OCTANE MANAGEMENT is the new promoter of the event

Montréal, Wednesday October 19, 2011 - François Dumontier, President of Octane Management, is pleased to announce that his company will become the new promoter of the NAPA Auto Parts 200, presented by Dodge on August 17-18, 2012 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montréal. NASCAR has confirmed today that Montréal has been included in the 2012 Nationwide Series schedule. From 2009 to 2011, Octane Management acted as the delegated promoter of the event under the mandate of Stock-Car Montreal. With SCM no longer involved with the event, Octane Management is taking over the sanctioning rights with the approval of NASCAR.

"We are very pleased with the fact that NASCAR has entrusted our team with the sanctioning and promotional rights for the Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve," said François Dumontier, President of Octane Management. "Ever since the introduction of NASCAR in Montréal in 2007, our team has worked very hard to promote this motorsports event in order to make Montréal, Québec and Canada proud of our efforts. We are happy to see that we have contributed to making this an essential event in the minds of NASCAR, one of the "crown jewel" of the series. Several times over the years, the sanctioning body has expressed its satisfaction about coming to our city for its only major series race held outside of the United States.

We cannot forget the fact that we owe our stock car fans the fine reputation that our event has acquired over the past five years. In the minds of series officials, team owners and members and the drivers, as well as the media attending our NASCAR event, Montréal is a major stop on the tour. We want to thank everyone for their support, and we want to assure them that we will be hard at work to make this event more interesting and more spectacular. We also want to mention that the support of our business partners, UAP-NAPA and Dodge, in this venture is of the utmost importance. It enables us to foresee with confidence a bright future," concluded the President of Octane Management.

 "UAP and it NAPA brand are proud to have been the major sponsor of the NAPA Auto Parts 200, presented by Dodge for the first five years of competition. Beside offering a unique window for our brand and our products, the event has attracted the best drivers in the series and thousands of motorsports fans to Montréal," said Robert Hattem, President, and Chief Operating Officer, UAP Inc. "We look forward to a new agreement with Octane Management, with whom we have been partners these past years. We are also proud to say that all together, we have been able to make the NAPA Auto Parts 200, presented by Dodge one of the most popular sporting events in Eastern Canada, and of course one of the best attended event here in Montréal."

In order to stage the NAPA Auto Parts 200, presented by Dodge on August 17 and 18, 2012, the new promoter of the event has also entered into an agreement with La Société du parc Jean-Drapeau for the rental of Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

"As President of the Board of Administration of La Société du parc Jean-Drapeau, I have spent a lot of time and energy to ensure the presentation of a NASCAR race in Montréal for 2012. I am very happy that today's announcement guarantees the coming of a second international motorsports event on Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve," commented Mr. Normand Legault.

Octane Management Inc, a Canadian company established in Montréal, is the new promoter of the NAPA Auto Parts 200, presented by Dodge. Octane Racing Group Inc is the promoter of the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA by virtue of an agreement made with Formula One Administration Limited and Formula 1 World Championship Limited (together the holder of commercialization rights to F1), and Octane Motorsports Events Inc is the promoter of the Edmonton Indy. We are the only company in the world to promote events from FOM, NASCAR and IndyCar.

From Marie-Pierre Laflamme / Media Services Manager / Octane

NASCAR Nationwide Montreal date announced for 2012

NASCAR just released its 2012 Nationwide Series schedule. The Montreal date at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is slated for Saturday, August 18, 2012.

Inside Track TV - Herb Walters at Autumn Colours Classic - October 2011

In this 13+ minute episode of Inside Track TV, Spencer Lewis documents the recent Lucas Oil Autumn Colours Classic at Peterborough Speedway through the eyes of Thunder Car racer Herb Walters.
During the three-day racing extravaganza, Walters endured engine troubles and more, but spoke about his adventures with a smile throughout. Thanks Herb!

Billings Ends 2011 Season With Top Ten Finish in Mr. DIRTcar Series Race at Brockville Speedway

By Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design

After a top ten finish in the season’s biggest race at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York last week, Billings was looking forward to getting back to his hometown track, Brockville Ontario Speedway for one last race before the checkered flag waives on the 2011 racing season.

“I am really excited about coming back here to Brockville with the DIRTcar Series. Our tour races so far haven’t been all that good this year. We have run well here at Brockville lately, winning out last race here, and have had some second place finishes”, says Billings before the race. “If we wreck it today, we have all winter to get it fixed, and that is my mentality going into today’s race”.

Brockville Speedway hosted their annual Northeast Fall Nationals this past weekend, and while rain for much of the weekend changed up the planned schedule, the final race in the 358 Modified Mr. DIRTcar Series was pushed to Sunday afternoon. The day started with time trials, and Billings posted the second fastest speed in his group, placing him second to start his eight lap preliminary heat race. Billings got around defending series champion Danny Johnson to take the win, and secure his spot in the 100 lap main event, and a redraw position for one of the top ten starting spots.

After drawing the seventh starting position for the Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified season finale, Billings lined up inside the fourth row. Through the first half of the race, Billings remained inside the top ten, but was shuffled back further on a restart when the car ahead of him didn’t get up to speed, dropping him back to 13^th. In the closing laps, Billings battled his way back up to eighth place, and finished the Mr. DIRTcar Series in tenth place overall in series points.

Billings ends the 2011 season with three feature wins, with two of those coming at his home track, Brockville Ontario Speedway, and one at Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park. In 39 races this season, Billings also captured 20 top five finishes and 28 top tens. He finished the season third overall in track points at Brockville.

Matt Billings is a proud supporter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, taking part in a fundraiser earlier this year. He also participated in a fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society of Canada. For more information on the Heart and Stroke Foundation, please visit www.heartandstroke.ca or for the Alzheimer’s Society, please visit www.alzheimer.ca.

Billings Motorsports would like to thank all of their sponsors for their support during the 2011 season. Billings Automotive, Carquest, Stealth Racewear, Pastime Motors, Hansler Smith Limited, Enders Racing Engines, Brockville Physiotherapy, Babe Design, Finish Line Web Design, and Enders Racing are an integral part of the team’s success, and we thank you all for your support this season.

For more information on Matt Billings and the Billings Racing Team, please visit our website, www.mattbillings74.com.

SEBASTIAN VETTEL'S INFINITI FX TO ENTER PRODUCTION

ROLLE, Switzerland (October 18, 2011) - The Infiniti FX concept designed and built for double Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel is to enter production, Infiniti has confirmed. The star of Infiniti’s stand at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the FX Sebastian Vettel version featured design, engineering and aerodynamics upgrades inspired by the Red Bull Racing champion and Infiniti Global Brand Ambassador.

Infiniti Executive Vice President Andy Palmer said: “Doing the FX Sebastian Vettel version for Frankfurt was fun, but it’s also a kind of pilot. It’s about our equivalent of (Mercedes-Benz) AMG or (BMW) M Cars. We wanted to test the organization and see if it could cope with this type of special version. Sebastian’s FX demonstrates we are able to do low volume specials and the FX Sebastian Vettel version is one of the first that will go to market.”

The Frankfurt concept car was born out of a conversation between Sebastian Vettel, already an Infiniti FX driver, and Infiniti Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The 5.0-liter V8 was tuned to provide 420PS, and with a high downforce aerodynamics package developed by Infiniti in collaboration with Red Bull Racing, the 300km/h crossover was billed as the most focused and exclusive sports crossover ever built.

Details of the production version including availability, volumes and prices are yet to be confirmed.

About Infiniti Canada

Infiniti offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles designed to inspire at every turn, including the G37 sports coupe, convertible and sedan, M37/56 luxury performance sedan, EX personal luxury crossover, FX premium crossover SUV and the QX full-size luxury SUV. There are 29 Infiniti retailers across Canada. More information about Infiniti and the Total Ownership Experience® can be found at www.infiniti.ca .

INDYCAR: Dan Wheldon memorial service scheduled for October 23

INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011 -- INDYCAR will hold a public memorial service to celebrate the life of IZOD IndyCar Series driver Dan Wheldon at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23 at Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis.

Wheldon, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 2005 IZOD IndyCar Series champion, sustained unsurvivable injuries in a racing accident Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He is survived by his wife, Susie, and two young sons. Wheldon was 33.

The Dan Wheldon Family Trust Fund has been established for the financial security of Wheldon's family. The public can make contributions to the Dan Wheldon Family Trust Fund starting Wednesday, Oct. 19 at the following address:

Fifth Third Private Bank

Attn: Dan Wheldon Family Trust

251 North Illinois St.

Suite 1000

Indianapolis, IN 46204

More details on how to contribute will be available in the coming days. A memorial site, which includes a Facebook link to leave condolences and remembrances and a career photo retrospective, can be found at http://www.danwheldonmemorial.com.

From Amy Konrath, IndyCar

Inside Track TV: Brandon Watson at Winchester (IN) Speedway - October 2011

Inside Track TV host Spencer Lewis chats with rising Ontario stock car star Brandon Watson during his recent trip to Winchester (IN) Speedway. Watson discusses his 2011 season and his plans for 2012.

Inside Track TV: Autumn Colours Recap - October 2011

In this episode of Inside Track TV, host Spencer Lewis wraps up the recent Lucas Oil Autumn Colours Classic at Peterborough Speedway. The 19th anniverary of this fall special took place during the 2011 Thanksgiving long weekend.

Ladouceur Wins 2011 Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Championship; Brockville Speedway Tour Finale Rained Out

By Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design

As a racer, Joey Ladouceur would always like to decide the outcome on the track, and not have Mother Nature intervene. However, with the rainout on Friday night at Brockville, and the final night of points in the Mr. DIRTcar Series cancelled, Joey Ladouceur earns the title as Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock for the second time in his illustrious racing career.

Despite a forecast that called for rain on Friday evening, Ladouceur and his team made the trip to Brockville Ontario Speedway from their Alexandria, Ontario home. Not long after arriving though, the rain came, and quickly intensified, forcing track officials to cancel the final race of the season for the Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Series, and giving Ladouceur the championship.

“It certainly wasn’t the ideal way for us to win it, as we always want to decide the outcome on the track”, says Ladouceur. “However, we had a great year, and our team has worked hard to achieve this title, and we are excited to win this championship again”.

Ladouceur, who last won the championship back in 2004, is quick to credit the hard work of his crew, and the support of him family and friends throughout the season, and his racing career.

“I couldn’t do this today without the dedication of the crew, and the support of my wife Josée”, says Ladouceur. “We spend so much time during the season in the race shop, and at the track, and it feels great to have this championship once again”.

While the 2011 racing season is now over, Ladouceur will look ahead to the annual DIRTcar awards banquet on Saturday, November 19^th at the Turning Stone Casino in Vernon, New York. Ladouceur, and his team will be officially recognized for the 2011 accomplishments, including the Mr. DIRTcar championship, and Cornwall Speedway championship.

Joey Ladouceur would like to thank all of the sponsors that have come on board for the 2011-racing season. Coffrage 20-20/Pompage 20-20, Fence Depot, Minimax Express, Glengarry Truck Centre, Au Vieux Duluth, Stinger X Chassis and Finish Line Web Design are all an integral part of the Ladouceur team and they look forward to sharing their success with all of you.

For more information on Joey Ladouceur, please check out our website, www.joey92.com.

Danny O’Brien Finishes Second in Brockville Season Finale; Valiant Effort Comes up Short in Chase for 2011 Mr. DIRTcar Championship

By Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design

For the second year in a row, Danny O’Brien entered the Northeast Fall Nationals with a shot at the elusive Mr. DIRTcar 358 Modified championship. This year was a little different though, as O’Brien entered the race second in the chase, 30 points behind the leader, and no matter where he placed, he still had to finish several spots in front of the points leader to make up the deficit.

There is not a driver in the field that has had the success of O’Brien at the Brockville Speedway, coming off his tenth career championship at Brockville this season. O’Brien set the tone early as he set fast time in qualifying out of the 40 cars registered for the season finale. Setting fast time put O’Brien in the front row in his qualifying heat race, and would go on to finish second, placing him into the redraw for a top ten starting spot in the 100 lap main event. O’Brien drew the fifth position, and lined up on the inside of row three to start the race. O’Brien stayed in the top five throughout the race, and at one time, when the point leader had an issue on the track, O’Brien was in a position to take over the points lead. As the race progressed though, O’Brien was able to work his way to second place, and shaved 20 points of his deficit, but came up 10 points short of capturing his first ever 358 Modified Mr. DIRTcar Series championship.

“The afternoon tracks kind of throw us a little curve ball as we wonder if the track will take rubber or not take rubber, and it didn’t today”, recalls O’Brien. “We were too tight right from the start and I really had my hands full and we were lucky to get second.

“Considering we missed Syracuse, we will take this and move on”, says O’Brien describing his one lap effort at the New York State Fairgrounds last week. “I really have to thank all of our sponsors and crew for their help throughout the year”.

This will end the season for O’Brien and his team, and after taking some time off, the will regroup and begin to prepare for the 2012 racing season. He ended the year with 10 feature wins, at four different race tracks, and posted 25 top five finishes, 32 top ten finishes in 36 races this season.

“It has been a great year for us this year, and we will work hard over the off-season on our program to get event stronger going into 2012”.

O’Brien is currently seeking additional sponsorship for 2012, so if you are looking to be part of a success race team, contact Danny O’Brien at dannyobrien17@hotmail.com.

Danny O’Brien and Kendrick Racing would like to thank 1000 Islands RV Centre, Pat’s Rad, Stover Bus Lines, BOB FM, Ponte Bros. Masonry, Morrison Racing Engines, Bicknell Racing Products, and Integra Racing Shocks for their support during the 2011 racing season.

For more information on Danny O’Brien and the 17D racing team, please visit our website, www.dannyobrien.ca

Race Time Radio... tonight - October 17 through October 20

Race Time Radio - Featuring Auto Racing Coverage

Live Broadcast Tonight Oct. 17th 2011 at 8pm

Tune into www.racetimeradio.com

Tonight, with your hosts Joe Chisholm and Joe Chisholm Jr.

-          Alex Nagy crew member of the #77 IZOD IndyCar (TBC).

-          Jason Shaw #82 Late Model Pole Winner for the Oktoberfest Classic, plus his son Dale Shaw #28 Mini Stock division.

-          We will get you ready for Flamboro Speedway's Oktoberfest Classic finale on October 22… and more.

IndyCar announces Dan Wheldon Memorial Website

GoDaddy.com has created a memorial website in honour of Dan Wheldon. The memorial site, which includes a Facebook link to leave condolences and remembrances and a career photo retrospective, can be found at www.danwheldonmemorial.com

Wheldon, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 2005 IZOD IndyCar Series champion, was killed in a race crash Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He is survived by his wife, Susie, and two young sons. Wheldon was 33.

INDYCAR will pay tribute to Wheldon with a public memorial service in the near future in Indianapolis. Further details on the service and how the public can make memorial contributions will be forthcoming.

In Memory of Dan Wheldon

INDYCAR: Update on other injured racers.... Mann and Hildebrand released from hospital

LAS VEGAS (Monday, Oct. 17, 2011) -- IZOD IndyCar Series drivers JR Hildebrand and Pippa Mann were released from University Medical Center in Las Vegas on Oct. 17.

Mann had surgery last night to clean and assess a severe burn injury to the little finger of her right hand sustained in an accident at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. She will need a subsequent surgery in 2-3 weeks to fully repair the injury but is expected to make a full recovery.

Hildebrand had a severely bruised sternum in the same accident and was held overnight for observation.

From Amy Konrath, INDYCAR

Tony Stewart tabs Canadian Roger Slack as new Eldora Speedway Promoter / GM

ROSSBURG, OH (Oct. 14) --  Eldora Speedway track owner Tony Stewart announced today that Roger Slack has been named Promoter and General Manager at the famed one-half mile clay speed plant. 

The transitional change reflect a restructuring of assets within the company, to allow Eldora Speedway staff members to become more efficient and specialized.   The move indicates Stewart's commitment of focusing upon the fan and driver experience at Eldora, with the goal of elevating the holistic entertainment value of the venue.

Stewart stated, "I am very excited to welcome Roger to the team at Eldora and look forward to watching him grow within his new role.  I have been impressed with what he has been able to achieve in his previous positions and really feel that he will be a huge asset and help us achieve our forward goals."

Slack steps into the position with great credentials.  After growing up around racing at the renowned Cayuga Speedway Canada, owned by his grandparents, Slack aggressively moved forward in the racing fraternity.   His steadfast allegiance and desire moved him into a myriad of high-profile roles along that journey.

Most recently the Executive Vice-President of Events for the World Racing Group, Slack spent 11 seasons at Charlotte Motor Speedway, beginning as an intern and eventually rising to Vice-President of Events.   In that capacity he was responsible for the coordination and execution of NASCAR events on the 1.5-mile superspeedway, along with all events on the 4/10-mile state of the art clay oval.  Following the wildly successful debut of the World of Outlaws World Finals in 2007, Slack was awarded the National Sprint Car Promoter of the Year, World of Outlaws Late Models Series Promoter of the Year and Humpy Wheeler Executive of the Year awards.

It is that wealth of knowledge and experience that has garnered Roger Slack's respect in the industry from his peers and he is anxious to bring all of that education and passion to Eldora Speedway.

"It is an honor that Tony has asked me to join the Eldora family," Slack said.  "I am excited to begin building on his vision for the future, while maintaining the heritage and tradition of the world's most famous short-track.  The Eldora staff is second to none and I can not wait to start implementing all of our collective ideas and making the experience even more entertaining and fan friendly."

Larry Kemp, who came on board with Stewart's acquisition of Eldora Speedway from the legendary Earl Baltes in the fall of 2004, will remain on staff in a senior management role and work alongside Slack throughout the transition, with a focus on facility improvements, new business development and special projects.   Kemp explained, "Tony has afforded me an amazing opportunity over the past seven years and I look forward to tackling new future challenges at Eldora.  Roger is a peer in the industry, who I have had great respect for over the years, and am eager to begin working with this fall."  Slack will begin his new role in November.

Stewart further emphasized that it is "full steam ahead" for 2012 and beyond at the celebrated southwestern Ohio facility.   "We've already confirmed and announced our major 2012 event dates, and the staff is working hard to assure a December 3, 2011 ticket sale date for those races."

From Larry Boos / Eldora Speedway

IndyCar cancels championship celebration in wake of Wheldon tragedy... plus reaction from the community

INDYCAR will not hold the 2011 Championship Celebration following the death of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 2005 IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dan Wheldon on Oct. 16. The event had been scheduled for Monday, Oct. 17, at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. Information regarding a public memorial for Wheldon will be released at a later date.

Below are comments from members of INDYCAR, the IZOD IndyCar Series and racing community about Wheldon, who suffered fatal injuries in a crash at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:

RANDY BERNARD (CEO, INDYCAR): No words can describe my feelings as I reflect on my memories of Dan.  His infectious smile, bubbly personality and big heart made Dan one of the most caring people I had ever met. You could never ask for a better ambassador to a sport. Dan represented INDYCAR with the upmost respect and integrity.  Dan will not only be immortalized as being a great racer but also a wonderful person.  My prayers are with Susie and his two children in this very difficult time.   

SAM SCHMIDT (Owner, Sam Schmidt Motorsports): "Dan Wheldon was a tremendous competitor, a great racer and an even better person. It was an honor to have him be a part of our team. All of us at Sam Schmidt Motorsports are deeply saddened by his passing. On behalf of everyone at Sam Schmidt Motorsports, our prayers go out to all of his family, especially his wife, Susie, and their two children."

DARIO FRANCHITTI (Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "We lost a good friend.  Everybody in IndyCar Series considered Dan a friend. He was one of those special, special people from the first moment he showed up in IndyCar. And he was kind of the brash, but he was a charmer. Then he became this loving family guy who was still charming, but he had this whole new side to him. I'm just thinking of Susie and the boys. When I think about them I'm struggling to hold it together."

CHIP GANASSI (owner, Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "What can you say? He was such a big presence in our sport and quite a talent.  Today we lost a little bit of Indycar.  He raced here for us for three years, won six races and made many friends - the whole Chip Ganassi Racing organization mourns his passing.  My thoughts and prayers go out to Susie, the boys and the whole Wheldon family."

SCOTT DIXON (Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "Dan is family and I will miss him badly. Such an amazing person and wonderful family man. We will be with Susie, Sebastian and Oliver for whatever they need. I still can't believe it."

GRAHAM RAHAL (Chip Ganassi Racing): "My heart goes out to the Wheldon family. Dan was an incredible champion, a great friend and someone I will always respect and admire. We have truly lost one of the greatest members of our INDYCAR family."

CHARLIE KIMBALL (Chip Ganassi Racing): "We lost a special member of our INDYCAR family. Dan was doing exactly what he wanted and died doing what he loved. Our thoughts are with his wife, Susie, and his two children. There are much bigger plans in life than we can ever hope to understand. Dan will be forever missed."

ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT: "It is with extreme sorrow that we have lost one of our champion drivers today. Dan was an Indy 500 champion and IndyCar Series champion with Andretti Autosport, and one of our closest competitors. Dan brought such enthusiasm and passion to the sport not often seen in motorsports. We will remember Dan's tremendous racing accomplishments with our team as well his infectious personality. We would like to express our deepest sympathy to Dan's family, racing team and friends today. Dan is one of IndyCar's greatest champions."

ERIK BERKMAN (President, Honda Performance Development): "For everyone in the Honda family, this is a day of tragedy and incalculable loss.  For us, Dan was more than a driver. He was a member of the Honda family.  But most of all, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, wife Susie and two young sons.  Dan had a passion for motorsports and a wonderful personality that made him a friend to everyone in the racing community.  His talent and dedication were an inspiration to us all.  We will miss him terribly, and everyone at Honda extends our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and fans across the world." 

BOBBY RAHAL (co-owner, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing): "The passing of Dan Wheldon today is a great shame. Dan was a great driver as evidenced by not only his Indianapolis 500 victories, but by his many wins and great performances in the race car. But he was much more than a great driver. He was a good guy, good family man and really seemed to have a bright future not only as a driver but as a television personality as well. We had spoken to him very recently about his prospects as a driver for 2012 with our team and he was very enthusiastic about his future. He will be missed."

ALLEN SIRKIN (President, PVH Corp): "On behalf of everyone at the IZOD brand, our prayers and thoughts are with Dan Wheldon's family. We are very proud to have worked with Dan and consider him a true friend," said. "He was one of the best race car drivers in the world and a wonderful ambassador for the sport. Dan's love of racing was only surpassed by his love and dedication to his family. He will be missed by all."

AL SPEYER (Executive Director, Firestone Racing): "The Firestone Racing team is deeply saddened by the death of Dan Wheldon.  We have very fond memories of celebrating with Dan at Indianapolis following his win this year, and he was a true champion. Recently, we had been working very closely with Dan on the development of the 2012 IndyCar. His passion for the sport was evident every day and he worked endlessly to do the best he could at everything he did.  We extend our sympathies to his family, to his team, and to his many friends and fans.  He was a talented competitor on the track who will be long remembered by all who had the privilege of working with and knowing him."

DAN MEAD (CEO and President, Verizon Wireless): "There are no words to express our sorrow over the loss of Dan Wheldon, a beloved member of the racing family.  We extend our deepest sympathies to Dan's wife and family. They are all in our thoughts."

JEFF BELSKUS (President and CEO, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp.):  "We are incredibly saddened at the passing of Dan Wheldon. He was a great champion of the Indianapolis 500 and a wonderful ambassador for the race, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and all of motorsports. Most importantly, he was a fantastic husband, father and man - a good friend to so many in this sport. His memory will live forever at the Speedway, both through the magnitude of his accomplishments on the track and his magnetism off the track. Our deepest sympathies are extended to his entire family, team and fans."

ROGER PENSKE (owner, Penske Racing): "Today was a sad day for IndyCar and the IndyCar family. Dan was a champion, a wonderful young man and a terrific competitor. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Susie, his children and his entire family."

GEORGE BODENHEIMER (President, ESPN & ABC Sports): "We are very saddened by the tragic passing of Dan Wheldon. He was a great champion both on and off the racetrack and he will be greatly missed. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family."

HELIO CASTRONEVES (Team Penske; three-time Indianapolis 500 winner): "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dan Wheldon's family - what happened today was terrible. It is hard to put into words how sad this is for all us of here. On the track we compete but at the end of the day we are like a big family and today we lost a part of that. I think that the series made a good call to end the race and have the parade laps to honor the life of our fellow driver." 

RYAN BRISCOE (Team Penske): "My thoughts are with Dan's family right now. He has been a good friend and a great competitor for many years and I'm greatly saddened by his loss. I do applaud the decision made by the series to call the race and line the cars up for a few parade laps in Dan's memory. It is truly a sad day for all of us."

WILL POWER (Team Penske): "What a tragic loss. I'm devastated that we lost Dan Wheldon today. It was a terrible accident and I feel so bad for Dan's family. My thoughts and prayers are with them. Dan was great champion and a great guy. He will definitely be missed."

CHRIS POWELL (President, Las Vegas Motor Speedway): "All of us here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are deeply saddened by the death of Dan Wheldon. He was a tremendous race car driver and a great representative for IndyCar racing. Our prayers are with Dan's family as well as the officials and sponsors of IndyCar."

BOB PARSONS (CEO & Founder, GoDaddy): "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dan Wheldon's family and friends on this sad, sad day. All of us in the IndyCar family feel an unexplainable sense of loss. Not just for the sport, but for all who knew Dan Wheldon. Dan was a family man, a father, a husband, a son and a brother. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was also a competitor and a colleague ... our deepest condolences go out to all who knew Dan."

JIM MICHAELIAN (President & CEO, Grand Prix Association Of Long Beach): "On behalf of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach family, our hearts are saddened to hear the news of the passing of Dan Wheldon. He was a great representative of our sport and personified what the IZOD IndyCar Series is all about. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Susie, his children and family. He will be sorely missed."

STEVE PAGE (President and general manager, Infineon Raceway): "This is a truly heartbreaking loss.  Dan Wheldon was a terrific driver and a great champion, but overall he was one of the most engaging, intelligent and colorful individuals in our sport.  We were fortunate to work with Dan as a regular promotional partner over the years.  We will miss his competitive drive on the track and his energy and sense of humor in the paddock."

ORIOL SERVIA (Newman/Haas Racing): "This is incredibly sad. We all know this is part of the sport.  Cars are getting safer, tracks are getting safer so fortunately it hasn't happened in a long time. We all had a bad feeling about this place in particular just because of the high banking and how easy it was to go flat and if you give us the opportunity, we are drivers and we try to go to the front -- we race each other hard because that's what we do. We knew if could happen but it's just really sad.  It's so tough to understand when somebody is gone that quickly.  Dan was always a very happy guy; he was always smiling.  He was a funny, great person that touched a lot of people.  He will be missed."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (Newman/Haas Racing): "It's a black day for the sport.  We came in here hoping for a good season finale and ended up losing a very close friend and a very good racing driver.  I think Dan was coming into his second wind as a driver.  He had so much success early on and he was getting back into that.  It's going to be hard next year to climb into the new cars every time knowing that if it wasn't for Dan this thing wouldn't be what it was.  He made such an impact on this sport and will even continue to now.  It's proof that this is still a very dangerous sport.  As hard as we work on the safety side, these things are still very possible.  It's tough to put into words what everybody is feeling.  We're going to have to regroup over the winter and head into the first race next year and race the whole year for Dan because all I said, the new car that we all are going to be blessed with the opportunity to race, a lot of that is as good as it is because of Dan. My thoughts are with Susie and the kids."

GREGG STEINHAFEL (Chairman, President and CEO, Target): "We are deeply saddened by the tragic and sudden death of Dan Wheldon, who drove for Target Chip Ganassi Racing from 2006 to 2008.  He was a special part of the Target family and our heartfelt sympathies go out to Dan's family and friends."

KEITH WIGGINS (Owner, HVM Racing): "The IndyCar community - drivers, teams, fans - arrived at the track today to compete and celebrate a championship. Instead, we lost one of the sport's best. Dan Wheldon was a champion on the track and a great ambassador for the sport. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dan's family. It's in moments like this that you witness the strength of the IndyCar community. Even though we compete against each other week after week, it's like we've lost a member of our own family. We'll go forward into the 2012 season by reflecting on the great memories we have of Dan Wheldon."

RICK HUMPHEY (VP of ZOOM Motorsports): "On behalf of Barber Motorsports Park, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Dan Wheldon.  His willingness to help promote the event each year in Birmingham showed us what kind of an ambassador he was for the sport.  Dan's infectious personality will always be remembered and his smile will truly be missed at Barber Motorsports Park."  

EDDIE GOSSAGE (President, Texas Motor Speedway): "On behalf of the entire staff at Texas Motor Speedway, our sincere condolences go out to Dan's wife Susie and their two young boys, Oliver and Sebastian. Dan was a tremendous race-car driver and even more tremendous as a person. I was fortunate to get to know Dan over the years with the series annually visiting Texas Motor Speedway and he always arrived with that infectious personality and charming wit. His outstanding skill in the cockpit and his personality and good nature out of it will be greatly missed by the entire IndyCar community."

From Amy Konrath, INDYCAR

Formula 2000: Rémy Audette Wins the 2011 Championship!

Watkins Glen (New York), October 16, 2011.– This weekend, Rémy Audette became the first Québec driver to ever win the F2000 Championship Series.  With a big lead heading into the final double-header of the season, Audette was not happy just earning sufficient points to solidify his spot at the top of the series. He dominated the practices and qualifying on his way to finishing on the podium for both races. 

« We came to the last weekend of the season for fun because all I needed to do was start one of the two races to earn enough points for the title. » confides Rémy Audette. « I obviously wanted to do better and once again, the entire Audette Racing team did a remarkable job, enabling me to set the fastest time on both practice sessions as well as the first qualifier » adds Rémy Audette.

Starting in pole position for the first of the two races on Saturday, Audette and the 37 other drivers had to put their ambitions on hold before the first lap was even completed. « One of the drivers had crashed into the wall separating the start/finish line and the entrance to the pits. The wall was damaged upon impact and the area was then rendered dangerous without the wall’s protection. The officials then decided to postpone the race until Sunday morning » recounted Rémy.

Sunday’s schedule of events became very busy for the drivers of the F2000 Championship Series with two races preceding the year-end banquet! Rémy comments on the first race: « I had a very good start and I was leading the race but for some reason, the car started to lose power on the long straightaway and I ended up losing two spots ». In the end, the #21 Dimensions Doors/Novatech Van Diemen finished third, only one second back from the eventual winner.

Having set the racing lap record during the first race, Rémy Audette once again started in pole position for the second race. « To respect the schedule, qualifying for the second race was cancelled and replaced by the order of the fastest lap times during the first race. Seeing as I had set the record, I was starting in pole position » explained Rémy.

The power problem was not able to be resolved in the short amount of time between the two races but Audette was nevertheless able to maintain the lead for a good portion of the race.  Unfortunately, each time there was a post-accident yellow period, the lead he had built up was diminished. « The lack of power during the last two re-starts made me lose a position each time. Despite everything, finishing third is an excellent result and it’s a great way to conclude the season » indicated the Québec driver.

With these two new podiums, Rémy Audette completes the championship in first place, with a total of five victories, and finished in the top 5 for thirteen of the fourteen races. « It truly is an exceptional season for me and for the entire Audette Racing team. Winning the championship was our goal at the start of the season and we were always in control of the situation, allowing us to succeed.  In addition, we did not have one single mechanical fail and we finished every single race throughout the year.  I have to specifically thank our mechanics and all the members of our team, as well as our sponsors, for this championship title » concludes Rémy.

North American Formula 2000 was the Audette Racing Team’s primary goal for this year, with Rémy Audette behind the wheel.  Mathieu Audette also contested select rounds of the Canadian Touring Car Championship during the summer with his Acura RSX Type-S, earning one victory and three podiums.

Several projects are currently being examined for the 2012 season.  In early spring of next year, the Audette Racing Team will announce their decisions, as well as which series it plans to contest.

The Audette Racing Team benefits form the support of Dimensions Doors, Novatech, Acura Plus Blainville, Les Extrusions du Nord, Verre Select, Jeld Wen, OPM, Amusements Spectaculaire, Les Moulures PFJV, Gulf, Blueprint Racing, Mec-Inov and Omnitech.

PHOTO GALLERY: 358 Modifieds at Brockville's DIRTcar Fall Nationals

This is a photo gallery from the 358 Modified feature race at Brockville Ontario Speedway's DIRTcar Fall Nationals on Sunday, October 16, 2011. Billy Decker took the checkered flag, while Danny Johnson earned DIRTcar's 358 Modified points championship, edging out Danny O'Brien who was second to Decker at The BOS. The scheduled three-day event was cut to a 'Sunday only' program by wet weather in the region most of the weekend.

Photos by Greg MacPherson / Inside Track Motorsport News

BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY: Fall Nationals close out 2011 season

Decker and Herbison win Fall Nationals Finales in Brockville

BROCKVILLE, ON - The 2011 racing season came to a close on Sunday morning, afternoon and evening at Brockville Ontario Speedway.  Billy Decker and Chris Herbison took the checkered flags in the 358 Modified and Sportsman events respectively as cars finally hit the race track after two days of rain and cancellations at the third annual Northeast Fall Nationals. 

Decker started on the pole in the 100 lap 358 Modified race and led almost all the way.  Carey Terrance took over the top spot just past the midway mark only to give up the lead to Decker, who finished off the impressive run.  Terrance's gamble on the final restart to try and get past Decker, provided an opening for Brockville track champion Danny O Brien to grab the runner up spot.  . However, the solid performance by the Kingston driver was not quite enough as he came up 10 points short of overhauling Danny Johnson for the 358 DIRTcar points championship.  Johnson held onto his crown with a 6th place run.  Terrance was third in front of two more O Brien's first Pat and then younger brother Tim.

The 50 lap Sportsman race featured a gaggle of yellow caution periods.  Brockville's Chris Herbison battled early with Steve Bernier and then held off a late charge from 2011 Sportsman DIRTcar champ Tim Sears Junior for the tour win.  It was a popular win for the Brockville track champ.  Josh Van Brocklin came through the field for third followed by Cody McPherson and Kingston's Mike Mainse, who charged from the back twice for a top five finish at the end.

The Vintage cars capped off the show with a green to checkered run in their 20 lap main event.  Joyceville's Rick Wilson started last in the field but caught and passed Jason Riddell with five laps to go to pick up the trophy.  Riddell was second with Steve Arbutnot a straightaway behind in third when the checkered flag fell. The Fall Nationals were presented by CKWS Television, BOB and JR fm, the Brockville Recorder and Times and Thousand Islands RV.  The Speedway thanks all drivers, crews, sponsors and race fans for their support in 2011 and looks forward to May 2012 and the start of another season.

From Steve Young / BOS

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Brockville Ontario Speedway: Fall Nationals

Finally some sun.