Rick at the Races #19 (1981)... by Rick Young

PIC 1 RALLY CROSS at Brafield in December 1980
PIC 2 My Austin A60 Camebridge
PIC 3 As I look out over the city of Athens ( Greece) there's not a race car in sight . (March 1981)
PIC 4 Colin Herridge works on Bill West # 39 car at Brafield
PIC 5 Some of the gang that traveled down to Ringwood with the Bill West # 39 team.
PIC 6 Tim Warwick # 478 in his Frankie Wainman 'rent car' at Ringwood
PIC 8 Frankie Wainman # 212 on the Grand Parade lap at Ringwood
PIC 9 A mobile advertizement for the 81 Baarlo World Final
PIC 10 Willy Neiling # 48 on his Victory Lap following his 1981 Long Tack W/F win at Baarlo
PIC 11 Willy Neiling # 48 in Victory Lane following his 1981 Long Track W/F win at Baarlo.
PIC 12 Having fun on the trip to the 1981 BriSCA F1 World Final at Bradford
PIC 13 Warren McIntyre # NZ 1 at the 1981 BriSCA F1 World Final at Bradford
PIC 14 Jim McClure # USA 3 at the 1981 BriSCA F1 World Final at Bradford
PIC 15 Colin Herridge and me looking over the Isle of Man reps car at the 1981 Brafield F2 World Final
PIC 16 David Bunt # 595 defending champion with his gold roof at the 1981 BriSCA F2 World Final.
PIC 17 Bill Batten # 667 was the winner of the 1981 BriSCA F2 World Final at Brafield
PIC 18 Len Wolfenden # 190 was the winner of the 1981 BriSCA F1 World Final at Bradford

Words and Photos by Rick Young

1981 was a year when there were many changes to my life, but before I continue, I first have to mention an event I attended in late 1980 ( December 28 to be precise) that almost slipped through my memory net . My local Brafield track held it's first ever ( and only , I believe) RallyCross . They utilized part of the centre green with a link to a dirt track made in the spectator parking field. A section of the perimeter fence had been removed to join the two sections.

While preparing this report, I couldn't remember who won, but after a quick e-mail message to my buddy Colin Herridge he confirmed that the winner was # 2 Trevor Hopkins in a 1840cc Ford Fiesta.

Time to digress... I hope my North America readers don't confuse this type of event with the US style of RallyCross where the cars race 'one at a time' against the clock. European RallyCross is 'real' racing, 'wheel to wheel' , usually with four cars in four lap races.

I'll also take this opportunity to mention that in 2006 , what is believed to be the first Euro Style RallyCross in the USA took place at the Glad Rag track near Saratoga Springs NY. After a suggestion that was made to a group of ice racers , Mike Kamm of the AMEC club put the event together. It was a great success and another event followed shortly.

Back to 1981
One of the first changes of the year was my car. During the winter I got rid of my Ford Capri and bought a modest 1966 Austin A60 Cambridge from my sister Anne's father in law. He had owned it from new and it had very low mileage.

The week before the BriSCA season got under way, Pat and I got married ( Mar 7) which was followed by a short honeymoon in Athens the capitol of Greece. We saw the Accropolis and toured the Greek Islands but saw no racing .

After working on the same trucking job on contract to a paper company in Dunstable for many years, I moved on, in an endeavor to earn a bit more cash. I went to work for another transportation company which specialized in a different type of work. Much of it meant 'hand bombing' loads of building bricks or sacks of animal feed from flat bed trailers, an ordeal which I soon began to hate. Every now and then I'd get lucky and do one of their better contracts, which involved hauling high security loads and would be accompanied by guards. I remember one such trip I did , via the Felixstowe to Rotterdam ferry to the Amsterdam docks. Once the containers had been safely loaded on to an awaiting ship, the other driver, myself, and the guards all sat down to watch the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Diana on a TV in a Rotterdam bar.

Pat who was also in the transportation business ( she was the co-owner of a small trucking company specializing in loads from the UK to Italy when I met her ) started working for a company in Milton Keynes. She had the use of a Jaguar company car, so her Fiat X19 was sold.

Colin ( Herridge) and myself were still helping Bill West # 39 at the races , although most of the 1981 racing season , I didn't stray further than my local tracks of Coventry Brafield and Leiceseter. Pat and I had started looking to buy a house near the new city of Milton Keynes where there were better job prospects. We ended up buying a bungalow about a 25 minute's drive north of the city in the small village Maidford, Northants. Maidford is very close to Silverstone, where the world famous racing circuit is located. On race days you could hear the cars from our back yard. It was also quite near to the Brafield track and only a half-hour drive from Coventry.

To coincide with our move to Maidford, I changed jobs once more, and started driving for a company with a contract to the UK's leading Frozen Food store company of the time, from their cold store in Wolverton ( Milton Keynes).

The new house needed some work done on it, and my stock car buddies came to our assistance. Friends, Mick Coady, a BriSCA F2 driver and Kev Shambrook who drove a Spedeworth Superstox did the re-wiring. ( I learned that Kev sadly passed away in 2006) . Brian Bedford # 209 , my old friend from the mid 70's when I started my BriSCA F1 career did some of the plumbing. Actually Brian who used to live in Hemel Hempstead ( Herts) had also moved north and was now living in the nearby village of Weedon.

The Long Track F1 Stock Car World Final at Baarlo was scheduled early this year (Aug 8-9) but we still found time to make the trip to the Netherlands. The 1981 Championship went to Dutchman, Willy Neiling # 48 of Schinveld.

At the end of the month ( Aug 31) I was at Matchams Park , Ringwood for what I believe was the last BriSCA F1 meeting to be held there. Out on the track that day was my old friend Tim Warwick # 478 from Bedford who was renting a Frankie Wainman # 212 , 'hire car'. Wainman had started providing a service where budding racers could rent a BriSCA F1 stock car for the day. Many newcomers started in the sport this way, as it was a great way, prospective racers could see if they 'liked it' or 'not' before making an investment in their own car. After a long and successful career Frankie is retiring from the sport at the end of 2007 and his testimonial meeting was held at the Sheffield Stadium in November 2007. As for Tim, he was still racing a BriSCA F1 in 2007 and I met up with him at the Volusia Speedway. Florida in February when we were both there for the Speedweeks .

The 1981 BriSCA F1 World Final was held at the Odsal Stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire on September 12 and a group of us traveled up in a rented Ford Transit mini-bus. Although the old Beds & Herts club had been wound up, a former committee man Malcolm Burton organized the trip for a few of the former members. I remember a lot of beer was consumed on that journey, and in the Rugby Club bar at the track afterwards. One noteworthy fact concerning the race was the first inclusion of a New Zealand representative. Warren McIntyre # NZ1 was driving a Wainman car as was, Jim McClure # USA 3 from Saco, Maine, making his second appearance in the UK. Winner of the big race was Len Wolfenden # 190 from Nelson, Lancs.

The Superstox World Final was held at the Kaldenkirchen track in Germany and was won by Norfolk's (UK) Neil Bee # 482. I missed that one , but was at my local Brafield track in Northamptonshire for the BriSCA F2 World Final on September 20, which was won by Cornwall's Bill Batten.

Even with all those major changes in my life, I still managed to attend over forty race meetings in 1981.

1982 to follow....

ACT Releases 2008 Tour Schedule

WATERBURY, VT - A completely redesigned championship format will be used for the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model stock car racing season in 2008. A diverse slate of twelve events at seven speedways in the northeastern United States and Canada will comprise the schedule, while also giving race teams several options during the course of the April-to-September campaign.

The ACT driver and owner championships will be decided using the best ten results for each individual during the 12-race season, thus giving teams the benefit of dropping their two worst outings of the year. ACT President Tom Curley says that offering teams options like this will help raise the level of competition across the board.

"ACT - and the short track racing industry as a whole - is in a restructuring phase right now, and we are listening to what our racers are saying," Curley explained. "The times have changed, and we want to meet the current demands of our race teams and the fans that support them. We feel we have a schedule that is regionally attractive, but also one that does not require an overwhelming budget or too much weekly travel.

"With the 10-race championship decided in a 12-race season," Curley continued, "teams will, in a sense, not be penalized for a bad finish. Because we draw such huge fields of cars at tracks like Thunder Road, Oxford, Lee USA, White Mountain, and others, our drivers will not have to scramble and play 'catch-up' as much if they fail to qualify for an ACT race; they can drop their worst two events of the season. There are many scenarios that could develop, and there is the great potential for a very exciting point battle. We entertained the idea of a format similar to this last season, but felt that the timing was better for 2008. We are confident that our new schedule and format will be a favorite for both teams and fans."

The ACT Late Model Tour season kicks off at the high-banked, 3/8-mile Lee USA Speedway on the New Hampshire seacoast on Sunday, April 20 with a 100-lap event. Maine's Oxford Plains Speedway hosts the first of its three 150-lap races on April 26, while Barre, VT's Thunder Road will hold the 10th Annual Merchants Bank 150 on May 4. Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY presents the 34th Annual Spring Green 100 on May 17, followed by Thunder Road's Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 100 on May 25.

ACT returns to Waterford Speedbowl in southern Connecticut on Saturday, June 7 for the first time in four years. "Rocket" Roger Brown won in the series' debut at the 3/8-mile oval in 2004. The Tour then travels back to Oxford Plains Speedway on June 21 before the ¼-mile White Mountain Motorsports Park bullring in North Woodstock, NH hosts a 150-lap event on June 28. Kawartha Speedway in Fraserville, Ontario returns for the second straight season with the Summer Sizzler 200 on a new date, Sunday afternoon, July 13. The 30th Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 is at Thunder Road on Sunday, August 31, before the final Oxford Plains event on Saturday, September 13. The season concludes with the 45th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl on the weekend of September 27/28 at Thunder Road.

Also new to the American-Canadian Tour schedule for 2008 is the first-ever "ACT Showdown at Chaudière" - a non-points all-star invitational event for the Top 10 drivers competing on the ACT Late Model Tour and Canada's Série ACT Castrol, Saturday, September 6. Autodrome Chaudière in Vallée-Jct., QC will present the "Showdown," paying $5,000 to the winner and a healthy $1,000 for the last-place finisher. The 35th Annual TD Banknorth 250 on Sunday, July 20 at Oxford Plains Speedway will again be a non-points "open competition" event for ACT-type Late Model cars.

Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, VT wrapped up his fifth consecutive and seventh overall ACT Late Model Tour Championship in 2007, and will reportedly try for an unprecedented sixth-straight in 2008. Other lead contenders include veterans Brent Dragon and Randy Potter, young guns Brown, and Joey "Pole" Polewarczyk, and 2007 ACT runner-up Scott Payea.

For more information on the American-Canadian Tour, call (802) 244-6963 or visit http://www.acttour.com/ .

2008 AMERICAN-CANADIAN TOUR SCHEDULE
# DAY DATE TRACK LAPS
1 Sun 4/20 Lee USA Speedway 100
2 Sat 4/26 Oxford Plains Speedway 150
3 Sun 5/04 Thunder Road 150
4 Sat 5/17 Airborne Speedway 100
5 Sa/Su 5/24-25 Thunder Road 100
6 Sat 6/07 Waterford Speedbowl 100
7 Sat 6/21 Oxford Plains Speedway 150
8 Sat 6/28 White Mountain Motorsports Park 150
9 Sun 7/13 Kawartha Speedway 200
** Sun 7/20 Oxford Plains Speedway - TD Banknorth 250 250
10 Sun 8/31 Thunder Road 200
** Sat 9/06 Autodrome Chaudière - "ACT Showdown at Chaudière" 200
11 Sat 9/13 Oxford Plains Speedway 150
12 Sa/Su 9/27-28 Thunder Road 150
** - Non-ACT Championship events
(schedule subject to change)
Driver and Owner Championships/Point Fund based on best 10 events during season

From Justin St. Louis / ACT Tour

CRCA's 50th Anniversary Celebration

From Marty Cooper, President of the CRCA

The Canadian Race Communications Association (CRCA) race marshals' club has been supporting all forms of motor sports in Canada for almost 50 years. In fact, the club will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2009 and planning is well underway for the festivities.

We're trying to get the word out to as many of our members and former members as possible by enlisting the help of the various motor sport clubs and businesses having a vested interest in the continued success of volunteer organizations such as ours.

The attachment is a flyer in .jpeg format that provides details of our upcoming celebration and we�re hoping that Inside Track will upload it to their website, print it in their magazine and/or publish our information in any other form over the coming months.

Your kind assistance is very much appreciated.

(Done! And I'm sure we can get something into the printed version, too. Thanks for letting us know about this and all the best in your planning! - gm)

Lucas Oil Can-Am Midget Banquet

Pictures:
Rookie: Original Member Albert Banyard, Secretary Cindy Lorenz, 2007 Rookie of the Year Alison Macleod
Official: 2007 Official of the Year Terry Watts, President Ken Lorenz
Mostimproved: 2007 Most Improved Driver Darren McLennan
Mechanic: 2007 Mechanic of the Year Cliff Walsh, President Ken Lorenz
Champ: Secretary Cindy Lorenz, 2007 Club Champion Todd Cresswell, President Ken Lorenz
Sportsman: 2007 Most Sportsmanlike Award Dave Smith, Original member Albert Banyard,

Todd Cresswell, of Newmarket, Ont., was crowned the 2007 Lucas Oil Can-Am Midget Champion at the 42nd annual banquet held recently night at the Best Western Hotel in Niagara Falls, Ont. In accepting his award, Cresswell thanked his father, Bill, for all his years of support on and off the track. He presented Steve Snowden, from Lucas Oil, the series sponsor, his helmet mounted on a plaque as thanks for their sponsorship for the past three years.

Snowden then announced that he signed an additional 2 year agreement with Can-Am Midget Club President, Ken Lorenz, for Lucas Oil to continue as the primary sponsor of the series through 2009.

One of the surprise highlights of the evening was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement award to Harry Macy, former President and one of the founding members of the Can-Am Midget Racing Club in 1965. Macy was not able to attend because of recent surgeries but a speaker phone was set up in the banquet room for everyone to wish Harry well. The award was accepted on his behalf by Robbie Robinson, a representative of the FOAR Score Racing Fan Club based in Buffalo, New York.

Alison MacLeod received the George McIntyre Memorial Rookie of the Year award. Alison is also driving a full schedule in the Clorox Ford Racing Female Development Driver Program driving a USAC Ford Focus Midget. Darren McLennan earned the Rick Sykes Memorial Most Improved Driver of the Year award finishing in 5th place in the series.

The Albert Banyard Sportsman of the Year award was presented to the Can-Am Midget announcer and a member of the Board of Director, Dave Smith, for all his efforts this season. The Harry Macy Mechanic of the Year trophy went to Cliff Walsh as he campaigned 3 cars this season with two finishing in the top ten and the third car finished 11th in owner points. Walsh thanked all the help he receives in the garage as well as the track along with some very talented drivers (Lucas Smith, 3rd, Alison MacLeod, 9th, and Harvey Walsh and son Adam Walsh sharing driving duties in the third car.

Race Director Terry Watts received the Official of the Year award and the Lucas Oil Can-Am Midget car #00 walked away with the Best Appearing Car and Crew trophy.

Rob Neely, driving the TQ #74 this season for Ken & Cindy Lorenz finished 2nd place in the points series, followed closely by Lucas Smith in 3rd. Craig Mackereth and Darren McLennan rounded the top five in points.

Finishing in the sixth through 10th places were, Daniel Bois, James Gray, Greg Smulders, Alison MacLeod and David Balych.

Additional Thank You awards were given out to Grant and Cathy Slater for their series within a series held at Sauble Speedway this season, and to Ron McKay from Bicknell Racing/Hoosier Tires for their continued support. Bob Saunders, from Race Time Radio, received the Media Award and was also the Guest MC of the evening along with Dave Smith. Ralph Webb, along with Colormark was thanked for all his photos and banners, as well as the nights program.

The Lucas Oil Can-Am Midgets are completing their schedule for 2008 season and it looks like it will be another competitive year ahead for all their fans.

By Cindy Lorenz

IHRA Nitrojam.com Rock Spring Blast

From IHRA Communications

Every spring racers travel from across the country to Rockingham Dragway with a definite purpose in mind…to see how their engine combinations and off-season work will pay off once the racing starts for real. The Nitrojam.com Rock Spring Blast presented by Richmond County Tourism is expected to be one of the largest organized test sessions in the country and will bring drivers from all over the United States and Canada.

"The Rock Spring Blast is a great opportunity for drivers and crew chiefs to see how their off-season work will pay off," IHRA president Aaron Polburn said. "You can run on the dyno all you want, but you are not ready for the season until you make a few laps on a national event-level prepped racing surface. This event will tell you a lot about where you stand, what you need to work on and what you have done that will be successful."

The Spring Blast is a four day feast designed with the most ardent gearhead in mind. The top doorslammers in the country will be joined by new and established sportsman cars to give the race fan everything he or she could want. Feb. 21-22 will feature testing in the Pro Stock and Pro Modified classes while all other pro entries will be welcomed to take a shot or two at the racing surface at Rockingham Dragway. Feb. 23-24 will be a free bracket race for all sportsman competitors as well as a Chicago Style race in the professional classes.

"This is what it's all about, running at this track where we have some of the quickest fields in IHRA history," Rockingham Dragway owner Steve Earwood said. "This is also the site of the second event on the 2008 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam schedule and our Summit Racing Equipment Pro-Am event is tentatively scheduled for the next weekend, so you will do yourself a big favor by getting a few passes under your belt."

Nitrojam.com, the official website of the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam, secured title sponsorship for the Rock Spring Blast prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

"Everyone knows the Spring Blast is the top test session in the country," Nitrojam.com webmaster Jeff Lee said. "This event is the one everyone keeps their eye on. Last year the drag racing world wanted to see what Scott Cannon had coming for the Pro Mod class in the 2007 season and I remember the anticipation to see Robert Patrick's Mustang in action. We are proud at Nitrojam.com to secure our name to this prestigious event."

Earwood always looks forward to getting a sneak preview of who will be swinging for the fences during the Knoll Gas Nitro Jam season.

"You get to see people dealing with new equipment, refreshed motors and new combinations," Earwood said. "And this is not just an event to break in new things, it is a chance for the drivers to shake some of the cobwebs off in a very competitive, professional setting."

Tickets for the Nitrojam.com Rock Spring Blast presented by Richmond County Tourism will be $20.00 for adults, $5.00 for kids age 6-12. Children under 6 will be admitted free with a paid adult admission. The box office at Rockingham Dragway will also be open during the Spring Blast to sell tickets for the Nitro Jam Spring Nationals, scheduled for April 18-20 at Rockingham Dragway. For more information about Rockingham Dragway visit www. Rockinghamdragway.com.

Lucas Oil Canadian DIRT Challenge 2008 Dates Released

Cornwall, Ontario - DIRTcar had their annual banquet in Syracuse during the weekend of November 10-11. Promoters took this opportunity to sit down and talk about the calendar for the 2008 edition of the Lucas Oil Canadian DIRT Challenge. It was a great meeting because the dates were settle and a new track will join the family for next season.

Frogtown International Speedway will be added to the mix, as they become the sixth track to join the Lucas Oil Canadian DIRT Challenge. Located in Hogansburg, New York, Frogtown is known for some great racing and great speed. With its 5/8-mile length, it will be the longest track the tour will compete on. Many great drivers are regulars at this speedway. Veteran Dave Heaslip was crowned the 2007 track champion. Carey Terrance who finished third on the Hoosier Tire/Sunoco Race Fuels 358 MrDIRTcar tour is another of the top runners. You can also name Roy Tarbell, Mark Smoke and Robbie Grant who finished 5th, 8th and 9th on the same tour. Perry Francis and long time runner Billy Cook are other drivers that could be serious contender.

The series will start with a 2-night battle at Autodrome Granby on Friday, July 18 and Autodrome Drummond on Saturday, July 19. The challenge will continue after twelve days of break at Frogtown Speedway on Thursday, July 31. Autodrome Edelweiss will be the fourth track visited on the following night on Friday, August 1st. The tour will then travel to Brockville Ontario Speedway on the following night on Saturday, August 2nd. It will all end at Cornwall Motor Speedway on Sunday, August 3rd.

With the Quebec province construction holidays that are pushed one week later next summer, it could be a great suggestion for people who would like to visit some new tracks. With Frogtown, Edelweiss, Brockville and Cornwall making it a 4-night in a row thing it's a great opportunity for people who wants to see some great racing during their holidays.

In 2007, the car counts were great at each track; Drummondville had 43 modifieds in the pits when the skies opened up. Edelweiss had the second best with 38. Last year's champion Laurent Ladouceur had a pretty great run, after winning the first race at Edelweiss, he had pretty consistent results and was crowned during the last race at Granby. Other winners were Pat O'Brien who won at Brockville and Cornwall. Yan Bussière was the best at Drummond and Martin Roy won at Granby.

We can expect many great things to come for this series in 08. Already a few new teams have announced their plans for next season and the Lucas Oil Canadian DIRT Challenge are part of them. The car count will probably be bigger than ever. Will the title be headed back to Quebec? It will be decided when the series starts on July 18, 2008!

From Cornwall Motor Speedway

David Elliott on parade

This past weekend, David Elliott showed off his new look Late Model in the Waterdown (near Hamilton, ON) Santa Clause Parade. There's a note about Dave's new sponsorship in the next issue of Inside Track.

(h/t Brett Paveling of the Elliott Racing Team)

The Inside Track Holiday Buyers' Guide is here!

Click here or on the cover to the right to download a PDF (just under 3 MB) of the 2007 Inside Track Holiday Buyers' Guide. The piece features ads and editorial that are sure to make shopping easy for the racing fanatic on your list.

Best of all, all of the stories and ads are hotlinked so you can click on the ones you're interested in and you'll be taken directly to that business' website.

Have a great weekend and happy shopping!!!

PHOTO GALLERY: Flamboro Speedway 2007 banquet from Dave Franks

82 pictures from Dave Franks (Thanks Dave!) from the Flamboro Speedway banquet on Saturday night (Nov. 24, '07).

A1GP: Podium Delight for Wickens and A1 Team Canada

Sepang, Malaysia (Sunday 25 November, 2007) - A1 Team Canada scored its first points and podium of the 2007-08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport season on Sunday as Robert Wickens belied his rookie status to finish third in Round 3's Sprint race at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

Having reached the podium on his A1GP race debut, the 18-year-old from Toronto experienced a more frustrating Feature event, Wickens retiring early from the proceedings after a frantic start. A1 Team Canada exits Malaysia sitting 12th in the A1GP Nations Standings, with ten points scored courtesy of Wickens' Sprint race podium while A1 Team Switzerland leads on 61 after Champ Car racer Neel Jani dominated events at Sepang with back-to-back victories.

Starting fifth on the grid for the 10-lap Sprint race, Wickens wasted little time in placing the Canadian entry into the top-three. Jani led from pole while Robert launched up the order giving chase to France's Loic Duval in second. Germany's Michael Ammermüller was an ever present threat from behind but Wickens had the measure of his rival until an over-steer issue presented itself.

The Canadian rookie put on a fine display of defensive driving but an overly-aggressive last lap move by the German resulted in contact, Ammermüller dropping Wickens to fourth at the checkered but a penalty issued to the German following a stewards enquiry rightfully handed the final podium placing to Robert - a well earned reward for both team and driver. Wickens and the Canadian crew subsequently had reason to be optimistic heading into the afternoon's 35-lap Feature race having scored their first points of the season and battled at the sharp end of the grid. Neel Jani collected the Sprint win for Switzerland ahead of France's Duval and Ammermüller for Germany.

The opening lap of the Feature provided early drama as Wickens was tipped round following contact at turn one having started from 12th on the 22-nation grid. While he recovered, the 2006 Formula BMW USA Champion found himself down in 18th with a long race ahead of him to crack the top-ten.

Undeterred and quickly sprinting up through the order, Robert was then helpless to avoid a collision with Adrian Zaugg seven laps later as the South African attempted to point his car in the right direction having spun out at turn eight. Some fast acting from the Canadian avoided a potentially huge impact but the resulting contact was enough to put both cars out on the spot. A1 Team Switzerland's Jani went on to triumph again ahead of Brazil's Sergio Jimenez and France's Loic Duval.

Commenting after a day of highs and lows Wickens reflected; "It was great to score a podium in the Sprint race as Germany's last lap move was quite desperate. It's a brilliant result for the team and a great way to start my A1GP career. In the Feature I thought I left plenty of room at turn one but I was knocked into a spin. I got back up to speed and then the incident with Zaugg happened. I saw him on the grass as I came into the corner but then he drove straight out in front of me leaving me with no alternative other than to go off to try and avoid him. It was unbelievable and not how I wanted to end the day!"

"Robert drove magnificently all weekend," said Team Manager Simon Cayzer. "He deserved a podium in the Sprint on merit alone so we're delighted with the end result and it's a culmination of the work put in by the whole team and James Hinchcliffe in racing for us through the opening rounds and being here this weekend as well in support. The first corner incident in the Feature was just one of those things but Zaugg's move was just plain dangerous. He didn't look and he could have caused a major accident!"

The 2007-08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport continues with Round 4 hosted at the Zhuhai International Circuit in China, Friday 14th - Sunday 16th December - www.a1gp.com

Top-Ten A1GP Standings - Round 3/10: 1st Switzerland (61), 2nd France (51), 3rd New Zealand (45), 4th Netherlands (39), 5th Great Britain (36), 6th South Africa (36), 7th Ireland (30), 8th Germany (22), 9th Brazil (22), 10th Mexico (17), *12 Canada (10)

From A1 Team Canada Media Relations: Stuart Morrison - PR & Media Manager

RALLYING: Rally of the Tall Pines Results

Bancroft (Ontario), November 25, 2007 - The last event of the Canadian Rally Championship, presented by Subaru and Castrol, was run this past weekend in Bancroft, Ontario, on snow and ice covered roads. Driver Antoine L'Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard, both from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC) had a perfect weekend, winning the event and the championship for drivers and co-drivers. It's a second title for L'Estage and Richard, who are also North-American champions for 2007.

Due to bad weather conditions, the rally proved to be difficult for several top teams who finished their rally off-road. Among them are Andrew Comrie-Picard (Toronto, ON) and Marc Goldfarb (Atkinson, NH) in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9. Comrie-Picard still had a mathematical chance of winning the championship but two off-roads, the second one definitive, ended his hopes. Two other potential winner teams were forced to retire after going off-road: Peter Thomson (Toronto, ON)/Rod Hendricksen (Clinton, NJ), in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, and Americans Ken Block/Alex Gelsomino, in a Subaru Impreza WRX STi.

So most of the rally showcased the dual between L'Estage/Richard and Frank Sprongl (Georgetown, ON)/Brian Maxwell (Port Hope, ON), in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7. Sprongl, six-times Canadian rally champion and a crowd favorite back in the 1990s, took the lead in the first third of the rally, but L'Estage gained command and led the rest of the way. Shortly before the halfway mark, the rally was so hard fought, both teams were equal at the top.

Rookie team Craig Henderson/Lyne Murphy, from Saint-Constant, QC, makes up the top three. In their Subaru Impreza WRX and running their fourth national rally ever, the team amazed everyone, avoiding pitfalls and pushing top teams in every stage.

Fourth in this Tall Pines, third overall and champions in their Production 4 class, Martin Gauvin and Daniel Duchesneau, both from New Richmond, QC, in a Subaru Impreza WRX, also gave a solid performance. Gauvin/Duchesneau lead Americans Ted and Lise Mendham (Subaru Impreza WRX) and Ontario rookie driver Leonid Urlichich/American co-driver Dave Shindle. Driving a Subaru Impreza WRX STi that used to be driven by former Canadian champion Tom McGeer, Ulrichich also had a very good drive in this rally where he could pass as a local, since he is from Peterborough, south of Bancroft.

In the final standings, drivers' championship, Antoine L'Estage finishes first with 124 points. He leads Andrew Comrie-Picard (88), Martin Gauvin (44), Craig Henderson (33), Gord Olsen (24) and Ted Mendham (21). In the co-drivers' championship, Nathalie Richard wins with 124 points, and leads Marc Goldfarb (71), Daniel Duchesneau (44), Brian Maxwell (34), Lyne Murphy (33) and Todd Patola (24). In the manufacturers' championship, Hyundai wins with 112 points, ahead of Mitsubishi (92) and Subaru (76).

The fifty-second season of the Canadian Rally Championship will start on February 9, 2008, with the presentation of Rallye Perce-Neige, in Maniwaki (QC).

Filming of the 2007 championship for TV has been provided by ATV Productions. For more information on the Canadian Rally Championship and rally events, please visit http://www.carsrally.ca/.

Rally of the Tall Pines final standings (complete results on www.rallyscoring.com):

1) Antoine L'Estage – Nathalie Richard (Hyundai Tiburon 4WD) – 2 hours 00 min. 22 sec.
2) Frank Sprongl – Brian Maxwell (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.7) – 2h01'32
3) Craig Henderson – Lyne Murphy (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 2h10'10
4) Martin Gauvin – Daniel Duchesneau (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 2h11'10
5) Ted Mendham – Lise Mendham (Subaru Impreza WRX) – 2h14'21
6) Leonid Urlichich – Dave Shindle (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) – 2h14'56
7) Peter Reilly – Phil Assad (Volkswagen Golf AWD) – 2h17'33
8) Martin Losier – François Morin (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.5) – 2h18'13
9) John Cassidy – Dave Getchell (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) – 2h19'02
10) John Vanos – Jeff Secor (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) – 2h19'10

Available Photos: Low res photos of the top 3 teams are attached. High res photos are available for media use only by contacting rally@poleposition.ca.
Photos by VINCENT FORTIN.

From Canadian Association of Rallysport

A1GP: Top-Ten Practice Start Bodes Well for Wickens

Sepang, Malaysia (November 23, 2007) - A shortage of practice laps in Malaysia this morning failed to prevent A1 Team Canada rookie Robert Wickens from cracking the top-ten in this afternoon's official practice session at the Sepang International Circuit prior to Round 3 of the 2007-08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport on Sunday, 25th November.

Wickens, who becomes only the fourth driver to race for A1 Team Canada in the nation versus nation series this weekend, had his practice time cut short in the morning's 'Rookie-Only' session at the 5.54km circuit thanks to a problematic steering rack.  Limited to ten laps, the 18-year-old from Toronto posted the 12th fastest time of the session with a 1m54.695s lap from 20 nations fielding rookies.

This afternoon's hour-long session, with all 22 competing nations participating, proved to be more productive for Canada with Wickens, the 2006 Formula BMW USA Champion, comfortably running inside the top-ten throughout.  His best lap time, a 1m50.909s, ended the session eighth quickest with the team looking to maintain that form into Saturday's qualifying sessions, Canada having yet to start a race this season higher than tenth on the grid.

"Today's been pretty good," reflected Wickens after his first outing on the Sepang track.  "We had a problem with the steering rack in the rookie session which basically meant I couldn't turn the car so we lost a lot of track time.  The team rebounded really well though and I'm extremely satisfied to have been running in the top-ten the whole of this afternoon's session."

He continued, "We made improvements to the car in the limited time we had and despite going out on fresh tires at the start of the session I did my fastest lap on the second to last lap of the session which shows the improvements we've made.  I'm really looking forward to Saturday's practice and qualifying."

A1 Team Canada Team Manager, Simon Cayzer, commented; "We had some problems this morning which cost us some time but the second practice session went well.  We have some more fine tuning to do but overall we're relatively happy with our set-up start.  Robert did a good job today despite being quite new to the car and having never driven the circuit before, he seems quite a cool, calm customer!"

Official Practice (1 Hour Session)
1, Great Britain, Oliver Jarvis, 1:49.459
2, Switzerland, Neel Jani, 1:49.911
3, France, Loic Duval, 1:50.094
4, New Zealand, Jonny Reid, 1:50.320
5, China, Congfu Cheng, 1:50.471
*8, CANADA, ROBERT WICKENS, 1:50.909

Rookie Practice (2 x 25 Minute Sessions)
1, Great Britain, Oliver Jarvis, 1:52.013
2, Brazil, Sergio Jimenez, 1:52.757
3, Australia, John Martin, 1:52.806
4,. Italy, Edoardo Piscopo,  1:53.161
5, New Zealand, Earl Bamber, 1:53.682
*12, CANADA, ROBERT WICKENS, 1:54.695

Qualifying for Sunday's 20-minute Sprint race and 70-minute Feature race starts tomorrow, Saturday 24th November, at 2:15pm in Malaysia (1:15am EST).  Live timing - www.a1gp.com

Photo Credit: 'Robert Wickens makes his competitive debut for A1 Team Canada this weekend' - Jakob Ebrey Photography
From A1 Team Canada Media Relations: Stuart Morrison - PR & Media Manager

Hello Pot, this is the Kettle calling....

McLaren says Renault was cheating.

Talk about chutzpah.

Driver FYI: Daniel Morad Formula BMW World Final Report

Daniel Morad's Formula BMW World Final Advisory: P4 (combined) after practice sessions

November 23, 2007 - Practice sessions are complete and Daniel sits P4 overall with a time of 1:17.658, just 4/10ths off the top time. With thirty-five cars at the event, the three practice sessions were spit into two groups with Daniel in the second group. Finishing 5th and 8th in the first two sessions respectively, Daniel would turn up the heat and go P3 in his final practice and move to P4 in combined results.

It should be noted that this is a very competitive field as results show the top 25 cars are covered by just less than one second.

Qualifying (two groups) takes place shortly (Daniel is on track at 9:15 EST) with Super Pole qualifying to follow. Super Pole has the top eight drivers (from combined results) compete for the chance to grid on pole for every heat race.

Please visit www.danielmorad.com for further updates.

From Chris Jameson / Level Ten Communications

Rob Becker wins Can-Am Stock/Super Stock title

CAYUGA, ONTARIO - Rob Becker gave a humbling speech at the recent Can-Am Stock/Super Stock banquet, and the 2007 champion made a point of thanking several in the group for his success.

"I wouldn't be here today without the help of several in the series," said the Port Colborne resident. "I couldn't have done this without my crew chief Tony Valerio of Welland. I also have to thank FJ Smith and Wally Clark. They always answered my questions and gave of their time."

Becker added that consistency played a big part in 2007.

"I really concentrated on doing the same over and over each race," he said. "And it worked."

Rob Becker is a full time engine assembler at ERD (Engine Research & Development) in Jordan Station, Ontario.

Driving his in-house ERD prepared 300-horsepower, 350 small-block 1987 Camaro, Becker won three of the 12 Can-Am events this year. The series featured a record 26 teams, and the season was highlighted with 40 cars competing in its annual Labor Day Nationals at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga. Becker took a pair of wins at Grand Bend, and one at Toronto Motorsports Park.

Three drivers were battling for second spot, and the tight points race was decided at the last event. But Chuck Nagy of Niagara Falls and Kirk Vanni of Binbrook tied for second with 21 points each, four points behind Becker. Brian Clayton of Port Perry was next with 19 points, and with 18 points, Hamilton's Dave Comeau took fifth spot.

The popular Can-Am series, formed in 1996 for Ontario, New York and Michigan racers to compete, welcomed 12 new teams in 2007. Its 2008 schedule is presently in the works, and will be announced shortly.

From Bruce Mehlenbacher / Photo Credit: Rob Potter

Michael Valiante to Lead Italian Motors Squad at All-Stars Karting Classic

Seattle , WA - (November 20, 2007) : Italian Motors has finalized their driver lineup for the 2nd Annual All-Stars Karting Classic in Orlando. Grand-Am Daytona Prototype standout Michael Valiante will represent the Vancouver, B.C. based team in the Masters Division of the event. He will be joined by Snap-on Stars of Karting Series regulars David Jurca and Hayden Duerson in the Karter Division of the event. All three drivers will be aboard an Italkart – Parilla Leopard package.

Michael Valiante spent 2007 racing for the Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates team in the Grand-Am Daytona Prototype Series. He also drove for the Ganassi operation in the NASCAR Busch Series in a one-off drive at the Montreal round. Michael has a strong background in karting ad established himself as one of the top North American karters in the late 1990's by winning numerous championships and scholarship shootouts. He then went on to success in the Skip Barber Regional, Barber Dodge Pro, and Toyota Atlantic Championships. Valiante made several starts in the ChampCar World Series in 2004 and 2005 before moving to Grand-Am full-time in 2006 with the Finlay Motorsports team. Michael Valiante quote" The Italian Motors team is owned by Michael's parents Claudio and Bev. Michael is active in the management of the team when his racing schedule allows. He is looking forward to getting behind the wheel of a kart and returning to action, "I am really looking forward to the PRI show. I always look forward to having the opportunity to get back in to a kart and race.'

David Jurca and Hayden Duerson both competed in the full Snap-on Stars of Karting presented by IndyCar Series in the elite ICC (shifter) category. Jurca has a strong karting resume' and has competed at the highest levels in both North American and European series. He has also competed and won in formula car racing, having won the Skip Barber Shootout in 2002 and being one of six finalists in the 2003 Red Bull Driver Search. Duerson is one of the young rising talents of the Snap-on Stars of Karting and was named the series' 2007 Rookie of the Year. Duerson is excited to be able to be a part of the event, "As a rookie, I feel honored to be invited to the PRI show to compete against some of the top karters in the nation."

The PRI show takes place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from December 6 – 8th with the All-Stars Karting Classic taking place on the evening of December 6th and will feature some of the top names in North American racing battling it out in the Masters Division, and the top drivers from the Snap-on Stars of Karting Series squaring off in the Karter Division. Drivers confirmed to be participating in the Masters Division of the event include Jamie McMurray (NASCAR), A.J. Allmendinger (NASCAR) John Andetti (NASCAR / IndyCar), Marco Andretti (IndyCar), Bryan Herta (ALMS), Joey Hand (Grand-Am), Buddy Rice (IndyCar), Eddie Lawson (MotoGP), Wayne Taylor (Grand-Am), Michael Valiante (Grand-Am), Steve Johnson (NHRA) and many others to be announced in the coming weeks. Admission to the event is free. The event will be filmed for two separate television broadcasts on SPEED Channel's Lucas Oil on the Edge program thanks to support from Snap-on and Bridgestone.

For more information about the Snap-on Stars of Karting presented by IndyCar Series and the PRI All-Stars Karting Classic please visit http://www.starsofkarting.com/ and all promotional inquiries can be directed to jeff@starsofkarting.com.

Snap-on Stars of Karting presented by IndyCar Series is based out of Seattle, Washington, sanctioned by the World Karting Association (WKA) and owned and operated by 1986 Indianapolis 500 champion and IRL IndyCar Series team owner Bobby Rahal, IndyCar Series driver Bryan Herta and veteran karting promoter Paul Zalud. http://www.starsofkarting.com/, http://www.worldkarting.com/.

Snap-on Incorporated is a leading global innovator, manufacturer and marketer of tools, diagnostics and equipment solutions for professional users. Product lines include hand and power tools, tool storage, diagnostics software, information and management systems, shop equipment and other solutions for vehicle manufacturers, dealerships and repair centers, as well as customers in industry, government, agriculture and construction. Products are sold through its franchisees, company-direct sales and distributor channels, as well as over the Internet. Founded in 1920, Snap-on is a $2.5 billion, S&P 500 company headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin. For additional information on Snap-on, visit http://www.snapon.com/.

The Indy Racing League was formed in 1994 to preserve the heritage and excitement of the Indianapolis 500 in U.S. open-wheel racing. The Indy Racing League is the sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series, the premier open-wheel racing series in the United States, and the Indy Pro Series, which serves as an essential stepping stone for drivers striving to reach the IndyCar Series. Indy Racing League events are available to a worldwide audience through a variety of multimedia platforms, highlighted by a long-term and broad-reaching partnership with ABC Sports/ESPN. The Indy Racing League is continually at the forefront of motorsports innovation with drivers, teams and tracks benefiting from major safety and technological improvements such as the SAFER Barrier, SWEMS wheel tethers, chassis enhancements, ethanol fuel and Delphi IRL Safety Team. http://www.indycar.com/
Snap-on Stars of Karting Media Contact:

From Jeff Swoboda

OHSWEKEN MINI STOCK & THUNDER STOCK RULES MEETING SET FOR DECEMBER 1

On Saturday, December 1, Ohsweken Speedway will hold its annual rules meeting for the Mini Stock and Thunder Stock divisions that compete at the speedway.
Tech Inspector Glen Hils will conduct the sessions in the orange Tech Shop located in the Ohsweken Speedway pits with the Mini Stocks scheduled to get underway at 11:00 AM followed by the Thunder Stocks at 11:45.

Anyone intending to compete in either division in 2008 or wishing to influence any changes to the current rules package is encouraged to attend. 2008 rules will be posted on the Ohsweken Speedway website at www.ohswekenspeedway.com within one week after this meeting is held.

Ron Fellows to appear at Autobahn on Saturday, Dec. 1

On Saturday, Dec. 1 (from noon to 2 p.m.), Canadian racing legend Ron Fellows is making a personal appearance at AUTOBAHN (in Sherway Gardens Mall; 25 The West Mall, Unit 2 (QEW & 427), Toronto, ON).

For additional information, contact: Manny Silva, (msilva@autobahn.ca) 416-201-9877.

BMW World Final: Maxime Pelletier tackles Valencia finale

Maxime Pelletier tackles Valencia Formula BMW finale
 
Valencia, November 22nd, 2007. –   Maxime Pelletier will tackle the biggest challenge in his still young career as he enters the Formula BMW World Final at the Circuit de la Communitat in Valencia, Spain. In top mental and physical shape, Pelletier will be among the 35 driver roster looking for top laurels in this finale that joins the best racers from the four BMW series around the world.
 
The 17 year-old who now hails out of Saint-Donat in the Quebec Laurentians is returning to the race facility where he became a BMW USA scholar. He finished fourth in the 2007 14-round standings and will steer again his FB02 HBR Motorsports single seater. Pelletier admits competition will be fierce but has put many wild cards in his hand for the occasion.
 
"Even if my last racing program goes back a while, claims Pelletier, I feel great and I head into this world finale with a very strong team. We left no stone unreturned. My trainer and nutritionist traveled to Europe and we arrived a week ago in France where my family comes from. I will be working with Peter Argetsinger who also trains the drivers in the US series. My team HBR has put together a German team that carried a complete revision of my car; they know the Valencia track very well and have comprehensive data. We are working on numerous strategies and will be ready for every situation. Here in Spain, the usual communication systems are banned and we will go back to the trackside board. I will team up with Brazilian Ricardo Favoretto: we get along fine and have spent six race weekends together."
 
A four-day program
Thursday will be devoted to technical procedures and driver meetings. The BMW Sauber F1 team will be on hand with demonstrations from Nick Heidfeld and Timo Glock. Work starts on Friday with a long morning free practice session from 9:00 AM to 1:50 PM, followed by a qualifying session from 2:30 to 3:45 PM. Finally, the top eight drivers will go into a super pole shootout from 4:45 to 5:15 PM.
Saturday, drivers will be spread into six groups and four will take to the track for 75 minutes heat races. Sunday morning the last two groups will do the same and the reds will go out on the World Final at 2:50 PM for a 45 minute-event.
 
"It's a long weekend and I must be fully concentrated in the car and when I work with the engineers, admits Pelletier. We have to be perfect but the Friday sessions are critical if we want to do well. My goal on Friday would be to take part in the Super Pole session."
 
  Maxime Pelletier just completed his second season in Formula BMW USA in 4th place overall with the Austrian Hillebrand Motorsports team. For 2008, he is considering entering the new Formula BMW Europe series or eventually Formula 3 Euroseries. He may be reached at maxime@maximepelletier.com.
 
From: Michel Poirier-Defoy

Sauble Speedway 2007 Banquet Photo Gallery

On Saturday, Nov. 17, Sauble Speedway held its year-end banquet. During the proceedings, Joe and Sue Chisholm announced that they had sold the popular stock car facility to a family that has a long history of participation in the sport at Sauble and elsewhere.

From saublespeedway.com: "Joe Chisholm announced the sale of Sauble Speedway to Jason and Aimee Thom. Jason is the son of Bruce Thom of Thom Construction in Owen Sound. Jason in his early teens started racing at Sauble Speedway in a Late Model, Jason advanced his career to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series . Jason and Aimee have a lot to offer the sport of auto racing."

All the best to the Thoms as they put their mark on Sauble Speedway. And congratulations to the Chisholms for their efforts at Sauble and with the long-running ALSTAR Late Model Series.

Thanks to Joe and Sue Chisholm for the photos from the banquet. A PDF of the winners and other award winners is located here.

CRC: Mitsubishi announces three-year travel, contingency and award programs

Mississauga, ONT. (Nov. 21, 2007) - MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Totally consistent with Mitsubishi's international racing and rally heritage, Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada Inc. (MMSCAN) have announced a three year commitment to a national "rally support program" that encourages amateur participation in organized rallysport - and directly benefits competitors, volunteers, promoters, organizers and fans of the Canadian Rally Championship (CRC). Canadian rally and motorsport enthusiasts have been eagerly anticipating Mitsubishi's formal involvement with the Canadian rally scene ever since Mitsubishi arrived in Canada five years ago, and will no doubt enthusiastically welcome this announcement.

Launched under the aggressive banner "Mitsubishi. We've come to race.", this multi-tiered program has been carefully structured to provide several levels of support for all eligible Mitsubishi competitors - plus additional merit based rewards, and recognition for achieving certain goals. This singular program is designed to complement existing CRC programs, to offer meaningful assistance for private competitors, and to help infuse the Mitsubishi brand and competitive philosophy into the fabric of the Canadian rally community and its fans.

"The benefits of Mitsubishi's on-going success in world rally championship wins can be seen directly in the automotive engineering and design success of the all new 2008 Lancer Evolution", said Koji Soga, President and CEO of MMSCAN. "The innovation and benefits brought to our street vehicles can be linked directly to our motorsports heritage."

"Mitsubishi is revered for its durability and engineering prowess" said Larry Futers, Director National Marketing, MMSCAN, "Our cars and trucks have competed in organized competitions all over the world. Events like Paris to Dakar, the Monte Carlo Rally, the Baja 1000, and, the formula one of rallying; the World Rally Championship. But in Canada, we're not that well known, yet."

The new program will debut on the weekend of Nov 24-25 in Bancroft Ontario, at the Rally of the Tall Pines - an internationally known motorsport event, and the last competition of the 2007 Canadian Rally Championship calendar. Eligible events for the Mitsubishi Rally Support Program include all six Canadian Rally Championship events - which begin in February of each year and finish in November - and Targa Newfoundland, a unique, high speed, pavement only adventure that takes place on public roads in Newfoundland every September, and hosts exotic rally cars from around the world.

Key elements of the three year Mitsubishi Rally Support Program:

Money for Travel - A travel subsidy will be provided to all eligible Mitsubishi teams entered in Canadian Rally Championship events. Amounts will vary between $200 and $400 depending on the distance traveled by the competitor.

Subsidized Entry Fee - All eligible Mitsubishi rally teams that start a Canadian Rally Championship event, or Targa Newfoundland, will receive $600.

Event Awards Contingencies - A results based rewards program featuring cash awards for overall finishes in both Canadian Rally Championship Events and Targa Newfoundland. Winners will be divided into two categories - 2WD ($250, $500, $1,000) and AWD ($750, $1,000, $1,250).

The Mitsubishi Cup - Year end awards and recognition for participating teams, with categories for both 2WD and AWD. To provide the resources needed to achieve in the following season, the Mitsubishi Cup will award the top ranking Mitsubishi teams with cash prizes ($1,250, $2,500, $5,000) for both 2WD and AWD competitors

Local Event Support - The program also includes support for some local rally events and digs deep into the grass roots to acknowledge the contribution of the volunteers who are the core of the sport.

Getting on the Web - Beginning in the 2008 season, space will be reserved on an upcoming Mitsubishi Rally website where participating teams will have the opportunity to showcase their efforts, post videos and blog entries, dialogue with fellow racers, and reach out to fans.

Merchandise / Promotion - Mitsubishi branded clothing and other promotional items will be provided to participating teams and some volunteers, with plans to make this clothing available to the public through dealers shortly thereafter. Promotional displays and a strong Mitsubishi presence will be part of every CRC event. And event organizers will be compensated for Mitsubishi's use of space.

"It's all about the competitors, continued Futers, "we want young Canadians competing in our cars. Tough as nails competition in a controlled environment. That's why we're in this. To encourage organized participation, to get folks talking, to spread our style, our philosophy, our enthusiasm. I want to see a red wave of Mitsubishi jackets at every rally, because we're here to race."

This enthusiastic sentiment is clearly reflected in initial comments from CRC entrants. "As a competitor who has competed every year since 2002 in the Canadian Rally Championship, I am over the moon to see Mitsubishi officially involved. Not only is the whole history of the brand interwoven with rally, but as a driver and car builder I can tell you that the Mitsubishi Evolution is the best out of the box rally car that there is. That's why I run them. Also, this program is very well thought out and will be a huge assistance to competitors running Mitsubishis. And Mitsubishi teams are some of the most die-hard competitors of all." said rally driver and car builder Andrew Comrie-Picard. For more information and pictures go to Andrew's site at, http://www.musketeerracing.com/

"A multi-facetted program like the one announced by Mitsubishi in Canada will have a very positive impact on the sport in this country. It is not only excellent incentive for existing competitors, I'm sure it will attract new teams and raise the level of competition everywhere," said Jorge Dascollas, president of the Canadian Association of Rallysport. "This is a very welcome development from a much respected company with a great motorsport history."

Vehicle Eligibility - Open to any entrant of any Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution vehicle of any age and any entrant of any other Mitsubishi automobile of model year 1998 or later. To be eligible for the awards, the entrant must be considered a starter of the event under CARS rules. Any vehicles entered by MMSCAN are not eligible for program awards.

Canadian Rally Championship events are national in scope and are run by the Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) under the auspices of the ASN / FIA, the world governing body for motorsport. These events are comprised of fully prepared rally cars racing against the clock in "special stages" on closed public roads in every imaginable road condition, day and night, winter and summer. Often traveling at speeds over 160 km per hour these high strung competition vehicles containing a driver and a navigator showcase the ultimate in car control and are a blast to watch. Rallysport is growing steadily in North America and Mitsubishi has been a leader worldwide in this sport for many years. More information on Rallysport may be obtained at http://www.carsrally.ca/CARSRally/.

Targa Newfoundland is one of three remaining all tarmac road / rally events in the world, the others being held in Tasmania and New Zealand. Various classes of fully prepared rally cars and carefully prepared production cars compete in several categories over five consecutive days on the public highways. It is a grueling test of courage, skill and determination where, as the organizers say, cars are driven as they were meant to be, within an organized framework. More information on Targa Newfoundland may be found at http://www.targanewfoundland.com/.

The advent of the Mitsubishi Rally Support Program is timely as the motorsport world is widely anticipating the spring 2008 introduction of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution high performance AWD compact sedan, to the Canadian market. The Evolution is a state of the art performance vehicle almost ready to rally, out of the box.

"The whole company is excited about the Lancer Evolution" said Futers, "It's a magical car and it comes at a magical time for Mitsubishi in Canada."

From Susan Elliott / Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada, Inc.

The Rock is Back

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (Nov. 20, 2007) - Race fans that have missed the sounds of engines at �The Rock� will not have to wait any longer with racing to resume in 2008 after a four year absence. Rockingham Speedway will host the ARCA RE/MAX Series on May 4th with the inaugural Carolina 500 for the ARCA Series and will also host the season-ending Hooter�s Pro Cup event on November 1st.
 
Gene McLaurin, Mayor of Rockingham, NC was the first in line to purchase tickets. �I am proud to be the first purchaser to the inaugural race at Rockingham Speedway,� said Mayor McLaurin. �Andy Hillenburg and staff are off to a great start and I hope race fans will join me as we get ready to return to The Rock.�
 
Tickets for both events are now on sale to the public, just in time for the Holidays. The Carolina 500 ticket prices are $35 for all seats in the Front Stretch Rockingham Grandstands and $30 for all seats in the Turns 1 and 2 Grandstands. Infield General Admission is $20 per person for the 312-lap event on Sunday.
 
Saturday May 3rd will feature two qualifying sessions to determine the race field for the 50-car starting grid. Saturday tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under as well as free admission for service men and women in uniform in each grandstand and for the infield General Admission. Practice on Friday May 2nd will be open free to the public.
 
Ticket prices for the American 200, the first race for the Hooter�s Pro Cup Series at the Rockingham Speedway are $25 for reserved seats located in the Turns 1 and 2 Grandstands, $28 for reserved seats in the Rockingham Grandstands and $20 for infield General Admission.
 
Practice and qualifying for the 200-lap Hooter�s Pro Cup event will be held on Friday October 31st. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under and free for kids dressed in costume as well as service men and women in uniform.
 
Fans can also purchase Combo Tickets for both events at a price of $58 for reserved seats in the Rockingham Front stretch and $50 for reserved seats in the Turns 1 and 2 Grandstands.
 
Rockingham Speedway will also offer special sections reserved for families in both grandstands that are free of smoke and alcohol.

From Rockingham Raceway Park
 

Heading to the Rally of the Tall Pines? Don't forget this!

Click here or on the cover (at right) to download the 2007 Rally of the Tall Pines Spectator Guide, which was produced by Inside Track Communications. The main event takes place this Saturday (Nov. 24) in the Bancroft (ON) area. The PDF file of the 32-page Spectator Guide is almost 6 Mb and includes everything you'll need to enjoy the event, including schedules, maps, entry lists and team profiles.

For more information about the Rall of the Tall Pines, click here.

OSCAAR 2007 Banquet Photo Gallery, by Dave Franks

130 pictures from Dave Franks (Thanks Dave!) from the 2007 OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Model Series banquet, held on Nov. 17. Congratulations to champion Derrick Tiemersma and his team on their season, as well as to all the other members of the OSCAAR family. The issue of Inside Track currently on press features our extensive OSCAAR Year In Review section, so watch for that in the mail starting next week.

NASCAR Nextel Cup: Season in Review

From NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 21, 2007) – Sixteen drivers won NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races, including all 12 drivers who participated in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

The lead in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup changed hands following each of the first five Chase races, but Jeff Gordon led the point standings in each of the next four weeks following consecutive victories at Talladega and Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson posted three consecutive victories at Martinsville, Atlanta and Texas to move back into the lead in the championship standings by 30 points. His fourth straight win (Phoenix) gave Johnson an 86-point lead entering the season finale where he posted a seventh-place finish to claim his second straight series title.

2007 Season Highlights
• At Bristol, The Car of Tomorrow made its debut.
• At Talladega, Jeff Gordon won his 77th career race, breaking a tie with Dale Earnhardt for sixth on the all-time win list. Gordon had tied Earnhardt’s mark of 76 wins the prior week in Phoenix.
• Hendrick Motorsports posted six consecutive victories (second Talladega through second Phoenix), the first time since Petty Enterprises won 10 straight in 1967 that an organization had won six straight.
• Four drivers posted career-first victories: Casey Mears, Martin Truex Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer.
• With his win at Infineon Raceway, Montoya, from Colombia, became the first foreign-born race winner since Canadian Earl Ross in 1974.
• Two of the top-10 closest finishes since the advent of electronic timing (1993) have occurred this season, both at Daytona International Speedway. The Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 had a ninth-closest margin of victory of 0.020 and the Pepsi 400 on July 7 had a margin of victory of 0.005, which is tied for second-closest.
• Jimmie Johnson posted four consecutive victories (Martinsville-Phoenix) – the longest winning streak in Chase history – and the first time a driver had won four straight since Jeff Gordon in 1998.

All-time Record
• Jeff Gordon scored his 12th restrictor-plate victory with his win at Talladega and became the all-time leader in restrictor-plate victories. He broke a tie with Dale Earnhardt.

Qualifying
• There have been 18 different Bud Pole winners led by Jeff Gordon (seven). Qualifying was canceled at Texas, second Daytona and Watkins Glen due to inclement weather.
• The all-time record for the number of different pole winners is 24 (1957) and the Modern Era record is 18 (1997, 2001 and 2007).
• There were four first-time pole winners this season: Clint Bowyer, Reed Sorenson, J.J. Yeley and Martin Truex Jr.
• There has been a first-time pole winner each season since 1987 – 21 consecutive years.
• Ryan Newman’s pole at Atlanta ended a streak of 20 races without a pole – the longest of his career.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all other drivers with 26 top-10 starts this season.
• Every pole winner led a lap in the race in which he won the pole except for J.J. Yeley at the second Michigan race.

The Races
• There were 16 different race winners, led by Jimmie Johnson (10).
• There were four first-time race winners this season: Casey Mears, Martin Truex Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer.
• There were back-to-back victories eight times this season:
Jimmie Johnson (Las Vegas-Atlanta), (California-Richmond) and (Martinsville-Atlanta-Texas-Phoenix)
Jeff Gordon (Phoenix-Talladega) and (Talladega-Lowe’s)
Tony Stewart (Chicago-Indianapolis).
• There were four season sweeps this season: Jimmie Johnson (Richmond, Martinsville and Atlanta) and Jeff Gordon (Talladega).
• Four races were won from the pole in 2007: Phoenix (Jeff Gordon), Talladega (Jeff Gordon), second Richmond (Jimmie Johnson) and second New Hampshire (Clint Bowyer).
• Jeff Gordon posted 21 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes – both more than any other driver. Gordon’s 30 top-10 finishes broke the modern era record for top-10s in a season held by Dale Jarrett (1999).
• There were four final lap passes for the victory this season – both Daytona races, Texas and second Talladega.

Sweeps
• There have been 158 season sweeps in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.
• Jimmie Johnson won both races at Richmond, Martinsville and Atlanta this season – giving him nine career season sweeps. Johnson has posted at least one season sweep in five of the last six seasons (he did not sweep a track in 2006).
• Richard Petty holds the all-time record for season sweeps with 23.
• Jeff Gordon swept Talladega, just the seventh time a driver has won both races in a season at Talladega.

Laps Completed
• No driver completed every lap in 2007.
• Kevin Harvick led the series in laps completed with 10,431 of 10,582.

Laps Led
• No driver led in every race this season.
• Jimmie Johnson led in 24 races, more than any other driver.
• Jeff Gordon leads in bonus points for leading laps with 150.
• Jeff Gordon has led a series-high 1,300 of the 10,582 laps – 12.3% of the laps raced.
• Thirteen different drivers have led the most laps in a race: Jeff Gordon (seven), Kurt Busch (five), Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth (four), Denny Hamlin (three), Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch (two), Carl Edwards, Robby Gordon, Kasey Kahne (one).

Rookie Performance
• Juan Pablo Montoya won the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award. Montoya lead David Ragan by 24 points in the final tally (276-252).
• Four different drivers were the highest-finishing rookie at least once this season: Juan Pablo Montoya (17), David Ragan (14), Paul Menard (four) and AJ Allmendinger (two).
• The best finish by a rookie has been first by Juan Pablo Montoya at Infineon Raceway.
• Juan Pablo Montoya (20th) ranked highest among the rookies in the point standings.

Penalties
• There have been 537 on-track penalties issued this season.
• Every team that has competed in two or more races this season has received at least one on-track penalty.
• Penalty Recap:
Pitting Before Pit Road is Open 316
Too Fast Entering Pit Road 37
Too Fast Exiting Pit Road 81
Others 103

Points
• Only two drivers have ranked in the top 12 in points for every race: Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon.
• Robby Gordon finished the season ranked 26th in the points – the highest of those who did not compete in every race.

The Chase
• Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon both had 5,210 points after the first Chase race. Johnson held the number one position based on the tiebreaker of six wins to Gordon’s four.
• Gordon assumed the points lead at Dover with Johnson retaking the top spot after Kansas.
• The third change in the point leader took place at Talladega when Gordon moved back into the lead.
• The fourth change in the point leader came after Texas with Johnson regaining the lead by 30 points.
• The 77-point margin that Jimmie Johnson claimed the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship by was the largest margin in the history of the Chase.

Changes up Front
The record for changes in the point leader in the four year history of the Chase is four (2006 and 2007). The fourth change in the point leader in both seasons took place in the eighth race.

Manufacturer
• Chevrolet won the manufacturer point standings with 290 points to 208 for Ford, 178 for Dodge and 116 for Toyota.
• Chevrolet clinched the manufacturers’ championship at Richmond.
• Chevrolet won 26 races. Ford had seven wins and Dodge three.
• Chevrolet scored its 600th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory with Kyle Busch’s win at Bristol. Busch’s victory was the first for the Chevrolet Impala since Wendell Scott won at Jacksonville (Fla.) Speedway Park on Dec. 1, 1963.
• Toyota scored its first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup top five when Brian Vickers finished fifth at Charlotte in May and its best finish of the season with Dave Blaney’s third-place posting at second Talladega.
• Chevrolet posted 26 victories this season, breaking a tie with Buick (1982) for the most victories by a manufacturer in the modern era. Plymouth holds the all-time record for victories in a season with 31 in 1967 – a 49-race season.

MAHLE Clevite Canada Completes Acquisition of Engine Parts One

NIAGARA ON THE LAKE, ONTARIO (NOV. 15, 2007) - MAHLE Clevite Canada ULC announced today that they completed the purchase of Canadian Engine Parts 1 Inc.  Engine Parts 1 currently serves the Canadian engine parts market with 5 strategically located warehouses across the country - this Acquisition transfers ownership to MAHLE Clevite Canada.

This transaction enables MAHLE Clevite to position itself to better service the needs of the Canadian engine parts market.  Additionally, this supports the implementation of the MAHLE Clevite value-added initiatives allowing them to focus directly on servicing the engine parts aftermarket in concert with their customer base. This MAHLE Clevite initiative also establishes an important step in assuring our valued customers of the long-term commitment for the supply of MAHLE Original, Clevite, Perfect Circle and Victor Reinz products.

Michael Tate, MAHLE Clevite general manager says, "The acquisition of Engine Parts 1 is a great arrangement for our customers.  It allows us to deliver our premier engine parts, combined with the utmost level of service and engine expertise that we are known for."

MAHLE Clevite Inc. is one of the world's largest suppliers of pistons, valve train parts, engine bearings, piston rings, and engine gaskets. MAHLE Clevite brands include MAHLE Original® pistons, assemblies, valves, cylinder liners, Clevite® engine bearings and engine parts, Victor Reinz® gaskets and Perfect Circle® piston rings. In addition, Clevite®, Victor Reinz® and Perfect Circle® are official NASCAR® Performance Products. MAHLE Clevite's Internet address is www.mahleclevite.com.

The MAHLE Group is one of the 30 largest automotive suppliers worldwide. As the leading manufacturer of combustion engine components, systems and peripherals, MAHLE is among the top 3 suppliers for piston systems, cylinder components, valve train systems via air management systems and liquid management systems. MAHLE employs more than 40,000 employees in 110 production plants and in seven research and development centers. In 2006, MAHLE generated sales in excess of EUR 4.3 billion (USD 5.8 billion).

T.O. STAR: Steelback in "liquidity crisis"

From the Toronto Star....

"Generic drug entrepreneur Barry Sherman has gained court protection for D'Angelo Brands and Steelback Breweries in efforts to save the two former high-flying beverage companies which together owe his family firm more than $120 million.
Justice Sarah Pepall quietly issued an order late last week for a stay of any proceedings by creditors against the two insolvent companies until Sherman's Wasanda Enterprises attempts to file a restructuring plan...."

"At D'Angelo Brands, Sherman also noted in the affidavit that media and sponsorship commitments did not reflect sales..."

Steelback is the title sponsor of the GP of Toronto Champ Car race.

SCCA SPEED WORLD CHALLENGE SET TO RETURN TO MOSPORT IN 2008

(BOWMANVILLE, ON - NOVEMBER 20, 2007) Six classic racing venues have been confirmed for the 2008 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge schedule. Among these destinations is Mosport International Raceway's famed 4 km road course, which will host the Series (both GT and Touring Car), for the 18th time as part of the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport, Aug. 21-24. Mosport has hosted more SPEED World Challenge races than any other track in Series history.

For the third year in-a-row, the SPEED GT cars will hit the streets of Long Beach in April with the Champ Car World Series and American Le Mans Series. The following weekend, SPEED Touring Car teams are off to Virginia International Raceway to join the Rolex Sports Car Series. The 2008 event will mark only the second time in history the series has raced at this venerable road course.

In May, both classes reunite for a showdown in the desert at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah with the American Le Mans Series. The series returns to historical Watkins Glen International in June with the Rolex Sports Car Series, then joins the American Le Mans Series and the Indy Racing League for a repeat a highly successful event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July, followed by Mosport.

The remainder of the schedule is expected to be announced shortly.

2008 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Schedule
Date                         Track/Venue
April 18 – 20          Grand Prix of Long Beach (GT only)
April 25 – 27          Virginia International Raceway (Touring Car only)
May 16 – 18           Miller Motorsports Park (GT and Touring Car)
June 5 – 8               Watkins Glen International (GT and Touring Car)
July 17 – 20            Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (GT and Touring Car)
August 21 – 24     Mosport International Raceway (GT and Touring Car)
 
From Lee Bailie, Mosport