NASCAR Cdn. Tire Series: Fastline Motorsports welcomes back Tim Hortons

(Nice to see this announcement! Congratulations to the Fastline Motorsports gang and to Tim Horton's for their support of Canadian motorsports. - GM)


HAMILTON, ON – Fastline Motorsports is pleased to announce the return of Tim Hortons as a sponsor for 2007 of Team Fastline and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series drivers Jeff and Jim Lapcevich.

"Tim Hortons is proud to be a sponsor of Fastline Motorsports. We've had a long-standing relationship with the Lapcevich brothers since 1990 and it's great to see that all of their hard work and dedication has resulted in some spectacular victories,” stated David McMullen, Vice President, Regional Marketing and National Promotions. “In addition, we appreciate their on-going support of the Tim Horton Children's Foundation throughout the years."

Tim Hortons Inc., www.timhortons.com, is Canada's largest quick service restaurant chain. Founded in 1964 as a coffee and donut shop, Tim Hortons has evolved to meet consumer tastes, with a menu that now includes premium coffee, flavored cappuccinos, specialty teas, home-style soups, fresh sandwiches and fresh baked goods. As of October 1, 2006, Tim Hortons system-wide restaurants numbered 2,637 in Canada and 305 in the United States.

The Tim Horton Children's Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization committed to providing a fun-filled camp adventure for children, who could otherwise not afford it. Last year, over 11,000 children, between the ages of 9 and 12, were selected from each of the communities in which a Tim Hortons store operates, giving them the opportunity to attend one of the Foundation's six camps. In addition to the simple fun and excitement of such an experience, this opportunity can help these children build their leadership skills, self-confidence and self-esteem, qualities that will only benefit them in the future.

About Fastline Motorsports:
The Fastline Motorsports, www.fastlinemotorsports.ca, team cars are based on the 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo body with a 107.5-inch wheelbase, which sits on top of a McColl Racing Enterprises chassis. The 355-cubic inch small-block Chevrolet engine from AP Racing Engines produces over 500 horsepower, and this power is transferred to the car's rear wheels by a four-speed transmission. Headed by father Joe Lapcevich, and with an experienced and devoted crew of 12 others, this two-car team demonstrates the professionalism, ability, and confidence to represent this exciting sport both on and off the track.

About Jeff Lapcevich:
Jeff Lapcevich finished the 2006 CASCAR Super Series with four top-ten and two top-five finishes including a win in the Griddly Headz 100 at the Grand Prix of Edmonton and a second place finish on the Mosport International Raceway Road Course. Jeff Lapcevich began his career on road circuits, and the experience acquired in this form of motorsport has developed into a successful career on the CASCAR tour, as he has won six road course events in the past four years in CASCAR.

About Jim Lapcevich:
In 2006, Jim Lapcevich captured seven top-ten finishes in the CASCAR Super Series and two top-five finish with a fourth place finish at the Mosport International Raceway Road Course and at the Grand Prix of Montreal. With a strong background in oval track events, Jim Lapcevich has progressed from the Saturday night "bull-rings" to become one of the top drivers in CASCAR, with several victories in this national series. With a strong competitive desire, Jim will always be in the hunt vying for that checkered flag.


For more information, contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher bruce@jajentertainment.com

NASCAR Feels Big Three's Pain

This is from a story in today's Globe & Mail, by Chris Jenkins
In the piece, Dodge confirmed its committment to the sport.

Here is the story.....

CONCORD, N.C. — When asked about Ford Motor Co.'s announcement that it lost a record $12.7-billion (U.S.) last year, the director of Dodge's racing program cringes as if he just swallowed a swig of motor oil.

These aren't the best of times for the U.S. auto industry, and the effects are starting to trickle down to NASCAR. Folks in the race team shops sprinkled throughout suburban Charlotte are worried about tightening their belts — and not just the ones on their engines.

Mike Accavitti, director of Dodge Motorsports and SRT Product Planning, said teams must start finding ways to become more efficient.

“I've always contended that if it's a money-burning contest, you've got the wrong partner,” Mr. Accavitti said. “I don't want to say we're cheap, but we never really had a lot of money to just throw at things.”

In an attempt to stop long-standing rumours that Dodge was considering pulling out of NASCAR entirely, Mr. Accavitti made a firm public commitment to the sport during NASCAR's preseason media tour Thursday.

“Dodge is here to stay,” he said.

But not here to go on a wild spending spree.

Continued at the link above....

AUTO CLEARING MOTOR SPEEDWAY announces 2007 schedule

SASKATOON, SK (January 12, 2007) – Auto Clearing Motor Speedway is extremely pleased to announce and present its 2007 race schedule. Race fans are in for some extremely exciting race action this summer with a 23-race schedule. It all begins under the lights on Saturday, May 12th and ends with the ever popular Ellenn Plastics Enduro on Saturday afternoon, October 6th.

“We are really looking forward to a more traditional race season this year”, states club President Andrew Clewes, “last year we couldn’t start racing until mid July because we were busy building our new $3M facility until then”.

All of the six race classes offered in 2006 will be offered again in 2007. Race fans will be able to experience the thrill of Pro Trucks, Street Stocks, Thunder Stocks, and Mini Stocks a total of 11 times each over the course of the 2007 race season. Super Late Models will hit the track nine times and the Sportsman class of cars eight times.

Of the 23 races on tap this season, 13 will be special races. Included amongst the 13 special events are two visits by the ever-popular Legends Cars of Alberta; the Dent Clinic 150 on Saturday June 9th and the Mac’s Froster 50 on Saturday August 11th. This will be the second year that Auto Clearing Motor Speedway will stage the Mac’s Froster 50.

The Super Truck Racing Series will make two appearances at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in 2007; on Saturday, June 23rd and then again on September 1st.

The USA/Canada IMCA Modifieds will visit Auto Clearing Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 14. This is a date that all race fans will want to be at.

There will be two special races for the steel bodied Street Stock cars; the Martensville 100 on June 16th and the Tiger Automotive Street Stock Invitational on Saturday, August 18th.

Last season, with the introduction of the NEWALTA Late Model Challenge Series, there was a positive rebirth in the Super Late Model class. This season there will be two NEWALTA Late Model Challenge Series races at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, the first on Saturday May 26th and the second, the Points Final, on Saturday September 22nd. It is expected that the fields for these races will approach 30 cars, undoubtedly resulting in some excellent racing.

With the recent demise of the former CASCAR Western Series, Auto Clearing Motor Speedway has been instrumental in formulating, and will host, the Western Elite Sportsman Tour (WEST). A total of four WEST races will be staged at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in 2007; two in June (June 2nd and June 29th), and two in September (September 1st and September 15th). The September 15th race will be the WEST’s Points Final race.

In addition to local Sportsman cars, many of the cars that competed in the former CASCAR Western Series race program are expected to race in the WEST. These cars are the same type of cars that will be running in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

Ticket pricing, including season ticket prices, are now being finalized and will be announced next week.

For more information on any of the races in the 2007 race schedule, or to find out how to sponsor one of the 2007 races, please contact our Business Development office.

For information on Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, please visit our web site at www.autoclearingmotorspeedway.ca.

From Herm Hordal / ACMS

GOING SOUTH?

I'm trying to put a list together of the Canadians who are heading to Florida to race during the stock car portion of Speedweeks.

Once again, Inside Track is planning to document the adventures of the Canucks in action at New Smyrna, USA Int'l, Volusia, etc...

So, if you know of anyone, please post their name and where they plan to race in the comments section of this thread. Or you can drop me a note here.

Delaware Speedway: Bulmer and DuGas resign

Jim Cressman had a story in the London Free Press two days ago ("Delaware Season in Doubt") about the recent resignations of Delaware Speedway GM Kevin Bulmer and Operations Director Amy DuGas.

I have dealt with Kevin and Amy for years and it has been a pleasure knowing them. I hope they find satisfaction in their future endeavours.

This morning, I was contacted by Delaware Race Director Jeff Wilcox, who is still employed at the half-mile, London-area oval. While things are still in a state of flux - including the issue of who will replace the departed Bulmer and DuGas - he wanted to clarify a few things.

According to Wilcox, the 2007 season is not in doubt, contrary to the headline on the story. He also wanted to note that the schedule posted on the track's website is still in place and things are "moving forward."

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series to air on TSN

Toronto, ON (January 25, 2007) – TSN announced today a multi-year agreement for exclusive broadcast rights to the newly-formed NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, which launches in May of 2007. TSN will televise 12 one-hour broadcasts, which will include race coverage, driver interviews and features.

The announcement complements TSN’s extensive NASCAR broadcast package. With an expanded schedule for the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series of 28 races, up from 21 races last season, TSN also recently announced the acquisition of TV rights to all 35 NASCAR Busch Series races, including the inaugural Montreal race.

“As NASCAR’s popularity north of the border continues to grow, TSN has enjoyed increased NASCAR audiences, which have more than doubled in the past 10 years,” said Phil King, President, TSN. “The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series offers TSN the opportunity to showcase and support Canadian drivers and Canadian racing as part of the network’s all-encompassing NASCAR coverage.”

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series was announced in September 2006, following the acquisition of certain assets of the CASCAR Super Series. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will stage events nationally with a schedule of 12 races (May-October) throughout Canada. Many of the former CASCAR drivers and teams are anticipated to compete in the Series.

“This is a very important announcement for NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Canadian racing fans will have the broadest offering of NASCAR programming including the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series,” said Robbie Weiss, Managing Director, NASCAR International. “We are excited to continue this great partnership with TSN and bring the best of Canadian racing to a broader audience.”

TSN’s broadcast schedule of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be announced following confirmation of the race schedule.

NASCAR is the No. 1 televised motorsport series on television in Canada. TSN recorded record ratings for its coverage of the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series with a national average audience of 332,000 viewers, up 15 per cent from 2005 and more than double the audience in 1996 (150,000). The 2006 Daytona 500 was the most watched motorsport race in TSN history with a national audience of 568,000 viewers.

For More Information: Andrea Goldstein, TSN Director of Communications, (w)416.332.7575, (c)647.224.8800 // Josh Cogan, TSN Communications Officer, (w)416.332.7599, (c)416.859.4738

Ford lost almost $13B in 2006

Ford Motor Company just announced that it lost $12.7 BILLION dollars last year.

Wow. And I was worried about my credit card bills after Christmas.

Would you consider buying a Ford if they supported Canadian racing? Or is there jsut no way you would buy one of their products?

Canadian Touring Car Championship launches new website

Courtesy Jason Sharpe

TORONTO, ON – January 22, 2007 – The Canadian Touring Car Championship announced today the launch of a new online community for Canadian sportscar fans, sponsors and competitors – www.touringcar.ca

The new website is a direct result of the growth sportscar racing has experienced over the last five years here in Canada. Its purpose is to become the online destination of choice for fans interested in knowing more about the hottest cars in the country and the people who build and drive them.

Additionally, it will become an invaluable resource for sportscar teams and drivers across the country wishing to participate in what is Canada’s premiere road racing Championship.

Initially, the site will feature all of the drivers and teams committed to competing in the Championship, along with the schedule of events and necessary competition forms for teams across the country. As the season grows nearer, the site will morph into an interactive community where fans will be able to interact with drivers and team members, get exclusive behind the scenes access to what it takes to compete at this elite level and receive promotional opportunities from sponsor partners.

During the season fans will be able to log on for up to the minute news and results from the Championship and its competitors, as well as take part in many contests and promotions geared to the sportscar lifestyle.

For marketers, the site will become an integral tool for reaching a large, loyal and lucrative consumer base. The site will feature an area for sponsor partners to connect with the fan on both an emotional and rational level, through innovative, exclusive content, features and promotional opportunities.

“The need for a dedicated, sportscar racing site has been a long time coming here in Canada,” said Canadian Touring Car Championship President John Bondar. “Our racing fans are hungry for more sportscar themed media and we’re really proud that the Canadian Touring Car Championship is bringing it to them,” he added.

Boasting Canada’s best drivers in today’s hottest sportscars the Canadian Touring Car Championship will consist of three classes of competition, over 8 weekends, with the marquee event being the recently announced addition of the Grand Prix of Toronto. Other races will be held at the famed Mosport International Raceway, the new Calabogie Motorsport Park & Shannonville Motorsport Park.

TAGLIANI'SGOOD FIRST IMPRESSION IN THE ROCKETSPORTS CHAMPCAR

Courtesy Heather Haupt

EAST LANSING, Michigan (January 23, 2007) – Despite only running 27 laps around the 1.8-mile short course at Sebring International Raceway today in Sebring, Florida, driver Alex Tagliani and the Rocketsports Racing team were able have a good first impression of the new Panoz DP01 Champ Car and find exactly what they needed in order for continued success during their three-day run.

"It was a good shakedown with the new DP01 Champ Car for me and the Rocketsports team," said driver Alex Tagliani. "We did not do many laps today, but we learned a lot and are ready to move forward during the next two days of testing. What today did show was that the Rocketsports team was well prepared for this test because we went out on track and had no problems. Overall I feel confident and comfortable because I feel that the team has put together a reliable car. The new Panoz DP01 Champ Car worked perfect and it was a pleasure to drive."

"What we were able to accomplish today was finding the limits of the car," continued Tagliani. "It was actually fairly easy and we did not have to struggle to get to that point. That really helps us out while we continue to run down here in Sebring this week. Now that we have found that limit on the new car, we can start to work on finding a way to make it go quicker. Our future ahead will be focusing on finding a setup that creates a quicker car. We know that the car is running, and there are no problems, so we are off to a great start and excited about the days ahead."

Participating in the first of three Champ Car Open Tests in preparation for the 2007 Champ Car season opener in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 8, Rocketsports Racing and driver Alex Tagliani will have two more days of testing in Sebring, Florida.

On track activities for the Champ Cars tomorrow will include two sessions, run from 9:45 a.m. EST – 12:00 p.m. and from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m., as they continue to share track time with the American Le Mans Series.

The final day of testing down in Florida will give the team all the time they need as the track will be open for the Champ Cars to run solely from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. To follow the team's progress throughout the next couple of days, log on to www.champcar.ws and check out the live Timing and Scoring feed during the times previously listed.

SAMAX Motorsports Ready to Challenge the World's Best at Daytona

Courtesy Max d'Orsonnens

Wednesday January 24, 2006. - Florida-based SAMAX Motorsports is ready to challenge the world's best drivers and teams this weekend at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the opening round of the 15-race Grand-American Rolex Sports Car Series 2007 schedule. The twice around the clock race at the 3.56-mile (5.73 Km) Daytona International Speedway road course will feature a combined entry list of 70 Daytona Prototypes (DP) and GT sports cars. SAMAX will field two Pontiac Riley prototypes for the 45th annual classic edition. Eight drivers from seven countries will share duties for SAMAX.

"Without a doubt this is the best group of drivers that I have ever had the opportunity to work with," commented SAMAX team principal Peter Baron. "If you look across all the entries in the 24, there are only a handful of line-ups with no weaknesses, and we firmly believe we are amongst the strongest."

#11 CITGO Racing by SAMAX Pontiac RileyRegular season drivers Milka Duno and Canadian Patrick Carpentier, now living in Las Vegas, will be joined for the season opener by English driver Darren Manning and Scotland's Ryan Dalziel in the #11 CITGO Racing Pontiac Riley. Last season at Daytona, Duno, from Caracas, Venezuela teamed up with Dario and Marino Franchitti and Kevin McGarrity to bring home the CITGO car in eighth place overall, while Carpentier, who was making his first-ever start in a prototype, led Eddie Cheever's Lexus Crawford during 68 laps over a period of two hours late Saturday night. However, a mechanical failure, while in fourth place, foiled their podium bid two hours from the end of the race.

Manning, a seasoned veteran of open wheel racing, was quick during the series winter test sessions setting fast laps on a regular basis. Although Manning was not accustomed to an endurance-racing car, owner Peter Baron was impressed with his showing and asked the former Formula One BAR Honda test driver and IRL regular to join his team for the 24-Hour classic. Dalziel, a European driver who made a name for himself in North America, finished runner-up two years in a row in the Atlantic Series before switching to sports cars in 2005. He made 13 combined starts in the Rolex GT class and ALMS GT1 category, finishing twice on the podium; his first-ever with SAMAX at Miami/Homestead in 2005. Last year, he started 14 Daytona Prototype races, finishing once on the podium and twice in the Top-5.

SAMAX Motorsports, based in Pompano Beach, Florida, is in its third year of competition in the Grand-American Rolex Series. The team will field two Daytona Prototypes in this weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona. Steve Challis is the technical director of the #11 CITGO Racing crew, and Travis Lowe is chief engineer of the #7 Pontiac Riley entry. More information on SAMAX Motorsports is available at www.samaxmotorsports.com.

Weekend ScheduleThe action starts Thursday morning with two practice sessions scheduled for the Daytona Prototypes. Following practice, the prototypes will take the track for the first round of qualifying at 3:45 p.m. with the top 30 securing their positions on the grid. A second qualifying session is scheduled on Friday morning for those failed to qualify on Thursday.

The grid for the Rolex 24 at Daytona will open at noon on Saturday, followed by pre-race ceremonies. The green flag for the race will be waved at 1:30 p.m. SPEED and FOX Sports will combine to offer 15 hours of race coverage from Daytona. SAMAX press releases will be sent following Thursday's qualifying and the end of Sunday's race. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com.

Canada's Hinchcliffe Scores Top-Six Brace Down-Under

Courtesy A1 Team Canada

Sunday 21 January, 2007 - Taupo Motorsports Park in New Zealand proved to be a happy hunting ground for A1 Team Canada's James Hinchcliffe (20) as the Toronto rookie heralded his return to competition by picking up a pair of top-six finishes on Sunday in Round 6 of the 2006-07 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport.

Sixth at the checkered flag in both the Sprint and Feature races, Hinchcliffe's performances netted the Canadian entry a total of six points to maintain its footing in the top-ten of the A1GP Nations Standings, the team currently placing ninth from the 23 competing nations. Germany stretched its advantage at the head of the pack to 19 points over France (65-46) courtesy of back-to-back wins in New Zealand from teenage sensation Niko Hülkenberg, the German pole-winner scoring his third and fourth A1GP victories and his first top-step podium sweep.

Having qualified seventh for Sunday morning's 20-minute Sprint race, Hinchcliffe passed A1 Team Great Britain's Robbie Kerr for sixth place on the run to the first turn. After that the 20-year-old held station with passing opportunities limited not least due to the slick nature of the brand new 3.5km track. With points awarded to just the top-six in the Sprint event, Hinchcliffe claimed the final score but more importantly secured a third row grid slot for the afternoon's 50-lap Feature race.

A loose car greeted James at the start of the afternoon race but his pace soon picked up following his mandatory pit-stop, taken on lap nine, the opening of the pit-window. Armed with a fresh set of tires and with the handling vastly improved James placed seventh. He remained there at mid-distance, enduring a solitary race to that point with Kerr three and a half seconds ahead of him and Williams Formula One test driver, India's Narain Karthikeyan, four and a half seconds behind in eighth.

The status quo was interrupted on lap 40 with Kerr retiring the British entry promoting Hinchcliffe up into sixth. Consistently faster it wasn't long before James found himself at the back of a five-car train headed by France's Loic Duval in second, all giving chase to the dominant Hülkenberg. The German scored his second win of the day with Duval second and New Zealander Jonny Reid delighting the 25,000-strong home crowd with third, the Feature top-three a carbon copy of the Sprint podium.

"I'd have liked to have scored a few more points," stated Hinchcliffe upon his A1GP race return. "I didn't want to try anything too heroic in the Sprint and settled for the final point and decent grid slot. We were looking really fast towards the end of the Feature race but for the most part it was a fairly quiet outing although Taupo's a physically demanding track so I was working hard on every lap!"

SPEED will air all the action from Round 6 of the A1GP Series in Canada as a tape-delayed broadcast on Wednesday 24th January starting at 4pm EST - http://www.speedtv.com/ / Round 7 of the 2006-07 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport sees a return to Sydney's Eastern Creek Circuit in Australia, Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th February - www.a1gp.com.

Top-Ten A1GP Nations Standings after Round 6/11: 1st Germany (65), 2nd France (46), 3rd New Zealand (43), 4th Great Britain (36), 5th Mexico (34), 6th Malaysia (30), 7th Italy (29), 8th Switzerland (29), 9th CANADA (28), 10th Netherlands (26).

Winter Races Will Happen!

Courtesy Race Director

An outlet for craving that winter “need for speed” is here! The 1/3 mile track, traditionally home to stock cars, has been transformed into this winter’s facility for adrenaline. This Saturday, January 27th , Brighton Speedway will be hosting its 4th Annual Winterfest Ice Races. Racing will begin at 10:00 am, when the areas hottest snowmobiles and 4-wheelers take to the ice. As these races conclude the field of endurance cars will be introduced as they gear up to slide across the finish line in the Bill’s Johns 50 lap Endurance Race. These daring racers will show their grassroots talent at approximately 2:00 pm, when the green flag flies and the race of mayhem begins.

As Mother Nature continues to provide her chilling temperatures, the crew has been working around the clock to build the icy surface. The Montgomery “Ice Making” School Bus has helped ease the pain of the long cold nights. Although the bus was made in 2006, it didn’t get it’s chance to create a perfect racing surface with more accuracy and comfort for the Rinaldi family and friends of Brighton Speedway. With over 1 foot of solid ice covering the track, there is no doubt that the bus has worked and the crew is enthused for this weekend’s races.

Amateur snowmobiler, and regular Saturday night favourite, Caley Weese (#77 of Carrying Place) was asked to offer her perspective on the upcoming racing experience. “After taking a few test laps around the track, it became clear to me that this would be a thrilling experience. The icy base was hard packed and well formed, making it challenging to corner and maintain traction on my sled. From a standstill starting position the track was full of bite and I’d have to say the snowmobiles will have perfect racing conditions, the 4 wheelers will fly and the stock cars will be, as always, entertaining, ” Caley said with a smile!

For more information, or to get your sled, 4 wheeler or endurance car registered contact 613.475.1102 or visit the website at www.brightonspeedway.com. If you can’t be part of the show, at least come watch these thrill seekers make their rounds as part of Winterfest Celebrations.

CARQUEST Back in 2007

Ken Cunning

Halifax, NS (January 24, 2007) – The Maritime Pro Stock Tour Limited is proud to announce that CARQUEST Auto Parts will continue to be the presenting sponsor for the 2007 season. The tour will continue to be known as the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour.

“CARQUEST Auto Parts has been the presenting sponsor since the inception of the tour in 2001” said Ken Cunning, General Manager of Maritime Pro Stock Tour Limited. “We are proud to be associated with CARQUEST Auto Parts and to continue to present the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour with them”.

“The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour fits with our customer base and the race events are in the major areas of the Maritimes”, said Wayne Johnston, Vice President & General Manager Atlantic Division, CARQUEST Auto Parts. “We have stores throughout the Maritimes and this association allows us to present our brand to existing and potential customers, through the top stock car racing series in the Maritimes.”

The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour visits five different race tracks in the three Maritime Provinces on the east coast of Canada: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Facilities are required to meet specific criteria for the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour events, ensuring quality shows for the audience and the competitors. The complete 2007 schedule will be issued shortly.

FORD TO DISCONTINUE CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES SPONSORSHIP

DEARBORN, Mich., January 24, 2007 – Ford Motor Company announced today that it would no longer serve as an official sponsor of the Champ Car World Series. Ford had participated in Champ Car and its predecessor, CART, since re-entering open-wheel racing in 1992.

“We evaluate all of our racing programs on an annual basis and have decided that this sponsorship does not align with our current business objectives,” said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. “Although we are leaving open wheel racing at this time, we’re proud of our long relationship with Champ Car, its teams and drivers, and we wish them well as they try to grow the sport.”

Ford’s withdrawal from Champ Car will not affect the other racing programs the company currently supports, including NASCAR’s three major national touring series, the NHRA PowerAde Drag Racing Series, both the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car and KONI Challenge Series and several series sanctioned by USAC.

From Susan Pollack

Back to the Future: Tagliani has a solid outing in Rocketsports' new DP01 Champ Car

EAST LANSING, Michigan (January 23, 2007) – Despite only running 27 laps around the 1.8-mile short course at Sebring International Raceway today in Sebring, Florida, driver Alex Tagliani and the Rocketsports Racing team were able have a good first impression of the new Panoz DP01 Champ Car and find exactly what they needed in order for continued success during their three-day run.

“It was a good shakedown with the new DP01 Champ Car for me and the Rocketsports team,” said driver Alex Tagliani. “We did not do many laps today, but we learned a lot and are ready to move forward during the next two days of testing. What today did show was that the Rocketsports team was well prepared for this test because we went out on track and had no problems. Overall I feel confident and comfortable because I feel that the team has put together a reliable car. The new Panoz DP01 Champ Car worked perfect and it was a pleasure to drive.

“What we were able to accomplish today was finding the limits of the car,” continued Tagliani. “It was actually fairly easy and we did not have to struggle to get to that point. That really helps us out while we continue to run down here in Sebring this week. Now that we have found that limit on the new car, we can start to work on finding a way to make it go quicker. Our future ahead will be focusing on finding a setup that creates a quicker car. We know that the car is running, and there are no problems, so we are off to a great start and excited about the days ahead.”

Participating in the first of three Champ Car Open Tests in preparation for the 2007 Champ Car season opener in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 8, Rocketsports Racing and driver Alex Tagliani will have two more days of testing in Sebring, Florida. On track activities for the Champ Cars tomorrow will include two sessions, run from 9:45 a.m. EST � 12:00 p.m. and from 2:00 � 3:30 p.m., as they continue to share track time with the American Le Mans Series. The final day of testing down in Florida will give the team all the time they need as the track will be open for the Champ Cars to run solely from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. To follow the team’s progress throughout the next couple of days, log on to http://www.champcar.ws/ and check out the live Timing and Scoring feed during the times previously listed.

By Heather Haupt // heatherh@rocketsportsracing.com

MERRITTVILLE AND HOOSIER TIRE CANADA COMBINE FOR SPEEDORAMA SHOW

Thorold, Ontario (January 17) … Merrittville Speedway and Hoosier Tire Canada will once again join forces for the Speedorama Show to be held at the Automotive Building at Exhibition Place in Toronto from January 26th to 28th.

“There’s a huge amount of Race Fans in Southern Ontario,” relates (Merrittville GM) Erica Bicknell, “the Speedorama Show gives us a great networking opportunity.”

Merrittville Speedway is preparing for its 56th consecutive season and will have 2007 Tentative Schedules available in addition to information on Season Tickets and Special Events.

The Baron Roofing & Siding Season Opener will feature the Spring Sizzler 100 Saturday April 28th with more than 100 laps of Feature Action for it’s Dirt Weekly Racing Series Divisions – the L. St. Amand 358 Modifieds, Original Pizza Logs Sportsmen, Hoosier Stocks, Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lites and the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinders.

Special Events through-out the Season will feature the 2nd Annual Lucas Oil Shoot Outs for Sportsmen and 358 Modifieds. The Advance Auto Parts National Big Block 100 lap Trevor Wilkens Memorial, the return of the Fan Favorite Empire Super Sprints and two visits of the BRP 360 Late Models.

Merrittville Speedway’s Season will once again close with a Triple-header with events featuring the J&S Heating Rose Webber Memorial for the Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lites that draws entries from all over the United States September 7th to 9th in addition to the 2nd Annual Open Street Stock Shoot-out prior to the Duel on the Dirt Finale that pits the Merrittville Hoosier Stocks against the Brighton Speedway Pro Stocks. New to the Saturday Night portion this year is the a visit from the DIRT Sportsmen Super DIRT Series.

Featured in his own display at Speedorama will be the Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite #1 of veteran Paul Klager, “ we’ll be there throughout the show … race fans can get a close up look at our Ripley’s RCM Racing Equipment Car,” invites Klager.

Although small in size, Open Wheel Lite cars are powered by up to 1200 c.c. Motorcycle Engines and are one of the quickest divisions every Saturday Night.

“Southern Ontario Race fans may like to get involved with our Season Finale and now’s the time to start,” relates Bicknell, “the focus on Sunday is the Konzelmann Estate Winery 200 Enduro and its open to anyone … rules are now available.”

In 2007, the Thorold facility will maintain the freeze on Grandstand Admissions with a low $10 General Admission Ticket for weekly regular events and Children under 8 are always free. For today’s young family – Merrittville Speedway also offers an economical Family Pass which allows Two Adults and Two Juniors from 8 – 12 admission plus 4 Pillers Hot Dogs and 4 cans of Pepsi for $35.

Hoosier Tire Canada carries a full line of tires designed for champions of all forms of the sport – including asphalt and dirt and for oval track, drag strip and road course.

Hoosier Racing Tires are available in Canada and Western New York from Bicknell Racing Products. For information call 905-685-3184 or 716-285-7502 or visit www.hoosiertire.com.

The Speedorama Show Hours are from 10 AM to 10 PM Friday and Saturday and from 10 AM to 6 Pm on Sunday. For further information visit www.speedoramashows.com.

For further information on Merrittville Speedway – visit Speedorama or www.merrittvillespeedway.com or call the Winter Office at 905-685-7223.

Grand Bend Motorplex adds sweeper / scrubber

GRAND BEND, ON - Grand Bend Motorplex gets help from sponsors to add the ultimate in track cleanup equipment (a Sweeper/Scrubber unit) to its facility.

“Ever since we witnessed how well these units can cleanup an oil spill in the ¼ mile, we have wanted to add one, but the cost was just a little bit out of reach,” says track manager Ron Biekx. “So like I did with our vacuum truck a few years ago I went to our sponsors for some help. They came through with flying colours, just like I thought they would”.

“ First, I want to thank our sponsors. We couldn’t have done this without them” says Paul Spriet track operator. “I feel our sponsors supported this acquisition because many of them are racers themselves, and they are interested in promoting the sport for all involved. They know that the biggest headache and delay in completing a drag racing program is the time it takes to cleanup an oil down, especially one that occurs in the first ¼ mile of the racing surface”.
According to Spriet “This new process is the way both of the major sanctioning bodies, and some of the major racing facilities, cleanup at their national events and weekly programs. Everyone we talked with about this process loves how it works”

Biekx explains “The old way to cleanup the spill is to apply an absorbent over the spill, brush it in, and then sweep and/or vacuum it up. The problem with this process is the absorbent can get blown across the entire track, requiring twice as much cleanup time. The absorbent also adheres to the glue on the racetrack, making it hard to pickup. This can make the track slippery and requires the lanes to be re-glued.
The new sweeper/scrubber unit does away with this process. It works by applying a hot soapy solution to breakdown the oil, brushing it in to loosen any residual oil, and then vacuuming up the mixture, all in one action. What would have taken us an hour before can now be done in as little as 20 minutes, plus it leaves the racing surface in pristine racing condition. It is better and safer for the competitors, and it reduces the downtime for the fans. Plus, this unit comes with an added bonus; it can be run as a vacuum unit only. After a rain we now have 2 vacuum units to help dry off the track, plus our track dryer for the shutdown area.”
Biekx finished by saying; “We definitely want to extend special thanks to the folks from Sarnia Drywall Supply for loaning us their trailer and the guys at Bluewater Ford for loaning us the F250 that made molehills out of the mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky when it was time to pick the unit up.”

This addition, along with a new track surface (to be completed in late May), will keep Grand Bend Motorplex at the forefront of Canadian drag racing facilities.

Grand Bend Motorplex is one of Canada’s premier racing facilities featuring both drag racing and Motocross events. It is home to the biggest drag racing event in Eastern Canada - The 8th Annual Mopar Canadian Nationals presented by Castrol, July 20-22, 2007, plus many other large events from May to October.

Go to grandbendmotorplex.com for all the details.

NASCAR ADJUSTS ‘CHASE’ FORMAT

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2007) – Race victories will become more important than ever in 2007 as a result of adjustments to the points system and the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup format announced today by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR).

The adjustments are designed to establish more balance between winning and consistency, but there is a new emphasis on the former.

“The adjustments taken today put a greater emphasis on winning races,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “Winning is what this sport is all about. Nobody likes to see drivers content to finish in the top 10. We want our sport – especially during the Chase – to be more about winning.”

Chase Adjustments:

• The Chase – consisting of the season’s last 10 races – will further reflect the importance of racing to win, via a variety of adjustments.
• During the format’s first three years, the top 10 drivers in points after the 26th race of the season (at Richmond International Raceway) qualified for the Chase; in addition, any other driver outside the top 10 but within 400 points of the standings’ leader was also eligible.
  Starting this season, the 400-point cut-off is eliminated.
• Also, after Race 26, the top 12 drivers in the points will qualify for the Chase.
  All 12 drivers will have their point totals re-set to 5,000; each will then receive a 10-point bonus for each race victory they had during the first 26 races.
• The Chase drivers will be “seeded” to start the Chase based on the number of wins amassed during the regular season.

Points adjustment:

• In line with the Chase adjustments, wins throughout the season will be more valuable.
• Race winners throughout the 36-race season will now receive 185 points, a five-point increase. Counting the five-point bonuses available for leading at least one lap and leading the most laps, a race winner now can earn a maximum of 195 points, creating a possible maximum of 25 points between first- and second-place finishers.

The 2006 season of Kasey Kahne provides a dramatic illustration of the adjusted Chase format’s implications.

Kahne qualified for last year’s Chase, but started it in 10th place – despite having won a series-high five races. Under the new format, Kahne would begin the Chase in first place, with 5,050 points.

Mark Martin and Jeff Burton, seventh and eighth at the outset of last year’s Chase, would instead start in 11th and 12th, each with 5,000, since they had no race victories entering the Chase.

Also, Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle, who failed to make the Chase last year – they were 11th and 12th and beyond the 400-point cut-off – would qualify under the adjusted format. Stewart would be fifth with 5,020 points, Biffle 10th with 5,010.

“The Chase has been successful because it has done what it was designed to do – give more drivers an opportunity to win the championship,” France said. “It has reenergized our sport. And now, a good thing is about to get better.

“In 2004 when we unveiled the Chase, we said we would keep a close eye on it, and make adjustments if needed. We have done that, and we feel like the sport – and the sport’s fans – will benefit.”

From NASCAR

TV: TSN and RDS New Home of NASCAR Busch Series

(Note: See the red text at the bottom of this release. It seems to be announcing that the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races will be changing from Sportsnet to TSN. - G.M.)

Toronto, ON (January 11, 2007) – TSN and RDS announced today a multi-year agreement for exclusive Canadian broadcast rights in English and French to the NASCAR Busch Series, effective 2007, including the inaugural race in Montreal on August 4, 2007.

Under the agreement, TSN and RDS have secured the Canadian broadcast rights to all 35 NASCAR Busch Series races, all of which will be available in High Definition on TSN, with a broad selection of events on RDS.

The 10-month NASCAR Busch Series racing season gets underway on February 17 at Daytona International Speedway and concludes with the race at Homestead-Miami on November 17. Highlights of the race schedule include the Series’ first ever race in Montreal at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

“There has been a great deal of buzz and excitement about a NASCAR race coming to Montreal,” said Phil King, President, TSN. “The NASCAR Busch Series is the second most popular racing series in North America. As our increased television audiences indicate, fans in Canada have an insatiable appetite for NASCAR. Having a race in Montreal will not only please the growing Canadian fan base, but will also attract new fans.”

“RDS is proud to include NASCAR Busch Series races in the most extensive programming lineup of car racing ever offered to Francophones in Canada,” said Gerry Frappier, President of Le Réseau des sports. “And with the coming of a NASCAR Busch Series race in Montreal, car racing fans and RDS viewers will get the best taste yet of all the excitement that NASCAR has to offer.”

The NASCAR Busch Series complements TSN’s extensive auto racing broadcast package, which will see TSN televise 28 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races in 2007, up from 21 races last season. The announcement also strengthens RDS’s commitment to expanding awareness of NASCAR in Quebec and throughout French Canada. This marks the first time both TSN and RDS will air the NASCAR Busch Series property.

“This is a historic announcement for NASCAR and TSN, who have enjoyed a broadcast partnership for more than 20 years. With this announcement, Canadian racing fans will have the broadest offering of NASCAR programming including the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series,” said Robbie Weiss, Managing Director, NASCAR International. “We are excited to continue this great partnership with TSN and grow the existing relationship with RDS.”

NASCAR has a strong fan base in Canada with 5.8 million fans, representing one out of four Canadian adults. NASCAR is the No. 1 motorsport series on television in Canada. TSN recorded record ratings for its coverage of the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series with a national average audience of 332,000 viewers, up 15 per cent from 2005.

NASCAR has a long and celebrated history in Canada, having held sanctioned events in many different NASCAR divisions dating back to the 1950s. In 2007, NASCAR will continue to support Canadian motorsports with three main initiatives: NASCAR Busch Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at circuits throughout Canada, and the NASCAR Whelen All American Series races at Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin, Alta., Barrie (Ontario) Speedway and Autodrome St. Eustache in St. Eustache, Que.

-END-

From Andrea Goldstein, TSN Director of Communications.

Nextel Cup; Toyota shakes things up

Is Toyota changing Cup for the worse by writing huge cheques? Some at Ford seem to think so, according to this story on TSN. New Toyota driver Dale Jarrett thinks Ford has dropped the ball the past few seasons and that they'd better stop complaining about others and focus on getting themselves back in the game.

Speaking with NASCAR Canadian Tire Series officials, there isn't going to be a Toyota Camry in action in the Canadian series this season... it's just tooo late to make it happen. But I hope they come out to play for 2008. It would be great to see them join DaimlerChrysler / Dodge / MOPAR in their support of Canadian motorsports.