Targa Newfoundland...It's about the spirit!

(Gander, NL – September 16, 2008) - The winds were high and the temperature was low but it did not cool the spirits of everyone involved in Targa Newfoundland 2008.

There were eight stages on Day 2 and veteran competitor Bill Arnold from California says, “Today separates the men from the boys and this is where your team strategy must kick in.” Today’s course included the longest stage of 30+ kilometres from Point Leamington to Leading Tickles and the tricky twisty stages through Gander making it a favourite among competitors. The difficulty of the course held true as only two competitors held on to the zero penalty position, one in Targa class and one in Grand Touring class.

The gruelling pace of the morning was tempered by the ladies from the various community groups in Leading Tickles as they treated competitors to a lunch of moose stew and jigs dinner and a spread of homemade desserts you’d only find in rural Newfoundland.  Jim Kenzie, driving a 2004 Mini Cooper S along with navigator Brian Bourbonnier, must have been dreaming about the dessert buffet as they veered off the course on the first leg after lunch.  The crew were taken to the hospital in Grand Falls – Windsor to be checked out and we’ll likely see them on the road in the morning.

Targa recognizes spirit and there are awards given out to both competition teams and service crews.  The ‘Spirit of Targa’ plate is presented by Newfoundland International Motorsports to the entry that, in the opinion of the rest of the competitors, best represents the spirit of Targa Newfoundland. The "Spirit of Targa" is defined as the entry that has undergone the most trials and tribulations to get to or remain in the competition.

Also, the Rick Stryjski Outstanding Service Crew Award is presented by Newfoundland International Motorsports to the service crew that, in the opinion of the competitors, has done the most to assist competitors (theirs or others) to remain in the competition. This plate is in memory of Richard Stryjski, a service crewman who participated in and loved Targa Newfoundland.

Day 1 update: Dyrk Bolger and Terry Milnes from Manitoba, who went off the course yesterday in their 1963 Austin Mini Cooper S, heard that another Mini team comprising of Dave Pledger and Chris Willett from Las Vegas and driving a 1963 Austin Mini, were having major mechanical troubles. Dyrk and Terry have taken the engine from their car and are now in a local Gander garage busily trying to install it into the other Austin Mini so Dave and Chris can continue tomorrow.

Also, Mark Kile and Kevin Paradise of Connecticut, who were driving a 1989 Honda CRX SI, returned to compete today in the touring class to enjoy the camaraderie of the event.

That’s the Spirit of Targa!

Targa Newfoundland is owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited. Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 7th annual Targa Newfoundland will start and end in St. John's and will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of the island of Newfoundland over six days, including up to 400 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages. Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Holland, the Bahamas and the U.K. for the first six editions of Targa Newfoundland and international interest continues to build with competitors registering daily from places such as Germany and the Turks & Caicos.

Check out this link for daily photos: http://www.targanewfoundland.com/multimedia/photos 

Via Lesley Sparkes

OHSWEKEN: Canadian Sprint Car Nationals rescheduled for Sept. 26-27

By Tommy Goudge (September 17, 2008) - A very wet weekend spoiled any chance of the Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals being run at Ohsweken Speedway last Friday and Saturday. Fortunately for the many drivers and fans planning on attending this great event, another date has been found to run the event in it's entirety.  All of the affiliate sanctions of the Nationals have the weekend of September 26 and 27 off on their schedules, making it an ideal weekend to reschedule the event.

Friday, September 26 will feature the "Night Before the Nationals" presented by Village Pizza, Sit-n-Bull Construction, and Village Cafe, and will include twin 15-lap features for the Sprint Cars, the 4th Annual Village Pizza Ohsweken Shootout, the 2nd Annual Dave McLeod Memorial Mr. Sprint Car Challenge, plus the Season Championship races for the ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini-Stocks, and Friday Night Fun Stocks.  Besides prize money, guaranteed starting spots in Saturday night's A-Main are available to each winner of the twin 15-lap sprint car races on Friday night.  The Season Championships were originally slated for September 5, but rain also interfered with those plans, prompting track officials to reschedule them as part of Nationals weekend.  With rain also affecting that rescheduled date, the stock car divisions will try for a 3rd time to complete their season with extra-distance features with increased prize money on the line, but no more season championship points available.  Advance Reserved seats for Friday night are available at a cost of $15 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under, while general admission seating will be available on race day only at a cost of $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under.  Pit gates will open at 12:00p.m. on Friday, September 26, while spectator gates will open at 5:00p.m., hot laps are slated for 6:00p.m., and racing will get underway at 7:45p.m.

Saturday, September 27 is now the date for the Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, with an $8,000 cheque on the line for the 30-lap Feature winner, while $600 is guaranteed for every driver who qualifies for the 28-car field.  Featuring 70 or more of the best 360 sprint car teams and drivers from Ontario, Quebec, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and beyond, the Nationals have quickly grown into a must-see event for Canadian race fans and Sprint Car fans everywhere.  Another great field is expected on September 27, featuring the best drivers from the 5 affiliate sanctioning bodies on board for this year's Nationals, including the Southern Ontario Sprints, National Racing Alliance, Empire Super Sprints, ASCS Sprints on Dirt, and ASCS Patriots, as well as Ohsweken's weekly Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division competitors, and potential surprise visitors from all over North America and beyond!  Advance Reserved seats for Saturday night are available at a cost of $35 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under, while general admission seating will be available on race day only at a cost of $20 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under.  Pit gates will open at 8:00a.m. on Saturday, September 27, while spectator gates will open at 1:00p.m., hot laps are slated for 5:00p.m. followed by time trials, and racing will get underway at 7:00p.m.

Due to the rescheduling of the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, advanced reserved seat ticket orders will continue to be processed until September 22.  Fans who purchased reserved seats for the Nationals before the rainout may use thse tickets on September 26 and 27.  Two-day ticket packages are available, and plenty of free camping is available on the Speedway grounds!  Please visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com for additional information about ticket sales, scheduling, directions to the speedway, and much more!

Centre for Speed: SUPER MODIFIEDS WEEKEND CANCELLED

Shediac - CFS wishes to inform race fans that, due to a reduced car count, this Sunday's Super Modifieds event has been cancelled.  Both Lee and CFS officials agreed to cancel the event in light of high gas prices and conflicting events in New England.  

Originally 14 cars were expected however that number has been reduced in recent weeks to an expectation of between 6 and 8.  There will be no racing at CFS this weekend and the Points Championship Final will now be held on Sept 28th at 2 PM.  Fans  looking for a big event this weekend are encouraged to visit Riverside Speedway in James River  where the NASCAR Canada Series will be running.  More information on the NASCAR Canada weekend at Riverside can be found at www.riversidespeedway.ca .  

For more information on the remainder of events at the CENTRE including the Atlantic Championships and points finals please visit www.centreforspeed.com. 

Tim Wile  // General Manager  // CENTRE for Speed

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series News & Notes - Riverside Preview

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series News & Notes - Riverside 

• Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 Notebook
• Pizza Pizza 300 Post-Race Notebook
• Long Trip East Is A Labor Of Love For Nichol

Chisholm Looking For More Than A Good Run

 

It’s a tall order to prepare a racecar for competition when a vital piece of information is lacking. How fast should it be going? There are questions still buzzing around inside Donald Chisholm’s mind, but not nearly as many as a year ago.

 

Chisholm (No. 98 Nova Construction/Pioneer Coal Chevrolet) made his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio debut last Sept. 16 at his home track, Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, N.S., but the book of knowledge on his new car was very limited.

 

“We tested the car at the track once we got everything together, but there was so much that we did not know,” he said. “We didn’t know how the car was supposed to react or even how fast we needed to go.”

 

Obviously they knew to make it go as fast as it could, but how it would stack up against the best stock-car racers Canada has to offer was an unknown.

 

“The natural thought of being more familiar with the track giving me an advantage isn’t quite accurate,” said Chisholm. “I knew those guys would have the track figured out in an hour, and they did.”

 

Also in that time, Chisholm learned that his team’s preparation was on the money. He clearly demonstrated come race time that he could hang with the leaders. Despite finishing 16th with steering problems, he ran in the top five to eight cars for much of the event after starting 14th on the grid.

 

“The car was good. I wish we could have gotten the finish we deserved, but those things happen,” he said.

 

This time around it is Chisholm’s intent to finish the job and use it as a building block for future increased participation. While running  fulltime in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is unlikely, he does want to fold more events into his  schedule next season. He planned on doing that this year, but various circumstances squashed those intentions.

 

“Everything seems to be in order now, so we’d like to race in some, if not all, of the ovals in Ontario. I’ve heard great things about them and would like to make it over there,” Chisholm said. “We haven’t done too much road-course racing. I’d like to get some of these ovals under my belt before we tackle that, but everyone tells me that it’s a blast.”

 

For this weekend, though, Chisholm is looking forward to a great race in front of his hometown crowd.

 

“I’m told ticket sales are ahead of last year. I hope everyone comes out to see this event. It’s a big time professional show with some great, great drivers. I’ve been looking forward to it all season.”

 

The Race: Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300
The Place: Riverside Int’l  Speedway, Antigonish, N.S.
The Date: Saturday, Sept. 20
The Time: 7:30 p.m. AT
TV Schedule: TSN, 11 a.m., Oct. 4 (delayed)
Track Layout: .333-mile paved oval
Race Purse: $91,022 CAD
2007 Winner: Mark Dilley
2007 Pole: Peter Gibbons
Schedule: Practice 1:30-3 p.m.; Time Trials 5:30 p.m.
Track Contact: Paul McLean (902) 863-2410

 

2008 Standings
Rk  Driver            Points
1   Scott Steckly     1,824
2   Don Thomson Jr.   1,701
3   Andrew Ranger     1,698
4   DJ Kennington     1,697
5   Kerry Micks       1,634
6   Mark Dilley       1,565
7   JR Fitzpatrick    1,527
8   Peter Gibbons     1,509
9   Derek Lynch       1,453
10  Jason Hathaway    1,416
11  John Gaunt        1,410
12  Brad Graham       1,409

 

White Looking To Lock Up Rookie Honors

 

Last season, Jason White (No. 21 A&W/Zimmer-Wheaton GMC Chevrolet) planned his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio race schedule around making a run at the 2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Award by limiting his events to insure the opportunity.

 

Being based in Sun Peaks, B.C., far from the series epicenter in Ontario, White was unsure if running an entire season was even possible, but he was committed to trying.

 

As it turns out, a full season was in the cards for the former world-class speed skier. He did miss last weekend’s race in Barrie, but it was due to a family medical emergency. His wife, Melissa, had some complications with her pregnancy, but mother and new son, Ryder McKenzie, are doing just fine now.

 

Coming into the season, the rookie battle looked to be between three drivers, Alex Tagliani (No. 7 Wal-Mart/Ubisoft Ford), Anthony Simone (No. 95 Crown Modular Chevrolet) and White. Each have had their share of growing pains, but White looks to have the edge after Tagliani returned to his open-wheeled roots in the Indy Car Series causing him to miss the last two races.

 

“I almost can’t believe that we can get this done,” said White. “If A&W had not stepped up when they did, then it probably wouldn’t have worked. It’s been a hectic season, but well worth it.”

 

With last year being the first year of the Canadian Tire Series and every driver was technically a rookie, 2008 will be the first time rookie honors will be bestowed.

 

News & Notes

 

The Race: This event is the 12th of 13 races on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio schedule. It is the series’ second visit to the track.

 

The Procedure: The starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 21 cars will be determined from two-lap time trials. The remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 300 laps (99.99 miles).

 

The Track: Riverside Speedway originally opened in 1969 and was modeled after the legendary Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. In 2005, the track was completely demolished and rebuilt including a new racing surface, concrete walls, lighting, grandstands and control tower. Like its counterpart, Riverside features high-banked turns with the turns having 14 degrees of banking. The front stretch is 440-feet long with a banking of six degrees while the back stretch is also 440 feet but with a five-degree banking.

 

The Records: The one-lap qualifying record for the Canadian Tire Series is 14.883 seconds (80.548 mph), set by Peter Gibbons last year on Sept. 16. The 300-lap race record is held by Mark Dilley at 1 hour, 49 minutes, 16 seconds also set last Sept. 16 for an average speed of 54.857 mph.

 

A Season Ago: The Riverside race was the first in NASCAR Canadian Tire Series history to fall victim to the elements. Due to rain, Saturday’s events were postponed to Sunday at which polesitter Gibbons had the dominant car. He led 201 laps before having to retire his car with a mechanical problem. Dilley led the final 38 laps en route to his first series victory beating JR Fitzpatrick to the line by nearly a second.

 

Pizza Pizza 300 Post-Race Notebook

 

Oval Mastery: At each of the oval-track events, so far, this season with the exception of the Mosport Speedway race at which the field was set per the rule book due to rain, Don Thomson Jr. (No. 4 Home Hardware Chevrolet) has won the pole position. He now has a single-season series record six poles and eight in his series career.

 

Get Out The Brooms Again: Last season, DJ Kennington (No. 17 Castrol/NPP Dodge) picked up the season sweep by winning both Barrie Speedway events. This year, Scott Steckly (No. 22 Tow Truck in a Box/Erb Group Dodge) collected the double dip with a pair of victories in Barrie.

 

Hometown Boys Make Good: Both John Gaunt (No. 12 Centennial Chrysler Dodge) and Mark Dilley (No. 9 Dodge/Leland Industries/Maple Lodge Farms Dodge) call Barrie, Ontario home and both notched top-five finishes in the Pizza Pizza 300. Gaunt finished fourth while Dilley followed in fifth.

 

Catch Him If You Can: Coming into the Pizza Pizza 300 off a subpar performance the week before at Cayuga Motor Speedway and causing his lead in the championship point standings to shrink to just 68 points, Steckly collected his fourth win of the season to stretch the lead to 123 points over Thomson. It was Steckly’s first win since the July 5 race in St. Eustache.

 

A Different Lapcevich: After spending the better part of two seasons behind the wheel of the No. 25 Tim Hortons Chevrolet, Jim Lapcevich gave way to his older brother, Jeff, at Barrie Speedway. The elder brother will also pilot the car this weekend in Nova Scotia while Jim tends to business affairs at home in Hamilton, Ontario.

Mobil 1 Command Performance of the Race Award: As a reward for his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victory at Barrie Speedway, Steckly collects $1,500 from Mobil 1 for his effort. He now has five career wins to his credit, a series record.

 

Mopar Fast Five: This program awards the top five finishing Dodges in the race. In the Pizza Pizza 300, Steckly, with the victory, was the highest-finishing Dodge and thus earned a $2,000 bonus. Fourth-place  finisher Gaunt was the second-highest finishing Dodge, which earned him $1,250. Picking up $1,000 for finishing as the third-highest Dodge was Dilley. Collecting $500 for placing fourth among the Dodge entrants was Kennington. And rounding out the top five Dodges was Brad Graham (No. 19  Full Throttle/Logel’s Auto Parts/Challenger Motor Freight Dodge), who receives $250.

 

POWERade Power Move Award: Improving his position the most over the course of the race was  Gaunt. After starting 17th on the grid, he battled his way forward and finished fourth. As a result, he earned the $1,000 award from POWERade.

 

Tow Truck in a Box Free Pass Award: In a new program in 2008, the driver who receives a free pass during the event and has the highest finish wins the award. Gaunt also added this award to his coffers. Off the pace in the early going, he was able to make his Dodge Avenger a top-five car. This was the first time for Hathaway to collect the $1,000 award this season.

 

In Case You Missed It: TSN and TSN HD’s coverage of the Pizza Pizza 300 from Barrie Speedway will premiere on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 11 a.m. ET. The one-hour recap also will be broadcast on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 3:30 p.m. ET and Sunday, Sept. 21 at 1 a.m. ET.

 

Long Trip East Is A Labor Of Love For Nichol

 

A sight-seeing tour and racing all wrapped in one, that is what the next month will be for Todd Nichol (No. 6 Pennzoil Chevrolet).

 

Being in the final stages of selling his auto body business, Nichol, out of Edmonton, Alberta suburb of St. Albert, is ready to take some time and enjoy his passion for racing.

 

He will compete in the final two scheduled events for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio with the first of those being Sept. 20 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, some 6,000 kilometers from Edmonton. The season finale is set for Kawartha Speedway on Sept. 27.

 

Nichol will see each and everyone of those 6,000 kilometers while he hauls his car eastward. Having left Alberta on Sept. 9, Nichol does not plan on returning until Oct. 10 or so.

 

“I bought a new tractor and trailer last year and this is a great way to enjoy it,” said Nichol. “It’s also a great way to see some beautiful countryside along the way.”

 

A season ago, Jason White (No. 21 A&W/Zimmer-Wheaton GMC Chevrolet) made the same trip from his home base in Sun Peaks, B.C. and clued Nichol in on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

 

“I saw (White) over the winter and just raved about (Riverside). He said, ‘You gotta go, it’s awesome,’ so I am on my way. I’m looking forward to competing at both tracks.”

 

While Nichol has just three NASCAR Canadian Tire Series events under his belt, he is no stranger to NASCAR. He is good friends with NASCAR Camping World Series competitor Daryl Harr having served as his crew chief in years past. In fact, their race shop are located across the street from one another.

 

“I’ve been to a couple of his races this year and will probably catch their last race of the year,” Nichol said.

 

Next year, though, Nichol plans to be a little busier by running his own full-time schedule in the Canadian Tire Series.

 

“The sale of my business will be done and I’ll finally have the time to do some things that I want to do,” he said.

 

Nichol has been racing in various series over his career and has a long-standing partnership with many of his sponsors, including Pennzoil and Norton, an abrasives supplier.

 

“Pennzoil brings instant credibility to our program which goes a long way in attracting  associate sponsors,” said Nichol. “Norton has been great, too. They, and many of my suppliers in my auto body business, have been tremendously supportive of our racing program.”

 

Nichol finished eighth earlier this season on the 1/2-mile tri-oval at SunValley Speedway in Vernon, B.C.

 

From  Shon Sbarra, NASCAR Public Relations

Marcelli Podiums in Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship Debut

Barrie, Ontario (September 15th 2008) – U.S. F2000 Championship Series standout Kyle Marcelli wraps up his Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship debut with a 2nd place finish in the season finale event at Mosport International Raceway this past weekend.

JL Racing, one of Canada's premier sport sedan racing teams decided  one week prior to put the young open-wheel talent behind the wheel of there factory supported Saab 93 Turbo for the season finale of the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship.

"Kyle impressed us very much. He was able to get right up to speed with the leaders despite only a few minutes in the car on Friday" said John Lockhart, "His drive from back of the pack to 4th on Saturday really showcased Kyle's talent, and then his drive today was further proof that Kyle has a big future ahead of him in racing. I am glad we could put this opportunity together for him and look forward to more in the future." Says team owner John Lockhart

With less than 15 minutes of practice in the car on Friday Marcelli was put to the test in Saturday morning’s qualifying session. Marcelli showed very fast pace in the car right away topping the charts early in the session eventually ending P2. Unfortunately due to some miss-communication in the pit lane, Marcelli and the JL Racing team were disqualified for leaving the pits before directed. This put Marcelli to the back of the field for Saturday’s race.

As the race went green Marcelli quickly moved the Saab 93 up multiple positions before finishing the race P4. As Saturday’s position determines your starting position for Sundays feature race, Marcelli lined up on the outside of the second row. Again the young race car driver showed his talents as he battled with the lead duo crossing the stripe P2 for his first ever Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship race.

“I have to first thank JL Racing for giving me the opportunity to get behind the wheel of there factory supported Saab 93. It was definitely a different driving style than what I was used to but overall it was a blast. To be able to rub fenders and have such close racing action was a lot of fun. The biggest challenges to get used to were first and foremost the weight of the car, other challenges to get used to were the brakes and the front wheel drive, overall the car was very competitive and we were able to move from the rear of the field to put it on the podium so I’m happy. ” Says Marcelli

Marcelli is now preparing for the final two rounds of the U.S. based F2000 Championship Series as he heads out Tuesday night for the new Thunderbolt Race Track in New Jersey. Marcelli will be looking to add a couple more 2-litre wins to his resume before he wraps up another successful season.

Marcelli would like to thank his sponsors Mike Lavallee of Lavallee Concrete Finishing’s, Lafarge, Barrie Trim and Mouldings, GP Masonry and Landscaping Supplies, Trudel Roofing, PFAFF, Alpinestars, The Robert Simpson Brewery, Brown Windows, MG Homes, Mullins Pub, MMG Trading, Simcoe Building Center, RE/MAX Barrie, Stif Creative Works and Canadian Tire Barrie South.

For more Information visit www.kylemarcelli.com

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Speedworld Wraps Successful '08 With Championship Announcement

Speedworld Wraps Successful '08 With Championship Announcement

 

HALIFAX, NS (September 16, 2008) - Management for Scotia Speedworld is pleased to officially announce its 2008 Lockhart Truck Center Weekly Racing Series champions. Six drivers have earned the privilege of wearing their division crowns by virtue of accumulating the most points among their fellow racers over the course of the racing season, which started in May. The 2008 Lockhart Weekly Racing Series champions are:

 

C&R Auto Supply Sportsman - Terry Roma, Chezzetcook, NS

Terry Roma beat second-place Harry Ross White by just five points to earn the '08 title, as well as 31 other drivers, including third place Tony Leonard, fourth place Larry Boutilier and fifth place Larry Fisher.

 

Wallace Equipment Hobby Stock - Mike Alexander, Dartmouth, NS

Mike Alexander wins his championship in his sophomore season at Scotia Speedworld with a 62-point margin over second-place Terry Moore. Mark Wilson was third, Brandon Watson fourth and Eric Neilson fifth. Twenty-one drivers competed in the hobby stock division.

 

Legends Cars - Ian Mollins, Berry Mills, NB

Ian Mollins made the weekly long haul from Moncton to Halifax pay off with the division championship. Mollins garnered a 19-point advantage over second-place Justin MacNeill. Ray Cox was third, Chris Johnson fourth and Jeff Cruickshank was fifth overall among the 34 entries over the season.

 

Miller Tire BFGoodrich Thunder Cars - Derek MacCallum, Lower Sackville, NS

Derek MacCallum faced the most competition with 46 cars in his division, and scored the largest margin with a 95-point advanatage over his closest competitor, second-place Kyle Gammon. Kevin Clarke Jr. was third, Tyler Hawes fourth and Terry White fifth.

 

Miller Tire BFGoodrich Lightning Cars - Andrew Starks, Truro, NS

Andrew Starks enjoyed a 24-point advantage over second-place Russell Smith Jr. in the Lightning Cars. Kevin Robar was third, Dan Michaud Jr. was fourth and Cody Singer fifth. There were 26 lightning cars at Scotia Speedworld this year.

 

Sojourn Signs Bandoleros - Dylan Blenkhorn, Truro, NS

Dylan Blenkhorn also scored a 24-point margin over his closest competitor, second-place Brandon Niles. Third-place was won by DJ Casey, Shelby Baker was fourth and Brad Eddy fifth among the 15 division competitors.

 

Special recognition is also paid to the top scoring rookie contender in each division with the Rookie of the Year Award. The 2008 winners are:

 

C&R Auto Supply Sportsman - Jeff Dillman

 

Wallace Equipment Hobby Stock - Eric Neilson, Enfield, NS

 

Legends Cars - Billy Brewer

 

Miller Tire BFGoodrich Thunder Cars - Terry White

 

Miller Tire BFGoodrich Lightning Cars - Dan Michaud, Jr., Lawrencetown, NS

 

Sojourn Signs Bandoleros - Ryan MacIntosh, Amherst, NS

 

Complete and final point standings for all weekly racing divisions can be found here.

 

Scotia Speedworld's 2008 season saw a record 175 drivers compete in the weekly racing series at the 3/10-mile oval. Besides Lockhart Weekly Racing Series action the track hosted three dates for the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour, three for the USHRA Monster Jam Summer Tour and the only Canadian stop for the Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model North division - for a total 20 events over 15 weekends between May 24 and September 14.

 

The 2008 Scotia Speedworld Awards Banquet is expected to be held in January; details will be announced as available. Scotia Speedworld management would like to thank all the racers, fans, sponsors, staff and other support personnel that helped make our 21st season of operation one of the most memorable yet.

 

About Scotia Speedworld : Scotia Speedworld is a 3/10-mile asphalt oval stock car racing track featuring the Lockhart Truck Center Weekly Racing Series for six divisions and several special events during the race season, which runs from May to September. Scotia Speedworld is located at Exit 6 on Highway 102, across from the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. For more information please click on ScotiaSpeedworld.ca or call our Event Hotline at (902) 873-2277 or our office at (902) 481-2514.

NASCAR TRUCKS: Canadian J.R. Fitzpatrick to test for TRG

Mooresville, N.C. (September 16, 2008) - The 2006 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion, John Ryan (J.R.) Fitzpatrick is about to take the biggest step in his racing career by making the move from his native Canada to the United States’ and testing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Fitzpatrick, who is the 2006 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion and the Series’ youngest Champion of all-time, will unite with race winning TRG Motorsports for a two-day test at Iowa Speedway in an arrangement formulated by motorsports marketing executive Jason Sharpe.

Sharpe and Fitzpatrick reached out to several teams and after careful consideration, an agreement was struck with TRG Motorsports that will see the 20-year-old Cambridge, Ontario native behind the wheel of a TRG Motorsports’ factory supported Chevrolet Silverado for the two-day test on September 23rd and 24th. Fitzpatrick’s progress over the two day test will be monitored by TRG Motorsports Team Principal Kevin Buckler and Daytona 500 winning Crew Chief Butch Hylton.

“We are really excited about aligning ourselves with another talented driver like J.R. Fitzpatrick,” said Team Principal, Kevin Buckler. “We’re even more excited to be shaping the career of a young star like J.R. He has already proven that he has the talent to be a winner in CASCAR and we believe that it’s only a matter of time before he is winning in the ranks of NASCAR in the United States.”

The main reason this testing arrangement has been able to come together so quickly is enthusiasm of all parties involved at the prospect of working together. “This is a fantastic opportunity,” said Fitzpatrick. “Even before I got my drivers license I have wanted to race cars and to have the chance to work with a successful team like TRG Motorsports with Kevin Buckler and Butch Hylton is very special,” he said. “Working with this team gives me the chance to learn in so many different areas. That knowledge will help me take the next step in my NASCAR career.”

J.R. Fitzpatrick is the youngest ever national stock car racing champion in Canada having claimed the CASCAR Super Series title in 2006 at age eighteen. J.R. currently races in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Canada’s highest profile championship, featuring events from coast to coast on oval tracks, road courses and temporary street circuits. Last season Fitzpatrick claimed two victories, and three pole positions in only 12 events. This year he has added another victory to his total.

For more information regarding J.R. Fitzpatrick contact Jason Sharpe at Sharpe Management. (416) 838-0039.

OK Tire rolls on with new $17 million Surrey facility

Langley, British Columbia - One of Canada’s largest tire retailers is on the move, thanks to the announcement of a new $17 million home. OK Tire – a familiar face in lower mainland BC and in communities across Canada – is breaking ground on a new Surrey facility that will house an impressive 100,000 square feet of warehouse space as well as the company’s corporate head office.

Built on six and a half acres, it will be one of the most modern tire distribution facilities in Canada and the largest of OK Tire’s nine warehousing facilities across the country.

“This move to our new home is an important step in the growth of OK Tire,” said Greg Sims, OK Tire President and CEO. “It is a modern, state-of-the-art facility designed to better service our 138 Western Canadian stores which in turn will allow them to better service their customers, now and in the future.”

The ground breaking is a clear signal that the 55-year-old company has no plans of slowing down. It also marks a deep commitment to the lower mainland, the company’s home turf since operations began in 1953. Today, the company has a growing market share and is focused on reaching out to even more customers across the country. “This facility is really the face of that new growth,” says Sims, “and we will be able to add up to 40,000 square feet more to it as our growth dictates. We’ve come a long way in half a century, but now we’re set to go even further.”

Not only is the move highly anticipated by OK Tire, the City of Surrey is also rolling out the red carpet for the familiar franchise. “We are excited to welcome OK Tire to the City of Surrey,” said Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts. “With their solid history of service to the neighbourhoods they serve, this new head office and distribution facility is the next step in that legacy. They will be a great asset to our community.”

The building is scheduled for completion in early spring 2009

About OK Tire:

Presently headquartered in Langley, BC, Canada, and soon to move to Surrey, BC, O.K. Tire Stores Inc. was formed in 1953 by a group of independently owned and operated tire store retailers with the belief that by
sharing resources, the company could provide great products and services at a fair price.

Today, with over 260 stores coast to coast and 9 regional warehouses, OK Tire is one of the country’s largest providers of tire and mechanical services. In 2008, the company ranked 63rd on Business in Vancouver’s list of the largest private companies in BC.

In keeping with the mandate established some 55 years ago, the owners continue to work together to better serve the Canadian consumer. Each OK Tire store offers a full selection of tire brands and carries in inventory a combination of tires required for its trading area. Dependent on where the store is located this could include passenger, light truck, medium truck, agriculture, specialty, and earthmover tires. Nearly every OK Tire location also offers a suite of mechanical services, including but not limited to, brakes, shocks, alignment, oil changes and exhaust repair.

In 2007 OK Tire began re-positioning itself around the statement Honestly Driven. The company believes this position embodies the expert advice, reliable service and fair value its dealers provide. It is also a testament of OK Tire’s deep commitment to the communities where it does business.

http://www.oktire.com/

Don't buy gasoline today.

Gas is supposed to drop 20 cents/litre by Monday night (tonight).

I'm a capitalist, but the situation with the oil companies in this country has nothing to do with capitalism. I think the first candidate who promises to regulate the oil companies will gain 20% in the polls.

There's a chance that a hurricane might graze an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico and prices take off days in advance. Then, the storm does relatively little damage... but the price doesn't drop for days.

Gas cost $1.50 / litre when oil was going for $150/barrel. But now, oil is going for just over $90 a barrel... and we're still paying $1.40 / litre.

How much proof of gouging do the politicians need when every company marches in lockstep with their price moves, which are supposedly set by a competitive market?

This should be a huge issue in the election.

Auto Clearing Motor Speedway Results - Saturday, September 13, 2008

SASKATOON, SK - Another terrific night of racing at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway as the Western Elite StockCar Tour wrapped up their sophomore season and the Tiger Automotive Street Stocks put their second last race of the season in the books.  The weatherman cooperated Saturday night as the evening stayed pleasant, not cooling off until after the final checkered flag.

The highlight of the night was the seventh consecutive win by Dan Shirley in the Co-op Grand Prix and his second Siemens WEST championship in a row.  Dan got off to a good start and never looked backed through the 125 lap Express Foods main feature race.  Les Harding, who has been working his way through the field all year took second place in the feature with his Sherwood Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Nathaniel Wagner had his best finish in his Joe Gibbs Driven Monte Carlo, taking the third spot on the podium.

It was the night that was not to be for the #95 Team Mopar Dodge Charger of Paul Savoie as he was sent home early for the second time this year after a persistent knock developed in his motor during afternoon practice.  Paul had his sights set on taking a checkered flag from Dan Shirley as he was running better lap times than Dan during practice on Tuesday night.

Devon Brown, who finished second in points with his #51 Brown Oval Auto Sports Monte Carlo, was off the pace through the evening and couldn’t manage better than fifth place in the feature.  Ben Busch, coming in third on the season, obviously has some more work to do on his #49 Northern Lights Casino Grand Prix, as he finished in seventh spot in the feature.  Race fans will remember his car went home in pieces two weeks ago after a fiery crash with the back wall.

In Tiger Automotive Street Stock action, Les Hillacre and Todd Pluhator showed they are not done challenging Cory Kallis for the championship. Les Hillacre was first to the finish line with his #17 Nu-Fab Camaro in the 50 lap Tiger Automotive feature.  Cory Kallis was a close second with the #99 Adobe Inn Monte Carlo and Todd Pluhator was third in his #15 Good Times Racing Camaro.

Cory Kallis hangs onto his slim lead in the Tiger Automotive Street Stock Championship point race, with Todd Pluhator sitting in second and Les Hillacre in third.  It all adds up to some interesting racing next week as the Tiger Automotive Street Stocks will take to the track for their final time next Saturday for their championship points final.

Also on the track next week is the ARCA West Mac’s Series Super Late Model Border Challenge, with a grueling 150 lap feature to top off the night.  This is the second last race of the season in this eight race series.

The ARCA West Mac’s series started their season off in Saskatoon this past May and have had runs in Vernon, Calgary, Medicine Hat and Kalispell.  Saskatoon racer Greg Vangool is sitting in third place in the series standings after a second place finish last week in Calgary.

Trevor Emond of Edmonton leads the championship chase, while Brian Levant of Calgary is second.

Racing action starts at 7:00pm on Saturday, September 20, with the front gates open at 5:30.

Complete results are available at http://speednetdirect.com/results.php?track_id=8311.  Lap times are posted at http://members.shaw.ca/acms

Complete Results:

Tiger Automotive Street Stock Division:

Ironworkers Local 771 Heat Race: 1) #99 Cory Kallis, 2) #22 Kevin Jorgenson, 3) #27 Scott Lucas, 4) #17 Les Hillacre, 5) #19 Rylan Utigard, 6) #36 Darryl Potts, 7) #98 Bryan Johnson, 8) #15 Todd Pluhator, 9) #69 Robin Drysdale, 10) #3 Mike Eby, 11) #44 Jesse Krahn, 12) #88 Brad Wrennick, 13) #13 Jordan Hill

WESTCON Qualifier Race:
1) #17 Les Hillacre, 2) #36 Darryl Potts, 3) #15 Todd Pluhator, 4) #99 Cory Kallis, 5) #22 Kevin Jorgenson, 6) #27 Scott Lucas, 7) #98 Bryan Johnson, 8) #19 Rylan Utigard, 9) #3 Mike Eby, 10) #13 Jordan Hill, 11) #44 Jesse Krahn, 12) #69 Robin Drysdale, 13) #88 Brad Wrennick

Tiger Automotive Street Stock Division 50 Lap Feature:
1) #17 Les Hillacre, 2) #99 Cory Kallis, 3) #15 Todd Pluhator, 4) #27 Scott Lucas, 5) #36 Darryl Potts, 6) #98 Bryan Johnson, 7) #3 Mike Eby, 8) #44 Jesse Krahn, 9) #69 Robin Drysdale, 10) #19 Rylan Utigard, 11) #22 Kevin Jorgenson, 12) #13 Jordan Hill, 13) #88 Brad Wrennick.

Siemens Transportation Group Western Elite StockCar Tour:
K3 Kensulting Heat Race 1A: 1) #46 Dan Shirley, 2) #51 Devon Brown, 3) #53 Scott Kessler, 4) #11 Shannon Harding, 5) #08 Raichelle Wagner, 6) #89 Nathaniel Wagner

Rawlco Communications Heat Race 1B: 1) #1 Les Harding, 2) #94 Jason Hankewich, 3) #49 Ben Busch, 4) #77 Cal Vance, 5) #41 Travis Deforest, 6) #26 John Rees

Siemens WEST Feature – Express Foods 125: 1) #46 Dan Shirley, 2) #1 Les Harding, 3) #89 Nathaniel Wagner, 4) #53 Scott Kessler, 5) #51 Devon Brown, 6) #94 Jason Hankewich, 7) #49 Ben Busch, 8) #77 Cal Vance, 9) #11 Shannon Harding, 10) #41 Travis Deforest, 11) #08 Raichelle Wagner, 12) #26 John Rees.

Siemens Transportation Group Western Elite StockCar Tour Final Points
Standings:

1.   #46 Dan Shirley, Saskatoon SK, 1325
2.   #51 Devon Brown, Herschel SK, 1170
3.   #49 Ben Busch, Prince Albert SK, 1126
4.   #1 Les Harding, Warman SK, 1095
5.   #53 Scott Kessler, Calgary AB 1054
6.   #26 John Rees, Saskatoon SK, 940
7.   #21 Nick Allen, Asquith SK, 933
8.   #11 Shannon Harding, Warman SK, 910
9.   #94 Jason Hankewich, Kindersley SK, 807
10.  #41 Travis Deforest, Prince Albert SK, 652
11.  #5 Fred Whiteman, Spruce Grove AB, 455
12.  #89 Nathaniel Wagner, Hague SK, 436
13.  #77 Cal Vance, Medicine Hat AB, 411
14.  #08 Raichelle Wagner, Hague SK, 396
15.  #95 Paul Savoie, Saskatoon SK, 176
16.  #08 Alex Leschenko, Saskatoon SK, 137
17.  #50 Wheeler Boys, Fort McMurray AB, 123

From Richard Woodvine // Competition Director // Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association

ISMA All-Star Classic Results... Perley wins his third

Epping, NH – The new 100-lap green flag format for the 43rd annual All-Star Classic may have resulted in one of the most exciting races in recent times here Saturday night. After a shaky start, the century grind developed into an awesome –almost indescribable battle between Chris Perley and Jon McKennedy for the win. For almost 60 laps they fought tooth and nail out front. In the end Perley took home the trophy but it was the road to fruition that led to the prize that brought the most gratification.  

"I'll tell you what," said Perley after the duel. "I've had a lot of races and running with Jon like that was just a blast."

Perley, starting 11th after handicap of the top 12 time trialers, worked his way past second place Craftsman Truck star Johnny Benson Jr. on lap 39 to begin his pursuit of leader from the start, McKennedy.

Chris described the ensuing laps. "We were right wheel to wheel a bunch of times and he kept holding out and coming out with the lead. I knew I could catch up with him again but I didn't know if I could ever be able to catch him and get by him because we were tight. Staying on the inside of him and not hitting him and him not hitting me, he pinched my car down and I just couldn't quite clear him. That just made it a blast. I had just a good time. I'd race with him any day."

The wing king as he has been dubbed talked of his third prestigious Classic as his most "different".

"The first one we led all 200. The second one we lapped the field and this one we just came out ahead. I guess this one was the most fun because it was a hard race and I didn't know whether I'd get it. Of course my crew gave me an awesome car tonight. They didn't give up. My family and friends sat in the stands throughout this whole thing, watching and dealing with kids and everything. I couldn't do it without my family, friends, sponsors and everyone. I had a blast running with Jon. I just can't say enough about him. He's going to get one and I thought it was going to be tonight. The race played in my favor a little bit. I think perseverance paid off."

McKennedy, who divides his time between modifieds and supers affirmed Perley's perspective of the race." It was an awesome race. We had a problem with the car in the first half of the race and once the fuel burned off we got tight. On the long runs it would come back in. But Chris has been phenomenal the last year… he's been on fire. Congratulations to Chris and the whole Vic Miller team. They work hard and they deserve it. I'm happy with second".

Another Classic story to tell was that of Lou Cicconi's run in the Wentworth 10, his second run in that machine, the first of which produced a win at Waterford. Cicconi started ninth, had a run through the pits on lap 4 and never skipped a beat back up to third.

Lou told it this way. "When one of the car spun out on lap 4 I hit the back of the 28 car and the left front shock was broken off. It was stuck in the tire. I was trying to get someone to take it off but I couldn't get anyone's attention. So I just kept running and got back up to third. I think the green flag laps helped the race. The cautions really hinder the race if anything. It might have cost me tonight. I didn't really pit. I just took a long cut. A third for my second time in this car is awesome. This car is like driving a Cadillac.  It's such a good car. Anybody could drive this."

Time trials and two consolations and some provisionals put 26 cars on the starting grid on the small New Hampshire bullring for Classic number. McKennedy and Dave McKnight held the front row as the green dropped with McKennedy taking the point. Laps 4 to 8 saw a series of cautions, as the pack seemed to be jumbling on every restart. Jeff Holbrook, Cicconi, Jeff Abold, Eddie Witkum Jr., Joe Gosek, Dave Shullick Jr. and Bob Bond were all among the affected. Some made out okay, some did not. But not counting cautions may have been beneficial.

Said Perley later in regard to the green-flag format, "I guess it must have played a part in it. We must have gone close to 200 laps total. I think it gives everybody a chance to get back in it. Louie was able to go in the pits and come back up to third He had a great run. I think it kept everybody in the game. I think cautions counting on a little track like this hurts the race. I think tonight the green flag laps helped out everybody."

After the lap 8 restart, McKennedy, McKnight, Johnny Benson and Mike Lichty were able to establish a top five with Mike Ordway Jr., Perley, Russ Wood, Eric Lewis and Bobby Haynes the next five. Moving up quickly was Lou Cicconi after his "long cut" through the pits.

Benson, fresh off a second place at NHIS in his truck, moved into second on lap 12 while Robbie Summers, a mod competitor at that track, left the field.

Lap 14 saw a slowdown once again as Dave Shullick Jr. slowed his 61 on the backstretch. Joe Gosek returned to the fray at this juncture after being affected by an earlier yellow.

McKennedy was not shaking Benson as the next eight circuits went green, but yellow came for Joe Gosek on lap 23, which was his demise. Also calling ofn was Shullick while McKnight pitted and returned to the tail.

The race now settled into a green flag mode with McKennedy, Benson, Lichty, Perley, Wood, Ordway Jr., Haynes, Cicconi, Dave Trytek and Mark Sammut were the new top ten with Perley and Cicconi the movers.

Lap 27 saw Perley taking Lichty in turn one and heading for Benson. Yellow once again bunched the still strong field on lap 35 for Tim Adams who had an errant nose wing on his 76. It flew off on the slowdown, fixing the problem.

Under green again, Benson would soon fall to Perley's pursuit of McKennedy and Johnny dropped back to third to contend with Lichty, Wood, Ordway Jr. and Cicconi.

Perley was able to stick the 11 right on McKennedy's bumper and the chase began as traffic approached. But, another couple yellows on lap 46 slowed the event affecting Witkum and Holbrook. Both continued.

It was McKennedy and Perley up front and Benson in third a couple car lengths behind. Cicconi and Wood were challenging Lichty for fourth. As the clocked ticked to 50 Wood took fourth, then third on lap 53 as Benson and Cicconi stuck right with the 29.

With 40 to go, McKennedy and Perley slid into high gear as they went high and low through the field, sparks flying. Perley would dive low only to encounter an obstacle. McKennedy came out on top of the squeeze plays time and time again.

On lap 71, while the 79 and 11 played cat and mouse with a lap car of Bob Bond, Cicconi got by Wood for third.

Lap 78 gave everyone a chance to breath when yellow fell for the 28 of Eric Lewis. McKennedy and Perley had just come side by side up on Vern Romanoski. Vern got bounced a bit up the track and Perley took the lead by a foot and that's the way they crossed the line when Lewis flew the flag. In a secondary event, Bobby Haynes Jr. stopped out back with a fire on his 44. Hot oil spewed on his feet and he jumped from the car. Red was called while Haynes was attended to. Refueling was allowed.

The race now went green for the next 21 laps with Perley the new leader. McKennedy dropped back a bit as the track was clear in front of "the Rocket" out front. Cicconi gave Jon the competition now for second while Wood and Lichty stayed top five just ahead of Benson, Ordway Jr., Santos, Martel and Sammut.

But, the memorable race wasn't over quite yet. A couple side-by-side lap cars held up Perley with ten to go. McKennedy made another attempt to get back his lead in those waning laps but green finally fell for Perley with one lap car in between his 11 and the 79. Cicconi had a magnificent run for third with Wood and Lichty the top five.

Multi-time Classic winner Wood said, "It wasn't a bad night. We had a good car during the day. I thought we'd have a little better race setup. We were too tight. We fought for fourth, which wasn't too bad. The guys up front – Jon and Chris put on a good show. I thought we were gaining on them in the last part of the race. We had a fourth place car and we finished fourth."

Lichty, who set fast time of the day with an 11.222, was happy to finish after some recent dnfs.  "The run was better than the last four races we've run. The car stayed in once piece. It was kind of a tough night for us. Getting quick time was good, but we just missed it a bit tonight. I don't know what went wrong. We were just so, so tight. We couldn't make any headway on Johnny or anybody else in front of us. At the end I got by Johnny there. Congratulations to Chris and everybody else that ran up front. The race was good although the start was a bit slow getting going. I'd just like to thank my father and everybody else at PATCO Transportation and Stage Door and the whole crew for helping us out this weekend."

Benson, Ordway Jr., Santos, Martel and Sammut completed the top ten.

SUMMARY 43rd annual All-Star ISMA Classic 100: Time trials (top 16 locked in, top 12 handicapped money won): Lichty, Cicconi, Perley, Ordway Jr., Santos, McKennedy, Wood, Shullick Jr., Gosek, Benson, Lewis, McKnight, Haynes Jr., Trytek, Sammut, Holbrook.

Consi 1 (3 qual): Vern Romanoski, Rob Summers, Tim Adams, Ed Witkum Jr., Dan Lane, Otto Sitterly, Craig Rayvals, Brandon Bellinger, Justin Belfiore (dns)

Consi 2: Jamie Timmons, Jeff Abold, Scott Martel, Bob Bond, Dave Shullick Jr., Artie Rousseau, Dave Sanborn, Tony Ricci, Eric Emhoff (dns)

CLASSIC 100: 1. Chris Perley (11), 2. Jon McKennedy (79), 3. Lou Cicconi Jr. (10), 4. Russ Wood (29), 5. Mike Lichty (84), 6. Johnny Benson Jr. (74), 7. Mike Ordway Jr. (41), 8. Bobby Santos III (32), 9. Scott Martel (14), 10. Mark Sammut (78), 11. Dave McKnight Jr. (94), 12. Bobby Bond (25), 13. Vern Romanoski (5), 14. Dave Trytek (70), 15. Jeff Holbrook (35), 16. Eric Lewis (28), 17. Eddie Witkum Jr. (88), 18. Bobby Haynes Jr. (44), 19. Jamie Timmons (27), 20. Tim Adams (76), 21. Dan Lane (9), 22. Dave Shullick Jr. (61), 23. Artie Rousseau (616), 24. Joe Gosek (00), 25. Rob Summers (97), 26. Jeff Abold (05).

From Carol D Haynes

Autodrome Drummond: Danny Holds Back Brother Pat As O'Briens Sweep Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Showdown

Danny O’Brien Charges Into History With Drummond Mr. DIRTcar 358-Mod Win

Drummondville, QUE – September 13, 2008 – Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director

Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Race #5 – Autodrome Drummond, September 13, 2008 ‘Race Mania 4’ Event Summary

Feature
FIN      STR  CAR#   DRIVER
1          21        17d     Danny O'Brien/Kingston,ONT($15,000)
2          5          6          Pat O'Brien/Kingston,ONT
3          9          44        Sebastien Gougeon/Drummondville,QUE
4          8          42        Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
5          17        23        Dany Bilodeau/Victoriaville,QUE
6          18        46        Kayle Robidoux/St-Constant,QUE
7          3          39        Clement Therrien/Victoriaville,QUE
8          13        54        Steve Bernard/St Paul Abbotsford,QUE
9          1          1h       David Hebert/St. Damase,QUE
10        23        99L     Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
11        27        3b        Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
12        26        9s        Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY
13        20        007     Roy Tarbell/Hogansburg,NY
14        30        22w     Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY
15        33        19z      Jessica Zemken/Sprakers,NY
16        32        97        Michel Chicoine/Ste-Cecile de Milton,QUE
17        25        23x      Laurent Ladouceur/Alexandria,ONT
18        31        124     Pierre DagenaisGatineau,QUE
19        16        21        Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE
20        29        22c      Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE
21        34        22j       Gino Clair/St-Edmond,QUE
22        11        90        Martin Roy/Napierville,QUE
23        10        7x        Steve Paine/Waterloo,NY
24        28        72        Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT®
25        7          66        Dale Planck/Cortland,NY
26        22        55j       Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY
27        14        66x      Carey Terrance/Akwesasne,NY
28        15        89b     Todd Burley/Spencerport,NY
29        24        63        Dominic Dufault/Ste-Victoire,QUE
30        19        66w     Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE
31        4          19L     John Lazore/Hogansburg,NY
32        2          124m  Tim McCreadie/Watertown,NY
33        6          91        Billy Decker/Unadilla,NY
34        12        3          Claude Brouillard/Tracy,QUE

EVENT SUMMARY:                                  

GATER NEWS LAP LEADERS: McCreadie (1-16), Hebert (17), McCreadie (18-22), Hebert (23-32), Planck (33), Robidoux (34-37), D.O'Brien (38-39), Robidoux (40-41), D.O'Brien (42-44), Planck (45-51), D.O'Brien (52-152). 

CAUTIONS: 20 for 49 laps.                                               

HEAT WINNERS: P.O'Brien, Lazore, Planck, McCreadie, Gougeon.                       

CONSI WINNERS: D.O'Brien, Johnson.                                                

BICKNELL RACING PRODUCTS WINNER AWARD: Danny O'Brien.                   

SYRACUSE ITT/GOULDS PUMPS 150 QUALIFIERS: Pat O'Brien & Sebastien Gougeon.                                           

BERT HALFWAY LEADER:   Danny O'Brien.                                      

JR PRODUCTION HARD CHARGER:   Danny O'Brien.                                            

HOLLEY/BABE DESIGN HARD LUCK:   Gino Clair.                                                   

PENSKE POWER POSITION (6th):   Kayle Robidoux.                                               

RL RACING ENGINES FAST TIME TRIALER:   Billy Decker (16.859sec/85.414mph).                                        

TOTAL PURSE:   $42,220.                                                

CARS ENTERED:   53.                                          

NEXT EVENT:   Canandaigua Speedway - September 19, 2008.                            

From Tom Skibinski / DIRTcar

Autodrome Edelweiss: Denis Gauvreau captures MrDIRTcar Pro-Stock Series win

Cantley, PQ – Saturday, September 13, 2008 – Martin Bélanger – A great afternoon of racing was on deck for the fans as the Mr.DIRTcar Pro-Stock series was on the schedule after being postponed from September 5th. Over 7000$ in purse and a cool $1500 to the winner was awaiting the 22 Pro-Stock drivers in the pit area. The best drivers were in town for this event. Along with this important race, the annual enduro was also on the schedule with more than 90 registered to race in the 100-lap 6 and 8 cylinders race and 50 laps 4 cylinders. The Centre Sports Motorisés 4-wheeler race series was also on the card.

PJ Peters and Ricky Thompson were on the top row in the 100-lap MrDIRTcar Pro-Stock feature race. Peters took the lead with Travis Back and Pete Stefanski completing the top 3 on the initial lap. Dion Oakes used the outside lane to grab third and Denis Gauvreau was now in the top 5 with 5 laps in the books. Oakes used the same lane and passed Back to take second. Steve Johnston brought the first caution on lap 9. Peters stayed in front with Stefanski now in second as Joey Ladouceur making a charge and his now fourth when Don Carlson stopped in turn 2 and the yellow came out on lap 12. Peters managed to keep the top spot with Ladouceur now in third spot and racing side by side with Stefanski for the second.

The top 3 cars built themselves a great lead when the race had reached the 20-lap mark. Ladouceur is using the inside lane to pass Stefanski for second. Peters was alone in front as the leaders were now racing with lapped cars. Stefanski was now using the inside lane and was making charges to grab the second place with 35 laps done. Gilles Godard lost control of his car in turn 2 and yellow came out on lap 37. Peters was still the leader with Denis Gauvreau making a great charge from fourth to second on the restart. Louie Jackson was also having a good run as he was now running fourth, Jackson had problems with his car and stopped in turn 4 on lap 43.

Peters had a good start with Gauvreau right with him and Stefanski back in third. Gilles Godard brought the caution on lap 44. On the restart, an accident occurred which involved Ladouceur who was running fourth. Peters was strong in front with Gauvreau second and Allen Peters was now third after passing Stefanski. The race was stopped at the halfway point for 10 minutes, teams had the opportunity to put fuel in the cars. The top 5 was PJ Peters, Denis Gauvreau, Allen Peters, Pete Stefanski and Dion Oakes.

When the race resumed, Peters was still in front when he went too high in turn 2 and Gauvreau was now the new leader, Peters went down to fifth with his mishap. Gauvreau was now with lapped cars with 60 laps done. Ricky Thompson had engine issues and stopped in the front stretch on lap 62. Gauvreau had a great start with Stefanski in second and Allen Peters in third. Daniel Leduc went off the track on lap 70 and caution came out.

Gauvreau manage to keep the lead on the following green. Godard lost control in turn 2 and the yellow was back on lap 77. Gauvreau kept the lead with Stefanski on his back bumper and Allen Peters still in third with less than 20 laps to go. The Peters brothers were in battle for third when Travis Back stopped in turn 4 on lap 84. Gauvreau had another strong start with Stefanski still in second with 10 laps to go. The leaders were back in the traffic with less than 5 laps to go. Gauvreau led the final laps and won the feature in front of Pete Stefanski, Allen Peters, PJ Peters and Joey Ladouceur completed the top 5. A very happy Gauvreau in his post race interview: ‘‘it is always fun win a race with the best Pro-Stock drivers in town. My team worked really hard on the car and I would like to thank them for their work’’ After winning a series race at Rolling Wheels two years ago, it is probably the most important win in Gauvreau`s career.

The 4 cylinders enduro was next on the track for their 50-lap feature race, a total of 70 cars took the initial green. When the feature was done, John Benard a regular driver in the Semi-Pro class was the winner; Sylvain Ericksen and Ian Richard followed him.

The night was completed with the presentation of the 100-lap feature race for the 6 and 8 cylinders race. 40 drivers took the green and less than 10 cars completed the race. Stéphane Philippe was declared the winner in front of Benoit Nadon.

The year end 50-50 draw was done and JP Laurin was the winner of the trip to Syracuse, Sylvie Bégin won the 2 passes for next year, Luc Dagenais was the lucky recipient of the 200$ gift certificate sponsored by Centre Sports Motorisés and Anne Robert won the Coors Light Kit. Edelweiss Speedway would like to thank the race fans for their great participation in this draw!

The enduro always gives a lot of action with many spinout and accidents all over the speedway and it is definitively a crowd pleaser. Over 110 cars registered for this event. Next week is the final race of the year at Edelweiss with the visit of the Empire Super Sprints, a special 50-lap Semi-Pro feature race paying a nice $600 to the winner. The 4 cylinders, Mod-Lite and the Centre Sports Motorisé ATV series will also be in action.

MrDIRTcar Pro-Stock Series Feature Results (100 laps): Denis Gauvreau, Pete Stefanski, Allen Peters, PJ Peters, Joey Ladouceur, Jocelyn Roy, Dion Oakes, Don Carlson, Gilles Godard, Travis Back, Stéphane Lebrun, Ghyslain Valade, Bruno Cyr, Corey Wheeler, Rock Aubin, Chris Wilson, Daniel Leduc, Louie Jackson, Steve Johnston, Ricky Thompson

Pro-Stock Heat Results 1: Joey Ladouceur, Louie Jackson, Travis Back, Daniel Leduc, Stéphane Lebrun, Rock Aubin, David Papineau

Pro-Stock Heat Results 2: Dion Oakes, PJ Peters, Jocelyn Roy, Don Carlson, Gilles Godard, Bruno Cyr, Ghyslain Valade

Pro-Stock Heat Results 3: Denis Gauvreau, Pete Stefanski, Rick Thompson, Allen Peters, Corey Wheeler, Chris Wilson, Steve Johnston

DRAGS: PMRA final weekend rained out at Cayuga Dragway

PMRA final weekend rained out at Cayuga Dragway...
Pro Modifieds to compete in rescheduled two-day OSCA event September 20 - 21
 
CAYUGA, ONTARIO (September 13, 2008) – Once again this season the Pro Modified Racing Association has had to cancel a race event due to inclement weather. The two-day race weekend of September 13 and 14 was called due to rainy conditions. Ironically, this event was a culmination of two previous rainouts at the Southern Ontario track. Toronto Motorsports Park and PMRA officials have rescheduled the event to take place September 20 and 21 in conjunction with the OSCA Championship Finals.

 
Saturday’s racing will feature the eliminations for the rain-delayed Fourth Annual KC Auto Parts Family Day PMRA Challenge presented by Paul Wolf Electric & Lighting Supply Inc., Osram Sylvania and Independent Electrical Distributors, along with qualifying, run in unison for the totally rescheduled Third Annual Victoria Day Weekend - PMRA Challenge.

 
Round one action on Saturday’s Fourth Annual KC Auto Parts Family Day PMRA Challenge will see the pairing of Mike Stawicki of Medina, New York, versus Jack Grainy of North Tonawanda, New York; Ralph Andreacchi of Maple, Ontario, versus Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario; Terry Brown of Caledonia, Ontario, versus Larry Sinke of Welland, Ontario; and Mark Nielson of Brantford, Ontario, versus Sam Andreacchi of Toronto, Ontario.

 
Sunday will see the eight quickest teams return from Saturday’s qualifying for the championship eliminations. Qualifying for rained-out May PMRA event gets underway at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, then eliminations for the rescheduled June event will be held at 3:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. The second and third qualifiers for the May event will also be held Saturday.

 
With the qualifying completed for the May event on Saturday, eliminations will be held Sunday at 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and the final at 5:00 p.m.

 
Going into the final two-day event at Toronto Motorsports Park, Bruce Boland, the 2007 PMRA Champion of Hamilton, Ontario has paced the field of PMRA Pro Modified teams, and presently leads with 1369 points followed closely followed by Terry Brown of Caledonia, Ontario, who has 1328 points.

 
Third in the standings is Jeff Roth of Kitchener, Ontario, with 1281 points, and fourth is Joe Boniferro of Niagara Falls, Ontario who has 1279 points.

 
In fifth is Jack Grainy of North Tonawanda, New York, with 1128 points, next in points is Randy Jewell of Holley, New York with his JFM Racing 1968 Camaro in sixth with 958 points, and Ike Maier of Tottenham, Ontario and his 1969 Camaro are seventh with 941 points. Eighth is Mike Stawicki of Medina, New York, in the G-Force Race Cars 1967 Camaro, ninth is Mike Cusimano of Rochester, New York with the Midlife Crisis team 1994 Corvette and 673 points, and tenth is the 1969 Chevy Nova of Sam Andreacchi of Toronto, Ontario with 672 points.

 
About the Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA): The Pro Modified Racing Association, www.ProModifiedRacing.com , was organized late in 2004, started racing operations in 2005, and is entering its fourth year of operation. The PMRA is a self-governing organization with input from its teams, and adheres to the technical and safety rules as outlined by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). The series has event venues in Ontario, Quebec, and New York State.

 
Cars in the PMRA capture the true spirit of hot rodding, and the class is one of drag racing’s most exciting and colorful classes, offering a diverse group of race cars with different types of 2,500-horsepower supercharged, nitrous powered and turbocharged engines.

 
Combining classic body styles and modern equipment, constructors are permitted, within established rules and parameters, to modify and enhance the cars in both appearance and performance. The cars are fuelled by gasoline or methanol, propelling them down the quarter-mile in low six-second times at over 200 miles per hour. The PMRA provides drag race fans the opportunity to see, hear, and experience the popular Pro Modifieds, known as "the world's fastest door slammers".

From Bruce F. Mehlenbacher