MONTREAL, QC – Veteran stock car competitor Kerry Micks became the first two-time CASCAR Super Series winner of the 2006 season when he won the inaugural CASCAR 100 at the G.P. de Montreal on Saturday afternoon. The Canadian Detailing Services Ford Taurus driver started on the pole and came out on the winning end of a race-long, back-and-forth battle with Lou’s / CPS Ford driver Robin Buck. Micks’ other victory of the campaign took place in mid-June at Mosport Int’l Raceway.
Micks, who hails from Mt. Albert, Ont. started on the pole for the 23-lap race around the 13-turn, 4.359 km Circuit Gilles Villeneuve road course and led the first 11 laps before slipping in the hairpin turn (turn 10), opening the door for Buck to take the lead. Both drivers have multiple CASCAR road course wins to their credit and it wasn’t long before Micks had recovered from his miscue and was all over the Campbellville, Ont. racer as they left the rest of the 24-car field behind.
On lap 17, Micks dove underneath Buck in turn 10 and was able to pull in front on the exit from the tricky corner. From there, the lead duo posted furious lap times, almost two seconds quicker than their rivals. On the last lap, Buck mounted one last challenge, pressuring Micks to go across the final chicane. The final few hundred metres came down to a drag race between the pair, which Micks was able to win by a nose. His margin of victory at the checkered flag was less than two-tenths of a second.
Third-place in the CASCAR 100 went to ERB Dodge Charger driver Scott Steckly, of Milverton, Ont. Steckly cruised in third through the entire race, finishing comfortably ahead of Jim Lapcevich (EMCEA Transport / Tim Hortons Chevy) and DJ Kennington (Castrol Dodge Charger), who were fourth and fifth, respectively.
The points chase was tightened in Montreal as Fitzpatrick Motorsports teammates J.R. Fitzpatrick and Don Thomson – who entered the race ‘one-two’ in the standings – experienced trouble in qualifying for the CASCAR 100. Both drivers suffered engine failures during the Saturday morning time trial session and were forced to start at the back in the feature race. Fitzpatrick (Milwaukee Tools Chevy) was the Fast Eddie Hard Charger of the race, climbing to eighth at the finish, while Thomson (Home Hardware Chevy) endured more power trouble during the 23-lap chase and came home 13th, the last car on the lead lap.
Heading to next weekend’s Labour Day Weekend event at Cayuga Speedway, Fitzpatrick now leads Micks by just 11 points, with Thomson 22 markers back of Micks.
POINT STANDINGS (UNOFFICIAL as of August 26, 2006, after 8 events): 1. #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (1357 pts.); 2. #02 Kerry Micks (1346); 3. #4 Don Thomson Jr. (1324); 4. #22 Scott Steckly (1300); 5. #39 Dave Whitlock (1294); 6. #9 Mark Dilley (1252); 7. #60 Ron Beauchamp (1238); 8. #19 Brad Graham (1223); 9. #17 DJ Kennington (1214); 10. #10 Doug Brown (1205); 11. #25 Jim Lapcevich (1203); 12. #1 Peter Gibbons (1192); 13. #3 Jason Hathaway ® (1154); 14. #11 Ron Van Es (1058); 15. #09 Kent Nuhn (1044)
CASCAR ON TV: For information regarding initial airings and replays of Super Series races, please check your local listings or visit http://www.cascar.ca/schedule/tv_schedule.html.
CASCAR Super Series
RESULTS: CASCAR 100
Round #8 // August 26, 2006 // Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Montreal, Quebec // 13-turn, 4.359 km road course
FIN. ST. # DRIVER (HOMETOWN) SPONSOR(S) / MAKE LAPS
1 1 02 Kerry Micks (Mt. Albert, ON) Cdn. Detailing Services Ford Taurus 23
2 2 88 Robin Buck (Campbellville, ON) Lou's BBQ / CPS Flooring Ford Taurus 23
3 3 22 Scott Steckly (Milverton, ON) ERB / AW Millwrights Dodge Charger 23
4 9 25 Jim Lapcevich (Hamilton, ON) EMCEA Transport / Tim Hortons Chevrolet Monte Carlo 23
5 12 17 DJ Kennington (St. Thomas, ON) Castrol Dodge Charger 23
6 7 39 Dave Whitlock (Wyoming, ON) NTN Bower / Griddly Headz / NMT Dodge Charger 23
7 11 9 Mark Dilley (Barrie, ON) Dodge / Mobil 1 / Exide / Leland / Avenue M.W. / CRS Dodge Charger 23
8 22 84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON) Milwaukee Tools Chevrolet Monte Carlo 23
9 4 60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Windsor, ON) MOPAR / Mobil1 / Exide / Chrysler Jeep Dodge Svc. Dodge Charger 23
10 6 23 Jeff Lapcevich (Caistor Centre, ON) Tim Hortons / EMCEA Transport / Carhartt Chevrolet Monte Carlo 23
11 8 75 Kenny Habul (Etobicoke, ON) Hot Wheels / Variety Village Chevrolet Monte Carlo 23
12 14 29 Pierre Bourque (Ottawa, ON) ® Driving.ca / Canada.com / Working.com / Pollara Dodge Charger 23
13 23 4 Don Thomson Jr. (Hamilton, ON) Home Hardware Chevrolet Monte Carlo 23
14 15 10 Doug Brown (Brantford, ON) NAPA / AUTOPRO Chevrolet Monte Carlo 22
15 24 33 Bertrand Godin (St-Hyacinthe, QC) ® Mid-America Chevrolet Monte Carlo 22
16 21 71 Bryan Cathcart (Peterborough, ON) Mid-America Chevrolet Monte Carlo 22
17 19 09 Kent Nuhn (Williamsford, ON) ® Nuhn Motorsports Pontiac Grand Prix 22
18 13 19 Brad Graham (Glencoe, ON) Challenger Motor Freight / Logel’s Dodge Charger 21
19 17 6 J.F. Dumoulin (Trois-Rivieres, QC) ® Summum Dodge Charger 20
20 18 82 Dave Connelly (Arnprior, ON) Maple Leaf Foods / Vector Chevrolet Monte Carlo 20
21 20 12 Richard Durivage (Montreal, QC) MIAPOXY Chevrolet Monte Carlo 19
22 5 1 Peter Gibbons (Stouffville, ON) Canadian Tire / Monroe Brakes Chevrolet Monte Carlo 17
23 10 3 Jason Hathaway (Appin, ON) ® Snap-On Tools / Arctic Cat / Super 8 Dodge Charger 10
24 16 11 Ron Van Es (Smithville, ON) Star Van Systems Chevrolet Monte Carlo 5
POLESITTER: #02 Mark Dilley (1 minute and 48.984 seconds) // TIME OF RACE: 42 minutes and 39 seconds // AVERAGE SPEED: 141.032 km/h // MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.171 seconds // CAUTIONS: None // LAP LEADERS: #02 Kerry Micks (1-11), #88 Robin Buck (12-17), #02 Kerry Micks (18-23) // GOODYEAR BELTS & HOSES FASTEST LAP: #88 Robin Buck (1 minute and 49.992 seconds) // FAST EDDIE HARD CHARGER: #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (14 positions)
® after the hometown denotes Rookie contender.
Contact CASCAR’s Toronto Office at (416) 531-4714 or visit www.cascar.ca
Prepared by Inside Track Communications.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
CASCAR 100: Montreal
Quick results: 1. #02 Kerry Micks, 2. #88 Robin Buck, 3. #22 Scott Steckly, 4. #25 Jim Lapcevich, 5. #17 DJ Kennington, 6. #39 Dave Whitlock, 7. #9 Mark Dilley, 8. #84 J.R Fitzpatrick, 9. #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr., 10. #23 Jeff Lapcevich
... More to come
CASCAR 100: Montreal qualifying
MONTREAL, QC - Kerry Micks set the fastest time during qualifying for Saturday afternoon's CASCAR 100 at the GP de Montreal.
The Ford driver lapped the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve road course in 1 minute and 48.984 seconds.
Robin Buck will start second in the #88 Lou's BBQ Ford.
Points leader J.R. Fitzpatrick was third fastest, but lost his motor and will start at the back.
His Fitzpatrick Motorsports teammate Don Thomson (2nd in points) also experienced a motor failure and will join Fitzpatrick at the back for the start of the race, with a motor loaned to him by Peter Gibbons.
The CASCAR 100 starts at 4 p.m.
STARTING ORDER (top 15): 1. Kerry Micks 2. Robin Buck 3. Scott Steckly 4. Ron Beauchamp 5. Peter Gibbons 6. Jeff Lapcevich 7. Dave Whitlock 8. Kenny Habul 9. Jim Lapcevich 10. Jason Hathaway 11. Mark Dilley 12. DJ Kennington 13. Brad Graham 14. Pierre Bourque 15. Doug Brown
Thursday, August 24, 2006
CARQUEST PST: Flemming Leads The Pack Into Center For Speed
Halifax, NS (August 23, 2006) – John Flemming, Halifax, NS sits on top of the yearly points championship, as The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour visits the Centre For Speed in Shediac, NB for the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour 100 this Saturday night. Flemming holds a mere 19-point lead over Brad Mann, Glen Livet, NB in second place after eight of 11 events.
Rounding out the top five in points are Gordie Ryan, Wellington, NS, Wayne Smith, Timberlea, NS and Shawn Tucker, Fredericton, NB. Shawn Turple, Enfield, NS has momentum going into Center For Speed, winning the Antigonish Mall 200 last Saturday at the inaugural race at the New Riverside Speedway in James River, NS. This was Turple’s first win on the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour since starting in 2005. Now that he has tasted victory, it has made him hungry for more wins.
George Koszkulics, New Glasgow, NS, who finished second in Riverside has ordered tires and is making the trip looking to finish one position better than last week. Smith, the third place finisher at Riverside, is hoping that his strong run last Saturday is the start of strong performance in the remaining three races, allowing him to move ahead in the points.
A couple of Islanders, Kent Vincent, Crapaud, PE and Greg Proude, North Wiltshire, PE are in the top ten in points and are ready to strike if those ahead of them have a bad night. Dan MacKay, Halifax, NS and Stacey Clements, Five Island Lake, NS are having strong years while quietly performing well and finishing races to maximize their points.
Who will come out of Center For Speed with the CARQUEST points lead? The answer will be known later Saturday night after 100-laps of hard racing around the flat track in Shediac. The only certainty is that the racing will be intense, which means lots of side by side racing.
Another battle is being waged by the new drivers vying for the EIT Race Radio Rookie of the Year award. Russell Smith, Lakeside, NS holds a 64-point lead over Bobby Nielsen, Vernon River, PE. Mike Stevens, Riverview, NB Sandy Livingston, Springhill, NS and Roger Crane, Montague, PE are all in the hunt for this coveted award. These drivers sit from 17th to 23rd in the CARQUEST point standings.
Grandstands open at 3 PM, while Time Trials go at 5:10 PM with racing at 6 PM.
From Ken Cunning
Rounding out the top five in points are Gordie Ryan, Wellington, NS, Wayne Smith, Timberlea, NS and Shawn Tucker, Fredericton, NB. Shawn Turple, Enfield, NS has momentum going into Center For Speed, winning the Antigonish Mall 200 last Saturday at the inaugural race at the New Riverside Speedway in James River, NS. This was Turple’s first win on the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour since starting in 2005. Now that he has tasted victory, it has made him hungry for more wins.
George Koszkulics, New Glasgow, NS, who finished second in Riverside has ordered tires and is making the trip looking to finish one position better than last week. Smith, the third place finisher at Riverside, is hoping that his strong run last Saturday is the start of strong performance in the remaining three races, allowing him to move ahead in the points.
A couple of Islanders, Kent Vincent, Crapaud, PE and Greg Proude, North Wiltshire, PE are in the top ten in points and are ready to strike if those ahead of them have a bad night. Dan MacKay, Halifax, NS and Stacey Clements, Five Island Lake, NS are having strong years while quietly performing well and finishing races to maximize their points.
Who will come out of Center For Speed with the CARQUEST points lead? The answer will be known later Saturday night after 100-laps of hard racing around the flat track in Shediac. The only certainty is that the racing will be intense, which means lots of side by side racing.
Another battle is being waged by the new drivers vying for the EIT Race Radio Rookie of the Year award. Russell Smith, Lakeside, NS holds a 64-point lead over Bobby Nielsen, Vernon River, PE. Mike Stevens, Riverview, NB Sandy Livingston, Springhill, NS and Roger Crane, Montague, PE are all in the hunt for this coveted award. These drivers sit from 17th to 23rd in the CARQUEST point standings.
Grandstands open at 3 PM, while Time Trials go at 5:10 PM with racing at 6 PM.
From Ken Cunning
ChampCar chatter
TSN has a pair of stories on ChampCar.
In the first, Sebastien Bourdais tries to rally his fellow frenchman to jeer Paul Tracy this weekend in Montreal. If you missed it on Sunday night, PT was on Wind Tunnel saying that Talladega Nights was really about he (Ricky Bobby) and Bourdais (Jean Girard)... and that he's hated Bourdais "ever since he tried to kiss me on the lips." You'll have to see the movie to get it, but you can imagine....
And then PT did his best Don Cherry routine, making fun of the frenchman for coming after him while wearing a helmet.
In the other, the ChampCar race in Montreal may be toast after this weekend - according to most - but there's talk that former Quebec Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut is trying to lure the tour to Quebec City.
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES 2007 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 24, 2006) – The 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule was announced today, a 36-race slate starting with the 49th annual Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 18 at Daytona International Speedway. On Sunday, Nov. 18, Homestead-Miami Speedway will again host the season finale.
Other key dates:
· On Sunday, July 1, New Hampshire International Speedway will host the first event in the “Race to the Chase,” the 10-race prelude to the “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.”
· On Sunday, July 29, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard will be held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
· On the evening of Saturday, Sept. 8, Richmond International Raceway will be the final event in the “Race to the Chase.”
· The week after Richmond, on Sunday, Sept. 16, New Hampshire again will have the kick-off event in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, which covers the season’s last 10 races and determines the series champion.
In addition to the 36-race regular schedule, the series’ two traditional “non-points” events are again slated, both for Saturday nights. The 29th annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona will be held on Feb. 10, while the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge is set for May 19 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.
There are no changes from the 2006 schedule, in terms of sites. There are, however, several adjustments to the schedule’s order.
· In July, the schedule will go from New Hampshire (July 1), to Daytona (July 7) and then Chicagoland Speedway (July 15). Previously, the order was Daytona-Chicago-New Hampshire.
· Also, Indianapolis’ event will close out July (July 29), followed the next week (Aug. 5) by Pocono Raceway. Previously, Pocono preceded Indianapolis. Those two races will follow the season’s final open week.
Date Site
Feb 10 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona – Daytona International Speedway*
Feb 18 Daytona International Speedway
Feb 25 California Speedway
Mar 11 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Mar 18 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Mar 25 Bristol Motor Speedway
Apr 1 Martinsville Speedway
Apr 15 Texas Motor Speedway
Apr 21 Phoenix International Raceway
Apr 29 Talladega Superspeedway
May 5 Richmond International Raceway
May 12 Darlington Raceway
May 19 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge – Lowe’s Motor Speedway*
May 27 Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Jun 3 Dover International Speedway
Jun 10 Pocono Raceway
Jun 17 Michigan International Speedway
Jun 24 Infineon Raceway
Jul 1 New Hampshire International Speedway
Jul 7 Daytona International Speedway
Jul 15 Chicagoland Speedway
Jul 29 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Aug 5 Pocono Raceway
Aug 12 Watkins Glen International
Aug 19 Michigan International Speedway
Aug 25 Bristol Motor Speedway
Sep 2 California Speedway
Sep 8 Richmond International Raceway
Sep 16 New Hampshire International Speedway
Sep 23 Dover International Speedway
Sep 30 Kansas Speedway
Oct 7 Talladega Superspeedway
Oct 13 Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Oct 21 Martinsville Speedway
Oct 28 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Nov 4 Texas Motor Speedway
Nov 11 Phoenix International Raceway
Nov 18 Homestead-Miami Speedway
*Non-championship points events Tentative-Subject to Change
It’s the Ladies Night to Shine at The Fredericton Inn Points Racing This Saturday
Courtesy Miranda Carr
August 23rd, 2006, Fredericton, NB – Once a season the ladies get their night to shine. This Saturday, under the lights, the girls get to show the boys how it’s done. Due to poor weather last week and the cancellation of their event, Fredericton Inn has hoped on board this weekend to sponsor Saturday night’s Points Racing.
The ladies of the night will be trying the same heats, dashes and features as the Coast Tire Street Stock division. The drivers of the Coast Tire Street Stock division give up their car for this event. Fans can expect to see some exciting racing as the girls always put on a good show.
This weekend there will also be Regular Points racing in all three divisions. The CARQUEST Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman and Coast Tire Street Stock will be roaring through the Geary woods at their usual start time of 7:00pm this Saturday night. NBIS hasn’t had a great year with Mother Nature washing out many events this season. However; this week the 2006 schedule has been revised to accommodate the new dates for any rained out events. Please check out the schedule online for any revised dates.
The Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman division will have a busy weekend this weekend. On Saturday they will take part in regular points racing at NBIS and on Sunday they will take part in Part 2 of the Liteco Challenge at Riverglade Speedway. Start time for this race will be 2:00pm. Come to Riverglade and cheer on the your favourite NBIS Sportsman driver.
Speed Weekend is approaching very Fast! There is only 8 more days until the official start of Speed Weekend with the Bridges Farms Corn Boil starting at 7:00pm. This will be the kick off to the 6th Annual Speed Weekend 2006. This weekend has many events in store with the O’Leary Pontiac Excitement Sportsman 150 on Saturday and the feature event of the weekend, The Irving Oil Pro Stock 250, on Sunday. Please check out www.nbisonline.com for more details regarding start times and events.
Which lady will take home the win this weekend? Who will be the adventurous one to make the first spin? Only the fans who attend this Saturday night’s race at NBIS will know so check the race out this weekend to see the big girls play.
The Fredericton Inn Present Points RacingSaturday, August 26th at 7:00pmPit gates open at 3pmGrandstands open at 5pmRacing starts at 7pmRegular points racing in the CARQUEST Pro Stock, Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman, and Coast Tire Street Stock Divisions Ticket Prices:Adults (16 and over) $12Youth (ages 9-15) $9Children (ages 8 and under) FREE Family Pass: Two adults, Two youth plus 4 pop and 4 fries for $35.
New Brunswick International Speedway is Canada’s Fastest Short Track. The 1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features three classes of racing on a weekly basis: CARQUEST Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating, and Coast Tire Street Stocks. Over 60,000 people are expected to attend over 25 events during the 2006 season. NBIS is located off Highway 7 on Route 660 in Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton.
August 23rd, 2006, Fredericton, NB – Once a season the ladies get their night to shine. This Saturday, under the lights, the girls get to show the boys how it’s done. Due to poor weather last week and the cancellation of their event, Fredericton Inn has hoped on board this weekend to sponsor Saturday night’s Points Racing.
The ladies of the night will be trying the same heats, dashes and features as the Coast Tire Street Stock division. The drivers of the Coast Tire Street Stock division give up their car for this event. Fans can expect to see some exciting racing as the girls always put on a good show.
This weekend there will also be Regular Points racing in all three divisions. The CARQUEST Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman and Coast Tire Street Stock will be roaring through the Geary woods at their usual start time of 7:00pm this Saturday night. NBIS hasn’t had a great year with Mother Nature washing out many events this season. However; this week the 2006 schedule has been revised to accommodate the new dates for any rained out events. Please check out the schedule online for any revised dates.
The Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman division will have a busy weekend this weekend. On Saturday they will take part in regular points racing at NBIS and on Sunday they will take part in Part 2 of the Liteco Challenge at Riverglade Speedway. Start time for this race will be 2:00pm. Come to Riverglade and cheer on the your favourite NBIS Sportsman driver.
Speed Weekend is approaching very Fast! There is only 8 more days until the official start of Speed Weekend with the Bridges Farms Corn Boil starting at 7:00pm. This will be the kick off to the 6th Annual Speed Weekend 2006. This weekend has many events in store with the O’Leary Pontiac Excitement Sportsman 150 on Saturday and the feature event of the weekend, The Irving Oil Pro Stock 250, on Sunday. Please check out www.nbisonline.com for more details regarding start times and events.
Which lady will take home the win this weekend? Who will be the adventurous one to make the first spin? Only the fans who attend this Saturday night’s race at NBIS will know so check the race out this weekend to see the big girls play.
The Fredericton Inn Present Points RacingSaturday, August 26th at 7:00pmPit gates open at 3pmGrandstands open at 5pmRacing starts at 7pmRegular points racing in the CARQUEST Pro Stock, Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman, and Coast Tire Street Stock Divisions Ticket Prices:Adults (16 and over) $12Youth (ages 9-15) $9Children (ages 8 and under) FREE Family Pass: Two adults, Two youth plus 4 pop and 4 fries for $35.
New Brunswick International Speedway is Canada’s Fastest Short Track. The 1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features three classes of racing on a weekly basis: CARQUEST Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating, and Coast Tire Street Stocks. Over 60,000 people are expected to attend over 25 events during the 2006 season. NBIS is located off Highway 7 on Route 660 in Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton.
CASCAR heads to Montréal for its first-ever appearance as part of the G.P. de Montréal ChampCar race weekend
TORONTO, ON – In recent years, CASCAR has been front and centre at most of the major Canadian urban road racing events. Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver and Trois-Rivières have all played host to Canada’s top racing series. And this weekend, you can add Montréal to that list. While CASCAR has contested many races at Autodrome St-Eustache – an oval located northwest of the city – Saturday afternoon’s GO-RACING.CA 100 at the legendary Circuit Gilles Villeneuve circuit marks the first time that the touring stock car series will share the stage with the ChampCar World Series in downtown Montréal.
The GO-RACING.CA 100 is the eighth Super Series race of the season and the fourth and final road race on the 2006 CASCAR schedule. So far this year, road course victories have gone to Kerry Micks (Mosport), Jeff Lapcevich (Edmonton) and Don Thomson (Trois-Rivières).
In terms of the championship chase, five-time and current champ Don Thomson Jr. (Home Hardware Chevy) is within striking distance of his Fitzpatrick Motorsports teammate J.R. Fitzpatrick (Milwaukee Tools Chevy), with just 23 markers separating them after seven events. And while many eyes will be focusing on these two doing battle for the title, there are still a total of four racers within 100 points of Fitzpatrick (Thomson, Micks, Dave Whitlock and Scott Steckly) as the series heads into the homestretch.
Although he’s not in contention for the championship, veteran racer Jeff Lapcevich will have a new look when he shows up this weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Caistor Centre, ON driver recently announced that he will add sponsorship from CARHARTT to his Tim Hortons / EMCEA Transport car for the rest of the season, in the wake of an agreement with Team RaceSportz.
Lapcevich is hoping that the additional sponsorship – coupled with his experience at the Villeneuve circuit – will pay dividends on Saturday afternoon. “I’ve raced the Montréal circuit six times. We ran the Player’s Ltd/GM Motorsport Series there in the early 1990s, and we also competed in the Motorola Cup three times,” said Lapcevich, who is currently putting the finishing touches on his car’s suspension settings in advance of this weekend’s action.
There will be some local flavour in the field at Montréal, in the form of hometown racers Richard Durivage (Miapoxy Chevy) and series newcomer Bertrand Godin (Arctic Cat Chevy). As well, Pierre Bourque (Driving.ca / Canada.com Dodge) from nearby Ottawa, ON will be making his third and final outing of the season with Whitlock Motorsports. “We’ve made vast improvements in the two races I’ve been in so far this year, and the same is expected this weekend,” said Bourque. “This weekend’s race is huge. The ChampCars are here competing with us, and while the crowds know they will see a great race with them, I really think our show will be even better.”
In addition to the CASCAR and ChampCar series, the Formula 1600 and the Atlantic Series will also be in action at le Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend.
CASCAR will take to the track for a pair of half-hour practice sessions on Friday (starting at 11: 45 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.), in advance of the series’ lone qualifying session, at 8:35 a.m. on Saturday morning. The GO-RACING.CA 100 is scheduled to take the green flag at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
SCHEDULE: GO-RACING.CA 100 (Montréal, Quebec)
CASCAR Super Series
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2006
11:45 a.m. – 12: 15 p.m. CASCAR Super Series practice session #1
4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. CASCAR Super Series practice session #2
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2006
8:35 a.m. – 9:05 a.m. CASCAR Super Series qualifying session
4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. START: GO-RACING.CA 100 CASCAR SUPER SERIES FEATURE RACE
POINT STANDINGS
CASCAR Super Series (As of August 13, 2006): 1. #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (1221 pts.); 2. #4 Don Thomson Jr. (1198); 3. #02 Kerry Micks (1173); 4. #39 Dave Whitlock (1154); 5. #22 Scott Steckly (1147); 6. #9 Mark Dilley (1114); 7. #19 Brad Graham (1107); 8. #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (1103); 9. #1 Peter Gibbons (1084); 10. #10 Doug Brown (1081); 11. #17 DJ Kennington (1070); 12. #25 Jim Lapcevich (1055); 13. #3 Jason Hathaway ® (1048); 14. #11 Ron Van Es (954); 15. #09 Kent Nuhn (926)
CASCAR Flo~Pro.Com Western Series (As of August 22, 2006): 1. #36 Jim White (1015 pts.); 2. #35 Kevin Dowler (1004); 3. #30 Derek Polack (988); 4. #71 Daryl Harr (957); 5. #6 Todd Nichol (932); 6. #2 Carl Harr (905); 7. #26 Shaun Polack (884); 8. #79 Wade Lee (875); 9. #21 Jason White (865); 10. #86 Shawn Press (836); 11. #24 Scott Dennis (826); 12. #48 Chris Dennis (483); 13. #96 Norm Hunger (478); 14. #87 James Ward (468); 15. #76 Dale Biesick (458)
CASCAR Sportsman Series (As of August 22, 2006): 1. #77 Dion Verhoeven (247 pts.); 2. #81 Shawn McGlynn (237); 3. #32 Mike Alguire (228); 4. #00 Steve Munro (227); 5. #95 Ron Lethbridge (217); 6. #11 Cole Weber (214); 7. #48 Doug Cathcart (205); 8. #67 Scott Mitchell (204); 9. #36 Alan Lebert (199); 10. #20 Dave Didero (136); 11. #66 Josh Wood (133); 12. #82 Dave Connelly (66); 13. #07 Joey McColm (63)
CASCAR ON TV: Watch the Arctic Cat 100 CASCAR Super Series race from the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières on Saturday, August 26 on SPORTSNET, starting at 9:00 p.m. (EAST, ONT & WEST) and at 5:00 p.m. (PACIFIC). For information regarding initial airings and replays of Super Series races, please check your local listings or visit http://www.cascar.ca/schedule/tv_schedule.html.
WESTERN SERIES: Last Saturday at Edmonton Int’l Raceway in Wetaskiwin, AB, the CASCAR Flo~Pro.Com Western Series took to the track for their sixth points race of the season. Former Western Series champ Daryl Harr, from nearby St. Albert, AB took the victory in the Competition Chevrolet CASCAR 200, coming home in front of Stony Plain, AB’s Derek Polack and Todd Nichol (St. Albert). Points leader Jim White was eighth, which allowed five-time series champion Kevin Dowler (who was fourth) to whittle White’s lead to just 11 points. The next Flo~Pro.Com Western Series race is scheduled for the Labour Day weekend at Sun Valley Speedway, in Vernon, BC.
Prepared by Inside Track Communications.
CASCAR: Jeff Lapcevich will drive for Carhartt!
ARNPRIOR, ON – RaceSportz is proud to announce that veteran driver Jeff Lapcevich will pilot the Carhartt Clothing Cascar Super Series car for the balance of the 2006 season.
With his strong road racing background, Jeff Lapcevich has dominated the road courses in CASCAR Super Series competition for last few years including six road course wins and a sweep of the road courses in 2004.
“We’re excited to have Jeff behind the wheel, Jeff has a number of victories in the last few years including the Griddly Headz 100 from Edmonton race this year as well as a numerous top 5 finishes” states owner Dave Connelly.
Jeff will sport the Carhartt colours on his car starting at the Grand Prix du Montreal race on August 25th,26th, and 27th. “Obviously it’s great timing to have Jeff behind the wheel going into the Montreal event, he’s certainly one of the favourites to win, but the real goal for the balance of the season is to get set for a championship run in 2007,” continued Connelly.
“I'm really happy to be carrying the Carhartt colours on my Tim Hortons/EMCEA Transport car. As a journeyman electrician myself, I've worn my share of Carhartts and know that their quality is second to none. I'm thrilled to have the chance to help get them to the Cascar podium. I'd like to thank Dave Connelly, D.J Kennington, and everyone at Carhartt for this opportunity," said Lapcevich.
The Carhartt car will continue to be supported by DeWALT, the United Association of Journeyman and Apprentices, Praxair, and Miller Welding Equipment. Along with these companies Jeff’s longtime sponsors will be on the car including Tim Horton’s, EMCEA Transport, Gates, Springer’s Meats, Troy Cove Marine, and B&J Electric.
For more information on the Team RaceSportz please call Karen Barsoski at (613) 623-1511.
Established in 1981, CASCAR (Canadian Association for Stock Car Racing) is the governing body for amateur and professional stock car racing in Canada. CASCAR sanctions Canada's premier and only national stock car racing series, the CASCAR Super Series, a series that visits tracks across Canada, from Quebec to Alberta. CASCAR also sanctions two other racing series, the CASCAR Power Water Sportsman Series (in Ontario and Quebec) and the CASCAR FLO-PRO.COM Western Series (in Western Canada). With more than 150 member teams, CASCAR racing delivers exciting entertainment to fans across Canada.
With his strong road racing background, Jeff Lapcevich has dominated the road courses in CASCAR Super Series competition for last few years including six road course wins and a sweep of the road courses in 2004.
“We’re excited to have Jeff behind the wheel, Jeff has a number of victories in the last few years including the Griddly Headz 100 from Edmonton race this year as well as a numerous top 5 finishes” states owner Dave Connelly.
Jeff will sport the Carhartt colours on his car starting at the Grand Prix du Montreal race on August 25th,26th, and 27th. “Obviously it’s great timing to have Jeff behind the wheel going into the Montreal event, he’s certainly one of the favourites to win, but the real goal for the balance of the season is to get set for a championship run in 2007,” continued Connelly.
“I'm really happy to be carrying the Carhartt colours on my Tim Hortons/EMCEA Transport car. As a journeyman electrician myself, I've worn my share of Carhartts and know that their quality is second to none. I'm thrilled to have the chance to help get them to the Cascar podium. I'd like to thank Dave Connelly, D.J Kennington, and everyone at Carhartt for this opportunity," said Lapcevich.
The Carhartt car will continue to be supported by DeWALT, the United Association of Journeyman and Apprentices, Praxair, and Miller Welding Equipment. Along with these companies Jeff’s longtime sponsors will be on the car including Tim Horton’s, EMCEA Transport, Gates, Springer’s Meats, Troy Cove Marine, and B&J Electric.
For more information on the Team RaceSportz please call Karen Barsoski at (613) 623-1511.
Established in 1981, CASCAR (Canadian Association for Stock Car Racing) is the governing body for amateur and professional stock car racing in Canada. CASCAR sanctions Canada's premier and only national stock car racing series, the CASCAR Super Series, a series that visits tracks across Canada, from Quebec to Alberta. CASCAR also sanctions two other racing series, the CASCAR Power Water Sportsman Series (in Ontario and Quebec) and the CASCAR FLO-PRO.COM Western Series (in Western Canada). With more than 150 member teams, CASCAR racing delivers exciting entertainment to fans across Canada.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Timmy Megenbier To Compete In Red Bull Smokin’ Streets Ultimate Driver Event
Courtesy MMP Design
MELROSE PARK, IL (August 23, 2006) – 15-year-old Timmy Megenbier has been invited to compete in the “Red Bull Smokin' Streets Ultimate Driver” karting event this Sunday, August 25th, 2006. The race will take place along the streets of downtown Kingston, Jamaica.
Megenbier, a recent WKA Grand National Champion, will be racing a Rotax powered Birel kart and will be the only American competing in the event. Drivers will compete for the prize of an all expenses trip to the Grand Prix Of Brazil Formula 1 race in October.
“I want to thank the Jamaican Karting Association, The Irie Karting Club and Red Bull for inviting me,” said Megenbier. “We have been racing against the Jamaican team for a few years and it will be great to compete with them on their home turf.”
Megenbier currently competes in the Skip Barber National Series, USAC Kenyon Midget Series and the Rotax Max Challenge series. He is a multi-time national karting champion and a Red Bull Drivers Search Semi-Finalist. In 2004 he competed in the Rotax World Finals in the Canary Islands and finished 5th, currently the highest finishing North American in the history of the Rotax series.
Megenbier would like to thank his sponsors for all of their support, including: Caputo/Wiscon Corp., Puma, Rahal Foods, Morse Automotive and Bell Helmets. For more information, contact us via phone at 708-243-9402 or visit our website at www.timmymegenbier.com.
MELROSE PARK, IL (August 23, 2006) – 15-year-old Timmy Megenbier has been invited to compete in the “Red Bull Smokin' Streets Ultimate Driver” karting event this Sunday, August 25th, 2006. The race will take place along the streets of downtown Kingston, Jamaica.
Megenbier, a recent WKA Grand National Champion, will be racing a Rotax powered Birel kart and will be the only American competing in the event. Drivers will compete for the prize of an all expenses trip to the Grand Prix Of Brazil Formula 1 race in October.
“I want to thank the Jamaican Karting Association, The Irie Karting Club and Red Bull for inviting me,” said Megenbier. “We have been racing against the Jamaican team for a few years and it will be great to compete with them on their home turf.”
Megenbier currently competes in the Skip Barber National Series, USAC Kenyon Midget Series and the Rotax Max Challenge series. He is a multi-time national karting champion and a Red Bull Drivers Search Semi-Finalist. In 2004 he competed in the Rotax World Finals in the Canary Islands and finished 5th, currently the highest finishing North American in the history of the Rotax series.
Megenbier would like to thank his sponsors for all of their support, including: Caputo/Wiscon Corp., Puma, Rahal Foods, Morse Automotive and Bell Helmets. For more information, contact us via phone at 708-243-9402 or visit our website at www.timmymegenbier.com.
McIntosh and Hinchcliffe set for A1 Team Canada Silverstone test
Courtesy Stuart Morrison Public Relations
Montreal, Québec (August 23, 2006) Looking to build on its tenth place standing in last season’s inaugural A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, A1 Team Canada fires back into life next week, Wednesday 30th Thursday 31st August, at Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom with two days of official pre-season testing.
Canadian stand-outs Sean McIntosh (21) and James Hinchcliffe (19) have been confirmed for the test with Vancouver’s McIntosh back in an A1GP car for the first time since he scored a thrilling last-to-first victory in Round 8’s Feature race in Indonesia in February. McIntosh’s win, A1 Team Canada’s first in the open-wheel racing series that pitches nation against nation, came in his last outing for the team before handing over to Québec’s Patrick Carpentier for the final three rounds.
Currently racing in the European-based World Series by Renault, where he sits seventh overall in the Driver Standings in a highly competitive international field, Sean’s looking forward to being reunited with the Canadian A1GP entry he steered to a total of nine top-ten finishes last season, including his Indonesian victory and a third place podium effort in just the second round in Germany last October.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been six months since I sat in the car so it’s not hard to believe I can’t wait to get back in it,” stated McIntosh. “Obviously I’ve got a lot more experience under my belt since starting last season’s A1GP Championship and I know Silverstone pretty well from my time competing in Formula Renault UK. With this being the only pre-season test scheduled we have to make sure we maximize our running time with the car and improving it ahead of the first race in October. Consistency will be key to putting together a championship bid, we know we can win races but we have to be up there at every race!”
Toronto’s James Hinchcliffe returns to the United Kingdom for his second taste of A1GP having first tested with A1 Team Canada at a private session in Wales last month. Hinchcliffe, a multiple race winner in Formula BMW USA, Star Mazda and the Champ Car Atlantic Series over the past three seasons, is suitably pleased to be asked back to represent Canada.
“It’s an honor to represent your country and for me to be able to test at Silverstone is really the icing on the cake,’ Hinchcliffe declared. “I’m looking forward to working with the guys on the team again after a pretty successful test at Pembrey a few weeks ago. It’s good to have Sean there as well as the rest of the A1GP field as a benchmark to where I’m at with developing the car. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from Sean so I’m looking forward to teaming up with him at Silverstone!”
Québec’s Kevin Lacroix was also present at last month’s Pembrey test alongside James Hinchcliffe. The 17-year-old from St.Eustache, who lies third in the 2006 Star Mazda Series, impressed A1 Team Canada management and they continue to monitor his progress in North America. Lacroix is unable to test for A1 Team Canada at Silverstone next week as he prepares to race in Round 10 of the Star Mazda Series at Mosport in Canada, 2nd-3rd September.
The second season of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport kicks off on the 1st October with Round 1 hosted at the Zandvoort Circuit in Holland www.a1gp.com.
Montreal, Québec (August 23, 2006) Looking to build on its tenth place standing in last season’s inaugural A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, A1 Team Canada fires back into life next week, Wednesday 30th Thursday 31st August, at Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom with two days of official pre-season testing.
Canadian stand-outs Sean McIntosh (21) and James Hinchcliffe (19) have been confirmed for the test with Vancouver’s McIntosh back in an A1GP car for the first time since he scored a thrilling last-to-first victory in Round 8’s Feature race in Indonesia in February. McIntosh’s win, A1 Team Canada’s first in the open-wheel racing series that pitches nation against nation, came in his last outing for the team before handing over to Québec’s Patrick Carpentier for the final three rounds.
Currently racing in the European-based World Series by Renault, where he sits seventh overall in the Driver Standings in a highly competitive international field, Sean’s looking forward to being reunited with the Canadian A1GP entry he steered to a total of nine top-ten finishes last season, including his Indonesian victory and a third place podium effort in just the second round in Germany last October.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been six months since I sat in the car so it’s not hard to believe I can’t wait to get back in it,” stated McIntosh. “Obviously I’ve got a lot more experience under my belt since starting last season’s A1GP Championship and I know Silverstone pretty well from my time competing in Formula Renault UK. With this being the only pre-season test scheduled we have to make sure we maximize our running time with the car and improving it ahead of the first race in October. Consistency will be key to putting together a championship bid, we know we can win races but we have to be up there at every race!”
Toronto’s James Hinchcliffe returns to the United Kingdom for his second taste of A1GP having first tested with A1 Team Canada at a private session in Wales last month. Hinchcliffe, a multiple race winner in Formula BMW USA, Star Mazda and the Champ Car Atlantic Series over the past three seasons, is suitably pleased to be asked back to represent Canada.
“It’s an honor to represent your country and for me to be able to test at Silverstone is really the icing on the cake,’ Hinchcliffe declared. “I’m looking forward to working with the guys on the team again after a pretty successful test at Pembrey a few weeks ago. It’s good to have Sean there as well as the rest of the A1GP field as a benchmark to where I’m at with developing the car. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from Sean so I’m looking forward to teaming up with him at Silverstone!”
Québec’s Kevin Lacroix was also present at last month’s Pembrey test alongside James Hinchcliffe. The 17-year-old from St.Eustache, who lies third in the 2006 Star Mazda Series, impressed A1 Team Canada management and they continue to monitor his progress in North America. Lacroix is unable to test for A1 Team Canada at Silverstone next week as he prepares to race in Round 10 of the Star Mazda Series at Mosport in Canada, 2nd-3rd September.
The second season of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport kicks off on the 1st October with Round 1 hosted at the Zandvoort Circuit in Holland www.a1gp.com.
ASA/NSRA Montgomery Defends Daffodil Cup
Courtesy Ken Keating
Langford, BC. Canada (Aug.19, 2006) -- In front of his home crowd and his family Jeff "The Hurricane" Montgomery put on a driving clinic in his quest to defend his title in the 44th Annual Times Colonist – Alpine Group Daffodil Cup Race Saturday Night at Western Speedway.
Close to four thousand people stood watching as twenty high powered cars came out of turn four in perfect formation as the N.S.R.A. flagman waved the green flag signaling the start of the fourty lap Daffodil Cup feature race. Gord Smith of Duncan and Ralph Deaver of Edgewood Washington shared the front row and battled side by side for the initial lead with Deaver taking top spot on lap two.
The yellow flag waved one lap later when Chris Root and Scott Aumen made contact sending Root around in turn four. Ralph Deaver continued to lead on the restart with Kyle Vantreight second, Monte Zema Jr of Spirit Lake Idaho third and Pat Bliss of West Linn Oregon fourth.
On lap six, Randy Price of Cobble Hill moved up to second with a heart stopping display of driving, sliding dirt style high on the outside passing the inside cars. On lap seven, Price took the lead from Deaver but the yellow flag waved once more as Chris Root again spun in turn four. Under N.S.R.A. rules, with a restart pending, Deaver was placed back in the lead as the entire field had not completed the lap on which the lead pass was made.
On the restart, Price held back several car lengths behind Deaver with Monte Zema Jr. in third with Jeff Montgomery now fourth Vantreight fifth and Darren Yates sixth. Price worked his way back to the front and again on the outside made the pass for the lead. Just a few laps after Price had taken the lead, Craig Deaver got into the back of Monte Zema Jr. and spun him around, both drivers were sent to the back of the field.
By lap twenty five, Price had Montgomery all over his rear bumper in a battle for the lead as Montgomery closed in quickly after gaining the second spot. Three laps later Montgomery blew by the leader and made the pass.
On lap thirty, the red flag waved for a spectacular crash in turn one involving Kyle Vantreight and Mike Basher of Tacoma Washington. They battled side by side trading paint and rubs for several laps until the heavy contact locked them together with Basher t-boning Vantreight in mid turn pushing him up against the concrete wall. Basher’s car ended up with the nose of the car in the cockpit of Vantreight’s car. Both drivers walked away uninjured.
Up front it was still Montgomery, Price, Scott Aumen and Darren Yates all four wanting the win but Montgomery was much faster of the four and with a clear track pulled away. He shot out of turn four on the restart and was never challenged for the lead.
Behind him Aumen moved to second around Price with Yates also looking for a way around. Both were sideways through all four turns with Pelk looking for a way to sneak into the battle. He also had his hands full with the Jake Mann, and Justin Mack looking to move up for position.
Yates, who won the Platinum Cup in Calgary the previous weekend, had to go through the B-main putting him in the back of the A-main. Yates moved very quickly from his fourteenth starting position to the front hoping to make a challenge for the win.
Craig Deaver as well started to make his way back towards the front when more bad luck struck the N.S.R.A. points leader. When Basher and Vantreight tangled Deaver realized he had a flat tire sending him to the pits and the back of the field for the restart and only ten laps remaining.
Deaver made his way up to ninth in the final ten laps and Andy Alberding, who entered the night second in points, was also plagued with bad luck all night. Alberding started in the back of the A-main and slowly made his way forward until Gord Smith ran him off the track in turn three. Alberding kept the car going, but again was forced to the back.
Jeff "The Hurricane" Montgomery, who has had his share of bad luck in previous races, would not be denied his first ASA/NSRA victory of 2006 however. He used a lot of patience and smart driving to get to the front in a very exciting race. With his victory he captured the Denny Rand Memorial Trophy as well as the prestigious Daffodil Cup.
He was followed across the line by fellow Canadian drivers Scott Aumen, in second with Randy Price holding on for third. Darren Yates and Jimmy Pelk rounded out the top five.
Langford, BC. Canada (Aug.19, 2006) -- In front of his home crowd and his family Jeff "The Hurricane" Montgomery put on a driving clinic in his quest to defend his title in the 44th Annual Times Colonist – Alpine Group Daffodil Cup Race Saturday Night at Western Speedway.
Close to four thousand people stood watching as twenty high powered cars came out of turn four in perfect formation as the N.S.R.A. flagman waved the green flag signaling the start of the fourty lap Daffodil Cup feature race. Gord Smith of Duncan and Ralph Deaver of Edgewood Washington shared the front row and battled side by side for the initial lead with Deaver taking top spot on lap two.
The yellow flag waved one lap later when Chris Root and Scott Aumen made contact sending Root around in turn four. Ralph Deaver continued to lead on the restart with Kyle Vantreight second, Monte Zema Jr of Spirit Lake Idaho third and Pat Bliss of West Linn Oregon fourth.
On lap six, Randy Price of Cobble Hill moved up to second with a heart stopping display of driving, sliding dirt style high on the outside passing the inside cars. On lap seven, Price took the lead from Deaver but the yellow flag waved once more as Chris Root again spun in turn four. Under N.S.R.A. rules, with a restart pending, Deaver was placed back in the lead as the entire field had not completed the lap on which the lead pass was made.
On the restart, Price held back several car lengths behind Deaver with Monte Zema Jr. in third with Jeff Montgomery now fourth Vantreight fifth and Darren Yates sixth. Price worked his way back to the front and again on the outside made the pass for the lead. Just a few laps after Price had taken the lead, Craig Deaver got into the back of Monte Zema Jr. and spun him around, both drivers were sent to the back of the field.
By lap twenty five, Price had Montgomery all over his rear bumper in a battle for the lead as Montgomery closed in quickly after gaining the second spot. Three laps later Montgomery blew by the leader and made the pass.
On lap thirty, the red flag waved for a spectacular crash in turn one involving Kyle Vantreight and Mike Basher of Tacoma Washington. They battled side by side trading paint and rubs for several laps until the heavy contact locked them together with Basher t-boning Vantreight in mid turn pushing him up against the concrete wall. Basher’s car ended up with the nose of the car in the cockpit of Vantreight’s car. Both drivers walked away uninjured.
Up front it was still Montgomery, Price, Scott Aumen and Darren Yates all four wanting the win but Montgomery was much faster of the four and with a clear track pulled away. He shot out of turn four on the restart and was never challenged for the lead.
Behind him Aumen moved to second around Price with Yates also looking for a way around. Both were sideways through all four turns with Pelk looking for a way to sneak into the battle. He also had his hands full with the Jake Mann, and Justin Mack looking to move up for position.
Yates, who won the Platinum Cup in Calgary the previous weekend, had to go through the B-main putting him in the back of the A-main. Yates moved very quickly from his fourteenth starting position to the front hoping to make a challenge for the win.
Craig Deaver as well started to make his way back towards the front when more bad luck struck the N.S.R.A. points leader. When Basher and Vantreight tangled Deaver realized he had a flat tire sending him to the pits and the back of the field for the restart and only ten laps remaining.
Deaver made his way up to ninth in the final ten laps and Andy Alberding, who entered the night second in points, was also plagued with bad luck all night. Alberding started in the back of the A-main and slowly made his way forward until Gord Smith ran him off the track in turn three. Alberding kept the car going, but again was forced to the back.
Jeff "The Hurricane" Montgomery, who has had his share of bad luck in previous races, would not be denied his first ASA/NSRA victory of 2006 however. He used a lot of patience and smart driving to get to the front in a very exciting race. With his victory he captured the Denny Rand Memorial Trophy as well as the prestigious Daffodil Cup.
He was followed across the line by fellow Canadian drivers Scott Aumen, in second with Randy Price holding on for third. Darren Yates and Jimmy Pelk rounded out the top five.
Antoine Bessette to take part in the Grand Prix de Montréal
Courtesy Michel Poirier-Defoy
Montreal, Canada, August 22nd – 2005 Montreal Atlantic race winner Antoine Bessette will be returning to his hometown track this weekend. The French Canadian will drive the Brooks Associates Racing #8 Samsara Concept car and will team up with Brazilian Alex Sperafico. AB won two Canadian rounds last year in Toronto and Montreal, went on to finish 3rd in the standings, tied with teammate Katherine Legge and was selected for the Gilles-Villeneuve award at the end of the season.
“Montreal remains the most important victory in my career, admits the 24-year old, especially in front of my home crowd. When an Atlantic seat became available at Brooks, we took the necessary measures with John to reserve it for Montreal. I want to take the opportunity to thank Samsara Concept, a Montreal clothing company, for making all this possible. I know competition is very high in this series for having entered an event earlier in Portland but I will do my very best to take up the challenge on my favorite track.”
“We’re very happy to have Antoine on board, adds John Brooks. He’s a quality driver I respect very much and highly capable of taking our car to the front. He will be engineered by Willie Hoplinger. Antoine and I have been in the same paddocks for years and I’m glad our paths finally cross.”
The usual Champ Car Atlantic scheduleBessette will take to the track on Friday morning for a 45-minute practice at 9:10 am. He will be back for the first qualifying session early afternoon at 1:10 pm. Saturday will be similar with practice set for 9:25 am and second qualifying also at 1:10 pm. At short Sunday warm-up will take place at 8:00 am while the cars will be staged at 10:30 for a standing start when the reds go out at 11:00 sharp.
Winner of two rounds last year in Montreal and Toronto, Bessette was the Gilles-Villeneuve award winner and Best Canadian Race Driver from the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame. Bessette will steer the #8 Samsara Concept machine this weekend. AB takes the opportunity to thank the fans who took some time to visit his web site at http://www.bessetteracing.com/.
Fellows and Ruhlman slated to run #40 Preformed Line Products D.P. at Infineon
Sonoma, Calif. (Aug. 23, 2006) – Ron Fellows and Randy Ruhlman are slated to drive the #40 Preformed Line Products Pontiac Riley in this weekend's Daytona Prototype race at Infineon Raceway. The Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve Sonoma 250 gets underway on Saturday, August 26th at 3 p.m. PT.
Both Fellows and Ruhlman have plenty of experience on the road course at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Fellows and Ruhlman have both run in sedans and the Trans-Am Series at the track, while Fellows recently competed here, in June, at the NEXTEL Cup Dodge/SaveMart 350. Randy Ruhlman began his driving career here and has extensive experience and numerous sedan victories at Infineon Raceway.
The 100-lap race Rolex Sports Car Series race will feature 25 Daytona Prototype cars and 14 GT cars on 2.52-mile road course. Practice and qualifying begin at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 24th and the 2 3/4 hour race is scheduled for a 3 p.m. PT start on Saturday, August 26th. Television coverage will be next day, tape-delayed on SPEED at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 27th.
Ron Fellows drove with Derhaag Motorsports earlier this year at the Rolex 24 At Daytona with Randy Ruhlman, Justin Bell and Chris Bingham. Fellows had been slated to drive with the team in several other Daytona Prototype races this year, before scheduling problems have prevented him from doing so.
With just two races left, this Saturday's Round Thirteen at Infineon Raceway marks the final push of the 2006 Grand American Road Racing season. The season concludes with next weekend's nine-hour finale at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Ruhlman will be paired up with his co-driver from Watkins Glen, Paul Dallenbach, and Canadian sedan and Formula car Champion Kenny Wilden. That race begins at noon on Saturday, September 2nd and will be broadcast LIVE on SPEED.
Fellows is recognized the world over as one of road racing’s most accomplished and talented drivers. A factory Chevrolet driver, Fellows is currently a Championship favorite in the American LeMans Series GTS Corvette. An overall winner at the Daytona24 and at the 24 Hours of LeMans, the Canadian driver has wins in Trans-Am and ALMS, as well as NASCAR Busch and Craftsman Truck series. Ron is a regular driver in NASCAR, in both the BUSCH and NEXTEL Cup Series on the road courses, and recently ran Watkins Glen and Infineon in the NEXTEL Cup Series.
Ruhlman was named the 2005 BBS "Most Improved Driver of the Year", won the 2005 Cleveland Grand Prix Trans-Am race and Long Beach Grand Prix, and was runner up for the 2005 Trans-Am Drivers' Championship. Ruhlman makes the record books as fourth in Top Ten finishes in Trans-Am history. Ruhlman from Greensboro, NC has been a professional race car driver since his Rookie year in Trans-Am in 1990 and has extensive racing experience, predominantly in road racing in the Trans-Am Series, as well as in IMSA, ASA and the NASCAR short track series.
The Derhaag Motorsports Pontiac Riley carries primary sponsorship from Preformed Line Products with additional sponsorship logos of Coyote Closures®, Park Place Ltd, KeyBank and McDonald Financial Group.
From Cristi Brumm
Both Fellows and Ruhlman have plenty of experience on the road course at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Fellows and Ruhlman have both run in sedans and the Trans-Am Series at the track, while Fellows recently competed here, in June, at the NEXTEL Cup Dodge/SaveMart 350. Randy Ruhlman began his driving career here and has extensive experience and numerous sedan victories at Infineon Raceway.
The 100-lap race Rolex Sports Car Series race will feature 25 Daytona Prototype cars and 14 GT cars on 2.52-mile road course. Practice and qualifying begin at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 24th and the 2 3/4 hour race is scheduled for a 3 p.m. PT start on Saturday, August 26th. Television coverage will be next day, tape-delayed on SPEED at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 27th.
Ron Fellows drove with Derhaag Motorsports earlier this year at the Rolex 24 At Daytona with Randy Ruhlman, Justin Bell and Chris Bingham. Fellows had been slated to drive with the team in several other Daytona Prototype races this year, before scheduling problems have prevented him from doing so.
With just two races left, this Saturday's Round Thirteen at Infineon Raceway marks the final push of the 2006 Grand American Road Racing season. The season concludes with next weekend's nine-hour finale at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Ruhlman will be paired up with his co-driver from Watkins Glen, Paul Dallenbach, and Canadian sedan and Formula car Champion Kenny Wilden. That race begins at noon on Saturday, September 2nd and will be broadcast LIVE on SPEED.
Fellows is recognized the world over as one of road racing’s most accomplished and talented drivers. A factory Chevrolet driver, Fellows is currently a Championship favorite in the American LeMans Series GTS Corvette. An overall winner at the Daytona24 and at the 24 Hours of LeMans, the Canadian driver has wins in Trans-Am and ALMS, as well as NASCAR Busch and Craftsman Truck series. Ron is a regular driver in NASCAR, in both the BUSCH and NEXTEL Cup Series on the road courses, and recently ran Watkins Glen and Infineon in the NEXTEL Cup Series.
Ruhlman was named the 2005 BBS "Most Improved Driver of the Year", won the 2005 Cleveland Grand Prix Trans-Am race and Long Beach Grand Prix, and was runner up for the 2005 Trans-Am Drivers' Championship. Ruhlman makes the record books as fourth in Top Ten finishes in Trans-Am history. Ruhlman from Greensboro, NC has been a professional race car driver since his Rookie year in Trans-Am in 1990 and has extensive racing experience, predominantly in road racing in the Trans-Am Series, as well as in IMSA, ASA and the NASCAR short track series.
The Derhaag Motorsports Pontiac Riley carries primary sponsorship from Preformed Line Products with additional sponsorship logos of Coyote Closures®, Park Place Ltd, KeyBank and McDonald Financial Group.
From Cristi Brumm
CASCAR: Bourque Looking For First CASCAR Top Ten In Montreal
OTTAWA, ONT. (August 23, 2006) - - Canada's only full-time NASCAR driver returns to high-stakes competition in his native land this weekend. Pierre Bourque, currently 17th in the NASCAR Busch East Championship, will be among this country's best stock car drivers dueling for glory at the Grand Prix of Montreal's CASCAR event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Saturday August 26th.
This will be Bourque's third CASCAR event this season. After placing a stout 12th place earlier this month at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, Bourque is looking to bypass that stellar run and collect his first top-ten finish in his last CASCAR race of the 2006 season.
Since then, Bourque has kept the momentum plugged into a high-adrenaline rush through his first-ever superspeedway start at Nashville where he finished a head-turning 21st out of 40 contenders and with a career-best NASCAR finish at Waterford, CT (16th) this past weekend.
With his spirits high, Bourque returns to the cockpit of his No. 29 Dodge Charger looking to put another Whitlock Motorsports machine into the top-ten on Saturday. "I'm really looking forward to competing at Montreal. The experience I've enjoyed in the CASCAR Series has really helped my racing career and I would like nothing more than to go out with a bang this weekend."
"We've made vast improvements in the two races I've made thus far this year and the same is expected this weekend. This weekend's race is huge, the Champ Cars are here competing with us, and while the crowds know they will see a great race with them, I really think our show will be even better. I've had a great couple weeks of racing in ARCA and NASCAR, I would like to keep that wave of momentum going this weekend."
Bourque added, "I'm sad that this is my last CASCAR race of the season. I've really enjoyed the people associated with this great series. The people are friendly and helpful and the fans, they are full of addictive energy. We plan to unload strong and run smooth and fast, just like we did at Trois-Rivieres."
DRIVING.CA will leap over from the Busch East Series and play the primary sponsorship role this weekend. DRIVING.CA is Canada's premier one-stop resource for automotive listings and consumer information.
In addition, CANADA.COM, Canada's leading destination for news and information, WORKING.COM, one of North America's top career sites, and DOSE.CA, a cool site that caters to hip Canadian urbanites coast-to-coast, will all serve as secondary sponsors on Bourque’s machine in Montreal.
All four new sponsors are part of Canwest-Global, Canada's largest media company, with interests in television, radio, newspapers and the internet. All four will be backing of Bourque's NASCAR Busch East season, this weekend's CASCAR race, and his forays into ARCA.
Full Metals Minerals and Pollara Strategic Public Opinion who have been with the Ottawa, Ontario native since his racing inception this season will also back Bourque's racing effort this weekend as associate sponsors.
"Our sponsors are second-to-none and I'm really glad and honored to have them onboard for this weekend's CASCAR race. They have been strong supporters of my racing career this season and we've had some great runs lately and we're looking forward to having another strong weekend of racing."
Bourque added, "It's important to run near the front once again this weekend. More and more people, including the race fans are becoming aware of the great brands that Canwest-Global are associated with. A top-ten run on Saturday will only boost our sponsor's awareness and that's exactly our goals."
Once the checkered flag falls on Sunday, Bourque will keep the memories at bay while thinking about his promising future in racing. "I've enjoyed every second of the CASCAR Series. Dave Whitlock and his Whitlock Motorsports crew have provided me with some great equipment and the enormous amount of learning experience is priceless. I can't wait to return next year."
Following the CASCAR Race at Montreal, Bourque will enjoy nearly a month break from the NASCAR Busch East Series, but will turn his attention to the ARCA RE/MAX Series where he will participate in the open test session at Chicagoland Speedway on August 29th, enduring many laps with the intent of making another Superspeedway start.
"Racing in CASCAR, ARCA and NASCAR have really helped me ramp-up big time as a racecar driver. I've experienced almost every aspect of stock car racing, from the hurly-burly bumps and grinds of short-track racing to the fast-paced left-right-left of road racing to the finesse of ultra-high-speed superspeedways, and all of that has made me a better driver. I'm a rookie this season and I've had my share of ups and downs, but as the season begins to wind down, we are making our presence known, we are gaining respect on the track, and that will only be a positive outlook heading into the 2007 racing season."
In addition to running his final CASCAR Series races with Whitlock Motorsports, Pierre Bourque also competes in a full NASCAR Busch East Series schedule and a limited ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule for Fast Track Racing and car owner Andy Hillenburg.
For further in site on Canwest-Global and its associates please log onto http://www.Driving.Ca, http://www.Canada.com, http://www.Working.com and http://www.Dose.Ca
For more information on Full Metals Minerals, please visit http://www.fullmetalminerals.com
For additional input on Pollara Strategic Public Opinion, please logon to http://www.pollara.ca
To learn more about Pierre Bourque please click onto http://www.pierrebourque.com
###
From Chris Knight, Fast Track Racing
This will be Bourque's third CASCAR event this season. After placing a stout 12th place earlier this month at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, Bourque is looking to bypass that stellar run and collect his first top-ten finish in his last CASCAR race of the 2006 season.
Since then, Bourque has kept the momentum plugged into a high-adrenaline rush through his first-ever superspeedway start at Nashville where he finished a head-turning 21st out of 40 contenders and with a career-best NASCAR finish at Waterford, CT (16th) this past weekend.
With his spirits high, Bourque returns to the cockpit of his No. 29 Dodge Charger looking to put another Whitlock Motorsports machine into the top-ten on Saturday. "I'm really looking forward to competing at Montreal. The experience I've enjoyed in the CASCAR Series has really helped my racing career and I would like nothing more than to go out with a bang this weekend."
"We've made vast improvements in the two races I've made thus far this year and the same is expected this weekend. This weekend's race is huge, the Champ Cars are here competing with us, and while the crowds know they will see a great race with them, I really think our show will be even better. I've had a great couple weeks of racing in ARCA and NASCAR, I would like to keep that wave of momentum going this weekend."
Bourque added, "I'm sad that this is my last CASCAR race of the season. I've really enjoyed the people associated with this great series. The people are friendly and helpful and the fans, they are full of addictive energy. We plan to unload strong and run smooth and fast, just like we did at Trois-Rivieres."
DRIVING.CA will leap over from the Busch East Series and play the primary sponsorship role this weekend. DRIVING.CA is Canada's premier one-stop resource for automotive listings and consumer information.
In addition, CANADA.COM, Canada's leading destination for news and information, WORKING.COM, one of North America's top career sites, and DOSE.CA, a cool site that caters to hip Canadian urbanites coast-to-coast, will all serve as secondary sponsors on Bourque’s machine in Montreal.
All four new sponsors are part of Canwest-Global, Canada's largest media company, with interests in television, radio, newspapers and the internet. All four will be backing of Bourque's NASCAR Busch East season, this weekend's CASCAR race, and his forays into ARCA.
Full Metals Minerals and Pollara Strategic Public Opinion who have been with the Ottawa, Ontario native since his racing inception this season will also back Bourque's racing effort this weekend as associate sponsors.
"Our sponsors are second-to-none and I'm really glad and honored to have them onboard for this weekend's CASCAR race. They have been strong supporters of my racing career this season and we've had some great runs lately and we're looking forward to having another strong weekend of racing."
Bourque added, "It's important to run near the front once again this weekend. More and more people, including the race fans are becoming aware of the great brands that Canwest-Global are associated with. A top-ten run on Saturday will only boost our sponsor's awareness and that's exactly our goals."
Once the checkered flag falls on Sunday, Bourque will keep the memories at bay while thinking about his promising future in racing. "I've enjoyed every second of the CASCAR Series. Dave Whitlock and his Whitlock Motorsports crew have provided me with some great equipment and the enormous amount of learning experience is priceless. I can't wait to return next year."
Following the CASCAR Race at Montreal, Bourque will enjoy nearly a month break from the NASCAR Busch East Series, but will turn his attention to the ARCA RE/MAX Series where he will participate in the open test session at Chicagoland Speedway on August 29th, enduring many laps with the intent of making another Superspeedway start.
"Racing in CASCAR, ARCA and NASCAR have really helped me ramp-up big time as a racecar driver. I've experienced almost every aspect of stock car racing, from the hurly-burly bumps and grinds of short-track racing to the fast-paced left-right-left of road racing to the finesse of ultra-high-speed superspeedways, and all of that has made me a better driver. I'm a rookie this season and I've had my share of ups and downs, but as the season begins to wind down, we are making our presence known, we are gaining respect on the track, and that will only be a positive outlook heading into the 2007 racing season."
In addition to running his final CASCAR Series races with Whitlock Motorsports, Pierre Bourque also competes in a full NASCAR Busch East Series schedule and a limited ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule for Fast Track Racing and car owner Andy Hillenburg.
For further in site on Canwest-Global and its associates please log onto http://www.Driving.Ca, http://www.Canada.com, http://www.Working.com and http://www.Dose.Ca
For more information on Full Metals Minerals, please visit http://www.fullmetalminerals.com
For additional input on Pollara Strategic Public Opinion, please logon to http://www.pollara.ca
To learn more about Pierre Bourque please click onto http://www.pierrebourque.com
###
From Chris Knight, Fast Track Racing
As the wheel turns....
Is the #98 Truck turning into an Easy Bake Oven? When people start to wonder whether it's the driver or the equipment... someone else takes a spin in the vehicle.
This weekend at Bristol, Jason Keller will drive Erin Crocker's NASCAR Truck in the first practice. The Sporting News has today's chapter in NASCAR's hottest soap opera.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
NASCAR: EDWARDS FINED, PLACED ON PROBATION FOR VIOLATION AT MICHIGAN
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 22, 2006) – NASCAR announced today that Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 60 Ford in the NASCAR Busch Series, has been fined and placed on probation due to a rule violation at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 19.
Edwards was fined $20,000 for violating Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing: hitting another competitor’s car after the completion of the race) of the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book. He was also placed on probation until Dec. 31, 2006.
PHOTO: NASCAR puts Carl Edwards on 'double secret probation'...
Planet Motorsport takes victory at Galway-Cavendish rally
Courtesy Alan Ockwell
BUCKHORN, Ont. (August 20, 2006) -- The Planet Motorsport Rally Team claimed its maiden victory this weekend at the Galway-Cavendish Forest Rally, round four of the Ontario Performance Rally Championship (OPRC).
Coming off a pair of third-place finishes at the last two events, the team was looking to move up a couple of places on the podium. "It's a fantastic feeling to get our first win," said team driver John Vanos. "We've worked incredibly hard to get to where we are today, and this victory is a well-deserved reward for the whole team. To set new stage records is icing on the cake!"
Vanos and Ockwell jumped into the lead right off the start, but the team of Peter Reilly/Ray Felice was pressing hard. "We were trading seconds all day long with Peter and Ray," explained co-driver Alan Ockwell. "After a steady pace on the first two special stages, we decided to step up the pace on the next three stages to extend our lead. The sixth and final stage was a fun run to put on a show for the spectators."
"I'm ecstatic!" exclaimed team principal Iain Fraser. "John made the most of our new upgrades. Our whole crew has worked tirelessly to build and develop an excellent rally car. I'm really proud of them. But we have a few more tricks up our sleeves for the next events!"
The first-place finish vaults Vanos to the top of the OPRC drivers' championship and places Ockwell in a tie for the lead of the co-drivers' standings. The team is looking to solidify its championship lead at the next event, the Rallye Défi Sainte-Agathe/Duhamel, on September 8-9. Ryan Huber will be back in the co-driver's seat at Défi.
Planet Motorsport extends its thanks and congratulations to the event organizers for putting together an excellent rally. The team would also like to thank Martin Donnelly for his technical assistance.
Rally racing is a challenging, all-season motor sport discipline; its drivers are widely considered the most skilled in the world. Teams race against the clock on variable terrain in modified cars that closely resemble those that the average consumer can find at their local dealer. The sport requires intense teamwork between driver and co-driver and extreme skill behind the wheel.
Planet Motorsport is a Guelph, Ont., shop that specializes in Subaru drivetrain conversions and performance upgrades for any model of car. The Planet Motorsport rally team is supported by Hydra Engine Management Systems (www.hydraems.com), Hot Bits Suspension (www.hotbits.org), Andrew Harvey Photography (www.andrewharvey.ca) and Ground Up Racing.
BUCKHORN, Ont. (August 20, 2006) -- The Planet Motorsport Rally Team claimed its maiden victory this weekend at the Galway-Cavendish Forest Rally, round four of the Ontario Performance Rally Championship (OPRC).
Coming off a pair of third-place finishes at the last two events, the team was looking to move up a couple of places on the podium. "It's a fantastic feeling to get our first win," said team driver John Vanos. "We've worked incredibly hard to get to where we are today, and this victory is a well-deserved reward for the whole team. To set new stage records is icing on the cake!"
Vanos and Ockwell jumped into the lead right off the start, but the team of Peter Reilly/Ray Felice was pressing hard. "We were trading seconds all day long with Peter and Ray," explained co-driver Alan Ockwell. "After a steady pace on the first two special stages, we decided to step up the pace on the next three stages to extend our lead. The sixth and final stage was a fun run to put on a show for the spectators."
"I'm ecstatic!" exclaimed team principal Iain Fraser. "John made the most of our new upgrades. Our whole crew has worked tirelessly to build and develop an excellent rally car. I'm really proud of them. But we have a few more tricks up our sleeves for the next events!"
The first-place finish vaults Vanos to the top of the OPRC drivers' championship and places Ockwell in a tie for the lead of the co-drivers' standings. The team is looking to solidify its championship lead at the next event, the Rallye Défi Sainte-Agathe/Duhamel, on September 8-9. Ryan Huber will be back in the co-driver's seat at Défi.
Planet Motorsport extends its thanks and congratulations to the event organizers for putting together an excellent rally. The team would also like to thank Martin Donnelly for his technical assistance.
Rally racing is a challenging, all-season motor sport discipline; its drivers are widely considered the most skilled in the world. Teams race against the clock on variable terrain in modified cars that closely resemble those that the average consumer can find at their local dealer. The sport requires intense teamwork between driver and co-driver and extreme skill behind the wheel.
Planet Motorsport is a Guelph, Ont., shop that specializes in Subaru drivetrain conversions and performance upgrades for any model of car. The Planet Motorsport rally team is supported by Hydra Engine Management Systems (www.hydraems.com), Hot Bits Suspension (www.hotbits.org), Andrew Harvey Photography (www.andrewharvey.ca) and Ground Up Racing.
FAST RACE CARS STOPPING AT THE STOLLERY IN EDMONTON
Courtesy Gord Craig
Edmonton, AB – Some of the Edmonton’s fastest race cars will be on display at the Stollery Children’s Hospital next week (Wednesday, August 23rd).
“We’re bringing these race cars to the Stollery to give the kids a chance to see these machines up close,” indicates organizer and drag racer John Mandlis, “we have a dragster, a funny car and a few other race cars that will be on display indoors in the ambulance bay of the hospital.”
Mandlis indicates supporting the Stollery Children’s Hospital is important. “This hospital is amazing. The care the doctors give to sick children is second to none. I wish the Stollery was around when I was a kid.” Mandlis cringes when he remembers spending two months in hospital after suffering a serious injury. “It was not kid friendly!” Mandlis, who’s also a cancer survivor, says this race car display will be an amazing experience for everyone involved.
“Going down the race track at over 130 miles an hour is pretty cool but seeing smiles on the faces of young patients at the hospital will be an awesome feeling.”
Mandlis hopes this race car show at the hospital becomes an annual event. “With close to 1000 race cars of all types here in Edmonton, I don’t think we’ll have a problem doing this show every year.” A special ‘racer’ cheque presentation will be made to the Stollery Children’s Hospital at the end of the display.
For more information contact John Mandlis at (780)983–6500(cell) or (780)467–7430(home).
Edmonton, AB – Some of the Edmonton’s fastest race cars will be on display at the Stollery Children’s Hospital next week (Wednesday, August 23rd).
“We’re bringing these race cars to the Stollery to give the kids a chance to see these machines up close,” indicates organizer and drag racer John Mandlis, “we have a dragster, a funny car and a few other race cars that will be on display indoors in the ambulance bay of the hospital.”
Mandlis indicates supporting the Stollery Children’s Hospital is important. “This hospital is amazing. The care the doctors give to sick children is second to none. I wish the Stollery was around when I was a kid.” Mandlis cringes when he remembers spending two months in hospital after suffering a serious injury. “It was not kid friendly!” Mandlis, who’s also a cancer survivor, says this race car display will be an amazing experience for everyone involved.
“Going down the race track at over 130 miles an hour is pretty cool but seeing smiles on the faces of young patients at the hospital will be an awesome feeling.”
Mandlis hopes this race car show at the hospital becomes an annual event. “With close to 1000 race cars of all types here in Edmonton, I don’t think we’ll have a problem doing this show every year.” A special ‘racer’ cheque presentation will be made to the Stollery Children’s Hospital at the end of the display.
For more information contact John Mandlis at (780)983–6500(cell) or (780)467–7430(home).
Make It 6 For Fletcher and Team JNE Consulting
Courtesy Scott Fletcher
Bowmanville, On - The sixth win of the OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Model series may seem a like a romp of the rest of the field but with the group of cars that are gunning to win each week is forcing John Fletcher and Team JNE Consulting to dig deep and work harder to prepare for each event. Preparation is key in racing and as a team there may be no better right now. "We continue to work hard each week on the car, in the shop and our crew works hard in knowing their jobs" John continued to add, "Gary and Bill really stepped up this week and this result is because the hard work they put in". With the absence of the teams Crew Chief Scott Fletcher, Gary Sim and Bill Snowdon worked the pit on there own.
The Team JNE Consulting 61 started in the 8th spot and picked off positions and by lap 32 challenged the race leader. Driving by on the outside to taking the lead for the final 17 circuits of the 1/2 mile Mosport International Speedway. Not only John outrun the OSCAAR competitors but also the weather that resulted in cancellation of the second set of qualifying races and bumping the 50 lap feature to take the green flag around 8:30 pm. Team JNE Consulting picked up one heat race win and opened up the point lead over the London Mechanical/JBM Leasing's Rob Clarke to 330. TJ Woosley finished second for that teams best result. Barrie's Glen Watson was forth, the 90 of Cunningham powered Pee-Wee Evans brought home fifth and the green machine of Drew "Krusty" Spicer was sixth.
Another impressive crowd despite the weather was on hand and Team JNE would like to acknowledge Mosport Speedway for rushing the show in order to get the OSCAAR race in, Wix Filter's, Hype Energy Drink and Nigel and his family of Blue Jay Catering who was on hand last Friday at Kawartha Speedway. Next up is the all-important 8th Annual Don Biederman Memorial at Peterborough Speedway.
Bowmanville, On - The sixth win of the OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Model series may seem a like a romp of the rest of the field but with the group of cars that are gunning to win each week is forcing John Fletcher and Team JNE Consulting to dig deep and work harder to prepare for each event. Preparation is key in racing and as a team there may be no better right now. "We continue to work hard each week on the car, in the shop and our crew works hard in knowing their jobs" John continued to add, "Gary and Bill really stepped up this week and this result is because the hard work they put in". With the absence of the teams Crew Chief Scott Fletcher, Gary Sim and Bill Snowdon worked the pit on there own.
The Team JNE Consulting 61 started in the 8th spot and picked off positions and by lap 32 challenged the race leader. Driving by on the outside to taking the lead for the final 17 circuits of the 1/2 mile Mosport International Speedway. Not only John outrun the OSCAAR competitors but also the weather that resulted in cancellation of the second set of qualifying races and bumping the 50 lap feature to take the green flag around 8:30 pm. Team JNE Consulting picked up one heat race win and opened up the point lead over the London Mechanical/JBM Leasing's Rob Clarke to 330. TJ Woosley finished second for that teams best result. Barrie's Glen Watson was forth, the 90 of Cunningham powered Pee-Wee Evans brought home fifth and the green machine of Drew "Krusty" Spicer was sixth.
Another impressive crowd despite the weather was on hand and Team JNE would like to acknowledge Mosport Speedway for rushing the show in order to get the OSCAAR race in, Wix Filter's, Hype Energy Drink and Nigel and his family of Blue Jay Catering who was on hand last Friday at Kawartha Speedway. Next up is the all-important 8th Annual Don Biederman Memorial at Peterborough Speedway.
A1GP TAKES TO THE STREETS
Courtesy Nikki Rooke
Tens of thousands of people braved the weather in the centre of Rotterdam this afternoon as the bright orange A1 Team Netherlands and multi-flagged A1GP World Cup of Motorsport cars roared around a 2km street circuit as part of the Bavaria City Racing festival.
With Jos Verstappen behind the wheel of the Dutch car and team seat holder, Jan Lammers experiencing his first real outing in an A1GP car in the other, the pair thrilled the crowd with a high speed demo throwing in a few donuts for good measure.
Jos Verstappen had a great time on track: “You can actually drive quite fast here. I even hit 220 km/h briefly. There are so many spectators along the circuit. You try to do donuts at as many places as possible to give everyone along the circuit the same show. This is really fantastic”.
Jan Lammers felt the same: “This is super; there is such a big audience. You drive here at 14,000 revs and still you hear the crowd.”
A1GP proved a popular attraction both on and off the track, as A1 Team Netherlands was honoured with a visit by the Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende and the the Mayor of Rotterdam, Ivo Opstelten as they toured the Paddock. Jan Lammers and Jos Verstappen explained the A1GP concept and talked Balkenende, a motorsport fan himself and Opstelten around the A1GP race car.
Following the event, the Dutch car headed straight back to Silverstone in the UK where it will take part in A1GP’s official team test session on 30-31 August. The test will be the last time the cars run ahead of the start of the 2006/07 season on 1 October when the Series returns to the Netherlands racing at Circuit Park Zandvoort.
More than 100,000 tickets have been sold for the A1GP Zandvoort making it one of A1GP’s most popular events. For those who have not managed to get their hands on a ticket, an extra 3,000 will go on sale via www.A1GP.com at 10.00 GMT on Wednesday 23 August 2006.
The home race of A1 Team Netherlands, with Jos Verstappen, promises to be a real spectacle, with a sea of orange lining the sand dunes around the circuit.
Tens of thousands of people braved the weather in the centre of Rotterdam this afternoon as the bright orange A1 Team Netherlands and multi-flagged A1GP World Cup of Motorsport cars roared around a 2km street circuit as part of the Bavaria City Racing festival.
With Jos Verstappen behind the wheel of the Dutch car and team seat holder, Jan Lammers experiencing his first real outing in an A1GP car in the other, the pair thrilled the crowd with a high speed demo throwing in a few donuts for good measure.
Jos Verstappen had a great time on track: “You can actually drive quite fast here. I even hit 220 km/h briefly. There are so many spectators along the circuit. You try to do donuts at as many places as possible to give everyone along the circuit the same show. This is really fantastic”.
Jan Lammers felt the same: “This is super; there is such a big audience. You drive here at 14,000 revs and still you hear the crowd.”
A1GP proved a popular attraction both on and off the track, as A1 Team Netherlands was honoured with a visit by the Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende and the the Mayor of Rotterdam, Ivo Opstelten as they toured the Paddock. Jan Lammers and Jos Verstappen explained the A1GP concept and talked Balkenende, a motorsport fan himself and Opstelten around the A1GP race car.
Following the event, the Dutch car headed straight back to Silverstone in the UK where it will take part in A1GP’s official team test session on 30-31 August. The test will be the last time the cars run ahead of the start of the 2006/07 season on 1 October when the Series returns to the Netherlands racing at Circuit Park Zandvoort.
More than 100,000 tickets have been sold for the A1GP Zandvoort making it one of A1GP’s most popular events. For those who have not managed to get their hands on a ticket, an extra 3,000 will go on sale via www.A1GP.com at 10.00 GMT on Wednesday 23 August 2006.
The home race of A1 Team Netherlands, with Jos Verstappen, promises to be a real spectacle, with a sea of orange lining the sand dunes around the circuit.
Spiering goes to final round in Eaton PMRA Challenge presented by Eaton's Electrical business
Courtesy Bruce F. Mehlenbacher
ST-PIE, QUEBEC (August 19, 2006) – Top Pro Modified competitor Carl Spiering and his Eaton Electrical Supercharged Chevrolet Camaro were strong competitors in today’s Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA) event at the Sanair Motorsport Complex in St-Pie, Quebec outside of Montreal.
While Spiering, of Jordan Station, ON, bested the field of strong PMRA Pro Modified cars, and was a finalist for the event in front of a large crowd, the final run was called due to rain at the Sanair track.
“We were running strong all day,” said Spiering. “The team worked hard and gave me a real good car to drive, and we were all looking forward to capturing this race in front of the almost 700 Eaton Electrical people who were on hand for the day to cheer us on.”
Spiering was pitted against fellow PMRA competitor and 2005 champion Joe Lilienthal of Kenmore, NY. Spiering qualified the Eaton Road Warrior number one in the field with a strong 4.17-second, 176.99-mph effort on the Sanair eighth-mile track.
The next event for Spiering will be round eight of the 11-event International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) eMax Drag Racing Series Skull Shine World Nationals presented by ACDelco, August 24-27 at Norwalk Raceway Park.
For information, about the Skull Shine World Nationals at Norwalk Raceway Park located east of Norwalk, Ohio, on Route 18 call (419) 668-5555, or visit www.norwalkraceway.com.
ST-PIE, QUEBEC (August 19, 2006) – Top Pro Modified competitor Carl Spiering and his Eaton Electrical Supercharged Chevrolet Camaro were strong competitors in today’s Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA) event at the Sanair Motorsport Complex in St-Pie, Quebec outside of Montreal.
While Spiering, of Jordan Station, ON, bested the field of strong PMRA Pro Modified cars, and was a finalist for the event in front of a large crowd, the final run was called due to rain at the Sanair track.
“We were running strong all day,” said Spiering. “The team worked hard and gave me a real good car to drive, and we were all looking forward to capturing this race in front of the almost 700 Eaton Electrical people who were on hand for the day to cheer us on.”
Spiering was pitted against fellow PMRA competitor and 2005 champion Joe Lilienthal of Kenmore, NY. Spiering qualified the Eaton Road Warrior number one in the field with a strong 4.17-second, 176.99-mph effort on the Sanair eighth-mile track.
The next event for Spiering will be round eight of the 11-event International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) eMax Drag Racing Series Skull Shine World Nationals presented by ACDelco, August 24-27 at Norwalk Raceway Park.
For information, about the Skull Shine World Nationals at Norwalk Raceway Park located east of Norwalk, Ohio, on Route 18 call (419) 668-5555, or visit www.norwalkraceway.com.
Weather wins in Eaton PMRA Challenge at Sanair
Courtesy Bruce F. Mehlenbacher
ST-PIE, QUEBEC (August 19, 2006) – At its inaugural race at the famed Sanair Motorplex in St-Pie, Quebec outside of Montreal a tough field of Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA) competitors headlined a great show for the large crowd as part of the Eaton PMRA Challenge Presented by Eaton’s Electrical business.
And the large crowd was ready for the final between Carl Spiering and Joe Lilienthal, but the skies opened up Saturday evening and the event was cancelled.
“I was ready. This would have been a great final,” said number one qualifier Carl Spiering, of Jordan Station, ON, in his Eaton Electrical Supercharged Chevrolet Camaro Pro Modified. “We had a strong car all day, and we would have been there at the end.”
Spiering was paired with 2005 PMRA champion Joe Lilienthal of Kenmore, NY, with his My Vice Racing Jeep Pro Modified. Spiering took top qualifying spot in the field with a 4.259-second, 174.11-mph pass, while Lilienthal qualified number two with a 4.420-second, 163.81 mph lap.
Spiering eliminated Jack Grainy in his Chevy Beretta of North Tonawanda, NY, and a hard-charging Joe Boniferro in his Dodge Avenger of Niagara Falls, Ontario to work his way up the ladder, while Lilienthal bested Fredericton, NB’s Trevor Moulton and his Camaro, and Kasey Janzen of St. Catharines, ON, in his Chevy Lumina.
ST-PIE, QUEBEC (August 19, 2006) – At its inaugural race at the famed Sanair Motorplex in St-Pie, Quebec outside of Montreal a tough field of Pro Modified Racing Association (PMRA) competitors headlined a great show for the large crowd as part of the Eaton PMRA Challenge Presented by Eaton’s Electrical business.
And the large crowd was ready for the final between Carl Spiering and Joe Lilienthal, but the skies opened up Saturday evening and the event was cancelled.
“I was ready. This would have been a great final,” said number one qualifier Carl Spiering, of Jordan Station, ON, in his Eaton Electrical Supercharged Chevrolet Camaro Pro Modified. “We had a strong car all day, and we would have been there at the end.”
Spiering was paired with 2005 PMRA champion Joe Lilienthal of Kenmore, NY, with his My Vice Racing Jeep Pro Modified. Spiering took top qualifying spot in the field with a 4.259-second, 174.11-mph pass, while Lilienthal qualified number two with a 4.420-second, 163.81 mph lap.
Spiering eliminated Jack Grainy in his Chevy Beretta of North Tonawanda, NY, and a hard-charging Joe Boniferro in his Dodge Avenger of Niagara Falls, Ontario to work his way up the ladder, while Lilienthal bested Fredericton, NB’s Trevor Moulton and his Camaro, and Kasey Janzen of St. Catharines, ON, in his Chevy Lumina.
Ron White victorious in Round Nine at Road America
Courtesy Eric McCombs
August 19, 2006. Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Driving the #69 Ross Smith Racing Maxwell Paper Products Mazda, Ron White, of Santa Clara, California, survived a spin early in the event to roll to his maiden victory today in Round Nine of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at Road America. Adrian Carrio, of Monument, Colorado, finished second in the #14 World Speed Motorsports Mazda, 0.471 seconds behind, while Pablo Donoso, of Santiago, Chile, completed the podium as he returned to the series in the #2 Andersen Racing Team Mazda in a race filled with fireworks.
"Adrian was beating me getting onto the front straight so I made some adjustment to my sway bars and threw the car into the corner a little to and it just came around on me, luckily we didn't get hit and was able to get back without losing too many spots," White, who was making his debut weekend with Ross Smith Racing, explained. "This is a pretty sweet way to start it off for myself and everybody at Ross Smith Racing and I have to thank my engineer Kent Stacy who told Ross that I needed to be a part of his team as I'd give them a chance to win so it has definitely worked well for all of us this weekend."
Carrio, who saw his lead dwindle twice due to caution flags, was disappointed to lose the lead ont he final lap but philosophical about the championship implications on a weekend that saw his closest championship competitor, Michael Potekhen, involved in a shunt in the final corner of the circuit. "I have to give kudos to Ron there on the closing lap, I gave him a little bit of room and he managed to get through at the end, still we've pulled out a lot of room in the championship," the seventeen-year old Carrio said. "Those cautions killed our chances today as the car was working really well and I had broken the draft of the cars behind me, so to lose that was tough. I was able to hold everyone off on the first restart and was hoping that Ron and Logan would slow each other down racing for second but Ron was able to pull into the draft and get through. Still it was a great weekend for World Speed and I'm looking forward to Mosport."
Filling in for Brad Jaeger this weekend, Donoso was quickly up to speed as he worked his way to a podium finish. "I'm pretty happy with the race and to be back in the series. I made a couple of mistakes in the race but I think I have the best team and was able to come back," Donoso, who has been racing in the Silver Crown Championship, explained. "It isn't that big of and adjustment going from one to the other. As a driver you have to do the same things no matter what you drive, you push the throttle and try to pass the other drivers, last year I was penalized here and didn't like the track but after this weekend I like the track a lot more."
While White was able to survive and thrive after a spin in turn fourteen, the corner was not so forgiving for other drivers as several incidents would occur there, one with major championship implications as Potekhen, who entered the weekend thirteen points behind Carrio, made contact with Micky Gilbert in the corner as he checked up to avoid a spinning Ramiro Scuncio. All three drivers had their day end in the gravel trap as a result. As a result with three-quarters of the 2006 championship complete Carrio holds a commanding lead in the championship lead with 330 points while Potekhen sits in second place with 287 points and Kevin Lacroix lurks in third place with 286 points.
In the Expert Championship, for drivers aged 30-44, Gerardo Bonilla, of Orlando, Florida, captured the class victory, finishing 4th overall in his #9 Andersen Racing Team Skip Barber Racing Mazda and remains out front in the class championship with 156 points while Brian Thienes holds second place in his #77 JDC Motorsports Thienes Engineering Mazda with 122 points and Dan Tomlin III holds third place with 116 points in the #56 Team Tomlin entry.
In the Masters Championship, for drivers aged 45 and older, John Faulkner emerged with the class victory finishing tenth overall in his #93 Phenom Racing Group Molecule Mazda and moves into the points lead with 129 points. Doug Peterson finished right behind Faulkner on track in the #87 American Speed Factory 3-Dimensional Services Mazda and falls to second in points as well with 127 points. Ken Losch of Paradise Valley, Arizona, is currently third with 135 points in the #52 Apex Racing Avenue Communities Mazda.
In the Team Championship World Speed Motorsports remains in first place with 173 points, John Walko Racing remains in second place with 168 points and Apex Racing sits in third place with 135 points.
The series heads back to Canada for the third and final time this season in two weeks time, where it will join the American Le Mans Series for the Labour Day Grand Prix of Mosport on August 31st through September 2nd. Round Nine of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear is scheduled to air on Speed Channel at 3:00 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, August 26th. For more information please visit www.starmazda.com.
August 19, 2006. Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Driving the #69 Ross Smith Racing Maxwell Paper Products Mazda, Ron White, of Santa Clara, California, survived a spin early in the event to roll to his maiden victory today in Round Nine of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at Road America. Adrian Carrio, of Monument, Colorado, finished second in the #14 World Speed Motorsports Mazda, 0.471 seconds behind, while Pablo Donoso, of Santiago, Chile, completed the podium as he returned to the series in the #2 Andersen Racing Team Mazda in a race filled with fireworks.
"Adrian was beating me getting onto the front straight so I made some adjustment to my sway bars and threw the car into the corner a little to and it just came around on me, luckily we didn't get hit and was able to get back without losing too many spots," White, who was making his debut weekend with Ross Smith Racing, explained. "This is a pretty sweet way to start it off for myself and everybody at Ross Smith Racing and I have to thank my engineer Kent Stacy who told Ross that I needed to be a part of his team as I'd give them a chance to win so it has definitely worked well for all of us this weekend."
Carrio, who saw his lead dwindle twice due to caution flags, was disappointed to lose the lead ont he final lap but philosophical about the championship implications on a weekend that saw his closest championship competitor, Michael Potekhen, involved in a shunt in the final corner of the circuit. "I have to give kudos to Ron there on the closing lap, I gave him a little bit of room and he managed to get through at the end, still we've pulled out a lot of room in the championship," the seventeen-year old Carrio said. "Those cautions killed our chances today as the car was working really well and I had broken the draft of the cars behind me, so to lose that was tough. I was able to hold everyone off on the first restart and was hoping that Ron and Logan would slow each other down racing for second but Ron was able to pull into the draft and get through. Still it was a great weekend for World Speed and I'm looking forward to Mosport."
Filling in for Brad Jaeger this weekend, Donoso was quickly up to speed as he worked his way to a podium finish. "I'm pretty happy with the race and to be back in the series. I made a couple of mistakes in the race but I think I have the best team and was able to come back," Donoso, who has been racing in the Silver Crown Championship, explained. "It isn't that big of and adjustment going from one to the other. As a driver you have to do the same things no matter what you drive, you push the throttle and try to pass the other drivers, last year I was penalized here and didn't like the track but after this weekend I like the track a lot more."
While White was able to survive and thrive after a spin in turn fourteen, the corner was not so forgiving for other drivers as several incidents would occur there, one with major championship implications as Potekhen, who entered the weekend thirteen points behind Carrio, made contact with Micky Gilbert in the corner as he checked up to avoid a spinning Ramiro Scuncio. All three drivers had their day end in the gravel trap as a result. As a result with three-quarters of the 2006 championship complete Carrio holds a commanding lead in the championship lead with 330 points while Potekhen sits in second place with 287 points and Kevin Lacroix lurks in third place with 286 points.
In the Expert Championship, for drivers aged 30-44, Gerardo Bonilla, of Orlando, Florida, captured the class victory, finishing 4th overall in his #9 Andersen Racing Team Skip Barber Racing Mazda and remains out front in the class championship with 156 points while Brian Thienes holds second place in his #77 JDC Motorsports Thienes Engineering Mazda with 122 points and Dan Tomlin III holds third place with 116 points in the #56 Team Tomlin entry.
In the Masters Championship, for drivers aged 45 and older, John Faulkner emerged with the class victory finishing tenth overall in his #93 Phenom Racing Group Molecule Mazda and moves into the points lead with 129 points. Doug Peterson finished right behind Faulkner on track in the #87 American Speed Factory 3-Dimensional Services Mazda and falls to second in points as well with 127 points. Ken Losch of Paradise Valley, Arizona, is currently third with 135 points in the #52 Apex Racing Avenue Communities Mazda.
In the Team Championship World Speed Motorsports remains in first place with 173 points, John Walko Racing remains in second place with 168 points and Apex Racing sits in third place with 135 points.
The series heads back to Canada for the third and final time this season in two weeks time, where it will join the American Le Mans Series for the Labour Day Grand Prix of Mosport on August 31st through September 2nd. Round Nine of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear is scheduled to air on Speed Channel at 3:00 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, August 26th. For more information please visit www.starmazda.com.
Cayden Lapcevich Crushes Syracuse Track Record, Finishes third in A-Main
From Proud Papa Jeff Lapcevich, an update on the recent exploits of his racing son, Cayden. Thanks for the updates Jeff!
Friday August, 11 would be the last point race of the regular season at the Syracuse Quarter Midget Club and for the first time of the year during the regular weekly program; competitors would time trial to set the field for the main events. The significance of this event is that it is the only opportunity of the year to set a track record and since this is the final year for the existing track; the record will stand forever. The Syracuse facility is unlike any other track in the U.S. since it was grandfathered in decades ago. At 1/10th of a mile in length it is twice the size of the standard quarter midget track and the speeds attained are the highest in the country. The track is sealed asphalt with tight ends and zero banking making it very difficult to pass.
The Jr. Honda class would be the first group to time trial after the Novices. Competitors are given three warm-up laps and three timed laps. The field is set with the top four cars inverted in the Jr. ranks. Cayden Lapcevich would be the third car to take to the track for qualifying. Through his warm-up laps his times steadily decreased to just above the current track record of 10.18 seconds set by Johnny Scutt of Syracuse, NY in 2003. On his first official timed lap, Lapcevich ripped off a blistering 10.062 second lap to set a new track record and then followed it up with two more laps just above his fast time.
Still looking for his first feature win of the season, Lapcevich lined up on the outside of the second row for the main event. He moved quickly to second with a daring first lap outside groove pass but the position would be short lived as a tire problem allowed eight year old Austin O’Reilly; the 2005 Oswego County Jr. Honda champ and 2005 Syracuse Jr. Honda champ to slip passed. Cayden would hang on for a third place finish with an ill handling machine.
The night was not over however, since the Caistor Centre resident set a track record, his engine would have to be torn down to make sure it conformed to Quarter Midget of America standards. Nearly three hours after the checkered flag had waved, tech officials returned Lapcevich’s Honda engine in pieces. Asked what he thought of his accomplishment, he replied in true six year old style, “Cool, can we stop for ice cream on the way home?”
Monday, August 21, 2006
NASCAR’S CAR OF TOMORROW, TOYOTA TEST AT MIS
BROOKLYN, Mich. (August 21, 2006) – Tomorrow came today at Michigan International Speedway.
In preparation for its 16-race 2007 debut and the gradual, three-year inception of its Car of Tomorrow, NASCAR stayed at MIS for a day after the GFS Marketplace 400 weekend to test the cutting-edge vehicle on the two-mile oval. The Car of Tomorrow is being designed by NASCAR in order to increase safety and reduce costs while maintaining the circuit’s high level of competition.
14 current NEXTEL Cup drivers, including GFS Marketplace 400 winner Matt Kenseth of Roush Racing and teammates Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray, and four-time NEXTEL Cup champion Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports, were on hand at MIS to test the vehicles for their respective teams and manufacturers. The first scheduled race for the Car of Tomorrow is at Bristol next spring.
The testing event also marked the on-track testing debut for Toyota’s NEXTEL Cup program, set to roll off at the beginning of the 2007 season. Present for Toyota were Michael Waltrip of Michael Waltrip Racing, Dave Blaney of Bill Davis Racing, and 1988 series champion and seven-time MIS winner Bill Elliott, testing for Team Red Bull. As the clock struck noon and cars were allowed to take the track, Elliott drove the Camry painted with the letters TRB (for Team Red Bull) around the oval to mark the foreign manufacturer’s first stock car foray onto a NASCAR track.
“I’m just proud to be a part of it,” said Waltrip of Toyota’s inauguration. “I know what we’ve done to get here, and that feels good.”
“They’re a new team, and they’ve got a lot of work ahead of them,” said Dodge driver Kurt Busch. “They’re going to change the game of our sport. They’re going to bring in extra money from the manufacturer, and they might step up the level of competition from the auto manufacturers’ side.”
In addition to the new Toyotas, all of the COT prototypes feature many safety enhancements. Among them is a larger driver compartment, which allows competitors easier entry into and exit from their vehicles. The enlarged cockpit will also be more centralized within the car, which will better protect drivers from driver-side impact.
Waltrip, at 6’5” one of the tallest drivers in NASCAR history, couldn’t be happier.
“I was driving down the back straightaway, lookin’ around, and saying, ‘Damn, look at all this room I got!’ That’s just a wonderful feeling, knowing that you’re not all crunched down in there,” Waltrip said. “I’m real sensitive to the space that we have because of my size and it’s just really neat to have that feeling.”
Not everyone is convinced about the increased safety, however.
“Well, I don’t see that there’s that much more room other than headroom,” said Gordon after a test run for Hendrick. “I still have my reservations and concerns. My seat’s moved further inside the car to the right, but I’m closer to the door bars than I was before. To me, there’s not really any big gain there. For me, headroom’s not an issue in the current car we have so that was never an issue that we focused on, but I’m happy that it’s going to work out for those (larger) guys.”
The newly-designed vehicles will feature a more upright windshield and a boxier, thicker front bumper. Both changes will increase drag and reduce speed, thus placing more of an emphasis on driver performance.
No longer will on-track debris create overheating problems. The front air intake of the new vehicles will be obscured by the front bumper.
Adjustable aerodynamic components, like a rear wing and a front splitter, will be available for teams to modify setups in attempts to create advantages.
“It makes it real stable in the back,” said Busch, who tested a car for Penske Racing South as teammate Ryan Newman looked on from the garage in casual clothing before entering the car during the late session. “It makes it tighter to get the car to turn. You’ve got to get that front-end splitter on the ground and free it up somewhere else.”
Unfortunately, just making changes to the vehicles doesn’t necessarily make them competition-ready.
Each team and manufacturer still needs to assess the cars’ performances in heavy traffic. Though the Car of Tomorrow program has tested at Daytona, Charlotte, and Bristol, among a wide array of other tracks, even the drivers themselves know that the Car of Tomorrow is not totally ready to take the green flag.
“By itself, the car drives pretty good,” said Gordon. “My whole thoughts and concerns have always been what it’s going to do in a pack of cars and that’s, you know, what we’re going to find out here, a little bit later on.”
Data from the test will be primarily used in the submission of nose designs for the Car of Tomorrow, which are due to NASCAR on August 28, just a week away.
Though MIS is not on the Car of Tomorrow’s initial schedule of use in 2007, the speedway’s two NEXTEL Cup races in 2008 will feature the progressive machine. After being entered in 26 events in 2008, the Car of Tomorrow will be used in each of the 36 races on the 2009 NEXTEL Cup schedule.
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (David Stremme), Evernham Motorsports (Scott Riggs), Joe Gibbs Racing (J.J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin), MB2 Motorsports (Joe Nemechek), and Haas CNC Racing (Jeff Green) were all represented at MIS as well.
From Michigan Int'l Speedway
WIX Filters Announces “Party Like a Rock Star” Sweepstakes
WIX Filters, the number one filter in NASCAR, has announced the WIX “Party Like a Rock Star” Sweepstakes, a new six-month contest that enables two lucky race fans to experience an all-expense-paid VIP trip to the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In conjunction with SMI., WIX Filters will award a consumer and their guest a prize package that includes garage and victory lane passes, deluxe accommodations, round-trip airline tickets, personalized leather jackets, infield RV accommodations, a live PRN radio interview, over $2500 spending money and a helicopter ride to the race!
The WIX “Party Like a Rock Star” sweepstakes promotion runs from June through December 2006. Race fans will be informed through national advertising and highly visible point-of-sale displays at all WIX Service Providers, to register for the VIP trip for two to the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Las Vegas.
Online information and “official rules” are available at a special WIX website www.wixrockstar.com. No purchase necessary.
In conjunction with SMI., WIX Filters will award a consumer and their guest a prize package that includes garage and victory lane passes, deluxe accommodations, round-trip airline tickets, personalized leather jackets, infield RV accommodations, a live PRN radio interview, over $2500 spending money and a helicopter ride to the race!
The WIX “Party Like a Rock Star” sweepstakes promotion runs from June through December 2006. Race fans will be informed through national advertising and highly visible point-of-sale displays at all WIX Service Providers, to register for the VIP trip for two to the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Las Vegas.
Online information and “official rules” are available at a special WIX website www.wixrockstar.com. No purchase necessary.
CASCAR: Shawn McGlynn wins Saturday’s Sportsman Series race at Barrie Speedway
BARRIE, ON – On Saturday night at Barrie Speedway, Shawn McGlynn earned his second career CASCAR Sportsman Series victory. The Kitchener, ON racer started on the pole for the 100-lap feature race and led all but one lap en route to the checkered flag.
The event was the third Sportsman Series race of the season, and the second of the summer at the 1/3-mile Barrie-area tri-oval. And as was the case for the July 2 race at Barrie Speedway, the winner was hounded throughout by defending Sportsman Series champion Dion Verhoeven, who went on to finish second after a spirited challenge.
Hometown favourite Ron Lethbridge set the fastest lap of the race in his Cash Advance / Fuel Genie Dodge and earned the third and final podium position. In the end, the top five finishers came home in the positions they had started the race, although the running order was scrambled throughout.
McGlynn earned the pole position by posting a time of 14.255 seconds during qualifying. The effort was a new Barrie track record for the CASCAR Sportsman Series. Near the two-thirds point of the race, with Verhoeven all over leader McGlynn, the pair got together in turns 2 and again in turn 4. As the lead duo struggled to regain control, Verhoeven’s McRoberts Pontiac crossed the start/finish line ahead of McGlynn’s Ford.
But the lead was short-lived and McGlynn quickly reclaimed the top spot and he went on to take the checkered flag 1.073 seconds in front of Verhoeven. Eastern Ontario racers Dave Connelly and Steve Munro came home behind Lethbridge, all on the lead lap, to complete the top five finishers.
The next race for the CASCAR Sportsman Series takes place Saturday, Sept. 2 at Cayuga Speedway Park, as part of the Labour Day Classic Weekend.
CASCAR SPORTSMAN SERIES
RESULTS: Barrie Speedway
Race #3 // August 19, 2006 // Barrie, ON // 100 Laps
FIN. ST. # DRIVER (HOMETOWN) SPONSOR / MAKE LAPS
1 1 81 Shawn McGlynn (Kitchener, ON) McGlynn Motorsports Ford Taurus 100
2 2 77 Dion Verhoeven (Kerwood, ON) McRoberts Fuels Pontiac Grand Prix 100
3 3 95 Ron Lethbridge (Barrie, ON) Cash Advance / The Fuel Genie Dodge Charger 100
4 4 82 Dave Connelly (Arnprior, ON) Maple Leaf Foods Dodge Charger 100
5 5 00 Steve Munro (Carp, ON) Mattel Hot Wheels Chevrolet Monte Carlo 100
6 8 48 Doug Cathcart (Richmond, ON) Cathcart Mechanical Performance Pontiac Grand Prix 99
7 10 10 Josh Wood (London, ON) Pontiac Grand Prix 99
8 12 67 Scott Mitchell (St. Catharines, ON) Martindale Dental Chevrolet Monte Carlo 98
9 7 11 Cole Weber (New Hamburg, ON) Haffner Motors / Harman Dodge Charger 98
10 13 36 Alan Lebert (Stony Point, ON) Al's Yardworks Pontiac Grand Prix 89
11 11 7 Joey McColm (Ajax, ON) R Pontiac Grand Prix 57
12 6 32 Mike Alguire (London, ON) A-DOR Construction Pontiac Grand Prix 50
13 9 9 Kevin D’Amore (LaSalle, ON) Integration Action for Inclusion Dodge Charger 7
R after the hometown denotes Rookie contender.
TIME OF RACE: 29 minutes and 48.592 seconds // MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.073 seconds // CAUTIONS: 3 for a total of 18 Laps // LAP LEADERS: #81 Shawn McGlynn (1-67), #77 Dion Verhoeven (68), #81 Shawn McGlynn (69-100) // POLE AWARD: #81 Shawn McGlynn (14.255 seconds / 75.763 mph ** New Sportsman Series Record) // FASTEST LAP OF THE RACE: #95 Ron Lethbridge (14.286 seconds)
Contact CASCAR’s Toronto Office at (416) 531-4714 or visit www.cascar.ca
Prepared by Inside Track Communications.
NBES: Bourque Momentum Grows At Waterford
WATERFORD, Connecticut (August 21, 2006) - - 2006 NASCAR Busch East Series Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Pierre Bourque is continuing to prove that consistent seat time pays off.
In Saturday night’s race at Waterford Speedbowl, Bourque recorded a NASCAR career best finish in addition to netting a NASCAR career best qualifying effort. While his 25th practice effort didn’t show the team’s full potential, Bourque used the session as an adaptation period to conquer the demanding short track.
“Our car is good,” said the only full-time Canadian NASCAR driver. “Much like all of the previous tracks on the tour so far this year, I’ve had to use the first practice to learn my way around the track. It's like starting from a blank page. I quickly found that I really like this track. Hopefully we can move up in qualifying and have a good finish.”
Indeed, time trials was something for the Fast Track Racing team to be smiling about. Bourque's fast second lap of 15.492 seconds at 77.382 mph was good enough for a solid 17th place on the starting grid. His time trials effort was a career-best for the very busy racecar driver this season.
“We’re all excited about the way qualifying worked out,” continued Bourque, a native of Ottawa, Ontario. “The car is great. I’m confident that if we can keep our nose clean we’ll have a good finish. I'm proud at how hard my crew chief Dave McClure and the team have worked to prepare this Chevrolet Monte Carlo; hopefully we can continue to move up the ladder.”
Yet, the Big Y World Class Market 150 showed its true short track colors, producing a very competitive, yet caution-filled race. Still, Bourque showed patience, strength, and determination throughout the race, despite dealing with several hiccups, including a flat tire that sent him down pit road for new rubber.
Later in the event, a car spun in front of Bourque, forcing a t-bone-like accident and a brief off-road excursion. Returning to competition, Bourque, who also competes as a rookie in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and the CASCAR Series, was forced to nurse his engine underneath the hood as climbing temperatures were a potential disaster for the team.
Luckily, Bourque continued to dig and brought home a hard and well-earned 16th place finish, a career best finish for the rookie team. “Waterford is a very short, but intense racing track", said Bourque following the race, "There was a lot of beating and banging during the race, yet we survived it as best as we could. Sure, the car looks like it went through a war zone, and I've got enough bent sheet-metal and broken bits to start my own scrap yard, but we had a great day at the track.”
"I would like to thank my team owner and spotter Andy Hillenburg for guiding me through the race and for his excellent advice along the way. I also can't say enough about Dave McClure (crew chief) for his great setup at this very tricky track. The remainder of the Fast Track Racing team, Dave, Dave, A.J., Brent, and Lyle, well, all were knee-deep in elbow grease for me, as they always are. They live and breathe racing, and for me that makes for an intoxicating environment to develop my racing talents and to sharpen my competitive instincts. We’ve really started to turn the corner and everyone is pumped.”
The NASCAR Busch East Series will now enjoy almost a month-break before returning to New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS) on September 16th. While Bourque gained some ground in the point standings, he continues to control the 17th position in the championship standings, but now sits just two markers out of 16th and a mere 28 points out of the top-15.
Heading back to a track he’s raced at before this year, Bourque feels the challenge of aiming for the top-15 is easily feasible. “I’m looking forward to returning to a race track I’ve had some experience on this year,” he added. “We didn’t have the best finish our last go- around at New Hampshire, but I feel that we’ll have a better weekend in September and our crew is going into the race so pumped, we’ll take the “no mercy” motto and look to walk away from the track with our No. 10 machine in the top-15.”
DRIVING.CA continued the primary sponsorship role last weekend. DRIVING.CA is Canada's premier one-stop resource for automotive listings and consumer information.
In addition, CANADA.COM, Canada's leading destination for news and information, WORKING.COM, one of North America's top career sites, and DOSE.CA, a cool site that caters to hip Canadian urbanites coast- to-coast, all served as secondary sponsors on Bourque’s machine at Waterford.
All four new sponsors are part of Canwest-Global, Canada's largest media company, with interests in television, radio, newspapers and the internet. All four will be backing of Bourque’s NASCAR Busch East season, his remaining CASCAR race, and his forays into ARCA. “We had a great racing weekend which was a great bonus for our sponsors,” added Bourque. “We’re on a wave of momentum and our sponsors are really seeing the benefit of sponsorship both on and off the track. I’m really glad to have such influential and great sponsors aboard our Fast Track Racing team. We’re hoping to continue to bring home good finishes for them.”
FULL METAL MINERALS and POLLARA Strategic Public Opinion also backed Bourque’s racing effort this weekend as associate sponsors. “Full Metals Minerals and Pollara Strategic Public Opinion have been with me all season and this is our best finish for them. I really think as the season winds down our season is going to blossom leading up to a positive 2007 racing season.”
With the break in the NBES, Bourque will continue to gain experience in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, utilizing Superspeedway experience, while continuing to adapt to the challenging demands of a road-course by competing in the CASCAR Series, which he’ll return this weekend looking to improve on his solid 12th place finish a few weeks ago. “Staying behind the wheel of a racecar is so crucial,” he explained.
“In the last three weeks, I’ve scored my career best CASCAR finish, made my Superspeedway debut in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, and bolted a career best in the NASCAR Busch East Series. I’m really excited and feel like I’m on a roll. Hopefully this next weekend, we’ll have another good finish in the CASCAR Series when we race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal during the ChampCar weekend.”
He added, “A few days later, I will participate in the official ARCA RE/MAX Series test at Chicagoland Speedway and I’m really looking forward to that event. I made my Superspeedway debut at Nashville with a solid finish, I learned a lot about high-speed car control, and I was able to race with some of the best upcoming drivers currently competing in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, including several Cup team development drivers. I’m remembering that this year is a learning year with a steep curve for me, but it’s still my goal to walk away from the track with the best finish possible and lately, we’ve been doing a lot of that.”
In addition to running the full NASCAR Busch East Series in 2006, Pierre Bourque and Fast Track Racing will make limited starts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Bourque will also make his final CASCAR Series this weekend with Whitlock Motorsports.
For further in site on Canwest-Global and its associates please log onto http://www.Driving.Ca , http://www.Canada.com , http:// www.Working.com and http://www.Dose.Ca
For more information on Full Metals Minerals, please visit http:// www.fullmetalminerals.com
For additional input on Pollara Strategic Public Opinion, please logon to http://www.pollara.ca
By Chris Knight, Fast Track Racing
Sunday, August 20, 2006
NASCAR: Mayfield pins his woes on personal relationship between Crocker & Evernham
Watching Pete Shepherd's first Truck Series race a few weeks ago, I was repeatedly shocked by the driving of Erin Crocker. Bonking into the leaders as she was being passed and taking erratic lines, I kept asking myself, "What is Ray Evernham doing with her?"
Things are getting clearer after reading this story on SI.com and watching Wind Tunnel on SPEED.
Last night on Wind Tunnel, Dave Despain and Robin Miller revealed that the 'NASCAR garage' has known for months about a personal releationship between Evernham and Crocker.
The story by SI.com's Tim Tuttle includes the following:
Things are getting clearer after reading this story on SI.com and watching Wind Tunnel on SPEED.
Last night on Wind Tunnel, Dave Despain and Robin Miller revealed that the 'NASCAR garage' has known for months about a personal releationship between Evernham and Crocker.
The story by SI.com's Tim Tuttle includes the following:
In court papers, Mayfield said, "For significant periods of time [Evernham] has been, at best, an absentee manager and owner, largely because ... at some point in time Ray Evernham had entered into a close personal relationship with a female driver he engages to drive. That relationship became the subject of considerable discussion and distraction in the Nextel Cup garage area during the 2006 season."
"Close personal relationship"? Let's put it this way: Evernham, who turns 49 later this month, and the 25-year-old Crocker are more than friends. It's not a subject anybody likes to talk or write about -- it's taboo in the Cup garage -- but when it impacts the performance of the car, it becomes a subject in the public arena.
You wonder what Dodge officials think about Evernham's preoccupation with his Truck program. Dodge is on the outside looking in at the Chase going into Sunday's race at Michigan.
Kahne has faded to 11th, but he still has a shot to get the manufacturer into the championship hunt.
New Brunswick Int'l Speedway: Sunday's races postponed
From NBIS Online....
Today's race, Fredericton Inn presents Points Racing PLUS The Martin's Home Heating Sportsman 125 has been postponed due to weather. It will be re-scheduled for later in the year.
Today's race, Fredericton Inn presents Points Racing PLUS The Martin's Home Heating Sportsman 125 has been postponed due to weather. It will be re-scheduled for later in the year.
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