August 31, 2008. At round number ten of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series this past weekend at Cayuga Speedway, the #84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevrolet once again demonstrated that they are a team that might not have the best running race car at the beginning of the day, but by the end of the night they will have a with plenty of horsepower for driver John Ryan (J.R.) Fitzpatrick.
Through the practice session early in the day the car didn’t quite have the feel that J.R. Fitzpatrick was looking for. The team continued to make adjustments and the twenty year old would qualifying with the sixth fastest time.
While initially in the 200 lap main event the car was strong, it became a handful for the driver very quickly. “The car just got way too loose” said Fitzpatrick. “We’re trying stuff to make things better but it wasn’t working out early”.
Following the scheduled pit stop for tires and fuel the fortunes of the #84 team changed dramatically. “We were running about sixteenth, almost went a lap down but after we got tires on the car it was great” said the driver enthusiastically. “The crew did a great job on that stop, we gained about six spots on that stop and getting past some of the traffic really helped us out, they deserve a lot of credit”
Once back in the fight J.R. was able to demonstrate his skills and the improved performance of the #84 Chevrolet. “The car really did work a lot better in the second half of the race and I was able to get back into the top-five” A late race incident bunched the field up for a two lap dash to the finish with Fitzpatrick on the outside of row number two.
Quickly the team’s fortunes once again changed as everybody looked to gain as much ground as possible in the remaining two laps. “We had a late restart with a green, white, checkered finish and I just got a bit too aggressive, I went to the outside, I drove as hard as I could but lifted once I hit a bump on the track, I think I should have kept my foot in it a bit longer, the bump upset the car a little bit and unfortunately that cost us a bunch of places”.
J.R. Fitzpatrick would finish the race in twelfth spot and is now eighth in the overall championship standings with three events remaining on the schedule.
J.R and the Fitzpatrick Motorsports return to the track this coming Saturday, September 6th at Barrie Speedway. The 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule will take teams to the east coast and western Canada where Fitzpatrick swept away the competition last year. All races will once again be broadcast on TSN. More information on the series can be obtained by visiting www.nascar.ca
Attached Photo Caption: #84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevy at Cayuga // Photo Credit: Rod Andrews of www.canadianracer.com // This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment
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