PHOTO GALLERY: NASCAR Canadian Tire Series - Delaware Speedway - June 5, 2010

DJ Kennington won the season-opening NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Delaware Speedway on June 5, 2010. JR Fitzpatrick and Jeff Lapcevich were second and third, respectively. For more exclusive NCATS coverage, subscribe to Inside Track Motorsport News.

NCATS: Steckly runs up front early in Delaware NASCAR opener

LONDON, ON - Scott Steckly driver of the No. 22 Racing/Canadian Tire Dodge had a solid first half in the Delaware 200 presented by Keystone Light but several incidents kept them from the deserved finish and they posted a 16th place finish. Steckly qualified the Canadian Tire Dodge in the 11th position. “We didn’t qualify where we had hoped, but we have a great car,” said Steckly after qualifying.

Steckly stayed out of trouble early on in the race and was steadily moving up through the pack to third place before pitting. After restarting at the back of the pack the No.22 ran into traffic and got caught up in a wreck on lap 137, but still managed to stay on the lead lap. After fixing the car and restarting 12th, another wreck occurred on Lap 141 putting Steckly down a lap. From there Scott got caught up in more slow traffic and other people’s wrecks. “I just could not go anywhere, there was caution, after caution and we couldn’t get to the front to get our lap back.” said a disappointed Steckly after the race. On a positive note the car was running terrific and the team is excited about the next oval race which takes place in St. Eustache in a few weeks time.

The Delaware 200 presented by Keystone Light will be aired on TSN on Saturday, June 12th at 2 p.m. EST.

The next event for the No.22 Canadian Tire Dodge will be at Mosport International Raceway, just outside of Bowmanville, ON. Steckly posted the second quickest time and started on the front row for this event one year ago. For more event information please visit www.mosport.com.

For more information on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series please visit www.nascarlocalracing.com.

Scott Steckly would also like to thank his sponsors: Canadian Tire, MotoMaster, Mobil 1, Exide, Erb, AW Millwrights, Reefer Sales and Marks Work Warehouse.

From Linda Jones // Wide Open Motorsport Solutions
Photo by Greg MacPherson // Inside Track Motorsport News

Lapcevich impressive in NASCAR Canadian Tire Series opener; Third place finish a great start for Grimsby racer

June 5, 2010, KOMOKA, ON – Jeff Lapcevich dodged last-lap accidents to score an impressive third place finish in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series opener at Delaware Speedway Saturday night.

Scattered showers all around the London area speedway made track conditions difficult, but the Grimsby, Ontario, driver overcame adverse conditions to find the podium.
"I don't think I've ever had to dodge so many accidents," said the Tim Hortons/Castrol-sponsored driver after the race. "There was two on the last lap alone.

"This really feels good. We had the cars rebuilt in North Carolina this winter, and we've made changes on the crew and in the shop. It's a big morale booster to come out and run this strong. I couldn't be happier for Tim Hortons and the rest of our sponsors."

Lapcevich qualified a disappointing 12th in time trials, but he steadily moved to the front early in the race. With rain looming over the speedway Lapcevich's new crew chief Rob "Bucket" Torrey elected to gamble by staying on the race track when most cars pitted for fresh tires. The gamble forced Lapcevich to drive a loose handling race car, but it saw him lead briefly mid-race.

After being shuffled back on a restart, Lapcevich finally pitted for fresh tires with less than 50 laps to go. The chances of regaining a top spot seemed slim for Lapcevich, but opportunity knocked in the closing laps.

"The late race restarts were crazy," said Lapcevich. "Everyone was racing really aggressively. The last restart with two laps left was wild."

Lapcevich restarted seventh with two laps remaining. The ensuing carnage was a challenge. With one lap remaining Lapcevich was outside the top five, but two separate accidents on the closing lap changed everything. Lapcevich narrowly avoided the carnage to come home third behind DJ Kennington of St. Thomas, and JR Fitzpatrick of Cambridge.

"I was happy to just keep the car in one piece on that last lap," he said. "When I realized we finished third I was pretty excited."

Lapcevich returns to one of his favourite race tracks next weekend when the Canadian Tire Series heads to Mosport International Raceway. The veteran road racer always shows well on the road course, and momentum is a big factor in stock car racing.

"We've finished our last few seasons fairly wellg," recalled Lapcevich. "It's reassuring to start this strong. The crew has worked hard for this."

For more information on Lapcevich and his Fastline Motorsports team visit www.LapcevichRacing.com. Photo courtesy of Image Factor/Dale Calnan.

- 30 -

McColm's stellar season opener ruined 300 meters from the finish; Ajax driver sees top-five run disappear with last-lap crash

June 5, 2010, KOMOKA, ON – Joey McColm's career-best NASCAR race in the Canadian Tire Series opener at Delaware Speedway near London, Ontario, was ruined on the last lap Saturday night. The Ajax, Ontario, driver appeared destined for a podium result when contact with another car sent him careening into the outside wall.

The UltimateDrivers.ca Dodge suffered heavy damage, and McColm was unable to finish. The official tally shows McColm 13th, but the young talent feels he deserved better. "We had a great car at the end of the race," said McColm. "It's hard to explain how disappointing that crash was.

"Our team came into this season with so much enthusiasm. We've added Ultimate Drivers and WATCH IT! as sponsors, and the cars are the best they've ever been. We'll rebound from tonight's crash, but a top-three finish would have been awesome."

McColm qualified 13th in the competitive Canadian Tire Series field, but the team remained confident they could perform. Crew chief John Fletcher joked before the race that they could make the 13th starting spot lucky.

Pending rain caused various race strategies, but McColm's pit crew worked well on pit road. In the race's closing laps McColm found himself well inside the top-10.

The final restart with just a couple laps remaining led to carnage on the fast 1/2 mile speedway. McColm dodged a first mishap in turn one, and he emerged from the melee in the top five. Race officials allowed the race to stay under a green flag condition for drivers to determine the outcome on track. With just two corners remaining, McColm made contact with another car and crashed hard into the back stretch wall..

He fell from third to 13th in the blink of an eye. The UltimateDrivers.ca Dodge was unable to complete the final 300 meters.

"We'll rebound and head to the Mosport road course for next weekend's race," said McColm. "I feel like our program is really coming along on the road courses, and I've been anxious to get to Mosport all winter. I started racing on oval tracks, but I'm starting to feel like we're more competitive on the road courses recently.

"It's exciting how fast the car was. We just need some luck to go with our speed."

For more information on Joey McColm, visit www.joeymccolm.com. Attached photo courtesy of Image Factor/Dale Calnan.

DJ KENNINGTON WINS AT DELAWARE

June 6, 2010. St. Thomas, Ontario’s DJ Kennington, driver of the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge put name at the top of the contenders for the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Championship with a victory in race number one of the season. At the Keystone Light 200 Saturday evening at Delaware Speedway near London, Ontario Kennington made it his second consecutive victory at his home racetrack.

The day started off with a huge challenge for the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge team when after only five laps of practice a problem was noticed with the motor. Not wanting to take any chances the team swapped engines and were ready to make their scheduled qualifying run. Kennington set the tone when he put in a blistering lap of 19.22 seconds and scored pole position with an average speed of 93.652 MPH around the half mile oval. “What an effort by the whole team” said Kennington. “All my guys worked so hard that was a great reward for their efforts” he added.

As the green flag waved and wet weather loomed Kennington took off in the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge and had little trouble leading the first seventy five laps of the scheduled 200. “I think that Castrol Edge gave us an edge” he smiled and stated. “The car was so good right from the start of the race. It’s a great feeling as a driver”.

Rain was looming around the track and the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge team debated when to make their scheduled pit stops. “We weren’t sure if we’d get the all the laps in but as we got close to half way we decided to make our stop so we’d still have to time to get back toward the front” explained Kennington.

Deep in the field the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge driver then had to avoid the many racing incidents. “It got a little wild sometimes” said Kennington but I just kept going and pretty soon we were back up at the front”. he added.

Kennington would take over the lead for good on lap 160 but a late race caution period made things tense. The event would end under a green, white checker sprint and Kennington faced a hard charging #84 car. “I just took off and we body slammed pretty good going into corner one” said the driver. “But he went a bit high going into turn three and we managed to hang on for the win.

It’s just feels so good to win here at home” stated the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge driver. “When you have a day like we did you really find out how many friends you’ve got and we’ve got a lot of them. I just want to thank everybody on the team, our great support as always from Castrol, Mahindra Tractors, Contact Welding, and Hitachi Tools who have come on board with us this year. This is a fantastic way to start off the season” he concluded.

Round number two of the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season will take place next weekend, June 12^th & 13^th on the famed Road Course at Mosport International Raceway. All races will be televised on TSN. The Keystone Light 200 will air at 2PM Eastern on June 12^th. Follow the progress of the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge all season on the newly redesigned website http://www.djkracing.ca/ plus you can follow their progress at www.twitter.com/djkracing. You’re also invited to join the Facebook Group DJK Racing.

Photo: The Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Team celebrates victory.

BEST EVER FINISH FOR PIERRE BOURQUE

London, ON. (June 6, 2010) NASCAR Driver Pierre Bourque began his 2010 Canadian NASCAR racing season this past Saturday at Delaware Speedway near London, Ontario in the Keystone Light 200.

Bourque along with the #00 Telus Dodge team worked exhaustively throughout the entire day to improve the handling and performance of the race car and achieve a strong finish to start the season. Their efforts were rewarded with his best ever series result.

New this season Pierre’s #00 Telus Dodge entry is fielded by DJK Motorsports. Moving to a new team presents challenges for a driver to communicate to his new team how the car is handling and what changes are necessary to achieve maximum results. This process takes time and it was a struggle for the #00 Telus Dodge team early in the day. Bourque would begin the 200 lap feature event from the tail end of the field.

“I didn’t start well today, but wasn’t at all discouraged because the team was working so hard, they worked as a team and I knew we could only get better” said the driver. Bourque would go down a lap to the leaders but did regain it after improving on every circuit around the half mile oval and staying away from the many incidents on the track.

As the laps ticked away and rain showers were looming Bourque continued to maintain as consistent and quick a pace as he could in the #00 Telus Dodge and his efforts were rewarded. A late caution period set the field up for a green, white checker finish and Bourque took advantage of the situation. As cars were colliding ahead of him Pierre was able to gain spots right up until the final lap and concluded the race with a sixth place finish.

At the conclusion of the race Pierre Bourque was extremely pleased with the efforts of the entire #00 Telus Dodge team and very pleased about their first effort of the 2010 season together. “Not only was it was a lot of fun to start from the back and finish where I did, but it’s the very best finish that I’ve ever had in the series, so to start off the season, what more could I ask for”

Attached Photo: Pierre Bourque, driver of the #00 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Entry heads out to qualify at Delaware Speedway.

Photo Credit: Todd Lewis

About Pierre Bourque: Pierre Bourque will participate in select events of the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in the #00 Dodge prepared by DJK racing. Pierre is supported in this year’s effort by Aaron’s, Mahindra Tractors, Telus Mobility and Mohawk Internet Technology. You can watch the Keystone Light 200 on TSN on Saturday June 12^th at 2PM Eastern on TSN. For more information about Pierre Bourque you should go to http://www.pierrebourque.net/ and follow him on twitter at www.twitter.com/pierrebourque

DEREK WHITE SCORES TOP-TEN FINISH AT DELAWARE

June 6, 2010. Racer Derek White and the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar Race Team have worked extremely hard during the off season preparing for their first year of competition in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. At race number one of the season, The Keystone Light 200, at Delaware Speedway near London, Ontario the team’s efforts were rewarded with a splendid seventh place finish.

The #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar team worked tirelessly during practice but didn’t quite have the car handling perfectly. White would only be able to manage a seventeenth place starting spot on the grid and knew he would have to be patient despite the rain showers that were approaching.

When the 200 lap event began White kept to his approach. “I just waited, waited and saved my tires, saved gas and let the guys battle it out” said the driver. “You’ve got to be so patient and let the race come to you” he added. The #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar driver was rewarded for his efforts as he began to make progress in the field.

Despite the threat of an early end the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar car driver maintained his approach and further improved his position late in the race. “I just stayed calm and waited for chances to snake through the mayhem out there” he smiled. “There were a lot of guys who were a lap down that were trying to get it all back and I just kept steady, tried to hold a good pace and did my best to avoid all the contact," he added.

The 200 lap event would have a total of thirteen caution periods for 101 laps and through it all the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar car driver Derek White maintained his composure and finished with a seventh place result. “I was a bit lucky for sure, I don’t know how I got through it all, a couple of them were really close but this is the first top-ten I’ve had and I love it. I’m really excited and that’s the way to start the year. I’m ready for that road course next week” he concluded.

The #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar Race Team would like to thank the following sponsors for their support during the 2010 season: Game Busters, MJ Construction, LES Terraces enenchates, Snakes Poker and O.T.T.

Derek White and the #99 DPW/OCR Gas Bar Team will return to action June 12^th & 13^th for round two of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Mosport International Raceway June 12^th & 13^th. The team plans to compete in all thirteen series races this season. As in years past all NCATS races will also be seen on TSN. The Keystone Light 200 will air at 2PM Eastern on June 12^th. You can follow the team all year long by following this link to their website and by logging onto www.nascar.ca

Attached Photo: Derek White and the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar car team in line for qualifying at Delaware Speedway.

Photo Credit: Todd Lewis

NASCAR: Bourque back with Aaron’s, at DJK Racing

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racers Pierre Bourque (l) and DJ Kennington (r) met in Toronto on Feb. 18 to sign a contract that will see Bourque participate in at least seven NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races, in 2010, driving for Kennington’s DJK Racing team.

“I signed a deal with DJ Kennington to run with his team this year,” said Bourque, who hails from Ottawa, Ontario. “We’re going to do a minimum of seven races and I’m really looking forward to it. The bulk of my races in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be sponsored by Aaron’s and I’m very happy to be driving ‘The Dream Machine.’ I’m also excited that DJ Kennington will be putting the cars together for me.”

Bourque continued, “It’s been in the works for much of the winter. I thought DJ would be an awesome person to drive for. I explored several options, but DJ has a strong program and I have a real appreciation for his mechanical prowess.”

Bourque flew Aaron’s colours in several NCATS events in 2009 in cars prepared by the former Whitlock Motorsports team, and is looking forward to working with Kennington in 2010. Kennington, who lives in St. Thomas, Ontario, is returning with longtime sponsor Castrol, for an astounding 18^th consecutive season.

“It’s a great representation of the quality of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series to see companies like Aaron’s and Castrol involved in the sport,” said Bourque. “DJ has a long-running relationship with Castrol and that’s testament to the products he puts on the track and the way he represents his sponsors.

“In Aaron’s case, it’s an American-based company with a storied relationship with NASCAR, south of the border. To have them come into Canada with me in 2009 and to grow their relationship this year, shows they have an appetite to extend their footprint in this country, through racing. That says a lot about the quality of the racing that we have in Canada.”

Discussing the news, Kennington said, “We have Pierre signed to drive with us this year and that’s very exciting news. My goal is to grow our program into something bigger – basically in line with what Whitlock Motorsports was. I would like to make it into a three-car team and getting involved with Pierre and Aaron’s is a great step toward that. Anytime you can get a corporate sponsor like Aaron’s involved with your program, that’s a good thing.

“It takes a lot running two cars, but Pierre has obviously been there before and he knows what it takes. It’s nice to have our sponsorships lined up this early so we can concentrate on getting the cars ready to race.”

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is a 13-race series featuring a mix of oval track and road racing events.

Canadian Motor Speedway open in 2011?

In an interview with the Hamilton Spectator, Azhar Mohammad, excutive director of Emirates Consulting, the Toronto based consultant attempting to build the Canadian Motor Speedway in Fort Erie, ON, said he hopes to have it up and running as soon as 2011.

In the interview, he said "That's a very tight target, I must admit, but I think if everybody continues to work with the kind of positive feedback that we've had with the town and region and our engineers, I think it's a very do-able target."

The process of building the speedway is currently in the government approval phase, with Minisitry of Environment and Ministry of Natural Resources needing to be satisfied with the plan, as well as of dealing with any possible appeals at the Ontario Municipal Board.

TSN: Edmonton going ahead with 2010 IndyCar / NASCAR event

TSN is reporting that the Edmonton City Council has voted to go ahead with the 2010 Rexall Edmonton Indy, despite higher than expected losses in 2009. There had been speculation that the race might be called off for 2010. Edmonton's mayor calls the event a "valuable tourist attraction" that will likely take place beyond 2010. In addition to the IndyCar Series, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series also has a race scheduled for the Edmonton event.

Click here for the full story.

NASCAR @ DELAWARE SPEEDWAY: Pre-Race Party tonight at Crabby Joe's in Strathroy

Fans can meet NASCAR Canadian Tire Series drivers Kennington, Whitlock, Hathaway and Hanssen

London, ON - With the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series set to make its debut at Delaware Speedway on Saturday, June 6th, the track is inviting fans to a free pre-race party at Crabby Joe’s in Strathroy on Thursday, June 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series drivers confirmed to attend include last week’s race winner in Quebec, Dave Whitlock, along with DJ Kennington, Joey Hanssen and Jason Hathaway. Kennington and Hanssen’s cars will be on display. Race fans are welcome to stop by, visit with the drivers, collect autographs and take photos.

MyFM Radio (105.7 FM in Strathroy) will also be at Crabby Joe’s for the event. MyFM is also giving away tickets to listeners in the days leading up to the race on June 6th.

Crabby Joe’s Strathroy is the sponsor of the newly refurbished Crabby Joe’s Patio at Delaware Speedway. The restaurant is located at 323 Caradoc Street in Strathroy.

The NASCAR Canadian Tires Series will race at Delaware Speedway on Saturday, June 6th. Spectator Gates open at 4:00 p.m. More information is available at www.delawarespeedway.com.

NASCAR @ DELAWARE SPEEDWAY: NASCAR Midway & displays set for NCATS race on June 5-6

London, ON (May 26, 2009): A wide variety of interactive displays and vendors will be on site at Delaware Speedway for the upcoming NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race weekend, June 5th and 6th. In addition to a first-class race lineup (the winged Auto Value Super Sprints on June 5th and the track’s inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event June 6th), race fans will enjoy the NASCAR midway and display area.

Vendors and displays confirmed to be on site on Saturday, June 6th include:

· NASCAR souvenir trailer that includes both NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and popular NASCAR Sprint Cup Series merchandise

· A 50-foot by 50-foot NASCAR display area that includes information and interaction from a variety of series supporters

· NASCAR’s Canadian Tire “Fast Track Tour” trailer

· Dickie’s “Canadian Worker of the Year” display trailer

· BX 93 Radio’s Summer Fun Torrent powered by Dale Downie (Summer Cruiser)

· Napolean Grills sampling display

· Inside Track Motorsport News

· London’s Best Rock FM 96 Summer Cruiser

· 103.9 “The Hawk” Summer Cruiser

· Carling Race Team Display area

· Have Bus Will Travel Racing Tours SuperCoach

· Racing Radios

· Red Beard’s Sports

Many of the vendors will be on site for the Auto Value Super Sprint race on Friday June 5th.

Have Bus Will Travel Racing Tours will be giving away a Racing Tour for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race Weekend, August 15th and 16th at Michigan International Speedway (“NASCAR Canada Day @ MIS”).

Former Delaware Speedway Super Stock champion and APC Late Model Rookie of the Year and current NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver, Jason Hathaway is scheduled to sign autographs at the Napolean Grills display on the Friday night.

More information about the event is available at www.delawarespeedway.com.

NASCAR @ DELAWARE SPEEDWAY: "Ted Reader Tailgate Zone" added to NCATS event on June 6

Free area for race fans to be located in tent overlooking Turn 1

London, ON (May 29, 2009): The official team known for working with award-winning chef and food entertainer, Ted Reader, will be at Delaware Speedway for its inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race on Saturday, June 6th. Though Reader himself will not be on hand, his barbecue team equipped with Ted’s brand of fun and flavour, will be holding court in the “Ted Reader Tailgate Zone” the day of the race.

Reader and his team have parlayed a passion for food into a culinary tour de force that includes more than a dozen cook books, shelves of food products, live culinary performances, TV and radio cooking shows and appearances as well as culinary demonstrations, a catering company and teaching. Reader’s latest book, “Napolean’s Everyday Gourmet Grilling” was released last month.

At Delaware Speedway, Reader’s team will use his trademark barbecue rig to “Tedify” the track’s standard menu for guests in the licensed “Ted Reader Tailgate Zone,” which will be located on the turn one hill, overlooking the front straightaway. The area will also feature live music from the band “Black Belt Jones” and is free with race admission (Age of majority required).

More information about Reader, his books, recipes and food products is available online at www.tedreader.com.

The appearance is being made possible through an association with Napolean Grills, who will also have a taste-test display in the NASCAR Midway area both Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th. Napolean-sponsored driver, Jason Hathaway, will be signing autographs at the Napolean Grills display on the Friday night. Hathaway, a former Delaware Speedway Street Stock champion and APC Late Model Rookie of the Year, will compete in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race on the Saturday night (June 6th).

Spectator gates will open at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 5, with racing set to start at 8:00 p.m. The program for that evening features the only 2009 appearance of the wildly popular winged Auto Value Super Sprints, along with Delaware Speedway’s Demar Aggregates Trucks and POWERADE Modifeds, both of which are part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (i.e., weekly racing).

On Saturday (June 6), spectator gates will open at 4:00 p.m. Pre-race activities include a 50-lap Delaware Super Stock race and a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver autograph session. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series “Delaware 200” is schedule to take the green flag shortly after 8:00 p.m.

From Delaware Speedway

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series from St-Eustache on TSN

NCATS: Dave Whitlock to discuss upcoming season and his retirement on Sirius Speedway

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racer and three-time Canadian national stock car champion Dave Whitlock is going to be a guest on "Sirius Speedway" with Dave Moody tomorrow – Thursday May 21, 2009 at 4:20 p.m. “Sirius Speedway” airs Monday-Friday, 3p-7p (ET)

Listen in for some interesting discussion on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, the first event of 2009 at Autodrome St. Eustache and Dave’s decision to retire.

From Linda Jones / Wide Open Motorsport Solutions Inc.

NCATS: Five things to watch in 2009...

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Media Coordinator Shon Sbarra has prepared a season preview piece entitled "Five Things To Watch: Who will break through this year?" in advance of this weekend's opener at Montreal's Autodrome St-Eustache.

"The 2009 season for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will open this weekend at Autodrome St. Eustache (Que.) with the Tufoil 250. With the long winter behind everybody and another race season at hand, here are five things to watch as the upcoming season progresses.
Who will be this year’s surprise entrant to the championship fray?..."

Click here to see the entire piece on NASCAR Home Tracks.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series News And Notes - Autodrome St. Eustache

Tufoil 250 at Autodrome St. Eustache

• Tufoil 250 Notebook
• NCATS Off-Season Notebook
• Home Tracks Update: Bouvrette Battles Ranger

Hanssen: A Rookie In The Truest Sense

When the green flag flies for the first time of the season this Saturday in St. Eustache, Joey Hanssen officially will have made the jump—a big one. However, the confident 17-year-old aims to dive headfirst into the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

Hanssen (No. 40 Prime Champ Dodge) finds himself in unfamiliar territory behind the wheel of even more unfamiliar cars, racing in the premier Canadian series against competition that, more than likely, has wrenches in the tool chest older than he is. It’s a long way from the karting tracks of Europe where he excelled at an early age.

“I’m totally excited,” said Hanssen. “I can’t wait.”

The beast that is a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series car is unlike anything that he has competed in before. The heavier, less maneuverable stock car with more than 500 horsepower certainly captures the youngster’s attention.

“I’ve never driven anything like these cars before now. The closest thing is a V6 with half the horsepower,” he said.

There have been a few test sessions for the native of The Netherlands. So, he is not being thrown entirely into the lion’s den, but it sure may seem like it when the lights come on and points are up for grabs.

He comes to the NASCAR world via a circuitous route of business associates between Europe and Canada after having an initial interest, from afar, in Indy-style racing.

“I wanted to race Indy cars, but over the last couple of years I have watched a lot of NASCAR. I think it’s a stronger product.”

A family member from his sponsor had the connection and made the initial inquiry to DJ Kennington to see if he had any interest in the talented young driver. Hanssen and Kennington first met last December and Kennington’s curiosity was peaked. The announcement proclaiming DJK Racing’s move to a two-car team came shortly thereafter.

Despite the novelty of stock-car racing, Hanssen firmly believes that racing is racing the world over once a comfort level is reached with the equipment.

“I still need to learn these cars a lot more, but the tests have gone very well. I took it easy at first since the car was a little harder to handle than I expected, but I like the speed and power,” Hanssen said. “I think this team will progress pretty quickly. It’s going to be fun.”

Fast Facts

The Race: Tufoil 250
The Place: Autodrome St. Eustache, St. Eustache, Quebec
The Date: Saturday, May 23
The Time: 8:35 p.m. ET
TV Schedule: TSN, May 30, 5 p.m. ET
Track Layout: .4-mile paved oval
Race Purse: $85,398 CAD
2008 Winner: Scott Steckly
2008 Pole: Don Thomson Jr.
Schedule: Practice 1:30-2:30 p.m., Time Trials 5:15 p.m.
Track Contact: Tobie Legare, (450) 472-6222, tlegare@autodrome.ca
NASCAR Contact: Shon Sbarra, (704) 309-5493, ssbarra@nascar.com

Gaunt Willing To Persevere

It’s no secret. Times are tough. No industry has been spared from the drought-stricken economy, including motorsports. But John Gaunt has little desire to be a victim.

For the last two seasons, Gaunt has carried the colors of Centennial Chrysler proudly on the hood of his No. 12 Dodge. Why not? That’s where he makes his living away from the race track. However, with the difficult marketplace for the automobile manufacturers, that sponsorship is lost.

“I work there. I see it everyday and knew bad news was coming,” Gaunt said.

Throwing in the towel, though, is not in his nature. He plans to race this season as long as he can while looking to piece together something to make ends meet.

“We’ve got a good inventory of spare parts. We just need the money to get us to the track. We’ll figure out something,” he said.

Coming off a 12-place finish in the standings a year ago, the Gaunt team has a blueprint to follow. Scott Steckly finished 10th in 2007 and went into last season without a primary sponsor. After hooking up midseason with Tow Truck in a Box, he went on to win the series championship.

“(Steckly) won it all last year sitting in a similar spot as we are,” said Gaunt. “You just never know how things are going to go. That’s why you keep digging away.”

News & Notes

The Race: This event is the first of 13 races on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule. It is the series’ second visit to the track, the first being July 5, 2008.

The Procedure: The starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 21 cars will be determined from two-lap time trials. The remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 250 laps (100 miles).

The Track: The Autodrome St. Eustache racing complex, located northwest of Montreal, consists of a .4-mile flat oval, a 1.7-kilometer road course and a .125-mile drag strip. There is also a karting track on the premises. The track was founded in 1965 as Fury Speedway de Fabreville, and the current configuration has been hosting various types of racing since 1970. The track was purchased by Alan Labrosse prior to the 2008 race season.

The Records: The one-lap qualifying record for the Canadian Tire Series at the track is 17.219 seconds (83.629 mph), set by Don Thomson Jr. last year on July 5. The 250-lap race record is held by Scott Steckly at 1 hour, 53 minutes, 11 seconds, also set last July 5 for an average speed of 53.484 mph.

A Season Ago: The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series was scheduled to make its appearance in St. Eustache in late May, but the weather did not cooperate and forced a postponement. Clear skies were the order of the day, though, on the July 5 make-up date. In the race, Scott Steckly continued his hot start by earning the win. It was Steckly’s third win in the first four races of the season. DJ Kennington and Kerry Micks finished second and third, respectively.

Duhamel Back On Four Wheels: World-class American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) rider and Quebec native Miguel Duhamel will make his third NASCAR Canadian Tire Series start in the Tufoil 250. The former AMA Superbike champion, the first Canadian to collect that honor, has won the Daytona 200 five times. He is also the son of Canadian Motorsport Hall of Famer Yvon Duhamel. He will race the No. 7 Ford out of the Dave Jacombs stable.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Notebook

New Day For Canadian Tire: The retirement of Peter Gibbons put the coveted Canadian Tire race team sponsorship up for grabs. Canada’s largest retailer for automotive parts and accessories went through an in-depth process to select their new driver. In the end, they partnered with Tow Truck in a Box, which helped carry Scott Steckly to the 2008 series championship, to put their logo on the hood of the No. 22 Dodge.

Several Renew Deals: Despite the world-wide economic slowdown, several NASCAR Canadian Tire Series teams reached new agreements to continue sponsorship. Further proving NASCAR’s viability in today’s marketplace, Ron Beauchamp Jr. (No. 60 Mopar/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge), Mark Dilley (No. 9 Dodge/Leland Industries Dodge), Kerry Micks (No. 02 Beyond Digital Imaging Ford) and Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford) all came to terms on new deals for 2009. A pair of drivers, DJ Kennington (No. 17 Castrol/Mahindra Tractors Dodge) and Anthony Simone (No. 95 Crown Modular/United Lumber Chevrolet) not only renewed their agreements, but also added significant sponsors to their programs.

Not Collecting Dust: Even though he retired as an active driver at the end of last season, Gibbons wasted little time in finding use for all his racing gear. He signed a pact with Chris Raabe, a talented 17-year-old dirt-track racer. All the youngster did in 2008 was establish a DIRTcar record with 22 wins in 45 feature starts in the sportsman class and become the youngest Mr. DIRTcar in the sanctioning body’s 33-year history. Initially, the deal is for five races, but efforts continue to add more as resources allow.

“It was time to give up driving, but not racing, and concentrate on some of the other business ventures Denise and I had been working on over the past few years,” said Gibbons. “I think it’ll be great to mentor someone I feel has the ability to take the program we started to the next level.”

New Engine Builder Award: New to the series this year is the MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder Award. Teams will compete within a special points system, encompassing qualifying and race finishing positions with bonus points added for leading the most laps during a race. Each event will have a $1,000 winner and the team accumulating the most points over the season will earn the MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Year award to go along with a $5,000 check.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Back On TSN

For the third straight season, TSN, Canada’s Sports Leader, will be the exclusive broadcast partner of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

TSN will nationally televise 13 one-hour broadcasts – one for each of the series’ 13 scheduled races. Coverage gets underway on Saturday, May 30 at 5 p.m. ET with the Tufoil 250, the first race of the season, taking place on the flat .4-mile oval at Quebec’s Autodrome St. Eustache.

The shows will be produced by James Robinson Associates Ltd. and will include race coverage, driver interviews and features. Dave Bradley will provide the play-by-play alongside color analyst Billy Rowse Jr. Todd Lewis rounds out the broadcast team as pit reporter. The majority of race coverage will air on TSN HD, as well.

TSN’s NASCAR Canadian Tire Series coverage complements the network’s all-encompassing NASCAR programming, which includes full-season action of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series.

The early season will be highlighted by the first series visit to Delaware (Ont.) Speedway.

The middle portion of the schedule is dominated by the swing through western Canada. In addition to the customary stops at SunValley Speedway in Vernon, B.C., and Edmonton for the Rexall Edmonton Indy, Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, Sask., is another new track on the schedule for 2009.

The season will culminate with the annual trek eastward to Nova Scotia’s high-banked Riverside International Speedway—a favorite of all the competitors—and the season finale at Kawartha Speedway, near Peterborough, Ont., where the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion will be crowned.

Home Tracks Update: Bouvrette Battles Ranger Early In The Season

The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season is just underway at Autodrome St. Eustache, but it will heat up quickly as two classes of cars – sportsman and compacts – open the night of racing before the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series takes to the track this Saturday.

Defending track and provincial champion Jonathan Bouvrette is already out to an early lead in the standings amongst a strong field of cars in the sportsman classification that, in the early going, has included 2007 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion Andrew Ranger.

By the time all is said and done, though, Bouvrette will have to contend with Guy Jubinville, the 2007 track and provincial champion, for top honors in 2009.

While he has not fared particularly well, Ranger was using the opportunity to shake off the rust from the off season. He also undoubtedly was experimenting different strategies for the upcoming NASCAR Canadian Tire Series events at the facility.

Now in its third season in the NASCAR family of tracks, a sportsman class is the premier division in St. Eustache. The top class a year ago was a truck series.

The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series serves as the foundation of NASCAR – grassroots racing across the United States and Canada. Whelen Engineering, a leading manufacturer of automotive, aviation, industrial and emergency vehicle lighting, is the series sponsor. More than 10,000 drivers compete at NASCAR-sanctioned short tracks throughout both countries.

The short-track racing program in NASCAR was founded in 1982. Since its inception, the series has been a successful starting point for the careers of many top drivers. NASCAR stars Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Kurt and Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Travis Kvapil, Bobby Labonte, Jamie McMurray and Brian Vickers all began their careers in this series.

Riverside International Speedway News

Sportsman Super Series To Return In 2009

Riverside Speedway is pleased to announce that the Sportsman Super Series will return to the High Banks for four events in 2009. Final details will be released in the coming weeks. The four events will consist of two 50 lap events June 6th as a support class for the Season Opening Ron MacGillivray 100 Maritime Pro Stock Tour event and Aug 22nd for the Maritime Pro Stock Tour, two 100 lap special events will be held Friday July 17th during the IWK Super Weekend and Friday September 18th during the NASCAR Super Weekend.

We are pleased that Bill and Lynn Vasil will be back to run the series. Management would like to thank Bill & Lynn for taking this on again for 2009 without them this series would not exist. In the coming weeks Bill and Lynn will be contacting all teams that participated in 2008 with further details.

New teams should send their contact info to blta@eastlink.ca . There may be a few rule changes for 2009 but for the most part our plan is to make the rule equal to Scotia Speedworld with a few exceptions to allow outside cars to participate in our Super Shows. We are still working on a Support class to run with the 2 Friday night Sportsman 100 lap events.

More to come...

From Paul McLean / Manager / Riverside International Speedway / www.riversidespeedway.ca