Sauble Speedway 2007 Banquet Photo Gallery
On Saturday, Nov. 17, Sauble Speedway held its year-end banquet. During the proceedings, Joe and Sue Chisholm announced that they had sold the popular stock car facility to a family that has a long history of participation in the sport at Sauble and elsewhere.
From saublespeedway.com: "Joe Chisholm announced the sale of Sauble Speedway to Jason and Aimee Thom. Jason is the son of Bruce Thom of Thom Construction in Owen Sound. Jason in his early teens started racing at Sauble Speedway in a Late Model, Jason advanced his career to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series . Jason and Aimee have a lot to offer the sport of auto racing."
All the best to the Thoms as they put their mark on Sauble Speedway. And congratulations to the Chisholms for their efforts at Sauble and with the long-running ALSTAR Late Model Series.
Thanks to Joe and Sue Chisholm for the photos from the banquet. A PDF of the winners and other award winners is located here.
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CRC: Mitsubishi announces three-year travel, contingency and award programs
Mississauga, ONT. (Nov. 21, 2007) - MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Totally consistent with Mitsubishi's international racing and rally heritage, Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada Inc. (MMSCAN) have announced a three year commitment to a national "rally support program" that encourages amateur participation in organized rallysport - and directly benefits competitors, volunteers, promoters, organizers and fans of the Canadian Rally Championship (CRC). Canadian rally and motorsport enthusiasts have been eagerly anticipating Mitsubishi's formal involvement with the Canadian rally scene ever since Mitsubishi arrived in Canada five years ago, and will no doubt enthusiastically welcome this announcement.
Launched under the aggressive banner "Mitsubishi. We've come to race.", this multi-tiered program has been carefully structured to provide several levels of support for all eligible Mitsubishi competitors - plus additional merit based rewards, and recognition for achieving certain goals. This singular program is designed to complement existing CRC programs, to offer meaningful assistance for private competitors, and to help infuse the Mitsubishi brand and competitive philosophy into the fabric of the Canadian rally community and its fans.
"The benefits of Mitsubishi's on-going success in world rally championship wins can be seen directly in the automotive engineering and design success of the all new 2008 Lancer Evolution", said Koji Soga, President and CEO of MMSCAN. "The innovation and benefits brought to our street vehicles can be linked directly to our motorsports heritage."
"Mitsubishi is revered for its durability and engineering prowess" said Larry Futers, Director National Marketing, MMSCAN, "Our cars and trucks have competed in organized competitions all over the world. Events like Paris to Dakar, the Monte Carlo Rally, the Baja 1000, and, the formula one of rallying; the World Rally Championship. But in Canada, we're not that well known, yet."
The new program will debut on the weekend of Nov 24-25 in Bancroft Ontario, at the Rally of the Tall Pines - an internationally known motorsport event, and the last competition of the 2007 Canadian Rally Championship calendar. Eligible events for the Mitsubishi Rally Support Program include all six Canadian Rally Championship events - which begin in February of each year and finish in November - and Targa Newfoundland, a unique, high speed, pavement only adventure that takes place on public roads in Newfoundland every September, and hosts exotic rally cars from around the world.
Key elements of the three year Mitsubishi Rally Support Program:
Money for Travel - A travel subsidy will be provided to all eligible Mitsubishi teams entered in Canadian Rally Championship events. Amounts will vary between $200 and $400 depending on the distance traveled by the competitor.
Subsidized Entry Fee - All eligible Mitsubishi rally teams that start a Canadian Rally Championship event, or Targa Newfoundland, will receive $600.
Event Awards Contingencies - A results based rewards program featuring cash awards for overall finishes in both Canadian Rally Championship Events and Targa Newfoundland. Winners will be divided into two categories - 2WD ($250, $500, $1,000) and AWD ($750, $1,000, $1,250).
The Mitsubishi Cup - Year end awards and recognition for participating teams, with categories for both 2WD and AWD. To provide the resources needed to achieve in the following season, the Mitsubishi Cup will award the top ranking Mitsubishi teams with cash prizes ($1,250, $2,500, $5,000) for both 2WD and AWD competitors
Local Event Support - The program also includes support for some local rally events and digs deep into the grass roots to acknowledge the contribution of the volunteers who are the core of the sport.
Getting on the Web - Beginning in the 2008 season, space will be reserved on an upcoming Mitsubishi Rally website where participating teams will have the opportunity to showcase their efforts, post videos and blog entries, dialogue with fellow racers, and reach out to fans.
Merchandise / Promotion - Mitsubishi branded clothing and other promotional items will be provided to participating teams and some volunteers, with plans to make this clothing available to the public through dealers shortly thereafter. Promotional displays and a strong Mitsubishi presence will be part of every CRC event. And event organizers will be compensated for Mitsubishi's use of space.
"It's all about the competitors, continued Futers, "we want young Canadians competing in our cars. Tough as nails competition in a controlled environment. That's why we're in this. To encourage organized participation, to get folks talking, to spread our style, our philosophy, our enthusiasm. I want to see a red wave of Mitsubishi jackets at every rally, because we're here to race."
This enthusiastic sentiment is clearly reflected in initial comments from CRC entrants. "As a competitor who has competed every year since 2002 in the Canadian Rally Championship, I am over the moon to see Mitsubishi officially involved. Not only is the whole history of the brand interwoven with rally, but as a driver and car builder I can tell you that the Mitsubishi Evolution is the best out of the box rally car that there is. That's why I run them. Also, this program is very well thought out and will be a huge assistance to competitors running Mitsubishis. And Mitsubishi teams are some of the most die-hard competitors of all." said rally driver and car builder Andrew Comrie-Picard. For more information and pictures go to Andrew's site at, http://www.musketeerracing.com/
"A multi-facetted program like the one announced by Mitsubishi in Canada will have a very positive impact on the sport in this country. It is not only excellent incentive for existing competitors, I'm sure it will attract new teams and raise the level of competition everywhere," said Jorge Dascollas, president of the Canadian Association of Rallysport. "This is a very welcome development from a much respected company with a great motorsport history."
Vehicle Eligibility - Open to any entrant of any Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution vehicle of any age and any entrant of any other Mitsubishi automobile of model year 1998 or later. To be eligible for the awards, the entrant must be considered a starter of the event under CARS rules. Any vehicles entered by MMSCAN are not eligible for program awards.
Canadian Rally Championship events are national in scope and are run by the Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) under the auspices of the ASN / FIA, the world governing body for motorsport. These events are comprised of fully prepared rally cars racing against the clock in "special stages" on closed public roads in every imaginable road condition, day and night, winter and summer. Often traveling at speeds over 160 km per hour these high strung competition vehicles containing a driver and a navigator showcase the ultimate in car control and are a blast to watch. Rallysport is growing steadily in North America and Mitsubishi has been a leader worldwide in this sport for many years. More information on Rallysport may be obtained at http://www.carsrally.ca/CARSRally/.
Targa Newfoundland is one of three remaining all tarmac road / rally events in the world, the others being held in Tasmania and New Zealand. Various classes of fully prepared rally cars and carefully prepared production cars compete in several categories over five consecutive days on the public highways. It is a grueling test of courage, skill and determination where, as the organizers say, cars are driven as they were meant to be, within an organized framework. More information on Targa Newfoundland may be found at http://www.targanewfoundland.com/.
The advent of the Mitsubishi Rally Support Program is timely as the motorsport world is widely anticipating the spring 2008 introduction of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution high performance AWD compact sedan, to the Canadian market. The Evolution is a state of the art performance vehicle almost ready to rally, out of the box.
"The whole company is excited about the Lancer Evolution" said Futers, "It's a magical car and it comes at a magical time for Mitsubishi in Canada."
From Susan Elliott / Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada, Inc.
Launched under the aggressive banner "Mitsubishi. We've come to race.", this multi-tiered program has been carefully structured to provide several levels of support for all eligible Mitsubishi competitors - plus additional merit based rewards, and recognition for achieving certain goals. This singular program is designed to complement existing CRC programs, to offer meaningful assistance for private competitors, and to help infuse the Mitsubishi brand and competitive philosophy into the fabric of the Canadian rally community and its fans.
"The benefits of Mitsubishi's on-going success in world rally championship wins can be seen directly in the automotive engineering and design success of the all new 2008 Lancer Evolution", said Koji Soga, President and CEO of MMSCAN. "The innovation and benefits brought to our street vehicles can be linked directly to our motorsports heritage."
"Mitsubishi is revered for its durability and engineering prowess" said Larry Futers, Director National Marketing, MMSCAN, "Our cars and trucks have competed in organized competitions all over the world. Events like Paris to Dakar, the Monte Carlo Rally, the Baja 1000, and, the formula one of rallying; the World Rally Championship. But in Canada, we're not that well known, yet."
The new program will debut on the weekend of Nov 24-25 in Bancroft Ontario, at the Rally of the Tall Pines - an internationally known motorsport event, and the last competition of the 2007 Canadian Rally Championship calendar. Eligible events for the Mitsubishi Rally Support Program include all six Canadian Rally Championship events - which begin in February of each year and finish in November - and Targa Newfoundland, a unique, high speed, pavement only adventure that takes place on public roads in Newfoundland every September, and hosts exotic rally cars from around the world.
Key elements of the three year Mitsubishi Rally Support Program:
Money for Travel - A travel subsidy will be provided to all eligible Mitsubishi teams entered in Canadian Rally Championship events. Amounts will vary between $200 and $400 depending on the distance traveled by the competitor.
Subsidized Entry Fee - All eligible Mitsubishi rally teams that start a Canadian Rally Championship event, or Targa Newfoundland, will receive $600.
Event Awards Contingencies - A results based rewards program featuring cash awards for overall finishes in both Canadian Rally Championship Events and Targa Newfoundland. Winners will be divided into two categories - 2WD ($250, $500, $1,000) and AWD ($750, $1,000, $1,250).
The Mitsubishi Cup - Year end awards and recognition for participating teams, with categories for both 2WD and AWD. To provide the resources needed to achieve in the following season, the Mitsubishi Cup will award the top ranking Mitsubishi teams with cash prizes ($1,250, $2,500, $5,000) for both 2WD and AWD competitors
Local Event Support - The program also includes support for some local rally events and digs deep into the grass roots to acknowledge the contribution of the volunteers who are the core of the sport.
Getting on the Web - Beginning in the 2008 season, space will be reserved on an upcoming Mitsubishi Rally website where participating teams will have the opportunity to showcase their efforts, post videos and blog entries, dialogue with fellow racers, and reach out to fans.
Merchandise / Promotion - Mitsubishi branded clothing and other promotional items will be provided to participating teams and some volunteers, with plans to make this clothing available to the public through dealers shortly thereafter. Promotional displays and a strong Mitsubishi presence will be part of every CRC event. And event organizers will be compensated for Mitsubishi's use of space.
"It's all about the competitors, continued Futers, "we want young Canadians competing in our cars. Tough as nails competition in a controlled environment. That's why we're in this. To encourage organized participation, to get folks talking, to spread our style, our philosophy, our enthusiasm. I want to see a red wave of Mitsubishi jackets at every rally, because we're here to race."
This enthusiastic sentiment is clearly reflected in initial comments from CRC entrants. "As a competitor who has competed every year since 2002 in the Canadian Rally Championship, I am over the moon to see Mitsubishi officially involved. Not only is the whole history of the brand interwoven with rally, but as a driver and car builder I can tell you that the Mitsubishi Evolution is the best out of the box rally car that there is. That's why I run them. Also, this program is very well thought out and will be a huge assistance to competitors running Mitsubishis. And Mitsubishi teams are some of the most die-hard competitors of all." said rally driver and car builder Andrew Comrie-Picard. For more information and pictures go to Andrew's site at, http://www.musketeerracing.com/
"A multi-facetted program like the one announced by Mitsubishi in Canada will have a very positive impact on the sport in this country. It is not only excellent incentive for existing competitors, I'm sure it will attract new teams and raise the level of competition everywhere," said Jorge Dascollas, president of the Canadian Association of Rallysport. "This is a very welcome development from a much respected company with a great motorsport history."
Vehicle Eligibility - Open to any entrant of any Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution vehicle of any age and any entrant of any other Mitsubishi automobile of model year 1998 or later. To be eligible for the awards, the entrant must be considered a starter of the event under CARS rules. Any vehicles entered by MMSCAN are not eligible for program awards.
Canadian Rally Championship events are national in scope and are run by the Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) under the auspices of the ASN / FIA, the world governing body for motorsport. These events are comprised of fully prepared rally cars racing against the clock in "special stages" on closed public roads in every imaginable road condition, day and night, winter and summer. Often traveling at speeds over 160 km per hour these high strung competition vehicles containing a driver and a navigator showcase the ultimate in car control and are a blast to watch. Rallysport is growing steadily in North America and Mitsubishi has been a leader worldwide in this sport for many years. More information on Rallysport may be obtained at http://www.carsrally.ca/CARSRally/.
Targa Newfoundland is one of three remaining all tarmac road / rally events in the world, the others being held in Tasmania and New Zealand. Various classes of fully prepared rally cars and carefully prepared production cars compete in several categories over five consecutive days on the public highways. It is a grueling test of courage, skill and determination where, as the organizers say, cars are driven as they were meant to be, within an organized framework. More information on Targa Newfoundland may be found at http://www.targanewfoundland.com/.
The advent of the Mitsubishi Rally Support Program is timely as the motorsport world is widely anticipating the spring 2008 introduction of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution high performance AWD compact sedan, to the Canadian market. The Evolution is a state of the art performance vehicle almost ready to rally, out of the box.
"The whole company is excited about the Lancer Evolution" said Futers, "It's a magical car and it comes at a magical time for Mitsubishi in Canada."
From Susan Elliott / Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada, Inc.
The Rock is Back
Gene McLaurin, Mayor of Rockingham, NC was the first in line to purchase tickets. �I am proud to be the first purchaser to the inaugural race at Rockingham Speedway,� said Mayor McLaurin. �Andy Hillenburg and staff are off to a great start and I hope race fans will join me as we get ready to return to The Rock.�
Tickets for both events are now on sale to the public, just in time for the Holidays. The Carolina 500 ticket prices are $35 for all seats in the Front Stretch Rockingham Grandstands and $30 for all seats in the Turns 1 and 2 Grandstands. Infield General Admission is $20 per person for the 312-lap event on Sunday.
Saturday May 3rd will feature two qualifying sessions to determine the race field for the 50-car starting grid. Saturday tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under as well as free admission for service men and women in uniform in each grandstand and for the infield General Admission. Practice on Friday May 2nd will be open free to the public.
Ticket prices for the American 200, the first race for the Hooter�s Pro Cup Series at the Rockingham Speedway are $25 for reserved seats located in the Turns 1 and 2 Grandstands, $28 for reserved seats in the Rockingham Grandstands and $20 for infield General Admission.
Practice and qualifying for the 200-lap Hooter�s Pro Cup event will be held on Friday October 31st. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under and free for kids dressed in costume as well as service men and women in uniform.
Fans can also purchase Combo Tickets for both events at a price of $58 for reserved seats in the Rockingham Front stretch and $50 for reserved seats in the Turns 1 and 2 Grandstands.
Rockingham Speedway will also offer special sections reserved for families in both grandstands that are free of smoke and alcohol.
From Rockingham Raceway Park
Heading to the Rally of the Tall Pines? Don't forget this!
Click here or on the cover (at right) to download the 2007 Rally of the Tall Pines Spectator Guide, which was produced by Inside Track Communications. The main event takes place this Saturday (Nov. 24) in the Bancroft (ON) area. The PDF file of the 32-page Spectator Guide is almost 6 Mb and includes everything you'll need to enjoy the event, including schedules, maps, entry lists and team profiles.
For more information about the Rall of the Tall Pines, click here.
OSCAAR 2007 Banquet Photo Gallery, by Dave Franks
130 pictures from Dave Franks (Thanks Dave!) from the 2007 OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Model Series banquet, held on Nov. 17. Congratulations to champion Derrick Tiemersma and his team on their season, as well as to all the other members of the OSCAAR family. The issue of Inside Track currently on press features our extensive OSCAAR Year In Review section, so watch for that in the mail starting next week.
NASCAR Nextel Cup: Season in Review
From NASCAR
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 21, 2007) – Sixteen drivers won NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races, including all 12 drivers who participated in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.
The lead in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup changed hands following each of the first five Chase races, but Jeff Gordon led the point standings in each of the next four weeks following consecutive victories at Talladega and Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson posted three consecutive victories at Martinsville, Atlanta and Texas to move back into the lead in the championship standings by 30 points. His fourth straight win (Phoenix) gave Johnson an 86-point lead entering the season finale where he posted a seventh-place finish to claim his second straight series title.
2007 Season Highlights
• At Bristol, The Car of Tomorrow made its debut.
• At Talladega, Jeff Gordon won his 77th career race, breaking a tie with Dale Earnhardt for sixth on the all-time win list. Gordon had tied Earnhardt’s mark of 76 wins the prior week in Phoenix.
• Hendrick Motorsports posted six consecutive victories (second Talladega through second Phoenix), the first time since Petty Enterprises won 10 straight in 1967 that an organization had won six straight.
• Four drivers posted career-first victories: Casey Mears, Martin Truex Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer.
• With his win at Infineon Raceway, Montoya, from Colombia, became the first foreign-born race winner since Canadian Earl Ross in 1974.
• Two of the top-10 closest finishes since the advent of electronic timing (1993) have occurred this season, both at Daytona International Speedway. The Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 had a ninth-closest margin of victory of 0.020 and the Pepsi 400 on July 7 had a margin of victory of 0.005, which is tied for second-closest.
• Jimmie Johnson posted four consecutive victories (Martinsville-Phoenix) – the longest winning streak in Chase history – and the first time a driver had won four straight since Jeff Gordon in 1998.
All-time Record
• Jeff Gordon scored his 12th restrictor-plate victory with his win at Talladega and became the all-time leader in restrictor-plate victories. He broke a tie with Dale Earnhardt.
Qualifying
• There have been 18 different Bud Pole winners led by Jeff Gordon (seven). Qualifying was canceled at Texas, second Daytona and Watkins Glen due to inclement weather.
• The all-time record for the number of different pole winners is 24 (1957) and the Modern Era record is 18 (1997, 2001 and 2007).
• There were four first-time pole winners this season: Clint Bowyer, Reed Sorenson, J.J. Yeley and Martin Truex Jr.
• There has been a first-time pole winner each season since 1987 – 21 consecutive years.
• Ryan Newman’s pole at Atlanta ended a streak of 20 races without a pole – the longest of his career.
• Jimmie Johnson leads all other drivers with 26 top-10 starts this season.
• Every pole winner led a lap in the race in which he won the pole except for J.J. Yeley at the second Michigan race.
The Races
• There were 16 different race winners, led by Jimmie Johnson (10).
• There were four first-time race winners this season: Casey Mears, Martin Truex Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer.
• There were back-to-back victories eight times this season:
Jimmie Johnson (Las Vegas-Atlanta), (California-Richmond) and (Martinsville-Atlanta-Texas-Phoenix)
Jeff Gordon (Phoenix-Talladega) and (Talladega-Lowe’s)
Tony Stewart (Chicago-Indianapolis).
• There were four season sweeps this season: Jimmie Johnson (Richmond, Martinsville and Atlanta) and Jeff Gordon (Talladega).
• Four races were won from the pole in 2007: Phoenix (Jeff Gordon), Talladega (Jeff Gordon), second Richmond (Jimmie Johnson) and second New Hampshire (Clint Bowyer).
• Jeff Gordon posted 21 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes – both more than any other driver. Gordon’s 30 top-10 finishes broke the modern era record for top-10s in a season held by Dale Jarrett (1999).
• There were four final lap passes for the victory this season – both Daytona races, Texas and second Talladega.
Sweeps
• There have been 158 season sweeps in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.
• Jimmie Johnson won both races at Richmond, Martinsville and Atlanta this season – giving him nine career season sweeps. Johnson has posted at least one season sweep in five of the last six seasons (he did not sweep a track in 2006).
• Richard Petty holds the all-time record for season sweeps with 23.
• Jeff Gordon swept Talladega, just the seventh time a driver has won both races in a season at Talladega.
Laps Completed
• No driver completed every lap in 2007.
• Kevin Harvick led the series in laps completed with 10,431 of 10,582.
Laps Led
• No driver led in every race this season.
• Jimmie Johnson led in 24 races, more than any other driver.
• Jeff Gordon leads in bonus points for leading laps with 150.
• Jeff Gordon has led a series-high 1,300 of the 10,582 laps – 12.3% of the laps raced.
• Thirteen different drivers have led the most laps in a race: Jeff Gordon (seven), Kurt Busch (five), Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth (four), Denny Hamlin (three), Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch (two), Carl Edwards, Robby Gordon, Kasey Kahne (one).
Rookie Performance
• Juan Pablo Montoya won the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award. Montoya lead David Ragan by 24 points in the final tally (276-252).
• Four different drivers were the highest-finishing rookie at least once this season: Juan Pablo Montoya (17), David Ragan (14), Paul Menard (four) and AJ Allmendinger (two).
• The best finish by a rookie has been first by Juan Pablo Montoya at Infineon Raceway.
• Juan Pablo Montoya (20th) ranked highest among the rookies in the point standings.
Penalties
• There have been 537 on-track penalties issued this season.
• Every team that has competed in two or more races this season has received at least one on-track penalty.
• Penalty Recap:
Pitting Before Pit Road is Open 316
Too Fast Entering Pit Road 37
Too Fast Exiting Pit Road 81
Others 103
Points
• Only two drivers have ranked in the top 12 in points for every race: Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon.
• Robby Gordon finished the season ranked 26th in the points – the highest of those who did not compete in every race.
The Chase
• Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon both had 5,210 points after the first Chase race. Johnson held the number one position based on the tiebreaker of six wins to Gordon’s four.
• Gordon assumed the points lead at Dover with Johnson retaking the top spot after Kansas.
• The third change in the point leader took place at Talladega when Gordon moved back into the lead.
• The fourth change in the point leader came after Texas with Johnson regaining the lead by 30 points.
• The 77-point margin that Jimmie Johnson claimed the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship by was the largest margin in the history of the Chase.
Changes up Front
The record for changes in the point leader in the four year history of the Chase is four (2006 and 2007). The fourth change in the point leader in both seasons took place in the eighth race.
Manufacturer
• Chevrolet won the manufacturer point standings with 290 points to 208 for Ford, 178 for Dodge and 116 for Toyota.
• Chevrolet clinched the manufacturers’ championship at Richmond.
• Chevrolet won 26 races. Ford had seven wins and Dodge three.
• Chevrolet scored its 600th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory with Kyle Busch’s win at Bristol. Busch’s victory was the first for the Chevrolet Impala since Wendell Scott won at Jacksonville (Fla.) Speedway Park on Dec. 1, 1963.
• Toyota scored its first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup top five when Brian Vickers finished fifth at Charlotte in May and its best finish of the season with Dave Blaney’s third-place posting at second Talladega.
• Chevrolet posted 26 victories this season, breaking a tie with Buick (1982) for the most victories by a manufacturer in the modern era. Plymouth holds the all-time record for victories in a season with 31 in 1967 – a 49-race season.
MAHLE Clevite Canada Completes Acquisition of Engine Parts One
NIAGARA ON THE LAKE, ONTARIO (NOV. 15, 2007) - MAHLE Clevite Canada ULC announced today that they completed the purchase of Canadian Engine Parts 1 Inc. Engine Parts 1 currently serves the Canadian engine parts market with 5 strategically located warehouses across the country - this Acquisition transfers ownership to MAHLE Clevite Canada.
This transaction enables MAHLE Clevite to position itself to better service the needs of the Canadian engine parts market. Additionally, this supports the implementation of the MAHLE Clevite value-added initiatives allowing them to focus directly on servicing the engine parts aftermarket in concert with their customer base. This MAHLE Clevite initiative also establishes an important step in assuring our valued customers of the long-term commitment for the supply of MAHLE Original, Clevite, Perfect Circle and Victor Reinz products.
Michael Tate, MAHLE Clevite general manager says, "The acquisition of Engine Parts 1 is a great arrangement for our customers. It allows us to deliver our premier engine parts, combined with the utmost level of service and engine expertise that we are known for."
MAHLE Clevite Inc. is one of the world's largest suppliers of pistons, valve train parts, engine bearings, piston rings, and engine gaskets. MAHLE Clevite brands include MAHLE Original® pistons, assemblies, valves, cylinder liners, Clevite® engine bearings and engine parts, Victor Reinz® gaskets and Perfect Circle® piston rings. In addition, Clevite®, Victor Reinz® and Perfect Circle® are official NASCAR® Performance Products. MAHLE Clevite's Internet address is www.mahleclevite.com.
The MAHLE Group is one of the 30 largest automotive suppliers worldwide. As the leading manufacturer of combustion engine components, systems and peripherals, MAHLE is among the top 3 suppliers for piston systems, cylinder components, valve train systems via air management systems and liquid management systems. MAHLE employs more than 40,000 employees in 110 production plants and in seven research and development centers. In 2006, MAHLE generated sales in excess of EUR 4.3 billion (USD 5.8 billion).
This transaction enables MAHLE Clevite to position itself to better service the needs of the Canadian engine parts market. Additionally, this supports the implementation of the MAHLE Clevite value-added initiatives allowing them to focus directly on servicing the engine parts aftermarket in concert with their customer base. This MAHLE Clevite initiative also establishes an important step in assuring our valued customers of the long-term commitment for the supply of MAHLE Original, Clevite, Perfect Circle and Victor Reinz products.
Michael Tate, MAHLE Clevite general manager says, "The acquisition of Engine Parts 1 is a great arrangement for our customers. It allows us to deliver our premier engine parts, combined with the utmost level of service and engine expertise that we are known for."
MAHLE Clevite Inc. is one of the world's largest suppliers of pistons, valve train parts, engine bearings, piston rings, and engine gaskets. MAHLE Clevite brands include MAHLE Original® pistons, assemblies, valves, cylinder liners, Clevite® engine bearings and engine parts, Victor Reinz® gaskets and Perfect Circle® piston rings. In addition, Clevite®, Victor Reinz® and Perfect Circle® are official NASCAR® Performance Products. MAHLE Clevite's Internet address is www.mahleclevite.com.
The MAHLE Group is one of the 30 largest automotive suppliers worldwide. As the leading manufacturer of combustion engine components, systems and peripherals, MAHLE is among the top 3 suppliers for piston systems, cylinder components, valve train systems via air management systems and liquid management systems. MAHLE employs more than 40,000 employees in 110 production plants and in seven research and development centers. In 2006, MAHLE generated sales in excess of EUR 4.3 billion (USD 5.8 billion).
T.O. STAR: Steelback in "liquidity crisis"
From the Toronto Star....
"Generic drug entrepreneur Barry Sherman has gained court protection for D'Angelo Brands and Steelback Breweries in efforts to save the two former high-flying beverage companies which together owe his family firm more than $120 million.
Justice Sarah Pepall quietly issued an order late last week for a stay of any proceedings by creditors against the two insolvent companies until Sherman's Wasanda Enterprises attempts to file a restructuring plan...."
"At D'Angelo Brands, Sherman also noted in the affidavit that media and sponsorship commitments did not reflect sales..."
Steelback is the title sponsor of the GP of Toronto Champ Car race.
"Generic drug entrepreneur Barry Sherman has gained court protection for D'Angelo Brands and Steelback Breweries in efforts to save the two former high-flying beverage companies which together owe his family firm more than $120 million.
Justice Sarah Pepall quietly issued an order late last week for a stay of any proceedings by creditors against the two insolvent companies until Sherman's Wasanda Enterprises attempts to file a restructuring plan...."
"At D'Angelo Brands, Sherman also noted in the affidavit that media and sponsorship commitments did not reflect sales..."
Steelback is the title sponsor of the GP of Toronto Champ Car race.
SCCA SPEED WORLD CHALLENGE SET TO RETURN TO MOSPORT IN 2008
For the third year in-a-row, the SPEED GT cars will hit the streets of Long Beach in April with the Champ Car World Series and American Le Mans Series. The following weekend, SPEED Touring Car teams are off to Virginia International Raceway to join the Rolex Sports Car Series. The 2008 event will mark only the second time in history the series has raced at this venerable road course.
In May, both classes reunite for a showdown in the desert at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah with the American Le Mans Series. The series returns to historical Watkins Glen International in June with the Rolex Sports Car Series, then joins the American Le Mans Series and the Indy Racing League for a repeat a highly successful event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July, followed by Mosport.
The remainder of the schedule is expected to be announced shortly.
2008 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Schedule
Date Track/Venue
April 18 – 20 Grand Prix of Long Beach (GT only)
April 25 – 27 Virginia International Raceway (Touring Car only)
May 16 – 18 Miller Motorsports Park (GT and Touring Car)
June 5 – 8 Watkins Glen International (GT and Touring Car)
July 17 – 20 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (GT and Touring Car)
August 21 – 24 Mosport International Raceway (GT and Touring Car)
From Lee Bailie, Mosport
RICK @ the RACES... Retro #18 from Rick Young
Photos:
PIC 1 Grass Track racing at the circuit at Bleak Hall , Milton Keknes in 1980
PIC 2 Pat about to take a photo of racing at Rochdale in June 1980
PIC 3 A Ford Escort Hot Rod spins out at the Gannita Circuit, Gendt, Netherland in July 1980
PIC 4 The start of the Hot Rod Feature/Final at the Gannita Circuit, Gendt, Netherlands July 1980
PIC 5 Richie Ahern # 18 on the Grand Parade lap at Ringwood track in August 1980
PIC 6 My old Buddy Chris Pickup # 50 debuts his Austin Allegro bodied F1 at Brafield 1980
PIC 7 Jamie Pfeifer # USA 99 in the loaned Bob Tanser car at Brafield 1980
PIC 8 Jim McLure # USA 3 in his loaned Frankie Wainman car at the Coventry World Final 1980
PIC 9 Phil Libby # USA 81 in his loaned Frankie Wainman car at the Coventry World Final 1980
PIC 10 That's Phil Libby and me at the Beech Ridge Speedway, Scarborough, Maine 2005
PIC 11 Stuart Smith # 391 winner of the 1980 BriSCA F1 World Final, picured at Brafield 1980
PIC 12 COLIN HERRIDGE PHOTO of Start Smith Jnr # 390, 2007 BriSCA F1 World Final winner
PIC 13 DAVE PIERCE # 320 the 1980 SUPERSTOX World Final winner ( photo at Ipswich 1980)
PIC 14 The Friedhelm Welters # 8 car has it's roof sprayed gold on the Baarlo start line Sept 1980
PIC 15 A happy looking Friedhelm Welters # 8 after winning the 1980 Long Track W/F at Baarlo
PIC 16 From left to Right, Miss NACO, UK promotor Warren Taylor, 1980 Long Track winner , Friedhelm Welters, UK promotor Stu Bamforth, and NACO boss Jac Van Claes.
Intro.... RICK @ the RACES 'RETRO' is an ongoing story of my life and times at the races. My first taste of stock car racing was at the Foxhall Stadium (Ipswich UK) when I was taken there by my parents as a 'toddler' in the late 1950's. I became a regular race fan during my school days and raced my first BriSCA F1 Stock Car at the age of 20. Since then I've moved to Ontario, Canada where, at present, I'm heavily involved in the DIRT Modified scene. RICK YOUNG.
Quite often I'm asked, how I remember all this stuff, which happened all those years ago, so let me explain. From the earliest times as a school kid, I 'ticked off' my yearly fixture/schedule cards and kept them as keepsakes. I also wrote down in my diaries where I'd been, as well keeping my race day programs which were meticulously filled out with results. Most of these I still have to this day, and have used them for research. Alas, over the years some of my records have gone missing and I have to rely on old magazines to jog my memory. Every now and then after sending out my "RETRO' reports I come across somewhere I've been, but forgot to mention. With this in mind, I have two places to add, that should have been included in my previous reports. In the late 1970's during the height of the SCOTA/FISCA F1 days , I visited the Wisbech Stadium in Cambridgeshire. I went there at least twice. The second track I failed to mention was the Grass Track course at Bleak Hall in Milton Keynes which should have been included in my last report ( RETRO # 17) . I went there in the first part of 1980. It was a small temporary circuit for grass-racers located just outside of Bletchley in the new city of Milton Keynes, a short distance from my home in Totternhoe, near Dunstable.
Before returning to the story, here's a short recap...
In May 1980 I met Pat, who would later become my wife, then at the end of the month I re-visited the Baarlo Auto Speedway in the Netherlands for racing weekend which got tragically shortened.
It was also at this time that I became know as 'Rick' for the first time. I was christened with the name of Richard, but during my school days it was shortened to 'Dick'. Pat preferred to call me 'Rick' , so from then on, that was the name I answered to... although I must add, to save confusion when I renewed my racing career in 1983, I still used the name 'Dick Young # 67'
The Second Half of 1980.
On June 21, Pat accompanied me to the races for the first time, when we visited the Leicester Stadium on Blackbird Rd . It didn't take much to persuade her to come along, as she'd watched stock-car racing and motor-cycle speedway in the past , at her local Poole and Ringwood tracks near to her south-coast hometown of Bournemouth. I could not have chosen a better night for her first baptism of up-country racing. Leicester was always noted as one of the best action tracks in the UK and this particular night was probably the most memorable of all time. The great Richie Ahern # 18 was involved in a spectacular crash with Steve Bateman # 427 where both cars rolled-over , with Richie's car flying so high , it cleared the safety fence and landed on the greyhound track. Sadly, Leicester became another of those great tracks lost to the housing developer.
The following weekend we made a road trip to the North of England in Pat's Fiat X19 two-seater sports car, where we attended the BriSCA F1 races at Belle Vue, Manchester and the Rochdale Stadium. Lancs. ( 28/29 June)
During the previous winter I'd bought a Ford Capri 2 litre V4 , which turned out to be the biggest piece of junk I ever owned ! We made plans for a caravaning/racing vacation in July, where it would make it's 'maiden voyage' across the English Channel. The engine had a bit of a 'smoke' coming from it, so in preparation, I decided to put in a new set of piston rings. It was no big deal, and a job I'd done on plenty of engines in the past. On Friday night (July 18) , we set off from Dunstable with my Mum and Dads borrowed caravan on-tow heading for the ferry port of Dover. We had just past the Lydden Hill exit on the M2 when there was a big bang and the Capri came to a halt. After a quick inspection it was obvious a serious engine failure had occurred, with a hole in the engine block and a con-rod poking through the side. After walking across the fields to a nearby farm house I used their phone ( we had no mobile/cel phone in those days) to get help. Luckily I had taken out AA (Automobile Association) Five Star Travel Insurance which covered eventualities like this. The Car and Caravan were towed to a local garage while a taxi took us to a hotel in Dover. The next day, while arrangements were being made for the return of the car and caravan to Dunstable we crossed the Channel as foot passengers to Calais in France. From Calais we rented a Talbot Horizon so we could continue with our vacation plans. Without a caravan, it meant the extra cost of staying in hotels, so we decided to make it a one week trip instead of two. We spent a few days touring the Rhine Valley of Germany before heading for the Gannita Circuit, at Gendt in the Netherlands. The track which was part of the Jac Van Claes NACO organization was located between Nigmegan and Arnhem. All the NACO divisions were present, although there was only a hand full of F1 Stock Cars. Hot Rods were the headline division that day.
Let me Digress... For my readers around the world not familiar with "Hot Rods', let me explain . They are a 4 cylinder non-contact full-fendered division that started in the UK in the mid-sixties. I've witnessed them in action many times over the years from 1965 onwards, but they never really 'did much' for me. My best recollections of them were from the late 70's on the rare occasions when they performed on shale ( dirt) at Wimbledon where the George Polley # 306 and Barry Lee # 351 duels were awesome !
On our return to the UK , I had my Ford Capri to get back on the road, so another engine was bought from a wreckers yard, and installed.
I later found out from a mechanic at my local Ford dealership why the original engine 'let go' . Like I said , I'd done plenty of 'piston-ring jobs' in the past and had never had the need to replace the con-rod bolts. Apparently with this type of engine new ones should always be used once they've been removed. ...Well, you live and learn !
The Superstox World Final was held at the Cowdenbeath Raceway in Scotland on Sunday Aug 17 and was won by Dave Pierce # 320 of Dorking , Surrey. I missed this one, but did attend the F3 Stock Car World Final at Crayford in Kent ( Aug 22). My old friend Brian Holmes was competing in the race that was won by Simon Peters # 60 from Leyton ( North London). The BriSCA F2 World Final was held later in the year ( Sept 28) , at the Hartlepool Stadium ( which I didn't attend) and won by David Bunt # 595 of Plymouth, Devon. So in 1980 there were three events labeled as "World Finals" for a similar type of stock car.
On August 25 the BriSCA F1's returned to the Matchams Park Stadium at Ringwood after a more than a decade and I was there to see one of my old friends , Danny Clarke from Kettering, Northants get the big win.
The 1980 BriSCA F1 World Final was held at the Coventry Stadium and Stuart Smith # 391 of Rochdale, Lancs won his second title. (Incidentally, this year, his youngest son Stuart Jnr # 390 won the 2007 BriSCA F1 World Championship at the Kings Lynn Speedway.) At Coventry as well as the usual Netherlands representatives there were three drivers from the USA in loaned cars . They were Jamie Pfeifer # USA 99 a Late Model driver from California, and New England Modified pilots, Phil Libby # USA 81 and Jim Mclure # USA 3 from the Beech Ridge Speedway in Maine. The Beech Ridge connection was a new affiliation with BriSCA and continued for the next couple of years. Mclure returned the following year for the 1981 event at Bradford and Libby was back for the Belle Vue race in 1982. I chatted to Phil Libby following the Belle Vue event and met up with him again in 2005. I recently reconnected with both Jim and Phil for an article I was doing for SHORT CIRCUIT MAGAZINE. I traveled up to the Beech Ridge Speedway where I was introduced to many of the people involved in those early 1980's exchange visits.
Another visitor to Coventry was a race fan named Rieks Delicaat who my buddy Colin Herridge and I , had befriended on our Baarlo trip in May. It was his first taste of UK racing and he was staying at Colin's place in Dunstable . He offered to return the favor the following weekend.
Just one week after the Coventry World Final, the BriSCA entourage, me included were back in mainland Europe for the Long Track World Final at Baarlo in the Netherlands ( 13/14 Sept) . I still had little faith in my Ford Capri so Pat and I joined Colin and his girlfriend Kim in their Toyota for the trip. This was just a quick 'whistle stop' visit and we all stayed at Rieks place in nearby Heerlen. Popular winner of the 1980 event was Friedhelm Welters # 8 who I'd seen in victory lane earlier in the year.
For the rest of the 1980 season all my regular tracks were visited including Coventry, Leicester, Brafield and Long Eaton as well as a late season excursion to Skegness on the east coast. Making a late start to the season was my old friend Chris Pickup # 50 who I'd known since teenage days and shared my first stock car with. He had been busy building a new car with what must have been the only stock car to use an Austin Allegro body. It had a 425 Buick engine covered by long hood and a Mercedes radiator grille . In later years I would be the owner of this car .
Towards the end of the year Pat and I had become engaged, and with the winter months ahead, had our wedding planned for March 1981.
1981 to follow...
Sauble Speedway sold to Jason and Aimee Thom
SAUBLE BEACH, ON - The 2007 Drivers awards banquet was one heck of a celebration as over 200 people congregated for the End Season Championship ceremonies, master of ceremonies, long time announcer Jim Irvine, and Bob Bannister.
Three new faces were inducted onto the wall of fame at the beach: Rick and Larry McCulloch, along with long time race director Ross Potter, who has now retired.
Joe Chisholm announced the sale of Sauble Speedway to Jason and Aimee Thom. Jason is the son of Bruce Thom of Thom Construction in Owen Sound. Jason in his early teens started racing at Sauble Speedway in a Late Model, Jason advanced his career to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Jason and Aimee have a lot to offer the sport of auto racing.
Jason and Aimee Thom have many plans they wish to inject into their new business. They plan on keeping Sauble Speedway�s existing employees, and take the track to the next level. Joe Chisholm will stay on as Marketing Director, and working hand in Hand with the Thoms.
In company to join the Chisholm Family to celebrate in the success of 2007 at Sauble Speedway were many sponsors with the likes of Reg Noble of Reg Nobles Used Cars, Kevin Brown of Bayshore Broadcasting, Jeff Davis of Davis Trophy, Vince from Margarita Ice, Bert Young of East Side Mario�s, Gary and Sari of Life Publications Owen Sound to name a few, along with Mark Reed of Quaker State Canada who Presented Jason Thom the new owner of Sauble Speedway with a Quaker State leather racing jacket.
From Sauble Speedway
Three new faces were inducted onto the wall of fame at the beach: Rick and Larry McCulloch, along with long time race director Ross Potter, who has now retired.
Joe Chisholm announced the sale of Sauble Speedway to Jason and Aimee Thom. Jason is the son of Bruce Thom of Thom Construction in Owen Sound. Jason in his early teens started racing at Sauble Speedway in a Late Model, Jason advanced his career to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Jason and Aimee have a lot to offer the sport of auto racing.
Jason and Aimee Thom have many plans they wish to inject into their new business. They plan on keeping Sauble Speedway�s existing employees, and take the track to the next level. Joe Chisholm will stay on as Marketing Director, and working hand in Hand with the Thoms.
In company to join the Chisholm Family to celebrate in the success of 2007 at Sauble Speedway were many sponsors with the likes of Reg Noble of Reg Nobles Used Cars, Kevin Brown of Bayshore Broadcasting, Jeff Davis of Davis Trophy, Vince from Margarita Ice, Bert Young of East Side Mario�s, Gary and Sari of Life Publications Owen Sound to name a few, along with Mark Reed of Quaker State Canada who Presented Jason Thom the new owner of Sauble Speedway with a Quaker State leather racing jacket.
From Sauble Speedway
Jacques Villeneuve's Homestead Recap
Jacques Villeneuve – UNICEF Tundra Post Race Report
Race: Ford 200
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Date: Friday, Nov. 16, 2007
Started: Third
Finished: 36th
Laps Completed: 81
Total Laps: 138
For Jacques Villeneuve, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway was not only the final race of the 2007 season, but it was also his final NCTS start, as he will join the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series ranks in 2008.
Villeneuve and crew chief "Slugger" Labbe made some serious headway during each practice session Friday morning. The No. 27 UNICEF Tundra was near the top of the speed chart in all three practice sessions and finished as the third-fastest truck in the final practice session. Villeneuve and his team were ready for that afternoon's qualifying session.
Villeneuve ran as hard as he could during qualifying. A great lap of 31.368 seconds placed Villeneuve third on the starting grid for that evening's race and gave Villeneuve his best NCTS start.
As the race got underway, Villeneuve immediately experienced problems. He drifted toward the back of the field, but he tried to regain lost track position by lap 40. By lap 61, Villeneuve had worked his way into the lead.
Villeneuve maintained the lead throughout the next few laps before pitting under caution on lap 77. After the four tire stop, Villeneuve restarted fifth on lap 80. It seemed as if he was on his way to his highest finish ever.
However, on lap 81, Villeneuve's Tundra got loose and backed into the wall. The incident relegated him to the garage area for the remainder of the race. He and the No. 27 UNICEF team were credited with a 36th-place finish.
Villeneuve will now set his sights on 2008 and the upcoming NEXTEL Cup Series season.
From Amanda Smith Mathis / Bill Davis Racing
Race: Ford 200
Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Date: Friday, Nov. 16, 2007
Started: Third
Finished: 36th
Laps Completed: 81
Total Laps: 138
For Jacques Villeneuve, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway was not only the final race of the 2007 season, but it was also his final NCTS start, as he will join the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series ranks in 2008.
Villeneuve and crew chief "Slugger" Labbe made some serious headway during each practice session Friday morning. The No. 27 UNICEF Tundra was near the top of the speed chart in all three practice sessions and finished as the third-fastest truck in the final practice session. Villeneuve and his team were ready for that afternoon's qualifying session.
Villeneuve ran as hard as he could during qualifying. A great lap of 31.368 seconds placed Villeneuve third on the starting grid for that evening's race and gave Villeneuve his best NCTS start.
As the race got underway, Villeneuve immediately experienced problems. He drifted toward the back of the field, but he tried to regain lost track position by lap 40. By lap 61, Villeneuve had worked his way into the lead.
Villeneuve maintained the lead throughout the next few laps before pitting under caution on lap 77. After the four tire stop, Villeneuve restarted fifth on lap 80. It seemed as if he was on his way to his highest finish ever.
However, on lap 81, Villeneuve's Tundra got loose and backed into the wall. The incident relegated him to the garage area for the remainder of the race. He and the No. 27 UNICEF team were credited with a 36th-place finish.
Villeneuve will now set his sights on 2008 and the upcoming NEXTEL Cup Series season.
From Amanda Smith Mathis / Bill Davis Racing
Canadian rally : L'Estage crowned North American Champion
St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, November 20, 2007 - Antoine L'Estage has been named the overall North American Rally Champion thanks to four outright wins in Canada and a second place in the United States (New England Forest Rally).
"The North American Rally Cup is a dream come true," explains Antoine L'Estage. "I have an excellent score with four wins in Canada and a second place finish in Maine. These high finishing points allowed me to clinch the title before the official end of the season. It's a great accomplishment but a second Canadian title is also a huge motivation factor for us this weekend. The Coyote Rally Team only needs a sixth place finish to win the overall Canadian Championship."
There is only one round remaining in the Canadian rally calendar, which will decide the Canadian champion. The Rally of the Tall Pines will be contested this weekend in the Bancroft area of Ontario. The L'Estage-Richard duo could come away with another national title, making it a second for the driver and the co-driver. Already very familiar with the Ontario region's forest roads - after winning in 2004 and again in 2006 - the team is ensuring that everything is ready for the weekend's competition, which could see them crowned champions for a second year in a row. Once again the preparation of the Concerto Yokohama Hyundai was left in the very capable hands of rally legend John Buffum.
"Tall Pines always comes with a lot of uncertainty, namely the weather and road conditions. This time of year, the gravel roads around Bancroft could easily be covered in snow or ice. I have several types of Yokohama tires to go up against these conditions and I count on my co-driver, Nathalie, to perfectly deliver the notes that we made during the two reconnaissance passes," adds L'Estage. "At Tall Pines, it's also important to identify the spots where the ground may stay frozen, which may cause an additional challenge," comments Nathalie Richard.
Over 45 teams are already registered for this event which takes place in and around the small town of Bancroft, two hours west of Ottawa, on November 23 and 24, 2007. In total, 179 kms of racing against the clock await the participants, who will travel a total of 524 kms. There will be reconnaissance of the roads on Thrusday and Friday afternoons, followed by the technical inspection. The official start will be Saturday morning at 9am with 15 timed stages planned for the day, finishing around 10pm.
Antoine L'Estage participates in the 2007 Canadian Rally Championship thanks to the support of : Hyundai Canada, les Fenêtres Concerto, Yokohama Tires, Énergie Cardio, Libra Racing, OMP Racewear, Belle Gueule beer, Castrol Canada and MBF Racing. For more information, please visit Coyote Rallye, a source for rally and the Coyote Rallye Team.
From Coyote Rallye Press Services
"The North American Rally Cup is a dream come true," explains Antoine L'Estage. "I have an excellent score with four wins in Canada and a second place finish in Maine. These high finishing points allowed me to clinch the title before the official end of the season. It's a great accomplishment but a second Canadian title is also a huge motivation factor for us this weekend. The Coyote Rally Team only needs a sixth place finish to win the overall Canadian Championship."
There is only one round remaining in the Canadian rally calendar, which will decide the Canadian champion. The Rally of the Tall Pines will be contested this weekend in the Bancroft area of Ontario. The L'Estage-Richard duo could come away with another national title, making it a second for the driver and the co-driver. Already very familiar with the Ontario region's forest roads - after winning in 2004 and again in 2006 - the team is ensuring that everything is ready for the weekend's competition, which could see them crowned champions for a second year in a row. Once again the preparation of the Concerto Yokohama Hyundai was left in the very capable hands of rally legend John Buffum.
"Tall Pines always comes with a lot of uncertainty, namely the weather and road conditions. This time of year, the gravel roads around Bancroft could easily be covered in snow or ice. I have several types of Yokohama tires to go up against these conditions and I count on my co-driver, Nathalie, to perfectly deliver the notes that we made during the two reconnaissance passes," adds L'Estage. "At Tall Pines, it's also important to identify the spots where the ground may stay frozen, which may cause an additional challenge," comments Nathalie Richard.
Over 45 teams are already registered for this event which takes place in and around the small town of Bancroft, two hours west of Ottawa, on November 23 and 24, 2007. In total, 179 kms of racing against the clock await the participants, who will travel a total of 524 kms. There will be reconnaissance of the roads on Thrusday and Friday afternoons, followed by the technical inspection. The official start will be Saturday morning at 9am with 15 timed stages planned for the day, finishing around 10pm.
Antoine L'Estage participates in the 2007 Canadian Rally Championship thanks to the support of : Hyundai Canada, les Fenêtres Concerto, Yokohama Tires, Énergie Cardio, Libra Racing, OMP Racewear, Belle Gueule beer, Castrol Canada and MBF Racing. For more information, please visit Coyote Rallye, a source for rally and the Coyote Rallye Team.
From Coyote Rallye Press Services
John Graham survives another caution filled race in Homestead
Prior to starting the race, John Graham thanked his team for all of their hard work this weekend and in all of the races he has driven this year. After the race had been green for several laps, John radioed the crew, "The car feels good." However, he would pit during the first caution on lap five to top-off with fuel. Graham would pit again during the second caution on lap 15 for four tires, fuel, and slight chassis adjustments. The Kickbutt Amped Energy Ballz pit crew had another outstanding 13.2 second pit stop.
On lap 74, Graham radioed to his team, "The car is very comfortable and neutral." Twelve laps later Graham said, "The car is starting to free up." The Kickbutt Amped Energy Ballz crew would pit the car under caution for four tires with an air-pressure and wedge adjustment the next lap. On lap 130, Graham ran his quickest lap of the race and he told the crew, "The changes on the last pit stop sure helped." He would again pit on lap 165 during green flag pit stops for four tires and fuel. Over the next 70 laps Graham methodically made his way to the 31st position.
Quotes from John Graham:
"I want to thank all of the guys on the Kickbutt Amped Energy Ballz team for working hard this weekend. They never gave up and kept making adjustments to get me better all afternoon. They have worked hard all year and I really appreciate all that they have done for me this year. The pit crew has had great stops all year. I appreciate everything that Brewco Motorsports and Kickbutt Amped Energy Ballz have done for me during the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series season."
From Tiffany Bouldin / Brewco Motorsports
Rally of the Tall Pines Presentation
Stouffville (Ontario), November 20, 2007. This coming Saturday, in Bancroft (ON), 44 teams will line up for the Rally of the Tall Pines, last round of the Canadian Rally Championship, presented by Subaru and Castrol. Besides the two contenders for the title, Quebecker Antoine L'Estage and Ontarian Andrew Comrie-Picard, there will be many well-known drivers taking the start.
Favorite to win the event and the championship for a second year in a row, Antoine L'Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard (both from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC), in a Hyundai Tiburon 4WD, holds a 15 point lead on Andrew Comrie-Picard (Toronto, ON) and American co-driver Marc Goldfarb, in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9. To win the championship, Comrie-Picard and Goldfarb must win the event while L'Estage/Richard finishes no better than 7th. So far this year, both teams have always finished on the podium.
The final battle for the overall championship may be the main feature, but it will not be the only highlight of this event. The Rally of the Tall Pines, the only Ontario event in the Canadian Championship, is posting the most remarkable list of entries seen in the last 10 years. 2005 champions Peter Thomson (Toronto, ON) and Rod Hendricksen (New Jersey, USA) are back for a second national event this year, in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8. Third at Defi Ste-Agathe/Duhamel this past September, Peter Thomson is again aiming for a podium to end his comeback year on a high note.
Third in the championship behind L'Estage and Comrie-Picard, and about to win Production 4 class, Martin Gauvin/Daniel Duchesneau (New-Richmond, QC) will be running their first Tall Pines, as will Craig Henderson and Lyne Murphy (Saint-Constant, QC), the surprise of the 2007 season. Both teams run in Subaru Impreza WRXs.
Six times Canadian Champion, Frank Sprongl (Georgetown, ON) and Brian Maxwell (Port Hope, ON), also in a Lancer, are taking part in their first rally this year. Frank has written much of Canadian rally history and is entered with one desire and that is to win, just like Americans Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino, members of Team Subaru USA, who will take part in their first Canadian rally ever. Of course, they will run an Impreza WRX STi and if the roads are not covered in snow and ice, should be considered front runners to win the event.
Among other notables also expected, Réjean Losier (Blainville, QC) and Philippe Poirier (Saint-Alphonse, QC) will sport a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, while Maine team John Cassidy and Dave Getchell will ride in an open class Subaru Impreza WRX STi.
After finishing 5th at Defi, Ontarian John Vanos and new co-driver Jeff Secor, also in a Subaru Impreza WRX STi, will try to score another top 5. Finally, in Group 5, Ontarians Martin Walter and Ken Lagarec (Nissan 240SX) will take part in the show, even if they have already secured their class title.
The 2007 Rally of the Tall Pines will get underway this coming Saturday at 9:00 AM, in Bancroft. There will be 15 special stages and the first cars should be back around 10:00 PM. Competitors are expecting mud and snow on these treacherous and twisty gravel roads.
For more information on this event, please visit www.tallpinesrally.com. Filming for TV is provided by ATV Productions. For more information on the Canadian Rally Championship and rally events, please visit http://www.carsrally.ca.
From Canadian Association of Rallysport
Favorite to win the event and the championship for a second year in a row, Antoine L'Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard (both from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC), in a Hyundai Tiburon 4WD, holds a 15 point lead on Andrew Comrie-Picard (Toronto, ON) and American co-driver Marc Goldfarb, in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9. To win the championship, Comrie-Picard and Goldfarb must win the event while L'Estage/Richard finishes no better than 7th. So far this year, both teams have always finished on the podium.
The final battle for the overall championship may be the main feature, but it will not be the only highlight of this event. The Rally of the Tall Pines, the only Ontario event in the Canadian Championship, is posting the most remarkable list of entries seen in the last 10 years. 2005 champions Peter Thomson (Toronto, ON) and Rod Hendricksen (New Jersey, USA) are back for a second national event this year, in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8. Third at Defi Ste-Agathe/Duhamel this past September, Peter Thomson is again aiming for a podium to end his comeback year on a high note.
Third in the championship behind L'Estage and Comrie-Picard, and about to win Production 4 class, Martin Gauvin/Daniel Duchesneau (New-Richmond, QC) will be running their first Tall Pines, as will Craig Henderson and Lyne Murphy (Saint-Constant, QC), the surprise of the 2007 season. Both teams run in Subaru Impreza WRXs.
Six times Canadian Champion, Frank Sprongl (Georgetown, ON) and Brian Maxwell (Port Hope, ON), also in a Lancer, are taking part in their first rally this year. Frank has written much of Canadian rally history and is entered with one desire and that is to win, just like Americans Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino, members of Team Subaru USA, who will take part in their first Canadian rally ever. Of course, they will run an Impreza WRX STi and if the roads are not covered in snow and ice, should be considered front runners to win the event.
Among other notables also expected, Réjean Losier (Blainville, QC) and Philippe Poirier (Saint-Alphonse, QC) will sport a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, while Maine team John Cassidy and Dave Getchell will ride in an open class Subaru Impreza WRX STi.
After finishing 5th at Defi, Ontarian John Vanos and new co-driver Jeff Secor, also in a Subaru Impreza WRX STi, will try to score another top 5. Finally, in Group 5, Ontarians Martin Walter and Ken Lagarec (Nissan 240SX) will take part in the show, even if they have already secured their class title.
The 2007 Rally of the Tall Pines will get underway this coming Saturday at 9:00 AM, in Bancroft. There will be 15 special stages and the first cars should be back around 10:00 PM. Competitors are expecting mud and snow on these treacherous and twisty gravel roads.
For more information on this event, please visit www.tallpinesrally.com. Filming for TV is provided by ATV Productions. For more information on the Canadian Rally Championship and rally events, please visit http://www.carsrally.ca.
From Canadian Association of Rallysport
Product Spotlight: CRC Compressor Oil
CRC Canada Co. announces the addition of Compressor Oil to their line of automotive chemicals and shop supplies.
CRC Compressor Oil helps promote longer life in all types of reciprocating & rotary compressors. The oil is solvent refined & clay filtered for a long lasting, anti-foul operation. Safely cleans valve seat deposits & extends compressor life. Applicatons include: Portable and stationary rotary screw compressors, rotary vane compressors and single or multi-stage reciprocating Compressors.
Part Number 75133 • 3.785L • 4 units per case CRC Canada Co. • 2-1246 Lorimar Drive • Mississauga, Ontario L5S 1R2 T (905) 670.2291 • F (905) 670.5941 • http://www.crc-canada.ca/
STICKY - This post will appear at the top until Friday Nov 16, please see below for latest posts
KEVIN YORK JOINS COMPASS360 FOR 2008 KONI CHALLENGE SEASON
Charlotte, North Carolina -- Kevin York will rejoin the Grand
American Road Racing’s KONI Challenge Series full time in 2008.
American Road Racing’s KONI Challenge Series full time in 2008.
In doing so, Kevin will again partner with 2007 championship-leading
team, Compass360/Racing. The team ultimately finished second in the
2007 ST-class Drivers’ Championship and, for the second year in a
row, helped to bring Acura its second consecutive Manufacturer’s
Championship.
Joining Kevin in his association with Compass360/Racing will be a new
and exciting marketing partner, unique to motorsport.
“I am extraordinarily pleased to be associated with Karl Thomson and
his successful KONI Challenge team, Compass360/Racing, for the entire
2008 season,” enthused Kevin. “Grand Am has grown and matured as a
motorsport property, and so too has Karl’s team. The momentum that
the team has from its fantastic 2007 season will carry forward into
the upcoming one without doubt!” “Additionally, look for the details of my new marketing partner to be
revealed in the Spring of the 2008 season as part of a structured
roll-out. I expect everyone will be reading about it when they are
formally announced in May.” noted York. “We are very excited about it
and the fans will be, too!”
The Compass360/Racing team will be ready for Grand Am's Daytona pre- season test in early January. The 2008 KONI Challenge Series' first race will then be held a few short weeks thereafter. The team will be
displaying a bold new livery design that's completely in sync with
the street tuner scene and the team’s actively involved sponsors.
Kevin York of YORK Motorsport has been a motorsport competitor and
coach for nearly two decades. He has competed in and won in
various forms of motorsport. Licensed by Grand Am, FIA, WKA, ACCUS
and ICSCC, Kevin has a depth and breadth of experience not seen in
all drivers. For more detail, see http://www.yorkmotorsport.com/.
Compass360/Racing is the motorsports division of Compass360 Design +
Advertising, a firm offering branding expertise to clients in diverse
industries across North America. The team fielded BMW Z3 entries in
2004 and 2005, winning the VIR race in '05 and bringing the
Manufacturer's Championship to BMW. In 2006 and 2007, teamed with
Kensai, they switched to Acuras, rewarding that manufacturer with the
Championship twice in succession. Compass360/Racing returns in 2008
to compete for the Driver's, Team and Manufacturer's Championships
with Acura in Grand Am's KONI series. For details visit http:// www.compass360.com/racing
For more information or to schedule a phone interview with Kevin
York, please initiate contact via email to: kevin@york-group.net or
T: +1 608 698 4993 GMT-0500
F1: Schumi fastest in testing
It goes without saying that I didn't mean Ralf.
TSN has the story about Michael Schumacher tearing up the track in Spain.
"For the second straight day, Michael Schumacher topped the time sheets at a Formula One test in Spain.
Schumacher turned approximately 90 laps and set a best time of 1:21.486, which was almost 4-10ths of a second quicker than Pedro de la Rosa in the McLaren.
"It took me a bit of time, maybe two laps, and then I was back into the groove," Schumacher told reporters on Wednesday. "And I have to say I surprised myself that I was so quickly on it again. Being out on the track is still a very good feeling."
The seven time world champion is testing for Ferrari after the team asked for his input following new regulations next season which will ban driver aids such as traction control...."
Schumacher turned approximately 90 laps and set a best time of 1:21.486, which was almost 4-10ths of a second quicker than Pedro de la Rosa in the McLaren.
"It took me a bit of time, maybe two laps, and then I was back into the groove," Schumacher told reporters on Wednesday. "And I have to say I surprised myself that I was so quickly on it again. Being out on the track is still a very good feeling."
The seven time world champion is testing for Ferrari after the team asked for his input following new regulations next season which will ban driver aids such as traction control...."
Continued at the link above.
More Schumi... I also saw a story the other day about him setting lap times on a bike that would have put him into the field for MotoGP races this past summer (another one here). Wow.
Sunoco Team Ultra 94 set for new challenges
(l to r) Mike Vincec, Ron Fellows and Gianmarco Raimondo
TORONTO, ONTARIO - The 2008 Sunoco Team Ultra 94 members, Mike Vincec and Gianmarco Raimondo, are wasting no time getting ready for the upcoming season, which starts for them this weekend at Road Atlanta. This year, the Team Sunoco Ultra 94 drivers will compete in the highly competitive Skip Barber Southern Region Championship. The championship will be decided in 12 races over a six weekend schedule.
"We are very excited about the new challenges that this year's team will face," said Ron Fellows. "Our goals for Sunoco's Team Ultra 94 continue to be, helping to provide competitive opportunities for our career-minded drivers. We feel the Skip Barber Southern Region Championship is the logical next step for Michael and Gianmarco as they continue developing their car racing skills."
Vincec and Raimondo are the first Sunoco Team Ultra 94 drivers to compete in a fully sponsored season of racing south of the border. Their 12 race schedule over six weekends will take them to Road Atlanta this weekend, then Sebring, Florida on Dec 15-16 before the Christmas break.
In the New Year, they will travel to Homestead, Florida on January 26-27, and then head back to Sebring on Feb 16-17. The fifth weekend will see the Sunoco Team Ultra 94 drivers head west to Las Vegas on March 8-9, with the season finale in Daytona, Florida on April 12-13.
Vincec, who won three class championships in the Sunoco Ron Fellows Karting Championship in 2007, is ready for the challenge that awaits him. "The program that Ron Fellows has put together for us is very exciting, and I can't wait to get things underway this weekend."
Raimondo is equally excited, "This is a great opportunity for me I can't wait to get started."
Vincec and Raimondo hope to follow in the footsteps of previous Sunoco Team Ultra 94 drivers who have won 4 championships in five years of competition. "There is no doubt that this is the most competitive racing that Team Ultra 94 has faced," Fellows said. "I'm confident that Michael and Gianmarco are ready for the challenge of the Skip Barber Series."
The 2005 team consisted of 2004 double class winner Marco Di Leo, Formula Senior race winner Matt Pritiko, and Formula Senior driver Robert Wickens. Di Leo posted an impressive 7 wins in 9 starts on his way to the championship, just beating out teammate Matt Pritiko, who finished second in the championship. The 2006 Sunoco Team Ultra 94 drivers were Adriano Bilotta, Devin Cunningham, Kyle Marcelli and Daniel Morad. Morad took the title to maintain the team's perfect record in the Bridgestone Racing Academy's F2000 championship. In 2007, Curtis Fox finished 2nd overall, Chris Holman 3rd overall, Richard Hibbs was 5th overall and Eric Gerrits was 7th. In late 2007 Mike Vincec and Gianmarco Raimondo were chosen as the Sunoco Team Ultra 94 drivers for 2008.
Release prepared by Russ Bond Agency
ACTion News - Wednesday, November 14, 2007
ACTion News - Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Patrick Laperle will be feted as the Série ACT Castrol Champion for 2007 this weekend at the Best Western Hotel Universal in Drummondville, QC. The veteran American-Canadian Tour competitor put together one of the most consistently dominant seasons in recent memory to capture the title, and collects his honors - which include a check for $10,000 - Saturday night.
Laperle will be recognized along with the rest of the Top 15 Série ACT Castrol drivers, Rookie of the Year Eric St-Gelais, the to-be-announced Most Improved Driver and Sportsmanship award winners, and the winner of an ABC-approved body from Five Star RaceCar Bodies of Wisconsin.
Québec journalist Marc Patrick Roy of Speed51.com will emcee the event. Festivities include a social hour, dinner, and dancing, and will begin at 6:00pm.
***
We reported last month that there has been a lot of interest in American-Canadian Tour Late Model equipment in Ontario. It was announced that Brent Dragon will be driving for Mike and Tom Kenyon of Kenyon Racing Products in Kemptville, Ontario in pursuit of his first career ACT Late Model Tour Championship. Dragon will step out of his long-campaigned Dale Shaw Race Cars seat and into a Kenyon house car - a brand new Port City chassis. The Canadian-based car will be maintained in Dragon's Milton, VT race shop.
Thunder Road "King of the Road" Dave Pembroke, meanwhile, has gone in the other direction. His 2007 championship-winning car and equipment have been sold to an Ottawa-based team.
"Going to that (Série ACT) Castrol race in Ottawa was the best decision we've made in a while," said Pembroke. The Montpelier, VT racer hauled to Capital City Speedway on a whim in early June for the Série ACT Castrol's debut at the track, and led 53 laps before finishing second. Interest in Pembroke's car, a Port City, was frequent throughout the year and an Ottawa-area car owner has purchased the entire Pembroke operation.
Pembroke reports that he is weighing his options for 2008, but at this point will likely return to defend his Thunder Road title with a new car. Don't be surprised if he makes that return in a Dale Shaw-built car. Pembroke drove a Shaw car for owner David Storey in 2005-06, finishing second in ACT Late Model Tour standings both years.
***
We've received word that David Avery's race shop has become a busy place of late. Long time racer Denny Stampfl of Seekonk (MA) Speedway and Waterford (CT) Speedbowl notoriety drove to the Avery shop in North Woodstock, NH unannounced recently with a truck and trailer, looked the race car over, decided he liked it, and bought it on the spot. Look for Stampfl to compete in a handful of ACT events in 2008, something he has done since 2004.
Not long after the Avery shop was vacated, a deal was struck with Richard Moody Racing of Auburn, ME to purchase one of the team's immaculately prepared Late Models driven by Ben Rowe. Rowe, you'll recall, steered an Avery machine to four ACT Late Model Tour wins in 2006, while Avery has seen a fair amount of success behind the wheel himself. Who will be driving the former RMR car next year remains to be seen, so stay tuned.
***
Allen Lumber Street Stock rookie driver Josh LaCourse has purchased the #10 Ford Mustang driven by Alan Maynard. LaCourse was a steady improver in 2007 with the help of dad Steve Violette, a former Street Stocker himself. The youngster will make the switch to the ex-Maynard rear-wheel-drive Mustang, while Violette may occasionally compete in the front-wheel-drive Ford Tempo that his boy drove to four top-ten finishes and 13th overall in championship points.
***
Did you know?
-Josh LaCourse was one of fifteen rookies to contribute at least one top-ten finish at Thunder Road in 2007. Combining all eligible rookie drivers in the Late Model, NAPA Tiger Sportsman, and Allen Lumber Street Stock divisions, 76 top-tens were recorded, including a dozen main event victories.
-Jean-Paul Cyr's 95-point margin of victory over Scott Payea for the ACT Late Model Tour Championship was the fifth largest in the series' history, dating back to its inception in 1992. Brian Hoar clinched the 1999 Tour title over Chuck Beede by a mammoth 184-point spread for the largest defeat ever. The year before that, he beat Chris Fisher by 156 points for the second-largest beat of all time. Cyr's 119-point advantage over Dave Pembroke in 2005 ranks third ahead of Patrick Laperle's 102-point deficit behind 2002 Champion Phil Scott.
-Cyr recorded the slimmest margin of victory for the Tour title in 1996 when he beat Dave Whitcomb. The deciding factor was the famous three-wide finish in the Fall Foliage 200 at Airborne Speedway involving third-place race finisher Cyr, runner-up Ron Weston, and winner Whitcomb. Whitcomb entered the day 16 points behind Cyr and made up all but two, just falling short of the championship. Ironically, Lance Ferno captured the ACT crown over Gary Caron by only three points the previous season.
Everyone at ACT offers their congratulations to newlywed Late Model driver Scott Payea and his lovely bride Katrina! The high school sweethearts were married at the Vermont Country Club in South Burlington on Friday, November 9.
From Justin St. Louis / ACT
Patrick Laperle will be feted as the Série ACT Castrol Champion for 2007 this weekend at the Best Western Hotel Universal in Drummondville, QC. The veteran American-Canadian Tour competitor put together one of the most consistently dominant seasons in recent memory to capture the title, and collects his honors - which include a check for $10,000 - Saturday night.
Laperle will be recognized along with the rest of the Top 15 Série ACT Castrol drivers, Rookie of the Year Eric St-Gelais, the to-be-announced Most Improved Driver and Sportsmanship award winners, and the winner of an ABC-approved body from Five Star RaceCar Bodies of Wisconsin.
Québec journalist Marc Patrick Roy of Speed51.com will emcee the event. Festivities include a social hour, dinner, and dancing, and will begin at 6:00pm.
***
We reported last month that there has been a lot of interest in American-Canadian Tour Late Model equipment in Ontario. It was announced that Brent Dragon will be driving for Mike and Tom Kenyon of Kenyon Racing Products in Kemptville, Ontario in pursuit of his first career ACT Late Model Tour Championship. Dragon will step out of his long-campaigned Dale Shaw Race Cars seat and into a Kenyon house car - a brand new Port City chassis. The Canadian-based car will be maintained in Dragon's Milton, VT race shop.
Thunder Road "King of the Road" Dave Pembroke, meanwhile, has gone in the other direction. His 2007 championship-winning car and equipment have been sold to an Ottawa-based team.
"Going to that (Série ACT) Castrol race in Ottawa was the best decision we've made in a while," said Pembroke. The Montpelier, VT racer hauled to Capital City Speedway on a whim in early June for the Série ACT Castrol's debut at the track, and led 53 laps before finishing second. Interest in Pembroke's car, a Port City, was frequent throughout the year and an Ottawa-area car owner has purchased the entire Pembroke operation.
Pembroke reports that he is weighing his options for 2008, but at this point will likely return to defend his Thunder Road title with a new car. Don't be surprised if he makes that return in a Dale Shaw-built car. Pembroke drove a Shaw car for owner David Storey in 2005-06, finishing second in ACT Late Model Tour standings both years.
***
We've received word that David Avery's race shop has become a busy place of late. Long time racer Denny Stampfl of Seekonk (MA) Speedway and Waterford (CT) Speedbowl notoriety drove to the Avery shop in North Woodstock, NH unannounced recently with a truck and trailer, looked the race car over, decided he liked it, and bought it on the spot. Look for Stampfl to compete in a handful of ACT events in 2008, something he has done since 2004.
Not long after the Avery shop was vacated, a deal was struck with Richard Moody Racing of Auburn, ME to purchase one of the team's immaculately prepared Late Models driven by Ben Rowe. Rowe, you'll recall, steered an Avery machine to four ACT Late Model Tour wins in 2006, while Avery has seen a fair amount of success behind the wheel himself. Who will be driving the former RMR car next year remains to be seen, so stay tuned.
***
Allen Lumber Street Stock rookie driver Josh LaCourse has purchased the #10 Ford Mustang driven by Alan Maynard. LaCourse was a steady improver in 2007 with the help of dad Steve Violette, a former Street Stocker himself. The youngster will make the switch to the ex-Maynard rear-wheel-drive Mustang, while Violette may occasionally compete in the front-wheel-drive Ford Tempo that his boy drove to four top-ten finishes and 13th overall in championship points.
***
Did you know?
-Josh LaCourse was one of fifteen rookies to contribute at least one top-ten finish at Thunder Road in 2007. Combining all eligible rookie drivers in the Late Model, NAPA Tiger Sportsman, and Allen Lumber Street Stock divisions, 76 top-tens were recorded, including a dozen main event victories.
-Jean-Paul Cyr's 95-point margin of victory over Scott Payea for the ACT Late Model Tour Championship was the fifth largest in the series' history, dating back to its inception in 1992. Brian Hoar clinched the 1999 Tour title over Chuck Beede by a mammoth 184-point spread for the largest defeat ever. The year before that, he beat Chris Fisher by 156 points for the second-largest beat of all time. Cyr's 119-point advantage over Dave Pembroke in 2005 ranks third ahead of Patrick Laperle's 102-point deficit behind 2002 Champion Phil Scott.
-Cyr recorded the slimmest margin of victory for the Tour title in 1996 when he beat Dave Whitcomb. The deciding factor was the famous three-wide finish in the Fall Foliage 200 at Airborne Speedway involving third-place race finisher Cyr, runner-up Ron Weston, and winner Whitcomb. Whitcomb entered the day 16 points behind Cyr and made up all but two, just falling short of the championship. Ironically, Lance Ferno captured the ACT crown over Gary Caron by only three points the previous season.
Everyone at ACT offers their congratulations to newlywed Late Model driver Scott Payea and his lovely bride Katrina! The high school sweethearts were married at the Vermont Country Club in South Burlington on Friday, November 9.
From Justin St. Louis / ACT
PMRA: Banquet story and photo gallery
PMRA Banquet photo gallery courtesy of Bill Mehlenbacher. Visit his site here.
NIAGARA FALLS, NY - On Nov. 10, Bruce Boland was officially crowned the 2007 Pro Modified Racing Association Champion at the series Champions Banquet.
“This is terrific,” said the Hamilton, Ontario, Pro Modified driver. “I want to thank all my crew who made it possible. I also want to thank the PMRA, and hopefully we can do it again next year.”
The evening headlined the PMRA Top-Five drivers honored Saturday evening during the awards ceremony at the Como Francesco Hall in Niagara Falls, New York. The four other drivers - Matt Guenther, Scott Wildgust, Ike Maier and Sam Andreacchi were each presented checks and trophies for their achievements during the season, along with Boland.
The large gathering was treated to the musings of Toronto Motorsports Park track announcer Tom Allen, who hosted the evening. Also on hand were PMRA sponsors, all of whom were thanked for their involvement by PMRA Director of Operations, Bruce Mehlenbacher in his address to the group.
“We would not be where we are today without the help of our sponsors,” stated Mehlenbacher. “I want to thank all of them for their support. We could not do it without them.”
Mehlenbacher went on to note and thank the following PMRA sponsors that were represented: Competition Tire Canada/Goodyear Racing Tire – Robin Fairchild // ERD (Engine Research and Development) – Terry Vince and Rob Becker // G-Force Race Cars Inc. – Jim Salemi // Grainy Automotive – Jack Grainy // Gulfway Insurers – Mel Eaves // KC Auto Parts – Kasey Janzen // Niagara Auto – Sonny Grainy // Paul Wolf Electric & Lighting Supply Inc. – Domenic Calabria // The Trailer Shop – Carl Spiering
The PMRA had a successful and very interesting 2007 season. The point award series sponsored by Wix Filtration Products, Valvoline, Uni-Select, and Moen Incorporated was so close during the year that the champion was not decided until the semi-final round at the last event at the Grand Bend Motorplex.
And once again for 2007, each event was topped off with a new winner, and only one PMRA team scored more than one win in the history of the series when Joe Boniferro won the Grand Bend event this year as he had in 2006. In announcing this year’s Champions Awards top five, each of these teams had perfect attendance, and showed that getting to the races, which sometimes can be difficult, along consistency at the races, is important.
Of these top five, four were rookies to the PMRA series for 2007. Interestingly, Boland and his B&B 1953 Corvette had some problems getting sorted out early in the season. He did not qualify for two of the races, and did not win any of the events. But he had a pair of runner-ups at Lancaster and Grand Bend, went to the semis at Sanair and was number one qualifier at Lancaster. Boland, of Hamilton, Ontario racing veteran thanked his sponsors, team members and the Point Award Series Sponsors.
Two new teams to the PMRA series tied for second place. Driving Kirk and Maria Silbermann’s Ajax Engines 1957 Chevrolet, Stratford, Ontario’s Scott Wildgust always qualified well in 2007, and put down impressive numbers, getting into the semi-finals at Cayuga and Grand Bend. Another new team which fared well in its first year was the Guenther Racing 1941 Willys.
Headed up by Mike Guenther, and driven by Matt Guenther, this Livonia, New York-based team proved they could step up to the plate with a nitrous-powered car, and won this year’s Third Annual PMRA Challenge presented by G-Force Race Cars, Grainy’s Automotive, and Niagara Auto at Lancaster Raceway Park, the 12th different winner in as many PMRA races in the history of the series.
The team was also runner-up at the Second Annual Eaton PMRA Challenge presented by Eaton at the Sanair drag strip. Stepping up to the Pro Modified division this year was fourth-place finisher Ike Maier of Tottenham, Ontario.
Ike and his Maier Trucking sponsored 1969 Camaro SS Pro Modified, were in the hunt all season, going to the semi-finals at Cayuga and at Lancaster. Taking fifth spot was Sam Andreacchi of Toronto, Ontario with his Wolf Electric & Lighting Supply sponsored 1969 Chevrolet Nova.
Sam won the Third Annual KC Auto Family Day Spectacular – PMRA Challenge at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario this year.
From the PMRA // Bruce F. Mehlenbacher
Rolex Series Daytona Prototypes and GTs prepare for November test at DIS
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 12, 2007) - The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve hits Daytona International Speedway for November Test Days Nov. 14-15, where a full field of Daytona Prototypes and GT machines will begin the initial preparations needed to compete for a 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona victory and a series championship. The open-to-the-public test marks the on-track debut of the new Pirelli tire that will be the series standard for all Daytona Prototypes and GT machines competing in the Rolex Sports Car Series beginning in 2008.
Among those bolting on the new Pirelli tires for the first time are the trio of Daytona Prototypes and drivers that battled down to the last laps of 2007 for the championship. Leading the way is the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley and champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, who nabbed the team and driver championships this past season. Open-wheel veteran Jimmy Vasser is scheduled to join the championship duo for the test with an eye on the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Scott Pruett, the 2004 Champion who narrowly missed adding this year's crown to a long list of career accomplishments, is back with TELMEX Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Racing eager to reclaim the throne. Pruett will be joined in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley by Memo Rojas at the November Test Days.
Meanwhile, SunTrust Racing has established themselves as an annual contender with Max Angelelli taking the lead in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Riley. Along with team owner Wayne Taylor, Angelelli captured the 2005 title and battled with Pruett and the No. 99 teammates for supremacy all season long in 2007. SunTrust Racing has announced plans to switch to an all-new Dallara chassis following the Rolex 24 At Daytona, but will stick with the Riley until then. <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Taylor's son, Ricky Taylor, and series regular Michael Valiante will also join the No. 10 team during the test.
Nearly lost amidst the championship battle at the conclusion of 2007 was the first Daytona Prototype win for the No. 91 Riley-Matthews Motorsports Pontiac Riley. Marc Goossens and Jim Matthews will climb back behind the wheel for the test session to capitalize on the last race momentum.
Longtime Rolex Series competitor Spirit of Daytona Racing will use the November Test Days to continue the development of the Porsche V-8 engine in the No. 09 Spirit of Daytona Racing Porsche Fabcar. The engine made its debut at the season-ending Sunchaser 1000 at Miller Motorsports Park in September with an eye on the 2008 season. Guy Cosmo and Marc-Antoine Camirand will pilot the No. 09 Porsche Fabcar during the two-day test.
Brumos Porsche is the only team to participate in every Daytona Prototype race since the class inception in 2003, and despite the tremendous loss of team owner and sports car legend Bob Snodgrass in 2007, the familiar two cars will be running strong at the November test. Following nearly 30 years of racing a sports car, Hurley Haywood has retired from fulltime driving and will take responsibility for running the team. Haywood hasn't completely tossed aside his helmet – the legend will pilot the No. 59 Brumos Porsche Kendall Porsche Riley at the November test and the Rolex 24 with JC France and Joao Barbosa. The No. 58 Red Bull/Brumos Porsche Riley and drivers David Donohue and Darren Law also built momentum during the second half of 2007 and hope to rejoin sports car racing's elite again in 2008. 2004 Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Rice is expected to join the team at the test.
Krohn Racing will return with a two-car effort in 2008, with Tracy Krohn in the No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley and Nic Jönsson in the No. 76 Pontiac Riley for the test session. Roger Schramm, Justin Bell and Bill Lester are scheduled to pilot the No. 12 RVO Motorsports Pontiac Riley during November Test Days in preparation for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Memo Gidley slides back behind the wheel of the No. 77 Doran Racing Kodak Ford Doran for November Test Days. Gidley ran with the team at the beginning of the 2007 season.
The offseason has already seen a number of significant announcements for a variety of Daytona Prototype teams. Michael Shank Racing returns to November Test Days with a Ford power plant for 2008. John Pew and Ian James return in the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley, while Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri will pilot the No. 60 Ford Riley. AIM Autosport will also run Ford power beginning with November Test Days. Mark Wilkins returns in the No. 61 AIM Autosport Exchange Traded Gold/Barrick Gold Ford Riley to show the ropes to Elton Julian, who will make his Rolex Series debut during the test session.
The team formerly known as Sigalsport has a whole new look at November Test Days following their offseason announcement that the team has been acquired by Fortune Market to become Fortune Market Racing, believed to be the first publicly traded race team. Gene Sigal and Matt Plumb will drive the No. 7 Fortune Market Racing BMW Riley in 2008.
Two front-running teams have yet to announce their driver lineup for November Test Days and the 2008 season. The driver of the No. 23 Alex Job Racing Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Porsche Crawford will be announced Wednesday, and the No. 39 Cheever Racing Crown Royal Special Reserve Pontiac Fabcar will make its 2008 announcement in the near future, but plan to run a full Rolex Series season.
A host of veteran GT drivers and teams will also gain valuable track time in the two-day test session, less than two months after the fight closed for the 2007 championship. Leading the entry list are multi-car teams Farnbacher Loles Motorsports, Banner Racing, TRG and SpeedSource – all of which finished among the top five in the 2007 team championship point standings.
Farnbacher Loles Motorsports title defense begins with a two-car lineup at November Test Days. Defending series driving champion Dirk Werner will team with Wolf Henzler in the No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3. Meanwhile, Dominik Farnbacher, Leh Keen and Eric Lux will drive the No. 88 Porsche GT3.
Banner scored finishes of second and fifth in the team championship standings and will retain the services of all four of its fulltime drivers this season. Paul Edwards and Kelly Collins won two races last season and finished second in last year's Rolex 24 in the No. 07 Banner Racing Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R. Team principle Leighton Reese and Tim Lewis Jr. will drive the No. 06 Banner Racing Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R at Daytona.
TRG has six cars prepared for next week's test, with several drivers in the mix at Daytona. Andy Lally and RJ Valentine - who contested for the title driving the No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3 last season - will be on hand for team owner Kevin Buckler, while newly-signed fresh face Bryce Miller gets his first full-time duty at TRG. Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series regulars Ted Ballou and Duncan Ende, along with Mark Greenberg will also get seat time in one of the six TRG Porsches entered in the test session. Sports car regular and Porsche hot shoe Johannes Van Overbeek and Spencer Pumpelly will also help shake down the TRG machines.
Tim George Jr., Jim Lowe, Jim Pace, Pierre Bourque, Ronald Yarab, Russ Oasis, Jason Daskalos and James Stout round out the TRG driver lineup for November Test Days.
SpeedSource - which led the driver and team championship point standings throughout the first half of 2007 - will bring back two cars for its sophomore GT season. Team owner Sylvain Tremblay and Nick Ham captured three races last season in the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazdaspeed Mazda RX-8. David Haskell will also drive the No. 70 during the test. Meanwhile, Bob Akin Award winner Emil Assentato returns to the No. 69 SpeedSource FXDD Mazda RX-8 with Nick Longhi and 2007 KONI Challenge Grand Sport (GS) co-champion Jeff Segal.
Several other veteran teams will be a part of November Test Days. Reigning Rolex 24 At Daytona co-winners Carlos de Quesada, Jean-Francois Dumoulin and Scooter Gabel return to the No. 22 Alegra Motorsports/Fiorano Racing Gatorade/TodayMD.com Porsche GT3. Alegra Motorsports/Fiorano Racing will also campaign the No. 26 Porsche GT3 during the test, with the same trio of drivers scheduled to test the second car.
Dumoulin is also scheduled to drive the No. 15 Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang Cobra GT with defending Fresh From Florida 200 Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Grand Sport (GS) winners Tom Nastasi and David Empringham.
O'Connell Racing, Hyper Sport, and Multimatic Motorsports all return with one-car efforts for November Test Days. Kevin O'Connell and Kevin Roush will pilot the No. 27 O'Connell Racing General Environmental Management/Taleo Grill Porsche GT3; Joe Foster is the lone scheduled pilot of the No. 40 Hyper Sport Mazda RX-8 while Scott Maxwell runs the No. 55 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT.
Team Sahlen is back with its two-car squad, which includes Joe Sahlen and Will and Wayne Nonnamaker in the No. 42 Team Sahlen HRPworld.com Corvette. Will and Wayne will be joined by Joe Nonnamaker in the No. 43 Team Sahlen HRPworld.com Corvette.
Matt Connolly Motorsports will also field two cars at Daytona. Connolly and Diego Alessi are in the No. 21 Matt Connolly Motorsports Pontiac GTO.R, while Connolly and Keith Rossberg will share the No. 24 Matt Connolly Motorsports BMW M3.
Former series regulars Autometrics Motorsports and Orbit Motorsports return for the two-day test. Cory Friedman, Mac McGehee and Derek Skea are entered in the No. 14 Autometrics Motorsports Mac Papers/Churchill Transport Porsche GT3, while Lance Willsey will see time in the No. 34 Orbit Porsche GT3.
Two teams new to the circuit are expected during the test. Ron Zitza purchased the No. 17 Porsche GT3 car from Doncaster Racing and has the car entered under the Terra Firma Motorsports banner. Zitza and Gary and Mark Jensen are entered to compete in the test.
Autohaus Motorsports is also entered for the test with several veteran drivers expected behind the wheel. Lewis is also entered to drive the No. 72 Autohaus Motorsports Autohaus Pontiac GXP.R, with Lawson Aschenbach, Terry Borcheller and 2005 GT driving champ Craig Stanton.
November Test Days begin Wednesday, Nov. 14. A three-hour morning session is scheduled from 9 a.m.-noon followed by a four-hour afternoon session from 1-5. The test continues on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4:30 p.m. at Daytona International Speedway.
Fans with 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona tickets will be admitted free to the testing session scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 14 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and Thursday, Nov. 15 (9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.). Ticketholders must check in both days at the Guest Services desk inside the Daytona 500 Experience to receive a tram coupon valid to get them to the infield.
Fans without 2008 Rolex 24 tickets can purchase $10 tram ride admissions sold at the Daytona 500 Experience Guest Services desk. The DIS ticket office will be open for those wishing to purchase tickets to the Rolex 24 At Daytona or any other DIS event. In addition, Oldfield grandstands will be open for viewing outside the track with access through the Daytona 500 Experience.
The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 15-race 2008 Rolex Series and the 11-race KONI Challenge Series calendars deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. With title sponsorship support from Rolex Watch USA and presenting sponsorship from Crown Royal Special Reserve, the Rolex Series showcases emerging and legendary drivers from around the globe and thoroughbred racing machines from the industry's leading constructors and the world's top automobile manufacturers. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com.
From Grand-Am
Among those bolting on the new Pirelli tires for the first time are the trio of Daytona Prototypes and drivers that battled down to the last laps of 2007 for the championship. Leading the way is the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley and champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, who nabbed the team and driver championships this past season. Open-wheel veteran Jimmy Vasser is scheduled to join the championship duo for the test with an eye on the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Scott Pruett, the 2004 Champion who narrowly missed adding this year's crown to a long list of career accomplishments, is back with TELMEX Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Racing eager to reclaim the throne. Pruett will be joined in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley by Memo Rojas at the November Test Days.
Meanwhile, SunTrust Racing has established themselves as an annual contender with Max Angelelli taking the lead in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Riley. Along with team owner Wayne Taylor, Angelelli captured the 2005 title and battled with Pruett and the No. 99 teammates for supremacy all season long in 2007. SunTrust Racing has announced plans to switch to an all-new Dallara chassis following the Rolex 24 At Daytona, but will stick with the Riley until then. <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Taylor's son, Ricky Taylor, and series regular Michael Valiante will also join the No. 10 team during the test.
Nearly lost amidst the championship battle at the conclusion of 2007 was the first Daytona Prototype win for the No. 91 Riley-Matthews Motorsports Pontiac Riley. Marc Goossens and Jim Matthews will climb back behind the wheel for the test session to capitalize on the last race momentum.
Longtime Rolex Series competitor Spirit of Daytona Racing will use the November Test Days to continue the development of the Porsche V-8 engine in the No. 09 Spirit of Daytona Racing Porsche Fabcar. The engine made its debut at the season-ending Sunchaser 1000 at Miller Motorsports Park in September with an eye on the 2008 season. Guy Cosmo and Marc-Antoine Camirand will pilot the No. 09 Porsche Fabcar during the two-day test.
Brumos Porsche is the only team to participate in every Daytona Prototype race since the class inception in 2003, and despite the tremendous loss of team owner and sports car legend Bob Snodgrass in 2007, the familiar two cars will be running strong at the November test. Following nearly 30 years of racing a sports car, Hurley Haywood has retired from fulltime driving and will take responsibility for running the team. Haywood hasn't completely tossed aside his helmet – the legend will pilot the No. 59 Brumos Porsche Kendall Porsche Riley at the November test and the Rolex 24 with JC France and Joao Barbosa. The No. 58 Red Bull/Brumos Porsche Riley and drivers David Donohue and Darren Law also built momentum during the second half of 2007 and hope to rejoin sports car racing's elite again in 2008. 2004 Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Rice is expected to join the team at the test.
Krohn Racing will return with a two-car effort in 2008, with Tracy Krohn in the No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley and Nic Jönsson in the No. 76 Pontiac Riley for the test session. Roger Schramm, Justin Bell and Bill Lester are scheduled to pilot the No. 12 RVO Motorsports Pontiac Riley during November Test Days in preparation for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Memo Gidley slides back behind the wheel of the No. 77 Doran Racing Kodak Ford Doran for November Test Days. Gidley ran with the team at the beginning of the 2007 season.
The offseason has already seen a number of significant announcements for a variety of Daytona Prototype teams. Michael Shank Racing returns to November Test Days with a Ford power plant for 2008. John Pew and Ian James return in the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley, while Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri will pilot the No. 60 Ford Riley. AIM Autosport will also run Ford power beginning with November Test Days. Mark Wilkins returns in the No. 61 AIM Autosport Exchange Traded Gold/Barrick Gold Ford Riley to show the ropes to Elton Julian, who will make his Rolex Series debut during the test session.
The team formerly known as Sigalsport has a whole new look at November Test Days following their offseason announcement that the team has been acquired by Fortune Market to become Fortune Market Racing, believed to be the first publicly traded race team. Gene Sigal and Matt Plumb will drive the No. 7 Fortune Market Racing BMW Riley in 2008.
Two front-running teams have yet to announce their driver lineup for November Test Days and the 2008 season. The driver of the No. 23 Alex Job Racing Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Porsche Crawford will be announced Wednesday, and the No. 39 Cheever Racing Crown Royal Special Reserve Pontiac Fabcar will make its 2008 announcement in the near future, but plan to run a full Rolex Series season.
A host of veteran GT drivers and teams will also gain valuable track time in the two-day test session, less than two months after the fight closed for the 2007 championship. Leading the entry list are multi-car teams Farnbacher Loles Motorsports, Banner Racing, TRG and SpeedSource – all of which finished among the top five in the 2007 team championship point standings.
Farnbacher Loles Motorsports title defense begins with a two-car lineup at November Test Days. Defending series driving champion Dirk Werner will team with Wolf Henzler in the No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3. Meanwhile, Dominik Farnbacher, Leh Keen and Eric Lux will drive the No. 88 Porsche GT3.
Banner scored finishes of second and fifth in the team championship standings and will retain the services of all four of its fulltime drivers this season. Paul Edwards and Kelly Collins won two races last season and finished second in last year's Rolex 24 in the No. 07 Banner Racing Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R. Team principle Leighton Reese and Tim Lewis Jr. will drive the No. 06 Banner Racing Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R at Daytona.
TRG has six cars prepared for next week's test, with several drivers in the mix at Daytona. Andy Lally and RJ Valentine - who contested for the title driving the No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3 last season - will be on hand for team owner Kevin Buckler, while newly-signed fresh face Bryce Miller gets his first full-time duty at TRG. Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series regulars Ted Ballou and Duncan Ende, along with Mark Greenberg will also get seat time in one of the six TRG Porsches entered in the test session. Sports car regular and Porsche hot shoe Johannes Van Overbeek and Spencer Pumpelly will also help shake down the TRG machines.
Tim George Jr., Jim Lowe, Jim Pace, Pierre Bourque, Ronald Yarab, Russ Oasis, Jason Daskalos and James Stout round out the TRG driver lineup for November Test Days.
SpeedSource - which led the driver and team championship point standings throughout the first half of 2007 - will bring back two cars for its sophomore GT season. Team owner Sylvain Tremblay and Nick Ham captured three races last season in the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazdaspeed Mazda RX-8. David Haskell will also drive the No. 70 during the test. Meanwhile, Bob Akin Award winner Emil Assentato returns to the No. 69 SpeedSource FXDD Mazda RX-8 with Nick Longhi and 2007 KONI Challenge Grand Sport (GS) co-champion Jeff Segal.
Several other veteran teams will be a part of November Test Days. Reigning Rolex 24 At Daytona co-winners Carlos de Quesada, Jean-Francois Dumoulin and Scooter Gabel return to the No. 22 Alegra Motorsports/Fiorano Racing Gatorade/TodayMD.com Porsche GT3. Alegra Motorsports/Fiorano Racing will also campaign the No. 26 Porsche GT3 during the test, with the same trio of drivers scheduled to test the second car.
Dumoulin is also scheduled to drive the No. 15 Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang Cobra GT with defending Fresh From Florida 200 Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Grand Sport (GS) winners Tom Nastasi and David Empringham.
O'Connell Racing, Hyper Sport, and Multimatic Motorsports all return with one-car efforts for November Test Days. Kevin O'Connell and Kevin Roush will pilot the No. 27 O'Connell Racing General Environmental Management/Taleo Grill Porsche GT3; Joe Foster is the lone scheduled pilot of the No. 40 Hyper Sport Mazda RX-8 while Scott Maxwell runs the No. 55 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT.
Team Sahlen is back with its two-car squad, which includes Joe Sahlen and Will and Wayne Nonnamaker in the No. 42 Team Sahlen HRPworld.com Corvette. Will and Wayne will be joined by Joe Nonnamaker in the No. 43 Team Sahlen HRPworld.com Corvette.
Matt Connolly Motorsports will also field two cars at Daytona. Connolly and Diego Alessi are in the No. 21 Matt Connolly Motorsports Pontiac GTO.R, while Connolly and Keith Rossberg will share the No. 24 Matt Connolly Motorsports BMW M3.
Former series regulars Autometrics Motorsports and Orbit Motorsports return for the two-day test. Cory Friedman, Mac McGehee and Derek Skea are entered in the No. 14 Autometrics Motorsports Mac Papers/Churchill Transport Porsche GT3, while Lance Willsey will see time in the No. 34 Orbit Porsche GT3.
Two teams new to the circuit are expected during the test. Ron Zitza purchased the No. 17 Porsche GT3 car from Doncaster Racing and has the car entered under the Terra Firma Motorsports banner. Zitza and Gary and Mark Jensen are entered to compete in the test.
Autohaus Motorsports is also entered for the test with several veteran drivers expected behind the wheel. Lewis is also entered to drive the No. 72 Autohaus Motorsports Autohaus Pontiac GXP.R, with Lawson Aschenbach, Terry Borcheller and 2005 GT driving champ Craig Stanton.
November Test Days begin Wednesday, Nov. 14. A three-hour morning session is scheduled from 9 a.m.-noon followed by a four-hour afternoon session from 1-5. The test continues on Thursday, Nov. 15 from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4:30 p.m. at Daytona International Speedway.
Fans with 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona tickets will be admitted free to the testing session scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 14 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and Thursday, Nov. 15 (9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.). Ticketholders must check in both days at the Guest Services desk inside the Daytona 500 Experience to receive a tram coupon valid to get them to the infield.
Fans without 2008 Rolex 24 tickets can purchase $10 tram ride admissions sold at the Daytona 500 Experience Guest Services desk. The DIS ticket office will be open for those wishing to purchase tickets to the Rolex 24 At Daytona or any other DIS event. In addition, Oldfield grandstands will be open for viewing outside the track with access through the Daytona 500 Experience.
The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 15-race 2008 Rolex Series and the 11-race KONI Challenge Series calendars deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. With title sponsorship support from Rolex Watch USA and presenting sponsorship from Crown Royal Special Reserve, the Rolex Series showcases emerging and legendary drivers from around the globe and thoroughbred racing machines from the industry's leading constructors and the world's top automobile manufacturers. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com.
From Grand-Am
MOSPORT RECORD BOOK REWRITTEN OFTEN IN 2007
During the Saturday afternoon qualifying session Capello posted the fastest lap in Mosport's rich 46-year history, a sparkling time of 1:05.829 behind the wheel of an Audi R10 TDI prototype for his fourth LMP1 pole position of the 2007 season and first overall pole since 2001. He edged out Penske Motorsports' Romain Dumas by 0.09 seconds in the No. 7 Porsche RS Spyder, the LMP2 pole-winner, shattering the previous mark of 1:07.169 which was set by Frank Biela behind the wheel of an Audi R8 in August 2002. Although Dumas wasn't quite as fast as Capello, his time of 1:05.919 was good enough to reset the LMP2 qualifying record.
"I was surprised how good the grip was in the first two runs," Capello said. "I didn't push so much these practices because I never got to try new tires. And during the first run I found the grip was very good. I made a good decision to come in and ask the engineers if I could swap the rear tires because I was having trouble in the really slow corners. Then when I went back out I tried hard and found I could push hard so I ran like hell and got a great lap."
Markham, Ontario's Daniel Morad, one of Canada's young open-wheel stars, also etched his name in the Mosport record books after he turned the fastest Formula BMW USA race lap en route to clinching his first Series championship.
Among the other new records set at Mosport in 2007 were in the P1 (qualifying and race), P2 (qualifying and race) and GT2 (qualifying and race) classes of the American Le Mans Series and the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge (race).
Mosport lap records established in 2007
CLASS TYPE DRIVER/CAR DATE TIME MPH KM/H
OUTRIGHT Qual: Dindo Capello, Audi R10 TDI Aug. 2007 1:05.829 134.476 218.748
ALMS P1 Qual: Dindo Capello, Audi R10 TDI Aug. 2007 1:05.829 134.476 218.748
Race: Marco Werner, Audi R10 TD Aug. 2007 1:06.371 133.377 216.962
ALMS P2 Qual: Romain Dumas, Porsche RS Spyder Aug. 2007 1:05.919 134.292 218.449
(Revised class) Race Ryan Briscoe, Porsche RS Spyder Aug. 2007 1:06.490 133.138 216.573
ALMS GT2 Qual: Jaime Melo, Ferrari 430 GT Aug. 2007 1:17.841 113.724 184.992
Race: Jaime Melo, Ferrari 430 GT Aug. 2007 1:18.539 112.713 183.348
Formula BMW Race: Daniel Morad, Formula BMW FB02 Aug. 2007 1:23.464 106.062 172.529
USA
IMSA GT3 Race: Tom Papadopoulos, Porsche/997 Aug. 2007 1:23.260 106.322 172.952
Cup Challenge
IMSA Lites L1 Qual: Gerardo Bonilla, Elan DP02 Aug. 2007 1:19.214 111.752 181.786
Race: Gerardo Bonilla, Elan DP02 Aug. 2007 1:19.214 111.752 181.786
IMSA Lites L2 Qual: Dan McBreen, West WR1000 Aug. 2007 1:22.504 107.297 174.536
Race: Dan McBreen, West WR1000 Aug. 2007 1:22.861 106.834 173.785
IMSA Lites L3 Qual: Richard Spicer, FSCCA Sports Car Aug. 2007 1:24.937 104.223 169.537
Race: Richard Spicer, FSCCA Sports Car Aug. 2007 1:25.080 104.047 169.252
NASCAR Qual: Andrew Ranger, Ford Fusion June 2007 1:25.436 103.614 168.547
Cdn. Tire Series Race: Andrew Ranger, Ford Fusion June 2007 1:25.881 103.077 165.871
From Lee Bailie, Mosport
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