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Featured Other Series

  • Mike Conway dominates Race 1 of the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans

    Mike Conway dominates Race 1 of the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans

    Following some wrecks in his career on the ovals in IndyCar, Mike Conway stated that he did not want to run full-time in the series as he didn’t want to run the ovals. So when the opportunity came up to drive for Dale Coyne Racing at in Detroit, Conway jumped at the chance.

    He made the most of that opportunity as he would take the victory with a commanding lead ahead of Ryan Hunter-Reay. His victory in Race 1 of the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans marks the second win of his career. His first career victory came at Long Beach in 2011.

    “The car has been great all weekend and as the track was rubbering in it was getting better and better,” Conway said. “It was keep pushing and get a gap, and the strategy worked out perfectly at the end. I wanted to stay out and do more laps.”

    Conway would make the pass on Hunter-Reay on lap 44, before holding serve throughout the course of green flag pit stops to close out the event.

    With three laps to go, Ryan Briscoe did make contact with the tire wall after getting loose and stalled, though officials decided to leave Briscoe’s car there with the corner under a “local caution” instead of bringing out a full course caution to remove his car. Briscoe took over for J.R. Hildebrand, after he was let go from Panther Racing.

    Defending series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay would finish second, following a second place finish in last week’s Indianapolis 500.

    Justin Wilson, Conway’s teammate, would finish third to make it two cars on the podium for Dale Coyne Racing.

    Scott Dixon would finish fourth after being involved in a first lap caution with A.J. Allmendinger. On the start with the field tightly packed together heading into turn 10, the field began to slow up. Dixon slowed up, but Allmendinger did not. Allmendinger would drive over the back of Dixon’s car, making heavy contact with the turn 10 wall.

    “Just a tight start,” Allmendinger said. “Part of a street course, three four wide, guys on either side of me. Just ran over Dixon there, not ready for them to check up. I’m doing everything I can, but sometimes that is not enough. It’s my fault. I feel bad for doing this in trying to show my appreciation to them. My guys are doing more work tonight than they should.”

    Allmendinger’s team plans to have his car fixed for tomorrow’s race.

    Meanwhile, Dixon’s team made lengthy repairs under a stop and Dixon was able to work his way through the field via strategy and pure driving to finish fourth.

    Helio Castroneves would round out the top five to take the points lead, three points ahead of Marco Andretti. Andretti came in as the points leader, but would hit the wall and make contact with Charlie Kimball, resulting in lengthy repairs on pit road under green.

    Dario Franchitti finished sixth after struggling last week at Indianapolis. Josef Newgarden finished seventh, followed by Will Power, Graham Rahal and James Jakes.

    Rookie Tristan Vautier finished 11th, followed by Simon Pagenaud, Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, Kimball and James Hinchcliffe.

    Despite winning two street course races this year, Hinchcliffe struggled throughout the race, before having to make an unscheduled pit stop on lap 42 for one of the corner tires being stuck under the car. He collected the tire while trying to make a pass.

    Barber Motorsports Park winner Takuma Sato would suffers problems throughout the day, running out of fuel under green early in the race. Officials would toe him to pit road and he would be able to continue. Under that caution, Alex Tagliani made contact with the tires in turn three.

    Sebastian Saavedra would lose a tire and gets into the wall after contact with Marco Andretti. He would then proceed to give Saavedra the two-bird salute.

    “Just frustrating that Marco keeps making those dirty moves,” Saavedra said. “It’s just unfortunate that he just punched me out of the way like that.”

    Conway will try to win the $50,000 bonus for winning both races on a weekend tomorrow. He will start that event from the pole after winning the Verizon Pole Award earlier today.

    “This is great to get our first pole,” Dale Coyne, Conway’s car owner, said. “We have had many front-row performances, but I am thankful for Mike bringing us our first pole. Maybe a yellow Sonny’s car is good luck.”

    Jakes would qualify second, followed by Conway’s teammate Wilson in third.

  • Mike Conway wins pole for Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans 2

    Mike Conway wins pole for Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans 2

    In qualifying for the second of two races this weekend in the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans, Mike Conway would earn his first pole position. He will lead the field to the green of the 70-lap race on Sunday afternoon.

    “We just had to hang out and see what we had and it was enough for pole,” Conway said. “Excellent job by all the guys at the team at Dale Coyne for making this happen. We couldn’t have asked for much more coming into this weekend.”

    He would record a lap of one minute, 18.0977 seconds in his qualifying group.

    “This is great to get our first pole,” Dale Coyne, Conway’s team owner, said. “We have had many front-row performances, but I am thankful for Mike bringing us our first pole. Maybe a yellow Sonny’s car is good luck.”

    James Jakes, who led the first group, will start from the second position, driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. It marks his best career start.

    “I think we would have had a shot at pole if our session hadn’t been cut short,” Jakes said. “In a way it’s good, but it’s still a little disappointing to miss out on pole. Going to have to find which hotel Conway is staying so I can high jack his room tonight. He keeps on spoiling the party. But no, congratulations to those guys they’ve been strong all weekend.”

    Penske Racing driver Will Power qualified third, followed by last year’s champion Ryan Hunter-Reay and E.J. Viso.

  • Kyle Busch Monstrously Proud of Truck Team Win; Performance of the Kids

    Kyle Busch Monstrously Proud of Truck Team Win; Performance of the Kids

    Kyle Busch had every reason to be monstrously proud of the NASCAR Camping World Truck team that bears his name. Busch scored the victory and his two teammates, ‘kids’ Darrell Wallace Jr. and Joey Coulter, finished top-ten in the 14th annual Lucas Oil 200 at the Monster Mile.

    This was Busch’s second victory and third top-10 finish of the season. It was also his 32nd career win in the Camping World Truck Series.

    “It was really good for us,” the driver of the No. 51 ToyotaCare Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports said. “We had a good truck from unloading.”

    “We made some changes to it in practice and it certainly helped us,” Busch continued. “The track was a lot looser than we expected it to go.”

    “So, we had to make a lot of adjustments to it throughout the race,” Busch said. “Dirty air was a contest for everybody.”

    “We were all trying to fight for the front and fight for the bottom,” Busch continued. “There at the end, I found something positive by running up the race track where I could actually make a move.”

    “I’m glad I found that,” Busch said. “All in all, a really strong effort for everyone who works at Kyle Busch Motorsports.”

    Busch also took great pride in his teammates’ performances, or the ‘kids’ as he calls them. Joey Coulter, behind the wheel of the No. 18 Darrell Gwynn Foundation Toyota, finished eighth and Darrell Wallace, Jr., behind the wheel of the No. 54 Camping World/Good Sam Toyota, not only sat on the pole and led laps but also scored a top ten finish.

    “I was proud of the kids running up front there for awhile,” Busch said. “I wish that they too could have ended up a little better.”

    “There’s something to be said for the way Darrell ran today and Joey as well, especially for what he had to come through from starting in the back.”

    Kyle Busch Motorsports General Manager Rick Ren agreed with the boss’s assessment. He attributed his winning ways, along with the team’s success, to all of the people involved with KBM.

    “You can kind of get used to running up front but you have to pinch yourself and realize that the reality is that it’s not that simple,” Ren said. “We surround ourselves with good people and we have great drivers at the track.”

    “I’m really proud of the fact that all three of our vehicles finished in the top ten,” Ren continued. “I think Darrell led the most laps today and sat on the pole.”

    “And Joey Coulter came from way back and was clear up to fifth before getting shuffled on that last restart,” Ren said. “So, it’s hats off to everyone at KBM for the effort they put in.”

    Busch admitted that he has been on a bit of a winning streak lately in both the Camping World Truck Series, as well as the Nationwide Series. In fact, in his last nine starts, he has won seven, with a winning percentage of 77%.

    “Well I don’t know what happened in those other ones,” Busch said with a laugh. “Probably something I did screwed that up.”

    “It certainly is a wow factor,” Busch said on a more serious note. “There are a lot of things that can happen in races that can take you out.”

    “These trucks were a handful and we were holding on every corner, every lap,” Busch said. “I was holding my breath.”

    “It’s fun to win,” Busch continued. “People will say it’s too easy and we’re cherry picking or whatever.”

    “But you know what, this is a sport that we’re all welcome to participate in and that’s why we’re here.”

    Busch also reminded the media and himself that while he has been on a winning streak, he also has had his share of late-race losses, as well as some just plain bad luck.

    “I had a hood pin come out while leading late in the race,” Busch said. “There was a blown tire race.”

    “We had a fuel pick up issue with the new fuel probe,” Busch continued. “And then I had a fitting break on a transmission here and it started leaking and we had to come to pit road.”

    “If something is going to fall out of the sky and hit my car, it will,” Busch said. “Oh wait, that happened.”

    Busch also admitted that he has learned plenty from being in the car through Nationwide and Cup practice, as well as Truck qualifying and the race.

    “I’ve learned that it’s going to be hot and it’s going to be slick,” Busch said. “There will be a lot of slipping and sliding for sure.”

    “We’ll just try to get everything as comfortable as possible running around here,” Busch continued. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is all the adjustments you have to make during the race.”

    While Busch is hoping for a race weekend sweep, saying that he is after all “a finely trained athletic machine”, he acknowledged that it will be tough to do at the Monster Mile, especially given the conditions on the track.

    “Seriously, it’s hot,” Busch said. “I’m not saying that’s an excuse but it will weigh on you a little bit.”

    “It did at the Truck race and as much as I’ve been in the car,” Busch continued. “We have to work on getting fluids in, which I’ve done.”

    “And then Sunday, it’s 400 miles here which is a long time,” Busch said. “I remember I ran here a few years ago when it was really hot and you were dead when you got out of the car.”

    “It puts a lot on you.”

    There is, however, one major motivator in the Monster Mile sweep for Busch, in spite of him “being the only one dumb enough to try,” in his own words.

    “Anything can happen at Dover,” Busch said. “It’s the start of my wife Samantha’s birthday weekend so we’re starting the celebration.”

    One thing that Kyle Busch is not concerned about at the Monster Mile, as well as at many other tracks, is that he is getting as much seat time as humanly possible. So, when will he stop racing all of these Series and races?

    “When I’m dead,” Busch replied simply. “It’s fun to go out and race as much as I race.”

    “That’s what keeps me sane,” Busch continued. “I’d rather be out there than running up and down pit road or sitting up on a pit box.”

    “I know that it certainly helps Rick (Ren) stay sane when I’m behind the wheel and not running around on pit road,” Busch said. “As long as it’s fun and we’re doing alright and we can keep sponsors on our trucks, we will be doing it.”

  • Tony Kanaan finally becomes an Indianapolis 500 winner with three-wide pass

    Tony Kanaan finally becomes an Indianapolis 500 winner with three-wide pass

    In a race that saw a record 68 lead changes amongst 14 leaders, the race would end under caution and see an emotional driver Tony Kanaan go to victory lane. After suffering defeat many years in a row, Kanaan’s move on the restart with three to go would pan off to be the move of the race.

    “We finally got lucky,” Kanaan said. “I won it. I’m here.”

    After seeing a mostly caution free race, the caution would come out with seven laps to go for Graham Rahal hitting the wall.

    On the restart, Ryan Hunter-Reay would be the leader, and Kanaan would dive low while rookie Carlos Munoz went high. Going into turn one, Kanaan would have the lead ahead of Munoz, Hunter-Reay and Andretti. As they entered turn two, the caution would fly for Dario Franchitti hitting the wall.

    “I couldn’t believe it and then I’m like how many to go and they’re like 2 to go,” Kanaan said. “The last lap was the longest lap of my life. I wanted to tell the pace car to hurry up so bad.”

    Kanaan’s five year old son Leo lives in Brazil and has asked when his daddy could come home. Kanaan told him that he could after he won the Indianapolis 500

    “We’re going to be busy, but I promised him a trophy and we’re bringing him a good one,” Kanaan commented.

    Kanaan also had a lucky charm on board his IndyCar on Sunday afternoon. Nine years ago, he gave a little girl who was having brain surgery his lucky metal to help her through. The girl, now 24 years old, returned the metal to Kanaan and told him he needed it for good luck.

    After shocking many in qualifying, Carlos Munoz would continue his success on Sunday as he would finish second after qualifying second.

    “I’m feeling a bit sad right now,” he admitted. “I should be happy but I had a shot to win this win. I think I did a great job I have nothing to be ashamed of. The team gave me a great car and did great pit stops……maybe next year I will win it.”

    He’d be followed by his Andretti Autosport teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti.

    “That’s just the way it works out,” Hunter-Reay said. “I knew I was a sitting duck and I wasn’t too bummed about it because I knew we had enough laps to get it going again and have a pass back and maybe I would be third on the last lap, which is where I wanted to be and it didn’t work out that way.

    “Big congratulations to Tony Kanaan, though. He has been there so many times, had bad luck and for whatever reason the race has alluded him. Great champion, certainly deserves it. But man am I disappointed.”

    Justin Wilson would round out the top five.

    Helio Castroneves would finish sixth, followed by AJ Allmendinger, Simon Pagenaud, Charlie Kimball and Ed Carpenter.

    There’d be three cautions in the first 60 laps of the race before the race went green all through the middle of the race. JR Hildebrand would bring out the first caution after getting loose and hitting the wall on lap three.

    “I was going by Hinch and maybe was a little off line on entry, but where the cars had been working fine so far, but it just got loose and it just snapped around,” he said. “We had been pretty aggressive with the downforce level and even now, looking at the race, I don’t think it was too much.”

    The second caution came out for someone driving Sebastian Saavedra down into the grass on lap 35, and then Saavedra hitting the wall.

    The third caution came out on lap 58 for Takuma Sato having a solo spin. Sato, who came in as the points leader, finished 13th, which allowed Andretti to take over the points lead.

    Brazil winner James Hinchcliffe would struggle throughout the day, finishing 21st.

  • Lap by Lap: 97th Indianapolis 500 won by Tony Kanaan

    Lap by Lap: 97th Indianapolis 500 won by Tony Kanaan

    With a three-wide move for the lead past Carlo Munoz and Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan would take the lead and hold on to it till a caution came out with three laps to go. That caution would result in the race ending under caution.

     

    Lap 1 Ed Carpenter grabs the early lead ahead of Marco Andretti and Carlos Munoz

    Lap 2 Carpenter leads Andretti Viso Munoz Power

    Caution lap 3 Hildebrand got into the wall after getting loose

    Restart lap 7 Carpenter leads while Kanaan grabs second from Andretti

    Lap 8 Kanaan passes Carpenter for the lead ahead of Andretti Viso

    Lap 10 Carpenter grabs the lead back

    Lap 12 Andretti passes Kanaan for second

    Lap 13 Andretti passes Carpenter for the lead

    Lap 14 Kanaan back to the lead by Andretti. Carpenter is third followed by Viso and Munoz

    Lap 16 Andretti back to the lead by Kanaan. Andretti leads Kanaan Carpenter Viso and Munoz

    Lap 20 Andretti and Kanaan continuing to swap back and forth the lead ahead of Carpenter

    Lap 26 Andretti leads Kanaan Carpenter Munoz Hunter-Reay

    Lap 27 Kanaan to the lead

    Lap 28 Andretti back to the lead

    Lap 29 Kanaan takes the lead, then pits. hands the lead back to Andretti

    Lap 30 Andretti, Carpenter, Munoz pit, handing the lead to Hunter-Reay

    Lap 31 Hunter-Reay pits, handing the lead to Power

    Lap 32 Castroneves pits

    Lap 33 Power pits, handing the lead to James Jakes

    Lap 34 Kimball pits.

    Caution lap 35 Sebastian Saavedra makes contact with the wall.  Saavedra got driven down into the grass by someone else, and then went up into the wall. Rest of cars pit, handing the lead back to Carpenter. Carpenter gets into the grass while cleaning tires, keeps going.

    Restart Carpenter leads

    Lap 53 Andretti to the lead

    Lap 54 Carpenter back to the lead

    Lap 57 Carpenter leads Andretti Hunter-Reay Castroneves Kanaan

    Caution lap 58 Sato goes for a spin after getting loose off of turn two. Leaders hit pit road. Hunter-Reay leads Andretti Carpenter Kanaan off pit road

    Restart lap 62 Andretti passes Hunter-Reay for the lead before they get to turn on

    Lap 63 Hunter-Reay passes Andretti back for the lead ahead of Kanaan and Carpenter

    Lap 64 Carpenter passes Andretti for second behind Hunter-Reay. Carpenter passes Hunter-Reay for the lead into turn three

    Lap 65 Carpenter leads Hunter-Reay Andretti Kanaan and Power

    Lap 68 Kanaan and Power pass Andretti

    Lap 76 Kanaan climbs from fourth to the lead. He is then passed by Power for the lead

    Lap 77 Power leads Kanaan Hunter-Reay Andretti and Viso. Carpenter has fallen back to seventh

    Lap 84 Power leads Kanaan Hunter-Reay Andretti Allmendinger

    Lap 86 Allmendinger passes Andretti for fourth

    Lap 89 Power and Vautier pit. Kanaan takes the lead

    Lap 90 Kanaan and Hunter-Reay lead a group of cars down pit road. Viso to the lead.

    Lap 92 Viso and Dixon, Andretti pit. Munoz takes the lead.

    Lap 93 Munoz and Castroneves pit. Kanaan goes to the lead as cycle completes.

    Lap 94 Kanaan leads Hunter-Reay Viso Allmendinger and Andretti

    Lap 98 Kanaan leads Allmendinger….Allmendinger grabs the lead from Kanaan. Hunter-Reay runs third ahead of Viso and Andretti.

    Lap 103 Andretti and Castroneves pass Viso.

    Belts coming undone drops Allmendinger to 25th, one lap down. Kanaan to the lead. Lap 117 Andretti up to second, ahead of Hunter-Reay, Viso and Castroneves.

    Lap 118 Viso moves up to second, past Andreti and Hunter-Reay

    Lap 120 Andretti and Hunter-Reay pass Viso, Munoz takes fifth from Castroneves

    Lap 121 Andretti to the lead….then pits. Kanaan follows him on pit road so Hunter-Reay goes to the lead

    Lap 123 Hunter-Reay and Viso pit, handing the lead over to Munoz

    Lap 124 Munoz and Castroneves pit, handing the lead over to Tagliani

    Lap 125 Tagliani pits, handing the lead over to Townsend Bell

    Lap 126 Bell pits, handing the lead to James Hinchcliffe. Hinchcliffe pits, handing the lead to Hunter-Reay ahead of Andretti

    Lap 128 Andretti goes back to the front, passing Hunter-Reay

    Lap 131 Hunter-Reay grabs the lead back from Andretti, ahead of Viso, Kanaan

    Lap 133 Viso passes Hunter-Reay for the lead as Andretti drops back to third. Kanaan and Castroneves round out the top five.

    Lap 134 Viso leads Andretti, Hunter-Reay, Kanaan and Allmendinger

    Lap 136 Hunter-Reay passes both Viso and Andretti….Allmendinger passes Andretti for third

    Lap 137 Kanaan passes Andretti……Allmendinger passes Viso

    Lap 138 Allmendinger grabs the lead ahead of Hunter-Reay, Kanaan, Andretti and Viso

    Lap 142 Allmendinger leads Hunter-Reay, Andretti, Kanaan and Castroneves

    Lap 143 Allmendinger pits, handing the lead over to Hunter-Reay

    Lap 146 Three-wide battle for the lead as Castroneves grabs the lead ahead of Andretti and Hunter-Reay. Andretti grabs the lead from Castroneves ahead of Hunter-Reay, Kanaan and Munoz

    Lap 151 Andretti hits pit road, handing the lead over to Hunter-Reay

    Lap 152 Hunter-Reay pits, handing the lead to Munoz

    Lap 153 Carpenter pits

    Lap 154 Viso has stalled on pit road

    Lap 155 Power and Castroneves pit

    Lap 156 Munoz pits, handing the lead over to Dixon. Dixon and Tagliani pit, handing the lead over to Hinchcliffe

    Lap 157 Hinchcliffe pits, handing the lead over to Hunter-Reay

    Lap 158 Andretti passes Hunter-Reay for the lead

    Lap 160 Hunter-Reay passes Andretti back for the lead

    Lap 163 Hunter-Reay leads Andretti, Allmendinger, Munoz and Kanaan

    Lap 165 Allmendinger passes Andretti for second

    Lap 166 Allmendinger and Andretti pass Hunter-Reay for position. Allmendinger to the lead. Kanaan passes Munoz for fourth. Castroneves passes Munoz for fifth.

    Lap 168 Andretti passes Allmendinger for the lead….Hunter-Reay grabs second from Allmendinger. Munoz passes Castroneves back for fifth

    Lap 169 Hunter-Reay grabs the lead back from Andretti. Tagliani makes an unscheduled pit stop after brushing the wall. Bell makes an unscheduled pit stop for getting into the wall.

    Lap 170 Andretti grabs the lead back from Hunter-Reay ahead of Allmendinger, Kanaan and Munoz

    Lap 176 Andretti leads Kanaan, Hunter-Reay, Munoz and Castroneves

    Lap 177 Kanaan grabs the lead, Andretti grabs the lead back

    Lap 178 Kanaan and Munoz pass Andretti ahead of Hunter-Reay and Castroneves. Kanaan pits, handing the lead to Munoz.

    Lap 179 Carpenter pits while Sebastian Bourdais crashes on his way in pit road, but keeps going. Andretti passes Munoz for the lead.

    Lap 180 Andretti pits, handing the lead to Munoz.

    Lap 181 Hunter-Reay pits

    Lap 182 Pagenaud pits

    Lap 183 Dixon and Wilson pit

    Lap 185 Castroneves, Power, Munoz pit, handing the lead to Hinchcliffe

    Lap 188 Hinchcliffe and Franchitti pit. Hunter-Reay grabs the lead

    12 laps to go Kanaan passes Hunter-Reay in turn four ahead of Andretti

    11 laps to go Hunter-Reay passes Kanaan in turn three ahead of Andretti and Munoz

    10 laps to go Kanaan passes Hunter-Reay back for the lead in turn four.

    9 laps to go Hunter-Reay passes Kanaan down the frontstretch. Munoz passes Andretti for third.

    8 laps to go Kanaan passes Hunter-Reay down the fronstretch.

    7 laps to go Hunter-Reay passes Kanaan on the front stretch. Caution as Graham Rahal gets into the turn two wall.

    Under caution with 5 to go Hunter-Reay leads Kanaan Munoz Andretti Wilson Castroneves Allmendinger Pagenaud

    3 to go three-wide for the lead between Munoz, Kanaan and Hunter-Reay as Kanaan grabs the lead ahead of Munoz, Hunter-Reay and Andretti. Caution as Franchitti gets into the wall.

    This will end the Indy 500 as they won’t be able to get it restarted. Tony Kanaan will be your 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner.

  • Erin Crocker Back in Racing Saddle With Team WIX

    Erin Crocker Back in Racing Saddle With Team WIX

    With the admission of “racing is in my DNA,” Erin Crocker announced her return to the track, with WIX® Filters as her sponsor. Team WIX will sponsor Crocker in seven POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series races in 2013, as well as the 2014 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals.

    “I went to the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Oklahoma in January of this year,” Crocker said. “As soon as I was at the race with all of the excitement, I immediately wanted to be a part of it again.”

    Although she was attending the race as a spectator, Crocker was convinced by a few compatriots to just sit in one of the race cars. And that was all it took for her passion to reignite.

    “Once I did that, it was over,” Crocker said. “As soon as I got back from the race I started making plans to get back in racing.”

    Crocker most definitely has the dates of January 14th to January 18th, 2014 circled on next year’s calendar when she will race in the Chili Bowl herself with WIX as primary sponsor.

    “I love being at the Chili Bowl,” Crocker said. “It is one of the best events for short-track racing and it is at a perfect time of year – in January – when most racing is in the offseason.”

    “I’m really excited to race in the next Chili Bowl,” Crocker continued. “I ran it once about ten years ago and it was the only time I’ve raced a dirt midget.”

    “It was the Saturday night, local track atmosphere that I’ve been around for so long and I feel like the people are my family,” Crocker said. “I will have great equipment and sponsorship behind me so I will have a full team of support.”

    Before the Chili Bowl, however, Crocker will be perfecting her craft by racing her No. 98 WIX Filters midget in POWRi races all over the mid-west for the rest of the year.

    “I am thrilled to get back in the driver’s seat with the Team WIX program that embraces the American tradition of grassroots racing,” Crocker said. “When I spend time at the race track, my passion for racing is renewed.”

    “Partnering with Team WIX allows me to focus on my racing roots and get back to what I love.”

    WIX® Filters is also thrilled to have Erin Crocker back in the sport representing their brand.

    “WIX has a deep heritage with hometown racers, teams and local tracks as part of Team WIX program,” Mike Harvey, brand manager for WIX Filters, said. “Erin embodies what a true, grassroots racer is through her childhood, passion and love for racing.”

    “We are proud to partner with her as she makes her comeback behind the wheel and fuels her passion as part of Team WIX.”

    Although Crocker is thrilled to return to her place behind the wheel, her husband, former crew chief now ESPN analyst Ray Evernham, has expressed his own reservations.

    “Ray is a little nervous about me racing again,” Crocker admitted. “We’ve been around midgets and sprint cars a lot and I think he would feel better if I was in a stock car with more body around me.”

    “I took a bad tumble a few years ago in Knoxville and went over the guardrail and Ray was about 30 feet from it and he didn’t like that too much,” Crocker continued. “But he supports what I want to do and is letting me take the lead.”

    Although Crocker has earned many awards throughout her career, from Female Driver of the Year awards from 1993 to 1995, as well as being the first woman to qualify for the Knoxville Nationals in 2003, she acknowledged that she will face challenges as she returns to the track.

    “I don’t have a ton of experience racing midgets,” Crocker said. “I have a lot of dirt, sprint car experience with a wing on the top so it will take time getting used to driving without a wing on the car.”

    “The horsepower won’t be anything too crazy for me because it is a little less than the sprint cars.”

    Although Crocker is competitive and, of course, wants to win, she is also trying to manage her own expectations as she returns to racing.

    “I’m a race car driver so I can’t help but have expectations,” Crocker said. “I’m sure I’ll adjust my expectations as I go.”

    “I don’t’ know what to expect, but I always expect to win,” Crocker continued. “If you go to the track thinking anything else, you won’t be successful.”

    “In my mind, I’d like to make the A-main, which is hard to do and an accomplishment itself,” Crocker said. “I’m the only woman who has qualified for the Knoxville Nationals A-main, which is the biggest event for winged sprint cars, and I’d like to have a similar accomplishment in midget racing.”

    In spite of needing to knock the rust off, Crocker is very much looking forward to all of the sights, sounds and smells of the racing environment.

    “I’m looking forward to the feeling back behind the wheel with the pedal to the floor and the smell of methanol fumes and just the adrenaline of the racing competition,” Crocker said. “It almost doesn’t feel right when I’m not racing, which is why I’ve come in and out of retirement a few times.”

    “There is no better accomplishment than coming off a feature event knowing you’ve driven the wheels off the car.”

    Crocker also admits that she will enjoy adding another female back into the ranks of racing, particularly since she was one of the initial women drivers in the NASCAR arena.

    “I’m always flattered when people say I helped pioneer women in racing because it was never really my intention,” Crocker said. “I just grew up around it and it is something I love.”

    “To know that I’ve helped other females is an honor, and it is also an honor if I can be a role model or an example for a young girl coming up in racing.”

    “I grew up with a lot of females that raced quarter midgets,” Crocker said. “As we got older, most girls weren’t pushed into racing and went off to college.”

    “In the higher levels of racing, I’ve seen the numbers change and it is more acceptable and there are more women in racing,” Crocker continued. “But there is also still a lot of room for improvement.”

    “There is always interest and attention on women drivers but you need to attract people who truly believe in you to be successful,” Crocker said. “Danica Patrick is the best example now of having that support but I’d like to see more women get that chance as well.”

    Crocker will indeed get her chance as a female driver back at the track and behind the wheel. Her first race with Team WIX will be in the POWRi races in Bloomington, Indiana on June 28th.

  • Dumoulin Snags First NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Career Win

    Dumoulin Snags First NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Career Win

    Road Course Ace Gets Off To Fast Start In ‘13

    BOWMANVILLE, Ont. (May 19, 2013) – Louis-Philippe Dumoulin won the Pinty’s presents the Vortex Brake Pads 200 on Sunday in NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 action at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

    Dumoulin, out of Trois-Rivieres, Que., handled all comers on the 2.459-mile road course to pick up his first series career win while leading a race-high 32 laps. The 2011 series rookie of the year had a previous best finish of second last season in his hometown the event – the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.

    After leading four laps early Dumoulin bided his time behind the wheel of his No. 47 WeatherTech.ca/Bellemare Dodge while everyone cycled through pit stops for tires and fuel. He took the lead from fellow Quebecer Martin Roy on Lap 24 and was out front for the rest of the 51-lap affair.

    “I’m really proud of my team and the car was great all weekend,” said Dumoulin. “My crew chief Tyler Case was on top of everything and making sure we made the right decisions. We’re really happy to get out first win.”

    In three of the six seasons in series history the winner of the season opener has gone on to win the points championship. However, Dumoulin is in just his second full season of Canadian Tire Series competition and the road course specialist will need to prove his mettle on the eight oval track events on the schedule this season.

    “I learned quite a bit last year on the ovals, but it’s pretty tough to beat some of these guys,” he said. “This is a good win and we’ll continue to build on it.”

    Runner-up Jeff Lapcevich seemed to be within striking distance after taking the white flag, but a bobble in Turn 1 effectively ended his challenge. The result equaled his best series finish established in 2009 at Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, N.S., and helped raise the spirits of the Lapcevich Racing team after Lapcevich’s father passed away unexpectedly in early April.

    “Everything with my dad really set us back,” he said. “I wasn’t even sure we were going to come here and I told the team to get everything ready just a couple of weeks ago. They’ve worked extremely hard and I appreciate it.”

    On the final lap the veteran Lapcevich tried some gamesmanship to get past Dumoulin.

    “I thought maybe I could rattle him, but I just ended up rattling myself,” said the pilot of the No. 76 Tim Hortons Dodge out of Grimsby, Ont. “After that it was over. He would have had to have done something really wrong for me to catch him.”

    Jason Hathaway finished third and scored his best Canadian Tire Motorsport Park finish in seven starts on the road course.

    “We put a lot of emphasis on our road course program over the offseason and it certainly paid off in running up front most of the day,” Hathaway said.

    Defending series champion D.J. Kennington and Robin Buck in fourth and fifth, respectively and Kerry Micks, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Ty Dillon, Noel Dowler, Trevor Seibert and Brad Graham rounded out the top-10 finishers.

    Dillon gained some valuable experience on the track that will host its first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event on Sunday, Sept. 1.

    Pole sitter J.R. Fitzpatrick broke a drive shaft early on and finished a disappointing 27th in the 28-car field. He set a track record in Saturday’s qualifying and led the race’s first six laps before the untimely mechanical difficulty.

    The race lead was exchanged six times among six drivers while the action was slowed due to caution three times for 13 laps.

    The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 is back in action next on Saturday, June 15 for the EMCO 200 at Delaware (Ont.) Speedway.

     

    UNOFFICIAL NASCAR CANDADIAN TIRE SERIES presented by MOBIL 1-Pinty’s presents the Vortex 200 Results

    Sunday
    At Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (Road Course)
    Bowmanville, Ontario
    Lap length: 2.459 miles
    (Start position in parentheses)
    1. (2) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivieres, Que., Dodge, 51 laps, 69.500 mph.
    2. (10) Jeff Lapcevich, Grimsby, Ont., Dodge, 51.
    3. (11) Jason Hathaway, Dutton, Ont., Dodge, 51.
    4. (5) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 51.
    5. (7) Robin Buck, Campbellville, Ont., Dodge, 51.
    6. (4) Kerry Micks, Mt. Albert, Ont., Ford, 51.
    7. (14) Ty Dillon, Welcome, N.C., Chevrolet, 51.
    8. (12) Noel Dowler, Sherwood Park, Alta., Dodge, 51.
    9. (18) Trevor Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 51.
    10. (17) Brad Graham, Glencoe, Ont., Ford, 51.
    11. (21) Ryley Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 51.
    12. (27) Ray Courtemanche Jr., Montreal, Que., Dodge, 51.
    13. (24) Hugo Vannini, Repentigny, Que., Ford, 51.
    14. (28) David Thorndyke, Oshawa, Ont., Chevrolet, 51.
    15. (15) Jason White, Sun Peaks, B.C., Dodge, 51.
    16. (22) Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor, Ont., Dodge, 51.
    17. (16) Ryan Klutt, Halton Hills, Ont., Chevrolet, 50.
    18. (20) Steve Mathews, New Liskeard, Ont., Ford, 49.
    19. (8) Peter Klutt, Halton Hills, Ont., Chevrolet, 43, suspension.
    20. (13) Martin Roy, Napierville, Que., Dodge, 37, off track.
    21. (9) Howie Scannell Jr., Milton, Ont., Dodge, 22, rear end.
    22. (26) Larry Jackson, Oakville, Ont., Dodge, 20, off track.
    23. (19) Daniel Bois, Bracebridge, Ont., Dodge, 16, rear end.
    24. (3) Scott Steckly, Milverton, Ont., Dodge, 12, accident.
    25. (23) Joey McColm, Ajax, Ont., Dodge, 11, brakes.
    26. (6) Alex Guennette, Terrebonne, Que., Dodge, 10, engine.
    27. (1) J.R. Fitzpatrick, Cambridge, Ont., Chevrolet, 7, drive shaft.
    28. (25) Derek White, Kahnawake, Que., Chevrolet, 5, engine.

    Race Statistics
    Time of Race: 1 hour 48 minutes 16 seconds
    Margin of Victory: .651 seconds
    Fastest Qualifier: J.Fitzpatrick (106.289 mph, 83.286 seconds)
    Caution Flags: 3 for 13 laps.
    Lead Changes: 6 among 6 drivers.
    Lap Leaders: J. Fitzpatrick 1-6; L. Dumoulin 7-10; S. Steckly 11-12; J. Lapcevich 13-15; T. Seibert 16-21; M. Roy 22-23; L. Dumoulin 24-51.
    Standings: 1. L. Dumoulin, 48; 2. J. Lapcevich, 43; 3. J. Hathaway, 41; 4. D. Kennington, 40; 5. R. Buck, 39; 6. K. Micks, 38; 7. T. Dillon, 37; 8. N. Dowler, 36; 9. T. Seibert, 36; 10. B. Graham, 34.

  • Brandon Watson wins Lucie Alywin Memorial 51 presented by North Toronto Auctions

    Brandon Watson wins Lucie Alywin Memorial 51 presented by North Toronto Auctions

    Brandon Watson would start off exactly where he left off as he would the victory in the Lucie Alywin Memorial 50 presented by North Toronto Auctions after leading from the pole.

    Trouble would start early as on the first lap of the first heat, Tyler Hawn would go for a spin. Watson would grab the heat win ahead of Gary Passer, Jesse Kennedy, No. 5, Rob Poole, Cole Powell, Ethan Cournyea and Hawn.

    The second heat would feature some drama as George Wilson would spin on the first lap. Rob Clarke went on to grab the win ahead of Todd Campbell, Charlie Gallant, Glenn Watson, Kevin Cornelius, Wayne Issacs and Jim Bowman.

    The third heat belonged to Shane Maginnis ahead of Dwayne Baker, Derrike Tiemersma, Sean Cronan, John Owen and Andrew Gresel.

    The fourth heat would go to Kennedy ahead of Brandon Watson, Passer, Poole, Powell, Cournyea and Hawn.

    image137The fifth heat would see Gallant make heavy contact with the turn three wall after contact from Wayne Issacs. Glenn Watson would grab the win ahead of Clarke, Cornelius, Wilson, Bowman and Issacs.

    The last heat belonged to Tiemersma, ahead of Baker, Cronan, Maginnis, Owen and Gresel.

    With qualifying in the books, it’d be Brandon Watson starting on the pole for the 50 lap feature ahead of Derrike Tiemersma, Rob Clarke, Shane Maginnis, Jesse Kennedy, Dwayne Baker, Gary Passer, Glenn Watson, Todd Campbell, Rob Poole, Sean Cronan, Kevin Cornelius, John Owen, George Wilson, Cole Powell, Jim Bowman, Ethan Cournyea, Tyler Hawn, Andrew Gresel and Charlie Gallant.

    Brandon Watson and Tiemerma would battle for the lead early ahead. However the battle would be cut short by a wreck on the backstretch. Heading down into turn three, Maginnis got into the back of Clarke, causing the field to bottle up. In the process of that, Bowman got heavy front end damage, Cournyea on top of Owen and Gallant sustained front end damage. Gallant was done for the night, while the rest of the teams were able to make repairs and continue. On the caution, Sean Cronan would make his way down pit road also.

    On the restart, Brandon Watson would get ahead of Tiemersma, and they were followed by Kennedy, Glenn Watson and Dwayne Baker.

    There’d be another caution, though, as Dwayne Baker would have a flat tire on lap four. He would head down pit road and change the tire, back onimage194 track. With 44 laps to go, Brandon Watson led Tiemersma, Kennedy, Glenn Watson, Poole, Cornelius, Passer, Campbell, Issacs, Powell, Maginnis, Cronan, Owen, Gresel, Clarke, Cournyea, Hawn, Bowman and Baker.

    Brandon Watson would once again get away on the restart while Glenn Watson passed Kennedy for third. Meawhile, on lap eight, Cornelius would pass Poole for fifth. Though, there would then be another caution for debris as pieces fell off of Bowman’s car from the earlier wreck. While running ninth, Cronan would head down pit road and be done for the night with mechanical issues.

    On the restart, Brandon Watson played the getaway ahead of Tiemerma while Glenn Watson and Kennedy battled for third. Kennedy would clear Watson on lap 18 for third, while Bowman would head down pit road on lap 21. Behind them, Poole would get by Cornelius for fifth on lap 22. Though, Cornelius would pass Poole back before the next caution at lap 41 for Clarke spinning Maginnis, with Owen getting a small piece. Maginnis would done for the night as his car would be leaking fluid. Clarke would also find himself done for the night shortly after.

    With nine laps to go, it looked like Kennedy would be restarting third, though he would head down pit road with a flat tire. As a result, it was Brandon Watson leading Tiemersma, Glenn Watson, Cornelius, Poole, Baker, Owen, Campbell, Passer and Powell.

    On the restart, Cornelius would get by Glenn Watson for third, just before another caution came out for Kennedy going around on lap 42. So with eight laps to go, you had Brandon Watson leading Tiemersma, Cornelius, Glenn Watson, Baker, Poole, Owen, Campbell, Wilson, Powell, Passer, Issacs, Gresel and Hawn.

    On the restart, Brandon Watson would get the run, while Glenn Watson would move himself up to second ahead of Tiemersma and Cornelius. Through turns three and four on lap 44, Cornelius got the car right sideways – saved it, but fell back to seventh behind Brandon Watson, Glenn Watson, Tiemersma, Baker, Poole and Campbell. Baker and Poole would battle for fourth, with Baker able to keep Poole at bay.

    In the end, it’d be Brandon Watson taking the win ahead of Glenn Watson, Derrike Tiemersma, Dwayne Baker and Rob Poole. Todd Campbell finished sixth, followed by Kevin Cornelius, John Owen, Shawn Gowen and Cole Powell. Kyle Passer finished 11th, followed by Wayne Issacs, Tyler Hawn and Andrew Gresel. These results are of course unofficial.

  • Gary McLean wins North Toronto Auction 30 at Sunset Speedway

    Gary McLean wins North Toronto Auction 30 at Sunset Speedway

    In continuing last year’s success, Gary McLean would win the North Toronto Auction 30 at Sunset Speedway after taking the lead from Matt Barton on lap nine.

    Barton would grab the win in the first heat, followed by Brent McLean, Davey Terry, David McCullogh, Dean Scott and Ryan Dick. Scott had a spin partway through the race for a quick caution.

    In the second heat, Bobby Tolton would go or a spin in the early going and be done early in the heat with overheating problems. After the restart, Branden Bullen would go for a spin in turn two. Gary McLean would grab the win ahead of Lane Zardo, Dave Osbourne and Bullen.

    Partway through the third heat, Dick would run into problems, hitting the inside wall after having some other problems. Davey Terry would win ahead of Barton, Brent McLean, McCullogh and Scott.

    Tolton would find more trouble in the second heat as he would go for another spin. McLean went on for the daily double ahead of Zardo and Osbourne.

    With his two heat wins, Gary McLean would get the pole and lead early ahead of Barton, Terry, McCullogh and Brent McLean.

    The first caution would come out on lap five for Bobby Tolton spinning in turns one and two.

    On the restart, Barton would grab the lead ahead of Gary McLean, Brent McLean, Terry and Osbourne.

    However, the caution would quickly fall once again when Tolton would have trouble once again. He would pull into the infield, done for the night.

    On the restart, Barton and Gary McLean would be side-by-side for the lead with McLean clearing Barton on lap 10 ahead of Terry, Brent McLean and McCullogh.

    On lap 12, Brent McLean would get alongside Terry for second while Terry was looking for a way around Barton. Brent McLean would pass Terry for third on lap 23.

    Trouble would strike for Lane Zardo with four laps to go as he would head down pit road.

    With two laps left, Barton would slip from second to third after being passed by Brent McLean.

    Gary McLean would go on to the win ahead of his cousin Brent McLean, Matt Barton, Davey Terry and David McCullogh. Dave Osbourne finished sixth, followed by Branden Bullen and Dean Scott.

  • Ken Schrader Just Having Fun as ARCA’s Newest and Oldest Winner

    Ken Schrader Just Having Fun as ARCA’s Newest and Oldest Winner

    Ken Schrader may just be the oldest winner in the history of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, but he is no doubt the happiest after taking the checkered flag first in the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care this weekend at Toledo Speedway.

    And in Schrader’s own words, he is simply an almost 58 year old driver that is “just having fun.”

    “Well, being the oldest winner is sure better than being the oldest loser,” Schrader said with a laugh. “I love it.”

    “That’s five (at Toledo) and we’ll take it.”

    Schrader started on the outside pole in his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet and led 163 laps in the event on his way to securing the win. Schrader was especially pleased as he has not been in an ARCA car for quite some time.

    “I haven’t run an ARCA race in two and a half years because Tom Hessert from New Jersey has been driving our car,” Schrader said. “He did a good job and ran for us the last two years but he is doing something different this year.”

    “So, we picked out a handful of races that Federated Auto Parts wanted to run and this was the first one,” Schrader continued. “We qualified second and won the thing.”

    Schrader, as one of the older veterans in the field, battled a bit with the youngest pole winner in the ARCA Series, Kyle Benjamin, who took that honor at the tender age of 15 years. But Schrader admitted that his biggest competition was Grant Enfinger, who he battled side by side at one point in the race but who eventually cut down a tire to finish 15th.

    “Kyle, we didn’t fight with too much,” Schrader said. “I just fell in behind him at the start and we went about 20 laps and we got around him and then he had some trouble.”

    “But Grant Enfinger – he looks young compared to me but he’s not young, young – he was really the strongest car all day,” Schrader continued. “I had a lot of fun racing with him.”

    Schrader admits that, while he enjoys racing at the highest levels of NASCAR, the ARCA Series has a special place in his heart.

    “Well, first off I still love the Cup Series but we’re just too old to play that game week in and week out,” Schrader said. “And that takes too much sponsorship.”

    “The ARCA Series, where you run tracks like three-eighths at Elko to Talladega to mile dirt tracks to road courses, I just love the diversity of the ARCA Series.”

    And of course Schrader receives a hero’s welcome whenever he does race in the ARCA events, just like he did at the Toledo event, although he modestly disagrees with that.

    “I’m no hero,” Schrader said. “I’ve just been there lots of times.”

    “It’s different now because there are so many young kids coming up and they’re doing a phenomenal job,” Schrader said. “Veteran Frank (Kimmel) has been there a long time and I’ve been there off and on for quite awhile.”

    “A lot of folks in the grand stands don’t know the young kids yet so they just remember us or their parents told them about us.”

    Although this was Schrader’s 61st ARCA start, he is not so impressed with that. Instead, he would much rather talk about the number of races he won in the series, which he does admit is pretty impressive.

    “61 starts are not very many though,” Schrader said. “I think we ran our first one in 1981 or so.”

    “So, that’s 60 some over all those years,” Schrader continued. “The most I’ve run in a year is five or so.”

    “But we’ve won 16 of them.”

    Schrader is not just running the ARCA Series this year but also has many other races on his dance card. And admittedly being behind the wheel of a race car is what keeps him going and traveling all over the country.

    “We’re running the Sprint Cup car ten times and then we’re going to run a couple of Truck races, Bristol and the Eldora, Ohio Truck race on the dirt,” Schrader said. “And then we’re running four or five ARCA races and my little dirt modified somewhere between 60 to 70 nights.”

    “Last year, we ran in 18 states and the year before in 22 states, Schrader continued. “So, we go all over with that thing.”

    “I don’t know,” Schrader said. “I must not be very smart because I still get up in the morning and want to go race.”

    At this weekend’s race, however, Schrader also paid tribute to Dick Trickle, a NASCAR legend that was lost due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound this past week.

    “There are so many of us across the country that Dick has taught,” Schrader said. “We learned from talking to him and racing with him.”

    “There’s young kids that he has taught, guys my age that he taught, and racers that are now retired that he taught,” Schrader continued. “He was one of the smartest racers there was.”

    “There’s so many of us that Dick raised, like Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin and Kenny Wallace,” Schrader said. “What we learned from talking to him and listening to him as well as watching him was amazing.”

    “I hate, hate what happened there but I know that he had to really be in some pain to do that.”

    In spite of that pain and loss, Schrader was in full celebration mode after scoring the ARCA win. But he puts it all in perspective as only Ken Schrader can.

    “It was a real fun day that obviously put Federated Auto Parts in Victory Lane,” Schrader said. “But when we wake up tomorrow, it doesn’t make any difference and we just have to get ready to go to Elko.”

    “I feel good about our sport though,” Schrader continued. “We had a good weather day and a packed grandstand out at the ARCA race.”

    “It doesn’t get any better than that.”