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  • Justin Boston Captures First ARCA Career Victory; Wins Thriller at Toledo

    Justin Boston Captures First ARCA Career Victory; Wins Thriller at Toledo

    Teammates John Wes Townley & Cody Coughlin Finish Strong

    Concord, NC (May 19, 2014) –  Justin Boston basked in spotlight Sunday afternoon capturing his first career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards victory at Toledo Speedway. After a lackluster start to the 2014 season Boston erased any sour feelings with a dramatic late race pass of Grant Enfinger on lap 181 to seal his fate in the closing laps of a thrilling Menards 200 event.

    “It’s great to be here in victory lane,” Boston said. “I’m not sure what to say even. So many times we’ve missed this; it’s good to finally get the win.”

    The 24-year-old won in his 26th-career start and became the second driver in Venturini Motorsports history to earn a victory at the Ohio track. It was Venturini Motorsports first win at the Toledo Speedway since Bill Venturini’s victory on May 31, 1987 in the No. 25.

    “This is just so great to win here in Toledo. I can’t thank all of the guys at Venturini Motorsports and all the guys back at the shop enough. All I had to do was drive the car, and it was fun to drive this car today.”

    Boston started from the third position for the second time this season, driving the No.25 ZLOOP Computer and Electronic Recycling Centers – JACO Environmental Toyota Camry. Settling into third position immediately after the green flag waved, Boston reported a perfect No. 25 Toyota Camry early in the race. A Lap 50 caution provided an opportunity for the ZLOOP Computer and Electronic Recycling Centers team to change right-side tires and add fuel, and the quick pit stop placed Boston back into third position for the restart.

    Boston remained a fixture in the top three for the next 27 laps around the .5-mile track before he took the lead on Lap 77. A Lap 103 caution provided another ideal opportunity for four tires and fuel. However, due to traffic on pit road, Boston was unable to take the top spot and restarted third. He continued to click off fast lap times and methodically took over the second position by Lap 120.

    With 22 laps remaining in the event, Boston drove past the leader and regained the lead. Slipping back to the second position, Boston took the lead again from Enfinger on Lap 181 and held off a charge from Mason Mitchell to win.

    The win was the culmination of a strong outing for all of Venturini Motorsports, who fielded four ARCA Racing Series entries this Sunday. Along with Boston, John Wes Townley finished fifth, Cody Coughlin finished sixth, and J.J. Haley finished 18th.

    About Venturini Motorsports
    Venturini Motorsports (VMS), fielding cars for over 30-years in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, is one of the premier NASCAR driver development programs in the country. Multiple team championships and consistent on-track success, VMS has evolved into one of the most recognizable names in motorsports. Since 2007, VMS has assisted in the career development of notable NASCAR drivers such as Joey Logano, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Brian Scott, Kevin Swindell, John Wes Townley and Erik Jones. Over the years the Venturini name has become synonymous with modern-day racing in America. In 2012, the Venturini family was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (www.NIASHF.org) and now find themselves enshrined with such sports icons as Joe DiMaggio, Mario Andretti, Vince Lombardi, Tommy Lasorda and Rocky Marciano.

    Official: www.VenturiniMotorsports.com  |  Twitter: @VenturiniMotor  |  Facebook: Venturini Motorsports

    About ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards
    The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.

  • CARPENTER BACK-TO-BACK INDIANAPOLIS 500 POLE WINNER

    CARPENTER BACK-TO-BACK INDIANAPOLIS 500 POLE WINNER

    INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 18, 2014) – Ed Carpenter will start from the pole of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race for the second year in a row. The 33-car field is the fastest in Indianapolis 500 history (229.382 mph), breaking the previous record of 228.648 mph set in 2002.

    The owner/driver of the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet was the final qualifier May 18 and recorded a four-lap average of 231.067 mph to bump James Hinchcliffe from the top spot and claim the $100,000 Verizon P1 Award for the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

    Carpenter is the 11th driver to earn back-to-back poles for the Indianapolis 500 — the most recent Helio Castroneves in 2009-10. Carpenter’s four-lap average was the fastest since 2003, when Castroneves won the pole (231.725 mph) and was the race runner-up. Carpenter earned the Verizon P1 Award last May with a four-lap average speed of 228.762 mph.

    “It’s awesome to do this two years in a row; I was surprised last year and didn’t expect to do it this year with such deep competition. It’s exciting, but after going through this last year and not winning the race I’ve been so much more determined,” said Carpenter, who led 37 laps but finished 10th. “Now it’s all about the race, and we want to close the deal.”

    The Fast Nine Shootout closed two intriguing days of qualifications under a new format that set the field May 17 and determined starting positions May 18.

    Juan Pablo Montoya recorded a four-lap average of 231.007 mph average in the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske car to lead the qualifiers for positions 10-33. He’ll be on Row 4 with reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion and 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon (230.928 mph average) in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car and first-year competitor Kurt Busch (230.027) in the No. 26 Suretone car for Andretti Autosport.

    Six of those 24 qualifiers registered four-lap averages above 230 mph, and all but four bettered their average speed from Round 1. Row 11 features the youngest – 19-year-old Sage Karam – and oldest – 46-year-old Buddy Lazier – alongside Sebastian Saavedra, who will be 24 on June 2.

    The difference in time between Carpenter and Lazier (2.1509 seconds) is the closest field by time in the history of the Indianapolis 500. The previous closest was 2.5399 seconds in 2011. The difference in speed between Carpenter and Lazier (3.147 mph) is the second-closest field by speed in the history of the race. The closest was 3.130 mph in 1953.

    Hinchcliffe, who eight days earlier suffered a concussion in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and was cleared to drive May 15, registered a fast lap of 231.618 mph on his first lap in the session and averaged 230.839 mph in the No. 27 United Fiber & Data car. Will Power (230.697 average) will start on the outside of Row 1 — his second front-row start.

    Castroneves, seeking his fourth Indy 500 victory, recorded the fastest qualifying lap of the two days (231.671) in the Fast Nine Shootout in the No. 3 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Team Penske car. Simon Pagenaud (230.614) and Marco Andretti (230.544), who qualified third last year, will join Castroneves on Row 2.

    Carlos Munoz, who started and finished second last year as a rookie, qualified on the inside of Row 3 (230.146) in the No. 34 Cinsay AndrettiTV.com HVM car. Josef Newgarden, in his third season with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, qualified eighth (229.893) and JR Hildebrand (228.726), the 2011 race runner-up as a rookie and the first qualifier in this session, qualified ninth.

  • J.R. Fitzpatrick dominates the Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200

    J.R. Fitzpatrick dominates the Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200

    After having victory lane elude him all season last year, J.R. Fitzpatrick would dominate the Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200 on Sunday at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park to kick off the 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season.

    “It was pretty good – obviously,” Fitzpatrick commented. “We just focused on trying to stay up front. The biggest strategy that I had was to save my stuff for the end and it seemed the longer we went, the stronger the car got so it was a really good feeling. It was exciting how it all worked out.”

     

    After qualifying second, Fitzpatrick wasted no time grabbing the race lead behind the wheel of his No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet. Fitzpatrick looked to have victory easily in hand when the caution flew, followed by a lengthy red flag to clean up oil all around the track after Noel Dowler lost a motor. The restart would come with a couple laps to go and Fitzpatrick was able to hold off a final charge from Jeff Lapcevich.

    “The last few laps were pretty hairy running out on all that oil as we were talking on the way up here whether it’s better to be running first, second or third as whoever hits it first is in trouble,” Fitzpatrick commented. “I think they had a good idea what we were running through after I hit it. It was a scary moment for me, but glad it worked out.”

    For Fitzpatrick, it marks his ninth career victory and his first victory since winning at CTMP on August 18, 2012. The dominance by the Cambridge, Ontario native is no surprise, though, as it marked his fourth career win at CTMP.

    Jeff Lapcevich would finish second for his second straight runner-up finish at CTMP after finishing second to L.P. Dumoulin last season. It marks the 13th career top-five finish for the driver of the No. 76 Tim Hortons Dodge. Robin Buck would finish third, followed by L.P Dumoulin and D.J. Kennington.

    Kerry Micks, Hugo Vannini, Luc Lesage, Peter Klutt and Ray Courtemanche Jr. completed the top 10. Pole sitter Andrew Ranger would finish 21st after having to drop the rear of the field at the start of the event for unapproved adjustments.

    Unfortunately, a pair of pre-season championship favourites did not have hte day that they were expecting. Jason Hathaway finished 24th after blowing a motor at lap 35, while defending series champion Scott Steckly finished 24th after getting into the wall after trying to get into turn three too aggressively.

    The Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200 will air on TSN on Sunday, May 25 at 12:30 p.m. ET. It will air on RDS2 on Friday, June 13 at 10:30 p.m.

    The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 returns on June 14th for the inaugural Budweiser 300 at Autodrome Chaudiére in Vallée-Jonction, Que.

     

    Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Points B/Points Status
    1 2 84 J.R. Fitzpatrick Equipment Express Chevrolet 54 48 5 Running
    2 3 76 Jeff Lapcevich Tim Hortons Dodge 54 42 Running
    3 7 66 Robin Buck Quaker State Dodge 54 41 Running
    4 5 47 L.P. Dumoulin WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge 54 40 Running
    5 13 17 D.J. Kennington Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge 54 39 Running
    6 12 02 Kerry Micks Johnsonville/Leland/BDI Ford 54 38 Running
    7 20 97 Hugo Vannini VTI Motorsports Ford 54 37 Running
    8 8 24 Luc Lesage * Sportchief Dodge 54 36 Running
    9 6 42 Peter Klutt Legendary Motorcar Chevrolet 54 35 Running
    10 22 29 Ray Courtemanche Jr. La Cité de Mirabel Inc./Blackshape Dodge 54 34 Running
    11 26 67 David Thorndyke LubeSource/Thorsons EVT Chevrolet 54 33 Running
    12 16 56 Matthew Scannell * OMVIC/K&K Auto/Trailers by Jim Bray Dodge 54 32 Running
    13 11 18 Stefan Rzadzinski * EpiPen/Dicom Express Dodge 54 31 Running
    14 28 77 Jocelyn Fecteau * Octane Dodge 54 30 Running
    15 25 83 Bob Attrell * Castrol/Jumpstart Dodge 53 29 Running
    16 19 99 Matt Pritiko * Global Warranty Chevrolet 53 28 Running
    17 17 25 Joey McColm PartSource/Toronto Maple Leafs Dodge 53 28 1 Running
    18 23 9 Russ Bond * Door Doctor/Motoring TV Ford 52 26 Running
    19 9 88 Marc-Antoine Camirand * Headrush Chevrolet 52 26 1 Running
    20 27 0 Derek White Headrush/99 Resto Bar Chevrolet 52 24 Running
    21 1 27 Andrew Ranger Mopar/Exide Dodge 51 23 Running
    22 15 5 Noel Dowler EMCO/Rheem Dodge 41 22 Oil Line
    23 21 87 Steve Mathews TSC Stores/CBSF/Bill Mathews Ford Ford 37 22 1 Oil Leak
    24 4 3 Jason Hathaway Rockstar Energy Drink/Roto Static Chevrolet 35 20 Engine
    25 10 22 Scott Steckly Canadian Tire/Sylvania Dodge 23 19 Accident
    26 14 59 Ryan Klutt * K-Line/Legendary Motorcar Chevrolet 23 18 Vibration
    27 24 28 Jason White Bowers & Wilkins Dodge 21 17 Running
    28 18 95 Anthony Simone Innovative Plumbing & Mechanical Dodge 4 16 Suspension

     

  • Jeff Hanley wins Lucie Alywin Memorial 52 at Sunset Speedway

    Jeff Hanley wins Lucie Alywin Memorial 52 at Sunset Speedway

    Jeff Hanley would keep his string of Sunset Speedway success rolling as he scored the victory in the Lucie Alywin Memorial 52 at Sunset Speedway.

    The night didn’t start off smoothly with Todd Campbell spinning in turn two on the first lap of the opening heat. Derrike Tiemersma would grab the win ahead of Dwayne Baker, Glenn Watson, Corey Jones, Jesse Kennedy and Campbell.

    The second heat would go to Rob Poole as he makes his return to OSCAAR competition following a blown motor midway through last year. Shane Gowan finished second followed by Kevin Cornelius, Kelly Balson and Rudy Oppersma.

    After struggling to figure out Sunset in his rookie year, Andrew Gresel won the third heat ahead of Jeff Hanley, Ethan Cournyea, Scott Field and Dave Doucette.

    Jesse Kennedy won the fourth heat ahead of Baker, Tiemersma, Watson and Jones.

    Rob Poole went 2-for-2 in the fifth heat ahead of Gowan, Balson and Cornelius.

    Jeff Hanley won the final heat ahead of Gresel, Cournyea, Doucette and Field.

    When it came time for the feature, Jesse Kennedy would start pole ahead of Shane Gowan, Brent McLean, Dwayne Baker, Jeff Hanley, Andrew Gresel, Rob Poole, Kelly Balson, Ethan Cournyea, Glenn Watson, Dave Doucette, Corey Jones, Todd Campbell, Kevin Cornelius, Scott Field and Rudy Oppersma.

    Kennedy would jump out to the early lead ahead of Gowan, Tiemersma, Baker and Gresel. Though by lap three, Gowan was kicked out of the top five as he had been passed by Tiemersma, Baker, Hanley, Gresel and Poole. Tiemersma would get by Kennedy for the lead as the caution flew for Oppersma and Jones went around in turn four. Campbell brought his super late into the pits under caution and was done for the evening. With 48 laps to go, Tiemersma led Kennedy, Hanley, Baker, Gresel, Watson, Poole, Balson, Field, Cournyea, Oppesrma, Doucette, Cornelius and Gowan.

    Tiemersma was able to hold on to the lead on the restart while Hanley got by Kennedy to move into second while Gresel and Baker rounded out the top five. The top five remained single-file and the same order till the second caution at lap 12 for Cournyea having a flat tire after contact with Balson. Cournyea would pull his super late behind the wall and be done for the night. With 41 laps to go, Tiemersma led Hanley, Kennedy, Gresel, Baker, Watson, Poole, Balson, Doucette, Field, Oppersma, Cournelius and Gowan.

    On the restart, Hanley used the outside lane to his advantage as he grabbed the lead from Tiemersma while Gresel grabbed third from Kennedy as Watson got by Baker for fifth. That didn’t last long, though, as Baker would pass Watson back at lap 18. Baker then continued his charge to the front, passing Kennedy for fourth at lap 26. At lap 28, Scott Field brought his super late down pit road with mechanical issues but was unable to make it to his stall so the caution was waved so they could move his car as a safety measure. With 24 laps to go, Hanley led Tiemersma, Gresel, Baker, Kennedy, Watson, Poole, Doucette, Balson, Oppersma, Gowan and Field.

    Hanley was able to escape on the restart while Baker moved into third with a pass on Gresel and Watson moved in to fifth with a pass on Kennedy. Doucette would bring his super late down pit road with problems at lap 44, but at the same time, the caution would fly for Poole going around in turn four by his lonesome. Doucette would make his repairs and return to the track without going a lap down. With 18 to go, Hanley led Tiemersma, Baker, Gresel, Watson, Kennedy, Cornelius, Balson, Doucette, Poole, Gowan and Oppersma.

    The first attempt at a restart did not go smoothly as Watson would go around by himself in turn four.

    The second attempt went better as Hanley escaped with the lead ahead of Tiemersma, Baker, Gresel, Kennedy, Cornelius, Balson, Poole, Watson and Doucette. At lap 39, Baker’scharge to the front continued with a pass on Tiemersma for second while Poole got by Balson for seventh. Watson then followed suit with a pass on Balson a lap later. Poole continued his rebound to the front, passing Cornelius for sixth at lap 44, with Watson following him through.

    At the front of the field, Baker was able to track down Hanley and got underneath him a couple of times, however wasn’t able to make the pass. In the end, Jeff Hanley cruised to another Sunset Speedway victory ahead of Dwayne Baker, Derrike Tiemersma, Andrew Gresel, Jesse Kennedy, Glenn Watson, Rob Poole, Kevin Cornelius, Kelly Balson, Dave Doucette, Shane Gowan and Rudy Oppersma.

  • Chad Strawn scores first career modified victory at Sunset Speedway

    Chad Strawn scores first career modified victory at Sunset Speedway

    On Saturday night, Chad Strawn had his modified on a roll as he held off all charges sent his way in the 30 lap feature to score his first career Hanover Holiday Modified feature victory.

    Kicking off the night, the first heat didn’t go according to plan as Bobby Tolton would make contact with Max Beyore, causing Beyore to spin. Mike Westwood picked up the win in his new car ahead of Tolton, Brian McLean, Beyore, Dustin Jackson and Branden Bullen.

    The second heat didn’t go much better with John Harper getting into Gary Elliott on the opening lap, resulting in both getting into the inside wall. Tommy Robb picked up the victory ahead of Brent McLean, Davey Terry and Harper.

    The third heat went smoothly as Ryan Dick held off Gary McLean for the victory while Shane Stickel finished third, followed by Matt Barton. Strawn would get credited with fifth after pulling off on the last lap with a mechanical issue.

    The fourth heat didn’t go well for Tolton as he would spin on lap eight as he fought to find the right handling combination for his mod. 13-year-old Dustin Jackson would score his first career heat victory ahead of Beyore, Bullen, Brian McLean, Westwood and Tolton.

    Davey Terry would win the fifth heat ahead of Elliott, Brent McLean, Robb and Harper.

    The final heat would go to Chad Strawn ahead of Gary McLean, Stickel, Barton and Dick.

    When it came feature time, Chad Strawn would start pole ahead of Mike Westwood, Shane Stickel, Tommy Robb, Brent McLean, Davey Terry, Gary McLean, Dustin Jackson, Ryan Dick, Gary Elliott, Bobby Tolton, Brian McLean, Matt Barton, Max Beyore, John Harper and Branden Bullen.

    Strawn would jump out to the early lead, though couldn’t escape the field as the caution flew at lap five for Robb going around and then Dick, Barton and Tolton getting together on the frontstretch. With 25 laps to go, Strawn led Westwood, Stickel, Brent McLean, Gary McLean, Terry, Dick, Jackson, Brian McLean, Beyore, Barton, Bullen, Robb, Elliott, Harper and Tolton.

    The restart wouldn’t go smoothly as Stickel would get loose, causing Westwood and Gary McLean to attempt to split him. As the field bottled up, contact was made and Westwood would get into the wall, leaving Terry with nowhere to go but into the back of Westwood. McLean would be sent to the back as an involved car while Stickel maintained the second spot behind Strawn.

    The second restart would go smoothly with Strawn holding down the fort and leading Stickel, Brent McLean, Dick and Brian McLean. Brian would then have his night go sour as he slowed with a problem on lap 13 for the caution. Behind him, contact would happen between Tolton and Harper.  With 17 to go, Strawn led Stickel, Brent McLean, Dick, Beyore, Jackson, Bullen, Elliott, Gary McLean, Barton, Robb, Brian McLean and Tolton.

    Restarts would become a common problem as the night went on as this restart didn’t go much better than the previous ones with Bullen and Gary McLean going around. For McLean, it marked a disappointing end to his night as he searches for his third straight championship this season.

    The second attempt at a restart would go smoothly with Stickel grabbing the lead ahead of Strawn till the caution flew at lap 16 for Brent McLean stalling on the backstretch with a problem. In the slow-up to avoid hitting Brent, Jackson would go around while Elliott slid up out of the groove.

    The restart would be messy as Stickel would get loose, pushing Dick up towards the wall – Dick would make an impressive save with Beyore making an impressive save as everybody was able to keep going without incident. Once they settled, Stickel led at lap 20 ahead of Strawn, Dick, Bullen and Beyore. Stickel’s lead didn’t last long as Strawn took over the top spot at lap 21. Behind them, Beyore would pass Bullen for fourth at lap 22, and then pass Dick for third at lap 24 as the caution flew for Bullen spinning with Brian McLean and Tolton also catching a piece of it. Robb would pull behind the wall under caution, done for the event. With six laps to go, Strawn led Stickel, Beyore, Dick, Elliott, Barton, Jackson, Bullen and Tolton.

    The messy restarts would continue as Stickel would get loose once again, causing everyone to check up with Gary Elliott being wrecked in the aftermath. Beyore would be sent to the back as an involved car. Now with six laps still to go, Strawn led Stickel, Dick, Barton, Jackson, Bullen, Tolton and Beyore.

    Stickel would mount a charge once the field got the green, but wasn’t able to as Chad Strawn scored the victory ahead of Shane Stickel, Matt Barton, Ryan Dick, Dustin Jackson, Max Beyore, Branden Bullen and Bobby Tolton.

  • Rob Neely wins TQ Can-Am Midget feature at Sunset Speedway

    Rob Neely wins TQ Can-Am Midget feature at Sunset Speedway

    Rob Neely would grab the lead with four laps to go and held off a last lap charge from defending series champion Mack DeMan to score the victory in the TQ Lucas Oil Can-Am Midget feature at Sunset Speedway on Sunday night.

    The night didn’t start off smoothly as Dylon Smith stalled during the opening heat in turn four, while Rob Divenanzo would spin in turn one. Daniel Bois would take the victory ahead of Ryan Fraser, Chris Holman, Adam Racine, Jeff Blackburn, Kent Turnbull, Divenanzo, Dave Hickson and Chris Bauman.

    The second heat didn’t go smoothly either as the field would check up on the opening lap with Barry Dunn getting into David Balych with the 4 spinning. Todd Cresswell also got a piece of it as he got some damage. Adrian Stahle would grab the win ahead of Darren McLennan, DeMan, Neely, Adam Walsh, the Ryan Hunsinger and Tyler Turnbull.

    In the TQ B-Main, it’d be Rob Divenanzo would grab the win ahead of Turnbull, Balych, Hunsinger, Dunn, Kent Turnbull, Bauman and Hickson.

    In the feature, Adrian Stahle would pull out to the early lead ahead of Darren McLennan, Rob Neely, Adam Walsh and Mack DeMan. The first caution would fly on lap seven when Rob Divenanzo would go for a spin in turn one. With 18 laps to go, Stahle led McLennan, Neely, DeMan, Walsh, Chris Holman, Adam Racine, Daniel Bois, Ryan Fraser, Todd Cresswell, Barry Dunn and Ryan Hunsinger.

    Stahle would get a good restart and break away from the field while David Balych found some misfortune, getting into the wall on lap 16. Balcyh kept it clean, though, as no caution was flown.

    As the laps ticked down, Neely got around McLennan and then began to eat into Stahle’s lead. With four laps to go, Neely made his move and was able to get by with DeMan in suite. Rob Neely then cruised to the victory while Mack DeMan had to settle for second after winning the season opener at Flamboro Speedway. Adam Walsh rounded out the podium, followed by McLennan, Cresswell, Holman, Fraser, Racine and Bois.

  • Sage Karam Having fun, Learning Lots

    Sage Karam Having fun, Learning Lots

    The typical teenager’s high school life flies by, but normally not at more than 220 miles an hour. As a racing prodigy he’s not living the life of a typical 19-year old college bound kid.

    I recently had the chance to sit down with the 19-year old Indy 500 rookie. He had just finished his first qualifying attempt running a 228.650 run which put him in the 21st position.

    After the run he told me, “There’s not much we can really do right now. The team looked at me like I shouldn’t leave yet so I don’t know yet. I know we made some changes so heading into tomorrow but we may try to get another run in.”

    Davey Hamilton, a former driver with Dreyer and Reinbold racing, told me Sage has asked him, “Basic things really, how the lines run, how the process goes, some goals for each day, things to look for. He’s a great kid and has a super lot of talent. We’re taking it just one step at a time right now but I believe that with the talent that both him and the team have that we could end up being a top 9 team.”

    Sage told me, “Davey has been helping me a lot. Dario (Franchitti), Scott (Dixon) and Tony (Kanaan) have helped a lot as well. So I’ve got a lot of good guys in my camp that I can rely on as well.”

    “I’m having a blast so far, it’s amazing. I think I’ve been coming every year since I was eight years old. It’s awesome to see it from the cockpit and see it from that point of view. It’s a dream come true, I love it.”

    When asked about being eight (now seven) away from his first 500 and what he was looking forward to the most he told me, “Probably just the day itself. Just to get here in the morning and see all the fans rolling in. I remember coming in every year and waiting one, two or three hours in traffic trying to get in the gate. Just waiting in that line and seeing people partying at 7 a.m. I saw one guy playing with this gas powered helicopter and stuff and it’s like these guys have an awesome time. So now I’m coming in here at seven with a police escort so things obviously have changed. I just can’t wait to get in here and see the fans and see what it looks like sitting in my car with the grandstands full.”

    Sage will start in the 31st position next Sunday. With a bright future ahead, and many people rooting for him, he’s determined, humble, and ready to give it his best shot.

    -Ryan Kent Jr
    @RyanKent47

  • Ed Carpenter tops the charts for Day 1 of Indianapolis 500 Qualifying

    Ed Carpenter tops the charts for Day 1 of Indianapolis 500 Qualifying

    On Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, qualifying for the 98th Annual Indianapolis 500 kicked off. Under the new format, Saturday is used to lock in the nine drivers that will go for the pole. With the top nine locked in, Sunday will be used for those nine to go for the pole and set the top nine spots, while the rest fight through spots 10th thru 33rd.

    Topping the charts on the first day of qualifying for Indianapolis native Ed Carpenter as he had a four lap time of two minutes and 36.0735 seconds with an average speed of 230.661 mph behind the wheel of his No. 20 Fuzzy Vodka Chevrolet.

    “It’s been a good month,” Carpenter commented. “I’m really happy we have the second car this month with the way it’s gone with limited running and the rain. Having JR on the team has been a huge help. I’m happy we’re in a position to have a chance to win a pole again, and at the same time I feel like we’re in better shape for the race than where we were last year too, so it’s shaping up to be a fun weekend.”

    Carpenter is looking to win the pole for the second straight year and says he has to repeat what he’s done in the past in Sunday’s session.

    “We’ve got to get it right for that one run,” he said. “Everybody’s got one shot at it, and I think you saw guys going faster, going slower, going faster, going slower today depending on which run they were on. Some guys moved forward, some guys moved back when they pulled out a time. It just comes down to the engineers and the drivers making the right decision, believing in it and going out a laying down four good ones.”

    Andretti Autosport rookie Carlos Munoz was second fastest as he is looking to better his run in last year’s Indianapolis 500 by one spot after finishing second to Tony Kanaan.

    “After the second run, I was really disappointed. During the first run, the Cinsay car was really good, but during the second run, we just completely lost the balance of the car,” Munoz commented. “My team, my engineer – they did exactly what I asked, and we had a great third run. I was questioning myself, the team, everything before, but as soon as I hit the track I forgot everything (about the second run). The car was really fast, and it’s a shame we wasted that second outing. I think we’re looking strong, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

    Helio Castroneves was third fastest, followed by James Hinchcliffe. The laps on Saturday marked Hinchcliffe’s second session behind the wheel as he missed practice last week due to a concussion suffered in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

    “It feels really good now. It’s a huge testament to this team and the work that they’ve done to be able to come out here,” Hinchcliffe commented. “We had a solid first run, but we knew we were going to have to tweak some more out of it. We were sitting back in the garage there watching ourselves tumble down the charts, watching the track get a bit quicker and guys go a bit quicker. We knew it was our time to go out. The rain came, and we weren’t sure what that was going to do to the track and the conditions. But Nathan (O’Rourke), my engineer, just nailed the aero balance on that one. The car was even nicer to drive than it was the last run. It was on edge, man. I’m shaking a little bit. But it was fast, and that’s what matters.”

    Will Power rounded out the top five, followed by Marco Andretti, Simon Pagenaud, Josef Newgarden and JR Hildebrand. Kurt Busch was in the Fast Nine for the majority of the session, though was bumped out in the final half hour as he was 10th quickest in today’s session.

    “I’ve qualified Pro Stocks on the quarter-mile; I’ve done the longest track on the NASCAR circuit (Talladega) but to do four laps here on a 2.5-mile track, that’s a 10-mile run. That’s the longest I’ve had to focus for a qualifying run. Just the shear excitement of trusting a car with downforce going down into Turn 1 at 230 is indescribable,” Busch commented following his first of two runs on the day. “Those four laps felt like one; 230 is a totally different game. I wasn’t as focused as I needed to be; the moment of Indy can kind of overtake you. It was a very solid run; I was hoping for more. I didn’t keep up with the adjustments in the car. Those guys at Andretti Auto sport have given me a great car.

    “It’s been an experience, the month of May in an Indy car. It’s really hard to digest at all. The chance to qualify is one thing but to do it in an Andretti car is another. The qualifying run I made felt very comfortable, maybe that’s why it wasn’t as good as I had hoped. Maybe I was conservative with the car instead of edgy. I have to thank Andretti Autosport and Suretone for making all this happen; those guys have been great to partner up with and run a big advertising campaign around the Indy 500.”

    Surprisingly, none of the Chip Ganassi cars made the Fast Nine Shootout with Dixon laying down the quickest four-lap time in 15th.

    “It was an average run,” Dixon commented. “I think we were a little bit neutral and started sliding the rear a bit coming from Lap 2 and onwards. The speed just wasn’t there anyways. After Ed (Carpenter’s) run we have to find a good mile and one-half or a little more. We’re trimmed out more than what they are. It’s not about how trim you are; it’s all about the whole package together. We’ll go back out. With warmer conditions later we may see some bigger speeds.”

     

    Qualifying Results

    1. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Chevy, 02:36.0735 (230.661)

    2. (34) Carlos Munoz, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.2090 (230.460)

    3. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Chevy, 02:36.2286 (230.432)

    4. (27) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.2452 (230.407)

    5. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Chevy, 02:36.3022 (230.323)

    6. (25) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.4306 (230.134)

    7. (77) Simon Pagenaud, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.4741 (230.070)

    8. (67) Josef Newgarden, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.4993 (230.033)

    9. (21) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Chevy, 02:36.5032 (230.027)

    10. (26) Kurt Busch, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.5493 (229.960)

    11. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.5904 (229.899)

    12. (98) Jack Hawksworth, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.6471 (229.816)

    13. (2) Juan Pablo Montoya, Dallara-Chevy, 02:36.6681 (229.785)

    14. (19) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.7821 (229.618)

    15. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.0111 (229.283)

    16. (7) Mikhail Aleshin, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.1426 (229.091)

    17. (8) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.3252 (228.825)

    18. (14) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.3522 (228.786)

    19. (83) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.4043 (228.710)

    20. (15) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.4364 (228.664)

    21. (22) Sage Karam, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.4460 (228.650)

    22. (6) Townsend Bell, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.5435 (228.508)

    23. (10) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.5944 (228.435)

    24. (11) Sebastien Bourdais, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.6265 (228.388)

    25. (63) Pippa Mann, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.6474 (228.358)

    26. (17) Sebastian Saavedra, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.6917 (228.294)

    27. (5) Jacques Villeneuve, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.7766 (228.171)

    28. (33) James Davison, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.7912 (228.150)

    29. (16) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.8713 (228.034)

    30. (18) Carlos Huertas, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.9011 (227.991)

    31. (68) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.0246 (227.813)

    32. (41) Martin Plowman, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.5601 (227.043)

    33. (91) Buddy Lazier, Dallara-Chevy, 02:38.9102 (226.543)

  • Andrew Ranger scores Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200 pole

    Andrew Ranger scores Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200 pole

    On Saturday at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Andrew Ranger made his presence known as he scored the pole for the Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200. It marks the 13th career pole award for the two-time series champion as he makes his return to full-time NASCAR Canadian Tire Series competition in 2014.

    Ranger’s lap of 1 minute, 22.956 seconds in his No. 27 Mopar/Exide Dodge marks a new track record as he topped the time set by J.R. Fitzpatrick last year. Ranger is a past winner at CTMP with two previous victories – 2007 and 2009.

    Fitzpatrick, who led practice, would qualify second with a lap of 1:23.111 (106.513) as he is searching for his fourth CTMP victory this weekend. It marks a nice comeback for Fitzpatrick to show speed this weekend as he wrecked during pre-season testing after hitting a puddle on the course and sliding off course into the Styrofoam barrier.

    Last year’s fall pole sitter Jeff Lapcevich qualified third as he searches for his first career NCAT victory. He finished second in last year’s event. Jason Hathaway and last year’s race winner L.P. Dumoulin rounded out the top five. Peter Klutt, Robin Buck, rookies Luc Lesage and Marc-Antoine Camirand, and defending series champion Scott Steckly rounded out the top 10.

    The 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season will kick off on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. EST.

     

    Qualifying Results

    1. (27) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Que., Dodge, 106.712

    2. (84) J.R. Fitzpatrick, Ayr, Ont., Chevrolet, 106.513

    3. (76) Jeff Lapcevich, Grimsby, Ont., Dodge, 106.352

    4. (3) Jason Hathaway, Dutton, Ont., Chevrolet, 106.162

    5. (47) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivières, Que., Dodge, 106.043

    6. (42) Peter Klutt, Halton Hills, Ont., Chevrolet, 105.975

    7. (66) Robin Buck, Campbellville, Ont., Dodge, 105.943

    8. (24) Luc Lesage, Trois-Rivières, Que., Dodge, 105.903

    9. (88) Marc-Antoine Camirand, Saint-Leonard-d’Aston, Que., Chevrolet, 105.901

    10. (22) Scott Steckly, Milverton, Ont., Dodge, 105.667

    11. (18) Stefan Rzadzinski, Edmonton, Alta., Dodge, 105.654

    12. (02) Kerry Micks, Mount Albert, Ont., Ford, 104.812

    13. (17) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 104.744

    14. (59) Ryan Klutt, Milton, Ont., Chevrolet, 104.670

    15. (5) Noel Dowler, Sherwood Park, Alta., Dodge, 104.584

    16. (56) Matthew Scannell, Milton. Ont., Dodge, 104.075

    17. (25) Joey McColm, Ajax, Ont., Dodge, 103.897

    18. (95) Anthony Simone, Holland Landing, Ont., Dodge, 103.234

    19. (99) Matt Pritiko, London, Ont., Chevrolet, 103.009

    20. (97) Hugo Vannini, Repentigny, Que., Ford, 102.971

    21. (87) Steve Mathews, New Liskeard, Ont., Ford, 102.785

    22. (29) Ray Courtemanche Jr., Montreal, Que., Dodge, 102.701

    23. (9) Russ Bond, Toronto, Ont., Ford, 102.667

    24. (28) Jason White, Sun Peaks, B.C., Dodge, 102.335

    25. (83) Bob Attrell, Brampton, Ont., Dodge, 100.600

    26. (67) David Thorndyke, Oshawa, Ont., Chevrolet, 100.552

    27. (00) Derek White, Kahnawake, Que., Chevrolet, 98.501

    28. (77) Jocelyn Fecteau, Montreal, Que., Dodge, 87.553

     

  • SuperBike Rookie Beaubier Establishing Dominance Early

    SuperBike Rookie Beaubier Establishing Dominance Early

    Twenty-one-year-old Cameron Beaubier is no stranger to winning, but this year he has proven his ability to grab checkers in a new venue– the AMA’s premier road racing class.

    Notching a win in his second race in the AMA Pro SuperBike class proved to his competition that not only is he capable of winning, but he is capable of winning early, and quite possibly often.

    He dominated the Daytona SportBike class last year, winning 12 of 13 races en route to an uncontested championship. His only non-first place finish was a second place, leaving him with an average finishing position of 1.1. That he came out so strong in 2014 is no surprise, even with his graduation to the SuperBike class.

    Opening weekend at Daytona in March proved that Beaubier is a force to be reckoned with, landing on the podium in both races. Initially, Race One appeared to be typical AMA SuperBike racing, with Josh Hayes taking the win, but the rookie Beaubier managed to snag a third place finish. Despite a slip up early in the race, Beaubier managed to climb back to second place, and even grabbed the lead for a lap late in the race. When he ran too wide into Turn 1 a second time in the final laps, he lost his chance for a win.

    Beaubier would not make the same mistake twice. The next day, he rode his Monster Energy/Graves Yamaha YZF-R1 to victory, and in only his second Pro SuperBike race. After hanging in the top-three throughout the race, Beaubier made his move to second place in the final laps, and on the last circuit played the draft in the final turn to blow by Roger Hayden for the win.

    Despite the AMA’s huge scheduling gap between early March’s weekend in Daytona and the following race weekend at Road America May 31-June 1, Beaubier has kept himself busy and successful elsewhere.

    Aside from currently leading the AMA Pro SuperBike points after two solid finishes at Daytona, Beaubier also leads the point standings in the GEICO Motorcycle Superbike Shootout series, a three race series that is heading into its final round at Miller Motorsports Park on May 25. His finishes in the first two races: second at Auto Club Speedway and first at Sonoma Raceway.

    The weekend following the GEICO series championship will turn Beaubier’s attention back to the AMA series, where the daunting four-mile Road America awaits.The longest course on the circuit is also one of the most popular in all of road racing, and a couple solid finishes there will solidify Beaubier’s position as a serious championship contender in his rookie season, in case anyone has any lingering doubts.

    It was obvious that his time to graduate to SuperBike had come. From winning the Daytona 200 last year by 22 seconds, to capturing every pole of the year en route to a 12-win championship season, the question was not if he would race in the SuperBike class, but how dominant he would be. He has exceeded all expectations. While a jump to the internationally acclaimed MotoGP series may undoubtedly be a option in the future, Cameron Beaubier should relish in the fact that he is sitting on a rookie season that may very well be one for the record books.