Category: Featured Other Series

OSCAAR Hanover Holiday Modified officials announced a key addition and a key change to the 2014 schedule that was previously announced in December.

On July 5th, the Modifieds will make their first ever trip to Capital City Speedway in Ottawa, Ontario for the CCS’s first Summer Sizzler event.

“Ottawa has a long history of modified racing dating back to the 70’s and 80’s when all the great open wheel drivers from Ontario, Quebec and New York competed at the track weekly,” officials said.

CCS also announced that the Lucas Oil Sportsman Series, the RevStar Open Wheel Series out of Quebec and an enduro are part of the line-up.

Also, while the Rick Wooler Memorial has been ran at Varney Motor Speedway over the years, it will be switching venues for the 2014 season with 50 lap feature moved to Sauble Speedway on July 26th.

“Although Rick had a great history at Varney Speedway he also enjoyed great success at Sauble Speedway,” series officials released. “So when it came time to find a new home for the race in 2014, Sauble Speedway was the logical choice. The management at Sauble Speedway are honoured to have an opportunity to host this event in 2014.”

Also at Sauble Speedway that night will be the Super Late Models, as well as Sauble’s Jr. Late Models.

These two key announcements, added to the full schedule released in December that includes a pair of trips to Kawartha Speedway, five trips to Sunset Speedway, a trip to Barrie Speedway, two trips to Peterborough Speedway and a trip to Delaware Speedway, looks to help put the OSCAAR Hanover Holiday Modifieds at the top of the racing charts in entertainment value this coming year.

 

Last year, Juan Pablo Montoya announced that he would be heading back to IndyCar, driving for Team Penske. The opportunity didn’t shock fans as they could see it coming based on Montoya’s words that he wanted to get back into a car he could win in.

The opportunity to get back in an IndyCar brings forth another opportunity for the Columbian – to win the Indianapolis 500 in May.

 “Every year you came here and you’re not in an Indy car, it’s cool, but you want to come to the museum to see the Indy cars,” Montoya commented at an appearance. “It’s not the same. The Brickyard is a big deal, but it’s not the Indy 500. I never thought I’d be back here to try to get another win. I’m excited and to race here for Team Penske.”

Montoya added that while the opportunity is exciting, he isn’t focused on that right now.

“I’m more of a guy who goes, ‘What’s next? Are we testing? Are we doing this or are we doing that?’ I try not to think about it too much,” he added. “Once we need to come to Indy, I’ll worry about Indy and not before. Still it’s exciting. If you think about it, I’m 1-for-1 here and it would be cool to be 2-for-2.”

In preparation for the season, Montoya has been testing at multiple road courses and ovals to get a feel for the new car. Despite there being a learning curve, defending series champion Scott Dixon says that Montoya should do well despite not being in an open-wheel car for a couple of years. Dixon added that the change in testing rules – each team is allowed 18 days total now – will give Montoya more time to adapt to the car.

“That’s good for him, but the addition of being in a really strong team and having really strong teammates will definitely quicken that process up,” Dixon added. “I expect him to be quick straight out of the box and having the possibility of going for race wins straight on.”

Montoya has been attending tests with teammates Will Power and Helio Castroneves. The experienced teammates have help set the cars up initially, followed by Montoya running laps after and seeing if he can get close to their times. In each of the tests he’s done so far, he’s impressed.

However, even with successful tests, Montoya knows he has challenges ahead.

“The short ovals are going to be my biggest challenge because you have to run flat-out,” he commented. “That wasn’t the case when I was in the series in 1999 and 2000. The speed you carry through the corners is unbelievable.”

One of the critical tests for Montoya this off-season was Phoenix International Raceway. Montoya knows the track via his NASCAR experience, but he says the test is necessary with how different the two cars drive.

“The way you drive these two tracks is completely different from NASCAR to IndyCar,” Montoya said. “We’re running about six seconds a lap faster than in NASCAR.”

Montoya’s official return to an IndyCar will be the season opener at St. Petersburg on March 30th.

“I told Roger (Penske) that it’s easy to see why he has so much success in this series,” Montoya said. “These cars are so fast. The people on these teams are very talented. I’m excited about this chapter of my career.”

As the IndyCar teams continue to prepare for their 2014 season, Andretti Autosport took another step in the process when they unvieled their 2014 driver line-up and the paint schemes those drivers will be running. One of the biggest changes going into the season is that AA will be powered by Honda motors, rather than Chevrolet motors.

“We took a hard look at ourselves to see where we could improve,” team owner Michael Andretti told the Daily Tribune at the unveil. “I think we improved from 2011 to 2012 and I think we improved from 2012 to 2013 but we ran into some bad luck last year.

“We did some things with people in the organization and Ryan (Hunter-Reay) nailed it when he said that, for whatever reason, we were weak in some places. We’ve put a bigger focus in those areas.”

Honda is set to bring out a twin-turbo motor, which AA has helped develop over the off-season, to compete with Chevrolet’s twin-turbo.

“Chevy’s probably sitting there wondering if Honda is going to hit it right,” Andretti said per the Autoweek. “Right now you don’t know, and we won’t know until Indy [in May].

“I think on the road courses the [two manufacturers] are going to be pretty close like they were. But Indy is the place where it shows the horsepower.”

 

Marco Andretti will once again be behind the wheel of the No. 25 Honda, though with the blue and yellow Snapple colors. Last year, Andretti’s car with blue and red with the RC Cola brand. However, this year  the Dr Pepper Snapple Group beverage group makes the shift to their Snapple signature juice. AA notes that this is the fifth different Dr Pepper Snapple product that Andretti has carried as he previously had Venom Energy Drink, Dr Pepper, Dr Pepper TEN and RC Cola.

Last season, Andretti showed a lot of promise throughout the year with a fifth place finish in points and two podiums, though failed to reach victory lane for the second straight season.

 

With Go-Daddy leaving at season’s end, James Hinchcliffe will no longer carry the bright green on his No. 27 car. Instead, he has switched to bright blue and white with new sponsor United Fiber and Data, which is a tech company founded by three members of the multi-platinum rock band LIVE and their Think Loud Development company.

Hinchcliffe went to victory lane three times last year, though wrecks and mechanical issues resulted in some poor finishes, resulting in a eighth place finish in points. 

“We had a very up-and-down first half, and in the second half, we were a little more consistent,” Hinchcliffe said. “That’s the type of consistency we need. It was lessons learned last season.”

 

Ryan Hunter-Reay will once again carry the yellow and red colors of DHL on his car for the third straight year. Hunter-Reay will also be running his signature No. 28 on his car – which represents the 28 million people living with cancer worldwide. Fans will be able to help fight cancer by donating to Hunter-Reay’s charity “Racing for Cancer” and attending the annual event titled “The Yellow Party”.

After winning the championship in 2012, Florida native had a pair of wins this year, though ran into some tough weeks as he finished seventh in the final standings.

 

In the fourth car, AA will have a rookie on board as Colombian Carlos Munoz moves up to the IndyCar Series after a successful couple of seasons in the Indy Light ranks. Munoz ran the Indianapolis 500 last year for AA, finishing second to Tony Kanaan.

Munoz will carry the green and white colors of Cinsay, a Texas based company that is a leader in next-generation social video commerce technology. This fourth IndyCar entry for Andretti Autosport will once again be run as a joint effort between Andretti Autosport and HVM Racing. Munoz will use the No. 34 to pay tribute to former footballer Herschel Walker’s role in the program and to help carry on the tradition of excellence tied to the Heisman Trophy winner’s iconic jersey number.

Empire Racing announced recently that late model drier Jacob Engle will be moving up to the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in 2014, running a full-time schedule.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Empire Racing,” the 21-year-old said.  “They had great results last year and I’m confident that with the relationship between Roush-Yates Engines and Empire we are going to have a very successful program.”

Engle got his start racing g0-karts in the San Diego Karting Association, US Karting Champinship, International Karting Federation (IKF), Stars of Tomorrow, and the World Karting Association (WKA). The young driver won 159 of his 286 races, while picking up an SDKA Championship and three WKA Championships.

He then moved to full-bodied stock cars in 2008, moving into the ASA Late Model Series in 2009. A move from El Cajon, California to Mooresvile, North Carolina, competing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at Myrtle Beach Speedway.

As part of the deal, Empire Racing added that Engle may potentially make some starts for them in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. It will all depend on how well he does in ARCA.

“We were introduced to Jake this past summer at a charity military event at Myrtle Beach Speedway,” John Bellesfield of Empire Racing said.  “He is a talented driver with a great relationship with his marketing partners which is something that is hard to find today in racing so we are looking forward to a successful 2014.”

Engle was on hand for the pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway last month.

Ken Schrader announced his retirement from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. But don’t fear. The veteran is nowhere near done racing.

The veteran has announced that his ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards team, Ken Schrader Racing, Inc., will field a full-time team in the 2004 season. Schrader is scheduled to run 10 races, while Matt Tifft and Clay Campbell will split the rest of the schedule.

“We are proud to be running a full ARCA schedule next season,” Schrader said. “With Matt and Clay assisting with the team’s driving duties, I will be able to run our No. 9 Federated Auto Parts Dirt Modified and still compete in the ARCA Series. Donnie Richeson will again head up our North Carolina-based team and be calling the shots from the pit box.  He has worked with many young drivers and I believe he and Matt will be a great combination. Clay brings 25 years of driving experience to the KSR team and will be a major asset at the big tracks.”

Tifft will be behind the wheel o the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts for eight races. The 17-year-old high school senior has been racing since 2007, stating off with go-karts at Barberton Speedway. The young driver won the Rookie of the Year Award for ARCA’s Midwest Tour in 2012 and ran some ARCA races last year, as well as the full K&N Pro Series East schedule. His best career finish in ARCA was a fifth at Toledo.

“I am very excited to make the move to Ken Schrader Racing and very proud to represent Federated Auto Parts,” Tifft said. “The team is a proven winner and consistent high finisher, and I look forward to adding to the success this team has already had.  It is very cool to me to be racing for Ken Schrader. I’ve had one of his diecast cars since I was about five years old!  I know I will learn a lot from him on and off the track.”

Campbell, who is the president of Martinsville Speedway, will race the car in the two restrictor plate events – February 15th at Daytona and May 3rd at Talladega.

“Growing up in this sport like I have, obviously, I’ve known Ken Schrader and followed his career for a long time and have tremendous respect for him,” Campbell said. “To now drive for him in the Federated Auto Parts No. 52 is really a highlight of my life.  Ken loves racing and has a passion for it just like I do. He knows both sides of this business by being a driver as well as a track owner.  I’m the same way, just the exact opposite.

“I enjoy racing at Daytona and Talladega and with Ken, his equipment and his team, I really think we have a great opportunity to run well.  For him to have confidence enough to put me in that car means a great deal to me and I’m looking forward to it.”

KSR also announced that Federated Auto Parts will continue to sponsor Schrader’s ARCA entry for the 15th consecutive year.

“Everyone at Federated is excited about continuing our long relationship with Ken Schrader and our full-season sponsorship of the Schrader Racing ARCA team in 2014,” J.R. Bishop, director of motorsports and event marketing for Federated, said. “We are really looking forward to having Matt Tifft, one of the future stars of racing, drive the Federated ARCA car, as well having Clay Campbell, one of the most respected figures in NASCAR, behind the wheel of the Federated ARCA car for two races.  We are putting together a great hospitality program surrounding the ARCA schedule that we know our members and their customers will really enjoy, so we can’t wait to get racing in 2014.”

KSR also announced that Schrader will again run the July 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway where he captured the pole in 2013 while Tifft will also compete in four K&N East races in a KSR-prepared car.

As race fans patiently await for NASCAR to officially unveil the 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedules, dates are slowly being announced by tracks themselves. One of those dates brings forth a new track to the schedule.

For the first time in series history, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be heading to Autodrome Chaudière. The Vallee-Jonction 1/4 mile hosts big events each year, including the PASS Late Models with a special Sprint Cup Series star in attendance. However, this marks the first time that the track has attracted Canada’s biggest racing series.

The event will take place on June 14th and be a total of 300 laps in event. With the announcement of the race, many are expecting local Quebec drivers to enter and face off against series regulars and champions, including 2013 Champion Scott Steckly and 2012 Champion D.J. Kennington.

“I have always said that I wanted the biggest stock-car events in Quebec and  having NASCAR on the schedule gives even more notoriety to the Vallee-Jonction oval and brings it to another level,” track owner Dany Lagacé said in the track’s press release.

Other dates that have been confirmed include a pair of races at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. The Canadian Tire Series will have their season opener during Victoria Day Speedfest Weekend on May 17th and 18th as they have done in the past. They will then return to the road course on August 31st to accompany the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Riverside Speedway in Nova Scotia has confirmed that they have an August date while Circuit Trois-Riveres has confiemd that they will host the Canadian Tire Series as part of their August 7th to 9th weekend. Expectations also have Barrie Spedway once again having their date at the beginning of September. The season finale will also most likely take place near the end of September at Kawartha Speedway.

Beyond that, many questions surround the 2014 schedule as fans and teams alike wait for the official release.

OSCAAR has released their 2014 schedule and once again, the 2014 season looks like it’ll be another action-packed year.

The OSCAAR Super Late Models always put on a show no matter the track that they’re at, thrilling fans with their pure speed and side-by-side competition. Accompanied by the open-wheel modifieds, it brings forth an action packed evening/night of racing no matter how wide or tight the track they are running is.

The Super Late Models will kick off the year at Sunset Speedway’s 1/3 mile on Victoria Day Weekend on Sunday May 18th with a 50 lap feature. The track hosted the season opener last year and with two distinct grooves, the entire feature will showcase side-by-side racing by the top competitors. The OSCAAR Modifieds will accompany them, along with the Lucas Oil Can-Am Midgets.

The second date for the SLMs is the return of the double day “Don Biederman Memorial” which features a 50 lap feature on Saturday June 28^th and a 50 lap feature on June 29^th for the OSCAAR Super Late Models. OSCAAR officials brought forth the event last year, compared to the usual 75 lapper that they’d run in past years.

Drivers will time trial on Saturday to set up the line-up for a single round of heats. The result of the qualifying heats and the b-feature (if necessary) sets the line-up for the first 50 lap feature. Then on Sunday, the finishing order from Saturday’s 50 lap feature sets up the line-up for the single round of heats. The result of the qualifying heats and the b-feature (if necessary) sets the line-up for the second 50 lap feature. The driver who has the lowest average finish across the two features will be crowned the Don Biederman Memorial Champion. Dwayne Baker won the event last year with a win in Saturday’s feature and a third place finish in Sunday’s feature.

The June 28^th event will have the SLMs accompanied by a 30 lap OSCAAR Modified feature and the Pro Challenge Series. The June 29^th event will have the SLMs accompanied by a 30 lap OSCAAR Modified feature and the Canadian Vintage Modifieds.

The third date for the OSCAAR Super Late Models at Sunset Speedway this year will be August 23^rd and they will once again be joined by the Modifieds and Pro Challenge Series.

With the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park oval being taken down in exchange for a road course, the June 1st date had to be replaced. OSCAAR president Dave Gainforth announced that both the Super Late Models and Modifieds will be heading to Kawartha Speedway twice this year after a successful event last year. The first date is on June 1st, with the second date scheduled for July 13th.

OSCAAR also announced that they will be hosting the “Mini Stock Nationals” as part of both those dates. Both June 1st and July 13th will feature a 30 lap Mini Stock invitational feature, using the same invitational rules that Sunset Speedway and Peterborough Speedway have adapted for their events.

OSCAAR series president Dave Gainforth states “ the drivers that race mini stocks are the future of our sport, so what better way to highlight this great form of racing than giving those drivers a chance to showcase their talent alongside the OSCAAR Modifieds and the OSCAAR Super Late Models”.

The payout has been announced and can be viewed on the OSCAAR website with the winner getting $500.

“The drivers will not only be competing for the $500.00 first place prize money in the 30 lap feature event, there has been an added incentive to the drivers,” the press release stated. “Each driver will be representing their home track and the highest driver in each of the feature events from their home track will receive an additional $50.00. If a Mini Stock driver does not have a home track they can register as an Outlaw for these two events.

“Drivers will also be competing to have the best overall finish between the two feature events. The top three drivers that have the best overall finish will receive an additional $50.00 bonus.”

Barrie Speedway’s tight 1/3 mile is set for June 14th with a trip to Sauble Speedway scheduled for July 26th.

Peterborough Speedway once again has three dates on the schedule, with the first scheduled for August 2nd. The second annual ‘Chase for the Colors’ event for both the Super Late Models and Modifieds will help determine the line-up for the year end Autumn Colours Classic 50 lap feature. The top two finishers at the Chase will start on the front row for Autumn Colours. The Super Late Models will return to Peterborough for a second date on August 30th, but won’t be accompanied by the Modifieds.

The Modifieds also have a couple dates to call their own, beginning with Delaware Speedway on August 15th.

Their second date to call their own is a historic date on the calendar is it is the official Rick Woolner Memorial at Varney Motor Speedway. Saturday September 13th will feature the Prelude to the RWM with a 30 lap feature, while Sunday September 14th will feature a 50 lap feature.

The Super Late Models and Modifieds will come back together at the end of September as part of Sunset Speedway’s Velocity event. While it is an invitational for other classes in attendance – Late Model, Super Stock and Mini Stock – it will be a points event for both the Super Late Models and Modifieds. The Modifieds will qualify on Saturday September 27th and run their 40 lap feature on Sunday September 28th. The Super Late Models will qualify and run their 50 lap feature on Sunday September 28th.

OSCAAR will then cap their season off as the same way they’ve done throughout series history with the Autumn Colours Classic at Peterborough Speedway. The Modifieds will qualify on Friday October 10th and Saturday October 11th, with a 50 lap feature scheduled for October 12th. The Super Late Models will qualify on October 11th with a 50 lap feature scheduled for October 12th.

A.J. Foyt Racing announced earlier this week that Takuma Sato will continue to drive the No. 14 ABC Supply Honda in 2014 for the team.

“It is great news that I will continue to drive with ABC Supply/AJ Foyt Racing next year,” Sato said. “We had some great results in our first year. I know what the team is capable of and what I am capable of in the coming season.”

Last season, Sato brought Foyt his first victory since 2002 when he dominated the Long Beach Grand Prix. He also brought the team their first pole since 1998 when he won the pole for the Houston Grand Prix.

A.J. Foyt Racing also confirmed veteran chief engineer Don Halliday and performance Raul Prados will be on board with the team for the third straight year.

“Working with A.J., Larry, Don and all the boys (and, of course, ladies!) is just fantastic,” Sato continued. “This team is really special for me. I always felt that the team was behind me and it gave me the confidence to go for the win in races. I’m very excited to continue to build this great relationship. We know what we need to focus on next year. We are anxious to test the new Honda engine–from what I hear, the engine will put us in a great position to be up front more often in 2014. I am convinced that we can be a contender in the Championship.”

Sato started off the season with three top 10s in the first 10 races, though failed to finish inside the top 15 in the final nine races of the season. Three crashes, as well as three engine failures took the Japanese driver out of contention.

“Having everyone back next year is a big plus for our team,” said Foyt. “We came out strong but then had some problems midway through the season. We are making changes so we will get stronger as the season goes on, which I believe is the key to being one of the contenders in the title race.”

If A.J. Foyt Racing wants to go after the championship, they will need to look for consistancy and raining in their determined young driver.

Sato will be one of the drivers taking place in the test at Sebring Raceway tomorrow.

After running a partial schedule last year, Ryan Briscoe will be back full-time in 2014. The Australian will drive the No. 8 NTT Data Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing as a teammate to Scott Dixon, Charlie Kimball and Tony Kanaan.

Chip Ganassi said the decision was an easy decision to make with all parties based on Briscoe’s history with NTT Data. Briscoe was schedule to Ganassi’s NNT Data sponsored sports car last August at Indianapolis Speedway, though when Briscoe hurt his wrist in July, he was unable to run the event.

“We just felt with the history of NTT, it made a better fit with Ryan,” Ganassi added. “Ryan was the best fit possible. His experience was a little bit more than most out there. That goes a long way with the schedule we’re looking at next year.”

Briscoe will be entering his sixth full sesaon in the IndyCar Series and has seven wins and 27 podiums in 109 starts. He spent most of his career with Penske Racing, before being let go at the end of the 2012 season. Briscoe ran six races last season for Panther Racing with a best finish of 13th at Belle Isle. He also competed in the Indianapolis 500 for Chip Ganassi Racing, finishing 12th.

With a three-year contract now signed, Briscoe says he feels like one of the luckiest drivers in the sport right now.

“The first IndyCar I ever drove was one of Chip’s back at the end of the 2004. It’s been a rollercoaster ride since then,” he said. “Had a lot of great experiences all over the place. I’ve driven a lot of great racecars. But nothing beats being back here. Can’t wait to get integrated into the team again, being teammates with Tony, Scott and Charlie. I think it’s going to be an unbelievable year.

“Just really want to thank all the sponsors, NTT, Jeff here. We had a great time at Indy this year. It was an unbelievable experience. We talked back then about this plan of moving forward, having a future, and here we are.

“It’s just a great feeling. Just want to thank Chip and Mike for the support. Finally we’ve got this down, it’s out there, it’s going to be time to get to work.”

Jeffrey Womack, the senior vice president for CMO, NTT Data, says Briscoe is a talented driver and he is excited to have Briscoe representing his company. Tony Kanaan was originally supposed to be in the No. 8 NTT Data car, though will be driving the No. 10 Target car following Dario Franchitti’s retirement.

“We were over the moon working with Tony this year,” Womack commented. “This is a unique opportunity with this move for us to help honor the tradition and legacy of the No. 10 car, the special friendship that he had with the last two drivers. It’s good to be a part of that.”

Following a great championship season in 2012, Ryan Hunter-Reay came into 2013 as one of the guys to beat. However, a mix of mechanical issues and incidents on track took the American out of the championship picture, resulting in a seventh place finish in points with a win at Barber Motorsports Park.

Fresh off celebrating his birthday, Hunter-Reay will be one of the drivers in attendance at the test at Sebring Raceway on December 18th. Hunter-Reay is looking for a stronger 2014 season as the team switches from Chevrolet power to Honda power.

“It’s great to continue with the same group of guys and working again with my engineer Ray (Gosselin) and my teammates James (Hinchcliffe) and Marco (Andretti).  We just need to keep pushing forward and keep evolving,” he said. “We barely let the Indy 500 get away from us and I think we had a pretty good season. We had three poles, two wins and we should have had another win or two in there. I think we can hopefully go out and do that again. We’re starting anew with Honda and we’ve got a chance to really take our game to a new level.”

Though like any other driver, Hunter-Reay has taken advantage of the off-season to spend time with family and take part in other events. The 2012 Series Champion took part in the Dolphins Cycling Challenge to raise money for cancer research.

“There are more than 2,000 riders and it raised almost $2 million (primarily for the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center),” he said. “Racing for Cancer is a small beneficiary of the Dolphins Cycling Challenge and my personal sponsor AutoNation is heavily involved. I rode with Team AutoNation.

We started in Boca Raton and rode to the Dolphins Stadium in Miami, which is about 45 miles. It was a lot of fun. It’s great to be out with everybody doing that. You really feel the energy behind it. Hopefully, that will be a regular on the off-season schedule.”

Hunter-Reay will spending Christmas with his family, including his wife Beccy and son Ryden. Ryden will be turning one on December 28th so Hunter-Reay says the holiday should be a lot of fun.

“He’s laughing a lot right now. The highlight of my day is waking up and seeing his face. It’s a lot of fun,” he added. “For his first birthday, he loves Mickey Mouse. That’s one thing that captures his attention. It’s amazing how that works. An (85-year old) cartoon mouse, that’s his hero. I think I come a close second when I’m in my race suit, but Mickey Mouse takes the cake. We’ll probably have some sort of Mickey Mouse-themed party for him.”