Category: Other Series PR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 16, 2013) – Champions want the ball in their hands at crunch time. Both D.J. Kennington and Scott Steckly have the opportunity to determine their fate in the final race of the season while Jason Hathaway needs some assistance.

The 2013 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 championship will be determined on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Kawartha Speedway in Fraserville, Ont., in the Pinty’s 250. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge) brings a five-point lead in the standings into the race over Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge) which opens up several possibilities for each to claim the prize. Not to be ignored, though, is Hathaway (No. 3 Snap-on Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge), who has won two of the last three series events. However, sitting in third 22 points behind Kennington, Hathaway needs some cooperation from the drivers ahead of him to notch his first series crown.

Kennington (2010 and 2012) and Steckly (2008 and 2011) have a pair of championships under their belts and are vying to become the first three-time title winner in the series that debuted in 2007. As the leader coming in Kennington, obviously, has the most wiggle room. Kennington needs to finish 17th or better in the 26-car field to negate whatever Hathaway does, but the situation with Steckly is a little stickier.

“It’s not going to be easy for any of us,” said Kennington, the defending series and race champion. “Everyone is going to be ready and digging for all they can get. It seems like I’ve said this a hundred times, but we’ll just line them on Saturday and see what happens.”

 

Hathaway, who earned his first series victory at Kawartha in 2008, has to notch a top-four finish on Saturday to entertain any title hopes, but anything less than a victory makes the task taller. Even with a win, he needs Kennington to finish 19th or worse and Steckly would need to come home in 15th-place or worse. With two victories Hathaway holds a tiebreaker advantage on Kennington with one win, but is looking up at Steckly, who has three wins and two runner-up finishes to Hathaway’s one. Kennington also has a pair of second-place efforts this season.

If history holds form, though, it will come down to the pair of two-time champs. For Steckly to take everything out of Kennington’s hands, he’ll have to win the race and lead the most laps to maximize his point total to 48. Should Kennington not lead a lap, then Steckly would need only to win. Beyond that, by holding the advantage in the tiebreaker, Steckly needs to finish five positions ahead of Kennington depending on the lap-leader bonuses. Kennington can solve everything by winning the Pinty’s 250. He, however, does not have the caveat of leading the most laps by entering the race with the lead in hand. By keeping both Steckly and Hathaway behind him regardless of the any bonus points being earned also guarantees Kennington of becoming the first driver to win back-to-back titles in addition to becoming the first to win three championship rings.

 

It’s the closest battle for the crown in the seven-year history of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series regardless of the points structure that changed a year ago. There’s not a clear-cut ‘if-then’ scenario this time around. The trophy is in play and the possibilities are many.

 

“No matter how you look at it, it’s going to be interesting,” said Kennington. “If I was a fan, I sure wouldn’t miss it.”

 

RACE: Pinty’s 250

PLACE: Kawartha Speedway, Fraserville, Ont.

DATE: Saturday, Sept. 21

TIME: 5 p.m. ET

TV SCHEDULE: TSN2, Sun. Oct. 6, 5:30 p.m. ET; RDS2, Fri., Oct. 18, 9 p.m. ET

TRACK LAYOUT: .375-mile asphalt tri-oval

2012 WINNER: D.J. Kennington

2012 POLE SITTER: J.R. Fitzpatrick

EVENT SCHEDULE: Practice 11-11:30 a.m.; Final Practice 12-12:30 p.m.; Qualifying 3 p.m.; On-Track Autograph Session 3:45 p.m.; Driver Introductions 4:30 p.m.

TRACK CONTACT: Dave Middleton, 705-939-6316 or dmiddleton@kawarthadowns.com

TWITTER: @KDSpeedway

EVENT TWITTER HASHTAG: #Pintys250

NASCAR IMC CONTACT: Shon Sbarra, (704) 309-5493 or ssbarra@nascar.com, @ShonSbarra

FAST FACTS

The Race: This is the final event of the 2013 season for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 and the last of eight oval track events on the schedule. This is the series’ seventh visit to Kawartha Speedway.

The Procedure: The starting field is 26 cars, including provisionals. The first 23 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials while the remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 250 laps covering 93.75 miles.

 

The Track: Kawartha Speedway is part of the Kawartha Downs and Speedway complex in Fraserville, Ontario, near Peterborough, east of Toronto. The .375-mile banked asphalt oval speedway with progressive banking is surrounded by a harness-racing horse track, the opposite of Dover (Del.) International Speedway.

 

The Records: The one-lap qualifying record for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Kawartha is 17.704 seconds (76.254 mph), set by Mark Dilley on Sept. 23, 2007. The 250-lap race record is held by Pete Shepherd III at 1 hour, 49 minutes, 7 seconds set on Sept. 25, 2010 for an average speed of 51.550 mph.

KAWARTHA RACE NOTES

Still Up For Grabs: Not only is the series championship still up in the air, top rookie honors are, as well. Alex Guenette and Ryley Seibert have waged a back-and-forth battle throughout the season with the final determination set to be made in the Pinty’s 250. Guenette holds a three-point lead coming into the race with six drivers with rookie designation on the entry list. The tiebreaker in the rookie standings is the overall driver standings.

 

Common Thread: Each of the three Canadian Tire Series title contenders – D.J. Kennington, Scott Steckly and Jason Hathaway – has Kawartha Speedway wins to their credit. Steckly won the inaugural series event at the track in 2007 while Hathaway took the checkered flag in 2008. Kennington has three wins at the track with victories in 2009, 2011 and 2012.

 

Stay In Touch: Final practice from 12-12:30 p.m. ET and qualifying at 3 p.m. will be webcast live on TSN.ca. Click HERE to follow the action.

 

Overtime: The TSN2 & RDS2 telecasts of the season finale at Kawartha will be 90 minutes in duration as opposed to the normal 60-minute shows. The TSN2 premiere of the Pinty’s 250 will be on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 5:30 p.m. ET while the French-language RDS2 installment will debut on Friday, Oct. 18 at 9 p.m. ET. There will also be a season recap show that will be telecast by TSN on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. ET.

 

LAST TIME OUT: Hudco Electric Supply 300 presented by G-Oil

Not As Long A Wait: After going 59 races between his first and second NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victories Jason Hathaway collected his second series win in three races.

High-Water Marks: With a seventh-place finish in Barrie, rookie Ryley Seibert (No. 09 Lake Excavating/Emco Waterworks Dodge) established a new career-high finish as did Ray Courtemanche Jr. (No. 29 La Cité De Mirabel Inc. Dodge) with an 11th-place showing.

For The Lead: The Hudco 300 had 10 lead changes involving seven drivers which was the second-highest total of the season. There were 11 passes for the lead among six drivers on July 17 at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, Sask.

Concord, NC (September 17, 2013) – Justin Boston grew up in Maryland and calls North Carolina home today, but his day at Kentucky Speedway this Friday will have the makings of a home race.

That’s because Boston’s sponsor, ZLOOP™ Computer & Electronics Recycling Centers, is also giving the primary support for the 100-lap, 150-mile event as the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards nears the end of its 61st season.

The ZLOOP™ 150 has the potential to be a breakthrough for the rookie, whose last visit to a 1.5-mile track nearly ended in Victory Lane. At Chicagoland Speedway in July, Boston (No. 25 ZLOOP™ Computer & Electronic Recycling Centers Toyota) gambled to lead five laps late and finished seventh after running out of fuel while driving to the white flag. At a similar but longer track, Michigan International Speedway, Boston led 15 laps and finished fourth in June.

Transmission issues plagued Boston and his Venturini Motorsports entry at Salem Speedway Saturday, sending him to 23rd place, but going back to an intermediate track has the 24-year-old confident.

“I think we’re really going to be strong (at Kentucky),” said Boston, who will make his 20th start. “Our mile-and-a-half package is usually really good. I know we’re going to run well; we don’t really have a choice but to run well. I think we can be strong and have a good shot at winning this ZLOOP™ race.”

Boston tested at Kentucky earlier in the summer, driving 55 laps overall and charting eighth in the morning and afternoon sessions. Though Boston said the test could have been better, he indicated that he learned a lot months in advance of ARCA’s 20th trip to the track and first since 2009.

With top-10s in 12 of his last 15 races – including four top-fives and a career-high second in his last seven – Boston could easily be regarded as ARCA’s next first-time winner. Patience and conservation, he knows, will be instrumental in achieving that and joining six other new winners this season.

“I think the only thing I can control is not making mistakes,” he said. “My mindset is, ‘Don’t make mistakes. Put yourself in a good position.’ If I do that the right way, things will play out and I can be in position to win the race. We haven’t had the best luck with the way some races have played out; some have been out of our hands. I hope one of these next two can play into our hands.”

Boston could become the sixth driver in Kentucky Speedway’s ARCA history to win for the first time at the track. Ryan Hemphill was the first in 2004, followed by Brad Coleman in 2006, Erik Darnell and Michael McDowell in 2007, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in 2008.

Along with searching for his first victory, Boston is in hot pursuit of ARCA’s Scott Rookie Challenge. He and Mason Mingus are locked in a tight points contest, especially after Boston earned the maximum by finishing as the top rookie at both dirt track races within the last month.

“It’d be an honor to win the award, and it’s definitely an attainable goal for us,” Boston said. “Mason’s not going to make it easy on us, but I think we’re in position to win the rookie award. That would definitely mean a lot to me in my first full season ever in a stock car.”

After six Venturini Motorsports wins so far in 2013 – the team’s most in any year, and the series’ best in 2013 – Boston has designs on delivering a seventh, and the ZLOOP™ 150 may be just the place for that to happen.

The ZLOOP™ 150 at the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway will air live on Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. Friday. Practice will begin at 1 p.m., and qualifying will follow at 5:15. ARCARacing.com will carry live timing and scoring coverage of all on-track activity throughout the day.

About ZLOOP™ Computer and Electronics Recycling Centers
ZLOOP™ Computer and Electronics Recycling Centers (ZLOOP™) make eWaste recycling easy. Founded in Hickory, North Carolina in 2012, ZLOOP™ guarantees eWaste is recycled domestically and that computer hard drives are permanently purged of all information. ZLOOP™ is extremely mobile and able to handle any size job on-site with a commitment to security, speed and auditing. ZLOOP™ also is compliant with federal, state and local government regulations for the safe and secure destruction of highly sensitive data, and is working toward certifications from the Responsible Recycling Practices for Electronics Recyclers (R2), U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Defense, National Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, ITAD, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACIA), Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). For more information on ZLOOP’s eWaste recycling services, call today at 1-855-WHY-EASY (1-855-949-3279) or visit the website, zloopit.com. eWaste is Serious Waste. Recycle™. 

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, Miguel Paludo, John Wes Townley, Josh Richards and Johanna Long.

In 2012, VMS and the Venturini family was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame and now find themselves enshrined with such sports icons as Joe DiMaggio, Mario Andretti, Vince Lombardi, Tommy Lasorda and Rocky Marciano, among others.

After nearly two decades away from NASCAR, 2013 marks VMS’s modern day return to the series with John Wes Townley driving the team’s familiar No.25 in selective NASCAR Nationwide Series events.

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

Byron, MI (September 17, 2013) – Dashing back into the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards since his victory in August at Berlin Raceway, Erik Jones has been anxiously awaiting his final appearance in the series for the 2013 season. Prior to arriving at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta this weekend, the only laps the 17-year-old colt has made around the 1.5 mile oval was for a test in early July. Jones joined his Venturini Motorsports team in a one day effort to get a feel for their set up and left the facility confident that his No. 15 ToyotaCare Toyota Camry will be strong right out of the gate for the Zloop 150 on Friday night.

Jones’ Kentucky start will mark his fourth start this season in the ARCA Racing Series. Appearing first at Pocono Raceway in June, the Byron, Michigan native was thought to have the victory wrapped up but a mid-race mishap force him to race back through the field where he came up one spot short of winning. Returning to the “Tricky Triangle” in August Jones was again tricked from a victory for the second time. Leading the majority of the 50-lap race, Jones came to a halt with two laps remaining due to an untimely mechanical issue. Determined to not let another race slip through his fingers, Jones claimed his first ARCA victory a week later in front of a home state crowd at Berlin (Mich.) Raceway. Of the 1,965 laps completed in those three races, Jones has led a total of 302, giving him an average of 60% laps led.

Jones also enters Kentucky on the Venturini Motorsports wave of domination. Out of the four drivers to take seat in the No.15 machine, all have visited victory lane including Jones at Berlin. For all track styles the ARCA Racing Series visits – super speedways, intermediate, short tracks, and dirt – the No. 15 has won on all at least once. With crew chief Kevin Reed, it seems as though a win is never out of the question and he will reunite with Jones in hopes of gaining number seven for the season.

Festivities for the Zloop 150 will kick off on Friday, September 20 at 1:00 pm ET with a two hour practice session. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell will begin at 5:15pm followed by the drop of the green flag at 8:00 pm. Fans can tune into race coverage on FoxSports1.

 

Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 15 ARCA ToyotaCare Camry:

What are you looking forward to returning to the ARCA Racing Series at Kentucky Speedway?

“I’m pretty excited to get to Kentucky this weekend with Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Racing Series. We had a great test there in August and getting on a 1.5 mile track is something that I have been looking forward to doing all year. Kentucky is a place that has a lot of character. I feel like we learned a lot at the test, even as fast as we were right off the trailer we were able to make some changes and got the car to drive more comfortably. It’s going to be a learning experience, and I’m sure that I will be learning a lot throughout the night.”

Is there some added pressure knowing you will have a target on your back running in the No. 15?

“No, it is just another race for me. The Venturini group has been very strong this year, and I’m looking forward to getting to work with them one more time before the year is over. Kevin does such a great job and we get along well. We have had winning cars every time we are together but haven’t been able to put it together every race but I have a really good feeling going into Kentucky.”

 

 

Notes of Interest:

Erik Jones 2013:

 

• Won his first ever ARCA Racing Series event in his home state of Michigan at Berlin Raceway in August
• Accomplished a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career-best finish of second in the July race at Iowa Speedway
• Finished ninth in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, the same result that KBM owner Kyle Busch produced in his Truck Series debut at Indianapolis Raceway Park in August of 2001
• Gained the most positions on-track in the N.C. Education Lottery 200 at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway to bring home his second top-10 finish for KBM in just his second series start
• Became the first 16-year-old to compete in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event since KBM owner Kyle Busch finished ninth at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in October of 2001

 

Erik Jones 2012:

• Won the prestigious Snowball Derby Super Late Model race at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., outdueling KBM owner Kyle Busch in the closing laps to secure the victory
• Became the first 15-year-old driver ever to compete in the ARCA Racing Series, making his debut at the Mobile ARCA 200 at Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway
• Posted four top-five and five top-10 finishes while leading a total of 103 laps across 10 ARCA starts
• Qualified inside the top 10 for all 10 races and posted two third-place finishes, June 24 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway and Aug. 11 at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich.

 

Erik Jones Career:

2011 – Became the first non-Florida native to win the Governor’s Cup 200 Super Late Model race at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway in over 30 years (11/21/11)

2011 – Posted seven fast time awards and two feature wins en route to the JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour championship

2010 – Became the youngest winner in the 41-year history of the prestigious Oktoberfest ASA Late Model event at LaCrosse Fairground Speedway in West Salem, Wisc. (10/9/10)

2010 – At age 14 became the youngest winner in ASA Late Model History, when he won the Bob Cross Memorial at Dixie Motor Speedway in Birch Run, Mich. (8/20 /10), breaking the record of 16 years of age – previously held by current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, Landon Cassill.

 

-EJR-

Analyzing The Pinty’s 250 At Kawartha Speedway

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 17, 2013) – The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 travels to Kawartha Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 21 for the Pinty’s 250 to wrap up the 2013 season. Below is a statistical look at the recent performance of the series and selected drivers at Kawartha, as well as some other statistical trends:

Kawartha Race Setup

·         Points leader D.J. Kennington has won the last two Kawartha events and has three wins in six starts at the track.

·         Scott Steckly has top-10 finishes in each of his last four Kawartha starts.

·         Jason Hathaway has won two of the last three series events after snapping a 59-race winless streak.

·         Alex Guenette leads Ryley Seibert by three points in the battle for top rookie honors.

·         Pete Shepherd III has four top 10s in four Kawartha starts including a 2010 victory.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series At Kawartha Speedway

·         This is the series’ seventh visit to the .375-mile progressive-banked track.

·         The Pinty’s 250 will premiere on TSN2 at 5:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 6 and on RDS2 at 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18.

·         Each of the six previous winners at Kawartha has driven a Dodge.

·         For three of the six previous winners –Scott Steckly, Jason Hathaway and Pete Shepherd III – the Kawartha victory was the first of their series career.

·         Both the 2008 and 2009 events at Kawartha Speedway were cut short due to rain.

·         There has been an average of 8.8 caution periods for an average of 67.3 laps in the six prior races at Kawartha, with the earliest coming on Lap 2 in 2009 and the latest at Lap 248 a year ago.

·         The lead has changed hands an average of 8.7 times in Kawartha races with a high of 14 in the 2009 event.

·         The average starting position of the winner is 7.2, while the pole sitter has an average finish of 5.8.

 

Kawartha Data

Race: #12 of 12 (9/21/13)

Track Layout: .375-mile paved oval

Race Length: 250 laps (93.75 miles)

 

Records

1-Lap Qualifying: Mark Dilley, Dodge, 17.704 seconds, 76.254 mph, Sept. 23, 2007

250-Lap Race: Pete Shepherd III, Dodge, 1 hr., 49 min., 7 sec., 51.550 mph, Sept. 25, 2010

 

Race Winners

D.J. Kennington…………………………… 3

Jason Hathaway…………………………… 1

Pete Shepherd III………………………….. 1

Scott Steckly………………………………. 1

 

Pole Winners

Ron Beauchamp Jr. ……………………… 1

Mark Dilley………………………………….. 1

J.R. Fitzpatrick…………………………….. 1

D.J. Kennington…………………………… 1

Steve Mathews…………………………….. 1

Don Thomson Jr. …………………………. 1

 

Manufacturer Wins

Dodge……………………………………….. 6

 

Laps Led

J.R. Fitzpatrick………………………….. 303

D.J. Kennington………………………… 277

Don Thomson Jr. ……………………… 200

 

Selected Driver Information:

Ron Beauchamp Jr. (No. 60 Mopar/Exide/Pennzoil Dodge)

·         Finished 11th in the Pinty’s 250 a year ago.

·         Scored track-best finish of third in the 2007 and 2008 Barrie Speedway events.

·         One of just four drivers to start all 86 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

 

Noel Dowler (No. 5 EMCO/Praxair/Safety Kleen Dodge)

·         Recorded a 24th-place finish a season ago at Kawartha.

·         Finished 25th at Barrie in his rookie season of 2011.

·         Has top-10 finishes in three of his last four oval-track events.

 

Louis-Philippe Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge)

·         Registered a 10th-place finish last year at Kawartha.

·         Posted a 16th-place Kawartha finish in his 2011 track debut.

·         Won both road course events this season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

·         Scored his first career pole win last season at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.

·         Was the 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Rookie of the Year.

·         Made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut on Aug. 20, 2012 at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

 

J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet)

·         Finished third last season in the Pinty’s 250 after leading a race-high 216 laps.

·         Posted a third-place finish in the 2011 Kawartha event, as well.

·         Has led a series-best 303 laps at the .375-mile Ontario oval.

·         Has top-five finishes in three of his last five series starts.

·         Is the series’ all-time leader in poles with 14.

·         Seven of his eight career series wins have come on road courses – CTMP (3), Edmonton (2) and Montreal (2); his oval track win came in July 2007 at Motoplex Speedway.

 

Alex Guenette (No. 39 Kawasaki/Motos Illimitées/DLGL Dodge)

·         Making Kawartha Speedway debut in this year’s Pinty’s 250.

·         Scored a season-best finish of second in last start on July 27 at St. Eustache, Que.

·         Has a three-point edge on Ryley Seibert atop the series’ rookie-of-the-year standings.

 

Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Snap-on Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge)

·         Placed 12th last season at Kawartha.

·         Won the 2008 Kawartha event.

·         Had consecutive top-10 finishes at the Ontario oval from 2008 to 2010.

·         Has led 82 laps at Kawartha.

·         Snapped a 59-race winless streak in last start on Aug. 17 at Riverside International Speedway for second series career win.

·         Has won two of the last three series events.

·         One of four drivers to start all 86 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

 

D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge)

·         Won last year’s edition of the Pinty’s 250 at Kawartha.

·         Has three Kawartha victories to his credit – 2009, 2011 and 2012.

·         Has five top-five finishes in six starts at the .375-mile oval.

·         Has led a total of 277 laps in his Kawartha starts.

·         Leads point standings by five over Scott Steckly.

·         Tops the all-time Canadian Tire Series wins list with 19.

·         Won 2010 and 2012 series championships.

·         Scored a single-season series record of seven wins in 2012.

·         One of four drivers to start all 86 NCATS races.

 

Martin Roy (No. 90 Batteries Expert/Gamache/Veloce Dodge)

·         Scored a fifth-place finish last season in his track debut.

·         Posted a career-best finish of second on Sept. 1 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

·         Won 2012 series Rookie-of-the-Year honors.

 

Ryley Seibert (No. 09 Lake Excavating/Emco Waterworks Dodge)

·         Making Kawartha debut in this year’s Pinty’s 250.

·         Scored a season-best finish of eighth on July 13 at his home track – Motoplex Speedway in Vernon, B.C.

·         Trails Alex Guenette by three points in series’ rookie-of-the-year standings.

 

Pete Shepherd III (No. 7 National Exhaust Dodge)

·         Finished fourth last season at Kawartha Speedway.

·         Won the 2010 Kawartha event – his first series victory.

·         Has led 151 laps in four starts at Kawartha Speedway.

·         Has won two of the three events he has entered this season.

·         Has three wins in his last five Canadian Tire Series starts.

 

Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge)

·         Recorded a sixth-place finish last year at Kawartha.

·         Won the series’ inaugural visit to the track in 2007 for his first victory.

·         Has five top-10 finishes in six Kawartha starts.

·         Trails D.J. Kennington by just five points in the championship standings.

·         His 14 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victories rank third on the all-time list.

·         Won 2008 and 2011 series championships.

·         One of four drivers to start all 86 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

 

Jason White (No. 21 Bowers & Wilkins Dodge)

·         Finished 14th last season in the Kawartha event.

·         Best Kawartha finish was eighth in 2007 and 2011.

·         Recorded a season-best finish of fifth in July at Autodrome St. Eustache.

·         Was 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Rookie of the Year.

Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

 

1. Hawksworth enjoys first test in Indy car 

2. Hunter-Reay to support cancer charity 

 

1. Hawksworth enjoys first test in Indy car: Firestone Indy Lights competitor Jack Hawksworth’s first experience in an IZOD IndyCar Series car left him wanting more.

 

The Englishman, who won the Star Mazda Championship in 2012 and has won three races in Firestone Indy Lights this season, tested a car for Rahal Letterman Racing at Sebring International Raceway on Sept. 17.

 

“I really enjoyed it,” Hawksworth said. “All of the guys made me feel really welcome, I worked well with all the guys, the engineers, mechanics. It was just a fantastic day. 

 

“It was a lot of fun, and I think we had a really strong day as well. What was really cool about it was that we actually went into a test plan. We were testing things, we weren’t just going out and doing laps, you were working with an IndyCar team on a test day and trying to develop the car and things that they want to test. I really enjoyed that part of it. It was obviously a bit of an eye opener working with an IndyCar team and the way they work, and it was a great day.”

 

Hawksworth has tested a Firestone Indy Lights car at Sebring, which aided in his adapting to the higher downforce and horsepower produced by an Indy car. 

 

“The big thing is for me that the braking is different, in the Lights car you can’t hit the brake nearly as hard as you can hit it in an IndyCar,” he said. “But the way you actually drive the car in terms of how you went into the corner, how you try to get your turning done in the corner is quite similar.”

 

Hawksworth, who is locked in a fierce battle for the Firestone Indy Lights title and the Mazda Road to Indy scholarship given to the champion,  is hopeful of moving up to the IZOD IndyCar Series in the future. The experience of driving the Indy car has only heightened the dream.

 

“It’s a great experience, for sure it’s opened my eyes to IndyCar,” he said. “If anything it’s just made my desire to be in IndyCar more real and just made me even more passionate about it, because I had such a fun day and such a great day.”

 

2. Hunter-Reay to support cancer charity: IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay will participate in the annual Dolphins Cycling Challenge as part of Team AutoNation.

 

The DCC is a two-day cycling event with 10 ride options from 13-170 miles. The ride, which benefits the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, will take place in South Florida on Nov. 2-3. It is a collaborative effort between the Miami Dolphins and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, with 100 percent of rider-raised funds going directly to cancer research at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

 

“Nearly one-third of cancer is said to be preventable and with early detection, many more cancers can be caught in their early stages saving lives,” said Hunter-Reay. “Our goal is to create an awareness of the importance of getting tested.”

 

Hunter-Reay, who lost his mother to colon cancer in 2010, is committed to helping in the global fight against cancer along with AutoNation, a presenting sponsor of Racing for Cancer, which Hunter-Reay co-founded in honor of his mother.

   

“AutoNation is on a mission to, along with Ryan Hunter-Reay and Michael Mandich with the Dolphins Cycling Challenge, drive home the point to the public and our 21,000 associates that early detection saves lives,” said Mike Maroone, President and COO of AutoNation. “Many of us at AutoNation knew Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich, Dolphins’ star player and “voice” of the Dolphins for many years. It is in his memory that we are raising money to fight cancer through the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Racing for Cancer.”

 

Hunter-Reay’s participation in the DCC highlights the belief that all of us can make a difference in the fight against cancer.

 

“The DCC is committed to supporting the community and the only local academic cancer center,” said Dolphins Cycling Challenge CEO, Michael Mandich.  “We are thrilled to have Ryan riding as part of Racing for Cancer and Team AutoNation.  We could not do it without our corporate teams and their riders.”

 

***

 

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston presented by the Greater Houston Honda Dealers doubleheader on Oct. 5 and 6 at Reliant Park. Both races will be televised live by NBC Sports Network (3 p.m. ET on Oct. 5 and 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 6) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, including on Sirius and XM Channels 211, www.indycar.com and the INDYCAR 13 App for most smartphones and tablets. The next Firestone Indy Lights race is the Grand Prix of Houston on Oct. 5 at Houston’s Reliant Park. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 4 p.m. (ET) on Oct. 6

Durham, ON – The OSCAAR Modified tour is set for its biggest weekend of the 2013 season, and biggest in the series history. Accordingly, the 15^th annual Rick Woolner Memorial weekend will also be the biggest in the event’s history.

This weekend marks the second time the event has been run under OSCAAR sanctioning, and the second race format in the same time period. For the first time in the events history, the event will feature a preliminary 30-lap event on Saturday night before the 50-lap Memorial on Sunday evening.

For the second time this season, OSCAAR Modified drivers will have to time trial to set heat race lineups for Saturday night’s full points event. Heat race results will set the line-up for the 30-lap feature. Saturday’s feature results will set the line-up for Sunday’s heats and the starting lineup for the 50-lap memorial will emerge from the final set of heat races.

The best Ontario Modified drivers are expected to be on display this weekend to honour one of the most proficient open-wheel pilots in Ontario`s history.

Series points leader and nine-time Woolner Memorial winner Gary McLean (No.8 McLean Industrial Design) took the worst of a lap nine wreck at Flamboro last week. The front steering components, among other parts, appeared to be completely destroyed. This week’s Memorial, however, is personal for the most accomplished tour driver, so the team will be eager to rebound and earn the 10^th career memorial win which eluded them last season.

After being in commanding control last week, Brent McLean (No.7) suffered heartbreak when the pan-hard bar broke with five laps remaining on his Bowmanville Home Building Centre sponsored Troyer. The defending Woolner Memorial champion, Brent is looking for win three on the season and hopes to further reduce the 28-point gap for the championship with four races remaining, including this weekend. Look for the third-year modified pilot to be on his A-game this weekend.

Davey Terry (No.14 Wasteco) sits third in the championship standings, and after being collected in an incident on lap six last week, will look to avenge his DNF this weekend. Terry quickly became a fan of Varney in his two stops at the speedway last year and is eager to finish on the podium in the high-profile event. Look for Terry to bring his best piece this week.

Rookie contender Shane Stickel (No.39 MSD Machine Tool) survived the lap nine melée at Flamboro with minimal cosmetic damage to the car’s nose, allowing him to finish fourth. Stickel closed the gap on Branden Bullen (No.67jr Alliston Transmission) for the rookie points lead last weekend, and with a pair of good finishes this weekend, could take over the lead.

Speaking of Bullen, the second-generation driver persevered through a tough set of circumstances, including a disaligned tow and flat right-front tire on Sunday night. Saturday will mark Bullen’s first-career start at Varney in an open-wheel modified, but once the high-school student gets his feet wet, look for him to battle near the front.

Justin Demelo (No.82 EMCO Waterworks) will make his first OSCAAR start at Varney this weekend. Demelo donated his fifth-place winnings from last Sunday at Flamboro to this weekend’s race purse in honour of Rick Woolner. Demelo has two wins with the tour this year, but battled various issues last week. Expect the EMCO team to be back up to speed this weekend and near the top of the speed charts for time trials after setting a new track record at Delaware earlier this year.

Mike Westwood (No.91 Stryker Chassis) may hold an advantage entering this weekend’s event. The Milton, Ont. driver has piloted a Varney Outlaw Pro-Four modified throughout the year, and has turned the most open-wheel laps at Varney of anybody in the OSCAAR field this year. Look for Westwood to use the edge and earn his first OSCAAR podium finish this weekend.

Brian McLean (No.47 Bowmanville Home Building Centre) is coming off his second career OSCAAR win last weekend at Flamboro. Brian, who also won at Peterborough Speedway in 2012, is a multi-time winner of the event and would like to complete the hat-trick. If he can replicate his performance from five days ago, expect the eldest McLean to be in contention.

After earning his career-best second-place finish last weekend, Dave Osborne (No.11 O`Neil`s Farm Equipment) will be in action on Sunday night. Osborne will attend to his duties as track preparation manager at Ohsweken Speedway on Saturday night, but is eager to make his first Woolner Memorial start under OSCAAR sanctions.

The OSCAAR and Ontario racing communities have come together to make the Rick Woolner Memorial the biggest race in Ontario Modified history. Between individual lap sponsors and specialty awards, an additional $3000 has been awarded to the weekend purse.

Knightworks Design will award an additional $100 to the best appearing car for the weekend, as voted by the fans. Fans will receive ballots at the racetrack on Saturday to vote for their favourite car, with the winner being announced on Sunday afternoon.

Wasteco will present $150 to the top-qualifier in Sunday`s main event and $100 to the driver who leads the most feature laps over the course of the weekend.

Jim Brown Trucking has increased the winner’s share of Saturday’s purse by $250, while Mike Allen has increased offered a $250 bonus to Sunday’s winner.

For a full list of specialty awards and lap sponsors see the complete list below.

Saturday`s event gets underway at 5:00pm, with spectator gates opening at 3:00pm and will also feature Four Funs, Mini Stocks, Street Stocks, Outlaw Modifieds, Hurricane Midgets, and the always popular train races.

Sunday`s 50-lap Rick Woolner Memorial will once again feature Four Funs, Mini Stocks, Street Stocks, and a `Checkers or Wreckers` event.

—

About Rick Woolner: Rick Woolner was one of Ontario’s fiercest open-wheel modified racers from the 1980’s until his death in 1999. Born in 1953, Woolner began racing a street stock in 1983 and later moving to a Late Model before settling in to an open-wheel modified. Varney Speedway would always be Woolner’s home, despite racing one year at Holland Speedway in New York.

 

In 1999, Woolner was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away at summer’s end.  The first Memorial race was held in Woolner’s memory at the end of the 1999 season and has been held every year since. Woolner’s spirit lives on each summer at Varney with the 50-lap Rick Woolner Memorial for open-wheel modifieds. In 2012, the race was run under the sanctioning of the OSCAAR Modifieds for the first time.

 

2013 Rick Woolner Memorial Lap Sponsors

 

Saturday 30-lap Feature

1 – Performance 1B Racing

8 – Warrior Wheels (McLean Industrial Design)

21 – Paul Tolton

24 – In Memory of Dennis Wright (Darryn Wright)

28 – Pryde Truck Service (Fergus)

30 – Plaza Kia (Thornhill)

 

Sunday 50-lap Feature

1 – The Spray Dogs (Listowel)

2 – Air Boss Rubber Compound

3 – Carquest (Fergus)

4 – Sheridan & Brayden McLean

5 – Murray Group of Moorefield

6 – In memory of Fred Bullen

7- In memory of Fred Bullen

8 – John Woolner

9 –Monty and Cindy Kelly (Kelly Racing)

10 – Rodson Sod Supply (Mount Forest)

12 – Around the House Contracting of Acton

13 – At a Glance Screen Printing

14 – Air Boss Rubber Compound

15 – Arctic Clear (Fergus)

16 – Daphne Sullivan

17 – McNicol Racing

18 – Matteo’s Pizza (Mount Forest)

19 – #19 Wilson Racing

20 – JJ McLellan Plumbing (Mount Forest)

21 – Delaware Speedway/Autumn Colours Classic

22 – Marshalls Serivce Centre (Orangeville)

23 – 2Tech Auto (Mount Forest)

24 – Daryn Wright Motorsports

25 – Sapphire Motorsports on Behalf of Special Olympics Ontario North Wellington

26 – Tanya Darryl Brayden McDougall

27 – McLean Farms

28 – McLean Farms

29 – Bowmanville Home Building Centre

30 – Marshalls Serivce Centre (Orangeville)

31 – Josh Gruntz Motorsports

33 – Darryl & Janet Willfang

34 – Lawmac Racing

35 – Chalmers Fuel (Palmerston)

38 – Scott,Selena,Sheldon Way of Cheatin S.O.B Racing

39 – Robb Racing

40 – R&S Automotive (Palmerston)

42 – Tim & Tabatha Hastie in Honour of Veterans

43 – V & L Transportation (Hamilton)

44 – Delaware Speedway/Demelo Racing

45 – Murray Group (Moorefield)

46 – Peterborough Speedway/Autumn Colours Classic

47 – Peterborough Speedway/ Autumn Colours Classic

48 – Tolton Motorsports Autism Awareness

49 – The Spray Dogs (Listowel)

50 – Past Time Pub & Grill

 

Specialty Awards

Sunday Top Qualifier – Wasteco ($150)

Most Laps Led (Combined Days) – Wasteco ($100)

Hard Luck Award – Bentinck Motors ($200)

Highest Finishing Rookie (Both Days) – Sheila Eccles (Craig McDonald Reddon Insurance) ($50)

Saturday Winners Bonus – Jim Brown Trucking ($250)

Sunday Winners Bonus – Mike Allen ($250)

Halfway Leader (Sunday) – Engines by Hal ($100)

Best Appearing Car (As Determined by Fans) – Knightworks Design ($100)

Long-Haul Award – McLean Industrial Design Ltd. ($50)

Giant Cookie Award (Awarded to First Driver to Exit Saturday Feature) – Donna Rossiter

Gift Pack – APC: 1 Hat, 1 T-shirt, 5 gallons of 110 octane racing fuel

Gift Pack – TSC of Listowel

Gift Pack – Darlene Terry: Four $25 Petro-Canada Gift Cards & Four $25 Canadian Tire Gift Cards

Gift Pack – Larry Hudson GM of Listowel: Framed Collector Stamp Collection and Camaro Plaque

Gift Pack – Home Hardware Palmerston: Four 4L Motor Oil & 200 Shop Towels

—

Tickets: Admission (Both Days) – Adults: $15, Seniors: $12, Children: 6-12 $8. Family Pass (2 Adults & 4 Children): $42. Pit Admission (All Ages): $22.

Directions: Varney Speedway Motorplex is located on Highway 6 between Mount Forest and Durham, Ontario. For address and MapQuest directions, please visit http://www.varneyspeedwaymotorplex.com/contact.php.

The OSCAAR Modifed tour is presented by a number of dedicated sponsors throughout Ontario, including: Knightworks Design, Hoosier Racing Tire, Klotz Synthetics Canada, Race2way.ca, Dave Franks Photos, Dickson Printing, Finishline Fabrication, McColl Racing Enterprises, McGunegill Engine Performance, Stefko Racing Engines, VP Racing Fuels, OntarioOval.com, RaceTime Radio, Inside Track Motorsport News, Jenco Equipment, Midas of Orangeville, Reinhart Trailer Sales, North Toronto Auctions, and South Shore Services.

By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia) – OSCAAR Media and Public Relations

Contact: oscaar.media@gmail.com

-30-

NEW CASTLE, Ind.— Sept. 13, 2013— In just five short years, the Haubstadt Hustler at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind., has become one of the “Must-See” events of the year on the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series calendar. With one of the highest payouts of the year and held at one of the most racy surfaces on the circuit, it’s the type of event that Tracy Hines most looks forward to. He’ll take to the quarter-mile bullring this weekend in search of his second-career Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series win at the bullring in the southern part of his home state of Indiana.

The Haubstadt Hustler, which will again be co-sanctioned by the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series and the Midwest Sprint Car Series this season, will take to the track on Saturday, Sept. 14. A full race program will be in store, with a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win main event, capping the evening.

“The fall race at Haubstadt (Tri-State Speedway) is always a good one,” said Hines. “It’s hard to believe we’ve only raced there once this year. Unfortunately, we were a little off early in the night in that event and set ourselves back. We were able to move forward in the feature, but still didn’t quite have the kind of night we were hoping for.”

Hines has made one start aboard the Hansen’s Welding Inc./The Carolina Nut Company DRC with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series at Tri-State Speedway this season. He worked his way forward from the 21st starting spot to finish 13th at the high-banked, quarter-mile. Hines was scheduled to compete at Tri-State Speedway during both Indiana Sprint Week, but that event was rained out. Last season in the Haubstadt Hustler, Hines finished 17th and was eighth in the event in 2011.

Hines was victorious with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series at Tri-State Speedway in 2002. This season, the veteran driver has five top-10 finishes on quarter-mile tracks, including a fourth-place effort at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark., last weekend. He was seventh in the race prior at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark.

“We’ve been decent on the smaller tracks this year,” he noted. “It’s been a long time since I’ve won a race at Haubstadt and we are going to do everything we can this weekend to put ourselves in a position to be in contention. There will definitely be a strong field on-hand, so we’ll have to really be on our game, especially in time trials.”

The 2002 Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series champion is currently sixth in the series standings, 84 markers out of the top-five, with seven nights of racing remaining for the series. Hines has a pair of victories in 2013 and has recorded 14 top-10 finishes.

Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank: Hansen’s Welding Inc., Parker Machinery, Powered by Toyota, Turbines, Inc., Afco Racing Products,Daum Crop Insurance, Schoenfeld Headers, Allstar Performance, Kenny’s Components, Race Bumpers and Bell Racing.

For more information on Tracy Hines Racing, visit http://www.tracyhinesracing.com. Follow Tracy on Twitter atwww.Twitter.com/TracyHinesRacin.

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Sept. 13, 2013) – INDYCAR announced today that it will not return to Baltimore in 2014.

 

 “After a successful visit to Baltimore, which included record attendance, we are disappointed that our schedules will not align to host an event in 2014,” said Mark Miles, chief executive officer, Hulman & Co., the parent company of INDYCAR.  “This was simply a matter of trying to find the best date that worked for all parties, since Labor Day weekend was not an option in 2014.  We are thankful to the city of Baltimore, Race On and Andretti Sports Marketing for their support and enthusiasm for the event over the years.”

 

Miles added: “We continue to finalize our 2014 schedule and anticipate announcing it prior to the end of our 2013 season.”