Category: Other Series PR

Concord, NC (September 3, 2013) – Justin Boston is quickly making a name for himself in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. The surging 23-year old rookie driver, in the No.25 ZLOOP Computer & Electronics Recycling Toyota, made a dramatic final lap pass on teammate Brennan Poole to finish third behind race winner Ken Schrader and Tom Hessert in yesterday’s ARCA Southern 100 at the DuQuoin, Illinois State Fairground’s Magic Mile dirt track.

“I was really just trying to be cautious as possible while being aggressive,” Boston said. “I just tried to be consistent and not make any mistakes and let everyone else make mistakes. We had really good track position today and it paid off for us.”

Boston continues to add to his impressive rookie stats now with seven top-5 and fourteen top-10 finishes in seventeen races.

Boston’s second consecutive top-3 finish catapulted the Baltimore native past competitor Mason Mingus (811 Call Before You Dig Toyota) for the top spot in ARCA’s SCOTT Rookie Challenge point standings. The DuQuoin dirt race also marks the seventh straight week Boston has scored a top-10 finish in the series.

Still searching for his first career victory Boston looks ahead to this week’s ARCA Prairie Meadows 150 race at Iowa Speedway.

“We’re on a roll right now. My confidence is building and the team continues to work hard and give me a strong car week after week. It’s only a matter of time before we find our way to victory lane,” said Boston. “Venturini and the 25 car have been extremely fast at Iowa the past few years but just haven’t been able to close the deal. Iowa would be a good place for me to get it done.”

The ARCA Racing Series has four races remaining in the 2013 season. The series travels to Iowa Speedway this week for a Saturday night race, leaving races at Salem, Kentucky and Kansas on the schedule.

Saturday night’s Prairie 150 event from Iowa Speedway will be televised live on FOX SPORTS 2 at 9:00 p.m. est. 

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

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

1. Briscoe to join test on Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course

2. Baltimore result shows depth of IZOD IndyCar Series field

3. Hawksworth to test with Rahal Letterman Lanigan

4. Inside the numbers – Grand Prix of Baltimore 

1. Briscoe to join test on Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course: Ryan Briscoe will join Graham Rahal in testing Sept. 4 on multiple configurations of the infield road course of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The test is being organized by IMS and INDYCAR officials to gather information about the current course layouts as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway considers changes and upgrades. Speedway officials plan to invest nearly $100 million in the facility as part of a long-term master plan that could include modifications to the road course to allow it to accommodate INDYCAR testing or racing in the future.

Drivers will utilize Turn 1 of the oval and the existing Turn 1 of the road course. Spectators can watch the on-track activity from the South Terrace grandstand and Turn 2 viewing mounds.

Briscoe, who advanced 11 positions relative to his starting spot to finish 12th in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on the 2.5-mile oval in May for Chip Ganassi Racing, will drive the Chevrolet-powered No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car. It will be his first experience on the road course.

“I thought Sonoma would be the last time I would be driving an IndyCar for some time, so to get the invite to be part of this test is really cool,” said Briscoe, who has competed in seven IZOD IndyCar Series races this season (six with Panther Racing) and most recently finished 17th at Sonoma Raceway on Aug. 25. “It’s always special to drive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – whether it’s on the oval or any other course. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Rahal, who will drive the Honda-powered No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car, competed on the IMS road course in Formula BMW and Indy Lights.

Both are coming off races this past weekend on the 2.04-mile, 12-turn Baltimore street circuit — Rahal in the Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT and Briscoe in the American Le Mans Series event.

“As we look to the future of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the goal is to make changes to the road course that provide the most flexibility for its potential use and create a layout that is entertaining for our fans and enjoyable for our drivers – whether it is for INDYCAR testing or racing, sports cars, MotoGP or other uses,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president.

The only other time an IndyCar was tested on the IMS road course was in the fall of 2011 when two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Dan Wheldon tested the current IZOD IndyCar Series Dallara chassis that debuted in 2012. Wheldon ran the 13-corner layout in clockwise direction only during the test session, which was used to develop the car, not for track information purposes.

2. Baltimore result shows depth of IZOD IndyCar Series field: Five different IZOD IndyCar Series teams were represented in the top five and eight in the top 10 of the Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT on Sept. 1.

Justin Wilson, who overcame early brake issues and being spun late in the grueling 75-lap race on the 2.04-mile, 12-turn street circuit, isn’t surprised. The depth of competition has been the strongest he’s witnessed in years.

“Every weekend you know you have a chance,” said Wilson, who started fourth in the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America car for Dale Coyne Racing. “You just have to make the most out of it and not make any mistakes. It’s a tough championship. So many good drivers and so many good teams, you need everything to go just right.”

There have been 10 different winners, including four for the first time. Of the 32 drivers who have competed in more than one of the 16 races this season, 15 have recorded podium finishes and 21 have scored at least one top five.

The latest addition to the list of podium finishers is Josef Newgarden, the 22-year-old Tennessee native who was the runner-up to Simon Pagenaud at Baltimore.

Newgarden, who won the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights race on the Baltimore course, qualified a season-best fifth in the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing car. It was an adventurous race for all 24 competitors on a humid day, with Newgarden running fourth on Lap 20, losing three positions after brushing the concrete barrier in Turn 12 and dropping to 19th place after pit stops.

“I don’t know how I finished second to be honest,” said Newgarden, who registered two other top-five finishes this season. “I got hit probably six or seven times in the rear. I know I slammed into people myself from getting hit. I don’t even know how to describe this race to anybody. I think everyone had some good and bad luck.

“Fortunately, the good luck cycled at the end of the race for us and we finished off great.”

On the sixth caution of the race, Newgarden was up to fifth place. Two laps after the Lap 67 restart, he moved to third and overtook Marco Andretti for second on Lap 70.

“Second place is a great result for our team,” Newgarden added. “I wouldn’t be an IndyCar driver without them. I’m so thankful for all the hard work they put in. We really haven’t had any reward yet over the last year and a half and I think this is great for everybody. We just have to go get a couple more now.”

3. Hawksworth to test with Rahal Letterman Lanigan: Jack Hawksworth, who earned his third victory of the Firestone Indy Lights season Sept. 1 at Baltimore, will test in a Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car Sept. 17 at Sebring International Raceway.

“I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of an Indy car,” said Hawksworth, 22, of England. “I have been working toward this moment since the day I first jumped into a go-kart many years ago, and I feel ready to use all those years of experience now at the highest level.”

The victory from the pole was the third on a street circuit for Hawksworth, who vaulted from 40 points out of the championship lead to 11 points behind front-runner Sage Karam. Five drivers are within 35 points in the chase for the title with two races left.

Hawksworth, the 2012 Pro Mazda champion, has six top-three finishes and two poles in the 10 races. He won in his Firestone Indy Lights debut at St. Petersburg in March and led every lap en route to victories in Toronto and Baltimore. He leads the series in laps led with 168.

“Looking further ahead to 2014, I would obviously love to be in an IndyCar seat, and if that happens, my aim will be the same as it has always been – to maximize my potential and that of the team and score as many points as possible,” said Hawksworth, a 2012 McLaren Autosport Award finalist and British Racing Drivers’ Club SuperStar.

“My goal isn’t simply to compete in INDYCAR, it is to ultimately win INDYCAR races and championships – and I know without any doubt that I can.”

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing currently fields Honda-powered cars for Graham Rahal and James Jakes in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

“We are pleased to work with Jack on his first test in an Indy car and happy that he came to RLL for this monumental experience,” team co-owner Bobby Rahal said. “We have watched Jack from afar in Indy Lights. He is obviously a proven winner there and there is no reason to think that he couldn’t be competitive in Indy cars and be a future winner there as well. We are anxious to put Jack in the car at Sebring and see how he does.”

4. Inside the numbers – Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT: Some numbers to note from the Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT, the 16th race of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

1 – Driver who has led every race at Baltimore: Will Power

3 – Consecutive top-five finishes for Simon Pagenaud, to vault him to third in the point standings.

4 – Teams that have swept Firestone Indy Lights and IZOD IndyCar Series events in the same weekend: Schmidt Peterson Motorsports, Andretti Autosport, Panther Racing and A.J. Foyt Racing.

5.40 – Average running position of Simon Pagenaud during the 75 laps of racing.

6 – Leaders during the Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT.

9 – Consecutive top-five starts by Will Power.

12 – Consecutive top-10 finishes for Helio Castroneves…Points separating the top four drivers in the Firestone Indy Lights point standings.

19 – Positions improved by Sebastien Bourdais (22nd to third) in the race, the most gained by any driver.

23 – Laps that James Hinchcliffe improved his position over the 75 laps of competition, most of any driver.

77 – Winning car number for Simon Pagenaud and Jack Hawksworth. Both race for Sam Schmidt, who co-owns Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports (Pagenaud) and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (Hawksworth).

154 – Consecutive Indy car starts for Scott Dixon dating to the 2004 race in Michigan. Dixon ranks sixth on the all-time list.

212 – Consecutive Indy car starts for Tony Kanaan dating to the 2001 CART race in Portland. Kanaan passed his team owner Jimmy Vasser’s record of 211 straight starts at Baltimore.

2003 – Laps completed by Helio Castroneves. He is the only driver to complete every lap of every race.

***

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 noon on Oct. 6.

Analyzing The Hudco Electric Supply 300 Presented By G-Oil At Barrie Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 3, 2013) – The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 travels to Barrie (Ont.) Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 7 for the Hudco Electric Supply 300 presented by G-Oil for the 2013 season’s penultimate race. Below is a statistical look at the recent performance of the series and selected drivers at Barrie, as well as some other statistical trends:

Barrie Race Setup

·         Pete Shepherd III has wins in both of his series starts this year and victories in three of his last four outings dating back to last season including Barrie a year ago.

·         Points leader D.J. Kennington has three Barrie victories and seven top-10 finishes in eight starts at the track.

·         Scott Steckly has two wins at Barrie and has led a series-best 768 laps on the .333-mile oval.

·         Mark Dilley – 2011 Barrie winner – has four top fives at Barrie in eight outings.

·         Jason Hathaway has five top-10 finishes in eight career Barrie starts including a runner-up finish in 2011.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series At Barrie Speedway

·         This is the series’ ninth time to compete at the track, the most of any venue.

·         The Hudco Electric Supply 300 will be aired on TSN on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. ET and on RDS2 on Friday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. ET.

·         Dodge has seven wins at the track while Chevrolet has one.

·         Three (Sept. 2008, 2011 and 2012) of the eight Barrie races has gone beyond the scheduled distance of 300 laps.

·         In the previous six races at the track, there has been an average of 11.75 caution periods for 96.88 laps with earliest coming at Lap 2 in 2009 and the latest at Lap 298 in 2011.

·         At Barrie, the average finishing position for the polesitter is 7.75 and the average starting position for the race winner is 5.5.

·         The lead has changed hands an average of 11.13 with a high of 17 on Sept. 6, 2008.

Barrie Data

Race: #11 of 12 (9/7/13)

Track Layout: .333-mile paved tri-oval

Race Length: 300 laps (99.99 miles)

Records

1-Lap Qualifying: Don Thomson Jr., Chevrolet, 13.903 seconds, 86.226 mph, June 28, 2008

300-Lap Race: D.J. Kennington, Chevrolet, 1 hr., 40 min., 8 sec., 59.860 mph, Sept. 11, 2010

Race Winners

D.J. Kennington…………………………… 3

Scott Steckly………………………………. 2

Mark Dilley………………………………….. 1

Pete Shepherd III………………………….. 1

Don Thomson Jr. …………………………. 1

Pole Winners

Don Thomson Jr. …………………………. 2

Ron Beauchamp Jr. ……………………… 1

Mark Dilley………………………………….. 1

Steve Mathews…………………………….. 1

Kerry Micks…………………………………. 1

Anthony Simone…………………………… 1

Scott Steckly………………………………. 1

Manufacturer Wins

Dodge……………………………………….. 7

Chevrolet……………………………………. 1

Laps Led

Scott Steckly……………………………. 768

Don Thomson Jr. ……………………… 409

D.J. Kennington………………………… 323

Selected Driver Information:

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

·         Finished seventh at Barrie a year ago.

·         Scored track-best finish of sixth in 2007 (July) and 2010 Barrie Speedway events.

·         One of just four drivers to start all 85 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

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

·         Recorded a series career-best finish of third a season ago at Barrie.

·         Finished 17th at Barrie in his rookie season of 2011.

·         Has a current streak of three top-10 finishes on oval tracks.

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

·         Finished 11th a season ago at Barrie

·         Posted a 13th-place Barrie in 2011 – his first career start on an oval.

·         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 sixth last season in the Hudco 300 after leading a race-high 113 laps.

·         Career-best Barrie finish was fifth in 2010.

·         Has five top-10 finishes in seven starts on the .333-mile track.

·         Has led 211 laps in series action at the Barrie event.

·         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 Barrie Speedway debut in the Hudco Electric Supply 300.

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

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

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

·         Registered an eighth-place finish last season at Barrie.

·         Finished a Barrie career-best second in 2011.

·         Scored a fifth-place finish in 2009 Barrie race.

·         Has five top-10 finishes in eight starts on the .333-mile tri-oval.

·         Has led 73 laps at Barrie.

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

·         One of four drivers to start all 85 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

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

·         Finished 21st in last season’s Hudco 300.

·         Has three Barrie victories to his credit – 2007 (2) and 2010.

·         Has seven top-10 finishes in eight starts at the Ontario oval.

·         Leads point standings by three 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 85 NCATS races.

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

·         Scored an 18th-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 Barrie debut in the Hudco Electric Supply 300 presented by G-Oil.

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

·         Trails Alex Guenette by a slim margin in series’ rookie-of-the-year standings.

Pete Shepherd III (No. 7 National Exhaust Dodge)

·         Won last year’s Barrie Speedway race.

·         Finished third in 2010 and eighth in Sept. 2008 at the Ontario oval.

·         Has won both events he has entered this season.

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

Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge)

·         Recorded a ninth-place finish last year at Barrie.

·         Won both 2008 visits to the Ontario oval.

·         Has five top-five finishes in eight Barrie starts.

·         Trails D.J. Kennington by just three 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 85 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

Jason White (No. 21 Bowers & Wilkins Dodge)

·         Finished 17th last season in the Barrie event.

·         Best Barrie finish was 13th in 2010.

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

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

INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Sept. 1, 2013) – INDYCAR officials have placed driver Tristan Vautier on probation and fined him $10,000 for actions during IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying Aug. 31 at Baltimore. 

Vautier violated Rule 9.3.1.1 and 7.2.2.1.b when his car made contact with the disabled car of Graham Rahal under a waving yellow flag condition.

 9.3.1.1 Engaging in reckless, careless, and/or overly aggressive actions or unsportsmanlike behavior toward other members.

7.2.2.1.b A waved yellow means reduce speed, passing not permitted, be prepared to change direction or stop, a hazard wholly or partially blocking the track.

The probation period will end following the IZOD IndyCar Series season. If improvements are not met, INDYCAR may impose other penalties at its discretion.

The member may contest the imposition of the penalty pursuant to the procedures and timelines detailed in the protest and appeal procedures of the IZOD IndyCar Series rulebook.

BALTIMORE (Sunday, Sept. 1, 2013) – Simon Pagenaud outlasted Josef Newgarden and what was left of the 24-car field to win the Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT.

It was the second IZOD IndyCar Series victory of the season for the driver of the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports car. Newgarden, 22, the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights champion who crossed the start-finish line 4.1 seconds back in the No. 67 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing car, secured a career-best runner-up finish after starting a season-best fifth.

There were six full-course cautions, with almost every car sustaining some damage during the grueling 75 laps on the technically challenging 2.04-mile, 12-turn temporary street circuit in downtown Baltimore.

The win moved the 29-year-old native of France into third in the standings with three races left.

With Verizon P1 Award winner Scott Dixon, who entered the race 39 points behind championship front-runner Helio Castroneves, exiting on Lap 53 because of contact on a restart, Castroneves gained ground in the title chase with a ninth-place finish. He’s 49 points ahead after recording his 15th top-10 finish in the 16 races. Pagenaud has 431 points, followed by Andretti (430) and reigning series champion and 2012 Baltimore race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay (427).

Sebastien Bourdais, who started 22nd in the No. 7 Dragon Racing car and led 19 laps, finished third and Justin Wilson placed fourth for his fourth consecutive top 10. Simona De Silvestro marked her 25th birthday with a season-best fifth-place finish.

Also on Sept. 1, Sunoco Pole Award winner Jack Hawksworth led all 35 laps to win the Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Baltimore.

The championship points chase tightened significantly with two races remaining as Carlos Munoz, the front-runner entered the race on the 2.04-mile, 12-turn street circuit made contact on Lap 6 and finished ninth.

Hawksworth, who entered the race 39 points behind, won his third street course race of the season in the No. 77 Schmidt Peterson with Curb-Agajanian car and returned to title contention.

“It was the perfect weekend for us from start to finish,” he said. “We rolled off the truck, we were quick straight from the off. When it’s like that it makes your life a lot easier.”

Sage Karam recorded his seventh podium with the runner-up finish to seize the points lead with 373. Munoz, a three-time winner this season, is two points back and Gabby Chaves, who finished third, has 369 points. Hawksworth is fourth with 362 points and Peter Dempsey is still in contention with 338 points.

Picks Up Second NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Win On Road Course

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (Sept. 1, 2013) – L.P. Dumoulin picked up right where he left off with Sunday’s Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200.

The 34-year-old driver from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, returned to the site of his first career NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 win Sunday and completed the season-sweep on the road course at Canadian Tire Series Motorsport Park.

The 2011 series rookie of the year claimed the victory over runner-up Martin Roy and third-place Andrew Ranger after 42 laps under a yellow-checkered finish. A multi-car accident in Turn 8 of the 2.459-mile course brought out the record-tying sixth caution, and a prolonged cleanup combined with time constraints to end the race short of the scheduled 51-lap distance.

Andrew Ranger finished third, followed by D.J. Kennington, who took over the points lead. J.R. Fitzpatrick rounded out the top five.

Rookies Marc-Antoine Camirand and Gary Klutt finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Jeff Lapcevich, Howie Scannell Jr. and Robin Buck rounded out the top 10.

Championship contenders Scott Steckly finished 11th and Jason Hathaway 27th. With two races remaining, Kennington leads Steckly by three points (387-384) and Dumoulin (366) by 21. Hathaway dropped a spot, six points back of Dumoulin.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regulars Jeb Burton (12th), James Buescher (31st) and Ty Dillon (32nd) competed in the event that was held prior to the first Truck race in Canada.

Dumoulin went around Camirand on Lap 31 for the lead, and held on the rest of the way for his second career series triumph.

“We had a good strategy by pitting early for tires and fuel, and after that we just gained positions after everyone else was pitting,” Dumoulin said. “I was trying really hard to keep a good pace and not overdriving my car so that for the last 10 laps I could be really hard on it.

“I didn’t know the race was going to go red [flag] and that they were going to give the checkered flag. I was just ready to go and finish the race.”

The runner-up finish for Roy was his best in 26 career starts, and well ahead of his previous best result in three appearances at the track, which was 14th.

The third-place finish for Ranger – who was running as a teammate to Kennington for the first time – marked the fifth top-five finish in six career races at the CTMP road course.

“My car was really, really good and I was very happy because it was my first weekend with D.J. Kennington,” Ranger said. “At the end I was trying to push really hard, at the same time trying to save my tires, but the last caution came out and we were not able to finish the race.”

Sunday marked the first time in 85 all-time Canadian Tire Series events that the podium consisted entirely of Quebec natives with Dumoulin, Roy (Napierville) and Ranger (Roxton Pond).

The race featured three lead changes among four drivers, with the polesitter Lapcevich credited for a race-high 17 circuits led. Making just his second series start, Camirand’s nine laps led were his first in Canadian Tire Series action.

With the road-course portion of the schedule complete, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series wraps up the 2013 campaign with a pair of oval track races. Next up is the Hudco Electric Supply 300 at Barrie (Ont.) Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 8.

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES presented by MOBIL 1

Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200

Unofficial Results

Sunday

At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Bowmanville, Ontario

Lap length: 2.459 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (3) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivieres, Que., Dodge, 42 laps.

2. (8) Martin Roy, Napierville, Que., Dodge, 42.

3. (2) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Que., Dodge, 42.

4. (12) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 42.

5. (4) J.R. Fitzpatrick, Ayr, Ont., Chevrolet, 42.

6. (11) Marc-Antoine Camirand, Saint-Leonard-d’Aston, Que., Chevrolet, 42.

7. (7) Gary Klutt, Halton Hills, Ont., Chevrolet, 42.

8. (1) Jeff Lapcevich, Grimsby, Ont., Dodge, 42.

9. (21) Howie Scannell Jr., Milton, Ont., Dodge, 42.

10. (19) Robin Buck, Campbellville, Ont., Dodge, 42.

11. (6) Scott Steckly, Milverton, Ont., Dodge, 42.

12. (14) Jeb Burton, Halifax, Va., Dodge, 42.

13. (13) Chad Hackenbracht, New Philadelphia, Ohio, Dodge, 42.

14. (9) Peter Klutt, Halton Hills, Ont., Chevrolet, 42.

15. (20) J.F. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivieres, Que., Dodge, 42.

16. (10) Kerry Micks, Mount  Albert, Ont., Ford, 42.

17. (26) Jason White, Sun Peaks, B.C., Dodge, 42.

18. (16) Alex Guenette, Terrebonne, Que., Dodge, 42.

19. (23) Noel Dowler, Sherwood Park, Alta., Dodge, 42.

20. (25) Brad Graham, Glencoe, Ont., Ford, 42.

21. (22) Joey McColm, Ajax, Ont., Dodge, 42.

22. (36) David Thorndyke, Oshawa, Ont., Chevrolet, 42.

23. (32) James Van Domselaar, Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., Chevrolet, 42.

24. (28) Larry Jackson, Oakville, Ont., Dodge, 42.

25. (5) Jason Hathaway, Dutton, Ont., Dodge, 42.

26. (18) Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor, Ont., Dodge, 42.

27. (24) Steven Mathews, New Liskeard, Ont., Ford, 41.

28. (31) Ray Courtemanche Jr., Montreal, Que., Dodge, 40.

29. (27) Hugo Vannini, Repentigny, Que., Ford, 39.

30. (34) Paul Jean, Mirabel, Que., Chevrolet, 35, off track.

31. (17) James Buescher, Plano, Texas, Dodge, 34, off track.

32. (15) Ty Dillon, Welcome, N.C., Chevrolet, 32, overheating.

33. (30) Ryley Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 27, overheating.

34. (33) Matthew Scannell, Milton. Ont., Dodge, 21, off track.

35. (29) Trevor Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 20, mechanical.

36. (35) Curtus Fielding, Minden, Ont., Ford, 1, mechanical.

Race Statistics

Margin of Victory: Under caution

Fastest Qualifier: J.Lapcevich (105.277 mph, 84.087 seconds)

Caution Flags: 6 for 14 laps.

Lead Changes: 3 among 4 drivers.

Lap Leaders: J. Lapcevich 1-17; A. Guenette 18-21; M. Camirand 22-30; L. Dumoulin 31-41.

Standings: 1. D. Kennington, 387; 2. S. Steckly, 384; 3. L. Dumoulin, 366; 4. J. Hathaway, 360; 5. M. Roy, 352; 6. J. Fitzpatrick, 349; 7. N. Dowler, 313; 8. J. White, 311; 9. A. Guenette, 302; 10. R. Beauchamp,Jr., 302.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—Aug. 30, 2013 — Taylor Ferns waited about seven months this season to get her first shot at pulling double duty on the same weekend with the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series, which came at the Illinois State Fairgrounds a couple of weeks ago and quickly got up to speeding, earning a pair of top-10 finishes. The 17-year-old won’t have to wait nearly as long to race both types of machines on the same weekend for the second time, as she’ll take part in a pair of events at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in Illinois to celebrate Labor Day.

Ferns will first take to the track on Sunday, Sept. 2, with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series for the running of the Ted Horn 100. The evening will kick-off with practice at 5 p.m. Central, followed by time trials at 6 p.m. Centrals, which will set the starting lineup for the 100-lap event, which will take the green flag at 8 p.m. Central. On Monday, Sept. 3, the young driver will have one hour of practice at 9 a.m. Central for the Southern Illinois 100 by Federated Car Care for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, following by time trials at 11 a.m., and the 100-lap race will hit the track at 1:15 p.m. Central.

“I’m ready to get back on the track and race for the first time at DuQuoin,” said Ferns. “It’s definitely takes a toll on your body racing 100 miles each day, but I’m ready for it. We had a couple of good runs at Springfield (Illinois State Fairgrounds) and are looking to improve on that even more this weekend in each of the two cars.”

At the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Aug. 18, Ferns qualified fifth for her first-ever ARCA start on the dirt. After an accident following qualifying led her team to have to make repairs to her car, the native of Shelby Township, Mich., had to start at the rear of the 33-car field. She methodically worked her way forward, passing more cars than another other driver to finish ninth in the Motor City Transport Inc./National Auto Placement Toyota for Venturini Motorsports. That run marked her second top-10 finish of the season in ARCA competition.

“I was able to pass a lot of cars at Springfield and also run all the laps, which was our main goal,” she shared. “We know we have a good set-up for qualifying and if we can start in the top-10 at DuQuoin we should have a pretty good chance at a solid finish. It will certainly help again running the Silver Crown race the day before, in terms of getting seat track and laps on the track, even though that’s a night race and the ARCA race is a day show.”

With the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series, the winningest female driver in USAC history, finished 10th at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in the Tony Bettenhausen 100 on Aug. 17. She qualified 16th and battled throughout the race, including having an oil line let go, to finish 10th. Ferns has finished in the top-10 in each of her last two Silver Crown Starts, as she was also 10th on the pavement at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on July 27.

“I feel pretty comfortable in the heavier cars, especially the Silver Crown car,” she noted. “It’s a completely different driving style than a midget. I feel like I adapt to the heavier cars a lot quicker than I do the lighter weight cars. I have a lot of fun driving those cars and I think it’s been showing in our results lately.”

Ferns has made a total of five starts in ARCA this season, earning a pair of top-10 finishes and has finished 15th or better in four of those races. She made her ARCA debut at Mobile International Speedway in Alabama, in March, qualifying fifth and finishing ninth. Ferns has qualified 11th or better in each of her four ARCA starts that she has had a qualifying attempt at. In her first to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, qualifying was rained out and the event was lined up by owner points and she took the grid seventh for that race.

The high school senior has made a total of four starts with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series this season aboard the No. 35 Toyota-powered Beast. She has finished 11th or better in three of those races. In the event at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado in late June, she was running as high as third in the late going, before running out of fuel. Ferns has qualified among the top-10 in two of her Silver Crown starts this season. She made her Silver Crown debut last season at Iowa Speedway, earning a top-10 in her maiden start in a “big car.”

“We’ve had a few top-10 finishes in a row and seem to keep getting better each race,” Ferns said. “Our main goal is to keep improving every time we are on the track. We are looking to turn those top-10s into top-five runs and I think we can do that. Having raced the Silver Crown car on two mile tracks this year, I have a good idea of what to expect at DuQuoin and we feel good about the car and the set-up we have.”

In just four starts with the Traxxas USAC Silver Crown Series this season, Ferns is 11th in the standings, only four markers out of the top-10. With the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the No. 55 Venturini Motorsports team is seventh in car owner points.

Taylor Ferns and Ferns Racing would like to thank their valued partners: Motor City Auto Transport Inc., National Auto Placement, FK Rod Ends, Lucas Oil, K&N Filters, Lansing Sanitary Supply (LSS), Simpson Race Products, Indy Race Parts, ButlerBuilt, Allstar Performance,Stanton Racing Engines, Hoosier Tire Midwest, Lyn St. James Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation, Race4Girls and Racing2Cure.

Keep up to date
For the latest news, results and information on Taylor Ferns and Ferns Racing and to view a full 2013 schedule, visit TaylorFerns.com. Follow Taylor on Twitter at @TaylorFerns and like her on Facebook.

WATERTOWN, Conn.—August 30, 2013— David Gravel will sit out the upcoming West Coast Swing for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series, which will encompass nine races in 10 nights in Washington, Oregon and California, as he continues to recuperate from a bout of mononucleosis and a double ear infection. The 21-year-old looks to return to action with the series upon their return to the Midwest at Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa, on Friday, Sept. 13.

Gravel is the leading contender for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series, and has won twice this season with the series. He was victorious on the opening night of the FVP Knoxville Nationals at the famed Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, earlier this month and also scored a win at I-94 Speedway in Minnesota in May. The East Coast racer has racked up 24 top-10 finishes with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series and seven of those have been top-five performances.

Keep up-to-date with David Gravel and DDR Motorsports by visiting www.DavidGravel89.com. Follow David on Twitter @davidgravel89gand like David on Facebook.

Concord, NC (August 30, 2013) – Just six months ago rookie driver Justin Boston was optimistically preparing for his first full season racing stock cars and his highly anticipated debut in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards which in his case happened to be the biggest stage in motorsports; Daytona International Speedway.

With less than 20 career races behind the wheel of a race car Boston was beginning his challenging transition from motocross to stock car racing.

Although Boston’s debut ended with disappointment (31st place finish) the 23-year old driver never gave up and has relied heavily on the experienced Venturini Motorsports team to nurture his progression and prepare him for the years ahead. Armed with raw talent and strong desire to learn and succeed Boston has quickly improved and joins the weekly discussions of race contenders.

“I definitely feel like I’ve exceeded my expectations this year. I’ve surrounded myself with good people and have a great team behind me. My confidence is growing every week and I think we’ve got a great shot at winning one in the next few weeks,” said Boston.

Fast forward sixteen races in the ARCA season, Boston finds himself among the top driver in the series. Already with (6) top-5 and (13) top-10 finishes behind the wheel of his No. 25 ZLOOP Computer and Electronics Recycling Toyota, Boston is third in championship points and knocking on the door of rookie of the year honors.

“There are so many variables to be successful in racing. The biggest challenge has been learning all the different tracks. ARCA’s track diversity is like no other series around,” added Boston.

Boston also finds himself in the hunt for ARCA’s Bill France Four Crown Championship award. Trailing Frank Kimmel by a slim margin in this championship within a championship, the Bill France Four Crown award, depictive of the series’ versatility, is a separate point fund that tests drivers on four very different tracks; from superspeedways to short tracks and from dirt tracks to road courses, drivers are challenged on a wide variety of track types and surfaces.

Already with three legs of the Bill France Four Crown completed (Michigan, New Jersey & Springfield) only Salem Speedway on September 14th awaits Boston and his hopes of dethroning King Kimmel who’s won the award six times. In the previous Four Crown races Boston has finished an impressive fourth, sixth and fifth further showing his ability behind the wheel during his rookie season.

The very first Bill France Four Crown championship was awarded in 1984 to the late Davey Allison, a rookie at that time. Last season, Chad McCumbee won the Bill France Four Crown with finishes of third, eighth, first, and ninth in the four events.

Boston is currently on streak of six consecutive top-10 finishes (11 out of last 12) and coming off his career best second place finish last weekend at Madison International Speedway returns to the track this weekend hoping to earn his first career victory at the famed ‘Magic Mile’ dirt course at the DuQuoin, Illinois state fairgrounds.

Practice for the Labor Day Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Car Care at DuQuoin is scheduled for September 2nd from 9:00-10:00 a.m. with Menards Pole Award Qualifying presented by Ansell following at 11:15. The 60th annual Southern Illinois 100 starts at 1:30 p.m. All times are local.

The event will feature live timing and scoring for all on-track activity at ARCAracing.com, as well as live flag-to-flag audio coverage of the race. 

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