Category: Other Series PR

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

1.      Kimball delivers message with victory at Mid-Ohio

2.      Tagliani pays off Power of 2 competition

3.      Inside the numbers – Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio

1. Kimball delivers message with victory at Mid-Ohio: On Oct. 16, 2007, life changed for Charlie Kimball.

It was that day that the then-22-year-old’s quality of life and blossoming racing career was dealt a blow as he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

“I remember that day being pretty dark. And today is pretty bright,” Kimball said after posting his first IZOD IndyCar Series victory in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on Aug. 4. “To come five years later and get a race win in what I think is the most competitive open wheel series probably in the world at the minute is pretty fantastic.”

Through the intervening years, consultation and planning with his endocrinologist has allowed Kimball to continue his motorsports career. It’s a matter of how he manages the autoimmune disorder that afflicts about 26 million (and growing) individuals in the United States.

It’s a message he shares through initiatives of sponsor Novo Nordisk. Diabetes awareness and education are main topics of the programs, while Kimball’s resolve of not being slowed by diabetes to pursue his dreams is the message.

“Together, we’ve grown our partnership from a small logo on my suit and talking about having diabetes to a full program,” said Kimball about the global diabetes care company that aligned with Kimball in Firestone Indy Lights in 2009. “The opportunity for me to meet all sorts of great people with diabetes across the country, tell them my story and hear their stories, it reminds me that no matter how good or bad a day I have at the racetrack it’s more important than just me in the race car.

“It’s nice to be able to come back from that (diagnosis), rebuild and find a whole incredible community to be a part of.”

He’s also the newest member – the fourth this season — of the Indy car winning driver community. Kimball, who started fifth in the 90-lap race in the Honda-powered No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Chip Ganassi Racing car, played out a three-stop strategy designed by race strategist Tom Wurtz and race engineer Brad Goldberg to perfection.

He overtook eventual race runner-up Simon Pagenaud on Lap 73 and went on to become the ninth different winner in 14 races this season.

“It’s really special. It’s special for me, but it’s more importantly special for everyone that’s helped me get here,” Kimball said. “To be able to get that win was definite validation for Chip (Ganassi), for the Novo Nordisk Group, my engineer, Brad and all of the crew.”

Kimball, who finished fourth in the Firestone Indy Lights standings in 2010, moved to the IZOD IndyCar Series the next season. He recorded two top-10 finishes in 17 races. Six top 10s, including a runner-up finish at Toronto, were highlights of 2012.

Entering the third season, Kimball and the organization had higher expectations. Qualifying for his first Firestone Fast Six session and delivering a fourth-place finish at Barber Motorsports Park in mid-April was a proper start. He added three top 10s in the next five races, and broke through July 7 by advancing from the 12th starting position to finish second to teammate Scott Dixon at Pocono Raceway.

“I said at the beginning of the year that the last couple of years we got the experience, we built the foundation and, as a team, we are ready to win. Now we just need to do it,” Kimball said.

The victory came in Kimball’s 45th IZOD IndyCar Series start, and he jumped from 11th to a tie with Andretti Autosport’s three-time race winner James Hinchcliffe for seventh in the standings with five races remaining.

The drive on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course, where Kimball did not compete last year because of a fractured metacarpal bone suffered in testing at Mid-Ohio a week before the race, impressed teammate Dario Franchitti, who placed third in the No. 10 GE car for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

“He’s learning quickly,” the four-time series champion said. “Bit by bit you see him get rid of his weaknesses, and he’s smart and he’s taken full advantage of the fact that he’s a member of the team, the Ganassi team, and all the stuff that he has available to him, whether it’s experience or the engineering group or equipment at his disposal. He’s taking full advantage of it.”

2. Tagliani pays off Power of 2 competition: In the end, it took the power of two IZOD IndyCar Series drivers to complete a Power of 2 payoff at the Indiana State Fair.

Alex Tagliani dressed in a beaver costume and rode around the Indiana State Fairgrounds on a tricycle to pay off his competition to raise money for charities and brought winner Scott Dixon along for the ride.

Along the way, the pair played carnival games (winning prizes for Dixon’s daughters), milked a cow and posed for photos with the “World’s Largest Boar” and “World’s Largest Popcorn Ball.”

“If I had known it was going to be this ridiculous, I would have donated more money to make myself win,” Tagliani said. “It’s is a small price to pay to promote this (Power of 2) concept. It was successful for our charities and we both raised a lot of money.”

Dixon and several fans amused by the spectacle followed the Canadian as he weaved down the road on the trike. Dixon even took a turn riding the tricycle as part of the lap. The lap ended with the drivers and some friends racing go karts at the Mini-Indy Speedway.

“I’m glad I won because it’s hot out and it would have been hotter in a sheep costume,” Dixon said. “The important thing about powerof2.org is that nobody loses. It’s win-win for both charities. For the first time for (INDYCAR drivers) and raising almost $15,000 for our charities was fantastic.”

3. Inside the numbers – Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio: Some numbers to note from the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, the 14th race of the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season.

2.78 –  Average running position of Charlie Kimball during the 90 laps of racing.

4 – First-time winners in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2013 (James Hinchcliffe, Takuma Sato, Simon Pagenaud and Charlie Kimball)…Consecutive top-five finishes by Dario Franchitti.

7 – Consecutive top-five starts by Will Power.

8 –  Positions improved by Helio Castroneves and rookie Luca Filippi in the race, the most gained by any drivers.

9 – Pro Mazda wins this season for Matthew Brabham, a series record.

10 –  Consecutive top-10 finishes for Helio Castroneves.

15 –  Points separating Carlos Munoz and Gabby Chaves in the Firestone Indy Lights standings.26 – Laps that James Hinchcliffe improved his position over the 90laps of competition, most of any driver.

93 –  Wins as a car owner by Chip Ganassi, which ranks third all-time among Indy car team owners.

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

210 – Consecutive Indy car starts for Tony Kanaan dating to the 2001 CART race in Portland. Kanaan is second to Jimmy Vasser’s 211 straight starts.

1,843 – 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 GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma on Aug. 25 at Sonoma Raceway. The race will be televised live at 4 p.m. (ET) by NBC Sports Network 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 Baltimore 100 on Sept. 1 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 1 p.m.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 5, 2013) – Rookie seasons almost always have bumps, but Alex Guenette has handled them with apparent ease.

As a 17-year-old competing in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 for the first time this season, the Terrebonne, Que., driver is rounding into shape as the season heads for the homestretch.

“Coming from the karting world, the most difficult adjustment has been the weight of the cars,” said the driver of the No. 39 Motos Illimitées/DLGL Dodge. “Getting used to the braking points and getting the car to turn is something I’ve worked really hard at.”

Guenette is tied with Ryley Seibert (No. 09 Lake Excavating/Emco Waterworks Dodge) in the series’ rookie-of-the-year standings, but Seibert currently holds the advantage since he leads Guenette by two points in the championship driver standings which serves as the tiebreaker in that competition.

Coming off a season-best finish of second on July 27 at Autodrome St. Eustache (Que.) has Guenette filled with confidence heading into the JuliaWine.com 100 – the feature event for the 44th annual Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.

“We had some bad luck to start the season, but my team has worked really hard on the car and I think we’re in pretty good shape,” he said.

With a star-studded field at Trois-Rivieres that includes Jacques Villeneuve, Alex Tagliani and Andrew Ranger and a crowd expected to be in excess of 30,000 fans, the youngster vows to remain focused on the job at hand at a track he has never before raced.

“I can’t get caught up in all of that stuff,” said Guenette. “Those guys are just racing for the win. I am, too, but I have to keep the point standings in the back of my mind. All of these tracks are new to me and I have to concentrate on my job and not worry about all of that other stuff.”

Coming from a karting background, a seamless transition into the road-course events is the norm, but getting up to speed on the ovals often is more problematic. That evolution looks to be complete for Guenette as he has top-10 finishes in two of this last three oval events and an 11-th place finish in the other against some of the most veteran short-track racers Canada has to offer.

“I love road-course racing and I thought I would definitely prefer it over the ovals, but I’m really enjoying the ovals,” he said. “I’ve learned so much this year.”

Guenette gives the lion’s share of the credit for his progression to car owner and spotter Dave Jacombs, who helped transform Ranger from an open-wheel racer to a two-time series champion.

“Dave keeps me so calm on the radio,” Guenette said. “He coaches me and reminds me of things all of the time. I’d be pretty lost without him.”

Race: JuliaWine.com 100

Place: Circuit de Trois-Rivieres (Que.)

Date: Sunday, Aug. 11

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV Schedule: RDS2, Sun., Aug. 11, 3 p.m. ET (LIVE); TSN, Sun., Aug. 4, 4:30 p.m. ET

Track Layout: 1.530-mile road course

2012 Winner: Andrew Ranger

2012 Pole Sitter: Louis-Philippe Dumoulin

Event Schedule: Saturday: Practice 10:40-11:40 a.m.; Qualifying 5:15 p.m.; Sunday: On-Track Autograph Session 2 p.m.; Driver Introductions 3:12 p.m. ET

Track Contact: Eric D’Argenzio, (819) 370-4787, media@gp3r.com

Track Twitter: @GP3R

Event Twitter Hashtag: #JuliaWine100

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

FAST FACTS

The Race: This is the eighth event of the 2013 season for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 and the third of four road course events on the schedule. This is the series’ seventh visit to the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.

The Procedure: The starting field is 34 cars, including provisionals. The first 29 cars will qualify through NASCAR road race style group qualifying. There will be two qualifying groups based on practice times. The remaining five spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 42 laps covering 103 kilometers (64.26 miles).

The Track: The temporary street course of Circuit de Trois-Rivieres is an 11-turn, 1.53-mile circuit. In Trois-Rivieres – differing from many road-course tracks – the cars race in a counter-clockwise motion as on oval tracks. The track’s trademark is the Porte Duplessis, a narrow concrete gateway the cars pass through in Turn 3.

The Records: The one-lap qualifying record for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is 67.661 seconds (81.406 mph) set by Andrew Ranger on Aug. 6, 2011. The race record also is held by Andrew Ranger at 59 minutes, 24 seconds set on Aug. 15, 2010 for an average speed of 64.909 mph.

The History: The Grand Prix began in 1967 while racing-passionate members of the Club Autosport Mauricien decided to organize a race in the streets of the city. Inspired by the Monaco race, Mr. Jean E. Ryan, Leon Dufour and Yves Girard, plus a committee of about thirty people, organized the event that has now become a unique event in North America. It is the oldest street course in North America and this year is the 44th edition of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Andrew Ranger has won four of the six previous Canadian Tire Series events with Robin Buck and Kerry Micks collecting the other two victories.

TROIS-RIVIERES NOTES

Homecoming: Quebec native and former Formula One and Indianapolis 500 champion Jacques Villeneuve (No. 24 Dodge Dealers of Quebec Dodge) will make his third career Canadian Tire Series start in a car out of Scott Steckly’s 22 Racing stable. Villeneuve recorded a fourth-place finish in 2009 at Trois-Rivieres.

Homecoming, Part 2: Former Indianapolis 500 pole sitter and current IZOD IndyCar Series star Alex Tagliani (No. 28 Dicom Express/EPIPEN/Sennheiser Dodge), who hails from Lachenaie, Que., will drive an entry fielded by D.J. Kennington’s DJK Racing. It will be Tagliani’s 16th career series start and first since 2011 in Montreal. He outdueled then teammate Ranger for the win in July 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta for his lone series victory.

Ranger Rules GP3R: Andrew Ranger (No. 27 La Cité de Mirabel Inc. Dodge) is the driver to beat a Trois-Rivieres. The two-time series champion has won four of the six races at the 1.53-mile Quebec road course. The other two races resulted in second place finishes to Kerry Micks (2007) and Robin Buck (2011). To pick up a fifth GP3R win, he’ll need to come from the back since he’ll likely miss qualifying due to competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Watkins Glen in New York.

Rolling Along: Points leader Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge) brings a three-race winning streak into the JuliaWine.com 100 having won at Motoplex Speedway in Vernon, B.C., on July 13, Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, Sask., on July 17 and Autodrome St. Eustache (Que.) on July 27. The Milverton, Ont., driver is the second competitor in series history to win as many as three consecutive races – D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge) won five straight a season ago.

Homeland: There could be as many as 16 Quebec drivers entered in the JuliaWine.com 100. Last season, Quebecers swept the marquee positions with Ranger winning the race and Trois-Rivieres native Louis-Philippe Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge) earning his first series pole.

LAST TIME OUT: National 250 presented by Public Mobile

Full Steam Ahead: Scott Steckly collected his third consecutive NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victory at Autodrome St. Eustache (Quebec) and his third in five starts at the .4-mile oval. In the process, he took over the lead in the championship standings and leads Louis-Philippe Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge) by 10 points with five races remaining.

Looking Up: St. Eustache was good medicine for Ron Beauchamp Jr. (No. 60 Mopar/Exide/Pennzoil Dodge) and Jason White (No. 21 Bowers & Wilkins Dodge), as both were overdue for a good result. Beauchamp won his fifth career pole position and scored a season-best finish of fourth while White recorded his first top-five finish of the season with a finish in the fifth position.

Evenly Matched: Steckly led a race-high 54 laps on his way to the win, but a quartet of drivers led a similar number of laps in the event. Martin Roy (No. 90 Batteries Expert/Veloce Dodge) paced the field for 52 laps while J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet) was out front for 51 circuits. Beauchamp led for 50 laps after starting from the pole and Jason Hathaway (No 3 Snap-on Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge) spent 43 laps on the point.

NEXT TIME OUT: Wilson Equipment 300 Supporting Red Cross Disaster Relief

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 heads to its easternmost outpost for the next event. Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, N.S., will host the Wilson Equipment 300 Supporting Red Cross Disaster Relief on Saturday, Aug. 17. This event has a new date this year having been held in September since the series first visited the track in its inaugural season of 2007. A year ago, D.J. Kennington picked up his sixth win of the season en route to his second Canadian Tire Series title.

WATERTOWN, Conn. — Aug. 5, 2013— David Gravel got his first taste of qualifying for the main event of the Knoxville Nationals last year — and it left him wanting more. He will take to the track at the famed Knoxville Raceway in Iowa this week for the 53rd Annual FVP Knoxville Nationals, which again this year will be sanctioned by the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series.

The 53rd Annual FVP Knoxville Nationals are set for Aug. 7–10 at the legendary half-mile located at the Marion County Fairgrounds. The field will be split into two, with half of the drivers qualifying on Wednesday, Aug. 7 and the rest on Thursday, Aug. 8. Gravel will hit the track on Wednesday night in the FMR Racing/JRC Transportation/Musco Fuel/Model Craft J&J. He will also compete in the SPEED SPORT Knoxville World Challenge on Friday, Aug. 9. The 50-lap, $150,000-to-win finale of the FVP Knoxville Nationals is set for Saturday, Aug. 10.

“Having qualified for the main event last year helps me go back with a little more confidence this year,” Gravel said. “You have to be smart each time you are on the track and try to avoid mistakes and keep your car going forward. We were able to do that last year and really had a good Friday night portion of the event, which locked us in for Saturday. We’re hoping to start off on a strong note on Wednesday night.”

Last season in the FVP Knoxville Nationals, Gravel finished second in the then-new Friday-portion of the event, which earned him a spot in the A-Feature on the following night. In the Friday race, he led a handful of laps early, after starting on the pole. In the finale of the FVP Knoxville Nationals, the native of Watertown, Conn., started 18th and finished 22nd. On his qualifying night, Gravel finished 6th in the B-main, coming up just two spots shy of earning a spot in the preliminary feature that night.

“Qualifying well is the key at the Nationals and that starts with a good pill draw,” he shared. “You have to get in the preliminary feature and have a good run in that. Every single time you are on the track is important, as you are earning event points and that’s what ultimately sets the lineups for Saturday night.”

During the 2011 Nationals, Gravel started ninth in the preliminary feature that night, and ran as high as sixth in the early going. He was running eighth when he got caught up in a four-car accident on lap-18, which ended his night. On the final night, he found himself starting 18th in the B-main. The East Coast racer worked his way up to an eighth-place finish in that 22-lap contest, coming up just four spots shy of making the main event.

Gravel made his debut at the Knoxville Nationals in 2010, earning Rookie of the Year honors, following a run to the B-main. He opened the event as the 21st-fastest qualifier of the 50 entries on the first of two preliminary nights. He started fourth in the first heat race, and finished in that same position, which earned him a spot in the preliminary feature. He lined up third for that 25-lapper and was running up front when an early race spin relegated him to the rear of the field. He would finish that night in 20th. On Saturday, he started 12th and finished 11th in the B-main, which earned him the “Rookie” honors.

This season, Gravel has raced twice at Knoxville with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series, finishing seventh and 11th. On June 15, Gravel started 11th and steadily worked his way forward to finish seventh. He opened that night as the third-fastest driver in time trials, with a stout 42-car field in attendance. In his first start of 2013 at the half-mile on May 11, Gravel charged from the 25th starting spot to finish 11th. He was running up front in the B-main when the power steering line came off, sending him to the pit area and forcing him to use a provisional to start the 25-lap race.

“We definitely passed a lot of cars with the Outlaws in June,” he noted. “You never want to start that far back, but we showed that we were capable of working our way forward and that was just a 25-lap race, the Nationals is 50 laps. The key is starting toward the front and making sure you take of your car for the entire 50 laps.”

To gear up for the FVP Knoxville Nationals, Gravel competed in the second annual Capitani Classic on Sunday, Aug. 4. With a stacked field of 81 cars in attendance, he qualified 16th-fastest, which put him on the inside of the second row in the first heat race. Gravel finished third in the heat race to earn a spot in the 25-lap main event, where he started ninth and finished 19th.

“It was definitely a plus to get laps right before the Nationals,” said Gravel. “As many laps as you can get at Knoxville is always a plus. Our goal Sunday night was to have a smooth night, bring the car home in one piece and learn some things. We have some work to do before Wednesday, but we’ll be ready when we unload for the Nationals.”

Prior to heading to Knoxville, the East Coast racer took part in the Ironman 55 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., on Saturday, Aug. 3. Gravel finished 13th in the long feature event of the season, after making a couple of trips to the work area to fix significant front end damage sustained just past the halfway point of the 55-lap feature. Gravel began the night as the fifth-fastest qualifier and ran fourth in the first heat race to earn a spot in the main event. The opener of the Ironman 55 weekend was rained out on Friday, Aug. 2 and was not rescheduled.

Entering this week’s action, Gravel is seventh in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings. He was victorious in May at I-94 Speedway in Minnesota, and has 24 top-10 finishes, with seven of those being top-five showings.

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

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—August 5, 2013— Once a driver experiences the thrill of winning sprint car racing’s biggest event — the Knoxville Nationals — it becomes a high priority to win it again. That competitive nature burns inside Kraig Kinser, who claimed the 2005 Knoxville Nationals, in just his third A-Feature start in the sport’s most prestigious event, joining his father Steve, a 12-time winner of the Nationals, as the only father/son duo in history to share the honor. The younger Kinser will join his father this year, sporting the Bad Boy Buggies colors for the four-day event. The paint scheme on Kinser’s car will be unveiled during a press conference at Noon Central on Tuesday, Aug. 6, behind the main grandstand at Knoxville Raceway.

The 53rd Annual FVP Knoxville Nationals for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series is set for Aug. 7–10 at the famed Knoxville Raceway on the grounds of the Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Iowa. Kinser will take to the track in his Bad Boy Buggies Maxim on Wednesday, Aug. 7, during the first of two preliminary nights. Racing will also continue on Friday, Aug. 9, with the $150,000-to-win, 50-lap main event set for Saturday, Aug. 10.

“The Knoxville Nationals is what everyone works the whole year for,” said Kinser. “Having Bad Boy Buggies on the car for the event this year is great. They are involved as my dad’s sponsor at Tony Stewart Racing and for them to be on my car as well this week is definitely an honor. Knoxville will always be a special place to me and having been fortunate enough to win there is priceless. Being able to become the first father and son to win definitely meant a lot to my dad and me and our entire family for that matter.”

Last year, Kinser finished fourth in the Knoxville Nationals, which marked his second-career top-five finish in the event and his third top-10 showing. He opened the 2012 Knoxville Nationals with a third-place performance on the second qualifying night, which earned him enough event points to directly lock him into the A-Feature on the final night. The third-generation driver lined up ninth for the main event and steadily worked his way forward over the course of the 50-lap contest, which utilized a break in the middle for refueling and tire changes.

“We had a very consistent Nationals last year,” he noted. “We had a very strong qualifying night and put ourselves in a good position for Saturday night and that’s important with the format of the event. On Saturday last year, the car really was strong in the second half of the race and we were able to continue to move forward. Getting locked into the main event if the first goal and once you are able to do that, then you can focus on a good race set-up for the 50 laps.”

In his career with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at Knoxville Raceway, Kinser has made a total of 30 main event starts, including preliminary features. He has a pair of wins, both coming in 2005, to go along with 11 top-10 finishes, of which six are top-five showings. Kinser made his debut at the half-mile with the World of Outlaws in 2001 and raced in his first Knoxville Nationals that same year. He qualified for his first main event at the Nationals in 2003.

Kinser has made the feature in the finale of the Knoxville Nationals six times in his career. The third-generation driver has three top-10 finishes in his career on the final night of the Nationals, Along with his win in 2005, he finished fourth last year and was sixth in 2009. The native of Bloomington, Ind., has four top-10 finishes in his career on preliminary nights for the Knoxville Nationals, including a runner-up finish in 2009 and a third-place showing last year on the second qualifying night.

“I’ve had a good amount of success at Knoxville over the years, both in the Nationals and regular races,” Kinser stated. “It’s always a challenging track and now with the race being 50 laps, you really have to pace yourself and make sure to take care of your car, so that you give yourself a chance at the end. That all starts on your preliminary night and timing in well and earning as many points as you can each time you hit the track.”

Kinser has made two starts this season at the famed half-mile, finishing 13th in May and 21st in June. In his first start of the year at Knoxville, Kinser timed in 26th of the 52 drivers that were in attendance. He charged from sixth to fourth in the first heat race to earn a spot in the 25-lap main event. Kinser was 22nd in qualifying in June at Knoxville, with a field of 42 assembled. He finished fifth in the second heat race to punch his ticket to the A-Feature.

“We haven’t had the best of results in the two races we’ve run at Knoxville this year, but we’ve learned a lot in those races,” he explained. “With the caliber and number of cars that will be there this week, you have to be on your ‘A-Game’ and then some. Everyone will have their best engine in and their freshest equipment. Knoxville is a challenge unlike any other and hopefully we’ve made the right preparations.”

Before making the trek north to Knoxville, Kinser raced in the fifth edition of the Ironman 55 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo., on Saturday, Aug. 3. He finished 12th in the caution-plagued 55-lap featured at the high-banked bullring just outside of St. Louis. Kinser timed in13th-quickest of the 34 entries, which put him on the pole of the first heat. He finished second in that 10-lap contest to earn a spot in the dash, where he came home seventh. The opener of the Ironman 55 weekend on Friday, Aug. 2 was rained out and will not be made up.

Kinser enters the 53rd Annual FVP Knoxville Nationals in the 13th spot in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings. He has one victory this season to go along with 23 top-10 finishes, of which eight are top-five performances.

Kraig Kinser Racing would like to thank Casey’s General Stores, Mesilla Valley Transportation, King Racing Products, Maxim, Aerodine Composites, Sander Engineering, Integra Shocks, All Star Performance, FK Rod Ends, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bell, KSE Racing Products, ButlerBuilt, Schoenfeld Headers, Donovan Engineering, Fel-Pro, Brodix, Wilwood, Dyer’s, Barnes Systems, Ringer Gloves, Jakes Custom Golf Carts, and Ben Cook Racing Limited for their continued support.

Kraig Kinser By the Numbers: Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway 
0.5- Distance around Knoxville Raceway in miles
1- Father/Son duo that has won the Knoxville Nationals- Steve & Kraig Kinser
2– Career main event wins at Knoxville, including the 2005 Knoxville Nationals
6- Total nights of racing for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at Knoxville this season, including the Knoxville Nationals
10.4- Average finish in seven preliminary night feature events during the Knoxville Nationals
12- Average finish in six main event starts in the Knoxville Nationals
13.3- Average finishing position in 30 career main event starts with the World of Outlaws at Knoxville
14.407- Track record at Knoxville Raceway
30- Laps led en route to winning the 2005 Knoxville Nationals; Career feature event starts at Knoxville with the series, including preliminary features
50- Laps in the main event of the finale of the Knoxville National on Aug. 10
329- Miles from Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo., where the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series competed on Aug. 3, to Knoxville Raceway in Iowa
2001- First World of Outlaws start at Knoxville Raceway; Year of first appearance in the Knoxville Nationals
2003- Year of first main event start in the Knoxville Nationals
2005- Year of win in the Knoxville Nationals to join his father Steve as a champion of the event, making them the first-ever father/son duo to win sprint car racing’s biggest event
140,000- Dollars earned for winning the 2005 Knoxville Nationals
150,000- Dollars the winner of this year’s FVP Knoxville Nationals will receive

Keep up with all the action 
For the latest news on Kraig Kinser, visit http://www.kraigkinser.com, and follow Kraig on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kraigkinser11k and receive live updates from the track each and every race night.

Tune in
Listen live to each and every World of Outlaws event on DIRTVision.com with “The Voice of the Outlaws” Johnny Gibson on the call. Visitwww.DIRTVision.com for live audio of each and every World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event.

NEW CASTLE, Ind.— Aug. 6, 2013— Indiana, Illinois and Iowa all have a deep history of USAC racing and this week each of the three Midwestern states will host Sprint Car and Midget races at a trio of venues. Tracy Hines has won plenty of races in Indiana and Illinois over the years and has come close on a few times to winning in Iowa and will have another opportunity to make his first trip to Victory Lane in the Hawkeye State this week.

The tree-race stretch opens for Hines on Tuesday, Aug. 6, on the dirt in his self-owned Hansen’s Welding Inc. DRC with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series for the running of the Casey’s General Stores Ultimate Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. The veteran driver will then head to his home state of Indiana on Friday, Aug. 9, to pilot the Parker Machinery/Powered by Toyota Spike in a Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship race at the half-mile Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, which is in the northwest corner of the state. Hines will wrap up the trio of races with another pavement midget start at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill., on Saturday, Aug. 10.

“This is another busy week for us, but when you are running as well as we have been the last few weeks, you want to race as much as you can,” said Hines. “It’s been a few weeks since we’ve raced the sprint car, so I’m looking forward to getting back in it. With how strong our asphalt midget program has been this year, we are pretty excited for the two races over the weekend.”

Hines, the 2002 USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series champion, has competed at the half-mile Southern Iowa Speedway each of the last three years. He has finished eighth in each of those 30-lap contests, which this year offers a $10,000 top prize. On half-mile tracks with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series in 2013, Hines has a pair of top-10 finishes in three starts.

“We haven’t run all that much on big tracks this year, but the few times we have, we’ve been pretty good,” he shared. “That’s one of the highest paying events of the season, so you always want to be in contention in those. I’ve been stuck on finishing eighths the last few years over there, so hopefully we can move up a few more spots this year and contend for a win.”

The native of New Castle, Ind., has finished second in each of his last two starts at Illiana in two different types of race cars. He most recently competed at the historic Chicago-area track in 2006 with the former PRA Big Car Series, racing in the Southshore 125. He also raced in the last Honda USAC National Midget Series event at the facility in 2001, scoring a runner-up finish, after leading the opening 10 laps of the 30-lap main event. He began the night by turning the fifth-fastest lap in time trials of the solid 32-car field in attendance and finished second in the first heat race to earn a spot in the A-Feature.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve raced at Illiana (Motor Speedway), and even longer since we’ve had a midget race there,” he said. “I came pretty close to winning last time we ran at Illiana and hopefully remember enough about the track to have a good baseline when we unload. We only have a few asphalt races left this year and we want to make the most of them.”

Hines has made two starts with the Honda USAC National Midget Series at the high-banked, third-mile Grundy County Speedway. He finished second in a 50-lap main event in 2011, leading 26 laps, including taking the white flag at the front of field, before being passed in turn two coming to the checkered flag. Last season at Grundy County he was 14th in an event that was co-sanctioned by the Honda USAC National Midget Series and the STARS Midget Series.

“Two years ago we were really good at Grundy County (Speedway) and then last year we just missed the set-up,” Hines said. “That’s a unique track and a momentum-type place with all of that banking. Midgets typically are pretty racy there. If we can qualify well and run good in the qualifying race, we’ll give ourselves a good chance at it.”

Entering the Ultimate Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway, Hines is eighth in points with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Car Series. He has two wins this season to go with seven top-10 finishes. In the Honda USAC National Midget Series Pavement Championship he leads the standings on the strength of two wins and five finishes of eighth or better in five starts.

Tracy Hines Racing would like to thank: Hansen’s Welding Inc., Parker Machinery, Powered by Toyota, Motor City Auto Transport, 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.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 6, 2013) – The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 makes its last of three trips into Quebec on Aug. 9-11 for the JuliaWine.com 100 as part of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres (Que.). Below is a statistical look at the recent performance of selected drivers at Trois-Rivieres, as well as some other statistical trends:

Circuit de Trois-Rivieres Race Setup

·         Andrew Ranger has four Trois-Rivieres wins in six starts with consecutive victories from 2008 to 2010. His other two efforts at the Quebec event resulted in second-place finishes.

·         J.R. Fitzpatrick has three top-five GP3R finishes in five tries to go along with two starts from the pole and has led a total of 50 laps on the 1.53-mile race course.

·         Jeff Lapcevich has never finished outside of the top 10 in five Trois-Rivieres starts including top-five finishes in 2007, 2010 and 2011.

·         Scott Steckly has won each of the last three NASCAR Canadian Tire Series events and is just the second driver in series history to win three straight races – D.J. Kennington scored a record five consecutive wins last season.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series At Circuit de Trois-Rivieres

·         This is the series’ seventh time to participate in the historic Quebec event.

·         The JuliaWine.com 100 will be telecast live by RDS2 with coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET on Aug. 11 and the race will premiere on TSN at 4:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 18.

·         In the previous six races at the track, there has been an average of 3.0 caution periods for 10.5 laps with earliest coming at Lap 1 last season and the latest at Lap 41 in 2008.

·         In Trois-Rivieres, the average finishing position for the polesitter is 6.33 and the average starting position for the race winner is 4.33.

·         There has been an average of 2.67 lead changes in six GP3R race and an average of 29.5 cars have started the race.

·         Dodge and Ford both have three wins while a Chevrolet has yet to reach Victory Lane.

·         The .012-second margin of victory for Kerry Micks over Andrew Ranger in 2007 is the closest finish in series history.

Circuit de Trois-Rivieres Data

Race: #8 of 12 (8/11/13)

Track Layout: 1.53-mile temporary street course

Race Length: 42 laps (64.26 miles/103.32 kilometers)

Records

1-Lap Qualifying: Andrew Ranger, Dodge, 67.661 seconds, 81.406 mph, Aug. 7, 2011

42-Lap Race: Andrew Ranger, Dodge, 59 min., 24 sec., 64.909 mph, Aug. 15, 2010

Race Winners

Andrew Ranger…………………………….. 4

Robin Buck ………………………………… 1

Kerry Micks ………………………………… 1

Pole Winners

J.R. Fitzpatrick ……………………………. 2

Andrew Ranger…………………………….. 2

L.P. Dumoulin …………………………….. 1

Alex Tagliani ……………………………….. 1

Manufacturer Wins

Dodge ………………………………………. 3

Ford …………………………………………. 3

Laps Led

Andrew Ranger…………………………… 83

J.R. Fitzpatrick ………………………….. 50

Kerry Micks……………………………….. 43

Selected Driver Information:

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

·         Finished eighth last season at Trois-Rivieres.

·         Best track finish in six starts was fifth in 2009.

·         Has three straight top-10 finishes dating back to Motoplex Speedway in Vernon, B.C.

·         One of four drivers to start all 82 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

Patrice Brisebois (No. 71 Jiffy Lube Dodge)

·         Finished 22nd last season at Trois-Rivieres.

·         Best GP3R finish in four starts was 17th in 2009.

·         Played in 18 NHL seasons for the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche.

·         Is a Player Development Coach for the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens.

Jean-Francois Dumoulin (No. 04 Bellemare/Bernier Crepeau Dodge)

·         Scored a career track-best finish of sixth last season at Trois-Rivieres.

·         Has top 10s in four of his six GP3R starts.

·         Was GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge ST champion in 2002 and GS champ in 2003.

·         Won GT class at Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2007 and SGS class in 2004.

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

·         Finished second a season ago in the JuliaWine.com 100 for his best finish in four starts in the GP3R.

·         Finished fifth in 2011 at Trois-Rivieres.

·         Registered his first Canadian Tire Series victory in the season opener on May 19 on the road course 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 year at the GP3R event to equal his track-best finish established in 2010.

·         Has top-10 finishes in four of his five series career starts on the 1.53-mile circuit.

·         Won JuliaWine.com 100 pole in 2007 and 2008.

·         Has led 50 laps on the Quebec street course.

·         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 Motos Illimitées/DLGL Dodge)

·         Making track debut this season.

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

·         Tied with Ryley Seibert atop the series’ rookie-of-the-year standings.

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

·         Finished 15th in last year’s GP3R event.

·         Best track finish was third in 2008 edition of the JuliaWine.com 100.

·         Has top-10 finishes in three of his six Trois-Rivieres starts.

·         One of four drivers to start all 82 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

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

·         Scored a fifth-place finish last season in Trois-Rivieres.

·         Best Trois-Rivieres finish was third in 2009.

·         Has four top-five and five top-10 finishes in six GP3R starts.

·         Tops the all-time Canadian Tire Series wins list with 18.

·         Won 2010 and 2012 series championships.

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

·         One of four drivers to start all 82 NCATS races.

Jeff Lapcevich (No. 76 Tim Hortons Dodge)

·         Finished ninth in last year’s JuliaWine.com 100.

·         Scored a GP3R-best finish of fourth in 2007 and 2011.

·         Has a top-10 finish in all five of his Trois-Rivieres starts.

·         Has posted a top-10 finish in four of his last five series starts dating back to last season.

·         Changed car number to 76 from 23 to honor the passing of his father, Joe, earlier this year.

Kerry Micks (No. 02 Leland/Beyond Digital Imaging/Dickies Ford)

·         Placed 12th a year ago on the Quebec street course.

·         Won the series’ inaugural Trois-Rivieres event in 2007.

·         Has top-10 finishes in four of his six GP3R starts.

·         Has led a total of 43 laps on the 1.53-mile Trois-Rivieres course.

Andrew Ranger (No. 27 La Cité de Mirabel Dodge)

·         Won last year’s JuliaWine.com 100; also won in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

·         Made starts from the GP3R pole in 2010 and 2011.

·         Has led a series-best 83 laps on the 1.53-mile circuit in Trois-Rivieres.

·         Has 14 series career road-course win with nine of those coming in Quebec.

·         His 17 series career wins rank second on series’ all-time list.

·         Won 2007 and 2009 series titles.

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

·         Finished 24th in last year’s Trois-Rivieres event.

·         Scored a 13th-place finish in his 2011 track debut.

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

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

·         Making track debut in this year’s JuliaWine.com 100.

·         Scored a season-best finish of eighth on July 20 at his home track – Motoplex Speedway.

·         Tied with Alex Guenette in series’ Rookie-of-the-Year standings this season.

Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge)

·         Finished seventh a season ago in the JuliaWine.com 100.

·         Best track finish was second in 2008.

·         Has top-10 finishes in five of his six Trois-Rivieres starts.

·         Has won each of the last three Canadian Tire Series events.

·         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 82 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

Alex Tagliani (No. 28 Dicom Express/EPIPEN/Sennheiser Dodge)

·         Finished 22nd in last GP3R start (2009) with engine problems after starting on the pole.

·         Won Canadian Tire Series race in July 2008 at Edmonton, Alberta.

·         Currently ranks 23rd in IZOD IndyCar Series point standings.

·         Was pole sitter for 2011 Indianapolis 500.

·         Has one win, three poles, three top fives and five top-10 finishes in 15 career NCATS starts.

Jacques Villenueve (No. 24 Dodge Dealers of Quebec Dodge)

·         Scored a fourth-place finish in the 2009 JuliaWine.com 100.

·         Won 1997 Formula One championship.

·         Won 1995 IZOD IndyCar Series (CART) championship.

·         Won 1995 Indianapolis 500.

·         Has 11 career F1 wins to his credit.

·         Has made 20 career NASCAR national series – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (4), NASCAR Nationwide Series (9) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (7) – starts.

Peterborough, ON – Brandon Watson (No.9 Shear Metal Products) led from flag-to-flag to earn his fourth victory of the 2013 season at Peterborough Speedway on Saturday night. After taking the lead on the first lap, Watson was never challenged for the top spot, leading by as much as a full straightaway at the Chase for the Colours event.

“We were lucky to get (the car) spot on and our car was really good,” said Watson. “We were able to lead all the laps and never looked back.”

With the win, Watson will start on the pole for the 21^st edition of the Autumn Colours Classic on Thanksgiving weekend.

“The track was a bit tight in turn one and two. I didn’t want to force (the car) down,” said Watson of his decision to run half a lane off the bottom of the speedway. “We were just trying to keep consistent, keep the tires on it and we were able to come out with the win.”

Watson started inside row three for the 50 lap main event, but was the benefactor of a lap one incident between polesitter Kevin Cornelius (No.17 Halton Crushed Stone) and Derrick Tiemersma (No.7 Wayfreight).

The top two drivers made contact on the initial start to the race heading in to turn one, but couldn’t separate after their fenders became locked. Cornelius got the worst of the contact, suffering a flat right rear tire and forcing him to relinquish his starting spot at the front of the field.

“We got in to each other a little bit and it was just a racing deal,” said Tiemersma. “Then it seemed like our fenders or our quarter-panels got locked and I couldn’t get off of him. It’s unfortunate for him to have to start at the back. Getting the pole position didn’t help me any, Brandon was on rails.”

“It was definitely a nervous moment. They were banging going in to the corner and I just tried to leave a car length,” said Watson of the incident that developed in front of him. “I was able to go by at the bottom. It’s unfortunate it had to happen, but it worked out for us in the end.”

A complete restart was in order for the 15-car field which put Tiemersma on point with Watson to his outside. Watson wasted little time taking the lead, passing Tiemersma at the entrance of turn one.

The Stayner, Ont.-based driver set a blistering pace for the next 36 laps. At the half way mark, Watson put John Owen (No.2 Owen Performance Engines) one lap off the pace, leaving just four cars on the lead lap.

The second and final caution of the night came on lap 36 when Jim Bowman (No.63 Remax/TMG Mortgages) spun in to the infield grass off of turn four. Owen received the lucky  dog award and become the fifth and final car on the lead lap.

The ensuing restart gave Tiemersma his best chance at the lead, but Watson gave the second-place driver nothing to work with. Watson paced the field for the final 14 laps, cruising to the checkered flag by nearly half a lap margin of victory.

The battle for the second spot heated up considerably as Tiemersma and Gresel battled nose to tail for several laps. In the dying laps, Gresel was finally able to get underneath the No.7 in turn three to earn the second spot on the podium.

“We were just trying to stay out of the trouble,” said Gresel. “It’s good to get on the podium tonight.”

Tiemersma would finish third while Glenn Watson (No.22 Line-X/Rival Office Solutions) would cross the line fourth. Owen would round out the top-five drivers.

Gresel will start next to Watson on the front row for Autumn Colours on Thanksgiving weekend.

Cornelius, Gresel, Glenn Watson, and J.R. Fitzpatrick were the heat race winners.

“We made some changes from the heats in to the feature,” said Brandon. “We struggled a bit in the heat races and were able to come out with a second and third.”

The series shift to Kawartha Speedway next Sunday August 11 for the tour’s only stop at the Fraserville, Ont. facility. A 4:00pm start time is on tap for the OSCAAR Super Late Models who will be joined by the OSCAAR Modifieds and Brighton Speedway’s Vanderlaan dirt Pro Late Models for an exhibition race.

By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia)

—

OFFICIAL Results: Peterborough Speedway – August 3, 2013

1. 9 Brandon Watson; 2. 81 Andrew Gresel; 3. 7 Derrick Tiemersma; 4. 22 Glenn Watson; 5. 2 John Owen; 6. 07 Todd Campbell; 7. 7M Brent McLean; 8. 17 Kevin Cornelius; 9. 39 Shane Gowan; 10. 42 Tyler Hawn; 11. 62 Jim Bowman; 12. 3 Rob Gibson; 13. 13 J.R. Fitzpatrick (DNF); 14. 57 Craig Stevenson (DNF); 15. 14 Kyle Passer (DNS).

Heat Race Winners: 17 Kevin Cornelius, 81 Andrew Gresel, 22 Glenn Watson, 13 J.R. Fitzpatrick.

The OSCAAR Super Late Model 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.

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Peterborough, ON – Gary McLean (No.8 McLean Industrial Design) started on the pole for the second consecutive weekend and led all 30 laps at Peterborough Speedway on Saturday night for his third win this year.

“It feels good that the car was that good,” said McLean following the victory. “The guys did a little bit of work on it. It didn’t push too bad in the heats, but man did it come alive in the feature.”

McLean jumped out to an early lead while Brent McLean (No.7 Bowmanville Home Building Centre) settled in to the second spot after starting outside the front row. The win hands Gary the pole position for the Autumn Colours Classic on Thanksgiving weekend for the second consecutive year.

His win at Peterborough on Saturday night was his third in four starts with the OSCAAR tour.

The race was slowed three times for caution periods, including one red flag. The first caution of the night came on lap six when Dave Osborne (No.11 O’Neil Farm Supply/Ohsweken Speedway) spun in turn four and Branden Bullen (No.67jr Alliston Transmission) got turned around as he avoided the incident.

The second caution came following a 13-lap green fag run, when Osborne made contact with Dean Scott (No.19 Little Tracks Petting Zoo) at the exit of turn four, sending Scott spinning on to the infield grass.

Scott and Osborne would come together to on the front stretch under caution to exchange words, and emotions got the better of the two drivers as they both made contact with the outside wall. The contact ended the night for both drivers.

The ensuing restart would see the worst incident of the night. Brent McLean made contact with Brad Pearsall (No. 1B Plaza Kia) at the exit of turn four which pushed Pearsall on to the bottom lane with two tires in the grass.

Pearsall got sideways after touching the grass and came back across the track towards the outside wall just as the field was accelerating towards the start line. Pearsall had restarted third. Josh Gruntz (No.31 Dent Dynamics/Rockstar Energy Drink) had nowhere to go when Pearsall came across the track and hit the passenger side door of the No.1B with full force just below the starter stand.

John Harper (No.79 Transaxle Parts/Grisdale Racing Products) hit the back of Gruntz, but largely avoided damage. Pearsall and Gruntz got the worst of the incident, causing the red flag to fly.

“The only thing I saw out of the little side mirror was Pearsall getting down in to the grass and coming back up across,” said Gary. “I had to focus on where I was, but it looked like a mess. It’s a terrible thing to see because we had some good guys, some good cars and they’re all tore to heck.”

Gruntz took some time to get out of the car after being shaken up, but after the race said he suffered only bruising to his right hand and elbow. The car, however, was not so lucky. Gruntz estimated after the race the car was a near right off and would require a new front and rear clip.

Once the mess had been cleaned up, with Gruntz’s car being cradled off the track, Gary McLean was 11 laps shy of his third win of the season.

Shane Stickel (No.39 MSD Machine Tool) lined up outside Gary for the final restart of the night, but couldn’t challenge the eventual race winner. Stickel, however, maintained his runner-up spot to earn his first career OSCAAR Modified podium finish. Stickel’s strong run will put him outside the front row for the Autumn Colours Classic, alongside Gary. Brent McLean was third across the stripe.

With the win, Gary McLean has now led 60 consecutive feature laps on tour to earn two consecutive victories.

“I like this track, it’s a fun place to run these cars,” said Gary of the tight 1/3-mile oval. “It’s lost some grip in the second lane, so you can’t get out and run two-wide as good as we used to. But it’s still a lot of fun to go that fast.”

The series shift to Kawartha Speedway next Sunday August 11 for the tour’s only stop at the Fraserville, Ont. facility. A 4:00pm start time is on tap for the OSCAAR Modifieds 25 lap A-Main, and will be joined by the OSCAAR Super Late Models and Brighton Speedway’s Vanderlaan dirt Pro Late Models for an exhibition race.

By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia)

—

UNOFFICIAL Results: Peterborough Speedway – August 3, 2013

1. 8 Gary McLean; 2. 39 Shane Stickel; 3. 7 Brent McLean; 4. 79 John Harper; 5. 67jr Branden Bullen; 6. 62 Darryn Wright; 7. 91 Mike Westwood; 8. 1B Brad Pearsall (DNF); 9. 31 Josh Gruntz (DNF); 10. 11 Dave Osborne (DNF); 11. 19 Dean Scott (DNF); 12. 14 Davey Terry (DNF); 13. 47 Brian McLean (DNF).

*Results are UNOFFICIAL, pending an official review of the finish.

The OSCAAR Modified 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.

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