Category: Other Series PR

Open-wheel modifieds make their first ever trip to Flamboro Speedway Saturday night under OSCAAR sanctioning for round seven of the 2013 tour. The OSCAAR Modified tour in its sophomore year will make two stops at Flamboro this season, with the other coming on October 5 as part of the speedway’s Oktoberfest season finale.

The drivers are coming off a hot weekend at Sauble Speedway where first time series winner David McCullough (No.39m) took the checkers at the beach. At the time of publication, McCullough was unsure if he would enter Saturday’s event.

Last week’s runner-up and series defending champion Gary McLean (No.8) battled long and hard with McCullough before being forced to settle for second. After eight wins last season, Gary has just one so far this season and as a result is eager to get number two this weekend. McLean currently sits second in the championship standings and could vault himself back on top with a win.

Series points leader Brent McLean (No.7) had another consistent run last weekend to finish third at Sauble. The youngster from Conn, Ont. pulled double-duty last weekend as he also competed in his No.7M Super Late Model as well. Brent will look to get another Modified win tonight to keep him on top of the championship bubble.

Last season’s Rookie-of-the-year Davey Terry (No.14) had an impressive fourth-place result at Sauble last weekend after a tough hit at Sunset to end June. Terry’s run to the top-five was accomplished using some parts which were not in perfect form after the crash. After a week to fix the remaining remnants of the crash, look for Terry at the front of the field this weekend.

Rookie contender Shane Stickel (No.39) suffered a DNF last weekend with an overheating problem, but was running on the cusp of a top-five at the time. Stickel has considerable experience at Flamboro with the Vintage Modified tour in years past, which he hopes to use for his first OSCAAR podium finish this weekend.

Branden Bullen (No.67jr), also a rookie contender this season, had a solid top-ten finish last week to follow-up a top-five finish at Sunset. The high-school pilot from Bradford, Ont. continues to learn the ropes and should be solid again this weekend after quickly learning the track at Sauble.

Former OSCAAR race winner Brian McLean (No.47) has had a tough start to his year and has yet to finish a race due to engine problems. The former Rick Woolner Memorial winner was quick enough at Sauble to earn a heat win before battling problems in the feature. Brian hopes to turn his luck around this weekend at Flamboro.

After a scorching hot weekend at the beach, Flamboro proves an excellent opportunity for some drivers to turn their luck around. Having not raced at the speedway yet, few drivers have turned laps at Flamboro with an OSCAAR tour modified. The resulting parody amongst the field should make for an eventful night.

Spectator gates open at 5:00pm before a 6:00pm start. Pit gates open at 3:00pm for competitors.

—

Tickets: Adult Admission: $21.25 +HST, Student Senior: $17.50 + HST, Children (12 & Under): $4.40 + HST. Family ticket (2 Adults, Up to 4 Children): $45.00 +HST. Pit Gate Admission: $35.

Directions: For directions to Flamboro Speedway, please visit: http://flamborospeedway.net/?page_id=60.

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.

By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia)

Photo Credit: Dan Little Jr.

-30-

Saturday marks the first trip in four seasons to Flamboro Speedway for the OSCAAR Super Late Models and the series’ return to one of Ontario’s most storied ovals for round six of the 2013 tour is full of anticipation. OSCAAR drivers made it clear over the off season they wanted to return to Flamboro and continue to diversify the tour schedule.

Ontario’s fastest asphalt series last competed at Flamboro’s 2010 Oktoberest, when Jeff Hanley took the checkered flag to the bank as part of a dominating season for the Georgetown, Ont. driver. Saturday, the series looks for its fourth different winner in six races.

A lot has changed in OSCAAR since 2010 with an entirely new set of stars doing battle with long-time series mainstays each week throughout the 2013 campaign.

Rookie driver Andrew Gresel  (No.81) earned his first career OSCAAR victory last Saturday night at his home track, Sauble Speedway. Gresel led all 50 laps en route to the win. The Hepworth, Ont. driver goes from a track he knows well, to a track he has rarely raced on. Gresel is hoping to draw on his Sauble notes for Saturday’s race and should be competitive once again.

Fellow rookie Kevin Cornelius (No.17) has three consecutive podium finishes, and has yet to finish outside the top-ten in his McColl Racing Ent. chassis to start the season. Cornelius finished third one week ago and has been on the cusp of his first victory for several weeks, which has kept him at the top of the rookie standings. He’ll hope to surmount the obstacle this weekend, but is in tough with little experience at Flamboro.

Veteran Derrick Tiemersma (No.7) was among the drivers to last compete at Flamboro in 2010. Tiemersma has been nothing but consistent this year with five consecutive top-five finishes. After finishing second twice this season, Tiemersma is eager to get to Knightworks victory lane and should be in contention again tonight.

Series points leader Brandon Watson’s (No.9) worst finish this season came last week at Sauble – a fourth place result. If that’s a sign of things to come for the defending champion from Stayner, Ont. then the 20-year-old is in for a fantastic season. Brandon may lack the experience of some older drivers on tour, but his versatility should give him enough tools to be at the front come race time on Saturday.

Todd Campbell (No.07) had a strong run at Sauble last weekend with a brand new Chevy built engine under the hood. Campbell returns to one of his former home tracks this weekend and will have more experience to draw on then nearly any driver in the field. Look for him to get in to the top-five for the first time this season.

Like Campbell, Jim Bowman (No.63) is also a former Flamboro Late Model regular who returns home as well. Bowman missed last week’s event at Sauble and is in need of a strong run after a rough Biederman Memorial weekend last month. The Fergus, Ont. driver has been waiting for the return to his home track since his 2012 rookie season, and familiarity with the track should provide an excellent opportunity for the sophomore pilot.

Waterford, Ont.’s Shane Gowan (No.39) ran at Flamboro last season as well in the track’s Late Model division. Gowan has been off to a rough start this year, including a DNF last week, so the opportunity to change his luck at home comes at just the right time. Gowan looks for his first top-ten of the year this weekend.

The final race of the first half will provide a benchmark for a number of drivers as they continue through a stretch of six races in seven weeks. Preparation after a relatively clean race at Sauble for the field has largely been centred on setting the car up for Flamboro. The length of time between races levels the playing field.

Spectator gates open at 5:00pm before a 6:00pm green flag. Pit gates open at 3:00pm for competitors.

—

Tickets: Adult Admission: $21.25 +HST, Student Senior: $17.50 + HST, Children (12 & Under): $4.40 + HST. Family ticket (2 Adults, Up to 4 Children): $45.00 +HST. Pit Gate Admission: $35.

Directions: For directions to Flamboro Speedway, please visit: http://flamborospeedway.net/?page_id=60.

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.

By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia)

Photo Credit: Dan Little Jr.

-30-

Concord, NC (July 17, 2013) – Justin Boston’s last race on a speedway appeared to be his best chance yet at a first ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards victory.

Not only did Boston (No. 25 ZLOOP™ Computer & Electronic Recycling Centers Toyota) lead 15 laps at Michigan International Speedway in June, but he led those laps late, taking the point for a second time on Lap 80 of 100. Racing closely with teammate and friend Brennan Poole nine laps later, Boston spun out of contention.

He recovered to finish fourth that day, tying a career high. Boston visited Victory Lane to congratulate Poole, who’s become a mentor to the rookie, but knew he had let a fantastic chance slip away. But therein lies one of the silver linings in sport: Another chance is usually right around the corner.

Boston’s next speedway chance will come this Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway, as he and Venturini Motorsports travel to the team’s home track for the Ansell ActivArmr 150. Before two weekends off to start July, Boston finished eighth at Road America and 18th after electrical problems at Winchester Speedway, so a chance to return to speedway success is welcome.

“Everyone in the shop is telling me we’re going for a win, and that’s what I do every race, but this is more important, especially for the Venturini organization, because this is where their hometown is and it’s in front of their home crowd,” said Boston, who is fourth in the ARCA point standings and only 120 points from third.

“It’s a really important race for them. Every race is important to me, but this would be really special if we got into Victory Lane.”

After eight races between the final week of April and the final week of June, a short break of two weekends off was instrumental for Boston and his No. 25 crew before another stretch of races on 10 consecutive weeks, which will comprise nearly the entire second half of the ARCA schedule.

“I think it’s really good for me to have had a couple weeks off to reflect on how we’re doing this year, but it’s really good for all of us as a team,” said Boston. “We had some electrical problems at Winchester that we had to get figured out – that was a bad day – so it’s good to get a couple weeks and get really ready to go for the rest of the season.”

On the way from North Carolina to Chicagoland Speedway, Boston and Venturini Motorsports will stop at Kentucky Speedway for an open test session Thursday. Not only will the test give Boston valuable seat time on another 1.5-mile track before Sunday’s race, but he’ll have a look at the Kentucky facility before his sponsor, ZLOOP™ Computer & Electronic Recycling Centers, takes the marquee for the September ARCA event there.

Sunday’s race at Chicagoland and the September Kentucky race are just two events Boston is highly anticipating in the coming months. He cited Iowa Speedway and the two Illinois dirt tracks as venues he’s looking forward to seeing in the season’s second half.

“The dirt tracks, I’ve never even raced on dirt except for on two wheels, so that’ll be new for me,” he said. “Just to go to all these tracks for the first time and learn what I can, it’ll be fun.”

Practice will begin at 4:10 p.m. Saturday, with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at noon the next day. The 100-lap, 150-mile race will begin at 5 p.m. and air live on SPEED.ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage of all on-track events. All times are Central.

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

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, July 17, 2013) – The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and IZOD IndyCar Series provide the vehicle for Theo, the main character in the DreamWorks Animation 3D film “Turbo,” to fulfill his dream, and the adventure movie provides a marketing vehicle for the racing properties.

“Turbo,” featuring the voice talents of Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Snoop Dogg, Samuel L. Jackson and Maya Rudolph among others, is the story about a common garden snail in Los Angeles who has big dreams. Through a series of adventures, he winds up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to compete in the biggest auto race in the world.

The “four-quadrant movie,” a movie industry term for films that reach the broadest possible audience, opened in theaters July 17. Film.com projects “Turbo” to rake in $400 million at the box office this summer.

“It’s such tremendous exposure for INDYCAR and IMS,” said Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman & Co., the parent of INDYCAR and the Speedway. “Now that I’ve seen the film, I can say with 100 percent certainty that everyone who sees it will leave knowing about INDYCAR and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With the movie open occurring right in the heart of our season, more people will be tuning in to see the real version of what they see on screen.”

Young theater-goers across the country will receive a page of stickers with the web addresswww.indy500kids.com — a microsite of content appealing to children and designed to create an entertaining, engaging online experience.

“This site will bring more awareness of INDYCAR and IMS among children and help cultivate younger fans,” Miles added. “Many of our drivers and partners are involved in the movie and have separate activations to promote interest.”

Partner integration in the movie includes Chevrolet, Firestone, Verizon, Sunoco, Hewlett-Packard and Target. Those companies, along with AAA, have activated their movie tie-in via retail and online in addition to on the racetrack (Tony Kanaan has driven the Sunoco “Turbo”-sponsored car in three races since winning the Indianapolis 500 in May with a fourth Aug. 4 at Mid-Ohio).

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti was a technical consultant and has a voice cameo in the movie along with Mario Andretti and Will Power.

“People say we need new fans, and in my opinion the new fans are the kids,” said Kanaan, who along with three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves, reigning series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, Ana Beatriz and Power attended the U.S. premiere July 9 in New York. “Kids are going to ask you to go to Indy 500 because of this May’s Indy 500 and the movie that they watch. I think it’s huge for us.”

It’s huge short and long term, according to INDYCAR vice president of marketing Kasey Coler.

“I think we’ll see kids wearing their Turbo shirts as soon as Mid-Ohio (Aug. 3-4) as they engage with the sport through the movie,” Coler said. “Long term, you go to our Forza relationship and video gaming, and our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Technology) program in middle school and as it matures into high school grades.

“It’s not about just kids being engaged with our product once, but how do you have something that takes them each step of the way that INDYCAR is entertaining and educational and thrilling.”

Co-branded merchandise is available through INDYCAR partner Lids on thewww.indycar.com shop, at INDYCAR’s at-track shops and at www.Lids.com. The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race logo depicted in “Turbo” has been adopted for the May 2014race.

Though the premise about a snail that can compete in the 230 mph world of the IZOD IndyCar Series requires willing suspension of disbelief, viewers are caught up in the realism of the racing on the 2.5-mile Speedway.

“This is the ultimate race,” said director David Soren, whose previous DreamWorks Animation film credits as a story artist include “Shrek” and “Over The Hedge.” “I’m thrilled that the movie has come out as well as it has, and I think it really represents the sport well.”

Researching the film, Soren and his crew attended the 2011, 2012 and ’13 Indianapolis 500 “to really mine all the details that this place has to offer.”

“We wanted it to (depict) the real race, and we wanted it to feel like the real race. So we came here and we did our homework,” he said. “When you have a snail that can go 200 mph, I wanted everything else in the movie to be grounded in reality.

“The race itself is the culmination of the movie. The attention to detail had to be there and I wanted the sport to feel authentic. It’s the real race in the movie and we had to represent it that way.”

Completes Sweep Of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Western Swing

 

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan, Canada (July 17, 2013) – The rough start to the 2013 season for Scott Steckly is a mere memory as the two-time champion is squarely back in the hunt for another NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 title.

 

The Milverton, Ont., driver held off a hard-charging Mark Dilley to claim the Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 presented by Bayer CropScience on Wednesday night at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway.

Steckly picked up his first win of the season four nights before at Motoplex Speedway and Event Park in Vernon, B.C., giving him a sweep of this year’s two-race swing through Western Canada as the series hits the midway point of its season. It’s Steckly’s 13th series career win which ranks third all-time behind D.J. Kennington with 18 and Andrew Ranger’s 17.

 

Steckly began the year with a pair of finishes outside the top 20, but since then he has driven his No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge to a pair of wins and two second-place finishes.

 

“We decided we were going to really dig down and just win as many races as we can,” Steckly said. “We definitely could have won those first two races. So, it’s not performance. Our cars are fast every week. That’s just part of it. Hopefully, that was our bad luck for the year.”

 

Steckly, a two-time series champion who won the inaugural series visit to ACMS in 2009, was thrilled to win both western races this year.

 

“It’s amazing to be able to win two races in a row like this out west,” he said. “Not many people get to do that in their career.”

 

Pole sitter J.R. Fitzpatrick set a blistering pace early, but he was not able to hold off Steckly after a spirited battle for the lead that lasted for several laps. Steckly was able to take control after Dilley made contact with Fitzpatrick on Lap 226 that sent Fitzpatrick spinning out of contention for his first oval-track win since July 2007.

 

Dilley challenged for the lead in the closing laps, but could not get by.

 

“We got up beside him there once,” he said. “It’s hard to do. You can get up beside, but you can’t get a run off without wrecking. So, we got second two years in a row here. Maybe next year we can win.”

 

Jason Hathaway bounced back from a spin to finish third.

 

“I knew we had a good car and drove from 14th to the front,” he said.

 

But after contact sent him spinning late in the race, Hathaway had to make another charge forward.

 

“It’s kind of disheartening,” he said. “I wanted to get a win out here. I love coming out west. I love coming to Saskatoon.”

 

Kennington and Trevor Seibert finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Noel Dowler, Fitzpatrick, Ron Beauchamp Jr., Cameron Hayley and James Van Domselaar completed the top 10.

 

Kennington started from the rear of the field at the initial green flag due to an unapproved adjustment after NASCAR impounded the cars when his team scrambled to quickly swap engines following qualifying.

 

Kennington moved to the lead in the championship standings with 229 points, while Steckly climbed to second with 224 points. L.P. Dumoulin, who ran up front for much of the race but ended up 12th after an incident, slipped to third in the standings – also with 224 points. Hathaway is fourth with 223, with Fitzpatrick fifth at 208. Rounding out the top 10 are Martin Roy at 195, Dowler at 190, Beauchamp at 188, Ryley Seibert at 186 and Jason White at 182.

 

The TSN premier telecast of the Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 presented by Bayer CropScience will be on Sunday, July 28 at 11 a.m. ET while the French-language telecast on RDS2 will debut at 11 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16.

 

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 is back in action next on July 27 at Autodrome St. Eustache (Que.) for the National 250. It is the series’ first visit to the track since July 2010.

 

 

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES presented by MOBIL 1

Velocity Paririe Thunder 250

Unofficial Results

Wednesday

At Auto Clearing Motor Speedway

Saskatoon, Sk.

Lap length: 0.333 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (7) Scott Steckly, Milverton, Ont., Dodge, 250 laps, 49.123 mph.

2. (10) Mark Dilley, Barrie, Ont., Ford, 250.

3. (14) Jason Hathaway, Dutton, Ont., Dodge, 250.

4. (12) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 250.

5. (13) Trevor Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 250.

6. (15) Noel Dowler, Sherwood Park, Alta., Dodge, 250.

7. (1) J.R. Fitzpatrick, Ayr, Ont., Chevrolet, 250.

8. (6) Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor, Ont., Dodge, 250.

9. (5) Cameron Hayley, Calgary, Alta., Dodge, 250.

10. (11) James Van Domselaar, Fort Saskatchewan, Ab, Chevrolet, 250.

11. (8) Alex Guenette, Terrebonne, Que, Dodge, 250.

12. (3) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivieres, Que, Dodge, 250.

13. (18) James White, Kamloops. BC, Dodge, 250.

14. (2) Kelly Admiraal, Edmonton, Ab., Chevrolet, 249.

15. (17) Jason White, Sun Peaks, B.C., Dodge, 246.

16. (9) Larry Jackson, Oakville, Ont., Dodge, 242.

17. (19) Nick Jewell, Fort Frances, Man, Dodge, 241.

18. (16) Ryley Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 187, electrical.

19. (20) Ray Courtemanche Jr., Montreal, Que, Dodge, 172, accident.

20. (4) Martin Roy, Napierville, Que, Dodge, 150, engine.

21. (21) Kerry Micks, Mt. Albert, Ont., Ford, 2, ignition.

Race Statistics

Time of Race: 1 hour 41 minutes 41 seconds

Margin of Victory: .220 seconds

Fastest Qualifier: J.Fitzpatrick (80.918 mph, 14.815 seconds)

Caution Flags: 8 for 52 laps.

Lead Changes: 11 among 6 drivers.

Lap Leaders: J. Fitzpatrick 1-79; L. Dumoulin 80-83; C. Hayley 84-85; L. Dumoulin 86-91;J. Hathaway 92-131; J. Fitzpatrick 132; J. Hathaway 133-139; M. Dilley 140-144; J.Fitzpatrick 145-205; S. Steckly 206-208; J. Fitzpatrick 209-211; S. Steckly 212-250.

Standings: 1. D. Kennington, 229; 2. S. Steckly, 224; 3. L. Dumoulin, 224; 4. J. Hathaway, 223; 5. J. Fitzpatrick, 208; 6. M. Roy, 195; 7. N. Dowler, 190; 8. R. Beauchamp,Jr., 188; 9. R. Seibert, 186; 10. J. White, 182.

Concord, NC (July 18, 2013) – Last season, Venturini Motorsports celebrated its 30th season in ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards competition with a dominant win at Chicagoland Speedway.

Yet again, 30 is the goal. On Sunday, the team will have a strong chance at defending Victory Lane and earning its 30th ARCA win in a return to the place the Venturini family calls home.

Today, two-time ARCA driver champion Bill Venturini and owner champion Cathy Venturini, and son and team general manager Billy Venturini, are the key players in the team’s operation from North Carolina. But the family racing lineage began over 60 years ago in Chicago, when Bill’s father, Tony, raced at Soldier Field.

Bill and Cathy formed the team now known as Venturini Motorsports and entered ARCA competition in the early 1980s, and it was only 20 years ago that the family moved to Charlotte to stay ahead in racing. Still, by years, the majority of the Venturini family’s racing history has taken place in and around Chicago, making Sunday’s race as important as any.

“Chicago and Daytona always seem to be the two that we put checkmarks on at the beginning of the year that are important to win,” Billy Venturini said. “We have been lucky enough to win Chicago a couple of times. Hopefully, with our performance in the last intermediate race at Michigan we can roll that recent success to a win at Chicago. This race personally means a lot to our family and friends.”

Kevin Swindell led every lap at the 1.5-mile Joliet, Ill. track last season, establishing a new race speed record of 141.103 mph. In Sunday’s Ansell ActivArmr 150, four drivers will have a chance to join Scott Lagasse (2008) and Swindell as Venturini winners at Chicagoland by scoring a milestone win.

Justin Boston, who is fourth in ARCA points, will be at the wheel of the Venturinis’ flagship No. 25 car in Sunday’s race, hoping to improve upon an impressive speedway performance at Michigan International Speedway last month. Boston (No. 25 ZLOOP™ Computer & Electronic Recycling Centers Toyota) led 15 laps before finishing fourth, which tied his career high.

Milka Duno (No. 35 CanTV/Milka Way Toyota), the team’s other full-time driver, stands seventh in points, only 110 points from fifth. Duno finished 18th at Chicagoland last year, and will look to improve on an already consistent run which has seen her place between 10th and 13th in each of the last six races this year.

Caleb Armstrong (No. 15 Venturini Motorsports Toyota) last raced in ARCA at Talladega back in May, finishing a career-high third. Racing just a three-hour drive from his hometown of New Castle, Ind., Armstrong undoubtedly has his eyes on earning his first ARCA win in front of a Midwestern crowd.

The local connection is even stronger for A.J. Henriksen (No. 55 Venturini Motorsports Toyota), who calls Elgin, Ill. – under 60 miles from the track – his hometown. Henriksen’s 90th ARCA start will be his eighth at Chicagoland but first since 2008; his seventh-place result in 2001 remains his best.

If looking for a reason that Venturini Motorsports can earn its 30th win in Sunday’s hometown race, it’s not only that the team sports two drivers with strong speedway finishes this year and two others with Chicagoland experience. Set aside the strong local support the team sees year after year in Joliet, too; numbers and facts tell the story, too.

In the last three ARCA events at Chicagoland, Venturini has led in each, something no other team can claim. Of 300 laps contested, Venturini has led 141, a total three times greater than all but one other team, powered by drivers Swindell, Steve Arpin, Kyle Fowler, and Josh Richards.

So as the green flag drops on Sunday’s Ansell ActivArmr 150 to mark the halfway point of ARCA’s 2013 season, Venturini Motorsports has plenty going for it: hometown support, familiar surroundings, and a strong history of recent speed and success.

Practice will begin at 4:10 p.m. Saturday, with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at noon the next day. The 100-lap, 150-mile race will begin at 5 p.m. and air live on SPEED. ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage of all on-track events. All times are Central.

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

Sauble Beach, ON – Andrew Gresel (No.81 CUSW/Sauble Falls/McRobert Fuels) made the most of his first start at his home track Sauble Speedway in an OSCAAR Super Late Model, leading all 50 laps of the A-Main feature event to earn his first career win with the tour.

Gresel was the second-fastest qualifier on the night, and spotter Joe Chisholm Jr. pulled the pole for the Hepworth, Ont. driver during the redraw process. Starting inside the front row, Gresel was never challenged as the OSCAAR rookie used his experience at Sauble to cruise to his first career tour victory.

“I don’t think there is any place we want to win more than here,” said Gresel. “I live two minutes down the road (from Sauble Speedway) and I grew up racing here. This is awesome.”

Gresel pulled away from second-place runner Derrick Tiemersma (No.7 Wayfreight/Spira Fire Protection) in the opening laps until a caution on lap 20.

The first and only caution of the night came when Tyler Hawn (No.42 Belford Haulage/Fox’s Bakery) had motor problems resulting in a spin in the apex of turns one and two. The resulting oil on the speedway forced tracks officials to lay down significant oil-dry in the corner, but did not affect the outcome.

The caution period benefitted several drivers who’s brakes had begun to glow orange on a hot night and had several minutes to allow them to cool.

The restart gave Tiemersma and third-place runner Kevin Cornelius (No.17 Halton Crushed Stone/Triplecrete) the best chance they would get to challenge Gresel, but nothing would materialize of the opportunity.

Gresel proved to be too strong, eventually pulling to a lead of 10 car lengths over Tiemersma in the closing laps en route to his first trip to Knightworks Design victory lane.

“Ever since the first day we tested, this car has been good at Sauble,” said Gresel. “I have to thank my entire crew and Brian MacDonald, who built this car. I wish the car was like this every week.”

Tiemersma, who finished second, earned his third podium finish of the year and fifth consecutive top-five to start the season.

“We don’t run for points, we come here to win and let the points fall where they may,” said Tiemersma. “But congrats to Gresel, he had the better car tonight.”

Cornelius would finish third and series points leader Brandon Watson (No.9 Shear Metal Products) finished fourth. Glenn Watson (No.22 Line-X/Rival Office Solutions) was fifth.

A scary incident occurred on the final lap of the third Klotz qualifying heat race when Brandon Vanderwel (No.97 Shoreline Stone) ended up riding the outside front-stretch retaining wall on two wheels after contact in turn four before coming to a stop in the infield grass in turn one. Vanderwel took a part of the catch fence with him, causing a minor delay as track crews assessed the damage before determining the program could go on.

Vanderwel walked from the car under his own power, but the race car itself was inoperable. The second year driver said the early analysis suggested the car’s frame had been bent in both the front and back.

The OSCAAR Super Late Model is back in action next Saturday night at Flamboro Speedway. The trip to the Hamilton-area facility will be the first trip to Flamboro for OSCAAR since October 2009.

Gresel felt he may be able to take some of his notes from Sauble to Flamboro since the two tracks are similar in shape and size.

“It’s a tricky racetrack and I haven’t raced there in a while,” said Gresel. “I know it’s going to be tough setting up one of these cars there.”

For details on the event, stay tuned to www.oscaar.ca throughout the week.

—

Results: Sauble Speedway 50-Lap A-Main – July 13, 2013 (Starting Position in Parentheses)

1. 81 Andrew Gresel (1); 2. 7 Derrick Tiemersma (2); 3. 17 Kevin Cornelius (3); 4. 9 Brandon Watson (7); 5. 22 Glenn Watson (6); 6. 62 Lloyd Ritchie (4); 7. 07 Todd Campbell (8); 8. 8 Sean Cronan (10); 9. 71 Doug Wilson (13) (DNF); 10. 7m Brent McLean (9) (DNF); 11. 42 Tyler Hawn (5) (DNF); 12. 39 Shane Gowan (12) (DNF); 13. 97 Brandon Vanderwel (DNS).

Heat Winners: 17 Kevin Cornelius, 81 Andrew Gresel, 62 Lloyd Ritchie (2).

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. 

-30-

Sauble Beach, ON – David McCullough (No. 39M Oke’s Auto/Hosie D’s Donuts) used his pole starting position to earn his first career OSCAAR Modified tour win at Sauble Speedway Saturday night.

After a pair of strong heat races, McCullough grabbed the top starting spot for the 30-lap feature event with defending champion Gary McLean (No. 8 McLean Industrial Design) starting to his outside.

McLean led off the initial start, but on lap five touched the outside wall on the exit of turn two which he said knocked the tow out of alignment in the car’s front end.

A caution flew on lap six after Bobby Tolton (No.13 Amsoil/Knightworks Design) and Michael Ford (No.04 Caldecott Millwright) stopped on the backstretch. Ford, who was making his first career OSCAAR start, appeared as though he got loose in turn two to end up in the infield grass, but would continue. Tolton wasn’t as lucky as he lost power to the car’s ignition system, ending his night.

McCullough would get an early jump on the ensuing restart over McLean to retake the lead he held for half a lap to start the race. Before OSCAAR officials could diagnose it as a false start, the caution came out for Mike Westwood (No.91 Stryker Chassis/Stryke Force Clothing) who spun in turn three.

The lead was returned to McLean for the restart, however the veteran driver decided to choose the outside line in hopes of pinching McCullough to the bottom of the speedway.

The two drivers made contact on the exit of turn two, which allowed McCullough to take the lead as McLean backed out of the throttle to avoid hitting the outside wall.

“I’m sorry about the contact with Gary,” said McCullough. “It wasn’t intentional. The car had a push in the middle and it slid up. I respect him too much to do it intentionally.”

From that point, McCullough led the remaining 23 consecutive green flag laps to earn the first OSCAAR sanctioned victory of his career on his father’s birthday.

“This is a pretty good birthday present for dad,” said McCullough. “We changed a lot from the afternoon to the feature. We had a push all day, but it came around in the feature.”

McCullough was challenged by McLean in the closing laps as Gary drew to the back bumper of the No.39M a couple of times, but was not able to get by.

Brent McLean (No.7 Bowmanville Home Building Centre) ran third from start to finish, but didn’t have anything for the top pair which paced the field from start to finish.

Matt Barton (No.2 MDB Racecars) was consistent throughout the entire night to finish fourth and Dave Osborne (No. 11 O’Neil Farm Supply/Ohsweken Speedway) earned his first career top-five finish with a fifth-place result. Osborne was also the top rookie on the night.

The OSCAAR Modifieds will return to action next Saturday at Flamboro Speedway, their first ever stop at Hamilton-area facility since the tour’s inception in 2012. For information on the event, stay tuned to www.oscaar.ca throughout the week.

By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia)

—

Results: Sauble Speedway 30-Lap Feature – July 13, 2013 (Starting Position in Parentheses)

1. 39m David McCullough (1); 2. 8 Gary McLean (2); 3. 7 Brent McLean (3); 4. 14 Davey Terry (6); 5. 11 Dave Osborne (5); 6. 2 Matt Barton (4); 7. 91 Mike Westwood (8); 8. 67jr Branden Bullen (9); 9. 39 Shane Stickel (10) (DNF); 10. 62 Darryn Wright (11); 11. 04 Michael Ford (12) (DNF); 12. 13 Bobby Tolton (13) (DNF); 13. 47 Brian McLean (7) (DNF).

Heat Race Winners: 2 Matt Barton, 8 Gary McLean, 7 Brent McLean, 14 Davey Terry.

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.

 

-30-

Sauble Beach, ON – After a promising fifth place finish in just his second start with the OSCAAR Modified tour two weeks ago, Shane Stickel was hoping for the same success Saturday night at Sauble Speedway. Unfortunately for the Kitchener, Ont. driver an overheated engine would spoil a good effort by the MSD Machine Tool team.

On a hot afternoon, Stickel’s first qualifying heat was derailed after just a pair of laps with a flat tire hurting his chances to qualify near the front of the field for the 30-lap feature.

Despite the setback, Stickel ran strong in his second Klotz Qualifying heat, to finish fourth in a stacked heat featuring Davey Terry, Matt Barton, Brian McLean and fellow rookie Dave Osborne.

Stickel’s qualifying effort would see him start the A-Main 10^th in the 13-car field. Stickel quickly made his way through the field and sat sixth behind Barton for a lap seven restart.

The rookie spent the next 12 laps battling with Barton and Terry for the final spot inside the top-five.

The extended green flag run, however, allowed for a recurring problem to show its ugly head once again. On lap 19, Stickel pulled his No.39 to the infield as steam began to pour from the car’s front end.

“The engine was clearly building heat the whole race and I felt the power drop in it,” said a disappointed Stickel. “I was keeping an eye on the gauge and trying to push it as long as I could, but with a new engine I didn’t want to cook it.”

Stickel would finish ninth despite the trouble as a number of other drivers also had problems.

“It was a tough decision to make,” explained Stickel of his decision to end the night 11 laps shy of the goal. “I was up there running with a couple of good guys, Davey Terry and Matt Barton, they’re the cream of the crop. To be up there battling with them in my third race, I was pretty happy with that.”

Stickel explained the power plant on the MSD Machine Tool/MAC Contracting modified has had a history of running hotter than normal since the team first tested at Flamboro Speedway in June. After three races, Stickel feels the team has a good idea on how to approach the problem.

“We’re thinking we need to play with some overflow tanks and extra reservoir systems to get more water in the engine,” said Stickel.

Despite his first DNF with OSCAAR, Stickel believes there were positives to take away from the weekend. The team battled a heavy push through the the corner early in the day, but were able to eliminate it for the feature. Despite some handling problems, Stickel was able to run with some of the series’ best.

“We’ve got setup notes for next time,” said Stickel. “It’s a completely different feel (than the Vintage Modified), so it’s good to put a list together and know what to expect next time.”

Stickel thanked his sponsors MSD Machine Tool, Shelane Properties, Huron Fasteners, Creative Edge Signs and Graphics, Metal Supermarkets, Paragon Collision Centre, MAC Contracting, Bizign Design Company, and SpeedwayPhoto.ca for their continued support.

“A big thanks to my crew as well, my crew chief Mitch, my cousin Jason, my Dad and Al Heringa,” said Stickel. “They just go to town on this racecar and I almost don’t have to lift a finger. It’s pretty cool.”

The series shifts to Flamboro next Saturday where Stickel will make the fourth start of his rookie campaign. Stickel has already tested at the Hamilton-area oval this season and has considerable experience there over the course of his career.

“I probably have an advantage as far as knowing what to expect because it’s kind of a home track. It’s close to home so I’ve been there a million times on Tuesdays practicing,” he said. “I’ll feel a little more at home and comfortable there, (but) we’ve only been there once and the car was brand new.”

Racing gets underway at 6:00pm Saturday, July 20 at Flamboro. Spectator gates open at 5:00pm. Follow Shane Stickel’s rookie campaign with OSCAAR all season long online at www.shanestickel.com and on Twitter via @ShaneStickel.

 

By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia)

-30-

Returning to Sauble Speedway where he got his career started, Kevin Cornelius would continue his streak of solid finishes going, finishing third on Saturday night.

 

“We’ve got a tough field here with guys like Brandon Watson, Tiemerma and Gresel so finishing in the top five, we’re very happy,” Cornelius said afterwards.

 

In the first heat, he would pick up the victory while finishing fourth in the second heat.

 

When it came time for the feature, Cornelius would start in the third position. He would battle with Derrike Tiemersma for a couple of laps for second, however would remain in the third position. He would continue to run there solidly all the way till the feature’s only caution at lap 20 for Tyler Hawn going around.

 

On the restart, Cornelius would hold off Glenn Watson to keep the third position and hold it the rest of the feature to pick up his third straight podium finish after a pair of seconds at Sunset Speedway.

 

With his fourth top five of the year at Sauble, he has only finishing outside of the top five once this year so far (seventh at Sunset in May).

 

Photos are available on the KDR Motorsports website at . Keep up with KDR Motorsports by liking the facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/kdrmotorsports17 – and following KDR Motorsports on twitter – @KDR_Motorsports.

 

Thanks to Halton Crushed Stone, Lee Sand and Gravel, Hanson Concrete, Sandbox Tech Child Care, Alliston Transmission, Ed’s Automotive, Triple Concrete and MacMaster Buick GMC for their support.

 

Also, thanks to Mike McColl, Jeremy Noon and Burt McColl from McColl Racing Enterprises for all of their help this weekend and support.

 

Lastly, thanks to the fans that came out to the track. We appreciate your support. We look forward to seeing you at Flamboro Speedway this coming weekend.