Category: Other Series PR

Race Notes:

• The Pocono INDYCAR 400 Fueled by Sunoco will be the first IZOD IndyCar Series event at Pocono Raceway and the first Indy car race at the track since 1989. No driver entered has raced an Indy car at the track, but Dario Franchitti raced a NASCAR Sprint Cup car at the track in 2008.
• Past winners at the track are: Mark Donohue (1971), Joe Leonard (1972), A.J. Foyt (1973, 1975, 1979 and 1981), Johnny Rutherford (1974), Al Unser (1976 and 1978), Tom Sneva (1977), Bobby Unser (1980), Rick Mears (1982, 1985, 1987), Teo Fabi (1983), Danny Sullivan (1984 and 1989), Mario Andretti (1986) and Bobby Rahal (1988).
• The Pocono race winner won the Indy car championship in the same year he won at the track five times. Joe Leonard (1972) A.J. Foyt (1975 and 1979) and Tom Sneva (1977) won USAC titles. Rick Mears (1982) won the CART title.
• Team Penske has won seven times at Pocono (Mark Donohue-1971; Tom Sneva-1977; Bobby Unser-1980; Rick Mears-1982, 85, 87 and Danny Sullivan-1989.) It has won six poles  Donohue (1971), Bobby Unser (1980), Rick Mears (1982, 1984, 1985 and 1988).
• A.J. Foyt Racing competed in every event at Pocono from 1971-1989. Team owner A.J. Foyt won at the track four times (1973, 1975, 1979 and 1981) and earned two poles (1977 and 1979).

Season to Date:

• James Hinchcliffe won the Iowa Corn Indy 250. It was his third win of 2013 and the fourth straight win at Iowa for Andretti Autosport.
• Ryan Hunter-Reay won Milwaukee IndyFest for the second consecutive year. It was Hunter-Reay’s second win of 2013 and the fourth for Andretti Autosport in 2013.
• Marco Andretti won his first pole position of 2013 at Milwaukee. It was his third career pole and second at Milwaukee.
• Helio Castroneves won his 28th Indy car race in the Firestone 550 at Texas Motor Speedway.
• Will Power won his 31st career Indy car pole at Texas.
• Mike Conway and Simon Pagenaud split the winsin the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit. It was Conway’s second Indy car win and Pagenaud’s first Indy car victory.
• Tony Kanaan won the 97th Indianapolis 500 to record his 16th Indy car victory.
• Ed Carpenter won his first pole position since 2010 at Kentucky when he won the pole for the 97th Indianapolis 500.
• There were a race-record 14 leaders and race-record 68 lead changes at Indianapolis.
• James Hinchcliffe won the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 with a last-lap, last-turn pass of Takuma Sato. It was his second win of 2013 and the third win in four races for Andretti Autosport.
• Takuma Sato won his first Indy car race in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He was the 208th driver to win an Indy car race and first Japanese driver to win. It was A.J. Foyt’s first win as a car owner since 2002.

• Dario Franchitti won his 30th career Indy car pole at Long Beach.
• Ryan Hunter-Reay won his 10th Indy car race in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park from the pole position. It was the second time he had won a race from pole.
• James Hinchcliffe won the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. It was the first win of his Indy car career. He was the 207th driver to win an Indy car race.
• Will Power won his 30th career Indy car pole at St. Petersburg.
• Tristan Vautier started his first career IZOD IndyCar Series race at St. Petersburg.

 

Milestones & Records:

·         Should Dario Franchitti win the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series championship, he will join A.J. Foyt as the only drivers to win at least five Indy car titles in their career. Franchitti won the title in 2007 and again from 2009-2011. Foyt won seven championships in his career.

·         With their next victory, either Dario Franchitti or Sebastien Bourdais will move into sole possession of seventh place on the all-time wins list. Franchitti and Bourdais are tied with Paul Tracy with 31 wins.

·         With a victory in 2013, Scott Dixon will extend his streak of consecutive seasons with a win to nine.

·         With his next victory, Scott Dixon will move into sole possession of ninth place on the all-time wins list. Dixon won his 29th race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Aug. 5, 2012, to tie Rick Mears for 10th place on the all-time wins list.

·         Helio Castroneves moved into sole possession of 11th place on the all-time victory list with his win at Texas Motor Speedway on June 8. Castroneves had been tied with Johnny Rutherford for 12th with the victory.

·         Helio Castroneves needs two earned poles to reach 40 career poles in his Indy car career after he won the Verizon P1 Award at Iowa Speedway.

·         Will Power recorded the 30th pole of his Indy car career at St. Petersburg and his 31st pole position at Texas.

·         Dario Franchitti recorded the 30th pole of his Indy car career at Long Beach and his 31st pole position at Detroit 1.

·         Scott Dixon needs two earned poles to reach 20 in his Indy car career.

·         With one pole in 2013, Scott Dixon will extend his IZOD IndyCar Series streak to seven consecutive seasons.

·         Scott Dixon’s second-place finish at Barber was the 30th of his Indy car career. It tied Helio Castroneves, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Jr., and Bobby Unser for fifth on the all-time list.

·         Tony Kanaan tied Helio Castroneves for 10^th on the all-time top-five list by recording his his 110th top-five finish at Iowa.

·         Scott Dixon recorded the 100th top-five finish of his Indy car career at Barber Motorsports Park. With a pair of top-five finishes at Detroit, Dixon tied Paul Tracy for 12th on the all-time list.

·         Tony Kanaan will attempt to make his 207th consecutive start. Jimmy Vasser holds the all-time record of 211. Scott Dixon with 148 straight starts (7^th all-time) and Marco Andretti with 124 straight starts (15^thall-time) are the only other active drivers with a streak of more than 100 consecutive starts.

·         Ryan Hunter-Reay needs one start to mark his 100th consecutive IZOD IndyCar Series starts.

 

 

At-Track Schedule (all times local):

Saturday, July 6

10 – 11 a.m. – IZOD IndyCar Series practice

1:15 p.m.  – IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying (single car/cumulative time of two lap)

5:30 – 6 p.m. – IZOD IndyCar Series final practice

 

Sunday, July 7

8-8:05 a.m. – IZOD IndyCar Series systems check

11:30 a.m. – Pocono INDYCAR 400 pre-race

12:15 p.m. – Pocono INDYCAR 400 200 laps/400 miles), ABC (Live)

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

 

1. Fuzzy’s Triple Crown bonus solely in Kanaan’s hands

 

2. Briscoe to balance races at Pocono, Lime Rock on Holiday Weekend

 

3. Pagenaud races to the clouds in Honda minivan 

 

4. Tagliani delivers strike on Canada Day

 

1. Fuzzy’s Triple Crown bonus solely in Kanaan’s hands: There are a million reasons why Tony Kanaan needs to win the Pocono INDYCAR 400 Fueled by Sunoco on July 7

.

As the Indianapolis 500 winner Kanaan can earn a $1 million bonus if he can sweep the superspeedway races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Auto Club Speedway on Oct. 19 and complete the Fuzzy’s Triple Crown. A potential consolation for Kanaan and others is a $250,000 bonus for winning two of the three.

 

Pressure isn’t foreign to Kanaan, who realized the first goal to winning the bonus on May 26 by winning the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in his 12th start.

 

“Obviously I’m the only one that has a chance to win the Triple Crown, so the pressure is on. But I’m excited,” Kanaan said. “Pocono will be the third of four races I will run in the Sunoco “Turbo” car, and after the success we have had in the first two — finishing on the podium at both Texas and Iowa — I really want to keep that momentum going at Pocono and hopefully do even better.”

 

Kanaan is a noted fast closer, which was displayed in the past two superspeedway events. At Indianapolis, he started 12th, was leading by Lap 9 and was in the top three for the final 30 laps in a race that featured a record 68 lead changes. He started 13th at Texas, was running fourth with 10 laps left and passed Ed Carpenter on Lap 222 to finish third.

 

Kanaan, driving the No. 11 Sunoco “Turbo” car, got his first look at the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway June 25 during a Chevrolet manufacturer test with KV Racing Technology-SH Racing. He’ll participate in an Open Test on July 4 in advance of the 160-lap race July 7 (noon ET on ABC).

 

“I have never raced at Pocono Raceway, but we know we had a good car at Indy and had a good test at Pocono a few days ago,” Kanaan added.

 

The three oval races renew the tradition of the Triple Crown from 1970s and ’80s Indy car competition. The previous Triple Crown included 500-mile races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Ontario (Calif.) Speedway from 1971-1980 and from 1981-1989 at Indianapolis, Pocono and Michigan International Speedway.

 

Only Al Unser won all three races in a single season, when the four-time Indy 500 winner drove the Jim Hall-owned First National City Travelers Checks-sponsored car in 1978. 

 

“For Tony to win after all his tries, it was really good for him,” Unser said of Kanaan earning the 500 Mile Race victory. “The man is capable of winning; he showed that. But there are about 10 other guys out there that will be close chasing him. If he can win Pocono and then California, I’d be happy to have him join me as a Triple Crown winner, for sure.” 

 

Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka unveiled the Fuzzy’s Triple Crown Trophy designed by Jostens, which is on tour in eastern Pennsylvania, in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

 

“Tony did a great job in winning the Indy 500 and he is our clubhouse leader going into the Pocono Race on July 7,” said company founder and namesake Fuzzy Zoeller, the 1979 Masters champion and 1984 U.S. Open winner. “Tony can become the second person to win the Triple Crown if he wins at Pocono and Fontana. Not to mention that he can make a good haul by just winning one more.”

 

2. Briscoe to balance races at Pocono, Lime Rock on Holiday weekend: The Fourth of July weekend will be eventful for National Guard Panther Racing driver Ryan Briscoe, who will sandwich an ALMS race at Lime Rock Park in between testing and competing in the Pocono INDYCAR 400 Fueled by Sunoco on July 7. 

 

Briscoe, who tested the team’s No. 4 Chevrolet at Pocono on June 25 will miss on-track activity on July 6 and not make a qualification attempt.

 

“It will be a busy weekend between racing the National Guard Chevrolet at Pocono and the Level 5 car at Lime Rock,” Briscoe said. “It’s great that Panther is giving me the opportunity to race at Pocono even though I won’t be here Saturday for practice and qualifying. Fortunately, I will be able to prepare the car for the race and it was a big bonus having the test day last week and then the Open Test on (July 4) to get as much track time as possible.”

 

The July 7 race will mark Briscoe’s fourth start in the No. 4 National Guard Chevrolet and the race will be Panther’s first career start at Pocono’s “Tricky Triangle” – a unique tri-oval where Indy cars last competed in 1989. 

 

“Last week, we spent our time working on our race prep and we worked hard on trying to find something that will get us through the field during the race,” Briscoe said. “Pocono’s a big track and it’s a long 400-mile race, so we feel plenty confident even having to start in the back. I know the National Guard crew will work hard, and with all the track time we’ll have on Thursday, we can get to the front.”

 

Panther will be running a special red, white and blue National Guard livery in honor of the Fourth of July weekend that also highlights the 150th anniversary of the Medal of Honor. Panther hosts many Medal of Honor recipients as part of its “Operation: Hire Our Guard” veteran employment program, and former U.S. Marines Capt. (Ret) James E. Livingston, who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic efforts in the Vietnam War, will be a guest of the team this weekend.

 

“This is obviously a big weekend for us with it being the Fourth of July and we’ve got some important guests that will be attending the race, so we’re looking forward to getting to Pocono and getting to work,” Panther managing partner John Barnes said. “I’m not concerned about missing qualifying and having to start in the back of the field; Pocono is a big place and we’ll have 400 miles to help Ryan work his way to the front. This is the first time we’ve had an extended period of time to test with him and that will pay off for us on Sunday.”

 

3. Pagenaud races to the clouds in Honda minivan: Simon Pagenaud said that his trip in the Honda Odyssey in the 91st Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 30 was “a win for all the ‘soccer moms.’ ”

 

Pagenaud, the driver of the No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton Motorsports car in the IZOD IndyCar Series, spent his off weekend in Colorado for the event in the specially-outfitted van. He finished second in the Exhibition Class on the 12.42-mile, 156-turn course.

 

“For me, it was amazing,” he said. “Pikes Peak was always a dream for me, ever since I was a kid in France. There is a lot of interest in this event in Europe, and I think that’s why you saw so many French drivers this year. Honda prepared a great car, really unique I have to say. 

 

“With more than 500 horsepower, the conditions (rain, fog and light snow at high elevation) were tricky and kept me busy. I feel very blessed and very proud. I’d like to come back again next year with something even more crazy.”

 

Eleven drivers representing Honda R&D Americas and Honda Performance Development competed, with one class victory and eight other top-five results.

 

Meanwhile, two other IZOD IndyCar Series driver who moonlighted on the off weekend posted top-eight finishes in the Rolex Sports Car Series’ Six Hours at the Glen. 

 

Justin Wilson teamed with Firestone Indy Lights veteran Gustavo Yacaman to finish sixth, while Sebastien Bourdais finished eighth in the Starworks with Alex Popow entry after leading the event during his driving stint.

 

4. Tagliani delivers strike on Canada Day: Right down the middle, Alex Tagliani reports, is  where the ceremonial first pitch that he delivered before the Toronto Blue Jays hosted the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre on July 1 traveled.

 

The IZOD IndyCar Series driver, who will compete in the Honda Indy Toronto doubleheader at Exhibition Place on July 13-14, joined the Blue Jays in celebrating Canada Day by donning special red jerseys for the country’s 146th birthday.

 

“My goal was to not bounce it before the plate,” the driver of the No. 98 Barracuda Racing car said. “Trust me, I have seen all the worst first pitches that made it on YouTube and I didn’t want to get there. It was absolutely a thrilling feeling on Canada Day to throw the first pitch to (Blue Jays left-handed pitcher) Mark Buehrle, a race fan. He signed the ball for me and he would have been invited to our pit for the Toronto races if the Blue Jays were in town.

 

“The atmosphere was amazing and I was surprised by how many IndyCar fans where in the seats on the field. I guess they love action and want to see it from close.”

 

The first 20,000 fans in attendance for the sold-out game received a red replica Blue Jays hat, while one fan received a 2013 Honda Civic Touring Sedan during the game.

 

“Overall, thanks to Honda because it’s a great way to promote the upcoming Toronto races and to engage sports fans.”

***

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Pocono INDYCAR 400 Fueled by Sunoco on July 7 at Pocono Raceway. The race will be televised live at noon (ET) by ABC 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 Pocono 100 at 4 p.m. on July 6 at Pocono Raceway. NBC Sports Network’s coverage of the race will be telecast at 7 p.m. (ET) on July 12.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1, 2013) – There is no place like home for Andrew Ranger.

Ranger’s career record in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 is impressive – two championships, 16 wins, 34 top fives and 50 top 10s in 58 starts, but his numbers for Quebec tracks are stunning. In 18 starts in ‘la belle province’ the driver hailing from Roxton Pond, Que., has eight victories, 15 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes.

“I feel comfortable racing at home,” said Ranger. “The support from my home fans drives me to success.”

One of those eight triumphs came last season at Circuit ICAR, a track seemingly built for Ranger and his uncanny sense for car control.

 

“It’s a pretty technical track with lots of tight turns,” he stated. “It’s a fun track to race. You really have to hit your marks to be fast.”

 

All but four of the Quebec starts have come on road courses which have produced ridiculous results to the tune of eight wins in 14 starts and runner-up finishes in five of the other six races. Ranger won three straight at Circuit de Trois-Rivieres from 2008 to 2010 to go along with second-place finishes in 2007 and 2011. He returned to Victory Lane last season.

The four oval-track starts were at Autodrome St. Eustache and led to two top-five and four top-10 finishes for the 26-year-old.

 

The Jiffy Lube 100 presented by Snap-on is the season debut for Ranger in the Canadian Tire Series. Like in the 2010 and 2011 seasons, he is competing across several series in 2013. In May, Ranger finished 10th at Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West competition. In that race, he started from the pole position and had the lead before a late-race spin knocked him from contention.

 

All told, 13 of Ranger’s 16 Canadian Tire Series wins have come on road courses with non-Quebec wins coming at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Edmonton City Centre Airport and Toronto’s Exhibition Place.

“I can’t really explain (the road- course success),” said Ranger. “Starting out in karting gets you used to turning in both directions and give you a feel for the balance. For me, though, it’s about pushing hard every step of the way and getting the most you can get on every turn and every lap.”

 

Ranger and the rest of the Jiffy Lube 100 presented by Snap-on field will practice and qualify on Saturday, July 6 with the race scheduled for the following day. Ticket information can be found at www.circuiticar.com.

 

Race: Jiffy Lube 100 presented by Snap-on

Place: Circuit ICAR, Mirabel, Quebec

Date: Sunday, July 7

Time: 1:30 p.m. ET

TV Schedule: TSN, Fri., July 26, 11 p.m. ET; RDS2, Fri., July 26, 11 p.m. ET; RDS, Sat., July 27, 10 a.m.

Track Layout: 2.113-mile road course

2012 Winner: Andrew Ranger

2012 Pole Sitter: None (rain)

Event Schedule: Sat., July 6: Practice 11:30 a.m.-Noon; Final Practice 12:40-1:10 p.m.; Qualifying 4:20 p.m. Sun., July 7: Driver Autograph Session Noon; Driver Introductions 1 p.m.

Track Contact: Marc Arseneau, (514) 955-4227, info@circuiticar.com

Track Twitter: @circuiticar

Event Twitter Hashtag: #JiffyLube100

FAST FACTS

The Race: This is the fourth event of the 2013 season for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 and the second of four road-course events on the schedule. This is the series’ third time to visit Circuit ICAR.

 

Procedure: The starting field is 30 cars, including provisionals. The first 25 cars will qualify through NASCAR Road Race (group) qualifying. The remaining five spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 30 laps covering 63.37 miles.

 

Track: Circuit ICAR is a modern complex for motorsports located 20 minutes north of Montreal, Que., on the grounds of the Mirabel Airport. The complex has over three kilometers of road circuits with multiple configurations, a .25-mile drag strip, skid pad, drift park, autocross track and a 1-kilometer karting track designed by Jacques Villeneuve.

The Records: The single-lap qualifying record is held by Alex Tagliani and was set on June 4, 2011 at 78.828 mph (96.499 seconds). The 30-lap race record was established on June 5, 2011 by Robin Buck, he completed the event in 1 hour, 13 minutes, 35 seconds for an average speed of 57.246 mph.

RACE NOTES

Right At Home: Nearly half of the anticipated entrants for the Jiffy Lube 100 presented by Snap-on are Quebec natives. Defending race champion Andrew Ranger leads the contingent that includes Elie Arseneau, Xavier Coupal, Ray Courtemanche Jr., Jean-Francois and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, Alex Guenette, Alex Labbe, Martin Roy, Hugo Vannini and Derek White.

 

New King Of The Road?: L.P. Dumoulin claimed his first Canadian Tire Series victory in the season opener on the road course at Ontario’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and looks to make it two in a row on road courses with a win at Circuit ICAR. Dumoulin has finished fourth in each of the two races on the Mirabel track.

 

Odd: None of the top three drivers – D.J. Kennington, Jason Hathaway and Jeff Lapcevich – in the Canadian Tire Series point standings have win in 2013. L.P. Dumoulin is the highest-ranked race winner at fourth.

 

Quebec Sandwich: Series teams will log some miles in July. The month starts at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, Quebec and ends on July 27 at Autodrome St. Eustache (Que.). In the middle will be the western swing that includes Motoplex Speedway and Event Center in Vernon, B.C., and Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, Sask.

LAST TIME OUT: Clarington 200

Pete And Repeat: With back-to-back Canadian Tire Series victories Pete Shepherd III is the first series driver not named D.J. Kennington to win consecutive events since Andrew Ranger in 2009. Kennington claimed successive wins in 2009 and on two occasions in 2012.

 

Good Timing: Scott Steckly scored a runner-up finish in the Clarington 200 ending a nightmarish start to the season that saw that two-time series champion register finishes outside the top 20.

 

Trending: With a ninth-place effort on the oval at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Hugo Vannini has registered consecutive top-10 finishes for the first time in his series career.

NEXT TIME OUT: A&W 300

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 heads west for its next outing. The A&W 300 is set for Saturday, July 13 at Motoplex Speedway and Event Center in Vernon, B.C. The race is the first of two Western Canada dates. Last season, D.J. Kennington collected his first Motoplex victory as he extended his series-record five-race winning streak to three.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—July 1, 2013 — Carrying momentum from a pair of fifth-place finishes with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at River Cities Speedway in North Dakota, and I-94 Speedway in Minnesota, Kraig Kinser had high hopes heading into the three events this past weekend. The trio of races started on a strong note for the native of Bloomington, Ind., as he came home ninth at LaSalle Speedway in Illinois, but didn’t quite end how he would have liked, as he was caught up in other driver’s accidents at both Beaver Dam (Wis.) and Cedar Lake (Wis.) Speedway. On the positive side, his crew was able to make repairs after each of those incidents and he got back out on the track to finish the two races in the Casey’s General Store/Mesilla Valley Transportation Maxim.

Kinser opened the weekend on Friday, June 28 at LaSalle (Ill.) Speedway, as the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series returned to the high-banked, quarter-mile bullring for the first time since 2000, finishing ninth. Kinser started 14th in an event that took four starts before a full lap was completed. He worked his way into the top-10 on a lap-4 restart. The native of Bloomington, Ind., would run in 11th for most of the race, before trading that spot with Jason Sides a couple of times in the second half of the race. Kinser took 10th from Cody Darrah on lap-33 and move into ninth on the lap-39, getting around his dad Steve.

In time trials at LaSalle Speedway, Kinser was sixth-fastest of the 32 drivers checked-in. He started third in the second 10-lap heat race and finished third to punch his ticket into the 40-lap main event. He would line up 14th for the feature at the high-banked, quarter-mile.

“It was definitely a wild night at LaSalle, especially at the start, with all the cautions and reds we had,” said Kinser. “We were able to keep our nose clean and come away with a top-10 and the car was in one piece, so I can’t complain about that. The little tracks can certainly be challenging and when you finish a race like that to roll the car on the trailer intact, you’ve done something right.”

At Beaver Dam Raceway on Saturday, June 29, Kinser finished 15th, after having nowhere to go on lap-22 when a fellow driver flipped in front of him. He was running as high as sixth in the early stages of the 40-lap Jim Boyd “JB” Memorial and was 11th at the time of the accident. After a trip to the work area to change a flat right front tire and fix other front end damage, he rejoined the field to run the final 18 circuits.

“That was just one of those deals,” he stated. “We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and there was nowhere I could go. I’m glad we were able to get back on the track and gain a few more positions. You’ll have nights like that and with how much we race, usually it all evens back out.”

Kinser opened the night at Beaver Dam as the 14th-fastest qualifier, which put him on the pole of the second heat, in which he finished second to earn a spot in the dash. He started 10th in the dash and finished ninth. When the field assembled for the 40-lap A-Feature, Kinser found himself on the inside of the fifth row.

During the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series annual visit to Cedar Lake (Wis.) Speedway on Sunday, June 30, Kinser ran as high as 12th during the first half of the 35-lap main event. On the 25th circuit, a car got upside in front of him, leaving Kinser nowhere to go. After a trip to the world area, the 28-year-old would return to the track in the 17th spot. He would gain one more position to cross the line 16th, the same spot that he started in.

“The crew did a great job getting me back out there,” he noted. “That was a tough way to end the weekend, but it could have been worse. We have a couple of days to get the car ready for Huset’s and look to pick back up where we were after Grand Forks (River Cities Speedway) and I-94 (Speedway).”

Following the trio of races, Kinser is 11th in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series standings. He has one win thus far in 2013 to go along with 17 top-10 finishes, of which six are top-five showings. Kinser will return to action on Wednesday, July 3 at Huset’s Speedway in South Dakota, followed by a trip to Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas, July 5–6.

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.

LaSalle Speedway, Beaver Dam Raceway and Cedar Lake Speedway Results

Date	Time Trials	Heat Start	Heat Finish	Dash Start	Dash Finish	Feature Start	Feature Finish	Points
June 28	6th	3rd	4th	N/A	N/A	14th	9th	11th
June 29	14th	1st	2nd	10th	9th	9th	15th	11th
June 30	17th	6th	5th	N/A	N/A	16th	16th	11th

Keep up with all the action 
For the latest news on Kraig Kinser, visit the redesigned http://www.kraigkinser.com, and follow Kraig on Twitter athttp://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.

WATERTOWN, Conn.—July 1, 2013— David Gravel has run pretty well on the smaller, high-banked bullrings with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series this season. He continued that trend at the quarter-mile LaSalle (Ill.) Speedway and third-mile Beaver Dam (Wis.) Raceway over the weekend, finishing eighth and seventh, respectively, at the pair of tracks that were part of a three-race swing through Illinois and Wisconsin aboard the FMR Racing/JRC Transportation/Musco Fuel/Model Craft J&J.

In his debut at LaSalle Speedway in Illinois, Gravel finished eighth. The 21-year-old started seventh and fell back a few spots at the start and found himself in 11th on the third lap. He then got around Kraig Kinser for 10th on lap-4. Gravel would run in that position for the first half of the race and worked his way into ninth on lap-26, passing Jason Sides. On lap-33, the East Coast racer got by 20-time series champion Steve Kinser to move into eighth and would finish in that spot.

“LaSalle is definitely a racy little place and there was a lot going on during that main event,” said Gravel. “We got in the dash and that’s what I keep stressing day in and day out. If you start in the first few rows of the feature, you give yourself a lot better of a chance. We’ve been really strong on the quarter-miles this year and feel pretty confident in the set-up we have for those types of tracks.”

Gravel timed in 16th at LaSalle, which put him on the pole of the fourth heat race. He finished second in the heat to earn a spot in the dash, lining 10th for that 10-lap contest. When the checkered flag flew on the dash, Gravel was seventh, which put him on the inside of the fourth row for the main event.

At Beaver Dam Raceway on Saturday, June 29, Gravel started eighth and finished seventh, in a race that saw just one stoppage for a red flag on lap-22. After falling to 12th in the early going, the young driver, found himself in 10th following the red flag. He would gain a couple of more positions during the second half of the race to finish seventh, which marked his 17th top-10 finish of the season.

“The car was pretty good toward the end of the night,” he shared. “Again, we qualified in the right spot to start up front in the heat race and took advantage of that. Both times I’ve raced at Beaver Dam, I’ve felt pretty comfortable and the track suits my driving style. It can be a pretty tricky place, so you have to keep up with what the track is doing all night.”

Gravel opened the night at Beaver Dam by timing in 13th-quickest with a strong 36-car field in attendance, which put him on the pole of the first heat race. He would win that 10-lap contest to earn a spot in the dash. The native of Watertown, Conn., started ninth in the dash and wound up eighth, to line up on the outside of the fourth row for the 40-lap Jim Boyd “JB” Memorial at the high-banked, third-mile.

The weekend ended on a sour note at Cedar Lake Speedway in Wisconsin, on Sunday, June 30, as the inboard brake caliper fell off his car and caused him to make contact with the wall, leading to front end damage that was too severe to continue. Gravel finished sixth in the fourth heat race to earn a spot in the 35-lap main event.

“That’s not how we wanted to end the weekend, but at least we race again on Wednesday night at Huset’s (Speedway) and can put that one behind us pretty quick,” Gravel said. “We got behind in qualifying and were fighting an uphill battle the rest of the night and just didn’t have luck on our side, with the (brake) caliper falling off the car. We’ll just keep looking ahead and are working hard to be ready for the three races coming up.”

Gravel remains seventh in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings. He won earlier this month at I-94 Speedway in Minnesota, and has 17 top-10 finishes, with five of those being top-five performances.

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

SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich.—July 2, 2013 — Taylor Ferns is always excited to climb into the driver’s seat. This week she’ll have a little extra bounce in her step, after earning a career-best fifth-place finish with the Honda USAC National Midget Series on Saturday, July 29 at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Colorado. A trio of dirt midget races await the 17-year-old this week, all in the state of Illinois.

At Pikes Peak International Speedway, the native of Shelby Township, Mich., qualified ninth, which put her on the inside of the fifth row for the 25-lap main event on the one-mile paved oval in her family-owned Motor City Transport Inc. Beast. She steadily worked her way forward, breaking into the top-five just past the halfway point of the race. Ferns would cross the line fifth to earn her first-career top-five finish with the Honda USAC National Midget Series.

“We definitely had some strong runs last weekend,” said Ferns who ran both the Midget and Silver Crown race. “To finish fifth in the midget was great. We’ve been fast in the midget a lot this year and just have had some bad luck, so hopefully we can carry the momentum from last weekend into this weekend. The competition is so tough with the USAC National Midget Series, so anytime you run up front that boosts your confidence.”

The Hut Hundred at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, Ill., will serve as the opener of the three-race week on Wednesday, July 3. That event was postponed by rain in May. Following a day-off for the Honda USAC National Midget Series on Independence Day, July 4, action shifts to Belle-Claire (Ill.) Speedway for the two-night Bash at Belle-Claire, on Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6.

Ferns made her first-career Honda USAC National Midget Series start at Tri-City Speedway in 2011, during the Gold Crown Midget Nationals, winning a heat race to earn a spot in the preliminary feature where she came home 16th. She also raced in the event last year, which was shortened to a two-night contest due to rain.

“I’ve been to Tri-City (Speedway) a few times now, so I know the track pretty well,” she shared. “As a driver, you always look forward to going to a track that you’ve been to before, because you don’t have to learn the track like it’s your first time there. That’s definitely helpful and it seems like we are getting better and better on the dirt each time we race. In the last dirt race at Sun Prairie (Angell Park Speedway in Wisconsin) we were fast and had some bad luck in the feature, breaking two shocks. The car definitely has the speed in it.”

The 17-year-old will be making her debut at Belle-Claire Speedway. She was slated to race at the fifth-mile bullring each of the last two seasons, but those appearances were foiled by rain. The Bash at Belle-Claire will be co-sanctioned by the Honda USAC National Midget Series and the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series. In a co-sanctioned race on June 24 at Angell Park Speedway in Wisconsin, Ferns won a heat race.

“I grew racing on smaller tracks, so going to a place like Belle-Claire is ‘close to home’ for me,” noted Ferns. “Hopefully I can adapt to the track pretty well and we can get up to speed quick and have a good run. Having raced in the Chili Bowl a couple of times will definitely help as that’s a very, very small track as well.”

Last weekend at Pikes Peak, the 2011 USAC D1 Midget Series champion also competed in the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series portion of the Rocky Mountain Classic. Piloting the No. 35 for Team 6R Racing, she qualified 11th and methodically worked her way to the front. She ran as high as fourth in the 100-lapper and was fifth with just two laps to go when she ran out of fuel.

Along with competing in the majority of events with the Honda USAC National Midget Series this season on both the dirt and pavement, Ferns will compete in selected USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series races. She also has seven ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards races on her docket. Ferns finished ninth in her debut with that series back in March at Mobile International Speedway in Alabama, after qualifying fifth. She also has raced with ARCA at Toledo Speedway in Ohio and Elko Speedway in Minnesota.

“Going from the dirt to asphalt and vice versa is a challenge for sure,” Ferns said. “That’s one of the great things about USAC is that we race on such a variety of tracks and in different car as well. Last weekend we were on a one-mile paved track and this week we’ll be on a three-eighths-mile dirt track at Tri-City (Speedway) and then a tiny track at Belle-Claire (Speedway). Racing a variety of tracks and cars is how you get better as a driver and gain versatility. Working in the shop on the cars this summer with Tracy (Hines) has helped a ton as well, especially in terms of sharing what adjustments to make to the car at the track.”

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

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

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

1. If You Missed It: INDYCAR Conference Call with Gabby Chaves, Brandon Igdalsky and James Hinchcliffe

2. Foyt recovering from hip replacement surgery

1. If You Missed It: INDYCAR Conference Call with Gabby Chaves, Brandon Igdalsky And James Hinchcliffe: Earlier today, Firestone Indy Lights driver Gabby Chaves, Pocono Raceway president and CEO Brandon Igdalsky and IZOD IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe participated in an INDYCAR Conference Call to discuss the Pocono INDYCAR 400 Fueled by Sunoco and the Firestone Indy Lights Pocono 100 at Pocono Raceway this weekend. Selected quotes from the call are below.

An interview with Pocono Raceway president and CEO Brandon Igdalsky:

Q: How excited is Pennsylvania to host that second leg of the Fuzzy’s Triple Crown.

BRANDON IGDALSKY: The fans are really excited.  A lot of people around here remember Pocono before INDYCAR and we are seeing that with a lot of fans that are buying tickets and what they are telling us when they call. They are saying my dad took me and now I’m bringing my dad and my kids.

There’s definitely excitement and a lot of people that grew up here in the Poconos and Northeast Pennsylvania; that’s what they remember about Pocono Raceway starting off when they were kids. The staff here, some have been here for over 24 years so they remember what it’s like and we have a lot of new people that have no idea. It’s going to be an exciting weekend for the fans and the staff and everybody in between.

Q. In regards to how things got going, what did it take to get IndyCars coming back to Pocono.

BRANDON IGDALSKY: It literally took me being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I was in South Florida about a year ago for the St. Petersburg event, and I had not been to an IndyCar race in a long time and I was nearby and I gave the IndyCar folks a call and said, Hey, I’m going to be in town, can you help me out with some tickets. And that was it.

I came over, some media members introduced me to (former CEO) Randy (Bernard). We started chatting, and you know, it was kind of very informal at the time, but eight months later we were going to contract and two months later after that we were making the announcement.

It wasn’t too hard once we committed to doing it. We put some time and energy last summer into doing a big fan study here locally. We hired a company that went out and talked to IndyCar fans and NASCAR fans and just motorsports fans in general, as well as non��otorsports fans and we were pretty surprised by the overwhelming support that it looked like on paper we would have for the event.

And as we are getting closer to the event, we are seeing the fruits of those labors come to fruition and we are excited by the crowd we are going to have here and obviously Fourth of July weekend and a big weekend here in the Pocono Mountains. It’s a big vacation destination, and we have a lot of people that come into the area this week, so it’s just one more thing for them to do on their vacation to the Poconos.

An interview with IZOD IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe:

Q: What are your impressions of “The Tricky Triangle” and what kind of race do you expect.

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE:  We are excited to go back there after the (June 25) test. I can understand why they call it The Tricky Triangle. I really had no appreciation for what this place was like, even after watching it on TV.

The track is so different and it makes it very difficult to set up an IndyCar there. But from the testing, I can assure you that we are going to have a great race. It’s very fast. I think it’s going to be a similar kind of show to Indianapolis, and another long race, 400 miles. I think that all the teams and drivers are very anxious and excited to get back there.

Q. Can you talk just a little bit about getting that first career win, and were you surprised that you’ve been able to have two and three come as quickly as they have.

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE:  Coming into the season, there was a lot of talk about that first win. For us, as a team, to sort of knock that out of the way in the first race was a huge relief more than anything. It allowed us to focus on doing the best job we could week��n and week��ut and not worry about swinging for the fence and trying to go for wins.

From there, the two subsequent wins have all been very different. In St. Pete, we took the lead on the last stint and sort controlled the race from there; we had a lot of pressure. Brazil, obviously, we only led in the last half of the frontstraight. Then Iowa, we led pretty much the whole thing start to finish.

So they have all been very different. And I think getting that first one out of the way, I know they say once you get the first one, they are easier after that. Well, I want them to try it and tell me just how easy it is, because it really isn’t.

So to have three wins in a series this competitive and a year as tight as we have seen it  it’s incredible, and it just speaks volumes for what the team is doing. To have three wins in the Go Daddy car at this stage is nuts and we might not get another one for a year or two years, who knows.

But we are certainly keeping our heads down and trying to keep doing what we are doing week��n and week��ut, because clearly some things are working.

An interview with Firestone Indy Lights driver Gabby Chaves:

Q: You’ve had six straight finishes in the top four but are looking for the first win. Are you happy with the way things have gone.

GABBY CHAVES:  We had a great start to the season and almost had the first win in St. Pete. We led about a quarter of the race and had an incident that took us out of the race. But I think we’ve had a strong comeback and had four podiums in the last six races, so we are pretty happy. But we won’t be completely satisfied until we get that first win, which we are hoping for will be in Pocono.

Q. As we are entering the second half of the season, what races do you think will be your strongest.

GABBY CHAVES: I think we’ve had a very consistent championship, and I think we need to step it up a little bit … try to get some wins, because I think at the end of the championship the winner will be the guy who has the most wins. If you look at how the points are being awarded, there’s a big gap from first to second in racing.

I think we will be very strong in Pocono like we were in Indianapolis, and we just need to take it one race at a time. For now we’ll focus on Pocono and after that on Toronto.

2. Foyt recovering from hip replacement surgery: IZOD IndyCar Series team owner A.J. Foyt, who has not been to a race since the Ft. Worth event on June 8, underwent successful hip replacement surgery on his left hip July 1 in a Houston hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Foyt had been battling pain in his left leg for most of the year. In April, he underwent a laminectomy in the lumbar region of his spine to relieve sciatic nerve pain. He had missed two races (Alabama and Long Beach, Calif.) prior to that surgery as well as the one in Sao Paulo, Brazil immediately after it.

The chronic leg pain increased dramatically after he fell while working on his ranch before the Texas race. He had consulted with several doctors before agreeing to the most recent surgery.

“I was a little nervous about this surgery but they had me up and walking the same day. I’m sore but nothing like I was before the surgery. I guess I waited too long to have it done though because my hip was in really bad shape. They couldn’t believe I was walking at all,” said Foyt, who was in good spirits. “The doctors tell me it will be six to eight weeks before I can travel.”

Foyt will be in the hospital for several days. He plans to watch Takuma Sato and his ABC Supply Racing team compete at Pocono Raceway this Sunday.

***

The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Pocono INDYCAR 400 Fueled by Sunoco on July 7 at Pocono Raceway. The race will be televised live at noon (ET) by ABC 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 Pocono 100 at 4 p.m. on July 6 at Pocono Raceway. NBC Sports Network’s coverage of the race will be telecast at 7 p.m. (ET) on July 12.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 2, 2013) – The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 makes its first of three Quebec appearances on Sunday, July 7 in the Jiffy Lube 100 presented by Snap-on at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel with a scheduled start time of 1:30 p.m. ET. Below is a statistical look at the recent performance of selected drivers at Delaware, as well as some other statistical trends:

Circuit ICAR Race Setup

·         Andrew Ranger is the defending race champion and has 13 series career road-course wins with eight of those coming in the Province in Quebec.

·         Scott Steckly has a pair of podium finishes in two ICAR starts.

·         Quebec native Louis-Philippe Dumoulin has finished fourth in each of the two Canadian Tire Series events at Circuit ICAR.

·         J.R. Fitzpatrick has a pair of top-10 finishes in two ICAR starts including a runner-up finish a season ago.

·         Jeff Lapcevich has scored a top 10 in each of his two Circuit ICAR appearances.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series At Circuit ICAR

·         This is the series’ third visit to the road course set up on the grounds of the Mirabel, Quebec Airport.

·         The television premier for the Jiffy Lube 100 presented by Snap-on is scheduled for Sunday, July 14 at 11 a.m. ET on TSN, Friday, July 26 at 11 p.m. ET on RDS2 and Saturday, July 27 at 10 a.m. ET on RDS.

·         The Jiffy Lube 100 presented by Snap-on is 102 kilometers in length.

·         This is the first time for this event to be held in July; the previous two races were in June.

·         In two Circuit ICAR events, there has been an average of four caution periods for 9.5 laps with the earliest coming at Lap 3 in both years and the latest on Lap 28 in 2011.

·         The average starting position of the winner is 11.5, while the pole sitter has an average finish of 5.5.

·         There has been an average of 3.5 lead changes in the short history of this event.

·         The most laps led by a race winner are 25 by Andrew Ranger in 2012 and the fewest is two by Robin Buck in 2011.

 

Circuit ICAR Data

Race: #4 of 12 (7/7/13)

Track Layout: 2.113-mile road course

Race Length: 30 laps (63.37 miles)

 

Records

1-Lap Qualifying: Alex Tagliani, Dodge, 96.499 seconds, 78.828 mph, June 4, 2011

30-Lap Race: Robin Buck, Dodge, 1 hr., 13 min., 5 sec., 57.246 mph, June 5, 2011

 

Race Winners

Robin Buck…………………………………. 1

Andrew Ranger ……………………………. 1

 

Pole Winners

Alex Tagliani ……………………………….. 1

 

Manufacturer Wins

Dodge……………………………………….. 2

 

Laps Led

Andrew Ranger ………………………….. 29

Alex Tagliani ……………………………… 24

D.J. Kennington ………………………….. 6

 

Selected Driver Information:

Elie Arseneau (No. 03 Prime Racing/Circuit ICAR Dodge)

·         Finished 28th last season in the Jiffy Lube 100 after transmission problems early in the race.

·         Recorded a 12th-place finish in inaugural ICAR event in 2011.

·         Is a driving instructor at Circuit ICAR.

 

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

·         Finished ninth last season at Circuit ICAR.

·         Scored a 14th-place finish in the 2011 inaugural ICAR event.

·         One of four drivers to start all 78 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

 

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

·         Placed 18th a season ago at the Mirabel circuit.

·         Has scored a top 10 in four of his last six series starts dating back to last season.

·         Posted a third-place finish last season at Barrie (Ontario) Speedway for his first series top five.

 

Jean-Francois Dumoulin (No. 04 ACASS/Bellmare/Marac Dodge)

·         Finished seventh a year ago at Circuit ICAR.

·         Scored a 22nd-place finish in the inaugural ICAR event in 2011.

·         Has top-10 finishes in three of his last four series starts.

 

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

·         Scored a fourth-place finish in each of his two Circuit ICAR starts.

·         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)

·         Was the runner-up to Andrew Ranger last season in the Jiffy Lube 100.

·         Recorded a seventh-place finish in 2011 at ICAR.

·         Has led 3 laps at the Quebec airport course.

·         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.

 

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

·         Finished 23rd last year in this event.

·         Scored a track-best finish of 15th in the 2011 inaugural event.

·         Has top-five finishes in two of three NCATS events this season.

·         One of four drivers to start all 78 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

 

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

·         Registered a fifth-place finish last season at Circuit ICAR for his best finish in two tries at the track.

·         Finished 20th in his 2011 track debut.

·         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 78 NCATS races.

 

Jeff Lapcevich (No. 76 Tim Hortons Dodge)

·         Finished eighth last season in the Jiffy Lube 100.

·         Track-best finish of sixth came in the 2011 inaugural event.

·         Has posted a top-10 finish in 11 of his last 15 series starts dating back to the 2011 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)

·         Finished 21st a year ago in this event.

·         Scored a 19th-place finish in his 2011 track debut.

·         Two of his three series-career wins have been road-course wins (Montreal and Trois-Rivieres in 2007).

·         Recorded his first series pole win since May 2010 (St. Eustache) on June 22 at CTMP (oval).

 

Andrew Ranger (No. 27 La Cite De Mirabel Dodge)

·         Won last year’s Jiffy Lube 100.

·         Has 13 series career road-course win with eight of those coming in Quebec.

·         His 16 series career wins rank second on series’ all-time list.

·         Won 2007 and 2009 series titles.

 

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

·         Registered a 10th-place finish in last year’s Jiffy Lube 100 for best finish in two ICAR outings.

·         Finished 26th in 2011 at Mirabel track in series debut.

·         Has a top-10 finish in four of last five series starts dating back to the 2012 season.

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

 

Ryley Seibert (No. 09 Lake Excavating/Marshall’s Dodge)

·         Making Circuit ICAR debut.

·         Leads series Rookie-of-the-Year standings this season.

 

Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge)

·         Finished third a year ago at Circuit ICAR.

·         Scored a runner-up finish to Robin Buck in the inaugural NCATS event at ICAR.

·         His 11 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 78 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

A new format. A record car count expected. That just begins to describe this weekend’s 15th Annual Don Biederman Memorial that will be at Sunset Speedway.

In past years, the Don Biederman Memorial has featured a 75-lap feature. However, for the first time in OSCAAR Racing history, they will be running back-to-back nights. A unique format has been devised by series officials for the weekend to go with this historic event.

Instead of a typical double heat format, on Saturday, the OSCAAR Super Late Model drivers will take to the track for time trials. Depending how you place in time trials will determine where you start in one of the three heats.

Klotz Synthetics Qualifying Heat Line-Up (Based on Time Trial Results).

Heat 1: Pos. 1, Pos. 4, Pos. 7, Pos. 10, Pos. 13, Pos. 16, Pos. 19, Pos. 22, Pos. 25, Pos. 28, etc.

Heat 2: Pos. 2, Pos. 5, Pos. 8, Pos. 11, Pos. 14, Pos. 17, Pos. 20, Pos. 23, Pos. 26, Pos. 29, etc.

Heat 3: Pos. 3, Pos. 6, Pos. 9, Pos. 12, Pos. 15, Pos. 18, Pos. 21, Pos. 24, Pos. 27, Pos. 30, etc.

The top four from each heat will automatically transfer to the A-Main to determine the top 12 starting spots in the feature. The rest of the drivers will go to the B-Main, with the top eight transferring to the A-Main to determine starting spots 13 to 20.

“Two spots (position 21-22) will be left open as provisional for the drivers who currently sit highest in OSCAAR points who have yet to qualify,” OSCAAR PR released earlier this week. “The final two spots (position 23-24) will go to the two quickest drivers who have yet to qualify for the main event.”

On Sunday, there will be not be time trials. How you finished the feature on Saturday night will determine which heat and where you start (same breakdown as above). As the same with the day before, he top four from each heat will automatically transfer to the A-Main to determine the top 12 starting spots in the feature. The bottom half of the field will be determined the same way it was on Saturday.

The importance is having a strong time trial run and a good heat will be at it’s premium as there are expected to be 32 drivers are expected to show to try to make the 24 car field.

 

So who do you have to watch? Well, there are five drivers who have shown that they are strong via their previous race starts and testing sessions.

1. No. 70 Jeff Hanley

In any OSCAAR race that Jeff Hanley runs as part of his part-time schedule, he is always a driver that you have to beat. After all, his last OSCAAR Super Late Model start came at Sunset Speedway last September in the form of a win at the Velocity 250. He is also a four-time winner of the event (2008-2011).

2. No. 77 George Wilson

At the beginning of the season, George Wilson announced that he would miss the season due to other commitments. However, he has since stated that he will be attendance for the Don Biederman Memorial. Wilson is a driver that you have to watch as well because, like Hanley, he always is in contention to win. In the Velocity 250 in which Hanley won, there was contact between Hanley and Wilson for the lead that resulted in Wilson making heavy contact with the inside retaining wall.

3. No. 9 Brandon Watson

The defending series champion and current points leader, Brandon Watson, is a driver that you have to keep your eye on. He won last year’s running of the Don Biederman at Kawartha Speedway and has won the opening two events this season, one of those being Sunset. Nobody has been able to catch Watson so far this year so it’ll be interesting to see how he stacks up against the field this weekend.

4. No. 22 Glenn Watson

Glenn Watson is always upfront during the OSCAAR events, putting himself in position to win. After all, he is a four-time series champion. However, he has yet to win a Don Biederman Memorial. Does that change this weekend?

5. No. 27 J.R. Fitzpatrick

J.R. Fitzpatrick will be making his third start in the series after starting last year’s Velocity 250 and the Autumn Colors event at Peterborough Speedway. Since then, he has made a ton of changes to the car owned by Roy Passer and looked strong during some test laps at Sunset Speedway.

 

Beyond those five listed, there are many drivers that will be up front this weekend. Included but not limited to…….

2007 winner Derrike Tiemersma has had a strong start to the season with a third and a second to start off the season.

Rob Poole returns to the track that he called home during his Limited Late Model career, looking for another top five after scoring his first OSCAAR top five back in May at Sunset Speedway. He finished ninth earlier this year at Barrie Speedway.

Dwayne Baker will be making his second start of the season after finishing fourth back in May.

Jesse Kennedy will look to bounce back after having some bad luck at Barrie earlier this month.

 

While the race for the win may be one to keep an eye on, you also have to look at this year’s rookie of the year battle.

Kevin Cornelius will look for his second career OSCAAR Super Late Model top five after finishing fifth at Barrie Speedway in June. He was running third in the closing laps of the May event at Sunset Speedway, when a slip up would cause him to drop back to the seventh position.

Ethan Courneyea will be making his second OSCAAR start after a poor showing in the season opener. The Super Stock graduate found himself in a lap one wreck with Mike Owen.

Sean Cronan will look to bounce back after some tough luck that has hindered his performance in the opening events thus far. He was running top 10 at Sunset back in May, though mechanical problems took him out of the race.

Andrew Gresel will look for his second career OSCAAR podium finish after finishing third at Barrie. Gresel didn’t fair well in the season opener at Sunset Speedway as he was running a template body car due to his Super Late not being ready yet.

Rob Gibson will be making his first career OSCAAR start. Gibson makes the jump up to the Super Late model ranks after having success in Sunset Speedway’s Mini Stock division.

OSCAAR Modified competitor Brent McLean will be pulling double duty this weekend as he will be looking to start this weekend’s Super Late Model race at Sunset Speedway. Mechanical problems prevented him from starting the season opener back in May.