Category: Other Series PR

By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia) – The 2013 edition of the OSCAAR Super Late Model tour is finally upon us, and most fans couldn’t be more excited. This season is one of the most anticipated since the series’ inception in 1990. Much of the reason for the hype surrounds the level of competition. Most enthusiasts believe as many as 15 different drivers have a chance to win on any given night, but that number goes as high as 20.

Sunday marks the second annual Lucie Aylwin Memorial at Sunset Speedway. Lucie was among the victims of the Elliott Lake mall collapse last May. She is described by many as a kind-hearted soul who would take the time to talk to anybody, doing so with a smile on her face.

The memorial race was initiated by her fiancé Gary Gendron, who was a member of George Wilson’s racing crew for the past few seasons. As Gendron explained, Lucie never felt she was above anybody and, as a social worker, was always happy and willing to help in any way she could.  Gendron has created a brand new trophy to be awarded for the first time this weekend. Brandon Watson won the first memorial race in Lucie’s honour.

Reigning series champion Watson (#9) will compete at Autodrome Chaudière (QC) on Saturday before making a ten hour haul in order to be back at Sunset for the opener. The youngster won twice at Sunset last season, his former home track. Uncle Glenn Watson (#22) was shutout of victory lane last year despite seven wins in 2011. He’s especially hungry to get back there in 2013 and will come back with a vengeance.

Jesse Kennedy (#10) and Gary Passer (#13) both won races in 2012 and should be in tight competition for a top-ten finish Sunday evening. Kennedy battled mechanical failures at Sunset last year on a couple of occasions, but is hoping to have rectified those problems.

Shane Gowan (#39) returns to the tour after a one-year hiatus last season. Gowan destroyed the front-end of his car in the first heat of opening night in 2011. Evidently, the Lucas Oil team will hope to go home in one piece to start the year.

Tyler Hawn (#42) will debut a brand new car as well. The Oro Station, Ont. native is beyond excited to pilot the best equipment he has ever owned.  Look for a new paint scheme this year on the Fox’s Bakery Camaro.

Let’s not forget about Rob Clarke (#49) either. Clarke is a five-time champion of the series who won at Delaware last year and Sunset two seasons ago. He will drive a car that has only been raced a half-dozen times and is almost sure to be near the front on opening night .

And what about 2007 champion Derrick Tiemersma (#7)? He will once again feature his traditional white paint scheme. With a championship under his belt, Tiemersma is more interested in finding victory lane this season.

Add Mike Beyore (#54) in to the mix as he looks to solve his engine woes by returning to a McGunigill spec engine.

This season’s rookie class looks as though it will be the most competitive in recent years, and perhaps all time. Former Delaware Speedway regular Andrew Gresel is debuting a completely new car #81. Gresel competed at Daytona Int’l Speedway in February in the competitive ARCA series.

Kevin Cornelius’ #17 is the first ever Super Late Model to come from London, Ont.-based McColl Racing Enterprises. Cornelius knows his way around Sunset, as he was the 2011 Limited Late Model track champion. He should be in contention for a win on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Sean Cronan will make his first OSCAAR start in car #8. Cronan was the 2011 McColl Summer Series champion at Sunset, so he will feel right at home in his first start. Cronan’s car is the same chassis formerly piloted by Jeff Dunford. Terry Snyder remains car owner.

With no clear favourite for the season opener, this Sunday is a race no OSCAAR fan should miss. Spectator gates open at 4:30pm, with the first green flag scheduled to fly at 6pm. Pit gates open at 12:30pm for competitors. The Super Late Models will be joined by the OSCAAR Modifieds and Can-Am TQ Midgets.

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News & Notes

Jeff Dunford has divested his part ownership of the Super Late Model he drove over the past number of seasons. Terry Snyder was the other part owner, buying Dunford out of his portion. Dunford, however, stressed it was not due to any disagreement between he and Snyder. “There were no problems between Terry and I. The decision was purely for financial reasons,” explained Dunford. “I want to thank my friends and competitors for everything over the last few years.” He also stressed he hopes to return to the series in the near future.

Canadian recording artist Lucas Rogerson will perform his rendition of O’Canada this Sunday to open the 2013 OSCAAR Racing season. Rogerson is a long-time member of the Settlers Creek band and is in the process of beginning a new solo career. His first solo album, ‘Streetlights’, is set to release next Wednesday, May 22. It will be available on iTunes and can be pre-ordered now. OSCAAR Modified driver Davey Terry has been instrumental in the process of having Rogerson perform this evening. Despite the friendship, Rogerson has never been to a stock car race. “I’m expecting excitement. I’m excited to see the cars. I never realised how much thought goes in to the cars. I’m excited to see the crowd,” he said. You can check out the duo’s promotional video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ADsrZThXnDk

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NEW CASTLE, Ind.— May 15, 2013— Two different race cars and two very different race tracks will greet Tracy Hines in his home state of Indiana this weekend. But, that’s just par for the course for the veteran driver who is used to competing in all three USAC National series as he will race in both a sprint car and a Silver Crown machine.

Hines will hit the track at Bloomington Speedway on Friday, May 17 with the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series aboard his Hansen’s Welding Inc. DRC for the running of the Larry Rice Classic. That event will feature time trials and heats races, followed by a main event. On Saturday, May 18, the veteran driver will take part in the 100-lap Hall of Fame Classic for the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in Clermont, Ind., behind the wheel of the Lightfoot Racing Beast.

“The month of May is a great time in the state of Indiana for all of open wheel racing and we are fortunate again this year to have a handful of races at some tracks that I’ve had success at over the years,” Hines said. “Having a couple of races this weekend and then three races next week provides a great opportunity to stay in the seat and get into a rhythm.”

Last season, the native of New Castle, Ind., made a pair of starts at Bloomington Speedway with the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series. He finished fifth in the spring race at the quarter-mile bullring after lining up seventh in the 30-lap main event. Hines was victorious in a USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series event at Bloomington in 2005 during Indiana Sprint Week. The 2002 USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series champion made one start in a midget at the track in 2012, earning a top-10 finish during Indiana Midget Week with the USAC National Midget Series.

“Bloomington is always a pretty racy track,” he shared. “We learned a few things last weekend at Haubstadt (Tri-State Speedway) that should help our short track program this weekend. The first order of business each night is to get qualified well and transfer from the heat into the main event. At Haubstadt, we had an uphill battle all night after time trials and we are going to try to make sure we don’t put ourselves in that position again.”

Hines finished sixth last year in the inaugural Hall of Fame Classic for the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series on the pavement at 0.686-mile Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. He started 11th in the 100-lapper and steadily worked his way forward. Hines made two starts in a Silver Crown car at the track last season. He was victorious with the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in 2010. He has finished in the top-10 in four of his last five Silver Crown starts at the historic 0.686-mile track.

In a midget last season at the Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Hines went undefeated, winning both of his starts. He claimed his first Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis victory back in 1997 in a midget. Hines won at least one race at the track every year from 1997-2001. He has a total of 13 career wins at the venue across the three USAC National Series.

“Raceway Park is a place I’ve been able to win quite a few races at over the years and always seem to be in a good position to be in contention there,” he noted. “With it being the first Silver Crown race of the year, we’ll try to make the most of the couple of practice sessions we have, so we can feel everything out on the car. It will be good to have a 100-lapper and get that extra seat time.”

Last weekend, Hines raced with the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind., finishing 13th after lining up 21st in the 30-lap main event, in a race that was co-sanctioned with the Midwest Sprint Car Series. Thus far in 2013, he has made six starts with the series and has finished 13th or better in each and every race.

Entering the USAC Amsoil National Sprint Car Series event at Bloomington Speedway, Hines is eighth in points, just 24 markers out of the top-five and 53 out of the lead. He has won twice this season, which is second-most in the series. Last season, Hines finished ninth in the USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series standings and enters this season with nine career Silver Crown wins, which is ninth on the series all-time win list.

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

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

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—May 14, 2013— Five races in seven nights. If it was up to Kraig Kinser and just about most other drivers that’s how every week would be on the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series trail. For one week, the drivers will get their wish as the first East Coast Swing of the season will find the series hitting the track for five nights of racing at four different venues over the course of a one week period.

The East Coast Swing opens for Kinser aboard his Casey’s General Stores/Mesilla Valley Transportation Maxim on Wednesday, May 15 at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pa. The series then heads to the legendary Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., for a two-night event on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18. An overnight trip to New York will find the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series at Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown on Sunday, May 19. A return to New Egypt Speedway in New Jersey for the first time since 2007 is set for Tuesday, May 21.

“Along with being most of the busiest stretches of the season, the next week will be one of the toughest as well in terms of the competition we’ll face night in and night out,” said Kinser. “The guys in Pennsylvania know Lincoln and Williams Grove so well and they take a lot of pride in defending their home turf. We have to really be on our game heading out there.”

Kinser made his debut at Lincoln Speedway last season, as the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series made their first visit to the three-eighths-mile near Hanover, Pa., since 1998. He finished 24th in the main event, against a very strong field as 45 drivers who attempted to earn a spot in the 30-lapper.

The native of Bloomington, Ind., earned a pair of top-10 finishes at Williams Grove Speedway last season, including the best finish of his career at the half-mile during the Summernationals in July, when he came home fourth. Kinser followed that up by finishing seventh on the first night of the National Open in the fall. The third-generation driver has made a total of 28 main event starts at Williams Grove in his career, including preliminary features, dating back to 2003.

“We had a couple of good runs at Williams Grove last season, so hopefully we can use a little bit of what we learned on those nights when we go back this week,” Kinser stated. “First and foremost, you have to time trial well and put yourself in a position in the heat race to either make the dash or at least transfer into the feature. The whole night is a pretty intense one when you go up to Williams Grove and you have to be spot-on each time you hit the track.”

Last season Kinser finished 15th at Orange County Fair Speedway after losing a tire while running second on the final lap. He opened the event by turning the eighth-fastest lap in time trials and followed that up by winning the second heat race to earn a spot in the dash, where he came home second to secure a front row starting sport for the 25-lap main event. Kinser has made three starts in his career at Orange County, with the first of those coming in 2004, when he recorded a seventh-place finish.

“Orange County is Orange County, there is really no place like it,” he noted. “You certainly see the speed of a sprint there and the surface is pretty unique as well with how hard the clay is. Track position is pretty important there, so hopefully we can qualify in the right spot and get in the dash and have a chance to start near the front of the field.”

Kinser will be making the first start of his career at New Egypt Speedway as well as his first start in the state of New Jersey. The seventh-sixteenths-mile will be hosting the series for the first time since 2007 and the fifth time overall. Kinser has raced at three tracks for the first time this year. In his career he has three wins with the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series when visiting a track for the first time.

“The series hasn’t been to New Egypt for a handful of years, so hopefully that is a bit of an advantage for me, since I’ve never been there at all,” Kinser shared. “Racing at bigger tracks each of the three races before at Williams Grove and Orange County, we should have a good baseline to start the night with and kind of know what direction we need to go.”

Kinser heads to the East Coast 12th in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series championship standings. He has eight top-10 finishes on the year, of which three are top-five performances.

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

Kraig Kinser By the Numbers: Lincoln Speedway, Williams Grove Speedway, Orange County Fair Speedway & New Egypt Speedway
0.375- Miles around Lincoln Speedway
0.4375- Distance around New Egypt Speedway in miles
0.5- Miles around Williams Grove Speedway
0.675- Distance around Orange County Fair Speedway in miles
1- Race in New Jersey for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series in 2013
2- Top-10 finishes at Williams Grove Speedway last season
4- Nights of racing in New York this season for the World of Outlaws
8- Top-10 finishes this season in feature events
9- Nights of racing in Pennsylvania this season for the series
12- Current position in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series standings
14.9- Average finish in 28 career main event starts at Williams Grove Speedway
25- Miles from Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pa., where the World of Outlaws compete on May 15 to Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa.
28- Career main event starts at Williams Grove, including preliminary features
126- Miles from Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, N.Y., where the World of Outlaws race on May 19 to New Egypt Speedway in New Jersey
208- Miles from Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pa., where the World of Outlaws compete on May 17–18 to Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, N.Y.
986- Miles from Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, where the World of Outlaws raced on May 11 to Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pa.
2003- Year of first start at Williams Grove Speedway
2004- First start at Orange County Fair Speedway
2012- Year of first start at Lincoln Speedway

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

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

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 14, 2013) – The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series opens the 2013 race season with the Pinty’s presents the Vortex Brake Pads 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario. The race is scheduled to take the green flag on Sunday, May 19 at 1:30 p.m. ET. Below is a statistical look at the recent performance of selected drivers at CTMP, as well as some other statistical trends:

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Race Setup

·         J.R. Fitzpatrick has a streak of six consecutive top-five finishes at the track including victories in 2008, 2010 and 2012. In six outings he has never finished worse than third.

·         All three series manufacturers have been to Victory Lane at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – Chevrolet with J.R. Fitzpatrick, Dodge with D.J. Kennington and Ford with Andrew Ranger.

·         D.J. Kennington has top-five finishes in five of his six starts at the track including a win in 2011 and a runner-up finish last season.

·         Jeff Lapcevich has a current streak of four top-10 finishes in this event.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

·         This is the series’ seventh visit to the historic road course nestled in the hills of Ontario.

·         The Pinty’s presents the Vortex Brake Pads 200 is 201.96 kilometers in length.

·         This is the second consecutive year for the series to open the season on the road course at CTMP.

·         In the six previous events, there has been an average of 2.67 caution periods for an average of 9.67 laps with a record six cautions for 21 laps in 2011.

·         The earliest caution has come at Lap 3 (2011); the latest on Lap 48 (2008).

·         The average starting position of the winner is 2.17 and the average finish of the pole sitter is 2.67.

·         The lead has changed hands an average of 6.17 times in six events including a record nine lead changes last year after seven in 2011.

·         All three series manufacturers have been to Victory Lane – Chevrolet with J.R. Fitzpatrick, Dodge with D.J. Kennington and Ford with Andrew Ranger.

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Data

Race: #1 of 12 (5/19/13)

Track Layout: 2.459-mile road course

Race Length: 51 laps (125.4 miles)

Records

1-Lap Qualifying: Scott Steckly, Dodge, 83.922 seconds, 105.484 mph, May 19, 2012

51-Lap Race: Andrew Ranger, Ford, 1 hr., 26 min., 39 sec., 86.838 mph, June 17, 2007

Race Winners

J.R. Fitzpatrick ……………………………. 3

Andrew Ranger ……………………………. 2

D.J. Kennington ………………………….. 1

Pole Winners

Andrew Ranger ……………………………. 3

Scott Steckly ……………………………… 2

Manufacturer Wins

Chevrolet …………………………………… 3

Ford …………………………………………. 2

Dodge……………………………………….. 1

Laps Led

J.R. Fitzpatrick …………………………. 130

Andrew Ranger ………………………….. 50

Peter Gibbons …………………………… 39

Selected Driver Information:

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

·         Finished 11th last season in the Vortex Brake Pads 200.

·         Scored a career-best Canadian Tire Motorsport Park finish of third in 2007.

·         Has two top-five finishes (2007, 2009) at the track.

·         Has led 11 laps on the road course at CTMP including four last season.

·         One of four drivers to start all 75 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

Robin Buck (No. 66 Quaker State Dodge)

·         Scored a ninth-place finish a year ago on the CTMP road course.

·         Posted a track career-best finish of third in 2011.

·         Registered his first CTMP top-10 finish of sixth in 2009.

·         Has led a total of 18 laps in his six starts at the track.

·         Earned both of his series-career wins – Circuit ICAR and Circuit de Trois-Rivieres – in 2011.

Noel Dowler (No. 5 EMCO/Rheem Dodge)

·         Finished 26th in last season’s opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

·         Made his series debut at CTMP in 2011 and finished 16th.

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

L.P. Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge)

·         Finished fifth in last year’s season opener at CTMP.

·         Made his track debut in 2011 and finished 23rd.

·         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)

·         Won last season’s Vortex Brake Pads 200.

·         Leads the series with three wins (2008, 2010 and 2012) on the 2.459-mile road course.

·         Has a streak of six consecutive top fives at the track in six outings – never finishing worse than third.

·         Leads all series drivers with 130 laps led at the Ontario track.

·         Seven of his eight career series wins have come on road courses – CTMP (3), Edmonton (2) and Montreal (2).

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

·         Registered a CTMP career-best finish of sixth a year ago.

·         Suffered a broken wrist in a Lap 42 accident in 2011 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

·         Has three top-10 finishes on the road course at CTMP.

·         Has led three laps in Canadian Tire Series action at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

·         One of four drivers to start all 75 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

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

·         Was runner-up to J.R. Fitzpatrick last season in the Vortex Brake Pads 200.

·         Claimed his first series road-course victory in 2011 at CTMP.

·         Only finish outside the top five in six starts at the Bowmanville road course was a sixth-place effort in 2010.

·         In six outings, starts from an average position of 7.83 and averages a 3.33 finishing position at the track.

·         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 75 NCATS races.

Jeff Lapcevich (No. 76 Tim Hortons Dodge)

·         Placed eighth a year ago in the Pinty’s presents the Vortex 200.

·         Scored a track career-best finish of fourth in the 2011 CTMP race.

·         Has a streak of four straight top-10 finishes on the road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

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

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

·         Finished seventh a season ago at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in this event.

·         Had a track career-best finish of fifth in the 2010 race.

·         Has top-10 finishes in two of his last three road course starts at the Ontario track.

·         Has led eight laps in Canadian Tire Series action at CTMP.

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

Martin Roy (No. 90 Batteries Expert Dodge)

·         Registered an 18-place finish in last year’s CTMP opener.

·         Made his track debut in 2011 with a 14th-place effort.

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

Howie Scannell Jr. (No. 56 Trailers By Jim Bray Dodge)

·         Posted a 13th-place finish in last year’s CTMP opener.

·         Led five laps in the 2009 edition of the Vortex Brake Pads 200.

·         Has two top-10 finishes in four Canadian Tire Motorsport Park starts.

Trevor Seibert (No. 69 Lake Excavating/Emco Waterworks Dodge)

·         Finished 19th in his last CTMP start in 2011.

·         Best Canadian Tire Motorsport Park finish was 14th in 2009.

·         Best series career finish is third accomplished on two occasions at Edmonton, Alberta.

Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire/Johnsonville Dodge)

·         Finished a track career-best third in last season’s CTMP event.

·         Has four top fives in six starts on the 2.459-mile track.

·         Started from the pole last season; also was the top qualifier in 2008.

·         His 11 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victories is good for third on the all-time list.

·         Won 2008 and 2011 series championships.

·         One of four drivers to start all 75 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

Jason White (No. 21 Bowers & Wilkins Dodge)

·         Recorded a 12th-place finish in this event last season.

·         Scored a sixth-place finish in 2011 – his best in five CTMP road course starts.

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

Former Series Champion Steckly Hungry For Road Win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 13, 2013) – It has been right there, but Scott Steckly has not been able to grasp the brass ring on a road course.

A great deal of pride can be taken in the numbers considering the competition. In 27 career NASCAR Canadian Tire Series road course starts, the Milverton, Ontario driver has recorded 17 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes which includes five second-place efforts. While proud of his road-racing résumé, it just adds to Steckly’s hunger.

“We’ve done pretty well overall which is good for points,” said Steckly. “We’re all out here to win races, though.”

Winning is an experience the No. 22 Canadian Tire/Johnsonville Dodge team has. With 11 career wins Steckly has the third-highest total in series history behind D.J. Kennington (18) and Andrew Ranger (16). The three drivers have combined to claim all six series titles. Ranger and J.R. Fitzpatrick have left the pickings slim on road courses by combining to win 20 of the 27 events since the series’ inception in 2007.

Despite finishing fourth in the final point standings last season, it was not a typical Steckly campaign. It was his first winless season since before the NASCAR era in Canada and, yes, there was one that got away. Last July in Edmonton, Alberta, Steckly was blowing everyone away with leads of over 10 seconds on the 2.256-mile road course. However, a pair of late-race cautions tightened the field. On the second restart Steckly and Fitzpatrick got tangled up racing for the lead opening the door for Kennington to slide through the gap and on to victory.

“We had that one,” said Steckly after the race. “Winning a road course race is a goal of ours and it should have been accomplished today.”

Over the years Steckly has been solid at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, the site of this year’s season opener. In six starts, Steckly has four top fives with a career-best finish of third coming last season which was one of his two starts from the pole position on the 2.459-mile road course. His qualifying run last May established a new track record for the series.

“We’ve been decent there,” he said. “If there is a track that I’d like to get our first road win at; it’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It would be a great fit with Canadian Tire on our car.”

That wouldn’t be the only potential benefit for Steckly, who began his championship-winning campaigns in 2008 and 2011 with victories in the season opener.

Race: Pinty’s presents the Vortex 200

Place: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ont.

Date: Sunday, May 19

Time: 1:30 p.m. ET

TV Schedule: TSN/TSN2, Sun., May 19, Time (TBA); RDS2, Fri., June 4, 9 p.m. ET

Track Layout: 2.459-mile road course

2012 Winner: J.R. Fitzpatrick

2012 Pole Sitter: Scott Steckly

Event Schedule: Sat., May 18: Practice 11:30 a.m.-Noon; Final Practice 12:45 – 1:15 p.m.; Qualifying 4 p.m.; Sun., May 19: Driver Autograph Session 11:15 a.m.; Opening Ceremonies 1 p.m.

Track Contact: Ryan Chalmers, (905) 983-9141, ryan@ctmpark.com

Track Twitter: @CTMPOfficial

Event Twitter Hashtag: #PintysVortex200

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

FAST FACTS

The Race: This is the opening event of the 2013 season for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and the first of four road-course events on the schedule. This is the series’ seventh time to visit the track.

The Procedure: The starting field is 32 cars, including provisionals. The first 27 cars will qualify through NASCAR road-race style (group) qualifying. The groups will be determined by practice times. The remaining five spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 51 laps covering 200 kilometers (125.4 miles).

The Track: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, formerly known as Mosport International Raceway, is Canada’s largest motorsports complex. The 750-acre, multi-track facility is located within the Greater Toronto Area, north of Bowmanville, Ont. CTMP features the 2.459-mile road course; a half-mile, paved oval; a 2.4-kilometer advanced driver and race driver training facility and a 1.4-kilometer kart track. The facility opened in 1961 and has hosted stock car, Formula 1 and IndyCar events over the years. The road-course track was resurfaced in 2000 and widened to 40 feet. Canadian Tire acquired the naming rights to the facility in early 2012 and new ownership has made several improvements to the facility over the last two years.

The Records: The single-lap qualifying record is held by Scott Steckly and was set on May 19, 2012 at 105.484 mph (83.922 seconds). Andrew Ranger also holds the race record at 1 hour, 26 minutes, 39 seconds for an average speed of 86.838 mph on June 17, 2007.

The History: In the previous six NASCAR Canadian Tire Series events on the road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, J.R. Fitzpatrick (2008, 2010 and 2012) and Andrew Ranger (2007, 2009) have accounted for five of the six wins. D.J. Kennington claimed his first series road-course victory in 2011. Ranger has claimed three starts from the pole while Steckly has two. Qualifying in 2011 was rained out.

RACE NOTES

For Openers: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park hosts the season opener for the second straight season and is the fifth different track to host the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series opener. Only the former Cayuga Motor Speedway in 2007 and 2008 has played home to as many kickoff events. CTMP actually has hosted thee openers, but the 2011 season began down the hill on the half-mile oval.

Friendly Confines: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park has been good to J.R. Fitzpatrick with three victories in six starts. He also has a pair of runner-up finishes and a third-place effort.

Four On The Floor: Four drivers – Ron Beauchamp Jr., Jason Hathaway, D.J. Kennington and Scott Steckly – on the preliminary entry list for the Pinty’s presents the Vortex 200 have participated in all 75 races in NASCAR Canadian Tire Series history. The four have combined for 30 race victories with Kennington taking the checkered flag a series-best 18 times while Steckly has 11 wins and Hathaway has one.

New Number: Jeff Lapcevich will not be in his familiar No. 23 Tim Hortons Dodge this year as he makes the switch to No. 76 in homage to his father, Joe, who passed away earlier this year.

First Timers: At this time three drivers – Daniel Bois, Alex Guennette and Ryan Klutt – will be making their Canadian Tire Series debut this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Klutt’s brother, Gary, scored an 11th-place finish in his 2010 series debut. Both are the sons of Peter Klutt, a veteran series road course competitor.

Lots Of Action: Castrol presents the Victoria Day SpeedFest has something for all race fans. The Canadian Tire Series brings the roar of stock-car racing while there are sports cars of all sorts on the schedule. Also competing over the weekend is the Canadian Touring Car Championship, Canadian Supercar Series, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin and the Trans-Am Series. Tickets for the action-packed weekend are still available at www.canadiantiremotorsportpark.com.

NEXT TIME OUT: Delaware

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series makes its annual visit to Delaware (Ontario) Speedway on Saturday, June 15 for the first of eight dates this season on an oval track. D.J. Kennington has been virtually invincible on his home track with three wins in four tries. His triumph at Delaware last season helped extend his series record-setting five race win streak that led him to his second series championship.

By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia) – Six days remain until the OSCAAR Modified tour kicks off its sophomore season at Sunset Speedway. The 30-lap feature at the Innisfil, Ont. facility will mark the beginning of what is expected to be a highly competitive campaign. The series has quickly become a fan-favourite with many drivers competing for victory on any given night. The level of competition is only expected to rise in 2013 as a number of drivers have gained valuable experience through one season.

With less than a week remaining until engines fire, here are six things to watch for on the OSCAAR Modified tour this year.

6) Schedule Battle

After a 12-race campaign on the inaugural tour, drivers will face 15 events at 7 different tracks all across the province. Like the Super Late Model tour, the Modifieds will visit Sunset Speedway for five feature events. The series will also make stops at Flamboro Speedway for the first time, both on July 20 and on October 5, as part of the Oktoberfest Classic weekend.

However, the key to the championship will be the driver who can survive the dog days of summer. Starting on July 13 at Sauble Speedway, the series will see action on six consecutive weekends. The drivers who can remain clean and consistent will have the best shot at the season ending hardware.

5) Impressive Rookie Class

As many as 11 new drivers could see action this season, with at least half of those committed to 75% of the schedule or more. Reigning Canadian Vintage Modified champion Shane Stickel will compete in 2013 in a new Troyer-built modified, sporting his familiar #39, as well as former mini stock and late model competitor Bobby Tolton, who will drive car #13.

While he is expected to miss the first event of the season, former NASCAR Canadian Tire Series crew chief is expected to make his debut at Barrie Speedway, piloting a new chassis from 2Kwik chassis from Kluth Motorsports.

Third generation driver Branden Bullen, son of former OSCAAR competitor Phil, will be behind the wheel of car #67jr for the start of the season. Bullen debuted his car at the Fast and Furious Motorsports Show in Bowmanville, Ont. in early April and has tested the car since then.

Veteran open-wheel enthusiast Mike Westwood will drive car #91 this season and should be competitive to start the year. Factor in former Kawartha Speeway late model regular Max Beyore will drive car #91N this season, a brand new Jeff Hanley-built modified. Beyore should be considered a favourite for the Rookie-of-the-Year title.

Dave Osbourne made one appearance last season at the Autumn Colours Classic. Osbourne will wheel car #11 in all Saturday and Sunday events this year. Osbourne is a full-time employee of dirt track Ohsweken Speedway, which runs on Friday nights, and will not compete in Friday night events at Delaware Speedway as a result.

Other drivers who are expected to make modified debuts in 2013 are Mike Ford (#04), Albert Traves (#17), Ryan Dick (#88D), Tommy Robb (#88), and Jessica Spicer (#89).

4) Second-Year Surprises

A number of drivers from the inaugural rookie class have stepped up their programs over the off season with the hopes of taking home a checkered flag at some point this season. Last season’s rookie-of-the-year Davey Terry (#14 Wasteco Camry) will feature a new paint scheme to start the season, along with several upgrades under the hood. Terry came dangerously close to wins at Sunset and Kawartha near the end of last season, and will look to continue where he left off.

Matt Barton (#2 MDB Racecars Chevrolet) has committed to the first six races of the season, with a part schedule for the remainder of the year. Barton will also debut a new scheme to his mod, as well as an upgraded engine package.

Josh Gruntz’s (#31 Maple Key Landscape Chevrolet) 2012 best appearing car has received a makeover this off season and should bring an even more competitive car to the track each week. Gruntz routinely finished in the top-ten last year and should challenge for top-five this season.

Tim Burke (#99 Lynval Contracting Chevrolet) should emerge as a favourite this season. Burke was the recipient of bad luck on multiple occasions last season, but routinely finished near the front when lady luck was on his side. Burke should be among the series’ best this season.

Brandon Crumbie (#72) is the only regular rookie competitor from the 2012 season that will not return for the upcoming season.

3) New Winners

Last season, just four different drivers tasted victory, and only two drivers were able to win multiple times. Gary McLean (#8 McLean Industrial Design Chevrolet) dominated the tour with eight wins. Cousin Brent McLean (#7 Bowmanville Home Hardware Chevrolet) earned two victories, including the Woolner Memorial, while his Uncle Brian McLean (#47 Bowmanville Home Hardware Chevrolet) notched a win at Peterborough in August. Steve Smith (#98 Bert’s Service Centre/Becker Bros Towing Chevrolet) was the only driver not named ‘McLean’ to win in 2012, taking checkers at Sauble Speedway.

While each of those four drivers remain heavy favourites to win on any given night, a multitude of other drivers have thrown their name in to the mix. Terry, Burke, and Barton could find victory lane this year, along with rookies Beyore, Stickel, and Westwood, among others.

That list has yet to include former Delaware Speedway weekly regulars Justin Demelo (#82 EMCO Waterworks Chevrolet), David McCullough (#39M Oaks Auto Chevrolet), and Barry Newman (#1 Vipond Fire Protection Chevrolet). Factor in veteran Monty Kelly (#96k At a Glance Printing Chevrolet) and it’s easy to see why victory will be difficult to claim on any given night.

2) Extra Distance Features

The series will run extra distance, 50-lap features on three occasions this season. The most prestigious event on the schedule remains the 15^th annual Rick Woolner Memorial. The event has grown to two-days, September 14 and 15, wrapping up with a 50-lap feature on Sunday afternoon. Drivers will time trial on Saturday evening to determine their place in one of two heats. Odd number qualifiers will be in one heat while even numbers will fall in heat two. The top two qualifiers will lock themselves in to the front row for the feature, but must start their heat races to maintain position. The results of the heats will set the field for a 25-lap mini-feature later in the evening. Those final results will set the field for the 50-lap feature on Sunday afternoon.

Brent McLean took the checkers last year, but this season brings a whole new ball game. Gary McLean has won the event nine times previous. Brian McLean has also won the event twice.

Extended 50-lap features will also run on August 17 at Delaware Speedway, and on October 13 at Peterborough Speedway as part of the Autumn Colours Classic. The Delaware event should prove to be one of the toughest races all year. The track’s rough surface will force drivers to fight the wheel much of the night and save their equipment for the end of the race. That’s certainly no easy task with an $800 pay cheque awaiting the winner.

1) Title Defense

As mentioned, Gary McLean was hands down the number one driver on the tour last season. McLean and his crew chief Greg Gibson form an impressive duo that is as well prepared as anybody anywhere in the business. If not for a couple of mechanical failures and some tough luck at the Woolner Memorial, the Conn, Ont. native could have taken 11 races last year. He finished outside the top-five just one time.

So how do you beat McLean? Start ahead of him. McLean was nearly perfect in 2012 once he held the lead, so drivers who hope to upset the veteran will have to start upfront or get there quickly. With added competition this year, it should be especially interesting to see how the defending champ starts next weekend.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind.—May 12, 2013— Kraig Kinser’s main goal this past weekend at Knoxville Raceway and Elko Speedway was to solidly make the feature each night, complete all the laps and come away with two respectable finishes to make up for a tough weekend at Eldora the previous one. He was able to accomplish this as he finished 15th or better both nights, including gaining eight spots in the main event to come home 13th at Knoxville on Saturday night against the largest field of cars assembled all season.

Kinser lined up 21st at Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, on Saturday, May 11, and used a trio of yellow and red flags to methodically work his way forward in an attrition-filled race. The third-generation driver gained a spot at the drop of the green flag of the 25-lap main event and had moved up four positions, just four laps into the race. The first red flag was displayed on the sixth lap, at which point, Kinser found himself in 16th. He would run near that spot for the next 13 laps and used a strong restart following a lap-19 red flag to move into 15th. The native of Bloomington, Ind., would gain two more spots in the late going to cross the line 13th in the Casey’s General Store/Mesilla Valley Transportation Maxim.

“We are getting closer to where we need to be, but are still not quite there yet,” said Kinser. “The competition is just so tough right now with the Outlaws that if you are just a little bit off you are scratching and clawing to make the feature. Looking at the field at Knoxville, it was about half the Knoxville Nationals field there, so that was about as tough as it gets for an early season event at that track.”

The 2005 winner of the Knoxville Nationals opened the night by turning the 26th-fastest lap in time trials with a season-high 51 cars in attendance. Kinser lined up sixth in the first eight-lap heat race, with just the top-four finishers transferring to the A-Feature as a five heat race program was in effect. The third-generation driver got by current series point leader Daryn Pittman and Ian Madsen to finish fourth in the heat race and earn a spot in the 25-lap A-Feature.

Kinser opened the weekend on Friday, May 11 in the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series debut at Elko Speedway in Minnesota. The paved three-eighths-mile was covered with dirt and hosted a very strong field of 34 cars and a huge crowd. Kinser was 11th-fastest in time trials and finished third in the third 10-lap heat race to earn a spot in the 40-lap main event. He lined up 16th on a very technical race track and ended up crossing the finish line in 15th, after the race was interrupted by rain on lap-34, which cut the feature short.

“Elko was very unique and a pretty tricky track and you really had to hit your marks,” he shared. “It was great to see such a big crowd and it was unfortunate the rain came there at the end. We might have been able to gain a few more spots if we would have had that last restart, but you never know. The main thing is we were able to complete all the laps and roll the car on the trailer in one piece.”

Next up for the third-generation driver is the first East Coast Swing of the season for the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series. Five races in seven nights await Kinser and his fellow competitors with three of those races in the sprint car hotbed of Central Pennsylvania. Kinser will enter that stretch of races 12th in the series standings, with eight top-10 finishes thus far in 2013.

“Going to Central Pennsylvania is always a challenge,” noted Kinser. “The guys out there are some of the toughest we face all season and you really have to be on your game, especially in qualifying. Where you time in and start in a heat race can really make or break your whole night. We’ll give it everything we have and hopefully come away with some good finishes.”

Kraig Kinser Racing would like to thank Casey’s General Stores, Mesilla Valley Transportation, 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.

Elko Speedway & Knoxville Raceway Results

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

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