Category: Other Series PR

[media-credit name=”canadiantiremotorsportspark.com” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]June 18, 2012, GRIMSBY, ON – Jeff Lapcevich scored a season-best fourth place finish in the Clarington 200 NASCAR race at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Oval Saturday (formerly Mosport). The result capped off a tumultuous day for the Grimsby racing veteran.

Until moments before the command was given to start engines Lapcevich wasn’t sure if his car would be ready to race. The Tim Hortons #23 Dodge remained on jack stands on pit road with the crew thrashing furiously to repair a mechanical issue discovered during qualifying.

“I felt the clutch slipping when I went to make my qualifying run,” said Lapcevich. “The guys did a great job making repairs to get me on the track. For awhile I wasn’t sure if it would be done in time for the start of the race.”

Lapcevich qualified eighth in the competitive field, but because of the work done on the car he started at the tail end of the line up. He charged through traffic early to compete in the top -10, and even a mid-race skirmish with a pair of competitors couldn’t dampen his day.

“We were racing hard for position,” said Lapcevich. “The contact knocked the front end out of alignment, but it didn’t slow us down much.”

After being turned sideways exiting corner four Lapcevich was collected by Andrew Ranger. The contact knocked his car in the right direction, and everyone continued battling. As laps wound down Lapcevich showed great speed, but without a caution to bunch the field together he finished fourth.

“I think with a caution near the end of the race we might have picked up a couple more spots,” said Lapcevich. “But I’m happy with fourth place, and we should be fast for next week’s race at Delaware Speedway.”

Lapcevich left Canadian Tire Motorsport Park tied for fifth place in the points standings with Quebec racer Louis Phillipe Dumoulin. The series visits Delaware Speedway near London, Ontario, next weekend before heading west for three races in a span of 11 days.

The western swing starts in Vernon, British Columbia, and then stops in Edmonton, Alberta for a road course race before winding up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for a mid-week special. Lapcevich hasn’t competed during the western swing for many years.

“I’m excited to race out west,” said Lapcevich. “The crew is working better than I can ever remember, and the car has been awesome to drive. It should be a fun trip.”

For more information on Jeff Lapcevich and his racing family, visit www.LapcevichRacing.com .

[media-credit name=”canadiantiremotorsportspark.com” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]June 17, 2012- Bowmanville, Ontario-Jason Hathaway, in his #3 Snap-on Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink/Vortex Brake Pads Dodge was looking forward to getting back to the oval tracks this weekend in hopes of redeeming the Team after a disappointing race at I-CAR 2 weeks ago.

The car practiced well, posting a 5th place on the speed charts at the first oval track of the 2012 schedule. Hathaway tuned on his racing machine to get it comfortable for the long 200 lap event.

“We have done some testing with our oval car and I think what we have been learning will help us here tonight. Vortex Brake Pads is the presenting sponsor for tonight’s race and it is great to see some of our customers here.” Said Hathaway after practice on Saturday afternoon.

The Team also hosted some special guests; Alan Smith and James Eaton who were the lucky bidders for a “Day at the Races” with the E.H.R team during an auction at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of York Gala held last November.

Hathaway posted a wicked qualifying time and lined his #3 Snap-on Tools/ Rockstar Energy Drink/Vortex Brake Pads Dodge up in the 6th starting spot at the 1/2 mile oval. The beginning of the race was plagued by cautions, but Hathaway used them to his advantage working his way up to the front. By lap 16 he was running in the 3rd spot and working into his rhythm.

A long green flag run before the half way point saw Hathaway’s car tightened up and Hathaway had to back out of the throttle and wait for a caution to make some adjustments to the car. Caution flew on lap 117 and Crew Chief Craig Masters brought Hathaway down pit road for tires and a chassis adjustment. The over the wall crew did a great job and helped Hathaway to pick up 2 spots coming off of pit road!

Just passed the 150 lap mark, Hathaway turned up the heat and made a run for the end. He ran hard, chasing down the 6th and 7th place cars. Hathaway made a great move going through corner 2 with 5 laps to go pulling into 5th. Hathaway put some distance between himself and the 6th place car and recorded the team’s first top 5 of the 3 race old season.

Hathaway was proud of his team and their finish. “This was a great finish tonight. We raced hard, adjusted on the car and the guys had a great tire stop that really helped us. Our Hauler driver and spotter Phil wasn’t able to be here tonight and we are all thinking about him. Hopefully he is feeling better soon! This as a great night with Vortex here and all of our family, my daughters and our friends to celebrate Father’s Day weekend!”

The Clarington 200 Presented by Vortex Brake Pads will air on TSN on Sunday June 24 at 1pm EST and the will premiere on RDS2 Wednesday July 22th at 10pm EST.

The E.H.R. team will be right back at it this coming weekend at Delaware Speedway on Saturday June 23, for the EMCO 200 presented by Niagara Plumbing Supply and McKeough Supply.
-30-

Ed Hakonson Racing is proud to be partnered with Snap-on Tools, Rockstar Energy Drinks, Vortex Brake Pads, Napoleon Grills, Castrol, Fast Eddie Racewear, Choko Motorsports, Praxair and Cathcart Trucking and King Brewery.

About Snap-on Tools: Snap-on Tools is a leading global innovator, manufacturer and marketer of tools, diagnostics and equipment solutions for professional users. Product lines include hand and power tools, tool storage, diagnostics software, information and management systems, shop equipment and other solutions used by technicians and professionals at vehicle dealerships and repair centers in the marine, power sports and aviation industries. Visit www.snapon.com
About Rockstar Energy Drink: “ROCKSTAR is the world’s most powerful energy drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, ROCKSTAR is formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles – from athletes to rock stars!

About Vortex Brake Pads: Vortex Brake Pads is a proud Canadian company, manufacturing the highest quality aftermarket brake pads for all automotive segments. Vortex products are well researched, proven in on track and off track testing and are produced in a high quality manufacturing environment. For more information visit www.vortexbrakepads.com

[media-credit name=”canadiantiremotorsportspark.com” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]June 17, 2012, Bowmanville, ON: Mark Dilley made his 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season debut on Saturday night at the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and managed a convincing 2nd place finish.

Dilley who shares the driving duties in the #02 PartSource/BDI/Leland Industries Ford with veteran racer Kerry Micks made his debut at the first oval track event of the 2012 season. Micks will drive the #02 in the road course events while Dilley will be the pilot for the seven oval events on the 2012 schedule.

The #02 car was to Dilley’s liking right out of the trailer as he posted the eighth quickest time in practice.

The team made several changes to get it faster for qualifying and the Ford driver posted the seventh quickest time to start the Clarington 200.

Dilley would quickly move into the top five at the drop of the green for the 200 lap event. After pitting for fuel on lap 62 and making a minor adjustment, Dilley was very happy with the car. Another pit stop on lap 161 had the team replacing right side tires and the #02 car was set to go to the finish. Dilley would run with the leader Kennington but in the end had nothing for him and crossed the finish line in second.

An enthusiastic Dilley said after the race “This car just handles so well. We tested here a few weeks ago and I knew it was going to be strong today. I can’t thank my team, the guys in the shop – and Kerry (Micks) for putting this great car together for me. We are excited to go to Delaware next week and go for the win. And I have to thank all of our sponsors – so many of them were here tonight including PartSource, Leland, BDI , Johnsonville and Cathcart Trucking.”

Dilley will again be behind the wheel of the #02 Ford Fusion when they make their way to Delaware Speedway next Saturday June 23 for event #4 of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule.

The Clarington 200 will air on TSN on Saturday June 23 at 1 p.m.

The #02 Micks Motorsports team is supported by the following sponsors: Leland Industries, Beyond Digital Imaging, PartSource, Armor All, Johnsonville, STP, Cathcart Trucking, Seguin Marina, Thor Motors, Prostate Cancer Canada, Triad Racing Technologies, Gaunt Collision Centres, Samester and Castrol.

[media-credit name=”canadiantiremotorsportspark.com” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]June 17, 2012. Bowmanville, ON. – On Saturday, Scott Steckly returned to the Clarington 200 at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park speedway as the reigning champion. #22 showed up at yesterday’s competition with a very different race set-up than what won him the 1^st place finish in 2011.

Earlier in the day, Steckly’s crew made changes to the car for qualifying, adjusting the set-up to Steckly’s liking. The bar was high for last year’s top driver, but it wasn’t any added pressure for #22.

“Even the top finisher can find things to do better,” Steckly said. “If you’re not trying to improve, you can’t get better.”

Practice and qualifying ended strong for #22 and his Canadian Tire Dodge, Steckly qualified 4^th for that evening’s race. However, during the preliminary pace laps before the start of the race, Scott felt a problem with the car – initially assessing it as a flat tire. #22 made a quick pit stop and the team decided all of the tires on the Canadian Tire Dodge were fine. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until he left the pit he realized a broken axle was causing only one rear tire to drive the car.

Once the race went green, Steckly immediately made a pit stop and the team worked furiously to change the broken rear axle. Despite his team’s efficient work on the axle, #22 fell 8 laps behind. Steckly battled through the race making up 2 laps, but concluded the Clarington 200 in 14^th place – 10 spots behind his initial 4^thplace start. But Steckly wasn’t fazed.

“These things happen in racing,” he said after the race. “It’s still early in the season; we have time to make up for it. The team did a great job with the repairs; it’s too bad because we had a car that was just as fast as the rest.”

The Clarington 200 will be aired on TSN Sunday June 24 at 1 p.m. ET and on RDS Wed. July 11 at 10 p.m. ET

Next up for the 22 Racing/Canadian Tire Dodge team is the Emco 200 at Delaware on Saturday June 23. For more information please visit www.nascarhometracks.com

22 Racing is supported by the following sponsors:  Canadian Tire, Motomaster Eliminator, Sylvania, Erb Group, Mobil 1 and AW Millwrights.

[media-credit name=”canadiantiremotorsportspark.com” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]June 17, 2012.  DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team had a significant hurdle to overcome during round number three of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series on the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Saturday night.  Following a penalty that sent them to the back of the field, Kennington blazed through the competition to score his first victory of the season.

Through practice the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge was the class of the field posting the quickest time.  Kennington expected a similar result from qualifying but wound up fifth in an unusual set of circumstances, running the exact same time on both of his qualifying laps.  “The first lap was good, but I tried to adjust on the second lap and hit the ignition on the backstretch” slowing what would have been a faster lap explained the driver.

The strange evening would continue when just prior to the race NASCAR officials ruled that the team had made unapproved changes to the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge.  “We were adjusting air pressure in the tires as we always do, but were told that it had to be done earlier” said Kennington.

The penalty was severe.  The #17 Castrol Edge Dodge would be put to the back of the field for the start of the race.  “I just got on my horse and started charging” said Kennington who climbed quickly into the top ten.

It was quickly visible that Kennington would not be stopped on his way back to the front of the pack and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge would take over the lead on lap 56.  “The car was absolutely perfect” stated Kennington.  “Plenty of power and the handling was spot on” he added.

Once back out front only a brief shuffling of the order during pit stops would take him out of the lead for a handful of laps.  “The guys did a great job on our pit stops getting me out fast and getting the service done.  This #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team is really the best group out here” he stated.

The race was slowed several times for caution after Kennington took over the lead but on the restarts he quickly had a gap from the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge back to the rest of the field.  Kennington would cruise to the victory, his 12^th career win and first of the 2012 season.  “This is a great win for everyone, Castrol, Mahindra Tractors, Super Clean and everyone that helps us out.  It’s Father’s Day weekend so it’s a nice Father’s Day present for my Dad who does so much for me too.”

The race victory combined with bonus points now moves Kennington into second place in the overall standings, just a single point out of top spot.

DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team will be in action next at their home track, Delaware Speedway this coming Saturday June 23^rd.  Fans will be able to watch the event from the oval track at CTMP on Sunday June 24^th at 1PM Eastern on TSN.

Race fans are encouraged to keep up to date with the latest team news in several ways.  Race fans should bookmark the team website www.djkracing.ca and follow them on twitter, @djkracing and fans are also suggested to join the Facebook Group DJK Racing.

Prepared by Todd Lewis & TL Sports & Entertainment

[media-credit name=”canadiantiremotorsportspark.com” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]June 17, 2012. Bowmanville, ON. – Ron Beauchamp Jr. had a successful finish in Saturday’s Clarington 200 at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, finishing in the top ten but not without first overcoming a series of handling troubles behind the wheel of his #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge.

Beauchamp hit practice earlier on Saturday behind the wheel of his #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge and cruised through the preliminary laps, making only a few adjustments prior to qualifying. Despite feeling comfortable with his vehicle during practice, Beauchamp only scored the tenth starting spot.

“After we made the adjustments to improve corner exits, I was feeling confident for qualifying,” Beauchamp said after practice. “I’m not thrilled about 10^th, but I’m pretty sure my car will race well regardless.”

Beauchamp was optimistic about his Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge, but was plagued with the handling issues from the get-go. #60 ran smoothly through the first half of the track’s corners, but wasn’t as comfortable on the exit of the turns. Beauchamp’s handling issues caused him to lose precious ground, and the crew made scheduled pit stops looking to alleviate the difficult handling on the crucial corners but to no avail.

“I couldn’t have done it without the support of my crew,” Beauchamp said after the race. “My Crew Chief Dion Deneau was on the radio every lap and pushed me to keep at it. We battled hard.”

Persistence paid off, and despite the relentless handling problems, Beauchamp recorded an eighth place finish, increasing two spots from his tenth starting position.

“Top ten is good, but we really felt the car would perform better,” said Beauchamp. “We’ll do some homework this week, and next week we’ll come out flying.”

Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team will return to action June 23^rd at Delaware Speedway near London, ON.  For more information about the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries team log on towww.beauchampmotorsports.com and www.mopar.ca

This release prepared by, TL Sports & Entertainment

[media-credit name=”canadiantiremotorsportspark.com” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]June 17, 2012.  For the first time this season NASCAR Canadian Tire Series teams made only left turns during round three this past weekend on the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.   Martin Roy and his #90 Veloce/Gamache Truck Centre Dodge looked to continue their progress following a strong outing at the last event.

During the afternoon practice session Roy encountered a problem with his #90 Veloce/Gamache Truck Centre Dodge.  “The brake caliper rotated around the rotor and cut a brake line” said Roy.  “So I slid up and had a light brush with the wall” he added.

The #90 Veloce/Gamache Truck Centre Dodge team made quick repairs and Roy scored the 13^th quickest time during the session.

Unfortunately for Martin Roy the troubles were not over for the #90 Veloce/Gamache Truck Centre Dodge.  “The back end of the car was loose and very difficult to handle” explained Roy.  “I tried my best to keep it under control but it was very difficult” he added.

Prior to the halfway mark of the 200 lap event the #90 Veloce/Gamache Truck Centre Dodge would slow and Roy would bring the car to pit road.  “When the team had a chance to look at the car we could see that the problem with the rear end of the car being loose and moving had cut an oil line” stated the driver.

The team would be unable to make repairs in time to return the #90 Veloce/Gamache Truck Centre Dodge to the race and Roy would be classified 19^th.  “It’s disappointing but as a young team these things are going to happen.  We need to learn from them to be better the following week.

Teammate Isabelle Tremblay did not participate in round three in the #07 Frank Lyman Design Dodge.  Tremblay will be back in action soon and is still welcoming new partners to expand her race schedule to even more events this season.

Race fans will be able to watch the race from CTMP on Sunday June 24^th at 1PM on TSN and July 11^th on RDS2 at 10PM. (all times Eastern).  The next event on the 2012 race schedule is Saturday June23rd at Delaware Speedway near London, ON

Prepared by Todd Lewis & TL Sports & Entertainment

[media-credit name=”canadiantiremotorsportspark.com” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]June 17, 2012.  Sherwood Park, Alberta’s Noel Dowler continues to make great strides in his sophomore season behind the wheel of the #5 EMCO Dodge.  During round number three of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series this past weekend on the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Dowler achieved his first ever top ten finish, his best result ever in the series.

During practice the #5 EMCO Dodge team worked toward a race set up that would be consistent for Dowler during the evening event.  This may have been partly responsible for a disappointing qualifying run for Dowler who would start the race 20^th.  He would quickly begin to improve his position.

Once the race began Dowler felt he had a good handling race car and began to move the #5 EMCO Dodge forward in the field and gained about a half dozen positions.  “The car was really good” said Dowler.  “Like running on rails good” he added.

With the #5 EMCO Dodge running so well Crew Chief Chris Wright made a strategy call to keep Dowler track when other cars made pit stops for fuel.  “We made the decision to stay out when everyone came for fuel to get track position” explained Dowler.  “It moved us up and we restarted on the front row and gave me an opportunity to run with the best drivers” he added.

Though Dowler did slip back a couple of positions he maintained a top ten running spot for the #5 EMCO Dodge.  “I think we really showed that this team is making some progress” said Dowler.  “We could run with the top cars and hold our own” he added.

An unfortunate break would hurt the #5 EMCO Dodge team during their scheduled pit stops.  Dowler was ruled to be outside his pit box while the team performed service which resulted in a one lap penalty.  “It was a mistake that I was outside the pit box” said a disappointed driver.  “All we could do was dig in a get back as much as we could” he added.

Dowler would do just that.  Pushing the #5 EMCO Dodge in the closing laps he fought his way forward and would claim the tenth finishing position.  The best career result so far for the young driver and the team.  “I’m happy to score a top ten finish” said Dowler “but at the same time I’m a little disappointed we didn’t get a better result.  Knowing the car was that good you like to show it” he added.

The 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series resumes June 23^rd at Delaware Speedway near London, ON and features 12 events from coast to coast including races during the Edmonton Indy weekend and the NASCAR Nationwide event in Montreal.  For more information about Noel Dowler Jr. log onto www.apollomotorsports.ca and follow him on twitter, @noeldowler.

This release prepared by, TL Sports & Entertainment,

[media-credit name=”canadiantiremotorsportspark.com” align=”alignright” width=”255″][/media-credit]June 17, 2012. Bowmanville, ON. – Jason White got off to a rocky start at Saturday’s Clarington 200 at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, but trusted the speed of his #21 A&W Dodge and ran a few successful laps with a solid finish, despite a few minor mechanical problems along the way.

Practice early in the day on Saturday was a struggle for #21 and his team, the A&W Dodge’s set-up wasn’t quite what White was looking for. The crew worked to make some changes before qualifying; including some adjustments made on a tip from teammate DJ Kennington, but the 15^th place qualifying position wasn’t what the team hoped for.

Despite the later starting position than White and his crew would’ve liked, #21 A & W Dodge kicked off the Clarington 200 with strength – moving quickly into the top 10 and ran between 7^th and 8^th for a number of laps.

“From the start of the race the car was fast, even on the outside,” White said after the race.

But White’s early success took a wrong turn in later laps. On long green runs, the car became difficult to handle and #21 fell outside the top 10.

“We had a lot of long runs and the car just went away,” White said after the race. “It became a real handful and I had an issue with a flat tire. I was looking forward to the pit stop.”

White made his scheduled stop, and his crew outfitted his A&W Dodge with fresh tires and made a few handling adjustments. Despite his crew’s efficient work, the #21 A & W Dodge still encountered some problems on long runs.

“The car was rocket fast again, and we were fighting to stay in position to get the free pass back on to the lead lap, but the car went away again,” White explained. “I drove it into the ground right until the end.”

White toughed out the handling issues and still improved with an 11^th place finish, up four spots from his 15^th place qualifying start.

“It was a good, solid 11^th, great job by the crew. I’m looking forward to next weekend.”

Jason White and the #21 Dodge team will compete in the entire 2012 NCATS schedule that will take the team from coast to coast in Canada for the 12 events.  Next on the schedule is the event at Delaware Speedway near London, ON this coming Saturday June 23^rd. For the latest off season news about Jason White and the #21 Dodge team check out the team website atwww.jasonwhiteracing.com and be sure to follow Jason on twitter for the latest updates @racinjasonwhite  You can get more information about the NCATS series at www.hometracks.nascar.com

Prepared by Todd Lewis & TL Sports & Entertainment