Category: Other Series Racing

July 25, 2012. Saskatoon, Sask. – Scott Steckly earned another top five finish on Wednesday at the Auto Clearing Motor Speedway behind the wheel of his #22 Canadian Tire Dodge. Despite the respectable high-placing finish, this is Steckly’s second-straight disappointing weekend of a significant lead falling short by the finish line.

Steckly and his crew had a smooth day of practice laps on the afternoon of the race, only needing to make a few minor adjustments as qualifying neared later that day. #22’s Canadian Tire Dodge ran fast in practice but loose during qualifying, and Steckly earned a 7^th place starting position.

However, he saw the silver lining on his vehicle’s state of affairs: “We were a bit loose in qualifying, but we expect the track conditions to change and tighten up a bit so we think we’ll be good for the race,” Steckly explained after practice.

When the race kicked off, Steckly quickly left 7^th place in the dust and made a strong push for the lead position. #22 leapt into the top five, stalking the leaders and aggressively collecting spots. Steckly’s efforts paid off during lap 79, when he propelled his Canadian Tire Dodge to the front of the pack. #22 remained up front until lap 131, only relinquishing his spot for a necessary pit stop.

After servicing his vehicle, Steckly had to claw his way back to contend with the race leaders and had difficulties regaining his frontrunner position as the race progressed.

Steckly managed to edge his way into the top five, but the 250-lap race concluded before he could collect any more spots and #22 was the fourth driver to cross the finish line.

“We weren’t quite as good after our pit stop but we chose not to pit again since we didn’t want to give up all the track position,” Steckly said after the race. “Maybe we should have pitted and adjusted on the car, we were a fourth place car and most likely would have benefitted from an extra push.”

Steckly’s 4th place finish holds on to his 2^nd overall ranking in the standings with 280 total points. Steckly is 41 points behind #1 DJ Kennington and five points ahead of #3 Andrew Ranger.

The Velocity Prairie Thunder presented by Bayer Crop Science will be broadcast on TSN2 on Saturday, Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m. ET and RDS2 on Sunday, Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Next on the schedule for the 22 Racing/Canadian Tire Team is the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres on Aug. 3-5.

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

July 25, 2012. Saskatoon, Sask. – The Auto Clearing Motor Speedway wasn’t kind to Jason White and his #21 A&W Dodge. A technicality forced him to sit out of the first practice, and the loss of practice time combined with mechanical issues sent his day at the oval spiraling.

A discrepancy with some safety equipment on his #21 A&W Dodge disqualified Jason White from the first practice session earlier in the day. The loss of practice time crippled his qualifying and he earned a disappointing 20^th starting position for the race.

As White and the field approached the green flag to start the race, #21’s day went from bad to worse.

“I was on the back stretch just scrubbing my tires and we popped an axle,” White explained.

White eased his #21 A&W Dodge down the pit lane as the field took the green and dejectedly sat while the team made hasty repairs to fix the axel.

“It was an extremely tough break,” he said after the race. “If we had been allowed out for first practice, this problem may have occurred during practice and we would’ve been fine in the race.”

White’s broken axel put him down numerous laps behind the competition before he even started his initial lap.

Once his crew completed the repairs to his vehicle, White pressed on. “When we did get out, I was running right up with the leaders’ times,” he said. “I don’t think the leaders passed us once on the track.”

White completed 214 laps of the 250-lap race, soldiering through and finishing right where he started: 20th place.

“It has been a tough five days here in Edmonton and Saskatoon,” White said. “But we’ll regroup and be ready to get back at it at Trois-Rivieres”.

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 teams will race at the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres August 5^th.  For the latest news about Jason White and the #21 Dodge team check out the team website at www.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

July 25, 2012. Saskatoon, Sask. – Ron Beauchamp Jr. earned a top ten finish on Wednesday at the Auto Clearing Motor Speedway behind the wheel of his #60 Mopar Parts/Exide Batteries/Mobil 1 Dodge, but only after overcoming a late mechanical setback that knocked him out of the top five.

During the first practice session early in the day, Beauchamp’s #60 Mopar Parts/Exide Batteries/Mobil 1 Dodge was running quick. They made a few last-minute adjustments in the last half an hour of practice, but soon realized they didn’t like the changes.

“We were a very first car in the first session and we made some adjustments to try and make it better,” Beauchamp explained. “We didn’t end up liking the changes we made, so we went back to where we were with a few little tweaks.”

After correcting the last-minute changes at the end of practice, Beauchamp qualified 6^th. Although during qualifying, #60 dealt with some tightness in the middle of the corner, something Beauchamp said hindered him in obtaining a higher starting position.

Beauchamp had a solid start to the beginning of the race, running consistently in the top five. #60 made a scheduled stop for fuel and tires, and his Mopar Parts/Exide Batteries/Mobil 1 Dodge continued to run well as he held on to fifth place late in the race.

As #60 looked to make a late-race push to advance through the top five, his car hiccuped in the closing few laps and he lost power. Beauchamp quickly diagnosed the ignition box had failed, and he quickly switched to back up and the car came back to full song.

Unfortunately for #60, he lost several positions after the ignition box failure and there weren’t enough laps remaining in the race to recover. Beauchamp finished up the race in 8^th place, down two from his 6^th place starting position.

“It’s frustrating to be that close to a top five finish and suffer a late setback. It hurts a bit,” Beauchamp said after the race. “But we’ve got some positive momentum going and we’re looking forward to Trois-Rivieres.”

In the overall championship standings Ron Beauchamp Jr. sits, is tied for fifth after seven races.

Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team will be back in action Wednesday at Auto Clearing Speedway in Saskatoon, SK.   For more information about the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries team log on towww.beauchampmotorsports.com and www.mopar.ca

July 26, 2012.  Following another solid outing over the weekend Sherwood Park, Alberta’s Noel Dowler was right back in action Wednesday night at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, SK.  This marked the second visit to the 1/3 mile oval for the young racer who battled hard all night in the #5 EMCO Dodge.

The team worked hard during practice to ensure the #5 EMCO Dodge was consistent throughout the 250 lap feature that evening.  Dowler posted the 12^th quickest time during the first practice session and crew continued to try and make improvements.  “The car was pretty good during practice and the team worked to find that little bit more we needed” said Dowler.

Dowler would qualify the #5 EMCO Dodge 18^th and start the main event from the inside of row nine.  Unfortunately for them the race would open with an extended green flag run.  Starting that far back, another issue popped up in the carburetor and it wasn’t long before the leaders were able to drop Dowler down a lap.  “It’s unfortunate we got down a lap in the early going that kind of changed our strategy a little bit” he stated.

Still with plenty of racing left Dowler set out to achieve the best possible finish in the #5 EMCO Dodge.  “I just tried to be consistent and run a solid lap every time around and be considerate of the leaders on the track” explained Dowler.

A scheduled pit stop later in the race would also prove to be costly.  While on pit road the engine stopped because of the carburetor problem and the team had difficulty getting the car re fired.  “That was kind of a tough one” said Dowler.  “The engine just wouldn’t turn over and we lost more ground there” he added.

When the checkered flag waved Dowler would finish the evening 16^th, up two spots from his starting position.  “This was a tough night for us” said the #5 EMCO Dodge driver.  “Everybody worked so hard and I can’t thank them enough.  I love racing at this track and look forward to the next time we’re back, right now we’ll shift our focus to the upcoming road races.  he stated.

The 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series returns to action August 4 & 5 at the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres.     The series 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.

July 25, 2012. Saskatoon, Sask. – Jarrad Whissell made big strides behind the wheel of his #44 Komatsu/SMS Ford on Wednesday at the Auto Clearing Motor Speedway despite his limited experience driving oval tracks and mechanical issues halting his qualifying laps.

The first practice session uncovered a problem with the upper control arm, but after making the repairs, Whissell and his crew were reasonably pleased with the times they were recording. However mechanical troubles plagued them again, as the #44 Komatsu/SMS Ford never completed a qualifying lap due to suspension issues again in the right front.

“The problem we had with the bracket in practice caused a failure during our qualifying run, and we broke the sway bar link,” Whissell said. “The guys did a great job to make the repairs and overcome the problem to get the car ready for the race.”

Whissell’s inability to qualify landed him at the back of the field for the main event later that day.

#44 took it easy in the early going of the race as he struggled to collect spots and pass his tough competitors. The long stretch of green and Whissell’s strained passing opportunities caused him to lose a lap early on.

Whissell’s car again showed some instability, when around the lap 80 it began to push. #44 forged on, making his scheduled stop for fuel and handling adjustments. On his second schedule stop, this time for tires, there was a miscue in the pits and Whissell fell behind another lap.

Luckily for #44 and his crew, the Komatsu/SMS Ford ran fast during the end of the race and made up for lost time. Despite losing two laps and the various mechanical issues that sprung up, #44 prevailed and made efforts to finish as strong as possible. Whissell crossed the finish line 11^th, up 11 spots from his dead last, 22^nd place start.

Jarrad Whissell will race next in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event during the NASCAR Nationwide weekend in Montreal August 17 & 18.  Follow the progress of the team and help support the Children’s Miracle Network through the team website www.jarradwhissell.com  You can also follow Jarrad on twitter, @JarradWhissell and also check out the team fan page on Facebook. Fans can watch all of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races again this year on TSN.

CLERMONT, Indiana (July 25, 2012) – -It’s a big weekend in the State of Indiana. With the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) tackling the glamorous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will be just a few miles away competing at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis for the running of the Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 by Federated Car Care Friday night.

For Cherry Hill, New Jersey native Tom Hessert III, the Friday night fight under the lights at Lucas Oil Raceway provides an opportunity to shine and put a stretch of bad races behind him and focus on having a good run in the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala.

Hessert, a long-time ARCA Racing Series veteran will be the first to tell you that he enjoys short track racing. From Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway, Salem (Ind.) Speedway, Toledo Speedway, Elko (Minn.) Speedway and Iowa Speedway, Hessert’s raced at them all for Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) this season. With three top-fives and six top-10s added to his resume in 2012, the likable driver is determined to spice up the competition and put his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala in the hunt for a victory in ARCA’s 12th race of the season.

“I’m ready for this weekend,” said Hessert. “I always enjoy some good short track racing. In ARCA, the competition is always fierce and you can never count anything or anyone out until the end. Overall, the short tracks have been our strengths this season for the No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet, so I’m hoping we can go to Lucas Oil Raceway and improve on what we delivered there last year.”

Rewinding back to a year ago, ARCA’s return to the .686-mile oval in nearly two and a half decades, Hessert was able to showcase his short track skills by maneuvering his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet from his 17th place starting position before taking the checkered flag in fifth. Undoubtedly, having the experience of competing in last year’s contest – the 26-year old is hoping that will play into his favor.

“You definitely need to find the balance between rolling through the center well but still keep your forward drive off,” Hessert explained. “Lucas Oil Raceway is a very unique place and has a different level of grip. That showed between the test and the race last year. The track is very sensitive to weather, so we’ll have to bear that in mind as we’re adjusting our car throughout the day because we’ll be practicing and qualifying during the day, but the race will conclude under the lights. Everyone on this KSR team is prepared for whatever we may be faced with. I love racing there and can’t wait to get back.”

An extra incentive for Hessert this weekend is the presence of his marketing partner Federated Auto Parts, whose Federated Car Care division will serve as the presenting sponsor for Friday night’s rumble.

“It’s truly been a blessing to work with the folks at Federated Auto Parts and their divisions,” Hessert continued. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet all of the corporate representatives and a lot of their cliental. I know we’re going to have some representatives in the grandstands on Friday night, so hopefully with their cheers and chats, we can reward them with a deserving finish.”

The Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 by Federated Car Care(200 laps / 137 miles) is the 13th of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The ninth ARCA race at LOR is a one-day show. Practice begins Friday, July 27 with a forty-five practice session planned from 1:35 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. A final practice is scheduled from 3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag under the lights shortly after 9:00 p.m.

The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional coverage including timing and scoring will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

Entering Indianapolis, Hessert has 94 career ARCA Racing Series starts. In those outings, he has maneuvered two poles, one win, 22 top-fives and 49 top-10s.

For more on Tom Hessert III, please visit tomhessert.com.

Hessert has joined the Twitter crave. Follow and connect with him @TomHessert.

CLERMONT, Indiana (July 25, 2012) – – ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards rookie Korbin Forrister (@kforrister) will be the first to tell you that he has learned a lot in his early tenure as a development driver with Kimmel Racing. With that being said, the freshman driver will look to execute what he’s devoured in Friday night’s Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 by Federated Car Care at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.

For the first time since Toledo, (No. 5 of 20), Forrister with the help of Tilted Kilt is set to run the full distance behind the wheel of the No. 68 Ford Fusion under the leadership and guidance of car owner and crew chief Bill Kimmel. While the Limited Late Model (LLM) pro’s inaugural ARCA debut did not go as planned after mechanical gremlins resulted in a disappointing 28th place finish, the Cedartown, Georgia native is eager to bounce back and deliver an encouraging run in the 12th race of the season.

“I really feel good about this weekend, especially considering I’ve had several start and parks since the last time I ran a full race at Toledo,” explained Forrister. “I know that many people may say, what can you possible learn from a start and park? I say a lot. I am now getting more comfortable with the cars and I’m confident I’ll be able to give the Kimmel Racing bunch a good finish in our No. 68 Tilted Kilt Ford Fusion.”

For the fourth time this season, Tilted Kilt will adorn the primary sponsorship role. In addition to Toledo, Tilted Kilt and its local franchises have also latched onto Forrister’s teammate Will Kimmel at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and last Saturday evening at Chicagoland Speedway. The Tilted Kilt is a Celtic-themed sports bar and restaurant chain with the nearest location in Alabama located in Birmingham. Tilted Kilt is in the business of lifting spirits one burger, one beer, one guest, one visit, at a time. The Tilted Kilt experience is one-of-a-kind and will always leave you in a better mood than when you arrived.

“Kimmel Racing has developed a great relationship with Tilted Kilt and its franchises,” offered Forrister. “Will has done a good job giving them some great finishes, now it’s up to me to do the same.”

Even though Forrister has yet to see the .686-mile oval for himself, the 19-year old has leaned on The ARCA Sim Factory to get accustomed with the track’s layout.

“I’ve yet to see Lucas Oil Raceway with my own eyes but I’ve been able to get some practice on a simulator to become more familiar with the track and get a good idea of what I’ll be facing on Friday. I’ve also done my own personal research on the track, looking at photos and such not to mention talking with others (drivers) that have previously ran there for a little feedback. Bill (Kimmel) thought this would be a good race for me, so I trust his judgment and I’m confident that if we have a clean and conservative night, we should produce a good finish.”

Once again, Forrister has made it clear that he will seek the advice of his teammate and mentor Will Kimmel.

“Will’s not only a teammate but a great friend,” he said. “He’s been racing a long time, a while in these ARCA cars in particular. He’s not one of those selfish people who is looking out just for himself. He wants to us all to succeed at Kimmel Racing, so it’s going to be a welcome feeling knowing that I can lean on him throughout the day to let him know what my car is doing and see what he suggests to do to make it better. I know his insight will be incredibly influential.”

Bill Kimmel, owner of Kimmel Racing commented on the outlook for his young protégé this weekend at Lucas Oil Raceway. “Korbin’s been looking forward to Friday for a while now,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough field on Friday night but I think he’ll be fine. We haven’t set the expectations too high. We just want him to have a smooth practice, earn a strong starting spot and complete all 200 laps. If we can do that trouble-free, we should leave there with a  strong finish and something to build on for Springfield.”

In addition to Indianapolis, Forrister will drive for Kimmel Racing in upcoming events at the Illinois State Fairgrounds (August 19) and the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds (September 3).

The Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 by Federated Car Care(200 laps / 137 miles) is the 13th of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The ninth ARCA race at LOR is a one-day show. Practice begins Friday, July 27 with a forty-five practice session planned from 1:35 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. A final practice is scheduled from 3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. The event will take the green flag under the lights shortly after 9:00 p.m.

The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional coverage including timing and scoring will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com. All times are local (Eastern).

For additional input on Kimmel Racing, please log on to kimmelracing.com.

Stay tuned for a newly re-launched website on Korbin Forristeratkorbinforristerracing.com.

See the buzz for yourself on Tilted Kilt by clicking on TiltedKilt.com.