Category: Other Series Racing

[media-credit name=”hometracks.nascar.com” align=”alignright” width=”350″][/media-credit]DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will see its 2012 schedule reach the halfway point on Saturday, June 23 at Langley Speedway with the Visit Hampton VA 175 in Hampton, Va. Below is a statistical look at the performance of selected drivers in the series:

Select Driver Highlights:
Chase Elliott (No. 9 Aaron’s/HendrickCars.com Chevrolet)
• Has a win and 11 top 10s in 18 career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts. First victory came at Iowa Speedway on May 19.
• Is the only driver to complete every lap this year.
• Finished fifth in the inaugural 2011 event at Langley Speedway.

Brandon Gdovic (No. 46 Aquis Communications/ComServe Dodge)
• Has eight top 10s in 17 career NKNPS East starts.
• Had as many top 10s in his first five races this year (four) as he had in 11 races as a rookie in 2011.
• Finished 24th at Langley in 2011.

Ryan Gifford (No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/NTI Toyota)
• Has a pole and 12 top 10s in 30 career NKNPS East starts.
• Has a best finish this year of third at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Was 23rd last year at Langley.

Ben Kennedy (No. 96 Ben Kennedy Racing Chevrolet)
• Has six top 10s in 19 career NKNPS East starts, including a best finish of third at Bowman Gray in 2011.
• Ran 18th at Langley in 2011.

Corey LaJoie (No. 07 Direct Wood Products/Sims Metal Ford)
• Has a win, a pole and 14 top 10s in 25 career starts.
• Earned his first victory on June 2 at Bowman Gray Stadium.
• Finished eighth in 2011’s inaugural Langley event.

Kyle Larson (No. 6 Rev Racing Toyota)
• Earned his first NKNPS East victory last time out at Gresham Motorsports Park on June 9 and has five top 10s in his first six career races.
• Earned his first pole and led his first laps at Bowman Gray.
• Leads Rev Racing teammate Bryan Ortiz by seven points atop the Sunoco Rookie standings.

Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet)
• Has six wins, two poles and 68 top 10s in 150 career starts.
• Became the 16th driver in series history to reach 150 career starts last time out at Gresham.
• Has five top 10s in six starts this year.
• Finished 13th at Langley in 2011.

Brett Moffitt (No. 11 Universal Technical Institute Toyota)
• Has eight wins, six poles, 18 podiums and 29 total top-10 finishes in 39 career starts.
• Won at Richmond in April, has two poles and is tied for the series lead with four top-five finishes through six races this year.
• Was the runner-up to Sergio Peña at Langley last year. Starting with that race, he has finished on the podium in eight of 12 events since.

Bryan Ortiz (No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Toyota)
• Has three of top 10s through his first six NKNPS East races with a best result of third at Bowman Gray.
• Ranks eighth overall and second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings.

Travis Pastrana (No. 99 iRacing Toyota)
• Is 16th in points. Did not attend the last race at Gresham.
• Recorded a career-best fourth-place finish at Iowa.
• Has an average finish of 19th in eight career NKNPS East races.
• NASCAR schedule for 2012 includes 11 of 14 NKNPS East events and seven NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
• Has made four NNS starts so far this year with a best result of 17th at Darlington Raceway.

Sergio Peña (No. 1 NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota)
• Has three wins and 13 top 10s in 28 career NKNPS East starts.
• Has a best finish of sixth, at Gresham, through the first six races.
• Was the winner of the series’ inaugural Langley race in 2011. Led twice for 99 laps.

Darrell Wallace Jr. (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)
• Has six wins, three poles, 11 podium finishes and 21 total top 10s in 28 career NKNPS East starts.
• Won at Greenville Pickens Speedway earlier this year.
• Finished ninth at Langley in 2011.
• Made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Iowa on May 20 and finished ninth. Next NNS start will be at Iowa in August.

Up to Speed:
• The 2012 season is the 26th for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
• The 2012 schedule features 14 races at 12 different tracks across 10 states.
• The NKNPS East season opened with the inaugural series event Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Nelson Piquet Jr. made a spot-start in the event and won from the pole.
• Darrell Wallace Jr. led all but one lap in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 at Greenville Pickens Speedway on March 31. There was no pole winner as qualifying was rained out.
• Brett Moffitt dominated the action at Richmond International Raceway on April 26 as both the pole and race winner.
• Moffitt won his second pole in a row, and was poised for back-to-back wins as well, but Chase Elliott gained his first NKNPS East victory on May 19 at Iowa Speedway.
• Corey LaJoie captured his first NKNPS East victory in the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 at Bowman Gray Stadium on June 2. Rookie Kyle Larson earned his first pole prior to the event.
• Larson followed his first pole with his first race victory on June 9 at Gresham Motorsports Park. Cale Conley was also a first-time pole winner in the event.
• Following the Visit Hampton VA 175 at Langley Speedway, the NKNPS East will next compete at CNB Bank Raceway Park on Saturday, July 14 in Clearfield, Pa.

At Langley Speedway:
• Originally a .8-mile horse track, the grounds became an auto racing facility in 1950 and cut the distance of the dirt racing surface to .396 miles. It was converted to asphalt in 1968.
• The track held nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races from 1964-70 and 14 NASCAR Nationwide Series events from 1982-88.
• The track has played host to the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour since 2010.
• The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debuted at the facility in 2011.

Langley Speedway Data
Race: #7 of 14 (6/23/12)
Track Layout: .396-mile asphalt oval
• Race Length: 175 laps (70 miles)
• Banking–turns: six degrees
• Banking–straights: none

Qualifying/Race Data
2011 race winner: Sergio Peña
2011 pole winner: Coleman Pressley
Track qualifying record: Coleman Pressley (86.721 mph, 16.439 seconds, 6/18/11)

Active Series Career Leaders
Wins
Brett Moffitt … 8
Eddie MacDonald … 6
Dale Quarterley … 6
Darrell Wallace Jr. … 6
Sergio Peña … 3

Poles
Brett Moffitt … 6
Dale Quarterley … 4
Darrell Wallace Jr. … 3
Eddie MacDonald … 2
Four drivers with … 1

Top Fives
Dale Quarterley … 31
Eddie MacDonald … 28
Brett Moffitt … 24
Darrell Wallace Jr. … 12
Corey LaJoie … 11

Top 10s
Eddie MacDonald … 68
Dale Quarterley … 66
Brett Moffitt … 29
Darrell Wallace Jr. … 21
Corey LaJoie … 14

Laps Completed
Eddie MacDonald … 19,213
Dale Quarterley … 18,589
John Salemi … 7,917
Brett Moffitt … 5,208
Ryan Gifford … 4,406

Laps Led
Brett Moffitt … 986
Dale Quarterley … 706
Eddie MacDonald … 668
Darrell Wallace Jr. … 542
Sergio Peña … 215

[media-credit name=”delawarespeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”311″][/media-credit]Winning the championship is every team’s goal, but for J.R. Fitzpatrick and his team this year it’s an obsession. And obsessions aren’t always bad.

The fire has been building since finishing as the runner-up to D.J. Kennington in 2010 and the flames grew higher after finishing third behind Scott Steckly and Kennington in 2011.

“The goal of this team is to win the championship. Period,” Fitzpatrick said at the start of the season.

The first step to reaching that objective came early last offseason when team owner John Fitzpatrick brought Don Thomson Jr. back into the fold. For several years Thomson drove a Fitzpatrick Motorsports entry, but he joined Ed Hakonson Racing for the 2011 season and finished fifth in the final point standings. This year, however, his role is a little different. Thomson wasn’t signed to drive a team car. He was brought back to serve as the crew chief for the No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet.

By virtue of being longtime teammates familiarity is a non-issue for the two, but they must communicate on a different level now.

“We’re still working through some things there,” said Fitzpatrick. “We do need to communicate better during the race in terms of adjustments. I need to be more specific on how the car is handling, so that we can get the right adjustments made.”

Winning a championship is not new to Fitzpatrick. In 2006, he won the final CASCAR Super Series title as an 18-year-old and ended Thomson’s five-year reign at the top of that series. But for a kid raised at the race track watching his father compete, winning a NASCAR crown would be special.

On Saturday, June 23 at Delaware (Ont.) Speedway in the EMCO 200 presented by Niagara Plumbing Supply and McKeough Supply, Fitzpatrick, the owner of seven NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victories including a season-opening win this year on the Road Course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, will be looking for his first series win on an oval since July 2007.

Three races into the 2012 season, Fitzpatrick sits atop the point standings, but his lead is just a single point over Kennington while Andrew Ranger lurks six points back.
“We have top-three finishes at every race so far,” said Fitzpatrick. “The consistency is there. We just have to keep it going.”

In the title hunt the last two seasons, Fitzpatrick has had some critical missteps along the way – some self-imposed and others not. Limiting those born from his intensity will be crucial as this season progresses.

“I’m still getting a little frustrated at times in the car. I’ve got to do better at that,” he said.

“J.R. is intense behind the wheel. That’s who he is and you’re not going to get that out of him,” said Kennington, a rival on the track, but a good friend away from it, said. “He’s just got to manage it. So far, it’s working for him.”

EMCO 200 Race Notes
No Place Like Home: D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge) began his racing career at Delaware Speedway and his familiarity with the track is evident. In the first three Canadian Tire Series events on the half-mile track the driver from nearby St. Thomas, Ont., has two victories and one pole win. Last season, he finished third in the race after starting on the outside of the front row.

A Dodge Ball: In the three series races at Delaware Speedway Dodge has been the top performer with three victories and three pole positions. Mark Dilley (No. 02 PartSource/BDI/Leland Ford) and J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet), second and third-place finishers last Saturday at the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, will be looking to crash the party.

Four Still Standing: Just four drivers – Ron Beauchamp Jr. (No. 60 Mopar/Mobil 1 Dodge), Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Snap-on Tools/Vortex/Rockstar Dodge), Kennington and Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge) – have made all 66 starts in series history.

Open Seat: Don Thomson Jr., the reigning race champion, has left the seat vacant as he will not defend his win. He won a year ago in just his third start with Ed Hakonson Racing
Big Weekend: It’s a full weekend of racing at Delaware Speedway. On Friday evening several classifications – Late Model, Super Stocks and Enduro Challenge – will face off in heat races and features. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be joined by the local Truck division on Saturday evening. Special weekend passes are available at select Canadian Tire stores in the London, Ont., area and online at www.delawarespeedway.com is another way.

Pete Shepherd III established a new track record in qualifying for the Clarington 200 at the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Matthew Manor/NASCAR

LAST TIME OUT: Clarington 200
Sole Possession: By collecting his 12th NASCAR Canadian Tire Series career victory, D.J. Kennington took over sole possession of second place on the all-time wins list behind Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Dodge/GC Motorsports Dodge), who leads the way with 15 triumphs. Scott Steckly holds down third place with 11 victories. Kennington also moves into a tie with Steckly for the most oval-track wins (11) in series history.

The Place To Be: Dropping to the rear of the field just prior to the start of the race was more of a good luck charm than a penalty in the Clarington 200. Both Kennington and Jeff Lapcevich (No. 23 Tim Hortons Dodge) had to do so because of unapproved adjustments after qualifying, but both found their way to top-five finishes. Kennington claimed the win while Lapcevich produced a fourth-place effort.

Good Results: Steve Côté (No. 99 White Motorsports Chevrolet) and Noel Dowler (No. 5 EMCO-Kohler/Rheem Dodge) each notched their first series-career top-10 finishes. The ninth-place finish by Côté vaulted him to the top of the Rookie of the Year standings – one point in front of Martin Roy (No. 90 Veloce/Gamache Truck Center Dodge).

2K: By virtue of leading a race-high 137 laps, Kennington eclipsed the 2,000 laps-led mark and now has a total of 2,069 circuits at the front. Only Steckly (2,416) has more in series history..

NEXT TIME OUT: A&W Cruisin’ The Dub 300
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series kicks off its three-race swing through Western Canada at Motoplex Speedway and Event Park in Vernon, B.C., in the A&W Cruisin’ The Dub 300. At 300 laps on the half-mile tri-oval, it’s the longest race on the schedule. Defending series champion Scott Steckly has been tough to beat at the westernmost track on the slate of events. He has won the last two races there and finished as the runner-up in the series’ first three visits to the track.

[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.
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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,