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Tag: Canadian Motorsports Expo

Gary McLean reflects back on his second OSCAAR Modified Championship

The 2012 season marked the inaugural season of the OSCAAR Hanover Holiday Modifieds and Gary McLean went out and flat out dominated on his way to winning the championship. Last season, McLean once again went out with the same goal in mind and succeeded – scoring five wins and 11 top fives – for his second straight OSCAAR Championship.

In reflecting back on the championship run at the Canadian Motorsports Expo, McLean said that this past year was certainly tougher than 2012.

“But that’s what you expect,” McLean added. “You help the kids and get them better because you want to race the best guys.”

The Conn native kicked last season off like he kicked last year by winning the season opener at Sunset Speedway after leading all 30 laps. He’d then back the win up with a second at Barrie Speedway, followed by a third at Delaware Speedway. A return trip to Sunset Speedway brought forth McLean a solid fourth place finish, followed by an 11^th place finish the next night after suffering damage in an early race incident.

McLean would get the damage fixed on his No. 8 McLean Industrial Design and Fabrication Ltd./McLean Farms Modified before the series headed to Sauble Speedway. He’d duel with David McCullough for the lead for a number of laps before settling for second.

McLean then got on a roll as he would win at Sunset Speedway at the end of July, followed by a win at the Chase for the Colours event at Peterborough Speedway.

McLean then finished off the month of August with a solid fourth at Kawartha Speedway, followed by a second at Delaware Speedway.

Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin

The only DNF of McLean’s season would come at Flamboro Speedway when a mid-race wreck saw McLean’s modified sustain heavy front end damage.

The No. 8 would work hard and have the car ready to go for the Rick Woolner Memorial at Varney Motor Speedway.

“If it was any race but the Rick Woolner Memorial, you wouldn’t had seen the car back,” McLean stated. “These guys work hard and you can’t expect them to drop everything and come help. But for that race, they bonded together.”

The hard work paid off as McLean timed in as the quickest car and won the preliminary feature on Saturday night at Varney. Rain would then fall, forcing the Sunday 50 lap feature to be moved to Sunset Speedway’s Velocity weekend and shortened to 40 laps. McLean kept the domination going despite the move to Sunset as he won his heat and then led all 40 laps on the way to scoring the victory.

McLean then capped off his 2013 season with a win in the Autumn Colours Classic at Peterborough Speedway after holding the field off in a series of late race restarts.

McLean says when it comes to his team, they focus on each race.

“Really we go to every race to win,” McLean said. “We have a lot of fun. The guys put a lot of work into it. We just go for the win.”

McLean will be back in 2014 as the series heads in a new direction, ready for their inaugural trip to Capital City Speedway.

“Excited to try out a new track,” he commented. “We’ll go have some fun and see what we can do.”

He’s also excited in the way the series is heading with a large car count expected in just the series’ third year.

“There’s more and more interest,” he said. “Lot of guys are going to step up that have ran other series, and some are coming to run the series that have competed in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.”

For his success last year, McLean was honored as part of the CME Short Track Night of Champions and was ranked sixth on Inside Track’s Year End Short Track Power Rankings presented by London Recreational.

February 11, 2014
Ron Fellows: It’s a Privilege To Be Apart of the Ownership Group

[media-credit id=4 align=”alignleft” width=”262″][/media-credit]During the 2012 racing off-season, it was announced that the ownership of Mosport Raceway had changed hands. Canadian Racer Ron Fellows, along with partners Alan Boughton and Carlo Fidani purchased Mosport from the previous ownership.

“It’s really enjoyable to be a part of it. Mosport has been a big part of my life,” Fellows said last weekend at the Canadian Motorsports Expo. “I went to the first race in 1969 as an 11 year old kid and that’s where I got bitten by the bug to go racing for myself and have had a lot of firsts at Mosport in terms of big wins for me so the place has meant a lot to me. For me, to get an opportunity to be part of the ownership team with Carlo Fidani and Alan Boughton, it’s pretty special.”

The interest to get in the ownership side began while out one day with Boughton and Fidani.

“We were down at my performance driving school just west of Las Vegas and I had the two partners – Carlo Fidani and his two sons and Alan Boughton,” Fellows tells the story. “We were talking about owning a race track and Carlo basically said ‘What about Mosport? I heard it’s for sale’ and I said, ‘I know who to call’. So we got in touch with the previous ownership group and it started from there.”

Fellows went to say that this is a good deal to be involved in as both Boughton and Fidani have business experience to lend to the venture in trying to improve the facility and run it.

Immediately, the ownership group began making changes to the facility to upgrade it to improve it for drivers, fans, media and track staff.

The first change they made was adding a new tunnel above turn nine to therefore improve the infrastructure of the track and allow people to be able to get around easier. They took out what Fellows called the “mouse tunnel” and put in a tunnel wide enough for two tractor trailers to fit through side-by-side.

To improve the experience for the fans, they’ve done grading to improve the sight lines, created some new areas for camping, and there’s a road that connects all the facilities together now so fans don’t have to go on to the public road to get from one end to the other.

There are also plans to put in a new registration centre and a new event centre, which will feature a media centre, timing and scoring and administration.

It was announced at the Canadian Motorsports Expo that Mosport Raceway had formed a partnership with Canadian Tire. The deal marks a long-term partnership between the two parties and will see the track change names, now known at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. The newly named track will host the season opener for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in May.

“For the Canadian Tire Series to do their season opener at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park is absolutely ideal scenario for us,” Fellows said. “And then having a marketing partner like Canadian Tire, we feel its going to grow Mosport and create a lot more auto racing interest.”

Through his years of racing at Mosport, Fellows has had a lot of accomplishments there. Some of these accomplishments include winning in a Ferrari back in 1997 and first TransAm win in 1989.

February 14, 2012
New IndyCar Chassis Makes Canadian Debut at Canadian Motorsports Expo

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Trevor Knowles, IndyCar Director of Engine Development

On Friday February 10^th, IZOD IndyCar Director of Engine Development Trevor Knowles unveiled the brand new 2012 Dallara DW12 IndyCar for the first time in Canada as part of the Canadian Motorsports Expo at the International Centre.

The car includes many safety features to make the IndyCar Series safer after the death of Dan Wheldon at Las Vegas last October. Ironically, Wheldon had been helping series officials throughout 2011 develop this car, so therefore the car was named DW12 after Wheldon.

Some of the safety features and other changes include…..

The fenders are wider in the back to therefore prevent wheel-to-wheel locking, which was one of the contributors in Wheldon’s crash.

The drivers’ cockpit has changed as it’s wider to give the driver’s more room and sits them lower so they have more protection. Knowles also added that there is more padding with the new seats, saying, “As you remember, Justin Wilson hurt his back last year after going over a car. That wouldn’t had happened in this car.”

The series will run spec cars, which means “the teams have to run the cars as delivered by Dallara”. Knowles says they did this to therefore keep costs down, adding that this chassis is cheaper than the 2011 chassis. He went on to say that the same suspension will be used on road courses and speedways. The gearbox is also supplied to the teams.

They switched from steel to carbon brakes, which once again reduce the costs because the brakes last longer.

There is no clutch button in the car as it powered by a lever on the steering wheel now. Knowles added, “Hopefully that will keep the car running and reduced the number of full course yellows during practice or a race.”

There are three engine manufactures on board – Chevrolet, Lotus and Honda. In past recent seasons, Honda has been the sole supplier of motors. The engines are going to be a 2.2 V6 turbo charged with a spec minimum weight. Knowles says that IndyCar does have control over certain individual specs of the motors, too, and changes may come during the season as they are needed. These motors will be controlled by ECUs, which will be supplied by IndyCar. It controls gear shifts and clutch, along with setting in an RPM limit. Manufactures will be allowed to change calibrations, but nothing beyond that as Knowles says that stops the usage of traction control and other tricks.

Also, IndyCar will be incharge of how the manufactures supply the engines. Knowles spoke of how sometimes manufactures pick and choose certain people to get certain engines to therefore have some cars stronger. This will not happen as manufactures must send the motors to IndyCar first, and then IndyCar will send them out to the teams.

Teams will only need up to eight motors a year and IndyCar will be keeping track of this. Approved engine changes will be allowed – such as when a motor reaches its life or has blown up. Unapproved changes are also allowed, but the team will be penalized for that. Also, once the motor is put in the car, it will be sealed as officials don’t want them making changes once at the shop.

They’ve also switched the fuel from ethanol to Sonoco’s racing fuel and switched to direct injection, which makes it easier for the manufactures in development.

The Turbo Chargers are also supplied by one company to the manufactures to keep things even across the board. Manufactures had the choice between a single turbo charge or a twin turbo charger. Honda chose single while both Chevrolet and Lotus chose twin.

They will also run torque sensors on select cars each week to therefore determine the varying performance levels. If a manufactures performance is significantly lower than that of their rivals, they will be allowed to make changes. Knowles says, “We don’t wanna punish a manufacture for running good, but we wanna keep all manufactures competitive.”

IndyCar will begin the season without the overtake switch and whether or not it is implemented will depend on how the racing looks. If they

[media-credit id=4 align=”alignright” width=”356″][/media-credit]choose to implement it, it will have a different set-up than they’ve had before. The old system it would initialize the overtake right away, while the new system would have a slight delay before kicking in.

Engine recovery system is also not included on this car, but may be included down the road. This is part of trying to save the teams money right now.

With regards to suspension and handling, teams will have an option to run a combination of the old style with the new style. The new style suspension pushes more weight towards the front of the car. By allowing this, it allows the teams to have some innovation on their side to some weeks some will get it right and other weeks they won’t get it right.

A lot of people are excited for what the 2012 season has to bring for the IZOD IndyCar Series as it should be exciting with the changes have taken place and what it is to come.

The 2012 season begins with St. Petersburg on March 25th. For more information on the IZOD IndyCar Series, check out http://www.indycar.com.

February 13, 2012
IndyCar: The Future Looks Bright For the Honda Indy Toronto

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IndyCar Director of Engine Development Trevor Knowles and Honda Indy Toronto VP & GM Charlie Johnstone

Every year, fans across Canada head to Exhibition Grounds to see the Honda Indy Toronto, which is headlined by the IZOD IndyCar Series.

With IndyCar debuting a new chassis for 2012, anticipation is high for this year’s event.

“I think this year’s Honda Indy Toronto is going to be spectacular,” Honda Indy Toronto VP and GM Charlie Johnston says. “It’s the largest sporting event in Ontario. We now have a new chassis that the Indy teams will be running – it will be the first time for the new chassis in Toronto. The new engines manufactures, you’ll see increased competition so I think the future looks really bright for this year and future years for the Honda Indy Toronto.”

Johnston was at the Canadian Motorsports Expo on Friday February 11^th, part of the Canadian unveil of the 2012 Dallara DW12 chassis.

The car includes many safety features to make the IndyCar Series safer after the death of Dan Wheldon at Las Vegas last October. Ironically, Wheldon had been helping series officials throughout 2011 develop this car, so therefore the car was named DW12 after Wheldon.

Johnston says the car looks good and addresses safety issues, but also addresses other concerns.

“I think they’ve really addressed some of the safety issues, speed issues and cost issues so we’ve got a lighter, faster, safer racecar so it’s going to be awesome in the streets of Toronto,” he says.

Coming into the race, a lot of Ontario fans have kept their eyes as of late on Oakville, Ontario native James Hinchcliffe. Hinchcliffe recently announced that he would be replacing Danica Patrick at Andretti Autosport, driving the Go Daddy car in 2012.

“I think it’s great,” Johnstone comments. “James is a great kid to be in the Go Daddy, to be driving for Michael Andretti, who has won this race five times and this will be his hometown race. I think the future is bright for both James and his involvement in the Honda Indy Toronto.”

Beyond Hinchcliffe, Alex Tagliani is locked to be part of this year’s edition of the race, while Paul Tracy is trying to solidify details to be there.

“Anytime you can have Canadians involved with the Honda Indy Toronto is great and cheer for the local heroes is fabulous,” Johnstone comments.

For more information on the Honda Indy Toronto and to get tickets, check out http://www.hondaindytoronto.com.

February 13, 2012
IndyCar Star James Hinchcliffe To Appear at Canadian Motorsports Expo

[media-credit name=”Canadian Motorsports Expo” align=”alignleft” width=”284″][/media-credit]The Mayor of Hinchtown is making an appearance at this year’s Canadian Motorsports Expo.

Canadian Motorsports Expo staff announced that IZOD IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe will be at this year’s Canadian Motorsports Expo on Sunday February 12^th. The 25-year-old from Oakville, Ontario won the Rookie of the Year award last season driving for Newman/Haas Racing.

In January, Andretti Autosport made the announcement that Hinchcliffe would drive the GoDaddy.com IndyCar, replacing Danica Patrick.

“I’m looking forward to coming back to the Canadian Motorsport Expo,” Hinchcliffe said. “It’s been a couple of years since my last visit and I know it’s grown in stature since then, which is fantastic to see. Canadian fans are truly passionate about their motorsports and it’s always a great experience to hang out with them. It’s been both an exciting and busy winter for me and the new season’s fast approaching. I think everyone’s raring to go and the CME’s a great way to kick-start Canada’s racing calendar.”

Hinchcliffe has continiuly been moving up through the ranks as he’s raced Formula BMW, Star Mazda, ChampCar Atlanta, A1GP, Firestone Indy Lights and is headed into his second year of IndyCar racing. Lots of fans like Hinchcliffe as a result of his personality and how he engages his fans through social media and his website.

“Through our work at Inside Track Motorsport News, we’ve followed James’ career since his karting days,” CME’s Rob Morton said. “So it’s very exciting for all of us to see how far he’s come and how far he can go. We’re happy to welcome him back to the CME to connect with his Canadian racing fans and sign a bunch of autographs.”

Hinchcliffe will be on the Mazda Stage for a Q&A session on Sunday February 12^th from 12:45 till 1:30pm. After, he will sign autographs at the Inside Track Motorsports News booth.

The Canadian Motorsports Expo runs February 10^th to the 12^th at the International Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The event schedule for the three days is full of star apperances including Ron Fellows, Carl Edwards, Randy LaJoie, Robert Yates and more. For more information, check out http://www.canadianmotorsportsexpo.com.

February 7, 2012
Robert Yates To Be Part of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Display at CME

[media-credit name=”NASCAR Canadian Tire Series” align=”alignleft” width=”282″][/media-credit]NASCAR Canadian Tire Series staff announced that Robert Yates will be part of their display this year at the Canadian Motorsports Expo.

“We’re very pleased that the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is back at the Canadian Motorsports Expo,” series director Brad Moran said. “While many fans see our races at the track and on TSN, this show, however, offers a unique opportunity to see what goes on in the pits and in ‘tech lane’ on race weekends. This level of fan access isn’t possible when we’re in the heat of an actual race event, so we enjoy offering some hauler tours and an up close look at all that goes on.”

Yates will be part of the display that will be running for its second year. The display is meant to give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the series. This is the first year that Yates will be part of the display, though. Yates will be there on Saturday February 11^th at the display to talk with fans and sign autograph’s from 10:30am till 4pm.

Robert Yates Racing is the exclusive provider of the NASCAR-approved Spec Engine, which is an optional program available for use in all NASCAR touring series in US and Canada. Both Yates and Davy will be on hand to answer questions that drivers and team owners may have about the engines.

“Making official suppliers and industry experts available to racers is something that NASCAR regularly does as a service to its competitors,” Moran said. “Chris Davy was at last year’s CME with us and many of the teams took advantage of the opportunity to discuss the ‘Spec’ Engine program. Having Robert Yates join him this year is an added bonus. As a team owner and engine builder, Yates has won championships and the biggest stock-car races in the world. His drivers were successful and his engines were legendary for their power and reliability. NASCAR is proud to have him at our booth Saturday, February 11 at the Canadian Motorsports Expo.”

Lastly, Yates will take to the Mazda Stage from 6:15pm to 7pm to discuss his career in motorsports.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series display will go beyond just having Yates and Davy. The center of the display will be the race hauler that officials use at each race for all of their activities. Moran and officials will be on hand to offer tours. They will also have ‘tech lane’ set-up so fans can see what it looks like, while also having some race cars on display.

Also, Yates will take to the Mazda Stage from 6:15pm to 7pm to discuss his career in motorsports.

The Canadian Motorsports Expo will be held from February 10^th till 12^th at the International Centre in Toronto. For more information, check out http://www.canadianmotorsportsexpo.com.

February 5, 2012
Ron Fellows and Scott Steckly To Appear at Canadian Motorsports Expo

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NASCAR fans will get their good dosage worth of content at this year’s Canadian Motorsports Expo as both Ron Fellows’ No. 88 Canadian Tire NASCAR Nationwide Series Show car and Scott Steckly’s No. 22 Canadian Tire/Motomaster Dodge will be on display.

Both Fellows and Steckly will also be on hand to sign autographs throughout the weekend.

This will be part of Canadian Tire’s 5,000 square foot display.

“We’re thrilled to be part of the 6th Annual Canadian Motorsport Expo and to connect with Canadians that share our passion for auto racing,” Allan McDonald, Senior Vice President of Automotive at Canadian Tire, says. “As title sponsors of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series we’ve been blown away by the support and enthusiasm of Canadian fans. We’re committed to fostering the growth of auto racing in Canada through our support of the series and are looking forward to an exciting 2012 season.”

The display will also include Canadian Tire’s 53-foot racing hauler, a pit stop challenge and a money machine. The money machine, which resembles a glass phone booth, has Canadian Tire Money that swirls around and contestants can keep all the money they grab in 20 seconds. Canadian Tire will also be giving out samples of products during the weekend.

“We are very proud to welcome Canadian Tire as a major exhibitor at the 6th Annual Canadian Motorsports Expo Powered by Inside Track,” CME Co-promoter Rob Morton says. “From the company’s long-running support of some of Canada’s top racers and events, to their current sponsorship of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Scott Steckly, Ron Fellows and others, Canadian Tire is an undisputed leader in Canadian motorsports. Racers and fans appreciate Canadian Tire’s commitment to their sport and their dedication to offering the best service, expertise and products – many of them race and track-tested.”

The Sixth Annual Canadian Motorsports Expo will be happening February 10th to 12th at Toronto’s International Centre.

Ron Fellow is a legendary road racer and the new owner of Mosport, while Scott Steckly won his second NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Championship last season.

February 2, 2012
Carl Edwards Will Sign Autographes at Canadian Motorsports Expo

[media-credit name=”Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]After finishing second in last year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, Carl Edwards will be coming to Canada for the Canadian Motorsports Expo on Saturday February 11th. Edwards will be signing autographs and taking part in an hour Q&A session with the fans.

“I’m looking forward to coming to Toronto on Saturday, February 11 to meet Canadian racing fans at the Canadian Motorsports Expo,” Edwards said. “I was in kind of a rush the last time I was in Canada, last August. We were doing double-duty that weekend, shuttling back and forth between the Michigan Cup race and the Nationwide race in Montreal. This time, it’ll be nice to chat with the fans in a more relaxed setting.”

Edwards finished second in standings after Tony Stewart won the tie-breaker as he had won more races than Edwards in 2011. The championship battle last year between Edwards and Tony Stewart stands as the closest championship battle in NASCAR’s history. Edwards is also one of the drivers to win a race on Canadian soil as he won the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

The Canadian Motorsports Expo Powered by Inside Track Motorsports News will be taking place at the International Centre from February 10th to February 12th.

“We’re very pleased to announce that Carl Edwards will be our headline celebrity at this year’s Canadian Motorsports Expo,” CME’s David Weber said. “Heading into this year’s show, virtually all of our exhibitor space has been sold and we’ve gotten a lot of great support from some of the country’s top companies, racing series, tracks, manufacturers and retailers. This year’s CME is going to be the best ever, and we’re extremely excited that Carl Edwards is going to be part of it.”

The three-day event is meant to highlight the best of Canadian motorsports, while giving the fans a chance to meet racing superstars. Along with Edwards’ appearance, there will be a CASCAR reunion held on February 12th and the Inside Track Reader’s Choice Awards will be given out on February 10th.

Watch the CME’s website (www.CanadianMotorsportsExpo.com) for details on Carl Edwards’ appearance, including confirmed times and the autograph session, and for more information about the Canadian Motorsports Expo.

January 20, 2012
New IndyCar Series ‘DW12’ Chassis To Make First Appearance in Canada

Canadian Motorsports Expo Powered by Inside Track staff announced that as part of the three day show, they will be featuring a special show car – the 2012 IndyCar Series D12 Dallara Chassis.

This will mark the first time that the completed version of the 2012 Dallara DW12 IndyCar will make its appearance in Canada. A preview of the final version was on display at the Honda Indy Toronto last year, but there have since been significant changes. Dallara named the the chassis “DW12″ in honor of the late Dan Wheldon, who helped develop the car and and is a two-time winner of the Indy 500. The car is being put on display on behalf of the Honda Indy Toronto staff.

“Canadian Motorsports Expo visitors are going to be the first in Canada to get a firsthand look at the new road course version of the Dallara DW12 IZOD IndyCar Series car, identical to the ones that will be in action on the streets of Toronto in July,” CME’s David Weber said. “The Honda Indy Toronto is one of Canada’s biggest sports and entertainment events and we’re excited to be working the organizers to promote both the event and Canadian motorsports at the CME.”

The Honda Indy Toronto brings the stars of the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and other major racing series to Toronto to race along the streets of the Exhibition Grounds. The event weekend is schedule to take place July 6th through the 8th for 2012. Representatives from the event will on-hand to talk about the 2012 event and the new IndyCar Series chassis.

“The Honda Indy Toronto is the highlight of the year for many motorsports fans and car aficionados,” Charlie Johnstone, Vice President and General Manager of the Honda Indy Toronto. “Motorsports has much more to offer than one single weekend of spectacular racing and excitement. IndyCar and other racing series can offer great entertainment all year long, which is something we will also offer at the CME.

“At the CME, we can speak directly to the motorsport enthusiast who will definitely appreciate seeing the new car up-close and in-person six months before it hits the track,” continued Johnstone.”

The Canadian Motorsports Expo will be taking place at the International Centre from February 10th to February 12th. The three-day event is meant to highlight the best of Canadian motorsports and let the fans get up-and-close with the race cars, while giving the fans a chance to meet racing superstars.

Canadian racing talent has been building in the IZOD IndyCar Series as 2011 IndyCar Rookie of the Year James Hinchcliffe and 2011 Indy 500 pole-winner Alex Tagliani have both signed deals for full-time rides. Hinchcliffe, who was born in Ontario, recently signed with Andretti Autosport while Tagliani, who was born in Quebec, recently signed with Bryan Herta Autosport. Both drivers are also nominated for an Inside Track Readers’ Choice Award.

Canadian racing veteran Paul Tracy could also have a full-time ride for 2012 as he in talks with teams, but nothing has yet to be confirmed.

“We have some solid Canadian talents participating this year and driving at the highest level,” Johnstone said. “Having Canadian IndyCar drivers is very important for us and for our fans. We always want to see local heroes on-track and to have them succeed. We can’t wait to see how they perform in Toronto this July and what the season holds for our Canadian drivers.”

January 20, 2012