Thursday, January 31, 2008

Some Fishing Advice to Dale Jr.

NASCAR's most popular driver could learn a thing or two from the biggest fish in the pond. Don't take the bait! No matter how delicious the opportunity think for a second about the hook which is dangling the worm. Unless Dale Earnhardt, Jr., starts thinking before he opens his mouth, he's going to get hooked every time.

The fact is the media often cries over their constant coverage of "Junior" often declaring they would love to cover something else instead. They "tire" of all Junior all the time. Yet, those same journalist are more than willing to troll for opportunities to snag Junior on their line.

A recent example is the misunderstanding generated during the Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway. A stop at DEI, the former home of Dale Jr., left many wondering where were the trophies and cars and other fan junk chronicling the years when DEI and Dale Jr were one and the same. When the tour reached Hendrick Motorsports, the new home of Dale Jr. out came the questions. Where were the cars, the trophies, the collection of accolades earned during his stint at DEI?

There it was, the hook and worm and like the young naive big mouth bass Junior bit was all his might. He decried the actions in no uncertain terms.

The smarter fish would have looked at the worm, huffed and said, "My future is at Hendrick Motorsports. I am here to do the best job I can for Rick and Amp and the National Guard. My job is to help Mr. Hendrick continue to fill his showroom with the trophies won by winners and champions. That is my job now."

With those words the story would have passed and those reporters begging to write about something, anything, other than Dale, Jr., would have been forced to use their creative minds in a productive manner.

Dale, Jr., is refreshing as an individual because he is more often to speak his mind than hide behind some corporate shell. If only he would engage the mind before engaging the mouth. He'd find himself hooked a few less times.

HD Partners shareholders vote down deal to purchase NHRA

GLENDORA, Calif. (Jan. 31, 2008) – NHRA has been notified by HD Partners Acquisition Corporation ("HD Partners"(AMEX: HDP, HDP-U, HDP-WT) that it did not receive the necessary number of votes to finalize the transaction announced last May to acquire all of NHRA's professional racing assets.  

Said Eddy Hartenstein, chairman and chief executive officer of HD Partners: "We are very disappointed with today's vote, given our collective enthusiasm for NHRA and the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.  Unfortunately, in the time since we first announced this transaction in May of 2007, we have witnessed a dramatic shift in both the financial markets and the perceived strength of the U.S. economy, which we believe adversely impacted the final outcome of this transaction.  With that said, we continue to believe that the NHRA and the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, led by Tom Compton and his management team, are very vibrant properties with a bright future.  We wish them all the best for continued success."

NHRA will continue to operate as it has in the past.  NHRA worked closely with HD Partners the last several months to finalize the transaction.  Given the time and energy spent on this effort, NHRA has no plans to pursue a similar opportunity in the near future.  For now, NHRA will remain focused on the business and continued growth of NHRA. 

"We appreciate the efforts put forth by Eddy and the entire HD Partners team the last year-and-a-half.  NHRA is in the best financial position in its history and prospects for future growth are at an all-time high," said Tom Compton, president, NHRA.  "It is the health of the company, the sport and strong future prospects that led HD Partners to pursue this transaction in the first place and those elements still exist.

"Few would argue we have a great product and an incredible opportunity in front of us to build and grow the sport of NHRA and NHRA POWERade Drag Racing.   The initiatives communicated during this process still hold true and we will work together with the racing community, sponsors and business partners to achieve them and continue the growth of the sport."

Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 24 events through its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. NHRA has 80,000 members and 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal Drags presented by AAA. NHRA also offers the O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League for youths ages 8 to 17.

From NHRA

Call for news...

We're getting close to press time for the next issue of Inside Track Motorsport News.

If anyone has any team or sponsorship announcements they'd like to make public, please send them to me at greg at insidetracknews dot com

p.s. - I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly...

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

World of Outlaws family mourns passing of Bobby Jackson

CONCORD, N.C. ­ Jan. 30, 2008 ­ The World of Outlaws family was saddened to learn of the passing of former competition director Bobby Jackson on Monday night.
 
Jackson was one of the most revered members of the World of Outlaws team from 1987 to 2004, and his impact is still felt today as he mentored several current series officials before he became a NASCAR official.
 
"The racing community is very saddened by the loss of Bobby Jackson," said Carlton Reimers, the Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Director. "Bobby loved all types of racing, especially dirt track racing, but his heart was with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. For many years, Bobby was the Series Competition Director, knowledgeable and quick-witted, he presided over many great races. On a personal note he, along with Ted Johnson and Rick Ferkel, taught me most of what I know about racing. He will be missed. God speed and our prayers are with his family."

GP of Edmonton has a new owner

(left to right; Jim Haskins (GPE), Ken Knowles (Northlands), Andy Huntley (Northlands), Steve Johnson (Champ Car), Stephen Mandel (Edmonton Mayor)... photo by Perry Nelson)
The Edmonton Sun has the story here and here.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series raced there last summer, and by all accounts, plan to be there again in '08. Resolving the ownership of this major event can only help to clarify the NCATS sked, I would imagine.

NASCAR: Kahne and Carpentier Trade Cars in Vegas

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 29, 2008) - Trading places took on new meaning for Gillett Evernham Motorsports teammates Patrick Carpentier (No. 10 Valvoline Dodge) and Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge) Tuesday morning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Each driver hopped in the other's seat for a few laps - a crucial learning exercise for Carpentier, a 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate.

"It's been wonderful," he said of Kahne's willingness to help. "They've been working with me, helping quite a bit."

One of three open-wheel veterans debuting in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this season, Carpentier hopes he's on the fast track to experience.

"We'll see how it goes this afternoon, but it really helps me in the way I describe the car," Carpentier said of Kahne's driving comparison. "If his car is really different, I'll say, 'Maybe that's what I need to have and get used to. I have to get a bit better car.' He's pretty nice to just say, 'Stop this test.' Get in the car, says what he thinks about it. It's always helpful."

Both GEM teams - along with teammate Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Best Buy Dodge) and the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup field - were completing their second day of testing at Las Vegas, part of NASCAR Preseason Thunder, NASCAR's annual preseason test sessions.

More West Coast test days await Thursday and Friday at California Speedway, but for Carpentier, learning from a former series Raybestos Rookie of the Year - Kahne swept those honors in 2004 - couldn't come at a more opportune time.

"I just have driven these cars more than Patrick," Kahne said, "so I have a different way of explaining things compared to what he does. It was good for me to feel what it felt like, and also for his team to kind of listen to me explain it and talk to Patrick about it."

Carpentier knows he has much to learn, quickly; he made both his NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debuts within a week last August. And with 2008 being the first fulltime season for NASCAR's new car, he hopes it's the perfect intersection of opportunity.

I just like the car, I like the way it feels," he said, adding that he still must work on drafting at Daytona International Speedway. "I mean, the difficult part for me is just understanding what I need with this car to really get it up to the top of the chart. It's going to take some time, just driving it, getting used to it. I love that car. To me, I like it better than the older car."

Sadler's assistance, while welcome, can't come from the driver's seat.

"Elliott is too tall to get in my car," Carpentier said of the statuesque Sadler, "but he's helping any way he can."

Perhaps even more comforting has been the ability to go home at night. Carpentier, a Montreal native, has been a Las Vegas resident since 1999. But punching the clock at his "home track" hasn't necessarily been easy.

"Been testing all winter," he said. "Went to a few tracks. When you leave that track, you're like, 'I think I've got it down.' You come to a different track, you've got to learn again."

Kahne, Johnson And Kyle Busch Ready To Compete … Following Carpentier to the infield media center on Tuesday was reigning and two-time series champion Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet), who's won the last three NASCAR Sprint Cup events at Las Vegas.

Johnson also registered his optimism over the new car's test performances.

"It's got less downforce and all these things that make it harder to drive," Johnson said. "But we still end up with the same race. Martinsville was still an awesome race. Dover was the same. Talladega was awesome. You get back to that same thing. It's still a race car on that track, and we're still seeing that same stuff here."

And although he knows he and his race team are the target among their peers, he's not worried about pressure to produce a third consecutive series title.

"I don't feel it any more than I would in any year," Johnson said. "I think when you drive for Hendrick Motorsports, Rick (Hendrick) has a history of setting a high mark. The company has a lot of expectations of its drivers, its crew chiefs. There's a lot expected of us. I feel more pressure from that environment than any outside environment."

During Kasey Kahne's lunch-break visit with the media, he admitted he's feeling more comfortable each day in his new red firesuit emblazoned with new sponsor, Budweiser.

"I think it's too early to tell on a lot of that stuff, you know, how it's going to all work out and things," Kahne said. "I feel pretty good about it. I've been definitely happy to have Budweiser colors, be working with those people. It's been a lot of fun."

One thing he does have his eye on is next month's 50th Daytona 500. Growing up in Washington, Kahne remembers his family hosting breakfasts on race day and watching the race broadcasts with his father.

"I just think it's awesome to be part of the 50th anniversary," Kahne said. "The first time I went through the tunnel to Daytona, you know, you see the facility, the track, the bank. You can remember so many races that you've seen on TV, so much stuff that's went on. It's neat. It's exciting. It's a great feeling to be part of that."

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Toyota) wrapped up Tuesday's lunch-break media availability, adding to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate's Denny Hamlin's (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) Monday comments on the good communication brewing between their teams and that of teammate Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet).

Throw in the crew chiefs – Greg Zipadelli for Stewart, Steve Addington for Busch and Mike Ford for Hamlin – and Busch's introduction to the JGR community seems to be a hit.

"Everything has really worked well," said Busch, who comes to JGR from Hendrick Motorsports. "I've talked to Zippy a lot already this weekend. Working with Denny and Mike Ford a little bit. Of course, my guys, we've been communicating all the time. Steve and I haven't stopped talking to each other or texting each other at night and stuff. We're back and forth all the time."

Pit Stops …. Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) was fastest in Tuesday's morning session at 184.256 mph (29.350 seconds). David Reutimann (No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota) was second at 183.986 mph (30.311 seconds). Kyle Busch was third at 183.892 mph (29.365 seconds). Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) was fourth at 183.830 mph (29.375 seconds) and Tony Stewart was fifth at 183.692 mph (29.397 seconds).

From NASCAR

Maritime Pro Stock Tour Schedule Released

The Maritime Pro Stock Tour released its 2008 schedule in late January. It will return to an eleven race series at five different facilities.

Scotia Speedworld will kick off the season on May 24, followed by visits to Riverside Speedway, Speedway 660, and Raceway Park in June.

Several extra distance races are on the schedule including the Riverside 250 on July 19. This will be the first time the tour has sanctioned a race of this caliber. Already there is $100,000 in posted awards including a $10,000 first place prize for this event in Antigonish, N.S.

The Centre for Speed returns, following a years absence, to host a 150 lap tour event on August 2 while the traditional season ending Parts for Trucks 200 is set for September 6 at Scotia Speedworld.

2008 tentative schedule*

May 24: Scotia Speedworld - Halifax, N.S.
June 7: Riverside Speedway - Antigonish, N.S.
June 21: Speedway 660 - Geary, N.B.
June 28: Raceway Park - Oyster Bed Bridge, PEI
July 5: Scotia Speedworld - Halifax, N.S.
July 19: Riverside 250 - Antigonish, N.S.
July 26: Speedway 660 - Geary, N.B.
August 2: Centre for Speed 150 - Shediac, N.B.
August 16: Riverside Speedway - Antigonish, N.S.
August 23: Raceway Park - Oyster Bed Bridge, PEI
Sept 6: Scotia Speedworld 200 - Halifax, N.S.

 *subject to change

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Canadians go 1-2-3 at Grand-Am race in Daytona

Thanks to Mosport's Lee Bailie for this report from Daytona...
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Canadian drivers got off to a fast start in the 2008 Grand-Am KONI Challenge season in Florida, where racers from north of the 49th finished 1-2-3 in the Street Tuner (ST) class and second in the Grand Sport (GS) division at the Fresh From Florida 200 race at Daytona International Speedway.

Nick Wittmer of Hudson, Quebec teamed up with American co-driver Glenn Bocchino to win the event behind the wheel of the No.31 i-MOTO Racing Acura TSX. Finishing just behind Wittmer was the second i-MOTO car, the No. 32 Acura TSX driven by Nick's brother Kuno and American teammate Peter Cunningham. Completing the Canadian sweep of the podium was No.76 Compass 360 Racing Acura TSX of Karl Thomson of Toronto and Travis Walker of Mississauga, Ontario.

Wittmer's win in the ST class gave i-MOTO Racing a second win in four races. It also marked the first KONI Challenge win of any kind for co-driver and team owner Glenn Bocchino, whose team swept the top two positions.

The team dominated the race, as Wittmer's brother Kuno led the opening stages of the event after the team swept the front row. But a different pit strategy put the team one lap ahead of the remaining ST field, one which kept them from being challenged at the end.

"I was fourth when I got in. Glenn Bocchino held up the car perfectly throughout his stint, an hour and a half," Nick Wittmer said. "We did not want to come in before an hour and a half. Because of that, we did one pit stop. Everybody else did two, I believe, and we were one lap ahead because of that one pit stop. From there we just maintained and brought it home. The Cobalt Friction Brakes were amazing. They held up 110 percent all the way and that's what brought us home. Big brother won the pole, but I took down the race."

Bocchino was thrilled with the initial victory, which came in his 22nd start after competing fulltime for only the first time last season.

"It was a great race," Bocchino said. "The car was fantastic, the crew was fantastic, everything was fantastic. Everything worked perfectly. You couldn't ask for a better race. We got a lot of luck on our pit strategy, and that's what put us ahead of the 32 car."

Wittmer and Cunningham took second, while defending race winner Karl Thomson watched as co-driver Travis Walker finished out the race in third. Both drivers ran among the top five during their stints in the Compass 360 Racing Acura.

"We did it the hard way," Cunningham said. "We had a good strategy, not a great strategy, because we went a lap down. We had a chance to stay on the lead lap with our other car, but it didn't work out that way, because we didn't get enough of a gap. We knew at that point we were racing with the one-lap down crowd, and the best we could do was second. We didn't think that would happen, but we kept the pressure on and went, went, went. I had some real great racing all the way to the end. I'm proud of this whole team."

The news was not all positive for the i-MOTO team. Each car was docked 10 team points and all four drivers lost five points after a post-race technical inspection revealed an illegal fuel cell in both team cars.

David Thilenius and Todd Lamb gave the No. 27 Bill Fenton Motorsports Southern Auto Auction Acura RSX-S team a solid fourth-place finish and third Acura machine in the top five. Jamie Holtom of Ottawa and Eric Curran rounded out the top five in the No. 01 Georgian Bay Motorsports Chevrolet Cobalt.

In the GS division, Craig Stanton moved from fourth to first late in the race to secure the win for the BGB Motorsports team (co-driver Tim Traver) and the No. 83 Performance Drink/Toro Viejo Motorsports Porsche 997.

Stanton - who was running fourth on the race's final restart with just under 30 minutes to go in the three-hour race - watched as race leaders Doug Goad and Spencer Pumpelly suffered problems within a three-lap period, then whistled past Tom Milner for his seventh career KONI Challenge overall win. The victory was Traver's second in KONI Challenge competition.

Overall, Stanton led the final nine laps of the 76-lap affair. While running third on Lap 68, Stanton watched as Pumpelly took the point from Milner in the first of 14 turns on the 3.56-mile track. Moments later, however, Pumpelly slowed, smoke bellowing out of his No. 39 TRG The DigiTrust Group/Adam's Polishes Porsche 997.

Stanton made what would become the winning pass moments after that, driving past Milner on the backstretch. Milner later pulled his car off the track, handing second place to Toronto's Scott Maxwell. But Stanton was too far ahead for Maxwell to mount a serious challenge, and with the final of five cautions waving five minutes from the scheduled checkered flag, Maxwell had to settle for the race's runner-up position for the second straight season.

Stanton, who will compete in the GT class in Saturday's Rolex 24 At Daytona, found the three-hour enduro to be a nice tune-up and momentum booster for the 24-hour race.

"There was a lot of stuff going on late in the race," Stanton said. "I didn't see but about a third of it, but I heard a lot of chatter on my radio. Basically, I put my head down and worked really hard.

"This has been an accumulation of about a four-month project," Stanton continued. "At the end of last year, we were right on the podium. We gained some momentum, so we felt a win was overdue. We worked real hard here at a number of driving events. Being local, we worked hard to get some data and put our best foot forward."

Traver won 2006 season finale at Virginia International Raceway, also with BGB, which is located in nearby Ormond Beach, Fla. He put Stanton in prime position for the victory, stopping within the first hour-and-a-half for fuel, tires and a driver change. The team also pitted a second time just after the two-hour mark.

"The team was awesome today," Traver said. "What can I say about Craig Stanton as a co-driver? It was amazing. Flawless pit stops, flawless strategy. It was just perfect."

Maxwell, driving the No. 55 Hyper Sport Ford Mustang GT, was the third of a three-man rotation which saw Jeff Courtney start the car. Maxwell was sixth late in the race but, with impressive moves inside and out, threaded through the field. He and Courtney shared the car with Joe Foster, who also ran among the top five during his stint.

"It was pretty hectic the last few laps. I was making a lot of mistakes out there," Maxwell said. "I went off once. But the Hyper Sport Mustang was so good; we just ran out of time running down the Porsche. I had a lot of fun. These KONI Challenge races are always a blast, and I love Daytona. I've won here, and almost won again last year, but I guess we're second best again. It's a good start to the year, something to build on. We're after a championship, and you have to put the points on the board."

Foster was also part of the runner-up team in the 2007 Fresh From Florida 200. Foster used that strong start to remain in championship contention throughout 2008.

"It was a great race," Foster said. "This first race of the year is a dual-class race and it's three hours long, so we had an opportunity to use some strategy. Jeff Courtney did a great opening stint, I did an hour, 20 minutes in the middle and Scott batted cleanup and did a great job. We're all happy. I'm happy for Patrick (Dempsey) and Rick (Skelton), the team owners, and for Hyper Sport and for Ford. We had a great time."

Terry Borcheller pitted late but managed to weave through the field and gave himself and co-driver Scott Tucker third in the No. 3 Blackforest Motorsports US Army/Turner Law Firm Ford Mustang GT. He took third in the final handful of laps, passing No. 09 Automatic Racing Fresh From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3 co-champion Jeff Segal after being forced wide on a pass for second by Maxwell just a few laps earlier.

"It was just good, clean racing," Borcheller said. "I really had a lot of fun. I know Scott (Maxwell) well, I've run with him a lot. I trust him. And Jeff Segal was in the BMW and I know him pretty well and I trust him. I had my hands full with him in the infield. But our Mustang had a little power on the top over him. It was a good race. Great fun, great series."

Segal and fellow driving titlist Jep Thornton garnered fourth, one spot ahead of teammates Jon Miller and David Russell. Miller led the opening and a race-high 28 laps after passing polesitter Tommy Constantine in Turn 1, and turned the No. 99 Automatic Racing Fresh From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3.

Other Mustangs dominated the middle stages of the race, as Rehagen Racing teammates Hugh Plumb and Dean Martin ran 1-2 for several laps in the race's closest battle for the lead all afternoon. However, pit stops during a late-race yellow dropped the pair from winning competition.

The Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series competitors return to the track May 24-26 at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn. for the second round of the season.

From Lee Bailie // Media Relations and Promotions Specialist // Mosport International Raceway
Photo courtesy of Brian Cleary/Grand-Am

A1GP: Wickens Back for Canada Down-Under

Montréal, Canada (January 28, 2008) - Robert Wickens will aim to break Canada into the top-ten of the A1GP Nations Standings this weekend as the Toronto-born racer heads back down-under for Round 6 of the 2007-08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport season hosted at Australia's Eastern Creek International Raceway, Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd February.

The 18-year-old rookie steered A1 Team Canada to its highest placing of the season two weeks ago in New Zealand thanks to a sublime runner-up performance in Round 5's Feature race.  Canada currently sits 12th overall on 22 points, just six markers shy of China in 10th place and all the indicators point to the team maintaining its recent form with Robert scoring two podiums in six race starts since his debut in November's third round in Malaysia.

As with all the tracks Wickens has visited since then, Australia's 3.93km Eastern Creek International Raceway is new to the 2006 Formula BMW USA Champion.  Learning circuits has yet to prove to be an issue for the Canadian teen, evidenced by his performance last time out at Taupo Motorsports Park when Wickens topped the timesheets at the end of Friday morning's 'Rookie-Only' session.

Robert subsequently converted his early form into a pair of top-ten qualifying performances including fourth on the grid for the 50-lap Feature event, Canada's highest starting Feature slot since Round 3 of the 2006-07 A1GP season on the streets of Beijing, China.  James Hinchcliffe was behind the wheel for Canada on that particular occasion as he was when A1GP visited Eastern Creek last January.  A forgettable Sprint race was followed by a dramatic exit from the Feature on the opening lap.  Contact from behind pitched Hinchcliffe into a spectacular barrel-roll, the Toronto-native eventually coming to a halt upside down in the gravel trap but thankfully emerging unscathed from the incident.

"I know Eastern Creek hasn't been too kind to A1 Team Canada in the past but I'm hoping we can change all that," stated Wickens ahead of his track debut.  "I'm happy to get the chance to build on our momentum from Taupo and I see no reason why we can't have another strong weekend.  We were unfortunate to miss out on two top-ten scores in New Zealand but if we can meet that objective in Australia then there's every chance we'll crack the top-ten in the Nations Standings.  Canada's getting stronger with each race meeting and I think we're in for an exciting second half to the season."

A1 Team Canada Seat Holder Wade Cherwayko commented; "There's no doubt that we're presently one of the form teams in A1GP and I hope we can build on Robert's Feature podium from New Zealand.  I believe with the pace and consistency recently showcased by Canada, we deserve to be amongst the top-ten nations in A1GP.  I'm confident we'll get there, we're knocking on the door!"

Sunday's 20-minute Sprint race starts at 11am local time on Sunday (2pm EST Saturday 2nd February) with the 70-minute Feature race starting at 3pm in Australia (6pm EST Saturday 2nd February).  Live Feature streaming available via - www.a1gp.com

Setanta Sports Canada will broadcast Round 6 from Australia as a tape-delay starting at 8am EST on Monday 4th February - www.setantanorthamerica.com

A1GP Top-Ten Nations Standings - Round 5/10: 1st New Zealand (82), 2nd Switzerland (80), 3rd France (80), 4th Germany (65), 5th South Africa (59), 6th Netherlands (50), 7th Ireland (50), 8th Great Britain (48), 9th India (28), 10th China (28), *12 CANADA (22)

Photo Credit: 'Canada's Robert Wickens celebrating second on the A1GP podium in New Zealand' - Jakob Ebrey Photography
Copyright-free A1 Team Canada images are available for download at www.a1gp-photo.com/can
From: A1 Team Canada Media Relations: Stuart Morrison - PR & Media Manager

The Wittmer Brothers, Cunningham and Bocchino give the i-MOTO team a perfect 1-2 Finish in the Fresh From Florida 200 of Daytona


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 29, 2008) – Team i-MOTO starts the 2008 Koni Challenge season with a strong 1-2 finish. Nick Wittmer and Glenn Bocchino (piloting the 31# Acura TSX) giving Acura the first win of the 2008 season and teammates Kuno Wittmer and Peter Cunningham (piloting the 32# Acura TSX) finishing a strong second place in the Fresh From Florida 200 of Daytona .

Starting the race with an all i-MOTO front row, Kuno Wittmer qualified on pole with a (2:09.312) and teammate Glenn Bocchino qualifying second with a (2:09.580). A first turn mishap caused by a suck throttle on Kuno Wittmers 32# car costing both drivers the lead. Both drivers quickly recovered with Kuno Wittmer later regaining the lead and Glenn Bocchino following in fourth place. From the lead Kuno Wittmer pitted first under a full course caution period, handing the 32# car over to SWC Touring Car Legend, Peter Cunningham (RealtimeRL Driver/owner). A low oil pressure alarm soon after the first pit stop, forced Peter Cunningham to make additional pit stop losing the lead and regaining the race in 13th position. Crew Chief Tom Badger called a perfect late stop for Glenn Bocchino who pitted from the lead under yellow. Co-Driver Nick Wittmer, took over the final duties for the 31# car, regaining the race from the lead and never looked back. The rising star Nick Wittmer drove perfect race never to be contended for the lead. While Peter’s (32# car) had to earn his second place finish by passing over 11 cars not including lappers to take second place over the Compass 360 Racing Acura TSX of Travis Walker and Karl Thompson who finished 3rd .

The Fresh From Florida 200 of Daytona season-opener will be televised on the Speed Channel Saturday, February 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Other races on the air in 2008 are the Memorial Day contest at Lime Rock Park (airing May 31 at 8 p.m. ET), followed by the ST feature at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (June 28, 1 p.m. ET), the GS feature at Barber Motorsports Park (July 26, 5 p.m. ET), and combined races at New Jersey Motorsports Park (September 7, noon ET) and Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City (September

Next race is May 23-26 at the challenging Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, CT.

i-MOTO Racing would like to thank our strategic partners; Acura, Cobalt Friction, Alpinestars, H&R Special Springs, Hytech Exhaust, SPC, Ecocomp Cybernation, and Exedy.

Visit www.i-motoracing.com for more news and future announcements.

ROLEX 24: Chip Ganassi Racing Pulls Off Three-Peat

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates continued its dominance of North America's most prestigious sports car race winning their third straight overall victory on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. The team of Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas and Dario Franchitti in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley won the 46th anniversary of the Rolex 24 by a margin of three laps.

Chip Ganassi Racing's win is the first time a team has won the overall Rolex 24 in three consecutive years. While it's a third straight victory for Ganassi, it's the second straight Rolex 24 win for Montoya and Pruett and the third career overall Rolex 24 win for Pruett.

"This is over the top to come here and win this thing overall, now back-to-back and three in a row for Chip," said Pruett, who was behind the wheel for the checkered flag. "Wow, this is unbelievable."

Franchitti, who is making the jump to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Ganassi beginning with the 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17, becomes the third Indy 500 driver to win the Rolex 24 the following year.

"It's been a helluva year," Franchitti said. "These guys, the preparation they put into this car is the reason why we're here. We just tried to stay out of trouble and here we are -- bloody brilliant."
Montoya was behind the wheel of the No. 01 running second to the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley in Hour 21 when the No. 6 car encountered suspension problems and was forced to make repairs. From that point, the No. 01 was in cruise control.

"It's was pretty hard until the last stint," said Montoya, who was Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2007. "We were pretty close with the 6 car. They had a problem and after that it was more of bringing the car home."

Two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and 2006 Daytona 500 champion Jimmie Johnson came close to that elusive first Rolex 24 win again finishing second in the No. 99 Lowe's/GAINSCO Pontiac Riley with co-drivers Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty and Jimmy Vasser.

Rounding out the podium was the No. 9 Penske-Taylor Racing Pontiac Riley with drivers Helio Castroneves, Kurt Busch and Ryan Briscoe. The competition was tight throughout the Rolex 24. There were a record 15 different leaders and 695 laps were completed in the race.

The finish was shaping up to be a special one for the No. 59 Brumos Porsche team. With just under five hours remaining in the race and Joao Barbosa behind the wheel with the overall lead, the rear suspension failed coming off NASCAR Turn 4. The car spun out, made contact with the inside retaining wall and caused significant front end damage to the car.

"Joao had a great restart and going around the banking coming out of (NASCAR Turn) 4, the lower tie rod broke," No. 59 co-driver and five-time Rolex 24 champion Hurley Haywood. "The bolt that holds it on broke and it just sent him right into the wall. There was nothing he could do about it. You want to cry almost."

Patrick Dempsey, star of the hit ABC show Grey's Anatomy, made his first career start in the Rolex 24 finishing 39th overall co-driving Charles Espenlaub, Joe Foster, Romeo Kapudija and Scott Maxwell. "We had a lot of bad luck but the team has really rallied to keep the car out there," Dempsey said. "We wanted to finish this race. We had a great time and I can't wait to do it again."

The pole winner of the Rolex 24 – the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley driven by Oswaldo Negri – led the 66-car field to the green flag on Saturday afternoon and finished sixth overall.
In the GT class, the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda with drivers Sylvain Tremblay, David Haskell, Nick Ham and Raphael Matos finished ninth overall and captured the class victory by a margin of seven laps.

"It was pretty special," Tremblay said. "I've dreamt of this since I've started racing.  To win at Daytona has been a dream of mine for a long, long time. When I first talked of getting a Mazda running against the Porsches, it seemed like a joke back then. There was so much that had to happen, so many pieces we had to build. Then we had to convince other people to believe in our dream, and pull on from there."

Before the Rolex 24 went green on Saturday afternoon, the crowd was treated to a flyover by three Navy F-5 Tigers based out of Key West and Rolex 24 Grand Marshal Dan Gurney's starting command, "Drivers, start your engines."

From DIS

NBIS to become "Speedway 660"

FREDERICTON, NB - Entertaining a new generation is the focus of one of Canada's top stock car racing facilities for the 2008 season. A new name and a commitment to a new era of entertainment had race teams and fans excited at the annual awards banquet at the Fredericton Inn on Saturday night.

Speedway 660, located on Route 660 near Geary, will be the home of 'Wic-Kid Family Fun' when the racing season begins in May. Entertaining long time racing enthusiasts and a new generation of fans will be the focus every week of the upcoming season.

"Our drivers and crews provide an on-track product unequalled in Canada, but now we are going to raise the bar around the entertainment value of that product," said Speedway 660 co-owner Steve Burns. "We are repackaging the entire racing program with a focus on entertainment for the kids and families who come to visit us."

Speedway 660 has an extremely loyal fan base, but needs to reach new fans to grow to the next level. In the coming weeks, more work will be done as the branding exercise currently underway is completed.

"As much as some people may think we are in the racing business, we're actually in the entertainment business," said Speedway 660 co-owner Chris Johnston. "We've been doing this for 12 years and realize, with the help of our fans, sponsors and race teams we have built one of Canada's best speedways, but now its time to make it bigger and better."

Speedway 660 will see many changes during the 2008 season highlighted by a complete fan-focussed entertainment package each and every race date. As part of the branding exercise, the speedway has unveiled the new face of the speedway, Speedway the Moose. The mascot made his debut in front of over 350 fans, sponsors, race teams and speedway staff at the Fredericton Inn on Saturday night.

"I know people now have big expectations for the 2008 season and we intend to live up to them and more, so be prepared to be entertained," said Burns. "In addition to new ways to entertain our race fans, we are developing innovative ways to attract more fans to the speedway."

Speedway 660 will also see some major improvements to the facilities infrastructure as well. An electronic scoring system and race management software will be implemented for the new season, providing immediate scoring results and information to race teams.

A sneak peek of the 2008 schedule was released Saturday night with the major events that make up a great summer of racing. The entire 2008 schedule is expected to be released in February in conjunction with the launch of a brand new Speedway 660 website.

Awards were also handed out to the top drivers for the 2007 season. Dale Hatheway, Benji Ruff, Mike Francis, Brian Gillespie and Glenn Rasmussen took home the top awards as Championship winners.

CARQUEST Pro Stock Champion: Glenn Rasmussen, New Denmark
Martin's Home Heating Sportsman Champion: Brian Gillespie, Nackawic
COAST TIRE Street Stock Champion: Mike Francis, Saint John
Martin's Home Heating Rookie of the Year: Chris Garnett, Saint John
COAST TIRE Rookie of the Year: Brian Fox, Burton
Enduro Division Champion: Dale Hatheway + Benji Ruff,
Sportsman of the Year: Brian Campbell, Saint John
Traveled Farthest to Compete: Glenn Rasmussen, New Denmark
Hughie Yorke Dedication to the Sport: Speedway 660 Ambulance Crew
Crew of the Year: #23 Street Stock Mike Francis
Hard Luck Driver of the Year: Shawn Hyslop
Phil Cox Ironman Award: Ted Rankin
Macleans Sports Haulmark Most Laps Completed - Pro Stock: Paul Gahan
Macleans Sports Haulmark Most Laps Completed - Sportsman: Brian MacNaughton
Capital Flat Roof Inspection - Most Trips to Victory Lane
COAST TIRE Street Stock: Shawn Hyslop
Martin's Home Heating Sportsman: Brian Gillespie + Randy Moore
CARQUEST Pro Stock: Greg Fahey

Most Improved Driver
COAST TIRE Street Stock: Derrick Christie, Fredericton
Martin's Home Heating Sportsman: Richard Atkinson, Geary
CARQUEST Pro Stock: Greg Fahey, St. Stephen

Best Appearing Car as Voted by the Fans
COAST TIRE Street Stock: Derrick Christie, Fredericton
Martin's Home Heating Sportsman: Brian MacNaughton, Lower Coverdale
CARQUEST Pro Stock: Greg Fahey, St. Stephen

Most Popular Driver as Voted by the Fans
COAST TIRE Street Stock: Derrick Christie, Fredericton
Martin�s Home Heating Sportsman: Brian MacNaughton, Lower Coverdale
CARQUEST Pro Stock: Greg Fahey, St. Stephen

Fivestar Stock Car Bodies by Tucker Racing
CARQUEST Pro Stock Division: Dave O'Blenis
Martins Home Heating Sportsman: Jeremy Graham

Speedway 660 is the place for 'Wic KID Family Fun'. The 1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features three classes of racing on a weekly basis: CARQUEST Pro Stocks, Martin�s Home Heating Sportsman, and Coast Tire Street Stocks. Over 70,000 people are expected to attend events during the 2008 season. Speedway 660 is located off highway 7 on Route 660 in Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton.

For further information, please contact: Chris Johnston, Co-owner
Web: http://www.nbisonline.com/ // Soon to be http://www.speedway660.com/

Herbert's Two Sons Lost in Tragic Automobile Accident

LINCOLNTON, N.C. (January 26, 2008) The two young sons of Top Fuel racer Doug Herbert were killed in an automobile accident Saturday morning in Lake Norman, N.C. Jon, 17, and James, 12, died instantly when their Mazda3 collided with a second vehicle.

Herbert, who was in Phoenix for preseason testing, is devastated and headed home to be with his family.

Condolences can be sent to Raymer Funeral Home, 16901 Old Statesville Road, Huntersville, N.C. 28078.

In lieu of flowers, Herbert asks that people make a donation to the Speedway Children's Charities in Jon and James Herbert's name.

Details regarding a memorial service will be forthcoming.

From Lisa Powers // Public Relations // Doug Herbert Racing


UPDATE:

STATEMENT FROM DOUG AND SONNIE HERBERT

CORNELIUS, N.C. (January 26, 2008) "Our kids have always been our best friends and the bond between the two of us. As you can imagine, the loss we are both feeling for Jon and James at the moment is unimaginable.

As brothers, they were always together and were each other’s best friend.

Jon loved music and cars. He was a dreamer, happy, peaceful and was most pleased when everyone got along.

James loved to skateboard and ride dirt bikes, but he had the kindest heart and was compassionate to all.

Our very special boys also loved their little sister, Jessie, who already misses her big brothers.

Our family is deeply grateful for the wishes and prayers from our friends, the community and the boy’s classmates at SouthLake Christian Academy.

Our boys would not like everyone to be upset and cry right now, so please smile when you think of them."

Thank you for keeping Jon, James, Jessie and our entire family in your prayers as we work through this time of sorrow.

L'ESTAGE WINS RALLY AMERICA SEASON OPENER

ATLANTA, Mich., Jan. 28, 2008 Canadian Antoine L'Estage won the Sno*Drift rally, the first round of the 2008 Rally America National Championship Series season, after race leader and two-time series champion Travis Pastrana struck a deer and retired late in the event.
 
Fellow Canadian and winter-driving veteran Andrew Comrie-Picard who won the event in 2006 earned second place. Eighteen-year-old American Kyle Sarasin, the 2007 Rally America rookie of the year, finished third overall in his debut in the series elite Open class.
 
I'm very happy for our win, but I'm speechless, said LEstage. Travis was the designated winner. He beat everybody until the end. It's a very good start to the year for us.
 
L'Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard, the 2007 Canadian rally champions, plan to compete in select Rally America events in 2008 in addition to a full Canadian rally series schedule.
 
Matthew Johnson, the 2007 Rally America PGT champion, performed well in his move to Open class competition for 2008, finishing fourth overall.
 
BMX superstar Dave Mirra, who was making his American rally debut at Sno*Drift, finished 18th overall in a Subaru Impreza fielded by Vermont SportsCar.
 
What had looked like an easy victory for Subaru Rally Team USA driver Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom turned to disaster when they hit a deer on the course late in the rally, causing irreparable damage to their car and forcing them out of the race.
 
The duo, who had led the contest from the start, was almost two minutes ahead of the rest of the field when the accident occurred on the 16th of 17 stages in the Sno*Drift event. Both Pastrana and Edstrom were unhurt.
 
The snowy and icy course conditions at Sno*Drift the only winter-weather event in Rally Americas nine-event championship were treacherous, and several podium contenders ran into trouble that knocked them out of contention.
 
Last season's championship runner-up, Rockstar Energy Drink Rally Team Andrew Pinker and co-driver Robbie Durant, found themselves out of the rally before it really began. The pair retired early on Day 1 with a blown engine in their Subaru WRX STi rally car.
 
Their teammates Tanner Foust and Chrissie Beavis were charging hard on Day 2 when they wound up in a snow bank and lost seven minutes trying to get out.
 
Pastrana and Edstroms Subaru Rally Team USA teammates Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino also ran into trouble on Day 2, losing 10 minutes to an off-road excursion.
 
The nine-event 2008 Rally America National Championship season continues with the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood from Feb. 22-23 in Salem, Mo.
 
POST-EVENT QUOTES:
 
Quotes from selected Rally America National Championship Series drivers following the season-opening Sno*Drift Rally from Jan. 25-26 in Atlanta, Mich.:
 
ANTOINE L'ESTAGE (First place) (No. 17 Royal Group Yokohama Hyundai Tiburon): I have mixed feelings. I'm happy, but at the same time, I feel so bad for (Pastrana and Edstrom) because they did a great rally. They were the fastest, but well take the win. On those last stages, we were cruising to the end, but well take it. We worked hard. I don't like to win like that, but sometimes that's the way it is. Its happened to me before. (About the Sno*Drift rally): It was the first time I had run Sno*Drift, and there were a few tricky spots where I made some mistakes. We took notice of that, and it will be different next year if we come back. It's a great rally, with very challenging roads, different surfaces and changing rhythms. It's a nice event.
 
ANDREW COMRIE-PICARD (Second place) (No. 20 Slowboy Racing Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX): It's an awesome result. We were actually not going as fast as we could have all weekend, and I felt really frustrated by that. The car wasn't set up right. I was having trouble under braking, so I couldn't really go that fast, but in the end, that sort of helped us out because we didn't make any big mistakes. That's the real key in a snow rally to just suck less than everybody else, like we did two years ago when we won. You just have to be there at the finish and not make any big mistakes. I feel really badly for the other guys who had problems, but you've got to really judge your pace to go just fast enough to win. Kudos to Antoine it was a really great drive for him. I'm both proud and a little embarrassed that the Canadians came down and put in such a strong performance because it looks like we are snow ringers. But Antoine's a great driver, and Ill be in for hopefully the whole Rally America championship if our sponsorship comes together, and well be looking to be just as competitive on gravel.
 
KYLE SARASIN (Third place) (No. 55 CPD Racing Subaru Impreza WRX STi): It's my first overall podium, and I'm super excited. Sno*Drift usually has some weird stuff happen, like today. I'm used to the conditions, so I think I had a little bit of a head start coming in here. Our game plan was to be consistent, try to stay in the race and get a top-10 finish. Some stuff happened, some people went out, and we ended up getting third overall, which was awesome. It's a good start to the season. This was my first race in Open class, and it went really well. Hopefully the rest of the season has some good battles like I had here and goes just as well.
 
KEN BLOCK (Fifth place) (No. 43 Subaru Rally Team USA Subaru Impreza WRX STi): We had a great rally. We were comfortably in second overall behind Pastrana when on Leg 2 we got stuck in a snow bank for over 10 minutes. That ruined any chances of a good points result, but we had the speed here. We won over half of the stages and could have been on the podium or even won. It's upsetting because we were not really pushing hard. It wasn't a big mistake. We just got sucked into the inside snow bank of an easy left turn. Now I can't wait until the 100 Acre Wood rally next month. I've won there the past two years, and I have a lot of confidence on those roads.
 
DAVE MIRRA (18th place) (No. 40 Monster Energy Subaru Impreza): My one goal for this rally was to just finish and get some experience. The roads were slick everywhere, and although we were not pushing hard, it was definitely a huge challenge to stay clean and out of the snow banks. This was such a good time. Now I'm really looking forward to the next rally where we'll be on gravel.
 
ANDREW PINKER (DNF; engine) (No. 2 Rockstar Energy Drink Rally Team Subaru Impreza WRX STi): We should have been there battling with the top guys, but unfortunately, we had an engine blow up on the first stage. We got three miles in and all of sudden, it just went. It's a real shame. This has been a good event for me the last couple of years. In 2006, it was the first rally I ever did in the U.S., and we took the lead on the first day. It worked out very well for us last year, as well, so we were hunting for a win this year, but sometimes, its not to be. This was only my second mechanical failure in the U.S., and I'm in my third year now, so I cant complain too much. Everyone's got to get their fair share.
 
TRAVIS PASTRANA (DNF; accident) (No. 199 Subaru Rally Team USA Subaru Impreza WRX STi): Because of the lead we built on Friday and everyone else's problems, it meant we could just sit back and relax on the final leg, which for me isn't very exciting. But on the second-to-last stage with a huge lead and just a few miles to the finish, we hit a deer at over 60 mph. It all happened so quickly, we were shocked. The car sustained heavy damage and couldn't continue. Amazingly bad luck!
 
FINAL RESULTS: SNO*DRIFT RALLY
Antoine LEstage
Andrew Comrie-Picard
Kyle Sarasin
Matthew Johnson
Ken Block
Tanner Foust
William Bacon
Piotr Wiktorczyk
Patrick Moro
Bryan Pepp
 
About Rally America
Based in Golden Valley, Minn., Rally America sanctions the premier rally racing series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2008, Rally America will conduct nine National Championship events at venues across the country, from Olympia, Wash., to Bethel, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses of gravel, dirt or snow. Additionally, through a partnership with ESPN, qualifying Rally America drivers are invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the annual leading action-sport event that is broadcast live on ABC and ESPN.  For more information, visit www.rally-america.com.
 
From: Ashleigh Lockhart // Rally America/WMG

Villeneuve dumps Pollock

Craig Pollock is no long Jacques Villeneuve's manager. Apparently, he's been replaced - in part - by Villeneuve's wife.

Sportsnet has the story of the amicable split here.

Playing catch-up

Was a little under the weather yesterday, so I didn't have a chance to post anything. Just going through messages now, so there should be plenty to post.

Friday, January 25, 2008

ARCA West Expands to Include Canadian Stock Car Series

MERCED, CA (January 24, 2008) - Officials from the Automobile Racing Club of America have announced the expansion of the ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series. Under the terms of the expansion, the NEWALTA Late Model Challenge Series will combine with ARCA West to become the ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series in 2008.

“Uniting the NEWALTA LMCS with the ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series will strengthen the ARCA brand and Late Model Racing in the Northwest,” said Richard Michaud, president of ARCA West. “We’re excited about the opportunities this merger presents.”

The former NEWALTA LMCS, the largest touring stock car series in Western Canada in recent years, has a technical and procedural rules package very similar to that of the ARCA West LMCS. Plans call for standalone events in both Canada and the U.S. as well as a number of companion events.

The 2008 schedule, which will be released in full in the coming weeks, is expected to include venues that were on the 2007 NEWALTA LMCS Schedule as well as the ARCA West tour, plus the possible addition of some new venues.Craig Ball has been appointed director of racing for all of ARCA West’s operations in Canada.

"The partnership with ARCA West enhances our commitment to the sport of stock car racing in Canada," said Ball. "I believe the timing is perfect and it provides the drivers, teams and corporate partners of the Series a new level of challenge and opportunity in oval racing in North America.

"The ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series features template bodied, straight rail late models with drivers from throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada competing in a fast, fun and affordable touring series.

The series is a licensee of the nationally-based Automobile Racing Club of America and provides a West coast connection to the ARCA Sanctioning body.

For more information on the ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series, visit www.latemodelchallenge.com .For information on ARCA, visit www.arcaracing.com .

(h/t Rod Ormon justturnleft.ca)

Grand-Am KONI Challenge: Constantine, Wittmer Claim Poles at DIS

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 24, 2008) - Fall-Line Motorsports driver Tommy Constantine put together a strong two-lap effort in Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series qualifying Thursday evening at Daytona International Speedway, coming away with the pole for Fridays three-hour Fresh From Florida 200, which starts at 2:15 p.m.
 
Constantine took the No. 46 Playboy/Vervel/TASER/Palms BMW M3 to a best lap time of 2:05.085 (102.458) over the 15-minute qualifying session, cruising to the pole more than a half second ahead of outside front row starter Andy Hauck III. The effort, which came in light rain, marked the first KONI Challenge pole for Constantine, who debuted in the series in 2006.
 
"We saw the rain coming and we knew that we had to get a fast lap in right away," Constantine said. "We really went for it right away on cold tires, knowing that the track was getting wetter and wetter. There were actually a couple of corners that were slightly wet, even on the first lap, so we knew that would affect the lap time. We went for it everywhere we could, until it got worse and everybody had to stop."
 
"It's great to be here, because we had such a bad year last year, with bad luck and mechanical problems," Constantine continued. "We were just happy that the car started this year, and the Fall-Line guys have done an amazing job. For us to be as good as we are here on a high-horsepower track, we are looking to the shorter tracks that suit this car even more."
 
Hauck, in the No. 23 Wright Motorsports Porsche 997, set a time of 2:05.734 (101.929 mph) in his two-lap effort, and signaled luck as a sign of garnering second on the starting grid.
 
"First of all, it was really wet," Hauck explained. "We got lucky. We got the car together after we had a pretty big incident on the last day of the test session a few weeks ago. The crew worked hard the last two weeks to get it back together. We're just happy to be here, and we took advantage of the situation."
 
Rounding out the top five were Jon Miller in the No. 99 Automatic Racing Fresh From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3, Tim Traver in the No. 83 BGB Motorsports Performance Drink/Toro Viejo Motorsports Porsche 997 and Bret Seafuse in the No. 37 JBS Motorsports Trumansburg ShurSave Ford Mustang GT.
 
In ST competition, Kuno Wittmer led a front row sweep for i-MOTO Racing, winning the pole with a time of 2:09.312 (99.109 mph). Wittmer turned in three laps in the No. 32 Acura/Cobalt Friction Acura TSX just before the rain hit.
 
"Winning the pole is all thanks to the i-MOTO team," Wittmer said. "They really put a good car together. This race car is really well balanced. The brakes are awesome, thanks to Cobalt Friction Brakes. I think were going to have a great start to the race tomorrow, and my teammate, Peter Cunningham, is going to take over. He has tons of experience and he's also my boss. I think we could put this car pretty close to the front. Were definitely shooting for the victory, 1-2 for the team."
 
Car owner Glenn Bocchino toured the 3.56-mile, 14-turn track just tenths of a second slower at 2:09.580 (98.904 mph) in the sister No. 31 Acura/Cobalt Friction Acura TSX.
 
"It was a great effort by the team," Bocchino said. "The car felt very good, it was the best it ever felt. It was totally hooked up. Ill drive with Nick Wittmer in the race."
 
The remainder of the ST top five is John Schmitt in the No. 22 HART Red Line Oil Honda Accord, Toby Grahovec in the No. 86 Classic BMW-Plano BMW Z4 and Jamie Holtom in the No. 01 Georgian Bay Motorsports Chevrolet Cobalt.
 
Final KONI Challenge Series practice is scheduled for 10 a.m. before the three-hour Fresh From Florida 200, starting at 2:15 p.m. Friday.
 
From Grand-Am

ROLEX 24: AIM Autosport Fastest on Thursday night; qualifies fifth

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 24, 2008) ­– After taking a fighting fifth in its Rolex 24 At Daytona debut last season, AIM Autosport is looking to go even better in 2008, as Mark Wilkins, 24, of Toronto, Ont., set a fast lap time of 1:41.413-seconds at Daytona International to take fifth on the grid with the Exchange Traded Gold/Barrick Gold Ford-Riley on Thursday.

Wilkins will share driving duties with Brian Frisselle, Colin Braun, and Andrew Ranger in the opening round of Rolex Sports Car Series competition. The 2008 Rolex event marks the second Daytona Prototype race effort for Wilkins, who scored podium results in his first two starts in the grueling event.

“Starting off where we finished last year is great. I feel like we are more competitive than we were a year ago so by that measure we're way ahead,” Wilkins said. “Every lap during the session just seemed to get a bit quicker and the team were on the radio, feeding me information about where I needed to pick up a little time. I’m happy we are in much better shape than last year and hopefully starting close to the front will help us keep out of trouble early on.”

Team principal Ian Wills came away very satisfied that his AIM crew and driver executed well on their qualifying plan. “We're picking up where we left off last year! The session went as planned for us. We chose to run a limited number of laps and so after the tires came in Mark was able to run some very solid, fast laps,” Willis commented. “We did our best lap without the benefit of a draft and the one opportunity we had to draft the No. 7 car was spoiled when they pulled off. At that point we called Mark in and parked it. We know what need to do come race time and this qualifying put is in a good position for what is hopefully a clean start.”

Afterwards, Wilkins complimented the efforts of the team overall and especially his fellow co-driver Brian Frisselle. “Brian and everyone on the team has done a great job of developing and setting this car up. The Riley/Ford combination is just fantastic. The fastest lap came together really well, despite not getting a tow. I always want to be faster, but overall, I'm really pleased,” he added.

The Thursday night practice session saw the team keep moving up the order, as Andrew Ranger set the fastest lap of the hour and a half session, with Colin Braun further improving the time as he took his first laps of the weekend in the Exchange Traded Gold/Barrick Gold Ford-Riley. “The guys have done a great job setting the car up and Mark did a great job qualifying today,” said Braun, who spent some time fulfilling his NASCAR Media obligations on Thursday. It’s great to just get in the car and have it be quick and easy to drive. This is a team effort, and I’m really looking forward to Saturdays race.”

Established in 1995, AIM Autosport also operates a multi-car team competing in the Star Mazda Series in addition to their Rolex Series operation. The company has a mandate to identify, train and manage emerging motorsport talent. AIM has provided many young drivers with a solid foundation on which to build a career in professional racing. The success of the AIM driver development programs has been achieved through the dedication of our employees and the ongoing support of our commercial and technical partners. Away from the track, AIM Autosport serves the needs of the racing community with a purpose-built preparation shop situated in the Toronto suburb of Woodbridge, Ontario.

From Matt Cleary / Sunday Group Management

ROLEX 24: Michael Shank Racing Sweeps Front Row

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Brazilian Oswaldo Negri lead a 1-2 Michael Shank Racing sweep of the front row for Saturday’s 46th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.

Negri put the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley on the pole for with a fast lap of one minute, 40.793 seconds, 127.152 mph on the historic 3.56-mile road course.

“It’s a fantastic way to start a relationship with Ford,” said Negri, who will co-drive the No. 60 car with Mark Patterson, Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal. “I’m pretty sure this is important for them as much as it is for us. This is the fruit of a lot of work. (The team) worked non-stop since the last race of the season in Salt Lake. We had a good car but we’re always looking for something better and better and better.

“This is going to give us bragging rights for now. It’s about 1/10th of what we need to do to win this race. It’s a long race but I’m so honored to be here.”

Taking the outside pole was the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley and NASCAR driver A.J. Allmendinger, who posted a lap of one minute, 40.802 seconds, 127.140 mph.

"Mike Shank has put together a great team and I love coming to race for these guys, so it feels good to put them on the front row," said Allmendinger. "Mike (Shank) is a racer to the core, and this team is full of a lot of good guys-everyone has fun, but they are focused on getting the job done. The car was strong, and is a great way to start the weekend, but everyone knows that this is a long race, and the work really happens on Saturday once the race starts."

Said owner Michael Shank: “We’re going to celebrate this for about three minutes and then go back to work. If this was a sprint race, I’d be ecstatic. I’m very honored at this and how we qualified, but I want to win the race. I want to win the race. That’s what we’ve been trying to do for five years and we’re going to go back and do night practice here and celebrate for a little bit and that’s it. We’ll have strategy meetings with having two teams on the front row and go from there.”

It’s the first all-Ford front row in the Rolex 24 since 1964. Only the top 30 in Rolex 24 qualifying have locked their positions in the twice-around-the-clock challenge and final qualifying will take place on Friday.

Other notable Rolex 24 qualifiers were:
Third-place qualifier Marc Goossens (No. 91 Bob Stallings/Riley Pontiac Riley, 126.840)
Fourth-place qualifier Max Angelelli (No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Riley, 126.689)
Sixth-place qualifier Scott Pruett (No. 01 Chip Ganassi Lexus Riley, 126.260)
11th-place qualifier Alex Gurney (No. 99 Bob Stallings GAINSCO Pontiac Riley, 125.450)
13th-place qualifier Helio Castroneves (No. 9 Penske-Taylor Racing Pontiac Riley, 125.331)
17th-place qualifier Hurley Haywood (No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley, 124.650)
The top GT class qualifier and the overall 25th-place qualifier was Sylvain Tremblay in the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 with a speed of 115.712 mph.
Charles Espenlaub (who is co-driving with Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey) qualified the No. 40 Hyper Sport Mazda RX-8 in the 49th overall position with a speed of 113.892.


Friday’s schedule: Friday will be a busy day at Daytona International Speedway.
Kicking off the day will be a Champions of the Century media event at Gatorade Victory Lane scheduled for 10:45 a.m. that will feature major North American Champions since 2000 and will include Daytona 500 champions (Jimmie Johnson), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions (Kurt Busch), Indianapolis 500 champions (Dario Franchitti, Dan Wheldon, Juan Pablo Montoya and Helio Castoneves) and Rolex 24 and Rolex Series champions (Dan Gurney, Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli).

Also scheduled for Friday is final Rolex Series qualifying and practice and the Fresh From Florida 200 KONI Challenge race which starts at 2:15 p.m. Mayor Kicks Off DIRECTV Speedweeks: The wait is over and DIRECTV Speedweeks is finally underway.

From DIS

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Me, me, me, me.... Open Wheel Unity Deal in the Works?


According to this story by SPEED TV's Robin Miller, IRL boss Tony George has made an overture to lure teams from Champ Car to his series.

Reading the comments from some of the Champ Car team owners, it sounds like this will be their final year in Champ Car regardless of whether or not the owners of their series accept George's offer.

When die hards like Carl Haas admit to having discussions with the IRL about switching over, and say, "It hasn’t happened yet but we’ve certainly considered going. It may not happen this year, but it’s highly probable we’ll do it in 2009 because there needs to be one series.” ... it's obvious the fat lady is warming up.

Miller's piece begins: "Free cars. Free engines. Long Beach, Toronto, Edmonton, Mexico City and Australia added to the Indy Racing League’s schedule. A unified open-wheel series for 2008. SPEEDtv.com has learned that’s what Tony George proposed to Champ Car’s ownership group several weeks ago during meetings here in Indianapolis...." Continued here.

MOSPORT'S 2008 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

BOWMANVILLE, ON (January 24, 2008) - Canada's Home of Motorsports may be under a metre of snow today, but in less than four months sports cars, race drivers and fans from across the continent will be at Mosport International Raceway on the Victoria Day holiday weekend for the circuit's first big event of the season.

Mosport today announced its 2008 six-race schedule, one that will feature Canada's biggest sports car race of the year, top North American and Canadian championships, and two rounds in the country's national stock car racing championship. Tickets for all events are now on sale.

"This year's Mosport season schedule provides our fans with the best variety of road racing anywhere in Canada," said Myles Brandt, president and general manager of Mosport International Raceway. "We'll have everything from the hottest road racing property in North America, the American Le Mans Series, to first-class sports sedan championships like the Grand-Am KONI Challenge and the SPEED World Challenge.

"We're also proud to showcase Canada's finest national race programs like the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, The Parts Canada Superbike Championship and the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship. Above all, we'll continue to provide our spectators with great racing entertainment in a picturesque park-like setting, all for an affordable, value-packed ticket."

All major events at Mosport include these value-added benefits with paid admission:

• kids 12 and under free (with a paid adult admission)
• free access to the race team paddock area
• free parking
• free access to the Mosport Motorsports Expo and Marketplace
• free access to the Saturday Night Stock Car Racing at Mosport Speedway

Mosport's traditional season-opener is the Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend (May 16-18) and this year's event features a revamped racing line-up with the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires, the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and the new Jetta TDI Cup for diesel-powered sedans, along with the Cup Lites stock car series.

The Father's Day Doubleheader (June 13-15) will see the return of two popular co-features, with Dickies 200 for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, joined by the domestic and imported high-performance sedans of the U.S. based Grand-Am KONI Challenge. The new Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup presented by BF Goodrich Tires makes its Canadian debut at Mosport, and will be joined by the Ontario Formula Ford Championship for F-1600s and a return visit from the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship.

One of the most popular forms of racing in Mosport's 48-year history was the thundering sports cars of the Can-Am Series, which had a 20-year run at the circuit beginning in the 1960's. These open-cockpit, big horsepower brutes return as the feature of the 29th Annual International Vintage Racing Festival (June 20-22). Organized by the Vintage Automobile Racing Association of Canada (VARAC), this is Canada's premier historic racing event and includes cars from Mosport's storied past.

The country's top motorcycle racers take-over Mosport's 4-km road course for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship Doubleheader (July 18-20) - the Toronto-area's only stop in the national two-wheel title chase. The weekend features factory-backed teams and privateers from across Canada in the premier Superbike, Canadian Thunder and Pro 600 classes, along with popular off-track features like the BMW Motorrad Summer Fest (a motorcycle lifestyle festival with exhibits, stunt riders and concerts) plus the Yamaha Riding Academy off-road motorcycle clinic for kids ages 6-12.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series returns to the Mosport grounds, but this time on Canada's fastest ½ mile paved oval for the Mosport Speedway 200 (August 9) in one of the most demanding races on the Series schedule.

Mobil 1 presents The Grand Prix of Mosport (August 21-24), caps a busy racing season by featuring the American Le Mans Series. Also on track are six popular North American road racing championships: SPEED World Challenge GT, SPEED World Challenge Touring Series, IMSA GT3 Cup for Porsches, IMSA Lites for prototype racers, and two open-wheel classes, the Star Mazda and Formula 2000.

Specially priced advance weekend SuperTickets and camping passes can be purchased online at mosport.com and ticketmaster.ca or by calling the Mosport Ticket Hotline (1-800-866-1072).

Since 1961, Mosport International Raceway has been Canada's Home of Motorsports, playing host to more than 400 event days a year. Located less than an hour east of Toronto, the 750-acre, multi-purpose facility is the only permanent motorsports complex in the GTA, with a world-renowned 4-kilometre road course, a 2.4 kilometre driver development centre with skid pad, a 1.4 km kart circuit and a half-mile paved oval.

2008 Mosport Major Event Schedule

May 16-18 Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend

Canadian Castrol Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires; Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup; Jetta TDI Cup; Cup Lites

June 13-15 Father's Day Doubleheader Weekend

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series; Grand-Am KONI Challenge (GS & ST); Ford Racing Mustang Challenge for the Miller Cup presented by BF Goodrich; Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires; Toronto Tire Craft Ontario Formula Ford Championship (F1600)

June 20-22 29th Int'l Vintage Racing Festival

Historic Can-Am; Historic & Vintage Production; Sports Racers;
Group 70+

July 18-20 Parts Canada Superbike Championship Doubleheader

Parts Canada Superbike; Canadian Thunder; Yoshimura Pro 600 Sport Bike; International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW AM 600; Suzuki SV650 Cup; Pro Honda Oils Women's Cup

August 9 Mosport Speedway 200 (at Mosport Speedway)

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series

August 21-24 Mobil 1 presents The Grand Prix of Mosport

American Le Mans Series; SPEED World Challenge GT; SPEED World Challenge Touring; Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear; F2000 Championship Series; IMSA Challenge by Michelin; IMSA Lites presented by Hankook

From Lee Bailie // Mosport

Inside Track Columnist Scott Gibson: King of the World?... Crystal Ball Gazer?... Consultant to the Tracks?....

NOTE TO SELF: Have Scott Gibson write a column about me winning the lottery....

In the pre-Christmas issue of Inside Track Motorsport News, Scott Gibson wrote an advice column for short tracks, mentioning Delaware Speedway specifically.
After seeing Jim Cressman's column in the London Free Press, it appears someone at Delaware took Gibson's words to heart.
Gibson said: "Delaware Speedway has been absent from the schedule since ‘05 and it’s a shame that the birthplace of the former CASCAR series was not a part of its resurgence in ‘07."
Cressman's story says: "Once completed, these changes, particularly to the racing surface, will likely see Delaware land a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event. "The major part of it, we're probably a year away," Delaware race director Jeff Wilcox said yesterday. "I really don't want to commit to a timeline. It's not my money. It's between the owners and other investment, but there are people who want to see it done sooner than later. "Our top priority is getting our stage fixed up, which is our speedway. We've had companies in to look at the surface and they're confident that we can repair some of the worst spots and just pave over top and have a track that will last another 30-plus years." Wilcox said he has been told NASCAR "wants to see something happening with the facility, mainly the walls and racing surface, and once that happens I think they'd want to talk to us on a long-term plan" for the Canadian Tire Series. "
Gibson said: Abolish the point fund "At first glance, it may be difficult to understand how eliminating the point fund can improve the state of grassroots racing. Racing is an expensive sport and many teams struggle to obtain the funding required to compete. But, this is the very same reason why tracks should not offer a points fund for their weekly divisions. An unfortunate pattern emerges at our speedways each year; the season begins with a healthy field of competitors but as the season progresses, the fields inevitably shrink. When each team’s source of funding runs dry, on-track incidents may force them to be sidelined for the remainder of the season. Missing races during the championship chase further compounds the problem, with the points fund at many speedways only rewarding the highest finishing teams. Redeploying the points fund to the weekly purse will help each team’s cash flow throughout the season, which is when it is needed most. Allocating more funds to the back half of the finishing order will have the greatest impact. Marginal teams that might not otherwise compete regularly will be encouraged to return to the track and the increased funding will also help them close the gap to the front of the field. In turn, a more entertaining race will encourage fans to visit the speedway, contributing to the financial health of the racing community."
Cressman's story says: "The drivers will also hear about a proposal to change the traditional weekly purses and year-end points funds. "There's been a lot of talk in the industry about taking the year-end payout and dividing it out over the season so those competitors can have that money in their hands each week," [Jeff] Wilcox said. "So we've got a proposal that we want to run by the racers and see what they think, but we've taken a substantial amount of money that we normally pay out at the end of the year and we've put it into the weekly purse. At the end of the year there still will be a payoff, but it just won't be as big as in the past. This way, if a guy can only race five times a year he's going to make more money. If he only races five times a year he's not going to get a year-end payout anyway."
Nice work Scott!

MOTORCYCLES: Buell joins Canadian Superbike Ranks

TORONTO, Ont. - Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada will step up to the feature class of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship in 2008 with a team running its new Buell 1125R. Six-time Canadian Superbike champion Steve Crevier of Maple Ridge, BC is expected to lead a two-rider squad, which will likely be run by the Picotte Performance team headed by Pascal Picotte.

The Buell Superbike program will be independent of its entry in the recently revamped Thunder class for twin-cylinder motorcycles. �Adding the Buell and Harley-Davidson names to our headline class is obviously a huge step for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship,� said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions, which organizes the national series. �This should increase interest in the series significantly and with Steve Crevier aboard one of these bikes there is no telling how competitive the Buell could be.�

This will be the only Superbike-class program for the Buell 1125R anywhere in the world. The bike, which was launched last summer, is powered by an 1125cc liquid-cooled engine built by the Austrian Rotax concern, a division of Bombardier Recreational Products.

Former road racer Erik Buell is celebrating his 25th anniversary as a motorcycle constructor, and has distinguished himself through the years with his innovative and sometimes off-beat designs. Harley-Davidson acquired a majority interest in his company in 1993.

�We�ve had ongoing discussions with Buell and they told us that they can develop the horsepower of this bike to be respectable in the Superbike class,� said Ric Marrero, Marketing Programs and Events Director for Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada. �Another factor in our decision was the fact that there are several good riders available, one being Mr. Crevier, who we fully intend to put on this Superbike.�

Crevier is the most successful racer in the history of the Canadian Superbike series. In addition to his record six titles he has won 26 races in the feature class, more than any other rider. Last season he finished second in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship behind Jordan Szoke, winning the final three races of the year on the Toyota Team Yamaha / Fast Company Yamaha YZF-R1.

A second rider for the program is expected to be confirmed in the next couple of weeks.

The twin-cylinder Buell will be at a horsepower disadvantage to the more potent four-cylinder motorcycles of Japanese rivals Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. While that may handicap the bike at a high speed circuit like Bowmanville, Ont.�s Mosport International Raceway, it will prove less of a disadvantage at some of the tighter tracks on the Parts Canada Superbike tour, such as Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S.

�Obviously, this bike has never been raced at this level so we have to be realistic in our expectations,� Marrero said. �But we wouldn�t be getting into this program if we didn�t think the Buell could perform respectably.�

As with all motorcycles in the Parts Canada Superbike Championship, the Buell 1125R will run on Pirelli spec tires. Pirelli is entering the third year of its deal to develop spec tires for the Canadian national series.

By John Hopkins, Inside Track Communications
For more series information, visit www.cdnsuperbike.com

Grand-Am KONI: Fresh From Florida 200 DIS preview

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2008) - The nearly four-month layoff is finally complete and Grand-Am�s KONI Challenge Series competitors will head for the season-opening Fresh From Florida 200 at 2:15 p.m. Friday (SPEED, at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8) at Daytona International Speedway looking for victory in one of the season�s biggest races.
 
Highlighted by the return of every 2007 driving, team and manufacturer champion from both the Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) divisions, the season kicks off with a three-hour combined race on the 3.56-mile track. Nearly 100 cars are expected to take the green flag.
 
Race sponsor Fresh From Florida will contribute its support to defending series team champions Automatic Racing and its four-car stable. Leading the way are reigning driving titlists Jep Thornton and Jeff Segal, crowned last year�s champs despite not winning a race. They�ll try to give Automatic Racing its first ever KONI Challenge win in the No. 09 Fresh From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3.
 
Other Automatic cars and drivers include Jon Miller and Joe Varde in the No. 99 Fresh From Florida/Weeden Consultants BMW M3, Nick Longhi and Joe Masessa in the No. 90 Fresh From Florida/Land Air/E Studio BMW M3 and Charles Espenlaub and Charles Putman in the No. 91 Fresh From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3.
 
Ford Mustangs gave Automatic Racing�s BMWs close competition all season, with Joe Foster and the No. 55 Hyper Sport Ford Mustang GT holding the point chase tight until the final checkered flag. Foster again returns to challenge for the title, driving with Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey at Daytona. Joe Middlebrooks and Rick Skelton will drive the sister No. 54 Hyper Sport Ford Mustang GT.
 
The defending race winner is also a Mustang, but from the Blackforest Motorsports stable. David Empringham and Tom Nastasi hope to make it two straight in the No. 5 USG Sheetrock/Ramset Tools Ford Mustang GT. Nastasi was part of the winning duo in the first three races in 2007. Three other Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustangs are entered - the No. 2 Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang occupied by Roberto Bengoa and Jose Carlos Santiago, the No. 3 US Army/Turner Law Firm with Terry Borcheller and Scott Tucker and the No. 6 Blackforest Motorsports with Greg Gimbert, Edmund Hennessy and Matt Varsha.
 
The Rehagen Racing stable, which scored a victory at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last season, brings a fleet of five Mustangs to Daytona this weekend, including the No. 60 Ford Mustang GT driven by Hugh Plumb and Mike Canney. Plumb was fastest in two of the three test days earlier this month.
 
Porsche also brings to Daytona several top names and teams which won last season and have run strong previously. BGB Motorsports and TRG each bring to the track experience and speed they hope turn into victory. Four BGB Porsche 997s will compete, with open-wheel veterans Alex Barron and Dan Selznick entered in the No. 38 The Room Store Porsche 997. Craig Stanton, who ended the season with three straight podiums and finished fourth in points, is in the No. 83 Performance Drink/Toro Veijo Motorsports Porsche 997. The team will also field the C-Max Racing machines with Dave Riddle and Kris Wilson (No. 25) and Scooter Gabel and Joe Safina (No. 26).
 
TRG, likewise, has three cars, with Andy Lally and Scott Schroeder in the lead No. 41 Cohen Financial Porsche 997. Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly will share the No. 39 The DigiTrust Group/Adam�s Polishes Porsche 997 and Dan DiLeo and Bryan Sellers are in the No. 42 Maxwell Paper Porsche 997.
 
Automatic wasn�t the only strong BMW team in 2007, as Turner Motorsport closed the campaign with two straight team wins. Entered this weekend are Bill Auberlen and Matthew Alhadeff in the No. 96 BMW M3 and Don Salama and Bryan Ortiz in the No. 97 BMW M3.
 
Other multi-car efforts include Bullet Racing, Spirit of Daytona Racing, Motorsport Technology Group, Fall-Line Motorsports, Kinetic Motorsports and Ranger Sports Racing. In all 46 GS cars are pre-entered for the event.
 
Kensai Racing, the defending ST race-winning team, added ammunition to its stable by signing defending series driving champions Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood, one season removed from their championship run with Turner Motorsport. The pair joins Karl Thomson, who last season piloted the No. 76 Compass360.com/Skunk 2/Hawk Brakes Acura TSX to third in the point standings. Thomson knows the fastest route around Daytona, as he won the Fresh From Florida 200 last season after starting at the back of the field.
Filling the vacated No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW 330i will be California natives VJ Mirzayan and Matthew Bell. Mirzayan competed part-time in KONI Challenge last season, posting five top 10s in six starts, while Matthew Bell is in his first season of pro ranks after several successful seasons driving BMWs.
 
While the storylines centered strongly on the seesaw battle between Kensai and Turner during the 2007 season, several other ST cars ran strong last year and expect to contend for the Daytona win this weekend.
 
ICY Motorsports/Phoenix Racing, Georgian Bay Motorsports, Fountain Motorsports and i-MOTO Racing won races in 2007 and bring multi-car efforts for a chance to shine. ICY/Phoenix, who will compete fulltime in 2008 with Subaru Legacys, showed fastest in two of the three January Test Days earlier this month, with the Nos. 111 and 141 each topping days. Chuck Hemmingson and Kristian Skavnes are in the No. 111 Subaru of America Subaru Legacy again after posting two wins in 2007. In the No. 141 Subaru of America Subaru Legacy are David Rosenblum and Andrew Aquilante.
 
Georgian Bay won at Barber Motorsports Park and Miller Motorsports Park with Eric Curran and Jamie Holtom in the No. 01 SCADAPack Chevrolet Cobalt, and return fulltime in 2008. Kirk Spencer and Ashley McCalmont will run the No. 00 T.T.L. Chevrolet Cobalt.
Fountain has new driver lineups, with Eduardo Gramisci and Peter London (No. 127) and Manny Matz and James Rowen (No. 128) in twin Hawk Brakes/Marren Injection/Rogue Engineering BMW 330s. Meanwhile, i-MOTO and Glenn Bocchino re-signed brothers Kumo and Nick Wittmer and added Peter Cunningham for a full-out attack on the driver and team titles.
 
HART also won two races in 2007 - at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Virginia International Raceway - with Shane Lewis and John Schmitt, and the pair returns in the No. 22 Red Line Oil/Honda of America Honda Accord fulltime in 2008.
 
Other multi-car lineups include Bill Fenton Motorsports, SDS Performance Racing, Team Cobalt California, Brass Mitchell Racing, Roar Racing, Classic-BMW Plano, GSM Motorsports, Performance Autosport, GS Motorsports, APR Motorsport and RSR Motorsports. Fifty-one cars are entered overall in ST.
 
The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 15-race 2008 Rolex Series and the 11-race KONI Challenge Series calendars deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. Learn more about Grand-Am at www.grand-am.com .
 
From Grand-Am

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

PartSource to sponsor "Championship Sunday" at three Canadian IHRA National events

PartSource, the Canadian Auto Parts chain, one of the leading and fastest-growing retail auto parts companies in Canada, has entered into an agreement with IHRA and Live Nation Motorsports to sponsor "Championship Sunday" at the three 2008 Knoll Gas Nitro Jam national events to he held in Canada.

The races at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Grand Bend Motorplex in Ontario and Cayuga, also in Ontario, will all feature PartSource on the day their championships are determined.

"As one of the leading national specialty destinations for automotive parts, PartSource caters to the auto enthusiast," said PartSource vice president Bruce Allen. "We also share our customers' passion for racing, which is why it makes perfect sense for PartSource and the International Hot Rod Association series to come together to bring this exciting sport to Canadian racing fans."

PartSource has retail locations all across Canada, including Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Winnipeg, Guelph, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Brantford, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Oshawa, Windsor, Barrie, Sarnia, London and Ottawa. Allen looked at the Canadian Knoll Gas Nitro Jam events as the perfect platform to connect with car enthusiasts.

"Through PartSource's active involvement in motorsports events over the years we have shared in the excitement and enthusiasm that racing fans have for this sport," he said. "We want to contribute our own leadership and expertise through this exciting partnership with IHRA to bring this event series to participants and fans across the country."

The Rocky Mountain Nationals featuring PartSource Championship Sunday will take place July 4-6 at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alb. The Mopar Canadian Nationals featuring PartSource Championship Sunday will be held July 18-20 at Grand Bend Motorplex in Grand Bend, Ont. while the IHRA Canadian Nationals featuring PartSource Championship Sunday will take place Sept. 19-21 at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ont.

"PartSource is such a strong, active marketing partner and we're thrilled they are involved with our Canadian races," IHRA president Aaron Polburn said. "Our Canadian fans have proven to be passionate about IHRA Drag Racing and we look forward to this relationship and having a lot of fun at the races this season."

For more information about PartSource, please visit the company's website at http://www.partsource.ca/index.asp.

From Mike Perry // Director of Media Relations // IHRA