Canada Aims High Heading to Brands Hatch (DRT)

Montréal, Canada (April 30, 2008) - The tenth round of the 2007-08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport will play out in the United Kingdom this weekend as Kent's Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit hosts the season finale of the nation versus nation championship, Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th May.  Having announced last week that Toronto's James Hinchcliffe will return to race action for A1 Team Canada at the event, there's just one mission for the 21-year-old and that's to help secure Canada's best-ever A1GP finish.

Already comfortably in the top-ten of the current A1GP Nations Standings, sitting ninth on 75 points, 25 points clear of tenth placed Portugal, Canada's sights are firmly set on a potential top-six finish.  A mere six points separate Germany, the out-going A1GP World Champions, in sixth place on 83 points and Canada in ninth with Ireland (83) and the Netherlands (80) in between.

While the Canadian team has already enjoyed its best ever A1GP season, with rookie racer Robert Wickens steering his way to victory in Round 7's Sprint race in South Africa in addition to four other podium finishes, Brands Hatch could seal the deal on the team's stellar progress competing around the world with lots to play for heading into the final Sprint and Feature races.

Hinchcliffe will return to the cockpit of the 550bhp A1GP car for the first time since Round 2 in the Czech Republic last October.  The 21-year-old, capped a total of eighteen times for Canada - with a highest placing of second alongside seven top-ten A1GP finishes last season, is looking forward to his debut on the 2.62-mile Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit.

"I'm really looking forward to being back at Brands Hatch," said Hinchcliffe.  "I attended last season's race to support A1 Team Canada and I'm pumped to actually be the guy driving there this year.  The team's already proven itself to be a consistent force and I'm confident we can go out there and keep that momentum going.  The points battle is pretty tight where we're at but we all know what's achievable if everything goes our way.  Brands also marks the last time we'll be racing the Lola-Zytek A1GP car so hopefully we can give it a good send off and put on a great show for the British crowd."

Hinchcliffe will be joined in the United Kingdom by his fellow Atlantic Championship racer, Daniel Morad.  The 18-year-old from Markham will again undertake Friday morning's 'Rookie-Only' session for Canada having performed the role over the course of the previous three A1GP race meetings.

"As always I'll be working to make sure we get a good base set-up on the car," Morad commented.  "I'd like to crack the top-three in the rookie session this time.  I've definitely got an eye on landing the race seat for next season so I'm keen to keep showing I can do a good job.  I've been learning as much as I can with each opportunity.  I know I'm capable of doing a full weekend but in the meantime I'll do all I can to help the team and James this weekend and hopefully I'll get my shot next season."

Sunday's 20-minute Sprint race starts at 11am GMT (6am EST) with the 70-minute Feature race starting at 3pm at Brands Hatch (10am EST).  Live Feature race streaming will be available via - www.a1gp.com / Setanta Sports Canada will broadcast Round 10 from the United Kingdom as a tape-delay starting at 8am EST on Monday 5th May - www.setantanorthamerica.com

A1GP Top-Ten Standings - Round 9/10: 1st Switzerland (150), 2nd New Zealand (121), 3rd France (111), 4th Great Britain (99), 5th South Africa (92), 6th Germany (83), 7th Ireland (83), 8th Netherlands (80), 9th CANADA (75), 10th Portugal (50)

Photo Credit: 'Toronto's James Hinchcliffe returns to duty for A1 Team Canada' - 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

Chuck Daigh has passed away (4/29/2008)

From Ed Moody

Chuck Daigh won the 1963 Players 200 at Mosport
 
Chuck Daigh passed away this morning. Chuck built hot rods prior to WW II and ran at the Dry Lakes. After his duty in the paratroopers he worked for Bill Stroppe preparing the famous Mexican road race Lincolns and riding as co-pilot in three of those races. He joined Pete DePaolo Engineering where he managed the west coast semi-factory Ford stock car team.

While at DePaolo's, he helped build the Battlebirds as well. He worked for the Rathmann Chevrolet NASCAR stock car team. After Rathmann's Chevrolet stock operations shut down he left to work building the Reventlow Scarab Sports Car and Formula One cars. In recent years he rebuilt two of the Reventlow F1 desmodromic valve motors for collectors.

As a driver, Chuck won the Willow Springs and Santa Barbara Sports Car Main events driving a Kurtis 500S - Lincoln that belonged to Frank Kurtis. He later won the Main Events at Paramount Ranch and Santa Barbara driving the Trountman-Barnes Ford powered sports car special. Chuck won several more big sports car races with the front engined Scarabs, including the Los Angeles Times Riverside Grand Prix in 1958.

He also won the big Nassau main event with a Scarab. Daigh drove for Ferrari at Le Mans and co-drove the winning Ferrari at Sebring one year. He later drove the Reventlow Formula One car in international races. Chuck tried to qualify at the Indianapolis 500 three times through the years but the cars were not good enough. Daigh also drove for Briggs Cunningham, with the Lister-Jaguars, a few times.

There are additional links about Daigh and his career here and here.

Brighton Speedway set to launch "a season that is all about the fans"

BRIGHTON, ON - Brighton Speedway is opening the season on Saturday, May 3rd, 2008 and launching into a season that is all about the fans.  The Coca-Cola Full Throttle Season Opener is affordable to every fan at $2.00 admission with a food bank donation.  Introducing the FAB FOUR, Bainer�s Radiator Canadian Modifieds, Brighton Automotive Pro Stocks, Bill�s Johns Comp 4 and Picture This Signs and Design Pure Stocks, to the fans of the 1/3 mile clay oval is just the beginning of a schedule that is filled with fan favourites, and chances for the fans to win.

New for 2008 is the Fan Appreciation Reward Program where each and every fan of pedal to the metal, dirt flying, gear grinding racing action has the chance to win two tickets, from Have Bus Will Travel Transportainment, to the World of Outlaws finals being held at The Dirt Track at Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina, Wednesday, Oct. 29 to Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008.  Sponsored by Adecco, Trenton, Subway, Trenton & Campbellford, Custom Carts, Trenton, Brighton Auto Repair, National Car Rental and Have Bus Will Travel, the package includes 4 nights accommodation with 3 hot breakfasts, 3 day tickets & Pit Passes to the World of Outlaws, World Finals, and as many of the daytime extras that can be jam packed into the adventure.

This new Fan Appreciation Reward Program is available to anyone who completes a registration form, available starting opening night. This program has been custom built for the fans at Brighton Speedway every week, while in attendance, fans swipe their card to be entered in weekly and random draws held throughout the entire racing season including monthly draws for tickets to other exciting racing events throughout Ontario.  The most valued fans, with the highest rates of attendance will be entered in the season ending draw for the World of Outlaws Finals, (must be of legal age to be eligible for this prize only).  Be sure to enroll and be recognized as the valued fan that you are.

All fans will feel their value with the return of Fan Appreciation nights.  Scheduled for May 17th, June 21st, July 26th, August 16th and September 20th, fans will have the chance to meet and greet their favourite drivers while the drivers share their appreciation with giveaways and autographs for everyone.

Add these Fan specific activities to a jam packed schedule of the Fab Four, SOS Sprints, School Busses, Spectator One-on One Racing, Gord�s Water VanTastics, Late Models, a Monster Madness 3 day Weekend and the always favoured Tim Horton�s Kids� Club, there really is something for every fan at Brighton Speedway.

The Coca-Cola Full Throttle Season Opener is May 3rd, 2008.  $2.00 and a food bank donation will have every fan on the edge of their seats.  The green flag flies at 7:00pm.  For more information and to see the complete season schedule visit www.brightonspeedway.com.

From Angie Rinaldi / BSP

Mosport Kart Club 1st Event Preview

MOSPORT, ON - This Saturday, May 3rd, Mosport Kart Club will be hosting their first race of the year at 3S Go-Karts, Sutton. Registration opens at 7:05am so be early to avoid the line ups. The first class will go on track at 9:00. Track layout will be SENNA counter-clockwise. Visit the Simcoe Kart club website for images of the various track layouts.

Mother Nature is threatening to challenge the driving skills of all the members, but this is not a bad thing. This makes better drivers out of all of us. If you can race in the rain (and sometimes snow), then dry pavement should be a piece of cake.

Established in 1980, Mill Valley Trophies began as a small, home-based store offering trophies and awards to the local community, along with the area's first computerized engraving system. Today, Mill Valley Trophies can offer its customers a full range of corporate awards, trophies and plastic engraving of signs, name badges and more in a remarkably quick turnaround time.

Their employees are fully trained in the latest engraving technology and pride themselves in keeping up with the constantly-changing engraving environment. The trophies that MKC participants receive are produced from the imagination of the creative experts at Mill Valley Trophies. For more information, go to  www.millvalleytrophies.com

For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.mosportkartclub.com

From Paul Evans / MKC

PHOTO GALLERY: Flamboro Speedway April 26, 2008

Here is a 170-picture Gallery from the Flamboro Speedway season opener on April 26. Unofficial results are available on the track's website. Dave Franks' new site is located here. Thanks Dave!

Inside Track Short Track Contingency Program... All Ads in PDF format

Click here or on the image at right to download a PDF file (under 3 Mb) of all the Inside Track Short Track Contingency Ads that appeared in Volumes 12.01 and 12.02 of the magazine.

We got a little overzealous handing out copies of 12.01 (especially) at the winter racing shows and we are extremely short on copies of this issue. Our original plan was to send several copies to each person who had an ad in an issue, but the shortage makes that impossible.

Feel free to download, save and print this file for your purposes. Or you can send this link (http://www.insidetracknews.com/images/ITMN_Short_Track_Contingency_Pages_2007_2008_sm.pdf) to anyone who might be interested. We apologize for not being able to send everyone all of the issues promised.

We thank everyone for their participation and support. Watch for details of the 2008 Inside Track Short Track Contingency Program shortly.

Shaw Motorsports - Flamboro Report April 26, 2008

GUELPH, ON - The threat of rain loomed as the Shaw Motorsports crew headed to Flamboro Speedway with a new setup and even newer Chevy crate motor for the first race of the 2008 season. Although the team only tested the new setup and crate motor once this season, they were confident that they had a fast car.
 
For the first of two practice sessions, driver Jason Shaw was not happy with the push in the centre of the corner, however the car was handling well and turning some good lap times. The crew made an adjustment to the anti-roll bar for the second practice session that proved to correct the problem with the push, however there was now a loose off condition that required some attention. A shock change was made and tires were changed around to decrease the stagger and thus hopefully reduce the loose off condition for the one and only heat race.
 
The #82 Castrol Oil Ford Fusion lined up 9th for the heat race consisting of 10 cars while the skies cleared and the threat of rain was replaced with a dropping temperature and increased winds. After receiving the green flag, Jason ran side by side with the #56 for the first two laps until Jason had to dart high and the #56 low to miss the spinning #95 in centre of turn 4 bringing out the caution and putting the #82 into 8th. Before lap 3 was complete, Jason passed the #34 to gain 7th and then one lap later got around the #86 to obtain 6th. A battle to get into the top 5 started on the 7th lap and when the #41 and #95 got together on the last lap, it was the #82 who would slide between the two to take the checkered flag in 5th. Jason was happy with the handling of the car, however the crate motor seamed to lack power coming off the corners and he felt that the other cars were pulling away from him at that point.
 
With the #44 of Steve Laking on the pole, Jason sat in 9th for the start of the 25 lap feature. While the cars were running a few hot laps prior to the green flag, the #37 pulled into the infield with mechanical difficulties, putting the #82 up to 8th before the green flag was displayed. Jason ran the first two laps, side by side with the #29 before he was able to gain the position as well as two more on the same straightaway to take 5th. The #44 remained in the lead followed by the #07, #52, #8 and then the #82 to round out the top 5 and while the #44 pulled away by 10 car lengths, the #07 slid backwards, allowing Jason to move into 4th.

Caution came out on lap 11 for the #56 who may have had help getting turned sideways by the #75. With the #56 moved to the back and the #75 maintaining his position as an uninvolved car, the #82 restarted 4th were he would remain until lap15 when the right front tire went down, sending Jason towards the pits were it looked like their night would finish. Before Jason could limp off the track, the caution came out for cars spinning in turn 2 so the Shaw crew ran to the pits to get the right front changed and get the #82 back on the track to hopefully gain a few spots during the remaining 10 laps.

The Shaw crew had the #82 back on the track in the 15th position before the started displayed the green flag to restart the race. Unfortunately for the Shaw team, the spare right front tire had lost 10 pounds of air pressure while the race was going on and although it was still full of air, the car would not handle correctly and Jason pulled off the track to watch the final laps from the fence. It is hoped that the bad luck will be an isolated case limited to the first night of racing and things will look much better for the next race to be held on (Saturday May 3rd also at Flamboro Speedway). Congratulations goes out to the #44 of Steve Laking who got his first win of the season on the first night out in his very sharp, newly constructed Spira Fire Protection sponsored Chevy.
 
In other racing news, it was the first night for the Spira Racing mini-stock program where Shaw crew member Dave Hagedorn piloted the #88 Spira Fire Protection Ford Mustang. Dave qualified well and put the car into the 30 car feature  to start 13th. Dave (Hags) was able to finesse the #88 throughout the 25 lap feature and into a 7th place finish. Dave, and car owner Ken Spira will be sharing the driving responsibilities throughout the season as time permits with their commitments to the Shaw Motorsports Team who congratulate the Spira Racing Team on a job well done and for the added entertainment they provide at the speedway.
 
From Shaw Motorsports // Photos courtesy of Dave Franks Photos

AIM Autosport - Grand Am Race Report -VIR

Alton, VA - April 27, 2008: The day started with wet conditions but both Mark and Brian felt the car was strong on the rains and they would end the session P2. There was a chance of rain for race time so the drivers of the Exchange Traded Gold #61 Ford Riley were confident they had the car to run in any condition today.

The track was dry by race time with overcast skies. Brian would take the green and settle into third place and a lead group of three started to pull away from the field. Brian was within striking distance of the leader.

A full course caution on lap eight had the team call Brian in for a timed fuel stop on lap eleven. The #61 would exit the pits P8 and by lap  fifteen, was back up to P4. Brian sat in a group of DP cars caught in slower traffic presenting few opportunities to pass but he was running faster times than the DP cars ahead. Brian was sitting P2 when another full course caution came out. The team pitted for tires, fuel and a driver change.

To this point in the race, Brian had the fastest lap.

With Mark at the controls, the #61 came out P6 in good position and ahead of some of the main series rivals. He was closing on the cars in front and set a fast lap of 1:15:501 on lap 36. Mark kept a consistent pace and moved to P3 through traffic and eventually P2. Pit strategies played into the hands of the #61 and Mark would go P1 before coming in for a splash-and-dash to get them to the end of the race.

Back on track P4, Mark then encountered a back marker. Coming up on some GT traffic, and under braking, Mark hit the rear of the back marker and officials called in a stop and go penalty for the contact. Unfortunately it would turn into a drive through and a stop-and-go when there was some miscommunication about where Mark should stop to serve the penalty. He would re-enter the track P7.

The day�s third full course caution bunched up the field but there would be lapped cars and GT traffic to deal with on the restart. Mark would make it up to P6 but was running out of laps. He would continue to make his way through traffic and close the gap to the car ahead.

In the end, the AIM Autosport Exchange Traded Gold #61 Ford Riley would cross the checkers P6.

After the stop-and-go I got a bit frustrated commented Mark. It was pretty annoying to be blocked by lapped traffic, hitting me through the turns. The penalty hurt us in that regard. He continued to say :The car was great though. A bit loose and hard to handle at the end, but we are happy to bring the car home for some much needed points.

Brian Frisselle commented, "The Ford Riley was very fast again and both Mark and I turned some very quick laps. But sometimes traffic, especially lapped, cars can be tough to deal with and we got caught in a situation that cost us some track positions. We are on the edge of getting a good result. It is just a matter of time."

AIM Autosport principal Ian Willis summed up the days results. Even though it was our second highest series finish the whole team is diasappointed with the end result. Everybody on the team did a fabulous job and we know that a podium is in our future......we just can't wait.

The team has a couple of weeks to regroup before heading to the next round of the Rolex Grand Am Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California May 16-18

AIM Autosport Facts: Established in 1995, AIM Autosport 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. AIM currently fields the #61 Exchange Traded Gold Ford-Riley Daytona Prototype in the Rolex Grand Am series with drivers Mark Wilkins and Brian Frisselle. The team continues to support the Star Mazda series and is developing a team for the 2009 season.

From Chris Jameson // Level Ten Communications

Delaware Speedway: Geared up for the 2008 regular season

DELAWARE, ON - Delaware Speedway is geared up for opening night this Friday evening! The line-up for the evening features the three fastest Delaware divisions: the Peterbilt of Ontario Super Stocks, POWERADE Open-Wheel Modifieds and APC Late Models and is held in support of Jesse's Journey.

As part of the larger Jesse’s Journey Walk Across Canada in a Day campaign, by making a minimum donation of $5 fans and competitors will have to opportunity to walk the 1/2 mile track before the event to add to walking totals from around the region. The fundraiser will take place beginning at 7:00 PM. For more information on that program can be found at www.delawarespeedway.com.

The Peterbilt of Ontario Super Stocks boast a great lineup of drivers for the 2008 season with over twenty-two pre-registered. Windsor’s Ray Morneau (#98) is set to defend his championship against a field of experienced drivers and a handful of new challengers. In a Super Stock coming of age story, the pair of Krown JRL graduates Andrew Perkins and Darrell Lake feel they are in a position to compete strongly in 2008.

“Darrell and I have learned a lot these past four years,” said Perkins in a practice day interview. “We’re ready to go up and try to compete for a championship.”

Perkins faced a tough run by the end of last year after a rivalry developed between his #3 and Jeremiah Rabideau (#51) of Glencoe. A series of incidents cost both drivers positions and points.
Additionally, Matt Humphrys (#04) of St. Marys will be joining the class, moving up from Challenger Motor Freight Trucks. The division will also see the entry of Kris Lawrence taking reigns his father’s #28 Pontiac Ventura. Duane Manning of Komoka had previously been keeping the seat warm for Kris after the passing of Dave Lawrence at home in 2006 season. Kris has previously competed successfully in the speedway’s Krown JRL, where his brother Jordan will be racing in the senior division for he first time this year.

The POWERADE Open Wheel Modifieds will be as exiting as ever in 2008. The last season saw plenty of bumper-to-bumper, sidebar to sidebar action in this class of speed machines. The past three seasons have seen three different champions with Jamie Cox (#3) of Dorchester, Barry Newman (#1) of Springfield, and Mark Watson (#20) of Ailsa Craig. With hot shoes like Paul Shipway (#88) of Ailsa Crag and David McCullough (#39) of Glencoe gaining more and more experience, the division is expected to be as fiercely competitive this season as it was last season.

The APC Late Models are also expected to be wildly exciting this season. Jesse Kennedy will be defending his championship and special event wins at the PartSource 140 and APC 300. Scott Lindsay is widely expected to be a contender in 2008 along with the likes of “Rocket” Ron Sheridan (#52) of Strathroy and Dion Verhoeven (#77) of Kerwood.

Anticipation is high with the return of Delaware racing legend Steve Robblee (#28) of Dorchester. The Windsor area will be well represented this season with the addition of Duke Sawchuck to the Dan Delisile team of racing. Doug Stewart will be joining the fray with his #2 late model, and Chad Rijnen will be making the jump to Late Model from Super Stock, driving the #33 JR Motorsports entry.

Team APC / CANUSA will be represented by Jamie Ramsay (#42) of St. Thomas. As well, Brandon Watson, a young-gun from the Barrie area is rumoured to be trying his hand at the Delaware oval on opening night. Also returning to competition in 2008 will be Al Lebert of Stoney Point in a new-style late model and Rick Emery of Ruscom.

Numerous contingency sponsors are also announcing their intentions to be apart of the Delaware Program. Five Star Race Car bodies will be providing a body package for the year end banquet and the APC 300. Other top equipment manufacturers such as Holly Carburetors, Edelbrock, Brodix Cylinder Heads, and MSD Ignition will be providing prizing for the competitors at the end of the year. Locally, McColl Racing Enterprises, Larry Knott Fibreglass Fabrication, Leaf Racewear, John Saunders Racing, APC / CANUSA and Exeter Toyota are all an important part of the program in 2008. Further details on these programs will be announced in the near future.

The gates will fly open at 6:00 PM on Friday with the racing beginning at 8:00 PM. You won’t see racing this intense on television, don’t miss a lap!

From John Houghton // Announcer / PR // Delaware Speedway

Dickies Expands RCR partnership to include associate sponsorship of the No. 29 NASCAR Cup Series team

WELCOME, N. C. (April 18, 2008) -- Dickies®, the leading global workwear brand, and Richard Childress Racing (RCR), are expanding their partnership to include an associate sponsorship position on the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team with driver Kevin Harvick in the NASCAR Cup Series.
 
Dickies and RCR began their partnership in 2006 as the official provider of work apparel for RCR. The opportunity to increase their involvement into team partnership with RCR was the next logical step in a successful relationship.
 
"Dickies has been part of the NASCAR family since 2001. The company's sponsorship of the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway is an important part of our marketing efforts and a perfect fit with the Dickies brand, said Jon Ragsdale, vice president of marketing and  Business Development for Dickies. "This year we are expanding our NASCAR portfolio by becoming an associate sponsor on the No. 29 car driven by Kevin Harvick. Harvick and team owner Richard Childress are perfect embodiments of the hard-working men and women that wear Dickies products and we look forward to seeing Dickies in victory lane."
 
Harvick is currently fifth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings with two top-five and four top-10 finishes in the season's first eight races. Dickies will use Harvick in local promotions, store visits, midway track displays and hospitality programs.
 
"Dickies has been a great partner of RCR the past couple of years so we're very happy to have them expand their program to the No. 29 Cup Series team," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "The entire RCR team is proud to wear Dickies durable workwear in the shop and at the track so we couldn't be more excited about moving to the next step and proudly display the Dickies logo on the No. 29 car with Kevin Harvick."
 
About Dickies: Since its beginnings in Fort Worth, Texas in 1922, the Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company has grown from a humble manufacturer of bib overalls into a global brand powerhouse, with DICKIES work pants, shirts, denim, outerwear, school uniforms, outdoor gear, medical and chefs apparel and an extensive licensing program offering sturdy head-to-toe clothing options for hardworking men and women of all ages, professions, regions and interests. Williamson-Dickie operates through subsidiaries in North America, Canada and Europe as well as exclusive distributorship around the world.
 
About Richard Childress Racing: Richard Childress Racing ( www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 180 victories and 11 NASCAR championships, including the 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series owners' point title and six in the Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Truck Series. Its 2008 Cup Series lineup includes Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel's), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil) and Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T). Its 2008 Nationwide Series lineup includes Clint Bowyer (No. 2 BB&T), Bobby Labonte and Stephen Leicht (No. 21 Chevrolet) and Burton and Scott Wimmer (No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express).
 
From David Hart // Director of Communications // Richard Childress Racing

Targa NF President’s Challenge turns up the heat on carmaker competition

ST. JOHN’S (April 15, 2008) – The President’s Challenge for Manufacturers, a new competition that pits automakers in a week-long, head-to-head contest for corporate bragging rights in Canada’s longest and toughest motorsport event, will be a feature of the 7th annual Targa Newfoundland, event organizers have announced.

The new competition creates a level playing field so that manufacturers’ entries in both the Grand Touring and Targa competition can compete for the President’s Cup, a prestigious award signifying overall achievement in design, performance, durability and competitive spirit.

The challenge of Targa has drawn some of the world’s great car companies to the annual international rally through central and eastern Newfoundland. Since the event’s inception in 2002, corporate titans like BMW, Chrysler, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Porsche and Subaru have supported entries in the grueling six-day contest.

“We have had outstanding support from the community of car manufacturers in Canada,” says Targa organizer Robert Giannou. “Each has come here for their own reasons, and each has thrilled and entertained the many thousands of fans that follow the event here, across Canada and all over the world. We are indebted to each and every one for their contribution to the event.”

While the carmakers have frequently won class and category honours and filled their trophy cases with awards, there has never been an opportunity to compete directly with each other on a level playing field, Giannou says.

“In their business, auto manufacturers must succeed in the face of ferocious competition unlike nearly any other industry. Indeed, they thrive on competition and they have demonstrated that at Targa in their individual classes. But they have never been able to compete against each other in a meaningful way that acknowledges the differences in their products. The President’s Challenge for Manufacturers creates that opportunity,” Giannou explains.

For 2008, manufacturers entering two or more cars are automatically entered in the President’s Challenge. Manufacturer-entered competitors in Grand Touring Equipped, Grand Touring Unequipped, Modern Standard Specification, Modern Modified Specification, Modern Hybrid and Open are eligible. Both entries do not have to be in the same category: For example, one could be in Modern SS and one in GT Equipped, giving companies the option of picking the challenge that best suits their products and marketing goals.

Entries are scored on their finish within their category at the end of the event, with points allocated on the basis of their finishing position: First in category is one point, second is two points and so on. The combined score of the two entries (or the two best entries in the case of a company with three or more entries) will be compared, with the lowest aggregate score winning. A simple mechanism will be in place to settle a tie.

“We have searched for a way to create a competition that acknowledges and respects the differences in design and sporting character of a wide range of vehicles, and of the marketing efforts of the companies that make them. This competition accepts the legitimate differences between unlimited performance potential of a car in the Open division and the sporting nature of a car best suited to the Grand Touring competition, and puts them in a competition that lets each excel at what they do best,” says Giannou.

The beauty of the formula, Giannou says, is that it doesn’t give an advantage to any one category within the event. “We expect the competition to be very, very close,” he says.

The 7th annual Targa Newfoundland will start and end in St. John’s and will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of the island of Newfoundland over six days, including up to 400 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa Stages. The event starts with registration and technical inspection in St. John’s on Saturday, September 13, and concludes back in the city on Friday, September 19, 2008.

Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Holland, the Bahamas and the U.K. for the first six editions of Targa Newfoundland. Entries continue to arrive daily for the 2008 event. Targa Newfoundland is owned and organized by Newfoundland International Motorsports.

-30-

Information:

Media: Doug Mepham (613)966-4969
Sponsors: Scott Giannou (709) 576-7537
Competitors: Dave Harty (709) 722-2413
Targa Website: www.targanewfoundland.com
Official charity: Easter Seals Newfoundland and Labrador www.easterseals.nf.ca

Dave Harty
Registrar/Marketing
Targa Newfoundland
September 13th-20th, 2008
Ph (709) 722-2413
Toll Free: 1-877-332-2413
Email: daveh@targanewfoundland.com
www.targanewfoundland.com

Edelweiss Speedway season preview

GATINEAU, QC - by Martin Bélanger - The car show and press conference announcing the major events of 2008 was done this past Saturday in the parking lot of the Vieux-Duluth in Gatineau. Many cars along with several fans were present for the first activity of the season for Edelweiss.

The speedway always had the support of the drivers and also a good fan base. To recognize that, Edelweiss decided to give back to the community by getting involved with two foundations which are the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society. Each foundation will have a fundraiser night at the speedway.

On Friday, July 4th, it will be the Heart and Stroke Foundation night with the presentation of the first edition of the ``Simone 50``, fifty laps for the modifieds which will also be a Syracuse qualifier. The event was name after the loss of Simone Belhau, who died from a heart disease last summer. Simone was Serge Lagace's wife.

The Canadian Cancer Society will have their night on Friday, August 15 with the feature race of 50 laps for Pro-Stock. This race will be named the ``Carole Legault 50`` in honour of Carole Legault, the wife of pro-stock driver Denis Gauvreau. Carole passed away in 2005 after a long battle against cancer.

Each night will have a fundraiser to help out both foundations. The money will be collected in many ways, with the help of JGV Design who will provide stickers in hearts for the heart foundations and ribbons for cancer, the drivers will be invited to participate. Drivers will sell to the fans these stickers and the racecar that will sell the most will receive a gift certificate of $150 from Vieux-Duluth for the heart foundation. We are still looking for a restaurant for the cancer.

Also on these fundraiser nights, the fans will also be able to buy stickers and put them on the car they think will be the feature winner. Everyone that will choose the winner will get a coupon good for a free hot-dog and a soft drink for another race program.

In addition, 1 dollar of each entry on the fundraiser night will go to the foundation. The Speedway is committed to equal each entry for the two events. It will be a total of 2$ for each fan that will go to the foundation.

Along with these two fundraiser nights, many other big events are planned throughout the year. The always spectacular Empire Super Sprints will make three stops this year on July 18, August 15 and September 19. These cars can reach speeds up to 170 km/h and are always popular at Edelweiss.

The Lucas Oil Canadian DIRT Challenge is returning again this year after a successful race last year when 38 cars showed for the 100 lap event. Beside the ``Simone 50``, the modified will start the season with a 50 lap feature event that will also be a Syracuse Qualifier.

In Pro-Stock, there will 2 events to watch, the ``Carole Legault 50`` which will also be a Mohawk Race Parts event and the MrDIRTcar Pro-Stock series that will stop at the track on Friday, September 5th. The winner of this 100 lapper will receive a cool $1500 for his win.

The Semi-Pro class will have again this year the Street Stock Challenge on Friday July 4th, last summer, this race had attracted many outsiders. This class will close the year in fashion with a $600 to win 50 laps feature race on Friday, September 19. Many drivers are expected.

With the help of several sponsors a new bonus program will start this season. Coffrage 20-20 will sponsor the hard-charger prize in the modifieds, the driver that make the most passes through a feature will get a $100 bonus at the end of the night. At the end of the year the driver that will have accumulated the most passes will get an extra 750$.

Each class will also have the halfway bonus award. In the modifieds, Total Race Supply will give a gift certificate of 50$, Micheline Richard of Royal Lepage Group will donate 50$ in the Pro-Stocks, Dépanneur Tassé 307 will present a gift certificate of 20$ value in the the Semi-Pro class. DLP Motorsports is offering a 25$ gift certificate in the Mod-Lite category and Quickie convenience stores will provide a 20$ certificate in the 4 cylinders class.

Mr.Gas is also involved with the hard-charger award in both the Semi-Pro and 4 cylinders, the 20$ gift certificate will alternate between the two classes. Kenyon Racing will sponsor the hard-luck award by giving a 50$ gift certificate to driver who had bad luck. It is a total of over $5,200 in prize and money that the drivers will receive this year.

A new category is starting this year; the Mod-Lite class will begin. These small cars who are run by 600cc and 1000cc motorcycles engines can reach incredible speeds. Dean Pronovost, the instigator of the project, believes that the Outaouais Region is a great spot for this class.

Already nearly 10 cars are projected to start the year. If you want to have a preview of this class, the speedway will have a 2-day practice session next week-end on Saturday, May 3rd and Sunday, May 4th. Some drivers from the Toronto area will be present to help out the new drivers.

With only 3 weeks left before the start of the new season, we are expecting a lot of action in 2008 at Edelweiss. With the Mod-Lite practices during next week-end, the other classes will have their own session on Saturday, May 10th and the season will officially start on Friday May 16th with the presentation of a 50 lap feature race plus a Syracuse Qualifier for the modifieds on Dupont and Dupont night. Be there!

TOYO TIRE CANADA INC. extends sponsorship agreement for Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship

TORONTO, ON – April 28, 2008 – Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship officials announced today TOYO TIRES has extended its commitment as the presenting sponsor of the Championship.

“I am very pleased to announce the extension our TOYO partnership today,” said Touring Car President John Bondar. “As we continue to grow the Championship into the premiere racing series in the country, we are looking for partners that believe in our product and want to help us grow it. TOYO is one of those companies and we’re thrilled they are on board,” he added.

As an integral part of the sponsorship, Touring Car competitors will be using TOYO’s next generation of competition radial, the new TOYO PROXES R888, exclusively for the entire season.

The PROXES R888’s unique compound was designed using the latest TOYO RACING Technology that will enable racers to compete with maximum performance. It has improved cornering grip from its stiffer bead construction, and semi-slick shoulder area, as well as better braking response from its continuous centre contact.

It also has a durable, special tread rubber compound that maintains optimum temperatures for maximum handling capabilities, even during extended periods of competition. For the benefit of the competitors Toyo has set up a significant purchase discount and cash-back program for all competitors.

“TOYO’s affiliation with Canadian touring car racing goes back six years and over that time we have always been impressed with the continuous improvement in the caliber of both the competitors and the events themselves,” said Bruce Bridgman, National Manager, Marketing & Strategic Planning, Toyo Tire Canada Inc. He added, “At TOYO we are extremely excited to be part of this Championship and that the PROXES R888 has been selected for use by all competitors.”

About the Canadian Touring Car Championship - Boasting Canada’s best drivers in today’s hottest touring cars the Canadian Touring Car Championship consists of two classes of competition, over eight weekends, with races held in Quebec and Ontario.

From the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship

Win a Have Bus Will Travel NASCAR adventure at Kawartha Speedway

FRASERVILLE, ON - The 2008 racing season at Kawartha Speedway kicks-off Friday, May 30th and just being there to watch the opening night green flag fall could see you checking-out the NASCAR Canada Day at Michigan International Speedway, August 15th to 17th.

Again this year, Kawartha has teamed-up with Have Bus Will Travel to award a deluxe package worth $600.00 to MIS for the 3M Performance 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race and the Carfax 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series event.  The winner's package also includes Have Bus Will Travel's unique brand of 'transportainment' - with 2 nights' accommodation, breakfast, a pit road pass and access to the NASCAR Canada hospitality tent at MIS. 

To enter, just fill-out a ballot at the Have Bus Will Travel display at Kawartha's season opener - Friday, May 30th.  You'll see a great show on the track, with Late Models, Limited Lates, Thunder Cars and Mini Stock racing...plus OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models on the track - and you could be on your way to NASCAR Canada Day at Michigan International Speedway, August 15th to 17th.

To wrap-up the 2008 season, Kawartha Speedway will again host the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series finale – the Dodge Charger 250.  Have Bus Will Travel will be back at the track and will hold a draw to award a NASCAR race tour gift certificate worth $625.00 for a trip to the Sprint Cup/Nationwide Cup event of the winner's choice.

For details on the complete Kawartha Speedway schedule, including the ACT Summer Sizzler 200 - Sunday, July 13th visit www.kawarthaspeedway.com. Learn more about NASCAR race tours with Have Bus Will Travel by clicking on www.havebus.com .

By Jim Clarke, Kawartha Speedway PR

Canadian Kyle Marcelli shows speed in F2000 debut

BARRIE, ON (April 22nd) – Marcelli, a rookie in the Pro 2-Litre Championship leaves the first weekend of the ultra competitive Series at Virginia International Raceway with a pair of top five finishes. The first weekend of 2008 is in the books for race car driver Kyle Marcelli. Having never stepped into the car before the weekend Marcelli arrived at Virginia International Raceway Monday afternoon in preparation for the first round of the 2008 Pro Formula 2000 Championship Series. Taking the next step in Marcelli's dominant career thus far, the Brian Graham Racing prepared Zetec and Marcelli took to the track Tuesday the 15th to shake down the car and clean the dust off the driving shoes, "it was a learning day for us, a chance to learn the car, the track and the new series tires," said Marcelli.

Upon the completion of Tuesday's shake down we had Wednesday to prep the car before the first official test day on Thursday. Thursday proved to be a difficult day for the team as they suffered electrical problems all day. However, Marcelli was able to make it out for the last session to get some valuable seat time. "Unfortunately we lost the entire day to try set up changes to the car, but it was good to make it out for the last session to give Kyle a chance to learn the track and the new car," said team owner Brian Graham.

Friday witnessed two official 25 minute sessions, the team used this time to make the set-up changes to the car that they were hoping to try on Thursday. Saturday morning qualifying vastly approached. It proved to be lap record setting with warm conditions, good rubber laid down and minimal wind. With over 40 cars on track it was crucial to put together a good lap in qualifying without traffic.

"It's important to start at the front for the race, especially here at V.I.R as it is a tough track to pass on. If you're able to get a clean lap in qualifying then you should be in good shape, if you can get a clean lap with a draft you will be in even better shape. I was able to get a clean lap in passing only one car into the climbing S's, I crossed the stripe with a 1.55.9 almost 2 full seconds faster than last year's pole time but that only put me 7th on the grid, unable to get in another clear lap we were forced to save tires for the race," said Marcelli.

The green flag dropped for the start of round one in the F2000 championship series, with a big accident in corner one a full course yellow quickly came out. Two laps later the field went green and Marcelli quickly moved up multiple spots to settle into 4th. With four cars battling for 3rd place it allowed 1st and 2nd to get a gap. Going back and forth lap to lap Marcelli crossed the stripe 5th for round one of the championship.

Sunday mornings qualifying witnessed similar conditions, with Marcelli bettering his time crossing the line with a 1.55.8 which earned him a 5th place starting spot for the feature, it just goes to show how tight the field is. With 40 plus cars roaring across the stripe to take the green flag at the famed circuit Marcelli again saw himself in a race long battle for third place. With a four car train fighting it out all race long Marcelli crossed the stripe nose to tail taking another well earned top five finish.

"Obviously you're always going for a win, but we had to look at the big picture here. It's a long season ahead of us with twelve races to go in the championship, two top fives is a good start to the season now we just have to go for the wins," said Marcelli.

After the first weekend of competition Marcelli and the Brian Graham racing team leave Virginia International Raceway sitting 4th in the overall championship and 2nd in the team championship.
The next round is in Brasselton, Georgia at Road Atlanta where they will be seeking a win.

For more information visit www.kylemarcelli.com

MOSPORT'S VICTORIA DAY SPEEDFEST SCHEDULE COMPLETE

(BOWMANVILLE, ON - April 23, 2008) With the start of the 2008 season just under a month away, Mosport International Raceway has confirmed the return of the Sundown Grand Prix to round out the Victoria Day SpeedFest schedule (May 16-18). The opening event of the busy summer racing season has a full weekend of racing lined up, featuring the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship along with U.S.-based Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. The traditional Saturday night fireworks show also returns to highlight what promises to be an action-packed season opener.

The three-hour Sundown Grand Prix endurance race into darkness returns for its fourth consecutive year with GT and Touring cars, such as Acuras, BMWs and Porsches battling for overall and class wins. One of the more popular endurance races in Mosport's rich 48-year history, the Sundown Grand Prix has roots that stretch back more than 40 years to the early days of the 4 kilometre road circuit. Featuring an iconic list of past winners, including Roger Penske, Bill Brack, George Eaton and Ludwig Heimrath, Sr., the Sundown Grand Prix provides a stern test for teams and drivers where exacting pit and fuel strategies are a must in order to win.

Headlining this year's Victoria Day SpeedFest is the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship. Known for its large fields and intense wheel-to-wheel racing that features many of today's hottest touring cars from marques such as BMW, Honda, Lexus and Acura, the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship has points races for both the Touring and Super Touring classes on the weekend schedule.

Joining them on track are two exciting SCCA championships making the trip north- the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup. Both series are comprised of fields of identical cars that are showroom stock with a few minor race modifications.

The Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup returns to Mosport after a one-year absence with new title sponsorship from Playboy. Designed to develop young drivers, the series is an integral part of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Ladder, with the champion winning a Mazda ride in the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup is a new developmental road-racing series for young drivers ages 16 to 26. The Series features identical cars powered by the all-new, high-tech 2.0-litre four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine rated at 170 horsepower and nearly 300 ft.-lbs. of torque in racing trim. The Series recently announced the field of 30 drivers that will compete in the inaugural season following a selection camp in Phoenix, Arizona. Four Canadians were among the final 30 selected from more than 600 applications from across North America (David Richert, 25, Niverville, Man., Adam Kretschmer, 21, Brampton, Ont., Andrew Cordeiro, 24, Woodbridge, Ont. and Chris Holman, 20, Burlington, Ont.).

In addition to all the on-track action, Mosport's popular Victoria Day weekend fireworks show returns to light up the night sky on Saturday evening beginning just after dark. Also included with paid admission is access to the race team paddock and the Motorsport Expo & Marketplace, which features an interesting array of racing souvenirs and displays.

Mosport SpeedFest ticket-holders can use their passes for admission to the adjacent Mosport Speedway half-mile oval for the Auto Workers Community Credit Union Saturday Night Stock Car Racing, presented by PartSource. Racing starts at 6:30 pm. The fireworks show should be visible from the Speedway's grandstands.

A three-day SuperTicket is just $45 until May 14 ($55 at the Gate) and each ticket includes free parking and access to the fireworks show. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paid adult admission. Single day tickets are also available.

An advance three-day weekend general camping pass is just $30 (For tents or pop-up trailers). Advance RV passes are $50 for the weekend.

For more information about Mosport tickets and camping, call the Mosport Hotline at
1-800-866-1072 (Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET) or visit online at www.mosport.com. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster.

-30-

From Lee Bailie, Mosport

Open Testing Day - Friday, May 23rd at Kawartha Speedway

By Jim Clarke, Kawartha Speedway PR

FRASERVILLE, ON - The 2008 racing season at Kawartha Speedway takes the green flag in just a little more than a month's time.  To make sure everyone is ready for the opening night – Friday, May 30th – the track will hold their annual open practise session a week before.  Friday, May 23rd is a chance for drivers and teams in all 4 of Kawartha's weekly divisions to see how their cars perform, as well as the opportunity to hone their driving skills after a long, snowy winter away from the sport.

To add true meaning to the word 'open', the speedway is making track time available to any car, from any racetrack or touring series.  Speedway General Manager Derek Lynch says he had received calls from some drivers that had heard about Kawartha's practise day in the past and decided that they'd open the doors to anyone this year.  "It's a chance for our fans to see some cars that wouldn't usually race with us on a Friday night", says Lynch.  "We think it may also help us plan for the possibility of adding a special event later this year – or even a couple of years down the road."

The speedway has heard rumours that some of the teams from nearby Brighton Speedway may show-up, just to have the opportunity to 'play' on one of the country's premier asphalt racing facilities.  There's also the chance that some of the DIRT modified drivers from the Kingston area, who usually compete Saturday nights at Brockville Ontario Speedway could make the trip to get some track time on a different type of racing surface.  There could even be an Empire Super Sprint car team or 2 in attendance, as that series prepares for their first ever event at Oswego Speedway.  Public Relations staff at Kawartha will also be sending invitations to selected racers, tracks and sanctioning bodies.

Gates open at 2:00, with on-track practise sessions being run on a rotating basis starting at 3:00.  Admission for spectators or participants is just $10.00 per person.  Be sure to mark it on your calendar.  The annual open practise day Friday, May 23rd at Kawartha Speedway – on Highway 28, near the 35/115 intersection, just south of Peterborough.  For additional details and a look at the complete 2008 racing schedule, check www.kawarthaspeedway.com.

A1GP Team Canada: Hinchcliffe Back for Brands Hatch Finale

Montréal, Canada (April 24, 2008) - A1 Team Canada is pleased to announce that James Hinchcliffe will close out the 2007-08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport racing for the team at the season finale hosted at the Brands Hatch Circuit in the United Kingdom, Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th May.

The 21-year-old Toronto-resident will return to A1GP duty making just his third start of the season having led Canada in the opening two rounds of the current ten-round campaign in the Netherlands and Czech Republic respectively last September and October.  While Hinchcliffe will fulfill race duties in the United Kingdom the team will again rely on the talents of 18-year-old Daniel Morad in Friday morning's 'Rookie-Only' session - the Markham racer set for his fourth A1GP meeting in the role having accompanied the team to South Africa, Mexico and China already this year.

Both Hinchcliffe and Morad are new to the 2.62-mile Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit but the team is confident in its driver line-up, a blend of youth and experience, with two points scoring finishes the clear objective heading into the weekend.  Currently sitting ninth in the A1GP Nations Standings, a double points score from Hinchcliffe in the Sprint and Feature races should help cement Canada's best ever placing in A1GP following a tenth place finish in the inaugural 2005-06 season and an eleventh place finish in the 2006-07 championship.

Having come close to opening the scoring for Canada earlier this season in his outings at Zandvoort and Brno, Hinchcliffe is keen to rejoin the team which has subsequently gone on to score one win, five podiums, and two pole positions with Robert Wickens behind the wheel.  James' own record in A1GP boasts eighteen starts over the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons with seven top-ten finishes and a Sprint race podium to his credit.  Heading to Brands Hatch having already started his quest for the 2008 Atlantic Championship title in North America, the Ontario racer's looking forward to top-and-tailing the current A1GP season for Canada.

"I'm excited to be heading to Brands Hatch for the A1GP season finale," stated Hinchcliffe.  "Any opportunity to drive for Canada, and in particular with the strength of talent within the team, is obviously a good thing.  I know I'm facing a bit of a challenge given I haven't raced the car since October and I'm new to Brands Hatch but having seen the form enjoyed by the team and Robbie (Wickens) in recent events it certainly raises my prospects for another strong weekend.  I have to thank the team again for the opportunity to race and here's hoping for a great finish to a great year!"

Mark Gallagher, whose Status Grand Prix outfit operates A1 Team Canada on behalf of Seat Holder Wade Cherwayko, commented; "We're excited to have James return to the line-up.  When he drove for us earlier the team had just gone through a major transformation and ultimately with a new crew we weren't quite up to speed at the start of the season.  This is the perfect way for James to come back as we've subsequently been very competitive.  He'll get the benefit of that experience now and no doubt recognize the difference when he gets out on track.

"With James racing Daniel will continue to be our rookie driver at Brands, continuing to build his experiences in A1GP with a view to competing for us in the future.  He's doing a great job for the team and while we'd be keen to try him in race conditions - with a top-six series finish potentially on the cards for A1 Team Canada we've opted for James' experience this time round in the belief he can add to the points tally accumulated by Robbie."

A1GP Top-Ten Standings - Round 9/10: 1st Switzerland (150), 2nd New Zealand (121), 3rd France (111), 4th Great Britain (99), 5th South Africa (92), 6th Germany (83), 7th Ireland (83), 8th Netherlands (80), 9th CANADA (75), 10th Portugal (50)

Photo Credit: 'James Hinchcliffe will round out the A1GP season for A1 Team Canada' - Jakob Ebrey Photography
From: A1 Team Canada Media Relations: Stuart Morrison - PR & Media Manager

SOS: Bob Crawford 'One Man Army'

By Tommy Goudge - Southern Ontario Sprints.com

The 2008 season will mark Bob Crawford's 6th year of racing with the Southern Ontario Sprints, and if one word were to be used to define the first 5 years of his sprint car career, that word would be 'consistent.'

The 53 year old from Sutton, Ontario has never finished lower than 6th in SOS points standings, and has finished no worse than 4th in each of the last 3 seasons, including a 2nd place in 2006, just 18 points behind that year�s champion, Warren Mahoney.

Crawford came to the sprint cars from the Can-Am TQ Midget series, a division that has produced quite a few present-day SOS front runners. When asked, Bob will say the learning curve changing from asphalt to dirt was a steep, but it should be noted out that he scored a popular victory at Ohsweken Speedway on July 30, 2004, just halfway through his second season on the dirt.

Victory lane has eluded Crawford since that first visit in '04, but it is never a surprise to see Bob up front and in contention at any SOS venue, despite being what he calls a "One man army."

He does much of the work and upkeep on his car himself, and has help from just a single crew member on race days, as well as working with a smaller budget than many other front-running competitors, all of which makes what he has accomplished over the years that much more impressive.

Despite a season-best finish of 2nd at Brighton Speedway during the Labour Day Classic weekend, Crawford recalls another event at Brighton earlier in the season as his favourite moment of 2007: On June 9, Bob had a tough heat and was only able to muster a 6th place finish, but in the feature race things came together and Crawford charged from the 9th row on the grid to finish in 4th. This performance and a charge from 21st to 8th in another Brighton event in July were 2 key moments which helped to solidify his 4th place finish in the SOS points standings last season.

Due to unfortunate circumstances, two of Bob's long-time sponsors will not be returning this season, but Carstar has helped out and have the familiar red #10 looking great and ready for the entire SOS schedule, which begins at the Brighton Speedway in Brighton, Ontario on Saturday, May 10th.

A staunch supporter of the Southern Ontario Sprints since joining the sprint car division, Bob will also represent the club at selected events at Ohsweken Speedway throughout the season, including the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals in September. In what was an impressive performance, Crawford narrowly missed making the feature at the Nationals last season, despite having to repair damage from a rollover earlier in the evening.

To find out when and where to find Bob Crawford and the Southern Ontario Sprints this season, please visit http://www.southernontariosprints.com/.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Whitlock & NMT Together for Six Years

WYOMING, ON: Dave Whitlock and the No. 39 Dickies Dodge Avenger team are pleased to welcome back NMT, Nitrex Metal Technologies to their sixth year of sponsorship of Whitlock Motorsports.

"We are proud of the relationship we have built with Dave Orosz of Nitrex Metal Technologies, his employees and customers," stated team owner and driver Dave Whitlock. "NMT have supported us through thick and thin and have gone far above all expectations, to support our race team. We couldn't be happier to welcome them back for year six."

Nitrex Metal Technologies Inc. is a family owned and operated company based in Burlington, Ontario. They place a strong emphasis on teamwork to achieve the utmost level of service and quality for their customers through the use of technology and innovation. With their focus being entirely on surface treatment of metal components, they have an extensive knowledge of the controlled gas nitriding process in particular and can offer a superior level of service to that of their competitors. The combined knowledge and expertise of the metallurgical and materials staff at both NMT and sister company H&S Heat Treating allow a unique and comprehensive applications design aid to their customers.

"Dave Whitlock and his team exemplify the values that reflect our company, some of those being teamwork, hardworking, fun loving and tenacious," commented NMT-Nitrex President Dave Orosz. "We at NMT-Nitrex value the relationship we have with the Whitlock Motorsports team and Dave Whitlock personally and that is why we are back for our sixth year. The Whitlock organization is first class, professional and always competitive, and are representative of the best there is in Canadian Motorsports. We know they have worked extremely hard during the offseason, have made significant investments in new equipment and we can't wait for the first race when Whit gets a chance to showcase all that effort out on the racetrack."

"Our main objective for the 2008 season is getting back to the winner's circle," stated Dave Whitlock. "We missed the top rung of the podium last year so we have been working hard during the offseason to remedy that. With Dickies Canada signing a two year contract extension in September 2007, we have been able to concentrate this off season on racing rather than sponsorship."

CRS Trucking will again provide the power to haul the brand new 53' Featherlite race trailer. Not to be out done Stan Morrow from CRS has provided a new 2008 T660 Kenworth tractor with a large studio lounge/sleeper. Both units are expected in the Whitlock Motorsports yard any day now. Additionally, Wendell Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Kitchener have come on board to look after all the paint and body needs of the two car race team.

Two new team members have been added in the offseason. Ray McCaughey returns to the team after a two year hiatus. Ray will be working closely with Dave & Warren as a set up specialist, overseeing tire preparation & management and of course over the wall as rear tire changer. After helping Whitlock Motorsports with the # 29 Pierre Bourque car for the last couple seasons, Scott Van Camp comes on board for the 2008 season and will take on the tire preparation duties at the track as well as over the wall as tire carrier.

Whitlock Motorsports teammates Mark Dilley and Dave Whitlock will take to the track for the first practice session of the year at the annual Mopar Day. It takes place next week, Wed. April 30th at Kawartha Speedway just outside of Peterborough. Next up will be the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series open test session at Cayuga Motor Speedway on May 10th. This session is open to the public to come out and watch as well as camp. For more information on the test day and tickets for race event number one on May 24th, please visit http://www.cayugamotorspeedway.ca/

For more information on Dickies Canada please visit http://www.dickiescanada.com/
For more information on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series please visit http://www.nascar.ca/
For more information on Whitlock Motorsports please visit http://www.whitlockmotorsports.com/

From Linda Jones // Wide Open Motorsport Solutions

NHRA: Coke's Full Throttle Energy Drink to Succeed POWERade as NHRA Title Sponsor in 2009

Atlanta, April 25, 2008 -- In the world of heads-up professional drag racing, perhaps nothing exemplifies the dog-eat-dog nature of the sport better than words, “Go Full Throttle or Go Home!”

Beginning in 2009, that’s exactly how NHRA’s top professional series will be branded, as Coca-Cola North America’s Full Throttle energy drink succeeds POWERade as the title sponsor of NHRA’s premier professional drag racing series. It’s the first major sports marketing play for the beverage Company’s lead energy drink.

The association between NHRA and Coca-Cola North America, with support from Coca-Cola Enterprises, includes a two-year partnership extension through the 2013 season, representing one of the longest running series sponsorships in motorsports. The new series will be called the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

“It’s one of the great synergies of brand and sport,” said NHRA President Tom Compton, who orchestrated the original deal with Coca-Cola North America in 2001. “To have a title sponsor for what will be, at minimum, 12 years by the end of this current deal is a tribute to a great relationship between NHRA and Coca-Cola North America, Coca-Cola Enterprises, the POWERade brand and beginning in 2009, the Full Throttle brand.”

NHRA’s top professional series, the second most popular form of auto racing in America behind only NASCAR (source: ESPN Sports Poll), holds 24 races from February through November, all of which are broadcast by ESPN2 in HD.

“When you fuse the energy of Full Throttle with the speed and intensity of NHRA professional drag racing, you’ve got a combination that’s hard to beat,” said Rafael Acevedo, senior brand manager, Energy Drinks, Coca-Cola North America. “We mean it when we say, ‘Go Full Throttle or Go Home.’ We can’t wait to unleash the power of Full Throttle and cement the relationship between NHRA drag racing, NHRA fans and the ultimate energy drink.”

Full Throttle has been the official energy drink of NHRA since 2005 and currently sponsors the Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship, which awarded prize money in excess of $250,000 in 2007. Fully integrated marketing plans for Full Throttle and NHRA will include at-track activation, out-of-home media support, online presence, retail programs and sampling.
From NHRA

BENSON Autoparts 358 Dirt Modified Applefest Shootout presented by ImageFActor.ca

BRIGHTON, ON - Brighton Speedway is proud to announce that Benson Auto Parts has come on board as the Title Sponsor for the 2008 edition of the Benson Auto Parts 358 Dirt Modified Applefest Shootout presented by ImageFactor.ca.  Now in it's fourth season the event is looking stronger than ever with its new title sponsor.

"Because of the support, every year we have been able to grow the event and 2008 will be no different," said event Coordinator and sponsor Greg Calnan of ImageFactor.ca.  2008 will again see an increased purse for the drivers and the fans will get to see a great field of 358's for the 50 lap main event.  "Our only mistake in 2007 was the track prep" said Brighton Speedway Promoter Mark Rinaldi.  "A dry, hot and windy day made it difficult to get good conditions and we ended up with an extremely dry track, we won't let that happen again" vowed Rinaldi.

2007 saw teams from all over Ontario, New York and Quebec attend the 358 Shootout, and the plan is to build off of that with a complete summer to plan and promote the Benson Auto Parts 358 DIRT Modified Shootout.  Drivers like Pete Bicknell, Mark Hitchcock, and 2007 winner Mario Clair are already circling September 27th on their 2008 racing calendar.

For 2008 the Benson Auto Parts Applefest Shootout will see the winner race for a $2,000.00 top prize with the increase in purse for 2008 coming from positions 13 – 24 that will see the 24th place finisher take home $400.00 just to start the race.  "The evenly dispersed payout that isn't top heavy and pays well right down to 24th is probably the biggest reason for the strong support by competitors in the first two runnings of the event" said Rinaldi.    

Returning again for 2008 to join the main event is the Lucas Oil Clash for Cash.  This popular event sponsored by Lucas Oil is just another example of their commitment to local short track racing.  Lucas Oil will pit the best of the East against the best of the West in a 15 lap "Clash for Cash".  Qualifiers for this event will comprise of the top three drivers from the Lucas Oil Canadian Series and the top three drivers from the Lucas Oil Summer Shootout 358 series, along with  the winner of each qualifier on the eve of the 27th.  2007 Rookie Driver Chris Steele upset the field with a win over some of the finest drivers in the Northeast and will no doubt be looking to repeat in 2008.

This race will have a completely seperate purse paying the winner $1,500.00 with a total of $5,000.00 for 15 laps, above and beyond the scheduled 50 lap main event.  All this means is that for 10 drivers on this night they will be guaranteed to take home no less than $650.00, and if one driver can put together a win in both the 15 lap "Clash for Cash" and the 50 lap main event that driver will leave Brighton Speedway with $3,500.00 in his/her pocket.

The Lucas Oil Canadian Series is a 5 race series made up of 2 Eastern Ontario and 3 Quebec tracks.  Now in its fourth season the Lucas Oil Canadian Series hosts events at Autodrome Granby, Autodrome Drummond, Autodrome Edelweiss, Brockville Ontario Speedway and Cornwall Motor Speedway throughout June and July.

The Lucas Oil Summer Shootout is a separate 5 race series that takes place in Western Ontario and Western New York State.  In its third season the series will hold events at Ransomville Speedway, Genesee Speedway, Merrittville Speedway, Humberstone Speedway and Ohsweken Speedway.

"Seeing the top drivers from these two great series compete at Brighton Speedway in the "Lucas Oil Clash for Cash" will be one of my 2008 highlights" claims Brighton Speedway Promoter Mark Rinaldi.  "There has been a lot of cooperation between promoters to make all these series and events happen but Lucas Oil is a major contributing factor with their support of dirt racing!"     

For more info on the Benson Auto Parts 358 DIRT Modified Shootout presented by ImageFactor.ca or the "Lucas Oil Clash for Cash" visit www.imagefactor.ca/applefestshootout or www.brightonspeedway.com  

From: Brighton Speedway

ACT: Rolfe Holds Cyr Off for Oxford ACT Victory

OXFORD, ME – Home track stock car favorite Ricky Rolfe of Albany Twp., ME held off a fast-closing Jean-Paul Cyr to win the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) New England Dodge Dealers 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday. Cyr’s late charge was enough to bring him alongside Rolfe’s Race Basics/Swasey Excavation #51 Ford with less than ten laps remaining, but the former track champion won by about two car lengths.

"We lapped a lot of cars early, but when the field started to catch up, I had to try some new lines around the track,” said Rolfe. “We found that the upper groove was the place to be, and it worked.”

Cyr recovered from a lap 49 spin with John Donahue to earn his podium finish. Both drivers spun in oil dropped on the track by another car, and were given their running positions back by race control during the caution period.

Rolfe earned a “+5” handicap to earn the pole starting position. Seven-time and defending ACT Late Model Tour Champion Cyr, of Milton, VT, started fifteenth in the field of 33 cars. Brent Dragon, also of Milton, VT, drove from 24th place to finish third. Rowley, MA driver Eddie MacDonald and Donahue, of Graniteville, VT, rounded out the top five.

Unofficially, the top ten was completed in order by Turner, ME’s Shawn Martin, Montreal driver Patrick Laperle, Quebec City’s Donald Theetge, Cris Michaud of Northfield, VT, and Ben Rowe of Turner, ME.

The ACT Late Model Tour victory was the second of Rolfe’s career, his first since 2002. Only two caution periods slowed the New England Dodge Dealers 150, which was completed in just over 54 minutes. Fifty Late Model cars from four U.S. states and two Canadian provinces attempted to qualify.

The ACT Late Model Tour travels to Barre, VT’s Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl for the 10th Annual Merchants Bank 150 on Sat./Sun., May 3/4. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.acttour.com.

UNOFFICIAL FINISH – New England Dodge Dealers 150
ACT Late Model Tour – Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, ME
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Pos.-(Start)-Car No.-Driver-Hometown (# - denotes rookie)
(1) 51 Ricky Rolfe, Albany Twp., ME
(15) 32 Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, VT
(24) 55VT Brent Dragon, Milton, VT
(17) 17 Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, MA
(3) 26 John Donahue, Graniteville, VT
(2) 94 Shawn Martin, Turner, ME
(12) 91 Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, QC
(18) 80 Donald Theetge, Boischatel, QC
(7) 6 Cris Michaud, Northfield, VT
(8) 10NH Ben Rowe, Turner, ME
(9) 78 Ryan Nolin, Georgia, VT
(22) 11 Claude Leclerc, Lanoraie, QC
(29) 7VT Eric Williams, Hyde Park, VT
(4) 70 Scott Dragon, Milton, VT
(5) 9ON #Jonathan Urlin, London, ON
(21) 25 Shawn Knight, South Paris, ME
(30) 89 Scott Payea, Milton, VT
(25) 97 Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, NH
(10) 05 Ron Henry, New Gloucester, ME
(27) 56 Dale Verrill, Paris, ME
(32) 02NH Randy Potter, Groveton, NH
(16) 5ME Leon Heckbert, Wilton, ME
(13) 07 Scott Luce, Strong, ME
(28) 85 Dennis Demers, Shelburne, VT
(20) 7ME Glen Luce, Turner, ME
(14) 16 Joe Becker, Jeffersonville, VT
(19) 41VT Pete Potvin, III, Graniteville, VT
(23) 61 Tommy Ricker, Poland, ME
(26) 83 Alan Tardiff, Lyman, ME
(31) 18 Jamie Fisher, Shelburne, VT
(11) 15 Ben Ashline, Pittston, ME
(33) 86 Travis Stearns, Auburn, ME
(6) 03 Travis Adams, Canton, ME

From Justin St. Louis // ACT Tour

NHRA / JEGS: Canadian Commisso streaks to Pro Mod lead with whopping 5.95-second pass

ATLANTA (April 25) -- Canadian racer Raymond Commisso is feeling right at home in the Deep South after opening qualifying action in the JEGS ProMod Challenge with a sparkling 5.957 at 244.87 mph down Atlanta Dragway.

Commisso's run came in the first session of the day when ambient temperatures were at their hottest, but it didn't seem to bother the restaurateur. Even when the weather cooled slightly in the evening round, Commisso's mark was untouched.

"We stayed after Houston to test and discovered some problems with the centerpiece of the chassis," Commisso said. "As quick as we had been running, the car never felt right and we finally figured out what was wrong. We took the car back to Vanish Point Race Cars and they repaired it like brand new. They were true professionals in every sense of the word and the end result is a perfect racecar.

"When you have [crew chief] Al Billes tuning the engines and a car that goes straight, you can run 5.90s like it was nothing. We would have been even quicker in the second session but it lifted the wheels and I got out of the groove a little and I had to lift. I had a 1.00-second 60-foot time in Q1 and a .985-second 60-foot in Q2 so that tells me there is a lot left in there."

Danny Rowe (5.993) and Steve Engel (5.999) were the only other racers to record five-second passes on the day.

Tim Tindle represents the 16th and final spot on the provisional elimination ladder with one qualifying session left to be run. JEGS points leader Joe Baker is unqualified through Friday's action and must improve in Saturday's third round, which is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Eliminations begin at 4:30 p.m.

Information regarding the JEGS ProMod Challenge can be found at www.jegspromod.com

From: Scott "Woody" Woodruff // JEGS, Director of Media & Motorsports

Dale Planck Dominates Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Opener Saturday At Merrittville!

THOROLD, ON - A successful Small-Block chauffeur throughout most of his career, Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series standout Dale Planck returned to his roots Saturday night as he captured round one of the 2008 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series at Merrittville Speedway.

Not only did Planck collect $4500 for his fourth career victory on DIRTcar Racing NorthEast's premier Small-Block tour, the Cortland, New York traveler led every lap of the Baron Roofing Windows and Doors 'Spring Sizzler 100' and lapped all but second-place finisher Danny O'Brien in a command performance.

Finishing behind Planck and O'Brien, one lap down to the leaders, were New York invaders Chad Brachmann and Bert Hard Charger Todd Burley, with defending track points champion Pete Bicknell filling out the front-five. Heats wins went to Lance Willix II, Dan Miller, Planck and Rick Richner with Frenchman David Hebert and Merrittville regular Travis Cunningham sharing consolation round victories to break down the solid 38-car field signed in.

Racing in the Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series continues back in the states later in the summer when Ransomville (NY) Speedway hosts round #2 of the premier Small-Block Modified tour in the Northeast on Friday, August 1. Coors Light, Hard Copy Wholesale and Mighty Taco present the Alex Friesen Summer Nationals with $6,800 on the line for the 68-lap feature winner.
 
Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Race #1 – Merrittville Speedway, April 26, 2008 Baron Roofing Windows and Doors 'Spring Sizzler 100'  Event Summary
FIN      STR  CAR#   DRIVER
1          2          66        Dale Planck/Cortland,NY ($4,500)
2          6          55        Danny O'Brien/Kingston,ONT
3          13        3b        Chad Brachmann/Sanborn,NY
4          27        5          Todd Burley/Spencerport,NY
5          17        42        Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT
6          7          9          Ken Cosgrove/Allanburg,ONT
7          10        26        Rick Richner/Niagara Falls,NY
8          *14      23L     Larry Lampman,Jr./Port Colborne,ONT
9          5          80        Chris Steele/Fenwick,ONT
10        23        38        Scott Wood/Thorold,ONT
11        3          28        Scott Kerwin/Newfane,NY
12        20        37        Kyle Jacobs/Hogansburg,NY
13        21        1h       David Hebert/St. Damase,QUE
14        9          15j       Tim Jones/Sanborn,NY
15        29        99        Larry Wight/Phoenix,NY
16        4          00        Boyd MacTavish/Ransomville,NY
17        8          56        Dereck Lemyre/Hamilton,ONT
18        24        66x      Carey Terrance/Akwesasne,NY
19        1          16        Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY
20        26        22c      Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE
21        25        111     Kevin Wills/Ransomville,NY
22        11        26g     Scott George/Wilson,NY
23        31        9s        Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY
24        15        23        Laurent Ladouceur/Alexandria,ONT
25        28        22e     Eric Gauvreau/Chelsea,QUE
26        19        108     Bill Bleich/Port Robinson,ONT
27        32        1f         Fred Carleton/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT
28        16        123     Robbie Krull/Cambria,NY
29        18        5jr.       Travis Braun/Jordan Station,ONT
30        30        72        Tommy Flannigan/St.Catharines,ONT
31        22        91        Travis Cunningham/Grimsby,ONT
DNS   12        22        Dan Miller/St.Catharines,ONT

EVENT SUMMARY:                                   
GATER NEWS LAP LEADER:   Planck (1-100).                                   
CAUTIONS:   1 (lap 9).                               
HEAT WINNERS:   Willix, Miller, Planck, Richner.                               
CONSI WINNERS:   Hebert, Cunningham.                               
BICKNELL RACING PRODUCTS WINNER AWARD:   Dale Planck.                                  
SYRACUSE ITT/GOULDS PUMPS 150 QUALIFIER:   Dale Planck.                       
HALFWAY LEADER:   Dale Planck.                               
BERT HARD CHARGER:   Todd Burley.                                   
HOLLEY HARD LUCK:   Mario Clair.                              
PENSKE POWER POSITION (10th):   Scott Wood.                             
TOTAL PURSE:   $20,450.                                    
CARS ENTERED:   38.                  

NEXT EVENT:   Ransomville Speedway - August 1, 2008.                                        

DID NOT QUALIFY(7)
1-Todd Gordon/St.Catharines,ONT
1f-Fred Carleton/Niagara-o-t-Lake,ONT
1p-Darren Peters/Ft. Erie,ONT
16w-Derek Wutzke/Fenwick,ONT
31-George Bosse/St.Catharines,ONT
37s-Andrew Sittler/St.Catharines,ONT
44-Brian Stevens/St.Catharines,ONT
 
QUALIFYING
Heat Races (10 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to feature, top 3 went to re-draw)
#1: Willix, MacTavish, Cosgrove, Brachmann, Bicknell, Wood, Wills, Hebert, Bosse, Carleton.
#2: Miller, Jones, Steele, Lampman, Braun, Wight, Peters, Gordon, Burley.
#3: Planck, Lemyre, Kerwin, Ladouceur, Bleich, Gauvreau, Clair, Terrance, Sittler.
#4: Richner, O'Brien, George, Krull, Jacobs, Cunningham, Stevens, Smoke, Wutzke, Flannigan.

Consolation Round (10 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to feature)
#1: Hebert, Wood, Wills, Burley, Wight, Carleton, Gordon, Peters, Bosse.
#2: Cunningham, Terrance, Clair, Gauvreau, Flannigan, Smoke, Sittler, Wutzke, Stevens.
Provisional: Smoke.
Added: Carleton.
 
From DIRTcar Racing // Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast Public Relations Director // Photo by Alex Bruce