NCATS: Chris Raabe learns tricks of the trade from Peter Gibbons at legendary short track

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

His name may be missing from the daily attendance sheets at Napanee and District Secondary School, but Chris Raabe is still ‘going to school’.  Less than a month after being tabbed to take over the seat of the Gibbons Motorsports #1 Chevrolet on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series the ‘Teenage Tornado’ has been working under the watchful eye of veteran driver/team owner Peter Gibbons at Hickory Motor Speedway, the ‘Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars’.  Garry McColman, team owner of Raabe’s championship winning DIRTcar sportsman-modified ride and his father, Mike Raabe have accompanied the 17 year-old speedster to North Carolina for the sessions with Gibbons and his crew.

“The first couple of days were spent in the garage, getting Chris fitted in the car, talking about how the car handles and working on set-ups”, says McColman.  “Monday (January 5th) we got on the racetrack and turned some laps in the car.  Peter is amazed at how quickly Chris has picked-up the feel of the car.  We knew heading into the test that our driver is very talented behind the wheel and has a ton of chassis knowledge for someone his age.  It will certainly accelerate his learning curve”.  

Gibbons’ beaming smile tells it all.  He’s very pleased with the progress his young prodigy has shown.  “He listens. He learns. The car goes faster. Chris is like a sponge”, says the former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver.  “So much of what we do at this level is based on communication.  Telling the crew chief how the car feels and what its doing plays a huge role in being effective on raceday.  He’s used to 25 or 50 lap races, while most of our events are 200 laps or more.  In just our brief sessions so far, I’m confident that Chris has the abilities to work well with the team and communicate the changes we’ll need to get our car to the front”.

The Gibbons Motorsports team logged some valuable track time early in the week, but some heavy rains forecast for the Hickory, North Carolina area may shift the scene to classroom for additional racing education to round-out the week.

Chris Raabe enjoyed a record-setting 2008 season, recording a feature win stat of almost 50%.  He also earned track championships in DIRTcar racing’s sportsman modified division at Brockville Ontario Speedway, Thunder Alley Speed Park and Rolling Wheels Raceway.  At 17 years of age, the Napanee, Ontario resident became the youngest driver to earn a Mr. DIRTcar championship title in the sanctioning body’s history.

Peter Gibbons spent more than 20 years as an owner-driver in NASCAR’s top touring series including what is now Sprint Cup, the Nationwide Tour and the former sportsman tour.  He also made selected starts in the ARCA Re/Max Series.  The native of Stouffville, Ontario ran his final event as a driver in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Saturday, September 27th at Kawartha Speedway.

Raabe is scheduled to make selected starts in the Gibbons Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo during the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Tour.

Photo attachments:  (supplied by team)

Chris Raabe tests the Gibbons Motorsports NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Chevrolet Monte Carlo at Hickory Motor Speedway. <<Raabe Learns the Tricks of the Trade at Legendary Short Track.doc>> <<raabetesting1[1].jpg>> <<raabetesting2[1].jpg>> <<raabetesting4[1].jpg>>