Waterdown Young Gun Heads To Florida for Speedweeks

WATERDOWN, ONTARIO - Tyler Brown is anxious to get back on the track and at month�s end the 16 year old grade 11 student will make the long trek to Florida where he will battle with the best in North America as he competes in the World Series of Asphalt Racing. The grueling 7 nights of racing takes place just south of Daytona and is part of the attraction known as 'Speedweeks', the 2 weeks leading up to the running of the Daytona 500.

"We have a brand new car all set to go to Florida for this series. With all the best drivers & teams in attendance we have been working hard to ensure we are taking all the best equipment," Brown said.

Tyler will be competing in the Late Model division at New Smyrna Speedway. It is not unusual to find yourself competing against development drivers that are signed to major NASCAR teams and, being only 20 minutes down the road from Daytona International Speedway, it is not unusual to find NASCAR drivers and team owners at these races. This is a good opportunity for Tyler to compete against excellent drivers and an equally good opportunity to be seen by teams and individuals that could help his career in the future.

The racing starts for Tyler on Friday February 8th and the team will post daily updates on Tyler's website http://www.tyler-brown.com/.

Tyler Brown is a 16 year old racer from Waterdown, Ontario. In 2007 Tyler was voted 'Up and Coming Stock Racer of the year, Finshed 2nd in the Weekend Warrior Late Model Series. During 2006 Tyler became the youngest late model driver in the history of Delaware Speedway en route to capturing the 2006 'Rookie of the Year' title and finishing 10th in seasons points. In 2005 Tyler won his 1st race in his 2nd official start in the Ontario Pro Challenge series.

In seven years of karting he started over 225 races and won one 'Championship', 'Most Improved Driver Award', and a 'Team of the Year' award. At the local level he has never finished lower than 5th in series points and at the regional or national level he has never finished lower than 10th. Brown drives for 4B Racing (http://www.4bracing.com/ ) and he is supported by Assante Wealth Management, Waterdown Automotive, VH Web Dezine, Leaf Racewear, CARSTAR Quality Collision Services, The Adin Group Inc. and Big Brothers Big Sisters. For more information on Tyler Brown visit http://www.tyler-brown.com/

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Greg MacPherson // Inside Track Communications
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KONI CHALLENGE: Predators head to Daytona for season opener

OTTAWA, ONTARIO - Ottawa, Ontario based, Predators Autosports is heading to Daytona International Speedway this weekend to contest the season opener of the 2008 Koni Challenge Series. The team is focused and ready to go with a host of changes from the 2007 team.

Leading the changes are the team's Chevrolet Cobalt SS is now turbocharged instead of being supercharged, as it was in 2007. Team principal Steve Morris has been happy with the car's performance in testing. "We are very happy with the car so far," Morris said. "This weekend is the real test. It's important for us as a team to come out of this weekend with a good points position. It is a long season, and getting off on the right foot is critical for us."

There are also changes in the driving duties for the team. Ontario's Matt Pritiko, a former Sunoco Team Ultra 94 driver and rookie in the Koni Challenge Series last year will get his first taste of the turbocharged power of the Cobalt in competition this weekend.

"The test we did here with the car went very well," Pritiko said. "I am really looking forward to this year now I have a year of experience under my belt. Last year was all about learning the cars and the tracks. This year I am hoping for a good season with my new team."

Joining Pritiko is Quebec's Robert Boyer. "Robert is a very good driver," Morris said. "He has a lot of experience, and having him team up with Matt is going to be good for our team. Both drivers are with us for the full season, and even though Robert has driven the car yet this year, he is experienced enough that he'll be fine at Daytona this weekend."

Predators Autosports Fast Facts: Predators Autosports was formerly Kart Depot Predators. The Steve Morris owned team is based in Ottawa, Ontario. Originally a karting team, the team became Predators Autosports when the moved up to car competition in the Honda Michelin Challenge Series. For the past two seasons, Predators Autosports has been competing in the Koni Challenge Series.

Matt Pritiko Fast Facts: Matt Pritiko is one of Canada�s up and coming stars of motorsport. He is from London Ontario. In 2007, Pritiko completed his rookie season in Koni Challenge, finishing 15th in the standings, with a top five and four top tens. Pritiko was a member of Sunoco�s Team Ultra 94 and collected 1 win, 2 poles and five podiums in the Bridgestone F2000 Series. In 2002, Pritiko is was 2nd in F125/80cc in the Point Pelee Championships and took home the 2002 Most Sportsmanlike award.
Pritiko is supported by Burwell Auto Body.

Release prepared by Russ Bond Agency, Inc. ( www.russbondagency.com). For more information contact Russ Bond r.bond@russbondagency.com or 416-312-2900

TIM -BR Mart Wiarton - 'We Deliver your Building Supply, and your Summertime Excitement.'

SAUBLE BEACH, ON - Sauble Speedway is pleased to announce that TIM-BR Mart of Wiarton will sponsor a six race series for the Can-am Midgets. All 6 races will be held on the May long weekend, the August Long weekend, and Labor Day Weekend.

Owner of TIM-BR Mart Wiarton Paul Sutter will also host some of the Can-Am Midgets on the Saturday mornings of their race weekends, right at TIM-BR Mart located on Highway #6 as you enter Wiarton. TIM-BR Mart is a Full serve building, hardware, supply, and rental for all your construction needs.

These wild winged warriors will compete in this stand alone 6 race points series attracting drivers from all over Ontario and beyond. Watch these drivers go wheel to wheel for some of the season's most intense competition.

Race Dates: Sat. May 17th // Sun. May 18th // Sat. Aug. 2nd // Sun. Aug. 3rd // Sat. Aug 30th // Sun. Aug. 31st

For More Information: http://www.saublespeedway.com/

NASCAR: Kennington picks it up on Monday & Tuesday

Canadian DJ Kennington took part in two more NASCAR Nationwide Series test sessions at Daytona Int'l Speedway on Monday and improved considerably on his previous efforts.

In the morning, he posted the 23rd (of 29) fastest lap, but was just 3.6 mph slower (180.679 to 177.068) than the session leader. In the afternoon, Kennington was 15th fastest (of 25) and 3.1 seconds back (184.744 to 181.620) of Erik Darnell.

UPDATE (Jan. 22 @ 5:45 p.m.): NASCAR Preseason Thunder Wraps Up At DIS

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2008) – Load the up the cars, put away the tires and fold up the computer lap tops, January testing season at Daytona International Speedway is over.

NASCAR Nationwide Series teams wrapped up their fifth and final day of testing on Tuesday in preparation for the 50th annual Camping World 300 presented by Chevy on Saturday, Feb. 16.
Since January 4, Daytona International Speedway has hosted the Rolex Sports Car Series, the KONI Challenge Series, two waves of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series....

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Morning speeds (Tuesday) from NASCAR Nationwide Series testing in preparation for the Camping World 300 presented by Chevy:
1. 77A, Cale Gale, Chevrolet, 50.023, 179.917
2. 9A, Chase Miller, Dodge, 50.029, 179.896
3. 66R, Steve Wallace, Chevrolet, 50.132, 179.526
4. 29B, Scott Wimmer Chevrolet, 50.203, 179.272
5. 29A, Scott Wimmer, Chevrolet, 50.270, 179.033
6. 0A, Kertus Davis, Chevrolet, 50.407, 178.547
7. 64B, David Stremme, Chevrolet, 50.477, 178.299
8. 64J, David Stremme, Chevrolet, 50.504, 178.204
9. 10A, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 50.514, 178.168
10. 11A, Jason Keller, Chevrolet, 50.532, 178.105
11. 17A, Erik Darnell, Ford, 50.533, 178.101
12. 6A, David Ragan, Ford, 50.565, 177.989
13. 11B, Jason Keller, Chevrolet, 50.571, 177.968
14. 99A, David Reutimann, Toyota, 50.663, 177.644
15. 72A, D.J. Kennington, Dodge, 50.852, 176.984
16. 00A, Michael McDowell, Toyota, 50.965, 176.592
17. 6B, David Ragan, Ford, 51.032, 176.360
18. 52A, Donnie, Neuenberger, Ford, 51.515, 174.706

Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Events To Be Televised on SPEED

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 21, 2008) - Motorsports fans will be able to see some of the hottest production-based racing on television this season as a total of six events on the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series schedule will be televised on SPEED in 2008.

Beginning with this Friday's Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway four Grand Sport (GS) and Street Turner (ST) combined races and one feature race for each class will be televised in two-hour episodes within one week of the race date, often during prime time on the motorsports network.

The 2008 season-opener will air 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 27, 8 p.m. ET).

The Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series is Grand-Am's showcase for the latest in international and American-made high performance sports cars, coupes and sedans straight from the dealer showroom floor. With major modifications permitted only in the area of safety, the KONI Challenge Series is home to the same cars seen on streets and highways around the world every day. Nearly 100 cars are expected to take the green flag in the Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway.

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 Reece White, Public Relations Manager & Michael Harker, Public Relations Coordinator

Shaw Motorsports: January Update

From Shaw Motorsports:

After a nice break with family and friends for Christmas and New Years, the Shaw crew got together to determine how they would get the work done on both cars prior to the beginning of the 2008 season.

The chassis repairs and modifications were complete on the new car and after getting the new metal painted to blend in with the old, the car was ready to be refitted with new bumpers and body panels.

It looked like there was plenty of time to complete this process until Jason received a phone call from John Casale. John, owner of Flamboro Speedway, called to request that the #82 be at the Speedway’s booth for the Performance World Custom Car & Truck Show in March.

After considering the upside of having the car displayed for the thousands of expected visitors, the crew graciously accepted the challenge to have the car ready for the three day show to be held on March 14th, 15th &16th.

The show is at the International Centre located at 6900 International Road, Toronto and the hours of operation are 10-10 on both Friday and Saturday and 10-6 on Sunday. Any of the Shaw Motorsports sponsors that would like to take advantage of the car and crew being at the show should contact Ken Spira if interested in the crew distributing samples or promotional materials.

During the 2007 season, the scorer at Flamboro Speedway had asked that Shaw Motorsports do something to make the #82 more noticeable as she was having trouble seeing it during the race.

The team has had numerous meetings with Ken & Joe from Fleet Image who produce the number decals to see if they could come up with something that would satisfy this concern without drastically changing the basic design of the number that many people have grown accustomed to.

In anticipation that Fleet Image will find the correct combination of graphics that would satisfy the team and the speedway, Carol Spira removed the old decal from the roof.

Cam Jobin, president of Del Metals has announced their return as a primary sponsor of Shaw Motorsports. Del is a general lines steel service centre based in Brampton with a distribution warehouse in Montreal. Also returning as a major sponsor is National Fire Equipment, National is North America's leading manufacturer and supplier of standpipe fire protection equipment including fire extinguishers, fire hose products and quality fire suppression products.

Nuco Inc. will once again be proudly displayed on the rear bumper of the #82. Established in 1988, Nuco has grown to be an innovative, global manufacturing leader of superior silicone and acrylic sealants, foams, construction adhesives and firestop products.

Lucas Oil Products will be returning for their 7th consecutive year as a quality product sponsor to Shaw Motorsports. Lucas was founded in 1989 and are one of the fastest growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry. A premium line of oils, greases and problem solving additives has helped to firmly establish Lucas as a prominent figure in the marketplace.

Since 1939, WIX Filters has been an innovator in filtration products and Shaw Motorsports is proud to announce their return as the filter supplier for the #82. WIX designs, manufactures and distributes oil, air, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks and off-road equipment along with specialty filter markets.

Larry Cook has announced the return of Dominion Sure Seal and Mequiars Canada as a quality product sponsor to the Shaw team. Dominion Sure Seal manufactures and distributes liquid bedliners, automotive sealants, anti-corrosion materials, adhesives, tapes, coatings, body and trim tools, auto glass items, specialty chemicals, aerosols and plastic repair products and Mequiar’s Canada distributes more than 300 different cleaners, polishes, waxes, conditioners, and protectants for homes, cars, boats, trains and planes, and almost every other type of surface.

Wilson Enterprises Carpentry and Fleet Image will both continue their long term support of Shaw Motorsports. Wilson Enterprises specialize in custom interior finishes for the retail industry and Fleet Image is a full-service graphics manufacturing company and have been family owned and operated since 1996.

Mothers Polishes, Waxes and Cleaners will also be returning as a continued product sponsor of Shaw Motorsports. All Mothers products with a host of other information can be obtained from their website at www.mothers.com. This year' shipment of Rol Gaskets has arrived from Florida as the family owned business continues with their 7th year of support to the Shaw team.

Star Mazda: Yannick Hofman with Andersen Racing

Montreal, January 21st, 2008 - Yannick Hofman has inked a deal and will campaign the 2008 Star Mazda championship with Andersen Racing team from Palmetto, Florida. After spending two seasons in Formula BMW USA, the 19-year old driver who hails out of Rosemere, Quebec is stepping up to a high performance ladder series where speed and competition meet. Hofman entered two rounds last year with Andersen, earning a deserving fifth place in his maiden race at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. Hofman will remain a rookie for the 12-round calendar starting with the 12 Hours of Sebring race on March 14. Meanwhile, Hofman will take to the track for two days of testing in Sebring on January 28 and 29.
  
"The two rounds I did with Andersen Racing last year in the Star Mazda series were convincing enough to race a whole season with them. This rotary single seater has power to spare and requires skill. In this championship, Andersen Racing is a strong team that always delivers fast machines to its drivers. I have a lot to learn about this car and Andersen is the best place to be. Although we will have to deal with new features this year: radial tires and standing starts, two characteristics that were part of the series where I was for the last two seasons. The calendar is pretty different: we race 12 weekends from March to October, one 45-minute race at the time. I will spend a lot more time on the track in 2008. It will be exciting to be at the open test days next week."

"Yannick has shown definite racing skills and capacity of learning the race tracks when he joined us last year, declares John Andersen. We're happy to have him with us this year. He is a disciplined and intelligent driver that knows when to be aggressive. He's going to be a front runner."
 
Camirand and Mercier
Yannick Hofman will count on two high-profile individuals that will help him along the season. His engineer will be Pete Mercier: a former driver himself, Mercier spent the last ten years in the Star Mazda series. Marc-Antoine Camirand will be the driver coach: Camirand has steered everything from a Daytona Prototype to an Atlantic racer and holds a solid reputation.
"I'm very happy to work with Pete, confirms Yannick. He is among a very few that know all the secrets about this car. I met Marc-Antoine at the GP3R last year and we really enjoyed working together. He knows all the tracks and always finds a way to polish my driving. I'm convinced I can win with those fellows behind me. I'm looking forward to race in Trois-Rivières, my home race."
 
Talks going on
Hofman admits he is still negotiating with sponsors for the 2008 season. He had support from the Jig-A-Loo lubricants when he raced with Andersen at the GP3R. An oil company is also involved. "It is still too early to announce anything, replies Hofman, but we will make it official before the reds go out in Sebring."
 
Source:  Michel Poirier-Defoy