NHRA founder Wally Parks, 94, passes away

GLENDORA, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2007) – Wally Parks, the driving force behind the formation of NHRA, has died at the age of 94. It was Parks' vision, goals and unconditional commitment to the need for speed and side-by-side racing in a safer, more controlled environment that created what is today the world's largest motorsports governing body.

"Today is a sad day in the world of NHRA and the sport of drag racing," said Tom Compton, president of NHRA. "Words simply can't describe the immeasurable impact Wally has had on the sport he created and the millions of people's lives he touched along the way. The name Wally Parks is synonymous with drag racing, and his vision and direction will guide NHRA for years to come.  Everyone in drag racing, and the industries formed to service the sport, will forever be indebted to Wally, his vision, his focus and his desire to create, build and grow NHRA."

"Wally spent his lifetime doing what he loved," said Dallas Gardner, chairman of the NHRA board of directors. "He marked the path and led the way for this incredible industry and the sport of drag racing. Wally was NHRA, and through his dream came a path to follow with lofty goals and ambition. He put the people in place and trusted in them. He has not abandoned us. He has left us with a road map that he knows will be followed."

Parks, who founded NHRA in 1951, received countless awards in the motorsports world and played a pivotal role in the establishment of an entire industry devoted to speed and automotive aftermarket parts and accessories that today is a multibillion-dollar business. Yet Parks never implied that he did it all himself. His pride and joy, and where he spent most of his time in recent years while still serving on NHRA's board of directors, was The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by Automobile Club of Southern California at Fairplex in Pomona, Calif.

Details regarding arrangements and planned events will be released at a later date.

WALLY PARKS, 1913-2007

NHRA founder

Chairman of NHRA Motorsports Museum

The primary driving force behind the formation of the National Hot Rod Association, Wally Parks was the visionary whose early goals created what today is the world's largest motorsports governing body.

Parks, who founded NHRA in 1951, never implied that he did it all himself. Reflecting on the tremendous growth and success of NHRA, he noted how fortunate he was that so many dedicated people had shared his outlook that almost anything is possible if you believe in it strongly enough. One of the most dedicated was unquestionably his late wife, Barbara Parks, who was regarded as the most influential behind-the-scenes force in the growth of NHRA. Mrs. Parks succumbed to cancer in late January of 2006 after a long battle with the devastating illness.

But without Parks' vision and perseverance, much of what has happened may not have been achieved.

Born in Oklahoma and living in Kansas until age 8, Parks and his family then moved to California, where his automotive interests surfaced. In his high school years, he became active in building stripped-down Model-T Fords and Chevy fours for use on the street and in early speed trials conducted on dry lakebeds in the Mojave Desert, north of Los Angeles.

In 1937, Parks took part in the formation of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) – an organization focused on conducting land speed record events – serving as one of its officials until World War II began. In 1946, following military service in the South Pacific, Parks was elected president of the reorganized SCTA. In 1947, after 10 years of employment as a road test driver and process engineer for General Motors, Parks left GM to assume a new role as the SCTA's general manager. It was his concept that produced America's first Hot Rod Show, presented by the SCTA in 1948 at the Los Angeles Exposition Armory.

In 1948, Parks helped co-publishers Bob Petersen and Bob Lindsay in the introduction of Hot Rod magazine, which became one of the world's largest-circulation auto-enthusiast publications, and later was named its first editor. In 1949, Parks organized the campaign that led to the opening of Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats for hot rod speed trials – a still-thriving annual activity.

In 1951, utilizing Hot Rod as a conduit to nationwide readership, Parks formed the NHRA. In 1963, he resigned his position as editorial director for all of Petersen's automotive magazines – Hot Rod, Motor Trend, Car Craft, Sports Car Graphic and Motor Life – to assume full-time administrative duties as president of NHRA.

An early recipient of Car Craft magazine's prestigious Ollie Award for his many contributions to motorsports, Parks was named Man of the Decade, 1962-1972 by Popular Hot Rodding magazine and was recognized as Man of the Year in 1973 by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA). The American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) honored Parks in 1988 and again in 1994 for his pioneering efforts in motorsports. Parks received his highest honors in 1992 and 1993. He was drag racing's first inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 in Talladega, Ala., and in 1993, he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in Novi, Mich.

In 1994, the tributes to Parks' legacy continued to pile up. A large bronze statue of Parks was presented at NHRA's Gainesville Raceway, which was eventually moved to its current location in front of the NHRA Motorsports Museum at Fairplex in Pomona, Calif. Later in 1994, Parks and wife Barbara were co-inductees into the Don Garlits International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in Ocala, Fla., for their pioneering efforts, which spearheaded NHRA's success. Parks also was the first recipient of the Don Prudhomme Award, a trophy presented by NHRA to an individual who has made a profound impact on the growth and positive image of the NHRA POWERade Series.

At the 2001 NHRA Awards Ceremony, Parks was presented the prestigious Blaine Johnson Award for his dedication, perseverance and nurturing commitment to the sport throughout the years.

In 2002, Parks again was recognized for his many contributions to the sport of drag racing. He was presented with the inaugural Robert E. Petersen Lifetime Achievement Award at the fourth annual Hot Rod & Performance Trade Show in Indianapolis. The late Petersen, a renowned automotive publisher and creator of multiple automotive magazines, then presented Parks with the all-bronze sculpture which was created to honor the entrepreneurs who have contributed to the history, growth and well-being of the hot rod industry.

In late 2003, Parks received another honor of distinction, as he was named the Dean Batchelor Lifetime Achievement Award winner by the Motor Press Guild in Los Angeles.

Parks remained on NHRA's board of directors and dedicated much of his time to his personal involvement with the cultivation and expansion of The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at Fairplex in Pomona, home of the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals and Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.  Although much of the museum's historical focus is on the evolution of NHRA and drag racing, it also features many other forms of motorsports that relate closely to the formative years of NHRA, including dry lakes, Bonneville, oval track racing, and allied performance industries.

These are elements that appealed most to Wally Parks, a guy who had been there, done that, and enjoyed and appreciated it for decades.

From NHRA

NASCAR: NEWMAN DODGE FAILS QUALIFYING INSPECTION

Kansas City, Kansas - Ryan Newman's alltel Dodge Avenger failed to meet the roof height specifications in post qualifying inspection. NASCAR officials disqualified Newman's time moving him from the outside pole to the 43rd starting position.

There were no other issues in qualifying.

NCATS: Kawartha Dodge Charger 250 Photo Gallery by Dave Franks

Photo Gallery (234 shots) from the season-ending Dodge Charger 250 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Kawartha Speedway on Sept. 23, 2007. Photos courtesy of Dave Franks.

NASCAR: GOODYEAR SELLING OLD TIRES TO TEAMS FOR TESTING

Goodyear quietly came to an agreement with NASCAR which allowed the Akron, Ohio based tire manufacturer to sell off their inventory of 2005 and 2006 tires to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams.

"We sold a lot of tires in August," Stu Grant of Goodyear replied when asked if a deal had been reached. "These teams should have plenty of tires to test with through the second half of the season."

According t0 Grant, teams were supplied with order forms and once those orders were filled the remaining tires were offered for sale on a first come first serve basis.

What happens in 2008 is still up in the air. NASCAR has not cleared Goodyear to sell any excess 2007 tires to race teams at this time.

NASCAR: Was the 25 Point Penalty Against Carl Edwards a Gift from NASCAR?

At least one former Roush Racing crew chief believes NASCAR was more than easy on Edwards and company considering the infraction found at Dover in post race inspection.

"The car was low in the rear and not just a little bit low," said the crew chief after requesting anonymity. "Bringing down the rear in the car of tomorrow lifts the front end thereby giving it more travel. It also reduces the amount of rear downforce which brings the car into a better balance front to rear."

NASCAR officials determined the Edwards-driven Ford was clearly outside the allowed post race tolerances. And, if you consider the words of this one highly respected crew chief, being to low in the rear was a definite advantage when applied to the car of tomorrow.

The SunTrust MOTO-ST Series to Debut on SPEED TV

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The sights and sounds of the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series will thunder onto the airways beginning Tuesday, November 20. 
 
Starting with the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in March, each of the six events in this year�s series will be broadcast on SPEED TV per the following schedule.   Running one hour in length, each show will feature spectacular non-stop action-packed racing and will be broadcast at 12:00 p.m. (EST).
 
Daytona USA 300 >> Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Homestead 500K >> Tuesday, November 27, 2007
VIR 500K >> Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Road America 500K >> Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Iowa Speedway 500K >> Tuesday, December 18, 2007
8 Hours At Daytona Finale >> Tuesday, January 8, 2008
 
The newest professional two-wheeled tour in America, the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series is an incredible test of team endurance competition.  Boasting a full contingent of some of North America�s most accomplished racers aboard three classes of thundering twin cylinder motorcycles, this series offers fans the chance to witness some of the most breathtaking competition seen in the United States.
 
Be sure to tune in to SPEED and see and hear the thunder of this highly popular new series.

From Eugene Crouch // Grand-Am

Barrie Speedway Report - September 22

McWhirter and Beatty claim season end checkers

By Dave Vokey // Photos by Dave Franks

BARRIE, ON – It was a splendid afternoon for racing at Barrie Speedway on Sept 22 for the season finale. The big winners on the day were #88 Scott Beatty of Barrie and #31 Shaun McWhirter of Mount Forest. Beatty would capture the 35 lap feature that was being made up from the Sept 15 rain out, while McWhirter would notch a victory in the final race of the season, a 50 lap affair for the Full Throttle Late Models. The track would also crown its 2007 points champion as #48 Dwayne Baker of Stayner would take the title in his B&B Towing Dodge Charger edging #19 Keith McLeod by a mere 18 points in the season long battle between the two stout competitors.
 
In the 35 lap make up feature, Beatty would dive into the lead from the pole, with #97 Rob Inglis working his way under the 36 of Stoyan Zutich to take over second on lap 4. Beatty would be running laps in the 14.9 seconds range throughout the early going, holding a 2 car length lead over Inglis. On the move early was the Look Company Dodge of McLeod, moving from ninth to fourth in just a dozen laps. McLeod would lead the way for Baker and #10 Gord Shepherd to climb through the field, with Beatty still out front looking for his first ever feature victory at the High Line. Beatty and Inglis were now running nose to tail when Inglis would tap Beatty in corner 2 just past the midway point, with Inglis being sent to the rear, while Beatty would inherit the point back after the final call came down from the officials. This turn of events would bring #69 Al Inglis to the runner up spot, with McLeod, Baker, and Shepherd rounding out the top 5.
 
The caution would again fly on lap 19, as Shepherd, #23 Rob Black, and the 37 of visiting driver Paul Dejong of Ottawa would collect between turns 1&2.
 
On the restart, #31 Shaun McWhirter would get the jump on Baker, moving past him on the outside line to take over fourth. The best battle was taking place just outside the top 5, with #2 Mike Brown and #28 Robin Jongen locked in a tight battle for position as the race hit the 25 lap mark. Beatty was still holding a slim lead over Al Inglis, who now had his mirror full as McLeod was itching to find his way past. McLeod would look under Inglis entering corner 3 on lap 28, but was unable to make the pass stick. Beatty was running a splendid race at the front opening up a 3 car length lead, as McLeod would now begin to try Inglis on the high side looking for as many positions gained as possible over the point leader coming into the day Baker. Baker and McWhirter would stage a battle of epic proportions over the closing stages, with neither willing to give an inch in the race for fourth place. They would come to the line with Beatty taking the checkered and Inglis fending off the McLeod challenge to claim the runner up post. McLeod would take third, with Baker, and McWhirter rounding out the top 5, after McWhirter was penalized one position for jumping the green on a late race restart.
 
"We were long overdue for this win. I've been battling out here with these guys for 3 seasons now and to get that feature win I'm just on cloud nine right now" stated Beatty after the race.
 
In the season ending 50, it was Baker coming into the race with a slim 9 point lead over McLeod, with the large crowd on hand on the edge of their seats waiting to see how this one would shake out. The story turned from the Baker/McLeod battle to McWhirter, who shot out to a large lead from the pole with #97 Rob Inglis and #9x Brandon Watson giving chase. #10 Gord Shepherd and #69 Al Inglis would round out the top 5 early throughout the early stages of this one. Also in the mix was #8 Dave Lewis, who began to challenge Inglis for the fifth place position, as the duo of Baker and McLeod would make their way to mid pack after starting 13th and fourth respectively. McWhirter would be running laps in the 14. 7 seconds range with Rob Inglis still holding down second, while Shepherd had now begun to put heavy pressure on the 14 year old Watson for third.
 
The caution would come out on lap 18, as #36 Stoyan Zutich came to rest against the wall between turns 3&4. On the restart the man to watch out for was the #28 of Robin Jongen, as the talented driver would make his way past Al Inglis on the low side of the track to enter the top 5. Also following the Jongen move was McLeod, as he too would power under Inglis to gain that all important positioning in his chase for the 07 championship. Jongen would unfortunately get shuffled back a couple of positions after contact with the 10 of Shepherd while racing for fourth. Jongen would wind up losing control and hitting the wall in turn 1, with Shepherd in turn being sent to the rear after being deemed an involved car. This would bring McLeod up to fourth position, behind the trio of McWhirter, Rob Inglis, and Watson, who was having his best run to date in a Late Model at his home track. McLeod would now begin to intensify the pressure on the future star Watson, but the young lion would hold tough not allowing McLeod the opening he needed to power past. Finally on lap 43, McLeod would run up on Watson and tap him from behind in corner 2, with Watson spinning down the backstretch after an attempt to make a remarkable save, this would send McLeod to the rear and virtually end his bid for the title with only 7 laps remaining to work his way back to the front. McWhirter would soldier on with the lead after the restart, looking very calm and collected with Inglis just a couple car lengths behind in second. McWhirter would drive on to the victory virtually unchallenged from there, with Inglis recording a season best second place. Watson would have his best finish as well with a third, while Baker and #2 Mike Brown would complete the fast five.
 
 "This is a good close to the season here after I had some issues with the car in the past month and was forced to use my back up car last week" stated veteran driver McWhirter.
 
Heat wins were claimed by McWhirter, Baker, Brown, and McLeod.
 
After winning the championship Baker remarked, "This feels really good. We were very close last year and to get the championship is just a reward for all the hard work Peter and my crew put into this car each week."
 
Baker also stated that he will be handing the reins over to son Kyle next season while putting together a new car for himself, as he makes his return to the High Line to defend the title in 08.
 
The XCOPPER Thunder Car division was also set to run a 50 lap feature to crown its 07 champ, after an intense season long battle between #44 Dave Doucette, #00 Darryl St. Onge and the always fast #49 of two time defending track champ Flyin' Frank Davey. In the 50 lap season finale, #92 Dan Dixon would move out to the lead from the outside pole with #24 Leonard Johnston and #22x Jim Beleskey in tow. Johnston and Beleskey would wage an impressive side by side duel for second in the early going, with Johnston finally shooting through to claim the position.
 
 An early caution would come about on lap 6, as Beleskey had something let go in the motor, littering the track with oil as St. Onge and #72 Marty Monette would become the victim of these unfortunate circumstances, with both hitting the wall hard between 3&4. This would end the night for St. Onge, as well as his bid for the 07 title, with Monette able to continue after spending some time on pit road. On the restart, Johnston would get to the inside of leader Dixon to move himself to the point, as he would drag Davey up with him into second. A couple laps later Johnston would be given the mechanical black for excessive smoke, as Davey would inherit the lead with #97 Brad Holden running second, while Doucette sat comfortably in third. Davey would be running laps in the 15.8 seconds range as he began to break away from the side by side battle between Holden and Doucette. These two drivers would run several laps door handle to door handle in an incredible display of tough, clean short track racing before Doucette would finally find his way past to move to the runner up spot. Once out front it was clear nobody was catching Davey as the smooth driving veteran captured his fifth feature win of the season. Doucette would clinch the 07 track championship with a solid second place, while Holden, #77 Brian Murray, and #2 Eddie Tremblay would round out the top 5. Heat wins would go to Davey, Doucette, Murray, and Tremblay.
 
Upon clinching the 07 title Doucette remarked, "It was really too bad to see Darryl go out that early. I really wanted to race 'til the end for the title. That was our mindset coming into the night -- just try to win races and let the points worry about themselves."
 
For Doucette it was his second track championship after taking the 2004 Pure Stock title.
 
In the LUCAS OIL Pure Stock division, the win would go to #63 Brandon Crumbie in his Honda Prelude. For Crumbie, it was his first feature win of the 07 season after a string of several top 5's throughout the season. #14 Tanja Huffman would move to the front from the outside pole, with her father #114 Horst Ziebell also following around the outside of #25 Darron McMinn. #92 Ralph Sikes would make his way into third in the early going, running right on the bumper of Ziebell. Also on the move was the duo of #9 Brandon Watson and #24 Tom Milligan, as the drivers would charge inside the top 5 after hooking up together on the outside of the racetrack. Huffman would be parading around with laps in the 17.9 seconds range when she was overtaken on the outside by the hard charging Sikes. This would lead the way for Watson to move into second, with Milligan now running in third. Sikes would quicken the pace considerably out front, now running laps in the 17.3 seconds range as Crumbie was also making his presence felt, as he would duck to the inside of Watson to take over second after starting fifth on the grid.
 
Crumbie would take the lead from Sikes on the outside as the pair raced out of corner 2 just past lap 30. Crumbie was running laps right at 17 seconds flat, as #63x Dave Burrows and cousin Beau in the 64x Honda CRX began to close in on Sikes. Dave Burrows would finally make his way around Sikes, with Crumbie now holding a full straightway lead at the front of the field. The best battle was now the race for fourth, with Watson and Beau Burrows battling side by side for that position with 5 laps remaining. On this night it was Crumbie's race to lose as he would take the win by a wide margin over Dave Burrows at the line. Burrows would take the point championship for 07 by 38 points over runner up Crumbie. #92 Ralph Sikes would have a season best third place in the feature, with Watson and Beau Burrows rounding out the top 5. Heat wins went to Crumbie, Sikes, Beau Burrows, and #33 Dave Glaze. The YANCH HEATING & Air Chargers would see the tightest point battle heading into the evening's racing with #64 "California" Dave Crumbie and #55 Shawn Monette coming into the day tied in points. This season long war would be settled quickly, as Monette would take the win in the 30 lap feature capping off his hat trick after a pair of earlier heat wins. #14x Paitra Surerus would move into the lead from the outside pole, with #33 Crystal Doucette running second, while Monette would make a nice low move through a collection of cars to claim third early on. #38 Steeve Melson and #57 Mitch Casey would round out the top 5 throughout the early stages, as Crumbie would charge into sixth place from his fourth starting spot.
 
The first caution would fly on lap 11, with #21 Desiree Walt getting turned around on the backstretch. On the restart, Surerus would be running laps in the 17.7 seconds range as Doucette began to marginally cut into the lead of her fellow female competitor. Doucette would look under Surerus between 1&2 but Surerus would battle back on the outside to maintain the lead.
 
Another caution would come about on lap 19, as Doucette and Casey would get tangled up with the lapped car of #23 Terry Tompkins. #99 Drew Stieler would begin to make his way to the front as he would look under Monette in an attempt to take over second. This seemed to light a fire under Monette as the talented driver would find some additional speed to move around Surerus to take the lead down the frontstretch at lap 23. Surerus would now be locked in a side by side battle with Stieler, with Crumbie and Melson tucked closely in behind that duo. But this night would belong to Monette who drove on to take his second feature win of the season and with it the point title for the 2007 season. Stieler would win the race with Surerus for second, with Crumbie and Melson rounding out the top 5. Heat wins would go to Monette with a pair, Melson, and #37 Robbie Sikes.
 
Also on hand were the Ontario Legends Cars, who put on a fine show for the multitude of fans on hand as #88 Bruce Grimes would take the feature win to increase his point lead on #24 Andy Warbutton who finished second, with #79 Adam Cuthburtson taking third after a late charge back through the pack after an earlier incident. Heat wins went to Warbutton with a pair, Grimes, and Cuthbertson.
 
Pit Notes
Special thanks to Ontario Pro Challenge driver #53 Kevin Crowhurst who was on hand to treat the fans to a few hot laps as well as Delaware Speedway Late Model driver #42 Jamie Ramsey, who had his sleek looking ride on display inside the front gate as part of HAVOLINE night at the High Line. Also thanks to the drivers, crews, speedway employees, and our ever increasing fan base who have made the 07 season one of the most successful in the 42 year history of the HIGH LINE.

FULL THROTTLE ENERGY DRINK LATE MODELS
HEAT WINS: K. McLeod, S. McWhirter, D. Baker, M. Brown
 
FEATURE: 1. #88 Scott Beatty; 2. #69 Al Inglis; 3. #19 Keith McLeod; 4. #48 Dwayne Baker; 5. #31 Shawn McWhirter; 6. #28 Robin Jongen; 7. #97 Rob Inglis; 8. #36 Stoyan Zutich; 9. #2 Mike Brown; 10. #8 Dave Lewis; 11. #90 Kevin Reynolds; 12. #23 Rob Black; 13. #55 Steve Quesnelle; 14. #13 Robert Thornborrow; 15. #37 Paul DeJong; 16. #9x Brandon Watson; 17. #10 Gord Shepherd;
 
STANDINGS Top-10: 1. Dwayne Baker, 2266; 2. Keith McLeod, 2248; 3. Robin Jongen, 2183; 4. Gord Shepherd, 2150; 5. Mike Brown, 2142; 6. Dave Lewis, 2135; 7. Al Inglis, 2014; 8. Shawn McWhirter, 1996; 9. Rob Inglis, 1980; 10. Rob Black, 1832;
 
XCOPPER THUNDER CARS
HEAT WINS: B. Murray, F. Davey, E. Tremblay, D. Doucette
 
FEATURE: 1. #49 Frank Davey; 2. #44 Dave Doucette; 3. #97 Brad Holden; 4. #77 Brian Murray; 5. #2 Ed Tremblay; 6. #9 Chris Burrage; 7. #22 Jason Elliot; 8. #21 Luke Gignac; 9. #59 Devan Craft; 10. #67 Jeff Smith; 11. #92 Dan Dixon; 12. #6 Kevin Aiken; 13. #72 Marty Monette; 14. #24 Leonard Johnston; 15. #82 Ben Lidstone; 16. #22x Jim Beleskey; 17. #00 Darryl St. Onge; 18. #34 Peter Marquardt; 19. #48 Kyle Baker; 20. #42 Troy Potts (BF); 21. #25 D'arcy Gribbon (N/S);
 
STANDINGS Top-10: 1. Dave Doucette, 2060; 2. Frank Davey, 2048; 3. Darryl St. Onge, 2030; 4. Ed Tremblay, 1986; 5. Brian Murray, 1899; 6. Brad Holden, 1876; 7. Kyle Baker, 1755; 8. Troy Potts, 1732; 9. Chris Burrage, 1728; 10. Marty Monette, 1721;
 
 
LUCAS OIL PURE STOCKS
HEAT WINS: B. Burrows, D. Glaze, R. Sikes, B. Crumbie
 
FEATURE: 1. #63 Brandon Crumbie; 2. #63x Dave Burrows; 3. #92 Ralph Sikes; 4. #9 Brandon Watson; 5. #33 Dave Glaze; 6. #64x Beau Burrows; 7. #24 Tom Milligan; 8. #16 Bryan Penny; 9. #14 Tanja Huffman; 10. #26 Bill Walt; 11. #114 Horst Ziebell; 12. #20 Anna Milligan; 13. #25 Darron McMinn; 14. #37 Robbie Sikes (CH); 15. #45 Derek Surerus; 16. #17 Dan Little (N/S); 17. #97 Thayne Hallyburton (N/S);
 
STANDINGS Top-10: 1. Dave Burrows, 2044; 2. Brandon Crumbie, 2006; 3. Beau Burrows, 1986; 4. Tom Milligan, 1960; 5. Dave Glaze, 1952; 6. Brandon Watson, 1816; 7. Bryan Penny, 1798; 8. Bill Walt, 1685; 9. Ralph Sikes, 1666; 10. Horst Ziebell, 1654;
 
YANCH HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING CHARGERS
HEAT WINS: S. Melson, S. Monette, R. Sikes, S. Monette
 
FEATURE: 1. #55 Shawn Monette; 2. #99 Drew Stieler; 3. #14x Paitra Surerus; 4. #64 Dave Crumbie; 5. #38 Steeve Melson; 6. #37 Robbie Sikes; 7. #117 John Crossman; 8. #21 Desiree Walt; 9. #84 Jerry Slavish; 10. #57 Mitch Casey; 11. #98 Brent Stieler; 12. #17 Kenny Cox; 13. #28 Jason Buchanan; 14. #29 Tia Dale; 15. #33 Crystal Doucette; 16. #23 Terry Tompkins; 17. #92x Mark Robson; 18. #192 Allyson Smith;
 
STANDINGS Top-10: 1. Shawn Monette, 1930; 2. Dave Crumbie, 1914; 3. Mitch Casey, 1891; 4. Steeve Melson, 1827; 5. Jerry Slavish, 1738; 6. Drew Stieler, 1729; 7. Crystal Doucette, 1631; 8. John Crossman, 1593; 9. Tia Dale, 1572; 10. Desiree Walt, 1524;

Super DIRT Week Countdown Continues!

V (5) Days To SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVI ….. The Countdown Continues
 
Weedsport, NY – September 28, 2007 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director
 
In search of his first Syracuse win, Vic Coffey needed more time to get the job done while the end could not come soon enough for Kenny Tremont in his bid to repeat as the longest running Eckerd 200 Championship ever held during Super DIRT Week unfolded five years earlier on the ultra-moist Moody Mile. Surprise race winner Coffey led just a single lap in the 2002 thriller yet it was all he needed to put a lid on the Sunday show that did not bare its first green flag until lap 17 following a 4-1/2 hour rain delay. Scored in 11^th with 10 laps left and still seventh with a handful to go, Coffey rode lady luck the final half-mile as his Sweeteners Plus Special sped past Tremont's fuel-deficient mount in turn two on lap 203 to capture the biggest laurel in DIRTcar NorthEast Big-Block Modified racing.
 
The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Rite Aid Corporation and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks and Wrisco Industries.

Press Release - Malcolm Strachan @ Mont Tremblant

Strachan Suffers Major Crash in Fall Classic

The beautiful circuit Mont Tremblant, resplendent in fall colours, was the scene for the annual Quebec Fall Classic. Defending Champion Malcolm Strachan set the fastest Friday practice times in his Mobil-1 Corvette C5, followed by Martin Burrowes in his Ferrari 430 Challenge.

Qualifying saw Burrowes’ Ferrari steal pole position over Strachan’s Corvette by a fraction of a second, with a fast field of Ferrari’s, Vipers, Porches and Corvettes filling the grid. Strachan made a great start for the first race and then passed around the outside of Burrowes through the daunting first and second corners of Mont Tremblant to grab the lead.

Pulling six car lengths clear of Burrowes in the first half lap, Strachan came into corner 11, his car twitched slightly sideways in the left hander, then pitched violently in the opposite direction. Strachan slammed the barriers at approximately 160 km/h, destroying the right side of the Corvette. However, he emerged from the wreck virtually unscratched, with only a sore wrist. The Mobil-1 Corvette is a near write off. Burrowes drove his Ferrari on to a convincing victory, his first at Mont Tremblant.

Undeterred, Strachan’s team is putting together their race program for 2008, and will make announcements in the near future.

NCATS: Riverside photo gallery by Ian Readey

Ian Readey is a 17-year-old aspiring photographer and longtime Inside Track reader. Ian forwarded some photos to us (from the recent NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Riverside Int'l Speedway in Nova Scotia) and gave us permission to display them on the Breaking News Blog. Thanks Ian!

Doubleheader Weekend Will Conclude 2007 Season For Ryan Litt

Mother Nature decided to intervene with the Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints event at Dixie Motor Speedway last week, but Ryan Litt and the #07 BS&B Radiator, OTC-SPX Tools crew are determined to finish the 2007 season on the race track. 

The weekend will get underway at the team's home track – Delaware Speedway – this Friday night, September 28.  The ISMA Supermodified tour will be making another visit to the ½ mile track located just outside London, Ontario, after a successful comeback last season which had been more than 20 years in the making.  A very large crowd witnessed the event last September, but unfortunately Ryan was not able to perform very well in front of his home fans that night, as his ride for the night suffered some mechanical issues. 

The car, owned by long-time Supermodified owner Dave Lair, was making its return to competition that night, after suffering extensive damage the previous season, and some of the kinks were not worked out at the time.  This time around, the car has a handful of races under it's belt, including an event in June at Toledo with Ryan behind the wheel, and a 7^th place in the prestigious Oswego International Classic 200 just a few weeks ago with Bobby Haynes, Jr. at the controls. 

Ryan and "The LairJet" were able to get some laps in at Delaware last week in a test session which also included full time ISMA competitor and fellow London-area open wheel driver Mark Sammut.  Ryan was able to run comparable lap times to Sammut – who is currently 3^rd in the points on the ISMA circuit – in the test session, and feels confident that he will be able to put in a good showing at Delaware on Friday night.

After the Delaware event, the team will make its way to the Berlin Raceway in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to compete in a very special event on Saturday night.  The event will feature 3 open wheel divisions – the ISMA Supermodifieds, AVSS Sprint Cars, and USAC Regional Midgets.  Ryan will be competing in 2 of these 3 divisions, as he will be back in action in the LairJet, and also competing in the AVSS portion of the event in the family-owned sprint car.  Ryan has tasted success at Berlin before in the sprint car, including a feature win there last season, and hopes to transfer what he has learned about the track over to the Supermodified division.

What:
International SuperModified Association (ISMA) race #14. 
www.ISMASupers.com
Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Super Sprints (AVSS) race # 22.
www.SuperSprints.com

Where:
Delaware Speedway
1640 Gideon Drive
Delaware, ON
N0L 1E0
www.DelawareSpeedway.com
Track Phone: (519) 652-5068

Berlin Raceway
2060 Berlin Fair Drive
Marne, MI 49435
www.BerlinRaceway.com

When:
Friday, September 28th, 2007 @ Delaware:
Spectator Gates open @ 4:00 p.m., Racing @ 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 29th, 2007 @ Berlin: 
Gates open @ 12:00 p.m., Practice @ 1:30 p.m., Time Trials @ 5:00 p.m., Autograph Session at 6:00 p.m., Racing @ 7:00 p.m.

Ryan and the team would like to thank all their sponsors for their continued support during Ryan and the #07 Claxton powered Beast Chassis Sprinter's 2007 season, including OTC/SPX Tools, BS&B Radiator, BRR Media, BOC Gases, and Leaf Racewear.

For more information on Ryan, the car, and the team, including schedules, photos, merchandise, and contact information, please visit Ryan's official website at www.RyanLitt.com.

From Tommy Goudge - PR Manager

Super DIRT Week Countdown Continues!

VI (6) Days To SUPER DIRT WEEK XXXVI .. The Countdown Continues

Weedsport, NY – September 27, 2007 // By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director

One of the most dramatic Super DIRT Week finales finished the same way it had three times before with Billy Decker scoring his second consecutive victory in the Columbus Day special staged six years ago in the Salt City. At the start bands of lake-effect rain and snow showers forced a two-hour delay and in the end nearly a dozen cars piled up in turn three with only a handful of laps left to ultimately stop the action. Yet even with a late red flag pushing the Eckerd title race two circuits beyond its scheduled 200-lap distance in 2001, Decker defied the laws of Syracuse and circled the muddied Moody Mile over the final 112 laps on just one tank of gas to claim his third Syracuse Championship in the past four years.

The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Rite Aid Corporation and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company, Motorsports Safety Systems, Penske Shocks and Wrisco Industries.

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals Wrap Up

OHSWEKEN, ON – The roar of sprint car engines once again filled the air in the tiny hamlet of Ohsweken, Ontario as the third annual "Arrow Express ­ Canadian Sprint Car Nationals" capped the 2007 season at the Styres' Family owned 3/8 mile clay oval; Ohsweken Speedway. Despite the heavy rain that fell as the cars were preparing to take to the track for hot laps on Friday evening, cancellation of the evening's program left everyone even more determined to try the reconfigured speedway as the sun broke the horizon on Saturday morning. The "Village Pizza ­ Ohsweken Shootout" and the inaugural "Dave MacLeod Memorial ­ Mr. Sprint Car Challenge" were carried over from the Friday schedule as dozens of the top sprint car drivers and teams from five sanctioning groups covering the entire north-east assembled for the Saturday, September 15th running of the 3rd Annual "Arrow Express ­ Canadian Sprint Car Nationals".

Kears Speed Shop located in Tiffin, Ohio awarded "Fast Qualifier" Bryan Howland from Auburn, NY with a cash bonus of $500 for his lap of 13.614, just shy of the standing track record of 13.377 held by Ohio's Kenny Jacobs. Howland also picked up an additional cash bonus when he received the CORR-Pak Merchandising "Best Appearing Car Award" in pre race ceremonies. "Fastest Canadian Qualifier" Steve Poirier was also the recipient of a cash bonus as Bicknell Racing Products recognized his achievement.

While collecting the Canadian Nationals title for the second year in a row, Quebec's Steve Poirier in only his second year at the controls of a sprint car came away with over nine thousand dollars in cash and contingency awards. Among them was a new driver suit provided by Awesome Racewear while The Brakeman; Diversified Machine Inc; Winters Performance; and Hoosier Tire Canada contributed to his totals.

BUTLERBuilt, a leader in the manufacturing of innovative safety seats provided certificates toward the purchase of a new custom made "Advantage Seat" to Indiana's Brett Mann for his 10th place finish in the "A" Main. BUTLERBuilt also provided certificates to Ontario's Jason Pietz, Pennsylvanian Kramer Williamson, and Quebec's Normand Beaudreault for their 10th place finishes in the three "B" Mains that were contested. Simpson awarded a new helmet to Blake Breen of Savannah, NY as the "Hard Luck" recipient was the first to crash out of the "A" Main in the early laps. The other "Hard Luck" award provide by Triple XXX Race Cars went to rookie Justin Martin of St. Thomas, Ontario as he destroyed his car during time trials.
The KSE Racing Products "Hard Charger" awards went to Mike Stelter of Ontario, NY and Joyceville, Ontario's Rick Wilson. Stelter had to qualify through a "B" Main finished 9th after starting 23rd while Wilson moved from 19th to 7th when the checkers fell. Weld Wheels also provided valuable certificates to the two "Hard Chargers". Oliver Racing Parts awarded third place finisher Kevin Job of Campbellville, Ontario and 26th starter Gary Fast of Kalkaska, Michigan a set of new engine rods while J & J Chassis provided certificates to Rick Wilson, Bobby Breen, and Scott Kreutter as the highest finishing J & J Chassis at the Canadian Nationals.

"We are extremely pleased to be able to offer these post race awards" stated event registrar and sponsorship coordinator Cheryl Pelkie. Over thirty of the leading suppliers in the Sprint Car industry cast their support behind the Nationals this year. "They have been most helpful and generous throughout this process of collecting contingency awards and offer nothing
but encouragement. We are convinced that the sponsors supporting the Canadian Nationals offer a great line of products and hope the competitors return their support" Cheryl concluded.

Six heat races made up the first round of preliminary action this year with sponsorship by WISECO Pistons, BS&B Radiators, Kinser Air Filters, ZEMCO Speed Equipment, PRO Shocks, and Motor State Distributing.

The Best Western CAIRN CROFT Hotel contributed a cash bonus to each of the second place finishers in the three "B" Mains that were sponsored by GRISDALE Racing Products, COMP Cams, and ROCKET Headers. All entries received a $30 certificate from ROD END Supply when registering to participate while the twenty-six starters in the "A" Main collected a
certificate from KEISER Aluminum Wheels valued at $50. Other supporting contingency sponsors in 2007 included Fisher Performance, Glenn HEPFNER Inc, Saldana Racing Products, Seals-IT, and Schoenfeld Headers.

Plans are already underway for the 4th Annual "Canadian Sprint Car Nationals" scheduled for September 12 & 13, 2008 once again at Ohsweken Speedway.

For more information be sure to log on to the official website of Ohsweken Speedway at  www.ohswekenspeedway.com.

For Immediate Release:  Ken Pelkie, Event Coordinator

NASCAR: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES 2008 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 26, 2007) – The 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule was announced today, a 36-race slate that kicks off with the 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17 at Daytona International Speedway. The 2008 season also marks NASCAR’s 60th year as stock car racing’s longest operating sanctioning body.

Following the “Great American Race” the series travels to Southern California, then to the bright lights of Las Vegas before returning to the southeast for races at Atlanta and Bristol. The first scheduled off date for the series will be in March during the Easter holiday.

Following the race in Martinsville, the series makes another swing to the southwest, racing at Texas and Phoenix in early April. The second scheduled off weekend occurs in mid-April. The series then picks back up with races at Talladega, Richmond and Darlington prior to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

“By running five consecutive points events before the first scheduled break in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the 2008 schedule is designed to be even more fan friendly,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France.

Another adjustment to the 2008 schedule is that the Chicago race will be run Saturday night. “Night racing provides an additional element of intrigue and excitement,” said France. “Running under the lights at Chicagoland on a Saturday night will be even more exciting for the fans in the stands as well as those watching from home.”

Other key dates:
• The 30th annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona will be held on Feb. 9.
• On Sunday, July 27, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard will be held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
• On the evening of Saturday, Sept. 6, Richmond International Raceway will be the last opportunity for drivers to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
• The week after Richmond, on Sunday, Sept. 14, New Hampshire again will have the kick-off event in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, which covers the season’s last 10 races and determines the series champion.
• On Sunday, Nov. 16, Homestead-Miami Speedway will again host the season finale, where the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion will be crowned.
(The 2008 schedule follows on a subsequent page. Starting times and television information will be announced at a later date.)

2008 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site

Feb 9 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona – Daytona International Speedway*
Feb 17 Daytona International Speedway
Feb 24 California Speedway
Mar 2 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Mar 9 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Mar 16 Bristol Motor Speedway
Mar 30 Martinsville Speedway
Apr 6 Texas Motor Speedway
Apr 12 Phoenix International Raceway
Apr 27 Talladega Superspeedway
May 3 Richmond International Raceway
May 10 Darlington Raceway
May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Challenge – Lowe’s Motor Speedway*
May 25 Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Jun 1 Dover International Speedway
Jun 8 Pocono Raceway
Jun 15 Michigan International Speedway
Jun 22 Infineon Raceway
Jun 29 New Hampshire International Speedway
Jul 5 Daytona International Speedway
Jul 12 Chicagoland Speedway
Jul 27 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Aug 3 Pocono Raceway
Aug 10 Watkins Glen International
Aug 17 Michigan International Speedway
Aug 23 Bristol Motor Speedway
Aug 31 California Speedway
Sep 6 Richmond International Raceway
Sep 14 New Hampshire International Speedway
Sep 21 Dover International Speedway
Sep 28 Kansas Speedway
Oct 5 Talladega Superspeedway
Oct 11 Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Oct 19 Martinsville Speedway
Oct 26 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Nov 2 Texas Motor Speedway
Nov 9 Phoenix International Raceway
Nov 16 Homestead-Miami Speedway

*Non-championship points events // Tentative-Subject to Change

From NASCAR

NCATS: “No Brakes” for Nuhn at Kawartha

FRASERVILLE, ON – Despite the mechanical problems his team has endured the past few races, Kent Nuhn, driver of the No. 09 the Fuel Genie/BOC Gasses Pontiac Grand Prix, was excited and ready to get the final race of the year underway.

You could feel how excited the teams, crews, fans and officials were to see how the Championship was going to turn out and who would win the final race of the year. Going into qualifying at the 3/8 mile oval at Kawartha Speedway for the Dodge Charger 250, all eyes were on the top two contenders for the championship, the No. 17 Castrol Dodge Charger of D.J. Kennington and the No. 27 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford Fusion of Andrew Ranger.

Nuhn was able to qualify 24th out of 25 cars with a time of 18.493 and an average speed of 73.001 mph behind pole sitter No 9 Dodge/Leland Industries Dodge Avenger of Mark Dilley. In the early beginnings of the race, Nuhn had gained 8 positions and had moved up to 16th. Unfortunately, the mechanical woes would come back, like in the weeks past.

Around lap 70, he noticed that he was losing his brakes. He pulled the car behind the wall and team quickly got to work. Not only to fix the brake problem but to also fix damage on the left front of the car from a collision earlier in the night. Nuhn ultimately had to pull the car in another 2 times to fix the brake problem. They figured out that the exhaust was boiling the brake fluid and was causing the brakes to get hot and fade out.

“By the end (of the race) the brakes were fine. During the green flag runs, when I was going down the straightaway, all I had to do was pump them (the brakes) and they would come back," said Nuhn after the race.

Once again more mechanical woes struck with 20 laps to go, Nuhn lost a cylinder. With nothing to lose, Nuhn’s crew chief told him to stay out and put more laps on the car. Nuhn finished the race, with a smile on his face, in the 22nd position behind race winner No. 22 Toronto Marlies/Erb Group Dodge Charger of Scott Steckley.

The inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Championship went to Andrew Ranger. Nuhn, himself, finished the year in the 17th position in points.

“We had a good year, despite all the problems. We hope to be back next year,” Nuhn said. Nuhn and his team hope to gain new and additional sponsors in order to be able to race next season.

For further information regarding Kent Nuhn and The Fuel Genie/Nuhns Auto Recyclers Team or sponsorship information contact Hugh Nuhn at (519)794-2746. For more information on The Fuel Genie visit www.thefuelgenie.com.

Story and Photo by Leslie Bates

Canada Confirms Hinchcliffe for A1GP Season Kick Off

Montréal, Canada (September 26, 2007) - A1 Team Canada is pleased to confirm that Toronto's James Hinchcliffe will lead the team's charge this weekend at the opening round of the 2007-08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, hosted at Circuit Park Zandvoort in The Netherlands, Saturday 29th - Sunday 30th September.

Having helped steer Canada to an 11th place finish in the 2006-07 A1GP Nations Standings, Hinchcliffe, who made 14 starts in his rookie season with seven top-ten finishes, will again strap into the 550bhp open-wheel A1GP race car to take on 21 rival nations with A1 Team Germany out to defend the title they won in style last season with nine victories.

The 20-year-old Champ Car Atlantic Championship front-runner kicked off preparations for the new A1GP season, consisting of 11 rounds across the globe from September 2007 through to May 2008, by firing the new-look Canadian entry into the top-ten in last week's final pre-season test at England's Silverstone Circuit.  Under the continued supervision of the team's new management, Status Grand Prix, Hinchcliffe debuted Canada's bold new livery and duly powered the team to the ninth fastest time on the final full day of testing prior to this weekend's eagerly anticipated season-opener in The Netherlands, the third season of competition for the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport.

"I'm naturally really excited at the start of a new season of A1GP," stated Hinchcliffe upon his arrival in Europe.  "I'm pretty happy with the progress we've made as a team in pre-season testing.  There's still a little bit of work to do but if we keep heading in the direction we were going in at Silverstone we'll be pretty competitive early in the season.  There's no better place to start the new campaign than at Zandvoort.  It's a beautiful circuit and on top of that the atmosphere that the Dutch fans create is just second to none.  I'm really looking forward to getting back on track on Saturday."

Hinchcliffe planted Canada firmly at the top of the timesheets on his A1GP debut at Zandvoort a year ago, the rookie leading the Friday practice session at the 4.18km seaside circuit before going on to record a seventh place qualifying effort and eighth and 13th place finishes in the Sprint and Feature races.  With noise restrictions at the track creating a ban on Friday practice this season, meaning no 'Rookie Only' session either, A1 Team Canada's first practice takes place on Saturday morning.

"I share James' enthusiasm to get the season underway," commented A1 Team Canada Seat Holder Wade Cherwayko.  He continued, "Considering it's a brand-new team in terms of the personnel now involved in the Canadian operation, I feel we've made good progress and our performance at the last test hopefully bodes well heading into this weekend's opening round at Zandvoort.  James is no longer the rookie and we'll be counting on his experience to help lead the team as we're focused on breaking back into the top-ten in the Nations Standings having just slipped out at the end of last season."

Simon Cayzer, A1 Team Canada's Team Manager is similarly keen to get going after a productive pre-season.  "We've come together as an all-new team really well and I think we're all looking forward to the season starting having spent the past couple of months preparing for it.  The set-up of our car is looking pretty good and we know James is fired up; his track knowledge will be a huge bonus.  We might be in for a mixed weekend weather-wise but I'm confident we'll be up there!"

Sunday's 30-minute Sprint race starts at 11am local time (5am EST) with the 70-minute Feature race starting at 3pm in The Netherlands (9am EST).  Further details - www.a1gp.com

A1 Team Canada Media Relations: Stuart Morrison - PR & Media Manager

NCATS: Doug Brown ends season with mixed emotions

FRASERVILLE, ON – Doug Brown's quest for another top-ten finish in the 2007 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series came to an abrupt end just three laps short of the checkered flag last Sunday at Kawartha Speedway.

Once again he became the victim of a late race crash when he and Appin, Ontario's Jason Hathaway tangled in turn two on lap 248 of the 250-lap season finale. The two competitors were battling for the eighth position in the event with no real pressure from those in their pursuit. Brown's Haldex Dodge was heavily damaged in the tangle while Hathaway escaped to finish 11th.

The incident also marked the fourth time this season that accidents have taken the Brantford driver out of a potential top-ten run before the finish.

"It sure hasn't been our year'" the generally contained driver commented following the race. "I'm not sure what goes through their minds but there have been a small handful of drivers this season who seem to lack patients and common sense. If they can't get around you, they'll drive through you to gain a few positions. We were both virtually assured top ten finishes until that move."

Despite the ending results, Brown was quick to put the episode aside and began discussing his plans for next season, almost relieved the season was over.

"This season sure wasn't what we expected it would be before the season began. We had some high expectations but with the late arrival of series information including the schedule, we weren't as prepared to start the season as we would have liked to have been. We also had some sponsorship commitments that didn't get formalized until just weeks before the season opener and that may have contributed to our slow start. And some of those incidents that happened on the track didn't help our cause either," he added.

"But we are confident things will be quite different come 2008. We have already started the planning process for next season and met with our title sponsor Haldex who have been not only been very supportive this year, but have indicated they will be back next season."

The team has also received several inquiries from businesses not already involved with the team.

"Yeah, there is no doubt that NASCAR and the all round calibre of competitors in this series has raised the profile of our sport as has the long-term commitment of Canadian Tire and the coverage provided by TSN, Doug added with a smile.

HB Motorsports is pleased to have Haldex Limited as its Title Sponsor with NAPA Autopro supporting team programs through its role of Major Associate Sponsor role. Bicknell Racing Products; World of Graphics; HurryPrint Imaging Centre; WIX Filters; KWIC Internet; Gates Canada; BOC Gases; Brochures etc; Leitch Performance Engines; Strodes BBQ & Deli; and BrentZone Graphics are also valued members of our Associate Sponsorship Marketing team.

Prepared by Ken Spencer // Marketing and Media Relations // HB Motorsports

NCATS: John Fletcher 13th in NASCAR debut

FRASERVILLE, ON – "This was a good day for me and Jim Bray," said John Fletcher after Sunday's 255 lap NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season finale at the jam packed Kawartha Downs Speedway. The #56 Lucas Oil/All Star Logistics Dodge had not seen action this season and this was John's first NASCAR start but the long time veteran took time out of chasing another Outlaw Super Late Model title for the event. As the Bray Autosport team plans to run the full 2008 season, this event put into some perspective on what the team needs as it moves forward.

John qualified 16th in the largest field of cars that seen oval action in 2007. As the field took the green flag John was pushed three wide and fell back to 20th spot. "We wanted to give D.J. [Kennington] the room he needed on the start and a couple of other guys took that as an opening for them and I just got shuffled back," said John of his starting spot beside the series' title contender. John settled in and began to march back to the pack, after a restart John felt a tire going down and fell to the rear of the field hoping a caution would come, that caution did not come in time before being lapped.

Every time the Lucas Oil/All Star Logistics Dodge got in position for the free pass a caution did not fly and the #56 could not get back on the lead lap. The team brought a competitive car but after the event felt that the motor is down on power compared to the other top teams out there. John did not give up as he and the fast qualifier for the race; Mark Dilley raced hard side by side for the last two laps for 12th as Mark edged John by a nose for the spot.

The long time NASCAR team owner employed the services of Joey and Kevin McColm of McColm Motorsports and long time Team JNE Consulting member Gary Sim to service the car on pit road. Crew Chief Scott Fletcher had this to say about the efforts, "We relied on Gary, Joey and his guys for the day and I could not be happier with them, John did an outstanding job getting the car ready, drove a smart race and Jim supplied us with what we needed."

The inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season may be over but John and the JNE Consulting #61 Outlaw Super Late Model is back in action this weekend at Flamboro Speedway.

Lucas Oil, All Star Logistics of Grimsby, Kawartha Lakes Flight Training, Trailers by Jim Bray, Bray Auto and Truck Recycling, Stratafax, Wix Filters and B&B Decals of Oakville were the sponsors of Bray Autosport entry in the Dodge Dealers of Ontario, Dodge Charger 250 presented by Allied Steel Buildings.

NCATS: RON VAN ES FINISHES 16TH IN NASCAR SEASON FINALE AT KAWARTHA

STONEY CREEK, ON – Ron Van Es wrapped up his 2007 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season, on Sunday afternoon, with a 16th-place finish at Peterborough’s Kawartha Speedway. The driver of the #11 Tailgate Head Quarters Chevy qualified seventh fastest in the field of 25 for the 12th and final event of the Canadian NASCAR season, but was caught up in an early-race accident while the cars were braking hard for another, unrelated incident.

“Our qualifying was really good today; we had a great car,” said the Stoney Creek, ON racer, following the event. “We were seventh-fastest but I wish I could have brought it home a little bit better than we ended up. I had an awesome car during the race – probably the best car I’ve ever driven – and I have to thank my crew chief Alex Nagy for the way he set the #11 Tailgate Head Quarters Chevy up.”

Van Es continued, “During the first caution, we were hit and spun around, which was unfortunate, but that’s what happens when you’re slowing down for a caution. It was just disappointing to get caught up in something like that. I was actually hoping that we’d get our spot back, but that didn’t happen. Our race kind of went downhill from there because we lost a lap, which makes it tough.”

At Kawartha, the #11 Van Es Racing car sported primary sponsorship from the Burlington, ON-based Tailgate Head Quarters Group of Companies (http://www.tailgateheadquarters.com/). The company sources, wholesales and distributes exclusive licensed consumer products worldwide, including NASCAR merchandise. During the 2007 season, Van Es also raced with associate sponsorship from Marshall Truck & Trailer Repair, Ingersoll Rand, G.P.I.C.S. Truck & Trailer Parts and Mustang’s Bigol’ Grill.

“I have to thank Tailgate Head Quarters out of Burlington, Ontario for coming on board for this weekend. I’d also like to recognize all of the associate sponsors who helped us out this season. We’re still looking for some help for next year because having a financial partner is critical in this series. We missed three races this season due to budget considerations, but our goal was to show as well as we could at the events we did attend, and we feel we did that.”

Speaking about the inaugural season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Van Es was impressed and believes Canada’s national stock car tour is on the rise. “Everywhere we raced this season, we performed in front of crowds that were several times larger than in past years. And having every race broadcast on TSN boosted the exposure of the series even more. When it was announced last fall that NASCAR was coming to Canada, we hoped that it would raise the profile of our sport, and that’s exactly what has happened. I think the series is definitely going the right way.”

“I want to offer my appreciation to my family and crew who worked so hard and did so much to support my racing program this past season,” said Van Es. “It takes a lot of time and dedication to be able to compete in this series and I’m proud of what the #11 Van Es Racing team accomplished this season. We learned a lot together and were very competitive on several occasions. We’re looking forward to continuing to improve next season.”

RACE SUMMARY: KAWARTHA SPEEDWAY
The inaugural season of Canada’s new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series came to a successful conclusion on Sunday evening at Kawartha Speedway. The high-banked oval, which is located near Peterborough, Ontario, played host to 25 of Canada’s top stock car racers for the Dodge Charger 250.

Veteran racer Scott Steckly (Milverton, ON) earned his first checkered flag of the season by holding off Peter Gibbons (Stouffville, ON) and Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Windsor, ON) at the finish line.

Rookie stock car racer Andrew Ranger became Canada’s first NASCAR champion when he crossed the line in sixth place to secure the driver’s points title in style. Prior to the start of the 2007 season, the Quebec driver ended his Champ Car career and turned his attention to stock car racing. Ranger expects to be back to defend his championship in 2008.

Prepared by Inside Track Communications. For more information about Van Es Racing, contact Jolene Convery at Van Es Racing at (800) 263-4884. For more information about the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, visit http://www.nascar.ca/

NCATS: CENTENNIAL CHRYSLER’S JOHN GAUNT CLOSES THE NASCAR SEASON WITH A TOP-10 FINISH AT KAWARTHA SPEEDWAY

BARRIE, ON – John Gaunt completed his first season back on Canada’s elite stock car circuit with a 10th-place run in Sunday’s Dodge Charger 250 at Kawartha Speedway. The #12 Centennial Chrysler-sponsored Dodge Avenger racer qualified ninth-fastest in the field of 25 for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season finale and was in contention for a top finish when late-race contact dropped him several spots, to 10th.

Nonetheless, the Barrie, Ontario resident was happy with his Kawartha outing and proud of the effort put forth by the entire #12 Centennial Chrysler / AKN Sikkens / Vital Signs / Mobil1 / Unitec / Plumbtech/Moen Dodge Avenger team in 2007.

“I qualified the car ninth-fastest which was pretty decent,” said Gaunt, after the race. “At the drop of the green flag I had a great car but it started to get tighter and tighter. When we pitted, I kept the guys busy in the pits making quite a few adjustments trying to loosen it up. But just as it was coming around, the sun went down and that changed everything. We took too much wedge out and then we came back in to put some more in, but it was still pretty loose.”

Even though his car wasn’t perfect for the final sprint to the finish, Gaunt was in position for a strong result. “We had a top-10 car – maybe seventh or even fifth if we were lucky. But near the end, we had contact with another car during the final restart and that bent the spindle. From there, we fell several spots and ended up 10th. It would have been nice to get a better finish to close out the year.”

Looking back at his 12-race season – which saw him compete in eight oval races and four road course events – Gaunt saw several bright spots. As well, he has a newfound respect for road racing. “It’s a tough, competitive series. We worked hard, but we really have a different opinion now of road racing – I really like it. We’re going to do something about improving even more in those races, because I enjoy them a lot now.”

Looking ahead to next season, Gaunt is hoping that the decision is made to have him back behind the wheel of the #12 Centennial Dodge Avenger for 2008. “I would really like to be back in this series again next year, but that has yet to be determined. The team has made a lot of progress during the course of the season, considering everything was brand new for most of us at the start. We’ve learned lots and we hope to be able to take advantage of that knowledge next season. It’s pretty tough to step into this division with a completely new operation. This is an excellent series and I think it’s only going to be better going forward.”

In conclusion, Gaunt would like to offer his thanks to his team owner and team manager, as well as to all of the sponsors who supported the #12 Centennial Chrysler / AKN Sikkens / Vital Signs / Mobil1 / Unitec / Plumbtech/Moen Dodge Avenger in ’07.

“I want to thank my team owner Mr. Gord Coates and team manger Mr. Howie Nichol of Centennial Chrysler for giving me this opportunity,” said Gaunt. “They gave us first-rate equipment and supported the team all season. I also want to personally thank all of our sponsors who supported our racing program in 2007. We got a chance to meet most of them in person – especially at the Barrie races – and it was a pleasure to represent them on the NASCAR circuit. And last – but not least – I want to recognize the hard work and dedication of my entire team. It’s not easy starting a team from scratch and learning so much in a short period of time, but my team worked as hard as they could all season.”

KAWARTHA RACE SUMMARY:
Dodge driver Scott Steckly won the Dodge Charger 250 at Kawartha Speedway on Sunday evening. In doing so, the veteran racer secured the coveted Manufacturers’ Cup for Dodge. Second-place at Kawartha went to Peter Gibbons. Dodge driver Ron Beauchamp Jr. earned the third and final podium spot in the season-ending NASCAR race.

Stock car rookie Andrew Ranger’s sixth-place effort was more than sufficient to secure the inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver’s points title. Dodge pilot DJ Kennington was runner-up to the Quebec racer in the final standings.

Prepared by Inside Track Communications. For more information about John Gaunt and the #12 Centennial Chrysler Dodge Charger team, call (705) 726-0393 or visit http://www.centennialchrysler.ca/. To learn more about the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, visit http://www.nascar.ca/

NCATS: Mark Dilley fastest in qualifying for the NASCAR season-ending Dodge Charger 250 at Kawartha Speedway

BARRIE, ON – Mark Dilley’s inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season came to a close on Sunday evening at Kawartha Speedway, near Peterborough, Ontario. The Dodge Dealers of Ontario presents the Dodge Charger 250 featured a series of highs and lows for the driver of the #9 Dodge-sponsored Avenger.

The highlight of the afternoon for the Barrie, Ont. racer took place when he set the fastest lap during time trials to secure the pole position for the 12th and final race of the season. Dilley appeared to be in contention for his second-straight NASCAR victory when a broken wheel forced him into the pits for a green-flag stop when he was running in second place with less than 45 laps to go.

In the end, the #9 Dodge / Mobil1 / Exide / MOPAR / Leland / Wild Wing / CRS / Dodge Avenger came home in 12th place. “It was a great start to the day and we were in shape to challenge Donnie [Thomson] when a wheel broke on the #9 Dodge,” said Dilley, after the race. “We led a dozen laps early and the race was coming to us when we had to pit; that ended our hopes for closing out the season with two wins in a row.”

But on the bright side, Dilley felt that his qualifying performance and strong race ended his season on a high note. “We had a few rough weeks there in the middle part of the season, so we’re proud that we were able to finish with a win and a pole, especially since those two races were both sponsored by Dodge. We’re also honoured that we were able to contribute to Dodge winning the Manufacturers’ Cup. That’s a real team effort and it’s an important accomplishment for everyone in the Dodge camp.”

In the final NASCAR Canadian Tire Series point standings, the #9 Dodge-sponsored Avenger racer took eighth overall on the strength of his win at Riverside International Speedway in mid-September and several strong early-season outings. Dilley’s pole position on Canada Day at Barrie Speedway was another highlight of his 2007 campaign.

“I’d like to thank all of my sponsors for their support this season,” said Dilley, soon after emerging from his car at Kawartha. “They are the reason I’m able to race. We work hard for Dodge and all of our sponsors and we appreciate them being part of our program.”

Dilley then recognized the efforts of his #9 Whitlock Motorsports crew. “My team have been great all season. I’d like to thank them for all that they do. Rino Montanari was my new crew chief this season and I can’t say enough about how well we worked together. I just want to say ‘thanks’ to our whole team to let them know I appreciate all of their hard work and their skills. Dilley is looking forward to being back with Whitlock Motorsports for another season of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series action in 2008.

“Dave Whitlock prepares excellent cars for us and we have a great relationship. Dave recently signed his new sponsorship deal for two years so the whole organization is stronger than ever and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

KAWARTHA RACE SUMMARY: Dodge driver Scott Steckly picked up his first checkered flag of the NASCAR season when he won Sunday’s Dodge Dealers of Ontario present the Dodge Charger 250 at Kawartha Speedway. Steckly started 12th in the field of 25 and moved into the lead on lap 235 of the scheduled 250-lap chase. Peter Gibbons finished second at Kawartha, ahead of MOPAR-sponsored Dodge driver Ron Beauchamp Jr. Stock car rookie Andrew Ranger won the driver’s championship. Veteran racer DJ Kennington fell out of the race with engine trouble, but the Dodge driver was able to hold on to second in the final standings.

RACING WITH JAMES TURNER CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT: The 8th annual Racing With James Turner Charity Golf Tournament took place on Tuesday, September 25 under sunny skies at the beautiful National Pines Golf Club near Barrie, Ontario. Mark Dilley would like to thank everyone who supported this fun and worthwhile charity fundraising event.

Prepared by Inside Track Communications // For more information about the #9 Dodge team and its sponsors, visit www.whitlockmotorsports.com. For more on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, including complete race results, reports, point standings, event schedules and upcoming broadcast times for races on TSN, see www.nascar.ca

Coors Light to be Official Beer Sponsor of NASCAR beginning with the 2008 Season

Sponsorship includes exclusive rights to league logos, exclusive promotional opportunities and Coors Light Pole Award

Golden, Colo. and New York (Sept. 25, 2007) – Coors Brewing Company and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) today announced a multi-year partnership, making Coors Light the official beer of NASCAR and its millions of fans nationwide. The five-year sponsorship agreement gives Coors Brewing Company category exclusivity starting with the 2008 NASCAR season.

“We’re proud that Coors Light, the World’s Most Refreshing Beer, is now the official beer of NASCAR – refreshing race fans every weekend from the start of the season to the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup,” said Andy England, Chief Marketing Officer, Coors Brewing Company. “This partnership allows us to deliver exciting and relevant programs to our distributors and retailers – all centered around the number-one spectator sport in the country.”

The sponsorship agreement gives Coors Light exclusive rights to NASCAR logos in advertising, packaging and promotions, as well as the right to brand the Pole Award. In addition, Coors Light will build distributor and consumer promotions giving fans exclusive access to one-of-a-kind NASCAR experiences.

“Coors Light is a brand closely connected with and strongly supported by NASCAR’s core fan base. They have a proven track record as a strong brand marketer, and we’re looking forward to a mutually beneficial partnership that excites all our fans and helps bring NASCAR to new levels of popularity,” said Steve Phelps, Chief Marketing Officer, NASCAR.

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR), which began in 1948, is the sanctioning body for one of America's premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport – holding 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S. the No. 2 rated regular-season sport on television with broadcasts in more than 100 countries, and has 75 million fans in the U.S. These fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport.

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About Coors Brewing Company
Coors Brewing Company is a subsidiary of Molson Coors Brewing Company, (NYSE, TSX - TAP). It is the third largest brewer in the U.S. The company's U.S. brands include Coors Light, Molson Canadian, Coors, Killian's Irish Red, Keystone, Blue Moon, Coors NA and Zima. For more information on Coors, visit the company's Web site, www.coors.com.

About NASCAR
NASCAR consists of three major national series (the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. NASCAR sanctions 1,300 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach (Fla.), NASCAR has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte (N.C.), Concord (N.C.), Conover (N.C.), Bentonville (Ark.), Mexico City, and Toronto

From Coors & NASCAR // Distributed by Cynthea Galbraith (Molson)

Pierre Bourque Has a Full Weekend of Racing

CONCORD, NC (September 25, 2007) - Summer vacation is over, school is back in session and Pierre Bourque has been very busy on racetracks throughout North America lately.
On Friday, Bourque attempted to make his debut for STI Motorsports in the NASCAR Busch East Series race at Dover International Speedway (DE). Without the benefit of a provisional and cursed by a bad qualifying draw, Bourque was among the group of drivers who did not qualify for the race.

The Dover effort was backed by Impremedia, America's largest Spanish language media company, and Full Metal Minerals, one of Canada's more progressive junior gold mining companies.

"Things didn't work out as we would have hoped at Dover," said Bourque. "But there were still some positives to the weekend. It is great is to see Impremedia involved in NASCAR, something that a lot of people in the sport took notice of. I'm thrilled by their support of my racing activities, along with all of my loyal sponsors. I was impressed with Glen Rudolph's STI Motorsports crew and although things didn't go as planned at Dover, I really enjoyed working with them."

Undeterred, Bourque headed back North of the Border to compete in Saturday's NASCAR Canadian Tire event at Kawartha Speedway (Ontario). A spring problem in practice left Bourque with a 22nd-place qualifying effort. At the start of the race though, he started passing cars left and right. Before long, Bourque was moving towards the lead pack.

His bad luck would continue though when the air jack broke during a pit stop and Bourque lost two laps. The final result for the Driving.Ca / Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame / Whitlock Motorsports Dodge Charger was 15th.

Bourque is now back in the United States, testing with Andy Hillenburg's Fast Track Racing Team at Talladega Superspeedway for next month's ARCA RE/MAX Series event there.

Bourque is splitting his time between the Whitlock Motorsports NASCAR Canadian Tire Series entry and Kevin Buckler's The Racers Group team in Grand-Am road racing. He also made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut last month at Indianapolis' O'Reilly Raceway Park and will be making additional announcements on his future racing plans very shortly.

For more information on Pierre Bourque, please contact Mike Twist at (207) 590-1786 or (207) 499-2565 and be sure to check out the all-new PierreBourque.net.

CASTROL CANADIAN TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP HIGHLIGHT CELEBRATION WEEKEND AT MOSPORT

BOWMANVILLE, ON (September 25, 2007) - Another great season of regional racing comes to a close this weekend at Mosport's famed road course as amateur racers take to the track for the final time this season in the Mosport/CASC Celebration 2007 (Sept. 29-30).

Three class champions will be crowned in the inaugural season of the Castol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires. This sports car series is based on three distinct classes of competition which are all on track at the same time and feature drivers racing today's hottest sports cars. This is a doubleheader with 100 points per race to be awarded to the winner (plus bonus points for the fastest qualifiers and completed laps), so major changes in the final drivers' standings remain distinct possibilities.

In the high horsepower GT class, Corvettes, BMWs and a turbo Nissan battle for the top spot at speeds in excess of 250 km/h. Sasha Anis (Nissan) leads the class with 1523 points and Bob Munro (BMW) is holding down second spot with 1364 while Roberto Sabato (Corvette) sits in third, just behind Munro with 1307.

The Super Touring Class is the largest and features many of today's hottest brands, such as BMW, Acura, and Subaru. Despite their small motors these cars crank out more than 250 horsepower and have created some memorable moments on the track. Charles-Andre Bilodeau (BMW) leads the points chase with 1428 over his team-mate Etienne Borgeat (BMW) with 1236, while Ian Madden (VW) sits in third with 1130.

The entry level Touring class features some of the most popular and tunable cars on the street, the 150 – 200 horsepower cars that make for great door-to-door action on-track. Cars featured in this class include Mini, Honda, Mercedes Benz and Nissan. Alain Lauziere (Mini) leads the class with 1568 points followed by Rob Calisi (Honda) with 1420, while James Foote (Honda) is in third with 1383.

Celebration 2007 also offers a great opportunity to see future open-wheel racing stars. One of the series that features plenty of up and coming racers is the Ontario Formula Ford Championship (OFFC). Toronto's Matt White clinched this year's overall championship two weeks ago at Mosport after a close season-long battle with 2006 champ Shane Jantzi. By securing his first OFFC title and the Formula Car Magazine Can Am Cup, White has also earned a much coveted test later this fall the U.S. in one of Brian Stewart Racing's Indy Racing League Pro Series cars.

The weekend schedule also includes great racing featuring the open-wheel cars of Formula Libre and F1200s and the vintage coupes and sedans of the Vintage Historics and Group 70+ classes.

For more information and to view the weekend schedule visit www.casc.on.ca

From Lee Bailie // Mosport

SUPER DIRT WEEK: BRP Shows Continued SDW Support!

Bicknell Racing Products (BRP) continues to support Super DIRT Week and season-long contingency programs for all three of DIRTcar Racing NorthEast's open-wheel divisions – Advance Auto Parts Big-Block Modifieds, 358-Modifieds and Sportsman Modifieds.
 
Along Manufacturers Row during Super DIRT Week, Oct. 3-7, actively involved will be BRP employees Luke Proulx (who also speaks French for the Quebec contingent), Teddy Curvin, Randy T. Ball Ellison, along with Randy Williamson and Pete Bicknell, who will be providing customers with complimentary service and technical support throughout the week of events.
 
"What can we say about our customers," Williamson said. "We stand behind our drivers and can't thank them enough – especially the crew members, car owners and sponsors and the most important part of any team – the wives and girlfriends."
 
Bicknell Racing Products' provides the top 3 BRP finishers in both the Rite Aid 200 Big-Block Modified and ITT Corporation-Goulds Pumps 150-lap 'Salute to the Troops' Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series title events product certificates. $1000 will go to the top 3 in each class with the breakdown as follows - $500, $300 and $200 respectively. The Sportsman division also will receive certificates in the amounts of $250, $150 and $100 respectively and all three awards programs are contingent upon the display of Bicknell Racing Products Decals displayed on a Bicknell chassis..
 
"The bonuses are in appreciation for our drivers," Bicknell noted. "We pride ourselves in our performances and anything we can do to help … it's our pleasure."
 
Pete Bicknell's achievements stand as a testament to the success of the Bicknell Chassis and the St. Catharines, Ontario driver races to provide research and development for the next generation of the BRP Chassis and it's components.  Bicknell himself has quite a track record at the Moody Mile – having won the ITT/Goulds 358-Modified main a record five times.
 
Bicknell, his wife Nancy, daughter Erica and their BRP partners Randy and Tracey Williamson just completed their fifth season as owners of Merrittville Speedway, the storied Thorold, Ontario DIRTcar NorthEast-sanctioned show place which is now preparing for it's 57th consecutive season of continuous operation in 2008.
 
Week in and week out, 2007 saw BRP customers amass an incredible win total of over 700 wins – surpassing the previous record of 646 set in 2006. In fact since 2002, BRP drivers have averaged more than 500 wins a year. Matt Sheppard is the top DIRTcar Big-Block feature winner in a BRP car with seven while Laurent Ladouceur, David Hebert and Bicknell are all tied with 7 wins each in the 358-Mod division. Don Spatorico and Rob Pratt are tied for the top spot in the Sportsman ranks with 12 wins each. In 2007, Team Bicknell drivers and race teams have collected 52 track and series championships at the time of press.
 
Super DIRT Week XXXVI will see Team Bicknell led by 2005 race winner Billy Decker who won his 4th October Classic two years ago. 2002 and 2003 winners Vic Coffey and Alan Johnson will be strong contenders as well as '06 runner-up Brachmann in the ITT/Goulds 358-Modified 150 lap event Saturday.
 
BRP Drivers expecting to qualify for the Rite Aid 200 include Donnie Corellis, Justin Haers, Jerry Higbie and David Hebert, all with brand new BRP Chassis as well as Pat Ward, Kenny Tremont and Bobby Varin in the Jake and Nancy Spraker entry. One driver looking to make a triumphant return as well is Ron Smoker with a new BJB Motorsports BRP Car.
 
With the series races continuing until the 46th Anniversary Eastern States Weekend at the Orange County Fair Speedway – BRP drivers are in the running to win Series and overall Hoosier-Sunoco Mr. DIRTcar Championships. As of this writing, Billy Decker sits third in the Mr. DIRTcar Big-Block standings while Frenchman Mario Clair leads the 358 points chase while Joe Williams has had quite a fall season to date and leads the Sportsman division  as nine of the top 10 Sportsman point-getters use a BRP Chassis.
 
In the off season, Bicknell Racing Products can be found at many area trade shows and it starts with the National Parts Peddlar Auction and Trade Show at the New York State Fairgrounds in November. When the PRI Show makes it's return to Florida in December, BRP will be among the exhibitors. Early in the new year, BRP will also be represented at Motorsports 2008 – held annually in Fort Washington, Pa.
 
The 5th Annual BRP Chassis Seminar and Pete Bicknell Driving School is set for the Merrittville Speedway in April and applications are now being accepted. Hosted by the Thorold, Ontario facility, the day-long school has something to offer every racer, from rookies to veteran drivers and crew members.
 
For further information on Bicknell Racing Products or to find a dealer near you, call either 905/685-7223 or 716/285-7502, or visit BRP on line at www.bicknellracingproducts.com.

By Jim Irvine, Bicknell Racing Products PR // Distributed by Tom Skibinski (DIRTcar)

NCATS: Disheartening finish for Micks at Kawartha

FRASERVILLE, ONTARIO (September 23, 2007) – Kerry Micks did not finish his season on a high note.
 
Driving the Beyond Digital Imaging Ford Taurus, the stock car driver finished 14th in the Dodge Dealers of Ontario Dodge Charger 250 Sunday night at Kawartha Speedway.
 
"I'm disappointed, this is not the way we wanted to finish the season," he said after the race, the final event in the 12-race NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. "We were capable of winning everywhere we ran this year season. We also had good support from our sponsors, and I'm pleased with that."
 
Scott Steckly won the Dodge Dealers of Ontario Dodge Charger 250 presented by Allied Steel Buildings followed by Peter Gibbons in second and Ron Beauchamp, Jr. third.
 
"When the season started it looked like we would be able to run only a partial schedule," added Micks. "BDI stepped up and gave us the sponsorship we needed and we're thankful they did. The teams that run this series continue to entertain the fans at every venue that was obvious by the number of people in the seats."
 
The race had nine lead changes between four drivers and nine cautions for 61 laps, Kerry Micks started tenth in the Beyond Digital Imaging Ford on the 3/8th-mile, high banked, asphalt oval in Fraserville, Ontario.
 
Micks 46, of Mount Albert, Ontario, finished the 2007 season in seventh position in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Top 10 Driver Points with six top-five finishes, including wins at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal and on the road circuit at the Grand-Prix de Trois-Rivières.
 
Beyond Digital Imaging Inc. (BDI), Canadian Detailing Services, Cathcart Trucking and APX Racing Gear and Incentives Inc., Nur America, and HP Canada are sponsors of Micks Motorsports.
 
From Bruce F. Mehlenbacher // JAJ Entertainment