Open Wheel War heats up

No, not between ChampCar and IRL... but between Canuck warriors Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani...


In a nutshell, PT had a brainfade and took both of them out early at San Jose, on Sunday. 'Tag' was furious - some would say understandably so - and lost it.

The result was a rolling on the ground, arm flinging spectacle that would have made Bobby Clarke proud. Unfortunately, neither PT or Tag will have a place in the 'new' NHL. Although the brawl brings back memories of the pre-sanitized NASCAR when the boys would thump each other in the infield during the Daytona 500.

More on the steel-cage-match, battle royale here.

Norris McDonald: Message to G.P. of T.O... Bring back CASCAR

In his Saturday column, Toronto Star Wheels columnist Norris McDonald believes bringing back CASCAR and Canadian content is the key to reviving the sagging G.P. of Toronto.

STEELBACK SAUBLE SPEEDWAY: WEDNESDAY NIGHT DASH FOR CASH RESCHEDULED!

From Steelback Sauble Speedway....

RESCHEDULED!
After being rained out this past Wednesday, Steelback Sauble Speedway will take another shot at hosting the Wednesday Night McDonald's Dash For Cash Invitationals at the Beach on Wednesday, August 2.

Sandwiched between this Saturday night's regular action and next weekend's busy Saturday / Sunday ALSTAR show, promoter Joe Chisholm is calling it "Steelback Sauble Speedway's version of Speedweeks!"

Cars are expected from all over Ontario for this special feature at 'The Beach', inluding Ltd. Late Models (35 laps), the Pro Stock / Thunder Cars (25 laps), Pure Stocks (20 laps), and the 4 Cylinders (20 laps).

The best will be at 'The Beach'. For more information please see: www.saublespeedway.com

CAYUGA: Hot Head Henry 200 CASCAR Tickets now available!

NELLES CORNERS, ON (July 26, 2006) – As Cayuga International Speedway gears up for its action-packed Labor Day Weekend Classic of racing, tickets for the event are now available through Ticketmaster.

Ordering tickets is convenient and simple by just calling Ticketmaster at 416-870-8000, or ordering online through www.ticketmaster.ca.

There are several individual and family packages available, but no matter what is chosen, pre-race purchases are entitled to a discount. And children under 12 are free at all times when with an adult.

On September 2, an adult admission is $20, and a family package of two adults and two youths is $50. Youths and seniors prices are $15. On September 3, an adult ticket is $25, the family package is $70, and youths and seniors are $20.

Weekend passes for all events are: $40 adult, youth and seniors $30, and $100 for the family package.

Set on about 300 acres, Cayuga International Speedway offers the motorsport fan a full range of amenities. 1,500 campsites - most fully serviced with hydro and water - refreshment and souvenir booths and free supervised parking ensure comfort and enjoyment for all who attend the events.

An added bonus is the free entertainment every night of the Special Event Weekends under the covered band shell pavilion - a popular gathering spot for all who enjoy the excitement of racing at Cayuga International Speedway.

For information about the Labor Day Weekend Classic at Cayuga International Speedway call (866) 670-1958.

As Canada’s largest oval track auto racing facility, Cayuga International Speedway has presented the best in racing on its 5/8ths-mile paved oval. Generations of fans have witnessed top racers in stock car and open-wheel competition at this Southern Ontario track for more than 40 years.

With a new team of dedicated professionals, Cayuga will maintain its rich heritage and use this foundation in building an innovative state-of-the-art facility, providing a new stage of motorsport entertainment at an international level.

Cayuga International Speedway is located one kilometer north of Nelles Corners, ON. From the town of Cayuga take Highway 3 west for eight kilometers to Nelles Corners and turn right on Haldimand Road 20.

For more information, please contact Cayuga Speedway at: info@cayugaracing.com

DOOLEY AND JOHNSON KIDS CLUB BIKES TO GO IN WILKENS MEMORIAL AT MERRITTVILLE: PASTA DINNER TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE

Thorold, Ontario … “ Throughout the 2006 season,” reveals Merrittville Speedway’s Erica Bicknell, “ Meridian Credit Union Kid’s Club Members receive ballots based on their participation in events … the more events … the more chances to win one of 7 Bikes that have been customized by drivers.”

Paul Klager from the Premier Mademoiselle Fitness Centers Classic Mod Lites and Brad Rouse from the Original Pizza Logs Sportsmen Division have made two young race fans happy as the two veterans have already gave their Bikes away.

Josh MacPherson – younger brother of 2006 Sportsmen Rookie Tyler McPherson was the most recent winner – taking home the Ripley’s Believe it or Not/ Philbrick Farm & Garden Equipment/ RCM Racing Equipment # 1 on July 15th.

Brad Rouse kicked off the new unique program – awarding his Baron Roofing & Siding Nu-Craft Window and Door 18R Bike back on July 1st.

When the Advance Auto Parts Big Block Modified Super DIRT Series visits Merrittville Speedway on Monday August 7th - the ‘Candy Man’ Mike Dooley from the Hoosier Stocks and DIRT’s winningest driver and former Merrittville Speedway Champion Alan Johnson will present their bikes to two lucky young race fans.

Dooley is a former Merrittville Hoosier Stock Champion and as well won last year’s inaugural Duel on the Dirt Series against the Brighton Speedway Pro Stocks. Always a fan favorite, Dooley’s Brian’s Tire Repair 310C Bike also is adorned with the St. Catharines driver’s trademark M&M’s characters.

Alan Johnson – one of the many drivers that will travel to Merrittville Speedway for the return of the Dirt Big Block Modifieds – has quite a track record at the Thorold track in special events over the years and the 14J Bike Winner will take home quite a keepsake of the special night. ,

Through the month of August, defending Original Pizza Logs Sportsmen Champion and current point leader Wayne Conn, Scott Wood from the L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified Division and Justin Sharp’s Premier Mademoiselle Fitness Centers Classic Mod Lite G4 will all be given away.

“When Alan heard news of this contest,” said Nancy Bicknell, “ although he’ll only be with us one night – he was real excited and eager to do his part and what can we say about our own drivers … hats off to them.”

Since 1972, Merrittville Speedway has hosted the annual Civic Holiday Classic but not since 1993 has the event featured Big Block Modifieds as it had become a 358 Modified Title Race since then.

Ironically the last time the Advance Auto Parts Big Block Super DIRT Series event was held at Merrittville – a 358 Modified driver won – so our regular L. St. Amand Enterprises Weekly Competitors stand a strong chance. The event in question saw Ron Smoker overtake Brett Hearn coming out of turn 4 for the last time with the checkered flag in sight.

Th event o f the summer for Southern Ontario and Western New York Race fans has been run in memory of an up and coming driver – Trevor Wilkens – who passed away 14 years ago. The 100 lap Main Event in addition to the 25 lap Hoosier Stock Duel on the Dirt Special and the Classic Mod Lites will be presented by Toolneeds.

Toolneeds Inc. is a one-stop source for machine and manufacturing industries to service their tooling requirements for the most demanding applications. Toolneeds represents the finest lines of industrial tool supplies from world class manufacturers. Toolneeds is the ultimate source for all your tooling and industrial supply needs.

Toolneeds is located at 227 Bunting Road in St. Catharines Ontario. Visit them or call tool free 1-800-407-6236 – their professional sales representatives are knowledgeable and will answer your questions and research your needs.

Once again, Club Castropignano will present the Pre-Race Pasta Dinner and tickets are still available during racing events or from the Speedway Office.

Gates open at 4 PM for the Pasta Dinner while racing will start at 7:00 PM.

For further information on the return of the Advance Auto Parts Big Block Super DIRT Series including the Club Castropignano Pre-Race Pasta Dinner and the Meridian Credit Union Kid’s Club Bike Draw call 905-892-8266 or visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com.

HEADZ GAMEZ INTERNATIONAL CORP. TO SPONSOR PETER SHEPHERD IN SEVEN ADDITIONAL RACES

CONCORD, N.C. (July 26, 2006) - Headz Gamez International has extended their sponsorship of Roush Racing's development driver Peter Shepherd in additional races.

Shepherd will drive the No. 50 Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Nashville Superspeedway on August 12, as well as in six ARCA races, starting with this weekend's Shop 'n Save 150 at Gateway International Raceway, IL.

Roush Racing has teamed up with Roulo Brothers Racing to enter Shepherd in their No. 39 Ford for his six ARCA Races. Shepherd will be competing in the ARCA races at Gateway on July 28, Nashville Superspeedway on August 12, Michigan International Speedway on August 18, The Milwaukee Mile on August 27, Chicagoland on September 9 and Talladega Superspeedway on October 6.

"I'm thrilled to have Headz Gamez on board for the Truck Series Race in Nashville and for the ARCA races," said Peter Shepherd. "I just can't thank them enough, they took a chance on sponsoring me in my first truck race and everything went really well. I'm focused on the rest of the year; it is great to have the support of a company like Headz Gamez behind me. I plan on doing my best to get good finishes for them."

"Headz Gamez could not be happier coming on board with the Roush Racing dynasty for the remainder of the year," said Kerry Martens C.E.O. and President of Headz Gamez International. "We have had amazing results in our company since Peter's first race. It has proven what a great vehicle NASCAR is for corporations to get their name in front of such a dedicated and substantial fan base. To be able to help Peter Shepherd, who was a driver of substance in Canada, make a name for himself in NASCAR is truly an honor for our company."

"The Griddly Headz* name will appear on the cars that we sponsor for Peter Shepherd and we hope that the NASCAR fans, as well as all the other sports fans in the world check out 'The Worlds Toughest Board games.' We know that are our games are a good fit with the sports fans and just like the Roush racing teams our games are also quality entertainment," continued Martens.

About Headz Gamez Enterprises International Corp.- Headz Gamez Enterprises International Corp. has developed a unique new line of sports themed board games corresponding to each major sport in the world. Over and above the innovative and exciting features of the games, we are partnering with some of the most desirable and successful sports leagues in the world, resulting in a whole new product category; licensed sports board games! In a world full of passionate sports fans, buyers have quickly recognized the enormous appeal our games have to these fans, and the prospective sales for their organizations. For more information, please visit www.griddlyheadz.com

- From Roush Racing

Benny Parsons fighting lung cancer

1973 NASCAR Champion Benny Parsons Battling Lung Cancer

CONCORD, N.C. (July 26, 2006) – Benny Parsons is all about winning. He’s the 1973 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion; a Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 winner; and, in recent years, has emerged as one of NASCAR’s leading television and radio commentators.

Now, Parsons is calling upon that winning attitude as he battles lung cancer.

Parsons, 65, had experienced difficulty breathing and, after consulting with physicians, was informed by his family doctor, Dr. Scott Moss of Charlotte, that he has the disease. His treatment regimen starts immediately.

“Needless to say this was a huge shock,” said Parsons. “I’ve got a great deal of faith in all of my physicians, including Dr. Steven Limenpani, who treated NASCAR car owner Rick Hendrick during his battle with leukemia. I’m determined to pull through this and I appreciate everyone’s concerns and prayers during this time.

“The first thing everyone asks me is, ‘are you a smoker?’ The answer is that I smoked my last cigarette way back in 1978 and since then I’ve hated being around smoking. I don’t even allow anyone in my foursome to smoke on the golf course.”

Parsons is an analyst on NBC and TNT’s coverage of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing and hosts “Fast Talk with Benny Parsons” on the Performance Racing Network. He plans to continue his duties with NBC/TNT and PRN throughout his treatment.

“Everyone I work with has been gracious and accommodating,” said Parsons. “I plan to keep on talking about racing for as long as I can.”

Friends and fans wishing to send words of encouragement to Parsons can do so by e-mailing him at bp@goprn.com or on a special message board at www.NASCAR.com.

Joint NBC/TNT Statement Regarding
NASCAR Analyst Benny Parsons

“Benny is an important part of our television families. We respect his privacy and will support him in any way we can in his efforts to get well.”

Question & Answer

Q. When will Benny be returning to the booth?
A. Benny has begun treatment and was not scheduled to work this weekend. He plans to be in the booth at The Brickyard as scheduled.

Q. Will you replace him if he is unable to return?
A. It is too early for us to even consider that scenario. We will continue to support Benny through his recovery, and bring continue to bring them NASCAR coverage through the conclusion of the Chase.

Q. Does this rule out Benny being an analyst for TNT next season?
A. Our thoughts are with Benny as he faces this latest challenge in his life. That being said, we will always have a place on our NASCAR telecasts for Benny Parsons.

From Turner Sports

NEWS & NOTES: Stewart apologizes and Danica spurns Rahal

Tony Stewart was here....

Following Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Pocono, where Tony Stewart once again failed to take his own advice on how racers should respect each other and use their heads, Carl Edwards asked, "How can a person make it this far in life being that much of a jerk?"

Maybe that was a wake-up call for Stewart. Having Carl Edwards call you a jerk is like being in a fight with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Whatever the case, Stewart has had a look in the mirror and seems to agree with Edwards. The current Nextel Cup champ has taken full responsibility for the chaos on Sunday.

Stewart said, "I'm taking 100 percent responsibility for the final incident that occurred on lap 32 between myself, the 07 [Bowyer] and the 99 [Edwards]. It was totally my fault."

So, while the "new Tony" does a mea culpa and promises never to do it again... until next weekend... racing fans who have seen it all before can visit this website and play "PUNCH TONY STEWART".

In other racing news, Danica Patrick - the most popular and in-demand racer never to have won a race - is leaving Rahal-Letterman and heading to Andretti-Green, ending talk that she's heading to NASCAR.

Finally, TSN.ca ran the full release from Saturday's Griddly Headz 100 CASCAR Super Series / Flo~Pro.Com Western Series race at the Grand Prix of Edmonton. Thanks to TSN and all of the other sites that carried the news.

Seventh Place For Andrew Ranger In Edmonton, Charles Zwolsman Tenth

Courtesy Karina Redmond

Edmonton, Alberta, July 23, 2006 The Mi-Jack Conquest Racing Team scored their third double-top-ten finish today at the West Edmonton Mall Grand Prix with Canadian Andrew Ranger and Dutchman Charles Zwolsman finishing respectively seventh and tenth in sunny and hot weather conditions in Edmonton.

Ranger who was starting eighth was able to maintain his position throughout the race up until lap 70 when a crash by Nelson Philippe moved him up one position into seventh where he remained for the final 15 laps. With today s result, the young Canadian slides down one position in the Championship Standings and now sits fifth, three points behind Paul Tracy.

It wasn t an easy race, but I m very happy with the final result. At the start I tried to save fuel and hoped for a yellow but that didn t happen so I ended up losing a bit of time to Nelson Philippe and Will Power. Overall everything went well, the pit stops were great, the team worked really hard, and our result is good for the championship. It was a satisfying day.

From his 12th place on the grid Charles Zwolsman moved up to ninth at the start and had a good first stint but stomach problems, that had appeared earlier in the morning, crept back after the first pit stop and affected the rookie s performance. Despite not feeling well, Zwolsman managed to hold on and come home in tenth position, three laps down.

Our first stint went well, but then I started feeling bad to the stomach and I could barely hold on to the steering wheel anymore because I felt bad, but with that in mind it s good to finish tenth.

The Mi-Jack Conquest Racing Team will next be heading to San Jose, for round nine of the Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series which takes place this coming weekend, from July 28 30.

CASCAR: Dilley / Dodge-sponsored Charger - Western Report

Dilley nets top-10 finishes during CASCAR’s western swing
Dodge-sponsored Charger driver sits ninth in the points after 5 events

(PHOTO BY PERRY NELSON)

BARRIE, ON – CASCAR veteran Mark Dilley had what he calls a “semi-successful” two-race swing through western Canada. The Dodge-sponsored Charger driver recorded 10th and seventh-place finishes on consecutive weekends in Vernon, BC and Edmonton, Alberta.

This year, CASCAR’s tour of western Canada included stops at Sun Valley Speedway (Vernon) and an appearance at the prestigious Grand Prix of Edmonton ChampCar weekend. And while the Barrie, ON resident wasn’t doing cartwheels over his results, they were more than respectable and the venues offered great exposure for his sponsors.

At Sun Valley, (July 15-16) the Dodge / Mobil1 / Exide / Leland / Avenue MotorWorks / CRS Dodge Charger team battled to find the perfect setup under sweltering conditions.

“We struggled to find the setup all weekend in Vernon,” said Dilley. “We were fast in one of the practice sessions, but the track changed with the heat during the 300-lap race, and we held onto a semi-respectable 10th-place. We’re not overly happy about the result, but it was probably the hottest I’ve ever been in a racecar. The team did a great job that day, though, getting me a few spots in the pits with their quick work.”

Prior to the feature race, the Dodge-sponsored Charger came home fourth in its 100-lap qualifying heat race, to line up seventh in the field of 37 starters at the half-mile Vernon tri-oval.

Following the Sun Valley race, the CASCAR caravan headed to Edmonton to prepare for action in front of one of its biggest crowds ever. According to Dilley, the response from the fans was extremely gratifying.

“It was a great event. Attendance was well over 50,000 on both Friday and Saturday. The fans couldn’t thank us enough for being there. It was great to hear people say that they were at the track because CASCAR was there.”

During practice and qualifying for the Edmonton race, the heat and track conditions challenged the #9 Dodge Charger team as they fought to master the 14-turn temporary road course laid out on the tarmac of the City Centre Airport.

“We were fast in practice; sixth in the first one and third in the second,” recalled the former CASCAR champ. “In the first round of qualifying, we were sixth-fastest and 10th in the second, so we started 10th. I wasn’t unhappy about that because the lap times had dropped about five seconds from when we first got there as everyone learned the track. I was pushing pretty hard but wanted to keep it in one piece for the race.”

Dilley describes the start of the race: “I fell into line at the beginning after some pushing and shoving. There was a caution and a re-start where a few guys got tangled together, but we got through all of that. And from there, we’d kind of gain a spot and lose a spot.”

Dilley continues, “The heat was really an issue, with the hot tires and brakes, causing the cars to tighten up. The rubber being laid down by the ChampCars was another factor, which made it kind of a guessing game as far as how much to loosen the car up as the day went on. Everyone was having a tough time making up positions. In the race itself, we were really tight for most of it.”

In the end, the Dodge / Mobil1 / Exide / Leland / Avenue MotorWorks / CRS Dodge Charger came across the finish line in seventh-place, of the 38 who participated. Dilley is philosophical about his road course program. “We seem to be able to race between fourth and seven in the road course races. I never thought of myself as a road course ‘ace’, because that’s not my forte, but we’re pretty happy. All in all, seventh was a solid result. We still have two more road races this season, at Trois-Rivieres and Montreal, and we’re feeling good about them.”

With the result, Dilley sits ninth in the overall Super Series points following five events. “I’d like to thank our crew for all the hard work out west, and a special thanks to all of our sponsors for making it possible for us to compete.”

The next outing for the #9 Dodge-sponsored Charger team will come in two weeks (on Aug. 4-6) at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, in Quebec.

RACE NOTES: During CASCAR’s tour through western Canada, the Super Series appeared at Vernon, BC’s Sun Valley Speedway (July 15-16) and at the Grand Prix of Edmonton (July 21-22). Veteran racer Brad Graham earned his first-ever Super Series win at the half-mile Sun Valley track, while Jeff Lapcevich won his first CASCAR race in almost two years by taking the checkered flag in the prestigious Griddly Headz 100 road course race at Edmonton’s City Centre Airport.

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

CASCAR: Bourque on Edmonton & NASCAR

Fresh off his first-ever CASCAR race weekend, Pierre Bourque talks about the experience and how he got involved in stock car racing.

Here is the full story, on driving.ca.

IHRA Canadian Nationals Washed Out

TORONTO, Ontario (July 22, 2006) – The weather front that washed out Friday’s IHRA Canadian Nationals professional qualifying sessions at Toronto Motorsports Park refused to cooperate for Saturday’s scheduled racing as well. After hours of steady downpour in Cayuga, IHRA decided to pull the plug on the weekend’s event. The IHRA Canadian Nationals have been rescheduled for the weekend of September 23-24.

“It’s unfortunate, but these are the realities you have to face when you hold outdoor events. Mother Nature does not always cooperate,” IHRA President Aaron Polburn said. “We looked at the weather report for the rest of the day today and tomorrow and decided things weren’t going to work out. We’ll come back in September and have a great event.”

All spectator tickets purchased for this weekend will be valid for the rescheduled event in September. Crew passes and car and driver passes purchased for the IHRA Canadian Nationals will also be honored in September. Though some sportsman classes ran qualifying sessions Friday, IHRA will start the event over in September with new entries welcome. In addition, racers who wish to drop their rigs off in Toronto on their way back from the Epping, New Hampshire, event September 8-10 will be welcome to do so.

For competitors not able to return for the rescheduled event, car-and-driver and crew passes may be transferred to another eMax Drag Racing Series race this season. Please contact IHRA at (419) 663-6666 for more information.

The next event on the 2006 eMax Drag Racing Series is the Torco Race Fuels Northern Nationals, August 4-6, at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Edmonton Sun: CASCAR fan friendly

Here's a nice story from the Edmonton Sun on how approachable and friendly the CASCAR crowd is. Includes quotes from Dave Whitlock and CASCAR first-timer Pierre Bourque.

ChampCar cancels Korean race

From TSN.ca

The inaugural Ansan Champ Car Grand Prix race in South Korea has been removed from the Champ Car World Series calendar. Officials did not offer any explanation as to why the event was cancelled. It was scheduled for October 15-17.

.... more at the link above...

CASCAR: Edmonton - Results

Jeff Lapcevich wins the Griddly Headz 100 CASCAR race at the Grand Prix of Edmonton

EDMONTON, AB – Jeff Lapcevich ended an almost two-year CASCAR Super Series winless drought on Saturday afternoon in the Griddly Headz 100 at the Grand Prix of Edmonton. The Caistor Centre, Ontario resident started fourth in the 38-car field and never looked back after coming out on top of an early-race battle with polesitter J.R. Fitzpatrick.

It was the sixth Super Series win of Lapcevich’s career. The Tim Hortons / EMCEA Transport Chevy last visited victory lane following the Vancouver Indy, on July 24, 2004. Kerry Micks, who won the Father’s Day CASCAR race at Mosport Raceway, finished second in his Cdn. Detailing Services Ford Taurus, ahead of CASCAR newcomer Kenny Habul (Hot Wheels Chevy), who recorded his first-ever Super Series podium finish.

Points leader J.R. Fitzpatrick of Ayr, Ontario started on the pole for the 32-lap race around the 14-turn road course, after dominating practice and qualifying in his Milwaukee Tools Chevy. His Fitzpatrick Motorsports teammate Don Thomson Jr. started alongside of him, in the Home Hardware Chevy, but had a tire go down early in the race, forcing him to the pits for new rubber. The five-time and defending Super Series champion recovered to fifth at the end of the Griddly Headz 100.

The early action featured back-and-forth racing between Fitzpatrick and Lapcevich. After swapping the lead a few times following the race’s lone full-course caution, Fitzpatrick experienced electrical problems and fell off the pace, to 14th at the finish. At the checkered flag, Lapcevich cruised home almost 15 seconds ahead of Micks, despite never having raced on the Edmonton circuit before.

“After we got past J.R. [Fitzpatrick] that second time, it was pretty uneventful,” said Lapcevich, following the race. “My biggest concern was making sure that we had a few cars between us and Kerry [Micks] in case there were any late restarts. I was behind him for that restart at Mosport when he got by [Peter] Gibbons and I didn’t want to take any chance of that happening to me today.”

Lapcevich credited his A.P Engine for putting him into contention in Edmonton. “We had trouble at Mosport and we found out later that we had an ignition problem that we weren’t aware of for a while. We fixed that and we were more than competitive in Edmonton.” Lapcevich continued, “I don’t know what the crowd was today, but I spoke with people who said it was the biggest we’ve ever raced in front of. I did several ‘donuts’ during my victory lap and there were a lot of people who hung around to enjoy them.”

Fourth-place went to CASCAR’s ‘Ironman’ DJ Kennington in the Castrol Dodge Charger, ahead of Don Thomson. Dodge Charger racers Ron Beauchamp (MOPAR), Mark Dilley (Dodge) and Dave Whitlock (NTN Bower / Headz Gamez) came home sixth through eighth, respectively, while Peter Gibbons (Cdn. Tire Chevy) and Jim Lapcevich (EMCEA / Tim Hortons Chevy) rounded out the top 10 finishers.

In addition to being a CASCAR Super Series race, the Griddly Headz 100 was also a CASCAR Flo~Pro.com Western Series points race. EMCO Taurus driver Kevin Dowler’s 17th-place overall result was the best of the Western regulars, which earned the Sherwood Park, AB racer top points toward his goal of earning a record-extending sixth Western Series championship.

After a pair of events in western Canada, the CASCAR Super Series returns to the east and will make its next appearance on the streets of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec on Aug. 4-6 for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.

CASCAR ON TV: For information regarding initial airings and replays of CASCAR Super Series races on SPORTSNET, please check your local listings or visit http://www.cascar.ca/schedule/tv_schedule.html.

POINT STANDINGS: CASCAR SUPER SERIES: Unofficial After 5 Events (Top 15): 1. #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (907 pts.); 2. #02 Kerry Micks (902); 3. #22 Scott Steckly (889); 4. #4 Don Thomson Jr. (877); 5. #17 DJ Kennington (860); 6. #39 Dave Whitlock (852); 7. #19 Brad Graham (849); 8. #10 Doug Brown (837); 9. #9 Mark Dilley (819); 10. #1 Peter Gibbons (816); 11. #25 Jim Lapcevich (809); 12. #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (801); 13. #3 Jason Hathaway (772); 14. #14 John Fitzpatrick (752); 15. #11 Ron VanEs (702)


CASCAR Super Series
RESULTS: Griddly Headz 100
Round #5 // July 22, 2006 // Grand Prix of Edmonton
Edmonton, Alberta // City Centre Airport // 14-turn road course

FIN. ST. # DRIVER (HOMETOWN) SPONSOR(S) / MAKE LAPS
1 4 23 Jeff Lapcevich (Caistor Centre, ON) Tim Hortons / EMCEA Transport Chevrolet Monte Carlo 32
2 5 02 Kerry Micks (Mt. Albert, ON) Cdn. Detailing Services Ford Taurus 32
3 8 75 Kenny Habul (Etobicoke, ON) Hot Wheels / Variety Village Chevrolet Monte Carlo 32
4 3 17 DJ Kennington (St. Thomas, ON) Castrol / N.P.P. Dodge Charger 32
5 2 4 Don Thomson Jr. (Hamilton, ON) Home Hardware Chevrolet Monte Carlo 32
6 13 60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Windsor, ON) MOPAR / Mobil1 / Exide / Chrysler Jeep Dodge Svc. Dodge Charger 32
7 10 9 Mark Dilley (Barrie, ON) Dodge / Mobil 1 / Exide / Leland / Avenue M.W. / CRS Dodge Charger 32
8 9 39 Dave Whitlock (Wyoming, ON) NTN Bower / Headz Gamez Inc. / NMT Dodge Charger 32
9 16 1 Peter Gibbons (Stouffville, ON) Canadian Tire / Monroe Brakes Chevrolet Monte Carlo 32
10 17 25 Jim Lapcevich (Hamilton, ON) EMCEA Transport / Tim Hortons Chevrolet Monte Carlo 32
11 15 19 Brad Graham (Glencoe, ON) Challenger Motor Freight / Logel’s Dodge Charger 32
12 7 22 Scott Steckly (Milverton, ON) ERB / AW Millwrights Dodge Charger 32
13 11 8 Marc Miller (Holland, MI) Carhartt Dodge Charger 32
14 1 84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON) Milwaukee Tools Chevrolet Monte Carlo 32
15 19 10 Doug Brown (Brantford, ON) NAPA / AUTOPRO Chevrolet Monte Carlo 32
16 23 3 Jason Hathaway (Appin, ON) ® Snap-On Tools / Arctic Cat / Super 8 Dodge Charger 32
17 6 35 Kevin Dowler (Sherwood Park, AB) EMCO Ford Taurus 31
18 25 09 Kent Nuhn (Williamsford, ON) ® Nuhn Motorsports Pontiac Grand Prix 31
19 20 30 Derek Polack (Stony Plain, AB) Bulldog Protective Coatings Chevrolet Monte Carlo 31
20 24 36 Jim White (Kamloops, BC) MOPAR / Kamloops Dodge Charger 31
21 21 2 Carl Harr (St. Albert, AB) Zimmer / Wheaton GMC / GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo 31
22 29 44 James Van Domselaar (Ft. Sask., AB) South Fort Chevrolet Monte Carlo 31
23 27 14 John Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON) Latta Cranes Chevrolet Monte Carlo 31
24 36 5 Fred Whiteman (Edmonton, AB) KPSA & Associates Chevrolet Monte Carlo 31
25 28 29 Pierre Bourque (Ottawa, ON) ® Pollara Public Affairs / Full Metal Minerals / Driving.ca Dodge Charger 31
26 34 86 Shawn Press (Calgary, AB) Crestview Homes / All Weather Windows Dodge Charger 31
27 26 6 Todd Nichol (St. Albert, AB) Pennzoil / Rocky Mountain Sales / SEM Chevrolet Monte Carlo 30
28 35 26 Shaun Polack (Stony Plain, AB) Thompson Brothers Chevrolet Monte Carlo 30
29 30 42 Lyle Paulson (Enderby, BC) ® New Era Promotion Pontiac Grand Prix 29
30 22 71 Daryl Harr (St. Albert, AB) Westworld Computers / GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo 27
31 32 41 Fred Del Pero (Edmonton, AB) Castrol Ford Taurus 24
32 14 79 Wade Lee (Calgary, AB) Sun Valley Speedway Chevrolet Monte Carlo 22
33 12 88 Robin Buck (Campbellville, ON) Lou's BBQ / CPS Flooring Ford Taurus 16
34 31 87 James Ward (Maple Ridge, BC) Lordco Racing Ford Taurus 15
35 18 11 Ron VanEs (Smithville, ON) Star Van Systems Chevrolet Monte Carlo 13
36 37 21 Jason White (Sun Peaks, BC) Zimmer / Wheaton GMC Chevrolet Monte Carlo 1
37 38 24 Scott Dennis (Edmonton, AB) ® Antrim Construction Fluid Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo 1
38 33 59 Brad Musart (Lac La Biche, AB) OK Ford Sales Ford Taurus DNS
® after the hometown denotes Rookie contender.

POLESITTER: #8 J.R. Fitzpatrick (1 minute and 22.582 seconds) // TIME OF RACE: 52 minutes and 5.655 seconds // MARGIN OF VICTORY: 14.699 seconds // CAUTIONS: 1 for a total of 7 laps // LAP LEADERS: #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (1-10), #23 Jeff Lapcevich (11-32) // GOODYEAR BELTS & HOSES FASTEST LAP: #23 Jeff Lapcevich (1 minute and 24.710 seconds)

Contact CASCAR’s Toronto Office at (416) 531-4714 or visit www.cascar.ca
Prepared by Inside Track Communications.

CASCAR: Saturday Qualifying

EDMONTON, AB - J.R. Fitzpatrick posted the fastest time of the Saturday morning qualifying session for the CASCAR competitors at the Grand Prix of Edmonton to earn the pole position for Saturday afternoon's Griddly Headz 100. His Fitzpatrick Motorsports teammate Don Thomson Jr. was second quickest and will start on the outside of the front row.

In all, 40 drivers posted qualifying times during the Friday and Saturday sessions.

COMBINED QUALIFYING TIMES (TOP 10)
1. #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick / 1:22.582
2. #4 Don Thomson Jr. / 1:23.101
3. #17 DJ Kennington / 1:23.800
4. #23 Jeff Lapcevich / 1:23.860
5. #02 Kerry Micks / 1:23.893
6. #35 Kevin Dowler / 1:24.233
7. #22 Scott Steckly / 1:24.262
8. #75 Kenny Habul / 1:24.361
9. #39 Dave Whitlock / 1:24.502
10. #9 Mark Dilley / 1:24.549

NOTEWORTHY: #1 Peter Gibbons blew a motor in the Saturday morning session...

CASCAR: Edmonton Friday Qualifying Session

EDMONTON, AB - J.R. Fitzpatrick posted the fastest lap of the Friday afternoon qualifying session, in advance of Saturday's Griddly Headz 100 CASCAR Super Series race at the Edmonton City Centre Airport.

The #84 Milwaukee Tools Chevy driver lapped the 14-turn road course in a time of 1 minute and 24.732 seconds. Kenny Habul was second-fastest, with a lap of 1:25.527 around the 3.175 km circuit. Former Western Series champ Wade Lee was the quickest Western regular, in 11th. Reigning Western Series champion Kevin Dowler recovered from his earlier engine woes to qualify 16th.

A second qualifying session for the CASCAR competitors will take place on Saturday morning during the Grand Prix of Edmonton race weekend. The starting grid for the Griddly Headz 100 will be finalized after that session.

TOP 10: 1. #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick, 2. #75 Kenny Habul, 3. #02 Kerry Micks, 4. #4 Don Thomson Jr., 5. #17 DJ Kennington, 6. #9 Mark Dilley, 7. #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr., 8. #1 Peter Gibbons, 9. #23 Jeff Lapcevich, 10. #8 Marc Miller

Thanks to Joel Robinson for the update.

CASCAR: Griddly Headz 100 at the Grand Prix of Edmonton – First Practice Session

EDMONTON, AB – Joel Robinson just called in with an update from the first CASCAR practice session for the Griddly Headz 100 at the Grand Prix of Edmonton. There is another practice session at 11:45 a.m. (Western time), followed by the first qualifying session (4:30 p.m. Western time).

Super Series points leader J.R. Fitzpatrick turned in the fastest lap with a time of 1:25.850. Five-time Western Series champ Kevin Dowler broke a motor during the session, while the fastest Western Series regular of the 30 racers who took to the track was Daryl Harr, of St. Albert, AB (in 15th).

The top 10 were: 1. #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick; 2. #75 Kenny Habul; 3. #23 Jeff Lapcevich; 4. #4 Don Thomson Jr.; 5. #1 Peter Gibbons; 6. #9 Mark Dilley; 7. #17 DJ Kennington; 8. #22 Scott Steckly; 9. #8 Marc Miller; 10. #02 Kerry Micks

OSCAAR: Fletcher preview for Sauble Speedway

Team JNE Consulting Head to the "Beach"



MILTON, ON – John Fletcher and Team JNE Consulting will ride a wave of success to Sauble Beach Speedway this Saturday. With the cooler temperatures anticipated for this week's action, the beach may have been able to handle both hot streaks. John will head to the 1/3 mile speedway with a 122-point lead but is realistic about the situation.

"We came to Sauble in 2005 and broke a tranny" Fletcher said, leaving Team JNE Consulting with a DNF that they could not over come the remainder of the season. Team JNE Consulting will continue to work hard towards the season title with the eye on being competitive each and every night and finishing strong.

There are still a handful of teams that are in position for the OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Model Series title should the 61 of Fletcher falter. The team would like to enjoy a day at the beach but with a hungry bear on the loose look for Fletcher to have his picnic basket high up in a tree and continue to race up to the hype and have another strong finish.

CASCAR: Pierre Bourque Looking Forward To CASCAR Debut

OTTAWA, ON – Taking a breather from his hectic NASCAR Busch East Series (BES) schedule, Ottawa, Ontario’s (Canada) Pierre Bourque will look to make a smashing debut in Canada’s version of NASCAR from Edmonton, AB in the running of Saturday’s Grand Prix of Edmonton.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pierre Bourque (L) with three-time CASCAR Champion and Team Owner Dave Whitlock.

Bourque, Canada's only full-time NASCAR driver is teaming up with Whitlock Motorsports for the first of three events this season.

“I’m really looking forward to Edmonton this weekend,” stated a confident Bourque this week. “I’m grateful to Whitlock Motorsports for allowing me to be a part of their team. Hopefully we can keep our nose clean and garnish a good finish for everyone.”

Before heading into Edmonton, Bourque tested at Race City Motorsport Park in Calgary on Wednesday preparing for this weekend’s prestige event.

Bourque will use this race not only as experience in the CASCAR Series but as additional seat time in a stock car. Bourque is spending 2006 in a variety of different racecars and sanctions, but anytime an opportunity arises to acquire seat time to boast his racing resume, it’s not a hard decision.

“The NASCAR Busch East Series is off this weekend and I want to keep my rhythm going in a racecar and competing in this weekend’s event allows me to do so. I’m really pumped about the race on Saturday. I’m not going to try and go out and slaughter any records this weekend, I just want to run competitively and finish well. Everyone deserves that.”

Bourque will drive the No. 29 Dodge Charger for Whitlock Motorsports in all Canadian events. Next weekend, he will be back competing for Andy Hillenburg's Charlotte, NC, based Fast Track Racing Team in the 2006 NASCAR BUSCH EAST championship where he currently lies 18th in the points chase.

Driving.Ca will adorn the primary sponsorship role this weekend. Driving.Ca is Canada’s No. 1 Automotive website.

In addition, Canada.com, Canada's biggest online community, Working.com, one of North America's top career sites, and Dose.Ca, a cool site that caters to hip Canadian urbanites coast-to-coast, will all serve as secondary sponsors on Bourque’s machine this weekend.

All four new sponsors are part of Canwest-Global, Canada's largest media company with interests in television, radio, newspapers and the internet. All four will be backing of Bourque’s NASCAR Busch East season, his three CASCAR races, and his forays into ARCA.

“I’m really excited about our new sponsors,” he said, "they are leaders in their respective fields, both in terms of the way they use new technologies and the way they attract a sizable user base. I’m looking forward to helping them expand their reach into the North American stock car base, particularly within NASCAR's Canadian fan base, which according to public opinion polls, number some six million die-hard fans.”

Full Metals Minerals and Pollara Strategic Public Opinion, Bourque’s NBES sponsors will also continue to back Bourque’s racing effort for the balance of the season as associate sponsors. “It’s a great treat for my sponsors to be involved in Canadian event,” explained Bourque. “They have been behind my racing program 100 percent and I really appreciate it. Hopefully everything will go our way this weekend and we’ll perform brilliantly in front of my fans.”

Following his debut in the CASCAR Series, Bourque will board a plane and head to Nashville, Tennessee to participate in the open test session at Nashville Superspeedway on Monday, July 24th. Bourque will utilize the test session in preparation for his ARCA Superspeedway debut at the 1.333-mile concrete racetrack next month.

In addition to running three CASCAR Series races with Whitlock Motorsports, Pierre Bourque will also compete in a full NASCAR Busch East Series schedule and a limited ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule for Fast Track Racing and car owner Andy Hillenburg.

For further in site on Canwest-Global and its associates please log onto http://www.Driving.Ca, http://www.Canada.com, http://www.Working.com and http://www.Dose.Ca

For more information on Full Metals Minerals, please visit http://www.fullmetalminerals.com

For additional input on Pollara Strategic Public Opinion, please logon to http://www.pollara.ca

Prepared by Chris Knight / Fast Track Racing

"I See Airbags..."

Haley Joel Osment in car crash
Actor in hospital after one-car accident

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, California (AP) -- Actor Haley Joel Osment was hospitalized early Thursday after he apparently lost control of his car while heading to his Los Angeles-area home, authorities said.

Osment, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as a boy who could see dead people in "The Sixth Sense," was driving a 1995 Saturn about 1 a.m. when the car collided with a brick pillar and flipped, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Greg Sisneros.

The 18-year-old actor was awake and talking following the crash, Sisneros said. He had been alone in the car and was taken to Huntington Hospital in nearby Pasadena.

Sisneros had no information on his condition, and an emergency-room receptionist said no one under that name was at the hospital.

Osment is set to appear in the upcoming "Home of the Giants." In the film, he plays a high school journalist covering a basketball team as it heads toward the state championship.

La Canada Flintridge, a suburb of Los Angeles, is about 14 miles northeast of downtown.

CASCAR: ARCTIC CAT & BERTRAND GODIN COMING TO THE CASCAR SUPER SERIES

Beginning at the CASCAR Super Series event in Trois Rivieres former open wheel racing sensation Bertrand Godin will be behind the wheel of the Arctic Cat Chevrolet prepared by MidAmerica Motorsports. Godin will compete in the remaining events in the CASCAR Super Series racing schedule this year and participate in the full season in 2007.

Bertrand Godin is continuing the tradition of great racers emerging from the province of Quebec. Names like Villeneuve, Carpentier, and Tagliani are just part of the rich racing heritage.

Bertrand Godin is a past participant in the Atlantic Series and other open wheel racing series and has many fond memories of those years. “Winning on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal was very special” he stated. “To claim a victory in your hometown is very nice, I’m looking forward to the new challenge of stock cars in the CASCAR Super Series and very excited that one of the races will be back on Ile Notre Dame in Montreal”.

“We are very pleased to enter this new partnership with Arctic Cat and to have a proven race winner in Bertrand Godin behind the wheel. Bertrand is a winner in open wheel racing Atlantic cars and I have no doubt he will adapt quickly to the CASCAR Super Series stock car” stated MidAmerica President Dave Didero.

The CASCAR Super Series is Canada’s premiere stock car racing series with 11 events on ovals, temporary street circuits and road courses from coast to coast. For more information on Mid America Motorsports and the CASCAR Super series log onto http://www.cascar.ca/ and watch all of the races on Rogers Sportsnet.

Prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment // Photo from www.bertrandgodin.com

F1: Dennis says Montoya could be back

A/P story at Driving.ca .... (h/t Bourque)

MAGNY COURS, France (AP) - Juan Pablo Montoya could still race in Formula One this season after all.

The Colombian driver left the McLaren team this week after announcing that he was switching to the U.S.-based NASCAR series next season.
However, McLaren chief Ron Dennis said Friday that Montoya is still a McLaren employee and could be back this season.

"Juan Pablo is contracted through to the end of the year," Dennis said at the French Grand Prix. "And if we so choose, he will test and race again."
Asked whether Montoya could race again in F1, Dennis said, "More than possible and with our team."

"He still is contracted to us, unless there is some other commercial arrangement between ourselves and the NASCAR team or Juan himself," Dennis said.

... more at the link above....

Tiemersma Motorsports Update

This past weekend Tiemersma Motorsports was in action at Kawartha Speedway. Things went well for us…having two well handling cars but racing luck (bad) came into the picture at the halfway point of the race for both cars. Please stop by the website for the full story on how we did… http://www.tiemersmamotorsports.com/

This weekend we are traveling to Delaware Speedway again to run in a twin 75 lap (150 laps) race on Friday night. We are hoping for a better finish for Steve after his 13th place finish there during our last outing. Luckily there is a ‘plus’ side to that 13th place finish in that we learned a lot about set-up and what NOT to do to cure certain handling problems at Delaware Speedway. Also we are hoping to repeat (or do better) our top 5 for Derrick, we have also learned some set-up changes to try for this visit and are hoping that it nets some better results.

Once again everyone would like to thank ALL of you for your continued support of Tiemersma Motorsports and Stock car racing in Ontario. Without your support a lot of this would be impossible and we hope that we are portraying a profession image to reflect your own businesses.

Thank you,
Mike Sutton // Crew Chief // Tiemersma Motorsports

CASCAR: ROBIN BUCK TO DRIVE #88 IN CASCAR’S RETURN TO EDMONTON

Edmonton, AB, Tuesday July 18, 2006: Dave Jacombs announced today that veteran road racer Robin Buck will again be behind the wheel of the #88 Lou’s BBQ/CPS Flooring Ford Taurus. Buck a second place finisher the last time the CASCAR Super Series raced at the Regional Airport facility is a winner on many road racing circuits.

“We put Robin in the car at the Mosport Road Course in June,” stated team driver/owner Dave Jacombs. “I wasn’t feeling the greatest the morning of the race and after discussion with my team we decided it was in the best interest of the team and our sponsors to put someone in the car who could give 100%,” he added.

As Jacombs qualified the #88 Taurus, Buck was relegated to the rear of the 31 car field for the start. By lap 10 he was up to 17th position and moving forward. With 10 laps to go he was passing the second place car when they both challenged for the same piece of the track and the Lou’s BBQ/CPS Flooring Taurus ended up in a sand trap. “The car was great,” commented Buck after the race. “Considering I hadn’t put a lap on the car prior to the race, it was running awesome. I really thought we had something for eventual winner Kerry Micks the car was that good. I hadn’t been pushing it hard at all up to that point,” he added.

The CASCAR Super Series last competed on the Edmonton Municipal Airport course in 2000 where Buck was enjoying a five second lead over second place runner Kevin Dowler when a lapped car spun the #66 Napa car of Buck. By the time he was able to get back on track, Dowler had passed him and he went on to win the race with a disappointed Buck placing second.

Buck has enjoyed a large amount of success over his 30 year racing career from Karts to Formula 2000 to the GM/Players series to most recently the CASCAR Super Series. Robin Buck’s bio shows him with wins on such street courses as the Vancouver and Toronto Indy events as well as Trois Rivieres. He is expected to be a contender in this CASCAR’s return to the Edmonton Regional airport facility this year.

Owner Dave Jacombs is a twelve year veteran of the CASCAR Super Series with a third place finish in the Eastern Super Series point standings in 2000 and several podium finishes to his credit.

Major Sponsor Lou’s – TMF – The Meat Factory has celebrated 26 successful years as an industry leader producing Premium Quality Meat Products. TMF oversees the development of their four key brands – Lou’s fully cooked Restaurant Style entrees, Lou’s Peameal Bacon of Canada, Limited Edition portion steaks and The Meat Factory. Their HACCP facility has state of the art equipment and recent expansion has been designed to meet industry food safety needs as well as developing unique time saving products for both their Foodservice and Retail Customers across Canada. For more information visit www.tmffoods.com

Established in 1981,CASCAR (Canadian Association for Stock Car Racing) is the governing body for amateur and professional stock car racing in Canada. Today it boasts the highest level of stock car racing in the nation, and sanctions Canada’s premier (and only national) stock car racing series, the CASCAR Super Series.
The CASCAR Super Series visits tracks all across Canada, from Quebec to British Columbia with 11 events per year. CASCAR also sanctions two other racing series, the CASCAR Sportsman Series (in Ontario and Quebec) and the CASCAR Flo-Pro Western Series (in Western Canada). With more than 150 member teams, CASCAR racing delivers an exciting entertainment package to fans all across Canada, both at the track and on television.

Jacombs Racing is supported by a dedicated group of sponsors and product supporters. They include, Lou’s BBQ, CPS Flooring, New Generation Racing Engines, Canadian Linen, Wix Filters, Corteco, Praxair, Kool Graphics and Broil King.

For more information on the CASCAR Super Series please visit www.cascar.ca // For more information on the Jacombs Racing please contact: www.jacombsracing.ca or contact
Linda Jones (LJM Marketing // ljmmarketing@look.ca // (705) 458-4044)

NASCAR: Pete Shepherd's #50 Truck at Memphis

PHOTO BY NATE MECHA / HIGH SIERRA PHOTO
Release from Roush Motorsports...

PETER SHEPHERD MAKES HIS TRUCK SERIES DEBUT

MEMPHIS, T.N. (July 15, 2006) - Peter Shepherd made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut Saturday evening at Memphis Motorsports Park. He was out to prove he had what it takes to compete at this level of racing, a fete which he achieved once he took the checkered flag.

The team took advantage of the three practice sessions to give Shepherd more track time and to make sure the car was handling correctly. All their efforts paid off, Shepherd buried his nerves and laid down a 23.466 second lap around the .75-mile tri-oval for a 25th starting position.

Shepherd dropped a few spots in the opening laps of the O'Reilly 200 but he quickly found his rhythm. On lap 13, he was in the 31st position, but by lap 21, he had moved up to 30th. One by one, he moved his way forward and by lap 55, he was 26th.

The second caution of the day came out on lap 60 and Peter used the caution laps to report to his crew that the car was "tight" and was "sliding up in turns three and four." They took advantage of the caution and came down pit road for fuel and four tires. His crew performed a very fast pit stop, gaining him two positions on pit road. The field went back to green flag racing on lap 67 with Shepherd in the 24th position. He held his track position for 12 laps when the next caution came out.

"The car is tight on entry, and tight on exit," said Shepherd. "We really need long runs. It's not bad, it will come to me."

The team got the long green flag run they were looking for and Peter started to move forward, he took over the 22nd position on lap 96. The truck did not come around like they would have liked and Peter reported to his crew chief that it was " 'undriveably' tight," which caused them to drop back to the 25th position.

A caution came out on lap 177 for debris on the track, giving them the opportunity to pit for fuel, four tires and a track bar adjustment. The changes helped the handling and Shepherd went on to finish 23rd.

"I really want to thank Jack Roush for giving me this opportunity to drive the No. 50 Ford F-150 truck this weekend. I also want to thank Gridley Headz Board Games for sponsoring me in my first-ever truck series race. This has been a great learning experience for me and I couldn't have done it without the support of everyone behind me."

TOYOTA F-1 CAR TO ATTEND MONTEREY HISTORIC AUTOMOBILE RACES

Courtesy Jan Fambro

TORRANCE, Calif. (July 17, 2006) Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. and Panasonic Toyota Racing are bringing the TF106 Panasonic Toyota Formula 1 (F1) car from its headquarters in Cologne, Germany to participate in the 33rd Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races Presented by Toyota on August 18 20, 2006. The F1 car, piloted by Panasonic Toyota Racing Team driver, Brazilian Ricardo Zonta, will hit the track on Friday to makefinal set-up adjustments and then demonstration runs will take place on Saturday and Sunday as part of an F1 car showcase that displays the evolution of early F1 cars to present. Between demonstration laps, thecar will be available for spectator viewing in the garage area.

“In bringing the F1 car to Monterey, Toyota wants to provide an unusual and exciting opportunity for race participants and spectators to view an F1 car up close on the track and in the garage,” said Jim Farley, Toyota vice president of marketing. “Other than the recent United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis, this is the only appearance the F1 car will make in the U.S. and the only time it will be easily accessible for viewing by spectators.”

“The Panasonic Toyota Racing Team is excited and honoured to share our F1 car with everyone at the Monterey Historic event,” said Team President John Howett. “With only one race in the U.S. it is difficult for fans to experience F1 and to get an idea of the technology behind it. Ricardo and the crew are looking forward to being part of the demonstration runs, showcasing the evolution of Formula 1 car construction, and giving fans the opportunity to encounter F1 live and up-close in the garage.”

The Panasonic Toyota TF106 car and crew will be at Laguna Seca Raceway in Salinas, Calif., Friday through Sunday. During the weekend, in addition to demonstration runs on the track and public viewing of the car in the garage area, Zonta will sign autographs for event attendees on Saturday.

COBB Tuning powers Rocket Rally into the X Games

Courtesy Rocket Rally Racing

WHISTLER, BC, Jul 13, 2006 - Multi-time North American Rally Champion Patrick Richard announced today a major associate sponsorship agreement for the 2006 Summer X Games with automotive engineering specialists COBB Tuning, of Salt Lake City, Utah. The agreement will see Richard and his championship winning rally team, Rocket Rally Racing, participate at the 2006 Summer X Games with the COBB Tuning brand featured as an associate sponsor on all major components of the team.

This year's event marks the first time that rally cars have been included at the X Games, regarded by many as the "Olympics" of extreme sports. Richard, who has won both the American and Canadian national rally titles multiple times, is the current reigning rally champion in the United States. Richard was one of the original invitees hand-picked for inclusion in the 2006 Summer X Games, along with former World Rally Champion Colin McCrae, from the UK.

"Rally cars in the X Games is a perfect fit for our brand," explained Trey Cobb, founder and CEO of COBB Tuning, the market leader in aftermarket automotive performance parts for Subarus and other import vehicles. "We approached Patrick as soon as it was announced that he was on the short list of drivers for the X Games. He is well known in automotive circles, and his successes on the rally circuit combined with the popularity of the X Games made this a no-brainer for us to move forward. We are proud to be able to announce that the support from Cobb Tuning confirms that Patrick will be attending the 2006 Summer X Games."

Richard will be partnered at the 2006 X Games by his sister, Nathalie Richard, who has co-driven Patrick to his most recent North American Rally titles. Nathalie, a strong rally co-driver in her own right, is currently the host of the Rally America television programs, broadcast internationally on both ESPN and OLN. Most recently, she hosted the televised broadcast of the International Pikes Peak Hillclimb for ESPN2.

"This is great news for the team," she explained. "COBB Tuning's participation ensures that we will be at the X Games, but what we really want is to go for the medals. We're working hard on expanding our sponsorship portfolio so we can make that happen." Although the brother and sister duo are ranked as North America's top driver and co-driver pair for the X Games Rally event, funding challenges have prevented them from competing since winning the 2005 Rally America title, defeating former World Rally Champion Stig Blomquist in the process.

"The X Games puts rallying into the mainstream mindshare of every young man in America. We will be up against some the world's best on a global stage, and we're hoping that additional sponsorship on top of COBB Tuning's fantastic support will create every opportunity possible to finish in the medals."

The 2006 X Games Rally Car event will take place from August 2nd through the 5th in front of over 40,000 live fans at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, California. Featuring a live telecast in prime-time on August 5th on ABC, one of America's premier broadcast networks, the X Games will also be broadcast internationally through ESPN and its worldwide affiliates.

For more additional information regarding Rocket Rally and the X Games, please contact: media@rocketrally.com.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, COBB Tuning is an automotive engineering company dedicated to providing professionally engineered, thoroughly tested solutions and components that improve the vehicle's performance and driving experience. Additional information can be found on the company's Web site at www.cobbtuning.com or can be obtained from the company at +1 801 713-0035.

Located in beautiful Squamish, near Whistler, British Columbia, Rocket Rally Racing is a motorsports preparation and management business and is the home of multi-time North American Rally Champion Patrick Richard, with retail arms specializing in Subaru performance and turbo charged engine tuning. Additional information regarding Rocket Rally Racing can be found at www.rocketrally.com or by telephone at +1 604 892 0151.

Ryan Litt Runner-Up at Salem

Courtesy Tommy Goudge

The evening began well as Ryan ran the 5th fastest lap in time trials, guaranteeing him a spot in the feature starting grid inversion. Next was heat race action, with Ryan starting on the 2nd row and leading by the time the first lap was complete. Eventual feature winner Kevin Feeney slipped by halfway through the heat and Ryan was able to bring the car home in 2nd.

After driver introductions and the traditional AVSS 3-wide parade lap, it was time to go racing, with Ryan once again starting on the 2nd row on the outside. On the first lap, Ryan put his car right up against the outside wall in turn 3 and made the pass for the lead in turn 4. On the 8th lap, Feeney once again slipped by to put Ryan into the 2nd position where he rode comfortably for most of the rest of the race. Near the end of the race, points leader Tommy Fedewa began to put pressure on Litt for the 2nd position but was not able to get past as Ryan came home with his 3rd top 5 finish of the AVSS season.

”We had a pretty good night”, said Ryan afterwards, “In both the heat and feature we started on the 2nd row and had the lead by the time we came around to complete the first lap. Feeney just had the car to beat and could make his way up front – he was flying.””I felt comfortable out there, which was nice (since it was my first visit), and the (new) engine ran great. The highlight of my of my day was bumping the right rear off the wall between (turns) 3 & 4 as I made the pass for the lead - it felt like a cushion on a dirt track. I was actually the only one to put a tire mark on the wall during the whole night. Salem is probably one of my favourite tracks now and I can’t wait to run Winchester!”

Before Winchester however, there are 2 other AVSS events in between, including 1 coming up this weekend as the AVSS tour makes it’s 3rd and final stop of the season at the Auto City Speedway near Flint, Michigan on Saturday night, July 15. With 10th and 7th place finishes in his first two visits there, Ryan is confident that he can bring home another good finish at the tricky, odd shaped 7/16’s mile oval.

Ragan Finishes "Disappointing" Sixth at Memphis

Courtesy Rory Connellan

CONCORD, N.C. - David Ragan had a strong race in Saturday night's O'Reilly 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park, but was looking for more. The driver of the No. 6 Scotts Miracle-Gro Ford F-150 was coming off the strength of consecutive top-10 finishes for the first time in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career, and was looking to continue adding to his successes by scoring a win.

Ragan took the green flag in ninth position, but would drop to 11th by the second lap. The race was quickly halted when the No. 08 truck spun on lap five, causing the first caution flag of the night to come out.
"It's a little snug center off, but the entry is good," said Ragan. "I know it's only been a couple of laps, but that's what it feels like here early on."

The race restarted at lap 11, with Ragan continuing on in 11th. The race would stay green until lap 60 for an incident with the No. 98 truck.

"It's definitely tight in the center, especially on the throttle," said Ragan.

The No. 6 made its way down pit road to the attention of the Scotts crew at lap 63 for tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. Good work by the crew got the No. 6 back on track for the lap 67 restart in the ninth position.
The race continued under an extended green flag run, letting Ragan work his way to the front of the field uninterrupted.

"It's still just a little tight in the center, that last adjustment helped, we just need a little bit more to get it where we need it to be," said Ragan.

The Scotts Ford showed fifth on lap 168, giving the crew reason to believe that they might contend for the race win at the end of the night. A timely caution would come at lap 175 for debris on the backstretch, bringing the field to pit road for service. Mike Beam (crew chief) made the call for tires, fuel and another track bar adjustment to get the No. 6 to the end of the race. Ragan would restart at lap 182 in the fifth position thanks to a strong stop by his No. 6 Scotts crew.

Ragan did what he could with the remaining laps, but was unable to mount a charge to the front of the field. For the young driver, finishing sixth would be hard to take.

"It's pretty amazing when I'm disappointed with a sixth-place finish," said Ragan. "That just shows you what kind of awesome team that Mark Martin and Jack Roush and everybody at Roush Racing has put together. Erik and I both finished in the top 10 and we had awesome race trucks. What an awesome feeling to see a teammate of ours up there in the top two or three racing hard for the win. We're going to get a win soon in this Scotts Ford. It might not be next week or the following, but we've got some awesome race trucks and Erik and I are having a blast."

Darnell Finishes Second at Memphis

Courtesy Rory Connellan

CONCORD, N.C. - Erik Darnell came just short of winning his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Memphis on Saturday night, finishing second to series veteran Jack Sprague. Darnell never showed out of the top-five all night, and looked to have the truck to win the race. Late caution periods and a veteran tactic on the final restart allowed Sprague to head home the victor, and Darnell a disappointed second.

Darnell started the O'Reilly 200 in the fourth position, and the race hardly got underway before the first caution flag of the night flew when the No. 08 truck spun on lap five.

"It's a little tight in the center," reported Darnell. "It's loose off, but it isn't too bad, it's not bad."

The race would restart at lap 11, with Darnell continuing to hold down the fourth spot.

Darnell continued in fourth until he got around Sprague's No. 60 at lap 57 for the third position. The second caution of the night would come quickly after the pass for position, bringing the field to pit road for service. Darnell was so confident with his Ford F-150 that his crew made no changes to the chassis, just changing four tires and filling it with fuel. Darnell was exiting his pit stall when the No. 12 of Joey Miller was entering his, resulting in slight contact. The damage sustained was minimal, and would have no effect on the No. 99. A great stop by the No. 99 crew got Darnell off pit road in the fourth position for the restart on lap 68.

Darnell would continue to run in the top-five over the next long green flag run, advancing as high as third on lap 154 when the No. 99 passed the No. 88 of Matt Crafton. A timely caution would come at lap 175 for debris on the backstretch, bringing the field to pit road for service. Darnell's crew put four tires on their Ford, filled it with fuel and made a track bar adjustment, getting him off pit road in the second position for the restart.

Darnell would lead the first laps of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career when the No. 99 showed as the leader at lap 183. A caution at lap 185 for a spin involving the No. 59 truck would give Darnell experience in restarting as the race leader. When the field went back to green at lap 189, Darnell hoped to get a jump on the field and get his first victory.

The No. 60 of Sprague stayed hot on the bumper of the No. 99, and at lap 193 would overtake him for the lead. A caution at lap 197 would send the race into overtime, and give Darnell one last chance to get around Sprague for the win. When the race restarted at lap 201, Sprague laid back on the restart, a veteran move, catching Darnell off guard. The No. 60 was able to get away from the field to claim this win.

"Our F-150 was good tonight," said Darnell. "It was real good on long runs. I've got to thank John Quinn (crew chief) and all of the guys. They did a good job of giving me a good truck out there tonight. It wasn't as good on the short runs and I knew that when I saw Jack up front earlier and he was real good on the short runs. Besides Dennis Setzer, I think we were about the best on the long runs. It just bit us there at the end. We needed to go after that second-to-last restart and we didn't get it.

"I got a little bit of a lead opened up on Sprague, but just watching him all night on fresh tires, he was bad-fast. I knew he'd be coming hard and I just tried to stay out front, and I think I overdrove it a little bit and that hurt me there and he was able to get up to me and pass me. On the same token, as soon as he got by me, he was overdriving it and I was able to stay right with him. There were a couple of times that I probably could have touched him a little bit in the center of the corner; we were real even there at the end and it would have been close. You want to try to go out there as a rookie and get respect from some of these guys. I think you get a lot more of that running them clean than hitting them. I didn't want to win my first race spinning somebody out and wrecking them. We had a good truck tonight and it showed. I think everybody saw that and we'll be back at it in a few weeks."

Dissappointing Run For Brown at Sun Valley Brantford Driver Finishes Eleventh In 300-Lap Event

Courtesy Shirley Spencer

It was long afternoon for Doug Brown at Sun Valley Speedway outside of Vernon, BC on Sunday afternoon. When the weekend of racing ended, the Brantford driver brought his NAPA /Autopro Monte Carlo home in eleventh place in the 300-lap event which saw 12 of the 34 starters still running on the lead lap.

“It was little frustrating out there today”. Doug reported following the afternoon race. “ I missed a shift on the last restart and fell three positions in the running order and I couldn’t recover with such few laps remaining. There were also a lot of lapped cars out there that were creating a problem in trying to catch the leaders,” he added.

Brown recorded the sixth fastest time in Saturday’s time trials and started third in the second 100-lap qualifier where he maintained a strong challenge of race leader Kerry Micks. But a rear tire problem forced him to back off the torrid pace finishing sixth and earning a disappointing twelfth-place spot in Sunday’s starting order.

“We definitely had a top-ten car today but I made a couple of other moves that may have affected the outcome. But we just have to put those behind us and get ready for Edmonton”, the veteran commented on his first finish outside the top-ten this season.

The team will spend a few days in the Vernon area before heading to the Alberta capital for the three-day CHAMP Car Grand Prix of Edmonton weekend.

FIRST FOR GRAHAM

Brad Graham of Glencoe won the Vernon race, capturing his first major win since entering CASCAR Super Series competition. DJ Kennington of St. Thomas finished second followed by JR Fitzpatrick of Cambridge, Scott Steckly of Milverton and Kerry Micks of Mt. Albert.

With the points’ battle heading into the event very close among the top-ten teams and his eleventh-place finish, Doug will drop a few positions in the standings.

The final race rundown and updated points are not available at this time but will be posted early next week.

The Brown Auto Racing #10 CASCAR Super Series Team is proud to have NAPA/Autopro as its Title Sponsor. Haldex Limited is a Major Associate Sponsor with Bicknell Racing Products; World of Graphics; HurryPrint Imaging Centre; WIX Filters; KWIC Internet; Gates Canada; BOC Gases; Advance Printing; Brochures etc; Leitch Performance Engines, Davis Fuels, Strodes BBQ & Deli and Leaf Racewear forming its Associate Sponsorship Marketing team.

PETER SHEPHERD MAKES HIS TRUCK SERIES DEBUT

Courtesy Nancy Padula

MEMPHIS, T.N. (July 15, 2006)- Peter Shepherd made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut Saturday evening at Memphis Motorsports Park. He was out to prove he had what it takes to compete at this level of racing, a fete which he achieved once he took the checkered flag.

The team took advantage of the three practice sessions to give Shepherd more track time and to make sure the car was handling correctly. All their efforts paid off, Shepherd buried his nerves and laid down a 23.466 second lap around the .75-mile tri-oval for a 25th starting position.

Shepherd dropped a few spots in the opening laps of the O'Reilly 200 but he quickly found his rhythm. On lap 13, he was in the 31st position, but by lap 21, he had moved up to 30th. One by one, he moved his way forward and by lap 55, he was 26th.

The second caution of the day came out on lap 60 and Peter used the caution laps to report to his crew that the car was "tight" and was "sliding up in turns three and four." They took advantage of the caution and came down pit road for fuel and four tires. His crew performed a very fast pit stop, gaining him two positions on pit road. The field went back to green flag racing on lap 67 with Shepherd in the 24th position. He held his track position for 12 laps when the next caution came out.

"The car is tight on entry, and tight on exit," said Shepherd. "We really need long runs. It's not bad, it will come to me."

The team got the long green flag run they were looking for and Peter started to move forward, he took over the 22nd position on lap 96. The truck did not come around like they would have liked and Peter reported to his crew chief that it was " 'undriveably' tight," which caused them to drop back to the 25th position.

A caution came out on lap 177 for debris on the track, giving them the opportunity to pit for fuel, four tires and a track bar adjustment. The changes helped the handling and Shepherd went on to finish 23rd.

"I really want to thank Jack Roush for giving me this opportunity to drive the No. 50 Ford F-150 truck this weekend. I also want to thank Gridley Headz Board Games for sponsoring me in my first-ever truck series race. This has been a great learning experience for me and I couldn't have done it without the support of everyone behind me."

World Series by Renault News - McIntosh picks up point for 10th

Courtesy Stuart Morrison Public Relations

Round 4, World Series by Renault, Misano Circuit, Italy – Sean McIntosh was left to rue what might have been today as he salvaged a championship point from today’s 29-lap World Series by Renault race at Misano having spun himself out early in the proceedings. The 21-year-old Canadian, looking to rebound from yesterday’s DNF where he was taken out of the race, was looking strong in the early stages having climbed into the top-five ahead of his mandatory pit-stop but eventually crossed the line tenth, the final points paying position, following his self-inflicted error at Turn 13.

Race 2, Qualifying (Pole – Sebastian Vettel, 1m18.784s) An early candidate for provisional pole, the KTR racer trailed only Andy Soucek in the first- half of the session. Sean’s best lap, a 1m19.470s, was the fourth fastest in the group, just sixth tenths off of outright pole winner Sebastian Vettel while setting the Vancouver-native up with a seventh place grid slot – his second best of the season following yesterday’s sixth.

Race 2, 29 Laps (Winner – Sebastian Vettel, Carlin Motorsport) Up to fifth at the start, Sean was called to pit-lane for his mandatory stop at the end of lap six. Firing himself back out, it was on his second flying lap following the stop that Sean caught himself out at Turn 13, spinning the #6 KTR entry while losing valuable track time and position. He quickly regrouped but the damage had been done as Misano’s tight and twisty configuration made passing hard. Limiting the damage, Sean successfully clawed back a couple of places to break into the top-ten and the points at the checkered flag. Sean McIntosh - #6 Team KTR: “It’s frustrating to come away from the weekend with just one point when it should have been a lot more.

“Yesterday someone else took me out from what would have been a comfortable top-six finish and today I did it myself. We’ll move on from here, we made progress with the car set-up and that showed in qualifying. We have to move up onto the front two-rows now to maximize our chances of getting that first podium.”

The World Series by Renault heads to Spa, Belgium for Round 5, 28th-29th July.

Adrian Carrio victorious at Miller Motorsports Park

Courtesy Eric McCombs

July 15, 2006. Tooele, Utah. Adrian Carrio, of Monument, Colorado, survived a first lap scare and then pulled away to victory today in Round Six of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at the brand-new Miller Motorsports Park circuit. Driving the #14 World Speed Motorsports Rockford Fosgate Mazda, Carrio mastered the 4.468-mile circuit to take the checkered flag 4.153 seconds ahead of second place finisher Ron White, in his #69 Ron White Racing Fulton Valley Farms Mazda. Kevin Lacroix, of St. Eustache, Quebec, completed the podium, finishing third this afternoon in his #74 John Walko Racing Uni-Select Auto Parts Mazda.

After an aborted first start due to the stricken car of Steve Hickham Jr, Carrio, who had qualified on pole position brought the field around for a single-file restart, as the field took the green flag and raced towards the first corner Carrio and fellow front row starter Michael Potekhen touched, knocking the wing off Potekhen's car and ending his day early. Carrio was able to recover from the contact and would lead every lap to score his second consecutive victory.

"It was really unfortunate what happened there on the start between Michael and myself," Carrio said afterwards. "The first start was pretty hectic and as we came down the front straight on the restart I felt a thud and in my mirror I saw his wing under my rear tire. After something like that happens you wonder if anything on the car is broken but when you get to the corner you either make the turn and go racing or your day is done, and fortunately we were able to continue. Once the race settled down the car was working well, even though the track was a little slippery, and I was able to open up a gap after each restart and take another victory."

On the heels of his best qualifying session of the season, White backed up that performance with his first podium finish of the year, finishing second after battling with Lacroix and trying to chase down Carrio. "We made a little change from our qualifying session and we probably should've made a bigger change to try to chase down Adrian but we were right there this weekend," the Santa Clara, California based driver explained. "I had to dodge Michael's wing on the start and Kevin was able to get around me at one point but I was able to get back around him in the first corner on a restart and hold the position to the finish."

Wrapping up the podium with his third third-place finish of the season, Lacroix navigated his way through the opening lap trouble to second place before coming under attack from White and Logan Gomez. "The start was tough for some drivers but it worked out well for me, allowing me to move up to second place," he said. "The track was slippery today though and White and Gomez were able to get around me. I didn't get a lot of laps this weekend before the race so to finish third I am pretty happy."

While Lacroix, White and Carrio will leave the track happy some of their fellow competitors will not share their view, as several championship contenders made early exits from the race. In addition to Potekhen, who came into the weekend in second place, Ryan Justice had his race cut short when he and Matt Varsha tangled at the exit of the Clubhouse Corner on the first restart. Entering the weekend in fourth and fifth place respectively, Justice and Varsha would both lose ground in the points battle.

The conclusion of Round SIx marks the halfway point for the season and Carrio becomes the first repeat winner as he stretches his lead over the field with 234 points towards the championship. Daniel Herrington, who led the championship prior to the scary opening lap incident at Montreal climbs back up to second place in the championship with 196 points. Potekhen falls from second to third now with 190 points. Kevin Lacroix leaps past Ryan Justice and Matt Varsha to claim fourth place for himself.

In the Expert Championship, for drivers aged 30-44, Gerardo Bonilla, of Orlando Florida, drove to the class victory in his #9 Andersen Racing Team NVG Residential Mazda, finishing 9th overall in the 33-car field and expands his championship points lead with 102 points. Dan Tomlin III would finish second in class today in his # 56 Team Tomlin Mazda and move into a tie for second place in the championship with Brian Thienes, who finished third in class this afternoon in the #77 JDC Motorsports Thienes Engineering Mazda. Both Thienes and Tomlin have 82 points.

In the Masters Championship, for drivers aged 45 and older, Doug Peterson, driving the #87 American Speed Factory 3-Dimensional Services Mazda was the class winner finishing 10th overall. Peterson, who pulled double-duty, racing to 12th place earlier in the day in the SCCA Speed World Challenge GT Championship, climbs to second in the championship with 82 points. John Pew recovered from his wild ride at Montreal two weeks earlier in Round Five to finish second in class in his #15 Velocity Motorsports NVG Residential Mazda and move into the championship lead with 84 points. John Faulkner, pilot of the #93 Phenom Racing Group Molecule Mazda moves to third in the championship with 80 points.

In the Team Championship World Speed Motorsports holds onto to first with 124 points while John Walko Racing and AIM Autosport climb to second and third place overall with 103 and 100 points respectively.

With half of the 2006 championship complete, the series now travels west with the American Le Mans Series to Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon, for the American Le Mans Series Portland Grand Prix and Round Seven of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear on July 20-22.

HOWLAND WINS PSG MAIN; NEW FACES IN VICTORY LANE IN ALL REGULAR DIVISIONS

Courtesy the Ohsweken Insider

The Patriot Sprint Group had 32 cars in competition on Friday night at the Ohsweken Speedway. Bryan Howland found the fast way around and claimed the win over Chuck Hebing.

The regular portion of the program was filled with surprise winners. In the Mini Stocks it was Marc Hallett (photo above) notching the win Dan Erskine and Dan Miller. In the Thunder Stock class the win went to David Brewster in car #90. The win snapped the four race winning streak set by A.J. Lewis. Lewis would finish second while Jeremy Bean was third.

In the DIRT Sportsman Tommy Flannigan picked up his second career win which was his first at Ohsweken. Flannigan took the checkers over rookie Doug Erskine and Dave Dykstra.

CASCAR: Brad Graham wins the Castrol 300 CASCAR Super Series race at Sun Valley Speedway

For more information contact CASCAR’s Toronto office at (416) 531-4714
For immediate release / July 16, 2006

VERNON, BC – Brad Graham won the Castrol 300 CASCAR Super Series race at Sun Valley Speedway on Sunday afternoon. With the victory, the Challenger / Logel’s Dodge Charger driver became the third first-time Super Series winner in four races in 2006.

Heading into the final laps of the 300-lap race at the Vernon, BC half-mile tri-oval, Graham was in a familiar and somewhat uncomfortable position. Graham had taken the lead from points leader J.R. Fitzpatrick on lap 296 and found himself in the lead with veteran racer DJ Kennington hot on his heels.

In 2005, in this race, Kennington passed Graham with just three laps to go, thereby denying the Glencoe, ON racer his first trip to victory lane on CASCAR’s top circuit. This time, however, Graham would not be denied. At the finish, the former Sportsman Series champ beat Kennington’s Castrol Dodge Charger across the finish line by 0.647 seconds to earn his first-ever Super Series win.

“I knew it was DJ [Kennington] behind me again,” said Graham, after the race. “It wasn’t going to happen to me twice. This track kind of owed me one. It feels pretty awesome to win, for me and my whole family, who have been supportive of me doing this for the past 20 years. I’d also like to thank my five-year sponsor Challenger Motor Freight and John Logel, who came on last year. We’ve built a top-notch team together.”

Graham also discussed how he got the #19 Dodge into position to win. “We had a great car all day, running in second and third for most of the race. But we got pinned in our pit stall when we made our stop and ended up at the back of the lead lap cars. We fought back from there and drove around J.R. [Fitzpatrick] with five to go.”
With the victory, Graham became the fourth different winner in as many races in 2006. Scott Steckly, Kerry Micks and J.R. Fitzpatrick have also collected single checkered flags so far this season.

J.R. Fitzpatrick (Milwaukee Tools Chevy) finished third in the Castrol 300, in front of Steckly (ERB Dodge Charger) and Kerry Micks (Canadian Detailing Services Ford Taurus).

In addition to being a CASCAR Super Series race, the Castrol 300 was also a full-points race for the Flo~Pro.com Western Series. Former Western champion Daryl Harr brought his Westworld Chevy home in 14th-place to record the top finish by the Flo~Pro.com tour regulars. The next CASCAR Super Series / Flo~Pro.com Western Series takes place next weekend in Edmonton, Alberta, during the Grand Prix of Edmonton ChampCar race weekend.

QUALIFYING: Time Trials and Qualifying Sprint Races were held on Saturday at Sun Valley to set the starting grid for Sunday’s Castrol 300. Don Thomson Jr. posted the fastest lap during time trials (18.459 seconds) to set a new Super Series record at the Vernon, BC track and secure the pole position for Sunday’s race. Kerry Micks was second quickest, to lock himself into the second starting spot for the feature event.
In the Twin 100 Sprint Races, Don Thomson dominated the first heat, leading the final 98 laps en route to the checkered flag. J.R. Fitzpatrick and Scott Steckly were second and third, respectively. In the second 100, Kerry Micks earned the victory, coming home in front of Peter Gibbons (Canadian Tire Chevy) and Brad Graham.

CASCAR ON TV: For information regarding initial airings and replays of CASCAR Super Series races on SPORTSNET, please check your local listings or visit http://www.cascar.ca/schedule/tv_schedule.html.

POINT STANDINGS: CASCAR SUPER SERIES: Unofficial after 4 events (top 15): 1. #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (776 pts.); 2. #22 Scott Steckly (761); 3. #02 Kerry Micks (745); 4. #4 Don Thomson Jr. (731); 5. #39 Dave Whitlock (716); 6. #10 Doug Brown (715); 6. #19 Brad Graham (715); 8. #17 DJ Kennington (707); 9. #1 Peter Gibbons (682); 10. #9 Mark Dilley (681); 11. #25 Jim Lapcevich (677); 12. #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (661); 13. #3 Jason Hathaway (652); 14. #14 John Fitzpatrick (632); 15. #11 Ron VanEs (606)

CASCAR Super Series
RESULTS: Castrol 300 // Round #4 // July 16, 2006 // Sun Valley Speedway
Vernon, British Columbia // 300 Laps // 1/2-mile, banked tri-oval

FIN. ST. # DRIVER (HOMETOWN) SPONSOR(S) / MAKE LAPS
1 6 19 Brad Graham (Glencoe, ON) Challenger Motor Freight / Logel’s Dodge Charger 300
2 17 17 DJ Kennington (St. Thomas, ON) Castrol Dodge Charger 300
3 3 84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON) Milwaukee Tools Chevrolet Monte Carlo 300
4 5 22 Scott Steckly (Milverton, ON) ERB / AW Millwrights Dodge Charger 300
5 2 02 Kerry Micks (Mt. Albert, ON) Cdn. Detailing Services Ford Taurus 300
6 4 1 Peter Gibbons (Stouffville, ON) Canadian Tire / Monroe Brakes Chevrolet Monte Carlo 300
7 15 39 Dave Whitlock (Wyoming, ON) NTN Bower / NMT Dodge Charger 300
8 21 25 Jim Lapcevich (Hamilton, ON) EMCEA Transport / Tim Hortons Chevrolet Monte Carlo 300
9 1 4 Don Thomson Jr. (Hamilton, ON) Home Hardware Chevrolet Monte Carlo 300
10 7 9 Mark Dilley (Barrie, ON) Dodge / Mobil 1 / Exide / Leland / Avenue M.W. / CRS Dodge Charger 300
11 12 10 Doug Brown (Brantford, ON) NAPA / AUTOPRO Chevrolet Monte Carlo 300
12 18 11 Ron VanEs (Smithville, ON) Star Van Systems Chevrolet Monte Carlo 300
13 8 3 Jason Hathaway (Appin, ON) ® Snap-On Tools / Arctic Cat / Super 8 Dodge Charger 299
14 23 71 Daryl Harr (St. Albert, AB) Westworld Computers / GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo 299
15 24 2 Carl Harr (St. Albert, AB) Zimmer / Wheaton GMC / GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo 298
16 9 36 Jim White (Kamloops, BC) MOPAR / Kamloops Dodge Charger 297
17 19 14 John Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON) Latta Cranes Chevrolet Monte Carlo 297
18 13 6 Todd Nichol (St. Albert, AB) Pennzoil / Rocky Mountain Sales / SEM Chevrolet Monte Carlo 296
19 16 30 Derek Polack (Stony Plain, AB) Bulldog Protective Coatings Chevrolet Monte Carlo 295
20 26 76 Dale Biesick (Lake Country, BC) Lake Country Mobile Services Dodge Charger 294
21 27 26 Shaun Polack (Stony Plain, AB) Thompson Brothers Chevrolet Monte Carlo 292
22 34 09 Kent Nuhn (Williamsford, ON) ® Nuhn Motorsports Pontiac Grand Prix 290
23 28 96 Norm Hunger (Delta, BC) Skyshot Media Pontiac Grand Prix 288
24 11 79 Wade Lee (Calgary, AB) Sun Valley Speedway Chevrolet Monte Carlo 276
25 32 24 Scott Dennis (Edmonton, AB) ® Antrim Construction Fluid Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo 274
26 22 21 Jason White (Sun Peaks, BC) Zimmer / Wheaton GMC Chevrolet Monte Carlo 269
27 31 86 Shawn Press (Calgary, AB) Crestview Homes / All Weather Windows Dodge Charger 266
28 14 60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Windsor, ON) MOPAR / Mobil1 / Exide / Chrysler Jeep Dodge Svc. Dodge Charger 262
29 20 88 Dave Jacombs (Mt. Hope, ON) Lou's BBQ / CPS Flooring Ford Taurus 261
30 10 35 Kevin Dowler (Sherwood Park, AB) EMCO Ford Taurus 258
31 37 27 Mark Derks (Calgary, AB) The Derks Corporation Chevrolet Monte Carlo 218
32 35 42 Lyle Paulson (Enderby, BC) ® New Era Promotion Pontiac Grand Prix 177
33 25 87 James Ward (Maple Ridge, BC) Lordco Racing Ford Taurus 109
34 30 44 Randy Kozek (Kelowna, BC) Ford Taurus 98
35 29 55 Marty White (Kamloops, BC) Mack Daddy’s Night Club Chevrolet Monte Carlo DNS
36 33 31 Sean Maltman (Vernon, BC) Close Call / Dunbar Automotive Chevrolet Monte Carlo DNS
37 36 48 Chris Dennis (Edmonton, AB) ® Antrim Construction / Fluid Life Corporation Pontiac Grand Prix DNS

® after the hometown denotes Rookie contender.
POLESITTER: #4 Don Thomson Jr. (18.459 seconds * New Record) // TIME OF RACE: 2 hours, 24 minutes and 56 seconds // MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.647 seconds // CAUTIONS: 11 for a total of 84 laps // LAP LEADERS: #4 Don Thomson Jr. (1-9), #02 Kerry Micks (10-163), #14 John Fitzpatrick (164-169), #17 DJ Kennington (170-179), #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (180-295), #19 Brad Graham (296-300) // GOODYEAR BELTS & HOSES FASTEST LAP: #02 Kerry Micks (18.921 seconds)

Contact CASCAR’s Toronto Office at (416) 531-4714 or visit www.cascar.ca
Prepared by Inside Track Communications. // Contact: Greg MacPherson (416) 561-2320 (cell).
Comments regarding additions to – or deletions from – this mailing list should be sent to: greg@insidetracknews.com