BOURQUE PREPARES FOR ST. EUSTACHE DEBUT

Ottawa, ON. (June 30, 2010) Pierre Bourque and the #00 Telus Dodge team will be venturing into uncharted waters this weekend for round number three of the Canadian NASCAR season at the Autodrome St. Eustache this Saturday, July 3^rd.

This will be Bourque’s first attempt at the tricky 4/10 mile flat oval track just outside Montreal but he is hopeful of positive results. “I’ve learned so much already with our new team at DJK Racing and I’m confident we can come out of this event with another good finish” he stated.

Through the first two events the #00 Telus Dodge driver has shown resilience and persistence and the results have paid dividends. “I had my best ever Canadian NASCAR series finish of sixth in the opening round, and even with some pit stop troubles we were fifteenth at Mosport, these kinds of results show we’re a team that’s gelled together very quickly” enthused the driver

With those two solid finishes #00 Telus Dodge driver Bourque finds himself sitting seventh in the overall championship standings. “I’m very proud of how well we’ve done as a team so far this year, I hope we can continue to carry that momentum forward” said Bourque.

Autodrome St. Eustache can be a tricky and difficult track to maneuver so Pierre will be taking a cautious approach. “My first goal is to finish the entire race and bring the #00 Telus Dodge home without incident. That is a significant accomplishment at this track” stated the driver

“I’ve received some good information on technique to handle this track and the traffic from my teammate DJ Kennington so I think we’ll have a very positive result. I’ll be keeping everyone posted on our progress by tweeting on my Telus iphone” said the driver.

Attached Photo: Pierre Bourque, in the #00 Telus Dodge at Mosport International Raceway.

Photo Credit: Todd Lewis

About Pierre Bourque: Pierre Bourque will participate in select events of the 2010 Canadian NASCAR Series in his #00 Telus Dodge.

About Telus Mobility: Telus is unique in the Canadian market because we now operate three distinct wireless networks: 3G+, 3G (CDMA) and Mike (iDEN). When you choose Telus, you get clear and simple pricing, the latest and greatest devices, an exceptional client experience plus Canada's fastest 3G+ network. More information: http://www.telusmobility.com

Pierre is supported in this year’s effort by Aaron’s Rents, Mahindra Tractors, Telus Mobility, and Mohawk Internet Technology.

This weekend’s race at Autodrome St. Eustache is scheduled to go green at 8:05PM on Saturday July 3^rd. All races this year will again be broadcast on TSN. For more information about Pierre Bourque, go to http://www.pierrebourque.net/ and follow him on twitter at www.twitter.com/pierrebourque

TW Steel Backs Dutch Kart Star Max Koebolt

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (June 30, 2010) – TW Steel, the international brand ‘Big in Oversized Watches’, is proud to be announcing its support of Dutch karting star Max Koebolt ahead of his participation in the FIA World Championship Karting Series.

The 12-year-old, currently the youngest karter competing in the Dutch, German and WSK karting series in the Junior KF3 category, has been selected to represent The Netherlands by the FIA and the Dutch Racing Association in the World Championships, starting next month in Germany before moving on to races in Spain and France in August and October respectively.

“I’m delighted to align TW Steel with Max in support of his participation in the FIA World Championship Karting Series,” stated Jordy Cobelens, CEO of TW Steel. “He’s a great ambassador for Dutch racing having proved his talent as soon as he sat in a go-kart.

“TW Steel is heavily involved in motorsport so with our new relationship with Max we literally cover karting through to Formula One. I’m particularly proud to support him as a fellow Dutchman. Of course we already enjoy long-term relationships with Tim and Tom Coronel, two of The Netherlands finest racing drivers, but I’m particularly happy to be supporting the next generation of talent in Max Koebolt.

”Proud to be displaying TW Steel branding on his overalls and race helmet, Max was equally enthusiastic to praise his new partner; “This is an exciting time and to have TW Steel backing me is great,” said Max. “To be supported by them and join the likes of the Coronel brothers, David Coulthard, Dario Franchitti and Emerson Fittipaldi as an ambassador is pretty special. I look forward to representing The Netherlands and enjoying the opportunity to compete against some of the best karters in the world!

”Koebolt’s rise to prominence came almost as quickly as he started karting, becoming Dutch Champion in the Mini-Junior category in 2007. He won the title again in 2008 before receiving dispensation to compete in 2009 in the Junior Category, officially for karters aged between 13-15 years. Aged just 11, Max won all his races in this class to once again be crowned Dutch Champion. His success that year led to an invitation from Yamaha Europe to compete in the World Cup Yamaha Series in Suzuka, Japan.

TW Steel, celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2010, continues to develop and lead the oversized watch market. A family-owned company, headed by 27-year-old Chief Executive Officer and co-owner, Jordy Cobelens, ‘The Watch in Steel’, has emerged as an innovative, bold lifestyle brand – now available in over 50 countries worldwide. TW Steel is also the ‘Official Timing Partner’ to the Renault F1 Team.ENDS – www.twsteel.com

NASCAR Whelen All-American Series: Ron Sheridan eyes elusive title at Delaware Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 29, 2010) – Ron Sheridan knows what it’s like to almost win a track title. Now the 56-year-old veteran from Mt. Brydges, Ontario, has kicked off the 2010 season at Delaware Speedway looking very much like he may finally bring home that championship trophy.

Sheridan has won three of the first eight races in the Late Model division at the half-mile paved oval outside of London, Ontario. He is also 41st in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship standings, although his per-race average is sixth best.

Sheridan had a strong run last year, Delaware’s first as a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series sanctioned track, and finished ninth overall. But finishing just ahead of him in the national standings, as well as the Ontario province and Delaware track points, was Steve Robblee. While Sheriden went into the final race of the season with the points lead, Robblee was able to pass him on the final weekend.

“We just missed the setup a little bit and lost out there,” said Sheriden, who has raced for 18 years, including the last 12 in the Late Model division. “We just came up a little bit short. I bet you we’ve finished second five times. One year we missed it by four points. And then there was last year.

“This year, we just fine-tuned a little bit on the car. We’ve worked hard on it. We just came up with a package that is working and is comfortable for me. And we’ve been very fast the last couple weeks.”

Sheridan had a win and a fourth-place finish in twin features this past weekend.

Keith Rocco, of Wallingford, Conn., earned his series-leading 14th victory of the season this past Friday at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway in the asphalt Modified division. He was also second at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on Thursday and eighth at Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl on Saturday. Rocco has 21 top fives and 25 top 10s in 25 starts.

The win allowed him to drop a 34-point fourth-place finish from earlier in the season and increase his points total to 768 to maintain his NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national points lead.

A driver’s best 18 results are counted toward their state and national points totals, and the champions are decided on overall points total.

Craig Preble, of Yutan, Neb., remains second in points with 692. He was fourth in the dirt Late Model division at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., on Saturday and fourth at I-80 Speedway in Omaha, Neb., on Sunday. Preble has 12 wins and 19 top fives in 19 starts.

Justin Johnson was sixth and first in double asphalt Late Model features at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., to move up two spots to third. He has nine wins, 13 top fives and 16 top 10s in 16 starts.

Bill Leighton Jr. (584 points) and Matt Buller (557), who race against Preble at the two Nebraska tracks, are fourth and fifth, respectively, in the national standings.

Under the points structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, the race winner received two points for every car in the event up to 20. Second place received two fewer points, and so-on through the field. Race winners received an additional five bonus points. For example, if there are 20 cars, the winner received 45 points, second gets 38 and third 36. If there are 15 cars, the winner received 35 points, second gets 28 and third 26.

For Sheridan, it’s too early to think about points, but there is always time to think about racing.

He was loading up the go-kart for his son Jake, 7, Tuesday night. Sheridan and his wife, Georgia, also have a five-year-old son, Nicholas. Sheridan will run his Late Model at Delaware Speedway on Friday, and then he and the crew will head down to Autodrome St. Eustache in Quebec on Saturday to run in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 race.

Then it’s back home to get the Late Model ready for a special Summer Showdown non-points race on Wednesday, July 7. The event will also feature NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and David Reutimann, as well as NASCAR Nationwide Series veteran Jason Leffler.

“I’m really looking forward to that,” Sheridan said. “There’s no points on the line, so I’m looking forward to going at it and racing hard with those guys.”
And then it’s back to the championship chase. While Robblee has encountered some early-season misfortune, Sheridan knows the key to wrapping up that sought-after crown be avoiding similar bad luck.

“It’s so competitive up here, that it’s going to come down to having one less bad night, one less flat tire,” Sheridan said. “Part of our success this year is we just go down there and try to do the best we can, and it’s just worked out for us.”

Track, state and provincial champions and the top three finishers in the national standings earn invitations to the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet. The winner of the national championship will also earn a secure spot in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown.

For more information, contact: Jason Christley, NASCAR Public Relations // Ron Sheridan picture by www.insidetracknews.com

Report Card Night Next Up at Scotia Speedworld!

HALIFAX, NS – June 29, 2010) Kids grab your parents and your report card and head to Scotia Speedworld this Friday night.  The First 150 kids who present their report card at the grandstand gates will receive a coupon for a free meal at Boston Pizza! Please note these coupons will not be available at the pit gates. In addition to the free grub, fans will be treated to a full schedule of racing courtesy of the Weekly Racing Series. Five classes of hotrods will see action this Friday night at the 3/10 mile oval. Gates open at 5:00 pm; racing gets underway at 7:00 pm.

First up on the race card is the Hydraulics Plus Bandolero division. Emily Meehan (Rawdon) currently sits atop the Bandolero championship points standing, just two points in front of Cole Butcher (Porters Lake).  The brand new Truck division will follow the Bandoleros on Friday night. Out of the seven Truck races this season, there have been four different winners in their first four races, which is making the Trucks a very exciting class to watch.  Next up are the Legends; the top three in this class are separated by a mere 2 points!  The Sportsman will be the next to see action at Scotia on Friday. Darren Wallage (Oakfield) and Steve Ross (Waverly) have been battling for the checkers week in and week out, with rookie Mike Alexander (Cole Harbour) not far behind. Finally the Tirecraft Lightning class will end the night’s event and this division is turning into a battle of former division champions. Will a former champ win this week? You’ll have to come to the show to find out!

Admission for the Weekly Racing Series is $12.00 for adults; $2.00 for youth aged 8-15; children 7 and under are admitted free. All children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Pit admission is $15.00 and restricted to those 16 and older.  Tickets are available at the gate on race day. Visit www.ScotiaSpeedworld.ca for more information or call our event hotline at 902.873.2277.

SSW RACEDAY FORMAT JULY 2nd

4:00pm Pit Gate opens

4:30pm Tech Inspection starts

5:00pm Grandstands open

5:15pm Practice starts (LG, TR, LI, SP)

6:20pm Practice Ends

6:25pm Drivers Meeting @ line up board (LG, LI, TR, SP)

6:25pm Bandolero Practice

6:40pm Bandolero Drivers Meeting in infield

7:00pm Opening Ceremonies/Parade Lap

Heats
Hydraulics Plus Bandolero (10 laps)
Trucks (10 laps)
Legends (10 laps)
Sportsman (10 laps)
Tirecraft Lightning (10 laps)

Features
Hydraulics Plus Bandolero (15 laps)
Trucks (20 laps)
Legends (25 laps)
Sportsman (30 laps)
Tirecraft Lightning (20 laps)
*subject to change without notice

About Scotia Speedworld: Scotia Speedworld (SSW) is a 3/10-mile asphalt oval racing facility.  SSW is the only venue in Nova Scotia to host a weekly racing series, which runs May through September and features six different classes of racecars. SSW also hosts special events, including Monster Jam and the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour. SSW is located at Exit 6 on Highway 102, across from the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. For more information please click on www.ScotiaSpeedworld.ca or call our Event Hotline at (902) 873-2277 or our office at (902) 481-2514.

From Tara Foster // 902.429.4069 // 902.488.0809 cell // media@scotiaspeedworld.ca

Hot Wheels backs Alex Tagliani in Canadian IndyCar races this summer

TORONTO, ON - Hot Wheels® and the FAZZT Race Team are excited to announce a partnership that is sure to race straight to the hearts of IndyCar fans across Canada. This July, at the Honda Indy Toronto and Honda Indy Edmonton, FAZZT Race Team driver and the only Canadian scheduled to race in all IndyCar races this year, Alex Tagliani, will be racing in a brand new Honda IndyCar, customized in Hot Wheels® style. The car will be unveiled for the first time at the Honda IndyFest on July 14th at Yonge and Dundas Square in Toronto.

"Hot Wheels® is about providing thrilling vehicle experiences to boys of all ages who are looking to fuel their passion for speed, power and performance," says Melissa Chau, Hot Wheels® Assistant Brand Manager for Mattel Canada. "We are so excited to see this vision brought to life through our partnership with the FAZZT Race Team and Canada's very own Alex Tagliani."

Tagliani's racecar, fire suit and his pit crew's uniforms will all be designed by the Hot Wheels creative team with an entirely new, custom design scheme that reflects Alex's fearless and competitive driving style on the racetrack. "This year, we are thrilled to expand our presence on the track with this one-of-a kind racecar look that only Hot Wheels can provide," says Chau.

"Some of my earliest and favourite memories of when I was a little boy are of racing with Hot Wheels cars," says Tagliani, who has been racing professionally for 14 years. "Decades later, it's a huge honour to have my very own life-size Hot Wheels racecar. I am looking forward to getting on the racetrack and crossing the finish line in my awesome Hot Wheels® ride, in front of my fellow Canadians."

The unveiling of the #77 Hot Wheels® car will take place on July 14 at the Honda IndyFest event at Yonge and Dundas Square in Toronto. The Honda Indy Toronto takes place July 16-18, 2010 and the Honda Indy Edmonton the following weekend, July 23-25.

Additionally, a 1:64 scale replica version of this limited edition car will be available for fans to purchase in 2011.

For more information on Hot Wheels® visit www.hotwheels.ca or for the FAZZT Race Team, visit www.fazztraceteam.com.

About Alex Tagliani: Alex Tagliani, nicknamed "Tag", is an avid karting buff who also enjoys swimming, cycling, bowling, and in-line skating. In addition, he is a big fan of DVDs, music and video games, especially those that test his abilities as a racecar driver. Alex is married to Australian model Bronte Tagliani, whom he met during a race weekend in Surfers Paradise, Australia. Tag caught the racing bug at the age of 10 when his paternal grandfather introduced him to karting during a trip to Italy. Alex splits him time between his residence in Las Vegas and his hometown of Lachenaie, Quebec. He is fluent in French, English and Italian.

Career Highlights
- Finished career-best seventh in 2004 and 2005 Champ Car championship standings
- Scored first Champ Car victory with win at Road America, 2004
- Scored at least two podium finishes per season in six of his eight Champ Car seasons
- Finished among top five in Toyota Atlantic Championship standings from 1997-99

About the Hot Wheels® brand: Hot Wheels® cars revolutionized boys' toys in 1968 with an original line of super-fast, customized cars built for speed, power, performance and attitude. Now, more than 40 years later, Hot Wheels® is a global lifestyle brand that represents the coolest cars imaginable in scales from miniature to full-size. Hot Wheels® cars are also popular collectibles for adults and each year, introduces a new line-up of innovative vehicles, track sets and play sets.

About FAZZT Race Team: The FAZZT Race Team was formed in July 2009 as a partnership between Andre Azzi of the Azzi Race Division, ATG, and other business partners. The team fields a full-time IndyCar Series team that made its debut at the season opening event in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The team has four Dallara chassis and has Canadian driver Alex Tagliani to drive the #77 entry. Andre Azzi, a Montreal based entrepreneur, is the teams' Chief Executive Officer and Rob Edwards is the Chief Operating Officer and team General Manager. The team is housed in a 25,000 ft. race shop on the north side of Indianapolis with a second facility that will house their Research and Design division in Montreal. For more information, go to www.FAZZTRaceTeam.com.

From Naz Araghian, GCI Group

Jason Leffler joins Delaware Speedway Summer Showdown, July 7th.

LONDON, ON - A fractured wrist will keep NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Regan Smith out of Delaware Speedway's Summer Showdown on July 7th but fans will see a very worthy substitute joining Kyle Busch and David Reutimann on Delaware's legendary ½ mile track.

NASCAR Nationwide series driver Jason Leffler will join the Summer Showdown line-up. Leffler finished last season ranked 4th overall in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and this year has his sights set on nothing short of a championship. 

"Jason Leffler is a strong contender", says Delaware General Manager Joe Czernai. "He'll be fun to watch alongside Busch and Reutimann and our top guys, like Sheridan and Robblee. A lot of bragging rights are at stake. It's going to be a great night!"

Leffler, Busch and Reutimann will take on Delaware's top-10 late model drivers and other registered competitors in the 50-lap race which is the highlight of the night's events.

The official Showdown format is available here: http://s331581743.onlinehome.us/wp-content/uploads/SUMMER-SHOWDOWN-Race-Format-v1.pdf 

Some tickets remain for the Wednesday night event and can be purchased online at www.delawarespeedway.com.

From Joe Czernai, General Manager 519.851.5006 // Lisa Brandt, Publicity 226.448.7227

Give A&W NCATS racer Jason White a hand

Tourism Kamloops is running a contest called "Mark's Double Dog Dare" to determine which adventure TV Meteorologist Mark Madryga will do. One option is driving a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series car at Vernon, BC's Motoplex this summer.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racer Jason White is pushing to have Mark drive the car, but he needs your help. Click here to go to the voting page and help get Mark into the RACECAR!

Rick Young's 'Rick at the Races' .... June 23 to 27, 2010 ... www.rickattheraces.com

PHOTOS:

PIC 1   John Lazore and Rick Scagliotta at the MIR

PIC 2  Todd Stewart and Boby Varin at the MIR

PIC 3   Ready for the green at the MIR

PIC  4  Jimmy Phelps and Matt Shepherd at the MIR

PIC  5  Jimmy Phelps the SDS winner at the MIR

PIC 6  Yours truly with the Edelweiss Coors Lite Girls

PIC  7  Lightening Sprints at Edelweiss

PIC  8 Luke Whittaker and Eric Gauvreau at Edelweiss

PIC  9  Bobby Herrington and Stephane Lafrance at Edelweiss

PIC  10  Lightening Sprint winner at Edelweiss

PIC  11  Sportsman action at Drummond

PIC  12  Jocelyn Roy and Buddy Hencke at Drummond Pro Stock action

PIC  13  Jocelyn Roy wins the Pro Stock Dirt Series race at Drummond

PIC  14  Wallace Stacey in trouble at Drummond

PIC  15   Steve Bernhard the Modified winner at Drummond

PIC  16   Tammy Jalbert and Matt Billings at the CMS

PIC  17  Stephane Lafrance wins a Modified heat at the CMS

PIC  18  Danny O'Brien wins the Modified feature at the CMS

PIC  19  Chris Raabe won his CMS Sportsman heat and Feature

PIC  20  Joey Ladouceur and son Tristan celebrate his CMS Pro Stock feature

RICK @ the RACES (June 23 - 27)

June 23    Mohawk International Raceway, Hogansburg, NY (Modified SDS RACE)

June  25   Autodrome Edelweiss , Cantley , Que

June 26   Autodrome Drummond, Drummondville, Que (Pro Stock DIRT SERIES)

June 27   Cornwall Motor Speedway, Ont

This weeks report starts off on Wednesday June 23, when the Big Block Modified SUPER DIRT SERIES came to my local Mohawk International Raceway in NY. Actually it was a double header with the SPORTSMAN cars also having their SUPER DIRT SERIES race.

'As the crow flys' the MIR is my nearest track, being located just across the St Lawrence Seaway from my house in Cornwall, Ontario, and just a five minute drive once you're across the border to the USA . Wednesday is now a regular work day for me, so a special request was put in to finish early. Things went to plan and I was done at 4-40 pm, which even gave me time to go home first to wash and change ! There was only a 20 minute delay ( but that's too long) at the border and I was soon at the track. I didn't stop to eat along the way, as I planned to eat there. The new improved MIR now has some of the best food on the north eastern dirt circuit. For about six bucks I had a delicious 'pulled pork' sandwich and fries. Another bonus for me , is it's a Pepsi products facility. As you know, most places these days sell either Pepsi or Coke products. I'm a Diet Pepsi drinker so this works well for me.

Once fed and watered I took my place on the center with my buddy track photographer Mike Watts. It was a big race so we were joined by other notable cameramen , Bob Mortier, J Fish and Ben Graham from Australia. I first met Ben at Syracuse last year and he's just returned for another racing vacation.

The weather had been overcast and the radar showed rain for late evening , so the program was hurried along. Matt Shepherd started on the outside front while Pat Ward had pole. There were only a few cautions and it turned into a good race. Super 'Matt' led the first 89 of this 100 lapper until Jimmy Phelps took control. Phelps worked his way through to the front and the following places were then traded by Billy Decker, Danny Johnson and Shepherd. The final result was Phelps (winner) Decker (second) and Shepherd (third). Just as the checkers fell, a few drops of rain started to fall, and by the time the Victory Lane photos were being shot, it had turned into drizzle. The SPORTSMAN cars which were lined up for their race returned to the pits while we waited the outcome. The rain continued and there was no choice but to post pone the race. Make up date is yet to be announced.

An unexpected early finish at work on Friday ( 3-30 pm) gave me the opportunity to attend any one of four tracks ( MIR, Granby, Can Am or Edelweiss) . I'd been to the MIR on Wednesday and fancied a change, so I chose to head up to the Gatineau mountains of Quebec to Edelweiss. I was lucky and chose a good night to be there ! The Coors Lite Girls were in attendance who enjoyed having their pictures taken with the drivers in the pits. It's a hard life being a photographer !  The program of Modifieds, Mod Lite's, and 8 Cylinder Street Stocks were complimented by a visit of the Lightening Sprints and a bunch of guys on quad bikes. The quads are 'not my cup of tea' or the sprints for that matter, but on this occasion I found them quite entertaining. They are basically a smaller version of a regular sprint car but powered by a motorcycle engine. Unfortunately the additions to the program had their feature races first and when problems arose in the Modified event we ended up losing out. An incident occurred where a driver refused to leave the track following a Black Flag, which then caused a race stoppage. Things could not be resolved so the complete field of cars were ordered back to the pits. The 8 cylinders then came out for their feature Feature which also got red flagged after a scary roll over on the start line. By now it was 11-00 am, and with Edelweiss's strict curfew, the night came to a premature end. It was definitely a memorable night.

My plans for Saturday were to make my regular visit to the Brockville Ontario Speedway but rain throughout the morning caused it to be canceled early.

By 1-00pm I was checking out the other possibilities and narrowed it down to either the Airborne Speedway at Plattsburgh NY or Autodrome Drummond in Quebec. Soon after 2-00pm I learned that Airborne had suffered the same fate as the BOS , so Drummond became my target. A Pro Stock DIRT SERIES race was taking place up there so I phoned my friend DIRTCAR media man Tom Skibinski, who happened to be up there to find out the weather out look. He said there was no rain, it was dry and just a few clouds. This was good enough for me, so off I went.

I arrived at 5-15 pm which gave me plenty of time to wander the pits. Tom was right, it was a nice and dry there , and even the sun was shining. I chatted to Joey Ladouceur and members of the Dave Bissonette team before bumping into Tom at the drivers briefing. For the heats I joined track photographer Sylvain Buisson on the center to snap some action.

After leaving a wet Ontario , it was unbelievable how sunny it was in Quebec, and perfect for picture taking. Wallace Stacey gave us some great action in one of theModifieds heats when he shot up the wall of turn three and four. Check out my photo section. For the features I decided to watch from the grandstand which made a nice change. The big Pro Stock race was dominated by local man Jocelyn Roy, who led unchallenged from the start. Special mention must go out to the late charge and great drive of Cornwall driver Cory Winters who grabbed second spot on the last lap. The Sportsman featured followed this and was won by Guy Ouellette . To  finish the evening Steve Bernard won the Modified feature. The racing was done before 10-30 and after a late night stop at Tim Hortons in St Constant I was home before 1-00 am.

My alarm clock was set for 9-00 am on Sunday morning so I could be ready for a 10-00 am sporting event I didn't want to miss. My ENGLAND football team were scheduled for a 'do or die' game against Germany in the World Cup. The match was being televised live from South Africa and my armchair was ready for action . To cut a long story short, the German team played well, and once again the ENGLAND team were a big disappointment . We lost 4-1 .  The big St George's flag that adorned the front of my house has now come down and it's been stored away for another four years. Hopefully we'll have a better team for the next World Cup , and CANADA will be in it too.

It had been hot and humid during the day and I was looking forward to a good night of racing at the Cornwall Motor Speedway. As normal I was at the track early and around mid afternoon the skies became overcast. The computer I use in the control tower showed late night rain on the weather radar, so things looked worrying. A light sprinkling came down prior to the start but it soon ended. With more rain expected later that night the show was sensibly moved along quickly as the racing commenced. It was a regular program of Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, Semi Pro's and Rookies. As things turned out we had no new faces in Victory Lane . Each division provided return wins for the respective drivers. Ronnie Tyo set the trend by taking the Mini Stock feature, followed by Danny O'Brien in the Modifieds. Chris Raabe did likewise in the Sportsman, Joey Ladouceur in the Pro Stocks and Kevin Fetterly Jr in the Semi Pro. There were no delays and the show was completed before 9-30 pm and the expected rain.

Looking ahead, it's CANADA DAY this coming Thursday and to celebrate the countries special day Autodrome Edelweiss are holding a round of the 358 Modified SUPER DIRT SERIES. What better way is there to spend July 1 than in the nations capitol area ! Top class racing followed by late the night celebrations in Ottawa !  I wish I could be there, but family commitments will prevent me.

Canadian Rally: Three in a Row for Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard?

Round 3 : Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs

Three in a Row for Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard?

Montréal (Québec), June 29, 2010.– Victorious at their last two competitions, Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard, of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (QC), will attempt to make it three in a row at  the Rallye Auto Nord-Américain de la Baie-des-Chaleurs (in Gaspé), the third of six rounds in the 2010 Canadian Rally Championship. The Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group team, which is currently leading the North American Rally Cup as well as the Rally America series in the United States, heads to this event with confidence. 

« We're on a good streak and the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs is one that I love.  We use fantastic roads, the crowd is amazing, and I've won here twice before.  We're coming to this rally with high expectations » explains Antoine L'Estage, who is encouraged by the strong performance of his Rockstar Royal Group Mitsubishi : « Baie-des-Chaleurs is a rally that is sometimes tough on the equipment and the weather conditions can result in pretty challenging road conditions. With our Yokohama tires and a well-prepared Evo X, it's clear to me that we couldn't be in a better situation » he ads. The Rockstar Royal Group team is also very pleased after having conducted a brief test session last week to ensure that everything was to their satisfaction before heading for Gaspé.

Antoine L'Estage is currently in second place in the Canadian Rally Championship, twelve points behind the leader.  The fan-favourite is taking the start line with the intention of earning more than just valuable championship points : « we're going there to win, that's for sure » indicates the two-time Canadian and North American champion, who was recently named as the only Canadian to qualify for Rally Car Racing in the 16th edition of the internationally popular ESPN X Games, which will take place in Los Angeles on July 31st.

At this point in their busy 2010 season, Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard have been on the podium at six of their seven outings. « It would be great to leave the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs with the lead of the Canadian championship to go along with our lead in the American series and the North American Rally Cup » indicates co-driver Nathalie Richard, « but Baie-des-Chaleurs is a difficult rally and we remain focused on the task at hand - we'll definitely wait until the end of the event before taking stock » she adds.

Antoine L'Estage has won two Canadian championship titles (2006 and 2007), as well as two North American titles (2007 and 2008) and twenty-one overall victories in Canada and the United States. Co-driver Nathalie Richard has earned four national championship titles (two Canadian and two American) and thirty outright national rally victories.  In 2009, she won her fifth North American Championship for co-drivers.

The thirty-third edition of the Rallye Baie-des-Chaleurs starts on July 2nd in New Richmond. After the Friday night stages that wow the thousands of spectators along the course, the second section will start on Saturday morning at 9am.  The winner will cross the finish line at around 6pm.

Source : Coyote Rallye Media Services, (514) 825 - 4332

STEVE MATHEWS READY TO RACE AT ST. EUSTACHE

June 28, 2010. New Liskeard, Ontario’s Steve Mathews driving the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford made a significant impact in race number one of the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Delaware Speedway. Mathews is also now set to continue his season and hone his skills during the next event at the Autodrome St. Eustache Quebec on Saturday July 3rd.

The day at Delaware Speedway began very well for Steve and the #15 Mathews Motorsports team when they posted the quickest practice time during the early session. “Our new McColl car was terrific” said the driver. “I ran a lot of practice laps and we were very strong through the entire session” he added.

Due to a NASCAR penalty the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford was only granted one qualifying lap and Mathews did tremendously well to come up with the tenth quickest qualifying run. “We were a couple of minutes late for Technical Inspection and the penalty is you only get one lap. Just a season opener mistake we have to live with” summarized the driver.

Showing patience and maturity Steve Mathews began moving his #15 Ford up to the front of the field with precision. “Some of the guys were a little aggressive but I just tried to take it easy” said Mathews. “I knew that we had a strong car and hoped to get out front and stay out of trouble” he added.

On lap 76 the #15 Ford would reach its destination and take over the lead of the race. Staying out of trouble in what turned out to be a caution filled event however was impossible. “After a few great restarts on the outside, I made contact with the #7 and was spun” said the disappointed driver.

Once relegated back in the field it became even more difficult to avoid trouble on the racetrack and the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford once again became involved in an incident. “I feel we definitely passed the most cars and showed strength all night, but once at the back of the pack it is a gong show,” stated Mathews.

For their next race at the Autodrome St Eustache on July 3^rd Mathews and the team are hoping for a better result. “Everyone has been working hard and hard work and persistence will hopefully pay off.”

You can find out more about “Speedy Steve” Mathews and keep up with the latest news on the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford and follow their progress all season long in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series by logging onto the website www.stevemathews.net

Photo Attached: Steve Mathews in the #15 Mathews Motorsports Ford lined up for qualifying at Delaware Speedway.

Photo Credit: Todd Lewis

For Sponsorship Inquiries please contact:

Ron Baker, AVP Inc. (905) 206-1304 rbaker@avpinc.ca

PHOTOS: Autodrome Drummond - June 26, 2010 by Rick Young - www.rickattheraces.com

Autodrome Drummond - June 26, 2010: DIRTCAR  Pro Stocks Series ,  Modifieds and Sportsman 

Photos courtesy Rick Young / www.rickattheraces.com