Round three of PMRA Pro Modified
racing goes to Mike Stawicki
Race Time Radio
'Canadian Auto Racing News'
Fuelled By VP Racing Fuels
July 19th 2010
Dilley started ninth in NASCAR Canada's inaugural visit to the Toronto Honda Indy and ran in the top ten all day. “The car was handling great” said Dilley, “but the concrete was slick and it was hard to pass out there. We don't get the opportunity to pick up any positions on pit road either.”
Dilley was running in eighth with two laps to go when he was faced with mechanical problems and broke an axle which ended the day early for the No.9 team, who left the Toronto Honda Indy with a 24th place finish.
“It's frustrating” commented Dilley after the race, “We definitely had a top ten car and I would have liked to have finished on the podium for all the fans that came out to support us.”
Finish 1) 27 Andrew Ranger, 2) Jason Bowles, 3) D.J Kennington 24) Mark Dilley
The Canadian Tire Jumpstart 100 was televised live on TSN.
Mark Dilley and No. 9 PartSource Dodge Avenger team head out of Toronto only slipping one spot in the points to ninth. The team is looking forward to a three race Western Canada swing starting with the Edmonton City Centre Airport, where Dilley finished eighth in 2009 and is hoping to top that performance.
Mark Dilley is supported by: PartSource, Rheem Canada, Leland Industries, Williamson-Dickie Canada Co., Exide Batteries, Mobil 1 and Sylvania.
For more information on the NASCAR Canadian Tire series please visit
www.nascarlocalracing.com
For more information on Mark Dilley please contact:
Linda Jones Wide Open Motorsport Solutions (705) 730-4044 Email:
ljones@wideopensolutions.ca
DILLEY'S DAY ENDS WITH TWO
TO GO AT TORONTO
Toronto, ON, Saturday July 16, 2010: Mark Dilley posted the sixth quickest time in practice and the No. 9 PartSource/Rheem Dodge Avenger started the Jumpstart 100 in ninth place. Dilley was running in the top ten all day, but with two laps to go broke an axle and was unable to finish the race. Dilley was scored as 24th in the fourth event of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.
Mark Dilley was happy with the set up under his car after practice, the team made a few adjustments but the car loosened up more than they had expected, which resulted in a ninth place qualifying effort for the No.9 PartSource Dodge Avenger. The average speed of the No. 9 during qualifying was 79.70 mph and Dilley posted a time of 1:17.736.
Photo Courtesy of www.racepulse.com
CONCORD, N.C. - July 18, 2010 - A unique gathering of chassis builders met in June at Knoxville Raceway to discuss the design and construction of Sprint Cars, to talk about recent changes to the cars, and how modifications from wings to tires have affected them.
The greatest minds in chassis construction also considered the direction of racing, and how to build cars flexible enough to meet the ever-changing demands of the sport. For instance, beginning in 2011, it has already been announced a 33-gallon fuel cell will be mandatory for full-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series teams. For chassis design and construction, knowing far in advance will help to eliminate issues when cars are being prepared to kick off the 2011 season at Florida's Volusia Speedway Park.
"The chassis builders meeting was a very interesting and intense experience, and I look forward to following up that gathering with the annual Sprint Car Summit this week in Pittsburgh" said World Racing Group President Tom Deery. "The passion for constructing Sprint Cars that are safe as ever but can still give their teams an edge is clearly evident. Each constructor has strong beliefs as to what makes a good, safe car, and each constructor wants to be part of the process, push the rules to the limit. Giving them as much knowledge as possible in advance, especially considering the 33-gallon tank that will be required in 2011, is critical to making sure each team has what it needs to be competitive at the start of next season."
While the cars might look similar when sitting in the stands, close inspection reveals customization from each builder and team. By the World Finals in November at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, several teams will no doubt be testing equipment to make a championship run in 2011. Knowing as many updates as possible now will make it that much easier to find success when the green flag waves in February.
Builders Get Jump on 2011 World of Outlaws Sprint Cars with 33-Gallon Tanks
The rain stayed away from South Buxton Raceway on Saturday allowing four drivers to reign over the track on Mid-Season Championship Night.
Chatham drivers Brad Authier and Eric Vanderiviere both took advantage of their outside front-row starting positions to win the Dover Sanitation UMP Late Models and Windride Transportation Services Sport Stocks mid-season championship races, respectively.
Merlin's Joe Brosseau went from fourth to the lead in one lap to win the Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modifieds feature while Nate McNally of Charing Cross survived a four-car pileup involving the leaders to win the Four Seasons Driver Education Comp 4 feature.
Dover Sanitation UMP Late Models
In the Late Model feature, Authier and reigning series champion Dale Glassford staged a great 25-lap battle that had the fans on their feet throughout the race.
“That was an excellent race,” Authier said after his fifth career mid-season championship victory. “I'm sure the fans loved it.”
Authier led the first 16 laps but not without constant pressure from Glassford, whose persistence paid off when he took the lead coming out of turn two on lap 17.
But Glassford's lead was shortlived as Authier returned the favour coming out of turn four a lap later. He led the final seven circuits to win his second feature of the year.
“He was so strong off one and two, he got a good run off of two and got around me on the straightaway,” Authier said of Glassford's challenge.
“But I got a fabulous run through three and four,” he said of his return pass.
Glassford said the outside line was the fastest for him, but that was where Authier was running.
“I could stay with him but I knew I wasn't going to get by him on the outside,” Glassford said.
“I thought he would eventually slide up a little but he didn't do it the entire race. I have to hand it to someone who can hang on to it like that.”
Ironically, Authier regained the lead at the same point on the track where he lost the lead in last Saturday night's feature race to the eventual winner Glassford.
“He did a little bit of a bump-and-run,” Glassford described Authier's pass.
“I got out front and thought I was taking off but I got pushed up to the high side.
“He said there were a couple of races this year that I got into him, so we're even now, we're all cool,” Glassford smiled.
Authier, however, said he didn't intentionally move Glassford out of the way.
“You can see, there's not a mark on the car,” said Authier, adding that he came away with a flat tire from the previous week's encounter with the 60 car.
“I just came up underneath him, rolled the car into corner, backed off and then got on the throttle and he pushed up a bit,” he described the pass to regain the lead.
Once in front, Authier said he had to change his line.
“I knew I had to take his line away or he'd be back in there again and I didn't want to give him another opportunity,” he said.
Kirk Hooker, Jim Jones, both of Chatham, and Goderich's Mark Glassford rounded out the top five.
In a preview of the feature, Authier finished first and Glassford second in the pursuit race. Glassford was also second in the heat race to Hooker.
In the 24 total races run in the Late Models this season, Glassford has five wins and 14 second-place finishes.
Schinkels Meats UMP Modifieds
While the Late Models put on a great 25-lap battle, Merlin's Joe
Brosseau needed just one corner to get the fans on their feet.
Brosseau was running in fourth place on a lap 10 restart when he passed two cars in the first corner and had the lead by the time they crossed the start-finish line.
“I can't wait to see what happened myself,” said Brosseau, trying to explain his bold move between turns one and two to get by Merlin's Brad McLeod and Wyoming's Brian Speelman.
He then got by the leader Jim Dale Jr. in the next corner and led the final 15 laps for his first second feature win in four weeks.
“It seemed like someone hit the brakes and everyone checked up, I really don't know what happened,” he said. “I just figured we're down here now, we might as well go for it.”
Brosseau, McLeod and Speelman ran one-two-three for the next seven laps until John Brooks,
a visiting driver from Wayne, Ohio, put on a late race charge to move into the top three.
Brooks, who finished third in last September's Modified Shootout and seventh in 2008, passed Speelman for third on lap 17 and McLeod a lap later for second.
On lap 20, however, McLeod and Brooks made contact in turn three with the Ohio driver spinning and bringing out the caution.
Brooks restarted at the back while McLeod and Speelman regained their second and third place positions, which they held for the final five laps.
Leamington's Joel Dick, who won his heat and pursuit races earlier in the night, finished fourth, with Woodslee's Clayton Smith fifth.
Windride Transportation Services Sport Stocks
Eric Vanderiviere knew his best chance to win was to be the first car into turn one at the drop of the green.
“That was my strategy, to beat Doris (Lajeunesse) into the first corner, to get ahead of him and stay there,” the Chatham driver said.
And it was mission accomplished for Vanderiviere, as he led all 25 laps in the Windride Transportation Services Sport Stocks mid-season championship feature.
It was Vanderiviere's third feature win of the season and the sixth of his career - and his first trophy-race victory.
“I've got a few trophies, but this is the first for finishing first,” said Vanderiviere, who was the runner-up to Chatham's Louis Clements in season championship races each of the last two years.
Merlin's Steve Shaw ran second for the first half of the race but saw his hopes for an eighth career mid-season championship fizzle on lap 16 when he pitted under caution for a flat tire. He got back on the track to stay on the lead lap and got as high as sixth before going to the pits for good with five laps to go.
The two-time defending series champion Clements, making his first start since losing a motor in the second week of the season, got around Lajeunesse for second a lap later but had nothing for Vanderiviere.
“Tonight was the best the car has been from start to finish all year,” said Vanderiviere, who opened the night with a heat race win.
Lajeunesse, the points leader, finished third while Dover's Tyler Lozon and Essex's Gerald Martin rounded out the top five.
Four Seasons Driver Education Comp 4s
Nate McNally thought his chance of winning was done when the four leaders tangled in a tag-team crash between turns one and two on lap 11.
“I don't really know what happened, other than someone smashed into the back end pretty hard,” said McNally, who was leading the pack at the time of the pileup.
“I got spun around, people were hitting me on both sides and I wound up sitting on top of Rob (Quick).”
Chatham's Randy McKinlay was able to drive away while Cottam's Denis DeSerrano had to go to the pits for repairs.
McNally got out of the car, figuring he was done for the night.
“I saw a coil spring sitting on the track and thought it was mine,” he said, “and even if it wasn't, I figured I'd have two flat tires.
“But I couldn't believe the car was still in one piece.”
McNally strapped himself and resumed the race lead. McKinlay restarted second and Blenheim's Reid Fenton, who was running fifth and managed to steer around the wreck, moved up to third.
Quick was deemed responsible for causing the accident and restarted at the back with DeSerrano, who made repairs under caution.
McNally, who took the lead two laps before the melee, said his car lost its handle but still was able to pull away, leaving McKinlay to fend off Fenton for second.
“It was really, really pushing going into three and four so I just took it a little slower and tried to make up the ground in one and two,” he said.
It was McNally's second straight feature win and his track leading fourth of the season.
Points leader Shawn Jones of Blenheim finished fourth, followed by Tilbury's James Beaulieu and Kingsville's Norm DeSerrano, the last car on the lead lap. Denis DeSerrano finished one lap down in seventh.
Pit Notes
* A series of scattered thunderstorms raced across the region late Saturday afternoon but South Buxton Raceway stayed dry, a far cry from the last two seasons when rainouts reduced the season to 10 regular race nights. This past Saturday marked the 10th straight week of racing in 2010 with 10 weeks to go. The only rainout occurred on opening night, May 8.
* This Saturday, July 24, is the third annual Country 92.9 FM Night At The Races, with one of the feature winners receiving a guitar trophy from the radio station, which will broadcast live from the track from 3-7 p.m.
Prior to the race night, drivers and team members will join the youngsters at the Junior Fan Club Party, beginning at 3 p.m. The drivers will go in the dunk tank and engage the young fans in a tug-of-war battle.
For more information, please contact Mike Bennett (519-351-4765).
Pictures (please credit James MacDonald Apex One Photo)
Brad Authier (1A) and Dale Glassford (60) trade the lead late in the Late Model mid-season championship race.
Joe Brosseau (47B) battles Brian Speelman (22S) early in the Modified feature.
Eric Vanderiviere celebrates in the Winners Circle after leading all 25 laps in the Sport Stocks feature.
The four leading cars in the Comp 4 feature were involved in a tag-team crash on lap 11, including Rob Quick (18), Nate McNally (8), Denis DeSerrano (69) and Randy McKinlay (26), as Reid Fenton (47) was able to get by on the high side.
By Mike Bennett South Buxton Raceway
Whitteker Gets Third Win of the Season With Triumph at Edelweiss
Craig Revelle - Finish Line Web Design
July 19, 2010
Only halfway through his rookie season in a 358 Modified, Luke Whitteker has put up some impressive numbers. Going into the weekend, Whitteker was looking to build on their momentum with a pair of features at Edelweiss Speedway, the first in which had ten laps run before curfew issues postponed the remaining 20 laps a few weeks ago. A regular show at Cornwall Speedway was also on tap for the Iroquois, Ontario based Whitteker Motorsports team.
At Edelweiss, Whitteker resumed the feature from June 25th as it left off, with his
Rust Check, Coldwell Banker, Steve Summers Coburn Realty, Jim's Performance Plus, Parcoll Products/Napa Auto Parts, Quaker State, Riverside Pontiac, Toy Storage, Wells and Son Construction, ERD Engine Research and Development, and Finish Line Web Design sponsored Bicknell car leading the field. Whitteker continued to lead through much of the race before slipping just a little high with six laps remaining and dropping him the third place. At the conclusion of the race, a punctured tire was detected, causing the car to lose its handling in the closing laps.
In the second 30 lap feature, Whitteker took the lead on lap 12 using the inside lane to his advantage and never looked back. Whitteker went on to win his second feature of the season at Edelweiss, and third overall.
“The car was awesome tonight”, claimed Whitteker after the race. “We had a car that was capable of winning the first feature too, until that tire started going down. We made up for it here in the second one. I just want to thank my parents, grandparents, the crew, and all of our sponsors for their support”.
The night started out good for Whitteker on Sunday at Cornwall. Turning the fastest lap in pre race practice, optimism was high. Unfortunately, due to the quick changing track conditions, the car wasn't nearly as good in the qualifying heats, finishing in seventh place. In the 30-lap feature, Whitteker started last and worked his way forward. Whitteker crossed the finish line in tenth place.
“It wasn't bad tonight, we seemed to pick up quite a few spots. A couple of cautions would have been nice”, stated Whitteker after the race.
This coming weekend, Whitteker will be back at Cornwall Motor Speedway on Sunday night. Friday and Saturday night are still up in the air at this time, and could change at any time.
For more information on Luke Whitteker and the Whitteker Motorsports team, please visit our website, www.lukewhitteker.com
Luke Whitteker in Victory Lane at Edelweiss Speedway. (Al Patrick Photo)
Border Patrol – A weekly look at racing from both sides of the 1000 Islands
Craig Revelle – July 18, 2010
This weekend was certainly one of the busiest of the season so far, as four race nights filled my schedule, beginning Thursday night at the Brewerton Speedway for a Big Block Modified Mr. DIRTcar Series race. From there it was on to the Mohawk Raceway in Hogansburg, New York, followed by the usual visit to Brockville Ontario Speedway on Saturday night and Cornwall Motor Speedway on Sunday. Unlike last week with four nights scheduled, this time Mother Nature co-operated for the most part, only threatening once on Saturday afternoon with thunderstorms in the area, but it never did rain at the track.
The Brewerton Speedway is certainly one of my favorite tracks on the DIRTcar circuit, and the racing on Thursday night was as good as ever, with Matt Sheppard taking the lead over Jimmy Phelps on lap 11 and won the Super DIRTcar Series event. Jimmy Phelps was second, Pat Ward third, Brett Hearn fourth and Steve Paine rounded out the top five. This event at Brewerton kicked off the DIRTcar Series All Star Weekend, with a pair of weekend events at Cayuga County Fair Speedway also scheduled for the remainder of the weekend.
With Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park being closed for the All Star DIRTcar weekend, I traveled to the Mohawk Raceway. The track recently underwent a major facelift just a couple years ago is now one of the premiere tracks in all of DIRT racing. Todd Stone picked up the win in the 358 Modified division over Gage Morin and Perry Francis. Tim O’Brien, taking advantage of the off night at Can Am finished fourth with Clayton Benedict completing the top five.
The Sportsman Feature at Mohawk Raceway was arguably the best race of the night, with Chris Raabe and Dylan Evoy racing for the win. Raabe ended up the winner, despite several attempts from Evoy to gain the lead. Evoy finished second, and Jeff Marshall was third. Travis Back and Tom Benedict were fourth and fifth respectively.
Joey Ladouceur won the Mohawk Race Parts 50 lap Pro Stock Series race. Ladouceur started from the tenth position and took the lead just 20 laps into the event and never looked back. Louis Jackson was second and PJ Peters was third.
Next up was a regular stop to Paul Kirkland’s Brockville Ontario Speedway on Saturday night. The Patriot Sprint Cars were on hand at the track as well as a full show of Modifieds, Sportsman, Street Stocks and 4 cylinder “rookies”. When the Sprint cars come to Brockville, the Wilson family of Joyceville, Ontario always put on a great show. This weekend, April Wilson took a wild flip in her heat race, destroying her car. April walked away from the crash.
In the Sprint car main event, it was Shane Ely taking home the win. For Ely, not only was it his first ever Sprint car win, it was also the first time he even cracked the top ten in a race. It’s always exciting to see a first time winner.
In the 358 Modified division, Bobby Herrington had the fastest car as he was running down leader Dave Heaslip in the closing laps. A late race restart bunched the field, and contact with another driver sent Herrington spinning and the other driver involved sent to the rear of the field for rough driving. This opened the door for Stephane Lafrance, who moved past Heaslip and cruised to his seventh overall victory of the season, and third at Brockville.
Dylan Evoy won the Sportsman feature at Brockville, driving up through the field to take the home track victory. Chris Herbison finished second, local racer Steve Barber of Lansdowne, Ontario finished third. Randy Earl and Sheldon Hoogwerf completed the top five.
Todd Raabe won the Street Stock feature at the BOS, and Jean Marc Larose continued his domination of the 4cylinder “rookie” division with his sixth win of the season.
On Sunday, the Patriot Sprints complimented a full show of racing at Cornwall Motor Speedway, including the Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks and Mini Stocks.
Steve Poirier won the Sprint Car Main event. Jeff Cook finished second, Tim Kelly was third, Lee Ladouceur finished fourth and Vern Wasson finished in fifth.
The Modified feature was won by Danny O’Brien, after race leader Carey Terrance blew a tire on the final lap. Kyle Dingwall finished second, Stephane Lafrance finished third, Carey Terrance limped across the finish line in fourth and points leader Laurent Ladouceur finished fifth.
Chris Raabe increased his win total to 19 by winning the Sportsman feature at Cornwall. Raabe finished ahead of Cole Dingwall, Randy Earl, Christian Smoke and Shane Pecore.
Veteran Pro Stock racer Dave Bissonnette won the Pro Stock feature, and Ronnie Tyo won the Mini Stock feature.
This coming weekend, the Ontario Dirt Late Model Series takes center stage, as they visit Edelweiss, Brockville and Cornwall. The Modifieds will be given the night off this coming Saturday night.
I hope you have enjoyed my weekly column. Any comments or suggestions can be sent to
crevelle@ripnet.com
Rogers rocks PASS regulars at Beech Ridge - Shaw claims PASS Mod win
NAPLES ME (7/18) Beech Ridge Pro Series racer Bill Rogers took advantage of a green-white-checker finish to beat Trevor Sanborn in Saturday night's PASS 150 at Scarborough Maine's Beech Ridge Motor Speedway . Cassius Clark, Scott Mulkern and Johnny Clark chased Rogers and Sanborn to the checkers.
Rogers didn't luck into the win by any means. The Old Orchard Beach racer was fast throughout the night. He took the lead from Scott Chubbuck on lap five and held the spot until Trevor Sanborn took over on lap thirty nine. At the half-way mark it was Sanborn, Rogers, Chubbuck, Scott Mulkern and Cassius Clark leading the way.
Rodgers took back the top spot on a lap 83 restart and stayed there until Sanborn returned the favor when the field went back to green after a lap 118 caution. It looked like Sanborn was in a position to finally claim a PASS North feature win;
Rogers was right on his bumper though and Mulkern, Chubbuck and a resurgent Mike Rowe were all battling for position. Rowe's night ended early with a disqualification after Chubbuck went around off of Rowe's front bumper to bring out another caution at lap 132.
Sanborn was in control on the restart and Cassius Clark briefly held second until Rogers came roaring back two laps later. The night's final caution set up a green-white-checker finish and Rogers now had the preferred outside groove. Rogers took full advantage of his final shot at Sanborn, motoring around the outside to score a very popular home track victory.
A number of drivers had good runs going, only to see accidents spoil their night. Adam Bates, Dave Oliver and Aaron Ricker all ended their race on the hook after a wreck on lap 116, while Scott Chubbuck ran fourth prior to his contact with Mike Rowe. Chubbuck salvaged a tenth place finish.
Roger's margin of victory was .304 seconds; fourteen cars completed all 150 green flag laps. Heat race wins went to Adam Bates, Scott Chubbuck and Scott Mulkern.
The PASS Mods were in town for a 40 lap feature and Andy Shaw became the first repeat winner of the 2010 season, capturing a hard fought win over Jon Brill. Wayne Whitten finished third with Alan Wilson fourth. Mike Mayberry had a successful Mod series debut, starting thirteenth and finishing fifth.
Shaw started shotgun on the fourteen car field but he was in second by the half way mark, ready to battle Brill for the win. The pair raced nose to tail lap after lap until Shaw powered around Brill on the outside for the lead with seven laps remaining.
PASS North hosts round three of the 2010 PASS National Championship series on Thursday evening at Thompson (CT) International Speedway on Thursday July 22nd. The PASS Mods get back on track Saturday July 24 at Canaan (NH) Fair Speedway.
Visit
www.proallstarsseries.com
Unofficial Results - PASS Super Late Model 150 - Beech Ridge Motor Speedway
1) 53 Bill Rogers 2) 44 Trevor Sanborn 3) 8 Cassius Clark 4) 84 Scott Mulkern 5) 54 Johnny Clark 6) 85 Nick Ribbe 7) 1T Chris Thorne 8) 14M Matt Frahm 9) 33 Richie Dearborn 10) 77 Scott Chubbuck 11) 48 Ben Rowe 12) 47 Kelly Moore 13) 03 Scott Moore 14) 17 Travis Benjamin 15) 10 Scott Dragon 16) 71 Gary Drew 17) 79 Keith McKinnon 18) 7 Donnie Whitten 19) 73 Joey Doiron 20) 17A Scott Alexander 21) 75 Gary Smith 22) 98 Adam Bates 23) 21 David Oliver 24) 22R Adam Ricker 25) 02 Shane Lane 26) 7X Curtis Gerry 27) 36 Jay Sands 28) 1 Randy Turner 29) 28 Andy Shaw DQ: 2 Mike Rowe
Unofficial Results - PASS Mod 40 - Beech Ridge Motor Speedway
1) 66 Andy Shaw 2) 77 John Brill 3) 2X Wayne Whitten Jr. 4) 53W Alan Wilson 5) 18 Mike Mayberry 6) 21 Sulo Burbank 7) 53 Leo Oliveira 8) 85 Mitch Miller 9) 56X Rich Ferreira 10) 20 Frank Wear 11) 29 Greg Ellis 12) 33 Bill Dixon 13) 50 Sumner Sessions 14) 14 Scott McDaniel
Contact: Norm Desjardins @ (603) 387-5598
New Yorker unstoppable during IHRA Nitro Jam Nationals at Grand Bend
GRAND BEND, ONTARIO (July 18, 2010) - Mike Stawicki has made it known that he is the force in Pro Modified racing this season.
The veteran driver of the G-Force Race Cars MSR Performance powered 1968 Firebird from Medina, New York, qualified number one for race three in the 2010 Pro Modified Racing Association tour, and went the distance to win his first PMRA event of the year and the first IHRA Ironman of his career.
Stawicki beat former Alcohol Funny Car driver Paul Noakes of London, Ontario in the final. Noakes, who has settled nicely behind the wheel of the Noakes and Martin Racing 1963 Corvette, qualified seventh, and ran a stout 6.293, 223.28 final but it was no match for Stawicki's 5.820, 253.28 victory run.
While Stawicki qualified number one, to win the Marydel Homes Qualifying Bonus with a 5.881, 252.05 lap, it was the New Yorker's final run that set low ET and top speed during the IHRA Nitro Jam Nationals held at the Grand Bend Motorplex. Stawicki has been running in the five-second range since he set the PMRA Series record with a 5.803 at 255.15 during the previous event at the Cayuga Dragway.
Noakes took out number three qualifier Bruce Boland of Hamilton, Ontario in the semi round and in the other semi, PMRA season opener winner Eric Latino of Port Perry, Ontario had suffered some engine troubles in his 1938 Chevy, and was unable to get to the line for his next run, giving a solo run and the win to Stawicki. Latino had qualified fourth.
Winner of the previous PMRA event, Derek Hawker of Corbyville, Ontario, suffered a fuel leak during his burnout in the first round, so he and his 1963 Corvette watched as Boland, also in a 1963 Corvette, made a 6.290, 228.15 solo pass.
In other first round action, Noakes won over Gary Irving of Toronto, who qualified number two in the Al Hinds 2004 Corvette. Latino took out PMRA rookie driver Vito Montesano of Maple, Ontario, with his 1968 Camaro, and Stawicki shut down Jack Brohman of Jarvis, Ontario, who qualified number eight with his 1969 Camaro.
With his victory, Stawicki leads the Pro Modified Racing Association 2010 Championship Point Award Series presented by Magnum Auto Parts and Patio Passport with 828 points. Hawker is second with 812 points, and Latino has 806 points for third spot.
Fourth in the standings at present is Boland with 760 points, while Irving rounds out the top five with 759 points.
The next event on the 2010 PMRA tour is the Stratford Spectacular Hot August Nationals presented by Ideal Supply & NAPA Auto Parts, to be held at Grand Bend August 6-8.
For more information contact Bruce F. Mehlenbacher at
Bruce@PMRA.ca
The Pro Modified Racing Association,
www.PMRA.ca
In 2010 the PMRA will compete at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ontario and the South-western Ontario track of the Grand Bend Motorplex.
Cars in the PMRA capture the true spirit of hot rodding, and the class is one of drag racing's most exciting and colorful classes, offering a diverse group of race cars with 2,500-horsepower-plus engines in supercharged, nitrous-powered, or turbocharged format.
Combining classic body styles and modern equipment, constructors are permitted, within established rules and parameters, to modify and enhance the cars in both appearance and performance. The cars are fuelled by gasoline or methanol, propelling them down the quarter-mile in low six-second times at over 230 miles per hour. The PMRA provides drag race fans the opportunity to see, hear, and experience the popular Pro Modifieds, known as "the world's fastest door slammers".
Several of the PMRA events are run in conjunction with the Quick 32 Sportsman Series presented by NAPA Auto Parts,
www.Quick32.ca
Photo Credit: CanadianDragRacingPhotos.com
For more information, please contact:
Bruce F. Mehlenbacher Director of Operations Telephone: (905) 772-1800 Ext. #22 Cellular: (905) 517-5345
E-mail:
Bruce@PMRA.ca
Still Standing
ATTICA, OH - July 15, 2010 - The miles, the sweat, the frustration and the jubilation that comes with surviving the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour will culminate Friday and Saturday with the championship weekend in Ohio.
This tour featuring DIRTcar Late Models is a month-long test of endurance, a test of patience and a test of wills. Simply making it to all 29 scheduled events in 32 days is a true measure of resilience. Making it to the final checkered flag and knowing you have a shot at winning the championship adds so much more pressure to crews and equipment worn thin by night-after-night of abuse on dirt tracks throughout the Midwest.
The Hell Tour kicked off June 16 in Indiana and has wound through Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee before concluding this weekend in Ohio. Nearly 300 drivers have participated, but only nine have competed at every stop on the tour entering the final two events Friday at Attica Raceway Park and Saturday at Oakshade Raceway. Of those nine, reigning DIRTcar Late Model national champion Jason Feger is on top and taking aim at his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals title, which would put him in the company of former champions like Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Don O'Neal, Shannon Babb and Dennis Erb Jr.
It's those last two drivers plus Jeep Van Wormer, Ryan Unzicker and Jack Sullivan that Feger will need to hold off if he is to earn his first title this weekend. For Erb to win the first of his three crowns, he supplanted Babb. Now Feger is trying to do the same to Erb.
"A lot of guys have tried to win the Summer Nationals championship and come up short," said Feger, of Bloomington, Ill. "If we were able to pull this out I think it would be pretty cool to be able to take the national deal away and this deal away from Dennis because he's such a hard competitor and he's been so good at it for such a long time. It would be pretty awesome. It would be the first one for Bob Pierce Race Cars, too. It would mean a lot.
"When you're on this deal, there's so much competition with Dennis and Babb. They're really good at all these tracks we go to. This year we've been missing Randy Korte and you know he'd be right there, too. This really isn't Jeep's area but he's been around here enough that he runs good at all these tracks. You just really have to step it up. It's a long month to keep your stuff together. Everybody has had some bad nights. It's just tough."
It doesn't matter if you're on top of the standings or giving chase, the easiest way to capture the title is to focus on winning each night.
"You just have to go out and do what you can do," said Erb, of Carpentersville, Ill. "You can't worry about anybody else. If you're behind now, you have to concentrate on winning. If you're leading you can't really worry about the other guy, you have to still run out hard because anything can turn around here at any time."
Erb would know, too. Last year he trailed Korte going into the finale at Oakshade in a similar battle to this year's that also included Babb and Feger. He managed a runner-up finish to Tim McCreadie in the race, and that was enough to clinch the championship by a mere eight points.
"I don't think there is any science to this at all," said Babb, a two-time Summer Nationals champion from Moweaqua, Ill. "It's kind of been whoever breaks, been kind of up and down for everybody. Everybody has had their good nights and bad nights. Nobody knows how this thing is going to turn out."
It's that unknown which can be scary, that can prevent even the most confident of drivers from celebrating too soon. A week ago it looked like Erb was in the driver's seat for a fourth consecutive title, but a flat tire with seven laps to go at Fairbury American Legion Speedway shuffled the deck and put Feger on top.
"I was kind of like, 'Finally.' That guy, he's so consistent," Feger said. "You very rarely see him break or have flat tires or problems like that. I think that's the first problem he's had on this whole deal. I've had three or four. Babb's had three or four. Same way with Jeep. Everybody has had about the same number of bad nights except for Dennis it seems like and he finally had one. That's how the luck goes. Anybody who runs this many nights in a row is going to have some bad luck, it's really hard to be Superman."
Feger is hoping he can avoid any encounters with kryptonite over the final two nights because he knows Erb will keep the pressure building until the final lap at Oakshade.
"You know that guy's not going to quit," he said of Erb. "He's always right there, he's always so consistent. You just have to try to stay ahead of him, that's the bottom line. On the Summer Nationals deal, you just have to go. You just have to try to do as good as you can. If you stress out about every little thing it's not going to work out, especially with the day-after-day grind. We just need to focus on trying to keep this up front, starting with qualifying good, running good in the heat and starting in the front of these things and keeping it in the front. That's what we've been focusing on lately and we've been doing a pretty good job of it. I'd still like to get a couple more wins, too."
Says Erb, "You just have to go out there and concentrate on running good and winning and let the points take care of themselves. We just need to get on a roll and have some good finishes so we can be in the hunt for it."
For some of the others, winning the championship will be a long shot, but the experience gained is crucial to future success.
"This is our third Summer Nationals, and in our first year we were out to lunch," said Unzicker, a native of El Paso, Ill., who earned the first Hell Tour victory of his career on Monday night at Spoon River Speedway. "We didn't know what we were supposed to do. We didn't know what to prepare for. Last year we came in with a better approach and that definitely helped our game. We gained on it again this year. We've only had a couple of parts issues we couldn't deal with. If it wasn't for that, we could be possibly right up in the running for the championship. We would definitely love a top five out of the Summer Nationals."
Sullivan also has stepped up his Summer Nationals program this summer, earning two victories heading into this weekend as he battles with Unzicker for a Top Five finish in the overall standings.
"I've been in the top five most of this deal," said Sullivan, of Greenbriar, Ark., after winning at Peoria Speedway on Tuesday night. "We've had a few mechanical problems that snookered us, there have been nights where I just couldn't hit my tail. But that's part of the good thing about this tour, there's always a next night. You can really learn some things about your race car that will help you throughout the year."
Ultimately, that's the key for many of the drivers who survive the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour, to gain enough knowledge in one month of racing day after day that can be used in an effort to win the DIRTcar Late Model year-long national championship.
"All these racetracks when you go in there are up for grabs," Babb said. "We've learned a lot. This Summer Nationals deal is good for everybody, especially me. I like racing every night. I've been trying different setups every night. I've learned a few things that will help me next year or if I go back to these same race tracks. I'm happy and satisfied with that no matter how this thing turns out."
By Saturday night, Babb and the rest of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals followers will know if Feger was able to hang on, if Erb worked a little magic for a fourth consecutive year or if he, Van Wormer, Unzicker or Sullivan was able to sneak in and steal the top prize. Heading into a weekend of unknowns with the championship on the line, one thing is certain: expect high tension and high drama - the Hell Tour never disappoints.
2010 DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour Race-by-Race
Date Day Track Location Miles Hours Winner (total)
June 16 Wed. Brownstown Speedway Brownstown, IN Billy Moyer
June 17 Thur. Kankakee Co. Speedway Kankakee, IL 227 3.5 Billy Moyer (2)
June 18 Fri. Cedar Lake Speedway Somerset, WI 444 7.5 Billy Moyer (3)
June 19 Sat. Cedar Lake Speedway Somerset, WI 0 0 Brian Birkhofer
June 20 Sun. Wilmot Raceway Wilmot, WI 339 5.5 Rodney Melvin
June 21 Mon. Vermilion Co. Speedway Danville, IL 227 3.5 Jeep Van Wormer
June 22 Tues. Highland Speedway Highland, IL 181 3 Shannon Babb
June 23 Wed. Belle Clair Speedway Belleville, IL 28 0.5 Dennis Erb Jr.
June 24 Thur. Shepps Speedway Alexandria, IL 112 2 Shannon Babb (2)
June 25 Fri. Farmer City Raceway Farmer City, IL 92 1.5 Don O'Neal
June 26 Sat. Clarksville Speedway Clarksville, TN 352 5.5 Jack Sullivan
June 27 Sun. Tri State Speedway Haubstadt, IN 122 2 Don O'Neal (2)
June 28 Mon. Lincoln Park Speedway Putnamville, IN 126 2 Don O'Neal (3)
June 29 Tues. I-96 Speedway Lake Odessa, MI 306 5 Jeep Van Wormer (2)
June 30 Wed. Charleston Speedway Charleston, IL 362 5.5 Brian Shirley
July 1 Thur. Clay Hill Motorsports Park Atwood, TN 294 5 Billy Moyer (4)
July 2 Fri. Paducah Int. Raceway Paducah, KY 98 1.5 Billy Moyer (5)
July 3 Sat. I-55 Raceway Pevely, MO 178 3 Billy Moyer (6)
July 4 Sun. Lincoln Speedway Lincoln, IL 158 2.5 RAIN
July 5 Mon. Open
July 6 Tues. Fayette County Speedway Brownstown, IL 108 2 Jeep Van Wormer (3)
July 7 Wed. Spoon River Speedway Canton, IL 155 3 RAIN/PPD July 12
July 8 Thur. Macon Speedway Macon, IL 127 2 Dennis Erb Jr. (2)
July 9 Fri. Tri-City Speedway Pontoon Beach, IL 106 1.5 Jason Feger
July 10 Sat. Fairbury Speedway Fairbury, IL 190 3 Shannon Babb (3)
July 11 Sun. Quincy Raceways Quincy, IL 214 3.5 Jeep Van Wormer (4)
July 12 Mon. Spoon River Speedway Canton, IL 155 3 Ryan Unzicker
July 13 Tues. Peoria Speedway Peoria, IL 129 2 Jack Sullivan (2)
July 14 Wed. Kokomo Speedway Kokomo, IN 235 4 Rusty Schlenk
July 15 Thur. Open
July 16 Fri. Attica Raceway Park Attica, OH 213 3.5
July 17 Sat. Oakshade Raceway Wauseon, OH 100 1.5
Nine Drivers Survive DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour,
Only One Can be Crowned Champion this Weekend in Ohio
2010 DIRTcar Summer Nationals Top 20
Pos. Driver Points
1. Jason Feger 1,729
2. Dennis Erb 1,664
3. Shannon Babb 1,646
4. Jeep Van Wormer 1,597
5. Ryan Unzicker 1,567
6. Jack Sullivan 1,556
7. Billy Moyer Jr. 1,368
8. Brandon Sheppard 1,173
9. Rodney Melvin 1,090
10. Brian Shirley 1,045
11. Jason McBride 984
12. Donny Walden 854
13. Brandon Thirlby 792
14. Jimmy Moon 650
15. Richie Hedrick 600
16. Wendell Wallace 598
17. Billy Moyer 552
18. Kevin Weaver 542
19. Mark Voigt 482
20. Matt Miller 434
Toronto, ON, Saturday July 16, 2010: Kerry Micks driver of the No. 02 Dickies /Beyond Digital Imaging Ford Fusion was seventh quickest in practice and was even faster in qualifying, as Micks nabbed sixth to start the Jumpstart 100. The No. 02 Ford Fusion was consistent all day and Micks managed to stay out of trouble late in the race and brought the Dickies/Beyond Digital car across the finish line in fifth.
The No. 02 was sixth quickest in qualifying at the Honda Indy Toronto on Friday with a time of 1:17.507 and averaging 79.87 mph. “We'll take sixth” said Micks after qualifying, but we still made some adjustments to make sure that that the car wouldn't fade throughout the race.” Hats off to the team, he added, “they worked hard to make that happen.”
Micks was running in sixth early in the 35 lap race when he was bumped from behind when exiting one of the turns. Micks managed to hang onto the car and only lost two spots. It was hard to pass on the 1.765-mile temporary course at Toronto's Exhibition Place and Micks had to battle hard to make up the spots he lost. The No.02 Dickies/Beyond Digital Imaging Ford Fusion was fast and with the help of a late race caution Micks was able to make up more than the two spots he lost and took over fifth with two laps to go. The checkered flag waved under caution as there was another late race incident and Micks was scored in fifth as the day ended in Toronto.
The extra effort put in by the No. 02 team paid off on Saturday as Micks never fell out of the top ten and pulled off a top five finish. Micks has now moved up to third place in the NASCAR Canadian Tire points standings and is hoping to carry that momentum out West.
Finish: 1) Andrew Ranger, 2) Jason Bowles, 3) D.J Kennington 4) Don Thompson Jr. 5) Kerry Micks
The Canadian Tire Jumpstart 100 was broadcast live on TSN.
The No.02 Dickies/Beyond Digital Imaging will be heading to Western Canada for a three race swing starting with the Edmonton City Centre Airport on July 25th. Micks finished 19th there in 2009 due to suspension problems and will be looking to significantly improve this time around.
For more information on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series please visit www.nascarlocalracing.com .
Kerry Micks is supported by the following sponsors: Beyond Digital Imaging, Williamson-Dickie Canada Co., Prostate Cancer Canada, Steadymate, Seguin Marina, Thor Motors, NGK Spark Plugs, Canadian Detailing Services and Cathcart Trucking.
For more information please contact: Linda Jones Wide Open Motorsport Solutions (705) 730-4044
Email:
ljones@wideopensolutions.ca
Susan Micks Micks Motorsports (905) 853-3876 E-mail:
kmicks@neptune.on.ca
TOP FIVE FOR MICKS AT TORONTO MOVES HIM TO 3RD IN POINTS
For Immediate Release From Jim Irvine
Merrittville Speedway Public Relations
with files from Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar NE - Public Relations Director
905-892-8266 (Office),
jimirvine@cogeco.net
Thorold, Ontario (July 19) - Last Monday Matt Sheppard celebrated his 28th Birthday. Today he has to be still celebrating his win in the All-Star 100 at Cayuga County.
Two weeks from today the Waterloo NY second generation driver would like to be celebrating a second straight win as Merrittville Speedway plays host to the Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series and the 1st Annual Bob St. Amand Memorial 100 Monday August 2nd.
In last year's event, 'Super Matt' forged the seventh and final lead change on lap 26, then circled the fast third-mile Thorold oval lapping up to the fourth-place car, commenting in Victory Lane … “First of all the track was just awesome tonight, its about the raciest place we go all year … every time we come here the facility is great and the track is awesome, just can't say enough about coming here.”
After his most recent triumph at Cayuga County Sheppard revealed, “We fought through a lot of adversity tonight,” noted Sheppard, 28, after registering his Series-best fourth win of the season using a second car from the JB Motorsports shop. “Have to thank all the guys, I messed up the car real bad in the first race and we actually had to switch to a back-up.”
“We started last in that second one and we're coming up through when I got caught up in that accident and had to go last again. It was just a tough night right until the end.”
After powering under (Jimmy) Phelps with plenty of contact on the low side exiting turn four, Sheppard forged the final lead change on lap 43 and opened up a dozen car-length advantage under the checkered flag. Tim McCreadie's rally to the front carried the Watertown, N.Y. driver to third-place ahead of Gypsum teammates Pat Ward and Billy Decker, the current Series points leader by just four markers over Sheppard.
Before the stars of DIRTcar return to Merrittville August 2nd the Big Block Modifieds visit the province of Quebec with visits to Autodrommes Granby and Drummond July 19th and 20th.
The inaugural Bob St. Amand Sr. Memorial 100 Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series Event Monday August 2nd is an event that Merrittville Speedway has hosted since 1972 - the year 'Sr.' won his Modified Points Championship. Since that first event - the stars of DIRTcar Modified racing have challenged Merrittville's talented field of hometown heroes in the Canadian Civic Holiday Classic.
It has become a must see event on any race fan's race schedule as race teams and race fans alike have come to enjoy the event and all that the surrounding Niagara Region has to offer.
Located in the heart of one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world - the track is minutes from the roar of Niagara Falls with its world class casinos and attractions. The Niagara Peninsula is also the most well-known and developed wine region in Canada and North America. Race fans may also wish to make it a doubleheader and enjoy all the action of Saturday August 1st's Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series Program hosted by Cotton Inc.
A Kids Bike Giveaway will also take place in addition to the famous pre-race Pasta Dinner hosted by Club Castropignano.
The countdown to the 1st Annual Bob St. Amand Memorial has begun. In the weeks … days and minutes leading up to the L. St. Amand Enterprises presentation stay tuned to merrittvillespeedway.com for all the latest news.
For Pasta Dinner Ticket and other Event Information - call the Speedway Office at 905-892-8266.
For further information on the 59th Season - race fans and race teams alike can follow Merrittville on Face Book and Twitter.
Crazy Offer!
Race fans - check your 2010 Ticket Stubs for a Crazy Offer from Little Caesars Pizza - located at 572 Niagara Street in Welland. With the purchase of a HOT-N-READY Pizza and Crazy Bread - receive a Free Crazy Bread!
Sounds Good!
Enjoy all the play by play from the Merrittville Announce Team of Clint Geoffrey, Mikey Kruchka and Fran Buschardt and special guests all season long on our new state of the art Yorkville NX Series Loudspeakers. Race fans and teams can also tune into 89.9 FM to listen to live feeds from our FM Transmitter.
Your Local Dirt Track is where it's at!! Merrittville Speedway "The Best Family Entertainment in Niagara"
Make your plans … call your friends and maybe even get a carpool together and enjoy a staycation at the speedway with plenty of free parking and camping spots - a night at the races is so much fun and so close to home!
Your Local Dirt Track is where it's at!!! Merrittville Speedway 'The Best Family Entertainment in Niagara.”
MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY SPONSORS
The 2010 Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series for Merrittville Speedway's 5 Divisions is brought to race fans and racers by division sponsors - L. St. Amand Enterprises, Original Pizza Logs, J&S Heating and Air Conditioning, Hoosier Tire Canada and Turn 4 Collision in addition to contingency sponsors Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Hoosier Tire, Lucas Oil Products, Inside Track Motorsport News, Intercomp, ISC Racer's Tape, Jaz Products, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Motorsports Safety Systems, Outerwears, Port City Racing, R.J.S. Racing Equipment, Racing Optics, Schroeder Torsion Bars, Schoenfeld Headers, Ultra Shield Race Products, Wrisco Industries and XRP, Inc.
Lucas Oil Products is one the fastest growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry featuring a premium line of oils, greases and problem solving additives.
Through innovative product research and development along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil Products has established itself as the top selling additive in the industry.
Look for Lucas Oil Products at their favorite automotive retailer or maintenance centre including Drummond Home Hardware, KC Auto Parts, RCM Racing Equipment and Tim Phillips Garage
SHEPPARD LOOKING TO DEFEND BIG BLOCK 100 AT MERRITTVILLE
SECOND GENERATION DRIVER HAS GOT TO LOVE MONDAYS
