Archive for the ‘NASCAR’ Category

THE NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES RETURNS TO CANADA’S FASTEST HALF MILE PAVED OVAL FOR THE DICKIES 200

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010 by Rolf

(BOWMANVILLE, ON - August 10, 2010) After a gruelling three race swing through western Canada and a stop this weekend at Circuit de Trois Rivieres in Quebec, Canada’s top stock car championship, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, will be back in Ontario and making their return to Mosport, this time on Canada’s fastest half mile paved oval, Mosport Speedway, for the Dickies 200, August 21.

Cambridge, ON native J.R. Fitzpatrick, who won the Vortex Brake Pads 200 on Mosport’s 4 km road course in June, will look for a Mosport sweep, a feat that 2009 series champion and rival Andrew Ranger of Roxton Pond, QC, who was able to do a season ago.

Standing in Fitzpatrick’s way will be D.J. Kennington of St. Thomas, ON. Not only is he currently leading in the points standings, but he has won three races this season, all on oval tracks. The two have had a see saw battle combining to win five of the seven rounds in 2010. The lead duo will face stiff competition from 2008 series champion Scott Steckly, Kerry Micks, winner at Mosport Speedway in 2008 and five time national champion Don Thomson Jr., who also won the NASCAR event at the Speedway in 2007.

Dickies will name their 2010 Canadian Worker of the Year (CWOTY) prior to the start of the race. The CWOTY program is now in its third year. The grand prize winner will receive a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 pick up truck, valued at just under $28,000. All regional finalists will receive a Bosch cordless drill set, a Dickies apparel prize pack, will be featured in the 2011 catalogue and will given an all-expense paid trip for two to Mosport Speedway for the grand prize drawing.

Adult tickets are just $25 until August 18 ($30 at the Gate). Youth tickets (ages 13-16) are $15. As with all Mosport events, children 12 and under are admitted for free when accompanied by a paid adult admission. Each ticket includes parking, a NASCAR driver autograph session, access to the Mosport Expo and Marketplace and the NASCAR Midway.

The Grand Prix Club offers a VIP hospitality package for only $80. The GP Club Chalet tent is located at Corner One and pass holders will have access to a grandstand reserved for VIP Hospitality guests. It will open at 4:30 pm and dinner will be served from 5:30 pm until the drop of the green flag at 7 pm.

For more information and to purchase tickets call the Mosport Hotline at 1-800-866-1072 (Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm ET), visit online at www.mosport.com, or email info@mosport.com

Ryan Chalmers, Mosport
ryan@mosport.com
800-866-1072 (office), (519) 981-3394 (cell)

>>>>>Get all your NCATS info on our RolfsRacing.com NCATS Page.

RANGER AND FITZPATRICK RENEW RIVALRY NASCAR CANADA STYLE

Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 by Rolf

Vortex Brake Pads 200 This Weekend At Mosport


Driver introductions - Andrew Ranger

ANDREW RANGER

Bowmanville, Ontario - Next on Mosport’s 50th anniversary season schedule is the Vortex Brake Pads 200 this weekend. Headlining the three-day weekend is Canada’s top stock car championship, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. These machines will take to Mosport’s road course for their second race of the season on Sunday June 13.

Defending Series champion Andrew Ranger, who will run a limited Canadian schedule this season while chasing the US-based NASCAR K & N title, makes his first start at Mosport. Another young Series star, JR Fitzpatrick, is also spending most of his season stateside, but will run a handful of Canadian Tire Series events including Mosport. The sparks may fly as Ranger and Fitzpatrick renew their heated Mosport rivalry of two years ago.

Both can expect stiff competiton from Series veterans such as 2008 champion Scott Steckly, DJ Kennington, Don Thompson Jr., Ron Beauchamp and Kerry Micks, along with a pack of hard-charging, rising stars like Jason Hathoway, Anthony Simone and Joey Hanssen.

>>>>>Read more in our RolfsRacing.com NCATS Page.

Mattias Ekström contests NASCAR race in Brian Vickers #83

Monday, June 7th, 2010 by Rolf

Mattias Ekstrom

MATTIAS EKSTROM

 

 

For Mattias Ekström, Christmas this year will be on the 20th of June: the Audi “factory” driver and two time DTM Champion has been given the opportunity to contest a race of U.S. NASCAR series for the Red Bull team at Sonoma (California). After successful track tests, one of the biggest motorsport dreams of the 31 year old Swede is coming true.

At the 16th of a total of 36 NASCAR races, Mattias Ekström will drive car number 83. Ekström’s commitment was made possible because regular driver Brian Vickers, for whom the DTM star tested two weeks ago in preparation for the race, is still unable to compete for health reasons. The more than 3.2 kilometer Infineon Raceway in Sonoma Valley is a road course on which 110 race laps are run.

“First of all, I’d like to express my sincere thanks: to Red Bull for inviting a Swede with zero NASCAR experience to compete in the United States. And to Audi for the possibility and approval that enable me to fulfill this dream. This trust by the Audi family gives me additional motivation to return to Europe with a good result and to step on the gas again in Audi’s home race at the Norisring in Nuremberg,” says Mattias Ekström.

Head of Audi Sport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich is sending his 14-time DTM race winner off to the other side of the Atlantic with best wishes. “Mattias’ commitment as a guest entrant impressively shows the prestige which the DTM and the Audi drivers enjoy in the United States too. As early as in his test Mattias showed that he can stand his ground with a new team and a new car on a new track. Now, everyone at Audi is keeping their fingers crossed for him to be able to cause a bit of a sensation in the race with a great performance.”

Ekström’s eager anticipation of the race also contains a considerable amount of awe. “Tests are one thing and they were a good opportunity for me to get accustomed to a NASCAR vehicle. But contesting a race with 42 other cars is totally new territory for me. I’ll simply try and concentrate on my strengths and to stay cool for 350 kilometers.”

The weekend at the Infineon Raceway, which is located a little over an hour’s drive from San Francisco, will start on Friday, June 18, with free practice and qualifying. Two more practice sessions are scheduled on Saturday before the 110 lap race starts at 12.00, local time, on Sunday. 43 cars have been entered in the event. The race at Sonoma is the first of just two races on the calendar which are held on road courses.

>>>>>Read more on Mattias Ekström in RolfsRacing.com DTM Page.

MOSPORT COUNTS DOWN TO THE VORTEX BRAKE PADS 200 WEEKEND

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 by Rolf

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Castrol Touring Car Championship, F2000 Championship and Ontario Formula Ford Highlight Mosport’s Vortex Brake Pads 200 WEEKEND

(BOWMANVILLE, ON - May 31, 2010) In just under two weeks, Mosport International Raceway continues its 50th anniversary celebration with the exciting Vortex Brake Pads 200 Weekend on June 11-13. Stock cars, touring cars and open wheel series’ take to the 4 km circuit for what promises to be a memorable weekend.

Headlining the three day weekend is Canada’s top stock car championship, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. These machines will take to Mosport’s road course for their second race of the season on Sunday June 13. With defending Series champion Andrew Ranger spending most of his season stateside, the title picture is wide open. Series veterans such as 2008 champion Scott Steckly, DJ Kennington, Don Thompson Jr., Ron Beauchamp and Kerry Micks will try to hold off the hard charging rising stars like Jason Hathoway, Anthony Simone and Joey Hanssen. NASCAR Canadian Tire Series kicks off their season on June 5 in Delaware.

The country’s top sedan road racing series, the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship, makes its second of three season stops at Mosport, boasting a 40-car field competing in Touring and Super Touring classes. This is a doubleheader weekend for the Championship. In their first races of the season, which were held as part of the Victoria Day SpeedFest, Quebec’s Marc-Antoine Camirand and Thornhill’s Anthony Rapone swept both races in the Super Touring and Touring Classes respectively and will be the favourites to repeat.

The F2000 Championship Series continues their season with rounds five and six. Points leader Keith McRone looks to hold off Ardie Greenamyer and Mark Defer who currently sit within two points of the top spot after four races. St. Anne des Lacs, Quebec resident Remy Audette currently sits in ninth place in the points standings despite missing two of the four races run this year.

Another open wheel series will also hold a Saturday-Sunday doubleheader. The Ontario Formula Ford Championship for F1600 returns to Mosport for the second of five trips this season. Winners of the first two races - rookie driver Spencer Pigot and veteran Dean Baker look to continue on their success at one of the most challenging road courses in the world.

Racing starts Friday (June 11) with a full day of testing for all series’ but the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Saturday (June 12) will have both practice and qualifying in the morning, followed by races for the Castrol Touring cars, F2000 Championship and OFFC-F1600. Sunday (June 13) morning opens with more qualifying and then races in F2000, NASCAR, Castrol Touring and OFFC-F1600 to close out the weekend.

The three day weekend SuperTicket is just $50 until June 9 ($60 at the Gate). Single day tickets are also available. Each ticket includes parking, access to the race team paddock, Motorsport Expo and Marketplace and admission to Mosport Speedway’s Saturday Night Stock Car racing at the half-mile paved oval located on the grounds. As with all Mosport events, children 12 and under are admitted for free when accompanied by a paid adult admission.

Camping is a popular part of the Mosport experience, with advanced general camping passes just $35 for the weekend when purchased before June 9 (tents or pop-up trailers). Advance RV passes are $55.

For those who would like to get closer to the action, the Grand Prix Club offers a VIP hospitality package which includes a fully catered BBQ lunch, beverages and bar service (beer and wine) on Race Day. The GP Club Chalet tent is located trackside overlooking the start/finish straight and corner one. Passes are just $100 and are also good for admission to the event on Friday and Saturday.

For more information and to purchase tickets call the Mosport Hotline at 1-800-866-1072 (Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm ET), visit online at www.mosport.com, or email info@mosport.com

ANDREW RANGER HEADS TO TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN

Monday, January 25th, 2010 by Rolf

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla Andrew Ranger, the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 champion, will utilize his secured starting position - earned as a NASCAR Developmental Series champion - in the NASCAR Toyota All Star Showdown on Jan. 29-30 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.).

Driver introductions - Andrew Ranger
Andrew Ranger

The annual all star event attracts the top drivers from across North America to what has become the pinnacle of short track racing in the U.S. and is often referred to as the ‘Daytona 500 of short-track racing.’

The 23 year-old Ranger, out of Roxton Pond, Que., will pilot a car out of the Steve McGowen stable. McGowen fields the Chevrolet driven by David Mayhew, who won a pair of NASCAR K&N Pro Series West events in 2009. Mayhew, too, has a secure spot in the starting lineup as a NASCAR K&N Pro Series race winner.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity to race against all these talented drivers,” said Ranger.

In 2009, Ranger won his second Canadian Tire Series championship in three years on the power of a single season series record six wins and outdistanced frequent NASCAR Nationwide Series competitor DJ Kennington by 167 points for the crown. Among those six victories, three came on oval tracks while the others were a result of his tremendous prowess on road courses.

It was through his road course ability that he caught the attention of the U.S. stock car media last August in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event in Montreal. Ranger staged a race long battle with Carl Edwards and Marcos Ambrose before settling for a third place finish in the race.

His first stock-car victory on an oval track came last July 18 at SunValley Speedway in Vernon, B.C., where he dominated on the half mile trioval by lapping every car in the field but one. This win validated his skills behind the wheel of a NASCAR race car after making the switch from open wheel racing where he was a top-10 performer in the Champ Car World Series, which since has reunified with the Indy Car.

“That victory was huge for me,” said Ranger. “If I was going to be racing in NASCAR, then I had to be able to win on ovals. Everything clicked that night. All of the things that Dave Jacombs (car owner) and Billy Burns (crew chief) had taught me fell into place.”

This will be Ranger’s second appearance in the NASCAR Toyota All Star Showdown having competed in the event following his first Canadian Tire Series championship in 2007. That outing lasted just 31 laps, leaving him with a 39th place finish.

>>>>>Read more in our RolfsRacing.com 2010 News Page.

CANADIAN MOTOR SPEEDWAY ONE STEP CLOSER

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 by Rolf

The Fort Erie regional planning committee supported an amendment application to its policy plan, allowing the Canadian Motor Speedway project to move ahead past another hurdle. The regional planning committee supported an amendment application to its policy plan, allowing the motor sports complex to move ahead to the next phase of the future zoning bylaw.

The proposal will come back to the regional council early next year for further discussion and a vote.

“I think it’s an important indicator to our investors that the Region recognize the project and they would like to see it move to the next process,” investor Azhar Mohammad, executive director at Emirates Consulting said after the Fort Erie planning meeting.
“And certainly, now is the time to roll up the sleeves with them to start dealing with some of the other issues, which we are confident that we will deal with, especially on the environmental noise side.
“I think we have to now understand, from an investment point of view, what is the quickest route to begin the return on the investment. That will be determined once we mitigate all of the concerns that the region has addressed in their proposal to us … and then the province also had some clarifications required, and we’ve already been working on those for the last couple of months.”

All indications show that the speedway is a go. The pro’s out way the con’s.

>>>>>Read all the latest CMS info in our RolfsRacing.com Page.

CANADIAN MOTOR SPEEDWAY PROPOSAL APPROVED

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009 by Rolf

Fort Erie Town Council heard from close to 60 people in support or opposition to the proposed Motor Speedway on Monday night. The meeting went from 6 p.m. to 12:50 a.m. Tuesday morning when council voted unanimously in favour of the speedway. Instead of the Town Hall, the Council meeting was moved to the Leisureplex Banquet Hall due to the expected large turnout.

Hundreds of people attended the meeting Monday night, with close to 60 people taking to the podium to express their support or opposition.

The next step of the approval process now goes to Niagara Regional Council for a vote on Wednesday afternoon.

>>>>>Read more CMS info in our RolfsRacing.com Canadian Motor Speedway Page.

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES RACES

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 by Rolf

Advance Discount Tickets Available Until Wed., June 10

The Mosport High Octane Weekend, June 12-14, headlined by the Dickies 200 for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, features a wide variety of racing from thundering stock cars to performance sedans and open-wheel racers that will cater to just about every racing fan’s taste.

The NASCAR Series cars will be joined by the Ford Racing Mustang Challenge, F2000 Championship, Castrol Canadian Touring Car Series and the Ontario Formula Ford Championship on Mosport’s famed 4-kilometre, 10-turn road course.

A three-day SuperTicket is $50 until June 10 ($60 at the Gate) and each ticket includes parking, paddock admission, and entrance to the Saturday Night Stock Car racing at Mosport Speedway. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paid adult admission. Single day tickets are also available.

General and family camping areas are available, with full-service washrooms, showers and children’s playgrounds. An advanced three-day weekend general camping pass is just $30 for tents and pop-up trailers and RVs are $50 for the weekend.

Also available for the Mosport High Octane weekend is the Grand Prix Club, which for $90 gives fans a real VIP experience. Located near corner one overlooking the front straight, the Grand Prix Club includes a three-day admission and Sunday VIP Hospitality which features a fully catered lunch and beverages.

For more information about Mosport ticket packages and camping, call the Mosport Hotline at 1-800-866-1072 (Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET) or visitonline at www.mosport.com. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster.

TEAM DAKAR USA - DAKAR RALLY PREP

Thursday, January 1st, 2009 by Rolf

“Our Hummer has never been so well prepared” says Robby. He adds “For different reasons. First, our Hummer has never been so well prepared. We did our last tests just a few days ago: the car is excellent and extremely resistant. We performed very well on the Central Europe Rally of the Dakar Series, except for a technical problem that has been solved now. And all the mechanics are really excellent. So we all share the same objective - to win - and we have put a lot of efforts into it. Nothing pays off like a good preparation to race the Dakar!”The “Monster” Hummer # 309 will be driven by Amerivans Robby Gordon and Andy Grider. The other Team USA entry, the “Vanguard” Hummer # 324 will be piloted by French Nationals Eric Vigouroux and Alex Winocq.This year’s DAKAR will be run in Argentina and Chile from January 3 to January 18, 2009.

Read more Read more on the Dakar and see Robby Gordon’s Video of the race prep on RolfsRacing.com Dakar Page.

LOEB WINS RACE OF CHAMPIONS

Sunday, December 14th, 2008 by Rolf

Sebastian Loeb wins the 21st. Race of Champions Sunday Dec. 14th. at Wembley Stadium in London, England over David Coulthard by 3/10th of a second. The Race was seen by millions live on many world networks. In North America it could by seen on a netcast on raceofchampions.com.

Earlier in the day, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel retained Germany’s title in The Race Of Champions Nations Cup with a win over Tom Kristensen and former German DTM champion, Mattias Ekstrom of Team Scandinavia.

See more on this story and News on our RolfsRacing.com News Page.

RACE OF CHAMPIONS

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 by Rolf

The Race of Champions will take place at London England’s Wembley Stadium on the 14 December. This year will see 7 countries with 14 drivers take part. More could be named later. At stake is the title of “The Champion of Champions”. The winner will be chosed using identical cars on a parallel track, which has proven to be exciting and decisive in determining an individual “Champion of Champions”. Here is the impressive list of drivers entered so far.

         TEAM GERMANY
         MichaelSchumacher
         SebastianVettel

         TEAM AUTOSPORT GREAT BRITAIN
         Jenson Button
         Andy Priaulx

         TEAM AUSTRALIA
         Mark Webber
         Troy Bayliss

         TEAM FRANCE
         Yvan Muller
         Sebastien Loeb

         TEAM SCANDINAVIA
         Tom Kristensen
         Mattias Ekstrom

         TEAM USA
         Carl Edwards
         Travis Pastrana

         TEAM F1 RACING GREAT BRITAIN
         David Coulthard
         *Yet unnamed*

Good luck to all drivers.

See more Racing News in RolfsRacing.com News Page.

FORT ERIE, ONTARIO, CANADA TO GET NASCAR READY RACE TRACK

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 by Rolf

Fort Erie Ontario is to get a race track built to the specifications required to host a NASCAR race, with investors hoping to persuade NASCAR’s governing body to bring a Sprint Cup Series race to the Golden Horseshoe Region. NASCAR officials have shown previous interest in holding a top-tier race in Canada.

Here is the Bayt Al Mal Investments News release Oct 14, 2008.

An investment consortium led by Kuwaiti Islamic investment bank Bayt Al Mal Investments will bring a major motor-sport, entertainment and commercial complex to the Niagara region of Ontario and with it, additional foreign direct investment (FDI), jobs and tourists from across the US-Canadian border.

“This is an outstanding example of how FDI supports growth in Ontario,” Bayt Al Mal did their homework, recognized Ontario’s tremendous potential and made a wise decision to invest here. This investment is only the beginning and will help to widen the investment corridor between the Middle East and Ontario,” said The Honorable Sandra Pupatello Minister for International Trade and Investment, Ontario, Canada.

Bayt Al Mal has seized a first-mover advantage in Ontario, and we certainly consider them a leader in this respect. On our part we are committed to providing the necessary support to help make this initiative a success,” she added.

Peter Partington, Regional Chairman for Niagara, underscored the substantial economic impact of the investment.

“This project will generate over $34 million per year in new tax revenue alone and create over 1,200 jobs. The region will receive a huge shot-in-the-arm through increased economic development and tourism.”

Looking ahead Shams Faiz, Chief Operating Officer at Bayt Al Mal Investments Officers stated, “Our aim is to be a GCC-Canada investment specialist and we will soon be announcing our ‘Invest Canada’ program that will open a number of well studied investment projects for our regional investors.”

Bayt Al Mal has already acquired 623 acres of land in Fort Erie, six kilometers from the US-Canadian border, where this master-planned complex will be built.

“This is a strategic location giving us access to a motor-sport fan base of over 120 million people,” said Faiz,

“This is a vanguard project being the first GCC investment of this magnitude in Canada which also gives Bayt Al MalBayt Al MalLoading… a market-leading edge. Having successfully secured this transaction, we are now exploring other potential business opportunities in Canada.” said Suleiman AlQimlas Chairman Bayt AlMal Investment.

“We have invested significant capital and management resources in Canada and have developed major alliances that will provide our investors with a unique advantage in accessing high quality high return investment opportunities there. We have local presence in Canada through our subsidiary Emirates Consulting, which oversees our investor interest and helps us in developing proprietary transactions and business relationships,” added Faiz.

“We have been working closely with Bayt Al MalBayt Al MalLoading… for the past 18 months”, stated Mayor of Fort Erie, Douglas Martin whose city will host the complex. “This agreement has generated great excitement and anticipation amongst my regional colleagues and my fellow Mayors of Niagara Falls, St. Catherines, Welland, and Port Colborne.”

PETER GIBBONS RETIRING

Thursday, September 18th, 2008 by Rolf

For the last thirty years Peter Gibbons has been a very successful race car driver winning events from coast to coast in Canada. Among Gibbons career highlights are National Championships in 1998 and 1999 in the CASCAR Super Series. After a proud career in stock car racing, it is with both sadness and excitement that at the end of the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season, Peter Gibbons announces that will climb from the driver’s seat of the Canadian Tire/Mobil Super Chevrolet for the final time.Stepping away from the competition has been something Gibbons has pondered for quite sometime but feels now it is the right time to make the move. “I guess it started a couple of years ago” said Gibbons. “After considering it and taking a look at what was happening with the beginning of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series I made the choice to stay. Last winter after some discussions with Canadian Tire we agreed that this was going to be my last year in the car”.

It has been a wonderful partnership between Gibbons Motorsports and Canadian Tire for many years and it weighed heavily in the decision making process. “I just can’t say enough about what a wonderful relationship our group has had with Canadian Tire over the years and how good they’ve been to me” said Gibbons. “They were a big reason why I stayed involved over the last couple of years and we had some discussions about 2009 but I just feel this is the right time for me to get out of the car. I’ve always been a big supporter of the Canadian racing program and Canadian Tire has done a fantastic job helping to elevate the series in Canada. I have a real respect for all the hard work the people at Canadian Tire have put into this program”.

While making the announcement now to make fans aware, the immediate focus for Peter Gibbons and the Canadian Tire/Mobil Super Team is the final two events on this years NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule at Riverside Speedway and Kawartha Speedway. “Our car has run really well at both of those tracks and we’re looking to finish with a flurry and put on a real show for all the fans that have supported us over the years and we’re going to celebrate all we’ve achieved.” said the driver.

When the straps are unfastened and the helmet comes off for the final time at Kawartha Speedway then the reality will sink in. It will be big change for Gibbons and many others. “I know I’ll miss it and it will be a big adjustment for everybody” said Gibbons. “And none of our success would have been possible without the incredible support of our family. And I include all of our Canadian Tire crew members in that group and so many of our sponsors who’ve been with us for so long this great ride. But I feel really good about the decision. I’m looking forward to spending a lot more time with my wife Denise and boys Petey and Jake. Racing has been the biggest influence on all our lives for a long time and we’re all looking forward to lots of quality time and new adventures outside of the racing life too”.

Source:  petergibbons.com

ANDREW RANGER JOINS FITZ MOTORSPORTS

Sunday, August 17th, 2008 by Rolf

Team Release

TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec - After having shown his immense talent two weeks ago in Montreal, it is now official; Andrew Ranger will finish the season and participate in seven NASCAR Nationwide Series events starting Friday August 22. The announcement was made Sunday in the media centre of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières.

Once again, it will be at the wheel of the No. 22 Fitz Motorsports car that Andrew Ranger will start in the Food City 250 which will take place at the legendary Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. This event will be a first for Andrew; a Nationwide Series race on an oval track.

Andrew Ranger is also confirmed to participate in the races at Richmond, Charlotte, Memphis, Texas, Phoenix and will close out the season in Homestead on November 15 during the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup season finale. All these races will be on oval race tracks. Andrew is sponsored by Tide, Wal-Mart, Supercuts, Habitations Éric Alary and Autodrome St-Eustache for his NASCAR debut in the United States. Andrew will continue and complete his season in the Canadian Series where he will attempt to win back to back championships. He is presently fourth in the standings only 134 points out of first place.

Armando Fitz, Fitz Motorsports team owner, is very confident to put a talented young driver such as Andrew at the wheel of his car. “I really loved his perseverance in Montreal. This promising driver is not afraid to mix it up. His profile is also exactly the image we want our team and sponsors to portray.”

“I am really happy and honored that Fitz Motorsports have chosen me as their driver for these races,” Ranger said. “To run in the Nationwide Series is a new challenge for me and also an excellent path for my career as a NASCAR driver. I am more than ready to take this on and I will give it everything I’ve got to position myself as a contender in this series. I want to thank all the fans that encourage me continually, their support is very important for me. I would also like to thank my sponsors who are offering me an opportunity to realize a dream. However, I want to indicate that I will continue to compete in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.”

NASCAR NATIONWIDE MONTREAL

Sunday, August 3rd, 2008 by Rolf

The first Nationwide series race to be run in the rain was a cautious affair by NASCAR.

The sprinkles started coming down in lap 5, by lap 7 NASCAR stopped the race with a mandetory “3 minute” pit stop to change to rain tires and add windshield wipers to the cars. That red flag event and following yellow ended up in a race delay of about 1 hour.

None of the teams were allowed to make their own strategic decisions for tire choices, or when to change back and forth from wets to slicks. This frustrated the fans and many of the experienced road racers. The race had 3 more cautions for a total of 13 laps.
After 48 of the scheduled 74 laps were completed NASCAR halted the event, and expert Canadian road racer Ron Fellows took the checkered under a yellow. Congratulations.

Despite all the NASCAR official interferences in the race, designed to aid the series regulars, many of the experienced road racers (aka Canadian drivers) prevailed:

 1     Ron Fellows            GoDaddy.com   Chevrolet
 2     Patrick Carpentier     Subway Dodge

16     Jacques Villeneuve     L'Equipeur/Ganotec Toyota

27     D J Kennington         Mahindra Tractor Dodge

28     Andrew Ranger          Tide/Wal Mart/Supercuts Dodge

32     Wheeler Boys           sponsordavis.com Chevy

34     Trevor Boys            sponsordavis.com Chevy

40     Don Thompson Jr        MRSP Chevy

41     Scott Steckley         MRSP Chevy