Rolfsracing.com - News Blog

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.

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.).

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.

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.

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.”

Scott Steckly won his first NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio championship Saturday night, holding off a late-season challenge from Don Thomson Jr by 24 points.

Steckly finished 17th in the Dodge Dealers of Ontario 250 at Kawartha Speedway, while Thomson finished fifth. Enough to earn his first NASCAR championship by 24 points. Jason Hathaway picked up his first career victory in a race that was called after 174 of the scheduled 250 laps due to of rain.

Steckly won three of the first four races of the season and held the points lead throughout the season. The 36 year old driver from Milverton, Ontario ended the season with four wins, nine top fives and nine top 10s.

As the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion, Steckly also earned a spot in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown. The Showdown will be Jan. 23-24, 2009 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, California. 2007 NCATS champion, Andrew Ranger represented the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in the prestigious postseason event last year.

See our NCATS Page for more information on the final race and final 2008 season stats.

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

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.”

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

Ashley Taws is on of 32 racers entered in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (NCATS) NAPA 100. The race takes place at 10:20 AM EDT on Saturday August 2nd., before the afternoon NASCAR Nationwide race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

“I’ve adjusted pretty well to stock car racing, but I’m going to have another 200 horsepower to get used to in the (NASCAR Canadian Tire Series).”said Taws. “I have raced on the track before, so only the car will be new to me,” Taws said. “I just want to take this as a learning process and not push everything to the limit. I don’t expect to win the race. I want to do well, but this will be a learning event for me and my crew, who are new to stock cars, as well.”

“I’ve watched all the (NCATS) races on television this year and there are a lot of high-profile drivers. I’ve seen how hard they race and how tight the competition is,” she said. “I am a little nervous, but probably more excited than anything. I just want to learn the car and begin to earn respect among the drivers as a solid racer.”

Rolf’s Racing as always wishes Ashley well.

Also on the Weekend Card is a 74 lap or 2 hour race by the Grand-Am Rolex Series on Friday, August 1 at 4:15 PM EDT.

Here is the complete NCATS entry list for the Montreal race:

CAR  DRIVER/HOMETOWN                  SPONSOR

 1   Peter Gibbons, Stouffville Ont.  Canadian Tire/
                                      Mobil Super Ford

02   Kerry Micks, Mt. Albert Ont.     Beyond Digital
                                      Imaging Ford

 3   Jason Hathaway, Appin Ont.       Snap-on Tools/
                                      Super 8 Dodge

 4   Don Thomson, Jr., Ayr Ont.       Home Hardware Chevrolet

 7   Alex Tagliani, Lachenaie Que.    Wal-Mart/Ubisoft Ford

 9   Mark Dilley, Barrie Ont.         Dodge/Leland
                                      Industries Dodge

10   Doug Brown, Brantford Ont.       Haldex Dodge

12   John Gaunt, Barrie Ont.          Centennial Chrysler Dodge

17   D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas Ont. Castrol/NPP Dodge

18   Kent Nuhn, Williamsford Ont.     Interstate Batteries/
                                      The Fuel Genie Chevrolet

19   Brad Graham, Glencoe Ont.        Full Throttle/
                                      Challenger Dodge

21   Jason White, Sun Peaks B.C.      A&W/Zimmer-Wheaton
                                      GMC Chevrolet

22   Scott Steckly, Milverton Ont.    Tow Truck in a Box/
                                      Erb Group Dodge

23   Jeff Lapcevich, Grimsby Ont.     Tim Hortons Chevrolet

25   Jim Lapcevich, Hamilton Ont.     Tim Hortons Chevrolet

27   Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond Que.  Wal-Mart/Tide Ford

29   Pierre Bourque, Ottawa Ont.      Whitlock Motorsports
                                      Dodge

39   Dave Whitlock, Petrolia Ont.     Dickies/NMT Dodge

42   Peter Klutt, Halton Hills Ont.   Legendary Motorcar/
                                      G-Force Pontiac

44   Jarrad Whissell, Calgary Alb.    SMS Equipment/
                                      Komatsu Ford

49   John Fletcher, Ancaster Ont.     London Mechanical Dodge

56   Joey McColm, Ajax Ont.           Lucas Oil Dodge

60   Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor Ont. Mopar/Mobil 1 Dodge

67   David Thorndyke, Oshawa Ont.     Thorsons EVT Chevrolet

69   Trevor Seibert,Williams Lake BC  Lake Excavating/
                                      EMCO Waterworks Ford

71   Bryan Cathcart,Peterborough Ont. Liftlock Stars/
                                      Kleen-Flo Dodge

72   Ashley Taws, Newmarket Ont.      Barbie at Wal-Mart
                                      Chevrolet

77   Derek Lynch, Warkworth Ont.      Allied Steel Buildings/
                                      Canadian Shield Dodge

82   Dave Connelly, Arnprior Ont.     Samsung Chevrolet

84   J.R. Fitzpatrick, Cambridge Ont. Fitzpatrick Motorsports
                                      Chevrolet

88   Robin Buck, Campbellville Ont.   Active Green+Ross Ford

95   Anthony Simone,Holland Landing Ont. Crown Modular
                                      Chevrolet

July 18, 2008/ After a 1st place LMS win at at the SPA in Belgium and a 2nd place on the podium at the 24 HEURES DU MANS for Team Peugeot Total, Jacques Villeneuve is back in Montreal to take part in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge.The former Formula One champion will be one of three drivers entered in the race by Braun Racing. His crew chief is Todd Lohse, who guided Busch to victory in Charlotte.This should be a good race for Villeneuve, he racing for a proven team on a circuit named for his dad, on which Jacques has had success on many occasions.”It’s always fun to have the opportunity to race for such a competitive team as Braun Racing with great people that show confidence in you,” said Villeneuve. “It also adds to my pleasure to be in a car that hosted great pilots such as Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin.”

All the best to Jacques on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Rolfs Racing is rooting for him.