By Spencer Lewis - DELAWARE, ON – After opening up their 2013 campaign with an impressive runner-up performance on the road course at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Jeff Lapcevich and the Fastline Motorsports team entered June 15th`s EMCO 200 at Delaware Speedway eager for a solid follow-up.
The Grimsby, ON driver spoke openly of the changes made to the team`s oval track program prior to the event, with high hopes for another podium finish.
Starting outside Row 4, Lapcevich implemented his style of patient aggression early on, moving the #76 Tim Hortons Dodge to the top-5 by lap 45. Unfortunately for Lapcevich, a cut tire would relegate him to pit road for an unscheduled pit stop less than 10 laps later.
“We were very happy with the way our car was performing early on, my team gave me a great setup and we certainly felt as though we were moving to the front before the flat tire”, explained Lapcevich post-race.
The Fastline Motorsports team would change the tire under green flag conditions, losing 3 laps in doing so. Once back on track, Lapcevich continued to battle and persevere, finding additional speed and working towards a 12th place finish.
“Anytime you lose a lap under green flag conditions, it’s tough to battle back. Especially with the type of competition in this series”, admitted Lapcevich. “But I’m proud of my team, they didn’t give up tonight and we learned quite a bit about this car that should help us when it comes time to unload at the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park next weekend”
Lapcevich’s Tim Hortons/Castrol/Cathcart Trucking/Troy Cove Marine/Springers Meats supported entry will return to competition on June 22nd, when the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series visits The Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
Be sure to visit www.LapcevichRacing.com for news, videos and updates all season long from Jeff and the rest of the Fastline Motorsports team. To learn more about the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, check out www.hometracks.nascar.com
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 17, 2013) – He’s been nosing around it for a while and Steve Mathews feels it’s time to take the next step.
Mathews splashed onto the scene in 2009 in his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 debut at the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario by setting fast time in practice and the race results showed it wasn’t a stab in the dark. After qualifying fourth, the now 22-year-old out of New Liskeard, Ontario finished sixth to prove that he could compete with Canada’s best stock-car competitors.
In three subsequent races on that same half-mile oval Mathews has driven his No. 15 Bill Mathews Motors Ford to two more top-10 finishes and a start from the outside pole position a year ago in the Clarington 200.
After 22 series starts – primarily on ovals – across five seasons now, Mathews, who scored a series career-best finish of third on June 15 at Delaware (Ontario) Speedway, has three top-five finishes and two pole wins. While not an indictment on his performance Mathews notes the glaring lack of a victory. Considering the competition, it’s not a huge red flag, but he thinks it’s past time to go to Victory Lane. Further whetting his appetite for a win was last September’s battle at Barrie (Ontario) Speedway. Mathews started from the pole position and had a late-race lead before tangling with some traffic resulting in a disappointing finish in fourth.
“I really thought we had that one, but it didn’t work out,” said Mathews. “When you get that close it makes you want it even more. I have no doubt that we’ll get there. We have a solid team.”
Cutting his racing teeth on the half-mile oval at Delaware, Mathews believes the two Ontario tracks are similar enough for the experience to transfer.
“I began my career at Delaware and the two tracks are fairly similar,” he said. “We run the same gear and the setups are pretty close. There are a few differences between the two (tracks), but I feel comfortable there.”
The relatively flat egg-shaped oval at CTMP creates some setup problems for race teams, but Mathews enjoys competing there.
“I like that track,” he stated. “It can be a little tricky, but everyone knows it well and will be ready for the race. I don’t expect anyone to be surprised.”
The stakes for the Clarington 200 were raised last week with Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s announcement that they will cease operation of the oval track later this summer to continue the ongoing renovation of the facility by the new ownership group that came onboard in 2011.
“I absolutely would love to win the last Canadian Tire Series race there,” declared Mathews.
Race: Clarington 200
Place: Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Date: Saturday, June 22
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV Schedule: TSN, Sun., June 30, 1 p.m. ET; RDS2, Fri., July 9, 11 p.m. ET
Track Layout: Half-mile paved oval
2012 Winner: D.J. Kennington
2012 Pole Sitter: Pete Shepherd III
Event Schedule: Practice 1-1:30 p.m.; Final Practice 2-2:30 p.m.; Qualifying 5:10 p.m.; Driver Autograph Session 5:45 p.m..; Opening Ceremonies 6:30 p.m.
NASCAR IMC Contact: Jason Christley, (386) 547-2469 or jchristley@nascar.com, Twitter: @jay_christley
If photographs or graphics are needed for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, please contact Shon Sbarra at (704) 309-5493 or ssbarra@nascar.com
FAST FACTS
The Race: This is the third event of the 2013 season for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 and the second of eight oval-track events on the schedule. This is the series’ seventh time to the oval at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
The Procedure: The starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 21 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 200 laps covering 100 miles.
The Track: The Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, formerly known as Mosport Speedway, is part of Canada’s largest motorsports complex. The 750-acre, multi-track facility is located within the Greater Toronto Area, north of Bowmanville, Ont. CTMP also features the 2.459-mile road course, a 2.4-kilometer advanced driver and race driver training facility and a 1.4-kilometer karting track. The facility opened in 1961 and has hosted stock car, Formula 1 and IndyCar events over the years. Canadian Tire acquired the naming rights to the facility earlier this year.
The Records: The single-lap qualifying record is held by Pete Shepherd III of 21.517 seconds (83.655 mph) was set on June 16, 2012. The 200-lap race record was established on May 28, 2011 by Scott Steckly at 1 hour, 30 minutes, 21 seconds for an average speed of 66.740 mph.
RACE NOTES
So Long: The Clarington 200 will be the final NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event on the half-mile oval at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The management team for the venue announced earlier this month that it will be closing the oval track to make way for an expanded driver development course. The track has hosted a race every year since the series’ inception in 2007. The Canadian Tire Series will continue to visit the 2.459-mile road course and looks forward to the Sept. 1 shared date with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on the iconic road circuit.
Big Night: Scott Steckly needs a solid performance in the Clarington 200. Two events into the 2013 campaign finds the two-time series champion down 36 points in the standings to leader D.J. Kennington. Steckly finished 24th in the season opener after an early-race crash and 21st at Delaware Speedway due to mechanical problems.
Same, But Different: It’s certainly not new to see Kennington atop the season standings, but he got there without the benefit of a victory. A season ago, Kennington established a series record with seven wins. Consistency has been the name of the game so far for the defending champion with a pair of fourth-place efforts with just two of 12 races in the books.
Equal Opportunity: After six Canadian Tire Series events each of the three series manufacturers – Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford – have been to Victory Lane twice. Don Thomson Jr. took Chevy in 2007 and 2010. Kerry Micks (2008) and Andrew Ranger (2009) drove Fords to the win. And Steckly (2011) and Kennington (2012) took Dodge to the winner’s circle in each of the last two years.
LAST TIME OUT: EMCO 200
Good Numbers: With his victory at Delaware Speedway Pete Shepherd III has four wins in his last 13 Canadian Tire Series outings dating back to his first triumph in the 2010 season finale at Kawartha Speedway.
Rolling Along: With a sixth-place finish at Delaware, 20-year-old Noel Dowler continued his progression and maturation as a stock-car driver. The second-generation driver out of Sherwood Park, Alberta has top-10 finishes in four of his last five starts.
High-Water Marks: At Delaware Speedway, Larry Jackson, Hugo Vannini and Dave Connelly each established new marks for best finish in a Canadian Tire Series event. Jackson finished seventh followed by Vannini and Connelly in eighth and ninth, respectively. It was the first career top 10 for Vannini.
Growing Pains: Alex Guenette has been impressive in his first two series events. In the season opener on the road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park the 17-year-old grabbed attention with solid practice and qualifying speeds, but an engine problem derailed his chances in the race. In the EMCO 200, the youngster spent several laps in the lead pack, but a Lap 158 accident brought another early departure.
NEXT TIME OUT: Jiffy Lube 100 presented by Snap-on
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 makes the first of its three journeys to Quebec this season for the Jiffy Lube 100 presented by Snap-on on July 6-7 at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel. The date is also the second of four road-course events on the 2013 slate. Last season, Andrew Ranger flexed his road-course muscle to claim the victory.
Monday June 17, London, ON: Scott Steckly, driver of the # 22 Canadian Tire Dodge set a fast time during Saturday afternoons qualifying session, but the night ended early for the two- time champion when the rear end gear failed.
After a practice session where the team achieved eighth out of the twenty two cars, the Steckly crew went to work on the car. They found what the driver was looking for as he went out for his qualifying laps and posted a time of 19.244 seconds giving him the first place starting position for the 200 lap event. “This is all credit to my great crew as they worked through some issues after practice to get me the car to win the pole,” said Steckly.
The green flag waved for the second race of the 2013 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and Steckly quickly jumped out into the lead. By lap 60 the front three competitors had broken away from the rest of the field with Steckly setting the pace. On lap 66 the caution flew and the front runners all headed to pit road. The 22 crew quickly went to work making some adjustments to the handling of the car and topping him up with enough fuel to go the distance. The Canadian Tire Dodge lined up fifth for the restart. Within a lap or two smoke was detected from the rear of the 22 car and NASCAR showed the black flag indicating he had to go back to pit road. The crew quickly diagnosed the problem and they pushed the car behind the wall. After losing laps for the repair Steckly returned to the track to finish the race in a very disappointing 21st.
“Our team and equipment are much better than the results we have had so far this year,” commented Steckly after the race. “We have led laps at both races so we know we are competitive – it’s just a matter of time until we get back on the podium or challenge for the win.”
The Emco 200 will air on TSN/TSN2 on Sunday June 23 at 1 p.m and on RDS/RDS2 on Monday July 8 at 9 p.m.
Scott Steckly and the 22 Racing Team is supported by the following sponsors: Canadian Tire, Sylvania, Mobil 1, Erb Group, Johnsonville and AW Millwrights.
For more information on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series please visit www.nascarhometracks.com
Follow Scott Steckly and his team at www.22racing.ca or on Twitter @ScottSteckly22
Delaware, Ont. June 15, 2013. Car troubles continued to plague Jason White and his #21 Bowers & Wilkins Dodge at Saturday’s EMCO 200. White was hopeful for a comeback after an incident at the hands of another driver soured the first race of the season last month.
During practice, old tires seemed to be the culprit of a subpar performance for the Bowers & Wilkins Dodge. The team regrouped, fitted the vehicle with fresh tires and performed better in qualifying, earning 15th place.
#21 didn’t miss a beat at the start of the contest, and he described the car as “fast, super fast.”
White fought hard and continued to claw his way to the front of the field.
“Either the car came alive or I did, or both” White said later. “We jumped right in line and quickly moved up.”
However as the race progressed, tensions ran high among the drivers and patience ran low. There was plenty of bumping and grinding among other racecars.
White continued to push forward among the hostile competition, but the car began to slow, alerting him of a problem.
#21 came to a pit road and the crew discovered a broken tie rod in the vehicle. The team did a great job of quickly making the repair and getting White back on the track.
Unfortunately for White, he went seven laps down and they were forced to focus on bringing home the Dodge in one piece.
“It was a tough break,” White said. “The guys worked really hard to fix the problem as quickly as they did. It’s disappointing but we’ll regroup and be back after it next week.”
Jason White will be back in the #21 Bowers & Wilkins Dodge at the next event, Saturday June 22nd at the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. To keep up with the latest news about Jason White and the #21 Dodge team check out the team website at www.jasonwhiteracing.com and be sure to follow Jason on twitter for the latest updates @racinjasonwhite You can get more information about the NCATS series at www.hometracks.nascar.com
Attached Photo: Jason White in the #21 Bowers & Wilkins Dodge at Delaware Speedway.
Photo Credit: Mathew Murnaghan
Prepared by Todd Lewis & TL Sports & Entertainment, todd@tlsportsent.com (239) 961-2618
Delaware, Ont. June 15, 2013. Martin Roy battled hard during round number two of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and came away with a satisfying finish at the EMCO 200 behind the wheel of his #90 Batteries Expert/Gamache Dodge on Saturday.
Roy debuted a new oval course car, and his crew set it up to handle consistently over the course of the entire race.
In test sessions a few days prior to the race, Roy was feeling good about his new vehicle. In practice, the car held up to expectation and the team qualified a respectable 10th
When the race kicked off, Roy quickly collected positions and earned a spot inside the top 10. However, #90 seemed to linger between 8th and 9th place and had trouble pushing forward in the field.
The crew pitted for tires and had a trouble with the right rear, which caused Roy to fall back in positioning. In light of the tire issue, he still managed to cling to the lead lap.
Despite the minor setback, the crew held on to the silver lining.
“When you’re the back of the pack on the lead lap, you really have nothing to lose,” said Crew Chief Mario Gosselin.
Roy jumped eagerly back into the race, and as laps ticked away, #90 managed to battle to the front of the field on lap 117. He was forced to relinquish 1st place in lap 123, but thankfully any significant car trouble was behind him for the remainder of the contest.
“The car was really good, but not perfect, and we’ll work hard to make the car better for next week,” Roy said after the race.
#90 grasped onto top five positioning through the rest of the race and battled to the end with a 5th place result.
“There is a lot of determination in this team and we want to keep improving,” Roy said. “I’m happy to take home 5th place.”
Martin Roy’s finish secures him into 8th place in the overall standings, with 65 points.
Martin Roy and his #90 Batteries Expert/Gamache Dodge team return to action this coming Saturday June 22nd on the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park near Bowmanville, ON.
Photo: Martin Roy in the #90 Batteries Expert/Gamache Dodge at Delaware Speedway.
Photo Credit: Mathew Murnaghan
Prepared by Todd Lewis & TL Sports & Entertainment, todd@tlsportsent.com (239) 961-2618
Delaware, Ont. June 15, 2013 – Ron Beauchamp Jr. headed into round number two of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series this past Saturday at Delaware Speedway confident behind the wheel of a brand new oval course car, but a late-race incident denied him a certain top five result.
Beauchamp was excited for the morning with a brand new #60 Mopar Parts/Exide/Pennzoil Dodge.
“I could really feel the difference in this new car,” he said. “It handled so much better than our previous car.”
#60’s 11th place qualifying time wasn’t as high as he would’ve liked, but the team remained in high spirits for the main event.
Beauchamp steered his new vehicle easily into the top 10, and the car was performing increasingly well with each lap. The team decided to make use of the first pit stop for fuel and minor handling adjustments. Their efforts paid off, and #60’s performance kept advancing.
The crew utilized the second pit opportunity for fresh tires and the Mopar Parts/Exide/Pennzoil Dodge hit its high note of the race, moving into 4th place.
An excellent result was in sight for Beauchamp, until a late restart following a caution period. Beauchamp was tagged from behind by #15 following a rough bout of racing. The hit propelled him into the inside wall with force. Unfortunately for the team, #60’s pristine new car suffered significant damage.
The team tried its best to recoup what they could in a pit stop, clearing bodywork to get the vehicle in shape to finish.
“When that late caution came out, I was pleased because the tires would cool off and I knew we’d be fast again,” Beauchamp said after the race. “It’s terrible that we had a top five finish taken away by a part-time driver.”
Beauchamp forged through the final laps, eventually crossing the finish line in 13th place.
Ron Beauchamp and the #60Mopar Parts/Pennzoil/Exide Dodge will get back in action at round three of the series Saturday June 22nd at Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
To get more information about the #60 Mopar Parts/Pennzoil/Exide Batteries team you can log on to www.beauchampmotorsports.com and www.mopar.ca
Attached photo: The #60 Mopar Parts/Pennzoil/Exide Batteries Dodge on track at Delaware Speedway
Photo Credit: Mathew Murnaghan
CONTACT INFORMATION
Ron Beauchamp Sr., Beauchamp Motorsports (519) 726-9600
June 15, 2013- London, Ontario- After a very successful 3rd place finish at the season opener 3 weeks ago at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Hathaway and his team were looking forward to getting started on the oval tracks on the schedule last night at Delaware Speedway. A flat tire however early in the 200 lap EMCO 200 took that away from the hard charging team.
Returning to his roots at Delaware Speedway, where Hathaway got his racing start and won countless races, Jason Hathaway and his #3 Snap-on Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge were poised to have a great night at the familiar track. The car practiced very well, 3rd on the speed charts and Hathaway laid down a 6th pace qualifying effort.
“It’s great to come to the track every weekend and know that we have a car that is very competitive everywhere we go. The guys in the shop worked really hard during the off season and during the week and we are excited to show what we can do this weekend.” said Hathaway during the autograph session flanked by the popular ROCKSTAR models trackside.
Starting on the outside of row 3, Hathaway and team spotter Jeff Gotalear worked to get a run going early and to get down to the bottom groove of the race track off the start. This set him up to content for 5th and by lap 17; he had taken over the spot. Hathaway pulled into the 4th spot when he reported in wicked vibration to his Crew Chief Craig Masters. By the time Hathaway brought his race machine to the attention of his over the wall crew, his left front tire was flat. Under green flag conditions, the team changed the tire and repaired the damage to the car. With green flag laps still being recorded on the track, unfortunately he went down 3 laps to the leaders.
Hathaway battled back as much as he could but was running on his own lap for the remainder of the race, recordings some super-fast laps and working his way back up to the 11th finishing positions.
“This was not the night that we worked for tonight. We had a great car and the flat tire really wrecked our night. We battled back, but we could only get so far up in the field to get our laps back. Our over the wall guys worked hard never gave up. With our equipment and their determination we will battle back next week at MOPSORT.
The EMCO 200 will air on TSN on June 23, 2013 at 1 pm EST and on RDS2 on Monday July 8 at 9pm.
Despite the frustrating finish, Hathaway still has a strong hold on 3rd place in the Championship points standings going into the Clarington 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park on the oval on June 22, 2013, near Bowmanville, Ontario.
Stay up to date with the Team’s events by following the Team on Twitter @jasonhathaway3, @ehrt3r. “Like” the team on their Facebook page Facebook/edhakonsonracing.team3red and check out their website at team3red.com.
Photo Credit: Matthew Murnaghan
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T3R/ EHR is proud to be partnered with Snap-on Tools, Rockstar Energy Drinks, Napoleon Grills, Harman Group, Fast Eddie Racewear, Choko Motorsports, Praxair, Thornbury Cider and King Brewery.
About Snap-on Tools: Snap-on Tools is a leading global innovator, manufacturer and marketer of tools, diagnostics and equipment solutions for professional users. Product lines include hand and power tools, tool storage, diagnostics software, information and management systems, shop equipment and other solutions used by technicians and professionals at vehicle dealerships and repair centers in the marine, power sports and aviation industries. Learn how you can become a part of the Snap-on Tools family by visiting www.snaponfranchise.ca Snap-on Tools and its affiliates have more than 22,000 products, operate in more than 130 countries and employ approximately 11,000 people worldwide. Snap-on also has a franchise network of more than 4,200 franchises
About Rockstar Energy Drink: “ROCKSTAR is the world’s most powerful energy drink. Enhanced with the potent herbal blend of Guarana, Ginkgo, Ginseng and Milk Thistle, ROCKSTAR is formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles – from athletes to rock stars! Thry their new Rockstar Srours flavours including Green Apple and Bubbleberry!
June 16 2013. Sherwood Park, Alberta’s Noel Dowler and the #5 EMCO/Rheem Dodge team had a busy week prior to round number two of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series this past weekend, the EMCO 200 at Delaware Speedway. In front of a large contingent of EMCO customers and staff Dowler chalked up another top ten finish after battling back from an early obstacle.
The #5 EMCO/Rheem Dodge team worked hard through practice to improve the set-up of the car and following the second session the driver was pleased. “The car is fast and it felt really good, I’m excited about the race” said Dowler.
Qualifying is still something that the #5 EMCO/Rheem Dodge driver needs to work on. “It’s something I need to improve and be a little more aggressive at, we were faster than 15th where I qualified” said Dowler.
Once the green flag flew for the EMCO 200 Dowler set about improving his position in the field and that’s exactly what happened. Smartly moving the #5 EMCO/Rheem Dodge toward the top ten. “The car was pretty stout all day” said the driver afterwards.
As the race progressed Dowler continued to work hard and looking to gain positions. However they’re night would become a battle during a scheduled pit stop. “We broke a wheel stud during out pit stop and went down a lap” explained Dowler so we put our head down and fought back” he added.
A determined Dowler pushed the #5 EMCO/Rheem Dodge looking to gain back as many positions as possible and began marching forward. In the late stages another caution flag flew that benefitted the team. The first car one lap down they were granted the free pass back to the lead lap. Dowler continued his charge in the late stages and crossed the finish line with a hard fought sixth place result.
After two events Dowler sits fourth in the overall championship standings
“All in all I’m pretty pleased” said Dowler. “I have to thank the crew for doing a great job making the repairs; one lap could have easily become three laps, their work kept us in the hunt to get our lap back. I managed to drive back up to sixth without really ruffling any feathers, I might have been able to nudge my way up and get another spot or two but I didn’t think that was the way to go especially this early in the season. I’m happy we bounced back with a good result with all the EMCO supporters here tonight and I’m looking forward to getting back at it next week” he stated.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series consists of 12 events from coast to coast in Canada. The next race is Saturday June 22nd at the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park near Bowmanville, ON. For more information about Noel Dowler and the #5 EMCO Dodge/Rheem team log onto www.apollomotorsports.ca and follow him on twitter, @noeldowler.
Attached Photo: Noel Dowler in the #5 EMCO/Rheem Dodge at Delaware Speedway
June 16, 2013. Returning to his home track at Delaware Speedway is always special for #17 Castrol Edge Dodge driver DJ Kennington. In front of plenty of family and friends once again Kennington showed his amazing consistency during round number two of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series securing another top five finish and with that Kennington takes over the top spot in the overall championship standings.
Beginning with practice early in the day the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team went about their work fine tuning their car for the race. Kennington would conclude the final practice session with the quickest lap time. The St. Thomas, ON driver came up just short in qualifying and claimed the second starting position on the outside of row one. “I was just a little tentative” said Kennington afterward.
As the green flag dropped action picked up quickly and drivers were pretty aggressive. Kennington took his usual steady approach settling into a comfortable pace and staying near the front of the field.
As the caution flag flew just past the 1/3 mark the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge made a scheduled stop for fuel and also some handling adjustments. “The car felt just a little off” explained the driver. “We made some pretty significant changes trying to improve”.
Kennington would put the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge into the lead of the race on lap 78. The handling however still wasn’t at 100% and he would give it up a few laps later.
Following the second scheduled stop for fresh tires Kennington again looked to make a charge but would come up a little short in his bid for a fourth victory at the track. The #17 Castrol Edge Dodge would cross the finish line fourth.
“We just missed the set up a little bit” said Kennington. It was getting a bit wild at the end with some guys really pushing the envelope so we took what we could and brought the car home pretty clean. We’ll regroup this week and have the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge ready to rock next week” he stated.
DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team will return to action for round three of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series on Saturday June 22nd at the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park near Bowmanville, ON
Race fans are encouraged to keep up to date with the latest team news in several ways. Race fans should bookmark the team website www.djkracing.ca and follow them on twitter, @djkracing and fans should also “like” the DJK Racing Fan Page on Facebook.
Photo: DJ Kennington in the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge
Photo Credit: Mathew Murnaghan
Prepared by Todd Lewis & TL Sports & Entertainment, todd@tlsportsent.com (239) 961-2618
He may be a part-time competitor on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, but Pete Shepherd III sure makes the most of his opportunities.
Shepherd took the lead from J.R. Fitzpatrick on Lap 150 and held on through three restarts over the final 50 circuits to take the checkered flag in Saturday’s EMCO 200 at Delaware Speedway.
The triumph marked Shepherd’s fourth career victory. The Brampton, Ont., native has found Victory Lane four years in a row now, despite making just 17 starts during that span. However, going up against the full-time teams wasn’t quite as hard as it appears given the right circumstances according to Shepherd.
“Tonight, it really wasn’t that bad. The car was awesome,” said the driver of the No. 7 National Exhaust/Diamond Material Handling Dodge. “When you have a car like that, you just need to make it to the end of the race. We knew if we could stay out of trouble early on that we could race for the win at the end.”
It also marked Shepherd’s first win at Delaware, where his previous best finish in three starts on the venerable half-mile oval was fifth on two occasions.
OntarioOval.com with EMCO 200 winner Pete Shepherd. 2nd & 3rd place interviews below.
Shepherd, who led a race-high 74 laps, had to deal with several challengers down the stretch, but none more so than Fitzpatrick.
“J.R. is one of the best in the business and he definitely had me concerned on those restarts,” Shepherd said. “He raced me clean and I want to thank him for that. He and I have a mutual respect for each other. It was a great night.”
Fitzpatrick settled for second place as once again a win on an oval eluded the championship contender. Seven of his eight series career wins have come on road courses and his lone win on a circle track came in July 2007 at Motoplex Speedway in Vernon, B.C. Nevertheless, Fitzpatrick and the No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet team was upbeat at the end of the night after a rough go in the season opener produced a finish near the rear of the field.
“It’s not exactly what we came here for, but in a way it was,” Fitzpatrick said. “We were pretty far back in the points, so second is pretty good and we led a lap (to pick up the one-point bonus).”
He echoed Shepherd’s sentiments on the final laps.
“I could’ve punted him, but I have too much respect for him to do that,” Fitzpatrick stated. “Down the stretch his car got better and better. I can’t thank my guys enough for a great race car tonight.”
Steve Mathews crossed the line in third for a series career-best finish after being among the leaders all evening.
“We didn’t have the car at the start, but we had some adjustability built into it and we were able to use that to our advantage,” said the pilot of the No. 15 Bill Mathews Motors Ford.
At one point late in the race Mathews found himself in the middle of a three-wide battle with D.J. Kennington and Ron Beauchamp Jr. on a track not exactly built for that type of racing. Beauchamp seemingly came out the loser in that battle and made his feelings known after the race by confronting Mathews.
“To Beauchamp, I have to say sorry about that, but I was in the middle and along for the ride,” Mathews stated. “There wasn’t much I could do.”
Kennington, who was in search of his fourth Canadian Tire Series win on his home track, finished fourth followed by Martin Roy in fifth. Noel Dowler, Larry Jackson, Hugo Vannini, Dave Connelly and Joey McColm brought home the remainder of the top-10 finishers in the second race on the 2013 slate.
Pete Shepherd passes J.R. Fitzpatrick for the lead on lap 151 on route to the win.
Kennington took over the top spot in the point standings after L.P. Dumoulin experienced mechanical problems early in the race and limped to a 19th-place finish. Jeff Lapcevich is second six points in back of the leader followed by Jason Hathaway in third just seven tallies off the pace.
The EMCO 200 will air on TSN on Sunday, June 23 at 1 p.m. ET and on RDS2 on Monday, July 8 at 9 p.m.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will return to action with the Clarington 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park on June 22 in Bowmanville, Ont.
NASCAR CANDADIAN TIRE SERIES presented by MOBIL 1-EMCO 200
UNOFFICIAL Results
Saturday
At Delaware Speedway
Delaware, Ont.
Lap length: 0.5 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (4) Pete Shepherd, III, Brampton, Ont., Dodge, 200 laps, 65.622 mph.
2. (5) J.R. Fitzpatrick, Cambridge, Ont., Chevrolet, 200.
3. (3) Steve Mathews, New Liskeard, Ont., Ford, 200.
4. (2) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 200.
5. (10) Martin Roy, Napierville, Que., Dodge, 200.
6. (16) Noel Dowler, Sherwood Park, Alta., Dodge, 200.
7. (9) Howie Scannell Jr., Milton, Ont., Dodge, 200.
8. (18) Hugo Vannini, Repentigny, Que., Ford, 200.
9. (21) Dave Connelly, Arnprior, Ont., Dodge, 200.
10. (14) Joey McColm, Ajax, Ont., Dodge, 198.
11. (6) Jason Hathaway, Dutton, Ont., Dodge, 197.
12. (8) Jeff Lapcevich, Grimsby, Ont., Dodge, 197.
13. (11) Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor, Ont., Dodge, 196.
14. (15) Jason White, Sun Peaks, B.C., Dodge, 192.
15. (22) Ray Courtemanche Jr., Montreal, Que., Dodge, 191.
16. (17) Brad Graham, Glencoe, Ont., Ford, 186.
17. (19) Ryley Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 179.
18. (20) Trevor Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Dodge, 172, accident.
19. (12) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivieres, Que., Dodge, 160.
20. (13) Alex Guenette, Terrebonne, Que., Dodge, 157, accident.
21. (1) Scott Steckly, Milverton, Ont., Dodge, 129.
22. (7) Mark Dilley, Barrie, Ont., Ford, 66.
Race Statistics
Time of Race: 1 hour 31 minutes 26 seconds
Margin of Victory: .680 seconds
Fastest Qualifier: S.Steckly (93.536 mph, 19.244 seconds)
Caution Flags: 6 for 46 laps.
Lead Changes: 7 among 6 drivers.
Lap Leaders: S. Steckly 1-70; A. Guenette 71-77; D. Kennington 78-92; P. Shepherd,III 93-115; J. Fitzpatrick 116; M. Roy 117-123; J. Fitzpatrick 124-149; P. Shepherd,III 150-200.
Standings: 1. D. Kennington, 81; 2. J. Lapcevich, 75; 3. J. Hathaway, 74; 4. N. Dowler, 74; 5. L. Dumoulin, 73; 6. S. Mathews, 67; 7. H. Vannini, 67; 8. M. Roy, 65; 9. T. Seibert, 62; 10. B. Graham, 62.
OntarioOval.com with EMCO 200 runner-up JR Fitzpatrick.
OntarioOval.com with EMCO 200 third place Steve Mathews.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 11, 2013) – The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 makes its annual visit to Delaware (Ont.) Speedway for the first oval-track race in 2013. The EMCO 200 is set to take the green flag at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 15. Below is a statistical look at the recent performance of selected drivers at Delaware, as well as some other statistical trends:
Delaware Speedway Race Setup
D.J. Kennington has been dominant in winning three of the four Delaware races and leading a series-best 392 laps which is 47.7 percent of the total laps run.
Scott Steckly has three top-five finishes in four starts at the track with an average finish of 5.8 and runner-up finishes in each of the last two seasons.
Jason Hathaway has top-10 finishes in each of his last three Delaware starts with his best finish of third coming a year ago.
Points leader L.P. Dumoulin has just one Delaware start – 10th-place finish in 2012 – under his belt.
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series At Delaware Speedway
This is the series’ fifth visit to the half-mile oval in Southern Ontario.
Dodge has earned all four wins and starts from the pole.
There has been an average of 8.5 caution periods for an average of 65 laps in the four prior races with the earliest coming at Lap 2 in 2010 and the latest at Lap 210 in 2009 during attempts at a green-white-checkered finish.
The average starting position of the winner is 3.5, while the pole sitter has an average finish of ninth.
The most laps led by a race winner are 130 by D.J. Kennington in 2010 and the fewest is 46 by Don Thomson Jr. in 2011.
There has been an average of 10.25 lead changes in the four events.
Two of the four events have gone beyond the 200-lap advertised distance, but each of the last two races ended at the scheduled 200-lap mark.
The race’s television premieres are scheduled for Sunday, June 23 at 1 p.m. ET on TSN and Monday, July 8 at 9 p.m. ET on RDS2.
Delaware Speedway Data
Race: #2 of 12 (6/15/13)
Track Layout: Half-mile paved oval
Race Length: 200 laps (100 miles)
Records
1-Lap Qualifying: Mark Dilley, Dodge, 19.133 seconds, 94.078 mph, June 6, 2009
Settled for a 14th-place finish last year in the EMCO 200 after a brake line problem scuttled a race in which he led 92 laps.
Scored a Delaware-best finish of second in the 2010 race.
Also finished fifth in the 2011 EMCO 200.
Has led 156 laps at the Southern Ontario half-mile track.
Seven of his eight career series wins have come on road courses – CTMP (3), Edmonton (2) and Montreal (2); his oval track win came in July 2007 at Motoplex Speedway.
Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Snap-on Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge)
Finished third last year at Delaware; his best finish in four starts.
Has recorded three straight top-10 finishes at Delaware.
One of four drivers to start all 76 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.
Villeneuve to Drive a 22 Racing Prepared Dodge at Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres
Tuesday June 11, 2013, Mirabel, Quebec: Following a press conference on Monday at Circuit ICAR to promote the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event at Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres, the Dodge Dealers of Quebec introduced their driver.
Jacques Villeneuve will compete in the 2013 edition the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres in a 22 Racing prepared Dodge Challenger with partners Dodge, Couche-Tard and Julia Wine.
“I am thrilled to have Jacques racing one of our cars at Trois Rivieres,” commented team owner and driver Scott Steckly. “It is an honour for us to have him in the seat of a 22 Racing Dodge for this event as Jacques is a world class driver. With the talent of our three teams we should be a threat to win.”
“It was a great test day today,” stated Dumoulin Competition and Scott Steckly teammate LP Dumoulin. “It was awesome to test with Jacques in his Dodge Dealers of Quebec sponsored car prepared by Scott and his 22 racing team. He will be a great addition to our team in Trois Rivieres.”
“I was very pleased with the set up that Scott and the team put under the car today,” said Jacques Villeneuve after practice. “This is probably only once in my career that I jumped into a car and it was good right out of the box. I am very excited to race at Trois Rivieres.”
The JuliaWine100.com at Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres is the 8th event of the twelve race 2013 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule set for Aug 11th. For more information please visit www.gp3r.com
About 22 Racing: Scott Steckly owner of 22 Racing fields cars for his Canadian Tire team and the #47 Dumoulin Competition team of Louis-Phillipe Dumoulin in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Jacques Villeneuve will drive the #24 Dodge sponsored Dodge Challenger for a single event at the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres. Steckly is a two time NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion in 2008 and 2011. In only one event in 2013, they have posted a win with the 47 Dumoulin Competition team of LP Dumoulin at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. There are seven race ready cars in the 22 Racing stable. www.22racing.ca or follow on twitter @ScottSteckly22
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 10, 2013) – Round and round he goes. The performance of D.J. Kennington on NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 oval tracks has been nothing short of amazing.
Since the series began in 2007 the driver of the No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge out of St. Thomas, Ontario, has made 47 starts on circle tracks with a record of 16 wins, 35 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes. He also is the series’ all-time leader in wins with 18 and when he is able to string the wins together special things happen. In his championship seasons of 2010 and 2012, he racked up 12 of those wins.
The history supports Kennington’s assertion that he is an “oval track guy,” but he does have a pair of road-course wins on his résumé with a victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, in 2011 and one at Edmonton, Alberta last season.
Kennington’s career was defined by near championship misses in the CASCAR days and early on in the Canadian Tire Series. However, with two titles in the last three seasons, the story has changed.
The biggest noticeable difference over the past few years is the mechanical reliability of the car. His only bobble all of last season was a part failure at Barrie (Ont.) Speedway, but nothing could have been done to prevent it since the part was bad out of the box with no way to foresee the trouble. It was little nagging things that always seemed to bite Kennington at inopportune times.
“We spend a ton of time checking and re-checking everything,” said Kennington. “We’ve had pretty good luck – knock on wood. Things happen to race cars all of the time, but it won’t be because we missed something.”
Last season, Kennington was practically unbeatable on the oval tracks by winning six of the seven dates on the schedule. Only the fuel pump problem at Barrie prevented an opportunity at the sweep. His seven wins was a single-season series record eclipsing the six victories by Andrew Ranger in 2009.
The first five of those triumphs came consecutively. The streak started on the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in June and ran through a win in late July at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, Sask. The five-race win streak tied a then NASCAR touring series record among currently sanctioned series previously accomplished by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans (NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), nine-time NASCAR champion Mike Stefanik (Whelen Modified Tour), legendary West Coast driver Herschel McGriff (NASCAR K&N Pro Series West) and longtime NASCAR national series competitor Ricky Craven (K&N Pro Series East). Ander Vilarino of the Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series in Europe established a new mark by picking up his sixth straight win on June 9 at Brands Hatch in the United Kingdom.
It’s a new year for Kennington and he knows that he is a marked man.
“Last year was last year. It was a great year, but it’s in the past,” Kennington said. “We have a standard of excellence we want to meet that measures up to the competition we expect from everyone else. We can only take care of ourselves and tend to our business. If we do that, then everything should take care of itself.”
As of late, everything has taken care of itself.
Race: EMCO 200
Place: Delaware (Ontario) Speedway
Date: Saturday, June 15
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV Schedule: TSN, Sun., June 23, 1 p.m. ET; RDS2, Mon., July 8, 9 p.m. ET
Track Layout: Half-mile paved oval
2012 Winner: D.J. Kennington
2012 Pole Sitter: D.J. Kennington
Event Schedule: Practice 12:30-1 p.m.; Final Practice 1:30-2 p.m.; Qualifying 4:30 p.m.; Driver Autograph Session 5:40 p.m..; Opening Ceremonies 6:30 p.m.
If photographs or graphics are needed for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, please contact Shon Sbarra.
FAST FACTS
The Race: This is the second event of the 2013 season for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 and the first of eight oval-track events on the schedule. This is the series’ fifth time to Delaware Speedway.
The Procedure: The starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 21 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 200 laps covering 100 miles.
The Track: Delaware Speedway is a half-mile, paved stock-car track located just west of London, Ontario. For over 50 years, Delaware Speedway has been the home to some of the finest stock car racing in Canada. Its unique natural amphitheater-like setting allows maximum enjoyment for the fans. The track has undergone extensive remodeling over the past few years. The track was opened in 1952 by Hugh Brodie as a quarter-mile dirt track. The track is currently operated by the DeMelo and Spivak families.
The Records: Mark Dilley holds the one-lap track record in qualifying with a time of 19.133 seconds (94.078 mph), set on June 6, 2009. The 200-lap race record was set last season by D.J. Kennington at 1 hour, 22 minutes, 15 seconds (72.948 mph).
RACE NOTES
No Place Like Home: D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge) began his racing career at Delaware Speedway and his familiarity with the track is evident. In the first four Canadian Tire Series events on the half-mile track the driver from nearby St. Thomas, Ont., has three victories and two pole wins. Last season, he won the race from the pole position.
Dodge Ball: Dodge has been perfect at Delaware in four races. Kennington and Don Thomson Jr. (2011) have combined for the wins while Kennington, Dilley (2009) and Pete Shepherd III (2011) have claimed the pole position.
Getting Started: Of the drivers expected to participate in the EMCO 200, four – Dave Connelly, Mark Dilley and Shepherd – are expected to make their 2013 season debut. Four competitors – Daniel Bois, Alex Guennette, Ryley Seibert and Trevor Seibert – will be making their Delaware debut in a Canadian Tire Series car.
Big Weekend: Friday and Saturday evenings will be full of racing at Delaware Speedway. On Friday night the FT Garage Late Models and Coca-Cola Super Stocks will be on the track with heat races and features. The Canadian Tire Series will be joined by the Delaware Trucks on Saturday. Tickets are available for purchase at www.delawarespeedway.com.
LAST TIME OUT: Pinty’s presents the Vortex Brake Pads 200
First Timer: By winning at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park near Bowmanville, Ontario, L.P. Dumoulin became the 14th different driver to claim a victory in the just over six-year history of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.
Growing Up Dowler: It took 20-year-old Noel Dowler 13 races to collect his first Canadian Tire Series top-10 finish, but after an eight-place showing at CTMP the Alberta-born driver has top 10s in three of his last four starts.
Welcome Back: Brad Graham finished 10th in his first series start since the 2011 season finale at Kawartha Speedway in Fraserville, Ontario.
Tough Start: Championship contenders J.R. Fitzpatrick and Scott Steckly didn’t start the season the way neither had planned. Steckly had a Lap 13 accident forcing him to finish 24th and Fitzpatrick had a drive shaft problem while leading the race on Lap 8 relegating him to a 27th-place finish.
NEXT TIME OUT: Clarington 200
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 returns to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the Clarington 200 on Saturday, June 22, the third race of the season, but it’s a visit to the half-mile oval this time around after opening the year on the road course on May 19. D.J. Kennington claimed his first win on the CTMP speedway a year ago which kicked off a five-race winning streak and the run to his second series title.
May 29, 2013. The #60 Mopar Parts Dodge team with driver Ron Beauchamp Jr. is pleased to welcome a new partner into the family this season. One of only a handful of teams to compete in every NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event run the team knows the importance of high quality parts in accomplishing that goal. The #60 team is proud to announce Magneti Marelli as their new associate.
Magneti Marelli North America is known for high quality through significant investment in research and development to improve quality and performance, the exact qualities that the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge team also displays when they are preparing for competition in the race shop making this a perfect pairing.
“Partnering with the right kind of companies is necessary for a successful race team and having Magneti Marelli join this program will make us a stronger unit” said driver Ron Beauchamp Jr.
The “Magneti Marelli offered by Mopar” program provides high quality, easy to install parts to Chrysler Dealerships enabling them to service all vehicle makes as well as provide those same parts to independent repair facilities. Magneti Marelli produces more than 30 maintenance and repair products including; oil/air/fuel filters, brake pad kits, brake shoes, brake drums, brake rotors, shocks and struts with more on the way.
Magneti Marelli was founded in Italy in 1919 and has grown to have more than 100 locations in 18 countries with 35,000 employees. They established their presence in the United States in 1976.
Look for Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge in action next on Saturday June 15th at Delaware Speedway nearly London, ON.
Photo: The #60 Mopar Parts Dodge piloted by Ron Beauchamp Jr.
BOWMANVILLE, Ont. (May 19, 2013) – Louis-Philippe Dumoulin won the Pinty’s presents the Vortex Brake Pads 200 on Sunday in NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 action at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Dumoulin, out of Trois-Rivieres, Que., handled all comers on the 2.459-mile road course to pick up his first series career win while leading a race-high 32 laps. The 2011 series rookie of the year had a previous best finish of second last season in his hometown the event – the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.
After leading four laps early Dumoulin bided his time behind the wheel of his No. 47 WeatherTech.ca/Bellemare Dodge while everyone cycled through pit stops for tires and fuel. He took the lead from fellow Quebecer Martin Roy on Lap 24 and was out front for the rest of the 51-lap affair.
“I’m really proud of my team and the car was great all weekend,” said Dumoulin. “My crew chief Tyler Case was on top of everything and making sure we made the right decisions. We’re really happy to get out first win.”
In three of the six seasons in series history the winner of the season opener has gone on to win the points championship. However, Dumoulin is in just his second full season of Canadian Tire Series competition and the road course specialist will need to prove his mettle on the eight oval track events on the schedule this season.
“I learned quite a bit last year on the ovals, but it’s pretty tough to beat some of these guys,” he said. “This is a good win and we’ll continue to build on it.”
Runner-up Jeff Lapcevich seemed to be within striking distance after taking the white flag, but a bobble in Turn 1 effectively ended his challenge. The result equaled his best series finish established in 2009 at Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, N.S., and helped raise the spirits of the Lapcevich Racing team after Lapcevich’s father passed away unexpectedly in early April.
“Everything with my dad really set us back,” he said. “I wasn’t even sure we were going to come here and I told the team to get everything ready just a couple of weeks ago. They’ve worked extremely hard and I appreciate it.”
On the final lap the veteran Lapcevich tried some gamesmanship to get past Dumoulin.
“I thought maybe I could rattle him, but I just ended up rattling myself,” said the pilot of the No. 76 Tim Hortons Dodge out of Grimsby, Ont. “After that it was over. He would have had to have done something really wrong for me to catch him.”
Jason Hathaway finished third and scored his best Canadian Tire Motorsport Park finish in seven starts on the road course.
“We put a lot of emphasis on our road course program over the offseason and it certainly paid off in running up front most of the day,” Hathaway said.
Defending series champion D.J. Kennington and Robin Buck in fourth and fifth, respectively and Kerry Micks, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular Ty Dillon, Noel Dowler, Trevor Seibert and Brad Graham rounded out the top-10 finishers.
Dillon gained some valuable experience on the track that will host its first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event on Sunday, Sept. 1.
Pole sitter J.R. Fitzpatrick broke a drive shaft early on and finished a disappointing 27th in the 28-car field. He set a track record in Saturday’s qualifying and led the race’s first six laps before the untimely mechanical difficulty.
The race lead was exchanged six times among six drivers while the action was slowed due to caution three times for 13 laps.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 is back in action next on Saturday, June 15 for the EMCO 200 at Delaware (Ont.) Speedway.
