nascar canada

Molson Coors Canada Inks New Sponsorship With NASCAR In Canada

Molson Coors Canada Inks New Sponsorship With NASCAR In Canada

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NEW YORK, N.Y. (Dec. 9, 2010) — The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and Molson Coors Canada, a division of MolsonCoors, today announced a partnership in Canada in which the Keystone Light brand will become the Official Beer of NASCAR in Canada and the Official Beer of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

As an official partner, Keystone Light will have the ability to leverage the NASCAR logo on its packaging and throughout its national advertising campaigns. In addition, Keystone Light will participate in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Prize Money and Decal Program with the Keystone Light Pole Award. The award will be given to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver who posts the fastest qualifying time each race of the season. Under the agreement, the brand will also secure pouring rights at multiple facilities the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series visits.

This partnership includes a robust media component on TSN and TSN.ca comprising of spots, billboards and custom features in NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series broadcasts. The brand will also activate a national NASCAR promotion featuring VIP NASCAR race weekend experiences that bring Keystone Light drinkers up close and personal to the action on the race track.

“NASCAR Canada is extremely pleased to partner with Keystone Light and help grow its brand among passionate and devoted stock car racing fans using the NASCAR Canada platform,” said Randy Paul, managing director, NASCAR Canada. “To have a brand like Keystone Light, which has a successful history of supporting stock car racing in the U.S., working in partnership with NASCAR Canada is a testament to the popularity of NASCAR racing in Canada and its fans across the country.”

“Coors Light and Keystone Light have been terrific partners in the U.S., and we’re very excited to help Keystone Light expand its NASCAR relationship across the border into Canada,” said Jim O’Connell, vice president of corporate marketing for NASCAR. “With the NASCAR fan base evenly spread across Canada, we anticipate the sport can bring strong results to Keystone Light’s national promotions and retail activation.”

“The opportunity to partner with such a strong brand as NASCAR offers Keystone Light access to a growing fan base, providing immediate legitimacy with the loyal enthusiasts and casual followers of the sport,” said Kristi Knowles, vice president marketing for Molson Coors Canada. “We’re planning to genuinely integrate the Keystone brand within the NASCAR Canada community – many who already happen to be Keystone fans. Our aim is not to be a spectator sponsor but to be right there as the checkered flag is waved.”

With 12 points events in 2011 at Canada’s premier oval track facilities and largest road racing tracks, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is Canada’s premier motorsport and only national motorsport championship. The series, which launched in 2007, features Canada’s top teams and drivers competing on both oval and road courses, and as a companion event to other major in-market events. The series stages races in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

NASCAR is the #1 motorsports property on television in Canada. Today, 6.8 million adult Canadians are NASCAR fans, up from 5.8 million in 2004. NASCAR fans hail evenly from all parts of Canada, making up over a quarter of the population in each Canadian province.

About NASCAR Canada: NASCAR Canada, a partnership between NASCAR and TSN Events, a division of TSN within the CTVglobemedia family, Canada’s leading multi-media company, was created in 2004 to manage the growth of the NASCAR brand in Canada through sponsorship, licensing, and marketing initiatives. TSN, which has been broadcasting NASCAR races across Canada since 1984, brought to Canadian fans more than 80 NASCAR race broadcasts in 2010.

About Molson Coors Canada: With roots dating back to 1786 and a time-honoured tradition of brewing quality beers, Molson Coors Canada is proud to be the nation’s pre-eminent brewer. The Company proudly offers some of the most popular brands in Canada with an award-winning brand portfolio that includes Molson Canadian, Coors Light, Keystone, Keystone Light, Molson Dry and Rickard’s. Molson Coors Canada also partners with other leading brewers to offer such global brands as Heineken, Corona, Miller Genuine Draft, and Foster’s Lager. The Company employs 3,000 Canadians, operates six breweries, including the boutique brewery Creemore, and invests in communities from coast-to-coast through its various charitable initiatives and sports and entertainment sponsorships. Molson Coors Canada is part of the Molson Coors Brewing Company.

Canadian Tire Series 2011 Schedule Set

Canadian Tire Series 2011 Schedule Set

Gary Grant ⋅ Motorsport News ⋅ , , , ⋅ No comments

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced today the 2011 schedule for the fifth season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, which takes the series to some of the top racing facilities throughout Canada.

The schedule features 12 dates at 12 different tracks across five provinces. The slate includes tracks and events familiar to the series, but the addition of another road-course event is new for next season.

The 2011 campaign gets underway on Saturday, May 28 at Mosport Speedway near Bowmanville, Ont. It is the first time the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series opens its season at the half-mile oval. Last season, Don Thomson Jr. earned the victory in an August race. This will be the earliest date the track has hosted Canada’s premier racing series.

The season’s second date takes the Canadian Tire Series to a new venue – Circuit ICAR located on the grounds of Montreal’s Mirabel Airport. The 1.86-mile road course is located on the former passenger terminal’s apron.

The series again will be included in many of Canada’s largest motorsports events. For the fifth consecutive year, the Canadian Tire Series will share Montreal’s legendary Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on IÎe Notre Dame with the NASCAR Nationwide Series. This year’s signature event on the schedule is slated for Saturday, Aug. 20. Additionally, a date at Toronto’s Exhibition Place is set for Saturday, July 9. It is a pairing with the IZOD IndyCar Series at the popular Honda Indy Toronto. Two-time series champion Andrew Ranger picked up wins in both of these races last season.

The annual swing through Western Canada will include stops at Motoplex Speedway in Vernon, B.C., and Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, Sask. Both events resulted in standing-room-only crowds with Scott Steckly winning in British Columbia, and eventual series title winner DJ Kennington in Saskatchewan.

Another popular date is the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres in Quebec, which is on tap for Aug. 6-7. Last season, Ranger thrilled the fans of his home province with his third straight victory on the 1.53-mile temporary street course.

In what has become a tradition, the season will close and a new champion crowned at Kawartha Speedway, a .375-mile oval near Peterborough, Ont., on Saturday, Sept. 24. Last year, Pete Shepherd III picked up his first series-career win in the event, while Kennington celebrated his first series championship.

The 2011 calendar of races was revealed to many of the series’ competitors and track operators at the NASCAR Canadian Recognition VIP Reception held Wednesday evening at The Fermenting Cellar inside The Distillery in downtown Toronto. This event recognized the accomplishments of participants in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, as well as competitors participating in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series in Canada.

Other 2011 highlights include:

• The 2011 schedule includes races on seven ovals: Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, Barrie Speedway, Delaware Speedway, Kawartha Speedway, Mosport Speedway, Motoplex Speedway and Riverside International Speedway; and five road courses: Circuit de Trois-Rivieres, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Circuit ICAR, Mosport International Raceway and the temporary street course at Toronto’s Exhibition Place.

• June 11 will be the series’ third consecutive year of competing at Delaware Speedway. Kennington has held serve at his home track by being victorious in each of the first two races there.

• On June 25-26, the series will run at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ont., at the facility’s 2.459-mile, 10-turn road course. The race is part of an eventful weekend at the 750-acre facility. Last year, JR Fitzpatrick out dueled both Ranger and Jason Bowles for his second win at the track.

• The Barrie (Ont.) Speedway date is set for Saturday, Sept. 10. Each of the past four trips to Barrie on this weekend has resulted in overflow crowds. The .333-mile tri-oval always produces one of the most exciting and action-filled events of the season. In 2010, Kennington edged Thomson by just .015 of a second.

• The trip east to the Maritime Province of Nova Scotia for a Saturday, Sept. 17 event at Riverside International Speedway is a popular stop for the competitors. Tackling the high-banked turns of the .333-mile scale version of the legendary Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway is always a thrill for both competitors and fans. Kennington collected his fifth win of the season in this event.

2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Schedule

Sat., May 28 Mosport Speedway (.5-Mile) Bowmanville, Ont.
Sun., June 5 Circuit ICAR (1.86-Mile road course) Montreal, Que.
Sat., June 11 Delaware Speedway (.5-Mile) London, Ont.
Sun., June 26 Mosport Int’l Raceway (2.459-Mile road course) Bowmanville, Ont.
Sat. July 9 Toronto Exhibition Place (1.765-Mile road course) Toronto, Ont.
Sat., July 23 Motoplex Speedway (.5-Mile) Vernon, B. C.
Wed., July 27 Auto Clearing Motor Speedway (.333-Mile) Saskatoon, Sask.
Sun., Aug. 7 Circuit de Trois-Rivieres (1.53-Mile road course) Trois-Rivieres, Que.
Sat., Aug. 20 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (2.709-Mile road course) Montreal, Que.
Sat., Sept. 10 Barrie Speedway (.333-Mile) Barrie, Ont.
Sat., Sept. 17 Riverside Int’l Speedway (.333-Mile) Antigonish, N. S.
Sat., Sept. 24 Kawartha Speedway (.375-Mile) Peterborough, Ont.

DJ Kennington finishes on the podium at Motoplex Speedway

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Team press release

August 1, 2010. DJ Kennington, driver of the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge responded to the challenge in round number six of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Motoplex Speedway near Vernon, BC. Following a disappointing finish at Edmonton the team roared back by setting a new track qualifying record, leading the most race laps and scoring a podium finish to tighten up the overall championship battle.

The #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge team were focused and ready right from the afternoon practice session where Kennington posted the quickest lap time. He would follow it up by scorching a new lap record 18.167 second qualifying lap to secure the pole position for the 200 lap event. “This car has been fantastic all year and it was again” stated Kennington. “All the guys worked really hard to be ready and we were” he added.

When the green flag waved the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge was off like a rocket stretching the lead over the field. “I just can’t tell you how great the car was” said Kennington who seemed at times to expand his lead at will.

The race would run under green flag conditions for more than 100 laps at the start. During the first caution period the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge team took on fuel and left side tire and Kennington seemed to pick up right where he left off. “The car was just fantastic, I really don’t know what else to say” said the driver. “Everything appeared to be going out way” he concluded.

Following the second round of pit stops Kennington would again soon return to the race lead. However in the final third of the event the challengers appeared to get stronger. The #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge driver would surrender the lead on lap 236. “As the fuel burned off the car handling went off just a little bit” said Kennington.

A late race caution would allow the field to close up and give Kennington one more chance to gain positions with a green, white checker finish. When the race restarted Kennington pushed the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge hard trying to gain the lead. With so little time left in the race he would finish in third spot. “I tried to get him back” said Kennington. “The car wasn’t quite as strong at the end and the #22 must have found something on that last pit stop and he beat us” conceded the driver.

With another strong outing the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge team had a very successful day. With bonus points for leading a single lap and the most race laps Kennington closes to within seven points of the overall championship lead. “This was a solid points day for us” said the driver. “With all the support we get from Castrol, Mahindra Tractors, Hitachi Power Tools and everybody that helps us out, that’s what makes this possible” he stated.

The series continues concludes its three race schedule in western Canada with a midweek event Wednesday August 4th at Auto Clearing Speedway in Saskatoon, SK. Follow the progress of the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge all season on the newly redesigned website www.djkracing.ca plus you can follow their daily activities at www.twitter.com/djkracing. You’re also invited to join the Facebook Group DJK Racing.

Photo of DJ Kennington taken at Honda Indy Toronto by Gary Grant

Ron Beauchamp hits the top ten

Ron Beauchamp hits the top ten

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Team press release

August 1, 2010. Ron Beauchamp and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team demonstrated how fast their car was and how well the team performed during practice, qualifying and the early part of round number six of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series at Motoplex Speedway near Vernon, BC this past Saturday night. But for the second week in a row contact from another competitor took away their opportunity for a significantly better finishing position.

Throughout the practice session the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge was among the quickest cars and Beauchamp would qualify with the fourth quickest time. “The car felt really good during the day” said Beauchamp. “The challenge with this track is the handling changes so much during the race it’s hard to keep up with” he added.

When the green flag waved on the 300 lap feature event Beauchamp accepted what the car and track conditions were able to give them. “We lost a few spots in the early part of the race during a long green flag run but it wasn’t too big a concern because it’s such a long race” he stated. “I knew the team would make adjustments and we’d be solid for the end” he added.

Events appeared to play out according to plan. “When we got the opportunity to make our pit stops the team did a good job on the adjustments and we were in pretty good shape” said the driver.

Moving through the second half of the event the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge showed noticeable improvement and Beauchamp was moving forward again. “I was just taking it easy still” said Ron Jr. “The car was coming to me, we were inside the top-ten and moving up” he explained.

Once again however the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team fortunes changed due to the actions of others. “I was passing a car that was a few laps down through corners three and four and when we were around in corner one and two my spotter told me he was diving hard inside and the next thing I know it’s mayhem” he said in frustration.

The significant collision would see Beauchamp and #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge turned around on track, another car climbing over the hood and doing enormous damage to the car. Even that could not stall the resolve of the team.

Knowing their chances at a top finish were ruined the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team worked to clear and repair the damage as best they could and ask their driver to give them all he could muster. Beauchamp would fight to the finish and manage to score a tenth place result. “The frustrating part is we had made our pit stops, our car was strong and we get hit by a lapped car” said Beauchamp. “We definitely had a much better car than the result shows” he added.

Ron Beauchamp and the#60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge sit eighth in the overall season championship standings.

Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge Team will compete in all thirteen races on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Round number six takes place Wednesday August 4th at Auto Clearing Speedway in Saskatoon, SK. All events this season will again be broadcast on TSN, For more information about Team Mopar go online to www.mopar.ca and for series information check out www.nascar.ca.

Photo of Ron Beauchamp Jr. at Honda Indy Toronto taken by Gary Grant

Derek White suffers from engine troubles at Vernon

Derek White suffers from engine troubles at Vernon

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Team press release

August 1, 2010. Derek White and the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar Chevrolet Race Team took to the track for round number six of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series at Motoplex Speedway near Vernon, BC looking to improve their recent fortunes. In the early part of the day the outlook was promising, however engine gremlins would end their night early.

Even before the afternoon practice session Derek White added some veteran racing experience to his team. “Brad Macintyre came to the race just to watch” explained White. “He’s got a lot of experience and helped a few different teams in a number of series so we put him to work” he added.

White noticed an improvement to the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar Chevrolet right away. “The car felt better than it has all season” smiled the driver. “It was really handling well and I felt good about our chances” he added.

White posted his best qualifying effort of the season in the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar Chevrolet and knew that the 300 lap feature event would be a significant challenge. “With such a long race we just wanted to take our time and be patient, get as much seat time as possible and learn all I can” said the driver.

While the day started well fortunes can change quickly in auto racing and the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar Chevrolet team found that out. Shortly after the green flag waved to begin the race White knew something was wrong. “We just didn’t have the power and the speed we did earlier in the day” said White.

After only a handful of laps White would bring the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar Chevrolet to pit lane and after a quick look under the hood the team knew their night was over. We had a problem in the engine and it finished us early, this was the last thing we expected to happen” said the frustrated driver.

Though their race finished early White is very optimistic about the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar Chevrolet team going forward. “These guys worked so damn hard today on this car and did a fantastic job” he said enthusiastically. “We improved the car a lot and I’m sure we’re going to be really good in the next race at Saskatoon” he concluded.

Derek White and the #99 DPW/OCR Gas Bar Team is scheduled to race next this Wednesday August 4th at Auto Clearing Speedway in Saskatoon, SK. The team is scheduled to compete in all thirteen series races this season. As in years past all NCATS races will also be seen on TSN. You can follow the team all year long by following this link to their website and by logging onto www.nascar.ca

Photo of Derek White at Mosport during the Dickies 200 by Gary Grant

Calgary racer Jarrad Whissell read

Calgary racer Jarrad Whissell read

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Team press release

July 14, 2010. It’s been one month since Calgary’s Jarrad Whissell and the #44 SMS Equipment/Komatsu Ford team last competed in the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. But since then the excitement has been building for their debut on the streets of Exhibition Place this Saturday afternoon during the Toronto Indy weekend.

This is the first time the NASCAR Canadian Tire series has been part of the schedule at the Toronto Indy and Whissell is excited to participate in the inaugural event. “This race weekend has a great history and the track layout should make for very exciting racing” said the driver. “The long Lakeshore straightaway leading into the tight right hand turn three will be especially interesting to watch” he added.

The month long layoff has allowed the #44 SMS Equipment/Komatsu Ford team the opportunity to repair their damaged race car from the last event. “We had some trouble at the last event” explained Whissell. “I got the car out of shape, we went off course and touched the wall, but the real problem was a small fire that occurred. Not only did we have to replace parts but all of the wires along with all the plastic and rubber pieces have been replaced as a precaution” he concluded.

Despite the setback Whissell is optimistic about this weekend. “Bill Burns did a great job putting the car back together and before we had our troubles the #44 SMS Equipment/Komatsu Ford was fast and very well balanced. We’ll definitely be good right from the start this weekend” said the enthusiastic driver.

Though it will be his first time on the eleven turn temporary street circuit in Toronto that is surrounded by concrete barriers Whissell looks forward to the challenge. “I’ve raced at Trois Rivieres so I understand the walls around you” said the driver. “I’ve also watched some video of old CASCAR series races to help get a feel of what to expect” he added.

This weekend’s race will also be broadcast live on TSN and TSN HD, a first for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. “I think everyone is very excited about this event being live from coast to coast” said Whissell. “It really shows that NASCAR has grown this series very quickly and the demand is there to see the races live” he added.

The #44 SMS Equipment/Komatsu Ford team is raising funds for research into a cure for Multiple Sclerosis this season. Support of that cause also goes beyond the race team explained the driver. “Each year Whissell Contracting holds a BBQ for employees and their families. This year we set up a dunk tank and the proceeds raised are also going to help MS research” explained Jarred Whissell.

Whissell not only set up the dunk tank, but participated. “Yes I got dunked a few times and even though the temperature was about 17C it was worth it” smiled Whissell. “I also have to thank the three companies that matched all the money we raised for MS, Lafarge, Renfrew Insurance and Mike Vail Trucking. It helped bring our total to $900 and of course half of our winnings this weekend also go to the cause. Fans can go to our website www.jarradwhissell.com to help out too” he added.

The five NASCAR Canadian Tire Series road course events are a part of some of the largest race weekends in Canada and also include the Toronto & Edmonton Indy’s and Montreal Nationwide race weekend. Follow the progress of the team and help support Multiple Sclerosis research through the soon to be launched website www.jarradwhissell.com You can watch all of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races again this year on TSN. This weekend’s race on Saturday July 17th can be seen live on TSN and TSN HD beginning at 2:30PM Eastern.

Pjoto by Gary Grant. Whissell turns in to Mosport’s infamous turn 2.

Pierre Bourque unveiling Aaron’s Dream Machine at Toronto race

Pierre Bourque unveiling Aaron’s Dream Machine at Toronto race

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Team press release

Ottawa, ON. (July 15th, 2010) Pierre Bourque is looking forward to round number four of the Canadian NASCAR series this Saturday on the streets of Exhibition Place in Toronto as part of the Toronto Indy weekend. Bourque will be competing for the first time on the challenging temporary street circuit and is expected to be up front in the #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Dodge.

Though it will be his first time competing on the streets of Toronto in the #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Dodge Bourque feels good about his chances. “I know what it’s like racing between the concrete barriers from running at Trois Rivieres and other places” said Bourque. “If you are patient and stay out of trouble, then we’ll have a good finish. We finished in the top-ten in the first race of the season and that’s the minimum we’re looking for in Toronto” he added.

It’s been a successful season through three rounds of the Canadian NASCAR series for Bourque who sits ninth in the overall championship heading into this weekend’s race. “I’m reasonably pleased with our success so far this year” said Bourque. “As a competitive racer however I’m always wanting more and I think we can absolutely improve our position this weekend” he added.

Once again this year Bourque is pleased to be piloting the #00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Dodge in the most prominent racing events in Canada. “Our relationship with Aaron’s is very strong, they’re great supporters of our efforts here in Canada” said the driver. “Aaron’s recognizes that this program has great value and enhances their NASCAR sponsorship efforts in the US” he concluded.

This weekend marks another first for the Canadian NASCAR series as the race on Saturday afternoon will be broadcast live coast to coast in Canada on TSN and TSN HD. “It’s another step forward for the series” said Bourque. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to increase the exposure for Aaron’s and our other sponsors. The growth we’ve seen in only a few years is quite remarkable” he stated.

Action begins in Toronto Friday afternoon at 12:30 Eastern time with a one hour practice session. “It’s our only practice before qualifying and I’m sure we will be well prepared” said the driver. “The whole team at DJK Racing has done a good job preparing the cars this season and we’ve grown a lot in only three races together. Even if you can’t be at the race I’ll be sending tweets during the weekend on my Telus iphone with updates” he added.

About Aaron’s, Inc.: Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN and AAN.A), the nation’s leader in the sales and lease ownership, specialty retailing and rental of residential and office furniture, consumer electronics and home appliances and accessories has more than 1,700 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. Founded in 1955 by entrepreneur R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr. and headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron’s has been publicly traded since 1982. For more information, visit www.shopaarons.com.

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

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

This weekend’s race at Exhibition Place in Toronto is scheduled to take the green flag at 2:45PM Saturday July 17th. Complete race coverage can be seen live on TSN and TSN HD beginning at 2:30PM For more information about Pierre Bourque, go to www.pierrebourque.net and follow him on twitter at www.twitter.com/pierrebourque

Bourque battles just to finish at St. Eustache

Bourque battles just to finish at St. Eustache

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Team press release

St. Eustache, Quebec. (July 4, 2010) Pierre Bourque and the #00 Telus Dodge team looked to continue their impressive early season showing in round number three of the Canadian NASCAR season at the Autodrome St. Eustache this past Saturday night. The evening turned into one of unexpected challenge.

As Bourque began practice in the #00 Telus Dodge it was his first opportunity to get acclimated to the tricky 4/10 mile track. “I like the track, it’s challenging” said Bourque “I talked a lot with my teammate DJ Kennington and just tried to improve with every lap” he added.

Bourque would qualify the #00 Telus Dodge nineteenth and looked to take a cautious approach but ran into difficulty even before the race started. “I had radio problems even before the pace laps” said the disappointed driver. “I was able to hear but couldn’t speak to the team” he stated.

The radio issues for Bourque got worse after he took the green flag in the #00 Telus Dodge. It was only a few laps in when the radio went totally caput” explained the driver.

The radio wasn’t the only difficulty Bourque had to deal with in his #00 Telus Dodge. “I couldn’t see anything” stated the driver simply. “You need the spotters help to get around this track so I had to come into the pits. I didn’t want to be the cause of somebody else’s problem or wreck myself” he added.

Bourque wheeled the #00 Telus Dodge to pit lane and the crew looked to diagnose the problem. “I’ve got to give the team a lot of credit for rigging something quickly to get it fixed, but we lost a half dozen laps” he explained.

A strong finish was impossible but Bourque returned the #00 Telus Dodge to competition looking for whatever positives he could make from the evening. “It’s a real morale killer when that happens because we expected to move up once the race started. We did pass a lot of cars, but because we were down that many laps early we could never reclaim the laps we lost” he concluded.

Despite the disappointing evening, Bourque remains in the top-ten of the overall championship sitting ninth. “We’ll put this one behind us, learn from it and I know we’ll be better at the next event in Toronto” ensured the driver.

Photo by Todd Lewis

Top Five finish for Ron Beauchamp and Team Mopar

Top Five finish for Ron Beauchamp and Team Mopar

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Team press release

July 4, 2010. Ron Beauchamp and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team came to the Autodrome St Eustache for round number three of the NASCR Canadian Tire Series looking to rebound from a disappointing result at Mosport. With a concerted team effort all the Team Mopar achieved their wish.

Through the afternoon practice session the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge was a handful for Beauchamp. “We just seemed to be off in the set up” said the frustrated driver. “We normally run really well here but today was a battle to get the handling right” he added.

Frustration would continue through qualifying as Beauchamp was only able to manage the twelfth best time in the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge. Starting in the middle of the pack Team Mopar had to be flexible in their approach to the race. “We think with the changes made we’ll be better for the race as the track changes” said the driver. “We may have to make an early stop if things are still a bit off” he added.

In the early going the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge dropped even further back in the field but Beauchamp stuck with the plan. “It was tough early but as the track cooled down we got a little better” said the driver. As the race continued Beauchamp was able to begin moving forward.

Scheduled pit stops would also prove to be a challenge for the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team. “We had a little trouble with our left side tire change” said Beauchamp. “But I’ve got to give credit to the guys on Team Mopar we kept battling through” he added.

In the closing laps Beauchamp appeared to have the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge settled up front and able to challenge. “It seemed that on long runs the car would change and become a handful” explained the driver. “Then when I had the chance to ease up and let things cool down, we’d get faster again” he stated.

Working hard right up to the checkered flag Beauchamp was able to obtain a fifth place finish for the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge. It was a satisfying result after a trying day. “After a tough outing last time I think we’ve definitely changed the momentum of our team and are moving forward” stated Ron Jr. “We had to fight for everything we got today and I’m really proud of how the guys worked so hard today” summed up the driver.

With the fifth place result Beauchamp and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge now sit sixth in the overall championship.

Ron Beauchamp Jr and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge Team will compete in all thirteen races on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Round number four takes place Saturday July 17th on the streets of Toronto at Exhibition Place during the Toronto Indy weekend. All events this season will again be broadcast on TSN, the St. Eustache event airs Saturday July 10th at 11:30AM. For more information about Team Mopar go online to www.mopar.ca and for series information check out www.nascar.ca.

Photo of #60 Team Mopar Dodge at St Eustache by Todd Lewis.

Tough Night at St. Eustache For Derek White

Tough Night at St. Eustache For Derek White

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Team press release

July 4, 2010. Derek White and the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar Race Team were excited to race at the track close to home in St. Eustache for round three of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series this past Saturday night. Unfortunately the day turned into a battle looking for engine gremlins that hampered their performance.

White looked forward to the challenge the tricky 4/10 mile track presented and was anxious to hit the track. Following the practice session White was pleased with the performance of the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar car. “The car handled great, we thought it was just a little issue with the carburetor that we needed to adjust” said the driver.

The engine issues continued through qualifying and the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar car would start the feature event seventeenth and the team was concerned that the problems under the hood were more serious.

When the green flag waved White would find that other issues would also cause the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar team trouble. “We had a problem with the transmission and the car just started popping out of gear” said the driver. “It turned out to be kind of a tough night and the car was a handful so I tried to give everybody as much room as possible”.

The mission for the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar team was to finish the race at this challenging track and learn as much as possible. They would claim a fifteenth place result and were reasonably satisfied. “With the problems we had we’re happy that we finished the race, the car is in one piece. We ran our back up car because this is such a tough track and can be hard on equipment. So we’ll go back and get ready for the next race” he stated.

Despite the difficulties White and the #99 DPW/OCR Gaz Bar team remain tenth in the overall championship and leading the rookie in the series.

Derek White and the #99 DPW/OCR Gas Bar Team will return to action on the streets of Toronto at Exhibition Place on Saturday July 17th as part of the Toronto Indy Weekend. The team is scheduled to compete in all thirteen series races this season. As in years past all NCATS races will also be seen on TSN. The St. Eustache race will air at 11:30 Eastern July 17th. You can follow the team all year long by following this link to their website and by logging onto www.nascar.ca

Photo of Derek White at St. Eustache by Todd Lewis.

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