NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Racers Show Their Stuff in Pre-Season Test at Kawartha Speedway

By Jim Clarke, Kawartha Speedway PR/Clarke Motorsports Communications

For the last 2 years, Kawartha Speedway has played host to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series championship clinching event.  In 2007, JR Fitzpatrick earned the title in a thrilling 250 lap showdown.  Last year, it was Scott Steckly’s turn to lay claim to the king’s crown, in a rain-shortened show.  Again this year, the 3/8th mile oval at Fraserville, Ontario will wrap-up the year on Canada’s only national stock car racing tour with a 250 lap shootout Saturday, September 26th.  Wednesday, May 13th the track welcomed close to a dozen of the country’s best runners for a day-long test session.

Bright, sunny conditions with a brisk breeze gave the drivers and teams a chance to experience a variety of track conditions.  The Snap-On Tools #3 of 2008 race winner Jason Hathaway was the first to arrive, followed by the #77 Dodge Avenger, driven by Kawartha’s General Manager/Promoter Derek Lynch.  After that, the infield pit area filled quickly as a variety of teams took advantage of an opportunity to put their machines to their paces on the country’s premier stock car racing facility.

The entire test session was incident-free, with teams filling their notebooks and laptops with useful data.  Springs and shocks were swapped.  Air pressures adjusted and tire stagger changed – all in the hope of gaining a slight advantage when the green flag drops to open the 2009 season – Saturday, May 23rd at Autodrome St. Eustache.

For details on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule, follow the link at www.nascarlocalracing.com.  Learn more about Kawartha Speedway by visiting www.kawarthaspeedway.com.

 Photo attachments:  (Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications)

#1).  2008 Kawartha race winner Jason Hathaway turned some fast laps in his #3 Snap-On Tools Dodge during the May 13th NASCAR Canadian Tire Series test at Kawartha.

#2).  Multi-time champion Don Thomson Jr. and team mate JR Fitzpatrick brought their Chevrolet Impala machines to the practise session.

#3).  DJ Kennington’s young team mate Joey Hanssen turned his first ever Kawartha Speedway laps during the pre-season test Wednesday, May 13th.