NASCAR TRUCK SERIES: Bourque to race for Andy Hillenburg at Iowa this Saturday

Fresh off his seventh-place finish in Sunday's NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (above), Ottawa racer Pierre Bourque will be driving the #48 Fast Track Racing Chevy Truck in this weekend's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Iowa Speedway. The team is owned by Andy Hillenburg.

Bourque's first stock car outings came as a driver for Hillenburg, in 2006, in ARCA and the (then called) NASCAR Busch East Series. Bourque has great admiration for Hillenburg and is looking forward to being reunited. The race starts at 9:45 p.m. on Saturday evening and will be carried live on SPEED.

Targa Newfoundland: Five carmakers seek coveted Targa title in Newfoundland classic

ST. JOHN’S (August 31, 2009) – Two experienced hands, a returning sophomore, a highly anticipated U.S. entry and a smart new name will fill out the roster of auto manufacturers converging on Targa Newfoundland 2009 in search of one of Canadian motorsports most elusive titles.

No fewer than five automakers have registered for this year’s grueling five-day challenge. And while no manufacturer-supported entry has ever won the overall Targa competition, Division, Class and Category wins aplenty show that international car-makers are just a whisker away from capturing the ultimate prize. And to keep the competitive juices flowing, the SIRIUS Satellite Radio President’s Cup intramural competition for manufacturers is also up for grabs.

Long-time Targa supporters and competitors Subaru Canada Inc. and BMW Group Canada’s MINI division will both return with high-powered entries backed by experienced crews hungry for success.

For the seventh year in a row, a factory MINI Cooper S will take the ceremonial start on the St. John’s waterfront on Sunday, September 13. And while the brilliant red MINI Cooper looks nearly identical to the popular car that twice won the prestigious Open Division and has been a Targa stalwart since 2004, this is an entirely new car. Targa Newfoundland co-founder, auto journalist and seven-time Targa veteran Jim Kenzie of Milton, Ontario, will debut a new 2009 MINI John Cooper Works Challenge car in this year’s event with regular co-driver Brian Bourbonniere of Halifax calling the signals as co-driver.

The new car was purpose-built to take part in the John Cooper Works Challenge road racing series for identically prepared cars in Europe and been adapted to rally competition for Targa’s grueling Open Division. A second factory MINI Cooper S Clubman entry, driven by Tom Thornton and Ron Bartleet of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, will compete in Grand Touring under the banner of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada.

Subaru, the other seven-year Targa supporter, returns with a familiar car and a new team behind the wheel. A highly evolved Subaru Impreza WRX STI will be entered in the Modern Division of the Targa competition, with automotive journalist Marc Lachapelle of Montreal behind the wheel and Keith Townsend of Toronto in the co-driver’s seat. Among the most popular cars in all of Targa, the blazing blue Subaru has been optimized for Newfoundland’s paved roads and boasts an improved powertrain for 2009. Lachapelle will make his third Targa start after moving over from last year’s class-wining hybrid entry, while Townsend makes his first Targa appearance as co-driver after two very successful years as a driver – in a Subaru, of course.

Almost as popular as the car is the Subaru support team which not only keeps the car in fighting trim for the week but also helps out teams of all stripes with service, parts and advice while delighting children all along the route with a seemingly endless supply of posters, decals and autographs.

Returning for a second year under the Audi Canada banner is the “awesome Audi” of Frank Sprongl of Georgetown, Ontario, and Rod Hendricksen of New Jersey. A genuine fire-breathing, ear-piercing, pavement churning monster from the 1980s heyday of the Group B rally cars, the Audi is making a second appearance at Targa as part of the German company’s celebration of 100 years of history and heritage. Last year, driver Sprongl and co-driver Hendricksen captured Targa’s rugged Open Division with the car, muscling their way past modern competitors and amazing fans along the route.

The entry reunites Sprongl with the marque that made him famous. Driver Frank, of Georgetown, Ontario, and co-driver/brother Daniel Sprongl dominated Canadian rallying with their multiple championships and countless competition wins in a series of Audi cars. Indeed, Frank won the famous Mt. Washington Hillclimb in the car that will make the trek to the start of the 8th Annual Targa Newfoundland.

Two newcomers with very different approaches will join the field when it takes the ceremonial start in St. John’s.

Perhaps the most anticipated entry of 2009 is the Nissan North America-supported Nissan GT-R from California motorsports specialists Stillen in cooperation with Road & Track magazine. Driver Steve Millen has a long list of race and rally victories and championships, and his company (Stillen) is converting the powerful and sophisticated Nissan for Targa competition and chronicling the effort for the magazine’s readers and for its website http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=21&article_id=8014. The GT-R now weighs about one hundred kilograms less than stock, sports carbon ceramic brakes and makes over 600 horsepower.

Millen, and R&T feature editor/co-driver Mike Monticello, are a new partnership for Targa. Both men are from California. Millen has run in the annual Targa New Zealand in recent years but the 2009 Targa Newfoundland will be a first for both men.

But the biggest surprise – and the entry sure to be a fan favourite – is the 2009 smart fortwo cabriolet entered in the Grand Touring competition by Mercedes-Benz Canada. Likely the smallest car in the event, the versatile smart will play host to a rotating crew of drivers from a variety of media outlets during the week. Although the roster of drivers hasn’t been revealed, the diminutive smart is certain to attract attention for its clever design and surprising performance. The list of drivers will be unveiled before the start of the event.

Targa may be the first Canadian motorsport outing for the smart and an unexpected entry in this kind of event, but its compact dimensions, deft handling and fuel efficiency make it a good choice for a competition like Grand Touring, where the emphasis is on precision.

In addition to their Division and class battles, all of the manufacturer-sponsored cars will also compete for the SIRIUS Satellite Radio President’s Cup, a prestigious award for overall results covering all vehicle classes. This competition was first sponsored by SIRIUS Satellite Radio in 2008, when Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada won the inaugural prize.

Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 8th annual Targa Newfoundland will start in St. John’s on Saturday, September 12, 2009, and end back in the capital Saturday, September 19, and will cover more than 2,000 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of the island of Newfoundland, including up to 400 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages. Competitors have come from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Holland, the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the U.K. for the first seven editions of Targa Newfoundland and international interest continues to build with competitors registering daily.

From Doug Mepham / MacDonald & Co.

PHOTO GALLERY: Flamboro Speedway - Grisdale Triple Crown Finale - Aug. 29, 2009

This is a 40-photo gallery from Flamboro Speedway on Saturday, August 29, 2009 featuring the third and final round of the 2009 Grisdale Triple Crown Tournament, which was won by reigning champ Paul Howse. Of note are the images of legendary stock car racer Junior Hanley sitting behind the wheel of the car of the late Don Biederman. Thanks to Dave Franks for sharing his work. You can see Dave's website here.

KENNINGTON BUMPED OFF THE PODIUM IN MONTREAL

August 30, 2009. DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge team had rolled up three consecutive third place finishes in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series competition. For round number ten at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal the team appeared to be in line to score one finishing spot better. Yet a late race bump from behind and a NASCAR scoring decision would cost the team dearly, dropping them to a fourth place finish.

During a wet practice session Kennington chose to only run a handful of laps in the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge. “With the wet conditions it just wasn’t worth taking a chance on running to hard and maybe having an issue” said Kennington. “Our team works hard and is always prepared and I have confidence in the car they prepare” he added.

Feeling comfortable in the car he was not concerned that he would be forced to qualify with the slower group of cars and posted a very good qualifying time. Kennington would begin the 100KM feature event in the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge from the eighth spot.

From the drop of the green flag Kennington had the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge on the move toward the front. “What a great race car we had” said the driver afterwards. “I knew a couple of the guys up front would try to run away, but I could pick up some spots and not push the car too hard, keeping something for later in the race” he added.

As the race headed to the conclusion Kennington had battled his way into the top-five and all the way up to second position when a full course caution slowed the field. A two lap shoot out for the win was on tap. When the race restarted and the field thundered toward corner one Kennington was tagged from behind by the #27 car and sent off course. This started a chain reaction that had numerous cars spinning and the race was red flagged. Due to time limitations the checkered flag was displayed and the race declared over.

After deliberations by NASCAR officials the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge was scored in fourth position at the conclusion. “That’s a tough one to swallow” said the driver afterwards. “This Castrol/Mahindra Dodge was hooked up at the end, the caution closed the field up and we had a shot to take the win. Instead we get hit from behind setting off a whole series of events and we seem to be the ones paying the price for somebody else’s mistake. I feel bad for Castrol & Mahindra Tractors and everybody; we should have been on the podium at least”.

After ten events DJ Kennington sits second in the overall championship standings.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be back in action on the challenging short track at Barrie Speedway on Saturday September 12th This year’s race schedule consists of thirteen races, all of which will again be broadcast on TSN.

To cast your vote for DJ Kennington as the mot popular NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver click here and for more on DJ Kennington log onto http://www.djkennington.com/

Photo: DJ Kennington in the Castrol/Mahindra Tractors Dodge

Photo Credit: Todd Lewis

BEAUCHAMP SIXTH IN MOPAR PARTS DODGE

August 30, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team unveiled their new road course race car at round number ten of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal this past weekend. The team would work tirelessly to complete preparations with the first laps at race speed on the car were run during a wet practice session. Team Mopar was rewarded with a solid sixth place finish for their efforts.

With grooved rain tires on the Mopar Parts Dodge, Ron Beauchamp pulled onto the track for practice in soggy conditions. Team Mopar worked quickly to assess the performance of the new race car and were generally pleased with what they had. “The car felt good from the start” said Ron Jr. “We made some normal adjustments as we went on and got ourselves ready for qualifying. “A problem with a bushing on the upper link would hamper the team during the qualifying session and Beauchamp would begin the 100KM main event from the twelfth position.

When the race began Beauchamp began to immediately look ahead trying to move the Mopar Parts Dodge forward and into the top-ten. “The made a change to correct the problem with the bushings worked, but we used an upper link that we’ve never run before” said Beauchamp. “It was good under braking and getting into the corners, but we didn’t get the same bite coming off the corners’ he added. Ron Jr. would adjust accordingly and use the tools available to him.

As the race laps ticked off Beauchamp was continuing to move the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge forward. “I was happy to have that Dodge horsepower for this track with those long straight-aways” smiled the driver afterwards. When the checkered flag was finally displayed Team Mopar was credited with a sixth place finish recorded. It was the ninth top-ten finish in ten races this season.

The consistent season continues for the Mopar Parts Dodge team and it was a satisfied driver afterwards. “For a new car we did pretty well” said Ron Jr. “There’s certainly room for improvement but it was a good solid effort, we maintained our third place in the points, so all in all, not a bad day.

This was the final road course race of the year. The three remaining events will be on ovals tracks where Beauchamp has seen good success. “I was on the podium in Riverside last year and we’ve tested at Kawartha already, we’d like to test at Barrie so we should be very strong going down the stretch” said a confident driver.

After ten races Ron Beauchamp Jr. is third in the overall championship standings, only 27 back of second position.

The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series gets back in action in two weeks at Barrie Speedway on Saturday September 12th. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN. For more information about Team Mopar and Ron Beauchamp Jr. at http://www.beauchampmotorsports.com/ and don’t forget to vote for Ron Jr. as the series most popular driver. Click here to cast your vote.

Photo caption: Ron Beauchamp Jr. in the Mopar Parts Dodge getting final pre qualifying instructions from Crew Chief Chris Couvillion.

Photo Credit: Todd Lewis

CONTACT INFORMATION
Ron Beauchamp Sr., Beauchamp Motorsports (519) 726-9600

SECOND STRAIGHT TOP-TEN FINISH FOR LAPCEVICH IN TIM HORTONS CHEVROLET

August 30, 2009. Jeff Lapcevich and the #23 Tim Hortons Chevrolet team returned to Quebec for round number ten of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series on the historic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Ile Notre Dame. This was the second consecutive race for the series in the province of Quebec. It was also the second consecutive top-ten finish for the Tim Hortons Chevy team.

Practice for the race began on Saturday morning in wet conditions with the team bolting on rain tires for the first time this season. Lapcevich demonstrated his road racing experience and skill by posting the fifth quickest time during the session. “I think we were good in practice”’ said the driver and we thought afterwards we had made some improvements that would help us during qualifying” said the driver.

The qualifying session would not go as planned with the Tim Hortons Chevrolet claiming the thirteenth starting spot. Afterwards the Tim Hortons crew was pouring over the engine compartment following the disappointing run. “We’re not getting the horsepower that we should be” said Lapcevich afterwards. “There appears to be some problems with the carburetor and it’s holding us back” he added.

When the 100KM race began under sunny skies on Sunday Lapcevich quickly knew that he had a race car that drove well. He also knew that the motor was not producing the horsepower it was capable of. “We had a good handling car” said the driver afterwards. “It just wouldn’t go down the straightaway” he added.

Knowing his resources were somewhat limited Lapcevich would use all his racing skills to not only maintain position but gain ground. “It’s the same thing we’ve been struggling with the last couple of road courses; we’d get passed on the straightaway and then run ‘em down in the corners. As the race laps ticked away the Tim Hortons Chevrolet continued to move forward in the field as Lapcevich smartly moved the car into the top-ten.

When the race came to a conclusion the Tim Hortons Chevrolet team had scored their second straight top-ten finish claiming eighth spot. And while it is satisfying to have consistency it was a frustrated and disappointed Jeff Lapcevich afterwards. “I’m confused because I don’t know what the problem is” said the driver. “We may have been off a bit in gear, but I don’t know if our carburetor is where it needs to be and it’s frustrating. We finished in the top-ten but I think we’re better than that. I think we should be challenging for wins” he concluded.

Jeff Lapcevich and the Tim Hortons team will be competing next in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Barrie Speedway on Saturday September 12th. This year’s series events will consist of ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits from coast to coast in Canada. All events are once again scheduled to appear on TSN.

To vote for Jeff Lapcevich as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series most popular driver click here.

Attached Photo: Jeff Lapcevich in the #23 Tim Hortons Chevrolet readies for qualifying in Montreal

Photo Credit: Todd Lewis

SEIBERT SPUN FROM BEHIND AT CIRCUIT GILLES VILLENEUVE

August 30, 2009. Trevor Seibert and the Lake Excavating Ford Fusion came to Montreal for round number ten of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series looking to finish their limited race schedule with another solid finish. After overcoming incredible adversity just to start the 100km feature event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve a scoring decision would steal away great result from an incredible team effort.

The first practice session was run under wet conditions but the adverse weather couldn’t slow down the Lake Excavating Ford and Seibert would be the sixth quickest competitor. During qualifying Seibert would experience motor difficulties but still qualify in the ninth spot. “We blew the oil belt off during qualifying and also a hole in the radiator and lost the fluid so we were a bit worried about the engine” said Seibert. “We made the repairs and ran the motor a couple of times and everything appeared to be alright.

In an incredible turn of events as the Lake Excavating Ford Fusion was being moved to the starting grid an oil line blew off and would send the team scrambling to make repairs. “It was unbelievable” said the driver. “Yesterday we thought we might have lost the motor but it was just an oil belt and then half an hour before the race we blow an oil line, “we just like to do things the hard way I guess” shrugged the driver.

The Lake Excavating Team worked with skill and speed to make repairs in time for the start of the race, however due to the work being done after inspection Seibert would be forced to start the 100KM event from the back of the field. He wouldn’t stay there for long. Right from the drop of the green flag he would move the #69 car forward and gain eight spots on the first lap.

As the laps ticked away The Lake Excavating Ford continued to move forward and in the closing stages had moved into the top-ten. “The guys gave me a great car today it was really fun to drive. When they’re fun to drive, they’re easy drive” said Seibert.

With the race slowed for the final full course caution of the day Seibert already in the top-ten would be looking for more on the restart. As the field moved toward the first corner the leaders bunched up and had contact, Seibert was able to stop the Lake Excavating Ford before getting involved. He would however be spun from behind and pushed off course. Seibert would get his Ford Fusion moving and rejoin the field. The race would be red flagged and then ruled complete due to time limitations.

Following a review by NASCAR officials the Lake Excavating Ford Fusion was scored as finishing seventeenth. A terrible disappointment and a decision the team certainly did not agree with. “I stopped and avoided the problem in front of me, but got punted from behind, yet I’m the one who ends up losing the most in the final results” said the driver.

Trevor Seibert and the Lake Excavating Team have completed their limited schedule for 2009. They are now setting their sights on improving their program for the 2010 racing season. You can watch all NCATS races this season on TSN. To learn more about Trevor Seibert and the Lake Excavating Team log onto http://www.nascar.ca/

Photo: Trevor Seibert in the #69 Lake Excavating Fusion at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Photo Credit: Todd Lewis
Team Contact: Kari Gertzen (250) 305-9324

HANSSEN’S DAY IN PRIME CHAMP DODGE ENDS EARLY

August 30, 2009. Joey Hanssen driver of the #40 Prime Champ Dodge showed his tremendous promise and growth at round number ten of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this past Sunday. After a strong qualifying effort and a quick leap forward at the drop of the green flag only a mechanical failure could stop their progress.

The first practice session at the historic track on Ile Notre Dame would be in wet conditions but that wouldn’t bother the Prime Champ Dodge driver in the least. Hanssen would run only a few laps but improved his time and speed with every pass. “I really like this track” said the 18 year old driver after the first on track session. “It’s smooth and flat and really fast and there are a lot of good spots for passing. I like the chicanes the quick combinations are fun and I like that” he added.

Hanssen would qualify the Prime Champ Dodge in the eighteenth position for the 100KM feature event that took the green flag under sunny skies and much better conditions. Right from the first lap Hanssen knew he had a competitive car and gained several positions. “The car felt really good, I was really excited. There were a couple of corners that some of the guys got loose, and I was able to drive by them” stated the driver.

As he approached the top-ten Hanssen continued to look for the opportunity to gain positions in the Prime Champ Dodge. Just before the halfway point of the twenty three lap event Hanssen would suffer a difficulty that was impossible to overcome.

Without warning the Prime Champ Dodge began to slow down and Hanssen was losing positions. “I’m not sure exactly what happened, we maybe dropped a valve and that would be the end of our day. I’m disappointed because we had a really good car but there’s not much you can do about a mechanical failure” said the driver.

The Prime Champ Dodge would be classified twenty ninth. Despite the results Hanssen continues to lead the Rookie of the Year standings and is looking forward to the stretch drive. The final three events of the year are all on oval tracks and Hanssen and the Prime Champ team have already been busy getting ready. “We’ve tested at Kawartha Speedway so we should be pretty good there and we’ll try to do well at the other races and finish better than our best of ninth this season” said the driver.

The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be back in action on Saturday September 12th at Barrie Speedway for 300 laps under the lights. This years schedule will consist of thirteen races on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits from coast to coast in Canada. All thirteen races will be seen on TSN.

By clicking the link here you can cast your vote for Joey Hanssen as the NASCAR Canadian Tire series most popular driver.

Photo caption: Joey Hanssen in the Prime Champ Dodge in Montreal

Photo Credit: Todd Lewis

About Prime Champ: Prime Champ is one of Europe’s largest environmentally friendly producers of all natural mushrooms with no pesticides used at any stage of the production process. Prime Champ supplies large retailers, discounters and industrial food services in the UK, Germany and Netherlands.

THORNDYKE GAINS TWELVE SPOTS IN MONTREAL

August 30, 2009. David Thorndyke and the #67 Thorsons Enclosed Vehicle Transportation/iRacing.com Chevrolet team has suffered a great deal of frustration in their two previous starts in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. For the teams final run of the 2009 season at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal they demonstrated their resilience and had a solid run gaining twelve positions in the process.

Thorndyke and Thorsons EVT Chevy team took to the track for the first practice session in wet conditions and that of course presents an entirely different set of challenges the drivers. The slick conditions would catch Thorndyke out late in the practice session and the EVT Chevrolet would make contact with the concrete wall. “I lost it a bit and we hit the wall” said the driver accepting the blame.

The EVT Chevrolet team would work to repair the body and bumper damage to the car and get ready for qualifying but with conditions now dry Thorndyke would suffer from a lack of horsepower and be forced to start the 100KM feature from the back row. “We’re lacking a bit in horsepower there’s no secret there” said the driver. “We just have to be smart in the race. Here especially some guys don’t finish and if you keep your nose clean you can help yourself” he added.

As the green flag waved under sunny skies Thorndyke looked to immediately improve the position of the #67 EVT Chevrolet while also keeping his car free of trouble. The brakes are the key here and the brakes worked well for us. There were some places where we could work with guys in the corners, being slightly under power hurt us on the straightaway but it was fun” said the driver enthusiastically.

Through the entire twenty three lap race Thorndyke would continue to work carefully through the field and continue to gain positions. “Right to the very end we had plenty of brakes and it was good to have that kind of reliability. It was good for a change to finish, it was good for the whole team” stated the driver. “We gained some spots in the race and really had a lot of fun today to really battle with some guys for position” said the EVT Chevrolet driver.

This event was the final one for David Thorndyke and the EVT Chevrolet team and they now set their sights on 2010. “We have pretty good idea that we’re going to the spec engine, update with the new transmission and clutch package and perhaps some more changes for next season.”

David Thorndyke and the EVT Chevrolet team have now completed their seasons schedule in the NASCAR Canadian Tire series. The EVT Chevrolet team wishes to thank all of the race fans and their sponsors for their support this season, and encourages everyone to enjoy the three remaining races this season. All races this year are once again broadcast on TSN. For more NASCAR Canadian Tire Series information log onto http://www.nascar.ca/ and to learn more about the #67 Thorsons EVT/iRacing.com Chevrolet team go to http://www.promotiveracing.com/

Attached Photo Caption: The #67 Thorsons EVT Chevrolet heading out to qualify in Montreal.

Photo Credit: Todd Lewis

About iRacing.com
iRacing.com was founded in September of 2004 by Dave Kaemmer and John Henry. Kaemmer was co-founder of Papyrus Design Group, developers of award-winning racing simulations including NASCAR Racing: 2003 Season and Grand Prix Legends. Henry is principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Sports Group – the co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing – as well as an avid simracer. The iRacing team combines more than 100 years of real-world racing experience with more than 50 years of successful racing simulation development. The company has developed numerous corporate relationships in the motorsport industry, including agreements to develop track simulations with International Speedway Corporation, Speedway Motorsports, and Panoz Motor Sports Group and vehicles with Volkswagen, General Motors, Riley Technologies, Radical Sportscars, and 600 Racing. iRacing is the official simulation partner of the Star Mazda Championship and the Skip Barber Racing School.

Hardcore fans

Montreal has some amazing racing fans. Lap 60, going to treaded tires and wipers for final shootout.

Pombo wins Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Race at Mosport

From Adam Hoover

POMBO LEADS WIRE TO WIRE TO TAKE THE VOLKWAGEN JETTA TDI CUP WIN AT MOSPORT
--
Megenbier increases his Championship lead to 39 points

Bowmanville, ON (August 30, 2009) – Mother Nature returned to challenge the 26 drivers competing in today's Round 7 of the SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup at Mosport International Raceway. Overnight rain left the 10-turn, 2.459-mile road course wet and loaded with puddles, which led series officials to run the race on rain tires.

Despite the wet conditions, pole sitter and Duluth, Georgia native, Mark Pombo didn't waste any time in setting the pace for the race and building a 12-second lead at the half-way point. However, he wouldn't be without challenge. Timmy Megenbier and Andrew Cordeiro cut the lead down to just a few seconds in the closing laps of the race, but today was Pombo's day. He held on to win his first Jetta TDI Cup race of the season and his second career series win. He is the fifth different driver to win this season, and the victory moves him into fourth place in the Championship standings.

"Wow, what a great weekend," Pombo said. "To be able to be fast in every session and lead every lap is the way that I would have dreamed up this weekend. My only regret is that this kind of performance wasn't earlier in the season. It feels good to get a win, though. During the race, I wanted to get out to a lead so that I could protect my tires. I knew that as the track dried, we would start to use up our rain tires very quickly, and we don't have an option to change to slicks during the race. Everything went according to plan, and the guys behind me caught me a bit. Fortunately, I was able to hang on."

Megenbier and Cordeiro battled for the last half of the race with the two swapping positions several times. When the checkered flag fell, it was Megenbier coming in second and Cordeiro third, marking Megenbier's sixth podium appearance in seven races. It's also the first podium appearance of the season for local driver Andrew Cordeiro who hails from Woodbridge, Ontario.

The three guest drivers that joined the series this weekend all ran competitively and without incident. ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup driver Maximilian Hackländer topped the guests with a 10th-place finish and nearly ran the fastest lap of the race. He was only .004 seconds slower than Megenbier in a car that he hadn't driven prior to this weekend. Given his lack of experience, Hackländer was pleased with the result and quite grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Volkswagen driver exchange program.

"I learned quite a lot this weekend," Hackländer said. "These cars and the track are very different than what I'm used to, but in some ways, I like it better. In Germany, our circuits are traditionally flat, so it was a lot of fun to be able to drive on a course with such terrain. I was able to run competitively all weekend, and I'm very happy with that since I'd never raced these cars before. Plus, I was able to learn a few things that will hopefully help me when I return home to Germany to finish our season."

The race results didn't have a major effect on the Championship standings, as Megenbier still maintains the lead with 266 points. He's trailed by Andy Lee (227), Joey Atterbury (223), Pombo (192) and Jake Thompson (191).

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series' next race is at New Jersey Motorsports Park, where Rounds 8 & 9 will take place September 11-13.

Grand Prix of Mosport (Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup - Round 7):

Fin. Pos./St. Pos./Car Number/Driver/Hometown/Sponsor/Best Lap Time/Best Lap Speed

1 1 20 Mark Pombo/Duluth/GA/VW Parts & Accessories/ 1:45.099/84.229

2 4 17 Timmy Megenbier/Melrose Park/IL/Chicagoland VW/ 1:44.942/84.355*

3 9 26 Andrew Cordeiro/Woodbridge/ON/VION/ 1:45.538/83.878

4 3 27 Andy Lee/Maricopa/AZ/Castrol/ 1:45.530/83.885

5 2 19 Jake Thompson(R)/Calgary/AB/Bosch/ 1:45.932/83.566

6 5 14 Joey Atterbury(R)/Renton/WA/SCCA/ 1:45.540/83.877

7 7 5 Ryan Ellis(R)/Ashburn/VA/VION/ 1:45.410/83.980

8 8 23 Juan Pablo SierraLendle/Puebla/MX/Castrol/ 1:45.447/83.951

9 10 24 Donny Warren(R)/Winchester/VA/Aggreko/ 1:45.707/83.744

   13 21 Maximilian Hacklander(G)/Ruthen/GR/VW Parts & Accessories/ 1:44.946/84.352

10 6 7 JD Mobley(R)/Castle Rock/CO/Bosch/ 1:45.951/83.551

11 14 22 Andrew Novich(R)/Novato/CA/Oakley/ 1:45.050/84.268

12 17 4 Nicky Boulle(R)/Dallas/TX/Defnder/ 1:46.072/83.456

13 11 3 Taylor Broekemeier/Fort Collins/CO/Oakley/ 1:46.454/83.157

14 16 8 Derek Jones/Philadelphia/PA/Aggreko/ 1:45.557/83.863

15 12 29 Devin Cates(R)/Broad Run/VA/HYPERFUELS/ 1:47.385/82.436

16 20 34 Juan Pablo Delgado(R)/Orizaba/VZ/Red Bull/ 1:47.322/82.484

17 21 2 AJ Nealey(R)/Pasadena/MD/Sherwin-Williams/ 1:47.125/82.636

    19 35 Marc Lachapelle(G)/Longueuil/QU/Preloved/ 1:47.341/82.469

18 26 30 Perry Richardson(R)/Los Gatos/CA/Pirelli/ 1:47.396/82.427

19 18 18 Kerstin Smutny(R)/Bothell/WA/iRacing.com/ 1:47.640/82.240

20 22 6 David Richert/Niverville/MB/LAMIN-X/ 1:49.925/80.531

21 23 32 Andrew Gun Tucker(R)/McDonough/GA/Pirelli/ 1:50.141/80.373

     24 31 Jim Kenze(G)/Toronto/ON/Virginia Tech/ 1:50.777/79.911

22 15 16 Eric Morse(R)/Pittsburgh/PA/Amplify/ 1:47.713/82.185

23 25 15 Theresa Condict(R)/Lexington/MA/HYPERFUELS/ DNS

(R) – Jetta TDI Cup Rookie Driver

(G) – Guest Driver

* – Fastest lap of the race

Merrittville Speedway: Conn wins first feature

Thorold, Ontario (August 30) Victory Lane at Merrittville again saw another new face as second generation driver Wayne Conn earned his first L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified Feature Win Saturday August 29th.

Ball Hockey International Minor Sport Night assisted by the Niagara Ice Dogs also found Matt Deschamps, Rob Murray and Paul Klager score feature wins as well in the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder, Hoosier Stock and Modern Corporation Open Wheel Lite Divisions respectively.

The Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series Event concluded with the third and final King of the Crates Sportsman Series Event powered by Niagara Motors. Chad Chevalier won the 40 lap Special.

The night also featured the rain-delayed Meridian Credit Union Kids Club Box Car Races from August 8th’s CMH Sales & Leasing Night.

Nolan Colborne, Connor Joliffe, Madison Tempest and Kyle Pattison won their respective age division’s events while Joliffe was voted Best of Show by a panel of judges and the audience.

Ken Winnfield was first to lead the 35 lap L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified Feature – beating fellow front row starter Justin Sharp to turn 1. Wayne Conn was on the move in the early going – eventually challenging for top spot – and taking it from Winnfield.

With Conn in control, Rick Richner and Winnfield joined the leader in a breakaway pack from the field until caution slowed the field on lap 7.

Winnfield’s race was done early – the victim of an apparent broken driveshaft after the initial leader slowed down the front stretch.

Conn set the pace on the restart – only to be challenged by Richner who would take the lead on lap 9.

Right away Richner opened up a 5 car lead and began to stretch it until a lap 15 caution again slowed the pace.

With Richner out front on the restart – Conn began to apply some pressure – eventually regaining the lead on lap 19.

With the two leaders in a thrilling side by side battle – Todd Gordon and Bill Bleich were closing in.

Three cautions in and around the 10 to go mark saw Conn in control on each restart. The most notable incident came when Pete Bicknell was put back two spots after jumping Bleich on one of the restarts.

In Conn’s earlier go rounds as leader – the gap between him and the field was just barely manageable. In the last portion of the 35 lap Event however there was no keeping the St. Catharines driver from Victory Lane.

Through to the finish – Conn opened up almost a straightaway lead over Richner in his first victory driving for car owner Andrew Sittler. Todd Gordon was third while Pete Bicknell and Bill Bleich closed out the top 5.

The start of the 40 lap King of the Crates Finale powered by Niagara Motors had Chad Chevalier as the early leader with former Modified Driver Ken Cosgrove keeping right with the Port Colborne native.

As soon as Cosgrove would close in on the leader – Chevalier would pull away until Cosgrove was able to wrestle top spot away for himself.

Quickly though Chevalier would regain the lead with Cosgrove dropping off the pace slightly and falling back to fourth spot.

The lead pack was now Chevalier, Brandon Easey and Brad Rouse with the three opening up a comfortable lead.

In the closing laps, the leaders would come up on slower cars and with 10 laps to go – would they play a part in the race’s outcome?

Brandon Easey won this event last season and as the laps wound down – was able to close right in on Chevalier.

Like with Cosgrove earlier though – as soon as Easey got close – Chevalier was able to open up a couple car advantage and maintained the gap to the finish.

The two were able to open up a good lead on Brad Rouse with BJ Willard fourth and Cosgrove fifth.

Going into the night Greg Panunte was the leader of the King of the Crates Series powered by Niagara Motors after winning the first two events but could do no better than 8th in the finale.

When the final points were tallied, Chevalier’s win put him into a tie for top spot with Panunte as the two had 162 points each. BJ Willard earned 152 markers while his cousin Tyler McPherson scored 148. Brad Rouse closed out the top 5 with 144 points.

The win also earned Chevalier the 20th Annual Sterling Silver Trophy established by former Sportsman competitor Ken Walsh that honors local racing pioneer Bill Willard Senior.

Ken and his wife Fran presented the award to Chevalier.

Ron Loggie set the pace at the start of the Hoosier Stock Feature and after an early caution was being challenged by Mark Fawcett who eventually took the lead on lap 5.

Two laps later – Fawcett would be faced with a restart after another early caution.

During this caution, Al Sleight would be forced to the pits but after returning to action – needed attention a second time on lap 8 after a multicar incident saw the entire right side sheet metal torn off the runner up point man’s car.

Starting way back in the field, Rob Murray was into the runner-up spot by lap 11. Three laps later – Murray was in the lead – coming through with a pre-race prediction made while waiting to start the feature.

“We’re going to win tonight,” told Rob Murray when being questioned about his night by roving reporter Mikey Kruchka. Murray added to his comments later in Victory Lane, “in last year’s championship we only had one win … this one makes it 5 in 2009 … I wanted to do it a little different this year.”

With one point night yet to come, Murray pretty much just had to start the night’s event to be assured his 3rd career Hoosier Stock Championship.

Murray was followed by his stepson Brad Sheehan, Fawcett, Kirk Wilson and Billy Bleich.

The start of the Modern Corporation Open Wheel Lite Feature had Kelly Mason in top spot before Kory Howe became the new leader along the backstretch of lap 1.

A lap 2 caution slowed the field and one driver in particular - Jamie Gilbert who had advanced quite a number of positions in the early going.

Howe set the pace on the restart but very quickly – the new leader was Gilbert – taking control on lap 3. Just after Paul Klager took over the runner-up spot on lap 7 – another caution would slow Gilbert – who had opened up quite a lead to that point.

Gilbert resumed control of top spot on the restart – only to lose it to Klager along the backstretch. Klager’s pace would soon be slowed on lap 11 with Adam Leslie now in the runner-up slot.

A final caution on lap 18 set up a 2 lap dash to the finish but Klager was able to open up a lead of some 20 car lengths in the sprint to the finish.

Adam Leslie was second with Gilbert settling for third. Jason Corless had a strong finish to take fourth with Kory Howe 5th.

Chris Laskey set the pace at the start of the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder Feature before Greg Wilson took control on lap 2.

Fresh off his winning the Triple Crown Miniseries last week – Matt Deschamps became the new leader on lap 4.

Through the event that went flag to flag – Deschamps never looked back and went on the win the 15 lap event. Rob Goulding took home the runner-up spot while early leader Chris Laskey held on for third spot.

Trevor Goulding and Aaron Wiley closed out the top 5.

Deschamps came into the night with a 1 point lead over Goulding but now enjoys a 5 point margin going into the final Point Night – Saturday September 5th.

The 4 Cylinder results are unofficial as a Track Imposed Tech Inspection is scheduled for Monday August 30th to allow competitors the chance to race at Humberstone Speedway Sunday Night without having to rebuild their engines. 

From Jim Irvine / Merrittville Speedway

IMSA LITES: Downs First, Marcelli Second at Mosport Grand Prix

From Lindsay Fox

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario August 29 - Matt Downs held off a hard charging
Kyle Marcelli to take his fourth IMSA Lites presented by Frisby
Performance Tire victory at the Mobil 1 presents the Mosport Grand Prix.

Matt's brother Lucas Downs started on pole with Matt second and Marcelli
in third. Marcelli moved to second on the first lap and then set his
sights on Lucas. Lucas and Marcelli made contact, allowing Matt to slip
by and take the lead.

"I got a decent start, but Kyle got on the inside of me in three," Downs
said about the start. "They spun in front of me and it's like the Red
Sea parted."

The contact between Lucas and Marcelli caused Marcelli to spin and fall
to eleventh place. After a short caution period Marcelli made a
brilliant drive through the field up to second place before the
30-minute race ended.

"I did what I could," Marcelli said after the race. "The Intersport guys
did a great job with my car. I love this track and my car was hooked
up."

On his way through the field the determined Marcelli set the fast lap of
the race, giving him the pole position for Round 12 taking place Sunday
afternoon before the American LeMans Series Grand Prix of Mosport.

Current Lites One point leader Joel Feinberg finished fourth followed by
Jon Brownson. The fifth place finish for Brownson is his highest finish
in the 2009 season.

John Weisberg won his fifth Lites Two race of the season. Weisberg
started on the pole and had very little challenge from Michael Hill and
Michal Chlumecky, who both had mechanical troubles.

Three rounds remain in the 2009 season. Round 12 will take place Sunday,
August 30 at 1:30 p.m. The final two rounds of the season will be part
of the Petit LeMans weekend at Road Atlanta.

The IMSA Lites presented by Frisby Performance Tire is a championship
comprised of 14 rounds at seven famous tracks in North America including
Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Fla., Miller Motorsports Park,
Tooele, Utah. and Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga.

Montreal NASCAR Nationwide: Lap 50 update

LAP 50 - Polesitter Marcos Ambrose leads Andrew Ranger with 24 laps to go and black skies moving in. J.R. Fitzpatrick is sixth and Jacques Villeneuve is 13th after finally getting back on schedule with his pit stops. Last year's Montreal race winner Ron Fellows was taken out in a violent crash by Justin Allgaier who appeared to have lost his brakes.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series - Montreal Race Brief and Unofficial Results

Fitzpatrick Wins In Montreal... Fourth Series Career Win For 21-Year-Old

MONTREAL – JR Fitzpatrick showed up to win—no question about it. He won the NAPA Autopro 100 in NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 action from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in dominating fashion.

The 21-year-old out of Cambridge, Ont., took control of the race when he slipped inside of Kerry Micks in the hairpin turn on the ninth lap of the race. From there, he went on to build a lead of over five seconds in his Schick-sponsored Chevrolet before the caution flag waved on Lap 22 to set up an attempt at a green-white-checkered finish.

On the restart, the front of the field got stacked up as they entered Turn 3. As a result, the car of Scott Steckly ended up on its roof after making contact with Don Thomson Jr. Once the dust cleared, the cars were brought down pit road and the red flag was displayed which ended the event. The race was scheduled for 23 laps or 75 minutes leaving just the one opportunity to finish the race under green.

It was Fitzpatrick’s first win of the season and the fourth in his series career. He last won on June 15, 2007 at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ont.

Points leader Andrew Ranger was able to clear the incident in Turn 3 and finish second. DJ Kennington, who held down second place in the closing laps, was not as fortunate. He got turned around in the fray and blended back into the field in the fourth position which is where NASCAR officials determined his finishing position to be.

After winning the first three road-course events of the year, Ranger was foiled in his bid to win all four road-course races on the 2009 slate. A season ago in this event, Fitzpatrick led much of the race before a late-race bobble allowed Ranger to take the win.

Kerry Micks led the first eight laps of the race and closed out the race in third place. Mark Dilley finished fifth equaling his season-high finish.

Ron Beauchamp Jr., Pierre Bourque, Jeff Lapcevich, Daryl Harr and Jarrad Whissell rounded out the top 10.

The race was slowed three times due to caution for a total of six laps. The race lead changed just one time between two drivers.

In the point standings, Ranger expanded his lead on Kennington by 10 points and now has a 134-point lead heading into the final three race of the season. Beauchamp and Steckly, in third and fourth, respectively, are right on Kennington’s heels.

In qualifying on Saturday, Alex Tagliani picked up his second straight series pole award after winning the pole two weeks ago at Quebec’s Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. In today’s race, Tagliani was knocked out of the race after just 11 laps due to mechanical problems.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 takes a weekend off before heading to Barrie Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 12 for the Torbram Electric 300 presented by The Source.

From Shon Sbarra, NASCAR Public Relations

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES presented by MOBIL 1-AUTOPRO 100 Unofficial Results
Sunday
At Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Montreal, Quebec
Lap length: 2.73 miles
(Start position in parentheses)

1. (5) JR Fitzpatrick, Cambridge, Ont., Chevrolet, 25 laps, 59.723 mph, $6,500.

2. (3) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Que., Ford, 25, $3,200.

3. (2) Kerry Micks, Mt. Albert, Ont., Ford, 25, $2,700.

4. (8) DJ Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 25, $4,400.

5. (7) Mark Dilley, Barrie, Ont., Dodge, 25, $3,000.

6. (12) Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor, Ont., Dodge, 25, $2,300.

7. (14) Pierre Bourque, Ottawa, Ont., Dodge, 25, $1,600.

8. (13) Jeff Lapcevich, Grimsby, Ont., Chevrolet, 25, $1,500.

9. (22) Daryl Harr, St. Albert, Alberta, Chevrolet, 25, $1,400.

10. (17) Jarrad Whissell, Calgary, Alberta, Ford, 25, $1,300.

11. (29) Cale Gale, Mobile, Ala., Chevrolet, 25, $2,200.

12. (15) Patrice Brisebois, West Mount, Que., Dodge, 25, $1,100.

13. (30) Jason Hathaway, Appin, Ont., Dodge, 25, $1,080.

14. (26) Patrick Laperle, St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., Dodge, 25, $1,050.

15. (23) Howie Scannell, Jr., Milton, Ont., Dodge, 25, $1,025.

16. (25) Miguel Duhamel, LaSalle, Que., Chevrolet, 25, $1,025.

17. (9) Trevor Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Ford, 25, $1,025.

18. (6) Don Thomson, Jr., Hamilton, Ont., Chevrolet, 24, accident, $1,025.

19. (4) Scott Steckly, Milverton, Ont., Dodge, 24, accident, $1,000.

20. (28) Jason White, Sun Peaks, B.C., Chevrolet, 24, $1,000.

21. (33) David Thorndyke, Oshawa, Ont., Chevrolet, 24, $1,000.

22. (31) Dexter Stacey, Kahnawake, Que., Pontiac, 23, $1,000.

23. (11) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivieres, Que., Dodge, 21, $1,000.

24. (27) Alan Labrosse, St. Eustache, Que., Ford, 19, $1,000.

25. (34) Michel Pilon, Blainville, Que., Chevrolet, 16, transmission, $1,000.

26. (16) Dave Whitlock, Petrolia, Ont., Dodge, 12, $1,000.

27. (1) Alex Tagliani, Lachenaie, Que., Chevrolet, 11, mechanical, $1,000.

28. (19) Malcolm Strachan, Toronto, Ont., Dodge, 11, $1,000.

29. (18) Joey Hanssen, Venray, Holland, Dodge, 10, transmission, $1,000.

30. (10) Anthony Simone, Holland Landing, Ont., Chevrolet, 8, drive shaft, $1,000.

31. (21) Kent Nuhn, Williamsford, Ont., Chevrolet, 1, transmission, $700.

32. (24) Joey McColm, Ajax, Ont., Dodge, 1, mechanical, $700.

33. (32) Derek White, Kahnawake, Que., Chevrolet, 1, mechanical, $500.

34. (20) Robin Buck, Campbellville, Ont., Ford, 0, dns, $500.



Race Statistics

Time of Race: 1 hour 8 minutes 34 seconds

Margin of Victory: Under Caution

Fastest Qualifier: A.Tagliani (92.022 mph, 106.801 seconds)

Caution Flags: 3 for 6 laps.

Lead Changes: 1 among 2 drivers.

Lap Leaders: K. Micks 1-8; J. Fitzpatrick 9-25.

Standings: 1. A. Ranger, 1724; 2. D. Kennington, 1590; 3. R. Beauchamp,Jr., 1563; 4. S. Steckly, 1506; 5. K. Micks, 1466; 6. A. Simone, 1398; 7. D. Thomson,Jr., 1375; 8. J. Hathaway, 1359; 9. D. Whitlock, 1337; 10. M. Dilley, 1295.

NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Montreal

The NASCAR Nationwide Series cars just fired their engines. There are reports of heavy rain on the west island of Montreal and the wind is coming this way, so the massive crowd will likely see a wet race again this year.

There are eight Canadians in the starting field for the NAPA 200 Presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve: Ron Fellows (qualified third-fastest), Jacques Villeneuve (6th), Andrew Ranger (9th), Jean-Francois Dumoulin (16th), J.R. Fitzpatrick (18th), Alex Tagliani (23rd) and Patrick Carpentier (40th). Edmonton's Daryl Harr failed to qualifying.

Competition yellow scheduled at lap 10 of the 72-lap race.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Montreal

J.R. Fitzpatrick won Saturday afternoon's NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The driver of the Schick-sponsored Chevy took the lead on lap 9 of the scheduled 23-lap race around the legendary road course.

The Cambridge, ON racer wasn't seriously challenged throughout. Behind him, however, there was furious action. A late-race restart saw Fitzpatrick lead DJ Kennington, Andrew Ranger, Kerry Micks, Don Thomson and Scott Steckly to the line.

Entering turn 1, Ranger spun Kennington, who rejoined the chase creating a pack exiting turn 2. The result was contact between Thomson and Steckly, which resulted in the latter ending up on his roof and the race being ended by a red flag.

NASCAR determined that the finishing order at the moment the red flag was shown to be: Fitzpatrick, Ranger and Micks.

NCATS Montreal Podium

JR Fitzpatrick winner.... Andrew Ranger 2nd... Kerry Micks 3rd.

PHOTOS: NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying - Montreal

MONTREAL, QC - Photos from the post-qualifying press conference, on Saturday afternoon at le Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The session took place late Saturday in dark, wet conditions. Marcos Ambrose will start first in Sunday's NAPA 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Carl Edwards will start alongside, with Ron Fellows third. Jacques Villeneuve was also at the press conference.

 

Photos by Inside Track.

NASCAR Montreal Qualfying

Dark and wet. These gus must think they're on another planet racing in these conditions. Marcos Ambrose is fastest so far. Carl Edwards is next. Then Ron Fellows and Boris Said. Villeneuve is sixth... JR Fitpatrick is 18th, DJ Kennington is 24th, Tagliani is 23rd, Daryl Harr is 40th.... Almost done. Ranger and Carpentier are in the final group, on track now.

Grand-Am: Miller Barrett Racing - Montréal race

Miller Barrett Racing had a great start to the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montréal on Saturday, but a broken gearshift handle took the young team out of contention. The race was the team's second in a four-race test program this year in preparation for a full-season effort in 2010.

Dave Lacey of Toronto was unable to qualify the No. 48 Marquis Jet / IPC / Total Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car because of gearbox problems on Friday, so he had to start the race from the back of the GT-class grid. Heavy rain made the 4.361-km (2.708-mile) track treacherous, but that didn't deter him. He moved from 13th to fifth in class in the first few minutes of the two-hour race.

As the rain stopped and the track dried, Lacey pitted for slick race tires, but found the car handling wasn't as strong in dry conditions. After 39 minutes, the car's gearshift handle broke, forcing a 21-minute pitstop for repairs. Bryce Miller of Summit, N.J., took over and drove the last hour of the race, using it as a test session to continue the car's development.

Dave Lacey:  "We had a good setup for the wet. That showed in the first half hour of the race. But as the track dried, the car wasn't as good and I started losing ground to the leaders. Then the shift linkage broke. Bryce did a great job on his stint. We were dealt a bad card, but we made the best of it and the [lap] times were there at the end. This is a young team, with great days ahead of it."

Bryce Miller:  "We experienced a lot of growing pains today, but it's good that we finished the race and got a lot of data. We can use that to continue our growth and continue to learn, so we can close the gap to where we want to be. There is still a long way to go, but we'll keep our heads down and learn everything we can from the next couple of races."

Bryce Miller races with the support of three international sponsors. Marquis Jet is the recognized leader in private jet cards because it's the only program that offers exclusive access to NetJets – the gold standard in private aviation – 25 hours at a time. IPC Information Systems is a leading provider of mission-critical communications solutions to financial services firms. Total Lubricants is the world's fourth-largest publicly traded integrated international oil and gas company.

– brycemiller.net –

From Sylvia Proudfoot

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Montreal Qualifying Results - Two For Tagliani

Two For Tagliani... Second Straight Pole For Quebecer

MONTREAL – For the second straight NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 event, Alex Tagliani will start on the pole. The native of Lachenaie, Que., logged the fastest time in qualifying for the NAPA Autopro 100 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Tagliani navigated the 14-turn, 2.73-mile temporary street course in 106.801 seconds for an average lap speed of 91.347 mph for his second career series pole. He also was the polesitter two weeks ago at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres for the GP3R 100.

The session was run under dry conditions after the morning practice session saw a wet track with wet tires mounted on the cars. The times during practice were well off the pace from previous events at the track, but qualifying times were right in line with prior results.

Starting alongside Tagliani on the front row will be Kerry Micks, who posted a time of 107.147 seconds (91.052 mph).

The second row consists of the only two series champions. Current point standings leader and 2007 series title winner Andrew Ranger timed in at 107.358 seconds (90.874 mph). Defending series champion Scott Steckly logged the fourth-fastest time at 107.389 seconds (90.847 mph).

Rounding out the top-five qualifiers was JR Fitzpatrick with a time of 107.667 seconds (90.613 mph).

The NAPA Autopro 100 is scheduled to take the green flag at 11:45 a.m. ET. RDS will provide live coverage of the race beginning at 11:30 a.m.

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES presented by MOBIL 1 - AUTOPRO 100 Lineup
Race Sunday; Qualifying Saturday
at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Montreal, Quebec
Lap Length: 2.73 miles

1. (81) Alex Tagliani, Lachenaie, Que., Chevrolet, 91.347
2. (02) Kerry Micks, Mt. Albert, Ont., Ford, 91.052
3. (27) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Que., Ford, 90.874
4. (22) Scott Steckly, Milverton, Ont., Dodge, 90.847
5. (84) JR Fitzpatrick, Cambridge, Ont., Chevrolet, 90.613
6. (4) Don Thomson, Jr., Hamilton, Ont., Chevrolet, 90.417
7. (9) Mark Dilley, Barrie, Ont., Dodge, 90.256
8. (17) DJ Kennington, St. Thomas, Ont., Dodge, 90.149
9. (69) Trevor Seibert, Williams Lake, B.C., Ford, 90.073
10. (95) Anthony Simone, Holland Landing, Ont., Chevrolet, 89.905
11. (47) L.P. Dumoulin, Trois-Rivieres, Que., Dodge, 89.884
12. (60) Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor, Ont., Dodge, 89.386
13. (23) Jeff Lapcevich, Grimsby, Ont., Chevrolet, 88.885
14. (29) Pierre Bourque, Ottawa, Ont., Dodge, 88.789
15. (71) Patrice Brisebois, West Mount, Que., Dodge, 88.715
16. (39) Dave Whitlock, Petrolia, Ont., Dodge, 88.608
17. (44) Jarrad Whissell, Calgary, Alberta, Ford, 88.387
18. (40) Joey Hanssen, Venray, Holland, Dodge, 87.675
19. (49) Malcolm Strachan, Toronto, Ont., Dodge, 87.626
20. (66) Robin Buck, Campbellville, Ont., Ford, 87.516
21. (18) Kent Nuhn, Williamsford, Ont., Chevrolet, 87.491
22. (31) Daryl Harr, St. Albert, Alberta, Chevrolet, 87.294
23. (56) Howie Scannell, Jr., Milton, Ont., Dodge, 87.195
24. (50) Joey McColm, Ajax, Ont., Dodge, 86.939
25. (41) Miguel Duhamel, LaSalle, Que., Chevrolet, 86.916
26. (91) Patrick Laperle, St. Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., Dodge, 86.461
27. (7) Alan Labrosse, St. Eustache, Que., Ford, 86.355
28. (21) Jason White, Sun Peaks, B.C., Chevrolet, 85.830
29. (13) Cale Gale, Mobile, Ala., Chevrolet, 85.200
30. (3) Jason Hathaway, Appin, Ont., Dodge, Provisional
31. (55) Dexter Stacey, Kahnawake, Que., Pontiac, Provisional
32. (99) Derek White, Kahnawake, Que., Chevrolet, Provisional
33. (67) David Thorndyke, Oshawa, Ont., Chevrolet, Provisional
34. (85) Michel Pilon, Blainville, Que., Chevrolet, Provisional

From Shon Sbarra / NASCAR

Pombo wins Jetta TDI Cup Pole at Mosport

CONTACT: Adam Hoover
Office: (440) 540-4670 / Mobile: (440) 258-2462
ahoover@automotive-events.com

POMBO WINS THE VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI CUP POLE AT MOSPORT
--
Series veteran claims his first pole of the season

Bowmanville, ON (August 29, 2009) – The drivers competing in the SCCA Pro Racing race weekend at Mosport International Raceway battled the elements in today's practice and qualifying sessions. They saw it all on the 10-turn, 2.459-mile road course–rain, fog and even a few peeks of sun, which made tire selection a bit difficult.

Heavy rain drenched the Mosport area early Saturday morning, and the drivers battled a wet track on grooved rain tires during the early practice session. The challenging conditions didn't limit Mark Pombo from claiming the top time in practice - 1:47.851 (82.080 mph). The Duluth, Georgia native was followed by Theresa Condict (1:48.901/ 81.288 mph) and AJ Nealey (1:49.259/81.022 mph).

When the green flag waved for the 30-minute afternoon qualifying session, the track had dried and the series technicians switched the cars to slick tires. As a result, the drivers started to push their cars to the limit and saw increased speeds. The increased risk led to off-track excursions by Nealey, Condict and Perry Richardson and Andrew Novich, which shortened all of their qualifying sessions. As the clocked ticked into the final minutes, it appeared as though Jake Thompson of Calgary, Alberta would win the pole position, but Pombo put the pedal to the floor on his last lap to regain his position on the top of the speed charts and claim his first pole of the season in dramatic fashion. Pombo's time of 1:37.160 (91.111 mph) topped Thompson and Andy Lee who rounded out the top three positions. Series points leader, Timmy Megenbier will start fourth and Donny Warren posted his best qualifying effort of the season, fifth. Andrew Cordeiro and David Richert, the two other Canadian drivers competing this weekend, will start 10th and 22nd respectively.

"When I got to the track this weekend, I was hoping for it to rain because we ran here in the wet last year," Pombo said. "Unfortunately, it dried out a bit for qualifying, and none of us had gotten any laps in on slick tires. I made some mistakes early in the session, but I was able to get in one last hot lap before the checkered flag that allowed me to jump up the charts. This feels really good since I've had a bit of a challenging season, but the race is what earns us points. I'm looking forward to keeping the #20 Fresh From Florida/HEAL/HYPERFUELS car on top tomorrow."

The series is joined this weekend by three guest drivers–ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup driver Maximilian Hackländer and Canadian automotive journalists, Jim Kenzie and Marc Lachapelle. Hackländer will lead the trio in tomorrow's race, as he qualified 14th in his first time in the Jetta TDI Cup car. Lachapelle and Kenzie will start 19th and 24th respectively.

"It's really a great opportunity for me to join the Jetta TDI Cup series here this weekend at Mosport," Hackländer said. "The track is a lot of fun with all of the hills, and the car is a bit easier to drive than the Polo Cup car in Germany. The weather was a bit challenging today, as my first time to drive the car on dry pavement was during qualifying. As a result, I'm satisfied with my qualifying time, but I'm looking forward to moving to the front in the race tomorrow."

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series returns to action at Mosport on Sunday at 8:30 am ET for Round 7 of the season. Live timing and scoring is available at chttp://www.livetiming.net/SCCA/VW/livetiming.asp <http://news.automotive-events.com/m/0a3GdkiMZ-mg8nB8AxmBgyqDrpQnXEGTPUfx07X7SqOJsHv04g> .

Saturday Practice Session:

Position/Car Number/Driver/Hometown/Sponsor/Time/Speed

1 20 Mark Pombo/Duluth/GA/VW Parts & Accessories/ 1:47.851 / 82.080

2 15 Theresa Condict(R)/Lexington/MA/HYPERFUELS/ 1:48.901 / 81.288

3 2 AJ Nealey(R)/Pasadena/MD Sherwin-Williams/ 1:49.259 / 81.022

4 29 Devin Cates(R)/Broad Run/VA/HYPERFUELS/ 1:49.259 / 81.022

5 4 Nicky Boulle(R)/Dallas/TX/Defnder/ 1:49.360 / 80.947

6 27 Andy Lee/Maricopa/AZ/Castrol/ 1:49.399 / 80.918

7 24 Donny Warren(R)/Winchester/VA/Aggreko/ 1:49.478 / 80.860

8 17 Timmy Megenbier/Melrose Park/IL Chicagoland VW/ 1:49.704 / 80.693

9 19 Jake Thompson(R)/Calgary/AB/Bosch/ 1:49.732 / 80.673

10 7 JD Mobley(R)/Castle Rock/CO/Bosch/ 1:49.766 / 80.648

11 22 Andrew Novich(R)/Novato/CA/Oakley/ 1:49.863 / 80.576

12 30 Perry Richardson(R)/Los Gatos/CA/Pirelli/ 1:49.916 / 80.537

13 23 Juan Pablo SierraLendle/Puebla/MX/Castrol/ 1:50.052 / 80.438

14 3 Taylor Broekemeier/Fort Collins/CO/Oakley/ 1:50.194 / 80.334

15 26 Andrew Cordeiro/Woodbridge/ON/VION/ 1:50.374 / 80.203

16 16 Eric Morse(R)/Pittsburgh/PA/Amplify/ 1:50.477 / 80.128

17 21 Maximilian Hacklander(G)/Ruthen/GR/VW Parts & Accessories/ 1:50.530 / 80.090

18 14 Joey Atterbury(R)/Renton/WA/SCCA/ 1:50.603 / 80.037

19 8 Derek Jones/Philadelphia/PA/Aggreko/ 1:50.682 / 79.980

20 34 Juan Pablo Delgado(R)/Orizaba/VZ/Red Bull/ 1:51.065 / 79.704

21 18 Kerstin Smutny(R)/Bothell/WA/iRacing.com/ 1:51.724 / 79.234

22 35 Marc Lachapelle(G)/Longueuil/QU/VW Preloved/ 1:52.046 / 79.006

23 5 Ryan Ellis(R)/Ashburn/VA/VION/ 1:52.244 / 78.867

24 6 David Richert/Niverville/MB/LAMIN-X/ 1:52.926 / 78.391

25 31 Jim Kenze(G)/Toronto/ON/Virginia Tech/ 1:53.928 / 77.701

26 32 Andrew Gun Tucker(R)/McDonough/GA/Pirelli/ 2:30.088 / 58.981

(R) – Jetta TDI Cup Rookie Driver

(G) – Guest Driver


Saturday Qualifying Session:

Position/Car Number/Driver/Hometown/Sponsor/Time/Speed

1 20 Mark Pombo/Duluth/GA/VW Parts & Accessories/ 1:37.160 / 91.111

2 19 Jake Thompson(R)/Calgary/AB/Bosch/ 1:37.883 / 90.438

3 27 Andy Lee/Maricopa/AZ/Castrol/ 1:37.980 / 90.349

4 17 Timmy Megenbier/Melrose Park/IL/Chicagoland VW/ 1:38.140 / 90.201

5 24 Donny Warren(R)/Winchester/VA/Aggreko/ 1:38.570 / 89.808

6 14 Joey Atterbury(R)/Renton/WA/SCCA/ 1:38.581 / 89.798

7 7 JD Mobley(R)/Castle Rock/CO/Bosch/ 1:38.631 / 89.752

8 5 Ryan Ellis(R)/Ashburn/VA/VION/ 1:38.854 / 89.550

9 23 Juan Pablo SierraLendle/Puebla/MX/Castrol/ 1:38.970 / 89.445

10 26 Andrew Cordeiro/Woodbridge/ON/VION/ 1:39.028 / 89.393

11 8 Derek Jones/Philadelphia/PA/Aggreko/ 1:39.130 / 89.301

12 3 Taylor Broekemeier/Fort Collins/CO/Oakley/ 1:39.256 / 89.187

13 29 Devin Cates(R)/Broad Run/VA/HYPERFUELS/ 1:39.321 / 89.129

14 21 Maximilian Hacklander(G)/Ruthen/GR/VW Parts & Accessories/ 1:39.427 / 89.034

15 22 Andrew Novich(R)/Novato/CA/Oakley/ 1:39.591 / 88.887

16 16 Eric Morse(R)/Pittsburgh/PA/Amplify/ 1:39.850 / 88.657

17 4 Nicky Boulle(R)/Dallas/TX/Defnder/ 1:39.899 / 88.613

18 18 Kerstin Smutny(R)/Bothell/WA/iRacing.com/ 1:40.262 / 88.292

19 35 Marc Lachapelle(G)/Longueuil/QU/VW Preloved/ 1:40.559 / 88.032

20 34 Juan Pablo Delgado(R)/Orizaba/VZ/Red Bull/ 1:40.809 / 87.813

21 2 AJ Nealey(R)/Pasadena/MD/Sherwin-Williams/ 1:41.080 / 87.578

22 6 David Richert/Niverville/MB/LAMIN-X/ 1:42.043 / 86.751

23 32 Andrew Gun Tucker(R)/McDonough/GA/Pirelli/ 1:44.967 / 84.335

24 31 Jim Kenze(G)/Toronto/ON/Virginia Tech/ 1:45.985 / 83.525

25 15 Theresa Condict(R)/Lexington/MA/HYPERFUELS/ 2:30.742 / 58.725

26 30 Perry Richardson(R)/Los Gatos/CA/Pirelli/ 3:05.773 / 47.651

(R) – Jetta TDI Cup Rookie Driver

(G) – Guest Driver

About Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup

The 2009 season marks the second year of competition for the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, which is sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) will compete in 10 events on eight road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared clean diesel Jetta TDI's powered by Syndiesel® B5 blended biodiesel fuel. Each driver competing in the series will earn a Pro Racing license from SCCA at the conclusion of the season. In addition to more than $50,000 in prize money at stake during the season, the series champion will win $100,000.

The Jetta TDI Cup car is powered by a 2.0-liter, 170 hp, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to a six-speed, double-clutch, automatic DSG transmission. The car is only slightly modified from stock with Pirelli racing tires, race suspension and brake components, drivers racing safety seat, FIA roll cage and an on-board fire extinguisher system. Series sponsors include: Pirelli, Bosch, ViON, Castrol, Oakley, Red Bull, HYPERFUELS, Aggreko, defNder, Lamin-X, Meguiar's, Sherwin-Williams, Chicagoland VW, Safety-Kleen, Ringer Gloves, Jim Russell Racing School and Trellis Earth.

Brighton Speedway... Rained out Aug. 29

From Brighton Speedway... "Rain has cancelled the racing action scheduled for tonight at Brighton Speedway...."

Visit www.brightonspeedway.com for more info.

Brockville Ontario Speedway Rained Out August 29, 2009

BROCKVILLE-The string of good luck with the weather since early July, came to an end for Brockville Ontario Speedway.  A full morning of rain has prompted track officials to cancel Saturday night's racing program.  The rain out sets up a dramatic night of racing next Saturday, September 5th with some class titles very much up for grabs.

In the 358 Modified division, the showers mean that Kingston's Danny O Brien has clinched another Brockville track championship, his 9th overall and fourth in a row.  The Sportsman division is anything but decided with four drivers having a shot at taking it all.  Brockville's Matt Billings goes into the final week with a four point bulge over Randy Gaudet with Shane Pecore just 12 points back.  Chris Herbison is in fourth overall but still within striking range just 35 back of Broadway Matt. 

Steve Billings of Smiths Falls is on the verge of a second straight crown in the Street Stock division, a 54 marker advantage over Kevin Fetterly Jr, means starting the feature should be enough to hang onto the top spot.  Steve Barber retook the lead in the Rookie class a week ago after Chris Bakker almost totaled his car in a late race accident.  Bakker will have a chance to repair more of the damage with the rainout in hopes of making up the 4 point difference on Barber.  Paul Billings enters the final week of McNamee Concrete Vintage action with just a 2 point edge on Jason Powers.

Next Saturday night's program is the kick off to the United Way Campaign in Leeds Grenville and presented by the Brockville Recorder and Times and GT Automotive.  The green flag drops at 7pm.

OHSWEKEN: RAIN HITS OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY DURING CAFÉ 54 NIGHT; DOUBLE FEATURES NEXT WEEK!

By Tommy Goudge (August 28, 2009) - The August 28 edition of Ohsweken Speedway's Friday Night Thunder presented by Café 54 was rained out after seven events were completed. The rest of the program was cancelled according to the rain policy and no rain checks will be honoured, however next week's edition of Friday Night Thunder will now feature extra racing!

Next Friday's events will include double features for the Bombers, ESSO Mini Stocks, and ESSO Thunder Stocks, with the first feature line ups locked in from tonight's heat race results.  After those features are complete, a full program will be offered for the regular stock car divisions, including the season championship event for the Thunder Stocks. 

The Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car action will also see the first of twin 15 features run with the line up that was established from tonight's heat races. Three spots remain open at the tail of the first feature for any team wishing to compete in next Friday's program. If more than three additional cars are in attendance to try to fill these positions, they will complete a B Main of equivalent laps, depending on the number of cars entered.

Tickets are on sale now for the Fifth Annual Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, coming up September 17, 18, and 19!  Please visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com and call 1-888-720-RACE to order yours today!  It was announced recently that the ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini-Stocks, and Bombers will join the Empire Super Sprints tour on Thursday, September 17, contesting their final points night of the 2009 season.

Fan Appreciation at Speedway 660 postponed to Sunday

Fredericton, NB - With this evening looking like a complete washout officials at Speedway 660 have moved the Fan Appreciation Day events to tomorrow at 2pm.  Pit gate opens at 10am.

Autograph session at 1pm  ... Racing at 2pm . 

 

Richard Kent on Star Mazda Pole at Mosport

HORSES FOR COURSES – ENGLISHMAN KENT TAKES POLE IN ENGLISH WEATHER FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S ROUND 11 OF THE 2009 STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP AT MOSPORT

Mosport International (August 29, 2009) – Under conditions of fog and light rain that reminded him very much of racing at home… 'but warmer'… Englishman Richard Kent took his fourth pole of the season in this morning's qualifying for this afternoon's Round 11 of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at the Mobil 1 Presents the Grand Prix of Mosport.  On a damp but drying track, Kent set the pole time of 1:24.186 (105.153 mph) in his #33 Andersen Racing / Traka Allied Interior Products Mazda.  Kent, currently 8th in the championship battle with a win from the pole at Race 2 at New Jersey Motorsports park, has also started on the inside of the front row at the Sebring season-opener (finished 2nd), the Milwaukee Mile oval (finished 20th).

"There were two red flags in the first two laps, which both made you cautions and made you realize that you had to put a fast lap in early in case something happened and the session ended," said Kent.  "Toward the end of the session the track was drying a bit and there was a dry line most of the way around, but there wasn't time to experiment with dry tires.  Being on pole at any track, particularly one like Mosport is important, but that said, there's a tremendously long back straight where anyone can tow behind you and pass going into Turn 6.  But we've got a car that's good at all the critical portions of so we should be OK for the race."

Kent's was the clear class of the field and the only one in the 24s, as second-place qualifier Conor Daly (the winner in Round 4 at New Jersey), who has raced at this track in the rain last year in the Canadian Formula Ford Series, turned a 1:25.199 (103.903 mph) in the #22 Andersen Racing / College Network / Indeck / Cytomax Mazda.  Alex Ardoin, winner of Round 10 at Trois-Rivières two weeks ago qualified third with a 1:25.416 (103.639 mph) in the #51 JDC Motorsports / Oral & Facial Surgery Center / Twister Trailer Mazda. 

Adam Christodoulou, currently second in the championship battle with two wins (Sebring and Salt Lake City) and just ten points behind leader Peter Dempsey, qualified 4th with a lap of 1:25.649 (103.357 mph) in the #11 JDC Motorsports / Molecule / Alpinestars Mazda.  And Dempsey, the championship leader and winner of four races so far in the 2009 season, will start from 5th on the grid having turned a lap of 1:25.898 (103.057 mph) in the #3 Juncos Racing / The Collection / Motorsport Ireland / Queyside.ie Mazda.   Rusty Mitchell, the Texan who qualified on pole at Trois-Rivières and led every lap but the last one (he finished 2nd), is sixth on the grid with a time of 1:26.032 (102.897 mph) in the #66 Mitchell Motorsports / Motorola Mazda.

Among the Master and Expert Series drivers, Californian Mike Guasch, who has already clinched the Master Series championship for drivers 45 and older, brought his usual well-judged aggression to the task of qualifying and put his #91 JDC Motorsports / Molecule Mazda 12th on the grid with a lap of 1:27.754 (100.877 mph).  The 18-car field is scheduled to take the green for the start of Round 11 at 5:35 pm this afternoon.

From Dean Case / Communications Officer / MAZDASPEED Motorsports

Fogarty, Keen Capture Third Consecutive Grand-Am Poles For Saturday's Montreal 200

FOGARTY, KEEN CAPTURE THIRD CONSECUTIVE GRAND-AM POLES FOR SATURDAY'S MONTREAL 200... Carl Edwards, Marcos Ambrose Starting Seventh In Daytona Prototype Debut
       
MONTREAL (Aug. 28, 2009) - Jon Fogarty edged Scott Pruett by 0.012 seconds to win his season-leading fourth pole of the 2009 season Friday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and will lead the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Daytona Prototype field to the green flag for Saturday's Montreal 200 at the 2.709-mile track.

The two-hour race is set to start at 2:15 p.m. ET Saturday (SPEED, live at 2 p.m. ET).

Fogarty set his fastest time of 1:32.235 (105.734 mph) on his fifth lap in the No. 99 GAINSCO Pontiac Riley, earning his second pole at the track; he also grabbed the pole during his 2007 championship campaign. Fogarty now has four pole positions this season, giving him 12 career overall and Daytona Prototype poles, which ties him with Pruett for second all-time. The two are one behind James Weaver's 13 overall poles.

"The key was getting a good lap in early," said Fogarty, who won three races this season with co-driver Alex Gurney. "It was a goofy session. Luckily, we squeaked one in there pretty quick before things went black and green again. I got up to speed as quickly as possible and put one in there. It was pretty scrappy out there. There was more in the car, which is good to know, but of course it's going to be wet, but I think we've got a good setup in the wet, as well, so it's good to be starting up front."

Pruett, who won the pole for last year's race, was second in the No. 01 TELMEX Lexus Riley with a time of 1:32.247 (105.721 mph). Pruett and co-driver Memo Rojas won two races this year, and enter the event only four points ahead of Fogarty and Gurney in the Daytona Prototype standings (248-244).

"I couldn't get a rhythm going, and then the red flag came out," Pruett said. "There's a big question mark with the weather, and Memo and I are both fast in the rain. He seems to be a little tidier, and we want to do what we need to in order to win the championship."

Frenchman Romain Dumas was third in the No. 12 Verizon Wireless Porsche Riley, clocking in at 1:38.425 (105.498 mph).

Toronto's Mark Wilkins, who co-won last season's race after running as low as fourth on the white flag lap, spun into the gravel trap in Turn 6, bringing out the black flag for all competitors and giving everyone a three-and-a-half minute window to finish qualifying. However, nothing changed at the front, allowing Fogarty to stay up front. Still, Wilkins and co-driver Burt Frisselle will start fifth, behind Brian Frisselle and Max Angelelli in the No. 10 SunTrust Ford Dallara.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular Carl Edwards will start seventh in the No. 77 Aflac/iRacing Ford Dallara he will share with another Cup regular, Marcos Ambrose of Australia.

The only Quebec-born driver competing in the Daytona Prototype race, Jean-Francois Dumoulin, will see co-driver and Toronto native John Farano start from 15th in the No. 51 Tower Events Ford Riley.

Point Leader Keen Wins Another GT Pole

Leh Keen earned his third consecutive Acxiom GT pole position in record time - 1:39.339 (98.173 mph), which was more than three seconds faster than the previous record, set a season ago by Farnbacher Loles Racing teammate Eric Lux. Keen drove the No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3, and will start the car before handing off the Porsche to point co-leader Dirk Werner. Together, the two have a 31-point lead (279-248) over defending series co-champion Kelly Collins.

"We really concentrated on the qualifying setup today to see how much speed we could get out of the car, instead of the race setup," Keen said. "With rain predicted, up front is best place to start."

Taking second was Tom Sutherland in the No. 30 3Dimesional/Click-Away Computers Mazda RX-8 he'll co-drive with Dane Cameron. Sutherland turned in a time of 1:39.402 (98.111 mph). He and Cameron make up the youngest driver pairing in the Rolex Series this weekend.

Third was Nick Ham in the No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8 at 1:40.054 (97.471 mph) he'll share with Montreal-born and SpeedSource team owner Sylvain Tremblay, while fourth was Collins in the No. 07 Drinkin' Mate Pontiac GXP.R. Rounding out the top five was Andrew Davis in the No. 57 BryanMark Financial/Stevenson Automotive Pontiac GXP.R he shares with Robin Liddell.

Chris Green, born in Beaconsfield, Quebec - about an hour from Circuit Gilles Villeneuve - was 12th in the No. 21 Battery Tender/Find.com Pontiac GTO.R.

NASCAR Nationwide Series regular Brendan Gaughan was 10th in the No. 66 AXA/South Point Casino Porsche GT3 he drives with Andy Lally. Following the Montreal 200, only two events remain on the 2009 schedule, Sept. 20 at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City, Utah, and Oct. 10 with the Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

For additional information: J.J. O'Malley, (386) 451-6720, jjomalley@grand-am.com