Kawartha Speedway's 2010 Late Model Champ Earns a Piece of the ACTion

In September of 2009, the Vermont based American-Canadian Tour made history by showcasing its drivers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during the inaugural ACT Invitational.  Staged during the opening weekend of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the 50 lap exhibition was won by Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, Massachusetts.

To earn an invitation to the first running of the show, drivers could win an event on the ACT Tour or Quebec’s ACT Castrol Series.  Another way to secure a guaranteed starting spot was to earn a track championship at an American-Canadian Tour sanctioned track – as Cavan, Ontario’s Dan McHattie did and represented Kawartha Speedway.

When the popular Fraserville, Ontario oval released their 10th Anniversary schedule, the ACT Tour event was not part of the campaign.  That doesn’t mean a driver in Kawartha’s headline division won’t get their chance to dance on the big stage.  The track will still award a guaranteed starting spot in the 2010 edition of the ACT Invitational to the overall champion in the NAPA Auto Parts Late Model division.  Promoter Derek Lynch says even with the tour race taking a break, he’s happy to give one of their drivers an opportunity to shine.

“This is a once in a lifetime experience,” said Lynch.  “Every driver who ever strapped into a racecar has dreams of competing with the best talent there is.  With the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, crews and possibly even car owners, this could be their chance to be discovered.”

Lynch continued by saying the track has heard from a number of drivers interested in chasing the ticket to NHMS and figure the 10 event schedule Kawartha has on this year’s agenda is the perfect way to showcase their talents.

The 2010 edition of the ACT Invitational is scheduled for Saturday, September 18th, part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Sylvania 300 weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  For details, see www.acttour.com or www.nhms.com.  Kawartha Speedway’s 10th Anniversary season schedule is available at www.kawarthaspeedway.com.

Photo attachment:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

Dan McHattie won Kawartha Speedway’s 2009 NAPA Auto Parts Late Model track championship and earned a guaranteed starting spot in the Inaugural ACT Invitational.

Prepared by:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

Shannonville Drag Series 2009 - A Celebration of Straight Line Success

Most of what they’ll do on a race weekend can be decided in the blink of an eye.  More often than not, a fraction of a second will make the difference between going fast and going home.  It would be easy to excuse the drag series racers from Shannonville Motorsport Park for getting a little anxious at the thought of being forced to sit still for a long period of time, but when they gathered to accept the awards and point fund payouts from the 2009 season – Saturday, February 20th – at the Belleville Legion, that’s exactly what happened.

Like many other motorsports facilities and sanctioning bodies, Shannonville’s straight line standouts saw parts of their ’09 season affected by the weather.  Rain was a factor that forced delays or cancellation of events throughout the year.  Following a buffet meal and the distribution of door prizes, the final bit of housekeeping before the hardware was passed-out was to announce that the 2010 campaign would begin the weekend of April 17th and 18th.

‘Family atmosphere’ was a theme that was repeated many times during the evening as the top runners in each division were recognized for their efforts.  Brandon Barker – acknowledged at an earlier ceremony – was introduced to the capacity crowd as the track’s 3 time junior dragster champion.  The street racers were next on the agenda, with a top 5 of Jim Benvie, Nathan Mutch, Brad Parks, Gordon Raison and class champion William Barter earning their time in the spotlight.  For Barter, it was his 3rd championship in the last 4 years.

The sled/bike fast 5 for 2009 was comprised of Brad Mutch, Jason Chatwood, Merv Shannik, Jeff Wannamaker and John Chatwood who walked away with the back-to-back crown.  For the 3rd time in 4 years, Jess Tandy claimed the pro point’s title.  Ross Lemon, Glenn Tandy, Doug Irvine and Eric Sabourin completed the top 5 finishers.  Division awards concluded with the super pro drivers.  Rod Gagne, Al Ray, Mark Boyer, Kevin Morrow and champion Tony Armstrong collected the class honours.

To close out the evening, super pro runner Mark Boyer was named the winner of the Bruce Douglas rookie of the year award, while pro division point champion Jess Tandy continued the ‘family’ theme by having her name engraved on the Larry Tandy driver of the year trophy.

The night’s festivities concluded with the local band Growing Pains providing the entertainment as the award winners, their families and friends gathered for photographs with the fruits of their labours.  With the 2010 season just a couple of months away, an air of optimism was felt all through the capacity crowd.  Hope for a boost in the economy, increased car counts in each class and a year that is rain free.

For more information on the 2010 drag racing series at Shannonville Motorsport Park, visit www.shannonville.com.

Photo attachments:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

#1).  Tony Armstrong accepted the Super Pro Division championship award at Shannonville’s 2009 Drag Series banquet.

#2).  Mark Boyer accepts the Bruce Douglas rookie of the year award from Jim Parkhurst.

#3).  After earning her Pro division title in 4 years, Jess Tandy was also awarded with the Larry Tandy driver of the year award.

#4).  At the start of the night, drivers were given odd and even numbered envelopes containing puzzle pieces.  To close the evening, they were given markers and asked to sign the finished version.

Prepared by:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

Pete Shepherd III - Pre Season Race Party

Come celebrate with Pete Shepherd and friends at the Chris Gibson Arena in Brampton Saturday March 20, 2010.

Kick off Pete's racing season with old friends and meet some new ones. There will be a DJ, Dance, and a Buffet meal, all for just $20.00!!!

The Time is at 8PM at the Chris Gibson Arena - 125 McLaughlin Road, N - Brampton Ontario.

Ticket are available at Reinhart Trailers - 12231 Hurontario St - Caledon ON, 905-846-1071

NASCAR MONTREAL: Joey Logano to make second start at Montreal NAPA 200

Montréal, February 24, 2010 - One of the young marvels and also one of the most promising NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers, Joey Logano, will compete in the upcoming NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge on August 28-29. The 19-year old phenom, nicknamed Sliced Bread (as in the greatest thing since) by Randy Lajoie, another native son of Connecticut and a well-known stock-car driver in Eastern Canada, will make his second appearance at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2010. Driving the GameStop-sponsored No 20 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, Logano will run a 21-race schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on top of his full schedule with the big boys in the Sprint Cup Series.

Entering his third partial Nationwide Series season where he has earned six wins and eight poles in 43 starts, Logano confirmed and commented on his return to Montréal after media noticed that the Nationwide Series event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve was included on his race schedule.

"I'm looking forward to racing again in Montréal. It's a really tough course with tight turns, and it's especially hard on the brakes. In 2008, the infamous race in the rain, we didn't get the finish that I would've liked," remembers Logano about his retirement while in 17th place in the race. He is more positive about his outcome next time around in Montréal. "Everyone had a hard time seeing and that was the first time many of us raced under those conditions. But, I think we've all gotten a lot smarter in terms of racing in the rain. We all have new windshield wipers now and new tires so we're ready."

Another important element in Logano's sureness prior to his next visit to Montréal is the experience acquired on road courses. "Personally, I've also gained a lot more road course experience since the last time we were in Montréal so I'm looking forward to having a great finish in August. We are always racing for the win and Montréal isn't any different." His best performance on a road course came in August 2008 with a seventh-place finish in a Nationwide race at Watkins Glen. A true product of oval racing development series (Quarter Midget Racing, Bandolero Bandits Series Championship, Legends Series, and Late Models), he was quickly signed up by Joe Gibbs when he was 15 years old.

"We weren't in Montréal last year but I watched on television as they again ran in the rain so who knows what we'll face when we get there this year. But, we have a really good team and I expect a much better performance on track than the last time we were there. That event is a lot of fun. Montréal is a great city and the fans are wonderful. I really enjoyed myself there in 2008 and am looking forward to going back in 2010," concluded Logano.

"We are happy that Joe Gibbs Racing has chosen to include Montréal on Joey Logano's race program for 2010. He is exceptional, the next big thing and drivers of his caliber will eventually outperform anyone one on any kind of track," says François Dumontier, President of Octane Management and delegated promoter of the event. "Even though his road course experience is limited, we are assured that he can perform as well here as did Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski, who also learned how to race on oval tracks. Along with these two Cup regulars, fans should also be on the lookout for Joey in our Nationwide race in August."

Tickets for the 2010 Montréal NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge are currently on sale. To order tickets and see the stars of NASCAR on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on August 28-29, fans must call 514 397-0007 or order online anytime at www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca/en/.

Mandated by Stock-Car Montréal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Speedway Corporation (ISC) based in Daytona Beach, Florida, Octane Management is, since 2009, the delegated promoter of the NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge. ISC is the leading promoter of motorsports in North America, hosting over 100 major racing events each year.

Photo credits: GameStop / Autostock Photos
Photo Joey Logano & Photo Joey Logano with the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing GameStop Toyota

Media information: Normand Prieur // 450 492-6963 / 514 836-6963 // nprieur@videotron.ca

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard Seek Maximum Points

Montreal (Quebec), February 24, 2010.– Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage and his co-driver Nathalie Richard, both of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu (Qc), will compete at this weekend’s Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, Round 2 of the Rally America series. After a well-deserved second place finish at Michigan’s SnoDrift Rally last month, this trip to Salem, Missouri will be the Rockstar Energy Drink/Royal Group team’s second voyage south of the border this year.

Antoine L’Estage, two-time Canadian and two-time North American rally champion, is heading to Missouri with one main goal : qualifying for the dynamic ESPN Summer X Games to be held in Los Angeles this coming August. In addition to the entire Canadian Rally Championship, our calendar includes a minimum of four Rally America events in order to maximize our chances of being invited to this year’s X Games. he explains. I competed at the X Games two years in a row but missed out on last year’s. After our second place finish in Michigan in January, there’s a good possibility of placing well in the overall championship hunt too and we’ll take every opportunity to acquire critical points towards that, as well as taking home victories adds the Quebec driver.

This will be the second time in three years that the L’Estage/Richard duo will take to the start of the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. While the rally is normally run on gravel roads, Mother Nature was a force to be reckoned with, leaving snow and ice-covered roads during the past two years of competition. Whatever the conditions and road surfaces, we have a fantastic lineup of Yokohama tires to rely on. We are very motivated and are looking forward to Friday’s start. The few modifications that have been made to our Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group Mitsubishi will allow us to continue to be amongst the fastest teams out there added the Quebec driver.

Five-time and reigning North American champion co-driver, Nathalie Richard, is also anxious to get back in the rally car : As always, I have a lot of confidence in Antoine’s driving ability. Similarly to in Canada, competition is really strong again this year in the United States - we compete head to head with some really big manufacturer teams and we’ve proven to be right alongside them in terms of competitiveness and speed. The team’s ready, the car is reliable, and we’re aiming for the victory she mentions.

The Rockstar Royal Group team’s 2010 program includes the entire Canadian Rally Championship and four of six rounds in the Rally America series. Antoine L’Estage has two Canadian Championship titles (2006 and 2007), as well as two North American Rally Championship titles (2007 and 2008) and nineteen overall national victories in Canada and the US. Last year, he and Nathalie Richard were awarded the Bertrand-Fabi Trophy, which recognizes motorsports driving excellence and international exposure. Nathalie has four national titles (two Canadian and two American) as well as twenty-eight overall national victories. In 2009, she won her fifth North American Rally Championship title in six years.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the 2009 Canadian Rally Championship with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Mitsubishi Canada, Garrett Turbos, Énergie Cardio, Libra Racing, OMP Racewear and MBF Racing. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit Coyote Rallye .

Get Sponsored Now! Racer Sponsorship Coaching Seminar – “Learn from the Pro’s”

For today’s racer, finding, securing and maintaining a marketing partner (sponsor) isn’t easy. For every ten proposals you send out, possibly one will generate a returned phone call. Companies are bombarded with requests for support and advertising dollars from newspapers, magazines, Yellow Pages, registered charities, community groups and other motorsports teams.

To gain an edge on your competition, Pure Motorsports Marketing offers personal and group coaching sessions so that your message will stand out from the crowd. Attend our next seminar and be prepared before you pitch any potential marketing partner (sponsor).

It’s not about slapping a decal on your race car, bike, kart or truck and someone giving you money because they like you!

Our seminar runs four hours in length and provides valuable insight about what to expect when looking for, pitching and landing a marketing partner (sponsor). We will address important topics that must be covered when you land that ideal marketing partner (sponsor).

Get Sponsored Now! coaching session will teach you proven skills and knowledge that every serious racer needs to have.You will be instructed on:• Basics of Sponsorship;• Tools for Effective Promotions;• Improving your Image to Sponsors;• Identifying Sponsor’s Goals and Objectives;• Working with the Media; and more!This Get Sponsored Now! coaching session is geared towards ANY racer who is serious about sponsorship.

Whether you need $1,000 or $1,000,000, this coaching session is for YOU! You will learn, in detail, the techniques used to GET and KEEP a sponsor. If you are a driver, team manager, team owner, crew chief, PR manager, etc., you MUST attend this Get Sponsored Now! coaching session.Guest presenter for this seminar is none other than David Swain. David brings with him over 30+ years of experience from both sides of the sponsorship desk. Areas you will be instructed on will include, where to find a sponsor, presenting the benefits to a sponsor, developing a prospectus/portfolio, a budget and developing a plan. Another important area is having the presentation skills to do it, from cold calling to face to face meetings.

Get Sponsored Now! coaching session is only $200.00 per person, and all seats are reserved. You can register a second attendee (spouse, teammate, car owner, etc.) for FREE!

Don't think of it as an expense, think of it as an investment in your racing success!

Location:
Pure Motorsports Marketing
391 Steelcase Road West, Unit 19
Markham, Ontario,
L3R 3V9
Saturday February 27th 9:00am - 1:00pm
Cost: $200.00 per person

"Timmies" refreshments will be served.

Spaces are limited, to reserve your spot email goracing@puremotorsportsmarketing.com or call 905-940-7873.Visa, Mastercard accepted.

Kawartha Speedway: Larry Jackson charges back to attack the track

His 7 wins – including 2 stretches of 3 in a row – and a top 5 finish in all 13 starts paved the way for Larry Jackson to clinch Kawartha Speedway’s 2007 track championship.  The same year, he was named the division’s most sportsmanlike driver in a vote by his peers.

The rain-shortened 2008 campaign saw the Oakville, Ontario firefighter score a pair of wins and 6 top 5 finishes in 8 starts.  Still, he was 24 markers behind track champion Dan McHattie when the final points were counted, but earned another most sportsmanlike driver trophy at the season-ending banquet.

As 2009 kicked-off, Larry Jackson was missing from Kawartha Speedway’s late model roster.  His bright blue #84 Chevrolet had been sold during the winter and the driver had plans to spend the year in semi-retirement.  When Bruce Rankin stepped away from his #55 machine for a pair of events midway through the year, Jackson took over and steered the green Monte Carlo to a pair of qualifying heat race wins and a top 5 finish in a NAPA Auto Parts Late Model main event.  Then, as quickly as he had returned ‘Action Jackson’ was gone again.

“The pair of races I got to run in Bruce’s ACT Tour late model were fun, but it was like offering someone a thimble of water after they’d just walked across the desert,” said Jackson with a smile.  “It just made me want more, but other than doing the 100 lapper at the end of the season, I didn’t do too much racing last year.  I wanted to, but some other projects, work and family responsibilities kept my helmet on the shelf for most of the year.”

With the Fraserville, Ontario oval’s 10th anniversary season scheduled for a Friday, June 4th kick-off, Larry Jackson recently announced he’ll be back behind the wheel of a machine in the track’s headline division.  Fans can look forward to seeing him steering Rankin’s car on a regular basis.  Jackson says he’ll also be running his asphalt modified at U.S. based tracks like Dunn Tire Raceway Park (formerly Lancaster Speedway) and Oswego Speedway during the 2010 season.  After taking nearly all of 2009 off, he’s anxious to get out there and mix it up in each machine.

“Rankin’s car will get a complete overhaul from top to bottom and front to back,” according to Jackson.  “The car will be housed at our shops Oakville but it will still carry Bruce’s number and colours.  In my brief time driving it last year there were some changes we made to the geometry and race day set-ups that made it more like what I’m used to.  When Bruce got back behind the wheel of the ‘Incredible Hulk’ he was quite impressed with the changes we’d made.  That was when we started making plans to combine our programs for this year.”

For more details on Larry Jackson’s 2010 schedule, see www.bartonmotorsports.com.

Kawartha Speedway’s 10th Anniversary season kicks-off with an open practice session Friday, May 28th.  The season opener – including the OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models – is Friday, June 4th.  The full schedule is available now at www.kawarthaspeedway.com. 

Photo attachments:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

#1).  After winning the 2007 Kawartha Speedway late model championship, Larry Jackson came within 24 points of earning the 2008 crown.

#2).  Some solid runs in Bruce Rankin’s #55 NAPA Auto Parts Late Model will see Larry Jackson return to Kawartha Speedway full time in 2010.

By Jim Clarke, Kawartha Speedway PR/Clarke Motorsports Communications

PHOTOS: Winter races at Clarence Creek, Ontario (Feb. 21, 2010) by RickAtTheRaces.com

PHOTOS: Winter races at Clarence Creek, Ontario (Feb. 21, 2010) courtesy of Rick Young / www.RickAtTheRaces.com .

Ice Racing Photos: Lake Champlain, St Armand, QC (Feb. 20, 2010) by RickAtTheRaces.com

Ice Racing Photos: Lake Champlain, St Armand, QC (Feb. 20, 2010)  courtesy of Rick Young - www.RickAtTheRaces.com