The asphalt starts to go down at Varney Motor Speedway, too!

Shortly after receiving shots of the newly re-done Sunset Speedway, Varney Motor Speedway's Doug Townsend forwarded some shots of what they're up to at Varney, too. Doug reports that the first layer of asphalt started down today. Great to see!

Inside Track Canadian Racers Contingency Program - 2010

Inside Track Motorsport News announces the return of the Inside Track Canadian Racers Contingency Program for 2010. The program is open to all Canadian racers, series and tracks across the entire motorsports spectrum.

In order to qualify for a free Inside Track Canadian Racers Contingency Program "Thank Your Sponsor(s)" ad in a year-end issue of Inside Track Motorsport News, here's what you need to do:

1. Send an email to contingency@insidetracknews.com with the subject line "Contingency". BE SURE to include your mailing address! When we receive your email, we will send you two Inside Track decals (two for your racecar / dragster / motorcycle / kart, etc.) and a spare one for your street car or toolbox.

2. Subscribe to Inside Track. In addition to the decals, we'll also send you a discount subscription form with the decals. To be eligible for a free $400 "Thank Your Sponsor(s)" ad, you will need to be a subscriber in good standing to Inside Track. You can also subscribe by clicking here or by calling (416) 962-7223.

NEW FOR 2010: Do you represent a track or series? If so and you're interested in having us send decals and forms for all your cars/racing vehicles, we'll put a package together. Send a note to contingency@insidetracknews.com noting your track's name, contact info and how many racers you have (or call (416) 962-7223) and we'll send everything off to you right away!

3. Display two stickers prominently on your racing vehicle. Be sure to get some high-resolution photos of the car/bike/kart (hopefully in victory lane!). You'll need to send us one of these as a high-res JPG image when it's time to run your ad.

4. Finish in the top 20 in the year-end points in your grassroots track, class or series.

5. Round about August, come back to www.insidetracknews.com and look for the Inside Track Canadian Racers Contingency Program button on the mainpage. Click on that and you'll be able to download the contingency ad submission form... fill it out... and send it in.

Sunset Speedway: Fully paved and curing

BREAKING NEWS: Just received these pictures from Sunset Speedway's Linda Jones (thanks!) noting that the Barrie, Ontario-area oval is now paved, including the new pit road. The surface is curing so that practice can start. Congratulations to everyone involved!

Canadian Steve Arpin featured on NASCAR.com

There's a nice feature on Canadian Steve Arpin on NASCAR.com.

 

h/t Robert Reed for the heads up.

DIRTcar Sportsman Modified & Pro Stock Fuel Options Expand To Include Pump Gasoline

Weedsport, NY – April 30, 2010 – DIRTcar Racing officials will now permit the use of “pump” gasoline in the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified and Pro Stock classes throughout the 2010 season.

Pump gasoline will be permitted in addition to the VP Racing Fuel D-99 and D-98 brands. The maximum octane of the pump gasoline is just as it reads on the gasoline pumps at your local filling station—“94 octane, R+M/2”.

“We have reviewed the Sportsman and Pro Stock fuel program and feel we have the tools in place to monitor fuel and pump gasoline sufficiently to allow the pump gasoline to return to the options,” said Joe Skotnicki, DIRTcar Northeast Region of Series & Sanctioning. “The unleaded challenge in Canada and the current inflation in the price of fuel contributed to the decision, in the past six weeks alone the price of fuel has risen significantly.”

DIRTcar has not abandoned the D98 and D99 specified fuel program and will continue to inspect fuel on a regular basis. The VP D-98 will remain on schedule to be phased out in 2010.

“It was our intention to offer an affordable program for the DIRTcar Sportsman and Pro Stock competitors,” stated Jim Kelly, VP’s Manager of Eastern Operations stated. “But since we reached agreement with DIRTcar many months ago all of our costs have increased dramatically and it was clear a change had to be made. For racers who see value running D-98 or D-99 over pump gas it’s still readily available through our trackside vendor network.

Local tracks, in addition to DIRTcar and VP inspectors, will be taking fuel and gasoline samples to monitor and inspect to ensure the integrity of the program. The availability of further testing and chemical analysis will be an added resource for sanctioned DIRTcar tracks as the program moves forward. Specialized fuels of any type, other than the specified D-99 or D-98, will not be permitted. The VP Race Fuels will remain available for purchase through trackside vendors.

To be eligible for VP Awards at the conclusion of the season, racers who have utilized only the VP fuel eligible in the program will need to maintain their records, as well as trackside vendors as purchases will need to be verified for eligible recipients to receive the end-of-year awards.

VP Racing Fuels’ Research & Development specialist Fred Turza (302/521-1767) can be contacted for tech support while additional information can be obtained on-line by writing ovaltracktech@vpracingrfuels.com. Competition Director Joe Skotnicki can be reached via cell (704-796-4566) to answer further questions.

Tom Bledsoe Named President Of GRAND-AM Road Racing

Veteran NASCAR Executive To Oversee Growing Sports Car Organization

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 30, 2010) - Tom Bledsoe has been named president of GRAND-AM Road Racing, it was announced today by the sports car sanctioning body.

Bledsoe has served as GRAND-AM's chief operation officer and vice president since December 2007, and has been acting president since Roger Edmondson took a leave of absence earlier this year due to health reasons.

The board of directors promoted Bledsoe to the highest position within GRAND-AM Road Racing based on the effectiveness and leadership qualities he has demonstrated during this season, while building on the stability of the overall company.

"I am looking forward to meeting the challenge," Bledsoe said. "This year we've seen record attendance and double-digit television ratings, while maintaining an average combined car count of nearly 100 between the Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge."

Bledsoe oversees all aspects of GRAND-AM's strategic vision and includes direct oversight of the company's competition and administration departments in his new role.

Prior to joining GRAND-AM, Bledsoe had been a integral part of NASCAR for the past 19 years, as NASCAR grew to the number one motorsports sanctioning body in the country. The veteran executive's knowledge and experience has been instrumental in generating similar additional growth and expansion to GRAND-AM.

While at NASCAR, Bledsoe served as treasurer and chief financial officer.

A second-generation Daytona Beach resident, Bledsoe graduated from the University of South Florida. He currently lives in New Smyrna Beach, Fla.


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

NASCAR: Dale Earnhardt Jr. to drive #3 Wrangler Chevy in July Nationwide race at Daytona

WELCOME, N.C. (April 29, 2010) – Through a joint effort between Richard Childress Racing, JR Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and Wrangler®, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will pay tribute to his father’s upcoming induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame by driving the No. 3 Wrangler® Chevrolet Impala in the July 2 Subway Jalapeno 250 powered by Coca-Cola NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

The announcement and car unveiling was made today at JR Motorsports and to the fans at Dale Earnhardt Inc., both in Mooresville, N.C. In attendance were Richard Childress of Richard Childress Racing, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Kelley Earnhardt of JR Motorsports, Teresa Earnhardt of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated and Craig Errington, vice president of Wrangler® marketing. The No. 3 Wrangler® Chevrolet Impala is an RCR entry but built and prepared by JR Motorsports.

“This was an idea that came up as a way to pay tribute to my Dad, and it’s pretty cool that it’s a collaborative effort between JR Motorsports, RCR and DEI,” said Earnhardt Jr.  “The Wrangler car is definitely in the top-10 of coolest cars that have ever been on the race track.  A lot of people identify with it, and I can’t think of a better way to honor my dad and celebrate his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame than to bring the Wrangler colors back with the No. 3 on the side, similar to the ‘Wrangler Jean Machine’ scheme of the 80s.  I think it will be worth seeing, and I’m looking forward to driving it at Daytona.”

The combination of Earnhardt Jr., DEI and RCR has a very brief yet shining history on the track together. In their one and only race together, Earnhardt drove the No. 3 Chevrolet to victory in the February 2002 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. That car, with just the one race to its credit, is on display at the RCR Museum in Welcome, N.C.

“Bringing this group of people and these organizations together is the best way I can think of to honor Dale Earnhardt’s induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” said Childress. “Dale means so much to all of us, as well as his fans across the country and throughout the world. We created a special piece of history together in 2002 and, with Wrangler back on board the No. 3 Chevrolet at Daytona, we look to make some more history in July. I know the fans will love it and much as we all will.”

In support of the program, an array of licensed product will be available to fans from die-cast cars to apparel and select novelty items.  Merchandise will highlight both Dale Earnhardt original Wrangler® car and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s current paint scheme. Fans can find the products at www.nascar.com, trackside or through each of the represented team stores.

“Dale’s induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame is truly a special honor for the Earnhardt Family as well as for all of Dale’s fans” said Teresa Earnhardt.  “Dale was a competitor, but he was also a person who loved the fans and worked hard to connect with the people who supported him through his career.  Wrangler was one of Dale’s first sponsors and it’s great to connect back with those early years, where it all started for Dale as he drove his way into the Hall of Fame”.

Wrangler® has a long history with all parties involved, and is the first apparel brand to have significant involvement in NASCAR, beginning in the 1980s when Dale Earnhardt was featured in the brand’s “One Tough Customer” marketing campaign. Wrangler® was the primary sponsor of Dale Earnhardt and the famed yellow-and-blue “Wrangler® Jean Machine” from 1981 to 1987. After a couple race team changes in the early 1980s including a brief 1981 stint with Richard Childress, Earnhardt moved back to Richard Childress Racing in 1984, bringing the brand with him as his primary sponsor. In 1998, the brand became one of the first corporate sponsors to sign up with Dale in his new role of team owner of Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

The Wrangler®-Earnhardt legacy continued in 2004 with a relationship between a second generation Earnhardt and a “New Generation of Wrangler®” – Earnhardt Jr. signed on as the endorsee for the Wrangler Jeans Co.TM line of new fits and styles of jeans and apparel. This longstanding relationship continues today with Earnhardt Jr. starring in the current brand marketing campaign.

“For Wrangler, this yellow-and-blue paint scheme signifies a lot of our brand history, marketing and persona from the 1980s,” said Craig Errington, vice president of Wrangler® marketing.  “It’s truly a piece of our history that will be on the track July 2 and it makes it that much more meaningful that it’s not only Dale Earnhardt’s son who will be driving it, but also the brand’s current partner and friend – Dale Jr.”

From Lisa Cox | Director, Partnership Marketing/Communications / RCR

Penske Racing Drivers to compete at the NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge August 28-29

Brad Keselowski and Justin Allgaier in Montreal to Talk About their NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship Hopes

Montréal, April 29, 2010 - Exactly four months prior to the start of the fourth running of the NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge, NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers Brad Keselowski and Justin Allgaier were in Montreal to meet with the press on Thursday at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Twenty-six year old Keselowski, from Rochester Hills, Michigan, has just moved into the points lead after he drove his Penske Racing No. 22 Dodge Discount Tire to his first win of the season last weekend at Talladega, his seventh Top-5 of 2010.

Allgaier, born in Riverton, Illinois 23 years ago, and last season's Nationwide Series rookie-of-the-year, is currently fourth in the standings with a win, three Top-5 and five Top-10. Allgaier drove his Penske Racing No. 12 Dodge Verizon Wireless to his first Nationwide career race win at Bristol last March. Both drivers are currently in the heat of the championship title with Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Carl Edwards.

The two young and talented drivers were greeted at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Media Center by Charles Dubé, Regional Manager - Quebec Business Unit at Chrysler Canada, and François Dumontier, President of Octane Management and Associated Promoter of the NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge.

"Justin and Brad are typical of the drivers you find in today's Nationwide Series," mentioned François Dumontier. "In that series, there are young hopefuls looking to make their way to NASCAR's top tier, and the more experienced drivers that run in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide. Even if Brad is only in his first full Cup season, he made his mark last year in that series with a win, a Top-5 and four Top-10 in only 15 starts."

In the wake of the outstanding Nationwide season debut by the two invited drivers, the Associated Promoter of the event had this to add: "I can only recommend race fans to closely monitor the upcoming 16 Nationwide races leading to our event. At the end of August, on the eve of our race on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Brad and Justin are still going to be in the thick of the 2010 championship race."

In last year's race in Montreal, Justin Allgaier was involved in an accident that ended his race early. As for Keselowski, he qualified 28th in 2008 to finish in 12th place. Last year, he placed 19th on the grid and finished fifth overall behind Villeneuve, Ranger, Ambrose, and race winner Edwards.

Joining Brad Keselowski and Justin Allgaier for the Montreal event, will be young NASCAR sensation Joey Logano, from Connecticut, and last year's winner Carl Edwards who have previously confirmed their presence at the NAPA Auto Parts 200 next August.

Tickets for the 2010 Montréal NAPA Auto Parts 200, Presented by Dodge are currently on sale. To order the best grandstands tickets and see Brad Keselowski, Justin Allgaier as well as several other NASCAR stars on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Saturday and Sunday 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: Charles Dubé, Regional Manager of the Quebec Business Unit at Chrysler Canada, and NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers Brad Keselowski (Penske Racing No. 22 Dodge Discount Tire), Justin Allgaier (Penske Racing No. 12 Dodge Verizon Wireless), and François Dumontier, President of Octane Management and Associated Promoter of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 met the press on Thursday at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada.

Photo By Muriel Brousseau (Octane Racing Group Inc.)


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

OSCAAR: Inside Track Rookie of the Year Driver Dwayne Baker

Every driver who becomes a part of OSCAAR always has an impressive resume, with champions from every track and from every touring series competing. But for the first time in OSCAAR history, a rookie has been recognized by NASCAR.

Dwayne Baker has been racing for over 10 years, and in 2007, while competing at Barrie Speedway, he was awarded the NASCAR Whelen Champion and Provincial Champion titles.  Dwayne has also enjoyed success while competing in the ALSTAR series.

In limited starts in OSCAAR in 2009, the familiar silver and black #48 visited victory lane with a heat race win as well ran very competitively in feature events. Included on the list of things to do for 2010 are that elusive first feature win in OSCAAR, to become more consistent and of course to win the Inside Track Motorsport News Rookie of The Year title. The team knows that if they put themselves in position to win each week, sooner or later they will be celebrating in victory lane.

When the question was posed to Dwayne “Why the move to OSCAAR?” His answer was “Love the speed and the horsepower”.  Like all racers, Dwayne has discovered that once you feel the excitement of OSCAAR racing, it’s hard to go back to anything else. Will Dwayne’s 2009 OSCAAR experience give him an advantage over his fellow Rookie of The Year contenders? Fans only have a few short weeks to wait for that answer as the #48 outlaw will be ready for opening day at Sunset Speedway.

 Dwayne would also like to acknowledge his dedicated sponsors for the 2010 season: Zancor Homes, Four Valley Excavating, GD Coates Suzuki, Mid West Metals, Clearview Heating, B & B Towing and Jerrys Body Shop. OSCAAR wishes Dwayne and his entire team the best of luck in the upcoming season and in their quest for that first feature win.

By Dave Gainforth // www.oscaar.ca
Photo by www.DaveFranksPhotos.com

Have Bus Racing Tours: June 9 Prelude to the Dream Trip

Field set for June 9 running of Tony Stewart's Prelude to the Dream!

And we are going!!

The 2010 Prelude to the Dream Charity Dirt Late Model Race at Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 9 and you can be there.
The Race, featuring many NASCAR drivers and NHRA stars on the half-mile dirt track, will be sponsored by Gillette and will benefit four children's hospitals. The 2010 Indianapolis 500 champion also will get an invite.

The trip is from Tuesday June 8 to Thursday June 10, 2010
While we travel overnight, sleep on the MotorSports SuperCoach it has 33 Bunks, Wednesday morning shower & breakfast at Beaverdam Flying J included.

We have reserved covered seats at the track.

Book early for ©Transportainment on our MotorSports SuperCoach a "©Race Ready" Bus.


Spring into one of our May Racing Tours! Seats still available.
May 6-12 Paint scraping Racing at Darlington PLUS be a part of History as the first Motor Coach to visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

May 13-17, Triple header at Dover International Speedway. Catch the NASCAR Camping World Truck, Nationwide & Sprint Cup Series Races

May 20-23, All-Star Weekend (our Victoria Day) at Charlotte Motor Speedway. No points just a million dollars to win!!

May 27-31, Return to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca Cola 600.

For details: Call 1-888-428-3287 or visit havebus.com

Check out our facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13192526171

L’Estage Keeps the Championship Lead after Olympus Rally

Montréal (Québec), April 29, 2010. – After finishing second in this past weekend’s Olympus Rally, based out of Ocean Shores, Washington, Quebec driver Antoine L’Estage and co-driver Nathalie Richard maintain the lead of the Rally American Championship. Driving their Rockstar Energy Drink Royal Group Mitsubishi Evo X, L’Estage and Richard finished a strong second at every event in the series to date this year. With three rallies remaining in the 2010 Rally America title hunt, the two-time Canadian and North American champion holds a six point lead over Travis Pastrana.

L’Estage, who normally competes in limited events in the United States, is trying to contest the full Rally America Championship for the first time. In doing so, this makes him a new addition to one third of the events in the 2010 series.

"It can definitely be a disadvantage not ever having seen the competition roads before but we have confidence in our ability to make the most of the reconnaissance day preceding each rally," indicates the Yokohama driver from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qc.

"Antoine was really eager to get back in the rally car and was especially looking forward to a challenging event, in terms of the roads and because of the competition," confides L’Estage’s co-driver, five-time North American champion Nathalie Richard. "We started off well but had a problem early on in the rally, losing half a minute. It was pretty much impossible to catch Pastrana after that so I had to tighten the reigns a little bit to ensure Antoine slowed down and drove a smart and less risky rally. It may have dampened his fun a little bit but sometimes my job is to get him to think of the big picture."

The L’Estage/Richard duo maintained their second place position until the very end, earning them their third podium in three rallies.

In two weeks, the Rockstar Energy Drink team will head west once again to the Oregon Trail Rally, where L’Estage will look forward to his first overall victory of the year. With the lead of the Rally America championship, L’Estage is now anticipating an invitation to his third trip to the popular Summer X Games in Los Angeles.

Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard participate in the entire 2010 Rally America and Canadian Rally Championships with the support of Rockstar Energy Drink, Royal Group, Yokohama Tires, Mitsubishi Canada, Drenth Motorsport Gearboxes, Garrett Turbos, Énergie Cardio, Libra Racing, Driver's Edge Autosport (OMP), VP Racing Fuels, and MBF Racing. For more information on the team or on rallying in general, visit Coyote Rallye .


Photo: 2010 Rally America Championship leaders Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard
Photo By Timm Von Derau
Release Prepared by Coyote Rallye Media Services
(514) 825 - 4332

Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints to Celebrate its 27th Anniversary: Total of 27 Dates Highlight Tour 2010

SYRACUSE, NY – As the first official green flag is about to wave in a month, the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) is set to embark on a 27 event tour that takes the winged warriors to 14 different premier dirt tracks. The celebration of the 27th Anniversary takes ESS throughout New York, Ontario and Quebec, Canada.

Its one of the most talked about schedules in ESS history with the return of many of ESS’ tradition stomping grounds of the past, adding two new facilities and being backboned by the traditional stops that the top sprint chauffeurs have grown accustomed to. Throw in many high paying events and a point fund that fast approaching the $40,000 mark, the 2010 season will be a great way to kick off the new decade.

Welcome back to the tour for the Cayuga County Fair, Brewerton and Fulton Speedways. Three tracks where the ESS’ pioneers found their beginnings. It’s been several seasons since ESS will hold full point events at these Central NY tracks and with the key additions, several teams are on board in following the Lucas Oil Tour.

First time ever visits for the quarter-mile tracks known as Glen Ridge Motorsports Park and Le RPM Speedway on Quebec. It will be short track racing at its best and for these new facilities it marks their biggest events ever in their very young history.

Of course what has made ESS strong since the new millennium are the faithful full point events at Utica-Rome, Can-Am, Autodromes Granby, Drummond and Edelweiss, Fonda, Ohsweken and Mohawk. These tracks will see the stars and cars from a single visit up to as much as three during the campaign.

Special events will find ESS’ best shooting for lots of dollars and also bragging rights. Heading the list is the Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals at Glenn Styres’ Ohsweken Speedway (Sept. 17 &18) where this year’s victor will collect a cool $10,000. This is the largest prize in 360 sprint car history in the Northeastern US and Canada.

For the second year in a row will be the Fondations 4 Saisons Quebec Sprint Car Nationals at Autodrome Drummond (Aug. 14) which again boasts a $6,000 top prize. ESS’ champion Justin Barger won the inaugural event in front of a talented field of drivers at Quebec’s oldest running dirt track.

Can-Am Motorsports Park’s second try of the “Shootout Weekend” on July 4th (July 2 & 3) weekend will see a new and exciting twist for the two separate full point events. On Friday night it will be $2,000 to win while the driver in victory lane on Saturday will see $4,000 in his pocket with an increase purse throughout making it the richest ESS full point event in it’s 28 year history.

Also a first will be the Fast Track 360 Sprint Car Summer Shootout at the Rolling Wheels Raceway Park (July 23 & 24). The mid-summer event at the fast half-mile will see ESS working with the officials of the United Racing Company in what is hoped to be a start of an exciting tradition. These will be two separate shows as well with Friday’s winner collecting $2,000 and on Sat. it’s a nice chunk of $3,000.

During Super Dirt Week, ESS will again be helping URC during the annual New York 360 Sprint Car Challenge (Oct. 8) which will be held on Friday night at Cayuga County. The tradition of the original Rolling Wheels event has been carried over and so did the rich $3,000 winners share.

Just recently secured will be the first ever Mohawk Madness event at the Mohawk Int’l Raceway (Aug. 6). The full point event will pay $2,500 to win with added dollars in the A-Main purse. This will be the only event that will carry points in three separate point categories as well so it was a goal to reward the teams with extra dollars during the night.

The Lucas Oil Tour will kickoff on Memorial Weekend, May 29 & 30 with the annual Earl Halaquist Memorial at the Fonda Speedway followed by the first of three holiday stops at the Utica-Rome Speedway. The full point season will also close at Fonda with the crowning of the 2010 champion coming on Nov. 20th during the annual awards banquet.

Justin Barger will be looking to defend is ESS championship but the list of challengers will be a who’s who in 360 sprint car racing. Lance Yonge, Jeff Cook, Steve Poirier, Michael Parent, Tommy Wickham, Chuck Hebing, Brian McDonald, Anthony Cain, Tim Kelly, Jim Porter, Shawn Donath and Joe August have plans to follow the tour in 2010. At most events, fans will also see Alain Bergeron, Lee Ladouceur, Dan Kaszubinski, Jessica Zemken, Mike Stelter, Cory Sparks, Jami Russell, Jason Barney, Justin Harris, James Hanson, Normand Beaudreault, Paul Pekkonen, Dave Wickham, Daniel Lampron, Tyler Rand, Chris Jones, Ricky and April Wilson, big block star Bobby Varin, Floyd Billington, Dale Gosselin and so many others.

For the first time on a long time, ESS will also have a stout crop of new comers to the tour and plans are to follow as much of the tour as possible. They include 305 sprint car standouts Tyler Rice and Dylan Swiernik, former micro-sprint driver Kevin Ward, quarter-midget standout Zach Weigand (as a teammate to Kaszubinski) and female driver Lacy Hanson, sister of James Hanson. Also you can expect the young guns of Matt Tanner, Kory Gurney and Devin Caron at several events.

The fight for the overall Lucas Oil Champion, the Northwood 2 Construction/LaSalle Motorsports Canadian Sprint Car Series, the SUNY Canton Series, the Fondations 4 Saisons Quebec 5 Star Series, the WestFront Construction Hard Charger Series, the Cobra Coaches Dash Series and the Gater Racing News Lap Leader points…The money is waiting!

Fans and sprint teams alike can catch all the up to date information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints by visiting www.empiresupersprints.com where in the coming weeks you will see many new sponsorship announcements and added purses to full point events on the schedule. For over 27 years it has been the tradition of excitement guaranteed!

The Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints Tour 2010 Schedule.

May 29 Fonda Speedway - 7th annual Earl Halaquist Memorial
May 30 Utica-Rome Speedway
June 4 Autodrome Granby
June 5 Autodrome Drummond
June 18 Autodrome Edelweiss Speedway
June 25 Glen Ridge Motorsports Park
July 2 Can-Am Motorsports Park – Shootout Weekend - $2,000 to win!
July 3 Can-Am Motorsports Park – Shootout Weekend - $4,000 to win!
July 5 Utica-Rome Speedway - $2,000 to win!
July 11 Cayuga County Fair Speedway
July 16 Ohsweken Speedway
July 23 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park – Fast Track 360 Summer Shootout - $2,000 to win!
July 24 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park – Fast Track 360 Summer Shootout - $3,000 to win!
Aug. 6 Mohawk Int’l Raceway – Mohawk Madness - $2,500 to win!
Aug. 13 Autodrome Edelweiss Speedway
Aug. 14 Autodrome Drummond – Fondations 4 Saisons Quebec Nationals - $6,000 to win
Aug. 20 Brewerton Speedway
Aug. 21 Fulton Speedway
Aug. 27 Autodrome Granby
Aug. 28 Autodrome Drummond
Aug. 29 Le RPM Speedway - $500 Coffrage Daniel Lampron Canada vs. USA Dash!
Sept. 3 Can-Am Motorsports Park
Sept. 5 Utica-Rome Speedway
Sept. 17 Ohsweken Speedway – Night Before the Nationals
Sept. 18 Ohsweken Speedway – Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals - $10,000 to win!
Sept. 25 Fonda Speedway
Oct. 8 Cayuga County Fair Speedway – New York Sprint Car Challenge - $3,000 to win!
Nov. 20 Lucas Oil Annual Awards Banquet.

Contact: Dean Reynolds
DeanR@empiresupersprints.com
(315) 458-1714

Sunset Speedway announces 2010 division sponsors

Sunset Speedway is pleased to announce today that all three of their weekly racing divisions (Late Model, Super Stock and Mini Stock) have title sponsors for 2010. The Stroud, Ontario track's Late Model Division will be known as the CGC Late Models, while the newly named Super Stocks (formerly Thunder Cars) will have the Tim-Br Mart Super Stock designation.  And finally the Mini Stocks will be called the Owens Corning Mini Stocks. 

“This development allows for a good points fund for all three divisions,” stated Mark Dilley.  “We are thrilled to have them on board and you will see a lot of their advertising around the new Sunset Speedway facility in 2010.” 

ABOUT CGC: CGC Inc. is a leading marketer, manufacturer and distributor of gypsum wallboard products, interior finishing materials and suspended acoustical ceilings in Canada. CGC began in Nova Scotia, Canada in 1907. It was first known as Canadian Gypsum Company and concerned itself primarily with the quarrying and exportation of gypsum rock to the United States. Today, after decades of product development and market expansion, CGC is recognized as a key player in Canada's dynamic building materials industry, supplying innovative wall and ceiling products to the new construction and repair and remodel markets of the residential, commercial and institutional sectors. www.cgc.com.

ABOUT TIM-BR MART: In business since 1967, TIM-BR MARTS Ltd. represents more than 700 Member locations across Canada, almost $2 billion in annual purchases and over $3 billion in retail sales. TIM-BR MART’s focus is to be the buying group of choice for independent retailers, commercial Dealers and manufacturers in Canada by combining their volume and purchasing at the lowest cost, understanding the needs of their Dealers, and offering a menu of value-added services. To learn more about TIM-BR MART, visit www.timbrmart.ca.

ABOUT OWENS CORNING: Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems.  A Fortune 500 Company for 55 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability through delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives.  Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass-fiber technology with sales of $6 billion in 2008 and about 16,000 employees in 28 countries on five continents.  Additional information is available at www.owenscorning.ca.

From Linda Jones / Wide Open Solutions / Sunset Speedway

Leslie battles to 15th, after starting 32nd, in 50 lap King of the Crates Sportsman Race

April 26th, 2010 - Port Colborne - After a bad incident causing the first red flag of Merrittville Speedway's 2010 racing season, Adam Leslie came through with a top 15 finish in his first ever race in the Sportsman Division.

Adam Leslie had his sportsman debut on April 24, at Merrittville Speedway in Thorold Ontario. It was a rough start to the 2010 season due to an early incident on the first lap of Adam's heat. The red flag was flown for the wreck as it took almost ten minutes to get Adams car and the 68 of Curtis Freisen separated. All the damage caused was cosmetic and Adam was able to continue the heat race, finishing 7.

After repairing the cosmetic damage the car was ready for the first feature event of the season. A 50 lap king of the crates event, the first of three races to determine the king of the crates.

Starting 32nd in the field of 32 cars, Adam had a lot of work ahead of him to make this night worth while. With only one caution on lap 43 of the 50 lap feature Adam made the night a solid one with a finish of 15.

"Gaining 17 spots in my first ever feature event is quite uplifting," remarked Leslie after his first ever sportsman event. "I think I could have gained more spots but the car seemed to get really loose in the second half of the race."

Leslie is back in action next week at Merrittville Speedway for the season opener. Visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com for more details!


Release Prepared By Adam Leslie PR
www.adamleslie.com

Opening Night Problems Force O'Brien out of the Race at Can Am

After a pair of opening night rainouts the previous weekend, Danny O’Brien and his Global Warranty 7* team were looking to hit the track and continue the success of previous seasons. Clear skies, and cool evening made for some great racing at Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park in Lafargeville, New York, a site of many feature wins for O’Brien.

O'Brien posted some fast laps in the pre-race practice session, which had the team feeling optimistic heading into the first event of the season. With a draw at the pit gate entering the track at the start of the evening to determine heat race starting position, O’Brien drew a high number, that would place him near the back of his qualifying heat.

With just 8 laps to work some magic, O'Brien worked his way towards the front, finishing third, which would lock him into the 25 lap feature.

The third place finish from his qualifying heat race would give O'Brien the eighth place position to start the feature. The car was fast from the drop of the green flag, and O’Brien battled to third place by lap five. On lap nine, the Global Warranty Racing team developed an ignition problem and O'Brien sent the car to the infield out of the way of his fellow competitors to avoid bringing out a caution.

At the end of the race, O'Brien was scored in 26th, but everyone in attendance knew that he had a car capable of winning, with a Morrison Small Block engine, unlike most competitors racing with a Big Block.

“That’s racing,” claims O’Brien after the race. “The car was fast tonight, and we were able to get some good laps in. We will move on, and hope for some better luck next race.”

The next race Danny O’Brien and his team will be the season opener at the Brockville Ontario Speedway on May 15th, followed by the Cornwall Speedway opener the following night, which will be twin 25 lap features.

For more information on Danny O’Brien and the 7* racing team, please visit our new website, www.dannyobrien.ca

Photo: Danny O'Brien battles for position with eventual race winner Rob Bellinger at Can Am.

Release Prepared by Craig Revelle, Finish Line Web Design

Photo By Rebecca Eisele

OSCAAR OUTLAWS: Inside Track Motorsport News Rookie of The Year Driver Preview... Shane Gowan

The next Inside Track Motorsport News Rookie of The Year candidate didn’t even know he would be racing with OSCAAR until early March. That is when Shane Gowan took possession of his Jeff Hanley chassis. This car already has a winning tradition in OSCAAR as Pee Wee Evans and TJ Woolsey both achieved success in the car.

Shane Gowan will be relying on his ten years of racing experience to get the newly numbered #39 Outlaw into victory lane.

Shane’s racing career began in the thunder car class at Flamborough Speedway before he moved up to the late model class. Throughout Shane’s career he has won many heats and features. Shane has also been recognized for his driving style by winning Most Sportsman like Driver, Best Effort Award and Most Improved Driver. Anyone familiar with Shane and his team knows the great pride they put into their race car. That hard work paid off with the team receiving The Best Appearing Car award as well.

Shane may have a little advantage over his other rookie contenders as he has some experience at the various tracks that OSCAAR competes at. Even with that, Shane knows that he will need to learn and take his time as he adjusts to racing with the top level drivers who are in OSCAAR. The one thing that won’t change in the way Shane races is that he wants to continue to have fun and represent his sponsors in the best possible way.

When asked: Why the move to OSCAAR? Shane is quick to respond “these are the fastest cars in Ontario, they look awesome, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to race against the drivers in OSCAAR.”

Shane is also quick to acknowledge the great sponsors that will fill the quarter panels of his Outlaw. Lucas Oil continues their long relationship with the team as their primary sponsor. Also, Street Soldier Clothing, Hallett Fabrication, Reclaim Ent., Partimer Signs, Grisdale Racing Enterprises,and Murfin Truck and Equipment will all play an important role in the #39s racing efforts in 2010.

May 23rd is circled on the calendar in the team’s shop as that will mark Shane’s OSCAAR debut and yet another chapter in his racing career.

OSCAAR would like to welcome the entire #39 team and their sponsors to the series and wish them the best of luck in the 2010 racing season.

From www.OSCAAR.ca

Delaware Speedway back in action with exciting Enduro this weekend

"For a first-timer it's like stepping onto the surface of the moon!"  Delaware Speedway's John Houghton is talking about the Transmission Direct Enduro division.  It's stock-car racing, to be sure, but there are enough twists in the rule books to take the experience up to warp speed. One of the main elements that sets Enduro apart from the other racing divisions is the sheer number of cars on the track.

"There are usually 60-80 cars out there", explains Houghton.  "There is no cap on how many cars can be out at the same time.  We believe it's the largest V-8 Enduro race in Canada." And after the green flag, Houghton says it's survival of the fittest in the 150 lap main event on May first.

"A lot of them burn out in the first 30 laps or so due to mechanical failures. There are no yellow caution flags. If there's a wreck, and as long as the driver isn't in danger, it's a judgment call that the race continues.  Sometimes the car stays on the track as an obstacle, depending on where it is. If a driver's door is open or something and it's dangerous, they'll call a red flag and stop the race completely until it's cleaned up."

The operative word in Enduro is "endurance".  Later in the season there will be 200 lap races.  Saturday's 150 lap feature will be preceded by two heats of 50 laps each earlier in the day.  With so many cars on the ½ mile track, Houghton has some advice for spectators who are trying to keep them all straight.

"Bring an FM receiver and headphones to listen to the PA/announcer feed on 89.1 FM.  Sometimes the drivers are separated by well over a lap – sometimes a lot of laps - and there's racing going on anywhere on the track.  We're keeping on top of all of that in the tower.  Binoculars are important too because there's action on the track and in the infield.  If a driver pulls into the pits and they're undergoing repairs they don't have a lot of time to do it.  So the weapon of choice is a sledgehammer and a big roll of duct tape. It can get pretty entertaining when they just want to get back out there and finish in the money!"

As for whom to keep an eye on, Houghton suggests picking three or four guys or gals and making them your focus. 

"Number 64, Steve Book out of Brantford has an orange roof.  He's easy to spot and he's very successful. Some of these guys, it's as if the traffic parts to let them through, they're so good at it."

Last season the top four spots in the Transmission Direct Enduro class were taken up by two sets of brothers;  David and Don Goertz from Arkona and David and Derek McCullough out of Glencoe.  The family rivalries are all part of the fun. 

After Saturday's opening with both Transmission Direct Enduro and the Ultimate Sandblasting & Coating Chaos Cars, Delaware's Friday-night schedule kicks off May 7th with NASCAR Late Models, Super Stocks and Demar Aggregates Trucks. The season has been a long time coming and Houghton says for the first-timer, Transmission Direct Enduro packs a lot of action.

"There's so much to see! And with Enduro, you see what you want to see!"

 From www.DelawareSpeedway.com // Lisa Brandt

Bobby Labonte added to Humberstone Speedway Stars Of NASCAR Show

Humberstone Speedway GM Bob Davidson announces the addition of NASCAR Sprint Cup star Bobby Labonte to the July 11th Stars Of NASCAR Event. Labonte will be joined by Dave Blaney - who won the inaugural event in 2009 - along Kenny Schrader and guest announcer Michael Waltrip.

By Fran Bushardt / Humberstone Speedway

Second place puts Canadians L’Estage/Richard atop Rally America standings

OCEAN SHORES, Washington (April 25, 2010) – Second place in the rugged Olympus Rally was all it took to keep Canadians Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard atop the Rally America Championship standings after a frenzied two-day battle here in the third round of the U.S. series.

Two-time Canadian rally champions L’Estage and Richard, of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, posted blisteringly fast times on nearly every stage of the Olympus Rally but ended up one minute, 42.0 seconds short of winners Travis Pastrana and Christian Edstrom in a closely fought battle that saw the top Canadian and U.S. competitors converge on this Pacific coast town for two days of forest rally action.

A windshield that fogged up on stage 8 cost L’Estage and Richard 30 valuable seconds. “The weather was miserable – it was raining and hailing,” recounts Richard. “The windshield completely fogged up two corners after the start and Antoine couldn’t see anything.”

“Travis was really flying, and it would have been very tough to catch him,” says Richard. “Antoine always wants to win, but we decided to concentrate on the championship. Second was a good result.”

It is the third time this year the Yokohama-sponsored Mitsubishi Evo X has carried L’Estage and Richard to a second-place finish in the premier U.S. series. The pair have a six point lead in the standings with three events left on the 2010 Rally America calendar.

With a long break in the Canadian national rally schedule between the first event in February and the second event near the end of May, two Yokohama-supported Canadian teams turned up at Olympus. In addition to L’Estage and Richard, reigning Canadian champions Pat Richard and Alan Ockwell (Subaru) were added to a star-studded Olympus entry list. Richard and Ockwell recovered from a high-speed ‘off’ on stage 4 but were never a factor despite setting two fastest stage times.

The next event in the Canadian Rally Championship is the Rocky Mountain Rally in Calgary on May 28, 2010.

Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. markets and distributes a full line of tires for high performance, passenger car, light truck, and commercial truck applications, as well as off-the-road tires for mining, forestry and construction applications. It maintains distribution centres across Canada to serve more than 700 independent tire dealers and more than 2,000 retail locations.

IZOD IndyCar Series Announces Oval and Road Championships as Build-Up to Overall Season Title

INDIANAPOLIS (April 27, 2010) - The Indy Racing League (IRL) announced today plans to institute oval and road title contests within the overall IZOD IndyCar Series driver championship beginning with the 2010 season.

Using the current championship points system, the highest-scoring oval and road/street drivers will be crowned champion of their respective racing discipline. The road title will culminate on August 22 at Infineon Raceway, while the oval contest will conclude September 19 at Twin Ring Motegi. The October 2 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be reserved to honor the overall IZOD IndyCar Series champion.

Drivers will compete for bonuses presented to both category champions, with the purse to be announced at a later date.

"The IZOD IndyCar Series offers one of the most challenging and diverse schedules in all of motorsports," said Randy Bernard, chief executive officer of the IRL. "We want to recognize the drivers that master the disciplines that make up this sport as they pursue the ultimate prize - the IZOD IndyCar Series championship. We feel this platform will give added value to events on our schedule and creates more momentum behind the drivers and teams that excel at ovals and road races."

Fans will have an opportunity to select the name of the trophies awarded to both the oval and road champion, which will honor legends of the sport. Media representatives will be asked to nominate the greatest oval and road racers of all time. From those nominations, the top-five nominees from each discipline will be posted to a fan vote at www.indycar.com in late May through early June. The league will work with the legends to secure the rights to names for the trophies. The oval trophy honoree will be announced during the IZOD IndyCar Series event weekend at Texas Motor Speedway while the road trophy honoree will be revealed at Watkins Glen International.

"The sport of Indy car racing has such a long and storied legacy of so many accomplished legends that we feel this is a great way to honor their accomplishments," Bernard said. "Many of our current drivers admire these legends, so why not have them vie for a trophy named in honor of the drivers they strive to emulate."

There are nine road/street races on the 2010 schedule that will constitute the road championship, with scoring retroactively starting at the beginning of the season. Through the first four road/street events - Brazil, St. Petersburg, Barber Motorsports Park and Long Beach - Will Power leads the road championship over Helio Castroneves and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Races remaining include Watkins Glen International, streets of Toronto, Edmonton City Centre Airport, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Infineon Raceway.

The equally challenging and competitive package of races eligible for the oval championship kick off May 1 with the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at the 1.5-mile, variably-banked Kansas Speedway. Succeeding oval races will be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Kentucky Speedway and Twin Ring Motegi.


Media Contact:
Amy Konrath,
Indy Racing League
(317) 492-6453
akonrath@indycar.com

Deja Vu for Multimatic at VIR

Alton, Va. (April 26, 2010) - The race weekends in the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge seem to be repeating themselves for the Multimatic Motorsports squad with lady luck missing in action.

Once more, the Ford Mustang Boss 302R team put in a strong showing, starting on the front row for a fourth consecutive race and tying for the most laps led in the two hour, 30 minute event at Virginia International Raceway. But the team, yet again, left the track without a podium finish.

Despite some small engine woes for both Multimatic Motorsports entries, the duo of Joe Foster and Scott Maxwell, placed seventh after starting second and having to fight back from contact early on in the race.

Young guns Gunnar Jeannette and Frankie Montecalvo, who had opted for a rain set-up due to the impending weather, crossed the finish line in 13th.

The race started out strong for "Front Row Joe" Foster who took over first place at the start. However, seven laps in, Foster was a victim of bad luck when the third-place BMW lunged into him while making a move on the second place car, forcing Foster to go off course.

Returning to the track in 11th place, Foster fought his way back through the field with a slightly damaged car and by the time he pitted on lap 21 to hand the #15 Multimatic Motorsports car to Maxwell, he had made his way up to second.

Meanwhile, in the #16 Bayshore Recycling Ford Mustang Boss 302R, Montecalvo was having another good run. The 19-year-old, who has impressed many so far this season with his talent and maturity behind the wheel, made his way up from his ninth place on the starting grid to fourth before entering pit lane on lap 21, taking advantage of a caution period for a driver change.

Gunnar Jeannette, now taking his place in the #16 Multimatic entry came out in 22nd. Both Jeannette and Maxwell quickly made their way back up and were sitting respectively in eighth and third place halfway through the Bosch Engineering VIR 200. With about an hour to go, Maxwell had regained the race lead.

The Multimatic Motorsports crew executed their second stop at the beginning of the final pit window with about 45 minutes to go in the race. The team was hoping for a higher finish once the pit stops had cycled through, but Maxwell had to deal with an ill-handling car following the early race incident as well as some engine issues, while Jeannette also had to face his own engine woes in a car that did not have an optimal set-up for the dry track conditions.

In spite of those difficulties, Maxwell made his way from 17th to finish seventh and Jeanette moved up from 19th to 13th following their final stop.

With a little over a month before the next event, the Multimatic Motorsports team will head back to their home-base in Markham, Ontario, Canada to continue its development of the Ford Mustang Boss 302R and prepare for Round 5 of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge which takes place at Lime Rock Park on May 28-29, 2010.


Multimatic Motorsports Quoteboard:

Joe Foster, #15 Ford Mustang Boss 302R
"We had a good start on the outside of the front row and I got the lead right at the green flag and led for a while. Unfortunately I got hit and it damaged the car, and it was just not right after that. It was not handling as well as before. Nevertheless we got back in second place, under green, and we pitted to put Scott in. He did the best he could with a slightly wounded car and kept it into the top three for a while.
"Then we had a little bit of an engine issue at the end, this is a development program and these sort of problems can be expected, so that plus the earlier damage hindered the speed.
"I think in the big picture, everything we had control over on our car we did really well, but there were a lot of things we didn't have control over, that didn't go so well. Other than that everything was fine. I think it was a good race for the program, our strategy was right and had it not been for the hit, I think we would have been on the podium."

Scott Maxwell, #15 Ford Mustang Boss 302R
"It was more racing bad luck. We had good strategy this time but after being hit early on in the race the car didn't handle as well afterwards, and then we also had an engine going soft on us that was losing power and on top of that we had some problems with other cars holding us back a bit.
"So, it wasn't a great day but we did have a competitive car, we're just not getting any breaks right now. All we can do is move on to the next one and hope things change."

Frankie Montecalvo, #16 Bayshore Recycling Ford Mustang Boss 302R
"I had an OK start. I didn't really gain anything but definitely didn't lose any positions. I was defending my position and trying to stay out of trouble at the start. Then I worked on picking the cars off one by one and worked my way up.
"We had a good race, but we started having a little misfire with the engine and we were a little bit down on power, I think it got worse for Gunnar later on in the race, but other than that the car was pretty good. It feels good to finish a second race in a row, it wasn't the position we wanted but I prefer to finish a race to not finishing at all.
"The whole team is working hard and everyone has been doing a great job, we just have to keep at it and hope that we can have a better result at Lime Rock next month."

Gunnar Jeannette, #16 Bayshore Recycling Ford Mustang Boss 302R
"In the end our car wasn't quick enough. Unlike the 15 car, we decided, because there was a very good chance of rain, to prep the car for rain, and sacrificed the drive set-up. And then it never rained! So that didn't go too well for us.
"It felt like we had an issue with the engine where we kind of went down on power. Through my first stop, after there was a yellow, I was right there with everybody and able to race but then I just ended up getting passed on the straightaways, so there wasn't a whole lot I could do about it.
"Everybody on the team is doing all they can and working really hard, we just didn't have the car for it today. Now we'll just look forward to Lime Rock and hopefully be able to get one of the Boss 302Rs on the podium."



FURTHER INFORMATION
Hao Wang or Sean Mason
Multimatic Motorsports
Phone:905-470-0025
Email:racepr@multimatic.com
Twitter:www.twitter.com/multimaticrace

Mark's Spring Ladies Night Event - Save 20% Storewide!

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES DRIVER DEREK WHITE TRUCKING TO KANSAS

April 25, 2010. This coming weekend NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver Derek White and the DPW/OCR Gas Bar Race Team will put their preparations for the season opener at Delaware Speedway on hold as they travel to Kansas Speedway to participate in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event.

While this will be the first time the driver from Kahnawake, Quebec takes on the challenge of the 1.5 mile Kansas Speedway oval, White does have Truck racing experience to draw upon. Last season in addition to his limited schedule of five NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races Derek White also took the green flag for Truck Series events at Martinsville Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway and made impressive showings.

Not surprisingly at his first Truck series events White started deep in the field at both races, but once the competition began he moved up through the field finishing eight spots higher than he began at Martinsville and five places ahead at the Phoenix event.

As soon as competition is completed at Kansas Derek White and the DPW/OCR Gas Bar Race Team will be heading home to complete preparations for their first full season in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series including a series test day at Delaware Speedway near London, ON Tuesday May 18^th. Fans are welcome to watch the action and admission is free.

Derek White will pilot the #96 Chevrolet Truck in this weeks Kansas event that takes place on Sunday May 2^nd and can be seen on SPEED TV beginning at 12:30PM Eastern Time. Derek White and the #99 DPW/OCR Gas Bar Team will open the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season on Saturday June 5^th at Delaware Speedway just outside London, ON. The team will compete in all thirteen series races this year. As in years past all NCATS races will also be seen on TSN with the complete broadcast schedule to be announced shortly.

Merrittville Speedway: McCready and Bicknell steal wins while Panunte dominates Triple 50s

Thorold, Ontario (April 25) – Since the final checkered flag last season – Merrittville Speedway Race Fans and Teams have been waiting for one thing – the start of the 2010 Season. The Baron Roofing & Siding Spring Sizzler surely had to wet everyone’s racing appetite with thrilling racing action throughout each 50 lap event – kicking off the 59th consecutive season of the Thorold showplace.

Dolf McCready and Pete Bicknell both made late race moves payoff to earn their first wins of the season in the Hoosier Stock and L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified Divisions while Greg Panunte dominated in winning the Original Pizza Sportsman 50. All three Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series Divisions received some $4,000 in added purse courtesy of Baron Roofing’s Terry Keagan.

“Thanks to Terry,” relayed (Merrittville co-owner and racer) Pete Bicknell in Victory Lane, “his generous support goes along way … it gives everyone a little extra money to start the season with.”

From Merrittville Speedway. Click here for the full report.

PHOTO GALLERY: Canadian Steve Arpin NASCAR Nationwide Series at Talladega

Click here to see a photo gallery featuring Canadian Steve Arpin in NASCAR Nationwide Series pre-race action at Talladega on Friday, driving for JR Motorsports. The shots are courtesy of photographer Robert Reed.

Ford Becomes Newest Manufacturer To Join GRAND-AM

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 24, 2010) - It was announced today that Ford Motor Company, defending champion of both the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, is expanding its GRAND-AM involvement in 2010 as the newest manufacturer to join GRAND-AM's 2010 Manufacturers Official Promotion Partner Program.

The program calls for all Ford-powered Rolex Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge cars to carry approved Ford decals to be eligible for prize money bonuses from Ford, including $10,000 season-ending bonuses in both championships. The partnership provides Ford with the rights to use GRAND-AM marks, logos, images and video throughout the 2010 season.

Ford has also provided GRAND-AM with a Mustang Boss 302R racecar, similar to the ones used in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, for display in the GRAND-AM Fan Zone. The traveling display is featured at all 12 Rolex Series races in 2010.

"Ford is obviously an American icon and we are extremely pleased to announce this partnership," said Kevin Hindson, GRAND-AM Vice President, Marketing and Communications. "Ford has been a longtime supporter of teams in both the Rolex Series and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, and this new partnership takes that support to the next level."

Ford celebrated its second GRAND-AM-sanctioned victory of the 2010 season this weekend when Dean Martin and Bob Michaelian piloted the No. 52 Rehagen Racing Products/Bizrate.com Ford Mustang GT to victory at Barber Motorsports Park in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Earlier this year Jack Roush Jr. and Billy Johnson won the Homestead 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the No. 61 Roush Performance Ford Mustang GT. It was the 400th victory for famed Ford team owner Jack Roush.

At Barber Motorsports Park, there were six Daytona Prototypes carrying Ford's famed blue oval logo on their noses in the Rolex Series as well as 13 Ford Mustangs (combined FR500C and Boss 302R) that race in the Grand Sport (GS) class in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

"We're proud to support these motorsport enthusiasts and racers with contingency and manufacturer recognition for their on-track efforts,"   said Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsports.  "We're proud of our past success in GRAND-AM, and are just as proud that this year we have brought the 2011 BOSS 302R into the series - a race car built on the same assembly line, the same platform, and has the same 5.0 liter engine as the 2011 Ford Mustang GT."

From Grand-Am

GRAND-AM ROLEX SPORTS CAR: Pruett, Rojas win Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR

DANVILLE, Va. (April 24, 2010) - Scott Pruett survived a pair of late-race restarts and a strong challenge by Burt Frisselle to win Saturday's Bosch Engineering 250 before a record crowd at Virginia International Raceway.

The victory gave the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley started by Memo Rojas its third consecutive GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented  by Crown Royal  Cask No. 16 victory.

Andy Lally, making his 100th career start, had contact with Bill Auberlen with two laps remaining but held on to win in GT, driving TRG's No. 66 AXA Porsche GT3 started by Ted Ballou.

Pruett and Rojas led all but nine of the 84 laps in the two-hour, 45-minute event. Entering the final half hour, though, Pruett brushed a GT car and half of his rear spoiler began flapping. It finally broke off on Lap 73, bringing out the second caution of the event. Several Daytona Prototypes tangled on the Lap 77 restart, including the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Riley of Alex Gurney, the No. 9 Action Express Racing Porsche Riley of Joao Barbosa and the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Porsche Coyote of Antonio Garcia, bringing out the final caution.

Action resumed for a five-lap dash to the checkered flag, with Pruett holding off Frisselle by .293 seconds. Frisselle matched his career-best finish, sharing the No. 61 AIM Autosport Ford Riley with Mark Wilkins.

"It was sideways everywhere, because we lost a lot of downforce," said Pruett after scoring his 26th career victory - 25 of them in a Ganassi Daytona Prototype. "The only advantage was straight-line speed, so I knew if I could get off the turns well, I'd be very difficult to pass - because the straightaways are the best place to pass here."

Rojas started from the pole and led the opening 22 circuits before pitting under the green flag near the 45-minute mark, turning the car over to Pruett.

"The balance of the car changed from qualifying to the race and the car became pretty loose," Rojas said. "It made it more difficult to drive, but it was still fast. In the end, that's all that matters."

It was Wilkins' best finish since 2008, when he and Brian Frisselle won two races. Burt Frisselle - Brian's older brother - had two podium finishes in 2004, including a second at Watkins Glen International.

"Scott obviously had a winning car," Burt Frisselle said. "There were places on the track where you could definitely make up time on him, but he really pushed hard - he did a heck of a job."

Max Angelelli and Ricky Taylor finished third in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara. It marked Taylor's first career podium finish.

Darren Law and David Donohue finished fourth in the No. 59 Brumos.com Porsche Riley, followed by Jon Fogarty and Gurney. Ryan Dalziel teamed with Mike Forest to finish sixth in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport BMW Riley.

After four races, Pruett and Rojas hold 21-point lead over Dalziel in the Daytona Prototype standings (137-116).

Lally made his move on a call by TRG team owner Kevin Buckler to stay out with the No. 66 AXA Porsche GT3 after the second caution flag waved, moving from seventh position to take second. He took the lead shortly after the restart and led the final 25 circuits. It was Lally's 21st career victory and first for Ballou.

Bill Auberlen, who took over from Paul Dalla Lana in the No. 94 Turner Motorsports BMW M6 at the 45 minute mark, pressured Lally down the stretch. The two ran side-by-side with two laps remaining before making contact. Auberlen spun through the grass, and recovered to finish eighth.

Lally then held off Jeff Segal by .712 seconds, ending the two-race winning streak of Segal and Emil Assentato in the SpeedSource No. 69 FXDD Mazda RX-8.

"Kevin made a great call," Lally said. "We stayed out under the second to get the wave by, then the pit crew had a lightning stop that got us out in front of the pace car. Bill was coming up on us a second a lap. We raced as clean as we could. I just held my ground - I wasn't going to give more than an inch. To celebrate my 100th race with a win was monumental."

Segal's crew made a similar call after the team had been struggling throughout the weekend and running 10th.

Paul Edwards and Scott Russell finished third in the No. 07 Airjax.com Corvette after running in or near the top three throughout the race. It was the first podium finish for Russell, a world superbike champion and five-time winner of America's leading motorcycle race - the Daytona 200 By Honda - before moving to four-wheeled competition.

The two cars to beat in GT were the No. 30 IDEMITSU/3Dimensional.com Mazda RX-8 of Jordan Taylor and Todd Lamb, and the No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8 of Jonathan Bomarito and Sylvain Tremblay. Taylor won the pole and led the opening 21 circuits, with Lamb talking over and leading 29 laps. Both teams opted to return to their starting drivers on their second pit stop, but Taylor and Bomarito were caught back in the pack and were unable to get back into contention. They finished sixth and ninth, respectively.

John Potter and Craig Stanton finished fourth in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3, followed by James Gue and Leh Keen in the No. 41 Dempsey Racing/Team Seattle Mazda RX-8.

The second-place finish, on the heels of victories at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Barber Motorsports Park, gives Segal  and Assentato a three-point lead in the GT championship (118-115), with seventh-place finishers Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis in the No. 57 Stevenson Automotive Group Camaro GT.R another three points back.

The next Rolex Series race will be on Monday, May 31, at Lime Rock Park. It will be the first appearance by the Daytona Prototypes at the scenic Lakeville, Conn., circuit. Several teams will compete in a test at the track on Tuesday, April 27.

From J.J. O'Malley / Grand-Am

GRAND-AM: Hand, Marsal give Turner Motorsport victory in Saturday's Bosch Engineering VIR 200

DANVILLE, Va. (April 24, 2010) - Turner Motorsport's pit strategy worked to perfection in Saturday's Bosch Engineering VIR 200 at Virginia International Raceway, while other teams were forced to make late-race pit stops and give up track position.

Joey Hand took the lead with 12 minutes remaining in the two-and-a-half hour race, the fourth round of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season, and earned the Grand Sport (GS) victory with co-driver Michael Marsal. It marked the pair's first win of 2010 and third consecutive podium finish in the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M3.

Hand bested runner-up Jeff Bucknum, who came from 30th starting position, by 2.498 seconds after Bucknum pitted for fuel with 14 minutes remaining. Third-place driver Matt Plumb, who also pitted for fuel while leading with 12 minutes left, finished 4.349 seconds behind.

"Coming off two thirds and now a win, we're streakin,' people," Hand said. "We pitted early and took the right amount of fuel. We had plenty for the finish, running full rich."

Marsal started the car, and his stint proved exciting. Not long after the race began, Marsal spun into one of the tire walls, damaging the car's rear bumper, which was eventually removed. Hand relieved he rookie during the first of two pit stops, and was a podium challenger for the race's final hour.

"I recovered, kept it on the lead lap and started hammering it down the straight," Marsal said of his off-course excursion. "The brakes were really great; I was able to pull through."

Bucknum, who debuted the Stevenson Motorsports Camaro last October at VIR and Saturday led a race-high 14 laps, was the first leader to pit, when he dived in for a splash-and-go. That gave Plumb, whose BMW suffered rear bumper damage of its own after contact, the lead, but he pitted on the next lap. Co-driving the No. 13 RumBum.com BMW M3 with Gian Bacardi, Plumb raced out of the pits a few moments after Hand flashed by.

Not requiring fuel in the No. 97, Hand only needed to keep Bucknum, who co-drove the No. 6 Sunoco Camaro with Matt Bell, in his mirrors. For Marsal, it marked his fifth start and first career win. For Hand, it was his fourth triumph. The pair moved into a second-place tie in points with sixth-place finishers Terry Borcheller and Andrew Hendricks in the No. 45 Stable One Racing BMW M3.

Fourth were Charlie Putman and Charles Espenlaub, who regained the points lead by one (111-110), in the No. 48 Sparco/Battery Tender BMW M3, while polesitter Jack Roush Jr. in the No. 61 ROUSH Performance Products Ford Mustang GT watched as co-driver Billy Johnson finish fifth, weaving back-and-forth to keep fuel to the engine.

In the Street Tuner class, Ryan Eversley and rookie Zach Lutz crossed the finish line with just enough fuel to win their first career race in the No. 75 Skunk2/HPD Honda Civic Si. Eversley radioed to his crew he didn't think he had enough fuel just after taking the white flag, but he took the victory by more than eight seconds over runners-up Seth Thomas and Bill Heumann, whose No. 81 Performance Friction/RAYS Engineering BMW 328i ran out of fuel after taking the checkered flag.

"We saved a little fuel in the second stint, hoping for a yellow or the rain - and neither came," said Eversley, who led a race-high 31 ST laps. "So we had to baby it the whole way."

Kevin Stadtlander and Josh Hurley earned their first podium of the season in the No. 181 APR/BBS Volkswagen GTI, while Lawson Aschenbach, in the No. 74 Skunk2/HPD Honda Civic Si, stopped for fuel on the final lap before finishing fourth. Aschenbach and David Thilenius did, however, maintain the points lead over Thomas and Heumann by six points (123-117).

Rounding out the top five were Andy Lally, who earlier in the day won the Rolex Series GT race with TRG, and Nic Jönsson, in the No. 10 Infinity Audio/HD Radio Kia Forte Koup. It was the best ever finish for a Kia in series history.

Four cars were involved in the race's only major incident. Defending race winner Derek Whitis's No. 25 Aventura Technologies Mazda MX-5 made contact with Todd Buras's No. 51 Irish Mike's Racing Volkswagen Jetta GLI, who spun into Chris Prusinski's No. 79 Coastline Imaging BMW M3, forcing retirement for all three cars. Buras was transported to Danville Regional Medical Center and later treated and released. The No. 32 Cybernation MAZDASPEED3 of Taylor Hacquard also made hard contact with Whitis's car but continued on to pit lane.

The 66-lap race, which featured two caution periods for nine laps, was run at an average speed of 85.774 mph. The next race for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will be Saturday, May 29, at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn. It will mark the series' first split-class race weekend of the season.

From Michael Harker / Grand-Am