INSIDE: CTMP’S CASTROL VICTORIA DAY SPEEDFEST COVERAGE
• SIX PAGES OF KENNY U-PULL VICTORY LANE PICS
• RD RACING RETURNS TO ACTION AFTER TERRIFYING ORDEAL
• MARITIME MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED
LOOKING BACK:
• CAYUGA DRAGWAY’S JOHN & SHARON FLETCHER
July / August 2023 I Volume 27 I Issue 02 / 03
INSIDE News
12
NASCAR Pinty’s Series
Dominant start for Lapcevich
14 RD Racing Is Back on Track Team returns after terrifying ordeal
16 APC Late Model Series
Benedict and Fitzpatrick score early
18 Ontario Sportsman Series
Mcglynn and Mcallister post wins
20 Southern Ontario Modified Association
Weber wins Bill Zardo Memorial 28
29 Hank Franks Memorial Marshall, Murdoch win CVM features 30
Motorsports Hall of Fame
Ten inductees will be welcomed in November
INSIDE Features
10 NASCAR Pinty’s Series Primer
New tracks, drivers headline 17th season
Duddy, Toupin win Round 2 of ECRC season
34 Indianapolis 500 Penske’s Newgarden wins 107th edition
36 Victoria Day Speedfest
NPS, FEL, Radical, SPC in action at CTMP
42 CASC-OR Report
BEMC Spring Trophy Races
46 Western Canadian Drag Update
The straight-line scene in western provinces
52 Kenny U-Pull Victory Lane
Honouring the latest winners in Canada
INSIDE Marketplace
62 Speedshop
Your Contact List for Racing Companies
Dave Mathers: John and
Mary
Mans ‘23
NASCAR Pinty’s Series
Treyten Lapcevich wins NPS/CTMP openers
Photos by Greg MacPherson (main), Steve Traczyk (Lapcevich with flag) and Blake Farnan (Drag Car)
The teammates became close friends in the time that they raced for Ferrari, but both were on a mission to be World Champion. That burning ambition resulted in an incident that many believe triggered a chain of events that resulted in tragedy that scarred and affected all involved.
In the opening sequence, Gilles’ widow Joann says, “This story is about a very deep betrayal. It is hurtful to a lot of people.”
Growing up in Florida, my favourite type of racing was NASCAR. I can still remember going to the 1974 Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway with my dad, my brother and a few uncles… and everyone being excited about David Pearson beating Richard Petty with a ‘slingshot’ move out of the last turn.
I was seven at the time.
Three years later, we moved back to Canada and ended up in Toronto. Aside from the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500, I don’t recall watching any other races on TV, including F1. I don’t recall Gilles Villeneuve winning the 1978 Canadian Grand Prix, but I do remember watching CBC Sports on a Saturday in 1982 and Brian Williams (I think) talking about the terrible accident in Belgium involving Canada’s F1 star.
I remember seeing the crash which sent the car and driver flying through the air, and Villeneuve into the catch fence. And I vaguely remember the news coverage about his death and the outpouring of grief, especially in Quebec.
After that, I can’t say I spent much time thinking about F1 until getting my first job, at a racing magazine, in 1990. Being immersed in the sport, the legend of Villeneuve was everywhere.
How he risked everything to secure a Formula Atlantic ride at the GP3R, which he won against some of the top racers in the world. The call from Enzo Ferrari that
ended up with him driving for F1’s most storied team, and his magical win at the ’78 Canadian GP in Montreal.
At the same time I was learning about Gilles, his son, Jacques, was becoming a racing star in his own right. I also attended and covered snowmobile races featuring Uncle Jacques, Gilles’ younger brother. I quickly got a sense for the respect and love the racing world had for Gilles Villeneuve, the way he raced, what he accomplished, and what he might have done.
But there is so much more to Villeneuve’s story, as I found out when I watched the new documentary movie called Villeneuve Pironi: Racing’s Untold Tragedy
An hour and 45 minutes in length, the movie starts by detailing Villeneuve’s life and racing career, before turning to the relationship between Ferrari teammates Gilles Villeneuve and Frenchman Didier Pironi during the 1981 and 1982 F1 seasons.
With Villeneuve and Pironi both long since deceased, the film is packed with firsthand accounts from family members, friends, Ferrari team officials and others who were witness to the events that transpired between the two.
The raw comments included in the film are often striking. Listening to Jacques describing his father’s total commitment to racing by calling him – with no malice – “a very selfish man,” was definitely an attention grabber.
At the San Marino GP, in 1982, Villeneuve and Pironi were instructed by the team not to fight each other for position on the track, while the Canadian was in front. A bobble by Villeneuve let Pironi through and into the lead. From there, the two fought fiercely for the win – ignoring team orders and repeatedly passing each other – with Pironi eventually taking the victory.
What follows is a tragic tale told by the people involved, including the racers themselves. Some of what happened is stunning. Other parts are heart-warming.
As someone who enjoyed Ford v. Ferrari and the insights it offered into historical figures and events, Villeneuve Pironi dives deeper in documenting what happened at the time through the words and memories of those who were there, along with videos and pictures to bring the tale to life. It was reminiscent of what Ken Burns has done with his documentaries on the US Civil War, baseball and other topics. I recommend it highly. Villeneuve Pironi is streaming now on Crave. ***
A quick note about two contributors. First, we welcome Jonathon Howe who is starting a new column called Dirt Trackin’. It will feature oval dirt track racing. Jonathon is part of the team that produces the popular Southern Ontario Dirt Show podcast and we look forward to him being part of Inside Track.
And a huge ‘thank you’ to longtime contributor Larry Holt who continues to go above and beyond to share his experiences and expertise despite his grueling schedule. Larry filed his Technically Speaking piece shortly after the conclusion of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, banging it out on a laptop on an airplane. Amazing! IT
A new documentary documents a dramatic chapter in Canadian and international racing.
There’s nothing gloomy about rainy days. That is, when you have WeatherTech FloorLiners. Laser measured for your specific vehicle, the WeatherTech FloorLiner is guaranteed to provide a perfect fit and the ultimate carpet protection, for as long as you own your vehicle. So when Mother Nature is at her worst, don’t worry because we’re at our best.
The eBay Motors 200 during the Castrol Victoria Day Speedfest at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park featured a last-lap, Turn 10 nudge by Treyten Lapcevich (right) on reigning series champ Marc-Antoine Camirand (left), setting up Lapcevich’s second consecutive win to open the 2023 NASCAR Pinty’s Series season. Coverage of all the action from CTMP’s long weekend starts on Page 36. Photo by Greg MacPherson IT
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The2023 Le Mans 24 Hours is complete and Ferrari’s return to top-line sporscar racing is now a triumphant one, winning the event on the first try with its new 499P Le Mans Hypercar, beating out fellow Hypercar entries from Toyota, Porsche, Cadillac, Peugeot and the privateer entry from Glickenhaus Racing, led by former 1980s grindhouse film director turned supercar mogul James Glickenhaus.
The top eight cars in this year’s race were from the relatively new Hypercar class, and Alpine, BMW and Lamborghini will be arriving in time for the 2024 event, meaning next year’s grid will feature eight manufacturers vying for overall honours, a scenario unheard of since the heyday of the Group C era in the 1980s.
Top level Sportscar racing could be set for another golden era.
It’s still too early to say for sure, and we all know how fickle manufacturers are when it comes to expensize prototype programs: they tend to come and go quickly. Will any of these manufacturers have the stomach to stick it out if their Hypercars are not immediately competitive against their manufacturer rivals?
Only time will answer that above question, but in the short term, the 2024 event is looking like it has the potential to be one of the most exciting Le Mans 24 Hours in the last 25 years.
Not only is the Hypercar class stacked, but the LMP2 field is robust, featuring more than a dozen cars in the 2023 Le Mans field, and the LMGTE classes are stacked with new machines from Porsche, Ferrari, plus mainstays like Corvette Racing and Aston Martin, and the new Ford GT3 machine breaking cover during the lead-up to the 2023 Le Mans race.
Top to bottom, the Le Mans field hasn’t been this strong in a long time, and its only going to get better next year.
I’ve long had a soft spot for sportscar racing. Group C’s otherworldly, at least to a kid like me in the 1980s, were so wild I was immediately hooked on racing and have been ever since.
And the 1990 sportscar battles kickstarted by the McLaren F1’s shocking win in the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours, and featuring Ferrari, Mercedes, Nissan, Toyota and Porsche is quite possibly my favourite period of racing.
I can’t wait until next year. IT
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The NASCAR Pinty’s Series (NPS), Canada’s national stock car racing tour, begins its 17th season with momentum, following increased car counts, new tracks, and new drivers last year. Here are some storylines and drivers to watch for 2023.
For the first time since pre-pandemic, the NPS schedule looks nearly identical to the prior year. The season started at Sunset Speedway before the traditional Victoria Day long weekend stop at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).
Autodrome Chaudière in eastern Quebec is up next on the schedule, followed by a return to Newfoundland’s Eastbound Intl. Speedway, where the series made its provincial debut last season. The streets of Toronto will then host a mid-July race on the Friday afternoon of IndyCar weekend.
The western swing to Edmonton and Saskatoon follows, then the prestigious Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. The only change from last year is the addition of a 14th race, which will come at Ohsweken Speedway in mid-August, making it dirt races on back-to-back days at the southern Ontario track.
The airport road course of Circuit ICAR near Montreal, the Labour Day weekend stop at CTMP and the late-September finale at Delaware Speedway will conclude the 2023 schedule.
Fifteen drivers recorded a podium last season and three drivers demonstrated the depth of contenders found in the series by showing that it’s not just the veterans who visit victory lane. Treyten Lapcevich (Sunset), Alex Guenette (Trois-Rivières) and Brandon Watson (Delaware) each recorded their first career victory in 2022. Lapcevich added a second victory in the NPS dirt debut at Ohsweken.
The trio are all past Rookie of the Year winners, with Watson picking up the honours last season. All three also find themselves in
competitive rides for 2023, with Lapcevich in the No. 20 Chevy at 22 Racing, Guenette paired with Ed Hakonson Racing for the first time, in the No. 3 Chevy, and Watson in a No. 9 Chevy entry, partnering with DJK Racing and Mark Dilley.
“Finishing last year at Delaware, with the win, helped us get in our heads that we can do it, we can run at the front,” said Watson. “Goals for this season would be more top-five finishes, get another win here or there. We would like to be a competitor for the points championship at the end but that’s a big task for us; we’ll have to see how this team works together and comes back from our first start.”
Watson finished tenth at Sunset, with motor issues, while Lapcevich and Guenette got off to the opposite kind of start. Lapcevich led 247 of 250 laps, with Guenette consistently running between second and third. The duo battled on a late restart, where Guenette led three laps and nearly played spoiler before Lapcevich made a last-lap pass for the win.
Guenette now has six career podium finishes, with three in his last five starts. While his first win came on a street course, he’s shown some quiet success on ovals. He has a pair of runner-up finishes from the now-defunct Autodrome St-Eustache, along with top-five results at Delaware and Barrie speedways.
“I think some people might perceive me more as a road course driver but I have more experience on the ovals,” said Guenette. “I think my strength is being well rounded on both, I can win on an oval and I can win on a road course…you have to nail the setup more on the ovals but I feel like, if I had to pick, it would be hard; it would just depend on the track because I feel like it’s really evenly split.”
While young talent is becoming more visible in NPS, it’s still the series veterans who own the numbers advantage. Six of these veterans are poised to be top contenders again this season.
Marc-Antoine Camirand enters 2023 as the defending champion, following a career year that saw him record three wins, seven
podiums and a 5.6 average finish, while driving for a brand-new Paillé Racing team. He also led 803 laps, the second-most in a single season in series history.
“Yes, I want to defend my championship, but we approach the season like pretty much all the other seasons that we’ve done before,” said Camirand. “The competition’s always high in the series but that’s our goal, try to do back-to-back.”
The series has never seen a driver win back-to-back championships. Camirand says that consistency and finishing races will be key to him changing that.
Kevin Lacroix is used to being the bridesmaid. The St-Eustache, QC driver finished runner-up in the standings for the fourth time in his career (including the shortened 2020 campaign) and is still looking for his first series title.
Lacroix won three races last season, moving him into sole possession of fourth on the all-time wins list. A constant threat on the road and street circuits, he’s proven that he can still be a driver to watch on ovals as well.
“I’m getting older and I want at least one championship…but I still have many years ahead of me; every year a different driver wins and it’s always the challenge of who has the least bad luck,” said Lacroix. “It’s not because you don’t win (the title) that you’re not successful. I think you need to be very lucky too and every year we’re there but just need a little bit more luck.”
Elder statesman D.J. Kennington had another consistent year in 2022, with his 12th career top-three points finish (including 2020). A win in the doubleheader at Saskatoon’s Sutherland Automotive Speedway and a runner-up finish on the streets of Trois-Rivières headlined his campaign.
“It’s all about team and it took me a long time to realize that,” said Kennington. “I used to do a lot of stuff myself, I tried to be too hands on; I still do everything in the shop, but at the race track, I try to let my guys do their thing. I’ve got a great group, they’re outstanding.”
Kennington is the only driver to compete in every race in NPS history, dating back to NASCAR’s acquisition of CASCAR in 2007. The St. Thomas, ON driver is slated to make his 200th start later this season, where he’s already celebrating his 30th year of Castrol sponsorship. The milestone is being marked with a special paint scheme on his No. 17 Dodge.
“To have a partner like Castrol on board for the whole ride has been unbelievable,” said Kennington. “They’ve made everything happen in my career. I can never re-pay them or thank them enough…it’s been that great of a relationship, they’re like family to me.”
While Kennington searches for his third career title, a pair of three-time champions also look to add another trophy to their collection, with L.P. Dumoulin and Andrew Ranger both trying to rebound from a rough 2022 campaign.
Dumoulin went winless for the first time since 2017 and finished seventh in the standings, the worst points result of his full-time career. A pair of DNFs included a wreck with his older brother J.F. in their hometown race at Trois-Rivières.
Ranger finished one spot behind Dumoulin in the points, with a career-worst four DNFs on his record. Despite the challenges, his first season out of the Wight Motorsports stable saw him record five podiums and lead 172 laps (both ranking in the top-four). He also won a race at Autodrome Chaudière.
Rounding out the list of veteran contenders is Alex Tagliani. Tagliani returns to 22 Racing, following a fifth-place points finish and a win at Saskatoon in 2022. The win was his first on an oval since Edmonton in 2016.
The 2022 season saw a record-tying 16 drivers make their series debut (not counting the inaugural season). Among them was Kyle Steckly, the son of four-time series champion Scott Steckly.
The younger Steckly drove the No. 22 Chevy in the doubleheader at Saskatoon, where he finished fourth in his debut and 12th in the encore. The APC Series driver also competed at his home track of Delaware Speedway, where a wreck ended his night.
Steckly returns for a part-time schedule this season, where he finished 18th at Sunset (20 laps down). He’s also scheduled to run at Toronto, CTMP (Labour Day) and Delaware.
Meanwhile, a driver making his debut in 2023, with a full-time campaign, is Thomas Nepveu. The Oka, QC driver makes the transition from open-wheel competition, where he’ll run the No. 24 Ford for Jacombs Racing, while also getting used to sports cars in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
“I had the chance to test a car last fall at Autodrome (Chaudière) and I was hooked right away,” said Nepveu in a team release. “It’s a vastly different experience from single-seaters, which are lighter, so I’ll have to adapt my driving style when I get behind the wheel in NASCAR, but I’m really looking forward to the season ahead.”
From a series perspective, perhaps the biggest news during the off-season was the change in front office staff, following the retirement of series director Cherie Putnam at the end of last season.
Doug Gonder has been promoted to the top job, after serving as assistant series director in 2022. He joined NASCAR as an official in 2012 after previous experience at Delaware Speedway and in the ARCA Menards Series.
“Doug is a trusted figure among competitors and is the perfect choice to lead the NASCAR Pinty’s Series into the future,” said NASCAR Canada GM Tony Spiteri in a news release. “His relationships and technical experience are invaluable as the series continues to grow, welcoming new competitors, new racetracks and new fans.”
Long-time official Sam Putnam has been promoted to the role of technical director, while Mike Hennink will serve as supervisor of officials. Race director Rob Sharpe and series coordinator Stephanie Azevedo both return to their roles. IT
Story by Greg MacPherson
OnMay 13, the NASCAR Pinty’s Series opened its 2023 season at Sunset Speedway with a 250-lap race. A total of 21 cars and teams were in action at the high-banked, third-mile oval south of Barrie, Ontario, providing an impressive field of competitors for the large crowd of fans.
For the second year in a row, at Sunset, Treyten Lapcevich came out on top, following dramatic last-lap action, to take the checkered flag. In this year’s race, Lapcevich started on the pole and led all but three of the race’s 250 laps, after Alex Guenette took the lead following a restart with a handful of laps remaining.
Undeterred, Lapcevich got to the inside of Guenette as the pair entered Turn 3, on the final lap, and squeezed into the lead as the exited Turn 4. It was a clean pass and the young hometrack favourite took the checkered flag ahead of Guenette and Kevin Lacroix.
Lapcevich had the fastest car in the field for practice and qualifying and secured the pole position with a lap of 14.646 seconds, just ahead of Donald Theetge (14.813) and Guenette (14.853).
The early portion of the race ran with few cautions, after which Lapcevich had relatively little trouble pulling away on the restarts. But in the late going, Guenette and Lacroix were able to stick with him, and were well positioned to challenge for the win.
But in the end, even though Guenette got past Lapcevich, he pushed slightly high entering the final corners – trying to defend – which opened the door for young Treyten
to recover the top spot. Following the Victory Lane presentations, both Guenette and Lacroix admitted they and the other racers were all fighting for second spot against Lapcevich’s dominant car.
“The FBM No. 20 Delta Bingo car was just so good, all day long. The 22 Racing Team gave me a great car. We were able to show it in that first long run. From there it was just the restarts that were nerve-wracking. They were all over me, as was expected.
“But yeah, I knew when we were going ‘green’ with five to go, it was going to get hectic. And my goal was just to hold the bottom. I think he (Guenette) got under me into Turn 1, on the restart. He got my rear tires off the ground, and I was just holding on.
“But on the last lap, the hole opened up, in Turn 3, when he missed the bottom by a little. I’m not sure if he got into a someone else, but I took advantage of it. I mean, I think we deserved that one. It was another great night at Sunset.”
Guenette was pleased with the result and enjoyed the late-race action.
“Yeah, we gave it all we had. Treyton really was the dominant car today. I picked up the lead off him by getting really aggressive on the restart. But after the white flag, I just missed (the corner) by a little there. He got us pretty hard coming
into Turn 3 on the last lap. But it’s all good, though. I’m happy for him.
“But I’m real happy for our guys that was a good solid run. It’s my first Pinty’s oval race in about three years, so I’m real happy with our results. And I’m really looking forward to the season after tonight.”
Coming home third was Kevin Lacroix, who wasn’t really in contention for the win, so a podium finish was a welcome result.
“Everybody ahead of me wasn’t in the same world as me, tonight. Treyten was crazy fast, but I would say that even Alex (Guenette) was also much faster than me. So, I was happy to finish third, really, because I was expecting to finish around fifth.
“We’re looking for top fives on ovals and wins on the road courses, so third, here, is even better than we expect. The goal is the championship, so we need clean races like this, so we need to keep the front bumper clean and not be involved in the wrecks. We did that tonight and it worked very nice.” IT
(L to R) Treyten Lapcevich, Alex Guenette and Kevin Lacroix were the top three Pinty’s Series finishers at Sunset Speedway. Photo by Steve Traczyk
In April of 2022, you may have seen a story on the news about a Canadian airline pilot and crew who were detained in the Dominican Republic after they reported a mysterious bag in an area of their plane that wasn’t intended for storing luggage.
It turned out to be eight bags filled with a total of 210 kilograms of cocaine.
Thinking they’d done the right thing by reporting the sketchy cargo to the RCMP and Dominican authorities, the five-person crew was stunned when they were thrown in jail for nine days before effectively being placed under house arrest until they ultimately returned to Canada, in early December.
During their terrifying ordeal, the flight crew was protected by heavily armed guards – paid for by their employer – and regularly moved from safe house to safe house, to avoid the wrath of the cartel whose drug delivery they had derailed.
Many close to Canadian pilot Rob Di Venanzo knew what he and his family were going through as he languished in the Dominican Republic (DR), fearing for his safety, and wondering when or if he might return to Canada.
This included some members of the Ontario stock car racing community, who had known Rob as a competitor for many years, and more recently, as a big supporter of his son Tyler, who competes on the United Racing Series’ APC Late Model tour.
Last Spring, due to safety concerns about what his family was going through – and what might happen if there was an on-track incident while he was detained in the DR –the decision was made to ‘park’ Tyler and his new Pro Late Model until Rob got back to Canada.
After the arrest in April, Rob believed he would be released in May. And then they thought they would be cleared in June… then July… and August. In the end, it wasn’t until November when journalist Avery Haines and the crew of her W5 news show went to the DR and started asking questions that Di Venanzo and his fellow captives were told they were being released without charges, and without ever having been questioned by the authorities.
In the end, Rob’s suspicion is that he and his crew caused trouble for the cartel and possibly someone in power by discovering and reporting the massive drug shipment, and their detainment was a form of payback.
Di Venanzo also suspects that the DR government wasn’t happy to have it revealed that the country is, in his words, a “narco-state,” which could impact its reputation as a travel destination.
Either way, the presence of the W5 crew seemed to trigger the crew’s release. According to Di Venanzo, prior to that, it was starting to look like they were going to be held a full year – as per DR law – without being charged.
“It’s definitely been a challenge,” said Di Venanzo. “We went through Hell every day for almost eight months. All we wanted was to get home. And I still have challenges because of what we went through, but I’m trying to move on and be happy.”
To that end, Tyler is back racing in the APC Series this season. Rob views returning to the track as therapeutic and part of putting the bad memories behind he and his family.
“Heading into the 2022 season, we were more prepared than we’d every been. MAKER Pizza was our primary sponsor and we had purchased a new Pro Late Model from WMI, and we had a new race shop in Woodstock, with great funding.
“And then it all just stopped. My fear was if there was an accident, and I couldn’t get home… I didn’t want to risk it. The ‘craphole’ of a country I was in wouldn’t let me go home if something happened. And my own country wasn’t doing anything to bring me back home. So, everything was put on hold.”
After the ordeal, Di Venanzo still wonders what happened and why he and the others were allowed to languish for so long, scared to death that the cartel would find them, while the Canadian government seemingly did nothing on their behalf.
But the racing program getting back on track puts a smile on Rob’s face.
“It’s exciting. And challenging. But we’re back together and working
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Story by Greg MacPherson and Ashley McCubbin
The APC United Late Model Series took to the track for the first time, in 2023, on May 20 at Sunset Speedway. The race was unique in the history of the series in that it was the first time the competitors had to compete for 150 laps.
Hometrack favourite Danny Benedict was up to the challenge of the extended race, leading most of the race on his way to taking the checkered flag in the Dayco Spring Fling 150 at the Barrie, Ontario area short track.
Following a post-qualifying draw, Benedict lined up sixth in the field of 17 starters and wasted little time moving forward, in spite of the field being two-wide. He took the top spot
...Continued from Page 14 with Taylor Holdaway, which is awesome. We have a brand new car that we need to figure out. And Tyler hasn’t raced a Pro Late Model in two years, so our priority
near the 50-lap mark and led the rest of the way to his first APC Series victory.
Erik Dalla Riva took second after opting to stay out and hold his position during the halfway break. Prior to the stoppage, he was running mid-pack. Former series champion Jo Lawrence finished third at Sunset and started at the tail-end of the field after the mid-race break when he took too much time servicing his car.
Jake Sheridan and Tom Gibbons finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the opener.
J.R. Fitzpatrick demonstrated why he’s the defending APC Late Model Series champ on
now is to get him back up to speed.
“We have an amazing new primary sponsor, Hudco Electric Supply. And our associates are Bremner Construction, MRC Wireless, Merge4 Socks, Reaper Speedlab and Imagewraps.ca. We’re grateful for their support, and our family is super thankful for everybody who supported us and helped my son, wife and daughter through that horrible time. There were a lot of great people in the racing community who were there for us.”
June 10 at Flamboro Speedway as he dominated the Grisdale Race Products 100.
Bouncing back from a disappointing ninth-place finish at Sunset, Fitzpatrick was third fastest during qualifying and quickly moved to the front and pulled away from the field. By the end, he’d lapped everyone up to fourth place. Kyle Steckly, who won the week before at Flamboro, in weekly competition, finished second ahead of Race #1 winner Danny Benedict. Jo Lawrence and Rick Spencer-Walt rounded out the top-five.
After two events, Benedict sits atop the points (125) ahead of Lawrence (120), Fitzpatrick (119), Jake Sheridan (115) and Dalla Riva (115). IT
Di Venanzo had a chance to connect with many friends who he hadn’t seen since his ordeal at the recent Toronto Motorama show.
“It was amazing. That was my first real step out into that type of public venue since getting back. Before then, I was really struggling, and it was a challenge for me to be there with the crowds. People wanted to see me and talk, but it was good to connect with people and tell my story and hear all the well wishes.”
In the time since, Rob has started flying again and recently started a new job at another airline, after recertifying his pilot’s licence, which had lapsed during his detention.
On behalf of everyone in the racing community, it’s great to see Rob back on Canadian soil and to have he and his family back in action on the APC tour. IT
The Ontario Sportsman Series waved the green flag on its 2023 season on May 19 at Delaware Speedway. And for the second straight season, the tour’s first event was cut short by rain after just 56 of the scheduled 100 laps were competed.
Dubbed the CASCAR Reunion 100, the race was a tribute to the birthplace of the long-running stock car series that was based out of Delaware Speedway for so long and morphed into the NASCAR Pinty’s Series.
The day’s schedule was compressed by overcast conditions and the pending wetness. The starting field was set using practice times, placing veteran competitor Chad McGlynn on the WMI Pole for the start of the race.
Sophomore OSS racer Derek McCullough, from Glencoe, ON, lined up alongside of McGlynn. McCullough drives for the St. Thomas based Payne Brothers Racing team and came into 2023 looking to build upon a podium finish and a pole position earned during his rookie campaign.
Making her series debut at Delaware was Southern Ontario Motor Speedway competitor Lora Authier, who was driving the No. 30 Avenger owned by reigning series champ Kevin Trevellin.
At the start, McGlynn and McCullough led the field of 14 into the first turn, with McGlynn taking the early lead before McCullough took the point until lap 30. Also back in action was 2019 OSS champion Connor
James, as well as Brad Robinson, Michael Hryniuk Jr., and Brendan Patrick.
This season, Patrick is piloting the Patrick Brothers Racing No. 02 as the team sports a new look as they celebrate their 40th year in racing.
Following a restart, McGlynn retook the lead and was pursued by McCullough and Sean Mangin. All the while, crews were watching the weather reports as it was only a matter of time before the skies would open.
Eager to get to the front, Mangin put his foot to the floor and passed McCullough and set off after McGlynn. Mangin was inches away from nabbing the lead but heavy rain spoiled his run and ended the race.
It was McGlynn’s first checkered flag at Delaware since 2021. Mangin was scored in second, while McCullough took the final podium spot. Patrick and Trevellin rounded out the top five finishers.
TheOSS series was back in action June 3 at Full Throttle Motor Speedway. It didn’t take Durham, Ontario’s Cory McAllister long to figure out how to make his OSS car work as he won his first series victory in just his third career start.
During qualifying at the tight, high-banked track, McAllister was barely edged for the WMI Pole Award by 2022 Series Champion Kevin Trevellin. It was Trevellin who took the lead first and held the lead with McAllister in hot pursuit.
But as the laps ticked down, smoke started to creep out of the wheel well of Trevellin’s Dodge. And by lap 20, it was becoming more prevalent. Two laps later, Trevellin spun coming off Turn 2 and was done for the night with a bad seal.
That handed the lead to McAllister, which he would retain for a lengthy portion of the race. Behind him, a battle between Chad McGlynn and Brendan Patrick went sour when contact sent McGlynn around and Patrick hard into the Turn 4 wall, resulting in a red flag and the end of the night for Patrick.
McAllister wasn’t immune from the shenanigans, either, as contact on the ensuing restart sent him spinning from the lead, handing the top spot to Connor James. All the while, Michael Hryniuk Jr. was lurking near the front, after recovering from a poor qualifying run.
But as the race neared its end, McAllister was able carve his way back through the field, after his spin, and passed James to retake the lead as the top three worked through heavy lapped traffic.
McAllister negotiated his way through the backmarkers and held on to win the Auto & Home 100. Behind him, Hryniuk Jr. made contact with James exiting Turn 4, with the checkered flag in the air, to nab second. James salvaged third while sliding across the line.
McGlynn left FTMS with a narrow points lead over Mangin and James, with Hryniuk Jr. and McAllister tied for fourth. IT
(Main) Cory McAllister and crew celebrate their first OSS win at FTMS. (Inset) Chad McGlynn in Delaware’s Victory Lane. Photos courtesy OSS (McAllister) and Derek Clark (McGlynn)
The Southern Ontario Modified Association Pro 4 Series (SOMA Pro 4s) is underway and everyone associated with the oval racing series are excited about the 2023 season.
This is a class of racing that has been around for 50 years, but this is only its second year going through a re-engineering stage. Some of the old rules seemed to be stifling growth, so we hope that introducing young fresh minds and some new engine options can keep the fun in racing!
According to SOMA official Ken Mercer, “We are trying to keep this class simple, competitive and cost effective by giving owners and drivers the freedom to do their own work and leave some room to experiment with their own ideas, instead of being forced into buying expensive engines and modifications.”
These SOMA Pro 4s resemble the pavement pounders of the ‘70s and ‘80s. They have Pinto and Vega style bodies, low slung chassis, engines that are set back, drivers that sit low, so the race cars handle like a finely tuned go-kart. It is a natural progression up the race chain, especially for that young child fresh out of karting. Most of these cars weigh about 1700 pounds and have 200-plus horsepower.
This season, SOMA is welcoming six new car owners/drivers who are chomping at the bit to to join the fray. Rajan Brar is one of the new competitors. He is running an experimental engine, a V6 Chevy. It’s a hightorque stock engine and it’s the first one
being tried in the class.
SOMA also has three new ‘father and son’ teams for 2023; Josh Fera and his dad Rob, Dario Cocco and his dad Michael, and Andrew Snyder and his dad Dave. These teams are all running Ford 2.3 Lima engines, which are the old ‘go-to’ for Pro 4. They are fast and reliable, with lots of performance parts available, but since the engines themselves are out of the ‘70s and ‘80s, they are getting harder to find.
Liz McFarland is also new to the SOMA entry list, as is John Held. Held is re-building one of the series’ fastest cars from the past – known as ‘The Silver Bullet.’ Anyone who has watched Pro 4s in the past will remember John Verney and his sleek, shiny aluminum race car. It was no stranger to the winner’s circle and everyone associated with the series is looking happy to see this legendary car back on the track.
Stan Pokupec, an extremely talented builder and driver, is considering pulling one of his old Pro 4 cars out of retirement to come join us at a few of the local races this year. Stan has raced Pro 4 locally and in the US, but has not competed for a few years.
Shean Carey is another experienced driver, but this will be his first year with his own car. He has a rear Honda engine open wheel modified, with lots of his own custom fabricating. Watch for Shean’s new car ‘Fireball #5.’
It should be noted that all SOMA drivers get the same payout, with race sponsors pay-
ing a bonus to the top three drivers at certain tracks and events. SOMA competitors range in age from 25 to 70, but on-track they are all young at heart and very competitive.
Pride of ownership is seen by car owners and camaraderie is in evidence when talking with the competitors. It’s not uncommon to see drivers who have had a breakdown in an earlier heat race helping each other out so they can make it back into the next heat or feature race.
For 2023, Grand Bend Speedway owners Gord Bennett and Tabitha Van Bruwaene are set to welcome the SOMA community to their speedy tri-oval track on June 17 and July 15, which also happens to be the track’s RibFest weekend. The tour will be back for a final date on August 26. The SOMA Pro 4 racers always look forward to competing on the D-shaped track and the intense action it produces.
Flamboro Speedway track owners John and Frank Casale recently celebrated 50 years of track ownership and will host the SOMA field on May 20, July 1, August 5, August 12 and September 23. The legendary 1/3-mile oval always makes for exciting, competitive races.
BCW LUMBER and PLYWOOD Brantford is the Series sponsor for 2023 for the Southern Ontario Pro4 Modifieds and we are very proud to be representing this small town family business. Astro Excavating (Scarborough), Strodes BBQ and Deli(Brantford), Dash Interior Systems and Northern PrimeCompressed Air are race night sponsors that we thank very much. IT
Thedirt racing season is well underway throughout the Northeast including at multiple tracks north of the 49th Parallel. However, someone has claimed more victories across all tracks than anyone else so far. That someone? Mother Nature.
A rainy spring has certainly thrown a curveball at many racers and track crews alike so far in 2023. Some tracks are struggling to get dates in, while other tracks are struggling to keep their respective dirt and clay surfaces in optimal condition for racing. However, Canada’s oldest dirt track is continuing to be one of the sport’s crown jewels.
Merrittville Speedway lost the first two dates of its 72nd season to rain, including the season opening Spring Sizzler which was set to host the debut for the revamped Southern Ontario Sprints tour.
When action did return on May 6, several familiar faces were welcomed back to Victory Lane. Some of those included Cody McPherson and Dave Bailey, who were crowned champions in the DIRTcar Sportsman and Hoosier Stock classes, respectively.
The headlining 358 Modified Series at Merrittville also saw a Victory Lane regular claim wins in back-to-back weeks to start 2023, and he also happens to be one of the hottest drivers in Modified racing.
St. Catharines, Ontario’s Mat Williamson has been on an absolute tear on the dirt. Going back to last November’s World of Outlaws World Finals at Charlotte, Williamson has won a staggering five of the last seven Super Dirt Car Series races.
The Big Block Modified tour has also had its share of difficulties with weather, but when they are able to run, it’s a Canadian leading the charge.
Williamson, 33, is in search of his second Super DIRTcar Series crown and his first since 2019. While he currently sits atop the points standings, he knows better than to get ahead of himself and look too far down the road. Thankfully, 2019’s championship blueprint is still fresh in his mind.
“In 2019, we finished every lap of every race, never went down a lap,” Williamson recalled in a recent interview on the Southern Ontario Dirt Show podcast. He said the goal 22 Inside Track
after winning
for he and his Buzz Chew Racing #88 Big Block Modified team is to try and replicate what they did in 2019.
“I think our bad runs were fifth and sixth, whereas last year our bad runs were 15th and 16th. We’ve got to get rid of them.”
If the man they call ‘Money Mat’ wants to collect his second Super DIRTcar Series title, he’ll have to wrestle it out of the hands of American rival Matt Sheppard.
Since 2010, Sheppard has won the title nine times, including back-to-back in 2021 and 2022. “It’s never easy when you’re going up against a guy who has won that many,” says Williamson. “He’s the mark we want to try and beat.”
Sheppard has been getting the best of Williamson thus far in the Short Track Super Series modified tour. In the three combined events between the North Region and Elite Series, Sheppard has three wins, while Williamson has been right there with three top-five finishes, including a second at Accord Speedway.
Williamson will get a boost in the summer as both the Short Track Super Series and Super DIRTcar series will return north of the border for the first time since the pandemic.
Autodrome Granby in Granby, QC and Le RPM Speedway in Saint-Marcel-De-Richelieu, QC will host Short Track Super Series events on July 25 and July 26. The Super DIRTcar Series is making the trip to Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, QC for two
races July 31st and August 1st, while Brockville Ontario Speedway plays host to The Canadian Classic August 2.
Williamson says, “The fans in Quebec are like no other… They’re passionate. They show up like you would for a hockey game. It’s awesome to see when you go there.”
It also helps that both tracks are places where Williamson has won before.
So, what makes Mat Williamson so good? Why has a driver from the Niagara region been able to develop into one of the top names in dirt track modified racing?
It all starts with the place he calls home. Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ontario has been described as place where if you can win there, you can win anywhere. The tricky D-Shaped oval offers a unique shape and pristine surface, and a local field that is as deep as anywhere in the northeast.
“We’re really lucky to have Merrittville in our backyard. The race track itself is probably one of the best racetracks that we get to run on,” Williamson offered when asked about his Saturday night home.
There really is no place like home for the driver who finds himself travelling upwards of two extra hours to race big tour events compared to American challengers. In 2022, Mat Williamson hit double digits with 10 feature wins at Merrittville Speedway and has already scored two to start 2023.
He continues to ride his hot streak, but the stiff competition at home keeping Williamson honest will be the key to him staying in his finest form. IT
Story by Bryce Turner
Canadian racers have been keeping busy south of the border; here’s an update on four of them.
Mac Clark’s rookie season in USF2000 has seen some ups-and-downs. He started with two finishes outside the top-ten at St. Petersburg, including a DNF for a blown engine, before recording a fourth-place and a second-place at Sebring International Raceway. The runner-up also came on his 19th birthday.
Clark finished fourth in the middle race on the Indy GP Circuit. He crossed the line fifth in the other two events but was handed post-race time penalties for avoidable contact and blocking.
“Smiles leaving Indianapolis this weekend,” Clark wrote in a Facebook post. “Might not have had the best results on paper but boy, were we close to a win. Our pace is improving and I’m more driven than ever to find that top step of the podium again.”
Two-time East Coast International Pro Stock Tour champion Cole Butcher took part in Super Late Model competition. In the Pro All Star Series, he won both the St. Patrick’s Day 150 and Easter Bunny 150 in what
turned out to be a doubleheader at Hickory Motor Speedway.
“We kind of just worked our way to the front, saved our tires,” Butcher told Racing America after the first feature. “(Hickory) has been here forever and the asphalt has not changed, getting worse ever day, but that makes great racing.”
Butcher also competes in the ASA STARS National Tour, racing against the likes of Ty Majeski and Bubba Pollard. He started the season with a fourth-place finish at Five Flags Speedway before a mechanical issue limited him to a 14th-place result at Madison International Speedway.
The Hantsport, NS driver rebounded to finish eighth in a highly anticipated race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, with NASCAR Cup Series ringers William Byron, Chase Elliott, Daniel Suarez and Noah Gragson in the field. Butcher is currently fourth in the standings, 50 points back.
Jason White followed-up his near-victory at Daytona with a second straight top-ten finish in the ARCA Menards Series. He started 17th at Talladega Superspeedway and fell back early before using a short pit stop and a mid-race competition caution to get into the top-five.
Once again, it was a late restart, with
seven laps to go, that caused White to fall back at the finish.
“I got shuffled at the end and I finished 10th, which is definitely not what we wanted and definitely not acceptable,” said White, in a video posted on his Facebook. “We didn’t need that last restart; we were in a row with some pretty amazing cars – the Venturini cars, the Gibbs cars and Sean Corr and Bret Holmes…the cards didn’t fall in our direction, so I’m pretty dejected.”
White did note the positives of having a clean race car at the end and showing that his Jeff McClure Racing team can compete with the big guys.
After a strong finish at Daytona, Amber Balcaen had a pair of tough results in ARCA. She was in third at Talladega in the early laps before running over debris, which blew the clutch in her No. 15 Toyota, forcing the team to retire after 15 laps. Balcaen then started fourth at Kansas Speedway and was running near the top-five when she wrecked off Turn 2 with 36 laps to go.
“I was really giving it my all out there and sometimes as drivers we push our limits a little too much,” Balcaen wrote in a Facebook post. “Proud of the speed we showed and running the top was really fun but disappointed in my mistake.” IT
(Above) Mac Clark is getting up to speed in USF2000 this year, and has broken into the top five as recently as Indy. Photo Courtesy Mac Clark Racing
OnMay 27, OSCAAR and Flamboro Speedway played host to a special event honouring legendary racer Bill Zardo Sr., who contributed so much to the track’s history during his life. The hard-driving racer and a patriarch of one of the country’s most successful and prolific racing families passed away during the off-season.
Zardo’s spirit was felt by all during the Bill Zardo Memorial at Flamboro, as the top drivers of the Knightworks Design OSCAAR Hot Rods battled for the win. Zardo raced in many divisions over the years, including the Hot Rods, where he raced in 2022.
In the Hot Rods feature – a 46-lap chase paying tribute to Zardo’s legendary No. 46 cars – Cole Weber came out on top.
Dalen Martin won the first JRS Auctions heat in front of Steve Book, Kyle Woods, Donny Beatty, Jerry Broom, Rob Bromley, Jeremy McLean, Jeremy Taggart, Ryan Cowan, Matt Spry and Dan Rothwell.
J.R. Fitzpatrick was victorious in the second qualifier ahead of Trevor Thomp-
son, Cole Weber, Tyler Hawn, Nick Clarke, Connor Ellis, Brian Wilson Sr., Nick Holman, Dave Evison Sr., and Bill Clarke.
Rob Bromley picked up the checkered flag in the third heat followed by Taggart, Thompson, Fitzpatrick, Evison Sr., Holman, McLean, Bill Clarke, Rothwell and Cowan.
Tyler Hawn won the final qualifier in front of Martin, Weber, Broom, Book, Nick Clarke, Beatty, Woods, Wilson Sr. and Spry.
In the feature, Cole Weber started in the top five and wasted little time moving forward and into the lead on Lap 13.
Dalen Martin challenged Weber and briefly nosed ahead of him at the line on Lap 27, but Weber quickly reclaimed the lead and carved through lapped traffic for the final 19 laps en route to the win.
Martin held on for second – a solid accomplishment given that he was involved in a Lap 3 incident that sent him to the back. Steve Book ran near the front all race long and was rewarded with a podium finish.
Trevor Thompson was the second highest qualifier, though accepted the Bill Zardo
Challenge (put up by Lane Zardo, Billy Zardo, and Bill Zardo’s pit crew) to start tail of the field and go for some bonus money in the process. He made his way forward steadily throughout, scoring a fourth-place finish. Jerry Broom was fifth.
The OSCAAR Modifieds were also in action at Flamboro that night. Andy Kamrath won the first JRS Auctions heat in front of A.J. Emms, Dale Reinhart, Jake Watson, Tyler Liscum and David Mathers.
Bryan Batty was victorious in the second qualifier ahead of Brad Pearsall, TJ Edwards, Jason Keen, Chris Milwain, Norman Newman, T.J. Marshall, Paul Townsend and Tommy Robb.
In Heat 3, Kamrath went for the daily double, followed by Reinhart, Keen, Marshall, Pearsall, Emms, Newman and Batty. T.J. Edwards won the final heat, in front of Watson, Milwain, Townsend, Hudson Nagy, Liscum, Robb and Mathers.
Andy Kamrath started third in the feature, after the re-draw. He made the move past Dale Reinhart off of Turn 2 for second on Lap 1, and got underneath A.J. Emms going into Turn 3, taking the lead as he entered the straight.
Once out front, he cruised to the checkered flag, earning his fourth consecutive OSCAAR Modified feature win dating back to last September. Jason Keen utilized a mid-race restart to take over the runner-up spot, while A.J. Emms came home third. Bryan Batty and Brad Pearsall completed the
IT
top-five.
(Above left) Cole Weber (r) in Victory Lane with Leilah Putnam and Sharon Shepherd, the granddaughter and daughter of the late Bill Zardo Sr. (Above right) Andy Kamrath continued his hot streak in OSCAAR Modified action. Photos by Peter Anderson
FÉLIX ROY – DAVID HÉBERT – DAPHNÉ HÉBERT - ÉRIC COULOMBE – MARC-ANTOINE CAMIRAND – ANDREW RANGER
POWERED BY:
Dylan Westbrook started the 2023
Tammy Ten Media Southern Ontario Sprints season in Victory Lane at Merlin, Ontario’s Southern Ontario Motor Speedway on May 27.
The event also opened the ‘series within a series’ Nitro 54 Super Series and paid a $3,000 prize to Westbrook, the two-time SOS tour champion. Ryan Turner took the runner-up spot, while Mitch Brown, Shone Evans, and Darren Dryden rounded out the top five.
Turner earned $100 from Ackland Insurance for posting quick time in qualifications, while Evans took home $150 from Trailer Pros Canada for gaining the most positions in the A-Main.
A-MAIN (25 LAPS / TOP 10): 1. No. 47X Dylan Westbrook [Started 2nd]; 2. No. 15 Ryan Turner [1]; 3. No. 10 Mitch Brown [4]; 4. No. 87X Shone Evans [8]; 5. No. 12DD Darren Dryden [6]; 6. No. 9 Liam Martin [3]; 7. No. 5 D.J. Christie [7]; 8. No. 1 Holly Porter [9]; 9. No. 45 Nick Sheridan [10]; 10. No. 15F Mike Ferrell [5]
DylanWestbrook continued his strong start to the season when he won his second SOS A Main in as many outings on June 10 at Brighton Speedway.
His return visit to Victory Lane almost didn’t happen, but not because of anything that happened on the racetrack. As the team was on its way to the track, earlier in the day, Westbrook’s hauler was damaged when a tire blew out on the highway. Fortunately, the team was able to get roadside assistance and made it to the track on time. Undeterred by the adventure, Westbrook was quickest in timed hot laps, won his heat race, and led all 25 laps of the A-Main to claim $2,598 as the winner of the Paul Pekkonen Memorial.
Darren Dryden got past Mitch Brown for second position, early in the race, while Westbrook pulled away. A yellow flag just before the halfway mark erased Westbrook’s lead, but Dryden was unable to mount a challenge.
A red flag quickly followed after contact
By Ashley McCubbin
The Southern Ontario Modified Association Pro4 (SOMA) season commenced on May 20 with a pair of features at Flamboro Speedway. It took Shannon Morris (right) just three laps to get to the front and into the lead, an advantage that he wouldn’t relinquish throughout the 20-lap race.
Robert Mercer came home second, followed by Mark Lucas, Dale Cocco and Cliff Hodgkinson. Ken Mercer and Rajan Brar did not make it to the end, while Kelly Martin, Shawn Carey and
between Ryan Turner and Jordan Poirier sent Poirier flipping. Turner was able to finish the race, but current Empire Super Sprints points leader Poirier was done for the night.
Westbrook cruised to the win, followed by Dryden, Brown, Shone Evans and Cory Turner. Liam Martin, Josh Hansen and Tyeller Powless were the next three across the finish line, while four drivers – Kyle Phillips, Chris Jones, Rick Wilson and Ryan Turner – were eventually paid and awarded ninth place prize money and points.
Westbrook earned $100 from Ackland Insurance for posting the quickest lap in timed hot laps, while Jones received $150 from Trailer Pros Canada for gaining the most positions in the A-Main.
A-MAIN (25 LAPS / TOP 10): 1. No. 47X Dylan Westbrook [1]; 2. No. 12DD Darren Dryden [4]; 3. No. 10 Mitch Brown [2]; 4. No. 87X Shone Evans [3]; 5. No. 17 Cory Turner [7]; 6. No. 9 Liam Martin [5]; 7. No. 88H Josh Hansen [11]; 8. No. 77T Tyeller Powless [9]; 9. No. 21 Kyle Phillips [8]; 9. No. 11 Chris Jones [17]; 9. No. 42W Rick Wilson [13]; 9. No. 15 Ryan Turner [6]
Andrew Snyder didn’t start the race.
In the second feature, Robert Mercer was able to get his turn at success, pacing all 20 laps en route to the checkered flag. Past SOMA feature winner Mark Lucas was second, ahead of Shannon Morris, Cliff Hodgkinson and Ken Mercer. Dario Cocco, Andrew Snyder and Rajan Brar completed the top eight finishers.
The originally scheduled May 6 season opener for the Young Drivers Canadian Vintage Modifieds was washed out, which meant the popular Flamboro Speedway based tour had to wait until May 20 to kick off their season.
The race was extra special as it was the Hank Franks Memorial, which is run in honour of the late father of Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame photographer Dave Franks. Flamboro Machine Shop was the presenting sponsor of the evening.
Jeremy Barton (No. 84) started on the pole for the first of two 25-lap feature races and led the field to the first green flag of the season. He paced the field in the early going, but Quinton Murdoch (No. 7) eventually made a pass to take the lead.
But Murdoch’s time at the front was short-lived as reigning CVM points champion T.J. Marshall went around him and into the lead, on lap 13, which he wouldn’t relinquish, earning him a trip to the EPIC Racewear Victory Lane. Murdoch held for second, ahead of Barton.
In the second feature race, last year’s Rookie Of the Year, Scott Tonelli (No. 14) started on the front row alongside Jae Pepin (No. 43). Tonelli got a good jump, through Turns 1 and 2, and proceeded to build a solid lead on the field.
Murdoch was able to reel him in and led the rest of the way during the caution-free race, to take the win. Marshall climbed to second, with Tonelli earning the third and final podium spot.
OnMay 9 the management for the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame (MMHF) announced the names of ten new inductees who will be welcomed to the Hall in November. Each was recognized for their significant accomplishments and/or contributions to Maritime motorsports.
Announced in groups, by province, the new inductees are:
• Darrin & Ann Butcher: Competitor, Builder, Sponsor (Stock Car)
• Franz-Lucas Strackerjan: Builder (Go-Kart)
• Nathalie Richard: Competitor, Builder, Promoter (Rally Racing)
• Donald Best: Competitor, Builder (Tractor & Truck Pulling)
• Linwood Giberson: Competitor, Sponsor (Stock Car)
• Roger LeBlanc: Competitor, Recreational (ATV)
• Westmoreland Cycle Club: Builder (Motocross)
• Vincent Vienneau: Competitor, Promoter (Drag Racing)
• Scott Sinclair: Competitor, Builder (Motorsports)
• Glen Cole: Competitor, Promoter (Stock Car, Drag Racing, Snowmobile)
The MMHF Induction Committee considered numerous nominees as part of their
selection process and voiced their ‘thanks’ to those to submitted nominations.
The ten new members will join the more than 160 individuals and clubs that have been recognized by the MMHF since the inaugural class was inducted in 2006.
The induction ceremony and dinner is set for November 18, 2023, at the Prince Hotel & Conference Centre in Truro, Nova Scotia. Tickets are available to the public. Dress code is formal.
DONALD BEST: Donald Best (below) is a 14-time Maritime Truck & Tractor Pulling 2WD Modified champion, a six-time owner champion in the 2WD Modified Class, and a multi-time winner of the Truck Puller of the Year award. He has built every truck he has driven, competing for 40 years at events all over the Maritimes, Quebec, Maine and Massachusetts.
DARRIN & ANN BUTCHER: Darrin
Butcher started setting up cars at the age of 15 and continues as an integral part of the team for his sons Cole and Jarrett, at the shop and at the track. Ann Butcher is always working behind the scenes, planning logistics and with duties at the track. Besides being directly involved with their team, the Butchers have supported racing through sponsorships and as a Director and President for the Maritime League of Legends. Their charitable efforts often intertwine with racing and include Special Olympics and Make-A-Wish.
GLEN COLE: Glen Cole was a snowmobile champion in the early ‘70s. He was also an avid drag racer at Raceway Park, running a Dodge Dart. In the ‘80s he helped in the opening of East River Speedway in PEI.
LINWOOD GIBERSON: Linwood Giberson (below) started racing in 1965 at Seabreeze Raceway (Lawrencetown, NS – just outside Halifax), then a dirt track – winning the championship there in 1968. In 1969, he was the Modified class champion at Halifax Dartmouth International Speedway. He stopped racing in 1970 due to a back injury but has continued contributing to motorsports through sponsorships.
TheEast Coast International Pro Stock Tour kicked-off its 2023 season in style with a first-time winner following the May 20 Cummins 150 at Halifax’s Scotia Speedworld. Jarrett Butcher, from Porter’s Lake, NS, took the lead just before the halfway point of the race and never looked back.
The win came in Butcher’s 62nd career start on the Maritimes’ top stock car circuit. Over the years, he’d notched 18 top-five finishes, but was unable to close the deal until now.
Nicholas Naugle (Dartmouth, NS) had a great showing, coming
under the checkers second. Reigning Series Champion Craig Slaunwhite (Terence Bay, NS) held on for third, ahead of Greg Proude (Springvale, PE), Mike Rodgers (Moncton, NB) and rookie Jordan Veinotte (Porters Lake, NS). Heat wins went to Veinotte and Proude.
In other action at Scotia Speedworld the same evening, the Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends opened the racing program and put on a great show for the fans.
In the feature race, Gage Gilby (Enfield, NS) was first to pass under the waving checkered flag and was followed home by Ayden Christensen (Windsor Junction, NS) and Tanton Wooldridge (Summerside, PE). IT
ROGER LEBLANC: In 2015 Roger Leblanc (below) set a new world record for the longest wheelie on an ATV – 11.8 km. He holds numerous other Guinness World records, including the most people on an ATV wheelie, longest triple ATV wheelie, longest tandem triple ATV wheelie and longest wheelie on a UTV.
into motorsports was drag racing, before he moved to motorcycles.
When Sinclair (below) he was 20, he worked in San Diego on Ferrari cars for the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. He has built numerous race cars. An accomplished motorsports photographer, his work has been featured in racing and trade magazines. He is the PEI Director for the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Over the past several years, Sinclair has
1997, while in his first year studying mechanical engineering at Dalhousie University.
Since then, he has sponsored many successful events, and race teams and provided an opportunity for many to become acquainted with motorsports.
He is a co-founder of the Atlantic Racing Team and has raced in Formula Ford, F2000, F Renault 2000, and with the Marcos Factory team, internationally. Since 2004 he has worked with the Formula BMW USA group as a team engineer, since 2007 with the Indy Pro Series, and is actively involved in AFRA and ASCC, still racing whenever he can at AMP in open wheel classes.
VINCENT VIENNEAU:
NATHALIE RICHARD: Nathalie Richard (below) is the most decorated North American rally co-driver. She was inducted in the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2020, and is a 10-time North American champion, a five-time Canadian champion, and a three-time US champion.
Nathalie is an executive and founding member of Women in Motorsports Canada and has hosted TSN/RDS broadcasts of Canadian Rally championship events. Her racing career started in 1999 and spans over two decades, mostly competing with her brother, Pat, until he retired in 2014 for health reasons. Nathalie continued driving after that at major rally events worldwide with various co-drivers.
SCOTT SINCLAIR: Scott Sinclair started his motorsports journey as a child growing up on a farm – building cars and fixing machinery. He’s owned close to 70 cars and is still adding to that number. His first foray
been involved in auto-crossing, co-building a Lotus 7 replica (winning several club and Maritime championships with the car), and three Canadian championships. In 2019 he experienced the thrill of a lifetime as a team member at the Daytona 24-hour race, receiving the Spirit of Daytona Award for perseverance.
FRANZ-LUCAS STRACKERJAN: Franz-Lucas Strackerjan (below) started the first indoor go-kart facility east of Montreal in
From his youngest years, Vincent Vienneau (right) has been building and racing everything from soap box derby cars to high-powered machines. He’s been a competitor, crew chief and promoter for drag racing, stock car racing and car shows.
WESTMORELAND CYCLE CLUB: The club was founded in 1976 to operate motocross races in the Moncton (NB) area. Their facility was a motocross track behind the famed River Glade Speedway. Founding members included Gordon Close, Leslie Dryden, Douglas Folkins, Donald Fraser, James Leaman and Harry Lord. With the help of Marilyn Bastedo, they learned how to organize and operate motocross races.
To learn more about the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame (MMHF), please visit the MMHF museum in Petitcodiac or online at www.mmhf.ca. IT
TheEast Coast International Pro Stock Tour recently announceed Fast Eddie Racewear as a new contingency sponsor.
Fast Eddie will sponsor the Lucky Dog Award, which is awarded to the highest finishing driver who was given a lap back during the feature. The winning competitor at the conclusion of each Pro Stock Tour event will receive a cash bonus and a $100 Fast Eddie Racewear gift certificate.
Fast Eddie Racewear is a Canadian-owned, Canadian-run company that designs, develops and manufactures custom merchandise such as T-Shirts, fleece, jackets, hats, accessories and much more. IT
For the 65 years leading up to 2023, Vancouver Island had a thriving auto racing culture. For most of that time, at least two, usually three and – in the 1990s – four tracks were able to operate, but that began to change in the mid-1980s.
In 1985, Grandview Bowl in Nanaimo was shut down due to noise complaints. A couple of years later, Cassidy Speedway – a dirt track – opened, but was forced to close in 1999. Another dirt track, Tri-Port Speedway in Port Hardy, opened in 1991 but shut down after the 2016 season. The oldest paved track in Canada – Western Speedway near Victoria – opened in 1954 and ceased operations after the 2022 season. Saratoga Speedway near Campbell River, which opened in 1968, continues as the last racing operation on the Island and even it has had to fend off noise and traffic complaints.
When the land occupied by Western Speedway was sold, it was not under the same immediately fatal conditions that often accompany such a change. The developers who purchased the land agreed to allow the facility to operate for two more seasons and gave 2.5 million dollars to the City of Langford to assist in the acquisition of a new track. Four locals who had been intimately involved in Western Speedway formed the Vancouver Island Safe Speed Association (VISSA) to find a way to make the new track happen.
Steve Copp – who was one of the founding foursome along with track promoter Darrell Midgley, track manager Daryl Crocker and racer and sponsor Jason Frost – says VISSA started their search long before the last racing engine shut down at Western.
“Our theory was to try and get ahead of it and try and see what we could do to find a place to put a racetrack. If somebody didn’t, nothing was going to happen. We started hunting for properties. We talked to Langford, and they said there was nothing in Langford that could work. We started looking further up the Malahat in the Shawnigan Lake area. Once you start looking for land, you find that there’s quite a bit of it around, it’s just finding the right piece. In the first six months we probably walked on eight to ten pieces of property that could work. They all had pluses and minuses.”
Since the area is only twenty minutes or
so farther out from where Western Speedway was, it is a natural place to look.
There is a lot more to the process than just finding and securing the right piece of land. Without approval of the Cowichan Valley Regional District and the local governments, no racing facility will be built. Local First Nations bands have more autonomy and Copp says they have shown considerable interest in the project.
Since the new owners of what had been Western Speedway intended to develop the land in a whole new direction, they allowed VISSA to remove whatever they could from the track.
“For probably two months last fall, we grabbed every volunteer and anyone with a crane or a truck or a trailer and we took everything that we could from that racetrack,” said Copp.
Even the grandstands, which he estimates would cost three million dollars to replace, are in storage and ready to be restored and re-erected.
“The track is up in the air,” said Copp. “We’re not going to build something too big, but it will be a decent size – not a postage stamp. Something like Western, that sort of size, maybe with some banking. We’re thinking of trying to tie it into a ‘roval,’ probably
a couple of kilometres-long ‘roval,’ because the road course stuff seems to be big these days. We’re trying to work with the go-kart class – karting is big on the Island. We’d love to put in a one-eighth mile dragstrip.”
The Vancouver Island Auto Racing Hall of Fame is also homeless because of the closing and Copp sees a place for it as adding to the value of a new facility.
Everyone is trying to be very clear-sighted about the new speedway.
“A racetrack isn’t going to sustain itself just as a racetrack,” said Copp. “It will need other sources of income.”
RV parking, both short- and long-term, as well as storage or even commercial buildings are part of the plan. One potential partner has even suggested a hotel.
Many of the pieces needed to continue the Island’s racing heritage are in place but they must be put together the right way. Finding the land and building a track are just one part. Obtaining regulatory and community acceptance is another aspect that is absolutely critical. Copp and his VISSA partners are well-aware of this.
“I never wanted to be in politics, but you need to be in politics to walk through this stuff because there’s so much involved,” concluded Copp. IT
It was an absolutely thrilling one-lap shootout that determined the winner of the 200-lap, ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Josef Newgarden, driving in his 12th Indy 500 race, followed last year’s winner, Marcus Ericsson, over the start/finish line to take the green and white flag on Lap 199 – circumstances of a third red flag restart.
Twenty-two of 33 cars were still running on Lap 196 for the second restart after a red flag for Pato O’Ward, Agustin Canapino, Simon Pagenaud, and Scott McLaughlin, all involved in a Turn 3 incident as O’Ward tried an inside pass for the lead on Ericsson, who closed the door. Then, on that restart, drivers Ed Carpenter, Graham Rahal and Benjamin Petersen made contact on the front straightway exiting Turn 4.
Race Control made the controversial decision not to have the cars finish under caution because IndyCar wanted to give the fans their money’s worth by allowing the drivers to race to the checkered flag.
Ericsson snaked left out of Turn 4, breaking the draft as he took the green flag so Newgarden couldn’t pass him. The Swede had about a six car-length lead. Newgarden stayed straight, down the front stretch to the outside, believing his Chevy power could catch Ericsson’s Honda. The Penske driver caught Ganassi’s driver exiting Turn 2 and passed him.
Coming to the checkered flag, Newgarden snaked his car over the pit lane entry line to break Ericsson’s draft, the same manoeuver
that Ericsson used to hold off O’Ward last year for his maiden win.
“To win this race is indescribable,” said Newgarden, who climbed through the front straight photo hole to celebrate with fans. “Someone has to come and see it and be a part of it to understand what it is really all about. I've always wanted the honour to win this race because I wanted to go into the crowd for the energy here in Indianapolis.
Asked about using the snaking maneuver, Newgarden replied, “It's impossible to not use that because of the ease it is to follow one car. Sitting in first place was even more difficult than what we've seen in years past. When I was able to get by him on the back straight, I was actually really surprised how much momentum he still had in Turns 3 and 4. Ericsson was super close and had a good run coming off Turn 4. I thought, I've got to be as aggressive as possible to not let him by. I was going to put my car on the line to win the race or I'd end up in the wall. I wasn't here to finish second, third, or fourth today. “
Newgarden’s margin of victory was 0.0974 seconds, not more than a car length, and the fourth closest finish in history. The Nashville native led only five laps giving Team Penske their 19th Indy 500 victory. The race had 52 lead changes and an average speed of 168.193 mph. Fourteen different drivers led the field. There were five cautions totaling 27 laps, of which three became red flags during the final 15 laps.
Second place finisher, Ericsson, who led 30 laps, was not happy about the third red flag that only allowed one final lap of racing.
“For that last restart, it was going to be almost impossible to
keep the lead,” described Ericsson, who lost the chance to earn the $420,000 Borg Warner bonus for a repeat win. “I tried to catch Newgarden by surprise by going really early. He just had too much of a tow on the back stretch. It's hard when you get overtaken into Turn 3 and really harder to recover to get a run out of Turn 4. I just couldn't really get enough there on the checkered.
“I feel disappointed because I think we did everything right. I'm very happy with my performance. We had an awesome race, had a great car, great strategy and pit stops. When the yellow came out with three laps to go, I didn’t believe we should restart that race. It's not safe to go out of the pits on cold tires for a restart when half the field is still trying to get out on track when we go green. They should have called red earlier. It felt like P1 was going to P5 on every restart. I aced that restart, but unfortunately it wasn't enough.
Santino Ferrucci, driving the No. 14 Homes for Our Troops Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Racing (raised more than $4 million), finished third, agreeing with the officials call to end under green.
“We worked so hard to be where we were,” said Ferrucci, who led 11 laps. “We ran out front all day long. We had the race won if the yellow came out two second later. It's one of the most difficult races that I've probably ever run.
“On the second to final restart, Marcus and I battled into Turn 1. When you finish third, knowing that you led into Turn 1 with three or four (laps) to go, it's tough. Going red when it did, it's part of this place, it's part of racing, it's part of the Speedway. There was nothing
I could do other than watch. It's bittersweet. All three of us could have won it at any point in time. This place does pick the winner. We still had such a great day.”
Teammate Benjamin Pedersen, 24, was voted Rookie of the Year.
Team Penske struggled the last few years to have good qualifying speed with Newgarden, 32, starting 17th. By Lap 32 he had moved up to sixth (before pit stops).
“You were just a sitting duck if you were in the lead,” said Newgarden about his final lap strategy. “Driving through pit lane was legal. As I'm coming to the checkered flag, I'm going to do everything I can to win this race and be as aggressive as possible, because the tow effect to just the first car was even more difficult than last year.
“The cars should be more difficult to drive here. You want everybody to be as close together as possible and you want it to be difficult for someone to win this race. All this downforce that we've added has only made it easier for the first two cars. When you're the third car, you're still just stuck in that tow line where no one is really going anywhere. You can also be rewarded if you're better at driving the car with less downforce.”
Alex Palou led the first lap from the pole and exchanged the lead ten times with Rinus VeeKay in the first 60 laps. But on Lap 94, VeeKay lost control exiting his pit box (located behind Palou), spun, and hit Palou’s car, damaging his front wing. Arrow McLaren contenders O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist exchanged the lead 15 times over the next 68 laps, taking turns to save fuel by drafting the lead car.
The third caution on Lap 185 involved Rosenqvist, who lost the air on his front wing exiting Turn 1 and spun. Kyle Kirkwood hit his wounded car and flipped upside down, losing the left rear tire, which managed to fly over the catch fence between the Turn 2 suites and nearby grandstand. Only a parked car was damaged. That brought out the first of three red flags.
Toronto, ON’s Devlin DeFrancesco, who started 26th, made up 13 spots and finished 13th, his best result of the season.
“I thought our Sodexo team had a decent day today,” he said. “Considering where we started the race, we still seemed to execute quite well. No real big dramas, just lacked a little bit of speed all month. As the conditions got harder (hotter) we struggled. The team executed well and I’m happy we could bring it home today.”
After his 22nd and final Indianapolis 500 (he is retiring from IndyCar competition), Tony Kanaan stated, “Not the result that we wanted. I went really aggressive on the downforce to start the race. It was wrong. Then I added downforce towards the end of the race and it was wrong. It was just one of those days. What's ironic is Helio (Castroneves) and I started in 1987, and on the last lap of the race we're actually battling like it was for the lead in 15th and 16th place. I wouldn't have it any different.”
“Indianapolis is the most difficult motor race in the world to win,” reflected Newgarden, a two-time season champion. “It's the pressure that builds this entire month. You have so much time to potentially get it right, and it comes down to really one day to be perfect. You can have a good qualifying, Fast Friday, and Carb Day. But if you're not good on Race Day, it's all for nothing. That's what makes Indy so terribly pressure filled but terribly difficult, too.
“We don't show up here to be average. It doesn't matter how many 500s you have, what team you are, nor how much money you have. There's nothing given; Indy doesn't owe anybody anything. When you don't win it, that's what makes it so demoralizing. You pack up, lived here for three weeks, put everything we had into this and it didn't work out. It just breaks your heart. It's broken my heart every year.”
The
IT
The NASCAR Pinty’s Series (NPS) made its traditional early season stop at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) as part of the Castrol Victoria Day SpeedFest weekend. The event started with limited track time, after practice and qualifying were rained out on the Saturday.
Teams got a chance to shake down their car during a 15-minute session on the Sunday morning, with the starting line-up for the 51lap race set by 2022 owner points. That put Marc-Antoine Camirand and Kevin Lacroix on the front row, the drivers who finished one-two in the most recent NPS race at CTMP. Camirand held off Lacroix for the opening two laps, before Lacroix made a pass in turn one. However, that lead change was voided by a caution, with Thomas Nepveu’s No. 24 Ford stalled in a runoff area at turn two.
Camirand held off Lacroix on the restart, before Lacroix took the lead after a couple laps. On Lap 11, caution for Simon Charbonneau in the turn five tire barriers. A short red flag delay was needed, due to water pouring down from the barriers.
This started the strategy game, as some teams pitted; L.P. Dumoulin and Larry Jackson stayed out to lead the field back to green. On lap 17, Gary Klutt took the lead as Dumoulin pitted. The No. 59 Dodge stayed up front through another caution, on Lap 25, for Michael Goudie stuck against the wall in Turn 2.
On the restart, Klutt moved to the lead, ahead of D.J. Kennington and Matthew Scannell. A short time later, Scannell dove to the inside of Kennington and locked up his brakes, sending both drivers wide and causing them to lose positions.
On Lap 37, the top-three of Klutt, Camirand and Treyten Lapcevich
began a close battle that saw them stay within a second of each other. Next lap, Dumoulin and Scannell made contact, with Scannell spinning, but no caution.
On Lap 43, Camirand took the lead, while lap traffic would set up a battle between Klutt and Lapcevich. Lapcevich made the pass with six to go and started gaining on Camirand. The three drivers were all on different strategies, with Lapcevich changing four tires, Camirand changing two tires and Klutt doing fuel only.
At the white flag, the gap between Camirand and Lapcevich was 0.158 seconds. The pair stayed close, with a familiar CTMP finish in store – contact in Turn 10, creating a last-turn pass for the win; Lapcevich crossing the line ahead of Camirand, Klutt, Lacroix and Dumoulin.
“We would be about even through (turns) two and three, gained a lot of time into 5a, then on the backstretch I couldn’t get too much of a run,” said Lapcevich about the final lap. “I tried to peek to his right side into eight a little, just to see if I could get him to miss his mark a little bit but it didn’t quite work. Then right on him through nine and ten, I think if we got him it was ever so slightly, just enough to move him out of the way.”
Treyten’s only career lap led at CTMP was the one that counted, giving him the first NPS win at the track for the Lapcevich family. His dad, Jeff, was a constant threat in past races there and now gets the win as crew chief.
For Camirand, it was his fifth podium in the last six CTMP races, narrowly missing the chance to add a third win to his CTMP resume.
“I knew Treyten was fast, he was catching me and we took only two left tires; I think at the end it cost us a little bit of speed,” said Camirand. “I was expecting the move on the inside of ten. It’s a long
season, we have to get some good points for the championship… good thing we were able to save it and finish second.”
Klutt remains in search of his first NPS win since 2015, despite leading laps in seven of the last eight CTMP races; he remains confident that his next win is coming.
In the standings, Lapcevich leads by 12 points over Camirand; Lacroix (-13 points), Alex Guenette (-15) and Dumoulin (-18) round out the top-five.
The FEL Sports Car Championship Canada (SCCC) started its season with a triple-header at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. New for this year, there will be three races in each weekend of competition for the series; another change is the addition of a TCA class.
Jack Polito (GT4), Dean Baker (TCR) and Trevor Hill (TCA) started Race 1 on the pole in their respective class, under wet and foggy conditions. On the initial start, Demi Chalkias took the lead in GT4 and overall, while Justin Di Benedetto moved ahead in TCR, before a first lap caution.
On the restart, Polito took the GT4 and overall lead, while Di Benedetto and Hill settled into P1 in their classes. The 30-minute timed race ended under a late caution, where Polito grabbed the win over Chalkias; Di Benedetto took the TCR win in third overall (also recording the fastest lap of the race) and Hill took the inaugural victory in TCA.
The second race started later in the afternoon, following a fog delay, with Polito on pole for the 40-minute event. The TCR start saw some drama at the front, where Richard Boake wiggled and made contact with Di Benedetto, sending Di Benedetto’s car into the Turn 1 tire barriers, which ended his day.
Polito, Baker and Hill moved ahead on the restart, ultimately grabbing their class wins under a last-lap caution. The changing weather conditions were a bit of a challenge for Polito in Race 2.
“There were drying conditions so (the track) slowly dried up and it actually ate my rain tires away,” said Polito. “But it was still a great race, and I had a few squiggly moments out there but I kept it on track and I finished hard, that’s for sure.”
The third race was held under sunny skies the following day, with the weekend finale boasting an exciting battle at the front. Polito started on the GT4 and overall pole, with Baker starting fourth overall on the TCR pole.
On Lap 1, Chalkias moved ahead of Polito, while Baker settled into the class lead and set his sights on the pack of GT4 cars, with the three classes separated at the start. On Lap 3, Polito took the lead and pulled away from Chalkias.
Between Laps 8 and 11, Baker caught and passed the GT4 cars of Marc Lafleur and Chalkias, moving him to second overall. With more than half of the 40 minutes remaining, he had a 12-second deficit to make up on Polito.
As the laps wound down, without a caution, Baker continued to trim that gap, moving to within a second of the leader on Lap 23, with just under seven minutes remaining. Three laps later, Baker made the pass, ultimately pulling away to a 5.637-second win over Polito, a rare overall victory for a TCR car.
“It was good fun, Jack’s a great driver and he’s very fair,” said Baker. “He gives lots of space; we’ve raced together before in other series. It wasn’t a move that had to be done, I didn’t have to make the pass, but the opportunity came up so it was just as easy to make the pass and move on. We’re not in the same class, so it was really just good, fun racing.”
As the weather got progressively better, so did Baker. The driver from nearby Bowmanville, ON finished third in class during race one, grabbed the class win in second overall for race two and now claimed the overall and class victories in the finale. Despite the parallels, Baker says that he doesn’t mind either wet or dry weather conditions.
For Polito, it was a strong points weekend as he moves to full-time, following a limited SCCC GT4 campaign last season. He was equally satisfied with the finish to Race 3.
“I was just trying to get away as fast as I could, because I knew I was going to probably have to battle it out,” said Polito. “As soon as he came up to me, I had pretty much run out of tire and my brakes were fading and stuff like that. So, I let him go; I was winning my class, I couldn’t be happier.”
The Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin started its season under rain and fog conditions at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, where a pair of new faces were ready to do battle on the ten-turn circuit.
Kenny Riedmann started on pole for the first race, with the returning driver edging newcomer Jake Cowden by a mere 0.047 seconds in qualifying.
Cowden took the lead on the opening lap, while Gavin Sanders moved up to second.
Cowden joins the series after winning the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship last season, while Sanders is running a full slate in the Radicals after a schedule that included two GT4 starts (and wins) in the FEL SCCC in 2022.
The first race went caution-free, with Cowden lapping up to fourth-place Yang Chen and winning by 17.698 seconds over Sanders. The second race was delayed by roughly 90 minutes due to heavy fog and saw Cowden start on the pole, after a motor change between events.
Cowden went on to lap all but Sanders and Riedmann, but with a closer 9.875-second margin of victory. The weather conditions meant something different for the top two finishers.
“I always say, in the rain, the driver that takes the biggest risk gets the most reward,” said Cowden.
“That’s what I was going for there; I took all the risks, and it paid off.”
“It was very different,” said Sanders. “Threw it back to my go karting days a little bit, not being able to see much and a little bit of guessing games but I’ll always take new experiences.”
Running a Radical car is already a new experience for Sanders; he says that he’s never really run a downforce car before and that it’s a big transition from what he was used to before.
“With the GT4, I’m definitely a little more on top of the wheel and feeling the car a lot more, whereas I just kind of let the Radical breathe,” said Sanders. “I kind of work with it rather than fight it.”
In the third event, Sanders was sidelined with a fuel pressure issue after nine laps, finishing ninth. Meanwhile, Cowden went flag-to-flag, grabbing the win over Riedmann and Chen.
“It was an awesome debut…I’m very proud of it, very proud of the team,” concluded Cowden.
“We all came together to swap that motor in between races yesterday, so I’d say, overall, it was successful, and I enjoyed every minute of it.”
The Super Production Challenge started its season at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), where it was a familiar face sweeping the weekend in his return to full-time competition.
The first 30-minute timed race began under wet conditions and lifting fog, where Kurt Wittmer started on pole in the Super Production class (SP) and overall. Wittmer pulled away from Gabriel Lacombe early, while Sylvain Laporte moved up to the Production class (P) lead and Zack Lalonde took the early advantage in Compact (C).
Following a caution on Lap 5, Wittmer pulled away to the overall and SP lead, Laporte held a close advantage in P and Frédéric Bernier moved ahead in C.
In the end, Wittmer won by 10.359 seconds over Lacombe, while Bernier took the C win. The victory in P went down to the wire, where Connor Bell edged Laporte by a mere 0.055 seconds.
“After the restart, Bell followed me for a few laps and I had a gap,” said Laporte. “At the end of the race, there was a pile-up with a lot of cars in corner nine, so I had to brake, and he caught me over there…it was a great battle, we really enjoyed the battle.”
Later in the day, Lacombe started on pole for Race 2, which began under overcast skies, with afternoon action being delayed by more than an hour due to heavy fog.
Wittmer took the lead on the opening lap and started to pull away, while Laporte and Cameron Nabert got out to class leads. Bernier took the C lead on Lap 2 and held the position until the last lap, when Nabert edged ahead to win by 0.051 seconds. Wittmer went on to claim the SP and overall win by 12.710 seconds over Lacombe, while Laporte took the P victory by 12.879 seconds over Bell.
“The second race, I thought I was flying on the track,” said Laporte. “Everything was perfect, I had a very good start…the car was perfect, the team worked perfectly on the car, and it was a great race.”
The third race of the weekend got off to a rocky start the next morning. A slow car on the standing start bunched up the field, leading to a wreck involving Laporte. The P class contender was unable to complete a single lap, with damage to the front of the car ending his day.
The race restarted on Lap 5 and saw Lacombe hold off Wittmer, who started fourth after the invert. Wittmer stalked the leader until making the pass on lap eight. Just two circuits later, a caution came out, which ultimately ended the race. Blake Kelley (P) and Nabert (C) took class victories.
“Yesterday was a bit easier for me,” said Wittmer. “I absolutely love the rain, especially at (CTMP); it’s not for everyone, but I absolutely love it. I knew today was going to be a little different in the dry and I think, without the full course yellow, another four to five laps and my tires would’ve been absolutely done.”
The past series champion ran a limited schedule last year, as he wanted more family time, with a new kid at home. He returns to a full schedule this season, driving a 2018 Honda Civic Type R out of the Lombardi Autosport stable. The combination could not get off to a better start to 2023, which Wittmer credits to both his experience and the team.
“It’s knowing the tires…if you can understand the street (tires), they’re not slicks, so the braking, the acceleration, the turning is a lot different,” he said. “When you have seven to eight years on street tires, it’s a huge advantage to someone who’s used to slicks…but I think the success also comes with good team prep…I’m with the best team, so if you have a good car, a good driver, we’re going to win all three races."
Wittmer says that the tracks found later on the schedule don’t favour their car, so his goal is to build up as large of a points gap as possible to start the season in hopes that it will be enough to win the title. IT
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Story Courtesy of Ted Michalos
OnMay 6–7 at the Canadian Tire Motorsport, Park the British Empire Motor Club held the 2023 series opener for the Canadian Automobile Sports Clubs. Over 100 competitors took to the track – the best season opener since before Covid.
Run groups included the Pirelli Super Touring and Grand Touring grids, Formula Libre – Formula Classic cars, VARAC’s Classic and Modern Classic group, Vintage Historic and a new group for 2023, the Formula Prototype Challenge Canada Series.
The weather was fabulous on Saturday and everyone took advantage to set some very fast laps. Sunday, we had a good morning and the Pirelli Super Touring finished their feature race before the rain started. The Grand Touring group was about three laps into their feature and down it came.
For the Pirelli Super Touring group Roberto Sabato won Saturday’s race, with James Beaton taking both of Sunday’s races in GT1. For GT2 John Hansen won Races 1 and 2, with Doug Phillips taking the feature in a very tight race with John Hansen and Daria Khachi.
On the Pirelli Grand Touring grid in GT3 Geoff Johnson took first on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, with Marc Hannah winning the feature. In GT4 Doug Curapov took the first race on Saturday, and Jonathon Young took both Sunday races.
In GT5 Michael Bos made a clean sweep of the weekend, followed by Michael Sylvestre.
The Formula Libre – Formula Classic group had entries in 5 different classes. As is usually the case, the F4s ran in front Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon’s race the rain had started and the F4s stayed in the paddock. It was fun to see the father son combination of Michael and Sam Cross racing in FC90, but Sam’s car was having some issues and dad won all three races.
Seven F1200s were running and they put on quite a show. Saturday’s race was almost a photo finish between Adam D’Agonstini who edged out Danial Demaris for the win. On Sunday Tyson Balboa placed first in both races, followed closely by Daniel Demaris.
Thanks to Penni Barker who has taken over the podium presentation for CASC-OR this year as our new Master of Ceremonies. Congratulations to our 6th Gear Driving experience winners, as well as the Pagid Hard Charger and the Emzone Hard Charger winners.
Formula Prototype Challenge is organized by Rilli Racing under the CASC umbrella. Their objective is to build a competitive race grid in Canada that is both fast and safe, accommodating amateur racers as well as acting as a gateway for young talent interested in pursuing a career in professional motorsport. Through the support of their partners, they can keep the series entrance fees low while maintaining a fun and exciting environment. The introduction of a minimum qualifying lap time ensures a fast and safe racing grid.
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was the venue for the first round of the Formula Prototype Challenge Canada. There was a total of 13 cars on the grid consisting of Revolutions, Radicals and Formula Renaults.
The event, which has two races, with the result of race one setting the grid for race two to produce a single podium for the event and one overall result. The event was held over three days, the 5th, 6th and 7th May at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Ultimately Revolution came home P1 and P3 on the road. It looked at one point like a 1, 2, 3 was possible for the Revolutions, however a crash that led to a DNF, and a spin for Peter Dyck currently sitting in second place dropped him back several positions. Peter fought hard to make up the lost places and at the checkered flag the Revolutions secured P1 and P3.
Race winner, Alan Shaw, drove faultlessly to secure the top spot, whilst Peter Dyck secured P3 on the road following a minor spin from 2nd place. Chris Styles stunned the Formula Prototype grid, with an impressive debut that saw him secure 2nd with his Radical in front of the more powerful car. It was a fantastic debut weekend for Formula Prototype Challenge Canada, with much hype and interest around the cars. Interested in driving in the Formula Prototype Challenge Canada?
Visit www.fpc-canada.com for more information.
We had lovely weather on Saturday, all the VARAC cars were turning good times for the first weekend of the year. This was to be a shakedown weekend for those who were ready for the track, but it seems a fair number of drivers were not yet prepared. “On Saturday in the Vintage Historic class John Hawkes, 1964 Merlyn Mk6A, and Andre Gagne, 1963 Lotus 23, had a battle royale at the front of the grid,” said Ted Michalos, “only to outdo themselves on Sunday morning! Meaning that both drivers broke out during Sunday morning’s sessions and are now competing in VH1. Ooops!”
On Sunday we had a nice dry morning but then right after lunch the rain started and this reduced our already small Vintage Historic grid substantially. Kudos to Anselmo Beretta, Porsche 911, Simon Tomlinson, 1974 BMW 2002tii, Jim Biscoe, 1967 Mini Cooper and Ted Michalos, 1967 Porsche 356 for taking to the track for the final rainy session of the event. By the afternoon, in a very wet race the only cars left were Anselmo in the 911, Simon in the 2002, Ted in the 356 and Jim in the Mini…finishing in that order.”
In the VARAC Classic grid 18 cars were on track and Reg Akers, 1999 Ford Taurus heading qualifying, with Tim Sanderson, 1982 Porsche 911 SC and Lain Venditelli, 1968 Corvette next quickest. Tim Sanderson, Porsche won Race 1 with Reg and lain following. Race 2 Saturday saw Tim first again with Steve Hummel 1996 Panoz second and Lain’s Corvette third.
Sunday afternoon’s rain caused more than a few cars to DNS or DNF with ten cars officially finishing, headed by Sanderson, Guy Tremblay, 1999 Porsche 911 and Marco Beretta’s 1982 Porsche 911 SC in third. IT
Story and Photo Courtesy ECRC
Aftera five-year absence, the Rallye de Sanair returned to the Quebec motorsport calendar. Using multiple roads, neighbouring paths and tracks at the Sanair complex in St-Pie-de-Bagot (east of Montréal, in Montérégie), the event held its 34th edition in late April. For the very first time in its history, in addition to the being part of the Quebec Championship, it also counted towards the Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC), replacing the Rallye de Québec that was initially scheduled for June, but was eventually cancelled altogether.
The 2023 edition held true to the event’s reputation, with multiple plot twists and leader changes to go along with fickle weather. The rally started under sunny skies and warm spring temperatures but ended with the final evening stages taking place in cold, windy rain.
The Rallye de Sanair is the only event on the ECRC calendar run on roads that are entirely made of asphalt.
Competitors with two-wheel-drive cars not only represent the majority of the entrants (a phenomenon never before seen in this series), but they also had realistic chances for an overall victory.
This is exactly what happened at the end of the ten stages as Kurtis Duddy and Matthieu Toupin drove their two-wheel-drive Nissan Sentra to a 48-second lead over the four-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Lancer of Réjean Perron and Alexandre Marcoux. En route to his very first overall ECRC victory, Duddy had a spectacular drive, winning no less than 60 percent of the competitive stages.
Before losing more than two minutes, three stages from the finish, Perron/ Marcoux drove an excellent and consistent rally. The overall podium was rounded out by Francis Belley and Dany Mallette (Ford Fiesta), in their first event of the season. They also claimed second place in the two-wheeldrive class, ahead of the Subaru Impreza of
Gabriel Monette and Hughes Bergeron. However, it was the four-wheel-drive cars that featured the big favourite to win the event: Simon Vincent, co-driven by Pat Lévesque in a Subaru.
Very used to road circuits (since 2021, he’s been competing in the Canadian Nissan Sentra Cup series) as well as bigger Canadian national rallies, Simon Vincent was attempting to solidify his name for the first time amongst the list of winners at an event that his father Sylvain Vincent, his mother Dominique Cyr, and his uncle François Cyr have won five times between them. After four competitive stages, Vincent/Lévesque were leading by a margin of two minutes and 26 seconds ahead of their closest pursuers, but when it seemed like nothing could stand between him and the victory, a problem with the fuel pump ended the team’s rally.
The final top five was completed by Éric Dufour, co-driven by Cezary Maciocha (Volkswagen Golf). This team was also the fastest 2WD Production Class car. Mathieu
Royer/Alyssa V. Montminy (Nissan Sentra) and rookies Ronald Grandin/Michel Voyer –in a historic Porsche 944 – followed in the overall standings.
Ontarian driver Roderik Jones and co-driver Leah Brisset finished in ninth place overall in their Mazda3, ahead of Philippe Normandeau/François Darcy (Honda Fit) and Pascal Besse/Nicolas Tousignant (Porsche 911), who were penalized for missing three stages because of leaking motor oil.
Eleven of the 14 teams that took the start of the Rallye de Sanair also finished the event. Ten of the 12 planned stages took place, with organizational issues forcing the start of the rally to be delayed by close to two hours in the morning.
The Eastern Canadian Rally Championship (ECRC) is comprised of seven events this season, spread between Ontario and Québec. The next event will take place in early July, again in Quebec, as part of the traditional Rallye International de la Baie-desChaleurs, in the Gaspésie region. IT
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Story and Photos by Patrick Lambie
Whiledrag racing enthusiasts in the United States can get their fix pretty much anytime of the year are able to enjoy NHRA national events starting in March, here in the frozen lands located north of the 49th parallel, quarter-mile action is just starting to ramp up to full speed for what promises to be a busy summer of drag racing. With dragstrips located in each of the four western provinces, drag racing remains alive in well in this part of the country with everything from street legal Fridays to major events with some of the quickest cars in the world. With summer knocking on the door, here is the ITMN primer of what the 2023 season holds in store.
With a well-earned reputation as British Columbia’s premier drag race facility, it comes as no surprise that Mission Raceway Park has another action-packed schedule for 2023. Leading off is the 11th addition of Doorwarz from June 29 to July 2. With the top West Coast Pro Modifieds competitors laying down three-second 200-mph passes, this is a n event that simply has to be experienced in person to fully appreciate.
August 24 to 27 brings Smoke Fire Thunder to Mission, headlined by the West Coast Pro Modifieds and the West Coast Outlaws series as well as Top Fuel Harleys, jet cars and the Darkside Top Fuel dragster, Add in six rounds of the NHRA Summit ET series along with a full summer schedule of Mopac Friday Night Street Legals and the always popular Langley Loafers Old Time Drags August 4 to 6 and Mission is set to remain as a fixture of drag racing in Western Canada. Visit www.missionraceway.com for the complete 2023 schedule and more information.
Northern British Columbia also plays host to drag racing with quarter-mile tracks located at the Nitro Motorsports Park’s Rolling Mix Concrete Raceway in Prince George and the Northern Lights Raceway in Fort St. John.
With six weekends of bracket racing, 18 scheduled Friday Night Drags, the 2023 season at Prince George’s Rolling Mix Concrete Raceway. The season will also include the annual Big Bux weekend on July 22 and 23, Mud Sweat and Gears on June 24 and 25 and the CMDRA on August 26 and 27. Further details are available at www. nitromotorsportspark.com.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Northern Lights Raceway and as part of the celebrations, the track will be hosting a special Hotte Bucks event on June 16 to 18. The five-weekend schedule at Canada’s most northernly dragstrip will wrap up on September 9 and 10. Visit www.northerlightsraceway.ca for more information.
Rad Torque Raceway, formally known as Castrol Raceway, in Leduc, AB, enters it second season under its new name, continuing as the host of two of the biggest drag racing events in the country. Running from July 7 to 9, the Rocky Mountain Nationals are scheduled to feature jet cars, diesel trucks, Funny Cars, Nitro Fuel Altereds, Nitro Harleys and more along with complete pro and amateur classes competing for NHRA Wallies.
The following month sees another staple event on the Edmonton calendar as Hot August Nights hits the quarter mile on August 9. Billed as the largest single-day drag racing event in the country, Hot August Nights includes jet car exhibitions, Pro Fuel motorcycles, Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars as well as appearances by the Edmonton Police Service Blue Line Racing and RCMP YIELD teams.
Pro Mods keep the summer action going in Edmonton with the West Coast Pro Modified’s Just Send It Shootout on August 11 to 13. Bringing the quickest Pro Mod cars in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest, this event is a major points stop for the series guaranteed to attract the top guns of the WCPM.
In addition to being the home track for the Nitro Ratz Junior Dragster program, Rad Torque hosts a weekly Sportsman bracket series
as well as the always popular Friday Night Street Legals throughout the season. With all of this drag racing on tap, it will be a summer to remember for local racers and fans alike. Complete schedule details and more information are available online at www.radraceway.com.
Drag racers in southern Alberta will have multiple opportunities to compete for an NHRA Wally in 2023 at the Medicine Hat Dragway with the June 17 NHRA TV Challenge, July 14 to 16 NHRA National Open and August 5 King of the Track each offering up the coveted trophies. Winners at the September 16 Junior Dragster Challenge will also head home with a Wally.
Points races, Father’s Day jet cars, a Big Buck Classic weekend and a Canadian Motorcycle Drag racing event round out the 2023 schedule which wraps up on September 23 with a Streetcar Shootout. Visit mhdra.com for more information.
With one of the best 1/8 mile tracks in the country, Central Alberta Raceways in Rimbey, AB plays host to bracket racing and street legal events throughout the season. 2023 will also include a No Prep event and two weekends with the Canadian Motorcycle Drag Racing Association. The track will also host two rounds of the CAR53 series, with the other two being held at the Area 53 1/8 mile track in Forestburg, AB.
Additional information can be found online by searching Central Alberta Raceways. You can learn more about the Area53 track by visiting www.area53raceway.ca.
Originally constructed in 1966, Western Canada’s oldest drag strip, Saskatoon’s Saskatchewan International Raceway, turns 57 this year. The track’s 2023 schedule will include a 13-race points series concluding on September 10 as well as multiple opportunities for individuals to experience the quarter-mile IHRA-sanctioned track at street legal events that run throughout the season.
Headlining the 2023 SIR season, August 19 will see the arrival of Funny Cars, jet cars, Pro Modified and alcohol blown altereds and dragsters in Saskatoon for the Southwinds Showdown. The full SIR schedule is available online by visiting www.racesir.com.
With ten weekends of bracket racing, Gimli’s Interlake Dragway is home to drag racing in Manitoba. In addition to Pro Eliminator Box and Sportsman No Box classes, the IHRA-sanctioned ¼ mile track also has an active junior dragster program. Additional information can be found online at www.interlakedragway.org. IT
The newly refocused powerhouse Pro Stock KB Titan Racing team – led by Canadian Eric Latino and his business associate and former NHRA national champion Jim Whitley – has incredibly lost only one national event (the season opening Gatornationals in Florida to Troy Coughlin Jr.) so far this year.
Drivers Dallas Glenn (the Pro Stock class’s 2023 leading three-time winner) Matt Hartford and Deric Kramer are the top three Pro Stock competitors with Camrie Caruso, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock’s winningest driver) and Kyle Koretsky accounting for six of the class’s top ten positions!
Surprisingly, the defending Pro Stock champion, Erica Enders, is currently 14th. Pro Stock’s other female racer KB Titans’ Camrie Caruso also won the first ever eight-car, allstar style shootout on Saturday in Chicago.
This, despite being outnumbered three-toone beginning in Round 2 by Richard Freeman’s Elite Motorsports Pro Stock team.
Latino was most gracious in a post-event interview with ITMN where he explained how the new team was structured.
KB Titan Racing began with Latino and Whitley’s purchase of the NHRA Pro Stock championship operation of Johnny Gray after his grandson Tanner retired following his Pro Stock championship and making his move over to the NASCAR Truck and Xfinity Series.
The original Mooresville, NC shop is still being utilized by KB Titan for its dyno and engine assembly purposes, but is now owned by Latino’s friend, Chris Clark of Kooks Headers.
The duo’s next acquisition was that of KB Racing and included the Denver, North Carolina facility which now houses all six of their current Pro Stock teams.
Latino emphasized that Brad Moore (an integral contributor to the General Motors small block NASCAR program) and cylinder head specialist Lon Moyer have proven invaluable to the team’s 2023 success.
KB Titan Racing is also involved in Jerry Savoie’s White Alligator Racing Pro Stock motorcycle engine program, as well as the similar program of Jim and Annie Whitley’s son, Cory Reed.
Pro Stock racers Greg Anderson, Dave Connolly, Rob Downing, Stevie Johns (of legendary Bill Jenkins Competition) and Mike Smith prepare the team’s 18 engines and their stable of Pro Stock Camaros.
Three more Jerry Haas cars are on order. Latino plans to make his Pro Stock debut in the most recently arrived car, at the Norwalk NHRA event, in late June. All of this is an amazing new chapter in Canada’s involvement in professional drag racing!
In a Nitro addendum to the Chicago NHRA Route 66 Nationals, popular racer Clay Millican (who won his first ever IHRA
Top Fuel race at the Grand Bend Motorplex) won Top Fuel over Josh Hart.
Canadian Rob Flynn tuned the Mike Salinas-owned and driven fueler into the #1 qualifying spot. Fan-favourite Funny Car competitor Tim Wilkerson defeated defending NHRA Champion Ron Capps.
Once again, KB Titan Racing’s Dallas Glenn defeated teammate Derek Kramer, and Vance and Hines’ Gaige Herrera won Pro Stock motorcycle.
British Columbia’s Justin Bond added to his remarkable 2023 racing resume by winning the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, NC and then reaching the quarterfinals in Chicago. Justin currently sits on top of the Pro Mod standings.
The Charlotte victory was Justin’s fifth overall in NHRA Pro Mod. The victory in the four-wide format established the Canadian racer as a premier driver in the often more difficult four-lane structure.
Leaving Chicago, Justin held a 70-point advantage over 2022 NHRA Champion Kris Thorne who was runner up to 2021 champion Jose Gonzalez in ‘the windy city.’ IT
(Above) NHRA Pro Stock racer Dallas Glenn won again in Chicago. Canadian Eric Latino is a coowner of the KB Titan Racing Team. (Right) Canadian Pro Mod driver Justin Bond continued his strong season with a win in Charlotte and a quarterfinal appearance in Chicago. Photos Courtesy NHRA
Series kicked off under blue skies and warm temperatures June 9-11 at Toronto Motorsports Park (TMP), with a three-day event for the popular drag racing series.
The weekend schedule kicked off with the Ian Hill Productions Friday Test Session, presented by JRPonline.com. Throughout the course of the weekend, a total of 115 cars went across the starting line at the Cayuga, ON dragstrip.
Saturday’s schedule opened with a new race day format, for 2023, for the 6.50 second and slower auto indexes and bike indexes. This year, these classes are now running a full eliminator on Saturdays and a second eliminator on Sundays, along with the two regular Junior Dragster, and the Bikes and Sleds programs.
Also on Saturday, the Pro categories took part in their regular three rounds of qualifying, in preparation for Sunday’s eliminator.
Canada Heads Up is presented by Speedwire Systems, Sokoloff Injury Lawyers, and Headrush Tattoo & Apparel.
The list of class winners was highlighted by several incredible performances, as well as more than a few drivers who underestimated the starting line traction during a Canada Heads Up series weekend.
Mentioning a few of the highlights, Ryan Schulze topped the charts with an amazing 60-foot time in the mid .98’s with his newly
acquired New Edge Mustang.
EZ Street saw both Ryan and Anthony D’Versa showing off their EZ Street efforts with sub 1.10 60-foot runs.
Jesse Vanbetlehem once again dropped the KOTS Bike record ET, with his 7.27 second run.
Suffice it to say, there were impressive performance numbers recorded all weekend. In other results, Ricky Carlos bested Ray Griffin in VP Racing Fuels/ Zex Toronto Super Street action.
Ryan Schulze won the Braille Batteries EZ Street class over Vince Melao.
Jeff Bloem was the man to beat in Five Nine Motorsports Street275, coming out on top of Jason Gallant.
Jesse Vanbetlehem beat Regan Pallet in the KOTS Bike final.
John Poretti got the better of Todd Sills in Unit5 Components SWB action.
The JRPonline. ca Pro24 final saw Reno Moylin defeat Mike Oineira.
In other Index and Dial-In class action, presented
by ICD Insurance, Joe Van O, and Priority Collision, the results were:
4.0: Win: Ron Banks; R/U: Karry Sinke // 4.5: Joe McCormick; R/U: Steve Faule // 5.0: Kevin McGrath; R/U: Mike Gentile // 5.50: Dan Morrison; R/U: Rob Galati // 6.0 (Saturday): Win: Mike Thompson; R/U: Alex Cournoyea // 6.0 (Sunday): Win: Mike Thompson;
R/U: Alex Cournoyea //6.50 (Saturday): Win: Ian Hill; R/U: Kelly Cooper // 6.50 (Sunday): Win: Ian Hill; R/U: Davis Kas //7.0 (Saturday): Win: Chevy Lightheart; R/U:
Lally Thorburn // 7.0 (Sunday): Win: Kiley Hodges; R/U: Kally Thorburn // 7.50 (Saturday): Win: Doug Reid; R/U: Peter Spinelli // 7.50 (Sunday): Win: Jason Jean; R/U: Doug Reid // 7.90 Bikes (Saturday): Win: Vasylyy Lukivskyy; R/U: Landon Swain // 7.90 (Sunday): Win: Murray
Lonsbary; R/U: Landon Swain // Low 9s (Saturday): Win: Murray Lonsbary; R/U: Duncan Guimond // Low9s
(Sunday): Win: Brian Beavan; R/U: Roger Suprenant // Bikes and Sleds (Saturday): Win: Dan Earl; R/U: Vasylyy
Lukivskyy // Bikes and Sleds (Sunday): Win: Vasylyy
Lukivskyy; R/U: Dan Earl // Jr. Dragster (Saturday): Win:
Kami Scott; R/U: Cole Ferri // Jr. Dragster Sunday: Win: Kami Scott; R/U: Ethan Brutch. IT
(Above) Veteran racer Ricky Carlos took Super Street class honours at the season-opening CHU round at TMP. Photos by Blake Farnan
Toronto Motorsports Park hosted its first Race Cayuga Sportsman Series (RCSS) race of the new season on the May 27-28 weekend.
In Saturday’s Junior Dragster action, Kami Scott took the win over Alyssa Stuart, while the Junior Consi race saw Cole Ferri take his hot rod to the Winner’s Circle after besting Charlize Bertrand.
Modified racer Greg Leblanc, from St. Catharines, ON, took the win over Mark Menicanin when he tripped the red light at the start.
Kenny Grossi took the Quick Sportsman race over K.C. Kovacs and Mike Konopacki was the man to beat in Bike & Sled action.
K.C. Kovacs was doing double duty during the weekend and won Super Pro. In Foot Brake action Darcy MacCoubrey raced his beautiful 1979 ‘Lil Red Express to the Winner’s Circle, while Austin Harvie was the cream of the crop in the Street division, beating Victoria Harvie in a close race.
The racers returned to TMP on Sunday for the finale of the weekend. Jack Snell edged Cole Ferri in a tight race to take the Jr. Dragster final. The Junior Consolation final saw Kami Scott earn her second win of the weekend when she took out Marshall Cline.
Bradley Deeks won the Modified final, while Steve Ferstl took out K.C. Kovacs in Quick Sportsman competition. In the Bike & Sled final, Darrin ‘Bullwhip’ beat Jason Stewart, while Bob Jennings gapped Wes Bemke in Super Pro.
Foot Brake racer Steve Dutton bested ‘Bandito’ Tony Valerio. Dutton took the stripe while Tony turned on the red bulb. Finally, Sammy Snapp took out Victoria Harvie in the Street final. IT
Beginner Bandolero division racer Hudson Ruff won his heat and the feature on June 9 at Scotia Speedworld.
Nicholas Naugle won the East Coast Pro Stock Tour race at the Antigonish, NS track on June 10.
Pre-race engine trouble couldn’t keep Tyler Hawn from making the trip to Sunset Speedway’s Hot Rods victory lane on June 10.
Tyler Seaboyer fought his way back to Victory Lane, taking the Mini Stock feature at Sunset on June 10.
Brandon Steele continued to build his Bone Stock points lead at Sunset with another feature win, on June 10
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The June 9 Late Model Open A-Main at Ohsweken Speedway went to Jason Haskell. It was his first feature victory at The Big O.
A great late-race restart propelled Mack DeMan to the Action Sprint Tour West feature win on June 9 at Ohsweken
Dave Bailey took the lead on Lap 3 of the June 9 Thunder Stocks Main at Ohsweken en route to the win.
Justin Cole (left) was the big winner of the June 11 Street Stock 100 at New Brunswick’s Speedway 660.
Brent Kemps took the first Pro Sprint feature at Full Throttle Motor Speedway on June 10...
... and not long after, Adrian Kemps took the second Pro Sprint main of the day at FTMS.
Avery Kirkpatrick won one of the two Junior Late Model feature races at Peterborough Speedway on June 10.
Chad Strawn was the best of a strong Trent Lakes Complete Plumbing Renegade Truck field on June 10 at Peterborough.
Chris Tubman claimed the SwitchTire Mini Stock checkered flag on June 10 at Peterborough Speedway.
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On June 10 at Brockville Ontario Speedway, Ryan Arbuthnot took his third 358 Modified win of the season.
Following the June 10 DIRTcar Pro Stock Main, Tyler Bushey made the trip to Victory Lane at The BOS.
Second generation racer Kyle Steckly won the second Pro Late Model feature at Flamboro on June 3.
Super Stock racer Roy Wilkie picked up a pair of feature checkerred flags on June 3 at Flamboro Speedway.
Mike Gilmour won both Mini Stock features to open the season at Flamboro Speedway on May 20.
Hoosier Stock racer Ryan Beagle in Victory Lane following the May 22 feature at Merrittville Speedway.
Kyle Steckly won the 75-lap Pro Late Model main event on June 2 at Delaware Speedway.
Shawn Chenoweth won one of two Super Stock features at Delaware on June 2. Jay Doerr took the other.
Jeremiah Rabideau took the Bone Stock win on Opening Night at Delaware Speedway. The race featured 34 starters.
May 12 was the season opener at Delaware. Jake Sheridan came out on top of the field of 20 to take the Pro Late Model Main.
Garth Dushanek of Sylvan Lake, AB went to Dinosaur Downs’ Victory Lane following the May 14 Modified Main.
Calgary’s Larry Cramer took a pair of Hobby feature wins at Dinosaur Downs Speedway during the May 13-14 weekend.
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CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY CAREY TERRANCE
Hogansburg, NY racer Carey Terrance won the 358 Modified Main at Cornwall Motor Speedway on May 28.
CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY TRISTAN DRAPER
Kingston, ON’s Tristan Draper was the man to beat in the 358 Modified class at Cornwall on June 4.
TORONTO MOTORSPORTS PARK BLAKE SUTTON
Blake Sutton won the SG/SC/SS Combo final on the Sunday of the Victoria Day weekend event at TMP.
/ BGF Photography
TORONTO MOTORSPORTS PARK DAVE ERNY
Super Stock drag racer Dave Erny took the Victoria Day final round win on the Sunday card at TMP when his co-finalist broke out.
/ BGF Photography
TORONTO MOTORSPORTS PARK LARRY KERRIGAN
Larry Kerrigan’s orange Willys was one of many Gassers in action at Toronto Motorsports Park in late May.
TORONTO MOTORSPORTS PARK RICK REAM
Rick Ream’s Wheelstanding Fire Truck was one of the many highlights on the dragstrip at TMP on Victoria Day.
by Blake Farnan / BGF Photography
weekend at Cayuga and he thought the same thing would work at Sparta. Nitro funny cars were the fastest growing attraction for any drag strip so they began looking for cars.
John had heard about this relatively unknown (at the time) funny car driver by the name of John Force, so he got hold of him and made the deal to have him be the featured car at the Can-Am Nationals – a home run! Emulating the old adage of ‘if you build it, they will come,’ the Can-Ams quickly became one of the top drag racing events in Canada, second only to the Molson Grandnationals at Sanair Dragway in Quebec.
In an interesting connection to that race, John was involved in trying to get the federal government to lift their leaded fuel prohibition to allow the NHRA event to continue at Sanair. NHRA had decided to stop coming to Canada for the event, blaming their decision on the federal ban.
Like most young men back in the ‘60s, John Fletcher was attracted to fast cars. His loyalty to fast Fords has continued to this day. He and his two brothers (Dan and Bill) decided to make money from their racing hobby and, in 1968, they formed Fletcher Brothers Performance.
He and brother Bill started campaigning a ‘66 Fairlane, powered by a High Riser 427, with considerable success. Their success with that car helped their business to grow and expand.
They then switched to a ‘70 Maverick, with a small block Ford, that won some races. However, like most racers, they wanted more, so they contacted Jack Roush and bought a killer 323” small block.
I still remember hearing a car at Sparta revving high and automatically assumed it was a small block Chev. No, it was the Fletcher Brothers Maverick, with a motor that could rev 11,000 RPM. Very impressive and very fast.
Their business was growing and they eventually had five Fletcher Brothers Performance stores, with three in Hamilton (Downtown, Mountain and Parkdale), one in St. Catharines and one in Burlington.
In 1983, John and Sharon discovered that Cayuga Dragway was available so they checked things out. After much deep
thought and consideration, they purchased the facility, taking over in 1984.
They ran the track for six years and succeeded in growing the business. They were innovators in the industry, with new ideas for bracket racing, match racing and the new up-and-coming Pro Mod style races. With 475 acres available, they offered lots of room for overnight camping and started making two-day events popular. An opportunity arose to sell the facility to a large offshore conglomerate, so they sold the track.
At the end of 1989, John and Sharon learned that St. Thomas Dragway might be available. They contacted Helen Harvey and discussions began. Bob Harvey had died in 1984 and Helen was running the track with her daughter Judy but Helen was ready to retire. A deal was struck and they bought the track, taking over in 1990.
They changed the name of the facility to London Motorsport, feeling that London was a much more recognized city than St. Thomas. I helped them out at the start by providing them with an F350 Ford duallie crew cab and happily ran their results each week in our Motion Motorsport Report, found every Friday in the London Free Press.
It didn’t take long for business to pick up and the car counts rapidly increased. John had run a popular event on the Canada Day
Along with several others, John’s group was able to present scientific facts supporting the safe use of leaded fuel at the event. Although nobody publicly admitted it at the time, it was believed that the racers felt the border crossing problems, along with the language issues, were the real reasons for the cancellation and not the fuel.
As a result of the national event being cancelled in the mid-1990s, the Can-Am Nationals became the biggest drag race in Canada. Of course, John Force had become a big player on the NHRA circuit so this really helped the event. Add in some Alcohol Funny Cars, some Jet Cars and some show cars and it quickly became the event that everybody marked on their calendars.
John and Sharon steadily made improvements to the St. Thomas facility. The original tower was moved to the opposite side of the track and a cinder block storage building, with a rooftop viewing area, was added onto it. A new control tower, about five times the size of the old tower, was built in its place and included several offices and two suites for spectators.
Guardrails were added, scoreboards were built and lots of advertising was sold. More big races were added and Friday night
John and Sharon Fletcher, during their time at London Motorsports Park. Photo courtesy Sharon FletcherStreet Legal races brought in many new racers, thus feeding the popular bracket race program. Club racing became very popular and, almost every Saturday, at least one club would show up to have members claim bragging rights amongst their peers.
The climate changed slightly in 1995, when Andy Spriet and three associates decided to re-open the long shuttered Grand Bend Dragway facility. But decisions were wisely made to not directly compete with each other for the big events.
In 1998, John had a little health scare and I had been working with him to possibly build a stock car oval in the field to the left of the shut down area. In discussions, an agreement was reached for Linda and I to buy the track from John and Sharon. That deal closed in July 1998.
On a side note, I spoke to John Force at the Winternationals that year and asked him to come back in 1999 for the Can-Am Nationals.
He laughed and said that he couldn’t afford to pay all his guys and had stopped doing match races. He told me that he could
make as much as John had paid him for two cars by going and talking for about an hour and a half at some business conferences as a ‘motivational speaker,’ followed by more laughter.
The Fletchers had a horse facility outside Watford, ON and decided to build on the business they had established there. Today, Fletcher Trailers sells lots of horse trailers and horse equipment every year. They also have a reining horse facility that is very busy.
And in a case of history repeating itself, John and Sharon have purchased a late model factory Mustang Super Stockers and are back at it once again. John tells me that he hopes to have ‘Bogus’ Bob Elliott driving the car in the popular Can-Am Stock/Super Stock Series. After all, Bob has driven just about everything except the Zamboni at Scotiabank Arena, so he is a perfect pick for the driver’s seat in that bad boy Mustang.
John and Sharon were inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2013 and John was inducted into the Canadian Drag Racing Hall of Fame last year. IT
hard to watch a grown man cry, especially someone in their prime at 34 years old. But that is what can happen at Indianapolis. During Qualifying, the tension in the air was palpable.
Qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 has always been like no other race in the world. Drivers attain their fastest speeds, over 240 mph, as they approach the wall heading into one of the four turns, each banked at nine degrees. The cars are on a knife’s edge, trimmed out by removing downforce to eliminate drag as engineers make decisions on set-up based on the ever-changing air temperatures and wind conditions. Each qualifying run of four laps is very high risk. To put it simply, it’s nuts!
Although this takes place every May for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, this year was especially tough on many levels. It was the fastest field of 33 cars ever, averaging 232.184 mph. Only a mere 5 mph (3.3879 seconds over a ten-mile run) separated the fastest from the slowest driver.
Unimaginable!
So much rides on the drivers’ shoulders to achieve a great result for their hard-working crews, sponsors, families, and friends because they are all watching and depending on them. When three of the four drivers on the Rahal Letterman Lanigan team didn’t make the 30 fastest cars on the first day of Qualifying, it meant they would have to return the second day to fight for the remaining three spots (Sunday determines the Fast Six and Pole winner from Saturday’s fastest 12 drivers and the last row). And since 34 cars were entered for a grid of 33 spots, someone was going home. Their competition was a rookie, Sting Ray Robb, driving for Dale Coyne Racing.
This situation pitted teammates and very good friends, Graham Rahal and Jack Harvey, against one another as they were the two slowest of the 34-car field. Christian Lundgaard ran a four-lap average of 229.649 mph followed by Robb at 229.549. Harvey’s first run was 228.477 and Rahal’s was 229.159. Rahal sweated it out in his car, literally, on a hot day watching Harvey make two more attempts, his second with a
speed of 228.929.
Within the Rahal team the crews worked independently so Harvey did a couple laps to cool his engine using up the clock. Harvey’s third run and last gasp effort as time ended was 229.166 mph, a mere 0.007 mph faster than Rahal.
“You’ve got to be positive,” said Rahal, just before the tears flowed (on the 30th anniversary of his father, Bobby, not making the race in 1993). “You’ve got to be humble and gracious in victory and defeat. I just knew from the start that we were in trouble. Ultimately, I don’t know why, but my run was just slow. We had a part failure during the run (weight jacker - adjusts car balance) but you’ve got to finish it. Unfortunately, rules are written that you can’t fix that part without withdrawing your time. We had to sit there and wait. There was nothing we could do. We came up short. This place, you have to earn it. It’s not handed out, not given, and there’s no guarantee.
Strange things happen at Indianapolis even against the odds because Harvey’s second and third runs were within minutes of each other, not allowing the engine to cool to achieve maximum performance. The team made a front wing and shock change for his final run. As typically happens, each successive lap was a bit slower as the tires are used up (speeds in order: 229.435, 229.082, 229.176 and 228.971 mph). Something magical happened when the driver put it all on the line.
“I just went as fast as I could the whole qualifying session,” explained Harvey, who was elated to make the field, but guilt ridden for bumping his teammate. “There’s nothing extra that I did. On the last run, I was even more ‘Johnny on the spot’ with some of the small changes in the car. It’s just an amazing, awful moment.
“You lay it on the line because it’s the Indy 500. This means the world to everybody. That emotion is pure, raw, and the stress of Bump Day I don’t wish on anybody. At the start of the day, Graham and I thought realistically it was going to be between us. He’s the most underrated driver on the grid and never gets the respect that he deserves.
The irony of the Speedway occurred the next day involving Rahal’s teammate Katherine Legge (qualified 30th) who ran into the back of Dreyer & Reinbold driver, Stefan Wilson (qualified 25th), as he checked up behind Canada’s Devlin DeFrancesco. Both hit the Turn 1 wall. Wilson suffered a broken vertebra and was not cleared to drive. Who would replace him?
Even more amazing, in the late-night hours that followed, studying numerous sponsorship contractual fine print and perhaps the greatest hurdle - obtaining approval from both manufacturers, Honda and Chevy, a long time Honda driver, Rahal, was allowed to replace Wilson in the No. 24 Chevy powered car.
It’s hard to explain on paper what it was like to watch this drama unfold. Just as the whole racing world watched Fernando Alonso, driving for mighty McLaren, to be bumped out by tiny Juncos Racing’s Kyle Kaiser in 2019, knocking out a famous name like Rahal was just as epic.
Indianapolis is unique. It’s the biggest race in the world. Drivers want so badly to win it. The money is secondary (2022 purse totalled US $16 M with the winner receiving $3.1 M). It was a whirlwind, an emotional roller coaster, sorting all the conflicts and obstacles.
This only happens at Indianapolis. IT
It’s not a good feeling knocking him or my team car out.
Driven Living is a Canadian incorporated not-forprofit organization that is harnessing the power and popularity of motorsport to raise awareness of rare diseases and funds to support organizations that provide treatment, care and conduct research, starting with SickKids.
Please see www.drivenliving.ca/programs for more information on our fundraising efforts and a link to donate directly to SickKids.
Followers of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series are very familiar with the Ed Hakonson Racing (EHR) team, based out of Stouffville, Ontario. EHR is one of the strongest supporters of Canada’s NASCAR series, putting several competitive cars on the track at every series race.
The team won the NPS championship in 2020, with driver Jason Hathaway.
And this year, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of stock car’s preeminent sanctioning body, the company behind the EHR team is producing a special line of NASCAR merchandise.
Fast Eddie Speedwear – a top producer of racing related clothing and teamwear – recently launched a line of NASCAR Pinty’s Series officially licensed merchandise. The products are available online at FastEddieSpeedwear.com/NASCAR and at a merchandise booth at most NASCAR Pinty’s Series races this season.
The hats, T-shirts, hoodies and jackets come in many sizes for men, women and youth. Designs range from items featuring the NASCAR Pinty’s Series logo, to custom designed NASCAR Team Racing items with an old school look.
Watch for the Fast Eddie Speedwear NASCAR Pinty’s Series trackside display at the Toronto Indy (July 14), the GP3R (August 4-6), Ohsweken Speedway (August 14-15), Circuit ICAR (August 26) and Delaware Speedway (September 23-24). IT
Ifyou’ve driven in wintry slush or driving rain, you know that vision is critical to safely getting to your destination. And you’d do anything to improve your view and give yourself more time to react to road conditions and the actions of other drivers.
ITEKT is a Canadian product that can do just that.
In technical terms, iTEKT Windshield is a hydrophobic liquid glass protecter that keeps water, snow, ice, insects, oil and dirt from sticking to your windshield.
Inside Track editor Greg MacPherson recently applied the product to his car and then waiting two weeks through an early-season dry spell before seeing it in action.
“Following the installation video and written instructions, I waited until it was a hot day to clean my windshield and apply the iTEKT product. It was quite easy to do… and then it was a waiting game to see how it worked.
“In the past, I’d used other products that purported to repel water, snow and dirt. They worked well for a short time, travelling at relatively high speed, but didn’t work well at lower speeds. And then when the wipers were needed, other products caused the wiper blades to chatter to the point that it made using them very annoying.
“After applying the iTEKT liquid glass, once it finally rained, I found that it shed the rain at much lower speeds than other products, and didn’t cause my wipers to chatter the way other products seemed to.”
The iTEKT website claims that a single application of the product will repel water for up to one year.
“There is nothing worse than white-knuckle driving through heavy rain when your wipers can’t keep up and you have trucks and other cars flying by you, and you’re hoping they can see you better than you can see them,” continued MacPherson. “Having a product like iTEKT that gives you better vision during those times is invaluable. And I don’t miss the chattering wipers, either.”
For more information about iTEKT, go to itekt.com, which has additional product details and links to testimonials and videos on how to apply the materials. As well as being available via the website, iTEKT is available at NAPA Auto Parts, Marcor and other locations across Canada. IT
iTEKT Windshield is a Canadian ‘liquid glass’ product that increases visibility by preventing liquids and objects from sticking to your windshield.
Billed as Canada’s Ultimate Auto Event, the 2023 edition of the Drive Festival takes place September 8-10 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
The three-day auto extravaganza features beautiful cars on and off the legendary Grand Prix Circuit, as well as other happenings and exhibitor displays. The focus are the incredible exotics and classics demonstrating what they can do in the Mobil 1 Dream Car Speed Run.
Starting in Corner 5, the cars make timed runs while going counter-clockwise – the opposite direction they go during race events – through Corners 4, 3, 2 and 1 on their way back to the Start/Finish line.
To see these cars standing still, the Aviva Ovation Dream Car Speed Run Paddock is the place to go. The space will be jammed with a wide assortment of enthusiast supercars, exotics and collectibles representing many decades and continents. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, Aston Martins, Porsches and more.
Adding to the ‘hands on’ nature of Drive Festival are the three test tracks where showgoers can test drive some of the newest manufacturer models. These are the Continental Tire Performance Track, the Pro-Series Manufacturer Track and the Off-Road Track.
Several manufacturer displays will also be part of Drive Festival, offering attendees an opportunity to engage with experts representing the various makes and to get an up-close look at their latest offerings.
For a small donation, you can get a ride with a professional driver in a sportscar on the Autocross Hot Lap Ride. You also won’t want to miss the Automotive Club Displays and the Expo Area, which is home to automotive exhibitors, food trucks and other vendors.
And new for 2023, the Eviva EV Launch Pad will highlight electric vehicles, demonstrating their capabilities and how they are contributing to raising eco-consciousness.
A variety of ticket options are available on the DriveFestival.com website, with Early Bird discounts available at the time of publication. The website has a wealth of information about the event and new details will be added as the date grows closer. IT
Ihavesome transatlantic airplane time (London-Miami), so a quiet spell for a bit of storytelling. I’m on my way to Sebring for a major ‘testfest’ of the GT3 Mustang (again), its sister GT4 variant, and the new GT MkIV, a picture of which graced the top of my previous ITMN dissertation (Challenges). As most of you would have clocked, that was a rendering, although our guys are now so good at the CGI stuff that I have been known to ask how the hell all the bodywork got installed and wrapped in the two days since I was looking at bare parts on the floor next to a rolling chassis in the workshop (the picture I was sent wasn’t real). But now, one ITMN issue later, I am heading to Florida to watch Maxwell drive the real car in anger. It is the second time it’s run with bodywork because we shook it out at Calabogie a couple of weeks ago; I was in attendance having a great day driving MkIIs and GT road cars trying to stay out of Scott’s way. It ran faultlessly and went fast! So, now’s time to beat the shit out of it over the rough surfaces of Sebring, the ultimate durability testing venue. Not only brutal bumps of varying frequency and amplitude, but also high 30s ambient temperature, stupid humidity, and enough bugs to evaluate all the coolers at 50 percent blockage. I’m staying in my 1974 GMC converted Greyhound bus and told the boys to turn the A/C to 100 percent yesterday, so it will be livable when I arrive tonight. In my old age I have forgone the comforts of a hotel (and associated team rowdiness) for a quiet night drinking scotch and catching up on emails at the track, in a coach only slightly younger than me.
Last week was all about Le Mans, where I did stay in a hotel because the bus is a bit large to be shipped transatlantic, but there wasn’t any going out to dinner or drinking over in France either. The schedule is really crazy because after scrutineering and the open
test day the previous weekend, things fully kick-off on Wednesday, but not in a normal way. Free practice starts at 2:00 p.m. and other than a couple of two one-hour rest breaks, continues through until midnight on Wednesday and 11:00 p.m. Thursday (the latter starting at 3:00 p.m.). By the time everything gets packed up and you fight the outbound traffic to the hotel, bedtime is normally around 3:00 a.m. The next day everybody gets to the track by 8:00 a.m. and that trip includes an hour of fighting traffic. No time for fun, and always tired. Friday is an ‘off-day,’ except it isn’t because all the cars are prepped to race, and the drivers are dragged all over the place for parades and other massively distracting events. The pit lane is opened to the public and it is an absolute zoo. But it’s really an event of events, spectacular when you step back for a moment and survey the scene. This year was the 100th anniversary (years) of the race and it was crazier than ever, more people, more special ‘happenings,’ more meetings (certainly for me) and more press conferences.
It was the last of those items for which I was in attendance, not actually having a Multimatic Motorsports horse in the race this year, and not personally engineering a car for a customer. We did have two large crews looking after the Porsche LMDh customer program (Jota) and our racing shock business, in conjunction with partner PKM; between the two companies we had dampers on 46 of the 62 entries. Our impressive two-story temporary workshop in the paddock was busy right up until the morning of the race.
My major contribution of the week was to participate in the official public launch of the GT3 Mustang. We did it on Friday, just after lunch, when there was a very big crowd up in the Manufacturers’ Village area of the paddock. And a large contingent of them, and the press, came to see what was in the “box.” For a few days before
the big day the car was on the Ford stand in a box made from LED panels that ran a huge countdown clock. Pretty cool. What we unveiled was our second test car, no fakery, that had crossed the Atlantic three times by that point (had been over for a full-scale wind tunnel test the month before) but this time rather than bare carbon it was wrapped with a deeply cool livery created by Troy Lee Designs, including the all-new Ford Performance logo (simply ‘FP’) on the side. So, a new race car, a new logo, and a new graphics partner. May as well get it all done in one go.
Ford’s CEO Jim Farley made a compelling introduction to the new race car via video, followed by Mark Rushbrook, the Director of Global Motorsport unveiling it and describing the high-level features, and then going through all the FP programs that the company has on the go. From a new Mustang Dark Horse ‘R’ spec racing series and GT4, GT3 variants, through NASCAR, Off-road (including the Bronco DR) and Electric programs, ending big with the recent Red Bull partnership on the next generation Formula 1 powertrain. I knew it all, but to hear Mark run through in one go was deeply impressive. No doubt Ford is fully committed to racing!
I closed the event with a detailed technical rundown of the GT3 car emphasizing that our development was fully focused on customer racing, as that is what the category is all about. Rather than bitching about Balance of Performance (BoP), which I have done a lot over the last years, on this car we have embraced it. Major attributes like aero and suspension kinematics have been specifically designed to be “in the box” (as specified by the rules) and made as benign as possible so that the car isn’t on the edge to make a lap time because the rules allow lots of headroom which is reined in by BoP. The result being that it is relatively insensitive to pitch and roll and can make the same lap time at the end of the stint as at the beginning. It’s been developed in service of the amateur driver, as it is the Bronze who often makes the critical competitive difference in Pro-Am racing, which most of the major series in the world have embraced. Additionally, I went through how we had designed a lot of pieces to be easily serviced as customer teams will be running the cars (also dictated by the rules); things like using front and rear subframes to ease the burden of a crash (only an end required instead of a whole chassis), as well as quick change bodywork, and finally a run down of all the best-in-class hardware and electronics that we chose to use. I hung on to just about everybody, there were a few guys in the back that ran out of beer and went for more (two returning). All in all, a very proud moment for Multimatic and especially Charles Cadieux and his team who put it all together. It was stupidly hot and my shirt felt like I had been wearing it in the shower at the end, so I retired to my office
behind the pits to air conditioning and a couple of 1664s.
On the run-up to the race there was huge interest around the Garage 56 entry; the internet was full of chatter and opinions. For those not familiar with that term, it refers to the last garage in the pitlane (at the pit-out end), reserved for an “innovative” entry. The high level concept is that the G56 car doesn’t need to comply with the series competition rules, beyond safety considerations, so it’s a kind of ‘run what you brung’ deal reserved for exceptional cases of novel experimental technology, alternative fuels, formula that won’t fit in ‘the box,’ and stuff that might provide great entertainment for the fans. It was first introduced in 2012 to provide an extra entry over the original 55 car limit (that now increased with 62 cars running this year) and the first entry was the very odd looking Nissan (Panoz) DeltaWing, followed by the Nissan ZEOD RC (which was the first car to do a full lap of LeMans on electric power) and an amazing entry in 2016 (SRT 41) allowed Frédéric Sausset, a quadruple amputee, to compete. A hydrogen entry unfortunately had to withdraw at the last minute and in my opinion Nissan’s other recent attempt at La Sarthe, the GT-R LM NISMO hybrid LMP1 should have run out of that garage to avoid embarrassment.
This year was the best G56 entry yet. A full-smoke present generation NASCAR, with a few tweaks to enable it to go 24 hours, get it through the two chicanes, the Mulsanne and Arnage corners and have enough poke to achieve a competitive top speed down the Hunaudiéres straight. Built and entered by Hendrick Motorsport in conjunction with NASCAR, it was immediately evident on Wednesday that they exceeded most of the performance targets; it was deeply
impressive. The ACO had planned to shuffle it to the back of the pack at all safety car yellows in the race so it didn’t get in the way on the restarts, but they changed the plan after qualifying when it became apparent that the wine and cheese cars were going to get in the way of the big Camaro whenever the track went green. It made me smile every time it went past the pits, even when I was back in my office behind them; the walls shook as it accelerated away from the exit of Ford chicanes. With seven-time Cup Series winner, Jimmy Johnson being ably assisted by Formula 1 Champion Jenson Button and sportscar ace Mike Rockenfeller (they needed a guy who knew his way around the place), the driver line-up included a guy to keep every type of fan happy. And to add insult to injury the team won the pitstop competition. Those in the know will think that ain’t so impressive now that Cup cars sport centre lock nuts; but they still use pump jacks to get the car off the ground, while everybody else on the lane had air jacks (simply plug the ‘wand’ in and up they go), and the jack man must run from one side of the car to the other. It was deeply entertaining, and they took the jack up on to the winner’s stand. You had to be impressed by it all, and everybody really was, except for a few naysayers that were taking it the wrong way. And, other than having to swap a transaxle late in the race (ironically a component from a sportscar supplier) the thing ran like a train and finished at full speed, unlike 30-plus percent of the rest of the grid. The whole deal was the idea of NASCAR’s owner. And so, it came to be…a Jim France car in France. It made me a bit emotional, so, so cool.
But this year’s G56 entry was not a first for American iron, obviously the Corvette has been competing regularly for the last couple of decades (not strictly iron) but 40-50 years ago there were regular sorties from across the Atlantic back when the rules were a little looser. Canada’s very own Maurice (Mo) Carter was there in 1980 with one of his famous red and white Camaro road-race cars that I regularly watched at Mosport. It DNQ’d but I have been told that the team was sent home for reasons other than a lack of pace. The story is an extremely amusing tale but is also highly controversial and not verified, so I will leave it out, any readers know of what I refer? There were also the super cool Greenwood Corvettes (Spirit of Le Mans in 1976) that made the trip three times in the 1970s and
even some NASCAR machinery showed up once or twice. But none of that was as credible and impressive as this year’s invasion. Finally, to the main race (no more about what’s coming or 2023’s interesting outlier). Ferrari won it with their relatively new LMH car; simply said: they deserved to as the car was fast and had few problems. I felt a bit sorry for Toyota, having won the last five years when there was little competition, and then finishing second this year when the race was fierce with loads of capable machinery. It wasn’t the message they wanted to send, but in my opinion, it didn’t mean that in the past they only won because nobody challenged them; they were fast and relatively reliable this year and the race between them and Ferrari was an epic battle that could have gone either way. One Ferrari and one Toyota suffered substantial issues and fell back, but the two sister cars pretty much battled to the end. However, the four Porsche LMDH entries that use Multimatic’s rolling chassis did not fare so well. We all had big expectations for the three Porsche factory, Penske run, machines as well as the Jota privateer entry. All showed great pace but suffered myriad issues both technical and operational. There was lots of crashing (not just for the Porsches, it was a year of loads of wrecks). At one point the Jota car was leading the race, with their highly impressive young driver Yifei Ye pulling out a 15-second advantage during his stint only to bin it on the in-lap with three corners to go! Full rebody required, and out of contention. It was big disappointment for all involved. But, just like every bad Le Mans, we leave with hope for next year. IT
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