Ignition - 19.06 by PASMAG - Performance Auto & Sound

19.06 Cover (4 Wheel).pdf 10/11/2007 10:12:59 AM

C :: INSIDE: REMEMBERING COLIN McRAE - 1968-2007

F1 :: NASCAR :: NHRA :: ALMS :: SCCA

Franchitti

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FLIP SIDE VOL. 19 ISSUE 6 DISPLAY UNTIL NOV. 15/07

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4-wheel news

volume 19 issue 6

Braveheart Dario Franchitti broke through in 2007 to win his first North American Championship. Now, the 2007 IndyCar and Indianapolis 500 Champion is mulling over his future, with a switch to stock cars the leading destination.

14 Flicking the Switch

Photo by LAT Photogrpahic

Felipe Massa turned the corner last year in Turkey and since then he has been a threat to win every time the lights go out. The Italian has developed into more than just the second driver at Ferrari in the past two seasons.

20 The Men From Down Under Team Australia started with an interesting concept and the future looks bright for the future. Derrick Walker talks about where he is taking the team in 2008 and beyond.

26 International Appeal Juan Montoya appears to have created a new bandwagon for NASCAR as International open wheel stars are gravitating toward the world of NASCAR. Monte Dutton looks at who is eyeing to make the jump into Nextel Cup competition in 2008.

38 04

Performance Racing News

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PRN.october.07

4-wheel news

volume 19 issue 6

columns 10 12

From the Editor’s Desk

Remembering former World Rally Champion Colin McRae after his tragic death in a helicopter crash.

Getting Off the Marks

Caution Period

Trading Paint

On the Chrome Horn

Exciting tracks are becoming a dying breed in F1 as Dan Knutson looks at Monza and what the future holds for the venerable circuit and others. The Champ Car World Series continues to struggle with its schedule as Phoenix is out in 2007 and the series spends the final four races outside of North America. It’s time the series got its house in order.

monza a dying breed

It was a grand debut for Derek Lynch as he takes first Canadian Tire Series victory in his first race with a new sponsor and paint scheme at Cayuga.

On the Road

Antoine L’Estage took a big step to the 2007 Canadian Rally Championship with his third straight victory at the Defi Ste-Agathe.

ALMS at Mosport

NHRA US Nationals

Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres

50 super gt

Who cares about fairness, the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup is on and the first 26 races are now a distant memory.

events

nhra us nationals

colin mcrae

The 2007 Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport was another rousing success as the ALMS stars put on a show at Canada’s Home of Motorsports.

Once again, Indianapolis was packed with fans and racers as the 53rd Mac Tools US Nationals proved its status as the Mecca of the sport.

After many years out of the spotlight, the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres is poised for a revival after a highly successful 2007 show.

extras 86

canadian rally

Inside Racing

Todd Lewis examines the drama that accompanied a great inaugural season for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

the chase is on

Intake & Filters Buyer’s Guides Highlighting the best products to keep your car running smooth out on the road.

The “Magic” Bus

Have Bus Will Travel Tours takes care of everything en route to a great weekend at Indianapolis.

2007 Points Standings

Points for the top 10 drivers from series around the world. 06

Performance Racing News

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Surf’s Up, Dude! The waves come crashing into shore as Ford’ Mikko Hirvonen makes his way through the Rally New Zealand in early September. Hirvonen came home third in Round 11 of this year’s World Rally Championship. Meanwhile, Petter Solberg (bottom) takes in the serene New Zealand coastline en route to 7th overall at the finish.

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From the Editor’s Desk

Colin McRae

1968-2007 By Neal Jones | Photos by LAT Photographic

His win at the 1995 Rally Great Britain gave Colin McRae his only World Championship and the first-ever for a British-born driver

Over 20,000 people watched the memorial service for Colin McRae on a big screen monitor outside St. Nicholas Church

Performance Racing News

he world of motorsports lost one of its greatest drivers on Sept. 14, 2007 as Colin McRae and three others, including his five-year-old son Johnny, died in a helicopter crash. McRae was piloting the helicopter at the time in Jerviswood, Lanarkshire in Scotland when they crashed just a half-mile from the family’s home. Twenty-seven-year-old Graeme Duncan and six-year-old Ben Porcelli were also killed. The 1995 World Rally Champion, Colin McRae had a long and distinguished career in rally competition. After winning the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Championship while competing in single WRC events, he finally stepped into a full-time ride with the Prodrive Subaru team in WRC for the 1993 season. He promptly won the Rally New Zealand to become the youngest winner in WRC history. The 1995 season was the defining moment of the Briton’s career as he captured the championship with just two wins on the season. But that second win was the key moment as he entered the season finale tied with Carlos Sainz for the title. His victory in the Rally Great Britain ahead of Sainz gave him the title by five points and made him the first British driver to win the crown. That success propelled McRae into the consciousness of mainstream North America as the “Colin McRae Rally” series of video games soon became a big seller on all game consoles. After winning the title in 1995, McRae continued to take victories on the WRC calendar while also driving for Ford and Citroen in later

years. His last full-time season was 2003 and he made only one-off attempts in the ensuing years. When he left the sport in 2003 he was the all-time win leader with 25 rally victories, but that mark has since been surpassed by both Sainz and current leader Sebastien Loeb. Despite not running a full-time schedule, McRae did continue his racing career as he took part in the Dakar Rally as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In France, he teamed up again with ProDrive as he raced a Ferrari in the GT1 class. Then, in 2006, McRae once again stole the show when he won a silver medal at the first rally event in the history of the X Games. With a just a few corners remaining, McRae rolled his Subaru in the stadium portion of the track, but landed on all four wheels and didn’t miss a step as he hammered the gas and continued on to the finish. If not for that roll, the gold medal would be on his mantle. Still, it was his performance that was on the highlight reels for the next few days. The 39-year-old McRae had been working hard to secure a full-time ride for 2008 WRC season, but hinted that if the ride didn’t materialize he was probably done with the sport. At the memorial held at St. Nicholas Church in Lanark, over 20,000 people sat outside watching a big screen that televised the service held inside for over 750 friends and family. Those figures represent about 21,000 people in a town that boasts a normal population of around 8,250. McRae is survived by his wife Alison and their nine-year-old daughter, Hollie.

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Kimi Raikkonen comes into pit lane at the Belgian Grand Prix en route to his fourth victory of the season in early September. His pit crew put in its usual flawless show to keep the Finnish driver in front of the pack.

Photo by Steven Tee/LAT

Senior Photographer: Ramesh Bayney Photographers: Alain Assad, Dan Boyd, Muriel Brousseau, Daniel S. Carter, Michael A. Coates, Dave DeAngelis, Yves Desjardins, Steve Embling, Bryan Epps, Carlos Hatfield, Bob Hesser, Jack Heringer, Kirk Horoky, Rick Kolaczynski, John Larsen, Mike Levitt/LAT, LAT Photographic, Bill Murenbeeld, Jim & Gerry Murray, David Oliver, Chris Payne, Sue Phypers, Rob Potter, Kevin Sproule, Richard Shute

On the Redline

Senior Writers: Todd Lewis Writers: John Bone, Matt Polito, Tim Tuttle, Mark Triller

The 2007 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series has provided some of the best racing action in the world

Photo by Ramesh Bayney

bit for the Cup Series, and without big city interest, NASCAR cannot be perceived at the same status level as the NFL or baseball. It’s now official. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be joined by his cousin Tony Eury Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports next season. This is the same pairing that has missed the Chase for the Championship again this year. Add another brick of pressure onto the back of Dale Jr. I’m sure everyone gives Jr. a pass next year because he’ll be “getting used to his new team environment.” If he comes up with anything less than a serious championship challenge

First year stock car racer Andrew Ranger has made a huge impact on the series; bumping JR Fitzpatrick out of the way

Inside Racing with Todd Lewis

First NCATS Season Full of Thrills I

f you’ve missed out on the incredible first season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, don’t make the same mistake in 2008. This series has had last lap passes and “take your breath away” exciting finishes to most of their events in NASCAR’s first full year North of the Border. At Cayuga Speedway, Peter Gibbons and Jim Lapcevich crashed as they came out of Turn 4 on the last lap, handing the victory to Derek Lynch. It was quite appropriate that Bobby Allison was a special guest at the race, what with his involvement at the famous final lap crash at Daytona. First year stock car racer Andrew Ranger has made a huge impact on the series; bumping JR Fitzpatrick out of the way to take his first win at Mosport. The two followed that up by running nose-to-tail in Edmonton for the entire race, with 12

Performance Racing News

Fitzpatrick stealing the win away on the final lap. Kerry Micks and the young man from Roxton Pond, QC have also had two memorable race finishes; Micks came out on top both times, but Ranger has shown he is relentless in his pursuit of victory. Ranger has also, slowly, started to earn respect from the stock car veterans. He was not welcomed with open arms at the start of the season, and he was quiet and reserved not really trying to warm up to the career stock car drivers. But a mutual admiration has developed as the season has gone on. A NASCAR concern: The continued lack of interest in the series by those in the big cities of the United States. Who invited all those empty seats to the Labor Day event at California Speedway? TV ratings overall have remained flat or softened a

in 2009 will anyone finally start questioning his abilities as a driver? Have any other Champ Car races been cancelled, postponed or changed venues since I began writing this piece? Phoenix is out… Was China ever in… San Jose moves to Laguna… all this coming in a matter of weeks. Guess there isn’t really a pressing desire to have Champ Car put out a schedule for next year if they keep changing it as the season goes along. You will also not be perceived as a sport of significance if you keep rescheduling, cancelling or moving your events as the season goes along. Congratulations Dario Franchitti. Dario is one of the truly likable racers, who has now added an IndyCar Championship to his Indianapolis 500 victory. Whatever Dario decides to race in 2008 I hope he enjoys it and does well. Good for his lovely wife Ashley Judd to speak up and say that Milka Duno has no business being out on the race track. The IRL also appears set to do away with prize money and implementing a “revenue sharing system.” Please don’t call it a subsidy. How does this help competition? You find good drivers, engineers, mechanics and put together a solid team and win lots of races and then don’t get any purse money… how ridiculous. There’s nothing like a $100 million fine to the McLaren team to take the attention off the feud between their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Perhaps Alonso does move on next year, not because he’s disruptive, but as a cost cutting measure.

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Long Time

Coming

It took four years for Dario Franchitti to put it all together during his IndyCar career as he finally broke through for his first North American championship. Now, the Scotsman appears headed to the greener pastures of NASCAR Nextel Cup. David Hatter looks at Franchitti’s title winning season and what the future has in store.

fter four years of disappointment, Dario Franchitti finally got everything right in his fifth — and most likely last — season in the IRL IndyCar series. He emerged as the 2007 champion following a dramatic finale at Chicagoland Speedway where he passed fuel-starved rival Scott Dixon at the last corner of the last lap to snatch both the race and the title. “Just as I pulled out to try to get a slingshot in (Turn) 3, he ran out of fuel and I almost hit the back of him,” said Franchitti. “He shot up the track a bit — I think in reaction to running out — and almost took me into the fence. It was close. I always said it was going to come down to the last race, but I didn’t expect it to be the last corner.” The 34-year-old Scotsman, already the winner of the Indy 500, ended up with up with 637 points, vs. 624 for Dixon, who still finished second at Chicago as the only other driver on the lead lap. This 2007 season was quite a turnaround for Franchitti. This was not only his first time atop the overall points standings, but also the first time that he had even been the highest-placed driver on his own team, Andretti-Green Racing. In the four previous seasons, he had never ranked better than third in points among AGR’s four drivers. Now, having finally conquered IndyCars, he is poised to leave. Although nothing was official at press time, it is widely believed that he will drive the #40 Dodge Avenger for Chip Ganassi in the 2008 NA-

“It came down to Scott and I and I think it was a hell of an end to the championship. It’s just been a great fight all year. It was a crazy, up-and-down season — really, up and down.”

Performance Racing News

SCAR Nextel Cup, replacing David Stremme. Some reports suggest he has signed a five-year deal and will begin his stock car career with a few ARCA and Busch races later this season. Ironically, his IRL rival Dixon drives for Ganassi’s IndyCar team. Franchitti himself was coy at Chicagoland when asked if he would be defending his IRL title in 2008, but did admit that he sees Nextel Cup as “a really interesting series.” His Ganassi teammates would include Juan Montoya, whom he battled for the 1999 CART Champ Car title. They tied on points, but Montoya claimed the crown with more wins. Franchitti’s last championship triumph before this year was the 1993 British Formula Vauxhall Lotus series. He then did Formula 3 and spent two years in Mercedes touring cars before moving to North America to race in CART in 1997. With his deep road racing roots — he even tested for the Jaguar F1 team — he raised eyebrows when he left CART for the then all-oval, though richer IRL IndyCar series in 2003. Even as an IndyCar driver, he continued to state his preference for road courses over ovals. Towards the end of 2006, he actively pursued a return to Champ Car before finally agreeing to a one-year contract extension with AGR. As of next season, assuming the NASCAR stories are true, he will find himself going around in circles more often than ever before, with 34 ovals and just two road courses on the grueling Nextel Cup schedule.

Performance Racing News

Photo by Steve Etherington/LAT

Franchitti joins a growing list of open wheel stars flocking to stock cars: Montoya and AJ Allmendinger this season; plus triple IRL champion Sam Hornish Jr., scheduled to run several lateseason Cup races with a view to competing fulltime in 2008; F1 refugee Scott Speed; and Canadians Jacques Villeneuve and Patrick Carpentier. For the IRL, the possibility of losing both Franchitti and Hornish — its two most recent champions and Indy 500 winners — is a double whammy. Although Hornish is a three-time IndyCar champion, Franchitti is probably the bigger name. Indeed, next to Danica Patrick, he has been the IRL’s second-highest profile driver, due mainly to his marriage to glamorous movie star Ashley Judd, 39, whom he met at a fashion show in the late 1990s. Still, before this season, Franchitti was arguably an underperforming star. His title-clinching Chicagoland victory was his fourth win of 2007, the eighth of his IRL career. Eight wins in 67 starts is not bad, but maybe not quite as many as Honda had in mind when the engine-manufacturer enticed him — and several others — away from CART in the fall of 2002. At the time, Honda was preparing to jump to the IRL and was dangling big bucks in front of its CART teams and drivers to do likewise. Some, such as Franchitti’s then teammate, Paul Tracy, refused (although he had the luxury of a $3-million offer from Player’s to stay in Champ Car). Franchitti accepted. “Dario went for the money,” said Tracy at the time. When Franchitti announced his move in September, 2002, it was just days after his very first 16

Performance Racing News

oval win, in the CART race at Rockingham, England. His other nine CART victories were all on road or street circuits. As it turned out, Franchitti missed most of the 2003 season after injuring his back in a motorcycle accident in his native Scotland. Returning to action in 2004, he got his first IRL wins at Milwaukee and Pike’s Peak, but was overshadowed by AGR teammates Tony Kanaan and Dan Wheldon, first and second in the championship. Franchitti was sixth.

Franchitti’s last championship triumph before this year was the 1993 British Formula Vauxhall Lotus series. The 2005 and 2006 seasons were more of the same. Franchitti did okay, but his teammates did better. In 2005, he won his home race at Nashville, where he lives with Ashley, and at California and was fourth in points. But Wheldon won six times en route to the title and Kanaan was overall runner-up. In 2006, Franchitti went winless and was just eighth overall. Some AGR team members quietly questioned his motivation. They suggested he would start each season with drive and determination, but his enthusiasm would wane if the desired results did not soon come his way. That was not an issue in 2007. His season began modestly, with a seventh at Homestead and a fifth at St. Petersburg, but then he was third in Japan, second in Kansas and took the win that matters

Long Time Coming

Sometimes better known as the husband of Ashley Judd, Dario Franchitti won his first IndyCar title in a dramatic finish to the 2007 season

Performance Racing News

Long Time Coming most, the Indianapolis 500. He followed up with a second at Milwaukee, which put him into the points lead for the first time, a fourth at Texas and back-to-back wins at Iowa and Richmond. At that stage, his lead was 65 points over Dixon. More podiums followed at Watkins Glen, Nashville and Mid-Ohio, but Dixon won all three races and closed the gap to 24. And then came Franchitti’s near-disastrous month of August — terrifying aerial back-flips at both Michigan and Kentucky and a collision at Sears Point with teammate Marco Andretti as the latter exited the pits. The two back-flips sparked speculation that Ashley might urge him to pursue a form of motorsport that does not involve interlocking wheels at 200-plus mph, perhaps joining his brother Marino in the American Le Mans Series. But Dario denies this. “Ashley, after both those incidents, never mentioned, ‘You shouldn’t do this.’ She was cool about both incidents. I think I was more shook up, certainly after the second one, than she was.” As for the contact with Marco at Sears Point, Franchitti said: “I feel we were put in that position by the team’s lack of communication about what each of us was doing. I didn’t know he was coming out of the pits. He didn’t know that I was approaching. Marco and I have such a good relationship. I didn’t want to take him out when he was in the lead.” Franchitti salvaged third place, but trailed Dixon by four points going to the penultimate round at Detroit. Dixon spun on the second-last lap and then backed into Franchitti as he tried to go outside of him. Team-owner Michael Andretti immediately condemned Dixon’s action as intentional, but his driver shrugged it off. “If Scott did that on purpose, he’s a fast thinker,” said Franchitti, who restarted to finish sixth and take a three-point lead into the Chicagoland finale. At Chicago, both contenders stretched their fuel loads and made their final stops under caution on lap 148. They were left alone on the lead lap as other frontrunners — including Wheldon, now Dixon’s Ganassi teammate — made late-race fuel stops under green. “Most of the race I was just sitting there. I couldn’t pass the guys in front because they were running side-by-side,” said Franchitti. “Dan was protecting Scott’s outside shoulder and stopping me getting a run. He was doing his job. Then people started pitting. It came down to Scott and I and I think it was a hell of an end to the championship. It’s just been a great fight all year. It was a crazy, up-and-down season — really, up and down.” After the checkered, Franchitti stopped on the track to talk to the safety team members, telling them: “Good to see you, guys. The car is actually the right way around and has four wheels on it today.” He probably won’t want to become quite so familiar with the NASCAR safety crew.

Performance Racing News

Dario Franchitti was all smiles after winning the title and you can be sure his sponsor offered a little celebratory fluid to go along with the big trophy

After finally taking the IndyCar crown, it appears Dario Franchitti will now take his skills to the NASCAR Nextel Cup series with Chip Ganassi Racing

&/2 #!.!$)!. 2/!$3 ). !,, 3%!3/.3

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Photo by Steve Etherington/LAT

elipe Massa came of age in the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix. Up until then he had been a driver with plenty of talent and potential who had yet to win a Grand Prix. He had a reputation for wildness on the track, but that really was no longer the case. Then came the weekend in Turkey last year where he qualified his Ferrari on pole, his first ever, and went on to win. It was almost like someone flicked a switch to change him from journeyman to contender. He earned two more poles that year and won his home Grand Prix of Brazil in fine style. In the first 12 races this year he added five more poles and three more wins to his resume. In Turkey he again started from the pole and won the race. “It’s amazing,” said a jubilant Massa. “The third time here in Istanbul but the second race in a row winning from pole. I love the place, and here is where my career made a switch and I started to win races and fight with the frontrunners.” With his impish sense of humour, Massa is a likable guy. But Ferrari isn’t in the Formula One business to hire likeable guys. Massa has been a contracted Ferrari driver for five years, most of which he spent with Sauber when it ran Ferrari engines. Massa’s break came in 2006 when Ferrari picked him to replace Rubens Barrichello. Ferrari will deny it, of course, but Massa’s role was just the same as that of Barrichello and Eddie Irvine: support

“He is not my coach but we speak a lot… I studied everything he did, sometimes by talking to him but sometimes just by watching him. I studied his races lap by lap. I tried to imitate him. And it worked.” 20

Performance Racing News

While many expected that Felipe Massa would serve as a number two to teammate Kimi Raikkonen as he had with Michael Schumacher, the Brazilian has forced the red team to give its drivers equal status with his performances in 2007

Flicking

the Switch

Photo by Steve Etherington/LAT

Felipe Massa turned the corner last year in Turkey and since then he has been a threat to win every time the lights go out. Dan Knutson looks at how Massa developed into more than just the second driver at Ferrari in the past two seasons.

Flicking the Switch

Photo by Lorenzo Bellanca/LAT

Photo by Ramesh Bayney

Massa is one of those drivers who shines when he is controlling things from the front of the pack. He wins from the pole, not from somewhere further back on the grid.

His win from pole at the Turkish Grand Prix will be viewed as the turning point of Felipe Massa’s career when all is said and done

Michael Schumacher’s bid to win the championship. Massa’s first ever podium came when he finished third in the 2006 European Grand Prix in May. The following month he finished second in the US Grand Prix. It was around the time of Indy where, unknown but to a few people at Ferrari, Massa’s F1 career changed forever.

Clear Future It was then that Schumacher finally made the decision to retire at the end of the season. He didn’t want to commit right then, but he also didn’t want to keep Massa in limbo. Ferrari had already signed Kimi Raikkonen for 2007 and would hold the other seat open for Schumacher. If Schumacher retired the ride would go to Massa. But if Schumacher decided late in the season he would keep racing, seats with other teams would already be spoken for and Massa would be in trouble. Schumacher and Massa had and have a special relationship. Would Schumacher have been as fair and loyal to his other teammates? Ferrari has a lot of faith in Massa, but the general idea (again, of course the team will deny it) was that Raikkonen would be the new star of the team while Massa would play the supporting role. But it didn’t work out that way anymore than Fernando Alonso’s

Performance Racing News

concept that he would be the team leader at McLaren while rookie Lewis Hamilton learned the ropes of F1. Massa was generally quicker than Raikkonen all through winter testing. Then came the season opener where Raikkonen suddenly seemed to have found a lot of speed. An engine failure sent Massa to the back of the grid (he eventually finished sixth) while Raikkonen won easily. Massa had arrived in Australia brimming with confidence and with a smile on his face. Kimi wiped that off pretty quickly. Pundits said that Raikkonen had been sandbagging all winter, but that’s doubtful. No matter, others said, the right order had been imposed again with Raikkonen the star at Ferrari. Massa’s reputation wasn’t helped when he drove a sloppy race in Malaysia and finished fifth after starting from pole. But then Massa put in two fabulous performances in Bahrain and Spain: pole, fastest race lap and wins in both. Suddenly it was Raikkonen who was struggling, and the Finn still is at times because he hasn’t completely mastered the switch from Michelins to Bridgestones. This is especially true in qualifying. Raikkonen and Massa get along just fine by basically just getting on with their separate jobs and lives.

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Performance Racing News

Flicking the Switch While Raikkonen doesn’t talk to Schumacher Massa certainly does. “He is not my coach but we speak a lot,” Massa said. Most race drivers are far too arrogant to believe that they need a driver coach. If Tiger Woods has a coach, why don’t F1 drivers? He may not call Schumacher a coach but Massa has learned a lot from the seven-time World Champion.

Learning From the Master When Massa joined Ferrari he didn’t know that it would be Schumacher’s last season but he realized that Shumi wouldn’t be around forever. So Massa was determined to learn as much as he could. “Michael was incredible,” Massa told F1 Racing magazine. “I’ve never seen a guy who was able to think so hard during a Grand Prix and yet race so hard in it at the same time. When to push, when not to push, he always knew. On the limit, but like clockwork, never wild. “I studied everything he did, sometimes by talking to him but sometimes just by watching him. I studied his races lap by lap. I tried to imitate him. And it worked.” One luxury that Schumacher earned was exclusive number one status. Ferrari claimed this wasn’t the case and said the team merely put its effort behind the fastest driver. And that was always Schumacher, of course. This year, Massa and Raikkonen have equal number billing. With five races to go (this story was written just prior to the Italian Grand Prix) Massa and Raikkonen were only one point apart but 15 behind championship leader Hamilton. For the first time in a decade Ferrari refused to impose a hierarchy on the drivers with the aim of winning the title. Ferrari made some mistakes that cost Massa points, like the engine change in Australia and somehow managing to not put fuel in his car during qualifying in Hungary. Massa bungled in Montreal where he was disqualified for exiting the pits when the red light was on. The Hungarian Grand Prix showed weaknesses in Massa, too. He qualified 14th and finished 13th. Yes, it’s difficult to overtake at the Hungaroring, but you can bet that Schumacher wouldn’t have ended up 13th. Massa is one of those drivers who shines when he is controlling things from the front of the pack. He wins from the pole, not from somewhere further back on the grid. Does Massa think Ferrari can win the championship? “When you don’t think you can win, for sure you are going to lose,” he said. “So we are 100 percent motivated, both me as a driver, and also the team, that we can do it. And we are going to work hard until the last lap of the last race.” Massa fighting for the title was once just something that could happen in the future. But a switch has been flicked, and he has emerged from the shadows to become a championship contender.

“When you don’t think you can win, for sure you are going to lose, So we are 100 percent motivated, both me as a driver, and also the team, that we can do it. And we are going to work hard until the last lap of the last race.”

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The Men From Down Under Team Australia started with an interesting concept and the future looks bright. Gerry Frechette sits down with Derrick Walker and talks about where he is taking the team.

T That would lead one to wonder why there wasn’t a capable young driver to step into the team beside Power. There are a few factors at play here. One is that there is not a lot of developmental open wheel racing in Australia.

he concept of attaching nationalistic fervour to competitive sport is hardly a new one. One need only look at soccer and its highly-charged atmosphere. Cheering for one’s own country has been popular in auto racing, too, over the years. Perhaps the most recent example has been the A1GP series, which may not be a huge success, but not because the “country versus country” idea is not viable. From a Canadian perspective, the most obvious example is the de facto Team Canada effort of Player’s Ltd. in the Champ Car World Series. More recently, a similar concept has been applied by veteran team owner Derrick Walker in that series, and Team Australia is the result. Actually, Walker’s original idea was “Team China,” but then he met Australian businessman Craig Gore, and that changed his direction. He took the time to explain how it all came about. “My partner, Craig Gore, is Australian, of course, and with Champ Car having a race in Surfers Paradise, his goal was to win that race, and outside Australia, carry the flag and have a marketing platform from which you can sell Australian products. So there were several things happening there. There is Gore with a passion to win his home race, plus a marketing vehicle to sell Australian products in America.” Aussie Vineyards is the most obvious example of a company buying into the concept.

Work in Progress

Photo by LAT Photographic

Nevertheless, Team Australia is still a work in progress, Walker admits, because of the usual issue in racing — funding. Perhaps that explains the driver line-up, with one Australian (Will Power) and one Frenchman (Simon Pagenaud, who, it is no secret, brought to the team his $2 million prize for winning the Atlantic series last year). Walker addresses this for what sounds like the umpteenth time. “It’s not an issue per se,” he says. “I mean, if you look at what racing is all about, you’ve got to have the right ingredients. In this case we have a French driver alongside an Australian one. At the beginning of the year, we were definitely looking at having two Australian drivers, because that would make a lot of sense. There weren’t two Australian drivers available when it came to making the choices and at the same time, over in the Atlantic program, we had a French driver who was winning the Championship. If an Australian driver had been available and he had fit the criteria, we would probably have had two Australian drivers. Simon won the Champion26

Performance Racing News

ship, and knowing his ability close-up, it was a no-brainer to say that he should be our second driver. The first criteria would be a strong Aussie driver, and if he was not available, the next best thing was Simon and he jumped right up.” That would lead one to wonder why there wasn’t a capable young driver to step into the team beside Power. There are a few factors at play here. One is that there is not a lot of developmental open wheel racing in Australia, with the popularity of full-bodied cars. Power himself had to go to Europe to race development formulas, and had originally dreamed of F1. A couple of young Aussie drivers (Marshall and Davison) were tried on the team, but they didn’t pan out. “I think the biggest problem in Australia is to do with the type of racing that is available for the young driver,” Walker says. “They don’t have a lot of series there to develop drivers at a young age. What tends to happen is the really good and passionate ones in open wheel will go to Europe. They all have the dream to get to F1. It’s not so much that V8 Supercars gobbles them up; it’s more that the limited number of open wheel racers go to Europe. And ultimately, the second choice would be to go to America. So it’s really more a function of how much open wheel racing there is in Australia.” In his view, that’s all the more reason for the scholarship program he wants to get going. “There are a lot of kids at the Formula BMW level that you can get, but they have to have somewhere to go with that. It requires a long-range plan and a fair amount of funding to execute that properly. What I did last year was present the model and laid the foundations for the program, but didn’t have enough money to do it this year. But we are still trying to build that concept. If we had the ability to bring these young kids through the junior series to Champ Car, make stars of them, it would be the best chance we’ve got to build a strong Team Australia with 100 percent Australian drivers. It’s a long-range plan, but not something we have to have. It’s funding and it’s finding talent.”

Driver Development Walker has tried to create a driver development component to his program, modeled along the lines of what Player’s did, but it has been a difficult thing; witness the suspension of the Formula BMW program that he ran in 2006. “I have various partners in the BMW, Atlantic and Champ Car programs, and what I was able to do with them all was put them all in the same livery and package them all together as Team Australia. So, there was this seamless

Photo by Steve Etherington/LAT

Photo by LAT Photographic

Photo by Ramesh Bayney

Photo by LAT Photographic

If we had the ability to bring these young kids through the junior series to Champ Car, make stars of them, it would be the best chance we’ve got to build a strong Team Australia with 100 percent Australian drivers. It’s a long-range plan, but not something we have to have.” -Derrick Walker

Performance Racing News

-Derrick Walker

Australia on the map, that this is a program that is moving forward, that can come home to Surfers and win the race. We’ve put a mark up on the wall and said, ‘we are coming.’ Will’s success complemented the concept of Team Australia and gave it some credibility, I think. There is now huge interest in Australia in having Will there to promote Team Australia, but we haven’t let him, because it is quite a trip to go back there in the season. But after the European races, he’ll head to Australia for a month or so, to do the rounds before the Surfers race. Had it not been so far away, I think

Photo by Ramesh Bayney

line from BMW to Atlantic to Champ Car. What I proposed to Craig Gore was that Australian drivers need to be developed and given the opportunity. We had a scholarship program in the works, and the idea hasn’t gone away, but we haven’t raised the money to be able to do it properly. So when you look at it right now, I own Team Australia Champ Car with Craig Gore, and Walker Racing is the sole owner of the Atlantic team. We have just packaged it differently than we did last year when we had a young Australian driver, James Davison, in the car.” In the meantime, there is the here-and-now Champ Car team, and one could say that this has been the breakout season for Team Australia, what with two victories by Will Power at this writing, and being in contention in the points all season. Walker confirms what one would suspect, that Power has become a household name in his homeland. The problem is, he races so far away from there most of the year. “Will has become one of the most popular sports celebrities in Australia. For the people who follow open wheel racing, it has put Team

“Simon won the Championship (Atlantic), and knowing his ability close-up, it was a no-brainer to say that he should be our second driver. The first criteria would be a strong Aussie driver, and if he was not available, the next best thing was Simon and he jumped right up.”

Photo by Ramesh Bayney

The Men From Down Under

he would have been heavily booked over there.” It could be said that Derrick Walker has brought a viable concept to Champ Car, one that other teams could emulate. He has not yet been able to develop it to the point that he would like, in terms of driver development or funding, but no one should think that the veteran of the sport won’t reach his long-range goals. In the meantime, winning the race at Surfers Paradise in October would be a really big deal for Team Australia. It never hurts to reach the goal of your main financier.

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pend five minutes inside the walled park that contains the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza and you soak up more racing history and F1 atmosphere than you do in four days at one of new bland super bowls like Shanghai, Istanbul or Bahrain. I always feel a shiver of excitement when I enter the Monza grounds and see that famous straight flanked by the grandstands and two glassed timing towers that have watched over it for many decades. I’m looking at that view right now from the pressroom that is above the pits. Guys like Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton are screaming down the same straight that everybody from Pietro Bordini (who won the first Italian Grand Prix at the track in 1922) to Tazio Nuvolari to Antonio and Alberto Ascari to Rudolf Caracciola to Juan Manuel Fangio to Jackie Stewart to Michael Schumacher raced on. Monza was the third permanent racing track facility built in the world after Brooklands in England (1907) and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (1909). The Milwaukee Mile has hosted races since 1903, making it the oldest speedway still in operation. The track deserves a special place in racing’s lore, but some historians don’t class it as a permanent facility in its early years. Alas, Monza and Spa are among the dying breed of classic tracks on the F1 tour. Money, of course, is at the root of it all as governments in Asia and the Mid-East can invest hundreds of millions of dollars to built vast state-of-the-art facilities and then pay Bernie Ecclestone US$35

million per Grand Prix to host a race that many people in the country could care less about. Tracks like Montreal, Indianapolis, and Silverstone have little or no government backing and can’t afford to compete with places like Abu Dhabi and Singapore where money is no object.

Safety Concerns Monza has another problem and that’s safety. The high-speed track has very little runoff area, and given that the surrounding forests in the park are protected by law, there is not much room for improvement. “Every year we have tried to improve it a little bit,” Mark Webber says. “It is definitely not one of that tracks that you would put a template on and say that is a venue that is the safest track in the world. “I spoke to Sebastian Vettel after Hungary, and he said ‘I couldn’t believe the first lap, just how intense it was, and how I had so many quick cars next to me.’ “And that was Budapest. I said: ‘Mate, wait until you try the second chicane at Monza for the first time! If there is any small misjudgment there we have seen the consequences of what happens.” The good news is that now that the runoff area at the second chicane has been paved, a driver will be more willing to go straight on now because although he may lose a few positions he won’t get stuck in the gravel as in years past. Monza is certainly a far cry from the modern tracks that have vast runoff areas.

Photos by LAT Photographic

As one of the oldest permanent circuits in motorsports history, Monza is a treasure trove of memories, but when it comes to safety, the venerable track is past its prime.

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Spy Scandal Twist This year’s Italian Grand Prix will be remembered, among other things, as the race where the Ferrari/McLaren spy scandal took a bizarre twist before the final outcome was determined by the World Motor Sport Council made its final decision. As you know, Ferrari’s Nigel Stepney is accused of passing 750 pages of confidential Ferrari data to McLaren’s Mike Coughlan. Initially, the FIA said McLaren would not be punished because it was only a rogue employee who was guilty. But the FIA received fresh evidence, and at Monza the FIA distributed copies of a letter it sent to Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Pedro de la Rosa telling them to produce copies of all documents they may possess, such as emails, relevant to the case. The McLaren drivers were promised amnesty if they cooperated and warned of “serious consequences” if they did not comply. The FIA’s evidence added new layers to the spy scandal and revealed more about who-knew-what-when. When the decision was made by the FIA several days later, the drivers went unpunished while McLaren took a heavy hit. Alonso and Hamilton were spared the knife as their championship points remained in place and they will continue their season-long fight for the World Championship. McLaren on the other hand, was punished with a $100 million fine and exclusion from the Manufacturer’s Championship. This essentially handed that title to Ferrari, one that McLaren was basically assured of prior to the decision. McLaren will not appeal the decision. 32

Performance Racing News

“Ideally it would be nice to make the Monza track safer because the cars outgrew the circuit a long time ago, not in terms of pace on the track but in terms of runoff,” Webber says. “They have

“I spoke to Sebastian Vettel after Hungary, and he said ‘I couldn’t believe the first lap, just how intense it was… And that was Budapest. I said: ‘Mate, wait until you try the second chicane at Monza for the first time!” -Mark Webber done a great job on some of the safer barriers and x, y and z, but there is still the perception for

us as drivers that we’d like a bit more. I like to be punished for my mistakes, but I don’t like to take undue risk.” What worries Webber and the other drivers about tracks such as Monza and Spa is a car failure. “With driver error you can still maybe control how the car goes in,” Webber says. Webber believes that people are ignoring the possibility that a serious accident at Monza is looming. “It is the old ‘she will be all right until it happens,’” he says. “That is how humans are. We get away with another race, so we should be alright, should be alright, should be alright…” Monza’s history is filled with triumph and tragedy and intrigue and drama. It was here a year ago that Michael Schumacher announced that he would retire at the end of the season.

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Champ Car Needs Consistent Schedule By Neal Jones

Schedule problems have plagued the Champ Car World Series in recent years and 2007 has been no different. With the recent canceling of the season finale in Phoenix, the time has come get the schedule under control to ensure the series can grow.

34 25

Performance Racing News

The champion will be crowned on a 14-race schedule after the final events in Holland, Belgium, Australia and Mexico. Is anyone in the US going to even know that the season is over and champion crowned? All this continues to hamper any efforts the series has of becoming a relevant factor in mainstream sports. There is little question that the series now plays a true second-fiddle to IndyCar on the sporting landscape. And the series is in a full-court press trying to squelch rumours and put a positive spin on the recent difficulties. “We obviously are disappointed that the organizers of Grand Prix Arizona cancelled their event,” said Champ President & CEO, Steve Johnson. “While we were looking forward to closing our season with a new Champ Car race in Arizona, we’re prepared to now finish instead in Mexico City as we have done the past three years. “The 2007 Champ Car World Series season will encompass 14 total events… two less than originally planned due not only to Phoenix’s decision to cancel but also with the inability to conduct an event in China this year. The failure of our previous China promoter — since replaced — to materially comply with our agreement forced us to miss our May date, and we have been unable to secure an appropriate 2007 replacement date with our new promoter.”

Taking Champ Car to more international destinations like Assen has been great for the series, but more consistency to the schedule and more American events at the end of the year are critical areas the series needs to address

Photos by LAT Photographic

o you want to compete on the American sports stage, do you? Well, you probably shouldn’t finish your season with four straight events outside of the United States and you should probably have a schedule that has the same venues every year with similar dates. The above seems like a pretty simple process for a major sports organization to follow. Keep things consistent on yearto-year basis, and all of a sudden you have a tradition that has everyone in the area taking about your series every year. Unfortunately, the Champ Car World Series continues to falter when it comes to its schedule. Sure, the Long Beach Grand Prix and Grand Prix of Toronto are staples on the calendar, cemented in their spots in early April and early July, respectively. Those events have built a foundation that city residents know that the series is coming back every year. But, the rest of the Champ Car schedule seems to fluctuate at will, even during the season. We’ll stay away from the long talked about event in China. I think every fan pretty much has a I’ll believe it when I see it mentality for this race no matter how many times Champ Car puts it on the schedule at the opening of the year. And what does that say about the series when fans see an event listed, but are just waiting for the inevitable cancellation or postponement? However, now the series has truly shot itself in the foot with the cancellation of the seaso n finale in Phoenix, AZ. It took two years of planning and political maneuvering to land the date for Champ Cars, and in late August it all came to a crashing end when promoters announced the event was not financially viable for this year. It was bad enough that the season was going to end in December, but now, the 2007 schedule has finished its events in the United States, with the last event having taken place on Aug. 12 at Road America.

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Laguna Seca Replaces San Jose in 2008 The Champ Car World Series announced its 2008 race in northern California will move from the streets of San Jose to the road course at historic Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey. “We’re pleased that Champ Car will be able to maintain a strong event in northern California,” said Steve Johnson, Champ Car President & CEO. “While it’s always tough to leave one city for another, in this case, it makes sense strategically for us and works for San Jose given the on-going developments of their downtown. We enjoyed three great years in San Jose, and certainly anticipate that the fans there will head south to enjoy Champ Car racing at the beautiful Monterey Peninsula’s Mazda Raceway circuit.” Considered one of the finest permanent road courses in North America, the 2.238-mile Monterey Peninsula’s Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will host its 23rd Champ Car World Series event next year at a date to be announced. “Needless to say, we are thrilled to announce during our 50th Anniversary season that Monterey Peninsula’s Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will once again host a Champ Car World Series event,” said Gill Campbell, CEO/General Manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “Our fans loved the 2007 pre-season testing, and they will certainly enjoy Champ Car’s return with a race next year. Our mutual affiliation with Mazda made this relationship a natural one for us, and we all share in the excitement. While we look forward to announcing our entire 2008 schedule soon, we wanted to share this exciting news with our fans as soon as possible.” Organizers of the Grand Prix of San Jose recently informed the Champ Car World Series that on-going residential developments in and around the 1.5 mile downtown track would hamper next year’s race. For 2008, new housing developments on Balbach Street would affect the back straightaway, while upcoming construction in the Boston Properties lot would mean the loss of the race’s main “Gold Grandstands” on Almaden Boulevard. “The reality of racing on a temporary street circuit is that change happens continuously and this is especially true in a dynamic and growing city center like downtown San Jose,” said Grand Prix President Dale Jantzen. Champ Car’s announcement that they would race in Laguna Seca in 2008 is the first of what is expected to be several exciting announcements in the months ahead regarding 2008 race venues. The full 2008 Champ Car World Series calendar will be announced later this fall.

Performance Racing News

Champ Car Needs Consistent Schedule As the Phoenix race burned, the speculation about Champ Car’s demise was once again fueled and organizers came out fighting in an effort to calm the fears of the general public. “This is a little earlier than normal ‘the sky is falling’ talk,” said series co-owner Paul Gentilozzi. “Every year something happens that spins everybody up. It starts as something that spins through the media and spins through some team owners and soon the whole thing is falling.” The big problem lies in the way the series is viewed. After starting out with high hopes after purchasing the bankrupt CART, Champ Car has made some good decisions, but their mistakes in an effort to correct the errors of the ‘90s have only increased disinterest from mainstream sports attention. “To be really positive about this, we’ve taken some really big gambles — some that have worked and some that haven’t,” said co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven before the race in Holland. “We’ve made mistakes, but we have learned from them. When you see what has happened here in Assen, when you see the new cars on the grid, and when you realize that, fundamentally, we’ve got a budding new star in Graham Rahal, things are actually pretty okay.” Talk about your positive spin. It all sounds good on paper. However, it’s time for the mistakes to stop, and first among them is now counting on Rahal staying for the long haul. He’s in Champ Car because he needs road racing experience if he intends to race in Formula One in the future. And if that door closes on the American, Rahal will be off to his father’s IndyCar operation for more money or even NASCAR. Unless, of course, the atmosphere changes in Champ Car and the series rebounds. Going to more international venues has been good for the short-term bottom line, but in the big picture, the series cannot expect its core American audience to follow them around the world with so much happening in their own backyard. It’s time to set a schedule and cement more dates. Mexico City is building a strong case for being the final event of the season, but the series a date on US soil in September and at least one US round before heading to Mexico for the final. It’s no easy task for sure, but Steve Johnson has been given that task for 2008 and how he meets that will go a long way in determining the future of the Champ Car World Series.

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International

Appeal

Juan Montoya appears to have created a new bandwagon for NASCAR as International open wheel stars are gravitating toward the world of NASCAR. Monte Dutton looks at who is eyeing to make the jump into Nextel Cup competition in 2008.

uan Montoya wasn’t the first international star to compete in the Nextel Cup Series, and what has become obvious as the 2007 season winds down is that he won’t be the last. For the record, several Formula One drivers competed occasionally in what were then known as Grand National races in the 1960s. Among them were the great Jimmy Clark, who finished 30th at Rockingham, NC, in 1967, and Innes Ireland, who placed 27th in the Daytona 500 that same year. Montoya, though, is the first driver to compete regularly in NASCAR after competing in F1 the previous year. Apparently, Montoya has opened the flood gates. It now appears likely that Jacques Villeneuve, born in St-Jean-SurRichelieu, QC, will compete regularly in one of Bill Davis Racing’s Toyotas next year. It hasn’t been officially confirmed, but Villeneuve announced recently that he will compete for the rest of the current season in the Craftsman Truck Series, preparing himself for Nextel Cup. “It’s very exciting because it’s very different from anything I’ve done before,” said Villeneuve. “The speeds are high, and I was missing driving on ovals in Europe. It’s nice to get back into ovals.”

Villeneuve Just the Beginning Sam Hornish Jr., former IndyCar champion, appears likely to appear in NASCAR in the near future. So, perhaps, are Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti. Montoya (2000), Villeneuve (1995), Hornish (2006), Wheldon (2005) and Franchitti (2007) have all won the Indianapolis 500. Franchitti is a friend of Cup owner Richard Childress. On the heels of his second-place finish in the Montreal Busch Series race, Patrick Carpentier, from Ville Lasalle, QC, is another open wheel driver who may be a hot commodity in NASCAR. Carpentier, 36, made his Nextel Cup debut at Watkins Glen, where he led seven laps en route to a 20thplace finish. “From Montreal it’s been like a fairy tale,” said Carpentier. “We were just sitting at home and took a chance with the one race, Montreal, and everything worked out. We got a call (the following) Monday morning to drive the No. 10 Dodge.” The lone American in F1, Scott Speed, recently expressed 38

Performance Racing News

interest of his own in giving NASCAR a shot after losing his ride at Scuderio Toro Rosso. A move to NASCAR was openly suggested by Red Bull magnate Dietrich Mateschitz, with whom Speed has long-time ties. “Speed drove in Formula One against the world’s best drivers,” Mateschitz told a Swiss publication. “He is courageous, and his name is a marketer’s dream. With a cowboy hat, it is perhaps complete. He would be an asset for us in NASCAR.” Even the great Michael Schumacher, supposedly retired after seven F1 championships and 91 victories, has supposedly expressed some interest in NASCAR. That, of course, seems a bit far-fetched, though Schumacher, at 38, is only two years older than Villeneuve. Montoya, 32, won seven grands prix during his Formula One career, but he never won the World Driving Championship, as Villeneuve did in 1997. Villeneuve has 11 career victories but none since his championship season. Why are so many former road racers and open wheel stars emigrating toward stock cars? Because, in the States, that’s where the bulk of the money is. This marks Villeneuve’s second test of the NASCAR waters. “A few years ago — I think it was 2004, when I took a year off from Formula One — I looked at it, but at the time, I knew I wanted to go back to F1, so I didn’t look at it that seriously,” he said. “I just waited until I got out of F1 last year. “NASCAR is becoming stronger and stronger every year. It’s getting everybody’s attention, even internationally. That’s what it comes down to. A lot of people in Europe don’t actually know what oval racing is all about, but they will.”

Tread Carefully Did Montoya open the door — some stock car traditionalists consider it Pandora’s Box — to NASCAR adopting an international flavour? Perhaps. It should be noted, however, that drivers who began their careers road racing have suffered, for the most part, in stock cars. Montoya’s only victory to date was on a road course — the Cup schedule has two, in Sonoma, Calif., and Watkins Glen, NY — and he was unable in his first year to compete seriously for a berth in the title-determining Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Former World Champion Jacques Villeneuve will contest the final seven Craftsman Truck races in 2007 with a goal of Nextel Cup in 2008 with Bill Davis Racing

Dario Franchitti (leading) has been linked to Richard Childress Racing while Sam Hornish Jr. (trailing) is once again linked to a switch to NASCAR; the last two Indy 500 winners are just the latest open wheel stars looking for a career in NASCAR

Performance Racing News

International Appeal

Numerous are the failures of road racers in stock cars. Scott Pruett failed miserably when handed a full-time ride with Cal Wells’ team in 2000 (one top-10 finish in 28 races) and Champ Car star AJ Allmendinger never cracked the top 20 in a Team Red Bull Toyota this year until the season’s 25th race. Montoya, 32, collected two top-five finishes on ovals during the season’s first 25 races, but his rookie season pales in comparison to that of career stock car racer Denny Hamlin in 2006. He has also earned his share of enemies in NASCAR. The controversy that characterized Montoya’s F1 career has followed him to stock cars. “But he was like that in Formula One, extremely aggressive and always getting on people’s nerves,” said Villeneuve. “I guess he kept the same personality going into NASCAR, which once he settles in, will be all right. “He’s driving hard, he’s fast and he’s making a name for himself. Now he’s earning respect.”

Making the Transition Still, the prevailing view is that Montoya has adapted well to NASCAR. Controversy — and a simmering feud with Kevin Harvick — aside, Montoya has seemed happy in Cup and dedicated to mastering the art of racing cars that, by the standards of open wheel racing, are awkward, old-fashioned and bulky. “It’s a great thing,” said Montoya. “You race hard here every weekend. You go from a two-anda-half-mile race track to a half-mile flat track. It’s not an easy transition. I raced two years of ovals. It’s a challenge.” Montoya, from Bogota, Colombia, hasn’t exceeded expectations, but he’s proved he belongs. The level of competition in Cup has impressed him. “It’s probably as big a challenge as when I went from CART to Formula One,” he said. “Everything was different: the cars, technology, everything changed. Here it’s the same thing. It’s a tough challenge, but it’s exciting. “When things are bad, they’re really bad, but you’ve got tools to make it better. In Formula One, you tune the car, but there are so few things you can do mechanically to make the car better. If you’ve got a car that’s good enough for fifth place, and if you make it great, you’re going to finish fourth. You ain’t going to win with that car.” After Montoya finished fifth at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the season’s fourth race, two-time champion Tony Stewart opined, “I’m pretty impressed. To come to Atlanta and be able to run that well here and figure this place out… I didn’t figure it out in one try by any means. 40

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Scott Speed was dumped by Toro Rosso, but sponsor Red Bull sees a future for the American star with its Nextel Cup team

“He did an awesome job. Every track Montoya goes to this year will be a new track for him. That shows why he got his opportunity in Formula One, because he’s a great talent.” Montoya actually got his first taste of stock cars back in 2003, when he and four-time Cup champ Jeff Gordon took turns driving the other’s car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gordon has monitored Montoya’s progress. “It’s an enormous amount of pressure to say, I’m leaving F1 and going over to NASCAR,” said Gordon. “You’ve got to give Juan credit for that, which is why he’s been accepted pretty well, overall. “And it’s good for the sport. … I think he’s aware of his talents. He’s aware of the commitment that (owner Chip) Ganassi has made to him. Ganassi has stepped up that team in a way that they’ve never had before… I think he understood he was definitely going to go through a period of time that might come faster or it might come slower, but I think he was prepared for that when he got here. I don’t care who you are. It’s really difficult to make an adjustment like the one he’s made. Not everyone can do it, I don’t think.” Several more are about to get a chance to try.

Patrick Carpentier’s impressive performances in Montreal and Watkins Glen have opened the door for a possible full-time ride in 2008

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Photo by LAT Photographic

Trading Paint with Monte Dutton

Damn the fairness,

ahead!

full excitement

he primary beneficiary of NASCAR’s new Chase for the Nextel Cup format admitted to being a bit sheepish about the fact that he and not his teammate entered the 10-race postseason as the No. 1 seed. Jimmie Johnson won the final two regular season races, giving him six victories to Gordon’s four. For the first time, the drivers deemed accomplished enough to compete for the championship were ranked on the basis of victories, not points. That change put Johnson 20 points — 10 for each additional victory — ahead of Gordon. Based on the point system in place for the regular season — and for the Chase, once the standings were reconfigured — Johnson ended the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway trailing Gordon by a whopping 412 points. Well, no, he didn’t. The 412 points were meaningless, which, by Johnson’s own admission, wasn’t quite fair. “In my heart, I think, deep down inside, talking about Jeff’s big lead with the points edge (317 over second-place Tony Stewart), that the system is really the toughest way to win a championship,” said Johnson. “Deep down inside, I don’t feel too bad because I stand to benefit, but at the end of the day, there is something inside of me that doesn’t

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think it’s right, the way the Chase works.” For the record, here’s how it works. Points determined the 12 finalists, which were two more than in the previous three years. The spread from first-place Gordon to 12th-place Clint Bowyer would’ve been 670 points. For the Chase, all 12 drivers’ points were reconfigured at 5,000 points each, plus 10 for each victory. That left the biggest winner, Johnson, at 5,060 and Bowyer, the only winless driver who made it, at 5,000. In other words, it was wide open. The 26 races that preceded the Chase meant almost nothing to the 12 drivers separated from the rest to battle for the title. Under the previous format, 10 drivers were aligned in five-point increments based on the regular-season standings. The point leader began with 5,045, and the 10th-place driver began with 5,000. Gordon, who enjoyed a regular season of extraordinary consistency, had to go back to work. Instead of leading the field by 317 — and Johnson by 412 — Gordon went to New Hampshire trailing Johnson by 20 and leading Bowyer by only 40. It wasn’t fair. Nor was it designed to be. The priority was excitement. Exciting it was. Gordon has never won a Chase. It has already cost him

one championship, in 2004, when Kurt Busch, who began it in ninth place, stole the title by eight points. But Gordon was as magnanimous, given the situation, as Johnson. “I think, if you take past champions in the modern era (1972-present), there’s no comparison between any of those guys and the new champions, as far as history is concerned and how you went about it,” said Gordon. “I think it’s harder now to win a championship. I think it’s more exciting coming down to the final race. “I think it’s positive, but I do think it’s changed history in the sport, and it’s all starting new history. You know, I’m more anxious and excited and driven to try to win the Nextel Cup in this Chase format than I’ve ever been. It’s harder because you’ve got to race 11 other guys. Twelve who are in it have a shot at it. Under the old points system, you’d get a comfortable lead and you’d start racing that system. This one, you’ve got to race hard, every race throughout the year, and it’s maybe not always fair because it comes down to good fortune or bad fortune, but I still think this it’s the right thing for the sport.” No verdict can be rendered on Chase Version 2.0 until the season has been completed. Kurt Busch was the upset winner in 2004. The 2005

Gordan watched his big lead in the regular season disappear as he went from first to third, behind teamate Jimmie Johnson when the Chase opened

and 2006 championships went to drivers – Stewart and Johnson, respectively — who would’ve won it even had the Chase not been adopted. The expansion of the field was clearly designed to make more room for popular drivers. The previous two years’ winners, Stewart and Kurt Busch, didn’t make it in 2006. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Gordon failed to qualify in 2005. But if the new Chase was designed with Earnhardt Jr. in mind, it failed in its mission. For the second time in three seasons, he didn’t qualify. The format also robbed Richmond, site

of the regular-season finale, of drama, as Matt Kenseth pointed out. “If it was 10 (drivers), there would be a lot of drama,” said the 2003 champion. “If you look at 10th place, you’ve got ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th were all within 30-40 (actually 38) points, and it would be a great race to see who is in and who is out, just like it was the last three years. “Obviously, the more cars you include, the less dramatic it’s going to be to see who makes it.” And Earnhardt, the sport’s most popular driver, is sitting another one out.

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SPECIAL FEATURE Story and photos by Jamie Maudsley

Steckly Finds Some “Buds” LeafsTV deal gives Steckly solid backing to finish 2007 season and sets the stage for 2008

espite Scott Steckly’s new sponsor — LeafsTV — don’t expect to see Tomas Kaberle dumping a fuel can while Mats Sundin jacks up a car. Don’t expect to see Darcy Tucker mounting a tire while Brian McCabe hits the lugnuts with an airgun. And don’t expect to see Paul Maurice calling the shots on top of the pit box. During the Subway 200 at Cayuga Speedway Park, veteran stock car racer Scott Steckly unveiled a new sponsor on his #22 Erb Transport Dodge. The car, prepared for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Radio, now features a blue and white paint scheme with LeafsTV on the hood. It should also expose the series, and Scott to millions of Canadians that will get a glimpse of the logo and colours of the hockey only television station, built around Canada’s favourite hockey team the Toronto Maple Leafs. The owner/driver, suggested that the deal was enough to allow him to finish the season, and seemed more excited than ever about his new marketing partners. “It’s a great fit. I probably shouldn’t say this, but as a hockey fan, I used to cheer for the Canadiens.” The station is only available in Ontario, so Steckly will only have them on the car for three of the final four events, but he’s already looking towards 2008. “Hopefully we can have some good finishes, get them some good exposure and work on something for next year as well.” While Steckly will be looking for memorable moments on the race track, he will also get one when the Leafs host the Ottawa Senators at the Air Canada Centre to kick off Toronto’s schedule. “Our car will be out front of the ACC, and I’ll be there to show the car and sign some autographs. We’re pretty excited about that.” Steckly started his Late Model career in the weekly program at Delaware in 1997 before joining the CASCAR Super Series in 1999. The soft-spoken driver won the CASCAR Rookie-of-the-Year title in his first year, but despite a number of solid finishes, something was missing. It wasn’t until Barrie Speedway in 2006 where on a cold, windy Victoria Day

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weekend that Steckly took his first checkers and filled the void. Scott continued to a sixth-place result in the championship standings last year. Steckly spoke about his 2007 season so far, “We’ve been fast almost everywhere we’ve gone this season. We were running third at Cayuga in the spring when we were wrecked, we were running fifth in Barrie when we blew up, and at Sun Valley we were running second and should have won. Last year we ran a lot better on the road courses as well. We finished on the podium of one event, and had another top-five, but this year we’ve had two finishes well down, and those have hurt.” Those problems have left Steckly fighting to stay in the top10 as the season closes. LeafsTV isn’t the first company to view the Canadian stock car scene different this season now that it’s being run under the NASCAR canner, and Steckly has been just as excited about the series as those companies have been. “So far, I like everything that NASCAR has done. The prize money has gone up, and more and more companies are having a look at our series, with some deciding to get involved.” For now Steckly will be looking to finish 2007 strong and take a run at a championship in 2008. Can he do it? If he does, it will end a string of seven cupless years for Steckly, while the Leafs are at 40 campaigns without sipping from Lord Stanley and still counting.

THE OFFICIAL AUTOMOTIVE RETAILER OF NASCAR IN CANADA. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series marks are used under license by Destination Motorsports LP and Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited. NASCARÂ® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.

Photos by Jamie Maudsley

Close racing has been a staple of the 2007 season as five of the 10 races thus far have been decided with a last lap pass for the win

Grand Debut

Lynch takes first career victory in first race with new sponsor and paint scheme

n Labour Day weekend, Derek Lynch became the biggest Cinderella story of the Canadian motorsports season as he rocked the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series world at Cayuga Speedway in front of the biggest crowd the track has seen in years. Lynch captured his first CASCAR/NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victory ever, and all while debuting a brand new sponsor and paint job. Gone was his white number 77, as he unveiled a blue, white and silver scheme, with Allied Steel Buildings on the quarter-panels. Lynch was as much relieved as excited, and was hoping the momentum would build into next season. “This takes a lot of pressure off our team and our team owner, and really gives us some stability. Allied Steel Buildings are a National company and they’ve been involved in racing before, so they understand what it’s all about. They’ve sponsored both Robby Gordon and Dave Blaney before. We’ve been pounding the pavement hard, 46

Performance Racing News

By Jamie Maudsley

my car owner put this together a couple weeks ago and we’re just pleased that they saw value in being involved with us.” As for his big win in the Subway 200, and the team’s performance moving forward, Lynch said, “I’ve self imposed some performance goals that I want to meet.” Then Derek moved on to his victory, “I’ve been fortunate to win in every major series I’ve run in, and to win at Cayuga is as good as any to get your first NASCAR victory. It still hasn’t totally sunk in yet, but I’m sure it will.” Though there are only a few races left in 2007, Lynch is already looking towards 2008. “We just have to put up some numbers and take it from there.”

Last Lap Magic The 2007 season has become know for one thing more than all others during their inaugural season — last lap passes for the win. The Subway 200 was more of the same as Jim

Lapcevich led the field to the white flag with Peter Gibbons chasing. The lapped car of David Whitlock was right in front of the duo as they raced down the backstretch to decide the win. As they entered Turn 3, Whitlock stayed right in the racing lane, not giving the leaders any room to decide the win, and it ended up forcing Lapcevich to check up. Gibbons put a pair of wheels in the grass, and as the duo came out of Turn 4 Gibbons was parked on the hood of Lapcevich’s car. The pair would finally get separated, and continue across the line, but not until many others had passed them. This was just another of the last lap passes that the Canadian Tire series has produced — five through the first 10 races. It started out West at Sun Valley as JR Fitzpatrick took the lead from Scott Steckly on the final lap. He turned the trick

“I think there are a couple of things that have come into play, we have a wider tire, which has really made a lot of these tracks have a usable second groove.” -JR Fitzpatrick

again the next weekend, as Andrew Ranger led every lap but the last one, and the defending champ swept the Western swing. At both the Quebec road course races, Kerry Micks and Ranger came across the finish line beating and banging to decide wins.

At Canadian Tire, we’re proud to bring you all the action and excitement of stock car racing in the NASCAR® Canadian Tire Series. From Barrie Speedway to the half-mile tri-oval at Sun Valley Speedway, strap yourself in for one unforgettable ride.

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DRIVING EXCITEMENT STARTS AT CANADIAN TIRE

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Grand Debut “I think everyone just wants to win so bad,” said Ranger. “You put 37 cars out on a race track and there is a lot of traffic.”

“I’ve been fortunate to win in every major series I’ve run in, and a win at Cayuga is as good as any to get your first NASCAR victory. It still hasn’t totally sunk in yet, but I’m sure it will.” It was a grand debut for Derek Lynch’s new sponsor Allied Steel as he took his first career victory at Cayuga

DJ Kennington captured his second win of the year at Barrie, with a little help from an unsuspecting source – a bungee cord

Defending champ JR Fitzpatrick has beena main player in a lot of the last lap magic of the inagural NCATS season

“I think there are a couple of things that have come into play,” added Fitzpatrick. “We have a wider tire, which has really made a lot of these tracks have a usable second groove, and all our restarts are two-wide. That makes it pretty wild! I think everyone just wants to win so bad this year because it’s the first season for NASCAR in Canada.”

An unusual fix Early in the ATTO 300 at Barrie Speedway DJ Kennington had a problem with his Castrol Dodge. The return spring for the throttle cable broke and the loud pedal would sink right to the floor. Kennington used a fix that he credits his dad for, and by the end of the night found himself in victory lane at Barrie for the second time this year. “We hooked a bungee cord from the pedal to the steering wheel and every time I turned the car in the corner it would pull the pedal up. It’s an old trick from driving a tractor, and when it breaks like that out on the road, there is nothing else around that works.” Kennington held off David Whitlock on a couple of late restarts for the victory, and though it isn’t going to become part of the regular setup at DJK Racing, he knows that he has that club in the bag should the problem ever arise again. And now it’s track tested.

Bobby Allison Grand Marshal at Cayuga The second NASCAR Canadian Tire Racing Series event at Cayuga saw a return by an old friend of the facility, and not just any friend, but a pretty famous one. Named one of the 50 greatest NASCAR drivers of all time, Bobby Allison captured 84 Nextel Cup wins from the ‘60s until the mid-‘80s, including the championship in 1983. Allison was also cut from the same cloth as Ken Schrader and Tony Stewart, as he would race anything… and anywhere. One of the anywhere’s he raced was at ‘The Crown Jewel of Canadian Motorsports,’ Cayuga Speedway in the ‘80s. One event actually included not just Bobby, but 48

Performance Racing News

-Derek Lynch

his brother Donnie and son Davey He made a return trip — without helmet — on Labour Day weekend, as the Grand Marshall for the Subway 200. When asked about Cayuga Speedway, and what he remembered after more than 20 years since he last saw the place, Allison said simply, “It’s hasn’t changed too much. I think there were more seats here last time, but other than that it hasn’t changed much.” Allison was then treated to a classic duel for the checkers — taking a lot of people back to the good old days, when the Allisons used to take on Cayuga.

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2007 canadian RALLY EVENTS

Antoine L’Estage had a new look at the Defi Ste-Agathe as he rewarded new backing from Hyundai by giving the manufacturer a victory

Hat Trick

for L’Estage By David Hatter

It was a dominating performance at the Defi Ste-Agathe for Canadian championship leader Antoine L’Estage

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Photos by Vincent Fortin

Craig Henderson was the surprise of the weekend as the rookie driver took fourth

ntoine L’Estage once again dominated the latest round of the Canadian Rally Championship, taking victory by two minutes and 18 seconds in the Défi Ste-Agathe/Duhamel/Montpellier in the Laurentian mountains northwest of Montreal. It was his third straight win, each by a margin of more than two minutes, yet the title chase remains tight because, as usual, Andrew Comrie-Picard was second. ACP’s three second-place finishes, combined with his victory in the Rallye Perce-Neige opener, means that he trails L’Estage by just seven points, 80-73. With two events left — the Pacific Forest Rally in BC and Tall Pines in Ontario — these are the only drivers who can take the championship. Third-placed Martin Gauvin, with 32 points, has been mathematically eliminated. “We need to maintain our lead in BC in order to go to Tall Pines in the best possible situation. With just six rallies on the calendar, we cannot afford a single DNF,” said L’Estage, who

is seeking his second straight Canadian title. He has now won 11 of the past 17 national rallies, dating back to the end of 2004. This was his third straight triumph on the Défi. The 34-year-old from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, partnered by Nathalie Richard, won 14 of 18 special stages in his John Buffum-prepared Libra Racing Hyundai Tiburon. He shared fastest time on two more — once with ACP and once with returning 2005 champion Peter Thomson. The latter, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo-8, was starting his first rally since the Rocky Mountain in May, 2006. Comrie-Picard was quickest on two late stages in his Lancer Evo-9. “The arrival of Hyundai Canada has given new impetus to our season,” said L’Estage, who recently picked up financial support from the manufacturer. His formerly red car is now in Hyundai colours — mostly white with blue trim. “We are the spokesman for Hyundai’s new high-performance autoparts program and we are motivated to win the marques title.” In the Manufacturer’s Championship, which uses a difPerformance Racing News

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2007 canadian RALLY EVENTS

Photos by McKlein\LAT

ferent scoring system, Hyundai now leads Mitsubishi by four points, 31-27, while Subaru ranks third with 17. The best battle at the Défi was for third place between Thomson, Mathieu L’Estage (the winner’s brother) and Jon Nichols. Thomson held the position most of the way. L’Estage moved ahead on stage 12, only to suffer a transmission failure on his Subaru

“We need to maintain our lead in BC in order to go to Tall Pines in the best possible situation. With just six rallies on the calendar, we cannot afford a single DNF,”

-Antoine L’Estage

Closest Finish in WRC History The intense battle between Marcus Gronholm and Sébastien Loeb for the 2007 World Rally Championship produced the closest finish in WRC history at the recent Rally New Zealand. Ford factory driver Gronholm won by a mere 3/10ths of a second over his French rival. The Finn now leads the title chase by 10 points, 90-80, with five events left. Gronholm led most of the way and had a 13-second advantage at the end of day one. But Loeb won four of six stages on day two to move ahead by 1.7 seconds in his Citroen C4. Gronholm reassumed the lead by taking the opening stage of the final day by 1.8 seconds. He was ahead by 0.7 second with one stage left. Suspense was high going into this final stage, appropriately named Mystery Creek. Loeb won it, but not by enough — just 0.4 second to cut the final gap to 0.3. “I’ve experienced some tight duels, but this was the ultimate,” said Gronholm. “The gap was going back and forth like a yo-yo. I was never sure of the outcome. I had to push all the time. I could never relax. What an incredible battle.” This was Gronholm’s fifth win in New Zealand and the 30th of his career. It was also his fifth victory of 2007, equaling Loeb’s mark for the year. Gronholm’s Ford teammate Mikko Hirvonen is the season’s only other winner (in 52

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Norway). He finished third in New Zealand, a minute and 42 seconds back. Jari-Matti Latvala, driving a private Ford Focus for the M-Sport team, looked to be heading for fourth place until tire problems on the final couple of stages dropped him to fifth behind Subaru’s Chris Atkinson, but still ahead of Citroen’s Dani Sordo and Subaru team leader Petter Solberg. It was another strong performance by the 22-year-old Finn, who is quickly establishing himself as a prime candidate for a factory ride — if one should open up. There is growing speculation that this could be Gronholm’s final season, now that a third WRC title seems well within his grasp. He previously won the championship for Peugeot in 2000 and 2002. The 38-year-old Finn says he will reveal his plans before the next rally in Spain in early October. If Ford should need a replacement, Latvala would seem an excellent choice, as would the team’s former driver, Francois Duval. The Belgian drove for Ford from 2002 -04 before making an ill-fated move to Citroen in 2005. He recently restored his reputation with a stellar second place in Germany in a private Citroen Xsara from Kronos Racing. He was absent from New Zealand, but Kronos has confirmed it will be entering him again in Spain.

Impreza almost immediately. Nichols then moved up to third, but again only briefly, as he lost 11 minutes due to a flat tire on the next stage, the longest of the rally at 28 km. Like Thomson, Nichols was returning after a long absence. The six-time champion of Group 2 (modified 2WD cars) was in an open-class Lancer Evo-6, previously driven by Jean-Paul Perusse. Nichols last drove an “open” car, an Impreza, in 2001. After the puncture, he fell to 21st, but climbed back to 12th, setting the second-fastest time on the penultimate stage. Following his rivals’ problems, Thomson went on to take third quite comfortably, finishing 47 seconds ahead of “novice” Craig Henderson, the revelation of this rally in an Impreza WRX. This was only the third national event for the Montreal-area driver, who was seventh in his debut at Perce-Neige, but retired from the Baie-des-Chaleurs.

2005 Canadian champion Peter Thomson made his first appearance since May of 2006 and took third

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Porsche Rules

the Day

Photos by Ramesh Bayney

he Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport was yet another rousing success for Canada’s famous circuit. Once again the stars of the ALMS put on a show for the fans as the final outcome wasn’t determined until the final few minutes of the event. Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas scored the upset overall victory as the duo led the way for Penske Motorsports, which claimed its second straight LMP2 team championship. Bernhard took the lead with only three minutes left in his Porsche RS Spyder as Allan McNish’s Audi R10 TDI got stuck in gear. McNish and Dindo Capello finished first in LMP1 for the seventh time this season and clinched the P1 team championship for Audi Sport North America. “We have shown in the past year that this team is one of the best. But we already knew that,” Dumas said. “Everyone knows the success of Penske Motorsports and Roger Penske. Last year we had a nice car but the competition was not so high. This year we have a new car and thank goodness for that.” McNish looked to have the race locked up late when he inherited the lead from Bernhard on the Porsche’s final stop. But the first sign of a gearbox malfunction began to creep in with 10 minutes left. What had been a 22-second lead evaporated to two seconds with five minutes remaining. “I was so busy trying to pass slower traffic and maintain my position ahead of the Acuras and my Penske Porsche teammates for the LMP2 victory that I did not realize the Audi was having mechanical problems,” Bernhard said. “I thought he had made a pit stop, and was having trouble getting back up to speed. It was only after I passed him and could not see him again in my mirrors that I heard on the radio that his car had trouble.”

54 25

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LMP2 cars continued their overall string of victories at Mosport

“I was so busy trying to pass slower traffic and maintain my position ahead of the Acuras and my Penske Porsche teammates for the LMP2 victory that I did not realize the Audi was having mechanical problems” -Timo Bernhard

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Bad luck continued for Audi in 2007; while Allan McNish and Dindo Capello took LMP1 honours, a gearbox problem relegated them to second overall

Porsche Rules the Day

The Corvettes were dominant as usual in GT1 as Johnny O’Connell and Jan Magnussen led a sweep of the podium Ryan Briscoe and Sascha Maassen finished third overall and second in P2 in the other Penske Porsche, followed by the second diesel-powered Audi of Emanuele Pirro and Marco Werner. Fifth overall and third in P2 was Andretti Green Racing’s Acura ARX of Bryan Herta and Marino Franchitti. “We were in a very good position and had the Porsche covered on lap speed,” McNish said. “The team did a great job with the second stop on fuel. That fell in our favour for once. But with seven or eight minutes to go I had a big problem coming out of the hairpin and was stuck in gear. We don’t know what happened. The car was great before the end. We had the race under control.” Corvette Racing’s Johnny O’Connell and Jan Magnussen took their second GT1 victory of the season and first since Houston. They moved into position when Oliver Gavin in the No. 4 car made contact with Intersport Racing’s prototype at the one-hour mark and went off track at Turn 3. The No. 3 crew also won the race in pitlane and parlayed that into a 57second win over Gavin and Olivier Beretta. Gavin’s spin meant he had to bring the car in ahead of schedule and right before the final caution of the day. That put the No. 4 car at the rear of the field while the winning Corvette had a nearly flawless day. Hometown hero Ron Fellows, making his final start at Mosport as part of the Corvette Racing squad, was third in class with Andy Pilgrim. 56

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Jaime Melo and Mika Salo took a one-lap GT2 victory in their No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT. Salo was the only GT2 car not to be passed by Capello when the yellow flags came out eight minutes into the race. “I had a good start and knew our car was running well and was able to get a good gap,” Salo said. “It was really good work by the team and I pushed so the Audi couldn’t pass me. It was the team’s help and was a good break for us. After that it was a matter of not running into anyone and staying out of the way of the prototypes.” Risi finished 1-2 in class with Gianmaria Bruni and Eric Helary finishing second. Rahal Letterman Racing’s Ralf Kelleners and Tom Milner finished third in their Porsche for their third podium finish in four races.

The Ferrari of Mika Salo and Jaime Melo led a 1-2 finish for the Risi team in GT2 at Mosport

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Only two events remain after Round 7 at Twing Ring Motegi

Title chase tightens 58

Ryo Michigami and Takashi Kogure had their No. 18 hooked up at Motgei as they won the 500 class from pole

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After taking the pole, Morio Nitta and Shinichi Takagi fell back to third by the end of the 300 race

Tatsuya Kataoka and Bjorn Wirdheim st order in the 500 class and took full advan front of them to snare third at the checkered

Wirdheim steadily moved up the k full advantage of mistakes in he checkered

Photos Courtesy SuperGT.net

he Motegi GT 300 km Race, Round 7 of the 2007 AUTOBACS Super GT, took place at the Twin Ring Motegi, with the GT500 victory going to the pole sitting No. 18 Takata Dome NSX (Ryo Michigami/ Takashi Kogure). The GT300 winner was the No. 26 Yunker-Power Taisan Porsche (Nobuteru Taniguchi/Dominik Farnbacher).

GT500 The race started with an upset, as the No. 32 Epson NSX (Fabio Carbone) was hit from behind and ran off the track in the second curve of the opening lap. Although Carbone was able to get back in the race, it was at the rear of the field. This enabled the No. 22 Motul Autech Z (Tsugio Matsuda) to move into third. The No.18, and the No. 38 Zent Cerumo SC430 (Toranosuke Takagi) held position and gradually picked up the pace. On lap 25, the No.23 Xanavi Nismo Z (Richard Firman/Satoshi Motoyama) and the No. 35 Bandai 00 Dunlop SC430 (Peter Dumbreck/Naoki Hattori) both stopped in the midst of a close battle for sixth. The No.23 crew managed its work faster and returned to the track first. The top-running No. 18 and second-place No. 38 pulled into the pit on lap 30. Ryo Michigami took the wheel of No. 18 and Yuji Tachikawa took over the No. 38. It is common for the NSX teams to change only their rear tires, but this time they changed all four. By the time all the cars had completed their pit stops, No. 18 was in the lead followed by No. 38 in and No.22. No.18 was suffering from irregularities in its transmission performance and Michigami was keeping his pace down to only what he needed to maintain his margin over No.38. Behind them the No. 23 (Satoshi Motoyama) had the No. 8 Arta NSX (Daisuke Ito) close on its tail locked in a fierce battle for sixth. This battle between the two points leaders continued until lap 43 when they collided while running side-byside in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sâ&#x20AC;? curve and both ran off the track.

Although they managed to get back into the race, neither finished in the points. The collision was subject to an official review, which led to a drivetrough penalty for No.23. On lap 58, with five laps remaining, No. 38 suddenly slowed. Even an attempt to coast down the downhill straight failed and Tachikawa was forced to bring his crippled machine to a stop. The apparent engine trouble robbed the team of what had appeared to be a certain podium finish. This moved No. 22 into second, while the No. 6 Forum Eng.SC430 (Tatsuya Kataoka/Bjorn Wirdheim) moved into third. The winning No. 18 had managed no better than second this season despite winning the pole five times. Their long-awaited first victory of the season was also the seventh consecutive win for Honda at the Twin Ring Motegi. Finishing second was the No. 22 (Michael Krumm/Tsugio Matsuda) and third was the No. 6.

GT300 In GT300, the pole sitting No. 43 Arta Garaiya (Morio Nitta/Shinichi Takagi) was passed at the start by the No. 26 (Nobuteru Taniguchi/Dominik Farnbacher). After that, No. 43 was also passed by the No. 5 Kumho Pro Mach-Go 320R (Hironori Takeuchi/Tetsuji Tamanaka). Of these top three, the first to make its pit stop was No. 43, but the timing of its return to the track was bad and it was unable to pick up the pace due to the GT500 machines and back-markers. When No. 26 made its pit stop, the added amount of fuel it needed compared to No. 43 prolonged the stop, but they were still able to return to the track with a lead over No. 43. Meanwhile, No. 5 had a lengthy stop and was passed by No.43. In contrast, the No. 62 Willcom Advan VEMAC408R (Haruki Kurosawa/ Shinsuke Shibahara) returned in front of No. 43 and No. 5 after some quick work. This made No. 26 the leader followed by No. 62 and No. 43. These three machines maintained their positions to the checkered.

The No. 26 of Nobuteru Taniguchi and Dominik Farnbacher used smart strategy to pull out the victory in GT300

Performance Racing News

The Mosport

Challenge World Challenge races provide plenty of excitement for Mosport faithful

dam Pecorari led all but the first lap from the pole to take his first-career SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car win at Mosport International Raceway. Teammate Chip Herr was second, followed by Pierre Kleinubing. Driving the No. 19 STaSIS/Clear Capital/Pfaff Audi A4, Pecorari slipped past fellow front row starter Herr in Turn 10 on the second lap and never looked back. “This is amazing, because there are so many fast drivers in these series,” Pecorari said. “We were quick at Mid-Ohio, but couldn’t back it up in qualifying and the race. This weekend we started off quick as well. The car has been amazing all weekend; all three of our cars were great. I just did my job and there wasn’t too much I could have messed up. “We had a good start. I know Chip is amazing on the standing starts, so I just tucked behind him. Then I got by him on the next lap and put my head down. I was able to pull a little gap until the yellow came out, which I was a little upset to see that. I managed to pull a gap after, but Chip started turning some really good laps and I wasn’t, but I was able to keep it and get my first win.” Defending race winner Herr played wingman in his No. 17 STaSIS/Clear Capital/Pfaff Audi A4 for much of the race, holding off the advances of four-time Mosport winner Kleinubing and his No. 1 Acura Certified Pre-Owned/RealTime Racing Acura TSX. While Kleinubing was attempting to split the pair of red Audis, he was also trying desperately to hold off teammate Kuno Wittmer and his No. 44 Acura Certified Pre-Owned/

Photos by Ramesh Bayney

Touring

Teammates Adam Pecorari (leading) and Chip Herr (trailing) spent the afternoon racing each other at the front and remained in that order when the checkered fell on the Touring car race at Mosport

RealTime Racing Acura RSX. Several times throughout the race, Wittmer got a run on his teammate up the back straight and looked to the inside. Holding true to his reputation of being one of the hardest drivers to pass in the series, Kleinubing closed the door each time going into Turn 8, twice forcing Wittmer over the apex curb. Canadian Wittmer, who paced both practice sessions before qualifying was held in the wet, held on to fourth after starting seventh. Randy Pobst finished fifth in the No. 73 Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development Mazda 6 after starting sixth.

Performance Racing News

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Lawson Aschenbach sat on the GT pole at Mosport but stalled off the start, he got back underway quickly and made an impressive run to finish second

Pierre Kleinubing chased the leading Audis throughout the race, his focus was on maintaining third ahead of teammate Kuno Wittmer and he did just that to secure the final Touring car podium position

GT Eric Curran captured his fourth GT win of 2007 at Mosport with Lawson Aschenbach and Michael Galati following him home. After heavy rain soaked the track, the field made its standing start under clearing skies. Potential disaster was averted as neither polesitter Aschenbach’s No. 1 XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/Bose Cadillac CTS-V nor second-starting Randy Pobst’s No. 22 K-PAX Racing/Jim Haughey Porsche 911 GT3 moved as the lights went

out. Aschenbach quickly re-fired the Cadillac, but Pobst sat stationary and was grazed by fourth-starting Ron Fellows’ No. 16 XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/Bose Cadillac CTS-V, forcing both to the pits for repairs. Galati started third in his No. 23 K-PAX Racing/Jim Haughey Porsche 911 GT3 and safely made it past Aschenbach to take the lead. Curran, who started sixth in the No. 30 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette, was quickly to third, pressuring the two leaders as they broke away from the field. Curran was by Aschenbach on lap seven, and made the B&M Oil Coolers Coolest Move of the Race a lap later as he passed Galati for the lead in Turn 3. From there, Curran battled high engine temperatures and a drying track that took its toll on everyone’s Toyo Proxes RA-1 rain tires en route to winning a race that went green the whole way. After starting on his first-career pole, Aschenbach drove to his fourth second-place finish of the season, but closed in on what could become his second-straight Drivers’ Championship. He is now just six points behind Pobst. “I pretty much screwed up the start — it’s as simple as that. I stalled the car, but got it re-fired pretty quickly,” Aschenbach said. “Luckily, Pobst stalled his car too. Otherwise, I would have had to get around a lot more people. I was really aggressive the first lap and got back up to second. Once it started drying out and I saw Eric coming, I knew we had nothing for him. Then I fought with Michael a little bit and we had a good battle going. I tried to run down Eric, but like I said, we had nothing for him.” Performance Racing News

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Photos by Bruce Biegler & Dave DeAngelis

“Team Tigue” celebrated its finest hour yet in drag racing as they won the Pro Stock Motorcycle title

Indy’s Fuel-Burning

53rd Mac Tools US Nationals

Story and photos by Bruce Biegler

Fury

rag racing’s NHRA Mac Tools US Nationals, undisputed as the world’s largest drag racing event, grabs the undivided focus of participants and the imagination of a world wide audience. The 2007 edition continued that storied history. Mopar-bodied Funny Cars clamped down on the event spotlight during the highly anticipated annual event as Mike Ashley and Jack Beckman both corralled enormous victories over the Labor Day weekend at O’Reilly Raceway Park. Ashley’s third career victory (all this season) in Funny Car eliminator was certainly the biggest and most emotional. Driving a special edition Dodge Charger in tribute to the newly established Eric Blake Faulkner Foundation, Ashley roared past the field. In the final, his run of 4.894 secs at 323.74 mph turned back defending US Nationals Champion Robert Hight, who had a supercharger failure at about half track.

Performance Racing News

Ashley, after qualifying sixth, beat Gary Densham, Jack Beckman and Del Worsham in earlier competition. His car, which was co-funded by Torco’s Evan Knoll and Oakley’s Jim Jannard, will be auctioned off during the Barrett-Jackson Auction next January with all funds from that also going to the Eric Blake Faulkner Foundation. That foundation was created by Eric’s parents, Donnie and Hollie Faulkner who were present at the event. Ashley’s victory was preceded by a $100,000 first place prize win for Jack Beckman, who scored during Sunday’s prestigious Skoal Showdown. Driving his Mail Terminal Services Dodge Charger, Beckman topped his fellow Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps (driver of the Brut Dodge Charger) in that lucrative title bout — winning a very close 4.950/313.80 to 4.976/315.64 decision. Funny Car highlights included a spectacular and history making pole qualifying effort for Jeff

Arend, who set both low ET and top speed during Friday’s first session at 4.754 secs and 327.51 mph. That marked the first time in history that a Canadian driver has qualified #1 in Funny Car

Ohio’s Dave Connolly won his second race in a row but his first US Nationals crown in Pro Stock. Connolly managed to end the Indy domination of Greg Anderson in the final

Jack Beckman faced teammate Ron Capps for a $100,000 Skoal Showdown first prize

Sportsman racing at Indy included a huge win in Super Stock for Brandon Wilkinson’s Corvette

Mopar’s popular Hemi Challenge provided lots of excitement on Friday, with Rick Houser defeating Jim Pancake in the finale

at Indy. Racing in the category was an ultracompetitive affair as all 16 qualified teams were bunched between Arend’s 4.754 secs and Jon Capps’ 4.826 secs bump. John Force was a shocking non-qualifier at the Indy event, missing the cut for the first time since 1984. Force was driving a special edition Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang in tribute to fallen teammate Eric Medlen. Force’s best effort was 4.856 secs (17th). Tony Schumacher won his sixth Indy Top Fuel crown when he rode the US Army dragster to a highly convincing victory. Schumacher won from the pole after setting both low ET and top speed during qualifying at 4.477 secs and 333.66 mph. Schumacher’s victory was the 40th of his career, tying him with Larry Dixon in 10th place on that all-time list. In fact, Schumacher defeated Dixon in the final with a winning time of 4.575/331.94 compared to Dixon’s 4.748/268.44. Schumacher tore past Clay Millican, Cory McClenthan and Melanie Troxel during earlier competition. His win came over an extremely quick field that featured a bump spot of 4.595 secs. Ohio’s Dave Connolly won his second race in a row but his first US Nationals crown in Pro Stock. Connolly managed to end the Indy domination of Greg Anderson in the final by a very scant margin at the stripe, 6.710/206.32 to 6.729/205.79. That stopped Anderson’s round winning streak at the Indy event at 19! Connolly received full marks for his victory driving the Tommy Utt-tuned Torco-sponsored Chevy Colbalt. He qualified third (6.659 secs), and then unloaded low ET in round one at 6.648 secs while defeating defending World Champion Jason Line. Connolly seemed to never look back after that while topping his teammate (Justin Humphreys) and Kenny Koretsky. Pro Stock featured a surprise low qualifier when Pennsylvania’s Max Naylor drove his JagerPerformance Racing News

Saturday’s Ringers Gloves Pro Stock Battle title went to Andrew Hines (near lane) over Chip Ellis

John Force paid tribute to fallen teammate Eric Medlen at Indy but was a shocking DNQ

Tony Schumacher was “Army Strong” in Top Fuel winning his sixth career Mac Tools US Nationals crown

Mike Ashley charged to his biggest victory yet, winning Funny Car eliminator in a one-off tribute car

Performance Racing News

meister-sponsored Dodge to the pole at 6.655 secs. Naylor won his first round but was gunned down on a holeshot by Greg Anderson in round two: 6.735 secs to 6.732 secs. Pro Stock Motorcycle featured exciting class victories by Craig Treble and Andrew Hines. Treble earned his first Indy crown aboard the Team Tigue Suzuki owned by Harry Lartigue. He defeated defending event champion Matt Smith in the final when Smith went -.003 red driving his Torco-sponsored Buell. Treble’s event winning time was 7.037/190.83. During Saturday’s schedule Andrew Hines rode his Screamin’ Eagle V-Rod to victory in the prestigious Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle. That was Hines’ third career win in that special attraction. His final round effort of 7.005/189.31 beat Chip Ellis’ 7.069/186.64 and earned him a first place prize of $25,000. PSB racing was paced by Ellis who rode his Drag Specialties/S&S Racing Buell to low ET (and a new track record) 6.948 secs. Racing at Indy marked the return of AMS Pro Modified circuit action to NHRA with 24 cars battling for that title. That eliminator produced a first time circuit winner when Louisiana’s Harold Laird drove his supercharged ’63 Corvette to victory. Laird upset runaway ‘07 AMS Championship points leader Josh Hernandez in the final. The two drivers left the starting line together but Laird pulled ahead to win a close 6.102 secs to 6.124 secs decision. New York’s Mike Janis set low ET running a superb 6.020 secs in the Eaton-sponsored Chevy Colbalt. Steve Engel had top speed at a terrific 242.14 mph in his ’63 Corvette. Top Alcohol Funny Car produced yet another major victory for Frank Manzo, who won Indy for the ninth time in his career to tie Bob Glidden at the top of that all-time list. Manzo’s win came in typical Manzo fashion as he scored from the pole and set both low ET and top speed (5.498 secs and 264.34 mph). In the final, his Lucas Oilsponsored Monte Carlo outgunned fast rising star

driver Bob Tasca III taking a 5.562 secs to 5.779 secs victory. Marty Thacker earned a big win for supercharged Top Alcohol Dragster fans when he rode the Torco-sponsored dragster to a final round win over the injected-nitro car driven by Dave Hirata. Thacker, who showed his driving prowess throughout the event, jumped to an early starting line advantage in to score convincingly; 5.390 secs to Hirata’s 5.442 secs.

Funny Cars clamped down on the event as Mike Ashley and Jack Beckman both corralled enormous victories over the Labor Day weekend at O’Reilly Raceway Park. The Friday schedule was highlighted by the highly popular Mopar Hemi Challenge event for SS/HA racers. Thirty cars were entered this season and the victory went to the West Coast ’68 Barracuda owned by Jim DeFrank and driven by Rick Houser. Houser ripped a final round 8.652/151.32 to beat Jim Pancake and secure class bragging rites. The event also featured competition within NHRA’s Sony Xplode sponsored Sports Compact series. While those two eliminators featured only a few entries each -- history was made. The Pro FWD class saw the previous class record of 7.26 secs decimated. Gary Gardella (7.15 secs), Marty Ladwig (7.17 secs) and Jason Hunt (7.19 secs) all ran sub 7.2 secs for the first time in history. It was however, Hunt who came away with the official mark as he was the only driver capable of running the necessary back up runs. Gary Gardella won Pro FWD while Boris Rojas won in an upset in the Pro RWD class. Sportsman titlists included Jason Coan (Competition), Brandon Wilkinson (Super Stock), Peter Biondo (Stock), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Super Comp 8.90) and Andrew Thomas (Super Gas 9.90).

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Reading, willing

and raining!

23rd Toyo Tires Nationals

D California’s Matt Guildera broke through to win his first Pro Stock Motorcycle title during the Toyo Tires Nationals

espite moving the event date to an earlier slot in the season calendar, NHRA’s 2007 edition of the Toyo Tires Nationals was still once again plagued by “Mother Nature.” Following the completion of all qualifying, relentless rain moved in to Pennsylvania’s scenic Maple Grove Raceway and despite best efforts, it did not conclude until Wednesday. The event was, however, filled with high drama as the first portion of NHRA’s new three-tier season was completed. The regular season ending event included some serious scrambling for the final playoff positions. North Carolina’s Doug Herbert earned by far the most dramatic win of his career. Coming into the event he had to outright win the race in order to secure the eighth and final slot in the Countdown to the Championship Top Fuel points chase. Herbert, who qualified 11th, did exactly that in a most timely matter. In the final he recorded his quickest run of the event at a sensational 4.526 secs at 323.43 mph driving his Snap-On Tools dragster to upset points leader Rod Fuller. Fuller’s dragster, which earned the pole at 4.521 secs, slipped to a losing 4.709/324.98. Top Fuel on Sunday (before the rain) provided a remarkable

By Bruce Biegler I Drag Racing Editor

occurrence. During a fantastic round one of competition 15 of the 16 total runs were all in the 4.5 secs zone! Only Larry Dixon’s losing 4.702 secs was not a 4.5 secs run. Tony Pedregon earned his second win of the season driving his Q-Horse Power Chevy Impala to victory. Pedregon benefited from a surprising red-light foul start by John Force in the Wednesday finale. Force wasted a far superior 4.792/320.13 on a -.038 foul start. Del Worsham, who qualified on the pole (4.800 secs) had his dreams of making the Countdown to the Championship ended in the sem-finals when he was beat by Pedregon. That result gave Jim Head the final spot for Funny Cars. Low ET was set by John Force in round two when he sped to a 4.782 secs driving the Castrol Ford Mustang. His final round appearance was the 200th of his stellar career. David Connolly scored in Pro Stock driving the Tommy Utt-tuned Torco Race Fuels Colbalt. Connolly scored in an exciting all Chevrolet final, topping the ACDelco Colbalt driven by Kurt Johnson. After eliminating V. Gaines from Countdown consideration in the semis, Connolly powered to his 13th career victory. Connolly was sharp at the starting line, leaving with a .005 to .050

Doug Herbert (far lane) collected a very timely victory in Top Fuel which put him into the NHRA post-season playoffs. 66

Performance Racing News

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second advantage, before racing away for a 6.643/207.43 mph to 6.857/206.80 decision. The win moved Connolly around his teammate Jeg Coughlin into second in the final regular season standings. Pro Stock was paced by Greg Anderson who cracked both ends of the Maple Grove Raceway track record with a remarkable 6.583 secs at 209.88 mph run in the Summit Racing GTO. Anderson was however gunned down by “KJ” in the semis – losing a 6.611 to 6.639 secs decision. Pro Stock Motorcycle featured a first time winner when California’s Matt Guidera scored riding his Mohegan Sun-sponsored Buell. In the final, Guidera and opponent Angelle Sampey were sideby-side for most of the way down the track before Sampey’s US Army Suzuki drifted towards the centerline and ultimately clipped the 1,000-foot cone, an automatic DQ. Guidera’s first win came with a time of 6.971/188.02. Top Alcohol Funny Car featured yet another milestone victory for Frank Manzo. The New Jersey driver of the Lucas Oil Chevy Monte Carlo beat Bob Tasca III for the title when he ran 5.517/261.52. Manzo’s 70th career national title ties him with Pat Austin for the most Sportsman wins ever. Remarkabl,y the victory was also Manzo’s eighth straight event title at Maple Grove Raceway and his 10th overall at the facility. The TAD final was an all injected nitro affair with Aaron Olivarez defeating John Finke. Olivarez got a big break when Finke left before the tree was activated. Ironically, his car lost traction immediately but still recorded the victory. Finke had recorded low ET when he hit a superb 5.203 secs while winning in the semi final. Shawn Langdon (also in an injected nitro car) set top speed at 273.55 mph. Sportsman action included wins by Sal Biondo (Competition), Kevin Helms (Super Stock), Peter Biondo (Stock) and Jeff Strickland (Super Comp).

Tony Pedregon drove his Q-Racing Chevrolet to an upset final round win over John Force at NHRA’s Toyo Tires Nationals Performance Racing News

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Story and photos by Bruce Biegler

IHRA Canadian Nationals presented by PartSource

Half-Tracked on a Monday!

using his Al Billes engine program, Russo lit up an historic 5.999 secs while defeating Manitoba’s Kenny Lang in round one.

Indiana’s Terry McMillian certainly enjoys his visits to Canada; the popular Top Fuel driver now has two IHRA wins to his credit - both on Canadian soil

Dale Creasy Jr. greatly enhanced his title hopes with a convincing win in Nitro Funny Car

Performance Racing News

HRA’s 6th annual visit to Toronto Motorsports Park was a rather unique experience to say the least. After very hot and sticky conditions on Friday and Saturday gave way to Sunday rain storms, officials were forced to complete eliminations on Monday. However, the story did not end there. When action continued it started out on a standard quarter-mile, but when water seepage near the finish line became a problem IHRA officials (for the second time this season) elected to switch the format to an eighthmile affair. That decision was made after the first Pro round, a round that sawa number of wild rides as a few cars got loose. Prior to the adjustment, track history was made when John Russo recorded the first ever 5-second run by a Pro Mod at TMP. Driving his all new Vanishing Point Race Cars built ’68 Firebird, and

Former IHRA World Champion John Nobile ended a long winless streak in Pro Stock by prevailing in his Ford Mustang. Nobile, upset defending World Champion Pete Berner in the final Russo, who had scored during the PMRA event here last spring, upped his record to two-for-two at the facility when he continued on to victory lane in the class. The Massachusetts-based driver did pull off a bit of an upset in the final when his 3.962 secs pinned opponent Carl Spiering, who was making a bid for a second Canadian Nationals title. Driving his Eaton-sponsored Chevy Camaro, Spiering had lane choice and had recorded low ET at 3.945 secs in round two. But his powerful machine shook the tires hard at the hit. Pro Mod was a solid and entertaining affair, featuring a stout bump spot of 6.205 secs. Scott Cannon earned the pole with a 6.001 secs and he was closely followed after qualifying by Mike Janis (6.003 secs) and Spiering (6.008 secs). Janis, who is a local favourite from nearby New York state, ran a tremendous 241.32 mph to set top speed. That run, which came in his Eatonsponsored Colbalt, is the fastest speed recorded in IHRA Pro Mod history. Top Fuel produced the second career win (and

Pete Berner in the final thanks to a better reaction time. Nobile’s winning time was a 4.126 secs compared to Berner’s 4.117 secs. Qualifying in Pro Stock was swift with nine drivers dipping deep into the 6.3 secs zone, led by Robert Patrick’s low ET of 6.343 secs driving his Ford Cobra. Brian Gahm set top speed and established a new TMP track record at 220.76 mph driving his Ford Mustang.

When action continued it started out on a standard quarter-mile, but when water seepage near the finish line became a problem IHRA officials elected to switch the format to an eighth-mile affair

second on Canadian soil) for Indiana’s Terry McMillen. McMillen saved his best effort of the weekend for the final as he unloaded low ET at 3.106 secs to handle TJ Zizzo, who ran a losing 3.313 secs. McMillen’s speed on the victory lap was a remarkable 270.16 mph driving his Torco Mach Series-sponsored machine. McMillen beat Mitch King and Bruce Litton in earlier competition. While still running to the quarter-mile stripe during qualifying, Zizzo established a new track ET record when he ran 4.576 secs to take the pole. Indiana’s Bruce Litton set top speed at 324.20 mph. Dale Creasy Jr. increased his overall lead in Nitro Funny Car when he recorded his third win (and second in Canada) this season. Creasy got an automatic win when his opponent Texan Mitch King negated a probable victory when he bonked the top end cones. That resulted in a DQ for King and no times recorded in either lane. Prior to that Creasy had run solid passes of 3.445 secs and 3.482 secs while defeating John Lawson and Jeff Diehl. Nitro Funny Car included a welcome and surprise appearance by Alberta-based drivers Jason Duchene and Randy Bykowsky, who both made the trip East. Neither was able to qualify and Bykowsky whacked the wall on his second attempt, which unfortunately put him into a local hospital for observation for a couple of days. He broke ribs and had a collapsed lung. Former IHRA World Champion John Nobile ended a long winless streak in Pro Stock by prevailing in his Ford Mustang. Nobile, who last won on the circuit in 2004, upset defending World Champion

TJ Zizzo blasted the TMP Top Fuel track record with a superb 4.576 secs during qualifying

The Can-Am Pro Mod combination of John Russo and Al Billes won big at TMP

Pennsylvania’s Terry Muonroe rained on the Canadian parade in Alcohol Funny Car when he recorded his third win of the season. Munroe used a great final round 3.800/191.97 to upset pre-event favourite and defending event champion Paul Noakes (from London) in the final. Munroe beat the Canadian cars of Scott Wildgust and Rob Atchison during the first two rounds. Sportsman winners included Jason Lynch (Top Dragster), Mike Sowards (Top Sportsman), Craig Marshall (Super Stock), Steve McGrath (Stock), Kathy Fisher (Quick Rod), Len Olesky (Super Rod) and Damien Hazelton (Hot Rod). Thomas Fletcher (son of Sportsman star Dan Fletcher) won the event’s added ET Tournament. As the event concluded rumours ran in many directions about the 2007 event being the last IHRA national event to be held at the facility. While nothing is yet confirmed, IHRA did advise that their 2008 event schedule will be revealed in October.

Performance Racing News

NHRA “regular” Mike Ashley crossed over to win his first IHRA “Ironman” during the Torco Northern Nationals

26th Torco Northern Nationals

Northern Lights! (High) Story and photos by Bruce Biegler

he IHRA Torco Race Fuels Northern Nationals, held at newly renamed Knoll Gas Motorsports Park in Western Michigan was a barn-burner. But, after rain storms moved in on Sunday, few fans remained to witness the high drama Monday conclusion. The event did feature some prime-time players in Top Fuel with a number of NHRA cross over teams, including Melanie Troxel, JR Todd and Clay Millican making their only scheduled IHRA appearances of the season. It was however, IHRA veteran Bruce Litton who stood tall as he scored his second win of the season driving his Indianabased Lucas Oil dragster.

Canada’s Kenny Lang broke through for his first major league class win when he scored the highly prestigious 3rd Annual Torco Race Fuel Pro Modified Shootout title Litton rolled to a final round 4.707 secs at 287.72 mph to easily defeated former teammate Todd. The Skull Shine-sponsored dragster went into early tire smoke, ending Todd’s event bid. Litton’s 11th career IHRA win came over the quickest eight-car field in IHRA history with a bump spot of 4.725 secs. That eclipsed the previous best 4.755 set at San Antonio in 2006. The victory moved Litton into the points lead ahead of TJ Zizzo. NHRA speed-demon Mike Ashley notched his first career “Ironman” in a Funny Car when he 70

Performance Racing News

scored driving his Torco Race Fuels Dodge Charger. Ashley’s win was not a particularly impressive one as he battled both tire spin and engine issues during the event driving a brand new car. In the final, he got the victory despite running only 11.90 secs while smoking the tires. That came during a single after scheduled opponent Mitch King popped a burst panel on his Pontiac Firebird during the burnout. Ashley did make a great run during qualifying, hitting 4.812 secs and 316.23 mph (low ET/top speed) for the pole. He then handled Gary Densham and Jack Wyatt during rounds one and two. Monday’s Pro Mod final featured two first-time finalists with 20-year-old rookie Jason Hamstra winning for the first time in his career driving his ’63 Corvette. Hamstra beat Matt Hagan, recording a winning 6.176/229.55. Hagan, who also drives a ’63 Corvette, was forced to shut off on the starting line with engine problems. PM qualifying was paced by New York’s Mike Janis, who flew to both low ET and top speed at 6.033 secs and 240.42 mph. Janis’ speed was recognized as the first ever 240 in IHRA Pro Mod competition. Canada’s Kenny Lang broke through for his first major league class win when he scored the highly prestigious 3rd Annual Torco Race Fuel Pro Modified Shootout title, held Saturday evening. Lang, who is from Manitoba, singled for the $20,000 first place prize when final round opponent Jim Halsey broke. (See: Canadian Drag Racing Update for more). Canada’s recent propensity for winning in Alcohol Funny Car continued at Michigan with that

final featuring a repeat meeting between Mopar Canadian Nationals finalists Paul Noakes and Robbie Atchison – who are both from London, ON. It was another great showdown, with Noakes scoring driving his Harman-sponsored Ford Mustang; 5.875/241.89 to Robbie’s 5.906/238.98 in the Erickson-sponsored Chevy. Noakes was again a picture of consistency at Martin. He qualified second, and then beat fellow Canadian Scott Wildgust and Pennsylvania’s Terry Munroe to advance to the final. The Pro Stock championship title boiled down to an exciting Can-Am affair with Maryland’s Frank Gugliotta facing Ontario’s Larry O’Brien. Gugliotta, driving a Chevy Colbalt owned by Rick Jones, won that when he combined a better starting line RT with a run of 6.423/217.11 mph to turn back O’Brien’s 6.473/214.89. For Gugliotta, it was his first win since joining the Rick Jones Quarter-Max and PiranaZ sponsored team this season. “The Flyin’ Meatball” handled John Nobile, John Montecalvo and Steve Spiess in earlier competition. His win came from the pole after setting both low ET (6.386 secs) and top speed (220.22) mph during qualifying. O’Brien’s gallant event effort driving what is currently the only Mopar in IHRA Pro Stock, was his first career final. The O’Brien Brothers (Larry and Wayne) had their Bears Performance Stratus running impressively, upsetting class hitters Pete Berner and Robert Patrick in earlier competition.

Michigan’s US 131 Motorsports Park has been renamed as Knoll Gas Motorsports Park; the track itself will now be known as Evan Knoll Blvd. Frank “The Flying Meatball” Gugliotta produced his first win as driver for the Rick Jonesowned Pro Stock team

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The final round battle in Toronto saw FredĂŠric Girard take sole position of the championship lead with a win over Brian Wilkerson

The Formula D Drift Alliance squad made a special appearance at Downsview Park and gave the fans plenty to cheer about

Down with

T.O. 72

Performance Racing News

By Tony Mooc

Downsview Park hosts Round 4 of the DMCC Championship and sets the stage for a dramatic season finale

S Chris Forsberg threw down some smoke on Saturday as he led a contigent of four of the best drifters in the world to Toronto

The course was not incredibly complicated, but the old unforgiving runway surface had it out for those who did not have their suspension dialed in by the end of practice and qualifying.

lideways is a term not too commonly known to Torontonians from a motorsport perspective. However, Toronto does have a larger drift scene than most people give it credit for; just ask the insurance companies between the winter months of December and February. Enter Round 4 of the DriftMania Canadian Championship (DMCC) at Downsview Park, in Toronto, ON. This former airbase was naturally the perfect playground for the concrete pounding high-powered sideways machines known as the DMCC series competitors. The second-last stop of the season set up what will be an exciting finale with double the points up for grabs, not to mention the $2,000 purse awarded at each round. The course set up was not incredibly complicated, but the old unforgiving runway surface had it out for those who did not have their suspension dialed in by the end of practice and qualifying on Saturday. It appeared that the high-powered, heavier rides such as the Continental G35 driven by Marco Santos and Carl Nadeau’s Kumho Tires Toyota Soarer might have fared better simply because they just couldn’t be bullied around by the bumpy concrete sections. Only 64 points separated the top six drivers in the series coming into Toronto with Fredéric Girard and Haig Kanadjian tied atop the standings at 267 points. The drivers wanted to put Toronto on the map of drifting world, but if that wasn’t incentive enough, a double point event gave even more reason to get the fans high on drifting. The boys from Drift Alliance in the Formula Drift series wanted to reward those loyal hardcore drift fans who showed up on a day of just qualifying and amateur drifting by putting on an exhibition never seen before in Toronto. This was the first time four of the top drivers in North America and arguably the world (Vaughn Gittin Jr., Chris Forsberg, Ryan Tuerck, and Tony

Angelo) were in Ontario. The chaos that these four laid out on the ol’ runway strip lit a fire under the asses of all that were in attendance and definitely got all the DMCC drivers stoked for Sunday’s finals. The round of 16 saw a rare match up between two of the top drivers in the series as Girard in the Hankook R32 went up against Santos’ General Tire G35. After three tight rounds of breakneck drifting, only one could move on as Girard edged Santos. The first semi final tandem run pitted Brian Wilkerson’s MA-Motorsports S13 and Kanadjian’s Con-

This former airbase was naturally the perfect playground for the concrete pounding high-powered sideways machines known as the DMCC series competitors tinental S13 in a battle for a spot in the finals with Kanadjian making a rare mistake by spinning out in the final turn, handing the win to Wilkerson. Steph Scardocchio’s Overdosed 240SX matched up against Girard and two additional runs were needed and put a serious beat-down on both cars, with Girard ultimately taking the win. Much like the two semi final runs, it was a battle to the bitter end in the final. Girard pulled through and is one step closer to the series championship by edging out Wilkerson. Downsview Park and Canadian drift fans can only be optimistic that the scene has finally made its mark on the city of Toronto as 14,000 fans showed up over the course of the weekend. A free admission event of this scope could not have been pulled off without key sponsors like Castrol, Shell, Mazda and tire sponsors Kumho, Yokohama, General and Toyo Tires.

Performance Racing News

Great

2007

NASA Champions

Success

Group A Jeff Burch, Bedford, TX (CMC) Jim Griffith, Reno, NV (CMC2) David Standridge, San Martin, CA (Factory Five) Group B Jay Andrew, Creston, OH (American Iron) Chris Griswold, Sullivan, WI (American Iron Extreme)

2nd Annual NASA National Championships presented by Toyo Tires

Photo Courtesy Jean-Pierre Verbunt

Group C Bernardo Martinez, Redondo Beach, CA (Honda 1) Brian Shanfield, Raymond, OH (Honda 2) Joseph Moser, Ann Arbor, MI (Honda 4) Zephyr Belski, Bridgewater, NJ (Honda 5)

Photos by E. John Thawley (www.thawleyphoto.com)

he National Auto Sport Association (NASA) successfully completed its 2nd Annual NASA National Championships presented by Toyo Tires at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The 425 competitors from 32 states and two Canadian provinces converged on the storied Mid-Ohio circuit, with 39 National Champions from across NASA’s racing and time trial programs crowned after three days of intense competition. The competitors ranged in age from 15 to 75 and competed in many different cars, with Mazda being the best represented brand. The state with the highest representation of racers was Ohio followed by California, Michigan, Illinois, Texas, and North Carolina. The racers were supported by an army of 120 volunteers who arrived from 19 different states, confirming the event’s truly national scope. With the results now final, competitors can begin to cash in on the nearly $1.1M of contingencies posted for the event.

Canada was well represented by Jean-Pierre Verbunt as the Ontarionative took top honours in GTS1 as part of Group H action

Jeff Burch took home the CMC class National title in Group A action

The action was intense as Chris Griswold won the American Iron Extreme title in Group B 74

Group D Keith Wise, Newark, OH (PTA) Bob Bradfield, Aptos, CA (PTB) Greg Greenbaum, Encinitas, CA (PTC) Danny Pop, Cincinnati, OH (Super Touring 1) Tony Buffomante, Perry Hall, MD (Super Toruing 2) Chris Hall, Port Orange, FL (Super Unlimited) Group E Joseph Hrymack, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ (944 Cup) Karl Troy, Isle of Palms, SC (944 SuperCup) Craig Capaldi, Richmond, MI (Spec Focus) David Colletti, Troy, MI (Spec Neon) Group F Todd Lamb, Covington, GA (Spec Miata) Group G John Slinkard, Omaha, NE (TTB) Kyle Burkhardt, Oak Park, IL (TTD) Bill Brees, Wooster, OH (TTE) Allen Skillicorn, Dundee, IL (TTF) Group H Eric Kuhns, Sterling, IL (944 Spec) Jean-Pierre Verbunt, Ancaster, ON (GTS1) Jim Child, Springboro, OH (GT2) Randy Mueller, Miami, FL (GTS3) John Haas, Portsmotuh, OH (GTS4) Paul Fusco, Mendham, NJ (GTS5) Group I Kenneth Smith, Plymouth, MI (TTA) Greg Greenbaum, Encinitas, CA (TTC) Jospeh Moser, Ann Arbor, MI (TTR) Jeff Moser, Batavia, OH (TTS) Danny Pop, Cincinnati, OH (TTU) Group J Christian McCalley, Huntersville, NC (Legends) Gregory Stasiowski, Canonsburg, PA (PTD) Brian Shanfield, Raymond, OH (PTE) Chris Cobetto, Montpelier, VA (Spec E30-SO)

Performance Racing News

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10/5/07 10:52:59 AM

Labour Day

Excitement President’s Cup Trophy Races at Mosport set the stage for final two events of Castrol Touring Car Championship

James Foote was on target in Touring action as he was second on Saturday and first on Sunday at Mosport

abour Day Weekend always produces some great racing across the continent. It always seems everyone has a race on the schedule and a lot of series use the final long weekend of the summer to end their championship. For the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires gave drivers a chance to solidify their championship position or try to make up ground as just two races remained after the weekend. Well, the fans who showed up were disappointed as the Touring Cars put on an incredible show at The Presidents’ Trophy Races at Mosport International Raceway. Forty-seven drivers and 44 cars took to the track for qualifying on Saturday morning under sunny and dry conditions. Quickest in GT Class was Peter Botsinis in his BMW after a penalty to the number 115 Corvette. Ian Madden in his VW took his first pole of the season in Super Touring Class and Alain Lauziere repeated in Touring Class driving his Mini. With that, the stage was set for a great afternoon race as the tension built throughout the day. There were intense battles throughout the field between the 44 sportscars that took the green flag in the first race. The crowd was entertained by the almost constant passing from start to finish. Botsinis

(BMW) and Marco Cirone (Chevrolet) set qualifying times lap after lap until Cirone took the win in GT followed by Botsinis and Bob Munro in his BMW. Super Touring Class was a fight between three turbo-powered cars as Nigel Krikorian took his Subaru to its first win followed by Madden (VW) and Steve Anderson in his SRT 4. Touring Class was won by Lauziere in his Mini followed by James Foote and Robert Calisi in a pair of Hondas. Sunday’s feature race was run under ideal conditions in front of an even larger crowd. Roberto Sabato brought the Corvette home in first followed by points leader Sasha Anis in his Nissan and Botsinis in his BMW, giving him a pair of podium runs on the weekend. There were thrills and spills in the fight for Super Touring honours as Etienne Borgeat (BMW) beat teammate Charles-Andre Bilodeau (BMW) by just nine one-hundredths of a second. Foote took a step up the box from Saturday by finishing on top in Touring Class in his Honda as this time Lauziere was second in his Mini by seven-tenths of a second. The final podium spot went to Calisi’s Honda for the second day in a row. Things are definitely getting interesting as Mosport will host the final two events of the season and all the answers will be available come the first of October.

Photos by Ramesh Bayney

Marco Cirone and Roberto Sabato shared duties at the President’s Trophy Races at Mosport, with Cirone winning on Saturday and Sabato on Sunday

Performance Racing News

Etienne Borgeat had a great battle with his teammate on Labour Day, taking the Super Touring victory by the narrowest of margins

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Will NASCAR save the Story By Éric Descarries

GP3R?

With the mounting success of the Canadian Tire Series, the question lingers if it can rebuild the reputation of Canada’s oldest racing event

Photo Courtesy Chris Coughlin/NASCAR Media

t is getting harder and harder to really find the real soul of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R). Indeed, a few years ago, this unique Canadian (if not North American) motorsport event was among the most important in the country. But then, sponsor support (mostly from cigarette manufacturers who also shot Jacques Villeneuve to world celebrity) was banned and the Grand Prix struggled to survive. Surviving does not only mean providing extraordinary shows, but also supporting many racing series. Without a major sponsor, the GP3R cannot invite a major series let alone major events to its city streets... remember that the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières was the first and only event in its era to present auto racing on its city streets.

Is there a tomorrow? The last few events have surely not been a mirror image of what it was some 20 or 30 years ago. Do you remember when the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières starred such series as Formula Atlantic, Can-Am and Trans-Am? Heck, it was at Trois-Rivières that national hero Gilles Villeneuve was discovered as an international star! The event was followed by people around the world. But, alas (and there is no question of blaming whoever it is…) the GP3R is surely not was it was. With time, it has become a mostly local event due mainly to a lack of sponsorship. How can major sponsors have not seen that the event was a very important one in Canada, whether it is for motorsports or any other sport?

Where to next? In the past few years, everything has been tried to keep the GP3R spirit alive — endurance races, formula races, pretty much anything and everything. Recently, the GP3R ha s relied upon popular racing series for its survival, mostly Formula 78

Performance Racing News

Canadian Tire Series teammates Alex Tagliani (left) and Andrew Ranger posing for a picture with a fan

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Will NASCAR save the GP3R? 1600, Touring Series, Toyota Pirelli Cup (Quebec only) and Grand-Am ST and GS series (add to that the Star Mazda and the mostly unknown MX-5 series). Though all of the above have been successful, the crowd in the grandstands has not increased. In fact, it’s not even close to what it was in the glory days.

NASCAR’s role The Montreal NASCAR Busch race forced the GP3R organizers to move to another date… once again! But then, it also included a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race. This was the third time the ex-CASCAR racers returned to Trois-Rivières. The first time was way back in 2003. They were back last year (where, according to then president Tony Novotny, it was CASCAR’s most successful spectator turnout until the Montreal Champ Car event a month later) and they were back again in 2007 following a crazy but impressive Busch weekend in Montreal. GP3R was no different as another Micks-Ranger shootout had the crowd riveted. The only complaint was that the NASCAR race was too early on the schedule. Most fans were unanimous in changing the schedule to run the CASCAR… er… NASCAR race later on day three. Running it at lunch time on Sunday was not what fans expected. Now that NASCAR Canada has acquired such a great reputation, GP3R fans think its race should be run as the feature. And that means later on the last day of the event!

Even local guest drivers like JeanFrançois Dumoulin and Alex Tagliani have trouble filling the grandstands in Trois-Rivières

Now that NASCAR Canada has acquired such a great reputation, GP3R fans think its race should be run as the feature. And that means later on the last day of the event! Performance Racing News

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10/5/07 2:43:41 PM

As the final weekend of the season for many drivers, the action was intense on Labour Day and some drivers pushed a little too hard at times, including this spin by Robbie Thompson

ince the late-‘70s, stock car fans in Southern Ontario have had a love/hate relationship with Labour Day weekend at Delaware Speedway. Personally, I’ve always viewed the hate part as the end of the summer (even worse in my younger years as school was only a day or two away), and racing for the most part was over in terms of something close to home. As for the good, the action at the half-mile has never failed to thrill thousands of fans on a Labour Day weekend. For years, the Great Canadian weekend was a staple on the CASCAR Super Series trail, other than a couple of seasons where the Molson Indy in Vancouver took the group away. Those races were replaced with Sportsman Spectaculars by the Quebec/Ontario Carquest series. The evolution of CASCAR on that weekend is even pre-dated by battles of epic high horsepower Super Late Model proportions involving Tracy Leslie, Junior Hanley and Billy Zardo. Following a switch to Late Model Sportsman cars three years ago, Delaware has been focusing its Labour Day show on that class, trying to make it one of the biggest in the province, and the 44 cars on hand for the APC 300, as well as a $10,000 cheque should help build the reputation. After qualifying, the first 75-lap twin race rolled off with only the Delaware regulars going 75 laps to decide their championship. Ron Sheridan started on the pole and led the entire distance, while Jesse Kennedy started third and took second from Dan Delisle early. Kennedy entered the day trailing former track champ Dion Verhoeven by a few markers in the championship race, but was able to close the gap to one marker in qualifying. When the green dropped, Kennedy only had to stay ahead of Verhoeven to win the title. Verhoeven climbed to third, on Kennedy’s bumper, but that was as close as he could come to passing Kennedy as he finished second to Sheridan to win the track championship. About three years ago, Kennedy was at the end of his racing career, “It was years and years of doing almost everything myself. I still had a lot of help, but nothing like the guys I have with

Performance Racing News

me now. I put so much into it and had almost had enough.” About the same time that was happening, Andrew Thompson announced he wasn’t going to race a Late Model anymore, and his crew still wanted to continue racing. They joined forces with Kennedy, and he had a great crew with him that still wanted to go racing. They hooked up and Kennedy has revitalized his career of speed since then. The 75 lap qualifier for the ‘Invaders’ featured Pete Vanderwyst taking the early lead and the former Super Series winner seemed to have them all covered as he handled the field, with DJ Kennington finishing second in a brand new race car.

Feature Attraction In the 150-lap feature, Vanderwyst and Sheridan brought the field to the green, with Pete taking the early lead, but a flat tire on a restart forced him to pit under the next yellow. On lap 60, Kennedy, who moved to second when Vanderwyst had trouble, got by Sheridan for a lead he never relinquished en route the biggest win of his career. Kennedy was all smiles as he accepted his $10,000 check for winning the feature, “I’ve never seen a check with that many zeros on it — or at least one that I didn’t have to pay back.” As he watched his #10 machine being looked at in technical inspection, Kennedy admitted, “It still hasn’t really sunk in yet. I know we won the race, and I know we won the title, but it probably won’t hit me for a while. I’ve been at this 23 years and I’ve raced a lot of laps, but I’ve never won a race this important, and I’ve never won a championship here at Delaware. ” Kennington closed on Kennedy on a late restart, but couldn’t do anything with him and settled for second. “I was trying to get him, but Jesse was pretty fast,” he said. “I raced with him for years when I raced weekly at Delaware and it’s great to see a guy like him have such a great day.” Cole Pearn finished third, while Vanderwyst fought back from his flat to finish fourth. Jonathan Urlin rounded out the top-five.

Story and photos by Jamie Maudsley

Kennedy finally

has his day Labour Day 300 at Delaware

Jesse Kennedy was joined on the podium by current NASCAR driver DJ Kennington (l.) and former Super Series driver Cole Pearn (r.)

There was some great racing at Delaware on Labour Day as Ron Sheridan (#52) took the Delaware regulars-only qualifier ahead of Jesse Kennedy (#10), but the war went to Kennedy who won the Great Canadian Race as well as the track championship

Ron Sheridan (l.) and Pete Vanderwyst (r.) shared the front row after winning their 75-lap qualifiers

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canadian drag racing update By Bruce Biegler I Drag Racing Editor

Breakthrough Victory! A fter being on the verge on a number of occasions before, Manitoba’s Kenny Lang broke through for his first major Pro Modified title. Driving his supercharged ’53 Corvette, Lang earned what is arguably the single most prestigious Pro Modified title during IHRA’s Torco Northern Nationals held in Michigan. During that event he scored the $20,000 first place check for the 3rd Annual Torco Race Fuels Pro Mod Shootout. Using an engine program from fellow Canadian Al Billes, Lang, who owns a highly successful body shop in Grand Pointe, was all business during the Shootout. He entered the elite eigh-car event as the third seed and quickly disposed of opponents Mike Janis and Danny Rowe with back-toback laps of 6.133 secs and 6.193 secs. In the final, Lang was scheduled to

face Maryland’s Jim Halsey but when Halsey’s nitrous-injected ’68 Camaro popped a burst panel while starting the outcome was assured. Lang singled to an impressive 6.137 secs at 232.75 mph – numbers that may have been very difficult for Halsey to match anyway. “We all feel some relief,” said Lang. “We had come close before but just never quite got the lucky break we needed. But we knew some day that would change and it all came together here.”

Canadian Street Car Nationals Sizzles

Another First for Arend!

The racing vision for Canadian fast street car proponent, Joe DaSilva, gained some clarity during his Canadian Street Car Nationals event at Toronto Motorsports Park. DaSilva, a respected Toronto-based drag racer and speed equipment store operator has presented fast street car orientated events of various degrees for many seasons. In fact, the 2007 event was his 15th promotion and his largest and most successful. The event was highlighted by the mega-popular Super Street 10.5 category, which featured a first place prize of $15,000. Canada’s Rick Rosella enjoyed arguably his finest hour when he took his turbocharged Pro 5.0 Mustang to victory. Rosella beat invading American Spiro Pappas in the final. When Pappas’ Turbo-Camaro had problems, Rosella was quick to speed by him to take a 7.009/208.01 victory. Rosella had been on a serious speed tear during the first three rounds with consecutive top end recordings of 208.23 mph, 209.88 mph and 208.97 mph. The event featured a solid victory in the Outlaw Pro Street car category by Ontario’s Dave Earhart, who drove his supercharged ’02 Camaro past Terry Brown in the final. Earhart, who qualified second, recorded a winning 6.463/217.39.

The pride of Canada within NHRA POWERade drag racing, Jeff Arend, achieved another significant career first during NHRA’s marquee event, the Mac Tools US Nationals at Indianapolis. Driving for California-based Worsham Racing and sponsor CheckerSchucks-Kragen, the former Toronto resident became the first Canadian to ever qualify number one in Funny Car at the U.S. Nationals. Arend recorded a superb 4.754/327.51 despite all the ferocious competition, that run held up the entire weekend for both low ET and top speed. “When it (pole qualifier) became official that was a great moment for me to be sure,” Arend said. “Indy is such a special event and there are only just so many drivers that can say they qualified number one here. If someone told me that I could choose between qualifying #1 at Indy or going to the semifinals somewhere else I would definitely pick #1. John Force even came over and told me, ‘Nobody remembers who went to the semis, but everyone remembers who won the pole.’” Unfortunately, he could not turn that qualifying advantage into an event victory this time. Arend was upset in round one by rookie driver Jon Capps, who was, ironically, driving a car that was formerly driven by Arend and tuned by Paul Smith, his former crew chief. “That was disappointing for us for sure,” Arend added. “We had it tuned to run a 4.88 or so, nothing too greedy. But for some reason it wore out 2X the clutch it normally would. We are still not sure of exactly the reason why.”

Performance Racing News

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Intakes & filters

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DEI Cool Cover Air Tube Cover kit Design Engineering, Inc (DEI) has introduced Cool Cover, designed to prevent air tubes from becoming heat sinks. Made of heat-treated fibreglass with a reflective coating, Cool Cover will reflect radiant heat away from air tubes and allow cooler air to be introduced into the intake for a denser, more powerful air charge. Cool Cover has a unique full-length hook & loop closure design for an easy install and universal to fit most air tubes.

For more information visit www.designengineering.com, or call (800) 264-9472.

Streetflow K20 Swap Cold Air Intake Kit Vibrant Performance’s new StreetFlow Cold Air Intake kit designed specifically for K20A engines that have been swapped into the 1992-1995 Honda Civic and the 1994-2001 Acura Integra (Part #2260). Unlike other systems, Vibrant’s easy to install K20 swap CAI positions the air filter in front of the driver side front wheel. StreetFlow intakes are made of mandrel-bent T6061 aluminum. Each intake kit includes Vibrant’s premium Classic Series high-flow air filter featuring a pre-oiled, four-layer, cotton-gauze filter element for superior filtration and an integrated velocity stack for optimum air flow properties.

For more information visit www.vibrantperformance.com. 86

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Intakes & filters

FRAM Platinum Premium Air Filter The FRAM Platinum Premium Air Filter is designed to meet today’s tough driving conditions. This premium filter contains a pre-oiled media designed to capture smaller dirt and particles. The heavier screen of the filter provides increased durability and greater integrity and lessens the likelihood of collapse and tearing in tough driving conditions. Also, the glue bead feature allows for pleats to be “locked’ into place for consistent airflow and less restriction to improve overall engine performance.

New Amsoil Ea Air Induction Filters with Nanofiber Technology

For more visit www.fram.com or visit your local Canadian Tire store.

Amsoil’s new line of universal air induction filters is designed to replace stock oil wetted gauze or foam conical aftermarket filters. Amsoil Ea Air Induction Filters utilize nanofiber technology to provide excellent airflow with unsurpassed filtering efficiency, superior construction and cleanable media for longer service life, and unique design to increase surface area and air flow volume. AMSOIL Ea Air Induction Filters are available in nine styles with varying lengths and widths with flange IDs of 3-, 3.5-, 4- and 4.5 inches for universal fitment.

For more information call Amsoil at (800) 777-8491.

GReddy Airinx The AY-SB and AY-MB Airinx air filters are made with a special dry element and then placed between GReddy’s new dual chrome ABS spiral cages. GReddy’s special double-ply element uses two layers of three-dimensional urethane foam (with different textures) to increase filtration and maximize intake airflow. The outer ply has a large opening while the inner rough layer is made up of a fine foam. The outer cage is a spiralled straight-fin design which helps promote air flow. The chrome finish can dress up any high performance engine compartment and is available in two compact sizes.

For more information visit www.greddy.com.

Re-Designed HKS Intakes

HKS introduces the newly re-designed Super Mega Flow Reloaded and Racing Suction Reloaded intake systems, which feature HKS’ new Reloaded air filter assembly. Also new for the Super Mega Flow Reloaded intake series is a new filter element that is constructed from three layers of different density dry polyurethane foams. The Racing Suction Reloaded intake series utilizes HKS’ high-flowing wet 2-layer dual density polyurethane filter element. Both sport the filter element replacement process which avoids the need to wash or re-oil the intake filter.

For more information visit www.hksusa.com.

Weapon R Secret Weapon Intake The Secret Weapon Intake was designed to increase air intake volume to the engine. The concept is to create two different air velocity profiles, one traveling at higher speeds than the other. The intake pipe is bent out of high-quality 6061 Aluminum on an automated CNC mandrel bender. The aluminum intake pipes are polished to a high show quality finish. The SW1 Air filter features a tuned velocity stack to increase velocity and decrease turbulence. Over 250 applications for cars, trucks and SUVs.

For more information visit www.weaponr.com. 88

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Fast Eddie Racewear 19.03.indd 1

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The

“Magic” BUS Have Bus Will Travel Racing Tours helps fans fulfill their NASCAR travel plans Story and photos by Jamie Maudsley

T The tailgate party is just part of the fun on the Have Bus Will Travel excursion

he door to the bus slammed shut and we rolled onto the 401, on an eight-hour journey through the night en route to a tripleheader NASCAR weekend in the ‘Racing Capital of the World’, Indianapolis, IN. This journey to racing in the Mid-West was courtesy of Doug Andrews and his NASCAR licensed tour company Have Bus Will Travel Racing Tours. Andrews has been in the business a long time, supplying buses for both the film and music industry, as well as tours for sports teams for over 25 years. Now, racing trips, and more specifically NASCAR trips, have become his newest venture. Have Bus Will Travel Racing Tours offers the traveler the total NASCAR experience on the three or four day trek, all almost all inclusive — the only items not included are food and drinks, other than a couple tailgates and bottled water. After arriving in Indy, Andrews gave his 17 passengers a brief list of items they should carry to the race track (sun block, garbage bag to act as rainwear, a Sharpie), and then let the bus loose on Wal-Mart for everyone to stock up. After that it was a trip to our Best Western, the official hotel of NASCAR to check in and get a couple of free hours before the next adventure. That took place Friday afternoon as we rolled out to O’Reilly Speedway Park to wait out a rain delay. The dampness couldn’t crush the spirit of all the bus travelers who ended up seeing Travis Kvapil win following a rain delay. Then it was back to the hotel for some shut-eye before Saturday’s adventure. Saturday saw us head to the speedway in Indy to take in practice and some free time at the track. It was a great chance to see the incredible museum at Indy, and the history found within the walls gave me goose bumps. Following practice, we headed back to the hotel to recharge (and refill coolers) before jetting to ORP again for the Busch Series event. We were

Performance Racing News

Have Bus Travel 19.06 V2.indd 2

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The weekend included the Busch Series action at O’Reilly Park

Despite some poor weather, the action at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the perfect finale to the weekend experience

Apparently, writer Jamie Maudsley and his crew also got the No. 1 Bus Driver for their adventure

treated to another epic battle on the 5/8th-mile track as Jason Leffler took the lead from Greg Biffle with just over a lap remaining. It was back on the bus and then to the hotel before boarding the bus at 7:00am on race day for the trip back to the speedway. After a little tailgating we walked to our seats, which were tremendous, high atop Turn 3 and then back to the bus after the action, where another tailgate party waited with some Johnsonville Brats and Little Debbie snack cakes (both officially licensed products). After supper, we climbed aboard the bus to watch Wind Tunnel on the satellite before switching over to the history of NASCAR DVD on the ride home. In closing, the trip was incredible and I think Andrews’ venture will succeed, especially for either a NASCAR fan taking his first trip to a live event or someone who either doesn’t like driving/sitting

13 Junction Road, Box 210 Springhill, NS B0M 1X0

P: 902-597-3511 F: 902-763-3009

in traffic or prefers hotels to camping. Andrews took great strides to ensure enjoyment for all passengers, especially the females (or racing widows as he refers to them). Between the televisions with racing programming and the primers about what to expect, he made a great tour guide. Andrews has also started to dabble in local racing events, as he took three buses to the World of Outlaw race at Oshweken Speedway and will be taking a couple of busloads to Delaware for the ISMA Super Modified show at the end of September. He’s also planning a two-wheel trip to the MotoGP race in Indy next summer. He has a bus, now it’s your turn to travel. Call 1-800-HAVE-BUS or visit www.havebus.com for more information and join Have Bus Will Travel Racing Tours for the ultimate racing adventure.

1929 Sackville Drive Middle Sackville, NS, B4E 3B1 P 902.252.3800 www.sackvillemotorsports.com Performance Racing News

Have Bus Travel 19.06 V2.indd 3

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Marketplace19.06.indd 2

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MAKIN’ POWER! ™ VP Fuels 19.05.indd 1

www.vpracingfuels.com 9/7/07 5:36:29 PM

Performance Racing News

Marketplace19.06.indd 3

10/12/07 4:52:10 PM

Comp Cams Retro Logo Hat Honor that Comp Cams performance heritage with this adjustable black and white baseball-style hat featuring the classic Comp Cams logo. The new Retro Logo Hat is the perfect way to celebrate that heritage with a high-quality, cotton washed twill hat. For many fans, the hat’s most important feature will be what is says on the back – the classic slogan: “Horsepower Never Goes Out of Style.”

For more call 1-800-999-0853 or visit www.compcams.com.

Impact Racing Carbon Fiber Super Sport The new Carbon Fiber Super Sport helmet with Variable Tint Shield (VTS) is made from ultra-lightweight aerospace hybrid CF construction with a clear finish. Comes with a Variable Tint clearsmoke-clear shield (not a polarizing shield) and interchangeable cheekpads for a custom fit. Mounting platform for Head and Neck Restraints and adjustable forehead vents that both cool and defog.

For more call 317-852-3067 or visit www.impactraceproducts.com

TCI PRO-X Powerglide O-Ring Transmission Pan The TCI Powerglide O-Ring Transmission Pan features an industry-exclusive o-ring seal that makes it easy to achieve a leak-free seal every time, regardless of how flat or uneven the gasket mating surface may be. The durable, one-piece o-ring can be reused several times, saving the time, hassle, and cost of replacing a gasket every time you need to pull the pan on your Powerglide. It also features the TCI proprietary metallic gray Heat Dissipating Technology (HDT) coating, which reduces transmission operating temperatures by a wide margin over competitor’s coatings.

For more call 1-888-776-9824 or visit www.tciauto.com.

Rain-X Glass Treatment During rain storms, visibility on the road is greatly reduced due to rain falling on the windshield. This can make it more difficult to drive safely, and puts yourself and your passengers at risk. Rain-X Glass Treatment dramatically improves wet weather driving visibility by repelling rain, sleet and snow. It is also known as “The Invisible Windshield Wiper” because you can literally see the raindrops fly off your windshield while you are driving. Rain-X Glass Treatment works by sealing the microscopic pores of the glass with an invisible barrier that repels rain, sleet and snow on contact. It also helps remove frost, ice, salt, mud and bugs from glass surfaces on your car.

For more visit www.rainx.com 94

Mac Tools Cordless Lithium-Ion Screwdriver Kit Mac Tools’ new 10.8V Cordless Lithium-Ion Screwdriver Kit is a lightweight battery powered screwdriver that is compact. The 10.8V lithium battery has a longer battery life, in comparison to the Ni-Cad or NiMH batteries. Features a forward and reverse switch, LED work light and a variable speed trigger for optimal control and versatility. This 90 in-lbs torque output screwdriver has a 10 position clutch for more control to prevent screw stripping.

For more visit www.mactools.com.

Performance Racing News

Gearing Up 19.06.indd 2

10/12/07 3:18:29 PM

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2007 MOTORSPORTS POINTS STANDINGS THE OFFICIAL AUTOMOTIVE RETAILER OF NASCAR IN CANADA. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series marks are used under license by Destination Motorsports LP and Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited. NASCAR® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.

FIA FORMULA ONE After 15 of 17 races

1 Lewis Hamilton........................................... 107 2 Fernando Alonso........................................... 95 3 Kimi Raikkonen............................................. 90 4 Felipe Massa................................................. 80 5 Nick Heidfeld................................................ 56 6 Robert Kubica............................................... 35 7 Heikki Kovalanien......................................... 30 8 Giancarlo Fisichella....................................... 21 9 Nico Rosberg................................................ 15 10 A. Wurz/D. Coulthard..................................... 13

CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES After 12 of 14 races

1 Sebastien Bourdais..................................... 301 2 Justin Wilson............................................... 243 3 Robert Doornbos......................................... 238 4 Will Power................................................... 228 5 Graham Rahal............................................. 209 6 Oriol Servia................................................. 204 7 Neel Jani..................................................... 203 8 Simon Pagenaud......................................... 192 9 Bruno Junqueira......................................... 191 10 Alex Tagliani................................................ 180

IRL INDYCAR SERIES 2007 final

1 Dario Franchitti........................................... 637 2 Scott Dixon.................................................. 624 3 Tony Kanaan............................................... 576 4 Dan Wheldon............................................... 466 5 Sam Hornish Jr........................................... 465 6 Helio Castroneves....................................... 446 7 Danica Patrick............................................. 424 8 Scott Sharp................................................. 412 9 Buddy Rice.................................................. 360 10 Tomas Scheckter........................................ 357

CHAMP CAR ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP 2007 Final

1 Raphael Matos............................................ 341 2 Franck Perera............................................. 310 3 Robert Wickens........................................... 255 4 James Hinchcliffe....................................... 224 5 Jonathan Bomarito..................................... 207 6 Giacomo Ricci............................................. 188 7 JR Hildebrand............................................. 140 8 Alan Sciuto.................................................. 140 9 John Edwards............................................. 125 10 Carl Skerlong.............................................. 114

IRL INDY PRO SERIES 2007 final

1 Alex Lloyd.................................................... 652 2 Hideki Mutoh............................................... 481 3 Wade Cunningham...................................... 423 4 Bobby Wilson.............................................. 393 5 Mike Potekhen............................................ 379 6 Jaime Camara............................................. 373 7 Logan Gomez.............................................. 368 8 Robbie Pecorari.......................................... 344 9 Stephen Simpson........................................ 340 10 Chris Festa.................................................. 313

STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP After 10 of 12 races

1 Dane Cameron............................................ 381 2 James Davison............................................ 319 3 Ron White.................................................... 313 4 Nick Haye.................................................... 285 5 Jonathan Goring.......................................... 282 6 Devin Cunningham...................................... 277 7 Lorenzo Mandarino..................................... 267 8 Marco Di Leo............................................... 264 Alex Ardoin.................................................. 264 10 Russell Walker............................................ 245

AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES After 10 of 12 races

1 2 3 4 5 1 2

LMP1 R. Capello/A. McNish.................................. 197 M. Werner/E. Pirro....................................... 175 Clint Field...................................................... 95 Jon Field....................................................... 82 Chris McMurry.............................................. 75 LMP2 R. Dumas/T. Bernhard................................. 190 S. Maassen/R. Briscoe................................ 153

3 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

D. Brabham/S. Johansson........................... 103 A. Wallace/B. Leitzinger.............................. 103 G. Smith/C. Dyson......................................... 91 GT1 O. Gavin/O. Beretta...................................... 197 J. Magnussen/J. O’Connell.......................... 165 Ron Fellows.................................................. 35 Max Papis..................................................... 26 A. Garcia/L. Halliday/D. Turner...................... 19 GT2 M. Salo/J. Melo........................................... 167 J. Bergmeister/J. van Overbeek.................. 131 W. Henzler/R. Lidell....................................... 85 T. Milner/R. Kelleners.................................... 72 Eric Helary.................................................... 71

GRAND-AM SERIES 2007 final

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

DP A. Gurney/J. Fogarty................................... 408 Sott Pruett................................................... 406 Max Angelelli.............................................. 395 Memo Rojas................................................ 381 D. Law/D. Donohue/C. Braun....................... 338 GT Dirk Werner................................................. 375 K. Collins/P. Edwards.................................. 365 Bryce Miller................................................. 363 RJ Valentine/A. Lally................................... 348 L. Reese/T. Lewis Jr.................................... 316

NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES After 29 of 36 events

1 Jimmie Johnson....................................... 5506 2 Jeff Gordon............................................... 5500 3 Clint Bowyer.............................................. 5492 4 Tony Stewart............................................. 5389 5 Kevin Harvick............................................ 5380 6 Kyle Busch................................................ 5370 7 Carl Edwards............................................. 5364 8 Martin Truex Jr.......................................... 5348 9 Kurt Busch................................................ 5329 10 Jeff Burton................................................ 5320

NASCAR BUSCH SERIES After 30 of 35 events

1 Carl Edwards............................................. 4207 2 David Reutimann....................................... 3511 3 Kevin Harvick............................................ 3389 4 Jason Leffler............................................. 3345 5 David Ragan.............................................. 3149 Bobby Hamilton Jr.................................... 3149 7 Greg Biffle................................................. 3058 8 Marcos Ambrose....................................... 2944 9 Stephen Leicht.......................................... 2937 10 Matt Kenseth............................................. 2911

NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES 2007 final

1 Andrew Ranger......................................... 1896 2 DJ Kennington.......................................... 1793 3 Peter Gibbons........................................... 1770 4 Don Thomson Jr........................................ 1739 5 Derek Lynch.............................................. 1713 6 JR Fitzpatrick............................................ 1710 7 Kerry Micks............................................... 1696 8 Mark Dilley................................................ 1688 9 Jason Hathaway....................................... 1631 10 Scott Steckly............................................. 1630

FIA WORLD RALLY After 12 of 17 events

1 Marcus Gronholm......................................... 90 2 Sebastien Loeb............................................. 80 3 Mikko Hirvonen............................................. 69 4 Daniel Sordo................................................. 31 5 Petter Solberg............................................... 31 6 Henning Solberg........................................... 28 7 Chris Atkinson............................................... 25 8 Jari-Matti Latvala.......................................... 17 9 Toni Gardemeister......................................... 10 10 M. Stohl/D. Carlsson....................................... 9

NHRA DRAG RACING SERIES After 20 of 23 events

1 2 3

TOP FUEL Larry Dixon................................................ 2297 Rod Fuller.................................................. 2252 Tony Schumacher..................................... 2247

4 Brandon Bernstein.................................... 2221 5 Bob Vandergriff......................................... 2200 6 Whit Bazemore.......................................... 2147 7 Doug Herbert............................................. 2136 8 JR Todd..................................................... 2130 9 Melanie Troxel............................................. 992 10 David Grubnic............................................. 906 FUNNY CAR 1 Tony Pedregon.......................................... 2259 2 Robert Hight.............................................. 2243 3 Jack Beckman.......................................... 2213 4 John Force................................................ 2191 5 Ron Capps................................................. 2188 6 Gary Scelzi................................................ 2186 7 Mike Ashley............................................... 2176 8 Jim Head................................................... 2072 9 Del Worsham............................................... 934 10 Tommu Johnson Jr...................................... 858 PRO STOCK 1 Dave Connolly........................................... 2408 2 Greg Anderson.......................................... 2356 3 Allen Johnson........................................... 2204 4 Jeg Coughlin............................................. 2188 5 Jason Line................................................. 2170 6 Kurt Johnson............................................. 2159 7 Larry Morgan............................................ 2138 8 Warren Johnson........................................ 2102 9 Richie Stevens Jr........................................ 872 10 V. Gaines..................................................... 830

IHRA DRAG RACING SERIES After 10 of 11 events

TOP FUEL 1 TJ Zizzo....................................................... 813 2 Bruce Litton................................................ 787 3 Scotty Cannon............................................. 722 4 Bobby Lagana Jr......................................... 619 5 Terry McMillen............................................ 463 6 Jeffrey O’Neill............................................. 317 7 Doug Foley.................................................. 299 8 Jack King.................................................... 292 9 Jim Cavalieri............................................... 182 10 Clay Millican............................................... 179 PRO MODIFIED 1 Scotty Cannon Jr......................................... 657 2 Mike Janis.................................................. 623 3 Pat Stoken.................................................. 534 4 Ed Hoover.................................................... 532 5 Quain Stott.................................................. 479 6 Kenny Lang................................................. 433 7 Danny Rowe................................................ 426 8 Matt Hagan................................................. 414 9 Jason Hamstra............................................ 404 10 John Russo................................................. 321 ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR 1 Mark Thomas.............................................. 863 2 Rob Atchison............................................... 826 3 Terry Munroe............................................... 812 4 Paul Noakes................................................ 504 5 Larry Dobbs................................................ 439 NITRO FUNNY CAR 1 Dale Creasey Jr......................................... 1015 2 Jack Wyatt.................................................. 676 3 Terry Haddock............................................. 621 4 Andy Kelley................................................. 594 5 Bob Gilbertson............................................ 573 PRO STOCK 1 Pete Berner................................................. 726 2 Robert Patrick............................................. 717 3 Frank Gugliotta........................................... 685 4 Brian Gahm................................................. 579 5 John Montecalvo......................................... 577 6 Steve Spiess............................................... 516 7 Robert Mansfield......................................... 457 8 John Nobile................................................. 382 9 Dean Goforth............................................... 368 Rickie Smith................................................ 368

FIM MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP After 15 of 18 races

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Casey Stoner............................................... 297 Valentino Rossi........................................... 214 Dani Pedrosa............................................... 188 John Hopkins.............................................. 156 Chris Vermeulen.......................................... 152 Marco Melandri........................................... 148 Loris Capirossi............................................ 130 Nicky Hayden.............................................. 112 Colin Edwards............................................. 108

10 Alex Barros................................................... 91

AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP 2007 final

1 Ben Spies.................................................... 652 2 Mat Mladin.................................................. 651 3 Jake Zemke................................................ 468 4 Aaron Yates................................................. 465 5 Tommy Hayden........................................... 454 6 Jamie Hacking............................................ 403 7 Eric Bostrom............................................... 362 8 Miguel Duhamel.......................................... 360 9 Jason DiSalvo............................................. 359 10 Roger Lee Hayden....................................... 344

CANADIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP 2007 Final

1 Jordan szoke.............................................. 298 2 Steve Crevier.............................................. 290 3 Clint McBain................................................ 254 4 Kevin Lacombe........................................... 247 5 Brett McCormick......................................... 224 6 Francis Martin............................................. 164 7 Andrew Nelson............................................ 161 8 Pascal Picotte............................................. 148 9 Jean-Paul Tache......................................... 133 10 Frank Trombino........................................... 125

AMA SUPERSPORT SERIES 2007 final

1 2 3 4 5

Roger Lee Hayden....................................... 297 Jamie Hacking............................................ 294 Josh Hayes................................................. 261 Steve Rapp.................................................. 247 Tommy Hayden........................................... 216

AMA SUPERtock SERIES

1 2 3 4 5

Ben Spies.................................................... 292 Ben Bostrom............................................... 264 Aaron Yates................................................. 231 Geoff May.................................................... 229 Scott Jensen............................................... 207

AMA FORMULA XTREME SERIES 2007 final

1 2 3 4 5

Josh Hayes................................................. 324 Steve Rapp.................................................. 279 Anthony Gobert........................................... 247 Larry Pegram.............................................. 244 Ben Attard................................................... 231

CANADIAN PRO 600 SPORT BIKE SERIES 2007 final

1 2 3 4

Jordan Szoke.............................................. 311 Steve Crevier.............................................. 287 Andrew Nelson............................................ 224 Francis Martin............................................. 203 Brett McCormick....................................... 203å

CMRC MOTOCROSS SERIES 2007 final

MX1 1 Paul Carpenter............................................ 368 2 Colton Facciotti........................................... 272 3 Jeff Gibson.................................................. 271 4 Marco Dube................................................ 238 5 Jean-Sebastien Roy.................................... 233 6 Simon Homans............................................ 223 7 Mason Phillips............................................. 188 8 Kyle Keast................................................... 179 9 Ryan Lockhart............................................. 168 10 Jeff Northrop............................................... 154 1 2 3 4 5

MX2 WEST Jimmy Nelson............................................. 148 Ben Evans................................................... 140 Kyle Beaton................................................. 132 Gray Davenport........................................... 125 Eric Nye....................................................... 123

1 2 3 4 5

MX2 EAST Michael Willard........................................... 179 Tim Tremblay.............................................. 128 Tyler Medaglia............................................. 124 Freddy Karrle.............................................. 116 Jacob Saylor............................................... 109

standings as of oct. 1, 2007 Performance Racing News

4-wheel news

Angel Wings Trading Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 www.angel-wings.ca Bell Racing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 www.bellracing.com Beyond Digital Imaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 www.bdimaging.com Bully Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 www.bullyclutch.com Canadian Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 www.canadiantire.ca Car Buffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Castrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 www.castrol.ca Chag Autosport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 www.chagautosport.com CRC Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 www.crc-canada.ca EMCEA Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 www.emcea.ca Fast Eddie Racewear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 www.fasteddieracewear.com Gatorz Glasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 www.gatorz.com G-Force Racing Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 www.gforce.com Grand Prix Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 www.grandpriximport.com Have Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 www.havebus.com Hans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 www.hansdevice.com Jiffy Tite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 www.jiffy-tite.com

Yamaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 www.yamaha-motor.ca

Lincoln Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 www.lincolnelectric.com

Transcan Imports - M2R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 www.transcanimports.com GP Bikes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 www.gpbikes.com Edge Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.edgeperformancecentre.ca

SH Karting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 www.shkarting.com

Harley-Davidson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 www.harleycanada.com

SCCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 www.scca.com

Kawasaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 www.kawasaki.ca

Rocket Rally Racing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 www.rocketrally.com

Kawasaki Dealer Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 www.kawasaki.ca

Red Line Synthetic Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 www.redlineoil.com

Kymco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 www.kymco.ca

Performance World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 www.performanceworldcarshow.com

Nexo Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 www.nexosports.com

Performance Racing Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 www.performanceracing.com

Suzuki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 www.suzuki.ca

Nitro Moose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 www.nitromoose.ca

Suzuki Dealer Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 www.suzuki.ca

NGK Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 www.ngksparkplugs.ca

Tissot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 www.tissot.ch

Meadowvale Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 www.meadowvaleford.com

Toronto Motorcycle Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 www.motorcycleshows.ca

Lucas Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.lucasoil.ca

Sirius Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 www.siriuscanada.ca

BMW Motorad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 www.bmw-motorrad.com

Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.shell.ca

Bell Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 www.bellmobility.ca

Toyo Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 www.toyotires.ca Valvoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 35 www.valvoline.com

Yokohama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 www.yokohama.ca

2-wheel news

VP Racing Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 www.vpracingfuels.com