Ignition - 23.03

LEADS MOSPORT’S NEW

OWNERSHIP GROUP DRIVEN: 2011 KIA OPTIMA SX - HELLO TURBOS, GOODBYE BORING

SEBASTIAN

VETTEL IS IN CONTROL

F1

WICKENS’ ASCENT CONTINUES

INDYCAR

ADDS A LITTLE DRAMA

CANADIAN SUPERBIKE

McCORMICK ROLLS ON

ROAD TEST

2011 YAMAHA FAZER 8

INSIDE:

LUBRICANT GUIDE

L’ESTAGE’S

CANADIAN RALLY DOMINANCE CONTINUES

SAILUN TIRES WWW.PRNMAG.COM

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RON FELLOWS

$4.95 AUGUST 2011

Cover 23.03 - August.indd 1

TRACK DAY

11-08-08 11:11 AM

100 YEARS UNDER THE HOOD.

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AUGUST 2011

VETTEL’S TO LOSE?

TEMPER,

TEMPER

The Defending Champ Looks Good to Repeat

BY DAN KNUTSON // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAMESH BAYNEY

Things Get a Little Heated in the IZOD IndyCar Series

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eigning Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel has been winning a lot of races this season in the fleet Red Bull RB7. In the past, when a particular driver looked to be running away with the title, some people said that F1 was boring. Vettel may have won five out of the first seven in 2011, but the racing has been anything but dull. Thanks to the new rules this season has been incredibly exciting.

Gone are the days when the driver who qualified on pole usually led every lap, or when the only lead change in a race happened at the first pit stop.

Gone are the days when the running order throughout the field would not change for 20 laps.

In a nutshell the new rules and changes involve the “DRS” and Pirelli replacing Bridgestone as F1’s tire supplier. The Pirellis lose grip as they degrade – unlike the Bridgestones that would provide consis-

BY LEE BAILIE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAMESH BAYNEY

ell, so much for drivers in the IZOD IndyCar Series being a collection of somewhat anonymous and agreeable bunch of niceguys (and gals).

After two recent stops in Canada, maybe INDYCAR President and CEO Randy Bernard ought to seriously consider adding more dates north of the 49th parallel if he wants more controversy, hot-tempered drivers and chaotic racing.

The races in Toronto and Edmonton had enough of all three to last for the remainder of the season.

Bernard and his management team should be hoping for a spillover effect because the mayhem on track at those two races accomplished two very important things. First, the TV ratings on both sides of the border were up significantly for both, and secondly, those events created some drama, something the Series has had precious little of in recent years.

The old axiom that there is no such thing as bad publicity definitely applies to the IndyCar racing – even in year four post-unification, the sport is struggling to break back into the mainstream on the North American sports landscape.

Its TV audiences remain stubbornly small (particularly in the U.S. where some races have attracted cable audiences of around 300,000) and attendance at many of its oval events isn’t where it needs to be. The return to The Milwaukee Mile in June after a year away was a flop, with a tiny race-day crowd (estimates put it at about 15,000 in a facility that can seat 40,000) turning out to watch an entertaining race won by Dario Franchitti.

Things rebounded the next weekend at Iowa Speedway, where a healthy crowd (30,000 plus) watched Marco Andretti finally earn his second career victory with a brilliant drive that showcased the kind of skill that’s only appeared in flashes during his five plus years driving for his father Michael’s team.

After a week off, the Series resumed in Toronto on a hot and muggy July weekend with a 26-car field, one of the biggest the 11-turn, 2.824 kilometre circuit at Exhibition Place has seen since the heyday of the Molson Indy in the mid-late 1990s.

With temperatures in the mid-thirties (Celsius) throughout the weekend, drivers were already feeling a little hot in their race cars, and many became even more steamed during the race.

Coming into this year, Toronto had not yet played host to the Series’ new double-file restarts, which have already caused its fair share of mayhem, particularly on street circuits in St. Petersburg and Long Beach.

tent traction for half a race or more – and therefore in 2011 the difference between a fresh set of tires and a used set can easily be three seconds a lap. The other significant difference is the Drag Reduction System [DRS] which allows the trailing driver to adjust the flap on his rear wing to reduce the downforce and thus give him more straight-line speed to attempt a pass on the driver in front.

There have been some exciting races including the wet, wild and crazy Canadian Grand Prix where Jenson Button survived a collision with his McLaren Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and another with Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari, a drive through the pits penalty and five more pit visits as he stormed from last to first.

Add the intense three-way fight for second place between Button, Michael Schumacher [Mercedes] and Mark Webber [Red Bull Renault]; Button 72 | WWW.PRNMAG.COM

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VETTEL’S TO LOSE?

TEMPER, TEMPER

FITZPATRICK FLIES THE FLAG J.R. Fitzpatrick Chases His NASCAR Dreams with Go Canada Racing STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMIE MAUDSLEY

T

Although he’s not new to the NASCAR scene, Fitzpatrick is still only 23 years-old.

he wind whipped between the race shops at Fitzpatrick Motorsports just outside of Cambridge, Ontario on a Friday night in February of 2009. All the Canadian race fans- from the ones at the track, to those on their couches- were focused on the World Center of Speed, Daytona International Speedway, witnessing J.R. Fitzpatrick planting himself on the NASCAR map. The former CASCAR Super Series champion led 17 laps, found his way through a multi-truck pile-up that looked like a mine field, and fended off Kyle Busch for most of those laps before bringing his mount home with a fourth-place finish in the Camping World Truck Series season opener.

Since that night, it’s been a whirlwind ride for young J.R., as he ran a number of other events for Kevin Harvick Inc. in 2009, but the deal went south in the offseason.

“We were going to run some Truck and ARCA races for KHI, but Chevrolet dropped their Truck program, and that pretty much ended the deal,” J.R. explained.

In 2010, J.R. was able to secure a multi-race deal with J.R. Motorsports, ironically, and ran strong during a trio of road course events, with two top-ten finishes.

Enter Toronto businessman Steve Meehan who, earlier this season, purchased equipment from Baker-Curb Motorsports, and announced that Go Canada Racing was now in business, and would be carrying the iconic number #67. The next step was to sign a Canadian driver to wheel his Ford Fusions, and Cambridge’s J.R. Fitzpatrick was the choice for Meehan.

The early results in 2011, while not overwhelming, have been decent, including a ninth-place finish to kick off a trio of left right events on the Nationwide trail. Fitzpatrick can make up time on road courses, but they need the funds that lead to technology for their oval cars, “It’s tough to keep up with the big teams. It just takes sponsorship money. We have four full-time guys working on the cars, and they are talented people, but we’re up against Roush, and they have 40 or 50 guys for each of their cars. We don’t have a seven-post

shaker, we don’t have a lot of time in the wind tunnel, but we’re doing the best we can. We know we can run up front, but to run up front we need sponsorship dollars. It’s an uphill battle for anyone outside of the U.S., because of trying to justify to a U.S. sponsor why they shouldn’t have a U.S. driver, but we think there is also a market for Canadian companies as well. When I walk through the pits, I know we can run at the front, and I think we’re going to have some success soon. Again, we have a small team, but they have all won before. It’s also neat that we’re called Go Canada Racing, and it’s something we hope the whole country can get behind us!”

Go Canada Racing is also planning to make its first NASCAR Sprint Cup start of the season in August at Watkins Glen. It’s an opportunity that doesn’t seem to intimidate Fitzpatrick. “I’ve raced with Carl Edwards, and Jacques Villeneuve before, as well as Cup guys in Nationwide. It will be a little different, but when you’re out there, guys like Jimmie Johnson are just another number, and another car to pass. But they are also really good. They’ve all had so much seat time,” he said.

The highlight of Fitzpatrick’s career so far came in 2006 when he was named the final champion of the CASCAR Super Series before NASCAR bought the series. Fitzpatrick ran full seasons in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in 2007, 2008 and 2010.

“In a way, it was kind of a bummer that NASCAR took over the next year, because it took a little of the shine off the trophy looking back. Some people had said that it’s not the same as winning a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series title, but I’m just as proud of it. There wasn’t a whole lot of difference from the end of 2006 to when we showed up to the first race of the 2007 season, you still had to beat D.J. Kennington, Don Thomson Jr., Scott Steckly and Mark Dilley. Sure, Andrew Ranger and Alex Tagliani came to race, but Peter Gibbons, and Dave Whitlock also retired so the competition hasn’t really changed at all. You still have to beat some real tough competitors every week.”

Another big part of the Fitzpatrick story during the past offseason occurred in the shop, where

DOMINATION

W

hen fans of the Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada last saw Brett McCormick (pictured) in action prior to this season, it was in 2009 when, as a factory rider for Suzuki Canada, the Saskatoon native came up just short of winning his first title.

Despite winning four of the seven races that season, he finished five points behind Brantford, Ontario’s Jordan Szoke, who went on to claim his fourth straight Superbike crown.

Brett McCormick Has Left the Canadian Superbike Field in His Wake

After a year spent in the AMA Superbike class as a substitute rider for Jordan Suzuki, McCormick’s return to Canada as the lead rider for the radX/BMW Motorrad Canada team this season has been nothing short of dominating.

Heading into the final month of the season, McCormick has won all four rounds of the championship and holds a commanding 46-point lead over Szoke (219-173), with three races remaining. Last year’s runner-up, Andrew Nelson of Kars, Ontario is third, 79 markers back.

With a gap almost equal to that of a win (50), McCormick’s lead isn’t completely insurmountable, but it will be near impossible for Szoke to catch and pass him unless McCormick turns in a really bad result or two in the remaining rounds at Atlantic Motorosports Park (AMP) and Mosport International Raceway.

Given the kind of form he’s shown this season, that shouldn’t be considered a likely scenario.

Coming into the season, it would have been hard for any observer to imagine Szoke would still be

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FITZPATRICK FLIES THE FLAG

DOMINATION PRIDE AND PERFORMANCE Car #37 ejects a pylon from its box during a 90-degree turn.

L’ESTAGE TRIUMPHS AT DIFFICULT RALLYE BAIE DES CHALEURS Defending Champ Remains Unbeaten in 2011

BY CANADIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP // PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW HARVEY PHOTOGRAPHY

R

allye Baie Des Chaleurs features some of the fastest stages in the Canadian Rally Championship. A challenging combination of rough roads and slippery conditions demands respect from rally teams. By meeting these challenges and overcoming mechanical gremlins, Antoine L’Estage (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC) and Nathalie Richard (Halifax) won the Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs, their sixth Canadian Rally victory in a row. Both L’Estage and Patrick Richard nearly retired twice from the event with technical difficulties.

“The crew are the ones who made us win this event,” said L’Estage. “On Friday they had to rebuild the differentials, and then today they replaced the transmission in record time - just 40 minutes.

There’s no way we’d be here without their work.”

L’Estage’s main rivals Pat Richard (Squamish, BC) and Leanne Junnila (Calgary) also suffered multiple problems during the rally. “We lost boost and damaged our lights on Friday, and then today, broken suspension, damaged differentials,” said Richard. “It’s been a real roller coaster of an event.

This is what happens though when you’re trying to fight for a win. Things break.”

Richard and Junnila finished second. The pair had dropped well back of L’Estage when troubles hit early in the rally, but fought back to within 20 seconds of first place, after L’Estage encountered difficulties of his own. “I know where I could have found 20 seconds today, so it’s a frustrating result,” said Richard. “The main thing is we got points towards the championship.”

Leo Urlichich (Toronto) and Martin Brady (Meath, Ireland) finished third, repeating their podium position from the Rocky Mountain Rally, despite problems of their own. “The car has been very difficult to drive. The throttle response is like an on/off switch, so it has been difficult to commit to corners fully,” said Urlichich, who had to battle back after a flat tire and boost problems on day one set them well down the order for the start of the second day.

Urlichich was able to claw back enough time to pass Bruno Carre (Laval, QC), who was also struggling. Max Riddle (Vancouver) and Aaron Neumann (Anmore, BC) finished fifth, a personal best for the rookie driver, who is having success in his very first rally season.

PRIDE AND PERFORMANCE I

Two wheel drive cars were not immune to the tough conditions. Simon Dube (Jonquière, QC) was fastest early in the event, until two flat tires cost he and co-driver Pat Levesque (Baie Comeau, QC) approximately five minutes. The pair battled back over the next day and a half, eventually beating main rivals David Berube and codriver Yves St-Pierre (Quebec City) after Berube and St-Pierre suffered suspension problems that forced them to slow down over the final two stages.

“The rally went through some changes after last year,” said organiser Stephane Roussel. “Although we lost some old stages that were favourites, we came up with a new stage that will become a favourite soon.”

The 2011 season resumes at the Rallye Defi, September 9-10, 2011, held in Ste Agathe, Quebec.

L’Estage has won the rally more than anyone else, but Richard will need to win to keep hope alive for the 2011 Canadian Rally Championship title.

’ve never been what you would call an “Insider” when it comes to motorsports. This fact alone made attending the CASC-OR Autoslalom event on July 16, 2011 a very exciting experience for me. I had no idea what to expect or how I would be received as a volunteer photographer.

I answered a call for volunteers in June but, due to previous engagements, I wasn’t able to attend an event until mid-July. The response that I received from all of the participants was amazing. I felt as though I was a welcome addition to this world of amateur racing. Even now, weeks after the race, I am still in contact with many of the drivers.

One point that stood out more than any other was how proud these folks are of their cars. It became very obvious to me, as I walked around the Paddock area prior to the race, that each one of these people had put a lot of love and dedication into their vehicles. You can plainly see the individual’s personality manifested in his or her car. Talk to these folks about their rides and you can see the pride in their eyes.

Once the timed races started I began shooting different aspects of the event. It started off fairly slowly as the drivers became accustomed to the track. However, as the day progressed you could feel the energy increase with the speed of the cars. After each heat you could overhear each one of the drivers comparing their times against their last run and against each other.

This is clearly a highly competitive sub-culture of motorsports.

I’m really impressed by what I was able to witness on that day. It was an awe-inspiring experience being able to meet the drivers and to get right into the heart of the event to shoot some amazing photographs. I’m really looking forward to attending more events throughout Central Ontario and meeting many more drivers. If you’re looking for a fast paced motorsport, where all you need is your street ride to participate, then just maybe CASC-OR Autoslalom is the sport that you’re looking for.

DOWN TO THE

WIRE

Exciting Finishes Marked the Mid-Point of the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship Season

BY CASTROL CANADIAN TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAMESH BAYNEY

B

y leaving it all on the track in the second of two races at Mosport International Raceway in late July, CTCC competitors put on one of their greatest shows so far this season. Thousands of spectators were kept on edge during the whole race.

SUPER CLASS The thrilling battle started with an incident during the first lap when the polesitter was forced to retire from the race at corner three. Sasha Anis’ left front steering control rod broke, sending him into the tires. The incident made Richard Boake the new race leader in his Subaru STI by an appreciable margin, followed by Arek Wojciechowski in his BMW 328I. Behind them, Dean Fantin stood in

third in his BMW 330i. As the race went on, more incidents created traffic problems for the leaders, which caused Boake to slow down briefly. This circumstance was just the thing Wojciechowski needed to get closer to him and keep pushing until the end. Both drivers fought a strong and fair battle, but only one of them could be victorious.

Wojciechowski made a powerful move that got him alongside Boake, and the two crossed the finish line side-by-side. Wojciechowski won his first race by a margin of 0.014 seconds.

“Richard got caught in traffic in corner three and four and that helped me a lot, I don’t think I could have made it otherwise” said Wojciechowski.

“This is my first win ever, it could not get any better than this.”

Scott A. Thiel Scott Thiel Photography photothiel.ca

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L’ESTAGE TRIUMPHS AT DIFFICULT RALLYE BAIE DES CHALEURS

90

DOWN TO THE WIRE

Car #9 crosses the finish line.

It was the fastest car of the day.

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PRIDE AND PERFORMANCE

ON THE COVER & NEXT ISSUE RON FELLOWS

LEADS MOSPORT’S NEW

OWNERSHIP GROUP DRIVEN: 2011 KIA OPTIMA SX - HELLO TURBOS, GOODBYE BORING

SEBASTIAN

VETTEL IS IN CONTROL

F1

WICKENS’ ASCENT CONTINUES

INDYCAR

ADDS A LITTLE DRAMA

CANADIAN SUPERBIKE

McCORMICK ROLLS ON

ROAD TEST

2011 YAMAHA FAZER 8

INSIDE:

LUBRICANT GUIDE

L’ESTAGE’S

CANADIAN RALLY DOMINANCE CONTINUES

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SAILUN TIRE TRACK DAY

$4.95 AUGUST 2011

SEBASTIAN VETTEL

PHOTO BY LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

As the racing season gets into its later stages our correspondents will focus on chases for championships across the motorsports world including Formula 1, NASCAR, Canadian Superbike, Canadian Rally and CASC-OR. Our motorcycle editor Uwe Wachtendorf recently spent time on Ducati’s new 848 EVO, and will have a full road test.

Meanwhile, in the four-wheel test drive department, yours truly is awaiting confirmation of a booking from BMW. Which model? Check back to find out.

Finally, with the racing off-season approaching, many racers are already looking forward to next year and that usually means one thing – what am I going to spend my money on? To help with these decisions, our Racing Gear Guide returns next issue.

Cheers, Lee Bailie Executive Editor

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11-07-27 1:42 PM

AUGUST 2011

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BY LEE BAILIE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY IMS PHOTO

For over 100 years, Castrol has been Canada’s technology leader in motor oil. In 2010, Castrol once again raises the bar for Canadian enthusiasts with Castrol EDGE advanced synthetic, its flagship global product.It’s the Best Castrol. Ever.

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The event was strictly by invitation only, but the mood in the room – a private area located a couple of floors below street level at St. Elmo’s – wasn’t one of rigid formality. With the Indy 500 a little more than two days away, everyone seemed to be in a festive mood and the air was upbeat and relaxed.

The formal part of the evening focused primarily on the partnership between Shell and Penske, which became official last December and began this season.

www.valvoline.com Summit Racing Equipment has introduced Street & Strip Premium Racing Oil, its own line of standard and semi-synthetic premium racing oils that feature special anti-wear additives to offer protection unmatched by conventional motor oils. Ideal for racing, Street & Strip Premium Racing Oil also features special proprietary, shear-stable polymers help to maintain viscosity, resist breakdown, reduce consumption, and provide excellent protection from metal-tometal contact. All Summit Racing Street & Strip Premium Racing Oil exceeds all known manufacturers’ warranty requirements and meets A.P.I. SL quality standards. Available in regular or semi-synthetic 20W-50, 10W-40 and SAE30 weights.

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Ultra/ Shell V-Power Honda-powered Dallara in the race. All three Penske drivers were on hand for the event, along with various executives from Shell Oil Products US, Penske Racing and, of course, The Captain Roger Penske, founder and Chairman of Penske Corporation.

Members of the media were also quite well represented. Along with members of ABC’s Indy 500 broadcast crew, representatives from ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Toronto Sun, The Globe and Mail and PRN were in attendance.

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n the Thursday evening before the 2011 Indianapolis 500, Shell and Penske Racing invited select members of the media to join them at St. Elmo’s Steakhouse in Indianapolis to learn more about the partnership that exists between these iconic organizations.The occasion, of course, was the upcoming Indianapolis 500 which featured three Penske Racing drivers in the IZOD IndyCar Series; Ryan Briscoe, Will Power and three-time winner Helio Castoneves, who piloted the No.3 Pennzoil

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SHELL AND PENSKE FORGE INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP

2011 LUBRICANT GUIDE

ROAD TEST

2011 YAMAHA

SAILUN TIRES

TRACK DAY

FAZER 8

BY UWE WACHTENDORF // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RHM PHOTO

TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEE BAILIE

O

n a scorching hot early summer day, a small group of Honda and Acura owners gathered at Mosport’s Driver Development Centre (DDC) north of Bowmanville, Ontario to put some new rubber from Sailun Tires to the test.

The centrepiece of the DDC, home to the Bridgestone Racing Academy Racing School, is a 2.4 kilometre test track, designed to simulate the bigger grand prix track next door, the 3.957 kilometre circuit at Mosport International Raceway.

With temperatures in the 35 degree-Celsius range, Sailun’s products – the Atrezzo ZS+ summer compound high performance tire and the ultra-high performance Atrezzo Z4+AS – were put to the test on sizzling hot pavement. The testing

exercises included a slalom course, hard-braking and acceleration and, of course, laps around the full DDC track.

Available in limited quantities in Canada, but a strong seller in other markets, including the U.S., the ZS+ is an Ultra-High Performance tire engineered to deliver superior cornering and handling.

Featuring a variable pitch tread design for a smooth and quiet ride, the ZS+ has an advanced tread compound designed to deliver superior cornering and exceptional handling. Deep, circumferential grooves and hundreds of biting edges are engineered to deliver excellent wet and dry traction.

Other notable features for the ZS+ include a wide shoulder tread block with high angle sipes

for high-speed cornering performance, and multiangle sipes for a smooth and quiet ride.

Sailun’s other test subject was the Atrezzo Z4+AS, an ultra-high performance all-season tire. Designed for uncompromising performance under all weather conditions, the Z4+AS features special silica blends to maximize grip and handling stability in dry conditions while maintaining outstanding wear characteristics.

This tire also has a solid centre rib for improved lateral stability and road comfort, highangle v-shaped tread grooves designed to resist hydroplaning and grooved tread block walls for improved handling and wear.

Putting these tires through the wringer, were a small group of drivers – drawn from Toronto-

EIGHT IS ENOUGH I had an opportunity last year to test Yamaha’s new FZ8, an all new mid-displacement motorcycle that filled the gap between the company’s 600 cc FZ6 and 1000 cc FZ1 machines. In theory, an 800 cc model combines the best attributes of the two sizes: the agility of a smaller displacement machine and the robust power of the larger one. The middleman formula has been around for decades and is a proven quantity that has resulted in some of the best motorcycles ever built; for example, Suzuki’s GSX-R750 is, arguably, one of the best allaround sport bikes currently being manufactured.

The Fazer 8 was launched alongside the FZ8 as an alternative for riders who require some measure of protection from the elements. Accord-

ing to Yamaha Canada, the Fazer is the model that more Canadians will end up buying – or more accurately – it’s the model most frequently ordered by dealers that are trying to anticipate what their customers will want. The Fazer’s half-fairing is the only feature differentiating it from its stablemate, the completely naked FZ-8. The visual effect of fitting a fairing on an FZ8 is dramatic. Although it’s a brutally handsome machine, the added girth of a fairing creates an effect similar to putting a supermodel on a steady diet of chocolate dipped donuts.

From the back the Yamaha presents a svelte image that accentuates the rear tire and makes its 180 mm radial look more like a 200.

Yamaha bills the bike’s riding position as being on the sporty side of upright. I found that there

was enough of a forward cant to weight my arms and wrists on the bar – a welcome posture if you plan on doing a lot of highway riding – but in slow moving, big city traffic I found myself wishing that the handlebar was slightly higher. The pegs were high enough to provide plenty of ground clearance, but not high enough to cramp my legs or cause discomfort to my worn-out knees. Where I did have an issue was when I lowered my feet to the ground. The pegs were in the exact location where my feet wanted to naturally fall; it took an hour of having my calves stabbed at every stop before I adapted to their location and forced myself to plant my feet elsewhere.

A side benefit of the mostly upright riding position and a respectably tall 815mm (32.1”) seat

height was that it gave me a commanding view of the road – providing I was riding behind a car. Too often that wasn’t the case and I had to hug the extremes of the lane to see around the predominant vehicles of the road, meandering leviathans known as SUVs and minivans that at least were easy prey for a motivated rider on a Fazer.

The fairing’s effect was only appreciable at higher speeds when it was directing a turbulencefree blast of air toward my upper chest, which relieved the weight on my arms and added comfort to the ride. In light of this attribute, potential buyers will need to know what the majority of their riding will consist of as the naked FZ8 is already a good commuter and is very competent within the confines of congested streets. Buyers will

want to consider if the burden and extra weight of the Fazer’s fairing with dual headlights (it adds 9 lb - up high - to the FZ8’s 466 lb wet weight) is something they really need.

It was unfortunate that I didn’t manage to test the pillion position because it appeared suspect, at least to our photographer Hugh McLean, who is an authority on the practical aspects of motorcycling.

After studying the lines of the Fazer through the lens of his camera for some time, he quietly commented to no one in particular, “they really don’t make bikes for passengers anymore.” I suggested that perhaps manufacturers just weren’t envisioning passengers with the physique of middle-aged men with a middle-age spread. Either way, potential passengers will need to contend with an

unusually contoured saddle and a high set of pegs.

As a consolation there are two generously sized grab handles that are undoubtedly more useful to strap down a load.

Instrumentation, although basic, was legible and relayed enough information on the machine’s status as was required. A white dialled analogue tach is contrasted by an LCD screen that contains the speedometer and ancillary data.

Overall the Fazer represents a satisfying blend of form and function. Its various components and finishes are of high quality, as you would expect from a Japanese-made motorcycle. If I had to volley a minor complaint toward Yamaha’s stylists – one that I’ve made before and by now must sound like nails on a chalkboard for Yamaha Canada – is

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SAILUN TIRES TRACK DAY

ROAD TEST: 2011 YAMAHA FAZER 8

DRIVEN

The reborn Optima is much sleeker and sportier than its predecessor.

2011 KIA OPTIMA SX KIA’S FLAGSHIP SEDAN IS VANILLA NO MORE REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEE BAILIE

I

didn’t know how long the predecessor for the new for 2011 Kia Optima had been in the Korean automaker’s lineup, so I had to look it up. To my surprise, the Kia Magentis (it was called the Optima in the U.S. and Singapore) existed in essentially the same form – with some styling updates – for nearly a decade (2002-2010).

Although Kia made a greater effort to distinguish it from its corporate cousin upon which it was based (Hyundai Sonata) with a 2005 redesign and a 2008 update, the Magentis was a fairly anonymous flagship car.

Inoffensive but bland styling inside and out combined with average performance and build quality summed up the Magentis.

Not great, nor awful, the Magentis was a pretty

unremarkable car. Last fall, Subaru’s American division had a little fun at Kia’s expense when it created a cheeky viral marketing campaign for the Legacy entitled ‘The 2011 Mediocrity’, about a fictitious automaker whose primary goal was to build ordinary cars that weren’t special or distinguishable from the competition in any way – the ultimate vanilla car.

And which car did Subaru base the Mediocrity campaign on?

The Kia Magentis, circa 2002. Ouch.

With the outgoing model setting the bar so low, it would have been difficult for Kia to not to improve upon it with the launch of the Optima.

On that score, mission accomplished – big time.

The Optima represents a clean-sheet approach

in every way, from the engines to the styling to the performance and car’s positioning in the market. It is everything the Magentis wasn’t and then some.

The Optima is designed to turn heads and make a splash, and it has certainly done that.

The company’s US division had sold more than twice as many Optimas through June 2011 (36,617) as it did with the old model over the same time period in 2010 (15,627).

Specific sales figures for the Optima in Canada haven’t been made available, but Kia Canada Inc. recently reported its best sales month ever in June 2011 with 7,077 units sold. Given the scarcity of Optimas on dealer lots at the moment (at this writing there were only three at my local dealer, including one in the showroom), it’d be safe to as-

sume the Optima has done its part to contribute to that number. The Optima sports a much more aggressive and sleeker appearance that the Magentis and shares much of the company’s design cues, including the very prominent Tiger Nose, the corporate grille penned by Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief of Design that appears on all of the company’s cars.

It is also wider, longer and slightly shorter than its predecessor which is in keeping with the company’s aim to position the Optima as a sportier entry in the midsize segment. This also serves to differentiate it from the Sonata, with which it shares engines and other components.

Given the importance of this car for Kia and the fanfare it came to market with (there were some pretty flashy Super Bowl ads when it was rolled out in the U.S.), I was eager to get behind the wheel of one. My tester was a bright royal blue (Santorini Blue officially), top-of-the-line SX model which comes with a six-speed automatic transmission mated to a 2.0 litre direct-injected turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine. Despite its small displacement, the mill cranks out 274 horsepower and 269 lb.-ft. of torque.

The rest of the line gets a 2.4 litre inline four that puts out 200 horsepower and 186 lb-ft. of

torque. By comparison, the most powerful engine in the Magentis lineup, was a 2.7 litre V6 that produced 194 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque.

Clearly, Kia realizes that solid performance credentials are necessary for the Optima to establish itself as a legitimate player in a segment that also includes Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and the aforementioned Sonata among others.

Aside from a more muscular powerplant, the SX model also features a lengthy list of standard features, including a leather trimmed interior, heated and cooled seats, Infinity premium sound system, panoramic sunroof, navigation system with a backup camera, push button ignition and 18” alloy wheels.

Underpinning the Optima SX is a sport-tuned

suspension featuring McPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup in the rear, which Kia claims provides faster steering response, reduced body roll in turns and increased road feel. The suspension also features Kia’s High Performance Dampers which are designed to provide more proportionate damping action on both smooth and rough driving surfaces.

IMPRESSIONS The Optima is a handsome car in photos, but it looks even better in person, in my view. The styling, with its crisp, sharp lines give the car an aggressive feel, yet have a clean elegance about them are the automotive equivalent of a well-made suit that has been pressed to perfection.

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CONTENTS 12 14

Pit Notes

With Lee Bailie

Big Changes, Quick Riders

With Mark Hacking

57

56 DRIVEN: 2011 KIA OPTIMA SX

VISIT WWW.PRNMAG.COM

16

The Luck Of Racing

24

Ignition F1, IndyCar, CSBK

With Sasha Anis

18

The Next Step: With Aaron Povoledo

36

Gear

98

Motorsport Calendar

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PIT NOTES WITH LEE BAILIE

ALMS AT HOME AT MOSPORT

I

’ll admit that my expectations were somewhat low heading in.

During the build-up to the recent American Le Mans Series (ALMS) weekend at Mosport (the track’s biggest event of the season), I was concerned (and expecting) that the crowds wouldn’t be as healthy as they had been in past years.

After all, the date was moved up by a full month from late August (where it had been since 2007) to late July, a move that in itself can be risky for the promoter. Will people accommodate the change?

Is there enough time for the event to be promoted properly, what with the Honda Indy Toronto running just two weeks before?

Then there are the problems (based on perception to a degree) connected to ALMS itself – smallish car counts (especially in the LMP categories), a lack of manufacturer support outside of GT, a nearly three-month gap in its schedule, and frankly, a lack of energy and excitement from the series.

It wasn’t always this way, of course.

Late in the last decade, ALMS boasted a wealth of glitzy manufacturer involvement in its LMP categories (Acura, Porsche and Audi all ran multicar teams), which featured name drivers (Gil de Ferran, Adrian Fernandez, Bryan Herta and Ryan Briscoe among others) contracted to legendary teams (Penske, Andretti Green Racing, Audi Sport).

The ensuing competition produced some thrilling racing – the sparring between the two German marques was particularly intense even though they competed in different classes – and boosted the credibility of ALMS immeasurably and garnered plenty of media attention both within the motorsports community and beyond.

Well, that was in 2008.

These days, the LMP categories are filled with a handful of privateer teams and the series runs Challenge classes, one for LMP and GT. Both feature identical equipment, and combined they represent almost half the grid at most ALMS races.

With manufacturers having departed LMP, ALMS

now focuses much of its promotional efforts on the GT category, where a healthy number of iconic marques produce the most intense competition in the series. BMW, GM (Corvette), Ferrari, Ford, Jaguar and Porsche all maintain a strong presence in the class.

Despite all of the hard work ALMS management has put in to keep the Series from losing too much of its lustre, it just doesn’t excite this observer nearly as much as it once did.

The stark contrast – between what ALMS was and what it is – was on my mind as I trekked up to Mosport for the Series’ annual visit, and I was hoping that I’d be wrong about a smaller turnout.

And that’s exactly what happened – I was happily proven wrong. The crowds, even on Friday and Saturday seemed, to these eyes, to be thicker than last year. The infield and paddock area was jammed with people – fans, driver, crew members, series officials – and campsites dotted the landscape.

The race day crowd on Sunday was truly impressive, and although I haven’t seen any attendance figures, one track official told me ticket sales were up. Based on what I saw, they sure seemed to be.

Maybe it was due to the track’s recent ownership change. Mosport’s new owner group includes Ron Fellows, a former Corvette Racing ALMS driver and fan favourite who was in attendance throughout the weekend.

Maybe it was the new date. The blazingly hot weather certainly didn’t hurt attendance as I thought it would – people came out in droves.

Maybe fans of Mosport and the ALMS just don’t care too much about manufacturer participation in the series as media curmudgeons like yours truly.

Maybe these folks who buy tickets and camp all weekend just love to hang out with their friends and family and take in some great racing, regardless of how many teams have factory funding.

After witnessing some pretty entertaining racing in a truly festive atmosphere firsthand, maybe they’re on to something.

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CORRESPONDENTS: FORMULA ONE: Dan Knutson NASCAR: Monte Dutton MOTORCYCLE: Mark Hacking NASCAR CANADA: Jamie Maudsley WRITERS: Sasha Anis, Christopher Nagy, Aaron Povoledo SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER: Ramesh Bayney PHOTOGRAPHERS: Dan Boyd, Daniel S. Carter, Michael A. Coates, Keith Hamilton, Vic Henderson, Rick Kolaczynski, Mike Levitt/LAT, LAT Photographic, Gerry Marentette, Bill Murenbeeld, Brian J. Nelson, David Oliver, Chris Waddell

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HACKING

BIG CHANGES, QUICK RIDERS MotoGP more unpredictable than ever

BY MARK HACKING // PHOTOGRAPH BY LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

T

he 2011 MotoGP campaign has reached its traditional summer break; normally by this point, clear-cut patterns have emerged, obvious predictions have been proven right and a championship favourite has been defined. This season, none of the above is applicable.

For example, when Valentino Rossi decided to leave Yamaha and become a central cog in an Italian dream team with Ducati Corse, no one could have predicted the difficulties he would face. After all, this was the 7-time MotoGP champion we were talking about—and the rider who (more or less) singlehandedly, instantly transformed Yamaha into a title-winner after years of mediocre results.

Who among us could have ever imagined a healthy Rossi qualifying next-to-last for a Grand Prix? But this was the case at the German round as the Italian secured the 16th spot on the 17-bike grid, over 1.5 seconds off the ultimate pace and last of all Ducati riders, apart from last-minute replacement Sylvain Guintoli.

At no point in his career has Rossi made it to this late point in a season and been so profoundly uncompetitive. His top finish so far is a (comparatively) lowly third place at Le Mans. He has struggled in getting both the 2011 and 2012 chassis to work to his liking. His teammate Nicky Hayden has outperformed Rossi on a number of occasions and During the USGP weekend at Laguna Seca, Rossi admitted that the Ducati is still a long way off from being competitive, despite his best efforts.

In fact, the Doctor conceded that they’re not even ready to be runners-up, let alone race winners. If he fails to capture a race this season, it will be his first winless campaign since 1996.

Meanwhile, back at one of Rossi’s old teams, something seems to be amiss. Sure, the Yamaha M1 is still proving to be a capable machine in the hands of reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo and his teammate, Ben Spies (pictured). But last season, the Yamaha was largely untouchable and Lorenzo, for all intents and purposes, had the title wrapped up by the midway point.

This year, the factory team has lost a significant amount of pace compared to the factory Hondas— and the satellite Tech 3 Yamaha squad, a regular podium challenger in 2010, barely registers inside the top-10. The most contentious reason for this: Yamaha misses Rossi almost as much as Rossi misses Yamaha.

While there’s little question that Lorenzo is a talented rider, Rossi transformed the M1 into a winner long before the Spaniard arrived. After the Yamaha number two began to show the pace to compete with his team leader, Rossi insisted that their garages be separated and that the sharing of set-up information stopped at once.

And even though Spies broke through to take his first MotoGP win at Assen this year, he’s looked less competitive at many rounds and has hit the ground on a number of occasions. There are three riders performing at a higher level than everyone else—and Spies is not among those three, as many forecasters predicted.

Maybe too much was expected of the Texan in his first season with a factory MotoGP team, but he is not challenging for wins on a regular basis and that’s probably come as a surprise to the man himself. The point is this: Something has happened at Yamaha as they’re clearly not the leaders anymore, they’re the chasers.

Over in the Honda camp, the factory riders comprise what is perhaps the most intriguing group to ever compete for one team. At the summer break, Casey Stoner has finally emerged as the defacto “team number one,” but that’s really only because Dani Pedrosa was sidelined for three races while recovering from a broken collarbone—and didn’t finish a fourth due to the crash that caused this break. Pedrosa is one of those riders who may forever be known as the “nearly man” because, although he’s a three-time world champion, none of those titles have been in MotoGP. The fact that Honda felt compelled to recruit Stoner to “lead the team,” must not have been very welcome news for Pedrosa, the man who’s been with Repsol Honda for his entire, five-year MotoGP career. But the little Spaniard has shown incredible grit this season, beating Stoner in a number of straight fights and riding through the residual pain from last year’s injuries and the new pain of this year’s.

The two other factory Honda riders are both Italians, but they could not be more different in terms of approach. Andrea Dovizioso is earning a reputation as one of the most consistent riders on the grid, regularly finishing—and regularly finishing in the top-5. He’s not the fastest rider out there—he rarely gets the better of Stoner or Pedrosa using equal equipment—but he’s the perfect rider to help prevent the Yamahas from scoring too many points.

On the other hand, we have the mercurial Marco

Simoncelli, who seems to be very nearly as quick as Stoner and Pedrosa, but far too inconsistent for his own good. Of the 10 races so far in 2011, the Italian has hit the turf in exactly half of them.

He was the rider who crashed into Pedrosa in Le Mans, the incident that caused the broken collarbone. And he’s also come under fire from Lorenzo for his “overly ambitious” riding style.

While there’s no question that Simoncelli is, by and large, riding over his head this year, the criticism is probably equal parts deserved and undeserved—the latter more of a psychological game being played by a group of elite riders afraid of another who’s set to join them at the very top.

At some point this season, early next year at the latest, Simoncelli is going to be giving everyone out there headaches—not for his crashing, but for his speed and toughness.

While Stoner has carved out a decent lead in the championship, 20 points clear of Lorenzo, he could be further ahead if there weren’t so many challengers capable of stealing points on any given day. The Australian has won half of this year’s races so far, but he’s still not sufficiently quicker than Pedrosa, Simoncelli or, to a lesser extent, Dovizioso, to sit back and relax.

In the end, Honda’s strategy to run four factory riders in 2011 may turn out to be the biggest surprise of all—if only because the in-fighting could yet allow a Yamaha through to win the title.

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Like the Cabot Trail is just another winding road.

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ANIS

THE LUCK OF RACING

BY SASHA ANIS PHOTOGRAPH BY RAMESH BAYNEY

H

ello again PRN readers. I hope the first few months of summer have been treating you well. I hope all of the racing you’ve planned and prepared for is going smoothly, whatever it may be. But as much as I hope your summer is going well, only you control how well it’s really going, right? Or do you believe in luck?

As with any sport, some racing teams and drivers can be very superstitious. I’ve heard that posing for pictures before a race can be bad luck, and eating peanuts in the pits is an absolute no-no!

Personally, number 14 is my lucky number and I feel I won’t do well unless I run that number. Is there any truth to these superstitions? Or do we just make them up to feel more confident?

You have the group who doesn’t believe in luck or superstitions. The most common quote you’ll hear (usually from a successful team) is “you make your own luck.” Well, that sounds great when you’re winning, but when nothing seems to be going right it’s easy to feel like it’s just bad luck.

When you think you’ve covered every base and been prepared on time, yet still have problems, for instance. It’s those times we can start to wonder if maybe we’re not totally in control. Maybe there is some luck involved.

We had a great Canadian Touring Car season in 2010. I told myself, and a lot of my close friends and associates not to expect 2011 to be as successful. I said you can’t expect to have it all. One good year, one bad year. It’s balance. I won’t be upset if things don’t go our way this year. It started to look like I was right.

After testing for a month before the 2011 season started, two days before our first race a power steering hard line exploded during testing at Mosport. Not thinking anything of it, we changed the line for the weekend.

Everything seemed fine in practice and qualifying and we were fourth on the grid. Race time was coming around and it was nothing short of a perfect, beautiful day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky – literally none.

Minutes before the race started a big cloud snuck in overhead and started to sprinkle on us. Sure enough by the time the race started it was pouring rain. The only thing we hadn’t prepared for was rain. No Rain-X, the defogger wasn’t wired (although we had made a jumper harness for it, it just never got installed!) and no anti-fog. No wipers either. I went from third to last after having to give up due to lack of vision only a few laps from the finish. It was either that or crash - my ego was going to put me in the wall.

The next morning we went out for practice and noticed the same power steering line leaking.

Trying to be as proactive as possible we drove the racecar (on public roads!) to the Mosport Driver Development Track where a lapping day was going on and ran a few laps at the there to see if our issue was fixed. We thought it was, but unfortunately, the line would fail on the first lap of the second race, after already losing the first to the visibility.

Needless to say, Rain-X and anti-fog are now being applied before every session, regardless of how the weather looks. We changed the steering rack (which contains the evil hardline of death), power steering pump and inspected all of the other lines. At our next event at ICAR two weeks later, after testing the new rack and pump around the shop - the same line blew up in the first lap of practice.

I think you can imagine how at this point I was starting to wonder if luck was indeed against us. I mean, multiple test days and no failures – and now brand new OEM equipment is failing after only one lap. How could this be?

The question is not whether or not luck existsthat’s not something we’re going to find out any time soon. The question to ask is what to do when things aren’t going your way.

Do you fire everyone and start over? Do you take the entire car apart and put it all back together? Maybe just hide in bed for a few months?

Well, after admittedly losing my composure at Mosport after our horrible first weekend, I decided I wouldn’t care at ICAR. Racing is just too much work and time (and money) to not have fun. I figured I’d just help my teammate Bob do as well as he could (his wheel broke in that same practice session and he had to be towed in), and we’d attempt to fix my car and if it worked, great. But I had no expectations.

We actually started laughing about the power steering problems. It was so random, so unexpected. The most ridiculous fact was that our twin car wasn’t having any issues, even though both cars have identical systems!

It almost seemed like as soon as we stopped caring about our problems they started to go away.

I went out for qualifying and to my surprise the power steering lasted for the first lap. Second lap, third lap and for the entire session! I ended up third on the grid, and won the first race! Bob had his best finish ever, finishing right behind me. Our best team result ever. Did our luck turn around?

If it wasn’t luck, what did we do differently for everything to suddenly fall into place?

The truth seems to be, at least to me - that you can be prepared, you can work hard, you can have great people and things will still go wrong from time to time. And when it rains, it pours. Call it luck if you will, but it doesn’t really matter. What’s important is how you move forward when things seem like they can’t get any worse. This lesson taught me to keep a smile on my face (or to try anyways), keep racing in perspective (it’s just racing after all, I should feel fortunate to even get ONE LAP in a racecar), and to keep the people I trust close. Changing your routine, hiring new people, totally rebuilding a car out of frustration, are all bad ideas that will probably just make things worse.

Even the best teams in the world stumble, but I’m pretty sure you’ll find they come back extremely quickly. These teams also rarely ever have the same problem twice. I believe the difference between a good team and a bad team is the ability to learn from the bad times, and to not just blame it on “bad luck”. You can almost always learn something from a bad situation that will help in the future. So with that being said, good luck!

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THE NEXT STEP

BY AARON POVOLEDO

MAILBAG

FROM THE EDITOR:

Aaron Povoledo’s column, The Next Step, exists to provide advice to readers looking to make the transition from motoring/ motorsports enthusiast to participant. With his years of experience as a professional driver and driving instructor in North America and Britain, Povoledo is an authority within the world of motorsports and advanced driver training.

Send your racing questions and comments to aaron@prnmag.com.

EPISODE 14: THE DE LINE… PHOTOGRAPH BY RAMESH BAYNEY

Dear Aaron, I have been attending various lapping events and DE’s for just over three years now. Recently I have heard talk about two types of driving lines: the traditional DE line and the racing line.

Can you please explain the difference between them?

Thank you, Bob Lumin Hi Bob, Thanks for writing and asking great question.

For any readers that aren’t familiar with the term DE, it stands for Drivers’ Education. These are essentially the same as normal lapping events but often have an added level of instruction incorporated.

The main difference between the DE line and racing line is that the DE line normally promotes a later turn in point, apex and exit point – essentially squaring off the corner to some extent. In most cases it is not the optimal line through the corner in terms of speed. A racing line is normally a more progressive arc allowing the car to carry more speed in, through and out.

Typically most lapping events will mark the turn in, apex and exit points with

orange pylons. At a race event there are normally no cones on the track making such things although in some cases where a car club is hosting a race and DE run groups simultaneously, the cones will stay out for the entire event.

The reasoning behind the DE line is said to be on the grounds of safety. It is believed that if you turn in later and hit the apex later you will have more room before reaching the edge of the track on exit, and it will therefore be safer for the novice to intermediate driver.

The belief is that if you go into a corner too hot, you will have more room before going off the track and crashing. Recently I heard a DE instructor say, “when cars go off the track and crash, it is always at the corner exit.”

I’m going to pin my colours to the mast here and say I strongly disagree with all of this.

If you go into a corner too hot and turn in late then you have two very immediate problems: A) You now have a lot of steering to do in a very short amount of time, which is something your car- make that tires- normally don’t like. You can get away with this in a low-speed corner but in a medium to high-speed bend you are upsetting the car’s balance which can lead to a loss of traction, and a bucketful of other problems.

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AARON POVOLEDO: CREDENTIALS AND CAREER BIO » » » » » » » » » »

Regular winner in regional and national level karting Canadian Regional F2000 Champion World Scholarship winner from Jim Russell Racing UK Voted by Autosport Magazine as one of the top 5 up and coming drivers in the UK in 1997 Player’s Racing team driver 1998 – 2000 Winner of Canadian Grand Prix F.Ford race Pole position at Molson Indy, F.Ford Record number of Poles in Canadian Champ Car Lights 5 wins, 3 seconds and 2 thirds in CCL ALMS with Carsport America in the Viper GTSR

Victory, pole and fastest lap in touring car debut Pole Position at Trois-Riviers in Hankook Touring car series Lap record holder at Mosport since 2000 Pole Position at 2005 BMW CCA O’Fest feature race.

Podium finish in first Grand-Am cup race Top ten finish (7th) in Rolex series debut, - 9hr Sun Chaser, MMP » 5 race wins and 7 lap records (including out right record at Watkins Glen and Tremblant) in BMW Club racing series » Qualified no lower than 4th in 2007 KONI Challenge ST » Led every race entered in 2007 KONI Challenge season » » » » » »

» Pole + most laps led, Koni Challenge 2008 Watkins Glen » 2010 Grand Am Continental Tire Challenge ST : Trois-Rivieres: 5th Place » Miller Motorsports Park: 1st Place + Pole position, fastest lap, most laps led » 2011 Class winner in PCA 48hrs of Sebring enduro – Cayman S » 2011 K-PAX Racing Volvo C30 Pirelli World Challenge driver » 2011 Race winner Word Challenge TC, Round 4, Utah Grand Prix » 2011 Race winner Word Challenge TC, Round 4, Utah Grand Prix » 2011 Pole position for World Challenge TC, Rounds 5 & 6, Mosport

PHOTOGRAPH BY RAMESH BAYNEY

B) Turning in late puts you dangerously close to the marbles (chunks of rubber) and dusty or less grippy track surface. If you are in the marbles at turn in you stand a good chance of going off right away.

Going off at corner entry or in the middle is normally worse than going off at the exit because typically there is less run off room.

However, if you are in fact going in too hot, turning in earlier can actually save the day. By turning in earlier you are buying yourself more time and real estate to sort the problem out. Often it can be as simple as staying off the throttle for a bit longer.

Allowing the car to scrub off speed in a shallow understeer is easier and safer than the “bucketful of problems” that can happen when turning a car in too hard, too late.

As for cars crashing more often from going off at the exit as opposed to anywhere else in the corner, I have to disagree again. Cars can and do crash pretty much anywhere!

Going off at the exit is normally less exciting than anywhere else because to get to that point you have already completed a lot of turning, thus reducing the angle of impact should you reach the wall. In most cases going off at the corner exit should do nothing more than slow your lap time. Apply the rules of an everyday shoulder recovery and keep motoring. As long as you don’t jerk the wheel you can slowly pull back on, farther down the road. Going off the track at turn in

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requires much more direction change to avoid the wall. More often than not the wall wins. Let’s take Mosport’s notorious turn two as a prime example. I’ve seen countless cars (Including those driven by me) go off the exit and safely rejoin the track. I have not, however, seen many cases of a car going off near the turn in point and NOT ending up in the wall.

So in summary, the main difference between a DE line and racing line is whether you square off the corner or take a more progressive arc through it.

The racing line requires less steering angle per square foot traveled. Less steering angle means a more stable car, which is: a) safer and b) allows you to carry more speed.

I would go so far as stating that a driver is going to reach the limit of the vehicle’s adhesion quicker using the late Turn in of a DE line because of the increased steering angle required.

I recognize that there are legions of lapping groups and car clubs that teach and promote the late turn in DE line, and they would likely disagree with me here.

So by all means – if anyone reading this has a differing point of view, please write to me and let’s continue the discussion.

Yours in motoring, Aaron

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FULL SERVICE Marco Andretti’s crew blasts through a four-tire, full-fuel pit stop during the Honda Indy Toronto. Andretti came home fourth, his best result at Exhibition Place.

PHOTO BY RAMESH BAYNEY

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RUSH HOUR Seven-time and defending Canadian Superbike champion Jordan Szoke makes a charge to the front in the first of two races at Shannonville Motorsport Park. He finished third.

PHOTO BY RAMESH BAYNEY

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IGNITION

BY THE NUMBERS:

NAPA AUTO PARTS 200

THE TRACK:

CIRCUIT GILLES VILLENEUVE, MONTREAL, QUEBEC

2.71 MILE (4.361 KM) 13-TURN PERMANENT ROAD CIRCUIT

1

PAST WINNERS:

ST

WINNING DRIVER/CAR: KEVIN HARVICK (USA) / RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING / CHEVROLET IMPALA SS

KEVIN HARVICK (2007) RON FELLOWS (2008)

Ron Fellows

CARL EDWARDS (2009) BORIS SAID (2010)

CHAMPIONSHIP:

NASCAR BUSCH SERIES- 2007 NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES- 2008- PRESENT

Kevin Harvick

NEXT RACE AUGUST 20, 2011 (5TH RUNNING), TV: TSN, ESPN- 2:30 PM ET

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1 2 3

INTERESTING FACTS: THE 2008 RACE WAS THE FIRST OFFICIAL NASCAR POINTS RACE FROM ONE OF NASCAR’S TOP THREE SERIES TO UTILIZE RAIN TIRES AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS THE RACE HAS HAD AN ‘OVERTIME’ FINISH (GREEN-WHITECHECKER) THREE TIMES IN FOUR YEARS. THE LONGEST RACE WAS IN 2010 (77 LAPS, 208.67 MILES).

THE NAPA 200 IS CURRENTLY ONE OF ONLY 3 ROAD COURSE RACES ON THE NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES SCHEDULE; THE OTHERS ARE THE BUCYRUS 200 PRESENTED BY MENARDS (ROAD AMERICA) AND THE ZIPPO 200 AT THE GLEN (WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL).

HAMILTON AND STEWART SWAP CARS AT THE GLEN

Back in 2003, NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon and then F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya swapped cars to run a few laps at Indianapolis to help generate interest in the USGP at that venue. Now, with the prospect of the USGP returning soon, Mobil 1 arranged for two of its sponsored drivers – Tony Stewart and Lewis Hamilton – to make a similar car swap at the venerable Watkins Glen circuit.

In this era when drivers are dedicated to a single series, it was a rare opportunity to see drivers in cars from outside their chosen disciplines.

The event ran a couple of days after the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal making it convenient for Hamilton and the McLaren crew to be there. Despite the proximity to the Montreal race, the team actually brought an older car, the one that Hamilton had driven to the championship in 2008.

After rain overnight, the day began under drizzle and both cars were set up on rain tires. Stewart had never driven the stock car on rain tires so it was a bit of a new experience for him. Serious track drying efforts and a letup in the rain meant that the track was more damp than wet when they started their runs. Both drivers took their own cars out for a few laps first then the swap began.

Hamilton went out in the stock car first. This was quite a new experience for him, driving such a heavy car with so little downforce and brakes and using the traditional H-pattern gearshift. But, skilled driver that he is, he managed just fine.

Afterwards, Hamilton said, “[The cars are] completely different. But the driving skills that you learn, the braking into corners, throttle shifting, that’s all very, very similar. That’s why I think it was easier to pick it up quicker than perhaps I would.

I think it’s the same for Tony. He went straight out there and picked it up. It was no problem for him.”

Of course, Stewart had prior experience in “downforce” cars from his IRL days, albeit not on road courses. And he had spent a few hours the day before on the iRacing simulator driving an F1 car on the long Watkins Glen circuit which included the “Boot”.

“I never got to full potential of what the car was capable of doing in a braking zone,” Stewart said. “It’s just amazing how far you can charge the corner. It’s easy to see why it’s hard for these guys to overtake because it’s not a long distance from the time you get off the throttle on the brakes to where you’re changing directions. It gives you a much greater appreciation for how hard it is for these guys to overtake each other, what that car’s

actually capable of. It’s just incredible the technology behind it.”

Of course, Montoya’s defection to NASCAR notwithstanding, there’s little chance of either driver making a serious attempt to run in the other’s race series. Stewart expressed interest in Hamilton driving a stock car competitively, saying, “I just want first dibbs on trying to hire him.”

Indeed, Stewart made a sincere offer to include Hamilton in his Prelude to the Dream invitational dirt track stock car race. “If he wants to come run The Prelude next year, I will personally pay for a brand-new car to come there. If he wants it, he’s got it. We’ll have him a brand-new one sitting there ready to go.”

Both drivers enjoyed using the long circuit.

For Hamilton it was a chance to experience the iconic Watkins Glen grand prix circuit. “The track is absolutely fantastic,” he said. “It feels like a real classic. They don’t make tracks like that nowadays.”

Stewart for his part said, “I enjoyed the long course.

I had never been around it till today. ... I would like the opportunity to see us have a shot at running the long course [in the NASCAR cars].

– George Webster

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IGNITION NASCAR

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Crown Royal will become the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday, July 29, 2012 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Crown Royal “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 at the Brickyard is part of Crown Royal’s continuing effort to provide race fans with an unrivaled experience and honor all of the nation’s heroes. The race will serve as an expansion of the annual “Your Name Here” program and honor all of our nation’s heroes, including U.S. service men and women.

“We look forward to an exciting partnership with Crown Royal and an opportunity to showcase our appreciation for those who make a difference in our communities,” said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and CEO. “It is great to have a partner like Crown Royal to provide race fans with an exciting and unique race experience at the Brickyard.”

Crown Royal focused the annual promotion the last two years solely on military service members to honor their heroic acts and service to their country. The expanded Crown Royal “Your Hero Here” 400 program will recognize all of the unsung heroes who make a difference in our communities, from firefighters and police officers to local volunteers and military members.

The grand prize for the 2012 race at Indianapolis will go to one special individual who will be provided with the reins to their very own race and receive the naming rights to the Crown Royal “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 at the Brickyard.

“We are incredibly excited to have the chance to take our annual program to the next level at one of the most historic venues in motorsports,” said Yvonne Briese, VP Marketing, DIAGEO North American Whisky.

The Crown Royal “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 will be the marquee event of the inaugural Super Weekend at the Brickyard, which also will feature a NASCAR Nationwide Series event Saturday, July 28, two GRAND-AM road races Friday, July 27 and Nationwide practice Thursday, July 26.

castrol.ca DJ Kennington’s Dodge Avenger

Engine: 340 CI Max Power: 550 HP Engine Oil: Castrol Edge

2010 Nascar Canadian Tire Series Champion

IT’S MORE THAN JUST A CAR, IT’S AN OBSESSION. IT HAS PERFORMANCE WITH AN EDGE. EDGE, CASTROL’S BEST OIL YET “They say life’s not a race but for me, it is. For 17 years I’ve used Castrol oil in my engine and it’s taken me to the top as the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion. My Dodge Avenger has a 340 CI, 550 HP engine, four speed g-force racing transmission and 3000 pounds of pure unbridled power, ready to take me to the finish line. That’s why I only use Castrol Edge.

It offers superior performance under extreme conditions and it doesn’t just keep me in the race, it helps me lead the pack. If life is a race, I say go for gold.”

*NASCAR® and the NASCAR logo are registered trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. Canadian Tire® and the Canadian Tire logo are trademarks of Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series marks are used under license by Destination Motorsports LP and Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited.”

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IGNITION MOSPORT SOLD TO CANADIAN OWNERSHIP GROUP Canadian Motorsport Ventures Ltd., established by famed Canadian racer Ron Fellows, transportation industry leader, Alan Boughton, and real-estate developer Carlo Fidani, have purchased Mosport International Raceway. Taking over from the Panoz Motor Sports Group, the new owners will build on Mosport’s storied history and respected reputation to create new and exciting opportunities for race fans, corporate partners and drivers on an international scale.

Recognized as Canada’s Home of Motorsports, Mosport is the country’s largest automotive performance and racing facility, and has hosted almost every class of road racing on its famed 3.96 km circuit, including Formula 1, IndyCar, sports cars, stock cars, endurance racing, motorcycles, motocross, showroom stock, historic vintage racers, “Big Rig” trucks and karts. Under the new leadership, Myles Brandt will continue to serve in his role as President and General Manager at the facility. “We want to thank the Panoz Motor Sports Group for making Mosport what it is today – a world class racing venue that hosts some of North America’s best road racing series and a place of inspiration for generations of racers in Canada,” said Alan Boughton, Managing Partner, Canadian Motorsport Ventures, Ltd. “We are excited to pour our racing passion and business expertise into Mosport and look forward to working together with local government and tourism authorities to take this historic race facility to the next level in delivering the best excitement and entertainment motor racing has to offer.”

The new leadership team brings a renewed focus, fresh thinking, and a strong vision on how to maximize the potential of Mosport. Over the next 18 months, they will look at all aspects of improving the facility to deliver the high calibre racing experience that fans, sponsors, teams and drivers want, including the construction of a new events and meeting facility. The new owners will utilize their unique areas of strength and knowledge to guide Mosport into the future: Ron Fellows (pictured, centre) – Canadian racing legend with a distinguished racing record and a deep relationship with Mosport, which started at the age of eleven where he attended his first race.

Mosport is also where Ron won his first Drivers Championship, first Trans AM Series victory, first pro-

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totype sports cars win, three straight class victories in the American Le Mans Series, and most recently in 2010, a series victory in SCCA World Challenge in Mosport’s 50th anniversary year.

Alan Boughton (left) – President and Managing Partner of Trailcon Leasing and a long-time classic car enthusiast and restorer with a passion for racing Carlo Fidani (right) - Chairman and CEO of Orlando Corporation and an accomplished businessman who brings a wealth of development insight and experience to Mosport.

“Myles and his staff have done an extraordinary job with Mosport,” said Don Panoz, founder of the Panoz Motor Sports Group. “There is no deeper racing tradition or racing history in Canada than what exists here. I am personally very gratified that we have been able to help this crown jewel grow and improve for both racers and fans and I am very happy to now turn it over to a group that loves this place as much as I do. And I want to say a special thank you to Ron Fellows, who has always been

a true gentleman, champion and the greatest representative of Canadian racing that I have known. The fact that he is now one of the owners of Mosport is a dream come true for both of us.”

Panoz also owns the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, which returns to Mosport for their only north-of-the-border stop, July 21-24, as part of the Mobil 1 presents The Grand Prix of Mosport – Canada’s biggest sports car race of the year.

“We could not be more pleased to be returning Mosport back to Canadian ownership and stewardship,” said Scott Atherton, president and CEO of Panoz Motor Sports Group. “The new owners represent the best possible combination of top quality business professionals, enthusiasts and resources. Canadian race fans have a lot of very positive things to look forward to at Mosport. And we will look forward to bringing the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón back to Mosport for many years to come.”

Chairman and CEO of Orlando Corporation and an accomplished businessman who brings a wealth of development insight and experience to Mosport.

Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport, is already prepared for one of the most challenging development programmes in the company’s history.

“We’re looking forward to the task of developing new technologies and to continue on with the success of the Porsche RS Spyder. After the conclusion of our works-supported sports prototype programme in the American Le Mans Series we have kept up with the latest technological advances. Now we will begin with detailed research in order to evaluate the various concept alternatives for our new car. These obviously depend on how the regulations for the

year 2014 look in detail. In principle, these regulations are interesting for us because the integration of our hybrid technology in the vehicle concept is one possible option.”

Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood claimed the first overall victory for Porsche in 1970 with the legendary 917 short-tail. The 16th and by now last overall win was secured by Laurent Aiello, Stéphane Ortelli and Allan McNish in 1998 with the 911 GT1. In the years 2008 and 2009, the Porsche RS Spyder sports prototype won the title in the LMP2 category.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY IMS PHOTO

Porsche has officially announced plans to Le Mans with a works-run LMP1 program. The first outing of the completely new developed race car is planned for 2014. With 16 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in Le Mans. The most recent win was in 1998 with the Porsche 911 GT1.

“Motorsport was always an essential part of the Porsche brand,” emphasises Matthias Müller, President of the Executive Board at Porsche AG. “So for us it was only a matter of time before we returned as a factory to the top league of racing. Porsche’s successes in Le Mans are unrivalled. We want to follow up on this with the 17th outright victory.”

With the RS Spyder sports prototype that was run with great success from 2006 to 2008 by the factory-backed Penske Racing team in the USA and to 2010 by several customer teams worldwide, Porsche has set the benchmark recently in the LMP2 category. “With the RS Spyder we proved that our motorsport engineers in Weissach are at the forefront,” says Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG. “For instance, we were the first to run a high-revving race engine with direct fuel injection, DFI, setting new standards in performance and efficiency. Recently, with the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, we adopted a completely new drive technology for racing purposes and achieved a considerable reduction in consumption.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

PORSCHE TO RETURN TO LE MANS IN 2014

INDYCAR The IZOD IndyCar Series will return to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. for a night race in 2012.

“We feel the time is right to bring IndyCar racing back to Auto Club Speedway,” said Randy Bernard, chief executive officer, INDYCAR. “We want to maintain the diverse line-up of ovals on our schedule and the addition of Auto Club Speedway adds a great venue that was built

for the high-speed, wheel-to-wheel excitement of IndyCar racing under the lights.”

The 2-mile oval played host to CART from 1997-2002 and the IZOD IndyCar Series from 2002 to 2005.

Dario Franchitti (pictured, leading) won the last race in October 2005.

The facility has been the site of two major Indy car records. Gil de Ferran set the track record for the

fastest lap at 241.426 mph during qualifying in 2000. It stands as the world speed record for the fastest lap on a closed course. In 2003, Sam Hornish Jr. averaged 207.151 mph in winning the race, setting the record for the fastest race on a closed course.

“This facility was built to host open-wheel racing and Auto Club Speedway has arguably hosted

some of the most exciting races in Indy car history,” said Gillian Zucker, president, Auto Club Speedway. “We look forward to building on the area’s history and tradition of open-wheel racing with new records and new races beginning in 2012.”

Tickets for the event go on sale to the public on Sept. 12. The IZOD IndyCar Series will announce its full 2012 schedule at a later date.

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IGNITION MOTORSPORTS BOOKS My First Car

Recollections of First Cars from Jay Leno, Tony Stewart, Carroll Shelby, Dan Ackroyd, Tom Wolfe and Many More!

By Matt Stone | Motorbooks | Hardcover, 224 Pages | Price: $28.00 ($25.00 US) Everyone has a story about that first car. Whether it was new, a hand-me-down, or a junker, it was freedom on four wheels, independence, responsibility, and something that would always hold a special place in your heart. Well, you’re not alone. My First Car captures those wonderful moments of automotive initiation as they were lived by such luminar-

ies as Jay Leno, Mario Andretti, Patrick Dempsey, Danica Patrick, Sir Stirling Moss, Gregg Allman, and more. Accompanying many of these stories are photographs of the neophyte drivers with their first cars. For anyone who ever slid behind the wheel and tooled down the road for the first time, this wonderful book awakens memories of what it was like.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillion has put together a team tasked with resurrecting the French Grand Prix.

The group, which includes Renault team principal Eric Boullier and Circuit Paul Ricard director Gerard Neveu, is seeking to revive a race which hasn’t been held since Magny Cours was dropped from the calendar in 2008. The race at Nevers was dropped as the French governing body could no longer afford to absorb the costs of hosting the race.

Despite the addition of races in Texas next year and Russia in 2013, as well as this year’s inaugural

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Indian Grand Prix, Fillon said his taskforce was investigating the possibilities, and appeared that the Circuit Paul Ricard at Le Castellet is the most likely venue.

“It is true that I have put in place a team [to] attempt to create a proposition that will allow the organisation of a new grand prix in France,” Fillion told Var Matin. “It (the team) is led in particular by one of my former colleagues Gilles Dufeigneux, working with the French motor sport federation, the FIA and also Eric Boullier and the director of Le Castellet, Gerard Neveu.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

FRENCH GRAND PRIX RETURN?

CANADIAN SUPERBIKE

Groundbreaking 3D coverage of the Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada will make its debut on the High Definition network radX on Monday, November 7. This will be the first of 18 half-hour programs featuring the national motorcycle road racing series. The Canadian Superbike Championship coverage will be part of ‘Motorcycle Mania’ on radX, a block of both High Definition and 3D programming dedicated to Canadian motorcycle competition. Premiering each Monday night, ‘Motorcycle Mania’ will feature the second season of the documentary series ‘Ultimate Superbike’ as well as the National road race series coverage.

The Canadian Superbike Championship coverage will be a co-production of Professional Motorsports Productions and WhistleStop Productions.

“With ‘Motorcycle Mania’ we have created a dedicated time and place for Canadian motorcycle racing coverage,” said Colin Fraser of Professional Motorsports Productions. “This should appeal to existing fans of the sport and also help introduce new enthusiasts to the speed, drama and color of the Canadian Superbike Championship.”

The race series coverage will include flag-to-flag action from the featured Parts Canada Superbike class, plus the Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup and Pirelli Pro Sport Bike divisions.

‘Ultimate Superbike’ is a behind the scenes look at the radX / BMW Motorrad Canada factory Superbike team as it contests the national tour. The series debuted last summer on radX. “Fans of all action sports are in for a treat this fall,” said David Hatch, who along with his partner Stacey Hatch are executive producers at WhistleStop Productions. “The addition of 3D technology to the racing telecasts is a huge step forward and will add a spectacular dimension to motorcycle road racing.”

This represents the 17th straight season of television coverage of the Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada. Sponsorship comes from BMW Motorrad Canada and Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada. BMW is now in its second year of running a factory Pro Superbike team while Deeley HarleyDavidson Canada is title sponsor of the XR1200 Cup as well as the Ruthless Racing team.

New to Canadian tracks this season, the XR1200 Cup is a spec class for Harley-Davidson’s XR1200 motorcycle. It is based on similar series currently running in the United States and Great Britain.

The premier schedule for the radX Canadian Superbike Championship is as follows: Episode 1

Circuit ICAR

Mirabel, QC.

Monday, November 7

Episode 2

Shannonville Mtrspt Park

Shannonville, ON.

Monday. November 14

Episode 3

Autodrome St. Eustache

St-Eustache, QC.

Monday, November 21

Episode 4

Atlantic Motorsport Park

Shubenacadie, NS.

Monday, November 28

Episode 5

Mosport Int’l Raceway I

Bowmanville, ON.

Monday, December 5

Episode 6

Mosport Int’l Raceway II

Bowmanville, ON.

Monday, December 12

BMW PRIVATEERS TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAMESH BAYNEY

The survival of race tracks often depends on the product that is put on the grid either by professional racing series or through club events.

Most race fans know that a grid on any given race day will be comprised of teams owned and operated by manufacturers, while the remainder of the grid is usually made up of privateer racers, competitors who essentially race out of their own pockets with little corporate backing. This is the main difference between a factory team and a privateer effort: support. Privateer teams may get some assistance from manufacturers when it comes to the cost of their bikes and replacement parts, but the cost of keeping their teams going from race to race during the season is their responsibility.

The revamped Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada is being supported by many privateers, especially in the top Pro Superbike class. There are five BMW racers on the grid in the class and most of them have been finishing in the top ten this season.

This year the BMW programme was well organized and got off to an early start in acquiring racers, by signing Brett McCormick (who raced in the AMA for Jordan Suzuki in 2010) and retaining Michael Ferreira for their factory team. BMW then went out and acquired proven racers for their customer programs.

One of the first was Steve Walker who toiled for many years at Shannonville Motorsport Park in the Super Series with an old Boxer bike.

Francis Martin from Sherbrooke, Quebec a two-time Canadian Superbike champion is now competing on a BMW S1000RR through a privateer program.

Andrew Nelson from Kars, Ontario has raced at Shannonville in the Super Series and the Parts Canada Series, and has also competed as a privateer at the World Super Sport Championship race at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Matt McBride honed his skills in Race Super Series, and then went on to race as a Pro in the Canadian Superbike Championship for several years, which included time as a factory rider with Suzuki.

Finally, Rob Busby from Brantford, Ontario is another BMW-powered racer that has competed at Shannonville for many years.

So far this year, we have seen BMW privateers prove their skills with strong finishes; three to four are usually in the top ten.

A pretty impressive track record to say the least.

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IGNITION Q&A WITH RANDY BERNARD PRESIDENT & CEO, IZOD INDYCAR SERIES

PRN: Talk a little bit about how the 2012 car project is coming along.

Randy Bernard: We’re very excited about the new car. I think we laid out a very articulate strategy and we wanted to make some significant changes. We think speed, relevance and technology all have to become very big parts of it like it once was. We want to see what’s out here on the racetrack today in the showroom tomorrow, or components of it. So we went from a 3.5 maximum displacement down to a 2.2, we went with direct injection turbocharged, we went with E85 (fuel), which we feel is pump relevant and we went from 630 horsepower down to 550-700 which allows us to reduce fuel consumption by 30 percent.

PRN: There’s been some pushback, reportedly, from team owners on the adoption of aero kits. Some reports have suggested they may not be introduced until 2013. Could you shed some light on that?

RB: I think the aero kit was very important to our strategy when we designed this car, but we also know that the economy is an important consideration. One thing I don’t want is for this new car to cost us a bunch of teams because it was overly expensive. If times were great, I would say too bad. The reason we’re putting so much thought into this is I want to make sure the team owners are heard. I think they’ve gotten a little bit of a black eye on this which isn’t fair, because I think that most of the ideas we’ve come up with this year, even though its cost them more money, they’ve stood right behind me. The best example is the double-file restart, which has cost them $4-5 million (US) more in damage over the year, yet in a meeting they said, ‘hey, we know it’s going to make a difference in a sport, we need to continue to with it.’ The team owners want what’s in the best interest of our sport. I think that it’s very important for us to make sure we determine what’s in the best interest going forward. If we have to put it off one year, it’s not the end of the world.

PRN: Could there be a fourth engine supplier in 2013?

RB: I think there’s a very big opportunity (possibility) that we could have a couple new engine manufacturers in ’13 or ’14. There’s a lot of them that are very intrigued with what we’re doing. I’ve made some trips to Europe as well as to Detroit to talk about our strategy and how we’re going to grow our sport.

PRN: What should we expect for the 2012 schedule?

RB: We’re having weekly meetings right now on developing our schedule. We’re making sure that we weigh factors such as the size of the city, to financial aspects, to how much activation and promotion and how that partner is going to work with us in the long term. I think that we want to stick around 17 (races), but if we have to go up by one or two, I don’t think it hurts us. I’d like to see us eventually at 22-24 events. I think it’s important for us to be able to give our sponsors and the teams’ sponsors more exposure, give our drivers more exposure and gets us more on TV on a weekly basis that allows storylines to be told more frequently. I think 17 events is difficult.

It’s not enough television to really create the storylines that you want.

had a huge increase last year so we we’re down pretty big on that (this year), but if we took those two out we’d be pretty close to that 25 percent. On the positive side of that, this race (Toronto) was a network event last year and it should be one of our strongest races on Versus this year. (Ed. noteToronto was the highest rated IndyCar race ever on Versus and TSN).

PRN: You mentioned TV. The NBC/Comcast merger is done. Talk about the implications of that for INDYCAR. RB: I think it’s very important for our sport. The one thing you know about NBC and Comcast is their first class and they’re going to go after some big content and compliment us. They’ve made it very clear to us that they want us to be a tent pole on their networks and as a CEO of a sanctioning body that’s what you want to see.

PRN: The double-file restarts were contentious when they were first introduced, but the drivers seem to be complaining less about them now. How do you see it evolving?

RB: They’re starting to understand it. Rick Mears told me, ‘Randy, you have to stick to your guns on this and wait for a year. These are the best drivers in the world, they’re going to figure out a way to work around the rules.’ He was right on.

As we continue every single week we see them understanding it and using it to their advantage.

You look at Scott Dixon going from 28 to 3 (at Texas), and I think moving through all those cars is pretty fun to watch if you’re a fan. We’re making solid progress with it. Our ratings are up and I think the double-file restarts have something to do with it, and I give Penske and Ganassi deserve all the credit for that. It was one of their ideas.

PRN: There’s been talk that there could be a new TV partner after the current ABC deal expires after next year. Could you expand on that?

RB: There are other networks that have expressed interest, but I think that it’s only fair that we give ABC first shot, because they’ve been a partner for 47 consecutive years. So I think they’ve been a great partner and want to give them every chance to keep us.

PRN: We’ve been hearing US ratings have been improving steadily.

RB: We’re up 27% on network and we’re up 14% on Versus.

PRN: Are those numbers meeting expectations?

RB: I want to see us on a 25% growth path on Versus. We’ve had a couple of bad things happen this year, with Tiger going to the lead at the Masters hurt us big time at Barber. Then at Long Beach, last year Talladega was rained out so we

PRN: How big was Marco Andretti’s win at Iowa?

RB: The fact that Marco won is huge and the interesting thing for me was learning that Mario didn’t start winning until he was 25 or so. To me this is a great sign for us with Marco and what’s to come. We need Graham, Marco and Charlie Kimball and JR Hildebrand to showcase their skills and they are.

PRN: The consensus in the industry seems to be that Danica Patrick will move to NASCAR full time in 2012. How will things be for a postDanica INDYCAR? RB: I think life without Danica will go on. It’s no different than when David Stern lost Michael Jordan or when Wayne Gretzky left hockey. I’ll wish her well in whatever she does, but to me it’s more important to see what GoDaddy does. GoDaddy built Danica. There wouldn’t be a Danica Patrick if GoDaddy hadn’t spent all that money, so I’m more concerned with how we maintain GoDaddy as part of our sport because they’re an unbelievable marketing tool and they get it and they’re the type of people we want to be around.

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Original BMW Accessories

bmw.ca/performance

The Ultimate Driving Experience.®

PErfOrMAncE qUickEns ThE hEArTBEAT. BMW PErfOrMAncE AccEssOriEs fOr ThE BMW 1 sEriEs AnD BMW 3 sEriEs. The inspiration was the world of motorsport. The result is a range of striking accessories that are synonymous with sporting performance, outstanding driving dynamics and innovative technology. Enhance your everyday drive with the BMW Performance Power Kit, BMW Performance Steering Wheel, and BMW Performance Exhaust System. For more information about BMW Performance Accessories visit your nearest BMW Retailer or bmw.ca/performance.

BMW EfficientDynamics Less emissions. More driving pleasure.

©2011 BMW Canda Inc. “BMW”, the BMW logo, BMW model designations and all other BMW related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and/or trademarks of BMW AG, used under license.

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ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

OE-ENGINEERED TECHNOLOGY DRIVES THE ATE ADVANTAGE

A

TE is the aftermarket brand of Continental Automotive Systems, one of the world’s leading brake system manufacturers. Continental has a century of experience in the development and production of braking technologies that help to achieve control over the dynamic forces that act on vehicles.

As a brake supplier to the world’s largest automakers, Continental can effectively leverage its engineering standards to the entire ATE line of brake products.

Engineering excellence is the heritage of Continental. They understand the entire brake system and how each component affects a vehicle’s safety and performance. They transfer their OE expertise into their aftermarket products, to guarantee that the quality and performance of the Continental product line meets or exceeds OE standards.

ATE has been a trusted brand name in Europe for 100 years. From the introduction of the first hydraulic brake system in 1926 to developing the first antilock braking system prototype in 1967, the ATE brand has a rich history of innovation and experience.

ATE PremiumOne® brake pads and rotors provide the finest OE-engineered replacements available for your vehicle. Install them together for the ultimate in braking system performance—performance that’s engineered to be better than the original equipment they replace.

The ATE Advantage Innovative technology.

TOP-quality materials.

Expert product and process engineering.

ATE brake parts for the aftermarket are made to a higher standard than conventional replacements.

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ATE PREMIUMONE® CERAMIC DISC BRAKE PADS FRICTION JUST LIKE THE OE PADS THEY REPLACE, PLUS PREMIUM FEATURES FOR PLEASING BRAKE PERFORMANCE. FEATURES

BENEFITS

Advanced application-matched, OE-engineered friction formulations

Restores original-equipment pad performance, reduces wheel dusting and extends pad life

Premium features include shims, chamfers and slots

Improves overall quietness and braking performance

Pad underlayer design Where applicable, OE safety and control components or hardware are included Designed by brake system engineers from one of the world’s largest OE brake system manufacturers

Helps reduce noise, vibration and harshness Provides a more complete repair, resulting in time and money savings Assures quality and performance equal to or better than original equipment for all brake applications

3-year / 60,000km warranty Lifetime warranty when installed at Canadian Tire 113-2600X

ATE PREMIUMONE® DISC BRAKE ROTORS ORIGINAL-EQUIPMENT QUALITY WITH PREMIUM FEATURES THAT ADD CONVENIENCE AND ENHANCE PERFORMANCE. FEATURES

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Patented RotorLife wear indicator

Helps technicians and vehicle owners gauge rotor thickness at a glance to see when they are due for replacement

The wear indicator’s interlaced elliptical grooves are machined into rotor face at complementary angles The MetaCote protective coating formulation is cured at approximately 572°F. No grease or oil to remove Application-specific design is engineered to tighter tolerances than rotors that take a “one size fits all” approach

2-year / 40,000km warranty 16-2200X

Groove design enhances dissipation of heat and gases to reduce brake fade, extends pad life, and looks great with cast-spoke wheels Helps protect against road salt, brake fluid and other corrosives. Sheds water and dirt for a clean appearance behind cast-spoke wheels.

Reduces overall installation time Fits and performs as well as or better than the original equipment being replaced. Provides added value and convenience for brake technicians and their customers. No machining needed

Available at Canadian Tire WWW.PRNMAG.COM | 35

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GEAR 4-WHEEL

GOCLEAN Waterless Car Wash www.goclean.ca GoClean is a new, easy-to-use waterless car wash product. Just spray, wipe and shine. Wash, wax, polish and protect in one application that doesn’t need any water and is 100% biodegradable. Ideal for car owners who live in condominiums or in cities with water restrictions or by-laws prohibiting runoff from driveway car washing from entering storm sewers. Up to 10 washes in each bottle and can save up to 500 litres of water (depending on the size of the vehicle). Exclusively available at Canadian Tire stores across the country for $14.99.

MICRO Holder www.wickedparts.com It is the smartest patented car integration solution well engineered by German. With a “click”, your mobile device is locked to the holder and dashboard.

MICRO can be used with your existing portable navigation system. Simply stick the MICRO button to the back of the device or existing cradle. When not in use simply remove the mobile device and MICRO holder. The only thing remaining is the small MICRO button. Bulky holder or cradle that are offensive and attract theft is never a concern. Optional compact yet powerful suction cup is included, it is ideal for rental car or optional windshield mounting.

BMW Performance Sport Steering Wheel www.bmw.ca/performance One glance at the race inspired design of the BMW Performance sport steering wheel with Alcantara trims and grip area tells you that everything is under control even when you’re driving at the absolute limit. A three-section display built into the top of the rim allows drivers to call up a variety of motorsportrelated data and functions, including lap times, split times, maximum acceleration and speed, and the time taken for the quarter-mile sprint. It also shows Gear Shift Indicator prompts, water and oil temperature readings, and figures for straight-line and lateral acceleration. (Must be used in accordance with the rules of the road). For more visit your local BMW retailer or visit bmw.ca/performance

JVC INC. KW-AVX840 www.jvc.ca or www.mobile.jvc.com The KW-AVX840 receiver features a 7-inch motorized widescreen touch panel display with proximity sensor and detachable face. The unit includes built-in Bluetooth wireless technology, USB 2.0 port for 2-way iPod/iPhone control, External Mode for audio playback from iPod/iPhone apps, and is HD and Satellite radio ready. The KW-AVX840 is WAV/ MP3/WMA compatible, and features a 7-band iEQ, MOS-FET 50 watts x 4, three sets of 4V pre-outs, and is steering wheel remote control ready. Dual Zone and Dual play features are also included.

HAWK Performance HPS Disc Pads www.hawkperformance.com Hawk High Performance Street (HPS) disc brake pads are world renowned for increasing stopping power on your street legal vehicle. Increasing the performance of your vehicles braking system is easy when you choose Hawk Performance’s HPS braking compound. This unique Ferro-Carbon formula was developed for street performance using the safety and quality of aerospace and Motorsports severe-duty friction technology. The High Performance Street compound offers a higher coefficient of friction over stock brake pads and can provide you 20-40% more stopping power and higher resistance to brake fade than most standard replacement pads. Less fade means you’ll have a highly durable brake pad with less brake dust. For more visit www.hawkperformance.com

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MINI COOPER Motormouse www.motormouse.us.com In 2001, BMW reignited the passion for small fun cars known as The Mini. With the help of Frank Stephenson they developed a fantastic modern version of Sir Alec Issigonis’s classic car. BMW managed to keep all the traits of the original car, whilst creating an award winning compact and sporting Mini.

The Mini Cooper Motormouse has all the features of our original Sports Car Motormouse:

JDM Balanced Shift Knobs www.PasswordJDM.com A shift knob is often the most overlooked mod you can get for your car. It’s more than just the way it looks… it’s also the way it feels in the palm of your hands and while you’re driving. Too light, and it feels like a ping pong ball, too heavy and it feels like a brick that will break something. Ideally, you’d want something in between… this is why we came up with the PWJDM Balanced Shift knob. This shift knob by design was well thought out… just like all of our products, we engineer things thoroughly and well ahead of the competition.

real rubber tires and alloy wheels lights that flash when the batteries need changing an opening trunk to store the batteries. left and right click buttons. centre scroll wheel 1200 DPI setting 24GHz Receiver wireless Plug & Play, no software needed compatible with PC and Apple platforms works with Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

OAKLEY Batwolf www.oakley.com It’s not about being big or bad or bold. Oakley BATWOLF™ sunglasses are about original style, and it’s a clean look of authenticity that makes the statement.

A single continuous lens sweeps across a comfortably lightweight O MATTER® frame, and the two pairs of included interchangeable icons let you customize your look. Price: $145-$255 Available in: Black Ink, Polished Rootbeer, Polished Black with Gold Text, Matte Black, Granite,Polished White, Clear and Polished Black.

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GEAR 4-WHEEL

BOSCH ICON™ Beam Wiper Blades www.BoschClearTheWay.com

SNAP-ON Wireless Battery Tester www.snapon.com/canada Everyone wants to be first with this or first with that. Snap-on’s new Wireless Battery System Tester (EECS400) is truly the first of its kind - a “must have” tool to help techs conduct more battery system testing faster and more efficiently.

Bosch ICON™ beam wiper blades feature dual precision-tensioned internal steel springs and no external joints or brackets. ICON’s exclusive tension spring arcing technology provides custom curved left and right side windshield blades that are contoured to the variable curvature of the driver’s side and the passenger’s side of the windshield.

The benefit of the left and right blade configuration is improved vision, safety, and overall wiping performance. ICON’s patented blade design features an exclusive asymmetric wind spoiler to create increased downforce, and distribute uniform pressure along the entire length of the blade for ultimate all-weather performance. The ICON blades’ exclusive fx dual rubber compound wipes cleaner and lasts up to 40 percent longer than other premium wiper blades.

The Snap-on Wireless Battery System Tester (EECS400) includes a hand-held receiver, battery module with leads, USB adapter for PC printing, Microsoft® PC data template CD, brass post adaptors and a carrying case. Some of the features and benefits of the EECS400 include: Tester will display battery or battery pack condition as percentage of available capacity, rated capacity (i.e. CCA’s), and state of charge voltage as good, marginal or replace status Wireless micro LCD features both a radio and an IR wireless printer output for remote printout of the test results Test results can be sent to either a Microsoft® PC (sold separately) via USB adapter (included), or a stand alone IR Printer (optional HHGA-5 or 2-22566) Test data for the last test performed is stored in the memory and can be reviewed either when connected to a battery or when disconnected from the battery at a later time Applications: Tests batteries from 100 CCA to 3500 CCA (battery pack); 6/12/24/36V starting/charging systems; both series and parallel batteries; parasitic drain; alternator ripple; 6V & 12V batteries

MOMO LED 28 www.momousa.com MOMO introduces LED Daytime lights with ultra white light for maximum visibility, the 5000K is Extremely durable. MOMO offers 4 new LED kits in various sizes and configurations.15 degree curve for perfect fit with Adjustable brackets and universal mounting kit for easy installation. This kit is 100% waterproof and SAE Compliant.

Lights turn on automatically at engine start (control unit not included)

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Distributed by

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO ACE +33(0)4 90 89 98 75 www.five-gloves.com

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GEAR 2-WHEEL

SHOEI QWEST Helmet www.motovan.com Noise Reduction Technology Thanks to countless hours in SHOEI’s in-house wind tunnel, QWEST owners will reap the benefits of exhilarating solitude on the road. A reduction of wind noise without blocking the road’s “informative sounds” was the ultimate goal, and that goal was achieved through optimal shell aerodynamics, and liner components designed to prevent unwanted road noises from entering through the bottom of the helmet. The result: A maximum 2.2 dB* reduction in sound. *Noise levels vary based on motorcycle type, riding position, environmental sounds, etc.

Ventilation Performance As the inventor of ventilated full-face motorcycle helmets back in 1984, SHOEI has been making advancements to its in-helmet climate systems for over 25 years. Utilizing SHOEI’s wind tunnel to help reveal the optimal balance between airflow and silence, SHOEI engineers equipped the all-new QWEST

with a larger Lower Vent shutter for easier use with riding gloves; a strategically-positioned Upper Vent for optimal air intake, and uniquely-positioned Upper Exhaust Vents to take better advantage of negative pressure suction—all yielding dramatically-improved cool-air intake and hot-air expulsion.

Q.R.S.A. (Quick Release Self-Adjusting) Base Plate System Equipped with the innovative Quick Release SelfAdjusting (QRSA) base plate system, the QWEST features the significant advantage of SHOEI’s patented spring-loaded technology. Adjusting base plates for proper sealing is a thing of the past, as every time the CW-1 shield is lowered, the springloaded mechanism pulls the shield back to contact the window beading evenly, ensuring a wind and waterproof seal.

Also widely appreciated is the convenience of the QRSA’s shield preset lever, as it allows a rider to

lock down his or her shield in when conditions dictate, or crack the shield open just slightly to allow for additional airflow while on the go.

CW-1 Shield Like the X-Twelve and RF-1100 models, the allnew QWEST comes equipped with the innovative CW-1 shield. Both wider and taller than most other shields on the market, the CW-1 shield protects riders from 99% of the sun’s damaging UV rays, and SHOEI’s three-dimensional injection-molding process ensures a distortion-free view throughout the entire field of vision.

Another advantage of the CW-1 shield is its ability to work in conjunction with SHOEI’s optional Pinlock system to deliver fog-free vision in even the most challenging conditions. The CW-1 Pinlock lens is larger than those of the past, and offers fog-free viewing to the very top of the helmet’s large eye port.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON New Boot Mark Remover www.harleycanada.com

KNOX Handroid POD www.motovan.com Designed to offer the urban rider the same level of protection as the acclaimed Handroid, the POD is the latest innovation from the Knox Hand Armour collection. Featuring three patented elements, (live exoskeleton, SPS scaphoid protection system and Boa lacing), POD is the first ever short cuff glove to use Boa closure system, so that it is totally secure. An added benefit is that it will fit comfortably under most jacket sleeves.

Like the Handroid full race glove, the Pod’s live exoskeleton covers the fingers and thumbs, allowing unrestricted movement and linking to the gel-lined metapod that covers the metacarpals and provides added protection for the back of the hand.

Formulated to Break Down Rubber and Road Tar on Exhaust Components MILWAUKEE (May 26, 2011) - New Boot Mark Remover (P/N 93600001, $8.95) from Harley-Davidson® Genuine Motor Accessories is formulated to break down rubber marks and road tar. Boot Mark Remover exhaust cleaner is applied directly to the soiled area. Just cover the target area with the gel when the exhaust is cool, scrub and wipe away the residue, then rinse clean. Ideal for removing boot marks, asphalt resin, insects, and plastic bags from exhaust components.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise.

40 | WWW.PRNMAG.COM

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HARDCORE TECHNOLOGY

kawas aki.ca/zx10r

Š2011 Canadian Kawasaki Motors Inc. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and proper riding apparel. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Adhere to the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual. Professional rider shown on a closed course.

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6/24/11 AM 11-08-029:41:55 5:38 PM

SHELL AND PENSKE

FORGE INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP

BY LEE BAILIE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY IMS PHOTO

O

n the Thursday evening before the 2011 Indianapolis 500, Shell and Penske Racing invited select members of the media to join them at St. Elmo’s Steakhouse in Indianapolis to learn more about the partnership that exists between these iconic organizations.The occasion, of course, was the upcoming Indianapolis 500 which featured three Penske Racing drivers in the IZOD IndyCar Series; Ryan Briscoe, Will Power and three-time winner Helio Castoneves, who piloted the No.3 Pennzoil

Ultra/ Shell V-Power Honda-powered Dallara in the race. All three Penske drivers were on hand for the event, along with various executives from Shell Oil Products US, Penske Racing and, of course, The Captain Roger Penske, founder and Chairman of Penske Corporation.

Members of the media were also quite well represented. Along with members of ABC’s Indy 500 broadcast crew, representatives from ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Toronto Sun, The Globe and Mail and PRN were in attendance.

The event was strictly by invitation only, but the mood in the room – a private area located a couple of floors below street level at St. Elmo’s – wasn’t one of rigid formality. With the Indy 500 a little more than two days away, everyone seemed to be in a festive mood and the air was upbeat and relaxed.

The formal part of the evening focused primarily on the partnership between Shell and Penske, which became official last December and began this season.

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Visit us at SPEED.com

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photo by LAt photoGRAphIC

SHELL AND PENSKE FORGE INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP

Representatives from both organizations addressed the audience regarding the deal, which encompasses Penske’s race teams in NASCAR and the IZOD IndyCar Series.

The agreement is a multi-year cross-business alliance, that enables Shell and Pennzoil to expand their motorsports presence to include primary sponsorship of 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Kurt Busch and the No. 22 Dodge, as well as associate sponsorships promoting Shell V-Power® and Pennzoil Ultra™ with Castroneves, Power and Briscoe.

While the sponsor arrangements with the race teams may represent the most visible outward sign of the alliance, both Shell and Penske were keen to remind those in attendance that the relationship extends far beyond logos and paint schemes on race cars.

Shell and Pennzoil are now also the “Official Fuel and Motor Oil Supplier” to the entire Penske organization in the U.S. and Penske is working with Shell and Pennzoil in a technical alliance designed to offer insights into motor oil and fuel technology. The goal is to assist further product development for Shell and Pennzoil through the invaluable knowledge gained surrounding fuels, lubricants and engine technologies.

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After learning more about how the partnership works, it was time to hear some from the drivers.

All were dressed in a sharp, yet casual manner, and seemed to relish the opportunity to talk about their seasons to date and their expectations for the Indy 500.

Briscoe and Power were both thoughtful and forthright in their remarks, and seemed to warm to the crowd naturally, but the guy who seemed to really enjoy having a microphone in his hand was Castroneves. The Brazilian was all smiles and in a light-hearted mood, despite his on-track struggles in the season’s early going (one top ten in four starts heading into Indianapolis), and he gamely talked up his chances at winning his fourth Indy 500.

After the mini-speeches wrapped up, it was time to enjoy some of St. Elmo’s fine food, which included one of the best steaks this writer has ever had. The meal was made all the more enjoyable thanks to a seating arrangement that had PRN seated at a table with Castroneves and ABC’s lead motorsports play-by-play announcer, Marty Reid.

It was a night of great food and great stories, and if anyone wondered if Castroneves is as colourful and entertaining off camera as he is on, the answer is absolutely.

All in all, it was an informative and entertaining evening, one that PRN was grateful to attend.

SHELL AND PENNZOIL ARE NOW ALSO THE “OFFICIAL FUEL AND MOTOR OIL SUPPLIER” TO THE ENTIRE PENSKE ORGANIZATION IN THE U.S. AND PENSKE IS WORKING WITH SHELL AND PENNZOIL IN A TECHNICAL ALLIANCE DESIGNED TO OFFER INSIGHTS INTO MOTOR OIL AND FUEL TECHNOLOGY.”

Travel in the world’s fastest circles at IMIS 2011.

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December 8-10, 2011

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LUBRICANT GUIDE

AMSOIL 5W-30 European Synthetic Oil www.amsoil.com AMSOIL 5W-30 European Car Formula Synthetic Motor Oil is formulated to meet high performance requirements of European vehicles such as Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche and more. Its low viscosity formulation provides maximum fuel efficiency without compromising engine protection, while meeting strict European performance requirements for gasoline and direct-injection diesel engines. A select additive package and shear-stable synthetic base oils provide outstanding wear protection throughout the entire drain interval and meets or exceeds the most demanding European specifications. It is engineered with a lighter 5W-30 viscosity and friction modifiers for increased energy through-put, minimizing internal engine drag for increased fuel efficiency. Compatible with conventional and synthetic motor oils and recommended for extended drain intervals as established by the vehicle manufacturer.

MOBIL 1 0W50 Synthetic Oil www.mobil1.com Mobil 1 Racing 0W-50 is a fully-synthetic motor oil specifically designed to maximize horsepower in a wide range of race engine applications, including highly loaded flat tappet designs used in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. Mobil 1 Racing oils were engineered to help on-track vehicles reach the peak of their performance potential. Mobil 1 Racing oil technology has been developed using our extensive experience in premier automotive racing series around the world, such as Formula 1, NASCAR, Le Mans, IRL, NHRA, Formula 3, SCCA GT and ALMS. The variety of demands that each racing series requires of a lubricant help us ensure that Mobil 1 Racing oils can meet the extreme conditions encountered on the race track.

LUCAS Racing Only Motor Oils www.LucasOil.ca or www.LucasOil.com Lucas Racing Only Motor Oils are purpose built products designed for the high performance racing industry. They are blended with an exclusive additive package that includes lubricity agents and anti-seize agents that control drag like a zero weight oil and protect metal like a heavy multi-viscosity oil.

It is perfect for high RPM and high horsepower engines.

Key Benefits High Zinc Fortified Perfect For Flat Tappet Cams Less Drag For MORE Horsepower Higher Lubricity For Faster Acceleration Compatible With Methanol and Racing Gas Protects Against Oil Cavitation (Foaming); A Must For High RPM Engines Stands Up To Higher Oil Temperatures For Longer Oil Life And Less Metal Fatigue Available in 0W-5, 0W-10, 0W-20, 0W-30, 10W-30, and 20W-50 (Petroleum and Synthetic)

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Quaker State Enhanced Durability www.quakerstate.ca We put Quaker State® motor oil in hard-working New York City taxis, turned them loose and the punishment began. And even when it was ready to be replaced, used Quaker State® motor oil still passed critical industry tests for wear protection, rust protection and viscosity.* Used Quaker State® motor oil passes these tests for brand-new oil: a. Rust protection b. Viscosity c. Wear Protection Quaker State® Enhanced Durability™ Synthetic Blend motor oil provides:

RPMs and under heavy loads** breakdown

*As measured in ASTM Sequence IVA test, using SAE 5W-30 engine oil. **Comparison based on Quaker State® Advanced Durability™ conventional oil.

PENNZOIL Platinum

RED LINE Oil MT-85 For Transmissions

www.pennzoil.ca

www.RedLineOil.com

Pennzoil Platinum oil is a full synthetic motor oil that provides our ultimate level of cleaning and protection.

New MT-85 75W85 GL-4 Gear Oil bridges the gap between Red Line MTL and MT-90. The product provides superior gear and synchronizer protection, while its balanced slipperiness provides an improved coefficient of friction for easier shifting over a range of temperatures, making it a perfect fit for many Nissan, Mitsubishi, Hyundai, Kia and NV4500 pickup truck transmission applications.

Features Superior active cleansing agents, which helps maximize engine responsiveness Outstanding low-temperature fluidity for easier start-ups, even in extreme weather conditions (hot and cold) Extreme shear stability & low volatility – outperforms conventional and synthetic blends

CASTROL EDGE Ultra-premium synthetic www.changeyouroilchangeyourlife.com For over 100 years, Castrol has been Canada’s technology leader in motor oil. In 2010, Castrol once again raises the bar for Canadian enthusiasts with Castrol EDGE advanced synthetic, its flagship global product.It’s the Best Castrol. Ever.

Castrol EDGE delivers: An advanced proprietary formula for performance and protection in extreme conditions.

Performance and protection that outperforms every other available oil including synthetics.

Available in Canada’s three most popular grades: 5w-20, 5W-30 and 10W-30 in 1L bottles as well as 4.4L jugs EDGE exceeds the world’s toughest industry-agreed standards providing maximum protection for everyday use and especially in extreme conditions such as towing, hauling, high and low temperatures, rapid acceleration and stop and go traffic.

Using the industry standard Sequence IVA test, Castrol Edge provided eight times better wear protection than the top competitor.

Syntec’s still here! Castrol Syntec retains its grades and superb formulation for powerful engine protection.

For drivers who want the very best their car, Edge is a the way to step up to the very best care while adding enhanced fuel economy through reduced internal engine friction. It’s more than oil, it’s liquid engineering.

SUMMIT Racing Premium Racing Oil

VALVOLINE SynPower Full Synthetic

www.SummitRacing.com

www.valvoline.com Summit Racing Equipment has introduced Street & Strip Premium Racing Oil, its own line of standard and semi-synthetic premium racing oils that feature special anti-wear additives to offer protection unmatched by conventional motor oils. Ideal for racing, Street & Strip Premium Racing Oil also features special proprietary, shear-stable polymers help to maintain viscosity, resist breakdown, reduce consumption, and provide excellent protection from metal-tometal contact. All Summit Racing Street & Strip Premium Racing Oil exceeds all known manufacturers’ warranty requirements and meets A.P.I. SL quality standards. Available in regular or semi-synthetic 20W-50, 10W-40 and SAE30 weights.

You want to protect your engine, but everyday heat, deposits and wear stress engine parts. Valvoline SynPower Full Synthetic Motor oil is formulated to keep your car running its best. With SynPower Full Synthetic you get the ultimate protection against the three major causes of engine stress. SynPower is formulated with full synthetic base oil and premium chemistry that stands-up to extreme temperatures. SynPower flows when the engine is cool, and maintains its protection barrier as engine temperatures rise.

SynPower has extra detergents and dispersants to help prevent harmful build-up of sludge, varnish and other deposits in your engine. With all the concern about lower zinc in motor oil, SynPower responded with advanced, more durable anti-wear additives that stay in the oil longer for outstanding protection against friction and wear.

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SAILUN TIRES

TRACK DAY TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEE BAILIE

O

n a scorching hot early summer day, a small group of Honda and Acura owners gathered at Mosport’s Driver Development Centre (DDC) north of Bowmanville, Ontario to put some new rubber from Sailun Tires to the test.

The centrepiece of the DDC, home to the Bridgestone Racing Academy Racing School, is a 2.4 kilometre test track, designed to simulate the bigger grand prix track next door, the 3.957 kilometre circuit at Mosport International Raceway.

With temperatures in the 35 degree-Celsius range, Sailun’s products – the Atrezzo ZS+ summer compound high performance tire and the ultra-high performance Atrezzo Z4+AS – were put to the test on sizzling hot pavement. The testing

exercises included a slalom course, hard-braking and acceleration and, of course, laps around the full DDC track.

Available in limited quantities in Canada, but a strong seller in other markets, including the U.S., the ZS+ is an Ultra-High Performance tire engineered to deliver superior cornering and handling.

Featuring a variable pitch tread design for a smooth and quiet ride, the ZS+ has an advanced tread compound designed to deliver superior cornering and exceptional handling. Deep, circumferential grooves and hundreds of biting edges are engineered to deliver excellent wet and dry traction.

Other notable features for the ZS+ include a wide shoulder tread block with high angle sipes

for high-speed cornering performance, and multiangle sipes for a smooth and quiet ride.

Sailun’s other test subject was the Atrezzo Z4+AS, an ultra-high performance all-season tire. Designed for uncompromising performance under all weather conditions, the Z4+AS features special silica blends to maximize grip and handling stability in dry conditions while maintaining outstanding wear characteristics.

This tire also has a solid centre rib for improved lateral stability and road comfort, highangle v-shaped tread grooves designed to resist hydroplaning and grooved tread block walls for improved handling and wear.

Putting these tires through the wringer, were a small group of drivers – drawn from Toronto-

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11-08-04 4:28 PM

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area car clubs, 8th Generation Civic and Club RSX – selected from a larger group that had expressed interest months earlier. They were chosen based on their ability to act as influencers, according to Humphrey Ho, Senior Director of Marketing for Dynamic Tire Corporation, the distributor of Sailun Tires in Canada (pictured, upper right).

“Why we’re engaging a group of consumers to do this is because these guys have good tracking experience, they consistently come out and track in the summer, they’re very active on the forums, they’re very active in social media and they’re very active online,” Ho explained.

The strategy is an interesting one for Sailun, a Chinese tire company that began operating in 2002. Based in the National Economic and Technological Development Zone in Qingdao,

China, Sailun’s creation was a next logical step for tire building equipment designer and manufacturer, Mesnac Co. Ltd., to showcase the kind of high quality tires their equipment is capable of producing. This equipment, after all, is the same equipment many of the incumbent manufacturers such as Bridgestone, Continental and Falken use to make their own tires.

“What these guys have to say here about our tires will permeate throughout the web and will live basically in history on Google and on their forums. In that way, when someone goes and searches for Sailun Tire review, well it so happens there’s an 8th Generation Civic review, there’s a Club RSX review and there are other reviews from all the other demographics we’re engaging that are not the average tuner demographic,” Ho con-

tinued. The company is not neglecting the tuner demographic, however. Sailun is the official tire sponsor of the Canadian Sport Compact Series (CSCS), and ImportExpo, which is scheduled to take place at Mosport in late August.

In the end, for Ho it’s all about creating greater awareness as he attempts to raise Sailun’s profile in Canada, and make it a viable alternative to the entrenched tire brands.

“For the end of 2011, I’d be a happy camper if those guys that are out there tracking today and the average consumer will go online, read a review, and they’re looking for that tire that’s not a Bridgestone or Kumho or Falken. They’re looking for something that’s cheap and cheerful, and they’ll think at the top of their mind the tire I’m thinking about is a Sailun tire.”

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ROAD TEST

2011 YAMAHA

FAZER 8

BY UWE WACHTENDORF // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RHM PHOTO

EIGHT IS ENOUGH I had an opportunity last year to test Yamaha’s new FZ8, an all new mid-displacement motorcycle that filled the gap between the company’s 600 cc FZ6 and 1000 cc FZ1 machines. In theory, an 800 cc model combines the best attributes of the two sizes: the agility of a smaller displacement machine and the robust power of the larger one. The middleman formula has been around for decades and is a proven quantity that has resulted in some of the best motorcycles ever built; for example, Suzuki’s GSX-R750 is, arguably, one of the best allaround sport bikes currently being manufactured.

The Fazer 8 was launched alongside the FZ8 as an alternative for riders who require some measure of protection from the elements. Accord-

ing to Yamaha Canada, the Fazer is the model that more Canadians will end up buying – or more accurately – it’s the model most frequently ordered by dealers that are trying to anticipate what their customers will want. The Fazer’s half-fairing is the only feature differentiating it from its stablemate, the completely naked FZ-8. The visual effect of fitting a fairing on an FZ8 is dramatic. Although it’s a brutally handsome machine, the added girth of a fairing creates an effect similar to putting a supermodel on a steady diet of chocolate dipped donuts.

From the back the Yamaha presents a svelte image that accentuates the rear tire and makes its 180 mm radial look more like a 200.

Yamaha bills the bike’s riding position as being on the sporty side of upright. I found that there

was enough of a forward cant to weight my arms and wrists on the bar – a welcome posture if you plan on doing a lot of highway riding – but in slow moving, big city traffic I found myself wishing that the handlebar was slightly higher. The pegs were high enough to provide plenty of ground clearance, but not high enough to cramp my legs or cause discomfort to my worn-out knees. Where I did have an issue was when I lowered my feet to the ground. The pegs were in the exact location where my feet wanted to naturally fall; it took an hour of having my calves stabbed at every stop before I adapted to their location and forced myself to plant my feet elsewhere.

A side benefit of the mostly upright riding position and a respectably tall 815mm (32.1”) seat

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height was that it gave me a commanding view of the road – providing I was riding behind a car. Too often that wasn’t the case and I had to hug the extremes of the lane to see around the predominant vehicles of the road, meandering leviathans known as SUVs and minivans that at least were easy prey for a motivated rider on a Fazer.

The fairing’s effect was only appreciable at higher speeds when it was directing a turbulencefree blast of air toward my upper chest, which relieved the weight on my arms and added comfort to the ride. In light of this attribute, potential buyers will need to know what the majority of their riding will consist of as the naked FZ8 is already a good commuter and is very competent within the confines of congested streets. Buyers will

want to consider if the burden and extra weight of the Fazer’s fairing with dual headlights (it adds 9 lb - up high - to the FZ8’s 466 lb wet weight) is something they really need.

It was unfortunate that I didn’t manage to test the pillion position because it appeared suspect, at least to our photographer Hugh McLean, who is an authority on the practical aspects of motorcycling.

After studying the lines of the Fazer through the lens of his camera for some time, he quietly commented to no one in particular, “they really don’t make bikes for passengers anymore.” I suggested that perhaps manufacturers just weren’t envisioning passengers with the physique of middle-aged men with a middle-age spread. Either way, potential passengers will need to contend with an

unusually contoured saddle and a high set of pegs.

As a consolation there are two generously sized grab handles that are undoubtedly more useful to strap down a load.

Instrumentation, although basic, was legible and relayed enough information on the machine’s status as was required. A white dialled analogue tach is contrasted by an LCD screen that contains the speedometer and ancillary data.

Overall the Fazer represents a satisfying blend of form and function. Its various components and finishes are of high quality, as you would expect from a Japanese-made motorcycle. If I had to volley a minor complaint toward Yamaha’s stylists – one that I’ve made before and by now must sound like nails on a chalkboard for Yamaha Canada – is WWW.PRNMAG.COM | 53

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The Fazer 8 comes with Yamaha’s familiar orange turn signals.

Although not fancy, the Fazer 8’s instrumentation is functional and efficient.

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their use of what I call SYTS (standard Yamaha turn signals). The large orange turn signals appear on half the motorcycles that Yamaha builds and when compared to the contemporary use of clear lenses, they look disappointingly out of date.

At the heart of the Fazer is a 779 cc, liquidcooled, in-line four-cylinder. Even though it shares many of its components with the larger displacement mill used in Yamaha’s FZ1, it’s considered to be a completely new engine. Exclusive to the Fazer (and FZ8) are its pistons, cylinders, cylinder heads, cams, valves and crankshaft. The engine itself has been tilted 40 degrees forward, in part to achieve the bike’s 51/49 forward biased weight distribution.

Yamaha says that one of the design goals for the new powerplant was to provide lots of torque in the lower rev range and claims that the engine has a maximum torque of 60.8 ft-lb at 8,000 rpm. It did prove to pull rather decently from lower in the rev range and had more than enough acceleration for street use, but characteristic of inline fours, it performed much better when the engine was allowed to spin more quickly – especially around 6,500 rpm where its mild-mannered tone developed a pleasing rasp.

The engine’s fuel injection system consists of 35 mm Mikuni throttle bodies that incorporate subthrottle valves. Controlled by the bike’s ECU, the sub-valves fine tuned the incoming air flow and the system worked well to provide an immediate throttle response and a linear power delivery. Sensitive to minor throttle changes, the bike also responded to mad twists of the throttle by delivering a smooth and predictable rush to its soft rev limiter that was set to 11,500 rpm. With all that frantic activity between my legs I expected some vibration, but the rubber mounted peg brackets, which seemed a little odd at first because of the way they flexed under a little weight, were effective at keeping my feet buzz-free. My hands and the seat of my pants were similarly coddled and engine vibration never became an intrusive element during my ride.

The Fazer exhausts through four 35 mm stainless steel header pipes that converge into two before reaching a single collector. The stubby muffler that contains a three-way catalyser with an oxygen sensor is wrapped in a matte black casing that looks good but also appears to be easily marred. Similar to the exhaust canister on the FZ8 that I rode last year, the one on the Fazer had a noticeable scratch in its finish. Suspended above the exhaust header – just visible below the half-fairing – is a massive radiator that has been curved to improve airflow and help keep the engine running at a more consistent temperature. It looks as imposing as the Hoover Dam, but the radical rad does contribute an industrial grade look that is very popular on naked machines.

Despite the use of a heavy-duty clutch to cope with the rigours of riding in heavy traffic, gear shift-

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ing and clutch performance was fluid. My left wrist did become a little sore, not due to the resistance of heavy clutch springs, but because the clutch lever was positioned a little too high. The Fazer’s gearbox is a stacked three-axis unit that was modelled on the one used in Yamaha’s flagship sport bike, the R1. The design layers the input and output shafts to create a smaller profile and reduce the length of the engine. While the wide-ratio gearbox worked flawlessly, it is in desperate need of a taller sixth gear. Many manufacturers have an overly tall final gear ratio as a way of dealing with emission testing, but on the Fazer it’s the opposite problem.

Already useable at 60 km/h, sixth gear when cruising at a sedate 100 km/h had the engine spinning at what felt like an overly busy rate.

Used as a stressed member, the engine is wrapped by an attractive looking aluminum twin spar frame. The geometry of the bike’s chassis is biased toward providing agile handling with its 25 degree rake and 109 mm of trail; Yamaha claims the bike’s hard parts will allow a 47 degree lean angle though there wasn’t any need to call on that number during the street-only test. The steel

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rear sub frame is visually interesting, but on a more practical note it is detachable to allow easier access to the rear suspension. Yamaha adds that it also makes the bike less expensive to repair if it’s been wheelied past the point of no return – an odd claim to make for a standard motorcycle with a rudimentary suspension.

At the front of the bike a 43 mm Kayaba inverted fork is clamped in aluminum upper and lower triple clamps while a linked mono-shock supports things at the rear. Aside from the nine-position preload adjustment on the shock, the Fazer’s suspension is non-adjustable, but at least it erred on the side of being soft under the strain of my 95 kg weight.

While the suspension wouldn’t be well suited to track use, its supple demeanour on public roads and 130 mm of wheel travel was a real-world benefit as the Fazer did a good job of smoothing out everything that passed under its wheels.

Slowing those wheels are two 310 mm floating discs with four-piston, monoblock calipers at the front and a 267 mm disc with a single piston caliper at the rear. The front brakes provided ample stopping power with good response through its

adjustable lever, which worked with the master cylinder’s 16 mm piston to reduce lever effort.

Although the rear brake felt vague in comparison, as a secondary system it worked well enough for trail braking or dragging the rear wheel in tight turns. Missing in action was an available ABS; the reluctance of Yamaha to pre-install ABS because of the effect it would have on the bike’s $10,999 list price is understandable, but it should at least be made available as an option.

Yamaha claims that at the heart of the Fazer is a sport bike with great all-around performance. The description is misleading. The Fazer is really the evolutionary representation of the standard motorcycle, which can trace its roots to a time when there was only one genre of machine and it was capable of performing any task it was given. With nimble road manners and plenty of power sitting high on its list of attributes, the Fazer continues what Honda’s CB750 started over 40 years ago: the ability to provide demanding riders with a smooth and reliable Japanese motorcycle at an affordable price that is equally adept at crossing the province as it is at crossing town.

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DRIVEN

2011 KIA OPTIMA SX KIA’S FLAGSHIP SEDAN IS VANILLA NO MORE REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LEE BAILIE

I

didn’t know how long the predecessor for the new for 2011 Kia Optima had been in the Korean automaker’s lineup, so I had to look it up. To my surprise, the Kia Magentis (it was called the Optima in the U.S. and Singapore) existed in essentially the same form – with some styling updates – for nearly a decade (2002-2010).

Although Kia made a greater effort to distinguish it from its corporate cousin upon which it was based (Hyundai Sonata) with a 2005 redesign and a 2008 update, the Magentis was a fairly anonymous flagship car.

Inoffensive but bland styling inside and out combined with average performance and build quality summed up the Magentis.

Not great, nor awful, the Magentis was a pretty

unremarkable car. Last fall, Subaru’s American division had a little fun at Kia’s expense when it created a cheeky viral marketing campaign for the Legacy entitled ‘The 2011 Mediocrity’, about a fictitious automaker whose primary goal was to build ordinary cars that weren’t special or distinguishable from the competition in any way – the ultimate vanilla car.

And which car did Subaru base the Mediocrity campaign on?

The Kia Magentis, circa 2002. Ouch.

With the outgoing model setting the bar so low, it would have been difficult for Kia to not to improve upon it with the launch of the Optima.

On that score, mission accomplished – big time.

The Optima represents a clean-sheet approach

in every way, from the engines to the styling to the performance and car’s positioning in the market. It is everything the Magentis wasn’t and then some.

The Optima is designed to turn heads and make a splash, and it has certainly done that.

The company’s US division had sold more than twice as many Optimas through June 2011 (36,617) as it did with the old model over the same time period in 2010 (15,627).

Specific sales figures for the Optima in Canada haven’t been made available, but Kia Canada Inc. recently reported its best sales month ever in June 2011 with 7,077 units sold. Given the scarcity of Optimas on dealer lots at the moment (at this writing there were only three at my local dealer, including one in the showroom), it’d be safe to as-

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The reborn Optima is much sleeker and sportier than its predecessor.

sume the Optima has done its part to contribute to that number. The Optima sports a much more aggressive and sleeker appearance that the Magentis and shares much of the company’s design cues, including the very prominent Tiger Nose, the corporate grille penned by Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief of Design that appears on all of the company’s cars.

It is also wider, longer and slightly shorter than its predecessor which is in keeping with the company’s aim to position the Optima as a sportier entry in the midsize segment. This also serves to differentiate it from the Sonata, with which it shares engines and other components.

Given the importance of this car for Kia and the fanfare it came to market with (there were some pretty flashy Super Bowl ads when it was rolled out in the U.S.), I was eager to get behind the wheel of one. My tester was a bright royal blue (Santorini Blue officially), top-of-the-line SX model which comes with a six-speed automatic transmission mated to a 2.0 litre direct-injected turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine. Despite its small displacement, the mill cranks out 274 horsepower and 269 lb.-ft. of torque.

The rest of the line gets a 2.4 litre inline four that puts out 200 horsepower and 186 lb-ft. of

torque. By comparison, the most powerful engine in the Magentis lineup, was a 2.7 litre V6 that produced 194 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque.

Clearly, Kia realizes that solid performance credentials are necessary for the Optima to establish itself as a legitimate player in a segment that also includes Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion and the aforementioned Sonata among others.

Aside from a more muscular powerplant, the SX model also features a lengthy list of standard features, including a leather trimmed interior, heated and cooled seats, Infinity premium sound system, panoramic sunroof, navigation system with a backup camera, push button ignition and 18” alloy wheels.

Underpinning the Optima SX is a sport-tuned

suspension featuring McPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup in the rear, which Kia claims provides faster steering response, reduced body roll in turns and increased road feel. The suspension also features Kia’s High Performance Dampers which are designed to provide more proportionate damping action on both smooth and rough driving surfaces.

IMPRESSIONS The Optima is a handsome car in photos, but it looks even better in person, in my view. The styling, with its crisp, sharp lines give the car an aggressive feel, yet have a clean elegance about them are the automotive equivalent of a well-made suit that has been pressed to perfection.

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DRIVEN

LED tail lights and dual exhaust outlets give the Optima SX a stylish and sporty stance.

It’s a look that is both athletic and sophisticated; kudos to the Schreyer and his team for crafting a winning design. Some at our offices didn’t care for the food processor bladestyled wheels, but I thought they looked great.

I was also quite impressed with the interior, which felt like it has received a boost in both design and materials. The leather seats were quite comfortable and I was able to find a good driving position fairly easily, thanks in part to the power controls on the driver’s seat.

The dash was finished in a textured plastic that might not have been the softest or most expensive, but it looked pretty good and didn’t scream cheap. Sliding behind the leatherwrapped steering wheel, I was impressed to see the centre stack angled towards the driver. I found this to be especially useful, because it contains some of the most-used controls: stereo, climate and navigation. Some of these controls are also on the steering wheel, such those belonging to the stereo, but I tend to rely on the centre stack more often – too 2011 Kia many years spent driving cars with nothOptima SX ing on the steering wheel except for the Specifications horn, I guess – so I appreciated having them within easy reach.

BASE PRICE / AS TESTED: Although there were a number of but$33,695 / $35,250 tons – inevitable on a car with this much ENGINE: 2.0-litre direct injected turbocharged stuff – I wasn’t overwhelmed by them DOHC inline 4-cylinder OUTPUT: 274 hp @ 6,000 rpm / 269 lbs.-ft. torque @ and they all seemed to be in a logical 1,750-4,500 rpm place. The push button start took a little PLATFORM: FF getting used to, but it became second FUEL CONSUMPTION (MANUFACTURER): City – 9.2L/100 km (31 mpg); Highway – 5.8L/100 nature after a while. Same goes for Kia’s km (49 mpg) hello and goodbye messages on the instrument cluster and their accompanying chimes. They caught me a little off-guard at first although I became used to them as the week work wore on.

If I were buying this car, however, I might look into at least having the chimes disabled – after a while they can become a little irritating. Given that these features are connected to the seat and steering wheel memory positions, which extend and retract when the engine is turned on and shut off, that may not be possible. I found the navigation system and backup camera to be quite useful. The navi features a large screen which was both easy to read 58 | WWW.PRNMAG.COM

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DRIVEN

and to use, and the backup camera was handy for getting in and out of tight spaces.

I had a week with this car, so I was able to drive it in a variety of road surfaces in both wet and dry conditions, on city streets (some of which are in exceedingly poor repair), suburban arterial roads and busy highways in and around greater Toronto.

The Optima SX handled all of them capably. The cabin was quiet (especially at cruising speeds), but the turbocharged four could definitely be heard – and felt – under acceleration.

Acceleration was brisk and on-demand. One not need stand on the accelerator to get this car to move, but if you do (as I did a couple of times), expect to exceed posted speed limits in a hurry.

Passing was a breeze. This model is tuned for performance, so the ride was firm, but not uncomfortable. The steering didn’t have a go-kart feel, but compared to what it’s up against in this class, it felt reasonably responsive. Coupled with larger wheels and low-profile Nexen tires the handling was confident.

The six-speed automatic (no manual available for this model, sadly) was smooth and came with a manual mode, which worked quite well.

To further drive home the point that this is a performance model, Kia has also equipped the SX with paddle shifters on the steering column.

They don’t exactly make you feel like you’re ready for the Indy 500, but were fun to play with all the

same. As mentioned, this is the highest trim level Optima, so all of the fun doesn’t come cheap. The SX has a fairly hefty $33,695 price tag, although you certainly won’t want for anything if you pick this car – it comes fully loaded.

Decent performance isn’t limited to SX buyers, however; even the base LX ($21,995) model comes with the 200 horsepower, 2.4 litre inline four.

Kia has done one impressive job over the past few years of shedding its staid and cheap reputation, and recasting itself as a brand of style and performance. With such a strong, good-looking and well-equipped performer like the Optima rounding out its lineup, Kia’s strong sales growth should continue for some time to come.

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11-08-04 8:51 AM

VETTEL’S TO LOSE? The Defending Champ Looks Good to Repeat

BY DAN KNUTSON // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAMESH BAYNEY

R

eigning Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel has been winning a lot of races this season in the fleet Red Bull RB7. In the past, when a particular driver looked to be running away with the title, some people said that F1 was boring. Vettel may have won five out of the first seven in 2011, but the racing has been anything but dull. Thanks to the new rules this season has been incredibly exciting.

Gone are the days when the driver who qualified on pole usually led every lap, or when the only lead change in a race happened at the first pit stop.

Gone are the days when the running order throughout the field would not change for 20 laps.

In a nutshell the new rules and changes involve the “DRS” and Pirelli replacing Bridgestone as F1’s tire supplier. The Pirellis lose grip as they degrade – unlike the Bridgestones that would provide consis-

F1 August_v6.indd 1

tent traction for half a race or more – and therefore in 2011 the difference between a fresh set of tires and a used set can easily be three seconds a lap. The other significant difference is the Drag Reduction System [DRS] which allows the trailing driver to adjust the flap on his rear wing to reduce the downforce and thus give him more straight-line speed to attempt a pass on the driver in front.

There have been some exciting races including the wet, wild and crazy Canadian Grand Prix where Jenson Button survived a collision with his McLaren Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and another with Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari, a drive through the pits penalty and five more pit visits as he stormed from last to first.

Add the intense three-way fight for second place between Button, Michael Schumacher [Mercedes] and Mark Webber [Red Bull Renault]; Button

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VETTEL’S TO LOSE?

Petrov has put in a solid season for Renault with a podium and four top ten results.

GONE ARE THE DAYS WHEN THE DRIVER ON THE POLE USUALLY LED EVERY LAP, OR THE ONLY LEAD CHANGE IN A RACE HAPPENED AT THE FIRST PIT STOP.”

snatching the lead from Vettel on the last lap, plus all the other rowdy on-track action, and the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix joins the ranks of all-time classic races.

While Red Bull has established itself as the top team this season, McLaren and Ferrari have not let them run away and hide.

RED BULL With all the on track action, it is easy to forget that Vettel has been doing most of the winning.

Furthermore, unlike last year when the Red Bulls would streak away into the distance, this season Vettel has really had to fight for his victories. Also, unlike last year, Vettel’s early races have not been dogged by bad luck. This season all the bad luck has struck his teammate Webber.

Luck aside, why has Webber not been able to match Vettel’s pace?

“The biggest thing is the black things [tires] on the corner of the cars,” he replied. “We know they’ve played a pretty pivotal role in how the grands prix have unfolded this year.

“We have clearly put a lot of work into the tires and me getting more out of them. It would take three bottles of wine for me to explain how complex it all is, but that’s the way it is now and we’ve just got to get on with it. I’ve got to do my job and work with the guys to understand those new challenges.”

Vettel has not only been beating Webber, he’s been beating everybody.

“He’s got the bar at a very, very high level, so for me it’s very rewarding when you get close and try to get ahead of that,” Webber said. “And that’s what it’s all about for me at the moment.”

Vettel may be on a roll but he’s not taking anything for granted.

“As we saw last year, and we learned a lot, things can change quickly,” he cautioned. “We have had a good start and we are on a run. We try to take every race on its own and we are ready to attack and go for it. There is still a long way for the championship. You have to be aggressive, you have to look for risks, and you have to take it.”

MCLAREN McLaren was the only team to defeat Red Bull in the opening seven races thanks to Hamilton’s victory in China and Button’s triumph in Canada. McLaren is convinced it can beat Red Bull for the title.

“I wouldn’t say that winning in Montreal has given me extra motivation because I was already totally committed,” Button said, “but it will help to sharpen the focus and conviction of everyone in the team. We’ve proved we can challenge and beat Sebastian [Vettel], and we know we can fight for this world championship.”

Team principal Martin Whitmarsh claimed the win was a great fillip for the entire McLaren team.

“As a team, it’s particularly satisfying that our upgrade ‘hit-rate’ has been successful,” he said, “and that we’ve really been able to translate the results we’ve seen at the factory into concrete performance

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at the track. Again, that’s the result of good teamwork, and is what will successfully carry us through this championship fight.” Speaking of fighting, Hamilton’s aggressive driving style as earned him praise and criticism this year. Shoving Felipe Massa and Pastor Maldonado aside as he tried to pass them in Monaco was perhaps pushing things too far, and he subsequently apologized to both drivers.

“This is racing,” he said. “When you’re competitive – and this is the pinnacle of motor sport – and it’s not easy to overtake in this sport, and so every maneuver you make is definitely questionable.

Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you don’t.

So it’s inevitable when I do quite a lot of overtaking quite often, so sometimes it’s going to be right, sometimes not, but I think the stewards are doing a great job. While I would prefer not to be up at the stewards’ office so often – and trust me, I’m trying

Alonso rebounded with a win at Silverstone, but is still mired in fourth plance in the championship.

my hardest to stay out of there – my whole life I was always in the headmaster’s office so I’m used to it. I would just try to improve and learn from the situations that I get myself into.”

Hamilton has been frustrated that he could not capitalize on the performance of the McLaren, but he’s happy that the car is quick.

“We’ve arguably had the fastest race car in the last three races,” Hamilton said after Montreal, “and that’s really encouraging because I know that, when it’s put to best use, I should be able to finish at the front.”

While the McLarens are often quite close to the Red Bulls in the races, the car’s weak point has been its qualifying pace.

FERRARI While Hamilton and Button have both been able to fight at or near the front in their McLarens,

Fernando Alonso has been the sole challenger at Ferrari because teammate Felipe Massa has been struggling.

Overall however, although Alonso has shown flashes of speed, the Ferrari team realized it had to make major changes if it wants to be a true championship challenger.

Ferraris under the auspices of Aldo Costa may have won the world championship in 2007 and nearly again in 2008, but the sight of one his cars being lapped in the Spanish Grand Prix was the most recent memory of Ferrari’s now former technical director Costa.

Costa has been assigned new responsibilities within the company as Ferrari sets up a new technical department with former McLaren man Pat Fry in charge of the chassis, Luca Marmorini remaining the boss of the engine and electronics, and Corrado Lanzone becoming the production manager. All will report to team principal Stefano Domenicali. The realignment of the technical department was made early so that work can begin on the 2012 car.

“When you want to speak about the future development of cars and the future of the organization, this is a process that takes a very long time,” Domenicali said. “It’s a matter of changing the methodology of work and of trying to improve it.

That’s the objective.”

Ironically, Fry left McLaren, an insider in that team told PRN, because he didn’t want to remain in

Rosberg has been a consistent top-10 finisher, but has yet to land on the podium.

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VETTEL’S TO LOSE? such a high profile position, and now he has been thrust into just such a job at Ferrari. Still, Ferrari will continue with its multilateral technical set-up rather than going for a superstar technical director like Adrian Newey. Ferrari, incidentally, has tried and failed to recruit him before.

Alonso, meanwhile, has not given up on 2011.

“Well, it is true that we need to reorganize a little bit inside the team and I am sure that we will do that very quickly because we cannot lose any time,” he said. “We need a quicker car immediately to fight for the championship and we will see what we can do. Next year we need to start with a better performance.”

What areas of the car does Ferrari need to attack to improve it?

“Aerodynamics,” Domenicali replied. “There is just one area: to put more downforce on the car.

That is the priority that we have. And this is the where I what I am expecting my engineers to work on very hard.”

Domenicali wants his team to focus on one race at a time.

“It is pointless to look at the points standings,” he told the Italian media. “We must do what a football team does when it is behind: play every match separately thinking only to attack and to win. Then, if the others go wrong and the situation changes, we will see where we are.”

THE FIGHT FOR FOURTH

WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?

Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari are the lead trio this season followed by Renault and Mercedes who are locked in battle for fourth place in the constructors’’ championship.

Renault finished on the podium in the opening two races with Vitaly Petrov taking third in Australia [and thus becoming the first ever Russian driver to celebrate on a F1 podium] and Nick Heidfeld placing third in Malaysia. After that the team seemed to lose its way but it is now back on the right path.

“We now know which direction we need to take,” Heidfeld said. “These things don’t magically happen overnight, but we have done a good job in analyzing where we need to improve.”

After a slow start, Mercedes has been steadily improving its car, and the proof of that was seen in Canada where Michael Schumacher was able to fight for second place. The team has solved the cars cooling woes and modified its rear wing.

The driver operated adjustable rear wing worked perfectly mechanically as the flap snapped back down instantly on the Mercedes. But from an aerodynamic point of view it sometimes took the air flow a moment to reattach to the wing surface resulting in a lack of downforce that was disconcerting if not downright scary to the drivers as they hurtled into a bend.

If history is anything to go by, Red Bull – whose cars were created by the design team led by Adrian Newey –will win the championship this year. Every time Newey’s cars have started the season with three wins out of four starts the team has also won the championship. Does he see this trend carrying on? PRN asked him if he sees any threats or weak points to the Red Bull supremacy.

“It is impossible to forecast,” he replied. “As we all know, F1 has changed tremendously over the last 10 years in terms of the development that is conducted through the year. You only have to go back 10 years where the car the team started the season with was not so different to what they finished the season with. That is not the case now.

“The pace of development means that there is the potential for teams to overtake each other.

That happened in 2009 where we started a fair bit slower to Brawn but caught up by midseason. In that case, although we were quicker in the second half of the season, it was too late to catch up in the championship. But we were close.”

Whether Vettel wraps up the championship early or the title fight goes down to the final race has yet to be determined. But one thing is certain: the racing will be close, unpredictable, entertaining and exciting.

Button followed up his win in Montreal with a recent victory in Hungary.

Rosberg has clearly established himself as the lead driver at Mercedes GP.

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Q&A ROBERT WICKENS Reserve Driver, Marussia Virgin Racing

BY LEE BAILIE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAMESH BAYNEY

F

or the past few years, 22 year-old Toronto native Robert Wickens has been viewed by many in the motorsports industry as the next Canadian driver to graduate to Formula 1. Wickens has been working diligently towards that goal since his career began in karts 10 years ago. His career really took off in 2006, when he was signed as a Red Bull Junior Team driver. He won the championship in the now-defunct Formula BMW Americas development series that season, and used it as a springboard into European F1 feeder programs.

Over the past three years, Wickens has competed in World Series by Renault, Formula 2 and GP3. He was the runner-up in the latter two in each of the past two years. This year, Wickens has been fighting for the championship in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, where he’s won twice and sits four points out of the lead at this writing.

His efforts in the Formula Renault Series have paid an impressive dividend. Marussia Virgin Racing elevated Wickens to be one of its official reserve drivers for its F1 team in June. PRN caught up with him at the Canadian Grand Prix.

PRN: How do you view your role as an official reserve driver for Marussia Virgin Racing?

Robert Wickens: I think at the end of the day, I’m taking this as a learning experience to benefit from for what hopefully will be an F1 career in the near future. The good thing about being a reserve driver is you get to sit in on all the briefings, talk to the engineers, talk to the drivers, listen to them on track so you get a really good idea of actually what the car is doing, what the characteristics are, what the consistent issues are and what the problems are. So already, with me being a guest at the European rounds so far this year and now being the official reserve driver from Canada onwards, I already have a pretty strong understanding of what to expect if I were to drive.

PRN: Any chance of getting some seat time in the car this year?

RW: Obviously, with the test bans in Formula 1 it’s impossible to test so all I can do is Friday Free Practice- generally Free Practice 1- but unfortunately there’s no immediate plans to do any driving. I just need to focus on my Formula Renault

3.5 stuff, basically win that championship and it’ll give me some fighting power.

PRN: How do you feel about some of the talk going around that you’re in line to become Canada’s next F1 star? Does it bother you or create any added pressure?

RW: I think it comes with the territory. It’s a great feeling to be the next hope or whatever the case is. I’m still going after my dream and I’m not there yet so I still need to fight really hard and do everything I possibly can to make sure I can accomplish my goals of becoming a world champion.

PRN: How have all the all different junior formulas helped your development?

RW: I mean, seat time is seat time at the end of the day. I’ve been grateful to keep racing every single year. Some drivers struggle with that. What really set my career up was being picked up Red Bull at the start of 2006. I didn’t have the budget to do anything and if it wasn’t for them I probably would have gone back to go-karting, probably went to school and who knows, maybe I’d just have a

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normal 9-5 job. They definitely put a lot of faith in me when I was young and they got behind me through 2009. I’m definitely very grateful for the opportunity I’ve had over the years and being to drive in as many championships as I have has been very beneficial for me.

PRN: At this stage of your career, what would you say your strengths are as a driver?

RW: I like to think I’m particularly strong at learning the characteristics of the car and learning circuits. I just find that I can generally adapt to things very quickly. When I did World Series in 2008, it was a brand new car. When I did Formula 3 Euroseries again in 2008, I just jumped in with no testing. In 2009, it was a new car with Formula 2 and then 2010 it was a new car with GP3, so I’ve always been just jumping into a brand new car. This year in World Series was the first time since Formula BMW that I’ve done a championship twice. It’s a bit of a different situation because it’s three years later, but I think that’s where a lot of my speed is coming from this year.

PRN: How important is it to win the Formula Renault 3.5 championship? Does it feel like you’re taking care of unfinished business?

RW: Yeah, absolutely. I’m not trying to make an excuse, but I probably could have [won] a couple more championships if I had stayed in [one] for two years in a row. A lot of people will make a two year program out of something.

Look at Jules Bianchi this year in GP2. He did his rookie year last year, was really fast, made a few mistakes and now this year he’s a championship contender and one of the favourites. Same thing in GP2 with Sam Bird. He did his rookie year last year and now he’s doing a really good job. You can go down the whole order. It’s very rare to find someone winning a championship in their rookie season. I think, all in all, to have the results I’ve accomplished and not really coming back to the same championship has been all right. But definitely, I think I have to prove myself and I have to win. I think I’m putting myself in a great position. Carlin’s a fantastic team, Marussia Motors are definitely putting a lot of faith in me in getting behind me for this year and I just need to make the most of it.

Before Wickens went to Europe, he spent 2007 in the now-defunct Atlantic Championship.

He finished third in points with a win, three podiums and four top five finishes.

PRN: What other forms of racing interest you?

Are there any one-off events you’d like to do if the right opportunity came along?

RW: I think every driver wants to do Le Mans, wants to win Le Mans. I think every driver probably wants to do the Indy 500. I think every driver would want to win the Rolex 24. To be honest, I’m open to anything. I’d love to give Rally a try, I’d love to try NASCAR to see what it’s like. Why not, you know? I think it’d be a fun experience.

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TEMPER,

TEMPER Things Get a Little Heated in the IZOD IndyCar Series

W

BY LEE BAILIE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAMESH BAYNEY

ell, so much for drivers in the IZOD IndyCar Series being a collection of somewhat anonymous and agreeable bunch of niceguys (and gals).

After two recent stops in Canada, maybe INDYCAR President and CEO Randy Bernard ought to seriously consider adding more dates north of the 49th parallel if he wants more controversy, hot-tempered drivers and chaotic racing.

The races in Toronto and Edmonton had enough of all three to last for the remainder of the season.

Bernard and his management team should be hoping for a spillover effect because the mayhem on track at those two races accomplished two very important things. First, the TV ratings on both sides of the border were up significantly for both, and secondly, those events created some drama, something the Series has had precious little of in recent years.

The old axiom that there is no such thing as bad publicity definitely applies to the IndyCar racing – even in year four post-unification, the sport is struggling to break back into the mainstream on the North American sports landscape.

Its TV audiences remain stubbornly small (particularly in the U.S. where some races have attracted cable audiences of around 300,000) and attendance at many of its oval events isn’t where it needs to be. The return to The Milwaukee Mile in June after a year away was a flop, with a tiny race-day crowd (estimates put it at about 15,000 in a facility that can seat 40,000) turning out to watch an entertaining race won by Dario Franchitti.

Things rebounded the next weekend at Iowa Speedway, where a healthy crowd (30,000 plus) watched Marco Andretti finally earn his second career victory with a brilliant drive that showcased the kind of skill that’s only appeared in flashes during his five plus years driving for his father Michael’s team.

After a week off, the Series resumed in Toronto on a hot and muggy July weekend with a 26-car field, one of the biggest the 11-turn, 2.824 kilometre circuit at Exhibition Place has seen since the heyday of the Molson Indy in the mid-late 1990s.

With temperatures in the mid-thirties (Celsius) throughout the weekend, drivers were already feeling a little hot in their race cars, and many became even more steamed during the race.

Coming into this year, Toronto had not yet played host to the Series’ new double-file restarts, which have already caused its fair share of mayhem, particularly on street circuits in St. Petersburg and Long Beach.

Power atoned for his bad day in Toronto with an impressive win in Edmonton.

Toronto, like most street circuits, is fairly narrow and tends to produce a lot of contact as a result. With the exception of turns one and three, passing isn’t advisable and cars can’t safely run two-wide anywhere for long. It also has an assortment of surfaces that have gotten progressively bumpier over the years.

The variety of surfaces causes grip levels to vary widely and teams often struggle to find the right compromise with car setup.

With double-file restarts being added to this volatile mix, many figured chaos would be the result.

And how right they were!

In fact, the reasonably uneventful start to the race lasted until lap three when Ryan Briscoe and Tony Kanaan bumped wheels in turn three, sending the latter into the wall, which ended his day early.

Soon afterwards, Kanaan was seen on television blaming Briscoe for the incident and stating that things like that happen because he doesn’t win very often, unlike his Penske teammate (Will Power).

Ouch.

And it was only the beginning. Soon there were cars coming together all over the place, the most notable of which involved the top two championship contenders, Franchitti and Power.

With Power running in fifth place on lap 56, Franchitti attempted to squeeze past him in turn three, but his left front wheel caught Power’s right rear, spinning him at the exit of the corner.

By the time Power got going, he was 16th and his race was effectively over.

Contact with Alex Tagliani in turn five on lap 66 sent him into the tires, which put an end to his day. He finished 24th, his second straight DNF. Power, not normally a driver known for going off on a rant, was seeing red after the incidents and let loose with a fury of rage for the assembled TV cameras on pit lane.

“I think Tag hit me. Pretty typical for him, he’s always been a bit of a wanker. [I’m] disappointed in Dario. The guy that mouths off about everyone, whinges about everyone and he’s the guy who races the most dirty and he never gets a penalty from INDYCAR. It’s just not right,” he said.

For his part, Franchitti viewed it as a racing incident. He accepted some of the blame, but not all of it.

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TEMPER, TEMPER

Tracy didn’t fare well in Canada16th at Toronto and a DNF in Edmonton.

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“Will started to crowd me there, and unfortunately at that point as he was crowding, the wall comes out, and so I couldn’t go any further to the right. So I was trying to get out of it, and I couldn’t and I’d say that was my part in the accident. I think Will has equal blame in that in the fact that he came down across like I wasn’t there,” he said.

By the time the checkered flag fell, and Franchitti had captured his fourth win of the season, six cars had retired and only 13 completed all 85 laps.

And just about everybody was angry at someone.

Kanaan was mad at Briscoe, Danica Patrick was mad at Takuma Sato for contact early in the race, James Hinchcliffe and Paul Tracy weren’t too happy with one another after their incident in turn five ended their chances for good results.

Even drivers racing for the same organization were mad at one another.

Scott Dixon, who ended up finishing second, was mad at fellow Chip Ganassi driver Graham Rahal, for chopping him on the back straight late in the race.

Rahal, in turn, didn’t appreciate Dixon’s comments, but he was more angry with third-place finisher Ryan Hunter-Reay, whom he made contact with in turn three late in race, in the almost identical spot as the Franchitti/Power dustup.

Like Power, Rahal spun out and was relegated to a 13th place result.

Despite posting a good result in what has been an especially trying season for the two-time champion, Dixon was still noticeably annoyed with Rahal at the post-race press conference. He was overheard telling a reporter that Rahal had ‘gotten what he deserved’ when he came together with Hunter-Reay.

While the drivers may not have enjoyed Toronto too much, for fans and media, watching tempers boil over and drivers call each other out made for some pretty compelling television.

In fact, the race attracted more than 1.2 million unique viewers to TSN’s broadcast in Canada, making it the highest rated IndyCar race ever shown on the network.

It was a similar story in the U.S., where Versus attracted it’s highest IndyCar rating ever in 56 metered markets.

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Contact was the order of the day in Toronto- just 13 cars completed every lap.

Franchitti took the win (below).

Not that the good ratings did anything to dampen some of the sore feelings that were left over – the bad feelings seemed to linger for most of the two weeks leading into Edmonton, only now the barbs were flying online.

As is so often the case when there’s a difference of opinion these days, the aggrieved parties decamp to Twitter to continue their sniping.

Franchitti suggested that Power watch the race, then call him to discuss the incident. Power, still mad, declined suggesting Franchitti was a ‘princess’.

So would more things happen to amp up the drama during the next chapter Edmonton City Centre Airport?

Absolutely.

After hosting Champ Car and IndyCar races on the same circuit since 2005, Octane Management, the new promoters of the Edmonton Indy, elected to go with a new, 13-turn, 3.579 kilometre layout that runs counter clockwise on the eastern runway of the City Centre Airport.

A new circuit often has the potential to mix up the field because of a lack of familiarity, and that certainly was the case in Edmonton.

After rain and cold temperatures washed out Friday practice, the Saturday schedule was compressed to accommodate all of the sessions.

Qualifying produced some interesting results with two KV Racing Technology-Lotus drivers, Sato and E.J. Viso, making into the Firestone Fast Six, and Sato capturing the pole.

It was sunny and pleasant for the race, which didn’t take long to become pretty interesting.

On lap one, Tagliani went aggressively into turn five, bumped into Rahal who suffered a cut tire, went off the track and then came back on and collected Tracy, an incident that ended both of their races.

Because he unexpectedly had so much time on his hands, Rahal spent part of the race in the Versus booth providing analysis.

A couple of notable incidents followed when Mike Conway made contact with Oriol Servia, and Viso overshot his braking zone and speared Dixon in turn five. All four cars would finish the race, albeit some laps down.

For the second straight race, Dixon was pretty steamed afterwards. The contact with Viso resulted in a damaged radiator that had to be replaced which ruined his race. He finished 23rd, six laps down.

“I’m not sure what Viso was doing but he took us out and almost took Dario out as well. It was one of those deals where I could see it happening in my mirror but couldn’t get out of his way. We just can’t buy a break I guess,” he said afterwards.

As for the Franchitti/Power soap opera, that seemed to take a turn for the better.

Power, who started from the second position, grabbed the lead from Sato on lap 19 and held it for the remainder of the race to collect his fourth win of the season. Franchitti started fourth, avoided the carnage early on and finished third.

After sitting next to one another in the post-qualifying press conference without making eye contact, they were seen chatting briefly in the Winner’s Circle which seemed to suggest that what happened in Toronto is water under the bridge.

Power said that he has a hard time staying mad at people, and smiled when he saw Franchitti.

As short-lived as the feud between the two may have been, it helped to push the TV ratings up for the second consecutive race – Edmonton was the third most watched race ever on Versus in 56 metered markets.

Although things may have cooled off between them, only 38 points separated Franchitti and Power in the title chase at this writing. There’s still plenty of time left for the rivalry to heat up again before the end of the season.

For Bernard and the Series stakeholders, some good old fashioned dislike amongst drivers would be just what the doctor ordered.

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FITZPATRICK FLIES THE FLAG J.R. Fitzpatrick Chases His NASCAR Dreams with Go Canada Racing STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMIE MAUDSLEY

T

Although he’s not new to the NASCAR scene, Fitzpatrick is still only 23 years-old.

he wind whipped between the race shops at Fitzpatrick Motorsports just outside of Cambridge, Ontario on a Friday night in February of 2009. All the Canadian race fans- from the ones at the track, to those on their couches- were focused on the World Center of Speed, Daytona International Speedway, witnessing J.R. Fitzpatrick planting himself on the NASCAR map. The former CASCAR Super Series champion led 17 laps, found his way through a multi-truck pile-up that looked like a mine field, and fended off Kyle Busch for most of those laps before bringing his mount home with a fourth-place finish in the Camping World Truck Series season opener.

Since that night, it’s been a whirlwind ride for young J.R., as he ran a number of other events for Kevin Harvick Inc. in 2009, but the deal went south in the offseason.

“We were going to run some Truck and ARCA races for KHI, but Chevrolet dropped their Truck program, and that pretty much ended the deal,” J.R. explained.

In 2010, J.R. was able to secure a multi-race deal with J.R. Motorsports, ironically, and ran strong during a trio of road course events, with two top-ten finishes.

Enter Toronto businessman Steve Meehan who, earlier this season, purchased equipment from Baker-Curb Motorsports, and announced that Go Canada Racing was now in business, and would be carrying the iconic number #67. The next step was to sign a Canadian driver to wheel his Ford Fusions, and Cambridge’s J.R. Fitzpatrick was the choice for Meehan.

The early results in 2011, while not overwhelming, have been decent, including a ninth-place finish to kick off a trio of left right events on the Nationwide trail. Fitzpatrick can make up time on road courses, but they need the funds that lead to technology for their oval cars, “It’s tough to keep up with the big teams. It just takes sponsorship money. We have four full-time guys working on the cars, and they are talented people, but we’re up against Roush, and they have 40 or 50 guys for each of their cars. We don’t have a seven-post

shaker, we don’t have a lot of time in the wind tunnel, but we’re doing the best we can. We know we can run up front, but to run up front we need sponsorship dollars. It’s an uphill battle for anyone outside of the U.S., because of trying to justify to a U.S. sponsor why they shouldn’t have a U.S. driver, but we think there is also a market for Canadian companies as well. When I walk through the pits, I know we can run at the front, and I think we’re going to have some success soon. Again, we have a small team, but they have all won before. It’s also neat that we’re called Go Canada Racing, and it’s something we hope the whole country can get behind us!”

Go Canada Racing is also planning to make its first NASCAR Sprint Cup start of the season in August at Watkins Glen. It’s an opportunity that doesn’t seem to intimidate Fitzpatrick. “I’ve raced with Carl Edwards, and Jacques Villeneuve before, as well as Cup guys in Nationwide. It will be a little different, but when you’re out there, guys like Jimmie Johnson are just another number, and another car to pass. But they are also really good. They’ve all had so much seat time,” he said.

The highlight of Fitzpatrick’s career so far came in 2006 when he was named the final champion of the CASCAR Super Series before NASCAR bought the series. Fitzpatrick ran full seasons in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in 2007, 2008 and 2010.

“In a way, it was kind of a bummer that NASCAR took over the next year, because it took a little of the shine off the trophy looking back. Some people had said that it’s not the same as winning a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series title, but I’m just as proud of it. There wasn’t a whole lot of difference from the end of 2006 to when we showed up to the first race of the 2007 season, you still had to beat D.J. Kennington, Don Thomson Jr., Scott Steckly and Mark Dilley. Sure, Andrew Ranger and Alex Tagliani came to race, but Peter Gibbons, and Dave Whitlock also retired so the competition hasn’t really changed at all. You still have to beat some real tough competitors every week.”

Another big part of the Fitzpatrick story during the past offseason occurred in the shop, where WWW.PRNMAG.COM | 81

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FITZPATRICK FLIES FLAG Scott Steck signs some autographs at Delaware Speedway.

full-time employee and driver Don Thomson Jr., was informed that the companies’ plans had changed.

“That was tough, because he was part of our team, and part of our family for so long. Don helped us out a bit when we had the J-Car, and other than two years in Sauble, this will be the first time he hasn’t been around since I started racing. Donnie taught me everything from how to hold a steering wheel to how to how to work on the cars. He started coming around when I was eight or nine, and we’ve really grown closer the older I’ve gotten.

He’s like a brother to me, and I’ll never forget the first time he asked me for advice on anything - that was really neat! He’s been such a great friend, and we were all pleased to see him win at Delaware earlier this season,” he said.

Fitzpatrick started racing as a youngster in the Krown Junior Racing League at Delaware before stepping right into a Late Model, racing at Flamboro Speedway. He recalled the early days of his racing career, racing a full-size car as a 14 year-old.

“It was my Dad and Donnie’s decision to put me in a Late Model right off the bat. We had good equipment, with Thomson and my Dad as coaches, and I really had to learn respect. It was tough, because I wanted to lead races, and I wanted to win right away, and figured I just would, but it was a lot tougher than that. I was still able to win in my third Late Model race, and became the youngest winner ever in the Late Model division at Flamboro.”

Even today, Fitzpatrick’s racing adventures don’t stop with just NASCAR action, as he also owns a pair of Delaware Super Stocks that have seen

himself, Delaware Truck pilot Jeff Showler, and friend Darrell Lake behind the wheel.

“I just love racing. No one ever pushed me into it. It would be Friday night, and the guys that I raced Juniors against would be racing that night, and I wanted to be out there racing with them. In 2009 alone, I drove a go-kart, a TQ Midget, a Sprint Car, a Ontario Pro Challenge car, a Super Late Model, a Street Stock, as well as a Nationwide car and a Truck. One week we raced a Truck at Bristol, a Street Stock on Friday, and then a Midget on Saturday and Sunday,” he said.

“I love building cars. Last year, I built a Street Stock, and there were a lot of people that commented on it. That made me feel good that there were people noticing a car that I had built. I’ve been helping guys out with setups, and would love to have a car that I set up and owned winning a race. That would be pretty cool,” Fitzpatrick stated.

As 2011 moves along, however, the Super Stocks will take a backseat. It’s full speed ahead chasing a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series title, and starts with the big boys. “The only conflict between schedules is in September, when there is a Nationwide race in Chicago and a Canadian Tire Series race in Nova Scotia, but if we’re in the championship hunt, then we’ll be in Antigonish,” Fitzpatrick explained.

Look for Fitzpatrick on the East Coast with the Canadian Tire Series in September in a title hunt for the second National Championship of his young career, which will hopefully lead to more Canadians getting a chance south of the border with ‘Canada’s Team’.

Despite his Nationwide schedule, Fitzpatrick (leading) is still a fixture in the Canadian Tire Series.

Fitzpatrick’s former teammate Don Thomson, Jr. has moved on to Ed Hakonson Racing.

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3/27/08 4:54:13 PM

DOMINATION Brett McCormick Has Left the Canadian Superbike Field in His Wake

BY LEE BAILIE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAMESH BAYNEY

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W

hen fans of the Canadian Superbike Championship by Parts Canada last saw Brett McCormick (pictured) in action prior to this season, it was in 2009 when, as a factory rider for Suzuki Canada, the Saskatoon native came up just short of winning his first title.

Despite winning four of the seven races that season, he finished five points behind Brantford, Ontario’s Jordan Szoke, who went on to claim his fourth straight Superbike crown.

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After a year spent in the AMA Superbike class as a substitute rider for Jordan Suzuki, McCormick’s return to Canada as the lead rider for the radX/BMW Motorrad Canada team this season has been nothing short of dominating.

Heading into the final month of the season, McCormick has won all four rounds of the championship and holds a commanding 46-point lead over Szoke (219-173), with three races remaining. Last year’s runner-up, Andrew Nelson of Kars, Ontario is third, 79 markers back.

With a gap almost equal to that of a win (50), McCormick’s lead isn’t completely insurmountable, but it will be near impossible for Szoke to catch and pass him unless McCormick turns in a really bad result or two in the remaining rounds at Atlantic Motorosports Park (AMP) and Mosport International Raceway.

Given the kind of form he’s shown this season, that shouldn’t be considered a likely scenario.

Coming into the season, it would have been hard for any observer to imagine Szoke would still be

11-08-05 11:21 AM

FITZPATRICK FLIES FLAG

Szoke (leading) has some work to do if he‘s going to win his sixth straight Superbike title.

looking for his first win so late in the championship.

He came into 2011 as the favourite, just as he has in season’s past, and was returning (after cruising to his fifth straight title on a self-funded, Hondapowered team last year) to Competition System Kawasaki and engine builder Mike Crompton, a combination that he won four straight championships with (2006-09).

Many, including this observer, were predicting a reprise of 2009: a hammerand-tong, back and forth fight for the championship between the series top two riders, trading wins right up until the season-ending doubleheader at Mosport in late August.

What has happened instead, however, is the emergence of McCormick as the rider to beat in the championship – something no other rider has been able to do so far.

One of the most striking aspects of the season to date has been how closely it has paralleled Szoke’s 2010 season, when he won every race and finished 132 points ahead of Nelson in the final standings.

His march to the championship was built on dominating wins that were often measured in full seconds.

So far, this season, the closest anyone has come to McCormick at the finish line is 1.390 seconds behind, an effort turned in by Szoke at Autodrome St-Eustache.

In that race, McCormick wasn’t on pole, but got a good start, grabbed the lead on the first lap and never relinquished it.

Szoke, the polesitter, didn’t get the start he was looking for and fell back to third behind Alex Welsh. By the time he got past him he acknowledged he had nothing left to mount a serious challenge for the lead.

“My start was not good enough and I got stuck behind Alex,” Szoke explained. “Alex was riding well but Brett was getting away all the time. I used up my rear tire when I was stuck behind Alex and when I caught up to Brett I had nothing left.”

McCormick’s margin in victory in his other wins has been much larger – in the first race at Shannonville Motorsport Park, he started on pole and finished an astonishing 20.421 seconds ahead of Szoke.

Afterwards he could only acknowledge McCormick’s efforts.

“My hat’s off to Brett; I tried to stick with him,” Szoke said. “We need to find just that little bit more. We’ll put our heads together tonight and see what we can do.”

The second race was closer, but the same scenario played out. McCormick got a strong start, opened a big lead and was never seriously challenged for the remainder of the race. He crossed the line 11.894 seconds ahead of Szoke.

“They made me work for it off the start,” said McCormick, who was beaten into the first turn by Welsh. “But I got a good drive out of turn two and was able to get up the inside of Alex in turn three. We made some changes last night to help make the suspension last but Jordan put in a good ride. He was going quite a bit quicker today.”

And so it has gone in 2011 – even when he hasn’t had perfect races, McCormick has still been better than everyone else, and in some cases, better by a wide margin.

So with three rounds left, is there a chance for the championship to tighten up?

With a seven-time champion in striking distance, nothing is assured for McCormick, especially when it comes to Szoke’s recent history at the remaining tracks on the schedule, AMP and Mosport.

Over the past three seasons, Szoke has won three of the five Superbike races at AMP and five of six at Mosport, a track he considers one of his favourites.

McCormick too, shouldn’t let his guard down either – a close 2009 title chase turned decisively in Szoke’s favour at Mosport when McCormick finished 8th in the first of two races, a contest won by Szoke. McCormick was assessed a jump start penalty, and was penalized five positions after his bike failed a post-race tech inspection. The resulting 27-point swing gave Szoke the lead and he held it through the remainder of the season.

This year McCormick is operating with a much larger cushion (he was only 12 points clear of Szoke coming into the Mosport rounds two years ago), so it would take more than one bad result to put his title hopes in serious jeopardy.

He seems like a good bet to win his first title, but it would be stunning if Jordan Szoke finished the season without a victory or two.

So despite his impressive run to date, McCormick could yet face a serious challenge on the road to his first Canadian Superbike championship.

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R

L’ESTAGE TRIUMPHS AT DIFFICULT RALLYE BAIE DES CHALEURS

a r o ( ( s a e

e t t T

Defending Champ Remains Unbeaten in 2011

BY CANADIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP // PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW HARVEY PHOTOGRAPHY

B m a b R T fi

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allye Baie Des Chaleurs features some of the fastest stages in the Canadian Rally Championship. A challenging combination of rough roads and slippery conditions demands respect from rally teams. By meeting these challenges and overcoming mechanical gremlins, Antoine L’Estage (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC) and Nathalie Richard (Halifax) won the Rallye Baie Des Chaleurs, their sixth Canadian Rally victory in a row. Both L’Estage and Patrick Richard nearly retired twice from the event with technical difficulties.

“The crew are the ones who made us win this event,” said L’Estage. “On Friday they had to rebuild the differentials, and then today they replaced the transmission in record time - just 40 minutes.

There’s no way we’d be here without their work.”

L’Estage’s main rivals Pat Richard (Squamish, BC) and Leanne Junnila (Calgary) also suffered multiple problems during the rally. “We lost boost and damaged our lights on Friday, and then today, broken suspension, damaged differentials,” said Richard. “It’s been a real roller coaster of an event.

This is what happens though when you’re trying to fight for a win. Things break.”

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Richard and Junnila finished second. The pair had dropped well back of L’Estage when troubles hit early in the rally, but fought back to within 20 seconds of first place, after L’Estage encountered difficulties of his own. “I know where I could have found 20 seconds today, so it’s a frustrating result,” said Richard. “The main thing is we got points towards the championship.”

Leo Urlichich (Toronto) and Martin Brady (Meath, Ireland) finished third, repeating their podium position from the Rocky Mountain Rally, despite problems of their own. “The car has been very difficult to drive. The throttle response is like an on/off switch, so it has been difficult to commit to corners fully,” said Urlichich, who had to battle back after a flat tire and boost problems on day one set them well down the order for the start of the second day.

Urlichich was able to claw back enough time to pass Bruno Carre (Laval, QC), who was also struggling. Max Riddle (Vancouver) and Aaron Neumann (Anmore, BC) finished fifth, a personal best for the rookie driver, who is having success in his very first rally season.

Two wheel drive cars were not immune to the tough conditions. Simon Dube (Jonquière, QC) was fastest early in the event, until two flat tires cost he and co-driver Pat Levesque (Baie Comeau, QC) approximately five minutes. The pair battled back over the next day and a half, eventually beating main rivals David Berube and codriver Yves St-Pierre (Quebec City) after Berube and St-Pierre suffered suspension problems that forced them to slow down over the final two stages.

“The rally went through some changes after last year,” said organiser Stephane Roussel. “Although we lost some old stages that were favourites, we came up with a new stage that will become a favourite soon.”

The 2011 season resumes at the Rallye Defi, September 9-10, 2011, held in Ste Agathe, Quebec.

L’Estage has won the rally more than anyone else, but Richard will need to win to keep hope alive for the 2011 Canadian Rally Championship title.

11-08-04 2:04 PM

DOWN TO THE

WIRE

Exciting Finishes Marked the Mid-Point of the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship Season

BY CASTROL CANADIAN TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP // PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAMESH BAYNEY

B

y leaving it all on the track in the second of two races at Mosport International Raceway in late July, CTCC competitors put on one of their greatest shows so far this season. Thousands of spectators were kept on edge during the whole race.

SUPER CLASS The thrilling battle started with an incident during the first lap when the polesitter was forced to retire from the race at corner three. Sasha Anis’ left front steering control rod broke, sending him into the tires. The incident made Richard Boake the new race leader in his Subaru STI by an appreciable margin, followed by Arek Wojciechowski in his BMW 328I. Behind them, Dean Fantin stood in 90 | WWW.PRNMAG.COM

third in his BMW 330i. As the race went on, more incidents created traffic problems for the leaders, which caused Boake to slow down briefly. This circumstance was just the thing Wojciechowski needed to get closer to him and keep pushing until the end. Both drivers fought a strong and fair battle, but only one of them could be victorious.

Wojciechowski made a powerful move that got him alongside Boake, and the two crossed the finish line side-by-side. Wojciechowski won his first race by a margin of 0.014 seconds.

“Richard got caught in traffic in corner three and four and that helped me a lot, I don’t think I could have made it otherwise” said Wojciechowski.

“This is my first win ever, it could not get any better than this.”

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The duo was followed by Dean Fantin at the checkered. After technical inspection, Boake was disqualified which reshuffled the finishing order: Wojciechowski, followed by Fantin and Etienne Borgeat in third.

The fourth and fifth positions were went to Bob Attrell in a Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Alex Healy in an Acura RSX.

TOURING CLASS In the Touring Class battle, more incidents were encountered during the race and many competitors were forced to retire early. The race was very competitive and extremely entertaining with an unexpected winner at the end. Gary Kwok led the field for the first few laps when he had a wheel break at corner three which put him into the tires. Kurt Langeveldt in his Mazda Protégé battled intensely with Michel Sallenbach in his Cooper and P.J. Groenke in his VW GTI. Lap after lap they pressured each other while looking for an opportunity to pass.

At corner five, Langeveldt got wide on the grass and Sallenbach slipped inside. They came together just as Groenke was going by which resulted in damage to all three cars, ending their respective races. Luc Lesage in his Scion tC inherited the lead but was followed closely Tom Kwok in his Honda Civic SI and Damon Sharpe, also in a Honda Civic SI. Lesage held them off until the checkered and earned his first victory in CTCC.

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PHOTO BY: RICK KOLACZYNSKI

DOWN TO THE WIRE

I WAS TOLD I WAS FIRST BY MY CREW ONLY BEFORE MY LAST LAP. MY HEART STARTED TO POUND VERY QUICKLY.”

“I didn’t even know I was in first position”, declared Lesage.

“I was told I was first by my crew only before the last lap, my heart started to pound very quickly” “It is very good for the team, I hope we will be competitive for Trois-Rivières” he said.

Fourth and fifth positions were earned by Alain Lauzière in a MINI Cooper S and Jocelyn Fecteau in a Scion tC.

WORTH NOTING During the qualifying session that occurred Saturday morning, the Mosport track Record for CTCC was broken

by Sasha Anis with 1:29.676. The previous record was 1:29.933.

To get the complete results of Round Nine and Ten, visit www.touringcar.ca. You can also follow CTCC on Facebook and Twitter.

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PRIDE AND PERFORMANCE I

’ve never been what you would call an “Insider” when it comes to motorsports. This fact alone made attending the CASC-OR Autoslalom event on July 16, 2011 a very exciting experience for me. I had no idea what to expect or how I would be received as a volunteer photographer.

I answered a call for volunteers in June but, due to previous engagements, I wasn’t able to attend an event until mid-July. The response that I received from all of the participants was amazing. I felt as though I was a welcome addition to this world of amateur racing. Even now, weeks after the race, I am still in contact with many of the drivers.

One point that stood out more than any other was how proud these folks are of their cars. It became very obvious to me, as I walked around the Paddock area prior to the race, that each one of these people had put a lot of love and dedication into their vehicles. You can plainly see the individual’s personality manifested in his or her car. Talk to these folks about their rides and you can see the pride in their eyes.

Once the timed races started I began shooting different aspects of the event. It started off fairly slowly as the drivers became accustomed to the track. However, as the day progressed you could feel the energy increase with the speed of the cars. After each heat you could overhear each one of the drivers comparing their times against their last run and against each other.

This is clearly a highly competitive sub-culture of motorsports.

I’m really impressed by what I was able to witness on that day. It was an awe-inspiring experience being able to meet the drivers and to get right into the heart of the event to shoot some amazing photographs. I’m really looking forward to attending more events throughout Central Ontario and meeting many more drivers. If you’re looking for a fast paced motorsport, where all you need is your street ride to participate, then just maybe CASC-OR Autoslalom is the sport that you’re looking for.

Scott A. Thiel Scott Thiel Photography photothiel.ca

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PRIDE AND PERFORMANCE Car #37 ejects a pylon from its box during a 90-degree turn.

Car #9 crosses the finish line.

It was the fastest car of the day.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY RICHARD FOEGELE FAMILY COLLECTION

From the Vault: Start of the 1965 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport.

Bruce McLaren (left) leads David Hobbs.

11-08-08 11:24 AM

PRESENTS THE 2011

www.yokohama.ca » FIA Formula 1 World Championship 27-Mar Australia - Sebastian Vettel 10-Apr Malaysia - Sebastian Vettel 17-Apr China - Lewis Hamilton 8-May Turkey - Sebastian Vettel 22-May Spain - Sebastian Vettel 29-May Monaco - Sebastian Vettel 12-Jun Canada - Jenson Button 26-Jun Europe - Sebastian Vettel 10-Jul Britain - Lewis Hamilton 24-Jul Germany - Fernando Alonso 31-Jul Hungary - Jenson Button 28-Aug Belgium 11-Sep Italy 25-Sep Singapore 9-Oct Japan 16-Oct Korea 30-Oct India 13-Nov Abu Dhabi 27-Nov Brazil » IZOD IndyCar Series 27-Mar Streets of St. Petersburg - Dario Franchitti 10-Apr Barber Motorsports Park - Will Power 17-Apr Streets of Long Beach - Mike Conway 1-May Streets of Sao Paulo - Will Power 29-May Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Dan Wheldon 11-Jun Texas Motor Speedway - Dario Franchitti (race 1), Will Power (race 2) 19-Jun The Milwaukee Mile- Dario Franchitti 25-Jun Iowa Speedway - Marco Andretti 10-Jul Streets of Toronto - Dario Franchitti 24-Jul Edmonton City Centre Airport - Will Power 7-Aug Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 14-Aug New Hampshire Motor Speedway 28-Aug Infineon Raceway 4-Sep Streets of Baltimore 18-Sep Twin Ring Motegi 2-Oct Kentucky Speedway 16-Oct Las Vegas Motor Speedway » Firestone Indy Lights 27-Mar Streets of St. Petersburg - Josef Newgarden 10-Apr Barber Motorsports Park - Victor Garcia 17-Apr Streets of Long Beach - Conor Daly 27-May Indianapolis Motor Speedway- Josef Newgarden 19-Jun The Milwaukee Mile- Esteban Guerrieri 25-Jun Iowa Speedway- Josef Newgarden 10-Jul Streets of Toronto- Stefan Wilson 23-Jul Edmonton City Centre Airport- Esteban Guerrieri (race 1), Josef Newgarden (race 2) 7-Aug Streets of Trois Rivieres 14-Aug New Hampshire Motor Speedway 4-Sep Streets of Baltimore 2-Oct Kentucky Speedway 16-Oct Las Vegas Motor Speedway » Star Mazda Championship 27-Mar Streets of St. Petersburg - Connor De Phillippi 10-Apr Barber Motorsports Park - Tristan Vautier 28-May Lucas Oil Raceway - Connor De Phillippi 19-Jun The Milwaukee Mile - Sage Karam 25-Jun Iowa Speedway - Sage Karam 23-Jul Mosport International Raceway- Joao Victor Horto 6-Aug Circuit de Trois-Rivieres 7-Aug Circuit de Trois-Rivieres 27-Aug Infineon Raceway 4-Sep Streets of Baltimore 17-Sep Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca » American Le Mans Series 19-Mar Sebring International Raceway - Lapierre/Duval/Panis 16-Apr Streets of Long Beach - Graf/Luhr 9-Jul Lime Rock Park - Dyson/Smith 24-Jul Mosport International Raceway - Graf/Luhr 6-Aug Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 21-Aug Road America 3-Sep Streets of Baltimore 17-Sep Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 1-Oct Road Atlanta » Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series 27-Jan Daytona International Speedway - Pruett/Rojas/Hand/ Rahal 4-Mar Homestead-Miami Speedway - Pruett/Rojas 8-Apr Barber Motorsports Park - Pruett/Rojas 14-Apr Virginia International Raceway- Barbosa/Borcheller/ France 29-May Lime Rock Park - Angelelli/Taylor 4-Jun Watkins Glen International - Angelelli/Taylor 25-Jun Road America - Pruett/Rojas 9-Jul Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca-Fogarty/Gurney 24-Jul New Jersey Motorsports Park - Pruett/Rojas 13-Aug Watkins Glen International 20-Aug Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 17-Sep Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

MOTORSPORT CALENDAR

» Pirelli World Challenge 27-Mar Streets of St. Petersburg (two rounds) - race 1- Patrick Long (GT), Jason von Kluge (GTS), Lawson Aschenbach (TC) // race 2- Patrick Long (GT), Eric Foss (GTS), Tristan Herbert (TC) 17-Apr Streets of Long Beach - Brandon Davis (GT), Paul Brown (GTS), Shea Holbrook (TC) 30-Apr Miller Motorsports Park - Jason Daskalos (GT), Jordon Musser (GTS), Aaron Povoledo (TC) 22-May Mosport International Raceway (two rounds) - race 1- Mike Skeen (GT), Ben Crosland (GTS), Lawson Aschenbach (TC) // race 2- Mike Skeen (GT), Paul Brown (GTS), Lawson Aschenbach (TC) 7-Aug Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (two rounds) 28-Aug Infineon Raceway (two rounds) 18-Sep Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 1-Oct Road Atlanta

18-Jun Michigan International Speedway - Carl Edwards 25-Jun Road America - Reed Sorenson 1-Jul Daytona International Speedway - Joey Logano 8-Jul Kentucky Speedway - Brad Keselowski 16-Jul New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Kyle Busch 23-Jul Nashville Superspeedway - Carl Edwards 30-Jul Lucas Oil Raceway - Brad Keselowski 6-Aug Iowa Speedway 13-Aug Watkins Glen International 20-Aug Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 26-Aug Bristol Motor Speedway 3-Sep Atlanta Motor Speedway 9-Sep Richmond International Raceway 17-Sep Chicagoland Speedway 1-Oct Dover International Speedway 8-Oct Kansas Speedway 14-Oct Charlotte Motor Speedway 5-Nov Texas Motor Speedway » Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship 12-Nov Phoenix International Raceway 22-May Mosport International Raceway- race 1- Richard Boake 19-Nov Homestead-Miami Speedway (ST), Gary Kwok (T) // race 2- Richard Boake (ST), Gary Kwok (T) » NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 5-Jun Circuit ICAR - Mirabel- race 1- Sasha Anis (ST), Michel 18-Feb Daytona International Speedway - Michael Waltrip Sallenbach (T) // race 2- Bob Attrell (ST), Michel 25-Feb Phoenix International Raceway - Kyle Busch Sallenbach (T) 12-Mar Darlington Raceway - Kasey Kahne 26-Jun Mosport International Raceway- race 1- Richard 2-Apr Martinsville Speedway - Johnny Sauter Boake (ST), P.J. Groenke (T) // race 2- Richard Boake 22-Apr Nashville Superspeedway - Kyle Busch (ST), P.J. Groenke (T) 13-May Dover International Speedway - Kyle Busch 10-Jul Streets of Toronto- race 1- Richard Boake (ST), Alain 20-May Charlotte Motor Speedway - Kyle Busch Lauziere (T) // race 2- Richard Boake (ST), Tom 4-Jun Kansas Speedway - Clint Bowyer Kwok (T) 10-Jun Texas Motor Speedway - Ron Hornaday 24-Jul Mosport International Raceway- race 1- Sasha Anis 7-Jul Kentucky Speedway - Kyle Busch (ST), Gary Kwok (T) // race 2- Arek Wojciechowski 16-Jul Iowa Speedway- Matt Crafton (GT), Luc Lesage (T) 22-Jul Nashville Superspeedway- Austin Dillon 7-Aug Circuit de Trois Rivieres 29-Jul Lucas Oil Raceway - Timothy Peters 19-Aug Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 6-Aug Pocono Raceway 11-Sep Circuit ICAR - Mirabel 20-Aug Michigan International Speedway 24-Aug Bristol Motor Speedway » NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2-Sep Atlanta Motor Speedway 12-Feb Daytona International Speedway - Kurt Busch 16-Sep Chicagoland Speedway 17-Feb Daytona International Speedway - Kurt Busch 24-Sep New Hampshire International Speedway 17-Feb Daytona International Speedway - Jeff Burton 1-Oct Kentucky Speedway 20-Feb Daytona International Speedway - Trevor Bayne 15-Oct Las Vegas Motor Speedway 27-Feb Phoenix International Raceway - Jeff Gordon 22-Oct Talladega Superspeedway 6-Mar Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Carl Edwards 29-Oct Martinsville Speedway 20-Mar Bristol Motor Speedway - Kyle Busch 4-Nov Texas Motor Speedway 27-Mar Auto Club Speedway - Kevin Harvick 18-Nov Homestead-Miami Raceway 3-Apr Martinsville Speedway - Kevin Harvick 9-Apr Texas Motor Speedway - Matt Kensith » NASCAR Canadian Tire Series 17-Apr Talladega Superspeedway - Jimmie Johnson 28-May Mosport Speedway - Scott Steckly 30-Apr Richmond International Raceway - Kyle Busch 5-Jun Circuit ICAR - Robin Buck 7-May Darlington Raceway- Regan Smith 11-Jun Delaware Speedway - Don Thomson, Jr. 15-May Dover International Raceway- Matt Kenseth 26-Jun Mosport International Raceway - D.J. Kennington 21-May Charlotte Motor Speedway - David Ragan 9-Jul Streets of Toronto - Andrew Ranger 21-May Charlotte Motor Speedway - Carl Edwards 23-Jul Motoplex Speedway - Scott Steckly 29-May Charlotte Motor Speedway - Kevin Harvick 27-Jul Auto Clearing Motor Speedway - Pete Shepherd III 5-Jun Kansas Speedway - Brad Keselowski 7-Aug Circuit de Trois-Rivieres 12-Jun Pocono Raceway - Jeff Gordon 20-Aug Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 19-Jun Michigan International Speedway - Denny Hamlin 10-Sep Barrie Speedway 17-Sep Riverside International Speedway 26-Jun Infineon Raceway - Kurt Busch 24-Sep Kawartha Speedway 2-Jul Daytona International Speedway - David Ragan 9-Jul Kentucky Speedway - Kyle Busch » FIA World Rally Championship 17-Jul New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Ryan Newman 29-Jan Palm Beach International Raceway - Bobby Lagana, Jr. (TF) 31-Jul Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Paul Menard 20-Feb State Capital Raceway - Bobby Lagana, Jr. (TF) 7-Aug Pocono Raceway 26-Mar Southwestern International Dragway - Bobby Lagana, 14-Aug Watkins Glen International Jr. (TF) 21-Aug Michigan International Speedway 2-Apr San Antonio Raceway - Bobby Lagana, Jr. (TF) 27-Aug Bristol Motor Speedway 21-May Pittsburgh Raceway Park 4-Sep Atlanta Motor Speedway 18-Jun Rocky Mountain Raceways 10-Sep Richmond International Raceway 26-Jun Castrol Raceway 18-Sep Chicagoland Speedway 17-Jul Grand Bend Motorplex 25-Sep New Hampshire Motor Speedway 13-Aug U.S. 131 Motorsports Park 2-Oct Dover International Raceway 9-Oct Kansas Speedway » FIA World Rally Championship 15-Oct Charlotte Motor Speedway 13-Feb Rally Sweden - Mikko Hirvonen 23-Oct Talladega Superspeedway 6-Mar Rally Guanajuato Mexico - Sébastien Loeb 30-Oct Martinsville Speedway 27-Mar Vodafone Rally de Portugal - Sébastien Ogier 6-Nov Texas Motor Speedway 16-Apr Jordan Rally - Sébastien Ogier 13-Nov Phoenix International Raceway 8-May Rally d’Italia Sardegna - Sébastien Loeb 20-Nov Homestead-Miami Speedway 29-May Rally Argentina - Sébastien Loeb 19-Jun Acropolis Rally of Greece- Sébastien Ogier » NASCAR Nationwide Series 30-Jul Neste Oil Rally Finland - Sébastien Loeb 19-Feb Daytona International Speedway - Tony Stewart 21-Aug ADAC Rallye Deutschland 26-Feb Phoenix International Raceway - Kyle Busch 11-Sep Rally Australia 5-Mar Las Vegas Motor Speedway - Mark Martin 2-Oct Rallye de France 19-Mar Bristol Motor Speedway - Kyle Busch 23-Oct RACC Rally de Espana 26-Mar Auto Club Speedway - Kyle Busch 13-Nov Wales Rally GB 8-Apr Texas Motor Speedway - Carl Edwards 16-Apr Talladega Superspeedway - Kyle Busch » Intercontinental Rally Challenge 23-Apr Nashville Superspeedway - Carl Edwards 22-Jan Rallye Monte-Carlo - Bryan Bouffier 29-Apr Richmond International Raceway - Denny Hamlin 16-Apr Rally Islas Canarias Trofeo El Corte Ingles - Juho Hän6-May Darlington Raceway - Kyle Busch ninen 14-May Dover International Speedway - Carl Edwards 15-May Tour de Corse - Thierry Neuville 22-May Iowa Speedway - Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 4-Jun Prime Yalta Rally - Juho Hänninen 28-May Charlotte Motor Speedway - Matt Kenseth 25-Jun Geko Ypres Rally - Freddy Loix 4-Jun Chicagoland Speedway - Justin Allgaier

16-Jul 6-Aug 28-Aug 11-Sep 24-Sep 16-Oct 5-Nov

Sata Rally Acores - Juho Hänninen Rali Vinho Madeira Barum Czech Rally Zlín Mecsek Rallye Rallye Sanremo RAC MSA Rally of Scotland Cyprus Rally

» Canadian Rally Championship 5-Feb Rallye Perce-Neige Maniwaki - Antoine L’Estage 27-May Rocky Mountain Rally - Antoine L’Estage 2-Jul Rallye Baie des Chaleurs - Antoine L’Estage 10-Sep Rallye DEFI 1-Oct Pacific Forest Rally 26-Nov Rally of the Tall Pines » FIM MotoGP 20-Mar Qatar - Casey Stoner 3-Apr Spain - Jorge Lorenzo 1-May Portugal - Dani Pedrosa 15-May France - Casey Stoner 5-Jun Catalan - Casey Stoner 12-Jun Great Britain - Casey Stoner 25-Jun Netherlands - Ben Spies 3-Jul Italy - Jorge Lorenzo 17-Jul Germany - Dani Pedrosa 24-Jul United States - Casey Stoner 14-Aug Czech Republic 28-Aug Indianapolis 4-Sep San Marino 18-Sep Aragon 2-Oct Japan 16-Oct Australia 23-Oct Malaysia 6-Nov Valencia » FIM World Superbike Championship 27-Feb Australia - Carlos Checa (race 1 and 2) 27-Mar Europe (Donington Park) - Marco Melandri (race 1) and Carlos Checa (race 2) 17-Apr Netherlands - Jonathan Rea (race 1) and Carlos Checa (race 2) 8-May Italy - Eugene Laverty (race 1 and 2) 30-May United States - Carlos Checa (race 1 and 2) 12-Jun San Marino - Carlos Checa (race 1 and 2) 19-Jun Spain - Marco Melandri (race 1) and Max Biaggi (race 2) 10-Jul Czech Republic - Marco Melandri (race 1) and Max Biaggi (race 2) 31-Jul Great Britain - Carlos Checa (race 1 and 2) 4-Sep Germany 25-Sep Italy 2-Oct France 16-Oct Portugal » AMA Pro National Guard Superbike 12-Mar Daytona International Speedway - Blake Young (race 1 and 2) 15-May Infineon Raceway - Josh Hayes (race 1), Tommy Hayden (race 2) 29-May Miller Motorsports Park - Blake Young 5-Jun Road America - Blake Young (race 1), Josh Hayes (race 2) 10-Jul Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Blake Young (race 1), Tommy Hayden (race 2) 24-Jul Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Tommy Hayden 14-Aug Virginia International Raceway 4-Sep New Jersey Motorsports Park » AMA Pro Daytona SportBike 12-Mar Daytona International Speedway - Jason DiSalvo 15-May Infineon Raceway - Jason DiSalvo 30-May Miller Motorsports Park - Josh Herrin 5-Jun Road America - Josh Herrin (race 1 and 2) 10-Jul Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Dane Westby (race 1), Danny Eslick (race 2) 24-Jul Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Danny Eslick 14-Aug Virginia International Raceway 4-Sep New Jersey Motorsports Park » Parts Canada Superbike Championship 29-May ICAR - Mirabel - Brett McCormick 3-Jul Shannonville Motorsports Park - Brett McCormick 10-Jul Autodrome St. Eustache - Brett McCormick 7-Aug Atlantic Motorsport Park - Brett McCormick 21-Aug Mosport International Raceway 21-Aug Mosport International Raceway

RED HEADER DENOTES CANADIAN SERIES

98 | WWW.PRNMAG.COM

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Photo by Ste Ho www.shutterlit.com

There are two kinds of drivers. The ones who know what it takes to get the best performance out of their vehicles. And the ones who pull into the slow lane to make room for them as they go by. The revolutionary S.drive high performance tire. It puts you firmly in control, with a breakthrough microflexible compound, developed using Yokohama’s proprietary Nanotechnology. A forward-looking tread design engineered to take any twist or turn life throws at you. And the breeding of a true competitor, born of a legacy of Yokohama wins on the racing circuit.

You’ve either got a set – or they’re probably passing you.

www.Yokohama.ca

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