Oval Racing Stock car style in Québec, Ontario and New England States: Sep 11, 2012

2012-09-11

Brad Keselowsi Racing: ASA Midwest Tour Austin Theriault Iowa Speedway Race Preview

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 9.11.12
For more information, visit http://www.AustinTheriault.com or E-mail GWCNewEngland@gmail.com

THE STORY

Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, returns to the seat of the Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation Dodge for the ASA Midwest Tour 3M 150 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, on Friday, September 14. Theriault finished fourth in the World Crown 300 at Gresham Motorsports Park on July 4 in his last outing with the Super Late Model team, and he now has two Top-5 finishes in his last four starts with BKR. Theriault, 18, will be making his Iowa Speedway debut on Friday.

THE FACTS

WHO: Austin Theriault, Fort Kent, Maine
TEAM: Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation Dodge Charger
CREW CHIEF: Gary Crooks, Mooresville, N.C.
BEST CAREER IOWA SPEEDWAY FINISH: N/A
MOST RECENT IOWA SPEEDWAY FINISH: N/A
WHAT: ASA Midwest Tour 3M 150
WHERE: Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa (.875-mile D-shaped oval)
WHEN: Friday, September 14 – Practice, 10:30 a.m.; Qualifying, 4:30 p.m.; Race, 8 p.m.

DID YOU KNOW?

· Austin Theriault has two Top-5 finishes and four Top-10 finishes in six Super Late Model starts for Brad Keselowski Racing in 2012.

· Austin Theriault will make his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut in the G-Oil 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 22, in a car fielded by Go Green Racing.

· Austin Theriault won the Last Chance Motorsports 150 at Spud Speedway – where he began his racing career as a 13-year-old in 2007 – last Sunday.

· Austin Theriault is third in the current ACT Late Model Tour standings with one race remaining. He is the only driver in the series to have finished in the Top-10 in all nine points events this season.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

AUSTIN THERIAULT, Driver of the Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation Dodge Charger, On getting back in a BKR car after a two-month hiatus: “I'm looking forward to it. We were off to a very good middle part of the season, and we went out and had a good run at Gresham (in the World Crown 300) with a good, solid finish.

“Even though it's been a little bit of time since our last race, I've been in constant contact with (crew chief Gary Crooks) about things we want to work on and things I've got to work on. It hasn't been totally ignored by any means – we've still been working right along and trying to improve the program.”

On heading to Iowa Speedway for the first time this week: “This is another new thing for me, another different track, and it will be another learning experience for me. I don't know a whole lot about it, other than it's about a mile in length and it's banked a little higher than some of the other mile tracks I've been to, like Milwaukee or New Hampshire.

“The more I race, the easier it is making that transition from track to track. Certainly, it's gotten a bit easier to go from a place like a Thunder Road to a Loudon and be able to adjust fairly quickly. There's a bit of an improvement there.”

On his goals with BKR this weekend at Iowa: “Everybody still wants to win, and it's no different for us. Finishing things off with a good, solid finish is always a plus. Things change so quickly in racing, it's really hard to set firm goals – things change so quick, anything can happen, and you have to be able to adjust on the fly.

“That being said, I'm pretty confident we can have a good finish at Iowa and continue what we've got going here.”

UP NEXT

The Brad Keselowski No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation Dodge Charger returns to the track with Austin Theriault for the ARCA/CRA Super Series Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Ind., on Sunday, October 14... Theriault has never competed at the lightning-fast half-mile.

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DILLEY EXPERIENCES DRIVELINE FAILURE AT BARRIE

For Immediate Release

BARRIE, ON, Sunday Sept. 9, 2012: After a one day delay due to heavy rains the teams finally took the green flag for the Wahta 300 at Barrie Speedway at 1:30 on Sunday afternoon. Dilley driving the PartSource/Gaunt Collision Centres Ford Fusion ran up front all day but a late race driveline failure caused them to finish a disappointing 20^th.

Dilley was quick right off the trailer for practice and when the session was done, the #02 Ford team were scored 6^th quickest of the 23 cars registered for the event. He backed it up with a 5^th place time during the qualifying session. “I am a little disappointed in our qualifying effort here in front of my home town fans, but we will be good for the race,” said Dilley after qualifying.

The #02 driver was scored in the top five for much of the event even leading laps shortly after the halfway point prior to pit stops. With 50 laps to go, Dilley passed the second place car of J.R. Fitzpatrick and was on a mission to track down leader #22 Scott Steckly. The caution flag flew with 20 laps to go and this is exactly what Dilley was hoping for. This would tighten up the field and he was set to make a run for the lead. As the teams lined up for the green, the #02 car stopped in turn 2. It was later determined that something in the driveline broke and Dilley was pushed to pit road.

“I am disappointed with our finish today,” said Dilley when asked after the race. “But this car was a rocket and I could put the #02 PartSource/Gaunt Collision Centres Ford anywhere I wanted – passing on the inside or the outside. I can’t thank my team and all of our sponsors enough for their support. We wanted to put it in victory lane for them again this year but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Dilley was scored in the 20^th position at the end of the 300 lap event.

The Wahta Springs 300 will be aired on TSN on Saturday, Sept. 15 at noon ET and on RDS2 on Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 10 p.m. ET.

The #02 team will now make their way to Antigonish, NS for event 11 of the 12 race NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. The Wilson Equipment 300 will be held at Riverside Speedway on Saturday Sept. 15^th.

The #02 Micks Motorsports team is supported by the following sponsors: Leland Industries, Beyond Digital Imaging, PartSource, Armor All, Johnsonville, STP, Cathcart Trucking, Seguin Marina, Thor Motors, Prostate Cancer Canada, Triad Racing Technologies, Gaunt Collision Centres, Samester and Castrol.

For more information please contact:

Linda Jones

Wide Open Motorsport Solutions

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16-Time ARCA Winner Bob Strait to Return to No. 21 Bowsher Motorsports Car at Salem

For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

(TOLEDO, Ohio) - Bob Strait will return to the driver's seat of the No. 21 Bowsher Motorsports Ford for this Saturday's Kentuckiana Ford Dealers Fall Classic presented by Federated Car Care at Salem Speedway in Indiana.

"We're pretty excited about it," said Todd Bowsher. "It's reuniting him with the same team and crew members he had when he drove for us in the late '90s; the pairing was a strong force and we feel we can reclaim that magic."

Throw into the mix horsepower provided by Joe Rhyne of Rhyne Competition Engines and the program is complete.

Strait, 63, has had some of his greatest success in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at Salem Speedway, where he owns two victories and four Menards Pole Awards presented by Ansell, along with a pole and a win in ASA competition. In 212 career starts since 1986, Strait has 16 wins and 16 poles, including wins at Atlanta, Talladega, and Winchester.

Bowsher Motorsports, no stranger to success, has to its credit numerous victories and championships. Jack Bowsher won three ARCA driver/owner championships from 1963-65. The team has three additional car owner titles, in 1992, 1994, and 1995. As father and son, Jack and Bobby Bowsher remain the only father-son duo to win ARCA driver championships, with Bobby's two coming in 1992 and 1994. The team's 80 victories make for a total higher than any other in ARCA history.

Rhyne Competition Engines has also seen its share of success in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and has several victories and championships as well, being led by Joe Rhyne.

"It's just the way it worked out - I don't know a better way to say it," said Strait. "If I'm going to come back, this is the place to go. Todd, Julie and the entire Bowsher organization, Joe Rhyne, and myself have always had a good relationship and I'm just really excited to get to Salem. I think we'll be good. I was at the shop last week and the car looks great. Everything fits and I'm ready to rock and roll."

Said Todd Bowsher: "I think I know what he's looking for in the car and we're all already comfortable with each other and communicate well so it feels great to be going back to Salem with Bob driving our race car. We had some great runs there, and we're looking forward to it again."

Practice for the year's second race at Salem will take place over two sessions, from 12:30-1:15 p.m. and 1:45-2:30 p.m. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell is scheduled for 4 p.m., and a driver autograph session will be open to all fans from 4:45-5:15 p.m. The 200-lap, 111-mile race will start at 7:15 p.m.

ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage throughout the day, and ARCA Racing Network hosts Charlie Krall and Tim Clagg will deliver a live audio call for the race on the site.

2012 is the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards' 60th Anniversary Season, featuring 20 races at 18 tracks. The complete 2012 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 26 states since its inception. The series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.375 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course in its most recent season. This year, the series visited Alabama's Mobile International Speedway and Minnesota's Elko Speedway for the first time.

Founded by John and Mildred Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in three professional touring series and local weekly events.

CONTACT:

Griffin Hickman, ARCA

Don Radebaugh, ARCA

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QUI DE LAPERLE OU DÉRY AURA LE DERNIER MOT ?

Pour diffusion immédiate (11-09-12=39)

Dernière manche de la série ACT-Castrol à l’Autodrome St-Eustache

À la veille de la dernière manche de la série ACT-Castrol, le Castrol TT300 qui sera disputé à l’Autodrome St-Eustache, dimanche prochain, Patrick Laperle de St-Denis-sur-Richelieu détient une avance de 30 points devant son plus proche rival, Jean-François Déry de Québec. On sait que l’objectif du pilote de la Fusion/La Salle Ford est de remporter la couronne pour une deuxième année consécutive et sa troisième dans cette série ACT-Castrol.

Laperle qui domine depuis la deuxième portion du calendrier avec deux gains comparativement à un pour Déry, n’a pu augmenter son avance, car Déry n’était jamais trop loin. Il est certain que le pilote de la Camry/Giguère Portes & Fenêtres aurait bien aimé réduire l’écart d’une manière plus significative, mais en chaque occasion, Laperle était dans son sillon à la fin de l’épreuve.

Il va sans dire que Déry aimerait bien compléter une si belle saison avec un premier championnat ACT-Castrol. Mathématiquement, c’est dans le domaine du possible mais sur la piste c’est toute une autre histoire et 30 points c’est beaucoup. Tout d’abord, l’ultime objectif pour ces pilotes sera de franchir la ligne d’arrivée et ce, avec le meilleur résultat possible. On devra éviter les retardataires et les embûches tout en faisant une course propre et surtout éviter ceux qui pensent… gagner dès les premiers tours de roues. Tous deux ont remporté un succès chacun à l’Autodrome St-Eustache, cette saison.

Alors que focus sera axé sur ses deux pilotes, d’autres luttes intéressantes se dérouleront également entre les huit autres coureurs qui figurent parmi les dix premiers au cumulatif. C’est la dernière épreuve du calendrier et la bourse gagnée sera en fonction de la position finale.

Donald Theetge de Boischatel détient le troisième rang, il n’a qu’une priorité de 21 points devant Karl Allard de St-Félicien. Ce dernier est pourchassé par David Michaud de Ste-Anne-des-Plaines. Ce dernier est cinquième avec 900 points, soit 22 de moins qu’Allard, mais seulement trois de plus que Dany Trépanier, le vainqueur du Showdown Budweiser 200. Par la suite, l’écart est plus grand entre les autres soit, Patrick Hamel de St-Édouard-de-Lotbinière, Patrick Cliche de St-Jean-Chrysostôme, Gaétan Lauzier de St-Pacôme et Étienne Cliche de Vallée-Jonction qui lui, devrait être sacré recrue de l’année lors du banquet annuel.

On chuchote également que Sylvain Lacombe pourrait être de la partie

À noter que lors de ce Castrol TT300, lors de ralentissements, les tours seront comptabilisés jusqu’à ce que l’accès aux puits soit permis.

-30-

Pour informations : ACT

www.acttour.com

media@acttour.com

Collaboration : Yvon Larrivée

acttour@gmail.com

Photo : Stéphane Lazare

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ARCA Racing Series Announces 2013 Date at Mobile International Speedway

For Immediate Release:

Monday, September 10, 2012

(MOBILE, Ala.) - The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards will return to Mobile International Speedway - a Rick Crawford Performance Track - for the second consecutive season in 2013. Mobile's Cale Gale provided a storybook ending to the inaugural Mobile ARCA 200 this March, winning in front of nearly 10,000 hometown fans.

"Winning the first ARCA race at Mobile was a dream come true," said Gale. "Rheem gave me a great opportunity and all the pieces of the puzzle fell in place for us to take home the biggest win of my career."

The Mobile ARCA 200 will provide 200 laps of hard-nosed racing on the half-mile, high-banked paved oval on Saturday, March 9, 2013. The ARCA Racing Series has raced at over 200 different tracks since its inception in 1953, but the 2013 race will be only its second appearance at Mobile International Speedway.

"Mobile will be the first short track on the schedule following the season opener at Daytona in February," said ARCA president and CEO Ron Drager. "The ARCA Racing Series drivers always put on a good show on the short tracks and Mobile's inaugural race is one of the highlights of our 2012 season. Not only did our competitors like the track but our teams also fell in love with the region and the great hospitality offered by the folks in Mobile."

From the short tracks like Mobile to dirt tracks, and from road courses to speedways, the ARCA Racing Series has proven itself to be the most comprehensive driving series in the world. With a diverse schedule and competitive fields, ARCA has produced an impressive list of alumni, including Alabama Gang members Red Farmer, Davey, Donnie, and Bobby Allison, and current racing stars Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, David Ragan, Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, and Danica Patrick, among many others.

Not only does ARCA have a rich history, but today's drivers are carving out their own places in the ARCA record books. Current stars include nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel, current championship points leader Chris Buescher, and Mobile's Grant Enfinger, who is always competitive.

"Last year the Mobile Convention & Visitors Bureau, Mobile Sports Authority, and our elected officials had the foresight to take the ARCA Mobile 200 from dream to reality," said Rick Crawford, manager and promoter at Mobile International Speedway. "Our inaugural race was a big hit with fans and teams traveling thousands of miles to see Mobile's Cale Gale take home the trophy. We had a great show in our first effort and we're looking forward to bigger and better in 2013."

Opened in 1964, Mobile International Speedway is Alabama's fastest half-mile and is currently host to the Sunoco Gulf Coast Championship Series and Miller Lite Super Late Model Series, along with a regular schedule of Saturday night racing. Lee and Ida Fields purchased the Speedway in 1972 and for almost 40 years the duo produced "The Fastest Fun Around." In 2011, the speedway embarked on a new era of track management when Mobile native, multi-time track champion, and all-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts leader Rick Crawford returned to Mobile to become the manager and promoter.

Mobile International Speedway is part of a long tradition of Alabama tracks on which ARCA drivers and teams have competed. ARCA Racing Series history in Alabama reaches back to 1961 when, on November 5, Ernie Derr won a 250-lap race at Birmingham. ARCA race events at the Fairgrounds in Montgomery in 1962 and at Huntsville Speedway in 1963 and 1965, followed by a long tenure at Talladega Superspeedway (1969-present), have kept ARCA's presence in Alabama alive over the decades.

First, though, the championship battle in ARCA's 60th Anniversary Season must reach its conclusion. The ARCA Racing Series will travel to the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers Fall Classic presented by Federated Car Care at Indiana's Salem Speedway this Saturday, September 15.

ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage throughout the day, and ARCA Racing Network hosts Charlie Krall and Tim Clagg will deliver a live audio call for the race on the site.

2012 is the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards' 60th Anniversary Season, featuring 20 races at 18 tracks. The complete 2012 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.

CONTACT:

Griffin Hickman, ARCA

Don Radebaugh, ARCA

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STECKLY STUNG IN THE LATE GOING AT BARRIE

For Immediate Release

September 9, 2012. Barrie, ON. – Two-time Barrie Speedway winner Scott Steckly returned to the track on Sunday kicking off the Wahta Springs 300 with a strong, field-leading performance. Unfortunately for Steckly, a late caution turned sour for him and his #22 Canadian Tire Dodge.

Steckly and his crew had a good practice, only requiring some fine-tuning to the Canadian Tire Dodge before qualifying. The minor changes panned out nicely for the team, #22 earned a 3rd place starting position for the race.

Steckly took over as the front-runner as the race progressed, leading the field for an impressive 110 laps. #22 displayed his strength and discipline, dominating the track in the late stages and lining himself up for a successful finish.

However Steckly’s success came to a halt in the final laps of the race. A late caution set up a green-white-checker finish. After the restart, a battle to keep his lead from being overtaken by the second-place car resulted in a crash heading into turn 3. There wasn’t enough space inside the turn to make the pass, and it resulted in #15 hitting Steckly on the driver’s side, causing both vehicles to spin out.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Steckly said after the race. “We had the dominant car in the late going and got taken out on that restart.”

When the pit crew assessed the damage to the Canadian Tire Dodge they were forced to remove the hood, which buckled in the crash.

Steckly hung on in the final laps, and still managed to finish in the top 10, earning 9^th place.

“It’s tough when you’re fighting for a championship and have an opportunity to get the win and boost our position only to get taken out by a part time driver,” Steckly explained after the race.

After today’s race, Steckly is ranked 4^th with 393 points overall, comfortably sitting 43 points ahead of 5^th place driver Ron Beauchamp Jr.

The Wahta Springs 300 will be aired on TSN on Saturday, Sept. 15 at noon ET and on RDS2 on Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 10 p.m. ET.

The next event for the #22 Racing Canadian Tire Team will be the Wilson Equipment 300 at Riverside Speedway in Antigonish Nova Scotia on Saturday Sept. 15^th.

22 Racing is supported by the following sponsors: Canadian Tire, Motomaster Eliminator, Sylvania, Erb Group, Mobil 1 and AW Millwrights.

For more information on Scott Steckly & 22 Racing please contact:

Linda Jones

Wide Open Motorsport Solutions

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Austin Theriault Wins Spud 150

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 9.10.12
For more information, visit http://www.austintheriault.com or E-mail GWCNewEngland@gmail.com

BKR Development Driver Returns Home To Score Victory

CARIBOU, Maine – The home cooking served up at Spud Speedway was just to Austin Theriault's liking.

Theriault made a triumphant return to the northern Maine short track on Sunday afternoon, winning the track's season-ending Spud 150 Late Model event for the second time in his career. The 18-year-old ACT Late Model Tour driver and Brad Keselowski Racing development driver first won the event as a 15-year-old in 2009.

“We had a great day up here at Spud,” Theriault said. “It was great to be back at the home track with the home crowd, and see all the people we haven't seen in a while. I couldn't be prouder of the whole team. We did a lot of traveling this weekend and they were all tired, but they stuck through and it was good to get them a win. There were quite a few good cars up here.”

Theriault started in the top half of the full Late Model field at Spud, but crew chief Mickey Green made the call for a pit stop early in the race to adjust on an ill-handling race car. Theriault, who sits third in the current ACT Late Model Tour standings, then battled his way back through the field to earn the victory.

Without that adjustment, Theriault said, it might have been a long day for the No. 57 Pelletier Ford Ford Fusion.

“I felt like in order for us to have a shot at the win, we had to come back on an adjustment we made before the race,” Theriault said. “We kind of went the wrong way, and we had to come back on it. We came in and had to work our way through traffic, and we had to deal with a lot of lapped cars and quite a few cautions. But we stayed out of trouble and brought home the win.”

Theriault and his team team had to leave Vallee-Jonction, Quebec, on Saturday night after the ACT Showdown At Chaudiere was postponed by rain. It wasn't an easy call to make, especially after having a good car in practice earlier in the day for the All-Star event.

The commitment to Spud Speedway, his hometown fans and supporters, as well as his sponsors, was not something Theriault wanted to overlook. He started racing at the .333-mile track as a 13-year-old in its Young Guns division when it reopened in 2007 after a long hiatus.

“It was a tough decision to come up here. We didn't want to leave ACT like that because we want to support that series which has really meant a lot to us, but we had commitments to sponsors up here,” Theriault said. “Pelletier Ford wanted us up here, and they're the ones who help us pay the bills. They're a big reason why we're doing what we're doing, why we have a new car and why we're winning races this year.

“Mother Nature threw us a hard call, and we had to make that decision.”

One big positive was the performance of an ACT-legal Late Model against a more open field Sunday.

“It was good for an ACT-type car to be able to compete with the straight rails and all these other types of cars that were here,” Theriault said. “ACT has a really good package that they've put together so we can go race (competitively) at these local tracks, and I think some of that showed today.”

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Linc Brown Looks to Close His 2012 Season With Another Strong Effort

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

Just when things were starting to turn around, Linc Brown’s season is about to come to an end. To be fair, drivers in all 3 of Kawartha Speedways regular divisions are about to wrap-up their 2012 campaigns, but to open the story that way would seem far less dramatic. The 47 year-old from Colborne, Ontario has recorded some of his best results during the second half of the year and he hates to see things end. Making his return to the NAPA Auto Parts ACT Late Model division, Brown currently sits 8^th in track points and with only the season finale – Friday, September 14^th – remaining on the calendar, he has a chance to finish as high as 6^th in the final standings.

“I think our team really turned the corner during the 100 lapper August 17^th,” said Brown. “Even though a fuel system problem forced us to drop out with less than 10 laps remaining, it was a solid run. Finishing 3^rd in the feature during the double point show – after winning the qualifying heat and semi feature earlier in the night – was a real shot in the arm. I like where we are rolling into the last event of the year.”

The landscape of victory lane is not unfamiliar territory for Linc Brown. The driver of the #99 Kawartha Metals/Rousseau Automobile Communications/The Wolf 101.5/Don Butt Auto Body/Mayhew Graphics/Clarke Motorsports Communications Dodge Charger by McColl Racing Enterprises booked 2 trips to the winner’s circle – combined with 8 top 5 efforts – while recording a second place finish in the 2007 championship chase. Making his first starts since 2008 in Kawartha’s headline division, Brown knew his performance wouldn’t be a case of what have you done...but instead, what have you done lately.

“2008 wasn’t a terrible year, but finishing 7^th in points and more than 150 points behind the leader after being 2^nd the year before was very humbling,” admitted Brown. “I took a look at how we were doing and decided to take a break. My kids were having great runs with the KDKC and that satisfied my racing desire. Being around the speedway and watching the Friday night shows made me think about coming back, but until this year the timing wasn’t right. I was able to put together a good support package and we’ve had some fun this year. A couple of weeks ago, I raced a kart and had a blast. I moved a little slowly for a couple of days afterward, but it was worth every ache and pain.”

While the delays caused by weather and planned breaks in Kawartha Speedway’s 2012 schedule keep drivers, team and fans away from the track, Linc Brown and his team look at things from both sides of the coin. Running every week would allow the team to maintain some momentum, but an occasional week off throughout the campaign gives the team time to perform routine maintenance without the pressure of a pending race date.

“It can be easy to overlook something or make a mistake when you’re working under tight time constraints,” said Brown. “The last time we raced is August 24^th, so by the time we take the green flag again September 14^th, we will have had close to 3 weeks to make sure everything is ready to go and coming into the final race of the year, that’s very important.”

Photo attachment: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

Linc Brown (#99) is hoping to turn-in another strong effort Friday, September 14^th as the 2012 season concludes at Kawartha Speedway.

Prepared by: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

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Bryan Mercer is Ready for the Biggest Event of his Racing Career

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

How could you turn down the chance to perform in front of NASCAR’s brightest stars? Port Hope, Ontario’s Bryan Mercer knew that he’d been given an opportunity that was much too good to refuse. As one of the top drivers in Kawartha Speedway’s NAPA Auto Parts ACT Late Model division, the 39 year old received a call to participate in the 2012 edition of the American-Canadian Tour Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Staged at the one mile oval in Loudon, New Hampshire – during the race weekend that also hosts the second event in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title – Mercer sees this as a once in a lifetime experience.

“I’m thrilled with the way this season has gone and being asked to run the ACT Tour Invitational is the icing on the cake,” said the driver of the #81 Sine’s Flooring/Durmach Excellence in Tooling Chevrolet Impala by McColl Racing Enterprises. “Right down the line, everyone associated with this team has done a great job and I can’t thank them enough. From the drop of the year’s first green flag, we’ve had equipment capable of winning at every show. Other than the Summer Sizzler, I’ve finished in the top 5 in every main event and that’s a pretty impressive statistic.”

After making some extensive changes to his usual Friday night piece, Bryan Mercer and his crew headed for the Granite State Wednesday, August 29^th for the mandatory test session with the other 26 invitees. Having never run a track that size before, Mercer immediately took a liking to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway layout and turned some laps in the top 10 times on the charts during the morning and afternoon practice sessions. Before the day wrapped-up, teams were staged for 8 lap ‘qualifying’ races and although he didn’t win his event, Mercer logged some time at the front of the field and came away with some valuable information to take into the Saturday, September 22^nd event.

“We went there looking to see how the car would perform and to build a set of notes to use during the race,” said Mercer. “There is a bit of banking, but the track is basically flat. After running Kawartha, that’s not what we were used to but I think we adjusted quickly. The car had some good speed on the straightaways and rolled nicely through the corners. Other than temperature, the weather conditions stayed consistent all day, but the morning and afternoon sessions provided a good idea of how the car would feel as things warmed-up. Overall, I think we have a solid piece to take back for the race.”

There is still a bit of unfinished business on Bryan Mercer’s home track racing calendar. Kawartha Speedway’s latest bout with Mother Nature delayed the 2012 season finale to Friday, September 14^th. Although he currently sits 3^rd in Late Model points – 49 markers out of the lead – the father of 3 is still mathematically alive, even though he knows winning his first track championship is a long-shot.

“Everything needs to go right for me, while everything falls apart for the 2 guys ahead of me,” admitted Mercer. “None of us got to where we are at this stage of the year by being unprepared. The only real option I have is to run the best race I can and hope for the best.”

For 2012, Bryan Mercer’s #81 Kawartha Speedway NAPA Auto Parts ACT Late Model is supported by Sine’s Flooring, Durmach Excellence in Tooling, Creative Edge Graphics, Jim’s Pizza, Appleman Carstar Collision, APX Racewear, B & G Equipment, Cressman Tree Maintenance, DenTec, Glass1Autoglass Mobile Service, LVG Auctions, Northumberland News, Quantrill Chevrolet-Buick-GMC-Cadillac, Reflection Glass and Accessories, UAP NAPA - Port Hope and Clarke Motorsports Communications.

Photo attachment: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

Bryan Mercer will close out his 2012 season with the September 14^th finale at Kawartha, then head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway September 22^nd for his inaugural run in the American-Canadian Tour Invitational.

Prepared by: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

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NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Presented By Mobil 1 Statistical Advance: Antigonish

For Immediate Release

Analyzing The Wilson Equipment 300 At Riverside International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 11, 2012) – The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 travels to Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, N.S., on Saturday, Sept. 15 for the Wilson Equipment 300. Below is a statistical look at the recent performance of the series and selected drivers at Riverside, as well as some other statistical trends:

Antigonish Race Setup

· Each of the last three Riverside race winners – Andrew Ranger (2009), D.J. Kennington (2010) and Scott Steckly (2011) – have gone on to win the series championship.

· The five events at Antigonish have produced five different race winners.

· Mark Dilley is the only series driver to log a top-10 finish in all five races at the Nova Scotia track.

· Ron Beauchamp Jr. has scored four consecutive top 10s at Riverside International Speedway.

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series At Riverside International Speedway

· This is the series’ sixth visit to the track that is a .333-mile scale version of the legendary Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

· The Wilson Equipment 300 will premiere on TSN at Noon ET on Sat. Sept. 22 and on RDS2 at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 17.

· Each of the competing series manufacturers – Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford – has reached Victory Lane.

· Two of the five prior events have been postponed a day due to inclement weather.

· There has been an average of 5.8 caution periods for an average of 48 laps in the five prior races in Antigonish, with the earliest coming on Lap 1 in 2007 and the latest at Lap 289 in 2008.

· The lead has changed hands an average of 10.4 times in Riverside races with a high of 15 in the 2010 race.

· The average starting position of the winner is 2.8, while the polesitter has an average finish of 8.0.

· The closest margin of victory is .202 seconds by Don Thomson Jr. in 2008 and the largest belongs to Andrew Ranger in 2009 at 9.159 seconds.

Riverside Data

Race: #11 of 12 (9/15/12)

Track Layout: .333-mile paved high-banked oval

Race Length: 300 laps (99.99 miles)

Records

1-Lap Qualifying: Scott Steckly, Dodge, 14.488 seconds, 82.973 mph, Sept. 18, 2010

300-Lap Race: Andrew Ranger, Ford, 1 hr., 30 min., 40 sec., 66.110 mph, Sept. 20, 2009

Race Winners

Mark Dilley......................................... 1

D.J. Kennington................................. 1

Andrew Ranger................................... 1

Scott Steckly..................................... 1

Don Thomson Jr. ............................... 1

Pole Winners

Scott Steckly .................................... 2

J.R. Fitzpatrick .................................. 1

Peter Gibbons.................................... 1

D.J. Kennington................................. 1

Manufacturer Wins

Dodge............................................... 3

Chevrolet........................................... 1

Ford.................................................. 1

Laps Led

Scott Steckly.................................. 376

D.J. Kennington.............................. 255

Peter Gibbons................................ 250

Selected Driver Information:

Ron Beauchamp Jr. (No. 60 Mopar/Exide/Mobil 1 Dodge)

· Finished eighth a year ago at Riverside.

· Has scored top-10 finishes in the last four Nova Scotia races including a third-place finish in 2008.

· Has recorded top 10s in seven of his last nine starts overall.

· One of just four drivers to start all 73 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

Donald Chisholm (No. 89 Keltic Ford/Nova Construction Ford)

· Finished a series career-best third last season in the Wilson Equipment 300.

· Logged a fifth-place Riverside finish in 2009.

· Has two top-five finishes in the last three Antigonish events.

Mark Dilley (No. 02 PartSource/BDI/Leland Ford)

· Logged a 10th-place finish in last year’s Wilson Equipment 300.

· Won the series’ inaugural visit to the Nova Scotia track in 2007.

· Has five top 10s in five tries on the high-banked .333-mile oval.

· Is the owner of three career Canadian Tire Series victories.

· Sharing time with Kerry Micks this season behind the wheel of the No. 02 Ford.

Noel Dowler (No. 5 EMCO-Kohler/Rheem Dodge)

· Finished 11th last year at Antigonish in his rookie season.

· Posted a career-best finish of third on Sept. 9 at Barrie.

· Logged three straight top-10 finishes from June 16 to July 14.

· Finished third in last year’s Rookie of the Year standings.

Louis-Philippe Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge)

· Posted a 17th-place Riverside finish last year – his second career start on an oval.

· Earned his first career Canadian Tire Series pole position on Aug. 4 at Trois-Rivieres, Que.

· Opened the season with back-to-back top-five road-course finishes.

· Was the 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Rookie of the Year.

· Made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut on Aug. 20, 2012 at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet)

· Scored a sixth-place finish a year ago at Antigonish.

· Career-best Barrie finish is second in 2007 and 2008.

· Has led 160 laps in series action at the Riverside event.

· Seven of his eight career series wins have come on road courses – CTMP (3), Edmonton (2) and Montreal (2).

· Has made a pair of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts this season.

Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Snap-on Tools/Vortex Brake Pads/Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge)

· Finished seventh in last season’s Antigonish race.

· Scored a Riverside-best finish of fifth in 2010 Wilson Equipment 300.

· Has four top-10 finishes in five starts on the .333-mile Nova Scotia track.

· One of only four drivers to start all 73 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge)

· Finished fourth in last season’s Wilson Equipment 300.

· Won the 2010 Antigonish event.

· Has three top-five finishes in five outings in Nova Scotia.

· Has led a total of 255 laps at Riverside International Speedway.

· Had a series record five-race winning streak snapped on aug. 5 at Trois-Rivieres, Que. The streak equaled the modern era NASCAR touring series record shared with Ricky Craven (NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-1991), Herschel McGriff (NASCAR K&N Pro Series West-1972), Richie Evans (NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour-1985) and Mike Stefanik (NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour-1997) among currently NASCAR-sanctioned series.

· Sits atop the championship standings with a 14-point lead.

· Has 11 top-five finishes in last 12 series starts.

· Won 2010 series championship.

· One of four drivers to start all 73 NCATS races.

Jeff Lapcevich (No. 23 Tim Hortons Dodge)

· Placed ninth in 2010 at Antigonish – his last visit to the track.

· Scored a career-high finish of second in 2009 at Riverside.

· Has led 97 laps at Antigonish.

Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Dodge/GC Motorsports Dodge)

· Earned the win in his last Riverside start in 2009.

· Registered a sixth-place finish in the 2008 Wilson Equipment 300.

· Has led 115 laps at Riverside International Speedway.

· Has finished inside the top 10 in 31 of his last 33 series starts dating back to the 2008 season.

· Tied with Don Thomson Jr. at 11 atop the all-time list for pole wins.

· Won the series championship in 2007 and 2009.

Martin Roy (No. 90 Veloce/Battery Expert Dodge)

· Is making his track debut.

· Is the current leader in the series’ Rookie of the Year standings.

Pete Shepherd III (No. 7 National Exhaust Dodge)

· Was the runner-up to race winner Scott Steckly a year ago at Antigonish.

· Finished 10th in his only other Riverside start in 2008.

· Has won races in each of the last three seasons (2010-12).

Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge)

· Is the defending race winner in the Wilson Equipment 300.

· Finished second in the 2010 Riverside event.

· Has three top-10 finishes in five Antigonish starts.

· Has led a series-best 376 laps at Riverside.

· Has 11 top-10 finishes in his last 12 series starts dating back to last season.

· Won 2008 and 2011 series championships.

· One of just four drivers to start all 73 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.

Jason White (No. 21 Bowers & Wilkins at Future Shop Dodge)

· Scored an 16th-place finish in last year’s Wilson Equipment 300.

· Best Antigonish finish was 10th in 2009.

· Recorded his first series top-five finish on July 14 at Motoplex Speedway in Vernon, B.C.

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