Tagliani Goes For Western Swing Sweep on Wednesday
Pinty's News & Notes: Saskatoon
Tagliani Goes For Western Swing Sweep on Wednesday
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 25, 2016) – Alex Tagliani showed why he belongs in the NASCAR Pinty's Series championship conversation after his dominating win on Saturday in Edmonton. He'll try to stay hot Wednesday at Saskatoon's Wyant Group Raceway.
The Lachenaie, Quebec, native enters the Prairie Velocity Thunder 250 on a two-race win streak and will try to become the first driver since Scott Steckly in 2013 to win three races in a row.
With the help of three wins, Tagliani has moved to third place in the standings – just 26 points behind leader Andrew Ranger.
The 44-year-old entered this season never winning more than one race a year and has already scored three victories in the five races he's entered so far in 2016.
While Tagliani is gaining in the driver's championship, his back-to-back wins helped propel his car owner Colin Livingston into the lead in the car owner's championship race.
RACE: Velocity Prairie Thunder 250
PLACE: Wyant Group Raceway, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
DATE: Wednesday, July 27
TIME: 7:30 p.m. MT
TELECAST: TSN – Aug. 6, 4:30 p.m. ET; RDS – Sept. 3, 1:30 p.m. ET
TRACK LAYOUT: .333-mile asphalt oval
2015 WINNER: Scott Steckly
2015 POLESITTER: Scott Steckly
EVENT SCHEDULE: Practice 1:30-2 p.m., Final Practice 2:30-3 p.m., Qualifying 5:15 p.m., Driver Autograph Session 6 p.m.
TRACK CONTACT: Brian Swidrovich,brianswid@sasktel.net, 306-956-3225
TRACK TWITTER: @wyantgrprace
EVENT TWITTER HASHTAG: #VPT250
NASCAR CONTACT: Tim Southers, 386-235-3634,tsouthers@nascar.com, Twitter: @tsouth1968
Fast Facts
The Race: The eighth annual Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 will be the seventh of 12 events on the 2016 NASCAR Pinty's schedule, and the lone trip to Saskatchewan and Wyant Group Raceway.
The Procedure: The maximum starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 21 cars will have secured starting positions through two-lap time trials while the remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race is scheduled for 250 laps (83.25 miles) and will have a five-minute midway break at or near the conclusion of Lap 125.
The Track: Wyant Group Raceway was constructed as a .333-mile oval with graduated banking in 2005 and opened to stock car auto racing in 2006. The track has welcomed the Pinty's Series each year since 2009.
Pole Winners: The first seven WGR races have produced four different pole winners, led by J.R. Fitzpatrick, D.J. Kennington and Scott Steckly with two apiece. Steckly set the track qualifying record at 14.616 seconds (82.020 mph) in 2014.
Race Winners: Kennington leads active drivers with two wins. Scott Steckly owns overall record with three wins. L.P. Dumoulin earned his first oval victory in this race in 2014.
Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 Notes
Tagliani Looks To Tie Mark: Alex Tagliani will try and become the third driver in the history of the Pinty's Series to win back-to-back races during the annual western trip. Scott Steckly swept both races last year and D.J. Kennington equaled that mark in 2012.
Looking For Return To Form: Two former Wyant Group Raceway winners are still looking for their first win of the season – L.P. Dumolin and DJ Kennington. Dumoulin, the most recent Wyant Group winner slated to compete Wednesday, heads into the Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 having won the event in 2014. He is coming off a second place finish at Edmonton on Saturday. Kennington, who was running second at Edmonton before mechanical problems ended his night with only six laps to go, is a two-time winner at the Saskatoon track in 2010 and 2012, respectively.
Can Lapcevich Finally Get First Win?: Cayden Lapcevich has already proven he's a talented driver in the Pinty's Series. The Josten's Rookie of the Year points leader has already scored a pair of runner-up finishes and rebounded from an accident to finish third just three days ago in Edmonton. He'll go after his first win at WGR.
Busy Schedule: Wednesday's Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 will be the third event in 12 days for the Pinty's Series, the most-compact portion of the 2016 event schedule. The series will get an 18-day break before resuming action at Quebec's Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres on Aug. 14.
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