2013-01-09

THE CANADIAN TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP WILL 'LAUNCH' ITS 2013 SEASON AT THE CANADIAN MOTORSPORTS EXPO

The Canadian Racing Season Begins February 8, 9 & 10, 2013 at Toronto’s International Centre

(TORONTO, ON // JANUARY 4, 2013) Heading into its seventh year of competition, the Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Continental Tire (CTCC) has truly earned the distinction of being Canada’s premiere professional road racing series.

Appropriately, the series’ rise to the top has mirrored that of the Canadian Motorsports Expo powered by Inside Track Motorsport News. The two will join forces again on February 8-10 at Toronto’s International Centre, as the CTCC will use its presence at the show to reveal its finalized 2013 racing schedule.

“The Canadian Motorsports Expo is a great place for us to launch our season,” said series founder and President John Bondar. “The buzz surrounding the show really kicks the anticipation for the upcoming year into high gear.”

The Canadian Touring Car Championship features three distinct divisions, in simultaneous competition, in races usually 30 minutes in duration. All classes are based on production compact models, with marques ranging from Hyundai to Honda, and from MINI Coopers to Toyota Scions.

The CTCC’s top level, Super Class cars feature heavily modified engine and suspension components, and advanced aerodynamic packages. Their slightly less powerful Touring Class counterparts are more limited, with only minimal modifications permitted. In 2012, the new B-Spec class became the CTCC’s entry-level division, with the only allowable changes to the showroom stock sub-compacts made in accordance with regulations pertaining to driver safety.

Last season (2012), the Canadian Touring Car Championship competitors performed in front of more than 700,000 spectators, showcasing their talents on weekends in support of such events as: the Formula One and NASCAR Nationwide races in Montreal, the American Le Mans Series at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and the Firestone Indy Lights series on the temporary GP3R street circuit in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. And the preliminary 2013 racing calendar looks just as impressive.

“We plan to confirm a seven date schedule at the CME,” continues Bondar. “All of our race weekends will again be double-header events. This arrangement gives our drivers and teams plenty of time to interact with the race fans from across Ontario, Quebec and the rest of Canada as well as the northern United States.”

The Canadian Motorsports Expo will give the CTCC an opportunity to introduce even more potential race fans to the series. Throughout the show, the CTCC display will feature videos of 2012 race action. Taking centre stage in the CTCC booth will be the 2012 Touring Class winning Blanchet Racing Honda of Damon Sharpe, as well as the B-Spec Mazda 2 Media car.

Sharpe and Bondar will be on hand to discuss the past and the future of the Canadian Touring Car Championship series, as will Dominique Longval (Manager-Marketing and Communications) and many of the series’ technical support staff.

“The 2013 season is looking to be our best so far in terms of car count and driver interest, and the Canadian Motorsports Expo is going to be a great starting point for this year,” concluded Bondar.

ABOUT CTCC: The Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) presented by Continental Tire is the only truly Canadian professional road racing series, showcasing race cars based on their street stock versions. Gaining worldwide attention and respect, the CTCC has been the starting point for many Canadian sportscar drivers now competing on the international scene. Its graduates include such notables as Kuno Wittmer, Paul Dalla Lana, and David Bensadoun. Fans can follow the Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Continental Tire on the series’ website, www.TouringCar.ca.

ABOUT THE CME: The 7^th Annual Canadian Motorsports Expo Powered by Inside Track Motorsport News takes place February 8, 9 & 10, 2013 at Toronto’s International Centre, adjacent to Pearson International Airport. The show features motorsports content geared to racers and fans. For information about the show, including exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, call (416) 962-7223, or email info@CanadianMotorsportsExpo.com. The CME’s website is located at www.CanadianMotorsportsExpo.com.

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2013-01-03

NASCAR Ready To Accelerate Into 2013 Season

Squier-Hall Award Part Of Feb. 8 NASCAR Hall Of Fame Induction

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 3, 2013) – A new NASCAR season is just over the horizon.

But before the engines are fired next month at Daytona International Speedway, there's unfinished business – the celebration of those who built the foundations of the sport.

The 2013 NASCAR racing season officially begins on Friday, Feb. 8 with the induction of five legendary men into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. – NASCAR premier series champions Buck Baker, Herb Thomas and Rusty Wallace; championship car owner Cotton Owens and crew chief extraordinaire Leonard Wood.

Baker and Thomas won two championships apiece in the rough and tumble 1950s. Wallace, now an ESPN analyst, became champion in 1989 as the sport's footprint broadened through the medium of network and cable television.

Owens supplied the cars and horsepower that carried many famous drivers into Victory Lane – and NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson to his first of three championships in 1966.

Wood, the architect of the lightning quick pit stop, follows his older brother Glen into the NASCAR Hall of Fame – a pioneer whose family has fielded winners through five generations of NASCAR Sprint Cup cars.

And – for the first time – media members who have contributed to the growth of NASCAR over more than six decades will be honored by NASCAR. This year's induction events will feature the presentation of the first Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence – named in honor of its first recipients, pioneer NASCAR industry radio and television personalities Ken Squier and Barney Hall.

Squier and Hall's careers have been intertwined since intersecting with the creation of the longtime Voice of NASCAR, the Motor Racing Network in 1970. Their expert observations on the sport have thrilled generations of NASCAR fans for more than 40 years and continue to do so today.

Vermont native Squier began his career as a race track public address announcer at the age of 14 and is a longtime New England radio station and track owner. Squier joined the Motor Racing Network in 1970 and for nearly two decades anchored NASCAR on CBS broadcasts before shifting to the studio as host for NASCAR broadcasts until 2000.

Squier, who called CBS' first flag-to-flag coverage of the Daytona 500 in 1979 – and the post-race fight involving Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison – is credited with naming the event the "Great American Race." He continues to enlighten NASCAR fans through periodic appearances on SPEED.

Hall, a native of Elkin, N.C., began his broadcast career in the 1950s working at local radio stations in North Carolina. He served as Bristol Motor Speedway's first public address announcer when the track opened and called his first Daytona 500 in 1960 – missing only three broadcasts in the 54-year history of the classic event.

Hall joined the Motor Racing Network as an original announcer at the network's inception in 1970, first as a turn announcer and then moving to the broadcast booth in the late 70s – from which he continues to provide word pictures for NASCAR's many radio fans. Hall is widely known for his calm voice and unmatched story telling.

Induction of the fourth class brings the NASCAR Hall of Fame's membership to 20. Ceremonies will take place at 7:30 p.m. ET in the Crown Ball Room at the Charlotte Convention Center and will air live on SPEED. The event is the first half of NASCAR Acceleration Weekend followed on Saturday, Feb. 9 by NASCAR Preview 2013.

Appearances by members of the classes of 2010, 2011 and 2012 are set for 4 p.m. at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, followed by 5 p.m. Induction Reception and 6 p.m. NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Jacket Presentation, the latter two events taking place in the Charlotte Convention Center Ballroom.

Tickets for the ceremonies start at $45 (available at www.nascaracceleration.com) and the NASCAR Hall of Fame box office. In addition, a $20 ticket will gain fans all-day access into NASCAR Preview 2013 and the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Fame on Saturday, Feb. 9.

More than 50 drivers across NASCAR's three national series – NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – are scheduled to participate in the all-day NASCAR Preview 2013 event. Fans will have the opportunity to interact with drivers and secure autographs, participate in driver Q&A sessions, get a first-look at the new sixth-generation NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race cars and paint schemes and check out various interactive displays, among other activities.

Drivers include 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, five-time premier series winner Jimmie Johnson and NASCAR's 10-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon, three-time series champion Tony Stewart, two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr., reigning NASCAR Nationwide Series most popular driver Danica Patrick, and 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion James Buescher also will be on hand.

The 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season kicks off Saturday, Feb. 16 with the Shootout at Daytona, a non-points race for 2012 Coors Light Pole winners. The 55th Daytona 500 is scheduled for 1 p.m.ETC Sunday, Feb. 24 at Daytona International Speedway with coverage by FOX Sports, MRN and SIRIUSXM.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America's premier sports. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 175 countries and in 25 languages. In the U.S., races are broadcast on FOX, TNT, ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, SPEED, Motor Racing Network, Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM Radio. NASCAR fans are among the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as three international series. Also part of NASCAR is GRAND-AM Road Racing, known for its competition on road courses with multiple classes of cars. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla.,

NASCAR has offices in eight cities across North America. The next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will be the Shootout at Daytona on Feb. 16 on FOX. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.nascar.com. Follow NASCAR on www.facebook.com/NASCAR or on Twitter: @NASCAR.

About NASCAR Hall of Fame

Conveniently located in uptown Charlotte, N.C., the 150,000-square-foot NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The high-tech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, opened May 11, 2010 and includes artifacts, hands-on exhibits, 278-person state-of-the-art theater, Hall of Honor, Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, NASCAR Hall of Fame Gear Shop and NASCAR Media Group-operated broadcast studio.

The venue is opened 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. seven days a week and has an attached parking garage on

Brevard Street. The five-acre site also includes a privately developed 19-story office tower and 102,000- square-foot expansion to the Charlotte Convention Center, highlighted by a 40,000 square-foot ballroom.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is owned by the City of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. www.NASCARHall.com.

Contact:

Owen A. Kearns

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the use of the person(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, any review, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this communication is strictly prohibited. In addition, please immediately contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. E-mail transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete or contain viruses. The sender therefore does not accept liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission. Any views or opinions presented in this e-mail are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of NASCAR. NASCAR will not accept any liability as a result of such communication(s). No employee or agent is authorized to conclude any binding agreement on behalf of NASCAR with another party by e-mail. All agreements must be contained in a separate writing executed with an original non-electronic signature.

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2012-12-21

LES GOULET EN SPORTSMAN EN 2013

Un autre tandem père-fils à Saint-Eustache.

Photos ANCA : Gérard Major

Il y a quelques jours, les Coursol père et fils ont annoncé leur participation à la saison 2013 en Sportsman à l'Autodrome St-Eustache. Ce sont maintenant Martin et Martin jr Goulet, ce Mascouche qui annoncent leur retour à Saint-Eustache pour la prochaine saison..

C'est Howard Romanado, le relationniste de l'ASE auprès des pilotes Sportsman qui était fier d'annoncer cette nouvelle après avoir discuté avec Martin Goulet Sr au téléphone en fin de journée le 20 décembre....``dans un premier temps, nous avions prévu de consacrer nos énergies sur notre voiture LMS en 2013, mais après quelques temps de réflexion, nous avons réalisé que nous pouvions quand même, mon fils et moi, se partager le volant de la voiture Sportsman, puisque la réglementation ANCA attribue les points aux équipes, et non exclusivement au pilote, et que, lorsque Martin jr effectuera des courses ACT, je pourrai le remplacer aux commandes de la voiture Sportsman à l'Autodrome St-Eustache. Ce partage nous permettra d'effectuer 8 des 10 courses de la saison et un pilote de réserve nous remplacera pour les deux autres épreuves....`` de préciser le vétéran pilote de plusieurs années d'expérience dans différentes organisation ayant quelques championnats à son crédit.

C'est donc une saison des plus chargée qui attend les Goulet père et fils. On sait qu'en plus des voitures Sportsman et LMS, ils sont également propriétaires d'une camionnette Procam SuperTruck dont ils n'ont pas précisé leurs plans de ce côté lors de leur entretien avec M. Romanado.

Les dirigeants de l'Autodrome St-Eustache sont donc très heureux de compter sur la participation de cette équipe de pointe et souhaitent la meilleure des saisons à l'Équipe Goulet, père et fils qui ne manqueront pas d'en mettre plein la vue à leurs fans en 2013.

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2012-12-19

NASCAR Announces Promotions Of Four Key Executives To Help Position Sport For Future Growth

Bennett To Senior Vice President; Cassidy, Stoddard, Brink To Vice President

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 19, 2012) – NASCAR announced today the promotions of four senior executives across the company. Ed Bennett has been promoted to senior vice president, with Jim Cassidy, Zane Stoddard and Kim Brink promoted to vice president.

Bennett also retains his roles of NASCAR chief administrative officer and president/chief executive officer of GRAND-AM Road Racing. Cassidy, Stoddard and Brink lead key areas of racing operations, entertainment marketing and NASCAR’s brand marketing initiatives with integral roles in the implementation of NASCAR’s Five-Year Industry Action Plan (IAP).

“These dynamic, forward-thinking leaders all have made significant contributions to NASCAR,” said Brian France, NASCAR chairman and chief executive officer. “As NASCAR’s CAO, Ed has demonstrated an ability to look strategically across the enterprise for areas of opportunity and development, as evidenced by the critical role he played in the merger of sports car racing's two marquee sanctioning bodies – GRAND-AM and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). Kim, Jim and Zane are shaping how we go to market with key initiatives designed to assist in reaching new audiences and enhancing our on-track product.”

Bennett continues to head up corporate administration, and this year, became both the president and chief executive officer of GRAND-AM – which recently completed its merger with the ALMS, in addition to assuming operation of Road Atlanta and Sebring International Raceway. He joined NASCAR in 1998 to lead key initiatives such as the Japan/International project and pivotal negotiations for sponsorship and licensing. Bennett was promoted to vice president in November 2000 and to vice president and chief administrative officer in January 2008.

During his tenure at NASCAR, Bennett was charged with finalizing Toyota entering NASCAR as a national series manufacturer; led the acquisition of CASCAR which was simultaneously rebranded the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series; was instrumental in the development of the NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series; and played the lead role in designing and constructing the NASCAR R&D Center and created the development concept for the NASCAR Plaza building; along with all other company office facilities. Bennett was also responsible for corporate administration; corporate events; human resources; information technology; and other corporate departments; and served as appellate administrator of the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel.

Cassidy, formerly managing director of NASCAR Racing Operations, joined NASCAR in 2000. In addition to overseeing several core areas of Racing Operations, he is playing a substantial role in the Product Relevance plank of the IAP. With motorsports experience spanning 20 years, Cassidy began at NASCAR at the grassroots levels, before being promoted to roles in NASCAR’s national series as senior manager, business operations and then director, events and operations. He transitioned to overseeing the day-to-day business and strategic direction of the three national series, including ownership development, event scheduling, and the expansion of the sport to Mexico and Canada.

Cassidy helped implement the shift in identity in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, leading to the roll-out of new car models and the ‘pick-a-series’ format. He also was instrumental in developing the new point system, the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and implementing enhancements along the way, including adding the successful “Wild Card” element to the Chase in 2011.

Stoddard, formerly managing director of entertainment marketing, joined NASCAR in 2010. He currently oversees NASCAR’s Los Angeles office and its entertainment marketing division, and is responsible for leading the Youth plank of the IAP and company content strategy.

At NASCAR, Stoddard has overseen the placement of NASCAR driver and storyline integration into more than 85 television shows; procurement of major artists for NASCAR events including Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz, Blake Shelton, Colbie Caillet and Zac Brown Band; and has several original projects in development at major studios and networks. He also established a partnership with the USO, which includes NASCAR drivers visiting troops overseas. Prior to NASCAR, Stoddard launched the National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles office and managed it for nearly a decade.

Brink, formerly managing director, joined NASCAR in 2011. In addition to her oversight of brand, consumer and series marketing, she is leading the Gen Y and Multicultural planks of the IAP. Earlier this year, she set in motion a re-energized “Everything Else is Just a Game” brand campaign that launched at the 2012 Daytona 500.

Brink also led a comprehensive review to secure a class-leading, full-service advertising agency, which attracted more than 100 agencies of all sizes and expertise and resulted in NASCAR’s retention of Ogilvy. She joined NASCAR from General Motors Corporation, where she helped lead the transformation of a pair of iconic global brands – Chevrolet and Cadillac. During Brink’s tenure at GM, she helped conceive and launch multiple, award-winning creative platforms and developed powerful branded entertainment and sponsorship alliances.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America's premier sports. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and in 20 languages. In the U.S., races are broadcast on FOX, TNT, ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, SPEED, MRN Radio, PRN Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. NASCAR fans are among the most brand-loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as three international series. Also part of NASCAR are GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series, featuring competition on road courses with multiple classes of cars. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., NASCAR has offices in eight cities across North America. The next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Daytona 500, will air Feb. 24, 2013, on FOX. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.nascar.com. Follow NASCAR on www.facebook.com/NASCAR or on Twitter: @NASCAR.

Contact:

Jon Schwartz

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2012-12-18

Aggressive Schedule Nets Helliwell Third Title

A great article on hometracks.nascar.com was published on New Hampshire driver Wayne Helliwell Jr. Considering he and his Late Model car owner Bruce Bernhardt are considering racing the 27nh across Quebec in 2013, we felt it was of interest to post a link to this story: http://tinyurl.com/bq3orqe

Un très bon article a été publié sur hometracks.nascar.com sur le pilote du New Hampshire, Wayne Helliwell Jr. Sachant que lui et son propriétaire de la voiture Late Model, Bruce Bernhardt, envisagent venir courrir du côté du Québec en 2013, nous avons cru d'intérêt de partager avec vous la nouvelle: http://tinyurl.com/bq3orqe

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DAVE COURSOL EN SPORTSMAN à l'Autodrome St-Eustache en 2013

C’est lors d’un entretien téléphonique, ce matin le 18 décembre, que le vétéran André Coursol, de St-Jérôme, à confirmé la participation de son fils Dave au championnat ASE/ANCA de la division Sportsman à l’Autodrome St-Eustache lors de la prochaine saison.

«Suite aux informations satisfaisantes reçues lors de la réunion du 14 décembre dernier à l’ASE, j’ai finalement décider de ramener la voiture #94 en piste pour la prochaine saison estivale. Mon fils Dave est d’accord d’y participer et j’aurai l’occasion de le remplacer à quelques reprises lors des quelques courses qu’il disputera dans la série Rev Star. Une carrosserie toute neuve sera installée sur la voiture qui sera fin prête pour la première course, le 18 mai prochain....» de préciser le paternel de celui qui du haut de ses 18 ans a déjà un championnat en Sport Compacte en 2010, ainsi que le titre de Révélation de l’année en Nascar Sportsman au cours de la même saison.

Le retour des Coursol est donc très bien accueilli par les dirigeants de l’Autodrome St-Eustache. «C’est un «plus» que la participation de la famille Coursol dans le championnat Sportsman chez nous à l’ASE, en 2013, Dave est un fier représentant pour notre jeunesse et nous espérons que d’autres jeunes suivront son exemple......» d’ajouter Yves Ladouceur, directeur des opérations courses à l’Autodrome St-Eustache.

Dave Coursol, qui revendique des victoires en qualifications et en finale dans la division-reine de l’ASE au cours de la saison à laquelle il a participé sera donc un des pilotes à surveiller et un sérieux aspirant au championnat 2013 en Sportsman à Saint-Eustache

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Devil's Bowl Speedway Drivers Receive Honors From Vermont Motorsports Magazine

ATTACHED PHOTO: J&S Steel Late Model Champion Craig Bushey of Fairfax, VT was voted the Devil's Bowl Speedway "Driver of the Year" by the readers of Vermont Motorsports Magazine. (MemorEvents photo)

Bushey voted Devil’s Bowl Speedway “Driver of the Year” by readers of vtmotormag.com

For Immediate Release DBS-121812-1

WEST HAVEN, VT – A group of local stock car racers from Devil’s Bowl Speedway has been honored by the readers of the independent Vermont Motorsports Magazine news website during its annual “Driver of the Year” voting. Eleven drivers from the half-mile asphalt oval in West Haven, VT were nominated in seven categories on www.vtmotormag.com.

With over 23,000 total votes cast during the two-week balloting, Craig Bushey of Fairfax, VT was named the Devil’s Bowl Speedway Driver of the Year. Bushey took an impressive nine victories en route to winning the J&S Steel Late Model championship in 2012. Vince Quenneville, Jr., of Brandon, VT finished second in the category after a five-win season in the Bond Auto Parts Modified division, and Modified track champion Ron Proctor of Charlton, NY finished third in the vote.

Proctor and Bushey were also nominated to the top category, Vermont Motorsports Magazine 2012 Driver of the Year. That honor was won by American-Canadian Tour champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr., of Dover, NH, who earned his first victory of the season in the Spring Green 112 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.

Josh Masterson of Bristol, VT finished third in two categories after winning the championship in his first season in the entry-level Bomber division at Devil’s Bowl; Masterson was third in the voting in both the Four-Cylinder and Rookie of the Year categories. Five-time Devil’s Bowl winner Bobby LaVair of Gabriels, NY was also nominated in the Four Cylinder category, and Devil’s Bowl Modified racer Joey Roberts of Georgia, VT was nominated on the Rookie of the Year ballot.

Other Devil’s Bowl drivers receiving nominations and votes in various categories included Renegade champion Robert Gordon of Milton, VT, three-time Modified winner Alex Bell of Cambridge, NY, two-time Modified winner Jessey Mueller of Olmstedville, NY, Modified and Late Model competitor Hunter Bates of Middlebury, VT, and five-time Renegade winner Ryan Keith of Pittsford, VT. Full results of the voting are available at www.vtmotormag.com. The results of the vote were read live on Victory Lane Radio on Monday, December 17, with the archived replay available at www.victorylaneradio.com.

The Devil’s Bowl Speedway 2012 Banquet of Champions will be held on Saturday, February 2, 2013 at the Holiday Inn Rutland-Killington in Rutland, VT. Devil’s Bowl Speedway opens its 47^th season of stock car racing on Sunday, May 5; the full season schedule will be announced soon. For more information, or to order a 2013 Season Pass, visit www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com or call (802) 265-3112.

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NASCAR révise la structure de son personnel de compétition

Les manœuvres visent à solidifier la perspective globale des séries de courses de NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Floride (18 décembre 2012) – Dans l'objectif de renforcir et d'aider à la croissance de ses séries de courses pour 2013 et au-delà, NASCAR a annoncé, ce mardi, plusieurs modifications à la structure de son personnel de compétition. Les changements suivants seront mis en place pour 2013:

• Joe Balash, qui a œuvré comme directeur de la série NASCAR Nationwide depuis 2004, héritera d'un nouveau rôle en tant qu'agent de liaison à la compétition internationale. Ce poste sera le point de contact pour tout sujet touchant la compétition dans la Série NASCAR Toyota (Mexique), la Série NASCAR Canadian Tire, l'Euro Racecar et toutes autres séries et compétitions internationale dans lesquelles NASCAR pourrait s'engager et/ou envisagerait à s'engager. Balash travaillera sous la supervision de Richard Buck, qui vient d'être promu comme directeur de gestion, Compétition, GRAND-AM et directeur de gestion, Séries itinérantes de NASCAR.

• Wayne Auton, qui a tenu le rôle de directeur de la Série de camionnettes NASCAR Camping World depuis 1995, devient directeur de la Série NASCAR Nationwide. Auton continuera d'œuvrer sous la supervision de John Darby, directeur à la gestion, Compétition et directeur de la Série de la Coupe Sprint de NASCAR.

• Chad Little, actuellement directeur de la Série pour voitures modifiées NASCAR et directeur du développement de courses au Mexique, servira comme directeur de la Série de camionnettes NASCAR Camping World. Little sera aussi supervisé par Darby.

• Brad Moran, actuellement directeur de la Série NASCAR Canadian Tire, servira comme directeur, Séries itinérantes, NASCAR, sous la supervision de Buck.

Avec l'intégration croissante entre NASCAR, GRAND-AM, l'American Le Mans Series (ALMS), l'Euro Racecar et les séries itinérantes de NASCAR, ces démarches ont comme objectif de solidifier toutes les séries de courses de notre sport, tant au niveau national qu'international.

"Nous venons de compléter une révision stratégique complète de toutes nos séries de courses et nous croyons que les changements que nous annonçons aujourd'hui vont renforcir d'emblée notre offre de courses globale et nous donnera la meilleure occasion de croître," a dit Robin Pemberton, vice-président de NASCAR à la compétition. "Joe (Balash) est excellent pour forger des relations avec les opérateurs de circuits, les commanditaires et les autres ressources-clés. Il est fait sur mesure pour son nouveau rôle. Je suis aussi heureux que notre système nous ait permis de promouvoir du talent à l'interne comme c'est le cas pour Wayne (Auton), Chad (Little) et Brad (Moran). Je crois que cela démontre la profondeur de notre équipe au niveau du leadership des directeurs de séries. Ces changements démontrent la profondeur et la polyvalence de nos gens."

George Silbermann, vice-président de NASCAR, Séries régionales et itinérantes, a souligné que ces changements aideront NASCAR dans son objectif continu d'étendre son influence à l'extérieur des Etats-Unis.

"Notre sport est en constante évolution et nous prévoyons croître dans les régions du monde où se développe un appétit de plus en plus soutenu pour les courses NASCAR," a dit Silbermann. "Joe (Balash) nous aidera très certainement à atteindre nos objectifs internationaux qui ne s'arrêtent pas seulement à l'opération de nos séries actuelles à un niveau d'excellence inégalé mais qui visent aussi d'attirer de nouveaux partenaires pour les démonstrations et/ou des séries à l'échelle globale."

La série NASCAR Toyota (Mexique) continue d'attirer de jeunes talents exceptionnels et, pour la première fois, la série roulera en sol états-unien en 2013 lorsqu'elle amorcera ses activités le 1er mars au Phoenix international Raceway. La popularité de la série NASCAR Canadian Tire commanditée par Mobil 1 est en croissance et la saison inaugurale de l'Euro Racecar NASCAR en 2012 a dépassé toutes les attentes de notre sport.

Contacto:

Estefania Acosta-Rubio

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

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NASCAR Makes Revisions To Its Competition Personnel Structure

Moves Designed To Strengthen Overall Scope of NASCAR’s Racing Series

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 18, 2012) – In an effort to strengthen and grow its racing series for 2013 and beyond, NASCAR announced Tuesday several revisions to its Competition personnel structure. The following changes will take effect in 2013:

· Joe Balash, who has served as the NASCAR Nationwide Series director since 2004, will be assuming a new role as International Competition Liaison. This position will be the NASCAR point of contact for competition-related matters relative to the NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, the Euro Racecar, NASCAR Touring Series and other international competitions and series in which NASCAR may be involved and/or considering involvement. Balash now will report to Richard Buck, who has been promoted to managing director, Competition GRAND-AM and managing director, Touring Series NASCAR.

· Wayne Auton, who has served as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series director since 1995, will assume the role of NASCAR Nationwide Series director. Auton will continue to report to John Darby, managing director, competition and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series director.

· Chad Little, currently NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Series director and director of Racing Development, Mexico, will serve in the role of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series director. Little also will report to Darby.

· Brad Moran, currently NASCAR Canadian Tire Series director, will serve in the role of director of Touring Series, NASCAR, reporting to Buck.

With the increasing integration between NASCAR, GRAND-AM, American Le Mans Series (ALMS) and Euro Racecar, NASCAR Touring Series, these moves are designed to strengthen all of the sport’s racing series, both at the national and international levels.

“We recently completed a thorough, strategic review of all of our racing series and believe the changes we’re announcing today will further strengthen our overall racing and offer us the best opportunity for growth,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “Joe (Balash) is terrific at building relationships with track operators, sponsors and other key stakeholders, and he will be an excellent fit in his new role. I’m also pleased our system allowed us to promote our talent up the ranks, as is the case with Wayne (Auton), Chad (Little) and Brad (Moran). I think this shows that we have a great deal of depth in our series director leadership roles and these moves reflect that depth and versatility.”

George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president regional and touring, highlighted the fact that these moves will aid NASCAR as it continues to focus on expanding its reach beyond the United States.

“Our sport is ever-evolving and we plan to grow in regions of the world where an increasingly strong appetite exists for NASCAR racing,” said Silbermann. “Joe (Balash) certainly will help us achieve our international goals which not only include conducting our existing series at a best-in-class level but also attracting new partners for global exhibitions and/or series.”

The NASCAR Toyota (Mexico) Series continues to attract top young driver talent and for the first time, the series will race on U.S. soil in 2013, when it kicks off its season March 1 at Phoenix International Raceway. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 is growing in popularity and the maiden season of Euro Racecar, NASCAR in 2012 exceeded the sport’s expectations.

Contact:

Kerry Tharp

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

Pour lire le reste / Read more...

2012-12-17

The Sixth Annual Loopies: Now With Even More Loop

No Championship, No Biggie For Loopie Winners Johnson, Busch

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 17, 2012) – Kyle Busch has frequently called this the worst year of his motorsports career.

We’ve got news for him: He’s wrong. So, so wrong. His tune will change by the time he reads the next 1,271 or so words. There’s some hardware in his future. And not just any hardware … Loopie hardware. And not just any Loopie hardware … the granddaddy of them all.

So paraphrasing Ralph Wiggum, who once succinctly said “Me fail English? That’s unpossible,” we say: “Congratulations Kyle, you’ve won the Stefan Kretschmann Lifetime Achievement Award. Worst year ever? That’s unpossible.”

A quick primer for those just tuning in: For the sixth consecutive season, the NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications team has pored over a season’s worth of Loop Data and filtered out the top statistical performances of the 2012 season. After a painstaking review, a select committee created awards to recognize those drivers who numerically excelled this season. Those awards have evolved into arguably the most coveted prize in all of NASCAR. They are – and this is – The Loopies.

The envelopes please…

Loop Top Dogg: This award yearly goes to the driver who led the most Loop Data categories. Every week, NASCAR releases a season-to-date Loop Data stats packet that charts 15 different statistical categories. This year’s winner of the “Loop Top Dogg” led an astounding 13 of them.

Congratulations, Jimmie Johnson. Johnson’s ranked first in the most important of all Loop Data stats, Driver Rating, with a gaudy 109.5. That was eight points higher than second-best Kyle Busch.

In all, Johnson led Average Running Position, Driver Rating, Fastest Early in a Run, Fastest Late in a Run, Fastest Laps Run, Fastest on Restarts, Green Flag Speed, Laps in top 15, Laps Led, Miles Led, Percentage of Laps Run on the Lead Lap, Speed by Quarter (by the way, he also led each quarter overall) and Speed in Traffic.

Quantity of Quality Award: This award goes to the driver who led the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in Quality Passes, which are passes of cars in the top 15 while under green flag conditions.

The winner, who will have to clear up even more mantle space, is Brad Keselowski. Keselowski, who led the series by more than 200 quality passes, tallied 2,201 quality passes overall.

This is significant. These are the toughest cars – with the most talented drivers – to pass, and Keselowski did it more often than any other driver.

And considering his average starting position of 16.2, he had to do it often. Did You Know: Keselowski is the first champion to fail to win a pole in his championship season since Matt Kenseth in 2003.

Most Improved Driver: Awards like these are usually given after taking into account a number of different success barometers. But this is the Loopies. And our nominating committee needs only one measure: Driver Rating.

The driver with the biggest improvement in Driver Rating from 2011 to 2012, and winner of the coveted Loopie: Greg Biffle. Biffle, who finished fifth in 2012 after missing the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2011, ballooned his Driver Rating by 13.6 points over last season. Last year, he had an 85.9. This year: 99.5.

In all, six drivers enjoyed a double-digit improvement in Driver Rating from last season: Biffle, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson.

Least Improved Driver: Not all Loopies are coveted. That’s what makes these awards so unique, and dare we say, unrivaled.

Here’s one of them. The driver with the biggest drop in Driver Rating wins this Loopie, and it goes to Carl Edwards – with an asterisk. Edwards actually only had the third-biggest drop – 16.8, from 101.0 in 2011 to 84.2 this season. But it was the biggest drop among drivers who didn’t switch teams, and therefore the committee made an executive decision to allow Edwards to take home this award.

In actuality, David Ragan suffered the biggest drop in Driver Rating. In 2011, Ragan had a Driver Rating of 78.3 for Roush Fenway Racing. For Front Row Motorsports this season, it dropped to 49.2. Kurt Busch, who went from Penske Racing to Phoenix Racing and Furniture Row Racing, dropped 22.7 points.

Coffee’s For Closers Award: Stealing a line from one of the most famous scenes in cinematic history, this “Glengarry Glen Ross”-themed award goes to the top “Closer” in the series. The “Closer” statistic measures the positions gained or lost in the last 10 percent of races. The top Closer this season: Ryan Newman, who improved 68 total positions in the last 10 percent of races this season.

“He’s Partially Sponsored By An Energy Drink, So Doesn’t Need Coffee, Thankfully” Award: (If by now you haven’t realized that these awards are all in good fun – and, well, ridiculous – hopefully this award’s name has sealed the deal.) This one goes to one of the worst Closers (again, not all of these awards are coveted). And the winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt lost 41 spots in the last 10 percent of races this year, among the worst of any driver. But, with a sponsor like AMP Energy, he doesn’t need coffee to keep him caffeinated, anyway. Nor does Kurt and Kyle Busch (Monster Energy) or Clint Bowyer (5-hour Energy), all of whom also were in the red in the Closer category.

Serenity Now Award: A happy driver is a successful driver, and that’s certainly true with the winner of this award, Kurt Busch. When Busch announced his move to Furniture Row Racing during the Chase, he exuded calm and joyfulness. The results were immediate. A tale of the tape breakdown of Busch in his new No. 78 Furniture Row ride compared to his stats in No. 51 Phoenix Racing car:

- In only 6 races, he had more top 10s in the No. 78 (three) than he did in in 29 races in the 51 (two)

- Driver Rating: 86.6 vs. 67.8

- Average start: 17.7 vs. 22.7

- Average finish: 14.3 vs. 25.0

- Average Running Position: 14.6 vs. 22.2

- Pass Differential: +13 vs. 0

- Laps in the top 15 percentage: 47.8% vs. 21.5%

Stefan Kretschmann Lifetime Achievement Award: It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. A brief setup of this one: Stefan Kretschmann works for our partners at Stats, LLC in Chicago, and is considered the godfather of Loop Data. His brain created the formula for Driver Rating, and many of the other formulas that make Loop Data so interesting and invaluable. We started this award last season to honor a driver who has been statistically strong throughout the Loop Data Era (2005-Present). Jimmie Johnson took home the inaugural Lifetime Achievement trophy.

This year’s recipient is a man whose talent has landed him an unparalleled 20 perfect Driver Ratings of 150.0 throughout NASCAR’s three national series. Congratulations to one of the all-time stat kings: Kyle Busch.

Here’s a back-of-the-baseball-card view of an amazing career that shows little sign of teetering:

- Among drivers with a minimum of 50 races, Kyle ranks third in NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver Rating (97.6); first in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (113.8) and first in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (119.3).

- More perfect driver rating than any other driver.

o 15 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and five in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

- Best career Average Running Position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (6.683)

- Most Fastest Laps Run in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (5,031)

- NASCAR Sprint Cup numbers: 4,328 Fastest Laps Run (third-best); 59,961 Laps in Top 15 (third); Average Running Position of 12.8 (fourth)

- More top fives in this year’s Chase (seven) than any Chase driver.

- Cracked the 100-point Driver Rating threshold in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for the third time. That’s second only to Jimmie Johnson, who did it six times.

2013-01-09

THE CANADIAN TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP WILL 'LAUNCH' ITS 2013 SEASON AT THE CANADIAN MOTORSPORTS EXPO

2013-01-03

NASCAR Ready To Accelerate Into 2013 Season

Contact:

Owen A. Kearns

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

2012-12-21

LES GOULET EN SPORTSMAN EN 2013

2012-12-19

NASCAR Announces Promotions Of Four Key Executives To Help Position Sport For Future Growth

2012-12-18

Aggressive Schedule Nets Helliwell Third Title

DAVE COURSOL EN SPORTSMAN à l'Autodrome St-Eustache en 2013

Devil's Bowl Speedway Drivers Receive Honors From Vermont Motorsports Magazine

NASCAR révise la structure de son personnel de compétition

Contacto:

Estefania Acosta-Rubio

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

NASCAR Makes Revisions To Its Competition Personnel Structure

Contact:

Kerry Tharp

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

2012-12-17

The Sixth Annual Loopies: Now With Even More Loop

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