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IN THIS ISSUE

Volume 25 I Issue 07 I December 2021 / January 2022

INSIDE News Qwick Wick Super Stocks 20 Zardo wins finale and title at Delaware 21 Pinty’s Knights of Thunder Poirier clinches inaugural title at Humberstone 22 Western Short Track Report Smith earns Canada 200 victory 44 FEL SportsCar Championship Inaugural champions crowned at CTMP 48 Ontario Gassers and Altereds Series concludes season at St. Thomas

INSIDE Features 38 CASC-OR CTMP Celebration of Motorsport Report 40 Lucky Dog Racing Canada Class titles settled at CTMP season finale 42 IndyCar 2021 champion Alex Palou Canadian Rally Championship 46 André and René Leblanc win Tall Pines Short Track Results 60 Wrapping up the 2021 racing season

INSIDE Features NASCAR Pinty’s Series 10 L.P. Dumoulin wins third career title Pinty’s Hot List 14 Villeneuve earns first NASCAR wins in Europe 16 APC United Late Model Series Watson becomes first two-time series champ End-of-Season Short Track Specials 24 Frostoberfest, Autumn Colours and more!

INSIDE Opinions The Inside Line 04 Greg MacPherson: Jukasa closes its doors 08 Shifting Gears James Neilson: League of their own 50 Get a Grip Mary Bignotti Mendez: Destination IndyCar 52 This, That & the Other Ernie Saxton: Is NASCAR still No. 1?

ON THE COVER: NASCAR Pinty’s Series Champion L.P. Dumoulin I Photos: Greg MacPherson (main) and Courtesy of CRC (inset).

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

The end of the annual racing season in Canada is highlighted by numerous short track special events across Southern Ontario, including Sunset Speedway’s annual Fall Velocity. For more on Velocity class winners, turn to Pages 6-7. Photo by Steve Traczyk

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InsideTrackNews.com 3

I OPINION

THE INSIDE LINE

By Greg MacPherson

I

JUKASA, KAWARTHA AND CMS

t’s been a tough month for Ontario stock car tracks. On November 16, Jukasa Motor Speedway announced, “(the) Stakeholders of Jukasa Motor Speedway have made the difficult decision to close Jukasa Motor Speedway for business, effective immediately. There are no plans to re-open.”

It’s an incredibly disappointing end for one of North America’s most beautiful short track racing facilities. Adding to the pain is the fact that its final demise also signals the end of the line for the track – formerly known as Cayuga Motor Speedway – as one of Canada’s most historic and beloved stock car ovals.

A representative of the track confirmed to Inside Track that there are no plans to repurpose or sell the track. A parcel of land behind the backstraight was originally intended to be transformed into a road course and/or a drag strip, but those things never came to pass. Instead, the lot became a massive marijuana farm.

Anyone who has walked down a commercial street in this country in the past few years – with cannabis stores seemingly occupying every other storefront – won’t be surprised to learn that it’s more profitable to grow weed than it is to put on car races.

There’s been lots of speculation that the gorgeous speedway will be torn down to make room for more marijuana plants.

But at this point, the ownership group isn’t interested in clarifying its plans.

It seems safe to assume that the group’s interest in owning and running a stock car track died along with Kenny Hill, when he passed suddenly last winter, in Florida. Hill was the driving force behind the rebuilding of the dormant Cayuga Speedway and was regularly in attendance for races and victory lane presentations since the track reopened – as Jukasa Motor Speedway – in 2017.

Barring someone with the resources and will to save the facility – combined with the willingness of the owners to sell – it looks like the unimaginable will happen and this beautiful, incredible speedway will be dismantled and torn up. Such a shame.

In other speedway news, we recently saw a report that the asphalt at Kawartha Speedway will be torn up as part of the 4 Inside Track Motorsport News

ownership group’s plans to expand the facility’s horse racing operations. The Peterborough, Ontario-area track was another fantastic venue for stock car racing and hosted regular Friday night racing, as well as specials, including the season-ending events for the NASCAR Pinty’s Series.

The writing has been on The owners of Jukasa Motor Speedway recently announced the wall for years, with Kawartha, that the track is closed for good. Photo by Greg MacPherson but it’s always depressing and final London, Ontario. Prior to the snow flying, when the asphalt is torn up and something the speedway – which will be 70 years old else is installed in its place. next season – got new asphalt around much And the final bit of bad news came with of its half-mile surface. The track work is in a November 4 story in Niagara This Week, addition to other infrastructure upgrades. documenting the end of the line for the Similarly, Southern Ontario Motor Canadian Motor Speedway (CMS) project, in Speedway, near Chatham, Ontario, has also Fort Erie, Ontario. undergone significant upgrades in the past After securing a year’s extension to the year. Thanks to those who continue to invest ‘sunset clause,’ in the fall of 2020, time has in and operate the places that give the rest now run out on the permits. The story noted of us so much enjoyment! that the CMS office was “locked up.”

Some will take joy in saying, “I told you so,” THANKS AND GOOD LUCK, TONY! about the CMS dream coming to an end. But If you’re a fan of Canadian stock car you won’t hear that from us. The track was racing, you’re no doubt familiar with Tony a regular exhibitor at our Canadian MotorSpiteri. The driving force behind Pinty’s sports Expo and Motorama. They were racing, curling and other associations and always a pleasure to deal with. sponsorships, Spiteri is a passionate person And with people of good reputation inwho combines business acumen with a crevolved – including NASCAR star Jeff Gordon ative and outgoing personality, to the benefit and his stepfather John Bickford – we were of his business and the pursuits he becomes convinced that the project was motivated by involved with. Tony is a ‘Pied Piper’ in every good intentions. It’s not a negative reflection positive sense of the term! on someone when their sources of funding Following a successful run at Pinty’s go away because of a global economic crisis. and more recently with the company’s And we believe it’s a sign of perseverance owner, Olymel, Spiteri has taken on a new that people fight on, despite adversity, in challenge. He’s accepted the role of Chief dealing with governments and those battling Commercial Officer at Freshstone Brands, a to stop something from being built.

Toronto-based company that produces food In the end, we had Jukasa Motor Speedproducts, including private label packaged way and Kawartha Speedway, and it would dressed salads, ready-to-eat entrées, side have been nice to have Canadian Motor dishes, dips and appetizers.

Speedway. But now we have none of them.

On behalf of everyone in Canadian racing, It’s a lesson to all of us to cherish and we congratulate Tony on his success at support what we have because more tracks Pinty’s / Olymel. We thank him for what he’s are going away than are being built. done for our sport. And we look forward to Needing to find a silver lining, it’s worth seeing him at racetracks next season! Good noting and celebrating the off-season work luck and all the best! IT being done at Delaware Speedway, near

r u o y p u v Re ste Buds! a t pintys.com

SUNSET SPEEDWAY Miles Tyson won the September 19 Limited Late Model feature during Sunset Speedway’s annual Fall Velocity race weekend at the Barrie, ON-area oval.

SUNSET SPEEDWAY Lane Zardo continued his impressive season in Ken Grubb’s No. 36 by winning the September 19 Super Stock feature at Sunset Speedway’s Fall Velocity.

Photo by Dave Franks

Photo by Steve Traczyk

SUNSET SPEEDWAY Sunset Speedway star Danny Benedict added another big win to his resume when he took the checkered flag in the Pro Late Model feature, the headline event at Sunset’s Fall Velocity race weekend.

DINOSAUR DOWNS Deven Visser of Brooks, AB won the September 6 IMCA Modified feature at Dinosaur Downs speedway, in Drumheller, AB. The season finale at the track was the first event of the season not run under smoky conditions caused by forest fires in the region.

Photo by Dave Franks

Photo Courtesy of Carol Douglas

SPEEDWAY MIRAMICHI Mitchell Poirier was all smiles in Victory Lane after he won his first-ever feature, on October 23 at New Brunswick’s Speedway Miramichi. Poirier took the 40-lap Mini Stock main ahead of Chris Garnett and Ryan McKnight.

SPEEDWAY MIRAMICHI Blake Bransfield won his first career feature when he came out on top of the 20-lap Bomber main at Miramichi Speedway on October 23. He came home in front of Timmy and Samantha Blakely.

Photo Courtesy of Grizzly Photography

Photo courtesy Grizzly Photography

6 Inside Track Motorsport News

WEEDSPORT SPEEDWAY Mat Williamson kicked off Super DIRT Week with an October 6 victory at Weedsport Speedway, in Central New York. It was the start of an almost dominant performance at the annual DIRTcar Speedweek of the northeast.

BREWERTON SPEEDWAY Mat Williamson continued his hot streak at the 2021 edition of Super DIRT Week with another victory, this time on October 7 at Brewerton Speedway.

Photo by Alex and Helen Bruce

Photo by Alex and Helen Bruce

SUPER DIRT WEEK Stewart Friesen (middle), of Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON won the October 9 358 Modified race at Oswego Speedway’s Super DIRT Week. Jimmy Phelps (left) was second, in the Salute to the Troops 150, ahead of Canadian Mat Williamson (right).

SUPER DIRT WEEK St. Catharines, ON DIRT star Mat Williamson won the headline event of Super DIRT Week, in early October at Oswego Speedway.

He’s shown in Victory Lane with Ms. Motorsports, Andrea Cap, after taking the October 10 Billy Whittaker 200 Modified race.

Photo by Alex and Helen Bruce

Photo by Alex and Helen Bruce

CORNWALL MOTOR SPEEDWAY Corey Wheeler won the 125-lap Canadian Nationals for 358 Modifieds in mid-October at Cornwall Motor Speedway. The victory helped him secure the series’ championship, as well.

SYDNEY SPEEDWAY Brady Creamer of Miramichi, NB won the Late Model Sportsman 100 feature on October 31 at Sydney Speedway. The event was billed as a ‘soft relaunch’ for the Nova Scotia track on Cape Breton Island. The facility is planning a full schedule for 2022.

Photo by Rick Young

Photo Courtesy of Sydney Speedway IT

InsideTrackNews.com 7

I OPINION

SHIFTING

GEARS

By James Neilson

LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

D

espite trailing Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen by 8 points after the Qatar Grand Prix, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is beginning to impose his will on the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship after back-to-back commanding performances at the Brazilian and Qatar Grands Prix.

The 36-year-old, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion has found another gear as the series heads into the final two events of the year, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the penultimate round of the season, and the Abu Dhabi season finale.

In Brazil, Hamilton first overcame a penalty for an illegal drag reduction system on Mercedes’ rear wing in practice that forced him to the back of the grid in Sprint Qualifying. Then, after racing all the way from last to fifth in the 24-lap sprint, a power unit change dropped him to tenth at the start of the 71-lap race. Despite the dual setbacks, Hamilton blitzed the field, overtaking title rival Verstappen with 12 laps to go, taking the win then following it up with a dominant victory from pole in Qatar.

With 25 points up for grabs for each win in Formula 1, if Hamilton wins the final two races he will earn his record eighth Formula 1 World Championship, besting current co-record holder Michael Schumacher for the most career titles. Even if Verstappen finished second (18 points per second-place finish) and earns fastest lap in each of the final two races (one point for a race’s fastest lap), the 38 points for those results wouldn’t be enough for the young dutchman to clinch his first career Formula 1 World Championship.

It’s been clear since the first race of the season that Hamilton and Verstappen are in a class of their own this year. There’s one tier for them and a second tier for everyone else. Just look at the timing results from Qatar. Third-place finisher Fernando Alonso of Alpine Racing finished almost a minute behind the two title rivals, while only eight drivers finished on the lead lap despite Qatar being one of the longer tracks on the Formula 1 schedule.

But amazingly, Hamilton has pushed through to make it a three-tier hierarchy recently, with Verstappen miles ahead of his Formula 1 peers, but no match for Hamilton.

They way he reeled in Verstappen in Brazil was incredible, getting past the almost season-long championship leader with ease after Verstappen desperately tried to keep his position in the laps prior to Hamilton passing him on Lap 59.

Verstappen was scrutinized for his defense of the lead in Brazil, running Hamilton wide a few laps before Hamilton got by, but overall, I have been really impressed with both drivers this year. They have been neck-and-neck all season long and have thus far managed to stay out of trouble, for the most part.

For example, former World Champions like Schumacher and Ayrton Senna were often criticized for their ruthless mentality, Schumacher clashing with title rivals in both the 1994 and 1997 season finales, and Senna clashing with Prost in 1989 and 1990, both times at the penultimate round at Suzuka.

Things still could get ugly between two but having watched them go wheel-to-wheel all year, I think we’re going to be in for one hell of a battle, but a clean one. IT 8 Inside Track Motorsport News

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Stories by Davey Segal of NASCAR With Files from Greg MacPherson hile rain forced the postponement of the Qwick Wick 125 at Flamboro Speedway, it didn’t rain on Andrew Ranger’s parade. The three-time NASCAR Pinty’s Series champion took the lead from polesitter Treyten Lapcevich at the start of the MotoMaster 125 and never looked back, leading all but 15 of 125 laps en route to his 29th career series victory and first of the 2021 season.

The win is also the first for new team owner Rick Ware Racing (RWR) in the series, and overall, in NASCAR. The RWR team has fielded entries in the Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series for decades. It also comes in Ranger’s first-ever trip to Flamboro, as he did not compete in the 2020 Pinty’s FanCave Challenge.

“It’s so fantastic. I want to thank the Rick Ware Racing team,” said Ranger, after the race. “Everybody worked so hard with the No. 51 car and it’s amazing to have our first victory this year.”

D.J. Kennington backed up his two top-five finishes last year with a

W

10 Inside Track Motorsport News

runner-up result, while Brett Taylor did the same in third on the heels of his top-ten finishes in 2020. Championship points leader Alex Tagliani finished fourth (third straight Flamboro top 10) with Pete Shepherd III earning his first top-five of the season.

Brandon Watson, L.P. Dumoulin, Alex Guenette, Lapcevich (rebounded from a flat tire on Lap 16) and Donald Theetge rounded out the top-ten finishers. For Watson, one of Ontario’s top short track racers, it was his first-ever start in Canada’s NASCAR series. Kevin Lacroix started the race third standings but spun on Lap 10 and was unable to recover. He would finish last.

Shortly after the conclusion of the first race, the predicted rain arrived, ending hopes of starting the second race of the day. Days later, it was announced that it would be rescheduled to be part of a tripleheader finale weekend at Delaware Speedway.

The tight schedule and COVID regulations also forced the cancellation of the two races slated for Quebec’s Autodrome Chaudière, which had also been previously postponed by wet weather.

(Opposite page) L.P. Dumoulin and the Dumoulin Competition team celebrate their third Pinty’s Series title in ten years, at Delaware. (Above, left) D.J. Kennington ended his season with a strong performance at his beloved Delaware Speedway.

(Above, right) Andrew Ranger picked up his second win of the season, in the Delaware Pinty’s Series finale. Photos by Steve Traczyk

DELAWARE SPEEDWAY (SEPTEMBER 24, 2021) Entering the Delaware Speedway race with more starts than anyone in NASCAR Pinty’s Series history, D.J. Kennington used his experience at his home track to earn his fourth career NPS victory at the half-mile oval. The win came because of a bump-and-run pass on Tretyen Lapcevich on the final lap.

It was Kennington and Lapcevich battling all night long, as the two traded the lead several times before a caution with 10 laps remaining setup a restart for the ages.

Lapcevich’s No. 20 cleared Kennington’s No. 17 for the lead with five laps to go, but the two-time series champion stayed close and set himself up for the race-winning move.

Entering Turns 3 and 4, and coming to the checkered flag, Kennington drove it in deep and nudged Lapcevich in the rear quarter panel. It was enough to get the youngster out of the groove, opening the door for Kennington to slide past and take his first win of the season and the 22nd of his NPS career.

Lapcevich, who led more than half the race from the pole, was none too pleased with the move, calling it “an act of desperation.”

He also needed to be restrained by series officials as Kennington pulled into Victory Lane. Treyten later had an opportunity to tell D.J. what he thought of the move.

The win was Kennington’s third top-five finish of the season and was special to Kennington as it was the series’ first visit to Delaware since 2017. Lapcevich, Andrew Ranger, Kevin Lacroix and Cole Powell completed the top-five finishers, with Shae Gemmell, Alex Guenette, L.P. Dumoulin, J.R. Fitzpatrick and Dexter Stacey rounding out the top ten. In terms of the championship chase, Dumoulin’s eighth place run shaved six points off Tagliani’s lead, leaving him just five points back of Tagliani with two points races remaining. Ranger sat third, 25 points back, should catastrophe strike the lead duo.

You can add L.P. Dumoulin’s name to the NASCAR history books.

Capitalizing on misfortune from his championship rival Alex Tagliani, the Trois-Rivieres, QC native finished sixth in both the Qwick Wick 125 and Pinty’s Fall Brawl at Delaware Speedway on September 26, earning him his third career NASCAR Pinty’s Series title.

Following his eighth-place finish days before at Delaware Speedway, Dumoulin sat five points back of Tagliani entering the double-

header finale, but with 35 laps to go in the first race, Tagliani was involved in a wreck and finished 18th.

Dumoulin’s solid sixth place run saw him take the championship points lead from the No. 18 for the season finale mere hours later.

All he needed to do was finish seventh or better and the title was his, regardless of where Tagliani or D.J. Kennington, who won both Friday and Sunday’s first event at Delaware, finished.

In the opening laps, Tagliani limped his beaten and battered vehicle behind the wall for repairs. Dumoulin took it easy for the 125 laps that followed, bringing his No. 47 WeatherTech Dodge home sixth and earning his third career series championship.

The title puts him in elite company. Dumoulin becomes only the third driver in Pinty’s Series history to win three or more championships. Andrew Ranger has three and Scott Steckly has four. Dumoulin’s prior title campaigns came in 2014 and 2018.

In his ten full-time seasons, Dumoulin hasn’t finished worse than sixth in the standings. Having battled with Tagliani throughout the summer, with the two swapping the championship lead throughout, Dumoulin further entrenched himself among the greats in Canadian stock car racing history.

It was a day full of what-ifs for Treyten Lapcevich. One race removed from his vehement disagreement with D.J. Kennington, the driver of the No. 20 led most of the QwickWick 125 before spinning late, collecting Tagliani.

After a flurry of late-race cautions and an overtime finish, Kennington edged his way by Brandon Watson to win his fifth career race at Delaware and second in three days. It was his second win this season (both at Delaware) and 23rd of his career.

Hours later, Lapcevich dominated once again from the pole, but with 22 laps remaining, he spun into a crash while trying to slow down in Turns 1 and 2, incurring significant damage. On the ensuing restart, he spun into the inside wall and was shot back on track, collecting multiple other cars. The damage was enough to force him to retire despite leading the most laps.

Laps later, the third overtime finish in as many races saw Kevin Lacroix leading Ranger to the green flag, but the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing wheelman got around the No. 74 for his second win of the season and 30th of his career.

Dumoulin’s drive at Delaware was understated yet calculated. He did what he needed to do to secure his third title.

InsideTrackNews.com 11

Asked about his strategy in the finale, Dumoulin said, “The thing is, I didn’t have the option to slow down. I mean, I think I had 12 points on D.J. (Kennington), but he won the first two races of the weekend. I was like, ‘Okay, I can’t sit here. I have to go.’

“And then Alex (Tagliani) had problems with his car, so he was seven points behind for the last race. I just had to keep going, keep digging to try to be in the top five and then see where things sit.

“I was trying to do calculations behind the wheel, but I knew that my people on the pit box were also thinking about what we needed to do. The car was really good and that gave me a good feeling that I could race more if I needed to.”

With Kennington pitting late in the race, Dumoulin knew he would be coming through the field quickly.

“Exactly, but I knew, at that point, I still had a good car, so I was capable of fighting with him. It was fun.”

Discussing his fantastic weekend, Kennington was proud that he did all he could to make the championship close and impress his home track fans.

“Yeah, we were top five in the last race. Would have liked to have won that one, too, but we had to fight for our fifth place,” said Kennington. “We had some issues in the car, but our Castrol Edge team didn’t give up all day. We had two flat tires in the last one and got into that crash there with Treyten (Lapcevich), but to come back from two laps down and get back to the top five is a good day.

“We won two of the three races here and got to third in the points, a few behind Andrew (Ranger), which is pretty good. If we didn’t have our issues in the last race, I think we would have gotten to second.

“I love it at Delaware. It’s where I grew up racing and it is home for

me. I can’t wait to see what Luke (Ramsay) and the new owners are going to do with this place.

“It was great to see the stands full today and hear the crowd so into it. It makes it so much nicer for the sponsors and everybody. It’s been a great year. We were up and down and had our issues, but to win two races and get some momentum here at the end of the season, we’re ready to go for 2022.”

Andrew Ranger, the winner of the finale, was also pleased with his race and season.

“I’m so proud for my team. They’ve all worked so hard at Rick Ware Racing. A lot can happen, but the No. 51 car was fast.

“I was very nervous, but I was able to exit pretty good out of Turn 4. I was right on the bumper of Kevin (Lacroix) for the restart. He made a little mistake there, so I was able to pass him on the last lap.

It’s a great win for us at the end of the season.”

Summing up his 2021 campaign, Ranger continued, “We had some wins, some bad luck and we made it close at the end to finish second in the championship. I want to thank Rick (Rick Ware Racing) and my crew, who worked so hard. We had bad luck in three (of ten) races and that might have cost us the championship, but all in all it was a great season. I will try everything to come back next season.”

TOP 20: 1. L.P. Dumoulin (389 pts); 2. Andrew Ranger (381); 3. D.J. Kennington (378); 4. Alex Tagliani (371); 5. Treyten Lapcevich (361); 6. Kevin Lacroix (352); 7. Alex Guenette (347); 8. Brett Taylor (337); 9. Dexter Stacey (330); 10. Larry Jackson (318); 11. Marc-Antoine Camirand (315); 12. T.J. Rinomato (253); 13. Sam Fellows (241); 14. Brent Wheller (198); 15. Peter Shepherd III (195); 16. Shae Gemmell (195); 17.

Mark Dilley (193); 18. Malcolm Strachan (164); 19. Brandon Watson (150); 20. Donald Theetge (133). IT

Delaware Speedway was packed for the final, three-race weekend. For many racers and fans, it was fantastic being back at the London, Ontario-area half-mile oval. Photos by Greg MacPherson

12 Inside Track Motorsport News

3X

CHAMPION

WeatherTech Canada is proud to celebrate L.P. Dumoulin’s third Canadian NASCAR championship victory, and we would like to extend our congratulations to both L.P. and the entire Dumoulin Competition team.

Their dedication and determination align perfectly with our commitment to quality and performance, making WeatherTech Canada and Dumoulin Competition the ultimate partnership.

L.P. DUMOULIN

2014 CANADIAN NASCAR CHAMPION 2018 CANADIAN NASCAR CHAMPION 2021 CANADIAN NASCAR CHAMPION

Auto. Home. Pet. Find Your Fit. 888.905.6287 | WeatherTech.ca

Photo by Matthew Manor InsideTrackNews.com 13

Canada’s Jacques Villeneuve is officially a NASCAR race winner.

The 1995 IndyCar titlist and 1997 Formula 1 World Champion overcame a five second penalty to grab his maiden NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (NWES) race win at Autodromo di Vallelunga in Italy on Saturday, October 30, as part of a doubleheader race weekend. Villeneuve crossed the finish line 6.3 second ahead of Vittorio Ghirelli and parked his No. 5 Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport EuroNASCAR FJ in victory lane. It was also the first EuroNASCAR PRO win for the Italian/Monegasque joint venture.

Villeneuve took over the lead in Turn 1 but was handed a fivesecond penalty for jumping the start. The Canadian was put under constant pressure by Alon Day in second but fended off all attacks brought by the reigning EuroNASCAR PRO champion. While the events came thick and fast behind Villeneuve, the Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport driver took advantage of the hard battles behind him to open a six second gap on the rest of the field and score his maiden NASCAR Whelen Euro Series win.

“Finally, it’s been a long time coming,” said Villeneuve. “We have been fighting at the front a lot and the car was good in qualifying. It’s a track I used to race at in Formula 3 in the 1980s. We had a hard time in free practice, but in qualifying the car was amazing. I didn’t have to lift on the outside of turn 1. I just went for it and Alon lifted it.

“We made some changes before qualifying and after that the car was so easy to drive. It did exactly what I wanted it to do, and it was still good on old tires. It felt great to get my first win as part of the NASCAR group and it was good to win at 50 (years old), beat the youngsters and show them how it’s done.”

Then in the Sunday weekend finale, Villeneuve sped to his second consecutive NASCAR Whelen Euro Series victory at Autodromo di Vallelunga in Italy. The race started with a battle between pole-sitter Villeneuve and championship leader Hezemans. The latter grabbed the lead, while Villeneuve had to settle for second.

Then on Lap 10, Villeneuve overtook Hezemans with a beautiful move on the outside to grab the lead. The Canadian opened a gap on the rest of the field and rounded out a perfect race weekend for Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport with his second consecutive win.

Jacques Villeneuve celebrates on the top of his NASCAR Whelen Euro Series mount with crew chief Bill Burns. Photos Courtesy of Bill Burns

“We only missed pole position on Saturday to have the perfect weekend,” said Villeneuve. “The car was flying. We didn’t have the straight-line speed, but we had the pace in the corners.”

While many drivers his age are slowing down, Villeneuve has been busier than ever, splitting his time between his French language Formula 1 broadcast duties and his NWES schedule.

“I need to have a steering wheel in my minds,” said Villeneuve. “I need to have a race car. It’s what I love doing, since I can remember I wanted to race. I need that kind of adrenaline rush and competition.”

Villeneuve expects to pin down his 2022 racing plans over Christmas, which could see the Canadian return to NASCAR Cup action, in addition to more NWES races.

“The plan is to race (NWES) next year, but we will discuss our plans over Christmas,” said Villeneuve. “I tested the new Cup car with a European team on the road course oval in Charlotte, so we are also looking at the possibility of doing the Daytona 500.”

– With Files from Greg MacPherson and EuroNASCAR.com IT

14 Inside Track Motorsport News

(Above) Oliver Jarvis, Jonathan Bomarito and Harry Tincknell celebrate their Petit Le Mans victory in the final race for the Mazda RT24-P prototype.

(Below) The win was thanks in part to impeccable strategy by Multimatic. Photos Courtesy of Multimatic

Petit Le Mans marked the final race for Mazda Motorsport’s venerable RT24-P prototype and the result could not have more strongly reinforced the programme’s “Never Stop Challenging” ethos, crossing the finish line at Road Atlanta a mere 3.3 seconds ahead of the second place No. 31 Cadillac after ten hours of hard racing, sealing an incredible win for Mazda Motorsports.

“I’m lost for words,” said Harry Tincknell. “Multimatic, Mazda, AER, everyone who has been involved in this programme, we said at the start of the weekend that we wanted to go out on a high. From the win at Sebring, to Watkins Glen and now Petit Le Mans, I’m so proud of everyone involved in the programme. It’s a real family and wherever this team goes next, it’s going to be very special. Thank you to everyone who has supported us. When it was announced the programme was finishing, the outpouring of support from all the Mazda fans really showed us how much support we had so we were desperate to do the best we could. There was no way I was going to let that one go at the end. We never gave up and I was so happy to bring it home.”

The victory was all the sweeter after the No. 55 Mazda had gone three laps down just over three hours into the race due to a spark plug failure. The comeback drive from Tincknell, Oliver Jarvis and Jonathan Bomarito, combined with bold strategy calls from the Multimatic engineering box, and impeccable pit work by the team resulted in the cars most spectacular result of the entire campaign.

“It’s not often that I’m lost for words, but I don’t really know what to say,” said Multimatic Motorsports boss Larry Holt. “I’m feeling quite emotional as it’s the last time we’ll campaign the Mazda and it just won a legendary endurance race, it’s hard to take in.

“We wear the Mazda “Never Stop Challenging” reference on our T-shirts and it has never been realised stronger than here in Atlanta. It looked bleak when we were almost four laps down just three hours in, but not one member of the team thought that it wasn’t still possible to challenge for a win, and so it was. The pit stops were outstanding, the engineering and strategy calls were impeccable, and our drivers got their heads down and dealt with the traffic and endless restarts with calm and calculated aggression.

“Our pace never faltered, and Harry’s last stint will go down in the Multimatic Motorsports history books as a top five drive. I would also suggest that this win just went to the top of our all-time biggest accomplishments list. Thank you to every single member of the organisation, you guys made that magic happen. And finally, thank you to our partners, Mazda, for the trust and support you have given us over the past years, it’s why we have always been so motivated to win with the RT24-P.” – With Files from Multimatic IT

InsideTrackNews.com 15

Stories by Jamie Maudsley he APC United Late Model Series Presented by Grisdale rolled into Sunset Speedway on September 11 for the Stewart’s Equipment & Kubota 100, the penultimate round of the season.

The first order of the day was qualifying, and all the drivers were eyeing a top-ten starting position, as well as the track record of 14.037 seconds set by Brandon Watson in May of 2018.

In the first qualifying group, it was Josh Stade who set the early fast time with a lap of 14.323 seconds, while title contender Pete Shepherd III timed in second. In the second group, Danny Benedict was the fastest of the group, but was only able to grab the second spot from Shepherd.

In the third group, it was Sauble Speedway winner Jake Sheridan who claimed the provisional pole with a lap of 15.310 seconds. Ryan Kimball claimed second, bumping Stade to third.

The final group hit the track last, and Dale Shaw was able to rip a lap of 14.261 seconds, while defending series champ Jo Lawrence was second with a lap of 14.308 seconds. Sheridan wound up third, with Kimball in fourth and Stade winding up fifth.

Matt Pritiko, Benedict, Watson, Conner James and Shepherd rounded out the top-ten and qualified for the invert.

Once the field was shuffled inside the top-ten, it put Benedict and James on the front row. Stade and Kimball made up Row 2, with Shaw and Sheridan in Row 3. Row 4 contained Lawrence and Shepherd, with Watson and Pritiko filling Row 5.

Benedict was able to capture the early lead, but Stade was on the charge and on Lap 5, Stade was able to poke his car out front.

Benedict fell into the clutches of Kimball, who passed him for second on Lap 3, while Stade had opened up a gap of over a second.

Stade continued to stretch out the advantage, and Benedict wasn’t done with Kimball, as he pressured ‘Flying Ryan’ for the runner-up

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16 Inside Track Motorsport News

spot. There was also a line of cars all nose-to-tail behind Kimball, including Shaw, Sheridan, Shepherd, Lawrence, Watson and Pritiko.

The first yellow of the event flew on Lap 26 when Gord Shepherd came to rest against the Turn 1 concrete wall.

On the green, Stade checked out again, while Kimball tried to keep Shaw at bay. The pair raced door-to-door for about eight laps before Shaw sealed the deal and took second. Benedict was also able to bypass Kimball to moved to third. At the halfway point Stade had opened a two-second lead on Shaw, who was followed by Benedict in third, Shepherd in fourth, but all eyes were on former series champ J.R. Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick broke a motor in practice and the team had to install a new powerplant in the car before starting at the back of the field.

After rolling off 22nd on the grid, Fitzpatrick was sixth at the 50lap mark. On lap 52, the second yellow of the night would fly when Treyten Lapcevich slowed in Turn 4, setting up another restart and eliminating Stade’s lead.

Lapcevich was unable to get the car re-fired in the pits and despite coming in second in points would take a hit in the championship chase, finishing many laps down.

Stade was able to set sail again, while Shepherd and Benedict were battling for third and Fitzpatrick and Sheridan were dueling for fifth right behind. Shepherd finally claimed third and Fitzpatrick dispatched both Sheridan and Benedict to move to fourth with less than 40 laps to go.

On Lap 71, the third yellow of the night flew as Dustin Jackson spun off Turn 2, erasing Stade’s lead and putting him back in the clutches of Shaw and now Fitzpatrick.

On the restart, Shaw hung tough on the outside, leading Laps 72 and 73 before clearing Stade to take control of the lead, but Stade fought back and pulled back to the inside of Shaw. Stade poked his

nose out front again on lap 78, with Fitzpatrick and Shepherd still in the mix.

On Lap 79, Jackson spun again in the same spot off Turn 2 to bring out yellow number four of the night, but while circling under yellow, disaster struck for Stade. A broken suspension part on the left front would end his shot at his first career win and turned the lead over to Shaw.

Shaw chose the outside and got a great start to pull in front of Fitzpatrick, who was being chased by Shepherd and Watson.

On Lap 83, the championship would take a major swing as point leader Watson stopped in Turn 4, bringing out a yellow and setting up another edition of Shaw versus Fitzpatrick. Shaw was able to take the lead again, but Fitzpatrick would face a major challenge from Lawrence, the defending series champion, who was able to challenge for lap after lap on the high side, but was unable to pull off the pass, falling back to third.

Fitzpatrick went off in search of Shaw and he quickly reeled Dale in before executing a perfect bump-and-run in Turn 2 on Lap 98 to take command away from Shaw.

Fitzpatrick held on for the final two circuits to claim the fourth win of his APC United Late Model career and his first victory at Sunset Speedway. Shaw finished second, while Howse made some late moves to finish third after starting 13th.

The stars of the APC United Late Model Series Presented by Grisdale were on hand at Delaware Speedway on September 25 for the Qwick Wick Fire Starter Championship Weekend. The 100-lap championship event would close out the evening and decide a season champion. The 2017 champion, Brandon Watson, led the points heading into the finale with a ten-point margin over Pete Shepherd III. With cool temperatures and a late qualifying session, all eyes were not just on the pole run, but the track record of 18.238 seconds set

by Shaw in September 2015, which seemed to be in danger of falling during time trials.

The first group hit the track and Dustin Jackson set the bar early with a lap of 19.139 seconds, before Rick Verberne set a new fast time of 18.558 seconds in the second group.

Despite struggling in practice, Watson picked it up a bit in qualifying, moving to third in the standings, while Conner James and Darrell Lake occupied the top two spots, Lake setting a time of 18.403 seconds. In the next group, Matt Pritiko moved to the top of the chart with a time of 18.367 seconds, shuffling Lake back to second.

The second-to-last group hit the track next and Gresel went to the top of the board with a lap of 18.286 seconds to hold the provisional fast qualifier heading into the final group. When the dust settled on the final cars, Lapcevich had turned the fastest lap with a time of 18.146, which was good enough to best Shaw’s six-year-old track record. Gresel wound up second, with Lawrence third.

Twenty-nine cars prepared for the final green flag of the season, with Gemmell on the point and Gresel alongside him on the front row, while Lawrence and Lapcevich occupied Row 2. Gresel looked strong in the outside lane, leading the first two laps at the line by a bumper before Gemmell took early control with Lapcevich on his tail and Gresel in third, but the yellow would fly early on Lap 4 when James came to rest in Turn 3. A second yellow occurred right after when Morneau came to rest in Turn 4 without power.

On the next restart it was Lapcevich working the outside, and when the third yellow occurred on Lap 5, he was in front and controlling the next restart with Gemmell on the outside of the front row.

(Opposite page) J.R. Fitzpatrick won his fourth APC LMS and first at Sunset in the penultimate round of the 2021 season. Treyton Lapcevich (top) did everything he could to win the 2021 APC LMS title, but Brandon Watson’s early season advantage was too much as he clinched his second series title at the season finale. Photos by Steve Traczyk

InsideTrackNews.com 17

Lapcevich set sail and after coming into the feature event tied with Shepherd for second in points and ten behind Watson, put the heat on the points leader, who was still running in the low teens.

The field would be slowed on Lap 41 for the fourth time when Lawrence spun off Turn 2. By this time Watson had climbed to 11th as he tried to race forward to capture enough points to win the championship. This left Lapcevich leading Gemmell, Gresel, Pritiko and Sheridan, who completed the top-five. Shepherd, Steckly, Lake, Powell and Mat Box rounded out the top-ten, with Watson restarting 11th.

Lapcevich held serve on the next restart, but yellow number five appeared when Tom Gibbons slowed in Turn 4, just as Watson cracked the top-ten.

It was another perfect restart for Lapcevich, who held onto the lead while Watson was ale to grab a couple spots on the scramble to climb to seventh, a position that would clinch the title.

This time, Lapcevich was unable to shake Gemmell and on Lap 60 Shae drove it to the inside of Lapcevich in Turn 1 and took over the lead before opening up a small gap on the championship contender.

With 20 laps to go, the order sat at Gemmell, Lapcevich, Gresel, Matt Pritiko and Sheridan in the top-five, with Steckly, Watson, Shepherd, Lake and Zardo rounding out the top-ten. On lap 86, Gemmell bobbled in Turn 2 and Lapcevich struck, taking control again while Gemmell was able to maintain the runner-up position.

The field was able to run the last 40-plus laps under green. Lapcevich did everything he could, setting the fastest time, leading the most laps and winning his first career series event by a couple of seconds over Gresel, with Gemmell holding on for third.

Watson wound up sixth, good enough to become the first ever two-time champion of the APC United Late Model series, winning by a mere point over Lapcevich.

APC LMS champion Brandon Watson celebrates his title win at Delaware Speedway with his family. Photo by Steve Traczyk

“Last night was struggle for us,” said Watson. “We had a tire go down in practice. We had a rough qualifying, qualified 15th, but made some slow progress. The car was a bit tight, but we were able to stay in there. Treyton did a really good job, leading all the laps and winning. We had a good start to the season, but some bad luck at the end. I didn’t pay too much attention, but I knew top five, top seven.

I know Treyton and Pete were going to be up front, but we just did enough to win the title.” IT

CONGRATULATIONS TO L. P. DUMOULIN AND HIS TEAM FOR THIS 3RD WIN IN THE NASCAR PINTY’S CHAMPIONSHIP. Groupe Bellemare,

proud partner of the Dumoulin team for over 20 years.

Photo by Matthew Manor CSCG

18 Inside Track Motorsport News

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I NEWS

(Above) 2021 Qwick Wick Super Stocks champion Lane Zardo in Delaware Speedway’s victory lane. Photo by Dave Franks

With Files from Qwick Wick Super Stocks he Qwick Wick Super Stocks were at Delaware Speedway on September 24 for their final 50-lapper of the season as part of the Pinty’s Fall Brawl at the legendary half-mile playground of speed.

With home track points included, it put Trevor Collver in the points lead heading into the final stage of the season, with Lane Zardo and Ray Moneau in second and third, just six and nine points behind Collver. Dwayne Baker and Pete Vanderwyst filled out the top-five spots and were still mathematically in the title hunt heading into qualifying.

The race for the pole, and some bonus championship points, were on the line for qualifying, and it was Todd Davenport in the third group who was able to put up the first seriously quick time, with a lap of 20.536 seconds, with Carson Nagy less than two-hundredths of a second back.

In the fourth group to hit the track, Nic Ramsay went to the top of the board, stopping the clock with a lap of 20.402 seconds, followed closely by Gerrit Tiemersma, who ran a 20.406-second lap and Jason Parker, who timed in third at 20.408 seconds heading into the final group of the night.

Zardo was able to best Collver by a little over a tenth of a second with a time of 20.014 seconds, with Collver timing in second at 20.155 seconds. Zardo was able to use the pole-winning run to trim Collver’s lead to five points heading into the final 50lap race of the year.

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20 Inside Track Motorsport News

Following the post-qualifying invert, Tiemersma was on the front row with Dyson beside. Row 2 contained Parker and Ramsay, with Vanderwyst and Morneau in row three. Zardo, Collver, Ferreira, and Chenoweth, rounded out the top-ten starters.

Tiemersma led the opening lap by a nose with Dyson tucking in to line behind in the in early stages, before Dyson struck on Lap 6, taking control. The first yellow of the night came out on Lap 7 when Mike Weeda made hard contact with the Turn 2 wall in an incident involving multiple drivers. This negated the pass from Dyson for the top spot.

Tiemersma was able to hold the lead on the restart until a yellow flew on Lap 14 for debris on the speedway.

Shortly after the green, Dyson continued his assault on Tiemersma, getting to the inside of the leader a few times, before finally taking the lead on Lap 23, and with Tiemersma caught on the outside, Vanderwryst, and Ferriera also getting past.

The championship combatants, Zardo and Collver were the next to try to get past Tiemersma. Zardo cleared him, while Collver and Tiemersma made contact, with Tiemersma going around. Collver was penalized, and both him and Tiemersma would restart at the back of the pack, moving Chenoweth into the top five.

Dyson was able to get the jump when the green flew, but it was Chenoweth on the move, climbing to second with 20 laps to go, while Ramsay, Zardo and Vanderwyst

occupied the top-five drivers.

On lap 32, Davenport went around off Turn 4 to bring out the next yellow of the evening, while Collver was penalized for the incident and sent to the back of the pack again with less than 20 to go.

Chenoweth was unable to hang tough on the outside and would be shuffled back on the restart, allowing Ramsay and Vanderwyst to climb to second and third before Morneau spun in Turn 3 to bring out the races fifth yellow flag On the restart, Dyson was able to grab the lead, but entering Turn 3 he was hit by Ramsay and turned around in Turn 4 to bring out caution flag number six, putting Vanderwyst and Zardo on the front row.

A Lap 36 restart saw Vanderwyst poke his nose out front momentarily, but Zardo was quick to jet out front and take control for the first time of the evening. Just a lap later, Chenoweth was turned around by Constable in Turn 2, sending the pair to the back of the pack for the restart with 14 laps to go.

Vanderwyst led lap 37, but Zardo was able to keep control on the bottom, taking the lead with Parker, Tiemersma and Ferreira falling into line behind the front duo.

Tiemersma was able to snatch third with five laps to go but was no match for the race and Qwick Wick title winner Zardo. Vanderwyst brought his car home a season-high second, using the finish to rally to fifth in the final standings, while Tiemersma rallied from the back of the pack to finish third. IT

I NEWS

Stories by Tommy Goudge Jordan Poirier needed only to take the green flag in the October 2 A-Main to clinch the inaugural Pinty’s Knights of Thunder 360 Sprint Car series championship, but he did much more than that. Poirier put an exclamation point on his championship season by completing a sweep of The Fall Classic at Humberstone Speedway.

Shone Evans and Josh Hansen drew front row starting positions for the final Knights of Thunder event of 2021. Evans got the lead when the green flag dropped, but the race was halted with one lap complete when Holly Porter’s car rolled over in Turn 2.

Porter’s crew worked to replace the damaged top wing but ran out of time before the race restarted.

Evans held the lead on the restart while Poirier quickly moved into the top three.

Evans and Hansen were at the front of the field when the race was halted again for Scott Burk who flipped hard in Turn 3.

Burk climbed out of his car uninjured but done for the night. Poirier pounced on Hansen after the restart and stalked Evans for several laps before making the winning move on Lap 11. Several spirited battles developed as the green flag stayed out for the remainder of the race, and Poirier encountered heavy traffic.

Persistent rain played havoc with the Fall Nationals weekend schedule at Brockville Ontario Speedway, but the Pinty’s Action Sprint Tour Crate Sprint Car series managed to get some racing in and crown a champion on October 17.

The original schedule called for two complete Action Sprint Tour events – one on Friday night, and one on Saturday afternoon, but rainy weather intervened. Cars finally got back on track on the morning of Sunday, October 17 and the postponed AST A-Main got underway shortly after noon.

Jacob Dykstra and Johnny Miller made up the front row for the 25 lap A-Main, and Dykstra went on to lead every lap to claim his 11th win in 14 Action Sprint Tour attempts this season.

Sunday’s heat races were claimed by Nick Sheridan, Darrell Pelletier and Eric Gledhill, but rain showers again moved into the area and washed out the remainder of the event. While the rained-out A-Main will

(Above) 2021 Pinty’s Knights of Thunder champion Jordan Poirier. Photo by Derek Smith / Racepulse.com

Poirier was eventually able to get into clear track and cruise to his eighth win of the year, while Evans fought off Hansen and the Turner brothers, Ryan and Cory, to finish second. Hansen settled for third. Heat races for the season finale were claimed by Poirier, Jim Huppunen and Hansen.

Poirier finished 57 points ahead of Ryan Turner in the final championship standings, earning $5,000 for the title along with a Pinty’s VIP package for the 2022 Bristol Dirt Race and the coveted knight’s helm. The top ten drivers in points earned at least $1,000 from the 2021 points fund. IT

(Above) 2021 Action Sprint Tour champion Jacob Dykstra. Photo by Derek Smith / Racepulse.com

be run in spring 2022, the 2021 Pinty’s Action Sprint Tour championship standings were declared final with Jacob Dykstra winning the championship.

Dykstra finished 47 points ahead of Allan Downey in the final championship

standings, and like the series’ Knights of Thunder peers, earned $5,000 for the title along with a Pinty’s VIP package for the 2022 Bristol Dirt Race. The top ten drivers in points earned at least $1,000 from the 2021 points fund. IT InsideTrackNews.com 21

I NEWS

Stories by Robert K. Rooney n the first weekend in September, as Westshore Motorsports Park – formerly Western Speedway – approached the end of its penultimate season at the current location, the pits filled with Late Model Stock Cars for the Shockwave Seats Reg Midgley Canada 200.

The Vancouver Island track opened in 1954 and the first 200 was run in 1972, with a list of winners that’s a who’s who of BC and NW USA racers. With only two chances left to add their names to the trophy for a win at the Langford oval, 26 teams brought their best stuff for this year’s event.

There were four previous winners of the 200 in the field, headed by three-time winners Dave Hemrich of Delta and Korbin Thomas of Langley. As it turned out, this year’s race turned into a duel between the two drivers with just one win on their resume – Brandon Carlson, last year’s winner, and Rory Smith, who won in 2018.

Thomas timed-in quickest but was inverted back to eighth. Starting on the front row

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was a pair of Fords - the No. 10 of Wes Mader and local hero Kirt Rompain’s No. 55. The quickest 16 qualifiers were all within a half-second of each other.

Mader made a strong start and within a couple of laps the Maple Ridge Mustang driver had a very nice gap on the field. A couple of early spins, one by Trevor Adelman of Quesnel and another by Hemrich, sent those two strong cars to the tail and tightened up the field for a restart. This was exactly what Mader didn’t need as both Smith and Carlson made their way by shortly after the green flag.

As the race went on, there were numerous caution flags and restarts – one of which sent Hemrich’s No. 33 to the pits for good - but Smith’s No. 16 seemed to get the advantage every time although his mirror was usually full of Carlson’s No. 14. On lap 85, lapped traffic came into play and Carlson was able to move to the front. Another caution and restart shortly afterwards saw Smith re-establish himself at the front.

Halfway, Smith was ahead of Carlson with

Thomas third, Spencer Carlson fourth and Adelman fifth after a strong run through the field. Mader was a fair way back with a damaged left rear corner on his Mustang.

As the second half began, Smith, Carlson and Thomas once again moved out from the rest of the field. As in the first half, there were several incidents that slowed the pace but none affected the front three until lap 165 when Carlson timed things just right and put Smith behind him. He held on for ten laps until, again on a restart, Smith took back the lead for good.

With the end of the race drawing near, it was time for Thomas to see if his patient stalking of the leaders had preserved enough car and tires for him to take them down. The answer was no. Although he badgered Carlson for the last 20 laps, his No. 5 didn’t have enough to get second.

This was all fine with Smith, who drove out to win by more than a second over Carlson and Thomas. Mader charged back to fourth and Rompain, who also had his troubles, recovered for fifth. IT

(Left) The first Canada 200 was run on Vancouver Island in 1972.

Photo Courtesy of Westshore Motorsports Park

The WESCAR Sportsman series cut its schedule back to four races in the series heartland this year. Doubleheaders on the July 24/25 weekend at the Prince George Auto Racing Association track in Prince George and at Gold Pan Speedway in Quesnel on September 18/19 made for a couple of pretty intense events.

Jarrett Bonn of Quesnel is the 2021 Champion after never finishing off the podium. Bonn opened the season with a win on July 24, besting local driver Darrell Horwath who was second and Quesnel driver Trevor Adelman’s third. Kendall Thomas set fast time and Bonn and Horwath won the heat races.

Horwath prevailed in a shortened main on Sunday, trailed by Thomas and Bonn. Adelman was quickest in time-trials. Horwath also won his heat and Grant Powers took the other.

Everybody was ready to get back at it on September 18th, and Bonn got the win by .607 seconds over Thomas. Former top runner Arnie Kunka came back for another little shot and took over Gilles Cyr’s #72, setting quick time and finishing third. Adelman and Powers scored the heat race wins.

In the season final, Bonn won again. Dave Olson was back and finished second with Powers third. Thomas set quick time again and the heat races fell to Adelman and Horwath.

Horwath ended up second behind Bonn in the final series points with Kendall Thomas third. IT 22 Inside Track Motorsport News

FROM

On behalf of Mike Schmidt and London Recreational Racing, ‘thank you’ to all of our racers, crew members and your families for a great 2021 stock car racing season! It was a pleasure to be associated with all of you!

Team LRR enjoyed a lot of success on the track, this season, and we had some great times along the way. You’re all fantastic ambassadors for LRR and our sport.

Thank you, as well, to our incredible sponsors & partners, who make it possible for us to compete! We couldn’t do it without you!

We’d also like to show our appreciation to all of the tracks and series that provide us with amazing places to race.

And of course, thank you to all of the fans who support Team LRR and Canadian stock car racing! And special thanks to the many racers and sponsors who supported the LRR 100 APC Series race and Frostoberfest, at Flamboro Speedway.

Have a great winter and we’ll see you back at the track, next season!

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ANDY KAMRATH #89C OSCAAR MODIFIED

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AMANDA BALSON #16 OSCAAR HOT ROD

JUSTIN COLLISON #12C SUPER STOCK

BRAD COLLISON #13 SUPER STOCK & O.S.S.

CHRIS PENDLEBURY #34 MINI STOCK

ERIC STEWART #82 PURE STOCK

COLE KAMRATH #51 JUNIOR LATE MODEL

Follow London Recreational Racing on: Twitter: @LondonRecRacing Facebook: London Recreational Racing • Instagram: londonrecracing For info on London Recreational Contracting, visit LondonRecreational.com or email info@LondonRecreational.com

Stories by Ashley McCubbin he history books now have another chapter written in them, as another group of drivers carved their names in as elusive winners at Frostoberfest at Flamboro Speedway on Day 1 of the 2021 event on October 2.

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Bobby Mercer grabbed the early advantage in front of Karl Sault, Shawn Taylor, Jeff Laflamme, Cole Quinton, and Johnny Paradzinski.

Ryan Edwards-Kiss would get alongside Paradzinski for sixth on Lap 3, taking the spot a lap later.

Taylor would take over second on Lap 8, as Laflamme got alongside Sault for second ahead of Quinton, Edwards-Kiss and Samantha Shaw. Laflamme got the spot a couple laps later, with Quinton looking to follow him through, but unable to do so. Cory McAllister would get alongside Shaw for sixth on Lap 16, passing her a lap later.

The halfway mark would get interesting, with Taylor moving into the top spot in front of Sault, as Mercer slipped back to third with Quinton and Laflamme side-by-side for fourth. Quinton got the spot, on Lap 30, as Edwards-Kiss ran sixth in front of McAllister and Eric Yorke. Quinton moved into third two laps later, bringing Laflamme through with him as Mercer now ran fifth, as Yorke and Edwards-Kiss battled for sixth.

Yorke would take the spot, as the caution came out on Lap 37 for 24 Inside Track Motorsport News

a mess in Turns 1 and 2. Mercer falling back was a result of a blowing motor, which laid fluid down on the track. Going into the corner, everyone began sliding through it, with a wreck occurring involving Kyle Istead, Lisa Yorke, Chris Pendlebury and Paradzinski.

Taylor would get a good restart in front of Sault, as Laflamme and Quinton battled for third. The battle for the lead would pick up with the top-two getting by side-by-side, with Sault taking the top spot with nine laps to go in front of Taylor, Quinton, Laflamme, Eric Yorke, Edwards-Kiss and McAllister. Edwards-Kiss would get alongside Yorke for fifth and making the pass with four to go.

Karl Sault led the rest of the way en route to winning in front of Taylor and Quinton. Laflamme crossed the line in fourth but was disqualified in post-race technical inspection, bumping Edwards-Kiss up to fourth in front of Yorke.

The feature started off on a rough note, as Ken Hayward and Craig Downey made contact going into Turn 3, with Hayward making significant contact with the outside wall.

The restart would see Andy Kamrath take control of the field in front of Paul Townsend, Kelly Balson, T.J. Edwards and Luke Gignac.

Coltin Everingham would pull off the track on Lap 6 with mechanical issues. Steve Lyons would look to get by Gignac to break into the top-five but was unable to get by. Instead, he and Wally Wilson would

make contact getting into Turn 1, bringing out the second caution on Lap 14. Kamrath got a good restart in front of Townsend, with Edwards alongside Balson for third in front of Keen. Edwards got the spot, with Jason Keen looking to follow him through, but unable to do so before the caution came out on Lap 16 for Tim Gordon going around in turn two.

Kamrath got another good restart, with Edwards moving into second in front of Keen, as Dale Reinhart and Balson battled for fourth. Reinhart got the spot on Lap 18, with Ryan Dick running sixth in front of Townsend. Wally Wilson would head off the track with issues on Lap 21, with Balson bringing out the yellow flag six laps later for issues in Turn 2.

Kamrath got another good restart to score the victory in front of Edwards, Reinhart, Keen and Dick. Heat victories went to Townsend, Edwards and Kamrath.

Cole Weber would grab the early advantage ahead of Jerry Broom as Amanda Balson battled Steve Book for third, but the caution came out for an incident on the front stretch involving Jaymee Adams, Ryan Cowan and Dean Martin.

Weber got a good restart as Balson slipped into second ahead of Broom, Tyler Hawn, Dalen Martin, Book, Jaeger McMaster and Nick Clarke. Hawn would then get by Broom for third on Lap 6 and continued to move forward with a pass on Balson for second two laps later. Dalen Martin would get alongside Broom for fourth on Lap 9, completing the pass a lap later, bringing Book, McMaster and Clarke through with him.

The caution then flew on Lap 23 for Jim Blackwell stalling in Turn 1. The restart would see Balson experience mechanical problems, as she would not go on the restart, stacking up the field. With the caution already out, contact occurred on the backstretch between Jessica James and Mat Hopkins.

The restart would see Weber get away, as Dalen Martin and McMaster both got by Hawn, before the yellow flag reappeared on Lap 26 for Dean Martin blowing up down the front stretch.

The restart would see McMaster moving into second ahead of Dalen Martin, with his sights set on Weber. Coming off Turn 2 on the last lap, the pair would make contact, resulting in Weber going around. As a result, both cars would be sent to the rear of the field, handing the advantage to Dalen Martin.

Dalen Martin got a good restart, holding serve to score his first career victory in front of Clarke, Hawn, Book and Trevor Thompson.

Heat victories went to Balson, McMaster and Weber.

Kevin Foisy took the early advantage in front of Joe Adams and Hudson Nagy, as Paul Pierik and Parker Traves battled for fourth.

Traves took the fourth spot on Lap 3 bringing Matt Haufe through with him. Nagy would move into second on Lap 7, bringing Traves and Haufe with him, as Adams now ran fifth in front of Perik.

The battle for the lead got interesting on Lap 12 with Nagy making the move on the outside of Foisy for the lead, taking the top spot a lap later. Traves ran third in front of Haufe and Adams. The caution then waved on Lap 25 for Jennifer Hatch going around.

Nagy would get a good restart as Haufe moved into second in front of Traves, as Sherman went for a loop around. He would keep it going without caution, as Perik ran fourth in front of Kenny McNicol.

Nagy led the rest of the way en route to scoring the victory in front of Haufe, Traves, Perik and Kenny McNicol Jr.

(Opposite page) Andy Kamrath jumped into the lead after an early restart to win the OSCAAR Modifieds feature on the first weekend of the 2021 Frostoberfest event at Flamboro Speedway. (Top) Karl Sault made a pass for the lead with nine laps to go to win the Mini Stock feature. (Middle) Dalen Martin earned his first career OSCAAR Hot Rod victory. (Above) Hudson Nagy vaulted into the lead on lap 13 en route to winning the Ontario Legends feature. Photos by Dave Franks

InsideTrackNews.com 25

Aimee Cassidy held down the early advantage ahead of Hayden Sim, McKenna Robson, Austin Arnel, Mason Collver and Rick Baskett. Sim would get alongside Cassidy for the top spot on Lap 5, as Arnel moved into third.

Arnel then challenged Sim for the lead three laps later, with Jacob Campbell alongside Cassidy for third. Arnel took the top spot on Lap 10, with Campbell moving into second two laps later in front of Sim, Cassidy, Kaisha Zimach, Collver and Baskett.

Arnel led the rest of the way en route to the victory ahead of Campbell, with Sim making the last lap move on Aimee Cassidy for third. Kaisha Zimach rounded out the top five.

Will Quarrie led the field to green with Caleb Goertz slotting into second as James Relov jumped up to third in front of White, with Alyssa Branette and Kara Martin side-by-side for fifth.

Cole Burrows would take Branette and Martin three-wide for fifth down the backstretch, getting up to fourth on Lap 7 in front of Martin. Burrows tried to keep moving forward, taking Goertz and Relov three-wide for second. Goertz held off the challenge, with Burrows slotting into third on Lap 14. Unfortunately, he slowed a lap later with a problem, coming to a stop in Turn 4 for the yellow flag at Lap 15.

The restart would produce the second caution with Bentley Weaver going around in Turn 2. The second attempt would be no different, with the third yellow flag after Walser went around in Turns 3 and 4.

Quarrie got a good restart, pacing the field in the final laps for the win in front of Goertz and Martin.

26 Inside Track Motorsport News

Despite Mother Nature dealing every hand she had in the deck to try and stop the event from happening, everyone banded together and fought through a pair of rain delays to get the second day of London Recreational Racing’s Frostoberfest in the books on Sunday, October 17. Ultimately, when the action did hit the track, it resulted in some of the best racing witnessed all season at Flamboro Speedway.

In a battle of the heavyweights that lasted through the second half of the event, it was a three-way battle for the top spot as some of the best drivers in the province battled for the victory. Ultimately, after running up front all race, J.R. Fitzpatrick took the top spot on Lap 77 and was able to hold off Andrew Gresel on a late restart with three laps to go to score the victory in the third race of the Grisdale Triple Crown. Gresel capped off his season on a high with a runner-up, while 2021 Flamboro Speedway Pro Late Model Champion Kyle Steckly placed third after posting the quickest lap in qualifying.

Rick Spencer-Walt rebounded from restarting at the tail-end of the field on Lap 8 due to window net issues to finish fourth, while Connor James rounded out the top-five after having to change the motor following practice.

As chaos was the name of the game through the feature, Shae Gemmell caught a piece of it, but managed to stay out of trouble for the most part for an eighth-place finish. More importantly, the topten finish clinched him the 2021 Grisdale Triple Crown Championship, his second straight title.

Mark Hamacher led the field off the start for the first feature as Rob Summers worked his way up to second in front of Lisa Hamacher, but the caution came out for a wreck in Turns 1 and 2 featuring Ryan Brown, who made contact with the outside wall, and Willy Northcott, who went for a spin.

The second attempt to start the race went clean as Mark Hamacher led once again, now in front of Summers, as James Stanley and Lisa Hamacher battled for third. Stanley continued to move forward, taking over the lead on Lap 3 in front of Mark Hamacher, Shawn Stanley and Adrian Kemps before a caution for a spin by Ryan Wardell. James Stanley got a good restart with Shawn Stanley moving into second in front of Kemps and Gary Triska, as Tyler Cullen and Summers battled for fifth. Cullen would get the spot, passing Triska for fourth on Lap 8.

The field continued to shuffle, with Kemps moving into second on Lap 12, bringing Cullen through with him as Shawn Stanley now ran fourth in front of Triska. James Stanley then cruised to the victory in front of Kemps, Cullen, Shawn Stanley and Triska.

Come second feature, it’d be Rob Summers leading Ryan Battilana and James Stanley, with Stanley pacing the field on Lap 3 ahead of Summers, as Tyler Cullen and Battilana battled for third. Cullen took the spot on Lap 4, moving up to second, bringing Kemps, Shawn Stanley, and Triska through with him to bump Battilana back to sixth.

James Stanley led the rest of the way en route to winning in front of Tyler Cullen, Adrian Kemps, Shawn Stanley, and Gary Triska.

After setting the quick time in qualifying, everyone knew that Lane Zardo would be someone to watch in the feature – no surprise, considering he won the 2021 Qwick Wick Super Stock Series Championship. Though while he has dominated some events this year, that wasn’t the case on Sunday night. Instead, he found himself in a threeway battle with Ethan Constable and Shawn Chenoweth through most of the event as the trio traded the top-three spots through the long run portions of the event. Though when Constable and Chenoweth made contact in the final stages, Zardo single-handedly led the rest of the way en route to taking home the coveted igloo trophy.

Roy Wilkie avoided trouble all night to place second, followed by Carson Nagy, Cory McAllister, and Justin Collison. Remarkably, McAllister’s top-five came after being sent airborne mid-race following contact with Trevor Collver.

Shae Gemmell earned an eighth-place finish in the Grisdale Triple Crown finale, clinching his second consecutive title in the event.

(Top) 2021 Qwick Wick Super Stock Series champion Lane Zardo earned the coveted igloo trophy with his Frostoberfest Super Stock win. (Middle) John Cadman Jr. vaulted into the lead with ten laps to go to win the Ontario Outlaw Super Late Model feature at Frostoberfest. (Above) Will Quarrie started out front and led all the way en route to winning the Junior Late Model feature on the first Frostoberfest weekend. Photos by Dave Franks

Starting from pole, James Houghton did not look back, pacing the full feature on Sunday night to win the igloo for the Pure Stock division. It was close at the checkered, though, as Jo Lawrence got right to his bumper, though was unable to find a way around before the black and white flag waved.

Jordan Morris ran up front all feature long to finish third, followed

by Rodney Rutherford and Gary Slama, who rounded out the top five.

Running in the top-five all race long, John Cadman Jr. came out on top in a late-race battle with ten laps to go to score the victory in the Ontario Outlaw Super Late Model feature.

Dario Capirchio finished second, followed by Dustin Jackson, John Owen and Mike Wilkinson. IT InsideTrackNews.com 27

Story by Jim Clarke ven with the second day of action at the season-ending spectacular falling victim to heavy rains, the 2021 edition of Peterborough Speedway’s Autumn Colours Classic made headlines with fans, drivers and race teams.

Feature race action took the spotlight Sunday, October 10 with the KOD Disposal Super Stocks first to step up to the line.

Rick Spencer-Walt and Mark Gordon led the pack to the green flag for the 50-lap affair. It didn’t take long for things to get exciting, as the front row starters were joined by Shawn Chenoweth in a threewide battle for the lead. Chenoweth moved into the runner-up spot following a Lap-2 yellow flag and brought defending race champion Frank Davey into the mix. The frontrunners caught the tail-end of the field with seven laps on the board, as Davey found his way into second. A string of yellow flags brought the pack back together and welcomed Cory McAllister into the fray. Even with everything else going on, Gordon was able to hold onto the lead and became the latest Super Stock winner to wear the ‘crown.’ Davey was second and Brandon McFerran bounced-back from early race problems to finish third. McAllister and Paul Pepper rounded-out the top five.

E

28 Inside Track Motorsport News

Battlefield Equipment Rental Bone Stockers were next-up for a 40-lapper that saw Steve “5-0” Finnegan take the lead after a sideby-side battle with Brad Lavalle. The pack was showing the capacity crowd some impressive action as the leaders worked through the back markers with about ten laps on the scoreboard. Finnegan survived a pair of yellow flags within the last ten laps and was the first car across the line. His No. 26 machine was disqualified after post-race inspection discovered issues with the car’s exhaust. That gave Phil Givens the win, over Craig Cole, Connor Ellis, Calvin Reesor and Brandon Feeney.

Another 50-lap feature – this time for the OSCAAR Modifieds – hit the track with Wally Wilson and Josh Reinhart on the front row.

With only two laps complete, Andy Kamrath took over the top spot, with A.J. Emms and Reinhart hot on his tail. Even with Kamrath at the front of the field, all eyes were on the No. 77 and its relief driver, J.R. Fitzpatrick. Coming from the rear of the field because of the driver change, the hot rod had rocketed into the sixth spot early in the going and was sitting third with 21 laps on the scoreboard. As potent as Fitzpatrick had been in his role subbing for Chad Strawn, he couldn’t steal the win away from Andy Kamrath. Emms finished

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(Opposite page) Mark Gordon survived a chaotic end to the KOD Disposal Super Stocks feature during Peterborough Speedway's Autumn Colours to win ahead of Franks Davey in second. (Top) J.R. Fitzpatrick subbed in for series regular Chad Strawn in the No. 77 OSCAAR Modified and finished second behind Andy Kamrath in the feature. (Above) Steve Finnegan won the Battlefield Equipment Rental Bone Stocks feature, but was disqualified after failing tech due to exhaust issues, handing the win to Phil Givens.

Photos by Dave Franks

third, with T.J. Edwards and Reinhart completing the top five.

Braden Langille of Shubenacadie, NS, wheeling Kevin Foisy’s No. 57 ride and Matt Haufe brought the 18 Ontario Legends Series starters to the Great Canadian RV green flag for their Autumn Colours Classic headline dance. Haufe and his Canadian Legend Cars teammates Parker Traves and Langille were locked in a three-car breakaway and started to catch slower traffic with just eight laps complete. The first yellow flag of the race waved for an issue in the second turn with just over ten laps in the book. Traves took the lead on the restart, but Haufe was able to grab it back at Lap 20. Langille – in his first visit to Peterborough Speedway – moved into the runner-up position and stayed there for the rest of the race distance.

Nicholas Ledson, who had come from the 15th starting spot finished third with Traves and Hudson Nagy rounding-out the fast five.

With Jaeger McMaster and Trevor Thompson on the front row, it was time for the OSCAAR Hot Rod teams to take centre stage.

McMaster was showing his strength and started to lead the charge through the back markers with ten laps complete before a debris caution brought the field back together. McMaster held back a hard charging Tyler Hawn for the win. Steve Book, Herb Walters, in his

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InsideTrackNews.com 29

brother’s No. 47w and Thompson completed the top-five finishers. With his third-place finish, Steve Book unofficially clinched the 2021 OSCAAR Hot Rod season championship.

Shawn Chenoweth set quick time in qualifying for the Late Model Electric City 167 but started seventh after the pre-race inversion dice roll. Billy Zardo and James Horner brought the field of close to 20 starters from the staging area for the weekend’s marquee event. After three false starts, 2021 track champion and former Autumn Colours winner Dan McHattie took the lead and despite being chased by J.R. Fitzpatrick, Ryan Kimball and Chenoweth, set a strong pace. McHattie survived a flurry of yellow flags to lead every lap of the first half.

Following the timed competition caution, McHattie set off again, but there was plenty of action throughout the pack, as Fitzpatrick made a move to wrestle the second spot away from McHattie.

He also took the lead from Kimball at the 150-lap mark, but the driver of the No. 29 grabbed the spot back ten laps later.

Connor James and Danny Benedict made things interesting with some late race maneuvers, but Kimball wasn’t to be denied.

Chenoweth and Fitzpatrick completed the top five.

Karl Sault and Jassen Whyte were on the front row for the 67-lap Jiffy Lube Mini Stock feature, in memory of Melissa Bullen. The field of 28 starters caught the tail-end of the pack with just a handful of laps complete. Things came to a halt in a hurry when a multi-car wreck on the backstretch brought out the red flag.

None of the drivers involved in the wreck were injured, but their cars were unable to continue the race. Eric Yorke was having a strong run and took control of the field as the lap counter clicked-off 17 complete.

Not even a final yellow flag at the 36-lap mark could keep the potent No. 51 machine from victory lane. Sault, Josh Bullen, at the controls of a No. 67 ride in tribute to his sister, Charlie Smith and Chandler Bos chased the race winner across the line.

In a 25-lap combined ‘A’ main featuring the Outlaw Midgets and Ontario Sprints, Jessica James and James Stanley were the top finishers of their respective divisions.

Cavan, ON’s Dan Demers – who has been a long-time Central Ontario motorsports fixture – pointed out that he made a start in the 67-lap Mini Stock feature driving car No. 67 at 67 years of age. He was 13th at the checkered flag.

The father and son duo of Bill and Nick Clarke were part of the OSCAAR Hot Rod division starting lineup. During the 40-lap feature event, the pair were involved in an accidental on-track ‘family reunion’ that raised the ire of the older of the two.

Saturday’s rainout threw a curveball into Bryan Mercer’s weekend plans. With his son Jake racing with the Toronto Kart Club at Brechin Motorsports Park, the Port Hope, ON racer had former track champion Dave Morgan qualify his No. 81 car. He made it to the track in time for the race but started at the rear because of the driver change.

A mock victory lane photo shoot was the Sunday morning setting as Mini Stock racer Kyle Neumeister proposed to his girlfriend. She accepted. In his first career Autumn Colours Classic Late Model start, Brandt Graham finished sixth and was the top running Limited Late Model. IT 30 Inside Track Motorsport News

(Top) Jaeger McMaster emerged victorious from a battle with Tyler Hawn to win the OSCAAR Hot Rods feature during the Autumn Colours Classic weekend at Peterborough Speedway. (Middle) Steve Book finished third in the OSCAAR Hot Rod feature at the Autumn Colours Classic to win the 2021 season championship. (Above) Ryan Kimball fended off late-race challenges from Connor James and Danny Benedict to win the Autumn Colours Classic Late Model Electric City 167. Photos by Dave Franks

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(Above) 2021 Young Drivers Canadian Vintage Modifieds champion Jerrid Morphy. Photo by Dave Franks

With Files from Jon Morrison n Saturday, September 11, the Young Drivers Canadian Vintage Modifieds (CVM) returned to Flamboro Speedway for Round 10 of the season. After a rough week last week between point leader Jerrid Morphy and T.J Marshall, who were both involved in accidents, were back at it, hoping to keep their title hopes alive. Fourteen cars contested two heat races and a 30-lap feature.

Connor Ross and Quintin Murdoch started on the front row of the first eight-lap heat race. As the front row made their way down the front stretch into Turn 1 it was Murdoch powering through on the outside to take and pacing the field on the way to the heat win. Jerrid Morphy earned the win in the second heat race in his No. 18 mount.

In the feature, Murdoch and Mike Podd led the field to green. Coming out of Turn 4 coming to the green flag, Murdoch made a hard left turn, slowed up and fell to the back of the field, giving the lead to the No. 5 car of Podd. The top three broke away and ran nose-to-tail before Mike Westwood and Joe Arsenault clashed, sending Westwood’s No. 19 machine around backwards into the outside wall, ending Westwood's top-five run. On the restart, Podd took back his lead, bringing along with him Morphy and Ricky Willigar with Marshall stuck on the high side falling back to fourth. The top four would run nose-to-tail for the remainder of the 30-lap feature, with Podd taking home his fourth feature win of the year.

O

On Saturday, September 18, 14 Young Driver's Canadian Vintage Modified came out to do battle one more time in 2021 at Flamboro Speedway. Fourteen points separated Jerrid Morphy and T.J Marshall heading into the final night of the season.

In the first feature, the No. 19 car of Mike Westwood and the 32 Inside Track Motorsport News

No. 17 car of Joe Arsenault started on the front row. At the drop of the green flag, Arsenault moved to the high side to get around Westwood heading down the backstretch. Unfortunately, on Lap 3, disaster struck as coming out of Turn 2 when Westwood got loose and collected the No. 03 car of Jake Gilbert and the No. 5 car of Mike Podd, causing all three drivers to retire from the race.

On the restart, Arsenault and the No. 7 car of Quintin Murdoch led the field to green, with Arsenault taking the lead again, followed

by Marshall and Morphy. The top four were running nose-to-tail for a bit until Marshall got his car to the inside of Arsenault’s for the lead as they battled side-by-side. When the checkered flag flew at the end of 25 laps, it was Marshall taking the top spot with Morphy coming home second and Murdoch finishing third.

Once back in the pits, the teams started getting prepared for the second feature of the night. Unfortunately, Westwood didn't make the grid due to damage suffered in Race 1. On the front row, the No. 53 CVM of Jeff Kells and the No. 44 of Connor Ross led the field to green. The field was fighting for position two- and even three-wide throughout the field. On Lap 2, Arsenault made a move down around the outside of Kells heading into Turn 3 on the outside of Morphy before going straight into the outside wall in between Turns 3 and 4 ending his night. After the clean up, Murdoch and Marshall started on the front row and Murdoch jumped out to an early lead as Ricky Willigar took the inside lane with Marshall stuck on the outside and Morphy sitting right behind them as they battled lap after lap before Marshall slipped back to fourth place. When the checkered flag flew, it was Murdoch winning the final feature of 2021. Willigar came home in second place and Jerrid Morphy rounded out the podium.

The win cemented Murdoch 2021 CVM Rookie of the Year title, while Morphy was crowned the 2021 CVM Champion. IT

s

Story by Nicole Kleinsteuber other Nature was no match for the 17th Applefest Shootout at Brighton Speedway on September 25. The biggest night of racing at the 1/3-mile oval track saw 172 cars dial in for an actionpacked night that was delayed by rain however officials were driven to see it go off without a hitch.

The DIRTcar 358 Modified and DIRTcar Sportsman series headlined the event along with the Late Models, Canadian Modified/ UMP’s, Thunder Stocks and Comp 4/Mini Stock engaging in 200 feature laps on top of multiple heats and timed hot laps.

Chris Raabe looked like he was well on his way to scoring his second Applefest Shootout in the 50-lap DIRTcar 358 Modified Applefest Shootout. He jumped on the lead on lap 11 and drove away with no contest.

Then, with two laps to go, mechanical issues forced Raabe to pit road. Danny O’Brien was awarded the lead and drove hard to victory lane taking his first Applefest Shootout win with Corey Wheeler in second and Brianne Ladouceur third.

Polesitter Bradley Rayner dominated most of the 40-lap Northeast Late Model Alliance Great Crate Race. Rayner was on rails as Steve Baldwin tried his hardest to catch him. Andrew Hennessy, Adam Turner and Charlie Sandercock were fierce in their pursuit of the leaders.

With three laps to go, Hennessy caught up with Rayner and took the lead. Hennessy drove hard to victory lane with Rayner in second, Sandercock third, Turner fourth and Baldwin fifth.

Ryan Scott jumped on the lead at the drop of the green flag and never relinquished the point in the 30-lap DIRTcar Sportsman Series feature. Ricky Thompson and Bobby Herrington tried their best to chase down Scott, but it wasn’t enough.

When the checkers flew, it was Scott who secured his first DIRTcar Sportsman series win. Herrington picked up a hard-earned second, ahead of Brad Rouse.

Determined to score his first career Canadian Modified win, Rich Sanders jumped on the lead from the drop of the green flag in the 30-lap Modified / UMP Series main event. Sanders took off as Kyle Sopaz and Doug O’Blenis gave chase.

Shawn Gregory worked the high-side from his seventh starting position, and on Lap 17, he went wheel-to-wheel with Sanders. Gregory spun out on Turn 4 and went to the back, but fought his way back through the field, after the restart. But there weren't enough laps left and Sanders took the win, Sopaz and Julian Phillips taking the other podium spots.

Race fans were treated to a great battle as polesitter Ronnie Wadforth and Chris Hale scrapped from the drop of the green flag in the 30-lap Thunder Stock Duel in the Dirt. But technical issues ended Wadforth's night early, giving Adam Turner an opening to take the lead. Turner was flawless, sailing through the turns with Doug Anderson and Justin Ramsay hot on his heels. But Turner didn't flinch. Following a last lap caution and restart, Turner took the victory ahead of Ramsay and Anderson.

It only took Comp 4 class driver Bob Ray two laps to work his

M

34 Inside Track Motorsport News

(Top) No. 03RS Danny O'Brien was awarded the lead and drove hard to victory lane taking his 1st Applefest Shootout win. (Middle) No. 33 Ryan Scott jumped on the lead at the drop of the green flag and never relinquished the point in the 30-lap DIRTcar Sportsman Series feature event.

(Above) No. 87 Andrew Hennessy secures the Northeast Late Model Alliance series championship and all the apples on September 25th.

Photos by Rod Henderson, CanadianRacer.com

way up from his ninth starting position, and into the lead. He looked poised to securing an Applefest win in the 20-lap feature, but was passed, on Lap 12, by Devon Kippen.

Rain began to pour and stopped the race, giving Kippen the win.

Marc Dagenais was second, ahead of Bob Ray. In action the day before, at Brighton, the DIRTcar Sportsman headlined the Applefest Shootout Eve event along with the Late Models, Canadian Modified / UMPs, the Eastern Ontario Vintage Stock Club, Thunder Stocks and Mini Stocks.

Bobby Herrington won his first DIRTcar Sportsman Series feature and Applefest victory in the 30-lap main. Justin Ramsay dominated the 20-lap Thunder Stock feature, while Fabio Olivieri did the same in the Mini Stock Duel in the Dirt.

Josh Powers was flawless in the Eastern Ontario Vintage Stock Car Club 20-lap main. He went wire-to-wire in the 70s/80s, while Pete Stapper was the driver to beat in the 50/60s class.

358 driver Corey Wheeler, Late Model pilot Steve Baldwin and Canadian Modified racer Shawn Gregory each dominated their ten-lap Dash for Cash events. IT

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I NEWS

REMEMBERING JACK MONAGHAN Veteran Racer That Racked Up More than 300 Wins Passed Away in September Story and Photo by Alan Arseneault peedy.’ For more than 40 years, at short tracks throughout Southern Ontario and beyond, that one word would be greeted with an understanding nod. The listener knew that you were talking about ‘Speedy’ Jack Monaghan.

On September 15, Monaghan passed away after a lengthy illness. As we mourn, we also celebrate his life and accomplishments. Here are some personal thoughts on a great racer and gentleman.

Born with an insatiable love for that speed, ‘Speedy’ Jack first took to the dirt tracks in 1958, at Bluebird Raceway in Windsor, ON. Racing and winning on dirt and asphalt until 2004, he found the admiration of lifelong fans along the way.

Looking at the statistics, they are impressive, consisting of 326 wins, 16 championships and he was voted most popular driver by the fans at Checker Flag Speedway an incredible ten times.

Windsor’s Checker Flag Speedway was his home track. In 1970, he racked up 17 feature victories on the dirt oval. In 1974, Jack became part owner of the track, ushering in the pavement era at the speedway.

As co-owner the wins kept on coming, now in the famous ‘Monaghan Orange’ No. 03 Windsor Automotive Camaro. His victories were many at Delaware, Mount Clemens and Cayuga, where he won the coveted Northern 200 in 1975 over a stacked field of Late Model stars.

But there was so much more to the man than the stat sheet shows. His countless fans all have their stories. Mine started at the age of two, when the family went to Checker Flag. My first memories of ‘Speedy’ are quite literally among my earliest memories of any kind.

The year was 1964 and it was a Saturday night of thrills and spills. After seeing these incredible machines battle around the track, shooting mud and flames and making those wonderful sounds, I was brought to the pits to see the drivers.

My parents brought me to meet the driver of the bright red Ford coupe; the one with the huge, yellow No. 3 on the trunk that I had just seen reflecting in the lights. There was Jack in his racer whites, as required at the time. He was covered in dust, of course, leaning in the same way that he always did

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In 2021, Delaware Speedway No. 03 Late Model driver Ray Morneau Jr. carried one of his legendary schemes on his car as a tribute to ‘Speedy’ Jack Monaghan, who passed away in September. Two days after Monaghan’s passing, the #03 raced with a special tribute hood.

on his machines and greeting his fans. From my point of view, the entire scene was larger than life, simply epic. I had found my lifelong passion for all things fast and loud, and my racing hero. Little did I know, but I could not have picked a more perfect racer to cheer on for the decades to come.

Jack was a master on the dirt with his 1957 Chevy and the amazing Merrifield Transport Chevelle. Then the change to pavement brought the No. 03 machines, including the dominant Lucon Industries Hanley Chassis Camaro in the early 1980s. Later, he enjoyed his CASCAR career in the J-AAR and Mopar-backed rides through the 1990s.

Jack thrilled the crowds with his precise, ohso-smooth style, his cunning race craft and his eye-popping late-braking abilities.

His technical knowledge of the cars had much to do with his success. Jack did it all while earning great respect from his on-track rivals, many of whom were fine offtrack friends as well.

“Jack and I probably raced each other over 200 nights in a ten-year period,” said racer Larry LaMay. “We had plenty of great races and never a bad night between us, ever! He was a true champion and a friend.”

It’s impossible to estimate how many drivers were inspired by Monaghan to strap into a race car after watching him do what

he loved. In his later years Jack retired but kept his foot on the gas! Until he was 84, he enjoyed riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycles and hitting the road in his Corvette. If someone passed him on the highway, he still viewed it as a challenge to be accepted.

Right up until the end, he lived life to the fullest, loving his family and friends, telling wonderful tales and making time for fun.

Prior to his passing, Delaware Speedway was the setting for a wonderful tribute to Jack and his legacy. Jonathan Aarts contacted the Morneau Racing Team to bring the J-AAR Excavating sponsorship and colours from the early 1990s CASCAR cars back to the No. 03 Late Model driven by Ray Morneau Jr. The car was on track in this scheme throughout the 2021 season.

For Jack’s fans, it was an amazing sight to see, and brought back many great memories. It was even more special given that it happened while Jack was still with us.

On September 17, just days after Jack’s passing, Delaware Speedway began the racing program with a lap in his honour. It was an emotional tribute, especially for the Morneau team, with Ray Morneau doing a victory lap with an image of ‘Speedy’ on the hood of the No. 03.

Let’s all raise a glass of orange juice to Jack for a life very well lived in the fast lane. IT

Stories by J. Wally Nesbitt he traditional season-ending appearance for the CASC-OR and VARAC competitors took place over the first weekend of October at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Beautiful early fall weather greeted the racers on Saturday, but a heavy fog Sunday morning left several people searching for unusual track limits.

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In 2019 and 2020, Olivier Bedard and Mac Clark dominated the F1600-A class, easily outscoring their rivals in their respective championship chases.

However, six different racers reached the top step of the podium in 2021 and it was series rookie Nick Gilkes who went on a hot streak to conclude the campaign, winning five of the six final races to secure the A-Class title.

Riding a record of seven victories and 17 podiums in 18 starts, the driver of the No. 64 Britain West Motorsports Mygale-Honda outscored runner-up Jonathan Woolridge (No. 2 Brian Graham Racing Piper-Honda) by 105 points (435-330) in the final tally, with Sam Baker (No. 51 Spectrum-Honda) claiming third place (318 points). Both Woolridge and Baker enjoyed four-win seasons.

Coming from the Formula 1200 ranks, 16-year-old Gilkes surprised even himself with his 2021 record of success.

“Coming into this season, my goal was simply to get on the podium. I could never have expected a year like this. I can’t credit the team enough, especially (Driver Coach and multi-time F1600 champion) Shane (Jantzi) for getting me up to speed so quickly.”

While Gilkes may have had to battle hard with other racers for 38 Inside Track Motorsport News

his title crown, F1600-B class champion Connor Clubine endured no such season, guiding his No. 6 Britain West Motorsports Van Diemen-Ford to an almost perfect record, taking 14 class wins in 15 starts, the only flaw to his record coming at Calabogie due to a contact-related DNF. “I was inspired by my teammate James Lindsay. He set the bar really high with his championship last year and I wanted to match his record,” said Clubine.

For the final weekend of the Toyo Tires F1600 season, Clubine took the seat of the No. 6 Mygale-Honda and raced for the first time in the premiere division. Not surprisingly, he showed very well with finishes of third, fourth and fifth overall.

With Clubine out of the B-Class competition, veteran Steve Bodrug (No. 41 Van Diemen-Ford) stepped up dramatically, sweeping to class victory in each of the three weekend races.

There were 46 entries in the combined GT Sprints divisions for the CASC-OR Celebration weekend, the numbers sufficient to allow for split fields. Even with the pack cut roughly in half, everyone found someone to race with wherever they were in the order.

Perhaps most surprising was that three different drivers were able to share race wins in GT1, with James Beaton (No. 02 Corvette), Dan Corcoran No. 125 Impala) and Blaise Csida (No. 82 Ford Taurus) taking overall and class wins. In GT2, the winners were also varied with checkered flags earned by Chris Lawson (No. 4 Ford F150), Gary Kwok (No. 661 Mitsubishi EVO) and Daniel Bois (No. 32 Ariel Atom).

A breakout penalty in the opening GT3 race cost Marie-France Nadeau (No. 03 Porsche) a chance to sweep the weekend with Jonathan Sherrer (No. 19 Subaru) winning Race 1. Rudy Glarner (No. 05 BMW 328) went two-for-three in GT4 with the No. 72BMW 325 of Thomas Holland claiming the win in the weekend finale. Joseph Comacchio (No. 155 BMW 325) was the only GT Sprints driver able to sweep the tripleheader date, taking top honours in GT5.

Almost 50 vintage entries took advantage of the CASC-OR Celebration weekend to showcase the origins of racing in Canada. In vehicles ranging from Del Bruce’s thundering No. 67-1972 Corvette through the full alphabet of MG cars and on to a huge variety of Porsche and Audi models, the vintage cars and their occasionally vintage drivers raced under the Vintage/Historic, Classic and Formula Classic designations.

Although most the entries were manufactured south of the border or in Europe, there were some homegrown examples as well.

Based out of Winnipeg, MB, Burkett Racing is not only home to F2000, Pro Mazda and Continental Sports Car racer Daniel Burkett, but also to his father Murray, an enthusiastic proponent of classic open-wheel formula cars.

Making their first racing appearance in almost two years at CTMP, Murray Burkett and fellow Manitoba resident Greg Eastwood returned with a pair of beautifully prepared 1969 Chinook Mark IX Formula Fords.

“These cars were built by the Fejer Brothers Racing Group in Toronto. They made about a dozen or so of them and called them Cooper Chinooks because they used some parts they purchased from the bankrupt Cooper factory in their construction,” said Burkett. “These cars are essentially a copy of the Lotus 61 with Lotus 59-style body work. They are very pretty cars.”

Raced with the standard Formula Ford 1600cc crossflow engine coupled to a Hewland Mark 8 four-speed transmission, the Chinook weighs in at a sleek 425 kg.

“I originally bought a Lotus 61 from Gord Leach in Regina, and then another friend of mine, Mike Adams, offered me his entire collection of Ford stuff, which included the Chinooks. I told him those were the cars I had wanted in the first place, so the deal was done,” said Burkett. “The number 03 car I bought as a working car and is actually serial No. 3. The other one (No. 02) was in parts and was a winter project.”

The appeal of a Canadian-built race car is obvious by the reaction from the fans, especially when it comes to the true Canadian livery

that adorns Burkett’s mount.

“The white with green stripes is courtesy of Adams. The paint is getting a bit of a patina to it, but it still looks good.”

The restoration of the Formula Ford was completed with a gift from a racing official.

“This guy walks up to me and tells me that he raced a Chinook Formula Vee and that he had the nose badge from that car in his desk.

When he saw my car, he got the badge and said that it needed to be back on a race car, so he gave it to me.”

Since acquiring the Chinooks in 2016, Burkett has raced them at COTA, Road America, Brainerd, his home track of Gimli, CTMP and has hopes of joining his son Daniel racing at the US Vintage Grand Prix in Watkins Glen.

“It doesn’t matter where we race, but every time I get out of the car, I have a smile on my face.”

Lastly, in his three race appearances at the CASC Celebration of Motorsports weekend, Murray Burkett guided his No. 03 Chinook to three consecutive Historic Formula Ford class victories.

F1600 RACE 1: F1600-A: 1. No. 64 Nick Gilkes, 2. No. 2 Jonathan Woolridge, 3. No. 6 Connor Clubine // F1600-B: 1. No. 41 Steve Bodrug, 2. No. 27 Dylan McPherson, 3. No. 32 Andrew Mason // F1600 RACE 2: F1600-A: 1. No. 64 Nick Gilkes, 2.

No. 2 Jonathan Woolridge, 3. No. 66 Jake Cowden // F1600-B: 1. No. 41 Steve Bodrug, 2. No. 27 Dylan McPherson, 3. No. 32 Andrew Mason // F1600 RACE 3: F1600-A: 1. No. 64 Nick Gilkes, 2. No. 66 Jake Cowden, 3. No. 51 Sam Baker // F1600-B: 1. No. 41 Steve Bodrug, 2. No. 27 Dylan McPherson, 3. No. 25 Mike Lee. GT SPRINTS RACE 1A: GT1: 1. No. 02 James Beaton, 2. No. 82 Blaise Csida, 3. No. 125 Dan Corcoran // GT2: 1. No. 4 Chris Lawson, 2. No. 32 Daniel Bois, 3. No. 199 Daria Khachi // GT SPRINTS Race 2A: GT1: 1. No. 125 Dan Corcoran, 2. No. 82 Blaise Csida, 3. No. 02 James Beaton // GT2: 1. No. 661 Gary Kwok, 2. No. 32 Daniel Bois, 3. No. 710 Gavin Sanders // GT SPRINTS Race 3A: GT1: 1. No. 82 Blaise Csida, 2. No. 02 James Beaton 3. No. 125 Dan Corcoran // GT2: 1. No. 32 Daniel Bois, 2. No. 199 Daria Khachi, 3. No. 43 Don Beatty // GT SPRINTS RACE 1B: GT3: 1. No. 19 Jonathan Sherrer, 2. No. 87 Bryan Rashleigh, 3. No. 67 Bruce Wylie // GT4: 1. No. 05 Rudy Glarner, 2. No. 35 Larry Caruso, 3. No. 72 Thomas Holland // GT5: 1. $155 Joseph Comacchio // GT SPRINTS RACE 2B: GT3: 1. No. 03 MarieFrance Nadeau, 2. No. 19 Jonathan Sherrer, 3. No. 34 Jonathan Rashleigh // GT4: 1. No. 05 Rudy Glarner, 2. No. 35 Larry Caruso, 3. No. 72 Thomas Holland // GT5: 1. No. 155 Joseph Comacchio, 2. No. 183 Jeff Daley // GT SPRINTS RACE 3B: GT3: 1. No. 03 Marie-France Nadeau, 2. No. 34 Jonathan Rashleigh, 3. No. 54 Marek Petruczynik // GT4: 1. No. 72 Thomas Holland, 2. No. 213 Steve Barnett, 3. No. 113 Pierre Knobbs. // GT5: 1. No. 155 Joseph Comacchio, 2. No. 183 Jeff Daley.

VARAC CLASSIC RACE 1: CL-A: No. 160 Tim Sanderson // CL-1: No. 247 Chris Hudson // CL-2: No. 149 Dave Bagshaw // CL-3: No. 60 Perry Mason.

VARAC CLASSIC RACE 2: CL-A: No. 67 Del Bruce // CL-1: No. 310 Marco Beretta // CL-2: No. 130 Martino Beretta // CL-3: No. 60 Perry Mason.

VARAC CLASSIC RACE 3: CL-A: No. 67 Del Bruce // CL-1: No. 310 Marco Beretta // CL-2: No. 21 Guy Desjardins // CL-3: No. 60 Perry Mason.

VINTAGE/HISTORIC RACE 1: VH-2: No. 04 John Hawkes // VH-3: No. 89 Nick Pratt // VH-4: No. 58 Gavin Ivory // VH-5: 51 Jim Holody.

VINTAGE/HISTORIC RACE 2: VH-2: No. 64 Ivan Samila // VH-3: No. 89 Nick Pratt // VH-4: No. 37 Dave Good // VH-5: No. 51 Jim Holody.

VINTAGE/HISTORIC RACE 3: VH-2: No. 04 John Hawkes // VH-3: No. 89 Nick Pratt // VH-4: No. 37 Dave Good // VH-5: No. 3 Randy Simpson. IT

InsideTrackNews.com 39

Story by J. Wally Nesbitt aking advantage of an open weekend on the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park calendar, 20 Lucky Dog Racing Canada powered by Ultraray Motorsports teams rolled into the ‘Halloween Hoon 2021’ doubleheader event over the final weekend of October.

As a non-points-paying event, several of the regular front-running teams elected to pass on the 15 hours of competition, perhaps a wise decision due to the wet, cold and blustery conditions that led to some extensive on-track carnage.

Best surviving the conditions in Saturday’s seven-hour enduro was the No. 86 Apex V2R-1 Toyota that managed to record 201 laps of the four-kilometre CTMP circuit to claim the GT1 class win, crossing the stripe two laps in front of the No. 224 Killer Kermit/Ultraray entry. Topping the GT2 class standings was the No. 822 DriveTeq (Marilyn) BMW, taking the checkered flag in ninth place overall, two overall positions in front of the GT3 class winner, the No. 73 Team Micra Nissan.

Team Micra would double down with the GT3 victory on Sunday, while the No. 411 Velocity Motorsports Civic took the GT2 class honours. After eight hours of competition, it was the No. 191 Unmellow Yellow Porsche 944 who took the overall top spot, claiming the GT1 win with a total of 264 laps completed. The No. 213 Team Green BMW took the checkered flag two laps behind in second place overall, with the No. 177 DriveTeq Green BMW completed the GT1 podium, one lap farther back.

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The Chump Monkeys Racing No. 66 Honda Civic was never a factor in the Halloween Hoon event (finishes of sixth and ninth), having secured the 2021 GT1 championship at Calabogie Motorsports Park four weeks earlier.

With the driving crew of Darryl Dimond, Anthony Staughton, Dan Dukoff, Eric Doetsch and crew chief Steve Ulbinas, the Chump Monkeys ran up a record of two wins and a pair of third place finishes in the first two weekend events. However, their black Honda then suffered mechanical and contact issues in the final Calabogie doubleheader that allowed the No. 668 Red Mantis Ultraray effort to narrow the gap in the final rankings.

“On Saturday, we lost an oil seal in the transmission that cost us a couple of hours in the pits. And on Sunday in the rain, the car got backed into the guardrail,” said Dimond. “We had enough parts and we were able to bind things together enough to finish the race.”

These ‘cottage’ friends have been racing together for almost six years, beginning their connection with DriveTeq lapping days.

Convinced to take up the racing challenge on The ChumpCar tour, the group of friends expanded to include the members of the White Wheels Wacing and Black Dog Racing efforts, eventually all becoming a part of Lucky Dog Racing Canada fraternity.

While the Chump Monkeys were able to occasionally find the winner’s circle in 2020, the 2021 campaign saw the team accept the Lucky Dog challenge aboard a Quebec-built, race-ready Honda Civic.

“This was the first year for us with this car. Although we did lose

to claim their first Lucky Dog Racing Canada Crown, Team Nummi ending the chase a mere 19 points behind.

In 2020, Daze of Thunder Motorsports finished in a heartbreakingly close (four points) runner-up position to the Gourley Auto Sales team in the GT3 class rankings.

In a truly ‘Goliath versus David’ renewal of the previous year’s rivalry, this season, the No. 406 Green and Yellow GMC pickup truck of Daze of Thunder bested the Gourley No. 44 Toyota Echo by an impressive 39 points to secure the GT3 class crown.

“We all like a challenge. Originally we were looking at something like a BMW to race in Lucky Dog, but decided to try something different. That’s why we ended up with the truck,” said Tyler Vien. “This thing doesn’t like the rain at all, it’s heavy and it has the aerodynamics of a brick, but we had the overall top speed over the Toyota. They hammered us in the turns, but we walked away on the straights.”

Co-driving with his father Robert, Marcel Brosseau and Jon Byvelds, Tyler and the crew never finished off the GT3 podium, despite battling some early-season transmission and exhaust issues.

“We finally tracked it down to a worn-out transmission mount that would let the exhaust and drivetrain twist,” explained Vien. “Got that fixed and then we had no problems until the final race at Calabogie, where we got assaulted by a wayward deer in Turn 15, but that was nothing we couldn’t repair with a lot of duct tape.”

FINAL POINTS (TOP 5) GT1: 1. No. 66 Chump Monkey Racing (80 pts), 2. No. 668 Red Mantis/ Ultraray (50), 3. No. 224 Killer Kermit/ Ultraray (46), 4. No. 70 Gohn Racing (45), 5. No. 891 Higgy Motorsports (43) // GT2: 1. No. 85 Chasing Cars Racing (118 pts), 2.

No. 45 Team Nummi (99), 3. No. 822 DriveTeq/ Marilyn (91), 4. No. 14 Gourley Auto Sales/ MR2 (27), 5. No. 11 Constipation Racing (21) // GT3: 1. No. 406 Daze of Thunder Racing (111 pts), 2. No. 44 Gourley Auto Sales/ Echo (72), 3. No. 20 ShouldaHadAV8 (57), 4. No. 95 Lapped Traffic (35), 5. No. 731 Team Micra (30). IT

(Above) 2021 GT1 Lucky Dog champions Chump Monkey Racing.

Photo Courtesy of Luck Dog Racing Canada

a couple of transmissions, we were able to run consistently fast laps in a comfortable rhythm for all of us, all year long. We were not always the fastest, but we were always in the game,” said Dimond.

“2020 was a rough year, but the stars aligned for us this season,” said Ian King, one of the GT2 championship-winning Chasing Cars Racing effort. “Last year, we lost an engine before the very first race. This year we ran clean through the first five races and only had a mechanical issue in the last event of the year. Team Nummi (No. 45 Toyota GT-86) took the final two wins of the year to make it close, but we had enough of a point gap to give us the title.”

Sharing the driving duties with Mike Liut, Dave Rogers, John Williamson, Scott Sheridan and Brad McDougall, King and his team were able to guide their black and orange No. 85 Honda Prelude to four consecutive wins to start the year but were relegated to a runner-up result in the penultimate round.

“After Saturday’s race at Calabogie, we noticed that the transmission was getting harder to shift. We were checking the brakes on Sunday morning and noticed that the master cylinder for the clutch was gone,” said King. “We made a quick trip to find a master cylinder and then spent the first few hours of the race getting the thing back in place.”

Despite being able to complete only 87 laps (compared to the winner’s 166), the Chasing Cars Racing earned sufficient points InsideTrackNews.com 41

Story by Mary Bignotti-Mendez or the 16th consecutive season, the battle for the NTT IndyCar Series championship once again came down to the final race with multiple contenders. With a fourth-place finish at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, series sophomore Alex Palou secured Chip Ganassi Racing its 14th title.

“What a season!” exclaimed Palou. “I cannot really believe it. It’s a dream! I'm super happy. We worked so, so hard. The guys gave me a really good car and great strategies. All season we were super consistent. Feels amazing to be a champion.”

Although Palou wasn’t a very well-known driver and perhaps a surprise champion to many, he managed his maiden IndyCar victory at the season opener at Barber Motorsports Park. The Spaniard followed with victories at Road America and Portland, earning eight podiums, two poles and led the title fight for all but five of the 16-races.

Palou’s transition to IndyCar was aided by former driver Roger Yasukawa, who he met while competing in Japan’s Super Formula series. Learning about Palou’s interest in IndyCar, Yasukawa represented him, first landing a seat at Dale Coyne Racing in 2020.

Palou earned one podium, one top-five and three top-ten finishes over 14 events.

Yasukawa then approached Ganassi, suggesting they give him a test. Dixon had a high opinion of the 24-year-old after observing him on track as a fast and clean competitor. Palou’s first pre-season test was at Barber, where he ran fastest of the four Ganassi drivers.

“You always find some rationalization for why a guy was fast or

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wasn't fast,” explained Ganassi. “We were trying a lot of things. We just took it with a grain the salt. We show up for the race and he was fastest in practice. But we had qualifying, a race and plenty of talent around the paddock. Then he won the race while he had Will Power and Scott Dixon breathing down his neck the whole day.

He showed there that he could stand the pressure. He didn't put a wheel wrong all day.”

Palou didn’t have a perfect season, having to overcome an accident during practice at the Indy 500, a rare engine failure in August at the Indianapolis road course and was collected at St. Louis on a restart when Rinus VeeKay ran into the back of Dixon.

“When you hit the wall at Indy at 225 mph, you're not surprised when a guy goes out the next day and does about 210,” said Ganassi, whose team has four Indy 500 victories with drivers Juan Pablo Montoya (2000), Dixon (2008) and Dario Franchitti (2010, 2012). “That can slow you down a little bit, but Alex was right back up to speed when he got in the car. That surprised us.”

Palou is the full package. He is focused, always presentable without a hair out of place, doesn’t lose his temper on or off track and is just extremely polite. Although his personality is completely disarming, he’s a fierce competitor on track.

“Alex has great adaptability,” said Dixon. “Even if he has low moments he recovers. That's a huge testament, obviously, to the team as well. He's a young guy who races like a veteran. He's the nicest guy you'll ever meet. He's always smiling, even when he has a bad day. He's done a tremendous job this year.”

After cutting his teeth in Japan’s Super Formula Series and then Dale Coyne Racing in IndyCar in 2020, Alex Palou moved over to Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021, ready to contend and proving it by winning his first race with the team and pacing the IndyCar field throughout the year on his way to the IndyCar title.

Photos Courtey of IndyCar

Asked what Palou thought the team expected of him in his sophomore season, he responded, “I don't like to have expectations, I like to have targets. Everybody wants to and expects to be winning. The target is to win some races and fight for the championship. We know we have the resources, engineers, mechanics, car and sponsors.

We have everything to win. It’s up to us. The goal that Chip told me was to win the championship. He likes winners. If you're not a winner, you're in trouble. That's what pushes the team. It's a good pressure.

He does everything he can to make the team successful.”

Palou credits his success to the advice and assistance he’s received from his teammates.

“I have the luxury of asking questions of Dixon and Jimmy Johnson that have been in these (title) scenarios for ten years,” said Palou.

“I’m just enjoying every little moment of the opportunity I've been given this year fighting for an INDYCAR championship.

“I don't think there's anybody like Dixon. He's an amazing driver, really complete. He always gives 100 percent. I've been learning a lot from him, from how to go faster, save fuel, save tires, think better while I'm in the car, everything. Without him I wouldn't be here today.

“Dario, also a champion, can see stuff that nobody else sees. He has two mindsets, one like that of an engineer and that of a racing driver. He’s been a huge help.”

When asked what the key to his title was, Palou replied, “Preparation and hard work. I think everybody does that. We didn't leave anything on the table from my side or the team’s side. We did everything we could to be as prepared as we could possibly be.”

“It's tough to win championships. When you know you have the team around, it's only up to you. I knew it was going to be hard especially not knowing so many tracks this year. You need luck on your side. In Japan, I learned a lot losing the championship there. That made me strong. I try to always be positive as it's the only way I can get the best of myself and the best of my people around me.”

Palou earned 549 points, ahead of Josef Newgarden (511), Pato O’Ward (487), and Scott Dixon (481). Over the past four seasons, the title traded between Dixon and Newgarden. Newgarden lacked consistency, starting with an uncharacteristic spin at Barber on the opening lap, a mechanical failure while leading just two laps from the finish at Road America, and lacking overall speed at several other tracks. He earned only two wins. Dixon, who started on pole, finished 17th at the Indianapolis 500 where double points were offered (untimely caution closed the pits when he was out of fuel). He never recovered from that deficit, managing merely one win.

Palou’s greatest disappointment was finishing second at the Indianapolis 500, knowing he had the fastest car, having led 35 laps. Winner Helio Castroneves’ 20 years of experience made all the difference.

“The Indy 500 obviously hurts this year, but I learned a lot,” said Palou. “Obviously, I wanted to win so badly. If we keep on performing like we have, it will come. I don't know if it's going to be next year, two years, or five years. It's only one race, 200 laps. There's so much stuff going on. You have to have the best car, crew and mental attitude.

You have to have everything perfect for that race. If it's not next year, I'm not going to worry too much. We have lots of years to come.” IT InsideTrackNews.com 43

I NEWS

Story by J. Wally Nesbitt eturning to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on the first weekend of October, the FEL Sportscar Championship Canada and the Emzone Radical Cup Canada tours concluded their respective 2021 campaigns with doubleheader events and the crowning of the inaugural class champions.

Riding a record of five TC class victories and a total of nine podium finishes in ten race starts, Travis Hill came into the final event holding on to a comfortable, yet still beatable, 43-point advantage over L.P. Montour.

“Coming here, we were only thinking championship. That’s what we have been focused on the entire season,” said Hill.

In the opening 40-minute contest, Hill kept his No. 26 Audi RS3 safely within the top four cars in class, content to let Montour (No. 45 VW Golf), Bob Attrell (No. 88 Hyundai Elantra) and Gary Kwok (No. 66 Honda) run in lockstep to the Lap 21 checkered flag.

The second round was unfolding in a similar fashion, with Kwok leading the parade.

However, on lap 22, Attrell and Montour made contact in Turn 8, causing a fullcourse caution ended the race.

Kwok was awarded the victory while Attrell was penalized one position for avoidable contact, advancing Hill into the runner-up position. With his FEL Sportscar Championship secure, Hill reflected on the successful TWOth Motorsports racing effort.

“Our TWOth team has really stepped it up this year. We have more cars, more work for the crew, but the quality has remained top level. We’ve been running the Audi RS3 LMS since 2018 and it’s been a fantastic platform for us. It’s a great car to match us against other talented drivers.”

While awaiting the arrival of a newest version of the Audi RS3 LMS, Hill is hoping to expand the TWOth presence south of the border in 2021 in addition to returning to the FEL tour in defence of his title.

“The SCCC is a tough challenge. It’s a good championship and I’m excited to see

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(Above, L-R) FEL champions Travis Hill (TC) and Austin Riley (Radical). Photos by Steve Traczyk

what happens in 2022.”

For Marco Signoretti, the competitive challenge in the GT4 division did not materialize this year due to a low car count, but for the former Nissan Micra Cup champion and driver of Multimatic Motorsports’ No. 22 GT4 Mustang entry, the season did come with benefits.

“I am very happy to have been a part of an all-Canadian series with an all-Canadian team,” said Signoretti. “Coming into this year, I’d only done two races in this car (Daytona and Sebring in 2020), so I had a ton to learn. Multimatic gave me a lot of seat time in the Mustang, I’m really comfortable in the car and on a weekend like this one, with changeable conditions, I’m not stressed at all about what I might face.”

Completing a season sweep with 12 consecutive overall and GT4 class victories, Signoretti concluded, “My confidence has been boosted immeasurably with the relationship I’ve had with Multimatic this year. I’m more confident working with the engineers, I’d like to think I have a good relationship with the team and I know they’ve given me a great platform to allow me to develop as a driver.”

“I just lost it, all on my own. Just tricky conditions.” That was the explanation provided

by Matt Graham following his Lap 8 contact with the Turn 1 wall in the Radical Cup Can-

ada season finale.

Running in the middle of a five-car pack and in pursuit of race leader Owen Clarke (No. 55) and championship rival Austin Riley (No. 20), “possibly a puddle or some gravel” caused Graham to spin, the result seeing the No. 31 Radical backing into the tire wall, forcing him out of contention.

Heading into the final weekend of the eight-race RCC calendar, former Radical champion Graham was maintaining a tenuous 24-point lead over Riley with 80 points remaining on the table. A Saturday win by Riley, his fourth in a row, narrowed the gap slightly, but it was Graham’s DNF coupled with Riley’s runner-up result in the season finale that allowed the driver of the green and gold No. 20 Radical to repeat as Radical Cup Canada champion.

“This championship feels exactly the same as the first one, if not better,” said Racing with Autism team driver. “I had to work harder for this one and figure out a new car, which gave me a whole bunch of wins and now it’s won me a championship.”

GT4: 1. No. 22 Marco Signoretti (480 pts), 2. No. 61 Gilles Nadeau (350), 3. No. 23 Zach Vanier (70).

TC: 1. No. 26 Travis Hill (389 pts), 2. No. 45 Louis-Phillip Montour (327), 3. No. 15 Nick Looijmans (281), 4. No. 88 Bob Attrell (270), 5. No. 80 Connor Attrell (250).

RCC: 1. No. 20 Austin Riley (265 pts), 2. No. 31 Matt Graham (244), 3. No. 99 Alan Shaw (197), 4. No. 25 Nickoli Roussakov (189), 5. No. 73 Peter Dyck (185). IT

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With Files and Photos from Carsrally.ca dramatic final-stage shakeup at Rocky Mountain Rally saw the leaders drop off the top step, promoting André and René Leblanc to the event win and vaulting them into the overall points lead.

This year’s version moved back to the Kananaskis region of Alberta, using iconic roads not seen in the championship for nearly a decade.

Championship leaders Jerome Mailloux and Philippe Poirier came into the event with a two-point advantage over the Leblanc brothers.

Leblanc came to the event with a new-to-them Subaru with a lot of history under its belt. The ex-Patrick Richard car has several Canadian titles and a Production World Rally Championship campaign under its belt but hadn’t seen competition in more than a decade.

The rally consisted of two short stages followed by three in-and-out runs of the legendary 34 km Powderface Trail stage. After taking a brief lead on the opening stages, Leblanc suffered severe brake overheating on the longer stages. Mailloux and Poirier took control of the rally, extending their lead to almost two minutes after six stages, but drama struck on the seventh and final stage when a flat tire forced them to stop, dropping them to fifth overall.

Patience paid off for André and René Leblanc, as they nursed their brakes to the finish and added another win to their new car’s logbook and moved into first place in the season standings.

With consistent and quick times, Marc-André Brisebois and co-driver Marie-france Desmarais Trépanier claimed their first National podium in second place. The result moved them up to third overall in the championship. The local team of Krystian Ostrowski and Chris Galecki Made it an all-Subaru podium.

Wim van der Poel and Bryan Lord won the Two-Wheel-Drive (2WD) class, followed by Kornelius Rempel and Khol Haggerty in second, and Jason Bailey and Shayne Peterson in third.

A

After Rocky Mountain, the Rallye de Charlevoix was up next.

Between the sea and the mountains in the heart of the beautifully scenic region of Charlevoix, the event was spectacular from start to finish, with a new team earning its very first win in the Canadian Rally Championship.

At the wheel of a Subaru WRX STI from Test Racing, Marc-André

46 Inside Track Motorsport News

(Above, right) Rallye Charlevoix winners Marc-André Brisebois and Marie-France Desmarais-Trépanier (Above, left) Rocky Mountain Rally overall winners André and René Leblanc.

Brisebois and co-driver Marie-France Desmarais-Trépanier were not originally the event favourites, but at the end of the rally’s 14 stages of action, the duo held off teammates Jérôme Mailloux and Philippe Poirier for the win.

From the start on Saturday morning, Brisebois showed his speed, but dropped two tenths of a second to Mailloux on the first stage before winning the second stage by a little more than two seconds, but once the town stages were complete, the forest roads permitted Mailloux to retake the top of the standings. After having built a twominute lead over his rivals, a broken bearing slowed Mailloux down towards the end of the day, as he watched Brisebois and Laverdière overtake him in the rankings.

The rally took another spectacular turn with three teams battling for the victory during a second sunny day of competition on the four remaining stages. Despite the maximum attack of Mailloux/Poirier, who were able to take second place from Laverdière/Lévesque, Brisebois and Desmarais-Trépanier claimed top spot by a margin of 37.8 seconds.

Mailloux/Poirier and Laverdière/Lévesque completed the podium.

Vincent and Christopher Trudel finished fifth overall, won the Production Four-Wheel-Driver class and were the fastest Novice finishers.

The 2WD battle for victory was also filled with plenty of movement.

In the beginning, it was the British Columbian duo of Nick Wood and Jennifer Daly who were fastest, before seeing Mathieu Leblanc and Éric Dubé of Gaspésie complete the day in top honours.

The top three teams were all within 40 seconds of one another.

However, mechanical problems with their Honda Civic prevented Leblanc/Dubé from restarting on Day 2. This benefited Yvan Joyal and Marc-André Lamontagne (BMW 318), who finished the last stages in the lead.

The final stages were dominated by Nick Wood, but the time lost on Day 1 prevented him from vying for the win. On the contrary, Jason Bailey and Jamie Willetts (Ford Fiesta R2) fought right to the end with Joyal/Lamontagne. At the finish, the Quebec driver was 15 seconds faster than his rival from western Canada while Wood and Daly completed the podium.

The penultimate round of the 2021 Canadian Rally Championship, the Lincoln Electric Rally of the Tall Pines on November 19-20, was highlighted by numerous turnovers and surprises. Brothers André and René Leblanc drove their Four Star Motorsports-prepared Subaru WRX STI to victory in the event. The victory gives the Gaspesie, QC natives the lead in the championship standings with just one round remaining. The result was to the detriment of Jérôme Mailloux and Philippe Poirier, who were the leaders coming into the event.

Mailloux and Poirier dominated the early part of the rally held on muddy gravel roads surrounding the region of Bancroft, ON after recent snow had melted earlier in the week. During the eighth stage of 12, they were enjoying a 55-second lead over their closest pursuers when they were forced to retire with a broken suspension.

The remainder of the rally turned into a duel for victory between the Leblanc brothers and Marc-André Brisebois and Marie-France Desmarais-Trépanier. Winners of the previous event – the Rallye de Charlevoix – Brisebois and Desmarais-Trépanier pushed their Subaru WRX STI hard to try to catch the leading Leblanc Bros. At the start of the last stage, they were only 20 seconds behind them, but an off-road excursion cost them more than five minutes. With the help of Alexandre Moreau and Ian Guité to rejoin the route, they managed to finish in second place and keep their title hopes alive.

André and René Leblanc (top) earned the overall win at the Lincoln Electric Rally of the Tall Pines, moving into the championship lead after title rivals Jérôme Mailloux and Philippe Poirier (above) retired while in the leading.

Ontario’s Jeremy Drake and his co-driver Savanna Kovacs climbed on the third step of the podium in their Subaru Impreza RS, crossing the line just nine seconds behind the second-place finishers. For Drake and Kovacs, it was an outstanding achievement as they were consistent throughout the event. Quebecers Olivier Martel and Vincent Hubert finished fourth after losing time with a puncture in the first part of the rally.

Rookies Andrew Miller and David Bell also achieved a stunning performance by bringing their Subaru WRX STI to fifth place in the overall standings. They finished ahead of Philippe Dubé and Hubert Gaudreau and the winners of the Production 4WD class, Trevor Pougnet and Ryan Rouleau. The first seven crews to finish the 2021 Lincoln Electric Rally of the Tall Pines were all driving Subaru cars.

In an event full of surprises, Gary Sutherland and David Koiter (Ford Focus) took first place in the 2WD class. Driving their historic Volvo 242 Turbo, veteran Charles Hammer and co-driver Guillaume Dozois came close to beating the new generation cars. After a spectacular run, they finished second ahead of Sean McConnachie and John Gerryts (Ford Fiesta ST). Jim Stevens and Brandon Pace (Suzuki Swift) took another victory in the Production 2WD class.

The season finale will take place in December in British Columbia with the Big White Winter Rally. Everything is up for grabs in the overall standings between three Québec drivers. André Leblanc is first with 77 points, followed by Marc-André Brisebois (69 points) and Jérôme Mailloux (64). IT InsideTrackNews.com 47

I NEWS

(Above) Kim Brush was the man to beat on the final day of OGAD action, at St. Thomas Dragway. The driver of the 1955 Chevy walked away as the overall champion and was honoured by OGAD and the Speed Syndicate. (Below, L-R) Stew Froese was a runner-up in his red, Altered T and Aaron Reid (JAR on door) and Dan McWhirter (Risky Business Altered) were part of a four-car shootout featuring AA/Gas drivers.

ONTARIO GASSERS, ALTEREDS AND DRAGSTERS Series Wraps Up Inaugural Season Story by Pat Cheatley n September 18, the final event of the season for the Ontario Gassers, Altereds and Dragsters (OGAD) took place, at St. Thomas Dragway. Racers from across Ontario were on hand to stage their nostalgic drag machines and compete for payout money and a shot at the season-long championship trophies.

In the end, Kim Brush took top honours and the winning purse after outperforming in his 1955 Chevy gasser. He came home in front of Brian Bourne, in his 1948 Fiat Topolino. Bourne also recorded the fastest reaction time (RT) of the day.

Class runner-up seats were filled by Daniel

O

48 Inside Track Motorsport News

Emslie, in his 1952 Chevy Gasser, and Stew Froese in his 1923 Altered T. The day also saw a five-car elimination race with drivers throttling down track for the season championship title.

When this competition concluded, it was a smiling Kim Brush who took home the hardware and was crowned Champion of the inaugural season for the new OGAD series.

It was a perfect ending to a perfect day for Brush and his family, who were in attendance to see him claim his new title and the championship trophy.

In other action, at St. Thomas, AA/Gas drivers participated in a four-car shoot-out, featuring thundering vehicles wheeled by

Dan McWhirter, John Reid, Joe Hishon and Larry Morton.

Adding to the flavour of the event, George Watson was back in action making a few passes in his original ‘James Boys’ Willys.

As well, Nostalgia Funny Car driver George Monahan was part of the action, in his ‘Rainmaker’ Funny Car, treating spectators to a Nitro experience to cap off the Ontario Gassers, Altereds and Dragsters successful first season.

OGAD would like to thank all the racers who were part of the action in their first year, as well as Jarrett Spriet and the staff and crew at St. Thomas Dragway. The group is already looking ahead to 2022. IT

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I OPINION

Romain Grosjean is the latest former Formula 1 driver to find a home in IndyCar. Photo Courtesy of IndyCar

T

he NTT IndyCar Series has become the top choice for drivers worldwide.

Teams want the best driver available no matter their nationality. The series offers the challenge of different tracks – short ovals, superspeedways, road and street courses – but it’s the prospect of winning and the onand off-track atmosphere that is attracting drivers in record numbers.

Romain Grosjean, after 180 starts in Formula 1 with ten podiums, competed on all 11 road courses in 2021 and the short St. Louis oval, driving for Dale Coyne Racing.

Certainly, his enthusiasm for IndyCar racing has caught the attention of a number of former and future hopeful Formula 1 drivers.

“I’m having a blast and am happier than I’ve been for a very long time,” raved Grosjean. “The whole atmosphere between the drivers is super competitive on track, but as soon as you remove your helmet, there is a good friendship between the drivers, which surprisingly you don’t find anywhere else. I love the tracks and the cars are fun to drive.

“When you get to Formula 1, you’ve won every category that you competed in before, but if you don’t have the best car, it’s going to be very unlikely that you get to win races.

IndyCar is super competitive, much more than a lot of people think. The beauty of it is that you don’t need to be on pole position to have a good race car and come back. It’s 50 Inside Track Motorsport News

a top series, top cars, top drivers and the driver can actually make the difference.”

I agree that what makes IndyCar so attractive is the opportunity to win races.

Everyone is using the same Dallara chassis, Firestone tires and either a Chevy or Honda engine, it provides a great opportunity to win.

In 2021, there were nine different winners, close to the record of 11, and during the 16 events 3,526 passes occurred on track.

For 2022, expect to see a record number of new drivers in the series. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing hired Christian Lundgaard of Denmark, 20, with Formula 2 experience as it expands to a third car.

Juncos Hollinger Racing signed British driver Callum Ilott, 22, who also competes in Formula 2 and serves as a Ferrari test driver.

Arrow McLaren SP tested Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg and plans a future test evaluating former McLaren Formula 1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne, 34, of Belgium.

“The whole culture in America is so different,” said Lundgaard. “The Barber test was a new experience, something completely different than what I was used to. I came over to do the race (the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course,) without any expectations.

It went well. What we performed on Friday was good enough. The race itself was quite tough, but it’s something that gave me hun-

ger to try again.

“My dream as a European has always been to go to Formula 1. There are 20 cars and drivers. It’s very difficult for the younger drivers to come in without the proper funding. It’s all about timing. It came down to what do I personally want and what will I enjoy. I haven’t enjoyed a race weekend as much as that one (IMS) for years, except obviously when you have a winning weekend.

It surprised me. I know once I jump in the car, I’ve got an opportunity to win no matter which track I’m at, and that’s what racing is.

That’s why I’m here.”

Formula 1 drivers coming to IndyCar is nothing new. Brazil’s Emerson Fittipaldi, the 1972 and 1974 Formula 1 champion, came out of retirement in 1984 to compete in North America for another 13 seasons, which included Indy 500 wins in 1989 (Patrick) and 1993 (Penske) and the 1989 CART title. Britain’s Nigel Mansell joined Newman-Haas Racing in 1993 and the battle between these two Formula 1 refugees was as epic as the Formula 1 rivalry between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

When three-time World Champion Senna tested for Penske at the end of 1992 at Firebird (near Phoenix, AZ), he rediscovered the joy of actual driving, rather than having the onboard computer shift gears, control engine revs, brake with traction control and vary the car’s attitude by suspension adjustments utilizing Formula 1 technology.

Drivers who have won IndyCar titles and competed in Formula 1 include American Michael Andretti (1993), Canadian Jacques Villeneuve (1996), Italian Alex Zanardi (1999), Columbian Juan Pablo Montoya (2001) and Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais (2008). Only Villeneuve achieved a Formula 1 title (in 1997).

Another driver with Formula 1 aspirations is Mexico’s Pato O’Ward, who has a Formula 1 test with McLaren.

“IndyCar shows that it has a lot of appeal, not just in the US, but Europe, too,” said O’Ward. “People are enjoying it. It’s a very fun atmosphere and the cars are fun to drive. It doesn’t get more raw where you can truly hustle a race car. IndyCar ticks all the boxes. It’s a fantastic series.” IT

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I OPINION

Formula 1 has hit a home run with Drive to Survive. Is it cause for concern for NASCAR? Photo Courtesy of Netflix Canada

N

ASCAR seems to be in a state of panic.

That is why they are planning to run a non-point Cup race in the Los Angeles Coliseum on an asphalt quarter-mile track built just for this event. It did not help that the Formula 1 event in Austin, TX was the hot ticket over the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity races being presented not too far away.

As Clayton Caldwell wrote on Frontstretch. com unless you were under a rock, you couldn’t have missed the buzz of the Formula 1 race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

The event, which spanned across four days, had a reported 400,000 people in attendance, including 150,000 people on race day.

It is disappointing to see NASCAR racing’s attendance has dwindled over the years, so much so that racetracks are tearing down grandstands in an effort the sport has termed “right-sizing.” NASCAR still won the ratings game, but Formula 1 did better than it has in recent years, with many thinking the momentum from the event could help close that gap even tighter in the years to come.

For years, NASCAR has been considered the No. 1 motorsport series in the US and there really hasn’t been a challenge to that.

Was the COTA Formula 1 event a sign that NASCAR may not be as strong with US motorsports fans as it once was?

When discussing TV ratings, it is imperative to factor in the 18-49 demo. Ages 18-49 is more important than overall viewership, because that is what the advertisers look at when selecting what shows to throw their weight behind.

The Formula 1 ratings have been up all year, and it has been much more impressive than the steady ratings NASCAR has had be52 Inside Track Motorsport News

cause most Formula 1 races start between 8-10 a.m. ET, which also kills the live west coast numbers.

More than anything, the COTA weekend really felt like a big event. Something that NASCAR has at Daytona, Charlotte, and arguably nowhere else.

NASCAR has held the number one spot in ratings ever since IndyCar muffed its chance by committing social suicide and splitting itself in two. Even though the Indy 500 can pull 300,000 fans for their marquee event, the series never really rivals NASCAR as far as attention, be it fan or media. The immense attention placed on the Indy 500 never translates to a full season of noticeable coverage.

NASCAR, on the other hand, has found a way to keep a consistent number of fans throughout each season.

But even IndyCar ratings are on the rise.

Races in the wake of the Indy 500 have recently averaged around 3 million viewers, which is nothing to ignore. However, NASCAR still does well, except when football season comes around.

The argument here is not that NASCAR is perfect and that nothing is wrong. There are a frustratingly large number of issues with the sport. The reasons that fans have tuned out are lengthy: the playoffs, the 550-hp package, the lack of a diverse schedule, lack of driver engagement with the fans, but perhaps one of the overlooked aspects is how NASCAR sells itself. One complaint shared with me by a fan recently is that he does not enjoy watching three or four hours of pit stops and races broken down into segments.

Reigning Cup champion Chase Elliott

noted that one of the things the Drive to Survive Formula 1 series on Netflix does is portray the series with gravitas. His comments to Jeff Gluck of The Athletic showed a recognition of the positive treatment Formula 1 gained from the streaming giant.

“It’s like, ‘this isn’t funny; this is legit.’ And then the next thing was a comedy skit that came out for NASCAR (the Netflix comedy series The Crew) that just kind of further confirmed the outside opinion that we just turn left for fun and there’s nothing else to it.”

Rather than selling NASCAR as a serious product that celebrates driver skill and the hard work of the pit crew and engineers, and the lives of all involved, it frequently down sells itself, aiming for more of a lowest common denominator than a solid middle ground.

Caldwell echoed Elliott’s sentiment, noting, “There is a concept in teaching that the students will respond to how you teach them. If the teacher thinks the students are dumb, and teaches that way, even the smartest students will face challenges overcoming the environment. In correlation, when a teacher believes that the students are intelligent and treats them that way, even the most challenged tend to fight to do better.”

Formula 1 put on a spectacular showing when it visited COTA. It no doubt provided a beautiful event that showcased how the sport has become more popular. The thing is, however, the COTA response was the confluence of a brilliant title race between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, two teams at their peak in Red Bull and Mercedes and the hype from Drive to Survive, which capitalized on people looking for content while locked in during the pandemic.

NASCAR still rules for now, but their lead is slipping. One key point I keep in mind is that most of the NASCAR races take far too long to complete. And there does not seem to be as much promotion for the events as there once was. Let us hope things change for the better.

And on an unrelated personal note, after 55 years handling PR and advertising along with 47 years of announcing, I have retired from the Pennsylvania-based, NASCAR-sanctioned Grandview Speedway. IT

InsideTrackNews.com 53

With Files from Multimatic aunched on November 1, the new Ford Bronco DR, the ultimate production desert racing vehicle, relies on several of Markham, ON-based Multimatic’s innovative solutions to meet the harsh demands of off-road racing and performance driving enthusiasts.

As a long-term partner of Ford Performance, Multimatic was tasked with the development, build, and distribution of the Ford Bronco DR. “After working with Multimatic on such successful programs as the Ford GT road and race cars, the Ford GT Mk II track car and every iteration of competition Mustangs, they are the natural partner for our new entry into off-road motorsports that builds on our desert racing heritage with the Ford Bronco. Multimatic’s long-standing reputation for delivering winning results in some of the world toughest endurance races, and high build quality of performance vehicles ensure that competitors will find Bronco DR both thrilling to drive and competitive,” said, Mark Rushbrook, Ford Performance Motorsports global director.

The Ford Bronco DR’s long-travel suspension is designed around bespoke Multimatic positional selective DSSV Dampers, specifically engineered, calibrated and scaled for the torturous impacts and loads of long-distance, high-speed desert racing.

This largest and toughest evolution of Multimatic’s proprietary spool valve dampers to date brings together an 80 mm diameter main-body tube, a pair of high-capacity

L

The Ford Bronco DR will be built by Multimatic in Canada.

Photos Courtesy Ford Canada

finned fluid returns located at the valve exits to maximize cooling and five spool valves per damper selectively creating a range of positional damping control.

The rear dampers feature 22 mm shafts and 70 mm pistons in a package over 1,000 mm in length with a stroke of 425 mm. The front dampers include the same size shafts and pistons in a more compact 842 mm package with a stroke of 260 mm. Running in parallel, primary monotube DSS dampers on the rear and coil-overs on the front operate through two spool valves each, for a total of seven per corner, controlling suspension motion.

Developed exclusively for the Bronco DR, the Multimatic spool-valve dampers provide

three distinct damping levels, or zones, in bump and two in the rebound stroke.

The boundaries between each zone are precisely defined and the stroke position at which the different damping forces engage is unrestricted and selectable, giving this DSSV damper the ability to handle the everchanging off-road terrain conditions with precise control.

For ultimate rigidity, durability, and occupant protection, Multimatic performed extensive analytical simulations in the engineering and optimization of Bronco DR’s SCORE-compliant roll cage and highly modified chassis-frame structure. The final design retains the production Bronco’s Multimatic-manufactured, blow-form-hardened Boron Steel ACCRA® roof rails.

• Close collaboration between Ford Performance and Multimatic created first-of-its-kind turnkey Bronco off-road racer.

• Multimatic developed bespoke innovative DSSV™ dampers for Bronco DR that feature first application of Positional Selective Damping technology.

• The Bronco’s Multimatic-developed, blow-form-hardened ACCRA® structural tubes are integral to the off-road racer’s construction.

• Bronco DR will be built by Multimatic in Ontario, Canada. IT 54 Inside Track Motorsport News

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I RESULTS

Parker Traves won the September 11 Ontario Legends feature at Flamboro. Photo by Peter Anderson

60 Inside Track Motorsport News

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InsideTrackNews.com 61

I RESULTS

Lane Zardo won the September 11 Qwick Wick Super Stock feature at Sunset. Photo by Steve Traczyk

62 Inside Track Motorsport News

MILK RUNS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.

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BEST SPORTS CAR 5 CONSECUTIVE YEARS

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