Ignition - 18.05

18.05 Cover.pdf 8/30/2006 4:14:24 PM

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Yamaha March DPS

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Yamaha Chip Controlled “Fly-by-Wire” Throttle, “Straight Frame” chassis, secondary fuel injectors and titanium MotoGP – style exhaust. Do these sound like the typical traits associated with a production bike? They are now! The new R6 from Yamaha. Formula-One inspired aerodynamics and an all-new compact 599cc engine that revs to the moon.

We didn’t stop with the R6. The 2006 R1 has received impressive changes. The R1-LE comes with Marchesini wheels, Öhlins suspension, Pirelli tires and slipper clutch. Not to mention the eye-catching 50th Anniversary yellow and black R1/R6 and legendary R6S. The 2006 Yamahas, the most advanced production sport line-up ever.

Yamaha March DPS

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8/15/06 6:08:26 PM

PRN.october.06 drag racing

road racing

cover story

EVENT

16 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres Drag Racing Editor Bruce Biegler looks at the legend

Powerful Force

North America’s longest running street race adds to its legend.

of John Force.

EVENT

NHRA POWERade Series

Coverage from Denver, Seattle and Brainerd.

EVENT

64 X Games Rally

motorcycles

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event

COLUMN EVENT

IHRA eMax Series

Coverage from Milan and Martin, Michigan.

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On the Throttle

COLUMN

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From the Editor’s Desk

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Bike Review

PRN sits down with reigning champions Dan Wheldon and Sebastien Bourdais.

features The best pit lane altercations of all-time.

Canadian Superbike

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Jordan Szoke is on the verge of the title after sweeping through Mosport.

wire-to-wire

features

Ready to Rumble

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After dominating for several years, Jordan Szoke looks for two titles heading into the season finale.

open wheel Colonial Rulers

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Travis Pastrana and Colin McRae put on a show in inaugural Rally event at Summer X Games.

Extra

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Trackside Appeal

84

Car Review

Neal Jones looks into his crystal ball and determines who will end up on top in 2006.

extra PRN takes to the streets with the BMW K1200.

The beautiful ladies of racing are well represented.

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extra

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PRN puts the new BMW M Coupe through the ringer.

event

Edmonton Grand Prix

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Justin Wilson takes the win in Edmonton a year after giving the race away.

COLUMN

Getting off the Marks

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F1 Correspondent Dan Knutson examines the departures of Montoya and Villenevue.

COLUMN

Caution Period

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Update on the condition of Champ Car star Cristiano da Matta.

stock cars event

Brickyard 400

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Jimmie Johnson continues to roll on NASCAR’s biggest stages with win at Indianapolis.

event

View from the Tower

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George Webster wonders how successful Juan Montoya will be in NASCAR.

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Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

Cover Image: Bruce Biegler (Force) LAT Photographic (Wilson) Contents Photo: Photo by F. Peirce Williams/LAT

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Danica Patrick, IndyCar Driver

More than a watch Founded in 1853, Tissot is proud to display the Swiss flag at the heart of its logo. The Tissot , representing Tradition, Technology, and Trend, combines with the Swiss flag and its central sign to reflect the Tissot philosophy of giving its customers MORE: the best materials– 316L stainless steel, titanium or 18K gold, scratchproof sapphire crystal, Swiss ETA manufacture movement and minimum water resistance to 30m / 100ft - in a watch that offers careful attention to details and “Gold value at silver price”.

Danica Patrick, IndyCar driver, wears the T-Touch with an exclusive tactile glass and functions – compass, altimeter, barometer, thermometer, alarm, or chrono. “As a driver in the IRL, keeping track of time is a big part of my life – it’s what I race against and race for. Even when I’m not on the track, I keep track of time, and the first high-quality watch I ever bought was a Tissot. My familiarity with the brand makes this partnership feel natural”.

MORE THAN A WATCH, the T-Touch combines an innovative timepiece with a precision instrument.

Tissot, Innovators by Tradition. www.tissot.ch

The men who will be champions in ‘06

By Neal Jones I Editor-In-Chief

T

ime is slowly slipping away on the 2006 season as drivers wonder what they need to do to hold on to their championship lead or how they can catch the driver in front. With that in mind, I’ve decided to gaze into my crystal ball and determine who will emerge as champions from the battles currently being waged.

Photo by Charles coates/LAT

Fernando Alonso will hold off Michael Schumacher for his second F1 crown

Photo by LAT Photographic

This is the year Jimmie Johnson takes the top spot in NASCAR Nextel Cup

FORMULA ONE: The 2006 season opened with Fernando Alonso well on his way to capturing a second straight F1 crown. But then the mighty Michael Schumacher stormed back and as we closed for press, just 10 points separated the two with five races to go. Schuey could be closer if not for a bad attempt at blocking in Hungary that led to a DNF when Alonso had already exited the event. Still, all it takes is a win by Schumacher and a DNF by Alonso and we’re all tied.

Prediction: Although Ferrari has closed the performance gap, Alonso still has the better car so we’re going with the Spaniard to wrap up a second title while Schuey decides if he will return in 2007 for title number eight.

CHAMP CAR: Sebastien Bourdais was poised to run away with a third title after sweeping the first four races. But then AJ Allmendinger put together a string of three straight. Meanwhile, Justin Wilson has been consistent at the front and finally took a win in Edmonton. Bourdais sits 32 points ahead of AJ (with Wilson three behind him) and there are just four races left on the calendar.

Prediction: While Allmendinger and Wilson have shown they can run with Bourdais, that 32point lead is probably too much to overcome this late in the season. The Frenchman should become the first driver to win three straight Champ Car titles.

NASCAR: This one is a bit tougher to call because once the Chase starts anything can happen. However, the battle will boil down to Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart, with someone like Jeff Gordon or Kevin Harvick acting as a dark horse. With three races remaining before the Chase begins, and another 10 races after that, it will be exciting to watch down the stretch.

Prediction: Kenseth has been running under the radar all year while sitting second in points, but the man to bet on is Johnson. He has been close before, but in 2006 he is the leader of the pack and should continue that into the Chase.

Photo by F. Peirce Williams/LAT

IRL: This has developed into a three-way battle between Penske teammates Sam Hornish Jr. and Helio Castroneves and defending series champion Dan Wheldon. Only 24 points separate the three, with Castroneves just seven back of Hornish with two races to go. Wheldon has the strength of the AGR team behind him while the Marlboro boys will be battling each other.

Prediction: While Wheldon has the benefit of four teammates to help him, the Penske cars appear to have the advantage this season. Castroneves is still looking for his first crown while Hornish wants his third, and first with Penske. Look for the American to take advantage of the Brazilian for his third IRL title.

Photo by Phil Abbott/LAT

Sam Hornish Jr.’s third IRL title will stop teammate Helio Castroneves from winning his first

Sebastien Bourdais will make history as first three-peat Champ Car Champion

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NHRA: All three pro titles are still up for grabs with six events remaining. Doug Kalitta currently holds an advantage on Tony Schumacher and Melanie Troxel in Top Fuel, with Brandon Bernstein lurking close behind. Troxel was the revelation of the first half and Bernstein hopes to join his dad “King” Kenny as TF champ. Kalitta has been on the verge for a while and Schumacher is the defending champ so things will get interesting down the stretch. Ron Capps has a small lead on the legendary John Force in Funny Car. Capps just missed out on the title in 2005 while Force is still chasing title number 14. Pro Stock should come down to a battle of teammates as Jason Line leads two-time defending champ Greg Anderson.

Anderson has dominated the division for two years, but Line has been right behind and is ready to take the next step.

Predictions: In Top Fuel, look for Schumacher to make a push after the US Nationals that will knock Kalitta back a spot while Troxel should be pleased with a great season that put her at the forefront of the class for years to come. Capps should get the elusive FC crown this year as Force has so many other things going on, but it is hard to discount the 13-time champ. Anderson’s run on top of Pro Stock will end this season as Line has taken his racing to another level this year.

There you have it, seven champions from the tightest battles currently taking place in the world of motorsports. So quickly make your way to Vegas and place your bets while you can still take advantage of these fearless predictions.

See you at the races!

PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS

(ISSN # 0834 - 809X) is published 8 times a year by 1009678 Ontario Inc., 44 Prince Andrew Place, Toronto, ON, M3C 2H4.

For publishing schedule, send a S.A.S.E. Canadian Postmaster: Send address corrections to: PERFORMANCE RACING NEWS 44 Prince Andrew Place, Toronto, ON, M3C 2H4 Subscription Rates: (1 year - 8 issues): Canada $10 Cdn, U.S.A. $10 U.S. Performance Racing News 44 Prince Andrew Place, Toronto, ON, M3C 2H4 PRINTED IN CANADA Publications Mail Registration# 8580 Canadian Publications Mail Products Sales Agreement# 40069655 Publishers: Perry & Blake Breslin Group Publisher/VP Operations: Frank Spezzano Editor-In-Chief: Neal Jones Director of Sales & Marketing: Charles Stancer Operations Manager: Erickson Obiacoro Office/Systems Manager: Arnold Adolfo Senior Art Director: Brian Pirocchi Administrative Director: Michelle Forsyth Senior Account Representatives: Graham Wright, Scott Peachman Advertising Representatives: Nelson Cheung, Matthew Adolfo, Shane Chattergoon Senior Editor: George Webster Drag Racing Editor: Bruce Biegler Road Racing Editor: David Hatter Quebec Editor: Eric Descarries Western Editor: Gerry Frechette MX Editor: Wil de Clercq Contributing Editor: Mark Pereira Production Director: Richard Robles Production Coordinator: John Paul Ramos Graphic Design: Queue Gonzalez, Jeff Maguire, Edward Shintani, Patrick Beltijar, Patrick Dinglasan Online Graphic Design: Drew Williams, Andrew Buchanan Subscription Manager: Carol Franceschinis 1.888.564.SUBS

Correspondents:

Formula One: Dan Knutson NASCAR: Monte Dutton Motorcycle: Mark Hacking CASCAR: Jamie Maudsley Senior Writers: Todd Lewis, Jimmy Johnston Writers: John Bone, Matt Polito, Tim Tuttle, Marc Travers, Mark Triller Senior Photographer: Ramesh Bayney Photographers: Alain Assad, Dan Boyd, Muriel Brousseau, Daniel S. Carter, Michael A. Coates, Dave DeAngelis, Yves Desjardins, Steve Embling, Bryan Epps, Carlos Hatfield, Bob Hesser, Jack Heringer, Kirk Horoky, Rick Kolaczynski, John Larsen, Mike Levitt/LAT, LAT Photographic, Bill Murenbeeld, Jim & Gerry Murray, Shawna Nelles, David Oliver, Chris Payne, Sue Phypers, Rob Potter, Len Silvester, Kevin Sproule, Paul Rachwal, Richard Shute Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies whose products and services might be of interest to our readers. If you prefer to have your name removed from this list, please write to us at the address above and include your mailing label.

PRN acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Magazine Fund toward our editorial costs.

Phone: (416) 922-7223 Fax: (416) 922-8001 Toll Free: 1-800-667-7223 Email: editor@prnmag.com Website: www.prnmag.com www.prnmag.com – Performance Racing News

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LETTERS Way to go Tag! It’s about time someone tracked Paul Tracy down and made him more accountable for his stupid actions. I was so happy Alex Tagliani stood up to the bully on pit lane in Denver. Tracy has been pulling this kind of stupidity for years; it was only a matter of time before someone reached the boiling point. Tracy is showing signs of his age on the track and he’s trying to scare people into staying behind him because that’s the only way he can compete.

Marco Jenkins Victoria, BC

Keep up the great work I just picked up my first copy of PRN and all I can say is what a great magazine! I love being able to get information on all the different kinds of racing in one package. The features on the new generation of female racers was exceptional and really shows how much the sport of racing is changing. Please sign me up for a subscription as PRN is one the best magazines I’ve seen on the newsstands, even better than Racer.

Bill Johnson Pittsburgh, PA

Get well Cristiano I was so sad to hear about what happened to Cristiano da Matta in testing at Road America. If ever there was a nice guy in racing, da Matta was him. He always seemed to have a smile, even in those years

for rally racers because of the dangers involved and how disciplined they have to be in order to succeed.

Even Michael Schumacher said that a rally driver could drive F1, but an F1 driver would have trouble in rally. Sebastien Loeb is the best driver in the world and you should give readers more on him. He is going to be the all-time win leader soon and will win another WRC title at the end of the year.

Harold Millner Oakville, ON

More tech articles

Duhamel deserves more

First off, let me say I really enjoy getting my copy of PRN each month in the email. The articles are great and the photos are just as good. One thing I’d like to see more of is on the technical side of racing. Maybe you could provide readers with a look into how race cars are built. I think it would be great to read about how a Formula One car is created in comparison to the guy who races at the local track on Saturday night. With the technology between series so different, I think you could make it a running series that would be of interest to a lot of readers.

Kevin Knight Oakville, ON

Loeb is the man I think PRN should devote more coverage to the World Rally Championship. Rallying is the most exciting form of racing. Other drivers have more respect

Why doesn’t anyone in Canada ever talk about Miguel Duhamel? He has been one of the best motorcycle riders in North America for over 15 years and he continues to show he is among the best on the track today. Sure, Mat Mladin has been taking home the titles the past few years, but Duhamel is always the one pushing him. While I have no doubt the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame will induct him when he retires, it’s time we paid tribute to a legendary racer who is still challenging for wins every time he straps on the leathers.

Francois Julien North Bay, ON Have you got something to say? Let us know what you think about the magazine or motorsports in general by emailing editor@prnmag.com.

PRN reserves the right to edit letters for brevity.

“I have nothing against guys who speak French. I swear.”

Photos by Steve Etherington/LAT

PIC OF THE MONTH

before he really got a chance in Champ Car with Newman-Haas. I met him in 2002 at Long Beach and he is such a great person. He took the time to chat with me and answer questions and he was great about taking pictures with each of my kids. Racing needs more guys like him and I hope he continues to recover from this horrific accident. Get well soon Cristiano, your fans are behind you!

Jennifer Santos Bakersfield, CA

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Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

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Photo by Lorenzo Bellanca/LAT

F1 RELEASES PROVISIONAL CALENDAR The FIA has released a provisional 2007 calendar that contains just 17 races. As expected Belgium is back on the post-Monza September date it had last year and was supposed to have this season. But both the San Marino and European GPshave disappeared. There is no venue listed for the German GP, and it remains to be seen whether it is Nurburgring or Hockenheim, although there are strong suggestions that the latter will be dropped for the first year of an alternating schedule. As usual Indy follows Canada, but both races have moved forward from where they were this year.

Here is the provisional schedule for 2007:

San Marino has been dropped from the 2007 F1 schedule so this may be the last image of Formula One on the storied circuit

March 18 Australia April 8 Malaysia April 15 Bahrain May 13 Spain May 27 Monaco

June 10 Canada June 17 United States July 1 France July 8 Britain July 22 Germany

Oct. 7 Japan Oct. 21 Brazil

Photo by LAT Photographic

NEW CHAMP CAR PANOZ HITS THE TRACK

Aug. 5 Hungary Aug. 26 Turkey Sept. 9 Italy Sept. 16 Belgium Sept. 30 China

namic improvements made to the DP01 increase passing opportunities and provide closer racing for the fans, it can also prolong the life of the car and its components by removing the heat from the car.

“We’re extremely happy at this time with how things are going,” said Chief Aerodynamicst Nick Alcock. “We’re running in some extreme temperatures and the cooling systems have performed very well. We are well within the limits and even have a cushion built in, which will allow teams more latitude with their aero setups. The engine and brake cooling systems are operating right where we need them to be.”

2007 NEXTEL CUP SCHEDULE

KLATT UNSEATS JSR FOR CANADIAN MX TITLE

The 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series schedule was announced with a 36-race slate starting with the 49th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 at Daytona International Speedway.

On Nov. 18, Homestead-Miami Speedway will again host the season finale.

There are no changes from the 2006 schedule, in terms of sites. There are, however, several adjustments to the schedule’s order. Here is the schedule for 2007: Feb. 10 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona Feb. 18 Daytona International Speedway Feb. 25 California Speedway March 11 Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 18 Atlanta Motor Speedway March 25 Bristol Motor Speedway April 1 Martinsville Speedway April 15 Texas Motor Speedway April 21 Phoenix International Raceway April 29 Talladega Superspeedway May 5 Richmond International Raceway May 12 Darlington Raceway May 19 All-Star Challenge – Lowe’s Motor Speedway May 27 Lowe’s Motor Speedway June 3 Dover International Speedway June 10 Pocono Raceway June 17 Michigan International Speedway June 24 Infineon Raceway July 1 New Hampshire International Speedway

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July 7 Daytona International Speedway July 15 Chicagoland Speedway July 29 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Aug. 5 Pocono Raceway Aug. 12 Watkins Glen International Aug. 19 Michigan International Speedway Aug. 25 Bristol Motor Speedway Sept. 2 California Speedway Sept. 8 Richmond International Raceway Sept. 16 New Hampshire International Speedway Sept. 23 Dover International Speedway Sept. 30 Kansas Speedway Oct. 7 Talladega Superspeedway Oct. 13 Lowe’s Motor Speedway Oct. 21 Martinsville Speedway Oct. 28 Atlanta Motor Speedway Nov. 4 Texas Motor Speedway Nov. 11 Phoenix International Raceway Nov. 18 Homestead-Miami Speedway

Dusty Klatt made history at the Walton TransCan by ending his Honda Blackfoot Fox Racing’s teammate Jean-Sebastien Roy’s five-year reign as MX1 Champion. Klatt, who had a nine-point lead over Roy going into the final round of the CMRC Canadian Motocross Championships premier MX1 class, recorded a clean sweep to clinch the title. Roy kept face by delivering 2-2 motos, and by once again being the only rider in the field to keep Klatt honest.

In moto one, Klatt shot out of the gate to grab the holeshot, followed by Roy and third Blackfoot Honda rider Blair Morgan.

Klatt’s lead went to Roy one lap later, however, when Klatt bobbled just before the finish line jump. It then took the Vancouver Islander five laps to reclaim the lead. Once back up front, he started gapping Roy, who in turn put some real estate between himself and Morgan. By the time the checkered was waved Klatt had a 19-second lead on Roy while Morgan followed another 20 seconds back.

In moto two, Klatt again nailed the holeshot and led wire to wire. Roy and Morgan, who rounded Turn 1 in second and third place respectively, kept those positions till the end.

Photo by Stacy Smith

Photo by LAT Photographic

If Monday and Tuesday’s test outings at Sebring International Raceway featured the tentative first steps of the newborn American-built DP01 Champ Car, Wednesday’s testing was akin to its first sprint as the heat got turned up, literally and figuratively, on the car that will carry the Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford into 2007 and beyond.

The car ran more than 175 miles, flawlessly completing a number of punishing 15-lap stints under the guidance of two-time Champ Car race winner Roberto Moreno.

The test team worked late into the night to prepare the car, which saw the car run longer stints than most Champ Car teams complete at Sebring under normal testing conditions. The 94-degree heat turned up the degree of difficulty in testing but the Panoz-built DP01 answered the bell and ran all day without incident.

“The whole idea is to deliver a reliable product to the teams, and that is the purpose of these tests,” said Champ Car Technical Director Scot Elkins. “We work on that by running longer stints here than the teams will normally when they get the car. From here on out, that is what we are going to continue doing.”

Moreno, who is running his first serious stints in a Champ Car since 2003, agreed with Elkins’ assessment.

“It is hard here to complete 15-lap runs when you normally only do seven- or eight-lap runs when you are testing,” Moreno said. “But I’m really happy with the car and with the program. We got to the point today where we are starting to fine-tune it and it has been very reliable and responsive so far.”

The extreme heat provided an additional test for the Elan Motorsports designers, as it provided a perfect platform to check the cooling capacity of the aerodynamic designs. Not only will the aerody-

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

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Powerful

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Force

In his storied career John Force has become synonymous with drag

Photos by Bruce Biegler

racing. The aura of the 13-time Funny Car champion can be felt every weekend on the NHRA circuit and now the icon of drag racing is creating an empire to keep that tradition going. Drag Racing Editor Bruce Biegler looks at the legend of John Force.

Powerful Force

A

s with anything in life that is commonplace, there is a tendency to not realize what you truly have until it is gone. Modern day drag racing fans may or may not necessarily realize it, but they live in truly special times.

For drag racing, the man and personality known as John Force has evolved into an undisputed true icon.

Coming from rather meager beginnings as a lowly California truck driver in the later 1970s, Force’s rise to super stardom is an inspiring story of true grit and staying the path. The word “Force” is now synonymous with the straight line sport and despite the best efforts of the NHRA’s marketing machine, his name remains one of only a very few that is immediately recognizable to “Joe Public.”

I personally feel very privileged to be a drag racing fan during the “Force Age.” As coincidence or fate would have it, the timing of my career in drag racing journalism and photography closely parallels his racing career. As long as “Cowboy George” and the current tensions in the Middle East do not escalate and somehow manage to turn back the fabric of a thousand years of progress, I am a firm believer that drag racing historians will look back 10, 20 and 30 years from now at his track record and influence with continued amazement.

John Force has raced numerous special editon cars throughout his career; this Castrol “Superman” Mustang was an enormousfan favourite during the 1999 season

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Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

History shows that John Force’s first ever Funny Car event title came in Canada — back in 1987 at Sanair

Unequalled Accomplishments

What the man has accomplished in his relatively short tenure within the sport and his list of accomplishments are truly unequalled. As of this writing he has amassed a mind-numbing 120 NHRA national event victories and has won 13 NHRA POWERade World Championships. The impact of that is exemplified by the fact that it was achieved in less than 20 years in the sport and the fact that each and every mark was accomplished driving within the ferocious, unpredictable and unforgiving Nitro Funny Car category.

When I think back to what I personally witnessed at Sanair International Drag Strip back in 1987 it is rather chilling. That was the site of John Force’s first ever NHRA national event win and came after he had gone 0-for-10 in NHRA final rounds. The FC final at Sanair that year was run off on the Monday after rain storms washed out the championship rounds on the scheduled Sunday. How ironic is it now that Force’s actual “baptism” in drag racing was thus largely witnessed by only a very few returning fans and select media? Who would have known that at the time a large part of the fate and future of drag racing was lying before him.

I make a habit observing John Force as much as I can, trying to fixate on exactly what makes him so popular. It’s hard to nail down exactly, but the evidence of his “wow factor” is everywhere. I can recall many instances of an amazing effect which is regarded within media circles as the “Force factor” during Sunday’s final eliminations. When Force wins, the majority of fans are truly jubilant, but when he loses quite the opposite is true. In a real oddity for the sport of drag racing, I have heard “boo-birds” direct their displeasure towards a winning opponent when they return down the tow road. I have also witnessed the actual exit of a large percentage of the paying public from the racing premises when he has faltered — the early departure coming despite the premium paid for NHRA event admission. I have never seen that happen for any other racer on the circuit. No one within NHRA’s Media Department will

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Powerful Force ever deny that a John Force win is not good for postrace ratings and that ever illusive national newswire interest.

What is it about the man that has created this cause and effect? His winning record aside, it is the way he consistently interacts with the racing public that allows the racing fan to easily relate to him. I don’t think there is any magical formula, but if there was it would be a truly valuable commodity. Force’s popularity and staying power with the racing public is self taught, self sustaining and of his own signature.

The Force Empire

The year 2005 and so far in 2006 have however been trying ones for the perennial NHRA World Champion.

During the 2005 season he surrendered his crown to someone outside his racing team for the first time in over a decade when Don Schumacher teammates Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps both finished (barely) in front of him in points. In 2006, and despite a formidable supporting staff, Force has again not been the feared class entity he once was. A series of somewhat surprising and untimely early event letdowns are stacking up and will probably cost him a second consecutive POWERade Championship.

There are always excuses. The ever evolving technology advancements within the Nitro Funny Car class are always significant and the management of these powerful machines (close to 7,000 HP by some estimates) is truly a daunting task requiring an army of talent.

The diversions for John Force himself have however been many — perhaps too many. In addition to being Captain of his multi-million dollar motorsports enterprise, Force personally guides and oversees the racing fortunes of his teammates Eric Medlen, sonin-law Robert Hight and now his budding superstar daughter Ashley Force. Also factor in that his family is the nucleus of a year-long new reality show Driving Force, which airs on the A&E Channel. That programming has given everyone a chance to see another side of John Force. For the John Force fan looking for an excuse –look no further.

Prior to his first NHRA tour event in 1979, John Force was active on the California Funny Car scene; here is his “Brute Force” Monza in action at OCIR

A Sunday morning tradition in the Force camp is extended autograph sessions

John Force’s next challenge will be to try to make his daughter Ashley the first ever NHRA Funny Car female class winner

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The reality is that John Force’s priorities in drag racing have switched a gear. I would never say that his desire for winning has waned, but his focus may have.

The man has gone public stating it and he is proving it right now that his future vision includes the long term health of professional drag racing. Force is doing his part to nurture the next wave and generation of star racers. While he needs to be commended for all that, it is also somewhat concerning that he has taken that on as a task and priority. It seems to me that the sanctioning body could and should be charting by itself more effectively instead of relying so heavily on one of its marquee drivers. One can only ponder that if Force’s total focus had remained on pure Funny Car class racing that his Championship count would not be greater.

I am a die hard John Force racing fan — always have been, always will be. Before he exits the confines of the Castrol GTX Funny Car for the last time I want to see him win another NHRA POWERade World Championship and I know his legions of fans agree. I also firmly believe that it will happen. His legacy as a driver needs to end with him on the NHRA podium — call it final justice or whatever.

The harsh reality it that John Force is nearing retirement age as a driver and his torch will likely be passed on in the not too distant future. Force fans need to appreciate that we are now witnessing the twilight to the career of the greatest driver that the sport has ever known. Enjoy these final chapters.

NHRA’s Mid-Summer

3-Week Enduro

By Bruce Biegler I Drag Racing Editor Photos by Bruce Biegler & Gerry Frechette

27th Mopar Mile High Nationals

Denver’s Mopar Mile-High Nationals, the sport of drag racing’s highest altitude event, was of a particular challenge this year as the traditional thin air was complicated with record smashing heat causing fits for crew chiefs.

Defending POWERade FC World Champion Gary Scelzi scored what was arguably one of the most rewarding victories in his career. Driving the flagship Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger, Scelzi won not only in front of his valued sponsor Mopar, but also for the first time ever at Bandimere Speedway. Scelzi and his talented team, led by Crew Chief Mike Neff, were one of the more consistent cars at the event and Scelzi ran a seemingly strategic 5.132 secs at 301.94 mph in the final to turn back Cruz Pedregon’s Advance Auto Parts Chevy, which had a flash fire. Scelzi’s 33rd career title included a key round two win over John Force to help maintain the points lead for his Don Schumacher teammate Ron Capps, who lost out in round one.

FC was paced by Gary Densham who came in fresh off a big IHRA win at Milan, MI. In a real testament to just how severely the track temperatures (near 150 degrees!) affected performances, Densham’s Racebricks/Snap-On Tools Monte Carlo ran a 4.893 secs for low ET. Pro racing had serious championship consequences consequential as three overall lead changes occurred by the time eliminations were done. For the first time this season Melanie Troxel isn’t leading the TF points, as Doug Kalitta moved into first place when he finished in the final four. Troxel was defeated in an upset-filled round one.

The drag racing world’s highest altitude event goes down annually at Denver’s Bandimere Speedway

Gary Scelzi earned a timely win when he won for sponsor Mopar at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals

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ly

DRAG RACING NHRA’s Mid-Summer 3-Week “Enduro”

The father and son team of Roy and Allen Johnson knocked out the Pro Stock field at Seattle

The big TF story was a monstrous victory by rookie J.R. Todd. Driving the Skull Shine/Torco Race Fuels dragster owned by Dexter Tuttle, Todd managed one of modern day drag racing’s biggest upset wins when he handled World Champion Tony Schumacher in the final. In that race, Todd left first and would not be denied as he won 4.906 secs to 4.966.

Todd’s victory did not come without hurdles however. In the semi-final, just after beating Larry Dixon, he endured a parachute failure that sent his machine deep into the top end sand trap causing his team an “extra test” to make the championship final. Todd beat Cory McClenathan and Hillary Will in earlier action.

Pro Stock saw David Connolly score driving his Chevy Cobalt. Connolly had a spectacular .008 RT in the final and combined that with a 7.173 secs run over pole qualifier Jason Line, who ran 7.141 secs driving his Summit Racing Pontiac GTO. Line took both low ET and top speed during qualifying and his runner-up finish vaulted him over teammate Greg Anderson to the top of the Pro Stock points.

Colorado’s Andrew Hines scored his first win of 2006 in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Hines drove his Vance & Hines V-Rod past fast up-and-coming rider Matt Guidera, who was riding a Buell. Hines’ victory also put him in first place in points – 28 in front of Angelle Sampey who lost to her teammate Antron Brown in the second round.

Chip Ellis, riding for team owner George Bryce, had low ET after he ran 7.332 secs to qualify #1.

Ellis was gunned down in round two by Hines, who combined a spectacular .006 RT with a run of 7.419 secs to win.

The event was preceded by what is fast becoming a serious tradition in drag racing – the Mopar “Big Block Party.” The annual event unfolds in the shadows of the giant Coors factory in downtown Golden, CO and featured a spectacular assembly of Mopar machines both classic and cutting edge. Guests were treated to numerous special events, fantastic food and, of course, the freshest Coors available.

Chicago-based cover band Maggie Speaks rocked the festival.

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Dynamic team owner Don Schumacher’s venture into the scenic Pacific Northwest was a very rewarding one as two of his team drivers rolled to victory at Pacific Raceway near Seattle.

Schumacher’s son Tony won in Top Fuel for the second time this season when he wheeled the ultra-powerful U.S. Army sponsored dragster to victory. Schumacher handled Australia’s David Grubnic in the finale, winning at 4.690/321.96 compared to Grubnic’s 4.761/316.75.

Top Fuel was paced by Brandon Bernstein, who ran a swift 4.555 secs for low ET. However, he was an early victim, losing to #16 qualifier Alan Bradshaw during the upset-filled round one.

Schumacher team driver Whit Bazemore won in Funny Car driving the Matco Tools Dodge Charger when he defeating stablemate and points leader Ron Capps in the final. Bazemore scored when his 5.036/309.42 prevailed over Capps’ 5.108/293.15.

The top FC performance was delivered by Robert Hight, who flew the AAA Auto Club Mustang to both low ET and top speed at 4.840 secs 318.17 mph. The California-based driver was dealt out of competition by Tony Pedregon in round two – 5.318 secs to 6.117.

J.R. Todd scored “bookend” victories in Top Fuel during NHRA’s grueling mid-summer Western Swing

The Pro Stock final saw David Connolly (far lane) use a holeshot to defeat Jason Line

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DRAG RACING NHRA’s Mid-Summer 3-Week “Enduro” Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson took the measure of the Pro Stock program driving his Tennesseebased Dodge Stratus. In that final, Johnson handled Tom Martino. “AJ” won easily as his 6.767/204.63 was never challenged by Martino’s tire shaking 7.368/146.45.

The event’s highly competitive Top Alcohol eliminators went to Sean O’Bannon and Brian Hough.

O’Bannon’s win in TAD was his third of the season and came over surprising first time finalist — Spencer Massey, from Texas. Hough, who is one of the Pacific Northwest’s top rated TAFC pilots, won that eliminator when he outgunned Steve Gasparrelli in the final.

TAD winner O’Bannon qualified #1 at 5.474 secs and then set low ET at 5.446 secs. Runner-up Massey, driving an injected nitro car, was credited with top speed at 264.80 mph. Jay Payne drove the Valvoline-sponsored Chevy Camaro to both low ET (5.642 secs) and top speed (258.96 mph) in TAFC. The event featured a Canadian winner with Calgary’s Jirka Kaplan earning his first career national event title in Competition eliminator. After qualifying 11th, Kaplan’s BB/AM supercharged 23T benefited from three different red-lighting opponents during eliminations and he was assured the title when his final round opponent Doug Lambeck went .008 red.

19th Fram-Autolite Nationals

Indiana’s J.R. Todd did it again at Sonoma, CA. Driving the Skull Shine/Torco Race Fuels dragster owned by Dexter Tuttle, Todd proved that he is certainly for real when he scooted to victory lane to earn bookend wins for NHRA’s famous annual three-race Western Swing. Like he did at Denver, Todd again outperformed Tony Schumacher in the final, winning decisively 4.619/309.27 to 4.679/316.01.

Todd, using the expertise of his crew chief Jimmy Walsh, entered eliminations after qualifying #6 with a 4.586 secs run. Prior to beating Schumacher in the final he outgunned Alan Bradshaw, David Grubnic and Hillary Will. Todd’s win over Hillary was particularly exciting as it came by a narrow 4.678 secs to 4.673 holeshot margin. Schumacher ran low ET at 4.486 secs.

Funny Car saw John Force Racing team driver Eric Medlen win for the first time this season driving the Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang. Medlen drove to a final round 4.854/316.30 to beat the strong running Q Racing Chevrolet of Tony Pedrgeon.Medlen’s first victory since Memphis last season also included round wins over Cruz Pedregon, his boss John Force Whit Bazemore. Medlen’s teammate Robert Hight was credited with low ET and top speed with a run of 4.738/325.30. Hight’s ET was a new track record.

Pro Stock proved to be a spectacular program featuring for only the second time in NHRA class history a 16-car bump spot quicker than 6.70 secs (6.693 secs bump). Jason Line enhanced his first place points standing when he won for the 11th time in his career driving the Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac GTO. Line used a better starting line RT in the final (.045 to .076) to handle the strong running Kendall-sponsored Dodge Stratus driven by Colorado’s V. Gaines. Line won an exciting 6.672/207.15 to 6.668/207.05 finale.

Line’s racing teammate and three-time defending champion Greg Anderson, made big noise when he established a new NHRA national ET record for the class at 6.631 secs. Anderson used an equally impressive 6.651 secs as the official back up before he was rudely gunned down by Team Mopar driver Allen Johnson in round two. Johnson had a spark26

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

Eric Medlen won big in Funny Car eliminator during the NHRA Fram-Autolite Nationals

ing .010 RT that made his 6.696 secs a winner over Anderson’s much quicker 6.659 secs.

George Bryce’s team rider Chip Ellis won in Pro Stock Bike, taking the Drag Specialties Buell to victory lane for the second time this season. Ellis got an easy final round victory when his opponent, U.S. Army Suzuki rider Antron Brown, went .009 red. Ellis had problems in the final and labored through with a winning 8.863/88.41. During round one of eliminations Ellis was credited with the quickest run ever in the category when he rode to a spectacular 6.911/193.21 while defeating Karen Stoffer.

PSB qualifying produced two new members of the prestigious Mickey Thompson 6-Second Club for the class with Antron Brown (6.981) and Tom Bradford (6.981) both earning entry into the elite group.

Top Alcohol featured ferocious competition with wins going to Clint Thompson in TAFC and Morgan Lucas in TAD. Thompson’s win was the second of his career and came after a dramatic come-frombehind win over Canada’s Roger Bateman. Bateman, driving for Winnipeg-based car owner Brian Friesen, had a better starting line RT in the final (.049 to .074) only to have Thompson nip him right in the lights — 5.628/255.00 to 5.682/249.39.

California’s Jay Payne was the performance star in TAFC, setting both low ET (5.577) and top speed (262.39) driving his Valvoline-sponsored Chevy Camaro. Payne’s 262.39 mph was a new NHRA national record and the fastest speed ever recorded in the TAFC category.

Morgan Lucas, who also ran in Top Fuel, earned victory in TAD when he used a holeshot to beat Duane Shields in the all injected-nitro final round pairing. Lucas won a close 5.400 to 5.396 secs decision in that match after beating Brandon Johnson, Mark Niver and Sean O’Bannon in earlier competition. The best performance marks in TAD also went to injected nitro machines with Garrett Bateman setting low ET (5.243) and Mark Niver earning top speed (273.11).

Following the conclusion of the Fram-Autolite Nationals, parent company Honeywell Consumer Products Group announced it would be extending its title sponsorship of the event at Infineon Raceway. In the multi-year agreement extension, FRAM automotive filters and Autolite spark plugs will sponsor the event, annually the third and final stop of the grueling threerace NHRA Western Swing, and NHRA’s only tour stop in scenic Northern California.

Whit Bazemore’s Matco Tools Dodge Charger turned away all FC challengers during NHRA’s Northwest Nationals

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Michigan

in

Motion

Story and photos by Bruce Biegler I Drag Racing Editor

IHRA eMax Drag Racing Series mid-summer focus was on the great state of Michigan with back-to-back record smashing events

Canadian Paul Noakes broke through during the IHRA Motor City Nationals to win his first national event title

Suzuki Motor City Nationals

At the Detroit area’s Milan Dragway the return of nitro-powered Funny Cars after a long absence resulted in the largest crowd in event history. California’s Gary Densham won his second IHRA “Ironman” of the season when he drove the Racebricks/ Snap-On Tools Chevy Monte Carlo to victory over 13 other class entries. Densham ran a final round 5.017 secs at 300.80 mph to defeat Doug Kalitta, who was entered the class for the first time ever driving the Kalitta Racing Chevy Monte Carlo (usually driven by his cousin Scott) which had some tire spin problems during the final round loss. Densham, who qualified fourth with a 4.945 secs, beat Terry Haddock and Bob Gilbertson in earlier competition. Gilbertson recorded low ET while winning round one at 4.877 secs. Earlier he ran 317.87 mph for top speed. For NHRA POWERade TF regular Doug Kalitta, his first meet in FC eliminator produced a 4.964 secs qualifier (fifth) and round wins over Del Worsham and Vince Arcadi.

Torco Top Fuel featured the first career win for Australia’s Andrew Cowin, who put the class competition to sleep driving his Serta-sponsored machine.

Cowin was the class of the field, qualifying number one with a track record (low ET/top speed) shot of 4.592/325.45 mph and winning decisively over Bruce Litton and Rick Cooper. In the final, Cowin ran a 4.840 secs to hold off Bobby Lagana Jr., who stayed close with a 4.945 secs.

Pro Modified featured was simply spectacular as class racers jockeyed for position in Sunday’s eliminations. Despite some heated atmospheric conditions the bump spot was a super quick 6.205 secs. New York’s Mike Janis was on a mission driving his Eatonsponsored Chevy Cavalier, winning for the 14th time 28

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

Robert Patrick’s spectacular new ‘07 Shelby clobbered the Pro Stock field at Milan Dragway

in his illustrious career. Janis used great race day consistency to topple the competition and held off transplanted Canadian Danny Rowe in a spectacular final round dash — 6.181/231.20 to 6.200/231.48.

Janis beat Mike Castellana, Steve Bareman and points leader Glen Kerunsky in earlier rounds.

PM was paced by Alberta’s Rick Distefano, whose talented team led by crew chief Al Billes parlayed him to both low ET and top speed at 6.088 secs 234.41 mph (Milan track records). Kerunsky’s “final four” placing did help pad the overall eMax PM points lead for the Western Canadian.

Alcohol Funny Car featured an inspiring first national event win for Canada’s Paul Noakes, who drove his Ford Mustang to victory. Noakes, who was participating in only his second IHRA race this season, got a good break in the final when his opponent Fred Tigges rolled the beams. Before that the London-based driver had slew class heavyweights Tom Carter and Robbie Atchison.

Pro Stock was hardly for the meek as it featured a super swift 16-car bump spot of 6.495 secs and 27 entries. Virginia’s Robert Patrick won for the first time this season wheeling his mechanical marvel 2007 Ford Cobra to victory. Patrick recorded the only 6.3 secs run at the event (6.399 secs) to qualify #1 and then pounded on the field with steady low sixforties. In the final Patrick beat opponent Pete Berner to the stripe — 6.437/218.12 to 6.448/216.76. Top speed went to Frank Gugliotta who reset the track record with a super stout 219.22 mph driving Charlie Taylor’s Ford Escort.

Kudos must be given to IHRA and Milan Dragway track personnel, who were thrown a serious curve ball when Saturday’s final qualifying session began with a track power failure. Contingency plans, including strategic placement of gas powered electric generators, were quickly put into place and the event continued with only a minimum delay.

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5/3/06 3:51:01 PM 5/3/06 4:29:28 PM

25th Torco Northern Nationals

Racing at Western Michigan’s fabulous U.S. 131 Dragway also produced a first time circuit winner in Top Fuel with second generation driver T.J. Zizzo scoring an enormous win. Driving his Knoll Gas/Torco Race Fuels dragster, Zizzo’s win came at the facility where he grew up racing. Zizzo got full marks for his victory which included his first ever career pole (4.664 secs, low ET) and convincing round wins over J.R. Todd and Bruce Litton. In the final round he took the measure of Doug Foley, winning easily with a 4.773/306.46 while Foley had problems.

Overall points leader Clay Millican, who had won the last four Northern Nationals consecutively, was a surprising first round victim. Millican qualified #2 with a 4.672 secs but was then on the short end of a 4.672/314.90 to 4.724/313.80 mph racing Foley’s teammate Rick Cooper in round one. The Millican loss combined with Foley’s R/UP performance tightened things up significantly in the 2006 eMax IHRA Top Fuel title points department.

Nitro Funny Car produced another upset winner with Iowa’s Jack Wyatt earning his second career Ironman. Wyatt literally ambushed the field. After barely qualifying in the eighth and final slot (6.076 secs) Wyatt got a break in round one when opponent Vince Arcadi had a foul start. The independent racer then put together two strong back-to-back runs of 4.926 and 4.980 secs to upset Dale Creasy Jr. and Bob Gilbertson for the event title.

FC included the first IHRA circuit appearance for Mike Ashley, who was driving the all new Skull Gear/ Torco Race Fuels Dodge Stratus from Don Schumacher racing. Ashley qualified #1 in the class with a strong 4.866 secs but fell off that pace in the semi final round and lost to Gilbertson.

In Pro Mod, Texan Josh Hernandez won his second IHRA title when he defeated defending world champion Mike Castellana in the final. Hernandez, driving the supercharged “Dr. Moon’s Rage” ’68 Camaro, clocked in at 6.131/235.56 in the final compared to Castellana’s 6.180/230.06. Hernandez’s event victory included a new IHRA speed record at 237.09 mph.

His win also came over the quickest PM field in drag racing history with a bump spot of 6.188 secs.

Despite losing the PM final, New York’s Mike Castellana had an outstanding weekend driving his Western Beef-sponsored nitrous-injected Cavalier.

On Saturday, Castellana claimed the $20,000 first prize in the prestigious annual Torco Race Fuels Pro Modified Shootout when he beat Quain Stott to the stripe 6.141/232.31 to 6.166/232.91.

In Pro Stock, Illinois-based driver Tony Gillig prevailed in an all-Ford final round when his Mustang beat the Escort of John Nobile. Gillig used a superior performance to take a come-from-behind win as his swift 6.468/213.94 managed to run down Nobile’s quicker leaving, 6.531/215.37. The victory also included round wins over John Konigshofer, Frank Gugliotta and Jeff Dobbins and moved Gillig into first in the points.

The top performing Pro Stock car was Robert Patrick’s ’07 Shelby which rewrote both ends of the track record while taking the pole at 6.408 secs and

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Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

217.95 mph. Patrick was a shocking first round causality when he unexpectedly went -.010 red and lost to #9 qualifier Bert Jackson.

Dr. Tom Carter became the first three-time winner in Alcohol Funny Car this season when he defeated Terry McMillen. Carter ran a final round 5.955/238.76 driving his Camaro to turn back the strong event bid

by McMillen’s Amalie-sponsored Dodge Avenger.

Carter’s event march included a crucial round one win over three-time defending World Champion Rob Atchison and it moved him to within only 46 points of overall leader Mark Thomas.

That Saturday Night feature showcased a final round pairing between Pontiac teammates Bo Kenny and Monty Bogan Jr. with Kenny winning; 9.437 secs (low ET) 141.21 mph to 9.475/140.75.

Mike Ashley’s first IHRA experience driving a nitro Funny Car produced low ET and a “final four” finish

Defending IHRA World Champ Mike Castellana prevailed to win the prestigious Torco Race Fuels Pro Mod Shootout

The top eight Pro Mod cars on the planet faced off during the annual Torco Race Fuels Pro Mod Shootout

Second generation driver T.J. Zizzo won his first career Top Fuel title during the IHRA’s Torco Northern Nationals

California’s Gary Densham won his second IHRA “Ironman” driving his Racebricks/ Snap-On Tools Chevy

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5/26/06 9:30:07 AM

Colonial

rulers

Sebastien Bourdais and Dan Wheldon

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Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

Photo by LAT Photographic

B

etween them they are the reigning North American open-wheel champions. Both are 27 years old, both born and raised in Europe. Each has broken records and rewritten the history books during their swift ascents to the peak of single-seater racing.

Conversely, neither has faced the other in a championship campaign, in fact they had never even been at the same racetrack, at the same time, until last year’s Indianapolis 500 and to date have only competed against one another twice — the 500 and the 2006 Daytona 24 Hours.

And yet, having traveled the world whilst dominating their sport, now living thousands of miles from where they grew up, by pure chance, and completely unbeknownst to them, they are neighbours in the Florida city of St Petersburg. Even more amazingly they’ve never met.

The Englishman arrives, the Frenchman steps in moments later. Dan Wheldon, meet Champ Car champion Sébastien Bourdais. Sébastien Bourdais, meet IndyCar champion Dan Wheldon.

Photo by LAT Photographic

Photo by LAT Photographic

are the reigning kings of open wheel racing in North America. PRN Correspondent John Bone had a chance to sit down with the two drivers in their adopted hometown of St. Petersburg, FL to discuss their careers since crossing the Atlantic.

Photo by LAT Photographic

Dan Wheldon Photo by Mike Levitt/LAT

PRN: With similar Northern European backgrounds and geographies, has it been a big culture shock adjusting to life in America?

DAN WHELDON: I found it really difficult to start with. I’d find myself going back to the UK just too much. You could see if I kept doing what I was doing it would affect my performance a lot, so it was a choice of either sticking it out and focusing and concentrating on being over here. It took some time I think, certainly, but I did find it difficult. Obviously in karting you spend most of your time in Italy, when you’re young, so I’d been away from home for long periods of time, but when you are in the States there is just nobody. I mean I love it now, I really do. I don’t go home much at all, maybe once a year.

“… Dan is obviously extremely good on ovals, he’s proved it, I mean, its absolutely not arguable or anything like that. I don’t know Dan’s abilities on road tracks but it’s his formation at the base...”

-Bourdais on Wheldon

Sebastien Bourdais

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: It’s a little different for me because first I came here much later than you. All of a sudden in 2003 it’s like “Ciao, off you go” and came here with pretty much nothing. I didn’t know where I was going, I had no bloody money at all, I was not completely fluent with English either so, it wasn’t very easy. I mean, for you when you came over at least the language was not a problem, when I first came here to go and watch a movie was a struggle, to communicate with people was a struggle, so it was pretty demanding.

PRN: But you’ve both taken to it like duck’s to water, especially the tradition of oval racing which is so foreign to European drivers.

Photo by Mike Levitt/LAT

DW: I like to be involved with the bigger races; I love the Indianapolis 500, I really do love that race, I’d love to do that 10 more times. I don’t know why, but… I just enjoy the… I mean it’s like Long Beach, I’m sure that for Sébastien it’s a real…

SB: It’s a big deal yeah, it’s got a lot of history in it, and everybody wants to win it.

PRN: Do you think that brings a little bit more out of you?

going on around the race because I really always do everything I can to win, and I feel that in motor racing there is really only so much you can do. Sometimes trying too hard is just a bad thing. So no, it doesn’t really affect me much.

PRN: Seb, you’ve driven both an IRL and a Champ Car, what are the differences?

“The actual thing that’s impressed me a ton about Sébastien is, it’s very easy for people to say he was expected to win the championship again in 2005 after winning in 2004, but he did it in such a way that it made it better...”

SB: Well it’s very difficult to compare because I did only one test with a Champ Car on a superspeedway, and on a superspeedway the difference is pretty small. The Champ Car in the superspeedway configuration had a little less down-force but it was very similar — it’s using the same tires, it’s a carbon fiber chassis with suspensions… It’s true that the IRL car is a little more designed around a certain amount of downforce and drag to suit more the ovals, but I never drove an IRL car on a street or on a road course.

I do know because of lap times and things that the engine is weaker on the street and road course than on superspeedway because it’s pulling some horsepower in a very short band, so you do lack the torque, but I think the car itself is pretty damn close — it’s got same size, width and everything, except the engines are very different characteristics. We never use the same tracks… What do you do lap time-wise at Sebring? That’s the only comparison I know.

DW: I think 52’s.

- Wheldon on Bourdais

www.prnmag.com – Performance Racing News

33

Photo by Ramesh Bayney

DW: (Instantly) I do.

SB: I’m not very effected by the context or what’s

SB: Yeah. It’s a second and a half. It’s different. You can’t compare a road course to an oval.

DW: It’s very difficult to compare. I think the big-

gest thing is I have a lot more experience in an Indy type car on an oval than I do a road course. The one thing that I think that you have to credit when you do the ovals is the people around you, because you can be superhuman and if your car’s not right it’s very difficult to show how good you are…

SB: Yeah I experienced that myself.

DW: It’s crucial, and there’s an art to it. Like at Indy,

that’s where Andretti-Green are very, very strong, they’re very focused on driver confidence and making sure they become the most confident at the right times. And if you haven’t got the right people around you that have the experience on ovals — and that’s not one person, it’s the whole group — then it’s very difficult to show how good you are. The whole thing has to work together.

SB: I think on an oval you really, really need to have the confidence before you walk in the car, because on a road course what can happen if the car is not good, well, you’re gonna be slow. In an oval you’re gonna put your life on the line, or at least your body on the line that’s for sure, because if you crash there’s a pretty good chance you’re gonna get beat up. So you’ve got to make sure that what you’ve got is a sure package and you trust it. It can be pretty hairy out there.

PRN: How important is retaining your championships and just how tough is keeping your motivation up, especially for you Seb, having now done it twice in a row.

SB: We’ve been using the same car for a while, if you look at it from a pure examination its not exactly the definition of exciting because its the same car, its the same season, the same team, there’s not many change on my side. The truth is your motivation comes, I’d say, because you want to win, and you want to keep on winning because it’s the greatest feeling on the planet.

DW: I’ve changed teams and I’ve gone to a team that has not won a lot recently, but for me just winning in a new team is a good challenge. The actual thing that’s impressed me a ton about Sébastien is, you know, it’s very easy for people to say he was expected to win the championship again in 2005 after winning in 2004, but he did it in such a way that it made it better, you know? If you can keep doing that I think it really raises people’s opinion and profile of you and that’s what I think would be really good for me if I could retain it at Ganassi.

PRN: In the US right now there are two major single-seater championships, surely it would benefit open-wheel racing to therefore combine, wouldn’t that be preferable?

SB: Absolutely we would like it better! You like better one strong series than two weak series. Because that’s what we are right now, and everybody knows it! The TV ratings are awful, everybody’s struggling, and it’s really about time that everybody on both sides accept to say publicly that “Yes it could be a lot better than what it is right now.”

DW: You could have a seriously good series.

SB: We would all benefit from it. All. That’s why

it cold be the exact right moment to do it, because 34

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

By pure chance, and completely unbeknownst to them, they are neighbours in the Florida city of St Petersburg. Even more amazingly they’ve never met.

Photo by Dan Streck/LAT

Colonial Rulers

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Colonial Rulers we are changing stuff (2007’s new chassis in each series), so that brings it about time to make it one strong heck of a series and go for it. It’s been attempted so many times before that I don’t even wanna think about it any more because I don’t want to be disappointed but… do I want it to happen? Yes! PRN: From what you’ve observed of Dan, can he be champion again this season?

For a couple of guys who had never met, they seem to be getting along famously. Guards have come down and jokes and good humor abound. Both men live on the waterfront and whilst discussing driver contracts and the many things therein from which they are precluded from doing, one asks, “Have you got a jet-ski?”

“First thing I bought.” replies the other under his breath.

“Yeah me too!” and they both descend into fits of schoolboy giggles.

As we leave, Dan is shouting to Séb, “Just follow me” so that the Newman/Haas driver can go and tour the Ganassi man’s house. They drive off, leaving the warm impression that you’ve just witnessed the birth of a new friendship. This is tempered by the thought that you might soon read in the local paper that an Englishman and a Frenchman are terrorizing the locals by racing jet-skis around the bay.

SB: Yeah for sure, I mean Dan is obviously extremely good on ovals, he’s proved it, I mean, its absolutely not arguable or anything like that. I don’t know Dan’s abilities on road tracks but it’s his formation at the base, so it’s going to be pretty good.

PRN: Dan, care to reciprocate?

DW: It would be the opposite. Obviously I’ve seen him a lot on road courses and he’s super-fast and can deliver. And one thing I like as well is that he doesn’t back down to PT like a lot of them! (They both laugh.)

That’s probably the most impressive, because PT has most of that grid scared. He really does!

PRN: Shall we do this again next year with you as reigning champions?

DW: (Cackles) Yep! SB: That could be good! (Laughs) I would have

no problem with that! With the reunification in the middle that would be cool!

“… he’s super-fast and can deliver. And one thing I like as well is that he doesn’t back down to PT like a lot of them!

That’s probably the most impressive, because PT has most of that grid scared. He really does!”

- Wheldon on Bourdais

36

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

momo 8.05.indd 1

8/14/06 10:16:24 AM

!

PRN looks back at some of the more recent altercations that have hit pit lane when emotions get out of control at the track.

It’s go

time!

PHOTOS BY LAT Photographic

T

o borrow from the old joke, “I went to a fight recently and an auto race broke out.” Okay, so it was originally intended for hockey, but lately it seems that every weekend brings some kind of animosity down pit lane that series officials must handle with care.

The most recent incidents involved Toronto’s Paul Tracy. Long known as one of racing’s more emotional and aggressive drivers, the critics have come out full force against the “Thrill From West Hill.” His altercation with Alexandre Tagliani in San Jose was followed by another face-to-face confrontation with rival Sebastien Bourdais in Denver.

With that in mind, PRN has looked back over the past 10 years and selected some of the more famous incidents that captured headlines… Let’s get ready to rumble!

COMBATANTS: Robby Gordon and Michael Waltrip WHERE: Loudon, NH WHEN: September, 2005 WHAT HAPPENED: After being taken out by Waltrip at the

1

2

September event in New Hampshire, Gordon first tried to take revenge while still in the car. Once he exited the car, he waited while traffic went by and again tried to get to Waltrip. As Waltrip drove past, Gordon reared back and heaved his helmet at the driver of the No. 15 car. With the race still running Gordon did not have the opportunity

3

for a pit lane altercation and had to be satisfied with the throwing his helmet. In a related story, Gordon then auctioned off the helmet in question for the benefit of Hurricane Katrina victims.

5

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4

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

COMBATANTS:

Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani 1

WHERE: San Jose, CA WHEN: July, 2006 WHAT HAPPENED: On lap 52 of the San Jose Grand Prix Tracy ran down the escape road while sitting second. Trying to minimize the damage, he quickly returned to the track and jumped in front of Tagliani. The contact took both drivers out of the race. An irate Tagliani confronted Tracy on pitlane, but when Tracy tried to dismiss things and walk away, the pair started pushing each other. A small wrestling match began and series officials quickly broke up the melee. Tracy responded with some derogatory comments about Tagliani and his background for wearing his helmet for the fight.

2

www.prnmag.com – Performance Racing News

39

It’s go

time!

COMBATANTS: Tony Stewart’s and Kasey Kahne’s pit crews

WHERE: Chicago, IL WHEN: July 2004 WHAT HAPPENED: On a restart from a caution on Lap 127, Stewart pulled out

of line, drove up the right side of the track and hit then-leader Kahne from behind, sending the No. 9 Dodge into the wall and igniting a wreck that collected a total of eight cars. Kahne’s crew chief, Tommy Baldwin, was incensed and headed to Stewart’s pit stall to confront crew chief, Greg Zipadelli. The two quickly became involved in a heated confrontation that ended with members from both teams scuffling on pit road. Stewart was not penalized for his efforts during the race and went on to claim his first win of the season.

COMBATANTS: Kurt Busch and Jimmy Spencer WHERE: Brooklyn, MI WHEN: August, 2003 WHAT HAPPENED: A few weeks earlier Spencer took Busch out of the race

at Indianapolis (pictured) and a war of words ensued. By the time they reached Michigan fans wondered what might happen. When Busch came down pit lane after the race he ran out of fuel right near Spencer’s garage area. Spencer then bumped the rear of Busch’s car and jumped out. He went to the driver’s side window and unleashed several punches. Before Busch could do anything Spencer’s crew surrounded the car and pulled Spencer away. The ongoing feud between the two had finally reached its boiling point, with Busch’s owner Jack Roush claiming Spencer broke the youngster’s nose.

COMBATANTS: Paul Tracy and Barry Green WHERE: Houston, TX WHEN: September, 1998 WHAT HAPPENED: Tracy was battling teammate Dari Franchitti for the lead in

the rain at Houston. As the track began to dry Tracy made several attempts to take the spot from Franchitti but had the door closed each time. Finally, Tracy made a make-or-break move that resulted in both cars coming together. Tracy spun out of the race while Franchitti held on and eventually took the win. Once back in the pits, Tracy tried to leave the area but was confronted by team owner Green. As Green grabbed Tracy, the Canadian shoved his boss and then drove off on his scooter. The scene was captured on live national television. It did not stop Tracy and Green from signing a new contract within a few weeks.

40

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No déjà vu for Wilson

Photos by LAT Photographic (Phil Abbott & Lesley Ann Miller)

Justin Wilson gave away the 2005 Edmonton Grand Prix while leading on the final restart. In 2006 he was in the same position, but this time he put the pedal down and ran away to the checkered flag for his first win of the season.

42

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

J

ustin Wilson had done just about everything during the first half of the 2006 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season - except win a race. The RuSPORT pilot had won poles, led laps, finished on the podium and kept himself in the thick of the title hunt all year, despite the fact that all of the race wins had gone to Sebastien Bourdais and A.J. Allmendinger.

But on a sunny Sunday in front of 62,921 Edmonton race fans, Wilson took care of that little oversight, running down Bourdais to take the lead, then running away from him and the rest of the field in the waning laps to win the West Edmonton Mall Grand Prix Presented by The Brick.

Wilson took the lead from Bourdais with 21 laps to run, then answered the challenge posed by both Bourdais and Allmendinger on a late-race restart to score his first win of the year. Wilson saved his best for last, running away from the second and third cars despite the fact that both Bourdais and Allmendinger had 30 more seconds of Power-To-Pass at their disposal. Bourdais would content himself with protecting his series points lead, which he did with a second-place finish. Allmendinger fought off flu-like symptoms at the start of the day to finish third, earning his fourth consecutive podium finish.

It was a fitting victory for Wilson who led the inaugural race in 2005 until he spun on cold tires and threw the race away on the final restart. “Definitely,” Wilson responded when asked if the 2005 incident entered his mind on the final restart. “You know, for

www.prnmag.com – Performance Racing News

Photo by Ramesh Bayney

Sebastien Bourdais had plenty of power-to-pass available late in the race but settled for second at the checkers as he tries to maintain his points lead.

43

No déjà vu for Wilson

both of them, I was pretty nervous and just didn’t want to make a mistake. I knew we had a pretty quick car, we could make this one happen. It’s all a case of not throwing it away like we did a year ago. It feels really good to come out and get the win and try and make up for the mistake last year.”

For Allmedinger, the third-place result brought an end to his three-race winning streak since joining Forsythe Racing. However, he did have to contend with health issues. “This is probably the worst circuit to be unhealthy at just because it’s so physically demanding,” Allmendinger said. “It’s just something we all go through at some point where we’re sick for a race. You just got to keep fighting. The middle of the race is probably the toughest when there was no yellows for a whole stint and a half. But you just fight through it. You have no excuses.”

It was another spectacular event for Edmonton organizers, who were applauded after the inaugural event last year. The weather was much better this year as the rain stayed away and adjustments to the track made it a better circuit for drivers and fans.

“I think it’s a big step on last year,” Wilson said when asked about the track improvements. “They’ve made it safer… it’s all down to ourselves and Champ Car to fine tune things in general, not just Edmonton… You know we all love the track. I think it’s awesome obviously because I won. But even last year when I threw it away, I thought it was a fantastic circuit, a great venue.”

Despite some flu-like symptoms, AJ Allmendinger gave Forsythe Racing its fourth podium in four races with the team; here he shaves Neil Micklewright’s head before the race as part of a bet AJ won after taking the checkered in Toronto

Paul Tracy was in the thick of things in Edmonton but was beaten out of the pits by Justin Wilson early and then fell to fifth after the final restart

Alex Tagliani was chasing Sebastien Bourdais in the closing laps, but contact with the Frenchman put him into the wall and ended his day

Oriol Servia ran a strong race and made his way past Paul Tracy late to secure fourth.

44

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4/3/06 10:22:31 AM

with dan knutson

Photos by Steven Tee/LAT

f1 shuffle

starts early

I

n a matter of weeks, Formula One lost two of its most colourful, outspoken and well-known characters, not to mention a pair of Champ Car champions and Indy 500 winners plus a World Champion. In a F1 world of ever increasing sponsor-pandering politically correct monosyllable-answering bland drivers, this is not good news.

Both drivers were abruptly fired.

We’re talking, of course, about Canada’s Jacques Villeneuve and Colombia’s Juan Montoya.

At least Montoya made his own decision about his departure from F1 even if it happened sooner than he planned. Typically, in his impetuous style, he decided that he’d had enough of F1 and an uncompetitive McLaren Mercedes, telephoned his old boss and friend Chip Ganassi from his CART days, quickly agreed on a NASCAR deal for 2007, and then telephoned Ron Dennis at McLaren to tell him the news.

Dennis has intense loyalty to all his employees and expects the same in return. Over the years, about the only team member he has fired was Michael Andretti back in 1993. And now he fired JPM. Dennis said that Montoya needed to focus on his priorities but there was still a chance he’d race for McLaren this year.

Yeah, right!

“I was bored and no longer enjoying the races,” he said later in an interview with Colombian newspaper El Tiempo. “I had a good time in F1 and achieved almost all my goals there apart from winning the championship. I realized my chances of doing that were minimal. My chances of becoming World Champion at McLaren were very slim.

“It’s not much fun always fighting to finish fifth. I wanted a new challenge and that’s what I found in NASCAR. It will be another new experience for me, especially with so much more racing. NASCAR is a different world.”

Montoya’s telephone call to Dennis was short.

“The conversation lasted about twenty seconds,” Montoya said. “He had nothing to say, and then they didn’t want me driving the car any more because they thought I would no longer be completely focused on F1.”

BMW fired Villeneuve the day after the Hungarian Grand Prix. The fact that Kubica drove well in the tricky conditions and finished seventh in his F1 debut surely helped sway BMW’s decision. But you can’t help thinking that the decision had already been made.

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Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

“I was bored and no longer enjoying the races. I had a good time in F1 and achieved almost all my goals there apart from winning the championship. I realized my chances of doing that were minimal. My chances of becoming World Champion at McLaren were very slim.”

Little did JV know

All this happened just prior to the French Grand Prix at which time Villeneuve still drove for BMW Sauber.

“I was surprised because it happened early in the year, early enough so that there was still time to talk with teams in F1,” Villeneuve said of Montoya’s move. “So it is ballsy and gusty. It is great.

“NASCAR has always looked very exciting, racing wise. So it is something definitely you have to look at if there is no F1. It is good to see Juan Pablo making the move on his own and not because he was left without a drive.”

Little did Villeneuve or most of the rest of us know that just over two weeks later he’d be left without a drive…

BMW Sauber boss Dr. Mario Theissen was less than enthusiastic about having Villeneuve race for his team in 2006, and nothing was finalized until the very last minute even though the Canadian had a contract for this year via previous owner team Peter Sauber.

All in all, and Theissen said so as well, Villeneuve did a solid if not impressive job this year. He pretty much matched Nick Heidfeld, BMW’s golden boy signed to a three-year contract. Still, Theissen said no decision about the second 2007 seat would be made until the end of this season.

There’s an interesting parallel here. Back in 1993 Dennis was itching to try out Mika Hakkinen, McLaren’s test driver at the time, in race conditions. And

BRINGS YOU

COVERAGE

OF THE 2006 F1 SEASON

the departure of Andretti (ironically, like Montoya, to Ganassi Racing) made that happen. Surely Theissen wanted to see how BMW’s talented tester, Poland’s Robert Kubica, who has been very fast in the Friday practice sessions on Grand Prix weekends, would fare in a race.

Opening for Kubica

Two weeks after the French Grand Prix, in Germany, Villeneuve and Heidfeld collided on the opening lap. Villeneuve got the blame although apparently subsequent video footage showed he wasn’t at fault.

He then later crashed his badly handling car heavily.

He didn’t attend the post race debrief because he had a headache.

The Hungarian Grand Prix was on the very next weekend. Theissen said that Villeneuve’s manager called two days after the German race to say that he was still suffering from headaches, and that’s when BMW decided to replace JV with Robert Kubica for the weekend. In Hungary, Theissen refused to confirm if JV would drive for BMW again this year. The only thing Theissen would confirm was that the BMW team would make no decisions until after the Hungarian Grand Prix.

“I think he has been doing a good job for the team all season, and in testing as well,” Theissen said.

Had the team’s relationship with Villeneuve deteriorated?

“No,” Theissen said.

So would BMW still consider him for 2007?

“Yes.”

If Villeneuve was completely fit later this season, was there still no guarantee he would get his ride at BMW back?

“There’s no guarantee in life,” Theissen said.

No guarantee indeed. BMW fired Villeneuve the day after the Hungarian Grand Prix. The fact that Kubica drove well in the tricky conditions and finished seventh in his F1 debut (he was later disqualified for an underweight car) surely helped sway BMW’s decision. But you can’t help thinking that the decision had already been made.

The press release dressed it all up in nice language, saying the “BMW Sauber F1 Team and Jacques Villeneuve part company by mutual consent,” but the bottom line is that BMW had fired the former World Champion.

In the official statement, Theissen praised Villeneuve but said that the team had to assess its options for next season now.

“Jacques has performed well for us this year, scoring the team’s first Grand Prix points in Malaysia,” Theissen said. “He has made a significant contribution to developing the newly formed BMW Sauber F1 Team and the performance of the car. However, after Jacques’ accident in the Hockenheim race the team decided to review its options for next year, including assessing Robert Kubica in a race environment.”

Theissen said that BMW could not promise Villeneuve that he would drive again in the remaining five races of 2006.

“Our decision to look towards evaluating our driver line up has naturally impacted Jacques’ position for

the remainder of this season,” he said. “We fully understand that it is difficult for Jacques to maintain his natural level of commitment in circumstances of uncertainty. We respect his position and wish him well for the future.”

Villeneuve, obviously, wanted to drive for BMW Sauber next year.

“This is really disappointing as I was looking forward to working with BMW on longer terms, going into next season capitalizing on our common experiences,” he said on his website. “I will now have more time to concentrate on future projects.”

BMW was not that keen to pick up Villeneuve’s contract in 2006, so it was not likely he would have been invited back next year. But he was robbed of the chance to prove himself worthy of a job with another F1 team over the final races of the season.

Even so, there are very, very few F1 rides available and it’s all but certain that Villeneuve’s Grand Prix career is over.

But his racing career may not be over. Villeneuve (like Montoya) is a racer, and he says NASCAR is the best alternative to F1.

“It is totally different,” he said. “It is not open wheel. It is still racing and driving, but it is a big time career move. Sadly in the last eight years, since the separation (between CART and the IRL), GP2 is better than Indy Cars.”

Montoya’s departure was definitely a case of F1’s loss being NASCAR’s gain. Sadly, F1 has lost Villeneuve as well. Will this also turn into benefit for NASCAR?

“This is really disappointing as I was looking forward to working with BMW on longer terms, going into next season capitalizing on our common experiences. I will now have more time to concentrate on future projects.” www.prnmag.com – Performance Racing News

47

with neal jones

Da Matta

Photo by LAT Photographic

making progress

Fans were quick to show their support for da Matta by signing this board at the next race in Denver

T

he day began like any other test for the Champ Car World Series teams. Most of the top teams were in attendance at Road America on Aug. 3 as they tried to work on set-ups for the remainder of the 2006 season. Then everything changed.

As Cristiano da Matta circulated Road America in his No. 10 RuSPORT car a deer came bounding on the track after Turn 6 and the Brazilian had no time to react. After hitting the deer, the animal was thrown towards the cockpit and struck da Matta in the head area.

The Champ Car Safety Crew was quickly on the scene and discovered an unconscious da Matta behind the wheel. Working fast, the Safety Team had da Matta out of the car, into a helicopter and into a waiting operating room less than two hours after the accident. Emergency surgery was performed at the Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, WI by Randall R. Johnson M.D., Ph.D. from the Neuroscience Group of Northeast Wisconsin.

Shortly after the surgery was completed, Champ Car’s Director of Medical Affairs, Dr. Chris Pinderski, released a statement. “Repeat CT scans show no further bleeding, but Cristiano does have some cerebral adema, which is swelling of the brain itself. This is common with significant head injuries and was expected in this situation. His condition has stabilized but he will remain under heavy sedation as his recovery process continues.”

Da Matta spent the next few weeks in intensive care, but made steady progress each day. By Aug. 9 much of his sedation was taken away and he was able to show spontaneous movement as well as in response to stimulation even though he was still not conscious. On Aug. 16 he had regained some consciousness and was becoming more alert each day.

On the 16th his ventilator was removed, which had been providing respiratory support since his acci48

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

dent. By Aug. 20, da Matta had improved to the point where he was released from intensive care.

“Cristiano is still making daily progress while recovering from injury two weeks ago, Dr. Pinderski said in a statement. “Yesterday (Aug. 19), he was transferred out of the intensive care unit to an intermediate care unit at Theda Clark Medical Center.

We will now begin the process of planning for longer term rehabilitation which is necessary after significant head injuries.”

While da Matta is till not out of the woods medically speaking, his daily improvement has been a positive sign. Head injuries are very difficult to predict so setting a timetable for a full recovery is impossible to predict. But according to Dr. Pinderski, any progress after an injury such as this is a positive sign.

Safety Team the key

Much like Alex Zanardi owes his life to the Champ Car Safety Team, people were quick to praise the efforts of the safety crew after this accident as well.

Their speedy response to the scene as well as quick action to get da Matta to the hospital was vital to helping da Matta recover from his injuries.

“More than anything, what I want to say is, first of all, thanks to Champ Car and Chris (Dr. Pinderski) and his team,” said RuSPORT president Jeremy Dale. “They did a tremendous job with Cristiano at the race track and really made a difference…

Thank you Champ Car for continuing to make investment in what I think is the best safety team in racing, period.”

“This actually couldn’t have gone much better,” Dr. Pinderski said about the response to the accident.

“Really the safety team does a great job, are very well-prepared to take care of these kind of things…

Getting someone into the operating room in less than two hours after a major head injury is excellent. Typically these kind of injuries are treated, you know, two

to four hours. We actually had him under that twohour window, which helps in his ultimate outcome.”

Outpouring of support

When news of da Matta’s injuries first surfaced fans and drivers alike were quick to offer their support. By the time the next race occurred (at Denver on Aug. 13), everyone was trying to help out. A special banner was set up in the paddock area for fans to sign and each driver had a special sticker on the car that read: “KIKI, Please Push.” Kiki is the nickname the other drivers have for the 2002 series champion.

The outpouring of emotion from fans really had an impact on da Matta’s family and they released a statement a few days after the accident. “”We are very happy with the care that Cristiano is receiving here at Theda Clark Medical Center, and we are confident that he is getting the best care possible,” the family statement said. “We will continue to stay here with Cristiano for the foreseeable future, based on his recovery. The entire family would like to thank everyone for the tremendous outpouring of support we have received since Cristiano’s accident, and continue to receive. Cristiano would appreciate it, and we know it will help him get through his recovery process.”

In lieu of flowers and gifts, the family has asked that a donation be made in his name to the Hole in the Wall Camps, an official charity of the Champ Car World Series. For information on how to do that visit www.holeinthewallcamps.org or call 203-5621203. Get well cards can be sent to: Cristiano da Matta, patient; Theda Clark medical Center; 130 2nd. Street; Neehan, WI, USA; 54956.

Everyone at Performance Racing News wishes da Matta the best as he fights back from the injuries and our best wishes go out to his family and friends as well.

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Photo by Ramesh Bayney

Photo by Ramesh Bayney

Jimmie Johnson kneeled on the Yard of Bricks while his car owner, crew chief and wife were ecstatic, exchanging hugs and high-fives as they eagerly prepared to kiss the famous stretch of track surface at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“I doubted this race track. I doubted my ability to get around this track,” he said. “We’ve been kicking ourselves for years. So to get over this hurdle, to get past it, I am just so full inside and I just want to go sit down and reflect and think about it. Just go sit down in a corner and chill out and relax.”

From the start a win for Johnson seemed dubious as his radio wasn’t working when he climbed into his Chevrolet on the starting grid, and his Hendrick Motorsports team frantically worked to fix it before the race began. It took him just a handful of laps to figure out his car was stout enough to challenge for the win, but a flat tire 39 laps nearly wiped it out.

Stressed that his fender has been damaged and the car had been reduced to junk, Johnson was subdued when he headed to pit road. His team changed the tire, crew chief Chad Knaus gave him 54

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

Photo by RLAT Photographic

Kevin Harvick had a special Reese’s paint scheme at Indy and it worked well as he took the last spot on the podium

Jeff Gordon hoped to tie Michael Schumacher for total wins at Indy (five) and tie Dale Earnhardt in career wins, but those hopes were dashed when he went behind the wall early for repairs; finishing 16th and on the lead lap

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Matt Kenseth tried, but he had nothing left for Jimmie Johnson in the closing stages and had to settle for the runner-up spot

Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled most of the day at Indy, but a stop for two tires on the final caution was enough to give him sixth and keep him in the Chase Photo by Ramesh Bayney

a quick pep-talk, and Johnson was off. Only he was in 38th place.

He still sliced his way through the field and aggressively powered to the front with about 100 miles to go. The race was his until a late caution for debris with 19 laps. Johnson pitted for four fresh tires and was in eighth when the race resumed with 14 to go, but the traffic was never an issue, and Johnson was back out front for the final 10. He crossed the finish line ahead of Matt Kenseth moments before a final caution for a last-lap accident involving Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle.

Kenseth, who has been sitting in second behind Johnson the past nine weeks and is 107 points out of the lead, said he had no chance to run down Johnson for the win. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 48 came out of nowhere and blew us all and won the race,â&#x20AC;? said Kenseth. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He just got through traffic better than us. He just did a better job of being in the right place getting through those cars.â&#x20AC;?

Kevin Harvick was third and Clint Bowyer was fourth. Mark Martin was fifth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. stole a sixth-place finish by not pitting on the final caution to salvage a horrible day and reclaim the 10th spot in the Chase for the championship.

Jeff Gordon, looking to race his way into the record books, never got the chance. He broke the sway bar on his Chevrolet just eight laps into the race and had to stop to have the part replaced.

The repair work dropped him three laps off the pace, and even though he worked his way back onto the lead lap he wound up 16th.

Photo by Ramesh Bayney

STOCK cars Johnson throws up a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Brickâ&#x20AC;?

Kasey Kahne was looking strong late in the race along with Greg Biffle, but an accident on the final lap took them both out and could have major implications on the Chase

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Lucas Oil.indd 1

8/30/06 2:53:55 PM

with George Webster

More steak

Photo by LAT Photographic

and less sizzle

Why are so many predicting success for Juan Montoya despite the fact that his only experience in a stock car was a demonstration run in Jeff Gordon’s DuPont car at Indianapolis in 2003

T

here’s an old adage in advertising that you sell the sizzle not the steak, but these days in racing we seem to get an awful lot of sizzle and not much steak.

Take the recent flurry of excitement over the announcement that Juan Montoya was going to leave Formula One and drive Chip Ganassi’s No. 42 Havoline car in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Everyone weighed on that one with the general opinion being that this was a great thing for NASCAR and that Montoya – a very talented driver – would quickly find success in the stock car series. This despite the fact that his only experience in a stock car was a demonstration run he made in Jeff Gordon’s DuPont car on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course as a promotion for the USGP in 2003.

Immediately after the announcement at Chicagoland in July, Montoya was benched by his F1 team owner, but, barring a buyout of the remaining term of the contract, Montoya won’t be getting behind the wheel of a stock car until the F1 season ends.

The hype that surrounded Montoya’s announcement this year reminded me of the excitement in many quarters about the stories of Paul Tracy’s plans to try stock car racing last year. In Tracy’s case, the sizzle of the speculation about how this gritty, physical, take-no-prisoners Champ Car driver would be a perfect match for stock car racing quickly sputtered out when the steak of Tracy’s real performances became a reality. Perhaps he did not embarrass himself in the stock cars but I don’t think he finished a race without incident and he never finished higher than 24th in his five starts.

What makes anyone think that Montoya will do all that much better than the other Champ Car champion?

Granted, Montoya has considerable talent as a race driver, but why should we expect much more from him than from his predecessors who tried to 58

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

make the transition from CART and/or road racing to stock cars. The recent history of drivers trying to make this switch is littered with failures like Tracy’s.

The only ones who successfully made the transfer were drivers who had the benefit of patient owners who gave them time to gain the experience needed to be able to drive the stock cars competitively. Tony Stewart was a champion in the IRL before he came over to NASCAR full-time, but, together with other “open wheel” drivers like Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, and Ryan Newman, he had lots of prior experience in short-track close-quarters racing – and all of these drivers had a year or two of acclimatization in the ARCA and/or Busch Series before jumping into a fulltime Cup ride.

Making the switch from road-racing to NASCAR is not easy – it’s like switching from European soccer to American football. Except for a specialist position like kicker the skill set is almost completely different, not to mention the huge differences in the racing culture.

In a stock car race, there is no telemetry. The driver has to have a feel for the car and be able to tell the crew chief what needs to be done to fix it on the next pit stop. Stock cars are big understeering monsters on tires that go “off” after only a couple of hot laps.

Road racers seem to be able to go well on their own on the big open superspeedways, but there’s nothing in their experience to prepare them for the tight, fender-to-fender racing on the shorter ovals.

One of the things that struck me when I first started to take stock car racing seriously was the fact that the older drivers – drivers in their 40s – were more successful than the younger ones. Eventually I came to realize that this was due to the drivers’ need to make strategy calls on the fly from the driver’ seat in response to the changes in the cars handling and in response to the unpredictable circumstances of the way the caution periods fell – and that many years of

experience were needed to learn how to win races.

Today, younger drivers seem to be able to overcome this with the help of an experienced crew chief on the box – but these guys already have years of shorttrack stock car experience before you see them in Busch or Cup. When Michael Andretti tried to make the transition to F1 in 1993 he was severely hampered by the strict limits on testing which prevented him from becoming acclimatized to the F1 car. Similarly, Montoya, who can’t even get into a stock car until late October will find that NASCAR’s testing limits will leave him starting the Daytona 500 with scant experience in these cars. In today’s highly competitive scene, Montoya will have Mears’ top-35 points standing to get him into the field for the first five races but after that he will have to make it on his own performance. How long will he have patience for this if he is struggling to run mid-pack – or even to make the field on speed? How long will Ganassi or the sponsors have the patience to keep him in the car if he can’t produce top-10 finishes right from the start?

Montoya and Ganassi seem to have set up a scenario for failure. If Montoya were prepared to step back and run a preliminary A-B-C (ARCA-BuschCup) training program for a year or two like Newman or Jeff Gordon or Stewart did, then he might be able to make the transition to becoming a front-runner in NASCAR as these former open wheel drivers did. Trying to jump in at the deep end almost will create unrealistic expectations. And when those expectations are not met, how much patience will they – sponsor, owner, Montoya himself, the media – have waiting for this great champion driver to find his footing in stock car racing.

Monoya’s going to be a great success in NASCAR? Talk to me a year from now, when we know the steak and not just the sizzle.

Hankook 8.03

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with Jamie Maudsley

new team

Photos by Gerry Frechette

for Lapcevich

Jeff Lapcevich and Dave Connelly have hooked up for the remainder of the 2006 season in a relationship they hope to extend into the future

R

acesportz recently announced a new driver for its Carhartt backed entry in the CASCAR Super Series. The Ottawabased team’s owner Dave Connelly spoke about the signing shortly after the Mosport oval event. “We’ve hired Jeff Lapcevich for the remainder of the 2006 season. That’s the deal for now, but we’re really looking at keeping him on board for 2007 as well.”

Jeff, a road course ace, has racked up a number of accomplishments in a short period of time on the Super Series. He first turned the wheels of a CASCAR in 2000, and ran a limited schedule for a number of years while still competing in the Grand-Am Cup Series south of the border.

In July of 2003 the 36-year-old garnered his first taste of CASCAR success, besting the field for a win at the Toronto Molson Indy. But Lapcevich wasn’t done.

He went on to follow up with a win in the next road course event, the Molson Indy Vancouver, and went into the off-season with a two-race winning streak on road courses. In the first road course event of 2004, he made it the hat trick, and followed that up with another win in Toronto, for a CASCAR record four road course victories in a row.

He wouldn’t win in 2005, but the Fastline Motorsports Team addressed the problems over the offseason. “We knew we had to step up after we got skunked in 2005. We did, and it has seemed to work this season, as we won at the Edmonton Grand Prix, and were one of the fastest cars at Three Rivers before we had problems.

“Dave was looking for a driver and we’ve been looking for a sponsor, so it was a great move for both of us,” Jeff added about the switch. “We decided to keep using our stuff until the end of the season, so for now, we’ll have the Carhartt Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Our road course car has been pretty good so far

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this season, and I think we’ll be strong in Montreal, which is the last road course event of the season. Our oval car has also run well this season, but we only had two starts in it. We ran well at Barrie until we lost a cylinder and then at the Mosport oval race we ran in the top-10 all night, and stayed on the lead lap. As for 2007, nothing is in place now, but we’ll see how it goes over the last month of this season. We will also still have EMCEA and Tim Horton’s on our cars for the last few races as well.”

The move left CASCAR’s only U.S.-born driver Marc Miller out of a ride. “At the end of the day, if the program isn’t working, you have to make a change,” Connelly explained. “It was a tough thing to do, because I’ve worked with Marc for three years now, but there are three components — the car, the team, and the driver. We’ve got a commitment with D.J.K. Racing to field cars for us, and their team is top notch.

In the end, it just wasn’t working and we wish Marc all the best.”

Miller spoke about the deal, and his future plans.

“I’d like to get back into CASCAR. It’s a great series with a solid television package. It’s a shame it didn’t work out, but Racesportz had to make the decision that they thought was best for them. Right now, I’m trying to put something together for next year. I would like to maybe put a Star Mazda Series ride together.

We’ll see what happens.”

CASCAR Grads Shining

A number of Canadians have been busier than Paul Tracy’s spin-doctor this summer. Recently a CASCAR grad made his first career starts in both a NASCAR Craftsman Truck and an ARCA machine, while another CASCAR driver got teed up to run during the Busch weekend at Bristol. While all that was developing, a Quebec native was picking up a checkered flag in ARCA competition at Memphis Speedway.

2004 CASCAR Rookie-of-the-Year Petey Shepherd has been busy over the last couple of months. He piloted a Carl Edwards owned USAC Silver Crown racer to Midget to finishes of sixth at Richmond and Milwaukee, eighth at Kentucky, and a runner-up performance at Chicago. He also made his first two truck starts, running up front at times, but only posting finishes in the 20s.

When the Nextel Cup Series came to Michigan in August, Shepherd was part of the weekend, racing an ARCA car backed by Griddly Headz. The rookie didn’t look out of place once action kicked off, and while he fell from his fifth starting spot and ran around 10th through the first half of the race. A problem put Shepherd at the back of the field, but he was able to make a late charge, slicing through traffic to finish a very solid 10th.

Shepherd made his first career start earlier in the ARCA season, posting a fourth-place showing at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis after qualifying 15th.

Another CASCAR star, D.J. Kennington, raced at Bristol twice in his career in Hooters Cup action.

This year he will step up to the Friday night show in Bristol, where he will be driving a Randy McDonald owned car. It will also make for a busy weekend for Kennington, as the CASCARs will be in Montreal as part of the Champ Car race, and he will have to fly to Montreal first thing Saturday morning, the day of the Super Series feature.

Two-time Hooters Cup champion Mario Gosslin has been on a roll as well lately. He was leading, only to run out of gas during the ARCA Kansas event with just 10 laps to go. He avenged that defeat a few weeks later, as he lit up victory lane at Nashville. He recovered from a lap 75 spin to do it. Originally from Ste. Marie, PQ, it was Gosslin’s second career ARCA victory.

EMCEA 18.04.indd 1

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PRESENTS

THE 2006 CASCAR SUPER SERIES

No repeat winner through

seven races

Vernon

Jeff Lapcevich returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2004 when he won the CASCAR debut race at the Grand Prix of Edmonton Photos by Ramesh Bayney

Brad Graham won the Castrol 300 CASCAR Super Series race at Sun Valley Speedway, becoming the third first-time Super Series winner in four races in 2006.

Heading into the final laps of the 300-lap race at the half-mile tri-oval, Graham was in a familiar and somewhat uncomfortable position. Graham had taken the lead from points leader J.R. Fitzpatrick on lap 296 and found himself in the lead with veteran racer DJ Kennington hot on his heels. In 2005, in this race, Kennington passed Graham with just three laps to go, thereby denying the Glencoe, ON racer his first trip to victory lane. This time, however, Graham would not be denied. At the finish, the former Sportsman Series champ beat Kennington’s Castrol Dodge Charger across the finish line.

Sophomore JR Fitzpatrick continued his control atop the points with podium finishes at Vernon, Trois-Rivieres and Mosport

Brad Graham took his first CASCAR victory with a superb run at Sun Valley Speedway

“I knew it was DJ (Kennington) behind me again,” said Graham. “It wasn’t going to happen to me twice.

This track kind of owed me one. It feels pretty awesome to win, for me and my whole family, who have been supportive of me doing this for the past 20 years. I’d also like to thank my five-year sponsor Challenger Motor Freight and John Logel, who came on last year. We’ve built a top-notch team together.”

With the victory, Graham became the fourth different winner in as many races in 2006. Scott Steckly, Kerry Micks and J.R. Fitzpatrick have also collected single checkered flags so far this season.

J.R. Fitzpatrick finished third, in front of Steckly and Micks.

David Whitlock steadily improved his position throughout the night at Mosport and came away with the win at the checkered flag

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Edmonton

Jeff Lapcevich ended an almost two-year CASCAR Super Series winless drought in the Griddly Headz 100

at the Grand Prix of Edmonton. The Caistor Centre, ON resident started fourth in the 38-car field and never looked back after coming out on top of an early-race battle with polesitter J.R. Fitzpatrick.

It was the sixth Super Series win of Lapcevich’s career. The Tim Hortons / EMCEA Transport Chevy last visited victory lane following the Vancouver Indy on July 24, 2004. Kerry Micks, who won the Father’s Day CASCAR race at Mosport Raceway, finished second in his Cdn. Detailing Services Ford Taurus, ahead of CASCAR newcomer Kenny Habul, who recorded his first-ever Super Series podium finish.

Points leader Fitzpatrick started on the pole after dominating practice and qualifying in his Milwaukee Tools Chevy. His Fitzpatrick Motorsports teammate Don Thomson Jr. started alongside in the Home Hardware Chevy, but had a tire go down early in the race, forcing him to the pits for new rubber.

Trois-Rivieres

On Aug. 7, 2001, Don Thomson Jr. was cruising at the front of the field in the CASCAR race at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières when his car suddenly lost power on the final lap of the race he had dominated from the green flag. The heartbreaking turn of events was something that Thomson never forgot. In the five years since, the Home Hardware Chevy driver has thought often about ‘the one that got away.’

In 2006, Thomson was able to erase the memory of that painful day by winning the Arctic Cat 100 on the streets of Trois-Rivieres, QC. To make the victory even sweeter, he was followed across the finish line by his Fitzpatrick Motorsports teammate J.R. Fitzpatrick, whose second-place result was good enough to maintain his spot atop the points. Thomson, the five-time and current National champion, jumped to second in the points on the strength of his first win of the season.

“After what happened here five years ago, I didn’t know if we would ever come back to Trois-Rivieres,” said Thomson, almost exactly five years to the day from CASCAR’s only other appearance at the legendary Canadian road racing event. “It feels really good, especially considering the disappointment of losing the race with one corner to go the only other time we were here.”

Thomson continued, “We started second behind Kerry Micks, who took the early lead. There was a big crash in turn 1, and soon after, I could tell Kerry was having engine problems and he pulled off. From there, it was pretty uneventful other than the fact that I had my teammate J.R. breathing down my neck the entire race. I have always dreamed of having us finish ‘one-two’ in a race, and I’m so proud that we were able to do it today.”

Third-place went to Ron Beauchamp Jr. in his MOPAR-sponsored Dodge Charger. The Windsor, ON racer started fifth in the 25-car field and had a solid run to the podium finish. Robin Buck came home fourth in Dave Jacombs’ Lou’s BBQ / CPS Ford, while Mark Dilley guided his Dodge-sponsored Charger to an impressive fifth-place result.

Kerry Micks remains in the thick of the title hunt as second-place runs at Edmonton and Mosport solidified his position

The Wyoming, ON resident emerged in 10th-place after pitting with the rest of the field, one-third of the way into the race. From there, the three-time CASCAR champ worked his way forward. With 75 laps to go, he cracked the top five. And on lap 163, he moved into second, passing series points leader J.R. Fitzpatrick, leaving only race leader Kerry in his way.

There was little doubt that Whitlock had the faster car of the two, and on lap 169, he blew past Micks on the entry to Turn 1. Micks attempted to cool his tires and brakes for another late run at Whitlock, but it wasn’t to be. In the end, Whitlock’s Dodge came home less than half-a-second in front of Micks’ Ford.

“We adjusted the stagger a bit during our stop, and that set us up for the end,” said Whitlock. “We needed a long green flag run to get through the pack, and we got it. Everybody raced me very clean. Kerry (Micks) basically let me go. He knew how quickly we caught him and he gave me lots of room. I’m sure he was going to try and save his tires for a late run at

me, but I wasn’t going to let him get close enough for that.”

For his part, Micks was pleased with the result.

“Our goal tonight was to get the lead and stay out front for a while. I wasn’t going to push it too hard with Dave (Whitlock). I was planning to go back at him later, but we’d worn our stuff out by then. And when J.R. (Fitzpatrick) came up on me so fast, the goal turned into keeping second, and that’s what we did.”

Fitzpatrick, who led twice during the race for a total of 63 laps, finished third. The podium result allowed the youngster to extend his points lead over his teammate Don Thomson Jr. Thomson (Home Hardware Chevy) recovered to fifth-place at the end after being taken out by a backmarker, while running second, during a mid-race restart.

Ron Beauchamp Jr. guided his MOPAR-sponsored Dodge Charger to fourth at the end. The Dodgesponsored Charger of polesitter Mark Dilley came home sixth.

Photos by Jamie Maudsley

The five-time and defending Super Series champion recovered to fifth at the end.

The early action featured back-and-forth racing between Fitzpatrick and Lapcevich. After swapping the lead a few times following the race’s lone fullcourse caution, Fitzpatrick experienced electrical problems and fell off the pace, to 14th at the finish. At the checkered flag, Lapcevich cruised home almost 15 seconds ahead of Micks, despite never having raced on the Edmonton circuit before.

“After we got past J.R. (Fitzpatrick) that second time, it was pretty uneventful,” said Lapcevich. “My biggest concern was making sure that we had a few cars between us and Kerry (Micks) in case there were any late restarts. I was behind him for that restart at Mosport when he got by (Peter) Gibbons and I didn’t want to take any chance of that happening to me today.”

Fourth-place went to DJ Kennington in the Castrol Dodge Charger, ahead of Thomson.

Mosport Speedway

Dave Whitlock ended his personal two-year winless streak at Mosport Speedway after starting 10th in the field of 23 racers at the tight, half-mile oval.

And while others abused their brakes and tires, Whitlock was ultimately rewarded for preserving his NTNBower / Griddly Headz / NMT Dodge Charger for the end of the Mosport Speedway 200.

DJ Kennington was running well at Mosport until he encountered trouble with his front right tire (l.), which came apart just moments later (r.)

www.prnmag.com – Performance Racing News

63

ROAD RACING

Marc-Antoine Camirand drove the Thilenius-Camirand Powell Cobalt to victory in the ST division

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Trois-Rivières T

he Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières was almost lost a few years ago when cigarette sponsorship was banned. It took a few years to find the right formula to bring it back to life. But, even if there are no more “major” series running the mid-summer event (Trois-Rivières used to be one of the greatest places to see Can-Am, Trans-Am and Formula Atlantic races), it has focused on some local series that have been more exciting than some so-called American International series.

Local boys do the job

Photo by Éric Descarries

Though they tried, Tagliani-Limoges ended up 11th in the Grand Am GS race

Once again, the GP3R organizers counted on some exciting local series to give a good show. To no surprise, the Quebec only Echo Pirelli Cup race pitting a bunch of stock Toyota Echos on the track was a great show. Veteran racer Jean-François Veilleux, leader of the series, thought he would have it easy. It did not work out that way. Local driver Jean-François Dumoulin, a guest for that weekend, quickly went around pole sitter Veilleux to easily win the race. Veilleux had to settle for fourth behind Jean-Sébastien Besner and Jean-David Alder. Meanwhile, back in the pack, Didier Schraenen drove the Media car form dead last (as required by the rules) to seventh place!

A quick Mazda MX5 race saw Tennessee’s Jim Daniel easily winning the 33 lap event. The only Canadian in the race was B.C.’s Melanie Paterson, who ended up 12th.

One of the most exciting races of the weekend pitted the Grand-Am Cup ST cars on Saturday afternoon. With more than 30 cars on the grid, the action rapidly turned to near tragedy when a major crash occurred on the first lap of the two hour race, involving Scott Schlesinger, Paul Stoddard and young Mathieu Audette. The Acura RSX he was driving was caught in the melée and Audette was knocked unconscious. He was driven to the hospital (two blocks away) and woke up later that evening without any consequence.

When the race resumed, Quebec driver Marc-Antoine Camirand finally caught up with race leader

Though they tried, TaglianiLimoges ended up 11th in the Grand Am GS race

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Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

Matt Plumb and on lap 48 of 72, passed him to grab the lead and never relinquished it. It was Camirand’s fifth win on that track in five different classes, one shy of veteran Jacques Bienvenue’s record.

Camirand was co-driving a Powell Motorsport Cobalt with Dave Thilenius.

Sunday began with Formula 1600 and this time veteran Didier Schraenen was the favourite, but Michel Bonnet of the LM Racing team went from the front row to the checkered flag first. Camirand, also included in that race, ended up third. In the Star Mazda category, fans were hoping for a victory by St-Eustache’s Kevin Lacroix. Unfortunately, he ended up fourth, Matt Varsha being the winner.

The CASCAR race that was a real crowd pleaser, reminding older fans of the TransAm races that were held there in the seventies and eighties. Don Thomson Jr. was the winner and saw two local Quebec drivers in the race, Bertrand Godin (who wants to be a regular figure in the championship) and rookie Richard Durivage. Godin had to quit on lap 27, while Durivage ended up 16th!

Finally, the race that everyone was waiting for turned out being a disappointment for local fans.

Indeed, the Grand-Am GS race involved quite a few Quebec drivers including ‘Tiger’ Tagliani, Limoges, Spénard and a few others. Tagliani was well placed on the starting grid but trying to avoid a contact with another car, he drove his Mustang out of the lines defining the course just before the drop of the green flag. He had to go through pit lane as a penalty and went from first to 16th. He brought it up to second but the team lost a lot of time while switching drivers with Limoges and the team ended up 11th with worn out brakes. Pat Long and Brent Martini (Porsche 997) won over Rob Finlay and Micheal McDowell driving a Mustang. Quebec’s Fernando Scattolin led the first half of the race but his co-driver, Tom Nastase, was not as fast and finished 10th. Spénard and JF Dumoulin finished 12th behind Tag and Limoges, MarcAntoine Camirand and Craig Conway were 18th though they did not finish the race and Doug Goad and Stéphane Roy ended up 20th.

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Energy Suspension 18.05.indd 1

8/15/06 5:55:36 PM

Photo by Eric Lars Bakke/Shazamm/ESPN Images

ROAD RACING

This roll by Colin McRae in the closing stages cost him valuable time, but the former World Rally Champ hit the gas when the car landed right side up and still took home the Silver Medal – losing out on gold by a half-second

RALLY ‘

ROUND

X GAMETHE S PASTRA N X GAME A EDGES MCR AE S RALLY EVENT G FOR FIRST EV ER OLD

T

ravis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom won the first-ever X Games Rally Car Racing Gold Medal, but Colin McCrae may have stolen away the signature moment from the debut final at The Home Depot Center.

McCrae, who entered Saturday’s “Super Special” ahead of Pastrana by 0.5 second overall, appeared to be headed for the Gold as he re-entered the stadium for the final push to the finish line. That’s when the car got loose on McCrae and co-driver Nicky Grist rolled over. True to his reputation as a rally car racing legend, McCrae didn’t miss a beat, kept his foot on the pedal, and when the car landed back on its tires gunned to a Silver Medal finish — missing gold by just 0.52 seconds.

Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino drove away with the Bronze Medal.

Even Pastrana, who also took home X Games gold in the Moto X Best Trick and Freestyle events, had praise for McCrae following the competition. “It’s an honour to be next to Colin McCrae,” said Pastrana.

“I’m very surprised to have won the first X Games rally car event. No words can describe it. It’s been the best week of my life. I’m so happy that rally racing has a presence in the X Games.”

McCrae, disappointed the gold got away from him, was still excited about Rally Car Racing’s debut at X Games 12. “It’s not the way I wanted to finish,” said McCrae, “But it was the best show we could possibly put on here at X Games. I’m so happy to get the first X Games rally racing Silver Medal.”

Block added, “It’s exciting to take the first X Games Bronze and to be racing in the presence of Travis Pastrana and Colin McCrae.”

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XGames Rally 18.05.indd 2

Travis Pa strana pla yed rewarded with the fi a key role in brin ging rally rst ever G racing to old Meda l the X Gam

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8/25/06 10:52:43 AM

Drifting goes big at St. Eustache

By Ben Woo Photos by Jeremy Glover

By Ben Woo Photos by Jeremy Glover

Marco Santos and his Infiniti G35

T

he difference between a fluke and a success is as clear as black and white. One, of course, is the result of chance and the other, the direct result of detailed planning, timing and good old fashioned hard work. Such was the case this at the Autodrome St-Eustache as over 5,000 fans, more than 20 cars and near perfect weather conditions came together for the third round of the Castrol Drift Mania Canadian Championship.

The Zerolift Nissan S13 put on a smoke show 68

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Haig Kanadjian alongside the Automotion S13

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GRassroots

Drifting goes big at St. Eustache

Skyline vs. 240SX: Old school Nissan performance

Big smoke from Nishimura’s RX7

Nissan vs. Nissan battle

Pit fans flocked to the Hankook main stage 70

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

The lovely Misa Campo This highly anticipated contest of oversteer control represented a crucial turning point in the DMCC season, for this third instalment was the last stop for the series in its home province of Quebec. This obviously enticed all the local drift fans to come out and support this final event as all five grandstands were completely full by the time qualifications began. A special national anthem ceremony immediately followed in true D1GP fashion as all the drivers lined up in front of the crowd for a truly Kodak-worthy moment.

Round 3 unfolded with intense excitement, with every battle getting better, leaving fans with the desire to see more. Great match-ups like Team Continental’s Fred Girard in his Nissan Skyline R32 versus Team Tyco / Federal’s Tyler Hall in his newly built pink S13 kept the crowd roaring. This was the first time ever that a “one more time” decision was made on a Top 16 battle, demonstrating the extent to which the skill level has improved in such a short period of time.

By the time the competition narrowed down to the Top 8, judges were at a complete loss as to which driver had the best chance for podium finishes.

Many unexpected upsets occurred such as Ben Alden of Team Yokohama failing to advance past the Top 16 as well as 2005 champion Ryan Tuerk losing to Alden’s Yokohama teammate, Haig Kanadjian in a very close-fought duel.

Newcomer Nathan Brasz and his slick S14 made the long trek up from Virginia and entertained the fans by beating out local hero Marco Santos of Team Tyco / Continental in an awesome Top 8 bout. Santos was forced to compete in his backup vehicle, a mildly-prepped Infinity G35, due to a blown third gear on his 240SX during qualification rounds. Another highlight was the Toyo vs. Toyo battle of Hideki Nishimura’s JDM RX-7 and Daryl Rebeck’s Tomei-powered 240SX. The crowd went wild as the pair laid down incredible rooster tails of smoke on the tarmac.

By the end of the competition, it was Team Toyo’s Nishimura who faced Team Tyco / Federal’s Hall for the top two podium spots. Due to an unfortunate mechanical failure of the rear shocks, Hall was forced to forfeit, giving Nishimura his first top finish of the season. Kanadjian would continue his impressive performance by fending off US competitor Brasz to secure a well-deserved third.

Drifting is no longer a secret. Proof of this statement was provided as drifters from New York State, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Virginia, Ontario, BC and Quebec gathered for the absolute biggest drifting event ever held on Canadian soil.

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C PRN to prov r choic e tries ct care e corr

PRN’s intrepid correspondent Jamie Maudsley (r.) made his racing debut under the watchful eyes of (l. to r.) Trevellin Motorsports’ Crew Chief Ian Holden, team owner Kevin Trevellin and his wife Chrystal

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ast Labour Day a dream came true for one Canadian motorsports journalist as I was given the opportunity to not only drive a real race cat at Delaware Speedway, but to actually race in an event.

On Oct. 1, 2005 I arrived at Delaware Speedway, hunted down my car owner, Kevin Trevellin of Trevellin Motorsports, and after filling out the proper paperwork, got suited up in my new ride (an ‘83 Cutlass Street Stock). After a few minor adjustments to the cockpit, I was ready to hit the track.

Being around race cars my entire life, I had a lot of respect for race car drivers before I ever strapped myself in the seat, but all it took was a few laps of practice to have my eyes opened even wider. I went out behind a friend, who was going to show me where to run on the track. After a couple laps, he was just a dot in the distance. That’s when it first occurred to me that I was definitely in over my head.

Throughout the practice session I concentrated on hitting my marks and working on braking technique (braking with your left foot is a lot tougher than it sounds). The lap times began to drop and my confidence soared, until late in the final session. It was then that I learned exactly what it means to ‘run out of talent.’ While coming off Turn 2 I pinched the car on the bottom and the next thing I knew, I was sliding towards the infield wall. Luckily I got stopped in time, but I had learned a very valuable lesson — when the car starts to get loose, don’t hit the brakes, it only increases the ‘spin rate!’

After catching my breath and returning to the pits, I was ready for my qualifying race.

I was put at the back of the ‘fast heat,’ and when the green dropped the rest of the field sped away from me. On my first trip down the backstretch I found out just how quickly ‘stuff happens.’ Brian Verberne spun, and I had to hit the brakes and squeeze by on the outside, but I had made it. That was when I made another rookie mistake. I said to myself, “He’s sideways, they have to throw a caution.” I lifted, only to find out a few seconds later that it was still time to race on.

As the race went on, I was still in practice mode, trying to figure out how to drive the car deeper into the corners, but every few laps I would end up in the second groove, with no idea how, other than the fact that I broke too late.

As I was putting the finishing touches on lap eight, a train of cars appeared in my rearview mirror, and I had to keep reminding myself that these guys coming up to lap me had a championship on the line.

I gave them as much room as they needed and took the checkered flag a lap down, but with all the panels still attached.

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73

GRassroots Trading in the laptop

It’s thumbs up for Jamie Maudsley as he made his first foray into a real racing situation

My feature butterflies started buzzing immediately after hopping out. They stayed with me until well after I was sitting on pit road, buckled in and ready to roll for the 25-lap main event. I started at the back of the pack again, with one goal in mind — to pass one car during the event. When the green dropped, I was left by myself again, and survived a couple of cautions before a late race restart.

Some stragglers were at the back of the pack, a few guys that seem to struggle to find speed every week. Surely, I could pick up a late race spot by passing just one of them. It couldn’t be any harder than those racing video games I’d played growing up. But, when the green came out I got dusted again.

I did finish all but one lap in the 20-car feature, and came home with a 13th-place result, the last car still running.

I’d driven a few cars before at media functions, but nothing compared to actually racing. I managed to keep the car in one piece, I managed to learn just how tough it is to go racing, and I managed to figure out the answer to a question that’s been plaguing me for years: I don’t think I’m in any hurry to trade my laptop and camera in for a helmet anytime soon.

A brave car owner puts a journalist behind the wheel Kevin Trevellin is a long-time veteran on the Canadian racing scene, having competed in a number of divisions, including the CASCAR Super Series, the Power Water Sportsman Series, and Delaware’s Cintas Late Model division, to name a few.

Trevellin first appeared on the CASCAR scene in 1992 and posted his only career top-five in the season opener at Delaware in 1995. Since then, it’s been an uphill battle for the 34-year-old driver from Windsor, ON. “We’ve been behind the eight-ball for a few years now,” explained Trevellin. “I’ve had a tough time finding sponsors, but we’ve plugged away. I’m positive that if we had the right equipment we could run up front.”

For now, Trevellin relishes the underdog role, “I love coming to the track and competing. 2005 was good and bad. We destroyed a Late Model at Delaware early in the year, but in the last Sportsman race of the season we were able to post a top-10. We have to get some consistency, and a little backing, and we’ll be prepared to move into the future.”

Trevellin has also embarked on another recent adventure, working full-time for himself at Trevellin Motorsports, a full-service race shop servicing the Windsor-area. “So far, it’s been a challenge, but I haven’t met a challenge yet that I’ve ever backed down from!”

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Kevin Trevellin is a veteran racer at Delaware, having competed in Super Series, Sportsman and Delaware Speedway events since 1992

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8/30/06 11:18:04 AM

Photos by LAT Photographic

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BLADE 17”, 18”

PANIC

15”, 16”, 17”

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collection 8/7/06 5:53:33 8/7/06 3:12:05 PM PM

with mark hacking

Canadian titles

Photo by Ramesh Bayney

down to the wire

Coming into the final round of the season, Szoke has won five of six Superbike races and five of six 600 Sport Bike races. Yet it’s still conceivable that, if he suffers a bad weekend, he might not be crowned champion in either chase.

I

t seems to happen just about every year: As the traditional Labour Day Weekend season finale at Shannonville Motorsport Park draws closer and closer, the chase for the Canadian road racing championships becomes more and more nerve-wracked.

This year, the rule proves the rule. Former champ Jordan Szoke had the opportunity to upset the order of things and secure the Parts Canada Superbike Championship one round early at Atlantic Motorsport Park. But he saw that chance slip away as he lowsided his Kawasaki ZX10R while running in second place. Szoke picked up his machine and recovered to finish seventh, but was forced to hold off plans for any big celebrations as Shubenacadie race-winner Kevin Lacombe is still within striking distance for the #1 plate.

Meanwhile, in Hindle Pro 600 Sport Bike competition, it was a different story for Szoke: The Canadian Kawasaki rider won the AMP round to bring himself closer to clinching the title. As it stands, headed into Shannonville, Szoke holds a 47-point lead over Lacombe in 600 Sport Bike and a 51-point advantage over the very same Team Toyota Yamaha Racing rider in Superbike.

All of this doesn’t mean to imply that the championships have been strictly two-horse races over the course of the entire season, but the fact remains that Szoke and Lacombe are the only riders to claim victory in the premier classes in 2006.

The two-time champion and the rising star have shown pretty much everyone a clean pair of heels this season – including pre-season favourites Pascal Picotte, Francis Martin and Clint McBain. But in a competition that rewards speed and consistency in 78

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

fairly equal measures, these two have just been the quickest and most consistent.

Over the past few seasons, Canadian road racing has matured into a showcase of genuinely professional riders and teams. The points system being the way that is, everyone knows that a DNF will almost certainly derail a potential championship run. There are only seven rounds in the championship and placing well in six of them just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Coming into the final round of the season, Szoke has won five of six Superbike races and five of six 600 Sport Bike races. Yet it’s still conceivable that, if he suffers a bad weekend, he might not be crowned champion in either chase. (An unlikely scenario given that the Kawasaki rider only has to score a top-10 finish in both races to walk away on top.)

Second-placed Lacombe has learned from the likes of Szoke, Picotte and Steve Crevier that championships are built on race wins and podium finishes every time out of the box. The Yamaha rider has responded this season, securing podium finishes in every Superbike race and all but one Sport Bike race.

Shubenacadie offered further proof that the level of competition in both series is very high –possibly at an all-time high. Although Szoke had won all five of the Superbike races and four of the Sport Bike races coming in, no one was about to concede the championships.

In the Superbike feature, Szoke didn’t really have the option of riding conservatively because a pack of riders were buzzing around, ready to demote him to the bottom half of the top-10.

While Lacombe had jumped out in front, Szoke completed the opening lap in just fifth place. Seeing

his main title rival racing off into the distance, Szoke clawed his way up to second, passing the likes of Martin and Picotte along the way.

Near the halfway point of the race, with Lacombe still out in front, his pursuer low-sided coming into Turn 3 and the pressure was off. Lacombe cruised to a four-second win with Martin holding off Picotte for the runner-up spot. Szoke’s seventh-place finish was hard-fought and well-deserved, but it still wasn’t the result he was hoping for.

The 600 Sport Bike finale was, if anything, even more harried. Right from the start, a wild pack of riders – consisting of Szoke, Lacombe, Crevier, Martin and Andrew Nelson – were fighting tooth-and-nail for the lead. The pack was winnowed down to four when Martin dropped his Suzuki on the seventh lap while running second, but the action didn’t let off until the very end.

Szoke headed the field for every lap of the 18lap feature, but never had the luxury of a substantial lead. The Kawasaki rider ultimately secured the win by a scant 0.7 seconds from Lacombe. Crevier, completing another successful “guest ride” aboard a Picotte Performance-prepared Yamaha, wound up in third just over two seconds down, but posted the fastest race lap.

So, with another nail-biter on tap for this Labour Day Weekend, Canadian professional road racing has, once again, proven itself to offer some of the most competitive and exciting action of any type, sort or description. Only two riders have the chance for ultimate glory this season, but plenty of others have shown they’re ready to battle Szoke and Lacombe for every point until the last corner.

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canadian superbike

Motorcycles

Photos by Ramesh Bayney

Lacombe halts Szoke’s streak MOSPORT 1

J

ordan Szoke maintained his 2006 unbeaten streak with his fourth straight Parts Canada Superbike Championship feature win at Mosport International Raceway. The Brantford, ON rider on the Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R took the lead from Kevin Lacombe on lap 5 of the 18-lap race and survived constant pressure from the Granby, QC racer to win. Lacombe settled for second on his Picotte Performance / Yamaha Canada / Toyota Canada Yamaha YZF-R1 while teammate Pascal Picotte of St-Cecile Milton, QC finished third.

“It was a good battle. I wasn’t able to pull away from Kevin,” Szoke said.

“I just tried to save my rear tire for the last lap.”

Defending series champion Francis Martin of Rock Forest, QC got the lead off the start but by the end of the opening lap Lacombe was in front.

Szoke had a poor start and finished the first lap in fourth but quickly worked his way up to second before taking the lead from Lacombe.

“The first five laps I tried to break away,” Lacombe said. “But I saw Jordan coming. I backed off and tried to set something up for the last lap. I didn’t have the drive onto the backstraight but I was fast through the Esses.

But we caught a lapped guy and I just couldn’t do it.”

Clint McBain of Cochrane, AB finished fourth and Mississauga, ON’s Matt McBride took fifth after a great battle with the second factory Kawasaki ZX-10R of polesitter Tom Kipp.

In other action, Szoke came back from a rough race at the previous round

Kevin Lacombe broke Jordan Szoke’s winning streak in Superbike by taking the victory at Atlantic Motorsports Park

to win his third Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike feature of the year. Szoke took his Kawasaki ZX-6RR to a 0.186-sec. victory over Kipp after a race long battle. Lacombe finished third.

MOSPORT 2

Jordan Szoke did it again! Szoke won for the second day in a row at Mosport after a great battle at the front, making it five wins in a row this season for the Canadian Kawasaki rider.

At the start of this afternoon’s 18 lap race, defending class champion Francis Martin was at the front of a six bike freight train before mechanical trouble forced the Team Suzuki Racing rider to retire early on lap 3. Tom Kipp took over as the lead rider in a five way battle between Kevin Lacombe, Szoke, Pascal Picotte and Clint McBain. Polesitter Kipp stayed out front for three laps before being passed by Szoke and Lacombe when Szoke made his jump to the lead where he would successfully fight to stay for the remaining laps.

Picotte, who now appears to back up to form after spending the first half of the season haunted by pre-season injuries, moved past Kipp and then Lacombe to settle into second place on lap 11. Picotte managed to power past the green bike of Szoke one lap later on the long Mosport backstraight but was unable to stay there for long with Szoke almost immediately taking back the position.

Szoke led the remainder of the race, which was run in very warm conditions, to take his second victory of the day after winning the Pro 600 Sport Bike race earlier in the afternoon.

Picotte hung on for second place ahead of Lacombe. Kipp finished fourth after McBain faded late in the race.

While his five-race win streak came to end in Nova Scotia, Jordan Szoke still has a commanding lead in Superbike points and should take home the title at the Shannonville finale

Pascal Picotte appears to be back in form after early season injuries, picking up three staright podium finishes at Mosport and Shubenacadie

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Shubenacadie

Kevin Lacombe ended Jordan Szoke’s dominance of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship with a victory in round 6 at Atlantic Motorsport Park. The Granby, QC rider led all 22 laps to claim his first win of the 2006 season and his third win at AMP. Defending champion Francis Martin was second while Lacombe’s Yamaha teammate Pascal Picotte completed the podium.

“I knew we had a good set-up,” Lacombe said. “We were working all weekend on a set-up that would go the distance. I’ve been waiting all year for this; I knew here I would have something extra.”

Szoke, meanwhile, had to put his national Superbike title celebrations on hold as he failed to win for the first time this season. The Brantford, ON rider placed seventh on his Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-10R after falling in Turn 3 on lap 10. Szoke takes a 41-point series lead over Lacombe into the season finale at Shannonville Motorsport Park Sept. 3.

“Anything can happen,” said Lacombe of his championship chances. “I won now, so I will go to Shannonville trying to win again.”

Lacombe started second in the 23-bike field and grabbed the lead right off the start. He was already a second ahead after two laps and was five seconds to the good by half-distance. Szoke had started from pole position but was only fifth off the start. He had worked his way up to second by lap 9 before his fall.

Matt McBride placed fourth while Tom Kipp was fifth after making a late-race pass Andrew Nelson.

Szoke extended his lead in the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike Championship by edging Lacombe to victory in the 18-lap race. Szoke edged Lacombe by 0.730 seconds.

Defending class champion Steve Crevier was third.

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ama

Motorcycles

Spies closing in on win record and title Photos by Ramesh Bayney

Canadian Miguel Duhamel continued his pursuit of the Suzuki boys up front and pushed his Honda to a pair of third-place runs

Mid-Ohio 1

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies appears to be gaining in strength with each successive outing. The first round AMA Superbike tilt at Mid-Ohio was no exception. The Texan exploded from the pack at the green light, grabbing an almost unthinkable 2.386-second advantage following the opening circulation.

He continued to storm away at the front, cruising to a near double digit lead by lap 16 when he was confronted with one of the few variables that could possibly slow him down on this day: the dreaded red flag which was issued following an incident in the Keyhole involving Jason Pridmore and Taylor Knapp.

Despite the frustrating reality that his hard-earned padding had instantly been erased, Spies collected himself in time for the restart. While American Honda’s Miguel DuHamel took the holeshot the second time around, the 22-year-old stole back the lead entering Turn 6 on the brakes that same lap and once again set about working up a healthy lead en route to his ninth win of the season. Spies wasn’t able to drop his pursuers as easily following the stoppage, but he was still clearly in control. He eked away from sixtime champion Mat Mladin, who slotted into the runner-up spot on lap 19, to take the checkered flag.

“Today was really tough,” Spies stated after the race. “We got out on the first start and I hammered the first lap and tried to go as fast as we could. We got a pretty good gap and just tried to hold it there and then got the red flag. We put some new tires on it and gave it 110% — there was nothing else I had.”

DuHamel gave Mladin a stiff challenge before and after the red flag. The Canadian faded late but continued on to claim his fifth podium result of ’06. “(Spies and Mladin) are just really riding awesome,” DuHamel offered. “They’re braking deep and they’re carrying good corner speed and accelerating hard out of the corners. We’re a little weak in a couple of corners we need to fix for tomorrow. But even that being said, you always try to hang on but Ben is able to disappear. When Mat got by I was trying to hang on with him and we seemed to make some inroads on Ben. The best we did was stop the bleeding a little bit. Then after that he pulled away and the cards played themselves out at the end of the race.”

His American Honda teammate, Jake Zemke, showed podium-caliber speed as well, but his race ended in sparks and dust, as the Californian lowsided while negotiating Turn 12 on lap 22.

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A sweep of the Mid-Ohio doubleheader gives Ben Spies 10 wins on the season and he has five races left to tie the all-time mark of 11 in a single season.

Mid-Ohio 2

Sunday’s contest was one of the most hotly contested of the 2006 season, with scrappy battles to be found virtually throughout the top 10. Excluding the lead position, which was firmly controlled by Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies. It was the 22-year-old’s 10th victory of the season, leaving him just one shy of the all-time mark set last season by Mat Mladin.

Spies said, “Today’s race was a little bit tougher than yesterday. We got off to a good start. I think we did a ’25.8 from a dead stop and they hung in there a lot closer. I rode as hard as I could and I was just hoping we could keep getting a little bit of a gap. It was definitely really tough.”

Mladin and Miguel DuHamel duked it out for second, each rider taking a couple of turns in the runnerup spot attempting to track down the disappearing Spies. Neither man was successful in that pursuit, but Mladin was able to get by DuHamel on lap 24 to minimize the damage done to his title defense.

“The championship is essentially almost out of

A pair of second-place runs at Mid-Ohio has six-time champion Mat Mladin thinking about 2007 as Spies has built a huge points lead with five races to go.

reach,” Mladin said after the race. “We need to start thinking about how we’re going to bridge the gap for next year and that’s what we’re doing in these races. We tried a different set-up and some different stuff to see if we can make any inroads and today was a little bit better on a consistency basis.

“But to say we’re closer to Ben — I’ve been in the position where you’re leading the championship with a few races to go — and he’s controlling it from the front. We’re just sort of picking up the scraps like mangy dogs. At the moment there’s nothing we can do but we’re trying hard. Next year is another year and we’re going to keep pushing this year and see if we can get in front of him.”

DuHamel’s third-place finish was his sixth podium of the year on his American Honda developed CBR1000RR. The Canadian continues to be encouraged by the steady progress the team has made in their quest to consistently match the pace set by the top Suzukis.

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Way more than O-K

BMW K1200R

By Mark HackinG I Senior Writer Photos Courtesy BMW

W

hen BMW released the K1200S last year, a whole bunch of people sat up and took notice. Many of these people were those under the impression that the German manufacturer still lagged far behind the Japanese makers when it came to sheer sport bike performance. With the K1200S, that assumption was proven wrong: the blinding Bimmer, with a completely stock set-up, broke the lap record at the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife.

For this year, BMW has extended the reach of the new K line with a naked version of the K1200S, the K1200R. A stripped down version of its predecessor, the K1200R also happens to be the most powerful naked production sport bike in history.

The 163 horsepower coming from the bike’s transverse inline 4-cylinder engine does represent a slight decrease from the output of the K1200S (167 bhp), due to the latter’s dual air ducts versus a single duct on the ‘R’. There’s also a corresponding decrease in torque, with the K1200R producing 94 lb.-ft. at 8,250 rpm. Still, this doesn’t take away from the fact that the BMW cranks out more power than many worthy adversaries.

In other regards, the two bikes are almost identical. The 6-speed cassette-style gearbox is unchanged, but there’s slightly shorter gearing for the R’s shaft drive. The 1,157cc DOHC 16-valve engine carries over from the K1200S unchanged, as does the 4-into-2-into-1 exhaust system.

Under power, the K1200R definitely feels powerful. And smooth. The engine pulls well from lower in the rev range, but feels happiest operating anywhere above about 4,000 rpm. The redline stretches up to 11,000 rpm and, with maximum torque so close to that redline, it’s understandable that this BMW runs best when it’s revving freely.

In this respect, the German bike approaches “traditional” Japanese characteristics; this is probably less a case of BMW copying other manufacturers than it is of them bringing their own experience in developing high-revving car engines over to the bike side.

Whatever the motivation, the results are impressive.

Of course, with a dry weight of 211 kg, the K1200R is not going to make you a stoplight hero when you face off against the likes of a GSX-R1000 or R1. But its power is still sufficient to overcome most of that weight disadvantage and propel the BMW to 100 km/ h in a shade under three seconds. Nice.

Reports suggest that the bike’s 6-speed gearbox is fine for track use: the regular upshifting and downshifting needed to maximize acceleration and 84

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

cut quick lap times. Based on my brief test ride, this strikes me as still being likely. But for stop-and-go and leisurely countryside riding, there was a definite lack of smoothness to the shifting process.

In other measures of rider-friendliness, the K1200R, for the most part, hits all the right notes.

The trick Duolever front suspension has 11 mm less trail than on the K1200S for improved handling and the same Paralever rear suspension with optional Electronic Suspension Adjustment (ESA). This system allows the rider to adjust compression and rebound among nine different settings for a sportier or plusher ride, depending on the road and the rider’s state of mind.

Another strength of the BMW is found in the braking department. The K1200R’s triple-disc brakes incorporate optional ABS, along with the company’s servo-assisted system. Fortunately, my test ride did not include the necessity for any panic stops, but the braking system seems equally as able to generate deceleration as the inline-4 is of going in the opposite direction.

With its significantly long wheelbase (1,580 mm), the BMW isn’t exactly suited to carving corners at a track day. But it’s definitely more than capable of generating grin-inducing moments as you take to

that winding country road. As a bonus, the seating position is remarkably comfortable for a naked bike (high and wide handlebars), as is the wind protection; a few hours in the saddle don’t make you feel either buffeted or battered.

The bright LCD display puts a bunch of information just a glance away and a button on the left handlebar allows for easy scrolling through the data fields. In fact, in terms of ergonomics, there’s only one aspect of the K1200R that disappoints: the mystifyingly designed turn signals. Three separate switches on two handlebars and the cancel switch on the throttle side… when you should be using that hand to accelerate after making a turn. (Common sense took a vacation the day the designers came up with this one.)

Last but not least, we arrive at the styling of the BMW K1200R. With its unmatched twin headlights, tiny windscreen, radical front suspension design and aggressive overall image, the K is unlike anything else on the road today. When you match that look up with impressive engine performance and a host of next-tech features, you’ve got one sweet package on your hands. The BMW K1200R starts at $19,200 – and this ride is definitely worth the price of admission.

Red Line18.02.indd 1

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New Coupé builds on the

M legend

By Mark HackinG I Senior Writer Photos Courtesy BMW

L

isbon, Portugal – Here’s what I knew of Estoril coming in: It was the site of Ayrton Senna’s very first Grand Prix victory, accomplished in crushing fashion, in the middle of a downpour, in 1984. On television, it all looks so simple: the near monotonous way in which a great driver can assume the perfect line through every corner, turning quick lap after quick lap, on any circuit, at any given time, under any conditions.

A recent visit to Estoril for the introduction of the 2007 BMW M Coupé was illuminating in more ways than one. First, the track itself is incredibly difficult to learn, let alone master. The hilly terrain gives rise to turns with late apices hidden around downhill corners and uphill sections that placed a premium on momentum. Tricky.

Second, no matter how far off the racing line you drove, this scintillating new sports car was capable of pulling you through — and making you look like a star at the same time. Unless, of course, you buried the BMW in the gravel traps, which happened more than once on this day, fortunately not to me.

Powered by the same, 3.2-litre, inline 6-cylinder engine as found in the redoubtable BMW M3, the M Coupé version has been tuned to produce even more horsepower (343) and torque (269 lb-ft). To place even greater emphasis on these impressive figures, 80 percent of the engine’s power is available from 2,000 rpm. The estimated time to travel from 0 to 100 km/h, therefore, weighs in at just five seconds flat. A solid start.

Right from the get-go, it’s clear that there’s tremendous power on tap. Pressing the Sport button on the centre console, according to the manual, produces “a more progressive” link between the gas pedal and the throttle butterfly opening. Really, though, it’s an act of violence. With said selection made, the M Coupé leaps out of pit lane and gallops towards the first turn, classic BMW exhaust note barking from the four (!) tailpipes and echoing off the cement barriers.

We spend a lap behind the pace car to learn the line, many minutes back in pit lane while the flatbed truck carts away one of our gravel-happy brethren, another refresher lap behind the pace car for good measure and then we’re set free. A few more tours to gain some confidence and I flick the switch to disengage the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC).

This is when the true handling prowess of the M Coupé becomes apparent. Try to accelerate too quickly out of a corner and DSC cuts the power and forces you to be more patient. With this electronic guardian off duty, though, the power is uninterrupted 86

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

and the power slides start in earnest.

With near perfect 50/50 weight distribution, the balance is superb and the BMW approach to sports cars — a high-revving engine in the front driving a pair of wheels in the back — is proven worthy again.

The car also features an “M differential lock” that provides enhanced traction in challenging situations. As a result of all this careful engineering, in the middle of slides, there are no sudden snap weight transfers or surprise reactions to driver inputs. In this respect, the M Coupé is a perfect sports car: it rewards the skilled driver.

Apart from the engine and handling, there are numerous other characteristics that combine to make this new BMW a worthy performer. Standard features include Z-rated tires — 225s in the front, 255s out back — aboard 18-inch wheels and a powerful braking system with 345 mm and 328 mm discs, front and back. The brakes are aided by larger air ducts in the front fascia for improved cooling.

The specs note that the BMW hauls down from 100 km/h in just 34 metres; by the time we took to Estoril, we were the final group and the squealing signified it was time for some maintenance. The M Coupé also boasts a six-speed transmission with short throws, as well as extremely precise and linear steering (possibly the very best in the business).

Motoring around the Portuguese countryside after

the track session, the M Coupé displayed superior driving dynamics combined with a surprising degree of everyday livability. No, you’ll never be able to wedge more than two people in the two seats or carry stacks of luggage in the back, but as far as pure sports cars go, it’s right at the top of the order.

A final word: While I’ve always appreciated the mechanical merits of the BMW Z4, I’m not a charter member of its fan club. To each his own, of course, but to these eyes, the Z4 seems to possess too many sculpted lines, seemingly indiscriminate, an automotive puzzle with all the pieces’ cut lines punctuated by thick black magic marker.

Imagine my surprise, then, to be completely won over by the M Coupé — which looks very much like a planned effort and not a Z4 with a roof slapped into place. The rear hatch adds to the overall muscularity of the design; it brings much-needed cohesion. And speaking of the roof, its bulging sections on the sides (or lowered centre section, depending on your perspective) offer increased headroom to accommodate a driver and passenger inclined to wear helmets. This touch is just flat-out cool.

In the 2007 BMW M Coupé, the manufacturer has yet another ultra-desirable, high-performance sports car in the line-up — and the perfect 2-seater with which to battle the likes of Porsche and Audi. Prices for the M Coupé start at $68,900.

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Intakes & Air Filters

buyer’s

guide

AMSOIL Ea AIR INDUCTION FILTERS AMSOIL’s new line of universal air induction filters are designed to replace stock oil wetted gauze or foam conical filters. These filters utilize a unique nanofibre technology to provide: excellent airflow with unsurpassed filtering efficiency.

They also feature superior construction and cleanable material for longer service life. Filters are available in nine styles with varying lengths and widths with flange IDs of 3-, 3.5-, 4- and 4.5inches for universal fitment.

For more information please visit www.amsoil.com or call (800) 777-8491

aFe SUBARU WRX STi COLD AIR INTAKE SYSTEM With the newly developed Stage 2 cold air intake system for the 2002-06 Subaru WRX and WRX STi, aFe was able to produce 15hp max gain at 5,200rpm and 32 ft-lbs of torque at 4,200rpm. A wide-mouth 5.5-inch filter efficiently channels air into the turbo to generate power. A powder-coated red aluminum tube positions the MAF sensor for maximum power output without triggering the check engine light.

AEM V2 INTAKE The AEM V2 utilizes a dual chamber (using two different diameters and lengths of piping) that produces the largest power curve of any intake system on the market. This packs the cylinders with more air throughout the entire rpm range and enables the V2 to outperform even AEM’s own Cold Air systems.

For more information please visit www.aFEFILTERS.COM or call (877) 454-9494

For more information please visit www.AEMPOWER.com OR WWW.JRPONLINE.COM or call (310) 484-2322 OR (905) 822-RACE

GREEN FILTER FIRST W/ AIR FILTER FOR 6.0L FORD DIESEL

K&N TYPHOON INTAKE FOR 2006 CIVIC Si

Green Filter USA introduces the first available replacement air filter for the 2003 6.0L Ford Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel.

Claimed benefits include an average 5% horsepower increase, improved throttle response, better fuel mileage and greater torque throughout the rev range. Green Filters use a two-layer, woven cotton construction and rigid pleat design for better fit and greater surface area. All Green Filters carry a limited lifetime warranty.

K&N Engineering is proud to announce its release of the Typhoon Intake System for the 2006 Honda Civic Si, which is claimed to add as much as 9 horsepower to the wheels. This widely anticipated application showcases K&N’s High-Flow Technology and engineering leadership in incorporating a billet MAF adaptor for maintaining a reliable and consistent stoichiometric air flow ratio as well as an internal redirect plate for further optimized air flow referencing accuracy.

For more information please visit www.GREENFILTERUSA.com or call (724) 430-2050

For more information please visit www.KNFILTERS.COM

CUSCO INTAKE SUCTION PIPE KIT

NOPI WRX COLD AIR INTAKE SYSTEM

Available exclusively for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, this air intake kit offers a smooth, steady flow of air. The funnel increases the air efficiency as it flows from the intake pipe to the turbo. The 80mm diameter pipe is painted Cusco blue and easily bolts on using normal hand tools.

For more information please visit www.NAPSUSA.com or call (888) 591-6277

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Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

This Cold Air Style Intake System for the Subaru WRX and 2004-05 STI is a two-piece design with polished 3-inch tubing and stainless steel design. A mesh filter with vented top is included as is all hardware and instructions. The kit is 50-State Legal and CARB approved.

For more information please visit www.NOPIONLINE.com

Race Industry.indd 1

8/4/06 11:07:38 AM

Intakes & Air Filters

buyer’s

guide

VIBRANT PERFORMANCE Air Intake Systems Vibrant Streetflow air intake systems are designed to produce increased power, torque and throttle response. Vibrant Streetflow intakes are CNC mandrel bent for smooth, unrestricted airflow and precise fit and finish. Each kit features a Classic Series air filter, featuring re-washable and re-usable 4 ply cotton gauze filter element as well as an integrated velocity stack for increased airflow. Reinforced silicone couplers, silicone vacuum hoses, S.S. worm drive clamps and sturdy mounting brackets are included.

For more information please visit vibrantperformance.com or call (905) 564-2808

LSX MANIFOLD Made from an extremely strong composite polymer, the LSX Manifold by Fast is ready to perform right out of the box. The patented LSX delivers a 20+hp increase over stock LS1 and LS2 intakes and a 15+hp advantage over the LS6 intake without sacrificing drivability. Even more impressive gains await those with existing performance upgrades such as aftermarket heads, performance cams and custom tuning.

AIRAID MUSTANG INTAKE Airaid’s hot new intake system for the 2005-06 Mustang GT V8 is like having two systems in one. Airaid’s newest Cool Air Dam intake utilizes Modular Venturi Technology to generate an additional 18 horsepower and 26 lb/ft of torque. The system boasts a beefy, 4-inch roto-moulded intake tube mated to a lightweight composite Cool Air Dam. The heart of the new Mustang air intake system is an Airaid Premium SynthaFlo high-flow air filter which is isolated from engine heat by a computer-designed Cool Air Dam.

For more information please visit www.fuelairspark.COM or call (877) 344-8355

For more information please visit WWW.AIRAID.COM or call (800) 498-6951

NEUSPEED P-FLO AND RS COLD AIR INTAKES

AiR F/X PERFORMANCE AIR INDUCTION SYSTEMS

Now available for most late model Audi and Volkswagen vehicles, NEUSPEED offers two types of intake kits. The NEUSPEED P-Flo kit features a stainless steel heat shield bracket and resides in the engine compartment. The NEUSPEED RS Cold Air Intake features a mandrel bent 3-inch diameter aluminum tube that routes the colder air to the engine for better efficiency.

Both kits typically produce 8 to 15 more horsepower.

AiR F/X Performance Air Induction Systems are a cost-effective way to add a noticeable seat-of-thepants improvement over factory air intake/filter systems. They provide smoother, higher velocity air to the engine, which means more power for your pickup or SUV. All systems include a high volume cone filter with washable element that helps straighten the air before it enters the intake tube or mass air flow sensor.

For more information please visit www.NEUSPEED.com or call (800) 423-3623

For more information please visit www.pacesetterexhaust.COM

FRAM Tough Guard Premium Filter

SPOON SPORTS CARBON AIR DUCT

The Tough Guard Premium Air Filter is designed to meet today’s tough driving conditions. Whether you stop and go in bumper-to-bumper traffic, drive on dirty, dusty roads, or tow heavy loads, this filter has advanced features to protect your engine every time you drive. The experts at FRAM recommend changing your air filter every 12,000 miles

The Spoon Sports Carbon Air Duct is made of carbon fiber and cools down the flow of air intake as air and water temperature rise. Works great during extreme racing on the Honda S2000 platform.

For more information please visit www.FRAM.com

For more information please visit www.SPOONSPORTS.US OR WWW.OPAKRACING.COM

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Western Tech 8.02.indd 1

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exhaust

buyer’s

guide ARK acura nsx DT-X Exhaust System

The quad-tip DT-X exhaust system from ARK features SUS304 stainless steel construction that has been polished. Workmanship is topnotch, as evidenced by the CNC-machined flanges and exposed micro TIG welds.

The overall diameter is a consistent 2.5 inches thanks to mandrel bent piping. Best of all, the whole thing is 50-state legal, lines up perfectly and features a limited lifetime warranty.

Agency Power Subaru WRX ST Cat-back This stainless steel exhaust system features a brilliant titanium muffler with a titanium 4.5inch tip etched with the Agency Power logo.

The system utilizes T304 stainless steel 3-inch piping TIG welded with 0.5-inch thick flanges. A tested 12whp increase is claimed and strong durable hangers, gaskets, and hardware are included.

The catback will fit to the factory downpipe or aftermarket downpipes. The exhaust has an angled exit as seen in the pictures for that JDM look.

For more information please visit Agency-Power.com or call (480) 921-7422

Billy Boat 2005 Mustang GT Muffler Billy Boat Performance Exhaust’s T-304 stainless steel performance muffler system was made specifically for the 2005 Ford Mustang GT. As a direct fit, this hand-built system is designed to increase horsepower and torque. The 3-inch mufflers are a straight-through design that finish off with a bold 4-inch double wall round tip. The exhaust tone at cruising speed will provide a rich exhaust note.

When you go wide open on the throttle the sound will continue to improve and becomes a bold muscle car sound.

For more information please visit arkspeedracing.com or call (626) 934-1ARK

For more information please visit bbexhaust.com or call (888) 228-7435

Borla Mazda 3 NEW Cat-Back

Corsa Cobalt Exhaust system

Borla engineers have developed a performance cat-back exhaust system for the 2004-05 Mazda 3. Designed to work with both automatic and stick shift transmissions, this performance exhaust upgrade is lighter than stock and has 14% better air flow which generates solid performance gains through the entire dyno RPM graph.

Made of aerospace-grade T-304 stainless steel, Borla’s free-flow exhaust delivers quality, sound, performance gains and enhanced fuel economy, all with an easy bolt-on installation and backed by an unsurpassed written Million-Mile Warranty.

Designed for the 2005-2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS 2.4L, Cobalt 2.2L and Cobalt SS 2.0L supercharged models, Corsa’s high-performance exhausts patented Reflective Sound Cancellation (RSC) technology. Flow bench tests show a 36% gain in exhaust flow when compared to the original equipment system. In the supercharged version, an additional 10-12 horsepower was realized during dyno testing.

For more information please visit borla.com or call (877) GO-BORLA

For more information please visit corsaperformance.com or (800) 486-0999

Dynomax 2005-06 Mustang V6 True Dual Exhaust

Edelbrock Pro Flo One-Piece Headers

Dynomax Performance Exhaust, a division of Tenneco Inc, has just announced the availability of its exclusive cat-back dual exhaust for the 2005-06 Mustang V6. The system features a unique X pipe design with all mandrelbent 2.5-inch pipes and Dynomax’s patented Ultra Flo Welded mufflers. This system has been dyno proven to add up to 15 horsepower and 13ftlbs of torque. The system is available as part number 19434 through Dynomax dealers nationwide.

For more information please visit dynomax.com or call (734) 384-7807

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Edelbrock Pro Flo one-piece headers have outstanding performance features such as mandrel-bent 1.75-inch primary tubes, heavy duty 3/8-inch laser-cut port flanges for a positive gasket seal and ceramic coated 16-gauge steel construction. These headers are 50state street legal and direct replacements for stock exhaust manifolds, using the factory catalytic converter. All of the necessary hardware and instructions are included for an easy installation.

For more information please visit www.edelbrock.com

GTA: Via Trailers, Bolton 12621 Hwy #50 Bolton, ON L7E 1M4 905-857-9920 1-866-I TOW VIA

London Area: 8782 Longwoods Rd. Hwy #2 Mt. Brydges, ON N0L 1W0 1-877-879-2842

www.viatrailers.com PACE MOTORCYCLE PACKAGES

Pace JT Single Axle Motorcycle Trailers Side door, roof vent, domelight/switch, stoneguard, torsion axle, floor recessed D-rings, rear ramp, rear corner post jacks, sidewall vents, plate for wheel chock, 6” extra height, etc. Various colours available.

SUMMER SPECIAL! 6X10 $3995 6x12 $4295

ALL ALUMINUM FLAT NOSE

Legend Deluxe 7x16 Tandem Axle Rear ramp, screwless exterior, RV side door with lighted handle, stoneguard and stainless steel rocker panels. $8499

ATC ALL ALUM MOTORCYCLE LOW RIDER!

ATC GTS Model 7x14 Fits In Most Garages!

Low profile gold series, polished up and detailed. Vinyl walls/ceiling, seamless silver frost metal, lower mirror finish rocker panel, stoneguard, side door, 2 step ATP rear loading, pingles and D-rings. Brand new but non current inventory – blowout price $10,500!

PACE SILVER ARROW ALL ALUMINUM

8.5X28 All Aluminum Car Hauler Lightweight, won’t rust, screwless panels, finished interior, alum wheels, 102” width, side door, vents, 110Vpkg, gen compartment, upper/lower cabinets, rubber coin flr. Purchased at great exchange rate to save you $! $23, 950

FRESH OFF THE LINE!

ATC All Aluminum Light Weight 40’ Gooseneck Racing Trailer.

All the options you’d expect, extruded flooring, screwless alum walls/ceiling, screwless .040 exterior black metal, black alum cabinets lower Lbase with steps to riser, upper 8’. AC prep, vents, 7K axles, full 110v pkg w/ 500w flood lights, a real beauty. Take advantage of our 10% exchange rate, $33,956

ONE OF A KIND ALUMINUM MILL FINISH!

PACE CAR HAULER – GREAT VALUE!

ATC 28’ All aluminum QUICKSILVER Coolest looking trailer in North America! Brushed alum. exterior, bullet lights, 6K axles, and much, much more!

Drop by to see this one of a kind trailer – it will be offered for sale at the end of the summer.

22’ All Purpose Car Haulers – New From Via and Pace!

For auto, sleds, ATV’s or commercial use. 4’ Vnose, 18’ straightwall, rear ramp, beavertail, dome lights, roof vents, D-rings, stoneguard, torsion axles, all wheel brakes, side door. Impeccable craftsmanship, tows easily, saves fuel. Only $7,700 – moving quickly.

PACE V-NOSE MOTORCYCLE PKGS.

6x14 Flat Top V-Nose Side door, roof vent, domelight/switch, stoneguard, torsion axle, floor recessed D-rings, rear ramp, rear corner post jacks, sidewall vents, plate for wheel chock, 6” extra height, etc. Charcoal, black, red, and pewter in stock now! $4375

ATC ALL ALUMINUM VALUE LINE

8.5X20 Flatop Car Hauler Finished aluminum interior, upper cabinet, black marble vinyl flooring, ATP ramp/flap, 110V pkg, fluorescent lighting, aluminum wheels. $16,500

At Via Trailers, We’re Behind You All The Way!

Via Trailers 18.05.indd 1

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exhaust

buyer’s

guide

MagnaFlow 2003-06 Rotary RX-8 cat-back exhaust system Made from an extremely strong composite polymer, the LSX Manifold by Fast is ready to perform right out of the box. The patented LSX delivers a 20+hp increase over stock LS1 and LS2 intakes and a 15+hp advantage over the LS6 intake without sacrificing drivability. Even more impressive gains await those with existing performance upgrades such as aftermarket heads, performance cams and custom tuning.

For more information please visit magnaflow.com or call (949) 858-5900

Flowmaster, Inc. Mustang GT Mufflers Featuring a pair of 5- by 10-inch mufflers, which provide minimal interior resonance while delivering a deep and aggressive exterior tone. Through extensive testing this kit has shown noticeable power gains and installs easily, with its stock style slip-fit to the over-axle pipes. All hardware and installation instructions are included and it is finished off with a pair of 4-inch, stainless, “Flowmaster” embossed exhaust tips.

For more information please visit flowmastermufflers.com

Monza Catalytic Converters A catalytic converter with a metallic core means faster light-off for better efficiency, especially during the critical first phase when then system is reaching operating temperature. The MetalCore’s metallic “substrate” has 200 cells per square inch. The compact design (4-inch diameter by about 10-inch overall length) means they can be installed in tighter places than standard replacement converters. The case is stainless steel, for even more durability.

For more information please visit pacesetterexhaust.com or call (602) 266-

Tissot MotoGP Limited Edition Watch & Helmet

A bright yellow structured rubber bracelet and stylized brake-disk bezel with chequered carbon-fiber dial, makes this year’s MotoGP limited edition a timepiece to look out for. The back case is engraved with a motorbike counter and the official MotoGP logo as well as the limited edition number (out of a total of 6002 pieces). The watch is then presented in a special MotoGP helmet box in the same matching yellow with the different MotoGP circuits displayed 94

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

around the watch. New this year too, these medallions can be interchanged on the back-case of the watch, using a specially designed tooling, provided with each watch purchased.

Limited to 6002 pieces, this new Tissot Official MotoGP Watch Limited Edition, comes with a flashy yellow ring around the carbon-fibre chequered dial and structured yellow rubber bracelet (the special “T” moulding on the inside evoking the tread of the off-road bikes, and including the “T+” of the Tissot logo) joined with an engraved butterfly clasp bearing the MotoGP logo. With its addition red detail on the dial and matching counter hands, it is certainly a watch to get you noticed in a crowd.

Designed around the world of two-wheel motor sport, the watch case covering is rich in carbon fiber and the bezel in inspired by the brake disk and clamp of the motorcycle wheel. The back case is engraved with the limited number of the watch, the MotoGP logo and a motorbike counter.

Tissot’s association with the innovative and fastmoving world of motorcycling, reflects the dynamic nature of the company and its products, the precision of its movements, and its desire, like those of the participants in these championships, for ever increasing performance in all that they do. This constant search for innovation is particularly noticeable this year with this timepiece in the specially designed box set

in the shape of a motorbike helmet, including the engraved medallions of each of the 17 circuits of the 2006 MotoGP season.

Tissot embodies over 150 years of innovation and Swiss watch- making tradition. World leader in the traditional Swiss watch segment, its mission is to offer to a wide public a range of high quality timepieces at an affordable price. As official timekeeper for the world championships in cycling, motorcycling, fencing and ice hockey, Tissot underlines the sporting values of quest for performance, precision and pushing oneself to the limit. Based in Le Locle in Switzerland and present in more than 150 countries around the world, Tissot has been, since 1983, member of the Swatch Group, the biggest watch producer and distributor in the world.

For more on Tissot visit www.tissot.ch.

came inrepresents a letter to all Members the US Congress fromcommitment Chrysler Group Presi-to renewable The CEOs noted fuels that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;vehicles get thethey job done.

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by DaimlerChrysler, Ford and Mo- lion cars and domestic trucks thisautomotive year alone. Ifcompanies all of thesewill vehicles were running on milhicles capable running on renewable fuels to two million carsGeneral and trucks the cars three addwere an running additional by 2010.

The production increase by DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Molion and trucks this year alone.

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Tocapitalize capitalize 2006 London Motor Show on fuel Julyofof 18, andcan takes the Jaguar to lion by 2010. production increase by DaimlerChrysler, Ford and experience General Mocars and trucks this year alone. allnot of get these were running on on came letter all Members Members the2006, USproviders Congress from Chrysler Group PresiThe CEOs that, alone job To The pledge toward more flex vehicles that use E85 ethanol or biodiesel Missouri ornoted Tennessee with this commitment, fuel will have even more incentive toâ&#x20AC;&#x153;vehicles produce Currently, there are only about dent and CEO, Tom LaSorda, Ford Motor Company Chairman and CEO, Bill Ford this commitment, Congress and the Administration need to continue to promote new heights. tors represents the single largest commitment to renewable fuels in the E85, they would displace more than 3.5 billion gallons of gasoline a year, CEO,toTom LaSorda, Ford Motor Company Chairman and CEO, BillPresiFord thisThe commitment, Congress and the Administration to job continue camedent in aand letter all Members of the US Congress from Chrysler Group CEOs noted that, â&#x20AC;&#x153;vehicles alone will not need get the done.toTopromote capitalize on and General Chairman CEO, Rick Wagoner.

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CEOs message they deliveredand to Congressional leadership in May that renewable incentives for automakers to produce biofuelforvehicles.â&#x20AC;? andnology General Motors Chairman CEO, Rick Wagoner.

The letter reaffi rms the continue the production biofuels, increase incentives refueling infrastructure, and fuels can important role toward energy by reducing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eventually, weofneed need to get get to to the the point point where most Americans have reasonsuch asan itsto industry-leading monocoque body structure.

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General and counterparts CEO,to Wagoner.

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A 420bhp, 4.2-liter supercharged V8 biofuels,â&#x20AC;? engine makes the Jaguar XKR capable of continue CEOs message they to Congressional leadership in Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Our thathope renewable incentives forhomegrown automakersand to produce biofuel vehicles.â&#x20AC;? tion, distribution anddelivered useofofrenewable renewable biofuels,â&#x20AC;? the CEOs CEOs said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our hope is that that displace with produced biofuels.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need business andfuel government to work together to enhance the producâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Without this alternative fuel infrastructure, the US could miss the opportunity to designs and standard quad-exhaust system also add to its overall presence. with this commitment, providers will have even more incentive to produce Currently, there are only about 700 E85 pumps among the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 170,000 2006 London Motor Show on July 18, 2006, and takes the Jaguar experience to rapid 0-60mph performance in just 4.9 seconds (XKR Coupe) and produces an fuels can play an important role toward achieving energy security by reducing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eventually, we need to get to the point where most Americans have reasonwith this commitment, fuel providers will have even more incentive to produce Currently, there are only about 700 E85 pumps among the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 170,000 tion, distribution and biofuels use renewable biofuels,â&#x20AC;? the CEOs them.â&#x20AC;? said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our hope is that able displace gasoline andisperfectly produced â&#x20AC;&#x153;The new supercharged captures thebiofuels.â&#x20AC;? essence of whatthey makes ethanol and and pumps gas stations. electronically limited top speed of nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dependence onofforeign oil.155mph. access to thesewith fuelshomegrown atXKR a price that competitive with gasoline,â&#x20AC;? said.a ethanol andother other biofuels andinstall install pumps to to distribute distribute them.â&#x20AC;? gas stations. new heights.

XKthis so alternative special,â&#x20AC;?

Jaguar Cars director. with this fuel providers willto have even more incentivestyling to producproduce Currently, there arecommented onlyinfrastructure, aboutBibie 700Boerio, E85 theopportunity nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 170,000 Both XKR Coupe and Convertible exhibit enhanced performance cues Jaguar â&#x20AC;&#x153;We commitment, need business and government work together to enhance the the pumps US couldamong missmanaging the to Designed in parallel with the naturally aspirated 2007â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without XK and fuel Convertis stations. a Coupe perfect of refiand ned produced Grand Tourer and serious performance ethanol and biofuels and install to design, distribute them.â&#x20AC;? gas such as a other sportier new grille and frontpumps bumper a vented tion, distribution and use of renewable biofuels,â&#x20AC;? the CEOs said. hood â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our and hopedistincis that â&#x20AC;&#x153;It displace gasolinecombination with homegrown biofuels.â&#x20AC;?

Jaguarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2007 XKR Coupe and Convertible

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Jaguarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2007 XKR Coupe and Convertible Jaguarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2007 XKR Coupe andeven Convertible ible, thecommitment, new supercharged XKR makes intelligent use ofsports practical, modern techcar that delivers a truly rewarding exhilarating experience.â&#x20AC;? tive aluminum-effect sidefuel power vents.

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Jaguarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2007 Jaguaraluminum XKR Coupe andchassis Convertibleare made its global debut lighter at the newnew heights.

Designed in parallel with the naturally aspirated 2007 XK Coupe and ConvertJaguarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2007 XKR Coupe and Convertible and Convertible form than the steel counterparts they replace.

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A the 420bhp, 4.2-liter supercharged V8 engine makes US makers to double renewable fuel vehicles nology such as its aluminum monocoque body structure.

In 2006 London Motor Show on July 18, 2006, and takes the Jaguar experience to nology such as itsindustry-leading industry-leading aluminum monocoque body structure.

In fact, fact, Designed in parallel with the naturally aspirated 2007 XK Coupe and Convertdesigns rapid 0-60mph performance in just 4.9 seconds (XKR Coupe) and produces an Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s automotive companies to double annual production of veToday, there are moreand than standard 5 million flex quad-exhaus fuel vehicles on t the XKRsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; aluminum are cantly stiffer in bothplan Coupe heights. the new XKRsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; aluminumchassis chassis aresignifi signifi cantly lighter lighter and ible,new thenew new supercharged XKR makes intelligent use of and practical, modern techâ&#x20AC;&#x153;The new supercharged XKR hicles capable of running on renewable fuels to two million cars and trucks the three domestic automotive companies will add an ca ad and Convertible form than the steel counterparts they replace. electronically limited top speed of 155mph.

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by DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Mo- lion cars and trucks thisXK yearso alone.

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THE 2006

MOTORSPORT CALENDAR FIA FORMULA ONE March 12 March 19 April 2 April 23 May 7 May 14 May 28 June 11 June 25 July 2 July 16 July 30 Aug. 6 Aug. 27 Sept. 10 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 22

Bahrain Grand Prix Malaysian Grand Prix Australian Grand Prix San Marino Grand Prix European Grand Prix Spanish Grand Prix Monaco Grand Prix British Grand Prix Canadian Grand Prix United States Grand Prix French Grand Prix German Grand Prix Hungarian Grand Prix Turkish Grand Prix Italian Grand Prix Chinese Grand Prix Japanese Grand Prix Brazilian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso Giancarlo Fisichella Fernando Alonso Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher Jenson Button Felipe Massa Monza, ITA Shanghai, CHN Suzuka, JPN Sao Paolo, BRA

BRIDGESTONE CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES BY FORD April 9 May 13 May 21 June 4 June 18 June 25 July 9 July 23 July 30 Aug. 13 Aug. 27 Sept. 24 Oct. 22 Nov. 5

Toyota Grand Prix Sebastien Bourdais Houston Grand Prix Sebastien Bourdais Tecate Telmex Grand Prix Sebastien Bourdais TimeWarner Road Runner 225 Sebastien Bourdais GI Joe’s Grand Prix AJ Allmendinger Cleveland Grand Prix AJ Allmendinger Molson Grand Prix AJ Allmendinger Edmonton Grand Prix Justin Wilson San Jose Grand Prix Sebastien Bourdais Denver Grand Prix AJ Allmendinger Montreal Grand Prix Sebastien Bourdais Road America Elkhart Lake, WI Lexmark Indy 300 Surfers Paradise, AUS Telmex Tecate Grand Prix Mexico City, MEX

IRL INDYCAR SERIES March 26 April 2 April 22 May 28 June 4 June 10 June 24 July 2 July 15 July 23 July 30 Aug. 13 Aug. 27 Sept. 10

Toyota Indy 300 Honda Grand Prix Indy Japan 300 Indianapolis 500 Watkins Glen Grand Prix Bombardier Learjet 500 SunTrust Indy Challenge Kansas Indy 300 Firestone Indy 200 ABC Supply Co. AJ Foyt 225 Firestone Indy 400 Kentucky Indy 300 Argent Mortgage Grand Prix Peak Antifreeze Indy 300

Dan Wheldon Helio Castroneves Helio Castoneves Sam Hornish Jr. Scott Dixon Helio Castroneves Sam Hornish Jr. Sam Hornish Jr. Scott Dixon Tony Kanaan Helio Castroneves Sam Hornish Jr. Marco Andretti Joliet, IL

ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP Andreas Wirth Andreas Wirth Graham Rahal James Hinchcliffe Graham Rahal Graham Rahal Robbie Pecorari Simon Pagenaud Raphael Matos Graham Rahal Graham Rahal Elkhart Lake, WI

April 9 May 13 May 21 June 18 June 24 June 25 July 9 July 23 July 30 Aug. 13 Aug. 27 Sept. 24

Long Beach Grand Prix Reliant Park Fundidora Park Portland Int’l Raceway Burke Lakefront Airport Burke Lakefront Airport Exhibition Place Finning Int’l Speedway San Jose Grand Prix Denver Grand Prix Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve Road America

March 26 April 1 April 2 May 26 June 4 July 1 July 15 July 22 Aug. 13 Aug. 26 Aug. 27 Sept. 9

Homestead-Miami Speedway Jeff Simmons Honda Grand Prix Raphael Matos Honda Grand Prix Raphael Matos Futaba Freedom 100 Wade Cunningham Corning 100 Bobby Wilson Liberty Challenge Alex Lloyd Cleanevent 100 Jay Howard Milwaukee 100 Jaime Camara Bluegrass 100 Jay Howard Sonoma 100 Wade Cunningham Sonoma 100 Alex Lloyd Chicagoland 100 Joliet, IL

INDY PRO SERIES

STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP March 17 May 13 May 21 June 3 June 24 July 15 July 22 Aug. 5 Aug. 19

98

Sebring Int’l Raceway Reliant Park Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course The Milwaukee Mile Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve Miller Motorsports Park Portland Int’l Raceway GP de Trois-Rivières Road America

Gerardo Bonilla Daniel Herrington Ryan Justice Michael Potekhen Adrian Carrio Adrian Carrio Michael Potekhen Matt Varsha Ron White

Sept. 2 Sept. 29 Oct. 21

Mosport Int’l Raceway Road Atlanta Mazda Raceway

Bowmanville, ON Braselton, GA Monterey, CA

ROLEX GRAND-AM SERIES Jan. 29 March 4 March 25 April 8 April 23 May 7 May 14 May 29 June 3 June 25 June 29 July 30 Aug. 11 Aug. 26 Sept. 2

Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona Dixon/Wheldon/Mears Autodromo Rodriguez Pruett/Diaz Homestead-Miami Speedway Rockenfeller/Long Toyota Grand Prix Pruett/Diaz Virginia Int’l Raceway Rockenfeller/Long Mazda Raceway Angelleli/Magnussen/Taylor Phoenix Int’l Raceway Pruett/Diaz Lime Rock Park Bunting/Lally/Valentine (GT) Sahlen’s 6 Hours of the Glen Bergmeister/Said Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Haberfeld/Fernandez Brumos Porsche 250 Braun/Bergmeister Barber Motorsports Park Braun/Bergmeister Crown Royal 250 at the Glen Pruett/Diaz Infineon Raceway Pruett/Diaz Miller Motorsports Park Tooele, UT

AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES March 17 May 13 May 22 July 1 July 15 July 22 Aug. 20 Sept. 3 Sept. 30 Oct. 21

12 Hours of Sebring Capello/Kristensen/McNish Lone Star Grand Prix Capello/McNish Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Bernhard/Dumas New England Grand Prix Capello/McNish Utah Grand Prix Biela/Pirro Portland Grand Prix Capello/McNish Generac 500 Biela/Pirro Mosport Grand Prix Bowmanville, ON Petit le Mans Braselton, GA Monterey Sports Car Championships Monterey, CA

NASCAR NEXTEL CUP *Feb. 11 *Feb. 16 Feb. 19 Feb. 26 March 12 March 19 March 26 April 2 April 9 April 22 April 30 May 6 May 13 *May 20 May 28 June 4 June 11 June 18 June 25 July 1 July 9 July 16 July 23 Aug. 6 Aug. 13 Aug. 20 Aug. 26 Sept. 3 Sept. 9 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 Oct. 14 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Nov. 5 Nov. 12 Nov. 19

Budwesier Shootout Denny Hamlin Gatorade Duels Elliott Sadler/Jeff Gordon Daytona 500 Jimmie Johnson California Speedway Matt Kenseth Las Vegas Motor Speedway Jimmie Johnson Atlanta Motor Speedway Kasey Kahne Bristol Motor Speedway Kurt Busch Martinsville Speedway Tony Stewart Texas Motor Speedway Kasey Kahne Phoenix Int’l Raceway Kevin Harvick Talladega Superspeedway Jimmie Johnson Richmond Int’l Raceway Dale Earnhardt Jr. Darlington Raceway Greg Biffle Nextel All-Star Challenge Matt Kenseth Coca-Cola 600 Kasey Kahne Dover Int’l Speedway Matt Kenseth Pocono Raceway Denny Hamlin Michigan Int’l Speedway Kasey Kahne Infineon Raceway Jeff Gordon Pepsi 400 Tony Stewart Chicagoland Speedway Jeff Gordon New Hampshire Int’l Speedway Kyle Busch Pocono Raceway Denny Hamlin Indianapolis Motor Speedway Jimmie Johnson Watkins Glen International Kevin Harvick Michigan Int’l Speedwat Matt Kenseth Bristol Motor Speedway Matt Kenseth California Speedway Fontana, CA Richmond Int’l Speedway Richmond, VA New Hampshire Int’l Speedway Loudon, NH Dover Int’l Speedway Dover, DEL Kansas Speedway Kansas City, KS Talladega Superspeedway Talladega, AL Lowe’s Motor Speedway Charlotte, NC Martinsville Speedway Martinsville, VA Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, GA Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, TX Phoenix Int’l Raceway Phoenix, AZ Homestead-Miami Speedway Homestead, FL

* denotes non-points event, italics denote Chase for the Nextel Cup

NASCAR BUSCH SERIES Feb. 18 Feb. 25 March 5 March 11 March 18 March 25 April 8 April 15 April 21 April 29 May 5 May 12 May 27 June 3 June 10

Hershey’s Kissables 300 Tony Stewart California Speedway Greg Biffle Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Denny Hamlin Las Vegas Motor Speedway Kasey Kahne Atlanta Motor Speedway Jeff Burton Bristol Motor Speedway Kyle Busch Texas Motor Speedway Kurt Busch Nashville Superspeedway Kevin Harvick Phoenix Int’l Raceway Kevin Harvick Talladega Superspeedway Martin Truex Jr. Richmond Int’l Raceway Kevin Harvick Darlington Raceway Denny Hamlin Lowe’s Motor Speedway Carl Edwards Dover Int’l Speedway Jeff Burton Nashville Superspeedway Carl Edwards

Performance Racing News – www.prnmag.com

June 17 June 24 June 30 July 8 July 15 July 22 July 29 Aug. 5 Aug. 12 Aug. 19 Aug. 25 Sept. 2 Sept. 8 Sept. 23 Sept. 30 Oct. 13 Oct. 28 Nov. 4 Nov. 11 Nov. 18

Kentucky Speedway David Gilliland The Milwaukee Mile Paul Menard Daytona Int’l Speedway Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chicagoland Speedway Casey Mears New Hampshire Int’l Speedway Carl Edwards Martinsville Speedway Kevin Harvick Gateway Int’l Raceway Carl Edwards Indianapolis Raceway Park Kevin Harvick Watkins Glen International Kurt Busch Michigan Int’l Speedway Dale Earnhardt Jr. Bristol Motor Speedway Matt Kenseth California Speedway Fontana, CA Richmond Int’l Raceway Richmond, VA Dover Int’l Speedway Dover, DEL Kansas Speedway Kansas City, KS Lowe’s Motor Speedway Charlotte, NC Memphis Motorsports Park Memphis, TN Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, TX Phoenix Int’l Raceway Phoenix, AZ Homestead-Miami Speedway Homestead, FL

CASCAR SUPER SERIES May 21 June 18 July 2 July 16 July 23 Aug. 6 Aug. 12 Aug. 27 Sept. 3 Sept. 9 Sept. 17

Barrie Speedway Scott Steckly Mosport International Raceway Kerry Micks Barrie Speedway JR Fitzpatrick Sun Valley Speedway Brad Graham Grand Prix Edmonton Jeff Lapcevich Grand Prix Trois-Rivières Don Thomson Jr. Mosport Speedway David Whitlock Molson Grand Prix of Montreal Kerry Micks Cayuga 2000 Speedway Hamilton, ON Autodrome Ste. Eustache Ste. Eustache, QC Kawartha Speedway Peterborough, ON

FIA WORLD RALLY Jan. 22 Feb. 5 March 5 March 26 April 9 April 30 May 21 June 4 Aug. 13 Aug. 20 Sept. 3 Sept. 24 Oct. 15 Oct. 29 Nov. 19 Dec. 3

Monte Carlo Rally Swedish Rally Corona Rally Mexico Spanish Rally French Rally Rally Argentina Rally Italy Greek Rally German Rally Finnish Rally Japanese Rally Cyprus Rally Turkish Rally Australian Rally New Zealand Rally Wales Rally

Marcus Gronholm Marcus Gronholm Sebastien Loeb Sebastien Loeb Sebastien Loeb Sebastien Loeb Sebastien Loeb Marcus Gronholm Sebastien Loeb Marcus Gronholm Japan Cyprus Turkey Australia New Zealand Great Britain

NHRA POWERADE DRAG RACING

Feb. 12 Carquest Winternationals Melanie Troxel (TF)

Robert Hight (FC), Greg Anderson (PS) Feb. 26 Checker-Shuck’s-Kragen Nats Rod Fuller (TF)

Tommy Johnson (FC), Warren Johnson (PS) March 19 Gatornationals David Grubnic (TF) Ron Capps (FC), Tom Martino (PS)

April 2 O’Reilly Spring Nationals Brandon Bernstein (TF) Ron Capps (FC), Mike Edwards (PS)

April 9 SummitRacing.com Nationals Melanie Troxel (TF)

Cruz Pedregon (FC), Kurt Johnson (PS) April 30 O’Reilly Thunder Nationals Doug Kalitta (TF)

Ron Capps (FC), Jason Line (PS) May 7 Summit Racing Southern Nats Doug Kalitta (TF)

Tony Pedregon (FC), Dave Connolly (PS) May 21 Pontiac Performance Nats Brandon Bernstein (TF)

Tony Pedregon (FC), Jim Yates (PS) May 28 O’Reilly Summer Nationals Doug Kalitta (TF)

Ron Capps (FC), Dave Connolly (PS) June 11 Carquest Nationals Doug Kalitta (TF)

John Force (FC), Kurt Johnson (PS) June 18 K&N Filters SuperNationals Rod Fuller (TF)

Ron Capps (FC), Jason Line (PS) June 25 Sears Craftsman Nationals Tony Schumacher (TF)

Tony Pedregon (FC), Mike Edwards (PS) July 16 Mopar Mile-High Nationals JR Todd (TF)

Gary Scelzi (FC), Dave Connolly (PS) July 23 Northwest Nationals Tony Schumacher (TF)

Whit Bazemore (FC), Allen Johnson (PS) July 30 Fram Autolite Nationals JR Todd (TF)

Eric Medlen (FC), Jason Line (PS) Aug. 13 Lucas Oil Nationals Tony Schumacher (TF) Tommy Johnson Jr. (FC), Dave Connolly (PS) Aug. 20 O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals Doug Kalitta (TF)

John Force (FC), Kurt Johnson (PS) Sept. 4 Mac Tools US Nationals Indianapolis, IN Sept. 17 Toyo Tires Nationals Reading, PA Sept. 24 O’Reilly Fall Nationals Ennis, TX Oct. 8 Virginia Nationals Richmond, VA Nov. 12 AAA of So. California Finals Pomona, CA

IHRA eMax DRAG RACING March 26

Amalie Oil Texas Nationals

Doug Foley (TF)

Mark Thomas (FC), Glen Kerunsky (PM), Frank Gugliotta (PS) April 23 Castrol Spring Nationals Cory McClenathan (TF) Tom Carter (FC), Joshua Hernandez (PM), Tony Gillig (PS) June 4 Mopar Canadian Nationals Bobby Lagana Jr. (TF) Dale Creasy Jr. (FC), Alan Pittman (PM), Pete Berner (PS) June 25 Western RV Rocky Mountain Nats Clay Millican (TF) Tom Carter (FC), Quain Stott (PM), Frank Gugliotta (PS) July 9 GM Motor City Nationals Andrew Cowin (TF) Paul Noakes (FC), Mike Janis (PM), Robert Patrick (PS) Aug. 6 Torco Northern Nationals TJ Zizzo (TF) Tom Carter (FC), Josh Hernandez (PM), Tony Gillig (PS) Aug. 27 Skull Gear World Nationals Hillary Will (TF) Tim Stevens (FC), Raymond Commisso (PM), Pete Berner (PS) Sept. 10 Amalie North American Nationals Epping, NH Sept. 24 ACDelco Canadian Nationals Cayuga, ON Oct. 1 Torco President’s Cup Nationals Budds Creek, MD Oct. 22 World Finals Rockingham, NC

FIM MOTOGP March 26 April 8 April 30 May 14 May 21 June 4 June 18 June 24 July 2 July 16 July 23 Aug. 20 Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 15 Oct. 29

Spanish Grand Prix Qatar Grand Prix Turkey Grand Prix China Grand Prix French Grand Prix Italian Grand Prix Spanish Grand Prix Assen TT British Grand Prix German Grand Prix United States Grand Prix Czech Republic Grand Prix Malaysian Grand Prix Australian Grand Prix Japanese Grand Prix Portuguese Grand Prix Valencia Grand Prix

Loris Capirossi Valentino Rossi Marco Melandri Dani Pedrosa Marco Melandri Valentino Rossi Valentino Rossi Nicky Hayden Dani Pedrosa Valentino Rossi Nicky Hayden Loris Capirossi Sepang, MAL Phillip Island, AUS Motegi, JPN Estoril, POR Valencia, SPA

WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Feb. 25 Losail, QT James Toseland (1), Troy Corser (2) March 5 Philip Island, AUS Troy Corser (1), Troy Bayliss (2) April 23 Valencia, SPA Troy Bayliss (1 & 2) May 7 Monza, ITA Troy Bayliss (1 & 2) May 28 Silverstone, GBR Troy Bayliss (1 & 2) June 25 San Marino Troy Bayliss (1), Andrew Pitt (2) July 23 Brno, CZR Yukio Kagayama (1 & 2) Aug. 6 Brands Hatch Troy Baylis (1), Noriyuki Haga (2) Sept. 3 Assen, NED Sept. 10 Lausitz, GER Oct. 1 Imola, ITA Oct. 8 Magny-Cours, FRA Oct. 22 South Africa

PARTS CANADA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Jordan Szoke Jordan Szoke Jordan Szoke Jordan Szoke Jordan Szoke Kevin Lacombe Shannonville, ON

May 21 June 4 July 2 July 15 July 16 Aug. 13 Sept. 3

Shannonville Park Circuit Mont-Tremblant Race City Park Mosport Int’l Raceway Mosport Int’l Raceway Atlantic Motorsport Park Shannonville Park

March 11 *April 23 *April 30 *May 21 *June 4 *June 18 July 23 *Aug. 6 *Aug. 20 Sept. 1-3 Oct. 1

Daytona Int’l Speedway Mat Mladin Barber Motorsports Park Ben Spiess (Race 1 & 2) California Speedway Ben Spiess (Race 1 & 2) Infineon Raceway Ben Spiess (Race 1 & 2) Road America Mat Mladin (Race 1 & 2) Miller Motorsports Park Ben Spies (1), Jake Zemke (2) Mazda Raceway Ben Spies Mid-Ohio SportsCar Ben Spies (Race 1 & 2) Virginia Int’l Raceway Mat Mladin (Race 1 & 2) Road Atlanta Braselton, GA Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH

AMA SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP

* denotes doubleheader

CMRC NATIONALS May 27-28 Ste-Julie, QC Jean-Sebastien Roy (Moto 1 & 2) June 3-4 Gopher Dunes Dusty Klatt (Moto 1 & 2) June 17-18 The Watselands Dusty Klatt (Moto 1 & 2) June 24-25 Wil Rose MX Park Dusty Klatt (M oto 1 & 2) July 8-9 Regina Moto Valley Dusty Klatt (Moto 1 & 2) July 15-16 Shadow Valley Jean-Sebastien Roy (Moto 1 & 2) Aug. 5-6 Riverglade MX Park Dusty Klatt (Moto 1 & 2) Aug. 12-13 Sand Del Lee Dusty Klatt (Moto 1)

Jean-Sebastien Roy (Moto 2) Aug. 19-20 Walton TransCan Dusty Klatt (Moto 1 & 2) Red Header denotes Canadian Series.

Red Text denotes Canadian driver.

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D101603_5551_AdPerformance.indd 1 Untitled-2 1

8/15/06 4:22:04 PM 8/30/06 11:41:51 AM

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