Following up on the success of last year’s popular post race webisodes, the Castrol Canadian Touring Car series has decided to step things up a notch with this year’s coverage. Following the first event of the season at Mosport during the Victoria Day Speedfest, CCTC has released this nicely produced video of the weekend.
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Archives for May 2011
NASCAR – “Where’d He Come From?” Harvick Wins the Coke 600 as Fuel Milage Gamblers Lose Their Bets

Kevin Harvick, winner of the Coke 600, heads through the crowd during driver intros in Texas. - Image courtesy of JDTImages.ca
Kevin Harvick was dancing in pit lane last night after taking the checkered flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca~Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest race of the year. In a race where he had not been a factor all night, he managed to outlast the field at the end as Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr ran out of gas in the final laps of the race. Harvick makes no bones about not liking to race in Charlotte, and even after scoring his third win of the season, and becoming the only driver to achieve that in the 2011 season, he still has no love for this track.
“Even though we won, I’m still miserable,” said Harvick after the race. “In about 30 minutes, I’ll be happy, when we drive out of that tunnel and leave the month of May behind.”
“We were lucky,” Harvick said. “I told them at the beginning of this thing that we haven’t fixed this thing in two weeks, there’s no way we’re going to fix it today. Nothing against this race track — I just don’t like racing here. It just doesn’t feel right. … I griped and griped and griped all freaking day long about how terrible it was. I just have a bad attitude here, so hopefully this helps.”

David Ragan screams around the track in Texas where he started from the pole - Image courtesy of JDTImages.ca
David Ragan scored his best career finish in second place as his team had gambled on fuel and almost won. When asked by Carl Edwards after the race how close he was to running out, his answer was “Yards.”
Ragan was running in 5th when Kahne ran out of gas, causing the field to stack up. He and Joey Logano, the third place driver, made some outstanding manouvers to get around the back up and set them selves up for what was coming next.
“I loved it. I wish they all would have dropped out,” Ragan said. “I love it when they’re checking up and dropping out. I wish the start/finish line had been a down a little further in Turn 1 and maybe we would have had a shot at getting Harvick.”
Ragan showed no surprise that there was no caution flag as Earnhardt was approaching the white flag. No controversy, no conspiracy theories, just a well thought out conclusion.
“Not really. I won’t tell you why I’m not surprised, but I think everybody knows,” Ragan said. “Nothing was stopped on the race track. I don’t think anybody was in danger; everybody was moving.”
“That’s what makes it exciting. I can’t wait to hear what everybody has to say. This was one of the most exciting Coke 600’s that I can remember.”
“We had a good car,” Ragan said. “We’ve had some speed in our UPS Ford this year. We just haven’t been able to close the deal. We’ve made a lot of improvements on our team — and Carl, Greg [Biffle] and Matt [Kenseth] are some of the best drivers out here, so that keeps the pressure pretty tight on myself to try to keep up. We had a good night.”
“If the 29 had just stumbled a little bit, we could have won it,” Ragan said of Sunday’s scramble on the last two laps. “But that’s a couple of races we’ve been close to winning this year. When you’re around at the finish in the top five, eventually a win will come.”
“I wish we raced here again next week,” Ragan said. “Our mile-and-a-half program has been really strong. So I can’t wait to get to Kansas and Pocono and Michigan. A lot of these tracks coming up are going to be fun.
As the tank rank dry on the back stretch and Earnhardt Jr. started losing momentum, crew chief Steve LeTarte said over the radio “We needed 500 more feet of fuel.” But Dale
Earnhardt Jr. wasn’t as upset as one would think about running out of fuel and finishing 7th in a race where it looked like he was finally going to break his winless streak at the end. In fact he felt they would have been lucky to have notched win at all.
“I think we needed a lot more than 500 feet”
“We weren’t supposed to win,” Earnhardt said. “We played our hand, and those other guys came in (for fuel). I tried to save a ton of gas, but I know I didn’t save enough. I tried to save as much as I could. I’m disappointed we didn’t win. I know all our fans were disappointed to come so close.
“We were a top-five car. This was our Vegas car, and it’s really, really good, so we’ll keep taking it to race tracks and running good. We were so fast at the start of the race, and once the sun went down we kind of went back. We ran good. I’m proud. I’m proud of my guys, and I’m proud of the car we unloaded.”
Next week the series heads to Kansas Speedway for the first of 2 races there this year. Another 1.5 mile banked oval and a new addition to the Sprint Cup lineup this year after a long protracted legal battle over the rights of the track. It should be interesting to see this new facility and how the racers will feel about the track.
Scott Steckly takes commanding win at Dickies 200
Scott Steckly started off the 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season in style last night, by dominating the competition at the Dickies 200 on Mosport’s paved oval. A jammed air gun during a stop for tires dropped Steckly back to 5th place just past the mid point in the race, but by lap 153 of the 200 lapper, the Motomaster Dodge caught Pete Shepherd III and then took over the lead for good.
Further back in the field, there was a touch more drama that eliminated some of the top potential challengers.
The first to experience troubles was Jason White who left the field just a handful of laps into the race with a cloud of smoke trailing his Dodge Challenger. Now driving a car prepared by Kawartha Speedway Group and top NASCAR crew chief Derek Lynch, this is White’s put up or shut up season and things weren’t looking favorable right then. Lynch solved a mystery oil leak coming from a fuel pressure gauge hose and the A & W hot rod was back out on track. Through the rest of the race, White easily matched the pace of the top finishers, serving notice that he will be a contender in the coming events.
Next up, NCTS veteran Mark Dilley was sidelined when a giant chunk of asphalt was kicked up from the track and punctured the radiator of his Rheems and Partsource sponsored Dodge Challenger.
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NASCAR – Busch Got the Ticket, But Brad Kesolowski Gets The Pole, at the Coke 600
Brad Kesolowski will lead the racers to the green flag for the second time in his Sprint Cup career at tomorrow’s Coca~Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, in beautiful Charlotte North Carolina. After racing his way into the All Star race here last week “Bad Brad” has raced his way to the pole. Ripping around the1.5-mile track in 28.112 seconds (192.089 mph) for his best start since this past Septembers Pole at New Hampshire.
When asked about his crew chief finding more speed than the other guys Brad joked about Kyle Busch’s unfortunate incident with the State Troopers. “Well, my crew chief Paul Wolfe, he lives off of Perth Road, so maybe he found some secrets there.”
“Other than that, he’s making small gains every week. Sometimes they don’t show up. Sometimes you make gains, and you can feel ’em, but you all don’t see ’em. But as race car drivers, we go off the feel off of our butt, and the feel off my butt says the car’s getting better. They’re turning just a little bit better. The horsepower’s getting just a little bit better, and I think that we have more in store.”
A.J Almendinger (191.693 mph) will sit beside Kesolowski on the front row after being edged out near the end of the qualifying runs. Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Jeff Burton will round out the top 5.
Some surprises in the qualifying order who have raced well here in the past are Tony Stewart in 22nd at 189.414 mph and Dale Jr., who has been running his best races lately in 25th with run of 188.937 mph. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing these 2 make moves tomorrow as both of them know their way around it and love to race at this track.
Coming off a win at this very track just last week, Carl Edwards is feeling pretty confident going in to the race. Qualified in 3rd he has shown that there is enough speed in the car this week to run out front again and possibly get his second win of the season in a Sprint Cup Points race. “I think that we figured some things out.”
“This is the race that I train and work out for all year,” said Edwards, who is well known for his physical fitness. “This race is made for me. It’s a long, grueling marathon of a race.”
“Bob and the guys have done a really good job, and I think it bodes well for the 600 for sure,” Edwards said after his win at All-Star race. “I would hope that we can come back here next week with as good or a better car and definitely a lot more confidence than we had before we got here this weekend, so that’s good. This is the first time I’ve come here and run like this, so it’s huge for me.”
Crew Chief Bob Osbourne shares the confidence of his driver. “I think everyone on the team is looking forward to racing at Charlotte again this weekend after winning the All-Star Race last Saturday,” he said. “That was a huge win for our team.”
Jason White is ready to race in the A & W hot rod Dodge
Team press release
May 26, 2011. (Toronto, ON) Sun Peaks, British Columbia racer Jason White has made several trips east in the past few weeks preparing for the 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season. Following several very successful testing sessions White and the #21 A & W Dodge Challenger team are ready to hit the track next weekend for the opening event at Mosport Speedway.
The off season was one of change for Jason White who moved from team owner and driver to the sole position of driver. “I can see how this change has helped out already†explained White. “I have a lot more time now to focus on being the best driver I can and spend more time working on the marketing and promotion aspects of our partnership with A & W and it’s paying off†he added.
This season Jason White will pilot the #21 A & W Dodge Challenger under the guidance of Crew Chief Derek Lynch with the horsepower coming from the DJK Racing shop. “From the first time we hit the track during the Mopar Day test session I could feel the difference in horsepower from last year†said White. “We only got a few laps in that first day but I was very happy†said the driver.
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Extreme Testing Verifies Top Quality for Camaro Convertible
Chevrolet Canada press release
OSHAWA – When the Oshawa built Chevrolet Camaro Convertible sets the pace for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 this Sunday, it will showcase a top built to last a lifetime, operate worry-free and maintain the appearance of its Coupe sibling.
To assure long-term durability, the convertible top underwent extensive testing during development, being opened and closed more than 22,500 times – three times more than would be expected in a typical 10 years of use. Some of those cycles were performed in extreme conditions; temperatures ranging from minus 30° C to 77° C and humidity of up to 95 per cent.
“This past winter we even had our engineers driving 80 of these convertibles back and forth to work every day here in Michigan and Ontario,†said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “They had to open and close the top five times each day no matter what the weather was like.â€Â
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Tony Ave wins rain soaked Trans Am crash fest at Mosport
While the Trans Am cars sat on the mock grid, the World Challenge teams were circling Mosport International Raceway under a full course yellow. The reason? A damp track that deposited 5 cars into the tires between corners 9 and 10. Typical of Mosport’s weather patterns, the rain stopped and started a couple of times. As the TA cars made their way out on the track, the skies opened.
One quick lap behind the pace car and the field went green. For about 30 seconds.
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Vettel named global ambassador for Infiniti brand
Infiniti press release
Yokohama, Japan – May 25th, 2011: Infiniti, the luxury car manufacturer from Japan, today announces it has signed Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel as its first ever Global Brand Ambassador.
The collaboration with Sebastian Vettel comes two months after Infiniti announced a major partnership with the Red Bull Racing team. The 23 year-old F1 star will be taking an active role in raising the profile of the Infiniti brand and its products during race weekends and at selected events linked to Infiniti’s business and product programs.
From the start of the 2011 Formula One season, Infiniti has joined as a major partner of the Red Bull Racing team and features prominently on the race-winning RB7 driven by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Like many in the Red Bull Racing team, Sebastian has been driving products from the Infiniti range, both as his personal car but also at the different races around the world.
Commenting on his new global role, Sebastian Vettel said: “Since our first contact with Infiniti I liked their cars. A car can impress you in two ways: its looks and its handling. After I had the chance to test some cars in the range I became a big fan. They are comfortable as well as sporty. I am sure we as a team and myself can benefit a lot from the experience of Infiniti and I am very much looking forward to our partnership in the future.â€Â
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In His Words – Alex Tagliani
While I was busy cavorting with the kids, John Bassett took some time with Alex Tagliani and asked some real questions.
Alex Tagliani has been the story of the month at Indy and will start Sunday’s race from the pole, the first ever Canadian to grab the pole. Here are portions of the interview I had with Alex.
John Bassett: What’s winning the pole do for the team?
Alex Tagliani: “It rewards all the effort that the guys put into this program. They said we believe in Tag, we believe in the program, we have a good chemistry, I like working with you, we like working with each other, and just put our heads down and see what we can do. And after a year and a half taking pole from Penske and Ganassi at the biggest race ever, the Indy 500 … for our guys it’s their moment of pride.â€Â
JB: Any new phone calls and sponsorship opportunities since Saturday?
Tag: “I think the phone has been ringing off the hook. But I am not deciding on the commercial side of the business anymore, it all goes through Sam (Schmidt). I think Joe has a pretty big say, as he’s the title sponsor of the car, so we have some responsibility towards him. We cannot put any name that will effect the brand, Bowers & Wilkins, but to answer the question, yes, I think it will definitely help.â€Â
JB: Obviously you want to win Indy, but failing that, what’s a good day for you?
Tag: “Thanks to the 15 points I got for winning the pole, we’re now one point out of 6th place in the title. We’re within striking distance of coming out of Indy 3rd in the championship. So it’s really important. … Every race is going to play a big role in the championship and we have to continue what we’re doing if we want to finish in the top 3 at the end of the year.
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Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender
For years I have wanted to go to Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender, and this is the year that I was finally able to go. After four hectic press days at the New York Auto Show I hit the Las Vegas ground running Friday morning – I dropped off my suitcase in my hotel room, slathered on the SPF 30, got my wristband, and headed out to the car show.
Held at the Orleans Casino April 21-24, 2011, VLV features rockabilly and surf bands, pool parties, vintage and 50’s-inspired fashion shows, pin-up workshops, vendors, burlesque performances and more all weekend. No detail is left untouched, and rockabilly music is on constant rotation in the casino common areas. During the day bands perform on two stages within the casino, outside at the pool, and on the car show stage; bands play all night in the ballrooms. The gathering has grown from 1,200 attendees the first year to 8,000 this past year for the music – and an additional 10,000 come to the car show on Saturday. Those who purchase four day wristbands have the advantage of seeing the car show on Thursday and Friday, but tickets are available for the Saturday car show only.