barrie speedway

Topsy turvy top-five for Lapcevich in Barrie NASCAR race

September 13, 2011 by

Team press release by Adam Ross

Grimsby veteran survives multiple mishaps to finish strong

September 12, 2011, GRIMSBY, ON – At first glance Jeff Lapcevich’s Tim Hortons-sponsored Dodge looked more like a crash victim than a top-five finisher Saturday night, but the Grimsby racer survived numerous skirmishes to finish fifth at Barrie Speedway Saturday.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Wild Wing 300 lived up to its name. The smallest speedway on the schedule often features beating and banging, and this year’s race was no exception.

“This was a typical Barrie Speedway race,” said Lapcevich. “The biggest difference is we survived to have a solid finish. It seems like we’re often in the wrong place when the wrecks happen.”
Lapcevich’s night started with a top-10 qualifying effort. He raced solidly in the top 10 throughout the first half of the race, and by staying out of trouble the team was able to execute its strategy.
“It makes a huge difference when we can choose how we run our pit strategy,” said Lapcevich. “If you get in trouble early you have to adjust the rest of your race. Things went well until the big wreck on the back stretch.”

Lapcevich lined up for a mid-race restart behind competitor Ron Beauchamp of Windsor. When Beauchamp’s car broke coming to the green flag everyone stacked up behind him including Lapcevich.

The pack fanned out three wide still trying to find room to get around Beauchamp coming off turn two, and the heavy contact began.
“I was sure that would be the end of our night,” said Lapcevich. “Somehow we got through, but the car was beat up fairly bad. My crew did a great job keeping us on the lead lap, and getting the car competitive enough that I could still run with the leaders.”

The sparks continued to fly with the race winding down, and Lapcevich avoided a last-lap crash to manoeuvre into the fifth spot.

“I’d say we’re pleased with the night,” said Lapcevich. “You can have the best car at Barrie and not finish. We had a strong car, and it brought us to a strong finish. I’m pretty happy with that.”
With the fifth place result Lapcevich climbs to 10th in the points standings even though he chose to skip the two-race western swing. The team will pass on this weekend’s event at Riverside Speedway near Antigonish, Nova Scotia, as well.

“We’ve been seeking sponsorship for a little while to make the trip to Nova Scotia,” said Lapcevich. “We just weren’t able to put anything together. We’ll be back for the season finale at Kawartha.
For more information on the Lapcevich race team Fastline Motorsports visit LapcevichRacing.com. For sponsorship inquiries phone 905-545-1500, and ask for Jeff.

Photo by Gary Grant

Filed Under: barrie speedway, jeff lapcevich, Nascar, nascar canadian tire series, ncats, ncts, wild wing 300

Kennington tightens points battle

September 13, 2011 by Todd Lewis

September 11, 2011. DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team returned to Barrie Speedway this past weekend for round number ten of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series looking to pick up their fourth win at the track. While they didn’t score the victory, Kennington did tighten up the point’s race for the overall championship.

The day began as expected when Kennington posted the quickest time around the very tricky 1/3 mile oval track in the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge. “The car was really good and it got even better with the adjustments we made during practice” said Kennington.

DJ would start the 300 lap race in the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge from the fifth position and easily keep pace with the leaders. “So many things happen at this track you have to be sure and survive the 300 laps” explained Kennington. “I didn’t want to do anything risky too early” he added.

Following several caution periods for incidents the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team made their first pit stop of the night for fuel. “We wanted to have track position later in the race” said Kennington about the strategy. “With a few other caution periods we decided to also make stops for tires and be able to run the rest of the night without stopping” he stated.

The rough racing continued with several incidents. Meantime Kennington continued to keep the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge in position for a late charge. In the late stages of the event however Kennington was hit from behind and spun out of contention. “I know you are going to have contact on this small track, but I feel I was deliberately moved out of the way and that’s wrong” said Kennington.

Despite the setback Kennington charged hardest in the closing laps and salvaged a seventh place result in the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge. It also tightened the championship fight with still two races remaining. “We had a chance to really tighten it up until that spin, but we made some progress and we’re off to Riverside to win” stated the driver.

With the seventh place finish Kennington pulls to within 69 points of the overall championship lead. Round eleven of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will take place Saturday September 17th at Riverside Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Race fans are encouraged to keep up to date with the latest team news in several ways. Race fans should bookmark the team website www.djkracing.ca and follow them on twitter, www.twitter.com/djkracing and look for the new DJK Racing Fan Page on Facebook

Filed Under: barrie speedway, dj kennington, Nascar, nascar canadian tire series, ncts, wild wing 300

Strong effort from Noel Dowler in Barrie

September 13, 2011 by Todd Lewis

September 11, 2011. Sherwood Park, Alberta’s Noel Dowler and the #5 EMCO Dodge team keep on making improvements with each event in the 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season. At round number ten on the challenging one third mile track at Barrie Speedway Dowler showed again the great strides he’s making this year.

During the afternoon practice session Dowler quickly got comfortable with the tight track layout and his lap times in the #5 EMCO Dodge improved throughout the one hour practice. “It’s a difficult track but I like that it challenges you each time around” said Dowler. “I’m finding that I get into a nice rhythm on the oval tracks” he added.

For the race the plan for the #5 EMCO Dodge team was simple. Survive 300 grueling laps on a track that has only one racing line. In the early going Dowler proceeded cautiously and tried to give all competitors plenty of racing room. “Our approach was the same for this race as the others, be cautious early and as things settle down and I get more comfortable in the car we start looking for opportunities to move up” said Dowler.

One of the difficulties with establishing a rhythm was the rough racing that resulted in numerous yellow flag caution periods. “When we were racing it was great, it was like running around a kart track” Dowler stated.

Dowler continued his persistent effort to keep the #5 EMCO Dodge moving forward. “We had a few ups and downs no doubt about it” said the driver. “When we passed the halfway point we were still in pretty good shape. We’d made a stop for adjustments and I just continued to try and move forward.

Dowler would run out of good fortune as the #5 EMCO Dodge was collected in another incident on the track. It didn’t appear as though it was too hard a hit; however the contact damaged the radiator ending their night. “It’s a shame because we were in position for another good finish and could have gained more ground in the rookie of the year race” said Dowler

The next race takes place at Riverside Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia on Saturday September 17th. All of the 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races will be broadcast on TSN. Check local listings for times in your area. For more information about Noel Dowler Jr. log onto www.apollomotorsports.ca

Filed Under: barrie speedway, Nascar, nascar canadian tire, ncats, ncts, noel dowler jr, wild wing 300

Beauchamp gets banged around in Mopar Dodge

September 13, 2011 by Todd Lewis

September 11, 2011. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge returned to Barrie Speedway for round number ten of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series looking for the same kind of night that had them starting from the pole position at the track one year ago. The night started out well but the rough racing we typically see at Barrie soon took its toll.

During the afternoon practice the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge showed speed but didn’t handle the way Beauchamp was hoping. “The car was a little bit tight” said Beauchamp. “We changed the set up a little bit for this year looking for more speed so we needed some changes after practice” he added.

Beauchamp would roll off tenth for the 300 lap main event. Early on the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge moved forward. “The track tightened up as we expected and the changes we made to the car worked well” said the driver.

Fortunes began to change quickly however as Beauchamp was pushed high on the front straightaway and rubbed the outside wall. “It’s just so tight on this track and I got pushed to the outside and did some damage to the car” explained the driver.

Initially it appeared the damage was mostly cosmetic. However it would quickly become clear that wasn’t the case. During a restart, Beauchamp put the power down on the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge and the left axle broke, turning the car sharply to the left. “That spun me and shot me into the wall and the next thing I know I’ve got cars all around me and one flying over me” explained Beauchamp.

With significant damage the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team hastily made repairs trying to salvage anything they could on the night. “The team did a great job just to make the car drivable” said Beauchamp. “All we could do after that was ride around and try to gain a few points” he added.

Beauchamp would claim a 15th place result and is seventh in the overall championship point standings.

Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge Team will compete in all twelve races on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. The next event will take place on September 17th at Riverside Speedway in Antigonish, NS. Once again this year all events will be broadcast on TSN. Fans should check their local listings for times. For more information about the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries team log on to www.beauchampmotorsports.com and www.mopar.ca

Filed Under: barrie speedway, Nascar, nascar canadian tire series, ncats, ncts, ron beauchamp jr, team mopar, wild wing 300

Jason White gets a jolt in Barrie

September 13, 2011 by Todd Lewis

September 11, 2011. Racer Jason White and the #21 A & W Dodge team resumed action in the NASCAR Canadian Tire series this past weekend at Barrie Speedway for round number ten. White showed speed, poise and was en route to a fantastic finish when fortunes quickly changed.

In three previous visits to Barrie the #21 A & W Dodge team hasn’t achieved the desired results. During practice and then in qualifying White was confident their luck was changing. “As usual my Crew Chief Derek Lynch and his crew prepared the car really well and I felt really good heading into the race” said White.

Knowing 300 grueling laps lay ahead White knew patience and a solid race strategy would be key. “I was really fortunate to have Dan McHattie spotting for me today” said White. “He was stressing what to expect right from the start of practice and it was playing out exactly as he said it would” he added.

As expected on the tight one third mile oval there was plenty of action between drivers. “I was just being cautious in the first half of the race and saving the #21 A & W Dodge for the second half of the race” explained White.

Past the halfway point White had stopped for scheduled service and the focus on the end result began. “The car was really coming to us” said White. “I feel we had a car capable of a top five finish for sure and the race was coming to us exactly the way Dan explained earlier” he added.

A shocking twist of fate would occur on a restart just past lap 200. The #60 car would turn inexplicably in front of the #21 A & W Dodge that was on the inside sending White on a wild sliding across the track and crashing hard into the outside wall. “Apparently the #60 broke an axle and the car the just turned in front of me” said a disappointed White. “It’s so frustrating because everyone worked so hard and the race was playing out the way we expected and we were in line for a great finish” he added.

Despite the disappointing end to the night Jason White remains in eighth spot in the overall championship standings. “That was the hardest hit I’ve ever had” said White “but at least we didn’t take too bad a hit in the points”.

Jason White and the #21 A & W Dodge team are back in action on Saturday September 17th at Riverside Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Race fans will have even more opportunities to follow Jason White and the #21 A & W Dodge Challenger team this season. Check out the all new team website at www.jasonwhiteracing.com and be sure to follow Jason on twitter for the latest updates @racinjasonwhite The 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will consist of twelve events from coast to coast in Canada. Get more information about the series at www.hometracks.nascar.com

Photo by Gary Grant

Filed Under: barrie speedway, jason white, Nascar, nascar canadian tire series, ncats, ncts, wild wing 300