SERIES PRIMER PINNACLE OF THE SPORT


13 challenging races, at varied venues across Canada, will produce one worthy champion


The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. PHOTO BY G. MACPHERSON


BY GREG MACPHERSON T


he NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 is Canada’s na-


tional stock car championship. A 13-race schedule, with a mix of oval and road racing events from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, offers a worthy challenge to the country’s top racers and teams. In 2010, the schedule is made up of


eight oval events and five road course races. NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races are major sporting events in the regions where they take place as fans flock to see big league NASCAR racing. Several of the series’ road course events


figure prominently into significant urban race weekends, such as the Honda Indy Ed- monton (July 24-25), the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (August 14-15) and Montreal’s NASCAR Nationwide Series weekend at le Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (August 28-29). New for 2010, the NASCAR Canadian


Tire Series will make its inaugural appear- ance at the Honda Indy Toronto. These racing spectacles are among the most at- tended sporting events in Canada and they give the Canadian Tire Series com- petitors and teams an opportunity to showcase their talents and vehicles on a massive stage. The other road racing event on the Canadian Tire Series schedule took place June 13 at the legendary Mosport Interna- tional Raceway road course. Former Cana- dian national stock car champion J.R. Fitzpatrick took the checkered flag in that race, ahead of two-time and reigning se-


8 • NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES


ries champ Andrew Ranger. Looking at the oval events, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series kicked off its fourth season of action on June 5 at Delaware Speedway, near London, On- tario. The half-mile oval is the traditional home of the type of racing that is now known as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Se- ries presented by Mobil 1. Perennial title contender DJ Kennington


won that race, for the second year in a row. The St. Thomas, Ontario resident’s win at his hometrack signaled his intention to capture his first Canadian Tire Series crown, after being in contention in all three years the series has existed. The next oval race takes place July 3 at Autodrome St-Eustache. The flat, 4/10- mile oval is a unique and challenging fa- cility, located just northwest of downtown Montreal, Quebec. Three-time Canadian national stock car champion Dave Whit- lock won this race in 2009. It was the lone Canadian Tire Series victory of Whit- lock’s career, as he retired at the end of last season. Following the Toronto and Edmonton


Indy races, the series will head to Vernon, BC for a July 31 race at the high-banked, half-mile Motoplex Speedway and Event Park (formerly SunValley Speedway). And just four days later, the Canadian Tire Se- ries caravan will pull into Saskatoon, Saskatchewan’s Auto Clearing Motor Speedway for a mid-week race (August 4) as the teams conclude their three-race swing through western Canada.


Sandwiched in between the Quebec


road race events (GP3R and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve) is the August 21 race at the half-mile Mosport Speedway. Mosport’s long straights and tight turns make for a Canadian Tire Series race that is always thrilling to watch. The September 11 race at the bullring


known as Barrie Speedway is one that drivers look ahead to with excitement and trepidation. The 1/3-mile oval always seems to extract a heavy toll on the equip- ment, but produces old-fashioned ‘rubbin is racin’-style action that the fans love. Next, the tour heads to Riverside Inter- national Speedway, near Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Although getting there is a long haul for most of the teams, the beautiful high-banked 1/3-mile facility and the fa- mous Maritime hospitality make it one of the most popular events on the circuit. And then, on Sept. 25, the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 will likely be settled at Kawartha Speedway (near Peterborough, Ontario). Andrew Ranger has twice been crowned Canada’s national stock car champion following this race (2007 and 2009), while Scott Steckly was given his Canadian Tire Series trophy there in 2008. The best racers and crews that Canada


has to offer (see page 20 for a review of the expected title contenders) have one goal in mind. By September 25 at Kawartha, we’ll know who did the best job of rising to the challenge that is the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.


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