An Account of Greg Moore's Enduring Racing Spirit 15 Years After His Death

Through the week leading up to the unpleasant anniversary, it has been my intention to create a tribute to Greg Moore. That lap 10 crash on October 31st of 1999 at the track now known as Auto Club Speedway remains as perhaps the most vicious accidents I have ever witnessed in motorsports. From what I saw to a racer I had so greatly admired, reacquainting me with the life of the Canadian presents a drastically greater feeling. I’ve retrieved my November 1st 1999 copies of the Toronto Sun, Toronto Star and the sports section of the Toronto Star newspapers I saved for 15 years to refresh myself to the great sense of loss no only to the motorsport community as well as to the nation of Canada. Crash images on the papers of those 15-year-old periodicals send me back. Reaction from teammate Patrick Carpentier, figures of the sport including CART president Andrew Craig and even insinuation whether he must have driven in the event following a Saturday scooter accident that injured his right hand was a sample of the content in text.

Following the time I spent reinforcing my memory, what I would write needed to relay a sense of sadness but also admiration. Too many of my recent articles have been a documentation of facts and the reference of statistics. Those who have followed Moore are quite famous with five great wins in the CART World Series and a domination of the 1995 Indy Lights series that built his legacy. In tribute to this great Canadian driver, I cannot liken Greg Moore to what could be found in a record book or on a digital webpage like Wikipedia.

For me, it is easier to identify with those more factual encounters than principles used in more emotional writing styles. I was born with Autism and though I can now operate at a fully functional level, it still hard for me to clearly and fully express my more emotionally guided words. That was one of many personality aspects I liked about Greg Moore. For a person who left the planet so prematurely, he conveyed happiness, humour and sometimes even displeasure so vividly to even distant observers. In his passing, his character in the paddock was well documented as a practical joker who was still an overall likeable competitor. Even 15 years later, many drivers who have raced against Moore remember him fondly.

To the best of my recollection, there was an interview with Greg Moore I watched on CBC during the 1995 Vancouver Indy where he was being questioned on assuming the Player's-sponsored ride with Forsythe Racing. Effectively taking over the spot left vacant by the Formula 1-bound Jacques Villeneuve, he was clearly thrilled but I also sense a slight bit of rookie discomfort. After-all, a Player's Racing race car found in victory lane in Indianapolis 500 and eventually running well enough to capture the 1995 CART championship would obviously felt like a one-ton weight for a 21-year-old Canadian expecting to face some of the world‘s best open wheel drivers. However, in the 1996 season, the steering wheel of the #99 car was handled by driver full of talent and near fearlessness. The opening lap multiple-car wreck at the 1996 U.S. 500 at Michigan International Speedway dodged by Moore demonstrated the reflexes of a winner. Through the infield grass, the #99 Reynard-Mercedes escaped a moving wall of open wheel race cars. Running on dirt and grass on slick tires and returning to the oval’s paved surface unscathed, that driver from Maple Ridge, British Columbia forged his place in open wheel racing.  

Winless in 1996 and falling short to locking-up rookie of the year honours in the series to a flamboyant Italian named Alex Zanardi, Moore pulled off two wins in 1997. The first coming at Milwaukee, I remembered the popular #6 machine piloted by Michael Andretti hounding the Canadian prepared to capitalize on even a minor slip. The veteran Newman/Haas Racing driver was never offered this window of opportunity. Becoming the youngest driver in CART series racing to win an event, Moore found victory lane again at Detroit. One of my two favourite Greg Moore wins, PacWest Racing team drivers Mark Blundell and Mauricio Gugelmin were gambling on fuel mileage in the closing laps of the race. Moore was positioned in third and immediately entered into full attack mode as the fuel cells of both PacWest drivers ran dry. The 1998 U.S. 500 final-lap battle between him and the Target Chip Ganassi Racing juggernaut where the Player's Racing #99 prevailed was a remarkable sight. Earlier that year, Moore stole victory away from Ganassi’s driver Alex Zanardi with five laps to go at the Rio 400 in Brazil.

The way he fought for each and every first-place trophy in CART has presented five memorable viewing experiences for which my eyes had the privilege to behold. Present at the Molson Indy Toronto event for 1998 and 1999, I was watched the #99 car in action on the long-running street course. Unfortunately, I never had the thrill to see him outside of a race car in person. Unlike the configuration used in the present Honda Indy events in Toronto where a stretch provides a reasonable chance for many spectators to see the major personalities of IndyCar racing, sight of drivers were more restricted in the late 1990s. Current IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe has had fond memories of Greg Moore and it has been an enjoyment hearing his interaction with the Maple Ridge native. He talked about Moore in an interview I conducted back in 2010 in cooperation with his Indy Lights ride of the time Team Moore Racing. Earlier that year, I did have an experience with one of his race cars at the Canadian International AutoShow as part of a special display. Present for media day, I observed the Player's #99 Reynard-Mercedes was among several vehicles that included a Wolf Racing Formula 1 car and a Paul Tracy driven Can-Am car displayed by the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Greg Moore’s passing affected everyone who knew him. Family and personal friends have probably been the most hurt following the tragedy in California. To a lesser degree, his discontinued physical presence on this planet resulted in him being unable to join Team Penske in 2000. Thanks to a wonderfully compiled book titled “Greg Moore- A Legacy of Spirit“, there was a wonderful account alleviating some of the sadness for the unfulfilled opportunity. While he never drove a Team Penske vehicle in competition, Moore tested Al Unser Jr.’s ride in 1994 at Nazareth Speedway one-mile track. Driving the envied Mercedes-Benz powered PC-23 chassis, he was only the second person to drive Penske machine not under contract with the “Captain“; the other driver was Formula 1 great Ayrton Senna (an idolized athlete of Moore‘s). For any Canadian auto racing fan, I have to recommend Greg Moore- A Legacy of Spirit as a deserving read for a full understanding of a driver and human being.

The most fundamental fact one person could admire about Greg Moore was his pursue to live his dream. Between his two dreams, Greg chose auto racing over his other dream of hockey. Two vocations with a slight chance for ultimate success, Greg Moore, supported by his father Ric, pressed into motorsports. Despite reaching the glorious realm of professional auto racing and flourishing, the construction of something like his dreams was not without its adversity. In the case of Moore’s family, mortgages on property paid for the younger Greg’s first season competing in Indy Lights. Despite limited finances, determination, skill and perhaps a good deal of luck resulted in Moore’s blue and white #99 car being an icon to Canada’s auto racing heritage as much as the #99 worn by Wayne Gretzky (a hero of Greg Moore) was to hockey.

With 15 years passing since the loss, we are all left wanting more time for Greg Moore on this Earth to evolve greater as a driver and person. Understanding he cannot truly achieve this wish, the young Canadian must be racing somewhere whether in the afterlife or in the spirits of those among the living.

James Hinchcliffe Suiting Up for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports for 2015 IndyCar Season

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy

 

If you live in the Canadian province of Ontario, October of 2014 revolves around the campaigns by individuals to lead cities and towns. The 27-year-old Oakville, Ontario race car driver known as the mayor of Hinchtown has chosen to this month announce a substantial change to his devoted populus.

After three seasons piloting a #27 machine for Andretti Autosport as part of the IndyCar Series, James Hinchcliffe has declared he will hop over to the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports organization for what will be a multi-year deal starting 2015. A popular driver not only in Canada but on the whole IndyCar scene, Hinchcliffe's move is definitely a major wave to be sent through the series. "To see what they have accomplished in the last few seasons has been incredible. Winning races, being competitive at all tracks and finishing in the top five in the championship against more experienced teams at this level is impressive. Because they are young, there is still room for them to grow and improve, and that's an exciting thought for me." said Hinchcliffe on the incentive for signing with the team co-owned by Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson.





In four seasons of IndyCar competition, James Hinchcliffe has driven for Newman/Haas Racing in 2011 and Andretti Autosport. Crowning achievement for the young Canadian time in IndyCar has consisted of the 2011 Rookie of the Year award and being named IndyCar's most popular driver in 2012. His 2013 season with Andretti Autosport driving the GoDaddy-sponsored Chevrolet-powered car is viewed as his more successful in the series so-far. All three career victories were scored in Hinchcliffe's 2013 IndyCar season. The 2014 season for James Hinchcliffe was a disappointment finishing 12th in the overall drivers standings. His top finish in competition last season was third at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Starting in 2015, Hinchcliffe will be piloting the #77 car recently vacated by Simon Pagenaud (Pagenaud weeks ago signed a deal to drive for Team Penske for the upcoming IndyCar season). In 2014, the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team found victory lane twice and driver Pagenaud to fifth in the overall points. Leaving Andretti Autosport, the career path for Hinchcliffe heading into 2015 is acquainting him with something new as well as something familiar. In 2009, James Hinchcliffe drove for Sam Schmidt's Indy Lights team finishing in the top-five in points that season. Speaking about the acquisition of the driving services of Hinchcliffe, Sam Schmidt recalled attempting to recruit him in 2011. Schmidt responded, "In fact, he would already be with us driving the No. 77 if he would have been available three years ago. We went after him in 2011, but it didn't work out then."

XSL Speed Reporter Exclusive Interview: F4 Italian Championship Driver Lance Stroll

Photo Credit: ACI Sport S.p.A.

Right now, a hordes of 15 year-olds scramble for some resolution to potential boredom occurring through the second half of summer vacation. Some may be looking forward to a family trip or may have taken on a summer job to make a productive use of time. This year, Canadian auto racing prospect Lance Stroll is taking a unique tour of Italy at the wheel of single-seat, open-wheel race car.

Even before he is old enough to possess a Canadian driver’s license, Lance Stroll has been putting miles on a turbocharged Fiat Abarth-powered race car. Competing in the inaugural season of the F4 Italian Championship, the Montreal-born prospect graduated from competition karting where he won in Canada as well as the United States showing favourably in world tournaments. Those performances garnered the attention of the Ferrari Driver Academy. Over a short time period, the driver development has developed Formula 1 drivers Sergio Perez and Jules Bianchi. The only North American native part of the 2014 five-driver squad, the accomplishment is nothing less than phenomenal.

Not only is Lance Stroll racing in the 2014 F4 Italian Championship, he has bested some of the world’s brightest new hopes for open wheel greatness. Driving the #18 car for the Prema Power Team, the 15-year-old Canadian has won four races overall and leads in the drivers’ standings after nine races completed. Stroll has won on the circuit of Imola as well as the Mugello Circuit (a favourite test track among Formula 1 drivers and teams). Along with Bruno Spengler and Robert Wickens in the DTM series, Lance Stroll is presently another driver carrying the Canadian maple leaf flag racing in Europe.

As a special privilege to XSL Speed Reporter ahead of an upcoming round in Magione, the Canadian Ferrari Driver Academy member answered some questions in helping us get to know more about him and his career.

Photo Credit: ACI Sport S.p.A.

The list of drivers competing so far in the F4 Italian Championship has given the series a United Nations-style appearance. Do you find it special to contend on a world stage at a young age?

Yes, I do. At the same time, though, the level is also quite low since all the drivers are all coming out of karting. But I’m very happy to be part of the championship and I’m looking forward to the next races.

　


Can you describe the sensation of racing your F4 Car?

There’s not too much excitement in the car since it’s very low power and low aerodynamics but it’s still a great sensation just driving a car instead of a go-kart so I love it and I can’t wait for the next few steps coming up and going to the bigger categories.



You're fifteen years old and far away from home as you are competing in F4 Italian Championship. Obviously your family has been supportive with your racing activities but you're quite a ways from home. Can you describe your family relationship as you pursue your passion?

The truth is I am far away from home but at the same time, I’m here at Ferrari and I feel very much at home. My family are very supportive with me with the racing. I have a sister and she came as well from Canada to Europe so there’s a lot of support from everyone and they just wish me the best and I’m very thankful.

　

Photo Credit: ACI Sport S.p.A.

What driver(s) have most inspired you as a race car driver?

My favourite driver in Formula 1 is Fernando Alonso. I think with the car the way it is this year, Ferrari obviously is not the strongest in the field and he’s done some incredible things with the package he has so he’s definitely my favourite professional driver.

　


Being part of the Ferrari Driver Academy you must be receiving some specialized training in honing your development. Could you please provide an understanding to what is provided through your membership. Also, what resources have been made available to you that has helped you so far?

I think with Ferrari, we do a lot of fitness training and simulation training as well as the mental training, which are the three main factors that we work most on and I think what Ferrari helps very much with is they know the stepping stones it takes to get to the highest level of racing so you learn so much from the people who work here with the Driver Academy and it’s like nowhere else you could be so I’m extremely happy to be working with these people. They’ve taught me so much in the last years and again, I’m looking forward to the future and I’m ready to learn a lot more.

　

Photo Credit: ACI Sport S.p.A.

During the 1990s, a slew of Canadian drivers (Jacques Villeneuve, Greg Moore and Alex Tagliani to name a few) were assisted through the Players Driver Development Program similar to the Ferrari Driver Academy. Do you wish a similar program existed in Canada?

Yes and no. There are times when I miss home for sure, but as well, I think part of the enjoyment is coming here and being with the team at Ferrari. I think it wouldn’t be the same if it were at home. That’s part of the fun, coming to Italy and doing something new, being with the Scuderia Ferrari team, so yes and no I’d have to say on that question. Like I said earlier, there are days where I miss home but as well, I think it’s a great new adventure to come to Italy and work with one of the greatest Formula 1 teams in the world.

　


Clearly you would consider Formula 1 as an ultimate goal. What do you think of the new Formula 1 cars and rules for 2014?

I think it’s interesting but at the same point, I don’t agree with the ways of saving tyres and fuel and many factors that are in Formula 1 today. I think it’s exciting for the people. I don’t love the sound myself. I think it used to sound better with the normally-aspirated engine. It’s a new Formula 1 but if you ask me which one I prefer, I definitely think the old style of Formula 1 was more pure racing.




Of any production Ferrari from past to present, which one would you most want?

One of my favourite Ferraris is the P4. I think it’s an unbelievable car. It’s the car I love most in the world so that’s definitely it.


Late Breaking News: At this weekend's F4 Italian Championship round in Magione, Lance Stroll won the opening race. Race 2 ended early for the Canadian with contact between Prema Power Team teammate Brandon Maisano in the third lap. Race 3 ended with Stroll taking the runner-up position but top in his class concluding with a 232-point total in the championship standings.

The Maple Leaf at the Brickyard

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/XSL Speed Reporter

Commemorating 100 years since the first Indianapolis 500 ran at the 2.5 oval track, achievements transpiring at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway composes a rich tapestry for those who conquered the highest plateaus on auto racing. Of course, this Brickyard history includes some special efforts presented by many enterprising Canadians.

At least 17 drivers of Canadian nationality have inserted themselves into the open wheel classic field. Started when Arran, Ontario's Pete Henderson drove a Maxwell to 6th in the 1916 Indianapolis 500, another early Indy contender was Ira Vail. Making his first Indy 500 start in 1919, Vail would make five Indy 500 appearances collecting a best 7th place in 1921.

A heyday for Canadian determination at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the 1990s saw the Canadian flag carried to three top-2 finishes. Racing to 2nd place in 1992 and 1997, Scott Goodyear came just 0.043 seconds short of Indy 500 victory in 1992. Goodyear also had a pivotal role in the 1995 Indianapolis 500 with 10 laps remaining. Mistiming the pace car, Scott Goodyear was black-flagged for jumping the restart allowing fellow countryman Jacques Villeneuve. Future Formula 1 World Champion, Villeneuve is acknowledged as Canada's first official Indy 500 winner. 1946 Indy 500 winner George Robson was unofficially the Canada's initial connection to victory lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A British-born driver possessing a Canadian background, Robson was declared an American citizen.

While Jacques Villeneuve's win is the first and only official victory by a Canadian driver at the Indianapolis 500, an strong argument could be made that Paul Tracy should have been the rightful victor of the 2002 event. In the height of the nasty North American open wheel where IRL and the CART fought for supremacy, an uneasy truce existed to allow CART drivers as well as teams to enter the field of the Indianapolis 500 race. In the closing laps of the 2002 Indianapolis 500, the IRL regular Team Penske car driven by Helio Castroneves battled with the one-off of Team Green's effort driven by Canada's Paul Tracy. A caution with 2 laps remaining flew for a turn 1 crash while Tracy was side-by-side with Castroneves in the process of passing the Penske car. When the yellow flag fell, Paul Tracy and many others believed the pass occurred before the time of caution. However, a ruling by IRL officials instructed that the pass was not completed before the caution paving the way for Helio Castroneves to roll to victory. Team Green appealed the finish but the results for the 2002 Indy 500 would not change. Many continue to believe that IRL/CART politics factored heavily into Tracy losing the race.

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/XSL Speed Reporter

Perhaps the most influential Canadian name surrounding the Indianapolis 500, Calgary's Stuart Hilborn success came outside of the open wheel cockpit. Selling teams on his then-radical concept of fuel injection, Hilborn's engineering expertise first propelled Troy Ruttman to a 1952 Indy 500 victory. By the 1960s, every Indy car would run Hilborn fuel injection systems.

Canada's history at the Indy 500 has been buoyed in the 2011 event that where the late Dan Wheldon took victory. Todd Malloy, a native from the province of Ontario and a graduate from the University of Waterloo, served as the Race Engineer on the winning #98 Bryan Herta Autosport entry. For 2012, Malloy will be partnered with French-Canadian IZOD INDYCAR driver Alex Tagliani driving the team's race car.

In 2012, Alex Tagliani returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the event's reigning pole sitter while sophomore driver James Hinchcliffe is intent on taking vengeance for losing the Indy 500 Rookie of the Year honour to JR Hildebrand. Two Canadian drivers will take on the Brickyard aspiring to write new chapters in the books for the Indianapolis 500 that could involve the Maple Leaf flag back in the winner's circle.

Gilles Villeneuve: Remembered After 30 Years

Photo Credit: Chris Burdick/Automoblog.net

On May 8th, a somber memorial is paid to a man who gave the maple leaf flag a dynamic presentation to the world of motorsports. An life lost in 1982, the 30th anniversary since the death of Gilles Villeneuve recaps the soul of a determined, enthusiastic person who left meant something to Canada.
Born in 1950 in the Southern Quebec town of Richelieu, French-Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve pursuit into motorsports started with the straight-line action of drag racing at 17 years old. Tiring of drag racing, Villeneuve would quickly obtain a passion for the challenge of corners.

Winning the Formula Atlantic title back-to-back in 1976 (actually collecting both a US as well as Canadian title offered that year) and 1977 season, Gilles Villeneuve's career-making moment was at the 1976 Trois Riviere race. Villeneuve was not only victorious in the legendary Canadian street race, his talent behind the wheel captured the attention of a Formula 1 driver James Hunt (a popular McLaren driver who went on to win the 1976 World Championship). Hunt's McLaren team would offer him a two-year old race car to drive at the British Grand Prix in last year. A race that resulted in an 11th place run, Gilles Villeneuve's was most impressive for how he was able to find lap times as fast as the leaders after the course of the event. Villeneuve would be drafted by the the Ferrari team for the final two races of the 1977 season.

Making the big-time in motorsports with a full grand prix season in 1978, Formula 1 success would not be instant for the Canadian. In the 16-race season, the passionate Villeneuve's scored just 7 points in the first 15 races. A driving personality that quickly won over fans not only in Canada but throughout the racing world, Gilles Villeneuve's hard-charging driving style badly-needed to be complemented with a major Formula 1 success. For the very first Canadian Grand Prix to be held at the Ile Notre Dame circuit in Villeneuve's home province, the Ferrari drive capped the 1978 season with his first-ever Formula 1. The race track would later be named in the honour of Gilles Villeneuve. The victory for Villeneuve proved himself to the racing world with a large Canadian crowd cheering on their first-ever Formula 1 grand prix winner. In 1979 Formula 1 season, Gilles Villeneuve's best grand prix season would include three wins and a second-place finish in Formula 1 driver points to Jody Scheckter by a narrow 4-point margin.

Despite plateauing to the highest heights in Formula 1, he remained a dedicated husband and a father to children Melanie and Jacques. Undoubtedly this relationship kept Gilles Villenueve grounded through what would be some hard times. Into the disastrous 1980 season where the Ferrari team's 312 T5 race car and Flat-12 engine was seriously off the pace. A drastically improved Ferrari Formula 1 car the following would glide Villeneuve to two more grand prix wins at Monaco and Spain.

As the driver and team regained winning form, the 1982 Formula 1 season was poised for a revival to the form of 1979. At the 1982 San Marino Grand Prix, a potential win was foiled by Villeneuve's teammate Didier Pironi in what was a very controversial pass. While Pironi's move was perfectly legal, there existed an informal agreement within the Ferrari team that a team car should not attempt to pass the other teammate on track. The relationship between Pironi and Villeneuve was turbulent heading into the Belgium Grand Prix.

It was qualifying for the Belgium Grand Prix on the Spa-Francochamps circuit that Gilles Villeneuve would spend his last moments of life. A high-speed collision between Villeneuve's Ferrari and the March of Jochen Mass occurred violently tearing apart the race car as it went airborne. A crash so horrible, Villeneuve's helmet was thrown off his head. As fellow race competitors and doctors rushed to the scene of the crash, the Canadian racer's severe injuries would be fatal. On May 8th, 1982 at 9:12 PM local time in Belgium, Gilles Villeneuve was lost to the most tragic element of a sport he loved so much.

Known to most of the world as a six-time grand prix winner, Gilles Villeneuve became an idolized figure for Canadian open wheel racers who emerged in greater number through the decades following the Ferrari Formula 1 driver's lead. One of those campaigning drivers in the 1990s was the son of Gilles Villeneuve. Jacques Villeneuve's triumphs at the Indy 500 as well as the IndyCar World Series in 1995 and eventually a 1997 Formula 1 World Championship also rewarded his pioneering father's legacy. The son of Gilles Villeneuve retains the most meaningful, most honest connection to a man many Canadians see as a legend.
In the 30 years since the passing of Gilles Villeneuve, we reflect on the life of the Canadian auto racer lost way too soon in numerous ways. While some of us honour the athlete as a great citizen who has given a nation a unique sense of pride, other see the French-Canadian drivers as someone more empowering. Gilles Villeneuve's love and desire towards a desire achievement personifies what others in motorsports, in sports and even in the complex lives we all inhabit. On figurative race courses, we all seek to travel quicker down the straights, take the nearest corner with extra control, lead the way for what would be a popular, celebrated victory. The life of Gilles Villeneuve made him a winner on every stretch.


The following video from Italy's Rai TV is coverage of Jacques Villeneuve connecting with the #12 Ferrari 312 T4 driven during his father's most successful 1979 season in Formula 1. In tribute to his father, Jacques Villeneuve turned laps in the classic race machine around Ferrari's Fiorano test track.

Canadian ALMS Racer Kyle Marcelli with Merchant Services Racing in 2012

Photo Credit: John Thawley

With green flag for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh from Florida scheduled in only 10 days, last moment preparations for the 2012 American Le Mans Series' inauguration for some teams included the signage of Canadian sports car standout Kyle Marcelli. A member of driving team in three class victories during the 2011 Le Mans Prototype Challenge-type competition, Marcelli is part of the newly-formed American Le Mans Series team Merchant Services Racing.

Freshly 22 years old, Kyle Marcelli ended the 2011 season as one of the fastest drivers in the Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) category. Racing under contract with Intersport Racing for the past two seasons in ALMS, the young Canadian driver has illuminated to a shining star as the reliability of the Chevrolet-powered Oreca race car became more solid. Recording his first major sports car racing victory at Imola, Italy, the initial entrance into victory lane lit a fire underneath Marcelli's ALMS efforts. During the summer of 2011, Kyle Marcelli co-drove his #89 Intersport car to LMPC class wins at the tredorious Mid-Ohio race and the debut Baltimore street race. Kyle Marcelli's 2011 American Le Mans Series ended with third place in the overall LMPC points standings.   

A brand new LMPC effort, Merchant Services Racing will field two Oreca FLM-09 race cars starting with the Sebring race. President and CEO of Merchant Services Chapman Ducote has made the 2012 team's presence possible. “When given the opportunity, we jumped at the chance to be the title sponsor of Merchant Services Racing,” said Ducote will is also a co-driver of the #7 set to be shared with Javier Acheverria and Pablo Sanchez. Kyle Marcelli will pilot the #8 Merchant Services Racing machine Lucas Downs and Dean Stirling.

In response to joining the new team, Kyle Marcelli said, “Although we’re a new team this year, we have a tremendous amount of combined experience, between our team principals, managers, engineers and drivers. It is not our first rodeo and we have our sights set on the top step of the podium.” Kyle Marcelli already has a professional sports car racing history with the Merchant Services name. Last year, Marcelli drove a #99 JMB Racing/Merchant Services Limited prototype to his first major sports car racing class victory at the Imola six-hour event.

Kyle Marcelli and the whole Merchant Services Racing team will be put to the test at Sebring on March 17th.

XSL Speed Reporter's Lost 2008 Patrick Carpentier Interview

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

I remembered an interview with CART champion Alex Zanardi in the late 1990s where he was asked what he would want out of a race season. Instead of getting into specifics of how many races or where he foresees himself at the end of the race season, Zanardi responded he just wanted to leave the season with "no regrets". A man of terrific spirit and passion, Alex Zanardi's words have been a drive I am still envying. One thing I have a lot of in life and the early part of my writing career is regret. There have been opportunities I have missed, times I have been too slow and other occasions where I needed cooperation I never received.

Recently, my improving presence through this website as well as with other publications has given me a chance to begin to vanquish some regrets. I object which has truly sat as a lost opportunity in the early stage of my career came as a result of an interview with then-NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Patrick Carpentier. In 2008, it was my goal to obtain an interview with Carpentier as a prelude piece to the year's NASCAR Nationwide Series event in Montreal. Thanks to the gracious efforts of Gillett Evernham Motorsports representative and of the French-Canadian driver, I received some valued insight on the former Champ Car contender's migration to NASCAR. Having the material for an original article, I was unable to attract several established publications. Complicating matters was also the sudden departure of Carpentier from the #10 Valvoline Dodge near the end of the 2008 Sprint Cup season.

However, as the 1996 Toyota Atlantic Series champion Patrick Carpentier proceeds with retirement from professional motorsports following the 2011 NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal, I felt this was the best chance to share my unique interaction with the French-Canadian driver. Though dated, it is my pleasure to grant XSL Speed Reporter readers with this question and answer collection.

XSL: Up until a few years ago, had you ever considered the prospect of driving a stock car?

PC: I think it was something I had always wanted to do, but it seemed like it would be quite a hill to climb to break into NASCAR. My manager and I really started getting the word out in 2005. That’s when it really hit me as to how much of a challenge it was going to be.

XSL: When did it become decisive to pursue a NASCAR career?

PC: I don’t know if it ever became decisive. I just knew that I didn’t want to be involved in CART or the IRL anymore. Sometimes you just know when it’s time to turn a corner in your career. So if I wanted to continue racing NASCAR just seemed like the next step.


XSL: Being a NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie, do you believe that you have earned the respect of your competitors?

PC: I’ve been doing my best. Some of the guys on the NASCAR circuit have been doing it for years and it’s hard to gain their respect, especially when you have a yellow rookie strip across your bumper. But there are things I’ve been doing. I have been trying to race clean, smart and show all the guys respect both on and off the track. Anytime the guys come and offer me advice I always listen and use as much info as they can give me. I think that helps. I may be a veteran racer but this year I’m still a rookie in NASCAR so sometimes it pays off when you listen and learn.

Photo Credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

XSL: Is there any major changes to your more established professional routine resulting from the race schedule that runs nearly twice as longer than open-wheel series?

PC: It’s been different. I mean here the schedule is so long. I think it’s like 36 races in 42 weeks or something like that. So it takes a lot out of you, whether you’re prepared for it or not. But what most people don’t realize is how many other commitments the drivers have. A lot of times we’re needed for sponsorship appearance and we may spend the next two days testing. Then it’s off to the next race. So it’s been a unique transition for me, since my family and I still live in Vegas.


XSL: With limited pre-season testing, what resources have you been able to use to adjust to lesser familiar race tracks? Have your experience racing ovals with Champ car and Indy car proved useful?

PC: I do a number of things. Dover is a good example. That’s a track that I had never seen before showing up to race. Gillett Evernham Motorsports is quite helpful and they’ve supplied me with a number of resources. I’ll start the week off by using a race simulator to help me get an accurate visual of the track from behind the wheel. I’ll also watch in car footage from the races at Dover last year. Kasey’s in-car footage from last year was in my DVD player in the week before Dover. I get some reports from the other drivers and data from last year about those tracks I’ve never visited.

Unfortunately there isn’t very much from my open-wheel experiences I can use because the cars differ so drastically. It’s a much different feeling getting around the tracks in Champ Car at 235 mph than in a stock car at 180 mph. In open wheel there is so much more downforce on the car. The cars are light and the tires are very wide. They’re built for speed. In these stock cars you need to have a lot more car control. It takes a little more finesse to muscle them around the track. The cars weigh more and they’re always slipping and sliding around. When you’re out there running with 42 other cars that are slipping and sliding equally, it makes things much more challenging. It’s pretty crazy to watch all the cars around you sliding through and off the corners.

XSL: On your website, you blogged after the Dover race about assistance that your teammate Elliot Sadler provided in adopting to the 1-mile oval. With both team cars piloted by veteran Sprint Cup drivers, have they been helpful in accelerating your adaptation to the series (On and/or off track)?

PC: Everyone at Gillett Evernham Motorsports has been extremely helpful to me this year. It’s a very unique situation that we have here. I mean here I am with years of racing experience under my belt. But in NASCAR I’m still just a rookie driving the Valvoline Dodge. And sometimes I feel like one. There so much to learn in the sport and that’s where Elliott and Kasey come in. Anytime I have a question or want to better understand something they’re who I go to first. Elliott’s been racing in the Cup Series for years and as over 300 starts. He was especially helpful this year at Daytona and Talladega. Those are both restrictor plate tracks and he took me under his wing to understand the draft a little bit better. It really helped me out.


XSL: What would you regard as your most positive experience so far this year on and off the track?

PC: I don’t think I could pick one. There’s been several. I think qualifying fourth at Richmond in the LifeLock Dodge was a big one. We ended up getting wrecked out of that race but I learned so much running up front with the leaders. Darlington was another. It’s a tough, old track and we managed to lead four laps there. We didn’t get the finish we deserved at Michigan but it still ended up being our second best of the year [24th]. We had a top-15 in our sights before getting caught up in another wreck. But we’re going to start heading back to these tracks for a second time and I think that’s when you’ll see this team start performing better.

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

XSL: Canadian have long supported NASCAR, even when the presence of our country's native drivers are limited to just a few races a season. With your full-time ride with Gilliet Evernham Motorsports, Alex Tagliani is running in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, and Paul Tracy has just recently tested a Craftsman truck, would you agree that this new focus on NASCAR may have been overdue?

PC: I don’t know if I’d say overdue. It’s all about timeliness. I mean a few years ago no one would consider taking a chance on an open-wheel driver in NASCAR. They’d look to pull someone from the sprint cars or midget cars. But trends change. That’s what happened here. Now it’s the thing to do. Try and open-wheel driver and see how they do. Either way it’s good to see Canadian’s involved in motorsports and getting recognition for it. It’s such a challenge to succeed at these levels.


XSL: Your road course prowess his been well-exhibited in a stock car, supported by your success outing at Mexico City this year. Are you looking forward to the Infineon Raceway and Waltkin's Glen?

PC: I like racing at any track but I prefer ovals. Road racing is fun, it’s just a different kind of animal. In the years I spent in open-wheel I learned a lot on the aspects of road racing. But driving a stock car on a road course is quite the chore. With all the weight that’s involved in slowing down a 3,400 pound stock car it can really wear your brakes out.

Canadians Invaded Road America Nationwide Race

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

Several Canadian racers were called upon by stock car teams as a weapon of choice for the challenges of road racing competition. Having been on display in various forms of open wheel racing and sports cars, racers in Canada have an aptitude to turning left as well as right in motorsport competition. For the 2011 Bucyrus 200 at Road America, there are four drivers driving a maple leaf flag. Two of those Canadian motorsport representatives who threw an NASCAR Nationwide Series stock car around for the Saturday afternoon event were young, feisty drivers wanting to prove themselves for a full-time ride in the United States. The other two are experienced hands who have successfully demonstrated their talents to a world stage. Together, Ron Fellows, Jacques Villeneuve, JR Fitzpatrick and Andrew Ranger belted themselves into stock cars as part of a 42-car field at Road America.

After an extended Bucyrus 200 event, the Canadian contingent posted one of the best combined efforts for a non-American group of drivers competing on the NASCAR circuit. All four drivers (two from the province of Quebec and two from Ontario) collected a top-10 finishing position with and for their respective teams.


Ron Fellows

One of Canada's greatest chances of victory on the 4.048-mile circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin will be driving in his traditional road racing role with the JR Motorsports racing team. Driving the #7 Chevrolet, 51 year-old Ron Fellows rejoins the race organization for the fourth year in a row on the NASCAR Nationwide Series raod course events. One of the most successful Canadian drivers to compete in NASCAR with multiple victories in the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Out of 6 total victories in NASCAR, the highlight was winning the Canadian NASCAR Nationwide series round at Circuit Gilles Villeneve.


Finishing second at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake, the driver of the #7 Chevrolet expressed considerable eagerness in competing for the Bucyrus 200. "Road America is one of my favorite road courses. It's long and fast, and great for racers. And the setting, in amongst lots of trees and rolling hills, is typical of a few great tracks built in the late 1950's and early 1960's. Watkins Glen (International) and Mosport (International Raceway) come to mind as similar tracks." Fellows' appreciation of great road courses was demonstrated in early June near Bowmanville, Ontario. Ron Fellows is part of an ownership group that is purchasing the historic Canadian Mosport complex.


Road America Result:

Requiring a ruling from NASCAR, Ron Fellows once again netted a runner-up spot. After the leader under caution ran out of fuel on track, Fellows' #7 AER Chevy appeared to be the new first place runner. Ruled in making an illegal yellow flag pass on the #32 Dollar General car of Reed Sorenson, Ron Fellows was repositioned in second place. Fellows in post-race expressed firm disagreement with the NASCAR ruling claiming that the #32 Chevrolet ran out of fuel.

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

Jacques Villeneuve

Winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1995 along with the overall CART title, second generation Canadian motorsport pilot Jacques Villeneuve biggest moment of glory was being crowned the 1997 Formula 1 World champion. In recent years, Jacques Villeneuve has been attempting to break through on the NASCAR circuit. Making a debut in the NASCAR truck series in 2007, Villeneuve appeared Sprint Cup series-bound for the 2008 season until prospective funding did not come through for Bill Davis Racing. Hitting a dead end of that deal, Villeneuve remained hungry for opportunities to drive in stock car competitions. Driving a handful of events in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, the French-Canadian driver was able to win rides in Nationwide series road races. Driving for Braun Racing for the last two seasons, Jacques Villeneuve returned to Road America in 2011 behind the wheel of the #22 Dodge of Penske Racing.

Villeneuve "I was fighting for the win in last year's race so I have some unfinished business at this event, for sure."


Road America Result:

Rebounding from trouble, Jacques Villeneuve placed the Discount Tire #22 Dodge into a 3rd place finish after 57 laps. At one point of the race, the French-Canadian driver was thrilling the crowd at Elkhart Lake by battling between his former Formula 3 rival Max Papis.

Unfortunately for Villeneuve, his podium finish resulted with many NASCAR fans and other drivers citing the 1997 Formula 1 Drivers Championship using less than kind opinions. Maybe or maybe not warranted based on the fact the #22 Dodge Challenger initiated an accident wrecking two front-runners including the #33 Chevy driven by Papis. Happening as the field took the first green-white checker restart attempt, the #22 Dodge dived to the right on the race track creating a three-wide scenario. Initially running on the pit lane exit lane, Villeneuve's right tires would clip the infield grass sending his car into the #11 Toyota of Brian Scott. In post-race, Villeneuve said he knew there was going to be trouble when his #22 Dodge touched the infield grass. Villeneuve said he didn't want to be in the position and made it clear it was not an intentional incident. Nonetheless, criticism following the chaotic NASCAR Nationwide series race would be squarely pointed at Jacques Villeneuve.


Andrew Ranger

One of the many young racing talents who attempted to break into open wheel racing, Andrew Ranger succeeded in this goal very early in his career. Finishing 4th in the 2004 Atlantic Series along with netting a rookie of the year title, Ranger was hired to a full-time Champ car ride in 2005. The Roxton Pond, Quebec native's two series in Champ car resulted with sub-par performances which was highlighted by a 2nd place in the Monterrey road course event in his rookie year. After 2006, the instability of the open wheel racing in North America as well as his less than glorious time in Champ Car caused Andrew Ranger to rethink a still young racing career.

Taking part in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Ranger would claim 2007 and 2009 championship titles. A terror on road course, the driver eventually adapted to short ovals to dominate. Last season, receiving notice from American teams, Andrew Ranger would go on to win NASCAR K&N Series events as well as a more recent ARCA race at New Jersey Motorsport Park.


Road America Result:

The 24 year-old Andrew Ranger drove the #53 Waste Management Dodge for owner Robert Torriere. Ranger's best NASCAR Nationwide Series finish heading into Road America was 3rd in the 2009 race at Montreal. Andrew Ranger could not top that effort in Elkhart Lake but did record a second-career top-10 result in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Starting 21st, the #53 car weaved to a solid 6th place.


JR Fitzpatrick

The 2006 champion of the CASCAR Superseries (the precursor to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series) at just the age of 18, JR Fitzpatrick was brought on a fast track to NASCAR success which took him to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Driving first for TRG Motorsports, the driver was recruited by Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) for select events. Scoring a best finish at Daytona International Speedway with 4th, funding cuts to KHI had JR Fitzpatrick returning to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series full-time in 2010. Almost taking the title, 2011 brought Fitzpatrick a new opportunity with a new NASCAR Nationwide team. Go Canada Racing was set up to run select events for the year with plans to run the full schedule in 2012.

Determined to be recognized as a Canadian stock car star, Fitzpatrick has resorted to strategy drivers like Kyle Busch utilize for success. Getting the most possible seat time in stock car competition, a most aggressive 2011 racing season for JR Fitzpatrick includes competing in the United States as well as back in Canada.

Road America Result:

A 3rd start of the year for the #67 Go Canada Racing Ford Mustang, the Road America race could have went very badly for the team early. JR Fitzpatrick needed to take evasive action around the spinning #6 Ford of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Avoiding contact, Fitzpatrick continued to drive a clean race and was eventually rewarded as lead competition was whittled away in the late laps. Finishing 10th at the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Elkhart Lake on Saturday, JR Fitzpatrick jetted back to Canada in order to contend for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event on the 2.54 mile road course at Mosport International Raceway.

NASCAR Canada Set to Roll for 2011

Photo Credit: Matthew Murnaghan/NASCAR

Entry List for Dickies 200 at Mosport Speedway (19 Cars)

02 Kerry Micks Dickie's/Beyond Digital Imaging
07 Isabelle Tremblay Group Beton Brunet/ADF Diesel
3 Jason Hathaway Snap On Tools/Vortex Brake Pads
5 Pete Vanderwyst EMCO/White Mudd Mechanical
7 Peter Shepherd National Exhaust/Hy-Tech
8 Don Thomson, Jr. Farmers Feed Families
9 Mark Dilley Rheem/PartSource
15 Steven Mathews Mathews Motorsports
17 D.J. Kennington Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors
19 Brad Graham Holmar Plumbing
21 Jason White A & W
22 Scott Steckly Canadian Tire
23 Jeff Lapcevich Tim Hortons
55 Dexter Stacey Bully's Truck Stop
60 Ron Beauchamp, Jr. Mopar / Mobil 1
82 Dave Connelly Schneider's/Metro Hot Rod
84 J.R. Fitzpatrick Equipment Express
97 Hugo Vannini Vannini Motorsports
99 Derek White OCR Gaz Bar



2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Tour

Saturday, May 28
Dickies 200
Mosport Speedway (Bowmanville, Ont.)
Race Time: 7:00 pm Eastern time

Track Type: Oval
Track Distance: 0.50 mile
Race Distance: 200 laps (100 miles)
2010 Race Winner: Don Thomson Jr
Track Website: http://www.mosport.com/


Sunday, June 5
Grand Prix iCAR Presented by Continental Tire
Circuit ICAR (Montreal, Que.)
Race Time: TBA

Track Type: Permanent Road Course
Track Distance: 3 km (1.86 mile)
Race Distance: 35 laps (65.1 miles)
2010 Race Winner: New track to series
Track Website: http://www.circuiticar.com/home.html


Saturday, June 11
Keystone Light 200
Delaware Speedway (London, Ont.)
Race Time: 8:00 pm Eastern time

Track Type: Oval
Track Distance: 0.50 mile
Race Distance: 200 Laps (100 Mile)
2010 Race Winner: DJ Kennington
Track Website: http://www.delawarespeedway.com/


Sunday, June 26
Vortex Brake Pads 200
Mosport Int'l Raceway (Bowmanville, Ont.)
Race Time: TBA

Track Type: Permanent Road Course
Track Distance: 3.96 km (2.46 mile)
Race Distance: 51 Laps (125.41 miles)
2010 Race Winner: JR Fitzpatrick
Track Website: http://www.mosport.com/




Saturday, July 9
TBA
Toronto Exhibition Place (Toronto, Ont.)
Race Time: TBA

Track Type: Street Course
Track Distance: 2.84 km (1.76 mile)
Race Distance: 35 laps (61.43 miles)
2010 Race Winner: Andrew Ranger
Track Website: http://hondaindytoronto.com/




Saturday, July 23
A&W Cruisin' The Dub 300
Motoplex Speedway (Vernon, B.C.)
Race Time: 8 pm Pacific time (5 pm Eastern time)

Track Type: Oval
Track Distance: 0.50 mile
Race Distance: 300 laps (150 miles)
2010 Race Winner: Scott Steckly
Track Website: http://www.motoplexspeedway.com/




Wednesday, July 27
Velocity Prairie Thunder 250
Auto Clearing Motor Speedway (Saskatoon, Sask.)
Race Time: 7:00 pm Central time (5:00 pm Eastern time)

Track Type: Oval
Track Distance: 0.375 mile
Race Distance: 250 Laps (93.75 mile)
2010 Race Winner: DJ Kennington
Track Website: http://www.autoclearingmotorspeedway.ca/




Sunday, Aug. 7
Grand Prix Trois Rivieres
Circuit de Trois-Rivieres (Trois-Rivieres, Que.)
Race Time: TBA

Track Type: Street Course
Track Distance: 2.57 km (1.6 mile)
Race Distance: 42 Laps (67.2 mile)
2010 Race Winner: Andrew Ranger
Track Website: http://www.gp3r.com/en.html




Saturday, Aug. 20
NAPA Auto Parts 100
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Montreal, Que.)
Race time: TBA

Track Type: Street Course
Track Distance: 4.36 km (2.709 mile)
Race Distance: 23 Laps (100.3 miles)
2010 Race Winner: Andrew Ranger
Track Website: http://www.napa200.ca/montreal-nascar.html




Saturday, Sept. 10
NASCAR WILD WING 300
Barrie Speedway (Barrie, Ont.)
Race Time: 8:00 pm Eastern Time

Track Type: Oval
Track Distance: 0.333 mile
Race Distance: 300 laps (100 miles)
2010 Race Winner: DJ Kennington
Track Website: http://www.barriespeedway.com/




Saturday, Sept. 17
TBA
Riverside Int’l Speedway (Antigonish, N.S.)
Race Time: TBA

Track Type: Oval
Track Distance: 0.333 mile
Race Distance: 300 Laps (100 Mile)
2010 Race Winner: DJ Kennington
Track Website: http://www.riversidespeedway.ca/




Saturday, Sept. 24
TBA
Kawartha Speedway (Peterborough, Ont.)
Race Time: TBA

Track Type: Oval
Track Distance: 0.375 mile
Race Distance: 250 Laps (93.75 miles)
2010 Race Winner: Pete Shepherd
Track Website: http://www.kawarthadowns.com/

Go Canada Racing a Go at NASCAR Nationwide Race in Nashville

Photo Credit: Greig Reekie

At this moment, a Canadian national election is playing out with various parties vying to convince the North American country's people that their beliefs best represent Canada. Attempting to ignite the notions for what Canadian values are most important, candidates challenge the for the heart and soul of Canada for a nationwide vote. Well over 800 kilometers away from the Windsor/Detroit border crossing, an patriotic surge of Canadian spirit will ride around a 1.25 mile oval this weekend as part of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race in Nashville.

Announced this Tuesday, a co-owner of multi-billion dollar financial firm Investment Planning Counsel has pursued a new, personal venture. Entering the very competitive NASCAR stock car racing circuit, Canadian business Steve Meehan unveiled his Go Canada Racing team. Selected to drive Meehan's Canadian stock car racing is stand-out JR Fitzpatrick.

A champion of the 2006 CASCAR Super Series (now reorganized as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series), the youthful talent of Fitzpatrick has not been a phenomenon limited only to the top side of the 49th parallel. Driving a NASCAR Camping World Series Truck for TRG Motorsports at the Daytona 250-mile race in 2009, JR Fitzpatrick not only survived the high-speed competition but firmly challenged the more veteran stock car drivers. Fitzpatrick finished 4th in that race which kicked off some initial interest later from the Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) race team. Though JR Fitzpatrick and KHI were able to compete several races together in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and two Nationwide Series road races, the pairing never reached full potential. KHI decided late in 2009 to divest themselves from driver development and focused solely on placing established drivers to please sponsors. Returning to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series full-time in 2010, Fitzpatrick regrouped for a title-contending season with two wins.

Delivering JR Fitzpatrick his dream position for competing in a major United States NASCAR tour, the Go Canada Racing team have matched the 22-year old driver with experienced crew chief Newt Moore. Enthusiastic about the team, Fitzpatrick responds "Steve has put together an outstanding team and given us the tools to succeed in this sport. We have a great crew, a great car, and a great team, and I'm looking forward to competing with some of NASCAR's best, starting this weekend in Nashville."

Debuting at the Nashville Superspeedway's NASCAR Nationwide Series race on April 23rd, Go Canada Racing will wear a white #67 Ford Mustang with bright red details. A highly ambitious operation, Go Canada Racing is not the first Canadian owner/driver combination to run in the NASCAR Nationwide Series tour. Oshawa, Ontario's car owner and past driver Randy MacDonald has employed fellow countryman on two occasion. Reigning 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion DJ Kennington drove many races for MacDonald Motorsports from 2007 to 2009. Current French-Canadian INDYCAR driver Alex Tagliani also joining the team for the 2009 Nationwide Series race in Montreal.

Based heavily on Canadian symbols and people, even the car number of the Meehan-owned team is significantly Canadian. The number '67' represents the year in the 19th century when Canada proceeded to becoming an independent nation.

Due to NASCAR's commitment to provide a 43-car field in the Nashville 300, the #67 Go Canada Racing Ford Mustang is assured a starting spot for this first outing. Through two Friday practice sessions for the NASCAR Nationwide Series, JR Fitzpatrick placed 25th and 33rd fastest on the timing charts. Competing against some of the best stock car racing drivers and teams, Go Canada Racing understands success will be hard-earned. Comparing the race teams in the United States to the organizations in Canada, Fitzpatrick says "I think the competitiveness in the United States is the major difference. In Canada you go out each week and there are 5-10 guys that are going to be your main competition. In the states you have 25 guys that you are racing each week."

Showing endurance through harsh winters and ruggedness interacting with a vast country like fellow country mates, it is impossible to believe that Fitzpatrick or anyone in the entire freshman Canadian racing team will bow to this challenge. As team owner Steve Meehan iterates, 7 million avid NASCAR fans in the true north strong and free will support the #67 Ford Mustang.

Hinchcliffe Joins 2011 IZOD INDYCAR for Barber, North American Races



Photo Credit: Dan Helrigel


A moment for Canadian auto racing fans to rejoice, an announcement Tuesday affirms as of the second IZOD INDYCAR round at Barber Motorsports Park a third Canadian driver (in addition to full-time Alex Tagiani and part-time entrant Paul Tracy) will compete in the 2011 North America's top open wheel series. 2010 Firestone Indy Lights title contender and open wheel standout James Hinchcliffe will wheel Newman/Haas Racing's second race car.

Since the December and January tests, the young Toronto driver impressed Newman/Haas Racing. So promising of a 2011 season together, Newman/Haas Racing and James Hinchcliffe were present at the IZOD INDYCAR open test at Barber Motorsports Park. Clocking the whirling 2.3 mile road course within the top-10 fastest cars throughout the two-day preparation session, the potential INDYCAR rookie and veteran team meshed.

Speed was definitely in the Newman/Haas Racing machine wheeled by Hinchcliffe. However, as is the case in professional auto racing, what or who is in a race car is as important as what is on the side pods. As the opening St Petersburg round for the 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series approached, Newman/Haas Racing arrived with only one race entry for veteran Brazilian driver Oriol Servia. As Servia's sponsorship came together just in time for the streets of St Petersburg race, James Hinchcliffe was unable to obtain the financial backing to be involved in the open wheel racing series' season premiere.

Sponsoring James Hinchcliffe for all the North American races on the IZOD INDYCAR Series tour is Sprott Inc., an asset management company based in Toronto. “As a Canadian-based company it’s naturally exciting to support one of Canada’s next generation motorsport talents,” company Chairman Eric Sprott declared in the Newman/Haas Racing release on the sponsorship announcement. A publicly traded advising over 2,000 clients and 1.2 billion dollars, Sprott Inc. pairs them with a hometown 24-year old professional racer known for representing his sponsors on as well as off track with enthusiasm.

Prepared to make his first career IZOD INDYCAR start at Barber Motorsports Park, Hinchcliffe's move up through the auto racing ranks from go-karts into 2 years of the Firestone Indy Lights has reached an ultimate goal. “Finally making my IndyCar debut really is a dream come true and the end of a 15-year journey getting me to this point,”. Hinchcliffe 2011 plans includes the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and the Canadian IZOD INDYCAR races in Edmonton as well as his prized Honda Indy of Toronto.

James Hinchcliffe's IZOD INDYCAR career will officially start this weekend at the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama when the Canadian takes the green flag Sunday.

James Hinchcliffe Suits Up for Second INDYCAR Test

Photo Credit: Dan Helrigel

The ongoing renaissance of the INDYCAR Series is making North American open wheel racing a worthwhile spectacle attracting fans as well as drivers. With over 20 teams already committed to the 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series, it is still a hard fought battle by drivers claiming through the ranks to be the elite ones with the right racing stuff (and to some degree the right sponsorship). Canadian native James Hinchcliffe is one of the spotlight drivers within the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights ladder series concluding the season with 3 race wins and a runner-up final spot in the overall points standings. His second full year of racing the Firestone Indy Lights Series cars, Hinchcliffe's on-track performance and off-track charisma and character has made him a popular auto racing star.

Attracting considerable attention, the well-established Newman/Haas Racing INDYCAR team invited James Hinchcliffe to suit up almost a month ago for a two-day test at Sebring International Raceway. Impressed with the initial test performance and team chemistry, Hinchcliffe is again going to test with the team January 20th and 21st at Sebring. Used to the bite of cold winters in Canada, Hinchcliffe's two days with the Newman/Haas Racing team in December was marred with unseasonable coolness complicating the search for vehicle grip. "The weather was brutally cold and we actually needed tire warmers to get any kind of performance out of the Firestones." Hinchcliffe said.
Getting his first taste of driving an Indy car mid-December on the Sebring International Raceway (a renowned open wheel warm up track), the 26-year old Hinchcliffe was well-aware of the team's linage creating 8 championship seasons with 5 different drivers in the CART-derived open wheel racing series. As Hinchcliffe started the Honda racing engine for the first time, the Canadian led out on a cold Florida road course circuit. "Being my first time in the car, the team did a great job in helping me get up to speed, but made sure to not put too much pressure on me to go fast right away. It is a decent jump up from an Indy Lights car to an IndyCar and we all knew it would take a little time." Hinchcliffe detailed.

Not the only driver at the two-day test with Newman/Haas Racing, veteran open wheel driver Oriol Servia. The pairing during the Sebring test allowed both the seasoned Servia and the young Hinchcliffe to zero in on their baselines during the day one of this test. "We did constant data comparisons with Oriol so I could see where I was losing time." Two days participating in the Newman/Haas Racing team, James Hinchcliffe noted that most of the track time was spent getting both drivers comfortable with the organization's Indy car. "We ran through multiple setup changes and when the team was comfortable with my speed I started helping Oriol on the team's test plan by assessing big setup changes on the car." Getting well acquainted with the open wheel race car, Hinchcliffe was authorized to run mock qualifying laps and make practice pit stops through the afternoon of the second day. During this late stage of the test time with Newman/Haas Racing, the young Canadian racer felt he was given "...a taste of the full INDYCAR experience".

Preparing for a second test outing with the Newman/Haas Racing team at Sebring, James Hinchcliffe will have a chance to build on the lessons he learned following the first two-day orientation for a potential 2011 IZOD INDYCAR Series ride. "The biggest thing I got out of it was the confidence in knowing I am ready for that next step. I felt very comfortable very quickly. I have spent a number years in the junior formulae, and I am glad that I have taken my time before getting a chance in the IndyCar, because I really believe that it was all my experience that helped me get a good handle on the car and the whole different environment very quickly."

Dirt Flies as Steve Arpin Wins DuQuoin

Photo Credit: ARCA

We have all been acquinted with the fact that NASCAR's top series specialize in racing on paved surfaces. In fact, the series which is now known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup division hasn't run on a dirt track since 1969 won by Richard Petty. The ARCA Racing Series is a unique stock car tour which annually holds events on both paved and dirt tracks. Running two dirt track races in total for 2010 in the state of Illinios, this offers a truly special opportunity for full-bodied stock cars to jockey on looser surfaces. With the first race transpired at the Illinois State Fairground two weeks ago in Springfield, the second of the dirt oval races was being held on Labour Day Monday at the DuQuoin State Fairground.

The green flag dropped for the Southern Illinois 100, 33 Starters led by the #10 Ford of AJ Fike flew across the start line entering into what would be a very tense outing for many competitors. Fike would stay out front for the first 16 circuits around the 1-mile DuQuoin dirt oval until he lost the lead to local driver Kelly Kovski. Losing the led, AJ Fike's day which started with a Menards Pole award ends due to the ill-effects of an engine failure to the #10 car.

Spending 14 laps out front in the #17 Chevrolet Kovski, who regularly serves as a Car Chief for another driver, retained the top spot until he pitted ahead of lap 31. By pitting, former long-time NASCAR Sprint Cup mainstay Ken Schrader took the lead of the 100 lap. Schrader's appearance at the front of the race would be relatively short-lived as ARCA overall points contender Tom Hessert overhauled the Federated Chevrolet on lap 37. Harking back to the tensity of the Southern Illinois 100, drivers would have to survive 11 cautions within the 100 lap event. This was significant for Hessert's effort in the #77 dodge as he wanted a long, green flag to separate him from the rest of the field. Through the multiple yellow flags, this was not going to happen for Tom Hessert.

As Hessert led, Venturini Motorsport driver and Canadian Steve Arpin found the strength in his #55 Mike's Hard Lemonade Chevy was on short runs. Meaning, once Arpin climbed to second, the #77 Dodge was in his sights. On lap 62, Fort Frances, Ontario native Steve Arpin pulled off the race-winning pass going in to lead the final 39 laps around the 1-mile dirt track. Having previously scored pole at the Illinois State Fairground ARCA race, Arpin's championship-winning background on dirt tracks made this event the obvious location for breaking a 5-month ARCA Racing Series winless streak.  

Photo Credit: ARCA

Tom Hessert gave Arpin an honest fight up to the checkered flag but finished 1/2 a second behind. Hessert's finish two positions ahead of Patrick Sheltra (point leader heading into the event) has resulted in a tie at the top of the ARCA Racing Series point standings. Steve Arpin's Venturini Motorsport teammate Mikey Kile finished 3rd which allowed the driver to elevate himself to 5th in the points.

Ken Schrader placed 5th in the Southern Illinois 100 at DuQuoin ahead of Will Kimmel, Craig Goess, Chad McCumbee, Kelly Kovski and Bryan Silas who made up the remainder of the race's top-10 finishers.

Paul Tracy Misses Cut for 2010 Indy 500

Photo Credit: Chris Jones

After a Thursday qualifying session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Paul Tracy and the #15 Geico car appeared a lock for the 2010 Indy 500. A single lap run resulted with a strong 226.322 mile per hour average speed for Tracy allowed him and his KV Racing Technology team to feel positive about the two-days of qualifying. On Pole Day, confidence went out the window as they fell short of make the top 24 cars leaving the team hopes teetering the final Sunday qualifying known as Bump Day.

Earlier in the Bump Day qualifying session, Paul Tracy and the #15 KV Racing Technology team entered a four-lap run at 223.892 miles per hour. Electing to better their time, a decision was made to withdraw the time in order to let Tracy achieve a better run. Attempting the run just 6 minutes to the end of the qualifying session, the #15 Geico-sponsored car could not even find the speed to equal their prior qualifying performance. As time ran out on Sunday, Tracy was left without one of 33 spots for this year's Indy 500. Sadly, the previous four-lap run which had been abandoned by the #15 KV Racing Technology team would have been enough to beat the #29 car of Sebastian Saavedra for the 33rd starting position.

"The decision to withdraw our time and re-qualify was a team decision. We win as a team and lose as a team. I just feel bad for the whole team." a disappointed Paul Tracy commented adding "It wasn’t for a lack of trying". Paul Tracy admitted that the car just didn't have the handling in the warmer weather of Bump Day. The normally intense open wheel driver was very composed despite what was obviously a lost opportunity to run the biggest race of the year in the IZOD IndyCar Series. However, on Paul Tracy's Twitter feed a true sense of frustration can not be hidden. One posting read " I can't tell you how crappy I feel , I gave it everything I had , I guess it was better that being at home watching".

No reminder is needed to explain how difficult the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been on Paul Tracy. In many people's eyes, the Canadian driver won the 2002 Indy 500 but had the true victory taken away under arguable circumstances where Helio Castroneves was declared in front of Tracy during the final laps. Having qualified 29th that year, Tracy had been reminded of his effort of 2002 after Saturday's qualifying.

Barring any developments through the upcoming week where Tracy could gain a substitute driver role in the Indy 500, the Canadian flag will flown by Alex Tagliani in the FAZZT Race Team's #77 car. However, even a back-up driver spot seems unlikely since Paul Tracy has been reported heading to Toronto shortly after the Bump Day fiasco.

As for Paul Tracy, it's safe to assume that this will not be the last time we'll see the West Hill, Ontario native racing an Indy car for 2010. With the two Canadian rounds of the IZOD IndyCar arriving in less than two months, the races are concern to be heightened by some announcement involving Paul Tracy participation.