(BOWMANVILLE, ON – May 9, 2014) Canadian Motorsports Hall of Famer and Trans-Am racing legend Ron Fellows will make his return to SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am competition on the Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Fellows will be driving the #6 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette in Saturday’s race (May 17), and will be making history as it will be his 100th career Trans-Am start.
“One hundred starts is just a round number to me,” Fellows says. “I’d much rather have 100 wins.”
The last time Fellows competed in Trans-Am was in 2004, when he ran three races for team owner Jim Derhaag, one of which was at the Toronto Exhibition Place street circuit where he finished third.
“It would be really special for him to win his 100th race and on his home track,” said Derhaag. “Ron and I go back to when he started racing in Trans Am and I was driving and we’ve been friends a long, long time…If I’m going to spend money out of my pocket to run somebody I can’t think of anybody I’d rather run. Ron has driven for us in the past and Ron and Lynda are two of the nicest people in the world and good friends of mine.”
With 99 starts in the famous road-racing series, Fellows has 19 wins. His last full season of competition in the series was 1996.
“I have a lot of good memories in Trans-Am. When Jim asked me if I wanted to race again, I thought; my home track, why not?”
Fellows has always considered Canadian Tire Motorsport Park his home track, having won his first ever Trans-Am race on the historic Grand Prix circuit in 1989. But when Fellows and Toronto businessman Carlo Fidani purchased the track in 2011, it gave new meaning to the words ‘home track.’
“When you’re racing you need to be completely focused. Being the co-owner now, I kind of see the weekend as double duty but I’m not worried. We have terrific track staff and I’m looking forward to just having fun racing Trans-Am again.”
Although Fellows says he’ll have his “hands full” with competition from drivers like veteran racer Tony Ave, Simon Gregg and last year’s TA class champion Doug Peterson, he acknowledges that his decades of experience at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will come in handy.
“It’s not like we don’t know the place,” Fellows says.
More horsepower has been added to the Trans-Am TA class cars since the last time Fellows was behind the wheel of one. The Canadian says he hasn’t driven the new car yet, but says he is eager to get some seat time on the Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend.
“I want to thank Jim Derhaag for this opportunity, although it will probably be a one-off race, I’m looking forward to racing in front of the Canadian fans and having some fun.”
The popular tradition of Trans-Am racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Victoria Day Weekend will truly be re-ignited with the entry of the home track favourite.
For more information and to order tickets, call the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Hotline at 1-800-866-1072 (Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm ET), visit online at www.canadiantiremotorsportpark.com, or email info@ctmpark.com.
For further information: Ryan Chalmers, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
ryan@ctmpark.com 800-866-1072 (office) (905) 260-1711 (cell)
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