In this week’s Motion Motorsport Report for InsideTrackNews.com, Dave Mathers opens with some news about the upcoming Labour Day Sprints Weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) featuring NASCAR Canada Series team and driver news. He also comments on other current events as well as all the action from last weekend around the world of racing.
Breaking News – A collaboration between Glenn Styres Racing and Velocity Race Cars has resulted in the addition of two extra unexpected entries for the NASCAR Canada race next weekend at CTMP (Mosport). Glenn’s goal is to have race cars prepared by both his shop and Velocity’s shop available for rental or purchase. He hopes to add more entries to the series going forward. Velocity president Pete Vanderwyst is looking forward to working with the two drivers – Cayden Lapcevich in the No. 76 car and J.R. Fitzpatrick in the No. 44 car. Both drivers are former ‘series’ champions. Lapcevich won the NASCAR Canada Series title in 2016, while Fitzpatrick was the final CASCAR Super Series champ, in 2006. J.R., also a CASCAR Junior graduate, won his class at the CASC-OR Calabogie Summer Classic last Saturday.
I’ve bragged to my American friends for years about how lucky we are in Canada to have TSN as they always cover the races. BUT the interns must have taken over the scheduling last weekend as there was NO F1 Sprint broadcast and then Sunday NO NASCAR Cup race on the regular channels!!! Lucy, you got some ‘splaining to do!!!!
I found it interesting that NASCAR driver Kyle Larson finished 6th at Richmond Saturday night then, thanks to Rick Hendrick, flew to Knoxville, Iowa, in a Hendrick Motorsports jet where he won the uber-prestigious Knoxville Nationals. Interesting because Larson has not won a Cup race since May of last year, a stretch of 48 races. Maybe a team owner should force him to focus on his main job? Nah.
That foot stomping you heard from across the Atlantic Ocean was actually Jos Verstappen throwing a fit after learning that his son Max is staying at Red Bull until at least 2030. And, reportedly, his new contract has NO exit clause!!
______________________________________________________________________________
CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s Labour Day Weekend Sprints will bring the curtain down on the facility’s 65th anniversary major event season with three days of exciting racing action, September 4-6.
Headlining the holiday weekend are the NASCAR Canada Series and the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, creating one of the most anticipated road racing events of the year. Fans will also enjoy racing featuring Radical Cup Canada, Formula Regional Americas, Formula 4 U.S. and Challenge Canada competitors.
Beyond the on-track excitement, spectators can explore the CTMP Marketplace, food vendors, beer garden and the Canadian Tire Fun Zone, while Saturday evening features live music followed by a spectacular fireworks display. Full paddock access and complimentary fan shuttles give fans an up-close look at the teams, drivers and race cars.
Advance tickets are available until September 2, with Weekend Super Tickets priced at $70 and Sunday race-day tickets at $40. Children 16 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Tickets, camping options and VIP Grand Prix Club packages can be purchased online through the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park website at canadiantiremotorsportpark.com.
______________________________________________________________________________
A Tale of Two Cities – I was completely blown away when the Mayor of Markham stated on camera that the city had spent $13 million to repave the entire IndyCar circuit. Wow. I can just imagine the protestations from all the tree huggers!! Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Washington race circuit was reportedly rough and very bumpy. Funny how that works.
It was great news when CTMP announced that the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is returning after a seven-year hiatus as part of their Labour Day show next year. Everybody still remembers Chase Elliott taking out Austin Dillon on the last corner of the last lap of the first race back in 2013. Good stuff!!
As anybody who follows IMSA has seen lately, the boys have been getting, to quote a certain announcer, very argy-bargy!! As a result, the series has threatened to crack down. BIG mistake. The other series they share the building with on Volusia Ave. has made BILLIONS from that very type of action.
Apparently the White House wanted the race to be called the Freedom 250. Great name. But, as the U.S. does NOT use the metric system, they missed a very easy fix for the mind-numbing 147 laps. Make it 250 kilometres, which works out to 92 laps. Problem solved!!
______________________________________________________________________________
FLAMBORO SPEEDWAY: On Saturday, August 29, Flamboro Speedway will be the site of Race #6 for the Flamboro Grisdale Showdown Series, featuring the Pro Late Models (50 Laps), Canadian Vintage Modifieds (Dash 4 the Flag), Mini Stocks, the Pure Stocks Bob McClurkin Memorial and the Kids Power Wheel Drag Races. Fan gates open at 5:00 p.m. and racing begins at 6:30 p.m. Visit FlamboroSpeedway.ca for more info.
______________________________________________________________________________
NASCAR Cup Series: Early season points leader Tyler Reddick (Toyota) nabbed the pole for Sunday’s race at Loudon ahead of Josh Berry (Ford) and William Byron (Chev). Toyota/Ford/Chev!! Thirty-six cars: 17 Chevs, 10 Fords and nine Toyotas.
Oops, the rain hit just as the green was to come out. Yellow. After a lengthy delay the green came out. On lap 40 a competition caution was called to allow the change to dry tires. On lap 53 Ricky Stenhouse spun in Turn 4 and backed into the outside wall. Caution. Kyle Larson won Stage 1.
On lap 83 Connor Zilisch got together with Carson Hocevar and sent him into the spin cycle. Ryan Blaney won Stage 2. On lap 202 Hocevar, running at the back of the pack, looped it in Turn 4. Caution. Riley Herbst got into the wall in Turn 4 on lap 225 and then got hit by Zilisch. Yellow. Ten laps later William Byron hit the Turn 4 wall in the same spot after losing his left rear wheel. Yellow.
At the flag it was Blaney over Bubba Wallace and Josh Berry (do you think the Wood Brothers are having second thoughts about letting him go at the end of the year?).
In the points, Denny Hamlin leads Blaney by 77 and Ty Gibbs by 121.
Next Race: Daytona, Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on TSN 5.
______________________________________________________________________________
PETERBOROUGH SPEEDWAY: Join us Saturday, August 29 for the Robert Maebrae Classic & Kids Rides at Peterborough Speedway. The night will feature Mini Stocks, Renegade Trucks, Late Models, Jr. Late Models and GEN-3 Electrical OMRS SportsMods, plus Kids Rides for our young race fans. We are asking fans, drivers, crews and families to wear red in support of the Robert Maebrae race and help us fill the speedway with a sea of red in his memory. Bring the family, wear red and be part of a meaningful night at the track. Visit PeterboroughSpeedway.com for more info.
______________________________________________________________________________
NASCAR O’Reilly Series
Next Race: Daytona, Friday at 7:30 p.m. on USA and CW.
NASCAR Craftsman Trucks: Forty-one trucks timed for the 36 starting spots for Saturday’s race at Loudon. Points leader Layne Riggs (Ford) won the pole over Kaden Honeycutt and Gio Ruggiero (both Toyota). Canadians Stewart Friesen and Cole Butcher started 13th and 14th. Fourteen Chevs, eight Fords, nine Toyotas and five Rams.
On the very first lap local hero Luke Baldwin, subbing for Frankie Muniz, looped it right at start/finish and damaged the nose. Another local runner, Landen Lewis, brought out the second yellow on lap 14 after hitting the wall from contact. Connor Zilisch won Stage 1.
Second-last starter Spencer Boyd brought out the third yellow on lap 76 when he got into the wall. Zilisch also won Stage 2. Ten laps after the stage restart the caution came out for a four-truck wreck involving Timmy Hill, Jake Garcia, John Hunter Nemechek and Kris Wright.
Just after the restart Chandler Smith appeared to spin Christopher Bell. Yellow. At lap 170 Gavan Boschele spanked the wall hard. Caution and NASCAR Overtime!!
At the flag it was Riggs over Smith and Honeycutt. Friesen finished a stout 4th with Butcher 17th.
In the points, Riggs leads Honeycutt by 99 and Smith by 171. Friesen sits 11th and Butcher is 19th.
Next Race: Bristol, Thursday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m.
______________________________________________________________________________
BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY: This Saturday night (August 29) is Eastern Ontario Eavestrough night at Brockville Ontario Speedway. It’s the final points night of the season for the Suprenant Truck Shop Crate Sprints. The 358 Mods, Sportsman, Rookie Sportsman and Street Stocks will all be in action at the BOS Bullring. Gates open at 5:00 with racing at 7 p.m. General Admission tickets are $20 and kids 16 and under are free with an accompanying paid GA ticket. Visit BrockvilleSpeedway.com for more info.
______________________________________________________________________________
Formula One
Points leader Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) topped FP1 at Zandvoort, Netherlands, while his teammate George Russell qualified on the pole for Saturday’s Sprint race over Lando Norris (McLaren) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari). Canadian Lance Stroll started 19th.
For some strange reason TSN did not have Sprint race coverage so I can’t comment on the actual race, just the finish. Russell took the win over Leclerc and Norris. Stroll finished 17th.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be F1 without race governance raising its head. Several drivers were summoned to the principal’s office for what appeared to be unsafe releases. I don’t know any more than that!!
Norris qualified on the pole for Sunday’s race in front of Russell and Antonelli. Stroll started 19th. Russell got passed by his teammate Antonelli right off the start. On lap 2 Max Verstappen destroyed his car after hitting the outside wall on the last corner and ended up in pit lane with a badly damaged car. Yellow, then red flag!!
The restart was waved off after the Haas of Oliver Bearman stopped on track. On the restart Antonelli got ahead of Norris for the lead. At the halfway mark it was Antonelli over Norris and Russell. On lap 55 the yellow came back out when the other Haas, Esteban Ocon, stopped on track. With two laps to go the Virtual Safety Car was deployed for debris on the track.
At the flag it was pole sitter Norris for the win over Antonelli and Russell. Stroll finished 20th. I loved the banking in the corners of the track. Sadly this was the last race at this circuit.
In the Drivers’ Championship, Antonelli leads Lewis Hamilton and Russell by 59 points.
In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes is 82 points ahead of Ferrari and 162 up on McLaren.
Next Race: Monza, Sunday, Sept. 6.
______________________________________________________________________________
EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY: This Saturday (August 29) is Retail Appreciation Night honouring track sponsor The Wetaskiwin Mall at Edmonton International Raceway. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. with racing at 6:00 p.m. There will be a double feature for the NASCAR Late Models. The NASCAR Thunder Cars, IMCA Modifieds, Mini Cups Special, Stackers and Baby Grands will also be on track. Visit EdmontonRaceway.com for information.
______________________________________________________________________________
IndyCar: I apologize for not listing the Washington race last week. I print out every schedule at the start of the year but Washington got added after the initial schedule had been released. Driver error/senior moment!!
Qualifying was entertaining to say the least. Several cars bounced off the walls, possibly because of all the bumps (see comments at the top). Not surprisingly, points leader Alex Palou was quickest of all with Kyle Kirkwood 2nd and Scott McLaughlin 3rd.
Similar to the IMSA race, the yellow came out quickly on lap 2 for debris on the track. The yellow came back out on lap 21 for more debris on the track. On lap 37 David Malukas spun and hit the wall and then got hit by Sting Ray Robb. Yellow. On pit out Palou hit a tire from another car lying on the ground. He was issued a drive-through penalty. Under green, Graham Rahal spanked the wall but kept going.
On lap 44 Marcus Armstrong hit Christian Rasmussen, who then hit Rinus VeeKay. Yellow. At the halfway mark it was Kirkwood over Kyffin Simpson and Romain Grosjean. On lap 122 Palou spun but managed to keep going. Yellow.
Right after the restart there was some chaos. McLaughlin tried a Hail Mary pass on Kirkwood but overcooked corner entry and slapped the tire wall. Behind them Rosenqvist got behind in his steering, then spun but didn’t get hit. That Vette pace car sure had its tongue hanging out leading the pack for so many laps.
At the flag it was Kyle Kirkwood over Christian Lundgaard and Will Power.
In the points, Palou leads Kirkwood by 91 and Lundgaard by 110.
Next Race: Milwaukee, Saturday, Aug. 29.
______________________________________________________________________________
LEAF RACEWEAR: As the fall racing season approaches, many teams are preparing for championship weekends, marquee events, and races like Super DIRT Week. If you’re thinking about updating your team’s look before the season wraps up, now is the perfect time to start planning.
Whether you need a custom race suit, matching sublimated crew shirts, or a custom pit tent, our design team can help create a professional look that’s built specifically for your team. Trusted worldwide for over 40 years. Click HERE for product info and to connect with Leaf Racewear.
______________________________________________________________________________
IMSA: Only the door cars were invited to play in the race at the gorgeous Virginia International Raceway. Topping the charts was Canada’s own Team Pfaff PRO Lamborghini of Caldarelli/Mitchell while the Corvette of Milner/Catsburg was 2nd and the BMW of Verhagen/De Phillippi was 3rd. In GTD the DragonSpeed Vette of Altoè/Stevenson started 1st ahead of the Costa/Patrese Ferrari and the Ward/Ellis Mercedes. Twenty-three cars, 10 PRO and 13 GTD.
First and foremost, a VERY, very special thank you to NBC for utilizing Calvin Fish and Brian Till for their announce team. REV TV still uses those dropouts from the Murray Walker School of Race Broadcasting!!!
On the first lap, after some side-by-side contact, the Vette of Sims hit the tire wall hard, actually bouncing into the air. At the halfway mark it was the Pfaff Lambo over the Ford Racing Mustang and the CarBahn Aston Martin in PRO. In GTD the Wayne Taylor Racing Lambo led, followed by the Heart of Racing Aston Martin and the Turner Motorsport BMW. Lambo first in both classes!!
They ran green to the end and once again, OH CANADA, as the Pfaff Lambo wins PRO for the second race in a row ahead of the two Ford Racing Mustangs. The Winward Racing Mercedes won GTD over the Turner Motorsport BMW and the Inception Racing Ferrari.
Next Race: Indianapolis, Sunday, Sept. 20.
______________________________________________________________________________
CASC-OR: The Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs – Ontario Region sanctions the RaceOntario Championships, a series of race events run from April through October at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsports Park, and Calabogie Motorsport Park. CASC-OR is a group of nearly thirty motorsport enthusiast clubs with two thousand members within Ontario. The organization sets rules and regulations for four divisions, Road Racing, Time Attack, Autoslalom and Ice Racing, and administers & promotes provincial championships in each. For more info, visit the CASC-OR website HERE.
______________________________________________________________________________
NHRA: They dropped in to Brainerd International Raceway on the weekend for the last race before the Indy Nationals.
Top Fuel – Points leader Doug Kalitta topped the 16-car field in qualifying, running 3.673 at 340.30. Kalitta also won the Top Fuel Challenge with a 3.726 at 329.50 to beat Josh Hart. Kalitta took out Maddi Gordon in the final, running a 3.743 at 333.74. One upset and three smokers.
Funny Car – Rookie Jordan Vandergriff, driving the John Force Racing Camaro, was quickest of the 15 entries, putting down a 3.879 at 323.50. Canadian Spencer Hyde qualified 12th. J.R. Todd won the Funny Car Challenge, taking out Austin Prock with a 3.938 at 321.88. Matt Hagan won the final over Vandergriff with a 3.946 at 320.13. Five upsets and seven smokers.
Pro Stock – No. 2 points driver Dallas Glenn topped points leader and teammate Greg Anderson with a 6.535 at 208.10 over the 18 entries. Canadians Matt and Eric Latino qualified 9th and 14th. Anderson won the Pro Stock Challenge over Glenn with a 6.555 at 209.04. Anderson won the final over Chris Vang, running a 6.584 at 208.17. Three upsets and two smokers.
Outlaw Street – Scott Taylor (’69 Camaro) topped the eight-car field with a 3.723 at 202.88. Taylor won the final with a 3.709 at 202.82 over Shawn Ellington.
Next Race: Indy, weekend of Sept. 2-7.
______________________________________________________________________________
Visit WD40.ca to discover the Canadian home of one of the world’s most trusted problem‑solving brands. The site showcases the full WD‑40 product lineup – from the iconic Multi‑Use Product to specialized solutions for electrical, automotive, industrial, and bike applications. You’ll find clear product explanations, practical use cases, safety data sheets, and maintenance tips designed to keep equipment running smoothly. The website also features a regularly updated blog with seasonal advice and expert insights, plus easy access to where‑to‑buy information and customer support – making it a go‑to resource for professionals and everyday DIYers alike.
______________________________________________________________________________
NASCAR Canada Series
Next Race: ICAR, Saturday.
APC Series: Saturday’s scheduled race at Sauble was cancelled due to rain.
Next Race: Delaware, Saturday, Sept. 26.
Ontario Sportsman Series: Saturday’s scheduled race at Flamboro was cancelled due to rain.
Next Race: Flamboro, Saturday, Sept. 5.
______________________________________________________________________________
Visit NAPACanada.com to explore one of Canada’s most trusted destinations for automotive parts, tools, and expert know‑how. The site features an extensive selection for cars, trucks, SUVs, EVs, and power sports – including top national brands and NAPA’s own premium product lines. You can shop easily by vehicle, browse current deals, and access maintenance tips through the Learning Centre. The website also connects you to NAPA Rewards, gift cards, and local NAPA stores and NAPA AUTOPRO service centres – making it simple to get the right parts, trusted service, and professional advice.
______________________________________________________________________________
Delaware Speedway: In the Bone Stocks, Donovan Clark won Heat 1, Paul Fothergill won Heat 2 and Mitchell Rawlings won Heat 3. The main went to Fothergill over Sterling Roberts and Charlie Verhoeven.
The Open Wheel Modifieds saw Marshall Schrenk win the heat and he came back to win over Jay Cox and Late Model ace Ray Morneau filling in for the injured Steve McCaw.
The big attraction of the night was the OSCAAR Super Late Model race. In group qualifying Trevor Monaghan topped Q1 with an 18.691, Glenn Watson was fastest in Q2 with a 17.654 while Jake Sheridan was fastest of all in Q3, putting down a 17.109.
The feature went yellow on lap 2 when Watson got loose on corner 4 exit and spanked the front straightaway wall. At the halfway mark it was Sheridan over Brandon Passer and T.J. Edwards, and that is the way they finished the 50-lapper. BAD fast cars.
Next Race: Late Model 50, Super Stock and King of the Hill, Friday.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Ohsweken Speedway – Next Race: Late Model Open, Friday.
Flamboro Speedway – Next Race: LM, CVM, PS & MS, Saturday.
Buxton Speedway – Next Race: Joe Atkinson Memorial Night, LM, Mods, TS, MS, MM, Saturday.
Full Throttle Motor Speedway – Next Race: Bone Stock Invitational, Saturday.
Grand Bend Speedway – Next Race: Championship Night, Saturday.
Grand Bend Dragway – Next Race: Ontario Team Finals, next weekend.
St. Thomas Dragway – Next Race: Points Series, next weekend.
Toronto Motorsports Park – NHRA Bracket Finals, this weekend.
Can Am Stock/Super Stock – Next Race: TMP, next weekend.
Quick 32 Sportsman Series – Next Race: TMP, next weekend.
John Scotti NHRA Canadian Championship Series – Next Race: TMP, next weekend.
Shannonville Drags – Next Race: Sept. 20 and 21.
Any comments can be sent to Dave Mathers via email at motionman@rogers.com or by Facebook Messenger.
Discussion about this post