The Motion Motorsport Report for InsideTrackNews.com for July 8, 2026. This week, Dave Mathers takes us through all the weekend’s action and recent news from Canada and the world of motorsports.
Once again, the internet has lit up about the reduced car counts this year, not only in the travelling series but also in local track racing. Yes, I recall when CASCAR drew 60 cars to an event, with 36 starting the main and the other 24 in the non-qualifier race. But times have changed. With race tracks (stock car, road course and even drag strips) closing at an alarming rate, this means costs will go up for racing parts.
Why? Because the market is smaller and parts manufacturers have to increase prices to retain their existing profit margins. And, of course, the whole world is exposed to the ill-conceived tariffs imposed by President Trump, which have further increased costs for everybody. Having said all that, I must admit that the quality is up while the quantity is down.
Is he or isn’t he? THAT is the big question surrounding Max Verstappen. He said earlier in the year that he was going to quit because of his hatred for the new cars. Now the rumour has him switching to McLaren. Stay tuned.
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THIS WEEKEND! Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – IMSA Chevrolet Grand Prix
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – featuring exotic prototype and GT machinery – makes its one and only Canadian stop as part of the Chevrolet Grand Prix, July 10-12. Experience Canada’s premier sports car racing weekend. Tickets on sale now! Early Bird Ticket Pricing Ends Wednesday at Midnight!
The Chevrolet Grand Prix brings a stacked lineup of international drivers and legendary performance marques to CTMP’s iconic Grand Prix circuit. Corvette, Acura, Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Mustang and Porsche will all go head-to-head on CTMP’s legendary Grand Prix circuit.
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Adrian Newey has finally explained what has been wrong this year with Aston Martin. Not the drivers, apparently, but everything else. Problems with vibrations from the Honda power plants make the car shake so badly that the drivers can actually get injured. And the equipment is outdated and needs upgrading to make the team competitive. Yes, a “Newey-improved” car is on offer, but will it be enough? Time will tell. Will Alonso stay or go? I’m betting on the latter.
My two sons, Paul and Rob, along with my grandson Mason, attended the Gold Rush 126 OSCAAR Super Late Model show a week ago Tuesday night at Flamboro Speedway (gallery below). BAD fast cars. Group qualifying saw some problems with the timing system, but Jake Sheridan set fast time with a 14.256. And Jake got lucky on the draw and pulled a one, giving him the pole. There was lots of action, but the race turned into the Two Hours of Flamboro – 2:04:23, to be exact. At the flag, it was Treyten Lapcevich over Sheridan and Andrew Gresel. FUN night!!
It seems that a certain sanctioning body may regret having made a call penalizing four cars. There have now been some repercussions.
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EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY: Canada’s national stock car series – the NASCAR Canada Series – is making its only Alberta stop at Edmonton International Raceway (EIR) in Wetaskiwin, AB on July 24-25, 2026.
Fans can expect two full days of racing action, including qualifying rounds, autograph sessions, and the main events NAPA 300 under the lights on Saturday night. That’s right, this year’s NASCAR Canada Series stop at EIR will feature two points races!
Visit EdmontonRaceway.com for tickets and event info, including news about the track’s weekly racing program and hands-on driving experiences.
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NASCAR Cup Series – The series returned to Chicagoland Speedway after a seven-year absence. Points leader Denny Hamlin (Toyota) continued his recent charge by taking the pole for Sunday’s race over Kyle Larson (Chev) and Chris Buescher (Ford). Thirty-eight cars: 18 Chevs, 10 Fords and 10 Toyotas.
Well, that didn’t take long! On Lap 1, exiting Turn 2, Ricky Stenhouse appeared to bounce off the wall. Ryan Preece swerved to avoid Ricky and contacted Erik Jones, sending Preece into Connor Zilisch, who was already having a bad weekend at Chicagoland. Yellow.
On Lap 32, Zane Smith got into Carson Hocevar in Turn 2 and both cars spun. Yellow.
On Lap 48, Austin Hill spanked the wall hard in Turn 4 after getting hit by Shane Van Gisbergen for the third race caution. William Byron won Stage 1.
Five laps after the restart, Larson had a slow spin off Turn 4, slid down and got stuck in the wet grass in the tri-oval. Yellow.
At the halfway mark, it was Ryan Blaney over Christopher Bell and Todd Gilliland.
Just past halfway, Tyler Reddick pitted, clearly leaking a lot of fluid. Yellow for cleanup.
Byron also won Stage 2.
The final stage ran caution-free and Chase Briscoe got the win over Bell and points leader Hamlin.
In the points, Hamlin now leads Reddick by 44 and Blaney by 113.
Next Race: Atlanta – Sunday at 7 p.m. on TSN 5.
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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.
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NASCAR O’Reilly Series – Using the NASCAR rule book (don’t ask!! LOL), after rain washed out qualifying, Connor Zilisch (Chev) got the pole for Saturday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway over Brent Crews (Toyota) and Carson Kvapil (Chev). Thirty-eight cars: 31 Chevs, six Toyotas and ONE Ford!!
Well, THAT was painful!! An almost five-hour rain delay pushed back the start of the race.
I thought they might have a competition caution to check tire conditions, but they kept going and Zilisch won the caution-free Stage 1.
Stage 2 also went clean and green (but was getting foggy) and Chase Elliott got the stage win.
At the halfway mark, it was Jesse Love over Elliott and Taylor Gray.
The first race caution came out on Lap 133 when Zilisch lost a right-rear wheel and tire on the backstretch.
Twenty laps later, Zilisch brought out another yellow when he spun coming off Turn 2.
Ten laps later, the yellow flew for William Sawalich, who got spun by teammate Corey Day but kept it off the walls.
With 15 to go, Ryan Sieg looped it off Turn 2 for the fourth race yellow.
Then Kyle Sieg slid up into Patrick Staropoli in Turn 2, with both cars spinning.
At the flag, it was Brandon Jones with the NASCAR Overtime win over Elliott and Jesse Love.
In the points, Justin Allgaier leads Love by 195 and Day by 224.
Next Race: Atlanta – Saturday at 7 p.m. on USA.
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FLAMBORO SPEEDWAY: This Saturday (July 11) night, the United Racing Series heads to Flamboro Speedway for the London Recreational Racing 125 and a 50-lap feature for the Dayco Super Stocks vs. the Steel City Super Stocks! Front gates open at 4 p.m. with racing starting at 6:15 p.m. For race information, visit the Flamboro Speedway website.
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NASCAR Craftsman Trucks – Next race – Lime Rock, Saturday at 1 p.m.
Formula One – The heat wave that struck our side of the world was even more intense at the Silverstone Circuit on the weekend. With only one Free Practice session, Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) topped the charts.
In qualifying for the Sprint race, Hamilton was quickest again. Canadian Lance Stroll qualified 22nd.
In the Sprint race, Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) finally got around Hamilton on Lap 7 and cruised to the win over Hamilton and Lando Norris (McLaren). Stroll finished 21st.
Antonelli also won the pole for Sunday’s race over Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Hamilton. Stroll qualified 21st.
Wow, BOTH Ferraris got around Antonelli before the first corner after he spun his tires on the launch.
On Lap 22, the Virtual Safety Car came out for, wait for it, a fan’s umbrella that had blown onto the course. Really!!
At the halfway mark, it was Leclerc over Antonelli and Norris.
The VSC came back out on Lap 38 for the stopped car of Nico Hulkenberg.
A third VSC came out on Lap 48 when Max Verstappen stuffed his Red Bull into the sand trap.
On the second-last lap, they went “full NASCAR” as they allowed the lapped cars to pass the pace car.
And the race ended, confusingly, under the yellow flag.
The win went to Leclerc over George Russell and Hamilton.
Antonelli, who was penalized for a track-limits violation, finished out of the points in 16th. Verstappen was 20th, while Stroll ended up 19th.
In the Drivers’ Championship, Antonelli still leads, now by 25 over Russell and by 32 over the resurgent Hamilton.
In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes leads Ferrari by 111 and McLaren by 154.
Next Race: Spa – Sunday, July 19.
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BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY: Saturday, July 11 at Brockville Ontario Speedway’s ‘Bullring’ is Tackaberry Construction Fan Appreciation Autograph Night! On the card will be Race #2 of the Ogilvie’s Auto & Fleet Service Triple Crown Series for the 358 Modifieds, 50 laps for the Modifieds and 40 laps for the Sportsman class. The Mini Stocks and Street Stocks will also be in action. Racing starts at 6:00 p.m. Visit the Brockville Ontario Speedway website for news and event information.
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IndyCar – Christian Lundgaard picked up the pole for Sunday’s race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course ahead of Pato O’Ward and Will Power.
At the halfway mark of the caution-free race, it was O’Ward over Lundgaard and David Malukas.
Wow, they said it couldn’t be done, BUT they ran green to checkered with no caution flags. One hour and six minutes to run 90 laps in VERY hot conditions. Outstanding.
O’Ward got the win ahead of Lundgaard and Kyle Kirkwood.
In the points, Alex Palou continues to lead Kirkwood by 56 and Lundgaard by 65.
Next Race: Nashville – Sunday.
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PETERBOROUGH SPEEDWAY: Saturday, July 11 is the Mid-Summer Bash presented by KX105 New Country FM at Peterborough Speedway featuring a 50-lap main event for the Outlaw Super Late Models. Mini Stocks, Renegade Trucks, Late Models and Junior Late Models will also be in action. Kids Barrel Races are on the card, too! Grandstand gates open at 5:00, with racing at 6:00. Admission is just $30 for Adults, $12 for kids 8-12, with kids ‘seven and under’ free. Visit the Peterborough Speedway website for additional info from Canada’s fastest 1/3-mile speedway.
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IMSA – Next race – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Sunday, July 12. The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – featuring exotic prototype and GT machinery – makes its one and only Canadian stop as part of the Chevrolet Grand Prix, July 10–12. Click HERE for event and ticket info.
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NHRA – Next race – Sonoma, Sunday, July 19.
IHRA – Next race – Galot, I think, this weekend.
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NASCAR Canada Series – The travelling series dropped into the neat 3/8-mile Autodrome Montmagny last Saturday for two races.
Qualifying for the first race, the XPN Burn-X 125, saw Marc-Antoine Camirand grab the pole over Will Larue and Donald Theetge.
Camirand went on to win the race over Larue and Kevin Lacroix.
Camirand also won the second race, the Delta Electrolyte 150, topping Lacroix and D.J. Kennington.
Next Race: Calabogie – Sunday, July 19.
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CANADIAN MOTORSPORT HALL OF FAME: Nominations for the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame ‘Class of 2026’ are being accepted until the end of day on July 31. If you think someone should be inducted, you should do a little bit of research, head to the CMHF.ca website, and submit a nomination on their behalf. If a person isn’t nominated, they’ll never be inducted.
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APC Series – Next race – Flamboro, Saturday.
Ontario Sportsman Series – Next race – Delaware, Friday.
Delaware Speedway – The storm that terrorized the action at Chicagoland Speedway during Friday’s NASCAR program came on strong as it approached Delaware on Friday night.
In the Open Wheel Modifieds, Marshal Schrenk won the heat race, while the main finished with only two cars running after two incidents. Steve McCaw got the shortened-race win.
In the Super Stocks, Ethan Orr got the win in Heat 1, Mason Collver won Heat 2, while Nic Ramsay won the feature over Ryan Dyson and Collver.
The Late Models saw Schrenk, doing double duty, win Heat 1, while Connor Pritiko, running for points for the injured Ray Morneau, won Heat 2.
Unfortunately, the storm rolled in with very high winds and rain, stopping the main after only nine laps. The running order at the time was Brady Smith ahead of Pritiko and Chad Corcoran.
Next Race: Ontario Sportsman Series, Mods and Bone Stock – Friday.
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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.
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Peterborough Speedway – Next race – Mid-Summer Bash for the Outlaw Super Late Models. Plus Mini Stocks, Renegade Trucks, Late Models, Junior Late Models and Kids Barrel Races.
Brockville Ontario Speedway – Next race – Tackaberry Construction Fan Appreciation Autograph presents Ogilvies Auto & Fleet Triple Crown Series 358 Modified 50L, Sportsman 40L, Street Stocks and Mini Stocks (no Rookie Sportsman), Saturday.
Flamboro Speedway – Next race – APC Series, Saturday.
Edmonton International Raceway – Next race – Agricultural Appreciation Night. Future Stock Double Feature, NASCAR Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Mini Cups, and Baby Grands, Saturday.
Ohsweken Speedway – Next race – Summer Sprint Showcase, Friday.
Buxton Speedway – Next race – AST + OTS, LM, Mods and TS, Saturday.
Full Throttle Motor Speedway – Next race – Outlaw Late Models, etc., Saturday.
Grand Bend Speedway – Next race – Kid’s Night + NASCAR Late Models, Saturday.
Grand Bend Dragway – Next race – Summer Spectacular, this weekend.
St. Thomas Dragway – Next race – ONDR + Points Series, this weekend.
Toronto Motorsports Park – Next race – Motorsports Mayhem, Saturday.
Can Am Stock/Super Stock – Next race – August 1 & 2, St. Thomas.
John Scotti NHRA Canadian Championship Series – Next race – Napierville, July 16–18.
Shannonville Drags – Next race – July 18–20.
Any comments can be sent to Dave Mathers via email at motionman@rogers.com or by Facebook Messenger.
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The next Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo takes place March 12, 13 & 14, 2027 at Toronto’s International Centre. Vehicle applications are now being accepted at the show’s website. Motorama is Canada’s largest indoor auto-enthusiast and motorsports show and continues a tradition that goes back more than half a century at the same venue on the same weekend! Throughout the year, MotoramaShow.com is loaded with show coverage, galleries and industry news. We’ll see you next March at Motorama!___________________________________________________________________
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