BREAKING NEWS: NASCAR has announced its 2024 race schedules for its three major touring series. Many were shocked to see that Montreal will not get a Cup Series race next season, which was widely assumed to be a given.
It was also somewhat of a surprise that the always well-sponsored and well-attended Truck Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will also not be happening, again, in 2024.
And the news we have all been hoping for… Michael Andretti and his Team Andretti Formula Cadillac have been approved by the FIA as the 11th team in Formula One.
All that remains is approval by the existing teams. This would allow the team to enter races as early as 2025.
Full marks to Ohsweken Speedway for how they handled a protest following their big 2023 Northern Sprint Car Nationals. The runner-up protested the winner claiming some form of traction control was being used in the ignition system.
The track confiscated BOTH ignition systems – the winner’s and runner-up’s – and sent them off to MSD for testing and inspection.
The result: “No electronic devices were found in any of the units.” As a result, the original winner Mike Bowman was confirmed as the official winner. Hopefully the ‘large deposit’ accompanying the protest was handed over to the winner.
My question – after watching Sprint Cars for years – is how would traction control even work as their back wheels appear to be spinning all the way around the track?!
Last week I posted the following: “How about Mike Salinas being the first car to run over 300 MPH in the 1/8th mile thanks to the tune-up from his Canadian crew chief Rob Flynn!! Well done.”
Well, wait there’s more!! I vividly recall when Kenny Bernstein topped 300 MPH in the quarter-mile way back in 1992. Now Salinas has done it in the 1/8th-mile and he has earned a bonus of $30,000 for his feat.
I recall the 200 MPH Club, the 250 MPH Club and then the 300 MPH Club. Now Mike is the sole member of the ‘300 MPH in the 1/8th Mile Club.’ I fully expect a Funny Car to be next; possibly Robert Hight.
In probably the biggest head-scratching announcement about 2024 schedules, IndyCar rises to the top of that list. Dropping a REAL and modern racetrack like Texas for a race at a 131-year-old converted horse racing track in Milwaukee? Yeah, I know, ‘scheduling problems’ with Texas.
In my coverage of the Fall Brawl at Delaware last weekend, I neglected to mention that former Delaware and CASCAR Official Starter Matt Lake was picked to be the honorary starter for the start of the Pinty’s 250 on Sunday. Matt owns London Driveline Systems in London and has probably provided many of the competitors with his products over the years.
Photo by Greg MacPherson / ITMN
It seems that Tony Stewart is in the news again, but for the wrong reason. He is the points leader in the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster category this year, but his car was DQ’d because of ‘unapproved ignition parts that were found during a post run inspection.’ But here’s the kicker, ‘The part is not required to be certified in our Top Alcohol category.’ And a ‘post-run inspection’? Hmmm?
Hendrick Motorsports has added ‘long in the tooth’ Boris Said to their roster. Said will be driving a Hendrick car in the Xfinity race on the Charlotte ROVAL this weekend.
I had a reader contact me about selling a bunch of souvenir magazines – 288 issues (24 years) of Stock Car Racing magazine dating from 1971 to 1995, all in excellent condition and 75 custom car magazines (the small size) from the ‘50s and ‘60s. He’s looking for $100 for the Stock Car ones and $50 for the small ones.
Contact him at Ken Stanfield, kenstanfield@rogers.com. They are in Mississauga.
A little negative news about Formula One. Apparently, the buzz generated in 2021 with the Verstappen / Hamilton points battle has died way down. Numbers showing new online followers had 624,000 in 2021, 911, 000 in 2022 but down to only 489,000 this year. Hmm.
The NASCAR All-Star Race is returning next year to North Wilkesboro. Good move.
NASCAR CUP SERIES: Aric Almirola won the pole for Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway atop Joey Logano and Chase Briscoe all three in Fords. The only Toyota near the top was Bubba Wallace starting 9th.
Stage 1 almost went caution free, but Christopher Bell, Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain got together. Bell was able to continue. Ryan Blaney won Stage 1. Stage 2 went caution free (at Dega???) And it was won by Brad Keselowski. There was a big fire on pit road after a car dragged a fuel can and it fell off and ignited.
As if scripted, ‘The Big One’ happened on lap 162. Eight cars were involved when Keselowski pushed Carson Hocevar in a corner sending him into the middle lane. Red flag. Ten laps later a yellow for debris on the backstretch.
At the checker it was Ryan Blaney who got a big hand from Riley Herbst. William Byron was 2nd and Denny Hamlin 3rd. Kevin Harvick actually finished 2nd but he was DQ’d in post race tech for, apparently, losing a windshield bracket during the race. That hurts. And, of course, it would NOT be Dega without everybody wrecking on the last lap.
Byron leads the points by 28 over Denny Hamlin and by 56 over Bell.
Their next race is Charlotte Roval, Sunday on TSN 3 at 2 P.M.
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: Their next race is Charlotte Roval Saturday on TSN 2 at 3 P.M.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS: Chase Purdy nabbed the pole for the truck race at Talladega Superspeedway Saturday followed by Nick Sanchez and Jake Garcia all three in Chevs.
Canadian Stewart Friesen started 20th. Surprisingly the first Stage went caution free and Sanchez picked up the win. Right at the end of Stage, which was won by Parker Kligerman, chaos broke out back in the pack. Friesen got bumped from behind and sent hard into the outside wall. He was taken to a local hospital and released.
The incident also involved Christian Eckes and Cory Roper. On lap 52 a four-truck wreck brought out another caution. Lap 60 saw three more trucks tangle up on the back stretch. Coby Howard and Chase Purdy brought out the red flag on lap 86. But the fun wasn’t over.
I counted ten trucks wrecking on the front straight after Sanchez tried to change lanes and collected Matt Crafton along with the other guys. It’s fair to say that the race ran long.
At the flag it was Brett Moffitt ahead of Ben Rhodes, both in Fords, and Dean Thompson (Toyota). After the race Crafton appeared to ‘sucker punch’ Sanchez in the pits.
Corey Heim continues to lead the points ahead of Carson Hocevar and Christian Eckes.
Their next race is Homestead, Saturday, October 21 on Fox Sports Racing at 12.00 P.M.
FORMULA ONE: Their next race is Qatar, Sunday, at 12.55 P.M. on TSN 5.
IMSA: Their next race is Road Atlanta, Sunday, October 14.
NHRA: The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series dropped into Gateway just east of St. Louis on the weekend.
In qualifying Doug Kalitta continues his hot streak grabbing number 1 with 3.709 over the 18 entries in Top Fuel. Bob Tasca ran a 3.852 to lead the Funny Cars who also had 18 entries.
Jason Scruggs topped the 18 again entries in Pro Mod with a 5.749. Surprise, surprise Erica Enders topped Pro Stock with a 6.549. And another surprise – Gaige Herrera was quick in the 14 car Pro Stock Bike with a 6.716. Alan Johnson was fastest in the 4 car Factory X class running a 7.046. Mark Pawuk topped all 22 Factory Stocker with a 7.7712.
Photo courtesy NHRA Media
Clay Millican won Top Fuel over Leah Pruett. 6 upsets (lower qualified car wins) and 3 smokers (one or both cars lose traction and spin their tires).
Matt Hagan won Funny Car beating Ron Capps in the final. 4 upsets and 9 smokers.
The number one and number two qualifiers were due to meet in the final of Pro Mod but Scruggs had grenaded his motor in his semi win and could not make the call for the final giving the automatic win to Jordan Lazic. 3 upsets and 2 smokers.
Greg Anderson returned to some of his former glory winning Pro Stock over Aaron Stanfield. 5 upsets and 3 smokers.
Gaige Herrera won Pro Stock Bike over Eddie Krawiec. No upsets, no smokers. Angie Smith was hurt during qualifying, breaking both feet and missed eliminations.
Allen Johson won Factory X over Chris Holbrook. I smoker.
Similar to Pro Mod the number 1 & 2 cars met in the final of Factory Stock with pole sitter Pawuk defeating Stephen Bell in the final.
In the Points Kalitta leads Top Fuel by 47 and by 51 over Steve Torrence.
Tasca has a 6-point lead on Hight in the Funny Cars and 13 on Hagan.
In Pro Mod Kris Thorne leads Canadian Justin Bond by 31 and Mike Castellana by 50.
Enders has a 25-point Pro Stock lead over Anderson and 38 on Matt Harford.
Herrara leads Pro Stock Bike by 99 over Matt Smith and by 126 over Hector Arana.
In Factory Stock Aaron Stanfield has a stout 112-point lead on Stephen Bell and 237 on Pawuk.
Their next race is Texas, Sunday, October 15 at 3 on Fox Sports Racing.
DELAWARE SPEEDWAY: Their final race of the season was the Bone Stock Championship & Pumpkin Smasher last Saturday afternoon. And a good time was had be all. There were 51 cars.
Karl Bartlett won Heat 1. Bill Brekelmans nabbed Heat 2. Heat 3 was won by Jason Craig. Colin Willems won Heat 4.
The B-Main was won by Craig Cole. The first 50 lapper, the points finale, was won by Jeremiah Rabideau thus giving the season championship over Jay Cox who was 19 back and Matt Langford 59 back.
The second 50 lapper, the Pumpkin Smasher, was won by Rick Verberne ahead of Jo Lawrence and Craig Cole.
PETERBOROUGH SPEEDWAY: The 30th edition of the legendary Autumn Colours Classic takes place at the high-banked, 1/3-mile paved oval this weekend. Camping is a huge part of this Thanksgiving weekend mega-event.
This year’s ACC is sponsored by APC and presented by the Toronto Motorama show. It’s the last big paved oval racing weekend of the season in Ontario and everyone will be there!
FLAMBORO SPEEDWAY: They hosted their annual Frostoberfest fall special this past weekend. APC Series champ Kyle Steckly won the Grisdale Triple Crowns award, while J.R. Fitzpatrick Their next race is the Halloween Enduro 250, Saturday, October21.
GRAND BEND DRAGWAY: Their next race is the Canadian Sports Compact Series, Saturday.
ST. THOMAS DRAGWAY: Their next race is the Turkey Nationals + ONDR, this weekend.
TORONTO MOTORSPORTS PARK: Their next race is Race Cayuga, October 14 & 15.
SHANNONVILLE DRAGS: Their next race is this weekend.
Any comments can be sent to Dave Mathers via email at motionman@rogers.com or by Facebook Messenger.
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