SASKATOON, SK – In the third and final race of its Western Canadian swing, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 makes its way to Saskatoon, Sask., to take on the .333-mile Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in the Velocity Prairie Thunder presented by Bayer Crop Science scheduled to get underway at 8:15 p.m. MT on Wednesday, July 25. Below is a statistical look at the recent performance of the series and selected drivers at Saskatoon, as well as some other statistical trends:
Saskatoon Race Setup
• The Velocity Prairie Thunder presented by Bayer Crop Science has produced three winners – D.J. Kennington, Pete Shepherd III and Scott Steckly – in its three years of existence.
• D.J. Kennington is in search of his fifth straight series win and has never finished outside of the top three in Saskatoon.
• Dodge has won all three Saskatoon races.
• Jason Hathaway has scored consecutive runner-up finishes in his last two starts and is looking for his first victory since Sept. 2008.
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series At Saskatoon
• This is the series’ fourth time to compete in Saskatoon at the .333-mile Auto Clearing Motor Speedway.
• The race’s television premier is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m. ET on TSN2 and Sunday, Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m. ET on RDS2.
• The Velocity Prairie Thunder in 2009 was the first NASCAR-sanctioned event in the province of Saskatchewan.
• The event is the only race on the 2012 schedule that is run on a weekday.
• Each of the first three series events at Auto Clearing have been before sold out crowds.
• In the previous three races at the track, there has been an average of 4.67 caution periods for 42.0 laps with earliest coming at Lap 11 last season and the latest at Lap 240 in last year’s event, as well.
• In two races at Saskatoon, the average finishing position for the polesitter is 1.67 and the average starting position for the race winner is 7.0.
Saskatoon Data
Race: #7 of 12 (7/25/12)
Track Layout: .333-mile banked paved oval
Race Length: 250 laps (83.25 miles)
Records
1-Lap Qualifying: D.J. Kennington, Dodge, 14.668 seconds, 81.729 mph, July 27, 2011
250-Lap Race: D.J. Kennington, Dodge, 1 hr., 17 min., 3 sec., 64.828 mph, Aug. 4, 2010
Race Winners
D.J. Kennington…………………………… 1
Pete Shepherd III………………………….. 1
Scott Steckly ……………………………… 1
Pole Winners
D.J. Kennington ………………………….. 2
Don Thomson Jr. …………………………. 1
Manufacturer Wins
Dodge……………………………………….. 3
Laps Led
Don Thomson Jr……………………….. 303
D.J. Kennington………………………… 259
Scott Steckly……………………………… 75
Selected Driver Information:
Ron Beauchamp Jr. (No. 60 Mopar/Mobil 1 Dodge)
• Finished seventh a year ago in Saskatoon.
• Scored a seventh-place finish in 2009, as well.
• Has recorded top 10s in four of his last five starts overall.
• One of just four drivers to start all 69 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.
Mark Dilley (No. 02 Leland/BDI/PartSource Ford)
• Scored a fifth-place Saskatoon finish last year – his best in three starts.
• Finished eighth in 2010 edition of Velocity Prairie Thunder.
• Is the owner of three career Canadian Tire Series victories.
• Sharing time with Kerry Micks this season behind the wheel of the No. 02 Ford.
Kevin Dowler (No. 35 Whitemud Mechanical/EMCO Dodge)
• Making his Auto Clearing Motor Speedway debut this season.
• Made his first series start since 2007 on July 14 at Motoplex Speedway in Vernon, B.C.
• Was a relief driver for Jason Hathaway, who had an injured wrist, last season.
• Former CASCAR champion.
• Son, Noel, is a Canadian Tire Series regular competitor.
Noel Dowler (No. 5 EMCO-Kohler/Rheem Dodge)
• Finished 13th last year at ACMS in his rookie season.
• Has top-10 finishes in three of his last four starts overall.
• Scored a season-best finish of 11th last season at Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, N.S.
• Finished third in last year’s Rookie of the Year standings.
L.P. Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellmare Dodge)
• Making his Saskatoon debut this year.
• Opened the season with back-to-back top-five road-course finishes.
• Was the 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Rookie of the Year.
• Now a teammate of defending series champion Scott Steckly.
• Made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut on Aug. 20, 2012 at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet)
• Placed ninth in last year’s Velocity Prairie Thunder.
• Recorded a runner-up finish in his 2010 Saskatoon debut.
• Has led 52 laps in series action at the Saskatchewan event.
• Six of his seven career series wins have come on road courses – CTMP (3), Edmonton (2) and Montreal.
• Has made a pair of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts this season.
Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Snap-on Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink/Vortex Brake Pads Dodge)
• Has finished sixth in each of the last two Saskatoon events.
• Has a streak of three consecutive top10 finishes at ACMS.
• Has scored top-five finishes in his last four starts this season.
• One of only four drivers to start all 69 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.
D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge)
• Was the runner-up to Pete Shepherd III a year ago in Saskatoon.
• Won the 2009 Velocity Prairie Thunder and finished third in 2009.
• Has led a total of 259 laps at ACMS.
• Has won the last four events and is the first driver in series history to win four consecutive races.
• Sits atop the championship standings.
• Has a current streak of eight straight top-five finishes and nine consecutive top 10s.
• Has 15 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victories –tied with Andrew Ranger for most all-time in series.
• Won 2010 series championship.
• One of four drivers to start all 69 NCATS races.
Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Dodge/GC Motorsports Dodge)
• Finished eighth in his only Saskatoon start in 2009.
• Has top-10 finishes in his last eight of his last nine Canadian Tire Series starts.
• Has finished inside the top 10 in 27 of his last 29 series starts dating back to the 2008 season.
• Is tied with D.J. Kennington for the series’ all-time lead in victories at 15.
• Tied with Don Thomson Jr. at 11 atop the all-time list for pole wins.
• Won the series championship in 2007 and 2009.
Trevor Seibert (No. 69 Lake Excavating Dodge)
• Registered a 14th-place finish in his only ACMS start in 2009.
• Finished third in last start on July 22 at Edmonton – his best series finish since a fourth at Edmonton in 2009.
Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge)
• Finished 20th a year ago at ACMS after suffering radiator damage early in the event.
• Won the 2009 Saskatoon event and finished fourth in 2010.
• Has seven top-five finishes in his last eight starts dating back to last season.
• Has 11 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victories – the second-highest total in series history.
• Won 2008 and 2011 series championships.
• One of just four drivers to start all 68 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.
Nathan Weenk (No. 48 Mid West Racing Chevrolet)
• Finished 11th last season at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway.
• Scored a 10th-place finish in the 2010 Saskatchewan race.
• The Alberta driver has competed in all three ACMS races for the Saskatoon-based Mid West Racing team.
Jarrad Whissell (No. 44 SMS Equipment/Komatsu Ford)
• Finished 21st last season at ACMS in his track debut.
Jason White (No. 21 A&W/Bowers & Wilkins Dodge)
• Scored a 19th-place finish in last year’s Velocity Prairie Thunder.
• Best Saskatoon finish was ninth in 2009.
• Recorded his first series top-five finish on July 14 at Motoplex Speedway in Vernon, B.C.
• Was 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Rookie of the Year.
From Shon Sbarra / Integrated Marketing Communications
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