DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – Martin Roy has one race remaining on the 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, but he’s already assured of bringing home at least one honor. The Napierville, Que., driver has clinched the series’ Rookie of the Year title.
Roy has been the top-finishing rookie on four occasions this season. His best finish on the season, to date, was a fifth-place effort on July 22 at Edmonton (Alberta) City Centre Airport behind the wheel of his No. 90 Veloce/Lemken/Batteries Expert Dodge. He has one top-five finish and five top 10s this season and is currently ninth in the championship point standings.
Coming into the season, Roy had four series starts – all road-course events – under his belt, but was hardly a neophyte to oval racing. He is an accomplished dirt Modified racer and has won several championships in that discipline throughout Quebec and Northeastern United States.
“The adjustment wasn’t that difficult,” said Roy. “The races last year even though they are road courses were pretty helpful in getting used to the cars.”
Making that adjustment easier was crew chief Mario Gosselin, also a Quebec native. Gosselin is a NASCAR veteran at its highest levels as both a driver and crew chief. As a driver, he has 46 career starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and also has NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series starts to his credit.
“From the very start of the season the communication with (Gosselin) has been very good,” noted Roy. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without his knowledge of the sport.”
Mike Scholz of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., will finish second followed by Larry Jackson, who hails from Oakville, Ont., in third.
Past winners of this award include Jason White (2008), Joey Hanssen (2009), Derek White (2010) and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin a season ago.
The official presentation of the 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 Rookie of the Year Award will take place at the NASCAR Touring Series Awards on Saturday, Dec. 8 in the Crown Ballroom of the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with the top rookie drivers from NASCAR’s other touring series.
From Shon Sbarra / Integrated Marketing Communications
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