Driver Database News

DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge team continue to perform and are enjoying a successful season in the NASCAR Canadian Tire series.  At round number eight on Saturday night at Mosport Speedway the Castrol/Mahindra team again flourished and claimed their second consecutive podium finish.

The Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge performed reasonably well right from the beginning of practice but Kennington was determined to do even better.  “We always run pretty well, we’re a solid top-five car, we finish up on the podium but we always want to be a first place car and we have to keep trying things to always be improving” said the driver. Kennington would post the third quickest qualifying lap and start the 200 lap feature on the inside of row two.

From the drop of the green flag Kennington pushed the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge forward immediately grabbing second spot and setting his sights on first.  On lap eighteen Kennington would take over the race lead and then began to formulate his strategy for the competition and the rain that was threatening.  “All the things we did during practice helped and the Castrol/Mahindra car was really good initially” said the driver.

The race would stay green for the first seventy laps and with one eye on the weather the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor team decided not to pit.  As the race moved past halfway and became official the decisions became more difficult.  They could not go the entire distance without fuel and would need new tires as well.  As the race neared the three quarter mark the caution flag flew and Kennington came to pit road for scheduled service for the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge.

If the race continued as it did earlier with a long green flag run Kennington felt he had the car to win.  As is often the case, circumstances changed and the final quarter of the event had several caution periods and restarts.  The Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge was strong right to the end but without an extended run Kennington would be forced to settle for another third place finish at the checkers. “We were just a little too tight after the new tires, but if it had been a 250 lap race I think we had it” said the driver afterwards. “We did learn some things about the handling of the car and we’ll be even better prepared for the next oval race at Barrie” he added.

After eight races DJ Kennington sits third in the overall championship standings.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series heads back to Quebec for round number nine as the feature race of the Fortieth Anniversary edition of the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres on Sunday August 16th. This year’s race schedule consists of thirteen races, all of which will again be broadcast on TSN.

Photo by Rod Henderson www.CanadianRacer.com

The strong performances by Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team in the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series continued in round number eight at the Mosport Speedway this past Saturday night.  Though he suffered some bad luck during qualifying Beauchamp would not be denied during the race and came home with a fourth place finish, his fifth top-five finish of the season.

Beauchamp demonstrated the enormous raw power of the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge during practice clicking off dozens of quick lap times and the team felt very confident heading into qualifying.  Unfortunately a scattered shower dampened the racing surface just before qualifying runs and though the track was deemed dry and ready to go, as the first car out Beauchamp became the test case for the rest of the competitors.  “I guess I was the track cleaner” smirked Ron Jr.  “I was the first car out and the more cars that run the better the track is going to get.  I was kind of disappointed because I knew we had a better car than that all day, but I just had to show it in the race” he stated.

Beauchamp would line the Mopar Parts Dodge up fourteenth for the 200 lap feature and the plans was for him to charge to the front as quickly as possible. “When the green flag dropped I felt the car out quickly and then just started picking away” said the driver.  “I ran it hard at first but then started backing off a bit when things were spread out so that I could save a little something for the end” he added.

The race would go the first seventy laps caution free.  When the field did bunch up again following caution periods it was another opportunity for the Mopar Parts Dodge to gain positions and move forward.  “For our pit stop the Mopar guys did a great job again with our stops getting the car serviced quickly.  They gave me a chance to get some more positions during the late race caution periods”.

In the final quarter of the race there were several caution periods and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge was never far from the front with Beauchamp looking to improve his position.  “It was kind of an end of the race shuffle on a couple of the restarts but it worked out pretty well for us” said the driver.  Beauchamp would surge forward and back into the top-five in the closing stages and complete the race with a fourth place finish.  “I was racing the #39 car on one of those occasions and I thought I had the spot but he was working hard to defend his position so I had to back off, but it worked out in the end.

This season of solid finishes is very satisfying to the Mopar Parts Dodge team but they are also feeling anxious for a victory.  “We’ve finished well and we’re running really strong.  We’ve been upon the podium regularly now we’re all feeling, okay it’s time to win one of these pretty soon, everybody is getting anxious for that and working really hard to make it happen” said the driver.

After eight races Ron Beauchamp Jr. sits fourth in the overall championship standings.

The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series heads back to Quebec for round number nine set for Sunday August 16th at the Fortieth edition of the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres.  Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits.  You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN.

Photo by Rod Henderson www.CanadianRacer.com

Jeff Lapcevich and the #23 Tim Hortons Chevrolet team arrived at the Mosport Speedway for round number eight of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series looking expecting to duplicate the strong performance they showed during a test session at the track in recent days.  However the day would wind up being both frustrating to disappointing for the entire team.

Through the afternoon practice session Lapcevich and the Tim Hortons Chevrolet team felt they had a decent car but looked to improve their lap times and when the sixty minute session by making a gear change before qualifying.  Completing the change would make the team late for technical inspection and result in Jeff only being allowed one qualifying lap.  “I only had one lap to work with and I didn’t make the most of it” said a frustrated Lapcevich.

The #23 Tim Hortons Chevy would start from the back of the pack but with what Lapcevich felt was an improved race car before practice.  As the green flag waved to begin the 200 lap feature event, Jeff worked the car hard and gained several positions in the opening few laps.  “It’s hard when you start toward the back, but the Tim Hortons car was pretty good at the start and I was happy to pick up a few spot” said the driver.

The first seventy laps of the race went caution free and as the laps ticked away Lapcevich began to experience a strange sensation in the Tim Hortons Chevrolet.  “We just couldn’t get into the turns properly” he stated. “We were okay in the middle and coming off, but they were eating us up coming into the corner.  This seem strange to us with the changes we had made to the car” he added.

And ill handling race car does not allow the driver to make the kind of aggressive maneuvers necessary to be successful.  “It was a very tough night, the car was so free that it was unsettled and I couldn’t afford to adjust the brakes too much because we were already using up our front brakes” he stated.  The Tim Hortons Chevrolet was not demonstrating the same characteristics it did during the teams test and Lapcevich had his hands full for the entire night.

The Tim Hortons driver would use all of his driving skills to complete the race and take the checkered flag, but his thirteenth place finish was very disappointing.  “I had a very frustrating night.  We tested here a couple of weeks ago and we ran lap times of 21.7 seconds and we just couldn’t get below a 22 today for some reason.  It’s upsetting because we came here with really high expectations.  We came here really prepared and we just ran slow.  We’ll have to make sure things are square with this car and also we plan to do some testing with the road course car before Trois Rivieres”.

Jeff Lapcevich and the Tim Hortons team are back in action on Sunday August 16th at the Fortieth anniversary edition of the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres.  This year’s series events will consist of ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits from coast to coast in Canada.  All events are once again scheduled to appear on TSN.

Photo by Rod Henderson www.CanadianRacer.com

Prime Champ Dodge rookie driver Joey Hanssen tackled the latest challenge of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series this past Saturday night.  The 200 lap race was run at the tricky paperclip shaped oval at Mosport Speedway just outside Toronto, Ontario.  Hanssen struggled at first but as he found his way at the challenging track a broken lower ball joint would take him out of action.

As usual practice was used to get Hanssen comfortable in the #40 Prime Champ Dodge and trying to get the cars handling to his liking.  The eighteen year old driver would start the 200 lap feature event from the eighteenth position.  With a long green flag run to start the race he would have his work cut out for him.  “The car was a little tight in the beginning” said the driver.  “When the first caution did finally come out we made a pit stop and loosened the car up a little bit and it was much better” he added.

Though Hanssen had fallen a lap down he had a much better handling Prime Champ Dodge race car and set about making the most of his improved ride.  “When the #17 car of DJ Kennington passed me I followed his line and saw what he did, he steered a lot with the rear of his car.  I watched and got the feel and the lap times came down” said the driver.

With the improved pace Hanssen began to move the Prime Champ Dodge toward the front of the field.  “We started to gain a few positions” said the driver.  “We got up as far as tenth at one point and I was quite happy about that” he added.

Though his cars performance was much improved, Hanssen and the Prime Champ Dodge still had some troubles ahead of them.  “There were some communication difficulties with the NASCAR officials and we ended up getting moved to the back of the field on a restart” said the disappointed young man.  “The on the caution we had the ball joint break, the suspension was damaged and that was it” he shrugged.

Though a twenty first place finish due to a breakdown is disappointing Hanssen once again learned a lot during his night in the Prime Champ Dodge Avenger.  “I’m quite happy that we learned a lot today” said Hanssen.  “We learned a lot about the car adjustments and that you have to muscle these cars sometimes.  When I followed DJ (Kennington) for a few laps I could really watch and see how to work the car” he added.

The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series returns to Quebec for round number nine as the feature race at the Fortieth edition of the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres on Sunday, August 16th.  This years schedule will consist of thirteen races on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits from coast to coast in Canada.  All thirteen races will be seen on TSN.

Photo by Rod Henderson www.CanadianRacer.com

Driver of the Prime Champ Dodge Joey Hanssen has experienced the highs and lows of being a rookie driver in the NASCAR Canadian Tire series.  Round number seven at Auto Clearing Speedway in Saskatoon would be one of the tougher nights for the eighteen year old driver.

During practice Hanssen set about learning another brand new race track and for the first time experienced an oval with high banking which is very different from earlier events.  “It’s tough going to a new track every week but that’s part of the learning process” said the driver.  “I was driving it too soft into the corners at first instead of attacking the way you should on a track like this”.

Hanssen would start the Prime Champ Dodge from the fifteenth position in the 250 lap feature event and immediately look to gain positions  “The start was really good” said Hanssen.  “We climbed up into the top-ten I think and I was running really good, I was faster than the guys around me so I was climbing up” he added.

Not afraid to mix it up with stock car veterans Hanssen continue to nose the Prime Champ Dodge forward and is often the case on a one third mile oval track there was some contact with another competitor.

“It’s too bad, we got a little bump from the #69 car and bent the toe and cut the right front tire, when the tire blew I hit the wall a bit so I had to pit” said the disappointed Prime Champ Dodge pilot.

The Prime Champ team quickly made the change and sent Hanssen back into the battle however the problems for the #40 car were more severe.  After only a few more laps the right front tire was down again forcing Hanssen once again to pit lane.  “Turns out when we bent the toe that the tire was rubbing on sway bar” said the driver.

Once again the Prime Champ Dodge team changed tires and also made quick repairs to prevent the tire from blowing but left the driver with a difficult car to drive.  “The guys fixed the problem and the car was tough to drive.  I could handle it” said the driver “but it wasn’t ideal” he concluded.

Hanssen would bring the Prime Champ Dodge home nineteenth but was disappointed with how events played out.  “I could still pass some cars, if we hadn’t gone down a couple laps earlier we could have been a top-ten car for sure” said the driver.

The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series returns to Ontario for round number eight on Saturday August 8^th as they challenge the Mosport Oval track that night.  This years schedule will consist of thirteen races on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits from coast to coast in Canada.  All thirteen races will be seen on TSN.  By clicking the link here you can cast your vote for Joey Hanssen as the NASCAR Canadian Tire series most popular driver.

Photo by Todd Lewis

Following some disappointment in Edmonton DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge team looked to bounce back during round number seven of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series at Auto Clearing Speedway and wrap up the western swing with some momentum.  With a solid team effort Kennington claimed a third place finish and helped tighten up the championship points standings.

Once again Kennington had the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge among the front runners during afternoon practice and posted an impressive run during qualifying and would start the 250 lap feature third.  “I could have been a little better I think” said Kennington.  “There was a bit of speedy dry on the back straight that I hit and it upset the car just enough or we might have been right up front” he added.

As the race began Kennington took his usual approach of feeling out the car and the competition while running comfortably up front.  “The Castrol/Mahindra car was pretty good at the beginning” said Kennington.  “We’re trying a whole bunch of things right now trying to get better, we know what to do to be fast, but we want to make sure we can be fast for the whole race” he added.

Kennington continued to work to maintain a position near the front of the field through the midway point of the race.  Just past halfway during a caution period the #17 Castrol/Mahindra Tractor team made their scheduled pit stop and elected to take on fuel and put four tires on the car.  “We kind of got snookered at Vernon and I didn’t want to get caught without fresh tires” said the driver.

With fresh rubber the handling was much improved and Kennington would take the #17 Castrol/Mahindra Dodge to the front of the field on lap 184.  Though eventually he would be passed by two other cars Kennington was able to maintain a quick pace and bring the car home with a third place podium finish.  His fifth top-five finish of the season.  “We’ll take it” said Kennington.  “It was a good points day we did make a few gains and I’m pleased about that”.

While Kennington thought he had a car capable of winning after his scheduled service for tires and fuel there were some minor adjustments that could have made the difference. ”We’ve still got some work to do, but we’re getting there.  We lead a few laps and now we’re going to take these notes that we’ve got and work on some things for the next race.  It’s such a fine line with these cars, everybody is so even and we just  need to make that little bit of improvement and we’ll be there”.

After seven races Kennington sits fourth in the overall championship standings.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series returns to Ontario for round number eight on the Mosport oval track, Saturday August 8^th.  This years schedule includes events at Trois Rivieres and at the NASCAR weekend in Montreal.  All thirteen races will again be broadcast on TSN.  To cast your vote for DJ Kennington as the mot popular NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver click here and for more on DJ Kennington log onto www.djkennington.com

Photo by Todd Lewis

Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team  were looking to continue their strong season as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series wrapped up its three race western swing with a stop at Auto Clearing Speedway in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  While Beauchamp did show how strong the car can be during qualifying and practice, it proved to be a handful during the 250 lap race.

The #60 Mopar Parts Dodge performed flawlessly during practice and Beauchamp would post the fourth quickest qualifying time and earn a starting position on the outside of row number two.  “We were a little bit free but I think everybody was” said Ron Jr. after qualifying but I was pretty happy with the car and thought we’d be okay for the race” he added.

When the green flag dropped on the main event Beauchamp knew immediately he had his hands full with a difficult race car.  “I’m not really sure what happened, but the car was really loose at the start of the race” said Beauchamp.  “I was doing my best to stay up with the front group but I got a bit high through corners three and four and went back a few spots.  We knew that we’d have to make changes” he added.

At the first opportunity during a caution period Beauchamp brought the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge to pit road and the team made handling adjustments.  A second stop would get the car much more to the liking of the driver.  “I just told Chris Couvillion what the car was doing and the guys did a good job making the changes, and we were much better” said the driver.

During a scheduled pit stop later for tires and fuel the tight pit road at Auto Clearing Speedway proved difficult to handle and a number of cars including the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge went a lap down.  But that didn’t deter Ron Beauchamp Jr.  He set about racing his way back to the front and taking as many positions as possible in the last part of the race.  “I was trying to do it the old fashioned way” smiled the driver, it’s too bad that a bunch of guys got caught on pit road, I thought we were okay and I really had to stand on the brakes to stop when I was instructed to but the car was much better late in the race and I was able to run down some guys”

Beauchamp would complete the race and record a seventh place finish.  Quite an accomplishment after the way things started.  We missed the set up a little bit I guess” said the driver.  “But everybody worked hard to make the changes we needed and get a top-ten finish, this was a real team effort” he added.

After seven races Ron Beauchamp Jr. remains third in the overall championship standings.

The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series comes back to Ontario for round number eight on Saturday August 8^th on the Mosport Oval.  Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits.  You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN.  For more information about Team Mopar and Ron Beauchamp Jr. at www.beauchampmotorsports.com and don’t forget to vote for Ron Jr. as the series most popular driver.  Click here to cast your vote.

Photo by Todd Lewis

Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1 Dodge Avenger team continued the western swing of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule on Saturday in the 100km feature event on Saturday as part of the Edmonton Indy weekend.  While he is a long time oval track racer, Beauchamp demonstrated his much improved skills on the road course.

The Mopar Parts/Mobil 1 Dodge was solid in the opening practice round but slipped back to tenth in the second practice session. “I changed some things around in my shifting points and we fell back to tenth so for qualifying I went back to what was working before and with the changes we made to the car the Mopar/Mobil 1 Dodge was really strong in qualifying and I think we turned a few heads” said the satisfied driver.  “We made one little adjustment in the rear end that really worked for us” he added.

Beauchamp would begin the 100km event from the fourth spot, on the outside of row two and knew that you can’t win the race in the first few corners but you sure can lose it there.  “I just wanted to be patient at first.  There were a couple of guys up front that I knew would be pretty aggressive so even if I lost a few spots I knew we had the car to have a good finish”.

The Mopar Parts/Mobil 1 Avenger would drop several positions during the opening laps but Ron Jr. maintained his composure knowing the car would come to him.  “During the long green flag run we had at the start I started to reel guys back in after losing those spots” said the driver.

As the laps clicked away Beauchamp would continue to maintain a consistent pace and looked to be in position to score a top-five finish.  “The #69 was just a little bit better than me he’s real road racing veteran and he got by me late” said the disappointed driver.

With a sixth place finish the Mopar Parts/Mobil 1 Dodge team once again showed consistency of performance as they have all season.  “The western swing has gone really well so far” said Beauchamp.  “We finished on the podium last week, a solid sixth here in Edmonton.  We hung onto our third spot in the standings with a lot of racing to go, it was another solid day for the Mopar Parts/Mobil 1 team” he stated.

After six events Ron Beauchamp Jr. sits third in the overall championship standings.

The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series stretch of events in western Canada continues Saturday July 25^th with a stop at the Edmonton Indy weekend.  Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits.  You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN.  For more information about Team Mopar and Ron Beauchamp Jr. at www.beauchampmotorsports.com and don’t forget to vote for Ron Jr. as the series most popular driver.  Click here to cast your vote.

Photo by Todd Lewis

Prime Champ Dodge driver Joey Hanssen heard from several sources that round number six of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series on the airport runways during the Edmonton Indy weekend would be to his liking as it was a flat track similar to the Go-Karts tracks he was used to racing on.  A career best series starting spot and finishing position proved to be very much to his liking.

As a rookie driver in the series Hanssen tried to make the best use of his time to quickly get the Prime Champ Dodge acquainted with a new track.  “Everybody told me I would like the track.  We had a good car and it seemed to get better every time I went out.  We picked up two seconds in practice and I was happy with that” said the driver.

Hanssen would continue to improve during qualifying for the 100km feature event.  “Qualifying was a great job, we were second in our group, we wound up twelfth but it was our best qualifying of the year so I was really happy” stated the driver.

Not content to stay in the twelfth starting spot Hanssen looked to move the Prime Champ Dodge toward the front and had good battles going with both the #21 and #18 cars.  “It was really fun in the beginning battling with those guys and I think I was a little bit faster at the beginning of the race” smiled the rookie driver.  “In the middle section I was waiting for the car to tighten up a bit but then the full course caution came out, which was good because I got to close up on the #9 car” he added.

The competition throughout the field kept Hanssen busy looking for opportunities to keep the Prime Champ Dodge moving to the head of the field.  “On the first re-start I left a little too much space and a lapped car got ahead of us so I had to fight to stay there but would lose contact with the #9” said Hanssen.

A late race caution and restart would give Hanssen another chance to improve his position.  “I got hit from behind and almost spun out but then would have a really nice fight with the #95 car.  We went into the corner and he was outside, I was on the inside.  We both locked up and I came out ahead and that’s what it’s all about” he grinned.

Hanssen would cross the finish line and finish a career best ninth, his second top-ten finish of the season.  “I’m happy with the race, finishing ninth, another top-ten and the learning process is really going a lot faster now.  We don’t have a single scratch on the car, I just talked to our sponsors at Prime Champ and they’re happy too” he stated.

The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season wraps up with a midweek race at Auto Clearing Speedway in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan this coming Wednesday July 29^th This years schedule will consist of thirteen races on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits from coast to coast in Canada.  All thirteen races will be seen on TSN.  By clicking the link here you can cast your vote for Joey Hanssen as the NASCAR Canadian Tire series most popular driver.

Photo by Todd Lewis.

After four consecutive top-five finishes including a victory at Delaware Speedway DJ Kennington and the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge team expected to continue their push toward the top of the point standings in round number six of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Saturday’s feature event of the Edmonton Indy, the Canadian Tire 100.  After a solid qualifying effort mechanical misfortune would ruin the day.

After two practice sessions the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor team appeared to have the race car dialed in to be one of the front runners.  With a short twenty minute session of qualifying Kennington would grab the fifth starting spot.  “You only have a few laps before the tires start to go away and I thought we did a good job in qualifying with our limited track time” said Kennington.  “The next order of business was to have the car prepared to compete in the 100km feature” he added.

The Castrol/Mahindra Tractor team as usual was meticulous in their preparation and made the changes they felt necessary for the different track conditions expected during the race.  When the green flag waved to begin the event Kennington was able to jump ahead after the first corner and pick up fourth spot.  But only minutes later DJ knew he had a problem.  “There just wasn’t the speed especially on the straightaway that we’ve demonstrated with this Dodge motor before” said the driver.  Within a few laps Kennington was beginning to surrender positions and fell back in the field.

A full course caution slowed the race allowing Kennington to make a pit stop and the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor crew went to work diagnosing the problem.  Crew Chief Dave Whyte detected a problem at the top of the fuel cell and the team made quick repairs and turned Kennington loose without losing a lap.  “The whole group did really well to fix that one problem and not put us down a lap, unfortunately it wasn’t the only difficulty, something else was causing a fuel pick up difficulty” stated the driver.

As the race returned to green the Castrol/Mahindra Tractor Dodge was still off the pace and Kennington would be forced to soldier on to the end in an underpowered car.  “I’m just so disappointed for Castrol, Mahindra Tractors, Northern Provincial Pipeline and everybody that helps us out” said Kennington.  “We were on a pretty good roll, this western swing is tough on the team, but everybody is working so hard I’m just really disappointed.  But this group doesn’t get down at all and even with this short week ahead we’ll be ready to go at full speed” he concluded.

After six races Kennington sits fourth in the overall championship standings.

Round number seven of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series concludes the western swing and takes place this Wednesday July 29^th with the first ever series visit to Auto Clearing Speedway in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  This years schedule includes events at Trois Rivieres and at the NASCAR weekend in Montreal.  All thirteen races will again be broadcast on TSN.  To cast your vote for DJ Kennington as the mot popular NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver click here and for more on DJ Kennington log onto www.djkennington.com

Photo by Todd Lewis.