The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series teams are set to take the first official green flag of 2009 when the tour visits Autodrome St. Eustache Saturday, May 23rd. To give drivers and crew members a chance to shake the cobwebs off their equipment, Kawartha Speedway will host an open practise Wednesday, May 13th. General Manager and Promoter Derek Lynch – himself a top 10 runner on the country’s only national stock car tour – says he expects a solid turnout for the testing day.
“Many of the teams had asked about getting some track time,” says Lynch, who steers the #77 Dodge. “We looked at the schedule, checked with NASCAR and now we’re getting the word out to everyone involved. I know my guys are chomping at the bit to get on the track, so I can only assume the other teams are just as excited!”
Gates will open Wednesday, May 13th at 9:00, with on-track action split into a 2 hour segment from 11:00 to 1:00 and a 3 hour session from 2:00 ‘til 5:00. Lynch says the morning and afternoon hot laps will allow the teams to experience a variety of weather situations and changing track conditions.
“They’ll get a good baseline set-up that should help them anywhere,” according to Lynch. “It’ll also give them a ton of notes for when we host the series finale Saturday, September 26th. The calculators, laptops and notebooks will be getting a real work-out.”
In addition to the on-track sessions, speedway officials have also sent invitations to local and national media members who’ll be covering the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in 2009. Reporters will get a chance to talk to the drivers and team officials – as well as build a bank of team photographs for use during the upcoming season.
As part of the day-long event, Kawartha Speedway will also provide lunch to the drivers and team members in attendance. To accommodate everyone, they’re asking teams to confirm their participation and indicate the number of people attending. Call the track at 705.939.8881, extension 201 or e-mail Jessica Moya-Brown, jessica@kawarthaspeedway.com.
Photo attachments: (by Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications)
#1). Scott Steckly’s 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series championship winning ride was displayed at the 2009 Canadian Motorsports Expo in Toronto.
#2). Jason Hathaway scored his first-ever NASCAR Canadian Tire Series win in last year’s finale. He participated in a 2008 pre-season test at Kawartha Speedway.
Prepared by: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications
