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Nationwide
NNS: News And Notes - NAPA Auto Parts 200 At Montreal
News around the Nationwide Series as NASCAR's No. 2 division prepares for the final road-course event of the season...
Nationwide Series drivers race at Montreal. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Bonjour, Montreal
It’s on to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the final road-course race of the season and the second-to-last stand-alone event of the year for the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Sunday’s NAPA Auto Parts 200 is one of the most anticipated races of the series season for obvious reasons: Exciting racing on the historic 14-turn, 2.710-mile track on the unique, man-made Ile Notre-Dame, the tremendous fan turnout, the European feel of the Montreal and what the series has become famous for – racing in the rain.
Rain has been the headliner during the last two races there. The 2008 race was the first points race in NASCAR national series history in the rain. Last year, teams learned the nuances of preparing for and competing in the rain, then getting back to dry-condition racing during the same event.
“I love racing in Montreal because the fans are very engaging up there," said Brad Keselowski, the series points leader. "They are a unique group of fans that give the race a different feel. They enjoy things about racing that may be a little different than we do here in the States. It’s a good bet that it will rain at some point during the weekend. If it does, those fans go crazy because they like seeing us put those rain tires on and do something that is out of the norm for stock car racing. That’s cool. They are diehard fans and I look forward to going up there for a nice, stand alone event for the Nationwide Series.”
The racing has been some of the best – and most bizarre – in each of the last three seasons. Kevin Harvick won the inaugural event in 2007, one in which Robby Gordon – who’s back this year for the first time since that event – thought he had won after he and Marcos Ambrose took turns spinning each other on the final lap. In 2008, Canadian Ron Fellows won the first “rain race.” Last year, Carl Edwards spoiled a dominating run by Ambrose, passing him on the final turn of the last lap to win. Ambrose has vowed to “Run this thing until I win it.” He’s led 124 of 199 total laps over the three races at Montreal but has yet to win.
This also is the road-course rubber match between Edwards and Ambrose this year. Both posted perfect 150.0 Driver Ratings in the previous two road courses this year – Edwards in his win at Road America and Ambrose with his victory at Watkins Glen.
Focus On Montreal
There will be plenty of star power again this year in Montreal.
In addition to eight double-duty drivers, led by Brad Keselowski, the list of road-course aces and home-standing Canadians puts an exclamation point on the entry list.
The last two winners are in the field, Ron Fellows (2008) and Carl Edwards (2009). Fellows is among a contingent of Canadians who are entered. Patrick Carpentier won the inaugural pole in 2007; Jacques Villeneuve, the former F1 champion and Indy 500 winner, returns to the track that bears his father’s name and young standouts Andrew Ranger and JR Fitzpatrick, both of whom have won at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1. Ranger, who finished third in this race last year, is a two-time NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion.
Other international stars also will take the stage. Marcos Ambrose (Australia) is again a strong favorite as is Max Papis (Italy), who will be driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. Harvick won the inaugural race in 2007. Victor Gonzalez Jr. (Puerto Rico) made his series debut last year at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the first Puerto Rican to start a NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
A couple of other noteworthy names are Paulie Harraka and Tomy Drissi. Harraka, 20, will make his national series debut at Montreal driving for NEMCO Motorsports. Former series champion Joe Nemechek has a history of putting young drivers in his cars. Harraka posted the first wins for NASCAR’S Drive for Diversity program in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series last year and has one win and five top fives after nine races in that series this year.
Also Tomy Drissi, the defending Trans-Am Series champion from Hollywood, Calif., will try for his series debut driving for MacDonald Motorsports. Team owner Randy MacDonald is a native of Oshawa, Ontario.
“I believe that this will be a different type of race this year," Edwards said. "With the weather looking to be nice the race will be a lot about braking. I think that many of the experienced road course racers are going to be very tough this year. This was a real exciting race for me last year and I look forward to coming back again this year to one of my favorite tracks. The feeling was amazing last year, taking my victory lap around the track hearing all of the cheers from the stands. The fans in Montreal are amazing and I would love to share that experience again with my team."
Ringers Not So Dominant
Although Marcos Ambrose, a veteran of road-course racing before his full-time entry into NASCAR’s national series in 2006, has won at Watkins Glen the last three seasons, “ringers” haven’t been dominant in NASCAR Nationwide road-course events recently.
Since 2005, when the series returned to racing at least twice per season on road courses, only “aces” Ambrose, Juan Pablo Montoya (Mexico City 2007) and Ron Fellows (Montreal, 2008) have victories. Otherwise, career stock-car drivers have been adept at left and right turns.
Two-time series champion Martin Truex Jr. won the inaugural race at Mexico City in 2005, followed by Denny Hamlin (2006). Kevin Harvick won the inaugural race in Montreal (2007) and Carl Edwards won there last year. Ryan Newman (2005) Kurt Busch (2006) and Harvick (2007) won at The Glen before Ambrose’s wins over the last three years.
Brad Keselowski is one of the best road-course racers among series regulars. After finishing last – 43rd – in his first series road-course race at Mexico City in 2007, Keselowski’s average finish in the 12 road races since is 6.9, including consecutive career-best fourth-place efforts at Road America and Watkins Glen earlier this summer. He was fifth last year in Montreal.
“It helps when you have good cars on the road courses and over the years my cars have gotten better," Keselowski said. "A lot of that is because my communication to Paul (Wolfe, crew chief) has improved as I keep getting experience on the road courses. It’s all about getting seat time. Running in the Cup Series has helped me become an even better road course racer. Kurt (Busch) and Sam (Hornish Jr.) are two guys that I’ve been able to learn a lot from."
It’s on to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the final road-course race of the season and the second-to-last stand-alone event of the year for the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Sunday’s NAPA Auto Parts 200 is one of the most anticipated races of the series season for obvious reasons: Exciting racing on the historic 14-turn, 2.710-mile track on the unique, man-made Ile Notre-Dame, the tremendous fan turnout, the European feel of the Montreal and what the series has become famous for – racing in the rain.
Rain has been the headliner during the last two races there. The 2008 race was the first points race in NASCAR national series history in the rain. Last year, teams learned the nuances of preparing for and competing in the rain, then getting back to dry-condition racing during the same event.
“I love racing in Montreal because the fans are very engaging up there," said Brad Keselowski, the series points leader. "They are a unique group of fans that give the race a different feel. They enjoy things about racing that may be a little different than we do here in the States. It’s a good bet that it will rain at some point during the weekend. If it does, those fans go crazy because they like seeing us put those rain tires on and do something that is out of the norm for stock car racing. That’s cool. They are diehard fans and I look forward to going up there for a nice, stand alone event for the Nationwide Series.”
The racing has been some of the best – and most bizarre – in each of the last three seasons. Kevin Harvick won the inaugural event in 2007, one in which Robby Gordon – who’s back this year for the first time since that event – thought he had won after he and Marcos Ambrose took turns spinning each other on the final lap. In 2008, Canadian Ron Fellows won the first “rain race.” Last year, Carl Edwards spoiled a dominating run by Ambrose, passing him on the final turn of the last lap to win. Ambrose has vowed to “Run this thing until I win it.” He’s led 124 of 199 total laps over the three races at Montreal but has yet to win.
This also is the road-course rubber match between Edwards and Ambrose this year. Both posted perfect 150.0 Driver Ratings in the previous two road courses this year – Edwards in his win at Road America and Ambrose with his victory at Watkins Glen.
Focus On Montreal
There will be plenty of star power again this year in Montreal.
In addition to eight double-duty drivers, led by Brad Keselowski, the list of road-course aces and home-standing Canadians puts an exclamation point on the entry list.
The last two winners are in the field, Ron Fellows (2008) and Carl Edwards (2009). Fellows is among a contingent of Canadians who are entered. Patrick Carpentier won the inaugural pole in 2007; Jacques Villeneuve, the former F1 champion and Indy 500 winner, returns to the track that bears his father’s name and young standouts Andrew Ranger and JR Fitzpatrick, both of whom have won at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1. Ranger, who finished third in this race last year, is a two-time NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion.
Other international stars also will take the stage. Marcos Ambrose (Australia) is again a strong favorite as is Max Papis (Italy), who will be driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. Harvick won the inaugural race in 2007. Victor Gonzalez Jr. (Puerto Rico) made his series debut last year at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the first Puerto Rican to start a NASCAR Nationwide Series race.
A couple of other noteworthy names are Paulie Harraka and Tomy Drissi. Harraka, 20, will make his national series debut at Montreal driving for NEMCO Motorsports. Former series champion Joe Nemechek has a history of putting young drivers in his cars. Harraka posted the first wins for NASCAR’S Drive for Diversity program in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series last year and has one win and five top fives after nine races in that series this year.
Also Tomy Drissi, the defending Trans-Am Series champion from Hollywood, Calif., will try for his series debut driving for MacDonald Motorsports. Team owner Randy MacDonald is a native of Oshawa, Ontario.
“I believe that this will be a different type of race this year," Edwards said. "With the weather looking to be nice the race will be a lot about braking. I think that many of the experienced road course racers are going to be very tough this year. This was a real exciting race for me last year and I look forward to coming back again this year to one of my favorite tracks. The feeling was amazing last year, taking my victory lap around the track hearing all of the cheers from the stands. The fans in Montreal are amazing and I would love to share that experience again with my team."
Ringers Not So Dominant
Although Marcos Ambrose, a veteran of road-course racing before his full-time entry into NASCAR’s national series in 2006, has won at Watkins Glen the last three seasons, “ringers” haven’t been dominant in NASCAR Nationwide road-course events recently.
Since 2005, when the series returned to racing at least twice per season on road courses, only “aces” Ambrose, Juan Pablo Montoya (Mexico City 2007) and Ron Fellows (Montreal, 2008) have victories. Otherwise, career stock-car drivers have been adept at left and right turns.
Two-time series champion Martin Truex Jr. won the inaugural race at Mexico City in 2005, followed by Denny Hamlin (2006). Kevin Harvick won the inaugural race in Montreal (2007) and Carl Edwards won there last year. Ryan Newman (2005) Kurt Busch (2006) and Harvick (2007) won at The Glen before Ambrose’s wins over the last three years.
Brad Keselowski is one of the best road-course racers among series regulars. After finishing last – 43rd – in his first series road-course race at Mexico City in 2007, Keselowski’s average finish in the 12 road races since is 6.9, including consecutive career-best fourth-place efforts at Road America and Watkins Glen earlier this summer. He was fifth last year in Montreal.
“It helps when you have good cars on the road courses and over the years my cars have gotten better," Keselowski said. "A lot of that is because my communication to Paul (Wolfe, crew chief) has improved as I keep getting experience on the road courses. It’s all about getting seat time. Running in the Cup Series has helped me become an even better road course racer. Kurt (Busch) and Sam (Hornish Jr.) are two guys that I’ve been able to learn a lot from."
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