Dodge and Mark Dilley set for another season together as Canada’s new NASCAR era is about to commence

Dodge and Mark Dilley set for another season together as Canada’s new NASCAR era is about to commence

Dilley enters his ninth season with Whitlock Motorsports in a new car and series

BARRIE, ON – Last September, Mark Dilley wrote his name into Canadian racing history when he won the last-ever CASCAR Super Series race, at Kawartha Speedway. The driver of the #9 Dodge-sponsored stock car is looking forward to competing in the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (NCATS) and the opportunity to create a few new records.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for Canadian stock car racing and I’m very proud to announce that we’ll be competing in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series with primary sponsorship from Dodge and several strong associates,” said Dilley. “We’re entering our third year with Dodge and it’s been a great relationship since ‘day one’. We recently signed a multi-year extension with them that will see us working together well into the future. Dodge’s commitment to my team and to Canadian motorsports is second to none.”

Announcing the deal, Pearl Davies (Senior Manager, National Advertising and Direct Marketing for DaimlerChrysler Canada) said, “Mark has been at the forefront of CASCAR racing and represented us well. Now, with the inaugural season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, we're poised for a bigger season than ever and look forward to great things from Mark and his #9 Dodge.”

The recent off-season was one of major change for Canadian stock car racing; the sale of CASCAR to NASCAR being the biggest news. And while the majority of Mark Dilley’s racing program will be the same heading into the 2007, the Barrie, ON racer will have a new look on the track as he is one of the first drivers who will compete behind the wheel of the brand new Dodge Avenger.

“We’re entering a new series with a new car and we’re hoping to pick up where we left off,” continued Dilley, 38, who will be driving for Whitlock Motorsports for a ninth consecutive season in 2007. “Our goal is to win at Cayuga on May 26 because it would be quite an accomplishment to have won the last-ever CASCAR Super Series race in a Dodge Charger, and the first-ever NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race in the new Dodge Avenger. We played a role in Dodge winning the Manufacturers’ Cup the past two years and we plan on being a front-running MOPAR-powered team again this season.”

Discussing the new NASCAR series and the impact that its introduction will have on the sport, Dilley said, “We’re very happy to be a part of the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. I see this as a turning point for Canadian stock car racing, one that’s going to be really good for everyone. I’m also excited that our races are going to be on TSN this year; that’s a big step forward in terms of the television package and exposure for the sport.”

Looking ahead to some of the anticipated highlights of the 2007 season, Dilley didn’t hesitate. The recent announcement that Dodge will be the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Busch Series / NCATS event in Montreal, in early August, is definitely on his radar.

“We’re extremely excited to be part of the NASCAR Busch Series race weekend in Montreal. The event is being presented by Dodge. Canadian fans are going to be treated to some incredible stock car racing. Those who saw the stock cars [CASCAR] at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve when we were there last summer got a taste of what to expect. I think it’s going to be huge for our sport.”

In other team news, the #9 Dodge / Mobil1 / Exide / MOPAR / Leland / Wild Wing / CRS Dodge Avenger will have a new pit boss in 2007 as experienced racer Rino Montanari will take over from his brother, Giulio, as crew chief. “We’re grateful to all of our associate partners for their continued support of our racing program,” said Dilley. “I want to welcome Wild Wing restaurants to our group. They’re already very excited about being part of our racing program and we’ll work hard to make the program work for them.”

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is a 12-race series that competes across Canada and features the country’s top racers and teams. The tour kicks off May 26 at Cayuga Speedway.

Prepared by Inside Track Communications // For more information about the #9 Dodge team and its sponsors, visit www.whitlockmotorsports.com. For more on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, including complete race results, reports, point standings, event schedules and upcoming broadcast times for races on TSN, see www.nascar.ca