Onorato: Financial Crisis Not An Immediate Concern

Allegheny County's investments are safe for now, according to Chief Executive Dan Onorato. He says the financial crisis is not causing any immediate problems for the county's pension fund. But he says he hopes the downturn won't last long. Onorato says the county borrows money about every two years for capital projects, and the financial crisis could impact that borrowing in the future. Onorato says the county is monitoring the situation daily.

Counties Differ on "Passive Electioneering"

Allegheny County voters have been free to wear campaign t-shirts, buttons and stickers at the polls. But voters in Butler County have not. The Department of State recently issued a memo that says so-called "passive electioneering" is okay as long as voters don't do anything else to try to influence other people's votes. But ultimately, it's up to individual counties to decide how to interpret the state's ban on electioneering.

Regis Young, that county's Director of Elections, says he thinks wearing campaign paraphernalia at the polls is electioneering. Elections judges there have often given voters a jacket to put over campaign t-shirts or asked them to remove buttons. He says it hasn't been a big problem in the past.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato says it's not okay for poll workers to wear partisan attire, but he doesn't think what voters wear is a big issue. Like Young, he says it hasn't been a big source of conflict. But two poll workers in Allegheny County are suing over the State Department memo, arguing it's illegal.

Council of State Numbers

Nothing too surprising here:

Lieutenant Governor:

Walter Dalton 40
Robert Pittenger 36
Phillip Rhodes 6

We may poll this one again in a couple weeks since Pittenger's on tv to see if that's having any impact.

Attorney General:

Roy Cooper 54
Bob Crumley 32

Crumley's even polling at just 65% with Republicans.

Superintendent:

June Atkinson 45
Richard Morgan 38

Atkinson has shown a pretty steady mid single digit lead in all of our polling.

Next week we'll have numbers for Auditor, Secretary of State, and Agriculture Commissioner.

Full results here

We've been here before

With five weeks left to go until the general election, Bev Perdue is at her worst standing in the polls yet. Over PPP's last five surveys her lead has gone from nine points to five to one to one again and now to a three point deficit.

During the primary campaign our poll five weeks out from the election represented rock bottom for Perdue. She went from leading by 27 points at the start of March down to ten then seven and finally a single point at the end of the month.

The next five polls after that showed her up eight, then ten, then nine, then 14, and finally 18 before she finally won by 16.

March and September have been marked by similar problems of message discipline for the Perdue campaign: attacks ads that go all over the place without really establishing a coherent theme that hits home with voters, a lack of visibility from Perdue herself in her ads, etc.

She got her act together in April and ended up winning a comfortable victory. I don't think she can roll out the positive pledge again so it remains to be seen what she can do to fundamentally change the direction of the race from its current course. But I wouldn't underestimate her.

If she is able to replicate her final month success after a disastrous second to last month for the second time this year, one might just have to conclude that Perdue and her campaign team like living dangerously.

McCrory takes lead

Pat McCrory 44
Bev Perdue 41
Michael Munger 5

For the first time in a PPP gubernatorial poll Pat McCrory has taken the lead.

Here are some of the reasons why:

-He's getting a decent amount of crossover support, holding Perdue to a 69-19 lead among Democrats.

-He's holding his own party's voters at a very high rate, 84-7, allowing almost no bleeding across party lines.

-He has a 38-32 advantage with independents.

-Perdue only has a three point lead with women.

-McCrory's running 14 points ahead of John McCain and 20 points ahead of Elizabeth Dole with urban voters.

Many Democrats are frustrated that Bev Perdue is not giving them any reason to vote for her rather than against McCrory. Her campaign has not had much of a focus on economic issues so far even though almost two thirds of voters in the state list it as their top concern. Those are a few of the things she'll have to get righted in the next five weeks to get the race headed back in her direction- she's done it before.

Full results here.

Point State Park Fountain Turned Pink

October 1st marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness month and as a way to kick it all off, the Point State Park fountain at the culmination of the three rivers was today turned pink, the familiar color of the Breast Cancer Coalition. The pink fountain event in the city was part of a state-wide movement in which fountains in Harrisburg and Erie were also turned pink. Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Commission for Women Leslie Stiles says she hopes the pink fountain will remind people of those women who died from breast cancer, those are fighting it currently, and those lives that will be saved in the future. A conference was held also across from Point State Park at the Riverwalk near Heinz Field. Much of the discussion there and for all of breast cancer awareness month focuses on education and encouraging regular testing. Currently breast cancer is the leading cancer among Pennsylvania women.

Obama takes a small lead in Florida

Barack Obama 49
John McCain 46

Concern over the economy has allowed Barack Obama to take a small lead in Florida.

64% of Floridians surveyed say the economy is their top issue, and Obama has a 55-40 lead with those voters. In a January PPP poll just 26% of voters in the state said they were most concerned with the economy.

The events of the last few weeks seem in particular to have helped move independents into the Obama camp. Three weeks ago the candidates were tied, now Obama has a 48-40 advantage with those voters.

Perhaps the most important development for Obama's prospects in the state is significantly improved standing with white voters. Where John McCain had a 27 point advantage with them right after his party's convention, that is now down to 11 points.

Another factor that could be hurting John McCain is the rapidly declining popularity of Sarah Palin:

Date	Palin Favorability
9/7	45/34
9/28	40/41

Sarah Palin's net favorability with Florida voters has dropped 12 points over the last three weeks.

Initially 41% of independents said her selection made them more likely to vote for John McCain with 38% saying it made them less likely to do so. Now just 32% say she makes them more favorable to McCain with 46% saying they are less likely to vote for him.

Full results here

Hornet Class popular at Saratoga Speedway as season winds down.

This season the Hornet class has become the new entry class at Saratoga Speedway. On Saturday night there were 30 cars on hand, the highest car count of any class at the Black Creek oval in nearly twenty years. Along with the Hornets, the 3rd last race of the 08 season sponsored by Little Caesars Pizza featured the Crash to Pass cars as well as the Figure 8’s and Road Runners.

The Hornet class is open to four cylinder cars with minimum safety requirements. This allows someone interested in getting into racing to enter the sport with very little cost. With a non contact rule in place for the class there is very little maintenance on the cars. These cars are so easy to build that many of them have been built in one night, and is one of the main reasons that the car count has gone beyond expectations and why it keeps growing.

Saturday night the car count was aided by 11 Hornet cars from Victoria with 10 impressively coming into the speedway on a car hauler. In qualifying Phil Lagan, the 08 Western Speedway point champion set a new track record three different times with his fastest lap being a 18.956. He then went on to win the 35 lap main event ahead of fellow Victoria racers Phil Calnan and Jean Luc Lagan. With such a big car count the Hornets ran three heat races won by Andrew Buchanan, Victoria’s Tyler Woods and Calnan while Campbell River’s Darren Werebowy took the win in the B main.

In Crash to Pass racing Campbell River’s Travis Stevenson went a long way to claiming the season points championship by taking wins in the heat race then the win in the 25 lap main event ahead of Ryan Monks and Tom Dunns to boast his lead to over 200 points ahead of Monks with one race remaining.

A good field of Road Runners were on hand and put together two highly competitive races with point leader Kermit Dahl padding his point lead with the heat race win then a 2nd place finish in the 25 lap main event right on the bumper of race winner Riley Carter and ahead of Hanns Baan.

The increased car count in the Hornet class has seen a decrease in the Figure 8 car count as a number of racers decided to join in the non contact full track racing Hornets. This has left the Figure 8’s low on cars but still good racing as point leader Brandon Steen held of a determined Walker Welsh for the 15 lap main event win while Welsh held the hot hand in the heat race by taking the win.

The 2nd last race of the season with double points up for grabs goes this Saturday night with three championships to be decided in the Stock car, IMCA Modifides and the Dwarf cars and they will be joined by the Bomber and Hornet cars along with the last race for the Motorcycles whose point champion for 08 will be Dean Thompson.

In the Stock car class four drivers are still in the hunt with Victoria’s Kerry Steen holding the upper hand with a 74 point lead on Mike Dionne followed by Martin Beaulieu, who is 182 points back and Don Hallgarth who is 192 back.

In IMCA racing Victoria’s Tony Johnson holds a slim 1 point advantage on 06 and 07 point champion, Oyster River’s Chris Beaulieu, followed by Kevin Noble only 21 points back. Pat Brown is 24 back and Rob Ryan is 107 points away leaving all four a chance at the 08 championship.

The 2nd last Bomber race as they finish their season October 11th has Port Albernie’s Rob Gaudrealt leading the points race 48 points up on Campbell River’s Stewart Lee followed by Kyle Harrison at 117 back, Andy Meyers 285 back and the 5th and last driver still with a chance at the championship, Justin Beaulieu 315 points back.

The Hornet cars will also end their season October 11th making Saturday night their 2nd last race of the 2008 season. They have four drivers still with championship hopes and they are Dave Hargrave who sits in first ahead of Doug McLean followed by Lyle Bowlen and Joceyln Popwich with a outside shot.

Racing action this Saturday night have gates open at 5.30 followed by qualifying at 6 and racing at 7pm. Next Saturday night will be the season’s final race that will feature along with the Bomber cars, Crash to Pass, Hornets, Figure 8’s and the Road Runners, the great pumpkin race and a season ending fireworks display which is always a sight to see and remember.

An error from the last speedway report had the season ending banquet on October 17th when it is actually on November 15th at the Best Western Hotel with tickets available at the Speedway or for more info call 250-923-2982.

Pfizer to Tin Man: Drop Dead

You're axing what?

Pfizer is, according to today's Wall Street Journal (not to mention at least one astute blogger last week), giving up on R&D in heart disease, obesity and bone health.

The big news here is the abandoning of cardiovascular medicine--Pfizer's profit center driven by $17+ billion annual revenues from Lipitor and Norvasc--but of course there are exceptions to consider. Pfizer isn't dropping its late-stage programs, like the much-written about apixaban, for example.

But the strategic shift, not wholly unexpected and certainly not conflicting with statements made by Pfizer leadership lately (including comments by R&D chief Martin Mackay and head of strategy Bill Ringo at FDC/Windhover's Pharmaceutical Strategic Alliances meeting last week) says a lot about where Pfizer--and Big Pharma generally--is moving.

Where's that? Toward a greater emphasis on specialty therapeutic spaces like oncology (look for a feature on Pfizer's oncology ambitions in the next IN VIVO) and into large molecules like next-generation biologics, of course. By now this is not a surprise, but just how Big Pharma manages to transform itself while at the same time dealing with massive patent expirations and the demands of dividend- and buyback-hungry shareholders remains to be seen. Nevertheless, pulling out of the increasingly genericized cardiovascular space and some other primary care areas should speed this transition.

Some of the smaller top-tier companies, like Bristol-Myers Squibb, can make do with focused business development strategies--the acquisition of Adnexus, for example, or the please-let-it-be-over-soon-we're-so-sick-of-it Imclone takeover. For Pfizer such add-ons won't do the trick. But Bill Ringo noted at PSA that although Pfizer on the whole would have trouble moving the growth needle with a string-of-pearls strategy akin to BMS's, it could do so within the context of specific disease areas. Cardiovascular R&D is clearly not one of those areas.

Layoffs are likely (as of now still no official word from Pfizer on the cuts). But look also for more Pfizer spin-outs like the Japanese business RaQualia and the second incarnation of Esperion, as well as out-licensing deals, to help smooth the transition. Pfizer has, by its own estimates, too substantial a Phase II pipeline to take through to pivotal trials. "We need to be more creative with development," noted Mackay at PSA, and he said RaQualia was a good example of that creativity at work, as was the apixaban deal, which could be replicated in the other direction with Pfizer partnering on one of its own Phase III candidates. What should be worrying to Pfizer and other pharmas is that despite a Phase II glut these companies have a difficult time determining which post-proof-of-concept projects will succeed in Phase III and at the regulators.

Pfizer isn't the first pharma to abandon what most would consider its core therapeutic space. GSK and AstraZeneca, for example, sustained for years by the profits from GI franchises, each exited the bulk of their R&D in that area (witness AZ's spin-out of Albireo, though that pharma has noted it remains active in GERD research whereas Pfizer seems unlikely to continue in hypercholesterolemia R&D).

So where does the Tin Man turn when his new ticker gets rusty? And where do those small pharma and biotech companies in need of a partner for their next-big-thing HDL raiser or anti-hypertensive turn? In this up-is-down, black-is-white pharma shift to specialist drugs, perhaps primary care becomes the domain of a few specialists while the rest of the industry piles into oncology and orphan drugs.

One further irony: even as its exits cardiovascular research, Pfizer wants to remain one of those few remaining primary-care specialists. Bill Ringo noted exactly that at the PSA and in this article in IN VIVO -- as other Big Pharmas cut back primary-care commercial programs to boost their presence in specialist marketing, Pfizer, while certainly doing the specialist thing, is going to keep its primary-care capabilities, theoretically giving itself a comparative advantage as an in-licenser when it comes to those increasingly rare, and expensive, late-stage primary care candidates.

Kyle Marcelli Goes Star Mazda

Barrie, Ontario (September 29th 2008) - Young Canadian race car driver Kyle Marcelli recently signed a deal with fellow Canadian team AIM Autosport and sponsor Lafarge to race in round eleven of the Star Mazda Championship at the inaugural Petite LeMans weekend at the Road Atlanta race course in Brasselton, Georgia this coming weekend.

Upon the completion of Marcelli’s rookie season in the very competitive pro F2000 Championship Series where he scored third in the standings after a come from behind season with eight podium finishes including a win at Road America. Marcelli is now looking forward to taking another step forward in the evolution of his career this time behind the wheel of a Star Mazda race car.

The eighteen year old Canadian native will be supported by Lafarge throughout this weekends events. Lafarge is a building material company successfully operating in over 85 countries worldwide. Recently introducing a new “TURBO” theory to market the following products Agilia, Extensia, Chronolia and Artevia. The company has teamed up with Marcelli putting together a great program to market at speed.

“I am very pleased and honoured to be representing Lafarge on an international stage of Motorsports. We are working to put together a successful program in which I am very excited about. I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s event at Road Atlanta; it’s a great facility and a world class race track. AIM is a very well established, successful race team and I hope to bring them more success this weekend. ” Says Marcelli.

Marcelli would like to thank his year long sponsors Simcoe Block, Lafarge, Barrie Trim and Mouldings, GP Masonry and Landscaping Supplies, Trudel Roofing, PFAFF, Alpinestars, The Robert Simpson Brewery, Brown Windows, MG Homes, Mullins Pub, MMG Trading, Simcoe Building Center, RE/MAX Barrie, Stif Creative Works and Canadian Tire Barrie South

For more info on Kyle visit him at www.kylemarcelli.com
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Kawartha Speedway Race For Charity

 
Collin Welsh, Director of Operations for Discount Car and Truck Rentals in Oshawa, Ontario collected funds for the fight against Cerebral Palsy with his race winning run in a Kawartha Speedway Driving Experience mini stock.  The race was held prior to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Dodge Dealers of Ontario - Dodge Ram 250 Saturday, September 27th at Kawartha Speedway.  (Words and Photos by Jim Clarke)

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NCATS: Home Hardware Chevy Finishes Top-Five at Kawartha

Don Thomson Jr. and the Home Hardware Chevrolet team did it again during the final round of the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire series (NCATS) series at Kawartha Speedway this past weekend.  Thomson for the seventh time this season would post the quickest qualifying time and start the 250 lap race from the pole position.  It was exactly the start the team wanted as they looked to continue their charge and attempt to grab the overall championship. 

The Home Hardware Chevrolet crew was as usual well prepared and gave their driver a fast race car and Thomson clicked off the quickest qualifying time at 18.190 seconds for an average speed of 74.217 MPH.  This was exactly what the team needed to keep their title hopes alive.

Thomson would accept the green flag to start the race and then proceed to hold that position for the first 42 laps of the race.  Without warning however a miss in the motor would be the first of several hurdles the Home Hardware team would face.  “Coming out of turn two it just started missing again, we lost a spark plug wire” said a frustrated driver who takes great pride in performing much of the work on the car himself.  “That won’t happen next year, we’re going to change our distributor system” he added.

The Home Hardware crew went to work making a series of stops to correct the problem under the hood and has been the case all season; they were calm and cool under pressure knowing there was still plenty of racing to be done.  “The Home Hardware car was good to that point. I was just pacing myself and saving the brakes a little bit which you have to do here.  Once the Home crew made the repairs the car was just as good as before” said the driver.

Adjusting their race strategy while making repairs, the Home Hardware Chevy team also performed the necessary routine service taking on fresh tires and fuel to go the balance of the race distance.  It was their chance to have the race come back to them and capitalize should the #22 car have difficulties.  They were not out of the championship hunt yet. 

Misfortune would strike their competition and the #22 would fall deep into the field.  Thomson meanwhile had the bit between his teeth and pushed the Home Hardware Chevy into the top-five, every position gained brought them closer to a possible title.  Also working in their favour was the fact that the four cars in front of Thomson still needed to make pit stops for fuel and tires.  The Home Hardware team was in great position.  However there was one more element to this story that had yet to play out; the weather.

Light sprinkles were becoming more persistent and making for a very tricky race track.   NASCAR officials chose to throw the red flag stopping the race after 174 laps.  Shortly after the decision was made by NASCAR to call the race complete.  It was disappointing for a team that had worked so hard all season and especially in this race not to have the chance to finish the entire event.  “We were in a really good position going to the end” said Thomson afterwards.  “All of the cars in front of me had to pit, I would have inherited the lead and I really think we had a strong enough car to hold everybody off, especially when the outside groove really went away”.  

Don Thomson Jr. and the Home Hardware Chevrolet team would finish the season second in the overall championship standings, just twenty three points behind the winner.  “Obviously I’ve got thank the whole Home Hardware team, John Fitzpatrick and all the effort that they put in for us.  It’s a little disappointing not to be able to run those last laps but we’ll be back to go get ‘em next year”. 

Next up for the NCATS teams is the annual awards banquet on October 25th.  You can watch all thirteen races this season on TSN.  For information about the NCATS including schedule, results and more, log onto www.nascar.ca

Photos:  Home Hardware Chevy heading out for qualifying at Kawartha Speedway.  
Photo Credit:   Todd Lewis 
This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

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NCATS: Full Throttle Team Fourth at Kawartha

Driver Brad Graham and the Full Throttle Blue Demon/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge team have been on a charge in the late stages of the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season.  With every increasing momentum the team scored yet another top-five finish to close out the final round of the season with a fourth place finish at the Dodge Dealers of Ontario Ram 250 at Kawartha Speedway.

It was a tough start to the day for the Full Throttle Blue Demon/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight team.  Lap times during practice were impressive but the story was different during qualifying.  “Our Goodyear tires have been great all year” said Brad Graham, “but for some reason we had a set that grew a little funny during time trails and we just didn’t get the performance we were expecting” he added.

Graham would start the 250 lap feature event deep in the field at fifteenth spot.  The Full Throttle Blue Demon/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge would not be there for long.  With track conditions noticeably different from qualifying that were much better suited to the cars set up Graham took off toward the front of the field.  “We just started picking off positions one at a time and next thing you know we’re inside the top-ten and heading for the front” he stated.

Graham would continue the push forward with his smooth handling Full Throttle Blue Demon/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight race car and continue to gain more positions as the laps ticked away.  “We just kept our nose clean and stayed out of trouble and got ourselves into the top-five” summarized Graham. 

Knowing he had a race car that could run up front Graham began to look ahead to how the final third of the race would play out.  “We were up there battling with third and fourth place runners trying to set ourselves up to be in a good spot for the finish” said the driver.  It was at this point Mother Nature would exert her forces on the field.

The race was halted on lap 174 of the scheduled 250 due to persistent showers.  Graham would have to accept a fourth place finish but couldn’t help but wonder what might have been if the final laps had been run.  “We weren’t trying to be too aggressive with that many laps to go” he said.  “The Full Throttle Blue Demon/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge was pretty good.  It’s a real bummer that NASCAR chose to end it early.  I think we had a good enough car certainly to finish on the podium and maybe for the win”.   

Brad Graham and the Full Throttle/Logel’s Auto Parts/ Challenger Motor Freight Dodge team finished the season tenth in the overall points standings.   

The Full Throttle Team will celebrate the 2008 season at the annual awards banquet on October 25th.  This season teams raced from coast to coast in Canada on challenging oval tracks, temporary street circuits and road courses. For more information about the series log onto www.nascar.ca and for more news information about the team go to www.bradgraham.ca All races this season are also be broadcast on TSN.

Attached Photo:  Full Throttle Dodge 
Photo Credit:    Todd Lewis
This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

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NCATS: Castrol Dodge Finishes Season Strong

A week ago DJ Kennington wasn’t sure how well the Castrol Dodge would be able to perform in the season finale of the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, the Ontario Dodge Dealers Ram 250 at Kawartha Speedway.  Though both Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Avenger were bruised from a hard hit, they showed how tough and competitive they can be with a second place finish this past Saturday.

As practice began Kennington and the Castrol Crew were anxious to see how the many hours of work necessary would pay off.  They would find out quickly as Kennington put up solid practice laps.  “It was a lot of work to get this car ready, but by the end of the night we knew that we got had it fixed right” said the driver.  “It’s probably the best we’ve been all year” he added. 

Kennington would take a cautious approach with the Castrol Dodge on a slick race track during qualifying and begin the Ontario Dodge Dealers Ram 250 from the eleventh spot  “Conditions were pretty tricky and I didn’t want to take any chances, we felt the car was good” said the driver afterwards.

Right from the start of the race Kennington was moving the Castrol Dodge forward in the field and very quickly into the top-ten and approaching the top-five.  “We had the set up right in the first part of the race and that helped us get the Castrol Dodge up into contention pretty quickly” said DJ.

Kennington continued to maneuver his race car forward and on lap 62 the team was rewarded for all their hard work as the Castrol Dodge took over the lead of the race.  Kennington would continue to hold the point until 105 when a dampening race track also played play a significant role.  Looking to find the best racing line for his car in the worsening conditions Kennington moved up higher on the track and the decision cost him.  With his skill DJ was able to bring the Castrol Dodge under control but had surrendered the lead.  “I was a bit loose in the corner and I thought moving up would tighten the car up a little, and I just hand my hands full gathering it up and that’s when the #3 car got by me”.

Kennington would set out to hunt down the leader but the weather began to worsen and after 174 laps the race was halted.  The Castrol Dodge team would have to settle for a second place finish.  “I just made a mistake and it cost us a win tonight” said the disappointed driver.  “I really figured I could get him back, but then it rained harder and NASCAR stopped it.  I’m just disappointed in myself, and I’m frustrated.

While there is obvious disappointment in not winning the race, there is tremendous pride in a season full of accomplishment.  The Castrol Dodge team scored an incredible nine top-five finishes and eleven top-tens in thirteen events.

DJ Kennington would wind up the season third in the overall championship standings.  Kennington will now concentrate full-time on his Nationwide series ride with MacDonald Motorsports

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series will honor competitors this year at the annual awards banquet on October 25th.   The 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire series consisted of thirteen events on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits from coast to coast.  Each broadcast on TSN.  More information can be found by logging onto www.djkennington.com and www.nascar.ca

Attached photo:  1. The Castrol Dodge ready to qualify at Kawartha.  2.  DJ Kennington (left) on the podium at Kawartha Speedway.

Photo Credit:  Todd Lewis  // This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

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NCATS: Back to Back Podium Finishes for Team Mopar

The Mopar Parts Dodge with Ron Beauchamp Jr. at the wheel has turned heads over final third of the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire series schedule.  Those heads are usually turning to watch the Mopar Parts Dodge Avengers blazing past them.  At the final round of the championship, the Ontario Dodge Dealers Ram 250 at Kawartha Speedway Ron Beauchamp Jr. was showing the Dodge power with a third place finish that helped clinch the Manufacturers title for Dodge.

One of the keys to success for Team Mopar has been having a strong car right off the trailer for the last few events in particular.  “During practice the car was just a little tight, but we made a few adjustments and it was bang on for qualifying” said Ron Beauchamp Jr.  “We had another good qualifying run and started up near the front” he added.

Beauchamp would begin the Ontario Dodge Dealers Ram 250 on the outside of row two on a damp and misty Saturday night.  “The car was a little tight on the outside, but I knew right after qualifying I had a good car for the race” he stated. 

As the laps ticked away the Mopar Parts Dodge was ever present near the front of the field.  “I just tried to be really careful” said Beauchamp.  “You could tell it was the last race of the season and some guys were pretty feisty.  The thing is it cost most of them positions in the end.  We took our time and stayed up front and had ourselves in a very good position for the final stages of the race.  Outside forces would also play a significant role in the outcome.

The Ontario Dodge Dealers Ram 250 would actually only complete 174 laps due to persistent showers.  The Mopar Parts Dodge though would claim a third place podium position.  “We’ve just been on such a role here lately I’m kind of sorry to see the season come to an end, the way we’ve been going you want to get right back out there” said Beauchamp.

With back to back podium finishes to close out the season Ron Beauchamp Jr. and Team Mopar are anxious to begin preparations for what will no doubt be a very successful 2009 season.  “We’re going to get working on our program right away” said the driver.  “We’ll be building new race cars right in our shop and they’ll be race ready right from the start of the season”.        

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series 2008 season awards, including the Manufacturers Cup that goes to Dodge will be presented at the series annual banquet on Saturday October 25th.  This years racing schedule consisted of thirteen races on oval tracks, temporary street circuits and road courses.  All races once again broadcast on TSN.  You can read more about Team Mopar and Ron Beauchamp Jr. at www.beauchampmotorsports.com and www.nascar.ca  

 
Attached Photo: 1.  Mopar Parts Dodge ready for qualifying.  2.  Ron Beauchamp Jr. (right) on the podium at Kawartha Speedway

Photo Credit:   Todd Lewis
This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment

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NCATS: Not Enough Horses for Fitzpatrick

September 28, 2008.  After a very successful test session at Iowa Speedway with TRG Motorsports NASCAR Truck program, John Ryan (J.R.) Fitzpatrick was hoping to wrap up the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire series season with a strong showing.  Unfortunately his #84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevrolet was a little lacking in horsepower hampering his overall finishing position.

It was a cloudy and damp day at Kawartha Speedway this past weekend as teams began the afternoon practice session.  To no one surprise the #84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevy was consistently quick.  “We learned a lot of things at the test session at Iowa that we immediately applied to our car here” said the 20 year old driver.  “And we could see improvements right away” he added.

Fitzpatrick would qualify the #84 machine fourth overall and begin the 250 lap feature event on the outside of row two.  “Our plan was the same as usual, try and run up front, maybe lead a lap and then settle into a good pace and save our stuff for the end” said the driver.  For several reasons going the 250 lap distance would prove to be a challenge.

With the start of the race the #84 Chevrolet was decent but not performing to the expectations of the driver.  “The car just seemed to be flattening out” said Fitzpatrick who provided good information to the team.  “We decided to make a pit stop and make some adjustments, switched ignition boxes.  We thought we were playing it smart to come in early and make changes”.  The problems for the Fitzpatrick Motorsports team were just beginning.

After the changes the #84 Chevy still was not performing at peak level.  “The guys in the back of the field were just out powering me” said a frustrated driver.  “We knew there must be some kind of problem deep inside the motor.  It seemed to be hurt pretty bad”. 

Despite the underpowered race car Fitzpatrick maneuvered the #84 Chevrolet surprisingly well, especially in the damp conditions.  “We figured that we were running on only six cylinders” said the driver.  “I tried to drift it out a bit and I said to the guys, if we had some power it would be a lot of fun to run out here sliding around”.

The #84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports team soldiered on as best they could until damp conditions forced NASCAR officials to conclude the event on lap 174.  “I’m actually kind of glad we finished it early” said J.R.  “It wasn’t a lot of fun being down on power and running around out there”.

The #84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevy would be classified nineteenth at the conclusion of the race.

Despite the disappointing finish in the final event, J.R. Fitzpatrick finished the season seventh in the overall championship standings.

OF NOTE:  J.R. Fitzpatrick will now focus his efforts on competing in select events on the NASCAR Truck series with TRG Motorsports.  The first event on the schedule is at Martinsville on October

The 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season will cap off with the annual awards banquet on Saturday, October 25th  All NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races are broadcast on TSN.  More information on the series can be obtained by visiting www.nascar.ca

Attached Photo Caption: #84 Fitzpatrick Motorsports Chevy set for qualifying at Kawartha Speedway.
Photo Credit:  Todd Lewis

This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment
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Your Florida Clue

This post could also be titled 'Palin is tanking everywhere.'

Date	Palin Favorability	Horse Race
9/7	45/34	McCain +5
9/28	40/41	?

What's your guess? This will be out tomorrow afternoon.

NCATS: HB Motorsports Press Release September 28, 2008

Doug Brown was determined to end the season on a high and that determination was evident at Kawartha Speedway on Saturday as the veteran driver recorded third quickest time in pre-race qualifying then went on to a strong sixth-place finish in the final race on the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule.

The race marked the fifth top-ten finish of the year for the Haldex-sponsored team that ran just ten events in the thirteen-race schedule.

Following the mid-afternoon practice sessions that saw the Haldex Dodge in the middle range of lap speeds among the field of 27teams on hand for the season finale, the crew made some calculated set-up changes hoping to gain added speed on the fast 3/8 mile paved oval located in Fraserville, Ontario.

That move paid huge dividends allowing the veteran competitor -the last of the drivers to take time trials- to start the scheduled 250-lap race inside on the second row.

After a strong early race run, and changing track conditions, the car developed some handling problems causing the Brantford driver to drop to thirteenth place by lap 50 and losing contact with the lead pack.

Despite the problems, the team elected to keep the car and driver on the track during the third caution break of the night but when the caution flag came out again for the 4th time on lap 110 the team made a quick two-tire change and further chassis adjustments getting the car back into the action in 20th place.

When the race went green again Doug wasted little time in moving back into contention and had moved to 10th-place by lap 125 with his sights clearly focussed on the leaders.  By the time the race was slowed again on lap 143 by a fine mist that enveloped the track, Doug had moved into sixth-place in the running order and had closed to within a few car lengths of the fifth and fourth place runners.

But with the track conditions worsening, series officials elected to run the race under caution for 32 laps before throwing the red flag ending the race on lap 174.

“I felt I still had some pop left in the Haldex Dodge if the race had continued and might have gained a few more spots but we’ll take this sixth-place finish along with last week’s eighth place run in Antigonish and build upon for next year,” the satisfied driver commented following the event.

Scott Steckly of Milverton, Ontario survived a mid race accident and ensuing steering problems to finish in 17th-place, one lap down to winner Jason Hathaway of Appin, Ontario but salvaged enough points to edge out Don Thomson, Jr. of Ayr for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Championship. Steckly went into the final race with a 67- point margin over Thomson but with Thomson’s 5th-place finish that margin had shrunk to just 24.

DJ Kennington of St. Thomas, finished the year with a second place run followed by Ron Beauchamp Jr. of Windsor with Brad Graham of Glencoe taking fourth-place honours.

Prepared by Ken Spencer  // HB Motorsports

South Buxton Raceway Shootout Report Sept. 27, 2008

Words by Mike Bennett / Pictures by James MacDonald Apex One Photo for contributed photos

Wallaceburg's Chris Ross is presented his $6,000 cheque and trophy after winning the Castrol Canadian UMP Late Model Shootout at South Buxton Raceway on Saturday night by the 'Castrol Girls.'

Chris Ross pumps his fist as he crosses the finish line.

Brian Ruhlman of Clarklake, Mich., receives his $2,500 pay check from the Castrol Girls after winning the inaugural Advantage Warehouse UMP Modified Fall Blowout.

Tim Richardson (5x) of Tilbury rides the low line in a three-wide battle during the Advantage Warehouse UMP Modified Fall Blowout 'A' Main.

SOUTH BUXTON – Running with the Americans helped Wallaceburg’s Chris Ross make Canadian history.

Ross started on the pole and led all 40 laps to win the fourth annual Castrol Canadian UMP Late Model Shootout in front of a capacity crowd at South Buxton Raceway on Saturday night.

His victory was the first by a Canadian driver in the four-year history of what has become the track’s signature event. Ross finished second in 2005.

“Definitely, it’s the biggest win of my career,” the 27-year-old Ross said, as he pocketed $6,000 (US) with his victory.

Ross, the 2003 Late Model season champion at South Buxton, has been racing on the Ohio dirt-track circuit the past two summers.

Saturday’s victory was his second in two appearances at South Buxton this year, as he won a feature race on May 24.

“This is my roots,” he said of winning at South Buxton. “I’ve moved on to other avenues, but I still like driving 45 minutes to my home track, so there’s a lot of sentiment here.”

Although his success has been limited in Ohio, Ross feels competing against the more experienced Americans the last two summers is paying dividends.  “We’ve really stepped up our program,” he said.  “I think we proved that tonight.”

Ross proved to be the driver to beat right out of the chute as he laid down the fastest qualifying lap of 15.059 seconds and ran away with the victory in the heat race to earn the pole for the ‘A’ Main.

Ross’s only scare came on a restart with 10 laps to go when Kevin Reeve of Hanover, Mich., pulled even coming out of turn four, but a caution flag negated the lap.

“I screwed up real bad and Reeve got by me, but I learned a little bit from that,” Ross said. “After cautions, it usually took me a lap or two to get going, so on that next restart, I scrubbed the tires to keep the heat in.”

Jon Henry of Ada, Ohio, passed Reeve with seven laps to go but had nothing for Ross.
 
“The last caution hurt us, because I thought I was making up some ground, but by the time I was able to get a run again, it was over,” said Henry, who settled for his second runner-up finish of the night.

Earlier, Henry finished second to Brian Ruhlman in the inaugural Advantage Warehouse UMP Modified Fall Blowout.
 
They traded places in the Late Model Shootout as Ruhlman finished one spot behind Henry in third, as American drivers took six of the top 10 positions.

Defending Shootout winner Rusty Schlenk, who needed a champion’s provisional to start the race, finished fourth, while Reeve slipped back to a fifth-place finish after chasing Ross for almost 30 laps.

Adam Ferri of Port Colborne was the second-highest Canadian as he was seventh, while Blenheim’s Andrew Reaume was ninth and Jeff Dayman of Welland was 10th.

Reaume, the two-time South Buxton Late Model champion, had high hopes for his best Shootout showing but walked away disappointed again.

After posting the second-fastest qualifying time, Reaume broke a part in the drive shaft before taking the green in his heat, but rebounded to win the ‘B’ Main and the Dash.

However, he was forced to start at the back of the 23-car ‘A’ Main field after a review of his starting position in the ‘B’ Main.

A flat tire with 10 laps to go forced Reaume to come back through the field a second time as he rebounded to finish ninth.

Andrew’s father Brett Reaume was 11th, while Jim Jones of Chatham was 13th and Jim Dale Jr. of Blenheim 14th.

Three other local drivers finished the race in the pits as Chatham’s John Pinsonneault Jr. was 19th,  Chatham’s Joe Field 21st and Thamesville’s Dale Glassford 22nd.

Former Shootout winners Curtis Roberts of Coleman, Mich., and Jamie Zidar of Greenfield, Wisc., were 17th and 20th respectively. 

Thirty-eight Late Models were in the field, 17 of those from across the border.
 
The first Advantage Warehouse UMP Modified Fall Blowout drew 30 cars, including 14 from the United States.  Ruhlman took the lead on lap six of the 35-lap Modified ‘A’ main after Mark Fowler, from Billings, Mont., spun out after leading the first five circuits.

Once in front, Ruhlman put his Modified on a rail and held off Henry for the final 24 laps for his first South Buxton win since 2004 when he won an American Late Model Series race.  “I won the first time I ever saw the place but haven’t been able to get back there (to Victory Lane) since,” said Ruhlman, who has twice been the runnerup in the Shootout.  This car has been tight all year, we’ve been struggling to get it freed up, but tonight we finally got it to turn,” he said.  “I didn’t know how quick we were, but once we got into clean traffic, we could drive away.”

Ruhlman also won his heat and dash while posting the second fastest qualifying lap.

Henry wasn’t disappointed in the least being the bridesmaid twice in one night.

“My thinking is, two seconds equals one win,” he smiled.  “I thought could get a run on him, but then we had all those cautions, so second’s not too bad,” he said of his battle with Ruhlman.

Rich Robinson Jr. of Mt. Pleasant, Mich. was third, followed by a pair of Muskegon racers, Mike Wilbern and Troy Marciniak.

Tim Richardson of Tilbury, a two-time former track champion at South Buxton, returned to his home track for a sixth-place finish.

Clayton Smith of Woodslee was the highest finishing South Buxton regular as he was eighth.  Joey Brosseau of Merlin was 11th, leading a pack of nine local drivers who finished 11th through 19th.  Chatham’s C.J. Field was 12th, followed by Dale Jr., Merlin’s Brad McLeod, Wheatley’s Aaron Wiebe, Leamington’s Justin Coulter, Chatham’s Todd Wellman, Wyoming’s Brian Speelman and Leamington’s Curtis Coulter.

Leamington’s Paul DeGoey received one of the biggest ovations of the night as the 24-year-old returned to South Buxton for the first time since his career-ending crash on Aug. 30.  DeGoey visited Victory Lane after the Modified dash where he received his Schinkels Gourmet Meats UMP Modified points championship trophy. He also presented the dahs winner Ruhlman with a $100 bonus prize, which he donated as a thank-you to South Buxton fans for their support in his recovery.

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Napanee, Ontario's Chris Raabe Rides a Rocket to the Top of the DIRTcar Racing Standings

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

After a 3 race weekend that saw him take over the top spot on the Mr. DIRTcar sportsman modified title hunt and score a win (his 21st of the year) in his first ever visit to Cornwall Motor Speedway, Chris Raabe was looking set his sights on another strong weekend with stops Friday, September 26th at Brighton Speedway and Saturday, September 27th at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park.  The teenaged sensation from Napanee, Ontario had already clinched the track titles at Brockville Ontario Speedway and Thunder Alley Speed Park - as well as the DIRTcar Northern Region sportsman modified title and hoped to finish the weekend with another pair of feathers in his cap.

Heading into the Friday night show at Brighton – part of the track’s Applefest Shootout Weekend – the Scott Industrial Services/TyRoute Communications-Telus/Kingston Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste Management/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik Load Products/McColman Media/Len Corcoran Excavating #01 team was unbeaten in 4 Lucas Oil sportsman series starts.  That 100% batting average earned him a spot in the Dirt Track Digest All-Star Race, for a $2,500.00 payout.  The 17 year-old 12th grader from Napanee and District Secondary School scored a convincing win in the 15 east-versus-west showdown and added another piece of hardware to his trophy case.

Raabe finished 3rd in the night’s second heat race and advanced to the 35 lap main event.  After starting mid-pack, he was advancing nicely through the field but got collected in someone else’s wreck on lap 13 and damaged his favourite piece, the team’s 2006 TEO Pro Car.  The car was hurt badly enough that it needed to be taken from the track on the rollback.  With another show in less than 24 hours and a 4 hour drive from their home base, it was time for the crew to really show their stuff.  The old faithful racer was hauled back to Smith’s Kwik Load race shop where it was carefully taken apart. It was there that they learned the damage looked worse than it actually was.

By 2:AM, the car was in pieces on the floor.  Parts were changed.  The body work was hammered back into place and just after 5:AM, the trusty steed was back to looking like the championship winning piece it is.  After a few hours sleep in the motor home (parked just outside) the crew scaled the car, loaded it into the Kingston RV Centre hauler and headed for Rolling Wheels.  Team owner Garry McColman says this is what championship winning runs are made of.  “The team takes their lead from Chris and his Dad (Mike Raabe) and never complains”, explained McColman.  “We all knew it was worth the effort to give the driver what he wanted.  Without the 150% effort of Greg and Chris Hale and Dave Brunet, the weekend would have had a very different result”.

With valuable Mr. DIRTcar sportsman modified championship trail points up for grabs, the team entered the Saturday show at Rolling Wheels with a ‘cautiously aggressive’ race approach.  They’d do the best they could with what they had to work with and hope to come away with at least the same point’s lead cushion they entered the weekend with.  After winning the night’s 4th and final heat race, the crew staged an informal meeting and decided to throw the ‘cautiously’ term out of their strategy.

Chris Raabe took the green flag in the Taylor Rental 30 lap sportsman main event from 5th starting spot, while his closest competition Dan Wiesner went away from 11th on the grid.  A strong run saw the Teenage Tornado cross the line 2nd, chasing race winner Greg Panunte who won for the 2nd time in 3 starts.  Wiesner finished 11th and is now 60 points in arrears to Raabe, while Panunte – on the strength of his current hot streak – is 3rd, just 69 markers off the pace.

With his 2nd place showing, Chris Raabe officially clinched the 2008 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park sportsman modified championship.  His 3rd track title of ’08.

Coming up:  Friday, October 3rd – Fulton Speedway, Fulton NY.  Wednesday, October 8th – Can Am Motorsports Park.

Learn more about Chris Raabe at www.chrisraabe.com

Photo tag line: Napanee, Ontario’s Chris Raabe waits for his chance to ‘hot lap’ his #01 sportsman modified Friday, September 26th at Brighton Speedway Park.  (Jim Clarke photo)

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NCATS: Hathaway bring home first NASCAR win, at Kawartha

September 28, 2008- Fraserville, Ontario- Jason Hathaway and the #3 Snap-on Tools Dodge competed in the final race of the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tires Series at Kawartha Speedway, bringing home the Team’s first NASCAR Canadian Tire Series win.

     The Team started the last event of the year at the top of the speed charts in practice.  Hathaway was happy with the Team’s practice effort. “The car felt pretty good in practice this afternoon. It was stable and it worked well.  I think we will be in good shape tonight for the race.”

     Hathaway qualified in the 13th spot in a tough field of 26 cars for the 250 lap event on Saturday night.  With rain looming the name of the game was to get settled in and start working their way to the front of the pack.  When the green flag dropped Hathaway did just that and started his move to the front.  Jason had a great start to the race and by the 5th lap was sitting 8th place in the running order.  A restart on lap 35 left Hathaway hung out on the outside of the racing line and he had to find a hole and fall in line for a few laps.

     Numerous times throughout the race Hathaway was the fastest car on the track and by lap 72, he had worked his way up to 3rd in the running order.  He kept up with the two lead cars and planned his strategy.  Hathaway’s move of the night came on lap 105 on the restart.  Coming out of corner 2 Hathaway pulled his racing machine inside the 2nd place car of Scott Steckley, making the pass and taking over the spot. On the same lap he also set up 1st place DJ Kennington, taking his Dodge to the front of the field and claiming the lead. 

     An incident on lap 130 brought out the caution and the threatening rain came down heavier.  Some 45 laps later, NASCAR red flagged the race and declared it complete, awarding Jason and Team 3 Red/EHR with their first NASCAR career win.  Heading to victory lane Jason did a burn out for the fans in the stands that weathered the on and off rain all day.

     Climbing down off his car after celebrating his win, Hathaway was excited about the night’s result. “This win is awesome. We had a great car all race long and I love running this track. Our team worked hard this season to improve our on track performance and this win here shows what we are capable of.  Thank you to Guilio, Ray, the boys in the shop and our entire crew.  The competition is tough out here each and every weekend and it is awesome that we were able to end the season with a win! Congratulations to Scott Steckley and their Team on their Championship season.  He is a great competitor and he put on quite the show for the fans this season.  Thank you to Snap-on Tools, Super 8 Motels, Advantex, Napoleon and Castrol for all of their support in getting us here.  Our first win is dedicated to them for all of their backing and believing in this Team.”

Team 3 Red/EHR thanks Snap-on Tools, Super 8 Motels, Advantex Freight Forwarders, Napoleon Fireplaces & Grills, Castrol, Fast Eddie Racewear, Choko Motorsports, Praxair, BOSCH Canada and Dayco Canada.

From Jamie Hakonson

 
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NASCAR Canadian Tire Series: Jason White wins rookie title

The 13^th and final stop of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series was held at Peterborough Ontario’s Kawartha Speedway on Saturday night. 26 teams showed up for one last run at the checker flag in Canada’s elite stock car racing series. Most of the teams have been battling through the very gruelling schedule that starts in May and leaves very few weekends off through out the summer. Many battles came down to the final race including the overall title and the top rookie honours. Sun Peaks British Columbia based driver Jason White and his A&W “Cruisin the Dub” team entered the night just four points ahead of Barrie Ontario’s Anthony Simone for the first ever “Rookie Of The Year Title”. In 2007 all drivers were considered rookies by NASCAR in the series inaugural season, so 2008 would be the first for title contention.

As rain threatened the on track activity throughout the day , teams stayed patient and got in a practice session as well as qualifying for the 250 lap race. White was the first to qualify after the rain had soaked the track , and it was quite a ride. “We picked first out of the hat unfortunately , but someone had to be the unlucky one”, mused White. “ I just went out and laid down two laps that I am not proud of but to tell you the truth I was happy I brought the car back in one piece, it was like an ice rink out there”. As the cars continued to qualify the track heated up and the lap times got substantially faster. After the session was over White would start the race 24^th in the 26 car field.

When the green flag dropped for the final time of the season , White wasted no time moving towards the front. At lap 25 he had moved all the way up to the 15^th position and the car was looking like a top ten or even a top five contender. “I just could not believe how well the car was handling”, stated White. “My crew tried a new set up in the car and it really took to the track well”. By lap 100 White got the call from crew chief Brian Uptigrove that fellow rookie contender Anthony Simone had parked his ride for the night due to an on track altercation with another car. This meant Jason would take home the coveted freshmen honours, but there was still a race to be decided. “I really had to curb my emotions after hearing we had locked up the trophy “, remarked White. “My goal switched to getting a top five finish for my A&W team, and we had the cards in our hand to do it”. At lap 140 Jason had cruised into the top ten and had his sights set on his best finish ever, he even had thoughts of winning. “For the first time ever I actually thought we had potential to win a race”, white said. “We definitely were not the fastest car out there but in this series a lot happens with the front runners and they had been dropping out very quickly, I was just running as hard as I could”.

When lap 150 came up the caution flag flew for a wreck and Brian Uptigrove brought the A&W Monte Carlo in for fuel and tires. Unfortunately the crew had some problems with the jack and the Jason would drop from 9^th to 14^th for the restart. Then just before NASCAR restarted the race, the skies started to open up and the race was called due to the track being deemed unsafe to race on. So the teamed settled for 14^th , but the big prize was in the bag. “ I think we finished off well for the season”, said Uptigrove. “ We have proved if the team can put a well set up car underneath Jason, he can race with the best in the business”.

So after 13 races from coast to coast, and a Rookie Title , the A&W team will enjoy some time off then start planning for next season, and the quest for a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Championship!!

In a sport where more sponsor dollars equals more speed, the RZ Racing Team is thankful for all of their marketing partners throughout this years NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Special thanks go out to: A&W, Diamond lils trucking, Zimmer Wheaton GMC, Powder Ventures Excavations, Douglas Lake Equipment, T.A Lubes (Sunoco), KAL TIRE, Praxair, Re/Max (Paul Toporowski), Peaks Media Inc., RTR Performance, Zimmer Autosport, Sleemans Brewery, Mackdaddys Nightclub,Canada boat trader, L'Cat Autographics and Thompson Valley Sand and Gravel.
Race dates and results are posted on www.NASCAR.ca

Steckly Wins NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Championship

Fraserville, ON, Sunday Sept. 28, 2008:  "It's like a dream come true, winning at this level of racing - it's something I have always dreamed about,” said an excited Steckly moments after the race.  After overcoming adversity on the track on Saturday night, Scott Steckly and his 22 Racing Team were crowned the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Championship wining team.

The race started under cloudy skies and with a little misty rain in the air with the 22 Racing/Tow Truck in a Box/Erb Group Dodge Avenger lined up for the Dodge Dealers of Ontario Ram 250 from the front row on the outside. Joining him on the front row would be his closest competitor in championship standings, Don Thomson Jr.

Thomson would take the early lead with Steckly in hot pursuit for the first 30 laps of the race.  A problem with the No. 4 of Thomson saw him head down pit road on a caution lap, allowing Steckly to inherit the lead. The No. 22 Dodge dropped back to second after leading a few laps and after a restart at lap 104, Steckly's Tow Truck in a Box Avenger was bumped hard by another competitor and put up into the turn 4 wall. Over the next 70 laps the team continued to work on fixing the car every time the caution flag came out.   During an extended yellow flag period due to rain, the 22 Racing Team made the final repairs to the car and they were ready to go back racing when NASCAR made the decision to call the race due to the weather. When the checkered flag waved Steckly was scored in seventeenth place.  With Thomson Jr. being credited with fifth position, Steckly would be crowned the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion."

"There are no real words to describe how it feels," stated Steckly after the race.  "To win at the highest level of stock car racing in Canada is unbelievable. But so much of the credit goes to my crew who just work so hard week in and week out and our sponsors.  A.W. Millwrights has been with me for 15 years, Erb Group 8 years and Tow Truck in a Box who came on this year and helped us more as the season went on.  You can’t forget about Dodge who have always been supportive of not only us but all the Dodge teams in the series for many years  Last but not least I have to thank my family who have stood behind me and allowed me to chase my dream of winning this championship."

Steckly's NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Championship is highlighted by 4 wins, 4 seconds and 9 top five finishes over the 13 race schedule.

Congratulations to Dodge for their three podium finishers in the race. Winner No. 3 Jason Hathaway, second D. J. Kennington and third Ron Beauchamp Jr.

The Dodge Dealers of Ontario Ram 250 will be telecast on TSN on Saturday October 11th at 11 a.m. EST.

Scott Steckly would like to thank all of his associate and product sponsors who each had a part in winning this championship including, Erb Group of Companies, A. W. Millwrights, D. H.  Jutzi Ltd., Willride Transportation, Reefer  Sales, Mr. Transmission (Guelph), Milverton Garage, Groeneveld, Commercial Babcock, Classy Collectables, Generation 2 Filtration, Twin City Graphics, Motorsport Design, Glasvan Great Dane Trailer Sales Inc., Wix Filters, Chris Root Precision Machine, Camions International West Island Inc., IRL International, Wilcan Electronics Canada Ltd and Royal Distributing. 

 
From: Linda Jones // Wide Open Motorsport Solutions

 
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St. Thomas Dragway: Sept. 28 Race Results

St. Thomas Dragway Results
 Sunday, September 28, 2008

Canada Trailers TOP
1 - Marc Vezina, Straffordville - 67 Camaro 4546 - 6.167 (6.16)(R.T.-.007) at 112.29
2 - Jamie Tupper, tillsonburg - 07 M&M 565 - 4.941 (4.95)(R.T.-.042) at 139.31

Go Pro MOD
1 - Jay Talbot, Heidelberg - 71 Camaro 406 - 10.214 (10.19)(R.T.-.030) at 130.02
2 - Steve Woods, Chatham - 66 Chevy 2 468 - 9.818 9.81()(R.T.-.075) at 134.25

Canadian Turbo STREET
1 - Ryan Elford, Harrow - 72 Chevelle 355 - 12.416 (12.38)(R.T.-.083) at 104.09
2 - Rick Spencer, Chatham - 94 Firebird 350 - 15.317 (15.25)(R.T.-.105) at 93.95

Borhog Power Sports Bike/Sled
1 - Brad Churchill, St. Thomas - 03 Kawasaki 1200 - 9.685 (9.56)(R.T.-.032) at 124.98
2 - Matt Sanders, London - 79 Suzuki 1100 - 9.958 (9.80)(R.T.-.079) at 132.35

Nothers Awards Junior Dragster
1 - Dalton Symon, Springfield - 07 Motivator Briggs - 7.987 (8.05)(R.T.-.018) at 78.14
2 - Meighan Bonnett, Windsor - 02 KCS Briggs - 8.909 (8.90)(R.T.-.001 red) at 73.28

Hagan expanding lead

Kay Hagan 46
Elizabeth Dole 38
Christopher Cole 6

Kay Hagan now has her largest lead yet in North Carolina's Senate race. She led by 5 points a week ago and a single point three weeks ago.

Particularly troubling for Dole is how well Hagan is connecting with white voters. She trails Dole just 47-38 with that group. Usually for a Republican to win statewide here they need at least a 20 point advantage with whites to offset overwhelming African American support for Democratic candidates.

Hagan has expanded her lead with independents from 9 points to 14. She leads in almost every region of the state, and perhaps most significantly is up 55-32 with the increasing group of voters listing the economy as their top issues.

Full results here

The Declining Popularity of Sarah Palin

Date	Palin Favorability
9/9	42/34
9/28	38/41

The Sarah Palin pick has not worn well with North Carolina voters, as her net favorability has gone from +8 to -3 in the course of three weeks, for a negative shift of 11 points.

She is particularly unpopular with independents in North Carolina. 46% of them now say her selection makes them less likely to vote for John McCain compared to just 36% who say her spot on the ticket makes them more inclined to support him. Even among Republicans enthusiasm for her has dropped from 75% to 67%.

The economic troubles are the main thing driving Barack Obama's movement in North Carolina, but Sarah Palin is not doing John McCain any favors here.

Last week PPP found a similar 12 point drop in Palin's favorability in Colorado.