Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Ex-Loudoun Extra?
G20 Perimeters Coming But No One Knows Where
Pittsburgh officials organizing the G20 Summit still do not know where security perimeters will be set up but they know there will be more than one kind and they say businesses better start making plans. A secure perimeter will be placed around various venues including the convention center and the Phipps Conservatory through which no one without a credential will be allowed to pass. A wider traffic perimeter will be established around those same venues where only foot traffic will be allowed. The third type of perimeter will be a “rolling perimeter” which will be used when dignitaries are being transported from one location to another.
The Secret Service is in the process of contacting business owners and residents that may be within a secure perimeter and will be issuing credentials to allow them access. In the meantime, the Pittsburgh G20 Partnership is asking everyone to check out the web site PittsburghG20.org to get the latest information on the planning process. Spokesperson Bill Flanagan says there is also a great deal of information there about building an emergency plan.
The partnership says businesses downtown should look at everything from the relatively small problem of traffic congestion to planning to shut down in a protest zone to credentialing employees to get to work. Pittsburgh Business Coalition for Homeland Security Director Loren Roth says his web page prbchs.org is another good resource for planning for everything from a power outage to a full closure. At the same web site business owners can sign up for nearly instantaneous updates from the county emergency operations center through the “Beacon” program. Mayoral spokesperson Joanna Doven stresses, “no one will be kicked out of their homes and no businesses will be forced to close.”
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is asking all downtown residents to call 412-325-0159 to sign up for updates concerning closures and other summit related announcements.
Pittsburgh Council to Return Early, Deal With G20 Bills
Shields says he has asked the administration to send over the legislation as soon as possible so council can get to work on it. It's his understanding that the law department is putting the final touches on some measures.
Shields says he doesn't believe that the mayor is trying to ram these 5 bills through council....."It's a function of the scope of the event, it's so big, so pervasive, there are so many details to be worked on in a short amount of time." He added that it's just the way things are unfolding and it all depends on the Secret Service.
Shields says some of the ordinances are minor but with those dealing with the demonstrators, "we will be careful not to tread on First Amendment rights."
The administration is reportedly considering a temporary ban in downtown Pittsburgh on such items as PVC pipe which protesters often use to link themselves together to make it difficult for police to remove them.
Back-to-School Spending Decreases
She says this is having a huge impact on retailers because the back-to-school shopping season is their second largest revenue generator of the year, and is a big indicator of how Christmas shopping will go.
She says parents have started shopping a month in advance this year to find better bargains, and have spent about $17.4 billion, which is 8% less than last year.
Guskey says as a result retailers had to cut prices this year. She says businesses such as Wal-Mart and Target have done relatively better than department stores because shoppers are out looking for the cheapest deals.
Guskey has the “ABC” advice for shoppers: "A: All on sale! You can always find a good sale somewhere. B: Buy store brands. Store brands are always cheaper. C: Coupons. There are coupons online, in magazines, etc.—find them."
THE MOBIL 1 PRESENTS THE GRAND PRIX OF MOSPORT... RETURNS NEXT WEEK
Mosport: American Le Mans Series Headlines Full Weekend of Racing
(BOWMANVILLE, ON – AUGUST 18, 2009) With the end of summer approaching, race fans will have the chance to close out their racing seasons with one more action-packed weekend when the Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport featuring the American Le Mans Series returns, Aug. 27-30.
Canada's biggest sports car race of the year will see battles for season championships on the Series fastest circuit. In the LMP1 class, two Acura-powered teams will continue their season-long competition at Mosport with David Brabham and Scott Sharp of Patrón Highcroft looking to extend their lead points lead with a second straight victory, following their impressive win at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
In hot pursuit are Gil de Ferran and Simon Pagenaud of de Ferran Motorsports, who had their four-race winning streak snapped by Brabham and Sharp in Wisconsin. Toronto's Tony Burgess will try to spoil the Acura duel when he suits up for the Autocon Motorsports Lola entry.
Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz continue to lead the way in the LMP2 class in their Lowes Fernandez Racing Acura, but the Dyson Racing Mazda of Marino Franchitti and Butch Leitzinger will be aiming to notch their second class win of the season at Mosport while they attempt to hold off their sister car, driven by Chris Dyson and Guy Smith.
In GT2, the battles between teams and marques should be at a fever pitch, as the Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche entry of Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Long try to maintain their points lead after a disappointing fourth place in-class finish at Road America. Among their many challengers at Mosport will be the two BMWs of Rahal/Letterman Racing who are coming off first and second place results, along with the two new Corvette Racing C6.R's and the Risi Competizione Ferrari co-driven by former champion Jaime Melo.
In addition to the American Le Mans Series, six exciting open wheel and sports car and GT championships will take to the track at Mosport featuring many established and up-and-coming Canadian and International drivers.
Making its return to Mosport for the first time since 1994 is the Cooper Tires presents the Atlantic Championship powered by Mazda. This developmental open-wheel series showcases young stars looking to make the jump to Indy cars. Mosport's Atlantic history is a long and storied one, with a list of past winners that includes Bill Brack, Bobby Rahal and David Empringham among others.
The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and Formula BMW Americas, are U.S.-based open-wheel series that feature rising young Canadian stars such as Gianmarco Raimondo and Alex Ellis in Formula BMW and David Ostella and Michael Furfari in Star Mazda.
The VW Jetta TDI Cup moves over to the Grand Prix weekend after its successful debut at Mosport during last year's Victoria Day SpeedFest, with a field of up-and-coming drivers competing in identical race-prepared, clean diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDIs. Among the talented drivers from across North America that will be at Mosport are Canadians David Richert, Andrew Cordeiro and Jake Thompson.
The IMSA Patron GT3 Challenge featuring Porsche 911 GT3 cars and the sportscar prototypes of the IMSA Lites series featuring Barrie Ontario's Kyle Marcelli, round out the weekend schedule.
Mobil 1 presents The Grand Prix of Mosport features lots of fun things away from the track for fans to see and do as well, such as Tech Talks, Driver Chats and autograph session with American Le Mans Series drivers and teams and vendors selling authentic race-related merchandise. The American Le Mans Series race will also feature its famous Open Grid Walk on race day, which allows spectators to mix with teams and drivers on track minutes before the green flag drops. This feature of ALMS racing is unique amongst top-level racing series and gives fans an up-close, interactive experience.
Exciting race week activities are also in store with Mosport's RaceFest at Brookfield Place (Bay St. & Front St.) in downtown Toronto on Wednesday, August 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. RaceFest will feature pit stop demonstrations from the Corvette Racing team and other race show cars from Risi Ferrari and Rahal/Letterman BMW. Among the drivers who will be on hand to sign autographs and greet fans will be Jaime Melo (Risi), Joey Hand and Tommy Milner (Rahal/Letterman) and Toronto's Tony Burgess (Autocon).
A four-day SuperTicket is just $65 until August 26 ($80 at the Gate) and each ticket includes parking, paddock admission, and entrance to Saturday Night Stock Car racing at Mosport Speedway. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paid adult admission. Single day tickets are also available.
General and family camping areas are available, with full-service washrooms, showers and children's playgrounds. An advanced three-day weekend general camping pass is just $30 (For tents or pop-up trailers). RVs are $50 for the weekend.
For those looking for a real Mosport VIP experience, tickets to the Grand Prix Club are available for $200. The Grand Prix Club includes a four-day admission and Sunday VIP Hospitality which features a fully catered lunch and beverages, and is located trackside in a tented chalet overlooking the start/finish straight and corner one.
For more information about Mosport ticket packages and camping, call the Mosport Hotline at 1-800-866-1072 (Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm ET) or visit online at www.mosport.com. Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster.
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Photo: The Patron Highcroft Racing Acura leads the field into turn one during the 2008 Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport.
Credit: Dan Boyd/American Le Mans Series
Media contact: Lee Bailie, Mosport, (905) 995-8313 (cell.) or email lee@mosport.com
The Return of the Swine Flu is Expected
Spokesperson Stacy Kriedeman says the department is encouraging parents and school administrators to take certain precautions that will help prevent the swine flu from returning and spreading. She says they have reached out to schools, providing steps to take and a letter for them to send to parents with information about the virus.
Kriedeman says parents should keep their child home if they have any flu-like symptoms, such as a fever, until all symptoms are completely gone without being supressed by over-the-counter medication. She says the swine flu is more likely to affect people from the ages of 5 months to 24 years old, according to statistics.
She says parents should have their children frequently wash their hands, not sharing drinks or food, and using proper cough and sneeze manners. This goes for college students, as well, especially because it is particularly difficult to go home when ill.
She says the most important thing is that people are aware of how their communities are being affected by the virus.
For more information, visit: www.health.state.pa.us
Or call: 1-877-PA-HEALTH
Kawartha Durham Kart Club to be featured on CHEX TV Peterborough this Friday
CHEX TV will be at Kawartha Downs and Speedway Friday August 21st to do a feature on the club, their relationship with Kawartha Speedway and to highlight their much anticipated new track that has been incorporated into the existing super fast straights and high speed banking of the speedway. The new paving and track set up as designed by Derek Lynch with technical assistance from Enzo Chiovitti from 3S Go-Karts and Paul Cooke of ASN Canada FIA, will provide more high speed technical sections and will allow for additional configurations.
“The new track layout is fantastic. At almost 1km long it will be one of the best courses for new karters to learn their race craft”, Paul Evans, president of the club. “We are grateful to Mr. Chiovitti and to Paul Cooke of ASN for their technical expertise and being featured on local television and seen by literally thousands of potential racers will show everyone that we’re doing it right”, says Evans.
Watch CHEX TV evening news on Friday, August 21 for this feature.
The Kawartha Durham Kart Club is proud to call Kawartha Downs and Speedway their home. Located in Fraserville, Ontario (south west of Peterborough), this independent club - created, organized and run by volunteers, has always been focused on providing a fun, safe and family oriented yet highly competitive environment for go-kart hobbyists and budding race stars alike.
For more information please visit the website: www.kawarthadurhamkartclub.com.
Who's more annoying? Brett Tomko or Brett Favre?
As if I weren't in a bad enough mood over Monday night's Yankee loss to Brett Tomko (!), Brett Favre is deciding to unretire. Sheesh.
First, the Yanks. What a nightmare Monday's game was. It's one thing to have a stinker of a game like Sunday's, but Monday's was much worse. Brett Tomko seemed to have channeled Carl Pavano's vengeance model. And for the A's to shut out the Yankees in only the Bombers' fourth shutout of the year is just plain wrong. I got angrier as the game went on.
Then there's the other Brett getting on my nerves. Please excuse me for this non-baseball rant, but Favre is sucking up all the sports media oxygen right now. He's going to hold the media hostage - again- with the "all Brettt Favre all the time" coverage, now that he's about to be a Minnesota Viking. Talk about somebody who doesn't know when to give it up. And in going to the Vikings, he isn't just burn that bridge with Green Bay - he's napalming it.
Aside from the fact that I find Favre overrated (for one thing, he has as many rings as Trent Dilfer does), I also find him completely insufferable. He's as obnoxious and as self-serving as Roger Clemens is. Good grief.
It also annoys me how ESPN and others always say his full name. It's never "Favre" or "Brett" but "Brett Favre." Why is that, anyway?
Rant over. But who do you find more annoying - Brett Favre or Brett Tomko? Vote in our poll, and leave us a comment!
Onglyza and the Type 2 Diabetes Approval Path: The Map is Still Sketchy
Biopharma companies hoping to develop drugs to compete in the type 2 diabetes market can breathe a bit easier with the approval of Bristol-Myers Squibb/AstraZeneca’s Onglyza (saxagliptin): the final go ahead from the Food & Drug Administration July 31 unequivocally shows that it is indeed possible to meet FDA’s new cardiovascular safety guidelines for the class.The outcome is not surprising, after an advisory committee overwhelmingly supported approval of the drug earlier this year—but given the delays and uncertainty, sponsors may be forgiven if they weren’t going to believe it until they saw it.
And now that FDA has posted the approval letter for the drug, sponsors can get to work on figuring out exactly what it will take in terms of post-marketing requirements in the type 2 market of the future.
As for those post-marketing studies themselves, the key commitment is exactly what sponsors would have expected: a prospective clinical trial to assess cardiovascular outcomes. That section is bound to be read carefully by sponsors eager for more clues about how onerous post-marketing trials will be in the class. But they probably won’t learn much that they don’t already know.
Recall that during the advisory committee, Bristol declared its intention to run a study to demonstrate a superior cardiovascular safety profile for saxagliptin. The approval letter (in keeping with the safety focus of the new post-marketing authorities) frames the trial differently, with the goal of showing a relative risk of 1.3 or less versus the control population.
The letter also does not include any details about numbers of patients, duration of therapy or other key trial design elements. However, FDA has made clear its preference for an event-driven trial design, which (assuming Bristol agrees) would make some of the those elements irrelevant.
The letter does detail a number of other specific risks to test for (most triggered by signals in the NDA for Onglyza, but some clearly of a classwide concern.)
And it does set some deadlines. Bristol must finish designing the trial in November, and then complete the study in less than five years.
But beyond that, there’s not much to learn.
Still, the Onglyza letter is certain to be a template for future approvals in the type 2 diabetes class, so here is how FDA describes the pivotal post-marketing trial:
"A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial evaluating the effect of saxagliptin on the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
The primary objective of this trial is to establish that the upper bound of the 2-sided 95% confidence interval for the estimated risk ratio comparing the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events observed with saxagliptin to that observed in the control group is less than 1.3.
Secondary objectives must include an assessment of the long-term effects of saxagliptin on lymphocyte counts, infections, hypersensitivity reactions, liver, bone fracture, pancreatitis, skin reactions, and renal safety. For hypersensitivity reactions, especially angioedema, reports should include detailed information on concomitant use of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin-receptor blocker. For cases of pancreatitis, serum amylase and/or lipase concentrations with accompanying normal ranges and any imaging study reports should be included in the narratives.
Because renal impairment is an important complication of diabetes, you must ensure that there is a minimum of 1 year of exposure for at least 200 saxagliptin-treated patients with moderate renal impairment and at least 100 saxagliptin-treated patients with severe renal impairment.
The timetable you submitted on July 15, 2009, states that you will conduct this trial according to the following timetable:
Final Protocol Submission: by November 30, 2009
Study Completion: by July 31, 2015
Final Report Submission: by January 31, 2016.”
BGR-TLM – TEAM GROTE RACING DEVELOPMENT DRIVER AYRTON TRIOLO RAMPING UP TO SPEED.
Clare, who has been competing successfully in Rotax Max this season is slated to spend some time testing in one of BGR-TLM Team Grote’s Formula Fords at a test day in early October. Although only 14, come 2010, MacKenzie will then be able to run some Friday pre-race event practice sessions at Mosport to garner more seat time on the big track.
Since the start of this year’s F1200 Championship Series, Ayrton Triolo has been taking advantage of the Friday Mosport practice days to hone his race craft in one of BGR-TLM Team Grote Racings F1200’s. Part of a unique father-son combination, Ayrton takes advantage of ¾ of the time available in the Friday practice dates, then toward the end of the sessions, father Carlo, who is contesting the F1200 Championship series, utilizes the last ¼ of the session to get set-up for the weekends events.
“Ayrton has been steadily improving”, comment Dave Matkovich, of TLM Racing. “His last outing, pre the BARC Aug 8th & 9th event, we could see his confidence rising and also his ability to apply the information gathered from our onboard data systems to run cleaner and faster lap times as the session progressed. In fact, Ayrton ran a 1:45 at one point and if that was during qualifying the next day, would have placed him in on the 4th row for race 1, which is fantastic given how little time he has had in the car and on the big Mosport track.”
Ayrton will be spending more time testing in the team’s F1200’s Sept 18th and Oct 2nd on the big Mosport track as well as have two solid days testing Sept 2nd and 3rd on the DDT track at Mosport.
BGR-TLM – Team Grote Racing F1200 Team would like to thank their sponsors: Amsoil, Trick Designs, Beauty Craft Kitchens, HCG, Canada-Wide Reinforcing Steel Co., Taylor Bros Truck Sales, Roseland VW, and Grote Manufacturing.
The F1200 Championship Series continues with rounds 13,14, & 15 at Mosport International Raceway, September 19th & 20th
For more information on the teams see: http://www.tlmracing.com/ and http://www.briangrahamracing.com/
Pittsburgh Org. to Report on School District Equity
Harris says it’s undeniable that different schools in the district have varying successes and failures, and the question is why. A+ Schools is asking for volunteers to take a one-hour training session before interviewing various principals on the conditions at their schools. Harris says interview questions will be based on local and national research and haven’t yet been determined.
Harris says the idea is not to compare schools. “Information will be reported on a system-wide level, not by individual schools. So, for example, we might say x percent of high schools reported y, not Langley said this and Allderdice said this. Individual schools or groups of schools will not be graded, so this is not that kind of evaluation,” says Harris.
Harris says the immediate goal is to get into schools and start interviewing principals by mid-October. She says from the information they receive, they will organize public meetings and advocacy groups by January of 2010. Harris says from there, she would like to branch out and begin to ask teachers, parents, and students the same questions posed to the administrators.
Perdue struggling in Charlotte
58% of voters feel she's been inattentive to the city's needs so far, while just 25% think she has been. It's no surprise that 77% of Republicans and 63% of independents feel that way but even among Democrats 42% think she should be doing more for Charlotte while only 37% feel like she's done a good job so far on that front.
Perdue's overall rating with Charlotte voters, at 32% approval and 52% disapproval, is actually better than her statewide numbers. That may not be saying much though given what a Democratic city it is. 48% of Democrats, 28% of independents, and 11% of Republicans give her positive marks.
Perdue has a long way to go if she hopes to replicate her surprise victory in the city last year in 2012.
Much more popular with Charlotteans is Barack Obama, who has a 52% approval rating with 42% disapproving of his job performance in the city. 84% of Democrats, 48% of independents, and 9% of Republicans give him good reviews.
Obama's basically been pursuing a swing state strategy in the places he's visited since taking office, so who knows, maybe we'll see him in Charlotte for Anthony Foxx sometime during early voting. Given that his approval runs 17 points ahead of Foxx's vote share with independents, a visit from him could prove to be decisive in what's shaping up as a very close race.
Full results here
Castrol Canadian Touring Car: JL Racing GP3R Report
JL racing competed at the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres this weekend with driver P.J Groenke looking to compete for a top ten finish in one of racing’s most prestigious venues. The weekend was a hot and sunny affair, perfect for race fans but a challenge for the teams in the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship. On hand to cheer on the JL Racing Team were guests from Hype Energy and many of Hype Energy’s partners including Pearl White Media, DAI Alloys, and Coach Canada.
Groenke’s Hype Energy Saab 93 immediately experienced these challenges in practice with braking issues that JL Racing Crew Chief Damon Sharpe set to resolve. Despite posting a time of 1:21.361with a speed of over 107 kph, JL Racing and Groenke were confident that the Saab 93 would improve on its performance for qualifying.
Groenke was able to march up the order significantly by waiting for the right moment and posted a greatly improved 1:17:983 to put him in the 14th starting spot in the Super Touring Class for Saturday’s race. The 30 minute race was non stop action as there were battles from front to back. Groenke was able to improve his position to 13th at the finish. Going into Sunday’s race the goal of a top ten finish was looking to be a reality.
Sunday’s race started well for Groenke as he maintained position and stood by his strategy to manage the cars brakes and tires until the end of the race and then to make a push for the top ten. Unfortunately on lap 4 Groenke could not negotiate turn 4’s 90 degree left after a long straight and the car sustained severe damage to the front after contact with a tire barrier. A very frustrating end to a weekend full of promise. However, Groenke drove extremely well on a very tight and dangerous track and looks to capture the elusive top ten in Mirabel in 3 weeks.
About JL Racing
JL Racing is one of Canada's premier sport sedan racing teams. In 2006, JL Racing formed a partnership with Saab Canada to race and showcase Canada's only Saab 93 race cars. The team has made headlines several times with a first race, first place finish and subsequent podium finishes in the Saab 93.
JL Racing wishes to thank its sponsors and partners Hype Energy, Flex Mor Industries, Hawk Performance, Genuine Saab, Brown Window Corporation, Webnetics Inc, AlpineStars, Staubli Corporation, Saab Canada, The William Osler Health Centre Foundation, PeopleNet Canada, Trade Tracker, and FTC Canada.
For more information: www.jlracing.net.
Media Contact:
Phil Reilly – JL Racing
info@jlracing.net
About P.J. Groenke
P.J. Groenke has been racing professionally in Canada since 2001. Highlights of Groenke's racing career include winning the 52nd Annual Indian Summer Trophy and finishing as a semi-finalist on Discovery Channel Canada’s Star Racer in 2006. Most recently, Groenke finished fifth in The Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship, Touring Class in 2008 and will be competing in the Super Touring Class in 2009.
P.J. Groenke is sponsored by Cheung’s Taekwondo, The Downsview Group, Pfaff and Clairhaven Ltd. Other supporting sponsors include Affinity Luxury Car Rental, Atlas Restoration, Confident Paintless Dent Removal, Desson Manufacturing Ltd., Eventscape Inc., Payne Capital Corp., Proprint Services Inc., Ro-ro Property Management Corp., and Studio Property Consultants Ltd.
DRAGS: Windsor Shootout returns to St. Thomas Dragway this weekend
Fourth Annual Windsor Shootout returns this weekend.
SPARTA, ONTARIO - The Fourth Annual Windsor Shootout returns to St. Thomas Dragway this weekend August 21, 22 and 23. The weekend will start with a free Test & Tune for the four Heads Up classes Friday afternoon from 1 to 5. Friday night will feature Performance Unlimited Street Legal racing from 6 to 10. The True Street class will also be run Friday night for cars taking part in the cruise from Tilbury.
Saturday will see bracket racing for Et 1 (12.99 and quicker), ET 2 (13.00 and down), Rapid Drainage Bike/Sled, Truck and Trophy. These five brackets are open to all comers, not just residents of Essex County. There will also be qualifying for the four Heads Up classes - Quick 16 (Essex residents only), Mailloux Chassis Naturally Aspirated (open to all), Sparky’s Performance Quick 16 Bike/Sled (open to all) and Sports Compact (Essex residents only).
Saturday night’s Run What Ya Brung will go from 6 -10. Sunday will see eliminations in the four heads up classes and the five bracket classes. Spectator admission is $5 Friday night, $10 Saturday, $10 Sunday or $20 for a weekend pass.
The Quick 16 class will feature the quickest and fastest street legal cars in Essex County. Can anybody take out two-time winner Dave Fantinato’s big block Nova? Will he still have the fastest license plate in town? You’ll have to be there to find out!
For further information, contact the track at 519-775-2263 or visit the website at www.stthomasdragway.com.
Colorado Senate Pretty Wide Open
38% of voters in the state disapprove of Bennet's job performance so far with 31% approving. Those numbers are roughly equal to our previous survey which found the numbers at 41% disapproval to 34% approval. There are two primary reasons for Bennet's net negative ratings. The first is that Republicans disapprove (62%) of him more than Democrats approve of him (57%). The second is that he's getting unfavorable reviews from independents, 36% of whom disapprove of him compared to 29% approving.
One piece of good news for Bennet is that he's getting better reviews now from the key Democratic constituency of Hispanic voters now than he was when we polled the state in April and January. 38% approve of the job he's doing with just 27% disapproving. It had been 41% disapproving and 33% approving earlier, perhaps a reflection of unhappiness that Ken Salazar was not replaced by another Hispanic senator.
Potential Republican opponents Bob Beauprez, Ryan Frazier, and Ken Buck all get overall negative reviews from voters in the state as well. 40% have an unfavorable opinion of Beauprez to 30% with a positive one. For Frazier it's 19% negative and 11% favorable and for Buck the numbers are 18% unfavorable and 17% favorable.
In head to head contests Beauprez leads Bennet 42-39, while the incumbent has a 39-35 advantage over Buck and a 38-33 one against Frazier.
Bennet's numbers are partially a reflection of the downward turn in Democratic fortunes nationwide over the last few months, as seats that were thought to be safe for 2010 have come into play in conjunction with the decline in Barack Obama's approval rating. It's also a function of the fact that most voters still don't know him very well, something that his prodigious fundraising will be able to rectify in spades next year. Despite these initial numbers it's hard to really imagine Bennet losing to Beauprez after the Republican's incredibly weak campaign for Governor in 2006, unless the 2010 election turns out to be a Republican landslide along the magnitude of 1994.
Nevertheless it's not very hard when looking at both Bennet's approval numbers and the weak ones of the current likely GOP field that Jane Norton is now eying the race- this race could be pretty wide open.
PPP will be releasing Republican primary numbers in both the races for Senate and Governor later in the week.
We were the only pollster to correctly show Barack Obama taking Colorado with 54% of the vote last fall.
Full results here
Bickering But No Budget
Governor Rendell says he’s compromised plenty, trimming his spending plan by two billion dollars and dropping a proposal to hike Pennsylvania’s personal income tax.
He says Republicans aren’t returning the favor.
"So far we’ve given, myself and the House and Senate Democrats, we’ve given, given, and given, and all they’ve done is take take take."
Not surprisingly, Senate Republican spokesman Erik Arneson has a different take.
"He likes to trumpet two billion dollars in cuts, but Governor Rendell is the only man in the world who can make two billion dollars in cuts and still want to spend a billion more than he did last year."
Appearing at the Capitol, Rendell said he’s open to any budget agreement, as long as it doesn’t cut spending on education, health care and services to the elderly, and it presents a balanced plan for the next two fiscal years.
Spending on Kids Causes Fight
Two line items in the Department of Public Welfare budget provide more than 300 million dollars in child care subsidies for low-income families.
Senate Republicans proposed trimming Rendell’s suggested spending on those lines by 17 million dollars, so the governor blue-lined the items, cutting off assistance for childcare centers across the Commonwealth.
Speaking at a rally outside the Capitol, Republican Representative Dan Moul, of Adams and Franklin Counties, said that decision is forcing facilities to close their doors.
"That means all those people that are not only employed by this community action program, but all the families that are destroyed by not having those programs available to them."
But appearing with Rendell, Jodi Askins, who heads the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children, argued the short-term closures are worth it, if it means avoiding Republican cuts.
"Because in the end, what happens is people will have to pick between the kids they formerly used to serve."
She says the sacrifice is worth it, even if some families temporarily lose access.
UK Box Office Top Ten - weekend commencing 14/08/09
Once again two new releases occupy first and second place in the chart but in truth it was another slow weekend for the UK box office with The Time Traveler's Wife's opening haul of £1,410,333 proving to be the lowest gross for a number one film in almost a year. In second place family comedy Aliens in the Attic was the only other film to break the seven-figure barrier (although its £1.3m weekend was enhanced by £500k from preview screenings on Wednesday and Thursday) while 3D rodent actioner G-Force continued to impress after three weeks on release and actually managed to hold on to its position from last weekend. Fantasy blockbuster Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince falls one position to fourth and the year's biggest hit continues to creep towards the £50m mark, although it is looking increasingly unlikely that the film will overtake Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and break into the all-time UK top ten. Last week's top two movies were both in for difficult times with G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - Stephen Sommer's big-screen take on the popular Hasbro toyline - slipping three places to fifth for a paltry total gross of £3,867,004 (and making Terminator Salvation look like The Dark Knight in the process) while rom-com The Ugly Truth fell five places from top spot to sixth.
Vanessa Hudgens' attempts to recreate the success of the Disney phenomenon High School Musical failed miserably as her latest effort Bandslam opened in seventh despite two days of previews to boost its gross (with all of the controversy around her latest home-made snaps, perhaps parents are starting to feel she might not be the ideal role model for their young daughters after all). Meanwhile Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs continues to demonstrate legs after seven weeks dropping just one place to eighth, but less fortunate is rom-com The Proposal, falling four places to ninth ahead of new release A Perfect Getaway.
| Pos. | Film | Weekend Gross | Week | Total UK Gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Time Traveler's Wife | £1,410,333 | 1 | £1,410,333 |
| 2 | Aliens in the Attic | £1,323,575 | 1 | £1,323,575 |
| 3 | G-Force | £941,848 | 3 | £8,904,247 |
| 4 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | £932,745 | 5 | £46,766,825 |
| 5 | GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra | £827,389 | 2 | £3,867,004 |
| 6 | The Ugly Truth | £809,390 | 2 | £809,390 |
| 7 | Bandslam | £628,957 | 1 | £628,957 |
| 8 | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | £508,915 | 7 | £32,415,015 |
| 9 | The Proposal | £445,689 | 4 | £10,367,556 |
| 10 | A Perfect Getaway | £418,703 | 1 | £418,703 |
Incoming...
Aided by advance screenings last weekend (along with this coming Wednesday and Thursday), director Quentin Tarantino's long-gestating WW2 epic Inglourious Basterds is a dead-cert to top the box office when it opens officially this Friday.
Also released is the latest by-the-numbers spoof Dance Flick, Robert Rodriguez' family-adventure film Shorts, and Christopher Columbus' new comedy I Love You, Beth Cooper.
U.K. Box Office Archive
Monday, August 17, 2009
Golf Betting – Garcia, Glover leads field into Wyndham Championship
This week’s golf odds come from the Wyndham Championship, which will be held at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro. Carl Pettersson is the defending champion at this event, but he’s a longshot to repeat, which hasn’t happened since Sam Snead did it in 1955-56.Sergio Garcia (+1415) is the favorite if you’re betting online, but he’s coming off a missed cut at Hazeltine in the PGA Championship, and he has a grand total of one top-10 in 13 events this year. There isn’t much to say except stay away from Garcia this week.
Lucas Glover (+1615) has gone about his business since winning the US Open, and after missing the cut at the British Open, he rebounded with a fifth-place result in the PGA Championship. Glover finished T-20 here last year, and his driving always gives him a chance: he leads the PGA Tour in total driving.
Tim Clark (+2050) finished T-6 here in 2008, and he’s coming off a T-16 at the PGA Championship. Sedgefield isn’t a very long course, which plays right into Clark’s hands as he’s 176th in driving distance. A premium is placed on accuracy, and Clark is sixth on the Tour in that category.
David Toms (+2550) also likes the fact that Sedgefield is more of a ball-striker’s course than a bomber’s haven, and even though he was T-41 here last year, his 66 on Sunday was one of the better scores of the day. Toms is coming off a T-36 performance at Hazeltine, but he’s also missed the cut in three of his last six starts.
Boo Weekley (+4050) is our darkhorse pick, and he also finished T-36 at the PGA Championship. It’s been a tough year for the fan favorite, but he’s as pure of a ball-striker as there is on the PGA Tour, and this course is set up for him to grab his first top-10 since the second event of the season in Hawaii. If you’re a betting management player, this is the guy you want.
Pick: Lucas Glover keeps putting himself in position to win, and he’ll win another tournament before the year is out. With the weakness of this post-major field, there probably isn’t a better chance before the FedEx Cup playoffs start. Put Lucas Glover in this week’s sports picks.
Y. E. Yang Surprise Tiger Woods
Y. E. Yang had a great fourth round yesterday in Minnesota with 280 hits and hit three times defeated by the American Tiger Woods, world number one, who had led 91 of the PGA Championship for the first three dates.For Yang, 37, is his first victory in a Major and the second in a competition of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA), following his triumph at the Honda Classic.
Success makes it also the first South Korean to win a tournament "Big" in the history of the discipline.
"I tried to control my emotions," Yang said through his agent, who served as a translator at the end of the competition.
The victory was of major importance to achieve it against the best golfer in the world, before that lid on the Hazeltine Golf Club in Minnesota, had lost only one tournament with 36 victories, when marching to the front on the last day of powers.
Yang started the day two behind Woods impacts, but was playing with precision the embrace at the conclusion of the eighth hole. Later on, due to the erratic play of his opponent took advantage in the 14th, when he made a spectacular eagle.
The South Korean golfer failed in 17 other Bogey, but Woods, far from benefiting, also was a blow over the pair and continued weaknesses in the other 18 with Bogey, to close the day with 75 and 283 in total impacts .
Celebrate the 1969 Mets - with Phillies Nation
But the returning '69 Mets will not be the only visitors that night.
The Phillies Nation blog has arranged a road trip to the Mets-Phillies game on Saturday night. They already have 200 people coming, but they have room for more. From Phillies Nation:
So if you'd like to watch the Phils embarrass the Mets further than they've already done themselves – sign up now!
I can't begrudge Phillies fans from making the trip to New York to see their team in what at the start of the season looked as if it would be an important game.
But what I do not want to see or hear is a disproportionate number of Phillies fans on a night that is meant to honor the Mets.
Fortunately, I expect that most Met fans with tickets to the game are likely to attend to see the celebration, so are unlikely to sell their tickets to Phillies fans.
And if Phillies Nation follows through on their plan to "make a big sign with the NL East standings," I would rather see that than a big sign featuring this:
It is bad enough that the Phillies are twelve games (and counting) ahead of the Mets. But for Citizens Bank Park to have a Wall of Fame with a plaque honoring MET great Tug McGraw, while there is nothing of the sort at Citi Field - now that is truly intolerable.
Photo by wallyg
Market Square Redo Begins
Colorado Preview
So this week we're back to Colorado and there's good news for Democrats: things aren't really any worse than they were in April in the state. And there's good news for Republicans too: they had to like where they stood when we conducted that poll.
Tomorrow we're going to have Senate numbers, Wednesday we'll have Barack Obama's approval and related questions, Thursday we'll have Governor numbers, and Friday we'll look at the Republican primaries for Governor and Senate.
One big observation from the numbers we'll be releasing tomorrow: all four major Senate candidates have negative approval/favorability numbers. The field certainly is devoid of heavyweights for a race without an elected incumbent, and voters in the state aren't that enthralled with their choices at this point.
And lest you think all the birthers are in the south, 43% of Colorado Republicans think Barack Obama was not born in the United States, 33% think he was, and 24% are unsure. Colorado is more down with the whole 'Hawaii is part of the US' thing than North Carolina voters were though. That stuff will be part of the Obama approval release on Wednesday.
Life Sci Greenhouse on G20 Tour
Freedom Names Baseball, Wrestling Coaches
"The Freedom Athletic Department is excited to announce two new head varsity coaches. Kent Nagy will serve as the head varsity wrestling coach. Kent was previously a JV head wrestling coach at Freedom and had previously worked as the head
Mayor: Protestors Should be Patient
In response to rumors that out of town protesters are breaking into abandon buildings and living in them, Ravenstahl asked anyone who knew of such activity to contact the police department so they could be removed.
MLB players left out on "Dancing With the Stars" - again
What is it going to take for ABC to finally pick a baseball player for "Dancing With the Stars"? As I noted in an article for The Faster Times, baseball was snubbed yet again from the competition.
I also came up with a list of players who should be on the show - Jonathan Papelbon, Alex Rodriguez, etc. I was wondering if our readers had any thoughts on who should be cast one day on "Dancing With the Stars."
Please let us know what you think! Leave us a comment!
Obama's approval drop in North Carolina
| Obama Approval | April | August | Change |
| Moderate Independents | 67 | 51 | -16 |
| Conservative Independents | 15 | 4 | -11 |
| Moderate Democrats | 91 | 83 | -8 |
| Conservative Democrats | 60 | 52 | -8 |
| Moderate Republicans | 23 | 16 | -7 |
| Conservative Republicans | 9 | 5 | -4 |
| Liberal Democrats | 95 | 95 | 0 |
The groups with the least movement are at the opposite sides of the political spectrum. Liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans both had their minds firmly made up about Obama months ago- the former group generally thinks he can do no wrong and the latter group thinks he can't do anything right.
The largest drops have come among independents on both the moderate and conservative parts of the spectrum. Independent voters both in North Carolina and nationally have been increasingly expressing a desire for more divided government, something that could hurt Democratic prospects for taking out Richard Burr next year and may even cause problems for the party in legislative elections.
Moderate Democrats and conservative Democrats have had a similar eight point drop, although an 83% approval figure with moderate Democrats is still very impressive for Obama. The fact that he's barely over 50% approval with the conservative wing of his party should be a point of concern for Obama though and it looks like health care may be hurting him with those voters, as just 30% of them say they are with Obama on that issue.
It is certainly not panic time for Obama when it comes to his approval rating in the state, but there probably is going to have to be some turnaround in the economy for his numbers to get back to where they were four months ago.
CASTROL CANADIAN TOURING CAR, ROUND 7 RACE 1
Wittmer & Borgeat led the field of 36 cars to the green flag in The Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires for the Saturday morning 30-minute qualifying heat race. Super Touring Class points leader, NorthWest Value Partners sponsored Greg Pootmans was starting slightly off the pace from his 6th place starting position and would have a tough battle to make his way to the front if he was going to keep a strong lead in the championship. Borgeat would take the lead on lap one and never relinquish it for the entire 21 lap race.
Starting from the second row, Pootmans & Borgeat’s team mate Paul Dalla Lana and Gary Kwok piloting his Acura CSX would battle back and forth for most of the race trying everything they could to make their way to one of the coveted podium spots until Kwok had a left rear wheel failure put him back to 29th position tow laps down. Dalla Lana would go on to finish 3rd, but was disqualified during post race tech inspection due to a technical infraction.
Alex Healy, one of the series young and up and coming stars had a great run in his Acura RSX, starting 11th. Lap after lap he would take another position and kept the pressure on as he made his way to the front.
After the disqualification of Dalla Lana, Healy would be awarded his second podium of the season. Lombardi Honda drivers Jean-Francois Dumoulin & Wittmer suffered brake fade issues that would hamper their efforts to hold Healy off in his charge to the frontIn the extremely competitive Touring Class, all of the top five point’s leaders had mechanical difficulties that would put them well off the pace and the podium. Thornhill native Anthony Rapone in his Honda Civic Si had hoped for a strong finish but was sidelined when a computer failure made him park his Honda Civic Si after 8 laps. Hot on his heels MINI Cooper driver, Alain Lauziere, currently second in class points standings, watched as his race went away after a brief contact with another car caused him to pit to change a damaged right front wheel. Third in the points race driver Nigel Heron took his Acura Type R from 36th starting position to 24th at the completion of the 21 laps.
Driving for Durabond Racing this weekend, Rapone’s team mate Kenneth Lau took the team’s potent Honda Civic SI lead the race from start to checker. First time podium finishers Bully Clutch sponsored Honda driver Patrick Seguin finished second and Quebec’s own Sylvain Laporte rounded out the podium in third.
Saturdays Race results:
Super Touring Class
1st Place Etienne Borgeat BMW
2nd Place Mathieu Audette Acura
3rd Place Alex Healy Acura
4th Place Nick Wittmer Honda
5th Place Jean-Francois Dumoulin Honda
Touring Class Results
1st Kenneth Lau Honda
2nd Patrick Seguin Honda
3rd Sylvain Laporte Honda
4th Tom Kwok Honda
5th Jacques Belanger Honda
CCTCC Race 2 Highlights
CASTROL CANADIAN TOURING CAR, ROUND 7 RACE 2 Aug 16 2009, Trois-Rivieres, QuebecThe Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Toyo Tires treated the local fans to some of the hottest racing battles during today’s 30-minute feature race at the 40th Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Montreal, Quebec native driver, GT Racing’s Etienne Borgeat, led from the start of this action-packed event and never looked back. Borgeat led the field of 34 cars to the green flag alongside Acura RSX driver Mathieu Audette for the 7:55am start.
Starting from outside the second row beside Lombardi Honda driver Nick Wittmer, Ottawa, Ontario Acura RSX driver, Alex Healy, jumped to third, where an intense battle would ensue for the entire race. Wittmer put the pressure on early and stuck close to Healy. Healy moved to second on lap 11 when Audette’s Acura was sidelined in turn 3. One lap later, in heavy traffic, Wittmer was able to take the position away.
His second-place position would be short lived as Healy would return the favour on lap 13 when he made a daring pass on the outside of turn one. Once the lead Super Touring cars began to lap the slower Touring Class cars, Healy was able to close the gap on Borgeat, but never could make up the ground he needed for the first place podium spot.
Saturday’s Touring Class heat race winner Kenneth Lau piloted his Durabond Racing Honda Civic SI to a strong start and led most of the race. By lap 4 Lau had increased his lead by over 7 seconds over the second-place Honda of Sylvain Laporte. As the race wore on, Laporte would drop back to 5th. Trois Rivieres’ own Rejean Vincent, starting from the 32nd position on the grid in his Acura Type R, put the pressure on early and advanced through the slower traffic quickly. By the fourth lap he had moved into 4th place behind Tom Kwok.
On lap 15 a race incident between two slower cars caught Lau on the exit of a turn. This allowed Vincent, who had made his way by Kwok 5 laps earlier, to make up the lost time and pass Lau for the lead. Octane Promotions Mini Cooper driver, Simon Dion-Viens, who was driving the car for the first time, had the drive of his life as he moved to 3rd position in class after starting 28th on the grid. His team was ecstatic with the results since this is the debut for the #46 car this season.The NOS Energy drinks Fastest Lap Awards went to Super Touring Car #15 driven by Paul Dalla Lana with a time of 1:13:792 and Touring Car #89 Rejean Vincent with a time of 1:16:189.
The drivers now have three weeks to prepare for round 8 of the series when they’ll be out on the tarmac race course at Mirabel, Quebec’s famed Circuit ICAR.
Sunday’s Race results:
Super Touring Class
1st Place Etienne Borgeat BMW
2nd Place Alex Healy Acura
3rd Place Nick Wittmer Honda
4th Place David Bensadoun BMW
5th Place Jean-Francois Dumoulin Honda
Touring Class Results
1st Place Rejean Vincent Acura
2nd Place Kenneth Lau Honda
3rd Place Simon Dion-Viens Mini
4th Place Tom Kwok Honda
5th Place Sylvain Laporte Honda
Cordeiro Report; Road America Results & Standings
Road America Final Results
Current Driver Standings
Something you don't expect to see
This is the kind of thing you would expect Burr to ignore, especially given that Lewis is somewhat of a dark horse even to win the Democratic nomination. But he said yes, on the condition that Elaine Marshall and Cal Cunningham be invited too.
I think Burr's pretty smart on this one. Republicans are winning the health care battle in the court of public opinion and just last week we found 50% of North Carolinians opposed to Barack Obama's health care plans with just 39% in support. His response makes him look good because he's willing to engage with his opponents and stand up for his position but it's also something where a majority of the voters are with him at this point and he can throw some red meat to his base.
This is something Elizabeth Dole never would have done- and the more Burr does things differently from Dole the better off he's going to be.
G20 Protest Being Planned
Thomas Merton Center Spokeswoman Melissa Minnich says they have not yet received a permit for the protest, but have received a response from Pittsburgh Police.
"If we left it up to them, they would be fine with us marching up to the City County Building. But I'm afraid they have no final say on it because the Secret Service is going to be handling all security issues. So we have no firm answer," she says.
She says they are going to march as far as they're allowed on September 25. The tentative plan is to begin in Oakland on Fifth Avenue & Craft at noon, then lead into downtown Pittsburgh near the City County Building by 2pm, and then end on 10th Street at 3:30pm, a mere block from the Convention Center.
Minnich says they expect this will be the largest event the Thomas Merton Center has organized, estimating thousands of participants.
Mets don't have Wright stuff in dealing with injuries
At least the Mets actually remembered this time that baseball rules allow a player to be placed on the disabled list as soon as he gets hurt. But as Metstradamus notes, Jerry Manuel's comments on Wright ended up disparaging Ryan Church yet again.
All teams have injuries. But most teams eventually see most of their players get back on the field. If there is anything the Mets must figure out from this miserable season, it is how to deal better with injuries.
The Mets have a football mentality of playing their players despite injuries. And we see how well that has worked out. It has taken a gruesome injury to the face of the franchise for the team finally to be cautious from the start with one of their stars.
When Wright is scheduled to come off of the DL, the Mets, as Metstradamus also points out, will be in Colorado. Presumably, the Mets will not allow Wright to fly to high-altitude Denver, as they did with Church after Church's second concussion.
Maybe two weeks of rest is all Wright needs. Let's hope so. And let's hope the Mets become an organization in which we can trust that they will make the best decisions when it comes to the health of their players.
iPhone App Allows Quick Complaints to City
The city of Pittsburgh now has an iPhone app that will allow user to make 311 style complaints on the go. The application released over the weekend allows users to take a picture of a pothole, graffiti or other nagging problem and then submit it directly to the city’s 311 complaint system. That complaint will come complete with a geo tag that developer Priya Narasimhan says will let the city know exactly where the picture was snapped. Narasimhan says that not only allows the city to see a picture of the problem but it also will place it on a map along with other complaints. Narasimhan’s company Yinz Cam created the application for the city without charge. With the hope that other cities will purchase similar systems. The company hopes to soon roll out the Pittsburgh version of the application that will work on other smart phones. Right now there are three ways to make a complaint to the 311 center; calling 311, filling out a form on line or emailing a complaint. Pictures can be emailed but Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto says that often clogs up the email system. Council members do not currently have direct access to the 311 system but they can ask for reports. Public works does have access to the 311 system.
No Movement, No Budget
Aside from rumors of informal backroom negotiations between lawmakers,here was little to no movement in Pennsylvania’s budget impasse last week. The 6-member House-Senate Conference Committee hasn't met since the end of July.
Senate Majority Whip Jane Orie, an Allegheny County Republican, says the governor should have approved funding for the line items both parties agree on, and focus the debate on education spending, where she says the real differences are centered.
"And I think he knows the only way he gets his education or new taxes is by harming those most vulnerable. And I think it’s wrong. We all agree on those most core functions. Fund them."
As more nonprofits lay off staff and cut their services, observers predict pressure will mount for lawmakers to find a solution.
Political scientist Terry Madonna of Franklin and Marshall College says the top motivator will be the potential political fallout of the continuing impasse.
"Reelection of incumbent lawmakers. Number two, the dropping approval rating of the legislature. Number three, the embarrassment, with the stories that are coming out about how incompetent—now it’s a question of incompetence, it’s a question of leadership. I mean, all these things get thrown into the mix
Pennsylvania, Arizona and Connecticut are the only remaining states without a budget in place.
Push for Sales Tax Hikes in Counties
Democratic Representative Mike Sturla, of Lancaster County, says the expected passage of a bill increasing Philadelphia’s sales tax gives him high hopes for his legislation.
Sturla explains the Philadelphia bill, if approved, would likely block a push for a statewide sales tax increase, which he thinks would have derailed his county proposal.
"In order to do that you’d have to take Philly from what is now 7, and they would be going to 8 for the one cent that they need. You would be going to 9 and I don’t think that’s tenable in the Philadelphia region."
Sturla initially wanted to give counties and municipalities the option of imposing a one-percent sales tax in order to reduce their reliance on property taxes. But an amendment to the measure divides up the tax revenues, sending half to school districts, a quarter to counties and a quarter to municipalities.
The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, an early supporter of the measure, is working to restore the bill to its original form, arguing local governments need property tax relief more than school districts.
Doug Hill, the executive director of the Pennsylvania County Commissioners Association, argues school districts have “already had their bite of the apple.”
"They’ve had a couple authorizations for an earned income tax. And of course now they’re getting the gaming money, and that’s going to start going up now that the other couple casinos have opened. And we believe it’s really time to provide some relief for county and municipal property taxes."
The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on a similar proposal this week.
Hill says counties and municipalities can’t keep raising property taxes, and need the flexibility offered by the legislation.
COMPASS360 RACING EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AT TROIS-RIVIÈRES
(Trois-Rivières, Quebec) -- Compass360 Racing (C360R) extended its lead in the Grand-Am KONI Street Tuner championship with solid top-ten results during this weekend's frantic race at the legendary street course in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada.
The Street Tuner race, held as part of an epic weekend of racing in this picturesque riverside town two hours east of Montreal, promised to be a battle of attrition as drivers were required to keep their cars intact within the tight confines of the twisty concrete gauntlet.
With this event's race only ninety minutes in length (compared with the usual KONI race length of two-and-a-half hours), it was clear that a variety of pit stop strategies would be employed. In order to score points, each driver is required to spend a minimum of thirty minutes on track, which meant that the championship contenders would have to pit after the thirty-minute mark. The C360R team did exactly that for current Championship leader Christian Miller, who handed his #74 Honda Civic Si over to Quebec Touring Car legend Benoit Theetge.
Crew Chief Ray Lee called a different strategy for the #75 Civic of Team Principal Karl Thomson, pitting after a handful of laps and handing over to Marc-Antoine Camirand, who is tied for the most race wins at the circuit. "We hoped to gain some track position by using this strategy," explained Thomson. "Since I'm not in the points hunt this year, it made sense to get Marc-Antoine out as soon as our fuel window opened."
The #76 Honda of brothers Gary and Tom Kwok pitted closer to the half- way mark, with the team hoping for a good result of all cars in the top-ten. Unfortunately, while running in seventh, the #76 car tagged the concrete wall in the last turn coming onto the front straight, damaging the front suspension and putting an end to a very promising run for the Kwoks in their first time in KONI Challenge competition.
Meanwhile, Theetge and Camirand were running nose-to-tail in fourth and fifth, respectively. Both knew that brake management would play a key role in the outcome of the day's race and done their best to keep a front-running pace while using as little brakes as possible.
With fifteen minutes to go, Theetge found himself on backing plates.
With Miller's main rivals (Subaru's Acquilante and Skavnes) having experienced troubles earlier in the race which had put them two laps down, Theetge knew his role was to bring the car home and gain as many points as possible for his co-driver. He let Camirand by to make a run for the podium while consolidating his own position.
Camirand made up ground on the third-place Mazda of Tom Long, valiantly attempting to pass until the last five minutes when he, too, felt the brakes go metal-to-metal. He wisely backed off, and at the checkered flag, it was Camirand and Thomson in fourth, with Theetge and Miller finishing sixth.
"I am very happy," laughed Marc-Antoine to an enthusiastic home-town crowd. "Benoit and I are the top Quebec drivers here, and we had a great battle for the fans. I would have liked to be on the podium, but that will have to wait until next year when I hope to drive with Compass360 again."
The sixth place finish for #74 extends Miller's championship lead over Acquilante/Skavnes to 25 points (256-231), while Honda remains ahead of Volkswagen in the Manufacturer's Championship by a somewhat narrower margin of 16 points (277-261). "We pushed as hard as we could today," remarked Miller. "Having to wait until thirty minutes probably hurt us a little over the guys who pitted early. But we'll take the points!" Indeed, this result means that the #74 car has finished in the top ten (winning twice) in every race this year except the first, at Daytona, where it placed 12th.
With two races to go, the KONI championship is very tight, as it's been for the past few years. The series heads west for the next event, at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 18th-19th.
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Compass360 Racing (C360R) is the motorsports division of Compass360 Brand Communications, a firm offering marketing expertise to clients in diverse industries across North America. The Championship-winning race team, with support from Honda of America, fields three front- running Honda Civic Si's in Grand-Am's KONI Challenge, as well as an Acura TSX in Canadian Touring Car. For details visit http://c360r.com/.