SCC: Santo Domingo: Normand Guindon preview

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NEXT STOP FOR POWELL MOTORSPORT CADILLAC CTS-V TEAM

Normand Guindon and Marc Antoine Camirand finished seventh at Daytona, Devon Powell and Don Knowles completed just one lap. The Powell team looks to the Santo Domingo race, for hot action in the sun. This race marks the first time that the Grand American Street Stock racing series has ventured outside North America.

A great start in Daytona for the Powell team with rookies Norm Guindon and Marc Antoine Camirand puts them well ahead of teammates Powell and Knowles in the 2005 Grand American Cup championship.

It is a long way to go for race two in the series, but the prospect of racing in a foreign country in a totally new environment pleases #07 Chemcraft Cadillac driver Norm Guindon.

"At all the other tracks we go to, the other drivers have already raced and know the circuits." Said Normand, "Here, we will all be equal, learning the track and getting to the front will be important. The layout of the track is similar to Trois-Rivières, and Sanair, two Canadian tracks I know very well. "

The Powell Motorsport CTS V now weigh considerably less than at Daytona, as the officials have leveled the playing field and reduced the weight of the Cadillac. The 400 h.p. LS6 V8engine CTS V is the only car in the series to have a restrictor, dropping the power output to 380 h.p.

Racing with sponsors Richelieu Hardware and Comet Chemical, Guindon and Camirand are pleased with the results so far. But expectations are higher than a top ten finish for both the cars in the team.

"I did not expect to have clutch trouble," said Devon Powell "at Daytona it shocked me! Investigation showed an engineering problem with the aftermarket clutch parts, dimensionally. We have corrected this issue, and look forward to a more robust performance at Santo Domingo. I know Don (Knowles) is keen to go, and our sponsors, Corsa Performance Exhaust will be happy if we can regain our racing form."

The Powell team were 2001 Grand Am Cup champions, finished second in 2002, and won just a single race in 2004, while Devon Powell's 2004 driving team mate Terry Borcheller tied for the series driving championship in points, losing the title on the tire breaker. Don Knowles is Devon Powell's 2005 team mate, racing the the #11 Corsa Performance Cadillac CTS V.

Norm Guindon and Marc Antoine Camirand scored the only podium finish for Corvette in Rolex SGS racing in 2004. 2005 is the first year of Grand Am Cup racing for both drivers, Look for Norm and Marc Antoine in the Chemcraft Cadillac CTS V #07 racing with Richelieu and Comet Chemical.

Second race in the 2005 Grand-Am Cup Series, will be held March 12-13 in Santo Domingo. The 200 mile race will be telecast on Speed channel on a tape delay basis.

The Powell Motorsport team races with sponsorship from Chemcraft International Inc. Chemcraft is a North American leader in the supply of unique, high performance and environmental friendly industrial coatings for the wood finishing industry. The Chemcraft Wood Coatings Group are headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Port Hope, Ontario with active plants and warehouses across USA and Canada.

The #07 Chemcraft Cadillac also races with sponsorship from a group of Canadian and Quebec based companies:
Comet Chemical Co. Ltd. An independent Canadian company distributing quality organic solvents and specialty chemicals. For over 25 years they have been serving the paint, coatings and ink markets.

Richelieu Hardware: Richelieu is Canada's leading importer and distributor of specialty hardware and complementary products. Richelieu is also a manufacturer - They manufacture the most extensive selection of veneer sheets and edgebanding products and are unique in North America for our diverse and innovative products marketed around the world. They also manufacture panels, tackboards, chalkboards and whiteboards, parts and mouldings for door and window manufacturers.

"We are present across Canada and in Detroit, Boston, New York, Greenville, Atlanta, Portland & Seattle (U.S.), with 34 distribution centres."

R.M. Ferguson & Company Inc: A Canadian owned and operated specialty chemical distribution company supplies high performance additives for the UV curable coatings market as well as a full range of raw materials for the rubber plastics and adhesives markets.

Sartomer: Premier global supplier of monomers, resins and other specialty chemicals used in different applications, from golf balls to compact discs.

Access-Destination: A destination management company providing new solutions for corporate and personal travel customers in Canada and the U.S.

Yorke Towne: Supplies quality products and service for coatings application, and coatings equipment requirements.

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