Mosport Preview

CASCAR Castrol Super Series Mosport National Event Preview (August 28-30) Mosport Park UAP/NAPA Presents the Canadian Auction Group 300km

KOMOKA, ON - August 26, 1998 - It's taken seven years for the CASCAR Castrol Super Series to return to the storied Mosport Park road course, but that's exactly what they'll be doing this weekend (Aug. 28-30) for the third National event of the season, the 'Canadian Auction Group 300km, Presented by UAP/NAPA'.

Sunday afternoon's race will draw a top field of Canadian stock car drivers to the 2.45-mile road course, many for the first time in their racing careers. Several western Canadian competitors are already on their way for the race, including Round #2 (Edmonton) road course victor Kevin Dowler (Ford Quality Care Service Taurus) and Calgary's Wade Lee (GM Goodwrench Pontiac Grand Prix), the current front-runner in the Western series' points chase. In the past, the two who grew up as road racers before joining CASCAR in the early '90s took part in many races at Mosport and are looking forward to returning to the scene of their past battles.

"I think Mosport is going to be fun," said Lee. "It's been six or seven years since I've been there to race. It should be fun and I think we should be a top five car." For the first two National series races, Lee employed two cars; one for the Calgary oval and another for the Edmonton road course race. A blown motor in Round #2 meant that Lee has had to alter his strategy, somewhat, and will be bringing just one car to Ontario, which he will switch over to an oval track configuration following the Mosport race.

"We're going to just bring the oval car and run it on the road course at Mosport," continued Lee. "We'll swap it over, after. After we lost the motor in Edmonton, it put a dent in the budget and I didn't want to head east without a spare motor. So, the decision was to leave the other car and build a motor for the east. There's no way to get the National championship, so we just want a few good results."

Other western series drivers expected for the race include St. Albert, AB's Carl and Daryl Harr, reigning Western series champion Dan Shirley (Saskatoon, SK) and Todd Nichol (St. Albert, AB). Waiting for them will be their Eastern rivals, including 1991 Mosport race winner Don Thomson Jr., of Hamilton, ON, and experienced road racers like Oakville's Robin Buck and Toronto's Scott Maxwell and Victor Sifton. The latter two will be competing in their first CASCAR events, but have strong experience on road courses, in general, and at the Mosport circuit, in particular.

Following the opening Alberta rounds of the National Super Series, Stouffville driver Peter Gibbons leads the point standings. The Chevrolet racer won the half-mile oval event at Calgary's Race City Motorsport Park and had a shot at making it two-for-two until being involved in a crash in the Edmonton road race event, the following week. Defending National champion, Dave Whitlock, is currently second in the points and is bringing his purpose-built road racing Taurus to Mosport in an effort to bolster his title defence.

Friday's on-track activities will consist mainly of practice for the Super Series teams and competitors. A total of three sessions, from 11:50 a.m. until 4:20 p.m., will give drivers a short amount of time to become accustomed to the up and down, 10-turn road course.

On Saturday morning, a morning practice session (10:20 10:40) will offer the final tune-up before the timed qualifying session begins (11:30 noon). The first of two 25 minute qualifying heats will see the green flag at 2:10, with the Final Qualifier run slated for 4:10.

The teams will grid their cars for the Canadian Auction Group 300km, Presented by UAP/NAPA at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning, with the driver autograph session running from 12:30 to 1:15. The green flag for the 300km feature race is scheduled to fly at 2 p.m.