Round eight Montreal preview

CASCAR heads to Montréal for its first-ever appearance as part of the G.P. de Montréal ChampCar race weekend

TORONTO, ON - In recent years, CASCAR has been front and centre at most of the major Canadian urban road racing events. Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver and Trois-Rivières have all played host to Canada's top racing series. And this weekend, you can add Montréal to that list. While CASCAR has contested many races at Autodrome St-Eustache - an oval located northwest of the city - Saturday afternoon's GO-RACING.CA 100 at the legendary Circuit Gilles Villeneuve circuit marks the first time that the touring stock car series will share the stage with the ChampCar World Series in downtown Montréal.

The GO-RACING.CA 100 is the eighth Super Series race of the season and the fourth and final road race on the 2006 CASCAR schedule. So far this year, road course victories have gone to Kerry Micks (Mosport), Jeff Lapcevich (Edmonton) and Don Thomson (Trois-Rivières).

In terms of the championship chase, five-time and current champ Don Thomson Jr. (Home Hardware Chevy) is within striking distance of his Fitzpatrick Motorsports teammate J.R. Fitzpatrick (Milwaukee Tools Chevy), with just 23 markers separating them after seven events. And while many eyes will be focusing on these two doing battle for the title, there are still a total of four racers within 100 points of Fitzpatrick (Thomson, Micks, Dave Whitlock and Scott Steckly) as the series heads into the homestretch.

Although he's not in contention for the championship, veteran racer Jeff Lapcevich will have a new look when he shows up this weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Caistor Centre, ON driver recently announced that he will add sponsorship from CARHARTT to his Tim Hortons / EMCEA Transport car for the rest of the season, in the wake of an agreement with Team RaceSportz.

Lapcevich is hoping that the additional sponsorship - coupled with his experience at the Villeneuve circuit - will pay dividends on Saturday afternoon. "I've raced the Montréal circuit six times. We ran the Player's Ltd/GM Motorsport Series there in the early 1990s, and we also competed in the Motorola Cup three times," said Lapcevich, who is currently putting the finishing touches on his car's suspension settings in advance of this weekend's action.

There will be some local flavour in the field at Montréal, in the form of hometown racers Richard Durivage (Miapoxy Chevy) and series newcomer Bertrand Godin (Arctic Cat Chevy). As well, Pierre Bourque (Driving.ca / Canada.com Dodge) from nearby Ottawa, ON will be making his third and final outing of the season with Whitlock Motorsports. "We've made vast improvements in the two races I've been in so far this year, and the same is expected this weekend," said Bourque. "This weekend's race is huge. The ChampCars are here competing with us, and while the crowds know they will see a great race with them, I really think our show will be even better."

In addition to the CASCAR and ChampCar series, the Formula 1600 and the Atlantic Series will also be in action at le Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend.

CASCAR will take to the track for a pair of half-hour practice sessions on Friday (starting at 11: 45 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.), in advance of the series' lone qualifying session, at 8:35 a.m. on Saturday morning. The GO-RACING.CA 100 is scheduled to take the green flag at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

SCHEDULE: GO-RACING.CA 100 (Montréal, Quebec)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 2006
11:45 a.m. - 12: 15 p.m. CASCAR Super Series practice session #1
4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. CASCAR Super Series practice session #2

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2006
8:35 a.m. - 9:05 a.m. CASCAR Super Series qualifying session
4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. START: GO-RACING.CA 100 CASCAR SUPER SERIES FEATURE RACE

-credit: cascar