DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 15, 2013) – Race schedules get crowded, but Cameron Hayley worked in a homecoming this year.
The 16-year-old out of Calgary, Alta., worked out a deal with DJK Racing, operated by two-time NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 champion D.J. Kennington, in the offseason to race a car out of the Kennington stable in the two series events – Vernon, B.C. and Saskatoon, Sask. – in Western Canada this year.
Hayley’s series debut on July 13 at Vernon’s Motoplex Speedway and Event Park got off to a rough start with an accident in practice, but it got better for February’s winner of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series portion of the inaugural UNOH Battle At The Beach held at Daytona International Speedway. Hayley rebounded to finish seventh in the A&W Cruisin’ The Dub 300 – his first time behind the wheel of a Canadian Tire Series car that differs greatly from what he usually pilots in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.
As one of 13 NASCAR Next drivers, Hayley is not wasting a moment in his time in Canada. Saskatoon’s Auto Clearing Motor Speedway is his Canadian home track where he claimed the 2011 Dakota Dunes Western Canada Super Late Model championship. Not only will Hayley compete in the Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 presented by Bayer CropScience for the Canadian Tire Series on Wednesday, July 17, but also the track’s super late model event on Tuesday evening.
NASCAR Next is an industry initiative by NASCAR to spotlight young, talented drivers who will help shape the future of NASCAR’s three U.S.-based national series in the years to come.
Additionally, he’ll spend time on Tuesday greeting fans and helping raise funds for Saskatoon’s Ronald McDonald House that provides crucial support of families of children suffering from serious illness. The fund raising effort will be based at Saskatoon Custom Garage located at 3122A Millar Ave. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time. Race fans along with those simply looking to help this worthy cause can stop by from noon to 1 p.m. to meet Hayley and purchase a ticket to win a Cabinets by Hayley work station valued at over $4,200. All of the proceeds will go to the local Ronald McDonald House.
Hayley will return to his regular Gene Price Motorsports ride in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West on Saturday, July 27 at Colorado National Speedway in Dacono, Colo., just north of Denver in the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150. He currently sits third in the K&N West standings just 11 points in back of leader Derek Thorn and has five top-five finishes in six outings this year.
Race: Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 presented by Bayer CropScience
Place: Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, Saskatoon, Sask.
Date: Wednesday, July 17
Time: 8:15 p.m. CT
TV Schedule: TSN, Sun., July 28, 11 a.m. ET; RDS2, Fri., Aug. 16, 11 p.m. ET
Track Layout: .333-mile oval
2012 Winner: D.J. Kennington
2012 Pole Sitter: J.R. Fitzpatrick
Event Schedule: Practice 1-1:30 p.m.; Final Practice 2-2:30 p.m.; Qualifying 5 p.m.; On-Track Autograph Session 6:45 p.m.; Driver Introductions 7:45 p.m.
Track Contact: Herm Hordal, (306) 651-3278, hhordal@sasktel.net
Track Twitter: @ACMS_Racing
Event Twitter Hashtag: #VPT
FAST FACTS
The Race: This is the sixth event of the 2013 season for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 and the fourth of eight oval-track events on the schedule. This is the series’ fourth visit to the track.
The Procedure: The starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 21 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 250 laps covering 83.25 miles.
The Track: Auto Clearing Motor Speedway is a .333-mile oval with graduated banking. Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association Ltd. originated from the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Club that was formed in 1954. Racing in Saskatoon began at the 8th Street Racing Oval. In 1970, as a result of city expansion, stock-car racing moved to the current Prairieland Exhibition at Bridge City Raceway. In 1999, the City of Saskatoon expanded once again which paved the way for a new track, Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, to be built. Construction of the new track began in April 2005.
The Records: The one-lap qualifying record for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at the track is 14.665 seconds (81.801 mph), set by J.R. Fitzpatrick on July 25, 2012. The 250-lap race record was established on Aug. 4, 2010 by D.J. Kennington at 1 hour, 17 minutes, 3 seconds for an average speed of 64.909 mph.
SASKATOON NOTES
No Dodging: A Dodge has gone to Victory Lane in all four previous events at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway beginning with Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge) in 2009. D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge) won in 2010 and 2012 while Pete Shepherd III (No. 7 National Exhaust Dodge) claimed the prize in 2011.
Toon Town Tells Tale: Kennington’s two Saskatoon victories coincided with his two NASCAR Canadian Tire Series championships. However, his other two results aren’t exactly bad – third in 2009 and second in 2011.
Crowded House: Louis-Philippe Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge) returns to the top of the point standings after a fifth-place finish in Vernon on July 13, but there isn’t a lot of breathing room. The top-five drivers – Dumoulin, Kennington, Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Snap-on Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge), Steckly and Martin Roy (No. 90 Batteries Expert Dodge) – in the standings are separated by a total of just 20 points.
Short Swing: The 2013 Western Canadian swing for the Canadian Tire Series wraps up with the Velocity Prairie Thunder 250. Five days is the entirety of the westward trek this season.
It’s An Event: Prior to the Canadian Tire Series event at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, Paradise Road will put on a concert at the track from 5-7:30 p.m. CT
LAST TIME OUT: A&W Cruisin’ The Dub 300
Motoplex Mastery: Scott Steckly picked up his third win in the last four outings at Motoplex Speedway in Vernon, B.C., on July 13. In the process, the 12-time Canadian Tire Series race winner ended a 17-race winless drought that extended back to the 2011 season.
Looking Up: The start of the 2013 season has been nightmarish for Ron Beauchamp Jr. (No. 60 Mopar/Exide/Pennzoil Dodge), but the Windsor, Ont., native got on the right track with a sixth-place performance in Vernon – his first series top-10 finish since last September at Antigonish, N.S.
Stepping Up: Rookies Ryley Seibert (eighth) and Alex Guenette (10th) both scored top 10s at Motoplex. It’s the first time this season for this year’s top rookies to land inside the top 10 in the same race.
Front Runner: The 72 laps led in the A&W Cruisin’ The Dub 300 was a career-best for Jason Hathaway. His previous high in a single race was 68 en route to his first series win in September 2008 at Kawartha Speedway.
NEXT TIME OUT: National 250
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 returns to Eastern Canada for the National 250 on July 27 at Autodrome St. Eustache (Que.). The series has not visited the .4-mile Quebec oval since the 2010 season. D.J. Kennington picked up the win in that 2010 event and Kerry Micks started from the pole.
