Bowmanville, ON. May 18, 2014. In his first event behind the wheel of the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge Andrew Ranger showed his talent and skill in setting a new track record during qualifying at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in the season opening race of the 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.
Ranger settled in quickly to his DJK Racing prepared car and put up quick lap times during practice. And then when it came time to secure positions for the race Ranger scorched a blistering lap around the 2.5 mile road course in a time of 1:22.956 seconds to set a new series track record.
However the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge would not begin the race from the pole position. Prior to the race the team discovered a problem with a front shock and made the necessary repairs. The fix was determined to be an unapproved change by NASCAR and Ranger began the race from the back of the pack. He didn’t stay there long.
When the green flag waved Ranger was on a charge with the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge “I was not pushing the car 100% but I was able to pass a lot of cars” said the driver. “I went inside and outside but made sure I did it safely” he added.
In only a handful of laps Ranger had climbed into the top ten and settled in expecting to complete his return to the front following scheduled pit stops. Unfortunately an electrical issue would derail those plans.
“I was expecting with four fresh tires to be able to get back to the front but with the electrical problem, we had to make repairs and that set us back” said Ranger.
Though they did not achieve a result they’d hoped for the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge driver is excited about the prospects ahead. “We had some little hiccups and growing pains with a new car and a new team, but we know the car is fast” he explained. “We’ll take care of these issues and be ready to go next time”.
Next up on the series schedule is the event at Autodrome Chaudiere in Vallee Jonction, Quebec.
Race fans can get more information and follow the #27 Mopar Parts Dodge team all season by going to www.mopar.ca and clicking on Motorsports.
