Dowler, Dilley, McColm, Scannell looking to run full NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule
The 2014 Canadian Motorsports Expo marked a great way for NASCAR Canadian Tire Series drivers to interact with the fans and make some announcements.
Noel Dowler announced that he is prepared to run the full NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule in 2014. “We are going to build on last year’s success,” he commented.
Last year, Dowler finished seventh in points with six top 10s in the 12 races, including a series-best of sixth three different times (Delaware, Saskatoon, Kawartha). For the Alberta native, it marked his best Canadian Tire Series season to date.
Series veteran Mark Dilley (pictured) announced that he is hoping to run the full NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule in 2014.
“Our plan is I’m going to run the full schedule with Kerry Micks running five races,” Dilley announced. “We may split, though. It depends on sponsors.”
The past two years, Dilley has split the schedule with fellow series veteran Kerry Micks with Micks running the road courses and Dilley running the ovals. In the past two years, Dilley has made 13 starts with six top fives and 10 top 10s, including three second place finishes. In the series’ seven year history, Dilley has accumulated three wins and 45 top 10s.
Dilley also unveiled his new paint scheme for the upcoming season with primary sponsorship from Johnsonville Sausage and Leiland Industries.
Ajax, Ontario native Joey McColm announced at the 2014 Canadian Motorsports Expo that he is looking to run the full NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season this year.
“Couldn’t be more excited,” McColm commented. “New equipment, new number and new ownership. Can’t wait for May to get here.”
McColm will drive the No. 25 Dodge for Canada’s Best Racing Team (CBRT) with sponsorship support from Canada’s Best Store Fixtures Inc (CBSF), The Incredible County Hardware Store (TSC) and Espar.
Howie Scannell Jr. announced that he will not be running a lot of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races this coming season as he hands the driving reins over to son Mathew.
“Probably biggest thrill is having my son on track,” he commented. “I may do a few races but I’m concentrated on crew cheifing for my son. It depends on sponsorship.”
The younger Scannell – Mathew – made his NCAT debut last year at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
“That was the biggest race in this series last year and to be out there on track was a real eye opener,” he commented.
The 2014 season kicks off in May at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park with Victoria Day Speedfest.
Canadian Tire Receives 2013 Championship Sponsor Award; Resigns with Scott Steckly
At the 2014 Canadian Motorsports Expo, Canadian Tire was officially presented the 2013 Championship Sponsor Award for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Canadian Tire was on board Scott Steckly’s No. 22 Dodge throughout the entire 2013 champion campaign.
“On behalf of Canadian Tire, we are excited to host the trophy,” Norris McDonald of Canadian Tire commented. “We like racing; it’s in our blood. We’ve been around racing for 97 years.”
In addition, McDonald announced that Canadian Tire will sponsor Scott Steckly for the sixth straight season in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.
“It’s an honor to have Scott as part of our team and carry our triangle,” McDonald continued. “He is a great representative of us and the sport.”
Steckly, a veteran of the series, will hope to bring home his fourth championship after winning the series title in 2008, 2011 and 2013.
“It’s great to have Canadian Tire for the sixth straight year as we go after another championship,” he commented.
The 2014 Canadian Tire Series season kicks off in May with Victoria Day Speedfest at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
Brandon Watson ranked Top Driver in Inside Track Power Rankings
For the second straight season in a row, Brandon Watson found himself at the top as he won his second straight OSCAAR Super Late Model Championship.
“We kept our nose clean and were able to win the title,” he commented. “Definitely got to thank the crew, especially my dad. Definitely without them, we wouldn’t be here. They are always thrashing on the car.”
For his accomplishments, Watson was honored at the 2014 Canadian Motorsports Expo as part of the Short Track Night of Champions. He was also ranked first in the Inside Track Year End Short Track Power Rankings presented by London Recreational.
Going into the year, Watson wasn’t even sure if he was going to run the full schedule.
“We didn’t know what to expect going into year but got off to a good start and stayed with it,” he commented.
Though after winning three of the first four features of the season, the decision was simple – run the full schedule and go for the championship.
From there, Watson finished inside the top five every week – except Kawartha where mechanical problems took him out of the running.
Watson announced at the CME that he will not be back to OSCAAR full-time in 2014 as he is looking to go run some late model races in the United States with the CRA Series.
Watson will kick off his season like many drivers do by heading down to take part in the World Series Speedweeks at New Smryna Speedway. Last year, Watson was able to pull off a couple of feature victories.
“Obviously going down there looking for success,” he commented. Hope to get it figured out and also get some top five finishes.”
Greg Biffle Close To Extension With Roush-Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing driver Greg Biffle, whose contract runs out at the end of the 2014 season, expects to sign an extension to remain with the organization.
Biffle, winner of 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, said Thursday that he is close to finalizing a deal with the team and sponsor 3M.
There is a huge cloud surrounding Roush Fenway Racing. How will they perform in 2014? Last season, the Roush group only managed to win three races, two of them were won by Carl Edwards, with one win for Biffle, respectively. Three wins is a really low number for a team with this type of caliber.
On average, Roush Fenway Racing wins at least five races a year, and this is not the first time this team has been in a mini-slump. In 2009, Roush Fenway also won just three races, as well as winning just two in 2001. The economy has also had a massive impact.
At the end of the 2011 season, Jack Roush announced that the No.6 car, driven by David Ragan, would not be fielded in 2012. Instead, Roush used the No.6 part-time, with 2-time Nationwide Series Champion, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., behind the wheel. The layoffs affected more than 100 employees.
Now, what does this mean for Biffle? Biffle, ninth in the 2013 Cup standings, has a lot to prove in 2014. Last season, Biffle scored one lone victory at Michigan International Speedway. In a team that has seen its share of struggles over the past couple of seasons, it appears likely that not all Roush Fenway cars can all perform well at the same time.
The 44-year old Biffle has driven for Roush for the entirety of his NASCAR career, winning a Truck Series title in 2000 and a Nationwide Series title in 2002 before moving full-time to Sprint Cup in 2003, where Biffle scored a victory at Daytona in the fall. Roush should not have to worry about Biffle moving on to other places. Biffle is one of the most loyal drivers that an owner wishes they could have.
However, Roush cannot forget about Stenhouse Jr. Stenhouse Jr., 19th in the Sprint Cup standings a year ago, also has much to prove, and a lot more to lose than Biffle. With just three top tens under his belt, Stenhouse comes into 2014 looking to prove doubters wrong. Stenhouse Jr. should be a threat at the plate tracks, as well as the 1.5 mile tracks.
What about Trevor Bayne? According to David Caraviello, of NASCAR.com, Bayne was supposed to have a Sprint Cup deal for this season, but sponsorship could not be finalized. Is Bayne content with racing with Wood Brothers Racing for his career, or will the 23-year old driver look for another option? At this point, Bayne does not have much of a choice. Bayne should stay with Wood Brothers, as there are not many options to this juncture. With the impending contract extension nearly complete, it seems that Bayne and Roush are just not meant to be.
With the uncertainty that faces this race team, it is hard to say, at this point, whether they will do well. But, with the new points system, Roush Fenway Racing should have at least two drivers in the playoffs come Richmond. If Stenhouse Jr. has the bad luck sustained last season, it will take a win to get the No.17 team into the Chase. Stenhouse has a secure spot due to future implications. As for Biffle and Edwards, 2014 will be a true battle to see who is the better option.
2014 Daytona 500 Official Entry List Released
49 drivers will be vying for 43 spots in the 56th annual Daytona 500 this year. It’s an increase from 2013, which had a rather low entry list, predominantly due to it being the first year with the Generation Six car. The race is set to take place on February 23rd, at 1pm est. on FOX. The complete entry list can be seen below, along with more details in regards to the entrants.
| No. | Driver | Sponsor | Owner | Make |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamie McMurray | McDonald’s | Felix Sabates |
Chevrolet
|
| 2 | Brad Keselowski | Miller Lite | Roger Penske |
Ford
|
| 3 | Austin Dillon | Dow | Richard Childress |
Chevrolet
|
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | Budweiser | Tony Stewart |
Chevrolet
|
| 5 | Kasey Kahne | Farmers Insurance | Linda Hendrick |
Chevrolet
|
| 7 | Michael Annett | Pilot Flying J | Tommy Baldwin |
Chevrolet
|
| 9 | Marcos Ambrose | Stanley | Richard Petty |
Ford
|
| 10 | Danica Patrick | GoDaddy | Tony Stewart |
Chevrolet
|
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | FedEx Express | JD Gibbs |
Toyota
|
| 13 | Casey Mears | GEICO | Bob Germain |
Chevrolet
|
| 14 | Tony Stewart | Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 | Margaret Haas |
Chevrolet
|
| 15 | Clint Bowyer | 5-Hour Energy | Rob Kauffman |
Toyota
|
| 16 | Greg Biffle | 3M | Jack Roush |
Ford
|
| 17 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Nationwide Insurance | John Henry |
Ford
|
| 18 | Kyle Busch | M&M’s | Joe Gibbs |
Toyota
|
| 20 | Matt Kenseth | Dollar General | Joe Gibbs |
Toyota
|
| 21 | Trevor Bayne | Motorcraft/Quick Lane | Glen Wood |
Ford
|
| 22 | Joey Logano | Shell Pennzoil | Walter Czarnecki |
Ford
|
| 23 | Alex Bowman | Dr. Pepper | Ron Devine |
Toyota
|
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Drive to End Hunger | Rick Hendrick |
Chevrolet
|
| 26 | Cole Whitt | Speed Stick GEAR | Brandon Davis |
Toyota
|
| 27 | Paul Menard | Peak-Menard’s | Richard Childress |
Chevrolet
|
| 30 | Parker Kligerman | Swan Energy | Brandon Davis |
Toyota
|
| 31 | Ryan Newman | Caterpillar | Richard Childress |
Chevrolet
|
| 32 | Terry Labonte | C&J Energy Services | Frank Stoddard Jr. |
Ford
|
| 33 | Brian Scott | Whitetail | Joe Falk |
Chevrolet
|
| 34 | David Ragan | CSX – Play It Safe | Bob Jenkins |
Ford
|
| 35 | Eric McClure | Hefty-Reynolds Wrap | Jerry Freeze |
Ford
|
| 36 | Reed Sorenson | Golden Corral | Allan Heinke |
Chevrolet
|
| 38 | David Gilliland | Love’s Travel Stops | Brad Jenkins |
Ford
|
| 40 | Landon Cassill | Hillman Racing | Michael Hillman |
Chevrolet
|
| 41 | Kurt Busch | Haas Automation | Gene Haas |
Chevrolet
|
| 42 | Kyle Larson | Target | Chip Ganassi |
Chevrolet
|
| 43 | Aric Almirola | Smithfield | Richard Petty |
Ford
|
| 47 | AJ Allmendinger | Kroger-USO | Tad Geschickter |
Chevrolet
|
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Lowe’s | Jeff Gordon |
Chevrolet
|
| 51 | Justin Allgaier | BRANDT Professional Agriculture | Harry Scott Jr. |
Chevrolet
|
| 52 | Bobby Labonte | Phoenix Construction | James Finch |
Chevrolet
|
| 55 | Brian Vickers | Aaron’s Dream Machine | Michael Waltrip |
Toyota
|
| 66 | Michael Waltrip | PEAK BlueDEF/AAA | Jay Robinson |
Toyota
|
| 77 | Dave Blaney | Humphrey Motorsports | Randy Humphrey |
Ford
|
| 78 | Martin Truex Jr. | Furniture Row | Barney Visser |
Chevrolet
|
| 83 | Ryan Truex | Borla Exhaust | Ron Devine |
Toyota
|
| 87 | Joe Nemechek | 300 Rise of an Empire | Jay Robinson |
Toyota
|
| 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | National Guard | Rick Hendrick |
Chevrolet
|
| 93 | Morgan Shepherd | Support Militry.org | Wayne Press |
Toyota
|
| 95 | Michael McDowell | K-Love | Bob Leavine |
Ford
|
| 98 | Josh Wise | Curb Records | Mike Curb |
Ford
|
| 99 | Carl Edwards | Fastenal | Jack Roush |
Ford
|
– Eight Former Sprint Cup Champions (Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte)
– Nine Former Daytona 500 Winners (Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Michael Waltrip, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Trevor Bayne)
– Nine Drivers Hoping to Make First Daytona 500 Appearance (Michael Annett, Alex Bowman, Parker Kligerman, Cole Whitt, Brian Scott, Eric McClure, Kyle Larson, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Truex)
– Four Drivers Have No Provisionals to Fall Back on & Must Make the Race on Speed or via the Duels (Dave Blaney, Morgan Shepherd, Michael McDowell, Cole Whitt)
– Morgan Shepherd is the oldest driver in the field at 72 years and four months.
– Alex Bowman is the youngest driver in the field at 20 years and 10 months.
– The field is made up of 22 Chevrolet’s, 15 Ford’s, and 12 Toyota’s.
