Josh Williams looks for respect after back-to-back top 10s

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June 15, 2012

[media-credit name=”Knights Motorsports Management” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]While a win is the main thing that a racecar would like to have, they’re also looking for something else – respect. Last year, Josh Williams began in his trek in the ARCA Racing Series and the finding respect, it wasn’t as easy as the finishes weren’t there. However, with his second straight top 10, competitors are beginning to take a look at Williams and recognize his talent.

Now heading into the running of the RainEater Wiper Blades 200 at Michigan, Williams is hopeful that will continue as with it being a wide track, there’s lots of room to race hard and get another solid finish. After all, the last race track the ARCA cars raced at – Pocono Raceway – was wide and fast, too.

“The Pocono finish did a lot for us,” William says. “We literally were able to take a new car, thrash it together, take it to Pocono, make some aggressive changes throughout the weekend and bring the team home a run. It was an awesome feeling, because we’re just a small group – trying to make big dreams come true.”

The race at Pocono marked Williams’ first ever race on a Superspeedway and he did well, finishing 10th. He’ll be tested again this week as this marks his first ever start at Michigan.

“Michigan’s a bigger story this weekend,” the 18-year-old continues. “It’s a huge place, smaller than Pocono, but I think horsepower is going to be key. We’re going to give it our all and we’re bringing the same car that we used at Pocono, because we feel that with the rules change this car will once again help us.”

With it being his first trip to Michigan, he isn’t quite sure what to expect as some have said it’ll be a calm race, well others have said it could be a crazy race.

“At Pocono, there were times you saw guys out there by themselves and others just racing the heck out of one another,” Williams adds. “I think you will see the same on Friday afternoon. That in truth will make it a great spectacle for the fans. Hopefully it will be as fun behind the wheel as I’m expecting it to be.”

If Williams wants to continue on and keep gaining that wanted respect, he will need some sponsorship as he has yet to lock down that key piece yet. With being a family-backed team, they are currently on a limited budget.

“We have some stuff here and there, but nothing permanent,” Williams explains. “Everyone’s trying, it’s hard out there – but we’re a family first and foremost – so we’ll just keep digging and hashing things together like we did at Pocono last week and if we don’t – we’ll have a good run that will give us some spark to go out there and let someone know that we have a great home for them. I know I wouldn’t be sitting where I am right now if it wasn’t for my parents.”

Williams hopes that sponsorship comes as he’s sitting pretty good in the points as he is currently 10th.

“I think it’s pretty big, even after missing a race that we’re sitting inside the top-10 again,” Williams explains. “My parents are the ones that deserve a lot of the credit and the huge dedication and countless hours by the crew too. We unite as one – one big family and that’s how we plan to stay through the thick and thin the rest of the year.”

Brandon Crumbie is ready for Barrie Speedway after a top five at Sunset

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SM Staff

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June 14, 2012

[media-credit id=4 align=”alignright” width=”266″][/media-credit]In the first race of the inaugural OSCAAR Modified season at Sunset International Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario, Brandon Crumbie finished fifth in the feature after starting seventh following a fourth and a sixth in the qualifying heats.

Crumbie is one of the 16 drivers that showed at Sunset last month to take a chance with the new series. Crumbie said he made the decision after deciding to take a season off from running Late Models. With a modified in his garage, the decision was easy.

“When I heard about the class and the schedule, it was a great opportunity to race and still have some weekends off,” the driver of the No. 72 California Daves Complete Auto Body, Amsoil (Al Prichard), Alliston Signs, Akn Automotive and Homeland Auto Service Modified says.

“Basically we had the car in the garage and we were actually going to take a season off from Late Model,” Crumbie says. “So when I heard about the class and the schedule, it was a great opportunity to race and still have some weekends off.”

Last season, Crumbie spent most of the year running a Late Model at Varney Motor Speedway, which is one of the seven different tracks that the modifieds will hit this year. Amongst the tracks, Crumbie is excited to go to Kawartha Speedway and Delaware Speedway.

“I’ve never raced at them and these mods sound like they are gonna fly at those tracks,” he adds.

This will mark Crumbie’s first season running a Modified so the expectations right now are to win rookie of the year and get a good finish in points.

“I think we have a really strong car right now after testing at Sunset and Barrie,” he adds.

Crumbie got started in 2001 after watching his dad run a derby van event at Barrie.

“When we were there, we saw the mini stocks running,” he tells the story. “The next year we built the Chevette and my dad drove it because I was too young. In 2003, I ran my first full season in Pure Stock fours.”

Behind the scenes, it was his family and friends helping him every step of the way. He thanks his A-Team for helping him out, which includes Dave, Will, Spencer, RJ, Ben, Justin and his fiancé Erica.

He adds that what drives his passion to race is that it keeps him out of trouble.

Entering his ninth season of racing, the Beeton, Ontario native has already had plenty of memorable moments.

“My first win in the Chevette I’ll never forget,” he says. “Next would be the championship at Barrie and I’ll never forget the rollover at Varney in the Late Model, getting it back for the second with a lot of help.”

For the driver that calls his racing hero Tony Stewart, he says that those wishing to go racing should not get discouraged when things get tough and just keep trying.

Outside of racing, his interests including water sports, go-karting, biking and anything that goes fast.

Race No. 3: Clarington 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

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SM Staff

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June 14, 2012

[media-credit name=”canadiantiremotorsportspark.com” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]While the opening two races of the 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season have been on road courses, this weekend marks the first oval race of 2012, taking place on the half-mile Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).

When the series was there back in May for the opening race on the 2.459-mile road course, J.R. Fitzpatrick emerged the winner after a thrilling battle with Scott Steckly and D.J. Kennington. While Fitzpatrick has three wins on the road course, his best finish on the oval is a second which came in 2010. In four starts at CTMP, the Cambridge, Ontario native has three top 10s and a pole, which came last year.

Fitzpatrick’s crew chief Don Thomson Jr. is the all-time win leader on the oval with a total of two wins. Thomson teamed up with Fitzpatrick at the beginning of the season.

Coming into the weekend, Fitzpatrick leads the points, one point over Andrew Ranger. This year’s CTMP race will mark Ranger’s first start on the oval since winning in 2009. Though he is on a roll as he has finished in the top five in his last five series starts and has finished in the top 10 in 24 of his last 25 series starts.

2011 Series Champion Scott Steckly won the 2011 edition of the race at CTMP and currently sits third in points. In five starts on the oval, he has finshed in the top 10 three times. Steckly is known for being consistant as he has had four consecutive top-five finishes dating back to last year and has scored a top 10 finish in six of his last seven series starts.

Steckly’s young teammate L.P. Dumoulin will make his first start on the oval after starting the year with back-to-back top fives on the road courses to sit fifth in points. Though he was the 2011 series rookie of the year, this just marks his fourth career oval start.

The last previous CTMP race winner not mentioned yet is Kerry Micks, who won the 2008 version, but will not be behind the wheel of the No. 02 this weekend. He is only running the road course events this year while series veteran Mark Dilley runs the ovals. This weekend marks his 2012 series debut at a track where he’s finished well before as he finished runner-up in 2007 and 2008. However, in his last three starts at CTMP, he has only one top 10.

Another driver looking forward to this weekend’s race at CTMP is D.J. Kennington, who currently sits third in points. Kennington finished second and fifth at the two road course events this year, though finds his comfort zone on the ovals.

“It’s not that I don’t like I don’t like road racing because I do,” Kennington comments. “It’s very challenging, but I’m just more comfortable on ovals.”

The St. Thomas, Ontario native says he’s off to a decent start to the year with only being seven points behind points leader Fitzpatrick.

“I think we had a top-three car at ICAR, but we made a few mistakes,” he says. “Third in the opener was solid. Anytime you can beat Andrew Ranger (fourth place) on a road course, that’s a good day.”

It’s no secret that Kennington is more successful on the ovals as 10 of his 11 series-career wins have been on the ovals. He has yet to reach victory lane at CTMP, with his best finish being third, which he got in 2008 and 2009. Last year, he finished in fifth.

“It’s a tough track. None of the turns are alike. I’m not sure I’ve ever hit the same mark twice in a row,” he notes. “I think I won a CASCAR race there in 2005, but for one reason or another we haven’t gotten a NASCAR win there.”

While most drivers are involved in single-car operations in the Canadian Tire Series, Kennington runs a multi-car team that sees him prepare cars for both Noel Dowler and Jason White.

“It’s kind of a double-edged sword. Sometimes I wish we didn’t have three cars to get ready, but sometimes it’s good to turn your attention to something else,” he comments. “It’s really a good way for us not to obsess on our own stuff.”

Last year, White finished 15^th at CTMP driving one of Kennington’s cars while Dowler makes his CTMP debut this weekend.

Dowler is one of eight drivers making their CTMP debut as Steve Côté, Ray Courtemanche Jr., L.P. Dumoulin, Larry Jackson, Martin Roy, Howie Scannell Jr. and Mike Scholz are also slated to make their first start on the half-mile oval.

Meanwhile, Jeff Lapcevich will make his 41^st career start this weekend at CTMP, looking to improve on the eighth place finish he got last year on his third start on the oval. With this being Lapcevich’s first full-time NASCAR season, it looks good so far as he currently sits sixth in points.

With this being the first oval of the season, it sets the tone for the rest of the year as it gives everybody a preview of what to expect going forward. It also begins a three-race oval stretch as the next pair of races – Delaware Speedway and Motoplex Speedway – are both on ovals.