Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 Saturday, September 15 Sunday, September 16 Riverside Int'l. Speedway James River, Nova Scotia

Mark Dilley gets the hardware for his win in the Atlantic Dodge DEalers 300. Lots more event pix at the end of this page...

Dilley Wins Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300

JAMES RIVER, Nova Scotia (Sept. 16, 2007) – Neither the rain nor running out of gas was not enough to keep Mark Dilley (No. 9 Dodge/Leland Industries Dodge) out of victory lane on Sunday at the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300.

The Barrie, Ontario driver limped on to the entrance of pit road on lap 205 of the 300-lap race out of Sunoco racing fuel. His crew was able to push the car to their pit stall in order to fuel the No. 9 Dodge Avenger. Fortunately for Dilley, all of this occurred under caution which did not cost him a great deal of track position.

The race was originally scheduled for Saturday evening, but rain and wind moved into the area during the afternoon forcing NASCAR and track officials to postpone until Sunday.

Dilley took the lead on lap 263 of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event at Riverside International Speedway and was able to hold off a hard-charging J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Milwaukee Electric Tools Chevrolet) over the course of the final laps. Dilley beat the 19-year old Fitzpatrick to the line by 0.852 seconds.

An exhausted Dilley emerged from his vehicle in victory lane after the hard-fought battle on the high-banked 1/3-mile oval modeled after the legendary Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

“I owe this one to the Whitlock Motorsports gang,” said Dilley. “All year long they have given me a great car and for one reason or another we just couldn’t get a win. Today, we got it done and it’s all on them. We had the fuel problem, but we were able to make up the difference.”

Dilley’s strategy to work his way back to the front was a simple one.

“I put the pedal on the floor and kept it there,” he said.

He also was appreciative of the support and hospitality shown by the fans of Atlantic Canada for this first Canadian Tire Series visit to the region.

“The people all over town have been just great. We had the rain yesterday, but it was good for racing today,” he said. “The fans were awesome all day long.”

D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol/Krispy Kreme Dodge) finished third for his series-leading eighth top-five finish in 2007. The subplot to that finish is his battle with Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford) for the points championship. Kennington came into the race staring at an 87-point deficit, but Ranger lost his motor on lap 268. The engine woes relegated Ranger to a finish of 13th in the event. As a result, over half was trimmed off that lead leaving it, unofficially, at 41 points. However, that was not Kennington’s focus in the race.

“We had a car that could have won and I was concentrating on that,” said Kennington. “But, now, as I think about it I guess this will tighten it a little. We’ll see what happens next week at Kawartha (Speedway). We’ll be ready.”

Derek Lynch (No. 77 Allied Steel Buildings/Canadian Shield Dodge) and Dave Whitlock (No. 39 Dickies/Hamilton Tiger-Cats Dodge) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Scott Steckly, Jason Hathaway, Doug Brown, John Gaunt and Jim Lapcevich rounded out the top 10.

Antigonish's Donald Chisholm ran as high as seventh before mechanical difficulties knocked him out of the show on lap 249.

The race was slowed eight times for 63 laps. Five different drivers held that lead and it changed hands a total of 10 times.

Beyond Ranger’s points lead shrinking to 41 points, unofficially, in the championship points standings Fitzpatrick jumped up three spots from sixth to third. However, at 130 points behind the leader, it is not mathematically possible for him to win the title. The inaugural championship will be decided by Ranger and Kennington.

The Canadian Tire Series wraps up its first season next Sunday evening at Kawartha Speedway for the Dodge Dealers of Ontario Dodge Charger 250 presented by Allied Steel Buildings.

Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 Results (Start position in parentheses)
1. (4) Mark Dilley, Barrie, Ontario, Dodge, 300 laps, 54.857 mph, $9,300.
2. (3) J.R. Fitzpatrick, Cambridge, Ontario, Chevrolet, 300, $4,800.
3. (9) D.J. Kennington, St. Thomas, Ontario, Dodge, 300, $5,450.
4. (16) Derek Lynch, Warkworth, Ontario, Dodge, 300, $4,750.
5. (17) Dave Whitlock, Petrolia, Ontario, Dodge, 300, $3,500.
6. (13) Scott Steckly, Milverton, Ontario, Dodge, 300, $2,975.
7. (12) Jason Hathaway, Appin, Ontario, Dodge, 298, $2,575.
8. (7) Doug Brown, Brantford, Ontario, Dodge, 298, $2,520.
9. (19) John Gaunt, Barrie, Ontario, Dodge, 297, $2,400.
10. (8) Jim Lapcevich, Hamilton, Ontario, Chevrolet, 296, $2,310.
11. (20) Jason White, Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Chevrolet, 293, $1,970.
12. (15) Brad Graham, Glencoe, Ontario, Dodge, 278, motor, $1,850.
13. (11) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Quebec, Ford, 266, motor, $1,760.
14. (18) Kent Nuhn, Williamsford, Ontario, Pontiac, 254, $1,700.
15. (10) Don Thomson, Jr., Ayr, Ontario, Chevrolet, 247, $1,620.
16. (14) Donald Chisholm, Antigonish, N.S., Chevrolet, 243, steering, $1,560.
17. (1) Peter Gibbons, Stouffville, Ontario, Chevrolet, 228, rear end, $3,000.
18. (2) Kerry Micks, Mt. Albert, Ontario, Ford, 170, $1,450.
19. (5) Ron Beauchamp, Jr., Windsor, Ontario, Dodge, 72, accident, $2,390.
20. (6) Ron Van Es, Stoney Creek, Ontario, Chevrolet, 72, suspension, $1,330.

Race Statistics

Time of Race: 1 hour 49 minutes 16 seconds

Margin of Victory: .852 seconds

Fastest Qualifier: P.Gibbons (80.548 mph, 14.883 seconds)

Caution Flags: 8 for 63 laps.

Lead Changes: 10 among 5 drivers.

Lap Leaders: K.Micks 1-5; P.Gibbons 6-28; K.Micks 29-34; P.Gibbons 35-206; D.Kennington 207-208; P.Gibbons 209; D.Kennington 210-222; P.Gibbons 223-227; D.Kennington 228-231; J.Fitzpatrick 232-262; M.Dilley 263-300.

Standings: 1. A.Ranger, 1746; 2. D.Kennington, 1705; 3. J.Fitzpatrick, 1616; 4. P.Gibbons, 1600; 5. D.Thomson,Jr., 1591; 6. K.Micks, 1575; 7. M.Dilley, 1556; 8. D.Lynch, 1548; 9. J.Hathaway, 1501; 10. D.Whitlock, 1464.

RANDOM RACE NOTES...in no particular order

• It was really, really nice to be at an event where you could literally set your watch by the schedule...
• The modified pit road at Riverside worked really well; hope we see more events where the cautions count and the race on pit road is just as important as the race on the track. Not only does this add a whole new element of competition to the race but also eliminates a lot of unnecessary cautions brought out by competitors looking for free repair time...
• In spite of a rain date event, Riverside packed more than 4,500 enthusiastic and appreciative fans into the facility...
• After race winner Dilley, the financial runner-up was really the 50/50 winner - taking home $5,015...
• In a post-race interview Dilley stated his belief Riverside International Speedway is the "best track in the country."
• The Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 will be broadcast on TSN this Saturday (Sept. 22) at 3 p.m...
• Both the series and the track are hoping to bring the series back to Riverside in 2008 - with the track hoping for a date earlier in the season...
• Sportsman race results will be posted as soon as we get the official finish from the series...

Fast Facts

What: Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300,NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Race # 11 of 12 for 2007.
Where: Riverside International Speedway, Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15. Sunday September 16 at 3:15 p.m.
Track layout: 1/3-mile oval.
Distance: 300 Laps, 99.99 miles.
Posted Awards: $88,354 CAD
2006 Winner: Inaugural event.
2006 Polesitter: Inaugural event.
Records: To be established in inaugural event.
Year-To-Date Results & Point Standings: click here
Area Weather Forecast: The Weather Network - click here; Environment Canada - click here

Sunday Morning Update

7:45 a.m. All systems are go for today's running of the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Riverside International Speedway. The morning sun shows bright clearing skies; the track is dry and ready for action.

If you're a race fan you won't want to miss this one! The banners are hung; the sponsor tents are up; over 25 team and support haulers (tractor trailers) fill the infield...There is a high octane buzz in the air like only NASCAR can create. And - with over 30 sportsman cars in the pit Saturday - their race should be a "barn burner", too...

The box office and pit gates open at 10 a.m. NASCAR Bud Pole qualifying goes at Noon, followed by sportsman heats at 12:45, autograph session at 1:40 p.m., driver introductions at 2:45 p.m. and the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 is set to go green at 3:15 p.m.

The Riverside Sportsman Super Series sportsman feature race will follow the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300, at approximately 5:30 p.m.

Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 Postponed to Sunday

JAMES RIVER, NS (September 15, 2007) - Rain has forced the postponement of the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 at Riverside International Speedway until Sunday September 16. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio race was originally scheduled to run this evening.

Rain and strong winds moved in during the early afternoon, but not before the Canadian Tire Series cars were able to get in two one-hour practice sessions that saw the top 15 cars under a 3/10-second blanket around the high-banked oval. Antiginish's Donald Chisholm was among the top 10 fastest most of the afternoon.

Pit gates will open Sunday morning at 8 a.m. The box office and grandstand gates will open at 10 a.m. NASCAR Bud Pole qualifying goes at Noon, followed by sportsman heats at 12:45, autograph session at 1:40 p.m., driver introductions at 2:45 p.m. and the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 is set to go green at 3:15 p.m.

The Riverside Sportsman Super Series sportsman feature race will follow the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300.

It's Riverside Raceday...No It's Not...
Posted September 15/07

3 p.m. Rain has forced the postponement of the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 until Sunday September 16. The pit gates will open at 8 a.m.; box office and grandstand gates at 10 a.m. NASCAR time trials go at Noon and the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 is scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m.

Noon Update The NASCAR guys are mid-way throught the first practice; everything is running according to schedule. Antigonish's Donald Chisholm is currently seventh on the speed chart at 14.994 seconds areound the high banks. Ron Beauchamp Jr. is fastest so far at 14.770. The entire field of 20 cars is running less than one second separation...with just 3/10 separating the top 15... Every attempt is being maded to get the show in today. Hourly updates are being posted at 902.863.1635.

September 14/07 Weather Update - Both track management and NASCAR intend to make every attempt to get the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 in on Saturday. Should forecast rain force a delay, the rain date is Sunday - but a Sunday schedule would not be announced until they see how much of Saturday's schedule needed to be postponed. Don't expect any changes until at least Saturday morning. Updates, if necessary, will be available on the track event line at 902.867.1635.

Chisholm Ready to Rumble at Riverside - NASCAR Style
Posted September 13/07

JAMES RIVER, NS (September 12, 2007) - Riverside International Speedway is the site of Saturday's Atlantic Dodge Dealer's 300, round 11 of 12 for the 2007 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio. The series is the elite stock car touring circuit in Canada, the only truly national series, and the only series in Canada sanctioned by the most popular motorsports brand in the world: NASCAR.

Antigonish's Donald Chisholm is the lone local racer entered in the event, and he is counting the minutes until the track opens the pit gate Saturday morning at 6:30. Chisholm's Nova Construction race team will field a brand new car for this event. The car will be No. 98 and sponsored by Nova Construction and Pioneer Coal.

"We had it (the car) out last week," said Chisholm. "It felt really good. I liked it, but we really have nothing to compare it with since the series hasn't been here before and the cars are so different from a late model. We're just as anxious as everyone else about Saturday. Getting through tech is probably our biggest concern. We can't afford to waste any time in there; we need to get on the track to see where we fit compared to the others."

Click here for the rest of the story...

From Sea to Shining Sea...
Posted September 11, 2007

Jason White's British Columbia-based race team is making a long 7,400-mile round trip to participate in the final two NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio races of the 2007 season – the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 at Riverside Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia on Sept. 15 and the Dodge Dealers of Ontario Dodge Charger 250 at Kawartha Speedway in Fraserville, Ontario on Sept. 23.

It’s a tall and daunting task, to say the least. It’s one that could keep a team of psychologists working around the clock to answer that one burning question. Why?

"I don’t think it is crazy at all," said White. "Well, I guess it does sound a little nuts, but the reason is very simple. We want to race and we want to do it in Canada’s premier racing series – the Canadian Tire Series."

While many of the series’ competitors are gathering at Barrie (Ontario) Speedway for the Sept. 8 running of the ATTO 300, White’s hauler had already left home and was headed eastward for Nova Scotia.

The only real hurdle according to White was formulating the lengthy itinerary for team travel. Hotels and flights took more time and proved to be a little harder than originally thought.

While White, 34, does want to satisfy his racing itch, he has ulterior motives for this trans-Canadian trip.

"This is a national series not unlike the three national NASCAR series in the United States," White stated. "The (Canadian Tire Series) is off to a great start in its first year and we need to continue to grow it."

The Canadian Tire Series’ 12-race schedule includes races in five provinces, but nine of those events come in Ontario and Quebec. There is a two-race swing to the western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia and the one event in the maritime province of Nova Scotia.

"The bulk of the races happen in Ontario and most of the race teams are situated in that area. That’s fine," said White. "Once upon a time, much of the (NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series) was centralized in a relatively small portion of the U.S. It takes time."

At the end of the day, White sees his race team no differently than any of the others currently racing the full season.

"There was something like 25 teams that hauled cars from the east to race at the two tracks out here in the west this year," White said. "They did it, so why can’t we?"

The key to open that door of opportunity is sponsorship. The Canadian Tire Series has its share of large, multi-national sponsors with the likes of, Castrol, Dickies, Dodge and Milwaukee Electric Tools. White believes that is just the tip of the iceberg.

"Those guys went out and worked for their sponsorship. They earned it both on and off the track. It had little or nothing to do with where they lived or based their operation," said White.

The Sun Peaks, B.C., native is no stranger to making long trips to compete. He was a member of the Canadian National Speed Skiing Team for three that competed worldwide. Speed skiing is winter’s answer to drag racing – go as straight and as fast as possible. And he has discovered that the two sports share more than just speed.

"The high reliance on safety, the officials needing to keep the competitors on an even playing surface, so to speak, and the role of aerodynamics are some of the big ones," said White. "It’s uncanny how similar the two are."

Even though the voyage is long and the odds of everything falling into place, with no major glitches in the plan, are fairly steep, White, the eternal optimist, is eager to get underway and confident of success. Success, in this case, will be judged objectively.

"We’re not out there every race with these guys, so we’re a little behind the curve, but if we can finish both races and maybe pick up a top 10, then it’ll be a great trip," he said. "The most important thing is to get out there and compete. Get some exposure and tangible facts to present to sponsors so we can run them all next year."

The marketing-savvy White’s desire to compete and dedication to the series, as well as the sport, should not be treated as a novelty act, but rather as a rubric or pilot case for future Canadian Tire Series competitors.

Green Flag Notes

• Andrew Ranger continues to close in on the first-ever Canadian Tire Series championship with just two races left on the slate. He was able to avoid trouble on the cozy 1/3-mile track to finish sixth, his ninth top-10 finish out of the 10 races, so far, this season. However, Kennington, with the win, was able to carve into the 122-point lead Ranger brought into the ATTO 300 and now trails by 87 points as the second-ranked competitor. Peter Gibbons (No. 1 Canadian Tire/Master Craft Chevrolet), in third, also was able to nudge closer to Ranger with his fourth-place effort at Barrie. Gibbons is now 144 points off Ranger’s pace.
• Mopar Fast Five … This program awards the top-five finishing Dodges in the race. In the ATTO 300, the Dodge of Kennington, obviously, was the top finisher and was awarded $2,000. Dave Whitlock (No. 39 Dickies/Hamilton Tiger-Cats Dodge) with his season-best second-place finish was the second-highest finishing Dodge and earned $1,250. Barrie resident John Gaunt (No. 12 Centennial Chrysler Dodge), who notched his first top-five finish of the season, collected $1,000 for finishing third among the Dodge entrants. The fourth-highest finishing Dodge was that of Lynch which netted him $500. Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Snap-on Tools/Super 8 Dodge) completed the Mopar Fast Five with his eighth-place finish and will receive $250.
• Chevy continues to lead the way … Dodge picked up its third win of the season courtesy of Kennington, but Chevrolet continues to lead the Canadian Tire Series manufacturers’ standings. Chevy, with 68 points, has four wins in 10 events this season – two each by Fitzpatrick and Thomson. Derek Lynch (No. 77 Allied Steel Buildings/Canadian Shield) is the other Dodge driver with a triumph. Ford has three wins on the season as well at the hands of Micks and Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Wal-Mart/Tide Ford).
• It took five races into the 2007 season to get a repeat winner in the Canadian Tire Series. Now, 10 races into the 12-race schedule, there are four two-time victors. D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol/Krispy Kreme Dodge), with the ATTO 300 win, swept the two Barrie (Ontario) Speedway events and joined J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Milwaukee Electric Tools Chevrolet), Kerry Micks (No. 02 Beyond Digital Imaging Ford) and Don Thomson Jr. (No. 4 Home Hardware Chevrolet) as multi-race winners.

Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 Schedule of Events

Friday September 14, 2007

6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Pre Race Meet and Greet Antigonish Mall

Saturday September 15, 2007

6:30 a.m.
Pits Open NASCAR Haulers Only

8:30 a.m.
Pits Open Sportsman Cars

11 a.m.
Grandstand Opens for Advance Ticket Holders

12:00 noon
On Site Box Office Opens (at track)

2 p.m.
Sportsman Heat Races Starting

3:30 p.m.
NCATS Time Trials

4 p.m. (approx.)
Sportsman Feature

5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
NCATS Autograph Session

7 p.m.
Back Pit Gate Closes

7 p.m.
Driver Introductions

7:30 p.m.
The Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300

Schedule subject to change without notice.

Ticket Information

Advance tickets are now available for the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 from the track box office at 902.863.2410 at $40 for adults reserved seating, $35 for adult general admission, $10 for youth general admission. Kids under seven are admitted free (general admission seating only).

Race day ticket purchases will cost $5 more per category of ticket offered.

Advance ticket orders need to be made with the track administration office. Ticket purchases can me made by calling 902.863.2410 between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. weekdays, or from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. A convenient order form that can be printed and faxed is available on the track website - click here.

Race day ticket purchases can be made at the track box office starting at Noon.

The Series

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season began May 26 at Cayuga Speedway Park in Hamilton, Ontario and finishes Sept. 23 at Kawartha Speedway in Peterborough, Ontario. The 12-race schedule will stretch across Canada, from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. For more information on the series visit their website - click here.

The Track

Riverside Speedway, a 1/3-mile high banked asphalt oval, is located in James River, between New Glasgow and Antigonish, at exit 30 off Trans Canada Highway 104. Opened in 1969, the facility was totally rebuilt in 2006 to become a premiere motorsports site, comparable to the best short tracks in Canada and the U.S. The 2007 schedule sees three CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour events (June 9, August 4 and August 11), the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event (September 15) and the IWK 250. For more information about Riverside Speedway, please visit www.riversidespeedway.ca or call 902.863.2410.

Photo Gallery

Click here for Ken MacIsaac's Atlantic Dodge Dealers Photo Gallery

Sportsman gallery coming later this week...


Good to see CBC on hand to cover the event...


The autograph session was popular with the fans...


They got to see the NASCAR racecars up close...


Antigonish's Donald Chisholm signed autographs steady for the hour-long session...


This picture shows the modified pit road, complete with a concrete pit wall barrier - allowing green flag pit stops during the event...


The starting grid is ready to rock...


Donald stops for a chat with the announcer during driver intros...


Then stopped for a picture for us before climbing in his racecar...


John Pothier, of Pothier Motors and the Atlantic Dodge Dealers, was the event grand marshal...


Joining Pothier for pre-race festivities were (left to right): Doug Ives (President, Antigonish Jr. B Bulldogs), Carl Chisholm (Past President, Antigonish Jr. B Bulldogs), Steve Lewis (Steve Lewis Autobody), and John Chisholm (track owner). The "Bulldogs" 50/50 draw saw ticket sales in excess of $10,000 - with the lucky audience winner taking home $5,015...


Mark Dilley celebrated his win with a burnout and a polish victory lap...


Before being swarmed by TSN cameras and his crew...


Dilley waves to the appreciative crowd as he emerges from his car...


Then talks to the newspaper media in attendance...


Donald Chisholm's NASCAR racecar is ready to go for Saturday's Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 at Riverside...Read the Chisholm story below to see what makes this car - and competition - so different from late model racing...


The Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 is somewhat of a homecoming for Geoff Armstrong - a crew member for Whitlock Motorsports. Originally from Saint John, New Brunswick Armstrong now lives in Sarnia, Ontario and does all the final setups on the No. 39 of Dave Whitlock and the No. 9 of Mark Dilley (pictured above). Geoff is looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces at Riverside this weekend...

IMPORTANT: All information, schedules and/or scheduled events is/are subject to change without notice. Please check with the source to confirm.