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Chumpcar comes back to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, as well as returning to Calabogie and St Eustache in Quebec.

 

By: ChumpCar World Series
November 1 2014 
 

First, we are very proud to present the 2015 Optima Batteries ChumpCar World Series competition and event schedule.

We have over 50 events planned for next year and we'll be returning to many of the best tracks in North America! You'll also note a few tracks that are new to ChumpCar, as well as a few tracks that we haven't frequented in a year or two. Regardless, they are all world-class venues and we remain the largest endurance road racing series in the world! In addition, we continue to set the record for the longest closed-course endurance race in the world!

With over 50 events and well over 100 separate races, we're sure that you'll find a few that will fit into your 2015 schedule. Make sure your membership dues are paid (so you can access the event registration system) and get your entries in as early as possible - many of these events have limited car counts and they will sell-out!

2015
February 7 -- Road Atlanta / 14-hour
February 19 - 21 -- MSX (Motorsports Expo) Charlotte Trade Show
February 21 - 22 -- Harris Hill Raceway / Dbl. 6 (Two-Fer Texas 24 - HH & TMS for one price)
Feb 28 - Mar 1 -- Thunderhill Park / 7-hr on the 5-mile on Sat; 7-hr on the 2-mile on Sun
March 27 - 28 -- Texas Motor Spdwy / Dbl. 6 (Two-Fer Texas 24 - HH & TMS for one price)
March 28 -- VIR South / 12-hour
April 4 - Buttonwillow Raceway / 12-hour
April 18 - 19 -- Canadian Tire Mosport / Dbl. 7
April 18 - 19 -- Pacific Raceway / 12 + 6
April 18 - 19 -- Road America / Dbl. 7
April 24 - 26 -- New Jersey Motorsports Park / Sprints Fri & Sun; 12-hour Sat
May 16 - 17 -- Motorsports Park Hastings / 12 + 6
May 22 - 24 -- Thunderhill Park / Friday Test; Dbl. 7 & Sprints Sat-Sun
May 22 - 24 -- Watkins Glen International / 4 + 8 + 8
May 24 -- Daytona International Speedway / 14-hour
May 29 - 31 -- Pikes Peak Int'l Raceway / Friday Test; Sprints Sat-Sun & 4-hr. Sat
June 5 - 6 -- National Corvette Museum / Dbl. 7 Enduros Fri-Sat
June 6 - 7 -- Auto Club Speedway (Fontana) / Dbl. 7
June 13 - 14 -- Summit Point Raceway / 10 + 6
June 20 -- Michigan Int'l Speedway / 12-hour
June 20 - 21 -- Calabogie Motorsports Park / Dbl. 7
July 3 - 4 -- Charlotte Motor Speedway / Sprints Friday & Saturday (Night Races)
July 17 - 19 -- Gateway Motorsports Park / Test + 2-hr. Fri ; Sprints Sat-Sun
August 1 - 2 -- Barber Motorsports Park / Dbl. 7
August 7 - 9 -- VIR Full / Friday Test; 24-hour (4pm Sat-4pm Sun)
August 8 -- Pikes Peak Int'l Raceway / 14-hour
August 8 - 9 -- Portland International Raceway / 12 + 6
August 15 -- Brainerd International Raceway / 12-hour (Donnybrooke Course)
August 21 - 22 -- Lime Rock Park / Dbl. 7
August 22 - 23 -- Autodrome St. Eustache / 8 + 6
August 22 - 23 -- Gingerman Raceway / Dbl. 8
August 28 - 29 -- Texas Motor Speedway / Sprints (Night Races - Full ROVAL)
August 29 - 30 -- Las Vegas Motor Speedway / 13-hour (7pm - 8am)
September 11 - 13 -- Michigan Int'l Speedway / Friday Test; Sprints Sat-Sun; 4-hr. Sat night
September 12 - 13 -- Calabogie Motorsports Park / Dbl. 7
September 26 -- Sebring International Raceway / 14-hour
October 2 - 4 -- Portland International Raceway / Dbl. 6-hr. Fri-Sat; Sprints Sun
October 3 - 4 -- Pittsburgh International Race Complex / CHUMPIONSHIP
October 10 - 11 -- Canadian Tire Mosport / CHUMPIONSHIP
October 10 - 11 -- Harris Hill / Dbl. 8 (Reverse Course)
October 17 - 18 -- Road America / CHUMPIONSHIP
Oct 30 / Nov 1 -- Las Vegas Motor Speedway / Friday Test; Sprints Sat-Sun
Oct 31 / Nov 1 -- Atlanta Motorsports Park / Dbl. 7
November 3 - 6 -- SEMA Show / Trade Show - No Competition
December 4 - 6 -- VIR North / "The 38"
December 5 - 6 -- Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca / CHUMPIONSHIP
December 9 - 12 -- PRI Show / Trade Show
December 29 - 31 -- Homestead-Miami / New Year's Eve "24-Hour With A Twist" (4+8+12)

National Corvette Museum / Dbl. 7 Enduros Fri-Sat
All dates, locations and formats subject to change.

For 2015, you'll note that we have added a few more sprint races. We heard you, very clearly, when you told us that the sprint races are a HUGE hit. So, we're doing some stand-alone sprint races and some events as a combined enduro & sprint. Many of the sprints in the 2015 schedule will coincide with the brand new

ChampTruck World Series (... bringing big-rig truck racing back to the US of A!). In addition, we're also going to include more, longer endurance races with the

Ultimate Street Car Series. Two great televised series that continue to bring more promotion and sponsors to ChumpCar.

Another important milestone... ChumpCar starts 2015 after FIVE years of operation with a PERFECT safety record. What does that mean? It means our insurance rates actually WENT DOWN. Yes! That's right! In this ever cost-increasing world, we're realizing a pretty decent savings which we want to pass along to our members. You'll note that as you register for many events, your entry fees are less than last year. While we can't shave every entry fee (some tracks are just expensive to rent), where we can, we did.

2015 -- It's going to be a GREAT year!

Okay, the next item of business...

Back in June of this year, I realized that migrating ChumpCar to a new legal entity - moving from the "for-profit" LLC to the "non-profit" and club-based INC - would create an issue for on-going events in Canada. Legal and financial restrictions are

clearly spelled-out by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding international revenue streams. This left me with three possible options:

Option #1 -- Shut-down all ChumpCar operations and withdraw from our moose-loving, beer-drinking and hard-racing Northern Chumps; or,

Option #2 -- Set-up a separate commercial enterprise in Canada and operate as a US-based (foreign) business; or,

Option #3 -- Establish a Canadian-based business - through partnership, license or franchise - with someone crazy enough to take this challenge on and partner with someone like... me.

Option #1 was never an option. I have a long history with Canada and will always feel at-home under the Maple Leaf. I have been and remain in complete admiration for all things Canadian... including its Chumps. From the day I set-up ChumpCar's first trek into Canada and our 2010 event at Shannonville, until today, I continue to be pleased at our growth and expansion within the Provinces. I look forward to more events in Quebec, Montreal and British Columbia... as well as finally getting a race in at Gimly!

So, I looked into Option #2. My attorney put it to me very simply when he asked one very direct question,"Are you out of your mind?" I then received a 43-minute dissertation on conducting business as a Foreign National in Canada. One would have thought I was considering starting a small nuclear power plant in... oh, I don't know... Iran?

Which led me to Option #3. After a few hundred hours of additional business-education lessons on the Arthur Wishart Act, the Canadian Municipal Franchise Act, the Canadian Business Regulation Reform Act, the Canadian Corporations Tax Act, etc., etc., etc., I determined that a partnership and/or franchise was out of the question. Which left one possible answer... I might be able to issue a license to operate the ChumpCar Canadian World Series to a Canadian citizen.

But who would be stupid engaging enough to want to do this?

Then, my phone rang and it was Sal and Wendy. They wanted to know a couple of things about the Discovery Channel film crew I was sending their way for their upcoming event at Calabogie Motorsports Park.

How do you say "serendipity" in French-Canadian? Thank goodness, it's damn-near the same: sérendipité.

"Hey, Sal... I've got an idea I want to share with you..."

So, effective 1 January 2015, the agreement signed by Sal and Wendy and me now makes the three of us licensee/partners in ChumpCar Canada - an independent business entity -- with a full and exclusive license to market and promote and hold ChumpCar events in Canada --- from coast-to-coast and border-to-polar ice cap.

ChumpCar Canada will be set-up as a "club," exactly as we have in the Lower-48. Each member of ChumpCar Canada will be required to pay dues... dues going to support the operations of YOUR club. ChumpCar Canada will, likewise, issue all members a "Membership Card" which will have your personal membership number on it and will serve as your "Competition License."

ChumpCar Canada memberships will be recognized and 100% honored at all US-based events. Canadian Chumps will NOT need to join the US-org or hold membership in both clubs to race. Similarly, US-based Chumps will be allowed complete event access at all Canadian events without having to be a paid member in ChumpCar Canada. (See! Membership DOES have its benefits!)

The ChumpCar Canadian World Series will utilize the exact same rules and regulations as ChumpCar International Inc. and the ChumpCar World Series. Same race formats, same pit rules, same TCV and penalties.

So, will there be any differences between the two clubs? Yes, just a few...

1. While US and Canadian Chumps will have complete and interchangeable event access, voting rights on will be limited by nationality. However, that doesn't mean that a Chump doesn't have a say in the way things are being run, or on the rules, or almost anything. Rules amendment petitions or comments on club management are completely welcome from BOTH orgs... so long as you send your requests, petitions or comments to BOTH parties. Both Sal and Wendy will retain their ChumpCar e-mail addresses (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). To contact the US management, you have the three (3) Regional Directors (Cathy McCause-Fuss, Mike Morrison and Mike Chisek), myself, and you have the Board of Directors (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

2. Registration and payment for all Canadian events will be coordinated by a separate "ChumpCar Canada" website. More on this to come in the next few months...

3. ChumpChange for Canada will now get a new look - ChumpLoonie! (I have no idea what Sal and Wendy will call it. I just made that up. Maybe it will have a picture of Stephen Harper on it!) Anyway, ChumpChange that is earned and received in one club will ONLY be allowed to be exchanged for events within that same club. You can use it for race events, sell or trade it, or give it away... there's always a way to get rid of it.

I could not have asked for a better "partnership" in the on-going and future development of ChumpCar within Canada. Sal Sanfilippo and Wendy Edwards have already shown us all where their hearts and allegiance lies with respect to all things "Chump." I know that you'll support them in every possible way, as I will, too.

Finally, with this exciting news, we've completed some regional boundary realignments that have been necessary for a while. Real estate and race tracks north of New Jersey now become integrated with the East Region, and we've moved the boundary between the Central and East Regions slightly more to the right, giving Mike Morrison more opportunity to put 200,000 miles on that new pick-up truck of his.

Here's the new regional map:  

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Finally, ChumpCar will be exhibiting at three (3) tradeshows in 2015:

20-21 February: The Motor Sports Expo (MSX) @ Charlotte, NC
3-6 November: Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA) @ Las Vegas, NV
9-12 December: Performance Racing Industry (PRI) @ Indianapolis, IN

We are a co-sponsor of the MSX show and have arranged for some GREAT discounts to the show! Click here for details. Wear your ChumpCar shirts to the show and let's make a statement! ChumpCar has arrived!

So, there you have it... 2015.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, the ChumpStaff, and all your Regional Directors, Regional Tech Chiefs, Regional BusOps and Timing Staff, as well as all the volunteers, corner workers and track personnel required to make ChumpCar happen...

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE TRACK NEXT YEAR!