Tag Talks About his Rallycross Weekend at the GP3R

Montreal, Quebec - After enjoying a new kind of road racing experience last weekend in Trois-Rivières at the FIA World Rallycross Championship RX Lites Intercontinental Cup round where he made it to the finals, Alex Tagliani spent Tuesday in Nova Scotia where he visited the Izaak Walton Killam Hospital for Children in Halifax to speak to young patients about food allergies and the severe life-threatening condition of anaphylaxis.

Even though he was in the Maritimes, the Lachenaie, Quebec driver will not compete in round 9 of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (NCATS), which will be held Saturday, August 15 at the Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Filling in for Tag to drive the NCATS number 18 EpiPen/CGI/CanTorque Chevrolet will be veteran oval track racer David Michaud from Terrebonne, Quebec.

As for Tag, he will be in Lexington, Ohio on Saturday to drive the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang for Team Penske in the NASCAR XFINITY Series' Nationwide Children Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio Road Race Course. Fans can watch the race live on TSN2 at 3:30 p.m. "There is always a guilty pleasure in driving a Roger Penske car." Tagliani said. "His race cars are always impeccably prepared and the team race strategies are always well planned and efficient. Our chances of winning are optimal most of the time. Now, I know there will be more pressure for me as both Penske cars finished one-two last weekend in the XFINITY Series road race at Watkins Glen, New York.

"As for the NASCAR Canada race at Riverside Speedway, I believe that Tagliani Autosport made the right choice when they selected David Michaud to fill-in for me. He is a very experienced oval track racer that can win the race in the EpiPen Chevrolet on Saturday night. As my XFINITY race should be over by then, I will surely follow David's evening race on the net."

Tag's Rallycross race at GP3R

Last weekend in the FIA Rallycross event Trois-Rivières, Tagliani discovered a new type of car racing competition. Following a first day of qualifying slowed down with mechanical problems, Tag was back with the top guns in Saturday's qualifying and made the cut for the Rallycross Lites finals that evening. Unfortunately, a severe side contact at the start of the final race heavily damaged his EpiPen/Prolon RX Lites car.

"Even though the finals did not end-up the way I hoped, I truly enjoyed the experience. These cars are so exiting to drive, and they are so quick off the start, it's incredible. The way the track was set up with asphalt pavement and gravel/dirt portions required extreme concentration during all four timed laps. However, we had a slight mechanical problem during the first qualifying rounds on Friday. The team settled this by fixing the differential overnight and the car was much more competitive on Saturday. I even finished second in the semi-final race. Rallycross is a contact sport, and it is sometime part of the game. At the start of the finals, my EpiPen/Prolon RX Lites car was heavily hit on its right side bending the front tie rod and the back rear wheel. After the contact, I was crawling along until the end of the race," concluded Tagliani.

The participation of Tagliani Autosport in NCATS is the result of a partnership with Pfizer Canada Inc., the Canadian distributor of EpiPen® (epinephrine) auto-injectors. With his NASCAR program and participation in races across Canada, Alex is the ideal spokesperson to educate the 1.4 million Canadians who are affected by at least one food allergy and the severe life-threatening condition of anaphylaxis. Living with severe allergies to peanuts and nuts himself, Alex carries an EpiPen® Auto-Injector with him at all times. He invites fans to follow him on Facebook and Twitter (@Tagliani), www.TaglianiAutosport.com

To raise money for Anaphylaxis Canada, The Tagliani Foundation is organizing its second Annual Golf Classic at Golf Club Le Mirage on September 29, 2015. For details on the tournament and for tickets, visit http://www.taglianifoundation.org/en/index.html

Tagliani's participation in the two CTCC races at the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières is a result of a sponsorship from Fast Wheels, a Canadian alloy wheel brand owned by Fastco Canada. Fastco is Canada's largest manufacturer and distributor of aftermarket alloy wheels, tires and accessories. Fastco's head office and distribution centre is located in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada.

Tagliani Autosport is also sponsored by CanTorque, headquartered in Edmonton, which designs and manufactures Industrial Bolting Tools and Accessories; by CGI Group Inc., the fifth largest independent information technology and business process services firm in the world. Riobel, a manufacturer of high-performance faucets and shower systems that are both elegant and sophisticated and available throughout Canada and in a growing number of US states, and Napoleon®, North America's largest privately owned manufacturer of quality wood and gas fireplaces, outdoor living products and heating & cooling products, are also proud sponsors of Tagliani Autosport. Alex and his team can also count on the support of Fast Wheels, a Canadian alloy wheel manufacturer who offers high quality wheels for more than 40,000 vehicle models.