Alex Taglian (l), and Andrew Ranger (r) captured the poles for the 2 feature races today. (Photo-Mike Sullivan/RaceCanada.ca)

The first day of racing is done and a few thoughts come to mind.

For one reason or another, this year the magic doesn't seem to be here. Last year the race was a revelation, there track had undergone a major facelift, and there was a huge crowd. This year, however, something seems to be missing.

Maybe it's the fact that we are all used to the changes made last year, maybe the crowd is smaller than last year, maybe, and

I've never understood why race teams feel the need to "protect" themselves from fans.

this is a big one for me, it's the fact that the NASCAR Truck paddock is closed to the fans and a huge chunk of pavement in the upper paddock that should be brimming with action feels very empty.

For the life of me, I can't understand why racing series, teams and tracks want to cut themselves off from their fans. NASCAR aren't the only ones guilty of this, a couple of weeks ago at the Mopar Canadian Superbike finale, at least one of the major teams kept themselves locked in their tents for the entire weekend, and if ever there was a series and teams that really need to reach out to fans right now, it's the Canadian Superbike Series.

There are a lot of rumours floating around the media centre from the press release by Honda Indy Toronto discussing the visit to CTMP by Indy Car officials this past week.

If any of you have missed it, the Honda Indy Toronto won't be able to run on it's usual date in 2015 because of the Pan Am Games, so it was offered a series other possible dates, with nothing yet being confirmed. In doing it's due diligence, the promoter and Indy Car are looking for other options for the date, should nothing work out at Exhibition Place, and CTMP has jumped to the forefront of that conversation, and even more so with the report that Indy Car officials visited CTMP this past week for a track inspection.

There seems to be no general agreement on whether the race will come here next year, but there does seem to be a bit of a consensus that, should the race come here and be a successful, money making event, that it won't return to Toronto, where the financial status of the race is questionable, at best.

As much as I would love to see the Indy Car's race here, and for a one-off to replace a Pan-Am affected event it would be great, the worst thing thing that could happen to racing in Canada, or at least Ontario since Quebec, thankfully, is a different matter.

Racing in mainstream media in Canada is almost non-existent, taking away the one event that is front and centre in the home town of the biggest TV networks, newspapers and potential sponsors would all but finish it off. Walking around the paddock at this year's Indy I saw several TV crews filming various scenes through the race race because the Indy is still a major event, and it is still "right here". There were no such crews at all at the Tudor Sports Car race the week before at CTMP and there will be none at an Indy Car race either. Sadly, the media just doesn't care enough to make the hour + trek out to CTMP. Racing will disappear from the minds and consciousness of a lot of important decision makers.

Right now a young Formula Ford driver can present a proposal to a potential sponsor and list races that will be at that includes the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, the Honda Indy in Toronto and the GP3R in Trois-Rivieres. Take the Indy out of that mix, and a lot of potential Toronto sponsors will lose interest. In the past a prominent driver in the old Players GM Challenge once told me he got an entire season of sponsorship based on the races in Toronto and Montreal alone. The sponsor's didn't care where, or even if, they race elsewhere, the entire budget was based on those 2 races alone. To me, the Indy staying in Toronto is that important.

There was some good on track action, starting with the first of 2 Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup races. Scott Hargrove came into the event with the points lead and put himself in great position to claim the championship by leading the race from start to finish. Chris Green managed to get by early 2nd place runner Spencer Pigot to keep his slim title hopes alive, keeping the points differential between himself and Hargrove to 18. However, with 20 points going to the winner, Green will need to win the race and hope for problems for Hargrove.

In race 1 action for Canadian Touring Car, Remy Audette led early but dropped out around the halfway point, leaving Gary Kwok in the lead, with Scott Nichol quickly through into 2nd and pressing Kwok. In the closing laps Nichols began to fall back, eventually costing across the finish line in 2nd with a blow engine. After sorting out the points from race 1, Remy Audette's DNF handed a big points lead to Roger Ledoux, but Audette still has a mathematical chance going into the final race on Sunday.

In Touring action, Michel Sallenbach's top 10 gave him enough points to clinch the championship, and in B-Spec Rui Teixeira and Normand Boyer will also battle it out on Sunday for the Championship.

In feature action, Andrew Ranger took his 5th pole in 8 races at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and will look to gain as many points on Championship leader LP Dumoulin, who will start outside row 2 in 4th spot.

JR Fitzpatrick starts second and series interloper Marc-Antoine Camirand, running a limited schedule this year, will put himself in the thick of the championship battle by starting third.

DJ Kennington rounds out the top 5, while Scott Steckly, Jeff Lapcevich, Robin Buck, Kerry Micks and Alex Tagliani, with virtually no practice following a blown engine in the morning, round out the top 10.

In NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, the Canadians stole the show with Andrew Ranger fastest in final practice, and 3 Candians qualifying in the top 10.

Truck Series qualifying goes in 2 sessions, a first 30 minutes session for all trucks, with the top 12 moving on to a final 10 minute session for the pole.

Alex Tagliani made the most of his time on track, quickly setting the fastest time of the first session on his only flyer of the session, with Andrew Ranger right behind setting the 5th fastest time. Both drivers headed for the pits after their quick laps, confident that they would move on. Cameron Hayly, on the other hand was on the bubble for most of the session, sitting in 12th. While Tag and Ranger were sitting in the pits, Hayly was on track and put up his best lap of the session and moved up to 11th, and into the final session.

In session 2, Tagliani again make short work of the field, again posting his fastest lap on his only flyer, this time breaking the lap record in the process. Ranger ended up with the 6th fastest time and Cameron Hayly was 10th.

Last year's race, or at least the finish, will be tough to beat. If you remember, the two leaders took each other out into turn 10 for the final time, 3rd and 4th took each other out into turn 10 shortly afterward, all followed by the infamous "Skeen Slap" in the paddock after the race.

The Canadians are well placed to give us an equally memorable finish this year, for altogether different reasons, with both Tagliani and Ranger being legitimate contenders for the win, and Cameron Hayly certainly a darkhorse that wouldn't surprise anyone if he ended up on the podium.