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- Category: Oval Racing
By: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
May 8, 2024
May 8, 2024
Indianapolis, Indiana – The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray 3LZ coupe – the quickest production Corvette in history – will lead the field to the green flag for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Designed for year-round performance, the Corvette E-Ray and its electrified All-Wheel Drive (eAWD) capability is up for any challenge, and the exterior and interior of the Corvette E-Ray will be on full display as the car fulfills responsibilities on and off the track.
“We are proud to announce the E-Ray, which is the first electrified and quickest production Corvette ever, will be pacing the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500,” said Scott Bell, global Chevrolet vice president. “As we often say, Chevrolet and INDYCAR share the same spirit of competition and performance-oriented, cutting-edge technology, making E-Ray the perfect fit to pace this year’s race.”
The Corvette E-Ray is the only sports car pairing two separate propulsion systems to provide naturally aspirated V-8 power with electrified responsiveness powered by eAWD, making it one like none. A 6.2L V-8 is complemented by the electric motor that channels an additional 160 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels for 655 combined horsepower.
The addition of the electric drive unit helps the E-Ray achieve incredible acceleration – from zero to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds before breezing through the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds. Stealth Mode enables the Corvette E-Ray to drive on electric power for up to 4 miles at speeds up to 45 mph.
The Corvette E-Ray features a host of functional design elements, adding wider fenders, quarter panels and fascias. The result is a sleek, sculpted presence with a number of aerodynamic and performance benefits. Standard ground effects and spoiler contribute further to its aerodynamic prowess, while matching body-color accents provide a refined look.
Arctic white exterior paint and two-tone jet black and natural interior accents, inspired by fighter jets, pair nicely with the Indianapolis 500 logos on the Pace Car. Carbon fiber wheels, with exclusive standard all-season tires, complete the car’s iconic, race-ready look and provide sure-footed performance in a variety of conditions.
“As we anticipate another record-breaking Indianapolis 500, it’s only fitting that the quickest production Corvette will pace the field,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “The performance enhancements tested on the track make their way to the street, and the Corvette E-Ray is a prime example of that Chevrolet innovation.”
Corvette is the longest-running car nameplate in automotive industry history, so it’s no surprise Corvette has paced “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” more times than any car. The 2024 race marks the 35th time for Chevrolet to pace dating back to 1948 and the 21st time overall, since 1978 for America’s favorite sports car.
Visit IMS.com for tickets and more information on all Month of May events and activities at IMS.
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, available in 80 countries. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
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- Category: Oval Racing
By: Sam Fellows Racing
May 7, 2024
May 7, 2024
Canadian racing team Fellows McGraw Racing (FMR) announced today their entry in the 2024 NASCAR Canada Series with Toronto racing driver Sam Fellows, son of Canadian motorsport legend Ron, driving the number 87 Chevrolet Camaro.
AER Manufacturing will continue to support the FMR team in 2024, along with Quebec-based mattress company Polysleep as a returning sponsor. New for 2024, Mobil 1 will join the team’s lineup of partners.
“I need to thank AER, Polysleep, and Mobil 1,” said Fellows. “It’s really cool to have such great partners with our new team and we feel blessed to be able to represent them at the track.”
For 2024, the FMR team partnered with McColl Racing Enterprises to build a brand-new road course car. FMR intends to compete at all four road course events in 2024, with Crew Chief Mike Knott returning to the squad.
“Mike has been working with us since my debut in this series in 2021,” Sam Fellows said. “We have a good rapport together and we’re excited to go into 2024 with this great crew that we’ve built and hopefully have a lot of fun with this new McColl race car.”
FMR was created part-way through the 2023 NASCAR Canada campaign and entered five races, with a best finish of 11th. The team is a collaboration between the Fellows and McGraw families, who have shared their passion in motorsport together since 1990.
“We’re proud of the progress that FMR has made as a team,” said Car Owner, Lynda Fellows. “It’s great to be working closely with McColl Racing Enterprises, their help and experience this year will be important as we continue to build up this program.”
The 2024 NASCAR Canada Series gets underway at the Fellows’s home track, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), on May long-weekend at the Castrol Victoria Day SpeedFest. Fellows’s best result at CTMP came in 2022 when he finished in ninth place.
The number 87 car livery for 2024 was designed with the help of Underdog Creative, and is an homage to Ron Fellows’s 1996 SCCA Trans Am Camaro which sported a similar design style with Sunoco/AER sponsorship. With the familiar NEMCO 87 number and AER colour-ways, the design pays tribute to the Fellows/AER history with Chevrolet Camaro cars in both Trans Am and NASCAR competition.
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- Category: Oval Racing
By: Paillé Course//Racing
April 30, 2024
April 30, 2024
Trois-Rivières, Quebec - Paillé Course//Racing launches today its 2024 season which will feature drivers Marc-Antoine Camirand and Andrew Ranger in the NASCAR Canada series, David and Daphnée Hébert on dirt, as well as Éric Coulombe in Super Production Challenge. The season opens this weekend at the RPM Speedway in Saint-Marcel-de-Richelieu, as the ONE team will be on the short dirt track.
In the NASCAR Canada series, Andrew Ranger will be back at the wheel of his legendary number 27 car, but it will be prepared by a whole new team, Innovation Auto Sport. Ranger will therefore race under the same shop as his fierce competitor Kevin Lacroix, as well as Raphaël Lessard and Mathieu Kingsbury.
“For 10 years now, I have been racing against Kevin Lacroix on the track, and he has always been a strong competitor. I am very excited and proud to join this new team, which will have Etienne Cliche, who made his mark in the NASCAR Cup with the 23XI team, as lead engineer,” mentioned Ranger, who is not aiming for anything less than his fourth NASCAR Canada championship.
Etienne Cliche will besides be the competition director for the new Innovation Autosport team. “I believe that, as a team, if we develop new things to be more competitive and if we get our competitors to also want to become better, the NASCAR Canada series can only benefit from it. With my experience in the highest division of NASCAR and my knowledge of the motorsports industry, I believe I can bring some notoriety to the NASCAR Canada series and possibly inspire some people to get involved professionally,” Cliche said.
Marc-Antoine Camirand will also be back on track and aims to regain the title that he won in 2022, at the wheel of his n°96 GM Paillé/Chevrolet Canada Camaro. He will also be at the wheel of a brand-new road course car, built entirely at his own Camirand Performance workshop.
“After winning the championship in 2022, we had another great season in 2023, finishing second. We fully intend to secure a second championship in the NASCAR Canada series for me, and for Paillé Course//Racing,” Camirand said.
In addition to the NASCAR Canada series, Paillé Course//Racing will be competing in dirt stock cars, with the most crowned team on dirt in Canada, the ONE. David Hébert will try to defend his title at Autodrome Granby, in addition to participating throughout the season at RPM Speedway in Saint-Marcel-de-Richelieu.
David's daughter, Daphnée Hébert, will also race for Paillé Course//Racing team, in the Sportsman category. After being named rookie of the year in 2023 at Autodrome Granby, she wants not only to gain experience, but to collect top-5 and podiums finishes in this competitive category bringing together up-and-coming drivers.
Finally, Éric Coulombe will be back with Paillé Course//Racing in the Super Production Challenge series. His season will consist of 14 races in five events in Quebec and Ontario. Coulombe will be at the wheel of a Chevrolet Sonic, in the Compact category.
With this involvement in various racing series competing across Canada, GM Paillé reiterates its confidence in motorsport as a promotional vehicle.
“At Paillé, we are passionate, just like everyone involved in motorsports. For us, Paillé Course//Racing allows our image to shine across Canada, in addition to carrying the values of professionalism, perseverance and desire for victory,” commented Jean-Claude Paillé, president of GM Paillé.
Paillé Course//Racing season will begin this Friday, May 3rd, at the RPM Speedway, with David Hébert in Modified and Daphnée Hébert in Sportsman. The season of Marc-Antoine Camirand and Andrew Ranger in NASCAR Canada, and of Éric Coulombe in Super Production Challenge, will begin on May 18th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, for the Victoria Day Speedfest.
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- Category: Oval Racing
By: NASCAR Canada
May 3, 2024
May 3, 2024
Bowmanville, Ontario - NASCAR Canada drivers, officials, and staff assembled bright and early last Thursday morning for an all-day, pre-season testing event. Hosted at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), in Bowmanville, 25 drivers took to the track for a full day of racing activity.
2022 Champion Marc-Antoine Camirand set the quickest lap in his #96 GM Paillé Chevrolet Canada machine, while Kevin Lacroix followed suit in his #74 NAPA Auto Parts Dodge, only 0.037 behind the leader. Only a few tenths separated the Top 5, with the #27 GM Paillé Chevrolet Canada of Andrew Ranger setting the third fastest lap time, with Daniel Bois (#31 Sierra Excavating/Desousa Railing Chevrolet) right on his tail. Alex Labbé rounded up the Top 5 in his #36 AB Express/Glasurit/Sherwin-Williams Chevrolet.
“We had a pretty good practice session in this brand new car that we just finished yesterday,” said Marc-Antoine Camirand as practice concluded. “We made some adjustments throughout the day that really paid off. We feel confident with the car going into the first race.”
Kevin Lacroix stated that, “We came in with a newly assembled team and a new teammate. We struggled at the beginning of the day, but were able to make some set up changes to be ready for the race.”
His new teammate Andrew Ranger had a great time on track, clearly happy with his new program, “It was unbelievably fun,” exclaimed the 2019 champion. “ We have a new crew chief, new teammates, new cars and a wicked new wrap. To have a seasoned teammate like Kevin (Lacroix) is amazing. It was a great way to start the season. I know it was just a test day, but this feels good.”
“To be back to testing and to feel the enthusiasm is exciting” said Alan Labrosse, General Manager of NASCAR Canada. “ We are filled with optimism that this racing season will exceed all expectations.”
There was a mix of young guns and seasoned veterans present on track. Amongst them were D.J. Kennington, Jason Hathaway, J.F. Dumoulin, L.P. Dumoulin, Alex Tagliani, Dexter Stacey, Jacques Guenette Sr., and Sam Fellows took part in the practice session.
2023 Rookie of the Year Thomas Nepveu was also in attendance, with J.P. Bergeron, Glen Styres, rookie drivers Simon Charbonneau and Herby Drescher, Danny Chisholm, newcomer Steve Cote, Michael Goudie, Wallace Stacey, Domenic Scrivo, Ben Couture and Malcolm Strachan.
The 2024 season comprises 13 races; four in Ontario and in Quebec and travelling to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The season starts on May 19th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Fans at home can catch the action on the TSN+ app and FloSports.
For more information and updates on NASCAR Canada, please visit nascar.ca or follow us on social media:
Instagram: @NASCARCanadaseries
X: @NASCARPintys
Facebook: NASCAR Canada Series
About NASCAR
Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series).
The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
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- Category: Oval Racing
By: Thomas Nepveu Motorsport
April 22, 2024
April 22, 2024
Oka, Quebec - It is with great pleasure that Thomas Nepveu announces his return to NASCAR Canada with the Jacombs Racing for the upcoming season. The 19-year-old driver will be back for a second consecutive year in Canada's premier series.
He will be behind the wheel of the #24 Richelieu | Home Hardware | Cromwell car over the course of thirteen rounds, which will take place across twelve tracks throughout Canada. Last season he was awarded with the title of Rookie of the Year, thanks in part to two 7th-place finishes and two 8th-place finishes.
This season, he's aiming for a Top 5 finish at every event. "Last year I learned a lot from racing in this highly competitive field, and this year I'm looking forward to putting it all to good use," said Thomas Nepveu. "I can't wait to get back on track at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in May, it's a track I know very well now. It’s a very quick track that I feel comfortable on. We'll have a good car for the race!"
"I'm grateful to my wonderful partners who have supported me for several years now," continued the young Oka-based driver. "I'm delighted to be able to wear their colours this season.” Additionally, Richelieu, Cromwell and Home Hardware, CGC, Gilfor, Paro Info, Pétrole Bélanger, Trunorth and BP will be joining him in this venture.
This year, Nepveu will have the opportunity to drive two different cars: a bold red car for the oval races, and a striking yellow car for the road course events.
Although Nepveu is no longer a rookie driver, he will be racing on some new tracks this season; "last year I missed the race in Newfoundland, and at the time the series didn't have a round in Antigonish either," he affirmed. "I'll also be experiencing Autodrome Montmagny for the first time in the season finale, so I'm really looking forward to what’s to come, which will likely look very different from what I did last year."
The goal the season prior was to familiarize himself with the field and discover the series, but this year he's aiming to be at the front of the pack; "NASCAR Canada is a very tough series, but last year I proved I belonged in the Top 10, so I'm aiming for 5th place finishes or better, and podiums this season."