Series Returns To The Road With Ecko Unlimited 100
Ranger Rules At Quebec Road Circuits

Daytona Beach, Florida – Quebec’s native son has protected his home turf like no other.

Of the 18 previous NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 road course races held in the province, 10 have been won by Roxton Pond’s Andrew Ranger. That includes three of the four all-time contests at Circuit ICAR, site of this week’s Ecko Unlimited 100.

“I’m very happy to go back to ICAR,” Ranger said. “It’s a nice track and facility and it’s close to home so many family and friends are coming to watch me.

“It’s a track where I like to race. It’s very slippery, but it’s going to be fun.”

Ontario’s Robin Buck won the inaugural ICAR event in 2011, but the circuit has been under Ranger’s rule since. The polesitter in 2013 and 2014, Ranger has led 71 of the last 91 laps turned at the 2.113-mile Mirabel circuit en route to victory the last three years.

“Last year we found a really good setup, and I’ve won three of four races there, so I’m very comfortable with that track,” said Ranger.

The 2007 and 2009 series champion also has wins in four of eight races at Circuit de Trois-Rivieres and three of six at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in his native Quebec.

RACE: Ecko Unlimited 100
PLACE: Circuit ICAR, Mirabel, Que.
DATE: Sunday, July 5
TIME: 2:45 p.m. ET
TELECAST: TSN – July 11 at 1 p.m. ET; RDS – July 25 at 2 p.m.
TRACK LAYOUT: 2.113-mile, 14-turn airport road course
2014 POLESITTER/WINNER: Andrew Ranger
EVENT SCHEDULE: Saturday – Practice 10:45-11:15 a.m., Final Practice 11:55 a.m.-12:25 p.m., Qualifying 3:25 p.m.; Sunday – Driver Autograph Session 1:05 p.m.
TRACK TWITTER: @icarxp
EVENT TWITTER HASHTAG: #Ecko100

Fast Facts:

The Race: The Ecko Unlimited 100 is the fourth event of the 2014 season for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 and the second of four road course events on the schedule. This is the series’ fifth all-time visit to Circuit ICAR.

The Procedure: The starting field is 30 cars, including provisionals. The first 25 cars will qualify through NASCAR Road Race (group) qualifying. The remaining five spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 30 laps covering 63.37 miles (102 kilometers).

The Track: Circuit ICAR is located northwest of Montreal, Quebec, on the grounds of Montreal-Mirabel Airport, which has been closed to commercial flights since 2004. The complex has over three kilometers of road circuits with multiple configurations, a quarter-mile drag strip, skid pad, drift park, autocross track and a one-kilometer karting track designed by Jacques Villeneuve.

The Pole Winners: Alex Tagliani was the inaugural event’s pole winner in 2011. Andrew Ranger, who has earned the pole the last two years, set the track record in 2013 at 95.938 seconds (79.289 mph).

The Race Winners: The first ICAR event saw Robin Buck take the checkered flag and Ranger was victorious in the three subsequent races in Mirabel.

Ecko Unlimited 100 Notes:

Challenging Schedule Ahead: Following a long offseason, and just three events since the season began in mid-May, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 schedule will kick into high gear this week. Starting with the Ecko Unlimited 100, the Canadian Tire Series will contest three events in a span of 11 calendar days. Following Circuit ICAR, the annual western swing will take the series to Alberta on July 11 at Edmonton International Raceway and to Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon on July 15. The series will actually have five races in 29 days with a return to Quebec for Autodrome St. Eustache on July 27 and Circuit de Trois-Rivieres on Aug. 2.

Second of Four Road Course Races: ICAR will play host to the second of four road course events for the Canadian Tire Series in 2015. The season opened at Ontario’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on May 17, and the series will return there on Aug. 30. The third of four road course races will be contested at Trois-Rivieres.

Tagliani Looks to Maintain Momentum: Famed Quebec racer Alex Tagliani will look to pick up where he left off in the last Canadian Tire Series race at Sunset Speedway on June 20 where he lapped the field en route to his first series oval victory. Polesitter for the inaugural ICAR event in 2011, Tagliani has finishes of eighth and fifth in his two appearances at the airport course. His other Canadian Tire Series win was earned on a runway layout as well, in 2008 at Edmonton City Centre Airport.

Hathaway, Steckly Still Seek Road Win: As two of the three drivers that have participated in all 101 previous Canadian Tire Series events, Jason Hathaway and Scott Steckly have by default ran all 36 road course races. Unlike the third of that trio – D.J. Kennington – Hathaway and Steckly have yet to capture a road course checkered flag. Steckly, a 16-time oval track winner, has posted four road course runner-up finishes, including ICAR in 2013. Six-time oval victor Hathaway has a best career road course finish of second at Edmonton in 2012.

Klutt’s Impressive Start: In a veteran-laden series, Jostens Rookie of the Year contender Gary Klutt has posted an impressive start to the season. The run started with a victory in the opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and top-10 finishes at ovals Autodrome Chaudiere and Sunset have followed. Entering ICAR, where he finished eighth last year in his first appearance at the track, Klutt is only four points behind championship leader Hathaway.