NCATS

Analyzing The Ecko Unlimited 100 At Circuit ICAR.
 
 
By: NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
July 1 2015
 

Daytona Beach, Florida – The 2015 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 returns to the road with the fifth annual Ecko Unlimited 100 at Circuit ICAR on Sunday in Mirabel, Quebec. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the series and selected drivers:

Ecko Unlimited 100 Setup:

· Andrew Ranger has been victorious in each of the three previous seasons at Circuit ICAR, and was two laps away from winning the inaugural 2011 event before being involved in an accident.

· Ranger has won 10 of the 18 road course events in series history contested in his native Quebec: three at ICAR, three at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, four at Circuit de Trois-Rivieres.

· Although neither has a win at ICAR, L.P. Dumoulin and Scott Steckly have both posted a series-best average finish of 3.5 there through the first four races.

At Circuit ICAR:

History

· The International Center of Advanced Racing (ICAR) is located on the grounds of Montreal-Mirabel International Airport, which closed to passenger flights in 2004.

· The racing facilities began operation in 2008 as a private club, and competition was opened to the public in 2009.

· The complex includes facilities for auto and motorbike racing, drag racing and karting.

Notebook

· Robin Buck won the inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 event at Circuit ICAR on June 5, 2011. Alex Tagliani was the series’ first ICAR pole winner.

· Andrew Ranger has won the three subsequent races at ICAR in 2012-14. He led wire-to-wire in 2013.

· Qualifying was rained out in 2012. Ranger’s pole-winning effort in 2013 established the track record.

· Ranger has led 60-percent (75/124) of the total laps contested in the first three ICAR races.

· Dodge has been the winning manufacturer for all four previous NCATS ICAR events.

Circuit ICAR Data

Race #: 4 of 11
Track Layout: 2.113-mile, 14-turn road course
Race Length: 30 laps (63.37 miles/102 kilometers)
Telecast: TSN – July 11 at 1 p.m. ET; RDS – July 25 at 2 p.m.

Qualifying/Race Data
2014 Race Winner: Andrew Ranger, Dodge, 69.596 mph, 54 mins. 39 secs.
2014 Pole Winner: Andrew Ranger, Dodge, 79.274 mph, 95.956 secs.
Qualifying Record: Andrew Ranger, Dodge, 79.289 mph, 95.938 seconds, July 7, 2013

Active Category Leaders at Circuit ICAR:
Wins
1. Andrew Ranger ... 3
2. Robin Buck ... 1

Poles
1. Andrew Ranger ... 2
Alex Tagliani ... 1

Top Fives
1. L.P. Dumoulin ... 4
2. Andrew Ranger ... 3
Scott Steckly ... 3

Top 10s
1. L.P. Dumoulin ... 4
Scott Steckly ... 4
3. Jeff Lapcevich ... 3
Andrew Ranger ... 3

Laps Led
1. Andrew Ranger ... 75
2. Alex Tagliani ... 24
3. D.J. Kennington ... 6

Laps Completed
1. L.P. Dumoulin ... 124 (all)
D.J. Kennington ... 124
Andrew Ranger ... 124
Scott Steckly ... 124

Starts
1. nine drivers ... 4 (all)

Select Driver Highlights:

Patrice Brisebois (No. 71 Jiffy Lube Quebec Dodge)

· Has participated in 12 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 races since 2009.

· Best career finish is 12th, recorded at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2009 and Circuit de Trois-Rivieres in 2013.

· Has finishes of 17th (2011) and 21st (2014) in two previous appearances at Circuit ICAR.

J.F. Dumoulin (No. 04 Bernier Crepeau Chrysler/Bellemare Dodge)

· Has 11 top 10s in 22 career NCATS starts with a best finish of third at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this May.

· Twenty of his 22 appearances have come on road courses, where he’s posted an average finish of 13th.

· Has an average finish of 13th and a best result of seventh (2012) across the four previous ICAR events.

L.P. Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge)

· The 2014 NCATS Champion and 2011 Rookie of the Year has four wins, a pole, 18 top fives and 31 top 10s in 51 career starts.

· Has three wins, 12 top fives, 15 top 10s and an average finish of 10th in 23 career road course starts.

· Has registered finishes of fourth, fourth, third and third in the four previous ICAR races.

Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Fast Eddie/Choko/HGC Chevrolet)

· Has six wins and 62 top 10s in 101 career starts. Is one of three drivers to compete in every race in NCATS history.

· All six of his wins have come on ovals, where he has posted 45 top 10s in 65 starts.

· Has 16 top 10s, an average finish of 14th and a best result of second (Edmonton City Centre Airport, 2012) in 36 career road course starts.

· In the four ICAR events he’s posted an average finish of 17th with a best showing of ninth (2014).

D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge)

· The 2010 and 2012 NCATS champion. Maintains series record for career wins (tied-19), top fives (69) and top 10s (84), and is one of three drivers to start each of the 101 all-time events. Also ranks second in series history in laps led (2,754) and fifth in poles (10).

· Has a streak of 64-consecutive races without at DNF. Last DNF came at Riverside International Speedway in 2009.

· Has two wins, 24 top fives, 28 top 10s and an average finish of seventh in 36 career road course starts.

· In the four ICAR events he’s recorded an average finish of 11th with a best result of fifth (2012).

Gary Klutt (No. 59 CLT Corp./Legendary Motorcar Chevrolet)

· Has a win, two poles and six top 10s in nine career NCATS starts.

· Has a win and a pole (CTMP, May 2015), four top 10s and an average finish of 10th in six career road races.

· Finished eighth last year in his ICAR debut.

Alex Labbe (No. 36 Lou’s BBQ/Cathcart Trucking Dodge)

· Has two poles, three top fives and six top 10s in 11 career starts with a best finish of second, recorded twice.

· In seven career road course starts he has three top 10s, an average finish of 15th and a best result of fourth.

· Has finishes of sixth, 11th and fourth at ICAR the three previous seasons.

Kerry Micks (No. 02 Johnsonville/Leland/Dickies Ford)

· Has three wins, four poles and 52 top 10s in 83 career starts.

· Has competed in 35 of the 36 all-time road course events with two wins, a pole, 21 top 10s and an average finish of 10th. The only road race he missed was due to illness last year at ICAR.

· Finished 19th, 21st and seventh in the first three NCATS events at ICAR.

Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Mopar/Pennzoil Dodge)

· The 2007 and 2009 champion is tied for the series’ all-time wins lead (19) and ranks second in poles (15). Has 44 top fives and 62 top 10s in 75 career starts.

· Has competed in 33 of the 36 all-time road course races and maintains series records for wins (15), poles (15), top fives (27), top 10s (30), races led (26), laps led (427), average start (3.8) and average finish (3.8).

· Finished 21st in the inaugural ICAR event, and has won the subsequent three, including the last two from the pole. Has led 71 of the 91 laps contested during those three triumphs.

· Currently holds the series’ record for consecutive wins at a track with three (ICAR, 2012-14; Trois-Rivieres, 2008-10).

Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge)

· Has a series-leading three championships (2008, `11, `13) through the first eight years of NCATS competition.

· Owner of 16 wins, 13 poles, 61 top fives and 74 top 10s. His top fives and top 10s totals rank second all-time while his wins and poles sit third in the record book. Is the all-time leader in laps led at 3,953 and is one of three drivers to start each of the 101 all-time events.

· Has three poles, 20 top fives, 29 top 10s and an average finish of ninth in 36 road course starts. Has been a runner-up on the road on four occasions, including twice at ICAR.

· Has finishes of second, third, second and seventh in the four ICAR events.

Alex Tagliani (No. 18 EpiPen/CGI/CanTorque Chevrolet)

· Has two wins, five poles, eight top fives and 11 top 10s in 27 career NCATS starts.

· Has a win (Edmonton, 2008), four poles, five top fives and an average finish of 16th in 14 road course starts.

· Earned the inaugural ICAR pole and has finishes of eighth (2011) and fifth (2014) there.

Other Driver Notes

· Marc-Antoine Camirand’s best finish (third, CTMP, May 2015) and one pole (Trois-Rivieres, 2014) were both recorded on road courses.

· Anthony Simone’s best career finish is second, recorded three times, all in road course events (CTMP, 2009; Trois-Rivieres, 2009; Edmonton, 2010).

· Trevor Seibert’s personal best are third place finishes on road circuits (Trois-Rivieres, 2007; Edmonton, 2012).

· Elie Arseneau’s best finish in 11 career starts is 12th, recorded in 2011 at ICAR, a facility owned by his family.

Up To Speed:

· The 2015 season is the ninth for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1.

· The 2015 schedule features 11 races at 10 different tracks across five provinces.

· Rookie Gary Klutt won the season-opening Pinty’s presents the Clarington 200 from the pole at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on May 17.

· Jason Hathaway reached Budweiser 300 Victory Lane for the second year in a row at Autodrome Chaudiere on June 13.

· Alex Tagliani earned his first NCATS oval victory on June 20 when he won the inaugural Sunset Speedway event.

· Following Circuit ICAR the series will make its annual Western Swing to Edmonton International Raceway (July 11) and Auto Clearing Motor Speedway (July 15).