LP Dumoulin has closed the gap to 2 points in the championship fight with JR Fitzpatrick coming into Edmonton. (Photo-Mike Sullivan/RaceCanada.ca)
Analyzing The Alberta Has Energy 300 At Edmonton International Raceway
Daytona Beach, Florida – The 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 will begin its annual western swing with the inaugural Alberta Has Energy 300 on Friday at Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the series and selected drivers:
Edmonton International Raceway Setup:
· Edmonton International Raceway will become the 11th different oval track to welcome the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 with Friday's maiden visit to the Alberta quarter-mile.
· D.J. Kennington and Scott Steckly have the most oval victories in series history with 16 and 15, respectively, while Jason Hathaway has won three of the last four circle track events.
· Five drivers entered for this week's Alberta Has Energy 300 have a chance to add Edmonton to their list of inaugural oval track victories: Steckly (Kawartha Speedway in 2007, Autodrome St. Eustache in 2008, Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in 2009), Kennington (Barrie Speedway in 2007, Delaware Speedway in 2009), Mark Dilley (Riverside International Speedway in 2007), J.R. Fitzpatrick (Motorplex Speedway in 2007) and Hathaway (Autodrome Chaudiere in 2014).
At Edmonton International Raceway:
· Opened in 1968 as a dirt track.
· Was paved for the first time in 1995, and for a second time within the last two weeks.
· The Alberta Has Energy 300 will be the inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 race at the facility. It will be the sixth all-time event in the province of Alberta following five previous contests at Edmonton City Centre Airport from 2007-12.
· Will become the 17th different facility all-time to play host to a NCATS event.
Edmonton International Raceway Data
Race #: 4 of 11
Track Layout: .25-mile asphalt oval
Banking/Straights: 4 degrees
Banking/Turns: 7 degrees
Race Length: 300 laps (75 miles)
TV Coverage: TSN - Sun., July 20, 3 p.m.; RDS2 - Sat., July 26, 3 p.m.
Select Driver Highlights:
Mark Dilley (No. 02 Johnsonville/Leland/BDI Ford)
· Has three wins, 28 top fives and 46 top 10s in 78 career NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 starts.
· Won the series' inaugural race at Riverside International Speedway in 2007. All three of his wins have come on ovals.
· Has competed in two of three races this year, highlighted by a runner-up finish at Autodrome Chaudiere.
L.P. Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge)
· The 2011 NCATS Rookie of the Year has two wins, a pole, 12 top fives and 20 top 10s in 40 career starts.
· Both of his career triumphs came at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in a 2013 season sweep of events at the road course. He became the first back-to-back winner there in series history.
· Is second in points with top-five finishes in all three races.
· Seven of his 20 career top-10 finishes have been earned on ovals with a best result of fifth in 2013 at Motorplex Speedway.
J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Equipment Express/Autism Speaks Chevrolet)
· Has nine wins, a series record 14 poles, 38 top fives and 56 top 10s in 81 career starts.
· Won the 2014 opener at CTMP to extend his series record for wins at the road course to four.
· Leads the championship standings by two tallies over Dumoulin. Has the CTMP win and a pair of additional top 10s.
· His first career win was the inaugural event at Motorplex in 2007. It remains his lone oval victory.
· Twenty of his 56 career top-10 finishes have been earned on ovals.
Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Rockstar Energy Drink/Fast Eddie Chevrolet)
· Has four wins and 54 top 10s in 90 career starts. Is one of three drivers to compete in every race in NCATS history.
· Ranks fourth in points with a win at Chaudiere and a top-10 last week at Circuit ICAR.
· All four of his career wins were earned on ovals, including three of his last four such starts.
· Seventeen of his 22 top-five finishes have come on circle tracks.
D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge)
· The 2010 and 2012 NCATS champion. Maintains series record for career wins (19), top fives (63), top 10s (75) and is one of three drivers to start each of the 90 all-time events. Also ranks second in series history in laps led (2,754) and fifth in poles (10).
· Holds the NCATS record for most career oval victories with 16. Has won at eight different circle tracks. All 10 of his career poles have been earned ovals.
· Has a streak of 53-consecutive races without at DNF. Last DNF came at Riverside International Speedway in 2007.
· Ranks third in points after three events with a best result of fifth in the CTMP opener.
Steve Mathews (No. 48 MidWest Combustion/Bill Mathews Motors Chevrolet)
· Has three poles and nine top 10s in 26 career starts. All nine of his top 10s have come at oval tracks.
· Has started two of three races this year. Tied his career-best finish with a third-place effort at Chaudiere after he captured the pole and led a career-high 64 laps.
Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Mopar/Exide Dodge)
· The 2007 and 2009 champion has 18 wins, 14 poles, 39 top fives and 55 top 10s in 64 career NCATS starts. Ranks second only to Kennington on the all-time wins list and is tied with Fitzpatrick for the series poles record.
· Of his 18 career triumphs, 15 have come on road courses, including last week at ICAR.
· His three oval track wins were all earned in 2009 (Motorplex, the former CTMP oval, Riverside). Has four additional career podium finishes on ovals.
· Jumped from 12th to fifth in points with last week's ICAR win. Has earned the pole in both road course races this year.
Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire/Sylvania Dodge)
· Has a series-leading three championships (2008, '11, '13) through the first seven years of NCATS competition.
· Owner of 15 wins, 12 poles, 55 top fives and 67 top 10s in 90 career starts. 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 3,319.
· All 15 of his career triumphs have come on ovals. He's won at eight different circle tracks.
· Ranks sixth in points after three races, highlighted by a fourth-place finish at Chaudiere.
Alex Tagliani (No. 18 EpiPen/Dicom Express Dodge)
· Has a win, four poles and seven top 10s in 18 career NCATS starts. The victory was earned at Edmonton City Centre Airport in 2008.
· Missed the CTMP opener to compete in Indianapolis 500 qualifying. Finished 14th at Chaudiere and fifth at ICAR.
· Best finish in six career oval starts was seventh at Barrie Speedway in 2008.
Erica Thiering (No. 72 Alberta Has Energy 300 Dodge)
· Made NCATS debut at Chaudiere and finished 13th. Became the seventh female driver to start a race in series history.
· Is a five-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Alberta provincial champion and track titlist at Edmonton International Raceway, a facility owned by her family.
Up To Speed:
· The 2014 season is the eighth for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1.
· The 2014 schedule features 11 races at 10 different tracks across five provinces.
· J.R. Fitzpatrick opened the campaign with a dominant victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on May 18. Andrew Ranger set the track record in qualifying.
· Steve Mathews earned his third career pole and Jason Hathaway took the checkered flag for the fourth time in his career on June 15 in the series' inaugural visit to Autodrome Chaudiere. The race was postponed one day due to rain.
· Ranger swept the weekend at Circuit ICAR with his second straight pole and third win in a row in the event on July 6.
· Following the Alberta Has Energy 300, the western swing will continue on July 16 with the Velocity Prairie Thunder 250 at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.