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October 18, 2022
Daytona Beach, Florida — NASCAR announced long-time Canadian motorsports executive Tony Spiteri has been named General Manager of NASCAR Canada. In this newly created role, Spiteri will be responsible for growing all facets of NASCAR in Canada, including the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, the largest national motorsports series in the country.
Spiteri, who will be based out of Burlington Ontario, has been involved in Canadian motorsports for more than three decades including most recently as President and Chief Commercial Officer of Freshstone Brands. As a Senior Vice President and Shareholder at Pinty’s Delicious Foods, Spiteri brought the CPG brand to NASCAR leading to the current partnership and entitlement of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series. Earlier this year NASCAR announced a five-year extension with Pinty’s (now part of Olymel LP), which became entitlement partner of the series in 2016.
“NASCAR has a strong dedicated fanbase in Canada and Tony is the right person to take our efforts to the next level,” said Chad Seigler, NASCAR Vice President of International. “Tony’s experience and relationships in the industry will be invaluable in aligning our existing stakeholders and elevating the NASCAR Pinty’s Series – and the entire sport – to the next level in Canada.”
“NASCAR has a loyal foundation in Canada led by our Coast-to-Coast fans, teams, drivers and tracks in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series,” Spiteri said. “Working even more closely together, we can continue to grow our country’s largest racing series and continue to bring exciting side-by-side NASCAR racing to even more audiences. I’m honored to continue to build the NASCAR Canada team with our full focus on growing our the sport.”
The NASCAR Pinty’s Series races at some of the most iconic tracks and high-profile backdrops in Canada, including Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) during the track’s traditional Victoria Day weekend event, the streets of Toronto and the historic Grand Prix Trois Rivieres (GP3R). In addition, the series made its long-anticipated dirt debut at Ohsweken Speedway earlier this year as well as a trip to Eastbound International Speedway as part of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Come Home 2022 celebration, the series’ first race in the province.
All NASCAR Pinty’s Series races air on TSN and RDS in Canada and FloSports in the United States.
In addition to the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, NASCAR sanctions races at six Canadian tracks in three provinces as part of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series – Autodrome Chaudiere Valle Jonction (Quebec), Autodrome Granby (Quebec), Circuit ICAR (Mirabel, Quebec), Eastbound International Speedway (St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador), Edmonton International Raceway and RPM Speedway (Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec).
Fans can stay connected to the NASCAR Pinty’s Series – and all things NASCAR in Canada – at www.nascar.ca, on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram.
Tony Spiteri nommé directeur général de NASCAR Canada
Daytona Beach, Florida — NASCAR annonce aujourd'hui la nomination de M. Tony Spiteri, un directeur de longue date dans le sport motorisé canadien, comme directeur général de NASCAR Canada. Dans ce poste nouvellement créé, M. Spiteri dirigera la croissance de tous les volets de NASCAR au Canada, y compris la série NASCAR Pinty's, la plus importante série de courses automobile au pays.
M. Spiteri, basé à Burlington (Ontario), est actif dans le sport automobile canadien depuis plus de trente ans, plus récemment comme président et directeur commercial de Freshstone Brands. Comme premier vice-président et actionnaire de Pinty's Delicious Foods, il a intoduit cette marque de produits de consommation chez NASCAR, ce qui a mené au partenariat actuel en 2016 et à la création de la série NASCAR Pinty's la même année. Plus tôt en 2022, NASCAR a annoncé une prolongation de cinq ans de ce partenariat avec Pinty's (qui fait maintenant partie d'Olymel SEC).
"NASCAR a su créer au fil des années une base d'amateurs inconditionnels au Canada et Tony est la personne idéale pour faire passer nos efforts au niveau supérieur", a déclaré Chad Seigler, vice-président à l'International de NASCAR. "L'expérience et les réseaux de contacts de Tony dans l'industrie contribueront à l'évolution positive de nos relations avec les parties prenantes déjà en place et à élever la série NASCAR Pinty's - et le sport tout entier au Canada - au niveau supérieur."
"NASCAR a su se bâtir une infrastructure solide et fidèle au Canada, basée sur l’intérêt de nos amateurs, équipes, pilotes et pistes de la série NASCAR Pinty's, et ce, d'un océan à l'autre", a déclaré M. Spiteri. "En travaillant encore plus étroitement ensemble, nous pouvons continuer de développer la plus grande série de courses de notre pays et à présenter des courses NASCAR passionnantes à un public encore plus nombreux. Je suis honoré de continuer à bâtir l'équipe de NASCAR Canada en me concentrant entièrement sur la croissance de notre sport."
La série NASCAR Pinty's présente ses courses sur les circuits les plus emblématiques et dans des décors les plus en vue du Canada, notamment au Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) lors du traditionnel week-end de la fête de Dollard, dans les rues de Toronto et sur le circuit légendaire du Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R). En outre, la série a fait ses débuts très attendus sur terre battue à Ohsweken Speedway plus tôt cette année, ainsi qu'un voyage au Eastbound International Speedway dans le cadre de la grande fête Come Home 2022 de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador, une première pour la série dans cette province.
Toutes les courses de la série NASCAR Pinty's sont diffusées sur TSN et RDS au Canada et sur FloSports aux États-Unis.
En plus de la série NASCAR Pinty's, NASCAR sanctionne des courses sur six circuits canadiens (dans trois provinces) dans le cadre de la série hebdomadaire NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series : Autodrome Chaudière Vallée-Jonction (Québec), Autodrome Granby (Québec), Circuit ICAR (Mirabel, Québec), Eastbound International Speedway (St. John's, Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador), Edmonton International Raceway et le RPM Speedway (Saint-Marcel-de-Richelieu,Québec).
Les amateurs peuvent suivre de près tout ce qui concerne la série NASCAR Pinty's ainsi que toutes les autres activités de NASCAR au Canada sur le site www.nascar.ca, ainsi que sur Twitter, Facebook et Instagram.
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July 16, 2022
Toronto, Ontario – The highly-anticipated return to the streets of Toronto at Exhibition Place on Friday drew many excited fans to the track. The Grand Prix of Toronto saw Alex Tagliani finish 5th and Treyten Lapcevich finish 10th.
During the dual practice/qualifying session Tagliani established an excellent pace in his No. 18 Viagra / St Hubert Chevrolet Camaro with the 3rd fastest time. Being only Treyten Lapcevich’s first time racing on the streets of Toronto it took him some time to find his rhythm, but he was able to qualify 13th in his No. 20 FBM / RGC Sports / Qwick Wick Chevrolet Camaro.
“Being able to talk to Tag and talk to my dad and all those guys after practice, it helped to pick up some pointers to take into the race,” Lapcevich said.
Hoping he could come back to the streets of Toronto strong, Tagliani was ready to get racing at the Grand Prix of Toronto. After his 1st place finish at Exhibition Place in 2019, he was looking to achieve his first win of the 2022 season.
At 4:00 p.m. the command to start the engines was given and the Grand Prix of Toronto was finally underway. The race featured numerous cautions, preventing the drivers from finding any sort of consistency on the track. Lapcevich began to find his footing and was able to make his way up to 10th position. Tagliani was driving hard to get up to the front, but got caught up in an aggressive restart and was shuffled back. He managed to finish 5th, but felt that he never got the chance to showcase the real speed he and the car had.
This put Tagliani 4th in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series championship points standings and Lapcevich 5th.
Next The NASCAR Pinty’s Series and 22 Racing Team will be heading out on their Western swing to Edmonton International Raceway on Saturday July 23rd, and to Sutherland Automotive Speedway in Saskatoon for twin 125s on Wednesday July 27th.
About 22 Racing
22 Racing is owned by Four-Time NASCAR Pinty’s Series Champion and Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Inductee Scott Steckly. 22 Racing provides highly competitive race cars built in their world-class 7,500 square foot Milverton-based facility and maintained by a team of highly experienced crew members. 22 Racing offers turnkey solutions that range from research and development, construction, testing, logistics to marketing support.
Visit 22racing.ca for additional details and a list of previous notable drivers the team has prepared cars for.
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July 14, 2022
Milverton, Ontario – The NASCAR Pinty’s Series is heading back to a road course tomorrow for the return of the Grand Prix of Toronto after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. Racing will take place on Friday, July 15th at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto, with free admission in support of Make A Wish Canada. The 1.786-mile street circuit with 11 turns is sure to host an exciting race!
Going into the race weekend Treyten Lapcevich is 5th in the 2022 NASCAR Pinty’s Series points standings, and Alex Tagliani is in 7th. In such a competitive series, both drivers are hungry to gain more points in their runs for the championship.
Alex Tagliani’s unquestioned road course talent was highlighted when he secured 1st place the last time the NASCAR Pinty’s Series visited Exhibition Place in 2019. In addition to his 2019 win, Tagliani also claimed the top spot at Exhibition Place in 2016. Still chasing his first 1st-place finish of the 2022 season, he is eager to get racing on the streets of Toronto in his No. 18 Viagra / St Hubert Chevrolet Camaro.
While The Grand Prix of Toronto will be Treyten Lapcevich’s first visit to Exhibition Place, his 3rd-place finish at CTMP in 2021 and his 2nd-place qualifying position at CTMP this year, show that although he may be new to road courses he has proven himself to be a top contender. After finishing 2nd at Eastbound International Speedway, Lapcevich is looking for another solid finish this weekend with his No. 20 FBM / RGC Sports / Qwick Wick Chevrolet Camaro.
Raceday kicks off with a practice and qualifying session at 10:15 a.m., followed by autograph session from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.. The NASCAR Pinty’s Series Grand Prix of Toronto will green at 4:00 p.m..
The race will be 35 laps (61.4 miles), with no mandatory pit stops. In the event of rain, the race will go on as the cars will be equipped for wet weather conditions.
The Grand Prix of Toronto will be streamed LIVE on TSN.ca, the TSN app, and Flo Racing in the United States.
This season the NASCAR Pinty’s Series races on oval tracks and road courses in Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. For more information and updates throughout the season, please visit www.22racing.ca and NASCAR.ca.
For the complete 2022 Pinty’s Series Schedule please visit https://www.nascar.ca/schedule/
About 22 Racing
22 Racing is owned by Four-Time NASCAR Pinty’s Series Champion and Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Inductee Scott Steckly. 22 Racing provides highly competitive race cars built in their world-class 7,500 square foot Milverton-based facility and maintained by a team of highly experienced crew members. 22 Racing offers turnkey solutions that range from research and development, construction, testing, logistics to marketing support.
Visit 22racing.ca for additional details and a list of previous notable drivers the team has prepared cars for.
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July 14, 2022
Four races into the 2022 NASCAR Pinty’s Series season and a clear championship favourite has emerged.
Marc-Antoine Camirand (No. 22 GM Paillé Chevrolet) has taken the series by storm with his new GM Paillé Racing Team, currently leading the standings by 10 points.
The St. Leonard d'Aston, Que., native has had one of the cars to beat in every race but only one win to show for it.
“We have shown that we can run up front since the beginning of the season,” Camirand said. “I’m so happy for my team at Camirand Performance that has been working so hard. I couldn’t be prouder of them."
Camirand has led the most laps at all three oval races (203 of 252 at Sunset Speedway, 92 of 250 at Autodrome Chaudiere and 138 of 225 at Eastbound International Speedway). He finally captured his first checkered flag of the season at Eastbound; he finished fourth at Sunset after an Overtime incident and was runner-up at Chaudiere.
With attention turned to the streets of Toronto, Camirand has some unfinished business to take care of.
He was in contention for the 2019 win, the last time the series raced at the track. Camirand took the lead from Alex Tagliani (No. 18 Viagra/St-Hubert/QwickWick Chevrolet) on a late restart but wrecked just a few turns later before getting back to the start/finish line. Tagliani went on to win in Overtime while Camirand was resigned to a 16th-place finish.
“I want to go there and finish what we started in 2019,” Camirand said. “Let’s do it!”
While Camirand’s only road course performance of 2022 is also his worst finish – 14th at CTMP – It isn’t quite what it seems. After leading the first ten laps of the race a punctured tire forced Camirand to pit early, taking him off the lead lap.
Camirand then fought his way back up into fifth, but with five to go, ran out of fuel, eventually coming to a stop along the straightaway.
“We were the fastest on track at that time,” Camirand said after the race. “I got back on the lead lap, but from that moment, we were hoping for a caution so I could pit for fuel. If a caution would have happened at that time, I’m sure that we had a shot for the win.”
Based on his early season dominance, expect Camirand to have his shot at the Toronto win to finish what he started.
Look for series veterans to reemerge at Toronto
The NASCAR Pinty’s Series trip to Canada’s largest city also brings the largest spotlight of the year. And when the lights are brightest, the stars shine.
There have been six Toronto races in series history and Andrew Ranger (No. 27 GM Paillé Chevrolet), Alex Tagliani and Kevin Lacroix (No. 74 Lacroix Tuning/La Boulonnerie Dodge) – three of the series’ winningest drivers – are the only winners.
Ranger has a series-leading three wins in Toronto including the first two races in 2010 and ’11 before the series took a five-year hiatus from the circuit. He followed that with a thrilling win over Tagliani in ’18, a race that Tagliani had thoroughly dominated.
Ranger could use a strong Toronto finish; he currently sits 13th in the standings. His Chaudiere win is his only top-10 finish this season. In six Toronto starts, Ranger has three wins and two runner-up finishes.
Tagliani, seventh in the standings, has two Toronto wins – 2016 and 2019. Lacroix won in 2017.
Twenty-five cars entered for the Grand Prix of Toronto
The return to a full season and traditional cross-country schedule has come with the added bonus of a higher car count across the board.
Twenty-five cars are entered in Friday’s race, the highest Toronto car count since 2016.
“We’ve been really encouraged by both the car counts and quality of cars and drivers that have participated so far this season,” said Cherie Putnam, NASCAR Pinty’s Series Director. “Most importantly, our drivers have put on four tremendous races for our fans, and we expect this weekend’s race in Toronto to continue that trend.”
Each race this season has seen higher car counts. There were 25 cars at CTMP, the highest since 2018. The race at Autodrome Chaudière set a track record with 23 cars.
Race Grand Prix of Toronto
Date / Start Time Friday, June 15, 2022 / 4 p.m. ET
Track / Location Exhibition Place (Toronto, ON)
TV TSN: TBA / RDS2 TBA
Live Stream Canada: TSN.ca / TSN app; USA: FloRacing
Fans can stay connected to the NASCAR Pinty’s Series – and all things NASCAR in Canada – www.nascar.ca, on Twitter, Facebookand Instagram.
Nouvelles et notes – Série NASCAR Pinty’s – Toronto
Marc-Antoine Camirand, est le favori du début de saison et bâtit graduellement pour le championnat 2022
Quatre courses après le début de la saison 2022 en série NASCAR Pinty's, un pilote émerge du peloton pour le titre.
Marc-Antoine Camirand (Paillé Course//Racing no 22) a pris la série d'assaut cette saison et mène par 19 points au championnat des pilotes.
Le vétéran originaire de Saint-Léonard d'Aston, au Québec, pilotait parmi les voitures à battre à chaque course, toutefois, il n'a remporté qu'une seule victoire cette saison.
« Nous avons démontré que nous pouvons rouler en tête de peloton depuis le début de la saison », a déclaré Camirand. « Je suis très heureux pour mon équipe Camirand Performance qui a travaillé si dur. Je ne pourrais pas être plus fier d'eux. »
Camirand a mené le plus grand nombre de tours lors des trois courses ovales (203 sur 252 à Sunset Speedway, 92 sur 250 à l'Autodrome Chaudière et 138 sur 225 à Eastbound International Speedway). Il a finalement remporté sa première victoire de la saison à Eastbound, a terminé quatrième à Sunset après un incident en prolongation et a terminé deuxième à Chaudière.
Pour sa part, Camirand a quelques affaires à régler. La dernière fois que la série a couru sur cette piste, en 2019, il était dans le coup pour la victoire. Camirand a repris la tête d'Alex Tagliani (Chevrolet n°18 Viagra/St-Hubert/QwickWick) lors d'une relance tardive, mais il a frappé un mur quelques tours plus tard et a dû se contenter de la 16e place au final, alors qu'Alex Tagliani a remporté la course.
« Je veux finir ce que nous avons commencé en 2019 », a déclaré Camirand. « Faut le faire ! »
Alors que la seule performance de Camirand sur circuit routier en 2022 est également son pire résultat - 14e à CTMP - ce résultat est trompeur. Après avoir mené les dix premiers tours de la course, une crevaison a forcé Camirand à rentrer aux puits et ainsi perdre un tour sur les meneurs. Camirand s'est ensuite battu pour remonter jusqu'à la cinquième place, mais à cinq tours de l'arrivée, il tombe en panne d'essence et s'arrête le long de la ligne droite.
« Nous étions les plus rapides sur la piste à ce moment-là », a déclaré Camirand après la course. « J'étais revenu sur le tour des meneurs, mais à partir de ce moment, on espérait voir une neutralisation pour que je puisse prendre assez d'essence pour terminer la course sans problème. Une neutralisation au bon moment et je suis sûr que nous avions une chance de gagner. »
Compte tenu de sa domination en début de saison, on peut s'attendre à ce que Camirand ait une chance de remporter la victoire à Toronto pour terminer ce qu'il a commencé en 2019.
Attendez-vous à ce que les vétérans de la série reviennent aux avant-plans à Toronto
Au-delà de l'action sur la piste de l'Eastbound International Speedway, le voyage marque la première visite dans la province pour certains pilotes et un retour en terrain connu pour d'autres.
Kevin Lacroix en est à son premier voyage sur l'île dite "The Rock".
« Ce sera mon premier voyage aussi loin dans l'est du Canada, » a déclaré Lacroix. « Je suis vraiment excité de découvrir comment c'est là-bas - la culture, les gens. C'est très différent de Montréal, alors j'ai hâte de voir ça. »
Pour le champion en titre de la série, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin (Dodge no 47 Weathertech/Bellemare), un voyage dans cette province atlantique revêt une signification particulière.
« Ma mère est originaire du Nouveau-Brunswick, alors chaque fois que nous allons dans l'Est, je suis très excité, » a déclaré Dumoulin. « J'ai des amis qui m'attendent à Terre-Neuve. C'est un style de vie différent là-bas, et j'adore ça, » conclut le triple champion de la série.
Vingt-cinq voitures inscrites pour le Grand Prix de Toronto
Le retour à une saison complète et à un calendrier traditionnel d'un bout à l'autre du pays est accompagné d'un nombre plus élevé de voitures.
Vingt-cinq voitures sont inscrites à la course de vendredi, le plus grand nombre de voitures à Toronto depuis 2016.
« Nous avons été vraiment encouragés par le nombre et la qualité des voitures et des pilotes qui ont couru jusqu'à présent cette saison », a déclaré Cherie Putnam, directrice de la série NASCAR Pinty's. « Plus important encore, nos pilotes ont offert aux amateurs quatre courses formidables, et nous nous attendons à ce que la course de ce week-end à Toronto poursuive cette tendance. »
Le nombre de voitures a augmenté à chaque course de la saison. Il y avait 25 voitures au CTMP, le nombre le plus élevé depuis 2018. La course à l'Autodrome Chaudière a établi un record de piste avec 23 voitures.
Course Grand Prix de Toronto
Date / Heure de départ Vendredi 15 juillet 2022 / 16 h 00 NST
Piste / Lieu Exhibition Place (Toronto, ON)
TV TSN : TBA / RDS2 TBA
Images en direct Au Canada : TSN.ca / Application TSN; États-Unis : FloRacing
Les amateurs peuvent suivre la série NASCAR Pinty's - et tout ce qui concerne NASCAR au Canada - sur www.nascar.ca, Sur Twitter, Facebook et Instagram.
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July 14, 2022
Race number five on the thirteen race 2022 NASCAR Pinty’s Series schedule takes place this Friday July 15th on the streets of Toronto. This event marks the first time in 3 years the series and drivers will race on the 1.755 mile street circuit located at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario. Alex Tagliani, of Lachenaie, Quebec is the defending race and pole winner and has no intentions of relinquishing the title.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to the streets of Toronto” said Tagliani. “Obviously with COVID we missed that past 2 years, but I know for sure all the fans and drivers are incredibly happy to be back. We’re going to put on a great show for everyone!”
This is a big weekend for Tagliani. At the conclusion of the Grand Prix of Toronto, Tag will immediately leave for Tremblant, Quebec as his TAG Motorsports Go-Karting team will be competing in the Canadian Open Championship.
The Grand Prix of Toronto kicks off with practice at 10:15 am ET, followed by qualifying taking place at 11:35 am ET. There will be an autograph session from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm in the Enercare Centre. The Grand Prix will go green at 4:00 pm ET. The race will be 35-lap contest with 25 participants.
Fans can follow Alex Tagliani by visiting www.tagliani.com, or by following him on Twitter at @TAGLIANI, or @tagliani18 on Instagram and like him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Tagliani.
NASCAR.ca has live coverage of each event, including live timing and scoring, on Race Center.
The race will be streamed live on TSN.ca/TSN App in Canada and live on FloRacing in the United States.
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