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Category: Road Racing

FEL Motorsports welcomes back Emzone as title sponsor for 2022. The partnership, which came to be mid-season in 2021, has been a key contributor in the success of the Radical Cup Canada. The company takes a special interest in supporting Canadian athletes, teams, and organizations.

The continuation of the partnership with Emzone proves that 2021 was the foundation of a strong relationship, and FEL Motorsports is looking forward to joining forces with Emzone again this year.

Cam Brown, Director of Sales & Marketing stated, “Emzone is pleased to support FEL Motorsports in their efforts and thank all the racers, race enthusiasts, dealers and mechanics that make Emzone their number one, trusted choice. Emzone is proudly Made in Canada and offers premium, high performance auto care products to keep you running fast and looking good.”

2022 Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin Schedule

May 20, 21, 22 - Victoria Day Speedfest at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
June 3, 4, 5 - Calabogie Spring Classic at Calabogie Motorsports Park
August 19, 20, 21 - Calabogie Summer Classic at Calabogie Motorsports Park
September 2, 3, 4 - Labour Day Sprints at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Additional Event – TBC

About Emzone

Emzone, a premium auto care line, is a proud Canadian manufacturer with over two decades of industry experience. They offer high performance, quality products for automotive maintenance, detailing and A/C systems. Through constant innovation and development, Emzone always focuses on making the lives of their customers easier. Emzone is endorsed by mechanics, trusted by professionals, and loved by DIY consumers. The Emzone brand spans a wide range of markets including computer care, household care, air horns and industrial products.

Emzone products are available through distributors and at major retail chains and independent stores across Canada and the USA.

For more information about Emzone, please visit: www.emzone.ca

About FEL Motorsports

FEL Motorsports grew out of a deep base of automotive roots from FEL Automotive Learning and Promotion. FEL Motorsports is focused on growth and sustainability in the Canadian Motorsports landscape by giving back to its teams through prizing and prize money.

For further information on FEL Motorsports visit felmotorsports.com

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Category: Road Racing

Burlington, Ontario – REV TV CANADA'S MOTORSPORTS & AUTOMOTIVE DESTINATION 24/7, is pleased to announce that it will be airing live coverage for CSN Collision Centre’s Hope for the Holidays charity auction from the Hagerty Garage and Social facility.

Live coverage will begin on Tuesday November 30th at 8PM ET on both REV TV and online at HOPEFORTHEHOLIDAYS.ca.

Building off last year’s remarkable success of raising more than $95,000 for Make-A-Wish® Canada, this year’s event will kick-off on Tuesday, November 30th and will be hosted by CSN’s brand ambassador and INDYCAR driver James Hinchcliffe. The online auction is open to the public for bidding for one week and will feature amazing items including electronics, unique experiences, destination packages, and sports memorabilia.

“REV TV is delighted to be able to work with CSN Collision Centres on such a worthy and humbling charity like Make-A-Wish® Canada,” said Mike Garrow President of REV TV. “We look forward to an exciting and memorable night that will help raise funds for wish children and their families.”

“CSN is a proud sponsor of Make-A-Wish® Canada and for the last 10-years they have been our charity of choice,” said Ashley Thorpe, CSN Director, Marketing & Communications. “Each year we are honoured to collaborate and raise funds to help fulfill as many wishes as we can for children with critical illnesses.”

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Category: Road Racing

Toronto, Ontario – The Honda Indy Toronto makes its much-anticipated return to this summer's events calendar in downtown Toronto, July 15-17. Public tickets sales will launch for all 2-Day tickets on Thursday (April 14) at 10 a.m. EDT online at hondaindy.com.

After fans and festival goers missed out on this Toronto tradition the last two summers, the 34th edition of the annual gathering resumes. The 2.874-kilometer (1.786-mile), 11-turn temporary course around the Exhibition Place grounds has a long and storied history on the INDYCAR annual schedule, ranking second only to this past weekend’s Long Beach, Calif. stop in years run amongst street courses and the U.S.-based series’ only international race. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Sunday, July 17th again headlines the weekend filled with on track and off track activities.

“It’s great to be able to say this. The Honda Indy Toronto returns!” said Jeff Atkinson, president of the Honda Indy Toronto. “This is one of the must see and do events on Toronto’s annual calendar. We thank our partners led by Honda Canada and our fans for sticking with us and their patience as we get back to racing at Exhibition Place.”

Thunder Alley will be filled with displays and activations again, plus food and fun for all ages. Access to the “locker room of motorsports” will be possible with the purchase of a Paddock Pass, and those looking for any even closer experience to the action can add a Pit Pass. More announcements will be forthcoming about Honda Indy Toronto weekend features including Honda Fan Friday which offers complimentary admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers. Any health and safety protocols advised as necessary by local health officials at the time of the event will be implemented.

Pricing starts at $75 for 2-Day General Admission for Saturday and Sunday. Bronze-level 2-Day Grandstand seating is $95. Silver and Gold levels are available for $155 and $220, respectively. The Gold 2-Day Grandstand seat also includes a Paddock Pass. For full ticket pricing and 2022 event information and news, visit hondaindy.com or follow Honda Indy Toronto on social media using #indyTO.

About Honda Indy Toronto

Honda Indy Toronto is a world-class motorsports festival which takes place annually on a 2.89-kilometer, 11-turn temporary circuit using the streets surrounding Exhibition Place near Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto. The event features many attractions, food trucks, interactive displays and activities, and supports local charities. Honda Fan Friday offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association. Over $820,000 has been raised in ten years for Make-A-Wish® Canada.

As one of Ontario's largest annual sporting events with the first race held in 1986 first known as the Molson Indy, it has become a prestigious meeting place for some of the world’s fastest race car drivers including past NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions like Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power as well as Canadian racing greats Scott Goodyear, James Hinchcliffe, Greg Moore, Alex Tagliani, Paul Tracy, Jacques Villeneuve, Robert Wickens, and more. Canadians Dalton Kellett and Devlin DeFrancesco will be in this year’s starting field. Honda Indy Toronto is owned and operated by Green Savoree Toronto, ULC, whose affiliates also promote three additional INDYCAR races, Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (Feb. 25-27, 2022), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 1-3, 2022), and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 2-4, 2022).

For more information, visit hondaindy.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @HondaIndyToronto or follow the event on Twitter @HondaIndy and Instagram @HondaIndy using #indyTO.

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Category: Road Racing

Indianapolis, Indiana – Graduating from the Road to Indy ladder, Devlin DeFrancesco has been confirmed to pilot Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport’s No. 29 Honda for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. The Italian-Canadian driver made his first outings behind the wheel of an Indy car at two recent test days with Andretti Autosport and will make his first official race start on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida in February.

“We’re thrilled to keep Devlin in the Andretti Autosport family as he makes his final jump up the Road to Indy ladder into INDYCAR,” said Michael Andretti, CEO and Chairman, Andretti Autosport. “Devlin has been a great addition to our Indy Lights program and has showed a lot of growth and strength at the recent test days. I think he’ll continue to grow with INDYCAR and I’m really glad that we could again partner with George and the Steinbrenner Racing team for the No. 29.”

“Two years ago, we started a journey with Devlin with the intent to one day take him all the way to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and I’m thrilled that day has come,” said George Steinbrenner IV, CEO, Steinbrenner Racing. “From Indy Pro 2000 to Indy Lights and now to INDYCAR, he really impressed with his two initial days in an Indy car and we’re excited to see him in action in 2022.”

After making his Road to Indy debut in 2020 with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport in Indy Pro 2000, DeFrancesco has quickly ascended the Road to Indy ladder moving into Indy Lights in 2021 and ultimately into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2022. DeFrancesco earned the Rookie of the Year title and finished second in the Indy Pro 2000 Championship in 2020 and scored two podiums, nine top-five finishes, and 18 top-10 finishes in his Indy Lights debut season in 2021.

“I am incredibly grateful to Michael (Andretti) and George (Steinbrenner IV) for the belief they have shown in me over the past two seasons moving up the Road to Indy ladder,” DeFrancesco said. “To now take that final step into INDYCAR with two of the world’s biggest names in sports – Andretti and Steinbrenner – is an incredible opportunity that I can’t wait to take full advantage of. I have three very experienced teammates to learn from and that is what makes this opportunity even more exciting. To get to race in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport and to contest the Indianapolis 500 is a dream come true and I’m so looking forward to getting started.”

DeFrancesco rounds out the Andretti Autosport 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES lineup joining already announced drivers Alexander Rossi (No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS / AutoNation Honda), Colton Herta (No. 26 Gainbridge Honda) and Romain Grosjean (No. 28 DHL Honda).

The 21-year-old’s debut INDYCAR season will again be supported by his 2021 Indy Lights sponsors including hydrogen production and dispensing fueling infrastructure innovators, PowerTap Hydrogen; Kimoa – the fashion, clothing, and accessories brand founded by Fernando Alonso; world-class racing simulator manufacturer AIS; Apple’s largest premium retail partner, Simply Mac; Seattle, WA-based Jones Soda Co; software and services company Fyllo; Seattle-WA and Miami, FL-based Sol Yoga.

For more information, visit www.AndrettiAutosport.com

DEVLIN DEFRANCESCO Q&A

Q: What does it feel like to know you are going to be an INDYCAR driver for Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport in 2022?

A: “It really is a dream come true. When I came back from Europe and started my journey on the Road To Indy with Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport this was always my target.

“To go from Indy Pro 2000, to Indy Lights and now to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with the same team has been a huge help.
“After two years, this place already feels like home and that will make the transition into the INDYCAR so much easier.

“To compete in this championship is a huge challenge but I can’t wait to get started. I have just loved my first two days in an INDYCAR and I can’t wait to get back in the car again.”

Q: What were your first impressions of the INDYCAR?

A: “The biggest thing you notice is how incredible these cars are on the brakes compared to Indy Lights. You can go in so much deeper and harder and they stop incredibly well.

“I’ve had two days – one and Sebring and one at Barber Motorsports Park – and I really started to feel comfortable and could push really hard in the last test.
“You notice the aeroscreen when you first get in the car, but once you are up and running, you are really not aware of it at all.

“The engine from Honda was really smooth and despite the fact the car has more power, more downforce – more of everything compared to the Indy Lights car – it really feels easier to drive.”

Q: How has the Road To Indy ladder prepared you for this jump to INDYCAR?

A: “I’ll be forever grateful for my time on the Road to Indy ladder. After a season in Indy Lights I felt very well prepared to climb aboard the INDYCAR.
“The series does a brilliant job of providing that stepping stone for any driver and the competition in all the classes is incredibly fierce.
“Have raced extensively in Europe and now having done two years on the Road to Indy – I can really see why so many international drivers are taking a serious look at coming to the US.

“A lot of guys who I raced against in the past in Europe have been asking me about it and I cannot recommend it highly enough.”

Q: The Andretti and Steinbrenner names are two of the biggest in American sports history – what does it feel like to get to race for them?

A: “This is the stuff you dream about as a kid. The individual performances of Mario, Michael and every member of the Andretti family is legendary. But the incredible success of Andretti Autosport as an organization across so many different types of racing is just amazing.

“Having that Italian blood in me makes for an even nicer bond. Michael has been brilliant and has always been available to talk to when I needed to seek out some advice.
“And then you combine Andretti with the Steinbrenner name – that is even more enormous. Obviously, the success of the New York Yankees is legendary but George is forging his own path in this sport and I am very honored to a part of it. I never envisaged that one day one of my team owners would be basically the same age as me. He has also been incredibly supportive and I am very grateful that both Michael and George has shown so much faith in me.”

Q: What does it feel like to know you’ll be racing in the Indy 500 next year?

A: “ I can’t wait for May! I’ve been at the 500 for the past two years and the event was everything that I thought it would be and more. Now I’m going to get to race in it next year is brilliant.

“One of the big surprises of my return to racing in the US is how quickly I have fallen in love with oval racing.

“I got my first win in Indy Pro 2000 at World Wide Technology Raceway and I’m super pumped about racing in Texas, Iowa, the Indy 500 and returning to WWTR.

“I’ve always felt really comfortable in fast corners throughout my entire career dating back to karting.

“That has transferred across to the ovals. Having my first INDYCAR oval race in Texas will be a big step but I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’ll be one of the new kids on the block next year and I’m cognizant of making sure I will be very respectful of my rivals on track.

“The fact that I’m going with such an experienced team like Andretti is going to be a huge help.”

Q: What are you hoping to learn from your teammates Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi and Romain Grosjean?

A: “That is going to be awesome and will give me some great benchmarks to work towards. That is going to be a huge advantage compared to somebody stepping into INDYCAR with a small team.

“Colton is already a great friend and was very helpful for me in Indy Lights this year. He told me a lot of what to expect before I first drove the INDYCAR and he was exactly right.

“For me, it's the team, the teammates – the entire environment is an incredible opportunity for me.”

Q: How big a thrill is this announcement for your family?

A: “I owe them everything. I gave them such a fright when I was born 15 weeks early and nearly didn’t make it. I spent the first four months of my life in an incubator at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto.

“I got started when Dad had go-karts under the Christmas tree for my brother Lachlan and I years ago.

“Once I started racing it was all I ever wanted to do. To now get the chance to graduate to INDYCAR is a true childhood dream coming true.

“Canada has had some incredible drivers in this championship over the years and that gives me added incentive to follow in their footsteps. The Honda Indy at Toronto next year is going to be one race that my entire family is really looking forward to.”