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In 2013, the Canadian NASCAR series was in its seventh season.
With Canadian Tire as the primary sponsor, NASCAR had developed a successful format that attracted competitors and fans.
For the most part, the series schedule mirrored that of 2012 - just some shuffling around of dates. For the second straight year, the title chase started on the Victoria Day Weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). There would be two additional events held at this facility – a race on the oval track in June and on the Labour Day weekend a second event on the road course supporting the NASCAR Trucks series. The title chase would end in September at Kawartha Speedway. The only significant changes saw two high-profile events - Edmonton and Montreal - dropped from the calendar. The championship also returned to Autodrome Saint-Eustache for the first time since 2010. In total, there was twelve race weekends and the series would visit eleven different tracks in five provinces. The cars competing in the championship are constructed to specifications and rules common to most stock car series. The chassis is a steel tube frame design covered with a fiberglass body and is required to weigh no less than 3000-lbs. Body styles are from manufacturers such as Dodge (Avenger, Challenger and Charger), Ford (Fusion) and Chevrolet (Monte Carlo and Impala SS). Engine type and displacement are dictated by the make and model of the vehicle. The carbureted eight-cylinder motors produce approximately 650-horsepower. Depending on the gearing, these cars are estimated to have a top speed of 160-mph. Round three of the 2013 NASCAR Canadian Tires Series was held on the oval at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Drivers would race around 0.5-mile oval for two-hundred-laps in the Clarington 200. After hosting rounds of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series on the oval since the inaugural season, this would be the last as the owners of the track decided to repurpose the facility. |
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Another year and another victory for Pete Shepherd III – actually, a second victory in the same year. Shepherd had scored at least one NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victory in the three preceding seasons – 2010 – Kawartha, 2011 – Kawartha and 2012 – Barrie. In 2013, he scored his first win in round two at Delaware and finished at the top of the lap chart in the Clarington 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s oval track. |
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Series veteran, Kerry Micks topped the time sheet during qualifying – this was his fourth career pole. Driving the Leland/BDI/Dickies Ford Fusion Micks led the field for the first sixty-seven laps. He moved back out front on the eighty-ninth circuit for another seventeen laps. Unfortunately for Micks, his competitive run would come to an end when the car suffered an ignition failure. |
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The 2002 Canadian Formula Ford champion, L.P. Dumoulin made his NASCAR debut in 2009 and became a regular competitor in 2012. Dumoulin started the season at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park road course with his first series win. He was still coming to grips with the ovals but qualified a respectable ninth. Despite a stop-and-go penalty for leaving the pits with the gas can still attached to the car, Dumoulin finished seventh. |
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Despite running a limited schedule, Pete Shepherd III was always a threat to win. Shepherd had won the previous round at Delaware Speedway. At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park the driver of the National Exhaust sponsored Dodge Challenger qualified on the outside of the front row. Shepherd shared first place with J.R. Fitzpatrick and Kerry Micks but was out front for the final forty-three laps and captured his second victory of the season. |
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Scott Steckly was the quickest in the rain shortened practice session. But in qualifying the former series champion fell to fourth place. He ran with the lead group and suffered damage on lap-112 when he ran into Steve Mathews. With seven laps remaining in the contest Steckly was fourth but an error by the points leader, D.J. Kennington allowed him to grab a third place finish. |
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J.R. Fitzpatrick, driving the No. 84 Chevrolet Impala SS started and finished third after leading a total of forty-eight laps. Fitzpatrick qualified on the pole at the season opener and was leading the race when he broke a driveshaft on the seventh lap – he was classified twenty-seventh. In the second race of the championship at Delaware, he captured the runner-up spot. Fitzpatrick appeared to be getting his title aspirations back on track. |
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It was an incident filled race for Ron Beauchamp, Jr. Beauchamp qualified Mopar/Exide/Pennzoil Dodge Challenger sixth quickest. Trouble started on lap-11 when he made contact with Peter Shepherd III. Further damage forced, Beauchamp behind the pit wall but he returned to the race on lap-128. At the checkered flag, he was fifty-two laps behind the winner in eighteenth place. |
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It was a disappointing qualifying session for Jason Hathaway but he redeemed himself in the race. Driving the Snap-On Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge Challenger, Hathaway was gridded thirteenth for the start. By lap-50, he had joined the lead pack and was running seventh. Hathaway ran as high as second but was in fourth at the conclusion of the event. |
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Steve Mathews is always quick on the ovals -in round two at Delaware Speedway he finished third. Mathews started his weekend off by qualifying fifth fastest. By the tenth lap of the race, he was in third but spun in turn two after contact with the race leaders. Even with the spin, Mathews led the race at the midpoint but an incident with Scott Steckly dropped him down the order. Mathews regrouped and was able to finish fifth. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVERS | SPONSOR / CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Pete Shepherd III | National Exhaust Dodge | 200 | - |
| 2 | 4 | Scott Steckly | Canadian Tire/Johnsonville Dodge | 200 | - |
| 3 | 3 | J.R. Fitzpatrick | Equipment Express Chevrolet | 200 | - |
| 4 | 13 | Jason Hathaway | Snap-On Tools/Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge | 200 | - |
| 5 | 5 | Steve Mathews | Bill Mathews Motors Ford | 200 | - |
| 6 | 11 | Martin Roy | Batteries Expert/Gamache Dodge | 200 | - |
| 7 | 9 | L.P. Dumoulin | WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare / Dodge | 200 | - |
| 8 | 8 | Jeff Lapcevich | Tim Hortons Dodge | 200 | - |
| 9 | 15 | Hugo Vannini | VTI Motorsports Ford | 199 | - |
| 10 | 10 | D.J. Kennington | Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge | 198 | - |
| 11 | 18 | Jason White | Bowers & Wilkins Dodge | 198 | - |
| 12 | 17 | Ryley Seibert | Lake Excavating/Emco Waterworks Dodge | 198 | - |
| 13 | 19 | Dave Connelly | Schneider's/Metro Dodge | 197 | - |
| 14 | 20 | Brandon White | MaddiesPlaceRocks.com Chevrolet | 196 | - |
| 15 | 21 | Ray Courtemanche Jr. | La Cité de Mirabel Inc. Dodge | 196 | - |
| 16 | 12 | Noel Dowler | EMCO/Praxair/Safety Kleen Dodge | 184 | - |
| 17 | 12 | Alex Guennette | Motos Illimitées/DLGL Dodge | 149 | - |
| 18 | 6 | Ron Beauchamp, Jr. | Mopar/Exide/Pennzoil Dodge | 148 | - |
| 19 | 1 | Kerry Micks | Leland/BDI/Dickies Ford | 146 | Ignition |
| 20 | 7 | Larry Jackson | B&B Decals/Speedy Auto Service Dodge | 81 | Suspension |
| 21 | 14 | Trevor Seibert | Lake Excavating/Emco Waterworks Dodge | 30 | Transmission |
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