NASCAR Canada

Calgary Mopar 300 preview

CALGARY, AB - The Castrol Super Series starts its annual swing through western Canada this weekend at Calgary's Race City Speedway. The Mopar Parts 500 Race Weekend has long been a staple of the Super Series tour. Sunday afternoon's Mopar Parts 300 ...

Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM

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CALGARY, AB - The Castrol Super Series starts its annual swing through western Canada this weekend at Calgary's Race City Speedway. The Mopar Parts 500 Race Weekend has long been a staple of the Super Series tour. Sunday afternoon's Mopar Parts 300 will be the culmination of a busy weekend of racing at the high-banked, half-mile oval. Prior to that, a pair of Twin 100s will be held on Friday night, for which the field will be divided in half. Based on the outcome of those sprint races, the majority of the starting positions for Sunday's main event will be determined.

Saturday night's 'Final Qualifier' race will set the remainder of the field. As a result of the new Castrol Cup championship structure, Edmonton's Kevin Dowler has been the lone western Canadian competitor to participate in every Castrol Super Series race in 2001. But this weekend's race is expected to draw many of the stars of the CASCAR West series, which competes in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

Western racers like Wade Lee, Carl and Daryl Harr, Ron Larson, Kim Richard, Don Sales, Wheeler Boys and several others are expected to participate in this truly National event.

In last year's Mopar Parts 300, Canadian Tire Chevy driver Peter Gibbons made his third visit to Race City's victory lane. The Stouffville, ON racer dominated the event, leading all but 58 laps. Second place went to Home Hardware Chevy driver Don Thomson. Gibbons and Thomson battled for checkered flags throughout the 2000 campaign, and with just three events remaining on this year's schedule, things are taking on a familiar look. Thomson, the Castrol Super Series points leader, has just one checkered flag to his credit this summer, but has seen victories snatched from his grasp - on the last lap - in each of the past two races.

Gibbons, on the other hand, may be out of the hunt for a third consecutive Castrol Cup, but is staging one of his patented late-season charges. Underscoring the competitive nature of the series this year, Gibbons is the only two-race winner in the Castrol Super Series garage.

Teaming up for a shot at victory in their home province will be longtime racing rivals Kevin Dowler and Wade Lee. For 2001, the two Albertans have come together under the umbrella of Dowler's Apollo Motorsports. While Dowler has been busy in eastern Canada, Lee has been active on the CASCAR West circuit and recently won the inaugural race at Winnipeg's 'Motorfest Manitoba'. Given the extensive experience the pair has accumulated at Race City, there's a good shot that one of these Ford racers could become the first westerner to win a Castrol Super Series oval race.

In last year's Mopar Parts 300, Dowler sat on the pole, while Lee - who hails from Calgary - won the 'Final Qualifiers' race.

Mopar Parts 500 Race Weekend - Schedule: Friday, August 24: Practice: 1:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. // Castrol Super Series Time Trials: 6:00 // Twin 100s: 7:00 Saturday, August 25: Practice: 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. // Racing: 7:00 Sunday, August 26: Castrol Super Series Autograph Session: 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. // Driver Introductions: 12:30 p.m. // MOPAR PARTS 300: 1:00 p.m.

NOTEBOOK: Peter Gibbons and Neil Fair won last year's Twin 100s at Race City Speedway... The Castrol 100 race from at the Toronto Molson Indy will be broadcast, starting Tuesday (Aug. 28), on Sportnet EAST, WEST, ONT and PAC at 7 p.m.

POINT STANDINGS (After Round #9 of 12): 1. #4 Don Thomson Jr. (Chevrolet / 1340); 2. #02 Kerry Micks (Ford / 1276); 3. #76 Al Turner (Intrepid / 1257); 4. #88 Dave Jacombs (Ford / 1234); 5. #17 DJ Kennington (Intrepid / 1218); 6. #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Intrepid / 1202); 7. #35 Kevin Dowler (Ford / 1159); 8. #64 Mark Dilley (Ford / 1150); 9. #31 Kelly Williams (Pontiac / 1148); 10. #99 Pete Vanderwyst (Pontiac / 1143); 11. #33 Neil Fair (Chevrolet / 1126); 12. #9 Robbie Thompson (Intrepid / 1111); 13. #8 Teri MacDonald-Cadieux (Chevrolet / 1110); 14. #14 John Fitzpatrick (Chevrolet / 1108); 15. #04 Andy Farr (Intrepid / 1092); 16. #22 Scott Steckly (Chevrolet / 1073); 17. #1 Peter Gibbons (Chevrolet / 1033); 18. #98 David Whitlock (Ford / 1013); 19. #3 Chris Fowler (Chevrolet / 1006); 20. #80 Donald Theetge (Chevrolet / 924); 20. #19 Brad Graham (Chevrolet / 924); 22. #57 Joe Goncalves (Chevrolet / 858); 23. #00 Bill Innes (Ford / 640); 24. #41 John Tsoumaris (Chevrolet / 540); 25. #25 Jim Lapcevich (Chevrolet / 532); 26. #29 Kevin Trevellin (Ford / 520); 27. #75 Kevin O'Hara (Chevrolet / 512); 28. #23 Jeff Lapcevich (Chevrolet / 464); 29. #32 Mike Alguire (Pontiac / 462); 29. #97 Rob Neely (Intrepid / 462).

-CASCAR

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