Mosport: Race notes

Ranger Wins Dickies 200 Presented by Canadian Shield

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario (June 17, 2007) -- Andrew Ranger survived not one, but two, stock car rookie mistakes to collect his first win in NASCAR at the Dickies 200 at Mosport International Speedway.

As the pole sitter, he jumped the start of the race and was penalized with a pass-through penalty costing him nearly 10 positions. Then, on a lap 22 pit stop he seemingly stopped too close to the wall giving the jackman the difficult task of lifting the right side of the car.

Ranger took the lead for good on lap 43 of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio event. It was a lead that he had to wrestle away from second-place finisher J.R. Fitzpatrick. After flirting with a nearly three second lead, Ranger beat Fitzgerald to the line by 1.694 seconds.

A native of Roxton Pond, Quebec, Ranger had not spent a great deal of time behind the wheel of a stock car, but was able to earn his first win in just his second NASCAR event. A year ago, Ranger finished 10th in the CHAMP Car final point standings. He made the full-time switch to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series last off season.

"This is such a competitive series. It is such an honor to win the pole and the race," said the victorious Ranger. "After the mistake at the very beginning, I just started pushing it as hard as it could go and never let up."

"Andrew is a very talented driver especially on road courses," said Fitzgerald.

Ron Beauchamp finished third followed. He was followed by Peter Gibbons and D.J. Kennington in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Mark Dilley, Jeff Lapcevich, Dave Whitlock, Derek Lynch and Brad Graham rounded out the top 10.

Miguel Duhamel, multiple time AMA Super Bikes champion, earned an 11th-place finish in first race behind the wheel of a stock car.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Sirius Satellite Radio is back on the track next for a big July 1 Canada Day race at Barrie (Ontario) Speedway.

-credit: nascar