Canadian Stock Cars Share Weekend Spotlight
26 May 1999
CASCAR Castrol Super Series - Weekend Preview KOMOKA, ON - The CASCAR Castrol Super Series will be active on both its Eastern and Western fronts this weekend. The Canadian Auction Group 'Golden Gavel' 150 will take place on Saturday night at Peterborough Speedway in Peterborough, Ontario. The one-day show will be the second of nine Super Series East races on the '99 schedule. The same night (May 29), the CASCAR Castrol Super Series West opens its seven-race schedule with the 'Race City 150' at Race City Motorsport Park, in Calgary, Alberta. The Peterborough Eastern race is one of the most anticipated events on the Eastern schedule. The stands at the Peterborough one-third-mile, high-banked oval are always jammed to capacity. Last year's race was won by Barrie, ON racer John Gaunt. He inherited the lead just laps from the finish when Neil Fair - who won the season opener at Delaware Speedway Park this past weekend - was involved in an incident with a lapped car and was forced to settle for second. It was a typical CASCAR Castrol Super Series finish at Peterborough. Looking ahead to this Saturday evening's race, Nail Fair is 'on a roll' and is looking to finish the job he started, at Peterborough, last summer. But several other drivers can also be considered contenders for the win. Chevy driver Peter Gibbons led the majority of the laps in the Delaware opener and will no doubt be a factor at Peterborough. Defending National champion Dave Whitlock and his new Ford teammate Mark Dilley (another former CASCAR champ) both had strong runs going in the Mopar Parts 250, but saw them spoiled by flat tires. Whitlock won the Peterborough CASCAR race in '97, which sparked his five-win, National championship run that summer. The other interesting theme for the event will be the competition between the three carmakers. The Dodges dominated time trials at the half-mile Delaware oval on the Victoria Day weekend, but the Fords won three of four heat races. The Chevrolet drivers had the last laugh, though, and swept all three podium positions. Time trials for the C.A.G. Golden Gavel 150 commence at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, with CASCAR Late Model heat races scheduled for 6:55 p.m. The green flag is slated to fly at 9:20 p.m. Also on the schedule for the night will be the Thunder Cars and the Legends Cars. Race City 150 CALGARY, AB - The CASCAR Castrol Super Series West gets rolling Saturday night at Calgary's Race City Motorsport Park. Edmonton, AB's Kevin Dowler is the defending champion of the event. It was the first of two checkered flags the Ford driver snagged in '98. Several rookies have come onto the CASCAR West scene over the winter, which should add excitement to the picture. The Race City 150 may also be one of this summer's only opportunities to witness the long-running rivalry between Dowler and defending Western champion Wade Lee. The Calgarian is still hunting for a full-time primary sponsor for his Pontiac and has hinted that the Race City 150 could be one of his only Western oval events this summer. Another driver to watch this Saturday night at Race City is '97 Western champion Dan Shirley. The Saskatoon, SK racer won just one Super Series race last summer, but dominated the Calgary National event (in July at Race City) until late in the race when an electrical problem knocked him from contention. As is the case with Fair at Peterborough Speedway, Shirley has 'unfinished business' when it comes to Calgary's Race City Motorsport Park. Time trials for the Race City 150 commence at 5:30 p.m., with the driver autograph session slated for 6:00. Racing begins at 7:00. CASCAR Notes: Following one Eastern event, Ancaster, ON's Neil Fair holds a narrow lead in the points over fellow Chevy drivers Peter Gibbons and Don Thomson Jr.... CASCAR race reports, qualifying reports and news updates are available at www.cascar.com. For more information, contact CASCAR at (519) 641-1214 or visit www.cascar.com Prepared by Inside Track Communications.