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CASCAR: Canadian Stocks make impressive Toronto Indy debut

21 July 1999

TORONTO, ON - Several Ford CASCAR teams helped to make history this past
weekend by participating in the Miller Lite 100 at the Molson Indy Toronto.
The Saturday afternoon race on the temporary street circuit on the grounds
of Exhibition Place was the first time that Canada's top stock car series
has taken part in a motorsports extravaganza of such magnitude.

	The reaction by most who witnessed the race was extremely positive. As a
group, the CASCAR drivers put on an excellent show, which featured close,
clean racing throughout the entire 34 lap event.

	A total of four Ford Taurus pilots ended up in the top 13 finishers in
Toronto, including: Jim Lapcevich (sixth), Dave Jacombs (eighth), Kelly
Williams (12th) and Kevin Dowler (13th). Three-time and defending CASCAR
National champion Dave Whitlock was running in the top 10 when he got tied
up in an incident with another car as he was trying to make a pass with a
few laps remaining. He would eventually finish 19th.

CASCAR West driver Kevin Dowler is a former road racing regular and posted
the third fastest lap during qualifying, in his Ford Quality Care Taurus. A
flat tire early in Saturday's feature event dashed his hopes of winning in
Toronto, but he enjoyed the experience, nonetheless.

	"We got a flat tire, right off the start. It was really sad," said Dowler,
who flew to British Columbia immediately following the race to compete in a
CASCAR Super Series West race in Quesnel, BC. "We never even considered a
flat tire. We picked up a little stone or something early in the race and I
thought we went out with too low a tire pressure, but then we found out
that that wasn't it. It's too bad because the Ford Quality Care Taurus was
decent. I don't know if we would have been in the top three, but we would
have been in the top five for sure."

	Regardless of how his own day went, Dowler was pleased with the experience
of being part of the Toronto Molson Indy.

"I was really happy for CASCAR as a whole because the event went off
without a hitch. There was a bit of banging, but that's racing. And I think
the fans really enjoyed it. It was fun."

Out West: Barely able to catch his breath following the CASCAR debut at the
Molson Indy Toronto, Kevin Dowler found himself strapped into the seat of
his #35 Ford Quality Care 'oval car' Taurus on Sunday afternoon for the
Gold Pan / United Concrete 150 at Quesnel, BC's Gold Pan Speedway.

	The race was the fourth Western points race of the CASCAR season and saw
Dowler line up on the pole for the 150 lap event. The Edmonton, AB native
led for the first 74 laps, but was passed by eventual race winner Steve
Jefferson of Prince George, BC. Dowler would eventually finish sixth and is
currently fourth in the western points chase. Fellow Edmontonian Fred
DelPero was eighth at Quesnel, in his Trader Publications Taurus. 

Race Notes: Oakville, ON racer Robin Buck nabbed his first CASCAR checkered
flag in the Miller Lite 100 at the Toronto Molson Indy. Buck is an
accomplished road racer, but had his hands full throughout the race as he
was chased by stock car regulars Al Turner and Billy Rowse, who finished
second and third, respectively.... In the Western series event at Gold Pan
Speedway on Sunday afternoon, Steve Jefferson took his first checkered flag
of the season, ahead of Carl Harr and Don Sales.

Coming up: This weekend, the CASCAR Super Series returns to Cayuga Speedway
in Nelles Corners, ON for the Ford Quality Care 250 on Sunday afternoon.
The event is the eighth race of the Eastern season and will be the
culmination of a weekend of racing activity in the Hamilton, ON area.

Starting on Friday at 12:30 p.m. at Hamilton's City Hall, a parade will
wind its way through the streets of the downtown core (Main and King
streets) before concluding at the Centre Mall. Many of the CASCAR stock
cars that will compete at Cayuga Speedway on Saturday and Sunday will be on
display there throughout the afternoon. From 3:00 to 6:30 on Friday, fans
in attendance at Centre Mall will have a chance to try their hands at
changing a tire on the Ford Quality Care Taurus of three-time CASCAR
National champion Dave Whitlock. Then, at 7:00 p.m., the 'pros' will take
centre stage as many of the top pit crews in CASCAR will compete for cash
in a pit stop competition at the Centre Mall. "We're excited about the Ford
Quality Care 250 and all of the activities that are taking place in the
days leading up to the event," said Ford of Canada's Craig Chisamore. "The
parade route has been expanded from last year and with the top three teams
competing for $1000, $750 and $500, respectively, in the CASCAR Pit Stop
Competition, it should be quite a display."... The CASCAR Castrol Super
Series West will also be in action this weekend, with a Saturday night
event at PGARA Speedway in Prince George, BC.

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