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CASCAR: Gibbons looks for National title and second straight CARQUEST 300 win

3 September 1999

KOMOKA, ON - The CASCAR Castrol Super Series National championship will be
decided this weekend at the 'oldest, biggest and richest' stock car event
in the country. The 18th annual edition of the CARQUEST 500 weekend takes
place at Delaware Speedway Park and features racing on Friday, Saturday and
Sunday of the Labour Day long weekend (Sept. 4-6).

	The jewel of the Canadian stock car season, the CARQUEST 300, is the most
coveted single race victory that a Canadian driver can add to his racing
resume. Last year, Stouffville, ON native Peter Gibbons took the checkered
flag following a dominant run in the 300 lap feature. The Canadian Tire
Chevrolet racer is interested in winning races, and didn't seem fazed by
missing out on the National championship by just 10 points.

	Dave Whitlock rode to a solid sixth place finish in the race and that was
enough to take his third career - and second consecutive - National
championship crown. Entering this year's fourth and final National points
meet, Gibbons leads the overall standings by just 30 points over Hamilton,
ON racer Don Thomson Jr. The driver of the Home Hardware Chevy has won
three Eastern events - in addition to the Edmonton National road race - so
far in '99. As well, Thomson led the National standings for most of the
summer until Gibbons' clean sweep at Mosport, this past weekend. By winning
the pole, his heat race and the Mosport road circuit event, Gibbons bolted
to the top of the heap in his quest for his first CASCAR Castrol Super
Series National championship.

Weekend schedule: The 'Twin 100s' on Friday evening kick off the CARQUEST
500 weekend, with the Blue Streak 100 (8 p.m.) and the Delaware 100 (9
p.m.). Prior to that, the spectator gates will open at 5 p.m., with the
pole-setting time trial session at 6 p.m. On Saturday, the spectator gates
will open at 4:30 p.m., with a full card of Street Stocks, Open Wheel
Modifieds and Midas Truck Series racing taking place... in addition to the
CASCAR Final Qualifier heat, which will set the field for Sunday's main
event. Fans are welcome, starting at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning. Fifteen
minutes later, the driver autograph session will commence, on the front
straight of the half-mile Delaware oval. Parade laps (12:35 p.m.) and a
CASCAR Junior demonstration race (12:45) will be followed by the
traditional pit crew Tire Rolling contest, and the fun Jack Man race.
Following the national anthems, the CARQUEST 300 is scheduled to start at 2:15.

CASCAR notes: A round of technical protests followed National Round #3 at
Mosport. Following an extensive review of all the items in question,
CASCAR's National Series Race Director, Steve Mifsud, announced today
(Wednesday) that Sunday's results have been declared 'official' and remain
unchanged.

	"There were protests filed - against three vehicles - by various
competitors after Sunday's race at Mosport. After post-tech was finished,
late that night, CASCAR confiscated some parts. Not because of suspicion,
but to be thorough. Upon extensive testing, nothing that was examined was
found to be illegal. The results were declared final and official as of
Wednesday morning." The three cars in question belonged to: Peter Gibbons,
Don Thomson Jr. and John Fitzpatrick.

	There was, however, a minor change to the weekend's results. It wasn't
related to Sunday's mechanical protests. Driver Alan Turner was originally
assessed a 31st finishing position following the discovery of a technical
infraction, after his Saturday heat race at Mosport. As there were 30
'posted' positions for each heat, the protocol in such instances is to
award a finishing position - to a driver found with such a technical
infraction - one place lower than the lowest 'posted' position. As there
were only 14 competitors in the heat, however, Turner successfully appealed
the assessment on the grounds that it was overly punitive and he was
subsequently awarded a 25th-place result in the heat; an improvement of six
positions.

National Points Standings after Round #3 of 4 / As of September 1, 1999: 1.
#1 Peter Gibbons (1,318 points / Chevrolet); 2. #4E Don Thomson Jr. (1,288
/ Chevrolet); 3. #17 DJ Kennington (1,268 / Dodge); 4. #02 Kerry Micks
(1,198 / Ford); 5. #77 Pete Vanderwyst (1,192 / Chevrolet); 6. #35 Kevin
Dowler (1,172 / Ford); 7. #66 Robin Buck (1,158 / Pontiac); 8. #76 Al
Turner (1,150 / Dodge); 9. #33E Neil Fair (1,110 / Chevrolet); 10. #98 Dave
Whitlock (1,110 / Ford); 11. #2 Carl Harr (1,102 / Chevrolet); 12. #4W
Daryl Harr (1,074 / Chevrolet); 13. #31 Kelly Williams (1,046 / Ford); 14.
#64 Mark Dilley (1,038 / Ford); 15. #60 Ron Beauchamp (1,028 / Dodge); 16.
#14E John Fitzpatrick (1,026 / Chevrolet); 17. #5E Nik Lapcevich (990 /
Chevrolet); 18. #79 Wade Lee (906 / Pontiac); 19. #88 Dave Jacombs (898 /
Ford); 20. #33W Don Sales (848 / Chevrolet); 21. #20 Kim Richard (820 /
Chevrolet); 22. #52 Bill Rowse Jr (812 / Chevrolet); 23. #46 Dan Shirley
(806 / Chevrolet); 24. #44 Fred DelPero (802 / Ford); 25. #12 Ron Larson
(758 / Pontiac); 26. #93 Charlie Kirton (758 / Chevrolet); 27. #6 Todd
Nichol (754 / Chevrolet); 28. #70 John Restemeyer (682 / Pontiac); 29. #04
Andy Farr (634 / Dodge); 30. #5 Steve Jefferson (580 / Dodge); 31. #67
Derrick Tiemersma (556 / Pontiac); 32. Jim Lapcevich (532 / Ford); 33. #15
Mike Browne (532 / Pontiac); 34. #90 Brad Jacques (502 / Dodge); 35. #6 Ron
VanEvery (476 / Chevrolet)

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