The Canadian Racing Season Begins February 7, 8, & 9, 2014 at Toronto’s International Centre
(TORONTO, ON // JANUARY 14, 2014) Having tested the environs of the Canadian Motorsports Expo last season, the DSE Automotive Sportsman Racing Series will be back for the 2014 edition of the show, greeting fans and promoting their southern Ontario-based drag racing series.
“We feel that it’s very important to reach out to the fans and to re-introduce them to Bracket Drag Racing,” said Andrew Stirk, co-founder of the DSE SRS. “Sportsman racing is where the Pros came from, and we hope to use our time at the CME to educate people about what the series has to offer, and to build an appreciation for our brand of motorsports.”
The 8th Annual Canadian Motorsports Expo Powered by Inside Track Motorsport News runs February 7-9, 2014 at Toronto’s International Centre.
Heading into its third full season of competition, the DSE Sportsman Series is quickly gaining in popularity, with both the drivers and the fans. Featuring a six-weekend, 12-race schedule, the DSE Series allows racers the flexibility to run in a competitive ‘championship series,’ while still allowing them to attend other large events across Ontario and the USA, if they choose.
“We noticed a shift in the Sportsman marketplace towards wanting more double race weekends, and a condensed schedule,” explains Stirk. “Racers want the freedom to be able to attend some other large non-points, ‘big money’ races – or maybe spend time with their families during the summer – while still being able to compete for a championship title. This is also why our scoring system allows drivers to score their eight best finishes towards the title. That way, if someone has to miss a weekend or two, it won’t take them out of championship contention.”
The short schedule also has its benefits for promoters and traveling race teams.
“We have a strong central core of racers, but we always seem to have some world-ranked drivers dropping in on their ‘off-weekends’ to dish it out with the Sportsman ‘guy next door,’” notes Stirk. “The competition can get pretty intense, and if one of our series’ regulars can beat a high-profile guy, that makes the weekend even sweeter!”
Home to seven racing divisions, ranging from Junior Dragster to Super Pro, a weekend on the DSE Sportsman Series tour is an event filled with intense rivalry, tempered with a family-friendly, post-race atmosphere. Although racing primarily at the Cayuga Dragway at TMP, in 2013 the DSE Sportsman Series added a doubleheader date at St. Thomas Dragway. The series recently unveiled a similar schedule for 2014. Looking ahead, the series hopes to expand to be a regional tour with events at all of southern Ontario’s drag racing facilities.”
Stirk continued, “Short term, we just want to strengthen our position in the province and further the development of our entertainment package. Bracket Racing may not have the high profile of some other forms of drag racing, but it’s just as competitive and entertaining. With an appearance at the Canadian Motorsports Expo we hope to bring that message to the fans, and offer them a taste of what they’re missing.”
ABOUT THE DSE AUTOMOTIVE SPORTSMAN RACING SERIES: The DSE Sportsman Racing Series was created at the end of the 2011 racing season as a way to promote grassroots level, sportsman drag racing in Southern Ontario. The series features five Championship Sportsman Classes ranging from Super Pro and Modified to Super Bike & Sled, Street Eliminator and Junior Dragster. Each class pays back 100% of the racer tech card fee. Super Gas and Quick 12 were added to the season schedule in 2013.
Sponsored by DSE Automotive Ltd., which is managed by David and Andrew Stirk in Brampton, Ontario, the DSE Sportsman Racing Series is dedicated to providing a competitive series for sportsman level drag racers to participate in, which is fun and cost effective, while still providing an excellent racing programme for fans and spectators alike. Visit www.sportsmanracingseries.ca, or call (905) 846-2682 for further information.
ABOUT THE CME: The 8th Annual Canadian Motorsports Expo Powered by Inside Track Motorsport News takes place February 7, 8 & 9, 2014 at Toronto’s International Centre, adjacent to Pearson International Airport. The show features motorsport content geared to racers, fans and automotive enthusiasts. NASCAR Sprint Cup racer Ryan Newman will be at the CME on Saturday, February 8. For information about the show, including news, exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, call (416) 962-7223, or email info@CanadianMotorsportsExpo.com. The CME’s website is located at www.CanadianMotorsportsExpo.com.
