Analyzing The Budweiser 300 At Autodrome Chaudière
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 10, 2014) –The 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 will resume the 2014 campaign with the inaugural Budweiser 300 at Autodrome Chaudière on Saturday in Vallée-Jonction, Quebec. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the series and selected drivers:
Budweiser 300 Setup:
- Autodrome Chaudière will become the 10th different oval track to welcome the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 with Saturday’s maiden visit to the Quebec quarter-mile.
- D.J. Kennington and Scott Steckly have the most oval track victories in series history with 16and 15, respectively.
- Four drivers entered for this week’s Budweiser 300 have a chance to add Autodrome Chaudière to their list of inaugural oval track victories: Steckly (Kawartha Speedway in 2007, Autodrome St. Eustache in 2008, Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in 2009), Kennington (Barrie Speedway in 2007, Delaware Speedway in 2009), Mark Dilley (Riverside International Speedway in 2007) and J.R. Fitzpatrick (Motorplex Speedway in 2007).
At Autodrome Chaudière:
- Opened in 1992 as a dirt track and was converted to an asphalt racing surface in 2005.
- Has held ACT Castrol Series, PASS North, ISMA and Sportsman Quebec touring series events.
- The Budweiser 300 will be the inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 race at the facility.
- Will become the 16th different all-time facility to play host to a NCATS event, and the 10th oval.
Autodrome Chaudière Data
Race #: 2 of 11
Track Layout: .25-mile asphalt oval
Banking/Straights: progressive from 6-11 degrees
Banking/Turns: progressive from 11-16 degrees
Race Length: 300 laps (75 miles)
Select Driver Highlights:
Mark Dilley (No. 02 Johnsonville/Leland Ford)
- Has three wins, 27 top fives and 45 top 10s in 76 career NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 starts.
- Won the series’ inaugural race at Riverside International Speedway in 2007. All three of his wins have come on ovals.
- This will be his 2014 debut. Kerry Micks piloted the No. 02 in the opener at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
L.P. Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge)
- The 2011 NCATS Rookie of the Year has two wins, a pole, 10 top fives and 18 top 10s in 38 career starts.
- Both of his career triumphs came at CTMP in a 2013 season sweep of events at the road course. He became the first back-to-back winner there in series history.
- Seven of his 19 career top-10 finishes have been earned on ovals with a best result of fifth in 2013 at Motorplex Speedway.
J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet)
- Has nine wins, a series record 14 poles, 48 top fives and 54 top 10s in 79 career starts.
- Won the 2014 opener at CTMP to extend his series record for wins at the road course to four.
- His first career win was the inaugural event at Motorplex in 2007. It remains his lone oval victory.
- Nineteen of his 54 career top-10 finishes have been earned on ovals.
Alex Guenette (No. 39 Motos Illimitees Dodge)
- Earned 2013 NCATS Rookie of the Year honors when he posted two top fives and five top 10s in 12 starts.
- Four of his five career top-10s were recorded at ovals, led by a runner-up finish in 2013 at Autodrome St. Eustache.
- This will be his 2014 debut. Did not participate in the CTMP opener.
Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Rockstar Energy Drink Chevrolet)
- Has three wins and 52 top 10s in 88 career starts. Is one of three drivers to compete in every race in NCATS history.
- All three of his career wins were earned on oval, including two in 2013.
- Sixteen of his 21 top-five finishes have come on circle tracks.
D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge)
- The 2010 and 2012 NCATS champion. Maintains series record for career wins (19), top fives (63), top 10s (74) and is one of three drivers to start each of the 88 all-time events.Also ranks second in series history in laps led (2,754) and fifth in poles (10).
- Holds the NCATS record for most career oval victories with 16. Has won at eight different circle tracks.
- All 10 of his career poles have been earned ovals.
- Has a streak of 51-consecutive races without at DNF. Last DNF came at Riverside International Speedway in 2007.
Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Mopar/Exide Dodge)
- The 2007 and 2009 champion has 17 wins, 13 poles, 38 top fives and 54 top 10s in 62 career NCATS starts.
- Of his 17 career triumphs, 14 have come on road courses. His three oval track wins were all earned in 2009 (Motorplex, the former CTMP oval, Riverside). Has four additional career podium finishes on ovals.
- This will be his first oval start since the 2012 finale at Kawartha Speedway.
Anthony Simone (No. 95 Innovative Plumbing & Mechanical Dodge)
- Has a pole, six top fives and 16 top 10s in 40 career starts.
- The 2014 opener at CTMP was his first NCATS appearance since the 2010 finale.
- Twelve of his 16 career top 10s have come on ovals, with a best result of fifth on three occasions.
Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire/Sylvania Dodge)
- Has a series-leading three championships (2008, `11, `13) through the first seven years of NCATS competition.
- Owner of 15 wins, 12 poles, 54 top fives and 65 top 10s in 88 career starts. His top fives and top 10s totals rank second all-time while his wins and poles sit third in the record book. Is the all-time leader in laps led at 3,319.
- All 15 of his career triumphs have come on ovals. He’s won at eight different circle tracks.
- Was 25th with a DNF in the opener at CTMP, just his second DNF in the last 53 series events.
Alex Tagliani (No. 18 EpiPen/Dicom Express Dodge)
- Has a win, four poles and six top 10s in 16 career NCATS starts. The victory was earned at Edmonton City Centre Airport in 2008.
- Best finish in five career oval starts was seventh at Barrie Speedway in 2008.
- Missed the CTMP opener to compete in Indianapolis 500 qualifying.
Up To Speed:
- The 2014 season is the eighth for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1.
- The 2014 schedule features 11 races at 10 different tracks across five provinces.
- J.R. Fitzpatrick opened the campaign with a dominant victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on May 18. Andrew Ranger set the track record in qualifying.
- Following the Budweiser 300, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 will return to action on July 6 with the Jiffy Lube 100 presented by La Petite Bretonne at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, Quebec.
