Analyzing The Wahta Springs 300 At Barrie Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 2, 2014) – The penultimate race of the 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 season will take place at Ontario’s Barrie Speedway on Saturday with the Wahta Springs 300. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the series and selected drivers at the track:
Wahta Springs 300 Setup:
- With two races to go, L.P. Dumoulin has a 19-point lead on J.R. Fitzpatrick in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 championship standings. Both will vie for their first Barrie Speedway win this week.
- East of the last six NCATS visits to Barrie have featured a different winner.
- In nine previous series races at Barrie, D.J. Kennington has earned a record three wins. He’ll contend for win No. 4 to end the second-longest winless drought of his career (13 races).
- Kennington and Scott Steckly are tied for the most oval track wins in series history with 16 apiece. Steckly has won twice at Barrie.
At Barrie Speedway:
History
- Opened in 1965 as a .25-mile oval.
- Widened and reconfigured to a .333-mile tri-oval in 1999.
- A NASCAR Whelen All-American Series sanctioned track since 2007.
- Held inaugural NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 event on July 1, 2007, which was won by D.J. Kennington.
Notebook
- Barrie has welcomed the NCATS nine times previously, the most events at any oval since the series began competition in 2007.
- Six drivers have participated in all nine previous events, and five are expected to extend the streak this week.
- The nine previous races have produced six different winners, led by Kennington’s three.
- There have been seven different pole winners in the nine contests, led by two apiece from Scott Steckly and Don Thomson Jr.
- There has yet to be a wire-to-wire victory at Barrie, or a driver that won from the pole.
- Pete Shepherd III was the youngest Barrie race winner at 26 years and 27 days in 2012.
- Don Thomson Jr. was the oldest Barrie victor at 47 years and 19 days in 2009.
Barrie Speedway Data
Race #: 10 of 11
Track Layout: .333-mile, banked asphalt tri-oval
Race Length: 300 laps (99.99 miles)
Telecast: TSN – Sat., Sept. 13, 2 p.m., RDS2 – Thu., Sept. 25, 8 p.m.
Qualifying/Race Data
2013 Race Winner: Jason Hathaway, 60.049 mph, 1 hr. 40 mins. 49 secs.
2013 Pole Winner: Scott Steckly, 83.558 mph, 14.347 secs.
Qualifying Record: Don Thomson Jr., Chevrolet, 86.226 mph, 13.903 secs., 6/28/08
Category Leaders at Barrie Speedway:Wins
1. D.J. Kennington … 3
2. Scott Steckly … 2
3. four drivers with … 1
Poles
1. Scott Steckly … 2
Don Thomson Jr. … 2
3. five drivers with … 1
Top Fives
1. Don Thompson Jr … 7
2. D.J. Kennington … 5
Scott Steckly … 5
Top 10s
1. D.J. Kennington … 8
2. Scott Steckly … 7
Don Thomson Jr. … 7
Laps Led
1. Scott Steckly … 847
2. Don Thomson Jr … 409
3. D.J. Kennington … 385
Laps Completed
1. D.J. Kennington … 2,680
2. Jason Hathaway … 2,656
3. Mark Dilley … 2,654
Select Driver Highlights:
Mark Dilley (No. 02 Johnsonville/Leland/BDI Ford)
- Has three wins, 29 top fives and 48 top 10s in 82 career starts.
- Has competed in six of nine races this year, highlighted by a runner-up finish at Autodrome Chaudiere.
- Has a win (2011), six top 10s and an average finish of eighth in the nine previous Barrie Speedway events.
Noel Dowler (No. 5 Empire Mechanical Chevrolet)
- Has six top 10s in 43 career starts.
- Ranks seventh in points this year with six top 10s and a best finish of sixth at St-Eustache.
- Has an average finish of 12th and an overall career-best result of third (2012) in three Barrie starts.
L.P. Dumoulin (No. 47 WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare Dodge)
- The 2011 NCATS Rookie of the Year has four wins, a pole, 17 top fives and 26 top 10s in 46 career starts.
- First two career triumphs came at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in a 2013 season sweep of events at the road course. He became the first back-to-back winner there in series history.
- Leads the championship standings with top-five finishes in eight of nine races, highlighted by his first career oval victory at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway and a hometown win in the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.
- Has an average finish of 13th and a best results of 11th (2012) in three starts at Barrie.
J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Equipment Express/Autism Speaks Chevrolet)
- Has 10 wins, 14 poles, 41 top fives and 62 top 10s in 87 career starts.
- Held the points lead following the first four events and is currently second with top 10s in all nine races.
- Won both races this year at CTMP to extend his series record for wins at the road course to five.
- Has six top 10s, an average finish of 8.5 and a best result of third (2013) in eight previous Barrie appearances.
- His lone oval win was his first series victory – Motoplex Speedway in 2007.
Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Rockstar Energy Drink Chevrolet)
- Has four wins and 57 top 10s in 96 career starts. Is one of three drivers to compete in every race in NCATS history.
- Ranks sixth in points this season, highlighted by a win at Autodrome Chaudiere and podiums in both of the western swing events.
- All four of his career wins have been earned on ovals, including this race last year.
- Has that win, six top 10s and an average finish of ninth in the nine previous Barrie races.
D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge)
- The 2010 and 2012 NCATS champion. Maintains series record for career wins (tied-19), top fives (65) and top 10s (80), and is one of three drivers to start each of the 96 all-time events.Also ranks second in series history in laps led (2,754) and fifth in poles (10).
- Is tied with Scott Steckly for the NCATS record for most career oval victories with 16, and has won at eight different circle tracks. All 10 of his career poles have been earned on ovals.
- Has a streak of 59-consecutive races without at DNF. Last DNF came at Riverside International Speedway in 2007.
- Ranks fourth in points after nine events with a best result of third at Riverside.
- Has three wins (2-2007, 2010), eight top 10s and an average finish of sixth across the nine previous Barrie races.
Jeff Lapcevich (No. 76 Tim Hortons Dodge)
- Has a pole and 38 top 10s in 58 career NCATS starts with a best career finish of fourth (four times).
- Has competed in five of nine events this year – the four road course contests and Autodrome St-Eustache.
- Has an average finish of 11th and a best results of fifth (2011) in five previous Barrie starts.
- Best career oval finish was second at Riverside in 2009.
Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Mopar/Exide Dodge)
- The 2007 and 2009 champion is tied for the series all-time lead in wins (19) and owns the poles (15) record outright. Has 43 top fives and 60 top 10s in 70 career NCATS starts.
- Of his 19 career triumphs, 15 have come on road courses.
- Is third in points with six top 10s and wins at Circuit ICAR and Edmonton International Raceway.
- Has five top 10s, an average finish of seventh and a best result of second (2012) in six Barrie races.
Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire/Sturdy Forms Dodge)
- Has a series-leading three championships (2008, `11, `13) through the first seven years of NCATS competition.
- Owner of 16 wins, 13 poles, 58 top fives and 71 top 10s in 96 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 3,944.
- All 16 of his career triumphs have come on ovals, including two at Barrie.
- Ranks fifth in points after nine races with six top 10s, highlighted by a win at St-Eustache.
- Has two wins (2-2008), seven top 10s and an average finish of seventh in the nine previous Barrie events.
Alex Tagliani (No. 18 EpiPen/Dicom Express Dodge)
- Has a win, five poles, six top fives and two additional top 10s in 23 career NCATS starts. The victory was earned at Edmonton City Centre Airport in 2008.
- Has a pair of top 10s in seven starts this season. Missed the CTMP opener to compete in Indianapolis 500 qualifying as well as Riverside when he raced the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in NASCAR Nationwide Series action.
- Finished third in his only previous NCATS start at Barrie in 2008.
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.
- Steve Mathews earned his third career pole and Jason Hathaway took the checkered flag for the fourth time in his career on June 15 in the series’ inaugural visit to Autodrome Chaudiere. The race was postponed one day due to rain.
- Ranger swept the weekend at Circuit ICAR with his second straight pole and third win in a row in the event on July 6.
- The western swing began on July 11 with the series’ inaugural visit to Edmonton International Raceway. Alex Tagliani earned his fifth career pole and Ranger took down a second straight victory.
- L.P. Dumoulin closed out the western swing in Victory Lane at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway on July 16. Scott Steckly earned the pole.
- Steckly broke through for his first win of the year in dominant fashion when he repeated as victor at Autodrome St-Eustache on July 26.
- Dumoulin scored his first hometown win when he took the checkered flag in the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres on Aug. 10. Marc-Antoine Camirand earned his first career pole prior to the race.
- Donald Chisholm won the day as he registered his first career pole and race victory in front of a hometown crowd at Riverside International Speedway on Aug. 16.
- Fitzpatrick swept the season series at CTMP with a victory on Aug. 31. Ranger also ended up as the pole winner for both events at the famed road course.
- Following the Wahta Springs 300, the 2014 season will conclude on Sept. 20 at Ontario’s Kawartha Speedway.
