John Harrelson / NKP
Canadian fans will have an opportunity to see and photograph Martinsville car that Gordon drove to victory lane and a spot in the 2015 Chase ‘final four’
TORONTO, ON // FEBRUARY 1, 2016 • One of the highlights of four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon’s final NASCAR Sprint Cup season last year was his milestone 93rd career series win, at Martinsville Speedway, which earned him a coveted ‘final four’ spot in The Chase for The NASCAR Sprint Cup.
To commemorate that win and Gordon’s 23rd and final full-time season of competition, Canadian Motor Speedway (CMS) is extremely proud to present Gordon’s 2015 No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevy SS that he raced to victory that day as the centrepiece of the CMS display at the upcoming Motorama Custom Car and Motorsports Expo Presented by Mothers.
The show takes place March 11, 12 & 13 at The International Centre, across from Toronto’s Pearson Airport. Gordon’s Martinsville-winning car in the CMS display will once again be one of the show’s headline attractions.
This will be the sixth time that Canadian Motor Speedway has presented a version of Gordon’s No. 24 car at the show, but this year marks a very rare and special occasion as one of Gordon’s actual race-winning cars will be on display in Canada.
Continuing a very popular tradition, fans can once again meet and speak with John Bickford Sr. Bickford is the stepfather and the man behind the illustrious career of Gordon, the designer of Canadian Motor Speedway.
“I’m looking forward to attending the Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo and the opportunity to talk with race fans and supporters of CMS,” said Bickford. “It’s something I look forward to every spring. Each year, we strive to bring a unique show car to Motorama. This year, we’ll have Jeff’s 93rd win Martinsville car.”
This year, Niagara College’s Motive Power Program, Applied Research Centre, and The Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre will be exhibiting their technologies, together with CMS, showcasing their Hybrid Trainer and a 3D printed model of Canadian Motor Speedway. Fans will be able to see CMS’s motorsports stadium take shape in 3D form with preliminary specifications from CMS architects, IBI Group.
Motorama attendees can take photos with the No. 24 race car in CMS’s ‘Victory Lane’ and also connect with CMS owners and the management team for the latest progress updates and construction plans for the signature speedway designed by Gordon.
“Jeff’s great run last season and his historic win at Martinsville was a moment of tremendous pride for all of us. We are absolutely excited this year to showcase Jeff’s actual winning race car at our display to commemorate and celebrate his stellar racing career. This will truly be a memorable event for the thousands of Jeff Gordon fans who visit with us each year at Motorama,” commented CMS Executive Director and Partner Azhar Mohammad.
Discussing CMS’ participation at the show, the show’s David Weber said, “We’re honoured that the CMS team has once again included Motorama in their efforts to educate Canadian racing fans about the project. They’ve recently cleared some hurdles and we’re all looking forward to attending races there. In the meantime, having the last car that Jeff Gordon took to victory lane join John Bickford and the owners and management team in the CMS booth is just incredible.”
ABOUT CANADIAN MOTOR SPEEDWAY (CMS): CMS is a world-class motorsport and entertainment development in Fort Erie, Ontario, minutes from Niagara Falls and U.S International border crossings. The core of the project is a ¾ mile oval designed by Jeff Gordon, which will be Canada’s largest oval track and Canada’s largest stadium with 65 thousand grandstand seats. 250 planned event days will host various racing platforms, race team and industry testing, driver experiences and training, concerts and music festivals, other sporting events and charity and community events. CMS will also include commercial and recreational space, as well as an automotive innovation park in collaboration with educational partners: McMaster University’s Faculty of Engineering, Niagara College, and The University of Ontario Institute of Technology’s Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE). Sustainable technology will be tested on-track and used to design, build and operate CMS with assistance from partners such as The Green Sports Alliance. For more information: www.cdnmotorspeedway.com, www.facebook.com/cmsnation, or on Twitter @CMSnation. Media Contact: Erik Tomas, Media Consultant. Office: 905-892-0411 Cell: 289-407-4410 • Email: erik@cdnmotorspeedway.com TOMASERIK@aol.com
ABOUT JOHN BICKFORD SR.: John Bickford is Vice President and General Manager of Jeff Gordon, Inc. Stepfather to NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, Bickford started Gordon’s racing career on a makeshift race track in Vallejo, California in 1976 when Jeff was only 5. At the same time, Bickford started MPD, which is a company that produces products for physically challenged people to enable them to drive cars without the use of their feet. The company also produces race car products. In 1985, he moved east to further Jeff Gordon’s racing, establishing a base in Pittsboro, Indiana. In 1996, following a move from Pittsboro to Concord, North Carolina, he became the Executive Vice President of Action Performance. While with Action, he spent 18 months in Europe working on Formula One and SBK World Super Bike. In 2004, he returned to Jeff Gordon, Inc. where he remains Vice President and General Manager.
ABOUT NIAGARA COLLEGE: About Niagara College: Niagara College offers more than 100 diploma, bachelor degree and advanced level programs at campuses in Welland, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Niagara Falls Ontario; as well as more than 600 credit, vocational and general interest Continuing Education courses. Areas of specialization include food and beverage sciences, advanced technology, motive power, media, applied health and community safety, supported by unique learning enterprises in wine, beer, horticulture and esthetics. For more information, visit www.niagaracollege.ca
ABOUT THE MOTORAMA CUSTOM CAR & MOTORSPORTS EXPO: The second annual Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo Presented by Mothers takes place March 11, 12 & 13, 2016 at The International Centre, adjacent to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. With a footprint of almost 300,000 square feet, the show will be Canada’s biggest late-winter celebration of automobiles and motorsports. Announced celebrity guests, so far, include Steve Darnell (Vegas Rat Rods / Welderup), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Jimmy Shine (So-Cal Speed Shop / Jimmy Shine Work Shop) and Jeff Lutz (Street Outlaws / Lutz Race Cars). For information about the show, including tickets, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, and more, call (416) 962-7223, email info@MotoramaShow.com or visit www.MotoramaShow.com.
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