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[/media-credit]Winning the championship is every team’s goal, but for J.R. Fitzpatrick and his team this year it’s an obsession. And obsessions aren’t always bad.
The fire has been building since finishing as the runner-up to D.J. Kennington in 2010 and the flames grew higher after finishing third behind Scott Steckly and Kennington in 2011.
“The goal of this team is to win the championship. Period,” Fitzpatrick said at the start of the season.
The first step to reaching that objective came early last offseason when team owner John Fitzpatrick brought Don Thomson Jr. back into the fold. For several years Thomson drove a Fitzpatrick Motorsports entry, but he joined Ed Hakonson Racing for the 2011 season and finished fifth in the final point standings. This year, however, his role is a little different. Thomson wasn’t signed to drive a team car. He was brought back to serve as the crew chief for the No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet.
By virtue of being longtime teammates familiarity is a non-issue for the two, but they must communicate on a different level now.
“We’re still working through some things there,” said Fitzpatrick. “We do need to communicate better during the race in terms of adjustments. I need to be more specific on how the car is handling, so that we can get the right adjustments made.”
Winning a championship is not new to Fitzpatrick. In 2006, he won the final CASCAR Super Series title as an 18-year-old and ended Thomson’s five-year reign at the top of that series. But for a kid raised at the race track watching his father compete, winning a NASCAR crown would be special.
On Saturday, June 23 at Delaware (Ont.) Speedway in the EMCO 200 presented by Niagara Plumbing Supply and McKeough Supply, Fitzpatrick, the owner of seven NASCAR Canadian Tire Series victories including a season-opening win this year on the Road Course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, will be looking for his first series win on an oval since July 2007.
Three races into the 2012 season, Fitzpatrick sits atop the point standings, but his lead is just a single point over Kennington while Andrew Ranger lurks six points back.
“We have top-three finishes at every race so far,” said Fitzpatrick. “The consistency is there. We just have to keep it going.”
In the title hunt the last two seasons, Fitzpatrick has had some critical missteps along the way – some self-imposed and others not. Limiting those born from his intensity will be crucial as this season progresses.
“I’m still getting a little frustrated at times in the car. I’ve got to do better at that,” he said.
“J.R. is intense behind the wheel. That’s who he is and you’re not going to get that out of him,” said Kennington, a rival on the track, but a good friend away from it, said. “He’s just got to manage it. So far, it’s working for him.”
EMCO 200 Race Notes
No Place Like Home: D.J. Kennington (No. 17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge) began his racing career at Delaware Speedway and his familiarity with the track is evident. In the first three Canadian Tire Series events on the half-mile track the driver from nearby St. Thomas, Ont., has two victories and one pole win. Last season, he finished third in the race after starting on the outside of the front row.
A Dodge Ball: In the three series races at Delaware Speedway Dodge has been the top performer with three victories and three pole positions. Mark Dilley (No. 02 PartSource/BDI/Leland Ford) and J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Equipment Express Chevrolet), second and third-place finishers last Saturday at the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, will be looking to crash the party.
Four Still Standing: Just four drivers – Ron Beauchamp Jr. (No. 60 Mopar/Mobil 1 Dodge), Jason Hathaway (No. 3 Snap-on Tools/Vortex/Rockstar Dodge), Kennington and Scott Steckly (No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge) – have made all 66 starts in series history.
Open Seat: Don Thomson Jr., the reigning race champion, has left the seat vacant as he will not defend his win. He won a year ago in just his third start with Ed Hakonson Racing
Big Weekend: It’s a full weekend of racing at Delaware Speedway. On Friday evening several classifications – Late Model, Super Stocks and Enduro Challenge – will face off in heat races and features. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be joined by the local Truck division on Saturday evening. Special weekend passes are available at select Canadian Tire stores in the London, Ont., area and online at www.delawarespeedway.com is another way.
Pete Shepherd III established a new track record in qualifying for the Clarington 200 at the Speedway at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
Matthew Manor/NASCAR
LAST TIME OUT: Clarington 200
Sole Possession: By collecting his 12th NASCAR Canadian Tire Series career victory, D.J. Kennington took over sole possession of second place on the all-time wins list behind Andrew Ranger (No. 27 Dodge/GC Motorsports Dodge), who leads the way with 15 triumphs. Scott Steckly holds down third place with 11 victories. Kennington also moves into a tie with Steckly for the most oval-track wins (11) in series history.
The Place To Be: Dropping to the rear of the field just prior to the start of the race was more of a good luck charm than a penalty in the Clarington 200. Both Kennington and Jeff Lapcevich (No. 23 Tim Hortons Dodge) had to do so because of unapproved adjustments after qualifying, but both found their way to top-five finishes. Kennington claimed the win while Lapcevich produced a fourth-place effort.
Good Results: Steve Côté (No. 99 White Motorsports Chevrolet) and Noel Dowler (No. 5 EMCO-Kohler/Rheem Dodge) each notched their first series-career top-10 finishes. The ninth-place finish by Côté vaulted him to the top of the Rookie of the Year standings – one point in front of Martin Roy (No. 90 Veloce/Gamache Truck Center Dodge).
2K: By virtue of leading a race-high 137 laps, Kennington eclipsed the 2,000 laps-led mark and now has a total of 2,069 circuits at the front. Only Steckly (2,416) has more in series history..
NEXT TIME OUT: A&W Cruisin’ The Dub 300
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series kicks off its three-race swing through Western Canada at Motoplex Speedway and Event Park in Vernon, B.C., in the A&W Cruisin’ The Dub 300. At 300 laps on the half-mile tri-oval, it’s the longest race on the schedule. Defending series champion Scott Steckly has been tough to beat at the westernmost track on the slate of events. He has won the last two races there and finished as the runner-up in the series’ first three visits to the track.
