NASCAR Canadian Tire Series News & Notes: Riverside

• Series Heads East For Lone Nova Scotia Date
• Strong Rookie Campaign For Camirand

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 11, 2014) – Quebec racer Marc-Antoine Camirand is quietly putting together a solid rookie campaign that has him in the hunt for a top-five finish in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 championship.

Camirand, of Saint-Leonard-d’Aston, had just one top-10 finish in seven part-time starts from 2013-14, but has far exceeded those numbers in his first full-time campaign. The 36-year-old is just six points behind two-time titlists D.J. Kennington for fifth place in the season standings and has posted six top 10s through eight events.

Camirand is currently well-positioned to make history. The highest championship points ranking for a rookie since the year-end award was first bestowed in 2008 came three years ago when Martin Roy finished eighth.

It all started in the Canadian Tire Series for Camirand when he earned a ride for the 2013 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres by virtue of his win in the event’s sportsman division race. He parlayed that debut with White Motorsports into six more appearances before landing a full-time spot with the team for this year.

After a rough start in the season opener, Camirand has posted an average finish of sixth in the seven outings since, a run that has him atop the Jostens Rookie of the Year standings by two points over Gary Klutt.

Although he’s not previously raced at Riverside International Speedway, site of this Saturday’s Wounded Warriors Canada 300, Camirand has performed quite well on ovals this year. His last three such races resulted in two fifths and third.

With no Canadian Tire Series event last week, Camirand made his United States NASCAR debut at Watkins Glen (New York) International with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and finished 17th.

RACE:  Wounded Warriors Canada 300

PLACE:  Riverside International Speedway, Antigonish, N.S.

DATE:  Saturday, Aug. 15

TIME:  8 p.m. ADT

TELECAST:  TSN – Sat., Aug. 22, 6 p.m.; RDS2 – Fri., Sept. 4, 7:30 p.m.

TRACK LAYOUT:  .333-mile, banked asphalt oval

2014 POLESITTER / WINNER:  Donald Chisholm

EVENT SCHEDULE:  Practice 1-1:30 p.m., Final Practice 2-2:30 p.m., Qualifying 4:40 p.m., Driver Autograph Session 5:15 p.m.

TRACK CONTACT:  Paul McLean, 902-863-2410, mclean@riversidespeedway.ca

TRACK TWITTER:  @Riverside_NS

EVENT TWITTER HASHTAG:  #WW300

NASCAR CONTACT:  Jason Cunningham, 704-201-6658, jcunningham@nascar.com, Twitter: @NASCAR_NE

Fast Facts:

The Race:  The ninth annual Wounded Warriors Canada 300 will be the ninth of 11 events on the 2015 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 schedule, and the lone trip to the province of Nova Scotia and Riverside International Speedway.

The Procedure:  The maximum starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 21 cars will have secured starting positions based on two lap time trials and the remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race is scheduled for 300 laps (99.99 miles) and is an impound race with two change tires allowed.

The Track:  Riverside International Speedway originally opened in 1969 and was modeled after legendary Bristol Motor Speedway. In 2006 the track was completely demolished and rebuilt with a new racing surface, concrete walls, lighting, grandstands and control tower. Like its U.S. counterpart in eastern Tennessee, Riverside features high-banked turns. Here, the turns are banked 14 degrees. The frontstretch is 440 feet long with banking of six degrees while the backstretch is also 440 feet but with five-degree banking.

Pole Winners:  The first eight Riverside races have produced five different pole winners, led by Scott Steckly’s three. Steckly set the series’ track qualifying record on Sept. 18, 2010 at 14.488 seconds (82.973 mph).

Race Winners:  There have been seven different winners in the first eight Canadian Tire Series events at Riverside. Only D.J. Kennington has two triumphs.

Riverside 300 Notes:

Championship Chase Remains Tight:  Just 18 points separate the top four in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 championship standings with three races remaining. Scott Steckly, the 2011 Riverside International Speedway winner, brings a mere six-point lead on Andrew Ranger to this week’s Wounded Warriors Canada 300 while Jason Hathaway, who earned a victory at the .333-mile oval in 2013 is 10 back in third. Reigning champion L.P. Dumoulin is hanging in there in his title defense, 18 behind.

Ranger Catching Fire:  Since he retired early from the event at Ontario’s Sunset Speedway on June 20 due to mechanical issues, Ranger has steadily marched up the championship standings. In the five races since, the Quebec standout has posted finishes of second, sixth, third, first and second. The win came at Autodrome St-Eustache, an oval in his home province. Ranger, the Canadian Tire Series’ all-time victories leader with 20, won at Riverside 2009.

Chisholm’s Hometown Triumph:  Although not a championship contender, Donald Chisholm will have plenty on the line Saturday as he looks to become the first driver to register back-to-back victories in the Wounded Warriors Canada 300. Chisholm, of Antigonish, rolled to a dominating win last year at his family’s track for his first career Canadian Tire Series checkered flag. The series, which contests the bulk of its events in Ontario and Quebec, annually makes trips to western Canada in addition to the Maritimes and Riverside. Chisholm’s triumph last year marked the only time in 29 combined eastern and western events that a local driver has won.

Nova Scotia’s Finest:  Chisholm will be joined on the Wounded Warriors Canada 300 entry list by fellow Nova Scotian John Flemming of Halifax. Flemming has just two previous Canadian Tire Series starts, both at Riverside, where he’s posted finishes of 12th in 2011 and ninth a year ago. Chisholm has recorded eight top 10s in 17 career starts between Riverside and Ontario ovals Delaware Speedway and Kawartha Speedway.

Series Debuts:  Two drivers are set to make their Canadian Tire Series debut in the Wounded Warriors Canada 300. David Michaud from Quebec will fill in for Alex Tagliani – who will participate in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course – in the No. 18 EpiPen Chevrolet while Newfoundland’s Josh Collins will run the No. 87 Canada’s Best Racing Team Ford. Collins will become the first competitor from the province of Newfoundland to compete in the Canadian Tire Series, or any of NASCAR’s current regional touring series.