2012 Mosport - NASCAR

In 2012, the Canadian NASCAR series was in its sixth season. With Canadian Tire as the primary sponsor, NASCAR had developed a successful format that attracted competitors and fans.

There were some changes to the 2012 schedule – mainly the order of the race weekends early in the season. The title chase started on the Victoria Day Weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). There would be an additional event held at this facility – a race on the oval track in June. The championship would end in late September at Kawartha Speedway. A significant change saw the high-profile event at Toronto’s Exhibition place dropped from the calendar. It was replaced with a temporary circuit in Edmonton. In total, there was twelve race weekends and the series would visit twelve different tracks in six provinces.

The cars competing in the championship are constructed to specifications and rules common to most stock car series. The chassis is a steel tube frame design covered with a fiberglass body and is required to weigh no less than 3000-lbs. Body styles are from manufacturers such as Dodge (Avenger, Challenger and Charger), Ford (Fusion) and Chevrolet (Monte Carlo and Impala SS). Engine type and displacement are dictated by the make and model of the vehicle. The carbureted eight-cylinder motors produce approximately 650-horsepower. Depending on the gearing, these cars are estimated to have a top speed of 160-mph.

Round three of the 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series was held at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park oval. Drivers would compete on the half-mile track for two-hundred-laps in an event titled the Clarington 200.

The starting grid for the Clarington 200 lines up on the front straight of the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park oval for round three of the 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire season. On the pole is the No. 7 Dodge Challenger of Pete Shepherd, III. Sharing the outside of the front row with Shepherd is Steven Mathers in a Ford Fusion. A total of twenty-one competitors would start the contest.

The 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion, D.J. Kennington qualified fifth quickest. The team chose to make unauthorized changes to the No. 17 Dodge Challenger before the start of the race. As a result, Kennington was required to start at the rear of the field. The penalty must have been worth it as he led 137 of the 200-lap race for his first victory of the season. Kennington was now second in the title chase by one point.

Pete Shepherd, III only raced in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series on a part-time basis but that doesn’t make him any less competitive. Shepherd is always a threat to win and finished second at last year’s event. He put the National Exhaust Dodge Challenger on the pole for the Clarington 200. Shepherd led the first forty-one-laps but retired on lap-158 with an axle issue - he was classified in sixteenth place.

The Clarington 200 included many competitors running a limited schedule – one such driver was Steve Mathews. The driver from New Liskeard, Ontario qualified on the outside of the outside of the front row in the Bill Mathews Motors Ford Fusion. Mathews was unable to maintain the pace of the front runners and finished on the lead lap in the sixth position.

Entering round three, J.R. Fitzpatrick was the point’s leader. Fitzpatrick was third fastest in qualifying and took the race lead on lap-42, he was in first place for the next fourteen circuits. During a pit-stop sequence, Fitzpatrick surrendered the lead. In the last half of the race, he chased D.J. Kennington and Mark Dilley – unable to pass either driver, he finished third. Fitzpatrick was still first in the title hunt but only by a single point.

Noel Dowler drove the No. 5 Dodge Challenger with backing from EMCO-Kohler and Rheem. Dowler started at the back of the grid after recording the twentieth fastest time in a field of twenty-one cars. During the contest, a good race strategy and the misfortune of his fellow competitors allowed him to move up the lap chart. Dowler advanced ten positions to finish in the tenth place.

FINISH	START	DRIVERS	SPONSOR / CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	5	D.J. Kennington	Castrol/Mahindra Tractors / Dodge	200	-
2	7	Mark Dilley	Leland/BDI/PartSource / Ford	200	-
3	3	J.R. Fitzpatrick	Equipment Express / Chevrolet	200	-
4	8	Jeff Lapcevich	Tim Hortons / Dodge	200	-
5	6	Jason Hathaway	Snap-On Tools/Vortex Brake Pads / Dodge	200	-
6	2	Steve Mathews	Bill Mathews Motors / Ford	200	-
7	9	Andrew Ranger	Dodge/GC Motorsports / Dodge	200	-
8	10	Ron Beauchamp, Jr.	Mopar/Mobil 1 / Dodge	200	-
9	11	Steve Cote	White Motorsports / Chevrolet	199	-
10	20	Noel Dowler	EMCO-Kohler/Rheem / Dodge	199	Engine
11	15	Jason White	Bowers & Wilkins / Dodge	199	-
12	14	L.P. Dumoulin	WeatherTech Canada/Bellemare / Dodge	198	-
13	16	Joey McColm	CarNationCanada.com / Dodge	196	Accident
14	4	Scott Steckly	Canadian Tire / Dodge	194	-
15	19	Ray Courtemanche Jr.	Construction Danam Bonzai / Dodge	193	-
16	1	Pete Shepherd III	National Exhaust / Dodge	158	Axle
17	12	Larry Jackson	B&B Decals / Dodge	144	-
18	18	Hugo Vannini	Vannini Motorsports / Ford	128	Motor
19	13	Martin Roy	Veloce/Gamache Truck Center / Dodge	83	Oil Line
20	17	Howie Scannell, Jr.	Trailers by Jim Bray / Dodge	34	Overheating
21	21	Mike Scholz	Jiffy Car Wash/Watchfinder.ca / Chevrolet	5	Clutch