Auto News 5

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne said a good performance by its U.S. operations will be crucial for the success

This 2015 Ford F-150 was seen driving undisguised in suburban Detroit on Sunday. The aluminum-bodied truck begins production later this summer. The lightweight body saves as much as 700 pounds over the outgoing steel-bodied truck.

In March, CEO Mary Barra drafted former federal prosecutor Anton Valukas to delve into some of the most vexing questions surrounding GM's botched response to a shoddy ignition switch.

AutoNation partnered with Hunter-Reay's Racing for Cancer charity in May 2013 to beat the disease.

From press release

Reigning IndyCar champion Scott Dixon reflects on his time at Chip Ganassi Racing, as the team celebrates 25 years.

With titles in NASCAR, IndyCar and sports car, Chip Ganassi Racing has been enjoying plenty of success over the last quarter of a century. Dixon, who has been with the team for approximately half of that time, thinks the key to all those wins is "happiness".

Scott Dixon (Photo: ChipGanassiRacing.com)

"To be honest, I'm not sure there's a 'secret' to Target Chip Ganassi Racing staying at the top for so long," the New Zealander is quoted saying by Racer magazine.

"One of the key things - and I know it sounds sort of cheesy - is that people are happy there. There's no one who comes into work at Ganassi with a 'don't care' attitude.

Chip Ganassi with driver Charlie Kimball (Photo: ChipGanassiRacing.com)

Of course, Chip Ganassi himself is very driven as a team owner, which helps obtain results.

"As you go through categories, you sometimes encounter team owners who don't seem to have enough fight in them or the determination," Dixon adds.

Scott Dixon leads the IndyCar field (Photo: ChipGanassiRacing.com)

"But Chip cares; one bad practice session and he wants an explanation! I know that sounds as if he's a tough boss, but actually I love that.

Ganassi the man is also very human: "Chip has a soft side too. (He) may have moments when he's fired up and if you say something he considers wrong, he can have a way of snapping back.

Chip Ganassi in NASCAR (Photo: ChipGanassiRacing.com)

"But he's very, very loyal, and will back you to the hilt. And I know there are charitable things he does which he gets no publicity for and doesn't want publicity for."

Chip Ganassi in sports cars (Photo: ChipGanassiRacing.com)

From press release

Penske driver Will Power won the first of two IndyCar races, presented this weekend on the street circuit of Belle Isle, in Detroit.

The Australian beat Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal by a whisker, after a late caution bunched the field back up for a 10-lap sprint to the checkered flag.

Will Power, Team Penske (Photo: Chris Jones)

"Just a great job by the team, putting me in a position to use our speed," said Power.

"That was hard work. It's a massive win for me, massive win for the team and especially for Roger and for Chevy. They've been trying to win here for a long  time and we finally did it with a Honda trying to charge by.

Juan Pablo Montoya, Team Penske (Photo: Joe Skibinski)

"(Rahal) was really fast. I was worried but I just kept executing good laps.” 

"I was just trying to give him a run for his money," added Rahal.

James Hinckcliffe, Andretti Autosport (Photo: Chris Owens)

"I thought if I can just force him into a little mistake, this is mine. Didn't quite get there but I'm very proud of this team."

Canadian James Hinchcliffe brought his car home in sixth, having started on the outside of row one.

Scott Dixon, Ganassi Racing (Photo: Chris Owens)

Race results* - Race One (Belle Isle, Detroit)
1 - Will Power (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 70 laps
2 - Graham Rahal (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Rahal - 0"3308
3 - Jack Hawksworth (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Herta - 5"5096
4 - Justin Wilson (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - 8"5951
5 - Helio Castroneves (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 10"7365
6 - James Hinchcliffe (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Andretti - 11"5074
7 - Carlos Munoz (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Andretti - 14"8813
8 - Carlos Huertas (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - 26"5965
9 - Charlie Kimball (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Ganassi - 32"5852
10 - Marco Andretti (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Andretti - 33"1818
11 - Scott Dixon (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Ganassi - 33"3522
12 - Juan Pablo Montoya (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 34"0094
13 - Sebastien Bourdais (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 36"0240
14 - Sebastian Saavedra (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 37"0532
15 - Ryan Briscoe (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Ganassi - 56"6632
16 - Ryan Hunter-Reay (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Andretti - 1 lap
17 - Mikhail Aleshin (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Schmidt - 2 laps
18 - Takuma Sato (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Foyt - 4 laps
19 - Jack Hawksworth (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Herta - 5 laps

Fastest lap of the race: 1'17”6399 by Graham Rahal

Retirements
Lap 37 - Josef Newgarden
Lap 23 - Mike Conway
Lap 5 - Simon Pagenaud

*Unofficial results

Ambiance (Photo: Joe Skibinski)

From press release

Montreal's Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is one of those special tracks.

That is the view of Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo, who is heading into his third Canadian Grand Prix, next weekend.

"I doubt anyone on the grid lacks motivation, but there's definitely a little extra edge to it at some circuits," says the 24-year-old Australian.

"They tend to be the ones that demand the most from you and hold real consequences from getting it wrong. Montreal definitely falls into that category."

Daniel Ricciardo (Photo: WRi2)

The Perth native finished third, last weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix. In Canada, he will be trying to beat his highly-rated teammate Sebastian Vettel once more.

But he knows he must be careful not to push too hard.

"Each of the chicanes (the hairpin too) is an opportunity to make up, or lose, time but the crucial corner is probably the last one: you arrive at top speed so there's a lot to be gained in braking if you get that just right, and then the way you go over the kerbs is worth more time.

"The flip side is that it's very easy to get wrong and if you do then there's that big wall waiting.

"The nearer you are, the faster you'll go. Give the wall a kiss and you feel pretty good; kiss it too hard and that's it!"

From press release

In a commanding way, Marco Wittmann decided the third DTM season round at the Hungaroring in his favour.

Marco Wittmann, BMW M4 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

Driving his BMW M4 DTM, Wittmann, who had started from pole position, crossed the finish line as the winner after 41 laps with a margin of 6.615 seconds. Following his success in the Hockenheim season opener, this was the second DTM race win for the Franconian, who will now come to his home race at the Norisring (June 27-29) as the championship leader.

“This is a great success, because in the closing stages, you never know whether the drivers with option tires can still close up. However, our strategy worked out. I built up a huge advantage and then held on to it without making any mistakes. I am not wasting any thoughts on the title, we are just working from one race to another,” Wittmann commented.

Bruno Spengler, BMW M4 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

Miguel Molina (Audi) and Bruno Spengler (BMW) finished second and third respectively.

Spengler raced with an aggressive strategy. In the second half, he used the faster option tire and thus overtook one opponent after another on his way to third place. “Something like that doesn't happen very often,” the Canadian said. For him, only Wittmann and Molina were beyond reach.

Robert Wickens, Mercedes C-Coupe (Photo: DTM.com)

His countryman Robert Wickens (Mercedes-Benz) had his eyes set on his first championship points of the season at Hungaroring. Having started 17th, he moved up as high as seventh with his DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé, but then dropped back again to eleventh on the final laps.

“I had a good start and ran all on my own for a long time. Having to race on your own is always difficult. At the end of the day, it is a pity that we missed out on scoring points, but we have made a step forward,” the best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver said.

Daniel Juncadella, Mercedes C-Coupe (Photo: DTM.com)

In total, 33,000 spectators came to watch the first DTM race weekend in Hungary after 26 years.

Race results* - Hungaroring (round 3 of 10)
1 - Marco Wittmann (BMW M4) - RMG - 41 laps in 1.08'35"291
2 - Miguel Molina (Audi RS5) - Abt - 6"615
3 - Bruno Spengler (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 21"842
4 - Edoardo Mortara (Audi RS5) - Abt - 29"960
5 - Adrien Tambay (Audi RS5) - Abt - 30"112
6 - Maxime Martin (BMW M4) - RMG - 30"357
7 - Jamie Green (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 34"403
8 - Antonio Felix Da Costa (BMW M4) - MTEK - 34"560
9 - Mattias Ekstrom (Audi RS5) - Abt - 34"826
10 - Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 36"017
11 - Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 38"732
12 - Nico Muller (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 41"105
13 - Martin Tomczyk (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 1'00"014
14 - Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'00"170
15 - Joey Hand (BMW M4) - RBM - 1'04"407
16 - Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'04"809
17 - Vitaly Petrov (Mercedes C-Coupe) - Mucke - 1'19"739
18 - Paul Di Resta (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'25"635
19 - Timo Glock (BMW M4) - MTEK - 1'28"687

Retirements
Christian Vietoris
Augusto Farfus
Timo Scheider
Gary Paffett

Championship
1.Wittmann 50 points; 2.Rockenfeller 31; 3.Mortara 27; 4.Molina e Tambay 26; 6.Vietoris 25; 7.Spengler 23; 8.Ekstrom 20; 9.Farfus 14; 10.Di Resta 12.

*Unofficial results

(Photo: DTM.com)

From press release

Ricky and Jordan Taylor sprinted to the Prototype (P) class and overall victory Saturday, in the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic, a result that wasn't the least bit surprising. After all, the Taylor Brothers were in a hurry.

After winning the fifth race of the United SportsCar Championship (USCC) season, the Taylor Brothers took off for the airport and a flight to Paris, to be followed by a train ride to Le Mans, France. They were expecting to arrive around noon on Sunday, to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans mandatory test session.

Photo: IMSA.com

Ricky Taylor brought the No. 10 Corvette DP home, only 0.207 seconds ahead of Richard Westbrook, who was in the pole-sitting No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Corvette DP. Westbrook co-drove with Canadian Michael Valiante.

What was shaping up to be a routine run to the checkered flag for Ricky Taylor changed quickly in the closing minutes of the race, following a caution period to repair the tire wall in Turn 12,

Photo: IMSA.com

Ricky Taylor was out front, with Joao Barbosa a close second. Taylor took the white flag but suddenly, Barbosa took the lead with a daring inside move into the Turn 3 right-hander, nudging Taylor into the wall. Moments later, though, the left-rear tire on Barbosa's car was shredding and then, he was spinning. Taylor sped by and won.

Photo: IMSA.com

“When he put us in the wall the only thing I was thinking was either he is going to have a tire go down or I was definitely going to break because it was a hard hit,” Ricky Taylor said. “For those last couple laps it was really tooth and nail.”

Ricky Taylor is slated to co-drive a LM P2 car at Le Mans, while Jordan Taylor and Westbrook will join the heralded Corvette Racing operation for a LM GTE Pro effort.

Photo: IMSA.com

“Richard and I have done this [Detroit-to-Le Mans trip] before together and it was a disaster,” Jordan said.

“Hopefully this one, with a lot more planning will be a little less stress. I think we knocked off about five years of Richard's life [last time]. It's a rough travel night. We hope to get in the car [at Le Mans] for a few hours. It's a long weekend, but we're race car drivers and we love driving, so it's definitely worth it.”

Photo: IMSA.com

Race results* - Chevrolet Sports Car Classic
1 - R.Taylor/J.Taylor (Dallara-Corvette) - Taylor - 57 laps
2 - Westbrook/Valiante (Coyote-Corvette) - Spirit of Daytona - 0”207
3 - Yacaman/Pla (Morgan-Nissan) - OAK - 8”817
4 - Pew/Negri (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 9”713
5 - Sharp/Dalziel (HPD ARX03b) - ExtremeSpeed - 17”718
6 - Barbosa/Fittipaldi (Coyote-Corvette) - ActionExp - 33”286
7 - Brown/Van Overbeek (HPD ARX03b) - ExtremeSpeed - 1 lap
8 - Balzan/Westphal (Ferrari 458) - Corsa - 1 lap
9 - James/M.Farnbacher (Porsche 991) - AlexJob - 1 lap
10 - Haase/B.Miller (Audi R8) - Miller - 1 lap
11 - Carter/Davison (Aston Martin Vantage) - TRG - 1 lap
12 - Macneil/Keen (Porsche 991) - AlexJob - 1 lap
13 - Cameron/Palttala (BMW Z4) - Turner - 1 lap
14 - Drissi/Asch (Porsche 991) - Muehlner - 1 lap
15 - Sweedler/T.Bell (Ferrari 458) - AIM - 1 lap
16 - Snow/Heylen (Porsche 991) - Snow - 2 laps
17 - Barker/Faulkner (Porsche 991) - GB - 2 laps
18 - J.Bleekemolen/Keating (SRT Viper) - Riley - 2 laps
19 - Nunez/J.Miller (Lola B12/60-Mazda) - Speedsource - 2 laps
20 - Neiman/Von Moltke (Audi R8) - Flying Lizard - 2 laps
21 - Potter/Lally (Porsche 991) - Magnus - 2 laps
22 - Tremblay/T.Long (Lola B12/60-Mazda) - Speedsource - 3 laps
23 - Canache/Pumpelly (Audi R8) - Flying Lizard - 4 laps
24 - Espenlaub/Putman (Audi R8) - Fall-Line - 4 laps
25 - Marcelli/Cumming (Ferrari 458) - Scuderia Corsa - 4 laps
26 - A.Davis/Sandberg (Porsche 991) - Stevenson - 5 laps
27 - Lindsey/Estre (Porsche 991) - ParkPlace - 31 laps
28 - Cisneros/Giermaziak (Porsche 991) - NGT - 33 laps
29 - Curran/Said (Coyote-Corvette) - Marsh - 39 laps
30 - Pruett/Rojas (Riley-Ford) - Ganassi - 45 laps
*Unofficial results

Photo: IMSA.com

From press release

Marco Wittmann will be the pole-sitter, this Sunday, for the first DTM race held at the Hungaroring after a break of nearly 26 years.

In the qualifying session, the German BMW M4 DTM driver crossed the line of the 4.381-kilometre circuit located not far from Budapest in 1:26.518 minutes, thus repeating the feat he delivered at Oschersleben and securing his second consecutive pole.

Marco Wittmann (Photo: DTM.com)

“I just love the qualifying,” said the winner of the season opener, following the third pole position in his still short DTM career.

“Getting your act together on a single lap represents a great challenge. Today, everything went fine - a great day for BMW. First position on the grid is a great initial position as a good start is particularly important, here in Hungary.”

Adrien Tambay, Audi RS 5 (Photo: DTM.com)

Meanwhile, the three rookies Maxime Martin, António Félix da Costa (both BMW) and Nico Müller (Audi) made for positive surprises.

All the three DTM newcomers made it to the final phase of qualifying. Martin even temporarily held the provisional pole to qualify fourth, in the end - right ahead of Félix da Costa, with Müller coming eighth.

Maxime Martin, BMW M4 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

For Bruno Spengler (BMW Bank M4 DTM), qualifying was over after the second session. The Canadian narrowly missed out on progressing to Q3, qualifying ninth. His countryman Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupe) is down in 17th.

The race begins at 1:30 pm on Sunday (local time).

Bruno Spengler, BMW M4 DTM (Photo: DTM.com)

Qualifying results* - Hungaroring (round 3 of 10)
1.Marco Wittmann (BMW M4) - RMG - 1'36"518 - Q3
2.Timo Glock (BMW M4) - MTEK - 1'36"731 - Q3
3.Miguel Molina (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'36"757 - Q3
4.Maxime Martin (BMW M4) - RMG - 1'36"777 - Q3
5.Antonio Felix Da Costa (BMW M4) - MTEK - 1'36"896 - Q3
6.Augusto Farfus (BMW M4) - RBM - 1'37"061 - Q3
7.Adrien Tambay (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'37"134 - Q3
8.Nico Muller (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1'37"174 - Q3
9.Bruno Spengler (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 1'37"257 - Q2
10.Jamie Green (Audi RS5) - Rosberg - 1'37"259 - Q2
11.Mattias Ekstrom (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'37"301 - Q2
12.Edoardo Mortara (Audi RS5) - Abt - 1'37"352 - Q2
13.Mike Rockenfeller (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 1'37"611 - Q2
14.Joey Hand (BMW M4) - RBM - 1'37"644 - Q2
15.Timo Scheider (Audi RS5) - Phoenix - 1'37"766 - Q2
16.Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'37"846 - Q2
17.Robert Wickens (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'37"857 - Q2
18.Martin Tomczyk (BMW M4) - Schnitzer - 1'37"945 - Q2
19.Paul Di Resta (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'38"133 - Q1
20.Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'38"216 - Q1
21.Gary Paffett (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'38"384 - Q1
22.Vitaly Petrov (Mercedes C-Coupe) - Mucke - 1'38"960 - Q1
23.Christian Vietoris (Mercedes C-Coupe) - HWA - 1'39"022 - Q1
*Unofficial results

Vitaly Petrov, Mercedes C-Coupe (Photo: DTM.com)

Fiat will team with Mitsubishi to add a long-promised large pickup to its lineups in Europe and Latin America, sources told Automotive News Europe.

DeltaWing Technologies, the Atlanta-area developer of the DeltaWing race car, wants to license its unusual wedge-shaped design to automakers as a template for a lightweight, efficient production car.

Bollore Group, a French electronics manufacturer with nearly $15 billion in sales last year, is entering the United States with a disruptive business plan: It wants to win consumers without selling them any cars.

Fiat will team with Mitsubishi to add a long-promised large pickup to its lineups in Europe and Latin America, sources said. Mitsubishi will provide Fiat with a variant of the L200.


How old were you when you first decided you wanted to be an F1 driver?


Felipe Massa: It was always part of my dream when I started go-karting as a kid - so it was something of a distant dream that step by step transformed into reality. The first time it really occurred to me that it might be possible was probably when I was 15.



When was your first big accident in a race car?


FM: It was with a go-kart. I had a roll when I was 15. I tried to overtake, but the other guy closed the door. I was not hurt, but it was the kind of accident that you will remember your whole life.



Felipe Massa (Photo: Facebook)

When did you win your first trophy in racing and what did it look like?


FM: My first race in a go-kart when I was 13. I was an instant success! (laughs) The trophy was gold - no, not real gold, gold colour - and had a little go-kart on the top as a kind of arch. I still have it.



What was the first road car you drove?


FM: It was my dad's road car - and I was around ten years old. It was a Chevrolet Monza - a big car for a small kid.



Where was the first house you lived in?


FM: It is a house that I still have. It's in the countryside of Sao Paolo and is now kind of a country house for the family. I was six years old when we moved there.

What was the first thing you did this morning?


FM: Had a shower, and then had breakfast with my family. Wait a minute... it was actually looking at my iPhone. Somehow that seems a shame, but this is the reality nowadays!



When was your first romantic kiss?


FM: The first time - eyes closed and shy - was when I was around ten. For my first real romantic kiss, I was maybe 13.



Felipe Massa, Williams FW36 (Photo: Facebook)

When was the first time you were asked to sign an autograph for a fan?


FM: When I was a Formula Chevrolet driver - somewhere around 1999.



When did you first taste champagne?


FM: When I went to the podium for the first time. Maybe I had a secret taste before - from the glass of somebody at some family event...



Which would you eat first - a piece of fruit or a piece of chocolate?


FM: A piece of fruit. My mum was always very strict about my teeth so sweets and chocolate have never really been on my agenda.

From press release

Kerry Earnhardt, Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Dale Earnhardt Jr. grew up in the outdoors with a love of being outside carried from generation to generation.

"Growing up, granddad (NASCAR Sportsman Champion Ralph Earnhardt) and dad (NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt) handed their traditions down to us ... being on the water, in the woods," former NASCAR driver Kerry Earnhardt said.

"We like to ride four-wheelers and trail-ride and do things like that as well," NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "So there's a lot of fun to be had out in the woods and outdoors. You just kind of never forget that, those experiences as a little kid."

Dale Earnhardt Jr (Photo: Facebook)

To promote a multi-generational love of the outdoors, the three siblings have created an outdoor lifestyle brand, Earnhardt Outdoors, and partnered with Tackle Grab, an online subscription service for the recreational and sport-finishing industry.

"Sharing the outdoors with people and passing that along from generation to generation is important to us," JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt Miller said. "Partnering with Tackle Grab makes enjoying the outdoors just easier and simpler. They provide a very authentic product, quality product. It's innovative, and I think the same is true for the Earnhardts."

Kelley, Kerry and Dale Jr fishing (Photo: Facebook)

Tackle Grab Powered by Earnhardt Outdoors will add new brands of fishing products, providing members with the latest industry offerings to meet their fishing needs. According to Experian Consumer Research, Simmons National Consumer Survey in 2010, 25 million NASCAR fans fished over the previous 12 months. The study also indicated that those fans were twice as likely to fish as non-fans.

"Tackle Grab is thrilled to partner with the Earnhardt family and Earnhardt Outdoors," Stash Karandanis, co-founder of Tackle Grab, said. "Their family and organization represent the core values we strive for -- family, love of the outdoors, and fishing. With the Earnhardt's help, we will continue to provide our members with the best access to high quality fishing equipment each month."

The United SportsCar Championship (USCC) is in Detroit, this weekend, racing on the Belle Isle street circuit.

Extreme Speed Motorsports driver Ryan Dalziel takes your for a lap of the 2.35-mile course aboard his No. 1 ARX-03b Prototype (P).



Belle Isle is a 982-acre island located in the Detroit River between Detroit and Canada, which officially became a Michigan state park earlier this year. As far as racing goes, the original plan was for Formula One to move the U.S. Grand Prix from city streets to the park starting in 1989.

When that plan didn't pan out, the old CART open-wheel series came to the island in 1992. The ALMS raced on Belle Isle in 2007 and ‘08; the Rolex Series had a two-year run that immediately prefaced the merger, in 2012-13.

This Saturday's USCC 100-min race starts at 1:30 pm.

From press release

Jeff Gordon almost missed the Coca-Cola 600, last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, because he was suffering from back spasms. The four-time champion says he feels better now.

The pain was so bad in Charlotte, Hendrick Motorsports asked stand-by driver Regan Smith to get ready, just in case.

But Smith, the Nationwide series points leader, says he hasn't heard from Hendrick this time, meaning Gordon is expected to be well enough to get behind the wheel the No. 24 Chevrolet, this weekend for the Fedex 400, in Dover.

Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet No. 24 (Photo: Facebook)

"I have not had anything said to me yet so as of now," Smith said. "I'll be going home Saturday night and watching (the race) on TV."

"I wouldn't say 100 percent, but I'm closer to normal," Gordon confirmed to MRN Radio. "I'm still feeling some of the effects from last week, but I felt good in the car, didn't have any sharp pains. I just had a week of rest and normal activity, lots of ice."

Gordon ended up 7th in Charlotte, despite the pain. He qualified 6th ahead of tomorrow's race.

From press release

Nearly two weeks removed from potentially season-ending engine issues, Corey Jones will return to OSCAAR Super Late Model tour competition at Kawartha Speedway on June 1st.

"I'm not sure we could have cut this one much closer", smiles Jones as he works alongside his team to put the final preparations together to return to action. "It was a long drive home from Sunset, that's for sure. Blowing an engine in the first feature of the season is just about the roughest way to start the summer."

"It looked as though our season was over", continues Jones. "As hard as the team worked throughout the off-season, all the preparation, all the planning - it seemed all for naught. Thankfully, at the eleventh hour, we were able to put a deal together with help from McGunegill Engine Performance to be back out at Kawartha for Round 2."

The early-season hurdle has sent the Rookie contender scrambling for funding to complete the season, after sinking the majority of his family-run J Star Motorsports budget into the new powerplant.

"We're definitely looking for a little bit of help to be able to run the rest of the tour", explains 'Twinkle Toes'. "Our projected budget is pretty much tapped out now, so we'll have to pound the pavement a little bit and find some additional support."

Despite the adversity, the former Canadian Vintage Modified standout is quick to underscore just how grateful he is to be returning to the tour.

"After coming so close to having our season wiped out, we can't wait to get to Kawartha", beams Jones.

"I feel like we've just taken this team off death row. We're more motivated than we've ever been. We had a great car through practice and qualifying at Sunset, we just didn't get to show it in the feature. I hope we can make up for that this weekend."

Round 2 of the OSCAAR Super Late Model tour is scheduled for Sunday, June 1st at Fraserville, ON's Kawartha Speedway. Gate times and ticket prices for the event can be found at www.OSCAAR.ca.

Fans can keep up with Corey on Twitter @CoreyJones82 and visit J Star Motorsports' page on Facebook.

Corey Jones is proud to carry marketing support from Castle Building Centres, RBC, Accountable Automotive, Dan Simpson - RBC Mortgage Specialist, Lafleche Roofing, Anmar Cleaning Services, Inno-Tech, Ken Robinson Refrigeration, Oktane Productions, Epic Racewear and Westmeadow Dental.

From press release

Marco Andretti's analogy following two rounds of practice and qualifications for the Chevrolet Indy Dual in Detroit summed it up.

“(Comparing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and the 2.36-mile, 13-turn street circuit on Belle Isle is) like baseball and basketball,” he told IndyCar.com.

“I mean, that's the thing about the IndyCar Series is the diversity. It's so different. We run at totally different places in our whole schedule. One is an oval, and one is a very bumpy, challenging street circuit. Different discipline. Very difficult to compare really.”

Marco Andretti, Belle Isle circuit (Photo: Chris Owens)

Andretti finished third in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on May 25 - the third such result to pair with a runner-up finish in his 2006 debut on the 2.5-mile oval and a fourth place in 2013. Teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay won in the second-closest margin of victory in the 98 editions of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and Carlos Munoz finished fourth.

Andretti wasn't satisfied with his result after starting sixth in the No. 25 Snapple car.

“I think any other racetrack it would be awesome.  But Indy we fell short again, so a little bit of a disappointment,” he said.

“We probably should have been more aggressive with the aero package at the end of the race. We should just hopefully keep coming back and having shots at it.  Hopefully my number is picked one day there.”