DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- So often racing is generational. People are born into it, but that wasn't the case for Kevin Kozack. He didn't find racing, racing found him.
"I was sitting in my office when (Howard Chappell) and (Nathan Weenk) came by looking for sponsorship money. I could see the passion they had for the sport, but I couldn't get a number out of them. I was prepared to write a check for $2,500 or so, but they wouldn't say it," said Kozack. "So, I asked them if $250 would work for them and their eyes lit up. They were happy with that."
Kozack, a lifelong resident of Saskatchewan, started work at the bottom of Mid West Combustion before buying the company from his boss. His company deals in large industrial burners for a variety of industries.
The relationship between Kozack, Chappell and Weenk continued to evolve.
"The next thing I knew I was buying a race car. Then, two cars and so on," Kozack says. "A couple of years ago, they brought up the (NASCAR Canadian Tire Series) as an option which is on a scale well above what we had been doing, but it has been great and with a few more partners we can attend more races. We'd love to run them all."
Chappell remains as the crew chief for the team and Weenk is behind the wheel of the No. 48 Mid West Combustion Chevrolet.
Weenk, out of Lethbridge, Alberta, has proven to be a solid competitor. In just four series starts, he has three top-10 finishes including a career-best eighth-place effort last Saturday night in the A&W Cruisin' The Dub 300 at Motoplex Speedway in Vernon, B.C.
The difficulty level in competing at the highest level in a part-time capacity is fairly high. Dealing with these race cars on a daily basis leads to a base of knowledge that comes in handy when presented with different situations at the race track.
"That team has done a fantastic. I couldn't ask for much more," said Kozack. "We really want to move forward with this thing. If things go well for these two events, then we really want to take a look at going east at the end of the year."
The races included would be at Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, N.S., and Kawartha Speedway in Fraserville, Ont.
"I've seen those races on television the last couple of years," he said. "They're great and we need to make it happen to continue our growth."
| Race | Velocity Prairie Thunder presented by Bayer CropScience |
|---|---|
| Place | Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, Saskatoon, Sask. |
| Date | Wednesday, July 27 |
| Time | 7:15 p.m. CST |
| TV Schedule | TSN, Sat., Aug. 6, 1 p.m. ET |
| Track Layout | .333-mile oval |
| 2010 Winner | D.J. Kennington |
| 2010 Polesitter | D.J. Kennington |
| Event Schedule | Practice: 1:30-2:30 p.m.; Qualifying: 5 p.m.; Autograph Session: 5:45 p.m. |
| Track Contact | Herm Hordal, (306) 651-3278, hhordal@sasktel.net |
| NASCAR IMC Contact | Shon Sbarra, (704) 309-5493 or ssbarra@nascar.com |
FAST FACTS
The Race: This event is the seventh of 12 races on the 2011 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule and the fourth of seven races this season on ovals. This is the series' third visit to the track. It also is the second of a two-race swing to Western Canada.
The Procedure: The starting field is 22 cars, including provisionals. The first 19 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 250 laps covering 83.25 miles.
The Track: Auto Clearing Motor Speedway is a .333-mile oval with graduated banking. Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association Ltd. originated from the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Club that was formed in 1954. Racing in Saskatoon began at the 8th Street Racing Oval. In 1970, as a result of city expansion, stock-car racing moved to the current Prairieland Exhibition at Bridge City Raceway. In 1999, the City of Saskatoon expanded once again which paved the way for a new track, Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, to be built. Construction of the new track began in April 2005.
The Records: The one-lap qualifying record for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at the track is 14.824 seconds (80.869 mph), set by D.J. Kennington on Aug. 4, 2010. The 250-lap race record was also established on Aug. 4, 2010 by Kennington at 1 hour, 17 minutes, 3 seconds for an average speed of 64.909 mph.
The History: Scott Steckly (2009) and D.J. Kennington (2010) are the two race winners at Auto Clearing in series history while Don Thomson Jr. and Kennington started on the pole in those respective seasons. Last year, Kennington led 133 of the 250 laps before beating J.R. Fitzpatrick to the line by .502 seconds. Thomson finished third followed by Steckly and John Gaunt.
RACE NOTES
Long Haul: Most NASCAR Canadian Tire Series teams located in Ontario will travel approximately 8,500 kilometers (5,300 miles) round trip for the two-race swing into Western Canada. The driving distance from New York to Los Angeles is about 3,900 kilometers (2,444 miles).
First Timers: Nick Jewell and Dan Shirley will be making their NASCAR Canadian Tire Series debut in the Velocity Prairie Thunder presented by Bayer CropScience. Shirley is a former CASCAR competitor.
Busy Two Days: Auto Clearing Motor Speedway will be a busy place. On Tuesday night, the track's Mini Stock, Thunder Stock, Street Stock and Pro Truck divisions will be on the track as they play host to the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League. On Wednesday after the conclusion of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event, Dakota Dunes Casino Western Canadian Super Late Model Championship Series SuperSeal 150 will be held.
Out And About: Also on Tuesday afternoon, several series drivers will be making appearances. Scott Steckly will be at the Canadian Tire store at Confederation Mall. Kerry Micks will be at the Work Authority store for Dickies. Additionally, several series drivers will be on hand Tuesday evening at the track to greet fans.
LAST TIME OUT: A&W Cruisin' The Dub 300
Tough To Beat: With the win on Saturday night, Scott Steckly now has two Motoplex Speedway victories to his credit along with three runner-up finishes in five starts. He also became the first NASCAR Canadian Tire Series driver to win from the pole position since Andrew Ranger accomplished the feat last August at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The last series competitor to win from the pole on an oval track was D.J. Kennington in 2010 at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, Sask.
All The White Stuff: The White Brothers, Jason and Jim, were in the same field of cars for the first time since last season at Motoplex Speedway. This year, Jim finished 10th after running in the top five for some of the night while Jason closed out the evening in the 11th position.
Good Showing: At 20 years of age, Sarah Cornett-Ching made her series debut at Motoplex Speedway. She finished 14th, eight laps off the pace after having some problems late in the race. She was on the lead lap until a flat tire led her into the wall where her A&W Cruisin' For A Cause Chevrolet suffered more damage.
More Bad Luck: J.R. Fitzpatrick has found more than his share of bad luck this season. Flat tires at Circuit ICAR and Toronto Exhibition Place cost him legitimate opportunities for victories and a late-race spin at Motoplex Speedway cost him the chance at racing alongside Steckly and D.J. Kennington at the end after spending much of the night inside the top five.
NEXT TIME OUT: GP3R 100
After a pair of oval-track races in Western Canada, the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series heads to Quebec for a pair of road-course events in Trois-Rivieres and Montreal. First up will be the GP3R 100 as part of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Andrew Ranger, who has won the last three races on the temporary street course, renews his rivalry with J.R. Fitzpatrick. Last season the two drivers made contact with each other early on, but both were there at the end with Fitzpatrick finishing third.
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