Music: {allcanada} Eilander Looks For Edmonton Repeat

Thursday, August 30, 2012

{allcanada} Eilander Looks For Edmonton Repeat

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Veteran Canadian driver Art Eilander has two races to go in his push to repeat as a NASCAR track champion.

Eilander, 51, of Leduc, Alberta, holds a 38-point lead over David Rendall in the NASCAR Thunder Car division point race at Edmonton (Alberta) International Raceway. The next-to-last race is the annual NASCAR Thunder Car 100 at the quarter-mile paved oval on Sept. 8.

"It's still a tight points race," Eilander said of his battle with Rendell. "We've been swapping finishing positions week to week."

Eilander is familiar with close point races – he won the 2011 track title in a tie-breaker over Matthew Bishoff. Deadlocked at 607 points each, Eilander had one more feature win to win the championship.

"It's fun but it's hard work, too," Eilander said.

Eilander has another reason to enjoy his race nights. His son teenage son, Lane, is leading the Future Stock division standings. Younger son Sammy, 10, is part of their team, as well.

"We pit together and we're both leading our point races," Eilander said "That's so cool and it adds to the fun."

Thunder Cars are NASCAR Finalist Division II at Edmonton. Eilander's racing record is three wins and 10 top fives in 10 starts. His worst finish of the season is fifth.

The NASCAR Finalist Division program recognizes drivers who compete in support divisions at NASCAR Whelen All-American Series tracks. With "Division I" being each track's top division, the NASCAR Finalist Division line-up at each track highlights drivers competing in their second, third, fourth and fifth tier divisions. A NASCAR-licensed driver's best 14 finishes are counted toward their final point total for the year. Points are kept separately for dirt and asphalt tracks.

ASPHALT FINALIST STANDINGS | DIRT FINALIST STANDINGS

Paved track NASCAR Finalist Division leaders this week include Division II Jeff Garrison, Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Division III Scott Sundeen, Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway; Division IV Ken Cassidy Jr., Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl; and Division V Jack Purcell, Raceway Park in Shakopee, Minn., and Elko (Minn.) Speedway.

NASCAR Finalist Division leaders on dirt tracks this week include Division II Schutz Jr., Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa.; Division III Craig Whitmoyer, Grandview; Division IV Jeffrey Jones, Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, and I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb.; and Division V Jeremy Auten, Adams County.

Eilander has been successful in both dirt and asphalt racing. His dirt-track experience began when he was part of a group that built the former Calmar (Alberta) Raceway, a quarter-mile dirt track, in 1983.

"I helped build the track and raced there as well," Eilander said. "I was already a fan of racing ever since they started broadcasting NASCAR races on television."

After the Calmar track closed, Eilander raced an outlaw-style dirt Modified at several tracks for about three years. Then, he took a break from racing with the arrival of his sons.

Later while working in northern Alberta, Eilander met Mac McIntire who had a two-car team with his son-in-law Rob Young, who were competitors at Edmonton.

"I ended up as crew chief for both of them. The following year Mac sold his car to me and I went asphalt racing at Edmonton. I won my first feature in my fourth race. I think racing on dirt gave me a good understanding of how a race car works, and that helped me."

Today, the Eilanders and Young share shop space.

"We build our Edmonton cars from the ground up and the shop is complete with a paint booth," Eilander said.

Crew members for the team include McIntire, Chuck Suecroft and Suz-Ann Chomszyn. Sponsors for Eilander's 1976 Chevy Nova include HITEK Urethane, R.A.M. Light Oilfield Hauling, and AMK Piloting. Sponsors on Lane's Honda Accord include Whatever Repairs and Service and Tigger's Mobile Welding.

Eilander works for Procon Parts and Equipment, a supplier to the region's mining industry.