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Due North: Trucks resume road course racing in Canada

The first race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series north of the border will be held on the road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Jeb Burton

Jeb Burton

Getty Images

Although it is not the first time a NASCAR national series will compete outside of the United States, this weekend’s Chevrolet Silverado 250 will be the first time the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has raced “North of the Border.”

While racing in Canada might be new to the series, hosting NASCAR is not new for Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The historic, 10-turn, 2.459-mile road course located approximately an hour and a half outside Toronto, has hosted the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series since 2007 with an annual stop in May during Victoria Day festivities.

The track is co-owned by Ron Fellows who is no stranger to NASCAR racing. Fellows has won six times in NASCAR national series competition including twice in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – both at Watkins Glen International.

Fellows, track President Myles Brandt and the entire staff have made improvements to the track to make it possible to host the NCWTS and the fruits of their labor will be evident in Sunday’s running of the Chevrolet Silverado 250 (2 p.m. ET FOX Sports 1, Motor Racing Network Radio, Sirius XM Radio).

The 64-lap race marks the series’ return to road-course racing for first time in more than a decade. Fellows finished third in the most recent series road course event held at Watkins Glen in June 2000.

This will also be the second new venue to host a truck race this season. Eldora Speedway in Ohio ran its first series race in July.

Hornaday’s Road Course Experience Could Provide Advantage

No drivers entered in Sunday’s Chevrolet Silverado 250 competed in the series’ last road race at Watkins Glen International in 2000. Four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck champion Ron Hornaday Jr., however, has more experience racing a truck on left and right-turn layouts than most of the younger drivers combined.

He currently is the only full-time driver entered in Sunday’s road-course race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park who has competed at a road course in the series.

Three of Hornaday’s 51 career truck series wins have come on road courses – at Topeka’s Heartland Park in Kansas, 1995; Sonoma Raceway 1995 and Watkins Glen, 1996. Hornaday has 14 road course starts with three poles and nine top-five and 11 top-10 finish. He most recently competed on a road course in a truck in 1999 at Watkins Glen International. He finished fifth in the race won by Canadian Ron Fellows.

Canadian Natives, Roy And Guenette To Make Series Debut

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series regulars Martin Roy and rookie Alex Guenette will both attempt to qualify for the NCWTS race this weekend in their native country. Roy currently sits sixth in the standings with Guenette 12th.

For Guenette, the NCATS rookie is looking forward to making his series debut on a track he feels everyone will love.

“They will love the track. It is fast, a track with flow. The owners have invested a lot of money to improve everything,” said Guenette. “It is a mix between Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta. The TV show should also be super for the fans with many different corners and passing zones. I am sure this will become a classic year after year.”

Guenette will also be one of four drivers competing in both the NCATS event and NCWTS race on Sunday. Joining him will be truck regulars Jeb Burton, Ty Dillon and James Buescher.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Etc.

Mike Skeen, who has won the last four Pirelli World Challenge GT Series races held at CTMP, will make his NCWTS debut in a truck fielded by Sharp-Gallaher Racing.

NASCAR

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