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TEAM MOPAR DODGE LIGHTING UP THE TRACK IN PRE SEASON TESTING
May 12, 2008. As the start of the 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season nears Ron Beauchamp Jr. and Team Mopar continue to work diligently and preparations are nearing completion. The team has already had the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger on track a couple of times and they are pleased with the results.
The first running of the 2008 season took place at Kawartha Speedway in late April with other Mopar teams. The cool but sunny day yielded positive results. “The car was very good right away” said Ron Beauchamp Jr. “It was a good feeling for the whole team to see the results of their hard work during the off season right away”.
The #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team also worked out the kinks at Cayuga Speedway near Hamilton, Ontario this past weekend. “Initially the car wasn’t quite as good as we expected. After the Kawartha test we tried to make a few improvements as we always do but they didn’t really help. We immediately went back to our earlier set up and the difference was huge” said the driver. “We’re going to squeeze in one most test session before the first race to be sure that everything is 100%”.
Last year was a disappointment for Team Mopar. Early season success quickly faded and mechanical gremlins took over. However the outlook for 2008 is all positive. “When you have a year like we did you have to be proactive and make some changes to get back to the way we’re capable of running” said the driver. “Brad McIntyre is here for the full year as Crew Chief and we’ve got some other new crew members as well, they’ve really brought a lot of enthusiasm to the team”.
Of course with new members for Team Mopar a little time is necessary to have the team come together and get up to speed. That’s been taking place over the last few months. “You should see these guys work on pit stops” smiled Beauchamp. “They’ve been ripping off some great times and everybody’s pretty pumped up to get the year started”.
The second season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will open competition on May 24th at Cayuga Speedway. This years schedule will consist of thirteen races on oval tracks, temporary street circuits and road courses. All races will once again be broadcast on TSN.
Photo Caption: Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger testing at Cayuga Speedway
TEAM MOPAR DODGE ON THE PODIUM AT CAYUGA
May 25, 2008. The 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season opened for Ron Beauchamp Jr. and Team Mopar this past weekend at Cayuga Speedway just outside Hamilton, Ontario. Team Mopar had worked diligently through the winter months to be ready when spring arrived. A fast car and a revitalized team scored a podium finish for the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger.
The day began well but Team Mopar became frustrated during afternoon practice as the adjustments they made to the Mopar Parts Dodge didn’t achieve the desired results. “After practice we put the car on the scales and went back to our base set up” said Ron Beauchamp Jr. “The lap times we posted were consistent and if we could maintain that during the race, we knew things would work out”.
Beauchamp turned in a ninth best qualifying lap but wasn’t fazed at all. “Cayuga changes a lot when the sun goes down and I knew this car would race well”. The drivers experience proved correct and as the green flag waved Ron Jr. was able to begin climbing up in the field toward the top-five. “The track tightens up when the sun goes down and things were working out well for us”.
The new pit crew members along with the returning group performed flawlessly during the scheduled stop. With tires and fuel to go the distance Beauchamp began to push the issue. “Things were playing out great we moved up and with about 30 or 40 laps to go we were running second behind the #22 car. Unfortunately we had a lot of caution periods late in the race and my tires were better on long runs. I used them up a bit trying to take the lead so when the #02 car challenged I just couldn’t hold him back”.
Despite losing the one position late in the race the Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger claimed the third podium position. “It’s great to start the season this way” smiled the driver afterwards. “We had a podium finish in the final race last season and the whole team felt like we were definitely carrying that momentum into this year. It’s a great start for us, it’s nice to have two Dodge’s on the podium and we’re really looking forward to the next event”.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series resumes with round two this coming Saturday May 31st at the Autodrome St. Eustache. This years schedule will consist of thirteen races on oval tracks, temporary street circuits and road courses. All races will once again be broadcast on TSN. The Crown Jewell 200 from Cayuga Speedway can be seen Friday, May 30th at Midnight Eastern time.
TEAM MOPAR RAINED OUT AT ST EUSTACHE
June 1, 2008. The 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season was scheduled to resume for Ron Beauchamp Jr. and Team Mopar this past Saturday at St. Eustache, Quebec. However the weather forced an initial postponement until Sunday and eventually NASCAR officials were forced to reschedule the event for later in the summer with a date to be confirmed soon.
For round three the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will feature the first road course event of the season on the famed Mosport Road Course on Fathers Day weekend. This years schedule will consist of thirteen races on oval tracks, temporary street circuits and road courses. All races will once again be broadcast on TSN.
MOPAR/MOBIL 1 DODGE LEADS EARLY, SLIDES OUT OF CONTENTION
June 15, 2008. The 2008 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season resumed with round number two for Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the Mobil 1/Mopar Parts team at Mosport Raceway this past weekend. After bouncing back from qualifying troubles and finding themselves at the front of the field the team fell victim to wet and slippery conditions on the challenging road course.
Quickly during Saturday’s qualifying session the Mobil 1/Mopar Parts Avenger showed themselves as one of the most powerful contenders in the 29 car field. “The car was great” said Ron Beauchamp Jr. “Unfortunately we barely got going and we had a problem with the timing belt that would end our session early and we’d spend a lot of hours repairing”. The repairs would also cost the Mobil 1/Mopar Parts team their eighth place starting spot on the grid putting them at the back of the field.
As the green flag began the 200km event Beauchamp lunged forward immediately, putting slower cars quickly behind him and setting his sight on the next competitor. “This was what we expected” said Ron Jr. “I knew we could make up some ground pretty quickly, there were some other good cars at the back and we all moved up together”.
As teams began to make their scheduled pit stops that also helped the Mobil 1/Mopar Parts team gain spots and on lap 25 Beauchamp would take over the lead. Ron Jr would make his scheduled stop and look to continue his strong afternoon.
From this point forward the weather would take over as the dominant story of the afternoon. Clouds darkened and heavy rains began to soak the famed road course. “Things got crazy after that” concluded Beauchamp afterwards. “We were in third place so we tried to stay out and hang on but it got so unpredictable, I went into a corner and the front end started to go, then the back end, we were just trying to survive out there but I just ended up in the gravel. All I was trying to do was stay on the track”.
Beauchamp would return to the pits for rain tires but a strong finish was out of the question. “Even with the rain tires these cars are so heavy and hard to handle it’s impossible to make up the lost track position. The Mobil 1/Mopar Parts Dodge would be classified seventeenth at the finish. “Hopefully we’ll have a dry day for the next race at Barrie, we’ll be ready” said the driver.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series resumes with round three on Saturday June 28th at Barrie Speedway. This years schedule will consist of thirteen races on oval tracks, temporary street circuits and road courses.
TEAM MOPAR POWER ON DISPLAY AT ST EUSTACHE
July 6, 2008. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the Mopar Parts Dodge team arrived at the Autodrome St Eustache ready to put a disappointing weekend behind them and focus on round number four of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and collect some significant points following the 250 laps of racing. The result this past weekend was; mission accomplished.
As teams hit the track for practice during the afternoon the Mopar Parts Dodge was never far from the top of the time sheet. Having a quick qualifying car is one thing, having a fast race car for the long haul is another. Team Mopar had both.
Driver Ron Beauchamp Jr. would post the third quickest qualifying time and start from the inside of row two. “As I pulled in from the last practice laps I told my crew chief Brad __ we’ve got a fast race. I know we can have a good run in this kind of race car.
As the green flag dropped in front of a huge crowd in the main event Beauchamp was having little difficulty staying with the front pack. “Not only did we have plenty of Dodge power, but I was able to have the car handling the way we needed to be successful. The Mopar Parts Dodge would continue to head toward the front as laps ticked away and Ron Jr. would take the lead on lap 71 and hold the point for the next 31 circuits.
In addition to handling, and horsepower the other key for success at St Eustache is staying out of trouble. Something that has been difficult at times for Team Mopar. While there was plenty of contact and a total of eleven caution periods, happily the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge was not involved in any of the incidents. “It was really an uneventful race for us” said the driver. “And that’s a nice change. We all just kept our heads down and focused on the task at hand, and came home with a nice sixth place finish. We picked up some points on a couple of guys and that’s what we wanted to do”.
We had a race car tonight” smiled Beauchamp afterwards. “The car qualified well, we got out front and for a while were gone and that felt nice”. This is a really positive outing for our team, we’ve got a lot of new guys on the crew and you can really see how they’ve all started to come together. We are really moving in the right direction as we get ready to head out west for the next two races”.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series competition resumes on Saturday July 19th at Sun Valley Speedway near Vernon, BC with the first of two races in Western Canada. This years schedule will consist of thirteen races on oval tracks, temporary street circuits and road courses.
TEAM MOPAR BUMPED ASIDE AT SUN VALLEY
July 20, 2008. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the Mopar Parts Dodge brought a brand new Dodge Avenger to Sun Valley Speedway near Vernon, BC for round number five of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series this past weekend. What they found was that they have a very fast race car that handles beautifully. Unfortunately contact on the track perhaps robbed them of a race victory.
Feeling out the new car during practice the Mopar Parts team found lap times to be very consistent. “Didn’t seem to matter what adjustments we made this car was hooked up” said Ron Beauchamp Jr. The team tried to get a bit too aggressive during time trials and could only manage the twelfth starting position but remained unfazed.
As the 300 lap event began Beauchamp continued to fall back in the field with an ill handling car. “We kind of outsmarted ourselves a bit and we knew” said the driver. “The plan was to hang on until there was a caution period and then make adjustments”.
That is exactly what the Mopar Parts Dodge team did and the results were immediate. “We went back to what we had in the afternoon and the car came to life again just as we expect” said Beauchamp. When the race restarted Beauchamp immediately began moving the Mopar Parts Avenger forward.
Following scheduled pit stops for tires and fuel the Mopar Parts Dodge was clearly the fastest car on the race track. “With our set up and the change in the track conditions as the sun went down the car kept getting better and better” said the driver. On lap 179 the comeback was complete as the Mopar Parts Dodge took over the lead.
Having no problem running out front but not wanting to abuse his new ride Beauchamp felt the challenge from the #17 and tried to give the driver plenty of room to move ahead on the inside line. As the cars went into corner one the competitor hit hard into the drivers side of the Mopar Parts Dodge and did significant damage to the left front tire.
Beauchamp limped the car to pit lane where the understandably frustrated team were able to make repairs and return the Mopar Parts Dodge to collect championship fifteenth place points, but the disappointment of what might have been lingered. “I don’t understand it” said an emotional Ron Beauchamp Jr. afterwards. “I gave him room to the inside, there’s over ninety laps left, he just drove in way too hard and ruined our night, we had a very good race car”.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series competition resumes with another event in western Canada on Saturday July 26th at the Edmonton Indy. This years schedule will consist of thirteen races on oval tracks, temporary street circuits and road courses.
THE MOBIL 1/MOPAR DODGE TOUGH IT OUT IN EDMONTON
July 26, 2008. Following a busy week with sponsor events in Western Canada, Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the Mobil1/Mopar Parts Dodge team set out to show some of their past prowess on theEdmontonCityCentreAirport runways for round six of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series at the Edmonton Indy weekend. It turned into a very challenging weekend for the team as they chased set up of the car on a challenging race course.
During practice and qualifying the team the Mobil1/Mopar Parts Dodge didn’t demonstrate the speed that the car is capable of. Despite the best efforts of the team to correct the problems during the short qualifying session they would begin the 100km main event from the fifteenth position. “The motor is fine” said Ron Jr. afterwards. “We needed a different gear combination to get show our speed” he added.
The Mobil1/Mopar Parts Dodge team made the necessary changes to the car for race day at expected a better performance from the car. In spite of the substantial work by the team the car once again proved to be a handful for the driver. Beauchamp would use all his skill to work with the less than ideal car to make the best out of a difficult day. “When you make a change to help one area, it sometimes works against you in another” said the driver. “Making a rear end change to help the speed, really cost us in the back part of the course where it’s slower” he added.
A number of late race caution periods also worked against the Mobil1/Mopar Parts Dodge team. “It took our car a couple of laps to settle in and really get back up to speed and with caution after caution late that really hurt us”.
In spite of trying conditions Beauchamp gained four spots on the day just missing the top-ten with an eleventh place finish and some optimism for the next event. “We learned some things from this race that we’ll take into next week” said the driver. “We’ll try a few spring changes and also some different things with the transmission gear. The car came home in one piece, we’ll go home regroup and be ready next week”.
TEAM MOPAR FIGHTING FOR EVERY POSITION AT MOSPORT SPEEDWAY
August 10, 2008. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the Mopar Parts Dodge team have suffered disappointing results at several events this year on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule for a variety of reasons. But this past weekend at Mosport Speedway in round eight they showed their metal and demonstrated why this team is moving forward.
Even before the weekend practice began the team held a testing session working to find improvements in the car. “We tested at Kawartha and the car was suffering a vibration, the problem continued here at Mosport and we changed the clutch, and also the gears to correct the problem” said the driver.
With qualifying rained out the field was set according to owner points and Ron Jr. started deep in the field at fifteenth. As the green flag waved on the 200 lap feature event the Mopar Parts Dodge car was a bit of a handful for the Beauchamp. “The car was a bit tight to start, so we made a pit stop and made a track bar adjustment and when we had long runs the car was getting better and really started coming to me. I got held up by the #12 car but when I finally got by him I started to reel in the other cars ahead of me”.
Beauchamp would continue to work the Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger forward but the team suffered an unfortunate break when making another pit stop. “I don’t know if it was a breakdown in communication with the team and the officials but when we tried to make the stop under caution the race was going back green and we got caught down a lap”.
Despite the set back Team Mopar dug in to make the best of the tough situation. Beauchamp would continue to work the Dodge Avenger forward even though several quick caution flags late in the race prevented the long green flag runs where the car performed better. When the day was over they had gained several positions and finish the race in twelfth. “Overall I’m pretty pleased with the car” said the driver. “Sure there’s room for improvement but when the race stayed green we kept getting better”.
Returning to the Mopar Parts team recently was long time Crew Chief Chris Couvillion who has invigorated the entire team. “It’s great having Chris back” said Ron Jr. “I can see improvement already in this team”.
MOPAR PARTS DODGE PLAGUED BY CLUTCH PROBLEMS
August 10, 2008. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the Mopar Parts Dodge team have made great strides in speed and performance in the past few races. However a part failure cost them what was sure to be a solid finish in round number nine of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.
The Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger showed good speed right from the first practice session at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. “The car was good during practice said Beauchamp and we expected things to continue to go our way during qualifying”.
The Mopar Parts Dodge team continued to look for improvements but when Beauchamp took to the track for qualifying he felt something was amiss with the performance of the car. “As soon as we started our qualifying run the clutch just didn’t feel right. I worked to try and get what I could out of the car but didn’t want to push too hard” he stated.
After qualifying the Team Mopar worked to rectify the clutch problems and felt they had found the problem. Unfortunately shortly after the green flag waved Beauchamp knew that once again the Mopar Parts Avenger was not working properly. “The clutch was slipping a lot and the engine was free wheeling so I just tried to take it easy and baby the car through but it just wasn’t working”. Beauchamp would bring the cat down pitlane to the attention of the crew.
Part malfunctions are a reality of racing; however it doesn’t make the circumstances any more palatable. “When the car was running properly we were pretty competitive” said the driver. “It’s really too bad for Team Mopar. We have really made some good strides in the last couple of weeks getting the car working the way we wanted and to have a clutch problem is really frustrating. Beauchamp would be classified in twenty second position.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series is back in action on Saturday August 30th at Cayuga Speedway near Hamilton, Ontario. This years schedule will consist of thirteen races on oval tracks, temporary street circuits and road courses.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series returns to Quebec for round number nine as the feature attraction at the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres this coming Sunday August 17th.
You can read more about Team Mopar and Ron Beauchamp Jr. at www.beauchampmotorsports.com and www.nascar.ca
This release prepared by, TL Sports & Entertainment, todd@tlsportsent.com (239) 961-2618
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