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TEAM MOPAR ON TRACK TO PREPARE FOR THE 2009 SEASON
April 29, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and he entire #60 Mopar Dodge Avenger team began on track preparations for the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season at Delaware Speedway as part of the annual Mopar team test day. And as expected the Mopar Dodge Avenger is on schedule and showed great on track performance.
After months of working indoors at their race shop in Windsor, Ontario it was the first opportunity for Team Mopar to get their #60 Dodge Avenger out on the track to see how the work translated to on track performance. The results were very pleasing. “I’m very happy with how the car was today” said driver Ron Beauchamp Jr. “Today we wanted to make sure that every part of the car worked the way it was supposed to and see how any adjustments we made changed the performance, it was a good learning day for us” he added.
Crew Chief Chris Couvillion was equally pleased with how well the Mopar Parts Dodge showed. “I’d say we’re about an eight out of ten right now” he concluded. “We started the day on old tires, and the car was very strong. We want to make a few more changes and then we’ll get back on track to try them out before the start of the season. Right now I feel really good and feel that we’re very close to being ready to start the season and performing at the level we expect” he stated.
With such a positive showing in the first test session of the year the Mopar Parts Dodge team expects to continue with the strong efforts that concluded the 2008 season as they claimed podium finishes in back to back races. “The whole team has picked up right where we left off last year” said Ron Jr. “Everybody worked really well together over the winter and now we can’t wait to get the season underway” he said enthusiastically.
Next up will be an open test for NASCAR Canadian Tire series teams on Saturday May 2nd at Delaware Speedway.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season opens at the Autodrome St. Eustache on Saturday May 23rd. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN.
Attached photo caption: #60 Mopar Parts Dodge at Delaware Speedway for Mopar Test Day.
TEAM MOPAR READY FOR THE START OF A NEW SEASON
May 19, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Dodge Avenger team have been working diligently for months preparing for the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tier Series season. After hundreds of hours in the shop prepping cars and a few test days at the track the team is ready for the new season that begins this weekend.
Everyone on the #60 Mopar Parts team would classify the 2008 season as disappointing. The team struggled for success during the middle part of the season and fell out of the championship fight. However the closing two events gave them tremendous inspiration to move forward. With back to back podium finishes to close the season, Team Mopar was heading in the right direction. “Our whole team was so enthusiastic about how much we’d improved that we just wanted to keep going” joked driver Ron Beauchamp Jr. “Instead we took the cars completely apart and began preparing them for this season. This was not just light maintenance, we totally stripped the cars down and now we’re really psyched for the season to get going” he added.
The reward for their long hours of labour over the winter was visible almost immediately in the first test at Delaware Speedway. The #60 Mopar Parts Dodge team has been back to the track at Delaware and also Kawartha Speedway since and now feels they are ready for competition that begins this weekend. “It was great to feel how well the car handled right away” said Ron Jr. “We made runs on old tires and had very competitive times. Since that first day we’ve been back out to test a few more changes and now we’re right where we want to be and ready to start the season” he added.
The #60 Mopar Parts team really feels that they have the equipment necessary to be a force every weekend. Driver Ron Beauchamp Jr. is also pleased with the changes to this years schedule and feels it will help them as well. “There are two races at Autodrome St. Eustache this year where I’ve won previously, and I always liked running at Delaware Speedway and its back on the schedule so I’m really looking forward to getting the season underway”.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season opens at the Autodrome St. Eustache on Saturday May 23rd. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. You can follow the action all year long with the television TSN.
TEAM MOPAR SCORES PODIUM FINISH AT SEASON OPENER
May 24, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Dodge Avenger team came to round number one of the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tier Series at the Autodrome St. Eustache near Montreal, Quebec with high expectations for success. After a long grueling off season their hard work and attention to detail were rewarded with a third place finish at the 250 lap race.
The day however was not without adversity. The #60 Mopar Parts Dodge was not performing to expectations during practice. Crew Chief Chris Couvillion determined that the team needed a higher gear to achieve the necessary speeds to be successful, and Beauchamp was looking for more grip, especially out of corner four. After making several changes prior to qualifying the performance improved. Beauchmap qualified the #60 Avenger sixth quickest. “We didn’t get what we were expecting right away” said the driver. “But the team made some changes and we got a decent qualifying run” he added.
A 250 lap race can seem like a lifetime at St. Eustache where things happen quickly and drivers need to be ready for action. “It was a bit wild out there at times” smiled Beauchamp afterwards. “I just wanted to get into the race and make sure the changes we’d made worked the way we wanted in the first half of the race, and then if there were any other adjustments needed, we’d make them later on.
The race proceeded according to plan early on. A number of early caution periods slowed the field several times before lap 100 and Beauchamp kept the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge up near the front of the field. “It was a bit hard to get a read on the car in the early going, but we appeared to be in good shape and looking to move to the front”. Beauchamp would take over the lead for the first time on lap 115 and lead on the race on three separate occasions. “That showed us that we were right there and were in the hunt.
The race would run for an extended period under green flag conditions in the second half and while the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge was fast, the handling was starting to go away. “During that long green run, the car just tightened up” said the driver. “We were really good for a while, then I’d have to slow down a bit, let the tires cool down and it would come back, but that long run, it just got too tight. I had to work the throttle to set the nose of the car through the corners. If we weren’t that little bit tight the result might have been a little different.
The race would be extended by nine laps to have a green, white, checker, finish due to a late caution and Beauchamp was in the hunt for the victory but came up just short, settling for a third place podium position, his third podium in the last four races going back to last season. The entire #60 Mopar Parts Dodge team was thrilled with the result. “I’m so proud of all the guys on this team” said Beauchamp. “They all worked so hard over the winter and to get this solid finish to start the season is fantastic. Personally I’m proud to continue my association with Mopar, Exide and Mobil 1. During these tough times it’s an honour to be part of they’ve continued to make us part of their Marketing Program and I just want so bad for us to give them the results they deserve for their outstanding support over the years” he added.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season continues with round two at Delaware Speedway near London, Ontario on Saturday June 6th. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN. You can watch the season opening event on Saturday May 30th at 5:00PM Eastern.
1. #60 Mopar Parts Dodge set to qualify at Delaware. 2. Ron Beauchamp Jr. (left) on the podium at Delaware with winner DJ Kennington (middle) and third place Scott Steckley (right)
TEAM MOPAR SCORES SECOND PODIUM FINISH, BEAUCHAMP LEADS THE POINTS AFTER TWO EVENTS
June 7, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Dodge Avenger team continue to show they are a team to be reckoned with this season. At round number two of the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tier Series at Delaware Speedway near London, Ontario the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge with Ron Beauchamp Jr. behind the wheel scored a second place finish. With back to back podium finishes at the first two races, Beauchamp now leads the overall point standings.
As the #60 Mopar Dodge team worked through the ninety minute practice session in the afternoon they were not the fastest car and would qualify a respectable sixth but a confident Ron Beauchamp Jr. stated “this car will race well. The track will change as the temperature cools off and we’ll be in good shape”. He was right.
As the green flag waved for the 200 lap feature event Beauchamp found that he had a fast car and was able to move the Mopar Dodge forward. “Right off the start, the car just took off” said the driver. “After we ran a few laps it settled in, but on any of the restarts I was able to move again” he added. Beauchamp was quickly into the top-five and then challenging for the lead of the race by about the one quarter mark. Things didn’t go quite as smoothly in the middle portion of the race.
With a total of twelve caution periods no one seemed immune from trouble and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge was among those that faced challenges at the race. “All hell kind of broke loose for a while” joked Beauchamp. “We went through some of the speedy dry that they used from another incident and I got turned around and had trouble re-firing the car” he said. “We made a pit stop and went down a lap, but got it back. Then I thought I had a tire going down and we went down a lap again, and got that back.
Fortunes began to improve for Team Mopar after recovering for the second time. “Things just kind of started to work out for me after that” said Beauchamp. “The car was feeling really good and I started to move my way back up in the field and we were up near the front again” he added. The team kept their driver informed of his progress and informed him he was now running fourth and that proved a strong motivator.
As NASCAR officials endeavored to have the race finish under green flag conditions another’s misfortune would help Beauchamp. On one of the attempts to restart the race contact resulted between two cars putting gone of them out of competition. The #60 Mopar Dodge would restart the event second with a chance at victory. “On the last restart I was having a look on the outside and I bumped a bit with the #17 Dodge and we both managed to hold our positions until the finish. Beauchamp would claim his second podium position in as many races and with it he now leads the overall point standings by nine markers. “It feels really good to be on top” said Ron Jr. “We just seemed to get behind for one reason or another in the past and had to play catch up which can be so hard. It’s nice to be in this position”.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season continues with round three on the road course at Mosport International Raceway on Sunday June 14th. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN. You can watch the season opening event on June 14th at 11:30AM Eastern.
BEAUCHAMP FINISHES FIFTH IN MOPAR PARTS DODGE, MAINTAINS POINTS LEAD
June 16, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team continue to be the model of consistency in the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tier Series. At round number three this past weekend at Mosport International Raceway, Beauchamp piloted the Mopar Parts Avenger to their third top-five finish in as many events and maintained his lead in the overall season points standings.
Beginning with Saturday practice the #60 Mopar Parts team continued to solidify their reputation as one of the fastest cars on the circuit. Beauchamp would post quick practice times but an unusual problem would set them back in qualifying. “I was out to run my qualifying laps and the car just wasn’t up to speed” said the driver. “Guys were just going by me easily. Upon closer inspection after the session the Mopar Parts team determined that a loose rivet was holding the brake pedal down and not allowing the car to show its full potential.
Beauchamp would begin the 200KM feature event on Sunday in the eleventh spot and in short order moved into the top-ten. Following a long red flag delay green flag racing resumed and the race would stay green for the duration. Beauchamp would continue his climb up the chart and was in the top-five before making his scheduled pit stop for tires and fuel. “The car was fast, everybody did their job in preparations and my crew chief Chris (Couvillion) made the right call on set up and when to pit, we were having a good day.
As laps ticked away Beauchamp maintained his position inside the top-five and until the checkered flag waved was looking for more. “I was fighting it out with the #17 car pretty good but couldn’t quite get him” said the driver of the Mopar Parts Dodge. “But we had another good solid race, the car was really good and I’m happy with a fifth place finish. It’s great for Mopar, Exide and Mobil 1 to be running this well at every race so far” he added.
With the fifth place run Beauchamp maintains top spot in the overall championship point standings with a nine point advantage. “That’s exactly what I was looking for after this weekend, top-five finish and hold onto top spot in the points” said the driver.
Not resting on their accomplishments so far the #60 Mopar Parts team will debut a new car at the next event in St. Eustache. “We worked really hard but took our time on these new cars that’s why we didn’t rush them out” said Beauchamp. “Obviously we’re happy with the results so far this year, but we feel the new cars will allow us to get even better as the season moves along” he added.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season continues with round four and the second visit to the Autodrome St. Eustache on Saturday July 11th. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN. The race from Mosport will air June 28th at 11:30AM Eastern. For more information about Team Mopar and Ron Beauchamp Jr. at www.beauchampmotorsports.com and www.nascar.ca
Attached photo caption: #60 Mopar Parts Dodge silver road course paint scheme used at Mosport.
BEAUCHAMP & TEAM MOPAR PARTS FORCED TO WAIT OUT THE RAIN
July 11, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team looked to continue their tremendous success throught he first three rounds of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series at the Autordrome St. Eustache on Saturday night. Unfortunately the team will have to wait another day to debut their new car as weather has forced the race to be postponed until Sunday July 12th at 2PM
Beauchamp finished third in the first race of the season at St. Eustache and is looking to continue his string of three top-five finishes in the first three races of the year and maintain his lead int he overall point standings.
Next Saturday July 18th at Sun Valley Speedway near Vernon, BC begins the first of three events in western Canada. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events this year that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN.
LATE RACE PENALTY DENIES BEAUCHAMP OF ANOTHER SOLID FINISH
July 13, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team were running at the front of the field for much of round four of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at the Autodrome St. Eustache on Sunday afternoon. However as Beauchamp was battling inside the top-five a NASCAR penalty would severely impact their finishing position.
The #60 Mopar Team worked diligently through practice and had a very quick race car but a slip up by the driver would hurt them in qualifying. “I made a mistake and drove in a bit soft in corner one and I tried to make it up in the next one and it cost us” said Beauchamp. Beauchamp would begin the 250 lap main event from the eleventh starting position, but wouldn’t be there for long.
As the green flag waved Beauchamp maneuvered the #60 Mopar Avenger forward and was soon inside the top-five. “The Mopar Dodge always races well, I was just trying to be patient and I was able to move forward” he stated. Ron Jr. would continue his push toward the front and would eventually take the lead on lap 181. “I definitely wanted to get out front and lead some laps and get those five bonus points and we were able to do that’ said Beauchamp.
Team Mopar would make scheduled stops for tires and fuel along with some minor handling adjustments and as the competitors cycled through stops Beauchamp would again be up front challenging the leaders. “As the laps ticked away Beauchamp was bumped aggressively from behind by the #02 car and lost a position. Beauchamp would subsequently return the favour to retake the position. However his retaliation would cause NASCAR to penalize him one lap for aggressive driving. “I don’t agree with the call” said Beauchamp. “I almost got wrecked between corner one and two and I came back and just tried to give him a little taste of his own medicine. It looked like he might have slowed up a bit in the corner and he went spinning. I don’t understand why I got the penalty, shouldn’t it go back to the original incident” he wondered.
Beauchamp would charge the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge as best he could in the closing laps but his fate was sealed. He would finish outside the top-five for the first time this season and wind up twelfth. With the disappointing finish Beauchamp would fall to third in the overall championship standings.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season resumes this coming Saturday with a 300 lap event at Sun Valley Speedway near Vernon, BC. It is the first of three events in western Canada. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN.
1. Ron Beauchamp practicing at Sun Valley. 2. Beauchamp (second from left) accepting trophy at Sun Valley
BEAUCHAMP SCORES POLE POSITION AND FINISHES ON THE PODIUM AT SUN VALLEY
July 19, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team came to Sun Valley Speedway for round number five of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series on a mission to rebound from a disappointing finish at the last event. The team debuted their newly built race car at the half mile track and showed their speed scoring their first series pole position and came home with a podium finish.
It’s always a concern of a team when rolling out new equipment that they are up to speed and don’t endure a long period of getting to know a new car. The #60 Mopar Parts Dodge team arrived with their homework completed and ran well in practice. Ron Beauchamp Jr. would make a strong statement in qualifying as he posted the quickest time at 18.306 seconds or an average speed of 98.328 mph. “We tested this car just before the last race and were very happy with the results” said Ron Beauchamp Jr. “When we hit the track here the car was good and it’s a real credit to the whole team to score our first NASCAR Canadian Tire Series pole the first time it hits the track for competition.
Beauchamp would lead the field to the green flag for the 300 lap main event and looked very strong through the early going. “The car was so good right from the start that the #17 car and I were able to get away from everyone” said the driver. Beauchamp would hold the point for the first seventy nine laps of the race during an extended green flag run.
As is always the case track conditions began to change as temperatures cooled and that changed the handling characteristics of the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge. “I kind of used up the right rear tire a bit so I had to give up the lead for a bit and wait until we could make a pit stop” said Beauchamp. Once the stops were completed the car was much improved. “The Mopar Parts crew did a great job making adjustments and really gave me what I needed” said the driver.
Following another long green flag run and a second round of pit stops Beauchamp continued to run among the leaders and was the beneficiary when the #9 car appeared to run out of fuel and took over third. The race would conclude with a green white checkered finish and cross the stripe with his third podium finish of the season. “This is great finish is the result of a real team effort” said the driver. “My crew chief Chris Couvillion built this chassis, the guys at the engine shop Dennis and Kieran who do a great job plus the whole crew that was here at the track and worked hard all day” It’s great for Mopar, Exide and Mobil 1 to have such a great result in the new car the first time out. I can’t wait to get to Edmonton next week to keep the momentum going.
With the third place finish Beauchamp maintains third place in the overall championship standings and closes to within three points of second overall.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series stretch of events in western Canada continues Saturday July 25th with a stop at the Edmonton Indy weekend. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN.
Don’t forget to vote for Ron Jr. Click the link at http://www.nascar.com/news/features/mpd.poll.canadian.tire.series/index.html to cast your vote.
BEAUCHAMP FINISHES SIXTH IN MOPAR PARTS/MOBIL1 DODGE, STILL THIRD IN CHAMPIONSHIP
July 25, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1 Dodge Avenger team continued the western swing of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule on Saturday in the 100km feature event on Saturday as part of the Edmonton Indy weekend. While he is a long time oval track racer, Beauchamp demonstrated his much improved skills on the road course.
The Mopar Parts/Mobil 1 Dodge was solid in the opening practice round but slipped back to tenth in the second practice session. “I changed some things around in my shifting points and we fell back to tenth so for qualifying I went back to what was working before and with the changes we made to the car the Mopar/Mobil 1 Dodge was really strong in qualifying and I think we turned a few heads” said the satisfied driver. “We made one little adjustment in the rear end that really worked for us” he added.
Beauchamp would begin the 100km event from the fourth spot, on the outside of row two and knew that you can’t win the race in the first few corners but you sure can lose it there. “I just wanted to be patient at first. There were a couple of guys up front that I knew would be pretty aggressive so even if I lost a few spots I knew we had the car to have a good finish”.
The Mopar Parts/Mobil 1 Avenger would drop several positions during the opening laps but Ron Jr. maintained his composure knowing the car would come to him. “During the long green flag run we had at the start I started to reel guys back in after losing those spots” said the driver.
As the laps clicked away Beauchamp would continue to maintain a consistent pace and looked to be in position to score a top-five finish. “The #69 was just a little bit better than me he’s real road racing veteran and he got by me late” said the disappointed driver.
With a sixth place finish the Mopar Parts/Mobil 1 Dodge team once again showed consistency of performance as they have all season. “The western swing has gone really well so far” said Beauchamp. “We finished on the podium last week, a solid sixth here in Edmonton. We hung onto our third spot in the standings with a lot of racing to go, it was another solid day for the Mopar Parts/Mobil 1 team” he stated.
After six events Ron Beauchamp Jr. sits third in the overall championship standings.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series stretch of events in western Canada continues Saturday July 25th with a stop at the Edmonton Indy weekend. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN. For more information about Team Mopar and Ron Beauchamp Jr. at and don’t forget to vote for Ron Jr. as the series most popular driver. Click to cast your vote.
BEAUCHAMP PICKS UP TOP-TEN IN MOPAR PARTS DODGE
July 30, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team were looking to continue their strong season as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series wrapped up its three race western swing with a stop at Auto Clearing Speedway in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. While Beauchamp did show how strong the car can be during qualifying and practice, it proved to be a handful during the 250 lap race.
The #60 Mopar Parts Dodge performed flawlessly during practice and Beauchamp would post the fourth quickest qualifying time and earn a starting position on the outside of row number two. “We were a little bit free but I think everybody was” said Ron Jr. after qualifying but I was pretty happy with the car and thought we’d be okay for the race” he added.
When the green flag dropped on the main event Beauchamp knew immediately he had his hands full with a difficult race car. “I’m not really sure what happened, but the car was really loose at the start of the race” said Beauchamp. “I was doing my best to stay up with the front group but I got a bit high through corners three and four and went back a few spots. We knew that we’d have to make changes” he added.
At the first opportunity during a caution period Beauchamp brought the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge to pit road and the team made handling adjustments. A second stop would get the car much more to the liking of the driver. “I just told Chris Couvillion what the car was doing and the guys did a good job making the changes, and we were much better” said the driver.
During a scheduled pit stop later for tires and fuel the tight pit road at Auto Clearing Speedway proved difficult to handle and a number of cars including the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge went a lap down. But that didn’t deter Ron Beauchamp Jr. He set about racing his way back to the front and taking as many positions as possible in the last part of the race. “I was trying to do it the old fashioned way” smiled the driver, it’s too bad that a bunch of guys got caught on pit road, I thought we were okay and I really had to stand on the brakes to stop when I was instructed to but the car was much better late in the race and I was able to run down some guys”
Beauchamp would complete the race and record a seventh place finish. Quite an accomplishment after the way things started. We missed the set up a little bit I guess” said the driver. “But everybody worked hard to make the changes we needed and get a top-ten finish, this was a real team effort” he added.
After seven races Ron Beauchamp Jr. remains third in the overall championship standings.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series comes back to Ontario for round number eight on Saturday August 8th on the Mosport Oval. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits. You can follow the action all year long with the television broadcasts on TSN.
BEAUCHAMP FINISHES FOURTH IN MOPAR PARTS DODGE
August 9, 2009. The strong performances by Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team in the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series continued in round number eight at the Mosport Speedway this past Saturday night. Though he suffered some bad luck during qualifying Beauchamp would not be denied during the race and came home with a fourth place finish, his fifth top-five finish of the season.
Beauchamp demonstrated the enormous raw power of the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge during practice clicking off dozens of quick lap times and the team felt very confident heading into qualifying. Unfortunately a scattered shower dampened the racing surface just before qualifying runs and though the track was deemed dry and ready to go, as the first car out Beauchamp became the test case for the rest of the competitors. “I guess I was the track cleaner” smirked Ron Jr. “I was the first car out and the more cars that run the better the track is going to get. I was kind of disappointed because I knew we had a better car than that all day, but I just had to show it in the race” he stated.
Beauchamp would line the Mopar Parts Dodge up fourteenth for the 200 lap feature and the plans was for him to charge to the front as quickly as possible. “When the green flag dropped I felt the car out quickly and then just started picking away” said the driver. “I ran it hard at first but then started backing off a bit when things were spread out so that I could save a little something for the end” he added.
The race would go the first seventy laps caution free. When the field did bunch up again following caution periods it was another opportunity for the Mopar Parts Dodge to gain positions and move forward. “For our pit stop the Mopar guys did a great job again with our stops getting the car serviced quickly. They gave me a chance to get some more positions during the late race caution periods”.
In the final quarter of the race there were several caution periods and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge was never far from the front with Beauchamp looking to improve his position. “It was kind of an end of the race shuffle on a couple of the restarts but it worked out pretty well for us” said the driver. Beauchamp would surge forward and back into the top-five in the closing stages and complete the race with a fourth place finish. “I was racing the #39 car on one of those occasions and I thought I had the spot but he was working hard to defend his position so I had to back off, but it worked out in the end.
This season of solid finishes is very satisfying to the Mopar Parts Dodge team but they are also feeling anxious for a victory. “We’ve finished well and we’re running really strong. We’ve been upon the podium regularly now we’re all feeling, okay it’s time to win one of these pretty soon, everybody is getting anxious for that and working really hard to make it happen” said the driver.
After eight races Ron Beauchamp Jr. sits fourth in the overall championship standings.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series heads back to Quebec for round number nine set for Sunday August 16th at the Fortieth edition of the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits.
BEAUCHAMP SCORES TOP-FIVE IN MOPAR PARTS DODGE
August 16, 2009. A last minute change in plans by Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team worked out very well at round number nine of the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Trois Rivieres, Quebec. The team had planned on debuting a newly built road course car at the event, but instead of rushing it to completion converted one of their oval cars for the race and grabbed a top-five finish.
The team really didn’t now what to expect when they first put the Mopar Parts Dodge on the track for practice but the speed was there from the beginning session and right through qualifying. “I’ve got to give the crew a lot of credit for getting the car ready for this weekend” said Beauchamp. “We had a very good race car right from the time we pulled it off the truck” said the driver.
Beauchamp would begin the 100km main event Sunday afternoon from the eighth starting position and decided to proceed with caution in the early laps knowing there were several notoriously hard chargers in the race. “At first everyone was going hard, so I had to go pretty hard” he stated. “And then mid race I backed it off a little bit. After going pretty hard it was kind of heating things up a bit and I had to adjust some rear brake out of the car, it was starting to get a little free in the corners” stated the driver.
As the race passed the mid point there were a couple of full course caution periods that also worked in the favour of the Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger driver. “The cautions came at the right time and kind of cooled everything down a bit” said Ron Jr. “After everything cooled off I could go pretty hard again” he stated.
The race would come down to a green, white checkered finish and in the final two laps Beauchamp had his sights set on improving his fifth place position but the former Indy 500 and Formula One World Champion Jacques Villeneuve was the man he had to pass. “on the final restart I was on him pretty good and he was slowing me down in a couple of corners” said Beauchamp “I really had some good runs on him, we had a bit more horsepower but I just didn’t have quite enough time to get around him” said the Mopar Parts Dodge driver.
Claiming a fifth place finish, Beauchamp would make it six top-five finishes this season for Team Mopar. “The converted car worked really well for us” he stated. “We ran some really good laps and it was a great decision to run that car. We got a really solid finish and we have that little bit of extra time to prepare the new car for the next race in Montreal” he added.
After nine races Ron Beauchamp Jr. moves up one spot to third in the overall championship standings.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series heads back to Quebec in two weeks for round number ten on Sunday August 30th as part of the Nationwide series weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Team Mopar will participate in all thirteen events that take place on ovals, road courses and temporary street circuits.
BEAUCHAMP SIXTH IN MOPAR PARTS DODGE
August 30, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team unveiled their new road course race car at round number ten of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal this past weekend. The team would work tirelessly to complete preparations with the first laps at race speed on the car were run during a wet practice session. Team Mopar was rewarded with a solid sixth place finish for their efforts.
With grooved rain tires on the Mopar Parts Dodge, Ron Beauchamp pulled onto the track for practice in soggy conditions. Team Mopar worked quickly to assess the performance of the new race car and were generally pleased with what they had. “The car felt good from the start” said Ron Jr. “We made some normal adjustments as we went on and got ourselves ready for qualifying. “A problem with a bushing on the upper link would hamper the team during the qualifying session and Beauchamp would begin the 100KM main event from the twelfth position.
When the race began Beauchamp began to immediately look ahead trying to move the Mopar Parts Dodge forward and into the top-ten. “The made a change to correct the problem with the bushings worked, but we used an upper link that we’ve never run before” said Beauchamp. “It was good under braking and getting into the corners, but we didn’t get the same bite coming off the corners’ he added. Ron Jr. would adjust accordingly and use the tools available to him.
As the race laps ticked off Beauchamp was continuing to move the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge forward. “I was happy to have that Dodge horsepower for this track with those long straight-aways” smiled the driver afterwards. When the checkered flag was finally displayed Team Mopar was credited with a sixth place finish recorded. It was the ninth top-ten finish in ten races this season.
The consistent season continues for the Mopar Parts Dodge team and it was a satisfied driver afterwards. “For a new car we did pretty well” said Ron Jr. “There’s certainly room for improvement but it was a good solid effort, we maintained our third place in the points, so all in all, not a bad day.
This was the final road course race of the year. The three remaining events will be on ovals tracks where Beauchamp has seen good success. “I was on the podium in Riverside last year and we’ve tested at Kawartha already, we’d like to test at Barrie so we should be very strong going down the stretch” said a confident driver.
After ten races Ron Beauchamp Jr. is third in the overall championship standings, only 27 back of second position.
The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series gets back in action in two weeks at Barrie Speedway on Saturday September 12th
BEAUCHAMP FIGHTS TO THE FINISH IN MOPAR PARTS DODGE
September 13, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge team knew they would be in for an adventurous night at round eleven of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Barrie Speedway. Little did they realize know just how much of an adventure the 300 laps of racing at the 1/3 mile oval would be for them.
During the afternoon practice session Beauchamp would use the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge horsepower to the fullest and post the second quickest practice time. “We came here to Barrie and tested recently and I think it really helped us a lot” said Beauchamp. The team would qualify fifth quickest and line up for the main event on the inside of row number three.
As the green flag dropped to begin the battle Beauchamp knew he would have to fight for every position. “It’s so tough to pass here” said the driver. “It’s inevitable that you’re going to have contact with the other cars, you just try not to get too aggressive right away and hope there is a little give and take” he added.
Through the first part of the race the Mopar Parts Dodge showed great consistency lap after lap and on such a small track the front of the pack was quickly making its way through slower traffic. As Beauchamp looked to make his way past the #21 car along the front stretch there was contact that sent the #60 into the infield. “I was trying to go around him but he kept staying outside high to the wall, then when I tried the inside I got pinched down” said the driver.
The Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team was forced by NASCAR Officials to make a pit stop to remove some loose body work. When the team returned Beauchamp to the race he would be a couple of laps down. “I didn’t think we went two laps down, but that’s what was ruled, the guys did a great job to get the repair work done so quickly” he added.
Though the body was a little tattered, the Mopar Parts Dodge was still fast as Beauchamp had little difficulty keeping the same pace as the leaders. Beauchamp would continue to march the #60 car forward as best he could and hope that attrition would help improve their position.
In the late stages of the race Team Mopar would be dealt another serious blow. Coming through corners one and two Beauchamp was faced with another car that was off the pace and appeared to be trying to access pit road. Unfortunately that car made significant contact to the right front corner of the Mopar Parts Avenger. The damage was so significant that they were unable to continue. “The #95 car must have had some kind of problem and I think he was trying to get to the pits, but we hit hard and it ended our day” said a disappointed driver.
Even with only a few days to get ready for the next event at Riverside Speedway the team is optimistic. “Chris Couvillion and I will be working on this car right away” said Beauchamp. “We’ve got it dialed in so well that we know we can be really good at Riverside, we finished on the podium last year and we expect to be that good again. “It looks like there isn’t any frame damage just bolt on parts so we will be able to complete the repairs without any problem” he concluded.
After eleven races Ron Beauchamp Jr. continues to sit third in the overall championship standings.
TOP-FIVE FINISH FOR BEAUCHAMP IN MOPAR PARTS DODGE
September 20, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge team have enjoyed a season of consistency and success in 2009. Round number twelve of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Riverside International Speedway near Antigonish, Nova Scotia was the perfect example of this season’s success. Beauchamp would qualify the Mopar Parts Dodge on the front row, score his seventh top-five finish of the season, and move into second place in the overall championship standings.
Gloomy rain showers would postpone the scheduled action to Sunday but right from the morning practice Team Mopar was on their game. Beauchamp would post an impressive practice time late in the session and back that up with a starting spot on the outside of the front row in qualifying. “We made a few changes to the car for qualifying and that really made a huge difference” said the obviously pleased driver. “For the race we went a little more conservative in the set up but knew we’d have a strong car” he added.
When the green flag waved to begin the 300 lap feature event Beauchamp battled with the #17 car for top spot. “Of course we both wanted to take the lead right from the start” said the Mopar Parts Dodge driver. “Right off the get go the car was good. I didn’t push things too hard early but when I got the lead from the #17 car I thought, uh boy this car is really good” he added.
Beauchamp would take over top spot on lap 32 and then begin to build his lead. “The car was just so good that we kind of checked out for a bit” said the driver. “Then when the caution flag came out around the 100 lap mark we came in for fuel, we wanted to get our fuel stop done early. I’ve got to hand it to the crew for the great pit stops today and making the right calls during all the stops, they were awesome all day” said the appreciative driver.
Beauchamp would continue to be among the front runners all day keeping the Mopar Parts Dodge in contention with his smooth driving style and plenty of Dodge horsepower.
Just past the halfway point in the race Team Mopar would perform what turned out to be their final pit stop of the day for tires and then were forced to leave things in the hands of the driver from that point on. “After that stop we had a long green flag run right until the end of the race and unfortunately for us the car kept getting tighter and tighter” said Beauchamp.
The handling characteristics of the Mopar Parts Dodge were not acting as the team had expected and Beauchamp had his hands full trying to maintain a front running position. Following the race the team would discover that the ride height of the car was a bit too low and the front end parts that controlled the handling properties became stressed and wore away causing the difficult behavior in the car.
Right to the checkered flag Beauchamp worked the car as hard as he dared, fighting for every position. As the race reached its conclusion Beauchamp battled with the #9 car for a podium position. Team Mopar would come up just a bit short and settle for a fourth place finish. “The #9 car got me out of shape just a little bit on the final corner and then we drag raced to the checkered flag but he beat me by about a foot I think” said the driver.
Another consistently strong finish by Ron Beauchamp Jr. also helped him in the Championship points fight as he moved into second overall, twenty points ahead of the third place team. “I’m really proud of how well this team has done all year, we’ve been running up front, scoring podium finish and running really consistently. Now in the final race next weekend we’re focused on getting that victory we’ve come so close to all year” he concluded.
The final event of the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series takes place this coming Saturday September 26th at Kawartha Speedway in Fraserville, ON.
BEAUCHAMP SCORES POLE AND FINISHES TOP-FIVE IN MOPAR PARTS DODGE
September 27, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge team once again displayed speed, skill and consistency in the final round of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series this past Sunday at Kawartha Speedway. Beauchamp would score his second pole position starting spot of the year and also pick up his eighth top-five finish of the season.
Team Mopar showed their usual speed during the practice session and Ron Jr. put down a blistering lap during qualifying posting a time of 18.067 seconds for an average speed of 74.722 MPH securing the inside front row starting spot for the Mopar Parts Dodge. “I was a bit worried about qualifying the rain was threatening and I was just hoping we’d get it all in so the lap would stand” said the driver. The lap would stand, however the rains delayed the 250 lap feature race until Sunday.
When skies cleared and the green flag waved Beauchamp would hold the lead for the first nine laps, but surrender the top spot following a caution period restart. “It was pretty interesting in the first part of the race” said the driver. “it was nice to get out a lead a little bit. We had a couple of cautions and on the restart it seemed like the high groove was the place to be and the #27 and I swapped the lead back and forth a few times” he added. The two would actually trade the lead six times during the first 125 laps of the race.
As the race moved past the scheduled mid point Team Mopar would stop for scheduled service and though they completed their stop for fuel and tires for the #60 Dodge efficiently they would lose a couple of spots exiting pit road. “We were all lined up on the inside of pit lane to get out but I think the #17 car got us on the outside and that’s how we lost a couple of spots.
Heading towards lap 200 of the scheduled 250 there were several caution periods that slowed the field which didn’t allow the Mopar Parts Dodge the opportunity to gain any momentum. “We got bogged down a bit by those quick cautions and just couldn’t get anything going” said Ron Jr. “I was hoping for a long green flag run to get back up to the front” he added.
Mother Nature would take control of the race before Beauchamp had the opportunity to make any further progress. Showers began and soaked the Speedway forcing NASCAR Officials to call the race complete on lap 204. The Mopar Parts Dodge would finish fifth. “It’s too bad” said the frustrated driver. “Our strategy was working out fine, we were up in the top-five with about fifty laps to go and I think I could have gained a few more spots, we just needed that green flag run to the finish” he adde
d. This would be the eighth top-five finish for the Mopar Parts Dodge Avenger team, and their eleventh top-ten finish in thirteen events, a remarkable run of consistent top results. “This was a really solid season” said Beauchamp after the race. I’m really proud of what we were able to accomplish for Mopar, Exide and Mobil 1. They do so much to support us it’s nice to be able to run up front all year long”.
With that season long consistency Ron Beauchamp Jr. and team Mopar finish the season tied for second in championship points but are classified third based on race wins. “We came so close this year, that’s the only thing missing is chalking up that next race victory” said Beauchamp.
You can watch the final event of the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series from Kawartha Speedway on TSN on Saturday October 17th at 2PM Eastern. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and all those involved with the Mopar Parts Team would like to thank the many fans for their continued support during the 2009 racing season.
MOPAR PARTS DODGE DRIVER RON BEAUCHAMP JR RECEIVES AWARD AT BANQUET
November 15, 2009. Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts Dodge team gathered together with other stars of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and the other NASCAR Touring Series in Concord, North Carolina this past Saturday night to be recognized for their accomplishments this past season. The Awards Gala Banquet culminated nearly a week of activities organized for the participants.
Earlier in the week tours of several nearby race shops for the Spring Cup and Nationwide Series teams were organized for those attending along with racing seminars and keynote speakers including Junior Johnson. “It was a great night for the Mopar Parts Team” said Ron Beauchamp Jr. “We all came down together and it was a nice way to thank the team for the many hours of hard work they put in this season. We had some time racing Go Karts and then this at great night here that NASCAR put on really shows how important the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and the other Touring Series are for NASCAR” he added. Beauchamp was presented with the trophy for third place in the overall Championship standings in front of the crowd of well over 500. “I accepted the trophy but this is for the whole team” said Ron Jr. “We had a really strong season with eleven top-ten finishes and eight top-five finishes. We had great reliability and the team prepared a great car for me to drive every week. We had tremendous support again from our sponsors at Mobil 1, Exide and of course Mopar. It all added up to a really positive season.
While Team Mopar enjoyed their success in 2009 the work is already underway for the next season and the 2010 race was also announced this past weekend. While much of the schedule sees competitors returning to the same great venues, there is one notable addition to the thirteen race schedule as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series joins another high profile event as the feature race on Saturday July 17th as the feature race at the Toronto Indy weekend. “It just shows how big this series is becoming” said Beauchamp. “We’re part of the major racing events in Montreal, Edmonton and back running on the streets of Toronto exposing NASCAR racing to more and more fans” he added.
Once again in 2010 you will be able to watch all thirteen events of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series on TSN, Canada’s Sports Leader. Team Mopar appreciate the recognition of their accomplishments and wish to thank the race fans and sponsors for their extraordinary support.
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