Mission accomplished for Normand Legault and his team. The NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge on the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve was a huge success.
Over 129,000 spectators for a two-day event is quite a satisfying result for the organizers, who said they were extremely proud of the response of stock car fans in Quebec for the inaugural Busch Series race in Montreal.
Patrick Carpentier's media weekend kicked off on Wednesday with a press conference at Terrasses Bonsecours in the Old Port of Montreal. Also on hand were Carl Edwards and his Canadian-born chief mechanic, Pierre Kuettel.
The weekend was highlighted by the performance of our Quebec representatives in the two stock car series. Andrew Ranger, from Roxton Pond, impressed the crowd by displaying champion-like skills. Leading the race with one lap to go on Saturday morning, he seemed to be well on his way to victory, but Kerry Micks boldly passed him in the very last turn and crossed the finish line 103 milliseconds before Ranger.
Unfortunately for the young man, race officials later stated that Micks' maneuver was clean and that he should not be stripped of his trophy. Ranger was left with the second place, which is still outstanding given the circumstances.
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| Ranger had a ton of fun. |
Yet, Ranger was so convinced that Micks would be penalized for his dubious move that he decided to thank the 68,000+ spectators for their support by executing a few donuts here and there. Fans were ecstatic.
One thing's for sure: Busch executives took notice and no doubt this will open a few more doors for Andrew in the upcoming years.
Tagliani : less fortunate |
| Tagliani was disappointed with his car. |
The other Quebecer who took part in the NASCAR Canadian Tire race was less fortunate as he had to stop in the seventh lap because his car, ironically, suffered from defective brakes. God knows that braking performance is vital with these monstrous machines!
Tagliani, who also participates in the 2007 Champ Car World Series Championship, was very disappointed and clearly showed his frustration as soon as he came back to the pits. Nevertheless, he hopes to give it another shot next year, provided that he's invited.
