NASCAR announced the schedule for the fourth season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, which will take the series to some of the top racing facilities throughout Canada.
The schedule features 13 dates at 13 different tracks across six provinces. The slate includes tracks and events familiar to the series, but the addition of a shared date with the Indy Car Series in Toronto is new for 2010.
Andrew Ranger will commence his title defense when the season begins on Saturday, June 5 at Delaware (Ont.) Speedway. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series made its first visit to the half-mile oval last season at which DJ Kennington, competing on his home track, made his way to Victory Lane for the first time since September 2007. The track is also part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
''This is our fourth year in Canada and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 just keeps getting better,'' said George Silbermann, NASCAR's managing director of racing operations. ''All of the facilities we visit are top notch which certainly enhances our product. I think the great race fans of Canada will enjoy another exciting season in 2010.''
While the schedule has remained consistent since the series' inaugural season in 2007, there have been additions each year to better position the series, drivers and teams in the marketplace. This year's new component to the schedule is a Saturday, July 17 race in Toronto as part of the Toronto Indy weekend. Additionally, the 1.721-mile, 11-turn temporary track on the streets of Toronto also adds a fifth challenging road course to the slate of events.
Once again next season, the annual swing through Western Canada will consist of three dates. However, in a subtle change the order of the stops is different for the upcoming year.
The first western event will take place on Sunday, July 25 on the demanding 1.973-mile Rexall Speedway in Edmonton, Alberta. In a return to the 2008 format, both the Indy Car Series and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will race on the same day at the Rexall Edmonton Indy.
From there, the series makes its way to the speedy half-mile tri-oval of SunValley Speedway in Vernon, B.C., on Saturday, July 31. Last season, Ranger earned his first oval-track victory in front of a standing-room-only crowd.
The final stop on the western swing is set for Wednesday, Aug. 4 at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, Sask. In 2009, the series made its debut at the track in the first ever NASCAR-sanctioned event in the province of Saskatchewan that sold out weeks in advance. Scott Steckly overcame a blown engine in practice and a start at the rear of the field to collect the historic victory.
The signature event on the schedule takes place on Sunday, Aug. 29 on the legendary Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a 2.71-mile temporary street course, on Montreal's IÎe Notre Dame. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series again will join the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series for the very popular event. JR Fitzpatrick picked up the win last season to spoil Ranger's bid to win all four road-course events on the 2009 schedule.
In what has become a tradition, the season will close and a new champion will be crowned at Kawartha Speedway, a .375-mile oval near Peterborough, Ont., on Saturday, Sept. 25. Last year, Kennington picked up his fourth series-career win in the event while Ranger celebrated his second title.