CANADIAN STOCK CAR RACING CHAMPION J.R. FITZPATRICK REALIZES HIS DREAM

[CanadianRacingOnline]

CANADIAN STOCK CAR RACING CHAMPION J.R. FITZPATRICK REALIZES HIS DREAM AS HE PREPAPRES TO RACE AT DAYTONA

 

January 15, 2009.  Canada’s youngest ever stock car racing champion, John Ryan (J.R.) Fitzpatrick is set to realize a childhood dream next month when he gets behind the wheel to race at the World Center of Racing, Daytona International Speedway.  J.R. Fitzpatrick will pilot the #7 Chevrolet Silverado for TRG Motorsports in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 on February 13th the opening round in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

 

Fitzpatrick is pumped up, smiling from ear to ear and ready to race at the most storied NASCAR track.  “This has been a dream come true” said J.R. Fitzpatrick.  “Every racers dream is to compete at Daytona and that’s what we’re going to do.  The TRG guys have done an awesome job preparing the trucks right from our first test.  I know we’ll be strong in the race.  I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel”.

 

It has been a whirlwind few months for the 20 year old Ayr, Ontario racer, who only jumped into a TRG prepared truck for the first time last September for a test session at Iowa Speedway.  Impressive in that outing, Fitzpatrick then competed in the final three Truck Series races in 2008 and qualified an eye opening sixth at the tricky Phoenix International Raceway, only his second event.

 

Preparing for the high banks and drafting of Daytona began with a test session in an ARCA stock car and J.R. Fitzpatrick demonstrated his ability to get up to speed quickly.  On day two he was second quickest and led most of day three before the TRG team decided they could pack up their Chevrolet early.  “Running in the draft is so much fun, I just loved it” Fitzpatrick enthused.  “Learning to get the feel of how the cars behave and working with teammates, you find out very quickly how different it is from other tracks”.       

 

Right from the very beginning overseeing J.R. Fitzpatrick’s progress from the first test session with TRG Motorsports is Crew Chief Butch Hylton.  Hylton’s impressive resume includes 20 race wins in Sprint Cup & Nationwide races along with two NASCAR Championships.  J.R. Fitzpatrick is thrilled to have someone with that kind of experience helping him move up the racing ladder.  “You learn so much from just spending time and talking with Butch Hylton and having that reassuring voice on the radio really helps” he stated.

 

As the February 13th NextEra Energy Resources 250 race date draws closer preparations continue and complete details on J.R. Fitzpatrick’s 2009 race schedule will be finalized.  The plan includes select NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races along with several NASCAR Nationwide Series events.  Sponsorship details are being finalized and more announcements will be forthcoming prior to the Daytona event. 

   

J.R. Fitzpatrick is the youngest ever national stock car racing champion in Canada having claimed the CASCAR Super Series title in 2006 at age eighteen.  J.R. participated in three Truck series races in 2008, qualifying an impressive sixth at Phoenix International Raceway.  He also raced in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series last season, claiming one victory and five top-five finishes in Canada’s highest profile championship that features events from coast to coast on oval tracks, road courses and temporary street circuits. 

 

For more information regarding J.R. Fitzpatrick including sponsorship opportunities contact Jason A. Sharpe.  (416) 838-0039   info@jrfitzpatrick.com   

 

This release prepared by TL Sports & Entertainment, todd@tlsportsent.com (239) 961-2618


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[AutoAssembler]

Awesome stuff!

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[B.A.R.]

As I have always said....One of the best racers ever to come out of Canada.
Class Act, Class Driver, Class Kid !!
Show them you stuff JR....for all the World to see !!
Good Luck !!

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[holland landing]

As I have always said....One of the best racers ever to come out of Canada.
Class Act, Class Driver, Class Kid !!
Show them you stuff JR....for all the World to see !!
Good Luck !!

 Dave while JR seems to be a nice guy and a decent driver i would not rank him in the top 20 drivers i have seen in Canada . For that matter i would say he does not even come close to comparing to your cousin . He does rank right up near the top of best funded drivers i have seen come out of this country .

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[kmcleod]

Well Holland Landing I would like to see your top 20 list of drivers to come out of Canada in the modern era, say last 20 years.  JR has a ton of natural talent for somebody to make the huge leap from a Cascar JR to the Super Series and have the success he has had it takes more than money and great equipment.  Unfortuantely in most cases it takes money to make it big south of the border.  Being Canadian makes it even harder to stay there when you need sponsor money usually from American companies.  Yes it takes money to be noticed but it takes talent, hard work and allot of luck to make a career out of driving race cars.

Good luck JR!

Keith

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[AutoAssembler]

As I have always said....One of the best racers ever to come out of Canada.
Class Act, Class Driver, Class Kid !!
Show them you stuff JR....for all the World to see !!
Good Luck !!

 Dave while JR seems to be a nice guy and a decent driver i would not rank him in the top 20 drivers i have seen in Canada . For that matter i would say he does not even come close to comparing to your cousin . He does rank right up near the top of best funded drivers i have seen come out of this country .

Who is Dave and who's Dave's cousin? You're quoting B.A.R., I'm confused?

I"ve been following JR since his LM days, I always thought he was a quick study and an awesome driver!


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[CanadianRacingOnline]

Are we talking about now or top 20 of the past as well?

JR has proven himself over and over and he is a young driver with a lot of time to grow in the sport. DJ is also a great driver and we have many talented driver and some my be unnoticed but with NASCAR in Canada our Canadian Drivers are finally getting some breaks in NASCAR.

Has NASCAR in Canada done ever thing they hoped or we hoped for who knows but I know one thing for sure that none of these drivers may have never gotten a chance to prove themself.



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[Thayne]

DJ and JR would have the same opportunities without NASCAR

JR is not buying a ride in any sense, he does need a sponsor and is having trbl getting one for the whole series because they dont wanna sponsor a Canadian kid. put him in a decent Nationwide piece and watch out!

Go get em JR!

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[AutoAssembler]

Has NASCAR in Canada done ever thing they hoped or we hoped for who knows but I know one thing for sure that none of these drivers may have never gotten a chance to prove themself.

I think our guys are starting to be recognized more and more down south. I think you can also thank DJ & MacDonald Motorsports for leading the way recently, also look what Marty Guant is doing down there. The Carpentier NNS race in Montreal was another.

Another driver that should be mentioned besides JR is Andrew Ranger. Having had the opportunity to work along side him last year, I got to realize just how good this kid is as well! I think he probably gained recognition after winning the 2007 NCATS Championship and I think you'll see the same happen for Scott Steckley this year!

Andrew Ranger is another that benefited from the 2008 Montreal NNS race, even causing veteran NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace to sing Ranger’s praises on ESPN2’s coverage.

I witnessed Randy LaJoie spending a good 1/2 hour looking at Andrew's car in Montreal. And how much more of this goes on behind the scenes.

So, imho I think the NASCAR name is helping these kids get more recognition, I think more people are apt to turn on their tv sets and watch a race with the NASCAR label then not, and that goes for our southern neigbors as well, I'm surprised how knowlegable some of them actually are about the NCATS. Same for future fans up here, I think when they hear that there's a NASCAR labelled race coming to their local track, they are more apt to attend then if it were just a local event being advertised? Let's face it, our NCATS is our #1 Stock Car Racing Series across Canada and does attract the elite to it.

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[B.A.R.]

Heck Auto Assembller, your smarther then that to think that the branding if Nascar got these guys a ride....and if thats the case what about racers like Earl Ross, Don Beiderman, Pete Gibbons, and Pete Shepherad...somehow they all made big league debuts without ever have raced in a Nascar event....
Your not on their payroll are you becasue it sure sounds like it when someone with your background spits out B.S. like that....
You know better and you need to stick with what you know..
Dont get snowballed by the boys down south as their snowballs contain sand, and that could really hurt.

I hate it when someone with your years of racing knowledge gets taken in by B.S.

You need to call Hanley and get a tune up my freind !!

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[racin2]

As I have always said....One of the best racers ever to come out of Canada.
Class Act, Class Driver, Class Kid !!
Show them you stuff JR....for all the World to see !!
Good Luck !!

 Dave while JR seems to be a nice guy and a decent driver i would not rank him in the top 20 drivers i have seen in Canada . For that matter i would say he does not even come close to comparing to your cousin . He does rank right up near the top of best funded drivers i have seen come out of this country .

Are u kidding me?
for real, have u ever watched JR race?
pretty sure he can race just about anything u put him in.
He frequently lvoes to get into random cars and just go.
He turns laps at flamboro in thunder cars and mini stocks when he's not racing his nascar stuff, not to mention the can-am midget series - and he does well in all these races.
Pretty sure it was michael waltrip that commented on speed about his NATURAL ability and his NATURAL talent when he saved his truck from hitting the wall during qualifying in the truck race!!
Yes, JR has a well funded team to back him up, but yuou cant get anywhere without a sponsor and he's been fortunate enought to have decent sponsor's backing him up.
I've watched JR drive since jr. late models and I cant say enough about him.
He's finally getting his shot to make a big name for himself which he truly deserves.
Not anyone can just jump in a car and qualify 6th in ur 2nd ever truck race.
that says something.
Best of luck buddy - andkick some butt down there!!

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[B.A.R.]

Racin2...You my freind hit the nail on the head...
J.R. has not made it because of Nascar..he has made in on sheer talent, balls to the walls, I dont care what im racing attitude.

Thank the good Lord there is someone else on here that knows what it takes to be a super star racer and it doesnt need the Nascar tato on their butts...good call and you obviousally know your racing !!

As for Auto Assemblers qoute with regards to Ranger, yes the kid also has a natural talent and he proved that in Indy Cars which gave him recognition.
Its not like Andrew bacame a Super Star because of the NCTS, he already was and I am amazed that people would even consider that the NCTS made him what he is today.


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[ace]

BAR...glad you're still entertaining...

NCATS had a huge hand in getting Ranger in the car in Montreal.  That's how he ended up in a few Nationwide races.  NASCAR.  If he had won a championship at a local track, he wouldn't have had the opportunities he's had this far.  He wouldn't be running a LLM in the Montreal race.  

DJ, JR and Andrew are great racers and all belong in the big leagues.  They've all worked hard and are at his point because THEY made it happen.  

We certainly can't say they are where they are because NASCAR came to Canada...but it certainly helped.  Earl Ross, Don Beiderman, and Peter Gibbons basically did it all on their own.  

I'm sure you can agree that racing has changed a lot since these guys made their NASCAR debut, and it's not enough to just be a great driver.   Petey didn't have the advantage of already being involved with the NASCAR brand when he went south, but did get help with exposure from the Discovery show.  





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[AutoAssembler]

I hate it when someone with your years of racing knowledge gets taken in by B.S.

Well I've just about had enough of yours!

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[B.A.R.]

Ace, Im glad you think that way...
and I agree they all have talent but dont go patting Nascar as quickly as everyone knows that DJ's move to run there was made by his stepping stones coming from Cascar to Hooters to Busch, backed by sponsorship and DJ's own money.
The NCTS deal had totally nothing to do with his deal !

Andrew came from a great year in Indy Cars and would have gone directly to Busch if they could have come up with the backing they needed, although Walmart had enough to put up for his NCTS program and later was backed again by Walmart, with money, to run in the Busch deal.

Petey got the shot from doing the Roush Gong show and acctually never made it by the rules of the show, but by sheer talent which was noticed by Edwards and Martin.
If they could have found funding he would still be down south, but as the story goes, when the money dries up so does your ride.

Thanks for pointing out that guys like Earl Ross and Gibbons only made it becasue that was back in the day when anyone could make it....and what ever your smoking you need to market the stuff.
Guys like them made it back then, when it was even tougher then today because there were no money rides, just talent deals.
They made it by paying there own way week to week, working and building their own stuff, and racing at that level because they had the talent.

For you to even think they made it there because it was easier then, is just flat out stupid.
That would mean guys they raced against like Pearson, Petty, Yarborough, Issac, Foyt and so on were also racing at that time because it was so easy back then.

I score your racing background with a big zero if that is what you think, and by the way, next time you see Foyt tell him your theroy on this..... and get ready for the big slap !!

Wake up my freind, we live in a time that money buys seats and talent is becoming more and more just an added bonus to the teams.

In a case like what J.R. is doing, its flat out great in my eye's, and to the race team.
He will bring sponsorship and the team benifits because they have the talent of a real, true to the name , race car driver..full of talent.

Im not here to tick you off but come on, if guys like Andrew were so great, dont you think they would be in full time rides down south, because as you put it..
Nascar could get them there just by using there name !!  




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