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

[Racer43]

Cmon lets get real. Of course nascar being in canada has helped exposure of our drivers. Dodge weekly series down to the NCTS. Any extra media coverage in any respect helps. When the NDWS started in canada u started seeing more canadian names in US mag's. When the Nascar boys came to Cayuga it was talked about in many major US racing media. What these guys have done down south may or may not have happened without a Nascar presence up here but it certianly didn't hurt.
Oh by the way BAR do you still have that rent a ride deal available?

Linkback: https://www.canadianracingonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=9215.msg63804#msg63804

[Morgie]

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.

Does anyone remember Andrews first start in a stock car?!  I believe it was still when it was CASCAR, and he drove the 88 car in St. Eustche.  If that debut would have been in the Busch series there is not a CHANCE they would have put him in a car again...it was a brutal race.. he had no control of the car, and no idea what he was doing. He wanted to be in the car the following weekend in Kawartha but since it was the final CASCAR race Dave wanted to be in the car. When i got told the beginning of 2007 that Ranger was in the car for Jacombs Racing...I wondered why they had decided to take this adventure...A lot of work went into that car over the winter, a lot of tests happened, and a lot of work went into the crew and the DRIVER!
Now I am NOT saying Andrew wasn't a awesome driver before he started in NCATS but if he had not raced NCATS before going into the Nationwide series, he probably wouldn't of picked it up as fast, and that first race in the Nationwide Series could of been the first CASCAR race and maybe they wouldn't of been willing to give him another shot at it.
And since he came to NCATS and he worked hard and everyone on the crew worked hard to help him out he is now accomplishing what he wants to be racing in the Nationwide Series.  By winning the championship he got noticed by tons of people.  He went to run the Toyota All Star Show Down, he ran some ACRA races, The Rolex 24 and then the Nationwide Races...
I am not sure how you think that running NCATS didn't help him get this far.
I am being 100% honest here saying when I got told Andrew Ranger was going to race the first CASCAR race I had no idea who he was, so who is saying Fitz knew who he was before he started running in NCATS and winning races and championships?

Linkback: https://www.canadianracingonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=9215.msg63807#msg63807

[DWfan4ever]

Well from what I read it appears that most people are trying to point out that NASCAR has helped, they didn't say it was the sole reason each of the drivers mentioned got a shot at the bigger leagues in the US.  All of us would be crazy to say it was only NASCAR that did it, but lets also be honest they must have helped, otherwise why is it that we didn't hear of this many opportunities happening for those that raced in the early years of CASCAR banner?  And of course bringing sponsor money to the table helps keep you in the ride, look at how many teams are scrambling for any amount of sponsor money even in the Sprint Cup series.  I just wish one of the Canadian drivers would survive for more then one season just to see how they improve from one year to the next.  Hopefully we will see even stronger results from DJ in the Nationwide series this year.  Oh yeah and the reason Petey lost his spot in the US was because the sponsor he got involved with screwed him over.



Linkback: https://www.canadianracingonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=9215.msg63808#msg63808

[B.A.R.]

I think everyone is misunderstanding what I am saying.

My point is hese drivers didnt make it into better rides because the raced in the Nascar series up here in Canada.
Did it help racing under that banner.... hell yes...the exposure through media that Nascar has recieved in Cnada is huge becuase of the new branding of the series and the fact that Nascar is the biggest, if not the best, Stock Car series in the world.

BUT- saying that I will still point out that regardless of them racing in the NCTS and the exposure of the series, that is not what has got them this far....
They have made it this far on sheer talent, and again, ha ve become some of the best racers in Canada, and once more I will say it, J.R. is the best driver in Canada...
That is MY pick on who I think is the best right now in Canada.

I treid to make that clear when I talked about the Canadian Drivers of old that went to the top, they made it there on talent, long before there was ever a Nascar Series in Canada.

Exposure is what it is in any sport, and if you get more exposure, you get noticed.
Look at how many Drivers have gone onto good seats in the Cup deal just from racing Legends becuse of Speeds TV coverage from Charlotte.
It was simply good exposure, but it was exposure for every driver racing in that series.
The ones who made it did so, on sheer talent, not the fact that they were racing under the Legend Racing Series title.

As for Seat Buying, I have said it over and over on this site- it's a sign of the times, and that will only change when race teams have to much money and can afford to going back to the old method of choosing a Driver based on his driving talents.
Until that day happens, Teams will only look at you two other ways besides driving talent, and that is, how much money can you bring to the team, or is the driver a marketable driver that will direct sponsorship there way.

Drivers like Kasey Kayne have bith of those talents...he can drive and he is very marketable....just look how cute he is to all the girls... he draws sponsorship, and has the biggest fan base of Women by far in the Nascar Cup Series.

Thats all I was saying and I will move onto another subjuect if thats okat with y'all.        


Linkback: https://www.canadianracingonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=9215.msg63812#msg63812

[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.  

Where did I say it was easier for Earl Ross, Don Beiderman, and Peter Gibbons?  I was saying the opposite.  Although, now that I think about it, I don't think Earl Ross needed a 7 post shaker rig to be competative....

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