October 14, 2003 - Another Top-Ten for VMS, But….

Vernon, BC: After coming off of a disappointing finish in Wetaskiwin, last month, the #14 team was looking forward to going back to Vernon's Sun Valley Motor Speedway for Round 8 of the CASCAR EMCO Western Series tour, and finishing off the 2003 season with a solid result. When James Jr. brought the SouthFort ChevOlds Monte Carlo across the finish line in 9th place, it seemed like the team would get its wish. But the next morning, with the satisfying glow of a solid season just beginning to settle in, team members faced the bitter frustration of having their trailer broken into and several thousand dollars' worth of their equipment stolen.

Poor weather was a significant factor on race day, with leaden skies and intermittent rain tormenting teams and officials. Practice eventually got underway several hours behind schedule, and the day's schedule of events was accelerated by CASCAR staff by the cancellation of the three planned heat races. Fortunately for the VMS team, no major changes needed to be made to the car's set up, although the team did change the front brake pads in response to less-than-ideal brake performance.

Following the qualifying session, teams were sent immediately to the pre-race grid. James Jr. qualified with the 11th fasted time of 25 entries, but started the race in 9th spot due to some disqualifications. Throughout the 200 lap event, James Jr. dodged a number of spins and generally stayed out of harm's way. The cool temperatures meant that tire wear was less of a factor than usual, and rather than refreshing the right side tires, the team decided to stay out during each of the five caution periods and maintain their track position. This weekend's 9th place finish brings to five the number of times the VMS team has finished in the top-ten in this season's seven-race CASCAR EMCO Western Series tour. The #14 team should maintain its 9th place standing in the overall championship points standings, although the final official points standings have not yet been released.

Following the Lordco 200, the #14 team packed up and started the drive back home to Fort Saskatchewan, AB. Lodging in Kamloops for the night, the team awoke to the find the trailer's side door lock had been vandalized and several items taken from the trailer: a Toshiba laptop computer, two Motorola racing radios, three radio chargers, a scanner, four pair of custom-made pit crew pants, and a brown Samsonite briefcase. The team thanks the Kamloops RCMP, who were prompt, helpful and thorough in their response to our complaint.

On a more positive note, the entire #14 team is now looking ahead to the year-end banquet, which will be held in Calgary on October 25th, and which will serve to cap off the season in fine fashion! The Van Domselaar Motorsports team members have been proud to represent their sponsors throughout Western Canada in 2003, and look forward to competing in the Western Series again in 2004! Our thanks go out to motorsports fans and to all of our dedicated sponsors!

September 9, 2003 - VMS Disappointed in Wetaskiwin

Wetaskiwin, AB: Nineteen CASCAR EMCO Western Series teams competed at this weekend's Martin Equipment John Deere 200 at the Edmonton International Raceway. The weather for the weekend was ideal, and fans came out in droves to fill the stands to capacity and then some. The VMS team had a strong contingent of fans in the crowd, thanks in part to a successful promotional drive held by James Jr. in the Fort Saskatchewan area. The team came away from the event heartened by the support of fans and sponsors, but disappointed with the on-track results: for the first time in their 5 years of CASCAR competition, due to a couple of green flag pit stops, the VMS team took the checkered flag at the back of the field.

The day started out with promise and the #14 team had a productive first practice session. By the end of the second practice James Jr. was logging lap times close to last-year's qualifying run. The entire field was strong however, and when the qualifying session was complete James Jr. had the 13th quickest time. Starting the heat race in 5th spot, Jr. gained a position by the end of the 10-lap sprint and came away with two more championship points for the 4th place result.

The team had prepared long and hard for the event at EIR, hoping and planning to put on a good show for the assembled sponsors and fans. But from the first lap the team was faced with numerous challenges. Heading into Turn One on Lap 1 the #14 car was squeezed and spun out in the closely-packed traffic. No caution was called, and James Jr. scrambled out of harm's way to catch up with the pack. The leaders were quickly on the tail of the VMS machine however, and Jr. let them by. The #14 car was still strong, and Jr. hung with the leaders for several laps. While the pack was attempting to get around some slower traffic Jr. made contact with another car, worsening the fiberglass damage to the #14's right quarter panel. The black flag came out and Jr. had to come in under green flag conditions to have the front bumper and right fender removed. Commenting on the incident Jr. said, "after the spin I was hanging with Daryl [#71] and Kev [#35] and just trying to get back as many spots as I could before the first yellow came out - the car was almost perfect, even after the contact. Unfortunately I bumped the #81 car as I was going by and damaged the right front." Once back on the track, sparks from the front brake duct hoses made for a light show rivaling the fireworks display that marked the start of the race.

Problems for the VMS team intensified when at about lap 150 the #14 car's transmission lost 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear. This robbed Jr.'s ride of acceleration out of the turns, and he was unable to make any more gains in position. Capping off the night of bad luck was an incident where the #14 car brushed the wall and blew a tire. Coming in under green flag conditions to change a tire meant losing the few positions that had been regained earlier in the race. The 19th place finish translated into a drop in the points standings as well, with the VMS team now holding down 9th place overall.

Despite their disappointment, the team members are taking the view that the best thing to do with adversity is to learn from it, and use it to forge an even stronger team. Jr. comments: "I guess that's racing and like Dad said if we got rid of all our bad luck in one race then we're probably still lucky…we'll get 'em next time." James Sr. and Jr. are in the process of tearing the car down to investigate the transmission problems, and the body panels have been sent out for repair.

Other preparations are underway for the final race in the CASCAR EMCO Western Series Tour. Please note the date change for the season finale: October 12th, 2003 at Sun Valley Speedway. The VMS team is proud to represent its sponsors at home and throughout Western Canada in 2003!

August 27, 2003 - VMS backs Up Win!

Calgary, AB: After posting their first victory in Quesnel two weeks ago, the family owned and operated late model stock car team of Van Domselaar Motorsports logged another strong finish at the Avenue West Auto Parts 200 event held last Sunday at in Calgary. The VMS team placed 2nd in their heat race and took the checkered flag in 5th place for the 200 lap feature event. Driver James Jr. had been running as high as 3rd earlier in the race. The team thanks all its Fort Saskatchewan area sponsors, whose support makes it possible for the team to compete at the elite level of stock car racing in Canada: SouthFort Chevrolet; Advantage Signs; RCS Sheet Metal; Boston Pizza; Sears Appliance Outlet; MacMillan Photography; Aldon Auto Salvage; Fort Welding & Mechanical Contracting; Hydro-Scotford; L & W Automotive; Daytona Composites and, newly on board, General Auto & Ag Supply of Lamont.
The next stop on the CASCAR EMCO Western Series tour is at the Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin on September 6th, 2003 at 6:30 pm. The VMS team has tickets available at a preferred rate for fans: Adult Tickets are $22.00 (regular $24.00), Tickets for youths aged 13-18 and seniors 55+ are $18.00 (regular $21.00). Children’s tickets (ages 7-12) are $6.00 and children 6 and under are FREE. Tickets are available by calling Driver James Jr. at 998-9306 or Crew Chief James Sr. at 998-4235. The deadline for purchasing tickets is September 4th, 2003. As an added bonus for fans residing in Fort Saskatchewan, tickets will be personally delivered to your door by a member of the VMS team!

August 11, 2003 - Breakthrough Race for Van Domselaar Motorsports

Quesnel, BC: After five years of competition in the CASCAR Western Super Series, the #14 team of Van Domselaar Motorsports posted their first win! The victory came in the "Fast 8" heat race at this weekend's Marlo Logging 200 at Quesnel's Gold Pan Speedway. Commenting on the win, driver James Jr. said, "the car was just awesome, I could let it run deep into the corners and pick the throttle up quickly coming out. I can't thank the crew enough for all the hard work through out the day."

The first practice session wasn't an indicator of things to come, with the team's initial lap times coming in at the back of the 15 car field. However, with the lessons learned at last month's Quesnel race, James Sr. and Jr. made some spring, camber and wedge adjustments. Lap times for the second practice were better, but still near the back of the pack. Not disheartened, the team incorporated some helpful comments from hometown favorite Donny Sales' crew chief into the setup plan, and continued to work on the car while awaiting the qualifying session. The hard work paid off, with James Jr. logging one of his fastest times ever on the ¼ mile oval. The #14 car would start the feature in 6th place - the team's best qualifying effort so far this year.

The heat races were delayed due to thundershowers, and for a time it seemed the EMCO Series could be facing its second rain-out of the season. But track officials kept up with track-drying activities, and eventually mother nature cooperated as well and the rain let up. Starting 3rd in the inverted grid for the "Fast 8" heat race, James Jr. passed the inside and outside pole-sitters in relatively short order. By lap 5 of the 10 lap heat Jr. was in the lead and pulling away from the pack, eventually crossing the start/finish line with a few car lengths to spare. The team was elated with the win, their first ever in CASCAR competition! Crew members' spirits' soared with anticipation for the feature event.

The #14 car was a strong contender in the feature race, and early in the event Jr. was able to maintain his 6th place position easily. At lap 18 however, the #14 car was tagged and spun out in the middle of Turns 1 and 2, and with no yellow flag Jr. ended up near the back of the pack. But the car remained strong and Jr. finessed his way back up several positions. "I ran around right behind the 2nd place car for over a hundred laps, the car was really working great," said Jr. At about the two thirds mark in the race, the #14 car was in a pack of cars looking to move ahead of a slower machine. Racing was tight and at one point the front bumper of the #14 car made contact with the rear bumper of the #33 car. The #33's rear bumper eventually fell off, and the hood of the #14 car had buckled. Jr. experienced some handling problems following the incident: "after the bump the car just would not turn, I thought a had right front tire going down." But after a few laps it seemed the car was back in racing trim. Taking advantage of another caution flag, Jr. came in for the team to check for any problems resulting from the contact, but all appeared well. Under another caution late in the race Jr. came in again to check into the cause of an unusual engine sound, but this seemed to be due to an in-car cooling fan. With only 7 laps to go, teams lined up single file for the restart and after a sprint to the finish Jr. brought the car home in 9th place overall.

Considering the early spin, the team was happy with the overall result. But problems became apparent immediately after the race when Jr. brought the #14 machine back to the VMS pit stall with smoke emerging from under the buckled hood. When the hood was removed, a snapped fitting was found on the radiator: the SouthFort Chevy Monte Carlo had run an unknown number of laps with a bone-dry radiator. The cause of the earlier handing problems became evident: coolant had been slowly spraying onto the right front tire, and the unusual engine noise had likely been the sound of a water pump running dry. While the team was encouraged by its strong showing in the heat race and the feature event, everyone was concerned that the engine could be significantly damaged.

July 9,2003 - VMS Bounces back at the OK Tire 200

Quesnel, BC: It was a day of both frustration and satisfaction for the #14 team of Van Domselaar Motorsports at this weekend’s CASCAR EMCO Western Series event at Quesnel’s Gold Pan Speedway. The team enjoyed its best-ever oval track performance at last year’s Quesnel event (placing 5th), and the team was looking to produce a comparable result this year. This proved to be a difficult task however, as the team fought with a tight condition for most of the day. But diligence and teamwork ultimately paid dividends, and at the checkered flag the #14 car was 8th to cross the finish line.

The practice sessions proved frustrating for the team, with initial lap times slotting in near the back of the 15 car field. Crew members were kept busy throughout both practices, recording tire temperatures and other setup-related data used to inform further adjustments to the chassis. In the spirit of the Western Series, crew chiefs from other teams also lent a hand with set-up suggestions. By the end of practice the #14 car had moved up to 10th quickest, and Jr. bettered this to 9th spot in qualifying.

The 9th place qualifying effort resulted in pole position for the first of two heat races, giving the VMS team a good opportunity to gain a few more championship points, potentially moving up in the standings. This was not to be however, as the #14 car was spun out on the first lap of the heat, eventually finishing out of the points in 6th place. Despite the disappointing heat race finish, James Jr. had logged his fastest lap times of the night and both car and team were primed for strong competition in the feature event.

The 200 lap event was full of excitement from start to finish. There were constant battles for position throughout the field, and drivers fought to stay on the lead lap on the ¼ mile oval. Due to the unfortunate heat race finish, the VMS car had to start the feature in 14th spot. But Jr. soon had the car moving up the ranks, and at one point was running as high as 6th. Several cautions and numerous pit stops among the teams gave the fans lots to watch and cheer – on one occasion James Jr. dodged a spun car in “Days of Thunder” style, still keeping ahead of his closest rival in the process! Dodging another spin later in the race, Jr. ran off the track into some gravel, ultimately cutting the right front tire. With the tire slowly deflating, Jr. managed to nurse the car around the track under green until a well-timed yellow flag meant he could come in for a tire-change without losing a lap. After the tire change Jr. noticed the right rear tire was quickly losing its grip as well, but with now only 10 laps to go Jr. chose to maintain his track position. Ultimately Jr. brought the #14 SouthFort Chevrolet Monte Carlo home on the lead lap to an 8th place finish, the team’s best result so far this season!

The entire team was overjoyed with the race result, especially given the numerous frustrations earlier in the day. Commenting on all the hard work, Jr. noted, “The whole day was team effort, from the many spring changes in practice to the near bang on pit stop! Every one deserved this one.” After the race Crew Chief James Sr. recounted the numerous set-up changes: Two spring changes in the right front, rear springs stiffened and softened again, finally a track bar change and removing most of the wedge got the car to turn some what better. Jr.’s driving finesse kept us in the chase!”

The VMS team is proud to represent its sponsors throughout western Canada again in 2003: SouthFort Chevrolet (Fort Saskatchewan, AB); Deciding Factor Investigations (Edmonton, AB); Advantage Signs (Fort Saskatchewan, AB); RCS Sheet Metal (Fort Saskatchewan, AB); Boston Pizza (Fort Saskatchewan, AB); Quality Group (Edmonton, AB); TriStar Collision (Edmonton, AB); Sears Appliance Outlet (Fort Saskatchewan); MacMillan Photography (Fort Saskatchewan, AB); Aldon Auto Salvage (Lamont, AB); Fort Welding & Mechanical Contracting (Fort Saskatchewan, AB); Hydro-Scotford (Fort Saskatchewan, AB); L & W Automotive (Fort Saskatchewan, AB); Ellis-Govenlock Accounting (Edmonton, AB), Daytona Composites (Fort Saskatchewan, AB), Fillmore Construction Management (Edmonton, AB) and H.E.D. Liner Power Boats (Sherwood Park, AB).

The team’s next race will be the second event held at Quesnel’s Gold Pan Speedway this year, on August 9, 2003. For more information on the VMS team, check out their website at www.vandomselaarmotorsport.com. Additional information on the CASCAR EMCO Western Series can be obtained at www.cascarwest.ca and www.cascar.ca.

June 22,2003 - Calgary's Versatel 200 Rained Out

Calgary, AB: The VMS team headed down to Calgary bright and early Saturday morning, looking forward to racing once again at Race City Motorsports Park. While the forecast was bleak, the skies lightened considerably as the team made its way south from Edmonton to Calgary. Teams unloaded their haulers under partly cloudy skies and warm temperatures, but the good weather was short-lived. The rains started just as the first CASCAR EMCO Western Series practice got underway at 2pm. The #89 car of Terry Dowler turned in a few laps before the rain started in earnest, but no one else made it to the racing surface before the practice was halted by officials. Teams settled in for a two-hour wait, while CASCAR and Race City officials deliberated various alternatives. By 4 pm the call was made to cancel Saturday’s event, and with wet weather forecast for Sunday as well, teams were sent home. As of yet CASCAR has not yet determined an alternative date for the Versatel 200, but teams were advised that one would be forthcoming. The next scheduled race on the CASCAR EMCO Western Series tour is the Gold Pan 200 to be held in Quesnel, BC on July 5, 2003.

VMS to Participate in Canada Day Festivities

The VMS team will be taking part in Fort Saskatchewan’s Canada Day activities again this year, in what will likely be the only 450 horsepower float in the parade! The team looks forward to showcasing their local sponsors at the well-attended event, and James Jr. will be on hand to sign hero cards for spectators. The Canada Day parade begins at 10 AM in downtown Fort Saskatchewan, AB.

June 7, 2003 -VMS Forges Ahead at Bridge City Speedway

SASKATOON, SK: Twenty one teams were on hand for Saturday evening's CASCAR EMCO Western Series event, the Auto Clearing Chrysler 150. Weather conditions were nearly perfect for racing - slightly overcast and cool, and the track was fast. It was quickly apparent that the event would be an exciting one, with competitors qualifying with less than one second separating the entire field.

The VMS team was looking forward to racing at Bridge City, having finished their inaugural event there last year in 7th spot. James Jr. and Sr. implemented a number of set-up tests during practice, correcting for a loose condition. By the end of the second practice hour, James Jr. had already bettered last year's qualifying time. But Crew Chief James Sr. was confident that lap times could be shaved even further with a spring adjustment, and the decision was made to change both rear springs before heading out to qualify.

Adding to the pre-qualifying scramble in the pits was a tire problem. After James Jr. brought the car in from scrubbing a set of tires, Crew member Tamera spied what appeared to be damage to the right front tire. Taking a closer look, a large cut down to the cord of the tire was clearly visible and the tire had to be replaced quickly in time for qualifying. Due to the unplanned tire change, the car would not have the original stagger set up for qualifying, but James Jr. turned in a respectable 11th place lap time despite the setback.

The team's qualifying effort had the #14 car starting on the outside pole for the first of three heat races, next to the #2 car of Carl Harr. The two drivers essentially raced against each other for the 10 lap event, leading the rest of the field by about half a lap. Jr. blazed off even faster lap times during the heat race, shaving 4/10ths of a second off his qualifying time. "After the spring change the car worked almost perfectly," said James Jr., "chasing Carl around during the heat race was a real confidence builder." With the second place finish, James Jr. retained his 11th place start for the feature event as well as gaining four important championship points.

The feature event of the evening was a closely contested battle, with numerous teams in the running for the top spots until well into the race. The first two thirds of the race went well for the VMS team, with James Jr. running as high as 8th overall. The engine problems that dogged the team in Vernon had been resolved, and the car's set up was dialed-in as well. Maneuvering around lap traffic became a factor as the race wore on, and there were a few fibreglass-rending incidents that caused problems for several teams. Jr. managed to avoid most of these until about lap 105 when a multi-car collision between lapped cars collected James Jr. in its midst. Damage to the #14 machine wasn't too serious at this point, but within minutes Jr. had to dive low into the grassy infield to avoid colliding with another car that had spun out. Following that incident James Jr. had little choice but to pit to so the team could remove the dragging front nose panel. A few laps later the car's hood was removed as well, and the #14 car was counted down two laps by the time the green flag flew once again. Despite the damage to the car body, the #14 machine remained competitive for the remainder of the race, and Jr. went on to cross the finish line in 13th position. According to James Jr, "even though the 13th place finish was disappointing, the team gained more confidence overall - we were one of the lead lap cars for 2/3 of the race and were racing with the big dogs." Crew Chief James Sr. echoed this sentiment, saying that the team had a "top ten car" despite the final outcome. According to CASCAR's unofficial points standings, the VMS team now sits in 9th spot overall, a gain of one position.

The VMS team is proud to represent its sponsors throughout western Canada again in 2003. Additional information on the CASCAR EMCO Western Series can be obtained at cascarwest.ca and cascar.ca. The next stop on the CASCAR EMCO Western Series tour is the Versatel 200, at Calgary's Race City Motorsport part on Saturday, June 21, 2003.