August 24, 2005
- Hard Work at EIR for Van Domselaar Motorsports
Wetaskiwin, AB: The #14 CASCAR Western Series team of Van Domselaar
Motorsports had their work cut out for them at this past weekend's
Competition Chevrolet 200 held at Edmonton International Raceway.
The VMS team was very optimistic about their chances for a podium
finish at the event, given their performance at last year's race
where they took the pole, led the most laps and finished 3rd.
But early in the day, the team knew this year's race would be
different.
The first practice yielded only mid-field lap times for the #14
SouthFort Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The team made just a few changes
to the car's set up, anticipating that when it came time to scrub
tires for the feature the lap times would match those of last
year. But the expected improvement did not occur, with the team
posting even slightly poorer times during the set of tire-scrubbing
laps. A few more adjustments were made prior to qualifying, but
the VMS crew had to settle for the 6th position on the starting
grid.
After qualifying, the decision was made to pull the car from
impound and make some more radical changes to the car's set up.
The penalty for doing so was to be sent to the back of the field,
but with just eleven competitors in total, the potential benefits
far outweighed the penalty. One other competitor later made the
same decision, and so the #14 entry started the race in 10th position.
The 200-lap event started cleanly. At first it looked as though
the setup changes that were made after qualifying would do the
trick, as James Jr. made the pass for 9th position. But as laps
continued to count down, Jr. reported over the radio that the
car was still too loose. Jr. managed to make another pass to move
up into 8th spot, but when the first caution came out two laps
later Jr. headed into the pits for a crossweight adjustment. Jr.
quickly exited the pits and when the track turned green again
on Lap 42 the #14 car was counted in 5th position.
A long stretch of green-flag racing ensued, and Jr. managed to
maintain 5th position, but by Lap 96 was put down a lap by the
leader. When the caution flag flew again at Lap 112, Jr. eagerly
returned to the pits for a new right rear tire and yet another
chassis adjustment. The pit stop was a frustrating one to say
the least, with all five lug nuts on the new tire falling off
while it was being mounted. The delay in leaving the pits put
the team yet another lap down, and counted in 7th position when
green conditions resumed on Lap 132.
Dampened spirits dogged the team, but they were determined to
keep working hard even though it seemed that nothing would make
the tires grip the asphalt. During the last long green run of
the race, Jr. still had to wrestle with the #14 car to keep it
pointed in the right direction, but he managed to make one last
pass. The #14 car crossed the finish line in 6th spot, a total
of three laps down.
After the race, Crew Chief James Sr. commented on the team's
day-long efforts: "We tried everything to make the tires
stick to the pavement: we changed all four springs, adjusted the
panhard bar, and the upper link angle to get more bite. Unfortunately,
we were only marginally successful as we ran a race lap only 1/10th
of a second faster than our qualifying time. We needed 3/10ths
to be competitive and stay on the lead lap….Junior had his
work cut out for him and I commend him for bringing the car home
in the same spot we qualified."
Driver James Jr. summarized the team's Wetaskiwin experience
saying, "The car wasn't great all day -- we are still trying
to figure out these new tires. The team put in a 110% effort to
get us up to speed but we just couldn't find the sweet spot. We
will be back and up to speed at the next race."
The team remains proud to represent its sponsors and supporters
in Western Canada: The team's next race is the 2005 season finale,
set for September 10, 2005 at Vernon's Sun Valley Speedway.
July 29, 2005
- Van Domselaar Motorsports Tests its Mettle at the Mopar 500
Calgary, AB: Team VMS fielded their #14 SouthFort Chevrolet Monte
Carlo in the national CASCAR Super Series oval event this past
weekend at Calgary's Race City Motorsports Park. The #14 team
has competed at national Super Series road race events in the
past (at the inaugural Vancouver Indy and at Edmonton's Tommy
Fox Classic) but had not yet competed at Calgary's Mopar 500.
Eleven other Western Super Series teams joined Team VMS in competition
at the event, the first time it has been designated as a Western
Series points event. Both the 100-lap qualifiers and the 300-lap
feature race were considered individual points races for Western
teams.
The #14 team was eager to compete at Race City and test its mettle
in a larger field of racecars. The team has been a solid contender
at the Western Series events in the first half of the season,
placing no lower than 7th at each of the four competitions, leading
laps at two of the events, and taking the pole qualifying position
in Penticton earlier this month.
July 22, 2005: Friday's practice session was less than ideally
informative for the team. The recent changeover in tire compounds
has meant that the team has had to make some adjustments for the
differences in tire characteristics. By the time the team had
scrubbed three sets of tires, the practice session was nearly
done and the team had to make the best of the information at hand.
Thirty-two CASCAR Super Series racecars qualified for the Mopar
500, with the #14 entry taking the 23rd fastest time overall.
This was the 5th fastest time of the Western Series cars present
however, and as such the team would earn a bonus point for their
efforts.
The 32 entries were split into two heats of 16 cars each, which
would then compete in one of two 100-lap qualifying races. Teams
that had timed in in the top two spots would retain those spots
for the feature event, but the rest of the starting positions
were up for grabs. In addition, the 100-lap events were considered
points races in themselves for the Western Series competitors.
In honor of the dual centenaries of Alberta and Saskatchewan,
the qualifiers were dubbed the twin Centennial 100's. The VMS
team competed in the first of these, the Alberta 100.
The #14 entry started the qualifier in 13th spot. The team had
three goals for the 100 lapper: To gather enough information to
make the necessary changes to the car for the feature, to log
a good finish in comparison to other Western Series competitors
in the race, and to improve their starting position for the feature.
The team succeeded on all three counts: They tightened the car
up through some adjustments, finished 2nd of the six Western competitors
and improved their overall starting position from 23rd to 19th.
Commenting on the team's results, driver James Jr. said, "The
car was tight in the middle but we still managed to pass a few
Eastern teams and stay on the lead lap. All in all it was good
for our first oval race with the eastern teams."
July 23, 2005: The team made a few more changes to the SouthFort
Chevy Monte Carlo before the start of the Mopar 300. Nine of the
twenty-nine entries were Western Series competitors, and Jr. was
4th in the Western grid, starting19th overall.
The team knew the #14 machine was good as soon as the green flag
waved. Jr. had already gained a position by the end of the first
lap, and five laps into the race Jr. had bettered his track standing
by four spots, sitting 15th.
By Lap 34 Jr was still gaining ground, and had claimed 3rd position
in the Western field of competitors. James Jr. summarizes what
happened next: "The changes we made Saturday morning worked
well and we passed 3 or 4 cars in the first few laps. I was just
getting settled in for a long race when the trailing arm mount
broke ending our run early."
Jr. brought the car in on Lap 36 and the team scrambled to find
out what had gone wrong. At first it appeared that just the trailing
arm itself had bent, probably when Jr. had had to take the car
over an uneven part of the track in Turn 1. The #14 crew quickly
replaced the bent piece and sent Jr. back out on the track on
Lap 67. The car handled just as badly however, and Jr. brought
the car back in where the team discovered that the trailing arm
mount itself had broken. The team parked the car and resigned
themselves to being spectators for the rest of the night. Jr.
summed up the crew's sentiments: "The team worked very hard
to get prepared for this race so it was disappointing, but at
the end of the day the car was not damaged and we will race another
day."
The VMS team will not compete in the Vernon national event scheduled
for July 29th and 30th, 2005, focusing its efforts instead on
the upcoming CASCAR Western Series event to be held at Edmonton
International Speedway on August 20, 2005. The VMS team is privileged
and proud to represent its growing number of partners and sponsors
on the 2005 CASCAR Western Super Series tour.
July 2-3, 2005
- Roller Coaster Ride for VMS At Vernon/Penticton Double Header
July 2nd, 2005 -- Vernon, BC: The #14 team of Van Domselaar Motorsports
was put through its paces this Canada Day long weekend. On Saturday,
July 3rd the CASCAR Western Series teams raced at Sun Valley Speedway
in Vernon, BC, and then convoyed down to the southern Okanagan
valley to compete at Penticton Speedway the next day.
The weekend was chock-full of ups and downs for the VMS team.
Two downpours wreaked havoc with the race schedule on Saturday,
with additional problems arising from some defective tires which
required 11th hour replacement. Despite the chaos, the VMS team
still qualified 5th overall, in a field of 16 competitors. Cars
were impounded after the qualifying session, and the team had
to hold on to the hope that the earlier tire problems were now
behind them.
Skies remained clear for the 200 lap feature event. The race
started cleanly and James Jr. stuck with the lead pack despite
fighting an understeer problem. By Lap 63 Jr. had been passed
by several competitors and took advantage of a yellow flag to
come in and make a wedge adjustment. The car's handling improved
somewhat and by the halfway point the SouthFort Monte Carlo was
in 7th position.
At Lap 131 the #14 was progressing through the field when the
#6 car locked up his brakes and unavoidably slid into Jr., sending
the VMS car into a spin. The caution came out again, and Jr. headed
into the pits for a much-needed right rear tire change. The VMS
entry came off pit road still in 7th place, but a lap down.
On Lap 181 the #87 car spun coming out of Turn 2 and the caution
came out again. The team made the decision to return to pit road
for a right front tire change and another wedge adjustment. When
the track returned to green flag conditions on Lap 146, Jr. radioed
in that the car's handling was now bang on, and he set his sights
on getting his lap back.
With about 40 laps remaining, the #14 entry started having power-loss
problems again, similar to those at the Vernon season opener.
(At that time the culprit was found to be a damaged fuel pump,
but that had since been replaced.) With the return of the nagging
power problem Jr. was forced to struggle once again to keep the
#14 machine out of harm's way. Laps continued to count down, with
the VMS entry losing positions until eventually crossing the line
in 7th, one lap down.
After the race the team was disheartened, but had no choice but
to regroup and start working on preparations and repairs for the
Penticton race to be held the next day. While doing so the team
discovered the source of the nagging fuel problem: In the words
of Crew Chief James Sr.: "I think we've got the engine problem
figured out now. It won't run without fuel! We found the pickup
in the tank was not in the ideal location to get the last drop
out of the tank causing us to run out before the end of the race.
We've moved [the pickup] now and this won't be a problem again."
July 3rd, 2005 --Penticton, BC: Mother Nature cooperated for
the second day of the double-header event, with clear skies and
not-too-hot temperatures. There were still some scheduling glitches
to overcome, but the team was fast in practice and was looking
forward to a quick qualifying run.
Additional glitches with the timing and scoring equipment meant
teams had to re-do their qualifying laps, but this proved to be
a blessing in disguise for the VMS team as they took their first
pole position of the year! The team eagerly awaited the start
of the Penticton 200, knowing that with a little good racing luck
a podium finish was within reach.
James Jr. took the green flag at the front of the pack, but by
Lap 2 the track was already under yellow due to a spin by the
# 26 car. When the field restarted again on Lap 8 Jr. could not
hold off the #35 car and relinquished the lead. Tires on the #14
machine took a while to come in, and in the meantime Jr. was passed
by the # 30 and # 79 cars on Lap 19, and later by the #12 and
#68 cars.
Jr. found himself in 5th spot by Lap 44 when the caution came
out for a crash involving the #79 car. Jr. brought the #14 Chevy
Monte Carlo in for a quick wedge adjustment, which helped improve
the car's handling. Back under green, Jr. was now able to pass
and regain some of his lost track position.
The roller coaster ride took another downward turn on Lap 113,
when the #14 car was spun out going into Turn 2 by the #36 car.
Jr. managed to get the SouthFort ride pointing back in the right
direction and underway, so no caution was called. The VMS entry's
left rear tire was flattened however, and the team was forced
to change tires under green flag conditions.
The team lost two laps as a result of the spin-out, but the new
left-side tire was just what the #14 machine needed. James Jr.
was now able to drive the car anywhere on the track, and he made
short work of the field, passing everyone by Lap 152. Jr. was
working on getting his other lap back when another caution came
out on Lap 181. By the time the field took the green again on
Lap 195 there were not enough laps left to work through all the
traffic once again. And so, Jr. crossed the finish line in 4th
place, the first car one lap down.
This weekend's double header marks the halfway point for the
CASCAR Western Series 2005 season. The team now sits solidly in
4th place in the championship standings, by unofficial points
standings only 4 points out of 3rd spot. Despite some disappointments,
the team's current standing marks their best ever mid-season achievement
to date. And the team has every intention of taking it uphill
from here.
Next on the tour is the CASCAR Super Series event to be held
at Race City Motorsports Park in Calgary, AB. At this competition
the VMS team will have the opportunity to test their mettle against
a combined field of western and eastern CASCAR teams. The two-day
event consists of a 100-lap qualifier on Friday, July 22nd with
the 300-lap feature slated for Saturday, July 23rd, 2005.
The VMS team is privileged and proud to represent its growing
number of partners and sponsors on the 2005 CASCAR Western Super
Series tour.
June 16, 2005 - Momentum Builds
for VMS
Saskatoon, SK: Team VMS added another set of solid qualifying
and feature finishes at this weekend's Bridge City 150 in Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan. As in years past, the competition was fierce at
the 1/3rd mile bullring. With construction of a new Saskatoon-area
racetrack already underway, this weekend's race may have possibly
been the last CASCAR Western Super Series event to be run at that
facility. The seventeen teams in competition at the event made
sure it was one the fans would not soon forget.
Mother Nature cooperated with event organizers this year, and
race day dawned bright and sunny. The #14 SouthFort Chevrolet
required little in the way of adjustment during the two practice
sessions, and ultimately Crew Chief James Sr. and Driver James
Jr. made the call to return to the original, out-of-the-trailer
set-up. Jr. set down the 3rd fastest lap in final practice, right
behind the two home-track competitors, Chris Shirley in the #64
car and Dan Shirley in the #46. Sunny conditions all day long
made for progressively higher track temperatures as the qualifying
session approached. The higher track surface temperature loosened
the racecar and Jr. had to settle for the 6th fastest qualifying
time of the day.
Unlike the first event of the year in Vernon, heat races were
once again on the event schedule in Saskatoon. James Jr. qualified
for the "Fast Eight" heat race, and started in 3rd position
in the inverted field of cars. On the first lap of the heat race
James Jr. and the #12 entry of Ron Larson attempted to share the
same track space going into Turn 2. The #12 car spun and the heat
was re-started. Jr. maintained 3rd position from the green flag
to the checkered, earning three bonus points in the process.
By the start of the 150-lap feature in the evening, track temperatures
had cooled considerably. This would be expected to have a tightening
effect. Nevertheless, several cars appeared to be fighting a loose
setup throughout the race, including the #14 machine. The first
caution came out on lap 58 and as the race progressed the cautions
became more and more frequent.
Jr. seemingly used radar as he dodged cars that were caught up
in several smoke-producing collisions. By Lap 66 the #14 car was
listed in 4th position. Even while fighting a loose-handling racecar,
James Jr. continued to move up through the field, taking 3rd spot
by Lap 82 before the next caution came out. The team opted to
stay out on the track, betting that there would be still another
opportunity to come in under caution for a fresh right-side tire.
The team's bet paid off when at Lap 114 another caution came
out. The VMS over-the-wall crew snapped on a new right rear sticker
tire, giving the car better grip and correcting the loose condition
at the same time. The #14 car exited in the pits in 6th position.
After just a couple green flag laps Jr. called out over the radio
that the car was handling perfectly and he was back on the hunt
for a podium finish. Another caution would come out again a few
laps later and after another round of pit stops Jr. lined up his
#14 SouthFort Chevrolet Monte Carlo in 4th position to take the
green flag. With just over 20 laps to go, the team had their sights
set on a top-three finish.
Chances of a podium finish for the #14 team were dashed on the
re-start. While passing the lapped cars lined up on the inside
lane, James Jr. was broadsided by the #26 car. James Jr. recovered
from the hit and avoided spinning, but the #14 machine was now
limping around the track with what initially seemed like seriously
damaged rear suspension.
With the #26 now against the inside retaining wall, the track
came under caution yet again. During the caution laps the VMS
team was able to observe the car and determine that the left rear
tire was flattened. Jr. came in for a tire change and was able
return to the track to finish the race. Jr. left the pits in 6th
position, and maintained that spot for the last 15 laps of the
race.
Despite the loss of an opportunity for a podium finish, the team
remains enthusiastic about the performance of their team and car
in the first two races of the 2005 CASCAR Western Series season.
The team is solidly in contention with the top teams in the circuit
and will continue to work diligently to secure their first win.
After the race the team was encouraged by the kind words of several
fans, who commented on how much they enjoy watching teams who
compete professionally and consistently demonstrate skill and
good sportsmanship.
The VMS team has worked hard over the years to earn the right
to compete at the highest level of late model stock car racing
in Canada, and we are privileged and proud to represent our sponsors
at every opportunity.
May 24, 2005
- Season Opener Full of Promise for Van Domselaar Motorsports
Vernon, BC: Team VMS was a strong contender at the 2005 CASCAR
Western Super Series season opening KISS FM 200 at Sun Valley
Speedway this past weekend. The #14 team stepped up their engine
program during the off-season, and their hard work paid dividends
as soon as the SouthFort Chevrolet Monte Carlo rolled onto the
½ mile track.
The #14 SouthFort Chevrolet Monte Carlo was fast right out of
the trailer, laying down 3rd-quick practice times. No chassis
adjustments were necessary before the qualifying session, and
James Jr. duplicated his performance in practice, turning the
3rd fastest lap of the 15 competitors and setting a team-best
record for the venue.
There were no heat races at the opening event and cars were quarantined
immediately after qualifying. But despite the shortened race schedule,
the afternoon race turned into an early evening race, thanks to
two rain delays. But the thousands of fans stayed put, and were
treated to 200 laps of fast, close racing.
The first caution of the race came early, with the inside and
outside pole-sitters tangling on the first lap. The #35 car was
forced to return to the pits to repair a damaged rear end gear
set, while the #30 maintained first position. James Jr. and Wade
Lee battled it out behind the #30 car, and after a few laps the
#79 car overtook James Jr. The trio of the #30, 79 and 14 cars
held down the podium positions until the next caution flag waved
much later in the race.
Now under caution, James Jr. came in with the rest of the lead
pack for a right rear tire change and maintained his 3rd place
position exiting the pits. During the remaining yellow flag laps
Jr. commented over the radio that car was handling well, but that
he had noticed on a few occasions that the engine seemed to "barble"
and lose power temporarily.
Thoughts of a possible engine problem seemed to be laid to rest
on the restart, as both the #79 entry and the #14 car shot by
the #30 car. A few laps later, James Jr. drove by the #79 entry
and started to pull away from the rest of the field. After about
fifteen more circuits another lapped car spun out. The caution
flag was waved again and the #14 team decided to come back into
the pits to exchange right front rubber. When back out on the
track, Jr. found himself in 4th spot, but with lots of right side
rubber and plenty of laps left to get the job done.
Jr. climbed back toward the front of the pack once again, passing
the #87 machine of James Ward and Ron Larson's #12 entry. Jr.
was now in the runner-up position, and chasing down the #30 car
for the lead. Jr. was making good headway when the sporadic engine
problems came back with a vengeance. At the time it was unclear
whether there was a problem with the fuel system, ignition system
or the engine itself. The team saw the chance of winning the race
slip away, as cars re-passed James Jr. while he struggled to keep
the unpredictable VMS machine at a constant pace on the track.
When the checkered flag was flown the #14 car had crossed the
line with a still-respectable 5th place finish. While the team
was disappointed to see a chance for their first win fade away,
the season debut still had a lot of high points for the #14 crew,
including their best-ever Sun Valley qualifying effort, and leading
a race that was full of strong competitors.
Crew Chief James Sr. notes that the team had adopted the pre-race
mindset that the opener would be more of a testing session for
the team. Commenting on the power loss problem, James Sr. said,
"Fortunately for us, the effects of our missing a testing
session before race-day didn't show up until later in the race
when a fuel problem caused a serious lack of power during the
last 20 laps. We would have finished better had we been able to
catch that problem during pre-season testing." Driver James
Jr. remains enthusiastic and expresses the team's optimism for
the rest of the season: 'The car was nearly perfect all weekend
-- the one adjustment we made during the race made the car even
better, and we were headed for our first win when the engine bug
set in. I have no doubt we will win one of these deals this year."
The VMS mechanical team is currently in the midst of repairs to
the fuel system and will be ready in plenty of time for the June
11th race to be held at Saskatoon, SK's Bridge City Speedway.
The CASCAR Western Super Series is the premiere stock car racing
series in Western Canada, and the #14 team is privileged and proud
to represent its sponsors on the tour.
