September 11, 2010. Ron Beauchamp and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team were excited about the return to oval track racing for the final three events of the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire series season. Round number eleven at Barrie Speedway near Barrie, Ontario on Saturday night once again showed Team Mopar are challengers that deserve respect.
The #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge was nearly perfect during the afternoon practice session and the team made few changes to the set up on the car. During qualifying Beauchamp would circle the 1/3 mile oval track in 14.369 seconds to claim the pole position. “That was a really good lap” said Beauchamp. “The team did an awesome job getting the car ready and it was perfect for qualifying” he added.
The pole sitter is to set the pace and lead the field to green for the start of the race. Along the outside of row one the #22 car appeared to jump the start of the 300 lap event but officials let it go and Beauchamp settled the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge into second spot. “I just ran right in his tire tracks” said Beauchamp. “We were matching each other for lap times and we separated ourselves from the field”.
Near the mid-point of the race the field was slowed by a yellow caution flag and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge team made a pit stop for fuel and left side tires. When racing action resumed Beauchamp struggled with the handling of the car. “After the pit stop the car tightened up on me” explained the driver. “So I just eased up, gave myself a little room, we were still running up near the front and our plan was to pit at the next caution to take on right side tires, and that would improve the handling” he stated.
Unfortunately that next caution would be a long time in coming, well into the late stages of the race. The #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge had fallen back a little but was still in the hunt when the yellow flag finally waved. “I wanted that caution a bit sooner” said the driver “but this is how it played out so we had to deal with it”.
In the closing stages of the race another caution period would result in a ten lap dash to the finish. “I knew it was going to get pretty rough at the end” said the driver. “I’m not really sure who hit me but we got spun around just after the restart. I got the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge back going and did all I could right to the finish” he added.
Beauchamp would bring the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge home to a sixth place finish. The result would also hold down seventh in the overall championship standings. “We’re on a good run right now” said the driver “I can’t wait to get to these last couple of races and really put on a show” he added.
Ron Beauchamp Jr. and the #60 Mopar Parts/Mobil 1/Exide Batteries Dodge Team will travel to eastern Canada and return to action on Saturday September 18th at Riverside Speedway near Antigonish, Nova Scotia. You can watch all thirteen series race on TSN, check for times and dates in your area. For more information about Team Mopar go online to www.mopar.ca and for series information check out www.nascar.ca.
Attached photo: The #60 Exide Batteries/Mopar Parts/Mobil 1 Dodge on track at Barrie Speedway
Photo Credit: Mathew Manor/NASCAR
