_______________________________________________________________________________________________
By
Harvey Hub – BIG G Racing Correspondent
December
19, 2008
Well,
a lot has happened over the past week in the 01 team pits. Your humble reporter
was pushed aside…run off the track sort of speak for the very big news about
moving Chris Raabe to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series with the legendary Peter
Gibbons Motorsports. Like
most of you, good ole Harvey was kept in the back of the hauler, and away from
the big news, not hearing about the signing until most of you did last Thursday
right here on chrisraabe.com.
After
all the news media got all the information directly from Peter Gibbons and Chris
Raabe, and it has been reported on radio, TV and newspaper, and after Chris did
all the interviews with the race reporters, your humble scribe finally sat down
with Chris Raabe and asked him about how this all came about. Here is the inside scoop, for
your eyes only, exclusively on chrisraabe.com.
In
June of last summer, Big G set up a meeting with the local owners of the
Cataraqui Canadian Tire store, Elwin Derbyshire and his family about introducing
Chris, Mike and himself to the Canadian Tire racing group at head office in
Toronto. In early July, a representative from Canadian Tire racing came to
Kingston to meet with Chris, Mike and Big G.
“We
had a very good meeting with Canadian Tire on that day with the Derbyshire
family and the head office person”, says Chris of that first meeting. “They
made it very clear that Peter Gibbons was their person to sponsor in the series
for as long as he wanted to be and that we would have to talk with him about
getting me a ride in the series”.
The
Raabe team then apparently just went back to their racing program and didn’t
attempt to call the Gibbons team just then. In late July, Big G called Peter
Gibbons and had a chat with him about Chris and the series. Peter told Big G
that Canadian Tire had mentioned the young hot shoe to him but he had no plans
to meet with them just then.
In
August, the Gibbons camp then contacted the Raabe’s for a meeting at their
shop in Stouffville Ontario.
“That
meeting went really well” says Chris Raabe, “Peter started by telling us he
had decided to get out of the seat at the end of the season, but that he did not
know what he was going to do with the team, but by the end of the day and
hearing what my dad and Big G had to say to him about bringing a team to the
program, he started to ask some questions about what we thought we could do”.
The
team left the Gibbons shop that day with no idea of the future, but did feel
they had a good meeting with Peter and were convinced that Gibbons Motorsports
had the expertise and equipment to get Chris into the winners circle in the NCTS
series.
There
was little contact over the next few weeks as Chris and the team were starting
to climb to the top of the Mr. DIRT Modified Sportsman series.
Local track championships, the Lucas Oil series and the regional points
series. As history has already proven, the team won them all.
After the last race of the season, McColman had a few more conversations
with the Gibbons team but nothing happened until last week when Peter Gibbons
called McColman to say that he and Denise wanted to talk about putting Chris in
the seat of the #1 car for the NCTS.
Chris,
Mike and Big G, met at the McColman ranch and had a long conversation with Peter
Gibbons and they all came to an agreement on the deal on December 8th.
Chris
is off to Charlotte on January 2nd for a week of testing with his new
mentor, Peter Gibbons at the historic Hickory Motor Speedway. The team will work
with Gibbons Motorsports all winter to get Chris up to speed with the larger,
heavier and more powerful car so that he is ready to go in the first race of the
year scheduled for late May at Cayuga speedway near Hamilton, Ontario. This is
going to be the biggest challenge in the young career of the “Teenage
Tornado”, but if history means anything, Chris Raabe is up for the challenge.
“My
biggest goal right now is getting all the experience and coaching I can from Mr.
Gibbons, who is someone I have looked up to for many years, after all he is a
legend in Canadian stock car racing”, Raabe says of his new mentor. “I need
to prove to him and everyone else he didn’t make a mistake in choosing me to
step into his seat”.
As
far as the rest of the team is concerned, father Mike and Big G say they are
along for the ride. Mike says of his son, “Chris has always loved a challenge
and I am very confident that being given this opportunity with Gibbons
Motorsports he will do just fine”.
So
that’s it for the Hub update this week, I hope you enjoyed reading the
“real” story on chrisraabe.com. I
will not be with Chris, Mike and Big G in North Carolina simply because I am
broke and Big G is too cheap to take me with them, so it’s back to the hauler
I go. However, they will send me a
report and pictures for the first of the year edition of the update.
Until then… Merry Christmas to you all, and I hope you all have a very
prosperous New Year.
Harvey Hub
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
December
12, 2008
PRESS
RELEASE
GIBBONS
MOTORSPORTS TO RUN NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES
WITH
17-YEAR OLD DRIVER CHRIS RAABE “THE TEENAGE TORNADO”
Peter
Gibbons has announced that his familiar #1 Gibbons Motorsport Chevrolet will run
a number of races in the NASCAR Canadian Tire series in 2009 with teenage
driving sensation Chris Raabe of Napanee, Ontario. Peter Gibbons is a past
Canadian National Champion and for over 20 years has been at the top of the
stock car racing scene in Canada. Gibbons also campaigned on the big tracks in
the United States in the NASCAR ARCA and Nationwide series. This past September
he announced his retirement from the driver’s seat of his
#1 Canadian Tire/Mobile Oil Chevrolet. Gibbons says of his retirement,
“It was time to give up driving and concentrate on other business ventures
which Denise and I have been operating for the past several years. I feel that
it is time for me to bring in some young talent to take over the driving and I
want to take this opportunity to mentor someone who I feel has the potential to
take our program we started here to the next level.”
Loaded
with talent and at just 17 years of age, Chris Raabe has already won
Championships at every level since he started go-kart racing when he was just 7
years old. Raabe who this past year established a DIRTcar record for becoming
the youngest Mr. DIRT in the 33 year history of DIRT motorsports, also holds the
record for the youngest driver to win a DIRT sanctioned feature race at 14 years
old and a DIRT sanctioned track championship at only 15 years old. In 2008,
Raabe won 3 track championships (Brockville
Ontario Speedway, Thunder Alley
Speedpark, Rolling Wheels Raceway), plus the Northeast Mr. DIRT point’s
championship, the Lucas Oil Eastern championship, the Lucas Oil annual ALLSTAR
Shootout and recorded 22 wins out of 45 features, a win percentage of 49% !
Raabe was so dominate at his local short tracks, there was even a “bounty”
placed on him at Thunder Alley Speedpark!
Gibbons
Motorsports with headquarters in Stouffville, Ontario and Mooresville, N.C. will
bring their front running equipment to the series with them, continuing to run a
Chevrolet and motors built by GMS as in the past. “ We have the very best of
equipment and motors for the series and I am very confident that Chris with some
seat time and learning from my experience will adapt from dirt to pavement very
quickly”, said Peter Gibbons. “Chris is an excellent student as his 97%
grade average in his senior year of high school proves, and we will give him
lots of time of testing in order to get him up to speed for the start of the
2009 season”.
Raabe
recently was nominated by his high school for an honours scholarship at
Queen’s University where he wants to get his degree in mechanical engineering.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me and I am honoured that Peter
Gibbons would ask me to be his driver. I respect him so much for what he has
done over the years of operating his first class race team. Mr. Gibbons is a
legend in Canadian racing and I am eager to learn from his experience. We plan
on running as many races as we can and hope that we can attract the right
sponsors to support our racing program in 2009”. Raabe noted he has maintained
the same sponsors on his 01 dirt
race car over the past 3 years and has done many appearances and shows with the
car, learning all the aspects of life outside the race track as
well!
The
Gibbons Motorsports/ Chris Raabe Chevrolet is looking for sponsors for the
entire 2009 series but will start by running a minimum of 5 NASCAR Canadian Tire
series races.
For
Interviews: Chris Raabe 1-613-354-4251
Peter
Gibbons 1-704-293-7567
For
sponsorship information, contact Peter Gibbons at 1-905-640-2209
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
RAABE’S AND THEIR 01 TEAM GETTING READY FOR 2009
Harvey Hub - BIG G Racing Correspondent
December
7, 2008
Well, it is
beginning to look a lot like Christmas! The 01 team has completed their tear
down of the two Teo race cars for the winter season and will wait until the new
year to start to order their new parts and put the cars back together for the
2009 racing season.
Chris and
Mike Raabe went to the New York State Fair Grounds for the annual Parts Peddler
racing show. I tagged along and had
to leave them several times as they couldn’t go but a few feet and had to stop
and talk racing with several people that wanted to congratulate or ask questions
to Mike and Chris on this past season.
They visited
the three major chassis builders in the show, Teo Pro cars, Bicknell and Troyer.
When asked why they were hanging around the other chassis builders other than
the Teo Pro Car booth, Chris said, “We want to look and every chassis for 2009
and see if there is any major changes that would help our program from where we
are right now. We are very happy with our Teo Pro cars, but our goal is to get
better every year and the only way is to stay up or ahead of what everyone else
is doing”. Mike Raabe had long conversations with all the chassis builders and
feels that the team that can take the best of what the chassis builders give
them and make that chassis turn the way the driver feels good with is the key to
winning races in dirt racing. “It is my job to listen to what Chris wants in
the chassis to make it turn to his driving style. Our success this past year was
that we took the Teo Pro cars we had and made those adjustments for the driver.
Our team worked very hard all summer during the week to keep the chassis at 100%
for the following week. That takes a lot of hours in the shop and a very good
set of notes”.
To listen to
father and son as they travel to and from the show in Syracuse was an education
to me even though I have been in the racing business for over 40 years. There is
no way no matter what division Mike and Chris race in next year, they will
always come to the race track ready to run up front! Car owner Garry “Big G”
McColman was on the phone to the boys a few times during the show wanting to
know if anything was new. I got the
feeling it was like Papa Bear wanting to know what the cubs were up to.
In the end, the boys and I came home with nothing new from the show, but
were pretty excited about getting back to the track next spring to try and keep
the 01 team together and continuing to run up front in no matter what division
they end up running in.
The NASCAR
Canadian Tire series contacts are interested in Chris Raabe, but seem to be
telling Chris, Mike and Garry that the economy is holding them back from making
any decisions right now on the 2009 racing season plans.
So, for now
the boys are concentrating on putting together the same program as they ran last
year with the 01 team. Does that
mean going back to Modified Sportsman, or moving the team up to 358, or going
all the way to Big Block? Garry is looking for a partner to take the step up to
Big Block, and has the same sponsors as the past 3 years coming on board for
year 4 with Chris, Mike and the 01 team.
Big G told
me last week, “I have been talking with some interested people over the past
couple of weeks, they all agree that Chris, Mike, Greg and Chris Hale and Dave
Brunet and Andrew have been a very successful team over the past couple of years
and want to partner with me, but as business people they are just wanting to see
what happens over the next couple of months. I don’t blame them, these are
difficult times that we are in, but racing will go on and we have two cars and a
lot of equipment all paid for and in great shape for next year. So, my guess is
that we will have Chris in a couple of different series, one pavement and one
dirt with the Mr. DIRT series and “ special”
dirt races as a priority. However, that and 2 bucks gets me a coffee”.
Big G should be in politics!
Anyway,
that’s it from the Hub. From all
of us at chrisraabe.com, have a great Christmas and a very prosperous New Year.
Talk to you
soon,
Harvey Hub
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Off Season keeps Raabe busy - Banquets, Parades, and more.
Harvey Hub - BIG G Racing Correspondent
November
21,2008
We
here at chrisraabe.com will continue to update you all over the winter as to
what we are doing in the off season and any 2009 plans that we are working on.
We
have a lot of people who are continuing to come to the site and see if there is
anything new. Craig Revelle, our webmaster is doing a fantastic job in changing
the site on a regular basis to make sure you all have something new to look at
or read about. So it will be my job to continue to keep pace with him here on
the writing side (he does a better job than me).
In
November we have been busy meeting and putting together Chris’s resume for
some teams who are talking to us about Chris driving for them next season. Also
the banquet circuit with Chris and the team getting the trophies and
awards…(and cash) that goes with winning multiple track championships and of
course the big one, Mr. DIRTcar modified sportsman.
Chris
did two great interviews this past week with Race Time Radio in Toronto and Dirt
Nation out of Virginia. Both are on the website under multi media if you would
like to listen to them. On the Race Time Radio interview you have to go to the
end of the hour to hear Chris’s interview.
This
past weekend, the boys went to the racing show in Syracuse, the Parts Peddler
Show. They met with several parts companies who support dirt racing in the
northeast. One company, VDL Carburetor has hired Chris as a driver spokesperson
for the 2009 season. We at Big G racing use VDL products on our race cars and
they are going to use pictures of Chris and the 01 car in their ads for next
year starting at the big race show in Orlando, Florida in January.
The
crew are not taking the winter off, they are taking the cars apart, checking for
anything that might need repair and putting them back together so that both cars
are ready for another season.
We
do have the 06 chassis for sale, complete with engine ready to race except for
some of the attachments. If you are interested call Mike Raabe at 613-354-4251.
This is Chris’s favorite
car but Garry has made him part with it. We
call it “tornado 1” - it has 33 feature wins and 4 track championships, and
a Mr. DIRTcar Title. The car has
been completely overhauled with 08 chassis updates.
Watch
for Chris and the 01 car in the Napanee Christmas parade
on December 7th.
Talk
to you soon.
Harvey
Hub
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
October
26, 2008
It’s
not how his team had hoped things would turn out, but as any driver would tell
you – a win is a win. With more
than 20 feature race victories, the Brockville Ontario Speedway, Thunder Alley
and Rolling Wheels Raceway track championships, the Eastern Lucas Oil sportsman
series championship, a win in the Lucas Oil All-Star Challenge and the DIRTcar
Northeast Region sportsman title already part of his 2008 accomplishments
Napanee, Ontario’s Chris Raabe obviously knows how to win races.
The 17 year-old looked to the scheduled season finale – Saturday,
October 25th at Can Am Motorsports Park – with 1 eye on the title
and another eye on a very gloomy forecast.
Raabe’s
Scott Industrial Services/TyRoute Communications-Telus/ Canadian Tire/ Kingston
Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste Management/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik Load Products/
McColman Media/Len Corcoran Excavating/Finish Line Web Design crew spent most of the week getting their
pair of TEO Pro Car sportsman racers ready for the trip to the Lafargeville,
Chris
Raabe would carry a 46 point advantage over
With
the title officially his – even without turning a lap at the final event of
the year – Chris Raabe, at 17 years and 7 months of age becomes the youngest
Mr. DIRTcar title holder in the sanctioning body’s history.
“With
the amazing talent coming out of the go-kart ranks these days, the mark might
not stand for long,” says team owner Garry McColman.
“For now, it is ours to enjoy.”
McColman was also quick to give a pat on the back to the group of
sponsorship partners, crew members, families and supporters to their
contributions to the #01 team’s success throughout the season.
“We’ve
easily been the most talked-about team during our 3 years in the DIRTcar
sportsman division,” McColman added. “Chris
has an amazing level of talent for a 17 year-old and there’ll be some big news
about our plans for 2009 and beyond coming in the next couple of months.”
Photo
attachment:
Chris
Raabe turns a fast lap at
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Chris
Raabe’s Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Run Comes Down to a 1 Race Shootout
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
October
21, 2008
Heading
into the Orange County Fair Speedway Super DIRTcar sportsman championship series
event Saturday, October 18th
The
day started off well, as the Scott Industrial Services/TyRoute Communications-Telus/Canadian
Tire/ Kingston Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste Management/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik
Load Products/ McColman Media/Len Corcoran Excavating TEO Pro Car time-trailed
12th fastest out of 57 entries.
Raabe also had a solid run in his qualifying event, advancing to the 50
lap feature race tilt via a 2nd place finish in the day’s first
heat race.
From
the drop of the green flag, the 12th grader at Napanee and
With
a pole position starting spot and 3rd place finish in the 50 lapper
Greg Panunte of
Photo
attachment:
#1:
Car owner Garry McColman (R) and sponsor/crew member Dave Brunet get a
Hoosier racing tire ready for action at Orange County Fair Speedway
(Rick Young photo)
#2): Chris Raabe and the #01 sportsman in the staging area at Eastern States Weekend. (Rick Young photo)
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410
/ 613.922.0654
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Chris
Raabe Takes a Dip in the Super Dirt Week Pool
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
October
14, 2008
2008 has
been a season of firsts for DIRTcar sportsman modified driver Chris Raabe.
The ‘teenage tornado’ has made history with nearly every turn of his
steering wheel. His efforts paid
off with track championships at Brockville Ontario Speedway,
Friday and
Saturday, October 10th and 11th Raabe and his Scott
Industrial Services/TyRoute Communications-Telus/Canadian Tire/ Kingston
Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste Management/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik Load Products/
McColman Media/Len Corcoran Excavating team made a trip to Super Dirt Week at
the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York.
Despite his travels during the season, it was the teen sensation’s
first ever appearance on the oval known as ‘The Moody Mile’.
“I think
Even though
speed is the key to getting around
When the
green flag waved to kick-off the Town Mechanical 30 lap sportsman feature, the
12th grader from Napanee and
Although
the finish wasn’t exactly what they were looking for, the knowledge gained
from the atmosphere and on-track experience of Super Dirt Week is irreplaceable.
Everyone – driver, crew members, sponsors and the ownership group –
considers their first fall adventure on the
Photo
tag line:
#1).
Chris Raabe on the grid before the start of the Town Mechanical 30 at the
New York State Fairgrounds at
#2).
Chris Raabe’s #01 TEO Pro Car comes off turn 4 on The Moody Mile in
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410
/ 613.922.0654
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chris
Raabe Clinches Rolling Wheels Championship – And Pads His Lead at the Top of
the Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Standings
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
October
13, 2008
It
was a nothing to lose – everything to gain event.
Napanee, Ontario’s Chris Raabe visited Rolling Wheels Raceway Park at
Elbridge, New York (Friday, October 10th) knowing a strong finish
would earn him another 2008 track title and strengthen his position at the top
of the Mr. DIRTcar sportsman modified championship trail standings.
The
talented teen, a 12th grader at Napanee and
Starting
11th and with just 30 laps to work with, Chris Raabe needed to
perform some magic to get to the front – or as close to it as possible.
6 caution flags certainly helped his cause.
The team also benefited from the absence of one of their closest rivals,
Dan Wiesner. After staging a tight
battle throughout most of the season, the #66 team has dropped out of the hunt
and slipped to 11th in the rundown.
Raabe
brought the #01 car across the line with a 5th place finish and now
has a 75 point cushion over Mark D’Ilario, who finished 2nd at
Rolling Wheels. Greg Panunte is 3rd,
96 points behind heading into this weekend’s stop at Orange County Fair
Speedway at
His
5th place finish officially earned Chris Raabe another championship
– the 2008 DIRTcar sportsman modified title at
2008
Championships:
Rolling
Lucas
Oil Eastern Division Sportsman Tour
Photo
attachment:
Chris
Raabe in the pits at the New York State Fairgrounds, prior to the Town
Mechanical 30 DIRTcar sportsman modified event Saturday, October 11th.
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410
/ 613.922.0654
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Chris
Raabe Survives a Daytime Run at
By
Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
October 7, 2008
Wouldn’t
it be great if things always worked-out exactly as you’d planned?
Napanee,
Ontario’s Chris Raabe thinks so.
Friday, October 3rd the 17 year-old DIRTcar sportsman modified
driver and his team hauled their pair of TEO Pro Car rides to Fulton Speedway
for the latest event on the Mr. DIRTcar trail.
Things were rolling along quite smoothly for the young speedster, and
then Mother Nature threw everyone a curve.
With 71
teams showing-up, Raabe knew just cracking the starting line-up for the 30 lap
main event would be tough. Especially
when track officials announced that less than 35 cars would take the green flag.
The driver of the Scott Industrial Services/TyRoute Communications-Telus/Kingston
Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste Management/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik Load Products/McColman
Media/Len Corcoran Excavating #01 drew a spot in the 3rd qualifying
heat – a race that would also include his main championship rival, Dan Wiesner
– but only the top 3 finishers would earn a spot in the main event.
Chris Raabe finished 3rd, just behind Wiesner and Matt
Billings who is also a regular runner at Brockville Ontario Speedway.
Before
the sportsman feature take to the track, the intermittent showers that had been
falling through the late evening hours caused Fulton Speedway officials to
adjust the night’s schedule. The
Mr. DIRTcar pro stock race was shortened to 22 laps, while the sportsman and
street stock features were put over until Saturday, October 4th
start.
Chris
Raabe, the current sportsman modified championship series points leader took the
green from a 17th place starting spot, while Wiesner luckily selected
the pole position in the pre-race draw. On
the opposite end of the scale, Greg Panunte of
Wet track
conditions delayed the sportsman main event from a planned
Coming
up: Wednesday, October 8th
- Can Am Motorsports Park -
Photo
tag line:
Chris
Raabe and his #01 DIRTcar sportsman modified.
(Jim Clarke photo)
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410 / 613.922.0654
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Raabe
Rides a Rocket to the Top
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
September
29, 2008
After a 3
race weekend that saw him take over the top spot on the Mr. DIRTcar sportsman
modified title hunt and score a win (his 21st of the year) in his
first ever visit to Cornwall Motor Speedway, Chris Raabe was looking set his
sights on another strong weekend with stops Friday, September 26th at
Brighton Speedway and Saturday, September 27th at Rolling Wheels
Raceway Park. The teenaged
sensation from
Heading
into the Friday night show at
Raabe
finished 3rd in the night’s second heat race and advanced to the 35
lap main event. After startingmid-pack,
he was advancing nicely through the field but got collected in someone else’s
wreck on lap 13 and damaged his favourite piece, the team’s 2006 TEO Pro Car.
The car was hurt badly enough that it needed to be taken from the track
on the rollback. With another show
in less than 24 hours and a 4 hour drive from their home base, it was time for
the crew to really show their stuff. The
old faithful racer was hauled back to Smith’s Kwik Load race shop where it was
carefully taken apart. It was there that they learned the damage looked worse
than it actually was.
By 2:AM,
the car was in pieces on the floor. Parts
were changed. The body work was
hammered back into place and just after 5:AM, the trusty steed was back to
looking like the championship winning piece it is.
After a few hours sleep in the motor home (parked just outside) the crew
scaled the car, loaded it into the Kingston RV Centre hauler and headed for
Rolling Wheels. Team owner Garry
McColman says this is what championship winning runs are made of. “The
team takes their lead from Chris and his Dad (Mike Raabe) and never
complains”, explained McColman. “We
all knew it was worth the effort to give the driver what he wanted.
Without the 150% effort of Greg and Chris Hale and Dave Brunet, the
weekend would have had a very different result”.
With
valuable Mr. DIRTcar sportsman modified championship trail points up for grabs,
the team entered the Saturday show at Rolling Wheels with a ‘cautiously
aggressive’ race approach. They’d
do the best they could with what they had to work with and hope to come away
with at least the same point’s lead cushion they entered the weekend with.
After winning the night’s 4th and final heat race, the crew
staged an informal meeting and decided to throw the ‘cautiously’ term out of
their strategy.
Chris
Raabe took the green flag in the Taylor Rental 30 lap sportsman main event from
5th starting spot, while his closest competition Dan Wiesner went
away from 11th on the grid. A
strong run saw the Teenage Tornado cross the line 2nd, chasing race
winner Greg Panunte who won for the 2nd time in 3 starts.
Wiesner finished 11th and is now 60 points in arrears to
Raabe, while Panunte – on the strength of his current hot streak – is 3rd,
just 69 markers off the pace.
With his
2nd place showing, Chris Raabe officially clinched the 2008
Coming
up: Friday, October 3rd
– Fulton Speedway,
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410
/ 613.922.0654
______________________________________________________________________________________________
3
Shows in 3 Days Pays Off! Chris
Raabe Earns the Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Series Points Lead and Win #21 for 2008
By
Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
With
files from Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar NE Public Relations Director
September 24, 2008
If
the old saying ‘3rd Time is the Charm’ is really true, it only
makes sense that DIRTcar sportsman modified driver Chris Raabe was excited about
heading back to Humberstone Speedway. With
the Trevor Wilkens Memorial 50 Mr. DIRTcar sportsman series event delayed twice
by rain, the #01 team loved the forecast for the
make-up
date of Friday, September 19th.
A
strong field of 31 was on hand to challenge the
Raabe
earned his starting spot in the 50 lap main event by finishing 3rd in
the 4th heat race. He
charged to the runner-up spot on the feature race grid following a lap 13
re-start, but slipped to 4th at the checkered flag.
His championship rival Wiesner crossed the line 18th and left
Humberstone 31 points behind the 12th grader from Napanee and
The
next night – Saturday, September 20th – the Scott Industrial
Services/TyRoute Communications-Telus/ Kingston Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste
Management/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik Load Products/McColman Media/Len Corcoran
Excavating crew hauled their pair of TEO Pro Car sportsman modifieds to the wine
country of
With
a layout similar to Can Am Speedway at
With
just 3 yellow flags to bunch the field, Chris was only able to get as high as 6th
at the checkered flag. Wiesner, who
had started 8 spots higher on the initial grid was 5th and cut 4
points off the Teenage Tornado’s point lead.
Kevin Ridley, the 2008 Canandaigua sportsman track champion claimed the
win.
Without
a Mr. DIRTcar tour event on their Sunday night schedule, the #01 team ventured
to Cornwall Motor Speedway for a sportsman modified invitational show.
In
his first ever visit to the
Next
up:
Lucas
Oil sportsman series event at
Photo
tag line:
Chris
Raabe parked the #01 in victory lane at Cornwall Motor Speedway.
It was the 17
year-old’s
first ever visit to the track. (Sylvain
Lauwers photo)
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410
/ 613.922.0654
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
17
Year-Old Turns 20 at
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
September
16, 2008
With
all the talk about hurricanes and tropical storms, it was a Teenage Tornado that
stole the headlines at Brockville Ontario Speedway.
His initial weekend plans included a pair of Mr. DIRTcar sportsman
modified tour stops at Ransomville and Genesee Speedways, but when those shows
were rained-out
With
the #01 Scott Industrial Services/TyRoute Communications-Telus/Kingston RV
Centre/Kingston Hyundai/Waste Management/ Brunet Plumbing/Kwik Load Products/McColman
Media/Len Corcoran Excavating haulers already in
With
the rain-delayed (from August 2nd) Lucas Oil series sportsman
modified feature the first item on the night’s agenda, Chris Raabe was happy
to be at Brockville and try to add a 19th 2008 feature event win to
his resume. At the drop of the
green flag, inside front row starter Adam Turner and Raabe led the pack through
the first turn. The #01 TEO Pro Car
was in the top spot as the field of 21 completed the first lap.
Raabe had encountered lapped traffic by the 7th circuit and
had built-up a commanding lead that evaporated with a lap 17 caution flag
brought-out by Ryan Buzzell.
On
the re-start, Turner took to the high side of the racetrack and was closing
ground on
With
The
car seemed to be struggling and that forced the 12th grade student
from Napanee and
A
release issued Friday, September 12th by DIRTcar Racing NorthEast
Public Relations Director Tom Skibinski confirmed Chris Raabe as the 2008
Northern Regional sportsman modified champion.
This
weekend, the #01 team will check in for Mr. DIRTcar sportsman modified tour
events Friday, September 19th at Humberstone Speedway and Saturday,
September 20th at Canandaigua Speedway.
Photo
tag lines:
#1)
Chris Raabe (R) and Adam Turner (L) share a story at Brockville
Speedway’s drivers meeting Saturday, September 13th.
(Jim Clarke photo)
#2).
Chris Raabe in Brockville Speedway’s victory lane, following his 19th
DIRTcar sportsman modified win of 2008. (Rick
Young photo)
#3).
Chris Raabe celebrates his 20th DIRTcar sportsman modified win
of 2008 with car owner Garry McColman. (Rick
Young Photo)
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410 / 613.922.0654
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Chris
Raabe’s Racing Road-Trip:
A Weekend on the Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Tour
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
September
10, 2008
It
wasn’t exactly the weekend he had planned, but sometimes you’re the
windshield and sometimes you’re the bug.
Chris
Raabe and his #01 Scott Industrial Service/TyRoute Communications-Telus/Kingston
Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste Management/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik Load Products/McColman
Media/Len Corcoran Excavating team hit the highway Friday, September 5th
planning to run 3 events in their quest for the Mr. DIRTcar sportsman modified
title. As the loaded their pair of
TEO Pro Car rides into the haulers, the Teenage Tornado was tied for the overall
point’s lead with Geneva, New York’s Dan Wiesner.
The first
event of the weekend’s trifecta at Ransomville Speedway was cancelled due to
rain. The next night at
Merrittville Speedway, Raabe was put in the unfamiliar position of running the
consolation race to make the starting field.
The only positive in that scenario was Wiesner needing to use his
‘guaranteed starter’ status to advance to the feature.
Raabe had
run Merrittville Speedway in the past, but doesn’t have a patented set-up for
the
Raabe was
looking for a fast lane around the unfamiliar Merrittville turf, when the car
developed a push. Just like the
week before at Rolling Wheels, there were brake problems and the car wasn’t
turning well. Drifting up into a
higher line allowed others to work past on the bottom groove. At the checkered
flag, Merrittville Speedway regulars made-up the top 9 positions.
Brad Rouse led from start to finish and took home the $1,000 winner’s
cheque. Raabe was 20th
at the event’s conclusion, while Wiesner finished 15th and now
enjoys an 8 point cushion atop the standings.
The
scheduled Sunday, September 7th stop at Humberstone Speedway was also
cancelled due to rain and will be re-scheduled for Friday, September 19th.
This weekend, the sportsman tour will give the Ransomville Speedway event
another try Friday, September 12th before heading to Genesee Speedway
in
Photo
tag lines:
#1).
Chris Raabe’s 2006 TEO Pro Car at the start of Brockville Speedway’s
2008 season. (Jim Clarke photo)
#2).
The #01 team re-skinned Raabe’s favourite piece for the Mr. DIRTcar
sportsman modified tour events. (Jim
Clarke photo)
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410 / 613.922.0654
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Chris
Raabe’s Race Winning Runs are the Perfect Championship Clinching Prescription
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
September
3, 2008
Heading
into the final weekend of point chasing in the DIRTcar sportsman modified
division, Chris Raabe had the possibility of clinching 3 track championships.
He was leading the standings at
Friday,
August 29th: With
remnants of tropical storm Fay cancelling events throughout
Saturday,
August 30th: The final
Saturday of the month dawned bright and sunny.
A beautiful Labour Day Weekend forecast was the icing on the cake for
Raabe’s ‘Championship Saturday Night’ at Brockville Ontario Speedway.
The
evening began with Chris Raabe, Randy Gaudet and Cole Dingwall locked in a
tight, 3-way battle for the championship. In
his heat race, Raabe finished 3rd behind Kenny Polite and Dingwall.
At the start of the sportsman modified feature, Dingwall, Gaudet and
Raabe started in positions 13th through 15th respectively.
By
lap 6, Dingwall was 7th, Raabe 8th and Gaudet 10th.
The #01 car had moved to 4th by lap 7 and when a yellow flag
bunched the field with 15 laps in the books, Chris was 2nd with
Dingwall right on his tail. On the 17th circuit, he took the
lead and the fat lady started singing. Chris
not only won
Monday,
September 1st: After a
day off – from racing at least – Chris Raabe and his crew made the tow to
After
finishing just outside of a qualifying position in his heat race, the #01 team
was forced to run the first of a pair of ‘B main’ last chance qualifiers.
Wheeling the freshly re-skinned 2006 TEO, Chris took the win in the
consolation event and started the feature from 21st spot.
His main rival for the Rolling Wheels track championship, Dan Wiesner was
18th at the drop of the green flag.
While Raabe charged toward the front, Wiesner appeared to be ‘points
racing’. The #66 car ran a
careful race, while Chris did everything he could to gain positions.
Early in event, he developed a brake problem which made the car hard to
control on the bottom of the track. For
every 2 spots he’d gain on the straightaways, he’d give back 1 in the
corners. At the drop of the
checkered flag, Raabe had finished 13th.
Wiesner was 20th, earning the 2008 track title by just 4
points.
As
they say, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.
In
the sportsman modified Super DIRTcar Series points, Chris Raabe trails Wiesner
by 20 markers – 449 to 429 – but has made 1 fewer start.
Jeremy Pitcher is 3rd with 385.
He is unbeaten after 3 Lucas Oil sportsman series starts.
Leads the way with 720 points in the DIRTcar NE northern region standings
and his 18 feature race wins are 7 more than his nearest competition.
Photo
tag lines:
#1:
Chris Raabe turned some fast laps at
#2:
Chris Raabe’s crew – including car owner Garry McColman – gets the
#01 ready for action (Jim Clarke
photo)
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410 / 613.922.0654
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Chris
Raabe Finds Strength in Numbers
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
August
26, 2008
If
there really is strength in numbers, then it would only make sense to see
Heading
into the final ‘points’ weekend of the year, the Teenage Tornado is in the
running for track championships at Thunder Alley,
Friday,
August 22nd the driver of the Scott Industrial Service/TyRoute
Communications-Telus/Kingston Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste
Management/Canadian Tire/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik Load Products/
McColman
Media/Len Corcoran Excavating TEO Pro Car staged one of his patented parades
through the pack at
In
the winner’s circle, Raabe was his typical, modest self.
“Lapped traffic was pretty dicey out there, but I’m glad we were able
to work our way through it,” he said. “I
have to thank our sponsors and I’m especially grateful to the people you
don’t see. The guys who put in
the long hours in the pits, at the shop and behind the scenes are the reason
this car wins”.
The
#01 team faces a very busy weekend of action, with 3 shows in 4 days.
The team will make their regular stops at Thunder Alley and
For
more information, see www.chrisraabe.com.
Talkin’
‘bout the Tornado: Chris Raabe is
scheduled to be interviewed in an upcoming issue of the Napanee Guide newspaper
and will be profiled in a future edition of Inside Track Motorsports News.
Photo
tag line: Chris Raabe wheels his
favourite ride – the 2006 TEO Pro Car – at Brockville Ontario Speedway
Saturday, August 23rd. (Jim
Clarke photo)
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410 / 613.922.0654
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Teenage
Tornado Could Audition for Canadian Idol
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
August
22, 2008
He
wasn’t even born when the song first topped the charts – in 1977 – but if
Napanee, Ontario’s Chris Raabe has anything to say about it, he’ll soon be
treating his crew members to lively rendition of Queen’s ‘We Are the
Champions’ – in 6 part harmony.
With just
a few weeks left in the season, the 17 year-old DIRTcar sportsman modified
driver is in the running for no less than 6 titles. He currently sits
second in points at Brockville Ontario Speedway,
It could
be just a matter of time before the pilot of the Scott Industrial Services/TyRoute
Communications-Telus/Kingston Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste
Management/Canadian Tire/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik Load Products/McColman Media/Len
Corcoran Excavating ride adds another group of trophies to his mantle.
A raw rookie at the time, Raabe earned his first DIRTcar sportsman title
at the age of 15, running the same 2006 TEO Pro Car he still campaigns today.
Whether
it’s a chorus of ‘We Are the Champions’ or another 70’s hit,
‘Celebration’ by Kool and the Gang, championship winning runs are music to
Chris Raabe’s ears.
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410
/ 613.922.0654
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Chris
Raabe Gets His Marching Orders
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
August
19, 2008
If he
were a football player, he’d a be a running back looking for a hole in the
defensive line that would allow him to pick-up an extra yard or first down.
In hockey, he’d be the slick, playmaking centre.
Always knowing where the puck was and just waiting for it to touch his
stick, before depositing the game winning goal.
But
After an
uncharacteristic 8th place finish just a week earlier, Raabe and his
Scott Industrial Services/Tyroute Communications-Telus/
Wheeling
his personal favourite – a 2006 TEO Pro Car, while the 2008 model sat in the
shadows of the race hauler – Raabe started 8th in his qualifying
heat race. By the end of 1st
lap, he’d advanced to the runner-up spot and once the field had put a pair of
circuits into the scorer’s log, he was leading the way.
As the qualifier wore on, ‘The Teenage Tornado’ had built-up more
than a straightaway’s advantage over Dylan Evoy and Peter Stapper, the cars
finishing in the 2nd and 3rd place positions respectively.
When the
DIRTcar sportsman teams took to the track for their feature event, Raabe’s #01
ride was slated to start from the 12th position.
Again, he was marching toward the front.
It wasn’t a bull in a china shop mission, but smooth and calculating.
Looking for a spot and seizing the opportunity to advance just one more
position. He was 4th by
the end of lap 6 and in the runner-up spot, just 4 turns later.
When the field took the green flag following a lap 8 yellow flag, Chris
launched his race rocket from the outside and into the lead.
When the back was slowed again for Tabatha Murphy’s stopped car on the
backstretch, Raabe was working his way through the back markers and had nearly
half a track’s advantage on Stapper and Evoy, who finished the feature race 2nd
and 3rd.
Chris
Raabe scored his 14th DIRTcar sportsman modified win of 2008
Saturday, August 16th and built a bigger cushion between himself and
Cole Dingwall, who was involved in an early race incident and credited with a 23rd
place finish.
For more
information on Chris Raabe’s career and his 2008 racing season, see www.chrisraabe.com
Photo
attachment (by Jim Clarke): (L to
R) Car owner Garry McColman, with Chris and Mike Raabe along-side the team’s
race hauler at Brockville Ontario Speedway.
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410 / 613.922.0654
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Raabe
and the Rain – The Summer’s Biggest Racing Stories
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
August
13, 2008
Everywhere
you turn, weather has been the biggest motorsports story of the summer.
Close behind has been the history making on-track performance of
With
a regular night of action scheduled for Thunder Alley Speed Park at Evans Mills,
New York the Scott Industrial Services/Tyroute Communications-Telus/Kingston
Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste Management/Canadian Tire/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik
Load Products/McColman Media/Len Corcoran Excavating team went through the
regular drill of prepping their TEO Pro Car sportsman modified for race night.
With the rumble of thunder echoing outside the shop, there weren’t many
surprised faces when it was announced that the night’s show had been
cancelled.
The
next day was a busy one for Chris Raabe. A
Having
to come from the back of the pack after each wreck didn’t help Chris get to
the front and he was 8th at the checkers.
Not a bad run by any stretch, but certainly not the results they were
hoping for. Raabe currently leads
For
more information on Chris Raabe, see www.chrisraabe.com
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410
/ 613.922.0654
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Winning and the Waiting Game
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
August 7, 2008
No matter how you look at it, Chris Raabe has had a history-making 2008 racing season. The Napanee, Ontario DIRTcar sportsman modified pilot owns 13 wins – accumulated at Thunder Alley Speed Park, Brockville Ontario Speedway and Can Am Speedway. His record-setting performance could see him clinching the DIRTcar North East sportsman division title – while he is just 32 points behind Dan Wiesner on the Mr. DIRTcar sportsman trail – with just a little over 2 months remaining in the season.
The 17 year-old pilot of the Scott Industrial Services/Tyroute Communications-Telus/Kingston Hyundai/Kingston RV Centre/Waste Management/Canadian Tire/Brunet Plumbing/Kwik Load Products/ McColman Media/Len Corcoran Excavating #01 TEO Pro Car writes a new chapter in the racing chronicles every time he fastens his safety belts. Currently riding a hot streak that includes 3 Lucas Oil sportsman tour event wins in as many starts – including a Friday, August 1st triumph at Thunder Alley Speed Park in Evans Mills, New York – the Teenage Tornado was hoping to add another checkered flag to his ’08 collection at Brockville Ontario Speedway. The forecast however had a different plan.
With intermittent showers throughout the area, it didn’t look like a great night for racing at The BOS. Like many teams, Raabe and his crew played the odds and waited in the Brockville area until just before race time, then headed for the track. Although the show was more than an hour late getting started, the track conditions were excellent and Raabe’s primary ride – the 2006 TEO – was hooked-up and rocking on the tacky surface. He started his qualifying heat race in 9th spot and used a daring move through the middle of a couple of other cars to move into 5th spot on the second lap. By the end of the 4th circuit, he had advanced to 2nd and turning laps at just over 15 seconds. At the checkers, Chris was first across the line – ahead of Shane Pecore and Luke Whitteker. That’s when the waiting game really began.
Even though the sportsman teams were an important part of the show, the spotlight belonged to the DIRTcar 358 modifieds and their Lucas Oil Canadian Dirt Challenge. With things now even further behind schedule because of rain and issues getting the mods on the track, the sportsman feature has been delayed to Saturday, October 18th and will be part of a multi division show. The line-up from Saturday, August 2nd will be held-over to the new date, with Raabe scheduled to start 3rd, behind Adam Turner and Brandon Sweet.
Brockville notes: In a solid show of sportsmanship, the #01 team was quick to help-out fellow driver Adam Turner. The Picton, Ontario racer won the first qualifying heat – then developed some rear-end problems in his own #92 car. Team owner Garry McColman offered Raabe’s back-up ride – a 2008 TEO Pro Car – and told Turner there was only 1 condition with the plan. He had to race the car as if it was his own and do whatever he could to get it to the front.
To learn more about Raabe’s racing efforts, see www.chrisraabe.com.
Media contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410 / 613.922.0654
___________________________________________________________________________________________
So,
What Do You Do On a Weekend When There is No Racing?
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
July
29, 2008
When
you’re the driver of top running team in DIRTcar sportsman modified stock car
racing, just what do you do with your time on a rare weekend when there aren’t
any races to run? That’s the
question 17 year-old Chris Raabe had to ask himself recently.
The young speedster from
At
Thunder Alley, the sportsman teams were given a rare mid-season night off, while
The
2008 season has come down to crunch time.
A
weekend away from the track gave the crew some valuable time to check over their
primary piece; a faithful 2006 TEO Pro Car and fine tune the back-up 2008 ride
– just in case it needs to be pressed into service.
Each car might be in the running for a facelift as well.
The body panels are starting to show some battle scars, but when it comes
to performance Chris Raabe and his crew have the field covered – just as they
have from the drop of the year’s first green flag.
Photo
attachment (by Jim Clarke): Chris
Raabe’s #01 2008 TEO Pro Car at the Frontenac Mall racing preview show in
April.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Chris
Raabe Continues to Hold a Hot Hand in DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Racing
By
Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
July 22, 2008
His
race team has branded him with the handle ‘Teenage Tornado’, but
Competing
at the track where he’d watched his father run, Raabe won his qualifying heat
race and started on the pole for the 35 lap main event.
Having won a similar show Saturday, July 5th at Can Am
Speedway, he was hoping to take advantage of recent hot streak.
It turned out to be a perfectly executed plan, as the youngster led from
start-to-finish, collecting an $800 payday for his efforts.
Brandon Sweet and Tyler Rand completed the top 3.
The next events in the 4 race tour are Friday, August 1st at
The
next night – Saturday, July 19th – Brockville Ontario Speedway was scheduled
to have a pair of DIRTcar sportsman modified features on the program
The first was held-over from Saturday, July 12th – a show
that was delayed by rain. Chris
Raabe finished 4th in the opening main event, but did not escape
unscathed. His #01 TEO Pro Car was
collected in a turn 3 and 4 melee that involved more than 6 cars.
Some quick work by the crew got their driver back in the hunt in a race
that started 24 cars, but had only 15 finish.
In
the second feature event, Raabe was scheduled to start 11th, but the
crew discovered some problems with their primary car and began prepping the
back-up – a 2008 TEO – just in case. Just
as the teams were lining-up for the 25 lap tilt, the crew decided to give their
faithful piece a chance, instead of giving-up their original starting spot and
switching to the other car. The
race was slowed early, as 2007 track champion Randy Earl spun in turn 3 on the 5th
lap. By that time, Chris was
already up to 5th. With
10 laps in the books, he was 4th and when the caution was displayed
for debris on lap 14, he was 3rd.
The race was slowed for single car spins on laps 16 and 21 – then
stopped, after Roger Varacalli’s flip on lap 22.
With
just 3 laps remaining, the #01 set-off in pursuit of leader Cole Dingwall, who
had also won the opening event. With
both cars hugging the extreme inside of
Photo
attachment (by Jim Clarke): Chris
Raabe powers into turns 3 and 4 at
Lucas
Oil Sportsman Series Winner Chris Raabe with
Media
contact: Jim Clarke – Clarke
Motorsports Communications
613.968.6410
/ 613.922.0654
___________________________________________________________________________________
