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Andy Santerre
Motorsports, Sean Caisse to Debut NASCAR
Spec Engine at Waterford
By Al Robinson
August 14, 2006
NASCAR's new
spec engine (pictured above) is
designed to save teams money,
helping the Grand National Division
succeed into the future. (Mike Keon
photo)
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- If all goes
well at the Andy Santerre Motorsports shop
in Harrisburg, N.C., this week, a new era in
NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch East
Series racing will begin Saturday night in
the Big Y World Class Market 150 at
Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl.
The Grand National Division spec engine,
developed by NASCAR to reduce the cost to
competitors in both the Busch East Series
and its west coast counterpart, the AutoZone
West Series, will make its race debut under
the hood of the No. 44 Casella Waste Systems
Chevrolet driven by Sean Caisse, who
currently trails point leader Mike Olsen by
just 34 points with four races to go.
"It just arrived and we're planning to put
it in the car this afternoon. If it fits and
nothing goes wrong, we're planning to race
it at Waterford," said Andy Santerre, the
four-time series champion who is
masterminding Caisse's efforts in 2006,
speaking from his shop on Monday.
"It's built by Carl Wegner in Wisconsin and
it's part of the first batch of three
engines with the new etching, the invisible
marking to make sure the parts are what
they're supposed to be. The other two
engines are going to Bill McAnally in the
(AutoZone) West Series," Santerre continued.
The concept of the spec engine is to adopt
the use of specified parts to control the
cost of the engine, while continuing to
allow Grand National Division teams to
choose their engine builder and brand of
car.
Santerre and Caisse both tested the
prototype spec engine back-to-back with
their regular powerplants last winter and
found the performance almost identical but
with different characteristics. "When we
tested it, the spec engine was a little
softer off the corners and a little stronger
at the end of the straight (than the current
engine)," Santerre said adding “I think that
will help on short tracks like Waterford
because you won't spin the wheels as much."
The engines are designed to cost less
initially, as well as to save teams even
more money in the long term by improving
durability – something Santerre is eager to
test this weekend at Waterford.
"We're looking for an advantage because all
our motors are old," Santerre explained.
"Although we haven't had engine trouble this
year, we're expecting things to start
breaking. We're looking for more reliability
with the spec engine."
HOME SWEET HOME (FINALLY): Defending
Waterford winner, Matt Kobyluck (No. 40
Mohegan Sun Chevrolet), had never finished
in the top five at his hometown track until
last season. In fact, his 2003 and 2004
attempts had both ended in turn one
accidents right in front of the tent hosting
Kobyluck Corporation employees and guests
for a night at the races. By contrast, the
2005 victory lane was a sea of orange and
black as joyful as any seen on the Busch
East Series in many years. The Kobyluck
family operates a construction, materials,
and transportation business in southeastern
Connecticut, and every employee and customer
seemed to be part of the celebration that
night.
THE BEST AT THE 'BOWL: Mike Johnson (No. 96
Johnson Lumber Ford) and Bryon Chew (No. 99
Buzz Chew Chevrolet) carry a statistical
edge into Waterford on Saturday night.
Johnson has two wins (2001 & 2004) plus a
third and a fifth at the 'Bowl for four
top-five finishes in six starts. Chew, who
was a frequent Waterford winner in his
Legends car days, has twice reset his best
career finish in a full-length Busch East
race at the track, He was third in 2003 and
second last year before breaking into
victory lane in 2006 at Holland (N.Y.)
International Speedway.
BRANCHING OUT: Both Matt Kobyluck and Sunoco
Rookie of the Year contender Pierre Bourque
(No. 10 Driving.Ca/Canada.Com Chevrolet have
tested their talents in other series during
the two weekends since the Busch East Series
last raced at Adirondack International
Speedway in Beaver Falls, N.Y.
Kobyluck and his team stepped up to the
NASCAR Busch Series in the Zippo 200 at
Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International road
course. Kobyluck qualified an impressive
26th in a field of 46 cars which included 16
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series regulars.
Unfortunately he crashed on his final
qualifying lap, forcing crew chief Perry
Waite and his crew to work overtime to make
the start just a couple of hours later.
Kobyluck settled for 42nd in the final
rundown.
Mike Olsen and crew chief Harry Norcross of
the No. 61 Little Trees Chevrolet team were
also in Watkins Glen helping their former
teammate and fellow North Haverhill, N.H.
native Frank Stoddard, the crew chief for
Boris Said in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
race.
Meanwhile, Bourque stayed home in Canada to
bring home a 12th place finish in the CASCAR
Series race through the streets of Trois
Rivieres, Quebec, on August 6 before heading
to Nashville Superspeedway to race with the
ARCA RE/MAX Series. Bourque, driving for
Andy Hillenburg as he does in the Busch East
Series, started 36th and finished 21st on
Nashville's concrete high banks. The
experience gained in Music City can be
applied when the Busch East Series visits
the concrete banks of the Monster Mile,
Dover (Del.) International Speedway on Sept.
22.
LEADERBOARD - after 7 of 11 races
Busch East Series point standings: 1. Mike
Olsen 1190, 2. Sean Caisse 1156, 3. Brian
Hoar 1005, 4. Bryon Chew 1004, 5. Matt
Kobyluck 978, 6. Mike Johnson 961, 7. Joey
McCarthy 948, 8. Charles Lewandoski 899, 9.
Jeff Anton 876, 10. Ruben Pardo 834, 11. Kip
Stockwell 818, 12. Dion Ciccarelli 793, 13.
Scott Bouley 766, 14. John Salemi 758, 15.
John Freeman 752
Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings: 1.
(tie) Ruben Pardo 58, Dion Ciccarelli 58, 3.
Jeremy Clark 50, 4. John Freeman 48, 5.
Pierre Bourque 47, 6. Patrick Dupree 46, 7.
Brent Cross 34
POWERade Power Move of the Race Awards:
Jeremy Clark, Ryan Seaman, Tracy Gordon,
Jamie Aube, Carlos Pardo, Dave Dion, Ray
Ciccarelli 1
Featherlite Most Improved Driver Awards:
Brian Hoar 2; Joey McCarthy, Mike Johnson,
Sean Caisse, John Freeman, Bryon Chew 1
FAST FACTS
What: Big Y World Class Market 150, NASCAR
Grand National Division, Busch East Series
Race #8 of 11
Where: Waterford Speedbowl, Waterford, Conn.
When: Saturday, August 19, 2006, 7:30 p.m.
Track layout: 0.375 mile paved oval
Race distance: 150 laps, 56.25 miles
Posted awards: $109,411
Television: HDNet live; SPEED enhanced
replay Thurs., Aug. 31, 5:30 p.m.
2005 Big Y World Class Market 150 race
winner: Matt Kobyluck
2005 Big Y World Class Market 150 Busch Pole
winner: Matt Kobyluck
Track record: 14.980 seconds, 90.129 miles
per hour, Martin Truex Jr., July 8, 2002
Schedule: Saturday, August 19 - Practice
1:30 to 3:00 p.m., Busch Pole Qualifying
5:00 p.m., Big Y World Class Market 150 7:30
p.m. |
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