Preview: More racing than the Grand Prix this weekend

Although the eyes of the world will be on Montreal this weekend for the 41^st Formula One Grand Prix of Canada that will go to the post at noon on Sunday (11:55 a.m., TSN), there are other races scheduled that you should know about.

Starting with the 24 Hours of Le Mans (Speed Channel, 8:30 a.m. Saturday), the weekend will also see the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Series and the Formula Ford 2000 and FF1600 series all racing at Mosport.

At Le Mans, Canada will be represented by Tony Burgess of Toronto, who will be driving his sixth Le Mans with Americans Michael Lewis and Bryan Willman in the Autocon Motorsports P1 Lola B06-10. His best finish previously was third in class in 2000.

Burgess said his goal is to finish.

“We will be up against very good cars such as Audi and Peugeot (which won the pole Thursday),” he said in a release. “We can’t hope to match pace with them but it is an endurance race, so if we finish without any delays then chances are we will be in the top 10.”

At Mosport, the second race of the 2010 Canadian Tire-sponsored stock car series – which is Canada’s only national racing championship – will get the green flag Sunday at 1:30. Sponsored by Vortex Brake Pads, the race will go 200 miles, or 1 hour and 45 minutes, whichever comes first.

Reigning Series champion Andrew Ranger – who missed the season-opening joust at London’s Delaware Speedway last Saturday that was won by D.J. Kennington – and J.R. Fitzpatrick will renew their rivalry. In the three Canadian Tire races ran on Mosport’s road circuit, Ranger has taken two and Fitzpatrick one.

Ranger, who won both Canadian Tire Series races at Mosport a year ago on the road course and the oval, is running a limited schedule while he focuses on a NASCAR series in the U.S. But he’s excited about getting into some Canadian action this weekend.

“The competition is always really good there because it’s such a fast track,” Ranger said in a handout. “With guys like Scott Steckly and J.R. Fitzpatrick who run really well at Mosport, it will be really hard.  Fitzpatrick is fast on both the oval and the road course.  He’s got a good car and we always have a battle.  It’s great for the fans to watch.”

Fitzpatrick, who finished second at Delaware, is running the full Canadian Tire Series schedule while also driving some races for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

“Ever since 2007, Andrew and I have been racing each other hard and clean,” said Fitzpatrick. “We always put on a good show and a lot of people like to watch the rivalry that we have.  It makes for great racing and that’s why I am glad to hear that Ranger is coming to Mosport.

“It’s going to be a great race.”

Other NASCAR Canada drivers expected to run well at Mosport include Kerry Micks, Mark Dilley and Pierre Bourque.

“Rain or shine, I love this track,” said Bourque, of Ottawa. “I have no doubt we’ll have a strong qualifying session and we’ll be in the hunt for an excellent finish in the race itself. I’ll be tweeting updates, pictures and video with my iPhone through the weekend,” he said, in putting in a plug for his sponsor, Telus.

Road-racing veteran Robin Buck will also see action at Mosport as he kicks off his four-race season that will also include the Honda Indy Toronto, Trois-Rivieres and the NASCAR August weekend in Montreal.

The Castrol Canadian Touring Car Series will race twice at Mosport – on Saturday at 1:25 p.m. and again on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

And the Touring Car championship is releasing the first of seven Webisodes and Video Race Recaps this weekend. According to a release, the Webisodes are designed to take viewers behind the scenes of the series, from the paddock to the pitlane to the track and the podium. Viewers will learn about the challenges as the drivers and teams fight their way to the top.

“We have been working with Mark Drager and his Phanta Media team over the past two years to put together the right concept that would bring the championship to life via the Internet,” stated series president, John Bondar.

“And I believe that we have found a fabulous formula to build brand awareness and showcase the competition.

“Initial response has been incredible!”

For further information, go to www.touringcar.ca

Also in action this weekend will be the Brian Stewart Racing Karting Championship at the recently repaved Innisfil Indy Kartways located in Gilford.

As is the case with the F1 drivers in Montreal, practice begins Friday and then there is a full schedule of warmups, qualifying, pre-final and final races set for both Saturday and Sunday.

Oh, and before I forget, if you’re glued to your TV for Le Mans and the Grand Prix, you can watch a recording of the opening NASCAR Canada race at Delaware on Saturday at 2 p.m. on TSN.

The race will be repeated next Wednesday at 12:30 in the morning and 3:30 in the afternoon.