Nationwide - Montreal Race To Have Strong Canadian Presence

Montreal, Aug. 15, 2012: As the NASCAR Nationwide Series heads north of the border this weekend, the locale isn’t the only aspect of the weekend that will have a Canadian flavor to it. Currently, there are nine drivers from Canada on the entry list vying for a spot in Saturday’s NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

Leading the Canadian contingent at Montreal is former winner Ron Fellows, who won in the series’ second trip to the track in 2008. Fellows will be piloting the No. 5 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports.

Canadian drivers also include Patrick Carpentier (No. 99 Toyota), Louis-Phillipe Dumoulin (No. 08 Ford), Kenny Habul (No. 75 Toyota), Daryl Harr (No. 4 Chevrolet), Dexter Stacey (No. 23 Chevrolet), Alex Tagliani (No. 30 Chevrolet), Jacques Villeneuve (No. 22 Dodge) and Derek White (No. 24 Toyota).

Fellows (Toronto) also has more experience in the series than the other Canadian drivers. In 13 seasons, he has competed in 23 races, winning four of them. Besides his win at Montreal in 2008, he has also claimed the checkered flag at Watkins Glen three times (1998, 2000 and 2001).

Carpentier (Joliette) is the next most experienced driver among the nine with 15 starts. Harr (Alberta) and Villeneuve (St. Jean-sur-Richelieu) are next with 10 and eight starts, respectively. Tagliani (Montreal) has made three series starts and Habul (Etobicoke) two. Dumoulin (Trois-Rivieres) and Stacey (Kahnawake) have both made one series start, while this would be White’s (Kahnawake) first.