NASCAR has officially bought out CASCAR and it will be known as NASCAR Canada - The Canadian Tire Series. They plan to run 13 races through out the year.
Below is the press release from the CASCAR site.
09.12.06 :: NASCAR Launches New Stock Car Racing Series in Canada and National Title Sponsorship Agreement with Canadian Tire
Toronto, ON - In support of its initiatives across Canada, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) today announced the creation of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Scheduled to launch in May 2007, the series includes a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Canadian Tire - an iconic Canadian brand with strong national presence.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will operate nationally in Canada with a schedule of 10-12 races (May-October). The series will provide new racing opportunities for teams and drivers from the former CASCAR series. The official NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule, point fund and tracks will be announced at a later date.
The series will receive support from NASCAR's extensive resources, including competition, research and development, marketing, licensing and communications. A dedicated staff will operate the series, with NASCAR Canada providing additional support in sponsorship, licensing, marketing and media initiatives.
"NASCAR racing is a popular, growing sport in Canada, enjoyed by millions of passionate fans," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR Vice-President of Racing Operations. "The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will help attract new Canadian fans and competitors and bring the excitement of NASCAR racing to new fans in Canada. We also recognize the tremendous history and heritage of CASCAR and welcome its fans and competitors into this exciting new series."
NASCAR has a strong fan base in Canada with 5.8 million fans, representing one out of four Canadian adults. The average Canadian NASCAR fan has been following the sport for approximately 10 years. The Canadian NASCAR fan base is truly national with fans from all across the country: British Columbia - 12%, Alberta - 11%, Manitoba/Saskatchewan - 6%, Ontario - 39%, Quebec - 24%, Atlantic Canada (made up of all Atlantic provinces) - 8%.*
In addition to becoming title sponsor of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Canadian Tire, the most-shopped general merchandiser in the country, will become the official automotive retailer of NASCAR in Canada. Canadian Tire will offer exclusive customer promotions, seasonal marketing programs and national advertising and in-store programs in partnership with NASCAR Canada. As part of the partnership agreement and its continued focus on being first-to-market with new and exciting products, Canadian Tire will explore licensing opportunities, including developing a new line of NASCAR products for the automotive aftermarket.
"NASCAR and Canadian Tire share a passion for motorsports and automotive products," said Todd Sharman, Vice-President, Automotive, Canadian Tire Retail. "We are excited that through this partnership we are able to bring the NASCAR racing experience to Canadian fans and look forward to creating an exciting, new lineup of NASCAR branded products."
"NASCAR Canada is pleased to welcome Canadian Tire to NASCAR as its officially designated automotive retailer in Canada. It's a natural fit, as our fan base is Canadian Tire's customer," said Randy Paul, Managing Director of NASCAR Canada. "NASCAR fans will benefit from this association with Canadian Tire, whether it's watching NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races on TSN, attending the new racing series, purchasing licensed products in-store, or participating in NASCAR-themed events at dealers across Canada."
TSN, a NASCAR broadcast partner for more than 20 years, will help market the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and draw new fans to NASCAR and stock car racing in Canada. Among these efforts, TSN is developing a monthly magazine-style show that will showcase the many aspects of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. The program will spotlight the stars of the series, race news, updates and highlights.
NASCAR is the No. 1 televised motorsport in Canada. The 2006 Daytona 500 was the most-watched motorsport race in TSN history with a national average audience of 568,000 viewers.**
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has a broad reach with 1,300 racing events at 95 tracks in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Among major professional sports, NASCAR ranks number one in corporate involvement and per-event attendance, and number two in television viewership. The sanctioning body for stock car racing is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in New York City (Corporate Marketing), Los Angeles (Broadcasting Media and Entertainment), Charlotte, N.C. (Licensing and Aftermarket), Concord, N.C. (Research and Development Center), Mexico City and Toronto.
About Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX: CTR.NV, CTR) operates more than 1,100 stores, gas bars and car washes in an inter-related network of businesses engaged in retail, financial services and petroleum. More than 50,000 Canadians work across the Canadian Tire organization from coast-to-coast. Canadian Tire Retail and its Associate Dealers together form one of Canada's best-known and most successful retailers with 464 stores in communities nationwide. Canadian Tire stores offer a unique mix of products and services through the leadership of three specialty stores under one roof - Automotive, Sports and Leisure, and Home Products. Canadian Tire also offers shopping and home delivery through
www.canadiantire.ca and by phone order at 1-866-746-7287.
About NASCAR Canada
NASCAR Canada supports the continued growth of the NASCAR fan base and further extends the popular NASCAR brand in Canada through sponsorship and licensing opportunities, marketing initiatives, multi-platform media programs and grassroots projects. Established in June 2004, NASCAR Canada is a joint relationship between NASCAR and TSN, and is operated by TSN Events.