Andrew Ranger to Compete in Nationwide Series
Former NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champ Heads to Nationwide Series
Oct 9, 2008
180 miles per hour in traffic, nose to tail with 42 other cars on a short track, any wrong move sparks a fiery collision and 150,000 screaming fans. Three hours of grueling competition at tire-blistering speeds. Anyone who thinks they could last a second on one of these tracks is fooling themselves. Only a small handful of people are capable of this-Andrew Ranger being one of them.
For the average American race fan, Andrew Ranger is not a household name. In fact, many fans were first introduced to the 21-year-old Roxton Pond, Que. Native during the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal on August 1. This Canadian has perhaps one of the most impressive resumes of any freshman in NASCAR history. His strength, determination, and motivation landed him this NASCAR Nationwide Series ride. Ranger has accomplished so much in so little time, and he looks to do the same in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
If there were any doubts surrounding Ranger’s entrance into the NAPA Auto Parts 200, they were certainly allayed after his impressive run in Montreal. The tires had barely cooled from his winning NASCAR Canadian Tire Series car when Ranger jumped into the #22 Dodge and took part in the qualifying session for the NAPA Auto Parts 200. After starting in 15th place on the grid, Ranger turned the 4th fastest race lap. His day ended with a modest 29th place finish after heavy rain and poor visibility forced officials to end the race 26 laps early.
Now, the hottest phenom on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series circuit has been scheduled to participate in 7 NASCAR Nationwide Series. Of the 7 races, Ranger will visit Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Memphis, Texas, Phoenix, and willclose out the season in Homestead on November 15th during the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup season finale.Andrew is sponsored by Tide, Wal-Mart, Supercuts, Habitations Éric Alary and Autodrome St-Eustache for his NASCAR debut in the USA.
Like all unique opportunities, Ranger looks to showcase his remarkable driving talent, his ability to remain calm under pressure and his adaptability to changing track conditions in order to nudge his way into a possible full season effort in 2009.
Meanwhile, Andrew continued to compete in the Canadian Series where he attempted to win back to back championships. He wrapped up the season 4th in the overall points standings, only 217 points out of first place.
A year ago, Andrew Ranger clinched the inaugural Canadian Tire Series Championship as a rookie. Having grown up in open wheel racing, Ranger finished 10th overall in the CHAMP Car World Series standings in both the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Prior to that, he won a Fran-Am championship in 2003.
Tracking down seasoned veterans such as Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer won't be easy, but Ranger appears unfazed—noting that each track presents its share of challenges, which can potentially create opportunities to capitalize on any critical mistakes made by other drivers.
