Trois Rivieres, QC (August 15, 2010) NASCAR Canadian Tire series driver Pierre Bourque looked to leave a string of tough racing luck behind him as he returned to one of his favourite tracks for round number eight of the series at Trois Rivieres, Quebec. Unfortunately, the #00 Mahindra Tractors Dodge driver could not shake a faulty acceleration issue that challenged him all weekend.
As practice began, the #00 Mahindra Tractors Dodge team was immediately faced with a serious challenge. “We were having acceleration issues right from the first lap” said Bourque. “The troubles continued through the qualifying session and we could only manage a twenty third starting spot for the race. Essentially, our lap times slowed as the weekend progressed and we were left scrambling for a fix."
With the start of the race approaching, Bourque's concern for his chances deepened. Sure enough, as the green flag dropped, the #00 Mahindra Tractors Dodge launched into what would be a very tough afternoon, one that only got worse as the race unfolded.
"Trois Rivieres is a track where hard acceleration is critical", said Bourque. "But when we should have been moving up the field quickly as in previous years here, we were instead being out-dragged out of corners by vehicles that would normally have been left far behind us. I don't care how fast your reflexes are or how phenomenal your finesse is at maneuvering a tricky corner, if your car just won't accelerate properly once you mash the gas, you won't be passing anyone."
Bourque's frustration continued to grow. As laps ticked away, the problems worsened and he was forced to take his #00 Mahindra Tractors Dodge onto pit lane. “The crew was fantastic and tried to diagnose and fix our problems but it may have been a gear seizing up and it eventually burned up” said the driver. “We also got punted into the air from behind by a local hero in over her head and when our car landed it broke something which ended our day early” he noted.
Even with all these difficulties overshadowing one of his favourite tracks, Bourque was philosophical. “I’m very good at making strong moves and passing people here. What happened on the track was beyond my control, so I'll suck it up and chalk it up to a test of mental toughness as much as anything else", stated the driver.
“I really love Trois-Rivieres", he added, "I love the passionate fans who come out in droves,.I love the local sponsors who support the event and who make us feel so welcome. I love it's rich history. And I love the organizers who make GP3R one of the great events of our season each year.
In closing, Bourque wanted to thank his team. "It was an honour and a priviledge to race under the Mahindra colours at Trois Rivieres. I’m really proud of how hard everybody at DJK Racing and the #00 Mahindra Tractors Dodge team worked. I'm a huge fan of my team owner and teammate DJ Kennington. He builds great race cars and his dad Doug builds awsome engines. All we need is a little racer's luck and I’m sure we’ll be stronger at our next event at Mosport on August 21st."
Attached Photo: Pierre Bourque in the #00 Mahindra Tractors Dodge.
Photo Credit: Sue Chisholm and www.racetimeradio.com
About Mahindra USA Farm Equipment Sector
Houston, Texas-based Mahindra USA Farm Equipment Sector is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra LTD, and part of Mahindra & Mahindra's Farm Equipment Sector (FES) - the largest tractor company in the world by volume.
Mahindra USA's Farm Equipment Sector began selling tractors in the USA in 1994 and has grown rapidly due to high customer satisfaction and through customer referrals. Mahindra USA's Farm Equipment Sector has three distribution points in the USA to help meet the needs of its customers and the growing demand for its products.
Mahindra's professional-grade tractors are built with heavy-duty components that allow them to outperform other tractors in their class and are designed to provide consumers with the ability to push more, pull more and lift more, so they can do more, in less time.
About Pierre Bourque: Pierre Bourque will participate in select events of the 2010 Canadian NASCAR Series.
Pierre is supported in this year’s effort by Mahindra Tractors, Aaron’s Rents, Telus Mobility, and Mohawk Internet Technology.
Pierre Bourque is scheduled to race next in the NASCAR Canadian Tire series at Mosport on August 21st. All of this year’s Canadian NASCAR series events are broadcast on TSN. For more information about Pierre Bourque, go to www.pierrebourque.net and follow him on twitter at www.twitter.com/pierrebourque
