Ranger impressing owners in just two N'wide starts

Andrew Ranger has never seen Richmond International Speedway before; he's never really spent much time in the U.S., let alone the distant South of NASCAR country.

The 21-year-old has been busy; busy winning championships in Canada.

Reigning NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion, Ranger is now gaining some attention for his respectable performances in two Nationwide Series races and will make his Richmond debut Friday night in the Fitz Motorsports No 22 Dodge.

Canadian Tire Series

Standings

Pos.	Driver	Points
1.	Scott Steckly	1639
2.	Andrew Ranger	1571
3.	DJ Kennington	1551
4.	Don Thomson, Jr.	1526
5.	Kerry Micks	1459

• Complete Standings click here

"I'm really happy to be able to go to Richmond," Ranger said from his home in Roxton Pond, Quebec. "It will be my third Nationwide start but only my second oval and we've never tested or anything like that. I'm just going to jump in the car, put my helmet on and go."

Ranger, who made his series debut for Fitz at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal last month where the driver performed well in the rain until the red flag ended his chances of a top-10 finish. He pitted and finished 25th but three weeks later Ranger saw Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time and brought home an 18th-place finish.

"My team and crew were really happy, they said that they would be happy if I just finished the race, survived the race, but we were able to get a top-20 finish after starting 39th," Ranger said. "I was really nervous, it was my first oval in the Nationwide Series, but I learned a lot."

He's hoping to take what he learned on the Bristol short track to Richmond.

"I'm expecting another top-20 finish," he added.

Ranger is contracted to drive Nationwide races in Charlotte, Texas, Phoenix and Homestead as well.

"I am more than ready to take this on, and I will give it everything I've got to position myself as a contender in this series," Ranger said.

Team owner Armando Fitz was impressed by one of Ranger's Canadian Tire Series victories this season and called the driver for an interview.

"I really loved his perseverance in Montreal," Fitz said. "This promising driver is not afraid to mix it up. His profile is also exactly the image we want our team and sponsors to portray."

Boyish good looks, a gregarious personality and a charming laugh are a few reasons big name sponsors like Tide and Wal-Mart have stuck with Ranger throughout his career in Canada.

After the Nationwide race in Richmond on Friday night, Ranger will hop a plane back to Canada as he competes Saturday at Barrie Speedway for the Canadian Tire Series race. Ranger will finish out the Canadian Tire season and attempt to win consecutive championships. He is second in the point standings, 68 points out of first place.

Ranger drives for Dave Jacobs Racing, the same team in which fellow Canadian Patrick Carpentier made his stock-car debut with in the former CASCAR Series.

In September 2006, NASCAR purchased CASCAR, Canada's version of NASCAR, and announced the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series; a series of 13 stock-car races from May to October.

Ranger became the first-year Canadian Tire Series' inaugural champion in his first season of stock car racing after having moved from the open-wheel ranks in 2006 where the driver finished 10th overall in the CHAMP Car World Series standings for both the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Prior to that, he won a Fran-Am championship in 2003.

• Official Web site

Like a majority of young drivers, Ranger grew up watching his father race.

"He raced dirt modified cars for 25 years in Quebec and then we decided to get me a go-kart," recalled Ranger. "That was a really big deal for me; it was amazing to know I would be a racecar driver like him."

He and his family may contemplate a move to North Carolina if the right NASCAR ride should come along. Until then, they are content to stay in Quebec and help out the family business of designing and producing baby pajamas.

"I have two sisters and one works in the shop where they sell the baby pajamas and some of them have my No. 27 and name on them," Ranger said of his car number in the Canadian Tire Series.

If the Canadian can prove himself in the next few Nationwide races, the family business may have to invest in a NASCAR licensing deal for those baby pajamas.