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- Category: Road Racing
By: Mike Sullivan/RaceCanada.ca
May 17, 2024
May 17, 2024
The official unofficial start to the Canadian racing season kicked off Friday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with the annual Castrol Victoria Day Speefest, headlined by the new look NASCAR Canada Series.
Throughout the week, the weather for Friday was looking iffy, to say the least, with rain forecast to start at 9:00am and continue throughout the day. As Friday drew closer, the forecast start of the rain kept getting pushed back, and while the day dawned gloomy, the rain held off and wasn’t seen until we got a steady, light rain starting around 4:30pm.
All classes were scheduled to get three sessions over the course of the day, with a morning session and two sessions in the afternoon.
With the rain starting to fall during the third Nissan Sentra Cup session, the Emzone Radical Canada Cup was the only class that got three full sessions of representative times.
With the NASCAR Canada Series not hitting the track until Saturday, Friday was left to testing and practice for the FEL Sports Car Championship, the Emzone Radical Cup Canada, Nissan Sentra Cup, Toyo Tires F1600 and the Super Production Challenge.
As is usually the case, the Super Production Challenge (SPC) fielded the being grid XXXX fielding 26 cars across three classes, Super Production (SP), Production (P) and Compact (C).
The early session saw Gabriel Lacombe quickest in the SP class in his Honda Civic Si, while Nathan Blok went 2 seconds quicker in the early afternoon session, recording a fastest lap of 1:30.605, which would stand as the best time of the day with the track very wet by the time the final sessions of the day rolled around, with SPC’s final session scheduled to start at 6:30pm.
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| Nathan Blok was quickest in the SPC afternoon session in the Nissan 370Z |
In Production class, Yannick Lupien led the morning session in his Mini Cooper S, but as was the case in SPC, the afternoon session saw Vincent Desautels trim Lupien’s time by about 2 seconds, turning a 1:37.545 in his Honda Civic Si.
In Compact, Trevor Hill was quickest in the morning in this Nissan Micra, with the afternoon session again proving faster with Zack Lalonde, who didn’t appear in the morning session getting the better of Hill in the afternoon with 1:44.648, also in a Nissan Micra.
In the Nissan Sentra Cup, the morning session saw Matt Miron quickest followed by Nicolas Miron, while the afternoon session saw Daniel Fortin quickest, followed by Alexandre Fortin. While Daniel’s time did stand up as quickest of the session, and of the day, he was involved in an incident that brought out the red flag and saw him only complete 4 laps.
In Toyo Tires F1600 action, the battle at the front was again between Britain West and Brian Graham Racing, with Britain West’s Conor Clubine setting the fastest time in the morning session, just over four tenths clear of BGR’s Antonio Costantino.
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| Brian Graham Racing's Antonio Costantino was quickest in the afternoon sesion. |
In the first of the FEL series on track, the Sports Car Championship Canada (SCCC) saw Jack Polito turn the quickest lap of the day as the only GT4 car on track, edging the TCR leader Dean Baker by just over a tenth of a second, Polito on a 1:22.454 and Baker on 1:22.566. No times were available for the first session of the day, and like the other series, only a small handful of cars took part in the final practice of the day, with nobody turning a competitive time.
The final series, the FEL Radical Canada Cup, was the only series to get three full, dry session, but like the SCCC, no morning times were available.
In the early afternoon, former Canadian Superbike star Kenny Riedmann was quickest with a 1:20.145. Riedmann sat out the late afternoon session, leaving Owen Clarke, who was second quickest in the early session, quickest, turning a 1:21.109.
Things will get serious tomorrow, with the first session of the day at 8:00am being qualifying for the Super Production Challenge. All 5 series will make their qualifying runs before lunch tomorrow, with Super Production Challenge having their first of three races closing out the morning sessions tomorrow.
The NASCAR Canada Series will see their first action of the day tomorrow, with the first session up after lunch, with practice from 12:25 to 1:15pm. The first races of the weekend for the Nissan Sentra Cup, Toyo Tires F1600, Radical Cup and Sports Cars follow NASCAR practice, followed by NASCAR Canada qualifying at 5:00pm.
With FEL and Nissan Sentra Cup being streamed live on YouTue this weekend, be sure to check out our new Twitter feed, @RaceCanadaTuneIn to get notifications of all upcoming races you’ll see on TV and streaming.
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- Category: Road Racing
By: JMF Motorsport
May 16, 2024
May 16, 2024
Elmira, Ontario - JMF Motorsports has added a step to their development ladder by fielding a karting team competing in Canada and USA. Six Canadian kart racers were chosen to represent JMF Motorsports Karting Team. They will compete in Canada in The Ron Fellows Karting Championship, Kart Stars Canada and Rotax Max Championship, as well as in the USA in the Stars Championship Series.
The drivers for the 2024 JMF Motorsports Karting team are Joshua Conquer, Lily Flintoff, Jaden Harry, Christian Menezes, Aidan Shimbashi, and Christian Valverde.
As opposed to programs that transition drivers from karts to open-wheel cars, the JMF Motorsports program focus is on GT cars.
The karting team was the initiative of President and CEO of JMF Motorsports, John Farrow. “Having a karting step in our program supports our efforts to bring Canadian drivers to the forefront of GT racing,” says Farrow. “The primary objective of this program is to identify and develop drivers and help them take the next step out of karts while forming a feeder system for our motorsports team.”
Danny Kok, COO of JMF Motorsports, sees this as a place for drivers to learn while being supported. “We identified drivers who have the characteristics we are looking for in our team framework, and will offer them race support and exposure to race cars,” Kok says. “We are looking for great kart racers who also have the right aptitude and attitude to become successful in professional GT racing.”
The program is managed by Brad Shimbashi, who has been in the motorsports industry for over 18 years. “With this program, we are establishing a clear path for our junior drivers. Learning to conduct themselves on and off the track is an important aspect in preparing to make the move to professional racing,” says Shimbashi.
JMF Motorsports fields teams in both SRO and IMSA. Competing in the Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Cup series, the Pirelli GT4 America series and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series, the goal is to identify and develop Canadian drivers and help them advance through the ranks of professional GT racing.
About JMF Motorsports
In 2020, performance driver and motorsport enthusiast John Farrow made the decision to implement a lifelong dream and start a race team. With his passion for Mercedes-AMG, and his desire to help Canadian motorsport athletes, he launched JMF Motorsports. His vision was to start a racing team that would help showcase young Canadian driver talent and assist them in advancing their racing careers.
JMF Motorsports entered the 2021 SRO GT4 America series and quickly became podium contenders, winning the last 4 races of the season. In 2022, JMF Motorsports / Conquest Racing had 2 victories and climbed to the podium 12 times. 2023 also saw a strong season with 8 podium finishes and 5 race wins. The JMF Motorsports / Conquest Racing team finished the season 2nd place in the 2023 SRO Pirelli GT4 America Silver Class.
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- Category: Road Racing
By: Vasser Sullivan
May 12, 2024
May 12, 2024
Salinas, California – In the return of the GTD PRO class this weekend at the Course De Monterey at Laguna Seca, Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat finished fourth-place in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 on Sunday. The No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 with Parker Thompson and Frankie Montecalvo finished ninth in the GTD class.
Hawksworth started from the fourth position on the GTD PRO grid Sunday afternoon, holding steady during the race’s first two stints. With an hour remaining in the sprint race, Hawksworth handed the No. 14 over to Barnicoat to finish the race. The Brit cycled out in fifth position from the stop, but methodically chased down and overtook the No. 3 car with 10 minutes remaining to claim the fourth position at the finish. The No. 14 Vasser Sullivan team sits second in the GTD PRO driver’s standings with today’s result.
The No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 team ended Sunday’s race at Laguna Seca in the ninth position of the GTD class after beginning the day fifth. Montecalvo started in the No. 12, running between fourth and seventh position during the early portions of the race. After an early-race caution, Montecalvo cycled to the front of the GTD field and led seven laps during the first pit stop cycle. Thompson jumped into the No. 12 RC F GT3 with an hour and 21 minutes remaining, running as high as second during pit stop cycles. However, the team needed one more caution to make their strategy work, which did not occur and they earned a ninth-place finish.
The Vasser Sullivan Lexus team returns to action in a sprint race at Detroit Grand Prix on Saturday, June 1. To keep up with all the racing action, follow Lexus Racing on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok by using #LexusPerformance.
Vasser Sullivan Driver Quotes
JACK HAWKSWORTH, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3
How was the race today for the No. 14 team?
“Just a really solid day and solid weekend. We tested here a few weeks ago, knowing this place (Laguna Seca) is always tough for us. After the test, the engineers and mechanics all came up with some really good ideas to come back with and we made the Lexus RC F GT3 competitive. We had a really strong effort in qualifying yesterday to put us fourth on the grid and then in the race this afternoon, we were in the fight, just didn’t have the pace to battle for the podium. We hung in there all day and think we finished higher than what we showed pace-wise, which is all you can do. P4 on the day, happy with that, good set of points and now we head to Detroit, Watkins Glen and Mosport, which are places that have been really good to us. Our Vasser Sullivan team will focus and get our heads down.”
BEN BARNICOAT, No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3
Coming home in fourth position, what was your race like?
“Today was just one of those days where early on, I think we realized we didn’t have the pace to win the race, so then you look towards strategy, right? What can we do? What can’t we do? I think everyone here at Vasser Sullivan and Lexus optimized what we had today. From a strategy point-of-view, the overcut looked quite powerful in the first pit stop, which helped us move forward a bit into second, but we dropped back to fourth as we didn’t quite have the pace to hang on. And then, we tried another overcut at the end in the last pit stop cycle, and we were undercut by a competitor and came out in fifth. But, I was able to get back forward at the end there past the No. 3. It was a tough race, obviously gave it everything we had. I think we have to see a fourth-place finish as almost like an internal win. That was the best we had, and on days when you’re not quite quick enough, you just have to do your best. Proud of everyone here for doing that. Jack (Hawksworth) had a great run and kept the car clean and in one piece, as I did in my run. Great to come out of this race second in the driver’s standings. Looking forward to Detroit.”
PARKER THOMPSON, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
How would you describe your race once getting in the car?
“Today is a perfect day to describe sprint, endurance racing. We were in a perfect position, had a really fast Lexus RC F GT3, but unfortunately, a yellow came out 30 seconds before we needed it to, and that means we missed getting into the pits on schedule. It basically put us a lap down on the road. Apart from that, the No. 12 team did an awesome job with a great strategy to put us in contention to compete for a win. But we didn’t get another yellow like we needed, which meant I was saving (fuel) and battling for a position lower than we had hoped. But we live to fight another day. We’re all hungry. I know it sounds like a broken record, but this No. 12 crew deserves more, and we’re locked in for the upcoming rounds. I think we’re going to get a win.”
FRANKIE MONTECALVO, No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3
Can you take us through your day and how those cautions affected strategy?
“I think we had a good car and something to battle with at the end there. All in all, the Vasser Sullivan team did a great job. We just kind of got held out by a yellow, which was just in the worst time, and then we didn’t get the yellow we needed. So, a top-10 finish in this one and onto the next.”
About Lexus
The Lexus RC F GT3 enters its eighth season in the GTD class, and third year in the GTD PRO category, competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Over the last six seasons, Lexus and Vasser Sullivan have combined to earn 15 wins, 41 podium finishes and 21 pole positions with the RC F GT3. Lexus won its first full-season IMSA GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship on the strength of two wins and podium positions in nine of 11 races in 2023.
Lexus' passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 244 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With eight models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers nine F SPORT models, one F performance model and one F model. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.
Canadian In BOLD
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- Category: Road Racing
By: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
May 13, 2024
May 13, 2024
Indianapolis, Indiana – Preparations for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge will start this week with a field consisting of eight former winners of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and five NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions.
There are 34 entries set to contest the 33 starting spots for this year’s edition of the “500.” Practice is scheduled to start Tuesday, May 14, with PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on May 18-19. All track activity on the historic 2.5-mile oval leads into Race Day, Sunday, May 26.
SEE: Entry List
Josef Newgarden earned his first career “500” victory last May after passing 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson on the final lap after a late red flag created a one-lap shootout for a spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy and racing immortality. That was the record-extending 19th “500” victory for Team Penske.
Other former winners aiming for a spot in the race this year include four-time winner Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) and two-time winner Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), plus single winners Scott Dixon (2008), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016) and Will Power (2018). The record for winners in one field is 10, set in 1992.
Castroneves earned a spot with A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears in the most prestigious club in motorsports – four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500 – with his emotional victory in 2021, for Meyer Shank Racing. A record-breaking fifth would put Castroneves alone at the top with most victories. Additionally, Castroneves is 49 years old, and a victory would make him the oldest winner in “500” history, a record held by Al Unser, who won the 1987 edition just five days shy of his 48th birthday.
Newgarden has a chance to become the first back-to-back winner since Castroneves accomplished the feat in 2001 and 2002. If Newgarden secures a repeat win, he will earn a bonus of $440,000 courtesy of BorgWarner, the namesake of the Indy 500 trophy. That amount is more than the entire yearly purse up to and including the 1962 Indianapolis 500, which paid out $425,652.
The field includes five past INDYCAR SERIES champions: Dixon, Hunter-Reay, Newgarden, reigning champion Alex Palou and Power.
2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will attempt to become the fifth driver to complete the Memorial Day “double” of racing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day, joining John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch. The last driver to complete the feat was Busch in 2014.
Larson is one of seven drivers competing for top rookie honors, along with Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Linus Lundqvist, Christian Rasmussen, Nolan Siegel and Kyffin Simpson.
Live Race Day coverage begins on NBC, Peacock, Universo and the INDYCAR Radio Network at 11 a.m. (ET), with the green flag set for 12:45 p.m.
2024 ENTRY BREAKDOWN
Winners (8): Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato
Rookies (7): Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Kyle Larson, Linus Lundqvist, Christian Rasmussen, Nolan Siegel, Kyffin Simpson
U.S. drivers (13): Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Conor Daly, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Kyle Kirkwood, Kyle Larson, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Sting Ray Robb, Alexander Rossi, Nolan Siegel
International drivers (21, from 13 countries): Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Agustín Canapino, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Pietro Fittipaldi, Romain Grosjean, Callum Ilott, Katherine Legge, Christian Lundgaard, Linus Lundqvist, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Will Power, Christian Rasmussen, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Kyffin Simpson, Rinus VeeKay
Engines (34): Honda 18, Chevrolet 16 (all cars use Dallara chassis and Firestone tires)
- Details
- Category: Road Racing
By: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
May 9, 2024
May 9, 2024
Indianapolis, Indiana – Maeta, a Roc Nation artist who recently peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and an Indianapolis native, will perform the national anthem before the start of the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 11 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“The singing of the national anthem before the start of a race is always an emotional and moving moment,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “Having an Indianapolis native, whose career is just taking off, ensures this performance will be memorable for all involved. Maeta’s rendition is sure to set the stage for an epic race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course.”
Maeta has been described as a tour de force, and her EP “When I Hear Your Name” showcases collaborations with some of the greatest artists in the industry and illustrates her appeal as your favorite artist’s favorite artist. KAYTRANADA, Kehlani, Demi Lovato, Ty Dolla $ign and Lucky Daye are just a few of the artists featured on the EP.
Represented by powerhouse management agencies MBK Entertainment, Inc and JDH & Company, led by industry icons Jeff Robinson, Jeanine McLean and Jason Hobdy, Maeta has had an exciting year. She closed out 2023 touring across North America, the United Kingdom and Europe and released “When I Hear Your Name (Live).” She also stunned audiences with a captivating performance of “Through The Night” at the Soul Train Awards.
Most recently, Chris Brown announced that Maeta will join him on all tour dates of his 11:11 Tour, kicking off June 5 in Detroit. The tour also features special guests Arya Starr and Muni Long.
NBC’s live coverage of the Sonsio Grand Prix starts at 3 p.m. (ET) Saturday, May 11.
Visit ims.com to purchase tickets for the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 11 and for more information on the complete Month of May schedule at IMS.