Calabogie, Ontario - Reigning Platinum Cup champion Scott Hargrove completed a perfect weekend at Calabogie Motorsports Park by winning Rounds 5 and 6 of the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin from the pole Sunday, July 5.

Hargrove, from Surrey, British Columbia, earned his second and third victories of the season in the No. 25 OpenRoad Racing Porsche. He also won his season debut June 13 in Toronto, as he missed the first two races of the season in mid-May at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

"Two wins today," Hargrove said. "It's not often that you get to do two races in one day, and you kind of get the high from both of them in the same day. So that was fun. Great job to the OpenRoad Racing guys. Couldn't be more thrilled with the results."

Platinum Cup points leader Chris Green and Daniel Morad earned the other two podium positions in both 45-minute races. Green, from Montreal, finished third and second, respectively, in Rounds 5 and 6 in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche. Morad, from Thornhill, Ontario, finished second and third in the No. 22 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports entry.

Green leads the Platinum Cup standings, 108-93, over second place Morad with four rounds remaining.

Michael de Quesada, from Odessa, Florida, made series history by sweeping both Gold Cup races in the No. 24 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports entry. De Quesada, 15, became the youngest race class winner in the five-year history of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned Single-Make Series in Canada.

Orey Fidani, from Woodbridge, Ontario, expanded his Gold Cup points lead to 104-96 over second place Martin Harvey.

Marco Cirone, from Toronto, completed an event of sweeps by ending Rounds 5 and 6 as the first Platinum Masters finisher in the No. 88 Mark Motors Racing Porsche.

Cirone padded his Platinum Masters points lead to 118-110 over second place Tim Sanderson.

ROUND 5

Hargrove withstood an early challenge from Green and a late scare from Morad to earn his second victory of the season. He beat Morad to the finish by a comfortable 5.368 seconds, but that was misleading.

Green hounded Hargrove for the first half of the race, staying within seven-tenths of a second or closer to Hargrove on every lap. Then with 15 minutes left, Hargrove started to pull away, extending his lead to 1.277 seconds. Green then put four wheels off the track in Turn 8, losing another second.

"I knew Chris was fast, and I wasn't really sure how fast he was," Hargrove said. "He caught me right away, so I just looked in my mirrors and made sure he was never close enough to pass me. But I never knew whether I could pull out or whether he had more speed, as well. It was a little bit nerve-wracking. But with about 15 minutes to go, I started to push the gas a little harder and was able to get a bit of a gap."

Pole sitter Hargrove led Green by 2.427 seconds and Morad by 3.753 seconds with 11 minutes left in the 45-minute race. Then Morad took his turn as the biggest threat to Hargrove.

Series rookie Morad became the quickest car on track over the closing laps. He passed Green for second with three minutes left and continued his charge toward Hargrove, trailing by 3.712 seconds. But Morad ran out of time over the last two laps and settled for second.

"I was at a disadvantage going into the race because Scott and Chris had both raced here last year," Morad said. "They had an understanding of how the tires degrade through the race, and I was kind of winging it. Fortunately, I kind of guessed right."

Said Hargrove: "I saw Daniel coming in the mirror, and then he passed Chris no problem and was coming at me really quick. So it was a good thing I went when I did. Otherwise, I think Daniel would have caught us. Overall, a great race. Really happy with the OpenRoad Racing Porsche."

Championship leader Green ended up third, gaining points as he aims for his first Platinum Cup title.

Cirone finished fourth overall and was the top Platinum Masters finisher despite starting in the rear of the field due to a pre-race tire change. Sanderson, from Pickering, Ontario, rounded out the top five in the No. 07 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports entry.

Platinum Masters

Cirone produced a stirring drive to earn his fourth Platinum Masters victory in five starts.

Sanderson finished second for his fifth consecutive podium finish in his first Platinum Masters season. Carlos De Quesada, from Odessa, Florida, finished third to earn his second Platinum Masters podium finish this season in the No. 50 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports entry.

A mechanical problem caused Cirone to spin twice Saturday in qualifying, flat-spotting his tires. So he and the Mark Motors Racing team decided to change their Michelin tires and start from the rear of the grid instead of risking the consequences of racing on flat-spotted tires.

"We figured if I start with those tires, I'll have no chance whatsoever," Cirone said. "So we gambled. We put new tires on and started at the back, and fortunately everything went OK for us."

Cirone's climb through the field was swift and assured. He jumped from the back row of the grid to ninth overall on the first lap. He drove to second in Platinum Masters, just nine-tenths of a second behind Sanderson, just 15 minutes into the race. Cirone passed Sanderson for the Platinum Masters lead with 28 minutes left and never trailed thereafter.

While Cirone pulled away, Sanderson and De Quesada engaged in a spirited duel to determine the final two spots on the Platinum Masters podium. Sanderson prevailed by just .821 of a second.

"We had a little bit of rubbing out there, but it was entertaining racing," Sanderson said. "We had three of us running nose to tail there for a while, but it was entertaining. Very happy with our finish."

Gold Cup

Rookie Michael De Quesada, 15, earned his first career Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin victory and became the youngest winner in series history in any class.

Shaun McKaigue, from Gilford, Ontario, finished second in the No. 34 Fiorano Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car for his best result of the season. Ron Tomlinson, from Manotick, Ontario, finished third in his series debut in the No. 48 Mark Motors Racing Porsche.

De Quesada's drive into history was as unlikely as it was stunning. He led from pole, building a gap of 20.559 seconds over McKaigue with 27 minutes remaining.

But then De Quesada pulled into the pits with 22 minutes left. His car had an electrical problem in qualifying Saturday that flared again. The Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports team quickly fixed the problem, and de Quesada returned to the track running last in the class.

De Quesada then set the 20-turn, 3.137-mile (5.05 km) track ablaze, turning laps up to four seconds quicker than his Gold Cup competition.

Meanwhile, McKaigue and championship leader Fidani were engaged in a tight joust for the Gold Cup lead. McKaigue pulled ahead of Fidani by 2.338 seconds with 12 minutes left and then led Martin Harvey by 7.825 seconds with nine minutes left in an ever-fluid running order. But de Quesada continued to charge.

De Quesada passed McKaigue for first in the class with five minutes left and rocketed away to win by 11.75 seconds.

"My awesome guys fixed it and got me right back out there, and I was just able to wheel it home," de Quesada said. "I kind of was at peace (after the unscheduled pit stop). I said, 'You either win or you lose.' You have nothing to lose at this point. Just go and do your best. I'm really happy right now. It's great for everybody."

Said McKaigue: "We had a good run. Michael was amazing. Hat's off to him. Gianni (Panico, team owner) gave me a good car, but Michael just motored away."

ROUND 6

Hargrove and Green ran in lockstep within one second or less of each other for the first half of the race, much like Round 5. The difference in this 45-minute race is that Morad, Harry Steenbakkers and Cirone came along for the ride.

Less than three seconds separated the top five cars for most of the 25 minutes of race, as drivers managed their Michelin tires under bright sunshine.

Hargrove then started to ease away from Green with about 20 minutes remaining, expanding his gap to 2.586 seconds with 10 minutes remaining. Meanwhile, Morad started to gain ground on Green, pulling to within .488 of a second with 13 minutes remaining.

But Green dug in and drove away from Morad, gaining a gap of 2.696 seconds as the leaders navigated lapped traffic.

Green never got much of a chance to chip away at Hargrove's lead. Gold Cup driver McKaigue went off track and speared into the tire barrier in Turn 8 with five minutes remaining, triggering the only full-course caution of the day. The race ended under caution.

"We learned a lot from this morning," Hargrove said. "I think I pushed the tires a little too hard in the morning, in the beginning, and so at the end Daniel (Morad) was closing in pretty quick. I got a lead on the start and then held it (in the second race), held a constant pace, and that caused a bit of a train behind me. I knew I had more in the tank. I just maintained the gap and tires under me."

Morad placed third behind Hargrove and Green. Rookie Steenbakkers, from Ottawa, ended up fourth in the No. 78 Mark Motors Racing Porsche, tying his season best. Cirone rounded out the top five overall as the first Platinum Masters finisher.

Platinum Masters

Cirone faced less drama in Round 6 to sweep the Platinum Masters class for the weekend, as he drove from the rear of the field after a tire change before Round 5.

Reigning Platinum Masters champion Cirone hung tough with the leaders early in race before getting into a duel with teammate Steenbakkers for fourth place toward the end of the race.

"It was like a train there for a while, and I was really proud to keep up with the top of the field," Cirone said. "Then it seemed like Harry and I started battling a little bit, and I think we were being a little too careful, and that allowed Daniel (Morad) to pull a little bit from us, and Tim (Sanderson) caught us from behind."

Sanderson probably was more disappointed to see the race-ending yellow than any driver in the field. He was nipping at the exhaust pipes of Steenbakkers and Cirone when the race-ending caution period started.

"I thought if we got three or four more laps, I think I could have had a shot at one of them, if not both of them," Sanderson said. "It's a little frustrating to see a double yellow and finish under it, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I kept the car clean and had a nice, consistent race, so I was happy with the results."

Carlos de Quesada earned his second third-place finish of the weekend in the class.

Gold Cup

Michael de Quesada rallied from a quick pit stop to fix an electronic problem to win Round 5, but there was no drama in his dominant Round 6 victory.

De Quesada drove away from the Gold Cup field in Round 6, building a lead of 38.646 seconds with nine minutes remaining in a tour de force.

"It's great," de Quesada said. "It's awesome. I just made sure not to get in any trouble. We fixed the problem with the car, and everything was perfect."

Fidani rebounded from a last-place finish in Round 5 to place second in the No. 13 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche. He padded his lead in the Gold Cup championship in his rookie season.

"That was pretty important to keep the lead going into Trois-Rivières, as I've never been there before," Fidani said. "It will give me a little bit of a buffer there."

Tomlinson rounded out his first event in the Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin with his second third-place finish.

UP NEXT

Rounds 7 and 8 are scheduled for July 31-Aug. 2 during the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. For live updates on all the action, follow @IMSALive on Twitter. For live timing, visit scoring.imsa.com.

For more information about Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin, visit www.imsa.com, follow hashtag #GT3CAN @IMSA on Twitter or IMSA on Facebook.

ROUND 5 POST-RACE QUOTES:

SCOTT HARGROVE (No. 25 OpenRoad Racing, winner): "First off, me and Daniel (Morad) got a great start. I think he gave me a little push down the front straight. It was pretty fun. My head, it gave me whiplash down the front straight. I knew Chris (Green) was fast, and I wasn't really sure how fast he was. He caught me right away, so I just looked in my mirrors and made sure he was never close enough to pass me. But I never knew whether I could pull out or whether he had more speed, as well. It was a little bit nerve-wracking. But with about 15 minutes to go, I started to push the gas a little harder and was able to get a bit of a gap. But at the same time, I saw Daniel coming in the mirror, and then he passed Chris no problem and was coming at me really quick. So it was a good thing I went when I did. Otherwise, I think Daniel would have caught us. Overall, a great race. Really happy with the OpenRoad Racing Porsche."

DANIEL MORAD (No. 22 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports, third): "I was at a disadvantage going into the race because Scott (Hargrove) and Chris (Green) had both raced here last year. They had an understanding of how the tires degrade through the race, and I was kind of winging it. Fortunately, I kind of guessed right. Alegra Motorsport and Porsche Centre Oakville gave me a great car. We really worked hard through testing, more so on a race setup than a qualifying setup. We knew we wouldn't be as fast in terms of alternate pace as the others. We know that this place is really hard on tires, so we focused on that, and by the end we were flying."

CHRIS GREEN (No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports, third): "When you're the following car, normally the fronts (tires) go pretty quickly. I was trying to leave a little bit of open air between us, and I was in control of the car. But obviously I didn't leave enough and came third."

MARCO CIRONE (No. 88 Mark Motors Racing, first Platinum Masters): "In qualifying and in practice, we had a problem with our brake bias cable. It broke. I was completely lost with my braking, and I spun off the track a couple of times (in qualifying). I had some flat spots on my tires, and we figured if I start with those tires, I'll have no chance whatsoever. So we gambled. We put new tires on and started at the back, and fortunately everything went OK for us. I wasn't able to catch Daniel (Morad). He drove a great race. My hat's off to him and his team. Chris (Green) is always fast. Scott (Hargrove), he's my hero." (How do you keep your cool when climbing from the back of the field?): "I have to thank my team for keeping me very calm and relaxed. From the pits, they told me: 'You have lots of time ... This is your pace ... Be very careful ... Pick your spots ... Don't do anything stupid.' They kept me in the right frame of mind, so I have to thank them for me being so cool out there."

TIM SANDERSON (No. 07 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports, second Platinum Masters): "We conserved our tires, so we had some left at the end. I felt good about that. It was obvious that some people didn't have the same luck with their tires. That's what it's all about at this track. You just have to try to stay cool and stay out of trouble. We had a little bit of rubbing out there, but it was entertaining racing. We had three of us running nose to tail there for a while, but it was entertaining. Very happy with our finish."

CARLOS DE QUESADA (No. 50 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports, third Platinum Masters): "Taking it easy out there. I was just really trying to conserve my tires. I started to dial everyone back in toward three-quarters of the race, and the car was good the whole way. I had a good battle with Tim Sanderson, and we had fun. So it was a good race."

MICHAEL DE QUESADA (No. 24 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports, winner Gold Cup): (About pit stop midway through race): "I knew it was the same (problem) as yesterday, but it was a lot worse this time. Once it hit the limit, it wouldn't go any faster. Once it started popping, that was it, so I brought it in. My awesome guys fixed it and got me right back out there, and I was just able to wheel it home." (How did you stay calm when you returned to race?): "I kind of was at peace. I said, 'You either win or you lose.' You have nothing to lose at this point. Just go and do your best. I'm really happy right now. It's great for everybody."

SHAUN McKAIGUE (No. 34 Fiorano Racing, second Gold Cup): "We had a good run. Michael (de Quesada) was amazing. Hat's off to him. Gianni (Panico, team owner) gave me a good car, but Michael just motored away. I had some fun with (Martin) Harvey. I had some good fun with Orey (Fidani), so it was a lot of fun for us. The tires held on. I was just trying to save the tires, make sure I had something to finish, not make a mistake and keep it neat and tidy. The Michelins held on pretty good for us, so we're pretty pleased."

RON TOMLINSON (No. 48 Mark Motors Racing, third Gold Cup): "I'm just happy to finish. It was a good race. I was just starting to get comfortable. I just really enjoyed myself out there. It was great."

ROUND 6 POST-RACE QUOTES:

SCOTT HARGROVE (No. 25 OpenRoad Racing, winner): "Two wins today. It's not often that you get to do two races in one day, and you kind of get the high from both of them in the same day. So that was fun. We learned a lot from this morning. I think I pushed the tires a little too hard in the morning, in the beginning, and so at the end Daniel (Morad) was closing in pretty quick. I got a lead on the start and then held it, held a constant pace, and that caused a bit of a train behind me. I knew I had more in the tank. I just maintained the gap and tires under me. Great job to the OpenRoad Racing guys. Couldn't be more thrilled with the results."

CHRIS GREEN (No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports, second): "Good job to Scott (Hargrove). (About scoring points toward title): "It's really difficult for me because the team says, 'Don't worry about Scott, let him go,' and just kind of sit there in second place. It's not really what a race car driver wants to do, but at the end of the day, thinking about the championship, thinking about the series, and we do have a 15-, 16-point lead now. So four races to go, 60 percent done with the season and looking forward to my home race in Trois-Rivières."

DANIEL MORAD (No. 22 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports, third): "In terms of physicality, two races in one day was no problem. These cars are easy to drive, and I train quite frequently. It was more of a mental game, making sure you keep focus for two long races. It's hard enough driving on the 401 over here, but racing here at the limit with other great drivers like Scott (Hargrove) and Chris (Green), it takes it out of you mentally. So I'm going to have a nice sleep tonight, for sure. I had a great weekend - two podiums, great points, considering in Toronto we had a win but we also had a DNF. A more consistent weekend, and I said it before and I'll say it again, points make prizes."

MARCO CIRONE (No. 88 Mark Motors Racing, first Platinum Masters): "It was a lot of tire management here. I think the first five cars were doing a really fabulous job. It was like a train there for a while, and I was really proud to keep up with the top of the field. Then it seemed like Harry (Steenbakkers) and I started battling a little bit, and I think we were being a little too careful, and that allowed Daniel (Morad) to pull a little bit from us, and Tim (Sanderson) caught us from behind. Then the yellow flag happened, and there was no more racing after that. I want to say thank you so much to my team and Mark Motors for hosting the hospitality tent and having all of their people here. A great organization. I'm so proud to be a part of it."

TIM SANDERSON (No. 07 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports, second Platinum Masters): (About catching Harry Steenbakkers and Marco Cirone just before race-ending caution period): "I'm not sure whether we started going fast or those two guys started going a bit slower, but it was a good little battle to watch in front of me. I thought if we got three or four more laps, I think I could have had a shot at one of them, if not both of them. It's a little frustrating to see a double yellow and finish under it, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I kept the car clean and had a nice, consistent race, so I was happy with the results."

CARLOS DE QUESADA (No. 50 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports, third Platinum Masters): "Tim Sanderson had a great lead on me, I couldn't really do anything to catch up. My car was pushing quite a bit, and I just didn't have what it takes to catch up. They drove great."

MICHAEL DE QUESADA (No. 24 Alegra/Porsche Centre Oakville Motorsports, winner Gold Cup): "It's great. It's awesome. I just made sure not to get in any trouble. We fixed the problem with the car, and everything was perfect." (Are you thinking about a title run?): "We'll see. I don't know yet. I hope I can."

OREY FIDANI (No. 13 Pfaff Motorsports, second Gold Cup): "That was pretty important to keep the (Gold Cup championship) lead going into Trois-Rivières, as I've never been there before. It will give me a little bit of a buffer there." (About sweep by Michael de Quesada): "The kid is good. He can race. And it's good to see. I'm just going to take it as it is and do my best and not worry about it or stress myself out."

RON TOMLINSON (No. 48 Mark Motors Racing, third Gold Cup): "It couldn't have gone any better. Just perfect. A pile of fun."

Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin

The Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin enters its fifth season in 2015 ready to produce more intense, exciting competition for semi-professional and aspiring professional drivers in the world's most produced and iconic race car, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned championship is one of 20 global Porsche single-make Cup Racing series and is the perfect platform for aspiring drivers to ascend to the highest levels of GT competition, such as the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

Racing is divided into two classes - Platinum Cup, featuring the 2014 and 2015 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, which is based on the seventh, and current, generation of the street car; and Gold Cup, which is comprised of the previous iteration (model years 2010-2013) of the race car. A Masters Championship also is conducted in the Platinum class. Each class is awarded with its own podium at the end of every race and individual champion at the end of every season. Points are awarded by finish in class.

ABOUT IMSA

The International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 with a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda, as well as four single-make series: Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama; Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin; Ferrari Challenge North America; and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. IMSA - a company within the NASCAR Holdings group - is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected TUDOR Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.