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- Category: Road Racing
June 23, 2022
Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec – Entered in the American Formula 2000 series (Formula Race Promotions) this season, the Quebec driver Jean-Christophe Trahan took advantage of a break in the series’ schedule to return to Formula 1600 for the two races contested this past weekend at the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada.
As last year’s Canadian F1600 runner-up, Jean-Christophe arrived to the site with hopes of a first victory at the Grand Prix, which was back on the calendar after a two-year break. Driving a Spectrum car, he started off by refamiliarizing himself at the wheel of a Formula 1600, cars without wings, unlike the F2000 that he drives in the United States. « I was over-driving a little during the practice session on Friday morning. I had to reacquaint myself with the limits of the car and get accustomed to the circuit Gilles-Villeneuve once again » confided Trahan.
After the sunny skies and hot temperatures on Friday, Saturday morning brought the drivers cold and wet weather just in time for the qualifying session. This didn’t phase Jean-Christophe, who thrives in these tricky track conditions. Unfortunately, a mechanical problem prevented him from recording any fast laps and he had to settle for sixteenth time, out of twenty-five cars. « The gears were popping out all the time and I had to enter the pits so that the Remstar Racing technicians could fix the problem. Qualifying was a short session and it was impossible for the mechanics to resolve it in such little time » explained the driver from Ste-Thérèse.
The team worked feverishly to fix the issue, enabling Trahan to make it to the starting grid just in time for the start of the first race that afternoon. « Two minutes longer and I wouldn’t have been able to begin the race! » he exclaimed, before specifying: « Our technicians performed some remarkable work and the gearbox held up ».
That race, in the rain, saw Jean-Christophe Trahan move up from sixteenth spot to twelfth place as of the first turn. By the end of the first lap, he had passed a total of seven competitors to then sit in ninth place. By the end of the second lap, three more drivers were behind him, moving him to sixth just before the first yellow flag. Once this restarted, he gained another two spots to find himself in fourth overall.
A second yellow flag then happened and seeing as one of the drivers ahead of him got penalized for having retaken his position under the yellow flag, Trahan finished the race in third spot. « It’s frustrating that the race wasn’t longer but on the other hand, I’m thrilled with my comeback » mentioned the driver, who gained 13 places in less that three full laps of green flag!
In addition, Trahan recorded the fastest lap time of the race, earning him pole position for the second round of the weekend, Sunday morning, just a few hours before the start of the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada.
With the sun shining once again, victory was in Jean-Christophe sights. However, as of the first lap, the gearbox issues resurfaced. « Right from the first turn, I was incapable of down-shifting properly. I had to keep one hand permanently on the shifter and only hold the steering wheel with the other hand. I just couldn’t continue like that and had to return to the pits » he explained.
He returned to the track shortly thereafter but was only able to make one slow lap before having to quit. « It’s obviously disappointing to not have been able to show our full potential. Nonetheless, I am really pleased with Saturday’s podium in really trying conditions. At times, it seemed like there was a wall of water falling right in front of my car! Sunday’s pole position should’ve led to the crowning glory of our performance but that’s motorsports! » indicated the MF Racing and Gestion Lux Automotive driver. « Thanks also to Stéphen Roy (Excavation Gestec Inc.) and John Annis for their support, which allowed me to contest this event; and obviously to my parents, as well » concluded Jean-Christophe Trahan.
The next outing in the United Stated for the Quebec driver will be another doubleheader in the American F2000 series, this time at the Autobahn Country Club, in Illinois (July 8th - 10th). He’ll looking to earn his fourth victory of the season, despite being a rookie in the series.
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June 15, 2022
Toronto, Ontario – Nu-Era Logistics has been named an official partner of the Honda Indy Toronto as the motorsport festival featuring the NTT INDYCAR SERIES makes its return to Exhibition Place next month, July 15-17, for the first time since 2019.
In addition to sponsoring the event, Nu-Era Logistics Special Projects Division will be a key contributor to the track build inside the Exhibition Place grounds which began Monday. Upon completion, the temporary street circuit will consist of 11 turns and extend 2.874 kilometres (1.786 miles).
“Nu-Era Logistics is honoured to partner with Honda Indy Toronto and contribute toward the construction of this racing event site. Once the extensive work is complete, racing’s return to downtown Toronto will be the most anticipated event of the summer in Ontario,” said Jeff De Sousa, president of Nu-Era Logistics. “The partnership is a great fit for our company as it allows us to support a major community event while lending our expertise to the construction process.”
Nu-Era Logistics, a leader in the transportation industry, will provide equipment and help transport materials to the track construction site. In total over 2,050 steel-reinforced barriers made using more than 10 million pounds (4.5 million kilograms) of concrete will be positioned. Fencing spanning four kilometres made from approximately 410,000 pounds (185,000 kilograms) of steel will be erected, and nearly half a kilometre of tire wall barriers will line the course. Concrete barrier block placement has begun along Manitoba and Ontario Drives.
“We are excited to partner with Nu-Era Logistics and grateful to have the company supporting the efforts of our track build team as we bring racing back to Toronto,” said Jeff Atkinson, president of Honda Indy Toronto. “For the first time since 2019, we look forward to turning the streets surrounding Exhibition Place into a world-class race track, and Nu-Era Logistics will be an integral part of that transformation.”
After fans and festival goers missed out on this Toronto tradition the last two summers, the 34th edition of the annual event resumes. The temporary course at Exhibition Place has a long and storied history on the INDYCAR annual schedule, ranking second only to the Long Beach, Calif. stop in years run amongst street courses and is the U.S.-based series’ only international race. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Sunday, July 17th again headlines the weekend filled with on track and off track activities.
2-Day Grandstand and General Admission are available offering the best weekend value. Pricing starts at $95 for 2-Day Grandstand seating, and 2-Day Weekend General Admission is $75. Single Day General Admission is $50 for Saturday and $60 for Sunday while Single Day Grandstand tickets start at $75 and $85 for Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Children 12 and under are admitted free (general admission) with a ticketed adult providing an exceptional family value.
Honda Fan Friday returns for the 11th year offering complimentary general admission on Friday, July 15, courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation by festival-goers. Honda Canada Foundation matches dollar for dollar the contributions received on the event weekend. Over $820,000 has been raised in 10 years for Make-A-Wish® Canada.
Other items on sale to upgrade the Honda Indy Toronto experience include Pit and INDYCAR Paddock Passes. A Pit Pass includes the Paddock Pass and provides access to pitlane during practice, qualifying and pre-race for INDYCAR plus all of the on track sessions for the support race series. A Paddock Pass provides entrance into “the locker room of motorsports” to see the cars and drivers up close.
Honda Indy Toronto is an unforgettable weekend for the whole family. The event’s Rookie Racers program immerses the youngest attendees into the sport with fun experiences. Thunder Alley will be filled with numerous activities and interactive displays. New and diverse food options and additional festival gathering points will continue to upgrade the experience for 2022.
All attendees are encouraged to use Toronto’s GO Lakeshore West Train to Exhibition Station for the easiest commute without the worry of traffic or parking at the Honda Indy Toronto. For $90, Go Transit is offering a combo ticket which includes 2-Day General Admission and two daily round trip fares for transportation to and from the event. Single day combo options are also available at hondaindy.com/GO. Children 12 and under ride free on Go Transit.
For complete ticket pricing and festival information, visit hondaindy.com. The Honda Indy Toronto weekend schedule will be released soon.
About Nu-Era Logistics
Nu-Era Logistics, a local player on the global stage, has a deep-rooted history in transportation and logistics. Growing from a family run local service in 2008, to an international full-service provider, their offerings include specialty projects in transportation and warehousing (bringing you the Honda Indy) to cross-border solutions here and across the globe. Nu-Era has taken the short track to transportation excellence and works tirelessly to promote positive experiences both in the office and on the road. Looking for turnkey solutions to keep your business on track – check them out at www.shipnuera.com.
About Honda Indy Toronto
Honda Indy Toronto is a world-class motorsports festival which takes place annually on a 2.874-kilometer, 11-turn temporary circuit using the streets surrounding Exhibition Place near Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto. The event features many attractions, food trucks, interactive displays and activities, and supports local charities. Honda Fan Friday offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation.
Over $820,000 has been raised in ten years for Make-A-Wish® Canada. As one of Ontario's largest annual sporting events with the first race held in 1986 first known as the Molson Indy, it has become a prestigious meeting place for some of the world’s fastest race car drivers including past NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions like Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power as well as Canadian racing greats Scott Goodyear, James Hinchcliffe, Greg Moore, Alex Tagliani, Paul Tracy, Jacques Villeneuve, Robert Wickens, and more.
Canadians Dalton Kellett and Devlin DeFrancesco will be in this year’s starting field. Honda Indy Toronto is owned and operated by Green Savoree Toronto, ULC, whose affiliates also promote three additional INDYCAR races, Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (Feb. 25-27, 2022), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 1-3, 2022), and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 2-4, 2022).
For more information, visit hondaindy.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @HondaIndyToronto or follow the event on Twitter @HondaIndy and Instagram @HondaIndy using #indyTO.
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- Category: Road Racing
May 22, 2022
Bowmanville, Ontario – After an exciting qualifying round Saturday morning in the Sports Car Championship Canada (SCCC) presented by Michelin race series with 14 cars in the TCR class and six cars in the GT4 class, the first of two scheduled races at the Castrol Victoria Day Speedfest was cancelled Saturday afternoon following a severe thunderstorm that pummeled Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. There was extensive damage to the teams’ equipment and paddock setups, in addition to other weather-related issues.
Following a meeting that FEL Motorsports held with the teams and drivers, it was determined that the field of 20 cars could not run equitable points races and needed to cancel the weekend’s races and will look at options to make up the two races at a later date. Details will be announced as soon as possible.
Sports Car Championship Canada (SCCC) is a series of races open to GT4 and TCR sports cars. The series now in its second year is a Canadian national championship. SCCC is organized by FEL Motorsports which is involved in revitalizing and reinvesting in motorsports in Canada.
Launched last year, the SCCC race series saw some of the best sports car teams and drivers in Canada competing for prizes and money.
FEL Motorsports
FEL Motorsports grew out of a deep base of automotive roots from FEL Automotive Learning and Promotion. FEL Motorsports is focused on growth and sustainability in the Canadian Motorsports landscape by giving back to its teams through prizing and prize money.
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May 24, 2022
Bowmanville, Ontario – In a rain-filled weekend the 22 Racing drivers continued to stack up their points at the first road course race of the season. The eBay Motors 200 at the infamous Canadian Tire Motorsport Park saw Alex Tagliani finish 2nd and Treyten Lapcevich finish 6th.
During practice on Saturday Tagliani established a good pace in his No. 18 Viagra / St Hubert Chevrolet Camaro with the 6th fastest time. It may have been only Lapcevich’s second time running at CTMP but he proved that he was a top contender by holding the fastest practice time until the very end when L.P. Dumoulin bumped him down to 2nd.
During practice Lapcevich tried a new strategy that sent him into the wall in turn 3. The 22 Racing team got to work quickly attempting to repair the No. 20 RGC / Qwick Wick / FBM Chevrolet Camaro.
Only an hour after practice some severe weather rolled into the area. It seemingly came out of nowhere, forcing everyone at the track to take cover. It only lasted a short amount of time but caused serious damage at the track: trees were ripped out of the ground, picnic tables were blown away, camp trailers were flipped over, and the power went out. Due to the weather and the time needed to repair the track, qualifying was cancelled. The drivers would be starting the race in order based on their practice times.
The 22 Racing team arrived back at the track early Sunday morning to continue making repairs to Lapcevich’s car. It began to rain again and the teams were forced to start the race under wet conditions with their rain tires on. At 1:30 the command to start the engines was given and the eBay Motors 200 was finally underway.
The race featured a long green flag run. Lapcevich tried to find his footing in his first race in the rain. Tagliani was working hard to get his car up to the front. Both Lapcevich and Tagliani came in for fuel and new tires under active pit stop conditions.
With two cautions and a brief red flag within the last 3 laps anything could happen. In the final lap Kevin Lacroix made a move on the 1st place driver Gary Klutt, this opened up the 2nd place spot for Alex Tagliani. Tagliani finished 2nd for the second year in a row at CTMP. Treyten Lapcevich finished 6th. This put Tagliani 3rd in the championship points standings and Lapcevich 2nd, only 2 points behind leader Kevin Lacroix.
The eBay Motors 200 will air on TSN on Saturday, May 28, at 4:00 p.m. ET. The race will also air on RDS2 on Sunday, June 12, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Next The NASCAR Pinty’s Series and 22 Racing Team will be heading to Autodrome Chaudière on Saturday, June 11, 2022.
About 22 Racing
22 Racing is owned by Four-Time NASCAR Pinty’s Series Champion and Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Inductee Scott Steckly. 22 Racing provides highly competitive race cars built in their world-class 7,500 square foot Milverton-based facility and maintained by a team of highly experienced crew members. 22 Racing offers turnkey solutions that range from research and development, construction, testing, logistics to marketing support.
Visit 22racing.ca for additional details and a list of previous notable drivers the team has prepared cars for.
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May 16, 2022
The traditional sights and sounds of auto racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on the May long weekend will finally return this weekend with the Castrol Victoria Day SpeedFest.
The event will be an all-Canadian display of racing action, with the NASCAR Pinty’s Series main event going green on Sunday May 22 for the eBay Motors 200.
“This event has always been our “kick off” to the summer season, and we would not be able to keep this tradition alive without the great support of our partners at Castrol, Canadian Tire, Chevrolet, and others,” said CTMP President and General Manager, Myles Brandt. “We’re also very pleased to have eBay Motors as the new title sponsor for the NASCAR Pinty’s Series race, and we’re very excited of course to have all of our loyal fans back once again at the track.”
The weekend event will also feature exciting action from the FEL SportsCar Championship Canada presented by Michelin, Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin, Nissan Sentra Cup, and the Super Production Challenge.
Great off-track action and access to paddock areas is included with the purchase of an event ticket. The Canadian Tire Fun Zone features excitement and action for kids of all ages, while the CTMP Marketplace will feature food vendors, displays, and other interactive booths. On Saturday night there will be a live band playing in the CTMP Marketplace, and don't forget about the traditional Victoria Day Weekend fireworks display on later on Saturday night!
Advanced discount tickets are available until May 18th. Children 16 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult. Limited Reserved Camping sites located trackside (some of the best seats in the house), General & RV camping sites, and VIP Hospitality packages are also available.
For more info or to purchase tickets please visit us at canadiantiremotorsportpark.com
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