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Trois-Rivieres, Quebec – The Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Pirelli (CTCC) ventured out to the picturesque Circuit de Trois-Rivieres for the series’ first doubleheader of 2021.

Carved out of the streets of the idyllic town, 10 of Canada’s fiercest touring car competitors took to the track in three classes, GTS1, GTS2 and TCR. With the GP3R being a staple event on the calendar since 2008, a win on the streets Trois-Rivieres is one of the most special things a driver can accomplish.

After winning the pole earlier in the day GTS2 competitor Benoit Bergeron was determined to score his first career touring car victory at GP3R. Bergeron’s No.27 Ferrari 488 Challenge took command from the start, Bergeron would lead Martin Harvey (No.9 Porsche GT3 Cup) by a significant margin after the first lap. With Harvey being hounded by Mario Guerin, the No.72 Ferrari 458 would suffer a mechanical issue a handful of laps in ending Guerin’s race early.

The only yellow of the day would fly after TCR competitor Jocelyn Hebert (No.89 Honda Civic Type R TCR FK7) made contact with the wall in the final corner, damaging the right front wheel well of the car putting an abrupt end to his race.

Over on the TCR side, it was a tense battle between brothers Gary and Tom Kwok (Nos.66 & 55 Honda Civic Type R TCR FK7) for the victory. Gary, the 2019 TCR champion, gave his brother everything he had as third place LP Montour (No.45 VW Golf GTI TCR) was further back after suffering slight damage on the first lap.

In the end, nobody would have anything for Benoit Bergeron as he would take the win in GTS2 and the overall victory.

“It feels great,” Bergeron said. “It’s only my second race here at Trois-Rivieres, we came here with a great car and a great team, I’m really happy to get the win.”

Martin Harvey and Mario Guerin would round out the GTS2 finishers. Meanwhile in GTS1, Michel Sallenbach (No.46 Mini Coupe JCW) would best Samuel Laquerre (No.21 Honda Civic Si) to claim his first win of the weekend.

“It was a nice win,” Sallenbach said. “I know Samuel [Laquerre] very well as we raced in the series many years ago together, so it was very nice to race with him again.”

Finally in TCR, Tom Kwok would best his brother Gary to pickup his first CTCC wins since 2019. Despite a late race retirement, LP Montour completed the podium for his first podium in GP3R.

“It was a very hot today,” Kwok said. “I’m very happy to get the win.”

Race Two

Race two would see a similar story, but with ten times the added drama.

Once again Bergeron would start on the pole, and would lead quite convincingly into turn one. Despite the car appearing to be fixed, Guerin wasn’t able complete the first lap as he pulled onto pit road on the pace lap and retired the car.

Tom Kwok once again flexed his muscles leading the way in TCR, his brother Gary in hot pursuit the two Kwok brothers put on another spirited battle for the ages. Around the 20 minute mark of the race, Gary would finally find his way around Tom to take the lead.

In the final closing laps, Tom would suffer a mechanical issue that would end his race early. The mechanical failure allowed Montour and Hebert to move up to second and third. In the closing laps, nobody could touch Bergeron who nearly had a full lap advantage on the field.

With roughly two laps to go, disaster struck. Bergeron would run out of fuel, allowing Harvey to take the lead and the win in GTS2.

“I’m very very happy,” said Harvey on the podium. “We started number two today and Benoit had more power than us, however with two laps to go he started losing power and I was able to win the race!.”

Over in the GTS1 class, Michel Sallenbach was able to sweep the weekend with Samuel Laquerre completing the podium.

Gary Kwok would hold off both Montour and Hebert in order to take his first win of the weekend, ending GP3R with a second and a first place finish.

“It’s great to win at GP3R,” said Kwok. “I can’t wait to come back next year and try to win it again.”

With Hebert’s podium, he became the record holder for podiums at GP3R with 25. One of the CTCC’s iconic drivers, Hebert has been racing at the Grand Prix in one form or another for over three decades.

For complete results can be found on touringcar.ca, and fans can follow our social media @CTCCRacing.

About CTCC

CTCC presented by Pirelli is a Sports Car Racing Championship and a leader in Canadian motorsport. It provides race fans with close and exciting competition between some of Canada’s finest and fastest race car drivers. CTCC takes pride in the fact that it’s Canadian owned and operated, and that it’s one of the longest-running professional sports car series in Canada. It showcases race cars based on their original street version since 2007.

Experience the rush of CTCC racing

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Category: Road Racing

Bowmanville, Ontario – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is pleased to announce that racing will go ahead on the September long weekend this year with the CTMP Labour Day Weekend Sprints event on September 3rd to 5th, with limited spectators.

It will be an exciting weekend of Canadian racing content with the NASCAR Pinty’s Series competing on both Saturday and Sunday. Also racing will be the Nissan Sentra Cup, FEL Sports Car Championship Canada presented by Michelin, Emzone Radical Cup Canada presented by Michelin, and Toyo Tires F1600 Series.

A limited number of tickets for the event are now on sale. Tickets are being sold exclusively online. No tickets are available at the gate so that all contact tracing information can be completed in advance. Only Weekend SuperTickets and Sunday tickets are available for purchase - no Friday and Saturday-only tickets will be sold. Camping is available for the event and must be purchased with a Weekend Superticket as usual.

As with all CTMP events, admission is free for children aged 16 and under when accompanied by an adult with an admission ticket. During the checkout process online, fans will be required to provide names for each person in their party, including ages of children, as they will be issuing wristbands at the gate for this event.

All spectators will be required to wear a mask while on the property, except when eating, drinking, or while at their campsite and with their family members.

Advanced Pricing for tickets will be available until Wednesday, August 18th at Midnight.

Click HERE for ticket details or to place your order now!

Follow us at @CTMPofficial for details and updates as we look forward to a great long weekend event in September!

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Category: Road Racing

Mount-Albert, Ontario – Gavin Sanders is gearing up for his first-ever participation at the famed Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R) this weekend in the Nissan Sentra Cup.

Trois-Rivières has been the host of the annual GP3R since 1967. The urban track, located in the middle of the city, has seen some of the best drivers, like James Hunt, Gilles Villeneuve, Ron Fellows, Jacques Villeneuve and more.

It will be a first for Sanders, as last year's event was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic. The #10 MOTOMASTER / Fat Bastard Burrito / Braidan Motorsport Nissan Sentra driver has never done the 2.46 km, 11-turn track, except on his simulator. "I am definitely excited to race at the GP3R as it will be my first time," stated Gavin. "It will be a challenge as most Sentra Cup drivers have already competed there before."

The GP3R is renowned for its close walls and intense racing, which does not faze Gavin; "I am not afraid of a good challenge, and the layout of the track will make for great racing!" Sanders is in a great position in the Championship battle, being amongst the top runners. "There is a total of 106 points up for grabs at the GP3R; 50 points per win, 2 points for pole position and 2 points for the fastest lap during each race. The title is very much still on the table and will be until the end of the season, which is as equally exciting for us as it is for our fans!"

All Nissan Sentra Cup sessions will be live from the Coupe Nissan Sentra Cup Facebook page.

Saturday, August 14
- Qualifying @ 9:25 AM
- Race 1 @ 2 PM

Sunday, August 15
- Race 2 @ 11:50 AM

Renewed Partnership

Gavin Sanders is thrilled to confirm that MOTOMASTER has been renewed as a major partner for the remainder of the season. "I am very happy that MOTOMASTER is finishing the season with us. We have a real chance at winning the Sentra Cup Championship, and that wouldn't be possible without the support of our great partners."

"I want to take this opportunity to thank Fat Bastard Burrito, who graciously gave us delicious burritos at Shannonville; we definitely made some people jealous in the paddocks! I have also been able to keep my Sentra squeaky clean because of SIMONIZ cleaning products. I am thankful and lucky to have partners who are this involved."

Nissan Sentra Cup Calendar

June 25- 27 : Races 1 & 2 - Shannonville
July 23 – 25 : Races 2 & 3 - Circuit Mont-Tremblant
August 13 – 15: Races 4 & 5 – Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières
August 27 – 29: Races 6 & 7 – Circuit ICAR
September 3 – 5 : Races 8 & 9 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Septembre 23 – 26: Races 11 & 12 – Circuit Mont-Tremblant

www.sentracup.com

About Braidan Motorsport

Braidan Motorsport is a family owned business that has been operating since 2006. They provide a variety of products and services that cater to every aspect of your automotive needs including street, track and off road. Braidan Motorsport products are available at braidanmotorsport.com and 9939 Markham Road, Markham, Ontario. 905.209.7979

About Fat Bastard Burrito

When you eat at Fat Bastard Burrito, you`ll taste the long hours we put into perfecting our craft. We are obsessed with Burritos, and love what we do. We wanted to take the Toronto burrito scene to the next level, so we created our own unique flavours and toppings. Fat Bastard Burrito offers a broad menu exclusive to burritos, quesadillas and Tacos.

Our goal is to bring you the freshest and most exclusive flavours available anywhere on the planet. We have spent countless hours finding suppliers with the best products that meet our high standards. We use only federally inspected meats and our in house preparation combined with traditional cooking methods at the store level, make our products cleaner, fresher, healthier and taste better. We invite you to give us a try. We won’t disappoint.

About MOTOMASTER

For drivers who won’t compromise on the safety or performance of their vehicle, MOTOMASTER confidently offers Canadians a wide selection of proven quality products including auto parts, equipment, fluids, tires, and more. MOTOMASTER ensures that its products are independently tested and backed by industry-leading warranties so you can count on your vehicle when you it most. Since 1933, MOTOMASTER has been anticipating the needs of Canadian drivers working tirelessly to deliver quality that meets or exceeds what’s expected. MOTOMASTER automotive parts and products are exclusively available at Canadian Tire.

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Category: Road Racing

Shannonville, Ontario – The Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Pirelli heads to the famed Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières for Rounds three and four of the 2021 season. Round three will see the return of the highly anticipated Friday night race under the lights, before concluding the weekend on Saturday morning.

GP3R has been a fixture on the CTCC calendar since 2008, and after being cancelled for 2020 season due to the pandemic, the drivers are excited to get back racing on the streets of Trois-Rivières.

The 2021 edition will feature some of the most talented drivers in Canadian sports car racing, including local icon Jocelyn Hebert.

“Of course we’re excited to race at the GP3R,” said TCR competitor Jocelyn Hebert. “It will be the first race there in two years, and the team is very excited. It’s our home track and we’re bringing three cars, it’s the first major event in Canada and it will be a great weekend for us and our sponsors.”

The CTCC also welcomes back many drivers that have been away from the sport for a while. After a hiatus from the series of seven years, Samuel Laquerre will be back piloting a Honda Civic Si with the 89Racing Team. He will be joined by teammate Daniel Blanchette, whose last appearance was in 2018.

For the first time since 2018, Michel Sallenbach will return to the championship with his bright orange Mini Coupe JCW R58 with Team Octane.

With a large number of the drivers hailing from the province of Quebec, it gives many of the competitors a chance to race at their home track in front of their family and fans.

“Trois-Rivières is my hometown,” said General Manager of the CTCC, Dominique Bondar. “I’ve been coming to the event since I was a kid, and to see it return in 2021 is very near and dear to my heart. It’s absolutely incredible to see what can happen when a community rallies together in order to make such a marquee event happen.”

Being the first major event of its kind in Canada, GP3R will be run with provincially mandated health guidelines in effect. However, the health regulations will allow the sport to get back to what it does best, bring hype back to the city and putting on a spectacular show for the fans. With the safety of the competitors, fans and crew at the utmost importance, the guidelines will help ensure everything goes off safely.

To know more about CTCC, visit our website at www.touringcar.ca. You can follow CTCC on social media via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @CTCCracing or tag us using our hashtag #CTCCracing.

About CTCC

CTCC presented by Pirelli is a Sports Car Racing Championship and a leader in Canadian motorsport. It provides race fans with close and exciting competition between some of Canada’s finest and fastest race car drivers. CTCC takes pride in the fact that it’s Canadian owned and operated, and that it’s one of the longest-running professional sports car series in Canada. It showcases race cars based on their original street version since 2007.

Experience the rush of CTCC racing!