Posted by admin on in Verizon IndyCar Series

Unser, Klutt Capture Indy Pro-Am Victory

INDIANAPOLIS – Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. and his amateur partner, Peter Klutt, were the winners of the Charity Indy Legends Pro-Am race Sunday on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Sportscar Vintage Racing Ass’n served as the sanctioning body of the three-day Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational where more than 700 race cars competed in 12 different race groups on the IMS road course.

The event, which also featured exhibition runs on the famed 2.5-mile IMS oval, gave race fans the opportunity to meet drivers, get close to historic race cars and speak with knowledgeable car owners. The Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational marked the first time that a vintage racing series has ever competed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

As the feature event of the inaugural Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational, the Charity Indy Legends Pro-Am race teamed former Indianapolis 500 drivers with amateur partners during a 45-minute race. The cars used in the Charity Legends Pro-Am race were 1963 to 1972 vintage Chevrolet Corvettes and Camaros, and Ford Mustangs.

Unser Jr. and Klutt won the race while sharing the driving duties in Klutt’s No. 42C 1969 Chevrolet Corvette, with six-time Indianapolis 500 starter and four-time top-10 finisher Eliseo Salazar and his partner Gary Moore finishing second in Moore’s No. 98B 1965 Mustang GT350. Rounding out the podium in third place was two-time Indianapolis 500 starter Willy T. Ribbs, who drove the No. 5 1972 Corvette owned by his driving partner Ed Sevadjian.

“It feels great,” Unser Jr. said. “I just want to thank Tony Parella [Sportscar Vintage Racing Ass’n President and CEO] for inviting us, and also Peter Klutt for a beautiful car. That Corvette was just gone and it handled super. It’s great to be back here at Indy.”

Posted by admin on in Miscellaneous News

CTCC at the Canadian Grand Prix from Montreal

Toronto (ON), June 2, 2014 – Montreal’s Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve is the site for Rounds three and four of the Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) presented by Continental Tire on the June 6-8 weekend.

In previous CTCC appearances on this historical track, the technically challenging 4.36km track has proven to be a true test for the touring car entrants. The long straightaways strain the motors and transmissions of the cars to their limits, and the multiple tight corners, with their minimal room for error, combine to challenge both the car’s brakes and the driver’s skill.

Despite the many obstacles presented by the Île Notre-Dame facility, various teams and drivers have succeeded there, earning a well-deserved place in the CTCC record books. For the first time in CTCC history, four female drivers will be taking their places in the Super and Touring Class fields.

Nathalie Henault, wife of fellow Super Class driver Roger Ledoux, is a veteran of Québec regional racing, and in her CTCC debut at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, guided her #20 Quickseries Subaru to a fourth place overall finish. Joining Henault in the Super class battles will be Valerie Chiasson in the #26 Lombardi-prepared Honda. Although a CTCC rookie, Chiasson has years of karting and Toyota Cup experience to draw upon in her inaugural series appearance.

Touring Class will also be introducing two female drivers as Alain Lauziere, the Team Manager for Octane Motorsports has earned a reputation for spotting talent; this year, he has recruited two rookies for his Touring Class MINI Cooper racing effort. Added to the team’s multi-car lineup this season are Gormley, ON’s Samantha Tan (#45) and Marie-France Gagne (#49), wife of fellow Team Octane driver Eric Lacouture. Both drivers are coming away from the season opener with Top 10 results.

These four talented women will definitely add an extra dimension to the competition in this premiere racing series.

The annual Montréal appearance of the Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Continental Tire is regarded as one of the season highlights, both for the audience and the participants. The results are always unpredictable, but the on-track action makes the wait for a winner to be declared, well worthwhile.

In addition to the defending class champions, Scott Nicol and Damon Sharpe, other potential front runners at the Montreal doubleheader will include the Audette brothers, Remy (winner in the season’s opening two races) and Mathieu, Roger Ledoux, aboard his #4 Subaru, the three-time CTCC champion Nick Wittmer plus a full complement of very talented drivers all hoping to beat the odds and climb the steps of the world famous podium.