Thomas Nepveu Takes On the Streets of Toronto
Posted by admin on in NASCAR Pinty's Series

Thomas Nepveu Takes On the Streets of Toronto
(Photo by Ray MacAloney / CDN-R.com)

 

Oka (Quebec), July 11, 2023 – Thomas Nepveu will be back racing in the streets of downtown Toronto this upcoming Friday for NASCAR Pinty’s Tiffany Gate Grand Prix. The event, located at Exhibition Place, will run in support of the INDYCAR championship, with thousands of spectators in attendance.

The Oka-native will be commandeering the #24 Evirum | Home Hardware Nepveu car once again. It will be a very different driving experience this time around, as he previously competed at the street track in single-seaters.

The narrow track is notoriously challenging, with rough surfaces, tight corners, and a high speed straightaway giving drivers a wide variety of obstacles and elements to contend with. Fortunately, Nepveu is already coming into the event with prior experience, having raced on the same track one year prior in the USF2000 series, where he stood on the podium in front of a home crowd.

“I’m really happy to be returning to downtown Toronto,” said Thomas. “I’ve had the opportunity to familiarize myself with this track. I had a strong race here last year and took home a second-place finish. It will be an interesting challenge to see how it feels to drive around here in a completely different type of car.”

He went on to add that “it’s a difficult track to master, so every lap counts when trying to get confidence and extract the most you can out of the car. I’ll be giving it my maximum effort in the practice session to reinforce my knowledge and adapt to the handling of the stock car. From there, it’s all about making sure I have a strong qualifying session to put us in the best position ahead of the race on Friday afternoon.”

The green flag for the Tiffany Gate Grand Prix of Toronto will be waved at 5:10pm ET on Friday, July 14th. The race will be broadcast live on the TSN+ app.

IMSA drivers join FEL Motorsports at the Honda Indy Toronto
Posted by admin on in FEL Motorsports

IMSA drivers join FEL Motorsports at the Honda Indy Toronto
 (Photo by Ray MacAloney / CDN-R.com)

 

ST. CATHARINES, ON (July 11, 2023) – Three IMSA drivers will compete in the Sports Car Championship Canada presented by Michelin at the 2023 Honda Indy Toronto on July 14,15,16.

IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR driver, Mark Wilkins, will compete in a Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR car. Mark will represent Hyundai alongside Hyundai Racing Canada TCR drivers Connor and Quinn Attrell.

IMSA TCR and LMP3 stand-out, James Vance, will pilot the FEL Motorsports Hyundai Veloster N TCA car alongside Bob Attrell who will pilot the other FEL Motorsports-owned TCA vehicle. James is not only a long time IMSA competitor, he has also been an Instructor for FEL on several automotive manufacturer drive events. James played an instrumental role in the Audi FIA Race Licence Program that FEL delivered for Audi Canada in 2018. James has been living in Florida for the past few years as he pursues his dream of being a full time IMSA driver.

Driver, Nick Galante, will round out the IMSA group of three in the GT4 class. Nick will be piloting one of the VPX Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4’s in the three Honda Indy Toronto races. Nick has been driving for Phil Frengs, Racing 2 End Alzheimers’ various racing programs, for the past six years. Racing 2 End Alzheimers’ has raised over $750,000 USD since it conception and and one hundred percent of the proceeds raised go to various Alzheimers’ associations around North America. To learn more about Racing 2 End Alzheimer’s check out the website by clicking here.

About 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.

For further information on FEL Motorsports visit felmotorsports.com

ST RACING SET TO DEBUT NEW FERRARI 296 GT3 AND ICONIC LIVERY AT 24 HOURS OF SPA
Posted by admin on in Miscellaneous News

ST RACING SET TO DEBUT NEW FERRARI 296 GT3 AND ICONIC LIVERY AT 24 HOURS OF SPA

June 27, 2023 — ST Racing with Rinaldi is thrilled to announce its participation in the highly anticipated 2023 Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa. The team is testing today in the run up to the race, where it debuts the all-new Ferrari 296 GT3, accompanied by a striking new livery paying homage to the legendary #112 Ferrari 250 GTO “Lady in Blue” that graced racetracks throughout the 1960s.

 Following a commendable performance last year, where ST Racing finished 9th in class with the BMW M4 GT3, the team is eager to unleash the full potential of their Ferrari 296 GT3 at this prestigious endurance race. The state-of-the-art car, featuring all the latest Ferrari technology and performance, promises to captivate spectators and challenge competitors alike.

 In addition to the captivating new livery and the remarkable Ferrari 296 GT3, ST Racing with Rinaldi is thrilled to announce the inclusion of a new talent to their driver lineup. Leo Weiss will be joining forces with full season drivers Samantha Tan, Jon Miller, and Isaac Tutumlu Lopez. Leo brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record, adding further strength to the already formidable team. Leo was part of the Pro-Am class winning lineup at the Nurburgring 24 Hour in the 296 GT3 with WTM Racing and is regular front runner in the European Le Mans championship.

 With mounting excitement for the 24-hour showdown at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, ST Racing is eagerly poised to kick off the week with a flying start. With the new Ferrari 296 GT3 and a tribute livery inspired by the iconic #112 Ferrari 250 GTO, the team is ready to make their mark on this prestigious event.

 ST Racing invites fans, supporters, and motorsport enthusiasts to witness this exciting chapter in their racing journey. Stay tuned for updates on their progress throughout the race weekend by visiting www.st-racing.org or following us on Instagram @samanthatanracing and Twitter @stracing_team.

Well Fought Podium for Marc-Antoine Camirand in Newfoundland
Posted by admin on in NASCAR Pinty's Series

Well Fought Podium for Marc-Antoine Camirand in Newfoundland

Avondale, NL, June 27, 2023 – Paillé Course//Racing scored a fourth consecutive top five, while Marc-Antoine Camirand scored a well-fought podium finish after an eventful race, as the NASCAR Pinty’s series was at Eastbound International Speedway, in Avondale, Newfoundland. Andrew Ranger suffered a series of incidents and had mechanical issues throughout the race and scored a 17th-place finish.

 Camirand had a fast car all day. He scored the fastest lap in practice, and carried this speed through qualifying, posting the second-quickest time. Camirand was in a good position to have strong start in the 250-lap race, but things became more complicated at the initial start.

“The leader was having a really slow start, and I beat him at the start/finish line, which we can’t do on the initial start. I had a drive-through penalty,” stated Camirand.

Starting from the tail of the field, he managed to climb back to the front. He was back in the top 10 after 50 laps, and was battling for second place just before the halfway break.

During the second half of the race, slowed by numerous yellow flags, he dropped a few positions, but quickly came back to battle with the leaders. “At a restart with about 10 laps to go, I was in a good position, starting inside, and I thought that I had the car to get the win. Unfortunately, just as I was working to pass him, there was another yellow and I had to restart on the outside,” said the driver of the GM Paillé/Chevrolet Canada n°96 Camaro.

Camirand fought hard during that last restart, and he crossed the finish line in a very close battle for second. He was scored on third place, 0,003 second behind second place.

Andrew Ranger also had an eventful race, but didn’t have the outcome he was looking for. Fast in practice and qualifying, Ranger started fourth and battled with the front pack at the beginning of the race. But quickly, his car became harder and harder to maneuver, and he lost some track positions.

After a restart, he spun his car after running on some fluid left of the track by a competitor, and was hit during this incident. “After this contact, I felt a very strong vibration in the driveshaft. I had to come back to pits,” told Ranger.

He went back on track, but he had lost over 90 laps during the repair. “It’s a shame, because our car was fast at the beginning of the day, and I really thought we could come back strong after bad luck at the beginning of the season. We are going to come back strong to Toronto, where we finished on the podium last year with the GM Paillé/Chevrolet Canada n°27 Camaro,” Ranger concluded.

Paillé Course//Racing will be back in action with Marc-Antoine Camirand and Andrew Ranger, as the NASCAR Pinty’s series heads to the Toronto Indy, on July 14th.

 

THREE PODIUM FINISHES FOR STR38 MOTORSPORTS IN VIRGINIA
Posted by admin on in Miscellaneous News

THREE PODIUM FINISHES FOR STR38 MOTORSPORTS IN VIRGINIA

June 20, 2023.- The thrilling action continued this weekend during round 4 of the Pirelli GT4 America series at Virginia International Raceway. Race 1 saw impressive performances by the drivers as they battled it out on the track. The #438 car, skillfully driven by Robert Mau and Chris Allen, secured an outstanding 2nd place in the Am class. Additionally, in the Silver class, the #88 car, driven by Chandler Hull and Harry Gottsacker, showcased their expertise, overtaking car after car to claim a commendable 3rd place in addition to the hard charger award.

The competition intensified in race 2, with the #438 car once again demonstrating its prowess, securing another impressive 2nd place finish in class. The #88 car, although narrowly missing the podium, fought until the end and secured a respectable 4th place in class. These results at Virginia International Raceway showcased the drivers’ and the teams’ determination to keep pushing and continue the fight for the 2023 championship.

Chris Allen, driver #438: “A hot weekend down at VIR but thankfully BMW knocked it out of the park with the AC in the M4 GT4. Rob and I showed excellent pace all weekend and were able to lock down two 2nd place podium finishes. Unfortunately, even with those results we lost a bit of ground in the championship. We will continue to fight until the end though. Can’t wait for Road America.”

Robert Mau, driver #438: “It was great to be back at my home track. We were quick all weekend and brought home two 2nd place finishes. I was proud to honor Capt Joel Gentz KIA this weekend.”

Chandler Hull, driver #88: “VIR treated us nicely this weekend. Harry and I had tremendous pace in our BMW M4 GT4 thanks to the great prep by the STR38 team. Unfortunately, a last minute pre-race penalty was applied on Saturday that erased Harry’s stellar qualifying position. However, that didn’t matter since Harry carved his way through the field after a pitlane start, handing the car off to me in a great position where I was able to capitalize on gaining a few more positions for an eventual podium finish. All in all, we passed 30 cars!!! Sunday wasn’t as good, but we still finished a strong P4 after starting P19 despite most of the race being under a safety car. I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel and finishing up the season with Harry. We have really started to jive well together and I know we will be contenders for more podiums and wins during the rest of the season!”

Harry Gottsacker, driver #88: “We had a nice weekend at VIR and have really unlocked some more pace in our M4 GT4. It was nice to grab a podium and hard charger after we were put to the back of the field. I think we will be in a good position to fight for wins in the second half of the season! Thanks to everyone at STR38 Motorsports for a big effort and keep pushing.”

STR38 Motorsports has once again demonstrated their ability to compete at the highest level within the Pirelli GT4 America Championship. The team’s dedication, teamwork, and commitment to excellence have propelled them to deliver exceptional results.

STR38 Motorsports would like to thank partners, Cannonball Storage, OVN, Simseats, Ozium, Caza de Oro, MOTUL, HRX and BMW Motorsport for their support. The team is excited for the fifth round of the Pirelli GT4 America Championship, taking place at Road America in Wisconsin from August 18-20, and will look to bring home further wins and podiums as they battle for the 2023 championship.

For more information about STR38 Motorsports and their upcoming events, visit their official website at www.st-racing.org/str38motorsports. Follow the team on Instagram @str38motorsports for updates and behind-the-scenes glimpses leading up to the race.