Category: Miscellaneous News

Camirand Wins Second Victory of the Season in Edmonton, Ranger Claims Another Podium Finish for Paillé Course//Racing
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Camirand Wins Second Victory of the Season in Edmonton, Ranger Claims Another Podium Finish for Paillé Course//Racing

Edmonton, ON, July 24, 2022 – Marc-Antoine Camirand claimed his second win of the season as the NASCAR Pinty’s series began its trip West, Saturday, at Edmonton International Raceway. Paillé Course//Racing had two cars on the podium, as Andrew Ranger finished in a well-fought third place.

 Camirand’s win at the end of the 300-lap race was just the perfect ending to an eventful day for the Camirand Performance crew. At the beginning of the day, the GM Paillé/Chevrolet Canada n°96 Camaro was not approved by NASCAR technical inspectors, despite that the team had discussions about new regulations during the week. The crew, led by Robin McCluskey, worked all day to make the changes to the rear suspension but couldn’t make them in time for the practice session.

With absolutely no practice lap, Camirand still managed to qualify in fifth place. Right from the beginning of the race, he showed that he could be a serious contender for the win at the wheel of his GM Paillé/Chevrolet Canada n°96 Camaro.

He took the lead at lap 52, and fought great battles, exchanging the first-place multiple times during the 300-lap race. He finally claimed his second win of the season after a NASCAR overtime finish.

“I have the best team I could ever have dreamed of. They made it all possible today, they made the change to the rear suspension, and we were back on track in time for qualifying,” said Camirand after the Bayer 300.

“I had great battles with Lacroix during the race. He had a fast car during the restarts, but after a couple of laps, I was able to take back the lead. I’m very proud to win this second race this season with Paillé Course//Racing,” he concluded.

His teammate at Paillé Course//Racing Andrew Ranger got another great result after his runner-up finish at the Toronto Indy last week, but he had an eventful race. Tenth on the starting grid, he felt he had a fast car but experienced some difficulties early in the race.

“I had a slow leek in one tire, and when it became flat, I spun. I went into the pits to change the tire, but by the time I came back on track, I was one lap down”, he explained.

At the halfway break, he was given the free pass and was able to start from the rear of the field, back on the lead lap.

After that, Ranger managed to climb back the field and fought great battles for the top spots. He finally claimed a third-place finish at the wheel of his GM Paillé/Chevrolet Canada n°27 Camaro.

“I was second at some point, but I was not fast enough to fight with Marc-Antoine and Kevin. I’m very happy with my second consecutive podium finish, after everything that happened during the race”, he concluded.

Marc-Antoine Camirand, Andrew Ranger and Paillé Course//Racing will be back on track on Wednesday, as the NASCAR Pinty’s series ends its trip West at Sutherland Automotive Speedway, in Saskatoon, SK, for two twin-125 races.

Dramatic Performance for Parker Thompson as Racing Returns to The Streets of Toronto
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Dramatic Performance for Parker Thompson as Racing Returns to The Streets of Toronto

DATE OF RELEASE:  July 19, 2022

All eyes were on Canadian Parker Thompson as Carrera Cup North America made its first visit north of the border, as two races joined festivities at the 2022 Honda Indy Toronto. The twenty-four-year-old Alberta native entered the event as the top Canadian in the Carrera Cup series, holding second in the Pro-class season standings. With the spotlight shining brightly on him and the No.9 Porsche of JDX Racing, Shell Tap-Up, Surgere, Byer’s Porsche, Renier Construction, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and SSi Artificial Lift, Thompson had two dramatic drives in front of a home crowd. The first of two races featured a thrilling charge by Thompson from the back of the field, while the second showed a hard-fought podium finish. The final results allow Thompson to maintain second in the overall Championship race with ten of sixteen rounds now complete.

From the weekend’s first laps, it was clear that Thompson would have his work cut out for him as he challenged the front of the field on the 2.7-km, 11-turn Streets of Toronto circuit. In Friday’s practice sessions he showed just the 5th and 4th best times. Overnight adjustments allowed Thompson and the white, red, and yellow No.9 to close in on the leaders in Saturday’s Qualifying session. He would post the third-quickest time in a tightly packed top four, earning starting positions on the inside of the second row for both races.

In the opening lap of Race 1 that afternoon, Thompson made an aggressive charge for the lead. With a strong launch past the green flag, he captured second place before turn one and positioned himself for an attack on pole-sitter Trenton Estep. Down the long back straight and into the crucial turn three, the two drivers created a gap against the rest of the field. Thompson made his attack there. Taking the inside line, he cleanly moved past the leader and back onto the racing line before the corner.

Unfortunately, he misjudged his speed at the turn-in point. Instead of attempting the tight, hairpin corner, he bailed into the runoff area. When Thompson rejoined the opening lap, he was 24 seconds behind the entire field. From there, Thompson launched an exciting run back up the rankings. Through 32 laps, he gained nine spots, carefully measuring passes within the tight walls of the Streets of Toronto circuit. When the checkered flag fell, he sat in sixth.

Race 2 in Carrera Cup on Sunday afternoon took place within a condensed timeline after significant incidents in other Honda Indy Toronto events created a delayed start. Again, Thompson showed no hesitation and aggressively pursued positions on the opening lap. In turn one, the JDX Racing driver again made a pass for second place. However, instead of challenging the lead, he then found himself in a defensive position. Kelly Moss Racing driver, Riley Dickinson, showed excellent pace and a relentless attack on Thompson. Thompson countered each of Dickinson’s overtaking attempts in a battle that held watchers’ attention throughout the race. When the checkered flag fell after eighteen laps, the two were still tightly engaged, but neither had changed position. Thompson claimed the second step of the podium.

While the weekend brought Thompson’s first finish outside the top five this year, Sunday’s second-place finish and increasing parity between competitors allow Thompson to maintain his second place in the championship standings. With six races remaining, Thompson closes in on the leader slightly, now sitting 52 points from the top of the rankings. From here, the season moves to Road America on August 6 – 8, 2022. The Wisconsin road course is a personal favorite of Thompson and an event where he won in 2021.
Parker Thompson
“After three years, it was incredible to be back racing on The Streets of Toronto. There is no doubt that my passion for this event shone through in my driving this weekend. We put ourselves in the middle of the action for both races. Early in Race 1, we nearly captured the lead but instead found ourselves off the track in Turn 3 and 24 seconds behind the back of the field. To be able to move back up to the sixth place and salvage some points is a testament to our performance here. In Race 2, we battled start to finish with some very fast competition and came home second. As always, the fans here showed up to make this an event I’ll never forget. We’re still second in the championship, and the standings are only getting tighter. We’ll be ready for more when the series arrives at Road America next month.”

Podium for Thomas Nepveu at the Toronto Grand Prix
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Podium for Thomas Nepveu at the Toronto Grand Prix

Toronto (Ontario, Canada), July 17, 2022 –  Thomas Nepveu has seen great success on the streets of Toronto! The driver of the #10 Cromwell | Pétrole Bélanger | Home Hardware | Karting Excellence car prepared by DEForce Racing rounded off the second and final race of the weekend to finish in second place on Sunday morning.

The weekend started on a rather difficult note, as the young driver from Oka had to learn a new urban track, lined with walls that can be treacherous at times. In fact, the qualifying session did not go as planned when Thomas grazed the wall. The DEForce Racing team was busy repairing the car in a hurry to allow Thomas to complete the final laps of qualifying.

Starting 13th in the first race, held Saturday at noon in front of an enthusiastic Canadian crowd, Nepveu showed patience and determination. He made some good passes to move up the field to finish  in 11th place.

“I was disappointed with the situation on Friday, but I’m proud of our comeback in the first race,” said Thomas. “DEForce Racing gave me a great car that was extremely fast around the street course.”

Sunday’s race went much better, as Thomas started in 6th place. Indeed, the starting positions are very important on this narrow track where it is difficult to overtake.

“It was a great race,” said Thomas. “The strategy was to be patient and wait for the opportunity to overtake. There were a few incidents on track that worked in my favour as the field tightened up.”

The 20 laps were intense, but action-packed as Nepveu made his way to the front. A missed maneuver between the two drivers in front of Thomas on the penultimate lap gave him the perfect opportunity to pass and take 2nd.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better scenario,” Thomas concluded. “I achieved my best result of the season in my home country. To be able to do it in front of my friends and family was one of the best moments of my career.”

VICTORY IN THE STREETS OF TORONTO FOR KEVIN LACROIX!
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VICTORY IN THE STREETS OF TORONTO FOR KEVIN LACROIX!

Toronto, QC, July 16, 2022 – It’s a second win this season and a second career victory in the streets of Toronto for Kevin Lacroix! The driver of the #74 Lacroix Tuning | ESR Performance Wheels | La Boulonnerie claimed the win last Friday, July 15, at the Honda Toronto Indy and regained the lead in the drivers’ championship.

Having qualified fourth in the combined practice and qualifying session, Lacroix started from a prime position for the race. Indeed, it is always challenging to pass in the narrow streets lined with walls.

“I am very happy with the result because I made mistakes in the last two races. So I’m delighted to break the bad luck and get the season back on track by scoring valuable championship points.”

The race was stopped several times as the walls surrounding the 2.8 km urban track took their toll on several drivers. Patience, experience and agility allowed Lacroix to make his way to the front of the pack.

“Normally, the wait in the car before the start is always gruesome, but this time, that made me win the race!” An unusual, but very true statement. Lacroix explains, “I was in my car ready to go on the track, and since I had a lot of time, I took note of my reference points in my mirror, a trivial thing I don’t usually do. This exercise on the false grid allowed me to go from 4th to 2nd place during a restart since I didn’t hesitate about the space between my competitor and my car.”

Same scenario when he grabbed the lead. It was not an easy last few laps with Andrew Ranger in his rear end. However, Lacroix did not give in to the pressure and led the final lap, which was spectacular, to say the least.

“I am looking forward to the western trip and going to Edmonton, where we have had success and are usually fast,” Kevin Lacroix concluded. Indeed, Lacroix Motorsport’s next event will be at Edmonton International Raceway on July 23.

Samantha Tan Racing to make 24 HOURS OF SPA debut in July, drivers confirmed.
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Samantha Tan Racing to make 24 HOURS OF SPA debut in July, drivers confirmed.

 

Photo : ST Racing

July 11, 2022.- ST Racing is gearing up for its maiden entry at the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa on 28-31 July, and will be joined at the vaunted Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps by some familiar faces.

Team co-owner Samantha Tan, already the reigning Overall GT Drivers’ champion following her first season of endurance racing in Europe, is set to make her competitive debut at Spa-Francorchamps. Alongside her previous/on-going accomplishments in the 24H SERIES, the GT World Challenge America and GT4 America, and as well as class and outright wins at Grand Prix-calibre venues across the globe, Samantha is looking forward to adding a successful 24 Hours of Spa to her rapidly-expanding motorsport resume.

Samantha Tan, co-owner/driver: “The 24 Hours of Spa is the biggest race event the team and I will have ever competed in, and I’m very excited to be one of the 65 GT3 cars entered for the event. After a successful endurance racing season last year and a historic win at the 12H Mugello, we’re looking forward to testing our limits against some of the best drivers and teams in the world. We are also the only Canadian team set to compete at this year’s24 Hours of Spa, and we are honoured to represent Canada. It’s going to be a very competitive race, but we’re always up for the challenge. I’ll be training hard in preparation.”

Supported by BMW Motorsport, ST Racing has entered its new M4 GT3 for the endurance racing colossus in July, a notable honour given BMW Motorsport’s record 24 outright wins at the 24 Hours of Spa hitherto.

 Kenneth Tan, team principal: “I am extremely excited to participate in this highly competitive endurance race, arguably the most competitive and physically demanding of its kind in the world. This all-GT3 endurance event should be an eye-opening experience for us and will surely test our mettle as a team. We have been prepping our car for weeks and hope the momentum we had at the Virginia International Raceway a couple of weeks ago continues at Spa-Francorchamps. I have to thank SRO Europe for allowing our late entry and for all their support for our maiden European race with them.  Also, a big shout out to BMW Motorsport for their continued and very valuable support for our team. We cannot thank them enough.

Samantha Tan will be joined aboard the #28 BMW M4 GT3 by seasoned teammates Nick Wittmer and Harry Gottsacker, and STR newcomer Maxime Oosten.

Nick, an alumnus of the Pirelli World Challenge, Grand-Am and TC America among other high-profile series, will also be making his debut at the 24 Hours of Spa this July. The experience of the three-time Canadian Touring Car Champion and multi-time TC America race winner will prove invaluable: the Quebec native secured ‘ST Racing’s first Pirelli World Challenge win in 2017 in the TC ranks, and his racecraft was equally as crucial to ST Racing securing its first outright win in the 24H SERIES earlier this year in Mugello.

GT and TCR specialist Harry is set to contest his first race in Europe since an impressive part campaign in the British GT Championship, the young American’s most recent focus having been on a very lucrative campaign in the Michelin Pilot Challenge. Like Nick, Harry is also an ST Racing staple having helped the Canadian outfit secure West Pro-Am Cup honours in the GT4 America Series in 2019, ST Racing’s first championship success. Nick and Harry also completed a fruitful year in GT4 America in 2020, taking home four Silver category wins and 2nd in the SprintX standings.

Nick Wittmer, driver: “I am super excited to be back with Samantha Tan Racing for the 24 Hours of Spa. I love this beautiful racetrack, I love the facility, and I cannot wait to be on-track with the BMW M4 GT3 to show its true colours. I’m also very happy to have Samantha Tan and Harry Gottsacker back on-board as my teammates. The most important things for us to do are to keep the car clean throughout the whole race and maintain our pace. So long as we stay out of trouble, there’s a good chance we will finish well.”

 Harry Gottsacker, driver: “I am looking forward to joining the ST Racing team at Spa in July. We had a successful debut outing earlier this year in Dubai and I’m looking forward to building on what the team has learned so far this season. It’s great to share the car with Samantha and Nick at such a historic event, and we will push for a good result for the team.”

Newcomer Maxime Oosten meanwhile is no stranger to BMW Motorsport. The young Dutch racer is the current championship leader in the BMW M2 CS Racing Cup Benelux in Europe with ST Racing partner Bas Koeten Racing, and also a proven race winner in this year’s DTM BMW M2 Cup.

Maxime Oosten, driver: “I am really looking forward to this event. In 2020 I participated in the Porsche Supercup at Spa. Last year I raced in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe during the 24 Hours of Spa weekend, and I still cannot believe I will drive the race itself this year. I have yet to drive my first metres in a GT3 car, so I want to give a big thanks to Bas Koeten Racing and to ST Racing for the trust they have put in me and my skills. It’s going to be tough but it’s a real pleasure to be asked to join this race and hopefully I can help them move forward.”

Alongside its 24 Hours of Spa debut, ST Racing will be continuing its GT World Challenge America campaign at Road America on 19-21 August, and its 24H SERIES program with the Hankook 24H BARCELONA on 9-10-11 September.