Willis earns B Class win in car last raced by James Hinchcliffe in 2004

Shannonville, Ontario – Michael Adams is one happy man.

He returns to the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship this weekend for the Bay of Quinte Grand Prix at Shannonville Motorsport Park with the support of Canadian automotive event company FEL Drives, which has allowed him to run in a highly competitive Mygale-Honda prepared by Britain West Motorsport.

As a result, Adams was able to take the win in today's first race of the weekend after leading from flag to flag and therefore gained headway in the F1600 Super Series points battle despite a fierce challenge from 2nd-place finisher Zacharie Robichon of Brian Graham Racing.

"It's a little tight in the cockpit, but we're really happy with how the car is handling and shaping up," Adams said. "We're looking forward to the rest of the weekend."

Between slower traffic and the adverse weather conditions – which were the hottest and muggiest the series has competed under so far this year – Robichon saw opportunities come and go but was never able to capitalize.

"We were really running just about the same lap times in the race," Robichon said. "It's easy to look back and say we would have gotten him, but realistically we were overheating a little bit and it held us back. We'll give it a shot tomorrow."

Robichon's teammate at Brian Graham Racing, Reid Arnold, rounded out the A Class podium.

The story of the day in B Class was of comeback in the most dramatic fashion possible.

Craig Willis last competed in Formula 1600 at the Grand Prix of Canada in Montreal, where he was involved in a devastating crash that all but destroyed his family-run team AIM Autosport's primary Aero 2.

That car will be back, but repairs are expected to take weeks. In the meantime, the team prepared their second Aero 2, which was last raced in 2004 by Canada's James Hinchcliffe, who now competes in the IndyCar Series.

The car needed to be dusted off and rebuilt – partly from scratch, partly using the pieces that could be salvaged from the primary car – and was finally ready in time to return Willis to competition this weekend.

The work was worth it. Willis had as perfect a day at the track as a driver can ask for. He won B Class pole and set a new qualifying track record for Shannonville's pro track layout in the process. Then he went on to not only win the B Class race but also finish 3rd overall and set a new race lap record as well.

"It was a great day here at Shannonville," Willis said. "I want to thank my mom and dad (Elaine and Keith) for working so hard to get the car and everything ready, and also my uncle (Ian) for letting us use this car – this is actually his car, the 1991 Aero. It's an unbelievable way to have the day go. I can't wait until tomorrow."

The B Class podium was rounded out by 2nd place finisher Connor Wagland, who extends his lead in the points standings, and 3rd place finisher Graham Lobban.

Another full day of action is on tap for the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship on Sunday at the Bay of Quinte Grand Prix with practice, qualifying, and a second race scheduled. Tickets are still available at the gate for the event at a cost of $20 per person for Sunday-only admission. Live timing is available for all sessions at racehero.io.

The Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series is the premiere open wheel series in Ontario, sanctioned by CASC Ontario Region and proudly supported by Toyo Tires, Honda HPD, Heather's Heros, Cove Dentistry, Stäubli, Lincoln Electric and MK Technologies. The series is comprised of a six event, double-header format and competes at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Shannonville Motorsport Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park.

The Formula 1600 Super Series is the combined premiere events of the Toyo Tires F1600 Championship Series from Ontario and the Toyo Tires Formula Tour 1600 Series from Quebec. The series is comprised of a four event, double-header format and competes at CTMP's Victoria Day SpeedFest, Formula One Grand Prix of Montreal, the Bay of Quinte Grand Prix at Shannonville Motorsport Park and the Grand Prix of Trois Rivières.