By: Team Canada Scholarship
August 17 2016
Entering the sixth season of the Team Canada Scholarship, the finalist for the 2016 edition brings 3 of Canada's best young drivers to the forefront. Each driver is contesting a full season championship although only two are racing at home in Canada. From F1600,
two young drivers have had solid seasons and are returning as candidates for the grand prize. The third driver has been representing his country south of the border and is in a fight to capture the USF2000 Championship. The winner of the Scholarship will travel to England to contest the world renowned Formula Ford Festival which has been a launching pad for many of the sport’s top racers.
Jean-Philippe Jodoin is the reigning Quebec Formula Tour 1600 Series Champion and currently sits second in the championship with several podiums and 2 outright wins. Jean-Philippe has shown that he is a threat to win when he hits the track and recently grabbed a big win at the Grand Prix Trois Rivieres event in front of a large Quebec crowd. Despite his young age of 21, Jean-Philippe is considered a F1600 veteran and is well respected among his peers.
Ben Hurst has been enjoying an ever improving 2016 season. The 19 year old, started racing 2 years ago and is contesting both the Ontario based Toyo Tires F1600 Championship and the Quebec Formula Tour 1600 Series. Ben has reached the podium several times in Ontario and continues to gain experience and shows great growth in his short racing career. Ben currently sits 7th in the Quebec series and 4th in his home Ontario series.
Parker Thompson, 18 of Red Deer Alberta is enjoying a breakout season south of the border in the highly competitive USF2000 Series. With 4 wins under his belt and multiple podiums Parker held the point’s leader title until a recent strike of bad luck dropped him to the 2nd position, with the final weekend in the championship looming next month. This is Parker's second season in USF2000 and it will be a fight right up to the final lap of the championship for the highly rated driver.
"As we watch our alumni continue to shine and move up the ranks we are very excited about our 3 finalist for 2016”, comments Team Canada Scholarship founder Brian Graham. “Each one of our finalists brings certain qualities to the table; however the one thing that each one shows in abundance is a strong dedication to their programs. Having watched them race personally the last few seasons and the progress they have made is a pleasure. While only one driver can be selected we hope each one of them knows that we are proud to have them on our radar as a Team Canada Scholarship candidate."
The 2016 British Formula Ford Festival will once again be held at the iconic Brands Hatch Circuit in England. Team Canada will continue to partner with Cliff Dempsey Racing and Team Canada is looking to continue the success the program has shown since its inception in 2011.
The alumni from Team Canada continue to shine. This past weekend, at the popular GP3R in Quebec, 3 alumni drivers took wins in 3 different classes. 2011 TCS driver Xavier Coupal won in Nissan Micra, 2013 winner Scott Hargrove won in Porsche Challenge and the most recent winner Michael Adams snagged the win in F1600. 2013 TCS driver Zacharie Robichon grabbed a podium in Porsche and 2014 TCS driver Garett Grist recently graduated to Indy Lights after a successful couple of seasons in Pro Mazda.
As always, Team Canada would like to thank our sponsors and supporters - Aim Autosport, FEL Drives, Bamford Produce, Door Doctor, Calabogie Motorsports Park, Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Hallman Construction, Gary Allen Racing, BARC, Bollenbach Insurance Brokers, Ontario Formula Ford Championship, Formula Tour 1600, Britainwest Motorsport, RMB, Rod End Mechanical, Brian Graham Racing, and Paragon Competition.
To learn more about the program or get involved, visit Team Canada’s new website: www.teamcanadascholarship.com
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