By: C360R
May 22 2017
C360R’s Pfaff Audi RS 3 LMS Wins Home Race on Saturday, Finishes Eighth on Sunday
Bowmanville, Ontario – Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (a track formerly known as “Mosport”) hosted the Pirelli World Challenge’s third and fourth rounds of the Touring Car championship this past weekend, and provided close, exciting racing in variable weather conditions throughout the event.
Saturday’s race was held under sunny skies, with cool temperatures in the low 60’s. C360R / Compass Racing’s Paul Holton had qualified the No.71 Pfaff Automotive / AlphaClone / AERO / APR / Audi Genuine Parts RS 3 LMS on pole position on Friday, and was set for a good battle with the other front-runners at the team’s home track. Second-place man Nick Wittmer took the lead into turn one, and led for a few laps until Holton took the lead back with a nice clean move around the outside of corner two. Paul never looked back and finished the race in P1, notching his second win of the season.
“The Audi works so well at high-speed tracks like this one,” noted Holton. “Nick got a great start when the green flag fell, and I had to slot in behind to protect from Karl (Wittmer)’s Honda, who was coming on strong. Then I had a chance to make the pass and get back to first. It was nice, clean racing at the front, and congratulations to the Wittmer brothers for their podiums.”
Sunday’s race was held in the early morning under ominous skies. With light showers occurring just before the pace lap, race officials allowed the teams to change to rain tires. The team opted for a conservative strategy, which the other championship leaders did as well. Holton led early ahead of Greg Liefooghe and Nick Wittmer, who were second and third in the championship, but all three were swallowed up by those that had opted for slicks. At the checkered flag, Holton was eighth, with Liefooghe in seventh and Wittmer sixth. Paul now leads the championship with 12 points over Greg.
“This weekend was kind of a mixed bag, to be honest,” Holton said. “We managed two pole positions and a race win on Saturday, which really helped our championship. On Sunday, we took a conservative approach and put on wet-weather tires as there looked to be a good chance of rain. In the end that never materialized, but finishing eighth and immediately behind our main championship rivals meant it was the right call for us.”
“It was a great day for Audi, and with Paul's win on Saturday and J.T. (Coupal) finishing second Sunday, we’re still tied for first with BMW in the Manufacturer’s Championship, and Paul jumped up to the top of the Driver’s standings” remarked Team Principal Karl Thomson. “When you’re fighting for a championship, in this stage of the season, taking the long view is important. The wet weather tires can work in dry conditions, but the slicks are just diabolical in the rain."
The races from Canadian Tire Motorsports Park will be broadcast tape-delayed on CBS Sports and available to view after that on the World Challenge website (http://world-challenge.com/).
The next event on the PWC TC schedule is in just a few days on May 26th – 27th. Tickets are available at http://limerockpark.com)
About Pfaff Automotive Partners
Pfaff Automotive Partners, a leading Canadian automotive retailer, was founded in 1964. Its brand offering includes Volkswagen, Toyota, Audi, BMW, Porsche, McLaren, Singer Vehicle Design, Pagani, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Mazda automobiles, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. It has a 50-plus-year racing history across many forms of motorsport. The company also operates Pfaff Tuning, Pfaff Leasing, and Pfaff Autoworks. For more information, please visit http://pfaffauto.com.
About AlphaClone
Most investors can't conveniently access established hedge funds. AlphaClone's mission is to empower investors by giving them efficient access to the investment ideas of established institutional investors and hedge funds. Their research and portfolio construction approach, called "cloning", allows any investor to gain exposure to the alpha potential reflected in hedge fund and institutional manager public disclosures. As the AlphaClone name indicates, they seek to clone alpha through our proprietory "cloning" process and make it available to all types of investors. For details visit http://alphaclone.com.
About Audi Genuine Parts
When you choose Audi Genuine Parts, you’re making a smart decision. Audi Genuine Parts are built to the same standard of quality as the ones used in the production of Audi vehicles, which helps safeguard the components of your Audi. These parts are installed by highly trained technicians with specialized tools to help ensure a high level of performance and reliability. Finally, Audi Genuine Parts are backed by a Limited Warranty to help provide added confidence. For details visit https://parts.audiusa.com.
About Audi Tire Center
Only Audi Original Tires are engineered specifically for your Audi model. To help maintain the outstanding ride and handling characteristics of your Audi, shop the Audi Tire Center for Audi Original Tires. Having your tires installed at an authorized Audi dealership will ensure you benefit from factory-trained technicians who know your Audi best utilizing tire mounting and balancing equipment specified by Audi to help ensure a smooth ride. Finally, you can be assured that your tires are protected by complimentary Road Hazard Coverage. For details visit http://www.auditirecenter.com.
About AERO Advanced Paint Technology
AERO Advanced Paint Technology™ is an environmentally sustainable paint applique that eliminates the need for harmful sprayers. AERO was initially designed for The Boeing Company as a lightweight paint film technology for the 787 Dreamliner. As such, the technology provides significant performance gains in weight reduction while enabling the finish to be a fully strippable system. AERO has proven to be successful in the motorsports industry due to the ease of install, significant weight savings, and enhanced durability. For details visit http://rethinkpaint.com.
About APR
APR, LLC. is a global leader in performance aftermarket products for Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and other vehicles. APR develops and manufactures hardware, software, calibration & data-logging tools for engine and transmission controllers, including intakes, exhaust systems, intercoolers, turbocharger systems, suspension, brake systems, wheels, and more. APR delivers software via a 24-hour automated global delivery system from its 78,000 square foot state of the art facility in Opelika, Alabama. For details visit http://goapr.com, “Like” on Facebook https://www.fb.com/aprmotorsport, and follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/goapr.
About The Race Day Foundation
The Race Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) for-good foundation, offering children and families living with life-threatening illness a "day away" from their daily challenges. By harnessing the power of the racing and automotive communities, we are able to provide a uniquely empowering, hope-filled Race Day - a positive experience shared by patients, parents and siblings alike. Learn more at http://racedayfoundation.org.