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July 27 2021
Mont-Tremblant, Quebec – Di Benedetto Racing travelled to the Laurentians region in the province of Québec for the second round of the Sentra Cup. Circuit Mont-Tremblant was the host of two action-packed races that saw driver Justin Di Benedetto finish 6th and 4th.
Justin Di Benedetto was no stranger to Circuit Mont-Tremblant as he had raced on this track last season in the Micra Cup. He didn’t lose time getting used to the track again, setting flying laps during the practice sessions. When it came time to qualify, Justin set the 4th fastest lap time on Saturday and Sunday morning, putting the #4 Wondr Gaming Nissan Sentra on the second row for both races.
Saturday’s race was full of action as the field proved to be highly competitive once more. “Race 1 started pretty well,” explains Justin Di Benedetto. “I qualified 4th, which set us to start on the outside row. When the green flag came down, I lost a little bit of ground compared to cars on the inside row. I was running in 5th place trying to pass a few cars, so I lost time there, and I also lost the opportunity to catch up with the lead pack.”
“The pace was very strong throughout the race; the crew gave me an excellent car that I feel I could have put on the podium if it wasn’t for the time lost fighting my way back up. In the end, I finished 6th, which is a strong result for points towards the championship.”
Sunday’s race was slightly different for Justin as competitors were more eager to get a spot on the podium. “I started 4th, on the outside row once again. I had a good initial getaway, but I had to deal with a few drivers who started from the back of the field that were charging their way through, and I ended up 5th or 6th. Everything went well until a driver made an over-ambitious move in Turn 12, resulting in pretty heavy contact in the left rear side of the car. I lost quite a few positions from that but the contact ended up causing an ABS issue for the remainder of the race, which made the car extremely hard to drive.”
Although Justin crossed the line in 6th place, penalties were applied after the race, putting Justin in 4th place. “It was unfortunate. I feel Sunday’s race could have gone a lot better. The pace was there, but I had to manage the ABS issue, causing me a lot of time. However, I am happy with the points scored this weekend. Now it’s a matter of recovering and keep going forward.”
Justin is now 7th in the Championship standings, with 121 points, only 5 points away from 5th place. The Sentra Cup is headed to the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières in three weeks, on August 13,14 and 15. At one time or another, some of the best drivers raced at this mythical event in the streets of Trois-Rivières. Like Formula 1 Champion James Hunt, who raced there in 1976 in the Formula Atlantic series, he came in 2nd, beat by future star Gilles Villeneuve who got a shot in Formula 1 after James Hunt praised his driving skills to McLaren Cosworth.
Joining Wondr Gaming on Di Benedetto Racing’s Nissan Sentra; Drone Delivery Canada, Danavation Technologies, Nugen Medical Devices, Launch Capital, Irwin Lowy LLP, Hybrid Financial, Canaccord Genuity - The Polonoski Team, Whitecap Canada, Rentex Realty, KJ Harrison Investors, Air Canada Cargo, First Canadian Capital, Buzbuzian Capital Corp., Cormark Securities, Lynwood Capital, D&B Accountants, Humphries Planning Group, Channel 13, Sussex Strategy, Marrelli Support Services, Ventresca Travel and Grazie Ristorante.
Technical Partners include; SPI Racing, Ultraray Motorsports, Wrap Werks and Kevin Glover Racing.
Follow Justin Di Benedetto and Di Benedetto Racing on social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or through their website: https://www.dibenedettoracing.com/
Nissan Sentra Cup Calendar
June 25- 27 : Races 1 & 2 - Shannonville
July 23 – 25 : Races 2 & 3 - Circuit Mont-Tremblant
August 13 – 15: Races 4 & 5 – Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières
August 27 – 29: Races 6 & 7 – Circuit ICAR
September 3 – 5 : Races 8 & 9 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Septembre 23 – 26: Races 11 & 12 – Circuit Mont-Tremblant
About Justin Di Benedetto: Justin Di Benedetto, is a 24 year old Canadian who competes in the Canadian Nissan Sentra Cup Series. Justin is a graduate of York University with a Major in Business and works in the capital markets industry in Toronto. Justin’s passion in motorsports has progressed over the years from karting to cars. He has competed throughout North America and together with his father Tony they have formed Di Benedetto Racing Inc. More information here:
https://www.dibenedettoracing.com/
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July 9 2021
Monaco – Formula E and the FIA have today published the provisional calendar for the 2021/22 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, featuring three new locations as part of a record sixteen-race season spanning 12 cities across four continents.
The calendar was ratified following the day’s earlier FIA World Motor Sport Council in Monaco, confirming the busiest season yet of electric racing.
Getting underway in late January, the season opener will once again take place under the stars of Diriyah following the success of last season’s inaugural night race. The Formula E grid will then head to Mexico City before visiting the first of three new cities with South Africa’s Cape Town – returning single-seater FIA World Championship racing to the country for the first time since the 1993 South African Grand Prix.
China then makes a welcome return to the Formula E calendar in March 2022 before events in Rome and Monaco, with the race in the Principality moving from a biannual event to an annual event following May’s hugely successful E-Prix and the accommodation of the Automobile Club de Monaco.
Berlin, the only city to have featured in every season, takes its familiar place on the calendar in May followed shortly after by the second new venue with Vancouver.
Racing then heads to the Big Apple for a series of double headers beginning with the New York City E-Prix, before two races at London’s ExCeL and a climatic double-header season-finale in Seoul utilising a circuit incorporating the Olympic Stadium.
After two consecutive years of absence due to the global pandemic, Formula E plans a return of the Parisian race in 2023 for the arrival of Formula E’s Gen3 cars. The Paris E-Prix will move to a biannual event format, adapted to provide a new balance for the championship’s calendar. Each year of racing will see Paris welcome the Allianz E-Village, the electric mobility celebration and laboratory of innovative ideas promoting clean mobilities.
To follow the latest news and information on Formula E visit www.FIAFormulaE.com
2020/21 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship - Provisional Calendar
EVENT | ROUND | LOCATION | DATE |
1 | 1 & 2 | Diriyah, Saudi Arabia | 28 & 29/01/2022 |
2 | 3 | Mexico City, Mexico | 12/02/2022 |
3 | 4 | Cape Town, South Africa* | 26/02/2022 |
4 | 5 | China (TBC) | 19/03/2022 |
5 | 6 | Rome, Italy | 09/04/2022 |
6 | 7 | Monaco, Monaco | 30/04/2022 |
7 | 8 | Berlin, Germany | 14/05/2022 |
8 | 9 | TBC | 04/06/2022 |
9 | 10 | Vancouver, Canada* | 02/07/2022 |
10 | 11 & 12 | New York City, USA | 16 & 17/07/2022 |
11 | 13 & 14 | London, UK | 30 & 31/07/2022 |
12 | 15 & 16 | Seoul, South Korea* | 13 & 14/08/2022 |
* Subject to track homologation
Co-Founder & Chief Championship Officer Of Formula E Alberto Longo
“In Formula E’s short history, we have always looked to grow the championship and our reach. Next season is set to be another landmark for the series with a record number of races and incredible new cities backing Formula E and our electric movement. To be returning racing to South Africa, along with the likes of Vancouver and Seoul, is a huge achievement for the series, on top of expanding Monaco to an annual event. As our last season with the Gen2 car, it promises to be one of the most exciting yet and lay the foundations for the all-new Gen3 era in season nine.”
About the ABB FIA Formula E Championship
Formula E exists to accelerate sustainable human progress through the power of electric racing. The only sport certified net zero carbon since inception, Formula E was founded to counteract climate change by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings intense and unpredictable all-electric racing to the heart of iconic cities around the world. In its first six seasons Formula E crowned five different champions and celebrated 17 winners in 69 races. With more automotive manufacturers on the grid than any other motorsport, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is not only one of the most compelling racing series on the planet but also an unparalleled proving ground for race-to-road electric vehicle and sustainable mobility technologies.
Powered by purpose and united by a passion to deliver edge-of-seat racing, the positively charged Formula E community of teams, manufacturers, partners, broadcasters, host cities and fans work together to light up the world with the transformative power of electric racing.
About ABB
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energises the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com
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June 20 2021
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin – What a race for Thomas Nepveu and his #2 Cromwell | Karting Excellence | Home Hardware car prepared by Cape Motorsports, who took his first Cooper Tires USF200 Series win today at the legendary Road America track near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The young rookie, making his first visit to this track, showed how effective his learning has been since the beginning of the season, leading 9 of the 12 race laps and putting up a veteran-like battle with an opponent before winning right at the finish.
"After qualifying 7th on Friday, I knew my #2 Cromwell | Karting Excellence | Home Hardware car was competitive. With a set of new tires for the second race, I was confident. I had a good start to get to 4th place and then a great restart on the 4th lap to take the lead and to keep it until the checkered flag. Thanks to all my partners and my team Cape Motorsports", said Thomas Nepveu with enthusiasm from the podium.
The 4-mile layout with three long straights and sweeping bends puts an emphasis on smoothness in and out of corners that lead onto the straightaways to ensure the best possible top speed. Thomas Nepveu’s last race, on the Lucas Oil Raceway oval, was an excellent preparation for these high-speed manoeuvres.
This was Thomas Nepveu’s first visit to this track, and he had the opportunity to learn the racing lines and reference points over two one-hour test sessions on Thursday. Covering a total of 36 laps, Thomas ended up 10th quickest in the second session after improving his time from the first session by 0,58 sec, an excellent performance.
The Friday morning official practice sessions brought another quantum improvement, as Thomas ran 9 laps over the 30-minute session, ending up 7th, only 0.1170 sec. behind the quickest car in the session. In addition, Thomas Nepveu was running quicker and quicker laps at the end of the session, with his last lap being his quickest of all despite tires that were showing more and more wear.
After a frustrating 13th place result in Q1, a mere second off pole time, the team decided to let the #2 Cromwell | Karting Excellence | Home Hardware car out late in the second session (Q2) session in the hope that the chances of benefitting from an aerodynamic “tow” were greater. The strategy worked as Nepveu rose to the challenge and turned in the 7th quickest lap on his second timed lap. He covered only four timed laps in the session, ending up in a good starting position for Race 2 and with a set of little-used tires that may come in handy for a race.
Race 1 – 11TH place
Thomas Nepveu moved up to 10th place from 13th on the grid at the start and spent the rest of the 12-lap race there, save for crossing the line in 9th place on lap 5. Thomas Nepveu kept improving over the second half of the race, setting his six progressively “quickest lap” of the race on six consecutive laps (Laps 6 to 11). This showed a steady improvement after a busy early race that included some aggressive passing on a restart after the single caution period.
Race 2 - VICTORY
What a race! Thomas Nepveu said yesterday that he was happy with his 7th place on the grid after Q2. But he certainly had some big plans for the race. After jumping to 4th by the end of lap1, a master move allowed him to pass the three-car pack in front of him and jump into the lead by the end of lap 4.
The rest of the 12-lap race was a demonstration of Thomas Nepveu’s skill, precision, concentration, management of his aerodynamics, clean and error-free driving right to the end. Thomas kept his cool late in the race during a two-car-wide attack from second-place finisher Simon Sikes and won the race by 0,0679 sec. in a side-by-side finish.
This was the first Podium finish and the first win for the rookie driver from Oka (Quebec, Canada.) and a great display of this promising driver aboard a perfectly prepared car by Cape Motorsports. The win puts Thomas Nepveu second in the Rookie-of-the-Year contest, just 28 points behind the leader and his teammate Spyke Kohlbecker.
Thomas Nepveu’s Point Of View
"We had two sets of new tyres for Thursday's practice, and I worked on learning the track and more importantly working to set myself up to take the best possible advantage of slipstreaming along the three long straightaways. It worked as we finished Thursday's second session in seventh place, one tenth of a second off the fastest car in my #2 Cromwell | Karting Excellence | Home Hardware car.
"We'll see how the start of the first race goes, as I'm a little bit off (13th) from the pole on the grid. I feel much more confident for Sunday's race, as my 7th place on the grid makes a top-5 finish possible.
"I started Race 1 from 13th place with four tires that we had used in Q1, leaving me with a full set of new ones for Race 2. The car worked perfectly, and I was able to move up to 11th place and keep it right to the end of the race. I expect a better result tomorrow," explained Thomas Nepveu, the only Canadian to take part in this series.
Next Event – July 1 to 4 – Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course (Lexington, Ohio)
The team will be back in action next July 1 to 4 on another classic road course, the 2.6-mile, 13-turns Mi-Ohio Sportscar Course.
The layout of Mod-Ohio is very different from Elkhart Lake, featuring only one real straight with a slow entry speed, then a series of 7 changes of direction strung together that require constant attention from the driver to always be in the correct line for entry into the coming corner and exit to be well placed for the next one yet. No time to relax on this busy little layout.
Breakfast Club of Canada
Thomas Nepveu is honoured to join to the Breakfast Club of Canada cause. He will add his name to a list of ambassadors dedicated to highlighting food insecurity among Canadian children and will participate in various fundraising events.
To make a donation on Thomas Nepveu's page: https://give.breakfastclubcanada.org/thomas-nepveu-pilote-de-course-professionnel-et-ambassadeur-du-club
Thomas Nepveu 2021 Results - Cooper Tires USF2000 Series
Date | Track | Location | Type | Event | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 |
April 15 – 17 | Barber Motorsports Park | Birmingham, AL | Road course, 2.3 miles, 17 turns | Races 1 and 2 | 13 | 8 | n/a |
April 23 – 24 | Streets of St. Petersburg | St. Petersburg, FL | Urban, 1.8 mile, 14 turns | Races 3 and 4 | 12 | 7 | n/a |
May 13 – 15 | Indianapolis GP Circuit | Indianapolis, IN | Road, 2.439 miles,14 turns | Races 5, 6 and 7 | 9 | 8 | 5 |
May 27 – 28 | Lucas Oil Raceway | Indianapolis, IN | Oval, 0.6 mile | Race 8 | 14 | n/a | n/a |
June 17 – 20 | Road America | Elkhart Lake, WI | Road, 4 miles, 14 turns | Races 9 and 10 | 11 | 1 | n/a |
July 1 – 4 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Lexington, OH | Road, 2.258 miles, 13 turns | Races 11, 12 and 13 | |||
August 27 – 29 | New Jersey Motorsports Park | Milleville, NJ | Road, 2.14 miles, 12 turns | Races 14, 15 and 16 | |||
October 1 – 3 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Lexington, OH | Road, 2.258 miles, 13 turns | Races 17 and 18 | n/a |
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July 5 2021
After what seemed like an eternity of negotiations last season to produce a one year contract for 2021, creating a contract for 2022 and onwards appeared much easier this year. Converting Zoom calls into in-person negotiations helped speed conversations between Lewis Hamilton (Seven time world champion) and Toto Wolff (Team Principal & CEO of Mercedes- AMG Petronas F1 Team). Hamilton said “Toto was fantastic within the negotiations, Ola and the board have been incredibly supportive and we just continue to grow in our relationship and how we communicate and making sure that we are aligned. It’s a great commitment from them, a great commitment from myself to continue to stay aligned with Mercedes.”
At 36 years old, and in his 15th season of Formula 1, Hamilton is still motivated to add an eighth, and maybe ninth, F1 world championship to his resume. The British driver is currently second in the drivers standings just 32 points back from rival Max Verstappen after 9 rounds.
If it doesn’t happen for Hamilton this season, the upcoming 2022 regulations could pose an opportunity or a challenge, but it’s one that Wolff believes Hamilton is looking forward to. Wolff stated about Lewis earlier Saturday, “I think he never wanted to stop competing in formula 1, but obviously you must always have options, and stopping was never an option. So it seemed pretty clear that we were continuing, but he is well informed, and well aware what is happening around the 2021 car. He knows our structure, and has the confidence in what we do, and even if it is difficult like for example, today (Saturday) there's still the faith in each other going forward.”
At the beginning of the season some questioned if Hamilton’s late contract signing would have disrupted the team, and applied unwanted pressure to not only the Mercedes driver, but the team as well. Hamilton however, doesn’t see pressure as a bad thing, but one that he embraces. He enthused that “it doesn’t change the pressure for me, I always bet on myself.” He continued, “when I do these one year deals it’s not like ‘oh what if I don’t perform?’ I know I am going to perform because I know how to do that. I know the work that I need to do in order to be able to perform. I think for the longevity of the team, the confidence, the sponsors, all those things, it’s super important that these things get done as quick as they can.”
Hamilton has raced with Mercedes engines at McLaren until moving over to the works team in 2013. It’s a relationship that has gone on for 15 seasons and counting in Formula 1. Hamilton not only appreciates that relationship and all they have accomplished, but what they can achieve both on and off track specifically with the drive to improve diversity and equality within the sport.
The seven time world champion expanded on how “it’s exciting to see what Mercedes are doing, the support they have given me during this period with Black Lives Matter, with turning our car black for the second year in a row, for really pushing for a more diverse and inclusive environment. It’s amazing to think, the conversations we’ve had, it’s an amazing new part to a journey that we have started. For sure several years ago, I could have only dreamed of being in this position, and I’m excited for what that can be.”
Before the deal, there had been rumblings that Hamilton could possibly retire at some point, but with this new two year contract, it has solidified Hamiltons’ commitment. By the time the deal comes to an end, he will be 38 years old. It’s not age that the reigning world champion is concerned about, it’s desire. He thoughtfully elaborated that “there’s gonna be a point in which I’m gonna want to move on to do different things, and I guess it’s just always comes down to how I never do anything half ass. I am not going to do it at 80 percent, 70 percent, and just trundle along, there are people that can do that. I am only here to win, so if there is ever a point that I feel that I don’t want to commit the time or the effort, the mental time and energy that it takes then that will be the time for me to stop. But, as I said I don’t plan to be here till I am 40. I hope I have something else exciting to do beyond, but regardless, no matter what time you stop, I’m gonna miss this sport, I am gonna miss the competing side of it for sure."
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June 16 2021
This interview was originally published on our FaceBook page on Saturday, June 12, 2021 before the IMSA GTD race.
Race Canada reporter Lisa Lakian caught up with Roman De Angelis Racing at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear to ask a few questions about today's IMSA #Weathertech race.
Roman drives the #28 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
This is your first time at the Detroit Grand Prix circuit at Belle Isle. Have you been able to quickly adapt to the circuit – especially racing between the walls?
“It was a lot better than I expected and within the first 20 minutes of the opening session I felt comfortable with pushing that car”
The car #23 Aston Martin Vantage seems to be well suited to the circuit with some very high-speed sections, evidenced by the performance in qualifying where you just missed the front row by the slimmest of margins. How does the car feel overall?
“In terms of qualifying this is the best result for the #23 Aston Martin so far this year and the team has worked very hard to get the qualifying pace out of the car. Definitely the car is comfortable and I am comfortable so we’ll see how we do in the race.”
You will be starting from the second row of the grid and the cars on the first three rows all seem to be evenly matched in performance. Does the team have a game plan on how to approach this sprint race which is less than two hours in length? Can you race to the front on pure pace or will pit strategy come into play – especially as there may only be one stop?
“There is a lot of strategy in this race with the one stop so we’ll be looking to minimize our time in the pits which could come down to a bit fuel saving and a bit of tire management and maybe run a bit longer. But you never know will happen, especially with a street course and there could be a lot of cautions.”
You are currently 3rd in the 2021 driver’s championship. With 8 more races to run, do you feel confident for a run at the championship this year with the mix of circuits still to come, including the street circuit at Long Beach which will be new for a lot of drivers?
“We are all very confident overall, but if we focus on consistency and going for top five finishes, we should be there at the end."
Editors Note - De Angelis and the Heart of Racing team finished second on the track, but were promoted to first place, giving De Angelis his first win in IMSA, after the winning Audi was penalized for a pit lane infraction.
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