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- Category: Road Racing
By: Tony Dizinno/IMSA Wire Service
July 8, 2024
July 8, 2024
Daytona Beach, Florida – The Chevrolet Grand Prix weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park provides more than 20 IMSA drivers in four IMSA-sanctioned championships a chance to race on home soil.
The iconic 2.459-mile, 10-turn track – formerly known as Mosport – set roughly an hour outside of Toronto in Bowmanville, Ontario, is renowned for its sweeping elevation, fast corners and overall speeds. Since Corvette Racing legend Ron Fellows and his group took over track ownership and leadership, the caliber and presentation of CTMP has only increased.
The most populous IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship class featuring Canadians is the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class, with six Canadian-flagged drivers in the field.
Five of those six have already earned an IMSA championship at some level, and include Parker Thompson (No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3), Roman De Angelis (No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo), Mikael Grenier (No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3), Kyle Marcelli (No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2) and Misha Goikhberg (No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2). Thompson is the only one of these six who’s won a WeatherTech Championship race in 2024, having done so at Long Beach co-driving a renumbered No. 89 Vasser Sullivan Lexus with Ben Barnicoat.
The only one who hasn’t is Orey Fidani, co-driver in the No. 13 AWA Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, who is leading the Bob Akin Bronze Cup thus far this year and keen to secure that. The top finishing Bronze-rated driver within IMSA’s GTD class secures an automatic entry to the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Heading into the weekend, Fidani leads the Akin standings by 70 points over Sheena Monk.
John Farano, another championship-winning Canadian, brings the total of WeatherTech Championship Canucks up to seven. The Bronze-rated driver co-drives the No. 8 Tower Motorsport ORECA 07 and won the 2022 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class title, after previously winning a Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class title a decade earlier in 2012.
There’s another Canadian link within the LMP2 class, albeit from a Florida-based team. The lone Ligier entry in class – Sean Creech Motorsport – will carry a Canadian flag on its JS P217 chassis in deference to Lance Willsey’s family escaping from pre-World War II Czechoslovakia. His family was able to take roots in Niagara Falls, Ontario, a new safe haven following an arduous journey.
Beyond the WeatherTech Championship, three other IMSA series – the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin – are active at CTMP and bring the number of Canadian drivers competing north of double digits.
Most notable among the Michelin Pilot Challenge entries is 2023 Touring Car (TCR) class champion Robert Wickens, the Guelph, Ontario, native who co-drives the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N. BHA teammate Mark Wilkins is another past TCR champion in the sister No. 98 Hyundai. Wickens and Wilkins teamed up to win at CTMP two years ago.
There are six other Canadian drivers in TCR: LP Montour and Jon Brel (No. 6 Montreal Motorsport Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR), Dean and Sam Baker (No. 52 Baker Racing Audi RS3 LMS TCR), Denis Dupont (No. 76 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N) and Karl Wittmer (No. 93 Montreal Motorsport Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR).
The Grand Sport (GS) class isn’t lacking for Canadians either, with an additional six drivers. Toronto’s Daniel Morad is a consistent win contender in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4. The other four include series veteran Jesse Lazare (No. 69 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4), Jesse Webb (No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT GT4), Thomas Collingwood (No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport), and Justin Di Benedetto and Travis Hill (No. 22 TWOth Autosport Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport).
The VP Racing Challenge adds in Jonathan Woolridge (No. 38 Performance Tech Ligier JS P320), who won at CTMP last year, and George Staikos (No. 61 Ave Motorsports Ligier JS P320) in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class, and Lazare (No. 21 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4) and Jack Polito (No. 98 Polito Racing Ford Mustang GT4) in Grand Sport X (GSX).
Finally in MX-5 Cup, Jonathan Neudorff (No. 55 BSI Racing) is the lone Canadian racing on home soil.
You can see all the Canadians and everyone else racing this weekend at CTMP across the IMSA television and streaming platforms of USA Network, Peacock, IMSA.tv and youtube.com/IMSAOfficial.
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- Category: Road Racing
By: IndyCar
July 7, 2024
July 7, 2024
Lexington, Ohio – Pato O’Ward resisted constant pressure from NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship leader Alex Palou over the closing laps to win The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid on Sunday.
O’Ward slid his No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet sideways through the final corner on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to hold off Palou’s No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants Chip Ganassi Racing Honda by .4993 of a second, the closest finish this season on a road or street circuit.
“That was a hard-fought race,” O’Ward said. “We were really, really strong on the reds (Firestone Firehawk alternate tires). Palou was really, really strong on the blacks (Firestone Firehawk primary tires). So, all I needed to do was kind of stay up in the first stint and come into the pits and put those reds on and kind of try to close the gap.”
This was the sixth career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory for O’Ward and his second this season. But he inherited the first win from the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding after Josef Newgarden, who crossed the line first ahead of O’Ward, was disqualified in April after it was discovered Team Penske illegally used the Push to Pass system.
“Great job by the team,” O’Ward said. “Oh, it’s been awhile. I know we won St. Pete, but this is a proper win. We earned this one this weekend.”
Scott McLaughlin finished third in the No. 3 Sonsio Team Penske Chevrolet, his second podium place in the last three races. Colton Herta placed fourth in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda fielded by Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian.
Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top five finishers in the No. 28 Delaware Life Honda of Andretti Global.
While all eyes were focused on the debut of the new hybrid system on the engines of all 27 cars, this race evolved into a tale of two tires.
NTT P1 Award winner Palou and fellow front-row starter O’Ward both began the 80-lap race on Firestone primary tires. Palou established his superiority quickly on the harder, more durable rubber, building a lead of approximately six seconds before O’Ward’s first pit stop at the end of Lap 27. O’Ward took the softer, grippier Firestone alternate tires on his first stop, and Palou followed suit on his stop one lap later and stayed out front after the first pit cycle concluded.
Two-time and defending series champion Palou built a lead of 4.2 seconds over O’Ward by Lap 43, but then O’Ward’s car came to life on the red-sidewall Firestone alternate tires. O’Ward trimmed the lead to just five-tenths of a second by Lap 54, and the race and dueling pit strategies were on.
“We couldn’t make the alternate tires last,” Palou said. “Pato started catching us, and I couldn’t really do anything. I just destroyed my front tires.”
O’Ward made his second and final stop for new Firestone primary tires at the end of Lap 54, while Palou pitted a lap later for scuffed Firestone primary tires. Those stops were crucial. O’Ward’s was clean, while Palou stumbled exiting his pit box and lost a second.
“We had a slow stop,” Palou said. “I couldn’t really engage first gear. Maybe I was trying to get it too fast, so probably my fault. Anyways, good race. Had fun. Good, solid day.”
That delay dropped Palou just behind O’Ward when Palou exited the pits on Lap 57, and O’Ward kept the lead for the rest of the race.
But nothing came easily for the popular Mexican driver over the closing 24 laps. Palou hounded the rear of O’Ward’s car, staying within a second or less the entire way. O’Ward also managed the turbulent air from the cars of Agustin Canapino and rookie Kyffin Simpson ahead of him, both battling to stay on the tail end of the lead lap.
It looked like Palou might dive for the lead at any time in the last five laps. But he lost vital momentum on Lap 76 when the left-side wheels of his car left the track and kicked up a dust cloud.
Still, Palou rallied from that slight miscue and pulled to within four-tenths of a second with one lap to go. But O’Ward maintained his cool – and speed – and gave Palou no chance to attack on the final lap.
“We were pushing,” O’Ward said. “We caught the traffic and couldn’t quite get by them.”
One of the features of the new hybrid system helped to maintain the suspense until the checkered flag. Romain Grosjean spun off track and stalled his No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet with three laps to go, an incident that would have triggered a race-ending caution in previous races because INDYCAR SERIES cars had no onboard starters. But Grosjean was able to use the hybrid supercapacitors to refire his engine and return to the track, and the race stayed green.
Palou recorded his eighth top-five finish in nine races this season and expanded his points gap. Palou leads second-place Will Power by 48 points. Power finished 11th in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet. O’Ward climbed to third in the standings, 70 points behind Palou.
The next event is a doubleheader this weekend at Iowa Speedway, as “oval season” begins with six of the last eight races on circle tracks. The Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart is at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, July 13, with the Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade is set for noon ET Sunday, July 14. NBC, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network will provide live coverage of both races.
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- Category: Road Racing
By: Honda Dealers Toronto Indy
July 4, 2024
July 4, 2024
Toronto, Ontario - Green Savoree Toronto ULC, organizers of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, today announced a sponsorship expansion with Fidelity Investments Canada ULC for the event set for July 19-21. The financial company is now the Official Mutual Fund and ETF Sponsor of the motorsport festival, and the hospitality areas located in premium sections around the 2.874-kilometre (1.786-mile), 11-turn temporary street course at Exhibition Place will be named the Fidelity Trackside Suites for the 36th edition of this summer tradition.
The Fidelity Trackside Suites offer guests exceptional vantage points close to the action as the stars and cars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES speed through Toronto’s downtown streets. One section of suites sits directly between Turns 10 and 11 above pit lane allowing spectators a direct and unique view of the racing through the final two turns and the frenzied pit stop activity. The other suite section is located at the exit of pit lane providing terrific sightlines of the cars furiously exiting for track position and accelerating down Princes’ Boulevard toward the start finish line. Hospitality guests in both suite sections will also enjoy an elevated culinary experience via Food Dudes catering.
“We are excited to be part of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto as the Official Mutual Fund and ETF sponsor,” said Kelly Creelman, Senior Vice President, Products and Marketing. “Much like how dedicated crews support their racers, our investment professionals are committed to helping Canadian families achieve their financial goals. Our team is looking forward to connecting with attendees from across Canada at our booth in Thunder Alley and learning about their investing races. We wish everyone on and off the track a fantastic racing experience.”
In addition to the suites naming recognition, Fidelity Investments has secured high brand visibility with key positioning of trackside broadcast signage and spectator signage across the venue. Additionally race fans and festival goers can visit the Fidelity booth in Thunder Alley throughout the weekend to secure giveaway items and learn more about its products and services.
The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is Round 12 of 17 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season championship battle. Drivers expected on the starting grid include multi-time Toronto winners Scott Dixon, Will Power and Josef Newgarden, the back-to-back Indianapolis 500 champion, plus last year’s race winner Christian Lundgaard. While hospitality clients enjoy the fantastic amenities and a great view from the Fidelity Trackside Suites, the stars and cars will compete at speed underneath the spectacular downtown Toronto skyline and along the Lake Ontario shoreline.
"The Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is just over two weeks away, and we are thrilled to expand Fidelity Investments involvement in the event,” said Jeff Atkinson, president of the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. “All suite holders will now carry passes with Fidelity Trackside Suites identity during this memorable weekend.”
All attendees are encouraged to use Toronto’s GO Lakeshore West Train to Exhibition Station for the easiest commute without the worry of traffic or parking at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. For $85, GO Transit is offering a combo ticket which includes 2-Day General Admission and two daily round trip fares for convenient transportation to and from the event. Single-day combo options are also available at hondaindy.com/GO. Children 12 and under ride free on Go Transit.
For ticket pricing, weekend schedule, hospitality options and additional festival information, visit hondaindy.com.
About Fidelity Investments Canada ULC
At Fidelity Investments Canada, our mission is to build a better future for our clients. Our diversified business serves financial advisors, wealth management firms, employers, institutions and individuals. As the marketplace evolves, we are constantly innovating and offering our clients choice of investment and wealth management products, services and technological solutions all backed by the global strength and scale of Fidelity. With assets under management of $247 billion (as at June 21, 2024), Fidelity Investments Canada is privately held and committed to helping our diverse clients meet their goals over the long term. Fidelity Funds are available through financial advisors or online trading platforms.
About Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto:
Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is a world-class motorsports festival which takes place annually on a 2.874-kilometre (1.786-mile), 11-turn temporary circuit using the streets surrounding Exhibition Place near Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto. The event features many attractions, food trucks, interactive displays and activities, and supports local charities. Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation. To date, over $1 million has been raised for Make-A-Wish® Canada. As one of Ontario's largest annual sporting events, the first race held in 1986 was known as the Molson Indy, later became the Honda Indy Toronto and is now titled Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto.
It has become a prestigious meeting place for some of the world’s fastest race car drivers including past NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions like Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou and Will Power as well as Canadian racing greats Scott Goodyear, James Hinchcliffe, Greg Moore, Alex Tagliani, Paul Tracy, Jacques Villeneuve, Robert Wickens and more. Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto is owned and operated by Green Savoree Toronto, ULC, whose affiliates also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (March 8-10, 2024), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid (July 5-7, 2024) and BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (Aug. 23-25, 2024).
For more information, visit hondaindy.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @IndyToronto or follow the event on X (formerly Twitter) @HondaIndy and Instagram @HondaIndy using #indyTO.
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- Category: Road Racing
By: IndyCar
July 6, 2024
July 6, 2024
Lexington, Ohio – Caio Collet left no doubt.
Brazilian rookie Collet led all 35 laps from the pole to earn his first career INDY NXT by Firestone victory Sunday in the Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio. Collet drove his No. 18 HMD Motorsports entry to a 6.8091-second victory over runner-up Louis Foster in the No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies car fielded by Andretti Global.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend,” Collet said. “We led every session, pole position, fastest lap. I think the car was great since Friday. The first lap, I felt really, really good. I managed to put the weekend together, and I’m really, really happy.”
Jacob Abel finished third in the No. 51 Abel Construction entry fielded by Abel Motorsports.
Rookies filled three of the top five finishing positions on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Callum Hedge placed fourth in the No. 17 HMD Motorsports car, followed by fellow first-year driver and teammate Christian Brooks in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports machine.
Collet produced a command performance all weekend, earning the “grand slam” of leading both practice sessions, winning the pole and the race, and completing the fastest lap of the race. He was never threatened, both at the start and on the only restart of the race, on Lap 4.
Foster stayed in touch during the first half of the race, staying within 1.2 seconds at the halfway mark. But Collet inexorably pulled away over the second half, building a gap of 3.4 seconds by Lap 29 as Foster and Abel struggled with tire wear. Collet also produced the fastest lap of the race in the final five trips around the repaved asphalt ribbon.
While Foster’s two-race win streak ended, his lead increased in the championship with his sixth consecutive top-two finish this season. Foster is first in the standings with 386 points, followed by Abel with 345 and Collet with 315.
There are five races remaining this season for the INDYCAR development series, with four on ovals. The next event is the first oval race of the season, the Iowa 100 this Saturday, July 13 at Iowa Speedway.
Neither Foster, Abel nor Collet – the top three drivers in the standings – have an oval win in INDY NXT. Collet will make his first career oval start this Saturday at Iowa, and he knows his status as a championship contender hinges on his quick adaptation to circle tracks.
“I’ll answer that question next Sunday at this time and see how my first oval race goes,” Collet said.
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By: ABB FIA Formula E
June 29, 2024
June 29, 2024
Portland, Oregon - Canadian racing driver Robert Wickens made history at the 2024 Hankook Portland E-Prix, jumping into Formula E’s GEN3 car for a number of test laps at the Portland International Raceway.
For Wickens, the 35-year-old racing driver from Ontario, Canada, these laps were more than just a test, but an inspiring comeback against adversity in his first return to single-seaters since his accident in 2018. His run in the GEN3 car was not just a one-off demo, but an evaluation session for Robert to assess opportunities for a full-time return to single-seater racing in the future.
Wickens had his first-ever experience behind the wheel of a Formula E machine in the cutting-edge GEN3 Formula E car – the latest generation of electric race cars – ahead of the 2024 Hankook Portland E-Prix. He completed eleven full laps, demonstrating the potential for inclusivity and technological innovation within the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The GEN3 is the world's fastest, lightest and most sustainable electric race car and was specifically modified by manufacturing partner SPARK for Wickens to drive via hand controls. It is also the most efficient race car on the planet, with almost 50 percent of its running energy coming from regeneration in the rear and new front powertrain, achieving up to 600kW of total energy regeneration.
Compared to its predecessor, the GEN3 car is 75 percent more powerful, has a top speed that is 95km/h greater, and boasts six times the power regeneration capability.
Robert Wickens' participation in the 2024 Hankook Portland E-Prix not only highlights his extraordinary comeback but also symbolises the inclusive spirit and relentless pursuit of innovation that defines the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Robert Wickens said:
“It was such an amazing opportunity to drive the GEN3 car yesterday. Formula E has been a series that I’ve been keeping a close eye on for quite a while, but I never knew how I could get myself into the series. A huge thanks to Formula E and SPARK for their ingenuity and for developing a hand control system for me to drive the car in Portland.
“It was only a few laps, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and it left me wanting a lot more. Hopefully this will lead to more opportunities in the future and possibly a rookie test. I think right now, that would be the goal for me, to try and get onto the grid in Formula E for the future.”
Jeff Dodds, Formula E CEO, said:
“It’s a privilege to offer a driver of Robert’s calibre a drive in our GEN3 Formula E car. Throughout his career, Robert has proven his speed and talent, and since his accident, his determination and dedication to return to the sport we love has been nothing short of awe-inspiring.
“I’ve been following Robert’s career for a number of years, and it’s clear he was always destined for motorsport success. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive championship led by technology and innovation, and thanks to SPARK, our ambitions to provide greater accessibility for talented racing drivers have been made possible.
“Robert’s passion and commitment to a full-time return to single-seater racing are clear, and I’m hopeful this drive will open doors for his future.”
ABOUT ROBERT WICKENS
Wickens’ journey in motorsport began in karting as a child, eventually progressing through the ranks of lower formulae. In 2009, he showcased immense talent after winning two races in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, finishing second overall. His career continues to ascend as he clinched the 2011 Formula Renault 3.5 Championship, where he raced alongside Jean-Éric Vergne. His prowess on the track earned him a role as a reserve driver for Virgin Racing in Formula 1.
In 2018, Wickens joined the American IndyCar series and made an immediate impact, being named Rookie of the Year at the Indy 500. However, his promising career was abruptly halted by a severe crash at Pocono, which left him paralysed from the waist down. Despite daunting challenges, Wickens’ determination never wavered. After nearly four years of recovery, he returned to racing, testing a specifically modified Hyundai with hand controls at Mid-Ohio raceway - 989 days post-accident.
ABOUT THE 2024 HANKOOK PORTLAND E-PRIX
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship returns to Portland for a double-header event on June 29-30, 2024, after a successful debut in 2023. Portland International Raceway's 3.190km track remains unchanged, promising high-speed action and strategic overtaking opportunities after last year's Portland E-Prix saw over 400 changes of position.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans could tie the all-time Formula E win record if he wins in Portland, while teammate and current leader Nick Cassidy holds a 25-point lead in the championship.
Off-track entertainment includes gaming arenas, local street artists, and live performances by Jxdn and Natalie Jane in the Allianz Fan Village.
start at 14:00 local time on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June. Tickets are still available for people who don't want to miss out on the action: https://fiaformulae.com/
About Formula E and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
As the world’s first all-electric FIA World Championship and the only sport certified net zero carbon since inception, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings dramatic racing to the heart of some of the world’s most iconic cities providing an elite motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to accelerate electric vehicle innovation.
The Formula E network of teams, manufacturers, partners, broadcasters, and host cities are united by a passion for the sport and belief in its potential to accelerate sustainable human progress and create a better future for people and planet.
www.FIAFormulaE.com
About ABB
ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered and operated. Building on over 140 years of excellence, ABB’s more than 105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that accelerate industrial transformation. http://www.abb.com/