in the finishing order, handing the runner- up result to Formula Tour driver Charles Leclerc. Finishing in third spot overall, and in-
heriting the Winner’s Laurels in the Toyo Tires Formula 1600 division was Bolton, ON’s Keenan Harris, making a one-off start in the #13 RF-97 Van Diemen fielded by Rice Racing. Lap 2 contact between OFFC frontrun-
ners Michael Adams and Caitlin Johnston in the notorious Turn 8, ultimately resulted in retirement for both drivers. Johnston, who was launched into the air, landed back on all four wheels, but bent the tie rod and front sway bar link in her Van Diemen Honda, while Adams soldiered on with a deranged steering rank until “ a couple of holes were blown” in the transmission case of the #59 RF-01. Johnston’s car was re- paired while Adams was forced to procure a ride in Steve Bamford’s backup #7 Swift DB-6 for Sunday’s feature event. Blok and Lazare renewed their rivalry in
the weekend finale, but they were only part of a five car train battling at the front of the F1600 field, joined in search of race victory by Quebec City’s Sergio Pasian (#23) as well as Johnston and Adams. On Lap 7 (of nine) Blok, having surren-
dered the lead to Lazare two laps earlier, reclaimed top spot and led his former Que- bec karting rival Lazare and Pasian to the checkered flag, the top three separated by just .676 seconds. “I was where I needed to be on the last
lap, but I needed to keep an eye on Sergio. I just couldn’t get a clear run on Nathan,” said Lazare. Adams in his rented seat pipped John-
ston on the penultimate lap for fourth place overall, and second in OFFC. “Everyone was scrambling for position,
that let Michael catch up to the led pack. This weekend has really tightened up the points race, we need to go points hunting in the last four races,” stated Johnston.
raCeonTario gT sprinTs Combining the RaceOntario GT Sprints
and the Defi Quebec GT Series provided fields of over 40 cars for the tripleheader race weekend. With such a massive pack, there was action everywhere around the five kilometre circuit with interclass, and interseries rivalries heating up the GT rac- ing action. In Race 1, Pembroke, ON’s Carl Gauthier
clinched the overall, and GT2 class victory in his #52 Ford Taurus, taking the check- ered flag by 3.857s in front of the #178 GT1 Camaro of Marc Steenbakkers. Steve Donovan (#86 Toyota) finished in fourth place overall and the best of the GT3 divi-
Richard Coburn F1600 race winner Caitlin Johnson (#68) had a rough weekend at the MCO Ted Powell Races.
sion, with Andrew Bearrs making a rare race appearance and crossing the line one position further back, claiming the GT4 ho- nours. The GT5 class win went to Pascal
St.Cyr (17th overall) while Montreal’s Patrice Lonergan claimed the top step of the GT6 podium. Dylan Gibson (#133 Honda) reported
that his GT4 runner-up result had not come without its scary moments. “The Camaro (Steenbakkers) spun in
Turn 2 in front of everybody. Things got a little frantic for a few seconds. I missed everyone but fell back, so coming up to second place is not too bad,” said Gibson. Steenbakkers was fully back up to speed
in Race 2, taking control of the contest on the second lap and holding on for the over- all, and GT1 class, win in a race that ended under full course yellow conditions. Gauthier would claim his second GT2
victory of the weekend, with an overall, runner-up result. Paul Myers (GT3, #06 Porsche), Bearrs (GT4, #37 Honda), Freder- ick Savard (GT5, #780 Civic) and Lonergan (GT6, #709 Honda) rounded out the class winners. GT Sprints GT1 points leader Rocco Mar-
ciello got a tremendous launch at the drop of Race 3’s green flag to assume the overall lead, and although he was shuffled back to second place by Steenbakkers on Lap 2, he reclaimed the position two laps later when the #179 Camaro silently coasted to a stop in Turn 1. Marciello in the red #153 Tri- umph TR-7 went on to claim the overall and GT-1 victory, while 1.655s behind him, Gauthier earned his GT2 weekend sweep. Paul Myers went back-to-back in GT3 wins, while Dylan Gibson picked up two posi- tions from his second round result to take home the winner’s rewards in GT4. Savard secured his second GT5 win in a row, with Lonergan also ending his weekend with a Hat Trick in GT6.
fTda formula 1200 series A serious, opening lap accident involv-
ing Masters class drivers Desmond Ennis (#34) and Frank O’Hanlon (#87) caused the weekend’s first Formula 1200 contest to be red-flagged and ultimately cancelled. Due to the tightly packed Ted Powell
Races schedule, this event could not be fit- ted back into the timetable, limiting the F1200 drivers to just two points paying races over the weekend. Round 2 featured five, official lead
changes between defending series cham- pion Michael Iamundi and pole sitter Steve Bamford, and when the checkers flew to conclude the eight lap race, Bamford claimed the victory over the #22 Protoform of Andrew Waring. Stablemates Spencer Todd (#18 BRD),
Iamundi (#35 Van De Car) and Phil Wang (#73 Caracal) rounded out the top five fin- ishers, the leading five car train separated by a mere 1.063 seconds. Just another, typical (formula) 1200
race,” laughed Bamford. “This time it worked out according to plan.” “I knew I had to get Steve in the corners,
he had some pretty serious wheel hop,” said runner-up Waring. “I didn’t want to take any chances; there were too many guys right behind me. I will settle for sec- ond place and in a good position to start the final race.” The second, and last, F1200 event fea-
tured yet another multi-car scramble for victory, but ultimately it was Bamford in his #7 Bamford Produce Mysterian going flag-to-flag for the win with Iamundi trail- ing him by .121s at the stripe. In a four car sprint to the checkered flag
in the battle for the final step of the podium, Waring prevailed with Wang, Todd and David Taylor (#5) chasing him to the line, all four less than a second behind one another. •
BEMC INDIAN SUMMER TROPHY RACES 9
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