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By 2000, the Canada GT Challenge Cup was in its fourth season.
Sanctioned by ASN Canada FIA, it was an eleven-round series of one-hour races.
Drivers competed at Mosport International Raceway (8-events) and Shannonville Motorsports Park (3-events).
A twelfth race scheduled for Mont-Tremblant was canceled.
A wide range of vehicles was eligible for the series – FIA GT, Professional Sportscar GTS & GT, SCCA Improved Touring, GT1, GT2 & Trans Am and ASA Stock Car. The list of ineligible cars was much shorter – Sports Racers, Ground Effects Cars and Showroom Stock. There were two classes (GT1 and GT2) based on qualifying and race lap times: Mosport International Raceway
Shannonville Motorsport Park
If a GT2 driver broke out of the time bracket, they would be moved to GT1. One or more drivers could compete in a car. However, the second driver had to complete either twenty-minutes or one-third of the total race laps to earn points. The races also included a mandatory one-minute pit stop during green flag conditions. There was a total event prize fund of over $50,000 and a year-end point’s bonus fund of $45,000 – split between the two classes to attract competitors. Round one of the 2000 Canada GT Challenge Cup was held at Mosport International Raceway in conjunction with the British Automobile Racing Club’s Grand Prix of Ontario weekend. Teams would compete in a sixty-minute contest around the ten-turn 2.459-mile road course.
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In 1999, Klaus Bytzek opened the season with an accident and injury that prevented him from scoring points in the first two rounds. This year would be different. Bytzek put the No. 00 BMS Race Team Porsche 911 GT1 EVO on the pole. The race would be uneventful as he pulled away from the field and won by a comfortable one lap margin. |
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Chasing the GT1 class winner, Klaus Bytzek, all weekend was John Brenner. Brenner originally competed in the GT2 category but moved to the quicker group in round two last year. He started on the outside of the front row in the No. 81 Hoosier Tire / Precision Metal sponsored Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Brenner almost beat the pole-sitter, Bytzek, to the first corner but would ultimately settle for a distant runner-up finish. |
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GT2 competitor Blaise Csida made his first 1999 Canada GT Challenge Cup start in round three at Mosport. Although Csida did not enter the full schedule, he showed some speed and won race nine. In 2000, he was back for the title in the No. 7 Chevrolet Corvette. Csida qualified second quickest in class. In the race, he pitted early and moved into first place when his competition made their mandatory stops. |
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Capturing the runner-up position in the GT2 category was Greg Clifton. Clifton drove the No. 92 Phil Strudwick Motorsports prepared Chevrolet Corvette. In the qualifying session, he recorded the third-fastest time in his class and started ninth overall. Clifton led the middle stages of the race as teams cycled through their pit-stops. At the conclusion of sixty-minutes, he was sixth overall. |
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Last year, Barry Coons and James Beaton campaigned an Oldsmobile Cutlass and finished third in the final GT1 standings. They returned this season but not will the familiar Oldsmobile. The chassis was fitted with new Chevrolet Corvette bodywork. The team had some issues during qualifying and started eighth. With the problems addressed, Coons and Beaton captured the final spot on the class podium. |
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Quebec’s Fernand Leblanc made his Canada GT Challenge Cup debut in 1998 but only competed in a couple of events. Leblanc arrived at the season opener at Mosport International Raceway with the familiar No. 77 MCL sponsored Porsche 911 RSR. He qualified fourth in the GT2 category and started tenth overall. During the race, Leblanc was challenged by Torsten Krueger but held him off for a third-place finish. |
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| FINISH | START | CLASS | DRIVER | CAR / ENTRANT | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | GT1 | Klaus Bytzek | Porsche 911 GT1 Evo / BMS Race Team | 40 | - |
| 2 | 2 | GT1 | John Brenner | Chevrolet Monte Carlo / Hoosier Tire | 39 | - |
| 3 | 8 | GT1 | B. Coons / J. Beaton | Chevrolet Corvette / Century Mechanical | 39 | - |
| 4 | 3 | GT1 | Lew Mackenzie | Chevrolet Camaro / Roger AT&T | 39 | - |
| 5 | 6 | GT2 | Blaise Csida | Chevrolet Corvette / New York Fries | 37 | - |
| 6 | 9 | GT2 | Greg Clifton | Chevrolet Corvette / Strudwick Motorsports | 37 | - |
| 7 | 10 | GT2 | Fernand Leblanc | Porsche 911 RSR / MCL | 36 | - |
| 8 | 13 | GT2 | Torsten Krueger | Pontiac Firebird / Kruerger Racing | 36 | - |
| 9 | 18 | GT2 | Ray Arbesman | Porsche 968 / Heimrath Porsche | 36 | - |
| 10 | 4 | GT1 | Peter Vanderwyst | Chevrolet Monte Carlo / Loctite | 34 | - |
| 11 | 17 | GT2 | Mark Swain | Mazda RX-7 / Clarion | 34 | - |
| 12 | 19 | GT2 | Alan Jones | Toyota Supra Turbo / Jones Racing | 33 | - |
| 13 | 14 | GT2 | Larry Barcza | Pontiac Grand-Prix / Barcza Racing | 33 | - |
| 14 | 7 | GT2 | Bentley Hammer | Chevrolet Monte Carlo / Strudwick Motorsports | 32 | - |
| 15 | 12 | GT2 | Dino & Steve Colivaris | BMW M3 / Colson Motorcars | 28 | - |
| 16 | 5 | GT2 | Rudy Bartling | Porsche 911 / TBA | 19 | Did Not Finish |
| 17 | 15 | GT2 | Ludwig Heimrath | Porsche 968 / Heimrath Porsche | 12 | Did Not Finish |
| 18 | 12 | GT2 | Terry Fletcher | Chevrolet Camaro / Lubrico Warranty | 3 | Did Not Finish |
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