2002 Mosport International Raceway - Canada GT Challenge Cup

2002 was the sixth season for the Canada GT Challenge Cup series. Sanctioned by ASN Canada, the championship draws a wide array of high powered Grand Touring cars and the attention of fans.

Helping the series attract competitors is a prize fund that was reduced for 2002. Last season, the winner of each contest received a cheque for $6,000; this year, first place was awarded $3,000. The runner-up earns $2,000 and third-place collects $1,000. All other finishers receive $500. The end of season championship fund is $10,000 as opposed to $30,000 in 2001. Second place in the title chase earns $7,500 and third-place in the final standings is worth $5,000.

Vehicles eligible to compete in the series include FIA GT, Professional Sportscar GTS & GT, Sports Car Club of America Improved Touring, GT1, GT2 & Trans Am, plus ASA Stock Cars. Sports Racers, ground effect cars and Showroom Stock vehicles are not permitted to compete in the Canada GT Challenge Cup series.

All races are one-hour in length and require a mandatory one-minute pit-stop. For teams that use two drivers, one-minute is sufficient time to make the change. Competitors driving solo can remain in the car during the stop. Re-fueling is not allowed.

The events are contested during CASC Ontario Region weekends or in conjunction with major events at Mosport International Raceway. The Canada GT Challenge Cup season kicks off on April 28 at Mosport International Raceway during the BARC Grand Prix of Ontario. This is followed by two more events at Mosport – the BEMC Spring Trophy Races and the Victoria Day Trans-Am Weekend. Round four is the series’ first of three visits to Shannonville Motorsport Park. On June 16, the championship returns to Mosport for the CASCAR Weekend. The next two events are held at Shannonville. On August 18th, the championship competes at Mosport as a support race for the American Le Mans Series. The final round will be conducted at Mosport during the CASC Celebration event at the end of September.

After a season that was hard-pressed to draw more than ten competitors for each race, twenty-seven teams were entered in round eight of the 2002 Canada GT Challenge Cup series at Mosport International Raceway.

Trans Am driver Charlie Webster was fastest in the qualifying session for round eight at Mosport International Raceway. Unfortunately, a technical infraction saw Webster and his No. 95 C.J. Webster Chevrolet Corvette moved to the outside of the front row for the start of the sixty-minute contest. By lap-3 of the race, he was by the pole-sitter, Blaise Csida and won the race by a two-lap margin.

Blaise Csida won the season’s second race at Mosport International Raceway in the No. 7 New York Fries / Martini sponsored Chevrolet Camaro. During the American Le Mans Series weekend, Csida was second fastest in qualifying but inherited the pole-position when Charlie Webster was penalized. Csida was able to maintain the top spot in the race for three laps before surrendering it to Webster. He finished in second place.

Although he got lapped three-times during the sixty-minute contest, it was a good event for Ulrich Furtmair. Furtmair driving the No. 74 Furtmair Auto Service prepared Porsche 911 Turbo had a season-best finish of fourth-place in the previous round at Shannonville Motorsport Park. During the American Le Mans weekend, he qualified sixth fastest and benefitted from the retirements of other competitors to finish third.

Another competitor earning his best result of the Canada GT Challenge Cup championship was Peter Botsinis. Botsinis entered nine rounds last year, with his top finish being ninth place in the finale. The penultimate race was his first start of 2002. Botsinis was fifth fastest during the qualifying session driving the No. 72 PJC Autoworks sponsored BMW M3. At the checkered flag, he captured fourth-place.

All season, Joel Reiser alternated between his No. 02 Porsche 911 RSR and the No. 03 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. This weekend, he piloted the No. 03 Porsche, which appeared to be the right choice. Reiser was ninth fastest during the qualifying session. Issues for Brian Lovell and Malcolm Strachan coupled with the retirement of Greg Clifton, allowed him to finish fifth, albeit four laps behind the winner, Charlie Webster.

After winning the first round of the 2002 Canada GT Challenge Cup series, the reigning champion, Klaus Bytzek, parked the No. 00 BMS Race Team Porsche 911 GT1 EVO. Bytzek returned for the American Le Mans weekend event. However, he failed to record a qualifying time and started at the back of the twenty-five car grid. Bytzek charged through the field and was running second before he retired with a coolant leak.

FINISH	START	DRIVER	CAR / ENTRANT	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	2	Charlie Webster	Chevrolet Corvette / C.J. Webster	44	-
2	1	Blaise Csida	Chevrolet Camaro / New York Fries	42	-
3	6	Ulrich Furtmair	Porsche 911 Turbo / Furtmair Auto	41	-
4	5	Peter Botsinis	BMW M3 / PJC Autoworks	41	-
5	9	Joel Reiser	Porsche 911 GT3 Cup / Reiser-Callas	40	-
6	8	Brian Lovell	Chevrolet Corvette / Strudwick Motorsports	40	-
7	10	Bob Munro	BMW M3 GTR / Canaska	40	-
8	3	Malcolm Strachan	Chevrolet Corvette / Konica Canada	40	-
9	15	Ken McRae	Renault Laguna / Polywheels	39	-
10	19	Joe Granziano	Panoz Esperante GTS / NST Racing	39	-
11	23	Wesley Ramsdale	Panoz Esperante GTS / NST Racing	38	-
12	26	Jody Trudeau	Chevrolet Camaro / BC Auto	37	-
13	20	Gunter Schmidt	VW Beetle / Greenbelt VW	33	Did Not Finish
14	11	Allan DeWolfe	BMW 325i / Eurotec	31	-
15	DNQ	Klaus Bytzek	Porsche 911 GT1 Evo / BMS Race Team	31	-
16	18	Steve Kent	Chevrolet Camaro / Kent Racing	29	Did Not Finish
17	16	Marc Feinstein	Porsche 911 GT3-R	24	Did Not Finish
18	14	Michael Boekdrukker	BMW M3 / Samsung	23	Did Not Finish
19	23	Bob Frost	Panoz Esperante GTS	23	Did Not Finish
20	12	Ron Beyeler	Oldsmobile Cutlass / Real Time Products	22	Did Not Finish
21	4	Greg Clifton	Chevrolet Camaro / Strudwick Motorsport	21	Did Not Finish
22	24	Ian Madden	VW Jetta / Metric	19	Did Not Finish
23	21	Kostos Plainos	Honda CRX Turbo	12	Did Not Finish
24	13	Eddie Mady	Panoz Esperante GTS / Mthree Inc.	10	Did Not Finish
25	22	Howard Chin	VW Rabbit / GT Performance	5	Did Not Finish
-	19	Marcus Glarner	BMW CSL / Glarner Motors	36	Disqualified
-	7	Jim Harrison	Porsche 911 Turbo / Longhill Energy	-	Did Not Start

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