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The Fran-Am Championship was developed to provide competitors with the best possible car at the best possible price.
The series also sought to contain operating costs by careful design and minimizing the advantages gained by spending money.
To attract teams, a generous prize fund was available.
The winner of the inaugural championship (2002) was Canadian Bruno Spengler. The Fran-Am 2000, constructed by Tatuus, represents the sixth generation of this popular European formula. The car's carbon-fiber monocoque boasts fully-integrated lateral protection structures for the driver's head. The suspension is a wishbone design that is fully adjustable and allows for changes to the car's camber and caster settings. Similarly, the shock absorbers are adjustable for compression and rebound. Four 4-piston calipers are used with ventilated rotors to stop the Fran-Am 2000. There is also a cockpit-activated brake balance bar. The 2-liter engine used in the car is fitted with a six-speed sequential gearbox. The gear ratios can be changed and the setup also includes a limited-slip differential. A hydraulically operated twin-plate clutch is between the engine and transmission using Formula 3 technology. The Fran-Am 2000 uses OZ aluminum wheels with center locking nuts. The wheels, which are 8X13-inches on the front and 10X13-inches on the rear, are equipped with Michelin Sport racing tires. The car tips the scale at 480-kg. All of this for USD 42,000. Fourteen rounds were contested for the 2003 North American Pro Championship. Fran-Am was a support event at many high-profile race weekends.
Round ten of the 2003 Fran-Am 2000 North American Pro Championship was conducted at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant. Drivers would compete in a sixteen-lap contest around the fifteen-turn 2.65-mile road course. |
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A field of twenty-four Fran-Am 2000 competitors charge into corner one at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant for round ten of the championship. The pole-sitter, Juan Martin Ponte, leads the pack in the No. 50 Impact Protection Systems sponsored Fran-Am 2000. Behind Ponte are the second and third fastest qualifiers – Andrew Ranger driving the No. 27 Fran-Am 2000 and Sean McIntosh in the No. 24 entry. |
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The points leader, Andrew Ranger, qualified second fastest for round ten of the Fran-Am 2000 championship. The No. 27 Tide / Downey / Mr. Clean Fran-Am driver passed the pole-sitter, Juan Martin Ponte, in the hairpin on lap-1. Ponte closed on him late in the contest, but Ranger grabbed his fifth victory of the season. Ranger extended his points lead over Charles Hall by 57-markers - (293 to 236). |
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Eurointernational's Juan Martin Ponte put the No. 50 Impact Protection Systems sponsored Fran-Am 2000 on the pole by a margin of 0.202-seconds. Unfortunately for Ponte, he lost the lead to Andrew Ranger before the end of the first lap. He closed the gap towards the end of the sixteen-lap contest but finished in the runner-up position by a margin of 0.623-seconds. Ponte was fourth in the points chase. |
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The development of the 2-liter Renault Sport engine used in the Fran-Am 2000 has benefited from Renault's Formula 3 experience. It is equipped with a dry-sump system from the Formula 3 motor. The powerplant also uses a fourth-generation Magneti Marelli engine management system and FIA-approved exhaust catalyst. The motor is tuned to produce 180-horsepower at 6,300-rpm. |
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Canadian Sean McIntosh piloted the No. 24 Fran-Am 2000 with support from Lordco and Kirmac. McIntosh was gridded third for the sixteen-lap contest at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant. He chased the leaders Andrew Ranger and Juan Martin Ponte but could not improve upon his starting position and claimed the final spot on the podium. Heading into round eleven at Mexico, McIntosh was eighth in the standings. |
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The podium at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant for round ten of the 2003 Fran-Am North American Championship. In the center, from AIM Autosport is the winner and current points leader, Andrew Ranger. Standing next to Ranger is the AIM's team principal Ian Willis. On the left is the runner-up, Juan Martin Ponte. Completing the rostrum is Sean McIntosh from British Columbia. |
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| POS | START | DRIVER | CAR | SPONSOR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
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| 1 | 2 | Andrew Ranger | Fran-Am 2000 | Tide / Downey | 16 | - |
| 2 | 1 | Juan Martin Ponte | Fran-Am 2000 | Impact Protection System | 16 | - |
| 3 | 3 | Sean McIntosh | Fran-Am 2000 | Lordco | 16 | - |
| 4 | 6 | Robert Bell | Fran-Am 2000 | FirstAir | 16 | - |
| 5 | 4 | Mark Wilkins | Fran-Am 2000 | Barrick Gold Corp. | 16 | - |
| 6 | 7 | Charles Hall | Fran-Am 2000 | - | 16 | - |
| 7 | 9 | Dan McMullen | Fran-Am 2000 | ATI Technologies | 16 | - |
| 8 | 10 | Aurelio Lopez | Fran-Am 2000 | Jalmex | 16 | - |
| 9 | 11 | Kuno Wittmer | Fran-Am 2000 | Gelles Racing | 16 | - |
| 10 | 13 | Marc-Antoine Camirand | Fran-Am 2000 | Gelles Racing | 16 | - |
| 11 | 15 | Daniel Badia | Fran-Am 2000 | Pharma-Tek | 16 | - |
| 12 | 20 | Nick Russell | Fran-Am 2000 | - | 16 | - |
| 13 | 17 | Dominic Cicero | Fran-Am 2000 | Westerness Racing LLC | 16 | - |
| 14 | 14 | Ricardo Imery | Fran-Am 2000 | FirstAir | 16 | - |
| 15 | 19 | Justin Pruskowski | Fran-Am 2000 | Speed Secrets | 16 | - |
| 16 | 16 | Valerie Limoges | Fran-Am 2000 | Herbal Essences | 16 | - |
| 17 | 18 | Antoine Bessette | Fran-Am 2000 | Gelles Racing | 16 | - |
| 18 | 21 | Joe Pruskowski | Fran-Am 2000 | Speed Secrets | 16 | - |
| 19 | 23 | Lucas Strackerjan | Fran-Am 2000 | Kartbahn Racing | 16 | - |
| 20 | 24 | John Knudsen | Fran-Am 2000 | - | 16 | - |
| 21 | 5 | Andre Prioste | Fran-Am 2000 | - | 2 | Mechanical |
| 22 | 8 | Matt Green | Fran-Am 2000 | - | 1 | Contact |
| 23 | 12 | Tim Barber | Fran-Am 2000 | CT Motorsports | 1 | Contact |
| 24 | 22 | Tim Hauraney | Fran-Am 2000 | - | 1 | Contact |
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