Despite declining entries for the Canada GT Challenge Cup and the series demise in 2002, there was still a demand for this format of racing among closed wheel competitors in the Canadian Automobile Sport Club Ontario Region (CASC-OR). The Touring GT Championship filled this vacancy.

Teams competed in one of two categories. Last season’s Touring SGT class was eliminated for 2004. The colour of the windshield banner identifies the groups.

  • Touring GT – Blue – This class is home to vehicles with V8 or six-cylinder engines and cars with forced induction systems.
  • Touring T – Yellow - Vehicles commonly found in this category include the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Volkswagen Rabbit, Acura Integra, etc. Engine displacement is limited to 2.8-liters.

Both classes compete on Toyo Proxes RA-1 tires.

The Touring GT Championship events are conducted on nine CASC-OR race weekends. On Saturdays, teams compete in a twenty-minute sprint event and the following day a longer forty-minute race is contested. The Championship has also been invited to participate in three professional weekends at Mosport International Raceway – Victoria Day, CASCAR Super Series and American Le Mans Series. At these events, drivers compete in a one-hour endurance race with a mandatory pit-stop.

All one-hour races 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.

In addition to the Drivers’ Championship, there are awards given for:

  • Rookie of the Year
  • Most Improved Driver
  • Most Professional Team
  • Crew Chief of the Year
  • Masters Champion
  • Hard Charger

The final rounds of the 2004 Ontario Touring GT Championship were held on the weekend of October 2-3 at Mosport International Raceway. The Touring GT title had been secured before this weekend by Robert Gay, but the Touring T category was still up for grabs. Championship contenders included Michael Thornley, Jeff Lorriman and Nicholas Krikorian.

Touring GT front-runner Allan DeWolfe was only thirteenth fastest during the wet qualifying session for Saturday’s contest. At the start, he charged through the field and was in second place by lap-2. When the race leader, Michael Boekdrukker, retired, DeWolfe inherited first place and the victory. In the finale, he went flag-to-flag in the No. 31 BMW 325i. With these results, DeWolfe finished second in the standings.
A wet qualifying session worked to the advantage of many Touring T competitors. One such driver was Howard Chin. His lightweight, front-wheel-drive Volkswagen Rabbit, allowed him to qualify on the outside of the front row. Saturday’s race was on a dry track and Chin was passed by the quicker Touring GT cars, but he managed to win his category. The next day, Chin was fourth in class and ninth overall.
The Touring T category would be determined at the Celebration weekend. The drivers with the best odds were Michael Thornley and Jeff Lorriman. Thornley was the quicker of the two, but Lorriman was consistent. In race one, Thornley and the No. 133 Acura Integra Type R started one position ahead of Lorriman but finished second to Lorriman’s ninth-place. On Sunday, a class victory secured the title for Thornley.
Touring GT competitor Jody Trudeau did not participate in every event. When he made an appearance, he was quick; in fact, he won the opening round. Trudeau qualified fifth overall and second in class, driving the No. 50 Trudeau Racing Chevrolet Camaro. In the race, he was passed by Allan DeWolfe and inherited a runner-finish when Michael Boekdrukker retired. On Sunday, Trudeau earned another second-place.
Newcomer Scott Nicol joined the Ontario Touring GT Championship late in the season but made good progress at each event. Nicol, driving the No. 41 Acura EL, was twenty-first fastest in the wet qualifying session. During Saturday’s contest, he moved through the field and finished eleventh overall and seventh in Touring T. In the finale, he drove an excellent race and finished second in class.
Two weeks earlier, at the BEMC Indian Summer Trophy event, Allan Jones had his best weekend of the season. Jones scored second and first place finishes piloting the No. 54 Toyota Supra. Unfortunately, his year would end on a ‘low note.’ He started the first race of the weekend at the back of the field but charged to a third-place finish. On Sunday afternoon, contact late in the contest resulted in a twenty-second place result.

FINISHSTARTCLASSDRIVERCARLAPS
113Touring GTAllan DeWolfeBMW 3258
25Touring GTJody TrudeauChevrolet Camaro8
326Touring GTAlan JonesToyota Supra8
42Touring THoward ChinVolkswagen Rabbit8
56Touring GTBob ArmstrongNissan NX2000 Turbo8
68Touring TMichael ThornleyAcura Integra Type R8
71Touring TIan MaddenVolkswagen Golf8
818Touring TNicholas KrikorianHonda Prelude8
914Touring TGunter SchmidtVolkswagen Jetta8
1022Touring TNigel KrikorianHonda Prelude8
1121Touring TScott NicolAcura EL8
1216Touring GTRobert RackiChevrolet Camaro8
1327Touring GTRay ArlauskasBMW E308
1430Touring GTAllan LewisBMW E308
1511Touring TEric NummelinMazda RX-78
167Touring TIan Law / C. CalderHonda Civic8
179Touring TJeff LorrimanHyundai Tiburon8
1815Touring TJohn BondarAcura Integra8
1917Touring TAndrew ElliottVolkswagen Corrado8
2029Touring TR. Microys / M. WhiteVolkswagen Jetta8
213Touring TPerry IannuzziNissan Sentra8
2228Touring TGregory ChangAcura Integra Type R7
2320Touring TTerry MuellerNissan Sentra7
2419Touring TJohn PowellMazda RX-77
2512Touring TCindy ArmstrongNissan NX20007
2624Touring TCliff DaleyVolkswagen Golf7
274Touring GTMike BoekdrukkerBMW M36
2810Touring TIan Houston / Grant HoustonVolkswagen Golf6

FINISHSTARTCLASSDRIVERCARLAPS
11Touring GTAllan DeWolfeBMW 32526
22Touring GTJody TrudeauChevrolet Camaro26
314Touring GTAllan LewisBMW E3026
46Touring TMichael ThornleyAcura Integra Type R26
513Touring GTRay ArlauskasBMW E3026
611Touring TScott NicolAcura EL25
712Touring GTRobert RackiChevrolet Camaro25
88Touring TNicholas KrikorianHonda Prelude25
94Touring THoward ChinVolkswagen Rabbit25
1016Touring TIan Law / C. CalderHonda Civic25
1119Touring TAndrew ElliottVolkswagen Corrado25
1215Touring TEric NummelinMazda RX-725
1317Touring TJeff LorrimanHyundai Tiburon24
1418Touring TJohn BondarAcura Integra24
1526Touring TCliff DaleyVolkswagen Golf24
1621Touring TPerry IannuzziNissan Sentra24
1722Touring TGregory ChangAcura Integra Type R24
1824Touring TJohn PowellMazda RX-723
1923Touring TTerry MuellerNissan Sentra23
2020Touring TR. Microys / M. WhiteVolkswagen Jetta23
2125Touring TCindy ArmstrongNissan NX200023
223Touring GTAlan JonesToyota Supra22
Did Not Finish5Touring GTBob ArmstrongNissan NX2000 Turbo13
Did Not Finish7Touring TIan MaddenVolkswagen Golf12
Did Not Finish28Touring TIan Houston / Grant HoustonVolkswagen Golf7
Did Not Finish27Touring GTMike BoekdrukkerBMW M32
Did Not Start9Touring TGunter SchmidtVolkswagen Jetta-
Did Not Start10Touring TNigel KrikorianHonda Prelude-


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