2005 Trois-Rivieres - GT / GTU / GTO

In addition to the Echo Pirelli Cup, there were four other closed wheel categories the Federation Auto Quebec was responsible for administering during the 2005 Quebec road racing season - Touring, Sedan GT, Sedan GTU and Sedan GTO.

Touring – This category is for production-based vehicles manufactured within the last twelve years. The cars are powered by four or six-cylinder engines with a maximum displacement of 2.8-liters. Motors can be modified turbochargers or superchargers are not allowed. Engines are used to determine the weight of a vehicle. Brakes must retain their original location and the anti-lock must be disconnected. No alterations to the bodywork are permitted. Original bumpers and dashboard cannot be replaced, but a rear wing may be added. For safety reasons, all vehicles must be equipped with a roll cage, five-point seatbelts, window net, fire extinguishing system and fuel cell. The series is sponsored by Hankook tires and all competitors are required to use the brand.
Sedan – This group is split into two classes as determined by the vehicle’s engine displacement.
- Sedan GT – this group was introduced in 2005. It is based on the rules used for the Grand-Am’s Grand Sport category and the Sports Car Club of America’s Grand Touring class.
- Sedan GTU – under three-liter engines, which must be normally aspirated.
- Sedan GTO – over three-liter engines that are permitted to use a turbocharger or supercharger.
Unlike the Touring category, there are very few restrictions for the GTU and GTO cars. There is no weight limit; modifications are allowed to the engine, transmission, suspension and bodywork. However, like the Touring class, there are similar safety requirements.

The GT Championship of Quebec’s season kicks off at Autodrome St-Eustache in early May. This is followed by a race weekend at Sanair. Then the teams travel to Autodrome St-Felician for the first doubleheader of the year. Next is the highlight of the season, a stop at Le Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. In September, the series makes a second visit to Sanair. The final weekend includes a doubleheader held at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant.

Round five of the 2005 GT Championship of Quebec was held at the eleven-turn 1.53-mile temporary street circuit at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.

For the second consecutive year, Marc-Antoine Camirand captured the overall and GTO category victory at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Trois-Rivieres was Camirand’s first start of the season in the GT Championship of Quebec. He qualified on the pole driving the No. 96 Production Le Carrossier sponsored BMW Z3 Coupe SC. Camirand would lead the twenty-nine-lap contest flag-to-flag.

The winner of the GTU category was Jean-Luc Hebert. Hebert piloted the No. 73 Porsche 911. He started his season in round two at the Grand Prix de Sanair, where he failed to finish. Hebert was fast at Trois-Rivieres and qualified second in his group. During the race, he was passed by many quicker GTO cars and finished sixth-overall but won his class by a comfortable 7.164-second margin.

The No. 3 JMA Competition prepared BMW M3 of Jean-Marc Alcaraz was performing double-duty at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Alcaraz was racing the BMW in the GTU class Saturday afternoon, while it would be driven by Marc-Antoine Camirand the following day in the Hankook Touring event. Alcaraz was the fourth-fastest qualifier in his category and finished in the runner-up position.

Trois-Rivieres was the first of the season for Montreal’s Eric Kerub. Kerub was piloting the No. 69 Acura NSX SC. The Acura was prepared for the new GT rules, which meant competing with a limited number of modifications and on DOT tires as opposed to the racing slicks used the GTU and GTO teams. Kerub would win the category and finish tenth overall.

Ontario’s Malcolm Strachan entered the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres at the top of the GTO standings. The former Canada GT Challenge Cup and Touring GT Championship competitor had three class and overall victories in three starts. In round five of the champion, Strachan was gridded third overall for the beginning of the contest. At the finish, he was in second-place 4.597-seconds behind the winner Marc-Antoine Camirand.

Fernand Leblanc was another driver who had experience competing in the Canada GT Challenge Cup. Leblanc was last season’s GTO champion. He returned to defend his title in the No. 1 MCL Racing prepared Porsche 911 RSR. With two runner-up results, he currently trails Malcolm Strachan in the standings. At Trois-Rivieres, Leblanc qualified fifth overall and captured the final position on the class podium.

One of the four competitors entered in the GT category at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres was Paul Bissonette. Bissonette was driving the No. 50 Le Carrossier / Ford Quality Car sponsored Ford Mustang GT. He was not as quick as the Acura NSX SC of Eric Kerub and finished twelfth overall but was second in class – one-lap behind the leaders.

PCS Motorsports also entered a car that would compete in the GTO-GTU and Hankook Touring races at Trois-Rivieres. Team owner, Pascal Carre, would drive the No. 48 Honda Civic in Sunday’s Touring contest and in the GT event; the Honda would be piloted by Cyril Hamelin. Local resident, Hamelin would prove to be very quick and finish eighth overall and third in the GTU category.

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	GTO	Marc-Antoine Camirand	BMW Z3 Coupe SC	29	-
2	GTO	Malcolm Strachan	Chevrolet Corvette Z06	29	-
3	GTO	Fernand Leblanc	Porsche 911 RSR	29	-
4	GTO	Olivier Rivard	Porsche 911 RSR	29	-
5	GTO	Jacques Guenette	Porsche 935	29	-
6	GTU	Jean-Luc Hebert	Porsche 911	28	-
7	GTU	Jean-Marc Alcaraz	BMW M3	28	-
8	GTU	Cyril Hamelin	Honda Civic	28	-
9	GTU	Etienne Borgeat	BMW 328i	28	-
10	GT	Eric Kerub	Acura NSX SC	28	-
11	GT	Charles-Andre Bilodeau	BMW 328i	28	-
12	GTO	Paul Bissonnette	Ford Mustang GT	28	-
13	GTU	George Moutafis	BMW 330i	27	-
14	GTU	Mark Gawronski	Honda CRX	27	-
15	GT	Alain Goulet	Porsche 944 Turbo	27	-
16	GTU	Mark Gawronski	Honda CRX	27	-
17	GTU	Louis-Sebastien Dubord	Volkswagen Golf GTi VR6	26	-
18	GTU	Vincent Lortie	Acura Integra Type R	26	-
19	GTO	Jacques Villeneuve	Porsche 935	26	-
20	GTU	Glen Tomita	Mazda RX-7	26	-
21	GTU	Stephane Vachon	Honda CRX	26	-
22	GTU	Stephane Sansoucy	Volkswagen Rabbit	26	-
23	GTU	Emmanuel Boivin-Moreau	Honda Civic	26	-
24	GTU	Bruce Lummis	BMW 318i	25	-
25	GTU	Benoit Lacasse	BMW M3	25	-
26	GTU	Louis-Charles Cadieux	Volkswagen Rabbit GTi	24	Did Not Finish
27	GTU	Carl Wener	Honda Civic SiR	20	Did Not Finish
28	GTU	Rejean Vincent	Acura Integra Type R	17	Did Not Finish
29	GTU	Jean-Francois Marchand	Volkswagen Corrado	17	Did Not Finish
30	GTU	Simon Dion-Viens	Hyundai Accent GT	15	Did Not Finish
31	GTU	Stephane Carrier	Volkswagen Jetta GLX	11	Did Not Finish
32	GTO	Jimmy Briere	Ford Mustang	10	Did Not Finish
33	GTU	Serge Lapointe	Volkswagen Jetta GTX	10	Did Not Finish
34	GT	Paul Dufresne	Porsche 911 RSR	7	Did Not Finish
35	GTU	Michel Fournie	Porsche 944	6	Did Not Finish
36	GTO	Jules Roy	Porsche 944 Turbo	5	Did Not Finish
37	GTO	Bertrand Plouffe	BMW	4	Did Not Finish
38	GTO	Renald Hamelin	Porsche 911 RSR	4	Did Not Finish

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