2000 Mosport International Raceway - Canada GT Challenge Cup

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

GT1 – Faster than 1:29.999
GT2 – Slower than 1:30.000

Shannonville Motorsport Park

GT1 – Faster than 1:10.999
GT2 – Slower than 1:11.000

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.

The British Automobile Racing Club hosted round seven of the 2000 Canada GT Challenge Cup during their Canadian Touring Trophy weekend. Teams would compete on Mosport International Raceway’s ten-turn 2.459-mile road course for one hour.

Twenty-five competitors line-up for round seven of the 2000 Canada GT Challenge Cup at Mosport International Raceway. On the pole for the sixth time, this season is the No. 00 BMS Race Team Porsche 911 GT1 EVO of Klaus Bytzek. Sharing the front row with Bytzek is Charles Webster in the No. 95 Pro Fuels Chevrolet Camaro. Behind the leaders are Brent Gates and the Chevrolet Corvette of Coons and Beaton.

The Canada GT Challenge Cup GT1 points leader, Klaus Bytzek, added win number five to his this year’s total. Prior to the event, Bytzek was testing new setups on the No. 00 Porsche 911 GT1 EVO. The team’s efforts must have paid off as he qualified at a 1:19.834 – his fastest lap with the car. In the race, Bytzek sprinted into the lead and opened a comfortable margin on the way to victory.

GT2 competitor Blaise Csida also racked up another victory in round seven of the 2000 season. The win brings the class point leader’s total to five wins. Unlike Klaus Bytzek, Csida started second in his category. His strategy was to pit early for his mandatory stop. Csida moved into the GT2 lead when the pole-sitter, Ted Martin, pitted. Martin pressured Csida for the remainder of the contest but was unable to pass.

The battle for second place in GT1 was hotly contested. Charlie Webster was gridded on the outside of the front row for the start of round seven. Webster, driving the No. 95 C.J. Webster / Pro Fuels Chevrolet Camaro, went unchallenged for second-place until a caution period. A full course yellow allowed James Holtom to catch Webster. The two fought for the runner-up position, but Webster prevailed.

Ted Martin didn’t start his 2000 Canada GT Challenge Cup campaign until round five at Shannonville. It wasn’t until the Canadian Touring Trophy weekend that Martin was up to speed. He was the fastest GT2 competitor in qualifying and started tenth overall in the No. 78 Pontiac Grand Prix. Martin led until the mandatory stop and lost first place to Blaise Csida. Unable to find a way past Csida, he finished second.

To date Greg Clifton has three podium finishes, which has placed him second in the GT2 title chase. The driver of the No. 92 Phil Strudwick Motorsports prepared Chevrolet Corvette was third fastest in class during the qualifying session. Clifton started thirteenth overall but was no match for Blaise Csida and Ted Martin. At the checkered flag, he was third in class but on the same lap as the category leaders.

The first driver to out-qualify Klaus Bytzek during the 2000 Canada GT Challenge Cup season was James Holtom. Holtom started on the pole in the previous event at Shannonville driving the No. 93 Chevrolet Corvette and claimed the victory. At round seven, engine problems in practice prevented him from qualifying. Holtom charged through the field and battled with Charlie Webster and finished third.

FINISH	START	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR / ENTRANT	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	1	GT1	Klaus Bytzek	Porsche 911 GT1 EVO / BMS	37	-
2	2	GT1	Charlie Webster	Chevrolet Camaro / C.J. Webster	37	-
3	25	GT1	James Holtom	Chevrolet Corvette / Georgian Bay	37	-
4	3	GT1	Brent Gates	Noble Ultima MkIV / TMI Racing	37	-
5	9	GT1	Peter Czepka	Porsche 911 GT2 EVO / Multimatic	36	-
6	4	GT1	Coons / Beaton	Chevrolet Corvette / Century Mechanical	36	-
7	12	GT2	Blaise Csida	Chevrolet Corvette / New York Fries	35	-
8	10	GT2	Ted Martin	Pontiac Grand-Prix / Georgian Bay	35	-
9	8	GT1	Bentley Hammer	Chevrolet Monte Carlo / Strudwick	35	-
10	13	GT2	Greg Clifton	Chevrolet Corvette / Strudwick	35	-
11	17	GT2	Leblanc / Hamelin	Porsche 911 RSR / MCL	34	-
12	22	GT2	Bartling / Franczak	Porsche 911	34	-
13	15	GT2	Jacques Guenette	Porsche 911 Turbo / Moto Illimite	34	-
14	20	GT2	Steve Hummel	Chevrolet Corvette / Tomsoft Racing	33	-
15	19	GT2	Jim Harrison	Porsche 911 / Longhill Energy	33	-
16	11	GT1	Larry Barcza	Pontiac Grand Prix / Barcza Racing	31	-
17	5	GT1	John Brenner	Chevrolet Monte Carlo / Hoosier Tire	27	-
18	7	GT1	Mackenzie/Von Engelbrechten	Noble Ultima MkIII	27	Did Not Finish
19	6	GT1	Aaron Pettipas	Chevrolet Camaro / Dairy Queen	25	Did Not Finish
20	18	GT2	Gord Vipond	Chevrolet Camaro	11	Did Not Finish
21	30	GT2	D & S Colivaris	Porsche 924 Turbo	11	Did Not Finish
22	29	GT2	Ludwig Heimrath	Porsche 968 / Heimrath Porsche	10	Did Not Finish
23	23	GT2	P & N Botsinis	BMW M3 / PJC Autoworks Ltd	9	Did Not Finish
24	16	GT1	Gray / Pires	Chevrolet Corvette	9	Did Not Finish
25	21	GT2	Torsten Krueger	Pontiac Firebird / Kruerger Racing	7	Did Not Finish