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The 2000 Canadian ChampCar Lights organizers offered racers a series that provided a healthy purse and media coverage
at some of the best circuits in Quebec and Ontario.
To attract teams, there is a minimum of $104,000 in prize money. Prize money is paid in cash at $500 per point. Television coverage consists of fourteen- weekly, thirty-minute shows on all affiliates of ONTV. The championship kicks-off, on the May Victoria Day weekend, at Mosport International Raceway. The next two rounds take place in Quebec. The first stop is the oval at Autodrome Chicoutimi, followed by the temporary street circuit at Trois-Rivieres. Races five and six see the teams return to Mosport International Raceway. In early August, they are a support event for the American Le Mans Series and at the end of the month, the championship appears with the CASCAR series. The penultimate round takes place at the Autodrome Chicoutimi, where teams will also share the schedule with CASCAR. The 2000 Canadian ChampCar Lights’ season ends the last weekend of September at Mosport International Raceway. The chassis used in the Canadian ChampCar Lights series is a single-seat, welded tube-frame Van Diemen FRS96. The car is fitted with a Chrysler Neon engine. The four in-line DOHC, 2-liter, is equipped with electronic fuel injection and produces 180-horsepower at 7,100-rpm. Other vehicle features include a Hewland LD202 five-speed transmission, a double-wishbone suspension and four-disc brakes. The 1,080-pound Van Diemen is estimated to have a top speed of 160-mph (258-kph). Round four of the 2000 Canadian ChampCar Lights Championship was held at Mosport International Raceway in conjunction with the American Le Mans Series. Drivers would compete in a fifteen-lap race around the ten-turn 2.459-mile road course.
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Aaron Povoledo didn’t join the 2000 Canadian ChampCar Lights season until the end of July at Trois-Rivieres. Povoledo got up speed quickly. He put the No. 15 L.A. Rainbow Racing prepared Van Diemen FRS96 on the pole and finished second in the race. At Mosport International Raceway, he found more speed and captured the pole in qualifying and won the fifteen lap contest. |
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Former Kart and Snowmobile racer, Shawn Thompson, joined the Canadian ChampCar Lights series during the inaugural season. He opened his 2000 campaign with a flag-to-flag victory driving No. 11 Uni-ball sponsored Van Diemen FRS96. In the next two events, Thompson captured fourth and third-place finishes. During the American Le Mans weekend, he qualified second and finished in the runner-up position. |
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Former Toyota Atlantic driver, Rob MacDonald, entered one Canadian ChampCar Lights event in 1999 but was running a full schedule this year. MacDonald failed to finish the opening race of the season but was victorious at Autodrome Chicoutimi and Trois-Rivieres. He was quickest in practice for round four. MacDonald was third fastest during the qualifying session, and he would capture the final podium spot in the race. |
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Saskatoon’s Paul Savoie was in his second season of the Canadian ChampCar Lights Championship. Savoie, who drove the No. 6 Van Diemen had backing from Zoom Media and the Auto Clearing Chrysler Super Store. To date, his best result of the year was a runner-up finish in round one at Mosport International Raceway. In the qualifying for race four, Savoie recorded the sixth-fastest time and finished fourth. |
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Eric Bouchard piloted the No. 72 Equipe Rond-Point prepared Van Diemen FRS96. Bouchard was quick in round two at Autodrome Chicoutimi. He won the heat race and finished second in the feature event. In the series return to Mosport International Raceway, Bouchard was fifth fastest in the qualifying session. Unable to hold off, Paul Savoie, he crossed the finish line after fifteen laps in sixth place. |
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The Canadian ChampCar Lights’ only female competitor was a local racer, Teena Larson. This was Larson’s first year in the championship, but she brought a wealth of experience obtained in the CASC Ontario Region and Jim Russell Racing School Series. She also tested an Indy Lights car for Brian Stewart Racing in 1999. Larson was gridded eleventh for round fourth and advanced to a ninth-place finish in the race. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | ENTRANT / CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Aaron Povoledo | L.A. Rainbow Racing / Van Diemen FRS96 | 15 | - |
| 2 | 2 | Shawn Thompson | Thompson Motorsports / Van Diemen FRS96 | 15 | - |
| 3 | 3 | Rob MacDonald | Thompson Motorsports / Van Diemen FRS96 | 15 | - |
| 4 | 13 | Paul Savoie | Darth Racing / Van Diemen FRS96 | 15 | - |
| 5 | 4 | Matt Bartram | Sirard Racing / Van Diemen FRS96 | 15 | - |
| 6 | 5 | Eric Bouchard | Equipe Rond-point / Van Diemen FRS96 | 15 | - |
| 7 | 7 | Claudio Balicey | Lonca Motorsport / Van Diemen FRS96 | 15 | - |
| 8 | 9 | Steve Pickering | L.A. Rainbow Racing / Van Diemen FRS96 | 14 | - |
| 9 | 11 | Teena Larsen | L.A. Rainbow Racing / Van Diemen FRS96 | 14 | - |
| 10 | 13 | Steve Lavoie | Equipe Rond-point / Van Diemen FRS96 | 14 | - |
| 11 | 10 | Daniel Sirard | Sirard Racing / Van Diemen FRS96 | 14 | - |
| 12 | 8 | Mike Cardoso | Millennium Motorsports / Van Diemen FRS96 | 14 | - |
| 13 | 12 | Ken Baird | Main Street Racing / Van Diemen FRS96 | 11 | Did Not Finish |
| 14 | 14 | Jeff Pabst | L.A. Rainbow Racing / Van Diemen FRS96 | 1 | Did Not Finish |
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