2001 Mosport - Grand-Am Cup

The 2001 edition of the Grand-Am Cup consisted of ten events (Daytona (season opener and finale), Homestead-Miami, Phoenix International Raceway, Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, Mosport, Virginia International Raceway, Road America and Trois-Rivieres) for showroom stock cars. With a few exceptions the races were primarily 3-hours in length. The cars were relatively unchanged from their road going versions – modifications were mandated mainly for safety – roll cages, window nets, etc. They also used spec DOT-approved tires produced by Hoosier. Based on performance potential the cars were divided into four groups:

SGS - Super Grand Sport: The quickest of all groups, this class was introduced in 2000 for the fastest mass produced vehicles. Cars competing in this group included the Chevrolet Corvette C5, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Dodge Viper, Saleen Mustang SR, Porsche 911 Turbo, Porsche 996, etc.
GS - Grand Sport: This class included cars such as Pontiac Firebird, BMW M3, Acura NSX, Ford Mustang Cobra R, Porsche 993, etc.
ST - Sports Touring: Another new class for the 2000 season was Sports Touring. Popular vehicles found in this group were the BMW Z3 Coupe, Acura Integra Type R, BMW 328, Lexus GS 400, Lexus IS 300, Porsche Boxster, etc.
C2K – Compact 2000: It included the Honda Civic Si, Acura Integra GSR, Hyundai Tiburon, Mazda Miata, Mazda Protégé, Mazda 6, etc.

Close competitive racing with cars that fans could relate to contributed to the popularity of the series. It also provided an environment for automotive manufacturers to test and showcase their products.

Mosport was race six of the ten-round 2001 Grand-Am Cup season. The car count was lighter than usual as many competitors did not want to make the effort to cross an international border. Forty-seven cars started the three-hour race on the 2.459-mile ten-turn road course.

The start of round six of the series and the grid heads into Mosport's turn-one. The pole sitting Powell Motorsport Chevrolet Corvette leads the field. In close pursuit are the two TF Racing Saleen Mustang SRs and the Motorsport Technologies Porsche TT. Not making the trip to Canada and noticeably absent from the event were the very quick Phoenix American Chevrolet Corvettes.

The race winning Powell Motorsport Chevrolet Corvette stops for fuel and tires. The team started from the pole and led early in the race but fell to second after a stop-and-go penalty for a blend line infraction. With some good driving and the retirement of the leading Mustang Devon Powell and Doug Goad were able to earn the win – their first at Mosport in four seasons.

The C2K category was not as hotly contested as some of the other classes. The No. 42 Acura Integra GSR of Planet Earth Motorsports dominated the class and they earned their second-straight victory. At one point during the race drivers Will Nonnamaker and Mike Fitzgerald put the Acura into the top-ten overall and were ahead of all the Sports Touring class cars.

Team Spartanburg Racing entered a BMW Z3 Coupe for Jeff Altenburg and Jim Hamblin. Altenburg qualified the car second in Sports Touring. During the race, the team had a terrific battle with No. 0 Lexus IS 300 and the No. 64 Acura Integra R. The Lexus encountered problems and slid down the order leaving the BMW and Acura to contend for the lead. The BMW got the upper hand and took their second consecutive victory.

Late in the race, Jean-Francois Dumoulin hit the Jcomp Acura NSX in corner-ten while trying to pass for second in Grand Sport. Dumoulin, who shared the Porsche 993 with Robert Julien, was successful in securing the position. As a result of the incident, the Acura NSX shared by John Sherk and Robert Baxter fell to fifth in class.

The TF Racing Saleen Mustang SRs qualified second and third in SGS and overall. But a series of brake problems led to the retirement of both cars. The No. 44 was driven by Michael DeFontes and David Brown. The pair completed seventy-seven laps finishing thirty-seventh overall and sixth in class.

Starting fourth overall and in SGS was the Motorsport Technologies Porsche TT shared by Dino Steiner and Ian James. With the demise of the very quick TF Racing Saleen Mustang SRs they were able to score a second overall and in class.

Despite some contact during the race, the Honda of America Race Team Honda Civic Si driven by Pete Halsmer and Bryan Johnson were able to finish second in the C2K category. The class win went to the Planet Earth Motorsports Acura Integra GSR driven by Mike Fitzgerald and Will Nonnamaker.

Mark McLean and Tim Pappas qualified the Franz Blam Racing BMW M3 tenth in Grand Sport and sixteenth overall. During the race, the pair was able to move up and run with the class leaders but mechanical problems relegated them to a thirty-eighth place finish.

It was two in a row and the third win of the season for Grand Sport driver Sylvain Tremblay. At Mosport, he shared the winning Speedsource prepared Porsche 911 with David Haskell. With the retirement of the TF Mustangs the No. 70 Porsche also became the first Grand Sport team of the season to earn a place on the overall podium - third.

The No. 64 King Motorsports Acura Integra R driven by Bob Endicott and Mike Van Sicklen was involved in a three-way battle for SportsTouring class honours. When the Lexus IS 300 of Terry Borcheller and Chuck Goldsborough developed problems it became a two-way battle between Endicott and Jeff Altenburg in a BMW Z3 Coupe. Endicott spun in the last corner on the last lap when he attempted to pass Altenburg for the lead.

Starting twelfth overall and seventh in Grand Sport was the Fiorano Racing Porsche 993 of Robert Julien and Jean-Francois Dumoulin. The team made progress during the race and moved up the order. Dumoulin was behind the wheel and third in class when he had a late race incident with the second place Acura NSX. The contact allowed the No. 19 to pass for position and finish second in Grand Sport.

POS.	CLASS	DRIVERS	CAR	ENTRANT	LAPS
1	SGS	Devan Powell/Doug Goad	Chevrolet Corvette Z06	Powell Motorsport	104
2	SGS	Dino Steiner/Ian James	Porsche 993 TT	Motorsport Technologies	103
3	GS	David Haskell/Sylvain Tremblay	Porsche 911	SpeedSource	103
4	GS	Robert Julien/Jean-Francois Dumoulin	Porsche 993	Fiorano Racing	103
5	SGS	Selby Wellman/David Shep	Porsche 911	SpeedSource	103
6	GS	Emil Assentato/Nick Longhi	Ford Mustang Cobra R	D.M.A. Racing	102
7	GS	Jean Francois Veilleux/Rejean Vincent	Chevrolet Camaro SS	Hebert/Theetge Motorsport	101
8	GS	John Sherk/Robert Baxter	Acura NSX	Jcomp	101
9	GS	David Shep/Paul Mears Jr	Porsche 911	Speedsource	101
10	ST	Jim Hamblin/Jeff Altenburg	BMW Z3 Coupe	Team Spartanburg Racing	100
11	GS	Tom Houk/John Kohler	Ford Mustang Cobra R	TF Racing	100
12	ST	Mike Van Sicklen/Bob Endicott	Acura Integra R	King Motorsports	100
13	GS	Donis Horne Jr/Donis Horne Sr	Porsche 911	SpeedSource	100
14	GS	Jim Briody/Greg Meindl	Ford Mustang Cobra R	DG Racing	99
15	C2K	Mike Fitzgerald/Will Nonnamaker	Acura Integra GSR	Planet Earth Motorsport	99
16	ST	Marc Bunting/Jason Piscelli/Henry Bradley	Acura Integra R	The Spirit of Miami	99
17	GS	Michael Baughman/Ted Martin	Pontiac Firebird	Mike Baughman Racing	99
18	ST	Terry Borcheller/Chuck Goldsborough	Lexus IS300	Team Lexus	99
19	C2K	Pete Halsmer/Bryan Johnson	Honda Civic Si	Honda of America Racing Team	99
20	C2K	Ed Magner/Frank Del Vecchio	Chevrolet Cavalier Z24	WTF Engineering	99
21	ST	Mark Underwood/David Tuaty	Porsche Boxster	SpeedSource	99
22	ST	Jason Potter/Andy Lally	Lexus IS300	Team Lexus	99
23	C2K	Wayne Nonnamaker/Bill Pate	Acura Integra GSR	Planet Earth Motorsport	98
24	C2K	John Schmitt/Kevin Adams	Honda Civic Si	Honda of America Racing Team	98
25	ST	Al Rocca/Aurelio Lopez/Jason Piscelli	Acura Integra R	The Spirit of Miami	98
26	ST	Pierre Mandeville/Jeff Lorriman/Jim Kenle	Nissan Maxima	Nissan Competition	97
27	ST	Scott Schlesinger	Porsche Boxster	SpeedSource	97
28	C2K	Toto Lassally/BJ Zacharias	Acura Integra GSR	Motorsport Technologies	96
29	C2K	Elliot Coyle/Bill Roediger	Acura Integra GSR	Lucas Motorsports	96
30	ST	Len Clue/Don Blewett/John Lockhart	BMW 328is	JL Racing	94
31	C2K	Dennis Baglier/Marty Luffy	Mazda Protégé	Baglieracing	94
32	C2K	C Pat Kane/Jim Lucas II	Honda Civic	Lucas Motorsports	91
33	GS	Jim Seafuse/Bret Seafuse	Ford Mustang Cobra R	JBS Motorsports	83
34	SGS	Greg Wilkins/David Lacey	Ford Mustang Cobra R	Doncaster/ Multimatic	83
35	C2K	Gord Cullen/Mark Craig/Nigel Gleeson	Hyundai Tiburon	Hyundai Motorsports	81
36	SGS	John Kohler/Gary Smith	Saleen Mustang SR	TF Racing	79
37	SGS	Michael DeFontes/David Brown	Saleen Mustang SR	TF Racing	77
38	GS	Mark MacLean/Timothy Pappas	BMW M3	Franz Blam Racing	69
39	GS	John Shreiner/Hank Mountain/Jeff Lapcevich	Ford Mustang Cobra R	Shreiner Racing	65
40	ST	Alex Ratcliff/Rick Ellinger	Mercedes-Benz 190E	RC Imports	65
41	GS	Zave Aberman/Claud Gou	Mazda RX-7	Canadian All American Racers	49
42	GS	John Rutherford IV/Don Istook	Audi S4	Istook/Aines Motorsport	45
43	GS	John Lloyd/Howie Liebengood	BMW M3	Competition Preparation	33
44	ST	Michael Thornley/Peter Schwartzott	Acura Integra R	Power Racing Team	13
45	ST	Peter Schwartzott/Mike Keravich III	Acura Integra R	Power Racing Team	12
46	GS	Benoit Theetge/Jocelyn Hebert	Acura NSX	Hebert/Theetge Motorsport	7
47	C2K	Nigel Gleeson/Paolo DalCin/Mark Craig	Hyundai Tiburon	Hyundai Motorsport	1

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