The 2003 Canadian Formula Ford Championship kicks off on the Victoria Day weekend at Mosport International Raceway. Next, the teams head south of the border to compete at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. This event is followed by the biggest race on the series calendar - the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Montreal round will take place in front of over 100,000 spectators and the winner will receive a cheque for $7,000. Round four represents the series second high-profile event, the Molson Indy at Toronto’s Exhibition Place. Next teams stop in Quebec for the series only doubleheader weekend at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Teams make their second visit to Mosport as a support event for the American Le Man Series. The championship concludes in late September with a visit to Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant.

To attract participants and spectators, there are high-profile venues and a TV package. Returning supporters include Autosport Basi Racing School, Team Players, Ford Canada, Hankook Tires, A.N. Deringer and Cardinal Watches.

The television coverage will be provided by CTV Sportsnet and RDS. They will broadcast five magazine-type shows starting in the Fall. Sportsnet will televise thirty-minute programs that will feature race coverage, interviews with drivers and team owners, behind the scenes segments and technical reviews. The RDS network will provide similar content, but their shows will be sixty-minutes in length.

The single-seater, open-wheel race cars in the Canadian Formula Ford Championship are powered by a four-cylinder, 1600-cc Ford engine, which produces120-horsepower. A mixture of European and North American chassis is used by competitors. Two of the most successful cars are constructed in Canada – the Aero and CMV. Minimum vehicle weight is determined by the suspension design and ranges from 1050 to 1125-lbs., with the driver. Teams are required to use fuel from Imperial Oil (Esso) and a spec tire (Hankook Z2000).

The only doubleheader of the 2003 Canadian Formula Ford Championship was held at the eleven-turn 1.5-mile temporary street circuit at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. During the 34th annual Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres weekend, drivers would compete in two twenty-five lap races.

Prior to Trois-Rivieres, Olivier Lambert was having a season full of disappointments. Lambert failed to finish or start three of the four races he entered – the highlight was a six-place at Montreal. However, Lambert was unstoppable in rounds five and six. In race one, he passed the pole-sitter, Didier Schraenen, on the first lap for the lead and victory. In the finale, Lambert battled with Schraenen before capturing the win.
At Trois-Rivieres, Francois Bellemare parked his newer Van Diemen RF93 in favour of an older RF91 model. This was the well-sorted Van Diemen RF91 campaigned successfully by Louis-Philippe Dumoulin. He started fourth in Saturday’s contest and when Didier Schraenen developed a mechanical issue, Bellemare moved into second-place for a runner-up result. Round six did not go as well and Bellemare finished twelfth.
Didier Schraenen showed the other competitors how well he knew Trois-Rivieres by qualifying on the pole for both races. In Saturday’s contest, Schraenen lost first place before the end of lap-1. A slipping clutch dropped him to a sixth-place finish. The next day was an opportunity for Schraenen and the crew to redeem themselves. After battling with Olivier Lambert, he finished in the second position.
Ashley Taws made a successful return to the series at Toronto, where she finished fourth. However, Taws was still recovering from injuries suffered in a traffic accident during the winter and was not in peak form. In the weekend’s first event, she qualified fifth in the No. 72 AIM Motorsports Aero II and finished an incredible third. In round six, Taws started in the tenth position and finished in ninth place.
Britain West’s David Clubine was hot off his first series victory in Toronto. Clubine qualified third for the weekend’s first race at Trois-Rivieres. However, the driver of the No. 5 Vintage Tyres Limited sponsored Van Diemen RF02 crashed on the first lap. Again, on Sunday, he was gridded in the third position. After dicing with Antoine Bessette and his teammate, Michael Forest, Clubine claimed the final spot on the rostrum.
Points leader Chris Guerrieri entered rounds five and six at Trois-Rivieres with two podium finishes – one of which was a victory in the season opener at Mosport. In qualifying for Saturday’s contest, Guerrieri was only eighteenth fastest. However, in the race, he charged through the field to finish fifth. On Sunday, the No. 11 Vector MG-93 was gridded in the fourth position and he earned another fifth-place.

POSSTARTDRIVERCARENTRANTLAPSRETIREMENTS
12Olivier LambertVan Diemen RF92Equipe Magistral-Lambert25-
24Francois BellemareVan Diemen RF91Thomas Bellemare25-
35Ashley TawsAERO IIAIM Motorsports25-
46Michael ForestVan Diemen RF01Britain West25-
518Chris GuerrieriVector MG-93Scuderia LM25-
61Didier SchraenenCMVDynatec25-
77Mathieu AudetteCMVNovatech25-
89Olivier ComeauVan Diemen RF01Key Motorsports25-
914Marcel LafontaineVan Diemen RF97Max 160025-
10DNQEric ParadisMygaleHydro-Jet25-
1115Christopher RobsonVan Diemen RF98John Watts Associates25-
1210Antoine BessetteVan Diemen RF01Key Motorsports25-
1313David ThileniusVan Diemen RF98Adams Racing25-
1411Dan BurchillAERO IIAIM Motorsports25-
1517Dan DenisonVan Diemen RF98Denison Consulting25-
1619John WagnerVan Diemen RF97Perromax Racing24-
1722Grant GoddardVan Diemen RF94Basi Autosport24-
1820Franc RoironVan Diemen RF97Max160024-
198Steve PickeringVan Diemen RF90Transmission Unlimited23Did Not Finish
2012Michel BonnetHarfang 2000Harfang Motorsports14Did Not Finish
213David ClubineVan Diemen RF01Key Motorsports0Did Not Finish
-16Ryan WhiteVan Diemen RF94Basi Autosport7Disqualified
-21Michael LorraineVan Diemen RF92Three Hills Motor Products-Did Not Start

POSSTARTDRIVERCARENTRANTLAPSRETIREMENTS
12Olivier LambertVan Diemen RF92Equipe Magistral-Lambert25-
21Didier SchraenenCMVDynatec25-
33David ClubineVan Diemen RF01Key Motorsports25-
46Antoine BessetteVan Diemen RF01Key Motorsports25-
54Chris GuerrieriVector MG-93Scuderia LM25-
612Mathieu AudetteCMVNovatech25-
713Steve PickeringVan Diemen RF90Transmission Unlimited25-
811Dan BurchillAERO IIAIM Motorsports25-
910Ashley TawsAERO IIAIM Motorsports25-
107Eric ParadisMygaleHydro-Jet25-
119Olivier ComeauVan Diemen RF01Key Motorsports25-
125Francois BellemareVan Diemen RF91Thomas Bellemare25-
1314Marcel LafontaineVan Diemen RF97Max 160025-
1420John WagnerVan Diemen RF97Perromax Racing25-
1515Michel BonnetHarfang 2000Harfang Motorsports25-
1622Grant GoddardVan Diemen RF94Basi Autosport25-
1718Ryan WhiteVan Diemen RF94Basi Autosport25-
188Michael ForestVan Diemen RF01Britain West25-
1919Franc RoironVan Diemen RF97Max160024-
2016Christopher RobsonVan Diemen RF98John Watts Associates19Did Not Finish
2117Dan DenisonVan Diemen RF98Denison Consulting19Did Not Finish
2223David ThileniusVan Diemen RF98Adams Racing18Did Not Finish
-21Michael LorraineVan Diemen RF92Three Hills Motor Products-Did Not Start

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