|
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 2003 Canadian Formula Ford Championship opened on the Victoria Day weekend at Mosport International Raceway. Drivers would compete on the ten-turn 2.459 road circuit for fifteen-laps. |
|
|
Chris Guerrieri returned to Scuderia LM driving the No. 11 Vector MG-93. Qualifying was conducted in wet conditions and he qualified on the pole. Guerrieri led most of the race until the closing stages when he lost first place to Louis-Philippe Dumoulin. However, Dumoulin had gearbox troubles and Guerrieri moved back into the top spot and captured the victory. Last season, he finished second in the opener. |
|
|
Two-time series champion Didier Schraenen missed earning the pole by 0.128-seconds and started on the outside of the front row. He chased the eventual winner, Chris Guerrieri, for much of the contest. Near the end of the race, Schraenen lost second gear and a position to Louis-Philippe Dumoulin. However, Dumoulin was having his own issues, which allowed Schraenen to retake the place and finish second. |
|
|
|
The quickest rookie in the field was Dan Burchill driving the No. 88 AIM Motorsports prepared Aero II, piloted by Louis-Philippe Dumoulin last season. In the qualifying session, Burchill recorded the sixth fastest time. During the race, he benefited from the misfortunes of Olivier Lambert, Steve Pickering, and his teammate, Dumoulin, to move up the lap chart. At the finish, Burchill grabbed the final position on the podium. |
|
|
|
Another rookie that impressed in the opening round of the 2003 Canadian Formula Ford Championship was Michael Forest. Forest joined the two-car Britain West team driving the No. 6 Van Diemen RF01 with backing from FMS Services. He was gridded ninth for the start of the contest. Like, Dan Burchill, he improved his position as other competitors dealt with issues. Forest crossed the finish line in fifth place. |
|
|
|
The reigning Canadian Formula Ford Champion, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, was subbing for Ashley Taws. Taws was recovering from injuries received in a traffic accident during the winter. Dumoulin qualified fourth fastest in the No. 99 AIM Motorsports Aero II. It didn’t take long for Dumoulin to demonstrate the form that won him last year’s title. Unfortunately, he was leading when the car lost third. Dumoulin finished sixth. |
|
|
|
The second car out of the Britain West stable was the No. 5 Van Diemen RF02 driven by the team leader, David Clubine. The successful Ontario Region Formula 1600 competitor qualified eighth for the opening round of the Canadian Formula Ford Championship. During the race, Clubine lost a position to his teammate, Michael Forest. The retirements of other drivers allowed him to finish in the fifth position. |
 |
 |
 |
| POS | START | DRIVER | CAR | ENTRANT | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Chris Guerrieri | Vector MG-93 | Scuderia LM | 15 | - |
| 2 | 2 | Didier Schraenen | CMV | Dynatec | 15 | - |
| 3 | 6 | Dan Burchill | AERO II | AIM Motorsports | 15 | - |
| 4 | 9 | Michael Forest | Van Diemen RF01 | Britain West | 15 | - |
| 5 | 8 | David Clubine | Van Diemen RF02 | Britain West | 15 | - |
| 6 | 4 | Louis-Philippe Dumoulin | AERO II | AIM Motorsports | 15 | - |
| 7 | 10 | Dan Denison | Van Diemen RF98 | Danison Consulting | 15 | - |
| 8 | 12 | David Thilenius | Van Diemen RF98 | Corsa Motorsports | 15 | - |
| 9 | 11 | John Wagner | Van Diemen RF97 | Adams Racing | 11 | Did Not Finish |
| 10 | 3 | Olivier Lambert | Van Diemen RF92 | Lambert Racing | 7 | Did Not Finish |
| 11 | 5 | Steve Pickering | Van Diemen RF93 | Transmission Unlimited | 4 | Did Not Finish |
| 12 | DNQ | Michel Bonnet | Harfang 2000 | Harfang Motorsports | 1 | Did Not Finish |
| - | 7 | Eric Paradis | Van Diemen RF97 | Art Italia | - | Did Not Start |
| Copyright Notice: |
| All content (photographs and text) appearing on this website are the exclusive property of © www.zoompics.com and are protected under International copyright laws. The subject matter on this website may not be reproduced, copied, stored or manipulated. |
