After a twelve-year absence, it was announced at the Montreal Auto Show that the Honda Michelin Challenge Series would return in 2004 with a ten-race schedule featuring the Honda Civic DX Coupe.

The original series was the ‘brainchild’ of Gilles Bourcier and debuted in 1976. After getting its start in Quebec, the championship included Ontario tracks and racers. By 1987 there was enough demand to have East and West divisions. From its inception until 1992, the series attracted approximately 400-drivers, including some of the great names in Canadian motor racing – Richard Spenard and the Villeneuve brothers, Gilles and Jacques.

The inaugural event of the 2004 season will be held on the Victoria Day weekend at Mosport International Raceway. Next on the calendar is the series most prestigious event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as a support event for the Canadian Grand Prix. Then teams will return to Mosport for the second of four visits to this track. The championship’s only doubleheader takes place at Shannonville Motorsport Park on the Canada Day weekend. Shannonvile is followed by another high profile event, which takes place at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Round seven is held during the American Le Mans Series weekend at Mosport. Teams return to Quebec for the next two races – Autodrome St-Eustache and the penultimate round at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant. The finale is held where the season started, Mosport.

The cars competing in the series are 2004 Honda DX Coupes. The Honda DX is powered by a 1.7-liter 16-valve SOHC engine, which produces 115-horsepower at 6,100-rpm. The DX is also equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission. An independent suspension design is used on the front and rear of the vehicles. All cars are required to race on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires. Modifications to the Hondas such as a roll-cage and window net are mandated for safety.

Shannonville Motorsport Park would host the only doubleheader on the Honda Michelin Challenge Series during the Canada Day Weekend.

The first lap of round four of the Honda Michelin Challenge Series at Shannonville Motorsport Park. Leading the field of sixteen starters is the pole-sitter, Kuno Wittmer, in the No. 82 Honda de Sigi / Honda Ste-Rose Honda Civic DX. Tucked in behind Wittmer is the other front-row qualifier, Didier Schraenen driving the No. 94 Radio Energie sponsored Honda. Next in line is the No. 8 Pfaff Leasing Honda of Alex Penfold.
At Shannonville, Didier Schraenen earned his first two podium finishes of the season, one of which was a victory. He qualified on the outside of the front row for round four and moved into first place when the pole-sitter, Kuno Wittmer, made an error on lap-2. Schraenen would win by a margin of 1.471-seconds. He started second and finished third in the finale, but more important, Schraenan was the championship leader.
In the weekend’s contest at Shannonville Motorsport Park, the eighth-fastest qualifier, Travis Walker, got ‘roughed-up’ by Denis Baillargeon. He pitted in the No. 40 Oakville Honda sponsored Honda DX Coupe and finished last. Sunday would be an opportunity for Walker to redeem himself. It was declared a wet race, but the team chose a dry setup. The gamble paid off; he started sixth and won by a margin of 12.932-seconds.
A third-place finish in the opening round of the season at Mosport International Raceway gave Kuno Wittmer his first podium of the year. But, he would not find himself back on the rostrum until the series visit to Shannonville. Wittmer put the No. 82 Honda Civic DX Coupe on the pole but an error on the second lap resulting in a runner-up finish. In challenging conditions on Sunday, he started third and finished fifth.
The driver of the No. 36 London Honda sponsored Honda Civic DX Coupe, Ryan Kelly, qualified on pole for the season opener at Mosport International Raceway. But, he was relegated to a ninth-place finish. In race one at Shannonville, Walker started and finished seventh. The next day, he captured his second pole of the season. And like Travis Walker, he went with dry tires, which contributed to a runner-up result.
Entering round four at Shannonville Motorsport Park, Steven Laporte had a victory at Montreal and a second-place finish in the third race of the season. Laporte was off the pace in Saturday’s qualifying session and started twelfth. In the race, he finished eleventh. Laporte was gridded tenth for the finale but received a ‘stop and go penalty’ for aggressive driving. He was in tenth place at the checkered flag.

FINISHSTARTDRIVERCAR / ENTRANTLAPSRETIREMENTS
12Didier SchraenenHonda Civic DX / Radio Energie18-
21Kuno WittmerHonda Civic DX / Honda de Sigi18-
33Nick WittmerHonda Civic DX / Honda Ste-Rose18-
46Normand BoyerHonda Civic DX / Lombardi Honda18-
59Denis BaillargeonHonda Civic DX / Hamel Honda18-
64Alex PenfoldHonda Civic DX / Lakeshore Honda18-
77Ryan KellyHonda Civic DX / London Honda18-
810Emmanuel Boivin-MoreauHonda Civic DX / Lombardi Honda18-
95Frederick LelievreHonda Civic DX / Lamontagne Auto18-
1011Robert BoyerHonda Civic DX / Lombardi Honda18-
1112Steven LaporteHonda Civic DX / Lombardi Honda18-
1213Jamie HoltomHonda Civic DX / SCADAPack18-
1315Jim KenzieHonda Civic DX / Honda Canada18-
1416Sherif El SakkafHonda Civic DX / Honda De Sigi18-
1514Daniel CourtneyHonda Civic DX / Whitby/Oshawa Honda18-
168Travis WalkerHonda Civic DX / Oakville Honda17-

FINISHSTARTDRIVERENTRANT / CARLAPSRETIREMENTS
16Travis WalkerHonda Civic DX / Oakville Honda18-
21Ryan KellyHonda Civic DX / London Honda18-
32Didier SchraenenHonda Civic DX / Radio Energie18-
411Jamie HoltomHonda Civic DX / SCADAPack18-
53Kuno WittmerHonda Civic DX / Honda de Sigi18-
68Nick WittmerHonda Civic DX / Honda Ste-Rose18-
77Alex PenfoldHonda Civic DX / Lakeshore Honda18-
85Frederick LelievreHonda Civic DX / Lamontagne Auto18-
99Emmanuel Boivin-MoreauHonda Civic DX / Lombardi Honda18-
1010Steven LaporteHonda Civic DX / Lombardi Honda18-
1112Denis BaillargeonHonda Civic DX / Hamel Honda18-
1213Robert BoyerHonda Civic DX / Lombardi Honda18-
1315Daniel CourtneyHonda Civic DX / Whitby/Oshawa Honda18-
1414Jim KenzieHonda Civic DX / Honda Canada17-
1516Sherif El SakkafHonda Civic DX / Honda De Sigi17-
164Normand BoyerHonda Civic DX / Lombardi Honda14-

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