2012 was the sixth season for the Canadian Touring Car Championship. The series continued to offer racers an excellent opportunity to showcase their talents at some of eastern Canada’s most widely recognized and well-established race circuits. The series provided amateur competitors with professionally organized events that would attract fans and sponsors. The success of the championship was reflected in the number of drivers who participated during race weekends.

In the off-season, there were a number of significant announcements.

  • After a five-year run, the marketing relationship with Castrol ended and the series did not have a title sponsor.
  • For the first time, the Canadian Touring Car Championship would be competing at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant.
  • The championship would make their second visit to Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, but this time it was during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend. Toronto would be dropped from the 2012 calendar.
  • Also, the Canadian Touring Car management introduced a new class – B-Spec.
  • Finally, in June, a new weekly 30-minute show called, ‘This is Canadian Touring Car’ would appear on Sportsnet One featuring series personalities.

This 2012 schedule consists of eight race weekends at six different tracks. The format at each venue includes two races – generally, thirty-minutes in length. As has become tradition, the season kicks off on the Victoria Day long weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Next on the calendar was the series’ first of two visits to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve during the Grand Prix of Canada weekend. Two weeks later, teams were at ICAR for rounds five and six. This is followed by the championship’s first visit to Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant. The second and final stop at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was conducted during the American Le Mans Series weekend. The next two events would be held in Quebec. First up is the series only stop on the street circuit at Trois-Rivieres, followed the NASCAR weekend at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Series champions will be crowned when teams visit Calabogie Motorsports Park on the Labour Day weekend.

In 2012, there were three classes. To help fans distinguish between the groups, the cars are fitted with different coloured windshield banners.

  • B-Spec – (White Window Banner) – B-Spec became the Canadian Touring Car Championship’s entry-level category. As a result, all adjustments made to a vehicle must be within the manufacturer’s specifications. Brake pads and rotors may be changed, but they have to retain the original dimensions. The maximum wheel size is 15X7 fitted with Continental 205/50R15 tires. There was an extensive list of cars that qualified for this class – Mazda 2, Mini Cooper, Honda Fit, Chevrolet Sonic, Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris.
  • Touring - (Blue Window Banner) – Vehicles competing in this class are allowed a minimal amount of performance enhancements. This group is limited to a maximum engine displacement of 2.0-liters. The suspension components are unrestricted, but vehicles have a minimum ride height of three inches. Brake pads and rotors may be changed, but they have to retain the original dimensions. The maximum wheel size is 17X8 fitted with Continental 225/45R17 tires. Manufacturers represented in this group include the Mini Cooper S, Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Volkswagen Golf, Nissan Sentra and Acura Integra.
  • Super Touring – (Orange Window Banner) - Super Touring is the series fastest class. This category allows engine modifications and aerodynamic enhancements. The maximum engine displacement for this group is 3.0-liters. The suspension components are unrestricted, but vehicles are required to have a minimum ride height of four inches. Unlike the other two classes, the brake components are not subject to any restrictions. The maximum wheel size is 17X9 fitted with Continental 225/45R17 tires. Manufacturers competing in the group include BMW, Subaru, Honda, Pontiac and Hyundai.

The 2012 Canadian Touring Car Championship made their second visit to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for rounds nine and ten. There were two thirty-minute races conducted Saturday and Sunday around the ten-turn 2.459-mile road course.

The round nine pole-sitter, Sasha Anis, driving the No. 14 G1 Racing Hyundai Genesis shoots into the lead. Behind Anis is the other front row starter, Luc Lesage, driving the No. 22 Media Racing Team BMW 330i. Trailing Lesage is the third-fastest qualifier, Scot Nicol, in the No. 41 Velocity Motorsports Honda Civic, the Hyundai Genesis of Jonathan Rashleigh and the fifth-place starter, Philip Fayer, in a Pontiac Solstice GXP.
Mathieu Audette drove the family-owned Acura RSX Type-S in the first 2012 visit to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and racked up two victories. Piloting the No. 12 Acura for rounds nine and ten would be his brother Remy. Remy qualified sixth overall and in Super Touring for Saturday’s race but captured the victory. The next day, he wouldn’t be so lucky. An electrical issue forced him to retire on lap-6.
The two-time Super Touring champion, Nick Wittmer, was proved to be unbeatable in the new B-Spec category. In all eight events, to date, Wittmer was victorious and well on his way to a third Canadian Touring Car title. During the season, he withstood challenges from Greg Pootmans, Simon Dion-Viens, Remy Audette and Jean-Francois Dumoulin. In rounds nine and ten, Wittmer held off his primary opponent, brother Karl.
The driver who introduced the Mini Cooper S to the series back in 2007, Alain Lauziere, was only competing on a part-time basis this season. The second visit to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was Lauziere’s third race weekend of the year. His best finish to date was a fifth in the Touring category at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. In rounds nine and ten, Lauziere captured a pair of victories.
The Touring class podium for rounds nine and ten included the same drivers standing in the same positions. In the center from Octane Motorsports and winning the category on Saturday and Sunday is Alain Lauziere. Standing on the left side of the rostrum is the runner-up for race one and two, Damon Sharpe. Both days, the final position on the Touring podium was occupied by Jonathan Young.
Disaster struck in round nine for the Super Touring points leader, Sasha Anis. Anis qualified on the overall and class pole, but an incident during the race relegated him to a twelfth place finish in Super Touring. The No. 14 G1 Racing Hyundai Genesis was repaired for Sunday and he started at the rear of the grid. Anis charged through the field and won by a margin of nearly five seconds.
The driver of the No. 84 Blanchet Motorsports Honda Civic would have his best weekend to date in rounds nine and ten at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Earlier in the season at ICAR, he was able to earn a runner-up finish. But this weekend, he chased the eventual race winner both days and captured a pair of second-place finishes.
The brother of the B-Spec points leader, Karl Wittmer, was entered in rounds nine and ten at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Wittmer raced the No. 26 DM Competition Mazda 2 campaigned earlier in the season by the series only female driver, Valerie Limoges. Karl trailed his brother, Nick, both days and had to settle for a pair of runner-up finishes.
There were only three B-Spec entries and the finishing order was the same for Saturday and Sunday. In the center, scoring his ninth and tenth class victories of 2012 is Nick Wittmer. On the left side of the podium is the winner’s brother and runner-up, Karl Wittmer. Completing the rostrum and driving the Canadian Touring Car Championship Media Race Car is the third-place finisher, Russ Bond.
The series had a Canadian Touring Car Championship Media vehicle supplied by Mazda to compete in the B-Spec class. This weekend, Russ Bond had the honour of piloting the No. 2 Mazda 2 – he was the fifth different driver this year. In rounds nine and ten, Bond, a former Formula Atlantic competitor, followed the Wittmer brothers to a pair of third-place finishes.
Scott Nicol, driver of the No. 41 Velocity Motorsport Honda Civic Si-R was having a season with mixed results. In the season opener, Nicol scored third and fifteenth place finishes. Rounds nine and ten would be much of the same for the Super Touring competitor. In race one of the weekend, Nicol qualified third but finished eleventh. On Sunday, he redeemed himself with a third place.
During the 2012 Canadian Touring Car Championship, M&S Racing’s, Jonathan Young only competed on a part-time basis but delivered some respectable results in the Touring category. Entering rounds nine and ten, Young had a season-high finish of third-place in race two at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The driver of the No. 99 Honda Civic matched this result on Saturday and Sunday.
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park track announcer, Jim Martyn, interviews the round ten Super Touring winner and class points leader, Sasha Anis. On the left side of the podium is Anis’ teammate and the runner-up, Bob Attrell. The final position on the rostrum is occupied by the third-place finisher, Scott Nicol, from Velocity Motorsport.

FINISHCLASSDRIVERCAR / SPONSORLAPSRETIREMENTS
1Super TouringRemy AudetteAcura RSX Type-S / Audette Racing17-
2Super TouringBob AttrellHyundai Genesis / G1 Racing17-
3Super TouringPhilip FayerPontiac Solstice GXP / GT Racing17-
4Super TouringLuc LesageBMW 330i / Media Racing Team17-
5Super TouringTom KwokAcura CSX / M&S Racing17-
6Super TouringBenjamin DiStauloHonda Civic Si-R / Lombardi Racing17-
7Super TouringGary KwokHonda Civic Si-R / M&S Racing17-
8Super TouringPascal CarréBMW 330i / PCS Motorsports17-
9TouringAlain LauziereMini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport17-
10TouringDamon SharpeHonda Civic Si / Blanchet Motorsports17-
11TouringJonathan YoungHonda Civic / M&S Racing17-
12Super TouringJonathan RashleighHyundai Genesis / G1 Racing17-
13TouringP.J. GroenkeMini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport17-
14Super TouringGunter SchmidtChevrolet Cobalt SS / GS Motorsports17-
15TouringMichel SallenbachMini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport17-
16TouringJocelyn FecteauScion TC / Media Racing Team17-
17TouringMarlin LangeveldtMazda RX-8 / Can-Saf Motorsports17-
18TouringPaul GravelMini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport17-
19Super TouringScott NicolHonda Civic Si-R / Velocity Motorsport16-
20B-SpecNick WittmerHonda Fit / Ste-Rose Honda Racing16-
21B-SpecKarl WittmerMazda 2 / DM Compétition16-
22B-SpecRuss BondMazda 2 / CTCC Media Race Car16-
23Super TouringSasha AnisHyundai Genesis / G1 Racing14Did Not Finish
24Super TouringRoger LedouxHonda Civic Si-R / Lombardi Racing0Did Not Finish
25Super TouringEric LacoutureHonda Civic Si-R / Lombardi Racing0Did Not Finish

FINISHCLASSDRIVERCAR / SPONSORLAPSRETIREMENTS
1Super TouringSasha AnisHyundai Genesis / G1 Racing14-
2Super TouringBob AttrellHyundai Genesis / G1 Racing18-
3Super TouringScott NicolHonda Civic Si-R / Velocity Motorsport16-
4Super TouringBenjamin DiStauloHonda Civic Si-R / Lombardi Racing18-
5Super TouringJonathan RashleighHyundai Genesis / G1 Racing18-
6Super TouringLuc LesageBMW 330i / Media Racing Team18-
7Super TouringGary KwokHonda Civic Si-R / M&S Racing18-
8Super TouringPascal CarréBMW 330i / PCS Motorsports18-
9Super TouringGunter SchmidtChevrolet Cobalt SS / GS Motorsports18-
10TouringAlain LauziereMini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport18-
11TouringDamon SharpeHonda Civic Si / Blanchet Motorsports18-
12TouringJonathan YoungHonda Civic / M&S Racing18-
13TouringP.J. GroenkeMini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport18-
14Super TouringRoger LedouxHonda Civic Si-R / Lombardi Racing18-
15TouringMarlin LangeveldtMazda RX-8 / Can-Saf Motorsports17-
16TouringPaul GravelMini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport17-
17TouringJocelyn FecteauScion TC / Media Racing Team17-
18B-SpecNick WittmerHonda Fit / Ste-Rose Honda Racing16-
19B-SpecKarl WittmerMazda 2 / DM Compétition16-
20B-SpecRuss BondMazda 2 / CTCC Media Race Car16-
21Super TouringTom KwokAcura CSX / M&S Racing14Did Not Finish
22TouringMichel SallenbachMini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport14Did Not Finish
23Super TouringRemy AudetteAcura RSX Type-S / Audette Racing6Did Not Finish
24Super TouringEric LacoutureHonda Civic Si-R / Lombardi Racing0Did Not Finish
-Super TouringPhilip FayerPontiac Solstice GXP / GT Racing-Did Not Start

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