2013 Trois-Rivieres - Canadian Touring Car Championship

2013 was the seventh 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.

This 2013 schedule consists of seven 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 is the series’ visit to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve during the Grand Prix of Canada weekend. Early in July, teams will be at ICAR for rounds five and six. This is followed by a trip to Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant. Next up is the series only stop on the street circuit at Trois-Rivieres. The second and final stop at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is conducted during the NASCAR Truck weekend. Series champions will be crowned when teams visit Calabogie Motorsports Park in early September.

In 2013, 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 is 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 is an extensive list of cars that qualify 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 and Scion.
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 must 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 category include BMW, Subaru, Honda, Pontiac and Hyundai.

Rounds nine and ten of the 2013 Canadian Touring Car Championship presented by Continental Tires was held at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Drivers would compete in two thirty-minute races around the very tight ten-turn 2.462-kilometer temporary street circuit.

The start of Sunday’s round ten for the 2013 Canadian Touring Car Championship at Le Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Leading the thirty-one starters into Trois-Rivieres’ corner one is the pole-sitter, Remy Audette, in the No. 21 Audette Racing Honda Civic Si-R. Behind Audette is the other front row starter, Roger Ledoux, driving the No. 4 Lachute Performance Subaru WRX. On the outside of the turn is Nick Wittmer, up from six-place.

The fans at Trois-Rivieres had many local drivers to support. On them was Mathieu Audette, who drove the No. 12 Audette Racing Acura RSX Type S. Audette started race one on the pole but lost the top spot to his brother, Remy. He battled with Alex Healy and would move into first place and take the win when Remy retired at the mid-point of the contest. On Sunday, Audette wasn’t so fortunate and exited the competition on lap-4.

Brothers, Mathieu and Remy Audette, traded wins at Trois-Rivieres. Remy, driving the No. 21 Audette Racing Honda Civic Si-R, qualified second for the weekend’s first contest. He passed his brother at the start and led the race until lap-15 when he retired due to contact with a slower car. The Honda was repaired for the finale and Remy started on the pole. He led flag-to-flag for his third victory of the season.

Another local favourite and long-time Touring competitor was Jocelyn Hebert. Hebert drove the No. 89 Equipe 89 Racing Team Honda Civic Si. He was having an excellent season, already scoring victories at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve and Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant. Hebert would add number five to his total in round nine at Trois-Rivieres. On Sunday, he had to be satisfied with a runner-up finish.

The B-Spec points leader, Karl Wittmer, entered rounds nine and ten at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres with a perfect record of four victories in as many starts. At Trois-Rivieres, Wittmer, driving the No. 82 Ste-Rose Honda Racing Honda Fit would sweep another weekend, but it wasn’t easy. In both rounds, he had to battle with the Mazda 2 of Normand Boyer.

The Super Touring podium for round ten of the 2013 Canadian Touring Car Championship at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Standing on the top step for the third time this season is the winner, Remy Audette. On the left side of the rostrum is the three-time series champion and runner-up, Nick Wittmer. Occupying the final position on the podium is the third-place finisher, Roger Ledoux from Lachute Performance.

G1 Racing’s team principal, Bob Attrell, opened 2013 with a runner-up finish, but a wheel failure in round two damaged the No. 88 Hyundai Genesis. During qualifying for the weekend’s first race at Trois-Rivieres, Attrell was ninth fastest. He wasted no time moving to the front in the race and with four laps remaining, he passed Alex Healy for a runner-up finish. On Sunday, Attrell started seventeenth and finished eighth.

Octane Motorsport’s, Michel Sallenbach, led the Touring championship entering rounds nine and ten at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. His closet rival for the title was Damon Sharpe in the Blanchet Motorsports Honda Civic Si. Piloting the No. 46 Mini Cooper S, Sallenbach was able to widen the point’s gap over Sharpe with a victory and runner-up finish.

The other driver contending for the Canadian Touring Car B-Spec crown was Normand Boyer. Boyer had years of road racing experience obtained the former Honda Civic Championship. He drove the No. 7 Boyer Motorsports Mazda 2. In almost every round, Boyer finished in the runner-up position and Trois-Rivieres would be no different. However, he qualified on the pole Saturday and led a lap in the finale.

The Touring podium for Sunday’s round ten of the 2013 Canadian Touring Car Championship at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Standing of the top step for the third time this season is the class points leader, Michel Sallenbach. Standing on the rostrum’s left sideis Saturday’s winner and today’s runner-up, Jocelyn Hebert. Completing the podium is Sallenbach’s teammate, Carlos Tesler-Mabe.

The three-time Canadian Touring Car champion, Nick Wittmer, returned to the series with a Honda Accord. As is often the case with new race cars, Wittmer experienced some development challenges. He qualified fifth for round nine but was the first retiree of the contest. On Sunday, Wittmer was gridded sixth, but an aggressive start moved into second place on the first lap, he held the position to the checker.

Jason Sharpe, the driver of the No. 84 Honda Civic Si was the defending Touring class champion. Sharpe returned to the Canadian Touring Car Championship to defend his title but found a worthy opponent in Michel Sallenbach. He trailed Sallenbach in the point standings and would lose more ground after registering third and fifth places finishes, compared to his rival, who captured a win and runner-up result.

Alex Healy had been campaigning the No. 5 Healy Racing Acura RSX Type S since the 2009 season. Healy took a one-year sabbatical in 2010 to join Lombardi Racing in a Honda Civic Si-R. His best 2013 result prior to Trois-Rivieres was a third-place in round five at ICAR. In race one of the weekend, Healy started sixth and matched his best performance of the season. On Sunday, he qualified fourth but fell to a ninth in Super Touring.

The leader of Octane Motorsports, Alain Lauziere, introduced the Mini Cooper S to the Canadian Touring Car Champion in the inaugural season and won the Touring title in 2007 and 2009. This season, Lauziere was exploring the B-Spec category with the No. 44 Mini Cooper. In the first two starts are the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, he had a pair of third-place finishes. At Trois-Rivieres, Lauziere would deliver the same results.

The B-Spec podium for Sunday’s round ten of the 2013 Canadian Touring Car Championship at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Standing of the top step for the sixth time this season is the class points leader, Karl Wittmer. On the left side of the rostrum is the runner-up for the second time this weekend, Normand Boyer. Finishing in third, from Octane Motorsports is the series veteran, Alain Lauziere.

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR / SPONSOR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	Super Touring	Mathieu Audette	Acura RSX Type-S / Audette Racing	25	-
2	Super Touring	Bob Attrell	Hyundai Genesis / G1 Racing	25	-
3	Super Touring	Alex Healy	Acura RSX Type-S / Alex Healy Racing	25	-
4	Super Touring	Nathan Blok	BMW 330i / 8Legs Racing	25	-
5	Super Touring	Marc-André Bergeron	BMW 330i / 8Legs Racing	25	-
6	Super Touring	Roger Ledoux	Subaru WRX / Lachute Performance	25	-
7	Super Touring	Scott Giannou	Pontiac Solstice GXP / GT Racing	25	-
8	Super Touring	Lee Chaplin	Hyundai Tiburon / Fast Wheels Racing	25	-
9	Touring	Jocelyn Hébert	Honda Civic Si / Équipe 89 Racing Team	25	-
10	Touring	Michel Sallenbach	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	25	-
11	Super Touring	Scott Nicol	Honda Civic Si-R / Velocity Motorsport	25	-
12	Touring	Damon Sharpe	Honda Civic Si / Blanchet Motorsports	25	-
13	Super Touring	Jonathan Rashleigh	Hyundai Genesis / G1 Racing	25	-
14	Touring	Carlos Tesler-Mabe	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	25	-
15	Touring	Daniel Blanchette	Honda Civic Si / Équipe 89 Racing Team	25	-
16	Touring	Eric Lacouture	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	24	-
17	Touring	Michael Di Meo	Honda Civic Si / Blanchet Motorsports	24	-
18	Super Touring	Glenn Chaplin	Hyundai Tiburon / Fast Wheels Racing	24	-
19	Touring	Jocelyn Fecteau	Scion TC / Media Racing Team	24	-
20	Touring	Paul Gravel	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	23	-
21	B-Spec	Karl Wittmer	Honda Fit / Ste-Rose Honda Racing	22	-
22	B-Spec	Normand Boyer	Mazda 2 / Boyer Motorsports	22	-
23	Super Touring	Yves Legris	Scion TC / Team Legris	21	-
24	B-Spec	Alain Lauziere	Mini Cooper / Octane Motorsport	21	-
25	Touring	Guy McKenzie	Toyota Corolla XRS / Media Racing Team	21	-
26	Super Touring	Rémy Audette	Honda Civic Si-R / Audette Racing	15	Did Not Finish
27	B-Spec	Carl Nadeau	Mazda 2 / Vincent Compétition	14	Did Not Finish
28	Touring	Paul Dargis	Honda Civic Si-R / Dargis Motorsports	13	Did Not Finish
29	Touring	Jacques Deshaies	Mazda RX-8 / DM Compétition	8	Did Not Finish
30	Super Touring	Nick Wittmer	Honda Accord / Ste-Rose Honda	3	Did Not Finish
-	Touring	Tom Kwok	Honda Civic / M&S Racing	0	Did Not Start
-	Super Touring	Luc Lesage	Scion FRS / Media Racing Team	0	Did Not Start

FINISH	CLASS	DRIVER	CAR / SPONSOR	LAPS	RETIREMENTS
1	Super Touring	Rémy Audette	Honda Civic Si-R / Audette Racing	17	-
2	Super Touring	Nick Wittmer	Honda Accord / Ste-Rose Honda	17	-
3	Super Touring	Roger Ledoux	Subaru WRX / Lachute Performance	17	-
4	Super Touring	Nathan Blok	BMW 330i / 8Legs Racing	17	-
5	Super Touring	Marc-André Bergeron	BMW 330i / 8Legs Racing	17	-
6	Super Touring	Scott Nicol	Honda Civic Si-R / Velocity Motorsport	17	-
7	Super Touring	Jonathan Rashleigh	Hyundai Genesis / G1 Racing	17	-
8	Super Touring	Bob Attrell	Hyundai Genesis / G1 Racing	17	-
9	Touring	Michel Sallenbach	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	17	-
10	Touring	Jocelyn Hébert	Honda Civic Si / Équipe 89 Racing Team	17	-
11	Super Touring	Alex Healy	Acura RSX Type-S / Alex Healy Racing	17	-
12	Super Touring	Lee Chaplin	Hyundai Tiburon / Fast Wheels Racing	17	-
13	Super Touring	Scott Giannou	Pontiac Solstice GXP / GT Racing	17	-
14	Touring	Carlos Tesler-Mabe	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	17	-
15	Touring	Eric Lacouture	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	17	-
16	Touring	Damon Sharpe	Honda Civic Si / Blanchet Motorsports	17	-
17	Touring	Michael Di Meo	Honda Civic Si / Blanchet Motorsports	17	-
18	Super Touring	Yves Legris	Scion TC / Team Legris	17	-
19	Touring	Paul Dargis	Honda Civic Si-R / Dargis Motorsports	17	-
20	Super Touring	Glenn Chaplin	Hyundai Tiburon / Fast Wheels Racing	17	-
21	Touring	Jacques Deshaies	Mazda RX-8 / DM Compétition	17	-
22	B-Spec	Karl Wittmer	Honda Fit / Ste-Rose Honda Racing	16	-
23	B-Spec	Normand Boyer	Mazda 2 / Boyer Motorsports	16	-
24	B-Spec	Alain Lauziere	Mini Cooper / Octane Motorsport	16	-
25	B-Spec	Marie-Laurence Paquin	Mazda 2 / Vincent Compétition	16	-
26	Touring	Tom Kwok	Honda Civic / M&S Racing	15	Did Not Finish
27	Touring	Guy McKenzie	Toyota Corolla XRS / Media Racing Team	14	Did Not Finish
28	Touring	Daniel Blanchette	Honda Civic Si / Équipe 89 Racing Team	7	Did Not Finish
29	Touring	Paul Gravel	Mini Cooper S / Octane Motorsport	5	Did Not Finish
30	Touring	Jocelyn Fecteau	Scion TC / Media Racing Team	5	Did Not Finish
31	Super Touring	Mathieu Audette	Acura RSX Type-S / Audette Racing	4	Did Not Finish
-	Super Touring	Luc Lesage	Scion FRS / Media Racing Team	0	Did Not Start

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